COAST Summer 2019/20

SUMMER 2019/20

POPRAN’S EMERALD OASIS GOSFORD REBORN HAPPENINGS, SHOPPING & ENTERTAINMENT HOME STYLE IN MATCHAM

NOW SELLIN G – STAGE 1 LIMITED RELE A SE The Archibald is a first-of-its-kind offering in Gosford, combining luxury residences with a vibrant and dynamic urban precinct.

Spectacular rooftop sky bar, world-class spa and wellness centre, 5-star hotel, restaurants, bars, resort-style pools and gymnasium.

Just over 1 hour to Sydney, 300m to Gosford train station, and 15 minutes to Terrigal and Avoca Beaches.

1 bed $420,000 – $540,000

2 bed $520,000 – $825,000

3 bed $825,000 – $870,000

VISIT THE WEB SITE FO R ACCE S S TO FLO O RPL AN S, DE VELO PER IN CENTIVE S AND M O RE.

Artist impression

THE ARCHIBALD.COM. AU

1300 939 806

DISPL AY SUITE OPEN Reliance Building (Riverside Park) Level 3, 69 Central Coast Highway, West Gosford

The information herewith is intended as a guide only and interested parties should rely on their own enquiries. All computer generated images in this document are artist’s impressions only and the final form of the project could be subject to change. Design by brandandco.com.au

CONTENTS WELCOME 6 HAPPENINGS and WHAT’S ON DISCOVER THE CENTRAL COAST

HEALTH AND WELL BEING 72

Map — Villages and beaches

8

PEOPLE OF THE COAST

Picnic picks on the Central Coast

9

Lisa Gledhill, Snuggle Coats

SUMMER SHOPPING GUIDE

16

MY COAST Ash Pollard

66

78

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT 80 CLASSES AND COURSES 87

20

GREAT OUTDOORS

GOSFORD REBORN 22

Map — National Parks and State Forests 90

ARTISTS OF THE COAST

Popran National Park’s emerald oasis

91

ON THE WATER Marine Rescue, your H.E.L.P. on the water

94

Alyse Faith

24

HOME STYLE Emma Thomson from living it in Byron to loving it in Matcham

32

ECO LIVING Shopping

38

Living green

40

Insulate your windows

42

LUXURY ESCAPES Waterfall Springs Retreat

44

Noonaweena

46

FOOD AND DINING

GARDENS Outside in: A Japanese garden, Bateau Bay

98

DESTINATION WEDDINGS Jade and Alex

104

Lauren and Dennis

109

ONCE UPON A TIME AT The Entrance

114

ARTISANS OF THE COAST Dave Rumsey, the Lisarow Luthier

116

HUNTER VALLEY

Chef profile: Nicola Coccia of Osteria il Coccia

49

Bryan Currie, Hungerford Hill

118

Frederico’s at Point Frederick

55

24 HOURS IN Patonga and Pearl Beach

122

COASTING ALONG with Libby Greig

58

FUN FOR KIDS on the Coast

126

Christmas lights on the Coast

60

Christmas happenings

62 © MERRILLIE REDDEN

CHRISTMAS HAPPENINGS

COAST PUBLISHER Catharine Retter editorial@coastpublishing.com.au ART DIRECTOR Jude Rowe, Agave Creative Group PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHERS Reed Plummer, Central Coast Drones Lisa Haymes Photography Kevin Morgan, Magic Light Photography, Merrillie Redden Photography PRINCIPAL WRITERS Megan Arkinstall • Kim Cole • Brooke Doherty • Libby Greig • Suzy Jarratt • Catharine Retter • Katie Stokes • Sarah Tolmie • Paul Urquhart ILLUSTRATORS Maps: Guy Holt Lauren Merrick ADVERTISING Anissa Vineburg 0408 692 129 Diane Dunlea 0425 279 707 advertising@coastpublishing.com.au

N FI A

FIN AL IST

ST LI

Welcome I

’m very proud to share with you that our one-year-old magazine has been chosen as one of the top three finalists for the Regional Magazine of the Year in the Australian Magazine Awards. This is a national award which means we compete with the best of the best right around Australia. When you think that the regular team behind COAST – the so-talented graphic designer, writers, photographers, advertising, social media, distribution and admin people — live and work here on the Central Coast, it makes me doubly proud of the calibre of people and the creativity in our region.

But wait, there’s more. Craig Parry, who photographed the beautiful sky-hopping whale on the cover of our Winter issue, has been named a finalist for Photographer of the Year. Congratulations Craig!

Thank you, too, to all our returning — and new — advertisers who continue to make it possible for us to provide this magazine to you free of charge.

6

COAST

DIGITAL Jenna Nicholl jenna@coastpublishing.com.au DISTRIBUTION Alex Tkachenko admin@coastpublishing.com.au ADMINISTRATION admin@coastpublishing.com.au COAST is published by Coast Publishing ABN 11 145 976 049 PO Box 6407 Kincumber NSW 2251

All that said, we had an unfair advantage over other magazines in this Award, of course, because we have such a beautiful region to showcase. And it doesn’t look as though we’ll be running out of things to write about any time soon.

In this issue, we recognise the enormous rebirth that Gosford is undergoing and the exciting plans that are at last becoming a reality. In our home style feature we share the casual elegance that’s so much a part of our coastal lifestyle, one that’s never too self-conscious. It can stem from a sense of confidence or a devil-may-care attitude.

It’s certainly a little laid back. It’s Hamptons. It’s country. It’s barefoot or boho. It’s sophisticated or industrial shabby chic. That’s partly what makes the Coast so endearing: it’s whatever makes you feel comfortable. And where you find it, that’s your corner of our Coast. c

Catharine Retter, Publisher

For more ‘What’s On for Kids’ information contact Katie Stokes at www.playinginpuddles.com.au COPYRIGHT AND WARRANTIES The editorial content, photographic content, design and graphic art (including design of any advertisements by Coast Publishing) are all subject to copyright and must not be reproduced in any form without written permission from Coast Publishing.

While we strive to ensure information contained in this magazine is correct and current at the time of printing, details may be subject to change and we recommend contacting venues or event organisers before planning your visit. The information contained in this magazine has been provided by contributors, interviewees and advertisers and their sources.

No warranty is given by Coast Publishing as to the accuracy of this information nor any liability arising from any reliance upon the information contained herein.

FIND US ON Facebook Instagram @coast_publishing www.coastpublishing.com.au View COAST online and subscribe (it’s free) to avoid missing future digital issues at www.coastpublishing.com.au We wish to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Awabal Darkinjung peoples and their Elders past and present. We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship with the land.

ON THE COVER Forresters Beach Photograph: Ilya Genkin genkin.org

THE BON

THE COOL VENUE THIS SUMMER BON BAR | BON BON ESPRESSO | BONFIRE | BON VIN

8

COAST

DISCOVER • Central Coast

PICNIC PICKS on the CENTRAL COAST © KEVIN MORGAN, MAGIC LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

CHOOSE ANY OF THE CENTRAL COAST’S 41 SANDY BEACHES AND YOU’VE PROBABLY FOUND YOURSELF AN IDYLLIC PICNIC SPOT. ADD TO THAT, FORESHORE PARKS AND LEAFY RESERVES WITH THOUGHTFULLY PROVIDED BARBECUE FACILITIES, TOILETS, PLAYGROUNDS AND SOMETIMES BOAT RAMPS, AND YOU REALLY ARE SPOILT FOR CHOICE.

Lower Somersby Falls

WE THOUGHT WE’D ASK SOME FREQUENT-PICNICKERS TO SEE WHAT THE LOCALS LIST AS THEIR FAVOURITES.

Little Beach in Bouddi National Park Little Beach is a beautiful, 50-metre stretch of sand tucked into a cove in the Bouddi National Park along the Coastal Walk. The nearest car access is from Grahame Drive at MacMasters Beach.

Watch out for the signpost to take the (we think, nicer) rainforest track, or drive to the end of the road for the fire trail. The two trails merge at the little wooden bridge. It’s just under a 1 km walk to reach this slightly remote beach. There’s a beautiful grassed area and, surprisingly, picnic tables, barbecue facilities and toilets. There is also a small camping area with six camping spots, but you’ll need to book through National Parks and Wildlife. And it’s BYO drinking water.

In spite of its distance from roads, you’ll find locals making the trek with surfboards to take advantage of the waves, and even young families pushing a pram with big wheels along the rainforest walking track. The sea is great to cool-off in, but it’s a little rocky.

by mature native trees, and has impressive views over Brisbane Water. There are bench seats throughout the park, as well as toilet facilities.

What sets this park apart is that it was once a historic cemetery for the district’s pioneers and there are still scattered stone and marble headstones which make for interesting reading.

Pioneer Park at Point Frederick At the end of Albany Street at Point Frederick you’ll come across a local secret: Pioneer Park. It’s a well-landscaped park, sheltered

Little Beach

9

DISCOVER • Central Coast

The Somersby Falls picnic area, surrounded by luxuriant rainforest, offers two waterfalls, free barbecues and picnic tables, and toilets. You have a number of choices for picnic spots including the shady area near the carpark, or beside Floods Creeks. Watch out for the cheeky brush turkeys who like to share your picnic fare.

There’s a 500-metre round-trip walking track down to the waterfalls (at their splendid best after rainfall but can be down to more of a trickle in summer) and it’s a bit of a climb back.

Along the walking track there are viewing platforms, streams and rockpools, wooden stairs, and at the bottom of the falls you can get up close and even stand under the falls (careful, slippery).

National Parks and Wildlife car parking fees apply unless you park outside the gates of the park.

Girrakool Picnic Area at Somersby in Brisbane Water National Park Girrakool — its name means ‘place of running water’ in the local Aboriginal language — is high on the list of favourites among bushwalkers in the know. There’s a scenic walking track, the Girrakool loop track, that takes you past Aboriginal engravings and waterfalls, and the main picnic area near the carpark is large and grassy. There’s also a bushland picnic area at the far end of the carpark.

For the more serious bushwalkers, after around a six-hour walk from Girrakool along the Great North Walk towards Patonga, we’re told, is a breathtaking oasis with a magnificent swimming hole, palm trees and waterfall.

© LAITH STEVENS

Girrakool

10 COAST

© JUST GOES TO SHOW-ROB

Somersby Falls in Brisbane Water National Park

Somersby Falls

Kincumber Mountain Reserve The road up Kincumber Mountain, reached from the street behind the Kincumber shops, winds through tall trees up to the large clearing at Honeman’s Rock, 200 metres above sea level.

It’s a great location for picnics and barbecues. Only a little further afield are walking tracks, caves, beautiful rock formations, historic Aboriginal carvings and axe-grinding grooves, and one of the largest undisturbed rainforests on the Central Coast. Parking is free and there are toilets at the picnic area.

NOW ON THE CENTRAL COAST

THE NEW LEXUS R X LUXURY THAT REVOLVES AROUND YOU — The pioneer in luxury Hybrid SUVs, the Lexus RX has evolved to revolve around you. World-first Blade Scan headlight technology and the innovative Lexus Safety System +1 make this our safest RX ever. Intuitive handling and easy connectivity with Apple CarPlay® and Android AutoTM2 further deliver an enjoyable driving experience – the kind the whole family can enjoy.

V I S IT LE XU S O F CE NTR A L COA ST TO DAY LEXUS OF CENTRAL COAST | 13 Kangoo Road, Somersby PH 02 4340 3500 | www.lexusofcentralcoast.com.au | MD067075 Overseas model shown. Specifications may vary. 1 Driver assist feature. Only operates under certain conditions. Check your Owner’s Manual for explanation of limitations. Please drive safely. 2 Requires compatible device, USB connection, mobile data, network reception & GPS signal. Mobile usage at user’s cost. Apps subject to change. For details see lexus.com.au/connectivity. CarPlay® is a trademark of Apple, Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries. Android Auto™ is a trademark of Google LLC. Blade Scan headlight technology available on F Sport and Sports Luxury variants only.

© CENTRAL COAST DRONES

DISCOVER • Central Coast

Terrigal Haven

Terrigal Haven, Terrigal

There’s a children’s playground near the Long Jetty wharf opposite Elsiemer Street, and another in the Foreshore Reserve at Long Jetty with picnic tables and some shade. Toilets are 350 m south and 60 m south, respectively.

Here’s one haven that really lives up to its name. Located at the southern end of Terrigal, with the Skillion as its backdrop, it’s a protected beach ideal for children, snorkelling, boating and general swimming. There are barbecues and tables, as well as a walk around the headland or burn off energy up the Skillion to get great views up and down the coastline.

Bateau Bay and Crackneck Lookout in Wyrrabalong National Park The picnic area at the northern end of Bateau Bay, accessed from Reserve Drive, has large shady trees and benches, and is the perfect place to lay out a picnic rug. The beach is right there for a swim or a paddle, and there’s fishing, snorkelling and rockpools.

You can take the short drive through Wyrrabalong National Park to the Crackneck Lookout, or explore the 2 km Coastal Walk either northward to the lookout, or 1.5 km south to Forresters Beach. From the lookout you can watch the whales (in season) or the hang-gliders taking off right beside you when the wind is right.

It can get busy on weekends, particularly in the summer holidays.

The Tuggerah Lake foreshore offers endless scenic picnic spots along the lakeside and throughout its shaded parklands. There are picnic benches, barbecue facilities, playgrounds and a 12 km bicycle and walking path.

12 COAST

© HEDGEY

Tuggerah Lake and Long Jetty Foreshore Reserve

Tuggerah Lake

Luxury homes, corporate retreats, budget escapes, beachfront’s & units.

Thank you

so much for your help.

You made my impossible task of finding & booking our holiday on the Coast so easy! – Vanessa, another happy guest

BOOK NOW 4 3 8 510 0 0 centralcoastholidays.com.au 4/139 Avoca Drive, Avoca Beach

28 Coast Road, North Avoca

123 Del Monte Place, Copacabana

© CENTRAL COAST DRONES

DISCOVER • Central Coast

Bateau Bay and Shelly Beach

Mangrove Creek Dam A 50-minute drive from Gosford, Mangrove Creek Dam, built in 1982, is the region’s major water storage. It’s surrounded by bushland, and has a catchment area of 101 square km harbouring protected animal and plant species, as well as evidence of historic Aboriginal occupation over thousands of years. A day out at the dam can take in picnics, birdwatching, wildlife spotting (including picnic-curious goannas and wallabies) and beautiful scenery. There are picnic tables at scenic lookouts, and plenty of car parking.

Elizabeth Bay Picnic Area in Munmorah State Conservation Area, Wybung Elizabeth Bay on Lake Munmorah is another beautiful picnic spot with a sandy beach and calm waters. There are picnic tables, toilets and a boat ramp. A great spot for swimming and fishing.

You’ll find a few more favourites here: Avoca Beach: Heazlett Park and Ross Park Berkeley Vale: Ewen Howlett Reserve and Blue Bell Park Budgewoi: McKenzie Reserve and John Slade Rotary Park Canton Beach: Canton Beach Road Dooralong: Dooralong Park Ettalong Beach: Waterfront Reserve Gorokan: Wallarah Point Reserve Gosford: Lions Park and Waterfront Norah Head: Jenny Dixon Reserve and Lions Park North Entrance: Peninsula Nature Reserve Patonga: Patonga Beach Camping Area Pearl Beach: Waterfront Reserve Springfield: Rumbalara Reserve

Frazer Park in Munmorah State Conservation Area, near Wybung Frazer is a small, secluded beachside setting known for its surf break and truly wonderful scenery, with Bongon Creek and lagoon at the southern end of the beach. There are picnic tables, barbecue facilities, as well as a campsite 50 metres from the beach (bookings through National Parks and Wildlife) with showers and toilets.

Nearby, at Snapper Point, you’ll also find a blowhole, tidal caves, rockpools, and great diving and fishing — except in rough weather!

14 COAST

Summerland Point: Boat Harbour Reserve Terrigal: Rotary Park, Foreshore Reserve and Terrigal Haven The Entrance: Memorial Park and Picnic Point Toowoon Bay: Swadling Park Toukley: Osborne Park Umina Beach: Lloyd Park and the Reserve Woy Woy: Lions Park, Memorial Park and Braithwaite Park Wyong: Centenary Park

ADVENTURE IS

CALLING

EXPERIENCE A WORLD OF WONDER & WILDLIFE AT THE AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PARK From the moment you arrive at Australian Reptile Park, you will be greeted by a journey that takes you into a magical world of wildlife and adventure.

Hand-feed free-roaming kangaroos in a beautiful bushland setting and admire some of Australia’s most famous native animals including koalas, echidnas, wombats, cassowaries, dingos, quokkas, wallabies and Tasmanian devils.

The Australian Reptile Park is also home to a variety of exotic reptiles from around the world including Komodo dragons, American alligators, and giant Galapagos tortoises. Visitors can also experience the awe-inspiring power of Elvis the saltwater crocodile during weekends and holidays.

FREE PARKING ∙ ON-SITE CAFÉ ∙ PICNIC AREAS ∙ KIDS PLAYGROUND WWW.REPTILEPARK.COM.AU | PACIFIC HWY, SOMERSBY NSW 2250 | PH: 02 4340 1022

SHOPPING • Guide

Summer SHOPPING GUIDE

WORDS MEGAN ARKINSTALL

WE ROUND UP THE COAST’S BEST PLACES TO SHOP THIS SUMMER – FOR FASHION AND ACCESSORIES THAT WILL TAKE YOU FROM THE RESORT TO THE POOL TO THE BEACH.

Cleonie Swimwear, online Designed, cut and made in a sun-drenched studio in North Avoca, Cleonie is a sustainably conscious, made-to-order swimwear collection. The pieces are made from an Italian fabric that is ethically produced from 100 percent regenerated nylon fibres, fishnets and other plastic consumables. But it’s not just about feeling good doing your bit for the Earth, these pieces are also about looking good. The latest collection is adorned with a pastel-hued fruit print by local artist Bonnie Gray and comes in a selection of designs to suit all body shapes.

Online only: cleonie.com

Iland Co, online The idea for Iland Co’s year-round resort wear may have been born on a holiday in Sri Lanka, and its pieces produced in farflung places such as Dubai and Bali, but its owner and designer Jodie Minto is a Central Coast local who designs each piece in her home studio. The collection includes kaftans, beach dresses, maxi skirts and swimsuit cover-ups, but the signature piece is the kimono, which comes in three different lengths and many different beautiful fabrics. A modern fusion between the Middle Eastern abaya and the Japanese kimono, it’s perfect to take you from beach to bar and designed to make you feel like you’re on holiday every day.

Online only: ilandco.com

16 COAST

SHOPPING • Guide

Cinta Collections, East Gosford From colourful kaftans and capes to linen shirts and jumpsuits to relaxed pants, Cinta Collections is the perfect place to purchase some fun summer staples. Designed by two lifelong friends, Cinta Collections is a label for ‘real women’ who enjoy fashion, quality fabrics, and feeling comfortable in what they wear. Specialising in sizes 12 and up, Mel and Lisa design and manufacture most of the unique range in their East Gosford studio, in beautiful fabrics that are sourced from around the globe.

8 Henry Parry Drive, East Gosford cintacollections.com.au

Togs N Tans, The Entrance Located in the heart of The Entrance, this summer-lovin’ store has been a local favourite since 1998 and stocks everything you need for days by the sea. You’ll find a number of swimwear labels such as Baku, Jets Australia and Seafolly, in sizes ranging from 8 to 28, as well as a specialised range for post-mastectomy, and chlorine resistant swimwear. There are also summer accessories, such as beach totes, towels, hats, kaftans, kimonos and summer fashion, while kids are covered with cossies and boardshorts, cute goggles, floaties and swimming caps to make learning to swim fun.

165 The Entrance Rd, The Entrance togsntans.com.au

La Boheme, Terrigal Give your winter wardrobe the flick for romantic, flowy pieces from La Boheme that will take you from hot summer days at the beach to balmy nights, cocktail in hand. The luxe store is at its most beautiful in summer; its wide doors are kept open and people drop in after the beach, complete with sandy toes and salty hair. La Boheme’s summer collection is all about relaxed styles, pastel colours and exotic prints from premium brands including La Boheme Girls, Free People, Bec & Bridge and Kinga Csilla. It’s also the only store on the Coast where you can buy pieces from Spell & The Gypsy Collective and luxe active wear brand PE Nation, so you can keep fit while looking stylish over summer.

1/271 Scenic Hwy, Terrigal Laboheme.shop

17

SHOPPING • Guide

Lucky Surf Supply Lucky Surf Supply

Surf shops If you’re after a new board, cossies, a rashie or wetsuit, you are covered in just about every suburb on the Coast! We couldn’t pick just one favourite surf shop, so we’ve rounded up some of the best. In Erina, Alpine Beach has been an authority on all things snow and surf since 2005 with their large modern store a go-to for boarders in both seasons. Terrigal’s Ocean Haus is a fresh-look surf shop and café in one, where you can check out the surfing wares with a coffee in hand. Lucky Surf Supply at Long Jetty has a similar concept with a small coffee bar in-store, with the added bonus of Grant Molony’s epic art gallery out the back. Adrift Surf at The Entrance is a quirky mix of quality surf gear and vintage surfing memorabilia.

Alpine Beach, 177 The Entrance Rd, Erina Ocean Haus, Shop 1/5-9 Campbell Crescent, Terrigal Lucky Surf Supply, 3/417 The Entrance Rd, Long Jetty Adrift Surf, 133 The Entrance Rd, The Entrance Alpine Beach

Alpine Beach

Ocean Haus

18 COAST

THREE DONKEYS HOME, Wamberal ‘Three Donkeys Home in Wamberal is a collection of all the things I love,’ says owner, Joanne Mussalli. ‘All the pieces in the store are classic and timeless and I like to specialise in brands that you'll not find anywhere else on the Coast.’

Wander in to find timeless linen pieces perfect for cool summer days, including Meg by Design, Frockk, Kelsey Collective, Chapel & Co and Eadie Lifestyle.

Joanne also sources unique collections of furniture from personal road trips.

‘All the beautiful pieces I find and collect are pieces that bring warmth and comfort to an individual or to a home,’ she says.

She also collaborates with local artists to create handmade pieces, and stocks a wonderful range of homemade soaps and beauty products.

And, to celebrate the first anniversary for Three Donkeys Home, there will be Christmas wreath workshops in store, plus a shopping night. Call in to find out more.

Three Donkeys Home 1/2 Ghersi Ave Wamberal facebook.com/threedonkeyshome

Wamberal locals Roy, Jo and their Three Donkeys, Sienna, Hunter and Elijah are very proud to own and operate Three Donkeys Wholefood Café & Three Donkeys Home. Offering a lifestyle of eating well, living well and feeling well.

Wholefood Café

Home

Our menu caters to dietary requirements, specialising in gluten, dairy and refined sugar free options. Enjoy a Turmeric, Charcoal and Beetroot latte or get a stellar drop of coffee on any one of our range of milks.

The Home shop offers a unique range of décor, fashion, furniture and flowers, not seen elsewhere on the coast.

We are passionate about providing every customer a warm and welcoming experience.

WHOLEFOOD C A F É Open 7 days from 7am 15/6 Ghersi Ave Wamberal NSW 2260 I 02 4339 8052

H O M E Open 7 days from 10am 1/2 Ghersi Ave Wamberal NSW 2260 I 02 4309 5440

19

MY COAST •Ash Pollard

ASH POLLARD, MKR ‘STAR’, DANCING WITH THE STARS FINALIST, GET ME OUT OF HERE CELEBRITY, COOKBOOK AUTHOR, TEN’S FOODIETRAVELLER, TOP RATING BREAKFAST RADIO ANNOUNCER.

20 COAST

MY COAST •Ash Pollard

A

t first glance that says it all. What more can there be to know about Ash Pollard the popular breakfast announcer on HIT 101.3? But wait, there’s much more. How did this enthusiastic cook (with her cook/lawyer friend) suddenly break into television as the tell-it-like-it-is pair on My Kitchen Rules in 2015?

‘I’d been in musicals and plays in Melbourne, and been to acting school. Performing was a huge passion,’ says Ash. ‘My parents are very motivated people, both entrepreneurs, so I was never going to sit back and wait for things to happen to me. I went to the US after school but it was very hard to break into the showbiz scene, and I found it too contrived. I headed back home and did a business and events management degree instead.

‘Then my boyfriend at the time suggested I enter MKR,’ says Ash. ‘He knew I was passionate about cooking and that I was no shrinking violet. And it all went from there.’

In 2017, Ash was part of the celebrity team — with Casey Donovan and Steve Price — that went to the South African jungle for I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

‘The easy part was going into the jungle,’ says Ash. ‘The really hard part was the hunger, and that the challenges were rewarded with food that your team depended on you for.’

Memories of being buried in the underground snake-pit challenge — with 100 snakes — and the tears of fear it induced in her are still very vivid.

‘Snakes, especially writhing, wriggling snakes, are my greatest fear,’ she says, her voice still showing emotion. ‘But hunger is very powerful, and you have a team that need you to face the challenges so they can eat. It’s by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done.’

After that, working as a Channel 7 presenter and fill-in stints on radio in Shepparton and the Gold Coast let Ash show the bosses how serious she was about radio, and led to her posting to the Central Coast at SEA FM (now HIT 101.3).

‘I love it, even the getting up at 4am,’ says Ash. Then, with a guilty smile, ‘It’s the first job I’ve had where I am not thinking, “what’s my sickie this morning?”

‘I have a very short attention span so I love the pace of radio, and that you get to influence the community in positive ways.’

One of these ways, when Ash first moved to the Coast, was to start ‘Push it with Pollard’, partly as a way of making friends where she knew no one but, importantly, as a way of interacting with her listeners for more than a couple of seconds on air. For an hour every Wednesday from 5.30pm, the group of women, now numbering 25 to 30 regulars, meets to walk, do pilates or drumming.

‘A number of the women hadn’t exercised in years so it made them step out of their comfort zone. It’s a group that shares a similar mind-frame and we talk and share issues that face women everywhere.

‘We’re doing a life drawing class next,’ says Ash. ‘That should be interesting!’

Some of Ash's favourite things: ‘Other than flying to Melbourne on weekends to be with my partner, all I do is eat, work and go for walks,’ says Ash. ‘So these places are special to me on the Coast.’

The Tame Fox: for their açai bowls.

Wamberal Beach: for walks along the beach.

Pioneer Park, formerly the Point Frederick cemetery: it sounds a bit weird, and it scared me a bit at first, then I got intrigued by the interesting history on the gravestones.

Mexicoast Cantina in Terrigal: absolutely the best Mexican place.

Vishal’s Indian Restaurant in East Gosford: great restaurant, or takeaway or home delivery.

bay gallery art

HOME OF

studios CO-OPERATIVE LTD

29 Broken Bay Road, Ettalong Beach OPEN THURSDAY-SUNDAY 10AM-4PM

EXCELLENCE IN FINE ART Dianne Gerlach Helen Mor timer Leasha Craig Carolyn Griffiths Victoria Austen-Young Karen Bloomfield www.artstudioscooperative.org artstudioscooperative@gmail.com Find artstudioscooperative on

CONTACTS:

Leasha 0406 539 407 Karen 0425 361 183

21

COAST • The Archibald

Gosford Reborn

What would Archibald Acheson, the second Earl of Gosford, have thought of it all?

Artist Impression

I

Artist Impression

22 COAST

t’s official: gone are the days of saying, ‘Yeh, I’ll believe it when it happens.’ After a much-prolonged gestation, the midwives are here and the first sods have been turned (to terribly mix a metaphor), the birth plans are underway: Gosford has been re-imagined and is set to be reborn as a modern, vibrant city and capital of the Central Coast.

Its potential has always been there: the beautiful Brisbane Water waterfront, the rambling foreshore parklands, and peaceful bushland reserves that, together, frame three sides of the CBD. At its heart is the redesign and redevelopment of its civic precinct of Kibble Park and surrounds, the health and education precincts, and the foreshore public parklands.

An early and brave glimpse of commercial investment was John Singleton’s Bonython Tower and its multi-faceted restaurant, café and bar, The Bon Pavilion in Mann Street. Canny early investors bought up luxury apartments with glorious water views from Central Real, Bonython and others in Gosford and its surrounding suburbs.

But the city was still missing four- and five-star hotels, conference venues, a careful redevelopment of the waterfront precinct … and a public performance home for a cultural scene that punches far above its weight: for the Central Coast’s

Artist Impression

Symphony Orchestra, Coast Opera, Philharmonia Choir, the Conservatorium, and more.

Gosford Hospital has undergone an extensive redevelopment, a major medical research hub is underway, as well as a new private hospital on Racecourse Road. There are plans for a Newcastle University campus (and student accommodation) in Gosford itself.

The well-positioned Central Coast Leagues Club stepped in to announce the transformation of its Leagues Club Field into a nature-inspired foreshore park and play space available to the community to enjoy.

Given all these major changes, it takes a lot to top that, and for another new development to create a sense of ‘this will change Gosford forever!’ That is exactly what the announcement of The Archibald did. Its two 25- and 26-storey buildings are designed to form an urban village of stunning architecture with a 167-suite, 5-star hotel, conference centre and retail stores, a sophisticated rooftop bar (wait till you hear who may take on the management of that!), and a casual local pub — Archie’s (cheekily named after Archibald Acheson, the second Earl of Gosford, circa 1839). There are 300, one- two- and three-bedroom designer apartments and penthouses, a resort-style pool bar, as well as amenities that

Artist Impression

every apartment needs: wine storage, e-bike charging, gym and wellness centre.

The first sod for the next stage will be turned as building of The Archibald commences early 2020, for completion before Christmas 2022. For a reborn Gosford, it heralds a birthday, Christmas and New Year, to be celebrated in style!

Who’da-thought, Archie!

The Archibald, corner Mann and Donnison Streets, Gosford thearchibald.com.au

Artist Impression

23

ALYSE FAITH From watching Playschool to performing at the Royal Academy

WORDS CATHARINE RETTER

24 COAST

© DANIEL HOWELL

ARTISTS OF THE COAST • Alyse Faith

W

ho would think that watching Playschool on television as a young child would lead to a musical career on the world stage? But that’s exactly where Alyse Faith’s interest in flute music started.

‘I just loved the sound of the flute when the orchestra played,’ says Alyse. ‘When I was to start having piano lessons at the Central Coast Conservatorium, I told them I wanted to play the flute. Mum was quite pleased because she thought she’d be saving some money not having to buy a piano.’

It sounds, too, as though Alyse’s journey has been blessed with the right teachers at the right time.

‘I was lucky to have Allyne Brislan as my flute teacher at the Central Coast Conservatorium when I was starting out,’ says Alyse. ‘She teaches in such a musical way, and that has influenced my attitude to this day. I had her from the age of eight, right through to 18.’

‘From her first flute lesson, it was evident that the quietly excited and bubbly eight-year-old Alyse wanted to learn,’ Allyne Brislan remembers. ‘She had clearly fallen in love with her chosen instrument, and my task, as her teacher, became one of fostering, encouraging and challenging her innate musicality and talent.

Providing opportunities to perform was a crucial part of that nurturing and learning process.’

‘I’ll always remember those first performances for the Bouddi Society in the Wagstaffe Hall and how encouraged I felt playing to such a supportive audience when I was little and scared of performing,’ says Alyse.

‘I believe Alyse’s confidence and ability to perform under pressure owes much to those early opportunities which were given to her,’ says Allyne.

At the age of 15, Alyse was already a soloist with the Central Coast Symphony Orchestra. Now, at the age of 24 and an awardwinning flautist, she is based at the Royal Academy in London when she is not visiting family back home on the Coast. Alyse remains delightfully unassuming, open and obviously dedicated.

‘I received all the training I needed to be accepted for my Bachelor degree in music, right here on the Coast,’ says Alyse.

‘I chose the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music for my degree because I really wanted to learn from Mardi McSullea and Margaret Crawford.

‘In my last year there I auditioned for The Royal Academy of Music in London and I received a woodwind scholarship from the Bouddi Foundation for the Arts that enabled me to go there for two years to complete my Masters.

Alyse is far too modest to add that she has won the Bouddi Society’s woodwind scholarship not once but multiple times since the age of eight or nine, and that she was a four-times winner of the Central Coast Conservatorium’s woodwind competition.

‘I was always interested in other things at school — athletics, swimming — and I did classical ballet until I was 18, and I think that is why I have always wanted to play for a ballet orchestra.

I love the idea of working on a bigger picture and being able to be part of a ballet production and to see all the dancers backstage. From the orchestra pit you don’t get to see the ballet of course, but you do hear and feel them jumping around above your head!’

Alyse practises four to five hours a day and is interested in exploring the different tonal colours and qualities of different types of flutes.

‘My flute is gold but with silver keys. The gold changes the sound. It’s a warm and bright sound similar to a German flute sound, where the modern concert flute originated. You can almost hear the language in the way they play. Silver flutes, on the other hand, produce a very sweet sound, which is what they love in England.’

In 2019, Alyse was the winner of the prestigious Flutes in Tuscany Young Artist Award in Italy, with her performance acclaimed as: ‘Alyse captured the character and sound world of each distinctive piece in her virtuosic rendition ... [she] used a range of colours in the theme that created a hush in the chapel.’

Alyse performs with the Royal Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, the Academy Opera Orchestra and has also performed with the University of London Symphony Orchestra.

She remains very conscious of the help she has received early in her musical journey on the Central Coast and if her recent ‘thank you’ recital for the Bouddi Foundation for the Arts is any indication, we will be hearing more of her here on her trips home between playing with the world’s opera and ballet orchestras. alysefaithflute.com

25

LET ’S TAK E IT

Outside

Sign-up to our monthly eDM @TuggerahSuperCentre for your chance to

WIN $1,000 TO SPEND IN-CENTRE!* Adairs Bahama Ava Chair $349.99

*Winners will be drawn 28 February, 2020.

BUNNINGS TUGGERAH

TUGGERAH SUPER CENTRE RETAILERS

Tuggerah Super Centre | Corner Wyong Road and Bryant Drive, Tuggerah, NSW 2259 For centre and store information visit www.tuggerahsupercentre.com.au Stay connected @TuggerahSuperCentre

02 9950 9153 02 4351 3444 02 4351 9441 0418 683 853 13 77 88 02 4355 4502 02 4312 1044 02 4305 9000 02 4353 5533 02 4352 9000 1800 668 292 02 4306 2911

R TD

Rivers RSPCA Care Centre Sapphire Wood Furniture Scanccelli Café Service NSW Sleeping Giant Sleepy’s Spotlight Supreme Furniture The Good Guys The Reject Shop The Shed Café

YAN BR

02 4351 3254 02 4351 0740 02 4302 1618 02 4353 4900 02 4353 4144 02 8084 5993 13 21 32 02 4314 0233 02 4353 0375 1300 644 125 02 4351 0101 02 4353 0518

Y HW

Gianni Hair Stylist Godfreys James Lane Knotts Pine & Oak Designer Comfort La-Z-Boy Mayne Rugs and Flooring NRMA Insurance One World Collection Original Mattress Factory Oz Education Childcare PETstock Planet Fitness

IFIC

02 4352 3507 0456 003 424 02 4350 1900 02 4350 1900 02 4353 4949 0401 635 707 02 4353 5635 02 4352 1008 02 4353 5733 02 4346 3337 02 4353 6427

PAC

Adairs Ambience Outdoor Living Bunnings Bunnings Hardware Café Carpet Call Choice Sushi DecoRug Eureka Street Furniture Fantastic Furniture Forty Winks Frame Today

WYONG

RD

A twinkling table

Native leafy tones come together with warm golden accents to create a look that is seasonal and fresh.

Finish your table with sparkling glassware to really wow your guests!

SPOTLIGHT

Shop the look

1.

Summer entertaining made easy

Sign-up to our monthly eDM @TuggerahSuperCentre for your chance to

WIN $1,000 TO SPEND IN-CENTRE!*

2.

3.

AMBIENCE OUTDOOR FURNITURE

9.

11.

4.

8.

6.

5.

7.

10.

12.

15.

16.

14.

13.

1. Adairs Mesh String Lanterns $21.99 2. Adairs Coin Collection Wreath $69.99 3. The Reject Shop Mesh Placemat 6pk $10 4. Spotlight Living Space Christmas Tray With Mirror Base $35 5. Adairs Berry Gum Collection Candle Holder $59.99 6. Spotlight Casa Domani Portofino Pasta Bowl $8.95 7. James Lane Girona Dishes $29 8. Spotlight Bouclair Modern Nature Cutlery Set $30 9. Spotlight Casa Domani Evolve Classic Jug $29.95 10. Spotlight Lav Empire Set of 6 Wine Glass $10 11. Adairs Luxe Lurex Napery Runner $39.99 12. Adairs Mediterranean Garden Lemon Tree $39.99 13. Spotlight Ombre Home California Dreams Vase $8 14. Spotlight Living Space Xmas Candle Holder $6 15. Eureka Street Furniture Antoine Dining Chair $499 16. Fantastic Furniture Havana 6 Seater Dining Table $249 Products and prices are recommended retail at time of printing and may vary - please see in store for any discounts or special offers that may apply. *Winners will be drawn 28 February, 2020.

COAST • The Beholders

S

I nteri o r Styl i n g | H o me S tagi n g | Even t Stylin g

ww.t hworld eb eh older.com. au ummer is definitely when our little corner ofwthe come into its own so it makes sense to embrace our natural environment and create a coastal home that oozes seaside chic.

Coastal style is all about easy living, blurring the boundary between indoors and out, and creating a light breezy sanctuary from the summer sun. It’s a place to kick back and relax after a day spent on the sand, on the water or picnicking at your favourite spot.

Starting with a blank canvas is best for that breezy coastal feel.

All white walls and ceilings will lighten your space and white is the basis for coastal style.

It’s not necessary to go out and purchase all new pieces, ‘seaside chic’ is a collected look of your favourite treasures, a mix of tones and textures in natural materials and fibres; wood, wicker, linen, cotton, wool, bamboo, leather. Contemporary pieces can also be worked in to avoid it becoming too clichéd.

Layer your textures: linen sofas and curtains, wicker chairs, natural fibre cushions, and jute rugs on your floorboards. Keep the basics neutral and add colour in natural muted tones through your cushions. Light and calm hues are in harmony with the environment.

Display collected pieces grouped in small clusters — found objects and treasured pieces gathered over the years. Tell your story on mantles, coffee tables and sideboards. Each room should complement the other, so you create a harmonious flow between rooms. This can be done by carrying similar textures and colours throughout.

Breathe life into your home by bringing living plants into each space. Not only do they filter the air but they add life and movement. Large palms, long lasting succulents, potted herbs for the kitchen, cascading plants in beautiful natural stone pots all work to finish off the seaside chic home.

The Beholders

Home Staging | Interior Styling | Event Styling w w w . t h e b e h o l d e r. c o m . a u

30 COAST

R L AT E S T

CA

GOSFORD PH: 8834 4700, RIVERSIDE PARK HOMEMAKER CENTRE, 6/376 MANNS RD TUGGERAH PH: 8834 4750, BUILDING C/9 BRYANT DRIVE E

*Furniture featured in outdoor photography is for interior use only.

N

ozdesignfurniture.com.au

LI

SINCE 1979

GUES ON

40

LO

VI

W

OU

TA

E

SUMMER 19-20

31

HOME STYLE • Emma Thomson

Emma Thomson

From living it in Byron to loving it in Matcham WORDS CATHARINE RETTER

PHOTOS RENEE DELICATA

WHAT MADE EMMA AND GREG THOMSON WANT TO MOVE DOWN SOUTH FROM BYRON WHERE THEY LOVED THE BEACH LIFE AND HAD CREATED TWO ICONIC RESTAURANTS, MISS MARGARITA MEXICAN CANTINA AND THE MEZ CLUB? ‘We love Byron,’ says Emma, ‘and had a wonderful time there for 11 years but, being a country girl, my dream of living on horse-friendly acreage was always teasing at my mind.’

Beautiful acreage properties are relatively easy to come by, but when you combine it with the family’s checklist, they become a little harder to find.

‘With two school-age children — Billy (aged 11) and Amy (aged eight) — the house had to be under 10 minutes to a quality school with great sporting facilities,’ says Emma. ‘And we like to get to the beach every day, so eight minutes to an ocean swim was our max. And it had to be on a pretty country road. Strangely enough, the actual house itself was probably the least important because we are something of serial renovators, and knew we could change it to our style.

‘I always remembered visiting Terrigal and Matcham before we got married in 2006 and a real estate agent told us that Matcham was the perfect blend of green (paddocks), blue (ocean) and u

32

NEW DISCOVERY SPORT

NEVER STOP DISCOVERING

BOOK A TEST DRIVE It’s funny what you pick up on your travels. Take all your kit, and then some, with New Discovery Sport’s incredibly generous stowage. And with the new digital ClearSight Rear View mirror*, you can always see behind, even with a fully-loaded boot.

Book your test drive today Central Coast Land Rover 1 Racecourse Rd, West Godford NSW 2250 Tel: (02) 4346 5000 sales@centralcoastjlr.com.au

*Optional

HOME STYLE • Emma Thomson black (good coffee). He was right, and add to that a real sense of community and easy access to the city if you want it. Perfect.’

The house they found, on a peaceful street with no throughtraffic, is set on 1.6 hectares of land that slopes gently to a dam and has good horse paddocks and stables, all against a backdrop of trees and more trees.

To families with a less discerning eye than this couple, the house and pool were already satisfactory, but Emma and Greg saw its greater potential.

‘The house presented attractively from the road, was certainly big enough, and had some great features, but we wanted the layout to flow effectively as a busy family home, and to have a consistent styling theme.

‘I had in mind a homestead/cottage style but, with renovations, it’s important to work as much as possible with what you’ve got, otherwise your costs go sky high. One example of this was the expansive wrap-around hardwood deck. I wouldn’t have chosen the stain colour but, there it was, a great quality deck in perfectly good condition. So we worked with it and let it influence our choice of exterior colours so the deck harmonised with the house.

‘We changed the house exterior from a dark grey to Dulux White Duck, and painted all the brown window frames white too. We also took down a big black interior brick wall that immediately faced you on entering the front door. It really opened up the options for zoning and room definition.

‘There were big French-paned bifold doors opening onto the deck and they were replaced with larger sliding doors. The house feels so much lighter and happier now. It created a beautiful, light family day room where the fireplace was relocated, and a traditional English style entrance hall. We love that, in winter, you can close the doors to have a space that’s toasty warm.’ u

34

Purveyor of unique Homewares & special one off pieces of furniture for Styling your home.

Operating for 10 years and now incorporating great coffee at Drift Coffee Kazbah.

1/15-17 FORRESTERS BEACH RD FORRESTERS BEACH 4385 9996

Vintage • Coastal • French

Furniture & Homewares

WE ALSO OFFER A FURNITURE PAINTING SERVICE

61b Webb St. East Gosford Ph: 4339 5582 www.interiorwise.com.au Find us on

interiorwise_ad_87x113.indd 1

6/11/2019 11:56:54 PM

Fresh flowers, unique gifts and homewares Visit us in store or call to enquire @salmonandcoettalong

Open 7 days 227 Ocean View Rd, Ettalong 0400 489 955 salmonandco.com

‘I feel incredibly joyful seeing the kids running around in the garden, in the dam, with the horses, with their friends, jumping in the pool, then raiding the kitchen fridge — and not being on a computer or phone screen'.

Emma and Greg have had nice kitchens and terrible kitchens in the past so they’ve learnt from experience that kitchens should flow seamlessly into a family space.

‘We enlarged the kitchen to be more open and engaging, and put in a reclaimed timber mantlepiece over the stove. It’s now a place where you can hang out with the kids, or with friends to chat and enjoy a glass of wine.’

There is also an older section to the home that’s a selfcontained guest wing with its own front door, and also houses the children’s bedrooms. The new and old have been blended with the use of similar door architraves and painted-timber wainscoting. There’s a natural colour scheme of whites, sage and pale pumpkin throughout, with floors that are timber or countrystyled tiles.

The family has also found a sense of community in Matcham.

‘We had a number of corrugated veggie planters in the front paddock that were too visible from the road so they went to the Matcham Community Garden. And because we have horses, I bag up the horse pooh, and a nice man comes regularly to exchange it for his home-grown honey. What could be nicer: honey for pooh!

‘I feel incredibly joyful seeing the kids running around in the garden, in the dam, with the horses, with their friends, jumping in the pool, then raiding the kitchen fridge — and not being on a computer or phone screen'.

After months of hard work and planning, Emma and Greg are finally able to sit back and enjoy their spaciously elegant property.

36 COAST

‘But whether we’re renovating or styling a home or a business,’ says Emma, ‘for me, the real sense of satisfaction and seal of approval comes when our ideas and execution result in a happy sale. Perhaps that’s why I’ve always renovated and sold restaurants, houses, horses … Luckily my children are safe from that!’

Plants and pots

Garden Centre, Forresters Beach

Tiles

Coastal Tiles, Erina

Painters

Steve Conduit & Sons

Electrics and Lighting

HEG Electrical, Wamberal

Lights

D-Lighting, Kincumber

Kitchen

Woodstock Industries, Tuggerah

Your home is your haven

Home, gifts and lifestyle store

490 Central Coast Hwy, Erina Heights NSW 2260 (02) 4365 4618 www.havenathome.com.au

RETREAT AND WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

A unique and unforgettable destination where luxury collides with nature

www.waterfallsprings.com.au

KULNURA

02 4376 1185

enquiries@waterfallsprings.com.au

ECO LIVING • Shopping Guide

ECO LIVING Aussie Bread Bags, traditional breathable bread storage bags It’s something our grandparents knew, and is now backed up by research: thick cotton bags that allow air flow not only help prevent bread going mouldy, but also help it from drying out too quickly.

Aussie Bread Bags, in both small and large sizes, are helping our planet by eliminating one plastic bread bag at a time. Made in Australia from quality cotton, Aussie Bread Bags are reusable and sustainable, designed for both the home baker and as the ideal carry-bag and storage-bag for your bread. aussiebreadbags.com.au

Here’s a way to be ‘untrashy’ and avoid single-use plastics No need to keep throwing away all those single-use plastics into landfill, now you can buy stylish, reusable, eco-friendly bamboo cutlery, metal clothes pegs, straws, carry-bags, and vibrant, squishy, unsmashable wine cups. #untrashy, based at Ettalong Beach, is more than an ecoswap business, they’re also active educators and advocates for minimising our environmental footprint. And 10 percent of profits are donated to ocean conservation projects. Grab a practical and stylish eco-gift today, it won’t cost the earth! untrashy.com

Wax on Wraps Forget about single-use plastic wraps and cling films. Try these beautiful, handmade beeswax — re-usable — food wraps to not only extend the life of your food and keep it fresher for longer, but you’ll be using a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative.

Wax on Wraps consciously chooses to source up-cycled, recycled, second-hand or otherwise to-be-thrown-away fabric for their wraps. So you’ll also reduce the amount of fabric and clothing waste that could end up in landfill.

How do you use a beeswax food wrap? Scrunch the fabric in your hands to warm it up a bit and then mould it around your food or containers.

To clean your wraps use cool water and a mild, natural detergent when needed, and air dry. Fold or roll to store, and it should last six months or more. It’s really that simple. waxonwraps.com

38 COAST

EVO

MagnaTRACK A

W

N

I

N

G

S

a new era

in awnings has arrived

SMART magnetic channels hold the fabric taut SIZE spanning up to 6.5m Introducing the most technologically advanced awning available on the market, Luxaflex® Evo MagnaTrack Awnings.

Shades in Gosford 64 York Street, East Gosford NSW

Call (02) 4367 5603

The patented design harnesses the power of Rare Earth Neodymium Magnets in its channels to hold the fabric smooth, flat and always looking its best. The unparalleled strength of its magnetic channels allow it to be left down in windy conditions and span up to an impressive 6.5 metres.

To learn more about Evo MagnaTrack Awnings, visit our Luxaflex Gallery Showroom and discover the Luxaflex difference.

Shades in Gosford

® Registered Trade Marks of Hunter Douglas Limited. © Copyright 2019 Hunter Douglas Limited [ABN 98 009 675 709]. 11/2019

ECO LIVING • Living Green

‘LIVING GREEN’

AKA SAVING ON ENERGY BILLS WORDS CRAIG RIDDLE WHETHER YOU’RE ACTIVELY ‘GREEN’ OR JUST WANT TO SAVE ON ENERGY BILLS, THE TIME TO THINK EFFICIENT HOME COOLING AND HEATING IS WHEN YOUR NEW HOME OR RENOVATION IS STILL AN EXCITING GLEAM IN YOUR EYE. Where do you start, and how? And what features will give you the best return over time?

We’ve put together some tips to help you on your way to building your dream energy-efficient home.

1. When starting from scratch on a new build, the absolute first step should be to focus on the orientation of the house and incorporate passive solar design. In the southern hemisphere, north-facing living spaces are a must to encourage winter sun, but be sure to factor in adequate shading so that you don’t get too much summer sun.

2. Cross ventilation really is nature’s air conditioning. You want to place windows in such a way to encourage natural breezeways through the home in summer.

3. If you’re renovating your existing house and already suffer from too much heat gain, adding in some shading retrospectively can be a really easy solution. Think external blinds, a fixed awning or even a deciduous vine or tree.

4. When it comes to the windows and window frames, the most thermally efficient are uPVC, coupled with double-glazing. uPVC doesn’t conduct heat like aluminium does, is more durable than timber, and is suitable for bushfire prone areas.

5. For sustainability purposes, you want to minimise the use of concrete (and steel), but incorporating thermal mass in your home will help to regulate the internal air temperature and minimise any big fluctuations. Why not incorporate a beautiful recycled brick internal feature wall? Cleverly placed windows will allow the winter sun to warm the brick wall during the day acting as a heat-sink that will gradually release the latent heat throughout the evening.

6. The new property mantra is ‘insulate, insulate, insulate!’

Without adequate insulation, you’re pouring your hard-earned money down the drain in heating and cooling bills. External walls and ceilings should be well-insulated, but don’t forget internal garage walls and the internal walls around wet areas.

If your design incorporates a lightweight timber sub-floor, this should also be well insulated and sealed.

7. Finally, encourage your building designer or architect to have a thermal assessment carried out. While a NatHERS certificate

40 COAST

Winter sun strikes an internal brick feature wall and concrete slab that act as a heat-sink and will gradually release latent heat throughout the evening.

isn’t a requirement in NSW (yet), knowing how your future home is going to perform is crucial in your early planning stages. After all, building a home is a huge investment so you want to use all the available tools to make sure you get it right.

Living Green Designer Homes Pty Ltd Suite 1a, 78 Terrigal Esplanade, Terrigal livinggreendesignerhomes.com.au

AWA R D W I N N I N G C U S T O M H O M E B U I L D E R S

STYLE & SUSTAINABILITY Our goal is to design and construct a home that you will love living in.

A master built home that is functional and performs well year round.

We’ll work closely with you to ensure that your vision becomes a reality.

Ph: 02 4384 2466 livinggreendesignerhomes.com.au

The SunSpec Louvred Roof is an ingenious mechanism that transforms from a solid water proof covering to an open garden

New Standard In Outdoor Living

trellis or Pergola style covering, giving light, ventilation, and views of the clear sky above.

All this takes place at the touch of a button giving you complete flexibility of your light and weather control needs for any outdoor living area, allowing you to control your environment.

Call for a FREE quote 1300 584 750

sunspec.com.au

SunSpec.indd 1

Need extra living space?

CALL DANIEL TODAY

0412 503 2 33 9/8 Gibbens Road, West Gosford NSW 2250

• Cabins • Granny Flats • Studios • • Cubby Houses • Decks • Timber Sheds • Display Village: 36 Empire Bay Drive, South Kincumber NSW 2251 Wed - Sat 10am - 3.30pm Other times by appointment Builder Lic.No: 318042C

Ph. 1300 516 451

Servicing Sydney, the Hunter and the Central Coast w ww.constructcen tra lcoa st.com .au

13/11/19 1:18 pm

www.custom-creations.com.au

ECO LIVING • Luxaflex Blinds

HOW TO BEST INSULATE EVEN YOUR WINDOWS FROM THE HEAT

Anyone who has ever stood by a sun-facing window on a summer day will know the heat that comes through the glass.

Most types of window coverings will help cool your home to some extent and result in energy savings, but the good news is that the latest technology means there are new and innovate awnings and blinds specifically engineered towards maximising insulation from heat (and, of course, from cold in winter).

According to energy.com, insulated cellular shades, or honeycomb blinds are typically considered to have the highest R-values (thermal resistance ratings) of all window coverings.

The air pockets in the honeycomb cross-sections act as insulators, increasing the R-value and reducing the conduction of heat through the window. They can reduce unwanted solar heat through windows by up to 80 percent, reducing the total solar gain to 15 percent or less when installed with a tight fit.

We spoke to Luxaflex about their honeycomb blinds, Duette Architella shades, the latest innovation in their Designer Series.

‘It’s a revolutionary fabric range that features a 20 mm triple honeycomb construction,’ says Azam of Luxaflex in East Gosford.

‘It has four layers of fabric and three insulating air pockets, providing the best insulation currently available for window coverings.’

The Duette blinds also come with ultraviolet protection to help prevent furniture and floors from fading, and meet Greenguard® certification for low chemical emissions. The honeycomb technology also absorbs sound energy to help quieten the room by up to 55 percent depending on the opacity you choose. They come in versatile shapes to suit bottom or top opening, skylights, and unique shapes. And for operating systems you are also spoilt for choice: child-safe, cord-free, or motorised.

42 COAST

External awnings also make good energy-saving sense because they stop the heat before it hits your windows. ‘The Luxaflex Evo Magna Track is the most technologically advanced awning on the market,’ says Azam. ‘It has smart magnetic channels to hold the fabric taut even with fabric spanning up to 6.5 metres wide.’

Awnings such as this can save up to 60 percent on home cooling costs, or deflect up to 95 percent of heat from solar radiation when combined with the Spectra Sunscreen fabric, while still allowing diffused light to pass through. The fabric is GreenGuard® Gold certified, is recyclable and derived from natural silica.

Adjustable shutters, too, are an effective barrier against heat penetration. If low chemical emissions are important to you, you might want to consider PolySatin Shutters that have a GreenGuard Gold compliance certificate. They are made from a UV-stabilised polyresin compound and will never need painting.

Their cellular construction creates a layer of energy-saving insulation to trap air within a distinct pocket. They can be fitted for interior or exterior use, and as hinged or hinged bi-folds, or on sliding tracks for doorways, as French doors, or shaped for bay and corner windows, arches, hexagons and octagons. They’re cord-free so come with peace of mind around young children and pets.

The choice is yours. *data from energy.gov

Luxaflex at Shades in Gosford, 64 York Street, East Gosford. shadesingosford.luxaflex.com.au/

Quality Timber, Oak and Laminate flooring

PREMIUM ARCHITECTURAL WINDOWS & DOORS COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL

258 West St, Umina Beach. 4342 6666

www.proflooring.com.au

4340 1000 sublimealuminium.com.au

JAMES LANE where you can add your own designer touch to furniture With a reputation for offering on-trend designer look pieces without the hefty price tag, James Lane uses textures — including timber, marble and polished concrete — in a range that highlights clean lines and simple colour palettes.

James Lane is one of the Central Coast’s go-to destination for modern and contemporary furniture with a focus on flexibility and a range of sizes, materials and price points to choose from. You can even design and create your own dining table, selecting the legs and surfaces of your choice.

See the James Lane range of living, dining, bedroom and outdoor furniture in-store or online, as well as rugs, artwork and accessories.

James Lane Tuggerah Super Centre, 2 Bryant Drive, Tuggerah or shop online at jameslane.com.au.

Scenic Joyflights See the Central Coast or Sydney Harbour from the most spectacular perspective you can imagine.

Prices starting from only $83 per person Central Coast Airport Jack Grant Ave, Warnervale

(02) 4392 5174 ccac.com.au

LUXURY ESCAPES

Waterfall Springs Retreat and Wildlife Sanctuary

S

et in over 13 hectares of Australian bushland, this boutique style accommodation is much more than a resort for human guests. It’s also a sanctuary dedicated to saving endangered Brush-tailed and Yellow-footed Rock Wallabies.

Rooms with private romantic spas and freestanding bathtubs offer secluded garden outlooks that mean you may wake in the mornings to the sight of wallabies rock-hopping just the other side of your lawn.

The tranquility of the property encourages you to relax, unwind, take a dip in the pool, and appreciate nature at your doorstep. You’ll come across rehabilitating Eastern Grey and

Red Kangaroos, Swamp and Red-necked Wallabies grazing close by, and guests are encouraged to become better acquainted with them.

There are winding bush paths that you can wander or take a hardy ‘golf’ buggy through tall waratahs, Gymea lillies, tree ferns, and gullies where you can discover the waterfalls and springs that give the property its name.

There are behind the scenes tours where you’ll learn what makes this Australia’s largest breeding facility for Brush-tailed Rock Wallabies. And at night there is a guided glow-worm tour.

Or, for the truly romantic, there’s a clifftop daybed deep in the bushland (privacy guaranteed). waterfallsprings.com.au/

44 COAST

Come holiday with us

Unwind, relax, enjoy email admin@terrigalpacific.net.au phone 4385 1555 @terrigalpacific www.terrigalpacific.net.au

LUXURY ESCAPES

NOONAWEENA

© ANDREW COONEY

a reflection of its name, ‘Resting Place in the Bush’

T

Cottage), groups of ten (Gymea House separate to the main accommodation hub), or 16 guests (Biram House, which was built in 1999 around the original house on the property, and includes a communal lounge, and a dining area that seats 25).

It’s the ideal couples getaway, family break, corporate retreat, and wedding venue complete with accommodation for guests of course. Larger group bookings mean you can book the property exclusively.

There are plenty of things to do on-site with day-spa treatments to nourish and pamper guests, as well as three resort-style swimming pools, a tennis court, bushwalks, and waterfalls to see.

Further down into the valley is a secluded glamping area for couples, complete with a covered outdoor kitchen, barbecue, and a stone bathroom block. It’s a favourite place for executive teams needing to wind down or to bond surrounded by a bush-setting

© ANDREW COONEY

o begin to understand what makes Noonaweena a little different from other resorts and retreats, you need to understand what motivated its owners to buy the 100-acre property in the 1990s. They were taken by the tranquillity of the place — just an hour north of Sydney — as soon as they drove through the gates, through the gumtrees and birdsong.

As if on schedule, a male lyrebird scurries across our path as we drive down the private road, his tail plumage streaming out behind him. A king parrot shrieks its welcome (or was that the lyrebird imitating a king parrot?).

Noonaweena’s vision is for its guests is to be able to share in and benefit from the peace and restorative powers of the retreat, to feel refreshed and renewed, and to reconnect with each other.

There are four elegant lodges with a 5-star feel, catering to couples in the TreeTops suite, or groups of four (Boronia

46 COAST

1442 George Downes Drive, Kulnura. noonaweena.com.au

© ANDREW COONEY

of Gymea lilies, tall eucalypts and tree ferns (and the odd lyrebird call), or off-site at Treetops Adventure Park or Glenworth Valley.

Long-time on-site managers, Rodney and Maureen Forsythe, can provide catering for breakfast and lunch based on local produce and nourishing home-cooked meals from a wellappointed commercial kitchen. Evening meals can be self-catered or are provided by the chef from Little Seed catering.

‘If the kids want to be close to McDonalds and high-tech amusements, Noonaweena may not be the place for you,’ says Rodney, although of course there is NBN and wifi, and there’s even a Tesla charging station. ‘But if you want to relax and rewind — with strenuous or non-strenuous pastimes — and perhaps wake up to expansive views across the magnificent Mt Yengo National Park across to Mt Yengo itself, then Noonaweena will let you find your relaxed self again.’

So restorative is the setting, that it’s been Noonaweena’s mission to be available for not-for-profit groups who visit each year, such as Victims of Homicide founded by Anita Cobby’s parents, and Foster Care Angels giving foster carers a chance to have some five-star time for themselves.

‘Noonaweena’, means ‘resting place in the bush’ in the local Indigenous language, and if it works for these worthy groups, you know it will do wonders for all of us in need of a break. For those who want to unwind in nature, this award-winning, eco-certified retreat provides the perfect backdrop.

© ANDREW COONEY

LUXURY ESCAPES

47

Central Coast Holiday Escapes

Your Beach, Bay & Bush accommodation specialists KILLCARE PENINSULA

Properties to suit all your holiday needs from budget to luxury accommodation

02 4360 2222

centralcoastholidayescapes.com.au raywhitekillcare.com

Central Coast Holiday Escapes beach bay bush

FOOD & DINING • Chef Profile

NICOLA COCCIA of Osteria il Coccia

A chef with fire in his belly WORDS MEGAN ARKINSTALL PHOTOS LISA HAYMES

49

FOOD & DINING • Chef Profile

TWICE-HATTED ITALIAN CHEF, NICOLA COCCIA, HAS WORKED HIS WAY FROM MICHELIN-STARRED RESTAURANTS IN EUROPE TO SOME OF AUSTRALIA’S MOST EXCLUSIVE KITCHENS WHERE HE MET HIS EQUALLY ACCOMPLISHED WIFE ALEXANDRA. THEIR MOST RECENT VENTURE, OSTERIA IL COCCIA, IS THE LATEST ADDITION TO THE CENTRAL COAST’S DINING SCENE AND IS SET TO EXCITE THE MOST DISCERNING OF FOOD LOVERS.

I

n Nicola’s home country of Italy, good food is not just nourishment, it is a way of life. He fondly recalls his childhood spent at his grandmother’s house in Naples, which had a big wood oven in the middle of the garden.

‘I would wake to the smell of fresh bread every morning. My grandmother would make cheese and pasta every day,’ he tells me.

Summers were spent in Puglia where his other grandparents lived. His grandfather was a fisherman and the family owned a farm with goats, sheep and cows.

‘Ricotta was made year-round; there were fresh tomatoes, wood-oven bread, nothing was ever from the packet,’ he says.

Indeed, cooking is in his blood.

Nicola and I are sitting at the bar of Osteria Il Coccia, a modern but cosy restaurant at Ettalong Galleria. His passion for his Italian heritage and cooking is apparent, though I can sense that he is a humble guy when it comes to his career achievements. His professional kitchen experience began when he was just 14, at a

50 COAST

famous local pizzeria in Naples. He has since worked in Michelinstarred restaurants around Europe and spent time in New Zealand before coming to Australia where he has a string of world-class restaurants on his CV. When asked later what he is most proud of, though, he runs through a list of his past apprentices who have gone on to great things, with little mention of his own success.

‘My dream in Australia was to work with Peter Gilmore at Quay [Sydney],’ he says, ‘but my English was really bad so I went to [Italian restaurant] Otto. They gave me a job and paid for me to go to English school,’ he says. This is where he met his Frenchborn wife, Alexandra, in 2012. u

Saltwater Bar and Bistro at Avoca Beach Hotel serves up pub meals alongside contemporary and seafood classics. Come and enjoy a meal al fresco style on the deck in the sunshine.

Open 7 days a week Lunch & Dinner

326-360 Avoca Drive, Avoca Beach | 02 4382 2322 www.avocabeachhotel.com.au

Stylish Accommodation, Seaside Restaurant and Cocktail Bar. The perfect beach escape exclusively for adults.

BEACHSIDE RETREAT On the beach. Toowoon Bay NSW 2261 (02) 4332 1566 kims@kims.com.au www.kims.com.au

FOOD & DINING • Chef Profile

Warm and charismatic, Alexandra is busy preparing the menus for the evening as we chat. She can lay as much claim to the success of their business as her well-known husband, having trained at the exclusive Paul Bocuse Institute in France, and she works tirelessly behind the scenes. It’s clear they’re a dynamic duo.

Nicola did eventually work at Quay, as well as QT Sydney and Ormeggio, before he and Alexandra moved to Bowral in the Southern Highlands. They were both working at lauded restaurant Biota Dining, Nicola as head chef, when an opportunity came to open their own venue. Nicola couldn’t resist the chance to return to his true passion of cooking with fire like his grandmother did, and so Bistro Officina was born.

Bistro Officina traded for two years, and during that time was twice awarded an Australian Good Food Guide chef’s hat — no mean feat. At the end of 2018, just after Nicola’s cookbook, Farm to Flame, was released, the restaurant lease was up and the couple decided to relocate to the Central Coast with their three young children (10, five and two).

Nicola took a few months break, in which he seriously considered never cooking again, but thankfully an opportunity arose for a new restaurant in Ettalong. In July, they opened Osteria Il Coccia, where he continues to work with his beloved fire oven, a cooking method he describes as ‘raw and real’. Using Red Gum, Yellowbark and hay for fuel, his dishes have unique flavours. He even makes smoked ice-cream for the kids.

‘Fire is an addiction,’ he admits, laughing that he is a little ‘crazy in the head’ about it.

The menu is always evolving, because it’s based around fresh produce and that can change at the last moment.

‘We get live marron from WA, live pipis, ‘Jurassic Park’ scampi that comes from 40 metres below the waters between New Zealand and Australia. It’s frozen within an hour of coming out of the water,’ he tells me.

Diners can expect some consistent items on the menu, though, including wood-fired bread, ricotta, gnocchi and hand-made pasta — all made from scratch daily. The wine list was carefully chosen by Alexandra and comprises only Italian and French wines, most of which are organic and from boutique wineries, as well as a small list of classic cocktails such as negroni and espresso martini.

Osteria Il Coccia is a restaurant concept that’s unique to the Coast, but Nicola says he’s not trying to be different — ‘I’m just being me’. And if anyone ever questions why the menu changes so frequently, Nicola will explain, ‘an artist never creates the same artwork twice.’

Osteria Il Coccia 40/189 Ocean View Road, Ettalong Beach Lunch: Thursday to Sunday, 12pm to 3pm.

Dinner: Wednesday to Saturday 5.30pm to 9pm. osteriailcoccia.com.au

52 COAST

Terrigal Endodontics Providing quality root canal treatments on the Central Coast

• • • • •

Same day pain relief & emergency service Safe, gentle & effective root canal solutions Pain-free treatments completed quickly Referrals or direct bookings welcome Thousands of teeth successfully saved

Terrigal Endodontics

Gunyah Dental Centre

33 years experience providing endodontic care Same day appointments for pain relief Most treatments completed in one visit

General and complex dentistry One-visit CEREC crowns Full emergency service

4385 1838 terrigalendodontics.com.au

4385 1838 gunyahdental.com.au

Dr Tony Appleton BDS, DPDS

FOOD & DINING • Restaurants

FREDERICO’S AT POINT FREDERICK A Latin you’ll love

WORDS KATIE STOKES PHOTOS JACS POWELL

A

hip new Latino has landed in Point Frederick. He likes a little rhumba and has a penchant for palm trees.

Frederico’s, better known as Freddie’s, is a new Latin American two-storey bar and restaurant located on the Gosford waterfront. It’s a fresh new destination bringing fiesta vibes and Carnival colour back to the Gosford CBD. Staff wearing crisp white shirts and tan leather aprons (stamped with Freddie’s initial), invite you to take your pick of the seating.

The al fresco dining area overlooks Brisbane Water while the bar, with its rattan bar stools, provides an intimate show of cocktail showmanship and mixology.

The décor is fresh and colourful. Talavera-style Mexican tiles line the bar while Monstera-leaf wallpaper, Cuban posters and neon ‘Hola Chica’ signs line the walls.

The space has been realised by co-owners Monique Keogh and Natasha Nicholson — the same energetic duo who run the Ettalong fine-dining establishment The Box on the Water.

Monique describes their new venue as ‘a really fun bar and eatery with Latino personality and flair.’

‘We wanted to do something different,’ she says. ‘The idea was to do something that was fun, approachable and with a lot of scope.’

Frederico’s menu is designed to share, and the recipes hail from different parts of Latin America. You’ll find Peruvian snapper ceviche with fresh lime and coriander, Dadinhos de tapioca (cheesy tapioca cubes with a sweet and sour dipping sauce) from Brazil, and spicy fried chicken wings with smoked chipotle dip from Puerto Rico.

55

FOOD & DINING • Restaurants The Arroz con mariscos y pollo is our pick of the dishes, glistening with a rich tomato sauce. This South American paella-style fried rice packs a flavour punch with chorizo, chicken, prawns, and mussels. The spiced steak fajitas stuffed with capsicum, onion and garlic are a local favourite and, on Wednesdays, you can get bottomless fillings for just $25! The flour tortillas arrive deconstructed so you can stack your own — we recommend a large dollop of guacamole, a big squeeze of lime and don’t be shy with the coriander.

Their cocktail list is suitably heavy with mescal and rum, and their Blood Orange martini comes with a warning that it’s only for the courageous. We’ve perused many a menu and sipped many a margarita, and by far the most exciting combination we’ve seen anywhere is Freddie’s Design-a-Margarita. You can choose between gold or silver tequila, and whether you’ll have it shaken or frozen. You can opt to stick with the classic tequila, triple sec and lime, or embrace a flavour that’s a little more Freddie, such as chilli and mango, or lychee and jalapeno, perhaps? Our advice (across return visits, of course): try them all and don’t skimp on the salt.

Many of the wines are befittingly Latin American in origin, so you can order a Tempranillo from Brazil, Carmenere from Chile, or a Malbec from Argentina. Their craft beers, meanwhile, are impressively local: Six Strings from Erina, Four Pines from Manly and Young Henrys from Newtown.

Before departing, we recommend ending your evening with churros and an espresso rum-tini. If Freddie’s ‘lust for life’ has

56 COAST

taken hold, request a double shot of the spiced rum and take a spoon to the remaining dulce de leche. We know you won’t be holding back.

Frederico’s, 61 Masons Parade, Point Frederick Open Wednesday to Sunday 12pm till late 02 4339 4067, holafredericos.com

Indulge yourself in the serenity of Terrigal 4 star Studio, Spa & One Bedroom Apartments.

6 Maroomba Rd Terrigal

4384 7444

terrigalsails.com.au

Terrigal Sails.indd 1

30/10/19 4:22 pm

w w w. a l p i n e b e a c h . c o m . a u 177 The Entrance Road, Erina NSW 2250 (Opposite Fountain Plaza)

AlpineBeach_Coast Mag Ad Aug 19_3.indd 1

12/8/19 10:53 am

COASTING ALONG • Summer

Coasting along with

Ahh, the joy of Christmas lights

T

wenty years ago, when we moved into our small street we loved the fact that it seemed so ordinary. Nice people, quiet, off the beaten track, friendly neighbours, and easy to get to the beach and the village. There were the usual suspects: kids, dogs and the sound of lawnmowers. Perfect.

Little did we know when we moved in that, for three weeks every year, our street becomes a place of darkness. Well, darkness lit up by cascades of twinkling lights and outrageous kitsch. There were koalas dressed as Santa crawling up chimneys, Santas on surfboards, Christmas sleighs, lots of elves, the odd reindeer, and don’t forget the Christmas stars.

Each night, as soon as it was dusk, the street was filled with freshly bathed children in their pyjamas, squealing with delight, babies in strollers, friends with drinks in hand giggling like the children. All very easy and local. The odd car might cruise by, but nothing much to worry about.

What went wrong? Well suddenly the street was discovered and went up-market. The old bloke with the koala up the chimney sold his cottage for an outrageous amount and took his koala up the coast. He had to leave the chimney but that

58 COAST

LIBBY GREIG

was quickly demolished. Sadly, as the street became posher and the people with serious lights moved in, it also became quietly competitive. Talk about our own Vivid Festival.

This is the moment when I confess that I am really bad at festive lights. No one is more surprised than me at this. I mean, really, how difficult could it be? The end result is always the same, a total unholy mess. It ends up as a ‘1950s’ power plant meets cheap lighting sale.’

It’s not that I haven’t tried. Over the years we’ve had brilliant white lights, yellow and blue lights, pink cherry blossoms, multi-coloured butterflies, stars, Christmas bells, enough icicles to save Antarctica from the ravages of climate change. I just haven’t cracked it. I dread the comments from people passing by.

Please, don’t even talk to me about unravelling the lights from their boxes in the garage each year, a sort of electrical spaghetti junction.

I even have lighting envy. Why didn’t I think of cascades of Chinese lanterns like the newly arrived architect down the street?

Very suspect. Any moment now ASIO will be raiding her, (tipped off by a certain anxious neighbour).

It’s in some ways sad that, what was a simple community event, has become a bit too successful, and each Christmas the street is

COASTING ALONG • Summer

filled with large SUVs, bikes, skateboards and very noisy people, no doubt having over-indulged in the spirits of the season.

What was a fairyland for young children, filled with wonder and delight, is now a big worry in case a car runs a small child down in the inky darkness. There is a certain loss of innocence, and I heard that the little old lady who has survived the lights for so many years now remains indoors for the whole time.

Of course, it all comes back to what Christmas actually means to you. It’s no longer a simple nativity scene, Midnight Mass and Christmas carols that are actually sung and not piped into your supermarket. Please don’t forget the gathering of friends and family in the backyard under the Hills Hoist. You see that I am getting nostalgic.

For many people today, Christmas is a time that is fraught with making ends meet, juggling fractured relationships, family feuds, and too much to eat and drink. It can be a time that can be very lonely. You can see why a number of people volunteer their Christmas Day to serve dinner to people who are homeless, or who invite in a person who they know is alone. Makes sense.

I would love to know what the four-year-olds in the recent ABC documentary ‘Old Folks Home for 4-Year-Olds' think of Christmas? I wonder if they will be paying a visit to their new ‘old friends’. I am sure their ideas of Christmas would be both funny and touching.

The people across the road have the right idea. Each year their unchanging sign says in lights, in the immortal words of Mr Scrooge, ‘Bah Humbug’ and I quite agree. Now why didn’t I think of that? c

59

HAPPENINGS • Christmas Lights

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ON THE COAST WORDS KATIE STOKES

STRINGS OF LIGHTS HAVE BEEN STRUNG, INFLATABLES BLOWN UP AND TINSEL HAS BEEN FLICKED ABOUT WITH ABANDON. SOME CENTRAL COAST RESIDENTS GO ABOVE AND BEYOND IN DECORATING THEIR HOMES AT CHRISTMAS EACH YEAR, AND WE’VE FOUND THE PICK OF THE BUNCH SO THAT YOU CAN DO A DRIVE BY. HERE’S WHAT’S IN STORE FOR YOU.

Make a beeline for Watkin Avenue, Woy Woy. The Richards family at number 77 have been decorating their home for more than 25 years and last year they erected 40,447 lights on their front lawn!

In Ashwood Close, Glenning Valley you’ll find around 16 decorated homes and a 5-metre tall inflatable Santa, while at Olney Drive in Blue Haven you can meet The Grinch on weekends.

It’s worth parking the car and taking a walk along Stan Johnson Drive in Hamlyn Terrace as almost every home is lit up with festive cheer.

Matthew Redman’s music-synchronised light display at 31 Bayberry Ave, Woongarrah attracts a crowd each year and has its own annual festival. On 14 December, the street will be closed off and taken over by a petting zoo, fire truck, jumping castle, Cold Rock ice-cream van and, of course, Santa.

60 COAST

Settlement Drive and Connemara Street in Wadalba is such a popular spot for Christmas-light gazing that food trucks have frequented the area in past years. Cindy of 66 Settlement Drive always puts on a fabulous synchronised music/light display and says she’s adding an additional 5,000 lights to this year’s show.

Michelle Gribble’s home at 55 Darri Rd, Wyongah, is a longstanding favourite with its myriad of fairy lights, snow machine and ginormous Christmas tree adorned with tinsel, baubles, bows, candy canes and crowning star. And you can meet Santa every Saturday night.

Whichever way you celebrate the festive season, we wish you: Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Happy New 2020 Year (a year for great vision).

HOLIDAYS & FURNISHED RENTALS

Property Showcase For more info, search the property name on our website.

The Rise Penthouse - Terrigal

Salt Deck - Avoca Beach

Luxury By The Sea - Ettalong Beach

Azure - North Avoca

Ocean Beach Pavilion - Umina Beach

Pearl Beach Villa - Pearl Beach

Find your Perfect escape!

Terrigal office: 02 4385 9564

Avoca Beach office: 02 4385 3860 Ettalong Beach office: 02 4344 6152 Follow us on instagram & facebook:

@accomholidays

A C C O M H O L I D AY S . C O M

HAPPENINGS • Christmas

CHRISTMAS HAPPENINGS

WORDS KATIE STOKES

GRAB YOUR CANDLES, SANTA HATS AND MINCE PIES, IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE THE SILLY SEASON! FROM CAROL EVENINGS TO FESTIVE MARKETS, WE’VE FOUND THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVENTS TO ATTEND THIS DECEMBER.

CHRISTMAS UNDER THE STARS With more than 15,000 people regularly attending, Mingara’s Christmas Under the Stars, sponsored by HIT101.3, is the Coast’s largest and most popular Christmas event.

A line up of TV favourites is taking to the stage this December, including 2019 winner of The Voice Diana Rouvas, former Hi-5 singer Nathan Foley and country singer Gina Jeffreys.

A Sesame Street show will excite little ones as will the evening fireworks and much-anticipated sighting of Saint Nic. Nikki Webster Dance and JB Dance will get the crowd bopping, and there will be a myriad of food stalls to keep the wolf from the door, including churros, gozleme, dumplings and crepes.

Mingara Regional Athletics Centre, Mingara Drive, Tumbi Umbi.

5.30pm to 9.30pm Sunday 22 December (gates open 4.30pm, fireworks 9.15pm).

Funds raised will go to the Salvation Army Oasis Youth Centre at Books In Homes.

Tickets available from Monday 2 December at mingara.com.au

CENTRAL COAST CAROLS The Star 104.5 Central Coast Carols are returning for their sixth year this December. Hosted by Star 104.5’s radio presenters Rabbit and Julie Goodwin, the carols have raised more than $140,000 for Cancer Council NSW since its first year, and all money raised stays on the Central Coast.

The Jitterbugs and Nikki Webster will be there to entertain the kids, Santa will swing by to wish everyone a merry Christmas and fireworks will close the celebrations at 9pm.

Central Coast Stadium, Gosford. 5pm to 9pm 20 December (gates open at 4pm).

All proceeds donated to Cancer Council NSW Central Coast.

More info and tickets: centralcoastcarols.com.au

62 COAST

Ettalong Beach Waterfront Reserve

Restaurant. Bar. Beach kiosk.

Fresh. Modern. Australian. e bookings@theboxonthewater.com p 4339 3369 www.theboxonthewater.com

61 Masons Parade Point Frederick Gosford Waterfront

Bringing the best cocktails, South American wines and a Latin American inspired menu to Gosford Waterfront e reserva@holafredericos.com p 4339 4067 www.holafredericos.com

HAPPENINGS • Christmas

CHRISTMAS LIGHT SHOW AND CAROLS IN THE PARK AT THE ENTRANCE The Entrance Foreshore will be lit by a very special light show this December. Festive tunes will ring out and large overhead panels that you can dance under will be lit with Christmas tales.

The light show will be held every evening throughout December.

On Christmas Eve, a free carols evening will be held at Memorial Park. Grab your glow sticks, picnic rugs, say hi to Santa and join in with local school choirs and bands as they lead you in song.

Waterfront Plaza, The Entrance. 30 November to 30 December 2019 (lights go on at 8.30pm each evening. Carols in the Park 6pm to 9pm 24 December at Memorial Park, The Entrance.

Free entry. centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/events

THE CHRISTMAS FAIR, MOUNT PENANG GARDENS The Christmas Fair is back at the Mount Penang Gardens for its 12th year. This annual fair, the largest on the Coast, boasts more than 175 quality stalls selling everything from Christmas puds and gingerbread houses to tees from local fashion house drøm, and handmade dolls from the crew at Mop and Dolly.

For kids there’s gingerbread decorating and Christmas ornament making, free face painting, Switcharoo Circus entertainers, lawn games, and of course, Santa meet and greets.

The German Grill Haus will be dishing out smoky BBQ kranskys, Umina’s Sounds on West will be shredding barbecued brisket, and Diego’s will be loading their famed donuts with the likes of M&Ms, Oreo cookies and hot fudge sauce. Of course, it wouldn’t be a party without the team from Six Strings. The boys from our local brew-house will be there too.

Mount Penang Gardens and Event Park Kariong. 9am to 2pm, 1 December.

Gold coin entry. fixxevents.com.au

OTHER FESTIVE FESTIVITIES If you want to shop local and handmade this Christmas, get along to one of these local markets: With more than 40 bespoke stalls, a kids playground and interactive arts zone, live music and a Six String Brewery Bar, The Avoca Twilight Market is a great place to get your Christmas shopping done.

7 December 5pm-9pm; www.fixxevents.com.au

Make a beeline to The Galleria to experience the inaugural Ettalong Christmas Markets. They’re promising boutique stalls, food, live music and Christmas Carol-oke — a karaoke singalong on the big screen.

21 December 10am to 6.30pm. facebook.com/galleriaettalongbeach/

64 COAST

NOW

UNT

ON

IL 2 T 6 HJ AN 202 0

ER H OV T I W NOW

GHT I L N

IO L L I 3M

Where the magic happens

Immerse yourself in a magical world of light at our biggest and most interactive Christmas Lights ever! Wind your way through spectacular new displays including our White Christmas Scene, romantic Lover’s Corner and more sparkly trees than ever before!

Plus, returning for 2020 the giant Walk-Through Bauble will be back as big and bright as ever, as well as all-time favourites, Candyland, Fairyland, the Princess Castle and more! Plus, the family will love our awesome rides!*

Visit hvg.com.au for details and online tickets.

Follow us on

Broke Road Pokolbin - Ph: 02 4998 4000 | Accommodation packages available

Admission charges apply. Program subject to change. Some activities may not open in adverse weather conditions and for unscheduled maintenance.

Terms and conditions of entry apply. *Rides are user pay and height restrictions apply.

WIN A CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SPECTACULAR FAMILY PASS!

FREE

READ

ER OF

Hunter Valley Gardens and COAST magazine are giving you the opportunity to win a Christmas Lights Family Pass for two adults and two children (4-15 years) valued at $99! Share with us your favourite Christmas memory in 25 words or less by emailing admin@coastpublishing.com.au.

The winner will be published in the next issue of COAST.

FER

Relatives and employees of Hunter Valley Gardens, Roche Group and COAST Publishing are ineligible to enter. Entries close 5pm 31st December. Entries will be judged by two members of the COAST Publishing management team. The prize cannot be exchanged or redeemed for cash. By entering, you agree that COAST Publishing my use your entry in the magazine in any promotional material for the magazine without incurring any fees. You undertake that, the words are yours and there is no impediment to COAST publishing the words and that the publishers will not be held liable for any breach of these terms and conditions. The prize includes entry to the Christmas Lights Spectacular event and displays. Any additional costs including rides passes, food and drinks, Santa photos or otherwise that are incurred at the event will be the responsibility of the attendee.

S

HAPPENINGS • Summer

HAPPENINGS ON THE COAST Cheers to Seasalt for their big win at the Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific’s Seasalt Restaurant has been crowned the 2019 NSW Regional Restaurant in a Hotel/Resort at the Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence amid tough competition from resort hotels throughout NSW. The restaurant was also a finalist in the Breakfast Restaurant Award.

‘It’s wonderful to be recognised at an industry level for doing what we love to do,’ says a beaming Ryan South, Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific’s general manager.

Seasalt Restaurant, Level 1 of Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific, Pine Tree Lane, Terrigal. terrigalpacific.crowneplaza.com/terrigal-restaurants/seasaltrestaurant-terrigal

Disability access map for Central Coast Now there’s a smartphone app for that! St Vincent de Paul Society’s Ability Links program has launched the Better Access Map for the Central Coast with hundreds of access points and useful information for people with physical, hearing, visual and sensory access needs, as well as being handy for parents with prams: accessible toilets, Braille, sensory-friendly spaces, doorway widths, sound levels, parking, seating, stairs or steps, and more. It

What's On

helps users get around as well as being able to select businesses and organisations that are access-friendly.

Download the Better Access Map app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store. Or visit map.betteraccessmap.com.au

Summer events on the Central Coast December to February Australian Reptile Park goes Prehistoric The Australian Reptile Park is going back to the prehistoric period these summer school holidays! A Velociraptor and a Tyrannosaurus rex are on the loose throughout the Park and the two species will take daily walks in which kids and adults are able to interact with prehistoric beasts.

With dinosaurs, special shows and a ‘Dino Dance Party’ (a treat for the little ones), there will be opportunities for young and old to get up close and personal with the dinosaurs (at their own risk!).

Young palaeontologists-at-heart will also be able to participate in their own fossil search in the popular ‘Dino Dig’.

WHERE Australian Reptile Park WHEN Summer school holidays MORE INFO www.reptilepark.com.au Ph: 02 4340 1022

66 COAST

T H E C LU B WITH THE S U N, SA N D & THE WATE R AT IT ’S D O O R STE P

E T TA L O N G D I G G E R S 5 1 - 52 Th e E s p l a n a d e, E t t a l o n g B e a c h 2 2 57 C L U B ( 02 ) 4 3 4 3 0 1 1 1 V I S I T O R I N F O R M A T I O N C E N T R E ( 02 ) 4 3 4 3 1 4 0 W W W. E T TA L O N G D I G G E R S . C O M

WHAT'S ON • Summer

2019 Archibald Prize — an Art Gallery of New South Wales Touring Exhibition

Jordan Richardson, 2019 Archibald Prize Exhibition

Awarded to the best painting of a notable Australian, the Archibald Prize is a who's who of Australian culture, from politicians to celebrities and from sporting heroes to artists.

Prestigious and controversial, the Archibald Prize is Australia's foremost portraiture prize.

In its 98th year, the Archibald Prize has been held annually since 1921.

WHERE Gosford Regional Gallery and Edogawa Commemorative Garden WHEN November to 15 January MORE INFO visitcentralcoast.com.au/events/2019-archibald-prize-15-Nov2019-to-12-Jan-2020

Bernstein's West Side Story and Ravel's Piano Concerto in G An afternoon of jazz classics, from 2.30pm. Tickets available online or can be purchased at the venue.

Classical turns jazzical. Swinging syncopation, wailing brass, the blues. The Sharks against the Jets. A tang of colours, bustling, brilliant, exuberant. Follies, Tonys and Broadway regards.

The concert starts with Bernstein's well known Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and then follows on to Ravel's Piano Concerto in G with soloist Gareth Szakos. Special guest artists from Palm Tree Studios.

The community orchestra is ably led by Dr Steven Stanke, director of music for the Royal Australian Navy.

WHERE Central Coast Grammar School WHEN Sunday 1 December MORE INFO visitcentralcoast.com.au/events/bernsteins-west-side-story -and-ravels-piano-concerto-in-g

New Years Eve celebrations Celebrate the New Year with fireworks and family-friendly fun at events on the Central Coast.

WHERE Gosford waterfront and at The Entrance WHEN Tuesday 31 December

Newcastle Permanent's Cinema Under the Stars — Central Coast A family-friendly evening under the stars! Pack a picnic, gather your friends and enjoy an incredible open-air screening of a family-favourite blockbuster, Toy Story 4! The event kicks off at 5.30pm with a fantastic line-up of exciting entertainment including local musicians, touring talent, circus workshops and kids activities before the movie screens at sundown.

Newcastle Permanent's Cinema Under the Stars is Australia’s largest regional outdoor cinema program.

WHERE Central Coast Leagues Club WHEN Saturday 18 January MORE INFO visitcentralcoast.com.au/events/newcastle-permanents-cinemaunder-the-stars-central-coast

68 COAST

ENJOY DELICIOUS MEALS MADE WITH FRESH, LOCAL PRODUCE AND BREATHTAKING VIEWS AT SEASALT RESTAURANT. For a dining experience with a difference, you can’t go past Seasalt Restaurant with spectacular views over Terrigal Beach.

Seasalt Restaurant is known for fresh seasonal menus with a coastal influence and is famous amongst locals for the buffet breakfast.

Award-winning chef Dana Chantler has created a menu to suit all tastes with favourites including the best-selling seafood platter, halloumi fries and a dessert share plate that makes lovers of sweets rejoice.

OPEN 7 DAYS FOR BREAKFAST AND DINNER | OPEN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FOR LUNCH First Floor, Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific, Pine Tree Lane, Terrigal W: terrigalpacific.crowneplaza.com P: (02) 4384 9133

/SeasaltRestaurantTerrigal

MARGARITA DAZE Umina’s beachfront social Set on the shores of Ocean Beach our indoor and outdoor spaces are perfect for casual get togethers and celebrations! A locals favourite with a friendly and informal atmosphere “Margies” offer an enticing cocktail and craft beer selection along with fresh seafood, pizzas, pub favourites and share options - something to keep the whole crew happy!

345 TRAFALGAR AVE. OCEAN BEACH, UMINA

4343 1044

margaritadaze.com.au

32 Mann Street Gosford (02) 43 255941

WHAT'S ON • Summer

Chalk the Walk Festival

WHERE Memorial Park, The Entrance WHEN 16 to 18 January MORE INFO visitcentralcoast.com.au/events/chalk-the-walk

Love Lanes, Wyong

PHOTO BY MITCH LEE AND SARAH-KATE MCALEER COURTESY OF CENTRAL COAST COUNCIL

The Chalk the Walk Festival during January School Holidays is a free three-day pavement painting event. Waterfront Plaza will turn into a museum of chalk art and there are opportunities for everyone to get involved. Local artists can register and create their own chalk art masterpieces or contribute to a group artwork, kids can create their own artwork, interactive opportunities and much more!

Love Lanes Festival Love Lanes Festival is an annual event held in Wyong in February, with a link to Valentine’s Day. It showcases Wyong in its best light with four lanes, four music stages and one park. Explore hidden gems, discover forgotten laneways. This one-day festival is a combination of colours, sounds and smells with the buzz, hype and vibe of an outdoor community street festival encompassing the theme of ‘Love’.

WHERE The Chapman Building, Wyong WHEN 8 February MORE INFO visitcentralcoast.com.au/events/the-chapman-building-lovelanes-festival

Dreamt of being a pilot? Then spread your ‘wings’ at the Central Coast Aero Club’s Try ’n Fly Day If you’re dreaming of flying for the fun of it or as a potential career, see whether flying is your thing at the introductory trial flights held all day on Saturday, 29 February. There are highly experienced instructors to show you the ropes and the trial flights will be heavily discounted on the day.

The Central Coast Aero Club has been training locals for over four decades and, while they’re pointing out the basics of flight to you, you’ll soar over stunning beaches and green valleys of our beautiful Central Coast.

Back on the ground, activities include a flight simulator, aviation experts to answer all your questions, activities for kids, and an all-day barbecue.

WHERE Warnervale Airport, 25 Jack Grant Ave Warnervale. ccac.com.au/ WHEN 29 February

70 COAST

HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

How much you move is a top predictor of healthy ageing, so why not make it a fun part of life.

LET ME BE QUITE FRANK, I ACTUALLY DISLIKE THE WORD ‘EXERCISE’. AS A LIFESTYLE MEDICINE PHYSICIAN, I FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTER GROANS AND EXCUSES WHEN I RECOMMEND ‘EXERCISE’.

ASIDE FROM THE SMALL MINORITY WHO THRIVE ON THE SWEAT AND ENDORPHIN RELEASE FROM RUNNING, PT SESSIONS OR BOOT CAMP, THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE STRUGGLE TO FIND MOTIVATION TO EXERCISE BEYOND THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS.

WORDS DR MICHELLE REISS

W

e all know that exercise is good and essential for weight control, stress release, mental health, heart health, etc. … the list of benefits is almost infinite.

Yet, it is usually the very last priority in many of our busy, timepoor schedules. Gym memberships are valuable but become expensive when the motivation starts wearing thin, and it is really difficult to muster up enough energy for the PT session when fatigue is the order of the day.

So … what would it take to make us all move more on a daily basis? How do we incorporate the 150 minutes of moderate intensity ‘exercise’ into our week as suggested by international guidelines? Is there a way that we can break down those barriers that block us from doing the best thing that determines our health as we age?

The answer lies in understanding how we form habits. We tend to think of a habit as an ‘action’, whether that is the chocolate after dinner or getting up early for a morning walk.

In reality, a habit is actually underpinned and solidified by the response or ‘reward’ created in our brains when we perform the action. Almost always, this response is a feeling of pleasure or satisfaction, mostly due to our dopamine pleasure centre igniting a spark. If the neurological pathways to a reward are fired up repeatedly, the action resulting in pleasure becomes a habit.

So it’s no wonder, that the majority of us who struggle to find the pleasure in exertion, also struggle to make exercise a longterm habit.

Here’s the secret. Forget about society’s idea of exercise. Let’s find what WE enjoy! Find what ignites our reward centres and gives us a sense of pleasure, satisfaction and achievement, and then … let’s do it often. Our rewards may lie in yoga, dancing, riding a horse, chasing our kids on the oval, riding our bikes,

72 COAST

hiking our beautiful bushwalks, group gym classes or ocean swimming. My goodness, our Coast has ample opportunities to find our ‘thing’.

We know that we ‘should’ move more, but why don’t we forget about the ‘should’ and make it a ‘want’ to move more.

We could soul-search a little and discover what it is that we enjoy, knowing that couch-surfing follows the path of least resistance and has never led anyone to achieve anything constructive.

We simply just need to give our activity a try, test the reward to see if it ignites our fancy, and then keep practising it until those new pathways in our brains are created. I reckon, for most people, the more the activity is linked to our beautiful natural environment, sharing it with friends or family, or just creating that ‘me-time’ of mindfulness, the more success we’ll have in releasing dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and all those other natural chemicals of pleasure.

It also really helps to include more incidental activity in our daily lives, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking further away from the front door of the shop, gardening or house cleaning — and to have a sense of pride and achievement in these activities too.

Ultimately, it will be the additional planned, dare I say it, ‘exercise’ for enjoyment, that will bring the lasting biological, psychological and social health benefits in our days, weeks and years.

I encourage you to find the activity you enjoy, make it pleasurable, and do it often!

Dr Michelle Reiss MBChB, LMCC, CCFP, FRACGP, FASLM Lifestyle Medicine Physician Lifestyle Medicine Centre, Tumbi Umbi

WORLD CLASS HEALTHCARE RIGHT HERE ON THE COAST

0010_AOTA

Surgical | Mental Health | Rehabilitation | Maternity

HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

Are you a Doctor-Dodger, a DIYer, or a Screening-Superstar?

I

t’s a truth universally acknowledged in medicine that men are ‘doctor-dodgers’, with one recent international studyi showing men are only half as likely as women to go to a doctor over a two-year-period. Topping the list of reasons are ‘too busy’, ‘too scared’, ‘don’t like prostate or rectal exams’ and ‘dislike of personal questions’.

But before we women pat ourselves on the back too much, Dr Mary Ling, a consultant breast and general surgeon here on the Central Coast, has found that women can be equally evasive when it comes to breast scans and DIY breast checks.

Yes, we all know we should regularly self-check, and go for that delightfully gentle and undoubtedly male-invented mammogram … but … it’s easier to stick our heads in the sand.

‘Nobody is immune,’ says Dr Ling. ‘And HRT is now thought to cause twice as many breast cancers as previouslyii. Add to that carrying too much body weight, and not getting enough exercise.

Even winding down with a bottle of Chardy after work wreaks a trail of cellular damage much worse than previously thought, with alcohol now linked to one in five breast cancers.’

OK, but do we really want to know we have inherited the ‘Angelina Jolie’ BRCA2 gene in the genetic lottery?

‘The good news is only a fraction of breast cancers result from the inherited gene,’ says Dr Ling.

The bad news is that, if you have it, you have an 87 percent chance of developing breast cancer, and probably without the Jolie benefit of great looks, naturally plump lips, and an ex-husband like Brad Pitt.

For some women (like Angelina Jolie), all this breast awarenessraising spurs them to action.

‘These are the “screening-superstars”,’ says Dr Ling. ‘They regularly self-examine and schedule the recommended biennial mammograms after they turn 50. Early breast cancer is 99 percent treatable, and 83 percent of women with breast cancer in Australia survive more than ten years.

74 COAST

‘40 percent of women with breast cancer discover their tumours themselves, so these simple routines can make a lifechanging difference. These days, being breast-aware simply means being familiar with the usual look and feel of your breasts, checking in the mirror when getting dressed to look for anything that may be different. Feel your breasts regularly in the shower or while lying in bed so that you recognise any changes.’

One question that’s frequently asked is the right way to examine breasts: ‘is it with my fingers moving up and down like a lawn mower, or round and round in circles?’

‘It really doesn’t matter,’ says Dr Ling. ‘As long as the entire breast is examined from collar bone, to below the bra line, to under the armpit.’

So, in the interests of early detection, let’s make a pact with ourselves, our sisters, girlfriends and work colleagues, to each become a DIYer and a screening-superstar today! And start thinking about where all our next ‘Big-0’ birthdays are going to be celebrated.

Dr Mary Ling BSc (Med) MBBS FRACS. i 2014 survey US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ii Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer, The Lancet, August 2019.

> We bulk bill the Medicare Child Dental Benefits Schedule > 5% Seniors Card discount > Zip Pay and Zip Money payment plans > Super Care superannuation finance services

OPEN 7 DAYS

including until 8pm Tuesday nights

40 YEARS LOCAL General Dentistry | Emergency Care | Orthodontics Cosmetic Dentistry | CEREC same-day ceramic restorations Oral Surgery | Dental Implants | Sleep Dentistry IV Sedation Facial Aesthetic Injections (anti-wrinkle & lip enhancement)

> New Patients comprehensive exam and hygiene appointment: No ‘gap’ payment with private health insurance, or $290 without. > 1 hour Philips Zoom! teeth whitening: $450, includes touch-up kit. > Free dental implant and orthodontic (braces & Invisalign) consultations. > Ask us about our other offers, including facial aesthetics packages.

Extra cost may be required depending on dental condition. Any invasive procedure carries risks.

www.vcdental.com.au | 02 4323 1933 | On-site parking Suite 10, 36-40 Victoria Street, East Gosford NSW 2250

HIGH QUALITY HEALTH CARE Keeping you and your family healthy and well 4 locations on the Central Coast

We are expanding and welcome enquiries from doctors and nursing staff considering a move to our beautiful Central Coast

Specialist rooms available for lease at Mariners Medical and Warnervale GP Superclinic Please direct enquiries to: beatrice.gill@warnervaledoctors.com.au

PEOPLE OF THE COAST • Lisa Gledhill

LISA GLEDHILL

F

or years now, valuable fur coats — mink, fox, sable, beaver and more — have ended up in landfill tips because it is not acceptable to wear coats made from the bodies of cute little animals killed for their pelts.

‘There is nothing remotely fashionable about the torture and death of animals killed for their fur,’ says Yvonne Taylor from PETA in the UK. And much as we support and endorse the stand against wearing animal fur, a deeply secret and guilty part of us knows the luxuriant feel of fur against our skin and how good it feels.

Enter Lisa Gledhill, who came across a program in the US that recycles fur into calming beds and pouches for sick and injured wildlife, as well as being used to line the nests of orphaned baby animals who like to burrow and snuggle into the soothing fur.

Lisa had studied for a Diploma of Feline Behaviour Science and Technology as well as a Diploma of Canine Behaviour Science and Technology, and is passionate about animal welfare.

She is also someone who likes sewing, and knew that the idea of giving fur back to animals was something she could do back home on the Central Coast. She called on second-hand fur shops and antique shops around the Coast, and spread the word among her friends for people to donate their fur coats, stoles, capes and hats.

Daughters who had been surreptitiously hiding mum’s old furs or grandma’s fox stoles in the cupboards for years because they

78 COAST

© PORTRAITS OF A PET

Giving our fur coats back to the animals who need them couldn’t bear to throw them out, were happy to donate their closeted furs to such a worthy cause. And Snuggle Coats was born.

Blue fox, mink, lapin, kangaroo, sable and even bear fur started to pile up in Lisa’s workshop.

‘People at last felt they were doing the right thing in donating their inherited furs to Snuggle Coats,’ says Lisa.

‘It can take seven hours to unpick a lined, craftsmanship fur coat that is often double stitched,’ she says. ‘Coats from the ’80s (often from China) tend to be much quicker to undo. And we recycle the buttons to a charity in Newcastle.’

‘Animals Australia came on board with the idea, Channel TEN’s The Project ran a segment and Featherdale Wildlife Park started to use the recycled coats to transport nervous Bilbies,’ says Lisa.

‘Devils@Cradle loved the idea for the Tasmanian Devil dens and used it for warmth as a pouch between the liner and knitted pouches they were using.’

A number of small zoos, such as the Halls Gap Zoo in Victoria, have also been using Snuggle Coats for their tamarin monkeys who love to do their own snuggling, washing and cleaning so that they put their scent on it.

‘The cheetahs were more likely to want to play tug-of-war with the coats,’ she says. ‘So they didn’t last long!’

‘Furs are not made for vigorous washing, but they can be handwashed,’ says Lisa. ‘The condition of the fur is not important, but sheepskin and fake furs are avoided in the program.

‘Ultimately, I would like to see charity shops, such as The Salvation Army, take a fur-free pledge and, instead of selling the furs to continue the cycle of fur-wearing, to donate them to Snuggle Coats. We’re not a commercial undertaking, we donate the fur beds to animal rescue groups, zoos, sanctuaries and wildlife parks,’ says Lisa.

‘Furs provide a more natural feel for the animals than towels or blankets and we have heard them sigh with pleasure as they snuggle into their fur bed for the first time.’

Snuggle Coats workshop at Bamboo Buddha, 221 Wattle Tree Rd, Holgate on 29 February 10.30 to 3pm. Bookings snugglecoats.org If you have a fur to donate, please contact Snuggle Coats at snugglecoats.org facebook.com/snugglecoats instagram.com/snugglecoats

© DEVILS@CRADLE

© JUDI GRAY

© JUDI GRAY

PEOPLE OF THE COAST • Lisa Gledhill

79

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT • Summer

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT ON THE COAST CABARET What’s New Pussycat Melissa Langton and Mark Jones specialise in recreating the vibe and sassiness of the 60s and 70s’ musical scene. They showcase hits by music icons such as Tom Jones, Burt Bacharach, Petula Clark, Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, Carole King, The Mamas and The Papas and, the legends of our time, The Beatles. Their performance energy and modest ticket price will keep you smiling long after you leave the theatre.

CAROLE KING'S TAPESTRY

BROOKE DOHERTY TAKES A LOOK AT WHAT’S GOING ON THIS SUMMER.

Wednesday 12 February, 11am. All tickets $20.

Bookings at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/theatres

© NICKI GILLIS

Laycock Street Theatre, 5 Laycock Street, North Gosford.

MUSIC

WHAT 'S

NEW P

USSYC AT

Carole King’s Tapestry: The Concert A prolific song-writer, Carole King’s compositions won fame not just for herself but for many other artists for whom she wrote hits: The Monkees, James Taylor, Marianne Faithful and Aretha Franklin. In this tribute, The Fabulous Nickettes present 45 minutes of King’s music.

Laycock Street Theatre, 5 Laycock Street, North Gosford.

Wednesday 11 March, 11am. All tickets $20.

Bookings at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/theatres

Beethoven: The Complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano The intrepid duo of Charmain Gadd and Philip Shovk showcase the breadth of Beethoven’s style including his Kreutzer and Spring compositions. Chill out with a glass of wine and enjoy this emotive musical journey.

Central Coast Conservatorium of Music, 45 Mann Street, Gosford. Sunday 5 January, 2.30pm. Entry is a $25 donation at the door. centralcoastconservatorium.com.au/concerts/

80 COAST

PHOENIX COLLECTIVE STRING QUARTET

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT • Summer

Phoenix Collective String Quartet: Intricate Machines

The Gosford Art Prize Retrospective

The dynamic performance of this talented group will again delight audiences with their intimate and captivating style. Featuring Steve Reich’s Different Trains, Hindson’s Industrial Night Music, ˘ Dvorák’s American and Arvo Pärt’s Fratres, the virtuosity of the players and acoustics are sure to inspire.

This retrospective of the 50-year history of the Gosford Art Prize embraces an array of styles and artists such as Mike Worrall, Peter Smeeth, Shigeo Shiga and Robin Norling. It features ceramics and paintings, consistent finalists and popular-choice winners, making for an artistically rich and thought-provoking afternoon.

Greenway Chapel, 460 Avoca Drive, Green Point.

16 February, 2.30pm. Tickets Adults $35, Conc. $28, Students $15, Family $86. Bookings at pcmusic.net Phone: 0402 544 016. phoenixcollective.com.au/

Gosford Regional Art Gallery, Webb Street, East Gosford.

25 January to 22 March. centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/galleries

ART Helen Geier: Through Two Decades

Gosford Regional Art Gallery, Webb Street, East Gosford.

18 January to 22 March. centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/galleries

HELEN GEIER

It was Sir Russell Drysdale himself who first awarded Helen Geier the ‘Best Painting by a Local Artist’ award back in 1970. Since that time, Geier has morphed into a celebrated national and international exhibitor, famed for her abstract and expressionist interpretation of landscapes through a distinctively cultural lens.

This fascinating exhibition of her works spanning 2000 to 2019 has been curated by Peter Haynes.

81

JUDITH LUCY

COMEDY Judith Lucy is single again … and 51 There’s nothing like a comic taking a satirical swipe at the dating game, especially when they’re intelligent, female and have ‘mileage’ on the odometer. Judith Lucy’s witticisms are refreshingly cathartic for those whom society deems to be devoid of desire – but who certainly aren’t!

The Art House, 19-21 Margaret Street, Wyong.

Friday 17 January 8pm.

Adults $49, Art House members $42.

Bookings at thearthousewyong.com.au

CHILDREN'S SHOWS 100 Ukuleles Under the clever guise of preparing for the protagonist’s school concert, over 100 ukuleles are distributed throughout the audience to create this colourful and interactive experience.

Kids learn introductory chords and musicality by participating in rounds, improvising and ensemble playing. It’s a fun, supportive and friendly environment.

The Art House, 19-21 Margaret Street, Wyong.

100 UKULELES

Friday 17 January, 11am and 2pm, Saturday 18 January, 11am.

Adults $20, Children $15, Family $62, Vacation Care $12.

Bookings at thearthousewyong.com.au

82 COAST

SNEAK

PEAK SNOW WHITE 2 M AY

FoRT 26 SEPTEMBER G I R L S O N TA P 19 SEPTEMBER THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAU L 2 9 A P R I L

See with emotion, feel in colour.

T H E G R U F FA LO ’ S CHILD 22 & 23 APRIL A N I M A L FA R M 1 & 2 SEPTEMBER

JAMES MORRISON QUINTET 3 OCTOBER

JUST Live!

11 SEPTEMBER

@laycockstreettheatre

BOX OFFICE 4323 3233 centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/theatres

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT • Summer

Storytime Ballet: The Nutcracker

Brass Monkeys

The magic of Christmas infuses these New Year performances with a wonderful introduction to dance by The Australian Ballet, where children in the audience are encouraged to dance and come dressed in their favourite ballet-inspired outfits. Toy soldiers, mischievous mice, the Sugar Plum Fairy and of course, the Nutcracker all come to life, aided by the narrator who encourages the young audience (aged three and up) to interact. It’s a beautiful family event.

Brass Monkeys is a great circus show for kids and their carers, chock-a-block with live music, acrobatics and a postperformance workshop with hulahooping and tumbling skills. Get ready to get active.

Laycock Street Theatre, 5 Laycock Street, North Gosford.

19-21 Margaret Street, Wyong.

Thursday 9 January, Friday 10 January, Saturday 11 January.

Performance 10am, workshop 12pm. Adults $20, Children $15, Family $62, Vacation Care $12.

Show plus workshop package $30 or workshop only $25.

Bookings at thearthousewyong.com.au

THE NUTCRACKER

Wednesday 8 January, 11am, 2pm and 4pm.

Thursday 9 January, 11am and 2pm.

All tickets $39.

Bookings at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/theatres

The Art House,

84 COAST

SUMMER 2020 CIRCUS | MUSIC | COMEDY E TH R FO IDS! K

BRASS MONKEYS 9 -11 JANUARY

THE UKULELE KIDS SHOW 17-18 JANUARY

E TH PS! R FO N U OW GR

JUDITH LUCY VS MEN 17 JANUARY @thearthousewyong

BOOKINGS THEARTHOUSEWYONG.COM.AU | 02 4335 1485 19-21 MARGARET ST, WYONG

GOSFORD REGIONAL GALLERY &

E D O G AW A C O M M E M O R AT I V E G A R D E N

16 NOVEMBER 2019 - 12 JANUARY 2020 Awarded to the best painting of a notable Australian, the Archibald Prize is a who’s who of Australian culture, from politicians to celebrities and from sporting heroes to artists.

Visit the exhibition to vote for your favourite portrait in the ANZ People’s Choice award.

Tickets • $7.50 / $5 Concession • Members free Check out our website for associated Archibald Prize public programs and events. centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/galleries

AN ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES TOURING EXHIBITION TOP LEFT: Tony Costa, Lindy Lee, oil on canvas, 182.5 x 152 cm. © the artist. Winner: Archibald Prize 2019. TOP RIGHT: Tessa MacKay, Through the looking glass, oil on linen, 210 x 330.5 cm. © the artist. Winner: Packing Room Prize 2019. BOTTOM: Jordan Richardson, Annabel, oil on aluminium composite panel, 76.5 x 63 cm. © the artist

M E D I A PA R T N E R

3 6 W E B B S T, E A S T G O S F O R D

|

TEL: 4304 7550

|

D A I LY 9 . 3 0 A M - 4 . 0 0 P M

CLASSES & COURSES • Summer

CLASSES AND COURSES WORDS BROOKE DOHERTY

RESIN AND POLYMER CLAY ART WORKSHOPS If you have a hankering to create your own unique resin bangles, earrings, coasters or resin and wood platters, look no further.

Gosford newcomers, Luna & Co, offer a range of courses for adults, corporate groups and children in this enduring and colourful art. They even hold customised workshops for individuals. Prices start at $120.

Luna & Co Designs, Alberts Line, 97a Donnison Street, Gosford.

Bookings at lunaandcodesigns.com

COCKTAIL-MAKING The allure of a fabulous cocktail is truly timeless: the Duchess of Windsor wowed her guests with her cocktail creations; the Sex in the City cast made Cosmos (more) famous. Now, the Pocket Bar at Terrigal offers private classes where you can hone your skills and bond with friends or colleagues over classic and house concoctions.

It’s certain to deliver more imagination and merriment than your average soiree!

Pocket Bar, 74 Terrigal Esplanade, Terrigal. Bookings: 02 4385 1050 or pocketterrigal.com.au Private classes from $99 pp.

LEARN TO SURF Whether you are an adult or child, individual or group, proficient board-rider, or seek a female-only class, if you want to ride waves or be better at what you do on them, Central Coast Surf Academy has the staff, know-how and courses to suit. Classes operate from Avoca, Terrigal, Wamberal, Macmasters and Copacabana beaches and supply basic equipment for beginners. They also teach ocean safety and beach awareness.

Central Coast Surf Academy. Bookings at centralcoastsurfacademy.com or 0426 277 742 Prices start at $55 pp. for a group lesson

87

CLASSES & COURSES • Summer

BOATING LICENCE, SEAMANSHIP AND MORE Marine Rescue NSW runs monthly training classes for boat licences.

They also run courses throughout the year in seamanship, inshore navigation, meteorology, safety, and radio operation. The courses are available to the general public, with dates and costs available online.

For people wanting to become volunteer members on the water, the courses are free of charge.

Contact Marine Rescue centre for more information.

(See contact details page 95.)

THE GROVE STUDIOS ACADEMY IS A FULLY ACCREDITED REGISTERED TRAINING ORGANISATION, OFFERING A UNIQUE HANDS ON LEARNING EXPERIENCE. Located in an operational world class recording studio, The Grove Studios Academy has had an overwhelming response in it’s inaugural year. The Grove Studios Academy offers Diploma’s and Advanced Diploma’s in CUASOU50815 Music Industry (Sound Production). Start your dream career today and learn from the industries best!

For more information email learn@thegrovestudios.com

286 MANGROVE RD SOMERSBY CENTRAL COAST

OPEN DAYS

AUGUST 31 & NOVEMBER 16

WWW.THEGROVESTUDIOSACADEMY.COM

RTO:45327

Resin Art & Jewellery Silver Jewellery - Candlemaking Decorative MacramĂŠ Wreath & Flower Crowns Creative Kids Workshops

lunaandcodesign The finest guest accommodation in the Yarramalong Valley

BOOK ONLINE & SAVE 20% USE CODE COAST20

ALBERTS LINE GOSFORD | VISIT LUNAANDCODESIGNS.COM FOR MORE INFO

Ravensdale Retreat is a signature property in the breathtaking Yarramalong Valley on the NSW Central Coast, conveniently located within 90 minutes from Sydney’s CBD and only 55 minutes from the Wahroonga M1 intersection.

Perfect for large groups of family or friends, corporate escapes, yoga retreats, wedding accommodation, signature events or milestone celebrations. Nestled within a 200 acre private valley the accommodation has been custom designed to host up to 15 guests.

524 Ravensdale Road, Ravensdale, NSW 2259 | 0477 010 010 For Reservations visit stays@huntervalleystays.com.au www.ravensdaleretreat.com.au

Join us Join usupstairs upstairsand anddiscover discover beautifullyhandcrafted handcraftedart, art, beautifully gifts, homewares & clothing. gifts, homewares & clothing.

albertsline.com.au

GREAT OUTDOORS • Popran National Park

GREAT OUTDOORS

POPRAN NATIONAL PARK’S © DOUG BECKERS

Emerald Oasis

WORDS KIM COLE

Emerald Pool

JUST OVER AN HOUR NORTH OF SYDNEY, ABOUT 56 KM UP THE M1, POPRAN NATIONAL PARK OFFERS THE ADVENTURER AN EXTENSIVE SELECTION OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING WALKING TRACKS, THE IRONBARK PICNIC AREA, GREAT SPOTS TO GO KAYAKING, MOUNTAIN BIKING, FISHING AND, SURPRISINGLY FOR A NATIONAL PARK, HORSE RIDING ON TWO TRAILS. The park is steeped in Aboriginal history and was home to the Dharug and Guringai people. Evidence of thousands of years of rich Aboriginal history is reflected in sandstone shelters, axegrinding grooves, and several hundred recorded sites of rock engravings. It’s one of the major reasons for its declaration as a National Park in 1994.

The 4,000 hectares of natural beauty nestled amongst valleys and lush rainforest act as an important wildlife corridor between the moister coastal sandstone of Brisbane Water National Park and the drier sandstone of Dharug National Park. Eighteen endangered or threatened animal species and over 450 plant species call the park home, including large populations of yellowtailed black cockatoos and masked owls.

The gateway to Popran National Park is the Ironbark Picnic Area. Many of the walking tracks branch off from this spot and it’s the only designated picnic area in the park. There’s a small

unsealed carpark but is only accessible by 4WD vehicles. The terrain from the parking area to the Ironbark Picnic Area is a bit brutal and we’d recommend that only experienced 4WD drivers attempt it, and to do so with caution. Visitors in 2WD vehicles will need to park and walk the last 600 metres to the picnic area.

There are several trails within the Popran National Park.

Both the Popran Creek (6 km return) and Ironbark Creek (3 km return) walks are along fire trails and have steep descents and ascents. Here you’ll see white cedars, and bird’s nest ferns and staghorns high in the canopy.

On arriving at the picnic area at the end of Ironbark Road, you can get straight on to the Mount Olive Trail which takes

91

Aboriginal axe-grinding grooves

in magnificent views of Glenworth Valley and the distant Hawkesbury River, and is open to horse riders and mountain bikers. 500 metres down the trail, a walking track leads 100 metres to the top of Mt Olive.

Opposite Mount Olive is the 248 Trail (4 km return), named after its height above sea level, also a popular horse riding and mountain biking trail. Here you’ll see more of the Aboriginal engravings, and quite different vegetation due to a volcanic pipe.

You will eventually come to a junction where you can choose to either continue left on the Mt Olive trail or take the right fork down to the Hominy Creek (5 km return, rated Grade 4) walking track, where a ‘hidden emerald jewel’ is just waiting for you to discover.

This picturesque trail makes a delightful detour as it passes through a variety of native vegetation and offers some great views along the way. The fern-laden tracks, majestic eucalypts and overall lushness of this habitat make it a perfect home to the endangered green and golden bell frog and the vulnerable redcrowned toadlet.

Although challenging in sections with its rough tracks, many obstacles and short steep hills, any fatigue rapidly abates as you look in awe at the abstract shapes of the massive Scribbly Gums, busy anthills and bright red termite nests.

92 COAST

© DOUG BECKERS

The Emerald Pool beckons all who approach, a photographer’s dream come true with its uninterrupted cascade of fresh, clear water onto a sandy bottom at the far end. Overhanging ferns, native flora and filtered sunlight only seem to enhance the emerald-green of this jewelled oasis. It is well worth taking some time to explore around the pool, have a swim in the clear water, or even picnic on one of the many rock shelves that edge the pool. A truly delightful trek.

The Popran National Park also boasts 4 km of Hawkesbury River foreshore so kayakers will thoroughly enjoy having a paddle in the serene waters or throwing a line in amongst the mangroves.

You’ll need to bring LOTS of drinking water as the Ironbark Picnic Area only has tank water for washing hands. It also has non-flush toilets. Study and plot out your day’s adventure as phone reception is either non-existent or drops out regularly. nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/hominy-creekwalking-track

© DOUG BECKERS

Hominy Creek and Hominy Track Junction

The Boatshed Bar & Cafe at Gosford Sailing Club offers members and guests the ultimate relaxed waterfront experience.

With its expansive timber deck that stretches out over Brisbane Water, The Boatshed serves up barista made coffee, delightful cakes and sweet treats, light bites, fresh local seafood, beautiful stone baked pizzas, and a great selection of beers, wines and spirits.

It is the perfect setting for cold beers with mates or a chilled glass of sparkling or refreshing cocktail with the girls. Enjoy the free live music every Saturday from 6pm and Sunday from 2pm, with some awesome local and visiting artists. The Boatshed can also cater for group bookings with a wide selection of catering options available.

For more information go to: www.gosfordsailingclub.com/the-boatshed-bar-cafe/ Gosford Sailing Club I Masons Parade Gosford PH: 02 4325 7216 I theboatshed@gossail.com.au OPEN: Wed 10am - 5pm Thurs 10am - 5pm Fri 10am - 10pm Sat 9am - 10pm Sun 9am - 7pm

Operating for more than 70 years

HIRE BOATS KAYAKS • SUPS • 7 days a week all year round • Boat hire fee includes fuel, safety gear, map, demo and fishing licence exemption.

• Bait, tackle, drinks and more available.

(02) 4341 3219 andersonsmarina.com.au

Petit St. Booker Bay

93

ON THE WATER • Marine Rescue

MARINE RESCUE

Your H.E.L.P. on the water MARINE RESCUE ON THE CENTRAL COAST IS BASED ON ALL OUR MAIN WATERWAYS — AT TUGGERAH LAKE, BRISBANE WATER, LAKE MACQUARIE, AS WELL AS NORAH HEAD AND TERRIGAL HAVEN ON THE OCEAN SIDE. IT IS ALL ABOUT SAVING LIVES ON THE WATER, IN PART THROUGH SEARCH AND RESCUE, AND ALSO AS ‘THE NRMA OF THE WATER’.

A

ll its personnel are volunteers, though well qualified. Tony Younglove, the commander at Tuggerah Lake is typical in many ways. He retired from the Navy and was looking for something worthwhile to do with his spare time. Marine Rescue NSW fitted with his qualifications perfectly but, even so, he was required to undertake further national accreditation training. That was eight years ago. Since then, Tony and his team have rescued countless stranded boaties.

‘A change in the weather can be bad, but the first of the warm weather is also a busy time,’ says Tony. ‘It’s our silly season. Boats that have not been used all winter, and have had fuel stagnating in them for months, are suddenly put back into action.’

‘Our lakes tend to be shallow with lots of sandbars, and rocks around the shorelines, and storms can bring on very rough conditions,’ says Tony’s colleague, Bob Sutton.

‘On Brisbane Water we have a jet ski that lets us get to the scene quickly or to reach boats in less accessible areas,’ says Mark Sheehan, the unit commander at Point Clare. ‘Marine Rescue teams can be called out at any hour of the day or night, 365 days a year.’

‘We’ve been out at 2.30am looking for a kayaker with no lights. That can be dangerous for both parties,’ says Bob. ‘Within 30 minutes of a call, we’ll have a boat out and the team on

94 COAST

board. We use navionics — electronic navigation — at night but you need to know the waterways really well.’

Bob has always had a boat licence but, when he moved up to the Coast after his daughter had twins and needed the grandparents nearby, he wanted to keep learning.

‘The Marine Rescue training is free, and for operational crew it covers firefighting, survival at sea, first aid, advanced resuscitation, seamanship, and search and rescue,’ Bob says. ‘So the first six months are pretty full-on. After that, we’re on call once a month.’

Marine Rescue is rewarding but, on the operational side, is not something for the faint-hearted.

‘We’ve been called to a gyro-copter crash, fishing boats sinking at sea, a jet-skier who scalped himself — he somehow rescued himself, we just had to find his jet-ski,’ says Bob. ‘We’ve also rescued kids drifting away from land in an inflatable swimming pool. They had no oars and were sunburnt and pretty scared.’

‘Ten crew members at Port Macquarie recently received an international bravery award for rescuing badly injured sailors from a motor cruiser far from shore, in the black of night,’ adds Tony.

‘One of the crew below deck had spinal injuries and the rescue team had to wait in the boat for the sea level to rise as the boat sank so he could be floated out.’

But it’s not all emergencies and long periods of training. Nonoperational volunteers who don’t go out on the water have a couple of weeks’ training before they’re rostered on, and are responsible for things like boat maintenance and interacting with the public in fund raisings.

Marine Rescue, based at Toukley and The Entrance, is also jointly responsible for the pelican feeding at The Entrance each day. It’s an opportunity for wildlife volunteers to help pelicans with fishing hooks or fishing line entanglements. They also supervise the national canoe races on the Wyong River. Once a year or so, they conduct new-for-old lifejackets and flares swaps in the interests of marine safety.

‘My favourite type of rescue,’ says Bob, ‘is one where everyone is doing the right thing. The boat may have broken down but everyone has lifejackets on and the anchor is out, and they have communication on board to call us.’

‘People can phone 000 because we’re linked through the emergency line,’ says Tony. ‘And Marine Rescue also has an app now that connects boaties directly to the Marine Rescue NSW radio centre. The app lets them know your latitude and longitude, and updates your position every 30 minutes. It’s also a handy reference for local tides, weather and sea conditions, as well as emergency call procedures.’

Marine Rescue welcomes donations through its website, and membership inquiries can be made through Marine Rescue NSW or direct to any of the local bases.

© MERRILLIE REDDEN

ON THE WATER • Marine Rescue

Marine Rescue NSW: marinerescuensw.com.au Tuggerah, Budgewoi, and Munmorah Lakes: mrtuggerahlakes.com.au Point Clare and Terrigal Haven: vmrcc.org.au Norah Head: marinerescuensw.com.au Lake Macquarie: marinerescuelakemacquarie.com.au

Bob Sutton and Tony Younglove

95

Pine Needles VILLAGE

When is a retirement village not a retirement village?

When it’s resort-style living with all the facilities that come with a holiday lifestyle. Pine Needles is set in over 16 hectares of landscaped gardens with a natural creek, cascades and pond, as well as a beautiful rose garden. The village is known for its sense of community and boasts a welcoming clubhouse with snooker and card rooms, library, and entertainment auditorium.

Recreational facilities include an outdoor solar-heated swimming pool, barbecue areas, tennis court, golf driving nets and putting green, croquet lawn, and a 3-rink bowling green.

Getting here, there and everywhere is easy with a short stroll to Erina Fair for shopping, medical centres, cafés, cinema, and public library. Terrigal Beach is a seven-minute drive away, and Gosford railway station is a 12-minute drive, or there are local bus and community transport stops right outside the village.

Pine Needles’ detached homes are all two-bedroom with gardens, and single or double garages.

It sounds like the biggest problem you’ll have as a home-owner is being spoilt for choice!

Pine Needles Village, 61 Karalta Road Erina pineneedles.com.au or phone 02 4365 1766.

96 COAST

A SUMMER BLAST!

The area abounds in marine life with whales,

Are you looking for an experience that escapes

Depending on your appetite for thrills, they can

the crowds? Terrigal Ocean Tours offers a range

turn up the adventure dial for a high speed blast

of small group adventures in a high performance

back to the Haven.

dolphins and seals frequenting the area.

ecotour vessel.

Take in the stunning scenery of our coastal

Visit our website for our full range

headlands and bays and learn about our unique

of tours www.TerrigalTours.com.au.

coastal environment from a qualified Marine

Enquiries please call 0449999868.

TER

RIGAL

Ocean Tours

Biologist.

“I cant believe that we have this on our doorstep!”

The Wildflower Place PLANTS

&

CAFÉ

We specialise in Australian Native Plants, Flowers and Giftware.

Subtropical Specialists Browse our extraordinary range of subtropical plants in the nursery, or just enjoy a tranquil, unique dining experience surrounded by lush subtropical vegetation.

4369 1422 I 9 Poole Close Empire Bay www.impactplants.com.au

Open 7 days a week 9am till 5pm.

453 Central Coast Hwy, Erina Heights Phone 02 4365 5510 Email twp@tpg.com.au Check us out on

Over 120 yrs combined staff experience in native plants and flowers.

Come and see us for personal advice.

GARDENS • Bateau Bay

98 COAST

GARDENS • Bateau Bay

OUTSIDE IN Behind the hedges of a Japanese garden IT’S RARE FOR A GARDEN AND A HOUSE TO BE INTIMATE HALVES OF THE SAME VISION BUT, IN BATEAU BAY, ONE GARDEN COMBINES SUBLIME CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE WITH A GARDEN CONCEPT TO MATCH.

WORDS PAUL URQUHART

PHOTOS LISA HAYMES

This courtyard garden is a serene space viewed from inside the house.

99

A passage to the orient

Susan Eastway

S

usan Eastway knew exactly what she wanted in both home and garden and, what’s more, knew how to achieve her vision. For her new home in Bateau Bay, Susan trawled through ideas until she found one that ticked the boxes. The proportions of her block made it seem unachievable but, never daunted, an architect friend saw it to fruition through much tweaking and refining.

The house is contemporary with a hint of Japanese aesthetic.

As Susan explained, ‘I wanted it to have the feeling of a day spa with a strong attachment to the outside. This meant the garden had almost to be part of the interior rooms.’

What makes this different is we see the gardens mostly from inside the house. The view from inside out creates a peaceful ambience, ensuring plants are as much part of the indoors as out. This house is like no other and the way it navigates between spacious interiors to generously glimpsed gardens is masterful.

The garden is viewed from every part of the interior of the house.

100 COAST

The building is constructed as a series of pavilions with courtyards intersecting the rooms. Each courtyard has a floor to ceiling window allowing light in and views out to serene gardens.

From the street, nothing gives away the secrets that lie beyond.

Existing plants, including a large formal double Camellia japonica ‘Nuccio’s Gem’ and a thriving NSW Christmas bush, were ‘repurposed’ and subjected to a touch of pruning that would render them suitable for the new Japanese-inspired garden.

Behind the hedges, a small, trained Japanese black pine and an assortment of strappy leafed plants and sacred bamboo were combined with a new Podocarpus or plum pine being trained in the Japanese tradition. This allows light to enter and to highlight the tree’s natural structure, something akin to a giant bonsai but in the ground, not in a pot.

Heading through the widely proportioned hallway, a feng shui bend in the passage blocks the view to the back so the vista is slowly revealed. It creates a sense of anticipation and then takes the breath away for there, at the end of the passage past shoji screens and two dramatic courtyards, is the back garden. In truth, this is as big as any suburban building site but clever design makes it seem so much bigger.

Expert advice For the garden, Susan sought the guidance of oriental landscape specialist, Ken Lamb of Imperial Garden and Hidden Orient. He is possibly best known to Coasties as the designer of the muchloved Edogawa Commemorative Garden at Gosford.

The build was quite complicated. Before the slab went down, the large feature boulders had to be positioned because they could not be retro-fitted once building commenced. Prior negotiation and consultation between designers — garden and architect — and between builders and landscape contractors was essential. u

GARDENS • Bateau Bay

A formal double white Camellia ‘Nuccio’s Gem’.

The contemporary design of the main hall offers a fine view of the front garden.

A secret garden Japanese gardens vary greatly in their appearances depending on the uses and space allowed. The Edogawa Garden is known as a ‘stroll garden’ and at 4,000 square metres, it is certainly possible to stroll and take in the views. Susan’s garden is much smaller and more akin to a Japanese tea house garden, an intimate space with a pavilion, water and maples. The paths are narrow but form part of the overall design. In adapting the design to an Australian ethos, rather than tea, there is small firepit and, what is now almost de rigeur in an Aussie backyard, the outdoor living room or gazebo.

As astute interior designers know, sometimes ‘more is less’ and, by adding layers of design, a richer more refined tapestry emerges. Even minimalist interiors are carefully layered. And it is the same with the rear garden. Dominating the view are trees, Japanese maples and crepe myrtles allowed to grow to form a shady canopy for summer. In winter they are bare of leaves, allowing sun to penetrate.

A small pond with lantern and bamboo fountain line the path to the gazebo.

PLANTING IDEAS FOR A JAPANESE STYLED GARDEN • Use shade-tolerant plants under trees in summer.

Mondo grass, acorus and ardisia will thrive in the milder sunlight in the cooler months.

• Water is key to any Japanese garden. Shapely rocks also represent mountains and Ken Lamb’s design includes both. A small pond with submerged rocks offering protection to goldfish (not koi here, the space would not allow them) and a bamboo pole spilling water into a moss-encrusted urn, add to the illusion of the Japanese garden.

• Don’t leave open patches of soil. Mondo grass is a useful and attractive ground cover for shade, smothering weeds and keeping a manicured look.

• Use low mounds and avoid levelling soil, then drape with a lovely South American groundcover called Spanish shawl. In sun, it blooms in spring with ten-cent sized cerise flowers mimicking the impact of azaleas in a garden in Japan but without azaleas’ diseases.

• Colour is fleeting and ephemeral in a Japanese garden.

Green is dominant though maples bring their brilliant flushes in spring and again in autumn; camellias flower amongst a background of deep green foliage.

• Rarely will shrubs will be completely covered with blooms. Kerria, forsythia, may bush and hydrangeas do, but use them judiciously in the Japanese style. Don’t mix too many together. A little goes a long way.

101

Accountants who are big enough to trust, yet small enough to care

OPEN 7 DAYS 35 YEARS LOCAL From preventative care to complete smile makeovers, we provide your whole family with ‘care for life’ Sleep Dentistry IV Sedation for nervous patients

4325 5530

I

202 The Entrance Rd, Erina

absoluteaccountingservices.com.au

102 COAST

vcdental.com.au 02 4323 1933

Grevillea

Bespoke jewellery Designed & handcrafted on site Engagement & wedding ring specialist Full jewellery repair service

Shop 1 1a Campbell Crescent Terrigal, NSW. 2260 4300 9148 www.ellisjewellers.com.au

Jade and Alex

An elopement for the whole family WORDS SARAH TOLMIE

O

nce upon a time, when a couple eloped it was a secret and often small affair, but where’s the fun in that? The true heart of a wedding is sharing it with family and friends. The idea of elopement might be appealing for its ease, speed and affordability but, for Jade and Alex, the thought of doing it alone, was inconceivable.

‘Elopement’ means not telling your parents you are getting married, but in this case, Jade and Alex were the parents to their two daughters, Navayah (8) and Laila (6). It would have been impossible not to include them, or even to keep such an exciting secret to themselves.

Jade and Alex met young, at the age of 17, and were engaged by the time they were 20 when love was exciting and life was busy. Plans for a wedding collided with their busy lives and soon their two gorgeous girls joined the growing family, and their efforts were directed towards building careers and building a home.

Before they really realised, Jade and Alex’s relationship had clocked over into double-digit years. Engaged from before the girls were born, it seemed their daughters had dreamt of a wedding day as much as their mum and dad — not to mention the excitement of being flower girls.

The thought of planning and saving for a dream wedding felt overwhelming until a friend told them of a stunning bespoke wedding venue that was introducing ‘elopement packages’ for smaller, mid-week weddings.

That venue was Kangy Gardens which, for owners Sue and Phil,

104 COAST

had been their little ‘slice of heaven’ and a labour of love to turn their property into a series of boutique-crafted garden areas in the lush semi-rural hamlet of Kangy Angy.

Jade and Alex’s dream wedding suddenly became more real and, in quick time, they embarked on preparing for an ‘elopement’ that could include 35 of their family and closest friends in a weekday micro-wedding that was definitely not the spur-of-the-moment and hushed endeavour of old.

Their special day took place on a sunny Tuesday, with Kangy Gardens awash with colour, and the ceremony set within the rustic charm and eclectic surrounds of one of the garden areas.

‘The girls were so excited they literally ran down the aisle to join their dad as I walked down the aisle with my father,’ says Jade.

Celebrant Gabrielle delivered a simple yet romantic service which included Jade and Alex’s personalised vows where they managed to surprise each other with moments of laughter and hilarity that cut through the big feelings and intensity of the moment.

‘Alex and I have a healthy relationship and we never take things too seriously; we’re always having a joke with each other,’ says Jade.

Among the declarations of dedication and love to each other and their girls, Jade slipped in the lines, ‘I promise to be forgiving and apologise when I am wrong, although we know that’s not very often. And I promise to always listen to your advice and occasionally take it.’ u

HEADING • Subhead

105

ELEGANT . LUXURIOUS . RUSTIC . ROMANTIC

SPRINGS WEDDINGS P E AT S R I D G E Escape to the ultimate wedding experience at The Springs in the hinterland of The Central Coast.

The 125 acre bushland property provides the perfect backdrop for your ceremony and wedding photos.

From intimate to extravagant weddings, the elegant designer space is the perfect choice for your special day.

With a capacity to hold up to 350 guests and an Executive Chef to cater to any dietary and religious requirements, The Springs is the ideal choice to celebrate your Cultural Wedding day.

Surrounded by the local farms, Executive Chef Dan has access to fresh and fabulous produce to inspire his creative wedding menus. From the farm to plate travelling bites, sit

down dinners, grazing stations and rustic share plates, The Springs delivers the ultimate wedding food experience. We offer a perfectly paired beverage package to match Chef Dan’s organic menu, with boutique, organic local wines and a selection of craft beers.

Our seasonal and bush inspired cocktails add that extra touch to your Springs wedding day.

With our very own stylist and in-house wedding team, The Springs offers you a personal service from the beginning to the very end.

Indulge yourself. Springs Weddings in the hinterland at Peats Ridge.

FOLLOW US thespringspeatsridge thesprings thespringsweddings

(02) 4373 1522 1 0 8 0 P E AT S R I D G E R OA D W W W. T H E - S P R I N G S . C O M . A U

Alex got his own back with this reply, ‘I promise to always laugh with you but, more importantly, laugh at you. I promise to always put your needs before my own, even if that means watching Married at First Sight instead of the footy.’

After waiting so long, most important to Jade and Alex was simply to be married, and that they could make their important commitment to each other and their girls, and share it with those who had been there to support them along the way.

While their photographer Jodie explored every angle of the garden niches and creative inspirations within the grounds’ twists and turns with the newlyweds, Jade and Alex’s guests enjoyed the full roam of the gardens, spilling out into sunshine-filled pockets and feasting on an overflowing grazing table and canapes.

‘We were more than ready to be married. We felt we’d lived as husband and wife for a long time already and it wasn’t about creating a massive change in our lives. We loved our wedding day, it was so easy and natural. It just flowed and it seemed like we just needed to turn up and enjoy the day,’ says Jade.

‘It was our daughters’ wedding as much as ours. We were celebrating our family. Later in the afternoon during our photo sessions it was still impossible to contain the girls’ joy and excitement. It didn’t even matter when they ran through a wet muddy patch of the garden edge, we were all just so happy and full with the love.’

Venue and catering: Kangy Gardens Photographer: Jodie Reardon Photography Celebrant: Gabrielle Streater Dress: Brides to B, Somersby Hair and makeup: Silk Hair Bar Flowers: Lauren Alyce Floral Design

107

Welcome

h

to your premium garden wedding destination

Somersby Gardens Estate is like no other wedding venue on the Central Coast‌ it is a truly magnificent wedding destination. The completely secluded 50 acre property offers unparalleled privacy in a spectacular native bush setting, within a leisurely hours drive north of Sydney or south of Newcastle.

your wedding is planned to perfection, so that the most important day of your life is spectacular and stress free.

We work closely with you so that your dream wedding in our beautiful gardens is superb.

The estate offers several locations for your wedding ceremony, reception and photographs.

This privately owned estate is vast, offering several picture-perfect locations for your ceremony, reception and wedding photography. From the horseshoe bridge leading to a timber arbour adorned with a crystal chandelier, to the intimate Wisteria Amphitheatre or the expansive Garden Green - we can cater for small or large weddings, special events and corporate retreats.

At Somersby Gardens we ensure that every detail of

www.somersbygardens.com.au

WEDDINGS • Profile

WEDDINGS • Profile

Love is sweet

FOR CHILDHOOD SWEETHEARTS Lauren and Dennis

WORDS SARAH TOLMIE

109

WEDDINGS • Profile

I

t was August 2006 when Dennis first asked Lauren to be his girlfriend. He handed her a gumnut he had picked from the ground to mark the occasion (Lauren still has that little gumnut).

Thirteen years later, they planned an outside ceremony for their wedding day, and on that day an almighty wind was blowing, with gumnuts cascading from the surrounding trees. Celebrant, Sarah Tolmie, explained to the gathering guests, ‘when the wind blows, it’s all the ancestors arriving for ceremony too.’

Fortunately, the ceremony space was in a protected garden corner with a lakeside aspect, snuggled away from the bustle of the ‘arriving ancestors’.

‘After being together so long, people asked us why we needed to get married, because in many ways it doesn’t change anything,’ says Lauren. ‘But it wasn’t about changing things, it’s about celebrating our love and creating our family. I really loved how our celebrant expressed this in our ceremony. She said, “if nothing changes, allow only this to change: that your love simply becomes even bigger, better, deeper and stronger.” The vows we said were our promise to continue to evolve and transform our life and love together.’

Dennis promised to love Lauren’s OCD and shopping quirks.

Lauren promised to continue to support Dennis’s gaming and football passions.

‘I can tell that Dennis just wants me to be happy and he will do whatever he can to make this happen,’ says Lauren. ‘He rarely says no to my crazy ideas if he knows it will make me happy. And he cares so much about our families and friends too. Dennis is (generally) pretty patient, especially when his handyman skills are required. He makes me feel comfortable, safe and loved. I can tell him anything, and he won’t judge (most of the time!).’

After years of being called ‘Little Loz’ — with good things coming in small packages — the best moment was being announced as Mr and Mrs Little when Lauren could finally step into a better version of that name and become, ‘Loz Little’.

When you have already spent almost half your life together, and share a tightly integrated family and friendship group, it was the little things and the simple moments that mattered when it came to organising their wedding. They didn’t need big statements or a large wedding, just all their family and friends in one place for a relaxed and fun celebration.

Lauren and Dennis are Coast locals but have lived and worked in Sydney for many years, so the biggest decision was how to bring their family and friends together in one place.

They chose to have both their ceremony and reception at Pullman Magenta Shores, a five-star resort nestled between Tuggerah Lake, Wyrrabalong National Park and the ocean. The surrounding lush greens and nearby beach landscape offered a spectacular and dramatic backdrop for their photos. It also meant their guests could stay at the resort, and all the before-and-after wedding activities flowed easily into the wedding day and into a relaxed, love-filled weekend.

110 COAST

‘It was the best feeling to see everyone as happy as we were,’ says Dennis. ‘Lauren is that type of person where she will always try to be the first one there for her family when she is needed.

I love her independence too. She is the organised one, and always has things planned. I love Lauren’s kindness, and knowing she will do anything for me.’

Ceremony and reception: Pullman Magenta Shores Resort Photographer: Lisa Lent Photography Celebrant: Sarah Tolmie Life & Love Celebrations Bridal Dress: Shazzam Hair and makeup: Nicole Parker, Final Touch Bridal Flowers and styling: GG Events Music: DJ Magoos

Inspired by the great winemaking traditions of Europe, Iron Gate Estate is a boutique, family-run winery in Pokolbin, producing unique, handcrafted wines that capture the true essence of the Hunter Valley.

Open 7 days 10am 4pm Corner of Ingles Lane & Oakey Creek Rd Pokolbin 2320 Phone 4998 6570 IronGateEstate.com

FERNBANK FARM

H E AV E N O N E A R T H

www.bellaphotoart.com.au

A

TIMELESS UNIQUE WEDDING RENDEZVOUS Imagine a place that is simply heaven on earth.

A moment in time, Where there is no time.

A pause. A heartbeat.

A secluded rendezvous where family is united, friendships strengthened And the golden threads of two become one.

In the Yarramalong Valley NSW. Let’s talk about your day I 0414 541 901 I fernbankfarmweddings.com.au

ONCE UPON A TIME • The Entrance

ONCE UPON A TIME AT THE ENTRANCE

Main street, 1934.

T

he area was stumbled across by Europeans, though not as a holiday destination, in 1796 when a posse arrived to look for the escaped convict woman, Mary Morgan, a ‘wild and wanton’ woman who was transported to Australia not once, but twice. She was said to be living in an Aboriginal community somewhere north of the Hawkesbury River (a big area) but was, in fact, much further away, having secretly absconded aboard a ship back to London.

Some years later, in 1820, Brisbane Water Magistrate, Willoughby Bean, bought a three square-mile property from the Crown that stretched from The Entrance to Long Jetty, ‘the size of London’. It changed hands several times before being bought by the Taylors in 1854.

Free settler, Henry Holden, was promised 259 hectares of land in 1828, stipulated as being from Tuggerah Lake down to Toowoon Bay (much to the objection of Magistrate Bean who already ran cattle in the area and thought there wasn’t enough land to go around to share with a newcomer). Holden called his property Towoon. It was to change hands in 1835, and in 1850, again to the Taylor family, and became known locally as Tuggerah Beach.

114 COAST

The general area remained known as Karagi until 1911 when it was changed to The Entrance.

The Taylors were among the first to open guesthouses for holiday-makers after the Sydney to Newcastle railway line opened in 1889, even though the road from Gosford was no more than a bush track, and the trip from Wyong entailed a ferry ride. The Taylors were soon operating four guesthouses, including Bayview (the first to open) and Pinehurst (by far the largest).

In 1920, when the township was first subdivided, more holiday houses quickly sprang up, and 15 guesthouses were soon operating, including the exclusive Lakeside built by another Taylor family member.

The Heritage Walk you can follow today takes in many of these sites.

The Taylors operated a ferry service and donated land for schools, churches, community halls and a large camping ground to take the vast overflow of holiday-makers who were turning The Entrance into a tent city each summer.

The bush track from Gosford finally became a road in 1922, followed by a two-lane wooden bridge over The Entrance Channel in 1934 (replaced by the concrete bridge in 1968 after

COURTESY CENTRAL COAST COUNCIL

THE BEAUTY OF THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE AROUND THE ENTRANCE EARLY ON CONFIRMED THE AREA AS A POPULAR BEACHSIDE AND LAKESIDE HOLIDAY AND FISHING LOCATION FOR TOURISTS. IN SOME WAYS, IT CAN BE SAID THE AREA HAS HELD ONTO ITS FEELING OF ‘YESTERYEAR’, AND A CASUAL VISITOR MIGHT GET THE IMPRESSION IT HAS BEEN AROUND FOREVER … AND IT HAS, AT LEAST SINCE THE LAST ICE AGE. THE INDIGENOUS INHABITANTS REFERRED TO THE REEF WHERE THE SEA ENTERS TUGGERAH LAKE AS KARAGI, MEANING ‘THE WAY IN’ OR ‘THE ENTRANCE’.

ONCE UPON A TIME • The Entrance

bits of the old bridge kept diving into the water).

Among the many frequent holiday-makers to the area over several decades was the renowned photographer, Max Dupain — as his photographic collections testify.

One of the local attractions around The Entrance waterfront is the large number of pelicans, which have even developed a breeding colony around Tuggerah Lake. Realising they could get a free feed at Clifford’s Fish and Chips shop each day, they began turning up in growing numbers, until the Council built a feeding platform at Pelican Plaza in 1996, making The Entrance the ‘Pelican Capital of Australia’. It remains a highly popular attraction for visitors, with pelican feeding at 3.30pm every day of the year.

Less than a couple of wing-flaps away is the National Trustlisted carousel that was trucked up to The Entrance each summer, staying until Easter. But, in the 1950s, the truck carrying it broke down and the owner was forced to sell his heavy load in order to pay for his truck repair. Today, the heritage carousel — built in Germany in the late 1800s — has been carefully restored by its present owners, the Haas family. It remains a popular link to

Pelican feeding time.

The Entrance of old for grandparents and parents who now bring their grandchildren and children to experience this waterfront pastime. visitcentralcoast.com.au

The heritage carousel.

'The entrance,' where ocean and lake meet.

© GRACE BARUS

Sources: The Entrance Long Ago, McClure AM, 1978 A Historical Tour of The Entrance, The Entrance and District Historical Society, Strom Collection, 1968 Gosford/Wyong History & Heritage extract, Strom Collection, 1982 Environmental Education at The Entrance, Strom Collection, undated Thanks to Lyn Webster for her kind assistance. theentrance.org.au, sighted 14-10-19

115

DAVE RUMSEY

r e i th u L w o r a s i L e Th

HAD THERE BEEN NO CYCLONE KATRINA IN 2005, A YOUNG NEW ORLEANS GUITARIST, DAVE RUMSEY, MIGHT STILL BE IN A RECORDING STUDIO OR ON THE ROAD WITH HIS BAND, EARTHSUIT. AND HE MIGHT NEVER HAVE BECOME THE LISAROW LUTHIER. WORDS SUZY JARRATT

116 COAST

ARTISANS OF THE COAST • Dave Rumsey ‘We’d just done a gig and there were reports big rains were coming,’ recalled Dave. ‘We decided to put all our instruments in my friend’s office. The storm hit on Sunday, the levees broke and there was catastrophic flooding.’

The band’s Hammond organ, its Fender Rhodes electric piano, guitars and a whole bunch of amps were ruined.

‘Instead of spending thousands on factory-made guitars to replace my collection I decided to make my own,’ says Dave.

His journey into lutherie began. As well as custom-building his own brand of instruments in New Orleans he serviced guitars and amplifiers, and provided technical advice to fellow musicians.

‘There’s a balance of structure and weight along with tonal properties that rules out most common timbers as guitar wood.

It needs to be light but it also needs to be dense enough to produce resonance and sustain notes that sing out of the instrument. There’s roughly 50 kg of tension from the strings pulling constantly at the neck, so it has to be able to hold that tension indefinitely.

‘I like to use Australian timbers. Queensland Maple is very light and has an interlocking grain pattern that produces a brighter tone. Blackwood is a little heavier with solid grain patterns and produces a richer and more full-bodied tone with more defined bass frequencies and longer sustain. It’s also is a very striking timber visually.’

Dave left New Orleans to settle on the Central Coast with his wife, Rebecca, a fitness instructor, and two sons Levi, eight, and 11-year-old Evan.

‘I met Rebecca, who comes from Woy Woy, when she was visiting New Orleans with friends. We had a long-distance relationship before marrying here on Killcare Beach. We returned to America for a while and then came back in 2011.

‘She’s a great singer but never performed professionally. The children have musical minds and they each have a guitar, but I don’t want to push them into it.’

‘My grandpa bought my first guitar for me from a toy store when I was eight; it had a picture of Roy Rogers' Trigger on it, and nylon strings. The first one I actually made was from a cigar box. Because I tend to go all out on details, the one I built wasn’t quite as primitive as the average cigar box guitar.

‘Later, I built a couple of replicas just for fun. One was a 1961 Telecaster. It’s interesting to note that Leo Fender, its inventor, was formerly a radio repair man and he never knew how to play a guitar, whereas most luthiers start off as musicians.’

Dave is content not being on the road anymore, but being at home creating, designing and mending all kinds of stringed instruments. When COAST visited he was painstakingly bringing a dilapidated violin back to life, while a double bass leant against the wall awaiting his gentle touch.

Like violins, guitars do improve with age.

‘The vibrations from the strings over years of playing mean the wood fibres loosen up and become more resonant, giving a more warm and open sound,’ he says. ‘The open pores of the timber also soak up oils, grease, dirt, etc. from many years of sweaty fingers and environmental contaminates. That changes how the wood responds to the vibrations of the strings.’

Avoca guitar.

Some of the most complex repairs Dave has had to do over the years have involved older instruments with significant damage and needing major restoration.

‘Few guitars that need repairs have been deliberately trashed these days. It’s no longer fashionable for rock stars to destroy their instruments on stage.’

Dave, who respects and values instruments, has been designing his own brand of guitars for several years and selects the wood from a specialist Marrickville supplier.

He indicates a couple of prototypes hanging on the wall.

‘I designed these from scratch. The brown one’s named ‘Acadia’, after the deep south of Louisiana, which is where I’m from; the blue and white one is ‘Avoca’, because of where I now live. A most beautiful area with fantastic beaches and a wonderful, affordable lifestyle. A great place to be.

‘There’s no reason for me to build a copy of a guitar that’s been built the same way for 50 plus years, there are plenty of those out there. My designs are meant to take the best parts of all those guitars, add some new ideas, make it comfortable to play, and versatile enough to be your only guitar to take to a gig.’

Some day, perhaps in 50 or 100 years, a young luthier will be pulling Dave’s guitars apart and wondering at the resonance, tone and warmth of these hallowed vintage guitars. centralcoastguitars.com.au

117

WINE • Hunter Valley

BRYAN CURRIE, Hungerford Hill A sense of history

WORDS CATHARINE RETTER

H

ow does a palaeontologist credited with being one of the scientists who, in 1997, discovered the first stem tetrapod fossil from Gondwana — Ossinodus pueri a four-footed link in the evolutionary chain between sea and land creatures — end up being a wine judge and award winning winemaker in the Hunter Valley?

‘I needed a break from academic life and studying,’ admits Bryan Currie. ‘So I took some time out working in vineyards and got a traineeship with the Pilosio family. I loved the vineyard work, and the scientific side, and how grapevines respond to different soils. I found I loved the connection between farming and making wine — being in the vineyard and making something tangible. After that, McWilliams took me on, first as a casual, then full time after vintage.’

Bryan credits the straight-talking Russell Cody and Martin ‘are-we-having-fun-yet’ Cooper at McWilliams with much of what he learnt about making wines.

Along the way, he couldn’t avoid more study at Charles Sturt University doing a wine degree where he found his chemistry, geology and biology studies as a palaeontologist stood him in good stead.

The Calabria family, who ran a small winery in Griffith, had enough faith in Bryan to make him their winemaker.

‘You learn the fundamentals of winemaking at university, but you really only learn how to make good wine by making wines, u

118 COAST

WINE • Hunter Valley

learning from your mistakes, and listening and watching good winemakers.

‘As a 25-year-old winemaker at Calabria, I was on my own,’ continues Bryan. ‘They put an amazing amount of trust in me.

And yes, I made mistakes, but luckily only small ones that I could recover from — nothing large, or I would have been out on my ear!’

‘Every vintage is different. The temperatures, rainfall, sunny days, they all mean the grapes are slightly different each year.

Grapes are very fragile, especially when close to being ripe so it’s very much a creative process plus science, all linked back to the vineyard.

‘That’s formed the basis for my philosophy about winemaking: to express the vineyard in each and every wine.’

Bryan moved to Hungerford Hill in 2016 as their senior winemaker and general manager responsible for winemaking in three very different winegrowing regions.

The Hunter Valley is ‘coastal’, and warm to hot so the growing season is shorter with the grapes ripening more quickly, and the humidity means the fruit needs to be picked quickly.

‘We have medium-bodied wines at Hungerford Hill, which allow the fruit to dominate and it makes them very approachable wines,’ says Bryan. ‘One of the reasons Semillon has always been popular in the Hunter is that, as a fast ripener, it can be harvested before the weather starts to interfere. Shiraz and Chardonnays are also good in warm to hot climate regions.’

Hilltops, an hour north-west of Canberra, is cool, dry and elevated with slightly cooler summers and cool nights, which means longer ripening.

‘Reds grow well here,’ says Bryan. ‘Cabernet, Shiraz and Tempranillo do really well for us, with many emerging red varieties like Graciano, Sangiovese and Corvina as well.’

The third region, Tumbarumba near Canberra, is considered a cold climate region, 700 to 800 metres above sea level on the western slopes of the Snowy Mountains.

120 COAST

‘Red grapes such as Shiraz and Cabernet can’t ripen well in this climate, so the emphasis is on sparkling and white wines, along with Pinot red wines. Chardonnay is the star — Tumba Chardonnay is simply at the very top of the quality tree for great Aussie Chardonnay.’

Although Australia’s wine regions are well spread across the continent, wine grapes are not indigenous to Australia (they originated in the Caucasus and around Mesopotamia) with all the modern varieties cultivated to suit the climates where they are grown.

‘In nature, there was no such thing as white grapes and Pinot Noir is probably the closest thing to the ancient grape variety,’ says Bryan. ‘Southern Italian grapes tend to be well-suited to warm Australian climates, with cool climate grapes such as Nebbiolo from the northern regions,’ says Bryan. ‘And Spanish grapes such as Grenache and Tempranillo are increasingly popular too.

‘Australia has tried to breed its own grape varieties. McWilliams owns the Tyrian grape variety, and Brown Bros has the Ciena, both developed by the CSIRO, but they are usually blended with varieties that people feel more familiar with. Merlot first combined with Cabernet. The Spanish Graciano is still blended with Tempranillo to get people used to it.’

Hungerford Hill, owned by Sam Arnaout since 2016, also has roots deep in Australia’s history through its purchase of the old Dalwood Estate near Branxton in 2017.

‘It’s considered the birthplace of Australian wine with the original vines purchased from the cuttings of the first Australian vine collections of Macarthur, Busby, Shepherd and Blaxland, says Bryan.

The land was first bought by George Wyndham at auction in Sydney in 1828 (he then had to travel upriver by boat to get to his land, there were no connecting roads) and is said to be the oldest commercial vineyard in Australia. It was bought by Penfolds in 1904, then by Perc McGuigan, and eventually became the foundation of the Wyndham Estate. Then, in 1990, French owners, Pernod Ricard, replanted the entire vineyard.

The vineyard is isolated from most other Hunter Valley vineyards, with vines grown on the river flats where the microclimate is cooler and soils range from river sand to gravelly.

‘The wines are distinctly different,’ says Bryan. ‘Softer and slightly lighter-bodied, with a very pretty fruit character. The whites and reds are more like the traditional Hunter River Burgundy-style wines’.

The first wines were released 18 months ago, after having been out of the market as a wine brand for 50 years. Dalwood won acclaim in the 1800s with trophies and bronze and silver medals at the Paris International Exhibition of 1867. With a rich heritage like this, and Bryan Currie at the helm, Dalwood is once again showing the promise of its history.

Hungerford Hill, 2450 Broke Rd, Pokolbin NSW 2320 hungerfordhill.com.au Dalwood Estate, 700 Dalwood Rd, Dalwood NSW 2335 dalwoodestate.com.au

There is no better setting on earth than Australia’s oldest wine region for Éremo’s distinctive brand of modern Italian dining.

In true Italian style, Éremo is the heart of Spicers Guesthouse.

Generous and warm, it epitomises our approach to food and wine - that they go spectacularly well together, and that they are infinitely better when shared.

Dine a la carte or ‘Avido’, where our chefs choose a selection of dishes from the menu for you.

Come and discover the Hunter’s newest destination - Éremo at Spicers Guesthouse.

OPEN 7 DAYS - BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER 57 EKERTS RD, POKOLBIN PHONE 1300 590 075 TO BOOK SPICERSGUESTHOUSE.COM

24 HOURS IN… • Patonga and Pearl Beach

24 hours in…

PATONGA AND PEARL BEACH WORDS KATIE STOKES

© MERRILLIE REDDEN

WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT ‘GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL’ PATONGA AND ITS NEIGHBOUR, PEARL BEACH, COME TO MIND. AS THE CROW FLIES, PATONGA MIGHT BE THE CENTRAL COAST’S CLOSEST POINT TO SYDNEY, BUT THE ATMOSPHERE IS STARKLY DIFFERENT. IN PATONGA, EVERYTHING SLOWS DOWN DELIGHTFULLY. IT’S A PLACE TO HEAR KOOKABURRAS LAUGHING, TO SEE KIDS BIKE-RIDING BAREFOOT, TO THROW OUT A FISHING LINE AND LAZE WITH A BOOK. BUT DON’T BE FOOLED BY ITS SLEEPINESS, IT HAS SOME BIG-NAME DRAWCARDS UP ITS SLEEVE. PEARL BEACH DIFFERS ONLY IN THAT THE STREETS ARE NAMED AFTER GEMSTONES AND ITS MANY TREES HIDE ARCHITECT-DESIGNED GETAWAYS.

Patonga Jetty

12.30 pm The journey to Patonga is as glorious as the destination.

Surrounded by Brisbane Water National Park, Brisk Bay and Patonga Creek, there’s just one access road into this little coastal hollow. But why take the road when you can travel by water?

Palm Beach & Hawkesbury River Cruises operate a ferry that departs daily from Sydney’s Palm Beach wharf. The 30-minute ferry ride takes you past Barrenjoey Lighthouse — with its seal colony at the base of the cliffs — and the penguin colony at Lion Island before entering the mouth of the Hawkesbury River and dropping you off at the tiny wooden Patonga jetty jutting into Brisk Bay. Here, it’s usually the pelicans

122 COAST

that form a welcoming committee, perched on the lampposts or paddling near the shore.

Alternatively, make the most of your time on the water and take the Scenic River Cruise. These cruises depart Palm Beach Wharf at 11am and follow the waters of Pittwater and Broken Bay before journeying into the lower Hawkesbury River and beautiful Cowan Waters. The ferry makes a lunch stop at Bobbin Head in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park before heading to Patonga at 3pm. palmbeachrivercruises.com.au

24 HOURS IN… • Patonga and Pearl Beach

3.30 pm

Pearl Beach

Patonga’s drawcard is its natural surrounds and they’re enjoyed equally by doing much or as little as you like (a book on the beach is bliss).

While away the afternoon with an amble along the Patonga foreshore, cast a line into Patonga Creek, or hire a kayak or stand-up paddle board and take to the calm waters of Brisk Bay. The original works of local realist artist Jocelyn Maughan (and those of her late, great partner Robin Norling) can be viewed at The Patonga Bakehouse Gallery, which also houses a community gallery whose artists change monthly.

For children there are two local playgrounds, one in the Patonga Camping Ground and another on Patonga Beach (opposite the Eve Williams Memorial Oval).

SUPs and kayaks can be hired from Kayak Central Coast. Order with a day’s notice and they’ll deliver them to you. kayakcentralcoast.com.au

© CC DRONES

jocelynmaughan.com

Pearls on the Beach Restaurant

7 pm For dinner, drive over the headland to neighbouring Pearl Beach – another laid-back cove with dramatic ocean views. Pearls on the Beach Restaurant is one of the Coast’s hidden gems, a hatted restaurant that sits right on the beach, and has been run for 17 years by head chef Scott Fox and restaurant manager Melissa Fox. The savoury plates include the likes of octopus with black sesame tahini and zucchini blossoms, scallops with pea tendrils, sugar snaps and lime caramel, and wagyu tri-tip tartare, crushed peas, pickled morels and smoked yolk jam.

Pearl Beach sea pool

© MERRILLIE REDDEN

pearlsonthebeach.com.au

123

24 HOURS IN… • Patonga and Pearl Beach

The Boathouse Hotel, Patonga

8 am

9 pm

A night at The Boathouse Hotel is sure to make your shoulders relax and stresses melt away. The property’s new accommodation —1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments located above the hotel — opened last June.

The hotel and apartments are owned by The Boathouse Group (who have eight similar properties dotted along Sydney’s Northern Beaches waterways) and are dressed in their signature coastal aesthetic. Think nautical stripes, white timber panelling, orange lobster-printed cushions and rattan armchairs. L’Occitane bath products and a non-alcoholic mini bar come complimentary, and you can request Bollinger Champagne and a dozen Sydney rock oysters be served on arrival. Each apartment has a private balcony with water views. What could be more idyllic. theboathousehotelpatonga.com.au

124 COAST

Wander downstairs to breakfast in the sun-drenched courtyard where a Norfolk Pine, hung with glass buoys, provides shade and a central water fountain delivers ambience. Grandiloquent displays of pink roses and clamshells overflowing with limes dominate the serving counter where waitstaff in nautical-striped aprons take your order. Their summer menu makes choosing tricky: will you opt for the smoked salmon fritters with caviar and crème fraiche, or the green bowl of avocado, broccoli, kale, cashews and poached eggs? A side of buttermilk scones with fresh strawberries and cream goes well with both.

9.30 am Follow the Great North Walk through the red gums of Brisbane Water National Park to Pearl Beach. The 3 km trail starts off quite steeply but soon rewards with spectacular views of Broken Bay and the Pacific Ocean from Warrah Lookout. At Pearl Beach take a dip in the ocean pool, order fish ’n’ chips from the Pearl Beach Café and feast on the sand. Then do nothing at all — just laze back and soak it all in. pearlbeachcafe.com

WINNING RUNS IN THE FAMILY

Volvo Cars Central Coast

10 Central Coast Highway West Gosford

T 02 4323 6663

VOLVOCARSCENTRALCOAST.COM.AU

WHAT'S ON • For Kids

FUN FOR KIDS WORDS KATIE STOKES

Australian Warrior Fitness

GET YOUR NINJA ON

© @EDDROBERTSON

© @EDDROBERTSON

Outlook Riding Academy

Outlook Riding Academy

A new ninja warrior training facility has opened on the Central Coast — and they’re catering for kids.

Australian Warrior Fitness (AWF) is fitted out with a warped wall, salmon ladder, rope net, bouldering courses, Tarzan ropes, shifting balance beams, and a heap more challenges designed to leave your biceps shaking and abs aching.

The facility, which recently hosted the National Ninja League qualifier round, can be adjusted to suit everyone from elite ninja athletes to young kids. Aspiring little ninjas can join in term-long kids’ classes and school holiday camps run by AWF owner Cameron McLintock, the current Sydney Ninja Games champion. The facility can also be booked out for kids’ parties, a surefire way to make your child the most popular kid in class.

17 Wollong Street, North Gosford auswf.com.au

Belle Movement

HORSING AROUND Located on 18 acres and just minutes from Terrigal Haven, you’ll find the Outlook Riding Academy, a new family-run equestrian centre. Children can take a ledpony ride along a rainforest track, have a private horse-riding lesson, undertake games on horseback with a parent, or embark on a trail ride.

During the holidays, they run 1-, 3and 5-day riding camps, as well as

126 COAST

© KATIE STOKES

ON THE COAST hosting pony birthday parties. Little party guests can enjoy a led-pony ride and decorate their pony’s hair in plaits and bows, while teens and more experienced riding groups can try their hand at mini show-jumping and horsemanship skills.

Gate 2 (not the black wrought iron gates) 256 Scenic Highway, Terrigal theoutlookridingacademy.com.au/

PLAYDATE PILATES Calling all new mammas and mammas to be: Belle Movement has just started offering pregnancy and early post-natal pilates classes.

Run by the lovely Jenna Salvaterra, it’s a new pilates studio that goes above and beyond in caring for young families. Located at The Galleria in Ettalong, the studio includes a ‘playdate’ crèche run by qualified nannies, so parents can exercise and enjoy a little ‘me time’ knowing that their children are being closely cared for. New for this summer, Jenna is introducing a Belle Glow class for pregnant women and a Belle Babies class, an early postnatal class designed for the needs of new mums. In this session, babies can stay right by their mothers’ sides and a nanny will be in the room and ready to lend a hand.

Shop 70-72 The Galleria, cnr Schnapper and Ocean View Roads, Ettalong Beach. bellemovement.com/

WHAT'S ON • For Kids

Aquafun

PEDAL POWER Aquafun on Avoca Lake has pedalboats, kayaks and stand-up paddle boards for hire. Plus, they recently introduced a new giant stand-up paddle board. Nicknamed the Whale Shark, this on-water craft holds up to 10 people!

Heazlett Park, 15 Ficus Ave, Avoca Beach.

Open weekends, public holidays (except Christmas) and school holidays.

© KATIE STOKES

aquafun.net.au/

SPLASH OUT Gosford Waterfront will once again be home to thrills, spills, slips and dips, as Aquasplash returns for another summer, only this time they’ve come with a brand new name and a brand new set up.

The newly named Central Coast Aqua Park is an on-water inflatable obstacle course complete with trampolines, slippery dips, monkey bars, hurdles, a giant swing and a blast pillow that shoots people Central Coast Aqua Park

canon-style into the water. It’s a ton of fun and suitable for ages 5+.

Gosford Waterfront (behind Gosford Swimming pool). Open 16 November 2019 to 15 March 2020. Book online at ccaquapark.com.au/

WET ’N’ WILD Escape the heat at Waterworld Central. This mobile water park is touching down in Doyalson this January, providing the perfect place to slip, slide and splash your way through the holidays. This year they’re bringing a new dinosaur pool and a cool Epic Racer multi-lane slide that’s sure to bring out your kid’s competitive side. Everyone’s favourite giant dragon twin slide, snow world pool and zorb cylinders from last year will also be returning.

Doyalson RSL. Open 28 December 2019 to 27 January 2020. Book online at waterworldcentral.com.au

PADDLE YOUR OWN ‘CANOE’ Terrigal Paddle Boats have been hiring out paddle boats on Terrigal Lagoon for more than 30 years. In recent years, they’ve also added kayaks and stand-up paddle boards to their collection. Come for a SUP lesson or take one out on your own.

1 Pacific Street, Terrigal. Open weekends, school and public holidays. Call for mid-week sessions (02 4365 2355) terrigalpaddleboats.com.au/

127

TWO YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY

Celebrating

Celebrating

Wait list open TWO YEARS OF SERVICE : e r i H TO OUR COMMUNITY on happiness, educationcall us on Stand-up Paddle boards &Celebrating and belonging.

Pedalboats on beautiful 4384 9000 Wait list open TWO YEARS OF SERVICE Wait open TO OUR COMMUNITY A community focused Avocalist Lake to book a tour on happiness, educationcall us on and belonging. call us on 4384YEARS 9000OF SERVICE TWO Wait list open TO OUR to bookCOMMUNITY a tour 4384 9000A place to shine call us on to book a tour Celebrating 4384YEARS 9000A TWO OF place SERVICEto shine Wait list open TWO YEARS OF SERVICE A community focused TO OURKayaks, COMMUNITY

Celebrating

community focused TO toOUR bookCOMMUNITY aAtour

on happiness, educationcall us on and belonging.

4384 9000

Celebrating Celebrating

C

TW TO

focused on Wait list openA communityto A community focused on book a tour happiness, education happiness, education call us on TWO YEARS OF SERVICE TWO YEARS OF SERVICE W andplaces belonging. andOUR belonging.

ALimited place to shine Limited 4384 places available available 9000 ACOMMUNITY community focused TO TO OUR COMMUNITY on happiness, educationca Aon community focused book9000 a tour Call us on on 4384 9000 A community focused Call us onto 4384 and belonging.

43 happiness, education toOF book a tour TWO YEARS SERVICE Wait list open happiness, education Wait list open to book a tour and belonging.

Heazlett Park foreshore to A community focused TO OUR COMMUNITY and belonging.

15 Ficus Ave, Avoca Beach community us on focused on on happiness, education callAcall us on happiness, and belonging.

Aeducation place to shine 4384 9000 0413 808 394 www.aquafun.net.au 4384 9000 A place to shine Wait list open and belonging.

Limited places available to book a tour 1 Reads Road, Wamberal to book a tour Acall community focused us on on 4384 9000 us onCall /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal happiness, education place toAbook a tourto shine 1 Reads Road, Wamberal 4384 9000 1 Reads Road, Wamberal and belonging.

Ac Open from 6:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday to book a tour www.alkiraelc.com.au

Celebrating A place to shine A place to shine

A place to shine

A place to shine Open from 6:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday Catering for Children aged 0– 6

ha an Alkira_elc Limited places available 1 Reads Road, Wamberal 1 Reads Road, Wamberal /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal A community focused Call usfocused on on 4384on9000 www.alkiraelc.com.au 1 Reads Road, Wamberal A community www.alkiraelc.com.au Open from 6:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday happiness, education happiness, education to book a tour www.alkiraelc.com.au Come & Catering for Children aged 0– 6 /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal and belonging. /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal and belonging.

Limited places available Alkira_elc Alkira_elc join Catering for Children aged 0– 6

A place to shine

/alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal

School of Dance

Free 7 Day Pass!

/alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal

• Fun & Friendly Environment our 1 Reads Road, Wamberal • Tiny Tots to Adults Alkira_elc d an ce A community focused on Call us on 4384 9000 1 Reads Road, Wamberal Level www.alkiraelc.com.au • Fitness to Competition /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal www.alkiraelc.com.au family !

• Passionate Caring Teachers happiness, education to book a tour 4384 9000 www.alkiraelc.com.au and belonging.

Alkira_elc

place shine AA place toto shine

/alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal

Alkira_elc

www.alkiraelc.com.au 1 Reads Road, Wamberal /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal

/alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal

A place to shine

Alkira_elc

www.alkiraelc.com.au

Alkira_elc

www.alkiraelc.com.au

www.alkiraelc.com.au

/alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal

Alkira_elc www.alkiraelc.com.au

Alkira_elc

4384 9000 www.alkiraelc.com.au

Open from 6:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday Catering for Children agedAlkira_elc 0– 6

/alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal

4384 9000

Alkira_elc

Alkira_elc

P 0402 014 472 E mmsod@icloud.com www.michellemareesschoolofdance.com.au 1/16 Bonnal Road, Erina NSW 2250

www.alkiraelc.com.au

www.alkiraelc.com.au

/alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal

1 Reads Road, Wamberal /alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal

Alkira_elc

www.alkiraelc.com.au www.alkiraelc.com.au 4384 9000

www.alkiraelc.com.au

/alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal

Established 30 years

Alkira_elc

www.alkiraelc.com.au

4384 9000

Alkira_elc

Open Cater

1R

1 Reads Road, Wamberal 1 Reads Road, Wamberal /alkiraearlylearningcentrewambe

Alkira_elc

Simply contact us & mention this ad to claim your Free Pass

* Offer valid to new students only

1 Reads Road, Wamberal

/alkiraearlylearningcentrewamberal

1 Reads Road, Wamberal

Ballet A.T.O.D. • Pre School • Jazz • Tap Contemporary • Modern • Hip Hop • Musical Theatre

A

Alkira_elc Alkira_elc

WHAT'S ON • For Kids

Discover our UNDERWATER COAST IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR SUMMER HOLIDAY ADVENTURES FOR THE KIDS, THEN LOOK NO FURTHER THAN TERRIGAL’S OWN CENTRAL COAST MARINE DISCOVERY CENTRE. There are fun, hands-on displays, aquariums, seminars, craft, education programs and external activities.

The Discovery Centre was established to promote the education, protection and enjoyment of the coastal environment for all age groups, and also runs in-house, school and tour programs.

Many of its activities also give grown-ups a chance to explore special coastal environments with rock pool rambles and the Discovery Centre’s signature Wings, Whales & Wildflowers Tours.

It comes as no surprise that the Centre has an eco-tourism accreditation with Ecotourism Australia, but it’s also been recognised recently as a Climate Action Business.

11 Terrigal Drive, in Rotary Park, next to Terrigal Lagoon.

Open 10am to 4pm on weekends, Mondays and every day during the school holidays. Group bookings at any time.

Welcome to St Peter’s Catholic College, Tuggerah Lakes.

Conveniently located on the Central Coast with easy access by bus and train.

Developing life-long learners who are committed to achieving their best in everything they do. St Peter's welcomes enrolment applications for male and female students in Years 7 to 12.

We offer excellence in learning and would be delighted to showcase our extensive facilities and beautiful campus.

For a personalised tour, please contact the Registrar, 02 4352 9816.

www.stpetersdbb.catholic.edu.au 129

T

here is nothing like a day at the

Races

Magic Millions - 12th December Christmas at the Races - 19th December Summer Festival - 4th January Sea FM - Family Day - 26th January Ph: 4352 1083

I

www.wyongraceclub.com.au

EXPLORE THE OPULENCE OF THE NEWEST WORLD CL A SS MARINA O N L A K E M A C Q UA R I E Trinity Point Marina sits at the heart of the award-winning Trinity Point development on the tranquil waters of Lake Macquarie; just 60 nautical miles north of Sydney.

•

Bellingham-Marine built floating concrete marina

•

Free, safe and conveniently located carpark

•

Up to 30m berths for effortless docking

•

Convenient onsite marine chandlery

•

Lake Macquarie’s newest, state-of-the-art, water fueling facility with high flow distillate and PULP fuel

•

Fully services berths with: •

Power including 3 phase where needed

•

Wave protection to the harbour

•

Potable water

•

Advanced long-range wi-fi extending to berths

•

Black water pump out

•

Docks provisioned with MTEC service units and CCTV security monitored by staff

•

Dock carts available

•

Ice and GAS as required

•

Luxurious marina lounge

•

Five-star private ensuites with shower facilities

Visit us at Trinity Point Marina, 72 Trinity Point Drive, Morisset Park

0474 012 888

I

TRINITYPOINTMARINA.COM.AU

What adventure will you create for yourself today?

#thisistheCentralCoast