ENTERTAINMENT EDITION
SURFERS PARADISE / EVENT GUIDE / ARTS & CULTURE / MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT / FOOD & LIFESTYLE
THIRSTY MERC TALK
THE GOOD life ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC SURFERS PARADISE LIVE RETURNS
HOPPING MAD
EASTER ENTERTAINMENT WITH SEAFIRE, STEP UP, SIPFEST & AUSTRALIAN STREET ENTERTAINMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS
Available Now!
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Cover Stories
Fashion, Arts & Culture
06 The Good Life
16 What’s On Arts & Culture
08 All About the Music
20 All the Leaves are Brown
10 Hopping Mad
22 The Future is Bright
Music & Entertainment
Food & Lifestyle
19 Easter Holiday Time
14 Order Up
24 Practically Perfect in Every Way
21 One Meal at a Time
30 Time to Fly
26 Something More Refined 28 Five Minutes With the Locals
PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
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WELCOME NOTE
SURFERS PARADISE / EVENT GUIDE / ARTS & CULTURE / MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT / FOOD & LIFESTYLE
Precinct Magazine, an initiative of Surfers Paradise Alliance Limited Official marketing and management authority for Surfers Paradise. spa@surfersparadise.com www.surfersparadise.com Published by Nude Publishing, a division of Nude Creative Pty Ltd www.nudepublishing.com.au Art Direction, Editorial & Production Nude Creative hello@nudecreative.com.au www.nudecreative.com.au National Advertising Manager Peter Wastie peter@nudepublishing.com.au Printed in Australia by Webstar www.bluestargroup.com.au Disclaimer. No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any form by any means without prior written permission from the Publisher. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Surfers Paradise Alliance Limited or Nude Publishing. Every issue of Precinct Magazine is prepared with careful attention to accuracy. Please use this magazine as a general guide. Precinct Magazine expresses the views of the authors and is based on the information available at the time of publication and it is not to be taken as advice. All prices quoted in this publication are correct at time of printing. All editorial material is accepted in good faith. We welcome editorial and photographic contributions.
GOT THOSE POSTCHRISTMAS HOLIDAY BLUES? WELL NEVER FEAR!
E
aster is upon us and with it comes so much activity in the precinct, the Christmas holidays will be but a faded memory as you launch into 2016 with new aspirations and goals and a resolve to experience new things in the land of sun and sea.
WELCOME
The Easter long weekend is the perfect time to expand your horizons and get involved with all the events that will turn Surfers Paradise into a bustling entertainment hub. Awaken the child in you with the Australian Street Entertainment Championships, where Surfers Paradise will transform into a carnival of laughter as musicians, comedy acts, magicians, jugglers, dancers and performers compete for your applause.
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PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
Step Up Surfers Paradise returns for another year, with dancers of all ages battling it out in a range of genres including hip-hop, break dancing, jazz and Latin. In an atmospheric arena like no other, the competition will once more be held on the beaches of Surfers Paradise in the Pavilion Marquee. When you hear that beat, well, you know you can’t stop your feet! SIPFest, otherwise known as Shorts in Paradise, comes back to Surfers Paradise Beach with a showcase of the best short films in Australia. Sand at your feet and stars in the sky, simply sit back and enjoy 10-minute cinematic masterpieces by emerging filmmakers from across the country. Seafire returns with a literal bang - two teams of pyrotechnicians will transform the night skies above Surfers Paradise Beach into blasts of colour as fireworks of all shapes and sizes erupt to the beat of the music. For all your Easter entertainment needs, turn to page 10. And to top off an amazing month, Surfers Paradise LIVE brings you Thirsty Merc – our cover artists – who will be headlining LIVE along with an eclectic mix of performers
including The Choirboys, Anthony Callea, Harrison Craig, Little Sea and more. We sat down with Thirsty Merc to talk tours, music and what fans can expect from their LIVE gig – page 6. Surfers Paradise LIVE is a free event so you have no reason not to attend over the weekend of May 6-8! A huge mix of music genres with multiple stages throughout the precinct will set the scene for a musically blissful weekend. Line-up and details on page 8. If that is not enough to get you out of the house and into the precinct, there are so many new eateries around the place we had trouble condensing them all to two pages! From mouth-watering burgers to wickedly indulgent doughnuts, and even an Ale House, Surfers Paradise is turning it up with new tastes, sights and sounds. More on page 14. Blues be gone, and instead, open your eyes to the wondrous colours of this surfside city of ours. Until next time, The team at Precinct.
ENTERTAINMENT EDITION / 2016
THE
GOOD L
I
F
E
No strangers to the Australian music industry, Thirsty Merc have spent 12 years on the scene, bursting forth with their first independent EP followed up by three critically acclaimed studio albums. Their latest album release in 2015, Shifting Gears, took them all over the
COVER STORY
country and 2016 sees no chance of slowing down.
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PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
ENTERTAINMENT EDITION / 2016
VOCALIST, SONGWRITER AND FOUNDER RAI THISTLETHWAYTE SPOKE TO PRECINCT ABOUT MUSIC, TOURING, WEARING SOMBREROS IN BONNIE DOON WITH JIMMY BARNES, AND WHAT IN FACT, MAKES LIFE, SO GOOD.
A. I don’t think I could pick the best part about touring, because there are so many great elements to touring. Some of my favourite parts of touring would be: I get to hang out and work with a team of my best friends, I get to see amazing places, and I’m lucky enough to share original music with fans in some amazing venues. As a touring muso, you always meet so many interesting people on the road, and in the business. Q. The title of the tour was taken from a particular track on your latest album, Shifting Gears. A lot of the lyrics speak for themselves, but what is your experience with ‘the good life’? A. In this particular instance, ‘The Good Life’ refers to the simple things in life, as opposed to ‘living it up,’ or having material possessions – you know, those kinds of ‘illusionary happinesses.’ As I progress through life, I realise more and more that the simple things, like good health, family, and appreciating the moment you’re in, are the truest definitions of the phrase. Q. Thirsty Merc has been a part of the music industry for a while now (just over a decade). After taking a break and exploring solo options, you came together to release Shifting Gears under a new record label. How has this album’s process differed to previous albums? A. The release of this particular album is different in the way that we had to pay for everything ourselves upfront: recording, music videos, marketing etc. instead of having our record company offer some financial backing. Also, we organised everything ourselves, and made all the creative decisions between the band internally and our producer, live agency and publicity colleagues, instead of working in more of a committee. In that way, it was a very tight knit and efficient process. It made it busier for the band personally, but it afforded us a lot more
www.surfersparadise.com
creative control, and partly because of that, I believe we’re happier with the results. I’m also really proud to say that the quality of the songs and recordings haven’t been truncated in any way. Q. Lindsay Gravina produced this album (The Living End, Kate Miller Heidke, Roland S Howard) and it was mastered by Emily Lazar (Foo Fighters, David Bowie, Sia, The Killers). What was this collaboration like? A. Collaborating with Lindsay on this album was fantastic. As a producer, he’s world class. He really went beyond the line of duty here - mixing up a storm in the studio, and produced this album with huge amounts of creativity, amazing work ethic, and passion. Working with Emily (who mastered the album) was a dream. I got to hang out in New York City with her, and observed her and Lindsay working together. We even got to watch a little bit of raw footage of her in the studio with Lou Reed, from when she remastered Lou’s anthology. That was a real treat. Q. How would you describe this album? A. I would describe this album as a return to Thirsty Merc’s rock roots. The songwriting is a little bit more mature, in my opinion. Q. Was there ever a time when you considered other occupations, beyond music? A. There wasn’t ever really a time that I considered other occupations. I wasn’t much good at anything else, and in a way, believing early on that music was going to be a difficult path…maybe I deliberately cut myself off from thinking about other occupations as I knew then I would have to commit to music with no safety net. It’s worked out so far, even though it’s been very up and down. I think if I didn’t do music though (now that I’m older), I’d still be doing something creative. I’m very interested in photography.
Q. What can your Gold Coast fans expect from your gig at Surfers Paradise LIVE? A. Fans can expect a high-energy show. We always have fun when we visit the Gold Coast. Q. Surfers Paradise LIVE is all about promoting live music and connecting more with those who appreciate that live genre. How important is live music to you/the band? A. Live music is one of the most important things that a musician can get involved with in their career. In my opinion, it’s the best way to experience music. Although Thirsty Merc is comprised of practitioners of music, we’re simply music fans ourselves. We grew up as live music fans first and foremost, and watched and listened to countless artists playing live through the early years, just for enjoyment. And we still do to this very day. There’s nothing like a great gig! Q. Surfers Paradise LIVE is also pretty unique in that, it’s beachside. What other memorable locations have you played at? A. We’ve been lucky enough to play at quite a lot of memorable locations and a few come to mind: live at the NRL grand final, live at the ARIAs, in New York City at the Mercury Lounge...and here’s an Aussie experience if ever there was one: we shared the stage with Jimmy Barnes in Bonnie Doon on a 40 degree arvo a few years back. Matt (Thirsty Merc guitarist) donned a sombrero while playing - and I can assure you, he was smart to do so that day! Q. Will you be able to experience any down time while in Surfers Paradise? A. I reckon we’ll be stoked if we can, that would be awesome!! We’d love to stay a few days if the schedule permits! Thanks again.
Q. What is in the pipeline for Thirsty Merc in 2016? A. We’re not too far away from announcing another tour. It’s going to tie in with another single release from the album.
COVER STORY
Q. Thanks for speaking with Precinct Magazine. You guys have just completed The Good Life Tour, which took you to 39 dates around Australia in 2015, visiting nearly every state and territory. What is the best part about touring?
PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
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ALL ABOUT THE
MUSIC
You can hear it on the radio, and you can play it in the car. You can shuffle it over Spotify, you can download it from iTunes. But does anything really beat the atmosphere of listening to music, live?
Fri 6 SurfersSuPn 8 May, aradise
FREE EVE
NT Visit surf ersparad for detail ise.com s
I
n honour of this very notion, Surfers Paradise LIVE is back in 2016 with a new line up of artists and an energy that will turn the precinct into a symphony of sound. The musicians and the crowds will merge their collective energy once more to celebrate music in its barest form.
COVER STORY
Over three days, Surfers Paradise LIVE will showcase a diverse mix of music genres across two main stages, so no matter where you are in the precinct, you will be walking to the beat. Headliners Thirsty Merc will lead the charge followed closely by Little Sea, The Choirboys, Anthony Callea, Harrison Craig and more. Grab some friends and enjoy Surfers Paradise at its best – under the autumn sky while music simultaneously merges with the melody of the waves, only metres away.
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PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
ENTERTAINMENT EDITION / 2016
The line-up
Thirsty Merc
THE Choirboys
Anthony Callea
Headlining this year’s LIVE, Thirsty Merc are fresh off The Good Life Tour, following the release of their latest album Shifting Gears in 2015. No strangers to the industry, Thirsty Merc burst onto the Australian music landscape 12 years ago with their first independent EP followed by three critically acclaimed studio albums, an acoustic fan favourites record entitled ‘AAA: Acoustic Anniversary Album’ and a swag of classic, radio staples like 20 Good Reasons, Someday Someday, Mousetrap Heart and In The Summertime. Stay tuned for another tour announcement in 2016!
The kings of Australian pub rock, The Choirboys, are ‘running to paradise’ for a renaissance show at Surfers Paradise LIVE. What started 30 years ago as a jam in lead singer Mark Gable’s home in the Northern Beaches of Sydney, The Choirboys have since grown to symbolise Aussie music culture, marking history with their unofficial rock anthem, ‘Run To Paradise’. If you know the words to classics like ‘Boys Will Be Boys’, ‘Never Gonna Die’ and ‘Struggle Town’, you’re in for an unforgettable gig.
Surfers Paradise LIVE welcomes AustralianItalian-Maltese dreamboat Anthony Callea, the runner-up of Australian Idol 2004. Following his stellar performance on Idol, Anthony went on to earn an ARIA and Channel V Artist of the Year Award, as well as four platinum certifications for his track ‘The Prayer’, which in 2011 was the fastest selling single in Australian music history. Besides singing alongside Tina Arena, Celine Dion and Whitney Houston, Anthony has performed for Queen Elizabeth II and the Princess Mary of Denmark.
TIMETABLE TIME
MAIN STAGE
CAVILL STAGE
FRIDAY 6 MAY 5.00PM – 10.00PM 5.00pm 6.00pm
Jordan Millar Duo Nicole Skye
7.00pm
Winner of the second series of The Voice Australia, 21-year-old Harrison Craig and his silky motown-inspired vocals are set to bring LIVE audiences to their knees. The ARIA charts singer has come a long way since experiencing a severe stutter as a child, which he overcame through singing. His albums More Than A Dream and L.O.V.E. earned platinum and gold status, respectively, in 2013 and 2014, and were widely commended during his two national tours.
7.15pm
In Stereo
8.45pm
Little Sea SATURDAY 7 MAY 11.00AM – 10.00PM
11.00am 11.45am
The Fullstops Izania
12.45pm 1.30pm
Fat Picnic Mahalia Simpson
2.30pm 3.15pm
Hot Potato band The Reversals
4.15pm 5.00pm
Mercury Sun Wasted Wanderers
6.00pm
Busy Kingdom
Little Sea
7.10pm
Thirsty Merc
When vocalist and guitarist Andrew Butler and drummer Leighton Cauchi combined their musical interests – with the later addition of Oliver Kirby and Dylan Clark – Little Sea was born. Now signed to Sony Music Australia, Little Sea took their soaring pop-rock riffs around the country last year in Amplify, a tour featuring the biggest music and comedy acts on YouTube. Their latest EP, ‘With You Without You’ will be layering the Surfers Paradise LIVE stage with a wave of new hits.
8.45pm
The Choirboys
www.surfersparadise.com
SUNDAY 8 MAY 11.00AM – 5.30PM 11.00am
Cheap Fakes
12.00pm 12.45pm
Little Georgia Hot Potato Band
2.00pm
The Lamplights
3.00pm
Harrison Craig
4.20pm
Anthony Callea Event timetable correct at time of printing Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast / PRECINCT MAGAZINE
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COVER STORY
Harrison Craig
Benny D Williams
Easter Entertainment in the Precinct This Easter, watch as our coastal paradise transforms into a dazzling carnival space, where dance is the language and laughter, the sound. Come one, come all to feast your senses in Surfers Paradise for the holidays, where each day holds a COVER STORY
new level of energy!
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PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
ENTERTAINMENT EDITION / 2016
ON THE STREET Australian Street Entertainment Championships Friday 25 – Monday 28 March Turning the laughter right up, and dropping jaws every which way, the Australian Street Entertainment Championships (ASEC) presented by Soul Boardwalk, are back to win the hearts – and laughs – of the Surfers Paradise audience. As the flagship event for the holidays, a troop of mimes, magicians, musicians, jugglers, acrobats, dancers, singers and downright larrikins won’t miss a beat in setting the festival’s tone. This year, high-calibre professional street entertainers will perform in the Major Pitch shows, while local/amateur performers will compete for the Viewer’s Choice Award in the Pocket Pitch shows, the winner determined by an SMS voting system. ASEC is also introducing a nightly improvisation show in the Marquee Pitch, where the very best street entertainers reinvent and integrate snippets of their acts to craft a spectacular new show, all live, right before your eyes. This family-friendly, highenergy entertainment is free on entry with a different show every night … exit is by donation! Meanwhile, for the first time ever, the Surfers Paradise foreshore will become a temporary BMX track for Flair Riders, a group of professional BMX motorcycle and bike riders who made the semi-finals of Australia’s Got Talent in 2012. Start your engines folks, because these back-flipping daredevils are performing four free shows each day!
ON THE FLOOR Step Up Surfers Paradise Tuesday 29 – Wednesday 30 March Pirouette, high kick, head spin – whatever your dance style, you’ll find the inspiration to move at Step Up Surfers Paradise, the most dynamic and impressive dance competition to take to Gold Coast streets. Over two days, in front of a massive Surfers Paradise crowd, contestants will jazz, hip hop and salsa dance their way through a series of heats and finals, with each stage offering some major cash prizes. On the judging panel this year is Queensland’s incredible hip-hop queen and choreographer Jasmine Meakin – an extra degree of pressure and inspiration for competing hip-hop dancers.
COVER STORY
Whether you cut rugs, get down or step up; this is one event you need on your dance card!
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PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
ENTERTAINMENT EDITION / 2016
ON THE SCREEN SIPFest Sunday 3 April Shorts in Paradise, or SIPFest, is the Gold Coast’s most prominent and prolific short film festival, set this year on Surfers Paradise Beach. Here, emerging Aussie filmmakers – perhaps some young Luhrmanns among them – will showcase their works to a crowd of film-hungry patrons, who are also their ultimate critics. From an inundation of submissions, only 10 films are selected for SIPFest, each running for 10 minutes. The top talent in front of and behind the camera will be awarded for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Audience Choice. Short films run the gamut of genres, including horror, thriller, comedy, documentaries and animations, and are judged by a discerning panel of film experts who will award over $10,000 in prizes to selected filmmakers. SIPFest reruns will be taking place on Monday 4 April for those who miss out.
UNDER THE STARS Seafire Saturday 9 April While the competition is still burning, let’s take to the skies for Seafire presented by Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific, a spectacular fireworks contest between two of the country’s most experienced pyrotechnicians. While you set up a twilight picnic on Surfers Paradise Beach, the fireworks masters will prepare two distinct yet equally exquisite displays of flashing colour, which will launch from a set of barges anchored beyond the wave-break.
COVER STORY
Hold your breath, sit back and look up – the show is about to begin.
Visit surfersparadise.com for details on these events.
PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
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FOOD & LIFESTYLE
Somewhere in the world it’s lunchtime, right? There’s never been a better time to grab a bite in Surfers Paradise with the arrival of several brand new restaurants and bars. Let’s take a look at what’s on the menu.
Betty’s Burgers & Concrete Co.
BKRY
CHA Tea Providores
Despite the sweet sounding name, Betty packs a mean punch of flavour. Betty’s Burgers & Concrete Co. serves classic burgers and wicked desserts in a tropical vintage milk bar plucked straight from Miami Beach. While it’s easy to choose between six burgers (the Betty’s Classic Stack combines two of them!), choosing your frozen custard ice-cream ‘concrete’ combination is a challenge. Chocolate mixed with caramel popcorn, raspberries, rocky road and Persian fairy floss? That’s only the beginning.
Don’t let the abbreviation fool you; BKRY cuts no corners in baking. Inside The 4217, you smell this artisan bakery before you see it, with wafts of cinnamon and pastry catching the wind inside the hip industrial precinct. From take-home loaves of multigrain, wholemeal and rye, to decadent knots of sugared dough, to simply heroic sausage rolls and pies, BKRY has what your breadbox needs, poured from rustic buckets and onto the counter each morning. Get ‘em while they’re hot.
The length of CHA Tea Providores’ menu alone is testament to its dedicated exploration of the coffee alternative. Find your brew among exotic fusions of black, green, white, tisanes and herbal teas, all hailing from far-off corners of the globe, or settle into a ‘contemporary’ or ‘nourishing’ (vegetarian, gluten free) high tea sitting for $35 per person. Spearmint Morocco Mint, Turkish Apple, Lung Ching – prepare to revolutionise your teapot.
12-14 Chevron Renaissance Shopping Centre 3240 Surfers Paradise Boulevard bettysburgers.com.au
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PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
The 4217 10 Beach Road the4217.com
The 4217 10 Beach Road chatea.com.au
ENTERTAINMENT EDITION / 2016
Doughnut Time It’s about time somebody created what we’ve all longed for: a store dedicated to doughnuts. While Doughnut Time’s menu changes each week, its mouth-watering flavours are consistent. One week you can lose yourself in the Nutella-filled, cinnamondusted Love at First Bite, and the next, a Slim Shady of vanilla glaze and M&Ms. Bacon, jam, pink salt, potato chips, caramel; these wonderfully whacky combinations make for very pretty doughnuts, too. Get your tastebuds – and Instagrams – ready. Cnr Cavill Avenue and Surfers Paradise Boulevard doughnuttime.com.au
Cocoon Ultra Lounge Bar Dining
Ultra Lounge Bar & Café
In an age where big label beers are making way for lesser-known craft beer, The Institution Ale House is earning easy points, and not just at the bar. Serving beers from across the Americas, Asia/Oceania/Europe and the United Kingdom, this gastro pub takes ‘a couple of cold ones’ to a worldly level with a range of strengths, styles and brewing histories. Besides the stylish log cabin interior complete with timbered walls and street art, the mouth-watering gourmet share plates tell us this ain’t your average pub.
Cocoon, the much-anticipated lounge bar and restaurant on the river end of Cavill Avenue, certainly lives up to its name in design, starting with the bulbous lounge chairs, cocoonesque lights, the feature walls of flushed, ghostly artwork, and its glamorous Mediterranean daybeds. Here’s your chance to splash out on a bottle of $1,300 1998 Penfolds Grange Hermitage, or tuck into some very well-priced dishes like the Sushi Club Sandwich and Yasai Croquettes.
After owners Scott and Nathan cultivated their love of food on a round-the-world adventure, they landed in Surfers Paradise with a vision: to recreate their gustatory experience. While Ultra’s cocktail team kicks your evening off behind the bar, you can explore some of the world’s most iconic dishes among the tapas, tacos and sliders. Quail with pomegranate, scallops with beetroot and burghal, Moroccan spiced chicken wings and soft shell crab with Vietnamese salad. Next stop, Ultra.
1/58 Cavill Avenue cocoongoldcoast.com
1/38 Cavill Avenue ultralounge.com.au
Level 1 The Hilton Building 3113 Surfers Paradise Boulevard institutionalehouse.com.au
www.surfersparadise.com
PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
FOOD & LIFESTYLE
The Institution Ale House & Dining
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ARTS & CULTURE
SHEN YUN ‘Shen yun’ translates to ‘the beauty of divine beings dancing’ – an apt description of Shen Yun Performing Arts, a classical storybased dance theatre hailing from China. With worldwide critical acclaim, Shen Yun arrives to the Arts Centre Gold Coast to perform three shows of unrivalled musical, acrobatic and dance mastery, where the audience will witness the unique culture of ancient China, once known as the ‘Land of the Divine’. When Where Cost Info
Friday 4 – Saturday 5 March 2016 The Arts Centre Gold Coast, 135 Bundall Road $65.00 – $125.00 theartscentregc.com.au
ARTS & CULTURE
THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET KIDS – THE SLEEPING BEAUTY Now little princesses and princes can enjoy the beauty of the Australian Ballet in its ‘Storytime Ballet’ production, The Sleeping Beauty. Designed for ages three and up, this dazzling ballet will inspire children and parents as it blends storybook favourites – from Cinderella to Puss in Boots – and enchanting Tchaikovsky music with an interactive, narrated spectacular. Don’t forget to wear your tutu! When Tuesday 29 – Wednesday 30 March 2016, various times Where The Arts Centre Gold Coast, 135 Bundall Road Cost $29.00 – $49.00 Info theartscentregc.com.au 16 |
PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
STEP UP SURFERS PARADISE Surfers Paradise will take centre stage with the return of the annual Step Up Surfers Paradise dance competition, which invites the Gold Coast’s best dancers – from hip hop and breakdance to jazz and salsa – to compete for the crown! Dancers who make it through to the finals also have the chance to win major cash prizes, and to inspire others with their ground-breaking moves! When Where Cost Info
Tuesday 29 – Wednesday 30 March 2016 Pavilion Marquee, Surfers Paradise Beach Free to spectators surfersparadise.com
GOLD COAST FILM FESTIVAL Pull out your clapboards because the Gold Coast Film Festival is back for another ten days of fascinating seminars, workshops and family events. From horror to indie to comedy, every genre you could hope to watch will screen at the Arts Centre Gold Coast, while Surfers Paradise Beach will host SIPFest, a showcase of Australia’s best short films. When Where Cost Info
Thursday 31 March – Sunday 10 April 2016 The Arts Centre Gold Coast, 135 Bundall Road and Surfers Paradise Beach Various ticketed and free events gcfilmfestival.com
SANKOFA Marvel at the raw energy and colour of African dance, music and culture in Sankofa, a brilliant dance production by the Asanti Dance Theatre and international guests from its sister company in Ghana. The story follows one man’s journey through time under the watch of the ancient Sankofa symbol, which means ‘go back and get it’ in the Twi language of Ghana. When Where Cost Info
Saturday 2 April 2016, 7.30pm The Arts Centre Gold Coast, 135 Bundall Road $26.00 – $48.00 theartscentregc.com.au
GLOW Get set to be dazzled by light, laser, projection, digital media, short films, virtual reality, gaming and animation - all set against the backdrop of Evandale Lake, the Nerang River and the Gold Coast skyline. GLOW returns to showcase the dynamic and diverse digital talent on the Gold Coast. Be captivated lakeside by the city’s dynamic water and laser spectacular. Why not catch the G:link to Surfers Paradise and take a free water shuttle from the Cavill Avenue pontoon? When Saturday 30 April 2016, 5 - 10pm Where Gold Coast Cultural Precinct, Bundall (behind the Arts Centre Gold Coast) Cost Free Info cityofgoldcoast.com/glow ENTERTAINMENT EDITION / 2016
SURFERS PARADISE
T H E T R AV E L L E R ’ S C H O I C E
W
hat’s in a name? Surfers Paradise is a name with a story. A name that speaks of scorching summers, cold milkshakes on the beach and live music in the bars. It’s a name that brings to mind both nostalgia of things past, and anticipation of things to come. Walking across the blistering sand towards the crashing waves on Surfers Paradise Beach on a hot day, you would be forgiven for not stopping to appreciate your surrounds, too busy making a run for the water. But if you took a moment, you would see the sun, the sand and the sea. Behind you, the bustling cityscape full of sounds and laughter within the walls of the lively venues. While all around, a sense of activity and joy, and the smell of salt in the wind.
The awards honour international destinations that have seen the greatest increase in positive feedback and reviews from the community of TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel website. Now in their fourth year, the awards come directly from reviews and opinions of guests, ultimately making it the highest - and most honest - recommendation a destination could receive. So what exactly, makes Surfers Paradise so likeable to travellers? “The Gold Coast is world famous for its stunning coastline and beautiful weather, but alongside its iconic beach, Surfers Paradise offers so much more, with an
“Throughout the year, visitors to Queensland’s largest entertainment precinct will find Surfers Paradise to be a thriving hub of free cultural activities, festivals and fun, with the Surfers Paradise Alliance offering a broad base of family-friendly major events which see the precinct activated for more than 300 days of the year as an energetic, vibrant entertainment hub during both peak and off-peak seasons,” he said. Of course we neglect to realise how good we have it all year round, planning our attendance to free events, immersing ourselves in the exciting developments within our cultural precinct, and enjoying the latest brekkie bars and coffee spots on a daily basis. But it seems travellers to Surfers Paradise know a good thing when they see it, and have voted accordingly, making their own memories of Surfers Paradise with plans to come back. So here’s to Surfers Paradise: to the people who make it so welcoming, and to a city full of history and a future full of promise.
LIFESTYLE
We locals don’t often consider how lucky we are to live in this surfside city of ours, so it almost comes as a surprise to discover that Surfers Paradise was recently named
a winner in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice™ awards for Destinations on the Rise for 2016, ranking among the top ten destinations in the South Pacific. A surprise that quickly turns to pride – of course Surfers Paradise is in the top ten!
ever-increasing range of hotels, restaurants, shopping, events and attractions that has led to the region’s rising status as a highquality experience for holiday makers,” said Mike Winlaw, Surfers Paradise Alliance CEO.
www.surfersparadise.com
Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast / PRECINCT MAGAZINE
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Easter Holiday Time RAIN OR SHINE!
The Gold Coast – to the envy of Australia’s more southern cities – enjoys an average 245 days of sun per year. But whether it rains, hails or shines in Surfers Paradise, you’re in luck! This all-seasons wonderland has a huge range of indoor and outdoor activities to keep the kids entertained for days on end.
SUNSHINE Go Ride a Wave
Quench the kids’ need for speed at the Gold Coast’s fastest thrill ride on water, Jetboat Extreme. With its fleet of specially designed jetboats, each built with a 640-kilogram turbo-charged engine and Hamilton Jet units, Jetboat Extreme heads out of the Surfers Paradise waterway to the Broadwater where it speeds, spins and whips riders around at 40 knots!
Established in 1987, Go Ride a Wave teaches new surf grommets how to paddle, balance, stand up and ride the wave, as well as water safety and surf etiquette. The Surfers Paradise classes are great for parents and kids to do together, conducted in gentle conditions near the heart of the city.
Behind Helm Bar Ferny Avenue jetboatextreme.com.au
Fire 4 Hire Fire 4 Hire is dedicated to teaching young kids (and adults!) about fire engines and their equipment while touring around the city’s natural surrounds. Kids can try on the helmets, spray the fire hose and have their photo taken looking like a fire hero!
Beach end of Cavill Mall gorideawave.com.au
RAIN & CLOUDS Planet Chill Ice SKATING
32 Cavill Avenue fire4hire.com.au
It might be raining outside, but it’s frozen at Planet Chill! Located at the family holiday destination Paradise Resort Gold Coast, Planet Chill offers kids a spacious ice rink and ‘Chill Zone’ equipped with air hockey, foosball and snowboarding game tables.
Gold Coast Bungy Trampolines
Paradise Resort 122 Ferny Avenue paradiseresort.com.au
While they’re not quite old enough for bungee jumping yet (phew!), the kids will love jumping six-metres-high on the Gold Coast Bungy Trampolines! Head to Circle on Cavill and watch as they summersault, bounce and soar with the help of electronic elastic straps and safety harnesses. The sky’s the limit! Circle on Cavill 9 Ferny Avenue dccevents.com.au
www.surfersparadise.com
Infinity attraction Lose yourself in lasers, explore caves of electric energy and watch your reflection in a thousand mirrors at Infinity, the world’s first interactive special effects fun house! Watch the kids immerse themselves inside fifteen distinct rooms of world-class experiential art. A mind-blowing journey through light, colour and sound, once you enter Infinity you won’t want to leave.
Chevron Renaissance Shopping Centre Cnr Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Elkhorn Avenue infinitygc.com.au
Strike Bowling bar Located in the heart of Surfers Paradise, Strike Bowling compliments its 12 polished lanes with a super hip karaoke room, huge projections of the latest music clips, pool tables, pizzas and a cocktail bar for mum and dad. Where else can you strike out a few rounds before belting out Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive’ for the family’s listening pleasure? Circle on Cavill 9 Ferny Avenue strikebowling.com.au
Racecentre Racecentre is Australia’s most advanced simulation centre, putting you in the F1 driving seat! But the fun doesn’t stop at F1 – drivers can also choose between V8, Rally, Drift or Formula Ford and let loose on hundreds of real Australian and international racetracks. With three high-definition surround screens, state-of-the-art graphics and vibrating controls, this is the closest thing to professional racing the kids have ever experienced! Circle on Cavill 9 Ferny Avenue racecentre.com
PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
ENTERTAINMENT
Jet Boat Extreme
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ALL THE LEAVES ARE BROWN THE TREES GROW GOLDEN, THE FLOWERS BURN TO ORANGE AND THE LEAVES TURN BROWN AND FALL. WITH AUTUMN’S COLOURS COMES A SEASON OF EARTHY, WARMER HUES IN FASHION AND HOMEWARES. CHECK OUT THE BEST AUTUMN BUYS IN SURFERS PARADISE. Denim Oversized Dress in Everyday Blue $49.95 Cotton On When the hot-and-cold confusion of autumn sends your wardrobe into disarray, turn to the oversized dress. This denim number from Cotton On is perfect for slipping over stockings or shorts, or layering with a woollen scarf over black jeans. 27-29 Cavill Avenue
Square Cut Chino in Washed Claret $49.95 Cotton On
Catherine Lovatt Ceramics Range From $22.95 Beautiful Spaces Crafted from high quality glazed ceramic, Catherine Lovatt’s stunning crockery range turns the focus to the kitchen, where art and function combine. Tubular, contemporary and neutrally coloured, Catherine Lovatt’s latest range suits any style of home. The 4217 10 Beach Road
All good autumn days begin with a pair of chinos, especially when they’re the colour of red wine. These square cut chinos from Cotton On are snug fitting and breathable, making them cool enough for midautumn picnics, and warm enough for evenings spent outside. 27-29 Cavill Avenue
Australian Made UGG Boots $220.00 RRP UGG King
FASHION
Glam up your autumn outfit with these 100% Australian Made sheepskin UGG boots, complete with a striking laser print and genuine Swarovski crystal button. The double-faced lining, durable weatherproof soles and double stitching also make these beauties ready for the elements. 3171 Surfers Paradise Boulevard 20 |
PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
ENTERTAINMENT EDITION / 2016
ONE
MEAL AT A TIME
6,000 tonnes of food diverted from landfill and 20 million meals delivered to over 500 charities – OzHarvest’s achievements around Australia only get better on the Gold Coast.
Y
ou might be reading this at your local café after a plate of Eggs Benedict you couldn’t quite finish. Or perhaps you’re at home, about to rid the fridge of last week’s veggies. Visitors, you probably arrived by plane, where several unsold in-flight meals were sent to the bin.
Enter OzHarvest, the country’s first food rescue organisation. Established in 2004 by Ronni Kahn, who was awarded Australia’s Local Hero of the Year in 2010, OzHarvest collects quality excess food from commercial outlets across eight Australian cities and delivers it to over 500 charities, where it’s distributed to Australians in need. OzHarvest is a multi-win: it saves businesses time and money by collecting their unspoiled excess food, which would otherwise go to landfill, and helps provide nutritious, delicious meals to disadvantaged Australians. It also creates a positive social effect among participating communities, who unite in their efforts to minimise waste and lend a hand to others. The OzHarvest Gold Coast office is located at The 4217 in Surfers Paradise, where manager Lee Danahay directs the region’s operations. After a year and a half of working from her dining table, Lee was thrilled when in May 2014 The 4217 offered OzHarvest an office space, free of charge. www.surfersparadise.com
“We were thrilled at the opportunity to work inside such an exciting new precinct in the heart of Surfers Paradise. After we met the providores, they immediately embraced what we do and signed up as donors,” Lee says. OzHarvest Gold Coast collects excess food from Paradox Coffee Roasters, Cha Tea, the Cleanse Kitchen and Brooklyn Depot, as well as a handful of other venues outside The 4217, and delivers it to nearby charities such as Rosies – Friends on the Street and Surfers Paradise Anglican Crisis Care. Besides Surfers Paradise, OzHarvest Gold Coast collects from commercial food outlets between Upper Coomera and Tweed Heads, and makes its deliveries with one bright yellow, refrigerated OzHarvest van. Trust us, you won’t miss it! An important addition to the organisation’s list of donors is Woolworths, which pledged in September last year to eliminate its food waste Australia-wide by 2020 in a partnership with OzHarvest. “This is one of our most significant partnerships to date and one that could see OzHarvest become a household name, and help Australians change their attitude to food waste,” Lee says.
Other 2015 highlights for OzHarvest Gold Coast include securing significant funding towards a second van, strengthening their volunteer team and hosting their first Think. Eat.Save luncheon at The 4217 as part of the organisation’s partnership with the United Nations Environment Program. Held in July last year, the Think.Eat.Save event invited members of the public to enjoy a free lunch prepared by a volunteer team of chefs using quality surplus food. It was a huge success, with over 300 people coming to share a meal together and learn more about how to reduce waste at home. This year, Lee says Surfers Paradise will see “pop-up stalls held in The 4217 during Easter, Kids Week and other major holidays in addition to our Think.Eat.Save lunch and other special events”. At the time of writing, OzHarvest Gold Coast had delivered over one million meals to Gold Coast men, women and children in need and had rescued 340,000 kilograms of food from going to waste. With a second van on the way, a growing team of volunteers and donors, and more Australians getting behind the cause each day, OzHarvest Gold Coast is set to enjoy a bright yellow future of saving the world, one meal at a time. Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast / PRECINCT MAGAZINE
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FOOD & LIFESTYLE
Each of these scenarios is linked to Australia’s food wastage. A large part of the four million tonnes – or $8 billion worth – of edible food we discard each year comes from our restaurants, cafés, hotels, supermarkets, farmers’ markets and airlines.
THE FUTURE IS
Lights and lasers at the ready, the Gold Coast Cultural Precinct is about to be illuminated by the most amazing digital experience to grace the Gold Coast.
G
ARTS & CULTURE
LOW returns for another year with a sensory feast to feed both body and mind. Set amongst the idyllic grounds of Evandale Lake and the Nerang River, with the Gold Coast skyline as the backdrop, this City of Gold Coast event is an experience of light, laser, projection, digital media, short films, virtual reality, gaming and animation from local creatives and talented students. This immersive event takes you to the very edges of our digital frontier. You are not just an observer, you are a participant. One of the highlights of this year’s event is the virtual reality experience: mind-bending 360-degree video, gaming and virtual reality environments using the latest in virtual reality technology and equipment. So if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to climb Everest, swim with sharks, turtles and dolphins, or if you’re just too scared to ride that roller coaster, this is an alternative with all of the thrills and none of the spills. Attractions don’t stop there, the event will include a spectacular laser water show on Evandale Lake, illuminated art installations 22 |
PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
and a large open air cinema showcasing some very cool animation, audio, design, film, and more from some of our best emerging talent. Judging by the buzz from GLOW last year, locals and visitors alike are drawn to this unique night time digital arts event and enjoy immersing themselves in something new. Everyone is encouraged to engage themselves in the illuminated creations and get involved in the fun activities such as ‘Glow in the Dark Yoga and Tai Chi’. Don’t be shy – try something you haven’t done before and lose your inhibitions! And yes you read that correctly – glow in the dark yoga and tai-chi will be available for those who enjoy a stretch and a flex in a more surreal kind of setting. If the light displays and exhibits weren’t enough, the music stage and street food create a festival-like atmosphere to entertain the whole family. It really does illuminate all senses!
The intent of GLOW was to capture the evolution of technology in a way that people could experience, and help them visualise how the parklands around The Arts Centre Gold Coast could work in the future. And the future looks bright; GLOW gets better every year, pushing the boundaries and providing people with a completely new experience. The possibilities of the digital world are endless, and as the technology gets better, so do imaginations. The energy and creative vision of local artists and creative industries set the bar high, encouraging new ideas and collaborations, and engaging the Gold Coast community in world-class experiences. So be inspired, awed and amazed at the possibilities of a future in lights. GLOW is a free event Saturday 30 April 2016, 5pm-10pm Gold Coast Cultural Precinct, Bundall Free water shuttle from Cavill Avenue pontoon to Evandale Park Visit cityofgoldcoast.com/glow ENTERTAINMENT EDITION / 2016
IN EVERY WAY
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
Mary Poppins The Broadway Musical arrives at The Arts Centre Gold Coast 17 - 25 June
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PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
ENTERTAINMENT EDITION / 2016
“I have this vision of Mary Poppins sailing over the Surfers Paradise skyline and towards the Arts Centre Gold Coast,” John says. “Its location is so lush, and you can still smell the ocean salt. I love the idea of that.” There are plenty of reasons why nationally acclaimed director, writer and designer John Senczuk is excited about directing the Arts Centre Gold Coast’s production of Mary Poppins The Broadway Musical in June – starting with the city’s energy. “The word ‘unique’ is thrown around a lot to describe places, but the Gold Coast really is unique. There’s a vibrancy about living so close to the water that makes it wonderfully energising,” John says. We can expect to see plenty of this vibrancy throughout the two-and-a-half-hour musical, which is fully produced by the Arts Centre Gold Coast and features all Gold Coast performers. According to John, “it’s a stepping stone between the Arts Centre and the community”. Since its original production in West End, London, in 2004, the Mary Poppins musical, adapted from the P.L. Travers children’s books and the 1964 Disney film of the same name, has dazzled audiences from as far as Sweden and Iceland, to Mexico and the Philippines. But its setting on the Gold Coast is especially nostalgic. “Another reason we love Mary Poppins so much is because P.L. Travers, one of the most renowned children’s authors in history, was a Queenslander. It’s a fantastic reminder that Travers’s story is one of our own,” John says. Given John’s reputation as an accomplished theatre polymath, with over 30 years experience since graduating from the National Institute of Dramatic Arts in 1983, www.surfersparadise.com
we might conclude he is ‘practically perfect’ for the directing role. After fifteen Fellowes, who is also years of I LOVE WORKING the screenwriter for teaching WITH AND GETTING the top-rating Channel scenography Seven program, TO KNOW THE TALENT and Downton Abbey, is dramaturgy IN CLOSE-KNIT another reason why at the COMMUNITIES LIKE Australian drama-lovers University of are counting down to THE GOLD COAST Wollongong, the opening night. and one year at the Toi Whakaari Dancing penguins, horseNew Zealand Drama racing carousel ponies, and School, John became chalk stencils swimming with Head of Design and Program fantastical adventure – the Mary Poppins Director at the West Australian Academy of production relies heavily on magic, Performing Arts in 2006. something that John looks forward to. During the following nine years in Perth, John also directed and/or designed for the productions Puss in Boots, The Sound of Music, Les Misérables and Oklahoma! – among others – as a freelancer. But despite having produced, written and designed several hundreds of stage shows throughout his career – including directing the Toowoomba Empire Theatre’s sell-out season of The Phantom of the Opera in 2015 – John doesn’t credit theatre talent to the big cities alone. “I don’t necessarily agree that the best theatre is in the capital cities. I sometimes find when working in regional towns there are people better suited to a certain role than those who are touring nationally,” John says. “I love working with and getting to know the talent in close-knit communities like the Gold Coast.” Besides 2016 marking the twentieth anniversary of the death of P.L. Travers, the Arts Centre Gold Coast production is a special one because of the story’s lasting message: that we should love our children and invest in their imaginations. The production’s screenwriter, Julian
“At the end of the day, Mary Poppins has to fly! There’s no ignoring that,” he laughs. “We’ve got to make the show appear realistic and magic at the same time. It’s a fantastic opportunity to present these scenes in theatre.” While John believes that theatre is crucial to Australian culture, he says our connection with P.L. Travers is what keeps us reinvesting in the story. “I’m fascinated by the fact that P.L. Travers was someone who lived in our community and who created a story that has warmed hearts across the entire world,” he says. “We are always turning to Mary Poppins to try and discover a piece of our own lives. We know the songs, we know the characters – and after all these years, that is something to be celebrated.” The Arts Centre Gold Coast’s production of Disney and Cameron MacKintosh’s Mary Poppins The Broadway Musical The Arts Centre Gold Coast 135 Bundall Road theartscentregc.com.au Performances Friday 17 – Saturday 25 June 2016 Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast / PRECINCT MAGAZINE
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MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
W
hile donning her Victorian dress, flowered wicker hat and magic umbrella, director John Senczuk has recently imagined Mary Poppins flying over a city other than London.
SOMETHING MORE REFINED FINE DINING IN SURFERS PARADISE Words by Lizzy Keen
Seascape Restaurant & Bar There have always been plenty of reasons to get excited about periwinkles (sea snails). Petite, brackish and with a texture not unlike escargot, they were even dubbed by food trendologists last year as seafood’s ‘next big thing’. How might you enjoy one of these little sea snails? At Seascape, the answer’s simple: simmered and seared with XO sauce, rich with Cantonese nuance, plump muscles, pippies, baby kale, lap chong (Chinese sausage) and a fluffy steamed bun. It’s texturally divine, with silky streams of dark spicy sauce running over the seafood like pebbles in a river, while the soft greens fall apart over the lap chong’s marbled density. Saltiness, peppered heat and layers of cured ingredients take this common periwinkle to new heights.
FOOD & LIFESTYLE
This cracker of a main dish is one of many at Seascape Restaurant & Bar, the new Modern Australian restaurant in the Soul Building that revamps seafood with abandon. Salmon shows up in a roulade, the kingfish is cured with maple, and hell – you’ll find finger lime and vodka in your oysters. The menu not only reflects skill in the kitchen, but also the restaurant’s location. Ascending from the Seascape Bistro to the third storey via a stairway wrapped in native timber, the salty acoustics of its beachfront location echo quietly behind the clink of cutlery. A plane of Pacific Ocean stretches beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows that surround 26 |
PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
the slate and earth-hued dining room, where retro and contemporary styles combine in the furnishings and dark ceramics dot the timber tables. On the menu it’s time to begin. While you can’t say ‘no’ to a plate (or two) of their exquisite house-baked bread and French cultured butter, the four styles of oysters present an opportunity to step outside the seafood square. Choose your weapon: cucumber French vinaigrette and dill, vodka and finger lime, chorizo and garlic breadcrumbs, or spinach, Parmesan and Pernod. These lip-smacking morsels leave Kilpatrick in the rear-view mirror. For something more traditional, the coconut tempura banana prawns with basil and golden orange marmalade pack a moreish punch – especially alongside a frosted
IT’S TEXTURALLY DIVINE, WITH SILKY STREAMS OF DARK SPICY SAUCE RUNNING OVER THE SEAFOOD LIKE PEBBLES IN A RIVER
Stone & Wood – and make for an epic and slightly messy snack. Excuse fingers. To avoid crippling diner’s indecision, choose your fish, crustacean or mollusc and let your dish find you. Snapper fan? Slice into the billowing, golden snapper pie and watch the steam erupt in salted butter goodness. Buglovers, try the pan-fried Moreton Bay kind prepared in a balmy Malaysian curry. Still indecisive? The Pernod bouillabaisse tosses snapper, prawns, mussels, clams and bugs together in a voluptuous bouillabaisse from which the ingredients emerge like creamy desert islands in a saffron ocean. The nip of Pernod piques the plush tomato base with a cool aniseed rush. Seascape, in its commitment to seasonal quality, sources its seafood from Australian and New Zealand waters daily, and offers a selection of six – from coral trout to yellow tail kingfish – to be served a la grill, pan or oven with two accompaniments such as warm potato galette and lemony wild greens. Fished out but ready to cast anchor for a few, Seascape Bar bustles on the floor below with energy and serene sophistication on a weekend evening. Here, the crème of local sommeliers and mixologists wait with an arsenal of worldly wines and liquors, while the view just keeps on glowing. Seascape Restaurant & Bar Level 1 and 2 4 The Esplanade Soul Boardwalk 07 5527 6655
ENTERTAINMENT EDITION / 2016
Salt grill
Seaduction
It all started with Glass Brasserie. Celebrity chef and restaurateur Luke Mangan, a symbol of Australian cuisine and purveyor of local produce, redefined hotel dining when he founded Glass at the base of Hilton Sydney.
It’s here, it’s happening. The time has finally arrived to fall under the spell of seafood, to succumb to the ocean’s plenty, to be seduced by a menu crafted by Neptune himself.
Since those “humble” beginnings, Mangan has crafted his empire around the globe, with one of three restaurant lines, Salt grill, serving clean and contemporary Asian/French-inspired Modern Australian in five countries and three P&O cruise liners.
While the menu at Seaduction Restaurant & Bar was actually designed by Executive Chef Reuben Radonich, the rest remains true; this fine dining number has an emphasis on the fruits of land and sea that hooks diners from the moment the napkin hits their lap.
Luke’s French training sees the menu begin gung-ho with class. A 30-gram serving of Sturgeon caviar can ease you into the evening for a small $180 – it’s caviar, darling. Otherwise there are oysters – natural, Kilpatrick or tempura with wakame and wasabi mayo – to swig with a tart glass of something fresh. Such is its location that Salt grill attracts a considerable just-aglass-or-two crowd, to which the tapas menu caters. All plates are south of $24 and run the gamut of land and sea, including beer battered anchovy, sweet potato samosas and char sui pork buns; ideal bites to handle with a TGIF ‘champers’. Mangan is renowned for lifting his fish with international pizzazz. While the Sydney spiced snapper, paired with frilled octopus and drizzled with chilli jus, leaves a subtle piquancy lingering on the tongue, the spinach, smoked tomato and caper salsa nestled into a steamed barramundi leans to the gentler, Mediterranean side of the spectrum. As well as the one-kilogram Rangers Valley rib eye steak, there’s a 400-gram barramundi available for sharing, which arrives with cloud-like mashed potato and a velvety stir-fry of mushroom, Asian greens, chilli and crab. Plenty of salt, plenty of grill – Luke Mangan’s masterpiece certainly has the Surfers Paradise tick of approval, and worship. Salt grill Level 1 Hilton Surfers Paradise 6 Orchid Avenue 07 5680 8100
www.surfersparadise.com
As its website denotes, Seaduction’s menu changes every three months in order to capture each season’s bounty and, we concur, to maintain that what’ll-he-do-next anticipation from regular diners. We might, therefore, turn to the beach for an indication of on-plate activity. At the time of writing, the sand is covered with umbrellas, eskies and bronzed torsos, and thus we enjoy zucchini flowers, beetroot, vine ripened tomatoes and tiny jewels of pomegranates, scattered for colour and taste. At Seaduction, each and every ingredient is balanced with the hero fish or meat. Take the local sand crab rillettes that come with the beetroot and sugar-cured ocean trout: smooth and savoury, like cream of the river, harmonising with the fish’s honeyed undertones. All this arrives with lotus crisps, yuzu pearls and a startlingly powerful lime emulsion. Keeping on the Asian train of thought, the Bangalow pork belly is served double-cooked in tamarind and yellow rock sugar, lip-smacking green paw paw and fragrant black Asian vinegar. After the exotic and refreshing green tea house smoked duck – its segmented mouthfuls of rich breast something of a dream – the coconut panacota steps in to enamour diners once and for all. Or at least before the next booking arrives. Seaduction delivers megahits of flavour across the board, combining classic and whiz-bang kitchen techniques in a series of approachable but very elegant dishes. In setting, flavour and experience, it’s game, set, seduced. Seaduction Restaurant & Bar Level 2 Soul Surfers Paradise 8 The Esplanade Soul Boardwalk 07 5635 5728
Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast / PRECINCT MAGAZINE
FOOD & LIFESTYLE
Salt grill in Hilton Surfers Paradise is where we sit now, enveloped in rosy light and a sharp interior, complete with upholstered chairs, black-framed photographs, oriental circular windows – partly covered by dainty beaded curtains – and crisply dressed wait staff.
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5
MINUTES WITH THE LOCALS For this issue of Precinct, we caught up with some interesting and passionate people working their dream jobs in Surfers Paradise.
Chris Borgese Founder of City Adventures
Rachel Bladen SkyPoint Climb Leader
What does City Adventures do in Surfers Paradise? We provide friendly guided walking tours through Surfers Paradise that showcase iconic attractions and explain the city’s history, with taste testing included.
What led you to become a SkyPoint Climb Leader? The thrill of being closer to the clouds, the amazing 360-degree views of the coast and meeting new people every day.
I like to keep the taste testing agenda open but some days we head over to The 4217 to visit The Cleanse Kitchen for the freshest cold-pressed juices, Salt Meats Cheese to taste their amazing pizzas, and then Baskin Robbins to try their 31 different flavours! What do tourists love most about Surfers Paradise? One of the most iconic spots is underneath the Surfers Paradise sign at the end of Cavill Mall. Right on the beach, it gives tourists a great reference point. Once I explain some of the city’s history, including Jim Cavill’s role in its development, people really appreciate where they are. Did you learn anything new about Surfers Paradise when you started City Adventures? It would be silly to say that I don’t learn something new every day, because each tourist brings his or her own touch to the tour, especially the locals! I’ve been a mentor for years and love interacting with people from different countries using traditional cultural cues.
Have you always loved outdoor adventure? Yes, I’ve always loved being outside in the fresh air. It beats being in an office! We assume you aren’t afraid of heights! Do you have any other fears? I definitely don’t have a fear of heights but I do have a fear of really big spiders! Can you recount a special climb? Every SkyPoint Climb is so special and spectacular. I love being able to help people overcome their fears and give people the experience of climbing 270 metres atop the Q1 Building. From the top, you can see as far as Point Danger in NSW and even Brisbane on a clear day. Which is your favourite time to climb? One of my favourite times to climb is our beautiful twilight SkyPoint Climb. There is nothing more amazing than watching the sunset and the Gold Coast light up.
City Adventures 58 Cavill Avenue cityadventures.com.au
SkyPoint Climb 9 Hamilton Avenue skypoint.com.au
LIFESTYLE
Where are most of the tourists coming from at the moment? At the moment we have lots of customers from New Zealand, all around Asia, South America and England – it’s always an interesting mix!
Have you climbed any other landmarks or buildings around the world? If not, which do you dream to climb one day? No, I haven’t climbed anything else yet but I would love to complete the Sydney Bridge Climb and travel to New Zealand to do the Canyon Swing.
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PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
ENTERTAINMENT EDITION / 2016
Bronwyn Corrigan Founder of Chameleon New Age Salon How did Chameleon New Age Salon come about? Two years ago, after I started selling crystals and Pakistani salt lamps, I took my hair salon on a more spiritual direction, which is what Chameleon New Age Salon is today. Chameleon New Age Salon in Surfers Paradise offers readings, sound healing, energetic healing, beauty therapy, yoga, aura photos, crystals for sale and much more. There certainly isn’t another place like this on the Gold Coast! How have locals and tourists responded to your salon? The positive response has been overwhelming; anyone who walks through the door is blown away! Some visitors have felt so comfortable here that they asked us for a treatment straight away. Local businesses around us are all extremely supportive. What kind of workshops and classes does your salon offer? With the help of our local networks, we offer workshops for drumming, psychic development, sound healing, self-mastery, goddess vibes and bare yoga. All our workshops and classes are aimed at promoting selfdevelopment and self-esteem within an interactive, nurturing environment. It looks like some of your team practices Salute to the Sun on the street! Yes, passers-by usually see this and come into the salon, curious about what’s inside. Through our yoga instructors practicing the Sun Salutations on the street, we are able to connect with people and build our Chameleon community.
Cheyne Horan Former professional surfer and founder of Cheyne Horan Surf School When did you decide to turn your professional surfing career into a surf school? When I was on the World Tour in the late 1970s, I coached many of the professional surfers like Mark Occhilupo, Kelly Slater and Shane Powell, among others, all who became world champions. I started my own surf school in 1995 in Bali, and the Cheyne Horan Surf School in 1997 in Surfers Paradise. What are your earliest memories of Surfers Paradise? I was 15 years old when I started hanging out in Surfers Paradise. We used to go trampolining between the buildings – that was our favourite thing to do – and play at this big waterslide that’s no longer there. We’d skate back home to Mermaid Beach when the sun went down. Do you encounter many learners who haven’t really experienced the ocean before? Absolutely. We get a lot of people who have never seen the ocean and who immediately walk down to the shore. When they touch the water, they scream with exhilaration! Because they don’t understand tides, I have to explain to them why they have to move their bags away from the shore so they don’t get wet! Can you describe the feeling of riding giant waves? When you’re about to drop into a big wave, your body begins to throb with adrenaline because you’re putting your life on the line. There are explosions of sound and water and you have to study how you’ll get across the wave. I do it for the ultimate rush.
Chameleon New Age Salon 3171 Surfers Paradise Boulevard chameleonnewagesalon.com.au
Cheyne Horan Surf School Cnr Hanlan Street and The Esplanade cheynehoran.com.au
LIFESTYLE
This is a sanctuary for people from all walks of life!
What’s the local’s tip to surfing in Surfers Paradise? If you’re after a fun little wave that’s not too fast, surf when it’s medium-high tide. Surf on medium-low tide for fast tubing waves.
www.surfersparadise.com
Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast / PRECINCT MAGAZINE
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Time to Fly! iFLY Gold Coast
I
t’s on everyone’s bucket list – to plummet towards the earth at 200 kilometres an hour, belly down, legs splayed upwards like an airborne yoga pose. Skydiving is one of our most popular attractions for thrill seekers in Australia. Most days along the Gold Coast one can watch clusters of tiny parachutes sail from the sky before skimming the sand.
ENTERTAINMENT
But in Surfers Paradise, iFLY has revolutionised the experience with its recently opened indoor skydiving centre, the second of its type in Australia. The flying, the freedom, the buzz – it’s all here, only it takes place in an eight metre-high wind tunnel. iFLY Gold Coast is located on Surfers Paradise Boulevard in a specially built facility overlooking the bustle of the city. Established by Indoor Skydive Australia Group (ISAG), the $10 million venue opened its door at the zenith of summer time.
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PRECINCT MAGAZINE / Surfers Paradise / Gold Coast
It’s easy to see why. Watching participants inside the wind tunnel, grins flashing as they hover and twirl above the powerful wind source, generates an incredible rush. Spectators waiting outside the 360-degree curved glass can scarcely wait to jump in. Highly trained, accredited iFLY instructors explain safety and basic manoeuvres to new and experienced flyers before entering the tunnel, where physical adjustments and verbal instruction are given from beginning to end. iFLY instructors also provide personalised coaching for advanced skydivers who wish to hone in on their skills for outdoor jumps. Safety is essential at iFLY, where instructors are inside the tunnel at all times and wind speed is managed throughout the session. Speeds are as low as 144 kilometres per hour for beginners, and around 273 kilometres per hour for experienced flyers in vertical flight.
Instructors must complete intensive training to receive certification from the International Bodyflight Association, the governing body of indoor skydiving. Each undergoes constant training and has completed hundreds to thousands of hours of skydiving. Simply, you’re in safe hands. Spectators, you can watch for free outside seven days a week, or attend the free Flight Spectacular show every night at 7.00pm in peak holiday periods. In a city of sand, sun and waves, the only thing missing was wind. Gold Coast, it’s time to fly! iFLY Gold Coast 3082-3084 Surfers Paradise Boulevard Surfers Paradise downunder.iflyworld.com 1300 366 364
ENTERTAINMENT EDITION / 2016
KOALA EXPERIENCE
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During our exclusive Koala Experience, an expert Koala Handler will take you where others can’t and guide you through our “off limit” koala enclosures to get up close and personal with our famous resident koalas. #koalaselfie
VIP BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR
of-house with a ckW ildl ba ife Go
Venture “back of house” with one of our wildlife officers on a Behind The Scenes Tour and “go beyond the ropes” at our Wildlife Hospital Precinct, Animal Presentations and our Animal Training Facilities!
LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE! See Visitor and Member Services for details and bookings.
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www.cws.org.au | 1300 886 511 | enquiries@cws.org.au Corner of Gold Coast Highway & Tomewin St, Currumbin Qld 100m from Currumbin Beach - 5 minutes from Gold Coast Airport - 20 minutes from Surfers Paradise Open 8:00am - 5:00pm. Closed Christmas Day & ANZAC Day.
*Conditions apply, Koala Experience, Behind the Scenes Tour and Tree Top Challenge not included in General Admission.