A driver education program that helped older South Australian motorists stay safer behind the wheel has been scrapped by the State Government as the state's road toll climbs to its highest in a decade.

Investing in gold and high-risk shares and selling the family home before they intended to are some of the ways retirees are trying to stay afloat as paltry returns on cash deposits force them to reassess their finances.

Properties in Melbourne and Sydney are selling for $100,000 to $200,000 above the advertised price, which buyers say is underquoting, but real estate agents say is due to market gains.

Against all manner of difficulties, including slowing domestic and global economies, the ASX has powered back over some rough patches and scandal to put on 21 per cent. Stephen Letts looks at how it unfolded.

A sleepy lizard road sign, inspired by a seven-year-old animal lover, pops up in a South Australian national park and is catching on elsewhere in the state.