Olivia on the Spirit of Mother Earth
At 58, Olivia Newton-John is making music, fundraising for her new cancer centre and spending time at her luxury retreat in the Byron Bay hinterland. Just how does she do it?
She spoke to Sarah Saunders.
Olivia Newton-John can’t put a foot wrong.
Almost thirty years after hitting the big time as good girl Sandy in the movie Grease she is, according to an annual Reader’s Digest poll, our most trusted Australian. More trustworthy, even, than Peter Cosgrove, Reverend Tim Costello and Margaret Fulton.
You don’t maintain the respect of a nation on looks alone, so what is it about Olivia? Perhaps it’s that perfect blend of outward vulnerability the big eyes, easy smile, gentle voice and quiet modesty - and her underlying strength.
If genes have anything to do with it, Olivia, 58, would have to be a smart cookie. Born in England, she was the youngest child of Professor Brin Newton-John and Irene, the daughter of a Nobel Prize winning physicist.
She arrived in Melbourne at the age of five then moved back to England in her late teens to pursue a career in show business. Rarely courting controversy, over the years she has won four Grammy Awards, had 15 top ten singles and starred in several movies of which Grease and Xanadu are best known.
These days she lives between Los Angeles and Australia with her 20-year-old daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, who is following her mother’s footsteps into music.
This year, after her own brush with breast cancer in the 1990s, Australian audiences have seen Olivia fundraising for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre in Melbourne. Expected to be completed by 2010, the $50 million facility will provide a comprehensive range of services for cancer care, research, education and training.
In her down-time Olivia retreats to the hills of northern New South Wales, and her luxury spa Gaia. A place, she says, where she’ll eventually end up.
Your maternal grandfather was a Nobel Prize winner and your father vice-chancellor of Melbourne University, yet you left school at 16 to pursue a singing career how did your parents feel about that?
I don’t think they were too thrilled in the beginning but when they realised I could make a living doing what I was doing it was fine.
Were there sparks between you and John Travolta when you made Grease?
Yes, there were sparks we like each other very much but I had a boyfriend and he had a girlfriend. That’s probably what kept it interesting.
How has the friendship evolved over the years? Are you still good friends?
Yes, we are. I think he’s wonderful and I could count on him if I needed him.
In 1992, you underwent surgery for breast cancer. What can women do to reduce their risk of developing breast cancer?
Early detection reduces the risk of developing cancer to later stages. After a certain age, that means, depending on your doctor’s advice, having regular mammograms.
A diet high in vegetables and fruit, not too much alcohol, and a healthy mind are also important. Sometimes it’s genetic and sometimes it’s environmental or stress-related because our immune system is reduced when we’re stressed.
This year you’ve been quite active raising funds for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre. What’s different about your centre? And what do you mean when you talk about “wellness”?
It’ll be different in that it will include a sanctuary where people, before or after treatment, can have a cup of tea and talk to others, maybe have a foot massage. do a bit of yoga or meditate or pray. By “wellness” we mean not only health for the body but for the mind and spirit as well.
Your own battle with cancer inspired you to write and produce your album Gala and you then went on to name your retreat Gala. What’s the philosophy behind Gaia?
What I understand Gaia to be, and why I called it Gaia, is the spirit of Mother Earth. When I was writing the album, the Gaia theory was a new thing but I heard about it, and that’s what I felt it was. When I was writing the album I felt it was coming from my attachment to Mother Earth and my affinity with her.
I felt that I was sick because the planet was getting sick and, as a woman, I was in tune with her. It was systematic of what we were doing to her. We were polluting her, and polluting ourselves and getting ill. That’s what I felt instinctively. All those songs came to me late at night when I was on my farm in northern New South Wales.
You could set up a retreat anywhere in the world-how did you end up in northern New South Wales and what’s special about it?
It’s a magical place. It’s just got something about it. I felt that from when I first bought the land there in 1982.
I’d been advised to get an investment property and I wanted a place in Australia that I could just come to. Driving through looking for beach property, I didn’t know anything about the Byron area. I saw these incredible rolling hills and I said to the estate agent: “What is this? It’s so beautiful around here.” And he said: well, there’s a farm down the road that’s just come on the market.
He drove me down a dirt road onto this property. It was just land - no house - and I bought it. It’s not like me I usually take ages to make a decision but I instantly fell in love with it and I knew I’d end up there one day.
Is it a working farm?
It was a working farm - I had custard apples but I had problems. Now I have avocados.
Is that the Gala retreat?
No the retreat is a different property. After my mother died I was driving up from Melbourne to my farm with some of her lovely possessions that I wanted to put in my house. Gregg, the man who now runs Gaia, who was one of my mother’s closest friends, was with me.
Driving through the area, he talked about how he loved it and I said: well if you love it so much, maybe we should knock on a few doors. We were just messing around. We saw a sign that said “Sanctuary for Sale”, so we drove onto the property. It was run down but again it had a special feeling.
That next morning I told him I’d dreamt that we’d bought the property and we’d called it Gaia, and he said: “That’s really strange -I dreamt about it too but we called it Bona Vista!” Then we joked about how nice it would be if we had a place like that where all our friends could come. We could retire there and have a communal kitchen.
By the time he went back for another look, someone else had made an offer. We decided that if it was meant to be ours. it would come back. Sure enough, three months later we got a phone call saying it had fallen through, and we bought it.
Your new album, Grace and Gratitude, comes out in October. Tell us about it.
It’s a healing CD based upon the chakras of the body. Each chakra represents an emotional part of us. It’s a mediation album. Really, I did it for myself but I hope it’ll make other people feel good.
In the 70s you boycotted Japan because of their fishing practises. Are you still as passionate about certain issues or have you tempered over time?
I’ve tempered over time. Now I find it’s more helpful to go the country and show a video of dolphins and show how sweet they are and encourage people to want to get to know about them. Usually negative things are done out of ignorance. If we can educate the young people we can help educate their parents, and things will change.
How do you feel about growing older?
It’s inevitable and I try to do it gracefully. There are some great things that happen with age such as wisdom and the strength from knowing that you’ve done something before so you can do it again.
How do you keep fit and stay looking so good?
I play tennis. I walk my dog and I hike. I use a lot of moisturizer and I use sun block-I haven’t always but I do now. But I do believe we need some sun for our health. The Greeks used to take 20-minute sun baths. I eat well and I have a pretty healthy lifestyle.
You’re a great beauty and you live in Hollywood do you feel the pressure to have plastic surgery?
You could feel the pressure if you allowed it. I’m scared of the surgery so that’s what keeps me from it. I’m not saying “never”. Never is a silly word because you might wake up one day and go: “Oh my god!” But right now it scares the heck out of me and I have no desire to do it.
You’re busy making music, touring, fund raising and running businesses. How do you find the time?
You just make time. I’m lucky that I have people who can help me with things. I do what I can but I now also know how important it is to have some down time.
Would you move back to Australia permanently?
I could. It really depends where Chloe is going to be. If she wanted to be in Australia and she wanted me with her, then sure. I love spending time in Australia.
What makes you happy?
Sunshine on my back. Roses in my garden. My dog. My friends. Animals of any kind. Nature. Music.
What’s been your greatest achievement?
My daughter Chloe.
Contact Gaia Retreat on (02) 6687 1216 or visit www.gaiaretreat.com.au
To make a tax-deductible donation to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre call 03 9496 5753 or www.oliviaappeal.com