Table of contents for TAK2436 in Take 5

As Editor, Rachel, takes a break visiting family, the Take 5 team have been busy bringing you all the real-life stories, tips, puzzles and prizes you love. One that really got us chatting in this issue is Jordan’s story. When she saw a pic on Instagram of a shirtless man standing in front of a waterfall in the Amazon Rainforest, she liked the lush greenery, but also the physique of the inhabitant. While I think crossing Sydney Harbour is a bridge too far for a first date, Jordan flew to Ecuador to meet her real-life Tarzan. Head to page 4 to read how it turned out – we were all swept up in the romance. My single friends were more jaded about it. “Great, so I have to trawl the…

I wasn’t going to let a lack of sight knock me off my horse Sue -Ellen Lovett, 64, Dubbo, NSW. Tightening the buckle of my helmet under my chin, I grabbed the reins tightly as I mounted the horse. “Trot on,” I called to Penticoss, my beautiful old grey mare. I lived on a 21,000-acre property outside of Mudgee in the Central West of New South Wales with both my parents, John and Mary, younger brother Peter, and sister Elizabeth. The vast land allowed us to keep horses and riding them was always when I was happiest. I was 12 years old now and had been riding since I was three. From the first moment I sat on the saddle, I loved the freedom it gave me. Walking on my…

Running away from my strict Amish family was tough, but then I turned my life around Naomi Swartzentruber, 44. Tying the straps of my bonnet around my chin, I looked up to my mum. “Why do we have to wear these?” I asked her, tugging at my plain, long-sleeved dress. “It’s just our way,” she said. It was 1988 and I was eight. My family belonged to one of the most conservative subgroups of the Amish, known as the Swartzentrubers. Every morning, my 11 siblings and I got up before dawn to do chores. As the fourth oldest, it was my job to carry wood and feed the chickens. We had no electricity and only cold running water. Our toilet was an outhouse. We went to a school for Amish…

NUN ON THE RUN Just like Whoopi slippery sister only Goldberg in 90s classic stayed briefly, moving Sister Act, an Italian from convent to convent woman also posed as and changing her name a nun in order to hide as she went. out in various convents For two years, her in northern Italy. prayers were answered But unlike Whoopi, as she evaded police. But whose character was put they finally caught up into witness protection with her after one after witnessing a crime, convent grew suspicious this sneaky signora was about her identity and the criminal. phoned the authorities. After being convicted Police interviewed of fraud by a Sicilian nuns who had been court in 2017 and taken in by the woman. sentenced to two years One convent even said…

Pork & fennel sausage rolls MAKES 8 PREP 20 MINS COOK 30 MINS 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, chopped finely 400g pork mince 2 eggs ½ cup stale breadcrumbs ¼ cup grated cheddar 2 tbsp chopped parsley 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind 2 sheets puff pastry 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp sesame seeds 1 Preheat oven to 220°C. 2 Heat an oiled, large frying pan over medium heat. Cook fennel, stirring, 10 mins or until softened. Set aside to cool. 3 Combine fennel, pork, 1 egg, crumbs, cheddar, parsley and rind in a large bowl. Season. 4 Cut pastry sheets into four squares. Place about ½ cup of mixture along one side of one square. Roll to enclose. Place, seam-side down on a baking-paper-lined tray. Repeat with…

My real-life Tarzan makes me go bananas! Jordan Hauenschild, 26, Sunshine Coast, Qld. Snuggled up under the covers in bed, I pulled out my phone. Five minutes on Instagram then lights out, I told myself. It was 2023, and I’d been daydreaming about a hiking adventure in South America for the past year and loved nothing better than scrolling through my Explore feed to discover exciting new places to visit one day. Pictures of the Amazon rainforest always made my heart skip a beat. So much natural beauty, I marvelled. Just as I was about to put my phone away for the night, I clocked a pic that left my mouth gaping open. Standing shirtless in front of a waterfall, surrounded by lush jungle, was the most handsome guy I’d…

I blew my inheritance in just one year, then turned it into a career Kim Kent, 33, Perth, WA. Sitting on a chair in the storeroom, I relaxed for my meal break. It was 2014, I was 23, and making sandwiches part-time at Subway. Taking out my phone, I checked my bank balance. In disbelief, I stared at the five figures in my account. My great-aunty Debbie had passed away in 2008 and left all her money to her great nieces and nephews. $62,000 had just dropped into my account! Excitedly, I called my boyfriend Daniel, 25. “It’s even more than I was expecting!” I exclaimed. I told him I would start by clearing our $3000 worth of collective credit card debt. “I’m grateful, but you don’t have to,” Daniel…

Teriyaki & ginger meatballs with noodles SERVES 4 PREP 10 MINS COOK 20 MINS 270g pkt ramen noodles ½ tsp sesame oil 1 tbsp peanut oil 2 x 420g pkts beef meatballs 160g teriyaki stir-fry sauce sachet 1⁄3 cup mirin 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 5cm piece ginger, sliced 1 bunch Asian greens of choice, chopped 4 long green onions, sliced, plus extra to serve 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted 1 Cook noodles following packet directions. Toss in sesame oil and keep warm. 2 Meanwhile, in a wok or large frying pan, heat peanut oil on medium. Cook meatballs in two batches, 4-5 mins each, tossing, until browned. Transfer to a plate. 3 Add teriyaki sauce, mirin, vinegar and ginger to pan. Bring to the boil. Return meatballs to…

VIRGO Aug 24 –Sept 23 The most recent New Moon was in your sign so if you’re feeling all fresh and new and filled with possibilities, now you know why! Do treat this week as a time to explore ideas and new paths. ★ Don’t second-guess yourself as Virgos do. SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 – Dec 22 You have a new professional cycle unfolding now as Mars moves into your Career Zone for the first time in two years – plus, the New Moon is in your Cash Zone. Make sure you have a solid plan. Don’t ride roughshod over others. ★ You have amazing stars for making more cash. PISCES Feb 20 –Mar 20 The September New Moon in your Love Zone means it’s time for you to start again…

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I was only a child when he came for me… Jade Skea, 36. Sitting on the steps with my school friends, I looked out over the town’s main street. Nearby, a charismatic salesman named Kim was attracting locals to his jewellery stall. Later, he wandered over to us. “Morning, ladies,” he said, smiling. As an anxious 15-year-old, I found his eccentric energy infectious. It was 2003, and Kim often said hello to me after that. That November, I was walking past his stall when he suddenly lifted me up and kissed me on the lips. What’s he doing? I thought, shocked. He grinned before returning to his stall as if nothing had happened. Kim was older, so I’d never thought of him in a romantic way, but I was flattered…

My new wife went to lie down on her due date and never woke up Ed Tongiatama, 39, Brisbane, Qld. My computer pinged with a notification, and seeing who the message was from, I felt a flutter of excitement. I’m so sorry, I’ve only just got this, the woman wrote. I’d seen her profile on Plenty of Fish five weeks earlier, and sent a message, but hadn’t heard back. When Emmanuelle Margaret, 30, explained she hardly ever logged on to the site, I believed her. Not wanting to let her slip away again, I asked her out straight away. How do you feel about grabbing a burger after work one night? I suggested. When she quickly agreed, I was stoked. But let’s drop the formalities, she wrote. Just call me…