EDITOR
Victoria McGuin 5499 9049 editor@hinterlandtimes.com.au
OWNER/ADVERTISING
Neil Coningham 5499 9049 sales@sunnycoastmedia.com.au
Advertising can also be booked directly via our website www.sunnycoastmedia.com.au
ACCOUNTS accounts@hinterlandtimes.com.au
Please note:
We are often out, writing stories and talking to local businesses –please leave us a message. www.hinterlandtimes.com.au
Social Media:
Owned by Sunny Coast Media -100% local and independent hello@sunnycoastmedia.com.au
Mugridge
Yes, it’s Christmas once again. This is the time of year where I see extremes in people I know. Some love it, some are apathetic, some find it emotionally triggering or deeply sad, some are so excited by it that I think they are secretly elves from the North Pole! (A friend in Montville, Martina, has a house that I say actually IS ‘Christmas’ every year, so impressive, welcoming and cheery is her display.)
Whichever category you fall under, I do hope December treats you and your loved ones with all good things, comfort and connection.
This issue is, unsurprisingly, peppered with Christmassy content! Our Festive Feature on pages 12/13, has details from the Montville and Maleny Chambers of Commerce on their upcoming Christmas celebrations. We also have a great selection of local shops and businesses where you can find unique, thoughtful and interesting gift ideas – and the best thing is, anything you buy is supporting our local economy.
Creative Cuts has entertainment suggestions for you, and The Lookout listings on page 17 are all about Christmas-themed events over the coming month, from tree lighting and carols to cabaret and panto!
As for our feature stories, LETS in Maleny trades goods and services without cash; two sisters are bringing joy to the community with their drumming and dancing troupe, Mama Buluku, and Nambour has musical threads in every direction, all making a hugely talented and ever-expanding tapestry of glorious sound.
On a sadder note, we say farewell to Karen Muir, the Hinterland Times’ advertising manager. Karen has been a highly valuable member of the HT team for 10 years, and owner Neil Coningham, myself, and the rest of the team are grateful for all her work, ideas and dedication, but we also understand that sometimes it’s time for pastures new. We wish her all the best.
For the time being, any advertising can be booked and designed through the website, or you are welcome to contact Neil directly.
On behalf of the HT team, I wish you all a very happy Christmas. Thank you for supporting us, and we look forward to sharing more hinterland happenings, stories and events from our wonderful wide community in the new year!
Enjoy.
CUTS / THE LOOKOUT CHRISTMAS LISTINGS Artist profiles, entertainment news and what’s on over December 16 – 17
LEUNIG AND LIGHT RELIEF Letters, poetry, crosswords, Sudoku 18 – 19
Glasshouse, Beerwah, Landsborough, Conondale, Kenilworth and Witta.
The Maleny Neighbourhood Centre’s website states: From Mapleton to Kenilworth and everywhere in between, the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre offers a warm embrace, a friendly chat over a cup of tea, and a range of services to assist when you need it.
This is completely accurate; our HT team have always seen how welcoming and supportive they are to everyone whenever we visit. Their services and initiatives include the Community Lunch, Fixit Cafe, Orange Sky Laundry, Youth Cafe, and much more … but the highlight of the year is on December 25th!
On Christmas Day, the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre (MNC) throws open its gates to welcome all members of the community to their annual free Christmas Breakfast.
They will be serving bacon and egg rolls, vegan kebabs, fruit, yoghurt and muesli—plus tea and coffee to complement your meal. Festivities begin at 8am and wind down at 10am.
MNC President, Ian Demack, said, “We’ve been promised a visit from Santa, and local musicians, including Rubatuba, will keep everyone entertained with a toetapping selection of tunes!
“Last year, over 430 people from all walks of life joined us at 17 Bicentenary Lane, Maleny, for the Christmas Breakfast. It’s a great chance to mingle and make new friends.
“We have plenty of room, so if you have family or other guests staying with you over Christmas, bring them down too—we’d love to meet them!”
If you wish to volunteer to help out at the breakfast, please ring the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre on 5499 9345 to register your interest.
If you wish to donate new toys, please drop them off at the Centre. "You don't need to gift-wrap them,” added Ian, “because we’ll be sorting them into different age brackets, to make Santa’s job a little easier.”
The Maley Neighbourhood Centre recognises the generous support received from the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, Maleny businesses and local residents, all of whom help make this event possible. They all look forward to seeing you on Christmas morning!
If you would like to know more about the MNC, please visit their website: malenync.org.au, or call 07 5499 9345. Opening hours are Mon – Fri, 9am – 3pm at 17 Bicentenary Lane, Maleny, parallel to the main street, Maple Street.
• a massive range of framing options
• friendly, knowledgeable & helpful staff
• local family owned
• quality art supplies & materials info@jamesframes.com.au
Instigated by Jill Jordan in 1987, and operating out of a tiny office in the back of the Maleny Credit Union (now QLD Country Bank) in Maple Street, a dedicated team worked hard to grow the idea of a local cashless currency called ‘Bunyas’ – a Local Energy Transfer System (LETS).
Members dropped their trading slips – a record of transactions – into a little red box for volunteers to reconcile.
These days, transactions are processed online and a scroll through the Maleny LETS ‘offerings’ on the website reveals an eclectic range of goods and services. Plants and seeds, graphic design, astrology reports, yoga, various therapies, mending, website hosting, piano lessons, farm equipment servicing, local authors’ books, and pineapples!
Unlike a barter system, LETS members don’t need to do a direct exchange with another member. They can buy products or services from one member and sell theirs to another. Through the website, members can pay other members, check balances, update their offerings, see what others are offering and trade with LETS members anywhere in the world.
Long-term member and manager of Maleny LETS, Carmel Givens, said, “It doesn’t matter with LETS whether
your account is in the red or the black, as long as you’re trading. It’s all about keeping the energy (transactions) flowing.”
On the second Saturday of the month, members gather at the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre for a morning of trading, a hot breakfast and a cuppa. People come to learn how the system works, meet other members, join LETS and start trading straight away. Maybe have a massage, take home some lettuce, a book, flowers or a dress, all without opening their purse.
At a recent trading day, members reminisced about some of the interesting LETS purchases they’d made – a violin, a brass door handle, a birdcage. Helena Wilson called herself ‘one of the original big spenders’ after she and a friend Jan went to a LETS auction in Nambour and the pair spent 3000 Bunyas!
Yvonne Purcell joined Maleny LETS over 20 years ago. For her, it’s about creating community, meeting great people and caring for one another. The same for Jenny Dunlop who finds LETS a great place to get to know people. Jennifer Hewison has moved around Australia and always seeks out LETS.
“From Nimbin to Fremantle, Sunshine Coast to Maleny, I offer plants, seedlings, books, art and intuitive readings. When I had disability issues, I found someone on LETS offering Bowen Therapy which I couldn’t have
monthly market and always has interesting knick-knacks on her stall.
Cherie Conrad was introduced to LETS in 1998 and has sold Indian wares, chocolates and books and currently offers magnesium spray, hand-made jewellery and hand-dyed shoes and clothes.
“Back then I was a student, incredibly broke with no disposable income. I saw LETS as a way to save some money. Over the years through LETS I’ve done building renovations, bought countless plants and veggies and stayed in a private home in Sydney for 10
For Gay Liddington, LETS takes her back to when she was managing wages at Maleny’s Upfront Club. “I heard of people doing it tough and knew that LETS was a way to ease their financial burden. The Club used to pay part wages in Bunyas and ran a ‘Bunya Meal’ night once a week.”
Another member commented on how LETS creates a spirit of generosity. Often items are not priced, or members will say ‘pay what you feel.’ When it’s energy, not money being exchanged, members tend to pay more or buy treats for themselves or gifts for loved
When Gaby Luft was introduced to LETS, she was a single Mum trying to make ends meet and it seemed like a logical solution. Gaby manages a ‘free table’ of goods on the trading day and often picks up items to give to families doing
Maleny LETS provides a wonderful way to connect the community, support individuals
words, gestures, images or acts that are likely to lower the esteem of the person to whom such communication is targete d. The Queensland D efamation Ac t of 2005 applies to defamator y information published on or after 1 Januar y 2006.
F o r a m e s s a
communicated in some way and the Ac t has defined such methods of communicating as:
Ÿ an ar ticle, repor t, adver tisement etc communicated by a newspaper, magazine or other periodical;
Ÿ a p r o g r a m , r e p o r t , a d
c communicated by television, radio, internet or other forms of electronic communication;
Ÿ a letter, note or other writing;
Ÿ a picture, gesture or verbal utterance; and
Ÿ any other material or means by which something may be communicated to a person.
The message is deemed to be defamatory if it:
Ÿ lowers the concerned person's reputation;
Ÿ leads others to think less of that person;
Ÿ makes others shun or avoid that person; and
Ÿ cause others to ridicule, hate or despise them.
There are several distinc t defences to an ac tion for defamation which are all noted in the Ac t and some of these are:
Ÿ Justification - the truth alone is the defence here;
Ÿ Absolute privilege - this defence is available when one can prove that the document was published on a n o c c a s i o n o f a b s o l u t e p r
parliamentar y matters and publications;
Ÿ Public documents - this defence is available if the p u b l i c
public
Ÿ Qualified privilege -if the recipient of the defamator y matter has an interest in the information contained in
information was published in the course of giving that information to that person;
Ÿ
opposed to a statement of fact and the opinion was based on proper material that is substantially true;
Ÿ Triviality-where the aggrieved person is unlikely to suffer any harm.
I t is also wor th noting that an apology made to an aggrieved person will not constitute an admission of fault or liability
A powerful sisterhood and a shared love of music and dance - how a group of drumming and dancing women are bringing joy into our lives.
by JACINTA FOALE
In a world where women are continuing to find their feet regarding freedom of expression and leadership, we look for models of ways to do that. Not everyone wants to be a politician, councillor, minister, or in business, so what are the options?
There are many, but they are not always as recognised or acknowledged as those more mainstream examples mentioned above. If you go to any market on the Sunshine Coast, you’ll see examples of women who are farmers, gardeners, food makers, crafters, and musicians, who play a significant role in leading the whole community towards connection to each other, the earth, and artistic ways of being in the world.
If you live in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, you may have had the pleasure and surprise of seeing and hearing a very special form, expressed as drumming and dancing, as a way in which women can lead others into an inspired sense of freedom.
Like many people experience when they watch sport and feel their loyalty to a team, and the intensity of the physical, mental, and sometimes even the spiritual challenge that the players are in, there comes a growing appreciation of how other humans move with skill
and grace and awareness of each other. This can be a profound and moving experience.
That teamwork is not always about winning a game against another team. For four years now, a group called Mama Buluku has been coming together on a weekly basis to “train”, rehearse, and perform a unique style of drumming and dancing called Doun Doun Dance, under the expert leadership of dancer, teacher and choreographer Pascale Richy.
When you talk to the members of this group, it’s clear that the leadership that Pascale brings to this ensemble is something very special - something that the world could do well to have much more of!
One of the dancers shared, “We all reflect on the JOY that comes from being involved in something that is a great workout for the body and the mind, as drumming and dancing at the same time is both a physical and mental challenge.”
Thankfully, the way in which Pascale leads this group involves a rich combination of her years of study and practice of traditional West African dance forms (among others), her creativity with original choreography, and a way of teaching that holds ambition for perfection alongside an acceptance of limitations with loving inclusivity.
No one is ever shamed or
for not getting it right. Consequently, there is a natural commitment within the troupe to strive for the
Mama Buluku is not just a drum and dance ensemble. It is a place that every woman in the group recognises as an example of a powerful sisterhood, based on a shared love of music and dance, and on a recognition grown from audience reactions that what Mama Buluku offers to an audience is a powerful inspiration, especially for women, to explore their sense of freedom.
This is in no small part also due to the presence of Pascale’s sister Natalie in the group, who leads other bands and drumming ensembles in her own right, especially with a Cuban flavour, having also spent years studying percussion.
She brings her expertise into Mama Buluku as the lead drummer, working closely with two other accompanying drummers and creates improvisations that match the dancers’ moves.
“Pascale and I grew up, we watched our mother train daily to keep her own dancer’s body strong and flexible. As a result, we both understand the importance of keeping the strong discipline in training that makes
performing look effortless,” said Natalie.
Natalie’s discipline in her drumming has a powerful influence on the quality of the complex rhythms you hear when watching Mama Buluku.
In the words of another of the dancers: “I came along to Pascale’s dance classes for exercise and didn't expect to find a sisterhood like this. For our group to have grown into an interstate performance troupe is living proof that when you do something you love and that brings joy to others, you grow!”
You may have seen Mama Buluku locally at Maleny’s Club Acoustic, The Laneway, Arts Alive and Wood Expo, Festuri multicultural festivals, and street carnivals across the region, or “flashmob” busking at Moffat Beach and Brisbane’s Orleigh Park and Southbank.
Mama Buluku have also been chosen to perform at the National Folk Festival in Canberra at Easter time next year (2025) and all systems are GO for getting 12 women and fifteen drums to Canberra!
If you’ve been inspired by reading about Mama Buluku you might like to find out more, and even help their GoFund me campaign. Visit mamabuluku.com for more details, or check out their socials.
The team at Bald in La ers are a do n-to-earth, eas going, general la prac ce ho lo e assis ng people ith their legal req irements. Working from a Nambo r base ith an addi onal office in G mpie, e lo e to ncomplicate the legal jargon for o r clients.
Whether it is e plaining in simple lang age ho a Will orks or dissec ng a complicated famil la ma er. We also make con e ancing as simple as possible.
We're here to help and g ide o . O r fees are reasonable and fair. We do home isits on req est for clients ho cannot come into to n to meet s at the office.
by REBECCA MUGRIDGE
Aaron from Bad Habit Records is one of the passionate people right at the heart of Nambour’s music scene.
“We have an incredible array of artists and bands that play here, and people who back them.I also have loads of enthusiastic and talented young people coming in my store, where they can be immersed in the culture and find opportunities to play with some impressive professional bands,” Aaron says.
“I’ve been involved in music since I was a teenager myself, and Nambour felt like somewhere where you could make things happen; ready for something a bit more gritty and underground.
“Nambour being a bit more working-class, you find people are a bit more open. It just has this good space for interesting stuff and is starting to get a name internationally now too as a good place to come and play.
getting the word out there. “The skillset for promoting a show is so much harder than people expect. Social media is saturated with sponsored posts and AI and whatever you do there just blurs into the general noise.
“So, we have gone back to the old school style of putting up posters everywhere and going to other gigs and handing out literal bits of paper to people,” he says.
Networking is key. “We continually reach out to other people who are doing interesting stuff locally and try to collaborate with them as well. We also like to function as support for all the other people doing it too.”
Aaron speaks highly of the town’s musical youth. “A lot of the stuff we try and do is all ages, there is a nice crew of kids from the high school that come along. Some have started bands and they get to play with an international band just down the road from where they go to school, and that’s really good for them.
“The band that plays the most is a band called Flogg, from Nambour State College.”
Ÿ Wills, End ring Po er of A orne , and Ad ance Health Direc es
Ÿ Con e ancing
Ÿ Famil La
Ÿ Commercial la (leases, sale and p rchasing of b sinesses) We assist clients ith
It is important to ha e o r Will c rrent and p-todate ith o r circ mstances. If o need help dra�ing o r Will to make s re it reflects o r ishes, contact s to assist o .
It is also er important to make s re o ha e a alid End ring Po er of A orne and o r appointment reflects o r ishes. We pro ide all o r clients ith a free Ad ance Health Direc e in hich o determine o r medical instr c ons hen o cannot erball pro ide them.
“We are trying to build a robust culture of music. Every month or two we have an international band come through. The next coming up is a 1980s UK goth band, who played with The Cure.”
Aaron says the hardest part for music events is
It is not surprising that talented up-and-coming bands are emerging from Nambour State College, the school runs Nambour Academy of Creative Arts (NACA), a drama, dance, visual arts and music program - this gives musical teenagers a valuable start in their career.
Contact us at or admin@bald insla ers.com.a Visit us at / - Ho ard Street, Nambo r, QLD, Zasco Van Rooyen, Director .bald insla ers.com.a
NACA Head of Music, Elizabeth Clout, says the school’s program launches careers.
“Numerous bands that are currently making significant strides in the music industry have emerged from Nambour State College, having been cultivated within our comprehensive music program…with a multitude of performance opportunities, allowing them to gain invaluable experience and exposure.
“Our students frequently participate in open mic nights, engage in busking, and perform at various gigs across the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.
“Additionally, many bands that have evolved through our program continue to release original music, contributing to the vibrant local scene.”
Nambour State College has a reputation for producing artists, Elizabeth shares,“Notably, Jon Coghill of Powderfinger is a proud Nambour State College Alumni, along with Malia Stirling, who has been touring Australia sharing her music and was also a support performer for Thirsty Merc and Vanessa Amorosi.
“Furthermore, many of our vocalists who have progressed through the Junior NACA Music Program and Senior Certificate III in Music Program have secured lead roles in the state-level Performing Arts Showcase: Creative Generation, which is presented at the Queensland Convention and Exhibition Centre each year
and is also broadcast on television.
“NACA Music is an esteemed Excellence Program designed for students who possess a profound passion and talent for music. Whether they are rock musicians, jazz vocalists, or classical pianists, each student's artistic pursuits are nurtured and supported.”
Since its inception in 2019, the NACA music students have actively engaged with the community, showcasing their talents in various events such as the Battle of the Bands, Creative Generation: State Schools on Stage, Yandina Street Fair, and Nambour Rummager Markets, as
well as performances at local primary schools.
Additionally, students participate in the school’s annual music events, including 'Eats n Beats,' 'Lunchtime Concert Series,' and 'Let’s Get Loud.'
One student who recently graduated is Charli Caldwell.
“Currently I am studying a Bachelor of Music at UniSC and I am a year through. This year I have really immersed myself into the professional world: playing gigs and weddings all over the coast with my duo, Charli & V.
“I adore the Sunshine Coast theatre and music community and it feels like home. Recently I’ve decided to begin my vocal coaching journey. This has always been a dream of mine and I am just overwhelmed at the positive response.
“The NACA program and arts certificates offered at NSC truly helped me come into my own as a professional musician and performer. My confidence boomed. My teachers were phenomenal, and I give it all to them.
“The NACA program was built from the ground up by the hands of these teachers who just cared SO much. I appreciate them and how they prepared me for the industry and really just life!
“So many talented young students are coming out of this NACA program, that we have a fresh generation. I think Nambour is quirky and vibrant at the same time. The town definitely has the ability to bring a new layer to music on the coast!” Charli says.
by A. TABLEHOPPER GROUNDED
13A BLACKALL STREET, WOOMBYE
Iam an ‘average joe’ who enjoys good food, not a food critic by profession, so excuse my lack of fancy terminology! I have not been paid to promote anyone – I am simply sharing my opinion on the hinterland eateries I visit, for their service/ambience and presentation/flavour.
Grounded is a substantially-sized for a café, with seating outside, throughout the building in nooks and little rooms, and in the large garden at the back. There are lots flowering plants bringing pops of colour, wooden floors and neutral tones complete the vibe of this rather trendy-looking venue.
My companions, two neighbours/ friends, joined me, and we sat in a welcoming room at the rear overlooking the garden. While the space would be an asset at times, it also means that when it’s not full, the atmosphere doesn’t ‘buzz’ – so if we suggested one thing, it would be, get some MUSIC through the whole place! (I heard later that this sometimes happens, but it needs to be there every day.)
Onto the food. A fantastic selection, plenty of variety and originality, and every plate we saw coming out made us wish we had more stomachs (and money) to order a few meals!
I went for the Lebanese Eggs (v) (GFO) - tahini and garlic yoghurt, chickpeas, toasted almonds, with two poached eggs and grilled flatbread. (There is the option to add lamb.) It was absolutely delicious, full of rich flavour and warmth, and transported me to the Mediterranean where I have enjoyed dishes like this in the past. The portion size was just right, and the presentation was perfect for the dish – rustic and inviting.
the dish.
My other neighbour tried the Okonomiyaki, which looked sensational. This is a Japanese savoury pancake topped with Wasabi mayo, bulldog sauce, a fried egg and bonito flakes. You can also add crispy pork belly to this dish, if you feel like it. It was real comfort food, apparently, incredibly filling with warming flavours and a hint of fish from the bonito flakes, which actually worked!
Situated on the grounds of Kondalilla Eco Resort, Kondalilla Restaurant is a vegetarian and seafood restaurant with vegan options. Visit Kondalilla and enjoy a space of tranquility while you choose from our exquisite menu. Everyone's welcome.
Kondalilla Restaurant 61-101 Kondalilla Falls Rd Flaxton 5445 7650 Ext. 2 Opening hours: Lunch and Dinner Thursday - Sunday 12pm - 8pm
A must visit for breakfast, lunch or to enjoy the home made baked goods. Serving locally sourced produce and small batch in-house roasted coffee. Café or garden seating. Seasonal dinner first Saturday of the month. FB: “HomeGrownPalmwoods” Homegrown Cafe 4/6 Little Main St. Palmwoods 0458 270 368
HOURS: Tue - Sat: 7:00am - 2:00pm Sunday and Monday Closed
One of my neighbours had a sweet tooth that day, so she decided to go for the Brioche French Toast with seasonal mixed berries, white-chocolate yoghurt, vanilla gelato and lemon curd. It looked substantial and went down well, although she said the lemon curd was a bit overpowering and could’ve been left off
All these were washed down with Milo milkshakes, coffee and tea, and we left feeling replete and definitely appreciating the value for money of our meals. Oh, and the service was friendly and no big wait time for our meals - so all in all, a great experience!
One of the staff shared that the chef has just proudly introduced his Grandma’s Filipino noddles breakfast, with poached egg, pork, spring onions and bonito flakes, called All Day Lola’s Breakfast, so we will certainly be back to try it!
FIRST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH
Crystal Waters Markets 8am - 1pm
Located in the beautiful Conondale valley, this village market creates a unique atmosphere. Under shady trees you'll find delicious food, arts and craft, live music and a children's playground. Stalls available 5435 0111 cwmarkets@crystalwaters.org.au
SECOND SATURDAY OF THE MONTH
Montville Growers and Makers Market 7:30am - 12pm
Piping hot pancakes, buskers, genuine locally grown food, handmade craft, barista made coffee, under historic fig trees, profits maintain our Village Hall. Stall holder enquires: Liz 0424 042 376
THIRD SATURDAY OF THE MONTH
Witta Growers Markets 7:00am - 12pm
50+ stalls, this vibrant market has everything from fresh local produce to gourmet food, quality art and craft, live music, hot food and coffee. email: wittamarket@gmail.com
FOURTH SATURDAY OF THE MONTH
Mapleton Country Market 8am - 12pm
Fresh fluffy waffles, sourdoughs, jams and chutneys, honey, pestos, plants, timber, jewellery, arts and crafts. Hot food, coffee van, live music. Ph 0419 726 603. Located at the Mapleton School Carpark.
IF THE SHOE FITS – Imelda’s of Maleny features unique, podiatrist-approved, and classic styles for all feet. Shop 3/50 Maple Street, Maleny / 0499 925 865 / facebook.com/ImeldasOfMaleny
SOMETHING UNIQUE – The Australian Red Cedar Gallery, Obi Valley Woodworks - find a beautifully crafted gift no-one else will have, from stunning sculptures and artworks to original furniture by artist Jack Wilms. Cedar Creations, 430 Hunsley Road, Coolabine / 5472 3996 / cedarcreations.com.au
PRAWNS FOR THE BARBIE – Australian Caught Prawns from this Sunny Coast family-owned business, ready to take your order in 3 or 5 kilogram boxes. Snap-frozen at sea, cooked or green, call Tiff or Peter / 0447 077 906 /australiancaughtprawns. com
FRAME A MEMORY –
James Frames in Maleny is the spot to frame something special for a gift or buy some art supplies for the budding Picasso in your home. From Posca pens to oil paints to polychromos pencils! 38b Coral St, Maleny / 5494 2100 / jamesframes. com.au
COLOUR YOUR WORLD – Illume
Creations is a unique Montville gallery showcasing Tina Cooper Glass Art and other local artists’ work: glass pens, lampwork, tealights, dichroic and glass bead jewellery, vases, and more. Shop 4 Mayfield/127-133 Main St, Montville / (07) 5478 5440 / illumecreations.com.au
HEARTY FARE – Homegrown
Café in Palmwoods is a perfect place to treat someone over Christmas with exceptional coffee/tea and homemade cake. Delicious dishes for breakfast and lunch are usually made with produce from the café kitchen garden. Shop 3 4-6 4/6 Little Main St, Palmwoods / 0458 270 368 / facebook.com/ homegrownpalmwoods
GET FIT! – Get Active Fitness and Personal
Training is the place to find that inspiration to improve your fitness for 2025, with Rachel Lockman encouraging you every step of the way. 23 Bunya St, Maleny / 0423 618 945 / instagram.com/get_active. fitness
207 Narrows Rd, Montville / (07) 5478 5888 / secretsonthelake.com.au
GIFTS FOR THE GARDEN – Forest Heart EcoNursery is the perfect spot to find native plants, trees, decorative pots, books and giftware. 20 Coral St, Maleny / (07) 5435 2193 / forestheart.com.au
COSMETICS AND CANDLES – Lindner Family Pharmacy sell gorgeous Natio cosmetics and skincare, candles, aromatherapy diffusers and a stylish selection of gifts. 9 Obi Obi Rd, Mapleton / (07) 5445 7459 / lfpharmacy.com.au
A PERFECT GETAWAY
– Secrets on the Lake is a stunning spot for couples or groups looking for accommodation in secluded, luxury, treehouse cabins. Their award-winning ‘Dining on the Deck’ licensed restaurant is open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and afternoon tea, Tuesday to Sunday.
A PRESSIE FOR YOUR PET – District Vets Maleny can offer a Christmas pamper, with nail clipping, washing and grooming, and a selection of toys on offer. 7 Myrtle St, Maleny / (07) 5499 9077 / localvet.com.au/ DistrictVetsMaleny
RAISING EYEBROWS
– Coastal Cosmedics offers feather-touch eyebrow tattooing, beauty treatments and cosmetic injections, with gift vouchers available. 45 Sixth Ave, Cotton Tree, Maroochydore / 0422 187 915 / coastalcosmedics.com.au
A FABULOUS HAIRCUT – Nellie’s Creative Hair
Design will have you glam for the Christmas party, or you can gift a friend, as this team knows how to create vibrant tones and stunning highlights, along with haircuts and styles for any length. 21 Coral St, Maleny / 0438 785 443 / nelliescreativehairdesign.com.au
SOME ‘ME TIME’! – Blue Zen Massage is the place to step out of the busy season for an hour, or does someone you know need time to relax? 45 Ratcliffe Rd, Diamond Valley / 0407 002 567 / bluezenmassage.com
ETHICAL GIFT
CHOICES – Maple Street Co-op has everything from organic skincare to gardening and recipe books, and from kitchenware to botanical blends. 37 Maple Street, Maleny / 5494 2088 / maplestreet.coop
For a magical twilight shopping experience, head up for the Montville Christmas Market, at the Montville Village Hall on December 7 from 4.30pm. There will be handmade treasures from local Montville businesses and artisans, and Christmas treats, as well as tasty snags and Bratwurst while you sip and shop, enjoying the live music.
Take in the festive village banners, the Moreton Bay Figs twinkling with Christmas lights as families and friends gather on the village green to connect and celebrate. Come early and enjoy the brass band from 4pm, and Santa has promised to stop by at 6pm, plus there will be face-painting for the young and young at heart!
The choir will be carolling from 7pm and Christmas tree fairy lights will come on at 7.30pm.
The Montville Chamber of Commerce thanks the Sunshine Coast Council for assisting with funding the event.
You can then continue to celebrate the season at the Maleny Christmas Party on December 13, 6-9pm, Maple Street, Maleny.
This popular annual event brings you late-night shopping and dining, street stalls, music, and much more.
The kids will be busy, with a bouncy castle, petting zoo, angels face-painting, entertainment from circus
An impressive line-up of music features Vix, Upbeat Rhythm Carnival, Sweet Chilli Choir, wandering minstrels Tim and Jem from Sing, Hayden Hack, and Renegade Funk playing at Maleny Lane (free admission.)
The Maleny Chamber of Commerce would like to send a big thank you to their major sponsors, Sunshine Coast Council, Councillor Winston Johnston. Also to REMAX Hinterland, Queensland Country Bank, Trail Riders Club, Andrew Powell MP, Blackall Range Lions Club, IGA and Apex Club and Crunchyroll.
This is a space for the wide community to submit their considered deliberations on news, life and the idiosyncrasies of our times. Email: editor@hinterlandtimes.com.au
by DOUG PATTERSON
Idon’t buy tickets in Prize Home Raffles any more, basically because I don’t see them as any sort of prize. They are nothing like my dream home.
My dream home is a house you can live in. It is a house that is environmentally friendly, family friendly and at least energy neutral.
My dream house would ideally be north-facing on a slight elevation. Unlike many, I don’t mind neighbours as long as the boundaries are green.
I would want my house to be off the ground so it breathed, with breezeways and louvres to ensure it makes the most of our coastal breezes. I would also want its walls and ceiling to be well insulated to reduce heat transfer.
I’d like it to sit lightly on the land and be built with modern, energy-efficient building material like hebel blocks, one of the new, engineered cladding or colorbond. I’d prefer a colorbond roof so I could hear the rain.
I would look for a solar cell and battery system that would make me largely independent of grid electricity, a
solar or pump hot water system and a medium-sized water tank for the garden and emergencies.
I wouldn’t want a landscaped garden with a pool, jacuzzi, spa, sauna or hot tub. I’d rather the yard was a bare canvas where I could establish raised garden beds, placing them after tracking twelve months of the movement of the sun. I’d want room for a dog and space for grandkids to play.
I’d want the inside to be fairly open and inter-connected with a generous kitchen open to an informal lounge/TV room so I could interact with family and guests while I cook or watch TV. Three bedrooms would be enough for me, one for us, one for guests and one as a studycum-extra bedroom. An ensuite would be nice but I really think one other bathroom would suffice.
The dining room and more formal lounge could open onto a deck enclosed with security/insect mesh. Add on screening for the doors and
windows, fans and aircon for those super-hot days and I’m happy. I imagine a simple, comfortable house that is easy to live in and care for.
Prize Homes are not for me. In fact, I’m not sure who they really appeal to. Perhaps people who are seduced by the glamour of a show home that imitates those of the superrich, without thought about maintenance and running costs and no care for its environmental impact. In fact, Prize Homes should come with a health warning. They are part of society’s gambling addiction, promote faux luxury and greed, and are environmentally damaging.
Okay, they fund charities, but they could still do this and be family- and environmentallyfriendly. Which charity is going to be brave enough to raffle a home that appeals to a family, is good for the environment and still raises the funds that it needs?
The views expressed in the Local Musings column are the writer’s and not necessarily the views of the HT team.
‘Sports through the ages’ is ready for your wall for the new year!
School Sports Days, netball games and wood chopping competitions, these are just some of the images celebrated in calendar. It’s jam-packed with a stunning collection of photos that have been drawn from the private collections of five local residents who were winners of the heritage calendar photo competition and Council’s own Picture Sunshine Coast collection.
Congratulations to the competition winners – Eumundi Museum, Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club, Robyn Powell, Nambour Museum and Lenore Meldrum.
The annual Sunshine Coast Council Heritage Calendar is produced to celebrate and showcase the important cultural heritage of our region and is proudly supported by our community’s Arts and Heritage Levy.
Copies of the calendar are available for purchase from Council’s library branches and Customer Service Centres for only $6.
Running until World Human Rights Day on December 10, The Zonta Club of Blackall Range, and Speak Up Now - Stop Domestic and Family Violence - Maleny and Blackall Range, are actively promoting the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
This global effort demands action against one of the world’s most persistent violations of human rights – violence against women. It seeks to raise awareness, challenge discriminatory attitudes, and call for improved laws and services to end violence against women and girls for good.
The Zonta Club of Blackall Range, and Speak Up Now will be providing information including emergency services and contact numbers, at their red benches and other prominent locations across the Range, including Maleny, Mapleton, Montville, Palmwoods, Kenilworth. By sharing information, and having open discussions we can build safer communities.
Orange is the key United Nations colour for unifying global activities and drawing attention to women's safety. We all have a role to play.
Zonta and Speak Up Now encourage you to wear orange until December 10; "orange" digital spaces, display awareness posters to spread the message, and consider how you can continue to advocate for the end of violence against women and girls so that they are #SafeEverywhereAlways.
You can download resources from the Zonta Blackall Range Facebook page for sharing to socials, in your staff kitchen, in your business window - everywhere has impact. Together, we can and must make a difference.
The Sunshine Coast’s fusion of rich and varied heritage, coupled with its thriving arts scene, make it a vibrant melting pot of culture. This fact was underpinned by the initiatives, programs and projects outlined in the Sunshine Coast Arts and Heritage Levy Annual Report 2023-24.
Sunshine Coast Council Community Portfolio Councillor Taylor Bunnag said strong audience numbers, business development, sector growth and First Nations collaborations were just some of the highlights in the report.
“The 2023-24 Heritage program served to conserve, promote and share the stories and history of the people and places of the Sunshine Coast,” Cr Bunnag said.
“The program also provided funding programs to support local museums and research groups, as well as professional development training and assistance.”
Fellow Community Portfolio Councillor David Law said the Arts program highlights included a successful artist-in-residence program, a number of First Nations-led creative programs and the Creative Industries Investment Program, which provides grants and professional development for established arts and cultural initiatives that support the development of our region's arts ecology.
Pictured: Lior concert at Bankfoot House during the Horizon Festival.
old enough to return to the wild near where they were rescued, they need some special care. In addition to a tailored milk formula, they need a selection of fresh eucalyptus leaves each day.
A 550-tree plantation in Mapleton was established in July 2023 with an amazing group of volunteers and the support of Sunshine Coast Council, local Rotaries and VB Realty. The trees will be kept low so that the fresh leaf tips - these joeys' favourite food - are easily accessible for koala carers to harvest.
This plantation needs regular upkeep, with tree maintenance and annual mulch application. The Sunshine Coast Council Environment Levy has committed some funds, however the amount will not cover the cost of transporting and spreading mulch, spraying/weeding and any further upkeep.
If you'd like to help make sure these babies get the best possible chance to thrive in nature where they belong, a GoFundMe has been set up to help cover the gap in costs and funding, gofund.me/8f06a72f.
If any local businesses would be interested in sponsoring the koala plantation, or volunteering to help to coordinate and manage the fodder plantation, please register your interest at hinterlandwildlife@gmail.com.
Looking for ideas to keep the kids entertained these school holidays?
Check out Council’s Summer School Holiday Guide. Full of free and low-cost boredom-busting ideas, there’s something to suit all ages and interests. Ditch the devices and get out and about on our Sunshine Coast to make memories that will last a lifetime. Places are limited for some events, so book early to avoid disappointment. For all the details, visit Council’s website.
Attention artists of the Sunshine Coast!
The prestigious Local Contemporary Art Prize 2025 is open for entries. Caloundra Regional Gallery in partnership with Friends of the Regional Gallery, Caloundra, is offering emerging, mid-career and established visual artists the chance to put forward their best work and vie for the $10,000 Best in Show Acquisitive Award. With a total prize pool of $17,000, including a People’s Choice category, the competition is a must for visual artists in all 2D and 3D mediums. Forty finalists will be selected for the exhibition and all works on display will be available for sale. Submissions close February 9, 2025. Head to Council's Gallery website for more details.
Join the Library Explorers Club for summer of fun
Throughout December and January, kids can complete weekly challenges at their local library or online for a chance to win a $100 book voucher. Each challenge earns an entry and participants can collect stamps on a special boarding pass to track their progress. Visit any Sunshine Coast Library or visit the Libraries website to embark on this fun reading journey!
Festive season feedback wanted: don't delay
It’s time to have your say on Council's Festive Season Program. From events, decorations and banners, the Festive Season Program includes activities celebrating Christmas, New Year's Eve and Australia Day across the Sunshine Coast. Feedback will help us understand marketing and awareness for Council events; awareness of community funded events; demographic and location patterns; broad festive attendance patterns and motivations. Don't delay. Survey closes 6 December. Visit Council’s Have Your Say website to provide your feedback.
New reserves and tireless efforts to conserve environment
Your Environment Levy helped purchase 185 hectares of land for conservation in 2023-24. It also funded rehabilitation works on rocky shores, invasive plant and animal management, maintenance for our 8000 hectare conservation estate, community environmental organisations and much more. All property owners pay the $82 Environment Levy via their rates, enabling Council to invest more than $11 million in environmental projects last financial year. Visit Council’s website to explore your positive impact in the Environment Levy Annual Report 2023-24.
the latest Council news delivered directly to your
Sunshine Coast-based vocalist, Robyn Brown, known for her evocative and soulful vocal tone, graces The Jazz & Blues Collective stage with her dynamic quintet to present lesser-known standards and crowd favourites in their show, ByRequest
Regularly performing around Australia and Europe, Robyn is a jazz artist with an extensive repertoire that covers early blues, swing standards, Latin, bebop, soul jazz and self-penned originals. The band includes some of Queensland’s finest musicians – Ross Nixon, Peter Walters, Trent Bryson-Dean and Phil Hayter. ByRequest, comes to the Jazz & Blues Collective on Sunday January 5, 2025 at the Millwell Rd Community Centre, starting at 1.30pm, tickets can be booked through stickytickets.com.au/jazzandbluescollective.
A coffee van will be on site and you can BYO food and drinks. Come ready for an afternoon of straight-ahead jazz, swinging tunes and smooth ballads.
Frank and Stein save the Coast… and the world! Inspired by watching a chook and a kookaburra having a scuffle… the word Chookaburra popped into author Daniel Munday’s head.
“It made me chuckle… the names Kangamoo, Crabbit and Raterpillar soon followed.”
Who would make such crazy animals and why?
Two kids named Frank and Stein seemed like the perfect fit… and why? To become champions of repurposing, reusing and rethinking, our way to a greener, cleaner future.
Daniel (pictured) says, “Seeing the book covers, kids quickly ask, ‘Why does that animal look like that?’ This opens up a conversation about fixing things that are broken, rather than throwing them away. A lost art for many, one that we need to rediscover.”
Grab a copy of the first three books at frankenrhyme.com.au, or at The Little Book Nook, Palmwoods, Rosetta Books, Maleny and Berkalouw Books, Eumundi.
Illume Creations – ‘The Art of Colour’ brings the magic of local glass and jewellery artists to Montville. Nestled on top of the Blackall Range, prepare to have a dose of colour in your world!
Currently, you can enjoy Montville Mini Moods - a mini exhibition running until January 4, 2025.
A leading figure in Australian Glass Art, Tina Cooper has a stunning array of work in this exhibition, showing her incredibly imaginative visions in glass.
Tina uses nature’s elements to create dramatic works, which reflect her relationship with the world around her. The Australian landscape, in particular, has provided Tina with the inspiration and vision to explore her creativity.
You will find Illume Creations in the Mayfield Centre at the top end of Montville, with the art works set off by stunning views forever, to the coast and nearby mountains. Open 7 days, 10am – 4pm. Visit: illumecreations.com.au
Singer/songwriter Andrea Kirwin and soul/Jazz/RnB artist Angela Newcomb have started a non-audition Queer Choir on the Sunshine Coast! They meet during the school term on Tuesday evenings 6-7.15pm at Kureelpa Hall and will be doing the occasional pop-up gig in the future.
Andrea shares, “We are singing songs that bring us unbridled joy and a focus on creating an inclusive, non-judgemental safe space for LGBTQIA+ community members and our straight allies to gather and sing together for the love of music and community.”
Sign up for a term, $20 a rehearsal and must be paid by the first rehearsal of the term. Tea, music, lyrics and light refreshments provided and the occasional special guest artist appearance will add a special excitement to our new social singing club.
For more details, visit andreakirwin.com/projects-8, and click on the ‘contact’ tab.
The Summer Concerts 2025 return to Eudlo Hall from January 10-12, bringing an extraordinary celebration of the cello with world-class performances that highlight its diversity and beauty.
Curated by celebrated cellist Louise King, the series features guest artists from Ireland, Hungary, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra.
This unique event, now in its third year, promises bold and innovative programming that crosses musical boundaries and uplifts audiences. Described as a “cello utopia,” the Summer Concerts offer a rare opportunity to experience the artistry of international masters and emerging Australian talent.
Running parallel to the concerts, the sold-out Cello Dreaming Summer Intensive Retreat (January 9-12) will welcome cellists from across Australia to Eudlo Hall for a transformative experience. Led by a faculty of six professional musicians and three wellness practitioners, the retreat blends technical mastery with holistic practices like Feldenkrais, yoga, and meditation. Tickets and information, contact Louise King at 0415 128 799 or louise@cellodreaming.com.au
Renowned for his electrifying live shows, Ash Grunwald has inspired a generation to hit the road in an old van to ‘surf by day jam by night’. The festival favourite brings a high energy, vibrant live show with stacks of guitars and foot-stomping blues.
A career spanning 12 studio albums, six Australian Top-50 albums, five ARIA and four AIR Award Nominations, two APRA Awards, and gong for Best International Act at the LA Music Critic Awards in 2014, Grunwald has cemented his status as one of Australia’s most exciting and entertaining live musicians.
Part troubadour, part storyteller - Ash has been selling out shows all over the country, don’t miss this one at Maleny Showgrounds on December 6, 5-9.30pm, tickets through events.humantix.com
Thank you Hinterland Times for publishing my story in November 2024.
I wanted to share my experience with my wife having dementia for nine years. She was 69 years of age and she passed away in 1999.
She lost a lot of friends during this time, which the doctor tells me is a common side effect of dementia. In one instance she had two friends that had arranged to take her to the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, but they sadly went without her and she was very disappointed.
Five people did not visit her any more. Two of them are still living in Witta and two living in Caloundra (and one has passed away). Thanks to some carers – Sandy who lives in Melbourne; Gillian in Glass House Mountains; and Rachel in Maleny.
Some of these friends were in her life for over 30 years. It was very disappointing to see them abandon her in her last years. Often it is difficult to talk to anyone when you have family and loved ones with dementia.
I am happy to chat to anyone who needs someone to talk to. Just in ending, please be strong and remember, never say ‘no’ to a dementia patient. They are always right.
Good luck and be strong for your loved one. God bless you!
Hank Drent, Witta
Relax, read a few letters, enjoy a crossword and cartoon, and maybe put pen to paper (finger to keyboard) yourself! We would love you to share your thoughts and experiences with us and HT readers. Email: editor@hinterlandtimes.com.au, and please include your name, email/address and location. Letters may be edited a little if space is tight. As we are a monthly, please be aware we are unable to print date-sensitive letters.
Every now and then, you realise that the world is not quite as nice a place as it used to be, because someone has left it. John Mays was such a person.
John was a teacher who focused on the main thing and kept it simple. His belief in paying attention to the needs of the individual was paramount.
In his quiet, unassuming way, he reached out to young people who were looking for something outside the conventional classroom and he held to the strategy that improvement comes with trying things again and again until mastery is reached.
The Maleny State High School Flexi-School first started in the late 1990s. Responding to the needs of youngsters who were challenged by the routines of school, John Mays, together with the late David Nancarrow, pioneered an approach that offered flexibility and individualised learning, but which nevertheless required expectations, planning, responsibility and selfdiscipline.
John operated best in one-on-one teacher-learner situations. A lasting memory I have of him was seeing him working from the tailgate of a vehicle where he distributed learning resouces in a park in Maleny.
The Maleny High School Flexi School conducted education in a myriad of locations until finally settling
A farmer sees a chicken cross the road and asks, “Hey, why did you cross the road?”
The chicken replies, “I’m going to a bar.”
The farmer asks, “What happens when you walk into a bar?”
The chicken says, “Sorry, but that’s a whole other joke.”
down at the Neighbourhood Centre. The concept could have easily been abandoned due to the issues of resourcing and suitable venues, were it not for the dedication and persistence of people like David, John, Nell Hayward and others who have taken up the challenge since those early days.
John Mays’ nature was ideally suited to that style of education. I never witnessed him becoming disgruntled or impatient or argumentative. He just smiled away the problems and got on with the job. His commitment to the young learners at the Flexi School continued after his retirement when he faithfully returned as a volunteer in literacy and numeracy.
The Maleny Community will miss John Mays for another reason, and that was his ability to entertain with his guitar and voice at countless social events and fund-raising functions. Once again, his personality suited the gentle, lilting melodies that have formed part of the memories of so many people.
I’m sad that I won’t see this pleasant, contented man walking around town. I am grateful to him for his invaluable, placid approach to teaching and for his ability to warm the hearts of many with his music.
Thank you, John.
Paul Tarbuck
Across 1) Not for
5) Light-headed?
10) Give up land
14) Creature for Crockett's cap
15) Tattered and torn
16) Catch wind of 17) Vamoose
20) City sought by Raleigh
21) Thing in the plus column
22) Suffix for "acrobat"
23) " ... slithy toves did _ and gimble" ("Jabberwocky")
25) Enter a pool
29) Homestyle entree
33) Dull, hollow sound
34) Oscar winner Sean
35) Direction away from "to"
36) Make a beeline toward
40) Money roll
41) Superior rating
42) Construction support
43) School gathering
46) Bart and Belle
47) Use a beam for surgery
48) Summa_ laude
49) "Who knows?" gesture
52) Apprehended by cops
57) Traveling straight up?
60) Allocate (with "out")
61) Alpine tune
62) Common food fish
63) Lofty poems
64) How coquettes chat
65) "Clapping" aquatic animal
Down
1) Result of overtraining, perhaps
2) Christmas tune
3) Frog's relative
4) Chinese leader?
5) Bring up, as a subject
6) Adds fat for cooking
7) Football great Graham
8) Extreme utmost degree
9) Do a salon job
10) Carpentry tool
11) Congers and such
12) Chip's cartoon chum
13) Prefix with "while," once
18) Searches for weapons
19) Rind's mate
23) "Arabian Nights" character
24) Yin partner
25) Upside-down "e"
26) Answers to charges
27) Readies, as a rifle
Don’t be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends
- Richard Bach
28) "Go on ... "
29) Irving's "A Prayer for Owen_"
30) Bidder's amount
31) Loud, as a stadium crowd
32) Government paperwork
34) Member of the wking. class
37) File folder parts
38) Contract workers?
39) Unknown, on a TV sched.
44) Dodges
45) The kings of"We Three Kings"
46) "_ you jest!"
48) Barbaric
49) Schmendrick
50) Act on, as advice
51) Assign stars to, perhaps
52) Mark of "Game of Thrones"
53) Drunkard
54) Not false
55) Sicilian hothead?
56) Indian lentil dish (Var.)
58) Empire State Bldg. site
59) Baby's first word, sometimes
Saturday matinees in the canvas seats
Shredded potato pancakes as dinner treats
Collecting treasure from hidden bush dumps
Cracker nights with mishaps and bumps
Riding a bike on a corrugated dirt road
Hand-me-downs to compliment my wardrobe
Finding the last hot chip in a newspaper roll
Visits from local horsemen ... the heart and sole
Feeling safe when riding a horse through long grass
Tuckshop cream buns that didn't last
Able to run barefoot over sharp stones
Surviving school football without broken bones
Given a second-hand bike to ride to school
Climbing a quarry conveyor belt against the rule
Mum's sugar-coated peanuts walking home from the shop
True friendships that were so easy to adopt
The smell of a new cardboard school port
Discovering a WW2 gun emplacement fort
A half-day hike to discover Tarzan's Land
Escaping from Mum's punishing hand
Sleepovers with a friend in a candle-lit tent
Climbing on tractors the developers sent
Exploring new houses being hurriedly built
Running through underground stormwater pipes half-tilt
Being the designated distributor of the school milk crates
Xmas cap guns and pretend fights with mates
Able to chase a mouse under our low-set home
Tyre tubes in a cleared waterhole for us alone
Girlfriends and their letters I have dutifully kept Hiding from gentlemen collecting my parent's debt
Sample bags at the opening of a new local store
Our old Queenslander that I will always adore
© Trevor Till
Poetry is an arrangement of language, artistic word pictures that attempt to inspire imagination, evoke emotion and provoke humour. Poets are illustrators of words that create beauty and intensity, and the HT is proud to give them a platform. Please note, published poems may be read/recorded for our social pages.
I think of family as a living jigsaw in a great, big box. Everything in order, sitting pretty and much valued. Separately, depending on others, like building blocks And, with each fragment, the whole of us continued.
Although bits were rearranged, it still looked like Us. Friends and colleagues might cause some movement But the picture gradually returned to our ordinariness. Life continued despite what changes might present.
Until the container broke. Pieces scattered everywhere. Frantic scrabbling and searching failed to find them all. I’m searching for an important person, lost somewhere, So the completed picture can again be the Us I recall.
© Sandy Gillis
Keep sending us your poemswe love receiving your creative work!
To submit your work for possible publication, email: editor@hinterlandtimes.com.au Word limit per poem (due to space) is 300 words.
We awake from our bed at the usual hour, But the day outside looks spectacularly dour, We look out seeking azure - but to our surprise, It looks decidedly like the sun has forgotten to rise.
So we head on downstairs forthwith to break our fast, We’re in no hurry, so we make brekky last,
A mug of coffee - all right then, let’s make it two, Some fun on our phones, it’s what we tend to do. It’s not for fun we tell ourselves, definitely, no way, But as mental stimulation, to keep dementia at bay.
Peeking outside we see the day hasn’t improved, The sun still blanked out by clouds which have not moved. A light drizzle of rain at least removing the dust, But now the wind has come up, with a fair amount of gust, We look at each other and with a conspiratorial smirk, Knowing full well that neither of us need to get dressed for work.
We decide then and there that in our night attire we’ll stay, As we boldly claim this - an official Pyjama Day. Pyjama days honestly, they really are the best As we sit and we ponder- just what will we do next?
© Bill Jackson
by JAMIE MILNE
The festive season on the Coast often brings joy through family gatherings and reflection, but it can also be stressful. Many face challenges like reconnecting with others, feelings of loneliness, grief, financial strain, and packed schedules. Acknowledging the busyness of this time, it's crucial to prioritise mental health.
Here are some tips to help you enjoy the upcoming festivities.
LINDNER FAMILY PHARMACY
Your local destination for health and gif ts during the festive seasonEarn and redeem loyalty points for yourself too!
1. Be kind to yourself and create down time. Avoid the stress of trying to create the "perfect" festive season. It's perfectly fine to decline invitations. Make time for yourself to relax and recharge, allowing you to truly enjoy the events you decide to attend.
2. Keep your routines. We know that routines around sleep, diet and exercise can really help you maintain healthy mental health. Try your best to maintain these during the festive season.
3. Reach out for support / help. Firstly this is a sign of strength NOT weakness, prevention rather than a last-minute cure
If you’re feeling alone, or struggle with addiction, this could mean chatting with a friend or taking a walk together. If you have a mental health professional, talk about your support plan for the Christmas break, as many services are still available during the holidays.
Prevention is always best, it just takes a modest level of self awareness. jmtfacility.com
by KERRIE FRIEND
Though it’s hard to believe, we’ve rolled around to another Christmas, and I’m not sure if you’re like me, but I love Christmas. Not for the gift giving and extra stress it can bring but for the joy, hope and love it offers.
I hope you encounter some Love Actually moments with family and friends this Christmas and that you enjoy this festive season with all its true reason.
This wonderful time of year can no doubt be beautiful, but it can also be filled with memories of times gone by with family and friends who may no longer be around. Therefore, feelings of loss and loneliness can also be common, so be sure to be gentle on yourself and others, as we all have different recollections and circumstances we must navigate.
Also be sure to be intentional about your boundaries over the festive season, as we’re often subject to more family, friends or work gatherings than usual. Keep to pleasant, holiday conversations rather than any touchy topics. Holiday get-togethers are for making enjoyable memories, not confrontational exchanges.
And stay sensitive during this jolly season by not engaging in too much social media. The “highlight posts or reels of others’ lives” on social media can cause unnecessary anxiety and envy during this festive season. Rather enjoy social media for its ease of communication, but don’t let it harm your life.
To conclude, Christmas is about love and sharing that love with people and the community you care about. So, it’s truly the perfect time to be joyful and thankful that we get to appreciate this beautiful time of the year in one of the most wonderful places in the world.
May love, peace and joy find their way to your home this joyous season.
Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy 2025 to you and your family.
Blessings, Kerrie
KerrieFriend.com
Retired counseller and HT contributor, Bill Jackson, has had a close association with Beyond Blue, 1800 Respect and many other helplines over the years, through his counselling work.
Speaking from experience helping others, Bill says, “Christmas, ‘tis the season to…… (all too often) not look after ourselves. Here are some tips to beat the 12 Days of Christmas. Good luck!”
1. Don’t overeat. Too many sweet and fatty foods badly affect our disposition. Eat a wellbalanced diet. Say no to second helpings to avoid feeling sluggish.
2. Limit alcohol. Too much will have a similar negative effect on everyone. The result? Drama. Drink plenty of water for hydration.
3. Get some “down” time Manage the bedlam! Employ a selfimposed “time out” as needed.
Terry Clancy, a longtime resident with roots in Brisbane, is transforming lives through his innovative practice, Narrative Meditation. As the founder of *Meditate to Create*, Terry brings decades of experience from mental health nursing to empower individuals on their journey to self-actualisation.
Narrative Meditation, Terry’s unique 12-step program, combines structured meditation with transformative visioning, guiding participants through layers of consciousness to reach their highest potential. “The apex is where we access profound growth and harmony,” Terry shares.
Terry’s remarkable career, from activism against apartheid to pioneering models of care in mental health, reflects his lifelong commitment to well-being. Now, his one-on-one sessions and books inspire personal growth and resilience in the Hinterland community and beyond.
Whether seeking clarity, healing, or creativity, Terry’s methods offer a path to a more fulfilling life. Book a session and start your journey today!
4. Avoid “high pressure” situations Overcrowded shopping centres on Boxing Day? No way! Bargains are tempting, but at what cost? Shop local.
5. Get enough sleep. Inadequate sleep makes us cranky. Have an early night or a nap. Re-charge before the next onslaught.
6. Drive carefully. roads, tired, distracted, rushing, tipsy drivers, noisy kids in the back. Share the driving. Allow plenty of time, don’t speed. Arrive late…but arrive!
7. Even better: don’t drive Tiredness and drinking mean slower reflexes. Options: Taxi, Uber, Shebah, stay the night. Be safe.
8. Spend wisely Christmas generosity can mean January anxiety. Not the ideal way to kick start the new year.
9. Limit stress. Don’t overstay your welcome. If you really want to leave, leave. Work functions, family gatherings? Leave before things get ugly.
Exercise. Fresh air refreshes us and clears the head. Cricket, walk the dog. Just do something.
11. Be vigilant. Christmas means sloppiness with matters of safety. Shut the gate, lock the house, the car. Carelessness can become tragedy.
12. Have fun Merry Christmas everyone!
If you need support and someone to chat to contact beyondblue. org.au / phone 1300 224636, or lifeline.org. au / phone 13 11 14
RangeCare
and
support services to encourage people to live independently.
This treasured organisation serves more than 2000 clients, employs more than 150 local workers and engages more than 180 volunteers.
Along the main street of Mapleton, RangeCare’s Op Shop is a hinterland treasure of its own. Originally established in 2018, this unique Op Shop showcases a wide array of pre-loved clothing, accessories, homewares and trinkets.
One of the greatest things about RangeCare’s Op Shop is that the funds raised through Op Shop sales are directed back to providing quality care and support to people in our local community, so that they can continue to live independently in their homes for longer.
Primarily run by volunteers, the Op Shop has become a place of joy and connection for the wider community. Bec Harper, RangeCare’s Volunteer Coordinator, says there
wouldn’t be an Op Shop without the generosity of local volunteers.
“The RangeCare Op Shop volunteers are incredibly important and valued. Without them there wouldn't be an Op Shop. They work with such a compassionate and friendly manner, greeting and serving customers, knowing that the work they are doing is truly making a difference in our community.”
Op Shop volunteer, Paddy, enjoys making new connections through her volunteering, “It’s a good day, you
get to work with others, there is fun, there are laughs, there is music and it's a good feeling at the end of the day to go home knowing I’ve done my bit to help in some way.”
RangeCare’s vibrant Op Shop in the heart of Mapleton is currently seeking new volunteers for both regular and relief shifts, Monday to Saturday.
If you are interested in learning more about volunteering at RangeCare’s Op Shop or one of our other volunteer opportunities, please contact 07 5445 7044 or visit rangecare.com.au/volunteer.
Expand your social circle, have some fun, be creative and make new connections at our Day Respite Centres
Some of our activities include outings in the local area, entertainers, music, art & craft, theme days, armchair travel, games, trivia and so much more A delicious morning tea and lunch is provided
*We would welcome a gold coin donation for Day Centre trials, however, it is not essential.
We have Day Centre vacancies in all of our locations, Flaxton, Nambour, Gympie and Maleny (Mondays Only)
Heart Mind Astrology with Ruth Donnelly
Explore your life with astrology, bringing you insight at times of turmoil, transition and transformation. Online consultations available. 0409 564 276 astrology@ruthdonnelly.com.au
Advertise your business in the HT from $63.58 ongoing per month. Book directly by scanning
AUDIOLOGIST
continued
Hinterland Chiropractic
Dr Josephine Sexton. Using gentle, safe and effective techniques to maintain spinal health and wellbeing. Concession rates, Family discounts and HICAPS available. 2/70 Maple Street, Maleny. Ph: 5435 2987
Sunrise Chiropractic
Dr Damian Treacey Chiropractor & Applied Kinesiologist Gentle hands on Chiropractic using Applied Kinesiology. Over 30 years in private practice. Mon and Wed 2-5pm, Fri 9am-12pm 19 Coral Street, Maleny. 0492 949 695
,DANCE continued
Maleny Rumble Room Boutique Group Fitness Boxing & HIIT studio. Limited to 8 people per class. Introductory offer 4 classes for $50 to all new clients. Book online @ www.malenyrumbleroom.com.au 37 Coral Street, Maleny. Insta @maleny_rumbleroom
AND BARBERS
Nellies Creative Hair Design Cut and Colour specialists. Nellie's team offers you the opportunity to have exceptional hair using great product at fantastic prices. 21 Coral St Maleny – Ph: 0438 785 443
Sunshine Coast Audiology
Emryn and Anita are experienced audiologists who have started a new independent audiology clinic to care for all your hearing needs. Conveniently located in Sippy Downs. Ph. 5378 2226. www.sunshinecoastaudiology.com.au
Maleny Equine Assisted Therapy
Siobhan Way Gestalt Psychotherapist, EAP Practitioner, and EA coach . Our compassionate approach uses the gentle guidance of horses to foster emotional healing and mental wellbeing. info@malenyequineassistedtherapy.au Ph. 0438 454 703
RangeCare
Offering in-home and respite care services to support independent living. Our tailor-made services are available to everyone in the community. We can deliver your home care package. Ph: 5445 7044 Visit: www.rangecare.com.au
AYURVEDIC HERBALS
Eumundi Medicine Man
Knowledge is the greatest medicine. Potent Vedic remedies that give results when co-ordinated with diet and lifestyle wisdom. Order or email online at www.eumundimedicineman.com
Guaranteed Age Old Natural Remedies.
CHIROPRACTORS
Maple Chiropractic Maleny
Dr. Samuel Lowe, Dr. Catherine Metcalf, Dr. Rebel Hungerford & Nikki Duncan-Exercise Physiologist. Gentle, effective care for the whole family. Concession, family rates & HICAPS available 45 Maple St, Maleny 5494 3322 maplechiropractic.com.au
Get Active Fitness & Personal Training Beautiful group fitness studio with a variety of classes to suit all ages/fitness levels. A fun supportive environment, fully qualified trainers. Book your first session FREE Ph. 0423 618 945 Bunya St, Maleny.
Maleny Vibes Pilates
Boutique reformer pilates studio. Introductory offer 4 classes $50 to all new clients. Book online www.malenyvibespilates.com Studio 37 Coral St, Maleny. malenyvibespilates@gmail.com Insta @malenyvibespilates
Pauline Ashford - B.H.Sc, Complementary Med & Homeopathy Classical homeopathy; Lymphatic drainage; Dorn spinal, joint and headache therapy; EFT - Emotional Freedom Techniques; Reiki 130 Ansell Rd Witta – Ph: 5494 4101 E: malenyhomeopathy@gmail.com
Christian Dunham Specialising in Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, a combination of clinical hypnotherapy and psychotherapy used to treat depression, anxiety, PTSD, phobias and other chronic conditions. Free initial consultation. Ph: 0448 303 013 www.christiandunham.net
Blue Zen Massage – Sensei Shayne Harris Dip.Remedial Massage & Dip.Reflexology
An integrated therapist shares deep-tissue holistic massages, MET, joint mobilisation, myotherapy. Unwind with Shiatsu, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi, hot stones/cupping. Diamond Valley Treehouse www.bluezenmassage.com 0407 002 567 HF Rebates
Jamie Milne Training
Jamie Milne is SEQ’s leading Mental Performance Coach. Finding your Mental Edge is Jamie’s specialty. His approach is unique in delivery and the results speak for themselves. Contact: jamiemilnetraining.com or call 0431 339 975.
Range of Motion Physiotherapy Maleny, Mapleton and Imbil Russ, Karl, and Kathryn. Providing the highest quality care to restore & maintain optimal physical function & mobility. Ph: 5478 6600 www.rangeofmotion.com.au
Window Wizard - Timber Window Specialist Restoration, glazing, repairs, modifications, sash cords, spirals, Queenslander homes and more. Call Rommy 0404 757 552 www.window-wizard.com.au
Montville Clockshop
Repairs for Cuckoo, Grandfather, Mantle, Wall Clocks. Antique clock restoration. We can supply quartz movement and parts, and repair quartz clocks. P: 07 5442 9409. www.clockshop.com.au enquiries@clockshop.com.au
Concrete Worx
We do it all! 35+yrs experience. Decorative stamp and stencil, coloured and exposed. Shed slabs and driveways, Bobcat and Tipper hire. QBCC 66649 Call Mick 0417 745 770
Gutter Sucker
Gutter Sucker specialises in cleaning your guttering. a unique portable vacuum system for the efficient and effective removal of leaves and rubbish from all types of gutters and roofs. Ph: 1800 558 745 or 0402 456 391
HANDYMAN AND HOME MAINTENANCE
Montville Handyman
30 years building experience. Available now for carpentry, home maintenance and repairs, small concreting jobs. Prompt and reliable service. Call Wayne 0434 724 030.
JEWELLERY - COMMISSIONS AND DESIGN
Wasshausen Gems + Jewels
Fine individually designed and traditional handmade jewellery in a contemporary style with natural Gemstones, Pearls & Opals. Commision & redesign, alteration & repairs. Call Birgit in her Maleny workshop 0490 146 982
LANDSCAPING & DESIGN
Amber Leaf Landscaping
Looking for a landscaper who can deliver?
Blueys Garden Services
For all your gardening needs. Jobs include but not limited to: Mowing, Whipping snipping, Clear outs, Hedging, Tip runs, Minor landscaping and Weed management give us a call-0481 106 839
Swede with Speed Slashing
For slashing and mowing, acres or house blocks, hedge trims, whipper snipping, rubbish removal and house maintenance call Birger for a free quote 0411 591 738
Forest Heart
Your Local Native Plant Nursery. Specialising is the native plants of SE QLD for Revegetation, Gardens, Habitat. 20 Coral Street, Maleny Ph: 07 5435 2193 – www.forestheart.com.au
Barung Landcare Native Plant Nursery
Your local community nursery stocks an extensive range of species indigenous to the Blackall Range and surrounds. Open to the public WednesdaySaturday 9am–3pm, Ph: 0429 943 152 E: nursery@barunglandcare.org.au
Anderson Plumbing & Roofing QBSA1066328 Plumbing, drainage & roofing. New work, renos, maintenance specialists. Septic systems, blocked drains, high pressure ‘sewer jett’ drain cleaner, drain camera, cable locations, tank installations, roof & guttering. Ph: 5494 3340 or 0409 541 4757
Suncoast Liquid Waste Removal
Local owner/operator specialising in commercial / domestic waste water pump outs- septics, treatment plants, grey water, holding tanks, pond/ pool sludge, drains etc. Avoid costly blockages & system failure with prompt, reliable & expert service. Tank assessments available. EPA licensed and fully insured. Call 0439 646 707
SwimSafe Mobile pool maintenance & repairs. Swimming pool safety inspections. FREE QUOTES
Proudly servicing the Sunshine Coast Ph: 0448 793 148 – www.swimsafeqld.com.au QBCC #101629
Fresh Look Pressure Washing Family business based in Maleny. For all pressure washing needs, roofs, driveways, solar panel, external walls. For both domestic and commercial. Contact Jay 0477 780 577 or jay@freshlookpressurewashing.com.au
Roof & Gutter Maintenance
Clean gutters, Blocked downpipes, New & repair downpipes, Roof repairs & leaks, Fix leaking gutters, New gutters & fascias, Install & service whirly birds, Skylights & Water Tanks. Free quotes, local bloke, over 20 yrs experience Phone Brad 0419 712 081
Megawatts Solar – Consulting, Design & Service We recommend only Quality Components & Installations. On-Grid, Off-Grid, and Battery Storage. Ph. Gary Phillips 0407 760 838 info@megawatts.com.au www.megawatts.com.au
Tony Wootton Tree Surgeon. Dip Hort(Arb) Operating locally since 1996. Tree assessments and advice. Trees and shrubs pruned and detailed. Hazardous trees removed. M: 0403 467 664 Ph: 54 944 917 www.twtreesurgeon.com
Tohm Hajncl heads the team that offers you guaranteed quality. Choose from landscaping consultations, designs, construction and planting, pre-sale makeovers and specialised maintenance services. Ph: 5445 9801 www.amberleaf.com.au
Handbuilt Stone QBCC 1235589
Licensed, range-based professional. Traditional rock walls, pillars, steps, paving, entrance walls and all garden features. Visit our website to see previous work for inspiration. Phone Chris on 0438 811 975 – www.handbuiltstone.com
Stone on the Range Landscapes
Looking for creative ideas from a professional craftsman-then call Jim! Thirty years experience designing/building all aspects of gardens/stonework. Combining skills that utilize timber/stone and steel, as a designer, landscaper, stonemason. It is my passion to exceed your expectations. 0401 308 824 jimrstoneart@gmail.com
Kingston Plumbing & Gas NEW New construction, gas renovation work, drainage, onsite effluent disposal/septic water tank installing, water filters, solar hot water, roofing/ guttering, maintenance. Call 0402 124 731
Skilled Tree Surgeon – Kevin Pampling Born and raised in Maleny, offering reasonable rates for tree work. Insured,with years of wisdom and local knowledge. I climb, you clear = good value. Ph 0407
Baker Robinson Lawyers
Sophie Paras - Professional, efficient, relaible and friendly. 5494 2665 Suite 7, 43 Maple St Maleny. Email: sophie@brlawyers.com.au www.brlawyers.com.au
Easton Lawyers
Tove Easton Principal Lawyer
Your Local Lawyers in Maleny 62 Maple St, Maleny. Ph: 5494 3511 Email: tove@eastonlawyers.com.au
Horizon Legal Group formerly Lember & Williams Suite 3, Banksia House, 66 Maple Street, Maleny 07 5495 1499 hello@horizonlegalgroup.com.au www.horizonlegalgroup.com.au
Contact Principal, Penny McCreery
Blake Gierke - Your Hinterland Property Expert.
10 years’ experience & multiple RMA awards. Innovative marketing strategies for maximum exposure. Get unmatched results. Blake 0412 266 719
ESTATE
BOXSELLS REAL ESTATE - Est1947
Let our Real Estate family show your family the way home
Kenilworth 5446 0222 Maleny 5494 2312 www.boxsells.com.au
Brant Property At Brant Property we understand that it's all in the attention to detail, even the little things matter. Learn how ‘We Can
Advertise your business in the HT from $63.58 ongoing per month.
Book directly by scanning
Advertise your business in the HT from $63.58 ongoing per month.
Book directly by scanning
Consider Your Verdict Satan the Slanderer. Is Satan answerable to God?
Job 1:6-12
Was Satan's accusation correct?
Job 1:13-22
Does Satan have access to all the earth; to you?
Job 2: 1 -3
Why did Job not blame God for this calamity?
Job 2: 4-10
How did Jesus deal with the Tempter, Satan? Matt 4:1-11
Did Satan actually quote scripture to test Jesus? Matt. 4: 1-11
How does Jesus describe him in? John 8:1-58
What exalts a nation? Proverbs 14:34
See You Tube, "Let the Bible Speak." Need help, call Len - 0432 617 107
Established in May 2005. 4 Paws Animal Rescue Inc provides refuge and a "New Home, New Life" to homeless dogs and cats on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland and beyond.
A non-profit organisation run entirely by volunteers, they rely on donations from members of the public and local businesses, whilst actively finding families and individuals who would like to adopt a cat or dog.
Many of the animals come from Council pounds. Others have been surrendered due to lifestyle changes of their owner. Some have been rescued from cruel living conditions where they have been abused or neglected.
Meet Captain and Willow, a six-year-old bonded brother and sister. They are currently in short-term foster care, however, they are now seeing their forever home. Very sweet but initially very timid, Captain and Willow do snuggle up to each other, but they do like their own space as well.
They are more suited to a home where they are the only pets. Please help us find them a loving home. Is it you? Please go to the 4Paws website and complete an adoption application: 4pawsanimalrescue.org.au
Your Environment Levy is helping deliver land for conservation, land restoration from our rocky shores to the hinterland, programs to foster stewardship and much more across the Sunshine Coast.
The $82 Environment Levy, paid through rates by every property owner in our region, enables Council to invest in a range of environmental programs and projects to deliver a healthy natural environment.
These projects have been showcased through Council’s Environment Levy Annual Report 2023-24, sharing environmental outcomes achieved through an investment of more than $11.8 million.
Environment and Liveability Portfolio Councillor Tim Burns said the levy’s “cornerstone” land acquisition program had enabled three land purchases across the year.
“These strategic land purchases protect important sites for threatened species, contribute to strengthening our biodiversity corridors and preserve healthy natural areas,” Cr Burns said.
“Since the program began, the levy has enabled Council to purchase and protect 4,235 hectares for conservation.
“The levy also enables Council to maintain this expansive amount of land through operations like habitat restoration, fire management and threatened species research.”
Fellow Environment and Liveability Portfolio Councillor Maria Suarez said fostering stewardship in the community was a key objective of the program and community partners were essential in supporting a healthy natural environment.
“We would like to acknowledge the efforts of students, landholders, community groups and volunteers who dedicate their time and energy in protecting our environment,” Cr Suarez said.
“In our Sunshine Coast Biosphere, this action for the environment has flow-on benefits through our interconnected communities and economy, contributing to a brighter future for everyone.”
Cr Burns said key iconic or threatened species were among the winners in this year’s levy program.
“This year we’ve had especially positive outcomes for koalas, kangaroos and other macropods, flying foxes and shorebirds.That’s through initiatives like restoring key habitat sites, engaging in research, improving fauna crossings and signage, funding local wildlife care groups, and raising awareness about threats to our wildlife and how we can all help to conserve them.”
Explore the Environment Levy Annual Report 202324 on Council’s website, sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.
he more native plants I get to grow and see, the more I’m amazed about their diversity and beauty. This summer and autumn has seen a steady succession native wildflowers blooming in our gardens and nursery.
It’s great to go for a walk in the bush at any time of year, there’s always something flowering, from the coastal heaths, to the forests of the Hinterland, the precious remnants of our native ecosystems put on spectacular shows of colour.
It’s one thing to admire these native plants when going for a walk, but many of us live surrounded by exotic plants, not necessarily because they’re easier to grow or even because they’re better looking, but due to an inherited culture of loving anything exotic and, at best, unaware of our amazing native ecosystems.
The lack of use of local native plants in our gardens to date is strange because to the colonial Australian sensibilities, these plants are as exotic as you can get, in their unique natures and our lack of knowledge of them. So many of these great local native plants can also be grown in your garden to add a splash of colour, with the added benefit of you giving a home to our local natives and providing habitat for a wide range of native animals.
South East Queensland is one of the world’s Biodiversity Hotspots, with over 3500 local native plants alone. We have tropical, subtropical and temperate influences, and a great diversity of soils and geology that make for a unique place to call home.
Revegetation is very important for creating habitat and connectivity by putting back the local native plants
of the landscape. However, when it comes to our backyards and farms, we can select from a wider palette of local native plants from throughout SE Queensland to suit the conditions and requirements of our land use.
So let’s head back to our wildflower plants and their potential for our gardens. The diversity of our daisies (Asteraceae) and their mass flowerings is truly impressive; our fabulous Fabaceae (Pea Family) bloom in purples, yellows, pinks and oranges; our gorgeous Goodenia’s are out in splendid shows of yellow; Lobelia’s and Viola’s with splashes of purple and blue; our marvellous Myrtles (Bottle Brushes, Eucalypts, Ti-trees) are massed in red or white and the list just goes on and on.
Make space for local native flowers and be blessed with blooms, bees and beauty.
by JAMIE WALKER
Ihave always loved the twilight, and darkness itself raises no concerns for me: only curiosity.
I remember, as a young man in the UK, coming out of a college’s evening class (we called it ‘night school’) in the City of Leicester. Despite traffic and other city sounds, from somewhere in the black sky far above the streetlights, I picked out the voices of migrating Whitefronted Geese: and marvelled at how they did it.
We have such limited faculties ourselves. As it gets dark, our vision seriously diminishes, while the seeing ability of other creatures (not just owls and nocturnal mammals) continues to enable function and communication.
Ducks and geese have surprising night vision. Chestnut Teal are birds of saltwater. They prefer to feed on the rising tide and are never discouraged if that phase occurs at nighttime. In places like Pumicestone Passage and Moreton Bay, you may see small flocks flighting low over the water, as the light is lost at sunset.
In other sunsets, when the tide is falling, little Striated Herons (no bigger than the Teal) emerge from the mangroves to creep in a sinister, hunched hunting pose across the exposed mud. They utilise frequent spells of total stillness so that their prey (mostly small crabs and
fish) may not notice them. It is a competition, with all players using skills we can scarcely imagine.
In the daytime, warm air rising in thermals is a help to large-winged birds who wish to gain height and soar or travel. However, it can be a nuisance when they want to land. In the evening, this problem reduces as the atmosphere cools, but it may not totally disappear.
So, the Magpie Geese which came to the Maleny Wetlands at dusk, still had to rock in flight so that warm air under their wings would spill and enable their descent. This is a manoeuvre known as ‘whiffling’ and flying geese may sometimes turn aerobatically on to their backs, in order to achieve it.
I had stood still for a long time: my outline disguised by trackside casuarinas. But the geese were still cautious. They called quietly to one another in their honking voices, conspicuous in the stillness of the marshland, until – as if by a sudden unanimous judgement – they abandoned suspicion and dropped all at once, around where I stood.
A Nankeen Night Heron was just distinguishable as its dark shape flopped over the track, and my last sighting of the geese’s black and white feathers faded into the darkness. The eyesight of all these creatures is immeasurably superior to our own. As I trained my low torch beam down onto the track to guide my departure, I heard the geese shift uneasily and murmur to each other. I could no longer see them, but I know they followed my every step as I left.
with Tree Surgeon Tony Wootton, our local arborist and author, meeting the Hinterland's tree needs since 1996
Most of you will have noticed the stand of dead Bunya Pines, Araucaria bidwillii, near the corner of Montville–Maleny Road and Landsborough–Maleny Road. They have been dead standing, out in the elements, for about 18 months, and the other day one of them fell.
Fortunately it fell parallel to the road and only broke a post-and-rail fence and a wire fence. Being pine, and being out in the elements for that long, the timber is quite rotten. Let’s see where the next one falls… Although, if you look at the lean on them it's not hard to tell.
The storm season has kicked off, with a few fierce storm cells passing over the plateau already, bringing down quite a few trees. It’s a very educational experience to drive around Maleny after the storms and see which trees have failed and why.
Some of the failed species are the usual suspects - Coral tree, Erythrina sp., Cypress pines, Cupressocyparis sp., and big Liquidambers, Liquidamber sp.
These species are always failing in storms, but you can be proactive and carry out a careful reduction prune on them, and this eliminates the risk of them failing.
The other trees that failed all had structural imperfections that led to their failure. Again, if you are proactive, you can have your trees assessed and have any of these imperfections dealt with.
Smart people get their trees assessed by a qualified arborist.
his spacious two-level home offers exceptional potential for dual occupancy, featuring six bedrooms, two bathrooms, an office, and three living areas.
The ground floor includes three bedrooms, a bathroom, a living area, and a covered entertaining patio. Ducted air conditioning and a slow-combustion fireplace ensure year-round comfort.
The home is equipped with a 5kW grid-connect solar system for energy efficiency. A separate 12m x 7m garage includes 35m² of studio space.
Set on 4000m² of largely usable land with established gardens, the property has two road frontages and scope for a secondary dwelling. Only two minutes from the stunning Mapleton Falls.
Bed: 6 Bath: 2 Car: 4
Price: $1,275,000
Agency: Roger Loughnan & Monica McLaren Contact: 5478 5288 sales@rlre.com.au
Shop 2/1 Post Office Rd, MAPLETON
Discover an authentic, elegant Queenslander
his exquisite character home offers a perfect blend of historical charm and modern comfort. Dating back to the 1920s and lovingly relocated to its current picturesque setting, this Queenslander stands as a testament to timeless craftsmanship and enduring appeal.
With soaring 11-foot ceilings and Hoop Pine floorboards throughout, the home's layout boasts multiple living areas, offering versatility for family life or dual living arrangements.
French doors open onto a covered
entertaining deck surrounded by carefully curated gardens and a small dam at the boundary adds to the property's charm and creates a focal point for wildlife. Two separate sheds, including a workshop space, offer storage solutions and a haven for hobbyists.
Bed: 4 Bath: 2 Car: 4
Land Size: 5,752 m2
Price: $1,635,000
Agency: RE/MAX Hinterland Contact: 0447 737 737 sales@remaxhinterland.com.au
32 Maple Street, Maleny, Qld 4552
Aheartfelt thank you to everyone in our community who has donated toys and nonperishable food items for our sixth Annual Food and Toy Drive for disadvantaged families. Your support is greatly appreciated and certainly puts a smile on the faces of those who otherwise would go without this Christmas. Thank you to the local school chaplains for coordinating and delivering these heartfelt Christmas hampers.
We are proud to also support the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre with a donation toward their Christmas Neighbourhood Assistance Gift Bags to local families. It is so important to give back to our community and especially to those less fortunate than ourselves.
We would like to thank everyone for their continued support during 2024. The team at Brant Property would like to wish you and your families a happy and safe Christmas and hope 2025 brings you good health and everything that you desire.
Brant Property TeamSusan 0428 573 170, Marlene 0476 652 273 and Bec 0447 302 997
Agency: Brant Property
Contact: Susan Brant 0428 573 170
2/20 Maple Street, Maleny Qld 4552
and
haracter, progression and a significant 2-level-acre landholding come together in this property to create a picture-perfect lifestyle. This beautifully renovated and extended 1930s Art Deco home is set amidst century-old gardens, featuring towering Norfolk Island Pines and Jacarandas that gracefully frame the property.
• 10-foot ornate ceilings, original timber floors, casement windows
• Sleek new kitchen featuring premium appliances
• North-facing living room with contemporary fireplace and separate media
room, plus multiple entertaining areas
• Renovated Bails shed perfect for guests or as Air BnB accommodation
• 2 separate driveways and large insulated shed
• Short 1.5km stroll to Maleny’s main street
Bed: 4 Bath: 3 Car: 4
Land Size: 8,815 m2
Price: JUST LISTED!
Agency: RE/MAX Hinterland
Contact: 0447 737 737 sales@remaxhinterland.com.au
32 Maple Street, Maleny, Qld 4552
75 Grundon Road, Conondale
A Rural Paradise Awaits in Conondale – Over 220 Acres of your very own!
Discover tranquil country living with this extraordinary rural property. Perfect for beef cattle operations, this fully-fenced farm holds impressive infrastructure that will satisfy the serious farmer and the lifestyle seeker alike.
The contemporary main home features modern living across one level, with high ceilings and an open- plan layout creating an inviting atmosphere, seamlessly flowing out to a covered deck and pool area for entertaining.
This private, peaceful sanctuary offers easy access to Maleny and the Sunshine Coast. A must to inspect!
o in one of the most important transac ons o can make in life.
Warmest of ishes from the team at Roger Lo ghnan Real Estate, e hope o ha e a jo f l holida season and ishing o all a fantas c ear ahead.
As the ear dra s to an end, e start to look to ards hat e co ld e pect for the propert market in the coming ear The Hinterland con n es to be a so ghta�er des na on for life st lers and at this stage e don’t ha e an o ers ppl of proper es for sale, so e con n e to ha e strong demand depending on the price range.
Propert lis ngs nder million are er b o ant and e are achie ing most sales ithin da s. The main selling range is bet een . million and . million, and e are achie ing stead sales in this price range ith man happening ithin a - da period.
Hopef ll , the Ne Year brings some relief ith interest rate red c ons hich ill s m late the market f rther and bring more confidence for B ers. As soon as e start to see the c ts in interest rates, this sho ld f el the market, and e sho ld see more in estors becoming ac e again.
