All over Allstralia

En route to Melbourne with Bonza

THE SUNSHINE Coast is now a hop, skip and a flight to some of Australia’s most desirable regional hot spots with dozens of new routes giving travellers a smorgasboard of new flight options.

February 21 marked the very first flight to Avalon, but the lowcost carrier has unveiled 17 destinations and 27 routes to choose with flights starting from $79.

The very first flight to Avalon Airport from the Sunshine Coast flicked the go switch on Bonza’s stated aims of connecting more Australians than ever before.

“It is a significant milestone as we get wheels up into Victoria for the first time,” said Bonza CEO Tim Jordan.

“South East Queenslanders can now fly direct to Avalon for a wide range of holiday experiences in Melbourne, Geelong, the Surf Coast and the Great Ocean Road. Likewise, Victorians can now fly direct from Avalon to the Sunshine Coast to visit loved ones and take a well earned break.”

HITTING the Great Ocean Road for hinterland locals just got a whole lot easier with budget airline Bonza launching the first ever direct service flight to Victoria’s Avalon Airport.

Avalon, which serves as the gateway airport to southern Victoria is just 29 minutes from Geelong and the famed Great Ocean Road, while also only 55 minutes into Melbourne’s CBD.

Bonza’s Carly Povey, said Sunshine Coast hinterland residents now have access to 17 new destinations and 27 routes.

“For Sunshine Coast Hinterland travellers, this means the opportunity to reconnect with families and friends in destinations they have not previously had access to without long drives or annoying connecting flights,” she said.

Along with accessibility for outbound travellers, the hinterland would also benefit from inbound tourism.

“Over the next 12 months, Sunshine Coast Airport estimates the region will see an additional 772,000 seats into the region, which will generate more than $86 million in visitor expenditure,” Ms Povey said.

GC&M News was invited on board the inaugural Avalon flight to experience first hand travelling with Bonza.

True to their laid back vibe and “Allstralia” branding, we boarded “Bazza” a new Boeing 737 Max at 8.55am for the two and a half hour flight.

First impressions were Bonza knows what people want with those pesky magazine compartments moved to the top of the backrests, giving your legs a bit more space to move. The headrestsoften seemingly an afterthought by some airlines are actually very supportive, which is helpful for our longer flight. Bonza only offers standard economy seats on all their flights.

There is also an adjustable head rest and tilt mechanism along with two USB ports to keep your devices charged. Alongside the friendly service with their kind smiles and laid back positive attitude, it was nice to note the effort gone to source food and drinks from local firms. A ham and cheese croissant was supplied by the

Everyday Café in Caboolture, while The Happy Snack Company based in Landsborough, provides their healthy snack, Pizza Fava Beans.

The menu offered a wide array of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and snacks including wines, spirits, juice, soft drinks, coffee and tea, cheese and crackers, croissants, sandwiches and cookies.

While entertainment options were limited with no TV series or movie streaming options– an increasingly moot point given how much we have on our own devices – there was a selection of free books, podcasts and games on the Bonza browser to keep you busy.

You can also order food, drinks and check in for flights on the Bonza app.

Arriving on time in Avalon a few minutes after 1pm, travellers, who included the U14’s girls North Shore Jets team were entertained with a brass band and local food and drinks to celebrate the first flight.

Although it was a quick turnaround for, the benefits for actual tourists ready to hire a car and travel along the southern coast were evident.

Just moments from Geelong and the start of the Great Ocean Road, you easily avoid the rush of Tullamarine and are out of the terminal in minutes.

It was a great day with friendly Bonza staff, a welcome event at Avalon Airport to mark the occasion, and great facilities on board to make your flying experience enjoyable.

The reporter flew as a guest of Bonza

Maleny biz on the right path

By Mitch Gaynor Maleny Commerce is hitting the ground running in 2023, with a focus on making the most of the region’s tourism strengths as well as support for all businesses through the year.

Holding its AGM breakfast at Tranquil Park on February 18, the new committee was formed with Spencer Shaw from Forest Heart ecoNursery returning as president.

He was joined by new vice president,

Adrian Anderson from Shotgun Espresso, Nicole Hilton (secretary) from Qld Artisan Festivals and Events; Doug Evans (Treasurer) from Barung Landcare; and committee members Fi Emberton from Maple St Coop, Kim Herringe from Kim Herringe Studio, Karen Shaw from Forest Heart ecoNursery and Melissa Chaddock from Remax Hinterland. Spencer said the region was going from strength to strength and he was excited about the committee’s plans for 2023.

Bonza will fly direct between the Sunshine Coast and Avalon three times per week with flights available to book on the Fly Bonza app, or with a registered travel agent, until late October 2023.

Sunshine Coast Airport CEO Andrew Brodie, who flew with Bonza customers said: “The Sunshine Coast is a highly sought after holiday destination for Victorians, and being able to fly directly out of Avalon will make travel so much easier for people who live in Greater Melbourne.

“Similarly, people who have friends or family in Victoria, now have greater options for travel as Bonza will be operating three flights to Avalon a week.

“This new route is also great news for Sunshine Coast locals who love their sport events or who want to spend time enjoying the incredible foodie culture that Melbourne is known for,” Mr Brodie said.

Mr Jordan thanked both airports for their partnership in the lead up to the milestone.

“Today is a result of a strong partnership with Sunshine Coast Airport, Avalon Airport and its owners Linfox,” he said.

with Andrew Powell State Member for Glass House

Parkinson’s

Fundraising

Like many other Queenslanders, I have a personal and close relationship with someone living with Parkinson’s. To say it has turned their world upside down is an understatement. This year I am once again taking part in ‘1,000,000 Steps Ahead of Parkinson’s’ – a hike through the Sunshine Coast national parks which takes multiple days. The trek navigates some of the Coast’s steepest terrain to symbolise the difficult journey of someone newly diagnosed with a disease that affects over 100,000 Australians. The aim is to raise at least $30,000 for Parkinson’s Disease, which will assist specialist Parkinson’s Nurses, contribute to early diagnosis support and greater access to educational resources, local clinics and therapies.

All donations above $2 are tax deductible. Please give generously at1000000-steps-ahead-of-pd.raisely.com/?fb clid=IwAR3zcmK8HcWP9CA3qRF40Nr94cXlhsRhx7Dj5sqn ZLmDY-b5WFM8uUXml54

Fairplay Vouchers

2023 FairPlay Vouchers are now available for lowincome Queensland families to assist with the growing costs of signing on to sport and recreational activities Eligible parents, carers or guardians can apply for a voucher valued up to $150 for their child. Visit www.qld. gov.au/fairplayvouchers to find out about your eligibility.

Youth Crime

Last week in Parliament, the Palaszczuk Government finally admitted they got it wrong in 2015 by watering down the state’s youth justice laws. Despite our calls to resume parliament sooner to deal with the current youth crime crisis, they have only now adopted our policy to introduce breach of bail as an offence for young lawbreakers to keep Queenslanders safe. And it won’t be debated and passed until mid March. Whilst a great win for Queenslanders, it’s only the first step towards tackling youth crime. It shouldn’t have taken this long.

with Rick Baberowski Division 1 - Sunshine Coast Council

Clean Up Australia Day

The 33rd annual Clean Up Australia Day will take place on Sunday, March 5 and I invite you to join one of the proactive clean-up groups across Division 1. Everyone is welcome to join in – you can even create your own clean-up event. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet more people in our community while making a real difference to our stunning natural environment. Visit the Clean Up Australia Day website and search for an event nearby by entering your postcode or suburb.

Let us do the driving

We are all too aware of the cost of fuel and increased congestion on our roads so it’s pleasing to see the Flexilink public transport trial underway. The service offers affordable, reliable and accessible transport options between our hinterland towns. You can now catch a ride from Peachester to Beerwah and Conondale to Maleny three times a day, Monday to Saturday. For timetables visit the council website or call 1300 511 163 and ask for Flexilink.

Howard Walker Park

Thank you to everyone who recently shared their thoughts and concerns on the future of the much loved Howard Walker Park in Peachester. Through the community we identified a range of priorities for the park including seating, sheltered picnic tables, natural play areas, and possible future amenities. As reported in GC&M News, planning is underway to deliver the priority of park fencing and that will subsequently lead to seating and pathways. I certainly want and expect to see the fencing completed in 2023 and despite the genuinely tough funding environment, I’m very confident we will continue to work closely with the community to deliver a solid range of improvements over the next few years. For more Division 1 news and information visit facebook.com/CrRickBaberowski or drop me a line at Rick.Baberowski@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.