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Theodore Drivas’, Waterview Venue in Bicentennial Park, to be first privately-owned vaccination hub

The Greek Herald
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Theodore Drivas’, Waterview Venue in Bicentennial Park, to be first privately-owned vaccination hub

In support of the local community during the current COVID-19 crisis, Waterview Venue in Bicentennial Park will become the first privately-owned hospitality venue to volunteer their function centre for use as an official NSW Health Vaccination Hub.

In an effort to assist with the current national emergency and the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta strain, Waterview Venue’s initiative comes with the hopes to assist in raising the state’s total vaccination rates.

“Our vision is to welcome back our loyal employees and dear clients, while supporting fellow businesses, improving the health of the local community and the state of New South Wales,” Managing Director, Theodore Drivas, says.

“The financial economic impact on businesses during the pandemic has been distressing to all and we hope this initiative will be a part of the change that will see the current economic crisis recover. We aim to give back to the hospitality industry and all suffering business sectors.”

Waterview is proud to share their vision with the Sydney Olympic Park Authority (SOPA), aligning in values and being able to further support the community in which we are located and the health and wellbeing of NSW.

“Nothing is more pleasing than an initiative that allows us to welcome back our loyal staff, now as frontline workers, to benefit the health and wellbeing of the community. We’re all in this together, uniting on this cause and receiving protection against the virus will bring us closer to resuming life as normal,” Director of Operations, James Drivas, says.

Waterview Venue is located within the Sydney Olympic Park precinct, perfectly situated within the
picturesque landscapes of Bicentennial Park.

Offering tranquil views overlooking vast parklands, ponds and lakes, Waterview is the ideal setting for all events. Waterview can accommodate Weddings, Business Events, School Events and Special Occasions of all kinds.

You can book your vaccine at the Waterview Venue in Bicentennial Park here.

Greece completes border wall extension to deter potential Afghan migrants

The Greek Herald
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Greece completes border wall extension to deter potential Afghan migrants

Greece has completed a 40km fence on its border with Turkey and a new surveillance system is in place to stop possible asylum seekers from trying to reach Europe following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.

Events in Afghanistan have fuelled fears in the European Union of a repeat of the 2015 refugee crisis, when nearly a million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and beyond crossed to Greece from Turkey before travelling north to wealthier states.

Greece was on the frontline of that crisis and has said its border forces are on alert to make sure it does not become Europe’s gateway again.

In this Friday, May 21, 2021, policemen patrol alongside a steel wall at Evros river. Photo: AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos, File.

READ MORE: Greece border force ‘on alert’ amidst Afghanistan crisis.

The Afghanistan crisis had created “possibilities for migrant flows,” Citizens’ Protection Minister, Michalis Chrysochoidis, said after visiting the region of Evros on Friday with the Defence Minister and the Head of the Armed Forces.

“We cannot wait, passively, for the possible impact,” Chrysochoidis told reporters. “It is our decision to defend and secure our borders. Our borders will remain safe and inviolable.”

READ MORE: ‘We will not be the gateway of Europe’: Greek ministers respond to Afghanistan crisis.

In this Friday, May 21, 2021 file photo, a police car patrols alongside a steel wall at Evros river. Photo: AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos, File.

Chrysochoidis said the extension to the existing 12.5-kilometre fence had been completed in recent days, as well as a hi-tech, automated electronic monitoring system.

Migrant arrivals to Greece, either by land or by sea, have overall slowed to a trickle since 2016, when the EU agreed a deal with Turkey to stem the flows in exchange for financial support.

Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Turkish President, Tayyip Erdogan, discussed Afghanistan on the phone on Friday, with Erdogan saying Afghanistan and Iran – a key route for Afghans into Turkey – should be supported or a new migration wave was “inevitable,” a statement from his office said.

In this Friday, May 21, 2021, a policeman patrols alongside a steel wall at Evros river, near the village of Poros, at the Greek -Turkish border, Greece. Photo: AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos, File.

Greece and Turkey, NATO allies and historic rivals, have long been at odds over migrant issues and competing territorial claims in the eastern Mediterranean.

Greece has hardened its migration policy in recent months by fencing off its migrant camps and launching EU-wide tenders to build two closed-type facilities on the islands of Samos and Lesvos, close to Turkey.

It has in the recent past stopped people entering its waters, though it denies widely reported allegations of so-called “pushbacks.”

READ MORE: Pontian Greeks of Australia send supplies to Evros border guards in Greece.

Source: Reuters.

Greece, Israel and Cyprus affirm alliance based on shared values

Andriana Simos
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Greece, Israel and Cyprus affirm alliance based on shared values

The foreign ministers of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, Greece, Nikos Dendias, and Israel, Yair Lapid, have affirmed during a meeting in Jerusalem their countries’ close ties, based on shared values.

Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias remarked that the wider region is seeing “extremely worrying developments” lately, namely religious fanaticism and spoke of an “arc of fundamentalism” spreading from North Africa to Afghanistan.

He contrasted those developments to the shared values also enunciated by his Isreli counterpart, Yair Lapid: promotion of peaceful coexistence, moderation, prosperity, international law.

“Our objective today was also to find new ways to institutionalise our participation of strategic partners of our trilateral scheme. You mentioned them, thank you,” Dendias said in his speech.

The Greek Foreign Minister then went on to thank Israel for its help with the wildfires that hit Greece earlier this month.

“This is something that has created a very positive element, our cooperation, to address climate change and the results of climate change,” Dendias said.

For his part, Cyprus’ Foreign Minister, Christodoulides, wrote on Twitter: “Our meeting is a visible confirmation of the strategic nature of this cooperation, that is here to stay and more importantly, to continue growing.”

The Israel Foreign Minister stressed how “this trilateral alliance is a strategic asset for all of us” as it “strengthens our economy, our security, our international standing.”

Full moon seen rising over the Acropolis and Temple of Poseidon in Greece

Andriana Simos
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Full moon seen rising over the Acropolis and Temple of Poseidon in Greece

The August full moon was seen rising over ancient archaeological sites in Greece, such as the Acropolis and the Temple of Poseidon, on Sunday night.

The full moon, which many call a seasonal ‘blue moon,’ gave stargazers something to smile about on the night as they prepared their cameras to capture the rare sight.

120 archaeological sites and museums across Greece also opened their gates free of charge so that the public can enjoy the August full moon. At the same time, a series of cultural events have been scheduled between August 20-25, 2021.

Music concerts, theatrical performances, dance performances, poetry recitations, documentary screenings, art exhibitions, stargazing and guided tours are the main events that have been organised this year by the Ministry of Culture and Sports for the August full moon.

Photos:

Photo: Amazing Greece / Twitter.

Melbourne couple Kristine Costalos and John Tilley set sail amidst lockdown

John Voutos
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Melbourne couple Kristine Costalos and John Tilley set sail amidst lockdown

Melbourne couple Kristina Costalos and pilot John Tilley set sail along Australia’s east coast on their brand new yacht three months ago. 

Ms. Costalos says she has Tilley’s navigation experience to thank for their escape from lockdown. 

“I just remember thinking to myself there has to be more to my life right now,” Ms Costalos, a former news reporter, told A Current Affair. 

“I don’t even know what day it is anymore.”

They currently sit in Airlie Beach near North Queensland after finding themselves in dire straits in the Bass Strait between Tasmania and Melbourne. 

“I don’t think this is for everyone, and John’s navigation experience has been an absolute bonus,” Ms Costalos says. 

“For example our auto pilot failed when we were in Bass Strait. It was a really scary experience but John was able to stay at the helm for 17 hours and get us through.”

“The sea is the limit, or the border quarantine requirements, that’s the limit,” Tilley added. 

The couple had no real sailing experience before setting off but they took lessons and spent a lot of time living on the boat to get used to it. 

Source: 9Now 

Greek Australians named as finalists in the Westfield Local Heroes 2021

Andriana Simos
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Greek Australians named as finalists in the Westfield Local Heroes 2021

The finalists for the 2021 Westfield Local Heroes have been announced and they are now in the running to win $10,000 grants to support the impactful work they do for their local community.

Among the names are two Greek Australians from South Australia and win or lose, they are definitely making our community proud.

Here’s the list if you would like to vote before Monday, August 30, 2021.

Emma Georgiadis – Enlighten Education (Westfield Marion, SA)

Morning radio presenter, Emma Georgiadis, harnesses her combination of broadcasting skills and experience as a teacher to connect with young women and build their confidence.

She’s doing this through Enlighten Education, a non-profit provider of in-school workshops for teen girls. Her sessions help girls aged 11 to 18 decode the mixed messages they receive about what to eat, how to act, how to look, how to please and how to be liked. 

Emma shares vital tools girls can use to build positive relationships with their peers, parents and teachers. Her fun and engaging workshops cover topics including positive body image, self-talk, social labelling, personal safety, stress, conflict, diversity and healthy friendships.

“My work as a radio announcer gives me the platform to go into schools and have a connection with the girls. It has also provided me with the skills to develop my podcast, Empowerhouse, which builds attitudes of self-love, self-worth and self-belief,” Emma says.

She feels honoured to have been nominated as a Westfield Local Hero and if successful, she will use her $10,000 grant to fund workshops for an additional 500 girls.

“I am so excited by the opportunity to go out into more schools and spread positive messages. I am so pleased to be able to combine my skills to help others realise their potential,” Emma concludes.

Katerina Iliopoulos – HeartKids Limited, South Australia Division (Westfield West Lakes, SA)

Grandmother, Katerina Iliopoulos, is giving back as a passionate and generous fundraiser for families affected by congenital heart disease. 

Over the last three years, she has raised nearly $20,000 for the charity HeartKids by baking and selling mountains of Greek shortbread.

HeartKids aims to give every child diagnosed with congenital heart disease a fighting chance of leading a long and fulfilling life. The charity funds research, advocates for people with the disease and offers guidance, information and support throughout their journey.

Katerina was inspired to support the charity after her granddaughter, Zoe, benefited from their support to travel to Melbourne for surgery. 

Thankfully, Zoe made a quick recovery and is now a healthy and active little girl. But some children require multiple surgeries and trips to Melbourne. HeartKids also provides the families with peer support once they return home, which is often the hardest period. 

“Being able to support others, while in turn receiving support, has created a strong sense of community and reduced the feeling of being alone when it comes to caring for a heart kid,” Katerina says.

She is surprised to be nominated as a Westfield Local Hero but “delighted to do my part, alongside many other supporters and volunteers.”

If Katerina is successful, HeartKids will use its funds to continue offering its support programs to families living with congenital heart disease.

*Please Note: The above finalists are those The Greek Herald could identify by their Greek name.

World-first robot cave tour guide Persephone leads visitors through Greek caves

John Voutos
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World-first robot cave tour guide Persephone leads visitors through Greek caves

The world’s first robot tour guide goes by the name ‘Persephone’ and is currently touring a three million-year-old cave in northern Greece.  

‘Persephone’ is a multilingual robot that leads the public through the first 150 metres – or the first three of eight stops – of the Alistrati Cave near Serres. 

Nikos Kartalis is the scientific director of the Alistrati site and acquired 118,000 euros (AUD$193,400.82) to turn his dream of a robot guide into a reality.

Mr. Kartalis says he’s already reaping the fruits of his labour. 

““We already have a 70% increase in visitors compared to last year since we started using” the robot, he says. 

“People are enthusiastic, especially the children, and people who had visited in the past are coming back to see the robot guide.”

‘Persephone’ was built by the National Technology and Research Foundation and features a white body, black head, two luminous eyes, and wheels to roll around the cave with.

“It is something unprecedented for them, to have the ability to interact with their robot by asking it questions and the robot answering them.”

“Many foreign visitors couldn’t believe Greece had the capacity to build a robot and use it as a guide in the cave.”

‘Persephone’ was a daughter of Zeus who was abducted by the god of the underworld, Pluto/Hades. 

“My name is Persephone, I am the daughter of the goddess Demeter and the wife of Pluto, the god of the underworld. I welcome you to my under Earth kingdom, the Alistrati Cave,” the robot says as she greets visitors. 

Alistrati Cave (Photo: itinari.com)

Evdokia Karafera is one of the tour guides who partners with the robot.

“It is helpful, because it speaks many languages. There’s just a little delay in the touring,” she said. 

“Most find it fascinating, especially the children, and find it interesting that it speaks many languages.”

Karafera insisted, however, that human tour guides cannot be completely replaced.

“Robots, at some point in the future, will take over many jobs. But I believe they cannot replace humans everywhere,” she said. 

“(Visitors say) ‘the robot is interesting, original, but can’t substitute for the human contact with the guide and the conversation we can have on the way back.’”

Source: AP

The new wonderkid of Greek tennis, Michaela Laki, puts no limits on her dreams

Alex Anyfantis
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The new wonderkid of Greek tennis, Michaela Laki, puts no limits on her dreams

A young girl from Larisa full of enthusiasm, dreams and ambitions, who loves what she does more than anything in the world while enjoys hanging out with her friends in her spare time.

That could serve as a simple description of 16-year-old athlete Michaela Laki after our conversation with her.

Yet, we would be leaving out some very important details.

Like for example, the fact that just a few days ago she won the Greek championship title in tennis after beating Dimitra Pavlou 2-0 set in the final or that only a couple of months ago she was able to reach the round of 16 in the Roland Garros juniors division, leaving spectators impressed with her performance.

And those are only but a few from the rapidly growing list of her achievements in the sport.

Michaela with her Under-14 European Champion trophy. Image: tennisnews.gr

But for Michaela herself, who started playing tennis at the age of six, it’s become a way of life:

“From when I was young, I liked it [tennis] a lot. I remember back then, it was considered a very different sport, not many people played it. It didn’t have the attention that it gained in recent years due to the success of athletes like [Stefanos] Tsitsipas or [Maria] Sakkari and there wasn’t so much noise on social media. I also like the fact that it’s a solitary sport, I enjoy being by myself inside the court.”

When speaking about the recent string of successes by Tsitsipas and Sakkari, who she characterizes as her role models, Michaela points out that their wins keep her motivated: “Stefanos and Maria are perfect examples of how a professional athlete should be and especially for someone like me who’s just starting out in the industry. It’s really important to have two Greeks so high up in the rankings. It motivates me to keep trying.”

Recently there’s been a lot of talks going around in regards to the mental health of the athletes when dealing with the media representatives, especially after Naomi Osaka chose to withdraw from the French Open as she could not handle answering the questions of the journalists in the post-game press conferences.

Michaela Laki was able to reach the round of 16 at the recent Roland Garros juniors edition. Image: gazzetta.gr

Yet Michaela seems to have a handle on the situation and understands the obligations that come from being a professional: “Some people may get affected by this, but thankfully something like that hasn’t happened to me yet and I hope it never does. I understand that press conferences are part of our job, we need to speak to the media after each game, whether we’re feeling well or not.

“And I believe that it’s for this exact reason that athletes are paid so well, because of all the promotion they get from journalists and social media, they play a great role in the evolution of our career. I’m in a great environment, my coach Mr Phivos Michalopoulos offers me great advice and my parents are there to protect me from such matters so I don’t think I’ll be affected by this in the future.”

When she’s out of the court, the aspiring athlete explains that she’s just like any other girl her age who enjoys the company of her friends: “I live in Larisa, but I travel a lot. I feel like I’m living two lives; one is inside the court and the other is in my everyday routine.

“But it’s very important for me, when I’m not training, to be able to have that time off to relax and enjoy myself so that my mind can drift away a bit. There’s a lot of pressure in this sport and it’s great to have friends who make me laugh, support me, help me forget about everything because afterwards I have a greater appetite to go back and play tennis.”

As we wrap up our interview the ambitious young champion sends her message to all the Greeks of Australia: “I’ve never been there before, I was meant to come over for last year’s Open but that was cancelled.

“I hope everything goes well and I’m able to play in the next edition. I hope I have the support of the Greek community, it’ll be great to see them in the stands! I’ll do my best and I’ll try extra hard for all those who come to cheer me on!”

Life’s a ride: Recording artist GIA on making her way through Australia’s music scene

John Voutos
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Life’s a ride: Recording artist GIA on making her way through Australia’s music scene

“Life’s a ride, yeah it gets tough; the bitterness of it keeps me strong,” upcoming Greek Australian artist GIA sings on her 2018 track ‘Life’s A Ride’. 

GIA knows this ride better than most and she’s only 23-years-old.

Yianna Nicholas, better known by her stage name ‘GIA’, grew up “just at the foot of the mountains” in Saint Marys in Sydney’s outer west. 

Her grandparents emigrated from Tegea, Tripoli, to the Penrith area.

She says musicality courses through her veins. 

(Photos: Supplied)

“My dad is a guitarist,” she tells the Greek Herald.

“[He] threw the guitar into my hands at the age of four and I haven’t put it down since.”

She found her greatest inspiration in the Greek music that her parents would play while she was growing up. 

“[Greeks] have a way with words. They’re very deep, they’re very good at communicating how they’re feeling in that moment.” 

“Their writing is full of depth and I love that.” 

‘Eclectic’ is the word Gia uses to define her musical style, but if “you’ve got to throw it into a box and confine it, ‘pop rock’ would be it”.

GIA started out in “your common beer-swinging and chicken schnitzel lunch” kind of pubs in Sydney’s outer west (The Fitzroy Hotel (left) (The Heritage Hotel, Wilberforce (right) 

She started performing at 12-13 years old in the Fitzroy Hotel in Windsor and the Heritage Hotel in Wilberforce. 


“The best place to learn how to handle a crowd,” she says. 

She made her way out of “your common beer-swinging and chicken schnitzel lunch” kind of pubs and into Jimmy Barnes’ home studio. 

She recorded part of her self-entitled thirteen-track record ‘Gia’ in this studio and released it during her brief stint with record label Zeus Entertainment in the late 2010’s. 

She says she prefers the “creative freedom” and uncontrolled nature of releasing her own music.

“I was sort of controlled in a way with what I could write, again, how I was dressing, how I should pose,” she says. 

“Don’t get me wrong, it taught me a lot because now I have the equipment and the knowledge to do it on my own.” 

“For me, I love music way too much and I’m stubborn in that I do like to be in control of what I’m doing.” 

“Which is why I have the hopes one day to start my own record label that works for the artist.” 

Sydney’s current lockdown has been more creative for Gia than its last. 

“The last lockdown that we had last year was very difficult. I wasn’t being creative at all. I was too busy trying to find a job and try to get some form of income because that was literally my only form of income.” 

“I had a show lined up last year at the Factory Theatre in Marrickville and it got cancelled literally a week out because of the COVID-19 lockdown. That was a great loss.” 

“In terms of shows, I can’t do anything right now unfortunately as much as I’d love to, and I am missing the stage a lot.”

On the flip-side, the current lockdown is working Gia wonders. 

“I don’t know what’s happened, I’ve shifted and I’m actually being really creative working from home I guess that help,” she says. 

Gia says she’s currently working with established producer Paula Jones to “bring out some new singles, new footage,” and “just anything and everything to try to ease the heaviness of this lockdown”, with plans to hit the road once lockdown is over. 

Tokyo Paralympic Games: Meet the athletes representing Greece

Alex Anyfantis
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Tokyo Paralympic Games: Meet the athletes representing Greece

The Olympic Games may be over, but that doesn’t mean that the season for playing sports is behind us! Right off the heels of the world’s greatest sporting event will be the Tokyo Paralympics, which will put all athletes with disabilities on center stage and give them their own chance to shine.

Of course, Greece will have their own team of representatives in the competition, who will aspire for greatness and hope to put their nation on the highest point of the pedestal.

In fact, this will be the first time since the Paralympics of Athens in 2004 that the blue-and-white will have such high representation, as they will participate in 11 different sports. This feat is made even more impressive when considering the current state of the world, with the pandemic forcing many athletes to refrain from training.

Most notable among the sports that Greece will compete in will be the sphere, in which both the Stefanidis father and son will take part, an event that will occur for the first time in the tournament’s history.

But it’s not only the sphere team that are worth keeping an eye on, as the Greek mission to Tokyo will include many more athletes who have high aspirations at the event, such as the Rio bronze medalist in the shotput F53, Dimitra Korokida, the silver medalist in the sabre B event in 2016, Panagiotis Triantafyllou and the silver medalist at the 2015 Glasgow swimming world championships, Antonis Tsapatakis.

In the previous Paralympics of Rio 2016, Greece performed quite admirably, collecting a total of 12 medals (five gold, four silver and four bronze). But considering their greater participation numbers in this year’s competition, it’s safe to assume that they will be aiming even higher this time around.

Some of the sports in which the Greek athletes will compete in Tokyo and the ones who will represent the “galanolefki” are written below.

  • Weight lifting (on bench): Pavlos Mamalos, Gremislav Moisiadis, Nikolaos Goudanis, Pashalis Kouloumoglou, Dimitris Mpakochristos, Anastasios Mpaos
  • Sailing: Anargyros Notaroglou, Vasilis Christoforou, Georgios Delikouras, Theodors Alexas
  • Swimming: Alexandros Taxildaris, Andreas Katsaros, Antonis Tsapatakis, Aristidis Makrodimitris, Vasilis Tsagkaris, Giannis Kostakis, Giorgos Kapellakis, Konstantinos Karaouzas, Maria Kalpakidou, Nikos Tsotras, Semiha Rizaoglou, Charalambos Taiganidis, Christos Tampaxis, Chrysoula Antoniadou
  • Boccia: Alexandros Papadakis, Grigoris Polychronidis, Maria Eleni Kordali, Nikos Pananos, Panagiotis Soulanis
  • Wheelchair fencing: Gerasimos Pylarinos, Georgios Alexakis, Emmanouil Mpogdos, Panagiotis Triantafyllou
  • Cycling: Adamantia Halkiadaki, Stamatis Kotzias, Christos Stefanakis
  • Para-shooting: Evangelos Kakoseos, Theodora Moutsiou
  • Para-archery: Anna Tzika

The 2020 Tokyo Paralympics will begin next Tuesday, August 24.

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