Issue 5
Breeze magazine
Oct/Nov 2012
ONLINE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
Inspiring people, beautiful homes, craft, gardening, recipes and more...
ARTIST MONIQUE AURICCHIO A HOME PERCHED IN THE CLOUDS LOCAL MUSICIAN JACOB PEARSON THE FAIRYTALE OF HONEY
Plus
A stunning restaurant, spring in the vegie patch and delicious recipes
MARKE KEMP AND HIS BATMOBILE
THE NEXT ISSUE OF BREEZE WILL BE ON YOUR MONITORS EARLY DECEMBER
COVER SHOT BY LISA HAYMES www.lisahaymes.com
COPYRIGHT Š Breeze magazine. All rights reserved. Copyright of articles and photographs remain the property of Breeze magazine or of the contributer and may not be reproduced without prior permission.
Issue 5
Oct/Nov
Isn’t this weather wonderful? Does it mean we’re in for a hot summer? Or are we going to suddenly plunge back into winter? To be honest, I don’t really care. I have the day bed out and I am enjoying every ray of sunshine that I can! This issue was a pleasure to put together. So many gorgeous colourful images heralding the change of season. We visit Piccolo Pear in East Gosford, meet a remarkable local artist and a man who built his own Batmobile! We show you some great bushwalks and introduce you to our stunning native flora, explore the fascinating world of bees with local beekeepers, meet a talented young musician and visit one of our top restaurants. We garden, we cook... Rather like the bees! We do plunge into winter again temporarily for a very personal visit to Saint Petersburg in Russia, but the chill is only a virtual one.
Breeze magazine And we mustn’t forget our reader’s photographs. Pets was the subject this time and we have a beautiful prize courtesy of Oscar & Lulu luxury pet beds. As with every issue, a big thank you to our contributors and editor. All very talented and a pleasure to work with.
Until next issue!x
See Lisa’s work on p.10 and p.34. Lisa Haymes is a Central Coast-based photographer and artist. She graduated with distinction in photography at the National Art School in Sydney, also studying experimental drawing and architectural theory. She has travelled widely and worked in television, publishing and advertising.
Regular contributors
Visit Lisa’s website
Follow Lisa on Facebook
Find Vanessa on p.106 and p.122 UK food and travel writer, Vanessa Teklenburg, moved to Australia three years ago, finally settling on the Central Coast with her husband and two boys. Vanessa writes regularly for Australian publications and has a blog called Finding That Place Called Home. Visit Vanessa’s blog
Follow Vanessa on Facebook
Find Chloe’s interview with Jacob Pearson on p.100 Chloe Webb is a young music journalist based on the Central Coast. With an intense passion for the local music scene and for upcoming artists, she has compiled an impressive portfolio from a young age. She has published articles for Reverb Magazine and Purple Sneakers.
See Kristy’s work on p.24 and p.66. Kristy Lee and her Bada Bing Studio are based on the Central Coast. She has always had a love of the arts and teaches music to high school students. The rest of the time she has her lens out, capturing the beauty of the world around her. Visit Kristy’s website
This month...
Follow Kristy on Facebook
we welcome and thank local writer, Phaedra Pim of A Way with Words. See her piece on p.66. And local photographer, Linda Wales. See her images on p.100.
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Contents
shopping Piccolo Pear Page 34
Monique Auricchio 10
24 Marke Kempe
places
The Honey Place
34
44 Spring bushwalks The Entrance Lake House
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66 Central Coast
French Country Market
School of Yoga
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over to you Pet photos
people
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88
Page 74
music Jacob Pearson
food Pies and spring recipes
100 106
122 Reef Restaurant
gardening
Page 122
Spring gardening 136 Page 106
home Aeolus Cove
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technology MyMates
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158 Visit by Road
travel Saint Peterburg
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NEWCASTLE CENTRAL GRIFFITHS ROAD, BROADMEADOW (02) 49613622 OPEN 7 DAYS
WEBSITE
Breeze loves... Emerald ‘Edith’ ring, Vintage Garden. Enquire
Fouta towels,
Focalpoint Home.
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new D.I.Y. lampshade kits, 3 Chooks. www.3chooks.com.au Breakfast mini burger, YUM!!
Ooomph cafe.
Gumtree Lane, East Gosford
French-style ‘Ecru’ chair Available in 16 colours with choice of fabric. $579,
Empire Furniture Newcastle.
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Breeze people
o i h c c i r u A Monique Photography by Lisa Haymes
A new medium brings about an artistic change for this MacMasters Beach artist.
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The works making up local artist Monique Auricchio’s latest exhibition are, as art arguably should be, a reflection of her present life. On my visit to the charming MacMasters Beach home Monique shares with husband Matt Mainsbridge, I was struck by how, through the change of medium, her artworks had taken on a beautiful softness which seemed to perfectly express her expectant state. And also her environment – I constantly found echoes of those beautiful watercolour pieces. In the damp foliage and full sky, in Monique’s beloved blue-grey cat Mary and her soft green cat bed, even in Monique’s lovely green jumper!
As a printmaker, Monique doesn’t usually work in the house. A change of medium has meant she can. She has created a light-filled studio in her spare room.
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Monique is best known as an accomplished printmaker. After completing a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Printmaking) at the Canberra School of Art and a brief stint in Melbourne, Monique made her way to Darwin to pursue a career as a custom printer at Northern Editions, Charles Darwin University. The job involved collaborating with established artists to find the right printmaking medium to best suit the artist’s style, a role that encompassed teacher, technician and printer. After nine years of honing her printmaking skills on other artist’s pieces, Monique turned her talents to her own work, resulting in a well-received exhibition for Australian Galleries. Her work, titled Silent Acts, involved exploring the role of animals at regional shows.
Monique’s beloved grey cat Mary. Monique has had a long fascination with, and love for, animals and this interest goes back to her childhood. She had also previously worked as a polo groomer, vet nurse, farm hand and also at a pet cemetery.
Some of Monique’s animal -inspired pieces include ceramic works, as well as her more familiar prints.
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So it’s easy to see understand why animals are often represented in her art. This latest exhibition is no exception. Called Absurdities of War, it illustrates the use of animals throughout history in warfare. Images of dogs in gas masks and pigeons with parachutes seem surreal yet they are faithful interpretations of animals serving alongside soldiers in war. After committing to this latest exhibition, Monique found that she was pregnant with her first child. Her usual medium of printmaking involves a lot of chemicals so Monique’s only option was to change medium, and watercolour was her choice. This made for a completely new kind of artistic exploration. Monique was not only delving into the emotive idea of animals used in war, but also doing so with unfamiliar tools. Watercolour is almost the opposite of printmaking, which is very much about negative space and taking away.
The vibrant coastal cottage features the work of various artists. The retro furnishings are true to the era of the house.
The house reflects the couple’s love of colour and light.
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These works are very different in feel to Monique’s previous printed pieces. They are quite small and fine, a contrast to the boldness of past works. This, combined with the softness of the watercolour, makes them incredibly touching creations. Looking at them I was indeed struck by the absurdity and the questionable morals involved.
Absurdities of War has received a resoundingly positive response, with interest from various collectors, including the Australian War Memorial in Canberra which has purchased two pieces for their collection.. As with all Monique’s work, these are exquisite pieces that look beautiful on walls. They also possess a whimsical character, yet evoke a sense of empathy. These are pieces to explore. And ultimately for Monique, the mark of a unique time in both her artistic career and her personal life.
Monique’s work is available through Australian Galleries. Click the link below for details.
WEBSITE
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Matt Mainsbridge Matt and Monique met in Darwin where he was working for highly regarded picture framer Don Whyte. In 2008 the couple made the move to the Central Coast to be closer to family. Matt decided to utilise the skills gained in Darwin to establish a picture framing business of his own. The business, called m2 Framing Studio, now works with many Central Coast artists and art collectors, and also has a number of Sydney clients, including the Australian Museum.
As an artist, Matt has exhibited for over 15 years. He paints exquisite still lifes in oils, mainly of fruit and vegetables, but also of objects found on his many trips to the beach, such as feathers and spinifex grass. A number of these works were exhibited at Moochinside, Killcare last year and are now held in various private collections. Matt is a keen surfer and life in Macmasters Beach provides the perfect work/life balance for the couple. They are currently building a new studio in the back garden to accomodate their pursuits.
Besides specialising in working with artists (including Monique of course!) Matt’s business provides custom framing to conservation standards, canvas stretching and a picture hanging service.
Matt is an accomplished artist (and keen surfer). Some of his exquisite still lifes are seen in his garage work space. WEBSITE
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Breeze people
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Going batty!
Photography by Bada Bing Photography
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What drives a man to spend more than three and a half years, and over $30, 000, building a replica Batmobile? Meet Marke Kemp of Buff Point. Marke has always been a car nut and always hankered after something nobody else has. He still has his original 1966 Batmobile toy, and now that he’s all grown up, he has the real thing too! What started as a 1970s Chysler VG Coupe is now, after 3 years 7 months and two weeks, a street-legal Batmobile “tribute”. And this isn’t Marke’s first movie replica car - he built the first street legal Interceptor (from Mad Max) and a road version of Peter Brock’s VB 05 Commodore. The Interceptor and another Mad Max tribute car helped fund the Batmobile build. Marke started seeing more and more Mad Max vehicles turning up at car shows and so they lost their lustre a little. He pocketed the money and moved on to his next challenge. Marke isn’t a professional car builder, it’s a hobby that has been fueled by the knowledge that passion, and 50-odd years, have led him to accumulate.
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The car isn’t ‘movie correct’, but that’s the compromise when making it legal to drive on our roads. Marke hand-made every panel from fibreglass and steel, and replaced the windscreen with wind deflectors. He has painted previous cars, but wanting a perfect finish he sent this one to Old School Body Works at Warner Bay to get the perfect panels and paintwork. They did Batman proud! Despite being street legal, there are a few limitations to driving a batmobile. It’s not what you would call a family vehicle, having only two seats. Nor is it a great
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ride for the middle of summer - that black exterior and interior can have you sizzling! Rain isn’t ideal either, with no roof. Marke has constructed the seats from marine vinyl and the carpet is waterproof in case there’s the odd, unexpected shower, but if the forecast looks wet, “she” stays in the garage. As for speed... well, not if you want to have a chat. At around 100 km the rush of wind makes any conversation impossible. None of this dampens the joy Marke gets from driving it and from the reaction from others. No trip is a quick trip - popping to the supermarket can mean emerging to find a crowd around your ride, meaning photographs, questions and just the sheer difficulty of getting through and getting in. But that’s the kick of having something like the Batmobile – sharing it with others.
Right, from top: The toy car that sparked a lifetime passion; documenting the process; a still of the original Batmobile.
Marke has also turned his hobby into a force for good by doing a lot of charity work and school visits with his various cars, in one case donning the iconic suit to entertain children with special needs. And what does Marke’s wife think of the Batmobile? “She was really impressed when I bought the Chrysler home - ‘wow, what a nice car’ she said. Then I took the grinder to it. She was okay with the Bat at first, but as time has passed, the comments - ‘are you Robin?’, ‘where is your Cat Woman or Bat Girl costume?’ - have started to wear thin... I’ve got to feel sorry for her - she’s had a lot to put up with!”
Just some of Marke’s Batman memorabilia.
Breeze places
Photography by Lisa Haymes
Breeze people
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Listening to Dayle McCredie of The Honey Place talk about bees is like being mesmerised by a beautiful fairy tale. Being a beekeeper is quite the romantic lifestyle, especially when heard secondhand. There is a bewitching alchemy to honey that is hard to resist. Have you ever thought, for instance, that a jar of honey sits in almost every kitchen and yet we are completely reliant on honey bees for its production? We have not worked out how to do it ourselves. And so we have dedicated individuals who make bees their life and provide us with this wondrous liquid. Beekeeping has a lovely nurturing quality to it. Dayle explained that honey must always be left for the bees so that they stay healthy over winter. Bees feast on nectar and pollen during spring and summer while also squirrelling it away in their wax honeycomb cells to see them through the leaner months of autumn and winter. This makes for a very busy life and worker bees usually only survive about six weeks. Beekeepers, or apiarists, basically farm honey bees intensively, but don’t think battery hens. Commercial beehives are like luxurious, spacious apartment blocks for these little honey makers. To
Boxes, their wax frames emptied of honey, wait to go back out to hives. The light colours help keep them from becoming too hot in summer. One of hives sitting under gum trees, a prime source of pollen and nectar.
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save them some of the back breaking work, the wax honeycomb pattern of cells they use for storage is prefabricated into sheets on wooden frames. These sit in vertical rows within a box, ready to be filled with honey and pollen. There is typically a stack of three boxes. The bottom one is the entrance to the hive and also the box that the bees get to keep. Within that box is the queen, her eggs and plenty of food for the hive to survive winter. Throughout honey season (spring and summer) apiarists, like Dayle’s husband Mark, chase blossoms. The Honey
Worker bees busily bringing nectar and pollen to the hive. Both are stored in the beeswax honeycomb ‘larder’ with worker bees chewing and regurgitating the nectar to form honey. It then dehydrates in storage to become thick and sticky.
Place’s bees feed mainly on Eucalyptus blossoms and these are in flower at different times depending on variety, altitude and location. Mark goes out to the hives at night so as to ensure all the bees have returned home. He then secures the hives and moves them to a new location. The bees wake up next morning to an abundance of new food and get straight down to honey making.
Honeycomb that has been spun of its honey. Some remains, as well as some bright yellow pollen.
It all sounds quite cosy doesn’t it? As Dayle explained her life as a beekeeper and the cycles it entailed, I became fascinated by these magical little creatures and what goes on in a hive.
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Lif e
in a hive...
Worker bees are the mainstay of a hive and they have quite a fascinating life cycle. A colony might have up to 60, 000 of these female workaholics. They are also the artisans, collecting the supplies and making all the produce, from wax to honey to royal jelly. Young worker bees start in service, cleaning the hive. They then move on to nursery duties for a short time before they become honey makers, amongst other household duties. The latter part of their short but intense life is spent foraging up to 3km for nectar and pollen. They may seem a little downtrodden at first but really the power lies with the worker bees. The queen is little more than a pampered figurehead and baby factory. And as for the drones... pretty boys who can’t even feed themselves!
Honey, fresh from the hive, for sale outside the property.
The queen bee develops from a larvae that is fed exclusively on royal jelly. In managed hives, queens are sourced via a specialist breeder. They arrive at your door in rather sweet little boxes with a few worker bees to keep them company. The queen can produce up to 2000 eggs a day after mating. Impressive but also her downfall. In true and rather macabre fairy tale fashion, once the queen starts to get a little old and tired, perhaps not so beautiful as she once was, the colony will start to get restless. This is the moment when the workers will turn and create a new queen. In commercial hives, which are altogether busier, a queen bee might only last 12–18 months before she weakens. Beekeepers regularly replace their queens manually to keep the hive healthy and happy. The queen regulates behaviour in the hive by releasing pheremones. And she decides who’s who - she will produce unfertilised eggs which, conversely, produces fertile males (the drones, produced specifically for mating). If she feels there’s work to be done and not enough able bodies, she will produce fertilised eggs which result in sterile female worker bees.
Melted ‘cakes’ of beeswax, almost as sought-after as the honey. Pomona was the goddess of fruitfulness and at The Honey Place, Pomona Road, Empire Bay, fruitfulness is certainly in action. Their pampered bees produce a beautiful rich honey which is sold locally, and used in many restaurants and cafés. The deeply coloured wax, a bi-product of the extraction process, is used in various products from candles to cosmetics. The wax is melted down and fashioned into very durable ‘cakes’. which are then sold. Beekeepers have gathered beeswax as long as they have gathered honey and it is still highly sought-after. Add the fact that bees are the number one pollinators of the world and that we depend on them for much of our food, not just honey, and you can get an idea of the role bees play in our wellbeing. Raise a toast to them at your next meal. Especially those hard working girls who keeps the hives thriving. Pomona Honey is on Pomona Road, Empire Bay. Follow the signs and you will usually find some jars for sale out the front.
Read more... Benefits of honey There is no denying that honey is a clever concoction. It contains powerful antioxidants with antiseptic and antibacterial properties, making it handy for all sorts of ailments including sore throats, ulcers and wound healing.It is also great for your skin and makes an excellent conditioning treatment for your hair. It’s worth remembering that honey still contains a lot of sugar and is high in calories. The good news is that pure floral honeys like those from Pomona Honey are quite low on the glycaemic index compared to commercial blended honeys and so worth seeking out. Especially those made from eucalyptus nectar such as yellow box, stringy-bark and ironbark. Honey is an alternative source of sweetness to refined sugar, and with all the benefits, both the proven and the propounded, you should at the very least have a jar of pure, natural honey on hand at all times for a sweet topping for toast or to soothe a sore throat. Note that some people are allergic to bees and/or bee products. Honey is not recommended for babies under 12 months as it can occasionally contain a bacteria that is dangerous for them.
Breeze places
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Spring bush walks The Central Coast has a wonderfully diverse range of walking trails to explore. From sandstone heathland to coastline walks and rainforests. From easy strolls with a stunning view, to challenging scrambles through hidden gullies. We have five National Parks on our doorstep as well as various conservation areas and reserves, providing many options for both the keen bushwalker and the leisurely stroller.
Spring is one of the best times of year to discover our bushland – it’s not too hot and there is a stunning array of wildflowers on show at this time of year. We have put together a guide to four walks which guarantee a floral show as well as many other highlights, including hidden beaches, a stunning waterfall and glorious views. And many more walks await you once you have explored these!
Images above and left by Lisa Haymes. All other images Š the Australian Plants Society, Central Coast.
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Thommo’s Loop Track Brisbane Water National Park Where do I go? This walk is best reached by car. The circular track is accessed from Woy Woy Rd through a gate about 200m south of Staples Lookout (a convenient place to park your car).
What will I find? The track, a fire trail, follows a very picturesque ridge overlooking the valleys of the Kariong and Myron brooks. There is quite a variety of plants and through spring there is an incredible display of heath and woodland flowers. On the first leg of the walk, about 1 km along, there is a right turn which takes you to the very pretty Kariong Waterfall. It is sign-posted as part of the Great North Walk, which joins Thommo’s at this point. If you visit the waterfall, which it is well worth doing, come back along the track to join the main circuit again.
{
For a shorter walk, visit the waterfall, and return the same way.
}
Back on the main track, after a short climb on to a rocky outcrop, keep veering around to the left. Do not follow the Great North Walk when it veers off to the right. Continue to a T intersection and turn left to leave the park via a gate into the quarry. Turn right, walk through the quarry back to Woy Woy Rd, then turn left back along the road to Staples Lookout.
How long will it take? This is an easy walk but the section to the waterfall is more challenging with a fairly steep climb. The full circuit is about 4 km and should take you around 2-3 hours, an extra hour if you visit the waterfall.
CLICK TO GO TO MAP
Telopea speciosissima Waratah
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Girrakool
Brisbane Water National Park Where do I go? Another walk where you need a car. From Kariong, turn into Wisemans Ferry Rd, and follow the Pacific Highway towards Sydney. Just past the turn-off to the Reptile Park, on the left, is the sign to Girrakool.
What will I find? The Mooney Nature Trail begins near the southern end of the car park. This walk has the advantage of taking walkers from a woodland, to a rainforest gully, to a heath all within about 300m. The beauty of this area has a lot to do with the trees, rock formations and stunning views. You will also find rock engravings and waterfalls and the deep gorge of Piles Creek. This is a beautiful place to visit at any time of year but from June through spring is best. This is a tougher walk, involving some medium-grade climbing. For a shorter, easier walk, take the alternative track on
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There is a lovely picnic area with barbecues and facilities.
the northern side of the car park. It is a much easier and shorter walk, about 2.5-3km, without the climbs of the full circuit and you will find a wonderful display of local flora on this heath walk. Turn back when the track across the heath begins to drop sharply down to Piles Creek and follow the same track back to the car park.
How long will it take? The full circuit is 6.5km. It should take you about 4 hours to complete.
Extra info A parking fee is applicable and is paid via an on-site machine.
CLICK TO GO TO MAP
Eriostemon australasius Pink Wax Flower
Pomax umbellata Pomax
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Actinotus helianthi
Allocasuarina distyla
Bauera rubioides
Billardiera scandens
Flannel Flower
River Rose
Scrub She-Oak
Apple Berry
Crackneck Lookout Wyrrabalong National Park Where do I go? Travelling north along the Entrance Road, take the right turn into Bateau Bay Rd and after 1 km turn right into Rushby Street. There you’ll be able to park near a picnic area, Bruce Burgis Park, overlooking Bateau Bay Beach. This makes for a great spot for some lunch after your walk.
What will I find? A sign indicates the start of the walk—you’ll be walking south following the coastline into Wyrrabalong National Park. The first part of the walk is pleasant enough but the highlight is arriving at Crackneck Lookout. Pause here and appreciate the stunning views north. Walk on south to Wyrrabalong Lookout along a lovely white, sandy trail and through beautiful heathland. In spring this is bursting with flowers and is renowned for its Flannel Flowers in particular. Stairs take you down and back to the track. There is then a climb to Wyrrabalong Lookout, rewarded by marvellous views to Forresters, Wamberal and Terrigal beaches.
Return the same way—there is always something different to see.
How long will it take? The full walk is 3 km, a total of 6km for the return walk. This is an easy walk but has great views and some interesting and varied flora to admire and photograph. Depending on how often you stop it will take you 2-4 hours to complete with the return journey. You can park at Crackneck lookout for a shorter ‘highlights’ tour. The walk to Wyrrabalong lookout is just short of 2 km.
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You might also be lucky enough to see whales in October. CLICK TO GO TO MAP
}
Bombi Moors Bouddi National Park
Where do I go? Turn off The Scenic Drive, MacMasters Beach and into Grahame Drive (you will see a sign for Little Beach). Continue on to the car park at the end of Grahame Drive. Start this circular walk from the gate at the far end of the car park.
What will I find? Bombi Moors is a large area of beautiful sandstone heath. The circular track leads over a series of old sand dunes, up on to Bombi Moors and has side trails leading to the spectacular sandstone cliffs of Cape Three Points, named by Captain Cook. From the gate, take the trail to your right and when you reach the T-junction, turn left. Soon after this left turn, you will see a trail to your right leading to Bombi Point. This takes you out onto the cliff tops—a great place for lunch, (and whale viewing if the time is right!) with beautiful coastal scenery. Returning to the main track, continue across the moors through a scrub of stunted eucalypts, hakeas, banksias and casuarinas. You will find a colourful understorey of wildflowers, particularly in spring. You then descend through woodland and some remnant rainforest to the service road to Little Beach. It’s a worthwhile detour—Little
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If time is short, simply take the left trail down to Little Beach.
Beach is a small, picturesque rocky bay with toilets, barbecues and grassed picnic areas.
How long will it take? The walk is about 3km return, including the Bombi Point side trail. It should take 1.5-2 hrs. It is an easy walk, although the first part has a series of dips for about 200m and the section of road downhill to Little Beach is eroded so take care. The walk is suitable for average fitness levels but not suited to anyone with mobility problems.
Epacris obtusifolia Blunt Leaf Heath
CLICK TO GO TO MAP
native ora
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Calytrix tetragona
Isopogon anemonifolius
Stylidium graminifolium
Thelymitra ixioides
Fringe Myrtle
Grass Trigger Plant
Yellow Drumstick
Spotted Sun Orchid
The Central Coast is wonderfully diverse in its flora and is recognised as having some of the best wildflower districts in the state. Not only are these beautiful plants to be admired on the numerous bushwalks we have in the area, they can also be splendid choices for your garden. Many of them are surprisingly hardy, particulary suited to our region, and readily available from local nurseries. They also have the added advantage of attracting native wildlife and providing them with food and shelter. The Australian Plants Society, Central Coast, provide invaluable help with native plants and is also a great organisation to join if you are interested in our native landscape and flora, and taking an active role in preserving it. They meet at Phillip House, Old Mount Penang Road, Kariong at 7.30 pm, the second Friday of the month, February to November.
Indigofera australis Austral Indigo
For more information, contact John Andrews on (02) 9985 9073 or at jbandrews@gmail.com.
Our hearty thanks to John Andrews and the Australian Plants Society, Central Coast, for access to their CD (available for purchase) of beautiful plant images and bushwalk details.
Clerodendrum tomentosum Hairy Clerodendrum
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Pultenaea exilis
Burchardia umbellata
Prostanthera linearis
Viminaria juncea
Graceful Pea Bush
Narrow-leaf Mint Bush
Milkmaids
Native Broom
Calochilus paludosus Red Beardie Orchid
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The Entrance Lake House An exciting new addition to the Central Coast food scene.
ADVERTORIAL
One of The Entrance’s last iconic 1900s guesthouses receives a stunning makeover and a new, all-day eatery is born. Pinehurst guesthouse was built in 1903 to accommodate the influx of holidaymakers coming to The Entrance on the new Sydney to Newcastle rail line. More than 100 years on, the tourists continue to flock to this holiday paradise but most of the stately guesthouses are gone. When Maila Reyes and Tony Wilkinson saw the former Pinehurst, it was in a sad,
dilapidated state. But, with its grand air and position directly opposite the waterfront, it was also a dream location for their new business venture. Tony, who grew up on The Entrance, has a long history in hospitality, having owned several pubs in Sydney over the years. Wife Maila has long had a love of food and trained as a chef. After a move back to The Entrance to better service Tony’s company SecurityWorx, the dream of creating the perfect food location resurfaced. They had their eye on the Pinehurst building (which had been a much loved
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Thai restaurant for over 20 years) for two years before the chance to occupy it came up. With a team of talented locals, including The Design Partnership in West Gosford and Loughlin Furniture Design in Berkely Vale, the building is now a superb mix of heritage features (such as high, moulded ceilings, leadlight windows and original floorboards) and new bespoke fixtures. It is now airy and spacious and the perfect location for a specialist coffee house and all-day eatery. The stunning red La Marzocco coffee machine pumps out Lakehouse Roast, a specialist roast provided by RoastWorks Coffee Co. with a smooth, silky taste. There is also a Single Origin roast and a decaf available. For tea lovers there is a delicious range of organic, fair trade, loose leaf teas from specialist companies The Rabbit Hole and Anoint Organic. The new, state-of-art kitchen is under the control of head chef Paul Cookson, previously of Balmain Bug. Paul’s food philosophy is straightforward - simple food, well done. The opening menu features a comprehensive choice of allday breakfasts, with their Eggs Benny and French Toast proving very popular. There are also all-day bites and sharing plates, including Potted Shrimp, Twicecooked Pork Belly and a Pint ‘o’ Prawns.
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The aim is fresh, simple and absolutely delicious, accompanied by a sensational range of wines, beers and other beverages. There is an emphasis on seasonal, organic produce and, where possible, local. Plans are underway to establish a vegetable patch in the back garden to supply the kitchen, and of course, having The Entrance Farmers’ Market so close is a bonus. The Entrance Lake House is initially open for breakfast at 7.00am, with all-day grazing plates available until
4.00pm, seven days a week. From November, hours will extend to midnight, with a regularly changing dinner menu. From the uninterrupted water views and immaculate fitout, to the delicious creations of the kitchen, The Entrance Lake Houses’ emphasis on quality has provided the Coast with a wonderful new, relaxed and modern dining option.
Upstairs you’ll find The Loft with a bar, window seats and tables. And stunning views! There is also an outdoor terrace. These spaces will soon be available for functions and special events.
27 The Entrance Road, On The Entrance Waterfront (02) 4332 5253
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Breeze places
Being present
a gift to yourself
Yoga
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has been practiced for thousands of years and has long held a fascination for westerners. Google the term ‘Yoga’ and you will find a myriad of ‘deep and meaningful’ interpretations of what it means. But speak to the founder and head teacher of the Central Coast School of Yoga at Erina, Peter Mulholland, and you’ll be told that Yoga simply means to “pay attention to the present moment”.
So what does that mean exactly? Think about most things we do in life. Do we really pay attention to what we are doing? Or do we spend most of our lives performing a task while thinking about the past, daydreaming about the future or wishing we were somewhere else?
“It makes no difference if you’re the stiffest person in the room or the most flexible…”
the most flexible; as long as you’re paying attention and listening to your body, you are practicing the art of Yoga. “There are no mirrors in our Yoga studio for a reason. Not being able to look at a reflection of your external self encourages you to connect with your other senses. So you learn to feel and connect with your body and your breath from the inside – something we don’t often do in life these days,” says Peter.
Hatha, Hot and Private Therapy Yoga to suit all ages, fitness levels and abilities…
by Phaedra Pim
Images by Bada Bing Photography
Offering traditional Hatha Yoga and Hot Yoga as well as Private Therapy Classes, Union Yoga (partner yoga) and intensive workshops, there’s something to suit everyone, from all ages and fitness levels, at the Central Coast School of Yoga.
Established in 1991, The Central Coast School of Yoga offers a space where you can connect with that quiet, wise inner voice that is the closest thing to your ‘real self ’ you’ll ever find. It’s also a place that encourages you to pay attention to your body, free from personal judgement and the judgement of others.
Both Hatha and Hot Yoga classes at the school offer gentle practices (Hatha 1 and Hot 1) through to stronger, more dynamic and challenging practices (Hatha 2, Hatha 3 and Hot 2) for more experienced and/or fitter and stronger practitioners. This allows people to work and develop at their own pace.
In other words, it makes no difference if you’re the stiffest person in the room or
Think you can’t get fit from doing Yoga? Think again…
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While many have been drawn to the practice of Yoga for its stretching and relaxation benefits, those who prefer to work harder or even sweat and pump it up in the gym were often unconvinced. The Central Coast School of Yoga’s Level 2 and 3 Hatha and Hot Yoga classes will challenge even the fittest and strongest athlete. Sessions range from dynamic and flowing to those where postures are held for a while to develop stamina and strength. “Because we encourage students to pay attention to their own bodies, they learn to practice to their ability on the day. This makes our stronger practices readily accessible for all students that are generally well, aren’t pregnant and are not carrying any significant injuries,” says Peter. Some of the fitness and cardiovascular benefits of Yoga include:
Burning calories and cellulite,
Detoxifying the skin and improving circulation,
Toning the muscles (the ‘yoga butt’ is not a myth!)
Increasing core strength,
Improving overall cardiovascular fitness,
Balancing the hormonal system,
Energising the entire body.
With as much passion for surfing as he has for the Yoga, Peter has observed an increasing number of other local surfers and athletes taking up the Yoga to improve their strength, balance and flexibility. Peter was first drawn to Yoga himself back in the 1980s to improve his own surfing.
A school, not a gym Being a school as opposed to a gym, the Central Coast School of Yoga’s classes are all aimed at developing the mind as well as the body. The in-depth knowledge and understanding you gain from attending classes at the school enable you to develop a solid understanding of the body and how it works. It’s not uncommon for Peter to pull out one of his many illustrated anatomy and physiology books during class to show students how different parts of the body function. He also explains the physical and mental barriers that can hold us back and how we can take ourselves beyond these barriers in order to achieve more than we ever thought we could - not just in class, but also in all aspects of our lives. Most importantly, classes teach you to develop a connection with your own body, including the ability to instinctively know what you need when. In other words, you are taught the gift of personal, intuitive practice, meaning over time you develop
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the skills and understanding to practice the Yoga anywhere any time on your own. “We teach you to tune into your nurturing energy instead of just pushing harder. This allows you to develop safely and steadily at your own pace in order to reach your best potential - physically, mentally and spiritually,” says Peter.
Yoga for pregnancy Practising Yoga while you are pregnant allows you to explore the wonderful sensations and changes of the body while intuitively connecting with the new life inside you and gently opening and steadying yourself as you prepare for the birth of your child. Level 1 Hatha classes are suitable for mums-to-be and for the first few months after the birth of your child.
Yoga for therapy The Central Coast School of Yoga has a very strong reputation on the Central Coast and beyond for its Private Therapy Yoga sessions. Peter has people come to the school with issues ranging from spinal, knee, hip and shoulder problems to those with conditions like Cerebral Palsy, Parkinson’s Disease, Cancer and mental health issues.
Many people are referred to Peter by their specialists due to his level of knowledge and experience with a number of conditions and, most importantly, for the results he achieves with their patients. Debbie, who has Parkinson’s Disease, has been coming to Peter for a number of years for Private Therapy. sessions. During that time she has shown astouding progress. Debbie’s development in the Yoga is such that she now participates in group Hatha Yoga classes in addition to her private sessions, something she never thought would have been possible a few years ago.
A few surprising benefits Better eating habits Don’t be surprised if you find yourself craving more healthy food options and being less drawn to junk food after a few months of regular practice. Some even say that their metabolism changes. Why does this happen? Put simply, the practice of yoga encourages you to pay more attention to your body and the type and taste of food you put into your mouth. Don’t get me wrong, it won’t turn you into dedicated vegan (unless you want to be of course), but many Yoga practitioners find that junk food becomes more of a treat and less of a habit.
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More confidence and courage From simple, slow and steady improvements to the achievement of things you never thought you’d be able to do like stand on your head, it’s amazing how much more confident and courageous Yoga can make you feel. Best of all, this confidence and courage translates into every aspect of your life because you start to believe in yourself so much more.
Better relationships What do you get when you mix increased self-confidence, a heightened sense of awareness and a stronger, more flexible body and mind? Better relationships with your partner, your children, your friends and your work colleagues. And needless to say, there’s nothing like these ingredients when it comes to the bedroom!
My story I came to Yoga for the first time just over seven years ago. I was 39 at the time and suffering with an autoimmune condition called ulcerative colitis. Like anyone who has an autoimmune condition, you go through periods of feeling well and others (especially at times of stress) when the condition flares up. It was during a particularly bad flare-up that I attended my very first Yoga class at the Central Coast School of Yoga. Suffering from the side effects of the cocktail of
prescribed drugs I was on, I could not even lie still. But somehow I knew I was in the right place. Fast-forward to today and I can honestly say I have never felt better. Although almost 47 now, I feel younger than I did at 39. I now do advanced practices and can do things (like stand on my head) that I never imagined I would ever do. Best of all is the confidence and peace of mind I now have, meaning I can deal with the stresses of life so much better. I’m also doing things outside the Yoga studio that I never dreamed I would have the courage to do – like work for myself and surf on a stand-up paddleboard, despite having had a fear of the ocean since childhood. My story is one of many. People come from far and wide to be taught by Peter and his team. It’s the depth of knowledge, teaching ability and experience that can only be found in a specialised Yoga School that sets them apart from others. Best of all, it’s right here in our own backyards. Why not try them out for yourself…
For more information, head to the website or call Peter on 0414 382 585.
WEBSITE
The Central Coast School of Yoga offers two great value introductory offers for locals that are keen to try them out and kick-start their practice: 10 days unlimited classes for $20 / $15 (concession), or 1 month unlimited classes for $90 / $80 (concession)
Phaedra Pym is a Central Coast journalist, copywriter, mother of three and passionate yoga practitioner.
Breeze shopping
Piccolo Pear Gumtree Lane, East Gosford, NSW (02) 4324 6135
Breeze shopping
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Piccolo Pear
How did Piccolo Pear come about? Nina: Piccolo was born from a desire for somewhere that stocked unusual flowers, vintage wares, and an eclectic mix of homewares and accessories. We had been travelling regularly to Sydney and Newcastle, to varied shops and boutiques, for quirky presents and fresh flowers as we felt that there wasn’t a lot of this on offer on the Coast. Judy: I have had retail stores previously and Nina has a background in design and retail, so we thought that we could possibly offer something fresh and interesting. As for the name, I have a thing for collecting pears and Nina has always loved the word ‘piccolo’ (meaning ‘little’ in Italian) so it just kind of came together!
What is the idea behind the store? Judy: The idea is to have a retail space that incorporates a fully functional florist, vintage wares, together with homewares and accessories. From the outset we have focused on well designed, classic and crafted wares; items with a history and products that are handmade. We source as much as possible from Australia but also have lines from countries such as France and Germany. As our tagline says: “…the new and the found; the handmade and the heartfelt…” Nina: we are both passionate about flowers;
they are so naturally joyous and are a herald of the seasons! I personally love the more unusual types like pods, thistles, herbs, branches and succulents, as well as more traditional flowers. I favour natural looking floral arrangements, with lots of texture and a slightly “undone” style. Tell us about the decision to share an industrial space rather than have a traditional shopfront. And why East Gosford? Nina: We both love the industrial look that you see so much in Melbourne but those sites are so few on the Coast! We both had been going to Ooomph for years for the fantastic organic goodies and great coffee so when the idea of possibly being Ooomph’s sister store was broached, sharing that one industrial space, I think we knew we had found a home for Piccolo Pear. Judy: It just made sense—Andrew and Adam are passionate about local, sustainable products and so are we. It’s such a complementary concept in that each business is unique but we share a space and an aesthetic that I think people are really responding to. And East Gosford has developed into such a unique and vibrant shopping village, it’s easily accessible and has a fantastic feel.
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Does the store reflect your individual decorating styles? Judy: It does in that I love an eclectic blend of old and new in my home. I don’t really follow any one strict style or trend. It is a task that I am happy to say is ever evolving and never complete! Nina: I follow a similar aesthetic approach in that I love one-off unusual things that I have an emotional response and attachment to. If I don’t absolutely love something it doesn’t make it past the front door and I find if you surround yourself with beautiful things that remind you of people, places, and times, it will always work. What are your favourite things instore right now, and why? Judy: I’m loving the spring flowers right now. There are so many beautiful and fragrant blooms. I can’t get enough of the ranunculus! Another personal weakness are the French vintage breadboards. They come in circular and rectangular shapes and have such an amazingly aged patina that looks superb piled with cheeses, breads and fruit for when you have visitors. Nina: We have a fantastic range of Melbourne designed and made ceramic bowls and resin jewellery that are new instore. They are in such bright juicy colours that just looking at them makes me feel happy. I’m also devoted to the range of hand rolled olive oil soaps we have. They lather beautifully, are kind to sensitive skin and are scented with a blend of essential oils.
What is your favourite place on the Central Coast in spring/summer? Judy: A special place I love to visit is Patonga. I enjoy the art gallery there and the bushland walk between Patonga and Pearl Beach. In the springtime the bush is full of spectacular wildflowers. Nina: I love the fact that the Coast offers so many different environments within such easy distance from each other. Spring always makes me want to get out in the sunshine so I love bushwalking around Killcare, swimming (okay, wading) at Avoca and running the track along Brisbane Water between Point Clare and Woy Woy.
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myrtle & moss handcream $21.00, shea butter soap $12.50, hand & body wash $24.00
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Paper straws $3.00 per bundle
Handmade organic-shaped ceramic bowls $10.00 (small) $34.00 (medium)
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Have You Met Miss Jones small porcelain bowls $24.00 each
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Sydney Hale & Co. Candles, various scents $49.00
dearmingus silkscreened zip purses.Organic cotton water-based ink $24.00 (small) $29.00 (large)
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Zen Moments soy wax candles, various scents $24.00
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t tt tt t t tt t t Retro metal spinning top $39.00
Pears $21.00 (small) $44.00 (large)
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Kinto “Fika Cafe� cup and saucer $34.00
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Natural bristle vegetable brush $9.00 Goat and horse hair dual dusting brush $34.00 Natural bristle pot scrub$6.00 All made in Germany
Ask Alice parcel packing kit $39.00
Felted wool ball trivet $18.00 each
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t tt tt t t tt Creamore Mill Twine Spool with scissors $29.00. Seed envelopes 50c each
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Wooden-handled secateurs $29.00
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William Thomas Home match jar with strike on back $14.00
Copper and oxidised stainless steel spoons $10.00 each. Copper spoon rest $6.00
t t t tt tt Assorted seed gift tags $5.00 each
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Vintage French small terracotta pots $14.00 for 3
Hand rolled EVO soaps various scents $9.00 each. handmade goat’s milk and olive oil soap $10.00
Cyclamen, from a range of potted plants
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Cut flowers with Piccolo Pear
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As soon as you can after purchase, place flower stems in water and cut each stem at a sharp angle 2-5cm from the cut end. This can help the stems draw up water and keep your spring blooms looking fresher longer. Fleshystemmed flowers benefit most, like these Ranunculas. It isn’t as important for woodystemmed flowers such as Sweet Peas.
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Unopened buds such as these Tulips are great to buy ahead of an event. When you are ready for them to open, add some food to the vase the night before. This will give the blooms a boost and encourage them to open. Here is a simple recipe using easily found ingredients.
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Strip the flower stems of all foliage that will be below the water of the vase. Foliage in water rots, causing the water to discolour and your flowers to deteriorate quicker. It also smells!
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Only put a small amount of water in your vase and top it up regularly. This ensures that your flowers always have fresh water rather than standing in stale water.
3 cups of water 1 tbsp castor sugar 1 tsp white vinegar 1 crushed aspirin (makes enough to fill one large vase or two smaller ones)
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French
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Did you make it to the French Country Market this year? This delightful market is definitely one of the heralds of spring on the Coast. Held in early September at Beach Farm, Kincumber (see our feature on this beautiful home in Issue 1) it features a wonderful selection of stall holders, many with a French or vintage twist. There is also delicious fresh food, including cheeses, baguettes and boutique wines, and fresh flowers. This year saw many of our favourite locals have stalls including Piccolo Pear, Ooomph CafĂŠ, Oscar & Lulu, Asukar Patisserie, Vintage Garden Pure Blends, Abode and Pear House. Just to name a few! We have heard whispers that the market might be held more than once a year. We can only cross our fingers.
WEBSITE
Country Market
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Oscar & Lulu luxury dog beds Oscar & Lulu believe that dog beds should not only provide optimal comfort for you four-legged friends, but also complement your home’s interior. They are a stunning addition to your decor. Oscar & Lulu’s luxurious dog beds are made from hand-picked fabrics from around the world. Their exquisite ranges are designed and made in Australia from the best quality materials, making them durable and longer lasting.
Doesn’t your best friend deserve the best?
WEBSITE
YOUR
Pet P hotos Sharon Stokes is a super talented Central Coast-based photographer. Her knack for photographing pets grew from her lifelong love of animals. After years of capturing “fur babies”, Sharon is adding human babies to the mix too and photgrpahing children so her business Pawprint Images has had name and logo to reflect this change - Sharon Stokes Photography. “I strongly believe every loving owner of a furry best friend and every parent deserves to have their memories captured. I love working with my clients to achieve this. We play, we laugh, we smile. We do whatever it takes to capture your memories. For the animals and for the children it is about letting them relax, be themselves and maybe play out one of their fantasies for a bit.” Take a look through some of Sharon’s stunning images on her website.
WEBSITE
It’s time to announce the winner of our pet photo competition...
Thanks to everyone who sent a photo in - your pets are adorable! And a special thank you to our competition judge, Sharon Stokes of Sharon Stokes Photography, formerly Pawprints Photography. Our winner’s prize is a luxurious, medium sized Wallace bed from Oscar & Lulu. Our sincere thanks to Lisa from Oscar & Lulu for her support and for her generous prize.
And so... the winner is...
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WINNER!!
Chester and Henrietta, English Setters, at North Shelley Beach. Wendy Walker Sharon said: “I love the expressions on the dog’s faces and the composition of the shot. And the Instagram treatment works well. Congratulations!”
See the worthy runners-up over the next few pages...
Mowgli the beautiful Hungarian Pulli. Anne-Marie Seve
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Giuseppe the Papillon, in need of his own bed! Jason Baverstock
Puppy, who just loves his coastal lifestyle. Lisa Bedwell
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Marlo, a handsome Collie x Flat Coasted Retriever. Jackie Roberts
Honorable mention as only non-canine entrant!
Larry the cat, looking very cosy. Jacky Culbert
Precious Chihuahua pup. Karmel Baker capturedbykarmel.com
Ollie the gorgeous Golden Retriever launching into Wamberal Lagoon. Melanie McHale www.beachcomberimages.com.au
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Sweet Momo the Shih Tzu and sister Tiffany, a maltese. Shu Shu Zeng
Cathie’s gorgeous Lagotto Romagnolo (Italian Water Dogs) enjoying Terrigal Haven. Cathie Ashurst
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n o s r a e P b o c Ja
In a time when new genres arise more frequently than John Farnham retirement tours, it has become a shameful rarity to find an artist who defies genres and simply takes music back to what it should be.
Central Coast local Jacob Pearson does just that, with haunting vocals and sophisticated song writing well beyond his 21 years. After releasing his debut EP Crumbs of the Rendezvous last year he sold 10,000 copies throughout Australia, the UK and USA. He has also shared the stage with the likes of Ian Moss, Richard Clapton, Diesel, Israel Cannan and Ray Thystlewaite. Now, fresh from the studio, Pearson is back with his new EP Places We Know, set to be launched on Friday, 19th October at Lizotte’s, Kincumber. Breeze caught up with this homegrown virtuoso at The Glass Onion Society, Long Jetty for a chat about growth, passion and experience. Words by Chloe Webb Images by Linda Wales Photography www.lindawalesphotography.com
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Breeze music It’s been roughly a year since the release of your debut EP Crumbs of the Rendezvous. How has its success impacted on your life as an independent artist?
Apart from the obvious financial strains of putting together an independent release, what other hurdles have you faced during the recording process?
I wouldn’t say much has changed. In fact, I’ve never really thought of Crumbs of the Rendezvous as being a “success” so to speak…
The biggest thing is working around everyone’s schedule; I suppose if I had it my way nobody else involved would be allowed to have a life outside the project. [laughs]
Sometimes, I look back on it and wonder what I was thinking! [Laughs] I was quite proud of it at the time, but in saying that… The amount I have learnt since then and taken from that experience has definitely made me realise a lot about where I want to head. You’ve been busily creating and preparing for yet another EP release titled Places We Know which is set to be released next month. How has the recording process been second time around, now that you have some experience under your belt? This time around I just feel like there is a lot more heart going into it. The debut was fun to make and a totally new experience, but really, there was just no real thought of what would come from it. As opposed to last year, this time around I have been working more closely with my band mates on the songs and that’s given my music a completely new life. Things I could never have come up with on my own, and it’s kind of nice to share the creativeness and continually letting it grow, you know? I guess the main difference between then and now is that I know what I want now. With this new release I just want something people will still be able listen to for many years to come. Something they can, one day, wipe the dust off the cover and still be able to love.”
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It is tough to stay focused on one thing at a time, especially when there are so many things going through your head, things that need to get done. But it’s impossible to do everything all at once, it’s a long process. So, my self-management proves to be somewhat of a challenge. There is an increasing amount of independent artists who call the Central Coast and Newcastle region home. Do you think it’s a good place to be for an independent artist? The Central Coast has been my home my whole life, and I actually think it’s the perfect place to start. It’s such a relaxed place, sometimes a little too relaxed if that makes any sense? [Laughs] I’ve been lucky enough to have the support of Lizotte’s, and that’s great! But unfortunately not every artist is fortunate enough to have that support…. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Brian Lizotte would give every local aspiring musician a go if he could! But he’s a busy man and it’s a busy place. So, I do believe that if there were more venues on The Coast, it would open a lot more doors for aspiring artists. Just having somewhere they can play without being hounded to do AC/DC covers.
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Breeze music I’ve heard you compared to the likes of Luke Pritchard (The Kooks) and Jeff Buckley... That’s two rather varying sounds to be compared to! Who influences you, and how would you define your sound? Influences change all the time, from the music I listen to, what’s happening around me and the people in my life. After almost every gig somebody will ask me who my influences are and I can never really give them a straight answer. It’s the people; the musicians who are making their music their life, and play it in front of huge audiences. Those thoughts alone make me tick. As far as defining my sound, it’s the same again. After almost every gig somebody will tell me who I sound like, but there is no way that I am game enough to compare myself with some of the names they mention. I just like to think what I do and the sound I produce is honest, honest music. Lastly, what can we expect from Places We Know? Expect a journey. Or rather, a small trip that may lure you into my mind for a while, and then lead you on to be lost within your own. It’s lush, it’s honest and it’s earthy… with a twist!”
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BUY CRUMBS OF THE RENDEVOUS ON ITUNES
After success of his debut EP Crumbs of the Rendezvous in 2011, Pearson presents Places We Know, his second EP release, launching at Lizottes on Friday, 19 October 2012. Show tickets are $24.00, with a-lacarte menu available on the night.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Breeze music news Sarah Humphreys released a new album Hello on September 21st. She is currently touring - find information at www.sarahhumphreys.com Local pop/folk duo Microwave Jenny are touring. For dates go to www.microwavejenny.com Josh Pyke has announced a gig at Lizottes on October 11th. Rumour says you can catch him early next year if you miss out this time! Local country/folk musician Melody Pool is off to Nashville in November to record her debut album. Gentlemen of the Road stopovers, worldwide one-day camping festivals held at handpicked rural areas with killer international and homegrown acts. This year within Australia they have picked Dungog on October 20th, bringing with them Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, HUSKY, Matt Corby, Sarah Blasko and more. www.gentlemenoftheroad.com/dungog
CLICK BELOW TO FOLLOW JACOB
Israel Cannan has dropped the first single from the new release Heart Of Mine with an incredibly adorable clip to go with it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=B33BCkhmhsc He’s back playing locally in December. Locals Taylor and the Makers have been recording a new EP and will soon announce its launch.
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Breeze recipes A good home-made pie
doesn’t really have a season; they’re welcome all year round. Don't be tempted to pack away the pie dish because the weather has turned warmer. With lighter fillings and a side salad, pies can be just as scrumptious now as they are through winter. But what is it about pies that has people quaking at the knees and heading straight for the frozen aisle at the supermarket? Pastry is one thing that attracts a lot of unnecessary hype, but it’s easy. And when you realise how easy it is, you’ll wonder why anyone would pay good money for the commercial brands in the shops. Instead of reading flour, butter, water and salt, most shop-bought pastry is a mixture of hydrogenated fats and a whole host of additives. I haven’t rubbed flour and butter through my fingertips for years. I use a food processor. And it’s still beautiful pastry. Not only does it eliminate that dreaded fat-rubbing stage, but it makes the whole process so much quicker – you can easily knock up a quick pie after work. In fact, it takes me longer to make a cup of tea than it does to whizz some flour and butter to a silky dough with a dash of water and pop it in the fridge to rest.
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Tips for making pies
Shortcrust pastry: remember to add the water gradually. If the dough comes together nicely before you’ve added in all the liquid specified in the recipe, don’t be tempted to pour it all in – flours vary in the amount of water they absorb. Also, give your work surface and rolling pin a good dusting of flour to avoid the pastry sticking. Puff and filo: both require a certain degree of skill to make well. There are good quality all-butter pastries now available to buy in specialist food shops. Freezing: pastry lives very well in the freezer, so it’s worth making more – you just take it out to thaw for when you fancy one of those effortless meals. Filling: Once you have the pastry sorted, your thoughts can turn to making a well-flavoured filling. Try mature cheddar and onion with chopped parsley; zucchini and ricotta; sausage, ham and garlic; steak and ale; apple and blackberry – the combination of ingredients is endless. Don't forget, not all pies need pastry. Think handsome shepherd’s pie with pillowy mashed potato or a decadent banoffee pie with whipped cream and sliced banana.
Pies
by Vanessa Teklenburg
Photography by Graeme Teklenburg
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Chicken, mushroom and tarragon pie --Serves 4-6
FOR THE PASTRY: 240g plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting pinch of salt 120g cold butter, diced 3-4 tbsp iced water 1 egg, lightly beaten FOR THE WHITE SAUCE: 500ml full-fat milk 1 bay leaf a few tarragon sprigs a few black peppercorns 1/2 onion 50g unsalted butter 45g plain flour salt and freshly ground black pepper FOR THE FILLING: 2 tbsp olive oil 125g Swiss Brown mushrooms, thickly sliced 1 tbsp chopped tarragon 300g cooked cold chicken, roughly shredded
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DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD
Method
1. Make the pastry. Blend the flour, salt and butter in a food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs. Slowly pour the water, bit by bit, into the processor with the motor running until the dough starts to come together – you may need a little more water. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 2. Meanwhile, for the sauce, place the milk in a saucepan and add the bay leaf, tarragon sprigs, peppercorns and onion. Heat over a low heat until it comes to simmering point. Remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the milk into a jug. Discard the aromatics. 3. Melt the butter over gentle heat and stir in the flour. Beat the mixture to a smooth paste and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring, without letting it colour. Add a third of the infused milk and stir until it comes to the boil and thickens. Add the remaining milk in two batches, stirring all the while, until you have a thick, glossy white sauce. Season well. 4. For the filling, heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the mushrooms for 2-3 minutes until they just begin to soften. Remove from the heat and stir in the tarragon and shredded chicken. Fold the mixture into the white sauce and taste for seasoning.
Breeze
recipes
5. Roll out the pastry discs fairly thinly on a floured board and use one circle to line a 23-24cm pie dish. Trim the edges, then tip the filling into the pie dish. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg. Lift the remaining pastry onto the pie dish and trim any overhang. Crimp the edges together, then use the trimmings to decorate the pie (or make jam tarts!), using beaten egg as glue, and cut a few slashes in the top to let steam escape. Brush all over with beaten egg, place on a preheated baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
NOTES Leftover Sunday roast
chicken is perfect for this recipe. A combination of dark and white meat is best. No leftovers? Cook the raw chicken first in the milk along with the aromatics, and use the milk in the same way. For a lighter pie you can use half chicken stock, half milk to make the sauce. Don't scrimp on pastry though – this needs to be a doublecrust pie. Try Margin's Mushrooms at the Avoca and Mangrove Mountain Markets for fresh Swiss Browns. www.marginsmushrooms.com.au
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Breeze
recipes
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Fish pie --Serves 6
300g white fish fillet 300g salmon fillet 500ml full-fat milk 2 bay leaves a few parsley stalks (use the leaves for the sauce) freshly ground black pepper 300g cooked prawns, peeled and deveined FOR THE POTATO TOPPING: 1kg floury potatoes, peeled and halved salt 50g butter 50ml full-fat milk, warmed small handful of grated cheese FOR THE WHITE SAUCE: 50g unsalted butter 45g plain flour 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Method
1. Put the fish fillets in a wide pan and pour over the milk. Tuck in the bay leaves and parsley stalks, season with pepper and heat gently over a low heat until it barely simmers. Poach for 4-5 minutes until the fish is cooked through – the flakes should no longer
look opaque. Remove the fish to a plate, strain the milk into a jug and discard the flavourings. 2. When the fish is cool enough to handle, flake it into large chunks, picking out any bones in the fillets. Discard the skin. 3. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Now, put the potatoes on to boil: cook them in a pan of salted water for 20-25 minutes until a knife pierces through easily. Mash with the butter and warmed milk. Taste for seasoning. 4. Meanwhile, for the sauce, Melt the butter over gentle heat and stir in the flour. Beat the mixture to a smooth paste and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring, without letting it colour. Add a third of the reserved milk to the pan and stir until it comes to the boil and thickens. Add the remaining milk in two batches, stirring all the while, until you have a thick, glossy sauce. Stir in the parsley and taste for seasoning. 5. Gently fold in the chunks of fish, together with the prawns, and pile into a buttered ovenproof dish. Cover with the mashed potato and grated cheese and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until deliciously crusty. Serve with a mound of hot peas. DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD
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Spiced apple turnovers --Makes 4
375g all-butter pre-rolled puff pastry 1 egg, beaten FOR THE FILLING: 4 apples, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks 4 tbsp sugar 3 tbsp sultanas or currants (or a mixture) 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp mixed spice
NOTES These are delicious:
individual little pies that you can whip up in less than half an hour. They call for hot eggy custard, but if you’re feeling lazy, a thick dusting of icing sugar will do just nicely.
Method
1. To make the filling put the apple chunks in a pan with the sugar and dried fruit. Add 3 tablespoons of water and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften. Add the spices and cook for 2-3 minutes – add a little more water if needed – until the apples are pulpy. Leave to cool. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 2. Divide the pastry into 4 pieces and roll out quite thinly to roughly 12-15cm in diameter. Brush the edges with beaten egg, then divide the apple between the pastries. Fold the dough over the filling, and seal the edges. 3. Transfer the pastries to baking sheets lined with baking paper, brush carefully with more beaten egg and cut a steam hole in each. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm, with fresh custard if you like.
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recipes
Breeze recipes
Spring recipes Spring is well and truly here and it’s time for lighter meals and fresh flavours with zing. Punchy salads, small bites easily eaten in the garden and fruit desserts always prove popular this time of year. Here’s one of each. by Vanessa Teklenburg
Photography by Graeme Teklenburg
Fennel, grapefruit and watercress salad --Serves 4
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, reserving the fronds 2 large grapefruit, peel and pith sliced off, then cut into segments handful of watercress FOR THE DRESSING: 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp sherry vinegar salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Method
1. Slice the fennel finely with a sharp knife, or if you have a mandolin you can shave the fennel carefully. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and season to taste. 2. Put the grapefruit segments into a large bowl together with the fennel, any feathery fronds and the watercress. Toss with the dressing and serve.
NOTES Citrus fruit and
watercress are superb together, whether it be an orange and walnut salad to accompany some roast duck, or a creamy feta and lime combination. Here, it’s the assertive pep of grapefruit and fennel that watercress likes so much – even nicer with a mixture of pale - and pinkfleshed grapefruit. Pair it with some country bread and you have a lovely light lunch. Using sherry vinegar makes a much more imaginative and exciting dressing. You can buy it in specialist food shops or online.
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Rosemary and lemon chicken skewers ---
Makes 10-12 skewers 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 small red onions FOR THE MARINADE: 8 tbsp olive oil zest and juice of 1 lemon 2 tbsp chopped rosemary leaves 1 large garlic clove, crushed salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks. Cut the onion in half, then cut into quarters and separate the layers. 2. Mix together the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, chopped rosemary and garlic, together with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Add the chicken and onion to the marinade and mix together. Leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. 3. Preheat the grill or barbecue. Thread the chicken and onion onto each skewer. Cook the skewers for a few minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
NOTES If you have a healthy
rosemary bush in the garden, cut off 20 woody branches and use these as your skewers – they’ll look pretty and add flavour as they cook. Strip some of the leaves to leave a clean skewer at one end and an attractive green tuft at the other. Otherwise, use metal or wooden skewers, though the latter will need soaking in water for half an hour or so beforehand to stop them burning.
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Rhubarb jelly --Serves 4-6
1kg rhubarb, trimmed, chopped into 3-5cm pieces 350g caster sugar juice of 1 orange 3 titanium-strength gelatine leaves
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NOTES Fresh organic rhubarb
is readily available now. Try Delightfully Fresh Organics stall at the Avoca and Entrance markets, Ooomph Cafe and Food Store at East Gosford or you local food co-op. Rhubarb, when poached like this in a sugar syrup, makes superb homemade jelly and sorbet. The leftover pulp can be rippled through whipped double cream or served with yogurt or custard for another dessert. For a pure-tasting jelly that sets clear, it’s always best to use leaf gelatine rather than the powdered variety. Gelatine leaves come in different strengths; I used titaniumstrength leaves here (from a specialist food shop). You’ll need roughly one titanium-strength leaf for every 250ml of liquid you’re setting. I ended up with around 600ml of liquid, so I used three leaves.
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Arrange the rhubarb in a large ovenproof dish, sprinkle with the sugar and pour over the orange juice together with 500ml of water. Bake for 40 minutes, then leave to cool slightly. 2. Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of water until softened - around 5 minutes. Strain the rhubarb syrup into a jug, reserving the pulp (you don’t need it for this recipe, but freeze it and serve it another time). Pour a little of the syrup into a pan and heat very gently. Squeeze out the gelatine leaves and stir into the syrup until dissolved, but do not let it boil. Pour this mixture back into the jug, then pour the whole lot into a jelly mould or individual bowls. Leave to cool before chilling in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight to set. 3. Dip the mould or bowls briefly in hot water, then turn out onto plates and serve.
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Breeze restaurant
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Reef Terrigal restaurant by Vanessa Teklenburg
Photography by Graeme Teklenburg
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Everything about Reef is impeccably presented – from the crisp white linen and gleaming glassware to the elegant dishes and wonderfully attentive waitstaff. Add to this an exceptional setting and you have something very special. There’s no doubt about it, the view over Terrigal Haven sweeping around Terrigal and Wamberal beaches makes this a real crowd-pleaser. If it’s chilly, you look out onto the water through enormous windows; when it’s warm, everything slides back and the fresh sea air floods in, making it feel as though your table is perched right by the water’s edge. A plate of toasted ciabatta and marinated olives makes an excellent start, paired with a glass of house sparkling – a particularly impressive pinot chardonnay from the Victorian Alps. Most of the wine here comes from small boutique wineries, and if the house wine is anything to go by, there are some delicious drops to be had from Australian – and a few French – producers.
Right: Toasted ciabatta and marinated olives.
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Unsurprisingly, seafood is a feature on head-chef Paul Bouwhuis’ menu. Starters show off local oysters from Brisbane Water plus scallops and a mediterranean mix of seafood. But there are many other options – also on the spring menu for entrée is a confit of pork belly, saffron chicken rotollo, duck pâté and ricotta gnocchi. We chose delicious plump scallops with a delicate pear and celeriac purée and an imaginative carpaccio of venison with silky bursts of flavour from little beetroot jellies. Choosing mains was difficult, given the choice, but the fillet of barramundi was incredibly good and comes with perfectly crisp skin together with a poached marron (freshwater crayfish) and tender asparagus spears. The rack of lamb sat beautifully moist and rose pink alongside a sweet potato and feta galette.
Right: Seared scallops with pear and celeriac purée. Left: The wine list features some delicious drops from smaller boutique wineries in Australia and from abroad, including an impressive house sparkling. Overleaf: Carpaccio of venison with beetroot jellies.
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With a hot chocolate fondant and a passionfruit tart on the menu, chances are you’ll find it hard to pick a dessert, so take it from me: finish with the coconut crème caramel. Intensely creamy and with just the right amount of wobble, this dessert is an absolute treat. The strawberry soufflé on the day served with white chocolate ice cream is apparently worth the 20-minute wait to prepare it, but for something light, the vanilla pannacotta with watermelon granita is a good way to round off the meal. It was only a couple of months ago when diners grabbed the binoculars on their window tables and caught sight of a mother humpback whale and her calf. It might be a little late in the year for whale-watching, but it’s still quite the spectacle by day, especially when the point break is at its finest and the experienced surfers have hit the water. Point break or not, there’s every reason to pace yourself. It’s hard to rush when you can relax this splendidly. Visit by night and you can watch the sunset over dinner, then sit by the fire with a coffee before ambling outside and getting your feet wet.
Preceding page: Crispy skin barramundi with poached marron tail, petits pois, caramelised pancetta nd pea puree. Left: Rack of lamb with sweet potato and feta galette, parsnip puree and chickpea, mint and preserved lemon salad. Right: Vanilla pannacotta with strawberry jelly, poached rhubarb and watermelon granita.
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SPRING MENU
The multi award-winning team at Reef Restaurant are committed to supporting local producers and sustainable farming practices while bringing you the highest quality seasonal produce. They even have a product traceability program to ensure they know the origin of key ingredients. Reef Restaurant is located at The Haven Terrigal, and open for lunch Tuesday to Sunday from midday, and for dinner Tuesday to Saturday from 6.00pm. To make a booking call (02) 4385 3222 or email info@reefrestaurant.com.au
Book now for Reef Restaurant’s Melbourne Cup lunch. A delicious three-course lunch for $95. CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION
Left: Coconut crème caramel with caramelised banana and macadamia crumble.
WEBSITE
Vanessa Teklenburg. is a Central Coast-based food and travel writer. Visit Vanessa’s blog for more recipes and stories and follow her on Facebook.
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Spring Gardening
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Spring is the perfect time to rejuvenate an existing vegie garden or start a new one. Adam McCall and David Braunstein from Adam’s Garden give us some advice for this busiest time in the garden.
Spring is one of the busiest times of the year in the vegie garden and the perfect time for planting a whole range of vegetables, including summer salad favourites. It’s also a great time to start a new vegie patch.
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Towards the end of winter we started to turn our attention to growing things in our gardens again. While we had planted garlic, onions and a few braccias over winter, many other vegetable and edible plants go through their most dramatic growth phases in spring, and it is time to plant out a lot of summer crops now that the cold weather is definitely waning.
Spring in the vegie patch...
Spring is also the perfect time to get new beds going. If you’re thinking about starting a new vegie patch, there are a few things to think about, such as the amount of sunlight your plants are going to get, the size of the garden, initial budget and your ability to water and maintain the garden, particularly during the summer months. You should also decide if you are planting a vegie patch primarily for fun, education for the kids, or to try and source a significant portion of your weekly vegetables organically, in which case you may like to focus on high cost vegetables. Firstly, decide how much of your garden you want to turn into a vegie patch. You should also be mindful that if the vegie patch is going to be there for a long time, you will want to keep it away from tree roots as much as possible. If you really don’t have the room, or live in an apartment, you can always grow some plants in pots and tubs on a balcony if it receives sufficient sunlight.
Warm crops Plants where most of what you eat is above the soil, such as fruiting and flowering crops - tomatoes, cucumbers and more - are generally crops for spring and summer, with root crops generally doing better in cooler months. Leaf crops are the exception with many growing all year round.
Once you have your area selected, you will need to establish the soil in the beds. If digging is not your forte, then you can also lay newspaper or old carpet matting down over the grass which will eventually kill the grass making it much easier to dig over. Another alternative is to build layers of soil, mulch and newspapers to create a ‘no-dig’ garden.
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Yacon One thing we will defintely be planting later this season is Yacon. We’ve been growing it for the last couple of years and it has become one of our favourite winter treats. It is an attractive herbaceous perennial, native to South America, that yields a surprisingly large harvest of tubers. The tubers have a crunchy crispness, a cross between water chestnuts and apple. As a member of the sunflower family, it grows up to 2 metres in height with small, daisylike yellow flowers. It produces two types of underground tubers - reddish rhizomes at the base of the stem which are mainly used for propagation, and the larger brown tubers which are eaten. The brown tubers are dried in the sun and then stored. The reddish rhizomes put aside in a dark, dry place as soon as the rhizomes begin to sprout, just like a seed potato. Prepare the soil by loosening well with a fork and working in compost. Plant at a depth of 3 cm and mulch well - the yacon will grow up through the mulch, just like potatoes.
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The plant takes 6-7 months to reach maturity. After flowering, the growth withers and dies back and the tubers are ready for harvesting. They resemble sweet potatoes, on average weigh about 300 g but can weigh up to 2 kg. The tubers continue to sweeten as the plant dies back so the main harvest should only take place once all the top growth is dead, usually by June.
Just starting out? Find out how to establish a no-dig garden with just a click!
CLICK HERE!
Choose your vegetables wisely Certain vegetables prefer certain conditions; beans, cabbages, lettuce, carrots, zucchini and pumpkin all like alkaline soil, while potatoes and tomatoes prefer it on the acidic side. If the soil is too acidic, then add some dolomite or lime, and if it’s too alkaline, then leaf mulch and manure work well. A vital part of preparing a vegetable garden is, of course, your choice of vegies. If you’re buying vegetables as seeds or seedlings, it’s best to follow the instructions that come with the plants they will tell you which conditions best suit your vegetables. And as spring progresses you will have a lovely garden and a crop of fresh vegetables for your dinner table!
Keep an eye on the weather We have had some fairly warm days already through September. The winds that can be typical of that month weren’t so bad this year, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the weather as tender new seedlings can suffer from heat extremely quickly, especially those in pots. A good soak early in the day, and again later in the day if it has been a warm one, usually works best as watering in hot conditions can cause humidity-loving pests to flourish!
Seed saving A great way to get seeds for growing is save some from your crops. Choose a couple of the most robust and healthiest plants, let them flower and the seeds set, collect the seeds and store them for next season. This has the added advantage that each season of vegetables will be more adapted to our conditions. To read more about collecting seeds CLICK HERE
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Mulch Mulch is an important component in helping to retain moisture and prevent evaporation. It also has other benefits such as cutting down on weeds, preventing soil-borne fungal diseases from reaching plants and generally making beds look tidier. Organic mulches, such as lucerne hay, pea straw, mushroom compost and leaf litter, are some of the best as they add nutrients to the soil as they break down. For more informtion on mulch CLICK HERE
Seed Exchange We’ve established a seed exchange at the Garden 2 Plate Cafe, Hardy’s Bay! Seed exchanging used to be common practice and we hope it becomes so again. Your seeds must be from organic plants to ensure seeds breed ‘true’. Bring them along in a brown paper bag with as much information as possible, make your ‘deposit’ and feel free to make a ‘withdrawal’ from what others have left. There are envelopes and pens for your use. And please post on our Facebook page when you make a deposit so that other exchangers can see new offerings!
Based on the Central Coast and also servicing Sydney, Newcastle and Hunter Regions, Adam’s Garden have extensive experience in all forms of landscape design and construction. We also have
expertise with drought resistant native garden designs, NSW coastal plants, permaculture and organic edible gardens, all of which add value to our client’s projects.
Landscape architecture and design Edible gardens and permaculture Organic gardening workshops
135 Scenic Road, Killcare NSW 2257 0411 968 005 follow Adam’s Garden on facebook
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Photography by Lucid Vision 0412 926 600
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Aeolus cove In Greek mythology, Aeolus is the ruler of the winds. Gazing across to Copacabana headlands, and taking in the gentle ocean breezes, you will quickly come to understand why the owners of this stunning property chose to call it Aeolus Cove. You too will feel like an ancient god surveying the impressive surrounds‌ Perched on the headland at Macmasters Beach on the Central Coast, with views spanning across Macmasters Beach and Allegai Bay, the aim of this architect-designed house is crystal clear: sit back, indulge, and take in the breathtaking view. Set on over two acres in an extremely private and unique location, this holiday home offers the ultimate in tranquillity. Managed exclusively by Accom Holidays, Aeolus Cove is tucked away from
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civilization, yet situated just a short drive from the Macmasters Beach waterfront. This piece of paradise is surrounded by Bouddi National Park and bushwalking trails which lead to unspoiled beaches including Little Beach, Pretty Beach, Maitland Bay and Killcare.
The stunning designer swimming pool is 20 metres long, encompassing the ambience and peaceful surrounds on offer.
The house itself has been specially designed to take full advantage of the expansive views. Its large covered entertaining terrace runs the full length of the property, giving guests the opportunity to step out from the living spaces or directly from their bedroom.
The living spaces at Aeolus Cove are designed to take in the stunning ambience. So too do the bedrooms and entertaining spaces.
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The furnishings are a pared back mix of fashionably old and modern with homely touches including a log fireplace and sandstone features. Rustic timber contrasts nicely with the clean, modern lines of the open plan kitchen.
Bright, airy interiors overlooking the lush green surrounds of the Bouddi National Park create a sense of calm and familiarity, which make this location unique and much sought after. Aeolus Cove is centred around the living space with its high lofted ceilings, ultra modern kitchen and glass bi-fold doors which open out to the amazing outlook that catches your eye. The open-plan living space offers a welcome, homely and relaxed feel where colour has been deliberately kept to a bare minimum to ensure it does not detract from ‘the bigger picture’. Clean lines, crisp white walls and tasteful furnishings add to the aura of Aeolus Cove. Aeolus Cove is perfectly located for short drives to the beach and bushwalks to take in the beauty of the natural surrounds – however it is hard to see how anyone can make it past sitting back on the leather armchairs, pouring a glass of wine and enjoying a good book with the amazing backdrop before your very eyes.
Interested in staying at Aeolus Cove? This holiday home is listed exclusively with Accom Holidays, the Holiday and Executive Accommodation Specialists, on the Central Coast. The company manages over 100 stunning holiday properties in a range of desirable locations.
CLICK HERE
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Welcome to our ďŹ rst technology section! A new regular feature, we will be bringing you the latest in technology news, reviews and more.
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How did you come up with the idea for MyMates? It all started when an idea popped into my head late one night. I just wanted to see if there was a way you could be alerted when a friend was nearby with some sort of tune, while your phone remained in your pocket.
Tim Dobner, Director of Dynamite Dzine. MyMates is a new Private Friends Network which works across Apple and Android mobile platforms. Users log-in via their Facebook profile and can instantly connect with their mates using the app. The difference being that it’s about bringing people together in the real world. We caught up with company director Tim Dobner to get the lowdown.
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I thought I’d run it by my best mate, Tim Wootton – who is more likely to tell you that you are completely bonkers than your best mate, right? He loved the idea! We went into partnership there and then and created the company “Dynamite Dzine Pty Ltd”. It was a bit of a personal challenge, but even more so I wanted to see if I could make a difference in people’s lives. We all sit in front of computer screens and televisons so much of the time and so many health problem arise from this. We built MyMates for the sole purpose of bringing people together in the real world, away from cyber space. To actually get you out and active and, ironically, away from technology.
How have you addressed privacy issues with the app? The first thing we looked at was the privacy concern! We saw a lot of apps out there that were regarded as creepy and we wanted to make sure that our app was in the sole control of the user. We have built the app on top of the Facebook social networking platform so we can take advantage of their built-in security. More importantly,
we have added additional security on top of that. The very first time you start the app you are hidden from all other MyMates Users and no one has permission to see where you are. It’s then up to the user to allow MyMates users within your Facebook friend network to see you. Then they can give you permission to see them. Also, when you establish your Mymates friends you can hide yourself temporarily with just the click of a button.
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Breeze technology We were concerned about the bullying issue, so as well as being able to stop others from seeing you, you can revoke a friend from your MyMates list. Should you ‘unfriend’ them on Facebook they will automatically be removed from your MyMates network.
What are the key features of the MyMates app? Essentially it offers real-time locations of your friends on the MAP. It’s not a check-in function like most apps. “Private Friends Network” means PRIVATE! Only for your friends, and you pick and choose who is on there. The ALERTS – friends are alerted when you are nearby and vice versa – bring friends together instantly, and in real life. You can create GROUPS. For example, you’re going out on Friday night and only want to see your drinking buddies – switch your groups to “Friday night mates” and hey presto, up they pop! HIDING yourself – an important meeting with the boss? One click of the button and your hidden. CONTACTING people quickly – click on their picture on the map and it will display their location. You can call, SMS or get directions to them.
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Give us some examples of how the app can be used. There is an unlimited number of ways to use the app and we discover new ways everyday – Mum’s wanting to catch up for coffee, bike and car club members wanting to meet and see where their mates are, courier companies needing to locate their drivers. We are constantly hearing of new ways people have used the app. Here are some of our favourites so far:
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Was at the Grand Prix and it was too noisy to call my friends. So I used MyMates PFN app to find them!
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I twisted my ankle while out jogging :( Luckily the MyMates PFN app alerted me to a friend nearby and they quickly came to my rescue :)
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All my wife’s friends hid on their MyMates PFN app and hid in our kitchen. My wife came home to what she thought was an uneventful night. Then one by one they turned on their visibility. Her phone went nuts with alerts and she realised they were all in the back kitchen - a great way to surprise her!
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The MyMates app is available through iTunes for $1.99. Note that you need a Facebook account to access the MyMates network. Click on the link below to purchase.
Breeze tech news KIDS APPS
PURCHASE
We have 5 copies of MyMates to give away FREE!! CLICK HERE First 5 claims only!
Nighty Night Have trouble getting the kids to sleep? Or simply want to add a bit of routine to bedtime? This app has done wonders for my daughter. It has added a fun ritual to bedtime and helps her off to sleep.
Nighty Night! is the perfect App for a daily go-to-sleep ritual with sweet music and elegant narration. All around the house the lights go out, and even the animals in the barn are tired. But who puts them to bed? Who turns out the lights in their stalls? That is the task for small children aged 1-4. Watching all the animals go to sleep is a lovely way to set the mood for bedtime. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ nighty-night!-hd/id428492588?mt=8
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Breeze tech news KIDS APPS
Hungry Bear A beautifully illustrated and written interactive book by Nick Bland and narrated by Angus Sampson. You can choose to read it yourself or have Angus read it to you. There are many fun interactions with the animals along the way with some hidden treasures to find. http://itunes.apple.com/au/ app/the-very-hungry-bear/ id534433413?mt=8#
Maths Monkey Quest Are you in search of an educational game to sharpen your child’s maths skills and recall? You’ll find the answer with the Maths Monkey’s Quest - an entertaining game produced by the NSW Department of Education and Communities. http://itunes.apple.com/au/ app/maths-monkeys-quest/ id494489169?mt=8
Visitbyroad.com.au is a new travel website all about making the journey as enjoyable as the destination by providing a comprehensive, mapbased travel website that covers the entire country. Visit By Road Chairman, Peter Hale, was formerly Chairman of Central Coast Tourism for 20 years before going on to develop the Ettalong Beach Memorial Club and what is now the Mantra Hotel. Peter then retired to run his own B&B in the Upper Hunter but also worked with the State Government for three years on tourism initiatives within regional NSW. We spoke to Peter about his latest venture – Visit By Road.
How did Visit By Road come about? During my time travelling regional NSW for work I found that existing tourism information sources were not only disjointed but that it was difficult for tourism operators, many of them small, to get into
the marketplace. Now more so than ever, with the demands of social media and the ever-changing marketing landscape. You were also constantly dealing with council or state boundaries that effectively carved up your trip and the pertinent information.
What was the lack in existing tourism websites that you identified? The main problem was that, if you were planning a trip that encompassed more than 200-300kms, you might need to visit up to ten different sites to collect the information on where to stay and what to do and see. And once you had the information there was no way of condensing it – you end
up with a back seat covered in maps and brochures. Also, most sites don’t recognise activities that aren’t commercial so there is a complete lack of free activities such as camping, picnic sites, small museums and so on. Even cafés don’t qualify on most tourism sites.
How does Visit By Road address these shortcomings? It solves all these problems! What might have taken two months to plan can now be done in two hours. You can plan an entire trip, anywhere in the country, and condense the information
Breeze technology down into a personalised itinerary. Obviously collecting the information for the site is quite a task, so we’ve come up with a revenue-sharing model for the business so that someone local is collecting the information for their area. This means it’s relevent and current, and also covers a wider range of categories.
missed otherwise.It saves you reading 100 pages of brochure information to find two things!
How does the site work?
Can you give us an example of when you might use the site?
Basically, it customises your car trip. It’s the combination of leading technology, particularly with the maps, and diverse information. The beauty of it is that it can all be distilled by the user. You go to the site, sign up, input your start and destination points, as well as any along the way that you want to add. You then set this as a route and name the trip. You can then look at each section of the trip in detail to find those things that specifically interest you and make a trip worthwhile – places of interest to visit along the way, side-trips off your main route that you mightn’t have considered, a range of accommodation and dining choices... You really have everything at your fingertips to make it YOUR trip. And of course the website gives you a comprehensive route map, tailored to your journey, and an itinerary of all those things that you quite possibly would have
Also, as you’re travelling, you can set your location to see what special events might be on at that time. Perhaps local markets, music events or exhibitions.
Say you have to attend a wedding in Orange. It’s already costing you money in travel and accommodation, so why not take a little extra time and make it a holiday? It’s a great way to get more value and enjoyment out of the trips you have to make as well as those that are planned holidays.
Why do users have to sign up to the site? The sign-up enables you to print out your maps and itinerary. We’re not trying to collect information or anything from it, it’s purely so that we can identify you as a private user, not a commerical user. Commercial organisations pay to use the site whereas private individuals use it free of charge.
Is the Visit By Road site live and ready to use? Sure is. A lot of the functionality is unique to our site and we are constantly refining it, with a lot of enhancments to come over the next 12-18 months. With any new technology you get bugs and our technology partner is constantly monitoring these and dealing with them. As time passes the Visit By Road experience will become an even richer one.
Can you see Visit By Road eventually becoming a worldwide travel tool? Absolutely! The fact that it does away with borders makes it the ideal international travel planning tool. But Australia has it first!
Planning a trip over the coming summer holidays? Skip all the brochures and make things easier by giving the Visit By Road site a try.
WEBSITE
Breeze travel Editor and artist Jasmine Parker spent five months working at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. She gives us an appetitewhetting glimpse of the city she fell in love with. Jasmine was previously based in Sydney with ties to the Central Coast. Her home is now in London. Words and images by Jasmine Parker
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Saint Petersburg
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Russia is an incredibly enriching travel experience. The culture and history of this vast country are fascinating.but don’t expect the luxuries that former Tzars experienced. There are plenty of place where you can enjoy the spectacle of this past wealth and opulence but, despite having a some extraordinarily rich citizens, the majority of Russians are not well well off at all. It is an enormous country, previously under 70 years of communism. I would advise people to expect the unexpected, but to embrace the peculiarities as part of the adventure of visiting Russia. The reward is classic beauty with a big hint of retro. The city has a worn feel but is so full of character and interesting texture, a bit like beautiful distressed wood.
The famous Mariinsky Theatre, surrounded by powerlines, cranes and parked cars. Expect the unexpected in St. Petersburg - it is a combination of magnificent opulence and earthy grime. A colourful and often exciting mix.
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The State Hermitage is one of the top ten museums in the world and is a huge part of my experience of St Petersburg. Catherine the Great founded the Winter Palace, today painted its distinct green and white, in 1764. It then became home to a succession of Russian Tsars, and it is just one of six buildings along the embankment of the Neva River that make up the State Hermitage Museum complex. It has been open as a public museum since 1852 and houses nearly 3 million items, of which only a small selection are on permanent display. It boasts the largest collection of paintings in the world. The State Hermitage plays a fundamental role in the history of St Petersburg and it is a must-see for any visitor. The collection is so impressive, and the embankment buildings, formerly imperial residences, are grand and ostentatious, it can make for an intense tourist experience. Especially in June and July when there are long queues for tickets. For a more homely grand experience, I would recommend the Menshikov Palace on Vasilyevsky Island, one of the branches of the Hermitage dotted around the city. The Menshikov Palace was the first building made of stone in St Petersburg and home to the Governor General. I remember rooms covered entirely by beautiful and ornate Dutch tiles, the Walnut room with its calming all-wood finish and the soft ticking and chimes of grandfather clocks. It can make for a more leisurely introduction to the opulence of St Petersburg.
the opulent interior of the State Hermitage Museum.
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the State Hermitage isn’t the only fantastic museum or site in St Petersburg. I recommend the Russian Museum, which has a vast collection of Russian artwork including the Greats Repin and Malevich; Dostoyevsky’s house; St Isaac’s Cathedral; and Kunst Kamera – home to Peter the Great’s anthropological and ethnological collection and a clear example of the scientific spirit of the Enlightenment. All are worth a visit. The best time of year to visit St Petersburg would have to be early May, before the city gets very busy, but after the winter ice has thawed and evaporated. You also
get a feel for the longer, lighter nights that culminate in the White Nights of late June, when the sunlight seems to only fade temporarily. The sky is an iridescent deep blue at midnight and slowly starts to lighten again from 1am. There is a sense of euphoria to the White Nights and I remember staying up all night on quite a few occasions. I arrived in St Peterburg, at the beginning of my 5-month stint, in February to a bracing -15° (it got down to -30°), so take a good coat, boots and hat if visiting in the colder months. It was a stunning snowy winter, the Neva was completely frozen over, but this is a city accustomed to such
City panorama with the Peter and Paul Fortress in the centre. The bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, part of the fortress complex, is the tallest in the city centre and a prominent feature of the St Petersburg skyline. In the foreground is the huge expanse of the melting Neva.
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The lavish interior of St. Isaac’s Cathedral. It is the largest Orthodox Cathedral in the city and took 40 years to complete, featuring columns of semi-precious stones such as malachite, stunning mosaics and a lot of marble!
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conditions – the roads were functioning and indoors the heating kept everyone warm and cosy. I remember walking to the Hermitage one morning to draw in the archaeology department and my breath froze on my eyelashes. Cold like I’d never experienced before. A Russian past-time I embraced and loved in winter was bania, or bathhouse. In Communist times, many homes didn’t have a bathroom and people would visit the communal bania to clean. My favourite was on Dostoevskaya Ulitsa, for 550 rubles ($17) you had two hours in three different temperature pools, a sauna and a steam room. It warmed you to the core. I think this was quite expensive for bania, but so worth it. One thing I didn’t expect was the constant brushing and scraping activity on the rooftops. Because many of the buildings are old Russian Baroque style, they have roofs prone to enormous ice build-up and giant icicles that fall and literally can kill a person. My Russian teacher once came in with a broken nose from a falling icicle! There are always people busy on the roofs knocking off ice, so watch out below. I absolutely adored watching the thick river ice slowly changing through the winter months and during the onset of spring. Every day brought different
The Palace Square. This central city square, overlooked by the Hermitage Winter Palace, was the site of Bloody Sunday in 1905 and the October Revolution of 1917
OVERLEAF:
Roofs are regularly scraped of built-up ice, so watch out below!
ABOVE:
Spring on its way. The frozen Neva is solid enough to walk on through winter (not that it is encouraged) but come the warmer weather it takes only a few weeks for the ice to disappear. On the far bank is the Russian Academy of Arts, built in the late 1700s and the training ground of many great Russian artists.
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melting, colours and reflections and I even walked across a part of the icecovered river. But, suddenly within two weeks nearly all of the ice seemed to disappear. A few weeks later though hundreds of ice blocks, moving slowly and steadily like crocodile, flowed through the city, which must have been ice stuck further up the river in bends and turns that had finally come loose. When the summer arrives, the canals and colourful Baroque-style buildings, in their pinks, greens, yellows and oranges are glorious in the sunshine. I would definitely recommend a trip on a boat down the canals. St. Petersburg (‘Piter’ as many affectionately refer to it) is probably more European than anywhere else in Russia – some call it the Venice of the north. I always think that public transport is a good way to get a feel for a city. It also makes travelling in St. Petersburg much cheaper using the bus, metro or tram. For example, the no. 213 bus from the city centre to the airport costs 35 rubles ($1.00), but as a foreigner expect to be charged 2000 rubles ($60) for a taxi. It is 27 rubles ($0.85) for a single journey on the metro. It is a token system – you buy a ‘jeton’ to get anywhere on the underground and you could spend all day travelling and changing lines on that single token, until you want to exit. The
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St Petersburg is the westernmost, and most European, city in Russia, complete with many canals. Here the Hermitage Bridge crosses the Winter Canal.
ABOVE:
RIGHT, TOP: Summer
enhances the jewel-like colours of the city’s baroque-style architecture, especially along the canals where they are particularly impressive.
RIGHT, BOTTOM: Locals
embrace the sunshine and warm weather on The Loft’s rooftop terrace.
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station names are written in English below the Cyrillic script, which makes it less daunting. Be prepared for much of the signage, such as restaurant names, to be in Russian only and discreet. When I lived there, I rented a room in a babushka’s flat (Russian for grandma, but also generic ‘older lady’ terminology). She was called Margarita and I lived with her for 3 months and then in a hostel for 2 months. The hostel I stayed in – which I would always return to – was the Nord Hostel which has two sites, both centrally located: one dorm style is next to the Hermitage and the other has private twin rooms and is a few streets away from Sennaya Ploschid, the major commercial square. The latter feels more like a share-flat.
The Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood, one of St Petersburg’s highlights, is spectacular in the summer sun. It was built on the site of the assassination of Tsar Alexander II. It was started in the 1880s but not completed until 1907.
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My favourite places to eat and drink, and see art in some cases, were Soup and Wine; Tecto; various Georgian restaurants – especially one with a lovely terrace near the cinema Dom Kino; The Loft – which was an old bread factory; Pushkinskaya-10 art centre, Teplo and the Idiot restaurant on the Moika which did excellent pelmeni, or Russian dumplings. Another favourite for a special occasion is Mari Vanna restaurant on Ulitsa Lenina. It is a USSR-style restaurant, homely, and the closest comparison would be an authentic family French restaurant. It is beautifully presented, with charming attention-todetail but in a very relaxed and family-friendly style. I need to dine there again... It is a ring-the-doorbell kind of place, i.e. no signage or open door, and I would advise booking.
Jasmine is an artist and illustrator and found herself inspired by the colour and rusticity of St. Petersburg. These are some of her pastels from her time in the city.
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RIGHT: The
melting ice would throw up wonderful reflections. Ever-changing and such a swift contrast to the solid winter ice and snow.
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I really enjoyed going out to concerts in the Small and Large Philharmonic Halls. The concert prices are kept low, so that low-paid Russians can frequent them. I also saw ballet at the Mariinsky and operas. If you can find a Russian to buy tickets for you, you can avoid foreigners’ fees. And for more lively nights I would head to Lomonosov Ulitsa and environs where there are an abundance of bars and clubs, a favourite was Atelier. I also enjoyed the Gribodoyev club and a South American bar and restaurant called Conchita Bonita.
TOP, LEFT TO RIGHT: Soup
and Wine; the interior of The Loft; the Small Philharmonic Hall. LEFT: The
cosy interior of Pushkinskaya-10 Art Centre, a perfect place for tea or a beer. Illustration of a little cup that always sat on the window ledge in the hall outside the Nord Hostel.
RIGHT:
Of course, what always makes a place are the people. They might not be the smiliest on the street, but with their intense history and those dark, cold winters I can understand this. I found Russians to be the most generous and warm people, with a strong tea culture. I completely fell in love with St Petersburg.
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