Sunny Coast Times May 2022 by Sunny Coast Media

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Choosing the chop Beloved Coast musician to shave his head for charity in his native Fiji Page 3

Skiing superstar

Going global

Into the spotlight

SUNNY COAST TIMES

FROM CALOUNDRA TO NOOSA ISSUE #22 May 18 – June 14, 2022

Meet the 78-year-old water skier who’s still carving up her rivals

Coast business ready to kick goals at Innovation World Cup

Playwrights take centre stage at Noosa Arts Theatre

8–9

FROM THE EDITOR

INSIDE THIS MONTH

DESERVED ACCOLADES

FEATURES

elcome to the May edition of the Sunny Coast Times. The weather is definitely starting to feel that little bit cooler, suggesting that we do in fact have winter here – albeit

Published third Wednesday of the month

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Editor

Chris Gilmore chris@sunnycoastmedia.com.au

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WRITERS Seanna Cronin Michele Sternberg Craig Ross

briefly! This month we welcome new writer Craig Ross. His profile of water skier Maggie Storey on pages 8-9 is exactly what this publication is about: celebrating the achievements of those in the community who might otherwise go unnoticed. As you will read, Maggie’s water skiing career has not been easy and she deserves all the accolades she receives. Craig actually had his first piece published last month (about the Humour’Us Toastmasters club, if you missed it) and the team here was so impressed that he’ll be a regular contributor from now on. Keep an eye out for his fine work each month. This month also marks the second appearance of our new Holistic section. We have received some really positive feedback about it, particularly Emma Secomb’s I’ve Always Wondered column, as this letter from a reader shows: “I came across this article in your paper and really enjoyed the read. It is so good to have a reliable and informed piece from an experienced specialist surgeon regarding the many questions we may have about our health. I don't have any questions yet but would love to read more of this column in the future.” You can check out Emma’s latest column on page 13. From the team here, we hope you enjoy this month’s Sunny Coast Times and have a wonderful EDITOR May and June.

Chris

Gilmore

100% independently owned: While great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy and contents of the publication, the SCT accepts no responsibility for inaccuracies. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views held by the SCT. All content is copyright and may not be reproduced without permission. The production of this FREE newspaper is only made possible by you continuing to support our advertisers. Pick-up locations: Pelican Waters News Power Pelican Waters Centre, Espresso Bean There Done That, The Sebel Resort Pelican Waters Caloundra IGA Dicky Beach, Paddington Resort, Golden Beach Newsagents, Rumba Resort, Caloundra Newsagents, Currimundi Woolworths, Oaks Oasis Resort Caloundra, Woolworths Caloundra, Kerry's Corner Shop Caloundra, Foodworks Moffat Beach, Kings Beach Convenience Store, Joe Crew Stormbird Shelly Beach , Seasons IGA Caloundra, Whites IGA Baringa, IGA Little Mountain, Volunteering Sunshine Coast, Caloundra Indoor Bowls, Pacific News Caloundra, Rolling Surf Resort Caloundra, Caloundra Holiday Centre, Coles Caloundra, Currimundi Special School, Inspirations Paint Currimundi Aroona/Meridan Plains/Little Mountain Aldi Meridan Plains, Aroona Foodworks, Churches of Christ Care, Little Mountain Car Cafe, IGA Little Mountain, Wurtulla/Bokarina Friendly Grocer Wurtulla, Wurtulla News, IGA Wurtulla Warana/Kawana Liberty Nicklin Way Kawana, Warana Newsagency - Warana Shopping Village, Foodstore Convenience Store, B Fresh Warana, Shine Birtinya Retirement Village, Jamaica Blue Mooloolaba Fruity Life, House Gryphon Cafe, Woolworths Mountain Creek, Sirocco Mooloolaba, Vogue Newsagents, Cignal News Minyama, Mathis Market Brightwater Buderim/Forest Glen Wirreanda News & Gifts, Zebra Crossing, Fenwicks Fruit & Veg, Buderim Fuel, Kunara Health Store, Mill Rd IGA Buderim, Natures Edge Buderim, Cignal Buderim, Forest Glen Newsagency, Woolworths Buderim, Buderim Travel Sippy Downs Chancellor Newsagent Chancellor Park Nambour Honey and Husk, Hammond Optometry, Mills Street Kitchen & Pantry, Railway News, Coles Nambour, Caltex Nambour Eumundi Eumundi Market entry, Eumundi Post Office, Zealey over-50s Cooroy Cooroy IGA, Cooroy Newsagency, Belvedere News Cooroy, The Shed Cooroy Pomona Pomona Newsagents, Pomona IGA Doonan United Garage Doonan, Fruits of Noosa Doonan Bli Bli Bli Bli Newsagency, Whites IGA Bli Bli Maroochydore Big Top Newsagent, Beach Rd Coffee Co, Cotton Tree Holiday Park, Woolworths Sunshine Plaza, Aldi Maroochydore, Jax Tyres Maroochydore, Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre Mudjimba Mudjimba Beach News, NewsPower, Coles North Shore Marcoola Marcoola News, Sunshine Coast Airport Motel Coolum Coolum Beach News, Whites IGA Mt Coolum, Coolum Park Shopping Centre Woolworths, Rouse Realty, 7-Eleven Coolum Peregian Peregian Springs News, Peregian Springs Coles, Whites IGA Peregian Beach, Peregian Beach News Sunshine Beach Sunshine Beach General Store, Sunshine Beach Realty Noosa Noosa Civic Management, Caltex Garage Noosa Civic, Noosa Village Noosaville, Noosa Fair News, Noosa Aquatic Centre, Noosa Domain Village, Acres Noosa, Belmondos Noosa, Tyrepower Noosa, Noosa Marina, Jax Tyres Noosaville, Noosa Junction News, Harvey Norman Noosaville, Tewantin Newsagency, Parkyn's Hut Information Centre Tewantin, RACQ Noosa, North Shore Kebab, Direct Chemist North Shore

Haircut for a cause

Helping the homeless

4–5

Art adventurer

6–7

Wonder on water

8–9

Greatness through grease

HOLISTIC Specialists working miracles

I’ve Always Wondered ...

Putting an end to pain

14 – 15

Kerrie Friend

FOOD, DRINK AND DINE

18 – 19

COMMUNITY NEWS

20 – 21

LETTERS, PUZZLES AND POETS’ CORNER

22 – 23

CREATIVE CUTS

24 – 25 NATURE

Cover image: Peregian Beach musician Samuela Taukave, aka Skillz FJ, who is shaving his head for Fijian charity WOWS Kids. Image by @ZoomFiji

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Close shave to help charity by CHRIS GILMORE

well-known Coast-based musician is preparing to shave his head to help children with terminal cancer in his native Fiji. Samuela Taukave, better known as Skillz FJ, will shave his beautiful long, curly hair on his 33rd birthday with the aim of raising $33,000 for WOWS Kids Fiji. His sister-in-law Andrea Kirwin, who is also an established musician and director and owner of Peace Run Records in Nambour, will also be shaving her hair in support of the campaign. “After the birth of my first son, I planned to cut my hair then but decided to wait until after his first birthday to do it,” Skillz says. “He is now one and so I hope to raise my target by July 6, the day I turn 33.” WOWS – which stands for Walk On Walk Strong – is the only organisation in Fiji that works specifically on child cancer matters. Founded in 2009, it collaborates with the country’s Ministry of Health and Medical Services to provide support for families with children living with cancer, and to raise awareness on child cancer issues. It also provides support for children from the other Pacific Island countries that come to Fiji for cancer treatment. Skillz, from Peregian Beach, was inspired to help the organisation through his musical work. “My journey with WOWS Kids began in 2014 with a team of young Pacific artists based in Suva called Rako Pasefika,” he says. “We were invited to play at their WOWS concert fundraiser and the first from the team to take the plunge, Paul Dominiko, took part in the Shave or Save campaign then as well. Since then, we were always happy to play at any fundraisers WOWS needed us to be at because we always knew that it was for a good cause.

“The work WOWS Kids Fiji does is so important and if shaving my head is a way to support the cause, I will do it. I have been asked many times when I will be cutting my hair but it has always been a big part of my image, not only as an individual but as a performer. "My sister-in-law Andrea Kirwin will be shaving her hair with me in support of the campaign. The shave will take place at her studio on Queen St in Nambour. Live coverage of the event will be via my Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube page under the username @skillzfj." Skillz, who is originally from the island of Rotuma, migrated to the Coast in 2020 with his wife Litia to welcome their newborn son Samuela Jnr in December of that year. He plays gigs across the Coast and runs workshops between Noosa and Brisbane as well as online, with students all over the world. He was first introduced to the arts through hip hop and street dancing while still in school in Suva. It was only a few months after starting university studies in chemistry, physics and biology that he fully realised his love for arts and music, beginning his full-time journey as a performer. Since then, Skillz has earned four Fiji Performing Rights Association Awards alongside his fellow Rako Pasefika artists, and they have played at places including the Sydney Opera House, Byron Bay Bluesfest and Woodford Folk Festival. “My passion for the arts is something I will continue to communicate, pass down and encourage with one and all because life is only lived once, and should be lived without regrets,” he says. WOWS Kids Fiji works alongside the Tae Kami Foundation, which was set up in memory of the inspiring Tongan musician who died aged 15. She left behind a song called Walk On Walk Strong, a list of dreams to improve and enhance the services and support rendered to children with cancer.

“During one of our tours to Tonga we were invited to open for the Laughing Samoans, where we stayed at the home that the late Tae Kami had grown up in,” Skillz says. “Hearing all the stories about Tae and the many people she inspired from her lovely neighbours, it always brought tears to my eyes.”

To donate to Skillz’s fundraiser visit gofund.me/a5717a90.

Skillz has a wonderful head of flowing hair Skillz's sister-in-law and fellow musician Andrea Kirwin is also shaving her head

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A home for the homeless on wheels

Charity founder Simon Rowe checks out the new sleepbus

by MICHELE STERNBERG

t’s 8.15pm on a Saturday night, mid-autumn and there’s a distinct chill in the air. Rain sprinkles down, leaving a sheen on the bitumen as we stand in the car park next to the BP service station where the Sunshine Motorway meets Brisbane Rd at Mooloolaba. A man wearing pluggers and a T-shirt casually wanders over. He’s under-dressed for the weather, and I shiver on his behalf. He also has nowhere to sleep for the night. That’s why he’s come to the sleepbus. Victorian-based founder of the sleepbus charity Simon Rowe is here, too, to support the volunteers as they settle into the new Mooloolaba location. Community support, through the Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre’s fundraising efforts, led to the Sunshine Coast being one of the first locations in Australia to get a sleepbus. “This bus was donated by CDC in Kunda Park so I drove it all the way back to Melbourne, built it and drove it all the way back again, so it’s come back home so that’s great,” Simon says. “We also have a pink one that will be here mid-winter and that’s a converted low floor, like the city buses you see around. There’s no luggage space under the floor so that hurt my brain a bit to figure out how to redesign it for a sleepbus.” Simon says the number of women and their children ending up on the streets due to financial troubles, family breakdown and other factors is on the rise. “The pink sleepbus was a no-brainer,” he says. “Although our traditional service can cater for both male and female guests of all ages, there is a need for women to be in a female-only environment for their own peace of mind and mental health.” It’s a relatively simple concept that works for so many reasons. Firstly, a sleepbus is more economical than bricks and mortar – they are flexible and affordable.

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“Our aim is to get people off the street and keep them safe and healthy until they can get back on their feet,” Simon says. “All we ask for is a name, that’s it. There’s no other judgements, no other questions, we’re not counsellors, we don’t ask your story, we’re not even here for a chat. Just get on, have a sleep and then in the morning, get off and it’s ‘seeya later’. “We’re not here to help you with anything else. It’s not designed as a one-stop shop. There’s no food or counselling here – there are other charities that provide those. “Our accommodation is not a long-term solution. What we do is provide is a safe, temporary and comfortable place to sleep for the night.” Most people rock up with a backpack – or nothing. Thankfully the rest is provided. Each sleepbus has up to 20 individual, secure sleep pods fully decked out with a memory foam mattress, sheets, blanket, pillow, toilet, TV, USB charger and a reading light. There’s even a larger cabin for those who are a bit claustrophobic or have a pet with them. “Everyone says they wish they could do something about homelessness, just ‘not in my street’,” Simon says. “The beauty of having a bus is it comes in at 8 o’clock at night and leaves at 8 o’clock in the morning. “By the time you’ve left work and get home, we come in and do our thing. By the time you get up to go back to work, we’ve gone and you’d never even know we were there. "And the beauty of not being bricks and mortar, if we don’t need the sleepbus in a particular area any more, we can just move it on.” Simon says anyone is welcome to a bed. But there is one rule.

Each pod has a lockable door for security

“It’s the quiet enjoyment rule: please remain quiet and considerate of other guests at all times, so everyone can enjoy a good night’s sleep,” he says. The Maroochydore sleepbus operates every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. The charity has a major fundraising raffle under way, with a Dreamliner motorhome as the major prize. The stylish all-black Dreamliner sleeps and seats up to five people, has two lounge areas, a custom fireplace, full-size kitchen, dining area, separate toilet and shower/ bathroom, twin bunk beds with full-length windows, a queen-size bed above the rear lounge with views from every angle, and comes all fully insulated and wrapped in marine ply and solid timber.

Will you accept this mission? Smile & Say hello to 5 new people!

If you would like to donate or buy a raffle ticket to win your own dream house on wheels visit sleepbus.org.

The sleepbus can accommodate people with pets

The bus currently being transformed into a pink sleepbus for Maroochydore women and their children

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Rainbow connection A year after opening in the throes of a pandemic, Max Galleria is the beating heart of Tewantin’s creative hub by SEANNA CRONIN

hen you walk into Max Galleria, Jane Parker’s bright and finely detailed paintings will likely be the first thing to catch your eye. Then your attention might turn to gallery owner Maxine Stibbe’s tribute to the endemic flora and fauna of the Noosa Shire – a painting featuring everything from pandanus and bunya trees to the wallum sedge frog and Richmond birdwing butterfly. But there are small treasures here too. There’s handmade jewellery by an 85-year-old German artist, chokers made from the repurposed fabric of wedding saris and pottery by Rowley Drysdale, the nephew of famed Australian painter Russell Drysdale. Art has taken her around the world – from Mexico to New York and London – but it’s the wealth of talent in the Noosa Shire that now inspires Maxine. The multi-platform artist opened Max Galleria in Tewantin Plaza just over a year ago in the middle of the pandemic. After managing a gallery on Hamilton Island and having her own studio and gallery, Art@16, in Noosaville, Maxine was looking for a new space. But what started as a solo endeavour quickly transformed into a space for local artists, both established and emerging, to showcase their work.

Maxine Stibbe opened Max Galleria in Tewantin Plaza just over a year ago

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“It’s about having a venue and giving artists the opportunity; the artwork speaks for itself,” she says. “There’s that much talent in this shire, and that was the epiphany after two weeks of getting the keys.” Within a month of opening the gallery doors, Maxine staged her first exhibition Catalyst-18 featuring the work of 18 artists from across southeast Queensland. In the past year, amid Covid restrictions and lockdowns, she’s held six exhibitions, each including an emerging artist mentored by Maxine, and dozens of workshops. “In such uncertain times, I wanted to lift the spirits of our shire,” she says. “Art is a healing modality; community art actually heals the community. “I've got an Indigenous gallery next door and augmented reality art over the road at Bendigo Bank, which is pretty hip for little Tewantin. We’re slowly starting to get a creative industries hub happening here.” Maxine’s passion for art started with a ceramics class at the age of seven. The Brisbane native became a professional artist with her first pay check from Arts

Maxine on the gallery's opening night last year with Karen Finzel, Kabi Kabi Elder Brian Warner and Brett Leavy 

Queensland at 16 and went on to study horticulture before moving to the Coast in 1992. “Of course when you finish school in Brisbane you go straight to the Gold Coast and dance all night and surf all morning,” she says. “I had a friend who lived up here and I fell in love with it. I was craving nature. "I rented this huge house in Peregian. I was a landscaper back then, but I still had my art practice.” She went on to study multimedia arts, ceramics and sculpture before becoming part of the first graduating class of QUT’s Bachelor of Creative Industries. Maxine’s work has featured in dozens of solo and group exhibitions, and sold to collectors around the world. Most recently she was a finalist in the Lyn McRea Contemporary Drawing Prize. But Maxine is just as passionate about shining the spotlight on others.

"I consider myself a community arts development officer but unfunded by the government. I’m self-funded,” she says. “As gentrification is happening to Tewantin a lot of people are looking for culture and things to do. The young people coming up want to make it young and hip, and we also have a lot of people who had investment properties who have now moved up here and those people have more of an expendable budget.” As well as community support, she hopes to find a patron for the gallery. “I’m looking for a philanthropist or inventor. Art is 100 per cent tax deductible up to $40,000 and at the end of the day it’s about supporting local talent,” she says. “I’ve got original artwork from $65 to $4200. A good laptop costs you $4200 but it depreciates instantly, whereas art goes up in value. I’m trying to keep the money in our area.” Max Galleria’s upcoming exhibition Rainbow Planet features 12 Coast artists and explores the themes of mythology, multiculturalism and the Noosa Shire’s LGBTQI+ community. “Just here in Tewantin Plaza is a guy who's Irish and Aboriginal, the lady next door is Vietnamese, I’m half Jewish and half English; we’re really diverse in our genetics and we’re all happy to be Aussies. I’m happy we’re a rainbow-blooded nation,” Maxine says. “We’re all from different places but at the end of the day we’re all humans. I think that’s how the reconciliation of Australia will happen. "Two of the 12 artists I’m going to show, Denva Estreich and Tracey Mills, are Indigenous. We’re all these different people and we all get along really well.”

Rainbow Planet opens at Max Galleria on May 20 and runs until June 11. For more information visit facebook.com/max.galleria.

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Skiing is believing for Maggie by CRAIG ROSS

hampion Sunshine Coast water skier Maggie Storey is approaching 78 years of age but is not letting that stop her from indulging her love of the high-speed sport. A multiple record holder, national champion and world silver medallist, Maggie is a pioneer of women’s competitive water skiing in Australia, helping achieve equality for female skiers in what was once a male-dominated sport. After claiming the women’s over-35s bronze medal aged 45 in 1990, Maggie has collected Australian women’s championships against younger opponents in every age division since, including the over-75 title last year. She still holds national records in the women’s over-55 jump and over-70 and over-75 slalom categories. Understandably proud of what she has achieved on the national stage, Maggie says competing at the world championships in Florida in 2014 remains her career highlight. At the age of 70, Maggie not only gained selection for the Australian over-35s team for the championships, she also secured the silver medal in the slalom event. “It took me 70 years to get my Australian green and gold, so my jacket has pride of place at home,” Maggie says. “I was actually No.1 in the world for four days and I was the No.1 seed (but) it was still good to get the silver.” Born in England, Maggie’s love affair with water skiing began while living in South Australia in 1974 during an outing with her family – late first husband David Hill and sons Simon and Andrew – to the national championships at Lake Patawalonga in Glenelg. Soon after, the four were members of the South Australia Water Ski Association and quickly made their mark on the sport with Maggie qualifying for her first national championships in 1979, David establishing himself as a

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Maggie (left) on the podium to collect her silver medal at the world championships in Florida in 2014

leading ski boat driver and Andrew and Simon each becoming national champion skiers. Simon, who was Maggie’s coach for much of her career, also turned professional and established himself as a world top 10 competitor. However, Maggie’s first national titles did not go to plan. Arriving at Lake Talbot in Narrandera, NSW, only to be told that there were not enough female competitors for the event to go ahead, Maggie was spurred to push for greater opportunities for women’s skiers of all ages. “At that stage there was nowhere for me to go in national competition because I had to ski against kids the same age as my sons,” she says. “I thought that wasn’t fair because the men had age division competitions, and I thought I’d do something about it. I walked around with a handwritten petition when the nationals were again held at Patawalonga in 1980 and I got more than 300 signatures.” Maggie finally lined up for national titles competition at Lake Barrington in Tasmania in 1989, finishing midfield in a competition dominated by teenagers. However, her rewards for pressuring the national sporting body for change came when she captured her bronze over-35s medal the following year in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria. Since then, Maggie has gone on to ‘open’ each higher age division by being the eldest female competitor in the field. That same determined streak that enabled her to successfully campaign for change to the competition Sunshine Coast resident Maggie Storey has made a lasting impact on the sport of water skiing in Australia, on and off the water

Maggie showcasing the style that has taken her to multiple Australian titles and a world championship silver medal Maggie addresses her clubmates at Maroochydore VIEW Club’s recent International Women’s Day Break the Bias lunch 

structure has enabled her to stay on top of her game for such a long period, even after losing David and moving to the Gold Coast in 2001. “I really enjoy it,” she says. “To me, it was a challenge to line up against someone the same age as my grandkids. They didn’t want to get beaten by a grandmother – but they very often did!” Maggie says the impact of Covid and the resulting disruption to events on the national circuit over the past two years has given her time to reflect on her career and has prompted her to consider easing back on competitive water skiing. “It is disappointing because a fair bit of money, time and effort goes into training and then you have the events you’re training for being cancelled,” Maggie says.

“Now that I look back over the last few years, I am realising that I’ve achieved every goal that I set for myself. Which isn’t to say that I’ve totally finished, but probably skiing socially is what will take me further on.” Maggie moved to the Sunshine Coast six years ago with her second husband Nev Storey, who she met in 2007, describing him as a beautiful man who has been 100 per cent supportive of her water-skiing career. She has competed in recent years as a member of Coolum Beach’s Oz Ski Resort, which is also her sponsor, and praised the club and its coaching director Emma Habermann (nee Sheers) for helping her sustain her ground-breaking performances. “Emma has been very supportive of me, especially over the past six years,” Maggie says. “I’ve known Emma since she was 10 or 12 and she is a former world champion and very highly qualified coach.” Maggie’s experiences in seeking greater opportunity for female water skiers was recently the topic of her presentation to the Maroochydore VIEW Club, of which she is a member, to commemorate International Women’s Day and its 2022 theme Breaking the Bias. “To me, the club is about friendships and supporting a worthwhile charity,” Maggie says. The Maroochydore VIEW Club is a volunteer organisation that provides the opportunity for women to meet regularly, form friendships and help disadvantaged Australian children by supporting the work of children’s charity The Smith Family. The club meets on the fourth Friday of each month at 11am for an 11.30am start at the Maroochy Surf Club. For more information phone Maggie Taubman on 0418 793 906, email maroochydoreviewclub@gmail.com or visit the VIEW website at view.org.au.

Maggie with her skis

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sue.ferguson@queenslandlabor.org MAY 2022 SUNNY COAST TIMES

Coast company taking on world

n innovative Coast-based company is ready to represent Australia in the 2022 Internet of Things World Cup in Germany in June. GreaseBoss is one of the 15 finalists that will present their products to a panel of judges who will decide who takes home the top prize of up to $US500,000. CEO and co-founder Steve Barnett says it’s an exciting opportunity for the company, which began during the pandemic from the garage of co-founder Tim Hall in Meridan Plains. “We are very excited to be announced as finalists in the Innovation World Cup in the Industrial IoT category,” he says. “We have been selected from 400 companies that applied and are in the top five for our category. “In order to win, Tim and I will present the company in a 'pitch competition' and be assessed by judges. It’s similar to the Shark Tank TV show. “Tim and I are also exhibiting at the Hannover Messe (Fair), which will give GreaseBoss exposure to many buyers and potential partners in Europe.” Steve says that, in a nutshell, GreaseBoss verifies that industrial machinery such as for mines, agriculture and transport is correctly greased. These machines usually need to be greased daily or weekly, have many places that require greasing and are complex to manage. It ensures each point is greased correctly to prevent breakdowns. He says the company’s co-founders – Steve, Tim and Peter Condoleon – met at a ‘hackathon’ in Brisbane in November 2019 and were drawn together by the challenge of solving a problem. “Tim was looking for technical collaborators to work on his drone start-up, Pete was still in uni and looking to meet other technical people, and I was looking for business partners for my next project,” Steve says. “I pitched the idea of a grease gun that could track each grease point and the idea immediately had traction with Tim and Pete. We decided to form a team and build a prototype and pitch it to the judges at the hackathon. We ended up winning the hackathon and forming the company to bring the idea to market. “Tim, Pete and I started GreaseBoss because we enjoyed working together to solve the hard problem of managing grease for industrial customers. We have always believed that we could solve the problem better than anyone else can, so we have chosen to solve it.” The success of the company means the team is in demand to offer expertise to other businesses around the Coast, and GreaseBoss will host the Manufacturing Excellence Forum Sunshine Coast on May 26 at its Birtinya HQ. “We will be talking about our journey, some of the challenges we have faced and overcome,” Steve says. “We hope our journey can inspire and inform other Sunshine Coast businesses about what is possible.” Steve, 37, from Wurtulla, says the support of groups like the MEFSC has been invaluable.

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MEFSC director Tim Kelly

The company ensures machinery is properly greased

“MEFSC has been incredible for GreaseBoss,” he says. “We have picked up many of our suppliers as a result of introductions through the MEFSC network – suppliers in accounting, IT support, admin and manufacturing.” The MEFSC, which started in 2021, is a not-for-profit entity that was initiated to develop a centre for excellence

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Peter Condoleon, Steve Barnett and Tim Hall from GreaseBoss

in manufacturing on the Coast. Supported by the Sunshine Coast Council, it holds monthly in-person events with guest speakers, information sessions and networking opportunities, as well as online discussion platforms. Director Tim Kelly, who also works for robotics company ARM Hub, says MEFSC is about businesses supporting other businesses. “We’ve built a support network around manufacturers to help them to grow and succeed, thereby increasing local jobs, job quality, economic growth broadly and the like,” he says. “It’s been really well received – hard to explain in some ways. The positive feedback we get from the community says it best.” The growth of GreaseBoss has also enabled it to support Caloundra Men’s Shed. “We started a merch store to sell GreaseBoss T-shirts early on in our journey,” Steve says. “We did this so we can clothe our team and also get the brand out into the market. We decided that we would donate the profits from all of the sales to the Caloundra Men's Shed. “We chose to work with Caloundra Men's Shed because it provides a valuable meeting place, resources and services to the men in our local community.”

Visit greaseboss.com.au and mefsc.org.au.

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Medical marvels

unshine Coast’s Heart HQ team are on a mission to prevent one of the most common cardiac conditions – one many people don’t realise is among the easiest to

treat. Recent statistics have revealed aortic stenosis (AS) is common among the ageing population of Australia and without timely intervention those impacted could die within two years of developing symptoms. Heart HQ structural heart specialist Dr Stuart Butterly says that while AS is one of the most common and most serious heart problems, what many don’t know is it’s also very treatable. “If you’ve been diagnosed with AS it means your aortic valve into your heart has narrowed and does not work properly, therefore you may experience symptoms such as breathlessness or tightness in your chest,” he says. “Traditionally, open-heart surgery has been the main treatment option for AS, however what we’re finding is that many people aren’t aware of a far less invasive alternative known as the transcatheter aortic valve implant (TAVI), which is essentially a ‘keyhole’ procedure.” Past patient and Sunshine Coast local Daphne Keough, 81, is one of 250 people who have been treated by the team of structural heart specialists at Heart HQ and who are reaping the benefits of the TAVI procedure. “Since having my surgery I feel amazing, it has truly been life-changing and what’s even better was being able to have the procedure done here on the Sunshine Coast,” she says. “I’d had to have open-heart surgery many years ago and it took me a very long time to bounce back, but after the TAVI procedure I woke up like a new person.”

Daphne Keough has rediscovered her love of dancing after her treatment Daphne with Dr Stuart Butterly from Heart HQ

As the country’s population continues to age, Dr Butterly says his best advice to the elderly is to get a second opinion when it comes to treating issues relating to your heart. “Currently, there are approximately 56,000 patients in Australia who will die from aortic valve disease prior to getting aortic valve therapy – this in an unacceptably high number,” he says. “Many of the patients who we see have wound up at our door because they have been told there’s no treatment available to them or they simply wouldn’t be suitable to operate on, and for the most part that’s just simply not the case any more. “The risks are significantly reduced with this type of surgery, meaning we can operate on most patients; the recovery time is also significantly reduced with most patients having been out of hospital the day after their procedure.” The team of Structural Heart Specialists at Heart HQ,

led by Dr Butterly and Dr Peter Larsen, have treated patients with the TAVI procedure from as far south as Central New South Wales, all the way up to North Queensland. “We’ve got a lot of work to do to raise the awareness of the disease, but also raise the awareness of how available therapy is and how relatively safe and effective the therapy is,” Dr Larsen said. Ms Keough says that since her surgery she’s been able to undertake all her household chores, including vacuuming and mowing, as well as reconnect with her love for dancing. “I love dancing, it’s a huge part of my life. I usually spend around four hours dancing, four to five times a week,” she says. “I do line dancing, rock and roll and jive classes. “I live on my own and I don’t have any family left so I rely on my dancing to keep me young and connected with my community.”

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Life expectancy then and now I’VE ALWAYS WONDERED … by EMMA SECOMB

hanks for your kind feedback in response to the first article. Please feel free to send in your questions or comments and I’ll do my best to discuss big things in 500 words or less. Recently I came across a slip of paper that got me thinking and I hope will be of wider interest. It listed the birth and death dates of my ancestors who emigrated from Cornwall to Port Macquarie in the 1840s. The figures tell a story of what was, at the time, a very ordinary tragedy. Aged 25 and 19 respectively, Edward Secomb and Elizabeth Eva married in 1844 and within their first year of marriage emigrated to Australia on the Cornwall. They had a total of 10 children over the next 19 years, the second of whom was born on board the Cornwall. Of these, four died in infancy and their first daughter died aged only 34. These facts reveal a suffering unthinkable in today’s terms but 150 years ago across the globe life expectancy was in the low 40s at best, infant mortality was 25 per cent and another 25 per cent of children died prior to puberty. So what happened? In the late 19th century life expectancy in the wealthiest parts of the world began to rise steadily, and within 100 years doubled to close to 80. In time, almost all countries across the globe have followed this overall trajectory. Many factors converged and compounded to create this “health transition point”. Colonisation and formation of empires in western Europe afforded states incredible wealth,

power began to shift from feudal monarchs and religious institutions towards democratically accountable institutions, and the value afforded to scientific and technological expertise began to rise as religious power waned. Koch’s germ theory of infectious disease and the explosion of knowledge about infectious disease transmission came at a time when engineering genius and construction capacity allowed states to create public health infrastructure projects providing clean water and waste management, mass transportation of food and energy, and education systems for the growing middle classes. Cholera and typhoid became diseases of war rather than of the everyday. Anaesthesia facilitated the expansion of safe surgery. Death from appendicitis was once commonplace, now it’s incredibly rare. Midwifery and obstetric care became systematised and widely available, with death from bleeding or obstructed labour also rare, though once common. The availability of effective contraception saw the birth rate per woman drop from seven to two, with huge impacts on the post-partum death rate and women’s health overall. Vaccinations for measles, polio, whooping cough and smallpox saw childhood mortality plummet from 25 per cent to 0.1 per cent. In wealthy countries enough calories for even the poorest people became feasible due to advances in agriculture, transport, food storage and governance around food distribution. All of this complex and connected science, innovation and infrastructure has relied on good governance – the transfer of power from feudal monarchies to variations of democracy where the majority expect enough to eat, an education and measures that support their collective and

individual good health. As I drive down the mountain looking at the volcanic tors of the Glass House Mountains I often think about how lucky I am to live in this brief fragment of time. Our principal challenge now lies in sustaining our wellbeing within the constraints of the planet that supports us all, and continuing to drive movement towards greater equality. We need good governance and collective effort more than ever – vote wisely! Email your questions to editor@sunnycoast media.com.au.

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Single dad ‘gobsmacked’ by loss of pain ADVERTORIAL

overnment research indicates that every day an estimated nine million Australians take prescription medicine, two million take over-the-counter medication and seven million take complementary medicine. After suffering a crippling back injury followed by surgery in 2021, Tewantin single dad Colin was taking a dangerous cocktail of painkillers to enable him to look after his three young kids and keep food on the table. As the sole carer for his children after losing his wife to lupus 10 years ago, Colin has lived in excruciating pain for the past eight years. Unable to work in full capacity or even bend down to tie his shoelaces, Colin felt he was living a half life, stuck deep in the shadows of pain, unable to play with his kids. Colin’s pain specialist was helping him manage through a raft of different prescription medications, and he was looking down

the barrel of another surgery in order to get some sort of pain-free life back. Colin was like many pain sufferers in Australia who become reliant on ‘big pharma’ pain drugs to function. Research shows: • Australia has one of the highest rates of opioids users globally with almost 15 million prescriptions dispensed in 2015; • it is estimated 823 deaths in Australia in 2017-18 were because of opioid misuse, according to Deloitte research; and • the global pharmaceuticals market was worth $934.8 billion in 2017 and will reach $1170 billion in 2021, growing at 5.8 per cent, according to a recent pharma market research report by the Business Research Company.

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Colin was at his lowest ebb when a friend of his father suggested he try Amino Neuro Frequency (ANF) Therapy, which has been widely used in Europe for the past 10 years and has been in Australia for four years. “When my dad’s friend told me to try ANF Therapy because she thought it would help with my pain, I was at the stage where I was prepared to try anything … anything that could make the pain stop,” Colin says. “Having exhausted all my other options and with the pain still raging in my back, I took a punt and went to Cluzie Clinic as a last resort. “After the first session, I was gobsmacked as I could almost reach my toes, something I hadn’t been able to do in eight years. After three treatments, I couldn’t believe the difference. The pain was so heavily reduced, I was able to start weaning myself off the prescription drugs and had almost full mobility back. “Now, six months later, I am pain free, off all painkillers, able to work and enjoy all the activities with the kids.” Colin’s dramatic turnaround took just three weeks and can be totally attributed to an innovative therapy adopted by clinical nurse consultant Claire Dunkley who runs Cluzie Clinic, a Buderim-based holistic health practice using ANF medical devices.

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Are you listening to yourself? IMAGE by KERRIE FRIEND

e all get very “busy” in life “doing our thing” but often we find ourselves among the chaos of everyday life, family, goals and so on going nowhere. It’s like being stuck in the mud with our tyres spinning and mud flying everywhere, yet for all of our expended energy we haven’t moved. We’ve all been there and what I’ve learned to combat this is there is an immense amount of power that comes from listening to my inner being. We have been designed with the power of intuition and yet the still small voice that speaks within us is far too often overlooked and underrated. We’re amazing creations and our minds are constantly experiencing signs we don’t even consciously recognise. It then processes this secret language and speaks to us through our “little voice”. It literally helps us navigate situations, but how do we learn to hear it more accurately and consistently? First of all, take a moment and think about the last time you made a decision and knew it was wrong. The “knowing it was wrong” was your little voice. Here’s a simple example: I enjoy coffee and when I hear “don’t have another because it’ll make you feel anxious” after I’ve already had one, but go against my “little voice”, I regret it. This is a perfect illustration of learning to listen to our internal guidance system that is always speaking. The question is are we listening?

Second, stop as you’ll never hear your little voice if you don’t know how to press the pause button within your life. Prayer, meditation and journalling are all exceptionally useful tools to use to hear your “little voice”. These are all non-negotiable in my daily scheduled activities and I refer to them all as my time to quiet my mind and thrive. Try including them and I guarantee you will see an improvement in your entire life. Next component for helping you listen to yourself more keenly is to do the practical basics such as getting enough sleep, exercising, getting back to nature and eating healthily. When you feel the urge to do any of these it’s most likely your little voice giving you a gentle nudge. When we sleep we heal and it allows our unconscious mind to filter the day’s worries and problems. Research shows that rest and getting back to nature helps our overall wellness and opens our mind to a more positive outlook. If you want to live a happier life, give your little voice the breathing space to speak. Finally, understand that following your intuition is a brave, faith-filled act as you’re regularly moving on things you don’t see but ultimately I believe it brings the right results. Paying attention and trusting our little voice carries clarity, authenticity and truth, and when we listen closely to the still, small voice within us we reap all of the rewards of engaging in this action. God bless, Kerrie.

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Blood pressure checks may save lives

oast residents are being urged to get a blood pressure check at their local pharmacy this May as the key step in reducing their risk of stroke. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the greatest modifiable risk factor for stroke. A quick and painless blood pressure check can be all it takes for someone to change their lifestyle and reduce their stroke risk. Each May, the Stroke Foundation promotes the importance of blood pressure checks as part of Australia’s Biggest Blood Pressure Check campaign. Stroke Foundation chief executive officer Sharon McGowan says high blood pressure often goes undiagnosed as it has no immediate symptoms. Over time it puts extra stress on blood vessel walls and can cause them to narrow or break down, eventually leading to a stroke. “In my first year as CEO of Stroke Foundation, by participating in Australia’s Biggest Blood Pressure Check campaign, I discovered that I had high blood pressure,” she says. “Thanks to our very own

awareness campaign, my blood pressure is now controlled but it could have been a very different outcome. About 4.7 million Australians are living with uncontrolled high blood pressure, and many do not realise it. A normal blood pressure measurement is described as around 120 over 80mmHg. A measurement of 140 over 90mmHg is regarded as high blood pressure and puts you at increased risk of stroke, no matter your age. Pharmacy Guild of Australia national president Trent Twomey says community pharmacies are the most accessible health professionals, so it is easy for people to get a blood pressure check. “Most pharmacies provide this service because we recognise just how important keeping an eye on your blood pressure is,” Professor Twomey says. “A blood pressure check can give an early warning of the dangers of a stroke. I recommend people go to the findapharmacy. com.au website where they can find a pharmacy near them which provides blood pressure monitoring services.”

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Doctor reaches for the stars

edical researcher? Check. Paramedic? Check. Astronomer? Check. Eumundi doctor Dr Paul Baker really isn’t joking when he says he brings a wealth of experience to his role. Before studying medicine, Dr Baker spent 10 years in medical research after completing a PhD in Biochemistry and Physiology. This included arterial disease research and two years working on diabetes research in Oxford. “The aim was to understand how a person’s dietary fat intake affects their insulin sensitivity and diabetes,” he says. Driven by a desire to help in a more hands-on way, he then went on to spend a decade as an intensive care paramedic, or ICP. “I loved paramedics but I wanted to take caring for people to the next level and also challenge myself, so I decided to study medicine,” he says. As a doctor, his career continued to focus on emergency medicine, with extensive hospital experience, time with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and a year as a retrieval doctor with LifeFlight. “My first day at LifeFlight was a cracker,” he says. “We were called out for a patient who had fallen off a cliff face and had multiple bone injuries. He was a climber, a pretty fit young fella, but he had got it wrong on the day. We parked the helicopter on top of the mountain and I walked out to assess him. He was in bad shape so we had to airlift him off the side of the mountain – and I really don’t like heights! “Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of my day. My crew and I were then called out for a motorcycle rider who’d crashed at high speed. I had been an ICP for many years and seen horrible things, but that was without doubt the most critically injured patient I had ever seen. Thankfully I had one of the best paramedics with me and we got through

it together. We gave the patient everything he needed, resuscitating and stabilising him before taking him straight to the operating theatre. He faced a long recovery and lifelong impairment, but he lived.” Dr Baker, who has lived on the Coast with his family since 2017, has joined Ochre Medical Centre Eumundi and is looking forward to the variety of general practice, while maintaining his interest in emergency medicine. “General practice is a real area of need, particularly in rural areas, and I just want to be useful and help people,” he says. He will practice at Ochre four days a week while keeping up his emergency medicine practice via a weekly Intensive Care Unit shift at the Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital. Away from work, Dr Baker is an avid astronomer and astrophotographer. “I was always interested in science as a kid and when I was 13 my parents bought me a telescope,” he says. “Now I use telescopes and camera lenses to capture the beauty of the cosmos, photographing objects that are millions of light years away.” Dr Baker’s favourite photo is this one he took of the Rho Ophiuchi, a constellation of nebulas in the Sagittarius constellation near the centre of the Milky Way. “It’s very beautiful and very colourful,” he says. “You don't pick it all up with the naked eye, even through a telescope, but a camera is more sensitive and captures the detail. “It's not just one click, it's a composite of hundreds of photos that are exposed from 30 seconds to five minutes depending on how faint the object is. Then you have to load them into a computer program that stacks and integrates them and brings colours out.”

Dr Baker's photo of Rho Ophiuchi

Bramwell Morton speaking at a Wishlist Centre milestone event

Youths to help shape direction of care

unshine Coast adolescents will have the opportunity to access a new era of local mental health services thanks to Wishlist. The local health foundation has committed to directing $436,000 towards a parental resilience group and youth advisory group – to be activated in the Australian-first Wishlist Centre opposite Sunshine Coast University Hospital – over the next two years. Wishlist CEO Lisa Rowe says the funding will help Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service staff enhance care, informed by lived experience, for the increasing number of youth with complex mental health issues that have escalated during the pandemic. “Two hundred young people are referred a month to the mental health department and this number is not slowing down,” she says. SCHHS service development and research coordinator Bramwell Morton, an experienced clinician and registered nurse, will work with project support officer Sarah Hickey and a group of adolescents who have experienced child youth and mental health services to provide a platform to amplify their voice. “These groups have the power to change the lives of adolescents and their families like we’ve never seen before in the mental health service environment on the Sunshine Coast,” Mr Morton says. “We really want to put it back on the adolescent group members and say we want to look through your eyes and create a better system for a legacy into the future.”

Visit wishlist.org.au. MAY 2022 SUNNY COAST TIMES

FOOD, DRINK AND DINE SUNSHINE FRUIT SALAD Serves: 6 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 0 minutes Fruit and veg: 2 serves per portion Ingredients 1 cup strawberries, roughly chopped 1 small pineapple, skin removed and chopped 1/2 small pawpaw, peeled and chopped 1 mango, peeled and sliced 1 tablespoon ginger, grated 2 oranges, juiced 2 passionfruits, halved and pulp removed 2 cup natural yoghurt, reduced fat Method • Combine strawberries, pineapple, pawpaw and mango in a large bowl. • Mix ginger, orange juice and passionfruit pulp in a small jug and drizzle over fruit. • Set aside in the refrigerator until cool. • Serve with yoghurt. Recipe courtesy of Judy Stubbs, Maleny branch

THAI FISH CAKES Serves: 4 (makes 8-10) Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 10-15 minutes Fruit and veg: 1 serve per portion Ingredients 300g sweet potato 2 spring onions, chopped 4 sprigs coriander, roughly chopped 1/2 red chilli, deseeded and chopped 425g can tuna in spring water, drained 1 egg, lightly whisked 1/2 lime, juiced Wholemeal flour, for dusting Olive oil Method • Peel the sweet potato and chop into even-size chunks. Place in a medium saucepan and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer until sweet potato is soft and cooked through. • Mash the sweet potato then transfer to a large bowl. Allow to cool slightly. • Add spring onions, chilli, coriander, egg and lime juice, and mix until combined well. • Divide mixture into 8-10 small cakes, then dust the outsides with flour. • Heat a frying pan on medium to high heat and add a drizzle of oil once hot. • Fry the cakes in batches, cooking each side for 3-4 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Recipe courtesy of the Country Kitchens team

Recipes courtesy of the QCWA Country Kitchens program, which has been supporting members to run healthy eating and lifestyle initiatives in their communities since 2015. The recipes have been ‘healtha-sized’ to include more fruit and veg and achieve the Country Kitchens Stamp of Approval. Visit qcwacountrykitchens.com.au. To join the QCWA visit qcwa.org.au/find-your-closest-branch.

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Weekend of festivities

Informative talk

Swing back to the 1940s from May 27-29 for a special weekend to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Buderim War Memorial Community Association. The weekend will begin with a 1940s musical extravaganza concert on the Friday, followed by a big band dance on the Saturday and an official commemoration and afternoon tea on the Sunday. “The BWMCA was founded in 1945 to create a living memorial to the wartime sacrifice of the servicemen and women of WWII,” president Errol Richardson says. Tickets are limited, visit bwmca.com.au. Pictured are Gordon Parker, Georgiana Truman and Errol Richardson. Image by Reflected Image.

Members of Caloundra Evening VIEW Club recently enjoyed an informative talk from guest speaker Bruce Baynes of Sage Care Advice. He presented an overview of the ever-changing rules and requirements of aged care, which to most members is a minefield of options. The club welcomes guests to its monthly dinner meetings held at the Caloundra Power Boat Club on the second Tuesday of the month at 6.15pm. During the month members also meet for a social walk followed by breakfast at different venues, plus morning teas and other activities of interest to members. Pictured are Jocelyn Simmons, Beverley Walker and Merle Rowe.

What we have planned for you • Start your trip by spending a day and night at the Rawnsley Park which happens to be not just one of Australia’s oldest sheep stations but a luxury getaway as well. • To have truly immersive experience, opt for the Aboriginal trails at the Wilpena Pound. • Speaking of 4WD tours, take one across the ridge-top at Arakoola, a wildlife sanctuary nestled close to the northern tips of the Flinders Ranges, getting a chance to say hello to some rare yellow-foot wallabies. • Any trip to the Flinders would be incomplete without a game feast. You can choose to go on a game trail adventure in the afternoon or sit back and enjoy a feast made from the meat of emu, kangaroo, and even camel. But save room for dessert which consists of the native quandong pie made from freshly picked peaches • Before you decide to seal the deal on the Flinders ranges, make sure to head out for a ride in the Coffee Pot — one of the world’s only remaining steam and diesel locomotives complete with timber carriages, the tracks of which run through spectacular bridges, deeply cut rocks, and stone embankments. We have some great deals available now. Give us a call or check out our website for more information

www.123travel.com.au

123Travel 5/56 Burnett Street, Buderim Q. 4556

P. 5476 9368

MAY 2022 SUNNY COAST TIMES

Kawana

Buderim

Election time

Full bloom

At its recent annual general meeting, the Probus Club of Kawana Waters elected its new president, other officers and convenors for 2022-23. Leigh Baker, a life member and former president of the club, was elected president and will be ably supported by vice-president Peter Huthnance and an enthusiastic team of office bearers. On behalf of immediate past president Maureen Dunn, Leigh thanked the outgoing officers and co-ordinators for continuing to maintain the wide variety and quality of the activities for which the club is highly regarded. Pictured is Leigh (right) welcoming Margaret Marsden into the club.

Members of the Nambour Orchid Society are looking forward to the first of their three shows for the year on June 4. Be amazed by the outstanding display of both hybrid and species orchids in their full flowering beauty at the Buderim Uniting Church Hall, Gloucester Road, from 8am3pm. Plants will be for sale, with experienced growers on hand to assist with advice on your purchases. Admission is $4, with raffle tickets $1 and refreshments available. Visit nambourorchidsociety.com to become a member and see meeting dates and times.

QUICK CATCH-UP Committee welcomed

Quota Club Caloundra has a new committee for the upcoming year, consisting of secretary Tracie Mason, treasurer Juliet Anderson, vice-president Dianne Bennett and president Karen Zeier. Social coffee mornings are held on the first Friday of the month at 10.15am and business meetings are on the second Thursday at 7pm at the Caloundra Power Boat Club. Phone Dianne on 0407 229 879.

Supporting charity

The Buderim VIEW Club’s next lunch and meeting with guest speaker is on June 1 at 11am for an 11.30am start at Buderim Tavern. Cost is $30. VIEW stands for Voice, Interest and Education of Women and attending the club’s events helps raise funds for The Smith Family. RSVP to Gail on gai3@optusnet.com.au or phone 5476 7163 by May 26.

COMMUNITY NEWS

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Treasure trove

Keynote speaker

Beloved Nambour antiques fair Collectorama is more popular than ever. With 150 dealers present, it is the place to acquire iconic pieces: an elegant lamp, storage trunk, vintage tablecloth, chandelier, interesting chair, tea-set, picnic basket, art glass or French wire conservatory furniture – who knows what will turn up on the day! The next fair is on May 28 from 7am-2pm at the Nambour Showground, which is weather friendly and has a relaxed country town ambience. Admission is $6, parking is free. There’s food trucks, coffee and an ATM on-site. For more details phone Tom on 0418 744 887 or visit facebook.com/CollectoramaFair.

More than 200 disability sports industry professionals will join the inaugural Sunshine Coast Sports Symposium at USC on June 15-17. Presented by Disability Sports Australia, the National Disability Sports Conference on June 16 will headline the event, bringing together leaders in sport, disability, education, allied health, government and community. Olympic great and Australian Sports Commission CEO Kieren Perkins (pictured) and new Brisbane 2032 board member and International Paralympic Committee member Robyn Smith are both keynote speakers. Live and online tickets are available. Visit dsanationalconference.com.au/program.

Tim Miller

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Westward journey

Finding forever homes

A group of intrepid travellers from the Sunshine Coast Friendship Force recently ventured to Central Queensland on a three-week journey. The travellers faced the heat and flies in Winton and tried unsuccessfully to develop a mathematical formula to explain the demise of the dinosaurs. The Longreach School of Distance Education was also a highlight, as were the many sculptures and murals, such as those in Monto (pictured). The club is hosting the South Sydney and Tamworth clubs in June and travelling to Perth and Mount Gambier in September and October. New members are welcome. Visit friendshipforcesunshinecoast.org.au.

The Sunshine Coast Animal Refuge (SCARS) is running a Make My May promotion this month to help it clear the shelter and find homes for adult cats and dogs. It can then can continue to offer shelter and opportunities for new homes to other cats and dogs in need. All dogs over six months are $99 to adopt, while cats over six months are $29 to adopt. It does not include small-breed dogs and puppies or kittens, and all standard adoption conditions apply. SCARS is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10am-5pm at 28 Sippy Creek Rd, Tanawha, or visit sippycreek.com.au. Pictured is Zoe.

QUICK CATCH-UP Horse history

The Caloundra Family History Research group’s guest speaker on May 19 will be author and historian Elizabeth DeLacy on the topic The Sport of Kings in the Queen’s Colony: The History of Horse Racing in Brisbane River Valley 1859-1940. Visit caloundrafamilyhistory.org.au or phone June on 0409 932 299.

Reconciliation talk

The Sunshine Coast Reconciliation Group presents Talking Treaty and Reconciliation with Dr Jackie Huggins for National Reconciliation Week from 2-4pm on May 29 at USC’s Lecture Theatre 1. Dr Huggins is a respected author and historian, and the talk aims to assuage apprehensions people might have about a treaty with Indigenous people. Book at trybooking.com/BYWDR.

Does your kid say... • • • •

It’s too hard! I’m dumb! Everyone is mean to me! No-one will be my friend! I’m bored! I hate school!

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www.CuriousKidsCan.com.au MAY 2022 SUNNY COAST TIMES

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Nation of bystanders It's difficult to imagine your country in ruins, your home and life as you knew it destroyed, your neighbours and loved ones found in mass graves. We watch in despair from a distance wishing we could help somehow. But we cannot, we've been told. The invasions and cruelties are played out each day on our TVs and other media. We have become a nation of bystanders – we watch and listen but do not do enough. We have been threatened, silenced and denied to be who we really are: a nation that helps the oppressed, the tormented, the bullied. Instead we sit back in our peaceful lives and say "how can this be happening?". Easy … because now we've become the silenced. So now I ask myself: who will it be watching us in our demise? Think about it Australia. Lesley K, Caloundra

members of Parliament. Is that a joke? We have been made aware of some very dishonourable behaviour coming out of Canberra, especially over the past four years – dodgy deals like robodebt, sports rorts, car park rorts, undeclared donations for political favours, mates rates for crown land purchases grossly in excess of market price, and of course alleged sexual harassment. None of the people allegedly responsible for these ‘mistakes’ have been made to answer in a court of law. Surveys show 80 per cent of Australians believe we should have a federal integrity commission. All the states have one; they work well. Mr Morrison is a great salesman, a great campaigner, but he cannot govern. Everything is spin, marketing chat and someone else taking responsibility when it fails. By not introducing legislation that is honest he declares himself to be without integrity. Pam Maegdefrau, Montville

Awaiting commission The Oxford dictionary defines ‘integrity’ as ‘honesty, uprightness, wholeness, soundness’. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says we don’t need an integrity commission because everything he does is in the national interest. The Oxford dictionary defines ‘honourable’ as ‘worthy of honour, allegiance to what is right; respect highly’. The term ‘honourable’ is routinely used to identify

We would love you to share your thoughts and experiences with us and our readers. Email editor@sunnycoastmedia.com.au. Please include your name, location and contact details (for verification, not to be published). Letters may be edited. As we are a monthly publication, we are unable to print time-sensitive letters.

Trivia questions

The world does not understand power As it constantly tries to devour Everyone and everything Into believing That power is money and status Or derived by an apparatus On the contrary Power is not my adversary When I am in my power I blossom like a flower I can easily restore Who I am at my core No one can take that away from me I always get to choose how to be I can be the victim of external circumstance Or I can choreograph my own dance I stay strong in my centre Quieting down the ego tormentor Life doesn’t happen to me Life happens through me if I am willing to see My core is indestructible I remember this when life feels uncomfortable My power is always inside Whether life is high or low tide.

Crossword

Across 8 Straddling (7) 9 Farm vehicle driver (7) 10 Well-being (7) 11 Type of tobacco pipe (7) 12 Move by degrees (7) 13 Midpoint (7) 14 Small blemish (4) 17 Bowling Elizabethan admiral (5) 19 Is indebted (4) 23 Disrobe (7) 24 Prior (7) 25 Alternatively (7) 26 Move down (7) 27 Trouble grievously (7) 28 Something unpleasant to look at (7)

with ALLAN BLACKBURN

Crossword answers:

Trivia answers: MAY 2022 SUNNY COAST TIMES

Across: 8 Astride, 9 Wagoner, 10 Welfare, 11 Corncob, 12 Ratchet, 13 Halfway, 14 Spot, 17 Drake, 19 Owes, 23 Undress, 24 Earlier, 25 Instead, 26 Descend, 27 Afflict, 28 Eyesore.

1. Green, 2. Fruit, 3. Nine and three quarters, 4. The spinner, 5. Currumbin, 6. Married at First Sight, 7. Elton John, 8. Wind farm, 9. Octopus strap, 10. So many to so few, 11. Six, 12. Red, 13. Ambulances, 14. 212, 15. Lycra (mamil is a ‘middle aged man in lycra’), 16. 83, 17. Chignon, 18. Niagara, 19. Australian rules football, 20. Ingenuity.

Down: 1 Waxworks, 2 Stiletto, 3 Piranha, 4 Repeater, 5 Sabotage, 6 To and fro, 7 Lemonade, 15 Penknife, 16 Throttle, 17 Distance, 18 Kneedeep, 20 White-hot, 21 Shredded, 22 Prosper.

1. What is the background colour of the Medicare logo? 2. Is an avocado a fruit or a vegetable? 3. What is the number of the platform at Kings Cross station in Harry Potter books? 4. What is the name of the person who tosses the coins in the betting game two-up? 5. On what Gold Coast beach is Elephant Rock? 6. What popular reality TV show is known as MAFS? 7. Which music star has the assumed middle name Hercules? 8. What is the name for a number of wind turbines grouped together? 9. Ockie strap is slang for what securing device? 10. Complete this quote from Winston Churchill about the battle of Britain: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by…” 11. How many syllables are in the name of Australia’s National Anthem? 12. The colours of the Olympic rings are blue, yellow, black, green and what other? 13. What type of emergency vehicles are often said to be “ramped”? 14. At what temperature on the Fahrenheit scale does water boil? 15. What is the preferred type of clothing of a “mamil”? 16. How old this year would a person be who was born in the first year of World War II? 17. Which is a hairstyle: champignon, chinook, chignon? 18. The tourist vessel Maid of the Mist operates near which iconic waterfall? 19. What game is often called “aerial ping pong”? 20. What was the name of the first helicopter to fly on Mars?

Down 1 Type of effigy museum (8) 2 Short dagger (8) 3 Predatory South American fish (7) 4 E.g. revolver (8) 5 Deliberate damage (8) 6 Back and forth (2,3,3) 7 Fruit drink (8) 15 Pocket tool, originally a quill cutter (8) 16 Strangle (8) 17 Space between two objects (8) 18 Submerged half-way up the legs (4-4) 20 Incandescent (5-3) 21 Finely chopped (8) 22 Flourish (7)

POETS' CORNER

KINGS BEACH

ONWARD AND UPWARD

A walk along the clifftop will show

Yearning and struggling, for such is our life,

Waves caressing the rocks below

We stumble, we fall, but always we lift

Severe serenity blocks your every thought

Ourselves up, yet only to begin once again.

As you breathe in the quietness a gentle breeze has brought

Hoping this time, that with luck we might gain

Rockpools fill with an incoming tide As small crabs and fish scurry and hide

A step up, maybe two – is that too much to ask? Is such an expectation too unrealistic to seek?

Holiday children rush to explore Shells washed up from the ocean floor

The ongoing battles, the challenges faced Can make one's life hell – for that is a fact

The sun beams down on a summer day Hungry seagulls vigorously having their say A lifesaver gives an assuring smile To families venturing to swim for a while

Of existence – but then again through it all, A glimmer of hope, a promise to be held, That the sun will yet shine – a most luminous ray, Albeit hid amidst a Cumulus day.

Fishermen cast into a clear blue sky As white water comes rushing by But while the beach swallows their feet below Their keen eyes follow the bait they throw Dads dig a hole to create a small pool

So forward we crawl, but with heads held up high, With our feet on the ground, and our eyes to the sky.

WHEN TIMES WERE TOUGH My brother needed soccer boots, So football he could play, Our Dad could not afford the boots, We had to find a way. At ages only twelve and ten, A plan came to our mind, To fill a barrow and a bag, With horse dung we would find. A bag and barrow we could sell, For two bob it would rend, A shilling went towards the boots, And sixpence each to spend. To the bakery we would go.

Where the horses they were kept,

And mums fill buckets as a rule The smell of lotion invades the sea air

With our bare hands we'd pile it up,

While your skin converts to red from fair

Till the floor was cleanly swept.

Many groups begin to play

Seventeen and six the cost,

Beach rules often lose their way

That we would really need,

Children verse parents determined to win

It took us many months’ hard work,

Enjoying quality time with their next of kin Strong southerly winds change the scene Windsurfers and boardriders soon tag team Ships in the channel meander by Their seemingly slow progress a deceitful lie Catching waves cools everyone down

MAGPIE

The boots we had to get,

a majestic sight

To check the colour and the size,

dressed formally

And make sure they would fit.

Cleansing your soul best method ever found

in black and white, walking proudly upright

For age and big surf harbours no fear

in the morning light.

Young men being their watchful fans Colourful umbrellas fight against the breeze Providing shade to paternally please

With footy season coming up.

Magpie you are

The "Stunned Mullets" swim throughout the year

Girls in bikinis strive for tans

We knew we would succeed.

To the shoe shop we then went, The boots were on display, My brother he was happy, This season he could play. Into the shoe shop I then went, Both hands were filled with cash.

Mets Surf Club majestically sits Above a salt pool the sun relentlessly hits

I tripped and fell the money dropped.

Nippers learn skills lasting a lifetime

It made a noisy splash.

Potentially offering swimmers an emergency lifeline When the salesman heard our plight,

A small boy fishes to make his father proud "Not getting a bite!" he calls out loud But when evening comes and your body is warm and sore There is a brilliant Kings sunset for everyone to adore © Trevor Till

Send us your poems – we love receiving your creative work! To submit your work for possible publication email editor@sunnycoastmedia.com.au. Word limit per poem (due to space) is 300 words.

He did not laugh or scoff, He took our money with a smile, And took a shilling off. © H.R. Buckpitt MAY 2022 SUNNY COAST TIMES

CREATIVE CUTS SUNNY COAST TIMES

Short plays big on impact N oosa Arts Theatre’s popular National One-Act Playwriting Competition is returning with a wonderful array of plays to tempt your theatrical pleasure. Since 1978 the theatre has run the competition, which carries an $8000 cash prize pool and attracts entries from playwrights not only from Australia but across the world. Scripts are judged anonymously by a panel of readers who are experienced in directing, acting and producing plays, and a shortlist is then compiled by a panel of three professional industry experts. The three finalists are selected on the quality of the writing, not on subject matter, and the winning order is decided before the plays are presented in this show. Many emerging playwrights have been discovered through this process.

Three Wives and a Funeral

Maroochydore/Tewantin

At each performance the audience is asked to vote for the Nancy Cato Audience Choice Award. Other awards include Best Director and Best Actor. Presentation of the awards takes place after the final performance. The three plays this year are A Wilde Night, written by Robin Hawdon and directed by John McMahon; Morning Tea, written by Kerry Fair and directed by Maria Karambelas; and Three Wives and a Funeral, written by Rob Selzer and directed by Liza Park. A Wilde Night looks into the tragic fate of playwright Oscar Wilde, who spiralled into depression, alcoholism, illness and ultimately a premature death after being imprisoned for indecency. What is not so well known is that the whole tragic saga really came to a head on the occasion of the first night of his most successful comedy The Importance of Being Earnest. While the audience were laughing and applauding uproariously in the auditorium, Oscar himself – banned from sitting out front – was going through emotional confrontations backstage. In Morning Tea, three mobile phones are left on a table at a conference as phones are not allowed to be taken into the auditorium. The conversation between the phones reflects the personalities of their humans and dependence of humans on their phones – and vice versa.

A Wilde Night Morning Tea

And finally in Three Wives and a Funeral, Richard Green had a lot of love to give, which may explain why he tied the knot three times. But it’s only now at his funeral that his three wives finally get to meet each other. Secrets are exposed, jealousies unmasked and, in the process, the women divulge more about themselves than about their marriage to the dearly departed. Ultimately, the real soul mate is revealed to be someone completely unexpected.

The show is on from May 19-27 with both matinee and evening sessions. Tickets are $23-$35, visit noosaartstheatre.org.au.

Cooroy

Frolicking fun

Triple treat

Festival sneak peek

Author Alison Stegert, from Maroochydore, and illustrator Sandra Severgnini, from Tewantin, have released a picture book called Boogie Woogie Bird. Their collaboration was the result of a creative retreat at Maleny in 2019. Alison (pictured right) is the state director of the Queensland branch of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Boogie Woogie Bird is her first published book. Sandra (pictured left) is the award-winning illustrator of several books, including the acclaimed Tree Being written by Raymond Huber. Her first author-illustrator title comes out later this year. While Boogie Woogie Bird is aimed at children aged three to seven, goofy dancers and hopeless romantics of all ages will rejoice at Curlew's tale of embracing his inner klutz to find both his groove and his soulmate. The frolicking text invites interaction, and the endearing illustrations capture Curlew’s gangly stride and sensitive soul. Visit ali-stegert.com and severgnini.com.au.

The Cooroy Butter Factory Arts Centre has a trio of exhibitions running until June 12, each with their own fascinating insights into the creative process. In Textures of Nature, Claire Riddington Jones explores her love of nature through acrylic on canvas. She has been painting for more than 25 years and likes to work intuitively, letting the process take her wherever it will. In the Foyer is Dallas Lesley’s The Vibrant Coast. Surrounded by nature on the winding tracks to Noosa’s Tea Tree Bay, she paints what she sees in the ocean, plant life and birds of the coastal zones. Mentors and Makers, which is showing in the Butterbox, features all-abilities artworks from the Butter Factory’s allabilities ceramics classes and from Warrnambool’s Factory Arts inclusive mentoring program. In the two programs a large number of mentors have guided the participants and sought to develop skills and produce quality artistic outcomes. Visit butterfactoryartscentre.com.au. Pictured is Laguna Blues by Dallas Lesley.

One of the region’s most anticipated artistic events, Horizon Festival, is back in 2022 with its first live performances since 2019. The 10-day multi-arts festival will be held across the Coast from August 26 until September 4. While the full program is under wraps until June 16, festival director Hannah Clissold has announced the Homegrown artists. “Homegrown is an initiative we present in partnership with the Regional Arts Development Fund,” she says. “The program is a platform for local artists to extend and develop their practice, ultimately presenting the work in the festival.” The three successful artists are Dr Hope O’Chin (Aunty Hope) reading her story Guyu and Friend Mr Pelican; Courtney Scheu and Itamar Freed presenting Sand (pictured), which explores the relationship between body and landscape; and Kerbside Collective presenting Eddie Ray – Silence of the Jams, an independent comic film accompanied by a live band. Visit horizonfestival.com.au.

MAY 2022 SUNNY COAST TIMES

CREATIVE CUTS

Musical maestro returns

SHORT CUTS Old-school sound

The Sunshine Coast Jazz Club is presenting Dezzie D and the Stingrayz from 1pm on June 19 at the Caloundra Power Boat Club. Formed with a passion for the early rhythm and blues of yesteryear, the originals and covers band aim to stay true to that old-school sound. Tickets are $22.50-$27.50, visit sunshinecoastjazzclub.net.au.

Hallelujah singalong

The Sunshine Coast Choral Society presents Messiah Highlights on June 5, with conductor Adrian King and soloists Annika Hinrichs, Anne Fulton, Ronan King-Rose and Daniel Smerdon accompanied by the Baroque Orchestra. Adrian will be inviting the audience to sing the Hallelujah Chorus with the choir. It is at Gregson and Weight Memorial Chapel, 159 Wises Rd, Buderim, from 2pm. Tickets are $25-$30, visit suncoastchoral.org. au or phone Yvonne on 0431 550 713.

al Wood is a musician with an impressive resume. From being musical director for Hugh Sheridan at the 2021 Brisbane Festival to working with inclusive musical theatre through Centacare, lecturing in jazz trumpet at Southern Cross University and being artistic director for the Brisbane Jazz Club, he is constantly performing and educating. He has appeared at events such as the 2019 Logies, Sydney Jazz Festival, Woodford Folk Festival, Byron Bay Bluesfest and Caloundra Music Festival, and worked alongside artists including Jerry Lewis, John and James Morrison, Tina Arena, David Campbell, Sophie Monk, Tom Burlinson, Jessica Mauboy, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and more. With jazz being his first love, Mal performs regularly throughout Australia with his own band, singing and playing trumpet. He is also a natural comedian and keeps the audience laughing with clever retorts and entertaining stage antics. He is returning to the Sunshine Coast to perform at the Jazz Sessions, held at the Glass House Brewery in Forest Glen. Mal will be joined by Lachlan Hawkins (drums/handpan), John Reeves (piano/accordion), Lawson Hamilton (bass) and

Hangar gig returns

Mal Wood and Friends play at the Jazz Sessions on May 29

special guest Johan Lee (drums) for a beautiful evening of favourite jazz and blues tunes with a twist of country, soul and world music. Mal Wood and Friends is on May 29 from 6pm. Tickets are $54 and include a two-course dinner, visit stickytickets. com.au/thejazzsessions.

After the success of last year’s Cirrus Aircraft Opera in the Hangar, the Rotary Club of Caloundra Pacific is making it an annual event. West End to Broadway in the Hangar, performed by the Underground Opera Company, will support SleepBus in Maroochydore and Cycling Without Age in Caloundra. Tickets are on sale now, visit trybooking.com/BYVUA. For more information email mccorkellevelyn@gmail.com or phone 0407 624 650.

Talented line-up

Don’t miss the Pleasant Sunday Afternoon concert on June 5, the only one for 2022. The line-up includes soprano Michelle Bull, tenor Peter Gotobe, pianist Bradley Nolan and flautist Phillipa Wilson from the Sunshine Coast Symphony Orchestra. The concert is at 1.30pm for a 2pm start at the CCSA Hall, Nutley St, Caloundra. Tickets are $10, or $5 for members, and include afternoon tea. No bookings are required. For more information phone 0490 329 912.

Time for a laugh

Maleny

Caloundra

Making merry

Rare privilege

In the mythical European Grand Duchy of Pontevedria, things are not going well. Its wealthiest citizen has recently died and his attractive young widow is in Paris, seeking a new husband. If, heaven forbid, she were to marry a foreigner and withdraw her wealth from the Bank of Pontevedria, the principality may be bankrupted. So it has instructed its ambassador in Paris to ensure that at any cost, the Merry Widow marries a Pontevedrian. So commences the plot of the Maleny Singers’ 2022 production of Franz Lehar’s ever-popular light opera The Merry Widow. It is set in the 1920s to give the cast a chance to show off some magnificent costumes. And despite being written 120 years ago, Lehar’s familiar waltz melodies are likely to have audiences dancing in the aisles. The show will be on at the Maleny Community Centre on June 11, 12, 18 and 19. Tickets are $15-$35 from trybooking.com or the Maleny Information Centre.

The work of one of Queensland’s most inspiring and celebrated artists is on show until June 26 at Caloundra Regional Gallery. Rex Backhaus-Smith’s Feeling of the Place: From Here to There and Back Again examines the depth and breadth of the Coast artist’s works and follows his expeditions from his early landscapes of outback towns and vivid works from recent trips to the Top End through to his own backyard. Gallery curator Jo Duke says Rex’s remarkable journey began in the late 1940s and continues today. “Encapsulating in an exhibition the ‘extraordinariness’ of Rex is challenging, but he has helped by having documented most of his journeys through albums, detailing every trip and his sketchbooks taken on each journey,” she says. “Take time to meander through the memories captured in his albums and sketch books filled with thoughts and ideas and unfinished sketches – a privilege that we, the public, rarely have a chance to see.” Visit gallery.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.

For those in need of a good laugh, the comedy Once a Catholic, written by Mary O'Malley and directed by Judith Boyd, is coming to the Lind Lane Theatre, Nambour, from May 27 until June 4. It centres around the retrospective view of the values of 1950s Catholic convent schools versus female adolescent hormones in response to those values. Visit lindlane.com.au or phone 1300 732 764.

Tropical mash-up

The Tropical Dance Orchestra performs the Beatles in Rio show at the Jazz and Blues Collective at Maroochydore on June 5. Hear some of the Fab Four’s best songs and wonderful popular tunes from Brazil arranged to highlight all the characteristic musical touches of the original performances. The show is at Millwell Road Community Centre from 1.30-4pm. Tickets are $24-$26, visit ticketebo.com.au/jazz-bluescollective.

Poetry collection

Sisters Marg Gibbs, from Mapleton, and Kim Roberts, from Brisbane, have combined their writing passion and love of poetry to create a book of poems for children called Tomorrow Land. The collection is inspired by ideas of time, space, journeys into the imagination and the enchantment of magical worlds, and includes haikus, free verse and read-aloud rhyming verses. Visit mjgibbs.com.au.

MAY 2022 SUNNY COAST TIMES

T THE HE JJAZZ A ZZ S SESSIONS ESSIONS Mal Wood & Friends

$54 + bf, 2-course dinner and show

Quality jazz, ne wines, craft beers and a gourmet meal

Sunday 29th May Mal Wood & Friends Glass House Brewery, Forest Glen www.facebook.com/ TheJazzSessions www.stickytickets.com.au/TheJazzSessions

11a Maple St, COOROY 5442 6665 hello@butterfactoryartscentre.com.au www.butterfactoryartscentre.com.au

CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY HEALTH, WELLNESS AND BEAUTY

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

AUDIOLOGIST 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

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

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MAY 2022 SUNNY COAST TIMES

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Kingfisher’s ‘coat of many colours’ by VIC JAKES

love kingfishers. In the UK, where there was only one species, I never questioned the fact that kingfishers, as the name might suggest, simply caught and ate fish. Here in Australia, however, there are 11 different species of kingfishers of varying sizes, with only two of them feeding primarily on aquatic species, the others finding their prey almost entirely away from water. One local bird with such feeding traits is the particularly attractive forest kingfisher, Todiramphus macleayii, which is native to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, with Australian presence across the top end of the Northern Territory and down a wide band of eastern Queensland from Cape York, extending into the northern half of New South Wales during the summer months. Here on the Sunshine Coast it is a permanent resident, particularly enjoying the dry forest and moist lowland woodlands of the hinterland. Forest kingfishers hunt from exposed perches, often favouring fence posts, as seen here, but they are probably most easily observed perching, singly or in a pair, on a roadside power or telephone line. Any favourable location that delivers a good supply of food is used on an ongoing basis for months on end. The diet largely consists of various invertebrates – spiders, bugs, beetles, grasshoppers and the like – while worms, small lizards, skinks and frogs are also welcomed. Diving rapidly from its hunting perch, the bird pounces on its victim, with any live prey being carried in its beak to a convenient location to be despatched by hitting it, in typical kingfisher style, against a branch or solid object. It is easy, at first sight, to believe that forest kingfishers are simply a deep royal blue above, with a white underside.

A female forest kingfisher. Image by Vic Jakes

However, the actual range of colours in the plumage on the bird’s back is, on closer inspection, remarkably varied. Just examine the whole range of hues – from dark blue to pale turquoise – that can be seen on the back of this bird. We know it is a female as males have a white collar that extends completely around its neck, while the white spot in front of the eye is a useful distinguishing feature in both sexes. Breeding occurs from September through to February, with nests being built by both males and females, sometimes in tree cavities or the earth and roots of fallen trees, but most frequently in the nests of arboreal termites, where nest building takes on a rather hazardous routine. The nest chamber is chiselled out of the extremely hard termite nest by continuous bombardment by the birds, bills pointed forwards, flying at speed into the solid surface, gradually chipping away small pieces of material until a short, slightly upward-pointing tunnel is excavated, at the end of which a nesting chamber is formed. Such impacting flights are not without danger and birds are known to have come to a tragic end as a result of their efforts. Nest building safely completed, between three and six (but usually four or five) shiny white eggs are laid, with both parents incubating for around three weeks, in which task they may be assisted by previous years’ offspring. Feeding of the young, again by both parents and any wider family members, will see the chicks fledge after about a further four weeks. Forest kingfishers are quite common in and around the Sunshine Coast but particularly in the Hinterland, so keep an eye on the roadside powerlines for a sighting of these delightful birds.

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