DUO Magazine December 2015

YOURS TO KEEP! AUSTRALIA’S REGIONAL PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR FINALIST DECEMBER 2015

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CONTENTS

December 2015 Issue 115

inside this month SPECIAL FEATURES

91 FAMILY MATTERS

08 LOCAL STORIES What in the World is Christmas?

17 C ASTLETOWN CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE 80 O UR VOLUNTEERS 101 INSPIRATIONAL LEADERS IN EDUCATION + TRAINING 130 BALI GETAWAY Almost Landing: Bali

92 COLUMNIST Ewen Jones MP 93 COLUMNIST Nicole Pierotti 94 C OMMUNITY Foodrelief NQ 95 C OLUMNIST Courtney Frank 96 COLUMNIST Catholic Diocese 97 COLUMNIST Roberts Nehmer McKee 98 INTERVIEW Victoria Tonner 100 C OMMUNITY Townsville Hospital Foundation

REGULARS 06 PUBLISHER’S WELCOME 16 HOROSCOPES 158 5 MINUTES WITH... Four amazing locals 160 LOCATIONS Where to find your DUO

33 HOME+OUTDOOR 34 D esign with Colour and Style

by Shaynna Blaze 38 C oco House Christmas Gift Guide

78

43 HAIR+BEAUTY+FASHION 44 STYLE NEWS Karen Walker, Sportscraft 48 MY BAG Lynda Adams 50 MY STYLE Naomi Collings 53 BEAUTY Beautiful Christmas 54 D IRECTORY 55 PROFILE Christina Paul 57 ADVICE 10 Steps To Party Perfection 58 TRELISE COOPER Best Dressed Guest

64 MODERN MAN 66 T ECHNOLOGY Project C2 68 D ESIGN REPORT For the Festive Season

69 HEALTH+FITNESS 70 P ROFILE Paul Parker and Steve Sartori 72 P ROFILE Dr Jason Yates 73 C OLUMNIST Clarity Hearing Solutions 74 C OLUMNIST Smile Dental 75 C OLUMNIST Sportsmed NQ Physio 76 COLUMNIST Wehll 78 ADVICE Christmas-proof Your Body

4 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au

108 BUSINESS+DEVELOPMENT 109 PROFILE Roberts & Morrow Technology 110 A DVERTORIAL The Ville Resort – Casino 112 T OWNSVILLE ENTERPRISE LIMITED An Agenda For The North 114 L OCAL MATTERS Grey Nomads Bypassing Townsville?

116 C OLUMNIST Northern Tax and Financial Services 117 C OLUMNIST Ewen Jones MP 118 C OLUMNIST Warwick Powell 120 C OLUMNIST Peter Baines 122 C OLUMNIST Benchmark HR & Industrial Relations

123 CULTURE+EVENTS+TRAVEL 124 CALENDAR Theatre, sport and more 126 WHAT’S ON AT TYTO Hinchinbrook 128 C OMING EVENTS Townsville City Council

137 FOOD+DRINK 142 DIRECTORY 154 R ECIPES Tokyo Cult Recipes

149 SEEN 149 T he Ville Melbourne Cup Luncheon 150-151 M ichels Melbourne Cup Luncheon 152 Jam Melbourne Cup Luncheon 153 2 015 Stockland Retail Awards

IGNITE SOMETHING O N LY T H E P E R F E C T C U T C A N U N L E A S H A DIAMOND’S BRILLIANCE.

STOCKLAND CASTLETOWN loloma.com.au DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au

5

WELCOME YOURS TO KEEP! AUSTRALIA’S REGIONAL PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR FINALIST DECEMBER 2015

FRONT COVER

WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING FOR CHRISTMAS LUNCH? It’s Christmas time again so for me thoughts turn to Christmas Day Lunch (shallow I know) and where we’ll be having it. Many times Stacey (the wife) and I would venture out to the wilds of Rangewood and my sister-in-law Susan Williams’ extended family. Little kids laughing and crying, lollies, half drunk soft drinks, salads and snags, wrapping paper everywhere and even Bocce once. Each time the kids and presents (both) got bigger and more expensive. A few times we stayed in town and took Mum to Jupiters (now The Ville) for their huge feast. Apart from these classics, our Christmas Lunches have been some of our best memories for all the wrong reasons. In Melbourne one year, we hadn’t booked into a Christmas Lunch thinking that, in a big city, there’d be two available seats somewhere. Not to be. We ended up having a pie and strawberry milk at a roadhouse near Sale. But that’s nothing compared to our experience in Florence (Italy). We were both crook with colds and decided, because it was Christmas Day, we should get out of bed and find a decent meal to help us get better. We put on all our warm clothes, shuffled down the road and saw a sign board outside a pretty unkempt restaurant saying ‘Traditional Roast Chicken Christmas Lunch €55’. That was about $80 each! Walking in, I’d never seen so many unhappy diners before. One Japanese man seated with his family stared at the restaurant’s owner and looked homicidal. We ordered the Roast Chicken and a couple of glasses of medicinal red wine and waited and waited. Finally a lady came to our table with two white dinner plates.

On each plate were three deep fried chicken nuggets and a spoonful of (frozen) mixed vegetables! A whole different take on Roast Chicken.

Still, we scoffed it down and appreciated that at least we had a warm meal.

Some people and things I’m thankful for; Our Townsville volunteers especially at Christmas, the talented people from Theatre iNQ, Michel/ Steve/Kate from Essentially Fresh, our new Ford EcoSport, Jetstar, the fantastic people who help our charities, Stacey (always).

Best wishes to you and your family from all of us here at DUO Magazine!

SCOTT MORRISON | PUBLISHER

6 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au

Special thanks to TheatreiNQ Santa: Brendan O’Connor Elves: Thomas Roach, Emily Edwards, Declan Esling, Emma Smith, Emma Lamberton, Shai Regan, Robert Page Photography Matthew Gianoulis Santa’s costume: Mac’s Amusements 41 Harold Street West End 4721 5566 www.macsamusements.com.au

THE DUO MAGAZINE TEAM IS PUBLISHER SCOTT MORRISON PRODUCTION JOAN FANNING EDITORIAL STACEY MORRISON ADVERTISING COURTNEY FRANK ADVERTISING AMBI REBELLO FOR ALL EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES EDITOR@DUOMAGAZINE.COM.AU FOR ADVERTISING THAT WORKS ADVERTISE@DUOMAGAZINE.COM.AU THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS KYLIE DAVIS, MATTHEW GIANOULIS, JOSEPHINE CARTER, NICOLE THOMSON-PRIDE, SANDRA HEIER EVENSEN, SARA JOY PHOTOGRAPHY, CARLY LUBICZ CALL US DIRECT ON 07 4771 2933 WWW.DUOMAGAZINE.COM.AU DUO Magazine is published monthly by Intrepid (NQ) Pty Ltd ACN 107 308 538 60 Ingham Road West End PO Box 1928 Townsville Qld 4810 Telephone 07 4771 2933 Facsimile 07 4771 2699 Email duo@duomagazine.com.au COPYRIGHT Contents of DUO Magazine are subject to copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information in this publication, the publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or resultant consequences including any loss or damage arising from reliance on information in this publication. Expressed or implied authors’ and advertisers’ opinions are not necessarily those of the editor and/or publisher.

LOCAL STORIES

PHILIPPINES

Melyora Yap, Trina Yap, Elvin Yap, Filotea (Lola) Mendez, Cyrill Mendez, Jessica Eltagonde, Marphi and Brill James (opposite page left to right) It doesn’t matter whether you’re a blood relative or not for this Filipino group. Everyone is family and ‘lola’, or ‘grandma’ in Aussie, is the head of that family.

Christmas is held at Rosette’s house, who is Filotea’s blood daughter, and it’s a huge gathering with 15 to 20 families, ranging from 50 to 100 people, coming together for the celebrations. Luckily Rosette has a 1700 square metre backyard!

“Everyone brings a plate of traditional food, such as chicken adobo (savoury chicken), pancit (chicken noodles), Kalderetang baka (spicy beef casserole) and the favourite Lechon (whole roast pork),” Filotea says.

“Christmas Eve is very important to most Filipinos. Many people stay awake all night celebrating midnight feast, called Noche Buena, after the evening mass. The reunion of families, giving gifts and abundance of food are highlights of this celebration.”

Hailing from the Spanish-colonised Bisayan region of the Philippines, the family’s colourful and flamboyant dress style is known as ‘Mestiza’ and their religion is Roman Catholic. In the Philippines, Simbang Gabi literally means ‘Night Mass’, a nine-day series of dawn masses practised by Roman Catholics from 16th to 24th of December in anticipation of Christmas. The nine successive masses held in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary represent the nine-month stay of the Infant Jesus in the womb. The Christmas celebrations continue to the first Sunday in January when Epiphany, or the Feast of the Three Kings, is celebrated.

“This year, we are so excited that Simbang Gabi will be celebrated at the Holy Spirit Church, Cranbrook. December 16 and 24 services start at 5.30am and mass services for all other dates start at 7pm. Filipino delicacies will be shared after the mass,” Filotea says.

People in the Philippines like to celebrate Christmas for as long as possible. The playing of Christmas carols in shops can start in September. The Filipinos also have their own Christmas decorations aside from the Christmas tree, in particular the ‘parol’, which is a bamboo pole or frame with a lighted star lantern on it.

What in the World is Christmas?

CULTURAL DIVERSITY WILL COME TO LIFE IN TOWNSVILLE THIS CHRISTMAS AS PEOPLE FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF NATIONS CELEBRATE ACCORDING TO THEIR TRADITIONS. DISCOVER HOW THESE LOCALS, FROM FAR AND WIDE, PAY RESPECT TO THE COUNTRIES THEY CAME FROM WHILE EMBRACING THEIR NEW HOME. WORDS KYLIE DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY MATTHEW GIANOULIS

8 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au

LOCAL STORIES

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au 9

LOCAL STORIES

MYANMAR (BURMA)

Nekday Moo, Ehchir Soe, Taw Oo, Naw Day, Eh Tha Moo, Aye Sein (left to right)

Two years ago to the day of their photo shoot for DUO’s Christmas issue, Taw Oo, his wife Naw Day and their children arrived in Townsville after many years spent in a refugee camp in Thailand called Mae Ra Mo. Fleeing the civil war in Burma, and a military dictator determined to eradicate many ethnic groups, they are relieved to now call Townsville home.

Although life was challenging in the refugee camp,

they always found joy during the Christmas season.

December 1 is special day for the Burmese (they call it Sweet December) and the families in the camp celebrated the day by cooking special food and sharing it.

A moment when they could forget their traumatised life experiences and worries for a while.

“In the lead-up to Christmas Day, groups would go carol singing to share the joy and Christmas spirit with families and collect donations for Christmas celebrations,” Naw Day says.

10 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au

“In addition to communal collection for the celebration, we were grateful to receive donations from families members from abroad.”

On Christmas Day, there is lots of food, competitions, sharing gifts, playing games and worship services. Now that they are settled in Townsville, along with another 15 or so other Karen families, food is plentiful and life is peaceful.

“We’ll celebrate Christmas with the Karen community, sharing food and gifts and feeling grateful to be safe,” Naw Day says.

For son Nekday it’s a joy that: “If we want to go to the beach here, we can go. It’s free!”

LOCAL STORIES

SCOTLAND

Dennis, Janice, Hamish and Kenny Clark Brand-new immigrants Janice and Dennis Clark have been living in Townsville since June and couldn’t be happier to be reunited with their son Kenny, daughter-in-law Alli and grandson Hamish, who already has a kilt in the clan tartan.

Kenny moved to Townsville eight years ago, following a long-distance relationship with local lassie Alli Lyons, who he met when Alli was attending the Glasgow university where he was studying medicine.

“They got married two years ago and we came out for a lovely Easter wedding, then returned the following year for Hamish’s christening,” says Janice.

It took two years to secure their visas but Janice

and Dennis are now fair dinkum Aussies, who say ‘Aye’ and ‘Wee’ instead of ‘Yes’ and ‘Little’, and have already made a large group of friends through their “absolutely wonderful” in-laws and the Townsville Scottish community.

“The day we arrived in Townsville to live was tartan day and Kenny and Hamish took part in the march along Flinders Street,” Dennis says.

Janice and Dennis will march with them at next year’s tartan day and they’ll have their own banner to fly thanks to some sewing help from 80-year-old Jeanie Armstrong, who doesn’t look a day over 70.

The Clarks first Christmas in Townsville is set to be

vastly different from their home town of Kilmarnock, where this time of year it’s minus 3 degrees and there’s rain, sleet and snow. Two familiar comforts from home they’ll enjoy, though, are haggis and Johnny Walker whiskey.

“We’re looking forward to a barbecue with the Lyons but we’ll be bringing along some traditional steak pie,” Dennis says.

After stopping to watch the Queen’s speech at 3pm, and a nap, Dennis predicts he’ll be merry enough for some Ceilidh dancing.

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au 11

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LOCAL STORIES

FRANCE

Carole and Margot Hall Carole Hall has called Australia home for the past five years after she and her Kiwi husband David (who met in the south of France) arrived in Airlie Beach for an adventure. Four months later they moved to Roma, where David has relatives, and in May last year they relocated for a work opportunity for David in Townsville, where their daughter Margot was born.

“She’s an Aussie… with French and New Zealand blood,” Carole says, adding that they are all thrilled to have made a wonderful group of friends here.

In the lead-up to Christmas, Carole and a neighbour have organised a block party before the Halls head back to France for the first time in years to see Carol’s parents.

“I’m looking forward to winter with a fire, foie gras (duck liver) and a pine Christmas tree,” Carole says.

“Every city in France also lights up for Christmas and it’s spectacular.”

Champagne will be a must, as it has been in all of their Aussie-French Christmases, and Carole’s mother is planning a seafood feast. There may even be a traditional ‘king cake’, which is associated with the festival of Epiphany at the end of the Christmas season. You’ll find it in every bakery on the first Sunday of January.

“Imagine layers of puff pastry with almond custard and a la fève (figurine) inside,” Carole says. “The youngest gets to choose a piece for everyone and whoever finds the la fève is king or queen for the day.

This year they’ll wait till Christmas day to open the presents, since baby Margot has arrived, but usually (when it’s just adults) the presents are opened on Christmas Eve. While Carole is disturbed by the terrorist attacks that unfolded in Paris recently, she says the support of Australians has warmed her heart.

“It means a lot to me and all of us French people in Australia and all of the world,” she says.

“Thankyou so much.”

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au 13

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LOCAL STORIES

GREECE

Dimitrios, Sandra, Markos, Theofillis and Georgia Manolis After a “big fat Greek wedding”, Currajong State School sweethearts Sandra and Theofillis combined their Greek and Australian cultures to become “Grossie”, as their eight-year-old son Markos dubs it. So Christmas at the Manolis residence is a multicultural affair with a lamb on the spit roasting alongside beef.

“We usually have about 30 people with the combined sides,” Sandra says, who enjoys the odd Dirty Cowboy Christmas shot while the Greek side of the family sticks to the ouzo.

Christmas Eve midnight mass is a must-do for the Manolis family, followed by an early morning feast at the in-laws, as many of the elder family members still take part in traditional fasting in the lead-up to Christmas.

Theofillis’ parents came to Australia in the 40s and, after cutting cane by hand for five years in the Burdekin, moved to Mackay before eventually settling in Townsville. They keep the culture alive by speaking Greek with the grandkids, who go to Greek school every Monday afternoon and take

Greek dancing lessons.

“We’re going back to Greece (Kalymnos and Mytilini) with my parents next year to see where they came from. It’ll be the first time I’ve returned since I was eight and the first time our kids will see Greece,” Theofillis says.

“My grandfather was a sponge diver and we still have family there. We’re planning to swim, eat, sleep and repeat.”

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au 15

HOROSCOPE

December Sagittarius

22 NOVEMBER - 21 DECEMBER

The new year forces a shake-up of damaging old habits, and people. But there’s no hurry – all should be done at a gradual, graceful pace. As work keeps you busy until mid month – you may join the party late, but you should still be lucky in love.

Month’s end brings a time for raiding the sales. Don’t be shy about spending a few dollars – you deserve it, guilt free. You need only exert yourself in the pursuit of pleasure.

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pisces

Aries

22 DECEMBER – 19 JANUARY

20 JANUARY – 18 FEBRUARY

19 FEBRUARY – 20 MARCH

21 MARCH – 20 APRIL

As the hardest working sign in the cosmos, you rarely choose pleasure over business, but this month you can embrace both. Your festive networking may even bring a potential lover. Don’t make any commitments (either personal or professional) until the Sun moves into your own sign on the 21st – but do have as much fun as possible!

Someone’s sneaky behaviour has been causing suspicion so you may want to clear the air before hitting the social scene. A happier cosmos lightens the mood after the 21st. Professional plans are put on the back burner — not surprising, as it’s the silly season! Mars also encourages flirty communication and financial flamboyance.

Everything needs a great finale, especially a year like 2015. It’s been a troubling time but you’re now resolved to grab a flourishing future. Piscean determination sets off a chain reaction for success.

In the meantime, celebrate the season. It’s reward time, so don’t dismiss romance or travel. Those daring may enjoy a secret dalliance.

The mood is a happy one, although some family members can still draw you into those predictable ‘annual’ spats. Every December, like clockwork. Better news: an unexpected financial reward. Love also looks exquisite as the year unwinds. When the cosmos aims its desires at Venus, erotic temptation pulses through every vein.

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

21 APRIL – 20 MAY

21 MAY – 21 JUNE

22 JUNE - 22 JULY

23 JULY – 22 AUGUST

Time out is rare, but this is what December offers — so enjoy it.

There’s also every chance that you’ll cement a long-lasting alliance – whether it’s romantic or platonic is up to you. And if you’re inclined to mix business with pleasure during festivities, why should the cosmos interfere? Your finances also get a boost, so spoil yourself and others.

Surrender the sterner stuff to the past year and indulge the silly season. If affections have been under lock and key, Venus declares an amnesty. Don’t concern yourself with money issues. This month’s message? Free up and unwind. Look to a renewed openness with family or an estranged friend – the divide might not be as great as you think.

Expect greater freedom with each passing week. As frustrations ease, work efforts bring greater rewards – easing anxieties. Just before Christmas, the cosmos hints at a financial jackpot. Property matters look promising, as does passion.

Singles may face a choice of admirers and those in relationships plan a romantic getaway.

Even though your busy schedule continues through December, it won’t be at the expense of festivities. Tidy your affairs in the first few weeks and you can still enjoy a magical Christmas. After the 13th, in particular, your social life and sexual magnetism soar. Enjoy the downtime, while you can. It’s all systems go again in January.

Virgo

Libra

Scorpio

23 AUGUST – 22 SEPTEMBER

23 SEPTEMBER – 22 OCTOBER

23 OCTOBER – 21 NOVEMBER

December ensures life is effortless, like a summer breeze. You have more charisma that you know what to do with so schedule important meetings and hot dates to make the most of this time. Luckily, you won’t have to make final decisions regarding options until the new year. For now, you need only be committed to having fun.

Right now, you’re interested in doing anything except what’s expected of you. Many are being contrary just for the sake of it.

So unlike true Libran behaviour.

Consider letting resentments drop.

Yes, of course, it’s difficult to let go of long held grudges – but in this, the season of goodwill – do yourself a favour. Forgive and forget.

This long and hard year is finally at its end, releasing you to enjoy happier days. Reckless Venus encourages you to act impulsively and romantically. Exchanges with potential lovers should be tumultuous and passionate — but quick lived. Consider this if tempted to flirt with a “higher up” at the office party.

16 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au

Like to have your own personal profile?

If you’re interested in an in-depth astrology profile prepared by our favourite astrologer Tanya Obreza, visit www.tanyaobreza.com

CHRISTMAS 2015

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Competition closes Sunday, 20 December 2015.

GIFTS | FOR

home EARTHBORN GEO Luxury Fragrance Room Diffuser 120mls, $24.99

ROBINS KITCHEN Abstract Koko Rex Bowl, $7.99 and Abstract Koko Rex Mug $8.99

STYLISHH Wooden Clock, $59.95

EARTHBORN Snap Shot By Stoneleigh & Roberson 4x6” Photo Frame, $32.99

ADAIRS Home Republic Velour Beach Towels, $69.95 Each

TARGET Lisa T House Décor Boxing, $15.00 Each

THE REJECT SHOP Madison & French Glass Jars, $6.00 Each

BEST & LESS Home Hand Towel, $6.50 and Home Bath Towel, $18.50

DUSK Sunburst Lantern, $39.99

TARGET Lisa T Storage Paper Bag, $12.00

THE REJECT SHOP Madison & French Geo Pastel Apple, $5.00 Each

BIG W House & Home Oh Yeah Cushion, $15.00 and House & Home Geo Cushion, $10.00

Your Christmas shopping list essentials...

*

Meat

*

*

Fruit

*

*

Seafood

*

Pre-order a delicious baked ham, turkey or turducken.

Stock up on delicious in season summer fruits.

It isn’t Christmas without fresh, delicious seafood.

ANGLISS MEATS

BIG AL’S LOCAL FIRST FRUIT & VEGE

WOOLWORTHS

*

Cakes

*

*

Sweets

*

These will be sure to please the kids.

Grab something tasty while shopping for gifts.

WENDY’S Assorted Ice Cream Cakes

DONUT KING Assorted Donuts

JEAN-PIERRE PATISSERIE Gingerbread House

NEW ZEALAND NATURAL Take Home Packs

*

Cheers

*

Celebrate in style with a luxurious spirit or champagne.

LIQUOR LEGENDS Gold Label Reserve Johnny Walker 750ml

BWS Champagne Duperrey Brut

YOUR FAMILY WILL BE THE ENVY OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD when Santa comes to visit your house for a special date on Christmas Eve loaded with goodies.

For your chance to win, visit Santa to receive your colouring sheet or see castletown.com.au for more details. [ GIFT CARD WRAPPING ]

Write a letter to Santa and receive a personalised response from the big man in red. Simply drop your letter into the mailbox at Santa’s Candyland and be sure to include your name and address so Santa can send a letter back.

GIFTS | FOR

kids

GREENFIELD’S OPTICAL CENTRE Hello Kitty HEII009, $229.00

BELLA BLUE GIFTS Secret Fairy Door, $26.99 PROUDS THE JEWELLERS Musical Jewel Box, $29.00

BIG W Polaroid 300 Classic Instant Camera, $119.00

BIG W Disney Frozen Elsa Styling Head, $35.00

BETTS Wink J, $59.99

NEWSXPRESS CASTLETOWN Charlie My First Bear, Small $32.00 and Large $44.00

TARGET Zoomer 2.0 Your Real Best Friend, $129.00

BIG W Fisher-Price Dance and Move BeatBo, $88.00

TARGET Jurassic World Hero Mashers, $59.00

SANITY Inside Out Blu-Ray DVD, $40.00

BETTS Pasadena, $79.99

TARGET Disney Infinity 3.0 Starter Pack Xbox 360, $79.00

[ GIFT CARD WRAPPING ]

Visit castletown.com.au for more information about these events and more leading up to Christmas.

9.00am, Tuesday 8 December. The highly anticipated Seniors Christmas Party is back and seniors will be treated to a festive morning of entertainment, morning tea, games and a special visit from Santa himself.

Simply call CastleTown Centre Management on 4772 1699 to reserve your seat as space is limited.

Christmas Trading MONDAY

14

TUESDAY

15

WEDNESDAY

16

THURSDAY

17

FRIDAY

18

SATURDAY

19

SUNDAY

20

9am - 7pm

9am - 7pm

9am - 7pm

9am - 9pm

9am - 7pm

9am - 5pm

9am - 5pm

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

9am - 7pm

9am - 7pm

9am - 10pm

9am - 5.30pm

28

29

30

31

10am - 4pm

9am - 5.30pm

9am - 5.30pm

9am - 9pm

CLOSED

10am - 4pm

10am - 4pm

10am - 4pm

9am - 4pm

NORMAL TRADING HOURS RESUME FOR 2016

See castletown.com.au for individual store times and more details.

CASTLETOWN SHOPPINGWORLD Cnr Woolcock Street & Kings Road, Hyde Park, Townsville, QLD 4812 Ph: 07 47721699 E: enquiries@castletown.com.au W: castletown.com.au

DISCLAIMER: All reasonable care has been taken to ensure that the information is correct at time of distribution, however no warranty is given as to the accuracy of that information and availability of product within stores.

[ GIFT CARD WRAPPING ]

Stuck on what to get?

You can’t go wrong with a CastleTown gift card this Christmas.

Visit castletown.com.au for more details.

DUO MAGAZINE

34-37 BOOK EXTRACT DESIGN WITH COLOUR AND STYLE BY SHAYNNA BLAZE 38-39 COCO HOUSE CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

HOME+OUTDOOR

From Design with Colour and Style

by Shaynna Blaze Photograph by Vanessa Hall

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au 33

HOME+OUTDOOR | BOOK EXTRACT

SHAYNNA BLAZE:

DESIGN WITH COLOUR AND STYLE

34 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au

BOOK EXTRACT | HOME+OUTDOOR

EMERALD Emerald is the elegant aunt of green. She works with brass and gold, shines like a jewel when used with greenery and is as beautiful as the peacock that symbolised the era of Queen Victoria. All hail the mighty emerald.

YOUR HAPPY COLOURS What are your happy colours? There is no right or wrong with how you feel about a colour. As I have, express in words two colours that ignite your smile or make you feel cocooned, colours you feel at peace with.

Make that connection to your happy colours and you will find a small key to unlocking your personal colours.

Extract from Design with Colour and Style

by Shaynna Blaze, photography by Vanessa Hall, published by Viking on 25 March 2015, RRP $39.99

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au 35

HOME+OUTDOOR | BOOK EXTRACT

PERSONAL S T YLE Creating your own personal style can be a life of progression. Note I said life and not lifetime? If you think that getting to the point of having your own personal style will take a whole lifetime, you will immediately look at this as too much hard work and take the easy road, latching onto someone else’s life by copying another style. Your progression in life gives you a moving, flowing account of your individual and personal style.

See your design style as a log and depiction of your ever-changing evolution through life.

There is a big difference between copying a period or era’s style and copying someone’s personal style. A copied personal style in a home lacks real soul, as it never truly captures the essence of the person who lives there. A personal style evolves; it grows and it tells the stories of a life lived, whereas taking the lead from an era’s style is tapping into history and finding a beautiful platform to add your personal touches to.

I grew up in a visual clutter of opposing materials and patterns, the whole house full of warm tones of brown, amber, orange and yellow.

There was lots of love and laughter but I felt an overwhelming oppressiveness from the heaviness in the house. It is only as I reflect on my personal style and my emotional attraction to certain colours and classic features that I know, without

a doubt, that the house and I were fighting each other. I used to think it was a case of just hating the look of the home I grew up in and therefore wanting everything to be the opposite, but there is another element to this. The colour palette was not in my happy colours, which are turquoise, teal, black and white. I was in a personal battle with the style and colour in the home I grew up with. It’s not hard to see that what attracts me to Art Deco and Victorian is not only the structure and order but a certain romance and escapism in the interiors. It’s what I craved growing up.

So how does it work now, in my home with my own little family? Do the colours they live with equate to their happy colours? I’m happy to say my husband’s favourite colours are blue and green, which means he is happy on the cool scale. My daughter has a romance with cottage and old-style homes, and my son is such a ‘go with the flow’ kind of guy that no matter how much power I give him to make decisions for his bedroom, he is happy as long as he has a roof over his head, a bed to snuggle in and food in the fridge. Sometimes it’s just that simple! (But he does like the feel of a good suit, so a certain structure does creep in every now and again.)

Extract from Design with Colour and Style by Shaynna Blaze, photography by Vanessa Hall, published by Viking on 25 March 2015, RRP $39.99

36 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au

BOOK EXTRACT | HOME+OUTDOOR

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au 37

GIFT

HOME • GIFTS • FUN

GUIDE

HEAD TO COCO HOUSE THIS CHRISTMAS FOR A GREAT RANGE OF GIFTS IDEAS. AT COCO HOUSE WE’VE MADE CHRISTMAS GIVING EASY WITH OUR GIFT GUIDE OF PERFECT PRESENTS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY.

Carved Flower Mirror 120cm $395

Silver Buddha Head

Handcarved timber $125

Mosaic Seahorses Set of 3 $49 Flamingos Handpainted on Canvas 100x120cm $595

Handmade Mosaic Bowl

Assorted colours and sizes $49 and $69

Mozzie Coil Holder $29

STOCKLAND & WILLOWS 4728 8596

‘In This House’ Banner Assorted sayings and colours $29

CHRISTMAS

Candelabras

small $29 medium $39 large $45 Elume Candles $15

Oil Burner $19.95 Elume Melts $4.95

Necklaces Assorted styles and colours $25

Pelicans medium $39 large $49

Shell Net

small $19 medium $29 ‘Always Happy Hour’ and ‘Great Minds’ Signs 33x23cm $39 Carved Double Fish $189

Glass Bowl on Timber Stand Fisherman Sign 50x30cm $45

Circle of Friends 5 people $29 Various sizes

Buddha Assorted styles and sizes. 20cm $35

Assorted sizes from $129

‘Family’ and ‘I Love You’ Signs 30x30cm $45

WWW.COCOHOUSE.COM.AU

Everything you need to know about water restrictions You may have noticed things are pretty dry in Townsville, with two failed wet seasons consecutively.

Experts are predicting another dry summer, with a high probability of moving into drought. The Ross River Dam level, Townsville’s main water supply, is well below 30%. We must URGENTLY reduce our water use to make our supply last for as long as possible. I urge you to get to know which is your watering day, the odd and even system applies across Townsville. Water restriction patrol officers are now enforcing compliance across Townsville.

Under the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability Act) 2008, breaches of the water restrictions will carry fines of $353 for individuals and $1,767 for a corporation. I also encourage you to empower yourself and your family to take further steps to conserve water around your home. Through reducing our consumption and using water responsibly, together we can delay even harsher restrictions.

It’s never been more important for all of us to love every drop.

Quick facts about our city’s water Townsville residents use over

per person than most major cities

The average Townsville

more

than

70%

of Townsville’s water supply is currently being used on residential lawns and gardens.

Please check council website for current water restrictions www.townsville.qld.gov.au

even

Tuesday and

houses >> Saturday

2. What about pumping from the Burdekin?

Even with the back-up plan of pumping from the Burdekin Dam, we’re still using too much water at the moment. The current pipeline can deliver around 100ML per day into the Ross Dam. Currently we’re using around 180ML per day. Without a significant drop in the amount of water we use, pumping from the Burdekin will not make any difference in our water supply.

4. Why doesn’t council follow the water restrictions?

household uses

Residents in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne use around 210 to 285 litres per day.

Our dam levels are so low because we’ve had two wet seasons without significant rain. As a city we use 1230 MegaLitres (ML) per week. Restrictions are needed so we can make sure that the small supply in our dam lasts as long as possible. In order to do this, every household needs to reduce its water use by at least 25% from the amount being used now.

Have you ever been to a sporting event or concert where a lot of people are trying to use their phones at once? The huge demand means that the network can’t cope so it slows everything down. It’s the same with our water network. The odd and evens system means that we can be prepared for peak times so that everyone is able to get the water they need. The watering times were chosen to make sure there is as little evaporation as possible and therefore less wastage.

more water

litres of water per day

1. Why are restrictions needed?

3. Why do residents have specific days and times to water?

four times

1,700

Frequently asked questions

odd houses >>

Wednesday and Sunday

Council has a different type of restriction to residents. Under water restrictions, council has to reduce its overall water use by a certain percentage at each level as per the below:

level 1 14% reduction in irrigation level 2 24% reduction in irrigation and no watering between 9am and 4pm

level 3 44% reduction in irrigation and no watering between 9am and 4pm level 4 84% reduction in irrigation volume and no watering 9am and 4pm Council irrigates over 870 parks, gardens, medians, and community and council facilities. This means we have to schedule our watering at different times to residents so it’s evenly spread.

From time to time our equipment does break, so if you see irrigation systems in our parks and gardens that you think might be leaking or broken, please let us know immediately by calling 1300 878 001 so we can get it fixed as soon as possible.

DUO MAGAZINE

HAIR+BEAUTY +FASHION

44 STYLE NEWS LATEST PRODUCTS AND FINDS 48 MY BAG LYNDA ADAMS 50 MY STYLE NAOMI COLLINGS 53 BEAUTY BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS 54 D IRECTORY 55 PROFILE CHRISTINA PAUL 57 ADVICE 10 STEPS TO PARTY PERFECTION 58 TRELISE COOPER BEST DRESSED GUEST

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au 43

H A I R+ B E A U T Y+ F A S H I O N

LIMITED EDITION SUMMER COLLECTION Sportscraft have unveiled a summer holiday collection inspired by brand ambassador Naomi Watts. It consists of 11 styles created for women like Watts, who want timeless wardrobe pillars that are fresh, effortless and vibrant, just like an Australian summer. www.sportscraft.com.au

STYLISH APPLE WATCH STAND A luxury stand and charging dock designed to display and protect your Apple Watch. US$59.99 www.twelvesouth.com

PET PRESENT FOR GOOD CAUSE This season Karen Walker is supporting The Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) with $15 from the sale of every collar and leash set from her Critter Charm range going to the Society. From $63 www.karenwalker.com

FLAGSHIP BRISBANE STORE OPENS Rhodes & Beckett, producer of an extensive range of menswear, womenswear, accessories and leather goods has opened its first flagship store in Brisbane, located at 162 Edward Street, in Brisbane’s busy central business district. Rhodes & Beckett will also provide their popular service of made-to-order shirts for men and women, through direct orders in-store at Edward Street. www.rhodesbeckett.com.au

44 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au

HELPING NEPALESE ARTISANS Australian jewellery, accessories and homewares brand Woodfolk is run by a local jeweller, Julia Denes, who works closely with artisan families in Nepal to develop handmade wooden and ceramic pieces. Julia’s designs are very simple, earthy and feminine, with an almost boho-esque feel. Stilk necklace $160 and Half Moon & Rose earrings $45. www.woodfolk.com.au

CELEBRATE YOUR CHRISTMAS MOMENTS

Red sparkling surprise charm $79

H A I R+ B E A U T Y+ F A S H I O N

New Vegan Lipsticks Available Now at Chez Belle!

Under new ownership. 100% Animal Cruelty Free Salon

1 Patrick Street Aitkenvale 4775 4447 www.chezbelle.com.au $129 NEW CLIENT MAKE-OVER SPECIAL ½ head of foils, surrounding colour, toner, style cut, treatment & blowdry Find us on facebook! Open Tuesday–Saturday 186 Nathan Street Aitkenvale (next to Toms Tavern)

4779 9694 www.colourshairbeautyandbody.com

YOUR NEW CLIENT OFFER! An incredible 20% off your full service* for your first appointment. Includes all cuts, colour and beauty services!

INTRODUCING

Enjoy longer appointment times, individual attention and the convenience of extended opening hours.

2 NEW TEAM MEMBERS AND OUR NEW CLIENT OFFER!

Let us create an experience!

Go to: www.capellihairgallery.com.au to print or present your discount.

For bookings call 4724 5554 *

Excludes Great Lengths Hair Extensions

NARELLE ~ HAIR STYLIST LEAH ~ BEAUTY THERAPIST Phone 4724 5554 for your complimentary consultation or visit www.capellihairgallery.com.au

46 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au

North Ward Shopping Village 31–45 Eyre Street North Ward

YO U R S I LV E R YO U R S T Y L E

. . . t u b e s l e Where

My Love

Najo Inuit Bracelet - $159.00

Darlin

Palas Blessing Daughter Charm - $54.00

Sis

Najo Splinter Necklace - $59.00

My Bestie

Swarovski Stardust Black Bracelet - $119.00

The perfect gift for the one you love &

My Girl

Mum

Spoil yourself or someone you love this Christmas with a free wristband valued at $19* – our gift to you when you spend Skagen Gitte $49 or more on Palas Jewellery.

Watch - $245.00 Von Treskow 3 Pence *While stocks last. Not valid with any other offer.

Earrings - $70.00

Our Gift to You Spend over $150 on Najo and receive The Companion Bangle, handcrafted in sterling silver, valued at RRP $129

silvershop.com.au

Merry Christmas

Stocklandfrom Townsville 4775 Silver Shop...

X 6077

Spoil yourself or someone you love this Christmas with a free wristband valued at $19* - our gift to you when you spend $49 or more on Palas Jewellery

H A I R+ B E A U T Y+ F A S H I O N | m y b a g

LYNDA ADAMS

ABOUT ME: I grew up in Melbourne and at the age of 12 moved to a small farm on Lake

Hume on the border of NSW/VIC. At the age of 21 I set off for a trip around Australia with a swag, a Land Cruiser and a boyfriend. I no longer have any of those things. After four years travelling, I headed back up North to Townsville, a city I fell in love with. I worked for the then ferry company, Magnetic Link, Marketing and Promotions, then as Promotions Assistant/Manager and a part time announcer on HOT-FM/4TO, where I met my husband, Mark. I decided to keep him and after 15 years of marriage we have a beautiful 10 year old daughter who is the light of our lives. I’m kept busy being a mum, a wife, trying to keep fit, helping Mark in our business and doing some volunteer work when I see I can help.

MY BAG I love large bags because I can fit so much unnecessary junk inside them. My current one is a large black Wayne Cooper bag from Myer. 50 WALKS BOOK I love hiking but I love sending my husband on hikes even more – so I carry this book with me to tell him where to go whenever I think he needs it. DRAWING

FROM MY DAUGHTER SYDNEY

I love and treasure this drawing my daughter Sydney drew of her and I. LOOM BRACELET Anyone who has a young child has one of these. I do love it – and the many others I wear with pride that my daughter has made for me. MY FAVOURITE PERFUME “What do I wear in bed? Why, Chanel No.5, of course”, said Marilyn Monroe!

GOLF BALL I love golf. I don’t play but carrying a golf ball around with me reminds to learn, one day.

TAPE MEASURE I love to measure things. We are still slowly finishing off our home so we are constantly measuring furniture and things for our home when we are out and about. FRANCE BROCHURE I’m a bit of a Francophile, Paris is my favourite city, so I’m dragging my family to live in France for a few months – one day… soon…

I have a brochure in my bag to remind myself to discuss/nag my husband about our trip… daily.

DELICIOUS MAGAZINE I love to cook and I love to eat. I don’t love what overeating does to my butt and my gut – and that’s why I try to exercise most days!

50 THINGS TO DO ONCE IN A LIFETIME CARDS I carry this little

tin around that’s full of cards with things to do once in a lifetime, so if I’m bored I take a card out and feel great if I’ve already done what it’s suggesting. On the other hand, I stress because, sooner or later, I’m going to grab one that says:“appear in a police line-up”!

48 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au

MY WINDOW SURFACE PRO I love to write and I have to work so I carry this with me so I can do at least one thing I love wherever I am. I’m currently working on three novels and hope to focus enough and finish at least one!

FUZZY FELT BIRTHDAY CARD

My life-long friend Simone, who I grew up with in Melbourne and who now lives in the UK, knows me so well. This is my most favourite birthday card ever.

We played Fuzzy Felt together as kids. This card makes me laugh, cry and occupied when my iPhone battery is dead. BILLY BOB TEETH You just never know when you need to wear a set of Billy Bob Teeth. We handed a set to all the guests in the 1300 SMILES corporate box one night at a Cowboys Home Game (and we all proudly wore them). It was such a nice touch!

PICCOLO What rhymes with Friday? CHAMPAGNE! Everyone should carry a piccolo. You never know when you might need to celebrate or drink. NANA’S BRACELET Before my Nana passed away she gave me this rose gold bracelet. I remember her wearing it when I was a little girl so I treasure it very much. MINI EIFFEL TOWER That Francophile thing. SNOW FLAKE NECKLACE I love snowflakes so Mark surprised me one Christmas with this Pandora Snowflake necklace. FAMILY SKI PHOTO We ski in Canada every second year. I love looking at this photo especially between October and March or anytime I’m not in Canada. PHOTOS OF MY BFF’S My BFF’s Leanne and Alison.

I’d be lost without them and probably not as dependent on wine. These photos remind me how great my life is with friends and “don’t drink so much”.

H A I R+ B E A U T Y+ F A S H I O N

See the team at Sizzas for all your hair and beauty needs.

as Christm d n packs a ers h c u gift vo le. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year b from Belinda and the Sizzas Team! availa 208 Charters Towers Road Hermit Park 4725 3533 www.sizzashairandbeauty.com.au Stockists of Redken, Image Skincare, BioPacific, Pureology and GHD

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au 49

H A I R+ B E A U T Y+ F A S H I O N | m y s t y l e

Naomi

Collings Tell us a little about yourself? Born in Townsville. Wife to Ben Collings (BNC Planning) and mum to Digby (the Wonder-dog). A devoted observer of fashion and a sucker for fashion mags. I must have 10,000 by now.

I am a Contract Manager as well as the owner of Townsville’s designer rental boutique – Designer Lease. My days are busy giving Australia’s ladies access to hire designer labels for their important events. It’s a rewarding business, I love it! Describe your style?

A little feminine, mostly simple, and a bit of rock. I love teaming jeans with t-shirt and heels. Wearing particular looks can change my mood up, or it can speak for how I’m feeling. Most treasured item? My husband and puppy of course. My wedding rings are perfect and very dear to me. I love all of my clothes which is why my wardrobe is very full. Labels you like?

Alice McCall, Balmain, Bonds, Camilla and Marc, Maticevski, MLM, Nike, Peter Alexander, Portia and Scarlett, The Upside and Zimmermann. Best shopping trip? During a recent trip to Sydney, I hit the Mall and found so many beautiful pieces for the Designer Lease collection. I love shopping trips but with online shopping it’s just as easy to buy from an exclusive boutique from my couch on my laptop.

Your style guru? I admire the style of Alessandra Ambrosio, Gwen Stafani, Kendall Jenner, Miranda Kerr and Olivia Palermo. You’d never be caught wearing…? Culottes. Wardrobe item you can’t bring yourself to part with and why? When I was modelling, a designer gave me a pair of boots after a shoot in Athens. I have worn them to death, but I won’t throw them away.

Shoes or dress first? Dress, every time. Meaningful last words? Black is a beautiful colour too.

50 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au

m y s t y l e | H A I R+ B E A U T Y+ F A S H I O N

duomagazine.com.au

51

DUO MAGAZINE

H A I R+ B E A U T Y+ F A S H I O N

: CHEZ BELLE : : SKIN CARE & BEAUTY CENTRE :

directory

: CAPELLI HAIR GALLERY : Owners Jodi and Tamara welcome you to visit their new look salon specialising in modern and professional hair and beauty services. From luxury surroundings to luxury products, the staff at Capelli can now pamper you from head to toe. Our qualified Beauty Therapist can treat you with a deluxe spa pedicure or relaxation massage in one of our private beauty rooms.

Shop 13A North Ward Shopping Village www.capellihairgallery.com.au 4724 5554

A family business since 1987 and boasting three generations of qualified beauty therapists, Chez Belle caters for all your beauty and skin care needs and specialises in Acne and Spot removal, IPL and electrolosis. They offer the latest skills with old school knowledge and stock quality skin care products including: Madame Korner, Pelactiv, Opi Nail Products, Natural Compatibles Makeup, INIKA makeup, Linda Seidel Natural Cover Makeup. Open 9am – 6pm weekdays 9am – 4pm Saturdays and late night Thursdays.

1 Patrick Street, Aitkenvale www.chezbelle.com.au 47754447

Would you like to feel more comfortable at your next

Try the Intragastric Balloon, a non-surgical device to hasten excess weight loss for 10 – 30 kgs over a 1 – 6 month period.

Day surgery procedure.

Phone 1300WEIGHLESS 52 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au

nqobesitysurgery.com.au orberaweightlosssystem.com.au

H A I R+ B E A U T Y+ F A S H I O N

TOM FORD

Night Sky ($95), a new shade of Tom Ford cream and powder eye colour, creates the ultimate smoky eye. Team it with Tom Ford’s new Waterproof Extreme Mascara ($70) and Black Out nail lacquer ($52) for high impact. www.tomford.com

GIVENCHY

Mister Radiant glow enhancer has a lightweight formula to achieve a naturally tan complexion. It’s filled with microbeads that burst upon contact with the skin for a buildable bronze tinge. $58 02 9695 5678

BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS

ESTÉE LAUDER

The NightWear Plus Detox Collection (Anti-Oxidant Creme $75 and Detox Mask $58) counteracts environmental damage all night long and hydrates to restore moisture. www.esteelauder.com.au

GET SET FOR THE PARTY SEASON WITH THESE NEW-RELEASE PRODUCT LINES. REDKEN

Get ready for your best blowout ever! Developed with REDKEN’S heat responsive Silicone Technology, NEW REDKEN Diamond Oil Glow Dry enables a fast, seamless blow-dry and delivers lightweight care with diamond-like shine. 100ml $49 www.redken.com.au 1300 138 803

LA PRAIRIE

Skin Caviar Concealer Foundation SPF 15 colours and cares for the skin with nourishing, moisturising and energising caviar extract. $235 www.laprairie.com.au

GUERLAIN

The Snow and Wonders collection includes Rouge G 867 Merveilleux Rose lipstick in a luminous shade of pink for a bitten-lip look ($68) and terracotta bronzing powder, shade No3, in a limited edition silicone case sprinkled with pearlescent particles ($69). www.guerlain.com

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au

53

H A I R+ B E A U T Y+ F A S H I O N

DUO MAGAZINE

: TECHNIQUES HAIR | BARBER | TAN :

directory

: DONOHUES : As the biggest city and country outfitters in the North, Donohues offers quality products to suit all needs from the business person to men and women on the land. Donohues are jeans specialists with styles to suit everybody and are local stockists of R.M Williams, Akubra, Ariat, Levi and Wrangler. Monday–Wednesday, Friday 8.30am–5.30pm Thursday 8.30am–8pm Saturday 8.30am–3pm 230 Charters Towers Road, Hermit Park www.donohues.com.au 4775 5144

: NORTH QUEENSLAND : : OBESITY SURGERY CENTRE : NQOSC is a purpose built facility for the surgical management of morbid obesity. Obesity is a major risk factor for serious medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnoea, respiratory problems, arthritis, and cancer. The long-term success of obesity surgery is dependent on having a multidisciplinary team of professionals to provide safe and effective weightloss surgery and ongoing follow-up and support.

Mater Medical Centre, Level 3, 21- 37 Fulham Road, Pimlico 1300WEIGHLESS www.nqobesitysurgery.com.au

This established salon of 15 years boasts passionate, multi-award winning stylists and Townsville’s only Redken Certified Colourist – Elle Crouch. Offering a relaxed and revitalising experience and a calming Sanctuary Garden.

You will love your aesthetically designed hairstyle complimented by the most vibrant and rich colour.

Monday, Tuesday, Friday 9am–5.30 pm Wednesday, Thursday 9am–9pm Saturday 8am–4pm 89 Thuringowa Drive, Kirwan www.kirwantechniques.com.au 4723 2114

: PANDORA TOWNSVILLE :

: RENEGADE HANDMADE :

Combine, Create and Discover the magic of PANDORA. Select from our extensive range of more than 600 charms, bracelets, earrings and necklaces in sterling silver, 14 carat gold and twotone to express your personal style and create a collection as individual as you.

Open Monday-Wednesday and Friday 9am – 5.30pm, Thursday 9am – 9pm, Saturday 9am – 4.30pm, Sunday 11am – 4pm PANDORA Townsville, Shop 217, Stockland Townsville 4725 4755

Renegade Handmade began in 2013 and includes a curated collection of locally made fashion, jewellery, gifts and homewares. The market is held on the second Saturday of each month at the Aitkenvale School, from 8am to 1pm. The Renegade Handmade Gift Shop features 70% locally made and now includes “Hello Handmade” with a collection of Australian independent artists and designers.

Open Monday to Friday 10am–5pm Saturday and Sunday 9am–3pm Warrina Arcade, Illuka Street, Gulliver 0477 900 222

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P R O F I L E | H A I R+ B E A U T Y+ F A S H I O N

CHRISTINA PAUL HELPS WOMEN ACHIEVE THE PERFECT SHAPED EYEBROWS THEY HAVE ALWAYS DREAMED OF WITH FEATHER TOUCH TATTOOING.

TOWNSVILLE’S FEATHER TOUCH BROW SPECIALIST “I DECIDED TO GO TO MELBOURNE TO LEARN THE NEW ART OF FEATHER TOUCH TATTOOING AND OFFER THIS UNIQUE SERVICE TO THE WOMEN OF TOWNSVILLE.” CHRISTINA PAUL

FOR THOSE WHO RECOGNISE the importance brows play as a frame for the face, having strong defined brows has never been so on trend and in high demand. They showcase your eyes and add definition and colour to your face. If you have over tweezed, over waxed or simply desire fabulously sculptured brows, this is where Christina Paul, owner of Cosmetic Creations by Blush, can step in to create the perfect brow for you using Feather Touch Tattooing.

“There is only so much you can do to your eyebrows with waxing and tinting,” says Christina. “That’s why I decided to go to Melbourne to learn the new art of Feather Touch Tattooing and offer this unique service to the women of Townsville.”

Feather Touch Tattooing, which is also known as Micro-Blading and Micro-Pigmentation, gives the effect of ultra-fine, delicate hair strokes that mimic your real brow hair along the brow line. This semipermanent technique transforms sparse brows into perfectly arched, thicker brows. Cosmetic Creations

by Blush is the only place in Townsville that solely specialises in this type of treatment.

“For those wanting to add fullness and thickness to their brows – because they are too short, thin, patchy or sparse – I will revive and create the perfect shape for your face,” says Christina. “And if your brows are non-existent then I will create an entirely new brow for you.”

“The treatment involves using a metal hand tool with fine needles to create hair-like strokes. Pigment is placed into the skin and will generally last between 12 and 24 months,” explains Christina. “I also continually apply anaesthetic throughout the treatment to decrease any discomfort.”

Christina provides all her services in the comfort of her private studio room, which is licensed, as well as Council approved, and follows all hygiene and safety protocols. You can also rest assured your eyebrows are in safe hands. Christina has 10 years’ industry experience as a beautician and make up artist and previously owned Blush Beauty and Make-Up. But now she specialises in mastering the art of perfectly shaped brows by staying abreast of current trends and technology.

“I love being able to offer such a specialist service to my clients,” says Christina. “I also stock an impressive collection of brow make up products from ‘The Curtis Collection’ and the full Skinstitut skincare range.”

To learn more about Cosmetic Creations by Blush or Feather Touch Tattooing, visit the Cosmetic Creations

by Blush Facebook page or call 0431 612 563.

The process for Feather Touch Tattooing involves a consultation where your face shape and colourings are analysed and taken into consideration. Then Christina pre-draws your new brows using a pencil to create a new brow shape that you are “100 percent happy with” before commencing the treatment.

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DUO MAGAZINE

: COLOURS HAIR | BEAUTY & BODY :

directory

: BNG SPORTS BICYCLE SPECIALISTS : Bringing you the latest in quality bicycles, parts and accessories, clothing and nutrition in their new location at Bicycle Central Hyde Park. A fully equipped workshop caters for all your bicycle repairs and servicing requirements. From the recreational rider to the elite athlete, BNG Sports will help you achieve your ultimate cycling goals. Exclusive stockists of fantastic brands such as MERIDA, Norco, Lapierre, DK Bicycles and so much more.

Monday – Wednesday, Friday 9am – 5.30pm Thursday 9am – 6pm, Saturday 9am – 2pm Shop 1 Hyde Park Centre, Hyde Park www.bngsports.com.au 4772 2929

Home to De Lorenzo and Evo brands, Colours Hair Beauty & Body is a 100% animal cruelty free salon. They are made up of 8 stations, 2 basins, a wax room, a new experienced owner, a full time stylist, a loyal apprentice and fresh and relaxing vibes! Come in to meet the Colours family, have a beverage from their drinks menu on them and enjoy! Find them on Facebook!

Open Tuesday–Saturday.

5-186 Nathan Street, Aitkenvale (next to Toms Tavern) www.colourshairbeautyandbody.com 4779 9694

: SALT THERAPY NQ :

SILVER SHOP :

: SIZZAS HAIR AND BEAUTY :

Feeling breathless, wheezy, congested? Salt Therapy NQ can help you. Catering for all ages with two salt rooms where you can enjoy this natural therapy in a peaceful relaxing environment. Beneficial for those with respiratory and skin ailments, and those who want to strengthen their immunity and enjoy a relaxing treatment with proven positive effects on wellbeing. Relieves symptoms of: Asthma, Bronchitis, Sinusitis, Hay Fever, Emphysema, Psoriasis, Eczema, Stress, Sports Recovery.

112-118 Mooney Street, Gulliver www.salttherapynq.com.au 4728 3328

Browse our wide collection of contemporary brands including Najo, Palas, Kirstin Ash, Swarovski, Fossil Watches and more. Whether you’re searching for the perfect piece for someone special, wishing to commemorate a special occasion, or simply spoiling yourself, our friendly staff can help you choose that perfect piece.

Open Monday-Wednesday & Friday 9am – 5.30pm, Thursday 9am – 9pm, Saturday 9am – 4.30pm, Sunday 11am – 4pm Stockland Townsville www.silvershop.com.au 4775 6077

Sizzas Hair and Beauty studio have established a reputation for a high standard of service with a commitment to excellence. The experienced salon staff at Sizzas provide a range of services specialising in prescriptive facials, creative colouring and cutting, hair growth and scalp solutions as well as many other body and skin treatments.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9am–5pm Wednesday 9am–8pm, Saturday 8am–3pm 208 Charters Towers Road Hermit Park www.sizzashairandbeauty.com.au 4725 3533

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H A I R+ B E A U T Y+ F A S H I O N

10

steps to party perfection

The top treatments to fast-track you from drab to fab for the festive season.

1. The glow-making facial When to book? Up to one month before a party.

Why have this? Exfoliating, hydrating and nourishing your skin will give you a fresh face for the party season. Bio Pacific Skin Care products, which are made from pure ingredients selected for their bio-compatibility with the skin, are infused deeply into the dermal layer and your beauty therapist will massage your face, neck and décolletage.

Specialised Derma Therapy Facial $120 Sizzas Hair and Beauty 4725 3533 www.sizzashairandbeauty.com.au

2. The wrinkle wrangler When to book? Two to four weeks before a party. Why have this? The procedure relaxes the repetitive muscle movements in your face that cause wrinkles to form, leading to a smoother and fresher complexion. You can expect a short consultation followed by a minimally invasive treatment to your areas of concern. There isn’t any bruising or swelling so you could even have it done in your lunch hour.

Cosmetic Anti-wrinkle Injectables Special Christmas packages available from $180 Chrysalis Medispa 4779 2886 www.chrysalismedispa.com.au

3. The perfect mani-pedi When to book? The day before a party.

Why have this? Gel polish lasts and lasts and is the ultimate in glossy nails. You’ll choose from a range of iconic OPI colours in a polish-on gel formula that dries instantly.

Gel Polish Manicure $120 Refinery Beauty Bar 4724 2427 www.refinerybeautybar.com.au

4. Luscious lips When to book? At least 2 weeks before a party.

Why have this? Lip filler may include more definition, a shape change, treatment of ageing around the mouth, hydration and addressing the corners of the mouth. The filler lasts between 6-12 months but patients are usually still happy with the effects after 12 months. A strong anaesthetic cream is applied half an hour before the procedure followed by a series of small injections of filler in and around the mouth.

Lip Augmentation $550 Average cost (depends on dose and choice of filler) Northern Skin Studio 4771 5898 www.northernskinstudio.com.au

5. Dazzling smile When to book? A week before a party. Why have this? Zoom Whitening is the easiest and quickest way to enhance your smile. After a visit for an assessment, impressions of your teeth and photos will be taken followed by a second visit for the Zoom Whitening, which is performed by your dentist using a tooth-whitening agent and special activating light. There’s no discomfort and the treatment includes a complimentary enzyme mask. Clients can come back for top-ups if they want lighter results.

Zoom Whitening $990 Smile Dental 4729 5777 www.smiledental.com.au

6. The gloss giver When to book? Two days before a party.

Why have this? Get that gorgeous conditioning shine and luscious bouncy waves ahead of your party entrance. The treatment uses De Lorenzo product and includes a massage at the basin and customised hair blow-dry, creating waves, flicks and volume according to your desire.

Ultimate Blow-dry and Gloss Treatment $55–$65 depending on length and thickness Colours Hair, Beauty & Body 4779 9694 www.colourshairbeautyandbody.com

7. Brilliant brow shaping When to book? Two days before a party and at least 24 hours before a spray tan. Why have this? Professional shaping will ensure that your brows perfectly frame your face and the shape accentuates your features. Your beauty therapist will use warm wax and tweezers to whip your brows into their ideal shape Brow Shaping $18 or $31 for shaping and tinting Boheme Beauty + Body 4724 5900 (City) 4773 4402 (Kirwan) www.bohemebeauty.com.au

8. Backless beauty When to book? 24-48 hours before an occasion and the day before your spray tan.

Why have this? An AHA back peel or rejuvenation treatment removes the dull excess dead skin cells leaving your back skin looking brighter, smoother and more even. The treatment includes a cleanse before the AHA (Alpha Hydroxi Acid) is applied and left on for 7-10 minutes. It’s then washed off and your skin neutralised before your beauty therapist applies a soothing mask, then moisturises.

AHA Back Peel $80 Chez Belle Skin Care & Beauty Centre 4775 4447 www.chezbelle.com.au

9. The golden tan When to book? One or two days before a party (no appointment necessary). Why have this? It will even out skin tones and give you a natural glow. Once in the booth the tanning technician will apply the tan with a spray gun, then you’ll dry in front of a fan for a few minutes before dressing and heading on your way.

Speedy Tan $30 Speedy Tan 0417 842 860 www.speedytan.com.au

10. Best face forward When to book? The day of a party. Why have this? Achieve a glamorous, professional finish that matches your style. Capelli Hair Gallery uses Young Blood mineral make-up that allows the skin to breathe and won’t sweat off in our humidity. The primers and base used will also ensure your make-up lasts longer.

Special Occasion Make-up $80 Capelli Hair Gallery 4724 5554 www.capellihairgallery.com

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Trelise Cooper Bent Out of Tape Dress $699

Best dressed guest trelise cooper

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H A I R+ B E A U T Y+ F A S H I O N

Trelise Cooper Hansel and Petal Dress $659

Light up the night in the best looks for the party season. Laser-cutting, embroidery and glittering palm trees ensure you make the grandest of entrances. Local stockist: Avanti The Fashion Salon 4771 4799 www.trelisecooperonline.com

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H A I R+ B E A U T Y+ F A S H I O N

Trelise Cooper Flare-mingo Dress $699

Trelise Cooper Falcon Dressed Dress $699

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H A I R+ B E A U T Y+ F A S H I O N

Trelise Cooper White Noise White of Way Top $399 and Pleat Fanny Adams Skirt $549

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Trelise Cooper Palms Akimbo Dress $749

Trelise Cooper Yours Mine and Flowers Dress $869

H A I R+ B E A U T Y+ F A S H I O N

Trelise Cooper Holesroyce Dress $599 and Setting Sun Jacket $699

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MODERN MAN

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66 TECHNOLOGY PROJECT C2 68 DESIGN REPORT FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON

MODERN MAN

The Project C2 is a limited series motorcycle. The idea here is to create a motorcycle that completely uses the full potential of the California 1400’s designed base.

With the California 1400 many think Moto Guzzi made their best motorcycle ever, the best on the market right now. But this bike has a very aggressive engine that really deserves to be used in a much different, more exciting kind of setup. The bike features one-off mufflers that were custom-made

by Mass Moto, and the engine was retuned by trusted mechanics. Other than Tarozzi rear set and clip-ons, everything on this bike was hand-made – complete from the headlight bucket to the custom seat. Speaking of the headlight bucket – that is one of the little crown jewels of this build as it has the original speedo integrated inside it, which was no small feat. The bike’s tail-light has been beautifully recessed into the back of the seat.

The rear turn lights are mounted on the frame.

The front turn lights are made by Moto-Gadget and are mounted on the ends of the aluminium billet grip handlebars. We felt there was nothing to improve on with the stock California electronics.

Stefano Venier www.venier-customs.com www.vimeo.com/140118844 Photos by Alex Logaiski

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MODERN MAN

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QUINNY Combining the comfort of a traditional stroller with the excitement of a longboard, the Quinny longboard stroller gives parents the best of both worlds. $1260 approx www.quinny.com/longboardstroller BVLGARI The New Zealand All Blacks and Bvlgari have united to produce a fragrance collection: the Bvlgari Man in Black All Blacks Limited Edition. The fragrance is characterised by a neo-Oriental signature and has an elegant woodiness. $132 for 100ml.

Available at Myer FYXATION This leather six pack beer caddy securely fastens to your top tube and seat tube offering a secure and hands free way to deliver your precious cargo. Enjoy the ride and please bike responsibly. $86 www.etsy.com HOUSE OF MARLEY Made with the outdoor sports buff in mind, the Chant BT Sport portable speaker even floats and can be used for conference calls or group chats. $145.95 www.houseofmarley.com.au

DESIGN REPORT GET SET FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON WITH THESE FASHIONABLE AND FANTASTIC FINDS.

TOM FORD With sleek minimalism and carefully chosen details Tom Ford’s unerring eye for design gives his sunglasses a look that is clearly of the moment, yet at home in any era. $600 approx www.tomford.com

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RHODES & BECKETT Just released as part of Rhodes & Beckett’s Spring Summer 2015/16 collection, this Navy Prince of Wales suit $1195, Digitale Diamond Motif shirt $189 and Selveggio & Digitale Complex Paisley tie $119 are super-slick for party season style. www.rhodesbeckett.com.au

DUO MAGAZINE

HEALTH+FITNESS 70 P ROFILE PAUL PARKER AND STEVE SARTORI 72 P ROFILE DR JASON YATES 73 C OLUMNIST CLARITY HEARING SOLUTIONS 74 C OLUMNIST SMILE DENTAL 75 C OLUMNIST SPORTSMED NQ PHYSIO 76 C OLUMNIST WEHLL 78 ADVICE CHRISTMAS-PROOF YOUR BODY

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H E A LT H + F I T N E S S | P R O F I L E

THE BEST MOVE INTERVIEW CARLY LUBICZ PHOTOGRAPHY MATTHEW GIANOULIS

Physiotherapits Steve Sartori (left) and Paul Parker at the Townsville Sports Reserve, North Ward.

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P R O F I L E | H E A LT H + F I T N E S S

WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU DID IN YOUR TWENTIES? HOW DOES BORROWING A SIZEABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY FROM YOUR PARENTS TO MOVE TO A PLACE 2,000KM AWAY THAT YOU’VE NEVER SEEN TO START A BUSINESS – WITHOUT ANY BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE OR QUALIFICATIONS – SOUND? THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT PHYSIOTHERAPISTS PAUL PARKER AND STEVE SARTORI did 20 years ago when they opened the doors of SportsMedNQ — now Townsville’s longest running and one of the city’s most respected physiotherapy practices.

Let’s not beat around the bush — anyone who has started a business knows it’s hard. Or, if they didn’t before, they soon found out. Work the hours you want and be your own boss? Yes, all 80+ hours of them a week. With a self-confessed naive twinkle in their eyes, Sydney University mates Steve — originally from Ayr — and Paul — a Bundaberg boy — knew they wanted out of the city rat race, and identified an opportunity when they heard about a physiotherapy practice that was for sale in sunny Townsville in 1995 — the same year that the North Queensland Cowboys were born.

“I was pretty nervous,” admits Paul, who — in his mid 20s and still paying off his HECS debt — had no money, so let Steve head north to do the reconnaissance mission solo and then report back the positive findings. “So, all of a sudden, I’d bought a clinic that’d I’d never seen in a place I’d never been to before (laughs).”

Steve adds: “When you look back you go, ‘You idiot!’ God knows what the parents thought!

Probably: ‘What are we getting ourselves into?’”

But the Parker and Sartori families clearly had well-found faith that their boys would deliver the goods, with SportsMedNQ now employing 11 physios and looking after the likes of the Championship-winning Townsville Fire, Townsville Crocodiles, Magnetic North Steelcats and a host of junior clubs.

Since opening SportsMedNQ, Steve has gone his separate way and owns North Queensland Physiotherapy Centre (NQPC), employing eight physios, but spends most of his time with NRL Premiership winners, the North Queensland Cowboys, as the club physio; plus he’s the Australian Kangaroos’ physio. NQPC also looks after the QLD Academy of Sport, Australian Institute of Sport, and many local sporting clubs.

The two friends stay in close contact and enjoy the chance to reminisce about how they first came to the city that they proudly call home.

“Townsville has been good for us,” Steve tells, now catching up on life after the momentous Cowboys season. “Not just business wise, but also familywise and lifestyle-wise. I think 20 years ago when we made the choice to move here, we didn’t know we’d still be here. Looking back, it was a really big move and we probably didn’t understand what it meant then.

“But Townsville has been our home for a long time and it’s been good for me, for Paul, and it’s given us a lot; and we’ve given it a lot. We’ve made many friends, connections and networks that stem from here and spread all over the country; especially with the sporting teams we look after. Townsville gave us a lot of opportunities and we’ve worked very hard to keep those opportunities.”

When asked what they consider the key to their success, both Paul and Steve agree a mix of establishing a good client base, working hard, consistently doing good work, being motivated by a cause, and finding staff that reflect their values.

“The thing that helped us the most was hard work. And we worked. And we still do now, as we are both still hands-on in our clinics, where most physios our age have moved into more admin roles,” says Steve.

Adds Paul: “There are people that we’ve known for 20 years that we still treat, then see their families, kids, and relatives — you really do start feeling old when that happens!”

“TOWNSVILLE HAS BEEN OUR HOME FOR A LONG TIME AND IT’S BEEN GOOD FOR ME, FOR PAUL, AND IT’S GIVEN US A LOT; AND WE’VE GIVEN IT A LOT.” STEVE SARTORI DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au 71

H E A LT H + F I T N E S S | P R O F I L E

“IT’S VERY UNUSUAL TO HAVE PAEDIATRIC SUB SPECIALISTS OUTSIDE OF A CAPITAL CITY.” DR JASON YATES

DR JASON YATES is making a huge difference to the lives of sick children in Townsville, especially to those who suffer from Type 1 Diabetes or hormone disorders. As a paediatric and endocrinology specialist, Dr Yates provides medical care and advice that was previously unavailable in Townsville, meaning children with diabetes or hormone disorders no longer have to travel to Brisbane for specialist advice or wait for a specialist to travel to Townsville.

“Townsville has a reasonably large number of children living with both Type 1 Diabetes and hormone disorders,” explains Dr. Yates.

“Previously children with Type 1 Diabetes or hormone disorders who needed access to a specialist had to rely on phone calls, or fly to Brisbane, or wait until we flew up from Brisbane for a clinic.

Now they have access to me – a paediatric and endocrinology specialist – which they have never had before.”

Dr Yates says this continuity of care makes a big difference to kids. Not only does it build trust between patient and doctor but it means Dr Yates is able to give better advice and guidance, as he has a sound understanding of the patient’s medical history.

And it is by no accident that Dr Yates is providing this specialist care in Townsville.

Originally from North Queensland, Dr Yates did most his schooling in Mackay before moving to Townsville to study medicine at James Cook University. After graduating from JCU’s first cohort of medical students in 2005, Dr Yates went on to start his career at the Townsville Hospital. And he noticed something – there was no specialist advice available in Townsville for children with diabetes or hormone disorders.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO THE LIVES OF SICK CHILDREN DR JASON YATES PROVIDES SPECIALIST MEDICAL ADVICE THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY UNAVAILABLE IN TOWNSVILLE.

“I saw a gap that needed to be filled,” says Dr Yates. “So when I started my training with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2007, I decided to complete a sub-specialty becoming a specialist in both paediatrics and endocrinology knowing one day I would move back to Townsville.”

As well as his training, Dr Yates’ experience is impressive. He has over eight years’ paediatric experience, with half that time being spent in children hospitals in Brisbane. His experience also includes a 12-month stint in paediatric intensive care, as well as time in neo-natal intensive care and the paediatric emergency department.

And now children in Townsville have access to this expertise on an ongoing basis. Not only does Dr Yates have a weekly clinic at Townsville Hospital but he also holds a private clinic at a practice in Pimlico on Friday mornings. He can provide specialist advice for diabetes, hormone disorders and general paediatric disorders.

“It is very unusual to have paediatric sub specialists outside of a capital city,” says Dr Yates. “So I’m really happy to be back in Townsville and hopefully making a big difference in the lives of children.”

To organise an appointment with Dr Yates at 47 Fulham Road, Pimlico, please call 47252751.

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H E A LT H + F I T N E S S

GRANT COLLINS | AUDIOLOGIST | CLARITY HEARING SOLUTIONS

IMPLANTABLE TECHNOLOGY

Many people are surprised to learn that there are two other types of implantable devices available to assist hearing besides cochlear implants. These include bone conduction hearing aids and vibrant sound bridges.

So what does a cochlear implant do? Many severe to profound hearing losses are able to be treated very successfully with hearing aids.

However, there are people who have such extensive damage to their hearing that the speech nerves are unable to fire even when a hearing aid provides them with adequate amplification. Generally speaking, if you understand less than 50 per cent of speech even with good quality, correctly chosen and fitted hearing aids, then a cochlear implant is recommended.

A cochlear implant works by using electrical impulses to activate the nerves of the inner ear directly. An electrode is surgically implanted into the inner ear and a digital speech processor is either worn on the ear or in a pocket. The speech processor picks up the sound, converts it to an electrical signal and the electrode electrically stimulates the nerve in the inner ear associated with the sound that is picked up by the speech processor. Most modern cochlear processors have many of the same features as hearing aids, such as advanced noise management, directional microphones, telecoils, bluetooth and waterproof and dust-proof ratings.

“While a hearing aid tries to push sound through the damaged area, a bone conduction system sends sound directly to your inner ear through your skull.”

At our clinics cochlear implants are fully covered by most basic hospital private health

insurance and there are avenues available publically as well.

A lesser known implant technology available is the bone conduction hearing aids. While a lot of the sound we hear travels to our ears through the air (air conduction), we actually hear a great deal through vibrations in the bone (bone conduction). When a person with normal hearing hears their own voice, most of what they actually hear comes through bone conduction. Problems in your outer or middle ear can block or restrict the flow of sound waves, preventing them from getting through effectively to your inner ear.

A hearing aid relies on forcing enough sound through these problem areas, whereas bone conduction implants uses the body’s natural vibrations to transfer sound.

While a hearing aid tries to push sound through the damaged area, a bone conduction system sends sound directly to your inner ear through your skull. The sound processor captures sounds in the air and then turns the sound into vibrations and sends them through the abutment or magnetic connection to a vibrating implant.

The implant then transmits the vibrations through the bone directly to your inner ear.

These devices can be used for those with

chronically discharging ear and those who have no ear canal or pinnae. It can also be used as a CROS device for single-sided deafness. They have many of the same features as hearing aids and cochlear processors including noise management, directional microphones, telecoils, bluetooth and waterproof and dust-proof ratings. Like hearing aids and cochlear there are several brands of bone conduction hearing aids and each have their own unique advantages and disadvantages, however we have the choice to specifically match your need with whatever device is best for your outcome.

As with cochlear they are also fully covered by basic hospital private health insurance at our clinics. Finally, there is the vibrant sound bridge, which is similar to a bone conductor except that instead of vibrating the skull a small transducer is attached to the little bones within the middle ear (ossicles).

Similar to a cochlear implant a small discreet speech processor is worn under the hair and then transmits the information to the transducer, which vibrate the ossicles directly.

Vibrant Sound Bridges are beneficial for all types of hearing loss including conductive, mixed and sensorineural. Unfortunately, at this stage, they are not covered by private health insurance.

PLUS free Bluetooth and Bluetooth accessories for all eligible DVA recipients

Invisible hearing aids, tests and reviews...

Free to pensioners!

If you have a pension concession card, sickness allowance card, DVA card or are a member of the defence force, then you may be eligible for free hearing services through the federal government.

The services include free hearing assessments and high quality, invisible style hearing aids.

for a free test and review of your hearing aids at Clarity Hearing Solutions.

If you have hearing aids through the hearing services program and it’s been two years since your hearing test and review, you are eligible

Call 4779 1566 today for your hearing solution.

OTE (Over the Ear) Models

CIC (Completely in the Canal) Models

Advanced Hearing Aid and Audiological Specialists

266 Charters Towers Road, Hermit Park – Grant Collins Principal Audiologist b.psych(dist).,m.audst.,maudsa (ccp)., maaapp.

Clinics also at: Ayr | Barcaldine | Bowen | Brisbane | Charleville | Charters Towers | Clermont | Collinsville | Emerald | Gladstone Gold Coast | Ingham | Longreach | Mackay | Mt Isa | Proserpine | Rockhampton | Roma | Sarina

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H E A LT H + F I T N E S S

LAURELYN HIGGINS | HYGIENIST | SMILE DENTAL

IT’S THE SEASON TO SMILE!

Need some ideas for stocking stuffers that will keep you smiling?

Smile Dental’s Laurelyn Higgins presents her 2015 Holiday Survival Guide.

Give yourself the gift of health Every time we eat or drink, we are either fighting disease or feeding it. Sounds crazy but every meal, snack or drink gives us the opportunity to strengthen tooth enamel and guard against periodontal (gum) disease or contribute to dental diseases.

Choosing fresh foods over fast foods gives us loads of healthy nutrients and little in the way of sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and calories. At the same time we’re boosting the body’s immune system to fend off nasty illnesses. And that’ll help us to make the most of the holiday season and the New Year!

“Choosing fresh foods over fast foods gives us loads of healthy nutrients and little in the way of sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and calories.”

Pamper someone you love Dental-theme gifts or vouchers can be the perfect Christmas present for the hard-tobuy-for person.

A gift voucher for a professional whitening treatment may be just the answer.

A quick lunchtime procedure can work wonders for the busy person who wants to look his or her best for the holidays.

For those who want to maintain a beautiful healthy smile, a power toothbrush provides superior plaque and stain removal.

The gift of Sonicare’s Airfloss™ can also be a great device for those who struggle with string floss and love the latest technology.

Latest buzz: drinking coconut water It’s the clear liquid from young green coconuts, prized for its hydrating effects and mineral content. However some nutritionists say that the evidence is weak.

It can also be a hidden source of natural sugar so if sipped frequently instead of tap water, it can significantly contribute to tooth decay.

Tap water has zero calories, zero fat and zero sugar; Townsville’s water is also fluoridated to protect tooth enamel.

It’s a no-brainer, according to Seinfeld.

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Quirky stocking stuffers

HOLIDAY S URVIVA L GUIDE

Bacon flavoured toothpaste is one of those unusual products offered online. It’s recommended for those who dislike minty tastes and are absolutely addicted to bacon.

Talk about a way to put a smile on a baconlover’s face! In fact, it may be just the thing for a meat-lover who doesn’t like to brush or your best paleo pal.

Mmm… I can smell it now.

Here are Santa’s simple suggestions to protect your smile during the holidays: •C arry a small travel toothbrush, flosspicks and Listerine Pocketpak Breath Strips • Brush after meals and rinse after snacks •D rink heaps of fluoridated tap water to keep the mouth moist • Chew sugar free gum if you can’t clean •E at some cheddar cheese with your drinks to neutralise any wine acids •U se a nut cracker not your teeth to avoid an inconvenient dental disaster

Is vitamin gum the answer?

Touted as the answer for veggie-haters, Cenovis Vitamin Gum is a sugar free gum with small amounts of selected vitamins.

However, nutritionists say that the vitamin gum is no substitute for a healthy diet.

Chewing sugar free gum after meals or when the mouth is dry helps to protect the teeth from tooth decay and prevent bad breath.

If you just want to top up your daily vitamin intake during the holidays and help your mouth, why not try this one.

It’s available in pleasant flavours at chemists and supermarkets.

For more tips and tricks visit smiledental.com.au or facebook.com/smiletownsville

H E A LT H + F I T N E S S

PAUL PARKER | PHYSIOTHERAPIST AND DIRECTOR | SPORTSMEDNQ

I THOUGHT GOLF WAS EASY?

Whether you are the next Tiger Woods with the killer instinct or a weekend hacker like myself, the golfing industry is fast changing and equipped to help us all.

People always ask me, “Why do you play golf?” Well, I figure I must thoroughly enjoy chasing a little white ball around a field full of traps, funding the golf ball industry and whinging to my wife about the game I just lost to my mate. But I must say there is something about this game that I find captivating. Whether it’s the kinematic sequence of the golf swing that enables you to pull off that one in a million shot, or that feeling you get as you hear the ball echo as it drops into the hole. If there’s one thing for certain though, help is on its way and it’s changing the pathway for future golf stars and weekend warriors like myself.

Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) is a world recognised organisation that provides educational courses on the body/ swing connection, with a main focus on educating golfers and industry professionals.

Currently there are 15,000 members across 58 countries who are TPI certified.

A TPI certified professional, such as a physiotherapist, golf professional or fitness instructor, can assist golfers of all abilities to find their most efficient swing via a physical screening highlighting physical limitations,

“Whether it’s the kinematic sequence of the golf swing that enables you to pull off that one in a million shot, or that feeling you get as you hear the ball echo as it drops into the hole.”

weaknesses and muscle imbalances that may be impacting certain aspects of their golf swing or even causing pain.

TPI’s philosophy is:

“We don’t believe there is one way to swing a club; we believe there are an infinite number of ways to swing a club. But we do believe that there is one efficient way for everyone to swing a club and it is based on what they can physically do.”

– Titleist Performance Institute Tour level professionals are now surrounding themselves with an educated team including golf and medical professionals, to enhance not only their game, but also their body, nutrition, physical condition and mentality.

So naturally, what we are starting to see is that this way of thinking and preparation is becoming more apparent throughout our younger generation of golfers coming through. In saying that, I believe it is time for me to start doing the same if I ever want to beat my colleagues again.

sports including, V8 Supercars, NRL, NBL, Athletics, Tennis and Gymnastics are too following this form of athlete conditioning.

Screenings, such as the TPI screening that TPI certified therapists are completing, are becoming one of the most popular and effective methods of assessing athletes of all abilities. The Australian Netball team were seen on their social media wearing body sensors for their screenings, monitoring things like body movement, injuries and muscle weakness and balances.

Athletes of this generation are swinging harder, running faster and playing longer, and it is parallel to the efforts of the athlete and their team of professionals. I think it’s time I get on board and try to keep up with these young ones!

Interestingly enough, not only is this occurring in the Golf industry, but other

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H E A LT H + F I T N E S S

REBECCA VINSON | REMEDIAL MASSAGE AND PERSONAL TRAINER | WEHLL

PLANNING YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION Often Christmas is thought of as a time of indulgence; however, the holidays can be the perfect time to kick-start a new, healthier lifestyle.

At this time of the year, many people begin to develop a sense of where they would like their life to go in the year to come. For many, their New Year’s resolution revolves around living a healthier lifestyle – eating better, exercising more, losing weight or reducing stress and for many, the resolution they make this year will be the same resolution they made last year.

Successfully making long-term behaviour changes takes planning and now is the time to start! Planning involves laying strong foundations to support your behavioural changes through the inevitable bumps and turns you will encounter along the way.

The first step to making long-term healthy lifestyle changes is to develop your vision.

Your vision is a clear picture of how you see yourself living should you achieve your healthy lifestyle goals. It is your ultimate you. How would you feel? What would be different in your life than it is now? Write it down! Better still, buy yourself a notebook to document your journey and write down your vision statement on the first page.

Next, think about why these changes are important to you. If you achieved your vision, what else would change? Would you feel more confident looking for a new job?

Would you start a new hobby? Would you have a baby? Write down why achieving this vision matters. The reasons behind your desire to change will become your motivators and your reminders of why you started your journey in the first place to keep you going through the rough patches.

“The road to change will no doubt be bumpy, but you miss 100% of chances you never take.”

Next, educate yourself. What do you need to know in order to achieve your vision? Why? What are the consequences of not making this change now? Good knowledge is power.

Consult a professional to ensure you get the best advice. Sure, it will cost you money; however, in most cases, if you weigh it up, the price of education will be a bargain compared to the long-term cost of continuing with your unhealthy lifestyle habits.

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Now, devise your action plan. Write down exactly what you need to do to achieve your vision. Build some long-term and short-term goals. Your goals are small, manageable steps in the direction of your vision. Goals need to be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Action Oriented, Realistic and Time-Framed.

Setting goals is a great exercise to do with a support person, such as a personal trainer, health coach, nutritionist, naturopath or psychologist.

Once you have set your goals, it is important to contemplate the challenges you may encounter. Make a list of your obstacles and rank them from 1-3, where 1 is a massive hurdle and 3 may be really just an excuse.

Make a list of your strengths. What have you already achieved against the odds? How did you do it? Who can you enlist to help you?

Under each of your obstacles, write down the tools you have to overcome them. You may need help with this stage, it can be daunting.

Finally, get the word out there and enlist

your support network. Schedule regular appointments for follow up with your chosen practitioners. Tell your friends and family who you know will support you of your intentions. Be open. Feel the fear and do it anyway! The road to change will no doubt be bumpy, but you miss 100% of chances you never take.

Once you have completed all of these steps you’re ready to start the journey toward your vision. If all of this seems too much, have a think about if you are really ready to change. If you’re not, that’s okay. It may be that you need to do a little more work on yourself before you take the plunge into transformation.

Wehll Personal Training – Massage – Nutrition Inside Snap Fitness Little Fletcher Street, Townsville City 0411 377677 wehll@hotmail.com www.wehll.com.au www.facebook.com/Wehll

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Shop 1, Hyde Park Centre, Woolcock Street, Hyde Park  p. 4772 2929  www.bngsports.com.au DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au 77

H E A LT H + F I T N E S S

Christmas-proof your body

Our tips on how you can avoid the Christmas Kilo Creep

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H E A LT H + F I T N E S S

Lauren’s tips to help keep weight gain at bay over the festive season include: With the festive party season in full swing and holidays just around the corner, the nation’s peak nutrition body is urging Australians to avoid the kilo creep by making wise food and drink choices. “Christmas is just one day a year, but celebrations often stretch over a month or longer. So weight wise, this is a difficult time of year for many Australians,” Dietitians Association of Australia spokesperson Lauren McGuckin says.

Eat lighter

Lauren says recent research has shown that weight gain over the festive season is a major contributor to excess yearly weight gain, especially for people who are already carrying more weight than they would like.

She says another study involving 82 people showed a significant increase in body fat percentage and total fat mass over the festive season. “Even an extra 600 kilojoules a day – the amount in a small slice of Christmas cake or a can of full-strength beer – can add up over time and result in a couple of extra kilos come January. Those extra kilos are so much harder to get off than they are to put on, so the trick is to avoid gaining weight in the first place,” Lauren says. “The goal over the festive season should instead be around keeping weight stable by making smart food and drink choices.”

Take a healthy platter to parties or functions. Include lots of bright, colourful vegetable sticks such as carrot, red and green capsicum, green beans and snow peas. Serve with an avocado dip, beetroot dip or yoghurt-based dip.

Snack on seasonal fruit (such as cherries and watermelon), a small handful of nuts, or low-fat crackers and a salsa dip. Eating a handful of cherries instead of a handful of lollies will save you around 330kJ and 16g of added sugar.

Plan plan plan Drink smarter If you drink, aim for two glasses of low joule nonalcoholic drinks to every alcoholic drink. Try soda with a squeeze of lime or lemon, or a jug of cold water with cucumber or strawberries and lots of ice for a refreshing change. If you swap a glass of sparkling wine for sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon you will save 470kJ.

Eat mindfully Try to eat slowly, savour every mouthful and enjoy your food over the festive period. You don’t need to eat everything on offer – be selective and enjoy a small amount. Stop eating once you are comfortably full.

Get the right support An Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) is your diet coach – providing you with individual, expert advice to help you achieve your goals.

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Acts of

kindness

LES CONLAN & DAUGHTER SANDRA Guide Dogs Queensland How long have you been volunteering? Seven years.

Why do you volunteer? We first became involved seven years ago when Les was referred to Guide Dog Queensland’s Low Vision Clinic after suffering a stroke, resulting in loss of vision. As a client Les has been able to access a number of helpful services, all free of charge. When we discovered that Guide Dogs Queensland didn’t receive any Government funding for the services provided here in Townsville, we wanted to volunteer and help raise money as a way to thank Guide Dogs Queensland for helping our family.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering?

We volunteer at information and fundraising stalls and also at the Low Vision Support Group. Volunteering for Guide Dogs Queensland is an enjoyable way for us to socialise, meet new people and at the same time we’re raising money that will directly assist other vision-impaired people in our area.

There are so many volunteers in our community who give generously of their time, and hearts, to worthy causes. They say that in helping others, they too are uplifted and it’s a win-win for everyone.

Their sense of purpose and warmth are truly inspiring.

CONNECT NOW www.guidedogsqld.com.au

WORDS KYLIE DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY SANDRA HEIER EVENSEN

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DR ANNE MILLER The Pyjama Foundation How long have you been volunteering? I’ve been volunteering with the Pyjama foundation for 16 months. The aim is to help children in foster care to develop numeracy and literacy skills but I think the benefits are far more wide-reaching than this.

JUDI WHEELER The Women’s Centre How long have you been volunteering? Since May 2010.

Why do you volunteer? To give a little something back to a wonderful organisation and even better staff.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? I love to cook and it’s a privilege to do this for the ladies who come to the centre. They call me ‘the cake lady’!

CONNECT NOW www.thewomenscentre.org.au

LUCIA TAYLOR headspace Community Network How long have you been volunteering? I’ve been volunteering with headspace for the last two years, more formally as part of the Community Network over the last 12 months. At headspace (located diagonally opposite Willows Shopping Centre, near Riverway), young people are able to access the type of health care worker they require – GP, psychologist, social worker, drug and alcohol worker, counsellor or youth worker. The service is confidential and free.

Why do you volunteer? It complements my work as a lawyer, my cycling hobby, and my role as a parent.

I like the role modelling it provides for my children. headspace empowers individuals and families to make life better.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering?

Volunteering provides an opportunity to be part of a dynamic group of people from different walks of life, outside my work. People who volunteer usually want to give something back to the community, so they tend to be optimistic and joyful people and it’s good to be around those sorts of people. Optimism becomes contagious! The ‘happiness experts’ tell us research indicates one of the best steps we can take to improve our own happiness is to do something for someone else. I think they are absolutely right.

Volunteering for headspace is good for me too, not just for the young people we serve.

CONNECT NOW headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/townsville

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Why do you volunteer? The African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” comes to mind.

Children in foster care need a strong and supportive village to help them through the challenges they face. So being an interested adult who can be positive, encouraging and present in one child’s life is really special. Being a Pyjama Angel is very much a win-win situation — I often think I’m having as much fun (if not more!) as the child I work with.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? The little wins and ‘lightbulb moments’ when my child reads his reader from cover to cover for the first time, or learns a new sight word, or we high five because he has mastered a new game or puzzle.

And I’m learning too … he’s teaching me football in our ‘brain breaks’. He gets to teach the teacher, which is cool for both of us.

CONNECT NOW www.thepyjamafoundation.com

JEANNE MOTTERAM Cancer Council Queensland How long have you been volunteering? About two months. I volunteer as a patient transport driver and c-vivor group leader, running gentle group exercise classes for people with any type of cancer.

I’ve also recently applied to be a Cancer Connect volunteer to provide support to people affected by cancer over the phone.

Why do you volunteer? I was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2013 and finished my treatment in late 2014. During my chemotherapy treatment my uncle passed away due to brain tumours. I found the staff at the Townsville Hospital, including all the nurses, doctors, administration and Breast Care Nurses to be fantastic. I also found the support of the Cancer Council Queensland to be of great help.

I want to give back to an organisation that helped me and, as there are so many types of cancer that affect people in a lot of different ways, I wanted to help anyone with cancer.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? For what I consider to be a small amount of my time, I get to see people smile and laugh and they are so grateful for what little I do to help them. I also hope the exercise classes I provide make it easier for people with cancer to improve their ability to cope with and recover from the cancer treatment or help them move towards a healthier lifestyle.

CONNECT NOW www.donate.cancerqld.org.au

ALI JUMA Australian Red Cross How long have you been volunteering?

One year.

Why do you volunteer? To help people in need and strengthen the relationship between the Australian Red Cross and the community.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? Learning new things every day and meeting new and interesting friends.

CONNECT NOW www.redcross.org.au

MARY MOORE Townsville Hospital Foundation How long have you been volunteering? I’ve been volunteering for 15 years overall, with five of these at the Townsville Hospital.

Why do you volunteer? I volunteer because I’m a people person. I like being with people, especially if they need assistance.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? The part I enjoy most is helping the patients and visitors to the hospital find their way around. If I can make their visit to the hospital a little easier, then I’ve done my job.

CONNECT NOW www.thfoundation.org.au

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BRIAN HEILBRONN Soldier On How long have you been volunteering? Since 2014. I started by planning to run the full marathon at the Townsville Running festival while wearing 10kgs of body armour, in memory of my former platoon commander Captain Paul McKay, who tragically took his life in January of that year, after losing his battle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

And to also help raise money and awareness for Solider On, an organisation that provides support to service personnel who may be struggling with injury or disability, whether it be physical or mental.

Unfortunately, just a week before the event, a motorcycle accident took me out of action. But by then, the momentum was underway and a friend was able to step in. Along the way, we raised more than $9000 for Solider On. Building on this success, this year we launched the Paul McKay Memorial Trophy, a competition between the three Townsville-based infantry battalions to run the marathon in body armour while again raising money and awareness for Soldier On. Why do you volunteer? Since returning from Afghanistan in 2010, I’ve witnessed the struggle with PTSD, anxiety and depression that has plagued my mates. I’ve also fought my own battles with these demons. Paul’s death struck pretty close to home and not long after he passed I decided that I wanted to try and help make a difference and help those who need it.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? So far it has been seeing the general public getting behind the guys when they have been running. To see the community support for them when they were doing it tough over the course of the run was very touching. Also knowing that, with every person who sees them out there and asks the question why, it’s helping bring issues like PTSD out into the open for discussion and hopefully allowing people to realise that it’s ok to talk about it and seek help.

CONNECT NOW www.soldieron.org.au

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EMILY BENNETT State Emergency Service (SES) How long have you been volunteering?

I’ve been Volunteering with SES since March 2014 but have done volunteer work since I was 15.

Why do you volunteer? I like to be able to feel like I make a difference in the Townsville community and I like helping people who are in need.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? I enjoy working as a team to accomplish a goal. I also enjoy learning new things and being a volunteer with SES has helped me learn so much more and experience things and friendships I never thought I would.

CONNECT NOW www.emergency.qld.gov.au/ses

RENEE BENNETT Cootharinga North Queensland How long have you been volunteering? I began over 12 years ago with fundraising for Cootharinga. A group of friends and I were the organising committee for the inaugural Cootharinga Charity Auction and Cocktail party. Since then my involvement has grown significantly. I was appointed as a Director of the Board of Cootharinga in 2009 and still serve in that capacity today.

Why do you volunteer? I’m passionate and committed to Cootharinga’s vision of ‘building a better world with people of all abilities’. I’m a partner of wilson/ryan/grose lawyers and our firm has had a strong connection with Cootharinga for over 50 years. Many of our clients and their families and support networks have overcome great adversity and their strength, courage and positive attitude is inspiring to me.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? I enjoy being involved with my fellow board members in the strategic direction and governance of our organisation and being part of something that truly makes a profound difference in the lives of many.

CONNECT NOW www.cootharinga.org.au

LYNN SAUNDERS North Queensland Conservation Council How long have you been volunteering? Two years.

Why do you volunteer? I enjoy working with a group of people who are giving a voice to the environment. We are now beginning to leave the era of exploitation of our environment and entering a time when we better understand the benefits of working with natural systems. I enjoy being around people who are working towards this.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? It’s a more enjoyable work environment than a work environment.

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KYLIE COLLEDGE Ronald McDonald House North Queensland How long have you been volunteering?

Three years.

Why do you volunteer? In the beginning simply because I had the time. That might sound a little strange but I’ve always wanted to give back to the community and never really knew how to go about it.

Donating money wasn’t always easy to do, but giving up some of my free time seemed like a no-brainer. Now I absolutely love it for so many reasons I don’t think I will ever be able to give it up.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? Meeting different people from different walks of life and hearing their stories. Not only from the people I’m helping but from other volunteers as well. It makes me think about this life I was given and what I am doing with it. There are so many amazing people out there and I’ve been very lucky to meet just a small portion of them.

CONNECT NOW www.rmhc.org.au/townsville

GLADYS SPONZA St Vincent de Paul Society How long have you been volunteering? Fourteen years.

Why do you volunteer? Because it’s my contribution to the community. I enjoy talking to people and if I can make even one person smile every day I feel truly blessed.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? The satisfaction I feel from being able to help others. I’ve made wonderful friends and I love being part of a team.

CONNECT NOW www.vinnies.org.au/christmasappeal

JANICE WHELDON RSPCA Townsville How long have you been volunteering? I’ve volunteered in various roles over the years, including Camp Quality. My husband and I returned to Townsville in May this year and I’ve enjoyed working as a volunteer at the RSPCA for the last four months.

Why do you volunteer? Because I’m giving to the local community while making a huge difference to the lives of animals. I meet new like-minded people and I’m spending time with animals every day. It doesn’t get much better than this!

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? Volunteering provides a sense of purpose and keeps me mentally stimulated. I feel highly valued, which gives me a sense of achievement, satisfaction and a job well done. It also adds fun and fulfilment to my life. Many studies have demonstrated that the more people volunteered, the happier they were.

CONNECT NOW www.donate.rspcaqld.org.au

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DEBBIE STONE Endeavour Foundation Industries How long have you been volunteering? I’ve been volunteering for Endeavour Foundation since 1997.

Why do you volunteer? I just love it! The guys and girls here are wonderful. They make my day. I have also made many friends here over the years and enjoy seeing them every week. I know people say they’ve got a good job, but I’ve got the best job in the world.

Why? Because of the people I work with. They pick me up when I’m down, help me forget about troubles and sad times, and we share all the good times too.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? Helping and supporting the workers, guiding them and showing them new skills. I’m a good listener too and love to help. I also help the staff, especially when new ones come on board. The work is great, challenging and we are very busy.

CONNECT NOW www.donate2endeavour.com.au

SUSI SERFONTEIN Kith & Kin, Artworks Program How long have you been volunteering?

Eighteen months.

Why do you volunteer? It’s a fantastic opportunity to put my money where my mouth is and actually demonstrate my support for people with disabilities, as well as encourage community engagement in the arts.

Art is a potent mode of self-expression that transcends disability. The Artworks Program provides a supportive environment for people with disabilities to explore their creativity and thus a chance to learn and grow. It also serves the very valuable purpose of facilitating social exchange. I consider it a privilege to support a program that actively seeks to fulfill a vital need in the community.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering?

Definitely the people. I thoroughly enjoy being part of a rich community and you can only achieve that by contributing to it. The clients who attend Artworks continue to surprise me with their hidden talents and abilities. They are a most unaffected, genuine and endearingly eccentric group of people and they are always entertaining to work with. They keep me grounded, which helps me maintain a healthier perspective in my own life.

CONNECT NOW www.kithandkin.com.au

SHUKRULLAH YUSOFI Townsville Multicultural Support Group How long have you been volunteering? I’ve enjoyed volunteer work since I was very young, helping those people who are needy: the elderly, the disabled and poor. I started my work with the TMSG organisation fairly recently on October 19, 2015.

Why do you volunteer? It’s an enjoyable job for me. It’s good to share my abilities, to work co-operatively and peacefully together and to assist with developing a good future for our world. I think we can’t have peace in the world until we help each other and respect each other, regardless of our abilities, beliefs and nationality. I’m a full-time English student at TAFE and I’ll be finished at the end of this year. Volunteer work is a good chance to improve my English and get some work experience.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? When I’m helping people who are in a hard situation, after they’re relaxed, the smiles on their faces encourage me to work very hard and it makes me very happy. I receive so much pleasure knowing that I’ve helped in some way.

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PHILLIP BEARD St Andrews Meals on Wheels How long have you been volunteering? Since the 1980s.

Why do you volunteer? To be quite honest I find going to Meals on Wheels to be great therapy. Sometimes you can be so bogged down in the stress and drama of everyday business life that you really lose sight of the big picture. Nothing brings the big picture into clearer focus than going into the homes of the elderly and finding that, with the simplest gestures, you brighten their day enormously. One gentleman, who is 101 years old, always shakes my hand twice as I leave. As he does so he tells me: “Ya blood’s worth bottlin’ mate!”

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? Without sounding corny, these people in their sunset years seem to get a real kick out of my visit….. mind you it could be the chocolates that I bring them on the sly. I enjoy feeling that to some degree I have made their day.

ROBBIE BUTLER The Salvation Army (Salvos stores) How long have you been volunteering? Ten years.

Why do you volunteer? To give back to the community and help people.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? Getting involved, supporting The Salvation Army mission and working alongside other volunteers and learning.

CONNECT NOW salvosstores.org.au

CONNECT NOW www.mealsonwheels.com.au

RICKY ESTERQUEST CanTeen – Cancer’s different in a Young Persons world How long have you been volunteering? Since high school, which is a total of about eight years.

Why do you volunteer? I volunteer because, to me, the greatest gift you could give someone is your time and your heart. Volunteering is such a selfless act and the feeling I get from ‘making a difference’ in an organisation or a person’s life is priceless.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? The thing I enjoy most about volunteering is the people. The young people at CanTeen each have such unique stories and BIG hearts. The CanTeen staff and older members have created an amazing culture of friendship, empowerment and support and it’s really fun to be a part of that.

CONNECT NOW www.canteen.org.au

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KAREN BAWDEN & KANE Delta Therapy Dogs Townsville Branch How long have you been volunteering? Over seven years now and with two different dogs.

Why do you volunteer? Community starts with a single person. I try to give back to my community by volunteering and Delta Therapy Dogs brings so much to people who need it the most, either in aged care facilities, hospitals or schools.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering? A lot of people have to give their pets up to go into care so, for me, it’s about sharing the joy and love my dogs give me with others. The interaction Kane and I have with residents and the staff is just so personal and rewarding.

The light you see shining in people’s eyes when they see the dog coming in just warms your heart.

CONNECT NOW www.deltasociety.com.au/pages/delta-therapy-dogs.html

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FAMILY MATTERS 92 COLUMNIST EWEN JONES MP 93 COLUMNIST NICOLE PIEROTTI 94 COMMUNITY FOODRELIEF NQ 95 COLUMNIST COURTNEY FRANK 96 COLUMNIST CATHOLIC DIOCESE 97 COLUMNIST ROBERTS NEHMER MCKEE 98 INTERVIEW VICTORIA TONNER 100 COMMUNITY TOWNSVILLE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

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F A M I LY M AT T E R S

EWEN JONES MP | FEDERAL MEMBER FOR HERBERT

SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL WAIT UNTIL DECEMBER… There I was, in my new position of Government whip. A position of great influence and power. A position where people try to keep in good with you. A position which could be used for self-aggrandisement if you were that kind of guy, which plainly I am not. I was putting it out there, asking for support. What did I get? I’ll tell you what I got…

“I HAVE GONE THE ENTIRE MONTH OF NOVEMBER BEING GREETED BY MY WIFE SAYING ‘GET RID OF THAT THING’.”

Each year there are at least three people in the House of Representatives who grow a moustache for the month of November. ‘Movember’ raises money and awareness of men’s health and tries to get men to take better care of themselves. There is one from the Liberal Party, one from the National Party, and one from Labor. The idea is that you do it one year and find a replacement.

This year John Alexander (Movember 2014) simply couldn’t find a replacement and came to me, naturally. If I wanted something done, I would go to the Whip and ask for assistance. “No worries JA”, I said. I penned an email with just the right amount of humour, just a pinch of corporate responsibility, and a final dash of gravitas toward my new lofty position. I explained that I had written to men on the back bench, excusing the PM and his Cabinet as they have to travel incessantly and their time is constrained so as to make it impossible to spend 5 minutes at each meeting explaining that they did not have something on their top lip, etc. etc.

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So, from the 45 men who received the email, about 10 replied saying either they could not or would not, with “had a wedding/funeral/child’s birthday” sort of excuses. Two came back to me with hurt feelings that the women on the Liberal side had been left out. Another two suggested a former Speaker be nominated. The rest did not bother to respond.

Honestly, I got no respect. So here is the thing. I have gone the entire month of November being greeted by my wife saying “Get rid of that thing”. Where once, in the 80’s, I had a luxuriant brown growth with blonde highlights, I now have white dappled with dark grey. I am getting pulled up with people saying “So, um, Movember, hey?” as they look at their shoes, stifling a grin. “No”, I reply, “I’m bringing it back”.

It is not my finest hour as a beard grower, but it does tell the story of what men do with their health. Blood pressure, cholesterol, prostate and testicular cancers, are all avoidable if we get to them early enough. The problem is that men, and this is a sweeping generalisation, only go to the doctor when we are sick. So, my pain and suffering will count for something if I get some bloke to go to the doctor, or if a couple of blokes actually take note of what their bodies are telling them (apart from “You’re still hot as, mate!”).

Maybe I will keep it. Then I can bring back flares as well.

Maybe even body shirts, and safari suits. Now that would be something.

F A M I LY M AT T E R S

NICOLE PIEROTTI | CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST | BABYSMILES

IT’S TRUE. T’IS BETTER TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE.

“THERE IS AN ENORMOUS SENSE OF SATISFACTION WHEN SEEING THE EXPRESSION OF SOMEONE YOU HAVE JUST GIVEN A GIFT TO.”

It’s that time of the year again when we are all starting to think about, if not actively, organising our Christmas gift giving. Everyone is looking for the right gifts for the people in our lives. Did you know that gift giving offers a whole range of psychological benefits? Everytime you give someone a gift it shows them that you are interested in, appreciate and are thankful for that person being in your life. They feel loved and valued. You also feel pretty good as the giver.

That old saying ‘T’is better to give than to receive’ is true.

When you give a gift you are showing unselfish concern for the well being of others – this is altruism. When we give without expecting anything in return we are improving our psychological health.

My children’s school has many activities throughout their school year that support the concept of ‘giving without expecting to receive’. One of the most memorable is Operation Christmas Child. This involves filling an empty shoe box with toys, gifts and other items that a child in an impoverished country would never have seen or have the opportunity to receive – like a teddy bear, skipping rope, marbles, pencils, notebooks, soap etc.

The box is wrapped and labelled and sent overseas. These gifts are given to children in countries who may have never

received a gift in their life. It is one of my childrens’ highlights of the year and they love selecting, dividing, filling and wrapping the boxes excitedly. They’ve watched online videos of children receiving the gift boxes and loved the moment. There is an enormous sense of satisfaction seeing the expression of someone you have just given a gift to.

There are many ways that you can give a gift including crowd funding. I recently read about a family on a organic cattle property who needed to build a new abattoir after their existing one was on land taken by compulsory land acquisition. Without crowd funding to build the new abattoir, they will lose their family property. #savejervoise You could buy a bale of hay for an Australian farmer in need.

Or give food items to Drought Relief to make Christmas a little better for farmers who will not have extra money to buy lollies, biscuits, tea and other luxuries this Christmas. www.buyabale.com.au Find a cause that is meaningful to you and take a few minutes to make a donation. Or purchase some extra goods at your next grocery shop and deliver them to the charity of your choice. Gifts do not have to be huge monetary gifts to make you or the receiver feel good, simply let others know you care.

Invitation

Facing Christmas after you have experienced the loss of a loved one can be difficult. To help you cope this Christmas, the Morley Family extends an invitation to come to our annual

Due to the popularity of these services, two times are available: Monday 14th December, 2015 at 2:00pm or 7:30pm Presenters: Toni Mehigan, Psychologist and Fr. Jeff Coop Registration is free, candles and refreshments provided.

Please RSVP for catering purposes via Phone: 4779 4744 or Email: funerals@morleys.net.au

2 Martinez Avenue, The Lakes, Townsville Telephone: 4779 4744 www.morleys.net.au

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Jenny Manganaro, executive officer, St Vincent de Paul Queensland (Townsville Diocese) with retail coordinator Jonathan Hall.

WORDS + PHOTOGRAPHY KYLIE DAVIS

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

THANKS TO FOOD RELIEF NQ, ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY QUEENSLAND (TOWNSVILLE DIOCESE) IS ABLE TO HELP MORE PEOPLE PUT THE ‘MERRY’ INTO CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR.

SINCE ITS INCEPTION, Food Relief NQ has been in partnership with St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland (Townsville Diocese) in the mission to make life easier for residents of North Queensland.

“Thanks to Food Relief NQ, we’re able to buy food hampers at a greatly discounted rate.

That hamper will feed a family for a week with the addition of some fresh fruit, vegetables and meat,” says Jenny Manganaro, executive officer of St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland (Townsville Diocese).

“In the 2014/15 financial year we assisted over 30,000 people in our diocese, with Food Relief NQ hampers going as far south as Airlie Beach and as far west as Cloncurry.”

Jenny says there are a number of factors currently at play that are making life across North Queensland difficult. As well as tough economic times, there’s the drought and a downturn in employment.

“In Townsville we’re certainly seeing the flow-on effect of the loss of mining jobs,” Jenny says.

”The drought is also hitting very hard. For many there’s no longer meat product to export and absolutely no income. And it’s not just farmers — we have also had employees who’ve lost their jobs and businesses that sold to farmers are failing.”

If Food Relief NQ didn’t exist, charitable organisations like St Vincent de Paul Queensland (Townsville Diocese) would need to run their own food pantries.

“We’re so fortunate that Food Relief NQ exists.

In the South East corner, St Vincent de Paul run food banks and it takes a lot of resources and energy,” Jenny says. “We’re so thankful to have Food Relief NQ as a partner in our charity work as our budget is very, very limited.”

With Christmas around the corner, Jenny urges everyone to be kind to themselves and each other. “For anyone feeling close to the edge, please call our helpline on 4721 2030, which is attended Monday to Friday from 9am till noon,” Jenny says. “All people need to do is take the step of asking for help, even if they’re just in need of a kind ear or someone to visit them.”

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If you’re wondering how you can help St Vincent de Paul Queensland (Townsville diocese) in the lead-up to Christmas, Jenny says towels and new underwear for men, women and children are “like gold” for the Society.

JOIN THE CAUSE Every year, Food Relief NQ distributes more than $1.5 million in terms of the retail value of their food hampers. It’s a big job and every little bit helps. To find out how you or your business can make a difference, call 4774 7620 or email foodreliefnq@bigpond.com

Feeding The Needy

F A M I LY M AT T E R S

COURTNEY FRANK | GENERATION SPOKESPERSON | DUO MAGAZINE

WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO ME

There’s nothing like the magic of Christmas. So, grab some loved ones and make memories that will last forever.

Christmas is my absolute favourite time of the year.

I’m the kind of person who still buys an advent calendar every year, wears Christmas themed pyjamas to bed and drives through random neighborhoods at night, just to look at the Christmas lights. Choosing the colour scheme for my Christmas tree each year fills me with extreme joy, and yes, I am also the kind of person who blasts Christmas carols at every opportunity (Michael Buble, Destiny’s Child and Mariah Carey top my list if you’re wondering).

It’s true, I love Christmas and I am very much aware of how happy this time of the year makes me, as well as millions of other people all over the world. Christmas is filled with a kind of magic that is unexplainable; so I guess that’s why they call it “the most wonderful time of the year.” But the truth is, it’s not just about the presents, the time off work, the food or the fact that everyone just seems happier; what I love the most about Christmas is tradition.

For as long as I can remember, my three siblings and I have spent every single Christmas morning huddled around the tree in our pyjamas, still wiping sleep out of our eyes and waiting patiently for our parents to wake up. I should probably mention that it’s usually around 7am and my parents have a strict 8am call time (which of course, we never stick to). Our traditional family breakfast on Christmas morning is a tin of shortbread biscuits and a cup of tea. Nostalgia and the smell of wrapping paper, sugar and incense fills the air and in that moment, I always feel like I have never been happier.

There’s a running joke in my family about how clichéd I can be. I am always inventing games and traditions for my family and Christmas is definitely no exception. Our newest family tradition has been occurring for a couple of months now. It’s a game where we all go around the table and ask one

“tradition is one of those things where quality beats quantity every time…”

fact question and one personal question for our other family members to answer. The aim is to learn something new about the world and something new about your family members that you didn’t know before. It’s always enlightening to discover different things about your family and remember forgotten memories. My other favourite tradition is slightly crazier – whenever someone makes a toast, we all have to look each person in the eye before we drink otherwise you’ll get bad luck. It’s absolute chaos sometimes and there’s a lot of yelling, but it’s hilarious nonetheless. Safe to say, I’m sure all of these things will be making an appearance during Christmas lunch.

Traditions help to strengthen family bonds, offer comfort and security and most importantly, help to create life long memories.

So, I encourage everyone to start a new tradition this year. It’s never too late and Christmas is the perfect time to start. Tradition doesn’t have to be just for your family, it can be your friends, your colleagues, your significant other or even your pets! The point is, we should create priceless memories with the people we love; and tradition is one of those things where quality beats quantity every time. So, it might be

something common like Secret Santa or something obscure that you invent yourself, but whatever it is, the goal is to bring everyone closer.

As I sit here drinking my chai latte (which I still maintain tastes exactly like Christmas) I wonder why this child-like feeling of joy has never left me? I still get excited to open the Christmas card from my grandparents, even though I know it contains a $20 note, just like it has for the last 23 years and I still make every member of my family kiss the star before it gets placed on top of the tree.

It all might sound a little crazy but I truly believe it’s these traditions that still keep me excited year after year.

For me, the holiday season is a true escapism back to my years as a child. Each year, I am eternally grateful for our family traditions and the fact we all sit around that Christmas tree, each one of us happy, healthy and in good company. The magic that captivated me as a child still exists and lives on through our family traditions.

I know that I will pass these traditions on to my future children and so forth. And that way, that magic of Christmas can be kept alive forever.

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F A M I LY M AT T E R S

NICOLE STOTT-WHITING | DIRECTOR – OFFICE FOR LIFE, MARRIAGE AND FAMILY | CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF TOWNSVILLE

HOW DO WE GIVE FROM THE HEART?

Christmas is a wonderful excuse to explore the many different ways we can give to our family and friends.

We just need to remember that it is not all about a neatly wrapped present under the tree.

As a whole, I think that most people gain a lot of happiness from giving to others.

Giving is an opportunity to make someone else feel special which in turn warms our heart as well. It is a time to really think about another person, family or community and to finds ways to understand them, their needs or passions in life. Sometimes we know these people extremely well and sometimes we don’t. I love the concept of Secret Santa for this exact reason. Secret Santa is usually a popular workplace event at this time of year that encourages everyone to get to know each other a little better.

It requires us to delve a little deeper when we are chatting with that person over lunch or sitting next to them in a meeting.

“Giving is an opportunity to make someone else feel special which in turn warms our heart as well.”

longer such a thing as a reasonable amount of money to spend.

With every year that my children get older I am astounded at how the concept of Christmas giving has changed so much from when I was a child. I think most adults would feel the same way. Particularly the advertising and present expectations aimed at our children by the media around them.

It is a very hard task for parents to keep a reasonable perspective with presents and money spending when everything around our children tells them that more is better.

So what do we do? Well, we need to combat the commercialism and remember the reason behind giving; to make someone feel happy, special and loved. I think it is also to thank them for all that they give to us in their many different ways. These qualities don’t come with an expensive price tag or high expectation. They come from the heart and are priceless. Giving can be in the form of a love letter, baked treats or fresh flowers from the garden. My family and some very close friends of ours decided a number of years ago that our children didn’t really need another present at Christmas.

At this time of year however, I think we can also be held captive by the commercialism monster that appears in television ads, pamphlets and any other marketing ploy used for Christmas shopping. This little fella makes us believe that true happiness will only be felt by our loved ones if we buy them the latest gadget, fashion accessory or online sensation. This very persuasive phenomenon has also duped people into believing that bigger is better and there is no

We decided that each family would make a donation to a charity in the other family’s name and that was our gift to each other.

Both families enjoy choosing their charity every year and it shows our children a very thoughtful way to give to someone in need.

Of course I am not saying that Christmas gifts from a shopping centre should not appear under the tree this year. It is more about being aware of the commercialism and discovering different and creative ways to give to our loved ones. We also need to remember that the gift of giving does not just occur in December. It is a gift to be shared throughout the whole year.

I am the Light of the World.

John 8:12

The Catholic Church invites you to start afresh with Christ this Christmas.

For all Parish Christmas Mass times visit www.tsv.catholic.org.au facebook.com/tsvdiocese

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twitter.com/TSV_Diocese

F A M I LY M AT T E R S

LEITH KENNEDY | SENIOR ASSOCIATE | ROBERTS NEHMER MCKEE

ACHIEVING A HAPPY AND PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS FOR YOUR CHILDREN WHEN YOU’RE SEPARATED Christmas is nearly upon us and it is a time where families spend time together, certain traditions are honoured and children are excited.

Separation is difficult, but for separated families and children, Christmas holidays can be especially difficult and stressful.

Particularly, if parents do not have an agreement in place regarding the amount of time the children will spend with each parent.

The Family Law Act 1975 Cth provides us with guidance when we are attempting to resolve the amount of time children ought to spend with their parents. However, it is not determinative. The Act does not provide a law which sets out the specific time each parent is entitled to spend with their children. It is left for parents or the court to attempt to work out an arrangement that is in the children’s best interests and also suits their individual family’s needs. Common arrangements include the children sharing Christmas Day with one parent in the morning and the other in the afternoon; or alternating their time with their parents by spending Christmas Day on a year about basis. These arrangements are regularly negotiated by the parents and are often recorded in writing for certainty and to avoid conflict.

Forward planning is the key. Families are different, the significance attributed to Christmas is different for each family and

“It may be tempting, but we recommend that you do not ask the children who they would like to spend Christmas with this year….”

Caring for the legal needs of North Queenslanders since 1881.

is celebrated in a myriad of ways. Have a think about what Christmas means for you and your family as well as the other parent’s family. It may be tempting, but we recommend that you do not ask the children who they would like to spend Christmas with this year. It puts the children in a difficult position and inevitably causes them distress. Try to make your arrangements clear and comprehensive.

• If you are sharing Christmas day – what time will the changeover occur? Where will it take place? Who will be responsible for delivering and collecting the children?

• If you or the other parent generally travels at Christmas then alternating Christmas day may be more suitable. Have agreed arrangements in place regarding the specific time the children will communicate with the other parent.

• Commit to the arrangements even if it isn’t your perfect idea of sharing Christmas and abide by the set times to avoid last minute frustration and arguments. The children will feel disappointed when the set arrangements don’t proceed according to plan. They will also probably feel your frustration and may even feel responsible for the conflict between you and the other parent. This is

something we would like to avoid at all cost.

• If you are unable to reach an agreement with the other parent consider attending a mediation and attempt to tailor an agreement which allows the children to enjoy the Christmas holiday with both parents and also allows both of you to honour your own Christmas traditions.

The court is traditionally very busy at this time of the year, therefore, any applications which relate to the whole or part of the Christmas school holiday period must be filed in the court prior to the second Friday in November of each year. Commencing proceedings in the court should be your last resort.

If the time has passed for commencing an application in the court and you are unable to reach an agreement with the other parent you still have time to attempt mediation.

If you have been unable to reach an agreement with the other parent, and you are out of time to commence an application in the court, try to remember that regardless of the time you spend with your children you will always be a parent 100% of the time. Some children would relish the idea of having two Christmas Days and as they say, Christmas is not a date. It is a state of mind.

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“MY HEART WAS IN MY MOUTH DURING THOSE FINAL MINUTES. IT WAS JUST INCREDIBLE TO WATCH IT HAPPEN.” VICTORIA TONNER

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F A M I LY M AT T E R S

WIFE OF THE NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS’ CEO, VICTORIA TONNER, TALKS ABOUT THE LOVE FOR HER HUSBAND, HER LOVE FOR THE COWBOYS AND HER BLOG TO HELP OTHER MUMS. WORDS NICOLE THOMSON-PRIDE PHOTOGRAPHY BRAD MALYON

As Victoria Tonner sat in the grand stand of ANZ Stadium watching the final minutes of this year’s NRL grand final, she found herself anxiously biting her freshly painted blue, yellow and white nails. It may have only been the fourth rugby league match she had ever watched, and she may have been one of the North Queensland Cowboys newest supporters, but that didn’t stop her from wanting the Cowboys to win as badly as the rest of North Queensland.

“My heart was in my mouth during those final minutes,” says Victoria. “It was just incredible to watch it happen.”

While her love for rugby league and the North Queensland Cowboys is only recent, her love for the Cowboys’ CEO – her husband – Greg Tonner dates back over 15 years.

They first met while they were both working in London.

Victoria, who was working in human resources in the investment industry, immediately took a liking to the tall bloke from Townsville when he walked into her kitchen one night during a ‘horrible, cold, dark and miserable London winter’. “My flat mate had invited Greg and his flat mate over,” says Victoria. “I had never met Greg until that night and I was instantly blown away by his energy, enthusiasm and banter.”

Over the course of the next few years both Victoria and Greg enjoyed successful corporate careers. Even in those early days, Greg’s roles were demanding and involved lots of travel. Once the couple had moved back to Sydney, married and had two babies, Victoria knew there was no way the family could survive with both of them chasing corporate careers. “We both had corporate jobs and we were working long hours and the stress levels in the family were extremely high,” says Victoria. “When my eldest daughter started school, I decided to stop working, reasses what I wanted to do and focus on the family.”

Part of focusing on the family was providing healthy, nutritious foods to fuel her daughters’ growing bodies, so she studied nutrition at the Nature Care College and started to plan her family’s meals “like a ninja”. This led to her setting up her blog, Boiled Eggs & Soldiers, which helps mums answer the tough question: What am I going to cook for dinner tonight?

“Each Friday on my blog I release a new, weekly meal plan for mums to download and follow,” says Victoria.

“I find having all the meals planned just makes the days flow better. It makes time in the kitchen easier and I know exactly what I need when I go to the shops.”

She has big plans for the blog next year, which includes connecting with other creatives in Townsville to organise workshops at her home. And as for following the Cowboys next year? She’ll be their number one fan. “The girls and I have already signed up as members – we can’t wait for next season.”

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F A M I LY M AT T E R S

BUY A CALENDAR AND HELP OUR KIDS SOLDIERS FROM 1 RAR PARTNERED WITH THE TOWNSVILLE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION IN OCTOBER TO CREATE A CALENDAR FOR MUCH NEEDED FUNDRAISING. SHOT AT TOWNSVILLE’S PALMETUM, children were invited to dress as what they want to be when they grow up. Naturally the soldiers were dressed in their finest camouflage and also brought along a Bushmaster PMV. However for Pte Daniel Damen dress of the day was not camouflage, he was instead dressed as a cuddly bear.

“For the calendar I dressed up as the foundation’s mascot, Bandi Bear” Pte Damen said. “It was super hot in the suit but it’s a laugh and the kids love it.”

Ten year old Brooklyn Klein-Clark who wants to be a nurse, said although she loves Bandi Bear she thinks the Army is even more exciting.

“Sometimes I get to ride in the Army trucks and once I got to see all the things they use,” Brooklyn said.

The foundation’s aim is to bridge the funding gap between the provisions of Queensland Health and the requirements of the Townsville Hospital, from life-saving equipment to comfort items that can ease a hospital stay.

The foundation is currently focussed on redeveloping the Children’s Ward at the Townsville Hospital and has been closely allied with 1 RAR for over two years.

Volunteer work is a key line of operation for 1 RAR’s Rehabilitation Pl. Rehabilitation Pl section commander Cpl Brian Heilbronn said altruism is great for the soldier’s well-being and recovery.

“Having soldiers out there and giving back to the community is more than just a feel good exercise,” Cpl Heilbronn said.

“Particularly when working at the Children’s Ward, it gives wounded soldiers a sense of purpose and can put their own injuries into perspective. Not many of them have worked with kids before and it can really take them out of their comfort zone.”

Townsville Hospital Foundation volunteer manager Anita Hammon said the photo shoot was a fun afternoon with the children and they couldn’t have done it without the generous support of 1 RAR, who also supplied the photographer.

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“In terms of volunteers the 1 RAR guys are always there, whether that be with Run Townsville or in the ward every fortnight with the children, they’ve been just amazing,” Ms Hammon said. “The kids love it. The soldiers are a big hit when they come dressed up in their uniforms or if they bring a Bushmaster vehicle.

It really takes their mind off what they’re in hospital for.”

The calendar will be available for purchase through the Townsville Hospital Foundation website www.thfoundation.org.au or by phoning the Foundation office on 4433 1337.

DUO MAGAZINE HIGHLIGHT

PUSHING US TO BE THE BEST WE CAN BE, INSPIRATIONAL EDUCATORS MAKE IMMEASURABLE DIFFERENCES IN THEIR STUDENTS’ LIVES. AS YOU READ THE STORIES OF THESE MOTIVATIONAL MARVELS, YOU’LL BE MOVED BY THEIR COMMITMENT TO THEIR CAREERS. THEIR ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM AND HUNGER FOR LEARNING CREATE A WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS. JOIN US IN CELEBRATING THEIR MANY ACHIEVEMENTS. WORDS KYLIE DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY SANDRA HEIER EVENSEN + MATTHEW GIANOULIS

ADVERTORIAL

St Margaret Mary’s College 1-9 Crowle Street Hyde Park Telephone 4726 4900 Email smmc@smmc.catholic.edu.au www.smmc.catholic.edu.au

I N S P I R AT I O N A L

leaders

I N E D U C AT I O N & T R A I N I N G

kathleen park

PRINCIPAL | ST MARGARET MARY’S COLLEGE

Hailing from New York, St Margaret Mary’s College (SMMC) Principal Kathleen Park moved to Australia straight from university. She met her husband Ray in Brisbane and took up a position with Education Queensland in 1985, teaching within state schools until 1995 when she was appointed Head of Department at an independent Anglican girls’ school in Brisbane.

“Working at St Aidan’s for 11 years, I advanced through the leadership positions to the final role of Head of Senior School and then was successful in my application to be the first lay principal at St Patrick’s College Townsville in 2006,” Kathleen says. “Now, as principal of SMMC since 2012, I feel every moment in my career has led me to this role and that God has directed me to this community.”

A strong advocate for single-sex schooling, and in particular girls’ education, Kathleen has researched widely into social and emotional development. SMMC has recently embraced Positive Psychology as the framework for its pastoral care and is also dedicated to working with parents as part of its commitment to educating the whole child.

“Our mission calls us to ‘educate, inspire and inspirit’ and I live by this every day,” Kathleen says. “I’m devoted to the Catholic identity of our

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College and embrace every opportunity to highlight our Benedictine/ Good Samaritan charism.”

This year SMMC welcomed Year 7 students and with their arrival an influx of new, energetic teachers. The delivery of SMMC’s Junior Curriculum is innovative and responsive to this stage of development.

“I’m excited by the future possibilities that exist within the senior phase of learning and SMMC will be at the forefront of implementing the new system of delivering pathways for students,” Kathleen says.

“With Registered Training Organisation status, we are able to add value to our high academic focus by also delivering Vocational Education and Training, which opens up opportunities for our students. We have strong partnerships with TAFE Queensland North, JCU and CQU.” Kathleen considers leading SMMC “an honour” and although it’s “demanding and at times stressful” says she wouldn’t want to be doing anything else: “The greatest joy each day for me is seeing my students engage with the many opportunities we offer and working with the best staff — women and men who give generously of their time and expertise to see our students excel and the College develop into the premier girls’ school in North Queensland.”

ADVERTORIAL

I N S P I R AT I O N A L

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I N E D U C AT I O N & T R A I N I N G

david mcneale PRINCIPAL | RYAN CATHOLIC COLLEGE

As principal of Ryan Catholic College, David McNeale works daily with a wonderful leadership team, teaching and support staff who provide the administrative, educational and pastoral support to the nearly 2000 students and 250 staff at the school.

“My role in this is to ensure we continue to provide the very best educational, spiritual, emotional and physical opportunities for our students so they can be all they aspire to be,” David says.

“Being a Catholic school, my focus is also on being a witness to my faith, a role model for students, staff and parents – walking the walk and talking the talk.”

For David, it is essential that the heart is engaged (the emotions) before the school community can effectively work with the head and the hands (the academic and the physical).

His contribution in this is ensuring the right opportunities and resources are available.

“My passion comes from a desire to see every child achieve to the best of their abilities and beyond,” David says.

“I’m saddened when I see students throw away opportunities and aspirations and settle for less than I know they can be.

Many years ago when I first heard the song ‘You raise me up’ the words struck a real chord with me and have stayed with me ever since. ‘You raise me up to be more than I can be’ — that is my passion.”

Developments in education that David says are pleasing to see include improved capability to assess students with learning difficulties and then implement changes to their learning that bring about much better outcomes for them and mean they enjoy school more. He says there is also an increasing diversity in what is offered to senior students in terms of pathways after school and that the use of technology to effectively engage students in their own learning has also advanced greatly.

“I love the daily interactions with students, hearing the stories of success (big and small) from them and their teachers and walking past the Preppies and giving them a ‘high 5’,” David says.

“It’s a joy and I thank God for allowing me to be a part of the lives of so many people and, hopefully, make a positive difference in their lives.”

Ryan Catholic College 59 Canterbury Road, Kirwan Telephone 4773 0100 Email dmcneale@ryan.catholic.edu.au www.ryan.catholic.edu.au

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ADVERTORIAL

I N S P I R AT I O N A L

leaders

I N E D U C AT I O N & T R A I N I N G

kate sheppard MANAGER PATHWAYS | JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY

After 10 years at Kirwan High (as a teacher, Head of Department and Deputy Principal) Kate Sheppard joined James Cook University (JCU) in 2014 to work as an Educational Designer. In this role she collaborated with a range of staff to embed learning technologies into their teaching. In October last year, Kate moved to JCU’s new open access Pathways program, which provides students with an opportunity for a supported transition to university.

“It was the first whole-of-institution program of its kind to be launched and I was really impressed by the approaches being adopted in the program,” Kate says.

“This year, we’ve had close to 600 students move through the Pathways programs in Townsville, Cairns, Singapore, Brisbane and Thursday Island, which has been really wonderful.”

Kate’s role oversees JCU’s Tertiary Access Course and also the Diploma of Higher Education. These are open access courses that provide students with a pathway to a degree with specialist support. Within the program, there is a strong emphasis on pastoral care and the student experience, as well as explicit teaching of core skills and career planning.

“We work with staff to closely manage the pathway of students from pre-enrolment to transition into a degree,” Kate says.

“I also meet with students regularly to review study plans, track future pathways and revise their programs.”

Kate’s role also involves close consultation with external organisations to make sure that the program and curriculum are responsive to what is needed in North Queensland.

“In some spaces, education can be rather ‘closed door’ and isolated, with staff working in silos. What I really enjoy about the unit I’m in is that it works across the whole of the institution. This results in a much improved experience for students.

“I love what education does for individuals, their families and communities. It’s a real game changer. I love that I work in a job where you see people changing their lives for the better and that we live in a time where your postcode doesn’t need to determine your life outcomes.

James Cook University 1 James Cook Drive Douglas Telephone 4781 4263 Email pathways@jcu.edu.au www.jcu.edu.au

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“Forty years ago, only the privileged could attend university.

Now, we have targets of 40 per cent of the population under 25 having a Bachelor degree by 2020.”

ADVERTORIAL

I N S P I R AT I O N A L

leaders

I N E D U C AT I O N & T R A I N I N G

ian smythe

DIRECTOR — EDUCATION AND TRAINING TAFE QUEENSLAND NORTH If Ian Smythe looks familiar, it could be you recognise him from the seven years he spent as CEO of the Townsville Crocodiles. But what you may not know is that Ian has a background in education. He began teaching in the Gold Coast, then a career opportunity led him to Townsville State High School in 1986.

“As a Deputy Principal at Heatley Secondary College, and later as Principal of Townsville State High School, I learned what great opportunity can be provided to all students through effective and responsive leadership,” Ian says.

Now, as Director of Education and Training at TAFE Queensland North, Ian works closely with 18 portfolio and business managers and over 300 teachers designing, developing and delivering programs across Northern Queensland to over 20,000 students.

“Together we prepare students for their first job or their next job and work with industry and business to ensure they have the skills, knowledge and workforce to continue operating successfully,” Ian says.

“TAFE Queensland North has over 130 years of experience in delivering vocational education and training in Queensland.

Over the past three years we’ve been able to reinvent how we do our training and focus on being a more flexible, dynamic and innovative organisation.

“We’ve always had talented teachers but I think our current approach to management and leadership allows us to deliver more of what our industry partners and students want.

“We’re seeing more higher education programs available for our students and are currently developing a whole range of applied degree programs that extend the opportunities for them.”

Passionate about providing “real skills for real jobs” Ian says he is dedicated to the work TAFE Queensland North does with the community and local businesses to deliver the training they need and want.

“Every day is different but we ‘make great happen’ for someone every day. There’s nothing more satisfying than knowing you’ve helped your students get a start in the workforce.

TAFE Queensland North Cnr Fulham Road and Hugh Street, Pimlico Telephone 1300 656 959 Email info.north@tafe.qld.edu.au www.tafenorth.edu.au

“Whether they’re starting their working life after school, returning to the workforce or are new to Australia, it’s an amazing feeling witnessing the satisfaction our students feel.”

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ADVERTORIAL

The Cathedral School 154 Ross River Road Mundingburra Telephone 4722 2000 Email tcs@cathedral.qld.edu.au www.cathedral.qld.edu.au

I N S P I R AT I O N A L

leaders

I N E D U C AT I O N & T R A I N I N G

luke baills

HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL | THE CATHEDRAL SCHOOL Luke Baills was destined to be an educator, with the profession appearing frequently throughout his family tree. His mother directs an after-school care program; his wife Stephanie is a teacher; his aunt was a deputy principal; and his cousins and sister are registered teachers.

Luke says his biggest career highlight to date has been the move from state education to the independent private sector. While he describes it as “the greatest risk I’ve ever taken in my career” he says it was worth it because the move has provided him with the opportunity to further refine his leadership philosophy.

As a Relational Leader at The Cathedral School, Luke’s focus is on bringing key stakeholders together to make a difference in the life of a child.

“No longer is my pathway for success mapped out. I have to map this pathway out for myself and I have experienced many highs and lows,” Luke says. “I wouldn’t change my past for anything, but I wouldn’t change my future and where I am now either.”

“My firm moral belief as a leader is to treat all children in my care as if they’re my own and give all staff under my leadership the respect they deserve,” Luke says.

Luke says it’s his dream to make The Cathedral Junior School a world class leader of early childhood and primary education.

“It’s my mantra to provide personalised learning instruction to ensure we’re aware of where students are at, where they need to be and, most importantly, how we’re going to get them there.

“The journey has commenced in the Junior School by developing systems to collate baseline evidence of students’ achievements and map their improvement throughout the school year,” Luke says.

“I also know that, in my role, I have the capacity to provide young people with the tools they need to grow up in an often confusing and complicated world. What a responsibility, but what a reward when we are successful.”

“Having this information at our fingertips allows us to map enrichment pathways for our students to ensure they reach their full potential. In the Junior School we pride ourselves on providing a 21stcentury world class education.”

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MAKE GREAT HAPPEN in 2016

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Whether you are about to finish school, want new skills or are looking for a new career, TAFE Queensland North can help you MAKE GREAT HAPPEN. Choose from over 380 courses with flexible study options.

Aviation Business, IT, Justice & Management Community Services Creative, Music & Media Education, Early Childhood Education & Care Fitness, Sport & Recreation Hairdressing & Beauty Horticulture, Conservation & Land Management Hospitality, Travel, Tourism & Events Indigenous programs Language, Literacy & Numeracy Logistics, Work Health & Safety Marine Nursing, Health Care, Aged Care, Optical Trades: Automotive, Construction, Electrical, Engineering, Plumbing Training & Assessment

Enrol now!

tafenorth.edu.au/ENROLNOW

1300 656 959

DUO MAGAZINE

109 PROFILE ROBERTS & MORROW TECHNOLOGY 110 ADVERTORIAL THE VILLE RESORT – CASINO 112 TOWNSVILLE ENTERPRISE LIMITED AN AGENDA FOR THE NORTH 114 LOCAL MATTERS GREY NOMADS BYPASSING TOWNSVILLE? 116 COLUMNIST NORTHERN TAX AND FINANCIAL SERVICES 117 COLUMNIST EWEN JONES MP 118 COLUMNIST WARWICK POWELL 120 COLUMNIST PETER BAINES 122 COLUMNIST BENCHMARK HR & INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

BUSINESS+ DEVELOPMENT

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PROFILE | BUSINESS+DEVELOPMENT

TOWNSVILLE’S TRUSTED TECHNOLOGY PARTNER ROBERTS & MORROW TECHNOLOGY ARRIVED IN TOWNSVILLE IN 2013 AND HAS QUICKLY BECOME A TRUSTED TECHNOLOGY PARTNER.

OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, NSW-based technology firm, Roberts & Morrow Technology (RMT) have quietly been remotely working in the northern region to help drive technology and solution implementation growth in the area. In that short time they have become known throughout Townsville as a trusted technology partner with exceptional IT expertise.

“We specialise in managed IT services, cloud technology and integration, strategic consulting and network design,” explains Director of Roberts & Morrow Technology, Brad Schumacher. “Through our strong and reputable partners, including Telstra, Microsoft, MYOB and HP, we offer dynamic and resilient IT solutions to our clients.”

With clients such as Carmichael Motors and Honeycombes JCB, RMT are building a strong foundation in Townsville and say they are here for the long haul.

They have recently set up a new office in Townsville’s CBD and employed more local people to meet growing demand.

“We have recently appointed Scott Piper as our Business Development Manager to help us implement our long-term plan for Townsville,” says Brad. “Scott is a Townsville local with close to 20

“We specialise in managed IT services, cloud technology and integration, strategic consulting and network design.”

Brad Schumacher

Brad Schumacher

Scott Piper

Director Roberts & Morrow Technology

Business Development Manager Roberts & Morrow Technology

years’ experience in the local business community and we know he is going to be a valuable asset to clients and our team.”

Part of providing value to clients and business groups is educating/ mentoring them about the benefits of cloud technologies and how their business could utilise them. While cloud technology and services has the potential to revolutionise how businesses do business, some decision makers still struggle to understand what it is and how to implement it.

“It is important business managers engage a trusted IT provider to implement cloud and hybrid cloud services in their business because no two solutions are the same,” explains Scott Piper. “You need to consider whether the applications you use are suitable for a cloud based environment, what government regulation applies to how you manage and store data, what happens if you want to change cloud service providers in the future, how do you transition from an onsite IT solution to the cloud and much more.” Scott also adds it is important for Business owners and managers to understand that IT is a tool that can be used to deliver their strategic objectives.

This is where RMT provides great value to clients. Drawing on their managed services and cloud technology expertise, they help clients make the best decisions and implement a solution that meets their business’ unique needs. Their primary service though is customising your needs of technology to benefit from your virtual IT department – without the big expense.

To find out more about cloud technologies, managed IT services and other services Roberts & Morrow Technology offer, visit their website at www.rmt.net.au or call 1300 832 804.

Roberts & Morrow Technology Level 3 370 Flinders Street Townsville CBD 1300 832 804 www.rmt.net.au

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ADVERTORIAL

The furniture exudes a contemporary, cool aesthetic reminiscent of an authentic Queensland vernacular.

“The design team wanted to merge authentic Queensland design features with the glamour of mid-century hotels in California.”

With construction about to commence to create The Ville’s uniquely designed hotel rooms across three hotel levels and a new restaurant to connect to what will be a new resort style pool, guests are seeing Townsville’s iconic property take new shape under its $35 million redevelopment.

Global design practice Woods Bagot has spearheaded the redevelopment project, with the overarching goal of creating a precinct locals can be proud to call their own and a tourism destination for domestic and international visitors.

THE QUEENSL A ND WAY DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM MID-CENTURY CALIFORNIAN HOTELS AND OUR OWN BACKYARD, THE VILLE RESORT – CASINO’S IMMINENT REDEVELOPMENTS EMBRACE OUR NORTHERN LIFESTYLE IN A VERY COOL, MODERN WAY, SOON TO BE SEEN IN 66 RENOVATED HOTEL ROOMS AND NEW RESTAURANT, THE PALM HOUSE

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“The design team wanted to merge authentic Queensland design features with the glamour of mid-century hotels in California,” explains Anna Faunt, Associate and Architect at Woods Bagot. “Classic destinations like The Beverly Hills Hotel, alongside more modern offerings like the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs, were inspirational in creating an on-trend, luxury guest experience.”

On track for completion in April 2016, the 66 Resort Rooms will feature custom palm frond carpet and v-groove timber paneling in a nod to the traditional Queenslander and our tropical geography. The rooms

ADVERTORIAL

V-groove panels are used throughout the room, including the bedhead, in reference to the traditional Queenslander style homes.

A modern market buffet restaurant, The Palm House connects indoors to outdoor poolside dining.

Custom carpet, designed with oversized and abstracted palm frond motifs in cool shades of tropical green on a speckled grey background.

The Pavilion presents a flexible event space, able to accommodate small meetings to functions up to 700 people, indoors and poolside.

will contain all the mod-cons expected of today’s hotel rooms, affordability for guests, and some of the best views the North has to offer.

“The view to Magnetic Island, and the local natural landscape, has been particularly inspiring and a big driver in the design process,” tells Anna. “One design aspiration was to create the feel of a European pool club with day beds and bars offering guests sweeping views of Magnetic Island as they lounge by the infinity pool.”

The infinity pool will certainly be a draw card for hotel guests, as will The Palm House – a modern market buffet to replace the current Aqua restaurant – due for completion mid 2016. Generous bi-fold doors will allow The Palm House to flow directly out onto a terraced dining area where guests can dine by the pool shaded by the deck above and surrounded by palms.

“The Palm House’s interior materiality is inspired

by North Queensland with white painted timber panelling, rattan screens and feature wallpaper in a botanical print,” shares Anna, “and wooden ceiling fans further enhance the tropical retro feel of the space.”

Next to come following completion of The Resort Rooms and The Palm House will be a poolside precinct unlike any other in North Queensland, with a poolside cocktail bar, private cabanas, fitness and wellbeing centre; a bistro bar with beer garden that will connect the lobby to the casino and the outdoors; a modern Asian-fusion restaurant; casino refresh; and a stunning re-make of the poolside function centre.

A new name is just the beginning…

WOODS BAGOT

THE RESORT ROOMS 66 rooms, over 3 levels Ocean or marina views King, twin and suites COMPLETING APRIL 2016 BOOKINGS OPEN FEBRUARY

www.the-ville.com.au

With over 800 design minds based across the world, Woods Bagot has been responsible for award winning and globally significant projects including the National Australia Bank headquarters in Melbourne, Chongqing Tower in China, 17John in New York, the International Renewable Energy Agency HQ in Abu Dhabi, UAE, San Francisco International Terminal, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) in Adelaide and the Christchurch Convention Centre in New Zealand.

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BUSINESS+DEVELOPMENT

AN AGENDA FOR THE NORTH

WHY THE FOCUS ON THE NORTH OF THE NATION PROVIDES TOWNSVILLE NORTH QUEENSLAND WITH UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH As we head towards 2016 we reflect on a year that has presented significant opportunities for growth and a renewed vision for the future of Townsville North Queensland.

Through the Federal Government’s Northern Australia Agenda, which has dominated much of the spotlight throughout the year, we have been presented with this century’s greatest opportunity for growth.

Never has a Federal Government created a funding pool specifically for developing Northern Australia.

There is now $1.2B in funding allocated to developing the north of the Nation and Townsville North Queensland is positioned perfectly to capitalise on this focus.

Townsville Enterprise Chief Executive Officer Patricia O’Callaghan said a united advocacy approach is vital in taking the region forward through to the next century and city leaders have a laser sharp focus on the priorities for the region. “The recent addition of Townsville to the Northern Australia Alliance gives us the opportunity to advocate for infrastructure funding and policy reform that will benefit communities right across Northern Australia, including Townsville North Queensland, to ensure the full development potential of the north is realised.”

“The Northern Australia Agenda has provided us with a significant opportunity to continue this approach and acknowledge the opportunity of Asia which sits right on our doorstep.

“With Asia’s population of 600 million people projected to grow to over three billion in the next few decades we are going to see an unprecedented demand for energy, mineral resources, high quality food and agriculture, tropical research and tourism – these are opportunities this region has not seen before.”

To truly develop the Townsville North Queensland region economic drivers must be identified. The Northern Australia Infrastructure Audit identified 32 gaps in economic infrastructure across the region – Infrastructure that is required to move the region forward.

Townsville Enterprise has developed a list of clear infrastructure priorities that will stimulate jobs and investment and provide a better lifestyle for residents. “These priorities focus on rail infrastructure, through the Townsville Eastern Access Rail Corridor, water infrastructure projects that will create adequate supplies for agricultural and urban use and energy projects including base load and renewable energy solutions.

“In order to capitalise on the broad range of opportunities presenting themselves there are basic energy and water requirements that are critical to the region’s economic development. Water and energy are key enablers of economic development.”

“Increased bulk water storage in the Burdekin Dam is essential to support both agriculture and urban development and we need to see policy that allows for appropriate water management and trading

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requirements for the Upper Burdekin and Flinders Catchment areas.

“Reducing energy costs for both businesses and households is a key priority for Townsville Enterprise. “The rising cost of energy is one of the key constraints that has stalled economic development across the region over the last five years. We have been working for many months now towards securing reduced energy prices and recently had a win with the decision by the Australian Energy Regulator to reduce distribution charges by 19%.

“We will continue to work towards improving the framework and the laws that mean the energy market is too complex and the prices are too high.

It is critical that we have investment into energy transmission and distribution infrastructure that connects viable projects to the national grid including gas pipelines to ensure this region can reach its growth potential in expanding and attracting major industry which will also create jobs this region desperately needs.”

With coal exports expected to reach unprecedented levels, increasing by 37% by 2040, Ms O’Callaghan said opening up the Galilee Basin is a key priority for the region. “We will continue to fight for the Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail Project to go ahead.

Coal equates to 75% of Queensland’s electricity supply and is Australia’s second largest export commodity – it is, and will remain, one of this region’s key resources.

BUSINESS+DEVELOPMENT

“WITH ASIA’S POPULATION OF 600 MILLION PEOPLE PROJECTED TO GROW TO OVER THREE BILLION IN THE NEXT FEW DECADES WE ARE GOING TO SEE AN UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND FOR ENERGY, MINERAL RESOURCES, HIGH QUALITY FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, TROPICAL RESEARCH AND TOURISM – THESE ARE OPPORTUNITIES THIS REGION HAS NOT SEEN BEFORE.” TOWNSVILLE ENTERPRISE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER PATRICIA O’CALLAGHAN

IMAGE: JAMES LAZZARONI

This is a nation building project and will be the largest project this region has seen for decades which stands to deliver thousands of vital jobs for Townsville and the region as well as $22B in taxes and royalties to the State.

With the Townsville City Council’s plan to create a vibrant inner city precinct now a reality following the State Government’s adoption of the Priority Development Area, Mayor Jenny Hill said creating an even more enviable lifestyle will not only keep people in the region but will also attract residents from across the country. “Townsville has put in the hard yards over many decades to become the strategic and economic capital of the north and we have an exciting role to play in the future of Northern Australia.

“We’ve achieved this through strong planning and leadership and a clear plan for the future – all fundamentals that are as important now as they’ve ever been.

“Economic diversity and lifestyle are Townsville’s biggest assets and drivers for attracting new opportunities for investment and growth, particularly as trade and business links expand in Asia.

“This is especially the case in strengthening the city’s position as a strategic centre for Government, education, research, health, defence, service industries, heavy industry and as a distribution hub.

“Like the rest of Northern Australia, we need Governments to back up the talk about Northern Australia with substantial funding for infrastructure to unlock this potential.

“Long term projects such as the Townsville City Waterfront Priority Development Area, which provides the vision to transform the inner-city into a world class attraction with boardwalks, cafes, restaurants, cultural and entertainment facilities, will also be pivotal for the city’s future.

“But we also need broader regional infrastructure funded in areas such as power generation, water security, roads, rail and ports.”

Townsville Chamber of Commerce President Troy Popham said the Northern Australia Agenda presents

unprecedented opportunities for the growth of the region. “For Northern Australia purposes the Chamber of Commerce fabric is about defining projects that allow for business connections and create jobs. All of the priority projects that fall under the Northern Australia Agenda tick those boxes and we fully support the initiatives of business and industry leaders across the region to get these projects on line.

“As more and more projects are developed and come on line, platforms are laid for more economic growth in areas which ultimately benefit small to medium businesses and we will continue to aggressively advocate for more city building projects for this region.”

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B U S I N E S S + D E V E L O P M E N T | L O C A L M AT T E R S

GREY NOMADS BYPASSING TOWNSVILLE?

BLACK RIVER STADIUM CARAVAN PARK OWNER BILL CONDON IS ON A MISSION TO HAVE THE OLD SOUTHERN HIGHWAY TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE REOPENED WITH THE HELP OF ROTARIANS. WORDS KYLIE DAVIS

THE INFORMATION CENTRE at Stuart was closed in December 2013 due to the redevelopment of the Bruce Highway in the area. The building is still intact but in need of a facelift.

Townsville Enterprise (TEL) Executive Manager Tourism and Events Bridget Woods says that The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) advised them that the works would result in left-in, left-out access only from the highway and that, in the long term, a service road would need to be constructed, which could cost in the millions.

The closing of the visitor information centre was a major blow for local business owners such as Black River Stadium caravan park owner Bill Condon.

“When the centre was open, 100 people would visit it before lunch and we got calls every day asking if there was room at the caravan park,” Bill says. “Since it was relocated to Billabong Sanctuary a couple of years ago, I’ve had one call. One.” Bridget says that should the required funding be sourced to open a dedicated visitor information centre on the southern side of the highway TEL would support the initiative but, until then, their resources will remain at the Billabong Sanctuary centre. “As well as the Billabong Sanctuary visitor information centre we have the centre in Flinders Street and both centres are being patronised well,” she says. “Domestic tourism expenditure in the Townsville North Queensland region increased by 0.3% from $682.4M in 2014 to $684.7M in 2015.”

Mr Condon disagrees that tourist visits to Townsville area are on the up, however, asserting that volunteers at the Billabong information centre have told him they’re getting less than 100 visitors a week and 90 per cent of those are heading south, representing no monetary value to Townsville. “It’s simply a disgrace for a marketing organisation to turn its back on northbound drive tourism, which is when their wallets are full,” he says.

The ground where the old visitor information centre stands is owned by Glencore, who Bill claims is open to considering a proposal to revive the centre.

“There are 10 Rotary clubs in this town and I’d love them all to come on board and make bringing the centre back to life a combined Rotary project,” Bill says. “Rotarians could have their meetings there and I’d love to see military museum displays as well.

We’re a garrison city and we’re hoping the Army can chip in with all their disused equipment, which would be a drawcard for families. There are 30 acres of land at the site.”

As well as offering brochures, Bill would like to see the revitalised centre offer accommodation booking and ticket sales.

“The information given to me by grey nomads who’ve stayed on at my caravan park in Townsville for four months instead of heading further north is that they spend an average of $10,000 in the city over that timeframe. One nomad counted 100 vans in one hour, which is millions of lost revenue for Townsville.”

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WHAT DO YOU THINK? We’d love to hear what DUO readers think about this story. Would you like to see the old visitor centre revived? Email us your comments at duo@duomagazine.com.au

PHOTO: Neftali / Shutterstock.com

L O C A L M AT T E R S | B U S I N E S S + D E V E L O P M E N T

“DOMESTIC TOURISM EXPENDITURE IN THE TOWNSVILLE NORTH QUEENSLAND REGION INCREASED BY 0.3% FROM $682.4M IN 2014 TO $684.7M IN 2015.”

TOWNSVILLE ENTERPRISE EXECUTIVE MANAGER TOURISM AND EVENTS BRIDGET WOODS

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BUSINESS+DEVELOPMENT

KAREN QUAGLIATA | DIRECTOR | NORTHERN TAX & FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD

GOODWILL IN BUSINESS VALUATIONS Do your Due Diligence.

If you are looking at buying a new business, there are many factors to take into consideration. Primarily you need to know exactly what you are purchasing. As per the ATO guidance on this topic: “If a business has been acquired as a going-concern and is generally profitable, you should include a value for goodwill.”

If a valuation does not include a value for goodwill, you should consider whether the allocation process has been reasonable, and the reasons behind the absence of a goodwill valuation. The absence of goodwill in a value allocation may indicate that: • the business does not generate economic profit • the sale price was undervalued (and hence the purchaser did not pay a component for goodwill) • excessive value has been allocated to other assets.

To determine if this asset allocation process is reasonable, it is imperative you engage a professional to undertake a due diligence.

The due diligence engagement ensures you have access to important information about the business you’re purchasing, evaluate the business’ worth and the associated risks.

“As part of the due diligence process knowing exactly what assets are for sale will help you accurately value the business.”

The process involves a thorough examination of all aspects of the business including operations, assets, intellectual property, legal and tax compliance, financial performance, customer contracts, supplier and human resources, and are reviewed in detail, often within a designated time-frame outlined in a letter of engagement. A due diligence is usually conducted after you and the seller have agreed to a deal in principle, but prior to signing a binding contract. The information collected is highly confidential and sensitive. The seller may require you to sign a non-disclosure agreement before you access this information.

The due diligence will identify aspects about the industry and competition, all of which affect the value of the business and the underlying goodwill component.

So how is goodwill calculated? As per the ATO guidelines, you need to identify all assets before you allocate values to each one.

Identified assets should be sorted into the following categories: Cash and cash equivalents – such as cash and bank deposits that are taken at face value.

Assets that are actively traded – such as foreign currency, bonds, debentures, derivatives and listed securities.

Inventory (that is, trading stock or property held primarily for sale in the ordinary course of business).

Other tangible assets – such as depreciating assets and realty (land and improvements).

This will capture all other tangible assets.

Identifiable intangible assets except goodwill – such as patents, brand names and software.

Goodwill (or going-concern value) – is the residual value after all other asset values have been allocated.

As part of the due diligence process knowing exactly what assets are for sale will help you accurately value the business.

A professional adviser can undertake this investigation, and provide you an unbiased, independent report about these vital factors, as this is your hard-earned money you are spending to purchase the business and you want to avoid any costly errors.

The information provided is general advice only. We have not considered your financial circumstances, needs or objectives and you should seek the assistance of a qualified advisor before you make any decision regarding any products mentioned. Whilst all care has been taken in the preparation of this material, no warranty is given in respect of the information provided and accordingly Northern Tax & Financial Services Pty Ltd employees or agents shall not be liable on any ground whatsoever with respect to decisions or actions taken as a result of you acting upon such information.

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O B S E R VAT I O N | B U S I N E S S + D E V E L O P M E N T

EWEN JONES MP | FEDERAL MEMBER FOR HERBERT

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Energy and water will be key to developing Northern Australia. But what we’re finding more of, are groups not even related to our region, trying to halt those ‘anchor projects’ which will really get the region’s economy going.

When Minister for Resources, Energy, and Northern Australia, Josh Frydenberg came to Townsville on October 27, he was walked through the issues as we saw them for developing the North of our country. The opportunity to create the jobs and economic prosperity we need is here, but we are being constrained by southerners with no interest in our region, our prosperity or our ability to manage our impacts as we tap into this potential.

Townsville Enterprise, our Chamber of Commerce, our Council, farmers, engineers, and developers all got to show we had a plan and we could fulfil this Government’s mission to finally put some meat on the bone for this long held view that we could develop the top half of our country.

We walked him through the need for energy and water to be a prime consideration when it comes to developing the North. As I have discussed on these pages before, we presented the possibility of our region being a hub for renewable energy and the ways our region can lead the country in its drive to lower our pollution levels nationally.

Our future, and the jobs for our future, lies in getting this right. The key message to all this was that none of this could happen without base load power. None of this could happen without a World’s Best Practice coal fired power station, most probably situated in the Galilee Basin, anchoring our energy supply. Much the same way Westfield does not build a shopping centre based on how one jeans shop or hot bread shop might go, they build the centre with a large anchor tenant which will bring others to them and share the sales. The anchor brings scale.

Josh had to skype into a forum in Melbourne that evening. He faced nearly 500 people screaming at him about the demon which is coal. How could he approve a mine? Didn’t he know that coal was dead? Didn’t he know that only renewables were our future? This was coming from a group of people who get their power from the dirtiest brown coal fired power station in the country!!

“The ability and the right to develop our resources, acting inside the conditions of approval, working for the good of our community and the betterment of our nation, is a right we need to protect.”

I am just sick to death of people from down south who have their state fully developed telling us we cannot use our resources.

The use of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act as an instrument to stifle development anywhere outside the south east of Australia has to end. The red tape and bureaucracy used to stop us using our innovation, ingenuity, and elbow grease to better our lives is beyond a joke.

The Mackay based group which gained a halt to the Adani mine because of the skink and the snake used red tape to pursue their cause.

The terms of operation for the mine took into consideration work which must be done to protect these animals. They were not, however, listed in one particular document and that was enough for the Government and Adani Corporation to pull back, fix it, and then re-approve the mine.

Now we find the Australian Conservation Fund wants to lead another challenge to this project.

Geoff Cousens, who made his money as an advertising executive, and was an adviser to former Prime Minister Howard, lives in Sydney and says he is worried about this mine. He hasn’t been there, hasn’t spoken to the proponents, the Members of Parliament representing the area, nor the local council or the people out of work at present. He has no direct interaction with the mine or any form of the development.

What they have is cash and time.

My biggest concern, and that of our Government, is the message we are sending to investors in our country. The second week of November saw over 250 people representing major investors from around the world, gather in Darwin to discuss investment opportunities throughout Northern Australia. Ian Macdonald has been working on this for most of his life and Andrew Robb, the Minister for Trade and Investment, has now opened the doors, gained the policy settings, secured the 15% Asset Recycling Fund, and held investment round tables all around the world telling people they should invest here.

Remember that we have needed foreign capital to develop our nation since 1788. With our relatively small population and massive land mass, we do not have enough cash and savings in this country to fund our home mortgages, let alone build the infrastructure to get our goods to international markets.

Andrew Robb’s constant refrain is that the world is awash with cash looking for a safe home. Australia is seen as a safe and secure destination. But if our red tape, our ambit claims, can hold up a project for over 10 years and if people anywhere in the country can simply put on hold a project worth billions of dollars, what will these investors think about North Queensland as a destination for their funds?

Will they be more likely to invest in the already established dairy industry in Victoria where the trees have already been cleared and the brown coal power supplied is cheap and plentiful? The number of weekly flights, laden with produce from Victoria, travelling through the Gulf States has quickly risen from 40 to 150.

How many leave from Northern Australia?

How many will leave from Townsville while we are being attacked by radical conservation groups who live in the south east and neither care nor worry about the future of our part of the country. These protesters against fossil fuel use have no problems with this helping the southern States, but refuse to let us develop our chances to participate.

The sad fact is that these groups think we, who live in the north, do not care about our environment. We know that everything we do impacts on our environment. We understand that. It is how we manage those impacts which is important. We understand that as well.

The ability and the right to develop our resources, acting inside the conditions of approval, working for the good of our community and the betterment of our nation, is a right we need to protect.

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B U S I N E S S + D E V E L O P M E N T | O B S E R VAT I O N

WHEN DIGITAL DISRUPTION COMES TO TOWN

TWO DATES IN JUNE. TWO DAYS APART. TWO PROFOUNDLY DIFFERENT STORIES ABOUT THE FUTURE OF REGIONAL AUSTRALIA.

BY WARWICK POWELL

18 June 2015: the Federal Government released its White Paper on Developing Northern Australia. In a decidedly mid-20th century kind of way, the White Paper basically observed that northern Australia is a vast territory of great distances and sporadic rainfall. Ergo, its development required secure land tenure, more roads and more dams.

A WIDE NET

16 June 2015: the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) published a report called Australia’s future workforce? An innocuous title it may be, but its contents are profoundly unsettling, especially for regional Australia. It estimated that by 2030, 40% or 5 million jobs around today will have been automated out of existence. This is the direct consequence of digitalisation.

Check-ins at airports and hotels no longer involve staff. Touchscreen kiosks do the job. Restaurants now have robot waiters to bring meals, after customers have placed their orders via the touchscreen at their table. Paying for groceries is now automated selfserve.

For the Townsville SA4 regional economy that equates to about 35,000 jobs.

A word search for “digital” in the White Paper came up blank.

THE FUTURE IS HERE, TODAY

Talk of rapid automation and technology induced unemployment isn’t science fiction anymore. CEDA is not alone in this assessment.

Groundbreaking research conducted by Oxford academics Carl Frey and Michael Osborne (2013) on the impacts of technological shocks on the American workforce estimate that up to 47% of existing occupations are at a high risk of being replaced by some form of automation over the next 20 years.

Recent research by Deloitte utilising their methods on the implications for the City of London paint a mixed picture, though the underlying dynamic is the unavoidable prospect of mass job-substitution.

In the City of London’s case, the estimate is in the order of 30% of existing occupations to be replaced by automation and 35% of UK jobs face a similar fate.

So-called “disruptive technologies” are hastening a process of labour replacement at unprecedented rates. Rather than beckoning an age of leisure, the downside risks go to the consequences of expansive unemployment, under-employment and social anomie. The effects are likely to be unevenly distributed, demographically and geographically.

Just about all fields of endeavour are vulnerable.

The anecdotal evidence continues to pile up. Put aside the factories, which have been automating for decades. The pace has picked up and the intensity has, well … intensified.

Agriculture isn’t immune. Paddocks are ploughed with automated tractors, guided by GPS’s. Satellites help the planting of seeds, just far apart to optimise yield. The application of fertilisers is controlled digitally. Even some harvesting is now done by robots.

A man-and-wife team in Japan produce 10,000 head of lettuce a day with the help of a few robots, from their enclosed “farm”. Drones and Lidar now replace the “on the ground” work of people.

Transport is heading the person-less way, fast. We all know about Google’s driverless cars for example, but there are already driverless diggers, trucks and trains working our mine fields and mass transit systems. In Australia, some 400,000 people presently work in transport and logistics; most of these are at serious risk of being replaced over the next 15 years.

It’s not just a first world thing, either. Factories in China that once relied on low-cost labour for its competitive edge are now replacing workers en masse with robots. Reliable workers are harder to find these days, according to factory managers.

ADMINISTRATORS AND MIDDLE MANAGERS, WATCH OUT!

Anything that is remotely routinisable is susceptible to computerisation. So it’s little wonder that one of the largest, most exposed, frontiers is in the domain of “middle management”. As automated systems replace basic jobs at the front line, like checkout workers, store clerks and bank tellers, there’s less and less need for people to supervise these workers.

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But it gets better (or worse, depending on your perspective). Algorithms are doing a better job nowadays of identifying what job skills are needed for a particular position, and how to get the right talent. Who needs the HR manager?

To cut the story short, jobs that are basically about supervising people and ensuring “compliance” will be on the chopping block. Another report by Deloitte Access last year estimated that compliance imposed through government regulation cost taxpayers $27 billion a year to administer and about $67 billion a year for businesses to comply with. What’s more astounding is that Deloitte estimated that compliance requirements imposed by businesses themselves come with a price tag of $155 billion a year; $21 billion to develop and administer and a further $134 billion to comply with.

Ouch. If ever there were drivers for automation, these figures are it.

In fact, Deloitte Access conclude that whatever productivity gains were made through the progressive abolition of back office tasks during the 1970s and 1980s were totally eradicated by the growth of front office compliance administration and costs since.

GEOGRAPHY MATTERS

If automation knows few occupational limits, the impacts will be uneven geographically.

One thing the London study indicates is that the big cities are somewhat less vulnerable. If there is going to be centralisation courtesy of the internet, then most functions that will be concentrated and automated out of existence will be at the “coal face”.

Regions will be the most exposed.

Not only is it conceivable that regional Australia will fare worse in the digitalised labour market shake-out, but that within regions themselves the effects will be felt disproportionately. Aside from the obvious implications from an income distribution point of view (demographic and spatial, particularly in terms of the smaller townships and rural ecologies), within regional cities themselves the reverberations of the shake-out are likely to radically affect the spatial distribution of economic activity and value.

O B S E R VAT I O N | B U S I N E S S + D E V E L O P M E N T

The CEDA report undertook a rough assessment and concluded that: “regions with high dependence on mining (Western Australia and Queensland in particular) will suffer a bigger impact from automation and computerisation”. Get the report and check out the Map at page 61 and see the dark red/orange colours over North Queensland if you’re game.

WHAT NOW CBD?

When administrative and white collar (middle management) jobs are replaced, what will happen to the empty office spaces left behind in regional city CBDs? Old CBDs where office workers dominate the workforce landscape are greatly exposed to the hollowing out effects of digitalised automation. Townsville’s CBD will not be immune to these forces. Commercial vacancies are already at 27% (Property Council of Australia, October 2014). This is the high-end of the 20-30% vacancy range that has prevailed since the late 1980s.

Yep, that’s right. For over 20 years, between 1-in-5 and 1-in-3 square metres of available space sits idle.

That’s a massive supply overhang if ever there was one. Not surprisingly property values in the CBD haven’t been great either.

With automation likely to further hollow out the employment base of the majority of tenants in Townsville’s CBD, things are likely to get worse before they get better. No amount of new office towers will help this because more supply when there’s already over supply is just daft.

THE PLATFORM ECONOMY

Disintermediation is creating a new, streamlined, business model. I call it the “platform economy”.

Here, there are some glimmers; perhaps a bit of a silver lining. A “platform economy” is basically one where a digitalised “invisible” marketplace acts as the mediator between people who want something and people with something to offer. Think Uber, Airbnb (and its four Chinese equivalents), eBay, Alibaba, Gumtree etc.

The challenges of the platform economy are, from a regional development point of view, two fold. The first is the high probability that place-less platforms will disintermediate existing businesses. That’s part of the “vanishing middle management” story. In these cases, the new platforms will literally take the jobs away.

The second is: What then do we do when the machine takes away our jobs? Here’s a couple of thoughts.

THE WITS ECONOMY

One response is to cop it on the chin, and hope something else comes along. Given the nature and power

of human ingenuity and creativity, there will be new things and new jobs. People who do things that are in demand will “have jobs”, though probably not PAYG kind of jobs that most are accustomed today. Already, some 20% of the workforce are self-employed or independent contractors. This will probably grow fast.

I call this the “wits economy” i.e., surviving by your wits. People are already doing it; look at Airbnb where vacant spare rooms are mobilised as income earning capital; or where home kitchens are turned into mini-restaurants. Or the personal services sector like fitness, which uses local parks as “capital”. As costs of things like 3D printers fall, don’t be surprised to see the growth of micro-factories.

This is the next big step, and Sister City Partners (www.sistercitypartner.com.au) is proud to be leading this response to the threats and challenges of digitalised wastelands through rejuvenated community action. It’s a work in progress, but mutuals have been working for decades, and there’s no reason why the basic ideas can’t help regional economies navigate the tortuous waters of automation.

Creativity will be key here. Routine-roster can be automated. Only human creativity can’t. Being unshackled from compliance will help revivify the “creative commons”, but there’s more that needs to be done. I touched on some of this in the April 2015 issue, and will comment more on this in future issues.

OWN THE PLATFORM

I’d suggest that one of the best responses to the machine taking your job is to own the machine! Or at least be a part-owner of the machine.

In essence, mutualism offers a powerful framework for community empowerment just as we thought digitalisation would disempower us all.

Australia actually has a long history of mutual ownership enterprises. So, we’re not working blind.

According to 2013 research by the Australia Institute, there are 1,600 cooperatives and 103 financial mutuals in Australia. Combined, these have a membership base of over 13.5 million. The financial mutuals have combined assets of $83 billion.

In The BRW’s 2012/13 Top 500 companies, mutual enterprises made up 12.4% in number. But they make up 70% of the Top 20. Nine of the Top 10 businesses are mutually owned; only Visy stands out at No. 8.

The rest, unsurprisingly are member-owned superannuation funds. The Murray Goulburn Co-operative is the first non-financial mutual in the Top 20, with turnover of around $2.4 billion (No. 17). At No. 18 is Co-operative Bulk Handling with turnover of $2.32b.

Those that missed out on the Top 500 (threshold of $830m annual turnover) included some pretty sizeable mutuals or co-ops. They include the Dairy Farmers Milk Co-operative ($503m), Namoi Cotton Co-operative ($410m), Chester Hill RSL & Bowling Club Co-Operative ($177.5m), Western Australian Meat Marketing Co-operative ($124m), Ravensdown Fertiliser Co-operative ($120m) and NSW Sugar Milling Co-operative ($103m).

Warwick Powell is the founding Chairman of Sister City Partners, a regional not-for-profit investment bank with headquarters in Townsville. He brings almost 20 years of experience in global capital markets and project development and finance to bear on the challenges of creating regional resilience. He is an iconoclast who questions and challenges orthodox thinking. More information about Sister City Partners can be found at www.sistercitypartners.com.au and Warwick is active on LinkedIn. Search him and hook up.

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BUSINESS+DEVELOPMENT

GOODWILL AND GIVING

IT’S OFTEN AT THIS TIME OF YEAR WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL CONSIDER GIVING TO THEIR FAVOURITE CHARITY IN LIEU OF CHRISTMAS PRESENTS FOR THOSE WHO ARE TOO DIFFICULT TO BUY FOR OR DON’T NEED A WHOLE LOT.

BY PETER BAINES OAM (WWW.PETERBAINES.COM.AU)

Seldom are the gifts we give at Christmas about true “need” and more about want. It’s a reflection of the country we live in and the standard of living that we enjoy. Few of us will receive Christmas gifts this year that will sustain or significantly improve the quality of our lives and who says that’s the purpose of giving anyway? Isn’t it more about bringing joy and happiness to one another? A symbol of our love for family and friends?

If it’s about love, joy and happy times then perhaps it’s not in the gifts we give but the experiences we create. How many electronic gifts will be given this year that do more to disconnect our families than actually create a shared experience? How many families on Christmas night will spend it in silence staring at the screen of their latest device? As families and communities if we want greater unity we need to engineer shared experiences.

It’s these shared experiences that now are so important in my life and at this time of year, become the source of celebration and time with my wife and three kids as we cycle 800km’s from Bangkok to the southern coastal Thailand town of Khao Lak. Every January, since 2009, we climb onto our bikes and with an ever increasing number we ride for eight days down the east coast of Thailand towards the scene of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami that claimed 5395 lives.

In 2005, in response to the devastation that I witnessed working in Thailand following the South East Asian tsunami, spending months identifying those who died to repatriate them to their loved ones across the globe, I formed an Australian charity Hands Across the Water. Hands was formed to provide a home to 32 children who had lost their homes and parents in the disaster that created such devastation and loss for the country of Thailand.

I realised that the sympathy for those who had lost so much would soon pass once the stories were no longer told. Another disaster in another country would come and take the focus off our kids. Just because the attention and support would pass it didn’t mean the parents of these kids would come back, of course they never would.

We needed to do something different if Hands was to remain relevant.

Our approach to remain relevant was to offer shared experiences that would build strong engagement within our supporters. We knew that we could change the lives of the kids we were supporting. We knew we had the people on the ground to educate, care and love the children. But all of that was only sustainable if we engaged our donors on a different level.

We set about focusing equal efforts on offering value to our supporters as we do to caring for the kids. When we got both sides of the equation right, the fundraising, the burden that nearly all charities carries, started to disappear.

I’d like to suggest I was smart enough to engineer this approach from the beginning, but I’m neither that smart nor claiming victory for something I can’t. It seemed like a good idea at the time and it worked. The genius in the concept, assuming there is one, is that we appreciated the value of what we had stumbled upon and leveraged the heck out of it.

So what do our shared experiences look like?

We started a charity bike ride in 2009 with 17 people, five of whom were my family who would ride 800kms over eight days in Thailand. They’ve proven successful because of the inclusive model of those who ride with us and the strength of the shared experiences. In 2016 we will have eleven rides, eight of which are “closed or private” corporate rides. Such has been the value of the experience we don’t have people signing up, now we have companies and teams signing up for their own experience. Two of our January rides in 2015 sold out within 90 minutes of opening registrations. 76% of those who rode with us were return riders. The model works because of the value back to those riding.

In 2009 we raised $176,000 from our ride. In 2015 we raised over $2million from our rides.

The conversation I have with prospective riders or their companies is about the journey, the strength of the experience, the challenge and the rewards

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they will derive. The cost of the ride and the fundraising no longer becomes the ‘point’ of the conversation it’s just the details to work through.

Our riders believe in the work we do with the kids in Thailand. Many are connected to the kids as they have ridden multiple times, but when you speak honestly with them, that’s not the reason they ride.

It’s a great experience to ride into the home after 800km and see those that the hard work has been for, but the real reason they ride is for the personal reward they take, the strength of the shared experience.

It’s why companies are lining up for their own ride, because they know the way to build engagement is to engineer shared experiences.

Riding 800km’s in Thailand doesn’t have to be your thing, but if you want a closer family unit, giving gifts that we don’t necessarily need or those that lead to a more disconnected family won’t achieve that. But spending time, real quality time with those that we love and cherish will lead to a more engaged family unit.

So rather than giving the obvious this season, how about giving the commodity which is often in the least abundance these days, our time. Give of yourself to your family, your friends and those in your community who need our support the most.

After all it’s the season of giving.

BUSINESS+DEVELOPMENT

Peter Baines OAM: Peter became passionate for sustainable leadership after he took part in the natural disaster response team who witnessed the devastating effects of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami.

In late 2005, Peter established Hands Across the Water, a charity that raises funds for and awareness of Thai children who were left orphaned by the disaster.

Today, Peter helps businesses build effective sustainable leadership while travelling the globe as a keynote speaker.

Published by WILEY, Doing Good

by Doing Good is available now in paperback RRP $34.95 from www.peterbaines.com.au

BUSINESS+DEVELOPMENT

PHILIP JENKINS | GENERAL MANAGER | BENCHMARK BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

DIRECT THE DIRECTION OF YOUR BUSINESS

As a business owner you set the goals and the pathway for your business

Looking forward and looking back. As another year draws to a close quite a few businesses will be taking the opportunity to do a review of the year along with a plan or strategy for the coming year. Will you be doing the same? It’s important to not only take the time to celebrate your successes but to also assess any of the shortcomings within your business.

“The direction of your business is in your hands.”

How you define your business plan or strategy will determine the direction of your business and what it will look like in the future. By defining your business strategy clearly, you can develop your business or growth plan to achieve your business and personal goals. By doing a bit of homework now, you could be reaping the reward later. And yes, everyone should do this. No matter if you are a sole trader or a large business. Remember, you cannot be all things to all customers. You do not have to be the market leader to compete successfully, but you do need to focus on your business’s strengths to find a way to differentiate from other competitors. A strategy and plan will ensure alignment with your business activities.

Depending on what your interests or concerns may be such a process could give you a quick evaluation of your strategy focus. Key areas are - finance, marketing and customer service, HR processes, systems and internal business, people, corporate social responsibility. Your business may have different departments or areas that may focus on different priorities to accomplish their specific tasks. But these priorities should not conflict with the overall strategic direction of your business.

You don’t have to do the strategy on your own.

They are a great way to get your managers and employees involved in shaping the direction of their workplace. It’s a process you can use to engage your people. Once defined, your business strategy sets priorities for your business, your managers and employees, and helps you attract and retain the talented workers you need. An organised, focused business with a clear direction is a highly sort after employer of choice!

governments or business bodies) to make decisions and shape your future. Tools are readily available for you to evaluate your business and plan for the future that you want and is right for your business.

The festive season is generally, the time we like to spend with family, holidaying, getting those jobs done at home, or maybe even relaxing.

With a little reflection and simple time management this time of year can also be used away from the office or business to work on, instead of in, the business.

The direction of your business is in your hands.

You can’t wait for others (such as unions,

DOES YOUR BUSINESS NEED A HAND? Now more than ever, every business needs a hand to find the right people. Then they need a hand to manage them to their best. Not only can Benchmark give you a guiding hand with that, they also provide HR systems, audits and plans as well as business mentoring and coaching. They can also provide solutions with Industrial Relations and Employment Law. As your local Human Resources experts, Benchmark can tailor a HR program to benefit your business.

If you need a hand (and today who doesn’t) contact Benchmark on 4772 0233.

350 Stanley Street Townsville 4772 0233 or 0414 858 502 info@benchmarkbizsolutions.com

www.benchmarkbizsolutions.com

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DUO MAGAZINE

CULTURE+EVENTS+TRAVEL 124 CALENDAR THEATRE, SPORT AND MORE 126 WHAT’S ON AT TYTO HINCHINBROOK 128 COMING EVENTS TOWNSVILLE CITY COUNCIL 130 BALI GETAWAY ALMOST LANDING: BALI

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CALENDAR

Catch The McClymonts when they perform with Townsville Choral Society, the 1RAR Band and many local musicians and performers at Carols By Candlelight 6 December at Reid Park.

december 2015 EVENTS

Carols by Candlelight 6 December 5.00–8.30pm Reid Park www.townsville.qld.gov.au 1300 878 001 Stable on the Strand 18-22 December 5.30–9.30pm Strand Park, The Strand www.stableonthestrand.com Riverway Movie Night – Elf 18 December Riverway Lagoon www.townsville.qld.gov.au 1300 878 001 Ravenswood New Year Bash 30 December Imperial Hotel, Ravenswood 4770 2131 Rambutan presents NYE White Party 31 December 2pm–2am The Rambutan www.rambutantownsville.com.au 4771 6915 New Years Eve Ball 31 December 8pm–1am Grand Ballroom The Ville Resort – Casino www.tecc.net.au 4771 4000 New Years Eve Pictures in the Park – Riverway 31 December 7pm–12.30am Riverway Amphitheatre www.townsville.qld.gov.au 1300 878 001

New Years Eve Pictures in the Park – The Strand 31 December 7pm–12.30am Strand Park www.townsville.qld.gov.au 1300 878 001 Charters Towers PBR Touring Pro Series 31 December 7pm Dalrymple Shire Equestrian Centre, Charters Towers www.pbraustralia.com.au

THEATRE + CONCERTS

A Murder is Announced 3–4 December 7.30pm 5 December 2pm and 7.30pm Pimlico High School Performing Arts Centre www.ticketshop.com.au 4727 9797 Ann Roberts’ Hansel and Gretel 3-4 December 6.30pm 5 December 1pm and 6.30pm Townsville Civic Theatre www.ticketshop.com.au 4727 9797 Artgaze Film Club 4 December 6pm The Old Courthouse Theatre www.fullthrottletheatre.com 4721 5433 TAPA – Light It Up 10–11 December 6.30pm 12 December 1pm and 6.30pm Townsville Civic Theatre www.ticketshop.com.au 4727 9797

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TMPAS Open Mic Night 11 December 6pm The Old Courthouse Theatre www.fullthrottletheatre.com 4721 5433 TAPA – Toy Box 12 December 10am Townsville Civic Theatre www.ticketshop.com.au 4727 9797 Short Stack ‘Homecoming Tour’ 12 December The Venue www.ticketek.com.au 4724 2800 Art After Dark: Paul Longley on Piano 17 December 6.30pm Perc Tucker Regional Gallery ptrg@townsville.qld.gov.au 4727 9011 NYE at the Civic 2015 31 December 8pm Townsville Civic Theatre www.ticketshop.com.au 4727 9797

EXHIBITIONS

Peter Lawson: Retrospect 4 December – 7 February Perc Tucker Regional Gallery ptrg@townsville.qld.gov.au 4727 9011 Postcards from the North and South 2015 4 December – 7 February Perc Tucker Regional Gallery ptrg@townsville.qld.gov.au 4727 9011 2015 Visual Art Student Exhibition: TAFE Queensland North Until 6 December Perc Tucker Regional Gallery ptrg@townsville.qld.gov.au 4727 9011 Technicolour 2015 Annual Members Exhibition Until 17 December Umbrella Studio www.umbrella.org.au 4772 7109 Screengrab7 International Media Arts Award 18 December – 28 February Riverway Arts Centre pinnacles@townsville.qld.gov.au 4773 8871

CALENDAR

Fight for Life, No Surrender 5 December 6.30pm Townsville RSL Stadium www.ticketshop.com.au 4727 9797

A Room for Wild Animals Until 26 January 2016 Museum of Tropical Queensland www.mtq.qm.qld.gov.au 4726 0600

SPORT

NBL Townsville Crocodiles 2 December 6.30pm v Cairns Taipans 5 December 6.30pm v New Zealand Breakers 10 December 6.30pm v Adelaide 36er’s 19 December 6.30pm v Perth Wildcats 31 December 6.30pm v Illawarra Hawks Townsville Entertainment & Convention Centre www.tecc.net.au 4771 4000

MARKETS

Strand Night Markets Strand Park, first Friday 5pm–9.30pm. Riverway Moonlight Markets Village Green, third Friday 5pm–9.30pm.

Cotters Rotary Markets Flinders Street, Sundays 8.30am–1pm.

Willows Rotary Markets Willows Shopping Centre car park, Sundays

7.30am–11.30am. Magnetic Island Night Markets Arcadia RSL, Fridays 5pm–9pm. Horseshoe Bay Markets second and fourth Sundays, 9am–2pm. NQ Farmers Markets North Shore Town Centre, Burdell, Saturdays. Cotters Market Handmade Arts and Craft Precinct Perc Tucker Regional Gallery third Sundays 8.30am–1pm. Bushland Beach Markets first and third Sundays 8am–1pm. Balgal Beach Market Beachside Fisherman’s Landing first & third Saturdays 8am–1pm. Label Traders Market

Mundingburra State School third Sundays 8am–12noon. Renegade Handmade Market Aitkenvale School second Saturdays 8am–1pm. Castle Hill PCYC Markets West End Sundays 7–11am Townsville Artist Market Riverway Arts Centre 12 December 2–5pm.

Head to the Imperial Hotel Ravenswood for the Ravenswood New Year Bash on 30 December.

WNBL JCU Townsville Fire 4 December 7pm v Bendigo Spirit 20 December 3pm v Dandenong Rangers Townsville RSL Stadium www.ticketshop.com.au 4727 9797

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HINCHINBROOK PROMOTION

View across lagoons from TYTO Conference and Event Centre

TYTO REGIONAL ART GALLERY GIFT SHOP TYTO CONFERENCE AND EVENT CENTRE The TYTO Conference and Event Centre coupled with its complementary facilities is a multi dimensional, modern space, unique in both location and functionality. Ideal for creating events with an imaginative twist set in a spectacular natural environment. With access to incredible break out spaces and activities that cover our four core pillars of Art, Culture, Nature and Knowledge there is no equivalent within the region.

We provide a range of equipment, catering and operational options to provide absolute flexibility.

From intimate to extravagant TYTO lends itself to shaping a truly unique vision.

FREE ENTRY

Located at TYTO, Macrossan Avenue, Ingham 4776 4726

31st BATTALION - THE KENNEDY REGIMENT mini Museum

NOW OPEN

Stories of conflict and compassion both lauded and celebrated; captured and held in our hearts, in memory of our heroes.

The collection showcases a compilation of published works, periodicals, military records, photographs, writings, ephemera and artefacts sharing the history of The Kennedy Regiment, including the 31st Battalion, 31/51st Battalion and the 2/31st Battalion and their role in the Australian military narrative. The Museum honours and celebrates the 31st Battalion - The Kennedy Regiment and the Spirit of Gallipoli in the 100th year anniversary.

Open daily 10.00am – 4.00pm within the Hinchinbrook Shire Library, 73-75 McIlwraith St, Ingham.

Historical talks and morning teas arranged with prior notice. Please contact 4776 4614

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Located within the Regional Art Gallery, this contemporary space showcases local artisans and craft enthusiasts work; ideal for unique gifts or keepsakes. Complementary workshops and activities are presented by these artists through the TYTO Event Calendar to champion further creativity and imagination. Visit us and add a creative twist to your day! OPEN: seven days 10am–4pm. Entry via Macrossan Avenue or 73-35 McIlwraith Street Ingham 4776 4725

HINCHINBROOK PROMOTION

TONY’S FOODLAND

FIORI WITH LOVE

Tony’s Foodland stocks a fantastic range of ham’s, salami’s and cured meats, Australian and imported cheeses, a variety of mouth-watering olives along side fresh fruit and vegetables – most sourced locally. Mokador espresso coffee, tea, cold drinks and ice creams are available daily, with delicious panni’s, wraps, focaccia and homemade sweet treats Monday to Friday. Experience the friendly service from Marco and Margaret 7 days.

OPEN: Monday–Friday 7.30am–5.30pm, Saturday 7.30am–4pm, Sunday 8am–1pm.

71 McIlwraith Street Ingham (next to TYTO) 4776 2522

Meet with friends for morning or afternoon tea amongst the flowers. Enjoy Fiori with Love, a delightful combination coffee stop and florist in the heart of Ingham. Priding themselves on the freshest flowers in modern artistic arrangements to suit all occasions, in store you will find beautifully crafted bouquets, décor pieces including artificial arrangements.

Peace of mind is guaranteed with the highest level of customer service.

OPEN: Monday–Friday 8.30am–5pm.

80 Cartwright Street Ingham 4776 2362

GOWRIE GETAWAY

TIDDALIKS

GREEN JELLY KITCHEN & HOMEWARES

Luxury Rural Escape & Day Spa. A secluded retreat that sleeps six, set amongst sugar cane fields near Ingham.

Discover Wallaman Falls, pristine rainforests and the scenic beauty of Abergowrie and the Herbert River Valley.

From only $180 per night including a private Finnish sauna. Book a range of additional Day Spa treatments using 100% vegan products.

Exceptional luxury for exceptional value.

84 Tarakan Road Abergowrie Phone John 0418 555 304 www.gowriegetaway.com

Overlooking the beautiful TYTO Wetlands in Ingham is Tiddaliks, a café offering delicious organic coffee, a full bar, and a frequently changing menu driven by seasonal and local produce. The café is a hidden gem in a prime location, perfect for soaking up the serene surrounds from its timber deck.

OPEN: Breakfast and Lunch Wednesday–Sunday.

Located at TYTO, Macrossan Avenue Ingham www.tiddaliks.com.au 4776 6832

Escape to the home lovers heaven that is Green Jelly. Stocking an eclectic mix of fantastic designer homewares and globally recognised kitchenware brands, you can get lost for hours in this quaint store that bursts with joie de vivre. Transform, update or just add a finishing touch to your home décor with seasonal changing ranges bursting with colour. Or find that special utensil for your new signature dish.

Open Monday–Friday 9am–5pm Saturday 9am–1pm 1/45 Lannercost Street Ingham 4776 3001 www.facebook.com/GreenJellyKitchenHomewares

IMAGE: ANN VARDANEGA

WEDDINGS @ TYTO Ideal for creating events and weddings with an imaginative twist set in a spectacular natural environment. With access to a myriad of locations within the one venue, indoor or outdoor, and nature as your backdrop there is no equivalent within the region. From small and intimate immersed in the latest exhibition at the Regional Art Gallery to the open wilds of the TYTO Wetlands your choice is endless. Open seven days.

Multi entrances off the Bruce Highway on approach to Ingham 4776 4726

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C U LT U R E + E V E N T S + T R AV E L

THE LOUDEST LAUGHS, THE BEST DRAMA, THE FINEST ARTISTRY TO BE HAD IN 2016

PREPARE TO BE ENTHRALLED, INSPIRED AND ENTERTAINED; IT’S SET TO BE AN EXCITING YEAR OF THEATRE WITH TOWNSVILLE CITY COUNCIL RECENTLY LAUNCHING ITS 2016 THEATRE SEASON PROGRAM. Wuthering Heights

Quartet

IMAGE: DYLAN EVANS

TOWNSVILLE CITY COUNCIL’S Townsville Civic Theatre and Riverway Arts Centre fulfil a dynamic role in the local community, inspiring our appreciation of the performing arts. That sense of inspiration fills the 2016 season, offering works to make you think, feel, laugh, cry, sing and dance and maybe even challenge you to reconsider other points of view.

The 2016 Theatre Season program features a wonderful selection of live theatre performances, ranging from drama to comedy and dance.

The season commences with Queensland Theatre Company’s Quartet – a devilishly funny journey into old age, told with tenderness, grace and hope.

IMAGE: DAVID KELLY

Mother, a one-woman play written for acclaimed, award-winning actor Noni Hazlehurst, is set to pull at the heartstrings, providing an insight into the lives of those living on the outermost fringes of society.

Townsville Civic Theatre also welcomes back Queensland Opera with Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, a rollicking musical fiesta, and the Riverway Arts Centre sees Bell Shakespeare theatre company return with their own spin on Shakespeare’s Othello.

Townsville City Council also plays a valuable role in supporting performances by local artists; and the Riverway Arts Centre team are pleased to again host the 24th annual North Queensland Festival of One Act Plays, a

townsville city council

New Year’s Eve Pictures in the Park strand park and riverway 31 december, 7pm–12.30am 5 fireworks displays:

2 movies at both locations:

9pm >> Fireworks display at Strand Park and Riverway (children’s display) 12am >> Fireworks display at Strand Park, Riverway and Nelly Bay, Magnetic Island

7pm >> Mr Peabody and Sherman (G)* 9.15pm >> Paper Planes (PG)* Food will be available for purchase at both venues.

For more information, visit council’s website or phone 1300 878 001.

*Information correct at time of printing.

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Mother

weekend jam-packed with stellar performances from our local performers.

Some of the other theatrical highlights for 2016 include the hit comedy The Underarm

by Silly Mid On productions, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow, the wonderfully-entertaining Educating Rita by HIT Productions, and a breathtaking adaptation of Wuthering Heights by Shake & Stir Theatre Co. Get a copy of the 2016 Experience it Live Theatre Season brochure from any of council’s Customer Service Centres, any CityLibraries branch, the Townsville Civic Theatre, Riverway Arts Centre or download a copy online from www.ticketshop.com.au

Discover Bali.

When you fly direct to Bali (Denpasar) from Townsville on Jetstar, you’ll discover a culture like no other. Explore colourful temples, feast on delicious cuisine, and enjoy one of the world’s warmest welcomes.

To book your low fare to Bali, visit jetstar.com

Townsville to Bali (Denpasar)

169

$

^

from

^Best availability dates and other conditions apply, see below for details.

All day, every day, low fares ^Things you need to know: prices based on payment by direct deposit / POLi, voucher, Jetstar MasterCard or Jetstar Platinum MasterCard for bookings through jetstar.com. For all other bookings, a Booking and Service Fee of $8.50-$12.50 per passenger, per international flight applies. Flights depart Townsville airport. Fares are one-way and non-refundable. Limited changes are permitted, charges apply. Availability is limited (not available on all flights or days). Limited availability on school and public holiday weekends. Best availability: from 9 January to 31 August 2016. Carefully check the carry-on baggage limits, including size restrictions, as they will be strictly applied.

Passengers with more than the applicable carry-on baggage allowance will need to check in baggage, and charges will apply. All travel is subject to the Jetstar Conditions of Carriage. See jetstar.com for more details. Before you book your international flight, and before you travel, check current Australian Government travel advisories on www.smartraveller.gov.au. Jetstar Airways Pty Ltd - ABN: 33 069 720 243.

duo travel feature

Girls performing traditional Indonesian dance at Ubud Palace Bali theater on June 27 2015 in Bali, Indonesia.

Image: Rueangrit Srisuk / Shutterstock.com

bali ge When you are ‘Almost Landing’ at your destination it’s

such an exciting time. Heart beating. Not knowing what you are going to step off into. Possibilities await.

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bali getaway

The Mulia, Nusa Dua

ALMOST LANDING: BALI IS A CURATED ONLINE TRAVEL GUIDE OF BALI. IT IS CREATED BY TWO PASSIONATE BALI TRAVELLERS, MANDY AND CHRIS. THEY WANTED TO CREATE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANTING TO VISIT BALI COULD GO, TO FIND OUT THE BASICS, TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY THINK IS THE BEST OF BALI (NOT NECESSARILY ALL OF BALI), AND TO DISCOVER BALI THROUGH THE EYES OF TWO TRAVELLERS, RATHER THAN A FACELESS COMPANY. ALMOST LANDING: BALI IS YOUR INSPIRATION, YOUR TRIP PLANNER, YOUR FRIEND WHO’S BEEN THERE, AND CUTS THROUGH THE OVERLOAD OF INFORMATION THAT’S ONLINE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY WANT YOU TO HAVE AN AUTHENTIC, FUN AND UNFORGETTABLE BALI HOLIDAY. VISIT WWW.ALMOSTLANDING.COM

Seminyak

Ubud

Seminyak is one of Bali’s most popular places to stay. It is only about 30 minutes from the Airport and packed with things to see and do.

Ubud is known as the cultural heart of Bali. It’s common to see traditional Balinese ceremonies, find a restaurant in a rice field, walk by someone in yoga pants and eat organic/vegan/slow food.

It’s also famous for its ties to “Eat, Pray, Love”, although if you come expecting the movie, it’s not exactly the same.

Located north of Kuta and Legian, Seminyak is known to be the trendy one. People stay here for its boutique shops, luxury spas, beach bars, and world-renowned restaurants. Despite this, Seminyak is lacking a bit of culture, natural scenery (besides the ocean) and shows more of a touristy side to Bali.

We think staying in Seminyak is a perfect combination with staying somewhere else that is a little more off the beaten track, or somewhere showing a more cultural side to Bali.

I see Ubud in two parts: The village itself The areas surrounding the village.

This is important in deciding where to stay, as the two are dramatically different.

The Village has a charm about it, but this can be hard to find through the congested traffic and hordes of tourists in peak season. This is why I think a day trip here gives it no justice, as it’s nicer to be around early morning or evening.

Ubud Village is full of restaurants, shops, museums, places to do arts and crafts and yoga.

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The areas surrounding Ubud, are where you see the lush green forest, rice fields (although these pop up in places you didn’t expect in the village), and where you have the tranquility. There are many places to stay spread throughout the outskirts of Bali, which are beautiful and a real place to relax and experience the stunning natural beauty of Bali.

This is our take on things: for a first time visit to Bali, staying in Ubud village gives you more options of things to do and streets to explore, but we would suggest doing a tour or venturing out for a walk in the rice fields or to a restaurant in the beautiful surroundings.

Once you have been to Ubud before, perhaps it might be nicer to stay in the outskirts, as it’s more relaxing, more beautiful and away from the crowds.

However, stay close enough that it’s still easy to get into the village.

bali getaway

Nusa Lembongan Nusa Lembongan is an island off Bali’s southeast coast, and it has a way of making you happy (totally biased opinion). There are really no cars except for the odd small truck. Quiet roads with scooters few and far between.

You come here to snorkel or dive or relax and take it easy. The main way to get around here is by scooter, and it’s the one place in Bali we broke our “no scooter” rule to get around. There are some scattered accommodations from budget to luxury villas, but most are fairly simple. In terms of restaurants there are mainly local warungs and simple restaurants.

There are some beautiful beaches like Dream Beach (but the currents can be pretty rough). And locals going about their daily life.

Ku De Ta

, Seminy

ak

We spent a night here, explored the island by scooter, watched sunset from a cliffside bar, and relaxed at its beaches.

You can get to Nusa Lembongan by a 30-minute speedboat ride from Sanur.

Jimbaran Jimbaran Bay is known for its seafood restaurants on the beach and 5 star resorts. But Jimbaran is so much more than this.

Jimbaran may not have the shops and things to do that Seminyak does, but that’s one of its perks. If you stay in Jimbaran, it feels like you are staying more in a local community than in a tourist area (ok, if you walk outside of the resort). In Jimbaran you will find the local fish markets and a great local traditional market, both of which are a great experience.

The beaches here are also much nicer than those in Kuta/Legian/Seminyak, and you are also closer to the Bukit beaches, which are some of the most beautiful in Bali, for a day trip.

From Jimbaran you can still go to Seminyak for a day or evening in a taxi (about 40 minutes depending on traffic).

So staying in Jimbaran gives you some great local experiences, nice beaches, tranquility, and a great location to do some exploring from.

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bali getaway

Monkey

U Forest,

bud

Potato Head, Seminyak

Bali Packing Tips Think Bali. Think Hot.

Forget the beach towel

Thanks to Bali’s beautiful tropical climate, Bali is warm all year round. You will not need to take up valuable space in your suitcase with jumpers and coats! For temples, you do need to cover up, but a sarong can usually achieve this if you don’t have long pants/shirts.

There should be towels where you are staying, if not you can buy one they’re really cheap. A beach towel takes up so much room, there is no need to waste all that space and weight in your luggage.

If you really want to take one, invest in a small, light beach towel.

Pack essentials but pack light.

What make up?

There are some things that you need to pack like travel documents, medications, clothes and a camera! Most other things you can get there, like toiletries.

We aim to pack the least of everything we may need. The warm climate of Bali also makes it easier for you to pack light. And it really is so freeing to pack light!

International Flight Packing Guidelines Depending on where you start your journey, particular countries and airlines have restrictions and guidelines on what you can pack, and what you can take on-board.

During the day, make up will sweat off easily. Substitute with a tinted moisturiser with sunscreen (e.g. BB cream) and a waterproof mascara. At least for the daytime.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T You won’t need warm clothing, but take something that allows you to cover up for temples and other cultural activities, like a scarf. If you have no space, buy a sarong over there to pop over your clothes.

Money matters We usually take a combination of credit cards and debit cards as our main form of money in Bali. We use our debit cards to

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get money out at ATM’s, and credit cards where there are EFTPOS machines so we can accrue frequent flyer points.

We also change some of our money into Indonesian Rupiah before we go, so we can use it at the airport and for taxis, and so we don’t have to rush to an ATM as soon as we get there. That being said, there are ATM’s at the airport.

Carry On Vs. Checked Important things that you can’t replace or that are valuable to you should go in your carry on. For example, medications, travel documents (passport, accommodation booking information, debit card, Indonesian Rupiah etc.), and technology items. It’s also handy to pack a spare set of clothes/underwear in case your checked bag gets lost in transit. And of course anything else you want on board with you… we like to take a pen and notebook, pocket tissues, compression socks and anything that makes your flight comfortable. We often pack carry-on only, and have found so many benefits.

bali getaway

Mandy and Chris

Double up

To pack or not to pack?

Take a copy (hard or soft) of your travel documents and leave a copy with a family member or someone you trust. This way you still have a copy of your important documents if you lose yours.

You can buy a lot of things in Bali, such as toiletries. So you need to weigh up if you want to pack it or buy it there.

Packing travel size toiletries helps, so you can throw out the empty bottles in Bali so you have more room for packing any shopping you may have done!

Phone home Look into your phone carrier’s international roaming rates before you go to find the best way to use your phone overseas. If you use International Roaming, the simplest way to avoid any unexpected charges is to leave your phone on airplane mode when you are not using it (you should still be able to access free Wi-Fi when using airplane mode).

Another alternative is to buy a local sim card (Telkomsel SimPati). Make sure the phone you take is not locked to a carrier.

Other ways to stay in contact that can be used through free Wi-Fi include: Viber – an app, which allows you to send messages and call with Wi-Fi. iMessage on your iPhone allows you to send messages with Wi-Fi. Skype allows you to make video calls with Wi-Fi.

Fly to Bali from Townsville Jetstar flies 3 times a week from Townsville to Denpasar on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday with return flights on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Flight duration averages just 4 hours 35 minutes on a fantastic 180 seat A320.

To book, visit Jetstar.com www.facebook.com/JetstarAustralia Instagram: @JetstarAustralia Hashtags: #Jetstar #JetstarAustralia #TownsvilleToBali

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bali getaway

Get a massage

1 0 Things To Do In Bali Do a rice terrace trek On our last trip to Bali we went on two of these, and I fell over both times! But I absolutely loved them. You often go past farmers and people working in the rice fields, and the scenery is beautiful. We Loved: Rice terrace trek in Sidemen but there are plenty of areas around Ubud

Yoga If you go to Ubud, chances are you will see people wearing yoga clothes, carrying yoga mats, eating after yoga etc. Ubud is the land of yoga, so if you’re interested, it’s a pretty good place to try it! We Loved: Yoga at Bodyworks Ubud

Eat at a warung A warung is basically the name of the local eateries serving Balinese and Indonesian food. Most are pretty rustic, but they are some of the few places you can actually try local and Indonesian cuisine. We Loved: Warung Sulawesi in Seminyak and Dewa Warung in Ubud

Do a cooking class Doing a cooking class in Bali not only improves your cooking skills, but also helps you learn about Balinese culture. It’s also where we have tasted some of the best Balinese food over the years. We Loved: Cooking in the organic Garden by Alila Manggis, Cooking class at The Stones Hotel Legian, Lobong Cooking class Ubud, Bumbu Bali cooking class Tanjung Benoa.

Visit a traditional market Traditional markets are where locals buy their fresh produce and other supplies. Visiting one gives you an insight into Balinese culture and it’s also a feast for the eyes. Each village usually has one. We Loved: Ubud traditional market and Jimbaran Traditional and Seafood market

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Bali is the land of massages… from cheap and cheerful to luxury spas. We Loved: For luxury spas we love Prana Spa in Seminyak and SO Spa at Sofitel Nusa Dua. For cheaper spa’s, Bali is full of them and most of them offer a pretty good massage (especially in Ubud).

Have a seafood dinner on the beach Jimbaran Bay is famous for it’s seafood dinners on the beach.

Feet in sand, prawns on plate. This is one of our favourite things to do in Bali. We Loved: Made Bagus Cafe and Teba Mega

Explore the beaches of the Bukit Peninsular The beaches in southern Bali are some of the best. Hire a private driver and spend the day exploring the beautiful beaches. We Loved: Bingin Beach and Padang Padang.

Cycle Through The Villages We once did a bicycle tour where we rode through lots of different villages and it was one of our most memorable moments in Bali. A must do! We Loved: Bali Eco Cycle

Chat with the locals Balinese people are generally very friendly and curious, so stop and have a chat.

Are you planning a trip to Bali but don’t know where to start? Would you love a place to find out all the information you need in one spot? Do you wish you had a trusted friend who could tell you all their Bali experiences and tips? Well, now you do! The Beginners Guide To Bali has all the information you need to plan your trip to Bali in the one spot. It’s perfect for first-time visitors to Bali. It answers lots of the Bali questions that we frequently get asked on the blog and has everything we wish we knew before our first trip to Bali. Visit www.AlmostLanding.com

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142 DIRECTORY 149 SEEN THE VILLE MELBOURNE CUP LUNCHEON 150-151 SEEN MICHELS MELBOURNE CUP LUNCHEON 152 SEEN JAM MELBOURNE CUP LUNCHEON 153 SEEN 2015 STOCKLAND RETAIL AWARDS 154 RECIPES TOKYO CULT RECIPES BY MAORI MUROTA 158 INTERVIEW: 5 MINUTES WITH JAMES COGHLAN 159 INTERVIEW: 5 MINUTES WITH KAYLEEN HOOPER, GIOVANI SPINELLA, SARAH WELCH 160 DUO LOCATIONS WHERE YOU CAN PICK UP YOUR FAVOURITE MAGAZINE

FOOD+DRINK

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- T H U R S D AY 3 1 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 GRAND BALLROOM, THE VILLE $165 PER PERSON • 8PM TO 1AM

Ticket includes

• 3 course menu & 5 hour premium beverage package • Live entertainment

BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL. Tickets available: by phone 4771 4000, in person at the TECC box office, online at tecc.net.au Subject to availability, change & cancellation. Group bookings must be made in a single transaction to allow group seating allocation. Seating is at tables of 10. Guests must be 18+ to attend. *Ticketing fee applies to all online and phone bookings, plus a 2% transaction fee applies to credit card transactions. The Ville practises the responsible service of alcohol.

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LONG LUNCH $39PP Choice of beverage Veuve D’Argent Devil’s Lair Hidden Cave Chardonnay Long Mile Shiraz 500ml sparkling San Pellegrino

Entree 1/2 dz Oysters Natural or Kilpatrick or Italian salami and pecorino stuffed olives

Main Morton Bay Bug Mornay or Beef and Burgundy Pie

Dessert Key Lime Pie

New years Eve

dinner BRING IN 2016 & CELEBRATE WITH US AT MICHELS. BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL.

EXPRESS LUNCH $20PP Choice of beverage Stonier Pinot Noir / Peroni Leggera La Vielle Ferme Rose 500ml Sparkling San Pellegrino

Choice of lunch Confit Duck Salad Rueben Sandwich Rib Fillet Sandwich or Michel’s Caesar

7 PALMER ST, STH TOWNSVILLE TEL 4724 1460 MICHELSRESTAURANT.COM.AU

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FOOD+DRINK

F IN E D I N I N G I N T R O P IC AL PARAD I S E

Come and enjoy our now air conditioned restaurant & delicious new menu!

BREAKFAST • LUNCH • DINNER • EVENTS

74 THE ESPLANADE, BELGIAN GARDENS

4721 3111 • www.seagulls.com.au

$25

BURGER+ MOVIE DEAL

MOVIE TICKET VALID UNTIL 31ST DECEMBER 2015!

KIDS $17

OPEN Sunday – Thursday 11am – 10pm Friday and Saturday 11am – Late

TOWNSVILLE

3 Palmer Street 4976 9990 #grilldsville

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ADVERTISE HERE

Call 07 4771 2933 or email advertise@duomagazine.com.au

BOOK YOUR 2016 FUNCTION OR WEDDING NOW

LOFT OFFERS A UNIQUE FUNCTION EXPERIENCE OVERLOOKING THE CITY AND RIVER WITH OUR AWARD WINNING CUISINE AND WINE LIST. MATT MERRIN AND THE JAM TEAM WILL ENSURE YOUR NEXT FUNCTION WILL BE A FIRST CLASS, AFFORDABLE EXPERIENCE.

FUNCTIONS CAN BE BOOKED FROM 10 UP TO 100 GUESTS LOFT IS PERFECT FOR: BUSINESS FUNCTIONS: - STAFF TRAINING DAYS - DAY CONFERENCING - BUSINESS DINNERS

LUXE ROOM

- PRODUCT LAUNCHES - CHRISTMAS PARTIES PERSONAL FUNCTIONS: - WEDDINGS - ENGAGEMENTS - BIRTHDAYS - ANNIVERSARIES - BABY SHOWERS + MORE!

BREAKFAST - LUNCH - DINNER - FUNCTIONS - PRIVATE DINING

1 PALMER ST, SOUTH TOWNSVILLE | 07 4721 4900 | WWW.JAMCORNER.COM.AU

FOOD+DRINK

DUO MAGAZINE

: FUEL CAFÉ :

directory

: KŌBE AT THE VILLE : Kōbe’s delicious menu has been designed to feature premium cuts from Australia’s finest beef brands as well as other contemporary culinary delights such as locallysourced seafood, pork, lamb, chicken and vegetarian options.

Enjoy a relaxed dining experience in modern décor with stunning views to Magnetic Island. The restaurant features a private dining room, perfect for business dinners or special occasions, seating up to 20 guests, overlooking the built-in wine cellar.

Open for dinner 7 nights a week from 6pm.

For more information visit the-ville.com.au, or for bookings call 4722 2222 or email kobe@the-ville.com.au

Fuel Café has opened at North Ward Shopping Village. Our award winning chef delivers a sensational menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

There’s a selection of delicious deserts and cakes to have with our renowned Bounce coffee. We also offer takeaway meals. The venue is licenced and offers a reserved area for functions with specialised menus. This would be the perfect place to hold your next private event or Christmas party. Open 7 days.

North Ward Shopping Village www.fuelcoffee.com.au 4772 4545

: CACTUS JACK’S SALOON : The Cactus Saloon has three great levels, all with their own unique bars, sensational food and excitement. With the addition of an authentic smoker oven, Texas BBQ style slow cooked ribs have never been tastier. With our new range of succulent meats we also offer takeaway lunches and late night dining. Experience Townsville’s home of Cocktails, BBQ and Craft beer. Lunch: Tuesday–Sunday Midday–3pm. Dinner: Tuesday– Sunday 5pm–9:30pm. Late Night Menu: Tuesday, Friday and Saturday 9:30pm–Midnight.

237 Flinders Street Townsville www.cactussaloon.com.au 4721 1708

: RAMBUTAN :

Townsville’s newest hotspot Rambutan’s rooftop bar and restaurant features a Southern American inspired BBQ menu with 16-hour slow cooked meats produced by an imported Pit Smoker. Celebrity Head Chef Wylie Dean displays a colourful array of rustic delights set to take your palette on a wild journey.

From 12 inch Po’boys to good ol’ fashioned fried chicken enriched with an explosion of flavours guests are spoilt for choice. Having trouble deciding, let our chefs take care of everything with our Chef’s Banquet from 6pm nightly starting at $30 per person (minimum 10 people).

Open 7 days 11am–late.

113–119 Flinders Street Townsville www.rambutantownsville.com 4771 6915

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FOOD+DRINK

DUO MAGAZINE

: SEAGULLS RESORT :

: OTTO’S FRESH FOOD MARKET :

directory

We believe food should be as fresh, clean and pure as possible.

Townsville’s first market place providore of specialty foods and gifts. Freshly baked artisan breads, fresh quality produce and meats direct from local farms, as well as everything else you need for the gourmet’s kitchen! Drop in for breakfast or lunch to enjoy a coffee, frappe, smoothie or cold-pressed juice as well as a famous pie, pretzel sub or snack lovingly prepared by our in-store chef. Open Monday–Saturday 6am–7pm, Sunday 8am–4pm 3-5 Illuka Street, Currajong (behind Warrina Cineplex) www.ottosmarket.com.au 4759 1755

Located on the seafront amongst three acres of lush tropical landscaped gardens – Seagulls Resort is the perfect backdrop for any occasion. Enjoy a memorable dining experience featuring Chef Wee’s signature dishes and style. Dine al fresco on the deck by the pool, or relax in air-conditioned comfort indoors. Winner of more than 35 tourism awards ranging in categories from Garden to Accommodation and Restaurant.

Open seven days for lunch and dinner.

74 The Esplanade Belgian Gardens www.seagulls.com.au 4721 3111

: GRILL’D HEALTHY BURGERS : Our Mission comes down to 3 words: Burgers made good. We offer 100% grass feed, free range Beef, Chicken, Lamb or Steak with freshly baked bread every day. Come in and try our selection of sides including our Sweet Potato chips. Fully licensed and family friendly. We’re even happy for you to make your own! Dine in or take away. Made with Love. Open Sunday to Thursday 11am–10pm.

Friday and Saturday 11am–late.

3 Palmer Street 4976 9990 www.grilld.com.au

: STELLAROSSA : Coffee is our Passion. Food is our Love. Customers are our Life! Welcome to Stellarossa, Townsville’s newest café espresso bar. Now open in 3 locations, 420 Flinders Street, Fairfield Central and Stockland. Come and experience the Stellarossa difference today with a full breakfast, lunch, pizza and pasta menu. 420 Flinders St and Fairfield Central are also licensed.

Known for our 5 Star Speciality Coffee, you know you need to come in and try it, you will enjoy!

Find us on Facebook to keep up to date.

Stellarossa 420 Flinders St, Stellarossa Fairfield Central, Stellarossa Stockland Townsville

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FOOD+DRINK

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: I.M.C. STEAKHOUSE :

directory

: MICHELS : Michels restaurant is Townsville’s food destination. Our guests enjoy modern Australian contemporary cuisine, crafted from local produce and seasonal ingredients. Michels can be enjoyed for a quick city lunch, a business dining venue, family dinner or enjoy our degustation experience. Drop by Bar M for a light snack, glass of wine or cocktails – anytime.

Michels is a relaxed dining and drinking destination, perfectly situated in the heart of Townsville’s restaurant hub – Palmer Street.

Open Tuesday–Friday for lunch from 11.30 and Tuesday–Saturday for dinner from 5.30pm.

7 Palmer Street South Townsville www.michelsrestaurant.com.au 4724 1460

From the pastures of Central Queensland to the lush valleys of Northern Tasmania, the Independent Meat Company (I.M.C) Steakhouse showcases some of the finest produce from farmers around Australia; guaranteeing tender, juicy steaks of the highest quality. The I.M.C.’s 10 select beef cuts showcase that ‘great’ and ‘Australian’ need not be ‘expensive’. The I.M.C. also has a well-stocked wine and craft beer bar and monthly showcase steaks. Bookings welcome.

Dinner Only 7 nights 5pm–late.

17–21 Palmer Street South Townsville 4724 3243

: PALEO CAFE : Paleo Cafe is a revolutionary health food store and café based on the most logical philosophy for optimal health, the Paleo Lifestyle. Comprising of good-quality lean meats, seafood, eggs, vegetables, seasonal fruit, nuts, seeds and berries, the Paleo Café Menu is 100% gluten free, dairy-protein free and sugar free.

Open from 7am – 6pm Sunday to Wednesday and from 7am – 9pm Thursday-Saturday.

Located in City Lane, 373-383 Flinders Street, Townsville. www.paleo-cafe.com.au 4771 4045

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: JAM CORNER :

Winner of Australian Good Food Guide Chef’s Hat Award 2014 and 2015 With seasonally designed menus using the freshest produce from local suppliers, Jam consistently offers unique dining experiences that leave you coming back for more.

Whether for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert, Matt Merrin and his team deliver modern Australian cuisine that is sure to impress. Jam is also perfect for your next private function or event, with elegant dining locations ‘Loft by Jam’ and ‘Luxe by Jam’.

Open Tuesday–Saturday 7am–late, Sunday 7am–3pm 1 Palmer Street South Townsville www.jamcorner.com.au 4721 4900

coffee is our passion. food is our love. customers are our life!

420 Flinders Street

Fairfield Central

Stockland

Licensed Open from 6am Corporate catering

Licensed Full restaurant menu Open till late

Traditional espresso bar CafĂŠ menu Open 7 days

THE BEST STEAKS FROM CAPE YORK TO CAPE GRIM bamboo_I.M.Co._Steak House Master Logo

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Take your pick from Townsville’s home of Cocktails, BBQ & Craft Beer • Texas BBQ style • Succulent slow cooked ribs • Authentic Smokehouse

• Late night dining • Takeaway lunches • Melt in your mouth

www.cactussaloon.com.au

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237 Flinders Street East, Townsville City | Book now or place your order Call 47 215 705

SEEN

The Ville Melbourne Cup Luncheon 2015 The Ville Resort – Casino

Photos Sarah Joy Photography

Carly and Kyal Frunks

Emma McConochie, Angelo and Renae Catalano

Highlights of the luncheon included a Loloma Jewellers diamond giveaway and Stockland Townsville fashion parade. DUO Magazine Best Dressed Awards went to Kirran Jonsson (Best Dressed Female), Ben Moon (Best Dressed Male), Peta Clarke (Best Headwear) and Drosia Parliaros (Best Footwear).

Maddie and Robert Tapiolas

Erin McLachlan and Carole McGowan Melissa Booth, Claire Jensen and Drosia Parliaros

Sally Rossetto, Nicole Lancini and Kim Berryman

Trish Brotto and Sue Lennix

Katrina Merksy and Aaron Moon

Laura Law and Alex McClarty

Stacey and Telissa Timpone Jenny Wearne and Glenda Worrall

Esperanza Chinchilla and Alicia Kornar

Leah and Michaela MacDonald with Sinead Tarr

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au 149

SEEN

Jody Watson Di Popham

Michels Melbourne Cup Luncheon Michels Restaurant

Photography Matthew Gianoulis Sponsored by DUO Magazine, Kim Bartlett Jewellers and Pol Roger Champagne, Michels Melbourne Cup raised $1000 for the Townsville Hospital Foundation. Guests enjoyed a four-course luncheon, Pol Roger Champagne and string quartet while taking part in raffles and sweepstakes.

Karolin Hafstad Siteri Donovan Allison Chalkley

Marilyn Twomey, Kerry Corrigan, Kelli Castorina and Jackie Alford

Addie Jones Pam Griffiths Chris Richardson

Lisa Parker marlene Anderson

Idoya Arrate Danielle Galloway

Kate Murry Alice Gonano

Danielle Dury Monique Dury Christine Menzie

Celeste Creighton, Alicia Tam Tamara Mitchell

Jacqui Blom Nadine Gallagher Lesley Devine

Judy Mischewski, Danielle Turek Joanna Lim

150 DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au

Jessica Bromham Imogen Gray Madeleine Stanton

SEEN

Tania Rumge Michelle Innes Deborah Prescott

Kylie and Jay Bartlett

Shayne Bowman Katherine Maguire Michelle Stallan Sandra Bird Julie Sherwood

Solange Webber Barbara West Cathy Acton

Michella Manolis Michelle Morton

Daniella Carmichael Bridget Hart

Fiona Montgomerie Jo Ramsay

Sue Lowe Kate Hoffensetz

Liz Simonsen Erica Keam

Mary Sime Fiona Galt Kirby Reents Trudy Semler

Angie Darcy Lesa Drummond Patricia Keough

Zita Sandri Jennifer Dillon Melanie Campbell

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SEEN

JAM Melbourne Cup Luncheon

Amanda Carr, Brooke Winks Jenny Gardiner

JAM

Photography Matthew Gianoulis Bollinger on arrival was followed by a delightful spring racing luncheon, sweeps, live race coverage and entertainment. Guests were dressed to impress and more than $7000 was raised for the Sky Foundation, which is dedicated to helping women in need as a result of domestic violence.

Frank and Sophia Santagada

Grace Johnston Nicole Butler

Brooke Barbagallo Natalie Bird

Sarah and Cameron Arnold

Linda Bice Lauren Barton

Lesa Ioannou Victoria Brandon

Pat Jerome Lee Fredericks

Peter Agapiou Vik Choppang

John Still John Retzki

Tara Parish Kirsty Keyes Megan Heywood

Michelle Littman Sally Still

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Tim Edmonds Dugald Woods

Andrea Boles Kirryn Hodda

SEEN

2015 Stockland Retail Awards

Michelle Maglis Mikaela Crawford Hayley Tanna

The Ville Resort – Casino

Photography Matthew Gianoulis Mimco was the big winner, taking out both the Excellence in Sales Award and Retailer of the Year. Others awarded for their efforts included Angliss Meats for Excellence in Customer Service, Priceline for Excellence in Marketing and Lenards at the Kmart Centre for Excellence in Presentation.

Gloria Jean’s Coffees also won Retailer’s Retailer of the Year for the second year running.

Bec Lee Bethany Larsen Stacey Schurmann Suné Lubbe Leah Wood

Robyn Paxton Jillian Kesby Jackie Kippin Kassia Dean Stevie-Lee Wilson

Corryn Baker Jenna Sullivan

Kelli Waldron Maree Creighton Mikayla Allen Jacqui Payne

Samantha Peck Rebecca Collard Jessica Zuercher

Julie-Anne Stockham Steph Robinson

Daniel Stevenson Clare and Sean Fitzpatrick

Robyn Richards Emma-Lee Spangler Melanie Cox

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R E C I P E | T O K Y O C U LT R E C I P E S B Y M A O R I M U R O TA

T O K Y O C U LT R E C I P E S B Y M A O R I M U R O TA | R E C I P E

YAKISOBA (Japanese fried noodles) SERVES 4 15 mins preparation time 10 mins cooking time + cooking time for the noodles if necessary 4 packets dried ramen noodles (about 250g) or 4 packets steamed “Mushimen” noodles (about 520g) – these are ideal for this dish 3 tablespoons sunflower oil 1 onion, cut into 5mm slices 200g pork belly, thinly sliced 1 leaf white cabbage, cut into bite-sized pieces 3 tablespoons tonkatsu sauce 1½ tablespoons oyster sauce 1 teaspoon fish sauce 4 eggs few pinches aonori (green seaweed powder) Cook the dried noodles according to the instructions on the packet (skip this step if you are using pre-cooked noodles). Drain.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the sunflower oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat. Sauté the onion until it becomes translucent, then add the pork and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and sauté for another minute. Set this mixture aside.

Clean the frying pan, place on a medium–high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil. Sauté the noodles for 2 minutes, stirring well so they don’t stick. Once the noodles are nice and glossy, add the pork and vegetables. Add the sauces and mix together well. Divide between four individual plates. Fry the eggs and place them on top. Sprinkle with aonori and serve.

Recipes and images from Tokyo Cult Recipes

by Maori Murota (Murdoch Books) available now in all good bookstores and online.

Maori Murota

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R E C I P E | T O K Y O C U LT R E C I P E S B Y M A O R I M U R O TA

MAGURO AVOCADO DON (Marinated Tuna with Avocado and Rice) SERVES 4 25 mins preparation time 250g sashimi-grade tuna fillet, Cut into 2cm cubes 1 ripe avocado 4 bowls of cooked rice 1 sheet nori seaweed, torn into 1 cm (½ in) squares Marinade 1 small garlic clove 4 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons mirin 2 teaspoons sesame oil To make the marinade, grate the garlic and combine with the soy sauce, mirin and sesame oil. Add the tuna to the marinade and marinate for 15 minutes.

Just before serving, cut the avocado into 2cm cubes.

Place the rice in individual bowls and top with the tuna and avocado. Spoon a tablespoon of the marinade over the rice and garnish with the nori.

Cut up the avocado at the last minute so it doesn’t oxidise.

NIKU UDON

T O K Y O C U LT R E C I P E S B Y M A O R I M U R O TA | R E C I P E

(Udon with Sweet and Savoury Beef) SERVES 4 15 mins preparation time 15–20 mins cooking time 320g dried udon noodles, or 4 packets pre-cooked udon 1 spring onion (scallion), finely chopped Amani beef (beef simmered in a sweet sauce) 400g beef, ideally a well-marbled cut, sliced 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon raw (Demerara) sugar 2 tablespoons mirin 200ml dashi (see p. 12) SOUP 1.2 litres dashi (see p. 12) 3 tablespoons mirin 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sake For the beef, cut the beef slices into 3cm strips.

Place the beef, soy sauce, sugar and mirin in a saucepan. Sauté, stirring regularly, over a low to medium heat. Add the dashi and let it simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes.

To make the soup, put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet. Drain the noodles and divide between four bowls. Pour the soup over the noodles. Top with the beef, garnish with the spring onion and serve immediately.

DASHI Ingredients and quantities 1 litre (4 cups) water 10g kombu seaweed 10g katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) It is easy to remember the quantities of katsuobushi and kombu: 1% of the quantity of water.

PREPARATION 40 mins preparation time – 17 mins cooking time 1. Soaking in water Place the water in a saucepan. Cut the kombu into 2 pieces and add to the water, then leave to soak for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. You can do this the night before or a few hours ahead of time.

2. Cooking the dashi Heat the water on a low heat until it just comes to a simmer, about 15 minutes. Don’t let it boil, or the seaweed flavour will be too strong. Take out the kombu just before the stock comes to the boil and add the katsuobushi all at once. Bring to the boil on a medium heat, then turn off the heat immediately. Let it infuse for 10 minutes.

3. Straining Strain the dashi into a bowl. Let the dashi drip through, pressing lightly.

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INTERVIEW

5 MINUTES WITH:

TOWNSVILLE IS BLESSED WITH SO MANY TALENTED AND INTERESTING PEOPLE THAT WE DECIDED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO FOUR LOCAL CHARACTERS EACH MONTH. IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE YOU THINK SHOULD BE FEATURED JUST SEND AN EMAIL TO EDITOR@DUOMAGAZINE.COM.AU

JAMES COGHLAN RETIREE

“WITH MY ITALIAN BACKGROUND IT WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CULTURE AND NOW I LOVE TO BREAK OUT MY INNER JAMIE OLIVER AND COOK UP A FEAST.” GIOVANNI SPINELLA

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AKA: Cogo. I’m renowned for: Talking to anyone and everyone. The song that describes me best is: Working Class Man by Cold Chisel. As a child I was always… in trouble (not prison type) and it carried on into adulthood. If I had a superpower it would it be: Hearing. Imagine all the nice juicy gossip and information you would hear. When I’m alone in my car I think about: The past and how I would, could and should have done things differently. Right now I wish I was… in a bank cashing a major prize winning Lotto cheque (seven figures at least). My favourite day is: All of them now because they are running out fast. One thing I can’t live without is: My beautiful wife “Dawnie”. She has all my bank account details. In five years from now I hope I’m… watching (with my brother-in-law Allan) the Cowboys win another premiership with JT coaching them.

What a thought. Last gift I gave someone was: A special chair for my wife “Dawnie”. A patchwork arm chair. Best advice I’ve been given: Take time to smell the roses but watch out for the thorns. My biggest regret: Spending too much time at work and not enough time with the kids. They turned out brilliant (is that OK Kim?).

INTERVIEW

KAYLEEN HOOPER

GIOVANNI SPINELLA

SARAH WELCH

OWNER OF MACS AMUSEMENTS & PRESTIGE COSTUME HIRE

REAL ESTATE AGENT / RENTALS MANAGER

PUBLIC ART OFFICER, GALLERY SERVICES, TOWNSVILLE CITY COUNCIL

AKA: Big K (The kids), The Costume Lady at work. I’m renowned for: Organising a party.

Apparently I drive my family crazy with my attention to detail. The song that describes me best is: That’s Life by Frank Sinatra because “I pick myself up and get back in the race”. As a child I was always… bossy according to my family. I prefer to think of it as assertive otherwise no one would get anything done. If I had a superpower it would it be: To get everyone to do what I say the first time I ask. When I’m alone in my car I think about: Everything and sing to David Campbell. He’s always on in the car. Right now I wish I was… on holiday, as we have had a very busy Halloween and by Christmas I will have prepared more Santa suits than poured glasses of bubbles. My favourite day is: Sunday. It’s sleep-in day, with bacon and eggs cooked for me. One thing I can’t live without is: Family and of course Champagne. In five years from now I hope I’m… still alive and enjoying life. Last gift I gave someone was: Our youngest son is at University in Perth. He recently turned 21 and we were unable to travel, so I organised a bottle of Vodka and lollies to be delivered with balloons, as a surprise from the family. Best advice I’ve been given: Be nice to your Mother OR maybe that’s the advice I give my children. My biggest regret: I don’t have any regrets, my life so far has been full of different experiences, with lots of happiness and good times, I am fortunate to have a wonderful husband and three great kids that make life interesting. The best day of my life (so far): Being spoilt by Qantas at a function in Sydney with John Travolta, courtesy of my husband.

Two celebrities I’d like to dine with: George Clooney, just because and Sandra Bullock as my husband will be joining us :) The motto I live by: I TRY to treat everyone the way I would like to be treated.

AKA: Gio… Gino… Or simply G. I’m renowned for: Friends and family always ask “How do you know all this?” I’ve been a bit of a sponge over the years and have a large bank of general knowledge and skills which come in very handy most days. The song that describes me best is: Rhythm Is A Dancer by Snap. As I child I always… found myself in the kitchen helping mum prepare dinner. With my Italian background it was an important part of our culture and now I love to break out my inner Jamie Oliver and cook up a feast. If I had a superpower it would it be: The power to teleport would be amazing!

The ability to travel the world in any given minute... Wow where would I start? Maybe a nice lunch in Rome. When I’m alone in my car I think about: I often find myself thinking about what’s next in life. I have a long list of goals and I’m always thinking of ways or idea’s to make them happen. Right now I wish I was… sipping a red wine with my brother talking about anything. My favourite day is: Australia Day! Just a fun packed day surrounded by friends, family and everything Australian. In five years from now I hope I’m… a successful principal of a real estate office in Townsville. Best advice I’ve been given: If you’re not willing to risk everything you have to make a dream come true then it’s not the right dream. My biggest regret: Waiting so long to step outside my comfort zone. I never thought I’d be a salesman but when times are hard in your trained field you have to try something new and what do you know, I found my perfect job. Now I get told I could sell ice to Eskimos. The best day of my life (so far): Getting the keys to my first new home and walking in the front door proud of what I had achieved at only 19. The motto I live by: It’s not a mistake, it’s simply a lesson learnt.

I’m renowned for: being practical and finding the logical solution. The song that describes me best is: Tiny Dancer by Tina Turner. It reminds me of the car journeys my family took me on when I was a little girl. As I child I was always… painting and drawing and climbing!

If I had a superpower it would it be: Teleportation. I really miss my friends and family overseas. Plus, imagine all the places you could go! When I’m alone in my car I think about: Work mostly! But also the beautiful sunsets, the weird faces people pull, what to make for dinner. Right now I wish I was… lying in my hammock on my back deck with my dogs. My favourite day is: Saturday.

My one day to relax, ignore the housework, and read a good book. One thing I can’t live without is: Fresh air. I love the smell of the wind off the beach. I’ve lived beside the beach almost my entire life. In five years from now I hope I’m… married with children! Last gift I gave someone was: Two pairs of baby bloomers to my God son for his first birthday.

So cute! Best advice I’ve been given: “To be upset over what you don’t have is to waste what you do have.” Ken S. Keyes. Jr. You can make the most of absolutely anything when you think this way. My biggest regret: Not travelling enough when I was in my twenties.

It’s so cliched, but it’s also very true! I wish I could just take off again and run around the world. The best day of my life (so far): parasailing and then plunging into the Mediterranean Sea on the south of France on my birthday. I didn’t know a single soul in the town, and had no family in that hemisphere, but I had the best time anyway. Life is about grasping those perfect days. Two celebrities I’d like to dine with: Dalai Lama for his wisdom, kindness, intelligence and peace, and photographer Sally Mann for her inspiring creativity, and her forthrightness. The motto I live by: Watch out for the tiny, quiet ones!

DUO MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015 duomagazine.com.au 159

DUO MAGAZINE

HERE’S WHERE YOU CAN FIND YOUR DUO MAGAZINE THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE OF THE OVER 400 LOCATIONS WHERE YOU CAN PICK UP YOUR COPY...

Every month, twelve thousand copies are distributed to over 400 outlets throughout Townsville as well as Mount Isa, Ingham, Ayr, Home Hill and the QANTAS Club at Townsville Airport. In addition 600 copies are picked up by miners on Alliance Airlines flights every month. Many readers send copies of DUO to friends and relatives, especially those visiting or moving to Townsville. With an estimated 45,000+ readers of the printed version each month and more than 33,000 additional visitors to the online magazine, DUO Magazine boasts the largest circulation of any North Queensland monthly magazine/online publication.

AIRPORT Alliance Airline Qantas Club GARBUTT + WEST END Garbutt News Sandwich Express Ray White West End ALB Distributors DOMAIN CENTRAL Howards Storage World Clint Bradleys Gloria Jeans The Coffee Club Living On The Outside WOOLCOCK STREET Tony Ireland Holden Tony Ireland Land Rover Mike Carney Toyota Lexus of Townsville Shade FX BAYSWATER ROAD Shadeview Blinds Grady Homes THE LAKES Townsville Day Surgery Boulton Cleary & Kern AITKENVALE + RISING SUN MUNDINGBURRA Stockland Centre Management Stockland Information Desk Gloria Jeans Coffee Just Cuts The Coffee Club The Silver Shop HairHouse WareHouse Loloma Showcase Jewellers Colours Hair Beauty & Body Townsville Podiatry Centre Regional Business Services Hanks Eyecare Plus Snap Fitness Aitkenvale Smile Dental Casey Dentists Community Training Australia Chrysalis Skin Technology Emphasis Hair Studio Chez Belle RISING SUN Rising Sun Newsagency First Things First Katrinas School of Beauty CASTLETOWN + CURRAJONG + WARRINA Bare Waxing & IPL Studio Castletown News Hot Ideas TMH Salons Loloma Jewellers Price Attack JBD Diamond Centre

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Victory Newsagency Hermit Park Newsagency Rippins Newsagency Park Valley Newsagency Sizzas Hair Salon Donohues Clarity Hearing Solutions Townsville Mercedes Benz Townsville RSL ROSSLEA The Rosslea Medical Centre Audi Centre HYDE PARK Queensland Fertility Group Sportsmed NQ Urban Crust NQ Minimally Invasive Surgery KINGS ROAD Balance Beauty & Make-Up Artistry NQ Laser Vision Centre Kings Road Medical Centre NQ Surgical Dentistry Back2Health Chiropractic A&I Physio Rehab Clinic Performance Physio Group VINCENT Fullham Road News & Casket Vincent Village News GULLIVER Mercure Inn MOONEY STREET Key Elements Beauty Mooney Street Newsagency WILLOWS + THURINGOWA + KIRWAN + KALYNDA CHASE Nextra Willows Newsagency Gloria Jeans Coffee The Coffee Club KC Convenience Store Upper Ross Newsagency Riverway Arts Centre Snap Fitness Thuringowa McDonalds McCafe CRANBROOK Centro News & Casket Blue Banana Hair & Spa KIRWAN News On The Avenues Mountview News & Casket Journey Financial Group McDonald Leong Lawyers Café Isabella NQ Sports Medicine Centre Techniques Hair / Beauty Boheme NQ Bodyfix TOWNSVILLE HOSPITAL Medico News Townsville Candidate Care

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COMING IN YOUR FEBRUARY 2016 ISSUE For advertising bookings please contact Courtney Frank 0417 136 606 courtney@duomagazine.com.au Ambi Rebello 0417 468 330 ambi@duomagazine.com.au

RANGE ROVER EVOQUE 2015 RUN OUT WITH COMPLIMENTARY ON ROADS

Purchase a Range Rover Evoque and enjoy complimentary on road costs on new and demonstrator 2015 models.

Tony Ireland Land Rover 52 Duckworth Street Townsville Tel: 1300 887 705 www.tonyirelandrangerover.com.au Offer available on all new and demonstrator 2015 Range Rover Evoque models while stocks last. *Complimentary on roads offer includes Dealer Delivery, Stamp Duty, Registration & CTP Insurance. Offer ends 31st December 2015. Land Rover reserves the right to extend any offer.