Hello Sunshine | Spring 2022 | HS08

Our Sunshine Springs cover stirs up feelings of dreamy tropical holidays and, as always, this issue of Hello Sunshine Magazine provides a moment of escapism.

Immerse yourself in the SAVVY, SURPRISING, SPIRITED Sunshine Coast stories from sculpture and sport to retail and recreation.

This issue is a celebration of the many foodie events and festivals that make this region so exciting. Check out the event wraps to see who made the social pages from The Curated (side) Plate smorgasbord of events, Sunshine Sounds Festival, our VIP evening of Spring fashion at Polo Ralph Lauren and so much more!

We discover an all-abilities rugby league program for children with specials needs; how driving a beat-up car for several days can raise money for families in need; and discover what one local charity is doing to support gifted Sunshine Coast students.

Our stunning cover art by Jarrod Riggs takes us on a journey to Palm Springs – this local artist has set the scene for a sensational and satisfying read.

So, grab a pina colada and settle in for 116 pages of the best of the Sunshine Coast.

DEB CARUSO PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Deb has almost 30 years’ experience providing strategic communications and brand reputation advice to clients in the government, business and not-for-profit sectors. She started IN Publishing to connect the community through storytelling and is passionate about working with small businesses in the region. She loves hanging out with her boys John and Maximus - and snuggling her pussycat, Timmy.

PAUL BIRD PUBLISHER

Paul is the Publisher and co-Director of IN Publishing

He has enjoyed a successful career spanning almost 40 years working in media and corporate communications industries and more recently in the profit-for-purpose charity and business sector as an Independent Director and Corporate Advisor

JOHN CARUSO WRITER/PODCASTER/MC

After 30 years in radio, John now runs the Everyone Has a Story: Conversations from the Sunshine Coast and Noosa podcast and in between being our writer, sanity checker, accounts manager and event MC; he spends time with his first love, recording a daily Drive program for regional radio and raising his son Maximus.

CARLIE WACKER EDITOR

Carlie Wacker has spent the last 30 years in the media and entertainment industry. She is our Editor and Fashion Editor for Hello Sunshine Magazine and Assistant Editor and Fashion Editor for IN Noosa Magazine and keeps busy managing our social media pages, not to mention churning out stories and emcee-ing regularly. She is just about to launch a menswear label under Wacker Clothing Company and is obsessed with dogs.

ALI SMITH DESIGN & OPERATIONS MANAGER

Ali is our go-to girl when it comes to design, deadlines and digital. An experienced graphic designer with more than 20 years’ experience in advertising, magazines and publishing, she brings creativity and efficiency to the team (well, she tries!). When she’s not at her computer, you can find her on the water with her husband and three kids or coaching her beloved Mooloolaba Reds Royals Netball team.

JAKKI GOODALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

With 30 years’ experience in Marketing, Advertising, Sales and Promotions and an MBA, Jakki loves to develop local businesses which can be seen through her position on the Executive of the Maroochydore Chamber of Commerce as well as other local networks. She recently completed the four-day Dunga Derby raising money for Rally for a Cause – and survived her first deadlines with us! Welcome!

Carlie Wacker Editor

FIND

in touch with our e-newsletter:

www.hellosunshinemag.com.au

SUMMER 2022 DEADLINES

Bookings close: 14 November 2022

CHOLE TREMBLE DESIGN

Freelance designer Chole is a proud member of the “everyone spells my name wrong club” but she is well experienced in marketing, business and publishing having worked in print for years before moving into the online space of website design. She also has a legitimate reason for working from home in her PJs after launching her own sleepwear line.

GEORGIA BEARD WRITER + CONTENT CREATOR

Georgia is a feature writer and storyteller exploring the triumphs and concerns of everyday people. With a Bachelor of Creative Writing and Publishing and a Minor in Journalism under her belt, she’s passionate about giving a voice to local communities. Each week she fills our e-newsletters with the hottest news. When she’s not out in the real world, she’s lost in a novel or writing one of her own.

DANNI MURRAY HOME EDITOR

Acclaimed Sunshine Coast Interior Designer, Danni specialises in mid-to-high end projects both in residential and commercial design. With a passion for designing spaces from the ground up, her clients will tell you she delivers much more than your typical Interior Designer. Danni’s holistic approach to the creative process, quirky personality and “start to finish” ethos has attracted numerous and varying clients all over the coast.

PROUD WINNERS OF THE 2021 SUNSHINE COAST BUSINESS AWARDS CREATIVE INDUSTRIES - LARGE BUSINESS

2019 SUNSHINE COAST BUSINESS AWARDS CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

CONTRIBUTORS

MATT GOLINSKI FOOD

Matt is a highly-regarded chef with a passion for simple, produce-driven cuisine based on seasonal, fresh local ingredients. He is an ambassador for the Slow Food movement, a champion of artisan producers and a generous mentor to keen young chefs. When he’s not cooking up stories for IN Publishing you’ll find him at food festivals or giving back to the many charities he supports.

TONY COX DRINKS

After 25 years of sniffing, swirling, spitting and slurping various vinous temptations our drinks writer has decided that his future lies firmly planted on the consumption and storytelling side. Tony not only still enjoys consulting about wine and other beverages but is now part of the successful Kate Cox Real Estate Team at Reed & Co. Estate Agents.

JENNIFER SWAINE WRITER

A born storyteller and connector of people, Jennifer works with a number of SMEs looking after their branding, marketing strategy, communications, PR and events. As Chair of the Sunshine Coast Business Awards, Vice President of the Sunshine Coast Chamber Alliance and a Non-Executive Director of Visit Sunshine Coast, Jennifer proactively engages with local businesses.

PETE GOODLET GARDENING/ART

Artist, landscape designer and man about town, Pete brings his love of gardens, design and all things green and creative to our pages. Having worked with design greats Rick Eckersley and Jamie Durie and having been featured in all the top mags, Pete finally realised his lifelong dream of moving to Noosa with Dave and Oscar Wilde (man’s best friend).

HELEN FLANAGAN TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE

Noosa’s sophisticated charm, vibrant food culture and the magnetism of a subtropical paradise surrounded by national parks, inveigled Helen’s manic world and flipped it on its side. She pursues the good life with gusto, instinctively understanding the joys of travel, the art of story-telling, a candid review and surviving another reno whilst thriving on the motto: Live Laugh Love!

PHOTOGRAPHERS

MEGAN GILL www.megangillportrait.com

KATJA ANTON www.katjaanton.com

SPIRITED

Get

ON THE COVER

“Happy Hour!

Poolside in Palm Springs” by Jarrod Riggs @jarrodriggs.artist @jarrodriggsartist

Read his story on page 8.

We would like to acknowledge and pay respects to the traditional owners, the Kabi Kabi and Jinibara people, whose country we create on and we would like to extend our respect to their elders, both past, present and emerging.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/PUBLISHER: Deb Caruso, 0428 853 224 deb@inpublishing.com.au

PUBLISHER: Paul Bird

ADVERTISING: advertising@inpublishing.com.au

SUBSCRIPTIONS, EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS & DISTRIBUTION ENQUIRIES: hello@inpublishing.com.au Suite 1b/36 Sunshine Beach Road PO Box 542, Noosa Heads Q 4567 www.hellosunshinemag.com.au

DISTRIBUTION: 20,000 printed copies available throughout the Sunshine Coast: Peregian to Caloundra and the hinterland, in locally-designed and handcrafted magazine stands. Hello Sunshine Magazine is also supplied to local businesses and visitors through its tailored distribution process, including placement in key resorts.

LAUREN BIGGS @laurenbiggslbph

WAVELL BUSH @wavellbushphotography

Hello Sunshine is printed on 100% recyclable paper. Made with love. Please enjoy!

Hello Sunshine Magazine is a free publication (subscriptions available) published four times per year by IN Publishing, a business of IN Noosa Magazine Pty Ltd (The Publisher). All rights are reserved and the contents are copyright and may not be reprinted without the express permission of The Publisher. IN Noosa Magazine Pty Ltd ATF Hello Sunshine Magazine, their related companies and officers hereby disclaim, to the full extent permitted by law, all liability, damages, costs and expenses whatsoever arising from or in connection with copy information or other material in this magazine, any negligence of The Publisher, or any persons actions in reliance thereon. Any dispute or complaint regarding placed advertisements must be made within seven days of publication. Inclusion of any copy must not be taken as any endorsement by The Publisher. Views expressed by contributions are personal views and they are not necessarily endorsed by The Publisher.

Including: Ryhia Dank, Tony Kelly, Katie Noonan, Dimi Limnatitis, Matt Golinski, Wes Carr + more...

Family Tree House.

Photo: CFJ

CLEAR HORIZONS

Event: Horizon Festival program launch

Venue: The Boat Shed, Cotton Tree Guests gathered at sunset to celebrate the much-anticipated launch of Horizon Festival 2022!

After a snap cancellation last year, excitement was in the air for the tenday festival that runs from 26 August until 4 September with showstopping, breathtaking and heartwarming acts in magical locations!

www.horizonfestival.com.au

SOUNDS OF SUCCESS

Event: Sunshine Sounds Festival

Venue: Eumundi Showgrounds

Katie Noonan and her junior rockers from Eumundi School of Rock brought the sunshine to the stage with a little help from their friends.

The two-day music festival saw amazing local artists rockin’ out with some of Australia’s best including Tim Rogers, Clare Bowditch and a special 20th anniversary performance of Katie and Tyrone Noonan’s #1 double platinum album, Polyserena

PHOTOS: MEGAN GILL

WINE FLIGHT

Event: Travis Schultz & Partners

Wine Symposium

Venue: Venue 114

It was up, up and away when more than 350 local businesspeople sampled, sipped and slurped wines from 29 leading wine brands for the annual Travis Schultz & Partners Wine Symposium.

More than a glass was raised with the “Wall of Wine” raffle raising $15,000 for RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter service to continue its lifesaving work.

PHOTOS: DEB CARUSO

PHOTOS: GASTON TRUSSI

A SWELL NIGHT

Event: IN Noosa Winter launch

Venue: Sunshine Beach Surf Club

IN Noosa Magazine celebrated its 32nd edition with clients, supporters and friends watching the whales frolic and the sun set over the ocean from Sunshine Beach Surf Club’s stunning Sunset Bar.

Guests enjoyed a heartwarming performance by up-and-coming songstress Zara and celebrated client milestones with good food and great service from the Surf Club crew.

PHOTOS: KATJA ANTON

FOR THE BOYS

Event: Legacy Lunch

Venue: Bask Eumundi

The ‘Mojo Maker’ hosted her 10th Legacy Lunch to bring together likeminded men who want to lead in life, or lead a better life.

Nikki brought together a panel of inspiring men to share their thoughts on leadership, mateship and legacy and launched the concept of a Boat Boardroom to add to her alreadypopular Boardroom Retreats for Leadership, Legacy, Lifestyle and true Sustainable Success.

A SUITE LIFE

Event: Ribbon-cutting ceremony

Venue: Holiday Inn Express & Suites

It was a warm welcome on a cool night when guests gathered on the stunning rooftop pool deck to toast the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Maroochydore - the first of its kind offering suites as well as hotel rooms. Open since July, a ribbon-cutting with all the dignitaries signalled the official opening and a welcome addition to the growing Maroochydore CBD.

PHOTOS: CADE MOONEY

PHOTOS: KATJA ANTON

DESTINATIONPalm Springs

A Perfect Day

There is a desert city famous for mid-century modern architecture. It’s a proverbial playground for movie stars and the iconic and colourful inspiration for the aspirational works of a local artist. Palm Springs comes to life in layers of oil by Jarrod Riggs, as Carlie Wacker discovers.

Colour and vibrancy runs through the veins of Sunshine Coast artist Jarrod Riggs. As a boy growing up in Auckland, New Zealand he spent endless hours creating abstract and playful pieces using his most prized collection of coloured felt tip pens, which would get a much needed restock every birthday and Christmas.

Later his art explored the coastal landscapes he was drawn to through expressionism and abstract art. Now, he has returned to the very heart of the art form and style that brings him the most joy with his latest body of work an unexpected pandemic outcome.

From his Diddillibah studio, Jarrod takes us on an exciting journey into realism through idealism in Destination Palm Springs! I am immediately won over with his colour palette but more importantly for me, the escapism an artwork creates is what I am drawn to and that’s what keeps me coming back.

With Jarrod’s latest collection I become a Hollywood celebrity on a movie setI’m vacationing with the who’s who of industry in Coachella Valley or sipping cocktails around the pool, it’s only midday and the pool boy is keeping me entertained. Breeze blocks are the perfect backdrop and my agent is popping over

with a lucrative new movie contract! That reverie is precisely how Jarrod wants the viewer to react.

“The predominant focus of my paintings is on modernist architecture, pop iconography and classic car culture found throughout Southern California,” he said. “Working in a representational style, I try to highlight aspects that romanticise that lifestyle, a fashionable lady approaching her Palm Springs home, a Cadillac parked outside a mid-century condo and a sunny poolside setting.

“I want to capture these moments but also communicate their aspirational qualities of hope and optimism.

“The paintings evolve from snapshots I find online to drawings on canvas, to the finished work which I complete in layers of oils for their colour qualities and blending properties. Ultimately, I see my paintings as uplifting.”

That optimistic perspective is one that makes his Palm Springs-inspired masterpieces so appealing and interesting, particularly as the idea came to fruition during an isolating and negative period in the world.

“We hadn’t been able to travel and it was starting to affect us,” Jarrod says. “I found a YouTube channel that did walking tours around various locations overseas (Windwalktours). We would sit in our media room in the dark and watch these and imagine we were there.”

After spending time ‘walking’ around Palm Springs, Jarrod’s ideas began to coalesce.

“Being a long-time film fanatic, I have always been aware of Palm Springs and the beautifully rich architectural homes owned by film stars and celebrities from the Golden Age of Hollywood,” he said.

That’s where #thatpinkdoor comes in.

It is the most famous door on the planet situated in the Indian Canyon region of Palm Springs – in fact it’s one of many colourful doors that make the place so popular and has led to the development of Palm Springs Door Tours.

The door makes an appearance in several of Jarrod’s works.

“There are many pink doors in Palm Springs, yet in my online searches I kept running into images of people having their picture taken in front of this one particular pink door - it really is huge,” he said.

“It became a curiosity to me so I explored further and I discovered it had

its own Instagram hashtag with over 10,000 posts and I figured, well, somebody had to live behind this famous front door and so I imagined who that person could be, that is how the idea for the painting originated.”

I want that person to be me –and that’s what’s so magical about Jarrod’s art. It’s aspirational, colourful – a daydream to immerse yourself in.

Enjoy the work of our Spring cover artist Jarrod Riggs; a world inspired by mid-century architecture and design, breeze blocks, palm trees and coloured doors while I head home and paint my front door pink!

Jarrod’s art is aspirational and colourful – a daydream to immerse yourself in.

Happy Hour! Poolside in Palm Springs

Sun Lovers

PHOTO: MEGAN GILL

IN THE RIGHT Direction

The 2032 Olympic Games offers a chance for the Sunshine Coast to truly shine and make the most of every opportunity. Jennifer Swaine reveals the leadership team behind who will be taking us in the right direction.

In July 2021, many Australians waited nervously to hear if six years of hard work would result in Brisbane being name as host city for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Closer to home at Kings Beach, Caloundra the atmosphere was also tense as locals gathered at the amphitheatre eagerly awaiting the announcement which was being live streamed from Tokyo on the eve of Tokyo 2020.

When the announcement was made that Brisbane had been successful, the crowd erupted in cheers - Brisbane had secured the Olympics easily with 72 of the 77 valid votes going their way.

Brisbane 2032 will be the third time Australia will host the Olympics, having previously been held in Sydney in 2000 and Melbourne in 1956.

The Sunshine Coast will have an important role to play during Brisbane 2032 with four key venues and several sporting events to be held here during the Olympic Games, including football, basketball, marathon, mountain biking,

cycling and kiteboarding. The region will also host multiple days of road-based events (marathon and road cycling) during the 2032 Paralympic Games. And while it is still ten years away, there is much to do to prepare the region so that we can deliver the games at a world-class standard.

However, it is important to remember that the Olympic and Paralympic Games are held for just a moment in time. We must not lose sight of the opportunity for these games to create a legacy that will shape this region in both the lead up to the games, and long after the medals have been awarded and the competitors have returned home.

This is our opportunity to get housing and major infrastructure projects delivered, it’s a time to ensure the Sunshine Coast is truly connected to Brisbane via heavy rail and it’s a time for the community to come together as a show of force to help influence what the future will look like.

Member for Fairfax, Ted O’Brien was

The Sunshine Coast will have an important role to play during Brisbane 2032 with four key venues and several sporting events to be held here during the Olympic Games, including football, basketball, marathon, mountain biking, cycling and kiteboarding.

former Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s personal representative for Brisbane’s candidature and, following the announcement, was appointed as Special Envoy for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Following the announcement, Mr O’Brien invited more than 100 Sunshine Coast community and business leaders to start discussions on how we might shape a ‘2032 Taskforce’ for the Sunshine Coast, with the sole purpose of

CREDIT: ABDUL RAZAK LATIF / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

identifying and leveraging opportunities.

Participating in this meeting was Dawn Fraser who said at the time, “It’s not for us - it’s for future generations and to open up the Sunshine Coast to the world.

“I think the taskforce will help the Sunshine Coast and is going to skyrocket the future for the kids and that’s what we’re looking for,” Ms Fraser said.

Following the initial meeting of business and community leaders, expressions of interest were sought from individuals from both Noosa and the Sunshine Coast wishing to participate in the taskforce. Members of Sunshine Coast 2032, which are voluntary and unpaid, were selected through an independent process managed by Regional Development Sunshine Coast together with a local recruitment firm.

The purpose of Sunshine Coast 2032, formerly known as the 2032 Taskforce, is to ensure the Sunshine Coast and Noosa regions maximise opportunities in the lead up to, during and after, the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

One of the aims of Sunshine Coast 2032 is to engage with, and give voice to, the local community on a broad range of issues, that may affect them as a result of the Brisbane 2032 Games – from sport, community and infrastructure to social and economic issues.

Sunshine Coast 2032 also aims to engage with all three tiers of government, the Brisbane Operating Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) and other organisations, to identify opportunities - from business procurement to sport training and camps – with a view to becoming a conduit for sharing information with, and providing support to, local businesses, community and sporting organisations in the lead up to the Games.

In July 2022 Mr O’Brien officially handed the baton of Sunshine Coast 2032 to well-known business and community leader Roz White who was appointed chair. Standing alongside Ms White as her Deputy leads are two-time Olympic swimmer, Duncan Armstrong OAM and four-time Paralympic swimmer, Brendan Burkett OAM.

The Sunshine Coast 2032 board and committee have recently been announced with Ms White noting that they are made up of a high-powered group of athletes, businesspeople and community leaders, each committed to ensuring the Sunshine Coast and Noosa Regions make the most of the social, environmental and economic gains on offer.

“The road to Brisbane 2032 is paved with opportunities, from infrastructure and community, to showcasing our beautiful home to the world. It’s up to us to leverage that potential,” Ms White said.

The various committees will be the voices of the Sunshine Coast community, identifying partnership opportunities for business, industry and sporting groups and bringing the benefits of the Olympic and Paralympic games to life.

It’s time to dream big.

Now, more than ever, it is important that we share a common vision as we dream of the potential and the possibilities the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games might bring.

We have the chance to create a legacy that will last well beyond this generation, and it is our chance to secure infrastructure that may have otherwise avoided our grasp. We must work together to get this right because opportunities like this may not be seen again for quite some time.

SUNSHINE COAST 2032

Sunshine Coast 2032 Board Members:

Roz White

• Danielle Smith

Duncan Armstrong OAM

Kerry Neill

• Brendan Burkett OAM

Dawn-Lorraine Fraser

• Simone Pearce

• Leigh McCready

The Sunshine Coast 2032 leadership group, heading various committees, includes:

• Kaitlyn Akers (Community & Volunteers)

Melanie Anderson (Business & Tourism)

• Megyn Carpenter (Environment & Sustainability)

Blake Cochrane (Sport & Recreation / Ambassador)

Dane Cross (Infrastructure)

• Ferre de Deyne (Arts & Culture)

• Kylie Ezzy (Communications)

Alana Quade (Sport & Recreation / Ambassador)

Andrew Ryan (Infrastructure)

Jennifer Swaine (Business & Tourism)

• Dianne Swan (Arts & Culture)

Min Swan (Community & Volunteers)

• John Williams (Communications)

The Sunshine Coast 2032 leadership group

Ted O’Brien, Roz White, Duncan Armstrong OAM

HIGHFlying

As the world starts to get back to a new normal, holiday makers and business travellers are once again returning to the skies with what seems to be an insatiable desire to travel. Jennifer Swaine discovers this is great news for Sunshine Coast Airport, as it redefines itself and braces for a promising future.

While many of us thought it would take some time before people started travelling again, this hasn’t been the case. Demand for travel to and from the Sunshine Coast continues to climb and in April 2022, the airport experienced their busiest month on record, welcoming 155,970 passengers through the terminal.

And with Bonza set to commence operations* in late-September, opening up more routes than ever before, it is likely that more records will be broken before the year is done (*subject to regulatory approval).

According to Sunshine Coast Airport CEO, Andrew Brodie, all the signs for a healthy future are positive.

“We are spearheading the region’s recovery with 17 destinations connected directly to the Sunshine Coast when Bonza takes flight,” Mr Brodie said. “This is up from three destinations, pre-COVID, boosting us from 10th to the second most domestically connected airport in Queensland.”

It’s an exciting new era Sunshine Coast Airport is embarking on, led by the opening of the new $334 million runway in June 2020. The new 13/31 runway is longer and wider than the previous runway and is helping to open the region to more destinations and greater export

opportunities for local producers, especially now that Brisbane is set to host the 2032 Olympics.

In fact, the announcement that Brisbane had secured the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games could not have come at a better time for Sunshine Coast Airport. While plans were already well underway for the expansion of the current terminal, ensuring they are ready for the increase in passengers in the lead up, during and post the Olympics is now at the forefront of their minds.

“We are working on bringing the Airport Master Plan 2040 to life and we have plans to invest up to $500 million in infrastructure to boost the regional economy, jobs growth, and support the 2032 Olympics, creating a legacy for generations to come,” Mr Brodie said.

“Over the coming years you will see our terminal double in size, an expansion of the Aerospace Precinct and our Southern Gateway will start to take shape.”

The expansion plans will see the floor plate of the terminal double to what is already in use, providing additional infrastructure to cater for greater volumes of planes and travellers, and additional opportunities for an expanded retail and food footprint.

Behind the scenes the team have been

working hard and this year saw Sunshine Coast Airport awarded carbon neutral status (Level 3+) for the fifth consecutive year. Impressively, Sunshine Coast Airport is the only carbon neutral airport in Australia and maintaining this status is a high priority for Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Brodie.

“Our commitment to leading the way in sustainability initiatives is high on our list of priorities and not only are we committed to maintaining our carbon neutral status, but we are now working on raising the bar to Level 4+,” Mr Brodie said. “As we prepare Sunshine Coast Airport in readiness for the 2032 Olympics, we aim to become the natural choice for both business and leisure travellers who are increasingly choosing to support businesses and organisations that demonstrate their commitment to protecting the environment.”

With so much happening at the airport and with opportunities at every turn, it was time for the team to evaluate the existing brand to ensure it aligned with goals of the business.

The exercise was invaluable as it was clear that a fresh, new brand that would reflect the role Sunshine Coast Airport has as an economic enabler, relishing their place at the heart of a thriving region, was needed.

After months of work, in early August the team unveiled the new brand which they say “embodies the exciting journey we are about to embark on. We’ve chosen to redefine what it means to connect people and places, to expand our impact beyond aviation. The natural choice.”

For those of us who live here, or those who choose to visit, the Sunshine Coast is indeed the natural choice - and for many it is the only choice.

Personally, for me it’s a combination of the breathtaking beauty that surrounds us on a daily basis, combined with this connected, caring, collaborative

community that call this region home.

And while Sunshine Coast Airport may be a large organisation that is delivering outcomes in this region, at the end of the day it’s the people they employ and their genuine commitment to business, the community and the region that is winning our support – and our hearts.

We are blessed that Sunshine Coast Airport is large enough to compete with the big end of town – but small enough that they can make a difference where it counts – and leading the way and making a difference is what this team is all about.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Sunshine Coast Airport was the first, and still is the only carbon neutral airport in Australia.

• Sunshine Airport will become the 2nd most domestically connected airport in Queensland when Bonza takes flight.

• Sunshine Coast is directly connected between Auckland with seasonal services operated by Air New Zealand.

Andrew Brodie, Sunshine Coast Airport CEO

Andrew Brodie, Sunshine Coast Airport CEO and Tim Jordan, Bonza CEO

HIGH hopes

Across the Sunshine Coast, a generation of young people are quietly achieving their potential thanks to a dedicated group of locals and the businesses that support them.

Emerging local musician Zara is already chasing her dreams. This July, she performed solo and alongside Eumundi School of Rock at the Sunshine Sounds Festival, where the likes of Katie Noonan, Clare Bowditch and Andrea Kirwin rocked the stage.

After being invited to perform at one of our magazine launch parties to promote Noosa Chances, Zara’s rich vocals and piano playing entranced all and grabbed the attention of Katrina Thorpe, owner of ikatan Spa, who saw beyond the performance to Zara’s potential.

Katrina reached out to Noosa Chances, the local charity investing in the aspirations of young people who lack the resources to achieve them. CEO Tara Bell connected her with Zara, and this partnership sent the young musician’s career soaring.

Initially, the charity relied on donations and fundraising events like the Noosa Cup Race Day to support high school students but this year, Tara and her team shifted their approach, inviting

local businesses to sponsor the students with a scholarship for the duration of their education.

Tourism Noosa, Travis Schultz & Partners, Century 21 Australia, Chef Matt Golinski and Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart are just a handful of many locals fostering the future of our youth. We’re proud to say that we offer two student scholarships - one from Hello Sunshine Magazine and another from IN Noosa Magazine.

This new direction for Noosa Chances signals a greater transformation on the horizon. Expanding from the Noosa Shire to the Sunshine Coast and beyond, the charity will soon be known as Altitude Scholarships.

After refining their Noosa-based business model on a small scale, Tara and her team are eager to take their scholarships Australia-wide with an external team from BDO Australia ensuring the effective management of the scholarship program as it grows.

She said the expansion responds to interstate friends and colleagues, who have asked to sponsor students from Melbourne, Sydney and even New Zealand since the charity began.

Altitude Scholarships matches high-

performing students with businesses, who sponsor their development through high school and university. Annual scholarships of $1500 are tax deductible and subject to annual reviews, giving students the option of a gap year with suspended payments.

Businesses can approach Altitude in search of a student and Tara and her team partner with Board Advisor Andrew Pierpoint, head of the Australian Secondary Principals’ Association, to discover students nominated by school principals who show great potential and need a hand up, not a hand out.

“We like the fact that it’s not us selecting the students; it’s the principals who are best placed to know who is most worthy of these scholarships,” she said.

Students can only spend their scholarship funds on essential items relating to their education or special skill - school uniforms, textbooks, laptops, musical instruments, extracurricular lessons, desks – the list goes on! Soon, Altitude will equip students with specialised debit cards for spending to make it easier for them to access what they need, when they need it.

While financial support is the first step in the scholarship, it’s not the only one.

Noosa Chances has sponsored the aspirations of local high school students since November 2019. Georgia Beard explores how the charity’s Australia-wide evolution allows students to reach new heights.

Zara performing at Sunshine Sounds

Katrina and her husband Nicholas Pilditch are sponsoring Zara’s musical ambitions while offering her work at their award-winning Balinese spa.

“People gave our children opportunities to help them towards success, and we felt we wanted to give back,” Katrina said. “We could relate on so many levels, and as it turns out, we needed a junior employee to assist our reception staff.

“It’s as much help for us as it is for the students to be gaining workplace experience. But also, being around other women in the generations before them – this is where I find they build a great sisterhood.

“From these relationships, they gain confidence and self-worth and have amazing support without judgement.”

These levels of support will carry Zara through her graduation and her future study in contemporary music at the Queensland Conservatorium, where she’s currently taking vocal lessons.

“I’m getting coached by one of the best jazz vocalists in Australia,” she said.

“She’s teaching me how to keep my voice pure for its longevity, and I’m learning challenging material, which is good because it will build my abilities and my repertoire.

“Without Noosa Chances and the support of Katrina and Nick, I wouldn’t be able to have lessons there.”

The Noosa Chances 2021 Tell Them From Me® (TTFM) survey of scholarship recipients highlighted that:

97% of recipients reported that receiving a Noosa Chances scholarship increased their hope for the future, and 94% indicated that it increased their motivation to work hard.

70% of recipients indicated they intend to pursue a University education (compared to the TTFM norm of 47%).

For IN Publishing owner and Editorin-Chief Deb Caruso, the opportunity to give back is also a crucial one.

“I was fortunate to have received support early in my career and know the difference that can make to your confidence and ability to succeed,” she said. “We have supported Noosa Chances since its inception and are extremely proud to be able to support two students - one from Noosa and one from the Sunshine Coast - to reach their dreams.

“We can’t wait to follow these extremely talented and driven young people on their journey and hope to offer them additional opportunities and support in addition to the financial

commitment.”

Tara said the scholarships have a common influence in the lives of the students: fostering their self-belief.

“They increase their aspirations for what they want to do post-school,” she said. “There’s increased participation in extracurricular activities, and their sense of self-esteem is boosted.

“We often hear these students are the quieter ones that fly under the radar, so they’re quite surprised and proud to be chosen.”

Zara is already writing original music and searching for more performance opportunities.

After singing at several charity events, she’s set to perform at the launch of Altitude Scholarships in November.

The event will also welcome Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup and Altitude’s new ambassador!

“We don’t plan to stop in Australia,” Tara said. “Depending on the support we receive, there’s no reason we can’t go to New Zealand, the UK and elsewhere.”

Together, Altitude Scholarships and their students are reaching for the stars.

With local businesses and communities beneath them, these passionate, talentdriven young people can finally take flight.

To find out more or to get involved, visit www.noosachances.org.au and get ready for Altitude Scholarships to take off!

We like the fact that it’s not us selecting the students; it’s the principals who are best placed to know who is most worthy of these scholarships.

KICKIN UP Dust

One early morning this July, a muster of rusted, dented and gloriously dilapidated sedans and station wagons waited outside Aussie World. Their sides were slapped with sponsor stickers and roof racks stacked with swags, flags and mascots –anything from cow skulls to Barbies.

Driving teams secured their gear one last time before piling into their hunks of junk. On the steps of the Banana Bender Pub, two boys gave their fiercest cries: “Start your engines!”

Soon after, these decades-old dungas rolled out onto the highway, heading off on their first leg of the four-day Dunga Derby. Traversing the Western Downs, dungas and their drivers journeyed from Killarney to Thallon to Chinchilla, stopping at camp sites in rural towns overnight.

They faced waterlogged roads, breakdowns and bitter sleep on cold, hard ground – all to raise funds for Rally for a Cause. The community charity kicked off Dunga Derby in 2015, marshalling teams from the Fraser Coast to support families and individuals affected by life-limiting medical conditions, or lives disrupted by detrimental circumstances.

In 2020, Rally for a Cause expanded their reach to people in need on the Sunshine Coast. After gaining enough

support in the region, this year’s inaugural Sunshine Coast Dunga Derby came into its own.

Five new driving teams jumped on board, totalling 24 teams and 14 support vehicles, including a mobile coffee van!

Our own Business Development Manager Jakki Goodall took on the backroads in a two-person team, raising funds above the minimum amount with several businesses behind her.

Dungas or the Dunga Derby itself can receive sponsorships from businesses

and individuals, whether in the form of funds, locations or other resources. Often, dunga drivers are business owners themselves, gathering their network around them to give back to the community.

This is the reason Tammy Lee from Loan Wize joined Rally for a Cause.

After years of supporting charities and getting involved in derbies like the Shitbox Rally, she shifted to a local focus and joined the development team for this year’s Sunshine Coast Dunga Derby.

This inaugural Sunshine Coast Dunga Derby kicked into gear to drive rust-bucket cars from coast to country to raise funds for families in need. Georgia Beard discovers how this crazy convoy of cars rallied for some very worthwhile causes.

Parker family

“I just leapt into it,” she said. “I tried hard to push the brand, the name and the wonderful cause for the families.

“I’m a cancer survivor and I’ve been very fortunate so I just like to give back. I want to help make the Dunga Derby a success on the Sunshine Coast.”

Before the Dunga Derby hit the road, teams based on the Sunshine Coast raised a total of $128,080.29. Together with Fraser Coast teams, the funds equalled a staggering $583,926.18.

These funds go straight to families in need. Recipients are nominated yearround and assessed by the selection committee, who decide what level of support the nominees may need. Others are encountered on-route – the recipients of spontaneous fundraising - with loads of fun.

“We like to acknowledge the communities that we go into, and by doing that, we find a cause we can help while we’re there,” said Event Officer Fiona Martin.

“En route from the Sunshine Coast, we raised close to $20,000 to give directly to the communities we visited, including a donation to a Rural Fire Brigade and helping a town build a playground.

“We helped a little boy who was touched with a family member dying from pancreatic cancer, and he just wanted to raise money. Together, we raised $2600.”

Another family with connections to the Fraser Coast received support after their young son developed a brain tumour. Funds poured in from a bra auction at Westmar Pub (where the bras still hang), and the Dungarians didn’t stop there.

“Two teams donated a remote-control car, and we decked it out with Dunga Derby stickers,” Tammy Lee said. “Then another team, the Logan Bogans, got together about $2000 worth of food

vouchers, presents and things for the kids. In the end, it became about a $7500 donation in total to this family.”

On night three, the Sunshine Coast and Fraser Coast teams came together for an auction night in Chinchilla.

“There were two families in Chinchilla who had been touched with suicide and car accidents all around the same time,” Fiona said. “All the money raised from the auctions were split between them.”

The impact these funds have on the lives of recipients is profound and transformational. Young Archer, one of the boys who gave the starting cry at Aussie World, received funds to buy a backpack-sized ventilator for his sleep-related breathing disorder. Now he can move about freely and experience childhood to its fullest extent.

“We really appreciate the hard work a lot of teams put in,” Fiona said. “There’s so many opportunities for fundraising. Team just have to come up with the plan and the ideas, and we can help.”

The Dunga Derby has a focus on fun with special events and camradery and friendships made on the road.

“You grow as a person, and you grow an even bigger heart than what you started with,” Tammy said. “I’d love to see more women jump on board because it’s a lot of fun and a great personal challenge. It’s totally lifechanging.”

Drag your dusty dunga out from the shed, round up a team and secure your sponsorships!

Registrations for the 2023 Dunga Derby open in January. For guidelines and expressions of interest, visit www.sunshinecoast.dungaderby.com.au 0r call 0439 045 002.

Money raised is distributed throughout the year to people in need, as they need it. Applications for assistance can be made via www.rallyforacause.org.au

she’s just an old girl destined for the scrap pile torn inside and rusted rims too much time on the clock faded paint, a million miles and her soul’s worn thin but she’s not done yet crack the old garage door watch the light flood in there are folks out there just dreaming of a second chance kids so tough just fighting to be here so we’ll fill her up again chase the sun into the west cover her in colours on this dunga derby rally with the red dirt lovers we’ll crack open our hearts have a real good laugh rolling with our mates from the coast to the bush and back always in and outta strife memories forever and making a real difference in this crazy messy beautiful life

Nekita Roberts @theaustralianpoet

Connect Rugby League is a passion project for local mum and businesswoman Danielle Trask - a fully inclusive sport to connect and support players with neurological, physical, sensory or social diagnoses.

“This is a game of rugby league like no other,” Danielle says. “We want to bring together individuals from all walks of life and create an inclusive community united by the game of Rugby League.

“With sport generally offering limited programs for adults and young people in their late teens with special needs, I approached the QRL to support a new initiative to do just that, starting on the Sunshine Coast and hopefully, ultimately spreading throughout the state.

“Sport can be such a great companion for those who have extra needs as it can support overall health in the correct environment. We are creating a sense of belonging for those in our community who may feel isolated.

“Our players both receive and offer support from each other, as well as our volunteers, staff and our organisation.”

Danielle’s tireless work to bring this project to life has paid off with the QRL

UNITED We Play

Sport brings a community together and creates a sense of belonging and self-worth. One Sunshine Coast local has created Australia’s first all-abilities Rugby League program that has the backing of the QRL and NRL and some big-name players signing up to champion the project, as Carlie Wacker discovers.

We want to bring together individuals from all walks of life and create an inclusive community united by the game of Rugby League.

and NRL partnering with Connect Rugby League to support the areas of socialisation, self-confidence and belonging through positive mental and physical health strategies using the platform the team sport of Rugby League.

James Hill and Kristy Bignell will work with Danielle to develop the program with the support of local disability and industry professionals, including James who was the winner of the Australian of the Year awards in the Queensland Local

Hero Category for services to community and workplace mental health. He is also an ambassador to both the Australian and New Zealand Mental Health Association and Beyond Blue. Superstars of the game have also signed up as ambassadors including legendary hooker Kerrod Walters who played for Brisbane Broncos, Queensland and Australia; plus local League legend Billy Moore will be doing a training session with the team.

Danielle Trask

Photo: Empire Art Photography

PHOTO: RITCHIE JARMAN INFAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHY

This Australian-first competition will kick off in 2023 when teams from around the state will come together. The pilot program is supported by disability and industry professionals to encourage and assist with a successful transition into adulthood and independence. Social sessions will get the ball rolling.

“We will also offer team building skills, promoting communication, game education, a sense of community and support staff where available,” Danielle said. “The premise behind our game both short and long term is bringing together individuals from all walks of life, to build a community as such, who unite our participants to play an adapted game of Rugby League.”

Connect Rugby League offers a chance for those aged 16-plus to build a sense of community, pride and independence.

Lachlan Debnam is ready for the action and won’t let his autism stop him.

“Even though I was only introduced to rugby league at 11 years old, the degree of intensity had me intrigued,” he says.

“I started with Falcons Footy All Abilities back in 2015, and now that I’m too old for that, I decided that since this opportunity arose, I’d take the chance to become another disabled Australian icon.

“Personally, I’m really looking forward to starting in the Connect Rugby League to prove that anyone and everyone can do great things, despite our challenges.”

Training for Connect Rugby League will include safety on the field, defensive and offensive skills, ball skills, physical fitness, kicking skills and supports based around physical, emotional, and mental health needs.

“Our idea was to gather a small group for our pilot program so we can support each individual to our best capacity and they don’t feel overstimulated or overwhelmed,” Danielle said. “We have 20 places available overall and there are still positions available.”

Stay tuned for the goals this program will kick!

GET CONNECTED

All-abilities inclusive rugby league is for men, women and teens 16 + and promotes socialisation, life skills and acceptance.

Social Session Dates:

4 September, 11.00am – 12.00pm

Nirimba Fields, Park Rd Nirimba

18 September, 11.00am -12.00pm

Nirimba Fields, Park Rd Nirimba

2 October, 11.00am – 12.00pm

Kawana Sports Fields (Field 7)

16 October, 11.00am-12.00pm

Kawana Sports Fields (Field 7)

Register: www.connectrugbyleague.com.au or email connectrugbyleague@gmail.com

A verified diagnosis is required and participants who qualify for NDIS may be eligible under the social participation category. Contact NDIS 1800 800 110.

Lachlan Debnam

Lachlan Debnam with Kerrod Walters

Jo Debnam, Danielle Trask, Lachlan Debnam and Kerrod Walters

HEAR THE ONE ABOUT... Did you

Lookin’ to laughin’ so much your sides hurt? Helen Flanagan suggests you’ll need a regimental diary to fit in all the internationally-renowned, weird, wacky wonderful and infamous comedians coming to a venue near you.

The mecca of side-splitting comedy where you’re assured of being aroused, entertained and exhausted, extends from Caloundra to Noosa Heads, Nambour to Pomona, and more top venues in between such as bars, theatres and event centres to a luxury vessel, buses, breweries and an eco-tour boat.

In its third year, the Sunshine Coast Comedy Festival will run from Thursday 10 to Saturday 13 November, for three days and four nights of riveting raucousness with forty diverse shows featuring non-stop out-of-the-box hilarity, including two massive extravaganza events on opening night, at both NightQuarter and The J Noosa.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Tommy Little flying around the land gathering huge laughs and confirmed as a shoo-in for the Festival. Nothing is off limits as he brings his outrageous real-life antics and foolish setbacks to life, and it’s definitely not his fault. He is proud to call himself Australia’s biggest dickhead and his show, Pretty Fly for a Dickhead displays his irreverent humour to a tee. Catch big Little at the Events Centre Caloundra and The J Noosa.

There’s no doubting the popularity of Cal Wilson, the queen of grand gestures aka screw-ups, who was asked to buy a dish brush so she bought 50 as a joke; or asking a friend to stay, not realising she

would be in another city. In her frenetic, furious, crammed-with-laughs I’ve Gone to a Lot of Trouble, the children’s author, podcaster and regular on Spicks and Specks, and Have You Been Paying Attention?, explores better times, and worse. See Cal dish it out at Venue 114, Kawana; The J Noosa; and the Majestic Theatre; Pomona.

Australia’s favourite Venezuelan Ivan Aristeguieta of ‘don’t worry, be happy, papi!’ fame is like an obsessed cook. He throws together the ingredients of sharp humour, personal anecdotes, Australian impersonations and clever observations to produce a perfect comedic dish. With his vibrant, energetic brand of comedy, plus trademark cheerful and naïve rejoicing in the troubles and joys of living in the lucky country, he has gathered a mass of fans. No worries, see happy Ivan at The J Noosa and Venue 114.

As Chopper, Australia’s funniest comedy character, Heath Franklin is a legend. With his own TV show, four live comedy specials,two-time ARIA nominated, a Logie nomination and over 500,000 tickets sold worldwide, Chopper has nearly done it all. The actor, performer, improviser and writer behind the tatts and ‘stache is currently working on new TV and stage projects, is a highly sought-after corporate event speaker, whilst keeping his audiences in stitches

with his standout show The Silencer Chop-chop to Brouhaha, Solbar, Your Mates Brewhouse, Land & Sea and Eumundi’s Imperial Hotel for howls with Heath. Why not jump on a Craft Comedy Beer Tour for a few hours of craft beer, food and laughs ending with Chopper? It’s all on offer. Seriously.

Look out for familiar names on the bill of Strong Female Characters which showcases some of the country’s favourite comedic heavy weights. These not-to-be taken lightly bad girls with a sweet smile and a sucker punch will deliver an hour of rapid-fire, genius comedy. Like a Quentin Tarantino movie, you’ll leave feeling like you want to kick ass and smash ceilings with a 6-pack (just joking), from laughing so hard, you

Cal Wilson

Tommy Little

might gain some sexy new laughterlines to boot. The not-to be missed all-star show girl line-up will whoop it up at the Imperial Hotel, Eumundi; Black Box Theatre, Nambour; and Venue 114, Kawana.

From the land of Peaky Blinders comes the return the Best o’ British. Nominated as Best Comedy Show at Perth’s Fringe World and widely touted as the most popular international showcase on the festival circuit, it will feature the most hilarious bits from the most hilarious Poms - award-winners Georgie Carroll, Rory Lowe and Dan Willis. Havin’ a laugh? No doubt the Best o’ British stand-up will be a festival favourite at The Caloundra Powerboat Club, The Majestic Theatre, Pomona and Land & Sea Brewery in Noosa.

After sell-out seasons and 5-star reviews in the UK, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and an award-winning run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the cheeky and loud, black and proud, Aboriginal Comedy All Stars are home to bring huge belly laughs from the heart of their wide brown land. Starring Sean Choolburra (who you can also catch aboard the Spray of the Coral Coast for an Saltwater Indigenous Comedy Cruise), Kevin Kropinyeri, Andy Saunders and Steph Tisdell, their show draws on over 60,000 years of storytelling. It is unique, highly informative and a wildlyentertaining showcase of indigenous talent and culture, awash with dance, traditional music and of course is mega

funny. Shrieks and snickers like no other at The Events Centre Caloundra, The J Noosa and Solbar, Maroochydore.

Did you know Jim Carrey landed his first stand-up gig at 15, Pete Davidson was 16, Woody Allen started stand-up while still a high schooler, and English -born Russell Brand known for his flamboyant, loquacious style and manner, made his stand-up debut at 19?

Well, all you Mums and Dads with wannabe comedy stars aged eight to twelve, wishing to slay ‘em in the aisles one day, here’s their chance. The Jenny Wynters’ Fully Made Up: The Completely Totally Utterly Made-Up Comedy Cabaret Spectacular Extravaganza has been created for kids - mostly. Designed as a brilliant kids comedy and cabaret show/ workshop, it will be held on Saturday and Sunday during the festival. Stay tuned for the locations.

Let your imaginations go wild and your laughing gear around the Festival’s version of RAW, The Laughable Competition. Designed to give local open-mic comedians a chance to show-off and impress an audience. There will be four heats with finalists looking for big laughs at Solbar. The winner will take home $500, plus along with the two runners-up will be invited to star in their own show The Laughable Comeback Tour, at the 2023 Sunshine Coast Comedy Festival.

Last laughs after a jam-packed, jaw-aching, bigger and better-than-ever comedy bender will be at the Closing Night Party at Solbar, the Festival Hub, on Sunday after the Laughable Competition Finale. There will be a spinning wheel of good times with all comedians in attendance on it. No schedule. No scripts. Good times amplified!

There are a few more surprise announcements to come and tickets are already selling quick so don’t delay. You’ll be in tears if you do, and tears if you don’t.

SUNSHINE COAST COMEDY FESTIVAL

10 -13 November 2022

40+ Hilarious Shows across 12+ Venues! It’s back and all juiced up with festival fever and side-splitting stand-up for four huge days in a coast-wide celebration of audacious live comedy.

Keep ahead of the game when more acts and excitement are announced: www.sunshinecoastcomedyfestival.com

Aboriginal Comedy All-Stars

Every dog must have its day and that day is named Doggy Vibes. It’s the furriest fun on the planet. In fact, Carlie Wacker calls it ‘Disneyland for doggos and their hoomans’.

PEREGIAN BEACHPaw-fect

Hi I’m Carlie and I am addicted to DOGS! Any canine related activity gives me those special goosebumps we save for only for the most exciting events. I’ve got them now just thinking about the entire Peregian Village Square filled with our fluffy best friends and stalls catering to every canine requirement.

The joy we get from sharing our lives with a pet should not be underestimated. Approximately two thirds of Australians own a pet. If my calculations are correct that means around 293,000 people in the Noosa and Sunshine Coast shires have a pet – that’s a lot of happy pet people that should save the date for Doggy Vibes – Sunday 25 September.

The Village Peregian Beach’s Doggy Vibes event debuted in 2021 and it cemented The Village’s position as the most dog-friendly destination on the Coast. In 2022 the day promises to deliver an even bigger and better day out of dogs and dog owners during the September school holidays.

Last year’s event drew in local dog lovers to peruse the stalls of dog fashion, accessories, grooming, toys, health and wellness and so much more. The pet industry is booming and there are some spirited brands and businesses keen to share their wares (I am always happy to see what’s new in the pet accessory zoo). I cannot wait to see some existing and emerging dog gear this year.

Throughout the day the village square will be alive with talks, demonstrations and lots of competitions to keep us all on our toes (and paws).

A canine crowd favourite is The Peticular Muttini Bar shaking up Pawtinis, Pawroni, Paw Blonde and more to keep our furry friends hydrated and happy. Stations will be set up around the Village to snap some Instagram-worthy moments with your besties and once again they will be raising funds on the day for their charity partners, RSPCA Noosa and Smart Pups Assistance Dogs, with some amazing prize packs to raffle.

The best way to make the most of your Doggy Vibes experience is to book lunch at one of the gorgeous restaurants, bars and cafes to secure the best position to soak up all the fun of this dog’s day out!

Peregian Beach Village is such a beautiful dog-friendly village and this event is one that will further bond your family, fur kids and love of this part of Sunshine Coast.

As a super special bonus this year, the Sunny Coast’s best doggy day out will wrap up in the most paw-fect way with live music in the Village Square before the action moves to the Peregian Park

The Village will again come alive for Enchanted on 12 November with an enchanting evening under tipis for a party event under the stars including live music from the likes of DJ DÈ SAINT, a food truck, drinks from Sunshine & Sons and other local legends. And don’t miss the 58th Peregian Beach Christmas Carols on 21 December!

It’s all happening in The Village Peregian Beach this spring!

DOGGY VIBES

SUNDAY 25 SEPTEMBER

PEREGIAN VILLAGE SQUARE, 8AM-1PM

The most dog friendly destination on the coast brings you a fun day out for dogs and dog lovers!

Peticular Muttini Bar, Smart Pups Assistance Dogs & RSPCA Noosa, Market stalls, special guest furry friends on stage plus live music!

Finish off the Sunny Coast's best doggy day out in the most paw-fect way with a family screening of the movie Clifford the Big Red Dog under the stars in Peregian Park.

thevillageperegianbeach.com.au

WHAT'S ON

DOGGY VIBES

Sunday 25 September, 8am to 1pm Market Stalls and fun for all your doggy desires. Gold coin donation for RSPCA and Smart Pups.

VILLAGE FLICKS OUTDOOR CINEMA

Sunday 25 September from 3pm Fairy Floss, Face Painting and Clifford the Big Red Dog on the big screen.

Sunday 3 October - check social media, movie details tbc!

ENCHANTED - LET’S LIGHT UP THE VILLAGE!

Saturday 12 November, 5.30-9.30pm

Party under a Tipi in Peregian Park to raise funds to light up Peregian Village.

Arrive by 6pm for a complimentary drink and nibbles or purchase delights from the onsite food truck, Sunshine & Sons Cocktail Bar as well as wine & beer. Marvel at magical delights with roving performers, enchanting adult face painting and groove all night to live music including DJ DÉ SAINT. Dress enchantingly! Incredible raffle & prizes to be won.

Tickets: $90 +BF Scan the QR code to book.

CHRISTMAS VIBES

Wednesday 21 December, from 3pm Santa and his helpers will sprinkle the festive fun for the 58th Christmas Carols! Raw Ordio will return with funky remixes of our favourite Christmas Carols that will have everyone moving, grooving and singing along!

For more information and tickets visit www.thevillageperegianbeach.com.au @thevillageperegianbeach

She is a world-famous DJ, vocalist and producer; he is a renowned wood carving artist, animal lover, environmentalist and planet crusader; together, they are an epic couple of global proportions. Carlie Wacker catches up with the powerhouse duo of DÉ SAINT and KC Vidur.

EPIC Couple

DÉ SAINT and KC Vidur make loving fun and live life to the absolute fullest. These locals are a couple you cannot help but admire and live vicariously through. It is full steam ahead for the talented team as 2022 proves to be a banger for both.

Although Kay (pronounced Kai) is well known locally, this German-born wood maestro has seen his career really start to take off - and the public recognition is deserved. He only uses sustainablysourced timber from the Sunshine Coast and the Northern Rivers area to custom make pieces that reflect his deep connection to the ocean.

Kay’s works have been shipped to customers across Australia and throughout Europe with public art pieces on display at Peregian Beach Hotel; El Capitano; Boom Shankar; The Atlantic, Byron Bay and more

For the last 12 months Kay has been working on a special commission – a project named A Tree With A Story to Tell

In the 2019 bushfires, a giant Norfolk Pine died at Peregian Beach but it will continue to tell it’s story thanks to an inspired idea for a sculpture and Kay’s talents. The Pine has been reborn as an Environmental Message Post in a collaboration between local architect Sharyn Kerrigan, Peregian Beach

Community Association member Rochelle Gooch and Kay. Located at the Southern beach access of the Peregian Beach foreshore park (access 59), it is thought to have suffered heat stress after the 2019 bushfire that threatened the village. Funded by the Peregian Beach Community Association, Noosa Council and the Federal Government through its National Bushfire Recovery Fund, the remaining 4.5 metre stump has been carved into a story of the magnificent marine creatures along this part of the coast, the region and it’s nature wildlife and fauna.

Although Kay’s masterpiece will gradually weather and erode it will continue to tell an important story as new native trees around it grow to help

protect the fragile dune system.

Kay has also wrapped up his first solo exhibition entitled Deep Connection under the Artist in Residence program at the Butter Factory Arts Centre in Cooroy.

DÉ SAINT has notched up her 7th year as musical director for Australian Fashion Week; working with designers such as AJE, Bondi Born, Albus Lumen and more.

She recently signed a record deal with Vicious Records (the longest and most successful dance label in Australia) as they celebrate 30 years in the business.

With a long list of the most incredible international DJ’s remixing their classic tracks, DÉ SAINT has been given the honour of remixing a John Course track - he is the House Music God of Australia.

KC Vidur and De Saint.

Photo: Kelli Jean Black

If that’s not enough, she is about to release her latest track Girl DJ with her current single Zephyr sitting in the Aria Club charts for 22 consecutive weeks.

They can’t sit still yet, after an exciting stint in Europe where KC Vidur had works commissioned and DÉ SAINT played at gigs in Paris, Berlin, Munich and Mykonos.

Just prior to jetting off, DÉ SAINT DJ-ed the Red Carpet action and performed at the VIP after-party for the Australian premier of Baz Luhrmann’s biopic film ELVIS with the full cast flying in from around the globe including Hollywood royalty Tom Hanks!

Other highlights for this dynamic DJ include:

• 2018 exclusive VIP party for Monsieur Christian Louboutin

• 2019 YouTube Music Festival [supporting Pnau]

• 2019 Louis Vuitton After Dark [w/ Flume and Vera Blue]

• 2022 AUS F1 Grand Prix opening + closing DJ performance + GOTG [for Heineken], she has been playing for AUSGP since 2018

• 2020 + 2022 MONA [The Museum of Old and New Art] outdoor concert

Holy wow! “I am very fortunate to now be in my 2nd year performing at the world-famous MONA in Hobart,” DÉ SAINT says. “Would you believe the music curator for MONA who books me direct is the bass player from the Violent Femmes? Epic stuff!”

Hell yes – EPIC is the best way to describe this couple with the wood and world at their fingertips.

You can catch DÉ SAINT in the Wonderland Spiegeltent Garden as part of Horizon Festival and under the tipi in Peregian Park on 12 November as part of Enchanted, a fundraising festival to light up Pergian Village.

A Local Treasure of Taste Sensations.

Dinner Service: Wed – Sat 5pm to 8pm

Lunch Service: Thurs – Sun 12pm – 2pm Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays

5/4 Kingfisher Drive, Peregian Beach 5471 3697

pitchforkrestaurant.com.au

KC and A Tree with a Story to Tell Pic: Kelli Jean Black. DÉ SAINT with Monsieur Christian Louboutin. Pic: Chloe Paul

Saturday 5th November 12pm – 6pm Pomona Showgrounds

www.poloandprovedores.com.au

DIAMONDS & Divots

Your first experience at the polo is never your last. Carlie Wacker explores the region’s most chic sporting experience that brings fashion, fillies, friends and families together and is a chance for the nation’s serious fashionistas to win the world’s most beautiful diamond pendant.

The pomp and ceremony of a traditional day at the polo is magical. It’s the oldest game in history and brings with it a worldliness and grandeur that cannot be found in any other sport.

In 2022 we welcome the Noosa Hinterland’s most chic sporting experience in what is set to become the diamond on the Sunshine Coast social and sporting calendar – introducing Polo & Provedores Noosa

Aaron Flanagan is the co-founder of this exciting event debuting at Noosa Showgrounds in Pomona on Saturday 5 November. With extensive credentials in delivering first-class events and a passion for food and sport, he said pairing Polo with Provedores made sense.

“Polo is a sport that brings people together and offers an experience that caters for families, sport enthusiasts, socialites and fashionistas. Pair that with stunning local food and drinks and it’s a winning match!” he says.

Polo & Provedores will take the concept of a day at the polo to a whole new level offering a fully immersive sporting day featuring on-field polo action with an off-field food and fashion extravaganza.

While the premium hospitality experience offers a completely catered culinary sensation in private marquees, the general admission guests also get to indulge in the finest food offerings from local producers and makers.

“We are so thrilled to offer an opportunity to connect provedores with the sport of polo in an event that will be just as memorable for our premium hospitality guests as it is for our families

catching all the action, car boot style,” adds Aaron. “Polo & Provedores offers the perfect experience for every punter.”

Polo & Provedores general admission will cost from $49 for an adult to $145 for a whole family of five. This includes access to all the food, fashion, fillies and fun of the show.

Picnic lovers can drive the car in and secure an arena spot close to all the action in the comfort of your car boot, picnic rug or BYO seats.

For those that want to chill with friends, good food and beverages with DJs turning up the tunes – the Colts and Fillies bar is for you.

The Players Lounge and Premium Private Pavilions offer the high-end luxe experience with all the bells and whistles.

Regardless of the experience, everyone will enjoy the sportsmanship of one of the world’s oldest known team sports; the food, the fashion, the passion – and the fun – including the traditional Stomping of the Divots and The Dash.

The serious sport of polo fashion has been supersized at Polo & Provedores!

Hello Sunshine Magazine are proud polo partners and IN Noosa Magazine is proud to host Fashions on The Field with a mind blowing prize – a $5000 diamond from Diamonds Of Distinction!

The winner will receive a custommade 18ct white gold, pink and white diamond pendant valued at over $5000 designed and made by Master Jeweller Adrian Schulz.

This is one fashion competition that will attract national attention!

Whether you are seeking to get the crew together for a fashionable day out or are looking for a premium hospitality experience for valued clients, Polo & Provedores Noosa has the perfect event experience.

POLO & PROVEDORES NOOSA

Noosa Showgrounds, Pomona

Saturday 5 November, 12noon – 6pm

• Competitive arena style polo culminating in the Polo & Provedores Grand Final Polo institutions including the Divot Stomp and Kid’s, Ladies and Gentlemen’s dash.

IN Noosa Magazine Fashions on the Field Pony Club showcase

• Live entertainment

Regional provedores stalls

• Premium hospitality experiences

• Bollinger Bar and craft beer bars

Traditional car boot picnic reserved spaces

This event is all ages. It is a licensed event and no BYO alcohol is permitted.

Premium Private Pavilions

The Luxe Hospitality Experience

$395pp – minimum booking of 10 people

The Players Lounge

A premium event experience for individuals and smaller groups

From $295pp

Colts & Fillies Bar

The place to be seen for a more relaxed casual polo experience

From $95pp

Car Boot Reserved Picnic Space

The classic relaxed casual traditional polo experience.

From $150pp plus general admission

Early bird pricing ends 5 October!

www.poloandprovedores.com.au

HELLO

Yellow

Best Dressed winners and judges

On Sunday 31 July, a crowd of yellow-clad guests were whisked away to the secluded Palm Creek Estate, where we celebrated our Hello Sunshine Sunday Soirée! Georgia Beard says Hello Yellow! to a sensational event.

New Sunshine Coast venue, Palm Creek Estate, became our pocket of paradise as guests indulged in a sensational four-course menu dished up for The Curated (side) Plate!

A host of local chefs, bakers and makers came together to create sensational sips and servings, including Chefs Matt Golinski and Josh Smallwood of Noosa Cartel; the bakers and pastry chefs of The Wonky Loaf; The Bartenders and venue stylist and event manager Carly Wade at CL Weddings and Events.

While our team brought the soirée, our guests brought the sunshine! Best Dressed awards went to the brightest yellows, the craftiest ensembles and the best colour-coordinated couple.

Soothed by the soulful voice of Andrea Kirwin, we indulged in the best cocktails, local beers and wines and savoured the most sumptuous cuisine the Sunshine Coast has to offer! Let’s do it again!

PHOTOS: WAVELL BUSH PHOTOGRAPHY

PERFECTLY Palm Creek

Take a country drive through the green pastures and scrublands of Yandina Creek, and you might emerge into a pocket of paradise.

Planted in a ridge-protected valley, paddocks sprawl and vineyards stretch over the hills. Trails wander up into the tallowwood forests towering above, and creeks lined with piccabeen palms murmur around the glade.

This blissful hideaway is Palm Creek Estate, once a plantation and now home to a multi-purpose venue and nature escape.

Owners Anna and Austin Smith and their three children settled on the 85-acre property in 2008, searching for a secluded country lifestyle close to the beach.

When they first visited, the couple found nothing but a bush track and the overgrown remnants of a dairy and vegetable farm. Clearing the land was a daunting task, but these two were born and bred on farms – Anna with thoroughbreds and livestock in Victoria and Austin from a Station on the One Tree Plain in Western New South Wales. They knew the meaning of hard yakka.

After demolishing the collapsed cow shed and removing five truckloads worth of debris, the family planted passionfruit vines, lime and lychee orchards to sell at local farmers’ markets.

Their work echoed Palm Creek Estate’s history from the 1950s, when the original owners transported milk and veggies to

Tewantin in horse and cart.

Once the couple began using their land to host private parties, including a paddock-to-plate event with Noosa Eat & Drink Festival – Anna and Austin realised the property’s potential.

From the lofty barn to the open bar, even the bathrooms, the couple built the venue from the ground up. With help from their now-adult children and a neighbourhood of dedicated tradies, the venue is now open and taking bookings.

While Palm Creek Estate is only taking bookings for private functions right now, Anna and Austin dream of opening the property to the public on weekends with on-site staff.

“There’s high demand across the board, from weddings to private functions and lunches; to wellness retreats and nature-based tourism,” Anna said.

“I think with the way the world is and what we’ve all had to go through in the last couple of years, people’s minds have changed. They want to get out, have more time with their families and friends and enjoy spaces like this.”

Our Hello Sunshine Sunday Soirée was one of the first events hosted in the newly-finished venue and we took Anna and Austin’s blank canvas and transformed the space into a yellowdraped celebration of local produce, chefs, bakers and makers!

“We have a diverse cross-section of people,” Austin said. “We’ve got the

If you think you’re familiar with every natural wonder on the Sunshine Coast, think again. Georgia Beard explores the idyllic landscapes, immersive experiences and paddockto-plate delights that await at Palm Creek Estate.

Austin and Anna Smith

opportunity to bring them all here and let them celebrate. The Sunday Soirée was the perfect example of that. They came, they saw, they ate, and all the boxes were ticked.”

Anna and Austin’s versatile and immersive vision for Palm Creek Estate has been set in motion, encouraging guests to enjoy the property with a myriad of experiences.

Homegrown food is at the core of the venue, allowing local chefs to showcase their craft with a dedicated kitchen and outdoor BBQ for long lunches, wedding feasts and other dining experiences.

The couple plan to recultivate their vineyards and convert a paddock into an indigenous veggie and herb garden, where chefs can harvest tucker for on-site food events. Can you get any more paddock-to-plate than that?

“Our nature-based activities will be educational, interactive and allow people access around the property,” Austin also

said. “It may be as simple as walking to various picnic sites on trails with a hamper backpack.”

The plans include experiences where a chef and barman might take a small group to spend half an hour gathering passionfruit, limes or lychees and come back to learn how to make a dessert or cocktail.”

Anna and Austin are set to build four cabins in the creek valleys, where visitors can stay and enjoy the full extent of the estate’s activities. They’ve even received interest from film crews to shoot on location and musicians to record and perform music in the barn.

The Estate’s ability to flourish as a venue depends on environmental sustainability, so Austin’s agribusiness group, Horizon 5, is regenerating areas on the farm.

“We’re taking out all the exotics and weeds, rehabilitating the flora and fauna in the area and replanting natives,”

Austin said. “We’ve also put in ten bird boxes of different sizes and shapes, even though we’re overrun with biodiversity.”

Anna added that the property was now a safe location for rehabilitated animals, having recently released koalas from Australia Zoo into their eucalypt corridor.

“We want to have ecologist associates and an indigenous botanist on board to identify and explain the different flora and fauna we have,” Austin said, mentioning ochre painting as another part of their First Nations immersion.

“We aim to have a range of safe walks adjacent to the creek beds to look at some of the magnificent root structures, waterfalls and rainforests here on the property. Guests could be able to identify plants with or without a guide and mark off what they’ve seen.”

Forest walks may take guests all the way up to the ridge outlook, where views sweep unbroken from the coastal sunrise to the in-land sunset.

In every orchard row, beside every creek and under every tree canopy, you’ll discover a natural haven you never knew existed. Palm Creek Estate is open for immersion, and there are copious experiences to come.

“We’re growing organically,” Anna said. “The vision is endless and forever evolving.”

We can’t wait to see what unfolds!

REGISTER NOW FOR PALM CREEK ESTATE’S OPEN DAY!

Explore Palm Creek Estate and meet suppliers for luxe weddings, lunches and events!

Sunday 18 September, 10am – 4pm Venue Hire starts from $6,500 midweek, off-season.

BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL!

Book online at www.palmcreekestate.com.au or enquire at events@palmcreekestate.com.au

Our nature-based activities will be educational, interactive and allow people access around the property.

The original shed

PHOTOS: WAVELL BUSH PHOTOGRAPHY

Live Music & Local love

SIPS BITES AND

What’s brewing, cooking and happening...

CBD SENSATION

A funky, fresh addition to the emerging CBD will be plant-based restaurant and bar Pataka, now in development! We also hear rumours of Peregian Beach’s popular Periwinkle Restaurant planning to open in the area soon. Did you know that Giddy Geisha has a handy takeaway window on South Sea Islander Way for when you need a hit but don’t want to sit?!

ASIAN FUSION FEVER

Embark on an Asian street food journey with former MasterChef Australia star Matt Sinclair at P’Nut Street Noodles!

Matt has developed three exclusive new dishes include the

deliciously decadent Hoisin Duck Noodles, a wholesome yet flavour-packed Green Curry Fried Rice and a rich and creamy Thai Coconut Soup at all locations!

At Mooloolaba Esplanade, Jenny Luu honours her mother’s recipes of beef noodle soup and crispy pork banh mi at Phothentic.

Experiene the best of both worlds

Sokuri Japanese and Korean Restaurant! Taste succulent rice bowls, rich dumpling and bao buns, gourmet sushi and more at the new space on Bulcock Street, Caloundra. Mouth-watering Korean BBQ has finally come to the Sunshine Coast! Experience

gourmet Korean dishes grilling before your eyes or tuck into dosirak lunch boxes at Meekak Bar & BBQ in Duporth Ave Maroochydore.

CIAO NONNA LILIANA!

Liliana’s Trattoria is now open on Ocean Street, Maroochydore, partnering with restaurateur Scott Hoskins in the old Woodhouse BBQ space. Watch out, night life nomads – Nonna Liliana will make sure you eat your full of handmade Italian pasta and woodfire pizza!

CERTIFIED DELICIOUS!

The delicious. 100 is back, ranking the most exciting, innovative, generous and delicious restaurants in Queensland.

Congratulations to Market Bistro at #17, Spirit House at #55 and Bocca Italian at #86! Don’t miss our Italian Feast at Bocca Italian on 20 October. For $125 per person enjoy a true Italian feast with matching Italian wines and superb hospitality! Find out more on page 52 and book now!

ON THE WILD SIDE

Australia Zoo’s Warrior Restaurant & Bar has opened at the Crocodile Hunter Lodge! Taste Australia on your plate as worldclass chefs showcase native flavours used for thousands of years.

SOCIAL LIFE

Miss May is out, and Sippy Social is in! Say hello to Local Social’s third store, serving up specialty coffee, smoothies, juices, fresh meals and more in the Sippy Downs space.

COUNTRY CALLING

After winning ‘From the Earth’ category at the 2022 delicious. Produce Awards, The Falls Farm owners Jessica Huddart and Ben Johnston are reinventing cuisine at the long-standing Mapleton Tavern And they’re taking it up a notch with renowned chef Cameron Matthews putting on the apron to deliver a gourmet share-style menu alongside reliable pub classics and bar snacks for the revitalised Mapleton Public House. The newest addition to Palmwoods,

Stonebridge Gardens offers coffee, savouries and sweets in the botanical gardens of their wedding and event venue.

CHANGING TIDES

Cotton Tree Beach Bar just sailed onto the shoreline, and there’s live music and new menus every night! Homemade pasta on Wednesdays, tacos on Thursdays, burgers on Fridays, bowls on Saturdays and Sunday Sessions!

After success at Dicky Beach, The Sanctuary Café is bringing your daily dose of caffeine, cocktails and an exciting fresh menu to a new location in Mooloolaba!

TASTE OF SPAIN

Inspired by family recipes, newly opened Spanish Bar brings traditional sandwiches, breakfast paella, homemade churros and authentic tapas to Buderim!

AMONGST THE PINES

One of Australia’s fastest-growing beer companies has opened in Mooloolaba. 4 Pines Mooloolaba will have six of their finest beer on tap plus a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. Check out the $25 Parmy and Pacific Ale Special every Wed from 5.30pm and marvel at the ocean views outside and the Mooloolaba mural inside.

ACQUA ANGELS

Acqua Restaurant and Bar is here to take the stress out of the festive season with Christmas party options aplenty! It has also opened tickets for its famous Christmas Lunch! With a three-course menu and stunning views over Pumicestone Passage for $160 per adult and $90 per kids; and the choice of an 11am and 1.15pm seating option, it’s sure to sell out quickly.

Matt Sinclair Market Bistro

Warrior Restaurant

Bocca Italian

APPRECIATE THE Asparagus

Matt Golinski shows appreciation for the metaphorical asparagus and all it has been through.

Imagine for a moment that your destiny was to be born as an asparagus spear.

Waiting patiently under the soil all year until the right conditions arrive, you’ll burst forth and stun the world with your vibrant, shining crown and your smooth, slender body. You’ll be carefully snipped from the earth and bundled up with your brothers and sisters and you’ll travel to a luxurious destination and be adorned with buttery sauces.

You’ll die knowing what it is to be loved.

But what if all the elements you need to reach your full potential don’t eventuate?

What if too much rain turns that beautiful physique you imagined you’d grow up to have into a spotty, floppy stalk.

Or not enough sunlight means you just end up skinny with a hairdo you can’t control.

Or heaven forbid, that the snippers and bundlers just don’t show up when you need them to, and you’re left standing there in the field getting woody and bitter.

Whether you’ve entered the world as asparagus, a blueberry, a tomato or a green bean in 2022, chances are you’ve struggled to live your best life.

Gearing up for BaconFest

From a produce perspective, this year will be remembered as the one when lettuces were practically hard currency, strawberry season never hit its usual glut stage, and eggs became the new toilet paper.

And it’s simply come about through a couple of big floods early in the year followed by months of overcast days and intermittent rain which has held newly planted crops back.

If anything good comes from this supply crisis, it’ll be that we won’t take for granted how lucky we are to have access to good quality ingredients at very reasonable prices most of the time.

As if it isn’t hard enough to make a buck in the hospitality industry, a substantial increase in the cost of not just fruit and vegetables, but meat and seafood, dry goods, electricity, gas and wages has made it an even tougher gig.

That hasn’t stopped food businesses forging on, jumping in and getting involved in all the festivals and events that come to life at this time of year.

The recent Sunshine Coast food festival, The Curated (side) Plate, saw dozens of sold-out functions stretching from the Glasshouse Mountains to Eumundi, and Mooloolaba to Maleny, with culinary experiences to appeal to all budgets and age groups.

The popularity of outdoor events like the Moreton Bay Food and Wine Festival and Baconfest in Kingaroy is evidence that the public are desperate to get out and bask in the sun while there is some around, enjoy good food, drinks and music, and catch up on a lot of the social interaction that we’ve all gone without for the past couple of years.

Despite the cost-of-living pressures a lot of people are going through, it seems as though a vast majority are seeing eating well as an important priority in their lives and continuing to support their favourite cafes, restaurants and producers.

All the evidence is pointing towards another few wet months ahead, but resilience and adaptation are traits that most on the growing side and the serving side have come to call on whenever they’re needed.

Let’s hope we get to meet some happy, proud asparagus this Spring.

...this year will be remembered as the one when lettuces were practically hard currency...

Matt at The Curated (side) Plate

STYLE SOIR

Bringing together some of the region's best chefs to showcase local ingredients was a key part of our Hello Sunshine Sunday Soirée. The food (and let's face it, the cocktails!) were such a hit we thought we'd share some of our faves for you to give a try for your next soirée!

EASTWELL FARMS MUSHROOM TARTLET WITH LITTLE WHITE GOATS’ CHEESE FETA

BY JOSH SMALLWOOD

Ingredients:

• Good quality butter savoury tart shells (4cm)

• 50g baby rocket

• 10g freeze-dried Little White Goats' Cheese Feta

• 350g Eastwell Farms oyster mushrooms sliced

• 3 shallots thinly sliced

• 2 garlic cloves crushed

• 1 lemon zest

• 3 stick thyme

• ½ bunch chives

• 2 tsp sea Salt flakes

• ½ tsp cracked Pepper

• 25g butter

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 40g toasted pine nuts slightly crushed

• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Method:

• Add oil to saucepan and heat slowly with shallots, garlic and picked thyme leaves. Cook, stirring frequently until completely softened approximately 5-10mins. Increase heat to high and add sliced mushrooms, butter, salt, and pepper. Cook until mushrooms have softened. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, add chopped chives, pine nuts, lemon zest and rice wine vinegar. Adjust seasoning. Mix will store in airtight container for up to 5 days refrigerated.

• Prebake your tart shells in a 170c oven for 5 mins to freshen them up. Place mushroom mix somewhere warm for 10mins before serving. Add 1 to 2 tbsp of mushroom mix to each tart, tear some rocket leaves and place on top of the tart, sprinkle with freeze-dried feta.

PHOTOS: WAVELL BUSH

PASSIONATA COCKTAIL

BY THE BARTENDERS

Ingredients:

• 45ml Sunshine & Sons Dry Gin

• 15ml Elderflower Liqueur

• 20ml Seedless Passionfruit Pulp

• 20ml Simple Syrup

• 20ml Aquafaba

• 15ml Lime Juice

Method:

• Shake Cocktail in shaker and double strain into martini coupe.

• Garnish with dehydrated lime wheel

YUZU & LEMON MÉRINGUE TART

CACAHUETES AU CHOCOLATE TART

BY THE WONKY LOAF

These organic sourdough desserts from The Wonky Loaf were so freakin' amazing, we're not even going to try to cook them at home - ever! Nothing could replicate the magic of The Wonky Loaf's 36-hour fermented sourdough pastry shells. Our recipe for dessert success is to call The Wonky Loaf or drop into the Kuluin café and enjoy a Flying West coffee while we sample the range! Now that's Savvy! Phone 5343 7627.

SERVES 4

ROASTED LAMB RUMP, DUKKAH PUMPKIN, KALE, FREEKEH AND ALMOND SALAD, YOGHURT AND TAHINI

SAUCE

Method:

BY MATT GOLINSKI

• Simmer the freekeh in chicken stock until tender. Cool.

• Brush the pumpkin wedges with vegetable oil, spread out on a baking tray lined with baking paper and sprinkle with dukkah. Roast at 200°C for 20 – 25 minutes or until soft and lightly coloured.

• Whisk together the yoghurt and tahini until smooth, season with salt and pepper.

• Season and sear the lamb rumps and roast until medium.

• Mix together the freekeh, kale, almonds and mint and dress with the lemon juice and olive oil.

Ingredients:

• 4 x 180gm lamb rumps

• 4 wedges Kent pumpkin

• 4 tbs dukkah

• 2tbs vegetable oil

• 1 bunch kale, stripped from its stalks and roughly chopped

• ½ cup freekeh

• 2 cups chicken stock

• ¼ cup almond flakes, toasted

• ¼ cup mint leaves

• 50ml lemon juice

• 50ml olive oil

• ½ cup Greek yoghurt

• ¼ cup tahini

• 8 cloves black garlic, sliced

• Spread a generous spoonful of yoghurt and tahini sauce on four plates and top with a wedge of pumpkin.

• Add a handful of kale salad, slice each rump into three slices and fan over the salad.

• Garnish with slices of black garlic and serve hot.

Modern Asian street food. Always fresh. Always local.

The Wharf Mooloolaba

Open 11.30am until late 7 days

Big Asian flavours and quirky cocktails. Breaking down tradition and leaving you craving more.

Maroochydore CBD

Open 11.30am until late 7 days

Celebrating Asian flavours with a fresh twist in every mouthful

1 Koorawatha Lane, Palmwoods

Open 11.30am until 9pm 7 days

Transport yourself to Corfu in this beach style eatery serving more than just your Greek favourites

The Wharf Mooloolaba

Open 11.30am until 9pm 7 days

UNDER THE Influence

How did you become a chef?

I have been heavily influenced by my childhood in Fiji from the age of four until I turned 18. I loved the outdoors and had a nack for growing things, I had my own garden and even a pig! I’d pick chokos, avocados, guavas, cassava and all the tropical produce in the creek by our home in Suva. I’d go with Mum to the markets, pigeon shooting with Dad and prawn spearing via kerosene lamp in the local village creeks. Being from an angloBurmese father, good food, family recipes and particularly Asian food was what I was brought up on. It seems natural now that I ended up as a chef.

Rewarding career moments?

Working alongside Rene Redzepi and the Noma Australia team in Sydney in 2016 and having him explain his menu concept; setting up my own business Wildforage Australia, working with a wide range of TV and print media through my foraging; and taking the reins from Mitch as Head Chef at Riceboi.

What do you love about being a chef?

I love that you keep learning every single day and it is so unpredictable; I love the pace of the kitchen; I love the magic that happens when you’re under the pump but you’re also in full control of the chaos. I love the kitchen banter and comradery that comes from working day-in, day-out with a team.

What do you love about local produce?

Local producers are what makes cooking on the Sunshine Coast so interesting. They give us Chefs a greater connection to ‘place’, knowing the back story also enables us to create more meaningful food experiences. Some of my favourites include Fraser Isle Spanner Crab, Walker Seafoods, Kenilworth Dairies, and meat from Maleny Buffalo.

What is your approach to food?

I let the produce guide me as to what I will do with it. Working in a pan Asian restaurant gives me a lot of different

Name Nick Blake, 39

Position Head Chef

Restaurant RiceBoi

options to approach an ingredient but I don’t like fusion! I like to pick a clear laneway and stick to it. Then it’s about showcasing a technique and finding complementary flavours and textures that hit you in the face when you eat it.

Do you cook at home?

I cook every single day I am home, I will never pass up an opportunity to cook. I have a love affair with spice and Indo-Fijian style curries.

What is your favourite dish to eat or cook?

My grandmother’s Mohinga Burmese Fish Curry. I feel connected to her everytime I make it.

Who would you love to cook for? Dead or Alive?

Alive, my Mum-she makes the best akuri eggs and fresh water mussel (kai) curry.

Dead, my Grandmother for her knowledge of old burmese recipes and heavenly guava cheese.

Who is your culinary idol?

Rene Redzepi for his creativity, foraging knowledge and how he interprets the Danish landscape. Lennox Hastie for his skill working

with fire; and Ben Devlin.

Why do you love the Sunshine Coast?

I love where I live in Yandina, our amazing farmers markets, local fishery, access to produce, national parks, beaches and sense of community.

Any advice for young chefs?

Put in the work, focus on the actual cooking, takes notes when you learn something new, only you can keep yourself inspired. Read books, eat well at work, always turn up to a trial with a sharp knife. When you feel like you’re being broken down or its too hard ‘push through’ - the magic happens when you reach the other side.

What is your favourite kitchen tool?

My Japanese Oroshigane (a very fine Japanese grater that’s used to grate fresh wasabi root and daikon into a very fine puree and can also be used for zesting).

What is your favourite ingredient?

Japanese Green Yuzu Kosho (a paste made from fermented green chilli and Japanese yuzu (citrus) peel).

PHOTO: MEGAN GILL

The Curated (side) Plate was so much more than fancy dinners and lunches - it offered a chance to connect consumers with the best local food and drink producers. Deb Caruso shares how Good Harvest Organic Farm brought together some of its foodie friends to offer a handson experience of planning, planting, growing, fermenting - and enjoying the fruits of the labour.

HANDS-ON Harvest

Good Harvest Organic Farm kicked off their first Curated (side) Plate events with the Lunch & Learn series, teaming up with lots of local legends including Shaw from Nourishing Wholefoods for a Fermentation Fun Workshop.

Attendees started their morning with delightfully tasty, organic coffee from Montville Coffee before learning how to wild-ferment their seasonal produce to create delicious sauerkraut at home. Following the workshop, Good Harvest Founder and Australian Organic Farmer of the year, Mick Dan, took guests for a tour of the farm.

A well-earned appetite was appeased with a delicious Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Soup made by the local team at Frankie’s Woombye and served with breads by The Wonky Loaf and Bread Eaters Association

The following day saw a group of 40 keen growers come for the Lunch & Learn – Home Grown Goodness Workshop But first, coffee! Montville Coffee again delivered the goods thanks to the lovely Karen.

The morning was led by Mick and Good Harvest’s Farm Manager Brendan who took the group through a classroomstyle intensive workshop covering everything that goes into creating a successful organic veggie garden at home - from soil health to compost, pest

management, crop rotation and planting guides. The ‘students’ were then taken on a farm tour to see firsthand how the theory they learned in the morning can be applied to their home garden.

No lesson is complete without homework and this was issued by way of taking home a strawberry plant to start them on their home gardening journey.

Attendees again enjoyed a delicious

The Good Harvest team absolutely loved having so many wonderful guests out to the farm and sharing their knowledge and passion for all things organic farming.

Watch this space for future workshops that might crop up!

soup by local legends Frankie’s Woombye and breads by The Wonky Loaf and Bread Eaters Association.

PHOTOS: HUE IMAGERY

LUXURIOUSLong Lunch

This Sunshine Coast dining institution just keeps giving and winning! Bella Venezia served up a sensational five-course Pol Roger and local seafood degustation lunch as part of The Curated (side) Plate 2022 and continue to add awards to their collection for excellence in their industry - and its not hard to see why.

It was a truly luxurious wining and dining experience at the Pol Roger Lunch with a carefully-curated plate to match every exquisite Pol Roger pouring over five memorable courses.

This is the norm for this iconic Mooloolaba restaurant; 39 years in the industry, outstanding menus, multi-awardwinning wine lists, outstanding events and the power of the most professional service is the key to the continued success and popularity of our much-loved Bella Venezia Restaurant. Bravo!

THE MENU

1ST COURSE

Mooloolaba Yellow fin tuna crudo Cherry tomato consommé, roasted tomato oil, fried caper

NV Pol Roger Brut Épernay, France

2ND COURSE

Mooloolaba King prawn ravioli Cherry tomato burro fonduta, leek and prawn oil

2015 Pol Roger Rosé Brut Épernay, France

3RD COURSE

Pan roasted Mooloolaba Kingfish Cauliflower purée, green olive, roasted pistachio and preserved lemon salsa, puffed caper crisp

NV Pol Roger Pure Extra Brut Épernay, France

4TH COURSE

Butter poached Moreton Bay Bug tail Butter braised leek, bug bisque, fresh black truffle

2015 Pol Roger Brut Épernay, France

5TH COURSE

Orange and vanilla semolina cake Whipped mascarpone, burnt honey, passion fruit, meringue

2012 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill Épernay, France

Award Winning

Modern Italian Restaurant

For over 39 years Bella Venezia has been a dining institution and is loved by locals and visitors.

FARMER & the Chef

Bask Eumundi head chef and coowner Jack Madden teamed up with one of his favourite farmers to present a paddock-to-plate feast as part of The Curated (side) Plate.

The four-course menu with matching wines, invited guests to Tempt, Taste, Savour and Linger with a speciallycurated menu that showcased products direct from Eastwell Farms, a 162-hectare property in Kin Kin.

The meat and mushroom magnificence from Eastwell Farms was brought to life with dishes that were cooked with the same love and attention that Bryant and Susie Ussher put into running their farm.

The fancy fungi were presented as a cannelloni with confit garlic and soft ricotta, and expertly matched with a salad of bitter leaves, roasted grapes and walnuts - simply fabulous!

Between courses, Bryant shared how

Bask Eumundi presented a paddock-toplate feast featuring one of its favourite local farmers, as part of The Curated (side) Plate. Deb Caruso drooled over every drop.

the family has embraced regenerative farming practices to nourish the grassfed cattle as well as the gourmet mushrooms grown by Susie and her son Alex - a rainbow-spectrum of Oyster mushrooms and the curious but delicious Lion’s Mane mushrooms which Jack incorporated into an Eastwell Farm beef brisket with Bourguignon sauce, pancetta, vincotto glazed onions, potato gratin and pan jus.

The respect, appreciation and admiration between farmer and chef was evident and added an extra special flavour to a superbly-stunning event.

Bravo Bask Eumundi!

For long lazy lunches, intimate dining and events, in the heart of Eumundi

Bryant & Susie Ussher with chef Jack Madden

PHOTOS: KATJA ANTON

SENSATIONAL Stories

A sell-out crowd, a savvy business operator, racing car driver, rockstar and passionate chef and local food ambassador made this Curated (side) Plate and Hello Sunshine collaboration an event that people are still talking about. Words by Podcast host John Caruso.

An important part of our brand DNA and ethos at Hello Sunshine Magazine and IN Noosa Magazine is to be ‘more than a magazine’. Connecting the community through storytelling, client activations and events, highlyengaged digital marketing and our much loved Everyone Has a Story – Conversations from the Sunshine Coast and Noosa podcast, all fall under the Hello Sunshine and IN Noosa umbrellas.

Our sold-out Curated (side) Plate event, Podcast, Pinot & Duck ticked a lot of those boxes. Held at Market Bistro, Maroochydore the event not only included three delicious courses with matching wines but also four Everyone Has a Story guests: restaurateur Tony Kelly; scriptwriter, journalist and Powderfinger drummer Jon Coghill; Porsche Carrera Cup racing driver Harri Jones; and chef and contributer to our magazines, Matt Golinski.

It was a great way to bring the podcast to life and connect both our lunch guests and podcast guests to get to know each other better.

Market Bistro head chef Daniel Dobra prepared an outstanding menu that would satisfy duck lovers everywhere; paired perfectly with superb service and Pinot varieties expertly chosen by Market Wine Store’s Damien Ringrose.

There were hilarious anecdotes, interesting tales and loads of memorable moments as the panel covered careers, passions, purpose and more.

Our thoughts have turned to where and who we might feature at our next podcast and lunch event. Any ideas? Email john@inpublishing.com.au

Jon Coghill, Harri Jones.

Tony Kelly, Jon Coghill

Harri Jones, Matt Golinski, John Caruso.

SPRING

SENSATIONS

As spring drifts in to warm the earth, unfurl the flowers and rouse us from hibernation, we need our insides to match our outsides! We’ve asked the experts for their favourite products to boost our bodies and put a spring in our step!

PLANET ORGANIC

Sip the soothing, sustaining properties of Female Balance and Calming Herbal Teas, infused with certified organic chamomile, spearmint, lemongrass, liquorice root and more.

BEST OF THE BONE

Add Healing Collagen Peptides with Probiotic Spores to your tea, coffee, smoothies, baking, bone broth and more to boost gut and immune health.

JESS, GREENSMITH GROCERS

BIORTO

Experience authentic Italian with Sugo Arrabbiata and Sugo

Alla Puttanesca tomato preserves and sauces, vine ripened, harvested and slow-cooked the traditional way.

Spring is a time to repair the gut with the healing benefits of collagen, flushing out toxins with healing herbal teas and getting into good habits with grounding and nourishing meals and getting back-to-basics by using additive-free sauces without all the nasties.

NOURISHING WHOLEFOODS KIMCHI

Best enjoyed as a side dish, dip or ingredient, Happykraut and Kimchi vegetables are fermented wild to nurture the relationship between the cabbage and lacto-bacteria present in the soil.

NICKY, SILO WHOLE FOODS

For me, spring is all about cleansing and clearing. These three power products will have you feeling good with their delicious flavours and proven health benefits.

UTURUNKU CEREMONIAL CACAO PASTE

Experience potent therapeutic properties from organic, indigenous Peruvian ceremonial cacao in hot water or milk beverages. Best for trauma release, meditation, awakening and more.

EMPATHY HERBAL

Combine traditional Indonesian herbal remedies such as Black Garlic Peeled Cloves, Red Ginger Powder and Curcumin Forte Powder with healthy cuisine, from smoothies to sauces to sweet treats.

FRESH PRODUCE • BULK + WHOLEFOODS • HEALTH + BEAUTY

At Silo Wholefoods you'll find a vast array of products from body-boosting superfoods, fresh produce and bulk items, to supplements, beauty products, cleaning products and everything for your little ones.

1 Old Gympie Road, Yandina. Phone 5472 7483

Monday - Friday 8am - 5.30pm Saturday 7.30am - 4pm

DEFINITELYDifferent

Dee Den opened on the eve of April Fool’s Day this year with the promise of delivering ‘something different’. Proving they are no fools, owners Jeremy Khoo and Head Chef Mike Meesuwan, have certainly delivered on the promise with more than 250 rave reviews of 5-stars within the first four months of opening!

One of the key reasons is their short but carefully-curated wines and cocktails with an emphasis on showcasing beautiful local Australian wine, spirits and products from small distilleries and family farms.

Take for example Dee Den’s Davo Plum Spritz, where a local Australian-made Davidson Plum Aperitif is used instead of the traditional Aperol. We’re loving the adoption of indigenous foods and the

Australian interpretation of a traditionally-European drink!

Now, that is something different and, according to Jeremy, people are LOVING this on their lips. But the prize for the best-selling cocktail goes to the Lychee Martini – and why wouldn’t it?! We can attest to the magic of this decadentlydelicious drop (we even managed to get the recipe from Jeremy! You’re welcome).

It gets better! Dee Den’s drinks menu will be revised for the new season and be launched in late September or early October and will feature extended wine and cocktail lists. And of course it wouldn’t be Dee Den if a few of the drinks weren’t something different.

A sneak peek of some of the upcoming drinks has us salivating. Keep an eye out for the Quandong Sour, made using a Gin

of Native Australian botanicals and Quandong, which is a Native Australian wild peach; and the smoky, fruity and refreshing Mezcal Paloma - both perfect as we get into the warmer weather.

Look out Lychee Martini!

It’s not all about the booze (which is pretty ah-mazing!), the service (which is super-friendly), the views (breathtaking) but also the food!

Here’s where Dee Den claims to be ‘recklessly creative’ but we think they are much more clever than that.

The way Chef Mike matches flavours and brings a new twist to an old favourite is commendable. There are plenty of choices for those with dietary requirements and the freshness is undeniable, with the Kingfish Sashimi an absolute stand out. Served with Kaffir

Deb Caruso discovers the must-do dining destination where the food and drink is never boring, definitely different.

lime zest, red onion, Thai basil, sawtooth coriander, grapefruit nam jim and coconut snow, it’s a dish that you won’t want to share. Trust me.

Likewise, the Betel Leaf Wrap with grapefruit, charred eggplant, Thai herbs, shredded coconut, lotus root chips and chilli jam dressing; Watermelon + Anchovy Flakes with roasted galangal powder, ikura salmon caviar, rose water, bonito flakes, shichimi togarashi and pepper; or for something more substantial, the

Crying Tiger Short Ribs with Thai ‘e sarn’ sauce, basil, ngo gai coriander, saltbush, kaffir, herbed rice powder and kumato. Now that is something different!

Jeremy’s experience as a chef and his Bachelor of Honors in Hospitality Management is evident in the way everything is presented, including the timesaving and fun flowchart that is indeed an interactive map of foodie fun! This will be getting a freshen up for spring as will the hilariously helpful

LYCHEE MARTINI RECIPE

• 45ml Vodka (Dee Den uses the local Sunshine & Sons Vodka)

• 15ml Coconut Rum

• 15ml Lychee Liqueur

• 45ml Lychee Syrup from the can

• 2 Lychees, skewered for garnish

1. In a shaker, combine all the ingredients (except the lychee skewer) with ice.

2. Shake for approximately 15 seconds. The drink needs to be icy cold.

3. Double strain and serve in a frozen martini glass

4. Garnish with the lychee skewer

“Conversation Starters”.

Housed in a refurbished Queenslander at the top of Buderim, take a seat in the cosy bar, dine on the deck or indoors, order the banquet, a few killer cocktails and experience ‘something different’.

Dee Den is open Tuesdays to Sundays for lunch and dinner and is perfect for a beautiful date night, girls’ night out and for special celebrations and events. Bookings are strongly recommended. www.deeden.com.au

Bookings: deeden.com.au

Level 1/87 Burnett St, Buderim 4556

Open Tuesday-Sunday, lunch and dinner

We can attest to the magic of this decadentlydelicious drop!

Tony Cox previews the next Hello Sunshine Wine Lunch that promises to be a formidable feast!

ITALIAN- style!

We all love everything Italian when it comes to food and wine. We all love a Tony Kelly restaurant. Bocca Italian, in Bokarina Beach, is the latest edition to the formidable Tony Kelly Restaurant Group and as the name suggests, it very much channels an Italian theme.

Seating is mostly communal with long tables made for sharing and a number of high bars offering a look directly into the heart of the action, the kitchen or bar.

Since opening only a few months ago, the restaurant has been firmly embraced by the Sunshine Coast community for its no-fuss, full-of-flavour Italian fare created by Executive Chef and partowner Harry Lilai who brings his Italian and Albanian heritage and significant experience to the table.

Pizzas and Pane (bread) are Al Forno

- from the oven - but not just any oven. A stone-based Moretti pizza oven imported from Italy puts the perfect puff edge and crispy bottom to bases that have been fermented for 24-48 hours before being hand stretched by expert pizzaiolos. Simple and authentic toppings deliver the finishing touches. The rest of the menu reads like a traditional Italian trattoria with Pasta e Risotti; Salumi e Formaggi (cheese); Antipasti (small

plates); Secondi (large plates); Contorni e Insalate (sides and salads) and traditional Dolci (desserts) to finish.

The service is friendly, fast and furious and run by industry stalwart and part-owner, Luke Stringer, who cooked up the idea, inspired by a Tuscan holiday.

Completing the picture is a Market Wine Store next door. The independent bottle shop features harder-to-find smaller wine producers from around

Paccheri - Lamb ragu pasta

Australia, including a selection of Australian-made Italian varietals chosen specifically to match the Bocca kitchen.

And that’s where the real fun begins!

In a feast worthy of an afternoon siesta, Bocca will team up with Convivium Wines, a Buderim-based bespoke importer of boutique Italian wines, to showcase some of the stunning regional wines that Paolo Sandri imports.

The food will be served share-style where you help yourself to dishes placed in the centre of the table, a much more interactive and Italian way to eat.

Matching the rolling feast will be wines from various regions of Italy.

To start, the Colesel Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore Brut DOCG hails from Veneto in north-east Italy and is fresh and fruity on the nose with subtle bead. The freshness flows onto the palate with a dry finish to conclude. Perfect for the salty goodness of mixed marinated olives and the most talked-about bread in Australia.

The wine and food will keep flowing with the next options offering no wrong choices. The first still wine option is the La Ginestra Pinot Grigio from the Collio region, also in north-east Italy. Cold fermented to maintain freshness it

features floral notes and apple and pear nuances with a decided minerality to close. A perfect all-rounder that will keep your palate fresh with the assorted antipasti of beautiful burrata and bresaola, with the truffled mushrooms.

The alternative Funaro Rosato is made from Nero d’Avola grapes grown in western Sicily and is organically farmed and produced. It is made with a very brief period of skin contact, 2-3 hours, with the wine chilled to 15 degrees in stainless steel to maintain fruit flavours. Think red fruits, medium bodied, low tannin due to the short maceration period and refreshing acidity. I don’t know about you but does this even require food? Infinitely drinkable, we could sit on this

all afternoon.

Now that the last vestiges of winter are passing, now is probably one of the few times we can enjoy a drop of red in suitable climatic circumstances. What better way to conclude winter than enjoy Lorenzo Manfredi’s Governo Rosso Toscana, a rich red from the Florentine Hills made predominantly from sangiovese with a little merlot. The wine sees the addition of slightly dried grapes creating a rich, plush, full wine with balanced tannins. Perfect for Pappardelle ai Funghi or Paccheri al ragu (lamb ragu no less!). The finale will end on a sweet note with Panna Cotta - Caramelised honey, sea salt, puffed grains. Bocca, (bóc·ca) is Italian for ‘mouth’ and I reckon yours will be wateringor cursing if you miss out.

AN ITALIAN FEAST!

Where: Bocca Italian, Cnr Bokarina Boulevard & Longboard Parade,Bokarina

When: Thursday 20 October 2022, 12noon-2.45pm

Tickets: $125 per person including Italian feast with matching wines.

Scan the QR Code to book!

Burrata - Tomato oil, aged balsamic

A WONKY Winter

The Wonky Loaf became a winter wonderland to launch our latest edition of Hello Sunshine Magazine, as Deb Caruso shares.

The Wonky Loaf became a winter wonderland to launch our latest edition.

Hello Sunshine Magazine clients, friends and supporters celebrated the seventh edition and were entertained by stunning performances from Zara ahead of her debut at Sunshine Sounds Festival; and local rapper Jye Napier’s original and uplifting Sunshine State of Mind

Heartwarming sourdough creations and sweets showed why we love the Wonky and the Sunshine & Sons crew showed up to again keep the crowd hydrated with its award-winning gin!

What a way to celebrate the Savvy, Surprising & Spirited Sunshine Coast!

PHOTOS: MEGAN GILL

The moment you make your way into the Town of Seaside in Marcoola you will feel like you have been transported to a place faraway. This quiet and quaint hidden hometown for some lucky Sunshine Coasters has now found itself a new soul in the sensational Sole Restaurant on Seaward Lane. Carlie Wacker sails in for a sneaky Saturday lunch date.

Seaside

SOLE

I’m very familiar with Marcoola but I had never ventured into the Town of Seaside until the day I set my sights on Sole Restaurant.

As you make your way through the streets and lanes lined with glorious Hamptons-inspired dwellings you can’t help but feel this is a special and closeknit community. It is almost like your gate crashing someone’s secret destination.

Nestled in a laneway next to a park is the region’s best new restaurant and it’s the work of a couple that have proven they know how to do hospitality and grow a cult following.

David and Sarah Nash are the power couple behind the coveted Velo Project in Mooloolaba. After eight years growing the Velo Project into a local’s favourite they found another community-centric place that will deliver the same fame.

I had to find out more and eat my way through the menu that locals are loving and the rest of us are craving.

David and Sarah and their two young boys live on 2.5 acres in Maroochy River. The couple met while working on Hayman Island and it’s not hard to understand why the Nash’s are so successful in this industry – David is a chef and Sarah is a front-of-house

expert. They further developed their skills (and love) by working their way around some epic venues in Queensland and New South Wales including Garfish in Manly. This is where the Sole restaurant story comes to life.

The couple loved the Garfish philosophy and set about creating a venue that offers the same simple, elegant Australian seafood dining experience.

Sole Restaurant is that and more.

The food menu is a procrastinators dream come true. It is uncomplicated and offers only the very best options for all palates.

Seafood is obviously the ‘soul’ of this restaurant but there are sensational

alternative for vegetarians and meat lovers. My husband (the fisherman that doesn’t eat fish) had two really exciting options in the ricotta gnocchi and confit lamb nape – he chose gnocchi and he can’t wait to go back for more.

I ate my way through the seafood lovers dream come true menu. To start, I had the oysters two ways – French mignonette and ponzu and I tried the market fish crudo (kingfish when I was there) and this is what I wrote on my notes “a delightful flavour hit – the bitterness of grapefruit, salty fried capers, fresh fennel, dill, little pockets of grapefruit juice vessels bursting between bites of the freshest kingfish and horseradish shavings.” I was clearly on a SOLE high!

David and Sarah Nash

The head chef is also a highlight at Sole - Tom Staal is well loved in the region having formerly worked at Spirit House and Spicers Clovelly just to name a few. With the stunning dishes he is serving up, he is certainly KING-fish in the kitchen.

Oh, and that takes me to the fact that

this kitchen is zero waste. Every element of the fish is used and the fact that a local fisherman (Dave) is responsible for what the market fish of the week is, means we are eating the freshest fish prepared by the finest chef – winning!

Fast forward to my main and I went for the signature sole dish and it was beyond special. The delicate sole fish is served in the traditional ‘Meuinere’style with burnt butter and capers. It’s a theatrical experience as much a taste sensation.

The delightful manager Sally is such as

asset to Sole – she took the time to talk me through the best way to enjoy this incredible dish. The art of peeling the fillet away from the bone is as artistic as it is delicious – it’s a dish that personifies the art of mindful eating. It forces you to take time to enjoy every little morsel of the freshest light white fish as you reveal a delicate bone that takes care and respect when removing it from the dish. It is elegant dining in a super friendly and welcoming environment in one of the prettiest places in the region.

I am Sole-d!

Enjoy

Head Chef Tom Staal

SPANISH INQUISITION

When it comes to European wines most of us confine our search to the abundant offerings from France or Italy. But our resident Sommelier Tony Cox discovers the wines of Spain represent some of the best value wines to be found with a weight and richness that is engaging.

Afew friends recently got together to explore a small but delicious offering of atypical Spanish wines where we all pitched in and prepared matching dishes for an evening of fun and conversation. All in the name of research and to inspire you, dear reader!

FIRST wine served was the NV Lonia Cava, a sparkling wine made using the traditional method used in Champagne but with three indigenous varietals: Parellada, Macabeo and Xarello and a little chardonnay thrown in. Fresh and lively it features green apple notes with yeasty overtones, indicative of yeast autolysis derived from the method of making. For those who like a drier, less fruity, style of sparkling closer to Champagne this is a great entry point. Better still, the gazpacho and tortilla that matched it, went down a treat.

THIRD course saw two red wines served from the 2017 vintage but different grape varietals and regions. The Bodegas Valdemar Conde Valdemar Crianza from Rioja was a delightfully balanced wine. 90% tempranillo with 19 months’ ageing in American oak it featured dark fruits, a very plush mid palate with vanilla and sweet spice notes from the oak. The second red was Torres Salmos from Priorat, a blend of carignan, grenache and syrah which features plum and red fruits, a precision through the middle and back palate from the altitude derived acidity and elegant tannins to close. Slow-braised lamb shoulder and Basque lamb accompanied by patatas bravas transported all of us to Spain, with some flash dance moves, reminiscent of flamenco, starting to come to the fore by that stage of the evening.

SECOND up was the 2020 Bodegas Valdemar Conde Valdemar Rosé which is 70% garnacha (grenache) and 30% viura (also known as macabeo). The resultant wine is pale pink and fresh with red fruits, a little pepper from the grenache, a decided savoury-ness and clean acidity to close. The sardine fillets with salsa verde were absolutely fantastic, the oiliness of the fish cut beautifully by the freshness of the rosé . A chorizo and chickpea stew with deft use of paprika also worked beautifully with this drop.

FINALLY the evening concluded with a flourless chocolate cake served with Valdespino’s Pedro Ximenez from the Jerez region. Liquid raisins with spectacular viscosity, a great way to close. Overall, a great way to experience a selection of delicious wines with regional Spanish dishes with great company in a relaxed setting.

Olé!

NV Lonia Cava

Bodegas Valdemar Conde Valdemar Crianza

Valdespino’s Pedro Ximenez

2020 Bodegas Valdemar Conde Valdemar Rosé

Torres Salmos

More than 80 local beers, a gin bar, food trucks and live music brought the cheers for the Hinterland Craft Beer Festival 2022!

PINEAPPLE · parfait gin ·

A contemporary tropical fruit salad gin packed with flavour that tastes like a holiday. Pineapple, passionfruit, strawberry, mango, vanilla and coconut combine to make a surprising, delightful and evocative gin.

We’d love to see you at our Distillery Door!

Open every day 10am ‘til sunset. 104 Nambour Connection Rd, Woombye gday@sunshineandsons.com.au | sunshineandsons.com.au

THE SWEETESTthing

Never one to rest on their juniper, the Sunshine & Sons crew have been taking on the world and creating a world of fun this winter. Deb Caruso tries to keep up!

While Chief Imagineer Matt Hobson was on a global research tour and taking Sunshine & Sons to the world, the team have been keeping busy supporting local events and hosting a few of their own.

From creating their own characters, including the Flamingo Flamingo Sunshine Sisters, The Volcanic Vodka Goddess and Mr Zany for the Rangebow Festival; to launching a range of “Australia’s Funniest...” spirits for the That’s Not My Dog comedy festival, the team has been spreading the sunshine far and wide.

Back at the Distillery Door, they’ve been creating small-batch gins such as the Pomelo & Kumquat or Red Dragon Gin and inviting Señor Paella over for a laidback Saturday session.

The Sweetest Thing masterclass saw them team up with local Silver Tongue Fine Foods for a Curated (side) Plate event unlike any other! Mr Barista Coffee Liqueur paired with Silver Tongue’s handmade Sourdough Donuts to deliver three cocktails and three hot donuts over two of the sweetest masterclasses in town! What a sensation!

Stay tuned to see what Matt has been distilling since his global research trip! Whatever comes next, we know it will add more sunshine to our lives - and that can only be a good thing.

PHOTOS: MEGAN GILL

SPRING Bubbles

The change of government has created a change in narrative and the constant doom and gloom in the media has put Tony Cox in the mood to come up with some great value bubbles. If we aren’t splurging it is still important to reward oneself and what better than those effervescent little bubbles doing internally what a visit to the day spa does externally!

For those of you who love Champagne, there are several smart options from various regions in France. Look for crémant from a designated region made using the Methode Traditionelle. The most readily available and good quality are Cremant d’Alsace, Cremant d’Loire and Cremant de Bourgogne.

A great little bargain can be found at Dan Murphy’s with the Cremant d’Alsace Cuvee Julien from Dopff au Moulin being eminently drinkable. Made from Pinot Blanc grapes it is fresh and neutral in flavour. Perfect for spring with some fresh prawns, a little seafood sauce, sourdough bread and slabs of butter.

Louis Bouillot, based in Nuits St Georges in Burgundy, produces a range of Cremant de Bourgogne.

The Perle d’Ivoire Blanc de Blancs features white flowers and citrus notes giving way to integrated yeasty nuances. More generous and rounded than its more northerly Champagne counterparts this is a cracking little drink – fantastic with Spring Carnival fare such as chicken finger sandwiches (The Bird at Noosa Junction make delicious ones) or smoked salmon and cream cheese mini bagels.

The Perle d’Aurora Rose de Presse is a blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and gamay. It features red fruits with mid palate weight with tapering acidity to close. Perfect with duck spring rolls or chunky beef party pies.

Marc Bredif Brut Vouvray, from the

Loire Valley, is made from Chenin Blanc grapes and takes advantage of that varietal’s high natural acidity which creates wonderful freshness. When combined with the green apple flavour profile of the grape it makes for great spring drinking – pulled pork and brioche buns are just the treat to wash down with this.

Coming into footy finals, Spring Racing Carnival or just any old get-together these delicious bubbly delights don’t break the bank. Don’t forget to bulk up the food and starch it up a little so you

don’t peak too soon, and bread does the job brilliantly. If looking for a gluten free number pan fried toasties using good quality gluten free bread are delicious with gooey, cheesy goodness (if you’re reading this and wanting a trim waistline, I recommend reading another column).

Just a couple of examples which provide the feeling of Champagne without the price tag and we can all use a bit of that in our lives.

Cheers and good drinking!

Whether you’re a connoisseur or just beginning on your wine loving journey, Market Wine Store is your go to. Our staff can find whatever you are looking for and will help in any way to give you the ultimate drinking experience

Bubbly buddies - Tony Cox’s top picks for affordable Champagne this spring.

FOR THE Boys!

A new skincare range created by naturopath and nutritionist Kerri Abbott, has been formulated with the men in mind, as Georgia Beard discovers.

Step into a cosmetics store, watch the ad breaks on TV or simply search social media – women are almost always the target of skincare products.

Now, we’ve heard enough debates to know what that says about society’s perception of women, but what does it say about men?

Why don’t men get to run face rollers over their jawline or smooth exfoliating masks onto their cheeks? Where are their soothing videos of ten-step skincare routines?

Do men lack those constant onslaughts of dryness, oiliness, puffiness and acne? Well, no. Skin imperfections don’t discriminate, and men have always been subject to premature ageing from the elements.

Could skincare be an unnecessary part of their daily routines? No! Skin is an organ worthy of protection and upkeep just like the rest of our bodies.

When compared to women, dermatological studies have found men produce more oil, develop deeper wrinkles and lose more moisture.

Shaving facial hair regularly can also irritate the skin.

When naturopath and nutritionist

Kerri Abbott recognised this need for male skincare, she developed her own line under her Sunshine Coastbased company Pure Face Co.

“I think men traditionally have found skincare to be confusing when they look at how many products are available,” she said.

“They’re not sure what to use, so they just use body wash on the face. Body wash foams up the oil on your skin and rinses it away, raising the pH and causing dry skin which can clog pores. Not the best solution.”

Her alterative? Naturally-derived ingredients backed by science to clean, nourish, protect and improve the skin.

“Pure Face Co was created after a conversation with a group of guys discussing their skin concerns from acne to wrinkles,” she said.

“Above all else, the guys wanted an easy-to-use skincare routine that improved the look and texture of their skin.”

Equipped with her knowledge of

botany and naturopathy, Kerri formulated a simple two-step routine for adult men – facial wash and moisturiser.

“I enlisted the help of a skincare formulator to put it all together to ensure efficacy and safety standards,” she said.

“Good quality natural ingredients are more expensive than chemically produced ones, which entices some to buy supermarket skincare. However, they come with a lot of chemical toxicity which puts extra burden on your detox pathways and can lead to inflammation

in your body.”

Her Pure Face Co. AHA Facial Wash uses alpha hydroxy fruit acids to exfoliate dead skin cells, which unclogs pores, prevents blemishes and blackheads and refreshes the complexion.

Afterwards, Pure Face Co. Moisturiser improves skin hydration and texture and reduces inflammation with herbs and antioxidants like Cat’s Claw, Astragalus and Baical Skullcap. These plump the skin and prevent visible aging such as dullness, age spots and loss of elasticity.

Kerri also had acne-prone, oilyskinned teens in mind, following her original two-step routine with a more

comprehensive range for boys.

Her Facial Cleansing Gel and Perfecting Toning Mist incorporate organic oils and extracts to hydrate the skin, clean out bacteria, reduce redness and offer antioxidant protection. The Balancing Moisturiser then replaces any lost moisture and strengthens the skin’s protective barrier

Finally, her Eye Gel moisturises the delicate areas around the eyes and reduces signs of ageing with natural yet powerful antioxidants.

Kerri plans to expand the men’s range for those going beyond the basics, introducing eye gel, brightening Vitamin C serum, body wash and shaving scream.

As meeting men’s needs, she’ll develop a skincare range for women with the same business philosophy – simple routines with successful results.

The reliable washcloth or dollop of shower gel might have been the standard of men’s skincare in the past but now, Pure Face Co. offers a better option with all the health and beauty benefits the blokes have been missing out on.

Freshen up, boys! It’s time to give your skin the care it deserves.

Above all else, the guys wanted an easyto-use skincare routine that improved the look and texture of their skin.

Kerri Abbott

PHOTO: MEGAN GILL

Giving BACK

You may have met Dr Moorthy from Eyehub Buderim in our previous issue, a self-described ‘country girl at heart’ who has studied and practiced in multiple continents across the globe. From the UK to Asia and now here in Australia.

“My junior years as a doctor were spent in Scotland and then in Hampshire, England which is where I started a year-and-a-half of ophthalmology, and it became apparent that my future wasn’t in the UK,” she said. “I’m a tropical girl who loves the sun, I didn’t have family in the UK, and I had a brother in Melbourne who was completing his aerospace engineering degree.

“Melbourne appealed because of its reputation as a cosmopolitan, multicultural city,” she explains.

The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital has a long history as a respectable and prestigious institute, and it was here that Dr Moorthy lay the foundations for her chosen career.

“Coming into Australia as a foreign graduate to train in ophthalmology is

difficult, the doors are shut to foreigners like myself, however I was determined to succeed,” she said.

“I completed my training in Sydney and then went to sub-specialise in paediatric ophthalmology in Singapore and London. The issue with subspecialising is that you can get pigeonholed into only doing your sub-specialty field, and ophthalmology in Australia, especially in regional Australia is not like that, you must deal with whatever comes through your door. You don’t have specialists in floors above and below you who can help, and this was something I considered as my subspecialist training went on,” she says.

A move back to Australia meant working across multiple areas and a continued focus on developing her skill levels. An opportunity arose in Cairns where locum work was required.

“There was a great need for paediatric and general ophthalmology in Far North Queensland where the catchment area goes all the way to Cape York and beyond and west to the Atherton

Tablelands,” she said.

“I also was appointed as a visiting medical officer at the public hospital in Cairns where a lot of the public work comes via private rooms because the private rooms are better equipped in terms of their set-up compared to the public hospital. It was here that I got to treat indigenous children and bulk bill them, providing an avenue to seek treatment and care and subsequently if they needed anything done I could do that in Cairns or refer them onto

Working in Cairns was a real game-changer for me. I had skills I could utilise to help these children and that’s something I didn’t take for granted

Sit down with Dr Sonia Moorthy and her passion for giving back to the community and her industry is clear. John Caruso meets the locally based ophthalmologist who’s doing her bit to improve access to healthy eyes, here and in regional communities.

Brisbane,” Dr Moorthy explains.

As a result, children didn’t have to wait years to be seen. “Healthy vision for young children is important when you consider there’s only a small window to correct early eye problems.

“Working in Cairns was a real gamechanger for me. I had skills I could utilise to help these children and that’s something I didn’t take for granted.”

Practicing in regional Australian communities is not just about treating indigenous children. There’s a large percentage of the general population that have difficulty accessing care, such as people who are disabled or people with multiple social issues.

“Every Australian should be able to access health care in equal measures and now I’m focusing my attention on the community in Emerald, a small Queensland town, 275 kilometres west of Rockhampton. I’m doing that on a fly in, fly out basis and the work I’ve been doing there has been well received so I feel it’s meaningful and worthwhile,” Dr Moorthy explains.

Combined with the ongoing work at her practice in Buderim and the work in the Central Highlands, there’s an additional aspect to Dr Moorthy’s ethos

of ‘giving back to the community’.

“I’m an examiner for the Royal College of Ophthalmology looking after the registrars that sit for their basic science exams,” Dr Moorthy explains. “It involves physiology of the eye as well as basic clinical skills and that’s something that needs to be completed in the first two years of the four-year training period. It’s a vital component that sets you up for the rest of your training and it’s an important foundation to grasp. I’m in a position after

APPLYING THE LATEST OPHTHALMOLOGIC

practicing independently for the last four years, where I can offer my experience and expertise, especially after practicing in Far North Queensland where you’re making all the health care decisions for your patients without the support of nearby sub-specialists.”

A testament to the quality and level of care that Dr Moorthy provides is evident in the fact that patients regularly travel from Emerald and Cairns to see her here on the Sunshine Coast.

The ongoing work that’s being performed is acknowledgment to Dr Moorthy’s parents and the sacrifices and commitment they made to support her studies and career.

“My father used to say ‘it is not the things you do in life that matters, it’s the things you never did’,” she said.

It’s part of Dr Moorthy’s life that’s she’s forever grateful for.

WANT MORE? Download the interview with Dr Sonia Moorthy from our podcast.

ADVANCEMENTS AND LEARNING

glance:

• Pterygium surgery with graft

Dr. Sonia Moorthy

BRINGING THE WOW

TO WARANA

‘that mirror’ then everything evolved from there. The space is so relaxing and calming. I could literally live here! Which I almost do!”

Illuminate Aesthetics truly delivers on that original charter – a welcoming vibe, fresh, calm and professional - and as a result has attracted a diverse demographic of clients, including men.

“Men are starting to realise that this anti-ageing game is not for the females alone, they have seen the women around them defying time and the ageing process and want a slice of this for themselves,” Steph says.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and if the beholder feels more beautiful with a little help to illuminate, then so be it. Carlie Wacker has never been shy about getting by with a little help from her friends – meet her new friends at a place that brings the WOW to Warana.

You cannot miss the stunning new home of Illuminate Aesthetics as you drive along Nicklin Way. She is a pretty sight but more on the fit out at the new digs soon. First, let’s meet the ridiculously fabulous couple behind this Sunshine Coast business that finds itself smack bang in the middle of a boom in cosmetic aesthetics in Australia.

Steph and Chris Gardner both have backgrounds in nursing and emergency medical care. They have been best friends since their university nursing days in the UK and graduated in 2002. Fast forward 20 years and we find the Gardner family living their best life on the Sunshine Coast and working together at their coveted clinic in Warana.

The Illuminate Aesthetics story began with Botox, says Steph.

“At the age of 32 I had formed deep static lines and looked so grumpy all the time - something that truly did not align with how I was feeling insideso I wanted to try injectables,” she said.

“I had never been hugely into makeup and hair so wasn’t sure I’d feel comfortable and the clinics in my area felt unwelcoming, so I avoided it.”

Steph finally decided that with her Bachelor Degree in Nursing she’d be a qualified candidate to train in cosmetic injectables and create a fresh new space.

“I wanted to create a welcoming approachable place that wasn’t exclusive and I have never looked back,” she said. “I’ve always had an interest in skin care and being able to combine that with my nursing degree has been the making of a true passion and a dream come true.

“I have driven past this building for a couple of years and couldn’t stop thinking about what I could do with this space. I literally manifested it! I had a clear vision of how I wanted the clinic to look and feel inside and out. If I was making this big move, I really wanted it to be impactful and not just another injectables clinic. The first shop I went to was Eclectic Style in Noosa and found

Identifying this growing market, Steph’s husband Chris, who is also a qualified nurse, achieved his cosmetic injectables qualifications.

“We are hoping to create a space where men might feel more comfortable in coming in for consultation too,” he says.

With Chris’ expert knowledge in male facial anatomy and aesthetics the team can address a range of male specific concerns.

The Illuminate Aesthetics team have seen a huge increase in men seeking treatment for fine lines and wrinkles, skin quality and hair rejuvenation. In fact, the billion-dollar industry shows no signs of slowing down. Go on, tell me you don’t know someone that has had a little ‘refresh’ with injectables!

“We love to build a strong relationship with everyone who walks in the door and we work hard to build achievable and affordable treatment plans to suit the individual needs,” Steph says. “Our clients often quickly become friends. We offer treatments for beautification and more complex treatment plans for positive ageing.”

The truth is that feeling beautiful is something to behold and if you feel more confident with a little help from qualified and caring friends then just do it!

Steph and Chris Gardner.

PHOTOS: THE BRANDING BAR STUDIO

SPRING INTO Action

As seasonal changes refresh the natural world, our worn-out lifestyles should follow. By introducing Pilates and yoga into our daily routines, Georgia Beard reveals how we can transform physically and psychologically.

Every time the Sunshine Coast flourishes into spring, I find myself shying away like a flower drawing its petals closed.

While natural environments and people around me embrace change, I cling to all the comforts of cold weather.

My winter-induced habits are just too hard to break. Succumbing to a warm cocoon of blankets and convincing myself I’ll get up early tomorrow; hiding in my home with takeaway and TV; swapping exercise in the cool air for long, hot showers.

When I give in to these guilty pleasures, I love myself for it. My body,

however, is desperate for healthy transformation.

As spring encourages renewal and regrowth for wildlife, our bodies should respond in the same way. Because maintaining our physical and mental health is not a chore – it’s an act of love.

Rather than sifting through a mass of exercise regimes, mindfulness techniques and health advice columns, we can transform both our minds and bodies with a wellness-oriented approach to fitness.

Pilates draws our focus to various areas of the body through low-impact movement and core strength training.

Unlike exercise targeted to one muscle group, it provides an all-encompassing workout and a deeper understanding of our bodily connections.

Similarly, yoga connects the mind and body through breathwork, balance and movement, with meditation and spirituality at its core.

Although Pilates is grounded in modern physical anatomy and yoga in ancient holistic discipline, the two often overlap. When they do, the result is a newfound unity between mind, body and spirit.

FS8 Coolum fosters this unity from their beachside fitness studio, combining the best elements of Pilates, yoga and tone for an all-in-one exercise experience. This is a workout worth getting out of bed for, especially when you get to see the sun rise over the sea from the stunning studio space overlooking Coolum Beach.

Alongside trainees of all ages and abilities, you’ll experience short but strenuous bursts of exercise using the Pilates reformer, mat work, dumbbells and activation bands. These highintensity, integrated workouts sweat out the mental muck and hone your strength, stability and flexibility.

Classes such as FS8 Reform, FS8 Dynamic, FS8 Ultra and FS8 Restore each take a different focus, from muscular and cardiovascular endurance to full-body conditioning and awareness to restorations of balance and equilibrium.

As you pump through the session, staff will be on hand to tailor your workout, guide you step-by-step through the exercises, refine your form and challenge your abilities.

Every exercise shapes your physical and psychological wellbeing, developing enough mental clarity to re-examine your lifestyle. Before you know it, old habits fade, and guilty pleasures lose their appeal.

As you make room for Pilates and yoga in your daily routine, the next step is filling the gaps with more compatible behaviour.

Sleep-ins become neighbourhood runs in the early daylight hours; indulgent snacks make way for healthy, homemade meals. A distracted, restless mind finds stable ground, connecting with the lives and landscapes around it.

As you long as you stay consistent, this is a bodily transformation the seasons could never reverse.

POLO Perfection

Guests gathered in the stunning Polo Ralph Lauren Sunshine Plaza store for a preview of the new Spring 2022 collection and a VIP shopping experience.

PHOTOS: MEGAN GILL

As we POP into Spring, the season calls for colour – and lots of it!

Dopamine dressing is not dead – it is here to stay because getting dressed for the day should be fun and cheerful.

My newly-graduated stylist assistant Ally Chuck shared her thoughts on the trends to soak up as the weather warms up!

Ally’s Eye On Fashion:

“Bring on a fun, vibrant energy with eye-catching artsy pieces that will brighten up our wardrobes.

With feel-good bright, bold colours and nostalgic vibes we can expect to revisit a diverse range of textures and patterns that will bring back memories and appeal to almost every generation!

What we can expect... bright colours with pops of neon, grassy greens, pastels and bold colours for colour blocking. Get into some funky and colourful sunglasses and bags! THIS SEASON IS ALL ABOUT MAKING A STATEMENT!”

Let us take you to a Spring paradise!

CARLIE WACKER FASHION EDITOR

RACHEL WEARS Elk dress and earrings from Uncle George, 5474 5871

PEYTON AND RACHEL WEAR Elk shirts and earrings from Uncle George, 5474 5871

PEYTON WEARS Brave & True shirt and pants from Belle Collective and Co, 0407 762 436

RACHEL WEARS Logo-patch double-knit blazer, relaxed fit striped cotton shirt and flare jean from Polo Ralph Lauren, 5479 0217. Amber Sceats necklace and earrings from David Jones, Sunshine Plaza

PEYTON WEARS wide striped ribbed crewneck dress and striped Merino wool v-neck cardigan.

RACHEL WEARS Striped oversize terry rugby shirt and tapered belted denim trouser. All from Polo Ralph Lauren, 5479 0217

RACHEL WEARS Aje dress and bag from David Jones, Sunshine Plaza.

Coloured Tiger’s Eye with Swarovski Crystal bracelet and drop earrings from Maleny Jewellers, 5494 3477.

PEYTON WEARS Girl and The Sun dress and Aje bag from David Jones, Sunshine Plaza. Handcrafted 57ct Swiss blue topaz pendant and 9ct yellow gold Omega Chain; Czech & Austrian crystal & Opalite earrings and bracelet in 18ct rose gold from Maleny Jewellers, 5494 3477

RACHEL WEARS Aje dress and bag from David Jones, Sunshine Plaza.

Tiger’s Eye with Swarovski Crystal bracelet; assorted handcrafted emerald, diamond and tourmaline rings; 18ct gold bangleall from Maleny Jewellers, 5494 3477

RACHEL WEARS Sass and Bide dress, Leona Edminston bag, Basque earrings and Miss Shop boots from Myer, Sunshine Plaza

RACHEL WEARS Belle Collective and Co, 0407 762 436; 18k Yellow Gold Boulder Opal Earrings, Opals Down Under, 5494 5400; Dario Martini frames from Hammond Optometry, 5476 2333

PEYTON WEARS Cienna shirt from Uncle George, 5474 5871; 14k White Gold Boulder Opal and Diamond Pendant necklace, Opals Down Under, 5494 5400; The Elusive Miss Lou frames, Hammond Optometry, 5476 2333

PEYTON WEARS Shanty dress and Louenhide crossbody bag from Belle Collective and Co, 0407 762 436; 18k White Gold Boulder Opal and Diamond Pendant, 18k White Gold Black

Opal and Sapphire Ring from Opals Down Under, 5494 5400; Face a Face Night sunglasses from Hammond Optometry, 5476 2333

RACHEL WEARS GDS floral suit, Belle Collective and Co, 0407 762 436; 18k yellow Gold Boulder Opal earrings, 18k yellow Gold Boulder Opal necklace; 14k yellow gold black and diamond ring, Opals Down Under, 5494 5400

Released from the rough, carefully shaped, and polished to perfection.

It's rare, it's precious and utterly unique. There will never be another one like it.

We know that what we do is something very special because there is nothing quite like the moment when an opal captures your heart. See

RACHEL WEARS GDS floral suit and Louenhide bags, Belle Collective and Co, 0407 762 436; 18k yellow Gold Boulder Opal necklace; 14k yellow gold black and diamond ring, Opals Down Under, 5494 5400

PEYTON WEARS Shanty dress, Belle Collective and Co, 0407 762 436; 18k White Gold Boulder Opal and Diamond Pendant, 18k White Gold Black Opal and Sapphire Ring, Opals Down Under, 5494 5400

PEYTON WEARS Staple The Label wide leg pant and shirt and Louenhide bag, Belle Collective and Co, 0407 762 436; David Lawrence earrings, necklace and cuff, Myer, Sunshine Plaza; Aje Azure slides, David Jones, Sunshine Plaza

THE-SCENES BEHIND-

Bright spring fashions called for a bright location so it seemed obvious to takeover Paradise Rum Distillery, Warana to spread our colourful collection of clothing, accessories, jewels and personalities all over the venue.

Creative Director

Carlie Wacker @worldofwacker

Assistant

Ally Chuck @ally_chuck

Models

Rachel Chubb @rach.chubb

Peyton O’Donnell @peytonodonnell

Photographer

Lauren Biggs @laurenbiggslbph

Hair & Make Up Artist

Justina Simone @justina_simone

Shot on Location

Paradise Rum @paradise.rum

BEING Seen

Shopping can be exhilarating or exhausting and it’s easy to lose our sense of style. If you find yourself despairing that you have “nothing to wear” while looking at an overcrowded and overwhelming wardrobe, help is at hand thanks to Sunshine Plaza’s latest initiative, as Deb Caruso discovers.

Between leaving the corporate world and the change in lifestyle and body shape that comes with motherhood and ageing, I was lost in a style void as black as my wardrobe! It’s my go-to colour for several reasons: it’s slimming; I can add wild earrings; wear it day or night; mix and match; and if I spill my coffee, it doesn’t matter.

Truth is, I lacked the confidence, time and sense of direction to find the right ‘style’ for this phase of my life.

When we heard Sunshine Plaza was partnering with Fashion Stylist Sheree Johnstone of Unseen Styling to offer Personal Shopping Sessions, our Fashion Editor Carlie Wacker put my hand up!

Fashion is in Sheree’s DNA and from a young age, she joined her mother on buying trips and worked in her Mooloolaba boutiques. She travelled the world modelling in campaigns and on catwalks for global brands and later launched her own boutiques, Unseen, Unseen Bazaar, Sesheke and Burnish.

Sheree now offers styling services for women and men wanting to refresh their wardrobe or looking for an outfit for a special occasion. For Sheree, the name ‘Unseen’ was all about presenting fashions that hadn’t been seen before and helping customers find something different and not be afraid to ‘be seen’.

A personal styling or shopping session with Sheree can save you time, money and stress showing you what styles, colours and shapes best suit you.

Our consultation started with a

wardrobe audit which is optional. Sheree helped me find workable solutions for a few problem pieces and encouraged me to part with items that no longer worked.

I was surprised at how fun and freeing this experience was with Sheree acting as an honest and non-judgemental friend!

Following our wardrobe review, Sheree had a look around Sunshine Plaza and arrived with a plan for our shopping date. For the next two hours, I head to the fitting rooms while Sheree hunts down outfits for me to try.

She had sourced some essentials, such as black pants and a leopard-print skirt that would work great with all my black tops and black boots and presented several options in different stores which were all winners!

More importantly, she handed me items I wouldn’t have otherwise tried

and safely introduced me to pops of colour and styles that I would never have chosen but I love.

The haul did not break the bank and I happily made a few purchases.

Now that I better understand my style and what to look for with regards to colours, styles and fabrics, I have added a few more pieces to the range and no longer dread choosing what to wear every morning!

I’m now stepping out in style – and attracting lots of positive comments. I’m not afraid to be seen!

“I love the feeling of making people feel happy and receiving compliments –it’s really rewarding and I’m very excited to explore Sunshine Plaza with my clients,” she said.

To book a shopping session with Sheree visit www.sunshineplaza.com

Deb Caruso & Sheree Johnstone

SYMBOLIC Stories

Name Sue Gaylard

Business Avenue J

How did your business begin?

After 15 years working in the iconic and Heritage-listed Brisbane Arcade, managing one of Brisbane’s well-known and loved antique jewellery shops I decided to move back to the Sunshine Coast, following my heart.

This led me back into doing what I love the most - seeking out stunning jewellery for people who love quality and uniqueness in the style that defines their personality.

Avenue J Jewellery has been constantly expanding over the past eight years seeking out and offering beautiful bespoke jewellery to keep our clientele enthralled at the range of jewellery we can offer.

What do you love about your business?

The interaction with clients when discussing the antiques and the stories that come to life are so fascinating. It is so rewarding when you see the delight on their face upon hearing the history, stories and meaning of each individual piece of jewellery.

How would you describe the Avenue J aesthetic?

Inviting, intriguing, open, fresh, personal, classic, unique, extensive, quality and simply beautiful.

How would you describe your clients?

Anyone who loves items of beauty and quality - whether they be modern or antique. We have now become a true destination experience, with many

collectors knowing that we have an enormous variety and collections that any of our contempories in the bigger cities would love to have. Our clients also appreciate receiving the best personal service in our beautiful shop.

Tell us about the lovely family memory that inspires some of your stock purchases?

One of my early memories is of my mother doing her China paintingshe always signed with the tiny blue “Forget-me-not” flower. It started a lifelong collection of items that have the

Forget-me-not: from jewellery, to photo frames, mirrors and cards, to name a few. The Forget-me-not represents: I will not forget you, do not forget me, true love, memories, remembrance. Its verse has been found throughout history in Italian, Spanish, German, French and English dating back to 1398 and earlier. The French version “Ne m’oublie pas” was said to be the last words of a knight walking by a river bank with his maiden as he fell into the river whilst leaning over to pick her a bunch of Forget-me-nots.

The story behind the antique pieces also inspires my purchasing. It’s quality and uniqueness which leads to real connection with like-minded clients.

With modern design I look for beautiful creations and we are also one of the few recognised pink diamond stockists in Australia.

...the history, stories and meaning of each individual piece...

Edwardian Handmade 18ct Yellow Gold Lovers Knot Ring Set With 2 Old European Cut Diamonds hallmarked London 1902

18ct White Gold Pear shape Columbian Emerald and Diamond drop Earrings

Original Art Deco Citrine And Diamond Ring C1930

$6,250

Edwardian Handmade 18ct Yellow Gold Half Hoop Old European Cut Diamond Ring hallmarked Birmingham 1902

Victorian 15ct Yellow Gold Circular Etruscan Style Drop Earrings Circa 1880 $4,500

Victorian 9ct Yellow Gold

Heavy Belcher Link Muff Chain $9,250

Victorian French 18ct Yellow Gold Diamond Set Bangle C1890 $15,750

Edwardian 18ct Yellow Gold Pink Coral & Diamond Cluster Ring

$6,900

Victorian 18ct Yellow Gold Lovers Knot Ring Set With Old Cut Diamond Bm 1897

$5,200

Beautiful 18ct White Gold and Rose Gold Australian Pink Argyle Diamond Daisy Earrings

Stunning 18ct White Gold & Rose Gold Australian Pink Argyle Diamond Ring

Some of the beautiful Forget-me-not collection in store

SCULPTING A New Era

Georgia Beard discovers the inspiring and eclectic vision for this year’s Sculpture on the Edge, an exhibition where art and reality combine on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

When sculptural art occupies a space, it invites a sense of intimacy no other artform can achieve. Unlike a painting on the wall, it doesn’t have to reach out to the audience to connect. It already dwells on the same plane of existence as us.

As we stand before a sculpture, move around it, touch it, the abstract world bleeds into our own in a moment of true, tantalising contact.

This year, we’re connecting with this world again on the breathtaking escarpment of Flaxton Gardens. The wedding venue’s sweeping lawns and enchanting halls will become home for Sculpture on the Edge, an exhibition of diverse sculptural works by Australian and international artists.

Not-for-profit organisation Arts Connect Inc. has spearheaded Sculpture on the Edge since 2010, when it began as a collaboration with Maleny Garden Club.

The following year, founders Pam Maegdefrau, Janna Pameijer and Jim Cox launched the exhibition as a stand-alone event.

As a sculptor herself, Pam believes there were so few opportunities for emerging sculptural artists to showcase their work, especially in the Hinterland. To her, Sculpture on the Edge offered 3D artforms the same recognition as 2D.

Since then, the showcase has enriched our arts community alongside Arts Connect’s Open Studios Sunshine Coast and other social events and workshops.

President of Arts Connect Inc. Gretchen

Keelty knows artists aren’t the only group who benefit from events like this.

“It’s an opportunity for the public to engage with sculpture,” she said. “It’s such a fascinating medium and it requires a different set of skills. People can interact with the artists, gain a greater understanding of what goes into making the sculptures, and hopefully feel inspired.”

In previous years, the sculptural works sprawled out across Spicers Tamarind Retreat. Last year’s exhibition drew crowds of 7,000 people over 16 days with 40% of the artwork on display sold.

After relocating to Flaxton Gardens, artists and audiences alike can enjoy a more accommodating carpark and bus stop, accessible spaces and inspirational experiences.

While Sculpture on the Edge used to offer outdoor works only, the new venue makes room for smaller, more fragile works indoors.

Sheltered in Flaxton Gardens’ Winery and Barrel Room, small sculptures and statuettes fashioned from delicate materials will stand on plinths in the soft light. Emerging onto the escarpment, installations will interact with the garden while durable monoliths rise against the panoramic coastal views.

“We’ve got some interesting intrigues rolling in,” Gretchen said. “Marble, bronze, brass, stainless steel, aluminium, found objects.

“There’s such a wide variety, from the abstract and ephemeral down to beautiful figurative pieces.”

Last year, Chris McKenzie claimed First Place after he embedded railway spikes into blue gum timber, carved and polished into his Rusty Red Echidna; Highly Commended went to Stephen Newton’s humanistic charred forest timber, Alone; while the Emerging Artist Award went to Parthenopi for Emblem,

Cat Men, Jason Sank.

Sway, Shiloh Perry

her recreation of the Cook Town Orchid using spades, water squirters and other plastic elements.

Other works saw steel wire ballerinas dangling from a canopy of trees; a swarm of paper cranes wavering in the wind, and visitors meandering through a maze of fallen branches, all decorated with declarations of love.

One of the more divisive pieces in the exhibition – Cat Men by Jason Sank saw vaguely disturbing, humanoid cats made from domestic cat fur prowl the natural landscape and earn the People’s Choice.

Now we get to explore the depths of artistic originality once again, discovering all the beauty, personality and intriguing social commentary that draws us to sculpture.

This new era for Sculpture on the Edge brings changes to the competition

categories and a generous donation from Flaxton Gardens, where First Place recipient will be awarded a prize of $10,000. The De Deyne Family Trust has provided a $5,000 prize for Highly Commended, and both the Emerging Artist and People’s Choice recipients will receive $1,000.

For the first time, Sculpture on the Edge will also offer a Local Artist prize of $2,000 for artists living on the Sunshine Coast and a Reclaimed & Recycled prize of $1,000 for works repurposing waste and other resources.

“We’re going to have workshops and artist talks, so it’ll become a much richer experience for the audience and the artists,” Gretchen said, mentioning lifelike sculpture and portrait sculpture as just a sample of the subjects to explore.

As Arts Connect Inc. remoulds, enriches and refines Sculpture on the Edge, we’re invited into a world where we might reshape ourselves.

Sculptural artists are calling us to interact with their intrusive artforms, to confront ourselves and the world around us, and finally, to respond.

See you on the edge!

SCULPTURE ON THE EDGE

Flaxton Gardens, 313 Flaxton Drive. 20 November - 4 December, 9am-3pm. FREE and open to the public. Flaxton Gardens will offer a set menu and takeaway options for hinterland picnics. Visit the website for more details including the Opening and Closing events! www.sculptureontheedge.com.au

Emblem, Parthenopi

Rusty Red Echidna, Chris Mckenzie If Only... Miles Allen.

Sunshine Coast’s premier outdoor sculpture exhibition

Discover a huge diversity of incredible artworks ranging from delicate indoor pieces to giant monoliths set against Flaxton Gardens’ stunning backdrop.

PRESENTED

IN THE Studio

If you’ve ever wondered about the creative process and wanted to find out more about what inspires the region’s artists, Pete Goodlet discovers an event that has art at its heart.

When people think of Noosa, the mind might spin thinking of the roundabouts; the mouth might water at the restaurants and bars; or the wallet may ache with a shopping trip to Hastings Street. But did you know the region has one of the largest collection of artists and is home to Queensland’s largest and premier open studio event?

Noosa Open Studios is back and bigger than ever! Last year saw 103 artists open their studios to welcome in art lovers from across the country and the globe, making it the biggest open studios event in Queensland – and this year that number has grown to see 117 artists in 100 studio spaces!

The seventh annual Noosa Open Studios will run from 1-9 October with five dedicated self-drive trails offering the opportunity to meet a host of very talented local artists and artisans and to explore their creative spaces and get just a great insight into the creative process.

The historic Wallace House Noosaville will once again shine as the base of the event showcasing a piece of work from each artist. Perusing the gallery here is a great place to start. You never know what might catch your eye and take you off on an artistic adventure. On weekends the volunteers of Wallace House will be hosting a pop-up café with a delicious array of homemade tasty treats.

Once you are all fuelled up, grab your guide and away you go. Don’t forget to mark your must-see artists on the map as with this much artistic bounty on offer you don’t want to be kicking yourself for

missed opportunities.

Art comes in all shapes and forms and Noosa Open Studios (NOS) is a chance to explore the use of many mediums.

From sculpture to glass work, dramatic works in oils and acrylics to serene watercolour scenes, NOS opens the doors to studios of all persuasions.

The studio may be situated in a beautiful, landscaped garden or down an industrial laneway. It’s raw, it’s gritty, its beautiful and it is yours to discover.

Open studios give you the chance to meet an artist you have admired or lead you onto new artistic directions. You have the chance to explore their creative process and take home an artwork, with the added meaning of knowing the artist that created your special piece.

Consider taking one of the many workshops running in conjunction with the event or book one in for a future date. Pop in to our excellent local and regional galleries or make that a special

day all on its own at a later date.

There are five trails to follow covering Noosa; the coastal Beaches; Tinbeerwah to Eumundi; Cooroy; and Pomona. You can mix them up or pick a trail a day to really make the most of the occasion, an artistic indulgence indeed. Each trail has a plethora of artists and a fascinating community to discover.

Many of our artists have chosen to take part in an exciting 2D3D collaboration. Working together to create vibrant and unique pieces to be auctioned at the event launch in Cooroy on Thursday 22 September. Getting artists to collaborate is a feat in itself! So come along and be rewarded with a visual feast and be in with a chance to take home a fabulous creation.

Speaking of collaboration, events as fabulous as Noosa Open Studios are only made possible by the tireless work of the committee members, volunteers, and the generous support of their sponsors. Check them out and show them a little love. It is events like this that make our region and its surrounds a very special place to live and visit.

Even artists must admit that an excellent day out is not just about a feast of visual delights. While you are touring

You have the chance to explore their creative process and take home an artwork, with the added meaning of knowing the artist that created your special piece.

Yanni Van Zijl

Renton Bishopric

Eileen Thompson

around, make the most of the excellent produce the area has to offer. Around about midday a little sample of a local boutique gin may be just the ticket. Always sample art responsibly though!

There are a multitude of fabulous dining options and enough brews of all sorts to accompany your artistic exploration. Stretch your legs with a wander through the Noosa Botanical gardens on the banks of Lake MacDonald

or even better, pack a picnic. Ultimately, an open studio event is a brilliant opportunity to explore the inner sanctum of creativity. There is nothing quite like visiting an artist in a space that enhances and fuels their own creative endeavours. It’s a chance to step into the wonderful world of art - and to purchase a piece direct from the artist. This is what makes Noosa Open Studios an event like no other.

7TH ANNUAL NOOSA OPEN STUDIOS

1-9 October

100 studios

117 artists

Ten workshops

Five trails

For more information, artist profiles and to download the 2022 Guide visit: www.noosaopenstudios.com.au

Wendy Peters

Rosie Woods

Susan Schmidt

Kate Florence

Darkness TO SIT WITH

Michael Brennan explores the world of the Runner-Up in The Bentleys 40 Under 40 Art Exhibition.

You need to think about your audience when you write these kinds of things. I wonder if anyone reading this even knows The Lovecats by The Cure, let alone Lullaby?

I reckon it takes some considerable commitment to engage with the gothic in Queensland. And I’m not going for some easy laughs about melting mascara here. I mean, I’m from Melbourne originally, where a long black coat, leather boots and a pale face are just an extension of the weather and the architecture it envelopes. But in this climate, the embrace of a darker aesthetic brings your attention to the ideas it draws out as opposed to a predilection for a wardrobe that seems to simply extend qualities of the city.

René Danika dances with these ideas, creating objects and installations that are disconcertingly beautiful and grotesque all at once, exploiting this friction to tease out extremes of both the political and moral persuasions. In this way, perhaps her work is more akin to a Sisters of Mercy meets Children

of the Corn vibe (Stephen King, not the remakes or sequels) where religion and politics trip into a cultic space, as opposed to the wistful love songs of The Cure.

Danika, who was awarded the runnerup prize earlier this year in The Bentley's 40 Under 40 Exhibition at the Butter Factory Arts Centre, works with a range of materials that evoke a visceral response to symbols and motifs often used to tell us how we should live.

Ornate frames and faux fur are brought together with crosses, reclaimed taxidermy, bullets, hair, bones and teeth. These are smeared with bitumen and sprayed with black enamel – the toxicity of the mediums impregnating the ornate or revered objects beneath.

Her surfaces blister and peel, variously recalling scorched earth or charred skin, their interchangeability suggesting a oneness with nature that supersedes false distinctions imposed by church and state. That got dark quickly.

But that’s kind of inevitable when such

Revolt Opening

big ideas are being explored. It’s something more than a morose wardrobe and some artfully applied makeup.

So, while Robert Smith and the rest of the band cram themselves into their own colonial-era closet before tumbling off a cliff, the fear and faith and heads on doors that they sing about with a kind of pop melancholy are more assertively grasped and offered as symbols to push back against in Danika’s immersive installations.

She asks us to sit with the darkness – to accept it and use it to shape ourselves rather than be subsumed by the ocean of authority and morality imposed upon us.

...creating objects and installations that are disconcertingly beautiful and grotesque all at once, exploiting this friction to tease out extremes of both the political and moral persuasions.

@ renedanika_artist

Seperation of Church and State

Left // Right Blacksheep

Beach Funeral

Revolt Opening

CONNECTING THROUGH THE Canvas

Australian artists are inspiring us to challenge our worldviews and better understand ourselves and each other. Georgia Beard previews their diverse works on show at Caloundra Regional Gallery’s 17th annual Sunshine Coast Art Prize.

Abstract reimaginings of love, friendship and society’s conflicts; coastlines, city streets and ordinary lives rich with memory and emotion; confronting shapes and experiences, urging us to look away yet cementing our eyes on the canvas, making a connection.

The latest multifaceted art exhibition has been unveiled on the walls of Caloundra Regional Gallery as the Sunshine Coast Art Prize returns for its 17th year with 40 contemporary works by artists from across Australia.

Sunshine Coast Art Collection Curator Nina Shadforth said the exhibition sends out a national call for artists to best showcase the current contemporary art landscape in Australia.

“In amongst this year’s cohort, there’s a really good mix of local artists, First Nations artists, emerging, mid-career and the more seasoned, established artists,” she said.

“From a curatorial perspective, we love to present an art award exhibition like this because in terms of taste, there’s always something for everyone, meaning that more people can connect with art, and we find that gratifying.”

Curated from 487 submissions, the display covers a variety of genres and media – from abstraction, landscape, portraiture and still life through to a range of media such as photography, digital stills, drawing, painting, relief prints and watercolours. Each offers a perspective unique to the artist – a fleeting moment in time; an homage to heritage or a demand for social change.

What makes these works so compelling are the diverse experiences reaching out to the viewer. They disturb us, comfort us and empower us. They encourage empathy for those outside our daily awareness. They satisfy the questions inside us that have been unanswered for too long.

“Art can have a powerful magnetic effect, attracting anyone purely by the impact of a visual image,” Nina said.

“Art also has the power through a visual language to expose onlookers to different points of view, whether it’s a social injustice issue or an environmental topic. Then, it may just be a simple matter of the artwork rendered in the viewer’s favourite colour or favourite place!”

This year, three artists from the Sunshine Coast invite us into their personal lives and philosophies.

Inspired by nature wanderings near her Mt Mellum home, Cholena Hughes’s cyanotype Her Journey uses ochre and acrylic paint to resemble a journey of life and spirit and connection to nature and Country.

Highly Commended for 3D and New Media at the 40 Under 40 Exhibition this year, Jordyn Burnett’s Lumps & Bumps celebrates diversity and body positivity with an animated self-portrait. The Alexandra Heads artist welcomes us into her struggles with pregnancy and body dysmorphia, using movement to change expectations of one’s form.

Coolum Beach artist Casey Hewitt encourages the viewer to drink an ethereal sense of calm and presence in the safe embrace of a backyard. Her oil on canvas work, When did I start holding my breath? examines memories of times past like water - stagnant, depleting, or plentiful.

“When you come visit the exhibition, it is up to you, the visitor, to chart your own way through the 40 finalist artworks without judgement or coercion of a

Casey Hewitt | When did I start holding my breath? 2022

Jordyn Burnett Lumps and Bumps, 2021

specific perspective,” Nina said. “In essence, we have no expectations that you as a visitor need to have the foundational knowledge of art history, but if you walk away with a new perspective on something then that’s a bonus.

“If there is an artwork that you really like, you have the opportunity to cast a vote in the People’s Choice award, or better still, make it yours as the works are available for sale.

“This is a contemporary art prize exhibition after all, and you don’t need to know something about art to walk into the Gallery. Come in and explore what artists are talking about, or simply just enjoy the Gallery space and the range of local artisan giftware on display.”

In addition to the ever-evolving exhibitions at Caloundra Regional Gallery, the Sunshine Coast Art Prize is one of the main means for the Sunshine Coast Art Collection to acquire new works of contemporary Australian Art. The Collection is a continuously growing cultural asset of artworks curated to encourage enjoyment and awareness of the visual arts, contributing to the cultural development and engagement of the community and visitors to the Sunshine Coast.

SUNSHINE COAST ART PRIZE 2022

26 August to 16 October; Winners announced 6 October

Prizes and Supporters

Major prize: $25,000 sponsored by Argon Law and Sunshine Coast Council

Highly Commended prize: $5,000 sponsored by the De Deyne Family

People’s Choice prize: $2,500 sponsored by the Caloundra Chamber of Commerce

Art prize vehicles: supported by Coastline BMW

Artist Residency: supported by Montville Country Cabins

Artwork transport and logistics: supported by International Art Services (IAS)

Cholena Hughes | Her Journey, 2022

ARTS RADAR

Discover exciting new exhibitions at the Sunshine Coast’s leading galleries, studios and arts centres!

COOL ART GALLERY

UNTIL 12 SEPTEMBER

IT STARTED WITH A TRICKLE

Pam Walpole’s latest series is the landscape affected by the volume of unseasonal rainfall and power of excess water on a saturated land. Run-off, trickling, seeping, flowing, floodwaters engulfing – chaos! Where the unpainted surface is just as important as the painted image.

12 SEPTEMBER - 4 OCTOBER

LINGER

Created during a year-long residency at Sub Tropic Studio, Shyanne Clark experiments across multiple mediums, from acrylics to oils on canvas and charcoal works on paper, attempting to capture the depths, and the human response to the power of the sea. Pastel pops hovering above the horizon offer oblique reference to the impact of climate change and global warming on the sea and its environs. The works encourage the observer to pause, to observe the layers and marks and mediums. To linger.

18 OCTOBER - 8 NOVEMBER

SIDEPIECE: AN EXHIBITION OF IDEAS

An exhibition of painting and sculpture from the studio where Alison Mooney explores ideas of colour, structure and light beyond her ongoing ‘tube series’. 5/43 Access Crescent, Coolum Beach Ph: 5471 7366 www.coolartgallery.com.au

BUDERIM CRAFT COTTAGE

17 - 18 SEPTEMBER

LIFE DRAWING EXHIBITION 2022

Discover the Annual Exhibition from the Life Drawing Group at the Buderim Craft Cottage and try your hand at drawing a portrait from a live model between 10am and 12pm on both days.

23 - 25 SEPTEMBER

‘OFF THE SHELF’ ART SALE

Local Mixed Media artists stack the gallery shelves with original art, from soft to bold, abstract to realism and experimental to decorative. View, connect with and purchase watercolour, acrylic, oil, printmaking, collage and more at greatly reduced prices.

15 - 23 OCTOBER

SCULPTURE GARDEN EXHIBITION

Led by Diedre Phipps, this exhibition features 150 sculpted creations by local artists, each representing the diversity in this ancient art form. The artists will be on hand each day to assist visitors in discovering how the pieces are inspired, designed, and crafted.

28 - 30 OCTOBER

SILVERSMITHS OF BUDERIM CRAFT COTTAGE

This Annual Exhibition showcases exquisite hand-crafted jewellery and metal art, from rustic recycled pieces to designed and finished fine jewellery. Experience demonstrations with artisans in action, creating their jewellery pieces using materials such as silver, gold, brass, copper, glass and gemstones.

5 Main Street, Buderim Ph: 5450 1714 www.buderimcraftcottage.com.au

OLD AMBULANCE STATION

UNTIL 24 SEPTEMBER

THE C WORD Culture, Crisis, Comfort, Confusion, Cloak, Concealment, Cocoon… The C word has as many understandings as the individuals who encounter it. Kim Schoenberger takes this ambiguity and melds it into forms and structures that interrogate the societal stasis wrought by a global phenomenon.

11 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER

NAMBOUR STATE COLLEGE ANNUAL ART EXHIBITION

Nambour State College’s thriving Visual Art department exhibits artwork from secondary students across a variety of media including painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, ceramics and installation.

80 Howard Street, Nambour www.theoldambulancestation.com

CALOUNDRA REGIONAL GALLERY

UNTIL 16 OCTOBER

SUNSHINE COAST ART PRIZE 2022

This dynamic visual arts award reflects outstanding contemporary 2D arts practice in Australia. Now in its seventeenth year, the exhibition presents

the remarkable finalist works by established and emerging artists from across the country.

21 OCTOBER - 4 DECEMBER

SIHOT’E NIOGE: WHEN SKIRTS BECOME ARTWORKS

An exhibition celebrating the Omie origin story of Papua New Guinea – the making of the first skirt or nioge. Exploring the history and tradition of nioge tapa, Omie Tapa artists present works created with the inner bark of rainforest trees and dyes from the natural world. Launch: Thursday 20 October, 6pm – 8pm.

22 Omrah Avenue, Caloundra

Ph: 5420 8299 www.gallery.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

USC ART GALLERY

UNTIL 29 OCTOBER

PETER HUDSON: THE MYSTERY OF BEING HERE

Sunshine Coast artist Peter Hudson’s largest career survey features more than 50 artworks drawn from public and private collections, investigating his overarching interest in our relationship with the world around us through painting and drawing.

90 Sippy Downs Dr, Sippy Downs

Ph: 5459 4645 www.usc.edu.au/art-gallery

STEVENS STREET GALLERY

UNTIL 30 OCTOBER POCKET PIECES

Celebrate the first birthday of Stevens Street Gallery with 75 artists who exhibited works in the past year returning with 30cm x 30cm pieces available for purchase. Works by Denise Daffara, Cath Knijnenburg, Wayne Smith and more recognise the incredible diversity of talent and expose audiences to affordable, original art.

UNTIL 30 OCTOBER

FEATURED ARTISTS

Discover works from local artists Laura Vecmane, Matt Armstrong, Rachel Pedrana, Mirelle Streza and Holly Milner. Meet the featured artists and explore the gallery at Artesunday with Bar Deco, Sunday 18 September, 2pm – 5pm.

2 Stevens Street, Yandina

Ph: Toni – 0414 687 895; Alicia – 0437 141 786 www.stevensstreetgallery.com.au

ART SCHOOL CO.

Home to the creative soul, Art School Co. is a new destination for fine art supplies and art classes. Directed by award-winning artist Jess Le Clerc, Art School Co. guarantees the best priced art supplies on the Sunshine Coast. The Zone, 32 Wises Road, Buderim Phone 0491 756 172 artschoolco.com

KIM HERRINGE

Kim captures a slower pace of life in the natural world with relief, contact, mono and intaglio printmaking. She offers prints online and runs small printmaking workshops from her Maleny studio. North Maleny Phone 0413 384 426 kimherringe.com.au

KAREN GEMMING

Exploring the beauty of watercolour, Karen combines a representational and intuitive style to evoke a memory or a feeling with the viewer. Original paintings and Fine Art prints. Watercolour classes. karengemming@gmail.com

Phone 0402 285 161 karengemmingartwork.com

JARROD RIGGS

Art inspired by Palm Springs, hot summers and warm glowing colours.Fresh and vibrant paintings celebrating the lifestyle and architecture of Southern California.

Phone 0401 480 558 jarrodriggs.com.au

Cholena Hughes | Her Journey, 2022

CALOUNDRA REGIONAL GALLERY

Caloundra Regional Gallery presents a changing exhibition program featuring leading local and national artists. Visit the website to view the exhibition program.

22 Omrah Avenue, Caloundra Phone 5420 8299 gallery.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

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Artists, art galleries, art supplies and more, be included in our Art Directory for just $313.50 per edition.

BE PART OF OUR ART DIRECTORY BOOK ONLINE NOW FOR OUR NEXT EDITION

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STEVENS STREET GALLERY

An independently-run creative space that supports local artists. The vibrant collection includes original artworks, prints, unique gifts, ceramics, jewellery and handcrafted homewares. 2 Stevens Street, Yandina Phone 0414 687 895 stevensstreetgallery.com.au

ILLUME CREATIONS

Illume Creations celebrates the art of colour with hand-blown and dichroic glass sculptures, vessels, lamp work and more from artists including Shiralee Cooper, Tina Cooper and Wolfgang Engel. Shop 4 Mayfield, 127 Main St, Montville Phone 5478 5440 illumecreations.com.au

THE ART HUB

Join one of our local artists at Sunshine Coast’s original Paint & Sip studio. You will feel right at home as you paint, sip and have some fun. Sessions are all BYO drinks & nibbles. Ages 18+.

The Strand, 19b-11 Bulcock St, Caloundra Phone 0447 799 878 thearthubsc.com.au

BUILDINGDreams

Architecture has been a marker of our local culture from colonial life to current day. This year’s Sunshine Coast Open House opens the doors to our historic and contemporary designs, as Georgia Beard explores.

We live in a region where tradition and modernity work in synergy with one another. To understand our culture, we look to the past; to shape our culture, we look to the future. The architecture of the Sunshine Coast offers a firm foundation for that connection.

Weatherboard chapels, town halls topped with gables and veranda-wrapped colonial homes remind us of our history.

Scattered along coastlines and in rural towns, they’ve survived a century or two of wild weather and urban development. Now we’re making sure they stand strong for generations to come.

Just as historic architecture deserves space on the Coast, so too do modern and innovative designs.

Local architects draw inspiration from natural surrounds and experiment with archaic and cutting-edge techniques. Their homes often harmonise with the environment, built from sustainable materials to welcome fresh air, sunlight and organic sounds.

Together, these places where we work and rest cultivate a living, everexpanding heritage.

Opening doors to some of our best homes and workspaces, the fifth annual Sunshine Coast Open House allows us to experience that heritage for ourselves.

On Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 October, we can tour a remarkable range of contemporary, heritage and sustainable buildings across the region, including some first-timers.

Sunshine Coast Open House Committee Chair Lindy Atkin said 27 buildings were opening and offering guided and selfguided tours with the aim of encouraging the general public to explore and experience.

“Open House provides a rare chance to meet the inspirational people, architects, designers, planners, engineers, and historians who create, build or preserve these buildings and whose contributions make the Sunshine Coast a unique and special place,” said Ms Atkin.

“Sunshine Coast Open House prides itself on showcasing the rich architectural diversity and history of the region and opening the doors to many interesting and beautiful spaces not often shared with the wider populace.”

Discover the history of our hinterland towns, from the Eumundi School of Arts Hall and newly renovated Eumundi Museum to Yandina’s 19th century house, Koongalba or grab a sneak peek at the Nambour Tram Terminus

Explore the heritage-listed Landsborough Museum, home to more than 14,000 historical objects which tells

the story of the region and its people. Step inside the Geddes House, a renovated mid-century beach house, or Family Tree House, a renovated timberframed cottage embracing its landscape.

Moving into the modern, Eumundi House opens a treasure chest of contemporary design and Headland House offers sweeping views of the Sunshine Coast from its clean balcony and open-plan floors. The Wishlist Centre, now in development, provides hospital accommodation to support

The Black House. Photo: Studio Next

Family Tree House. Photo: CFJ

patients and their families in a state-ofthe-art multilevel space.

Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson said the 2022 Sunshine Coast Open House program showcased design through the ages.

“This year’s program celebrates innovative architectural design and sustainable development alongside early settler designs that responded so well to environmental conditions,” Mayor Jamieson said.

“Tours offer a rare opportunity to hear from experts, gather inspiration, ask questions and just enjoy our region’s unique and diverse architecture.

“Sunshine Coast Council is proud to once again sponsor Open House, a must for architectural enthusiasts, budding designers or young families.”

Sunshine Coast Open House will also feature its popular photography competition, several guided walking tours, the Future Design Forum, Ask an Architect mini-consultations, an engaging workshop for high-school students interested in architecture, Australia’s Big Things Talk, the inaugural SCOH Children’s Program, and an Urban Sketchfest for those who love drawing.

The complete building list will be launched on Wednesday 21 September. Learn more about Sunshine Coast Open House or register for a tour or event at www.sunshinecoastopenhouse.com.au

TOP THINGS TO DO AT SCOH 2022

Big Things get even Bigger

Thursday 6 October from 6pm

Australia’s ‘BIG Things’ Talk with Dr Amy Clarke at Banana Bender Pub, Palmview.

Architect for a Day

Saturday 15 October from 9.30am

High school students interested in studying architecture and design have an opportunity to learn more about the profession at a special workshop.

Ask an Architect at ACE.

Saturday 15 October from 3.30pm

Thinking about building a new home or renovating an existing one? Book your free mini consultation with an architect.

Walking Tours

Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 October

Discover special places and learn more about the Sunshine Coast during several small group walking tours.

Sketchfest

Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 October

Celebrate the Sunshine Coast’s urban environment through Urban Sketching. This is a great opportunity for local artists and the public to participate with local and visiting urban sketchers.

Children’s Program

A fun activity book for children, full of amazing sketches and puzzles by some of the Sunshine Coast’s most creative architects, designers and organisations.

Photo Competition

Enter the Sunshine Coast Open House Photography Competition for your chance to win $1,000. All entries must be uploaded to www.sunshinecoastopenhouse.com.au before 5pm on Wednesday 26 October.

Mary Grigor Centre.

Photo: Sunshine Coast Council

The Geddes House.

Photo: Cade Media

Nambour Tram Terminus.

Photo: Sunshine Coast Council

SOUL OFSpring

The secret to wellbeing is creating a lifestyle that serves your soul best. Carlie Wacker meets the team behind a Sunshine Coast business that sells luxe outdoor furniture with a side of self-care.

Ibet you never connected simple things like an outdoor bean bag with mental health. For Bruce and Pip French, health and wellbeing were at the very core of their decision to take on a new business venture. The revelation was that the business would be one that supplies outdoor bean bags.

Bruce and Pip purchased Epona Co Lifestyle Bean Bags several years ago. Bruce, a former Health, Safety & Environment Manager and Pip, a nurse, knew the lifestyle career change they were seeking needed to tick a few boxes. It had to be a business or product that enhanced the wellbeing and mental health of its customers and it had to do the same for them.

“Our fundamental value is looking after yourself. We found in Epona Co Lifestyle Bean Bags we could help others create the space and place to help themselves to recharge and recover in a most relaxing way,” says Bruce.

“In the past we had both experienced and delivered corporate and medical management plans for clients and patients to feel better and with this new chapter we are doing the same in a different and fun way,” he adds.

The beach loving Currimundi family includes four children that all love the outdoors. The eldest daughter studied psychology and works with disadvantaged children and Pip is also studying the same degree as her inspirational firstborn. It appears that

compassion runs deep in the veins of the French family and that’s why I love this local business to the core.

So, let’s get down to business – why is a bean bag so beneficial for health and wellbeing? I can answer this from personal experience and to do this I will need to be a bit vulnerable. I have suffered from depression for well over 25 years. I manage it in many ways but most importantly I keep it under control (mostly) by making time to relax in a special environment. Over 12 months ago I purchased a pool bean bag for my ‘quiet time’ to float in the river or pool (a little haven for me to get some still time).

It quickly became my go-to piece of furniture inside and outside the house. A comfortable place to be – a retreat and sometimes a sneaky little spot for an afternoon nap.

Bruce and Pip know that creating a beautiful living environment is essential to good health and happy families.

...we could help others create the space and place to help themselves to recharge and recover in a most relaxing way

Resort Lounger

“The limited time we have available to share moments as a family should be special, comfortable and memorable,” Bruce says. “Epona Co Lifestyle Bean Bags create spaces that people love to share.”

Recently the team received a message from a client that further cemented their belief in the brand and their core values of wellness and health.

The mother of a daughter with Cerebral Palsy uses an Epona Co Lounger

to enhance her quality of life. The lounger is the perfect option for those with special needs.

“Her daughter can’t fall out of the bean bag lounger, its lightweight so they can take it from inside to outside in a flash and the cover is machine washable and bleachable to deal with any mishaps,” says Bruce.

This really is the luxe outdoor furnishing brand with a big heart. It’s also the most glam outdoor styling

A

range that every coastal home needs.

From pool beans bags to resort lounges, daybeds and cushions, Epona Co have all bases covered.

The range can be used indoor and out and the dedicated outdoor fabric can withstand sun, rain and everything else in between and is fully machine washable and bleachable.

Now is the time to furnish your outdoor space and create a haven for your family that will feed your soul.

Pip & Bruce French

Resort Moby Resort Lennox

Serving set, Manawee Garden Centre, 5445 2406

Bonnie and Neal bathmat Uncle George, 5474 5871

The Foraged Home Manawee Garden Centre, 5445 2406

Sea & Shore, Eclectic Style, 5470 2946

Teddy Boucle ottoman Eclectic Style, 5470 2946

DANNI MORRISON HOMEWARES EDITOR

Dust off those summer dresses and pull your Havaianas out of the cupboard, it’s time to shed the winter layers and enjoy the first snippets of warmer weather. It’s Spring baby! Since Covid, redecorating and zhuzhing our homes has become de rigueur, but now it’s time to cleanse, declutter and inject some fabulous Spring flavour into our most loved spaces. Textiles and linens of course, are one of the first seasonal swap outs made in the home. Consider teaming crisp white linens with light shades of textured fabrics like Boucle and canvas for a fresh look and feel that’s also interesting. All shades of green are on trend right now, I recommend sticking to one hue, be it yellow or blue-based and use it as freely as you will. In fact, this goes for all bright and bold colours this season as they ignite our individuality and showcase our personal flair. Go to town with colour! Have the best time, and remember this is your space, no one else’s - so love, enjoy, and thrive in it. PS: It’s time for your indoor plants to receive a little TLC

Assorted cushions, Bed Bath N Table, Sunshine Plaza

Bamboo bowl, Manawee Garden Centre, 5445 2406

Sanctuary cotton cushion Eclectic Style, 5470 2946

Decorative vase Manawee Garden Centre 5445 2406

Evienne quilt cover set Bed Bath N Table, Sunshine Plaza

Shop 10, Noosa Homemaker Centre, Thomas Street, Noosaville

Phone 5470 2946 | eclecticstyle.com.au

Australian Wildlife Napkins Manawee Garden Centre, 5445 2406

Lightweight planter, Manawee Garden Centre, 5445 2406

Acapulco candle holders, Bed Bath N Table, Sunshine Plaza

Wavertree & London candle Manawee Garden Centre, 5445 2406

Vienna candle Eclectic Style 5470 2946

Decorator cushions Bed Bath N Table, Sunshine Plaza

Wrapping paper book Uncle George, 5474 5871

GARDENSSpring

Now more than ever we are seeking homes with gardens that add not just street appeal and value to our houses, but also provide a space to unwind and escape, as Alison Smith discovers.

With a shift towards hybrid and work from home arrangements has come the desire to bring more greenery into our homes. Spending more time indoors meant we’ve jooshed our nests and it’s common knowledge that plants in our work and living spaces create a sense of calm, colour and clean air.

If you are new to indoor plants a good place to start is with a Spathiphyllm or Peace Lily as they are more commonly known. A great air purifier and even as the plant label suggests, simply ‘water when dry’. A bonus hint for beginners with this one is to dump the plant and pot in a bucket of water when the leaves look a little droopy and let the plant do its magic. An hour or so later it will be as good as new - we can attest to this as we have resuscitated these hardy plants in our office many times!

The Zanzibar Gem is also a fave when it comes to low maintenance indoor plants. The catch phrase on these beauties are ‘thrives on neglect’ - now that’s my kind of plant! Perfectly suited to any busy home, and unlike kids or animals they will continue to flourish with nearly no attention.

Simon Van Roy of Manawee Garden Centre agrees saying there has been lots of new people coming into the nursery looking to green their workspace and these are two plants you just can’t go wrong with.

This low maintenance trend is flowing onto our outdoor garden areas. Formal

hedges and high maintenance are on the way out. Instead gardeners are embracing the low maintenance and natural shapes of plants. Sweeping soft grasses, native varieties and delicate flowers are being embraced to create an almost wild look.

According to Simon, creating layers with foliage shapes and textures will help achieve this look.

“When refreshing a garden, think about the plants natural growth shape,” he said. “Take your cues from what is already available and look at giving back to nature to ‘rewild’ our backyards.

“This will also create a haven for the insects, bees and birds and allow our backyards to have a more authentic look and feel.”

Even our edible gardens are following this style. Alfresco kitchens are pretty standard and a common occurrence with our coastal lifestyles into our outdoor living spaces. No longer are the herbs

and vegetables relegated to the back corner of the garden. Instead many varieties can be grown in pots and vertical gardens in our patio areas.

Think vertical wall planters brimming with fresh herbs right near the BBQ ready to be freshly picked and added to marinades; strawberries, tomatoes and snow peas threaded over a trellis near the kitchen door waiting to be picked for a fresh snack barely even making it to the kitchen. Surround your seating area with lemons and limes for the convenience to add your fresh produce into your zesty spring cocktails.

One trend that is on the rise across all aspects of our lives is sustainability. While many don’t realise the level of plastic used within the garden industry, it’s been something that has been on the minds of Manawee. As one of the largest garden centres on the Coast servicing domestic and commercial operators they see a lot of single use plastics, and when offered the chance to help close the loop, they jumped at the chance. You can now drop off all your PP5 plastic pots and plant labels at Manawee. From here they are collected, chipped and sent back into the loop to be reused as new garden pots.

I’m hoping these gardening influences are here to stay. Finally my style of extreme low-maintenance / survive or die gardening that I’ve been perfecting over the years is finally catching on.

Zanzibar Gem

“

Division of labour, the separation of a work process into a number of tasks, with each task performed by a separate person or group of persons. It is most often applied to systems of mass production and is one of the basic organizing principles of the assembly line.” –Encyclopedia Britannica.

One of the fathers of modern economics, Adam Smith, famously illustrated the concept of the Division in his 18th century treatise The Wealth of Nations by outlining the 18 separate processes required to manufacture the humble pin.

He pointed to the potential for manifold productivity increases (number of pins produced per day) by adopting such a system.

It makes perfect sense to us now that assigning tasks based on experience, skill and natural tendencies, at work or in the home, will get the best outcomes.

Prior to the creation of the assembly line what makes perfect sense to us now was obviously not a widespread practice of early civilisation.

Our modern interpretation on this theory is impeccable isn’t it? The best people for the best job producing the best outcomes etc.

As an observer of my own and others’ behaviour however, I see this beautiful theory come unstuck in daily life when human frailties and emotions intervene.

Economic theories often ignore the human dimension and so it is with The Division; it can also produce souldestroying repetition which can undermine creativity and the joy of life.

Have you ever found yourself performing a task, at work or home, and find yourself wondering: “however did I end up here doing this”?

I have felt like Alice in Wonderland several times over the years tumbling down, down a rabbit hole of tasks and choices and ending up in a place which is both unfamiliar and unpleasant.

The performance of tasks and how well we do them, impacts upon our quality of life at all levels – physically, mentally

and emotionally, as well as spiritually. Our willingness and ability to perform these tasks also impacts on our selfefficacy which is a key feeder into self-confidence and mental health.

Life sometimes seems to be one endless (production?) line of tasks, a ceaseless birth-to-death manifestation of our natural restlessness as humans.

I am not saying that the experience of performing tasks are always negative. They are of course absolutely required in order to take care of the basics – shelter, food and water – and also for the higher pursuits of self-actualisation - the fun and revelatory stuff.

The Division has offered us much in return for its downsides.

Our civilisation, and all that it offers us here in this lucky country, is founded upon - and functions because of - our unrelenting task identification and completion. It is in our DNA.

Some of the tasks we end up doing are purely accidental in nature; they have been assigned to us by others seemingly randomly; or we somehow seemed to show a propensity for that particular type of task – or perhaps nobody else put their hand up and if we do not do them they won’t get done at all.

I am not talking about delegation as this involves power structures and we have all been on the end of that process where we are told to do something, sometimes against our better judgement.

I am talking about The Divisions that may build up over time between ‘equal’ partners, career or personal.

Some tasks are assigned following discussion and analysis about who is best placed, by experience or time availability, to do a particular job. How grown-up.

Assigning tasks like this is always best, in my opinion. The goal is to play to each person’s strengths and minimise weaknesses (the risk of failure) by spreading the tasks for the best outcome.

My experience is that this happens –every now and then.

More frequent however is the “power of random” where the wrong people end

up doing the wrong jobs. Familiar?

Undertaking tasks which are outside our experience or comfort zone can have poor or even disastrous consequences. Conversely it can be the ‘making’ of you.

This “power of random” is at its most intrusive and destructive when the jobs that no-one wants to do, the ones that are important but will fall between the cracks if left alone, end up being done by someone who is rubbish at them.

Sometime that someone is you. Yes, I know it is hard to believe. It takes a fair level of self-awareness to admit that you are not the best person for the job.

Our old travelling companions Pride, Control and Resentment play a part here.

It seems to me that a Spring Clean of your Divisions of Labour can provide new energy and freshness. Are there tasks which you are performing at work or in the home that you will never be good at, or from which you recoil? Is there someone better suited to do these, or at least have a go? Can you swap tasks?

Some Divisions analytics might help. Write down all your jobs and how well you are doing them, whether you like them and whether they should go elsewhere. Are there jobs being done by others that you would enjoy doing and for which you feel better suited?

Sometimes we end up doing things purely as Labours of Love, because we know they will ease the burden of someone else who we care about.

We may need to grit our teeth and shoulder our way through these jobs as they bring their own, different rewards.

There is a perverse nature where the higher the irksome factor, the greater the satisfaction. This is where we also learn about our capacity for compassion.

Time to look at your task lists with a view to a Divisions Spring Clean.

Paul Bird explores the modern Divisions of Labour and suggests a Spring Clean to provide new energy and freshness.

Turn to the Experts to discover

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Caroma’s new Elvire Collection, available now at NCP, is where nature and luxury unite. It brings together a minimalist design aesthetic with beautiful materials for a stunning bathroom experience. This collection reflects contemporary minimalism with a design that is both practical and ultra-stylish. The design language of the circle is timeless and the closed loop represents Caroma’s commitment to water and its relationship to nature and the human response to that connection.

NCP’s expert staff can answer all your questions and show you baths, showers, tapware, vanities, basins and accessories from the Elvire Collection that will bring your design ideas to life.

So when you’re building or renovating, turn to the experts – turn to NCP.

ncpgroup.com.au