Tropical North Queensland Profile Magazine

JUNE 2012

Lads AT LUNCH the expatriates

adam clay taste testing sue mudge relaying for life PETER LOVETT look after your mates RHYS TOLHURST come fly with me

a paradise palms escape

a night in paradise

MARTIN ANTON wonder water joe vella the last word

mystyle

work it

marita cheng engineering the future

in this issue

26 adam clay

10

view – come fly with me Rhys Tolhurst

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people – relaying for life Sue Mudge

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success – look after your mates Peter Lovett

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lads at lunch – the expatriates

23 cover – engineering the future Marita Cheng

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12 sue mudge

26

inspire – taste testing Adam Clay

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milestones – wonder water Martin Anton

54

the last word Joe Vella

special feature 40 coffee house feature

marita cheng

regulars

27

4 editor’s note

34 life

6 pinboard

38 on the table

8 he says, she says

42 travelfile

21 on the road

44 abode

28 profile loves

48 business

30 vanity case

53 win

mystyle

work it

Add pops of colour to your work wardrobe for a stylish look.

32 style counsel

Mediterranean and Seafood Restaurant

Lunches from only $14.50 june 2012

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editor’s note

I

’m not exactly what you’d call “sporty”. This was concluded during my very first ‘run’ around the oval in grade one at Caravonica State School. It was a certainty by the time the teachers at Mother of Good Counsel tried to get me to improve my PE ratings (have you ever seen a child refuse to do the ‘beep test’?). Oh, how they tried to encourage me. Even now, the Your Fitness staff smile kindly while I attempt to keep up in the rare classes I make a cameo in. I’m, as my fiancé says, “a spectator by nature”. This is actually true – I’m a very enthusiastic, vocal (sometimes loud) spectator – you should see me at Cowboys’ games!

Maybe you’ve heard me?

I’m hopeless athletically but excited for others who are gifted in all things active. It’s for this reason I’m looking forward to June’s energy surrounding the Cairns Airport Ironman Challenge (it’s going to be huge)! An event you will see me donning running (or walking) shoes for is Relay For Life, also happening this month. We’ve spoken to cancer survivor Sue Mudge about her role in this extraordinary gathering, and she encourages everyone to be involved.

While I was never sporty, I tried my best academically, and so appreciate very much the endeavours of our simply amazing cover girl (and Young Australian of the Year), Marita Cheng. She was a delight to interview and photograph, and truly a model citizen. Additionally, something certainly up my alley – the Cairns Show Wine Awards – is on this month and we’ve spoken exclusively to one of the judges, Adam Clay, for expert insights and about his life in this exciting industry.

Enjoy your month, and your Profile.

Sarah sarah blinco TNQ editor

Take a look at the new My style section on page 27 featuring Marita Cheng wearing a dress from Annie’s Boutique.

www.profilemag.com.au group managing director / publisher Genine Howard

group general manager / publisher Hamish Rose

group editor-in-chief / publisher Alli Grant

tnq editor Sarah Blinco

publication manager Coral Florian, 0419 483 183

account manager Jodie Sherman, 0477 642 424

sub editors Ingrid Nelson, Phyl Grant

creative director Kara de Schot

graphic designer Johanna Jensen

profile writers Mia Lacy, Stacey Carrick, Bronwyn Webb, Sarah Sheehan

photography Stuart Frost, Charlotte Rose

email Sales: tnqsales@profilemag.com.au Editorial: tnqeditorial@profilemag.com.au General: info@profilemag.com.au

call / fax (head office) 07 5451 0669 / 07 5475 4405

post (head office) PO Box 1065, Cotton Tree, QLD 4558

distribution 14,000 copies printed monthly.9,300 are home delivered and 4,700 copies are street delivered to high traffic areas such as high-end cafes, boutiques, hairdressers and professional offices across the TNQ region (from Cairns to Port Douglas), monthly, and online along with an eMAG to 6000 inboxes regularly.

subscriptions

www.profilemag.com.au/subscriptions, $65 + gst (12 issues)

To celebrate the launch of our new My Style fashion, health and beauty section, Zook Island is giving away three original, hand-made dresses to Profile readers.

Like us on Facebook to find out how to enter! facebook.com/tnqprofilemagazine Shop G6, Pier Shopping Centre at the Marina.

Open Tuesday to Saturday 10:00am to 5:00pm.

Sunday to 2:00pm. Phone, 0407646908.

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accounts Katherine Allan – accounts@profilemag.com.au Profile Magazine is a free publication (subscriptions available) published 12 times a year by Brisbane Profile Publishing Group Pty Ltd. All rights are reserved and the contents are copyright and may not be reproduced without the written consent of The Publisher, Brisbane Profile Publishing Group Pty Ltd (“The Publisher”), 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 contributors are personal views and they are not necessarily endorsed by The Publisher.

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Executive & General Management | Finance & Accounting | Information Technology | Legal Sales & Marketing | Human Resources | Engineering & Technical | Secretarial Office Administration | Government | Community Services

june 2012

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pinboard

with Jennifer Thompson A List Events International To register your event email jennifer@alistevents.com.au

june 2 cancer council tango tea

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Enjoy an afternoon of 1920’s flair and style at Salthouse (The Pier), 2:00pm to 5:00pm. There will be tango lessons, tango displays, raffles and prizes, all in aid of The Cancer Council and the Biggest Morning Tea Appeal.

Dress-up – costumes encouraged! Tickets $20 at the door.

tim freedman fireside chat solo tour

6-9

Catch popular frontman of The Whitlams in his solo tour, to be held at Tanks Arts Centre. Tickets $30. www.tanksartscentre.com

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easter

www.qld.cancercouncilfundraising.org.au/CairnsTangoTea

june 3 ironman cairns Cairns Airport Ironman challenge is a grueling iron-distance triathlon that features a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike leg that travels one of the most scenic coastal roads in Australia, and a 42.2km run that includes the Cairns Esplanade before finishing in the heart of Cairns. www.usmevents.com.au

However you choose to celebrate Easter in the Tropical North, be sure to enjoy a relaxing long weekend with family and friends, harry manx with fabulous, fresh local seafood and a few chocolate treats.

june 8 and 9 new york’s les ballet men in pink tights Making their world premiere in Australia, Les Ballets Eloelle is bringing its new production, Men In Pink Tights – the most spectacular, talented and hilarious all-male comedy ballet ever, to the Cairns Civic Theatre. From the thrilling pirouettes of the male dancers (in male and female costumes) with brilliant choreography to the side-splitting humour, this new show is designed for the young and old. Tickets from $44.90.

After starring at Australian music festivals earlier this year, the legendary Canadian blues guitarist and singer / songwriter Harry Manx comes to Tanks Arts Centre for a highly-anticipated show. Tickets $40.

www.ticketlink.com.au

www.tanksartscentre.com

A JUTE Theatre Company Production

08 – 23 June TICKETS: $18 – $30 www.jute.com.au 4050 9444

VENUE: JUTE Theatre Centre of Contemporary Arts 96 Abbott St Cairns

JUTE Theatre Company turns 20 in 2012...

Find us on

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pinboard june 12 cairns business women’s club luncheon The CBWC monthly lunches are an ideal opportunity to network and make new contacts and friends! To be held at The Hilton Hotel, Cairns.

Book online – includes entertainment and a delicious lunch. www.cbwc.org.au

june 13 to 15 suicide and self harm prevention conference A critical conference aimed at improving awareness and support in our region. Conference to be held at the Cairns Convention Centre.

Registration and event booking details online. www.kochfoundation.org.au

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runway twenty.twelve The premier fashion event! Presented by Cachelle Model Management and proudly sponsored by Profile Magaine to be held at Tjapukai Cultural Park. To showcase the hottest runway looks, featuring celebrity appearances by former Miss Universe Jesinta Campbell and hosted by Karl Stefanovic. www.runwaytwentytwelve.com

june 16 ovation by la prima opera Australia’s newest concert opera company, La Prima Opera, are coming to the Cairns Civic Theatre to showcase some of the most beautiful music ever composed. Tickets from $19. www.ticketlink.com.au

june 16 and 17 cairns relay for life Celebrate survival and fight-back against cancer at our very own Relay for Life, to be held at Barlow Park. Rally with family, friends and the community at this important annual event and fundraiser. www.relayforlife.org.au or 4047 5506

june 22 steve clisby A favourite of the 2010 Jazz Up North series, Steve Clisby returns to Tanks Arts Centre with a show promising to take you on a lyrical journey through sexy, smooth, ageless tunes. Tickets $30. www.tanksartscentre.com

june 30 ash grunwald Ash Grunwald reverberated in the rainforest on his last visit to Cairns. Now he brings his tunes to Tanks Arts Centre to celebrate a brand new album release. Tickets $30. www.tanksartscentre.com

15 & 16 james and the giant peach

To be held at the Cairns Civic Theatre, this Roald Dahl classic is a wonderful production which will captivate young and old alike. It’s the all-ages play of the year! Tickets $15. www.ticketlink.com.au

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cairns show wine awards The public tasting at De Jarlais Function Centre, Cairns Showgrounds, 3:00pm to 6:00pm, following the official awards is your once-a-year opportunity to sample some of the best wines in the country. Free workshops also on throughout the day. Proudly sponsored by Profile Magazine. www.cairnswineawards.com.au

june 2012

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he says, she says

Can you believe it’s that time of year again? Time to face that insurmountable pile of crumpled receipts (the pile you swore you would have more organised this year) and get stuck into the dreaded tax return. We chat to Dave and Inkie from Zinc FM who share thoughts on how they cope with their end-of-financial-year woes.

he says

D

ear Mr and Mrs Taxman, I was grateful to receive your letter praising my last year’s tax return as ‘outstanding’! You might want to cool your jets in the praise department because I haven’t actually done it yet so I don’t know how you could possibly judge it as outstand … Oh! Late? Right you are.

Furthermore, I’d like to get your thoughts on some ideas I’ve had about items that I believe deserve to be heavily taxed in next year’s budget. By heavily taxed, I’m talking ‘out of existence’ as they in no way enhance our quality of life or provide any real benefits to the people of Australia. In fact, they’re holding us back as a nation.

In no particular order I’d like to see a heavy tax on: 1. Frangipani car stickers. I don’t know if you drive in Cairns much, but they’re everywhere; it’s a frangipandemic!; 2. Hair bands in men’s sport. Yes I’m looking at you Nathan Bracken, okay, now I’m looking at your hot wife; but now I’m looking back at you again; 3. The corporate buzzwords, “moving forward”. This verbal venom is now seeping into the veins of normal society so it’s time to suck it out; 4. Polo shirt collars in the upright position, for the dozen or so blokes who still do that, it’s time to “move forward”, you’re wrecking the game of golf for everyone; 5. People called Peter Slipper. Enough said; 6. White pants for blokes under the age of 60 (excludes cricketers, but not Nathan Bracken, Karate experts and Jedi Knights); 7. “Magic Happens” stickers. Really, does it, ever?; 8. People who barrack for Collingwood, because they deserve it.

Before I start filling out my, as you so kindly put it, outstanding tax return, I have one last question. If I fulfill my grandmother’s dying wish and spread her ashes over the sea, am I considered a carbon polluter and will I get slugged with the carbon tax? If so, she can continue to ‘over sea’ the mantelpiece. P.S. Everyone hates you.

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ZINC’S d

in ave and

kie

She says

D

ear Mr Tax Man, Guessing you don’t normally receive nice letters from people.

Well let’s face it, who in their right mind is excited to receive an open window envelope in the mail that nine out of 10 times tells you the Tax Man is after you and wants money. There’s not a chance that I’d be sending a letter back to you saying “thanks for taking my hard earned money for politicians to spend on swanky corporate dinners, flights and strippers” – my finger’s pointing right at you Ruddy (alleged drunken night in a New York strip club incident).

I don’t know if anyone else shares the same confusion as me but I just can’t seem to get my head around all of the taxes we have in the country. There’s Carbon Tax, Income Tax, Capital Gains, Small Business, Company, Fringe Benefits, excise taxes, and now their thinking about adding a Fat Tax to fast food because we’re becoming an obese nation. I have some suggestions: 1. Send your horrible greedy tax letters with a gift voucher enclosed for a tool shop or hair salon so it softens the blow when opening it.

2. Why not use our taxes as saving schemes? When end-of-year rolls around, all the taxes we’ve paid we get back – it’s just like having a separate savings account! I’ll have more money to spend on shoes which will then keep the economy going!

Mr Tax Man, not sure if I picture you as a Scrooge McDuck character that sits in the office with mountains of money counting every single penny, or an over indulgent Gold Coast style guy dripping in gold chains and white shoes cutting deals left, right and centre ... If you could find it in your heart, could you please put a tax on those ‘stick sticker families’ (on cars) because nobody needs to know that you have two horses, cat, a goldfish and a son who likes fishing.

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view

ll words sarah sheehan CAIRNS CROONER, RHYS TOLHURST, TALKS TO PROFILE’S SARAH SHEEHAN ABOUT HOW THE WORLD OF A 17-YEAR-OLD KID FROM THE TROPICAL NORTH CAN SO DRAMATICALLY CHANGE WITH AN APPEARANCE ON A HIT TELEVISION SHOW.

I

can say with confidence, that standing vulnerably on stage in front of panel of judges consisting of Shock Jock, Kyle Sandilands, and a live studio audience on a high-rating entertainment program, has never been high on my bucket list. The nation watched as Kate DeAraugo was advised she had ‘tuckshop lady arms’. That lovely Jessica Mauboy was reprimanded for her ‘jelly-belly’. Poor old Bobby Flynn was a ‘mong’, and one contestant was even asked if they were male or female. It is very unlikely that I am ever going to meet Kyle Sandilands, Australia, because I don’t actually have talent. Problem solved. There is one kid however, from our very region that does, and Sandilands agrees. Cairns 17-year-old jazz singer, Rhys Tolhurst, was told by the shock jock that he was ‘perfect’.

“I was totally overwhelmed with what the judges said. I think my mum was more worried about what Kyle might say to me than I was. I had prepared myself for the worst,” Rhys laughs.

Rhys, who moved to Brisbane this year to study jazz vocal at Queensland’s Conservatorium of Music, may have fast-tracked his dream to become a touring and recording artist.

After receiving a phone call from a producer to audition for hit TV show Australia’s Got Talent, Cairns school-leaver Rhys flew to the Gold Coast for auditions with his mum, and blew the audience away with his interpretation of jazz standard All of Me. In what Rhys describes as his most memorable performance to date, he received overwhelmingly positive comments from all three judges, a standing ovation from Brian McFadden and an audience that erupted.

“There were so many more people in that studio audience than what you can see on television. It was incredible. When I finished, the crowd was roaring, the applause was so loud, and they all stood up.”

Rhys tells me that since the airing of his performance on national television, life has been surreal. For a Cairns kid in his first year out of school, trying to adapt to his first move away from home to the hustle and bustle of Brisbane, life has just got a whole lot more hectic.

From the moment the audition episode was broadcast, he and his roommate watched his computer in awe as he was inundated with friendship requests on Facebook, making 500 new friends in the first hour. He received over 100 messages, to which he replied to every one. He even received feedback about his performance from a stranger on the other side of the world in New Mexico who had streamed it on the internet.

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rhys tolhurst photo courtesy of channel seven

“When I walk in Brisbane city, I’m constantly seeing big advertisements on buses for the Australia’s Got Talent and it’s surreal to think I am on that show.

“Despite all of that, since I’ve been walking through town, I haven’t had anyone come up to me and say ‘you’re that guy that was on TV’. So I don’t have to be conscious of everything I do just yet,” he laughs.

Rhys hasn’t been performing his whole life, but always wanted to be a star.

“I knew that whatever I did in life, I wanted it to be in front of lots of people. I always enjoyed that environment and was quite comfortable with that sort of pressure.”

After representing Cairns in basketball, Rhys’ dream was to play for the Cairns Taipans. But when he stopped growing at six foot one and was outgrown by his team mates, he got on the court the other way he could, with a microphone in hand, providing the half time entertainment and singing the Australian national anthem.

Jazz could be considered an unusual style chosen to be performed by a 17-year-old.

“Jazz is elevator music to a lot of people, and it was as well to me at one stage, but I grew to really love instrumentalists. When I was 15, my music teacher set me the task to perform a jazz standard, and I had no idea what a standard was. I picked up a Frank Sinatra book with a CD, and fell in love with Fly Me to the Moon. I got an A plus, so I thought I’d continue with that style.”

From there, the young crooner was a regular performer at Bernie’s Jazz Café and Bar, where he was a dishhand. He did a variety of gigs around town, from busking on the esplanade with a dodgy amplifier, to huge corporate gigs. Audience numbers could fluctuate from single digits, to thousands.

“You can’t be fussy when you’re trying to make a break, because you never know who is going to show up at your gig.”

Rhys released a pop album this year, Smilin’ For the Camera, with eight original songs.

He plans on staying in Brisbane to continue his studies at the Conservatorium, but he says that is all dependent on the outcome of the competition on Australia’s Got Talent, and where it takes him.

This is a local youngster with a voice as smooth as honey, good looks, a drive to perform in front of thousands of people and a foot in the door of a hit television show.

It looks to me like Rhys Tolhurst’s dream is on song. profilemag.com.au

2012 Cairns Show Wine Awards Presented by Profile Magazine

Indulge at the Public Tasting Day 3.00pm - 6.00pm Saturday, 23rd June Come Swirl, Smell and Taste all the different Australian wines on offer.

Wine appreciation courses held throughout the afternoon.

Upper Level, De Jarlais Function Centre, Cairns Showground TICKETS: $25 PRE-SOLD $30 at the door CONTACT: Events Coordinator on 07 4042 6630 Email: info@cairnswineawards.com.au Website: www.cairnswineawards.com.au Tickets on sale from 4th June at Show Office

people

the

sue mudge

words bronwyn webb ll photography stuart frost

It’s that time of year – time to pull out your running shoes, hit the track at Barlow Park and empty your pockets in support of the Cancer Council. As a cancer survivor, Sue Mudge will be doing just that because she knows how important the charity is to the lives of so many people.

Bronwyn Webb talks to Sue about the reasons why so many people in the Far North relay for life?

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nyone who lives in Cairns will tell you there is six degrees of separation (or less). Inevitably, someone knows someone who knows you.

I’m a Cairns girl through and through as is my family – fourth generation in the Tropical North, so without a doubt stepping out of the house means more often than not running into someone I recognise.

Stepping into Sue Mudge’s home it was hardly surprising that the first thing I noticed was a portrait by her front door – her gorgeous granddaughter, Lola. Just hours before I had dropped my daughter off at daycare and left her playing with none other than Lola.

A long list of connections between Sue and I emerge – her son, Tim, and I had worked together, she knows the woman I’d just had lunch with and, of course, Lola’s mum, Caroline, and I had greet each other at daycare regularly.

Sue, 61, will this month don her walking shoes and hit the track as the face of Cairns’ Relay for Life.

The first thing I ask her is why? Why is she so passionate about this event and why, year after year, does Cairns have the third most successful event in the country?

“It’s simple,” she says. “Someone always knows someone who has or had cancer.” Having already established connections all over the place, it seems that statement is invariably true.

Five years ago, Sue found what every woman fears – a golf-ball-sized lump in her right breast. While the doctor reassured her that everything would probably be alright, it wasn’t, and the lump was found to be serious.

She was alone at the surgery when given the verdict.

“Immediately I thought I was going to die. Miss out on life, grandchildren and travel,” Sue, a mother-of-three and now grandmother-of-four says.

During the months that followed, Sue underwent a lumpectomy, chemotherapy every three weeks for six months and then radiation in Townsville for six weeks. profilemag.com.au

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I felt so alone – it was my goal to find others with cancer so I could talk about it. I wanted to reassure my family that I was going to be ok.”

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She suffered the terrible illness and hair loss that comes with chemotherapy and the isolation and loneliness of being forced to leave your hometown for radiation.

“I felt so alone and that it was just me. It was my goal to find others with cancer so I could talk about it. I had to reassure everyone that I was going to be okay.”

Sue attended a Look Good, Feel Better workshop hosted by the Cancer Council and it was from there that Sue’s search for someone to talk to was over. She had discovered a group of women who looked and felt like her and The Bald and the Beautiful support group evolved (The BB Girls).

“That feeling of being alone with this disease was over. It has been amazing for everyone, including me. We started talking and we just haven’t stopped. The group is somewhere for women to go and just talk – pour their hearts out.”

Around the same time, Sue attended her first Relay for Life.

“Just after surgery and as I was about to start treatment, my husband, Graeme suggested we go and have a look. We arrived just in time for the Survivors’ Walk and at that I broke down and fled back to the car. All I could think was I might not be here next year but if I was, I would come back here.”

Every year since, Sue and the BB Girls have held fundraising activities and between them have raised about $20,000 for the Cancer Council, a charity she says everyone should support because it makes such a difference to cancer patients and their families.

As for Relay for Life, which she is the 2012 face of, Sue says the event is like no other for bringing people together. Each year, thousands of Cairns locals hit the track at Barlow Park to walk laps to support cancer patients and their families and honour those who lost their battle.

This year event organisers hope to beat last year’s record of $610,000.

“This event is like no other. It strikes a chord. Almost everyone knows someone who has had cancer. I guess people support it because the help would be there for them should they ever need it,” she says.

“Words cannot describe the feeling of being in this event. It’s a wonderful example of passion from people.”

While Sue is about to celebrate five years being cancer free, she says she will continue to support fundraising for Relay for Life.

“Cancer puts things into perspective,” the former early childhood teacher says.

“It made me realise that it’s time for me to do things I always wanted to do. Like learning piano and continuing my interest in art. It’s always been my goal to take up piano and I want to do more drawing. I enjoy my grandchildren and would like to do more travel and certainly hope to see our support group continue on into the future.”

june 2012

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To support Sue’s Relay for Life fundraising efforts visit www.relayforlife.org.au following the links to The Bald and Beautiful team’s page. Sue also encourages people to donate wigs to Cairns’ new wig library by contacting Kaye Elliott on 4047 5652.

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success

Suicide always affects someone, and everyone has something to offer.�

peter lovett

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success

words stacey carrick ll photography stuart frost

THE RATE OF SUICIDE IS HIGHER IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY THAN IN ANY OTHER INDUSTRY. FORTUNATELY, MATES IN CONSTRUCTION IS HERE TO FOCUS ON AWARENESS AND PREVENTION AND ENCOURAGE WORKERS TO DISCUSS THEIR FEELINGS. STACEY CARRICK CHATS TO ABIGROUP CONTRACTORS SITE SAFETY MANAGER PETER LOVETT ABOUT THE PROGRAM.

O

ver the years, I have become somewhat of a confidant to my friends, someone they can trust with their deepest, darkest secrets. Unfortunately, I have had two male friends who have admitted to a desire to take their own lives. This is one of the most difficult situations a human being can face – to talk someone out of this decision, to remind them about the positive things in their life, to ask them how their family and friends would feel without them in their lives, and above all, to give them a reason to live.

While at university, a friend broke down as she told me about how a friend of hers had deliberately overdosed on insulin and had been admitted to hospital.

She asked me to accompany her when she visited him. It was a difficult thing to do, but I did it to support my friend. I can remember seeing him lying in bed with a multitude of tubes protruding from almost every orifice. I also remember meeting his distraught family and thinking what a waste of life it was. He always seemed happy, but who knew of the emotional turmoil lurking beneath the surface? Perhaps he felt he had no one to confide in and express his feelings to. Perhaps if he had someone to talk to he would still be here today.

Fortunately for construction workers, there is someone here to help. Mates in Construction promotes the idea of mates helping mates. The program was initiated in response to the high rate of suicide in the construction industry, according to Peter Lovett, site safety manager with Abigroup Contractors, one of the sponsors of the scheme. In fact, the construction industry has been identified as the industry with the highest suicide rate, as the result of a study conducted by universities and the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention. In 2009 alone, 101 construction workers took their own lives, 61 of them aged between 15 and 24. Suicide is the biggest killer in the industry, with Queensland construction workers six times more likely to suicide than to die from an industrial accident.

Mates in Construction was created by the Building Employees Redundancy Trust, (BERT) with the aim of supporting individuals within the Queensland construction industry by addressing mental health and wellbeing related issues, including suicide and self harm. When a worker dies and still has money in BERT, the family is entitled to claim the outstanding amount by producing a death certificate. In the period 1999 to 2007, a total of 399 families claimed these death payments. It was estimated that in 88 of these claims, the cause of death could be attributed to suicide. This amounts to about 22 per cent, or one in five.

Peter says alarm bells began to ring as a result of BERT statistics, due to the high number of redundancy payments being made to families of workers who had taken their own lives. He says there are a number of contributing factors.

“The construction industry is traditionally renowned for its long hours, lots of pressure and deadlines,” he says.

“With this comes a high income, alcohol and substance abuse. Friday afternoons at the pub are part and parcel of being one of the boys.” Through the Mates in Construction Life Skills Tool Box course, workers learn about suicide awareness, finances, drug and alcohol awareness, communication, anger management, health and wellbeing, nutrition, leadership, conflict management, workplace rights and responsibilities, work / life balance, june 2012

managing emotions and goal setting.

Connectors are trained to keep people safe while connecting them to help and are trained in SafeTALK, an internationally recognised suicide prevention program. A 24-hour help line is also available. Mates in Construction raises awareness about suicide on site, makes it easier for workers to access support when they need it and helps them talk about mental health and wellbeing.

It also teaches them to recognise signs that someone is contemplating suicide. Being aware of the warning signs is very important, as well as listening when people need to talk. Peter says the ratio of suicide is four men to one woman, which is partially attributed to the fact that men are reluctant to talk about their feelings. “If men go to a barbecue, they don’t talk about their personal problems, they talk about sport. Men think they are bulletproof; that they can take on the world.”

Peter once had an eight-hour telephone conversation to a staff member who was contemplating suicide. “Sometimes people just want someone to talk to and someone to listen to them. People don’t want to die, they just don’t have any will to live at a particular moment. You have to find out what’s important to them and who would miss them. Suicide always affects someone, and everyone has something to offer.”

Peter tells me the story of a Gold Coast man who in 2009 drank a bottle of scotch and ran in front of a truck to end his life. “That truck driver has never worked since that day, two days before Christmas. It just changes so many people’s lives.”

Men think they are bulletproof; that they can take on the world.”

Tears well up in Peter’s eyes as he tells me he lost two uncles to suicide and the feeling of helplessness that overcame him. He has even contemplated suicide himself. “The first time was when I was 17 and I lost mates in a car accident,” he says. “There have been other times for various reasons, financially, or when I was feeling down and out or depressed.

“However, I could never follow through with it, particularly because I spend so much time preaching about it. I have to think about how everyone I preach to would feel. In addition to that, I lost my brother-in-law to cancer.

He wanted to live, but he didn’t have a choice, so why should I take my life?”

It is this attitude I admire in Peter, despite the difficulties he has had to overcome in his life. His aim is to promote the “mates looking after mates” attitude within the construction industry, increasing awareness about mental health and wellbeing and decreasing the suicide rate. I am certain he will succeed; he is a determined, caring individual championing a noble cause.

A man committed to looking after his mates.

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“Since day one I was made to feel very welcome here.�

Pedro Martinho

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1. pedro martinho 2. miang 3. Michael gabour 4. pork and prawn rice paper rolls 5. philip slater

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ladies at lunch

words and photography mia lacy ll venue nu nu restaurant

Why settle somewhere else? What drives people to move their lives, their families, to another country? A mixture of opportunity, adventure, wanderlust and well, just plain lust, according to these lads, as Mia Lacy discovered.

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hen my dad arrived in Australia from Germany at the tender age of 19, the world was a very different place. As a teenager in post-war Europe, opportunities were limited for him so he finished a plumbing apprenticeship and got on a slow boat to Australia. Many others did the same, and during the 1960s they were a workforce to be reckoned with. Willing to work, but with very little English, they found jobs as labourers or semi-skilled tradies. A popular novel, They’re a Weird Mob, purportedly written by brickie’s labourer Nino Culotta, was an excellent social commentary of Australian society of the time. The ‘New Australians’ issues adjusting to the customs and language of their adopted country were cruelly funny. My dad’s mob loved that book. They’d drifted north to cut sugar cane and years later had their own farms and families here. Lives were established, but ties remained, nonetheless.

Today, the lads having lunch with me have all lived here for many years – some for decades.

Portuguese-born Pedro Martinho 42, is an events manager for Staging Connections and has been here for 12 years. Brit Philip Slater, 50, arrived 14 years ago and now owns The Travel Lounge, a mobile travel agency. Michael Gabour, an American, has spent the past 22 years living happily in Port Douglas. He’s now the owner and morning show host on Radio Port Douglas. Immediately on meeting Pedro for the first time, he starts speaking Spanish and the two of them are off – melding over one of the world’s most common language, and exploring each other’s history. It’s interesting what breaks the ice when you meet for the first time. profile: Did you feel welcomed when you came to Australia? michael: I spent a couple of days in Sydney, then went with a business partner straight to Port Douglas and within 24 hours I knew I’d found my ‘place’. The first night, there was a jam session at The Central Hotel and I felt like I’d stepped back in time to West Marin County circa 1978! philip: We were told the Cairns community was june 2012

tight as the population was largely contracted for three years or so and it was hard to win the locals’ affections. Yet as soon as we arrived people were welcoming – we’ve had the same set of friends for 14 years. pedro: Since day one I was made to feel very welcome here. It was different from what Portuguese used to experience immigrating to another country when often they were made to feel like imported labour. profile: What brought you to Australia? pedro: It was a woman! I’d met her in Portugal where we had a four-year relationship, and a child, then we decided to come to her home – Australia. michael: Navigational errors! I was on my way to the Dominican Republic for a birthday party and next thing we found ourselves half way to Australia so we figured why not go all the way?

From Tahiti, I called an old mate in Sydney who said, ‘I’ve just found the motel we’ve been talking about buying for 20 years, it’s in a little village called Port Douglas and you are going to love it.

Do you want in?’ I said I’ll be there in 48 hours. philip: My story’s not romantic! I was working for a major independent travel agent in London and they wanted a manager for their Cairns office. I came straight from London to Cairns. profile: Any culture shock at all in that move? philip: Loads of culture shock – it took a while but we adapted. We ‘chilled out’. profile: Are you an Australian citizen? Why did you chose to be naturalised? michael: Yes, I’m proud to call Australia home now. It took a while – the Australians were a bit ‘suss’ of me and it was seven years before I was allowed to become a citizen. It was a very liberating feeling. I’m very happy I took that step. philip: I’m not. I have a British and a Kiwi passport and that’s all I am allowed. My family moved to New Zealand when I was 13 and so I became a Kiwi when I was 16, went back home and then immigrated to here. pedro: I’m not an Aussie either. When I first arrived

here with permanent residency, I couldn’t have dual citizenship so I never thought about it as having an EU passport is very handy. But now I can have dual, so it’s on my to do list to call Australia home too. I’ll be more than happy when that happens. profile: What do you miss about your country? philip: Only the culture and history – those quaint local pubs that have a character of their own and have been around for hundreds of years. There’s nothing like that here, but there’s plenty that makes up for it. michael: No helmets on Harleys – and my sister. pedro: I do miss my family – Skype has become a good friend. I miss the ability to travel or drive for hours through three countries! profile: What traditions from your country have you imported? michael: Independence Day – when I owned The Courthouse Hotel In Port Douglas I’d honour the tradition by throwing a big 4th of July party and blues festival there. philip: We like Guy Fawkes, but you aren’t allowed to celebrate that here. Some of the English foods like shepherd’s pie, toad-in-the-hole – I make my wife prepare these for me to show me she loves me! michael: Helen cooks for me too. I enjoy southern fried chicken with red bean rice and jalapeno peppers. She has learnt my mother’s recipe and now cooks it perfectly. pedro: We embrace Anglo Saxon traditions here.

We used to open presents on Christmas Eve but we don’t do that here, we do it the Australian way to honour this country’s traditions. My sons speak to my dad in Portugal on Skype on important dates like Father’s Day and Easter, so they get a different view. profile: At what point did you know you’d become a local? michael: The night I successfully bid to buy The Courthouse Hotel. One of the locals was at the auction and as soon as the hammer came down, he walked up to me and said ‘thank God the old pub has remained in the hands of a local’! I’d been profilemagazine

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ladies at lunch NU NU RESTAURANT, Palm cove Nu Nu was named regional restaurant of the year in Australian Gourmet Traveller Magazine’s Restaurant Guide Awards, and it lives up to the accolade!

We invited Jason, known for his extensive food and wine knowledge, to lead us into Nu Nu cuisine and he did so by choosing his pick of menu experiences, matched with samples of their quality wines. First, he placed a miang in front of us, instructing us to pick up the green betel leaf topped with red emperor, green papaya relish and salmon pearls and simply wrap it up and enjoy. It was flavoursome and very different – in a very good way! mia and the lads chat over lunch

there two-and-a-half years at that point. philip: It was when our neighbours came around and welcomed us into the community. That’s something I’d never had happen in the UK where you tend to keep to yourself more – particularly in London where you don’t get to know anyone else. pedro: It was after three years. I’d returned to visit my family and friends in Portugal and I was looking forward to it so much, I needed to revisit my home badly. While I was there I realised I wasn’t part of their lives anymore and while it was great to see them and the place, I got to the end of my trip and I just felt I really wanted to go ‘home’ to Australia.

“The freedom and the outdoor life is wonderful, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Philip Slater

profile: What’s the best thing about living here now? philip: As a parent, what struck me most was everything was outdoors – the children could play ,rain or shine, as it was warm. And no pollution – I could see the stars at night. I used to lie on my front lawn and just look up at the stars. The freedom and the outdoor life is wonderful, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. pedro: There’s a lot of things that are really good about living in Cairns. The only thing I haven’t

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overcome completely is that it’s a bit far away from everything – but apart from that it is a very complete place – small enough to have quality of life and big enough to cater with a vibrancy. philip: One of the great things is there is an international airport 15 minutes from my house so if you long for culture you can just hop on a plane. michael: That I can have my cake and eat it too!

I have the best of all worlds – I live in a small seaside town where I know everyone and yet it has all the amenities of a five-star metropolitan destination – superb restaurants, interesting and dynamic people and a beautiful ambiance. Not to mention two of the most amazing natural wonders of the world! profile: What would you tell someone considering immigrating to Australia? pedro: Embrace where you are, make yourself a local, make the most of what’s here. philip: Relax and don’t take things too seriously – just chill. Use the facilities – get down to the beach and use the barbeques for a weekend breakfast – there aren’t those in Europe. michael: Be yourself. The Australians are tolerant and accepting people. And look for an Aussie woman!

“We are one, but we are many and from all the lands on earth we come, We share a dream, and sing with one voice, I am, you are, we are Australian.”

Bruce Woodley, originally from the classic Australian group The Seekers, wrote those lyrics 22 years ago in his memorable anthem, We Are Australian. Having a deep appreciation for the place you call home is wonderful, but feeling that you are part of a nation is even better. Welcome to all the expatriates!

Next came a Vietnamese specialty from Hanoi – crispy fried chilli salt pork ribs. Michael, who hails from the town of Texarkana where Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana intersect, is a man who knows his ribs and when he says “these are really excellent ribs” you know that’s high praise from a Southerner. Philip agreed, noting they aren’t smothered in sauce – the crispy outer is excellent. Then there was a pause to savour the wines we were imbibing – Baby Doll sauvignon blanc (yes, it’s from New Zealand), a Bollini pino grigio (Pedro actually called this suave) and an Ocean 8 pinot gris, which was exactly as it should be – dry and crisp.

Next, Jason’s choice for us was crisped pork and prawn rice paper rolls – super delicate.

“I’ve got so much respect for someone who can create this,” Pedro said. We enjoyed the crispy fried caramel pork belly, which was a pleasant change from the usual way this cut is presented and very light. The menu flicks easily between small and larger dishes, and you can dine banquet style for a very reasonable $40 per person.

It’s the little things that contribute to the overall success of a venture, always. All the daytime items on their menu are available take away.

Nu Nu also take great care in designing and producing a dessert menu that is simply irresistible. The stylish breakfast menu is available from 8:00am till noon.

Nu Nu chefs utilise organic produce, wherever possible, and offer vegetarian, vegan and coeliac menus. Catering for events and receptions is a significant aspect of Nu Nu and you would feel extremely confident in having any event experience at this delightful seafront venue. For a sophisticated, contemporary yet quintessentially Far North Queensland dining experience that you’ll remember long afterwards, Nu Nu is the perfect choice.

4059 1880 123 Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove www.nunu.com.au

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on the road

Colorado LTZ 4x4 Dual Cab

ll words hamish rose

THE FACTS

Colorado LTZ 4x4 Dual Cab FEATURES: LTZ (Pickup) •• 2.8L Turbo Diesel Engine •• 5-speed Manual •• 6-speed Automatic (option) •• ESC •• Curtain Airbags •• Bluetooth® •• 17” Alloy Wheels •• Electric Mirrors •• Cruise Control •• Fog Lamps •• LED Tail Lamps •• Projector Headlamps •• Sports Bar •• Soft Tonneau Cover •• Side Steps PRICE: •• 4x4 Crew Cab LTZ pickup 2.8 manual $49,990 •• 4x4 Crew Cab LTZ pickup 2.8 auto $51,990 To test drive this vehicle, contact: Ireland Holden 227 Mulgrave Road, Cairns Phone 4052 3666 20

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he all new Colorado hits the shores of Australia this month. Unfortunately, the release of Holden’s all-new Colorado was delayed due to the floods in Thailand, but my gut tells me that this is going to be worth the wait! On paper, it sure sounds impressive, with Holden’s promise that the Colorado has been “re-invented from the ground up” and “is set to change the way you think of mid-size trucks”. Bring it on!

There appears to be four key reasons why the Colorado is set to impress, especially the Colorado LTZ 4x4 crew cab, which is the topic of this month’s review, although it’s also available in single cab and space cab. Firstly, it has all the power that you could want or need. I’m talking serious power – 470Nm of torque, from as low as 2000 rpm for the 2.8L turbo diesel motor. The second impressive feature is the Colorado’s towing capacity. Good-size caravans, trailers, camper trailers ... all perfectly suited to the Colorado LTZ with its 3.5 tonne towing capacity. Coupled with the one tonne payload capacity, the Colorado will suit a wide range of drivers, from tradies to caravanning enthusiasts and everyone in between.

The Colorado LTZ is up with the best of them in safety features. Every model features Electronic Stability Control, Anti-lock Brake System with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, front passenger and driver airbags, and side curtain airbags as standard. This positions the Colorado LTZ as one of the safest utes on the market – an

excellent selling point. For the sake of comfort and convenience, the Colorado LTZ’s standard kit will comprise air conditioning, USB/aux inputs for the audio system, 17 inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity and electric windows.

For me, it is the external design that really sets the Colorado apart. While the Colorado is somewhat of a blokey looking car and screams hard yakka, its external lines make for quite a sporty and stylish finish. The end result is a solid tough, looking ute for work, and a stylish vehicle for the weekend. Designers at Holden have opted to create an interior with a “more car-like” design in mind, with a dual-cockpit design, flowing instrument panel and integrated center stack – definitely what could be described as “car-like characteristics”. Pop on a hard tonneau cover (with or without polished aluminium sports bar), a snorkel kit (perfect for weekend getaways), a towing package, crew cab canopy and reverse parking sensors ... just for starters. While I’ve been referred to by friends as “frugal”, a couple of extras would certainly set you apart from others, and be the envy of all.

Holden is clearly proud of their new baby, the Colorado, which is the product of a five-year, US$2 billion program developed across five continents including Australia, and more than 2.5 million kilometres of road testing. My advice, contact Ireland Holden now to register your interest for a drive, as this could really be the biggest new vehicle to hit the showroom this year!

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Croft auto june 2012

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cover story

marita cheng clothing by target

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cover story

words sarah blinco ll photography charlotte rose ll hair and makeup pulse hair and beauty

At just 23 years of age, Marita Cheng seems much older and wiser than her years. This enthusiastic and intelligent Cairns girl won the 2012 Young Australian of the Year accolade on January 26, and far from being an average university student, she’s already developed an organisation that operates worldwide, educating young girls on the merits of studying engineering. Marita took time out from her busy schedule to tell Sarah Blinco how and why she does it all.

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p until today I thought I was a skilled, if not superior, multi-tasker. My days consist of navigating a series of ‘to do’ lists that usually include a number of people to placate, several stories to write, a social media space (or eight) to update, and responding to a few hundred emails (on a good day). These activities keep me pretty busy and all the while I attempt to make people happy – a nice piece of publicity here, a few more followers on Twitter there. If I’m really lucky, I’ll get to help someone – build their profile, make them some money or better yet, inspire with a little advice or mentoring.

I thought I was doing well on this front – that was until I met Marita Cheng. In all honesty, I Don’t Know How She Does It. That ‘multi-tasking’ movie starring Sarah Jessica Parker should be starring Marita. While many university students have a primary aim of simply finishing an assignment on time so they can get to the pub in even better time (bless them), Marita is studying, mentoring, speaking, writing, blogging, applying for grants, inventing, running an innovative education organisation (which operates across six countries, no less) ... and winning awards. Specifically this year, she was chosen as our Young Australian of the Year. Try and beat that (I know I can’t)!

Marita is a happy, enthusiastic young woman, and in many ways she portrays the epitome of a uni student. She’s excited about the future and is brimming with ideas on how she wants to live her life and change the world. A Cairns kid (and past student of Mother of Good Counsel, St. Joseph’s and St. Mary’s) but presently studying at the University of Melbourne, Marita tells me that sometimes she looks at her fellow students and wishes she could graduate at the same time as them.

After she explains she has just returned to Australia following travelling the world for two months as part of her Churchill Fellowship grant, I interject and tell her to not worry about this – she is what I’d call an ‘extraordinary’ university student, already miles ahead in ‘life’ than most of her Australian contemporaries! june 2012

Let me explain a little more about why Marita is so extraordinary. In addition to having a Nancy Fairfax Churchill Fellowship, an International Youth Foundation YouthActionNet Fellowship and an Anita Borg Change Agent award, Marita is also a former panellist on ABC TV’s New Inventors program. Additionally, rather than just studying at university, Marita came up with an idea – she wanted to create a group – an organisation, if you will, that would educate and encourage other young girls to study in fields that traditionally have low levels of participation by women, but areas she is passionate about – engineering, science and technology.

As a result, in 2008 (when she was just 19) she conceptualised Robogals (www.robogals.org).

“The idea came to me a few months before we registered to be an incorporated association. It took me only about three weeks before I decided I’d just do it! I never thought that it would grow so big. If you had asked me to imagine in 2008 what Robogals would be like now, I wouldn’t know how to answer. I worked hard growing it, but the response has been incredible. I think that when I got to university I really wanted to spend my time here improving my skills that I can take to the world. I had lots of people tell me university is the best time in your life to try things and find out what you’re passionate about. You don’t have a mortgage, kids, responsibilities. I came to uni with that mindset so I wanted to be involved in projects that enabled me to learn leadership, management, communication skills and to grow a big network.”

Still puzzled at how one so young can not only study a challenging field at tertiary level (she’s only a year and a half off finishing her degree in mechatronics engineering (robotics) and computer science) but also squeeze in managing Robogals, travel for work and fulfil speaking engagements, Marita explains that she’s always been driven. “From when I was 10 I started doing a lot of volunteer work – for the Salvation Army, Guide Dogs, Cancer Fund ... I volunteered in line-dancing with Cairns and District Chinese Association Incorporation, and as I grew older

Both males and females live here and I believe we both should play a part in creating a world we share.”

Marita’s days keep her busy whether she is studying, metoring, speaking, writing, blogging, applying for grants, inventing, running an innovative education organisation or winning awards!

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marita wears dress from Annies ladies boutique, spence street, cairns

Mum has always encouraged me to help people and get involved in the community.”

Marita Cheng launched Robogals to teach schoolgirls about engineering in a fun and educational way 24

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in Cairns I got involved in different initiatives.

I’m also the Cairns Library reading champion for 2012’s National Year of Reading (www.love2read. org.au) ... Mum has always encouraged me to help people and get involved in the community.”

Marita’s Robogals, originally an idea she planned to develop at university in Melbourne, is now an organisation that operates 17 chapters in six countries (including Australia, United Kingdom and New Zealand), facilitated by dedicated volunteers as well as 100 plus committee members.

She explains the reasoning behind her passion on her own site (www.maritacheng.com): “Less than 10 per cent of engineers in Australia are female, and only 14 per cent of engineering students are female. As well as this striking gender imbalance, there is also a shortage of engineering graduates to fill the available jobs. More worryingly though, the number of students taking up the harder maths and physics disciplines in the senior years of high school is declining. In order to see these numbers change direction, we all need to work together.

Schools can establish robotics programmes so that our kids will not just be consumers of technology, but also creators of technology. Through robotics, theories learnt in maths and physics can be shown in the real world to enhance learning of key concepts. Changing these numbers won’t happen overnight, but if we focus our attention on this issue, then we will be able to have girls and boys see engineering as something that is

creative, logical, world-changing, and something they would like to be a part of. Through research done on my Churchill Fellowship (my research topic is ‘strategies to get girls interested in science, engineering and technology’), I’ve encountered some really cool ideas of dealing with this issue.

[This year] I’ll be writing a thesis about the topic ... and then planning the implementation of all those ideas shortly afterwards.”

Robogals uses fun and educational activities to teach schoolgirls about engineering and the difference that engineers make to our lives. Already Robogals has run robotics workshops for 3,000 girls across 80 schools in Australia. Fundamentally, the organisation designs and facilitates robotics workshops, events, competitions, mentoring programs, career talks and regional presentations for (young) high school students. Through these targeted programs, Marita and her dedicated teams aim to expose more students to areas and study that might inspire, engage and interest them – areas they may not have been previously aware of within engineering, robotics and technology realms. This exposure, in turn, allows students to further investigate these areas of study via future subjects and projects at high school and inevitably university. Robogals now operates in conjunction with numerous education boards and universities worldwide, which means more students have access to information, mentoring and inspiration, thanks to Marita. The aim is to improve numbers profilemag.com.au

cover story

Less than 10 per cent of engineers in Australia are female, and only 14 per cent of engineering students are female.” of students, particularly female, in secondary, tertiary and academic research areas of these critically important facets in our society.

Marita says the workshops aim to educate and involve girls in engineering.

“At our workshops, the presenters will introduce themselves and explain what engineering is. We endeavour to give students, generally aged 10 to 14, the ideal age for making future decisions on what subjects to study at school and university – an idea of all the possibilities that are available in an engineering degree. We then specifically talk about what is involved with robots, then students at the workshops have an opportunity to make one!

As far as the actual organisation goes, we have a structure in place whereby all chapters have an executive committee with job titles and descriptions, and there’s training for all positions. Each of our chapters has a president plus a national director who mentors all staff to maintain the structure and support we have to expand quite strategically and we want to give all chapters the attention they deserve. We want to have a high quality program not just a big program for the sake of it being big,” Marita explains.

“Both males and females live here in our world, and I believe we both should play a part in creating a world we share. I think it’s really important that kids get skills in maths and science so that they can become informed and educated citizens in society to make decisions about nuclear energy or global warming – any political issue that comes up that’s related to science and the environment. It’s important to make decisions from an educated basis rather than an emotional one. I think it’s really important to encourage school kids these days to know the fundamentals in English and maths but have experience with creating technology. I read that 93 per cent of future jobs will involve technology – it’s a skill everyone will need to have in their toolkit to survive in the future. Girls who are good at technology or engineering are those who are really inspired by what you can do with those skills. If you’re inspired you’ll work hard to get the jobs you’re really interested in. If you’re inspired by creating robots, or websites, creating innovative buildings or town planning structures, then you’re going to put in the hours to learn what you need, like maths or physics. I want to inspire girls in this mindset,” she says.

Next on the cards for Marita is the development of her own robotics company – creating robots that will facilitate many of our everyday and mundane tasks. This inspired young Aussie says that growing up in the midst of the greatness that came out of organisations like Google and Apple has spurred her on to do the same in the fields she is most passionate about. “Google inspired me. I remember reading about it when I was going through high school. I thought it was incredible that two guys could code an algorithm that meant you could crawl through the internet and look for things. Think what your life would be like today if you didn’t have Google? Similarly, the Apple computer was designed and hand-built in a garage in the ’70s by Steve Wozniak who was in his early 20’s at the time – just tinkering away in his garage. He saw a microprocessor that could be bought for a small amount of money and thought, ‘I’m going to make my own computer’, then he sold it [with Steve Jobs], but look what it is now! I think it’s really inspiring that you can create something like that – it means anyone, you and me – we have the potential to create something ‘in our garage’ that can have worldwide impact!”

marita cheng. umbrella by zonky plonky, grafton street, cairns

june 2012

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inspire

ll words stacey carrick

adam clay

C

CAIRNS WINE LOVERS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ANNUAL CAIRNS SHOW WINE AWARDS. PANEL JUDGE ADAM CLAY CHATS TO STACEY CARRICK ABOUT THE AWARDS AND HIS CAREER.

airns is the gateway to Australia for many tourists and first impressions are certainly important. With such a strong tourism and hospitality industry, it is vital that the food, wine and service we offer our visitors is impeccable. Bearing that in mind, the Cairns Show Wine Awards is an important event on any wine aficionado’s calendar.

The awards focus attention on wine style and quality and appropriate foods.

The aim of the event is not only to recognise exceptional wines but also to promote the show in the local wine market and assist wineries with exposure in the region. Wine appreciation workshops and a public tasting will also be conducted.

Cairns has become like a second home for Adam Clay, who is returning this month to judge the awards for the fifth year in a row. Previously a senior judge, this is his first year as a panel judge, where he will be accompanied by his wife, Marie.

“I think it’s important to have a global perspective of the wine industry,” Adam says. “I am a big fan of the wine show system. I have judged at a number of regional wine shows and am working towards getting involved in the capital city wine shows. The awards are a great opportunity to set a benchmark for quality wines. For the producers, it shows where they stand in the industry, and it’s also a chance to showcase quality wines to the people of Cairns. The public tasting gives them an opportunity to taste award-winning wines and shows them what the professionals think are gold, silver and bronze level wines.

It’s also about focusing on quality, rather than quantity.”

Throughout the awards, Adam and the judging panel will have the pleasure and enormous task of tasting between 900 and 1000 different wines from between 150 and 180 wineries from throughout Australia and New Zealand.

“It’s fairly intense, but it’s part of the job,” he says.

“We’ll be tasting blind – we won’t be able to look at the labels, it’s all about the wine in the glass. We will give the wines a score out of 20, and we have to ensure only the best wines get through.”

Tasting such a high number of wines may sound like fun, but for the judging panel, there are a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration.

Criteria includes balance, level of complexity, style, flavour, texture, weight and the length of time the wine remains on the palate. “You never stop learning,” Adam says. “Every year entries are different, styles change and there are new varieties.”

Adam says wines enjoyed in Cairns differ from those in the southern states.

“Because Cairns is warmer, there is a focus on lighter, less tannic wines.

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“The awards will showcase wines that suit the Cairns environment and wines that match the food. Wine and food go hand in hand – they complement each other.”

He looks forward to visiting Tropical North Queensland each year. “I love to holiday in Port Douglas and visit the beach and the Daintree,” Adam explains.

Adam is certainly qualified to judge wines, having been a winemaker for 11 years, the past five at Penfolds in the Barossa Valley, South Australia. As part of his role, he grades and allocates wine to ensure quality standards are met and manages the winemaking process through fermentation, blending, oak maturation and bottling.

He had a somewhat unconventional start to his career, studying biotechnology at university. Adam soon discovered he enjoyed the scientific aspect of his degree, but not the lack of practical components. He met his now wife, Marie, while she was studying winemaking. This opened a whole world of possibilities for Adam, who returned to university to study winemaking, a career he now thrives in. He has moved around Australia honing his skills, and even had the opportunity to work in Tuscany (Italy) and California (USA). He now judges at wine shows throughout Australia, and conducts recorking clinics.

“I love the fact that every day is different,” Adam says. “I’m in vineyards, I’m blending wines, I’m marketing them and I’m tasting them. Wine tells a story of a particular time and place. It’s like a time capsule of that year. My son was born in 2010, so I can give him a bottle of wine from that year when he turns 18. Wines are good for special, happy occasions. I even proposed to my wife over a bottle of Penfolds.”

Just in case you are wondering what Adam’s favourite tipple is, it’s the Penfolds 389 Cabernet Shiraz, which has been in production since 1960 and Adam describes as a unique blend and a very Australian wine.

For Adam, working at Penfolds is an honour. Particularly stimulating is the calibre of the senior winemaking team which, when combined, have almost a century of experience, as well as working with fruit from the best vineyards.

“I want to spend the rest of my career in the Barossa Valley,” Adam says.

“It’s a small community, everyone knows each other and it has a lovely feel.

It’s one hour from Adelaide, so it’s a country town with access to the city.”

The Cairns Show Wine Awards, supported by Profile Magazine, will be held from June 20 to 23, with the public tasting on June 23 at the Cairns Showgrounds from 3:00pm to 6:00pm.

For more information, phone 4042 6630, email info@cairnswineawards. com.au or visit the website: www.cairnswineawards.com.au. profilemag.com.au

profile loves

work it

your ultimate guide to fashion and beauty

vanity case

style counsel

meet cachelle davison june 2012

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profile loves

patch work it’s a wrap Leina Broughton Ballet Wrap, RRP $235. Available at Barbarella and Swan, Macrossan Street, Port Douglas. Phone 4099 4212. www.barbarellaswan.com.au

Boomshankar pencil patch cotton skirt, RRP $89. Suitable for all seasons – team with any plain coloured top. In the cooler months, add boots and tights.

Perfect! Available at Annie’s Palm Cove, Phone 4059 2112

fabulously comfortable Wendy and Holly Chloe shoe, RRP $69.95.

Available from Shoetopia, Woodward Street, Edge Hill. Phone 4032 2941

always on time PANDORA Imagine Watch with diamond bezel and heat enhanced black diamond, RRP $1,120. available from pandora cairns central. Phone 4041 7373

designer specs Gok Wan designer glasses. Two pairs for RRP, $249. Available from Specsavers Cairns Central, www.specsavers.com.au

a Jensen with Johann auty editor be d an fashion

T I K R O W

ionable adding fash y b e yl st of Add pops of sassy le vel r wardrobe. ea e w ce Maintain a fi of r work. Thes your classic ylish look fo st a elements to s. te k ea n cr ri atterns to fter work d colour and p you from the office to a e k pieces will ta

bag it AnaCris Carioca Nights Fushia handbag, RRP $330. www.anacrisbags.com

spot it Barkins Pretty Polka Dot Pencil Skirt, RRP $49.95 www.barkins.com.au

orange blaze Barkins Bleaker St Blazer RRP, $59.95.Visit www.barkins.com.au

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animal instinct Pink Ruby wild spot frill dress, RRP $239. Visit www.pinkruby. com.au or Phone 02 8203 2110 for stockists

pumped up ko fashion patent pump, RRP $89.95. Available from Shoetopia, Woodward Street, Edge Hill. Phone 4032 2941

profilemag.com.au

vanity case bronze glow For a healthy glow you can take anywhere. NVEY ECO Nourishing Bronzer, RRP $49.95.

Visit www.nveymakeup.com

complexion perfection Models prefer makeup eraser CORRECTOR PEN, RRP $9.99.

Available at Priceline stores or Phone 1300 88 44 11

sun smart Le Tan Coconut Lotion SPF30, RRP $3.99.

Available at Priceline cairns central

spray and stay Cedel Hairspray 40g, RRP $3.99. Available at Coles cairns central or phone 1300 650 981

splash of colour jane iredale lip fixation, rrp $56. available at shambhala beauty spa, pierpoint road, the marina. phone 4031 8800

the tote

stay matte

Free endeatment Jessica bag in mustard, RRP $395.00. Visit www.freeendearment.com

Young Blood Loose Mineral Foundation RRP $77.50.

The lightweight fomular provides buildable coverage and a soft radiance without any glitter or shimmer. Availbable at Aroma Hair, Windarra St, Woree. Phone 4033 1300

lush lips Vani-T Mineral Lip Colour, RRP $32.95. For stockists visit www.vani-t.com

a Jensen with Johann r beauty edito fashion and

up isn’t an to freshen e m o h g in handbag When head with these d e r u a p e r p w when yo option, be never kno t s ju u o Y . essentials them! might need

false effect Travel Size Fibre Lash Brush on False lashes and colourbox eye pencil, RRP $39.

Visit www.modelco.com.au for stockists

soft hands refresh and go OSIS+ Refresh Dust Bodyifying Dry Shampoo, RRP $28.95. Available at pulse hair and beauty, spence street. phone 4051 4212

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Trilogy Rose Hand Cream, RRP $15.95.

Available at Myer, cairns central or Phone 03 6533 1336

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AromaHair

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style counsel

ll photography stuart frost

Sydney-born model and owner of Cachelle Model Management Cachelle Davison, has worked in the fashion and modeling industry for quite a few years now. After moving to Cairns with her family in 2006, she has forged a positive name for herself and her agency, not only locally but also nationally. This hot, young entrepreneur is also one of the key players behind the launch of Cairns’ upcoming elite high fashion event, RUNWAY twenty.twelve.

profile: What do you love most about your job? cachelle: The challenges and the people I get to meet along the way. The industry I’m in is very tough and cut-throat but all worth it when you can find your place. I get to talk to people not only in Australia but also abroad, including casting directors, fashion stylists and photographers from all over the world.

My most recent encounter was with Alessandro Bandini from 2morrowmodels in Milan when he visited Australia last month. profile: What looks can we expect to see this coming season? cachelle: This season designers are bringing back a lot of lace and floral designs. Collette Dinnigan’s finale mini-dress in the David Jones Fashion Launch, as modelled by Miranda Kerr, was stunning. Designers are still crazy for all things ladylike too, although it’s getting increasingly sophisticated and less retro.

Think pencil skirts and blouses, neat jackets and classic pumps. profile: What must-have item should we all have in our wardrobes this season? cachelle: It’s always changing – but right now it’s a pair of high heel boots and a really comfortable pair of jeans just in time for the cooler season. The kind of pair that feel like you don’t even have them on. I just love jeans that you can really live in. And of course, everyone needs an amazing pair of heels. profile: How would you describe your own style? cachelle: I think I have a really classic style. I love bold colours, lots of jewellery and love anything that makes me feel beautiful. I personally don’t like anything that’s too girly or cutesy. I change it up a lot from day to day based on my mood. You would never see me with bows in my hair or anything! profile: What is your best style tip? cachelle: To be confident in what you wear. If you don’t feel comfortable in what you have on, choose something else. You can’t go out and look nice if you are worried all night about what everyone thinks of your style. profile: What is your craziest fashion moment? cachelle: When I was 12 and first introduced to make-up I came across of photo of model Gemma Ward with this gorgeous big blue look; I tried to recreate it and didn’t succeed. At the time I thought I looked amazing and convinced Mum to let me out of the house to show my girlfriends. I went a whole day looking like I had dipped my head in blue eyeshadow. Oops! profile: What is your best memory working in fashion? cachelle: I have so many memories but one of my favourites would have to be when Cachelle Model Management was chosen to cast for the 2012 David Jones Fashion Launch. It was a real honour to have been asked to be a part of it, and just shows that if you work hard enough you can achieve anything. I encourage people to go after their dreams and I am living proof that you can set goals and with determination, hard work, support and belief in yourself, dreams can come true.

Profile Magazine is proudly supporting RUNWAY twenty.twelve, to be held at Tjapukai Cultural Park, 9 June 2012. Tickets are selling fast, book early to avoid disappointment. More at www.runwaytwentytwelve.com

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life

therapeutic paraffin wax foot baths with Tyson Franklin Podiatrists, rehabilitation specialists and medical professionals have endorsed the use of paraffin wax for its therapeutic properties for many years and have long known that paraffin therapy is a viable way to speed healing and an ideal way to soothe muscle and joint pain.

treatment by dipping their foot into a pool of heated medical-grade paraffin wax. The process involves dipping the foot into the paraffin wax three times, then placing the feet into a plastic sleeve. The feet are then wrapped in towelling to retain the heat and allowed to sit for approximately 20 minutes.

Paraffin wax is a natural product and has been laboratory tested to be hygienically safe to use.

It is colorless, tasteless and odorless. The heat produced by the application of paraffin wax increases the blood supply to the area being treated and traps moisture from underlying layers of the skin, resulting in rejuvenated and nourished skin.

This penetrating heat is optimal for people suffering from: •• Arthritis •• Bursitis •• Bunion pain •• Muscle spasms and muscle soreness

Paraffin therapy reduces pain and stiffness around joints by removing excess fluid from surrounding tissue while providing lubrication.

Therapeutic paraffin wax also aids in the reduction of skin dryness by providing deep moisturising, leaving the skin looking and feeling great, which is perfect for people with cracked heels and other dry skin disorders.

If you’re pain-free and have no dry skin concerns – your feet will still feel better after a therapeutic wax foot-bath. However, it is not suited for people with diabetes or other circulatory type problems.

If in doubt, discuss concerns with your podiatrist prior to treatment.

Proarch Podiatry 1300 776 272 www.proarch.com.au

•• Chronic joint pain •• Joint stiffness •• Ankle soreness and tendonitis

Within a podiatry clinic, Paraffin Wax Footbaths allow patients to receive therapeutic heat

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monitoring your heart with Peter Reynolds What is an echocardiogram?

An ‘echo’ or ‘cardiac ultrasound’ is a specialised test that involves imaging the heart through the use of ultra-high frequency ultrasound. It is a test that involves moving a small probe over the chest wall to image the heart from different angles. A lot of measurements are taken to assess the function of the heart and blood flow through the valves of the heart. Doppler ultrasound techniques are also employed by the technician to monitor valvular disease.

Why have an echocardiogram?

Your doctor may request an echocardiogram for many different reasons. These may include symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pain through to ‘heart murmurs’ that are heard when your doctor listens to your heart through a stethoscope. An echo is also performed to follow up certain conditions, monitoring disease progress and after events such as heart attack and stroke. Cardiac ultrasound is the most portable and cost-effective method

june 2012

for diagnosing and monitoring heart disease.

Other studies such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) are non-portable, costly and lengthy tests. There is generally no preparation required to have an echocardiogram apart from an appointment.

Is the examination uncomfortable?

No, you shouldn’t feel any pain or discomfort while having your echocardiogram. Generally, the procedure takes anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the complexity of the study.

Is there any special preparation?

Other than wearing loose fitting clothing, there is no special preparation for an echocardiogram.

Are there any risks or side effects?

Research has shown that there are no adverse effects or risks with the use of ultrasound technology. No radiation is involved or emitted with ultrasound.

Where can I go to get an echocardiogram?

Echocardiography is a highly-specialised area of expertise with a limited number of echocardiographers (technicians) to complete the study. In Cairns, there are several facilities where echocardiograms are performed including Cairns Radiology. Our facility uses advanced machines and software programs to help diagnose and monitor your heart condition and has a cardiologist who interprets your results and sends a report to your doctor within 24 to 48 hours after the examination. Timeliness plays an essential role in the provision of your health care.

Is an echocardiogram expensive?

At Cairns Radiology, echocardiograms are bulk billed where Medicare eligible. Contact your doctor as a referral form is needed for the procedure.

Cairns Woman’s Imaging 4042 6888 admin@cairnswomensimaging.com.au

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life

young cancer survivors with Marg Schilling It’s good news! More and more young people are surviving cancer and emerging from treatment with a normal length and quality of life. The icing on the cake for them is to remain fertile and to be able to achieve their expectations for childbearing and family. Sadly, the necessary treatment can end up impairing fertility, in both males and females.

Alternatively, if there isn’t much of a window period before the commencement of chemotherapy, part of an ovary can be removed by laparoscopy (key-hole surgery). Thin slices can be cryo-preserved or frozen in time, as it were. When that longed-for day arrives the cancer specialist giving the all-clear; fertility can become the number one priority. In some cases, the ovary may have shut down permanently. This is when fertility can be helped by re-grafting the preserved ovarian tissue.

There is now a research focus to tailor treatment to minimise or prevent reduction in fertility.

However, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and surgery are still the essential requisites for successful treatment.

Fertility preservation is just as important for guys. Again, there is the opportunity for men to freeze and conserve sperm, before treatment.

Often, after chemotherapy, there is return of spermatogenesis, but the count and motility is significantly reduced. Thankfully, IVF can microinject individual sperm into the egg, and thus help those with damaged spermatogenesis.

Assisted reproduction has an important and increasing role in conserving fertility and helping those with impaired egg or sperm production.

Chemotherapy, in particular, has varying detrimental effects on oogenesis (ovary) and spermatogenesis (testis). Women can often be offered the option of harvesting a group of eggs for cryo-preservation before embarking on chemotherapy.

He survived advanced cancer of the testis, and fathered children using sperm obtained before several rounds of chemotherapy, using IVF. He tells all in It’s Not About The Bike.

There are other groups that can benefit and seek out such treatment. Many women choose to delay childbirth into their 30’s, when fertility starts to decline. There just aren’t enough ‘Mr Right’s’ out there, it seems!

Ladies, it’s worth considering your fertility options sooner rather than later, as assisted reproduction and egg conservation can offer some insurance and assurance for later.

Queensland Fertility Group, Cairns 4041 2400 cairnsivf@qfg.com.au

The most famous example is Lance Armstrong, seven-times winner of Le Tour De France.

The sound of happy living!

Hearing instruments for people who say “You’ll never see me wearing a hearing aid” Enjoy the freedom of better hearing with the latest discreet hearing solutions from AUDiOHEALTH. Simply Brilliant Hearing!

Hear Life. Live Life. Love Life

INVISIBLE HEARING INSTRUMENTS AS SEEN ON TV

Call 4041 7860 125 GRAFTON ST CAIRNS www.audiohealth.com.au CAIRNS 36

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brand new hearing with Kerry Magee Manufacturers of hearing instruments continue to improve what they offer as new technology unfolds. Some of the new innovations suit our tropical climate with new improvements on moisture and dust resistance in many products.

For those wishing to hear in the most challenging of wet conditions there are a few waterproof hearing aids available so you can swim, fish, boat and surf! Then there is the new long-wear product that our clinic is accredited to fit. We are one of the few clinics in Australia accredited to fit this product which required a substantial investment in new equipment and a commitment to the advanced training required.

The instrument is positioned deeply into the ear canal using a free standing microscope where it remains for periods of up to four months before being removed and replaced with a new device.

The benefits of hearing all day, every day are easy to imagine – hassle-free and stress-free listening without the need to handle an instrument or

june 2012

change batteries. Of course, there is the advantage of safety and security. One wearer interviewed on the Today show described her relief at being able to hear her children cry at night. Then there is the safety factor of feeling more secure when you can hear the sounds around you.

The product is a hit in America and the United Kingdom and we have the added advantage here in Australia that it has been rigorously tested by users overseas and we are now fitting the latest, smaller modified version without earlier teething problems.

Another technology seeing improvements in hearing systems is called wireless technology.

One use of this technology enables sound to be collected at the profoundly deaf or dead ear and transmitted to the better ear. The better ear can have amplification as well if needed. This replaces the old technique of a wire running around the back of the head.

With wireless streaming, hearing aids can now communicate with each other for optimum hearing, particularly in background noise.

Now there is more control than ever with the tiny concealed-in-the-canal products having remote controls, one of which uses the iPhone as a remote control! You can adjust your volume and change listening programs if you so desire; for example you may select a particular program for hearing in a noisy restaurant or for listening to music, television or you may wish to leave well alone and allow it to work automatically.

Offering clients a choice is one of the benefits of being involved with an independent hearing clinic where the latest products are always available.

Audio Health 4041 7860 www.audiohealth.com.au

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on the table

berry delicious pie

with Annette Sym Symply Too Good To Be True author www.symplytoogood.com.au

berry delicious pie SERVES: 12 ingredients

method

Base

To make base: In a food processor crush biscuits.

Melt margarine and combine with milk then add to processor and combine well. Coat a 23cm pie plate with cooking spray and press biscuit mix on to base.

Refrigerate.

•• 12 Highland Oat biscuits •• 1 tablespoon Flora® Light margarine •• 1 tablespoon skim milk •• cooking spray Filling •• 4 x 150g vanilla low-fat Fruche® Fromage Frais •• 2 x 200g tubs strawberry no-fat yoghurt •• ¼ cup blueberry juice from a can •• 1 teaspoon gelatine •• 1 sachet (9 grams) light strawberry jelly •• 1 x 415 grams can blueberries in light juice (drained)

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To make filling: In a large mixing bowl beat Fruche and yoghurt together using an electric beater. Heat ¼ cup of drained blueberry juice in microwave until hot then combine with gelatine and jelly crystals, mixing together really well until the crystals have dissolved. Gradually beat into the filling. Add drained blueberries to the mix and beat with an electric beater until combined, but still leaving chunks of berries visible. Pour filling into the pie plate and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Not suitable to be frozen.

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his simple but very tasty pie (from Symply Too Good To Be True 6) is a winner when you want a special dessert that is easy to make. The creamy, fruity flavours really work well together and it looks great too. Blueberries are so good for you and now that they are back in season you can decorate the pie so it looks ever more fabulous. But remember, don’t be tempted to go back for seconds! Everything in moderation is the key to weight loss success and good health.

Join me at my next three-day workshop retreat from March 23 to 25 2012 for a life changing experience. For more details, recipes and tips go to my website www.symplytoogood.com.au.

Happy cooking, Annette Sym.

Dietitian’s Tip: This is an ideal dessert, full of fruit and oats for fibre and gastrointestinal health, and dairy products for calcium and bone health.

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the grind

OUR A FEW OF UP WITH H C AT C , WE ‘COFFEE THE FOR THEIR THIS MONTH IT, BARISTAS C AIRNS ’VE ENJOYED FAVOURITE WHERE THEY , – ’ STORIES CONSUMED WORLD OVER HAVE BEEN BLENDS OWN ...

WHERE THEIR TO INDULGE THEY’D LIKE WHERE AND

Roy McPherson, Bang Espresso “An amazing coffee experience that always comes immediately to mind is when my wife and I were sitting on a rooftop in Marrakech (Morocco), sipping on a rich and silky ‘nus-nus’ (half espresso, half milk) watching (and trying to understand) the crazy happenings in the square below.

The coffee culture in Morocco is completely absorbing, and excellent coffee is available at the most unexpected places – from a tiny restaurant right on the foreshore of the beach at Essaouira to the decrepit porch of a cheap hotel in a dusty transit town. One place I would love to enjoy good coffee is in Rome. I would wander the laneways in the very early hours of the morning looking for the favourite local spot for good Italian espresso.”

Shane Pue, Silk Caffe “I went to a place in Brisbane recently called the Frisky Goat – awesome coffee and barista! A favourite when I go to Canberra is Urban Bean Espresso Bar that offers great single origin coffee. When I’m rich and famous I would love to go to a cafe in San Francisco called Blue Bottle – I’ve heard great things about this place. I’d also like to go to Dead Man Espresso in South Melbourne – have heard great reviews, I need to go! And I’ve heard good things about a place called Kaffee 1668, a quirky, funky-style cafe in New York.”

Brendan Caulfield, Coast Roast Coffee on the Esplanade “The best coffee I have had outside Australia was in New Zealand, particularly Wellington. I managed an Irish bar / restaurant there, Molly Malones, from 1990 to 1995 and the coffee culture in Wellington started then. Since then, the coffee scene in Wellington has grown and I recommend a visit to this great city. Caffe L’affare is a must. Where next? South America, especially Columbia, is on the must do list.”

Graham Kenyon, Coast Roast Coffee Cairns Central “I thoroughly enjoy having coffee by the Manly Esplanade in Sydney.

I’d really love to dine and try coffee alfresco-style in Rome.”

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Karina Sulley, Cruze Coffee “I cannot leave Cairns without my plunger mug and fresh roasted coffee. I’ve had our coffee in Adelaide, Sydney, camping in the middle of nowhere ... although that’s not nearly as exciting as some of our customers. One lady sent us a photo of her drinking our coffee in Antarctica! Another customer sent us a photo of him with our coffee on a boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!”

Andi Young, Habib’s Cafe “I have most enjoyed coffee in New Zealand, and the place I would most like to try coffee is Yemen, the home of coffee.”

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travelfile

ll words alli grant SURFERS PARADISE HAS LONG BEEN THE JEWEL IN SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND’S TOURISM CROWN. HOWEVER, IN RECENT YEARS, THE TARNISH HAS PERHAPS RUBBED OFF A LITTLE. SURFERS PARADISE IS BACK THOUGH – BIGGER, BOLDER AND FAR MORE FABULOUS, WITH NEW ACCOMMODATION AND SHOPPING CENTRES ON OFFER, A REFURBISHMENT OF CAVILL AVENUE AND A $20 MILLION FACELIFT AT THE ICONIC SURFERS PARADISE MARRIOTT RESORT, AS ALLI GRANT RECENTLY DISCOVERED.

lagoon terrace at the marriot Resort & spa, Surfers paradise

S

urfers Paradise and I have had a long friendship. As a kid, we regularly holidayed there, staying in one of the area’s first high-rise buildings. As a teenager, I spent Schoolies there, baking on the beach and flirting with boys (20 years on, I have given up both hobbies). In my early 20’s I lived and worked on the Goldy and was a regular at Surfers clubs. In my late 20’s I would regularly visit one of my closest friends who lived smack bang in the middle of the tourism mecca.

Today, in my 30’s, my dad has an apartment in Surfers so we drop by for the occasional family weekend away. Yes, Surfers and I have been friends for a long time, so I was really excited about heading back to check out the old girl’s recent facelift, courtesy of a child-free getaway at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa. She (yes, of course Surfers Paradise is a girl) is part-way through a massive renovation and re-brand. It’s no secret that our tourism numbers in Queensland are, on the whole, down. So instead of sitting around and waiting for tourists to change their minds and come on back, the good people of Surfers Paradise are giving them many fine reasons to return.

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reception area

poolside daybed

The once lackluster glitter strip, also known as Cavill Avenue, is receiving a makeover. Juniper’s Soul is almost complete, along with a fabulous shopping precinct. The Esplanade is looking flash.

The Hilton Hotel is open for business, and the Surfers Paradise Marriott, somewhere I have stayed for many a conference over the years, has undergone a $20 million refurbishment.

There really are so many reasons to pop Surfers Paradise back on your ‘must visit’ list for 2012, as we discovered on our very brief break away recently. While I was keen to have a look, to be honest I was a little more focussed on rest and relaxation. On eating, drinking, reading, lazing, talking to my husband, getting an early night and waking up sometime after 5:30am. Yes, we were child-free.

Son delivered to grandparents, off we trotted to the Marriott to check out its new frock and it didn’t disappoint. The lobby has always been spectacular, but gone are the grand, colonial-style fans and in their place are snazzy chandeliers, adding a little more sophistication to the hotel.

All 329 rooms have been refurbished, and while we were keen to check out our junior suite, we had one thing on our minds. Lunch.

Not just any lunch, a seafood buffet of mammoth proportions.

Those of you with kids will appreciate the simple joy of a kid-free meal. The Marriott’s impressive new restaurant, Citrique, is certainly the perfect place for a bit of ‘mummy and daddy only’ dining.

It may look like a buffet, but technically it’s ‘interactive dining,’ with four different dining zones and eight culinary concepts for hungry hippos like us to enjoy. Honestly, I felt like a teenager at a One Direction concert. I didn’t know where to look or whether to cry, squeal, scream or simply faint. My eyes darted from the fresh seafood (Moreton Bay bugs – I worship you) to the pizza station to the bread buffet (11 kinds, I kid you not) to the two dessert bars, to the pasta bar (where you can invent your own culinary creation with the help of a chef) ... and the list goes on. All this – without a child to worry over. Champagne, please!

When our divine waiter announced that it was ‘lobster month’, I was done. The icing on the interactive dining cake. Lobster mornay. Lobster pizza. Lobster pasta. Heaven! We certainly made the most of our time at Citrique – it was one of the best buffets I have experienced, and I’m a buffet monster from way back.

While all we really wanted to do was flop on a bed and have a nanna nap, the pool was calling. Actually, a day bed by the pool was calling (the weather was a little blowy so we stayed out of the pool).

I was dying to do something I hadn’t done for a long time – read a book without pictures in it.

We lazed by the lagoon pool for a few peaceful hours – nothing june 2012

says ‘holiday’ like a spacious daybed. You can hire a daybed, with several packages available. The pool, or rather pools, are spectacular, with caves and slides and of course, a bar. Just what you would expect from the Marriott, but it’s the lagoon itself that’s worth writing home about.

You can snorkel with the fish all year round in the man-made coral reef – how amazing is that? There’s a fish feeding session every morning at 9:30am – great for the kids.

The wind picked up so we packed up and headed up to explore our room, or rather, junior suite, with views out to the ocean and back over the Nerang River. In my opinion, the rooms now feel a little less ‘Surfers of old’ and a little more contemporary, with a colour palette of neutrals with accents of coral, white and cream. It was the spa with ocean views that grabbed my attention. Just what I needed.

We didn’t have too much time to relax – we wanted to explore the ‘new Surfers’. First stop, The Elandra Retreat (on the 27th floor) for delicious canapés and a sneaky little wine. The Elandra Retreat is like a Qantas Club in the sky – if access to the club doesn’t come with your particular room package, it’s well worth the extra cash to upgrade. Elandra offers access to a contemporary lounge overlooking the ocean with complimentary food and beverages throughout the day. From breakfast to supper, you can nip into the club to enjoy a peaceful time-out, with a plethora of reading material, internet access and television also on offer.

Drinks consumed, it was time to head into Surfers. Wow, were we surprised, and not in the way we expected! Surfers Paradise was eerily quiet. No drunken teenagers. No hordes of tourists snapping up cheap T-shirts. Oops – it was a Sunday night. Of course it was quiet. We had a little look around, checked out Soul, walked through Cavill Mall, stuck our nose in at Circle on Cavill, drooled over the fashion on offer at High Street (the latest shopping precinct) and got a feel for the new and improved Surfers.

Early to bed, early to rise – we were off to enjoy one last time-out at Elandra for breakfast before heading back to work. It was, after all, Monday morning.

I’m excited about the new Surfers Paradise, and if the Marriott’s impressive facelift is anything to go by, Surfers will once again be the place to see and be seen in no time at all. Perhaps there’s still a little work to do on the old girl (Surfers, not the Marriott), but she sure is looking fancy, and I look forward to getting to know my dear old friend all over again in the months to come. Nothing like a new frock to make you feel fabulous, is there?

Facts Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa 158 Ferny Avenue, Surfers Paradise, Queensland Phone 5592 9800 or 1800 809 090 (toll free) www.surfersparadisemarriott.com.au profilemagazine

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unfriendly competition with Marcus Achatz Your plant is getting the right amount of fertiliser and water. The position isn’t too bright or too shady. In fact, you’re sure you’re providing your new plant with everything it needs to grow, but still nothing’s happening. Every now and then there’s a new leaf, but as a whole, it’s all very disappointing, especially since the folks at the nursery said it will grow really well in your area.

So what’s wrong? Could it have a disease? Is there something wrong with the pH of the soil?

Is it suffering from a deficiency? Or is the dog peeing on it?

There is, however, another aspect that’s often overlooked. Whose roots are in the ground?

A good way of telling how much competition your new plant is going to have is to look at what you see when you dig the hole. If you’re just getting dirt, you can feel very optimistic. If you’re finding a few woody plant roots and a bunch of fibrous ones then it means the site has already

been occupied by another plant which can be typical for an established garden. However, if it’s difficult to dig because you have to hack your way through a mass of roots, then you may as well fill it in again to avoid disappointment. Anyone who has tried to plant and grow something under a mature palm tree will know exactly what I mean.

Not only do mature plants out-compete the new ones for water and nutrients, but some even engage in chemical warfare, releasing substances that will impede the root growth of any foreign plants that come too close.

In my experience, planting in the drip-line where the majority of the feeder roots are located is the most difficult, yet planting close to the stem is often more successful. I think this is because you’re planting between big woody roots which are kind of inert, and avoiding the aggressive fine feeder roots that are located more to the extremity.

If you have your heart set on planting in a spot that’s already been occupied by another tree’s roots, you have to be prepared to accept a reduced growth rate. You can, however, give your new plant a little assistance by making sure it’s never short of food or water. A good, thick layer of organic mulch will help a lot. If you want to join the underground battle, simply get a spade and stab a big, deep ring around your new plant every couple of months to cut through any roots of the neighbouring plants that may be trying to occupy its little patch.

Yuruga Nursery 4093 3826 www.yuruga.com.au

Selling? Make your home STAND OUT! At standoutproperty, we do things differently.

We sell your home by using unique marketing strategies to make your home stand out and in turn, attract the greatest number of buyers.

We treat you as an individual rather than a number, and handle selling your home like we were selling our own home; with care, passion, honesty, dedication, personalised service, and professionalism.

Call Sales Principal: Col Hancox for a confidential chat.

Call 4032 5088 or 0409 493 253 www.standoutproperty.com.au

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abode

homes for our climate with Roslyn Smith Living in a tropical climate like ours means it is essential the design of your new home makes the most of your block of land. Too often I see builders and sales consultants simply sign up a new client with a plan that doesn’t suit the land. Many clients aren’t aware of some of the energy-efficient elements or cooling breezes that make the home much more liveable. With good planning and design, your home will be a haven from the heat and severe weather outside.

It can be as private as you want, even in the middle of the suburbs. There are some suburbs where many new homes are getting a bit like that song, “little boxes, little boxes and they all look just the same”.

You should be mindful of where the cooling breezes come from, what direction the hot, late afternoon summer sun comes from and building materials that are cost effective and energy efficient. Ask the person you are dealing with if it’s the best plan for your land.

june 2012

I’ve seen some homes that have fantastic cooling breezes but that’s where the garage or the bathroom is positioned. We spend most of our time relaxing in the evenings and on weekends in our indoor or outdoor living areas, so take the time to get it right. It is very easy to mirror reverse a floor plan or move a couple of rooms around so that the living areas are in the best location.

A high pitched roof and wide overhangs will help shade and protect windows in different weather conditions. Small pergolas with shadecloth cover on the north or west side will help cool bedrooms or living areas if this is the only side of the home they can be located. Well-ventilated rooms, louvre windows, large opening doors, good ceiling fans, ceiling and / or roof insulation and high ceilings will also help cool the home naturally.

the heat on external walls and roof surfaces.

The small initial costs of some of these inclusions can outweigh the end result of a hot, uncomfortable home that needs to be air conditioned. My advice when building your new family home is to consider the cost of these during construction as it may be more expensive to do them later. Do a little homework, ask the questions and make your home the best it can be for our tropical living.

Affinity Designer Homes 4051 8866 www.affinitydh.com.au (Roslyn is a building designer and licensed builder QBSA 533314)

The external colour scheme can make a difference to internal temperature so try and keep to cool, light colours as dark colours retain

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abode set the mood GAZE BIO ETHANOL FIREPLACE (INDOOR AND OUTDOOR USE). POWERED BY METHYLATED SPIRITS, THESE PLINTHS ARE GREAT FOR MOOD AND BALCONY FEATURES, FROM 36.5cm(D) x 47.5cm(W) x 48.5cm(H). AVAILABLE FROM WWW.DELUXEPRODUCTS.COM.AU

garden splendour HEAVEN VASE CREATED USING STEEL WOVEN AROUND A SUSPENDED INTERNAL VASE. AVAILABLE IN WHITE IN TWO SIZES FROM WWW.KEZU.COM.AU

with Richie Stevens Inside Out Stylists www.insideoutstylists.com.au let there be light ALMA VASE OUTDOOR PLANTER LIGHT (SUITABLE FOR INDOORS OR OUT), HI-GLOSS LACQUERED COLOURS, TEXTURED COLOUR, VIVID WHITE INTERNAL LED LIGHTING WITH A TRANSLUCENT PLASTIC OR REMOTE CONTROLLABLE COLOUR RGB LIGHTS. AVAILABLE FROM WWW.KEZU.COM.AU

The weather is cooler but the sun is out – time to relax and enjoy outside. This month we take a look at hot home ideas for sprucing up outdoor spaces.

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FISH WAVE METAL ARTWORK PANELS. EACH PANEL IS 1600 x 100 x H800mm. LASER CUT WALL ART STAINLESS STEEL WITH OPTIONAL LED STRIP LIGHTING AVAILABLE. FROM www.ENTANGLEMENTS.COM.AU

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Logo Clearspace

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Master Builders Brand Identity Standards Manual

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The Master Builders logo must be reproduced clear of any other graphics or type to a minimum distance of one ‘y’ unit surrounding the logo.

The clear space of one ‘y’ unit equals the measurement from the top of the Symbol to the top of the Logotype.

In regards to the reversed version (see Section 2.3), the clear space is filled with only the background colour.

If an Identifier is used, the clear space must extend to include it.

Any departure from the examples shown within this standards manual must be approved by Master Builders.

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business

does my butt look big in this? with Col Hancox This question is one of the most potentially hazardous a man will have to answer; especially early in a relationship. Yes, no, or just don’t answer?

Some women really do want to know the answer to this question because they want to look attractive and need feedback (this is referred to as “being honest”). Other women already know the answer and just want their man to compliment them so that they can feel fantastic and special (sometimes referred to being “sensitive to their needs”).

Early in a relationship for a man, it’s hard to know which is the right answer. Answer “yes”, and you’re considered insensitive; answer “no” by trying to please them, and they’ll think you’re wonderful, although some women may feel annoyed because they think you’re not being honest. Is there really a correct answer?

Real estate is no different. Most of the time, the agent and seller are starting a new business

relationship. When a seller asks a real estate agent (man or woman), “what do you think my property is worth?” the alarm bells go off in much the same way as the “does my butt look big in this” question, as the agent is scrambling to decide how to best respond. Do sellers want the agent to be really honest with them or just be sensitive to their needs?

Real estate agents get a bad name for not being honest, yet when the agent is honest with them when conducting an appraisal on their home, the honest agent rarely gets the business as, 90 per cent of the time, sellers list their home with the agent who gives them the highest sale price.

For example, the honest agent shows them detailed recent sales information and appraises their home at $420,000 to $430,000; whereas another agent who is being sensitive to their needs appraises their home at high $400,000’s without giving any actual facts to justify the price range given or just agrees with the price or price range that the seller wants.

Who do you think the sellers list their home for sale with? Yes, it’s the second agent!

But hang on sellers, I thought you wanted the agent to be honest with you?

Any man will try his best to avoid answering the question, “does my butt look big in this”, as both yes and no answers are fraught with danger!

Agents will do the same, as most likely their answer to the question of “what do you think my home is worth?” will determine whether they get the business or not.

Which agent stands out for you? Someone who’s really honest, or just sensitive to your needs?

Stand Out Property 4032 5088 www.standoutproperty.com.au

Want an Australian Visa?

At Visa Connection we provide expert and personalised immigration advice to individuals and corporations worldwide.

We have a vast knowledge of: • Australian Migration Law • General Migration Advice • Family sponsored visas • Spouse and Defacto visas • General Skilled Migration • Australian Citizenship and • Work sponsored visas (457 and RSMS/ENS)

Call us today on: (07) 4051 9043 to arrange your FREE half hour consultation Registered Migration Agents Fiona Ryan, Registered Migration Agent No. 0640004

e: info@visaconnect.com.au www.visaconnect.com.au 48

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business

family migration with Fiona Ryan The Family Migration Stream is one of the main components of Australia’s migration program.

It has four main categories — partner, child, parent and other family visa categories. The ‘other’ family visa category consists of the carer visa, aged dependant relative and the remaining relative visa.

The ‘carer’ visa is for visa applicants to migrate permanently to Australia to give assistance to an Australian relative or member of their family who has a medical condition that impairs their ability to attend to the practical aspects of daily life. The need for assistance must be likely to continue for at least two years and their medical condition must be assessed by an approved panel doctor.

It must also be demonstrated that the assistance needed cannot be provided by another relative in Australia or from any community or health service provider.

The ‘aged dependent relative’ is for single, widowed, divorced or separated visa applicants who are dependent on an Australian relative.

june 2012

The migrating relative must be of pension age and their relative in Australia must be their child, parent, brother or sister, grandchild, uncle or aunt, niece or nephew or step-relative equivalent.

Dependency must be demonstrated to show that the migrating relative has been wholly financially dependent on their Australian relative for all their living expenses and that this support has been provided for at least three years prior to the application.

The ‘remaining relative’ visa is for visa applicants who have no near relatives outside Australia and who are the brother, sister, child or step equivalent of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Those applying in the ‘other’ family categories may be able to apply in or outside Australia and must be sponsored. All applicants for ‘aged dependent’ relative and ‘remaining relative’ visas are subject to an Assurance of Support (AoS) which is a legal commitment by a person to repay

to the Australian Government certain welfare payments paid to migrants during their respective AoS period which for these two visa classes is two years. For ‘aged dependent relative’ and ‘remaining relative’ visa applicants, an AoS bond of AUD $5,000 is required for the main applicant.

This bond is be held for two years. The AoS bond amount for any adult family member is $2,000.

The planning level for the family stream in 2011–12 is set at 58 600 visas, which represents 31.7 per cent of the total migration program. The overall planning level for 2011–12 is set at 185 000.

Visa Connection Pty Ltd 4051 9043 info@visaconnect.com.au (Fiona Ryan, Registered Migration Agent No. 0640004)

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the science of motivation with Kirsten Le Roux A while ago I was sent a link (www.thersa.org) to an animated version of Dan Pink’s keynote speech from his book Drive on the science of motivation.

Pink takes this a step further to explain that in this instance there are three other motivating factors that lead to better performance and personal satisfaction: Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose.

Pink believes that humans aren’t as predictable as we think. He follows a study by MIT University in the USA who trialed a typical motivation scheme (i.e. rewards for performance) receiving surprise results. They replicated the scheme again in other parts of the world and found consistent outcomes. They observed that for simple, straightforward tasks (e.g. mechanical tasks – if you do this, then you’ll be given that), money is highly motivating.

‘Autonomy’ is our desire to be self-directed, that we will be engaged in what we are doing if we are in control. ‘Mastery’ is our desire to improve at something, to be challenged and learn; and ‘Purpose’ is to make a contribution to someone’s life or to make the world better – to do something for a higher reason than only profit. Pink demonstrates each with examples of companies around the globe who have used these with success.

However, for tasks that are above using rudimentary cognitive skills and are more complicated (i.e. when conceptual or creative thinking is required) then money is not a motivator. Provided the issue of money is not on the table, more money has the opposite effect and becomes demotivating.

Pink suggests that if we “move away from the ideology that people only perform when there’s a carrot dangling on a stick and start to look at the science, we can build workplaces and organisations that attract the best talent and have the most innovative outputs, while at the same time making us better off financially and making the world a better place”.

It’s taken me a few views of this presentation to gather my thoughts around these three alternative rewards, and I’ve started to test this in daily recruitment and have seen evidence that many candidates are attracted to companies that present a wider purpose or contribution other than profit. I have been writing a list of words candidates use to describe what they are looking for and ‘challenge’, ‘meaningfulness’, ‘community’ and ‘personal development’ come up often, so conclude that perhaps there is something in the science.

If you can spare 10 minutes in your day, it’s worth a watch – Dan Pink, Drive, the Science of Motivation.

CBC Staff Selection 4051 9699 Kirsten@cbcstaff.com.au (Kirsten Le Roux is a senior recruitment consultant with CBC Staff Selection)

contracts of employment with Travis Sturgeon Are you a business that employs staff? There are a number of benefits in having properly drafted contracts of employment with your employees, such as: •• Providing a written record of the expectations and agreements of both parties’ at the time of entering into the contract. This can greatly reduce misunderstandings and disputes about entitlements and conditions of employment.

•• Providing an opportunity for you to protect your business through the use of confidentiality, intellectual property and restraint clauses.

When making an employment contract, you need to give careful consideration to how the contract will interact with other sources of employment rights (eg. the Fair Work Act 2009 and Modern Awards) and what is required specifically for their business.

The following essential terms should be included in an employment contract: The name of the employee and the employer, title of the job to be

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performed by the employee, commencement date of employment, the basis of the employment (i.e. ongoing, fixed-term or casual), amount of the employee’s remuneration and how it is made up, amount of notice that is required to be given by both employer and employee to end the employment relationship.

Additionally, it should include a provision clarifying whether or not company policies form part of the contract. If they do, both parties must comply with company policies. If they do not, the employer has a discretion whether to following the policies or not. Also a provision to enable over-award payments (i.e: the amount representing the difference between the statutory minimum wage and the actual wage paid to the employee) to go towards non-wage monetary entitlements, for example overtime or penalties; a provision dealing with the effect of changes to the employee’s role on the contract.

Further, a confidentiality clause should be included that spells out the obligation of employees to maintain the privacy of confidential information. Additionally, include an intellectual property clause that makes it clear that as the employer, you own all inventions and works in which copyright exists even if the creator is the employee; and a restraint clause that prevents an employee from engaging in certain activities for a certain period in a certain geographical area after they leave your employment.

Spending some time and money on having contracts of employment for your business can potentially save you thousands of dollars and your valuable goodwill.

Williams Graham Carman 4046 1111 www.wgc.com.au

For example, if the employee’s duties, reporting arrangements, remuneration or job location change, will the written contract still apply?

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MIGRATION PLUS BUSINESS PROMOTION

is change enough?

permanent work visa with Dr Chris White

At recent elections we have seen a call for ‘change’. Is ‘change’ enough or is it just a hollow criticism of the governments we appointed and condoned to run our communities?

Surely the fundamental goal should be a call to build a community, a nation and maybe a world that is truly good to live in. If we can’t do that in our own micro societies, our families, homes, workplaces and if we ignore the plight of others then it can never be realised. Possibly we will just keep calling for change in a fruitless search for the unachievable.

We have called for change, but have we called for what we want that change to achieve? Have we looked at ourselves to see if what the respective governments have dealt us is not just a reflection of the community we are?

By blaming our governments, we are blaming ourselves; by criticising we are criticising ourselves, they are a reflection of us after all. We put them there, we let them stay there.

It would do us no harm to reflect on the words of Miyozo Yamagishi, “my true happiness is not only with me, if the surroundings, the society and all other people don’t become happy then how can I be truly happy”. In other words, how can we be truly happy while other people in the world live in poverty, oppression and grief?

Our federal government is about to cut its UNICEF program to balance its budget. Is this sending a message that it’s alright for others to live in poverty as long as we are okay?

There is only one answer really, and it is to understand your thoughts, words and deeds translate into everything you do.

You make the choice to become bright, cheerful, healthy and in balance with your surroundings – you can spread this influence into the community.

It is only when people communicate effectively, think about choice of words, actually consider their attitudes and methods, and listen sincerely to the ingenious ideas of others that progress is made.

Consistent with this must be an attitude of obliterating stubborn ideas or clinging to ideas, thoughts or concepts. If anyone clings to their ideas as being ‘right’, ‘better’ or ‘supreme’ they cannot effectively listen; they cannot learn and grow by uniting the intelligence and heart of the wider community.

Throughout the time of humankind any fact has only been true in the moment of its existence. If new thoughts, ideas and concepts are proposed and listened to sincerely, universally better solutions are found. The world used to be flat didn’t it?

4041 2620 www.migrationplus.com.au

june 2012

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milestones

martin anton

M

artin Anton is a TNQ name that we believe one day will be renowned the world over for ‘green contributions to the environment’. As managing director of Waterfarms Australia, he is on a crusade to transform the packaged water industry away from the use of plastic. Martin’s now in his ninth year with Waterfarms Australia – a family-owned company dedicated to supplying and packaging the best quality natural spring water that can be sourced from North Queensland – and the company’s new AQUAPAX technology has recently been adopted for use by one of the biggest mining companies in the world.

Martin is a modest, intelligent and hard working local, who has taken time out to share his milestones with Sarah Blinco.

Milestones ...

Life changing milestone 1: Purchasing our future water bottling site The beautiful green township of Babinda is historically recognised for having the highest rainfall records in Australia, and was the perfect place to purchase a site for our proposed water bottling plant (2003). The premium quality natural spring water that is sourced and packaged in Babinda is renowned for being one of the cleanest, purest and sweetest-tasting natural spring waters available in the Australian bottled water market.

Life changing milestone 2: Our first customer The late and ‘larger than life’ Cairns identity, Peter Tibbs (from Tobruk Pool), was a wonderful person who was always very supportive of local people like me who were prepared to ‘have a go’. He was a very encouraging influence for me in the early years when I was setting up my business. He was not ‘backward in coming forward’ with his verbal encouragement, counsel and putting his money where his mouth was when it came time to place his first water bottle orders with us. In fact, he made me promise him (years in advance of the actual opening of my business), that he wanted to be my undisputed first ever customer. Even though sadly Peter Tibbs is no longer with us, his customer number still reads 0001 in our record books from 2007.

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words sarah blinco ll photography courtesy of extreme photography

Life changing milestone 3: Designing innovative water packaging I’d begun experimenting with new water packaging technology in 2008 with a view to one day leading the movement towards making plastic (PET) water bottles obsolete. In 2009 I achieved great success in scientifically testing and proving that newly discovered packaging materials were extremely effective in preserving fresh drinking water for longer periods of time than ever previously tested. This was a massive milestone because such achievements and results relating to the long-life preservation of quality drinking water had never before been done. Previously and historically, the longest period of time that bulk water had ever been preserved untainted was about five to six weeks. Our all-new AQUAPAX product was the revelation that was born out of these early years of experimentation and innovation.

Life changing milestone 4: Winning the People’s Choice Innovation Awards Winning this prestigious regional competition in 2010 provided the much-needed public recognition, acceptance and professional platform for our products’ launch to a much broader and diverse market.

Life Changing Milestone 5: A major contract This year (April), we were awarded a significant supply contract of patented AQUAPAX water products and newly invented AQUAPAX water coolers known as ‘rehydration stations’, to large multi-national mining company, Rio Tinto, based in Western Australia. The awarding of this major contract proved that years of innovative work without any funding from external sources, had been well worth the effort.

profilemag.com.au

win

win divine candles The Profile team have discovered these sensory delights for the office – one of Oprah’s favourite luxuries – Salt City Candles boasts a fabulous range of soy-based, triple-scented candles with zinc core wicks that are 100 per cent lead-free.

With refined, food-grade wax, these candles have a higher level of fragrance oil per candle, so you can enjoy their amazing scents longer.

Joybells Card and Gift Store (www.joybells.com. au) stocks a large range of the stunning Salt City fragrances, such as Pink Lemonade, Mountain Vineyard, Tahitian Mango Lime Twist and Cinnamon Coconut. This month, the girls at Joybells are giving 10 lucky readers the chance to win one of these delicious candles valued at $29.99 each.

scan this with your smartphone to jump straight to our competition page

Head to the Profile Magazine website to enter and for terms and conditions.

win a glamour makeover for you and a friend Looking for a modern, on-trend makeup artist? Naomi Eldred is a professionally qualified ‘mobile’ makeup artist servicing Cairns, Port Douglas and surrounding areas.

Whether you require completely natural or a full glamour look, Naomi can make you look your best! Naomi is known for her ‘flawless faces, lush lashes and the most beautiful eyes’. Exclusively using only the highest quality M.A.C cosmetics which offer the durability and wear needed for the TNQ climate. Naomi can create an unforgettable look, no matter the occasion (phone 0405 766 167, www.naomieldred.com or find her on Facebook). This month, Profile Magazine is offering one reader and a friend a glamour make-over by Naomi, including makeup, ghd curls or straightening and a designer lipstick to take home, valued at $330!

win a holiday at home Paradise Palms Resort and Country Club is the ideal location for a day trip – or more. Stay, play, relax by the pool, try your hand at mini-golf, or 18 holes on one of Australia’s leading and most picturesque golf courses. In recent years, Paradise Palms’ management has been investing heavily in course maintenance in an effort to secure higher tier and ProAm events while retaining their coveted, top 100 ranking

by Australian Golf Digest. This month, Profile Magazine is offering one lucky reader a fabulous weekend getaway at Paradise Palms Resort and Country Club. The prize, valued at $510, includes two nights accommodation in a resort room for two people and daily breakfast for two in 59 Restaurant overlooking the fairways. (More information about the resort at www.paradisepalms.com.au or phone 4059 9999.)

e r o m t wan ? n i w o t chances june 2012

We’ve got more prizes up for grabs ...

Visit our tnq profile magazine facebook page to find out more.

Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/tnqprofilemagazine

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the last word

joe vella

ll photography stuart frost Joe Vella is a well-known Cairns identity. As managing director of Joe Vella Insurance Brokers (established 1995), he has witnessed the many ups and downs of both his own industry and the region he has called home for many years. He’s a dedicated businessman, family-man and similarly contributes to community endeavours wherever possible – most notably for the Make-aWish Foundation, Steadfast Foundation, Rotary and the Leukaemia Foundation, to name but a few.

“I am at my happiest when I am relaxing with the family – my grandchildren are the light my life.

“

Joe Vella is as well-known around the Tropical for his entrepreneurial business ventures as he is for contributing to charitable endeavours. Above all though, it’s his family who inspire him from one great success to another

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I grew up in …

Melbourne I start my day by … waking at 4:00am each weekday to get ready for boxing and cardio at Redlynch.

Most people don’t know that I … was born in Malta and migrated at six months old.

When I was growing up I wanted to be … a flight control tower operator.

I would love to be better … at giving more of my own time for me.

My all time favourite movie is … too many to choose from – Rain Man is up there.

I am at my happiest when …

I am relaxing with the family – my grandchildren are the light my life.

I couldn’t live without … my family.

When I am not working I am … at the lake house.

My greatest achievement is … my daughters, they make me proud.

I wish I could … see more people be as fortunate as I am.

In five years I hope to be … not working so hard and enjoying my time more with the grandchildren in Cairns and the lake house.

The best meal I have had was at … an island off Croatia.

What makes me laugh out loud is … a good comedy – Modern Family does it at the moment.

My favourite restaurant is …

Maryanne’s kitchen – that is, at home.

My hidden talent is …

I can dance!

My favourite holiday spot is …

Lake Tinaroo.

If I didn’t live in TNQ, I’d live … in a place like here. profilemag.com.au

june 2012

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