April Profile Magazine 2015 by Profile Magazine

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CONTENTS

APRIL 2015 ON THE COVER

Craig White

Real estate

Piece by Peace. Meet the local builder changing lives in third world nations.

Brand new section! All you need to know about the local real estate scene.

REGULARS 06

editor’s note

STYLE 74

beauty spot

GOURMET

social

beauty

events

reﬂect Peter Hinton

style counsel Isabella Wight

120 chef proﬁle David Nash

fashion

charity Too Moo charity ride

homegrown Emma Rodney

LIFE 80

goodlife Cassandra Fenaughty

CULTURE

health

126 art Cat Lee

let’s chat

secret life Eve Simmons

102 milestones Renate Bowden and Roberto Luca 114 ladies at lunch Do women still do the lion’s share of the domestic duties? 136 competitions 138 the last word Scott Cam

REAL ESTATE 62

people Gordon Macdonald

real facts

april 2015

HOME 96

future Chris Rawlins and Katie Bishop

interiors Julianne Watson

118 taste

122 foodie trail 124 recipe

130 culture Kelsey Montague

128 live 129 culture trail

Robyn Moore

Blokes about town

SPORT

Briefcase

108 Kurt Southam

112 Denise Boyd

About Business Read about all things business in this month’s issue featuring:

101 style

110 Noosa Ultimate Sports Festival

Anzac day

Lest we Forget. Commemorating 100 years of Anzac 1915 – 2015.

Tom Potter Discover the best of what this Noosa hinterland town has to offer.

Amanda Stevens Fiona Roberts Pippa Colman

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Can you believe it’s almost Easter? Where did the first few months of 2015 go? It’s been a busy start to the year for the Profile team. We’ve added some great new sections to the magazine including sport and culture as well as our meaty new business pages. Plus, this month we introduce our new real estate section! You name it, we have it covered!

Watch ournes behind the osnce video youtube! THE COVER SHOOT FRONT COVER IMAGE BY TANYA CHESTERTON SMITH FROM CHESTERTON SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY. ON COVER CRAIG WEARS KENJI CHINO IN SAND, RRP $59.95, JESSE BLAQ (SHOES) IN CAMEL, RRP $109.95, GREY BLAQ TEE, RRP $29.95, ALL AVAILABLE FROM MYER, SUNSHINE PLAZA.

Johanna

Maree

Kerry

Tara

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he April issue of Profile magazine is all about home sweet home. We have had such fun bringing you this beautiful edition. From interior design, to beautiful handcrafted timber furniture made right here on the Sunshine Coast, to stunning artwork as well as showcasing some of our talented auctioneers and builders on the Coast, it’s a great read. You will love our cover story with local builder Craig White, who overcame severe anxiety and is using his skills to make a real diﬀerence by building homes for those with poor and unsafe living conditions in Cambodia. We also pay tribute to our Anzacs with a beautiful 10 page feature to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Australian and New Zealand troops landing in Gallipoli on the 25th of April, 1915. Our comprehensive events directory is your go-to-guide for dawn services, marches and main events being held across the Sunshine Coast to celebrate this historic centennial event. Plus we bring you all the very latest in food, fashion, art, culture, homewares and much more! Don’t forget to check out our new Youtube channel where you will find interviews, behind the scenes action and hear what’s coming up in the next issue of Profile! From the Profi le family to yours, we wish you a very happy and safe Easter. Happy reading! Cheers, Ingrid

Danielle Kara

Ingrid

Wade

GENERAL MANAGER

Deanna

CONNECT WITH US WITH facebook.com/profi lemag facebook.com/profi lemag @profilemagazine CONNECT US 6

PROFILE

EDITOR’S NOTE

PLEASE THISHON GOOGLE TODO THE OM E I S S UDOCS E

Emily

EDITOR

Anna Nicole

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MARCH 2015 PROFILE MAGAZINE L AUNCH

ROSEMARIE DENM

EAD AND EMMA

ROBERTSON

The March issue of Profile magazine officially launched in a special event with Coastline BMW, along with the unveiling of the new BMW 2 Series Convertible at Currimundi on 5 March. The joint launch was a glamorous affair with entertainment by pianists Mirek and Brad from Yamaha, who ﬂew up from Melbourne especially for the occasion, as well as exquisite aerial entertainment by Aerialicious. Special guests dined on scrumptious food made by the Canapé Project and a decadent 4-tier chocolate mud cake by Ideas in Icing. photos Cheryl Nonmus, ONQ Photography VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS FROM OUR MARCH LAUNCH. THE PROFILE TEAM

ALISHA WATSON AND ANNA MCGREGOR

GET INSIDE ACCESS TO THE LAUNCH

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YOUTUBE.COM/ PROFILEMAGAZINE TRISTAN KURZ, DANNY BUXTON, BRENDAN BATHERSBY AND TIM GOLD

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ODDBJORN AND LAURI LUDBIGSEN

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CALOUNDR A CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOCIAL

The Caloundra Chamber of Commerce team kicked off their 2015 calendar with the first Better Business Breakfast event for the year at The Events Centre, Caloundra on 6 March. Guests enjoyed a morning of networking and a cooked breakfast, fruit, pastries and drinks. photos Brian Rogers Photographics

, ROBYN ROSS HARRISON, BRENDA GERSBACH ORY HILLS, BETH BERGHAN AND FIONA GREG

MICHAEL OSSIPOFF

JAMES WHEELEHEN & ALEX NAGA

ROBYN CONROY, ALISON KENNY, LYNNE ROBERTSON, HENRIETTE WERNER AND PAUL ROBERTSON

april 2015

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EVENTS

APR IL.

EASTER TREASURE HUNT

A highlight for many kids visiting the markets is the free annual Easter Treasure Hunt, taking place on Easter Saturday 4 April. It’s open to the first 300 children to register at the market office (the pink building in the centre of the markets) from 8am. Treasure hunters are given clues and must find the answers as they make their way through the colourful markets. When they complete their journey, each young treasure hunter will receive a delicious chocolate Easter treat. www.eumundimarkets.com.au

KENILWORTH CHEESE, WINE & FOOD FEST Indulge in all the best bounty of the beautiful Mary Valley at Kenilworth’s annual Easter Saturday family day. Eat and drink your way around the festival including infused wines, Californiastyle tacos, homemade sauces, jams, chutneys and relishes, gourmet dumplings, old-fashioned home-baked treats and of course cheese. There are also plenty of cooking demos to give you some tips and tricks to try at home and other fun activities for the whole family. www.kenilworthfoodfest.org.au

OCEAN ST WORLD FESTIVAL

WOMEN WITH A VOICE Sometimes in life we need encouragement and other women to lean on, there is nothing better than having a cuppa with a friend to make you feel better about things that sometimes only a woman can understand. With this in mind, Sue Frost and her team at Inspire Connect invite you to discuss topics all women can relate to in a safe and friendly environment with a facilitator to guide the discussions. Join us at Tanawha House, Tanawha, and enjoy delicious cuisine provided by The Canapé Project. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends and listen to others as they share about their personal experiences. Tickets are $60 and include a three course meal and a glass of wine. For enquiries email sue@inspireconnect.com.au and register online. Bookings are essential. www.inspireconnect.com.au/women-voice

25-26

OPEN GARDEN

The Ocean Street World Festival is a community celebration of culture, music and food. The event will bring together the Sunshine Coast’s diverse ﬂavours, sounds and people. The Ocean Street World Festival will include market stalls representing many different countries food and culture and entertainment featuring musicians from all around the world playing many styles. Ocean Street, Maroochydore from 10am to 6pm on Easter Sunday.

The Shambles in Montville is holding an open garden, through Open Gardens Australia, to benefit Legacy Australia. Entry is $8 and children are free. There will be refreshments available, as well as gardening books and DVDs by Kyleigh and Michael Simpson available. Also open over the weekend are the large country gardens at Montville Macadamery at 41 Mill Hill Road, Montville from 10am to 4.30pm, admission is also $8. The Shambles garden is at 85 Western Avenue, Montville.

www.oceanstreetworldfestival.com.au

www.montvillegarden.com

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Robyn is the number one voice-over expert in the country – she is the voice of the much loved Blinky Bill, the voice of the Spray and Wipe commercial and the Patron of Make-a-Wish Foundation. Robyn’s uplifting approach reminds her audience about what really matters and leaves them feeling restored, empowered and optimistic with the desire to pass on confidence, hope and resilience in challenging times. Think Speakers and Events brings Robyn to the Sunshine Coast on Thursday 30 April, doors open 5.30pm for 7pm start at the Maroochy RSL, Memorial Avenue, Maroochydore. Tickets cost $65 per person which includes drinks and nibbles. www.thinkspeakersandevents.com.au

2-3 may DISCOVERY

Discovery is a weekend of inspiration, self discovery and guidance featuring 25 of the country’s most authentic readers and coaches alongside over 50 exhibitors offering a variety of services and products that complement the mind, body and spirit. Discovery is a Sunshine Coast first, bringing together a not-to-be-missed for those on a self-discovery journey, those wishing to awaken their own spirit and who need guidance and clarity or just a push in the right direction. Offering a variety of services, modalities and products including self development, life coaching, guidance and wellbeing. Live music, healthy food, live platform shows with top mediums and psychics, Workshops and talks. From 9.30am to 5pm at Lake Kawana Centre, Bokarina. Tickets on the door, $7 entry. www.consciouslifeevents.com.au

april 2015

EVENTS

ROBYN MOORE

2-3 may MALENY WOOD EXPO From chainsaws to fine furniture, the Maleny Wood Expo explores sustainable use of timber through the work of the region’s talented woodworkers. View the Wootha Prize Exhibition and crafted products by furniture-makers, toy-makers, musical instrument-makers and box-makers, whittlers, carvers and everything in between. Join in a WoodShed Workshop or Know Your Timber Trees tour – or just enjoy the live action including demonstrations by chainsaw, trade and woodworking tool and equipment experts. www.malenywoodexpo.com

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REFLECT

A TIME TO

REBUILD Successful Sunshine Coast builder, construction manager and insulation pioneer Peter Hinton has had to overcome a turbulent journey. Here, he shares how he has used some of life’s biggest lessons as tools of the trade to reconstruct his life. WORDS ANNA RAWLINGS PHOTOS TANYA CHESTERTON SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY

“P

eople always say I could write a book about what’s happened to me,” Peter Hinton reflects as we chat in his Golden Beach-based office. Certainly the success of the licensed builder and construction manager of the multi-award winning Buildmore Group is built on some of life’s biggest experiences. His leading lady is partner (and previous Profile covergirl) Sam Sheppard, the trailblazing local businesswoman who founded the Buildmore Group and launched the all-female construction project ‘Women into Building’ in 2009. Peter was part of Sam’s construction initiative as project manager for the unprecedented project on a Master Builder Display site at Sippy Downs. He looks back on the experience of managing up to 80 women across diﬀerent trades and being the male minority on site, as a personal highlight. “Out of all the men I’ve trained, the women I’ve had out there were so much more focused, enthusiastic and dedicated and so interested in what they were doing,” Peter says. “Men almost do it because it’s generational, whereas when a woman decides to go into the industry, it’s a conscious decision and she knows it’s going to be tough.”

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The project attracted a huge amount of local and national media attention, with A Current Affair filming a segment that highlighted this initiative that has now gained recognition from the national library. “Our aim was to elevate awareness and acceptance of women who choose to develop a career in non-traditional roles and encourage women and girls to consider the building and construction industries as a career of choice.” “It brings to the fore the whole industry and where it’s at, so the response we got for this initiative was phenomenal.” The enterprise was a hit, however it took a toll on Sam. Peter remembers taking her to the doctor after she failed to shake the lingering exhaustion of the build. She was later diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease that results in pain, swelling, connective tissue degeneration and joint inflammation. At the time, Peter had moved back to working on Buildmore’s projects, completing flood recovery work in Brisbane and Bundaberg, with the initial concept of his insulation innovation, Thermadoor in the pipeline. Peter became a rock of support for Sam – the couple had met on New Years Eve at the turn of the millenium, finding in each other a ‘life partner’ as 1999 ticked over into the year 2000.

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REFLECT

“It’s a hard anniversary to forget,” laughs Peter. The timing was fortunate, as what followed was 12 months of shattering lows. “I went through a marriage breakup, lost the ability to see my four children, my sister died and my father passed away from asbestosis. I got involved in a business opportunity where the guy ripped me oﬀ big time and I lost my builders licence and had to declare bankruptcy,” says Peter. Peter, who moved to the Coast in 1981 from Hervey Bay, had married at 19-years-old, and welcomed three boys with his ex-wife, before a brief separation. “We got back together and about eighteen months later we had a little girl – it was just all I ever wanted, my little girl. We separated when she was about two-years-old and things just went pear-shaped after that.” Early the following year Peter lost his sister to a heart attack, and not long after, his dad was diagnosed with asbestosis after years as a builder working with the material. “I met Sam at the time I was going through all this ... I had no money so I knew she was with me for the right reasons and she stuck with me through the whole ordeal and would always be there to kick me up the rear end and say, ‘wake up, it’s happened, move on’. And together we worked our way back up to a point where I could hold my head up again.” Their support of each other has continued, as Peter now works on developing his new concept, ThermaDoor™ from their home oﬃce while allowing Sam, who hasn’t been able to work in more than three years, to manage her condition.

“She’d say, ‘wake up, it’s happened, move on’. And together we worked our way back up to a point where I could hold my head up again.”

ThermaDoor™ is an innovative concept of fitting speciality polystyrene panels to garage doors, and is a venture Peter speaks about with evident passion. It’s set to be a business triumph for Peter, with the market already displaying a very positive reaction to his entrepreneurial new product. “Everyone I speak to about the product thinks it’s going to be huge, not just ThermaDoor™ but ThermaShed™ (polysterene panels fitted to the interior of sheds) and ceiling lining,” he shares. “I’m also looking at taking it to the next level and buying a production machine. I guess it’s a combination of a few things, pride, quality, control, the ability to continue refining and developing. The feedback I’ve received is very inspiring, especially when people know I’ve come up with the product and it’s produced locally.” “I would like to see us in 12 months time be completely reliant on ThermaDoor™ and have about 20 distributors around Australia.” The transition from a long background spent on a building site to an oﬃce-based role, has seen Peter swap his hard hat to the thinking cap of an innovator. He now employs two ‘chippies’ as part of the Buildmore Group and to work on ThermaDoor™ to allow him to expand business operations. “I needed to change my mindset from being a worker to becoming an entrepreneur – learn how to use other tools available to me to make things happen,” says Peter. “On the Coast here I’m one of thousands of builders.” Peter says his goal for Thermadoor™ is to be a stand-out, and forerunner of insulation. “It is one of those opportunities that only come along once – for me, the future is ThermaDoor™.”

april 2015

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CHARITY

CYCLISTS TAKE PART IN THE 2014 TOO MOO RIDE

wheels of change WORDS INGRID NELSON PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

What started as a “crazy idea” for cyclist Dave Fellows has transformed into a 100-strong charity ride from Toowoomba to Mooloolaba (Too Moo) early next month, raising much-needed funds for local charity Riding for the Disabled, as Ingrid Nelson discovers.

ave Fellows is a man who doesn’t do things by halves. Not content with riding the same roads from Mooloolaba to Noosa and Eumundi each weekend, the seasoned cyclist decided to raise the gauntlet, suggesting a much more challenging route to his fellow riders. “I was getting tired of doing the same loop rides,” says Dave. “I wanted to extend my own riding so I tried to get a few guys on to the idea of catching the train to Toowoomba and riding back to Mooloolaba. “No one was really interested to start with but then it started to gel with a couple of people and once I committed to it and had a couple of guys onboard with me, there was a groundswell of people who wanted to join us.” But as Dave explains, as the numbers for the ride grew, so too did the logistics of how to transport the bikes and riders to Toowoomba, feed everyone and get them back in one piece to the Sunshine Coast! “All of a sudden I thought, well I have put it out there so I better take responsibility for this,” laughs Dave. “With just under 50 riders, we

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needed to coordinate getting everyone up there, we needed a trailer to transport the bikes, mechanical support for breakdowns or people who didn’t make it, plus we had around 20 volunteers to be our cheer squad. “They actually ended up being vital to the success of the ride. I had them wearing cow onesies, they were there to give the riders a little extra motivation or to show people where to go rather than signs that can be missed ... you can’t miss a couple of dancing cows.” Not for the faint-hearted, the Too Moo ride is a gruelling 220 kilometres long from start to finish. “We try to get everyone to have done at least 150 to 160 kilometres before they do the ride,” says Dave. “For triathletes, 180 kilometres is an ironman event, so to do 220 kilometres, you have to be fit, it’s not something that someone who has not trained for could consider. In fact, some people would happily describe it as a significant thing in their life to work towards and achieve.” The first Too Moo ride was a resounding success, and great “dry run” for this year’s ride, which will start at 5am from Toowoomba on Saturday, 2 May and make its way to Mooloolaba on Sunday, 3 May.

Not for the FAINT-HEARTED, the Too Moo ride is a GRUELLING 220 kilometres long from start to finish.

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GERRY MORRIS FROM THINK SPEAKERS AND EVENTS PRESENTS DAVE FELLOWS WITH A CHEQUE TO SUPPORT THE TOO MOO RIDE

CHARITY

“I thought it would be a great OPPORTUNITY to get behind a worthy LOCAL charity and RAISE some money.”

PHOTO BY CHERYL NONMUS, ONQ PHOTOGRAPHY

MEMBERS OF THE CHEER SQUAD HELP DIRECT CYCLISTS

CYCLISTS TAKE PART IN THE 2014 TOO MOO RIDE

But this year, there is even more reason to celebrate, as the Too Mooers, as they are aﬀectionately known, are riding for more than just pleasure. “The first year, we wanted to prove the ride was doable and that people would enjoy the experience and we wouldn’t have any unforeseen hassles. But everyone had a ball and were already talking about the next one,” says Dave. “It took me a little unawares to be honest, just how much everyone embraced it the first year and that’s when I thought it would be a great opportunity to get behind a worthy local charity and raise some money.” Dave’s charity of choice this year is the Sunshine Coast arm of Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), a wonderful not-for-profit organisation based at North Arm providing equine-based therapeutic and recreational riding and driving programs for all members of the disability community on the Sunshine Coast. Dave and his team are aiming to raise $30,000 to build a hydraulic lifting platform to help the children out of their wheelchairs and on to the horses. “When I was looking for a charity to attach to it, I set some parameters. I wanted to contribute to something tangible. I wanted to provide something physical that was needed. I have been following the RDA story and they have had it tough. We ride out that neck of the

woods a lot and I have watched the volunteers trying to put the kids on the horses … it’s tough. “Horses are different sizes, and kids are different sizes and of different abilities. It is something they will use every day and get benefit from and that’s what I was looking for. I’m pretty confident that we will raise our $30,000 to have one made. I am also looking for people that might be able to help with the manufacture of it or to help with the cost of building it. Everything that we raise goes straight back to the RDA.” With over 100 riders taking part this year, the Too Moo ride is well on its way to reaching its goal. “It will be a great day to see the lift actually go up for the kids,” Dave says, tears welling in his eyes. “I will have a big lump in my throat, that’s for sure.” You can cheer on the Too Mooers as they arrive back at the Mooloolaba Surf Club RSL just before sunset (5.20pm) on Sunday, 3 May.

TO DONATE MONEY OR FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.TOOMOO220.COM

This story is proudly sponsored by:

april 2015

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PROMOTION 20

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april 2015

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Excellence in dry cleaning is closer than you think

BUNDILLA

rotary club of mooloolaba When Bundilla Dry Cleaners owners David and Bambi Mares moved to the Sunshine Coast in October 2013, they wanted to meet the local community, while at the same time, give something back. “After much deliberation David and I joined Mooloolaba Rotary Club in early 2014,” says Bambi. “I have to say we got more than we expected. Not only did we get the opportunity to work with an organised team to fundraise for all kinds of charities and causes, but we have met and enjoyed the company of some exceptional people, with an incredibly diverse business skill set.” The club’s annual Duck Race is on 26 April at the Sunshine Plaza, Maroochydore. The inaugural duck race raised $11,000, after costs last year and this year’s target is $25,000. This year's beneficiaries include Cittamani Hospice, Cooinda Mental Health Services, as well as other local charities and community organisations. Major sponsors are Cricks Auto and Bundilla Dry Cleaners, and minor sponsor is Mooloolaba Business & Tourism (MB&T). Tickets available at the above businesses or buy online at www.duckrace.mooloolabarotary.org – $5 per ticket will buy you a duck in the race. Good luck!

When: Sunday 26th April time: 10am–3pm ticKets: $5 EACH

res

we have met and enjoyed the company of some exceptional people, with an incredible diverse business skill set.”

coastal Dry cleaners (noosa) In 2014 Bambi met fellow dry cleaner and Rotarian, Ian McDonald from Coastal Dry Cleaners in Noosaville. “Together we discussed the current challenges in dry cleaning with skyrocketing gas and electricity costs,” she says.

DucK race Where: Cornmeal Creek at Sunshine Plaza

DaviD anD BamB i ma

“When tragedy fell on Ian and his wife Carole’s dry cleaning operation in Noosa due to fire – which decimated all equipment and their business on 28 January, 2015 – they had no way to continue servicing their customers, so Ian approached David and I for help.

Value total Prize

! $2000 cash

Visit www.duckrace.mooloolabarotary.org

“As friends and fellow Rotarians, our only goal is to keep Ian and Carole’s customers looked after until they rebuild their shop and recommence business.” With the help of fellow Rotarian and commercial real estate agent Lyn Frencham, and Nick Wilson of Colliers International, they found a temporary location at 37 Gibson Road, Noosaville, PH. 5449 7263. “The dedicated work by all our staff to have this accomplished is truly impressive,” says Bambi. “Ian and Carole will not have to worry about the work process and can concentrate on the rebuild and refit of the store, which is estimated to take up to 12 months.”

COVER WORDS ANNA RAWLINGS PHOTOS CHESTERTON SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY HAIR AND MAKE UP STYLING KJ ARTISTRY

Noosa builder Craig White is on a humanitarian mission, using his construction skills to provide shelter to those in need. But his story is also a very personal journey of how he learnt to rebuild his life, after a battle with anxiety saw the foundations of his very being collapse.

CRAIG WHITE

april 2015

t’s a warm Wednesday morning in Coolum. The schedule ahead involves this story’s photo shoot, an oncamera interview for ProfileMagTV and a lengthy sitdown interview for the written story. As our photographer buzzes around Craig White, he enquires, as I prepare my script for my on-camera piece, if I’m nervous. At the time, I think of it as a nicety, but I soon find out it’s a technique Craig uses to ensure the anxiety he lived with for 26 years doesn’t return. As we start the interview, Craig freely admits that not even two years ago, he couldn’t have sat down to share his story, so crippling was his anxiety. Craig, 27, has overcome issues stemming from the cruelty of childhood bullying, a distanced father, betrayal, the wrong relationships and shattering selfdoubt to become a public face of a fundraising campaign, and leading a team of 10 to a third-world country on a humanitarian house build. On first impressions, he’s your quintessential Sunshine Coast builder, exuding a laidback surfer’s nature from days spent in Noosa’s shore breaks, and the warm drawl earned from the everyday lingo of a busy construction site. Now calling Noosa home, Craig spent his early years growing up in Canberra and Victoria, before moving to the Sunshine Coast’s north with his parents and two siblings. He attended Tewantin Primary before heading to Sunshine High. To the world, he was just part of a wave of students, schoolbooks and adolescent scowls flowing in and out of school gates – but inside, the first creeping whispers of anxiety were apparent. “I used to love shaving my head, but the kids would pay me out about having big ears. So it got to the point I used to dread having haircuts. It all got worse big-time in high school,” he remembers. profilemagazine

COVER

CRAIG WEARS NAVY BLAQ SUIT JACKET, RRP $130, KENJI CHINO IN SAND, RRP $59.95, COUNTRY ROAD SHIRT, RRP $89.95 AND BLUE BLAQ TIE, RRP $29.95. ALL AVAILABLE FROM MYER, SUNSHINE PLAZA.

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COVER “Crowds began to get worse over time. I’d go to a busy shopping centre and just be looking around freaking out, just wondering what people were thinking, were they looking at me and judging me?” By this time, Craig, then 16-years-old, had left school to undertake a carpentry apprenticeship, nurturing a love of timber work inherited from his father. He found a new ally against anxiety – in the form of alcohol. “I started to drink a fair bit because that was the only way I could express myself. I did the clubbing scene pretty hard … it was the only way I could really enjoy myself,” he admits. “I didn’t want to be out and about because I’d have to do it sober and be with my own logical thoughts and I didn’t want to do that.” Knowing something was wrong, Craig saw a doctor and was prescribed anti-anxiety medication, which was also used to treat depression. “The doctors seemed to think I could balance it out with a pattern of medication for a year and then wean it oﬀ. “When I stopped taking the medication it was like a bandaid – I mean, it covered the symptoms but the root cause was still there.” Anxiety was a jealous shadow, and when it came to his relationships, Craig struggled with feeling deserving, while trust dealt him another raw blow when his first serious girlfriend cheated on him with his best friend. Despite the crippling symptoms, Craig was still focused on work, completing a certificate four in building construction and had started his company, Whydee Constructions, a tribute to his late grandfather’s nickname. His then-girlfriend unsuccessfully introduced him to holistic treatments and vegetarianism to help with the anxiety, which proved to be damaging to Craig with extreme weight loss and blackouts as a result of not supplementing his reduced diet. And in 2013, Craig’s life literally went to pieces. “I went wakeboarding and I was so malnourished my muscles couldn’t hold me together – I dislocated my shoulder.” The wakeboarding accident had happened just five days into Craig’s new business, leaving a major impact on his income, with everyday bills and a mortgage piling up. “I was falling apart in simple terms, mentally, emotionally, physically, financially. The world was caving in on me big-time.”

Craig’s mum – a non-smoker – was also diagnosed with lung cancer and given six months to live. Before long, his relationship began to break down as well. “Quite literally I was like, if I can’t figure this out I would rather not be here. There was no way I wanted to live like that. It was heavy. There was not a day I looked forward to getting into and I considered myself trapped.” The anxiety impacted Craig’s surfing, too worried the other surfers in the line-up would be judging him as he caught waves; too scared to socialise without the alcohol he had by that point given up. He was wavering dangerously close to the edge. “Anxiety man, you get every negative come into your head. You sit there and worry about everything. It’s fear of the unknown. I would lie there all night with my heart just pounding out of my chest … it would have beaten twice as many times as it should in this lifetime. I had no life and just worked and trained, turned into a hermit and hid from the world where it was safe.” The pivotal moment came in early 2014, when Craig caught up with an old friend. During a discussion about Craig’s now-defunct relationship, something in the conversation hit home. “She kept throwing a diﬀerent perspective in ... I wanted to know more and it turned out to be Landmark.” Craig credits The Landmark Forum, an organisation promoting positive shifts in the quality of life through a range of courses, distinctions and techniques, with ridding him of his anxiety. He says his life started the day he finished his first course. “As you can tell, my way of being was terrible. I’d tried all the other approaches and they weren’t working so I thought, if I don’t do something soon I’ll probably want to leave the planet.” In just three days Craig went from passing out from nerves to standing in front of 300 people – with no hair on his head after facing his fears and shaving it in support of his mum’s cancer. The course also saw Craig delve into the reasons behind his anxiety and beliefs around his worth, tracing it back to his early relationship with his father at which point he created a silent contract within himself that he was “unloveable”. “We basically nailed it from when I was younger, the old boy drinks a lot and that’s got a lot to do with my parents’ split … we never went to

“I was FALLING APART in simple terms, mentally, emotionally, physically, financially. The world was CAVING IN on me big-time.”

april 2015

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CRAIG WEARS RED BLAQ BOW TIE, RRP $29.95, COUNTRY ROAD NAVY SHIRT, RRP $99.95. AVAILABLE FROM MYER, SUNSHINE PLAZA.

him for aﬀection, care, to talk, nothing, even to that day he had never given us a hug or kiss in our entire life. “I’ve now asked him, why are you the way you are and why did you do this? And he said, that’s what my old boy did, so that’s the way I am as well. So I said, I’m making the decision that I’m not going to be like that … and I actually gave him a hug for the first time ever,” Craig smiles. It was during the Landmark course that Craig met a woman from Papua New Guinea who told Craig about the lack of food, water and facilities her family back home were facing. “I’ve got a job, I’m alive and I’ve got food on the table. Here I am thinking my life is trash … this lady’s family has nothing,” says Craig. “So I thought, how can I help them? I’m a builder, they don’t have a roof – I could build that. So from that point it was a bit of a light bulb moment.” Craig created a project called Structural Integrity, the moniker coming from, “the structural component to building a home and then the integrity around doing as we say we will do, which is provide safe living conditions.” “I had to find an organisation – to build in another country you have paperwork, legalities – and Habitat for Humanity (www.habitat.org.au) was the best for what I wanted to facilitate at the time. “They had positions in Cambodia and India … I ran with my gut and felt Cambodia was the place I wanted to get in and check out.” The goal was to build five homes in Cambodia in three months, but due to the time frame, sheer finances and volunteers required, Craig committed to one project in March. During the reassessment of his project, Craig again had to face the shadows of doubt, and a lack of support from his family who took time to adapt to his new outlook on life. But he didn’t give up, and went from being scared of public places to becoming the public face of his project, holding fundraising events to raise money for the materials, flights and in-country expenses. As this magazine goes to print, Craig and his team of 10 friends who are joining the seven-day build, will be on their way to Cambodia. They will construct a home, spend time in the community, learn the culture and on the last day, hand over the keys of a home to a family in need. “Building for people is great, but building for people who actually need it for survival, that’s inspiring,” says Craig. “I’ve been trying to put it out there to get support from people who are inspired by it, and help share the load through financial support and active participation. The more we get the word out about it, the more

potential for fundraising, the more people may be able to get involved.” As he looks to building a home from the ground-up, Craig reflects on his own rebuild. He admits it’s been confronting, but has taught him hope. Ending his last relationship was the culmination of his anxiety. As part of the low period in 2013, Craig had a serious falling out with his brother, so he set out to mend their relationship, as well as spend time with his family to gain their support back. “He’s now my best mate again and he’s coming on the Cambodia trip with me. I never thought I would get my family back, but I did.” Happily, his mum is ‘still going solid’, almost three years on from her diagnosis. Craig has also adopted a dog from the RSPCA, Indie, and looks forward to being active again when he recovers from recent surgery to repair his shoulder from the multiple dislocations, and has surrounded himself with life-inspiring mentors. It’s always positive when people speak openly about mental health, and Craig is an open book when it comes to his experience and recovery. “You gotta go through the hard stuﬀ to get to the cream. I have empathy for anyone with anxiety because you literally have no control over it. “I’ve done a lot of internal work and I really do know myself now and what I want out of life … and if something doesn’t work I leave it in the past and get back on track.” He refers to his earlier question about my nerves. “It’s about getting you out of your own shoes and looking into other people’s lives.” With a lifetime constrained by anxiety, hiding from the world, I ask Craig if he feels bitter about the silent companion which essentially robbed him of his quality of life for 26 years. “I don’t resent anything. It really sucked while it was happening but if it didn’t go through it, I wouldn’t be who and where I am today,” he says honestly. “I could have spent my entire life like that but I nailed it now. “In a year I felt like I’ve got a lifetime worth of compensation. In one year my life has changed so much that I have no idea where I’m going to end up. I’m super excited about the journey ahead, this is the right path for me.” And Craig’s path certainly looks to be a bright one, his old shadow of anxiety chased away by his new purpose of humanity, generosity, life, and peace.

“I’ve got a JOB, I’m ALIVE and I’ve got FOOD on the table. Here I am thinking my life is TRASH … this lady’s family has NOTHING.”

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– One of Craig’s favourite quotes by Mahatma Gandhi

THIS PAGE AND FRONT COVER CRAIG WEARS GREY BLAQ TEE, RRP $29.95, KENJI CHINO IN SAND, RRP $59.95, JESSE BLAQ (SHOES) IN CAMEL, RRP $109.95 AND BROWN BELT, RRP $64.90. ALL AVAILABLE FROM MYER, SUNSHINE PLAZA.

april 2015

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HOMEGROWN

WORDS ANNA RAWLINGS PHOTOS CHESTERTON SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY

If thread counts were numbered by creativity and colour, Emma Rodneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bed linen designs would be off the chart. Anna Rawlings steps into the domain of the stylish local who is achieving her business dreams, as her label hits the international market.

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HOMEGROWN

EMMA’S TOP TIPS: HOW TO STYLE SPACE FOR ‘LITTLE PEOPLE’ • Bed linen is a great way to start building the theme and concept. • Create a design by starting with one feature item, such as bedding, and add complementary pieces to strike the balance between being functional and aesthetically pleasing. • Functional items and minimal clutter are key for children’s rooms.

“I

jumped into the deep-end all in the name of following my passion for design and creating a successful business for myself. I always wanted my own business and a creative one was high up on the list,” Emma says from her beautifully-styled abode in the heart of Coolum. “Life is an adventure and it’s important to listen to your heart. Having worked in commerce and fashion industries I always knew I’d utilise my skills and qualifications and turn them into a creative venture.” With a background in large professional corporations and a keen interest in health, Emma eﬀectively combined the two; utilising her business experience and promoting an environmentally-aware product with proven health benefits through organic cotton bed linen. Emma always had a ‘passion and flair for design’, which was only ignited while working in London for a top fashion forecasting and trending service. “I made some great contacts and was mentored by the best and I do think seeing this it planted a seed in my heart and inspired me to aim high for my dreams.” Her bed linen range, Bramwell Designs is targeted at the young, and young-at-heart to slumber in style, with deliciously bright pops of colour and abstract designs that bring to mind the pastel hues of crayons on crisp white butchers paper. The range features custom-designed, limited edition, Australian-made organic cotton bedding. While designing from her home studio, Emma may sketch out anything from bright pops of neon to modern patterns and colourways, inspired by her two young sons and the joys of childhood. “With two beautiful boys, the desire to create mix and match bedding that was striking and imaginative was high on my agenda,” she says. “My designs are inspired by my childhood and the children in my life – the way their little faces brighten up about the most simple things and their appreciation for their natural surroundings.” The boys’ rooms are decked out with her designs, and Emma often uses her youngest son’s bedroom as the location for photo shoots to use in her marketing, as well as the various online blog, home style magazines and design inspiration mediums that come knocking on her door to feature her popular linen.

She works with a talented creative team to bring the brightlyprinted, 300-thread-count linen to life, with photographers, a stylist, and local manufacturer all involved in the process. Emma will often work on Bramwell Designs during weekends and evenings, after she has spent valuable time with her husband and two young boys. “Striking the right balance between my business and being a mum is by far my greatest challenge, my family comes first and always will. It’s important to have balance in life and stay true to yourself and have a social outlet, but I need to be super-organised and allocate time for my label,” she says. “I am 100 per cent devoted to them as their happiness is the most important thing. After all, they inspire Bramwell Designs so the more fun and playtime we share the more amazing designs you will see.” While the company is just over 12 months old, her coveted collection soon caught the attention of an overseas market. “It was amazing, I remember the first sale – you can’t believe you’re reaching out that far. It’s surreal and hugely exciting we are gaining attention from a wider audience,” she smiles. Social media played a vital role in building the market presence of Bramwell Designs out of Australia, expanding the customer base to include an international audience from Europe to the UK and America. “As a designer in this day and age it’s important to keep up the pace in the digital world, so I do connect with my clients and audience alike via various social and online mediums, such as Facebook, Instagram and our website,” shares Emma. “It’s a great tool for keeping up to date with the latest trends within Australia and across the world.” But Emma’s plans aren’t put to bed quite yet – she has further ideas to expand her label with homewares and promote her daycarefriendly items, as well as the adult range. She also aims to tap into the online medium by introducing an e-design tool as an interactive element for her customers. From a small seaside studio to homes across the globe, Emma’s passion of making sleeptime ‘a magical aﬀair’ amid the colour of childhood imagination, is proof of waking up to having a dream.

“Striking the right balance between my business and BEING A MUM is by far my GREATEST CHALLENGE ...”

april 2015

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LET’S CHAT

When it comes to sprucing up the look of your home, you can do a little or a lot. But whether it’s adding a throw cushion here or there, or completely renovating rooms, don’t forget to add that personal touch.

s it just me or do you burst with inspiration and purpose after watching renovation reality shows, or flicking through home magazines? Sometimes I even get up during ad breaks and rearrange knick knacks on my bookshelf, or find myself scrolling through Etsy and eBay (still with one eye on the TV) looking for new buys. There is also something else you need to know about me – I have a penchant for manchester (to be honest I think this is a trait most women possess), so much so that my linen cupboard is literally bursting with cushions, springing out in attack at even a slight opening of the door. My obsession, let’s be honest that’s what it is, even goes as far as looking forward to dressing my bed when changing the sheets, mixing and matching prints and patterns and interchanging the gazillion cushions I have.

Now in talking to other ‘homely’ types, this constant need to change things up in the house isn’t uncommon – in fact I know of husbands who come home to completely rearranged lounge rooms, bedrooms switched around and kitchens moved around so much he can’t even find a glass to drink out of. But all jokes aside, it is an easy way to breathe new life into your home without having to make any drastic renovation changes and you don’t need to bug your hubby to get things done (or perhaps you should seek his help when shifting heavy furniture around, rather than dragging it across the floor and almost putting your back out – oops). Fixing up furniture is also a handy way to spruce up the look of your home, whether it’s picking up a piece of pre-loved from an op shop or garage sale or pulling out that old chest of drawers from under the stairs. A gentle sand here, a lick of fresh paint there and new knobs to finish the look – I have had more compliments from people admiring restored pieces of furniture in my home, than a brand spanking new piece. Plus there’s the added satisfaction of doing it yourself. So whether you’re looking to wake up your tired interior or completely overhauling and starting from scratch, have fun with it and evoke your own personal ‘me’ touch – after all, it’s only half a home without it.

“Fixing up furniture is a handy way to spruce up the look of your home…”

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BUSINESS PROMOTION

Blemishes, congested skin and oily T-zones are common irritations for teenagers looking for a flawless complexion, and now there is a skincare range to help combat these problems for good.

he teen years are full of ups and downs. Exams, friendship woes, hormones and worst of all problem skin! But with the maze of beauty products lining the shelves, many parents are struggling to identify what’s best suited to treat their child’s delicate skin, without the fear of the product being laced with harmful chemicals. Sunshine Coast mother of four Dawn Osborne felt these concerns when treating her 10-year-old daughter Summer’s skin after she found a painful pimple on her chin. “She was so concerned about it and when I looked closer I discovered dozens of blackheads around her nose,” Dawn says. “I use a quite expensive skin care range myself but it’s for women and not for children, so I got on the computer and started researching skin care for children and teens.”

What Dawn discovered was that many skin care ranges developed and marketed towards young people were not only full of chemicals but were quite dangerous for their health and often bleached the skin instead of cleaning it. “I have spent many years in the beauty industry and have a good understanding of the products used to create skin care ranges, so I knew what I was looking for and what was going to be a healthy choice for my daughter, especially being so young,” Dawn says. “I decided then to create my own skin care range for Summer, using only natural products I knew would work wonders.” Teen Skin Care is an all-natural, Australian made range, uniting the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties of Australian Melaleuca Tea Tree with rejuvenating Shea Butter and the power of Vitamin E in avocado. Made in Sydney, the Teen Skin Care range includes a cleanser, scrub and moisturiser, specifically designed for teenage girls and boys, ages 10 to 18. “I chose the ingredients because they are gentle on the skin, they contain natural healing properties and will help prevent further problems, rather than kill them on the spot with harmful chemicals.” As well as her skin care range, Dawn is also combating problem skin through her personal grooming workshops, sharing tips and tricks on how to maintain a healthy glow. “I have received some incredible feedback from parents who say their child’s self-esteem has been boosted, they religiously wash their face with Teen Skin Care and can see the results,” Dawn says. “It’s also fantastic to hear teenagers say that taking care of their skin is not for vanity but because they genuinely want to look after themselves – it’s almost a mark of independence of the best kind!”

“I have received some incredible feedback from parents who say their child’s self-esteem has been boosted.”

TO PURCHASE GIRLSKIN OR BOYSKIN ONLINE VISIT WWW.TEENSKINCARE.COM.AU april 2015

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SECRET LIFE

A HOMESPUN

EVE SIMMONS

STORY WORDS ANNA RAWLINGS PHOTOS REBECCA SMITH

As an architect of fine art, Eve Simmons brings earth to life in the form of hand-crafted pottery and ceramic pieces. Her bespoke designs are now found in abodes Australia-wide, adding the charm and love that originates right here from her studio in the heart of Buderim.

n the still depths of a balmy night while her partner and two young children sleep on, Eve Simmons is seated in front of the hypnotic spin of a potter’s wheel, the light of the moon her only witness. Practised hands shape the glistening flow of clay as it swirls into shape, with the slightest impression guiding the raw material into the contours of its intended form. The finished product is Eve’s functional homeware items; ceramic pieces that can be incorporated into everyday use in households while adding the texture and personality of a hand-made piece. Of her style, Eve shares, “I guess it evolves eclectically, I love the beach, so a lot of my work is inspired by the ocean and earth elements. Because clay comes from the earth I use its textures and colours to inspire my work.” Eve’s designs use the earthy nature of the clay to contrast with bright lustre tones, including copper, gold or platinum. The eclectic mix of patterns and textures printed, painted or etched onto the clay range from pyramid-theme details to ocean colour schemes, dusty desert accents and crisp black and white. Eve explains the intricate process, starting with bisque firing the clay pieces to 1000 degrees in a kiln, before being handpainted and glazed, then

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SECRET LIFE

fired again to stoneware temperature of 1280 degrees. If the piece features the lustre effect, a third round in the kiln is needed – it’s common for a piece to take two weeks before it’s completed. Her craft is a work of art, but surprisingly Eve is a relative newcomer since trying her hand at ceramics just over 18 months ago. “In the beginning I wanted to make pieces for my home so that our tableware was unique and wasn’t mass produced. I wanted everything to have a story,” she says. “Having handmade objects in your home, it enriches your everyday life. The coffee cup you drink out of – it’s nicer if it’s handmade.” “I feel there’s a resurgence for handmade and people are wanting items in their home that have been lovingly made by someone.” Growing up among artisans – photography, art, yoga, graphic design and interior design all flow through her family’s veins – Eve lived her early years above a community pottery studio run by her mother in the northern beaches of Sydney, in Avalon. This early memory was the grounding for artistic leanings, but Eve first unleashed her creativity after finishing high school on the Sunshine Coast, discovering a love for textile printing, patterns and photography while studying fashion design. She moved back to Sydney to follow photography pursuits, before returning back home to the

“There’s a resurgence for HANDMADE things and people are wanting items in their home that have been LOVINGLY MADE by someone.”

april 2015

Coast with partner of now 15 years Daniel, to have their first child. Eve worked for a high-profile local interior designer and juggled two young children with photography work, and designing art projects for a Melbourne client. This allowed her to raise their two children, seven-year-old Aylah and son Tao, five. “Because I was at home with the kids I was able to do a lot of diﬀerent creative things that I wanted to do,” Eve smiles. She initially got into ceramics out of an interest in resin-based homeware items, which required Eve to make a mould out of clay, by hand or using a pottery wheel. “So Daniel bought me a pottery wheel and from there I guess I got addicted. Pottery does that to you, it’s challenging but it’s relaxing as well,” Eve shares. “I taught myself – I’m self taught with most things I do, it doesn’t give you boundaries because you don’t know the rules.” Since then Liquorice Moon Studios, Eve’s business name born from the quiet nights alone in her home studio, has ‘taken off ’. Eve now blends the demands of stockist and customer orders with raising her young family. “Now that Tao’s at school I get a nice amount of time to myself in my studio. A lot of the things I make are hand-built … I cut and weigh the clay in my studio, then take it inside to hand-build as I help Aylah with her homework, I try to work around them.” She credits her brand’s popularity in part to a thriving Instagram account, blending the organic pieces with glossy photography – all of the stunning images are taken by Eve as a testament to her photography talent – for a captivating showreel of her work. “I think Instagram is really good for creative types, you can create a unique brand through your own interpretation,” she says. “Through Instagram and Etsy various stockists have contacted me. I’m in a number of stores in Australia now, yet I don’t want Liquorice Moon to grow too large – I want to keep the quality and heart rather than mass produce. I want to enjoy what I do and make each piece carefully.” profilemagazine

connections.

SUCCESS

ENTREPRENEUR

INSPIRATION

BLOKES ABOUT TOWN

ONLINE MARKETING STRATEGIST AMANDA STEVENS

TOM POTTER BUILDS EAGLE BOYS PIZZA EMPIRE

THE TALENTED VOICE BEHIND BLINKY BILL ROBYN MOORE

RUNNING A BUSINESS IN THE DIGITAL AGE

This marketing guru shares the importance of Word of Mouse in driving business growth.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE COASTʼS LEADING LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE www.proﬁlemag.com.au

JACK AND CHRIS CHILDS

WELCOME to the second edition of About Business. We received such positive feedback after the launch of our first issue we couldn’t wait to give you more!

his month we bring you a special feature on Amanda Stevens who talks about Word of Mouse and the importance of businesses turning customers and clients into advocates online and oﬄine to drive fast and inexpensive business growth. The shift from word of mouth to word of mouse will change the way you think about your business. We also catch up with voice-over extraordinaire Robyn Moore who is the voice behind iconic cartoon character Blinky Bill, and wellknown television commercials and jingles such as Spray and Wipe and Mr Sheen. Let’s not forget Tom Potter, the man who grew Eagle Boys Pizza from a single store in a country town to a pizza empire. His story of success is sure to whet your appetite. Ingrid Nelson again joins Rachael Yurko from Insurance Works and Matt Yurko from the Canapé Project to host Blokes About Town where local businessmen talk all things digital and what it takes to keep your business current in an ever-changing technological arena. We hope you enjoy this issue of About Business as we continue to share interesting and uplifting stories coupled with the latest tips and tricks from professionals – everything you need when it comes to all things business. For any enquiries or to be involved in the next About Business magazine email chris@chrischilds.com.au

WWW.CHRISCHILDS.COM.AU

2 | ABOUTBUSINESS

GERRY MORRIS

I am one of the lucky ones, I love my job bringing some of the most outstanding and inspiring speakers and personalities to the Sunshine Coast for you all to enjoy.

nd do we have an impressive calendar of events for you this year, there is something for everyone with our breakfast, lunch and evening presentations. When we asked what you want, the answer was simple – more local success stories, more inspiring people and more FUN! And boy have we delivered. Last month we kicked oﬀ Lunch with a Legend with none other than Shane Webcke. This was an exclusive opportunity to intimately chat with the Queensland legend while enjoying a two-course meal at The Surf Club Mooloolaba. This was backed up by the highly anticipated breakfast event with Aussie icon and stalwart of Australian current aﬀairs, Mr Ray Martin. Speaking to the 200-strong crowd, he delved into the highs and lows of his remarkable career spanning an incredible 40-odd-years. This month is just as exciting with the number-one voice-over expert in the country, Robyn Moore heading to Maroochy RSL. She will make you feel ten foot tall and bulletproof – interesting fact, she is also the voice of Blinky Bill! In July, well-known journalist, presenter and co-host of The Today Show, Lisa Wilkinson is coming to town to share her experiences on the silver screen and the journey she took to arrive where she is today. This is an event not to be missed. Like us on Facebook to stay up-to-date with all these great events.

ROBYN MOORE Most know her as the iconic voice of Blinky Bill, but there is much more to learn about Robyn Moore. Meet the woman behind the many voices.

BLOKES ABOUT TOWN We catch up with the movers and shakers in local business to talk all things digital and what it takes to stay current in the technological arena.

AMANDA STEVENS Find out the importance of Word of Mouse and its ability to drive fast and inexpensive business growth.

FIONA ROBERTS Fiona Roberts talks about how your business can effectively maintain positive client relationships.

TOM POTTER The story of Tom Potter who grew Eagle Boys Pizza from a single store in a country town to a pizza empire.

For a full list of events and dates go to www.thinkspeakersandevents.com.au Email gerry@thinkspeakersandevents.com.au

PIPPA COLMAN Pippa Colman warns of the dangers of STDs – Sexually Transmitted Debt.

BRIEFCASE We chat with Beatrice Agnew from Tanawha House and Casey Drummond from Studio Collective. 3 | ABOUTBUSINESS

BUSINESS

VENUE Maroochy RSL Maroochydore TIME 5.30pm for 7pm start TICKETS $65 per person (drinks and nibbles included) TO SECURE YOUR TICKIT VISIT thinkspeakersandevents.com.au

4 | ABOUTBUSINESS

BUSINESS WORDS INGRID NELSON PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

Robyn Moore is quintessentially Australian, mega talented and one of the country’s most sought after voice-over artists and speakers. Ingrid Nelson discovers what’s in store for audiences when she visits the Sunny Coast later this month.

ou may not be familiar with the name Robyn Moore, but you have most certainly heard her many voices bringing to life some very famous advertising voiceovers/jingles on television over the years as well as some of Australia’s most well known cartoon characters, including the iconic Aussie koala – Blinky Bill! A talented actress, singer, comedian and one of Australia’s finest voiceover artists, Robyn has been entertaining audiences for over 40 years and loving every minute of it. She was born in Tasmania, but grew up in the Queensland outback. Robyn credits her idyllic upbringing for allowing her imagination to run wild and knew from a very early age, her calling was to be on stage in one form or another. “It was present when I was four,” says Robyn. “I loved listening to the the wireless serials like Smokey Dawson and copying all the voices. When I was at high school I did drama and I would record silly voices for sick friends.” Robyn’s career started in the classroom as a primary school teacher, however her love of acting continued and as a first year teacher, she was asked to play “Nancy” in the musical Oliver. The Director, Di Drew (now head of Film and TV at NIDA) invited Robyn to audition as a voice-over artist for ABC Educational Radio Programs and the rest, as they say, is history. “I stood in front of the microphone at the ABC on a Monday night at 7pm and it hit me! I thought this is the window to the world, this is what I want to do.” Robyn’s voice has sold millions of dollars worth of products in iconic radio and TV ads over the years – remember the Spray n’ Wipe and Mr Sheen jingles? She also created all the female characters in the irreverent radio program How Green Was My Cactus, since its first recording in 1986. The political satire, still recorded in Sydney every week, has become the longest running series in the history of Australian radio. But perhaps Robyn’s most recognisable voice is that of the lovable koala we have all grown up with - Blinky Bill! “Blinky Bill was created by a New Zealand woman Dorothy Wall in the 1930s. He was brought to life by Australian animator Yoram Gross in the 1980s and he asked me to create a voice for him,” says Robyn. “I based him on a favourite child I had taught at school, Scottie Howells. He was like a little Steve Irwin. He was mischievous, he loved nature and he loved life.” A national patron of Make-A-Wish Australia, Robyn says she has experienced the magic of Blinky’s character through her work with Wish children, social workers, health professionals and parents over the years. “I call it the Blinky bomb. It’s so healing, it’s what you do with the voice – his spirit has the power to sometimes change children’s emotions and physiology. After a Blinky call to Alysha, a five-year-old Wish child

with Cystic Fibrosis, the doctor said, ‘Her lung-function has increased dramatically!’ It’s really extraordinary!” Drawing on her many years of experience in the arts, education, and her passion to change lives through the power of words, Robyn Moore is also recognised as one of Australia’s most sought-after speakers. Her exuberance and authentic Aussie larrikinism is her trademark and she has been wowing audiences for many years with her inspiring and thought-provoking presentations. “In my speaking, it’s a lot about timing. When to make the audience laugh and when to tell a story we can all have a cry about,” she says. “Every 60 seconds I deliver what I call a ‘bugger me’ moment - where the audience stops, listens and gets the message. It’s a passion to hit them between the eyeballs and in their hearts and spirit.” At 64-years-of-age, Robyn says it’s all about knowing what your purpose is … and hers is inspiring to say the least. “Be an irresistible invitation to participate in life. Everything that comes out of my mouth is an invitation to participate in life and I have to make it irresistible,” she says. “My Make-A-Wish children have taught me to live with urgency before the emergency. All of our best behaviours and characteristics come out when we are facing an emergency, otherwise we live a tepid life, where we are neither hot nor cold and just coast through life. “It is so important to get authorship – the capacity to invent who you want to be right now. Little children get that faster than adults. Children have shared with me that they will be kindness, enduring, clever…open-hearted etc.” As Robyn and I share many laughs throughout the interview, it is obvious her love of humour is a big part of her message and indeed her success. “When you laugh you turn up in your life. Humour is a great tool. When people laugh I can go ‘wham’ and jam in a ‘bugger me’ moment, because people are present when they are laughing,” she says. “People say my presentations are like a rollercoaster ride into themselves. My intention is to give people the gift called … YOU … so you can be your authentic self.” I can’t help but replay my interview with Robyn in my mind throughout the remainder of the day. Those famous jingles and wellknown characters have a face to them now and I can’t wait to be part of the audience when she brings her magic to Sunshine Coast audiences later this month. DON’T MISS ROBYN MOORE WHEN SHE VISITS THE SUNSHINE COAST ON THURSDAY, 30 APRIL. TO BOOK TICKETS, CONTACT GERRY MORRIS ON 54304714 OR GO TO WWW.THINKSPEAKERSANDEVENTS.COM.AU

5 | ABOUTBUSINESS

SCOTT ROBERTS

JAMIE GRIGG

BUSINESS

SIMON BUDDEN

DAVE PHILLIPS

SCOTT BURTON

GERRY MORRIS

blokes about town When I began my career as a young journalist, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter weren’t even part of the vernacular. In fact, the internet was so slow back then, I could make a cup of coffee while the information downloaded! Can you imagine if that was the case today!

WORDS INGRID NELSON PHOTOS WADE FUGE SPONSORED BY RACHAEL YURKO INSURANCE WORKS CATERING THE CANAPE PROJECT

t’s hard to believe Facebook, which is now regarded as part of our social fabric, was only launched just over 10 years ago, with Instagram following six years later in 2010. Both mediums have jettisoned many new businesses into almost overnight success, and let’s face it, there are not too many businesses today who could survive without joining the digital age. I recently sat down with a savvy bunch of businessmen over a delicious lunch created by talented chef Matt Yurko of the Canape Project to discuss how the digital age has aﬀected the way they do business and the importance of being up to speed with the latest social media tools to enhance their marketing power and ultimately their bottom line. Co-hosting the lunch was Rachael Yurko, owner of Insurance Works, joining us was my partner in crime, Gerry Morris, of Think Speakers and Events; Dave Philips of Total Creative Constructions; Scott Roberts, CEO of IBN Direct Solutions; Scott Burton, senior account manager with Southern Cross Ten; Simon Budden, CEO of iManageIT and last but not least, Jamie Grigg of JGI Insurance. profile: Do you use social media as part of your business and is it important to you? scott roberts: It’s everything to us. In the finance world, we work with a lot of dinosaurs – people who have been in the industry for 50

years and don’t have a website. We probably use social media more than most but probably not to its full extent. It is growing though and we have plans to hire someone this year to coordinate our social media. Linkedin in particular has been a fantastic tool. It’s a big part of our business. We also use hootsuite. I would say 60 to 70 per cent of our business comes through our social media. We organised a charity golf day last year entirely through social media. dave: I have a Facebook page and it’s good. It gives you a chance to reach a lot more people. It gives you credibility. It lets people see what you can do at a glance and that you are serious about what you do. I think it also helps for word of mouth too. I started to post DIY building advice when I started the business but I have not had as much time recently. I do want to work more on it and I am interested in how to boost my posts to my targeted audience. scott roberts: With Linkedin, I can actually choose who I want to target, for example accountants in Sydney. I wouldn’t expect to get a lead from Facebook. It’s really just a landing page to direct people to your website. simon: I joined Facebook seven years ago to find out what my kids were doing. Then about three years later I hopped oﬀ because I found out and didn’t want to know anymore! About a year or so ago, the lightbulb went on as far as how it could work for my business.

6 | ABOUTBUSINESS

Facebook is a way of having a five-minute conversation with your client over a sixmonth period. It gives you credibility. It shows them you have knowledge. We are really starting to work it a lot more. I haven’t used Linkedin but want to look into it more. jamie: I find Linkedin far superior to the other networks because you are targeting people who are making the decisions. I have had requests from people who own finance and real estate companies, in an ordinary world you don’t get that connection. I am a one-man-band so I am everything in my business. It’s only in the last six months I have started to develop my social media knowledge and put more time and eﬀort into it. scott roberts: If you don’t use social media you will be left behind. simon: We have employed someone to look after our social media full time. They are fantastic. If you are a client and you go to our oppositions’ websites, within two days, our ad will come up on your newsfeed! It’s amazing what you can do if you know how! gerry: Social media has been a huge driver for the Think Speakers and Events brand as we have been able to engage with an audience we just weren’t reaching before. The help of people liking and sharing our posts has been invaluable as it really is the best form of word of mouth imaginable. profile: How has social media affected how you do business? scott burton: Certainly it has made an impact on traditional broadcast media including radio, television and newspapers. But it’s probably only in the last year businesses are using social media and TV together. The Bachelor is a great example of this. It set records last year, viewers

“If you DON’T USE SOCIAL MEDIA, you will be left behind.” – Scott Roberts were interacting on the Facebook site and watching TV at the same time. Great from an interaction point of view. It has made an impact no doubt but it doesn’t replace what we do. rachael: I am definitely using social media in my business. I have already done some courses and am using the tips and tricks I have learned. It’s easy once you know how! I have someone who comes and helps me one day per week with various things including social media. It’s essential. scott burton: My partner started a business four months ago and has singlehandedly used Instagram to launch it. She has gone from 100 followers to 1200 in the space of three months. She has posted products to the US, Denmark and Hong Kong, and has had 30 to 40 sales across Australia. Her business would not have survived without it, it would not have sustained itself locally. Twenty years ago it would have been unimaginable. gerry: Social media has been an incredible tool in describing the market we are speaking to and when it is the best time to communicate and engage with them. Then there is the instant feedback we receive, which again is just fantastic and it gives us our best chance to spread our reach and grow the events. Everything and anything is possible once you become a part of people’s social interests.

DUCK AND WATERMELON SALAD

7 | ABOUTBUSINESS

BUSINESS

profile: How have you educated yourself in social media? scott roberts: I spend a great deal of my time on a computer so from the time I get into the office until I finish late at night, the computer is on. I am a self-learner, I haven’t done any courses. I have staff who run my general business, so I get to be able to play with a lot of that stuff. I have learned a lot along the way too. My wife Fiona is actually much more savvy than me. jamie: You have to keep learning too because there are going to be even more mediums and networks … this is not the end. scott roberts: Instagram is the second biggest social forum in the world now. They started with $30,000 capital.

We catch up with insurance expert Rachael Yurko to answer some frequently asked questions for our readers. profile: What is the difference between direct insurance versus retail? rachael: Like most things – these days consumers have a number of different avenues to pursue when looking for life insurance. You can buy direct, through your Industry Super Fund, your bank, or an insurance broker or financial planner. When it comes to insurance held through industry funds, many of us don’t even know it exists – and the vast majority of Australians settle for the default level of life insurance offered (one recent study reported 65 per cent). profile: What’s wrong with that? rachael: When you consider that the level of cover is often well below $200,000 – and the average cost of a family home on the Sunshine Coast is sitting around $500,000 – it’s nowhere near enough. But it’s not just the minimal amount of cover offered as a default – each super fund has its own trust deed attached, and the ways they administer their insurance differs vastly. For instance, many funds do not commence insurance coverage until the time that your first on-time employer contribution is received. This can be up to three months after you commence employment – and not all employers pay on time. Super funds can deduct insurance premium payments from your account (putting it into a negative) before you are actually covered. Many funds will reduce your level of cover as you get older. Just because you start with one level of insurance, don’t assume you will continue to have that much cover as time goes on. While initially the price of income protection, or salary continuance cover can seem appealing through an industry super fund – it often works out more expensive when compared to cover through a retail fund. The default waiting period is often 60, or even 90 days before you qualify for a payment. This means after four months of being off work due to sickness or accident, you will receive your first payment, replacing just one month’s pay. Bet your bills didn’t stop, did they? The above differences are just a starting point – and while some industry funds do offer good value, at the end of the day – it pays to seek advice. Many brokers don’t charge a fee to look into your insurance for you, and any recommendations to make changes should always come with a comparison of existing versus recommended cover. Life’s full of surprises … are you ready?

After last month’s incredible selection of dishes lovingly created by Matt Yurko of the Canape Project, I didn’t think it could get much better … however the clever Sunshine Coast chef pulled out the goods to delight us all yet again, this time with an Asian twist. Each mouthful of food was a gastronomic explosion in the mouth. Using only the freshest, local ingredients, Matt created a combination of ﬂavours that jumped off the plate. The trio of courses perfectly complementing each other. Kicking off with an Asian taste plate, the beautifullypresented morsels were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I must admit, although I am not usually a fan of duck, the main dish of shredded duck and watermelon salad changed my opinion – fresh and light, the ﬂavour was incredible. My sweet tooth was more than satisfied with the pandan sticky rice dessert, and judging from the clean plates around the table, the Asian-infused dish was a hit all round. I can’t wait to see what Matt has in store next time! ASIAN TASTE PLATE

Moreton bay bug, betel leaf, kaffir lime and coconut cream Mooloolaba prawns, Hunan salt, gunpowder sauce Steamed pork shumai, chilli jam Salted pork, tamarind caramel, lettuce cup Swordfish skewer, red curry sauce MAIN

Duck and watermelon salad, cashews, herbs, hoisin dressing DESSERT

Pandan sticky rice, with mango, palm sugar and coconut TO BOOK YOUR NEXT EVENT, CALL THE CANAPÉ PROJECT 0432 503 282 WWW.THECANAPEPROJECT.NET.AU

8 | ABOUTBUSINESS

BUSINESS

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was very driven and very hungry to learn. One of the keys to business is to always be learning always developing, always growing, always improving.â&#x20AC;?

WORDS CARLY REES PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

Amanda Stevens is a “pocket rocket” dominating the marketing world, sharing the stage with the likes of Richard Branson and Bob Geldof. Carly Rees delves into the life of the marketing and sales guru.

eading the words, “thank you for saving my business and my marriage”, from a happy client recently reinforced the work Amanda is doing in helping to boost our economy and push local businesses into the next era. This business owner who recently attended one of her conferences emailed her saying he was ready to shut up shop after 15 years until he heard her speak. How does she describe this feeling of knowing she has saved someone’s business? “Amazing. Amazing. Absolutely amazing,” says Amanda. “He (the business owner) was jaded and ready to shut the door and now he feels reinvigorated and re-inspired. It is a real rush, I have got to tell you. It is something I do not take for granted.” Amanda grew up in Noosa and attended Noosa High School. She then followed her dreams of a marketing career excelling at university in Brisbane and in the last year of her degree was employed by a local marketing firm while completing her study. “It was a really cool time for me and a great opportunity where I was travelling with international experts like Jay Abraham,” says Amanda. “I was headhunted for a 12-month project in Sydney and my original plan was to only stay for 12 months.” Her journey was to change however, and by the time her contract finished she was also working with five steady freelance clients and decided to branch out on her own to see where it would lead her. At the age of 21 Amanda grew her business SPLASH to a point she was taking on her own staﬀ and managing accounts for some of the biggest businesses in Australia and the world. “I had no idea what I was doing when I started but I don’t regret it and my advice to people is always just start,” says Amanda. “I don’t think it matters how old you are, business is all about failing fast and learning. I think the younger you are the better.” In 2000 Amanda was named Young Business Woman of the Year by Sydney Business Review and in December 2002 won the Young Australian of the Year Award for Career Achievement in New South Wales. In 2003 she was awarded the prestigious centenary medal by the Governor General for business innovation. These awards set Amanda on her next course in life sharing her

knowledge in Australia and across the world on her research in understanding customer behaviour and building customer advocacy. She now imparts her knowledge at more than 80 conferences each year across Australia, New Zealand and Asia. “When I was named Young Business Woman of the Year I was asked to speak at a lot of diﬀerent events and I was terrible,” remembers Amanda. “I hated it. I would be physically ill five minutes before I would go on to speak but I just saw the power of inspiring business and giving them ideas, perspective and values. The better I got at it, the more I enjoyed it and the more I enjoyed it, the better I got at it.”

By 2007 Amanda sold half of her business to an investor and by 2011 sold the remaining half to a multi-national and went to the United States for a year. Amanda spent her time in Chicago co-writing a book, speaking and consulting across the United States. At a recent Think Business conference, Amanda spoke on the topic of Word of Mouse where she shared five keynote topics that could be mixed and matched to diﬀerent themes focusing on increasing customers. “There is a real shift going on right now for customer advocacy and there is a real shift going on from word of mouth to word of mouse,” says Amanda. “It is an area where big brands are either asleep, too

11 | ABOUTBUSINESS

BUSINESS

AHEAD of her game

BUSINESS

“I had no idea what I was doing when I started but I don’t regret it and MY ADVICE to people is always JUST START.”

nervous or too caught up in their red tape to fully be able to take advantage of it. If a business can create and turn their existing clients into advocates both online and oﬄine it basically means fast and inexpensive business growth.” A common threat that puts a business on hold with expanding in the online environment is the fear of not having enough time. Amanda has found that businesses are already overwhelmed with the everyday running of business. “There are so many really cool technology tools available now so that it (expanding online) doesn’t have to be an arduous thing,” says Amanda. Audiences have described Amanda as a “pocket rocket, a “breath of fresh air”, a “whirlwind of ideas” and “worth attending a conference for”. It is her comedic approach that makes her stand out and allows her to reach out to business owners and get the facts to sink in. “I was very driven and very hungry to learn, one of the keys to business is to always be learning, always developing, always growing, always improving,” says Amanda. “I think the mistake a lot of business owners make is trying to maintain the status-quo and not changing anything. If you are doing that you are actually going backwards.” Amanda is confident in this economic climate there is an opportunity for small business to create what she calls the “one per centers”. “This means doing things to create great customer experiences, leveraging technology and also innovating. If you can get those three things right you have got a real competitive advantage.” Next on the horizon for Amanda is her fifth book all about customer service and how small business can “create world class customer service”. She will be jet setting oﬀ on a world tour for the study where she will work with a few places that are known for their superb customer service including the Disney Institute, Amazon and the Trump organisation. For now Amanda is enjoying falling in love with her hometown Noosa all over again after making the sea change back home a year ago. “I feel like I have come full circle and I am really lucky with what I do now that I can be based anywhere,” says Amanda. “It’s really nice to be home … when you grow up in a place like Noosa you have no idea how beautiful it is because you have nothing to compare it to, so it’s nice to be back falling in love with the area in a whole new way.”

WORD OF MOUSE FIVE KEYNOTE TOPICS 1. Your existing customer base is your most underutilised marketing asset. Turning your existing clients into unpaid, walking advertisements for your business is the quickest, most cost effective way to grow your business. 2. Know who your strongest advocates are likely to be. The research shows that if women have a great customer experience, they’re 5-10 times more likely than men to engage in positive, active word of mouth. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t try to turn your male clients into advocates, but just know that you’ll generally get a greater level of advocacy from women (because we talk more!) 3. Never strive for ‘satisﬁed’ clients. Way too many businesses strive for customer satisfaction, which is not enough to drive advocacy. When was the last time you raved about a business that you left feeling completely ‘satisfied’? Only through exceeding expectations, surprising and delighting your customers will you get them talking about you at dinner parties, at barbecues and on social media. 4. The little things are the big things. Creating memorable customer experiences that lead to raving fans starts with doing the little things well. Look at what other world class brands are doing in other industries and look at how you can replicate it in your business. It’s the five-star touches you add to your service offering that people will remember and talk about. 5. Social media is not a strategy – it’s merely another vehicle. Social media provides you with a medium that amplifies word of mouth so it becomes word of mouse. But you have to give you clients and customers something to talk about. It has to start with the experience.

12 | ABOUTBUSINESS

BUSINESS

ALL ABOUT AWESOME FIONA ROBERTS | ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE

It is absolutely essential to nurture a superior culture of customer service within your business and team. Happy clients assist with the growth of your company through repeat visits and greater spend, and word-of-mouth referrals are hard to beat. Small business mentor Fiona Roberts addresses the importance of customer service and how your business can effectively maintain positive client relationships.

n our businesses we are supported by some wonderful professionals who we outsource certain aspects of our operations to. Mainly things like bookwork, IT, legal, accounting – essentially, the things we aren’t experts at or we don’t have to control. We love these guys, because they let us focus on what we are great at. Outsourcing just makes sense. On the whole, I can (and do) recommend these professionals as shining stars in their field. But recently something tarnished my glowing opinion of one of our support professionals. One team member, in one of the companies we outsource to, began to exude a “not my job” attitude and was incredibly diﬃcult to deal with … and unfortunately, it aﬀected my relationship with an otherwise amazing company. It was nothing huge, and was easily rectifiable, but it did get under my skin, and I wasn’t happy. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to have an excellent relationship with several other team members in this company, and when I picked up the phone, they were: a) embarrassed by what had happened; and b) proactive in terms of finding a solution. And if we are being completely honest here, THEY were lucky too. Because of the strength of our relationship and how they handled the situation, they retained our business and our respect. The awesome thing about having something like this happen, is it gives us the opportunity to reconsider our own attitudes in similar circumstances. And I’m all about awesome. No-one can escape the reality that poor customer service will damage a business. And unfortunately, clients who have had a bad experience, will usually talk about it. Never ever forget that your clients pay your salary and make your job possible. So, ask yourself some questions: Do you LISTEN to your clients? Do you treat them as individuals and make them feel appreciated? Do you look for ways to help them and anticipate their needs? Most customers will listen to their heart over their head – they buy good feelings and solutions. Treat them as individuals, make them feel loved, and above all, be sincere. Everyone values sincerity. People know when you are just going through the motions. Do you give your clients more than they expect? Do you have systems in place to ensure all of this happens? And – in the worst

“Excellence is not a skill – it’s an attitude” ~ RALPH MARSTON case scenario – do you know how to apologise and take ownership of an issue? Saying sorry is easy, and customers appreciate it. Make sure you deal with any issues immediately, and let the customer know what you’ve done to fix the problem. Like it or not, when things go wrong, it gives you an opportunity to improve and raise the standards of your business. Value customer complaints for what they are – pure gold. And one last thing to consider – how do your clients interact with your business? Do they have more than one person who they can speak to? In my case, there were at least two other people I felt comfortable talking to – which allowed me to raise my issue, rather than remain frustrated. Do your clients have alternatives? Asking these simple questions of yourself and your team, and actioning the answers, can help your business really excel. And while you are asking yourself these questions, consider your team. Showing your team appreciation and respect is probably going to improve their attitude towards customer service. Make them feel important too! Let’s face it – the easiest customer to find, is the one who you already know – all you need to do is make them feel special! Fiona has many hats. She and her husband Scott own IBN Direct: Alternative Funding Solutions, a small business mentor, blogger, celebrant, wife and mother. Check out her website www.allaboutawesome.com.au

13 | ABOUTBUSINESS

BUSINESS

SLICE WORDS CARLY REES PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

Tom Potter is of the opinion that it doesn’t matter “whether you are born with a silver spoon in your mouth or the thumb of one of your hands”. The man who came from little and grew Eagle Boys Pizza from a single store in a country town to a pizza empire, certainly proved this to be true. Carly Rees sits down with Tom Potter to talk business.

TOM POTTER

hen Chief Brody spots the great white shark Jaws in the classic horror film and says, “You’re going to need a bigger boat” to the captain, Tom Potter couldn’t help but liken this to his first day behind the counter at Eagle Boys Pizza. With 15 staﬀ on board and his mother Barbara as partner, Tom, aged 23, wasn’t prepared for the success this pizza shop in Albury, New South Wales instantly achieved and knew he needed a “bigger nest”. “It was very exciting with high levels of energy and excitement and lots of fun,” says Tom of his first day. I was extremely motivated to succeed for various reasons, including the fact your mother is your partner and you don’t want her to be financially disadvantaged. “But I also think that you carry a much higher risk profile in your own nature when you are that young, and I know now that I am 50, I look at things diﬀerently, and a whole lot more carefully, and a whole lot more strategically.” He said he expected it to be busy but not like it was on the evening of 11 February, 1987 when he opened the doors at 4.30pm and the phone didn’t stop ringing, all the while the line increased onto the street in the steamy summer heat. He likens the instant success not to the delicious taste but to the first two rules of business, “number one; be first and number two; be best.” Fast-forward to 2014/15 and Tom found himself semi-retired in Brisbane enjoying golf, AFL and raising his five-year-old son, Max, after selling his company that grew to become

14 | ABOUTBUSINESS

USI

NES MA ST IPS STR KE S U ATE RE GY YO IS R UR IGH H T AVE AP OIN  MA TO K FD THE E SU IFF “GU RE Y ERE NCE TS” OU H AN AV D“ E DR IVE ”



ESS

SUR “Number one; BE FIRST and number two; BE BEST.”

one of Australia’s home-grown retail and franchise successes, in 2007. Looking back he has a long list of achievements associated with the growth of Eagle Boys Pizza including being named Australian Young Business Person of the Year by the Australian Financial Review and being awarded a scholarship to attend Harvard Business School. He graduated Class Valedictorian and gave the valedictory speech. Now Tom dedicates his time to helping other businesses find the success he did as a director on various boards and as a speaker at functions across Australia, New Zealand, the United States and South Africa. He is a motivating and powerful speaker who leaves audiences wanting more, ready to encounter their business problems and empowering them to move forward. “When you have done it for 30 years, you have made a lot of mistakes and you have learnt a lot,” says Tom. “I think the biggest thing for me about what I do (public speaking) is that it gets you back in the community. You get to see a lot of people in new business doing new and interesting things.” Tom has three pieces of solid advice for anyone starting a business: One; make sure you have a solid point of diﬀerence. Two; make sure you advertise it. Three; be prepared to evolve and change the business model to constantly stay ahead of the game. From 1987 to 1991 Tom says business was solid but slow in growth and they opened about five stores a year. Then once the ‘90s took oﬀ, Eagle Boys Pizza started opening about 10 to 20 stores a year before pumping out the same amount in New Zealand. It was at this point when the store started competing against new businesses, with the same concept under the heat of the price wars, Tom started to prepare for a change in the new century. Once the 2000s rolled in, Eagle Boys Pizza changed its face forever and Tom and his team invented the two-minute pizza and drive

through. Looking back Tom says, “this was a real crossroad for us that took us into a hugely diﬀerent direction”. One thing Tom wants to make sure all businesses he supports have established before taking the leap, is to make sure their strategy is thoroughly developed. Even with all the ups and downs he encountered, he stayed true to his strategy and sure enough his business and others he has advised have continued to succeed. “It is all about strategy. You can get up and run a business with a strategy, but the strategy has got to be right,” says Tom. “Everyone talks about business plans and I agree, but business plans are irrelevant unless the strategy is right. If the strategy is right, you have half a chance of getting a decent business plan to put into play.” In the beginning it was diﬃcult for Tom to get top-notch advice in the community he lived in. He remembered talking to his father, Ron who owned a small soft drink business for many years in Beachmere, Victoria, who struggled for the first few years and had no one to turn to for advice. When Tom made the move to Brisbane, he found he was surrounded by advice from associations and brought a board of directors into the Eagle Boys Pizza business, allowing the company to again evolve. “My number one tip is for people to surround themselves with some good quality advice,” says Tom. “And use mentors, or more to the point use people who are going to help them and advise them without any hidden agenda. If you have a look at a lot of these guys who are coming through hard (in business) now, they have two or three people behind them who have done it 20 years before.”

“It is ALL ABOUT STRATEGY. You can get up and run a business with a strategy, but the strategy has GOT TO BE RIGHT.”

If you want to explore more about Tom check out his book, which sold more than 10,000 copies, The Eagle Boys Pizza Story, which tracks the 20-year story of Eagle Boys Pizza.

15 | ABOUTBUSINESS

BUSINESS

ʼS B

OU PL A T N



R GO OUND OD ITʼS QU YOUR ALI THE NOT T Y SELF W AD B U ALL VIC ITH S I N AB E



TOM

PROFILE

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working together P. 07 5458 9000 E. reception@pippacolman.com 12/64 Sugar Road, Maroochydore Qld 4558 www.pippacolman.com

Nobody wants to get an STD (Sexually Transmitted Debt), and without the proper protection it can happen to just about anyone.

t is an all too familiar story … you counter-sign a loan document for your partner’s new car, not long after this, they leave and take the car with them. Where does this leave you, well other than heartbroken? You are left to pay off their debt. ‘Sexually Transmitted Debt’ (STD) is debt that arises when one party of a relationship signs up to be jointly responsible for a debt, even when they receive no financial benefit from the property over which there is a loan.

“Before entering into any loan or financial CONTRACT, do not be afraid to ask QUESTIONS” Contracting an STD is bad for your financial health, and will leave you with long term side effects. If you are a co-borrower or you have a guarantee, or if your asset is the security for the loan, you will generally be responsible for the repayment of that debt. There are very limited prospects of being able to avoid paying the debt back. You could face being sued by the lender or having your assets sold to pay off the debts. Your credit rating could also suffer, which may leave you unable to borrow money in the future, long after you have moved on from the ‘bad relationship’. Everyone should know how to avoid contracting an STD and it is not hard to protect yourself. How hard can it be? The solution is very simple: only you can protect yourself. Before entering into any loan or financial contract, do not be afraid to ask questions, and do not be fooled by a lender stating that they ‘just need your signature’. If you are not going to obtain some benefit out of the arrangement, do not sign anything. Do not feel pressured into entering into an arrangement, or fear that your partner won’t love you if you don’t go along with the plans. You need to make sure that you are aware of the consequences of signing something and seek independent legal or financial advice if you are not sure. The consequences of contracting an STD can have a significant impact on your financial health both in the short and long term. Just because you are in love, doesn’t mean you can’t protect your financial health from Sexually Transmitted Debt.

16 | ABOUTBUSINESS

BUSINESS PROMOTION

backup your business EAN HUNGERFORD

he reliance on computer systems has become an integral part of modern day life. Most small to medium businesses would not function if their computer system was offline for any length of time. The single most critical component of any IT system (whether it be SME (small to medium enterprises) or simply home users) is a wellplanned and secure backup solution. Every computer user is made aware that this is the case, but many take it for granted that their backups are being done. Many times people only find out that it has not been working or not done at all when it is too late. When there is a catastrophe with the system, the main computer (usually a file server) will need to be up and running as quickly as possible. These catastrophes can be outside events (fire, floods, etc) or computer failure (hard disk drive failure, accidental deletion of data, etc). If there is no full backup of the main part of the system, it can take days to restore it to the same status as when the problems occurred. Most businesses cannot afford this type of interruption which will result in major costs in both setup and lost business. Another important feature of a structured backup solution is that the backups are regularly checked to ensure that they are actually running and have backed up the correct data. Simply checking the backup logs is not adequate. Most backup software enables test or dummy restores to be performed to prove that the data is being backed up. There also needs to be an offsite storage plan, which retains a secure copy of the most recent backup completely offsite. This can be backup tapes, portable hard disk drives or USB drives. The offsite solution also needs to be regularly checked to ensure that the data has been successfully saved. There are also a variety of online offsite solutions offered by reputable companies. The best suited offsite plan will usually depend on budget considerations.

A well planned backup solution (particularly for SMEs) will include: ✓

A facility to reinstall the main system as quickly as possible

✓

At least a daily backup of the critical data

✓

A test plan to ensure that the backup is working

✓

Offsite storage of backups

✓

A recovery procedures plan for emergency restores

All computer users hope they will never need to use a backup, but ensuring there is a well planned solution in place will result in much less pain if they do. Check your backup plan! Is it being performed correctly?

To discuss any of the issues raised in this feature, contact Ean Hungerford at SafeData Solutions. Call 0419 703 114, email info@safedata.com.au or visit www.safedata.com.au.

17 | ABOUTBUSINESS

BRIEFCASE

WORDS ANNA RAWLINGS AND NICOLE FUGE

beatrice agnew

Casey Drummond

Tanawha House Location: Tanawha

eatrice Agnew breathed new life into Tanawha House when her family relocated to the Sunshine Coast from the south coast of New South Wales two years ago. As an interior designer for over 10 years, Beatrice brings to the table a wealth of experience in commercial, retail and private homes. Beatrice’s portfolio earned her a stunning reputation in her hometown of 30 years and she wishes to continue creating beautiful interiors on the Sunshine Coast. “The family move to the Sunshine Coast gave me the opportunity to expand the design business. Finding Tanawha House gave me the perfect location to not only set up a design studio but to also incorporate homewares, soft furnishings, giftwares and even an elegant tea house.”

“The biggest joy from my work is seeing them happy with their space” Beatrice and her husband, Grant and their children now live in the private residence, which was once part of the old store, and have renovated an industrial space on the property to become the interior design store and tea house. “I was brought up in a warm and welcoming home and love taking care of my guests. Visiting the store at Tanawha House is like coming into my home,” Beatrice smiles. “There are three parts to our store; the interior design services, the continuation of the original antiques and furniture business with the addition of soft furnishings, fabrics, homewares and giftware, and of course the tea house, complete with high tea and group bookings. The tea house is proving to be a popular choice for special events.” Beatrice has also recently launched Tanawha House Workshop Series, providing creative classes to teach people everything from styling, crochet, flower arrangement and decorative paint application. “At the moment our Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint classes are very popular. A 100 per cent natural paint that can go on just about anything with little or low preparation. “I adore working with clients and creating a home or room that they fall in love with. A visit to Tanawha House will be sure to delight. “Experience Tanawha House and let’s discover your style.”

Studio Collective Location: Maroochydore

rowing up, Casey Drummond had a passion and appreciation for all things creative. Now in adult-life she has drawn on that passion to co-create her very own interior design studio. Casey says as a designer and business owner of Studio Collective, she strives to be recognised for being approachable and fair, with an approach that is stylish and considered. “Studio Collective is, first and foremost, focused on people and their experience of a space,” she says. “As a firm, we are never focused on one definitive style. We love to strip things back to their essence, striving for dignity and character.

“... be involved in something you love, follow your instincts and enter unselfconsciously.” “Our goal is to grow our business organically through being great at what we do and building long-term relationships with our clients. Eventually we would love to have oﬃces in major cities like Brisbane and Melbourne.” From an early age, Casey worked in her family’s business as a decorator. “My grandmother began In Curtains & Blinds over 30 years ago, working alongside my mother,” she says. “Watching their warm interaction with people, creative style and their leadership skills have really set the bar for me. I feel that this is a driving force for me to succeed in my own venture.” Now, standing on her own two feet, Casey says her best advice for people wanting to follow their dreams and start their own business is to believe in themselves. “The most important thing is to be involved in something you love, follow your instincts and enter unselfconsciously,” she says. “There will be many people with varying opinions but you need to have the confidence to believe in what you feel is right.”

18 | ABOUTBUSINESS

REAL ESTATE 62 66

april 2015

PEOPLE

Auctioneer Gordon Macdonald hits the right note

REAL FACTS

Learn the trends and predictions for the year ahead

profilemagazine

PEOPLE

THE RIGHT NOTE

GORDON MACDONALD. SHOT ON LOCATION AT SOLBAR, MAROOCHYDORE

WORDS NICOLE FUGE PHOTOS CHESTERTON SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY

When Gordon Macdonald resigned from his musical career, the showmanship of an auctioneer proved to be attractive. But what started as a way of feeding the performer within has swelled to see him look at the bigger picture and give back to the industry that has served him so well.

he crowd is gathering and excitement swells in the air. It’s almost time for Gordon Macdonald to go on. With his weapon of choice in his right hand, loosely hanging between his thumb and middle finger, it’s instrumental in Gordon’s performance today. “Ladies and gentleman,” bellows through the crowd and they gasp in anticipation, some are so excited they’re already waving their hands in the air. Gordon’s career as a successful auctioneer has the ability to make him feel like he’s lapsing into the days of being a musician – both roles see him command the attention of a crowd and both give him a great sense of satisfaction. Gordon, now living on the Sunshine Coast, was born and raised in Glen Innes where he says he had the best of living

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in a small town and the benefit of growing up with a farming background. “My mum’s a musician and an artist so I grew up in a very creative household, I gravitated to music and the guitar, so that’s where I started my guitar journey,” he says. “She taught me to play when I was young, about 12. He went on to study guitar full time at Southern Cross University at Lismore and played the live music circuit in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. Gordon was halfway through his degree and by that time, fully immersed in the local music industry, but he came to a crossroads – to continue down this familiar path or venture onto the road of the unknown? Then aged in his early 20s, Gordon went home where his mum encouraged him to buy a house for $38,000.

profilemag.com.au

“I got a first home buyer’s grant, so it cost me $31,000, that enabled me to purchase my first home,” he reflects. “The principal of the agency I bought the property from at LJ Hooker oﬀered me a job and I instantly said yes, left Lismore and came back to my home town.” And his timing couldn’t be better, it was early 2000s and the beginning of the property boom. “It was very exciting, but as I’d also just arrived in the industry it was all I knew, so I thought this is great!” Gordon enthuses. “Investors were buying property in Glen Innes because it was so aﬀordable and they were yielding great returns. I was selling land for $3000 and $4000 and homes for $60,000 to $80,000 and we were renting them out for $170 a week, so they were good investments.” During this time Gordon grew hungry to nurture his interest and began investing in real estate, buying and selling and conducting small developments like splitting blocks and building secondary homes. Even when he wasn’t working, he couldn’t stop working and while on a holiday to the Sunshine Coast, Gordon bought a house in Buderim with his older and younger brothers. Having been used to buying smaller and cheaper investments, this was a big deal. “I lived with my younger brother, then we ended up selling it, which leveraged into further investments,” he says. Upon his move to the Coast, Gordon began working with Ray White for a few years and developed his career by calling more auctions. “I always wanted to be an auctioneer,” he says with a grin. “My first principal was an auctioneer within a Stock and Station Agency, so there were always stock auctioneers around and I really gravitated towards that. “I started auctioneering conducting clearing sales. We would auction farm machinery, stock, household goods, the liquidation of a whole farm – we would do a couple of those a month. It’s great for an auctioneer to cut their teeth in this space.” After calling auctions for a while with the Ray White group, he came to yet another crossroads – to call auctions full time or continue general sales. On the day he made the decision to continue as a full time independent auctioneer, he crossed paths with Jason Andrew, the owner of a successful national auction company.

april 2015

PEOPLE

“We can sell a multi-million dollar home in Noosa at 10am and then at 11am I’m addressing a crowd looking to purchase a $200,000 unit in Marcoola.”

Almost five years and thousands of auctions later, Gordon conducts auctions nationally and in New Zealand. “Being an auctioneer has lead me to witness our industry in great depth. Dealing with multiple market places, servicing agents of all walks of life, from rookies to the highly experienced and the pleasure of dealing with their clients on auction day,” he says. “We can sell a multi-million dollar home in Noosa at 10am and then at 11am I’m addressing a crowd looking to purchase a $200,000 unit in Marcoola. “On a Saturday I’ll call auctions on the hour from 9am to 5pm and could start in Caloundra and end up in Noosa, via the Hinterland.” Because Gordon is “in the trenches” every day, he has seen “the very best and the very worst” of the industry and compiled it into a training package. “We are all about the betterment of our industry,” he says, “if agents want to become an auctioneer, we’ll train them. If they want to be a better agent we provide a platform for change through events, training and coaching. “This is the industry that I love and it’s been so good to me and I’m grateful for that. The real estate industry is changing at a rapid pace and I’m happy to be helping to be fuelling that change.” But no matter how fast paced Gordon’s day is, he always finds time for a quick strum of the guitar. “I’m a believer, which I learnt from my mum, to always have a guitar in as many rooms of the home as possible and to always have it out of the case,” he says. “If it’s out and you sit down, you pick it up – you don’t have to play much, but if it’s accessible you will play.” So with the sharp crack of the gavel keeping rhythm and the bluesy roots strum of the guitar on loop, Gordon’s playing to a whole new beat.

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A fast-paced industry with strict legal processes and large investment dollars at stake – property management can seem like a daunting world. But it doesn’t need to be. Seeking honest, no-nonsense advice and engaging a trusted property management team with the right processes is a crucial step not only towards better returns, but safeguarding your investment and yourself. This column aims to educate present and potential owners who are considering renting their properties in an easy to understand format. We have left all the complex real-estate jargon at the door so everybody feels at home.

The 5 Ps of marketing your rental property Marketing your rental property doesn’t need to be a daunting or stressful experience. Just follow these 5 Ps and you will be on the path to success

he first step to securing a tenant and leasing your investment is the marketing. Ensuring you have everything covered is easy when you follow the 5 Ps! Presentation The presentation of the property will determine the quality of the applications you receive. If your investment needs a coat of paint,

new window furnishings or new bark in the gardens then now is the time to do it. Fix the hinges on the cupboard doors that squeak, replace that blown bulb in the hallway and make sure the fly screens are free of holes and scratches. You’ll be surprised at the impact and potential tenants will be sure to notice! Photography Engage a local professional to photograph your property. The cost is tax deductible and they will have the equipment to show your freshly refurbished property in the best light possible. You’ll be able to re use the photographs for future tenancies and the high quality photos will stand when advertising. Price Research is key – make some time to attend inspections of comparable local properties and see where you sit in the market. It is important to be realistic and reasonable when deciding on the weekly rent – $10 can mean the difference between weeks of vacancy or a quick tenancy. Remember that tenants have access to the same information as you do. They will have done their homework to make sure they are

“In the case of Henzells, Tracey makes a strong contribution to your reputation as the best property management agency in Caloundra. She knows her tenancy laws. Her political nous is excellent and she’s really good at negotiating outcomes. She listens, and her advice is well thought through, clear and on the money.” Ian and Kathy Campbell, Landlords

getting the best value for money. If your investment is overpriced they will move on and apply for somewhere else. Point of difference Your property is going to be advertised in competition, not isolation. If there are two other properties advertised in your street for the same price, but one has air conditioning, most tenants will likely apply for that one seeing better value for money. Something as simple as including fortnightly gardening in the rent could be the point of difference to win you the tenant.

The better you take care of your investment now, the better it will take care of you in the future “Tracey has always been very professional, helpful and friendly. Any questions or problems we had, we never hesitated giving her a call knowing she would be able to sort it out.” Matthew, Landlord

Process Have a look at other properties currently for rent to get an idea of how you would like to write the description for your property. Keep it short and simple – the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and car spaces to start with and then add the most beneficial attributes (air conditioning, butler’s pantry, internal access from the garage to name a few). Most potential tenants will use a mixture of online and printed media to search for available properties so it is important to use both to maximise your property’s exposure. Advertising on websites such as www.realestate.com.au and www.domain.com.au, which are the two major websites visited by potential tenants, will give you great online coverage. Consider advertising your property in your local community paper or in the Sunshine Coast Daily as well to keep costs down and reach a larger number of potential tenants.

Tracey Rossow Investment Manager

49 Bulcock St, Caloundra 0448 616 055 trossow@henzells.com.au

The latest St.George-Melbourne Institute Household Financial Conditions Report shows people who have paid off their mortgage, especially tradespeople and para-professionals, are feeling more confident about their financial position because of an upswing in the housing market. Financial conditions for homeowners rose 15.4 per cent in the final three months of 2014 – the biggest rise in 20 years. The report suggested job prospects were better due to a growing construction industry and low interest rates were conducive for paying off a mortgage. The survey also indicated 17.6 per cent of households – the highest number in two years – were cautious about spending and intended to reduce their debt despite the low interest rates.

REAL FACTS Whether you’re looking to enter the real estate market or are already a seasoned home-buyer, it pays to know the trends and predictions within this often-fickle industry. Profile keeps you in the know for all things real estate.

HOUSE CONSTRUCTION TO HIT RECORD House construction will peak this financial year and begin to taper over the next two years, according to Housing Industry Association forecasts. Work on around 196,000 dwellings is expected to have started by June, an eight per cent increase from the previous financial year. Dwelling starts grew 12 per cent in 2013-14 (FY2014) and 11 per cent in 2012-13 (FY2013). The HIA forecasts a six per cent decline in new homes for the 2016 financial year and a further five per cent in the following two years. Residential construction has helped offset a fall in other construction. In 2014, $67 billion was spent on commercial construction compared to $82 billion in 2013.

$67 BILLION

The amount that was spent on commercial construction in 2014 66

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GROWTH PREDICTED IN 2016 TO 2017 The Reserve Bank of Australia has become cautious about the economic outlook, lowering its 2015 growth forecasts from three per cent to 2.75 per cent. It expects unemployment to reach 6.5 per cent which is higher than previously thought. The bank also says, "the housing market would need to be watched carefully," as further cuts in the cash rate could accelerate a sharp rise in property prices. The lower forecasts reﬂect a slower-than-expected pickup in non-mining investment, consumption, and production of liquefied natural gas. However, the RBA expects economic growth into 2016 and 2017, "in response to rapid growth in LNG exports and the lower exchange rate and interest rates".

15.4

REAL ESTATE

HOME-OWNER FINANCES IMPROVE

The percentage in which the financial conditions for homeowners rose in the final three months of 2014 – the biggest rise in 20 years.

INVESTORS CONTINUE TO RISE Investment in Australian property increased from $7.6 billion in December 2012 to $12.6 billion in December 2014, a record high, according to Corelogic RP Data research analyst Cameron Kusher. This represents a rise of 66 per cent over two years and is the largest rise over a two-year period since December 2003. ABS data showed loan commitments for investor housing increased six per cent from November to December 2014, and 18.8 per cent from December 2013 to December 2014. All states demonstrated an increase between 2013 to 2014, with rises of 34 per cent recorded in New South Wales and 30 per cent in Victoria. profilemag.com.au

Images is set in the highly desired and emerging community of Bli Bli. Central to the Sunshine Coastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s employment hubs, beaches, lifestyle options and airport. As an owner you are never far from all the coast has to offer. As an investor you are well positioned to benefit from the high demand rental market and any future growth.

Invest or live n n

New New house house and and land land packages packages

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High High quality quality modern modern fixtures fixtures and and finish finish

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100% 100% inclusions inclusions –– ready ready to to live/rent live/rent

n n

Exclusive Exclusive private private and and secure secure community community

SHort wAlk to SHoppINg

BlI BlI lIfEStylE

CENtrAl to futurE plANNEd INfrAStruCturE

Hotspotting report: Bli Bli

Site plan

By tErry rydEr

Envelope 150m Lot Size 326m2 2

Envelope 150m2 Lot Size 300m2

Vehicle Turn Around

Envelope 150m2 Lot Size 323m2

Envelope 150m2 Lot Size 307m2

Visitor Park

Envelope 150m2 Lot Size 300m2

10 Visitor Park

Envelope 150m2 Lot Size 307m2

Envelope 150m2 Lot Size 321m2

Image Lane

Envelope 150m2 Lot Size 306m2

Envelope 150m2 Lot Size 307m2

1 Envelope 150m2 Lot Size 320m2

Envelope 150m2 Lot Size 300m2

Envelope 150m2 Lot Size 328m2

The outstanding characteristic of the Bli Bli residential property market is its consistency. The market has recorded between 34 and 48 sales every quarter for the past three years – with the exception of a spike of 61 sales in March 2014 Quarter. this is a standout performance because the Sunshine Coast market overall has not always been consistent over the past three years – but Bli Bli certainly has. Hotspotting research shows that suburbs with a high level of consistency are solid long-term performers. they tend to show good price growth over time. Suburbs like Bli Bli attract steady levels of buyers for clear reasons. usually they’re markets that are both well-located and affordable. Bli Bli certainly has those attributes as well as lifestyle qualities. It’s centrally located on the Sunshine Coast, within easy reach of the Maroochy river, beaches and the shops/services of Maroochydore. Most of the current statistics suggest a solid market in Bli Bli. According to domain, homes typically sell in 80 days in Bli Bli, compared to the Sunshine Coast average of 130 days. discounting is low at about 6%. Median prices for Bli Bli are $440,000 for houses and $355,000 for apartments (units are a minor part of this market), which attracts buyers for affordability reasons. Bli Bli has had price spikes (between 5% and 10% annual growth) regularly over the past 10 years, including in 2007, 2010 and 2013.

Visitor Park

domain data suggests the median house price ($440,000, based on 157 house sales) rose 7% in 2014. Vacancies in the Bli Bli postcode are low, around 0.7% according to SQM research, and have been below 2% throughout the past two years.

Bli Bli Road BUS STOP 70 METRES

SCHOOL 1.2K

PARK

500 METRES

the median weekly rent is $420, with typical rental yields around 5.5%. these latter factors, low vacancies and strong rental yields, provide appeal for investors. About 25% of residential properties in Bli Bli are rented. overall, Bli Bli presents an attractive package to investors: well-located, well-connected, affordable, low vacancies, good yields and a good track record.

VErSAtIlE 3 BEdrooM & 4 BEdrooM dESIgNS

SINglE lEVEl ANd douBlE StorEy HoMES

For more information call JACK CHILDS

0418 794 512

STYLE NEW

ST Y L E S E C T IO N

STYLE COUNSEL

Isabella Wight talks fashion trends

76 78

BEAUTY

Beauty finds to take you from dusk ‘til dawn

FASHION

Embrace the look in navy and white

72 STYLE COLUMNIST TAMARA WRIGLEY OF ISTYLETV SHARES HER PERSONAL STYLE TIPS

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STYLE

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

ocal business woman Tamara Wrigley has always had a passion for fashion and performing … and she has found her niche as a presenter with iStyleTV. “Performing and presenting on TV has been a lifelong dream for me. A dancer, performer and netball player since the age of five, I have turned my passion for presenting and acting into my dream role,” she says. Her television presenting talents were acknowledged when she was approached by various fashion designers and labels who had seen her on iStyleTV and asked her represent their brands. As part of her ever-expanding business empire, the mother-of-two also owns a successful real estate agency on the Sunshine Coast. In fact, Tamara was named Corporate Business Woman of the Year in 2014 acknowledging her 15 plus years in business. She has also coached like-minded men and women on how to grow their businesses and is an avid supporter of several local charities. Tamara joins us as our regular style columnist to share her fashion tips and tricks.We caught up with the fashionista recently to discover some of her style secrets. profile: Who was your earliest style influence? tamara: Growing up in the ‘80s, I love Madonna and would definitely mimic her look whenever possible. The lace gloves, bangles, big hair, ruﬄe skirts, mid length tee’s … I loved it! profile: What are the must haves this season? tamara: Fringes and ruﬄes are big this season, along with prints. We are seeing a lot of mixed prints, things that you would never usually see together, like floral and stripes. Our autumn/winter season is going very militant with strong colours like Marsala, mustard yellows, midnight blues and military greens. Another item making a big comeback this season is zippers. profile: What is a clothing item you’ll never part with? tamara: I would have to say my jeans. profile: If you could only wear one designer for the rest of your life, who would it be? tamara: Definitely Oscar De La Renta when doing my red carpet events, and when it comes to everyday wear, it would have to be Wayne Cooper. My wardrobe consists of a lot of his range and I love to support Australian designers. profile: What is your priority when choosing clothes? tamara: For me it has to fit well, be comfortable and look good. There is nothing worse than having to adjust your outfit all day/ night long. profile: Any personal styling tricks? tamara: Find a heel that you love. Wearing a heel, even if it’s a small 72

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one, will elongate your legs and forces you to pull your shoulders back. Your legs always look stunning in a pair of heels, the taller the better. profile: What would you never wear? tamara: Flannelettes ... enough said! profile: How long does it take you to get ready? tamara: When I am on camera I have my make-up artist do my make-up which usually takes around one hour and hair around 30 to 40 minutes. If I am getting ready for a function or meeting it usually takes me 30 minutes. profile: If you were going on an island holiday, what would you pack? tamara: Camera (I love to take photos), aerogard (mozzies love to eat me), a good book (the Confessions of a Shopaholic range are my favourite … go figure!), my iPhone (if it’s not on social media it didn’t happen … just sayin!), comfy clothes and my thongs … yes I have a pair of flats … they are the only pair though. profilemag.com.au

presenter of iStyleTV Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t want you running to the back yard to find your ʻclothes line’ what I am interested in is you dressing to suit your bodyline. There has to be a complementary relationship between your bodyline and your clothes. Your clothing should look like a natural extension of yourself. Work with your own bodyline to emphasise your beauty – today’s women don’t need to change or hide their bodies whenever a new ʻideal figure̓ emerges. We need to embrace what we have and enhance it.

STYLE

RECEIVE A HOT STONE LEG MASSAGE MA MA ASSAG SSA SAG AG GE & BABY BA ABY FOOT FO OOT HOME HOM HO OME OM ME TREATMENT TREAT EA ATM TM MENT T

With a Deluxe Pedicure

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$99

When you work with your bodyline you will find that you will choose clothing that won’t draw attention of too much or too little weight because you will be working with the right lines, fabric, prints and textures for you.

“Today’s women don’t need to change or hide their bodies whenever a new ‘IDEAL FIGURE’ emerges. We need to EMBRACE what we have and ENHANCE it.” Knowing what your bodyline is can clarify so much, it’s the one piece of the puzzle that has been missing that could change everything. The four most common bodylines are: straight, pear, hourglass and round. If you have a straight bodyline, you should look at sharp lines to compliment your body and you should wear little to no texture. Sharp straight lines works best with tightly woven fabrics or fabrics with a sheen. If you are a pear shape, your best fabrics are softer, more loosely woven. For example, wool crepe, jersey and challis give you welcome ease, anything too crisp will make you look heavier than you actually are. Your patterns should be soft. Choose floral, curved abstracts or paisley fabrics. Hourglass – a man’s ultimate fantasy figure. The hourglass bodyline must be careful with both the design of the clothing they choose and with the fabric. The cuts need to be soft and gathered. Synching in at the waistline is a must as usually your waist is smaller than your hips, if you don’t you will look larger that you actually are. Try to incorporate soft abstracts, polka dots and floral into your wardrobe, these patterns are far more flattering over your curves than stripes and plaids. If you have a round bodyline then textures do not work well. Textures will make your curves look bulky and bumpy instead of smooth and sleek. If you like your prints then stick to floral, watercolours, rounded or swirl patterns. A key point to remember: Don’t try and change your shape, embrace it and enhance it! april 2015

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BEAUTY

The skin is your body’s LARGEST ORGAN and a major elimination tool ridding your body from fast-ageing free radicals and toxins.

BEAUTY I often detox with diet, but how can I direcly detox my skin? TOP SKIN DETOX TIPS

The skin is your body’s largest organ and a major elimination tool ridding your body from fast-ageing free radicals and toxins we ingest through air, water and food. Synthetic and chemical additives in beauty products, foods and water are clogging up our bodies and creating a toxic overload that accelerates ageing. Dry body brush: Removes dead skin cells clogging up your pores and interfering with toxin elimination. Stroke the dry brush in an upward movement toward the major lymph nodes such as the groin, armpits and base of your neck.

Use organic natural skin care: A great portion of what you put on your skin is absorbed into your bloodstream. Make sure it is the good stuff! Detox your water: Avoid chemicals and bacteria found in town water. These age your cells faster than you think because of toxic overload. Even tank water is, in most cases, acidic and full of toxic free radicals that age your cells. Put lemon into your water: This is a natural blood purifier and detoxifier that will rid the body of toxins and ﬂush out bacteria. Have cooler showers: This will ‘seal’ your pores which will help to prevent the absorption of chemicals into your blood stream. Invest: Invest in a high quality shower filtration system and a high quality ionizing filter system for drinking. ADVANCED BEAUTY & WELLBEING Phone: 0435 177 263 www.advancedbeautyandwellbeing. gettimely.com

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Now that summer is over, how do I give my skin a good clean? FRESH AND CLEAN SKIN WITH GRACE KOVAC

Long Indian summers may be great for our souls, enjoying the outdoors, fresh air and the ocean but it wreaks havoc on your skin. Hours of intense UVA and UVB rays, salt and lashings of sunblock means one thing – sun damage and blocked pores! Invest in your skin.

The best way to keep your pores clean and blackhead free is invest in a high quality cleanser that removes make-up, grime and sunblock efficiently, one that won’t strip or dry your skin out or one that leaves a film or residue on your skin. PROFESSIONAL BEAUTY CLINIC Phone: 5447 1172 www.professionalbeautyclinic.com.au

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Isabella Wight was always the kid who SAVED HER POCKET MONEY to buy a new dress or pair of shoes.

FASHION

WORDS NICOLE FUGE PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

profile: Who was your earliest influence when it comes to fashion? isabella: I suppose my fashion influences have been forever accumulating – it’s hard to pinpoint my earliest. But if I had to, I’d say my great-grandmother. She was Texan, passionate and particular when it came to style. She taught me what a good-quality garment was and how to dress like a lady; I still have her red lace dress in my wardrobe today. profile: How would you describe your own fashion style? isabella: My style, much like myself, is forever-changing. I guess I’d describe it as youthful, fresh and eclectic. I think it’s important to never take yourself too seriously when it comes to fashion. profile: How long does it take you to get ready before going out? isabella: It really depends, it can be as quick as pulling on shorts and a tee or, if I’m going out – it can be a process. I have an incredible talent for procrastination. profile: What is the current fashion trend you’re loving? isabella: Right now I’m all about a “sports luxe” look. Very sleek and minimalistic with athletic touches. I’m wearing a lot of faux leather, Nikes, neoprene and washed-out denim. profile: What is the must-have fashion item we should all have? isabella: Personally, I’d find it diﬃcult to get dressed without a good pair of ankle boots. They go with everything, pull outfits together and can both elevate or tone down even the trickiest pieces. profile: What do you always have in your handbag? isabella: Everything. It’s like a black hole in there. But the essentials would be: phone, wallet, lipstick, earphones, face powder, sunglasses and gum. And then I add 30 miscellaneous receipts and 17 muesli bar wrappers for good measure. ISABELLA WIGHT

sabella Wight was only 12 when she launched her blog Views of Now which started as more of an online diary of her life as a Year six student. A year later she was reading Teen Vogue in the LAX airport when she came across an article on teenage blogger Tavi Gevinson. It was then Isabella realised there was so much more she could achieve with her blog and started focusing on her love of fashion. What started as a hobby has since spiralled into a successful venture for this now 18-year-old from the Sunshine Coast, who has 14,000 loyal fans on Instagram. Isabella’s sharp eye and tongue led to collaborations with Dolly and Teen Vogue and a fortnightly column for blog Shelly’s London for which she was paid in shoes!

april 2015

profile: What do you predict will be the next fashion trend? isabella: With New York Fashion Week having just passed, I’d say one of the biggest trends I see coming is anything inspired by the ‘70s. Think fringe, earthy tones like rust and burgundy, suede, paisley, big hats and sheer blouses. I’m excited to see how it translates onto the streets! profile: What fashion tips did you pick up on your recent trip to America? isabella: Both San Fran and LA were real eye-openers when it came to style. There’s a certain brand of Cali-cool you just can’t get here. I suppose the biggest thing would be to not be afraid of individuality – here, people tend to follow the crowd when it comes to style, in California, what you wear is a direct reflection of you. Nobody was afraid to be diﬀerent, stand out, feel unique – and that’s the way fashion should always be!

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FASHION

modern marilyn MAHALIA BROWN ‘MODERN MARILYN DRESS’, RRP $259, SHOP FROM WWW.MAHALIABROWN.COM

tick tock DAPPERTIME’S ‘BLUE NILE’ WATCH RRP $60, AVAILABLE FROM WWW.DAPPERTIME.COM

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white out MAHALIA BROWN ‘PLEATED PLAYSUIT’, RRP $189.90, SHOP FROM WWW.MAHALIABROWN.COM

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LIFE 80 82

april 2015

GOODLIFE

Easy grub for a healthy bub

HEALTH

Advice from our health experts

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GOODLIFE

“Research shows that a GOOD EATING PATTERN between the ages of one and three usually results in GOOD LIFELONG eating habits.”

EASY GRUB for healthy

BUB! WORDS NICOLE FUGE PHOTOS CHESTERTON SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY

assandra Fenaughty spends just 90 minutes preparing two week’s worth of healthy snacks for her two-yearold daughter Lucinda and now she’s showing other mums how easy it can be to create their own healthy menu. Cassandra started Easy Grub Healthy Bub a year ago after playing around with recipes and testing their tastiness on her daughter when she started eating solids. Cassandra says sending your bub down the right eating path starts with baby steps. profile: Tell us about your starter recipe book and workshops? cassandra: It’s about making healthy eating easy. The recipes use everyday ingredients that are aﬀordable and are available at any grocery store. Most of the snacks and meals are quick to prepare and can be made in bulk and frozen. The workshops usually demonstrate how to cook two week’s worth of snacks in 90 minutes. profile: What is your approach to food when it comes to kids? cassandra: Make meal times an enjoyable family time. When my daughter started solids in her bouncer I used to sit cross-legged in front of her and eat my food at the same time. Now she is old enough for a high chair and we sit around the dining table together. I try to feed her the same meals as we have, so if she chooses to eat oﬀ our plates, or wants to share her food it’s all the same. Sometimes this means our food is blander than we are used to with no salt or added fats, but this is healthier for the whole family. profile: Why did you decide to feed your daughter only healthy food? cassandra: It is my responsibility to give her the best possible start in life. A well-balanced diet will provide all the nutrients a little body needs to develop physically and cognitively. Research shows that a good eating pattern between the ages of one and three usually results in good lifelong eating habits.

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GOODLIFE

profile: How important is it to start your child’s life on the right path when it comes to eating well? cassandra: Starting early so a healthy lifestyle is all they know is really important. So many mums tell me how hard it is to reverse their toddler’s bad eating habits further down the track. profile: What tips or tricks would you give other mums wanting to start a healthy life for their children? cassandra: Pardon the pun but start with baby steps. Don’t set yourself unrealistic expectations but do set yourself some short and long term goals. Perhaps start with one non-processed food day per week, and eventually aim for one treat day per week. Write these in a calendar and stick to them. profile: What are some of the quickest and easiest snacks to prepare for your kids? cassandra: A really healthy sandwich or yoghurt are great no-cook snacks. Leftover steamed pumpkin or sweet potato can be spread on a sandwich with cream cheese and tomato, or mashed into some yoghurt with a few frozen raspberries. profile: What advice do you have for mums who have fussy eaters? cassandra: Most mums say that dinner is the hardest meal time. I usually recommend to try to feed these children vegetables during the day so at night if they refuse the evening meal they can be oﬀered something like yoghurt or cheese on toast. Never force food upon a little one and really try not to make eating an issue. Experts say each food needs to be tried at least 30 times before a child doesn’t like it. If your children are old enough, get them involved in the growing, preparation and cooking of food. It’s also easy to hide vegetables in foods like cakes, slices, meatballs and pasta sauces, but it’s preferable for children to enjoy eating vegetables on their own.

april 2015

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KISS OF APPROVAL

with Dr Simone Ricketts

Unfortunately a large percentage of Australians aren't even aware of their offensive bad breath. It is an issue that even best friends find delicate to discuss. Mouth rinses or chewing gum or mints only mask the problem for a brief time, however do not address the underlying causes of bad breath, or halitosis as it is officially known. 95 per cent of bad breath originates from the millions of bacteria living in your mouth partying on food particles stuck between your teeth and around gums. It is these naturally occurring bacteria that produce smelly gases if they are given the right conditions, to convert your mouth into a type of compost bin. Bad breath can also be due to reﬂux, gum disease, chronic sinus problems, or hormonal ﬂuctuations leading to changes in saliva and subsequent increase in bacteria in the mouth. Women are more likely to have bad breath just before a period when other symptoms such as abdominal bloating are present.

“95 per cent of bad breath originates from the millions of bacteria living in your mouth.” One idea to test your breath, other than asking your nearest and dearest, is to lick the back of your hand, wait 20 seconds then smell it. This will give you some indication of what your breath smells like to other people. Bad breath is embarrassing but it can be overcome. Firstly have your teeth professionally cleaned and polished with your dental hygienist. Other good hints to combat smelly breath include making a habit of daily ﬂossing, brushing teeth, brushing your tongue, quitting smoking, chewing sugar free gum, limiting intake of coffee and alcohol, sorting out any decayed, broken or abscessed teeth, and drinking lots of water. Ban bad breath and give your mouth the kiss of approval in 2015. SMILE BY DESIGN MAROOCHYDORE 5443 2888 www.smilebydesign.net.au 82

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RETHINK YOUR INK

with Melissa Drury owner of Skinial, Sunshine Coast

One-in-seven Australians have a tattoo, according to the national health and medical research council, and most people contemplating a tattoo weigh up the social and artistic aspects but not the potential health concerns. Questions or concerns raised prior to getting an inking are usually regarding the cleanliness and hygiene of a studio or clinic – not what’s in the ink? In Australia, current regulation of ink is a “black hole” as they are not classified as cosmetic and there are no regulations stating what chemical substances can be used. Heavy metals like nickel, lead, copper, arsenic and mercury are often present particularly in coloured inks. Red tends to cause the most problems or allergic reactions. In September 2013 Australian Cancer Council called for more research into tattoo inks after a European study found carcinogenic substances in 13 out of the 21 commonly used inks. You may ask what’s the problem, people have been inking their bodies for hundreds of years? But dyes were once made from the natural environment, today many inks are a conglomerate of nanotechnology and toxic mix of salts, dyes and plastics suspended in carrier solutions like alcohol or formaldehyde. Nanotechnology is making substances or particles smaller than they would occur naturally. As an adverse consequence, ink particles can pass through the skin, pores and into the lymph system easily. This may be compounded by UV exposure or laser tattoo removal as the heat blasts the ink into even smaller particles and potentially causes the release of aromatic amines, a chemical linked with some cancers. What does this mean?

Scientists are unsure of these potential health implications and more research needs to be done, but ink has been isolated in lymph glands, kidney, liver and spleen. So if you are thinking of an inking do your research. You would check labelling on food, so it’s just as important to ask what is in the ink and list of ingredients. And if you want to remove your tattoo, look for a healthier option – non laser tattoo removal method SKINIAL uses a naturally-occurring colour remover and the body’s healing process to remove ALL ink colours from the skin. SKINIAL COZmedics, Ground Floor, 49 The Esplanade, Maroochydore p. 0400 400 982 e. scsouth@skinial.com www.skinial.com april 2015

NON LASER TATTOO REMOVAL

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LIFE

NOW OPEN until 8pm Tuesday.

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HOW I LEARNED TO MEDITATE

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CRAIG LEVITT

It may have taken the Buddhist practise of meditation almost 2500 years to find its way into widespread acceptance in western society, but there is now scientifically-proven results from this ancient practice.

or many years I wanted to practise meditation, but each time I tried to meditate I couldn’t do it. Perhaps, like you, I thought it was almost impossible to calm my busy mind. Then, a friend had an idea to introduce Mindfulness into the corporate world and asked me to help create a program. So with ‘a purpose’ in mind, I enrolled in an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program to learn the art of Mindfulness meditation. I was exposed to western scientific and psychological research demonstrating the physical and mental benefits of meditation. In the field of neuroscience and with the use of MRI for brain research at respected institutions such as the Harvard Medical School, researchers found that a part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex (associated with directing attention) was thicker in meditators than non-meditators. Therefore through the practise of meditation, this part of the brain can be strengthened, which increases one’s ability to concentrate, connect, learn and make decisions. Even armed with this evidence, the question still remained – how can I do it? Rather than sitting at home trying to practise meditation by myself, I found that a mindfulness class assisted me. It became a shared experience and that was the diﬀerence. So if meditation is something you have considered, or even tried before, but still remains an elusive goal for you, find a meditation class and practise with others who are experiencing the same challenges as you. I’m sure you will find the same level of peace and calmness that I, and many others now enjoy.

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ANZAC

april 2015

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ANZ AC

HELENE CRONIN

PICTURING OUR HEROS WORDS CARLY REES PHOTOS CHESTERTON SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY

Each year we reflect upon memorials lined with hundreds of names of people who served our country. Have you ever wondered who these names belonged to? History buff Helene Cronin did more than wonder, she made it her mission to put their stories on paper.

“P

lease would you mind trying to help me find my son,” wrote Violet Foote, an ancestor of Buderim, to the Red Cross Headquarters in London in early 1917. These words will be forever with Helene Cronin, a Buderim local and now published writer with a passion for researching military history. With sad eyes and a deep connection to the man Violet longed for, Helene tells the story of the well-known Foote family who lost their son Eric in World War I while serving in France. Helene says the 24-year-old enlisted on 27 July, 1915 and served with the 9th Infantry Battalion only to die in battle the following year. He is but one of 73 men from Buderim she researched for her book, Buderim’s Great War Eﬀort 1914-1918 to be launched this month. “It has been a nice journey, it is like 73 stories, every man has his own little story,” says Helene. “I just didn’t do the military side, I tried to work out what he was doing before the war, 80 per cent of them were pioneers here in Buderim, so they had a great story in their own right. So I tried to not only capture the men but their whole life.”

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This journey began for Helene five years ago when she spotted the names of diggers on the war memorial for Buderim and questioned who they were. No one could give a history for many of them and being a military lover she set out to solve the mystery. What started out as a little project for the local community grew into a well-researched book about the men and the contribution the region made in the World War I eﬀort. This lead to being involved in the Adopt a Digger project which creates a lasting legacy for future Sunshine Coast generations by telling the stories of World War I diggers and nurses. Helene adopted the men of Buderim and slowly took on more diggers for the project. “I have never missed a dawn service in all my life, it has always been with me,” says Helene. “My love of that (military history) has wanted me to find out who these men were. To see an honour board hanging in the hall, with just names on and then no one knowing anything about them, I felt a bit sad.” It was in an instant of meeting Helene you could see her passion for all things Buderim and it didn’t take long to find out she was constantly supporting the region. From being a joint proprietor of

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ANZ AC

Buderim’s specialist Timber Floor Installation to being the head of The Buderim-Palmwoods Heritage Tramway Committee. She divides her time supporting local projects, researching diggers and keeping the history of the tramway and restored Krauss locomotive alive as well as being a wife and mother. It wasn’t much of a task for Helene, but was rather a passion for her to become involved in the stories of the war. Born in 1953 in Port

“It has been a nice journey, it is like 73 STORIES, every man has his own little story.” Moresby, Papua New Guinea where her grandfather was sent after World War I, she grew up just near the war fields where her father, Harold Foley served. “My father looked after the Bomana War Cemetery when we were children, so we played in the cemetery growing up,” says Helene. “I think my love of the actual military came from that very childhood playing. We just lived over the hill, so our house sort of looked down on the cemetery, this beautiful big cross of sacrifice and all the graves. Some people say your childhood memories are strong.” A shrine to her family involved in the war efforts takes precedence in Helene’s Buderim home. Her office is full of “her digger’s” tales and another book is on the horizon focusing on her father’s war effort in Papua New Guinea. Helene’s husband jokes he believes she is falling in love with her diggers as she gushes over their photos and names on a honour board become real. “Anzac Day commemorates all of those men who sacrificed,” says Helene. “I think Anzac means sacrifice. They sacrificed everything – their families, their young lives. “I think it is just a thank you from all of us to say we appreciate what you did for us.” Buderim’s Great War Effort 1914-1918 will be launched on the opening night of the Adopt a Digger exhibition on 23 April, which will run until 27 April. Helene will be at the Buderim Dawn Service this Anzac Day saying thank you to men she now feels are like her friends.

april 2015

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ANZ AC

LEST WE FORGET O

n Saturday, 25 April 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Anzac Day, we commemorate the anniversary of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landing on Gallipoli in 1915. It is the day we remember Australians who served and died, not only in World War I, but all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. The spirit of Anzac â&#x20AC;&#x201C; courage, mateship, and sacrifice, continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity. Across the Sunshine Coast, there are dawn services, marches, main services and main marches being held to mark this centennial anniversary.

CALOUNDRA

Dawn service: 5.20am, Kings Beach Lions Park, Caloundra Main march: 9.30am from Stockland Caloundra Shopping Centre, Oval Avenue Caloundra to Caloundra RSL car park, Third Avenue, Caloundra

COOLUM BEACH

Dawn march: 5.20am from Seacove Lane, Coolum to Coolum RSL Sub Branch, 1906 David Low Way, Coolum Beach Dawn service: 5.20am at Coolum RSL Sub Branch, 1906 David Low Way, Coolum Beach

KAWANA

Dawn service: 5.25am at War Memorial, SE Corner Coopers Lookout car park, Buddina Main march: 10.40am from the intersection of Pacific Boulevard and Weema Street, Buddina to the War Memorial, SE Corner Coopers Lookout car park, Buddina Main service: 10.55am at the War Memorial, SE Corner Coopers Lookout car park, Buddina

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MALENY

Dawn service: 4.28am at Maleny RSL Sub Branch, 1 Bunya Street, Maleny Main march: 10.30am from Maple Street, Maleny to Maleny RSL Sub Branch, 1 Bunya Street, Maleny Main service: 10.45am at the Maleny RSL Sub Branch, 1 Bunya Street, Maleny

MAPLETON

Main march: 8.30am from Wilga Crescent, Mapleton to the RSL Memorial, 8 Flaxton Drive, Mapleton Main service: 9am at the RSL Memorial, 8 Flaxton Drive, Mapleton

MAROOCHYDORE

Dawn service: 4.28am at Cotton Tree Cenotaph, The Esplanade, Cotton Tree Main march: 8.30am from Maroochy RSL, 106 Memorial Avenue, Maroochydore to Cotton Tree Cenotaph, The Esplanade, Cotton Tree Main service: 9am at Cotton Tree Cenotaph, The Esplanade, Cotton Tree

MONTVILLE

Dawn service: 5.30am at Montville Village Hall, Montville

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NAMBOUR

Dawn service: 5.28am at Quota Memorial Park, Matthew Street, Nambour Main march: 8.30am from Ann Street intersection with Howard Street, Nambour to Quota Memorial Park, Matthew Street, Nambour Main service: 9am at Quota Memorial Park, Matthew Street, Nambour

TEWANTIN/NOOSA

Dawn march: 5am from Noosa Surf Club car park, Hastings Street, Noosa Heads to Noosa Surf Club Forecourt Hastings Street, Noosa Heads Dawn service: 5.15am at Noosa Surf Club Hastings Street, Noosa Heads Main march: 9am from Sidoni Street, Tewantin to Town Square Corner of

april 2015

Poinciana and Memorial Avenues, Tewantin Main service: 9.15am at Town Square Corner of Poinciana and Memorial Avenues, Tewantin

WOODFORD

Dawn march: 4.50am from Woodford Memorial Community Hall, Archer Street, Woodford to Woodford Memorial Park, 123 Archer Street, Woodford Dawn service: 5am at Woodford Memorial Park, 123 Archer Street, Woodford Main march: 10.15am from Corner George Street and Archer Street, Woodford to Woodford Memorial Park, 123 Archer Street, Woodford Main service: 10.30am at Woodford Memorial Park, 123 Archer Street, Woodford

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

ANZ AC

MUDJIMBA

Dawn service: 5.30am at Power Memorial Park, Mudjimba Esplanade, Mudjimba Main march: 10.45am from the corner of Coolibah Street and Mudjimba Beach Road, Mudjimba to Power Memorial Park, Mudjimba Esplanade, Mudjimba Main service: 11am at Power Memorial Park, Mudjimba Esplanade, Mudjimba

Excerpt from For the fallen by Laurence Binyon (1869â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1943)

YANDINA

Dawn service: 6am at Verrierdale Hall, Verrierdale Road, Verrierdale Main march: 10.45am from corner Farrell and Stevens Streets, Yandina to Yandina Cenotaph, Stevens Street, Yandina Main service: 11am at Yandina Cenotaph, Stevens Street, Yandina

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ANZ AC

CHARLES SHEWRING

OF THEIR HORSES A documentary to be released on Anzac Day will reveal the untold story of the Sunshine Coast’s original light horsemen and their intimate relationship with their horses during World War I. The film also sheds light on the Coast’s equine community today, and its continued support for its residents. WORDS PENNY SHIPWAY PHOTOS REBECCA SMITH

hen ex-tropical cyclone Marcia inundated the Sunshine Coast in February, leaving horses stranded in floodwaters at Riding for the Disabled at Burpengary, the horse community pulled together. After a media call out, horse people and their floats arrived within minutes to help the horses out of flood waters and take them to higher ground. It is stories like this which show the true spirit of the Coast’s equestrian community, which has a history dating back to the original Anzacs and beyond. This history has been documented in a DVD to be released on Anzac Day, revealing the Coast’s connection to the first light horsemen, and the intimate relationship between the men and their horses, which are an integral part of World War I and the Anzac story. Community advocate Charles Shewring – who has a heart which 90

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could rival Phar Lap’s – says the rescue of the horses from recent floodwaters is living proof that our horse community is still alive and well today, and says many people aren’t aware of the Coast’s deep equine past. “It’s quite a phenomenon how much activity we have,” he says. “A significant number of light horseman and their horses came from this region, especially the Hinterland areas, and we have interviewed people recounting their family history and their connections with the Anzacs.” Charles is the CEO of NISER, the National Institute for SocioEconomic and Environmental Research at Pomona, which is a not-for-profit charitable organisation that was responsible for the revegetation and stabilisation of the coast’s sand dunes, to the tune of $500,000 in government funding. It has also helped raise funds for a Tanzania orphanage and a women’s creative empowerment group, to name a few. profilemag.com.au

ANZ AC His incredible organisation secured almost $30,000 in state and federal government funding for the DVD, which followed extensive developmental, planning and grant work with local equestrian groups and associations. Charles campaigned for the DVD, titled The Greater Sunshine Coast Anzac Equestrian History Project, to be produced after dealing with many of the Coast’s equestrian groups over the years, and fundraising for them; and because he felt the Coast and the Anzacs had an untold story. “We have also filmed interviews and footage of local equestrian and re-enactment troops from the 5th Light Horse Gympie and Maleny troops. Many people don’t know that the original Anzacs were all light horseman. The movies and stories on Anzacs don’t often show any horses.” Charles explains that the light horsemen were not cavalry (they left their horses in Egypt and went across to Gallipoli), and did not normally do battle on their horses. “They ride to battle and then fight, and they operate in troops of four. So, four ride to the battle, and one looks after the horses, while three go and shoot.” He says the documentary highlights how the light horsemen served with distinction, using their horses in battle; including in Gaza, opening up the way for the allied troops to Jerusalem, and at the famous Battle of Beersheba. “How crazy do you have to be to charge artillery and entrenched troops, who were dug into trenches?” Charles says of the famous battle, “And so as you charge you can’t really shoot, so you’re really cannon fodder. (The Australians) were on the front line and it’s bordering on suicidal. “They were expecting the Aussie men to get oﬀ their horses, but they couldn’t adjust their guns quick enough so the shells started to go

over the top of them. The Turkish infantry had their sites set long and didn’t have the time to adjust them, so the Aussies got to continue their charge, and left the trenches and got amongst them. There were about 800 (Australian) men who charged, and we lost about 31. They had captured this significant area.” Charles’s eyes well with tears as he shares with me the special work the equestrian re-enactment troops do today, visiting palliative care units to bring peace and comfort to terminally-ill patients. While Charles doesn’t have any Anzac ancestry, and “doesn’t think much of war”, he is simply moved by people who give themselves selflessly such as these community organisations. And he is fascinated by their love aﬀair with their horses. “There’s something about caring for an animal, besides yourself, that has an impact socially,” Charles says, “There’s some kind of bond. Now we call it mateship, but it stems from things like the bond they had with their horses, and the bond they had with their units. It wasn’t just about them.”

“There’s something about caring for an animal, besides yourself, that has an impact socially

april 2015

The launch of the 20-minute DVD, which was a 12-month project, will be at Cooroy RSL Community Hall on 22 April from 5:30pm. Sunshine Coast Schools will receive a free copy for educational purposes, courtesy of NISER, and the video can also be viewed on YouTube. For a $10 copy and for more information visit www.niser.org.au

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ANZ AC

As the final note of the Last Post dances in the air, thoughts are spared for the Anzacs – the brave young men who fought for their lives and ours in World War I. The 100th anniversary of the Anzac’s landing at Gallipoli is upon us this month. Nicole Fuge chats with two army personnel, from two generations and discovers what Anzac Day means to them. WORDS NICOLE FUGE PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED AND REBECCA SMITH

Mark Rudledge

“E

very time ANZAC day comes around I wonder what it must have felt like back at Gallipoli, to fight for my country’s freedom, alongside a powerful ally that loves their country and people, taking a bullet for my mate.” Mark Rudledge knew he was destined for something big and signed up to join the Australian Defence Force. Born and bred in Noosa, the now 31-year-old works in logistics, travelling to wherever he is needed to support his men. “I can work in every possible location within the ADF within the logistic stream,” he says. “This allows myself to supply and support my fellow soldiers, in whatever job, wherever they need, while still keeping fit and ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.” Mark has been deployed twice, working alongside the New Zealand servicemen to maintain peace and stability in East Timor, and in an international campaign against terrorism. “My experience in Timor was incredible because I was focused on three main roles – fitness, supply and support, and in my spare time I would go out and help the locals,” he says. “This was my first time working with Kiwis, my first multinational experience. I appreciated the privilege so much because of our common love for our country and her interests.” Anzac Day is a poignant occasion for Mark, who says since joining the Army he has yearned to attend an Anzac Day memorial in Cotton Tree. This year he will be among the serving members at a Darwin Memorial. “Lest we forget.”

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MARK RUDLEDGE

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Maurice Buck few days into the Siege of Tobruk, Maurice Buck unfolds a piece of parchment scrawled with an order from the General – ‘There will be no surrender.’ It’s 1941, the second year of World War II, and the Commonwealth has clocked up some wins against the Italians in Libya, with Australian troops leading the advance. But a rapid German oﬀensive quickly reversed these early victories and all that stopped the Germans’ march on Egypt was the defiant garrison at Tobruk. For eight long months, the men of the Tobruk garrison, mostly Australians, withstood tank attacks, artillery barrages and daily bombings. Living in dug-outs, caves and crevasses, they endured the desert’s searing hot days, unforgiving cold nights and ravaging dust storms. The defenders of Tobruk did not surrender, they did not retreat. Their determination, bravery, and humour, combined with aggressive tactics, became a source of inspiration during some of the war’s darkest days. They became know as the Rats of Tobruk. Maurice was 20 years old when he joined the Militia on 18 January, 1940 and went on to serve with the Australian Imperial Force from 3 July, 1940. By this time he was 21 and signed up as a Lance Corporal mechanic. He boarded the Queen Mary at Sydney, bound for Trincomalee in Sri Lanka and continued travelling until they reached Tobruk in North Africa.

ANZ AC

MAURICE BUCK IN UNIFORM

MAURICE BUCK AT HIS HOME

“We were SAFE IN AIR RAIDS because they weren’t going to BOMB their own men.”

april 2015

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ANZ AC

MAURICE’S MEDALS

“We were to run ammunition from the rail head in Mersa Matruh, Egypt,” says Maurice. “Then we were in Libya to run to the front line, just south of Benghazi. But when we got there, they said the Germans are pushing us back.” Maurice was sent to the prisoner of war camp in Tobruk to be in charge of the machine guns. There were 700 Italian and 76 German prisoners in the camp. “We were safe in air raids because they weren’t going to bomb their own men,” he says. “But suddenly the war got closer we could hear the German planes start to come in.” The prisoners were cleared out of Tobruk and the soldiers sent out into the front line. This was Maurice’s first bitter taste of war and he settled into the trenches, seeking refuge under a camouflage tarp at night. “In the morning the sky was full of planes. The oﬃcial count was 360 plus,” he says. “They were everywhere, I thought to hell with this I’m going to get my rifle I can hit one of these. “When I went in to get my rifle, a bomb fell down. I thought I was dead … I couldn’t hear and I’d been covered with dust and pebbles.” Maurice was wounded, he had shrapnel peppered across his shoulder blade and more lodged in his lower back. He was sent to the Regimental Aid Post to have the shrapnel in his shoulder removed, but the pieces in his back were so deep they could not be removed and are still there to this day – a souvenir of his service. For a long time Maurice, now aged 95 and living in Wurtulla, has stifled his memories of war, seldom talking about his experience and even to this day, it brings tears to his eyes. He served for 1981 days, including active service in Australia for 598 days and 1207 days outside Australia. In November 1945, he was discharged holding the ranking of Sergeant. When asked what Anzac Day means to him, Maurice looks me in the eye and says that’s one of the hardest questions to answer and his mind wanders back to his time in Tobruk.

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THE FRONT LINE IN TOBRUK

“We didn’t beat them (Germans), we stopped them. We tied up five divisions and I say we, there were other countries involved, but not to the extent of Australia,” says Maurice. “Australian troops bore the brunt of the heavy artillery because we were in the area that could see everything. “I had a statement I had to read to the men, it was orders from the General, it said, “There will be no surrender”. And I thought what are you going to do? If I can make the sea, I can swim. “I decided to stay and be one of the, not heroes – but one of the men who held up the Germans.”

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FUTURE

Raw furniture made with character

INTERIORS

Julianne Watson talks interior design

STYLE 101 Transform your home with industrial style

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april 2015

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FUTURE

CHRIS RAWLINS, KATIE BISHOP AND CAM DARLING

raw appeal

WORDS NICOLE FUGE PHOTOS REBECCA SMITH

When it came to furnishing their home, Chris Rawlins and Katie Bishop discovered a knack for salvaging unique pieces of timber from idle homes and buildings and breathing new life into each knot and grain by turning them into treasured bespoke furniture.

atie Bishop ushers me to sit down on the “comfy seat”, a spacious wooden bench dressed in a rainbow of pretty pastels. “What you’re sitting on now is the old internal walls of Queenslanders, so all those layers of paint may have been from a bedroom or a living room,” explains Katie, prompting me to glance down at the panels, studying each flake of paint, every dent and groove, wondering what memories lay within. That’s exactly the thought-provoking furniture Katie and her partner Chris Rawlins set out to create over a year ago. “When we moved in together we were looking for furniture and nothing was meeting what we needed. Chris started making me some furniture for the house and it was really special,” remembers Katie. “He used recycled timber to make me some bench seats and a beautiful coﬀee table/treasure chest and they’re still in our house and take pride of place.” Katie and Chris shared pictures of their furnishings with friends through social media and the orders started steamrolling in, to the point

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they opened their own workshop and store Raw in Maroochydore to keep up with demand. Chris hails from a background in house renovations and draws on the skills he’s picked up along the way. For the more labour-intensive stuff, they call on their full-time artistic cabinet maker Cam Darling. As for the inspiration and designs for the pieces, that’s Katie’s forte. “We mainly make stuff that would fit into our home, we’ve got four children so we make things from toddler age to teenage and for us,” she says. “The intention is to make stuff for home, but it never makes it home.” When Chris isn’t in the workshop, he’s out sourcing timber from anywhere and everywhere, always looking for that unique piece to set off a design. Sometimes he will find a piece of timber that suits an exact piece of furniture, or quite often the timber will speak for itself. “It’s the history behind the timber and the character, often a piece of furniture can come out of that,” Katie says. profilemag.com.au

FUTURE CAM DARLING

“Nowadays furniture is made from plantation timber,” explains Chris. “So the older timber they used to build with, especially when they built the houses in the 1800s and 1900s, that timber is fully seasoned, it’s beautiful wood, it’s got character, we try and use that in everything we make. “We at least have a recycled component in everything we make. We can and do make furniture out of new timber but that’s only if a client wants it. Our ideas are with recycled wood, trying to use that old wood and find a new way to make something out of it.” Due to the care put into sourcing the wood, their pieces of furniture have become a talking point in people’s homes. Chris points to a heavy bench-seated dining table behind me, the wood came from All Hallows School in Brisbane which was built in the late 1800s, another table in the corner of the showroom was made using materials from the old showbag pavilion at the RNA Showgrounds. Last year Chris travelled to Cracow to salvage timber from one of the old underground gold mines, he got his hands on some of the beams that used to hold up the tunnels. He also recently salvaged timber from the late 1800s which was from an old Tewantin home – it was fashioned into a handsome

SIENNA BISHOP

“It’s the HISTORY behind the timber and the CHARACTER, often a piece of furniture can come out of that.”

timber bench, which he is secretly hoping won’t sell so he can squirrel it back home. “But the majority is from 100-year-old Queensland homes that we use, so we’ve got floorboards – the table over here is from an old house in Mooloolaba, everything has got history,” says Katie, pointing to another eclectic piece in the shop. Around 95 per cent of their work are custom orders, creating bespoke items to suit certain spaces in people’s homes. “Most of the pieces we make are individual pieces, so people have a space in their home they just can’t find anything for, or know specifically what they’re after and want that designer piece that has some meaning to it and history behind it,” says Chris. “A lot of our clients come to us with an idea and Katie develops that into a design and then Cam and I sit down and work out how to make her ideas a reality.” “I think people are really aware of recycling and upcycling now and making those conscious decisions and just wanting something in their home that means a little bit more,” adds Katie. But the piece that means the most is that treasured chest in their lounge room, which Katie secretly whispers has a personal inscription from Chris underneath – it doesn’t get much more raw than that.

“I think people are really aware of RECYCLING and UPCYCLING now and …wanting something in their home that MEANS a little bit more.”

april 2015

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INTERIORS

create play

PHOTOS (THIS PAGE) REBECCA SMITH

JULIANNE WATSON

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INTERIORS

“My design style is definitely FRENCH inspired, and I love the saying “LESS IS MORE”.

PHOTOS (THIS PAGE) CONTRIBUTED BY VINTAGE VILLAGE LIFE

ulianne Watson loves to paint furniture and collects lots of vintage, antique and special pieces. For as long as she can remember, she has been in love with pastel colours, Rachel Ashwell's interior design philosophy, and vintage and antique treasures. Vintage Village Life is her creative playground where she brings it all together – the painted furniture, beautiful French accents, old treasures and gorgeous linens. Profile caught up with Julianne and asked her to delve into her love of interiors, where she finds her inspiration and what are some of the trends for the coming season. profile: When did you become interested in interiors? julianne: I have always been interested in interiors since I was a young girl. It is definitely a passion of mine. My Mum redecorated my bedroom as a surprise when I was away on holidays for a week when I was 11, and to me it was really lovely to come home to a completely new space. Luckily for her, I loved what she had done! profile: What sparked your interest in interior design/furnishings? julianne: I really became hooked when I found a designer called Rachel Ashwell. She is the person who coined the phrase ‘shabby chic’ and has been around for 25 years. Another person who has recently inspired me is Annie Sloan, who created her Chalk Paint line 25 years ago, although it has only been available in Australia for two years – 1990 must have been a great year! profile: What do you love most about restoring furniture? julianne: I love recycling old furniture, because you can take something that is tired and out of date and give it a completely new lease of life. Old furniture also has great lines, and is a lot more solid and made of better materials than what you would find in some of the new furniture. You can pick up an old tired piece for a fraction of the price you would get a new trendy piece of furniture, sometimes they’re free, and with a couple of hours work, you can transform it. profile: How would you describe your design style? julianne: My design style is definitely French inspired, and I love the april 2015

saying “less is more”. Personally, I love French elegance, and vintage floral looks ... but at the shop we get a lot more adventurous, and we tend to paint more to match the individual piece. profile: Who inspires you? julianne: Annie Sloan, who is one of the world’s most respected experts in the field of decorative painting, really inspires me. She now has over 1200 stockists of her Chalk Paint all over the world. Her new book Room Recipes for Style and Colour is fabulous and has at least nine diﬀerent styles of decorating. She teaches you to really get your style perfected and also gives tips on paint techniques for these styles. profile: What is on-trend this season? julianne: According to Better Homes & Gardens the colour this year is Burgundy ... and this has also been seconded by Pantone who create the colour of the year – they call it Masala and it is a mix of our Burgundy, Primer Red and a dash of Pure White. profile: How can people easily update their tired furniture? julianne: Nothing updates faster than a lick of paint with Chalk Paint decorative paint. No sanding or priming, some colours only need one coat and it dries super fast. You can get a ‘shabby chic’ look or a smooth modern glossy retro look – it’s all up to you. profilemagazine

Book your exhiBit now! 0427 375 727

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STYLE grow on you HANGING PLANTERS, POA, VISIT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LIQUORICEMOONSTUDIOS

frame it up ‘HIDING IN THE SHADOWS’ ART PRINT, RRP $1450 (FRAMED AND DELIVERED AUSTRALIA-WIDE), VISIT WWW.ONEFINEPRINT.COM.AU

on point MESSERMEISTER OLIVA ELITE 20CM STEALTH CHEF’S KNIFE, RRP $219.95, SHOP NOW FROM WWW.MESSERMEISTER.COM.AU

sleek storage BRONX COFFEE TABLE, RRP $89.95, SHOP NOW AT WWW.MOCKA.COM.AU

tribal inﬂuence MANDALA TUMBLERS, POA, VISIT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LIQUORICEMOONSTUDIOS

all in the detail BRONX CRATE – DOTS, RRP $89.95, SHOP NOW AT WWW.MOCKA.COM.AU

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MILESTONES

RENATE BOWDEN AND ROBERTO LUCA

beautiful

ogether Renate Bowden and Roberto Luca have created an oasis where you can experience beautiful nourishing food in a tranquil private ambience away from busy crowds, a place to relax and be nurtured amongst stunning gardens surrounded by colourful eclectic décor. The proof was in the pudding when the Noosa Valley Manor B&B Retreat won an international Trip Advisors 2015 Travellers Choice award. Life changing milestone 1: Meeting each other It was 1996, Roberto had just arrived from teaching in London for 10 years and had recently taken over the Moray Café in New Farm. I was working for Hilton International and a mutual friend suggested we would like each other. I walked into the café to meet him and there was an instant connection. We became close friends and were both very involved in charity fundraising. We spent lots of time together sharing our love of the arts, gardening, flowers, food, beautiful things, music, people, family, community and dreaming. Life changing milestone 2: Creation of our son Maximillian As fate would have it in 1999 we were fortunate enough to create a child together. Max was truly a miracle for us and he was instrumental in bringing us together in a more understanding and loving way. In his quiet gentle way he reminded us of all the lovely things in life and we began exploring avenues of self discovery and personal growth. The responsibility of a child is a massive one and we wanted to make sure we were doing the best we could to raise him and further deepen our love for each other and life.

Having travelled extensively, working in the hospitality industry for many years, Renate Bowden and Roberto Luca know the value of authentic good service and genuine care for people. PHOTOS CHESTERTON SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY

Life changing milestone 4: Being tested Call it a midlife crisis, but we were itching to make some changes and had considered going overseas to start a business. It was 2013 and we had just come back from Cambodia, the children were settled at the Noosa Steiner School and all of a sudden a B&B for sale appeared on the internet. It was out of our price range and completely left field from anything we’d ever considered. We viewed the property once and with no money in the bank and our house still under renovation we signed a contract the next day! Despite the odds against us at the 11th hour on the Easter weekend of 2013 we became the owners of Noosa Valley Manor. Life changing milestone 5: Expansion We set to work in the B&B throwing everything we had into the development. Last year we won a Trip Advisor Award for Excellence. This year, we were awarded a Bravo Award, a Green Initiative Award and the accolade of Trip Advisor’s 2015 Travellers Choice Award that is given to the top one per cent of venues in our field globally. We are set to be challenged yet again and move into the next area … expansion!

Life changing milestone 3: Personal development and moving to Noosa In 2006, we completely changed direction and became very involved in personal development. The personal development counselling took us to New Zealand where we developed and facilitated group courses and one-on-one counselling to help people. It was extremely rewarding and we were having a great deal of fun. We laugh at it now, as it was under the Kauri trees in Titirangi that we conceived another child, and in 2009 gave birth to Angelina in our home in Noosaville. 102

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

Read the job advertisement from top to bottom. Follow all the requested criteria. If an application asks you to address certain criteria or to add a cover letter, this is seen as an expression of interest in the advertised role and if you don’t, then you are less likely to be shortlisted.

 WORDS NICOLE FUGE

Applying for a job can be a tricky and daunting process; making sure you have ticked all the boxes and answered all of their questions. EastCoast Human Resource Group managing director Michalle Faulkner shares her top tips when making a job application.

Keep a list, diary or notation of positions you have applied for so that you can recall roles or companies when they call or contact you in relation to your application.



Ensure you have a message bank on your phone with a professional greeting. Check both your email and phone messages regularly.



Ensure your CV is current and speciﬁcally addresses your knowledge, skills and experience.



Have someone check your CV for you to ensure there are no spelling errors and review the presentation.

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Excellence in dry cleaning is closer than you think

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STRONG IS THE NEW BLACK

Kurt Southam proves he can lift

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SWIM, RUN, CYCLE IN NOOSA Noosa Ultimate Sports Festival

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FAMILY OF CHAMPIONS

Meet the Boyd family who have impressed on the word stage for 40 years

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SPORT

“Most people look at the weights and think; I won't do this comp because it's too HEAVY ... except for Kurt. He'll see the weights and get STRONG enough to lift them.”

KURT SOUTHAM

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SPORT

STRONG is the new black WORDS KATE DAVIES PHOTOS CHESTERTON SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY

Kurt Southam always knew he was different from the others. His strength and ability to lift an extreme amount of weight came naturally, and with training developed into a talent that would see him compete against the strongest men in the world.

n the ‘80s, it was comic book hero He-Man who held the top honour of childhood ‘wannabes’. He was that over-thetop muscley prince of Eterna who wore a loincloth, rocked long blonde locks and could turn himself into a tornado. With his superhuman strength, it’s little wonder so many young boys, now adults, looked up to him as their idol. But for Sunshine Coast’s own muscle man Kurt Southam, He-Man was much more than a comic book hero, he was everything Kurt wanted to grow up to become, lifting boulders and all. Twenty-something years on and Kurt has not drifted far from his childhood obsession, minus the hair. Standing at 187 centimetres tall and weighing just under 80 kilograms, he has muscle on top of muscle and the super-human ability to lift 200 kilogram-plus weights with ease. The 33-year-old is one of Australia’s strongest men, named Queensland’s strongest man under 90 kilograms in 2013 and placing third in Australia in the under 80 kilogram category in 2013, and second in Australia last year. He can flip 300 kilogram tyres, carry oil drums and beer kegs across paddocks and throw extremely heavy objects over car yards ... oh yeah, he can also pull trucks and flip cars. Kurt discovered his thirst for muscle building at age 14, and he hasn’t been able to put down the weights since. “For my 14th birthday my father bought me a gym membership because I had been hounding him for my own pass since I was 13,” Kurt says. “My dad was working at a gym at the time and was a part of a group of mates who were entering a power lifting competition, which he took me along to watch. At this comp there were just these massive, behemoth-looking guys, like 140 kilogram men, lifting a stupid amount of weight and then eating a ridiculous amount of food. I said to my dad, ‘That’s what I want to do’, and so I started training with these guys, learning how to train properly.” Kurt continued his training right up to his late teens when he enlisted with the Royal Australian Navy, ready to put his physical strength to work. He spent several years in the Navy, moving up the ranks until he qualified as a clearance diver, serving around the world, from Hawaii to Afghanistan. “I always wanted to join the defence force after growing up and watching all the action stars doing cool stuﬀ. I could never see myself sitting behind a desk, it would have to be physically demanding or nothing,” he says. “Originally I wanted to join the Army because my father served while I was growing up but he convinced me the Navy would be a better choice – better travel and girls love a man in uniform, he told me.” Due to his Navy demands, Kurt was forced to give up his gym membership and focus on his endurance fitness rather than strength. But in 2007, after resigning from duty, Kurt was eager to get back into his training and start lifting the heavy weights again.

“I realised how much I missed it,” he says. “It wasn’t long before I was approached by a personal trainer who insisted I join CrossFit and start competing. The craze was still quite small then, not like it is now, but there was still a huge scene for those involved so I had my work cut out for me in the beginning. “After a while I started to win a few events and entered a competition called The Fit Bloke Challenge. It was a competition run by Men’s Fitness Magazine to find the fittest bloke in Australia. I placed top 20 in 2010 and in 2011 I went back again and placed 20th. I was proud of myself but I knew I could be better, I knew I could be stronger. “Once I started strongman competing, I said to myself, ‘This is where I belong’, and I haven't looked back.” Kurt trains almost six days per week, with the majority of his training at an outside training centre at Mooloolah Valley where he and a group of strongmen lift logs, atlas stones, tyres, farmer's handles, and beer kegs up to 100 kilograms. He has recently returned from the Strongman World Championships in Ohio, Columbus, and will now start training for the Log, Clean and Press State Championships next month before going on to compete in the national championships later in the year. Kurt also hopes to break the world record for heaviest log lift at the national competition, aiming to hurl a 140 kilogram log above his head. “A friend of mine who runs QLD Strongman once said, “Most people look at the weights and think; I won't do this comp because it's too heavy ... except for Kurt. He'll see the weights and get strong enough to lift them”. And he’s pretty much right,” Kurt says, further explaining the reasons why he decided to become a strongman. “The physical benefit is being strong enough to flip a car over. The mental benefit is the confidence of knowing you can actually flip a goddam car.” And there are not many of us who can say we can do that!

“Once I started STRONGMAN competing, I said to myself, ‘This is where I BELONG’, and I haven't looked back.”

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SPORT

SWIM, RUN, CYCLE WORDS COURTNEY AKRIGG PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

oosa will play host to thousands of sporting enthusiasts as well as a crowd of renowned athletes in May, when the Noosa Ultimate Sports Festival returns to the shores of Noosa. Personalities who have previously participated in the event have included professional triathletes Belinda Granger and Justin Granger, open water specialist Trent Grimsey, IRONMAN Champion Melissa Haushildt, Surf Ironman Ky Hurst, Surf Ironwoman Jordan Mercer and crowd favourite – television celebrity Chris Brown (Bondi Vet). The Sunshine Coast is fast becoming the home of healthy lifestyles as it oﬀers spectacular training playgrounds for all residents and visitors to appreciate. While IRONMAN Asia-Pacific is renowned for staging triathlons, the Noosa Ultimate Sports Festival is a unique event on the calendar as it’s a multi sport festival and not the typical swim, bike and run combination. The program includes a mix of swimming, running and cycling events for all sporting enthusiasts looking to achieve a fitness goal while also providing distances for the triathletes and IRONMAN athletes to build into their training.

“The festival offers something for EVERYONE to get involved in. It’s an EVENT not to miss.”

For those who prefer to take part in events on foot the RUN NOOSA is for you - offering a leg for everyone. All distances take in the best that Noosa has to offer with gorgeous coastal scenery. Whether you are looking for a half marathon target, a 10km test or a 5km run/walk with the family, RUN NOOSA has something for you. Noosa provides the perfect setting for this weekend and will transform the beach and streets into a vibrant and exciting event, attracting thousands of participants and spectators. “Noosa Ultimate Sports Festival provides a fantastic weekend option for the community to get involved in and a great boost for Noosa and surrounding areas,” said Mr Geoff Meyer, IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Chief Executive Officer (event organiser). The Noosa Ultimate Sports Festival attracts participants from interstate and overseas while the local community are always tremendously supportive. The festival weekend will be based out of Noosa and will also include an expo and entertainment program each day for the whole family to soak up. It’s time to commit to your fitness goals. Entries to the 2015 festival are now open. Rally your friends, colleagues and family to be part of the ultimate sporting weekend in May. For all event information visit www.noosaultimatesportsfest.com.au

There’s plenty to participate in across the weekend, make a splash in one of the ZINC 96.1 SWIM NOOSA ocean swim events. The distances to choose from include a 3.8km, 2km, 1km and 500m ocean swim on Saturday 23 May. Noosa Ultimate Sports Festival is a must-do event on Ky Hurst’s calendar. Hurst claims it as the perfect fitness escape for him and his family to get involved in and soak up the best of Noosa. “It’s such a great event. The vibe of the week is so positive and I encourage everyone to get amongst it. The festival oﬀers something for everyone to get involved in. It’s an event not to miss,” said Hurst. For the cycling fans there are two distances to gear up for in the SUBARU CYCLE NOOSA; 160km and 85km, taking place on Sunday 24 May. Both courses are designed to move your legs and impress your sights as you will be in awe of the stunning Sunshine Coast course. 110

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3.8k m 2km 1km 500m

160km 85km

21.1km 10km 5km

Commit to your fitness goal today Register online www.noosaultimatesportsfest.com

SPORT WORDS CARLY REES PHOTOS REBECCA SMITH

DENISE BOYD

Three Olympic champions in one family and two more on their way to athletic greatness. The Boyd family has been impressing on the world stage for 40 years. Carly Rees catches up with Commonwealth Games gold medalist Denise Boyd between coaching sessions to hear what she’s doing for local athletic teens.

ub-dub-lub-dub-lub-dub. Denise Boyd’s heart felt like it was about to beat out of her chest as she felt the nervous tension building by the synthetic track. The ex-Olympic sprinter has been in this place many times before, but this time she isn’t in control. This time she is the coach and the mother. Denise hung up her running spikes in 1983 and began the next phase of her life as a mother, giving birth to Alana the following year. Little did she know that this little bundle of joy was to be another Australian Olympic champion like herself and her husband Ray, an Olympic pole vaulter. Their two younger children Jacinta and Matthew followed two and then four years later and are now national athletes too. Being on the other side of the fence is more nerve racking for Denise than when she faced the world’s best at her premier events – the 100 metre and 200 metre sprints. But it isn’t only her three children she mentors, both she and Ray coach 25 young adults across sprinting, throwing and jumping at the Maroochy Senior Athletics Club at Sippy Downs. “I can honestly say I think it is easier to be out there than it is to be on the sideline because you are not in control when you are on the side line,” says Denise. “If you are out there you run the show, it is up to you.” Denise was definitely in control on the track, even from the young age of nine. Lean and tall for her age, she remembers lining up for the under 10s 50 yard sprint at the state titles and safely securing the blue ribbon. That was her first Queensland win and there were many more to follow. As she continued to excel at the sport it wasn’t long before she was begging to train each day after school. It was no surprise with her dedicated spirit and natural talent, in 1973 she represented Australia at the Pacific Conference Games and the World University Games. Looking back she lists winning the Commonwealth Games gold at Edmonton, Alberta and clocking a new Commonwealth record at the trials for Moscow in Sydney in 1980 as her greatest achievements. Naturally she will also never forget the buzz of lining up for her first Olympic final in 1976. After retiring in 1983 and around 13 years away from athletics, the husband and wife team saw Alana show some interest in the sport so

they became active members of Maroochy Little Athletics Club. “We thought as soon as one of them (their children) wants to join Little Athletics we will be dragged back into the sport,” Denise says. “Not that that was any great hassle but we enjoyed our time away from it too because we were so committed as athletes. “But we enjoyed our time at Maroochy Little Athletics … and we were able to help them because we knew something about every event.” When their children outgrew the junior club, they moved to the seniors, where Denise is coach and club secretary. “There is an amazing amount of talent on the (Sunshine) Coast in one small area,” Denise says. “We have got an athlete compete in a World Junior event or a World Youth event nearly every year.” In 2008 Alana made her Olympic debut in Beijing in the women’s pole vaulting and made history as the first Australian to join both parents as Olympians. In 2010 at the Commonwealth Games, she won gold, joining Denise and Ray as a Commonwealth Games title holder. In London Alana made her second games appearance, finishing 11th. Denise remembers the day Alana discovered the event, just shy of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where the new synthetic track was laid at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Accompanying that was a pole vault kit and some poles at the back of the athletics shed. “She was a real natural,” says Denise. “She was lucky to have Ray to teach her.” That was also the beginning of Matthew’s love of the event after years of excelling in many athletics events. He now proudly boasts the ‘house record’ for the highest jump and last year made his first appearance at the Commonwealth Games. Denise considers her middle child Jacinta as the most athletic, but has been plagued with injuries in her early adult years. She was a regular at World Junior events and travelled to Jamaica and Italy to compete in long jump. The Boyds have a lot to be proud of with their family’s achievements coupled with the success of their students. Denise jokes they don’t spend much time at home and are either training their own children, upcoming athletes or navigating Europe with vaulting poles cheering our Aussie greats on – and they show no signs of slowing down.

“If you are out there you RUN the SHOW, it is up to YOU.”

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GOURMET

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LADIES AT LUNCH

Do women still do the lionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s share of domestic duties?

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TASTE

Fermenting food for thought

RECIPE 124 Caramelised roast veg with balsamic port reduction

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“I’m in defence of men, I think we hammer them a little bit.” GEORGIE

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1. AMANDA ERLANK 2. GEORGIE MCKEOWN 3. MELISSA WOOD 4. LAMB RIBS WITH SATAY 5. KIM BAKER 6. DUCK CURRY 7. ALESHA TEIZEL

SPIRIT HOUSE Yandina

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LION’S SHARE

LADIES AT LUNCH

Do women still do the of domestic duties? WORDS INGRID NELSON PHOTOS REBECCA SMITH VENUE SPIRIT HOUSE

This month, the lunching ladies discuss the age old question of whether women still do the lion’s share of domestic chores. I must admit the general consensus among my guests was not what I expected. In fact, quite the opposite. Lads, you’re in the good books!

s a working mother of three children, I’m the first one to admit to having a little tanty if the house is untidy and the washing is meeting me at the laundry door … I mean how many towels does one family need a day and more to the point, what do they have against hanging the wet ones up to dry! Fortunately, my husband shares the load equally when it comes to domestic duties, cooking and caring for the children on his days off work. However, recent statistics show women are still responsible for the majority of household chores. A recent article in the Daily Mail reported research has found women spend three times as long on domestic chores as their husbands or partners, the average for women was 17 hours per week, compared to just under six hours for men. So I decided to delve a little deeper and discover what our lunching ladies’ thoughts were on the subject over a decadent lunch at Spirit House Yandina, and what I found was very enlightening. Joining me for lunch was Georgie McKeown, co owner of Fresh Box organic food delivery, Kim Baker, group operations manager of Cozmedics Medispas; Amanda Erlank, owner of Kinected Pilates Studio; photographer Rebecca Smith, and Aleesha Teitzel and Melissa Wood from Advanced Beauty and Wellbeing. profile: Do you think working women still do the lion’s share of the domestic duties? georgie: Well my guy is pretty fabulous! There is a book I think everyone should read called The Five Love Languages. I think life in families would be a lot easier and there would be more balance if everyone read this book. Sure, quite often men don’t do as much as they could but women are demanding in general and we like it how we like it, we are very particular. I’m in defence of men, I think that we hammer them a little bit. aleesha: I agree and I have another book that I think everyone should read along with The Five Love Languages and it’s called The Queen’s Code and it’s about how we disempower men. The book is full of such wisdom and is an examination of how we behave around men, not just our partners. Women are perfectionists, we like it how we like it. We are looking for perfection everywhere and we are looking for men in our life to be perfect as well. kim: I’m very lucky too. We all have great husbands by the sounds

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of it. My husband does all the cooking and I do the cleaning, so it’s pretty balanced. Although my husband is 10 years older than me and sometimes I do notice a diﬀerence among his friends. For example one of his friends and his wife recently stayed with us and they were amazed he was doing all the cooking! Sometimes I feel like I have to justify that I am not doing the cooking because some people can be judgemental. amanda: In my situation, I am totally blessed but we have never had a conversation about who does what. I do the clothes washing and folding. I probably do a bit more because he goes out to work and I am home more of the time, my hours are sporadic. I think it’s only fair that I cook the meals. But whoever cooks doesn’t clean up, that’s just the arrangement. bec: My dad is really good and cleans and cooks and my boyfriend and his two roommates have a much tidier house than us girls. amanda: It could also be a role model thing, children look at what their parents did. So if they see the example of their dad helping around the house, that is what they expect to do too.

“Power is taken away from the men in the house by the women. We’re bossy and we are perfectionists.” MELISSA

profile: Do you think we are trying to change the way men are genetically? georgie: I understand both sides but I think men have lost a lot of their leadership skills because women started going out of the home and going to work, which I understand but homes do also work with the mother being there and a man making the money. There is a lot to be said for it.

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L ADIES AT LUNCH

amanda: I’ve been a very independent person for my whole life so I totally agree with wanting it done my way. One of the hardest things for me was moving to Australia and giving up my corporate life and following my passion to open my pilates studio. I went from being this very independent working woman on a good salary to being totally dependent on my husband. It took me two years to fully release that but when I did, it felt great because I gave him back the power to be the provider. I really want my business to succeed so I can give back to him. He has a little motto – happy wife, happy life! kim: I can relate to that. I didn’t get married until I was 38 and I had a corporate career and had travelled a lot before I met my husband. But one day I had an epiphany. I got to my 30s and thought I can stay in the corporate arena forever or make a change. So I took a year out and travelled to Africa to do charity work and then I met my husband. But that transition from being financially independent into a partnership was really odd. I lost my whole identity at first. melissa: I am in total agreeance with the conversation at the table. Power is taken away from the men in the house by the women. We’re bossy and we are perfectionists.

“We are looking for perfection everywhere and we are looking for men in our life to be perfect as well.” ALEESHA profile: Do you think we sometimes miss what men do and only focus on what they don’t do? georgie: Definitely! I just focus on what I think needs to be done. He may have done lots outside, but we are just wired diﬀerently. bec: My boyfriend is at my house as we speak. In fact he is there any second he is free cleaning the backyard, fixing the shower, cleaning the gutters before the storm and it’s not even his house so he does a lot! georgie: They want to look after us and that’s how they show us. amanda: They do those things because of what they think is the necessary thing. If the showerhead or shower door is broken, they have to fix that. The dirty dishes, they can wait. profile: Do men see what pressure we are under? kim: It really depends on the man I think. It’s very individual. georgie: I would say no because most men probably have had their mothers doing lots for them for a lot longer than mothers do for girls. My husband personally does see everything I do. He does one thing and does it well. Maybe genetically we are supposed to be doing all that stuﬀ and they should be looking after us. melissa: We need to give them credit on being able to focus on one thing, and then they move on to the next thing. They probably achieve more than we know because they focus. Us women can be a bit all over the place! kim: I think that’s why men associate success with their identity. If they aren’t deemed to be successful they feel like a failure. If they are not here to provide for women and create an environment where they feel well and happy, then they feel they have lost their purpose. Well said Kim. The verdict is clear, you men are pretty awesome! In today’s busy lifestyle, where both parties often have to work outside the home to meet financial needs, our male counterparts are required to play an equal role in the home and they have stepped up to the challenge. Now to work on the children! 116

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OUR LUNCHING LADIES: KIM BAKER, GEORGIE MCKEOWN, AMANDA ERLANK, ALESHA TEIZEL AND MELISSA WOOD

SPIRIT HOUSE, RESTAURANT AND COOKING SCHOOL, YANDINA

I have heard so much about the iconic Spirit House at Yandina from friends and colleagues over the years who were in disbelief I had yet to visit the revered Thai restaurant. So I was very excited to finally dine at the award-winning venue recently. Newly renovated, and under new head chef, Tom Swapp, Spirit House had just reopened on the day of our visit and it looks fantastic! Meandering along the paved entrance to Spirit House is like entering a magical secret garden. Set amid lush, tranquil bushland, exotic smells waft from the kitchen, sending my olfactory senses into overdrive! We are seated outside, overlooking the large peaceful pond, and enjoy a refreshing Ginger Fizz, while pondering the extensive menu. Surrounded by local wildlife, we are joined by a couple of cheeky water dragons keen to get in on the action. We kick things off with a selection of dishes to share, which really showcased the exciting fusion of traditional Thai cuisine with modern techniques the restaurant pride themselves on. The grilled lamb ribs, with Thai satay sauce and smoked chicken with banana blossom, coconut and krachai dressing and fried chilli salted tofu with lemongrass and sweet soya dressing were among some of the standouts. For mains, we were treated to a selection of dishes including a delectable Noosa red tomato curry, with spiced pumpkin and sawtooth coriander, and a Penang curry of duck with sweet potato, lotus seed and betel leaf – both delicious and bursting with exotic spices and ﬂavour. It’s not hard to see what all the fuss is about, Spirit House really is a stand-out, a treat for all the senses, right here on our doorstep. How did I miss it! If you are keen to learn the chef’s secrets at Spirit House, you can slice, dice and cook up a storm at their cooking school during the week as well as Friday and Saturday nights. There are a huge range of recipes for you to choose from that are sure to impress your friends. Spirit House 20 Ninderry Road, Yandina 5446 8977 www.spirithouse.com.au

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TASTE

FERMENTING If you’ve had a gutful of feeling flat, tired and generally unhealthy, maybe you should listen to your body and get on the fermenting bandwagon. WORDS NICOLE FUGE PHOTOS CHERYL NONMUS, ONQ PHOTOGRAPHY

eorgie McKeown from Fresh Box says the superfood trend is gaining momentum and fermenting is where it’s at in 2015, “many people are now making their own dairy and water kefir drinks, kombucha and fermented foods like sauerkraut and kim-chi.” When fermenting, Georgie says it is imperative to use all natural, organic ingredients to create the highest quality, most potent probiotics, minerals and vitamins. “All of these are aﬀordable to make for your family, easy to prepare and a great way to strengthen everyone’s gut bacteria,” she says.

Georgie says if you don’t want to consume dairy products, water kefir is also an excellent non-dairy probiotic source. “Water kefir is completely different to kombucha, with different bacteria and yeasts, different nutrients, different therapeutic benefits and a totally different flavour,” she says. “The good bacteria helps us to digest our food, prevent allergies, boost our immune system, and overall keep our body healthy. “In the Fresh Box household we choose to get our probiotics through fermented foods – and water kefir is a great way to do that! Water kefir supplies your body with billions of healthy bacteria and yeast strains. Some store-bought probiotic foods or supplements can help, but they are not as potent, and not as fresh. Homemade or fresh made is definitely the most beneficial. “Within your body there are already billions of bacteria and yeast. Your internal microflora support proper digestion, synthesis of vitamins and minerals, and your immune system by warding off foreign and harmful bacteria, yeast and viruses.” What is kombucha? The ancient Chinese referred to it as the ‘Immortal Health Elixir’ and it’s been around for over 2000 years. It has a history of amazing health benefits like preventing and fighting cancer, arthritis, and other degenerative diseases. Kombucha is made from sweetened tea that’s been fermented by a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast. The SCOBY, or ‘mother’ has a mushroom like appearance. Kombucha is rich in many of the enzymes and bacterial acids your body produces and uses to detox your system, thus reducing the constant work load on your pancreas and liver.

GEORGIE McKEOWN

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What is kefir? The word ‘kefir’ is derived from the Turkish word ‘keif ’, which translates to the ‘good

• Shred one large cabbage, purple or green. • Mix through 1 teaspoon of himalayan salt and 1 teaspoon of dulse flakes. • Put into a food-grade bucket and pound with a wooden spoon to bleed the cabbage and release its juices. • Add enough Bio-Bubble to wet the mixture but not have it floating in it. • Add spices such as cumin, peppercorns, caraway and chilli. • Stir and pound the cabbage again and squeeze out as much air from the mixture as possible, so it is dense. • Put a plate upside down on the mix and then fill a garbage bag with water and place on top. Use the bag as a seal and make sure all the edges are air tight. • Leave on the bench and after three days taste your creation! • If it has not quite fermented leave it another 24 hours and taste again. • When you love the flavour, put it in a glass jar and keep it in the fridge. Having a large tablespoon each day is awesome for your tummy! • Once you get the hang of it you can start experimenting with adding other fruits and vegies such as apple and pear.

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“The good bacteria helps us to digest our food, PREVENT allergies, BOOST our immune system, and overall keep our body healthy.”

How to incorporate fermented food and drink into your diet “You can make a drink using kombucha and water kefir with a couple of tea bags, some organic rapadura or coconut sugar, and a local lemon, ginger, fig, or banana to taste,” says Georgie. “You can even make a cream

soda flavour by adding vanilla essence! Dairy kefir requires just good quality milk, either cow, goat, sheep or camel. “Or you can make a cottage cheese with the dairy kefir and add cucumber, dill, cumin seeds etc as a dip or salad dressing.”

TASTE

feeling’ one has after drinking it. Kefir is a fermented milk product that originated centuries ago in the Caucasus mountains, and is now drunk by many diﬀerent cultures. It is slightly sour and carbonated due to the fermentation activity when the grains interact to culture the milk. The various types of beneficial bacteria contained in kefir make it one of the most potent probiotic foods available. Besides containing highly beneficial bacteria and yeasts, kefir is a rich source of many diﬀerent vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids that promote healing and repair. The complete proteins in kefir are already partially digested, making it easily digested by the body. Dairy kefir is generally very low in lactose, during the fermentation process it is removed naturally from the dairy. So even people who are lactose intolerant can enjoy this delicious treat.

BEN AND GEORGIE McKEOWN

For kim-chi the process is the same as with the kraut, and you get to add some delicious spices and vegies. Try cucumber, carrot, capsicum and sprinkle with ginger, garlic, chilli, cayenne pepper and anything else you like the taste of. “Experiment and have fun! Have you got the ‘guts’ to be healthy?” Georgie laughs.

BEN AND GEORGIE SOURCE THE FINEST INGREDIENTS

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CHEF PROFILE

DAVID NASH

“I truly try and cook for the MOMENT, based on the ingredients and to what my WHIM of the day is.”

chef profile

a seasonal change WORDS NICOLE FUGE PHOTOS REBECCA SMITH

On any given day, you’ll find David Nash holed up in his kitchen, mixing and matching different flavour combinations and styles. While the cuisines may chop and change from day-to-day, one thing is for sure – the dishes always show off local and seasonal produce.

avid began his cooking career 15 years ago as an apprentice working in Wellington, New Zealand and afterwards went on to work at a number of prestigious hotels, resorts and restaurants. “After finishing high school I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my career and it wasn’t until a friend said they were doing a commercial cookery class and were enjoying it, that I gave it a shot,” he says. “I took a job at a local restaurant as dishy/prep cook and began my apprenticeship.” In 2007 David moved to Australia to work at Hayman Island Resort in the Whitsundays before moving to Sydney in 2009 where he took a position at Garfish, Manly as sous chef. When David returned to Queensland, he worked alongside friend and executive chef Catherine Anders at Ill Centro, before settling on the Sunshine Coast. “When the opportunity arose to purchase The Velo Project, my wife Sarah and I jumped at it,” he says. The pair has since grown the business and continued to perfect the menu – much to the delight of their loyal customers. “If I took oﬀ or changed the smashed avocado I’d be run out of town

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by an angry mob!” laughs David. “We use local avocados (when in season) and smash them with red onion, roasted sweet corn, garlic and fresh herbs and it is by far our most popular dish. “I truly try and cook for the moment, based on the ingredients and to what my whim of the day is. On any given day you will see many styles of food. My technique is based on Italian but I love all types of food. The seasons are the most important thing in my cooking.” David draws his inspiration from the chefs he has met and worked with along the way, “everybody has their own cooking styles/techniques and they’re always right next to you in the kitchen, working the same hours and being pushed just as hard to provide top service”. When asked what he loves most about cooking, his answer is straight from the heart. “Absolutely everything! From the camaraderie with workmates, the high energy, fast paced environment, the creativity, watching customers enjoying a meal,” he says. “When a service goes oﬀ without a hitch there is no better feeling in the world, you leave work with great satisfaction ready to rock up early the next day to do it all again.” profilemag.com.au

DISCOVER HOTEL JEN BRISBANE

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$20 WASH AND FOLD SAME DAY SERVICE. SPACIOUS ROOMS WITH CITY VIEWS.

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HOTELJEN.COM 159 Roma Street, Brisbane QLD, 4000

P: (+61 7) 3238 2204

FREE UNLIMITED WIFI.

GOURMET

PHOTO BY SARAH CRAVEN PHOTOGRAPHY

All’ Antica If you’re hungry for Italian trattoria style cuisine come and discover All’ Antica Italian Restaurant. Boasting an authentic Italian menu and being fully licensed they offer a warm, rustic atmosphere. Established 25 years ago, All’ Antica is one of the Sunshine Coast’s must-try dining experiences. Their menu is an exciting mix of traditional dishes from the Northern Alps to the rich waters of the Mediterranean that surround Sicily, created with the best local produce and imported ingredients straight from Italy. All’ Antica offers tailored function packages where the entire restaurant may be exclusively booked for functions with 40 or more guests, and they also cater for all dietary requirements. So, what are you waiting for – come in and dine at All’ Antica. 3/115 Point Cartwright Drive, Buddina Phone: 5444 0988 www.allantica.com.au

SupermixME Clean eating’s made easy with SupermixME, one of Australia’s leading online health food companies. They offer delicious and nourishing superfood blends, that are equally good for your outsides as they are for your insides. Specially designed to boost your energy, metabolism and immunity, their antioxidant-rich blends can be enjoyed in smoothies, breakfast bowls or sprinkled on any of your favourite meals. The products they offer are made from only the finest premium superfoods, sourced from their natural home, sometimes as far away as Peru and the Amazon in Brazil. Unlike over-the-counter big brand products, SupermixME blends contain no added sugar, no preservatives and absolutely no fillers. Fuel your mind and body with SupermixME. Proudly Australian Owned Shop: www.supermix.me Follow on Instagram: @SupermixME

FOLLOW OUR FOODIE TRAIL EACH MONTH AS WE EXPLORE WHAT THE SUNSHINE COAST HAS TO OFFER FOR FOOD LOVERS!

The Maleny Village Artisan Food Market The Maleny Village Artisan Food Market officially launches this month, right in the heart of main street Maleny! It’s an affordable and simplistic hub for artisans to come together to offer locals and visitors a wide range of small batch, hand-crafted food products to be on display for the tastin’ and the buyin’. Market visitors will be able to buy homemade goodness direct from the artisan, from chocolate sauce and candies to spices, olives, free range eggs, chutneys and dressings to fresh baked goods, this market strives to provide a tasty experience for all. Add to this, smoked meats, salmon, jerky, fresh local produce, jams, Asian street food, salads, organic herbs, fruit and veges, bread, nuts, cakes, pretzels – you name it. The market will be a small-scale, intimate hub that will initially host around 20 stalls. The Maleny Village Artisan Food Market will operate each Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 3pm. 38 Maple Street, Maleny Phone: 0401 704 472 www.facebook.com/MalenyVillageMarket 122

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GOURMET

The Pallet Espresso Bar

Grill’d

Everyone should have the chance to enjoy a good burger, even the carb conscious. The new SuperBun from Grill’d is kind of like having your cake and eating it too! With less than 9g of carbs, SuperBun is also gluten free, grain free and dairy free. It’s made from all natural quality ingredients, including almond meal, free range eggs and organic coconut cream (no refined sugar here). Request any of their burgers on a SuperBun to make it a low carb option. Grill’d also offers a range of delicious salads, sliders and sides – with a chip to suit every taste including their famous Grill’d herb-salted chips, sweet potato chips or new zucchini chips. Grill’d Sunshine Plaza, Maroochydore Phone: 5443 6000 www.grilld.com.au

Have you heard of ‘pro-caffeinating?” The term describes the tendency to not start anything until after you’ve had a cup of coffee. So what better place to put off those tedious tasks while enjoying a quality coffee, than The Pallet Espresso Bar on Brisbane Road in Mooloolaba – who incidentally have a sign displayed with the pro-caffeinate term! The espresso bar opened its doors in December last year, but they’ve already attracted quite a buzz with caffeine aficionados. Situated next to a quiet park and decked out with rustic timber pallets as the main furnishing, the ambience is welcoming and unique – the perfect spot to meet up with friends or grab a coffee hit on the go! Perhaps it’s time to meet your new espresso local; The Pallet Espresso Bar is open Monday to Friday from 6am to 3pm, and Saturday from 6am to 1pm. Shop 2/161 Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba Phone: 0487 342 172 www.facebook.com/thepalletespressobar

Nook and Cranny

This exciting new bar, venue and pizzeria brings a slice of St Kilda, Melbourne to the main street of Nambour since opening in early 2015. As a new foodie drawcard and place to catch up with friends and hang out, the Nook and Cranny is a pop-up coffee shop with lunch options by day, and a dinner destination and bar by night. The innovative venue offers a relaxed vibe, with a variety of seating options to enjoy their signature pizzas, topped with simple yet mouthwatering combinations. Match a pizza with one of their tempting cocktails served in jam jars for a fun Friday evening, and stay late to catch one of the many local bands who appear as part of the Nook and Cranny’s monthly gig guide. The owners of Nook and Cranny welcome customers,“Whether you emerge from the hinterland in the west, or the coastline in the east, we welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys a tasty beverage, a cheap pizza and a hell of a good time.” 113 Currie Street, Nambour Phone: 0450 770 493 www.thenooknambour.com.au april 2015

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RECIPE PROFILE

Caramelised Roast Veg with Balsamic Port Reduction by Kunara Organic Marketplace

Ingredients ¼ jap pumpkin, cut into thick wedges with skin remaining 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced into thick chunks 1 carrot, cut into thin ‘fingers’ 1 red onion, halved and sliced 1 eggplant, halved lengthways and sliced to 1cm thickness 5 whole garlic cloves 1 zucchini, sliced into 2cm thick rounds 1 red capsicum, cut into 2cm thick strips ¼ cup cold pressed olive oil 2 tbsp rapadura sugar 1 bunch rosemary (reserve some fresh sprigs for garnish if desired) 1 tsp sea salt Optional: 250g feta (reduction) 1 cup balsamic vinegar ¼ cup brown sugar ¼ cup port

recipe

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Arrange pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot and onion on one baking tray. Arrange eggplant, garlic, zucchini and capsicum on a second baking tray. Evenly divide olive oil, rapadura sugar, rosemary sprigs and salt between the two trays to coat the vegetables. Roast the first tray containing pumpkin, sweet potato etc for approximately 10 minutes before adding the second tray of softer vegetables to roast for another 10-15 minutes until all the vegetables are soft and caramelised. In a medium saucepan, bring balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and port to boil on a low heat for 10 mins, stirring frequently. Stir and simmer for another 15mins, until sauce thickens. Set aside to cool (cooking for longer will further reduce the alcohol content and thicken the reduction). Crumble feta through vegetables and arrange attractively in a bowl. Drizzle over balsamic reduction and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs if desired.

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CULTURE

ART 126 Discover the art of Cat Lee LIVE 128 Our guide to live performances on the Sunny Coast

CULTURE 130 We chat with New York City artist Kelsey Montague

culture trail

+ MUCH MORE...

april 2015

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ART

CAT LEE WORKS AT HER HOME STUDIO

EAGLE EYE WORDS NICOLE FUGE PHOTOS REBECCA SMITH

Cat Lee stands at the easel, paint brush in hand, looking out the open window of her upstairs studio. It’s so quiet she can hear the flutter of robin wings. A sudden wave of inspiration rushes over Cat, as if she’s possessed and she swirls her brush in the acrylic paint.

ike all small children, Cat Lee was fond of painting and drawing and while she continued to dabble in art as she grew older, it had an unrelenting grasp that never let go. Three years ago, Cat started taking her talent seriously and began painting birds. “Living in the forest, it made me completely fall in love with them, so I started to paint them,” says Cat. “I then went onto other things and other creatures and colours.”

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Cat credits nature for motivating her, every facet of its being captivates her undying attention – the serpent-like curl of a branch, the vibrant green of a fern peeping through a stone wall or the blushing pink of lantana flowers sprinkled on a mossy forest floor. “I will often have an idea of what I would like to paint and I think about it and research it and sit with it and have to allow myself some quiet space,” she says.

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ART “Usually it’s when I’m at home in nature and I have to switch everything oﬀ and it hits me, it’s almost like I’m possessed, I have to paint this second. “I was working full time and I had to stop, I found I couldn’t get that flow of painting and I cut right down to just one day a week, for that bread and butter, but it’s imperative that I stay in that flow of creativity.” Cat says she’s constantly creating, whether it’s little vignettes with feathers and nature gathered from the outskirts of her stone cottage home surrounded by lush forest in Maleny, or beautiful headdresses transformed into three-dimensional art. But it’s Cat’s paintings that bring her the greatest sense of satisfaction. “I love that I’ll start painting something and ‘be’ in the world of painting,” she says. “It’s like meditation, I go into another world, at the end of it I’m pleasantly surprised at what I have painted. “I start with an idea and I never force it, especially with the animals, they develop their own personalities. “I really resonate with the animals and when I do research into the creatures I’m going to paint or the birds that are outside, I really watch them and each has their own personality. When I’m painting I really april 2015

get the sense of that and it translates into the work I do.” Cat starts all of her subjects with an oil crown before sketching and picking up the acrylics. The end result is delicate and feminine and often first described as “whimsical”. She is also growing her new collection of paintings, which has been inspired by other cultures and their elaborate decoration of animals.

“It’s like meditation, I go into ANOTHER WORLD, at the end of it I’m pleasantly surprised at what I have painted.” “I’m right into decoration, pastels, pompoms and fluoros,” says Cat. “I’ve got a thing for combining fluorescent colours with natural colours. Some of the colours in nature are surprisingly fluorescent, so I incorporate that and the embellished decoration from places like Morocco and Peru into the animals. “I’m just about to go into a full range of the decorated animals, anything I can come up with – bears, oxes and eagles. In Mongolia they have eagles that are decorated, I’d love to do more birds.”

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CULTURE

A BIT OF A STOUSH

THE FABULOUS SINGLET TES

A musical theatre comedy set in the time of WW1, with lots of songs and laughs. The Judy Henzell Sunshine Melodies Concert Series presents A Bit of a Stoush, written by Kevin Hallewell, directed by Norma Fox and performed by The Merryatric Players. On Wednesday, 22 April at 11am at The Events Centre, Caloundra. Tickets cost $17.

The Fabulous Singlettes is a postmodern three-woman group celebrating the 1960s with immaculate covers from the girl group era including songs by The Ronettes, The Supremes, The Chiffons, The Shangri-Las and Dusty Springfield. They are performing at the Nambour Civic Centre on Thursday, 2 April at 7.30pm. Tickets cost $39.

www.theeventscentre.com.au

www.scvenuesandevents.com.au

MA X EMANUEL CENCIC

THE ONE DAY OF THE YEAR Max Emanuel Cencic will make his first Australian appearance at Brisbane Baroque. Cencic will give a solo concert with Camerata of St John’s at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) Concert Hall on Sunday, 12 April and take part in public engagement activities as part of Brisbane Baroque 10 to 18 April. www.brisbanebaroque.com.au

PALOMA FAITH

www.qpac.com.au

Featuring some of the best home-grown local talent and international superstars from this year’s festival, including Kevin Kropinyeri (MC), David Quirk, Jen Kirkman, Nath Valvo and Wil Silvance. Performances may contain coarse language, sexual references and material that can offend. At the Brisbane Powerhouse from 29 April to 2 May, at 7.30pm. www.brisbanepowerhouse.org

BIG PINEAPPLE MUSIC FESTIVAL

I AM JACK Jack is a smart and funny 11year-old, he is also being bullied. His mother is too wrapped up in herself to see this and Jack’s teacher, Mr Angelou, is too busy to see the warning signs. Little does Jack know help is close at hand. For people aged eight to 14. At Lake Kawana Community Centre on Tuesday, 19 May at 10am and 12.30pm. www.scvenuesandevents.com.au

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MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL Promoting her latest and highestselling album, Paloma Faith is heading to Brisbane for her highlyanticipated Australian tour. A Perfect Contradiction is an upbeat return featuring collaborations with Pharrell Williams who wrote and produced the single Can’t Rely On You. Performing at Concert Hall, QPAC in Brisbane on 8 May.

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What is the meaning of Anzac Day? For war veterans Alf Cook and Wacka Dawson, it’s the chance to commemorate history, and conjure national pride. The One Day of the Year looks at our national legend through the eyes of generation, class and character. On Friday, 1 May at 7.30pm at The Events Centre, Caloundra. Tickets cost $42.

The Big Pineapple Music Festival is back on Saturday, 30 May, welcoming John Butler Trio, The Jezebels, Violent Soho, Jebediah and Thundamentals alongside Dune Rats, Coin Banks, Sarah Howells, Timberwolf, The Beligerants, Dallas Frasca, Drawcard, Karl S Williams, Sahara Beck, Dubarray, The Dawn Chorus, The Hi Boys and In2nation. www.bigpineapplemusicfestival.com profilemag.com.au

CULTURE

The Ten Tenors Moscow Ballet La Classique captures the imagination, the passion and the magic of Sleeping Beauty in this two-act fairytale performance and mystical journey to the fairytale world of Princess Aurora The Sleeping Beauty. When the evil fairy Carabosse casts a spell on the princess meaning she will die from a needle prick, the king banishes all knitting needles from the kingdom. But Princess Aurora pricks her finger on a needle hidden in a bouquet of ﬂowers presented to her by the disguised Carabosse. At the Events Centre in Caloundra on 17 April at 7.30pm. Full price tickets cost $85.

Following 16 years of sell-out performances across the globe, The Ten Tenors have cemented their place as Australia’s premier classical-crossover group, and now they break new ground with their brand new Broadway show! The Ten Tenors on Broadway is a wonderful collection of Broadway’s most-loved classics sung by ten of Australia’s hottest tenors. You will be delighted by this powerful mix of theatrical showstoppers and heart-melting ballads as The Ten Tenors take on some of the greatest show tunes in the world including hits from Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Oklahoma, The Wizard of Oz, Wicked, Miss Saigon, Carousel and more! On Sunday, 26 April at 3pm at the Events Centre in Caloundra. Tickets cost $80.50.

www.scvenuesandevents.com.au

www.theeventscentre.com.au

Sleeping Beauty

CULTURE trail

The Sunshine Coast has a rich cultural scene, follow the trail each month as we showcase the best of the arts, music and theatre.

Of Peace and War Cosentino Australia’s world-renowned entertainer and International Magician of the Year, Cosentino the Grand Illusionist, brings his new live show Twisted Reality to Brisbane. Cosentino performs never before seen death-defying escapes with mind boggling stage illusions and cuttingedge street magic twisting your view of reality. “It’s going to have even bigger stunts, crazier escapes and the best magic I’ve produced so far,” says Cosentino. So make a day of it and head to the Lyric Theatre, QPAC in Brisbane on 24 April. www.qpac.com.au april 2015

In line with the ANZAC Centenary Commemorations, Caloundra Regional Gallery is showcasing WW1 stories and personal struggles reﬂecting on the impact to the community. Watercolours and oils provide a contemplative modern day experience of visiting the WW1 battlefields of Northern France, while intricate painted and embroidered artworks on loan from the Dalai Lama’s Art School in Dharamsala offer messages of peace. At the Caloundra Regional Gallery until Sunday, 10 May. www.gallery.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

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CULTURE

New York City street artist Kelsey Montague wants to know #what lifts you. Since painting her black and white wings on a wall in the Big Apple, her career has literally taken flight, with murals commissioned in Las Vegas, Costa Rica, Auckland and now the Sunshine Coast.

ressed in a white shirt tucked into beige micro-shorts and donning a black bowler’s hat, Taylor Swift stepped into a piece of New York City street art and snapped a selfie with the most beautiful set of wings. These wings were painted by artist Kelsey Montague, who has created unique and interactive murals in Costa Rica, Las Vegas, Colorado, Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney and now the Sunshine Coast. Each piece of work is intuitively created, revealing multiple, intricate layers. These ‘drawings within drawings’ are imbued with memories, dreams, emotions and Kelsey’s belief everyone should have the chance to become a ‘living work of art.’ “I’m a pen and ink artist, illustrator, muralist and street artist. My style is black and white, image within image,” she says. “Someone once defined my work as ‘controlled chaos’ and I always liked that description.” Kelsey says she has been drawing since she can remember and has followed in the well-worn footsteps of her mum, grandfather and great grandfather who were also artists.

“Art was always encouraged growing up,” she says. “But I’ve been working on this particular style of art for about 10 years. I studied art at Richmond University in London and after a brief stint in Los Angeles, moved to New York City. I feel like the city really fueled my creativity and ultimately that is where my art began to be noticed.” In July 2014, Kelsey was commissioned to do an art wall in New York City and she says she wanted to make a “huge, unapologetic piece” that people could interact with. “That is where the wings and the hashtag #whatliftsyou came about,” she explains. “I really like the idea of creating public art that looks like fine art but it’s right there on the side of the road. I like art that is accessible and, even more than that, interactive. “The wings are awesome because people can step into the piece and become a living work of art. I love giving people that momentary escape, that moment to step back and appreciate the beauty of life.” Kelsey gained a lot of attention from this piece, with celebrities

“The wings are awesome because people can step into the piece and become a LIVING WORK OF ART.”

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TAYLOR SWIFT POSING BETWEEN THE WINGS

including Taylor Swift and Vanessa Hudgens posing between the outspread wings. “The way people have responded to the piece has exceeded my wildest imagination! I love checking on the hashtag each night and seeing how people continue to interact with the wings,” says Kelsey. “I love seeing how people make the piece their own and I love seeing how creative people are.” Kelsey believes the wings have garnered a following because of its fusion of traditional street art and fine art and the piece invites people in. “It achieved its goal of giving people a moment to reflect on what inspires them in their life and I think people have reacted to that,” she says. “How often do you get to look like you’re flying and, at the same time, are asked to share what lifts you up in your life?” Recently, Kelsey spent a day on the Sunshine Coast to paint our very own winged mural featuring images and scenery from the region. The left wing includes a beach house, pandanus tree, a whale, a surfer and the Caloundra Lighthouse, while the right wing includes a magnificent bunya pine, the Glass House Mountains and the Big Pineapple. The artwork will be displayed at the Nambour Civic Centre until 15 April, before moving around to other parts of the Coast. Locals are invited to take photos of themselves with the large pair of beautiful wings and share on social media, don’t forget to hashtag #whatliftsyou. april 2015

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Visit the markets

Pick your own straw

berries

Nestled in the Noosa hinterland is Eumundi, a character-filled town bursting with foodies and artisans keen to welcome fellow locals and tourists into their shopfronts. Twice a week, the main street bursts to life when the Original Eumundi Markets come out to play. WORDS TARA COOPER PHOTOS CHESTERTON SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY

PROFILE Eumundi has held a firm position on the tourism map for decades thanks to Australia’s biggest art and craft market which takes place here, the town’s CBD playing host to more than 600 stalls. On any given Wednesday or Saturday, the otherwise quiet hinterland town becomes a mecca for hundreds of tourists as a result.

he bustling market offers a smorgasbord of homemade, home-grown and hand-crafted treasures, from original artworks, sculptures, arts and craft, furniture, toys and homewares to skincare, fashion, jewellery, local produce and more. And if you look closely through the shoulder-to-shoulder (Saturday) crowds that fill the gravel paths, you may even find the odd quirky stall or two. It’s amazing what people come up with! On one of my trips to the area for example, I stumbled across an unusual stall featuring three-stringed guitars made from cigar boxes. The warm Southern Delta blues tones that echoed from the unique instruments was far from what you’d expect to come from an ordinary cigar box. For foodies, the markets are a haven of culinary delights. If the smells of international flavours wafting through the air aren’t enough to draw you in, you’re bound to succumb to the homemade cakes, slices, relishes and dips, or freshly squeezed orange juice and homemade lemonade and ginger beer on oﬀer. While the original markets opened its doors in the local CWA hall in 1979 – attracting a mere eight visitors and $30 profit – in recent years it has expanded to include the Eumundi Square Markets and Parkside Markets, which fringe the Original Markets. But while there’s no denying the markets steal the area’s limelight,

there’s much more to Eumundi than meets the eye. So whether you’re spending the day in town or making a weekend of it, there is plenty on oﬀer. Along the main street, there are cafes and eateries scattered between quirky gift shops and artisans showing oﬀ their wares. One of the biggest drawcards is the Berkelouw Eumundi Bookshop and Cafe, a sanctuary for book lovers and coffee lovers and really anyone looking for a gift you just won’t find anywhere else. A little further down the street, pretty much smack bang in the middle of town, is Joe’s Waterhole. A favourite venue among musicians and music lovers for its intimate setting and ability to draw some of the best local, national and international musicians for over 10 years. It’s also a popular drinking hole among locals and tourists and great spot to grab a bite to eat. Keeping the culture trail going, head to end of the street and pay a visit to the Tina Cooper Gallery. Gallery owner and awardwinning international hot glass artist, Tina Cooper has some of the most incredible pieces of glass-blown art on display including one-off bowls, platters, vases and ornaments. If you’re wanting to spend the weekend in Eumundi, there are plenty of beautiful B&Bs speckled around town within walking distance to the main street and restaurants. So treat yourself, you must go to Eumundi, you’ll love it.

What’s on Easter Treasure Hunt 4 APRIL FROM 8AM

A highlight for many kids visiting the markets is the free annual Easter Treasure Hunt, taking place on Easter Saturday, 4 April. It’s open to the first 300 children to register at the market office (the pink building in the centre of the markets) from 8am. Treasure hunters are given clues and must find the answers as they make their way through the colourful markets. They can take their time and enjoy the market fun as they go along, and when they complete their journey, each young treasure hunter will receive a delicious chocolate Easter treat. Market Chef FROM 29 APRIL

Market Chef sees esteemed chefs from top Sunshine Coast restaurants share their kitchen magic with high school students at Eumundi Markets during Term 2 (April to June). If you’re a foodie who likes to learn some tricks of the trade and a few new recipes from some of the best in the business, make sure you head to the lively cooking demonstrations from 10am to 11am on Wednesdays.

Kids craft workshops FROM 4 APRIL

Crafty kids visiting Eumundi Markets over the school holidays will also have the opportunity to get creative by taking part in kids craft workshops on Saturday 4 April, Wednesday 8 April, Saturday 11 April, Wednesday 15 April, and Saturday 18 April.The workshops are designed for children, however big kids (teenagers and adults) are welcome to take part too – if spaces permit. Children under five must be accompanied by a carer – to help them with the tricky bits. In addition, kids visiting the markets can also have their faces painted, enjoy a magic show with Nickleby the Magician, discover Spin Art with Zoe, or enjoy a pony ride – not to mention play in the tree-covered Dick Caplick Park in the centre of town. Anzac Day Walk and commemoration 25 APRIL FROM 7.45AM

A day for Eumundi to commemorate the lives of Australians lost in war and conﬂict, who selﬂessly protected our great nation and the liberties we cherish. Join the township of Eumundi in honouring this important day. Lest we forget. All community members welcome. Starts at the Dick Caplick Park Rotunda.

aster Eumundi E

treasure h

unt

Anzac da commemyowalk and ration History hit

The original Eumundi Markets opened its doors in the local CWA hall in 1979, there were three stalls, eight visitors and made a $30 profit. The fig trees in the main street of Eumundi were planted in remembrance of the 20 fallen soldiers from the district who perished during World War I. To ﬁnd out more visit www.eumundimarkets.com.au www.experienceeumundi.com.au

Chance upon unique ho

Visit the markets

me wares

Things to do ... See a live show

The historic hotel, Joe’s Waterhole, was once the Commercial and was rebuilt in 1926 after a fire swept through Eumundi in 1924. In 1962 Joe Whiting took over ownership when he swapped his sugar-cane farm in Maroochydore for the hotel. It became known as Joe’s Waterhole and was officially renamed in 1987. Joe’s Waterhole is a favourite venue for musicians and music lovers alike and is dedicated to creating entertainment for music lovers, as they have for over 10 years.

Head to the markets

Wednesdays 8am to 1.30pm and Saturdays 7am to 2pm. Shop ‘til you drop at the Original Eumundi Markets – the place to go if you’re looking for something a little different or handmade. You’ll find artwork, sculptures, furniture, handmade toys, homewares and skincare, as well as fashion and jewellery by local designers. Local fresh produce is also in abundance, offering fruit and vegetables, freshly baked breads and locally made cheeses and yoghurts. There’s also a great variety of food stalls to keep the appetite sated, as well as local talent to keep you entertained while you wander around the stalls.

Go shopping

The main street of Eumundi is bustling with shops to explore and cafes to grab a bite to eat at while you watch the world go by. Pearls for Girls is a must-visit if you’re looking for a special gift for someone, or maybe yourself. They offer a wide range of original designs set in sterling silver or gold. Their custommade jewellery includes pearls from around the world. Pearls For Girls specialises in Australian Broome Pearls, Tahitian Pearls, Freshwater Pearls from China, and Akoya pearls from Japan. They also complement their jewellery range with American Navajo Indian Turquoise, Amber from Poland, and semi-precious and precious stones.

eumundi

COMPETITIONS

WIN

EASTER

H LID 3 - 19 APRIL AY FUN!

WIN ONE OF NINE FAMILY PASSES TO AUSTRALIA ZOO!

EASTER HOLIDAY FUN AT AUSTRALIA ZOO

ick-start the Easter school holidays with your favourite Wildlife Warriors, the Irwin family, at Australia Zoo! From 3 April to 7 April, Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin will be feeding the crocs daily, following performances by Bindi and the Jungle Girls in the worldfamous Crocoseum. On Easter Sunday, there’s a massive zoo-wide Easter egg hunt where you can win some great prizes. And if you’re one of the first 100 to subscribe to Crikey! Magazine on Tuesday, 7 April, you’ll get to meet the Irwin family in person – and even get your first issue signed! But the fun doesn’t stop there, and neither do the Easter treats. Australia Zoo will hold a zoo-wide treasure hunt for the duration of the holidays that will take you from admissions to Africa, Bindi’s Island, south-east Asia and back. By solving the puzzles, you’ll eventually wind up in a secret location to claim your treasure – so be sure to pick up your treasure map on admission! Zoo Keeper for a Day will be back and running from 4 April to 18 April for those wanting to try their hand at zoo keeping, and there’ll be pony rides happening too! For all the details and to check out the full Easter school holidays activity guide, head to www.australiazoo.com.au

BUY TICKETS FAST TRACK NOW TO YOUR ENTRY!

EAS EGG HTER 5 APRUNT BIN IL AND TDI JUNG HE PERFO LE GIRLS R 3 - 7 A M LIVE! PRIL

australiazoo

.com.au

valued at

$1548!

Head to WWW.PROFILEMAG.COM.AU to enter this month’s competitions!

T & Cs Each pass will admit two adults and two kids aged 14 and under (kids under three years of age are free) to Australia Zoo for one day. Additional tickets for both adults and children can be purchased on the gate or at www.australiazoo.com.au. Tickets are valid until expiry date only and are non-refundable or transferable. They are valued at $172 each.

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general manager / creative director Kara de Schot generalmanager@profilemag.com.au editor Ingrid Nelson editorial@profilemag.com.au journalists Nicole Fuge, Anna Rawlings publication coordinator / graphic designer Johanna Jensen-Brown

COMPETITIONS

win a luxury face mask SEACRET™’s Dead Sea cosmetics revolutionary ‘mineral-rich magnetic mud mask’ (M4) from Mud and Salt Beauty (www.mudandsaltbeauty.com or 0419 773 567) revives your skin through the power of biomagnetism. As you run the magnet over your face, the iron powder in the mask is magnetised, creating micro-electric currents that gently relax your skin. At the same time, Dead Sea minerals, essential oils, and Vitamins PRO B5 and E moisturise, nurture and rejuvenate. The result is smoother, more radiant, healthier and younger-looking skin. One lucky Profile reader will win a mud and salt mask valued at $319.

graphic designers Danielle Murphy, Deanna Byers account manager Maree McGrath director of client satisfaction Kerry Phairs

sales and events co-ordinator Tara King office manager Emily Steckelbruck hinterland specialist Sue Godfrey

distributors Wade Fuge, Paul Robertson feature writers Kate Davies, Carly Rees, Tara Cooper, Penny Shipway cover photography Tanya Chesterton Smith, Chesterton Smith Photography photography Tanya Chesterton Smith, Rebecca Smith, Cheryl Nonmus phone 5451 0669 address Beach on Sixth, 102 / 65 Sixth Ave, Maroochydore PO Box 1065, Cotton Tree, QLD 4558 distribution 25,000 free copies are street delivered to high traffic areas such as cafes, information centres, fashion boutiques, doctors, hairdressers and professional offices across the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane, monthly. digital Our email newsletter is sent to 6,000 inboxes monthly. We have an average of 19,000 impressions of our online magazine each month. Our social media reach is on average 20,000 each week across Facebook and Instagram. Profile magazine is a free publication (subscriptions available) published 11 times a year by Think Publications Pty Ltd ATF Profile Mag Trust. All rights are reserved and the contents are copyright and may not be reproduced without the written consent of The Publisher, Th ink Publications Pty Ltd ATF Profi le Mag Trust (“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.

april 2015

win a fashion prize pack Win a fashion prize pack of two dresses and a fabulous tote bag from Ava Design (www.ava-design. com). The ‘Rachel’ shift dress features ¾ sleeves, pockets and a gorgeous floral print, perfect for warm days, made out of 96 per cent cotton material and boasting an elastane element. The ‘Agy’ dress combines a cute butterfly print with a classic French twist neckline design and elegantly pleated skirt, made out of cotton material with pockets. Match the dresses with the ‘AVA’ tote bag made from soft PU leather, printed with a bright flora and fauna design. The ‘Rachel’ dress is available from sizes six to 14, rrp $129, the ‘Agy’ dress is available from sizes six to 16, rrp $129 and the 'AVA' floral bag is rrp $99 for a combined prize value of $357.

win a photo artwork Are your treasured photos just sitting on your hard drive or phone? Now you can get them off your device and into your life with PosterCandy (www. postercandy.com.au). Create a small poster with six images, or a huge A0 size poster, with up to 368 photos. Your PosterCandy poster can be portrait, landscape or square and fits frames from IKEA, photo stores and variety stores. We have three PosterCandy posters to give away to our readers, with a combined total value of $300! The winners can order a one-off in any size (apart from the largest 84cm x 119cm), layout and number of pictures in one poster and includes shipping within Australia. Enter now!

Head to www.profilemag.com.au to enter this month’s competitions!

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L AST WORD

“I wish I could … work on THE BLOCK and be a FARMER at the same time!”

SCOTT CAM

I grew up in … The Bondi area hanging at the beach.

WORD PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

The epitome of an Aussie larrikin, Scott Cam is the tradieturned-television presenter and current host of renovation reality show The Block. Since being scouted in his local pub for a presenting role over 16 years ago, Scott went on to bring his carpentry skills to the silver screen with various appearances on lifestyle and building shows. At the 56th TV Week Logie Awards in 2014, Scott won a Silver Logie for Most Popular Presenter and the Gold Logie for Most Popular Australian TV Personality – which he promptly turned into a stubbie opener. This sense of humour, downto-earth attitude and love for everything Australian has turned him into a fan favourite.

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The first thing I do when I wake up is … go for a swim. If I could be better at anything it would be … golf! I am at my happiest when … spending time with my wife and kids. When I am not working I am … at home or at my farm in Mudgee. I wish I could … work on The Block and be a farmer at the same time! Most people don’t know that I … really wish I could sing. When I was growing up I wanted to be … a carpenter or a shipwright. I couldn’t live without … my wife and kids. My most annoying habit is … snoring. I laugh out loud when … hanging with my old mates at the pub. My hidden talent is … juggling.

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