Dramas in The Shire

Southern Highlands' fans: Miriam Margolyes,Nicole & Keith,Leo DiCaprio, Lady Renouf,Lord McAlpine. Arnie

James Fairfax

The Southern Highlands is undoubtedly the most beautiful and desirable country property in Australia. It's green gentle rolling hills, just a 2 hour drive from Sydney are home to numerous celebrities like Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes, superstar Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban who call the former Governor's retreat Bunya Hill their country base, Fairfax publishing scion James Fairfax along with numerous Eastern Suburb's residents who have hobby farms there. The late UK Conservative Party heavyweight Lord McAlpine called the Shire home as did the late Lady Renouf for some years and even the ex-California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a representative to look for a suitable property while last year film heartthrob Leo DiCaprio declared it was his favourite spot in all the world.

Three years ago publisher Jane King decided the local newspaper scene needed a bit of shake-up, moved there with her family and produced a Southern Highland's version of her Eastern Suburbs free newspaper LatteLife. Her son Cristian King who manages the three King newspapers took on the job of reporting on local council affairs and was soon ruffling some very important feathers out of their complacent stupor.
                                                                                                       

Bunya Hill

But a few weeks ago Latte Life's advertisers found an anonymous old-style Poison Pen Letter landing on their doorsteps alleging all sorts of scurrilous goings-on. To show there were no hard feelings all the advertisers decided to step up their support for the newspaper and many delivered the letters to the local cop shop. Now the Australian Federal Police has stepped in to forensically examine the offending missives.

Cristian King

Meanwhile manager Christian King- defending himself -succeeded in having an attempted Apprehended Violence Order from a local councilor thrown out of court and is also suing a councilor for defamation.

And to show he has no hard feelings, Cristian has now put himself up for election in the Wingecarribee Shire Council which if successful could see him as Australia's youngest Councilor. Ex-Wingecarribee Mayor Julie Arkright  has stepped into the breach to take over Cristian's council reporting.
I'm told the local coffee shoppes and pubs are abuzz with chat on the matters with many viewing it as the most exciting series of events to have happened in the area in decades!
# Whispers occasionally does some work for LatteLife Newspapers.

Fool's Gold Coast

Michael & Donrecka Issakidies

For about 4 years they were a fixture around Sydney at all the right parties, shop openings and soirees. Noticeable for their 'his and hers" matching gold Rolls Royce's.

And then they seemed to vanish. It appears businessman Michael Issakidis and his glamorous blond wife Donrecka had decamped to the glittering Gold Coast in Queensland.

John Burgess

Yesterday Australian Federal Police and investigators from the tax office seized $40million in assetts from Issakides and a business partner during raids, including the Issakides Gold Coast mansion, another in Sydney, 4 Rolls Royce's and 4 other luxury cars along with two motor cruisers.

Issakidis had recently been in the media after he sued the TV game show host 'Baby' John Burgess and his wife Jan for $40,000 in rent owed on a 71st floor beach front Gold Coast apartment rented to Burgess. Now Mr Issakidis has been charged with conspiring to deal in proceeds of crime worth $63 million and defrauding the Australian Tax Office of tens of millions of dollars. If convicted the penalty can be up to 25 years in jail.

We Stand Corrected

It's the riot that keeps giving.......
 
Several missives arrive taking the Shuttle to task for claiming the famous missing show belonging to Prime Minister Julia Gillard was a Mixxy shoe designed by one of the USA's top fashionistas Betsey Johnson.

The shoe appeared for sale briefly on Ebay today before the advert was pulled.

In fact the shoe was a Midas brand with the name GLORIFY as featured in our snap below and it sells for a hefty $A148 and not the mere $US87 that the Mixxy sells for.

And quick off the mark we spot this sales pitch for the famous Glorify  on the Midas website :

	GLORIFY Classic pump outline medium heel wedge. Super soft suede all leather lined available in black and navy. Perfect for the office, political escapes and finding the burley bodyguard of your dreams.  !!!!