Breeze Magazine Central Coast Issue 16

Breeze magazine

Issue 16

Autumn 2016

Explore

CENTRAL COAST NSW

Pretty Beach House

Dine at Gusto Tapas Bar & Lounge Bamvino, Cove Cafe & Hog’s Breath, Terrigal

Discover Loughlin Furniture Design, Ettalong Markets & Toast The Coast Meet Kelly-Anne Love and Grizlee Train Stay in the Hunter ... with kids

unsurpassed views... understated elegance, an experience you’ll never forget...

The Haven Terrigal NSW 2260

(02) 4385 3222 info@reefrestaurant.com.au

Follow us on Instagram instagram.com/reefrestaurant

Like us on Facebook facebook.com/reefrestaurant

www.reefrestaurant.com.au

www.staroftheseaterrigal.com

. 43 85 79 79

l’s a g i r Ter dy tren the of r a t S !!

Sea

A Fa i Dink r um 5 sta kid f r riend reso ly rt!!

Seriously heated indoor, outdoor and waterslide pools.

Super facilities including tennis, squash, basketball, gym, snooker, playground & BBQ area.

Units all penthouse size with large balconies and Foxtel. On site cafe with room service.

BUSINESSCARDS.pdf

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FO L LOW T H E LO CA L S TO B E L LY F I S H . . . ... for the best all-day brunch at Terrigal Beach. Made with fresh, local produce and serving Single Origin Roasters coffee.

Shop 4, 112 Terrigal Esplanade “the first cafe on the right as you come into Terrigal Beach” Open 7 days from 5am

bellyfishcafe.com

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Welcome to Issue 16.

We had a fantastic reaction to our first print issue, Issue 15, better than we could have imagined. Unfortunately all your kind words made that intervening three months go by very quickly and here we are – a quarter of the way through a new year and out with another issue.

We have some great stories for you this issue. As usual, we‘ve been exploring the wealth of good eating on the Coast. We visit Cove Café in Terrigal where they have a new chef and an exciting new menu. Also in Terrigal is Hog’s Breath, with a new owner breathing life into his latest venture. BamVino in Erina Heights is well worth a visit, and we did! As is Gusto Tapas Bar & Lounge in diner’s heaven, Ettalong.

We meet the local couple behind Loughlins Furniture Design, explore Ettalong Markets, meet Grizlee Train and artist Kelly-Anne Love. Nadia Gradwell takes us to Lost Paradise festival and Scott McRae tries to convince us to take the kids to the Hunter ...

We find out about Toast the Coast, our new premier food, wine and music festival. We also take a look at some ‘soft adventure’ options in the north of the region.

And finally, we explore the absolutely stunning Pretty Beach House ... Enjoy!

Breeze magazine Issue 16 COVER IMAGE: by Tim Brand. Pretty Beach House PUBLISHER: Tim Brand CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Michelle Cutler SUB EDITOR: Claire Kidd

CONTACT: info@breezemag.com.au Ph: 02 4324 1169. www.breezemagazine.com.au COPYRIGHT: All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reporoduced without the permission of the publisher. Articles express

CONTRIBUTORS: Scott McRae, Wendy Ward,

the opinions of the author and are not necessarily

Mark Holgate, Nadia Gradwell, Lisa Haymes.

those of Breeze magazine.

PRINTED BY: InTo Print Unit 22, 1-3 Jubilee Avenue, Warriewood NSW www.intoprint.com.au

Breeze is published quarterly by Solveit4u Pty Ltd. ISSN 2206-0685

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Kims on the Beach, Toowoon Bay www.kims.com.au Ph: 02 4332 1566 Email: kims@kims.com.au Follow us on

Instagram @kimscocktails @kimsbeachsideretreat. Like us on

Trends at the Bay

f Trends at the bay

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87 Toowoon Bay Rd, Toowoon Bay P: 02 4334 2311 Open Tuesday to Sunday

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P R O P E R T Y

S A L E S

THINKING OF PURCHASING A HOLIDAY HOME? S E L L I N G L I F E S T Y L E S Accom Property specialise in the sale and rental of holiday and lifestyle properties on the Central Coast.

Call a sales representative to discuss your property requirements and discover why owning the right holiday property can be a very smart investment.

CALL US TODAY 02 4385 9564 Brent Pilkington 0410 872 541

Donna Ford 0414 544 185

www.accomsales.com

Buy Breeze magazine IN PRINT!

We’ve been publishing online for the last 4 years, creating a quality digital experience that's easy to read on your iPhone & iPad. And now we produce a print magazine too!

Go to our website to purchase online or find a retailer near you!

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breezemag.com.au

www.breezemagazine.com.au

Ray Moore 0411 040 815

Matthew O’Rourke 0405 346 038

Hand-made wooden fashion, specializing in custom-made.

AVOCA VALLEY BED & BREAKFAST central coast boutique accommodation

A romantic retreat for couples located in the Avoca Beach hinterland.

Peaceful, tranquil and exceptionally private Avoca Valley Bed and Breakfast is the perfect base for your Central Coast getaway.

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AvocaValleyBedandBreakfast

0404 240 463 www.avocavalleybnb.com.au

AvocaValleyBnB

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FRESH NEW MENU NOW AVAILABLE !

stylish home decor, treasured gifts & beautiful jewellery to create a haven in your own home

Includes all-day breakfast, delicious lunches & snacks and serving great organic coffee.

Open Seven Days

Also explore the Fairhaven shopping precinct – Vintage Fair, The Collective.

Shop 2b, 490 The Central Coast Hwy, Erina Heights

02 4365 4618

Mon-Fri: 8am–3pm Sat: 9am–2pm

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Ph: 02 4323 3566 209 Brisbane Water Dr. Point Clare

Contents Beauty: Eye Carumba!

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Health: Colds and Flus 14 Motor: 2016 Kia Sorento SLi

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Art: Inked in Memory

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Locals: Cycling for a Cure

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Toast the Coast

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Music: Grizlee Train

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Viva Italia in Ettalong

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Books: Autumn Reads

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Movies: Autumn Releases

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Cove Cafe 44 BamVino 52 Gusto Tapas Bar & Lounge

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Hog’s Breath, Terrigal

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Soft Adventure

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Form & Function

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Back to nature 88 Pretty Beach House Take ‘Em or Leave ‘Em

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PUBLISHER. TIM BRAND is a web designer and photographer, and takes most of the stunning images seen in Breeze.

His interest in online publishing (and love of the Coast) resulted in Breeze magazine.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR. MICHELLE CUTLER has had a long career in print design and publishing, having worked for many publishers within Australia and overseas.

Michelle oversees the design of Breeze and also writes many of our articles.

MUSIC. NADIA GRADWELL was born in South Africa and now lives on the Coast with her husband and kids. Nadia is a multitalented photographer who has found a specialty in music photography and interviews. simplyinfinitephotography.com

SUB EDITOR. CLAIRE KIDD is a content and communications consultant, originally from the UK via Singapore, with an impressive career in corporate business. She has a passion for words and an obsession with grammar.

TRAVEL. SCOTT MCRAE has been in the entertainment industry for over 24 years and shares his adventures from Channel Ten’s A Taste of Travel on Ben’s Menu with our readers. scottmcrae.com.au

ARTS & CULTURE. JESSICA GLEDHILL is an artist, curator, arts coordinator, radio presenter and director of The Creative Workshop. She is a passionate supporter of the region’s arts, design and crafts sectors and believes they should be accessible to everyone.

BEAUTY. WENDY WARD is a lover of all things beauty, and has written for women’s magazines and weekend supplements across Australia. She lives on the Coast and is currently working on a beauty book.

MOTOR. MARK HOLGATE has been a journalist for more than 20 years, writing motoring, motor sport and news stories for some of Australia’s biggest publications. Mark runs auto blogsite exhaustnotes.com.au

BREEZE TEAM

LISA HAYMES is a photographer and artist. Lisa often draws on the Coast’s natural landscape for inspiration in her art and is sought-after as a commerical photographer. lisahaymes.com

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HOME & LIFESTYLE

Shop 7 | 8 Karalta Plaza Karalta Lane, ERINA

upcycled furniture, homewares artwork and soft furnishings.

Plus regular workshops!

We love saving classic pieces of furniture from landfill, and turning them into something beautiful.

Homewares | Accessories Furniture | Lighting Gifts | Jewellery | Fashion Colour Consulting Shop 8, 314–316 The Entrance Road, Long Jetty

Home Interior Decoration & Styling Service

Ph: 0407 458 950 Tues– Fri: 10am–2.30pm, Sat: 10am–4pm Sun–Mon: CLOSED

paisleyvintage.com.au

Ph: 4365 5195 trouvehomeandlifestyle.com.au

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Mother’s Day SHOPPING

It can be tough to know what to give your dear Mum for Mother’s Day, but you don’t want to leave it to the last minute. We got in early and did some research, taking our camera along to a few of our favourite homewares stores to see what they had.

Haven at Home Shop 2b, 490 The Central Coast Hwy, Erina Heights THE spot for beautiful coastinspired decorator items.

And Najo jewellery!

Goddess By The Sea 202 Memorial Ave, Ettalong Beach We spotted lovely homewares and china plus a great range of MOR products. Goddess By The Sea will be holding a VIP shopping night for Mother’s Day. Call 02 4341 4229 for details.

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Piccolo Pear Shop 1 26 Adelaide Street, East Gosford Small pears ... SOH Melbourne candles and a beautiful terrarium with succulents. Always something different!

Trouve Home & Lifestyle Shop 7, 8 Karalta Plaza, Erina French and Hamptons inspired homewares, toiletries and a divine range of clothing and sleepwear.

A bit of bling too!

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Breeze beauty Eye Carumba!

By Wendy Ward

We batt them, roll them and wink with them. We use our eyes to send out a lot of signals.

The focal point of the face, the eyes are generally the first feature to be noticed.

Beautifying them is nothing new. In ancient Egypt both women and men applied kohl to their lashes with teeny, tiny sticks. They used eye shadow not only for cosmetic purposes but practical as well. Apparently darker pigments painted around the eyes helped protect from the harsh, glaring sun. The earliest eye paint (think Cleopatra) was a bright green paste made from the stone malachite. The Egyptians had literally rainbows of colour that they made from minerals, rocks and plants.

Fortunately, we don’t have to go out in search of rocks to crush and mix today.

If we’re planning an unforgettable gaze and nature didn’t grace us with big, sexy, flirty or magnificent eyes, here are some products to help enhance and intensify and keep our eye on the prize.

Bright looking future With the Sanctuary Spa Active Reverse Peptide Repair Eye Cream the future is looking brighter, smoother and more youthful already. Who doesn’t want to improve as many signs of ageing as possible? This serious over-achiever targets wrinkles, dark circles, dryness and puffiness. Firming and

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smoothing out lines, thanks to Matrixyl® Synthe’ 6™ a peptide that signals skin cells to produce more collagen, this timefighting cream also contains extracts of Lotus Flower and Black Tea, Vitamins and Chamomile to soothe and hydrate. Expect a more lifted, well-rested and seemingly time resistant eye contour even without the eight hours of treasured sleep. RRP $29.99 for 15ml.

Flutterly beautiful For lush lash flutter the go-to is Covergirl Clump Crusher Extensions By LashBlast Mascara. Attention grabbing, lush, full and soft! The wand rakes through lashes, building volume, and lengthens with its super compact lash-hugging, curved brush designed to fit the shape of the eye.

And the bristles are sooo close, clumps have no hope of forming. How clever is that? It draws out and saturates every lash, from root to tip, top to bottom. Even those hard to reach, tiny corner hairs. The result: long, defined and clump-free as promised.

RRP $18.95 in Very Black.

Killer brows We all know the ones.

Full and natural looking with an arch just where it should be ... Hmm, yes please.

Try a soft pencil like the NYX Cosmetics Eyebrow Push Up Bra RRP $14.95. It’s

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a dual-ended pencil to highlight brows, colour and shape. One end highlights – run it directly under the brows, or on the brow bone alone (it can also be used in the corner of the eye to brighten).

Afterwards, finish with the brow-coloured end using light strokes to fill in arch and, if needed, extend the brow. Or another option that’s worth trying is the Eye of Horus Brow Define, a deft, slimline, automatic pencil. One end features a twist-up nib pencil that deposits colour over the brow (the pencil is charged with castor oil), the other is a handy brush to blend colour through. It’s one simple tool that adds shape, colour and definition.

Available in Husk (Light Ash Blonde), Dynasty (Medium Brown) and Nile (Medium/Dark). RRP $28.

Treat and conceal A few quick turns of the base metes out more than enough onto the sponge-tip applicator to cover under-eye sins without caking and looking obvious. Part concealer, part treatment, the Maybelline New York Instant Age Rewind Eye Eraser Concealer works on puffiness, dark shadows and fine lines with a lightweight and blendable formula. Not only does it conceal, its eye perfecting actives (think lightening Vitamin C, goji berry and the anti-inflammatory benefits of Haloxyl) help to minimise the telling signs of age with use over time.

In four shades – Fair, Light, Medium and Brightener. RRP $18.95.

Shimmer and shine The MODELCO Shadow Sticks are adorable little bullets of creamy colour that glide on and deliver a rich colour payoff. The texture coats the lids and adheres perfectly, no matter how

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fast they’re scribbled on, and the finish is even and stays the distance without creasing. Yes it’s true! Wear alone for a wash of colour or use to line the eye, contoured to add depth or layered and blended. They’re packaged like a mini lipstick in a convenient slide up tube and small enough to go everywhere, making them just right for travelling. Available in a pack of four (shimmers and matte) in Costa Rica 01 (Pearl Shimmer), St Barts 02 (Pink Champagne), Portofino 03 (Shimmering Plum) and Purple Haze 04 (Amethyst). RRP $39.

Clean with care Drench a cotton pad with Nivea Daily Essentials Double Effect Make-Up Remover and watch eye makeup disappear. Simple and fast, it’s gentle on the eyes yet tough enough to remove eyeliner, mascara (always the hardest to remove) and shadow without pulling or yanking on the lashes. A champion, it also makes short work of the most stubborn waterproof makeup. It’s every girl’s dream after a late night! Close your eyes and hold a soaked pad over the lids and lashes for a few seconds to give it time to dissolve before wiping, no need to rub. Its super light, bi-phase formula with added cornflower extract cares for the delicate eye area while keeping lashes and lids protected, hydrated and softened.

And, it’s suitable for contact lens wearers.

Available in 125ml.

RRP $9.99.

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Breeze health

Colds and Flus The end of summer means cold and flu season is on its way. Here are some tips for limiting the winter blues.

OUTRUN THE BUGS! Wash your hands regularly

with soap and water for 20 seconds. Avoid hand towels, paper towel is better. Hand sanitisers also work well.

Keep your hands away from your mouth, nose and food. Avoid foods eaten with your hands, like sandwiches, and pick up your knife and fork instead.

Try Vitamin C supplements. Many

Use alcohol-based cleaners

and antiseptic wipes on areas with high hand traffic such as computer keyboards, phones and tv remotes.

claim that taking Vitamin C decreases the severity and duration of a cold. 500 milligrams a day is apparently enough. Start taking it as soon as symptoms come on.

Exercise

Get your heart pumping each morning to strengthen your immune system through cold season. But do take it easy and put off the exercise when you’re sick. Rest up!

Salt water rinsing. Helps with nasal

WHEN THE BUGS WIN ...

Natural remedies are worth a try.

Eat chicken soup. Not only is it warm

Echinacea and Goldenseal both seem to shorten the duration of a cold and perhaps give the immune system a boost in many people. Some take zinc lozenges with

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great effect but limit intake to a day or two as they can upset your stomach.

Honey and lemon have been used for centuries to soothe a sore throat and can also ease congestion. If you have a pre-existing condition, you’re pregnant or taking prescribed medication, always check with your doctor before taking herbal remedies.

Breeze magazine - Central Coast

congestion and can remove virus particles from your nose. Mix ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda with a cup of warm water. Rinse using a bulb syringe.

and comforting when you’re feeling rotten, recent research suggests that the ingredients used in chicken soup may boost our immune system and ease inflammation caused by cold viruses.

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COLD or FLU? So you feel like a truck just hit you? Flu! The symptoms of an influenza virus can be very similar to those of a cold – sore throat, headache, congestion and cough – but will usually come on much more suddenly and be more severe. They can also include a high fever, body aches and pains and sometimes vomiting and diahorrea. Flu symptoms should start to improve within two to five days with recovery taking one to two weeks, but you might still feel the extreme fatigue that comes with the flu virus for three weeks or more. If any of your symptoms persist, see your doctor as there is a risk of developing secondary infections. These are particularly dangerous for those with a weakened or compromised immune system and often require treatment with antibiotics or possible hospitalisation.

Colds are a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affect the nose. They come on more gradually than a flu and are usually gone within a week. Most colds start with a sore throat and then a runny nose develops. This is usually followed by a congested nose and a cough. The annoying cough can last up to three weeks.

You can develop a persistent post-viral cough after a cold or flu. These can last up to eight weeks and can be resistent to treatment. They usually resolve themselves but a cough suppressant can help in the meantime.

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Get a flu shot.

It’s currently recommended that everyone except infants under six months of age receive the annual flu vaccine, particularly pregnant women, children and the elderly.

‘Over the counter’ medications.

If you need to take medication, get some advice from your doctor or chemist as to what will work best for you. There are a range of options that include pain relief, decongestants and antihistamines. What will work depends on your symptoms.

They will help you ‘soldier on’ (just like the ad said) but will not prevent a virus or shorten its duration, and most have some side effects. Remember too that these medications are not for young children and their use can cause serious damage.

If pain relief is necessary, only use ageappropriate products at the right dosage for the child’s age and weight. If in any doubt, always consult your doctor.

Rest up and hydrate. The best thing you can do to recover from a virus is take things easy, sleep as much as possible and keep your fluids up. There can be further health complications with both colds and flus, so if you feel you’re not recovering as you should, see your doctor.

WHAT DOESN’T WORK Antibiotics. Antibiotic medications only work on bacteria and will do nothing for a cold or flu, both of which are viral infections. What’s more, their inappropriate use is contributing to the serious and growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antibiotics can only be of use where a secondary bacterial infection develops as a result of the virus.

This article contains general information only and should not be considered as a substitute for seeking personal medical advice from your doctor. Though all reasonable care has been taken to ensure accurate information at the time of publication, no guarantee can be made as to its validity for your individual circumstances.

Soothing Honey and Lemon Drink 1 cup of hot water 2 teaspoons of honey 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice Pour boiling water into your cup, add honey and stir to dissolve. Add the lemon juice and let the drink cool a little before drinking. Unlike medications, you can sip this drink all day if you like.

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B a CLUB Hardys

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family friendly • craft beers on tap • live music • functions

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BREAKFAST

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The perfect venue for that casual dining experience and any special occasion or function.

(02) 4384 5083 The Haven Terrigal NSW 2260 Like us on Facebook

facebook.com/covecafe

www.covecafe.com.au

Follow us on Instagram

instagram.com/covecafe

Hand-made wooden fashion, specializing in custom-made.

Showroom: 1/305 Manns Road, West Gosford P: 02 43 222 186 M: 0401 000 676 E: info@loughlinfurniture.com.au

loughlinfurniture www.loughlinfurniture.com.au

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Breeze motor

By Mark Holgate

AUTO REVIEW:

2016 Kia Sorento SLi ‘Improvements everywhere’ will be the catchcry of the 2016 Kia Sorento SLi, an all new model for this year that is packed full of enough upgrades and updates to impress any skeptic.

The Korean car maker has done well with the new Kia Sorento SLi, which is powered by a 2.2L four cylinder turbo diesel producing 147kW of power and 441Nm of torque, and coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission.

We had a lot of fun with the Sorento, especially in Sport mode, and there is definitely plenty to like about this new model that makes good on the brand’s promises to fix long standing issues with previous incarnations of the large SUV. Kia has put a lot of effort and energy into making this SUV a more comfortable car for day-to-day use, particularly over previous versions of the same model, and has improved noise vibrations along with a much better interior and exterior.

Feature packed, the Sorento SLi includes keyless entry start, electronic park brake, leather appointed seats, dual climate control, USB port, wood-look trim steering wheel and excellent surround sound.

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The Kia is very spacious and can comfortably seat 5 adults and 2 children.

It also features hands-free, smart tailgate technology, and adaptive cruise control that is among the best we’ve seen in an SUV. There’s also a solid infotainment system, with a fantastic ten speaker audio system, that’s very easy to use (with the constant speed limit warnings the only annoyance!). Outside you’ll also find machine finished 18-inch alloy wheels.

The quieter, fuel efficient diesel managed 7.8L/100km in consumption (with the 3.3L petrol version, not tested, also holding a reasonable fuel consumption rating of 9.9L/100km).

As with other new Kia models, the Sorento also features a Drive Mode Select system which adjusts transmission shift points

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and steering assistance depending on the option: Eco, Normal and Sport. On the road, we noticed there was a slight lag with the turbo, particularly in Eco and Normal mode, which was only negated when we switched the drive mode to Sport, with the Sorento responding noticeably better.

Sluggish brakes at low speeds also scored a tick in the ‘not so great’ column, but overall this is a genuinely impressive SUV that is built for all-purpose family driving.

The two tonne towing capacity (braked) is not bad for a seven seater, although some of its competitors are more impressive.

It’s up against some serious competition in the seven seat SUV market, with its main rivals including the Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota Prado, and Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Priced well at the base model level, the Kia might be considered expensive by some for its SLi and Platinum models.

The SLi starts at $54,086 drive away and the Platinum hits the road at $60,911 drive away (both for the diesel variants – the petrol SLi is a little over $50,000). It comes with a five star ANCAP safety rating and Kia’s now legendary 7/7/7 coverage – seven year warranty, seven year capped priced serving, and seven year roadside assist.

It’s available in Clear White, Show White Pearl, Silky Silver, Metal Stream, Platinum Graphite, Aurora Black and Sunset Red. Our test vehicle was provided by Kia Australia.

To find out more, contact your local Kia dealer.

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RESULTS:

Driving experience

HHHHH

Exterior styling

HHHHH

Interior look and feel

HHHHH

Technology and connectivity

HHHHH

Family friendliness

HHHHH

PROS: comfortable spacious interior; fuel efficient; great fun in Sport mode.

CONS: sluggish braking; price point; turbo lag in Eco and Normal modes.

SCORE: 4.3

HHHHH

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Breeze art Inked in Memory

By Jessica Gledhill

I recently visited Central Coast artist Kelly-Anne Love in the lead up to her first solo exhibition, Australiana Tattoo Series which opens in March, at PROJECT 504, North Sydney.

Kelly-Anne’s early life was in Kurrajong, a small country town in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Nowadays Kurrajong is a popular tourist location, known for its scenery, boutique shopping and charming B&Bs. Kelly-Anne fondly remembers a small country town with tyre swans, stubbies and laconic characters. KellyAnne and her siblings spent their days outdoors, tearing around on bikes, chasing chooks and swimming in the dam.

The family home was a no-frills fibro cottage complete with a patio clad in a 60s favourite, green fibreglass corro. A permanent fixture of the patio was KellyAnne’s grandfather, Norman Kennedy.

Norman served in the Irish Navy during World War II and, like any self-respecting sailor of the time, was tattooed and smoked a pipe. Describing her grandfather as a real-life Popeye, Kelly-Anne recalls how she and her siblings would pester him relentlessly to reveal a risqué tattoo of a nude woman on his arm, the reveal never failing to deliver uncontrollable giggles.

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In quieter moments, Kelly-Anne would trace over her grandfather’s tattoos with curious fingers, asking about their meaning. Her grandfather rarely spoke about his past however, and many aspects of his life and the stories behind his tattoos remain a mystery to her.

Kelly-Anne was always drawing and making things as a child, encouraged by her mother who enrolled Kelly-Anne in everything from wood carving to clown classes during school holidays. When Kelly-Anne was six years old her family relocated to England and the United States for a decade, before returning to Australia when she was a teenager. Changing schools often, Kelly-Anne remembers being “the new kid with the weird accent”, easily making new friends but also knowing she would have to leave them behind when the next move came. KellyAnne’s sense of belonging and cultural identity was shaped by the experiences of those formative years.

As a young adult Kelly-Anne travelled through Asia and North America, living in Los Angeles and India for several years.

Throughout her travels Kelly-Anne kept a diary, sketching the places and people she encountered. One encounter made quite an impression. Kelly-Anne met her

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husband David, a professional surfer, while travelling and after a whirlwind romance they got engaged in Hawaii.

Happily married, Kelly-Anne started a family and became a full-time mother.

Once the blur of round-the-clock nappy changing, breastfeeding and sleep deprivation passed, Kelly-Anne started to get the creative itch. Dusting off her father’s set of watercolours, what started as a hobby using whatever materials were at hand, rapidly developed into a fullyfledged arts practice. Becoming a mother had changed Kelly-Anne’s priorities and led to a watershed moment when she chose to fully commit to her arts practice.

Reading between the lines, raising children seems to have been integral to KellyAnne drawing from her own childhood memories, as inspiration particularly for her latest series.

The Australiana Tattoo Series portrays icons, celebrities and sports people that Kelly-Anne sees as having shaped Australia’s cultural identity. The portraits both celebrate and poke fun at our popular culture in all its kitsch glory, with icons such as Ned Kelly, Dame Edna Everage and Shane Warne making appearances, heavily inked. Undoubtedly iconic, Ned, Edna and Warney are nevertheless far from perfect and that’s just the point Kelly-Anne is making with

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her tongue in cheek homage to the average Aussie battler.

Painted in watercolour and ink on paper, the portraits convey Kelly-Anne’s refreshingly unpretentious and direct style, which imbues her icons with quirk, charm and candidness. The portraits are visually dynamic and arresting, due partly to the skilful juxtaposition of materials and techniques. Graphic lines and flat blocks of colour in ink used to render the face, body and clothing of the subjects, contrasts with the softness and fluidity of their allover watercolour tattooing.

The tattoos combine traditional naval imagery with imagery symbolic of each icon’s character traits or personal hardships. Kelly-Anne researched the lives of each icon fully, piecing together their personal narratives visually with tattoos.

In much the same way, Kelly-Anne has pieced together her grandfather’s personal narrative, based upon her memories of him and flashbacks from childhood. By this very process Kelly-Anne is reconciling her own cultural identity and sense of belonging.

Enquiries about pieces in the Australiana Tattoo Series can be directed to Michael Powe Ph: 0452 586 448 E: info@analaartadvisory.com.au www.kellyanneartworks.com

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A couple of years ago Wyong Council and ArtsNSW launched an exciting initiative aimed at creating a stronger sense of community and education opportunities for local creatives.

The great news for the Coast’s burgeoning creative scene is that Art Tonic is back for 2016, bigger and better.

ART tonic

A CR E ATIVE R E M E DY We would all agree that creativity contributes much to our society, culture and public spaces, but for many creatives it can be a solitary journey with few local opportunities to improve their practice and interact with the wider public.

This year Art Tonic has been revitalised to deliver a new and improved programme supporting the professional development of local creative practitioners. With free workshops, masterclasses and artist talks across a range of topics the programme addresses gaps in contemporary arts education while encouraging an inclusive and collaborative creative community.

It also aims to broaden career prospects within the creative sector.

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The programme will run until mid June and includes script writing, digital media, visual merchandising, visual arts and the community arts.

You can contact Wyong Shire’s Community Development Worker (Community and Cultural Programs) Madalyn Ward for further information on the number below or register via the website. Read on for a summary of what’s on offer.

Ph: 02 4350 5204 E: arttonic@wyong.nsw.gov.au www.wyong.nsw.gov.au/arttonic

ARTIST IN RESIDENCY PROGRAMME This year an Artist’s Residency will be offered as part of the Wyong Lakes Festival. Creative practitioners from across the globe are invited to take part in this innovative festival that celebrates the area’s lifestyle, and diverse culture, history and natural environment.

12th–20th November 2016. www.wyong.nsw.gov.au/ WyongLakesFestival.

Ph: 02 4350 5524.

C

ved oners.

ccess igital

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Artist Talks A range of Central Coast Creative Practitioners have been invited to discuss their business models and career progression. During this series the selected Artists will provide you with a real life glimpse into their practice and spaces during some exciting tours including: ARTIST TALKS

A range Central Coast creatives • Aof tour of Ashley Fiona’s Ceramic Studio have• been invited to share their career An introduction to Bobbie P’s Gallery Space, progression andRobyn business model, including Pedley’s arts practice giving you a real life glimpse into their • An overview and presentation into Hilda practiceBezuidenhoust’s and spaces. current photographic exhibition at Hamlyn Terrace Community Centre

HILDA BEZUIDENHOUT EXHIBITION, April HAMLYN 27 TERRACE. 10:30am – 12pm 27 April, 10.30am–12pm Hilda Bezuidenhoust (Hamlyn Terrace); An overview of Hilda’s latest Community Centre photographic exhibition.

7 June 2016 10:30am – 12pm ASHLEY FIONA’S CERAMIC STUDIO, Ashley Fiona (Woy Woy) at the artist’s studio

WOY WOY. 15 June 2016 A tour 7 June, 10.30am–12pm.

10:30am-12pm of Ashley’s studio.

Bobbie P Gallery, Alison Road, Wyong

BOBBY P GALLERY, WYONG. 15 June, 10.30am–12pm.

An introduction to the gallery space and Robyn Pedley’s arts practice.

PRODUCT PRESENTATION & BRANDING WORKSHOP A hands-on workshop teaching a range of visual merchandising techniques presented by Julie Grant and Edwina Richards. Gain the skills needed to build your audience and present your product in a professional way.

5 May, 10.30–2.30pm, The Entrance Community Centre.

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DIGITAL SET DESIGN A professional development masterclass for theatre makers and digital media artists. The workshop offers contemporary knowledge and skills in digital media, with specific focus on digital projections and electronic soundscapes. Facilitated

by HoboTechno, practitioners in theatre, public art installations and performance spaces.

18 May, 10am–1pm, The Art House, Wyong.

COMMUNITY ARTS WORKSHOP

Image: Lisa Haymes

For artist looking to broaden their practice into the community arts.

The workshop will focus on processes and practices, building partnerships, accessing and managing funding, working to project briefs, community engagement strategies and meeting deadlines. Facilitated by Octopod, one of NSW’s leading arts and culture organisations, specialising in public participation in the arts.

Image: Darren Pedley

16 June, 10am–2.30pm, The Entrance Community Centre.

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Breeze locals Cycling for a Cure Three Central Coast residents have been riding up to 500km per week as they prepare to cycle a gruelling 1520km from Brisbane to Sydney in late April.

Paul Barrie of Avoca Beach, Simon McMenamie of North Avoca and David Duff of Terrigal will be participating in this year’s ‘Tour de Cure’ Signature Tour fundraising cycling event in support of the effort to cure cancer.

Paul and Simon will cycle an average of 150km per day for ten days down the majestic eastern seaboard, and scaling the Gibraltar Range from Grafton to Glen Innes to fund cancer research, treatment and prevention.

David, also a keen cyclist, is a logistic lynch pin for the Tour de Cure. He’ll be providing a huge amount of support to more than 200 cyclists and support crew on tour including hauling all the

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equipment and gear in the Tour’s support truck that enables the cyclists to do what they do best.

Also joining the 2016 ‘Tour de Cure’ team are two high profile sporting names.

Australian Olympic rower Drew Ginn of the ‘Oarsome Foursome’, gold medal winners at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, and, for the second year running, international cycling legend Jens Voigt of Tour de France fame.

Between them, Paul, Simon and David have committed to raising an admirable total of $30,000 to help find a cure for cancer. The tour not only raises funds but also awareness and engagement with cancer prevention. During the tour,

the cyclists will engage with over 5000 school children spreading the ‘BE FIT, BE HEALTHY, BE HAPPY’ cancer prevention message.

The final overnight stop in the Signature Tour will be in Wyong, where Tour de Cure will host a community dinner and donate $10,000 towards CoastCanCare’s wellness program. This money will be used to improve the quality of life of cancer patients across the Central Coast.

Cancer is a leading cause of death in Australia and will touch most Australians at some point in their lifetime. Since 2007, Tour de Cure, has been riding to raise awareness and funds to cure the disease.

In that time they have directly financed

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT Paul, Simon and David will have a fundraising stand at the Avoca Beachside Markets in March and also on 24th April. You can have a chat with them, watch a video of last year’s tour, make a personal donation or purchase a limited entry ticket in a prize draw for a travel voucher valued at $10,000.

You can also show your support by visiting www.tourdecure.com. au and donating to your chosen team member.

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over 18 major cancer breakthroughs in addition to supporting cancer treatment projects. The tour also spreads the message that currently as many as one in three cancer cases in Australia are preventable, having been caused by lifestyle choices.

Tour de Cure’s Chief Executive Officer Matt Clarke says that everyday people taking part in Tour de Cure, and those donating to support their involvement, are vital to the program’s ability to raise more than two million dollars each year to find a cure for cancer.

“Regional communities are often forgotten when it comes to health education and funding for cancer projects” says Matt. Tour de Cure is helping address this funding shortfall while raising awareness in regional areas.

If you would like to attend the Central Coast Community Dinner on 7th May at Kooindah Waters Resort and rub shoulders with all of the team, including Drew Ginn and Jens Voigt, contact Tour de Cure’s central office on 02 8073 4000.

For more information on the route and the individual communities the tour will be visiting in April and May, check: www.tourdecure.com.au/pages/tours/ signature-tour-2016

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Paul Barrie of Avoca Beach (left), Simon McMenamie of North Avoca (centre) and David Duff of Terrigal (right).

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TourdeCureAustralia tourdecureaus tourdecure_aus

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food & fun

with a social conscience

Chocolates, Pure Blends, Adri’s Shop and No Bull Food Co. will have products to try and buy. The Coast’s favourite cafes and restaurants will be out in force with tasting plates presenting two top selling meals from their menu. And local food favourites The Hungry Traveller and Café Camino will be flipping burgers and stirring paella.

Toast the Coast, the latest food event for the Central Coast, will have its first outing this April and is set to be a great event.

In the last few years the Central Coast has set about regaining its reputation as a ‘food bowl’, with an amazing array of growers, artisan producers and top quality cafes and restaurants. The popularity of food festivals and grower’s markets has provided a fantastic way to showcase regional produce, and Toast the Coast will be a celebration of our best.

Our wonderful local, fresh produce will be available on the day and many of our artisan producers such as Luka

Local and Hunter beverages will also be available, with Gosford favourite Reviver having a stand, along with our popular local craft brewers Six String Brewing Co. and Block ‘n Tackle who will be serving their tasty brews to complement the food.

The event ambassador for Toast the Coast is celebrity chef and Masterchef winner Julie Goodwin, so you can expect cooking demonstrations from her cooking school Julie’s Place to provide you with inspiration for cooking your local produce.

There will also be demonstrations in drink and cheese making, and cookie decorating with Adri’s Shop, throughout the day.

It’s not all food ... Local galleries and artists will have art displays and there will be children’s activities and entertainment. A great mix of live music throughout the day will cap off the festive vibe.

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Toast the Coast is going to be a great day out, but it’s also set to benefit some of the Coast’s most vulnerable with event organisers, Gosford City Rotary Club, electing to donate the proceeds of the day to Coast Shelter.

Coast Shelter is a Central Coast-based charity that provides accommodation and support programs for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Gosford City Rotary Club has had a long association with the broader not-for-profit sector, and the funds raised at the ‘Toast the Coast’ festival will be used to assist Coast Shelter in their efforts to reduce and prevent the incidence of domestic violence on the Central Coast.

The overwhelming majority of women and children seeking Coast Shelter’s services are victims of domestic violence.

With demand increasing and funds harder to come by Coast Shelter struggles daily to meet the urgent needs of these families.

promotes the Coast while fostering social responsibility and highlighting a problem that none of us should be blind to.

Taking place at the Gosford Entertainment Grounds, home to the successful Gosford Farmer’s Market, it seems likely that Toast the Coast will be become a highly anticipated event on the yearly calendar and one of the country’s better food and wine festivals.

No less than our region and its wonderful producers and food professionals deserve.

WHEN: 2nd April, 2016. 10am – 6pm.

WHERE: Gosford Entertainment Grounds.

GO TO: www.toastthecoast.com.au

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The funds raised by Toast the Coast will go towards early intervention strategies of awareness and education with the aim of preventing incidents of domestic violence on the Central Coast.

With the calibre of the businesses coming on board for the inaugural Toast the Coast it certainly seems that the organisers are on to a winning combination that

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Andrea Buschner Photography

The recently launched Marie Lowndes Foundation aims to help Coast Shelter coordinate support services and also to educate young people in an effort to effect the huge task of cultural change needed to reverse the statistics.

$5 & $10

Tasting Plates on sale

Saturday 2nd April 2016 @ The Gosford Entertainment Grounds.

GOLD COIN ENTRY

The Coast’s Premier Food, Wine & Music Festival

Saturday 2nd April 2016

@ The Gosford Entertainment Grounds. 10am – 6pm.

Food & Cooking

Taste the best dishes from top restaurants and cafes, gourmet and speciality foods.

Fine Wines

A showcase of the best Local and Regional wines to taste, try & buy!

Craft Beers & Cider

A fantastic choice of local and regional boutique beers and ciders!

Live Music

Live Bands, Orchestras, Buskers and Musical entertainment throughout the day for all to enjoy!

Fine Art

in Julie Goodw

For more details on Sponsor & Exhibitor packages...

W: www.toastthecoast.com.au E: admin@toastthecoast.com.au M: 0447 774 477 (Clive)

The Coast’s best Galleries will display work from leading local and regional Artists.

Free Kids Entertainment Petting Zoo, Drumming, Jumping Castle, Mariners Soccer Pitch and Face Painting!

East Gosford, Lisarow & Kincumber Community Bank®branches

Gosford City Rotary proudly supports Coast Shelter. Their Domestic Violence prevention program is the prime beneficiary of funds raised from this event.

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The BOX the Water Theon BOX

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Marah

A family owned and operated business with a genuine passion for fashion. MARAH is a contemporary boutique dedicated to inspiring and uplifting its customers through the latest fashion and styling trends.

Whether it be a special occasion, everyday wear, a unique label or a statement piece, you are sure to find it at MARAH.

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M O N – SAT: 9A M – 5. 3 0 PM SUN : 9A M – 5PM SHO P 2 / 3 PINE T REE L A NE T ERRIG A L PH : 02 43 85 19 95 M A R A H FA SHI O N .CO M . AU

Loud energe tic and dirt y I had a stack of fun hanging out with the Grizzlee Train duo. Best mates, Josh Dufficy and Brandon Dodd began busking all over the Central Coast in 2008. Grizzlee Train have a sound of modern guitar, raw percussion wrapped with vintage blues. Since officially launching in late 2013, the pair have won a stack of awards, including being crowned winners of the 2015 Byron Bay Bluesfest Busking Competition, beating a line up of talent from all over the country to take home the top prize.

l gradwe l a i d a n BY

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They were also runners-up in the prestigious 2014 Tamworth Country Music Festival Busking Championships and were crowned winners of the 2014 Central Coast Home Grown Acoustic Awards.

Not many 20 year olds can say that they have toured both nationally and internationally! The energetic pair have shared the stage with some of Australia's finest blues and rock acts, including national icons The Angels and Jimmy Barnes. During 2015 they toured as part of the Kasey Chambers band, playing to sold out stadiums and audiences of up to 50,000 people, along with performing in theatres supporting the likes of Kenny Rogers and The Eagles.

The band is described as: "a tight band – very well rehearsed and performed, excellent musicians, and nice raw, young, foot-stomping blues and roots, with a hint of Americana/country influence. Definitely good at getting a crowd pumped and dancing!"

"A truly dynamic duo, they blend an old school core with sharp new-age kicks - a stripped back firing of raw energy and honest music."

Q: How would you describe your music for an audience that had never seen you before?

A: Raw, stripped back, romping and stomping blues/rock with a few jungle vibes thrown in.

images by Nadia Gradwell

Q: What can people expect to see at your show?

A: While every show is different and unique, people can always expect to see us having a ball on stage playing high Breeze magazine - Central Coast

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hardcore stuff happen. So, a lot of the time we tell tales about other people or sometimes even ones we’ve just made up ourselves.

Q: What has been your biggest challenge for your group?

A: I guess the main challenge we’ve always had has been trying to create a big sound with just two band members.

We often get asked why we don’t just get a bass player or add other musicians to our act. From day one we’ve done things as a duo and it’s something we’ve always loved, mainly because it makes us unique.

We know each other’s musical styles so well, throwing another player into the mix could almost throw us off! So while creating a full-sounding two-piece act is a challenge, it’s one we embrace and one we love trying to get past.

energy music. At the end of the day, we’re doing what we love and we like to think that people can see that whenever we play live.

Q: If you could only describe your music in three words, what would those words be?

A: Loud. Energetic. Dirty.

Q: What are your songs about?

A: We love telling stories. We’re only twenty years old, so we haven’t had a ridiculous amount of life-changing experiences to write about. There’s been a lot of times where writing songs has helped us through various stages of our lives, but luckily we haven’t had too much

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Q: If you were able to sit under the table and listen to any two people speak, who would it be?

A: Probably Paul and Ringo.

Q: Why? A: Well aside from potentially hearing some untold Beatles stories, if we were sitting under the table we might be able to sneak a couple of EPs onto their laps and hope that they’ll like them!

Q: Lastly, who should we be listening to?

A: Can we be super self indulgent? If so, us!!

grizzleetrain

www.grizzleetrain.com

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Interiors by Showstoppers to enhance your home!

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Viva Italia in ettalong

The eastern end of Ettalong Beach is dominated by a striking building, the Ettalong Beach Tourist Resort. It houses an impressive complex of businesses including the Ettalong Markets, Cinema Paradiso, Motel Paradiso and an array of quality restaurants. At the centre of this business empire is family patriarch Jerry Altavilla.

Jerry has always loved Ettalong. He regularly holidayed there as a child before moving to the Coast permanently as a young adult.

He and his wife Nina started a family, eventually having four children, and dreamed of what Ettalong could be.

With Nina hailing from Santorini and Jerry from Sicily they knew what bustling seaside resort towns could be. And the beautiful town of Ettalong Beach, sitting where Brisbane Water meets Broken Bay, had so much potential.

In 1977 Jerry started the first incarnation of Ettalong Markets with just half a dozen stallholders. Slowly each year that number grew, as did customers. As surrounding property became available Jerry would purchase and increase the size of the market.

Next came a modest accommodation business, with just a few rooms incorporated into the market site. As land became available, and money could be spent, the complex grew, piece by piece. The next piece of the puzzle was the cinema 1999.

Showing a mix of arthouse releases and blockbusters, it also catered for fundraisers and special events.

As the accommodation business increased Jerry also made the savvy move to specialise in hosting conferences. Few businesses were doing this at the time and Jerry was able to lure big business like the State Bank and AMP to sleepy Ettalong. At the core of his plans was the knowledge that Ettalong could be a serious tourist destination, and so the market site kept growing.

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Jerry’s family will tell you that he is an incredibly disciplined and hard working man. Today Ettalong Markets has over 80 permanent stallholders, the largest fully undercover market on the Central Coast. And it’s an absolute delight that caters to locals and attracts visitors from far and wide. There’s a great mix of fresh produce, clothes and accessories, plants, homewares, antiques and bric-a-brac. Live entertainment and some great eateries make for a fun day out as well as some shopping bargains. It’s also quite possibly one of the most stunning markets in Australia, with beautiful tiled floors and moulded timber, balconies and tinkling water features. It’s like walking through a European village. In fact the entire complex is a rather lovely Mediterranean folly, with ochre walls and terracotta tiled roofs, frescos and Italianate statuary.

Motel Paradiso now has 40 rooms and suites and is a popular choice for holiday makers who have everything at their doorstep when they stay. Downstairs is an impressive selection of quality restaurants and cafes including some of our favourites – Safran, Gusto Tapas Bar & Lounge and Bar Toto.

Cinema Paradiso is a very impressive, and incredibly comfortable, complex of six screens, including an outdoor screen charmingly sited in what feels like a village square surrounded by restaurants. The cinemas are each decorated to a theme including art deco, starlight and Italian. They also have very good popcorn and choc tops!

After a lifetime of determination and hard work Jerry has created a destination in Ettalong. His slightly incongruous Mediterranean style Ettalong Tourist Resort is a hive of activity and gives as much to locals as it does to visitors. If you want a great day out, or to catch a movie or to dine at one of the Coast’s best restaurants, Ettalong has become the place to go.

Corner of Ocean View and Schapper Roads, Ettalong Beach.

Open every weekend and public holiday Mondays from 9am to 4pm.

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Breeze books autumn reads:

Autumn is the perfect time to curl up with a page-turner. Here are some recent releases worth hunting out.

Everyone Brave Is Forgiven Chris Cleave Set in WWII London, this is the story of a young woman who leaves finishing school to join the war effort, and friends Tom and Alistair. Love, as well as war, entangles them in violence, passion and friendship.

The Beekeeper’s Secret Josephine Moon She spends her days tending to bees but former nun Maria’s life has long been shaped by a shadowy secret and her self-imposed penance. The arrival of two letters shatters her peaceful existence.

Standing Strong Fiona McCallum Former city girl Jacqueline, has settled into country life when a fire challenges the community and farmer Damien and Jacqueline form in a budding relationship, but is happily-ever-after possible?

Big Little Lies Liane Moriarty Pirriwee Public’s annual school Trivia Night has ended in a shocking riot. A parent is dead. Was it murder, a tragic accident or something else entirely?

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The Midnight Watch David Dyer An astonishing novel based on the true story of the SS Californian, the ship that saw the Titanic’s distress rockets on a wretchedly cold night in the North Atlantic and yet, unfathomably, did nothing.

Emperor of the Eight Islands Lian Hearn A magnificent new epic transporting you to a mythical Japanese world set 300 years before Hearn’s Tales of the Otori.

An intricate tapestry seething with intrigue, adventure and love.

All the Light We Cannot See Anthony Doerr A beautiful novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. Ten years in the writing, a most ambitious and dazzling work of fiction.

The Summer Before the War Helen Simonson East Sussex, 1914, the end of England’s idyllic Edwardian summer in the pretty coastal town of Rye, and change is in the air ... Enchanting characters drawn with detail and intelligence will keep you on the edge of your seat.

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Breeze movies autumn releases:

SHERPA - TROUBLE ON EVEREST In 2013, climbers and Sherpas made headlines with an alleged confrontation.

Director Jennifer Peedom set out to uncover the cause. Instead, they captured Everest’s greatest tragedy. Out late March.

The JUNGLE BOOK This live-action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale follows young Mowgli as he grows up in a jungle filled with friends and ghastly foes, voiced by an impressive cast. Out early April.

THE BOSS Melissa McCarthy is a titan of industry sent to prison for insider trading. She emerges ready to rebrand herself as America’s latest sweetheart, but those she screwed over are not so quick to forgive. Out mid April.

DAD’S ARMY Toby Jones, Bill Nighy, Catherine ZetaJones and Michael Gambon lead the charge in this movie adaptation of the classic British sitcom. It is 1944 and World War II is reaching its climax. The Allies are poised to invade France and finally defeat the German army. Out late April.

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FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS The true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, the 1930s-40s New York socialite who dreamed of becoming an opera singer despite her lack of rhythm or pitch, and her aberrant pronunciation. Starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant. Out early May. CRIMINAL Hoping to stop a diabolical plot, the government implants the memories and skills of a dead CIA operative (Ryan Reynolds) into the mind of a dangerous convict (Kevin Costner). Out mid May. X-MEN: APOCALYPSE The latest offering in the Marvel mutant superhero franchise. The immortal Apocalypse awakens after thousands of years and recruits the disheartened Magneto to create a new world order. Out mid May. THE NICE GUYS In this black crime comedyPrivate eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and hired leg-breaker Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) work together to solve a case, uncovering a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power. Out late May.

food&drink The Central Coast is emerging as a major food destination, with amazing primary producers and an ever-growing choice of quality dining options. Try just a few of our local favourites.

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YOUTH &

Passion at Cove Cafe

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Breeze magazine - Central Coast

Sitting right on one of Australia’s most popular beaches, it would be easy for Cove Cafe to trade on location alone. However the young management team of this Central Coast favourite have both experience and talent beyond their years, and a passion to push Cove Cafe well beyond its stunning outlook.

When Jonathon Keeling bought Cove Cafe eight years ago, at the tender age of 22 and with no formal hospitality training, it may have seemed something of an ambitious move. However the cafe has gone from strength to strength and remained a firm favourite with both locals and visitors.

Images by Tim Brand

Jonathon has assembled a top team of young and ambitious professionals. Manager and head barista Kaleah Balcomb shares Jonathon’s passion for good coffee and together they have created a destination for the serious coffee connoisseur. And New Head Chef Alastair Burke comes to Cove Cafe after several Breeze magazine - Central Coast

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years spent cooking in the snow covered mountains of the Italian Alps and Canada’s Whistler.

Together this team takes Cove Cafe well beyond your expectations of a seaside cafe.

Cove Cafe’s new Head Chef, Alastair Burke, took over the kitchen late last year and is already shaking things up with skills and passion he brings from time spent working in Italy’s mountainous north and Canada’s famous ski resorts.

After completing his training in Australia, specialising in Italian cuisine, Alastair landed his dream job – working under Italian chef Alessandro Gilmozzi at his Michelin Star restaurant, El Molin in the alpine region of Trentino.

Gilmozzi is renowned for his passion for the regional cuisine of Trentino’s Fiemme Valley, with an emphasis on traditional methods and excellent mountain produce, combined with a healthy dose of innovation and experimentation.

Alastair’s work with Gilmozzi went far beyond the kitchen, with regular trips into the surrounding alpine woodland foraging for lichen, fungi and mountain herbs. It’s these touches of alchemy at El Molin that bring a subtle delicacy to the traditional, hearty mountain mainstays that are Gilmozzi’s inspiration.

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Some highlights from Alastair Burke’s new Autumn Menu for Cove Cafe.

Right: Breakfast is covered with a warming cinnamon oatmeal with maple roasted pear and spiced granola.

Right: strawberry and quinoa pancakes served with a honey and strawberry sauce, sweet crispy quinoa and ricotta cheese.

As a keen snowboarder, Alastair’s next stop was Canada where, inspired by his time working and travelling in Italy, he found work at Whistler’s beautiful Nita Lake Lodge.

In Nita Lake’s Aura Restaurant he found a similar commitment to quality, fresh ingredients with a local focus. Again, the forest was a source of produce, such as black trumped mushrooms, as were the famous lakes of British Columbia which provided a regular supply of freshly caught salmon.

After two years in Canada, Alastair returned home to the Coast, and brought his experience to the kitchen at Cove Cafe.

As you might expect, there are touches of Alastair’s travels in his food – pasta features, as does a wonderful oatmeal with maple roasted pear. More than flavours though, it’s about the underlying philosophy of fresh quality ingredients, sourced locally where possible, and the passionate integrity he experienced in the kitchens of El Molin and Aura.

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Alastair loves using raw herbs and vegetables to accompany his dishes. One of his favourite combinations is a salad of shaved radish and beetroot, a side dish he often made in Canada.

Right: Rocket and mushroom salad with poached eggs, goats cheese, semi-dried cherry tomatoes, roasted pine nuts and a berry infused balsamic glaze.

Below: It tastes even better in autumn sunshine with Cove Cafe’s unbeatable view over The Haven and Terrigal Beach!

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An enthusiasm for traditionally smoked meats, developed during Alastair’s time in Trentino where hearty meats are regularly consumed, has also made its way into the Cove’s kitchen. Summer saw smoked prawns feature, and a smoked chicken salad with the meat oven roasted before being smoked over rosemary in a traditional smoking box. Time consuming but with a flavour worth the effort.

Cove Cafe’s breakfast patrons will benefit from Alastair’s travels with filling and healthy options inspired by two years of feeding skiers pre-slopes. During that time, the trend for super foods and nourishing bowls was in full swing, so you will find delicious options like the aforementioned oatmeal – flavoured with cinnamon and served with maple roasted pear and spiced granola – and an inventive pancake stack, made from strawberry and quinoa, served with a honey-sweetened sauce.

There’s a palpable excitement within the Cove family about their newest team member. Manager Kaleah Balcomb says “Alastair was with us for our Summer Nights, and designed the second menu we ran for it. The feedback we received from diners was amazing, so I’m very keen to see what he comes up with for our new Autumn Menu. The dishes I’ve seen, and tasted, so far have really raised the bar way beyond traditional cafe food.”

Alastair is definitely bringing restaurant quality dining to this popular Terrigal cafe, and his Autumn Menu is set to take the sting out of summer’s end with delicious

Above: Prawn and pesto linguini with shaved Grana Padano, extra virgin olive oil and dill.

Left: Crispy skin barramundi with a pea and black truffle purée, roasted chat potatoes, crispy leek, shaved beetroot and radish salad.

seasonal flavours and ingredients that will make you happily embrace the cooler days to come.

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Coffee lovers Jonathon Keeling and Kaleah Balcomb.

Coffee @ Cove A feature of Cove Cafe for some time now has been their commitment to great coffee, and I’ve always been impressed by the knowledge of the wait staff. And by the coffee menu!

Owner Jonathon Keeling and his manager and head barista Kaleah Balcomb share a love of coffee, from the processes of roasting and grinding, through to the making and drinking. The expansion of Cove’s coffee offerings began with their supplier recommending they try Two Seasons Espresso in the cafe.

Two Seasons is a unique concept. Coffee, like any crop, is subject to variations in quality and taste due to growing conditions. Rainfall, sunlight, disease, soil quality ... they can all affect the end

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product. The idea behind Two Seasons is to sample beans from worldwide, talk to farmers and analyse conditions to find the best plantation for each season. The chosen beans are then harvested, roasted and readied for supply. A coffee season is around six months, hence, Two Seasons. A new choice of bean is available, roughly, at the beginning of our spring and autumn).

Customers were loving the Two Seasons concept – it’s an exciting idea and opens up a coffee drinkers experience, but it’s not great for that holy grail for many coffee drinkers, a consistent brew. Every six months the beans were changing. So the decision was made to add a blend from Two Seasons for those who need some consistency in their morning coffee.

Consumer demand led to the addition of an extra strong espresso – Espresso Di Manfredi’s Audacia – and likewise, to decaf and organic options being added.

Suddenly Cove needed that coffee menu ...

All beans are ground on demand to ensure maximum taste and all staff at Cove are taken through the process of making a great coffee to ensure the consistency goes all the way through the process, from bean to barista. Luckily Cove has a great reputation for hanging onto their staff!

Fluffy coffees with perfect fern leaf latte art are reliably churned out at peak times, but when it’s quieter you might be the lucky recipient of one of Kaleah’s cute Cove bears. Kaleah is self taught in the craft of latte art, the method of creating patterns as you combine the milk’s foamy froth with the coffee’s crema, and the bear is her signature design. There’s not always time in the busy cafe for him to make many appearances but, when she can, Kaleah loves to send him out to unsuspecting customers and watch their reaction.

If you’re ready for a dose of coffee education, or you just enjoy a perfect roast, talk to the staff at Cove Cafe and see what they recommend.

TWO SEASONS SINGLE ORIGIN: HONDURAS medium-bodied Arabica roast with a delicious chocolate flavor and a pleasant aftertaste.

TWO SEASONS BLEND: SOUTH AMERICA A strong bodied flavour with hints of citrus acidity, lightly syrupy mouth feel, hints of caramel and almond.

ESPRESSO DI MANFREDI: AUDACIA a strong yet refined blend with sweet pungent aromas of wood spices, molasses, raisins and dark chocolate.

The Cove, The Haven, Terrigal Open seven days until mid afternoon. From 7.30am for coffee and 8.00am for breakfast.

Enquiries: 02 4384 5083 or enquiries@covecafe.com.au www.covecafe.com.au Breeze magazine - Central Coast

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convivial dining at

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BAMVINO Images: Tim Brand

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Grant Spokes and Jan Rundle share a passion for great food, great wine, travel and football.

And importantly they also shared a passion for a different kind of life.

Like many of us living on the Coast Jan and Grant saw more of the M1 than they did of their home town. Our proximity to Sydney means that many of us scurry onto trains or join the snake of traffic headed south for work. With the days getting shorter commuters are often leaving in darkness and coming home in darkness ... It can be a tough lifestyle for a family and also comes at the expense of involvement in the community.

Hours spent carpooling each week were put to good use by Jan and Grant, plotting their escape from the grind. All sorts of plans came and went but looking closer to home gave them an idea that they thought might have legs.

The two families often came together to share good food and great wine, and conversation often turned to how they’d love a local eatery that combined these things. Somewhere with outstanding food and wine but in an informal, familyfriendly setting. Somewhere that the kids were made welcome but Mum and Dad could enjoy some good food and a decent glass of wine.

Far left: Seville Estate RosĂŠ and The Veggie pizza.

Left from top: Wirra Wirra Catapult Shiraz and Garlic Calamari; Homemade Empanadas a mix of cheese, beef and spinach and ricotta.

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Both Jan, Grant and their families have travelled the world, eating at some of the finest restaurants, enjoying simple street food or visiting local markets for amazing produce. It’s no surprise these experiences helped flesh out their plans. In many countries simple but excellent quality food and wine can be found almost everywhere.

Ingredients are of premium quality and widely available, and importantly, the act of preparing and sharing a meal is an enviable ritual. Jan and Grant wholeheartedly embrace this philosophy, believing that simple food done well, using top quality produce and accompanied by great wine and company is a necessity.

The menu at BamVino changes seasonally and features many classics including pizzas and pastas. The pair’s thinking is that while there’s plenty of places offering pizza, few of them are made with care and quality produce. BamVino uses ingredients sourced from renowned producers, local and international, with the aim of bringing city quality to the Coast.

There’s also a classy array of tapas style share plates including fresh snapper ceviche and stuffed bullhorn capsicum.

The four salad choices, including a tasty Panzanella, can be served as main meals with the addition of marinated chicken or slow cooked lamb. Desserts are appealingly varied with ever-popular churros with a Kahlua dipping sauce, rice pudding with rhubarb, gelato and a traditional Argentinian dessert that will have you guessing.

The meals definitely hit the mark of honest yet excellent food, with freshness and

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quality evident in all choices, but the thing setting BamVino apart is the extensive selection of wines available by the glass.

The substantial wine list has been tasted and selected by Jan and Grant, with attention to differing palettes and tastes, and wines that over deliver on quality for the price. The majority are Australian wines, with the odd Italian drop (including a very stylish Chianti) and a selected few from France, New Zealand, South America, South Africa and Spain, including back vintages that are drinking at their peak now.

The range of wines available is constantly refined to offer varieties, vintages and styles rarely found elsewhere. Jan and Grant are passionate about customers trying a wine before they buy it. Here, the wine is definitely as important as the food.

Beer drinkers are catered for, with a good selection of boutiques brews including two from Six String Brewing Co. and some interesting international choices, as are spirit lovers with a substantial range of premium brands.

Pizzas, clockwise from top left: The Salmon Pizza fresh atlantic salmon slices, spanish onion, capers with fresh dill; Margherita classic tomato, cheese and basil; The Veggie zucchini, capsicum, caramelised onion, mushroom, tomato and capers with ricotta and rocket; Mango Chicken with Cashews marinated chicken breast, mango, cashews and coconut yoghurt.

Overleaf: Fresh cooked prawns with a coconut and chilli mayonnaise.

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Within weeks of launching BamVino Jan and Grant saw an opportunity to utilise the neighbouring shop space and opened The Deli. A complete labour of love and extension of BamVino, the wine crate shelving has been handmade and each stocked product sourced by the pair.

The Deli is now the domain of Grant’s wife Tiffany. It’s a beautiful cosy space that literally whiffs of integrity. You’ll find everything you’d expect of a high quality European style deli. There’s an amazing selection of international cheeses, meats, breads from locals La Tartine, olives, dips, condiments, preserves, cereals, pastas, pasta sauces and so much more. Deitary restrictions are catered to with many gluten free products, including grain and gluten free bread, vegan and dairy free products. You can also pop in for an excellent cup of coffee.

The Deli can be utilised for functions hosting up to 45 people and their gourmet hampers are gaining a loyal following. They make for a thoughtful and appreciated gift and can be made to order.

There’s a nice fluidity between The Deli and the restaurant, with shoppers’ preferences informing the menu and vice versa. The Deli opens at 9 am daily and closes when the last restaurant patron leaves, allowing you to peruse the shelves while you wait for your meal or take home some of the ingredients.

A little fluidity has also led to the opening of yet a third business – BamVino Cellars at Green Point. As you might imagine, it wasn’t a huge leap from selecting wines for the restaurant, although it means a lot more sampling ... So now, when you acertain what your new favourite BamVino tipple is, you know just where you can get it by the case!

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BamVino 1/448 The Entrance Road, Erina Heights Ph: 02 4365 0064 Open seven nights, 5pm to late.

Lunch from noon Friday to Sunday.

The Deli open from 9am to late.

BamVino Cellars Corner of Avoca Drive and Bayside Drive, Green Point (under Aldi) Ph: 02 4369 2846 www.bamvino.com.au

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Ettalong, at the southern end of the Coast, has successfully established itself as one of the region’s food hot spots, with a great range of dining options and cuisine styles.

Newcomer Gusto Tapas Bar & Lounge is the latest must-try venue.

Chris Farnon and Alia Khan are the force behind Ettalong’s latest dining darling.

Both have had successful careers in communication with ties to hospitality, working with two Ettalong favourites – Beef and Barramundi Bar & Grill and the Central Coast Italian Festival.

Chris has always had a passion for good food and great drinks (his brother is a chef, as was his grandfather) and he could see an opening in the Ettalong dining scene for a particular type of venue.

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by Tim Coast Brand

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Chris and Alia wanted to give the Peninsula a place perfect for groups, where friends could relax, share quality food and try something unique from the bar.

Having acquired a space in the restaurant enclave of the Ettalong Tourist Resort, the couple set about decorating in a lush and eclectic style, with rich colours and plush fabrics. Beautiful, vintage furnishings were sourced through local business Love Junk Emporium, including opulent, velvet upholstered sofas and antique lamps. Quality and flair abound with cast iron-based tables paired with black replica Eames chairs, white Royal Doulton dinnerware and colourful Laguoile cutlery.

There are comfy lounge areas, one with a fireplace, ideal for kicking back with friends and reliving the comforts of your childhood with a Redskin, Iced Vovo or Milo shot from the bar before you settle in for the main game – the food.

Chris and Alia had in mind a twist on tapas, putting their own spin on the convivial concept of small snacks, hot and cold, that can be shared accompanying drinks, or ordered en masse for a full meal. The next step was to find their chef, a task that proved more laborious than anticipated. A late expression of interest from a newcomer to the Coast turned out to be a blessing.

Left, from top: Patatas Bravas with house-made aioli and a spicy tomato sauce; Pork belly lettuce wraps with salsa and chimichurri sauce; Moroccan lamb rump grilled with cumin, chilli, coriander and thyme. Centre: King prawns with garlic, parsley, chilli and olive oil.

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You will find traditional Spanish fare such as Patatas Bravas, chorizo braised in white wine and paella on the menu beside imaginative choices like the delicious pork belly lettuce wraps with salsa. The best ingredients are used throughout, from local suppliers where possible, and you can taste the quality in every mouthful.

This is simple but flawless food.

It’s no surprise that the paella, which serves two, is a popular choice. The succulent flavours of chicken, chorizo, mussels, prawns and vegetables combine with the rice to create a very classy yet traditional version of this dish. Cleaned up with crusty bread, it’s highly satisfying and perfect now that the weather is cooling.

If it sounds good, try Paella Night on Thursdays. With a minimum booking of

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two you can enjoy paella washed down with traditional sangria and finished off with succulent churros for just $25.00 per person.

A great bar was just as important as great food, and Gusto has found the perfect custodian in local mixologist, Ben Reekie.

If you like a quality beverage there’s a chance you’ve come across Ben previously. He has worked the bars of many Central Coast favourites including Cara O Cruz, Thaigar Temple and Bombini.

Above: Grilled chicken fillet with almonds, saffron and Amontillado sherry sauce.

Overleaf: Paella – saffron-infused rice with chicken, chorizo, pork, mussels, prawns, roast capsicum, asparagus and peas.

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Ben has a relentless passion for what he does and for expanding your palette with amazing spirits, liqueurs, wines and beers.

Browse the comprehensive range on the shelves or ask Ben for a recommendation.

Even better, go for a cocktail. There is a regular Cocktail of the Week and these are often as imaginative as they are delicious.

And, like all good mixologists, Ben puts on a show, with shaking, pouring and the odd bit of pyromania.

Ben serves up classics like an Aperol Spritz or Negroni, or the recently featured cocktail French Connection – Ben’s version has a Gusto twist with the addition of orange zest and honey. There’s always some fun and very tasty shots to try too, like those mentioned earlier. For something new try a Cold Drip Tequila shot, a delicious way to get an extra coffee hit in for the day.

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Open: Wed–Sun, 6pm–10pm Unit 54-55/ 189, Ocean View Road, Ettalong Ph: 02 4342 1703 reservations@gustobar.com.au www.gustobar.com.au

With its mix of covered al fresco dining and indoor areas, Gusto is perfect for all seasons, but I can see it becoming a firm favourite throughout the cooler weather.

With the rich, cosy interior, delicious, hearty dishes and cockle-warming drinks, it’s the perfect place to spend a cooler evening.

Gusto is all about mingling, mixing and sharing a drink or a meal. Everything on the menu is designed to be shared with friends, so grab a group this autumn and book a table or lounge area. I guarantee it’ll be hard to resist becoming a regular.

Gusto is also available for functions and can accommodate up to 150 people comfortably.

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CATERING TO ALL

tastes

Hog’s Breath Cafe in Terrigal has been trading for over 20 years but the last 12 months has been an exciting period of change, with new owners and new management.

Brad Scott has been the owner of the Tuggerah Hog's Breath since 2010, and since taking over ownership has seen it awarded many times including franchise of the year, manager of the year and best front and back-of-house. Brad has had a long association with the restaurant trade and has an enthusiasm for this 100% Australian restaurant chain. He made it his goal 15 years ago to own and operate a Hog's Breath franchise on the Coast. It took time to get there but he's excelled at it. To the point of purchasing another location in his home town of Terrigal.

Brad and his wife Kylie are raising a family of five on the Coast (two of whom now work in the family business) and they are also passionate about community involvement. An important part of Brad's Hog's Breath business model is to contribute locally through sport's sponsorship, including major sponsorship of Terrigal Surf Life Saving Club, fundraising (including the recent Black Dog Ride and Magoo Surf Classic) and involvement with local schools.

Hog's Breath Terrigal has had a spruce up, with new kitchen equipment, tables, outdoor settings and televisions, the beginning of larger renovation to come. There's also a fabulous large wall mural evoking the cafe's beautiful beachside setting as well the collection of quirky memorabilia that Hog's Breath is known for. The revamp has been perfectly timed for the release of Hog's Breath's new menu, rolled out recently at both Tuggerah and Terrigal locations.

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Natural Prime Rib and Parmigiana Chicken.

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Grilled Steak Sandwich and Crispy Flathead Burger.

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lunches from $9.90 are available every day at Terrigal and weekdays at Tuggerah.

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Hog's Breath is the perfect place for those special family meals. It’s a fun atmosphere for the kids, with the kinds of “special treat” foods that create childhood memories.

Think Hog’s Tail Fries and Rocky Road Sundaes ... Hog’s Breath also treats adults pretty well with succulent steakhouse meals and an impressive bar. Given the Terrigal location and that splendid view from the outdoor seating, it's also the perfect spot for an impromptu $9.90 lunch special or a cocktail on the balcony as you watch the moon trail over the water.

Obviously there’s an emphasis on steak, and all Hog’s Breath prime rib is sourced from one of Australia’s finest beef suppliers and graded to exacting standards. Their famously tender 18 hour, slow cooked prime rib is prepared the day prior and placed into one of the custom slow cooking ovens in the kitchen. Carefully monitored to ensure it stays juicy, tender and at a perfect medium rare, the steak is then flame grilled to order, sealing in flavour, and cooked to the customer’s desired doneness. Although if you go with these steak experts’ advice you’ll stick with medium rare!

There's lots of options with the Prime Ribs, from the spicy Byron Bay Chilli Prime Rib and the Cajun-flavoured Blackened Prime Rib, to the delicious Panko Prawn Prime Rib or Garlic Mushroom Prime Rib. Or go the Natural Prime Rib and choose from more than 15 sauces. All Hog’s Breath steaks come with a choice of veggies or salad, and either Hog Tail Fries, baked potato, mashed Left: Flathead & Fries and Mexican Beef Wrap from the lunch menu; Boss Hog Beef Ribs and Lamb Shanks.

potato and sweet potato wedges. You can also choose your steak from the new Trima-licious menu – delicious steak meals in smaller and leaner cuts.

If steak isn't quite your thing, you can still enjoy a delicious, and even healthy, meal.

There is an extensive range of chicken, seafood, lamb and pork dishes. Salads are also well covered with a mozzarella and avocado salad, a beetroot and bacon salad, a delicious feta, orange and pear salad and a classic Caesar salad. You can also personalise your salad with the Make Your Masterpiece option!

Vegetarians are seldom spoilt for choice at a steak house, but the avocado and almond wrap adds another imaginative option to the salads, with avocado, cherry tomatoes, rawslaw, caramelised almonds and a balsamic dressing.

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1st Floor, 90 Terrigal Esplanade, Terrigal Ph: 02 4385 4700 Open: 11am to late, seven days Kids Eat Free: Monday and Tuesday (including School and Public Holidays).

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For dessert, you might think you’ve earned one of those amazing sundaes ... The Boss Hog Rocky Road Sundae To Share features four scoops each of vanilla and strawberry ice cream, warm chocolate mud cake, chocolate fudge sauce, marshmallows, chocolate and strawberry topping, whipped cream, toasted coconut and topped with two chocolate wafers.

There’s also Hog’s Breath’s triple chocolate Mississippi mud cake, an apple crumble sundae and classics like crème brulée and sticky date pudding. All incredibly delicious and satisfying, but if you want something a little lighter you could try the chocolate fondue or the Tutti Frutti Sundae.

Of course the constants at Terrigal Hog's Breath are friendly service and that fabulous view over the beach, making it

Above: Tutti Frutti Sundae and Triple Chocolate Mississippi Mud Cake. the perfect location for lunch or dinner, and soon, breakfast too! Autumn is a great time to enjoy both the view and the satisfying food, and with kids eating free every Monday and Tuesday all year round there really is no better place to treat them to a special meal. So head into Terrigal Hog's Breath and check out what Brad and his team have achieved. Given his efforts at the Tuggerah location, Terrigal is set to go from strength to strength.

You can also find Hog's Breath at: Shop 1039, Westfield, Tuggerah Ph: 02 4353 4262 Open: 11:00am to late, Monday to Friday, 8am to late, Saturday to Sunday (incl breakfast).

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adventure Now that the days are (supposedly!) turning cooler, yet still long enough to get out and about after work, it’s the perfect season for “soft adventure” – adventure with a safety net, adventure that isn’t too far from home and adventure that is for the faint hearted.

Soft adventure is one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry, and with good reason. There are usually no qualifications required, they involve minimal physical risk or experience, and yet can offer huge personal satisfaction.

The soft core arm of adventure includes hiking, cycling, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, diving and snorkelling, surfing, body boarding, wind surfing horse riding, heritage and cultural walks, skating, BMX, camping, fishing and wildlife viewing ...

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The north of our region is packed with opportunities for soft adventure activities.

These are available all year round, thanks to our enviable climate, and are perfect for residents and visitors of all ages and abilities. But crisp autumn days are some of the best to get outside.

And while surfing Pipeline in Hawaii or walking the Kokoda Trail might be on your bucket list, surfing the break at Soldiers Beach or hiking the Coast Track can be on your weekend to-do list.

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Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) is a

Surfing and body boarding are both

fantastic water sport that combines the skills of surfing and kayaking. Historically, many river and coastal based cultures have stood in their canoes or on rafts and paddled, so while it’s not a new concept the sport has really taken off recently. Our region boasts many perfect locations to give SUP a go. Give Wyong River or Ourimbah Creek a go – at dawn and you might even spy a platypus or two.

Toowoon Bay also makes a great place for SUP newbies with the calm waters making it easy to keep an eye out for the resident Blue Groper who calls this area home.

popular action activities with locals and many have been riding waves since they learnt to walk. However it’s never too late to hit the waves and give either sport a go. Breaks at Shelly are good for learners, (leave the unpatrolled North Shelly to the pros). Soldiers Beach has one of the best breaks on the Central Coast and is another great spot to grab some board time.

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Skateboarding, much like surfing, is

Hiking is a great way to get out and see

an activity you’re never too young or old to experience. A skate park is the most sensible place to start, and Picnic Point Skate Park has a picturesque outlook in the heart of The Entrance. If you’re after something a little less public, try Wadalba Skate Park further north. And keep your eyes out for Bato Yard, due to open at Bateau Bay in late 2016 and set to be one of the biggest and best Skate Parks in Australia. Bato Yard will feature a world class bowl, the deepest bowl in Australia at 3.6 metres! There will be a competition street area, additional street plaza and a unique flow bowl for beginner to intermediate riders.

the Coast, The Coast Track from Bateau Bay Beach, past Crackneck Lookout to Forresters Beach Lookout has some gorgeous views of the coastline. And it’s a great place to spot whales and dolphins as you wind along the cliffs through Wyrrabalong National Park. Two lesser known but stunning walks, both at Magenta, are the Lilly Pilly Loop, which is a lovely rainforest walk for the whole family and the Red Gum Trail. As the name suggests, the latter leads you along a trail enveloped by large Red Gums with amazing lake views.

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Mountain biking is a great activity

Windsurfing is a great way to explore

if you’re a fan of the bush but want something a little more extreme than a hike. There are plenty of MBT clubs on the Coast who would be happy to offer advice to beginners. Ourimbah State Forest has a fantastic downhill course right near Tree Tops Adventure Park, another great activity for those with daredevil tendencies.

the waterways to the north of our region and particularly to enjoy the network of beautiful lakes in Wyong Shire. The coastal lagoons of Tuggerah Lake, Budgewoi Lake and Lake Munmorah are perfect for this sport, with Canton Beach a popular launch point. Several local businesses offer hire and can give you advice. If you want windsurfing with waves, head for Toowoon Bay.

Cycling is easily done on the Coast – we’re lucky to have a large network of family-friendly cycle pathways. Tuggerah Lakes Cycleway is a flat, off-road, lakeside ride from The Entrance to Chittaway Bay. Or head north for a four kilometre ride to Magenta. For young children, Saltwater Creek Reserve at Long Jetty has a fantastic play park plus a bike track that’s great for little ones and those learning to ride.

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Horse Riding in Yarramalong is pretty prefect for autumn. Escorted horse rides for beginners and experienced riders take you through the beautiful Watagan State Forest on well behaved mounts. Ourimbah state forest is also a great spot for trail rides, cross country riding or pony leads for young first timers.

Snorkelling is an ideal pastime. Our local waters are teeming with colourful, interesting and varied underwater life and taking snorkel and flippers with you is another great way to enjoy our beaches and bays. Toowoon Bay, Bateau Bay and Spoon Bay are all perfect spots for some underwater exploration.

Diving requires a little more commitment and training, but we’re lucky to have some great dive schools and tour providers on the Coast. Foggy Cave off Bateau Bay is home to a grey nurse shark colony from March to April but is a beautiful dive spot year round. Another popular dive spot, The Bommies off The Entrance is a large offshore reef with swim throughs, schools of pelagic fish and a dramatic ten metre vertical cliff. The inner bombie is a

perfect dive for beginners. Kiama Wreck off beautiful Toowoon Bay is a small coastal collier which sank in 1952. It’s well populated with fish but being a deep dive it does require experience.

Heritage and Culture Walks can be a little pleasanter in cooler weather.

The Entrance Heritage Walk introduces you to local characters and the beauty of this stretch of coast through photos and stories, taking around two hours to complete. If you have more time consider the Coast to Lake Walk, a loop that takes in The Entrance, Blue Bay, Toowoon Bay and Long Jetty. The three hour walk features stunning views and pathway art, and where needed there are alternate routes indicated for prams and wheelchairs.

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form&function There are many advantages to buying locally. It puts money in the pockets of locals and is a more sustainable practice.

You’ll probably score on the quality front too as you’re usually purchasing an item created with passion and dedication.

We’re lucky to have an increasing number of opportunities to buy local fresh produce or purchase a piece by a local artist or artisan. One of the nicest parts of this transaction is meeting the person behind the products, hearing their story and absorbing some of their enthusiasm for their creations.

It doesn’t have to be any different when it comes to larger purchases for your home, with incredibly talented artisans, like Rob Loughlin, creating beautiful, timeless furniture right here on the Coast.

Images by Tim Brand and Lisa Haymes

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Rob Loughlin tinkered with a few professions after finishing school but in cabinetmaking he found his true passion. He served his apprenticeship and quickly rose to be head cabinetmaker, charged with passing his skills on to new apprentices.

Rob was lucky to work for a quality furniture maker and thoroughly learn traditional skills and techniques, but the designs weren’t his own, and Rob was developing a very strong personal aesthetic for furniture design.

After ten years in the industry, working on his own designs over the weekend and at nights, Rob took the leap and started his own custom furniture company, Loughlin Furniture Designs.

Loughlin Furniture Designs soon gained a reputation for their quality custom-made pieces and commercial fit-outs – if you’ve ever found yourself admiring the café table as you enjoy your espresso, chances are it’s a Loughlin piece. Their notable fit-outs have included The Entrance Lake House, The Ark café and Thaigar Temple locally, and The Baker’s Wife café in Springwood.

Rob uses premium hardwoods, most frequently blackbutt, spotted gum and American oak.

Spotted gum, Rob’s favourite, is a striking timber that gives a lovely rusticity to pieces. It combines particularly well with industrial design features.

Blackbutt is a native timber with a beautiful of colours, including a lovely pinkish tone. American oak is a stylish timber with a straight grain. It’s perfect for capturing that elegant, minimalist, mid-century look.

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Businesses have also commissioned furnishings, including Killcare Surf Club café and Lapstone Hotel in Blaxland.

At the core of this popularity is Rob’s skills as a craftsman and the materials he uses, including A-grade, hardwood timber, quality runners and hardware and metal components. Along with the Loughlin aesthetic.

Rob designs all the pieces he makes and has developed a style that is simultaneously on point and timeless.

His furniture brings to mind some of the classics – those from mid-century Danish designers and also the enduring designs of Shaker furniture.

It’s no surprise that Danish design was heavily influenced by Shaker design and its underlying principles of thoughtful design with functional form and proportion. Both have an emphasis on quality craftsmanship and elegant, functional structure. Both Danish design and Shaker furniture have remained popular and inform trends to this day.

Rob shares the aesthetic of these past practitioners, as well as their dedication to method and material, but he also keeps a sharp eye on current design trends and cleverly incorporates them into his signature pieces.

Loughlin Furniture Design offers a custom design service but also has floor stock available for immediate purchase. Pieces include dining suites, beds, shelving and their very popular bathroom vanity units. Stylish, oversize doors have also been a popular choice with clients.

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The increase in business eventually meant that proper premises had to be found. At this point Rob’s wife Jess started taking a more active role in the company.

As is often the case, Jess had been an invisible, but invaluable, presence in the background, helping to tap into consumer demand and current design preferences.

With the business now growing Jess came in to help part-time with the running of the showroom.

The couple were looking for premises that could accommodate a generous showroom with a good sized factory space out the back. In April of last year they found it on Manns Road, West Gosford. They really only considered facilities, not location, so the find was fortuitous as their premises are right in the midst of the West Gosford home renovation and building strip.

The increased visibility has been a boon, with customers spotting the showroom on their way to purchase other products for their homes. The growth due to this exposure has meant that this locally owned business has had to add a couple of employees, and Rob is once again passing on his considerable skills to another generation of cabinetmakers.

With the new showroom, the Loughlins are now looking to establish a core range that will be on show and can be delivered quickly. At the moment floor stock can be purchased and taken immediately but with much of it being one-off custom pieces, it’s a case of first in, best dressed. A core range would mean that pieces on show are always readily available, with the

Along with the pieces that are created on the premises at Loughlin’s West Gosford showroom and factory, they stock a personally curated collection of products for purchase. These products must adhere to the Loughlin philosophy of quality and integrity and have been specifically chosen to complement Loughlin designs. The cane dining chairs shown here have been extremely popular and combine perfectly with the hardwood tables, creating a casual and eclectic feel that is perfect for our coastal lifestyle.

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added bonus that they can be customised if needed, with a change of timber or dimensions perhaps, to suit a customer’s requirements.

This is a task that Rob is relishing – not only designing one-off pieces, but coming up with a cohesive range of furnishings.

There will be no sacrifice in quality or workmanship, but it will better cater to customers who want browse initially before making a decision.

It will also mean a reliable supply chain for those products, like some of the dining chair designs, that Loughlin source from elsewhere to combine with their timber pieces.

It’s certainly an exciting time for this local business and their stylish West Gosford showroom. If you’re looking for upmarket yet affordable designer furniture, made with skill, precision and passion, you should definitely put Loughlins Furniture Design on your list. Let Rob and Jess talk you through the pieces and explain the raw materials, make your choice ... and suddenly you have an exquisite piece with a story of its own.

The showroom is open Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 4pm.

Loughlin Furniture Design Ph: 02 4322 2186 Mob: 0401 000 676 E: info@loughlinfurniture.com.au Showroom: Unit 1, 305 Manns Rd, West Gosford

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back to

nature Lost Paradise festival debrief : Nadia Gradwell

“Back to nature�, the perfect mantra for the Lost Paradise festival. Three days filled with good vibes, sunshine, bright colours, delicious food, creativity and fantastic music in the magical surrounds of Glenworth Valley. Morning mist, fresh, cold water creeks, running horses and smiling faces.

What more could you ask for?

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Despite Australia being spoilt for choice with music festivals, you are yet to find anything quite like the Lost Paradise festival. One of the key objectives of the Lost Paradise organisers was to establish a festival that was not just focussed on the great music, but also featured fantastic food, creative set designers, yoga teachers, hot spa baths and more to give it a boutique getaway feel. It’s one-of-a-kind event which is so much more than just a music festival and it’s just as satisfying relaxing on the day beds, or up on the grassy hills in the shade, as spending your time in the mosh pit.

Let’s dive in and see what makes this festival a stand out event.

Pampering: With the luxuries of a hot spa on site, The ‘Lost Spa’ also offered hair styling as well as sweat-proof makeup. You could also have some beautiful henna tattoos done at the festival.

Camping: Anyone who’s ever been to a camping festival knows that 7000 plus punters descending on a campsite all at once can be chaos, but entry into the site was a smooth and relatively fast process. The campsites lived up to expectations too. They were well organised and filled to the brim with revellers ready to have a good time. For a few extra dollars you could upgrade to ‘glamping’, from Lotus Belle tents, to Rainbow Tipis. A concluding highlight for me was leaving – we simply packed our stuff, cleaned a little and headed on our way.

Peace: Finding stillness in all the madness wasn’t hard. You just had to wander over to the yoga oasis ‘Shambala’, offering yoga, belly dancing workshops and many more activities to recharge the body, mind and soul. The day beds provided and the beautiful restful valley also provided ample quiet moments.

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Music: Both live bands and DJs featured.

Popular acts included Angus & Julia Stone, Anna Lunoe and The Jungle Giants on Day One, with Tkay Maidza, Four Tet and Jamie XX getting the crowd jumping on Day Two. On the final day, the ultimate New Year countdown was to catchy tunes from the 60s all the way through to now thanks to Hot Dub Time Machine’s DJ Loud. With three main stages, the music started playing each day around midday and kept on until late. The main

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stage, Arcadia, with decent sound quality, housed all the live acts. Around the corner you could discover the Lost Disco, a psychedelic club under the stars with the verdant green valley as the backdrop.

DJs played from a pyramid that had kaleidoscopic patterns projected across it after dark and rainbow banners draped overhead for a splash of colour. The third music stage was the Paradise Club. A chill zone with bush doof. A place to recharge without losing the beat in your stride.

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Spectacle: For the wanting a bit of colour there was ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’, Lost Paradise’s own circus by day and cabaret show by night. You could let your imagination run wild when the circus folk and burlesque dancers came out to play.

Food: For all the foodies, UK chef Simon Sutcliffe came on board to bring the ‘Lost Feast’ to life – a nightly, lavish three course dining experience that brought fresh farm produce to the table via an exotic menu.

Additional to the Lost Feast tent, the food vendors offered a wide variety of cuisines like pizza, pancakes, tacos, vegetarian, Mexican, Yemeni, German ... just to name a few. And let’s not forget decent coffee, a necessity for many festival goers.

Sensational!

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LostParadiseAU lostparadiseau

Fancy dress: Glitter, feathers, body jewels ... and more glitter. The Lost Paradise tribe went all out with their outfits. From emus to Santas, sparkly suits and squirrel onesies!

Going cashless: With the ‘cashless’ wristband system you deposited the credit of your choice which was then accessible through a little microchip in your wristband. At the end of the festival, if you had anything left on the microchip and wanted cash it out, you just stopped at the refund station or processed it online when you got home.

Overall it was a stack of fun. See you next year!

What: Lost Paradise Where: Glenworth Valley, Peats Ridge When: Annually, end of December. www.lostparadise.com.au

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Pretty Beach House

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The drive up to Pretty Beach House is steep. Very steep. The day we visited our elderly mule of a motor really struggled. It had been raining and, after traversing a beautiful section of rainforest-like bush, the damp road headed steeply upwards.

Low gear is rewarded when you get to the top. You really do feel like you’re up in the clouds, with a breathtaking tapestry of rocky escarpments, bush and beach spread below you.

Pretty Beach House is an intimate and exclusive guesthouse under the same management as Bells at Killcare. It consists of a main house of mud brick, with open living areas and a terrace leading to an infinity pool, and four private pavilions.

Guests can socialise as much, or as little, as they wish. Meals are taken in the stunning central room of the main house, a soaring fabrication featuring roughly hewn timber and local sandstone. The windows push open to embrace the surrounding natural gardens. It feels rather like a huge teepee, with the large central timber support.

These stunning supports are decommissioned railway pylons, brought down from Queensland as part of the rebuild. In 2012 the main house sustained substantial damage in a fire and extensive rebuilding was undertaken. The space is a little bigger and a little better after the remodelling, and extremely luxurious while also incorporating an industrial edge. It gives the space a quintessential Australian feel, especially with the view Breeze magazine - Central Coast

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of ancient angophoras surrounding the room, particularly the giant and firescarred tree that stands like a guard on the pool terrace.

An impressive collection of Australian art including works from Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd and John Olsen adorn what wall space there is, and beautiful pendant lights by Melbourne designer Christopher Boots (more like an art installation than light fixtures) hang from the towering ceiling. An open fire generously crackles in cooler weather, and the grand piano is often played throughout your meal ... It’s an evocative experience with every aspect oozing with comfortable luxury.

And speaking of meals ... Pretty Beach House is truly a food lover’s dream, many returning guests do so for more delicious palette pampering.

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Stefano Manfredi is responsible for the cuisine at Pretty Beach House and you may sit at the kitchen bench and gaze upon the sophisticated perfection of his kitchen, complete with dramatic, vintage stage lights, as delicious morsels are prepared for you by the staff on hand for your stay. You can even arrange a cooking class during your visit if you’re missing the clang of pans.

You’re welcome to put in requests for your meals. You can even take a packed lunch to one of the beautiful secluded beaches nearby or take your meals by the pool. And freshly baked cake is served daily!

The wine cellar is rather amazing and very picturesque, filled with impressive Old and New World wines. A tour can be arranged and wine tastings are available, and you are welcome to help yourself. Pretty Beach House is generous with the liquid. There is plenty throughout the main house and the villas, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, for your drinking pleasure.

The theme of the main house continues in the four private pavilions – one perched above the main house, the other three scattered discreetly throughout the property, with their own terraces and small pools.

There’s a lot to indulge in. The bathrooms are simply stunning, with deep baths and monsoon shower heads. The beds are sumptuously soft, dressed in refined yet lavish Busatti linen and the outdoor areas offer relaxing day beds with curtains gently blowing in the breeze. And when you’ve had your fill of bathing and dozing,

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you can utilise each room’s turntable and explore the vinyl collection provided for your auditory pleasure.

Pretty Beach House certainly has a magnificent setting, and it’s well worth exploring. Directly opposite the front door of the main house are some incredible Aboriginal rock carvings known to be at least 2000 years old and quite possibly up to 10 000 years old. The carvings represent Totem figures of fish and a dolphin and would have been used in ceremonies by the original occupants of this part of Bouddi National Park.

The management of the guesthouse take the custodianship of this important site seriously, and a charming and, sometimes emotionally charged, part of your visit

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is a traditional Indigenous ‘Welcome to Country’ smoking ceremony, performed in a purpose-built area near the massive front door. Well-loved local Darkinjung Elder, Gavi Duncan, often performs the ceremony. He can also tell you many stories of the Dreamtime and details of the history of this site.

A stay at Pretty Beach House is an incredible luxury but as it’s all-inclusive, with everything you could want at your disposal, there are certainly many worse ways to spend your money.

The guesthouse accommodates no more than eight guests at a time and is not suitable for children under 15 years of age. There is an onsite day spa with a full menu of treatments using pure Australian botanical products from the LI’TYA range.

There are also many activities beyond the confines of the property and the obliging staff are happy to organise these for you. So, even for just a short weekend stay I’m sure you will come away from Pretty Beach House feeling that you had absolutely attained that holy grail of the mini-break. Pure escape.

For more details on staying at Pretty Beach House go to the website or call 02 4360 1933. www.prettybeachhouse.com

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See Scott’s Taste of Travel segments for Ben’s Menu Fridays at 4pm on Channel Ten or on his website www.scottmcrae.com.au

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take ’em or leave ’em Is it possible to have a romantic weekend away with Breeze travel writer, Scott McRae contemplates the kids in tow? Most of the couples I asked this taking the kids on a question basically laughed in my face. ‘You have to romantic Hunter Valley be kidding don’t you?? You know they will be forever weekend ... asking to go and do things. Whining that they’re hungry, or bored! They’ll want you to be at their side continually. There won’t be a minute’s peace!’

Now hang on there, I do believe it’s possible, but it will take some resolve on your part. As you know, kids can be manipulative even before they know how to be.

Most of you would be familiar with the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales.

A comfortable three hour drive from Sydney, and a much shorter trip from the Central Coast.

The Hunter region is often frequented by groups on buck’s and hen’s nights, end of season sporting trips, boys on golf weekends or the girls on wine (and whine) and spa adventures. All great fun and the perfect excuse to get away from those appendages and let you hair down.

But what if Mum or Dad couldn’t help you out? What if Aunty Kellie was busy?

What if the kids had already alienated the neighbours to breaking point after the latest footy-through-the-window incident?

What if you had to take ’em?

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time anchors along for the ride.

It’s all about balance. Some ‘me’ time, some ‘you’ time and some ‘us’ time. But you have to set the boundaries and you have to be strong!

The place I have chosen for you to make this all happen is at The Mercure Resort Hunter Valley Gardens, and there are many reasons for this choice. A lot of it has to do with where it is situated. Right in the heart of the Hunter, and within walking distance to many of the wineries, attractions and services that you’ll want to take advantage of, kids or no kids.

The resort sits nicely on the corner of Broke and McDonalds Roads in Pokolbin and has 172 beautifully appointed rooms, of varied styles, with all the mod cons that you’d expect from a Mercure Hotel, including cable TV, internet access, luxurious bedding, mini bar and clean, spacious bathrooms. The resort sits in a

lovely garden setting and has an onsite day spa, state of the art gymnasium and a gorgeous Mediterranean pool area that has a nice little undercover spa as well. It also has a charming lounge and library area that is equipped with games, books and all the daily papers. The resort is also home to one of the prime restaurants in the Hunter Valley. With a name like The Hunter Valley Steakhouse the restaurant obviously features a great range of local grain-fed and pasture-fed beef but that is not all that master chef Jean Marc Pollet creates. Lovers of pasta and seafood are equally catered for and his desserts are just wicked. After all he is French!

There is much to do in the Valley besides perusing the many wineries, and within a short stroll of The Mercure you will find plenty. The Hunter Valley Village is one and, as sad as the saying is, it really does have “something for everyone”.

Mums can peruse the antique stores, artist galleries and specialty clothing stores. Dad can check out the amazing array of beers in the Hunter Valley Cellars, which also stocks a fine range of cured meats and delectable delights! The kids ... well they can check out the Hunter Valley Chocolate or the British Lolly Shop. They can also entertain themselves (yes it is possible) at the children’s playground that is also in the Village. If Dad was keen for some one on one kid time there is Putt Putt or Aqua Golf on hand as well.

Now I wouldn’t say that I was a great lover of gardens. I enjoy sitting in them of course but it’s not like I would go out of my way to visit one. However with the world class Hunter Valley Gardens I would. These gardens are spectacular and depending on what time of year you visit I think you will find them amazing as

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well. The Story Book Garden is a treat for the kids as much as you, and I guarantee you will be singing some of your favourite nursery rhymes, like it or not! A nice bonus is when you stay at the Mercure you get 2 for 1 tickets.

When it comes to some ‘me’ time you still don’t have to drive anywhere. Enjoy a walking wine wander and experience the delights of some of the regions best wineries. McGuigans is literally 30 seconds from your room. Brokenwood within 500 meters. Tempus Two is also just down the road and not only features fine wines but has the delightful Goldfish cocktail bar and lounge for that pre or post dinner drink. Throughout summer they also have comedy nights and I really don’t think we laugh enough! So check it out.

There are some fantastic world class golfing options for those who like to chase the little white ball around, including The Vines and Cypress Lakes.

If you are wondering how you are going to be able to juggle the me, you and us time, then don’t fear. The Mercure will organise onsite babysitting for you at reasonable prices, and due to the fact that everything is within walking distance you can feel safe that your little cherubs are just around the corner.

All righty then! It’s all up to you now. The choice is yours. Oh, to help you make an educated decision I have inserted two itinerary options. The choice is then yours.

Do you Take ’em or Leave ’em???

Take ’em

8am

Early morning family swim.

9am

Breakfast at the resort restaurant.

10am Hunter Valley Gardens including lunch.

1:30pm Aqua Golf or Putt Putt.

3pm

Hit of tennis on the resort courts.

4pm

Bring on the babysitter!! Kids continue to play around the Mercure. The rest is in the babysitter’s hands ...

Meanwhile you and your loved one stroll to Brokenwood and McGuigans for some wine tastings.

5:30pm Cocktails and nibbles at Fishbowl.

7pm

A hand in hand stroll to Harrigans pub for a meal, some music, a game of pool and a laugh together.

10:30PM Home to the Mercure and the sight of your little ones safely tucked away in bed!

leave ’em 6am

Romantic champagne balloon flight over the valley, with a gourmet breakfast at the end. Early start but it is definitely worth it.

11am Leisurely swim and lie around the Mercure pool.

2pm

Late lunch at The Cellar Restaurant down at the Village.

4pm

Nanna nap together ...

6pm

Cocktails at Fishbowl, Tempus Two.

8pm

Delectable steak dinner at The Hunter Valley Steakhouse, followed by a wicked dessert!

10pm After-dinner drink in the Resort Lounge.

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the garage was too small!

our mates kept sponging beer.

••

(

...the wives complained!

SO...we setup a brewery and now:

rent is bloody expensive!

the wives complain (even more)

(plus new mates at the a.t.o. sponging money and then... the bureaucrats wrote a whole new rule book

(

we got an even bigger bunch of new mates sponging beer.

just for us!

‘thank god we’ve still got good beers’

rate our brews:

www.blockntackle.beer and find us on:

come and sponge a beer (and a mezza plate or a pie!!) at our kincumber brewery: wednesday - sunday from 12pm. unit 1, 11-13 cochrone st, kincumber. call 4368 3333. thanks to breeze magazine for the awesome shots of our food & brews! ps. don’t forget to enjoy responsibly. (we need to tell you this as you have no mind of your own!)