Why I Miss Australia
By Julie Kusko
Olivia Newton-John misses Australia so much that she plans to spend six months each year here. The lovely Livvy broke the news of her down under dream on a visit during which she patriotically lent her talents to a TV variety clip which was Australia’s contribution to a colourful Olympic Games extravaganza on US television (seen here on the Nine Network).
“Sure I’d like to live here full-time,” Olivia says. “But, if I’m realistic, it would be half the year here and half in America. That is starting to happen now. I’m coming back quite a lot. I feel I’m safe here. Maybe it’s to do with my childhood. I feel comfortable. I miss the people. The place is beautiful, but places are places it’s really the people who make a place. I have family here and I have friends here.”
Olivia confesses that, unless she comes home to Australia at least once every six months, she becomes “terribly homesick”. “That’s why I opened my pet project, Koala Blue,” she says about her Aussie-goods shop in Los Angeles. Whenever she suffers a wave of homesickness, she pops into her shop which, she adds, is doing “fantastically well”.
There, along with the jars of Vegemite, milk shakes and racks of Aussie designed clothes, she can catch up on news of her old friends. Recently, for instance, she was delighted to see actress Chantal Contouri on the cover of Woman’s Day, which Olivia sells in her shop.
For her Australian trip Olivia sported a new tangled, wet-look hairstyle, bobbysocks, flat-heeled shoes and a three-piece, very long-lined suit, designed by fellow Australian, Stuart Membery. Olivia jumped at the chance of a busman’s holiday to Australia for her contribution to the Olympics gala. “I thought it would be fantastic to do it in Australia and with Peter Faiman, an old school chum of mine,” she says.
Peter, of the Nine Network’s Special Projects Division, produced and directed Olivia’s performance. After filming her contribution at Admiralty House, the Sydney residence of the Governor-General, Olivia headed off for a month of relaxation and sunshine on her avocado farm near Coffs Harbour, on the northern NSW coast. She bought the property a couple of years ago and “whenever I’m here I go up there. I can never wait to get there,” she says. But, all the time, she followed the Australian fortunes at the Games, particularly the equestrian, gymnastic and swimming events all sports in which she takes an active interest.
Just before leaving the US, Olivia organised a star-studded barbecue party for the Australian Olympians. Among the celebrities who scoffed lamingtons, barbecued prawns and meat pies were Olivia’s good friend and favourite movie co-star John Travolta, actor David Hasselhoff (of TV’s Knight Rider fame), Pamela Stephenson, Bryan Brown and his pregnant wife, actress Rachel Ward, Peter Allen, singer Billy Thorpe, John Farnham and the Little River Band and Dame Edna Everage (alias Barry Humphries).
The shooting of the Olympics gala segment was a happy reunion for Olivia and super ocker Paul Hogan who co-starred with her in it. “I first met Livvy in America about nine years ago during their BiCentennial,” says Paul. “There was a big Aussie party at Livvy’s place, the head-quarters of the Gumleaf Mafia. Even including myself, I reckon she is the best ambassador for Australia.”