Spring has Sprung at
Tradewinds
Great deals for locals*! Locals can now stay at Rydges Tradewinds from only $99 per room per night.
Sea Level Food & Wine is now open for breakfast! Take in the VIEWS of the CORAL SEA with your bacon and eggs or morning coffee. RELAX and enjoy alfresco dining for LUNCH or DINNER at SEA LEVEL on the Esplanade. Share a COCKTAIL overlooking the picture perfect VIEWS of Trinity Bay. Sea Level makes the ideal spot for lunch or dinner daily. * Local ID required at checkin. Subject to availability and conditions apply.
Find us on
www.facebook.com/rydges.tradewinds.cairns www.facebook.com/sealevel.cairns
To book, visit www.rydges.com/cwp/tradewindslocaldeals or telephone 4053 0300 To book your Sea Level dining experience – call 4053 0372 137 The Esplanade, Cairns QLD 4870
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gary young
louise orbons
tnq profile magazine launch event
features 12
view – a perfect vision Melanie Wicks
14
people – if the shoe fits ... Kylie Gabutto
16
success – a good sport Gary Young
18
lads at lunch – ageing (dis) gracefully ... the rebuttal The lads talk ageing – the good, the bad and the ugly
22
inspire – a woman with soul Renee Geyer
24
cover – the beautiful truth Louise Orbons
62
the last word Juanita Maiden
a brisbane marriott escape on page 60
regulars
september 2011
4 editor’s note
35 style counsel
50 business
6 pinboard
36 life
56 milestones
8 he says, she says
40 travelfile
58 rsvp
special feature
28 profile loves
42 on the table
60 win
32 wedding feature
30 vanity case
44 abode
61 on the road
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editor’s note
I
must say, I thought my email inbox had reached capacity … until the launch of our magazine last month! From the south of Cairns all the way to Port Douglas, the positive feedback from you, our lovely readers, made for a very enjoyable read. It seems that an honest, feel-good magazine that showcases local people is worthy of five minutes from your busy day to say thanks. Well straight back at you! Here’s what a few of our readers and clients had to say: “Just wanted to say I’ve just read your first edition of profile magazine (TNQ) … It was a great read from cover to cover. Very informative and interesting articles. Truly an excellent publication.” Melissa Humphries, reader. “From a personal perspective, I really like the magazine. From a business point of view, we are pleased with the layout, format and presentation, and with how our particular ad and article are presented.” Ann Radke, Yaruga Nursery, client. “While having my hair done at Stefan’s yesterday I was handed one of your magazines. I have to say that I was very impressed with the articles, especially ‘ladies at lunch’ as I am an older woman who desires to look after her health and looks.” Grace Lee, reader. On a personal note I am delighted to have come a full circle since working alongside group managing director and co-publisher Genine Howard in Cairns five years ago, to now balancing the ‘common juggle’ many of us face … keeping my hubby and seven-month-old bubby happy while editing this classy TNQ publication. Cairns has been good to me, and I think it’s always good to remind ourselves of the privileged lives we lead. We can always do more to help in our wonderful communities, and could all learn a thing or two about giving back, just like Louise Orbons, our gorgeous cover story subject. Louise is a classic example of true beauty – inside and out. So here we are … issue two. If you thought you knew all about PR machine Melanie Wicks from The 20/20 Group – think again. Melanie shows us you don’t always need a university degree to make it. And while Kylie Gabutto may wear the president’s badge for the Cairns Business Women’s Club, she is as down-to-earth a lady as you could find. Read all about her journey on page 14 in people. Most would know Gary Young as the face of AFL in Cairns, but he is also an unashamed tourism promoter and loves nothing more than getting out on his mountain bike to relax. Read about Gary in success on page 16. And, you just have to catch the lads’ ageing rebuttal to last month’s ladies at lunch with Mia Lacy. Don’t forget to send through your story suggestions too (tnqeditorial@profilemag.com.au). Enjoy our second edition!
MEET THE TEAM
group managing director / publisher Genine Howard
group general manager / publisher Hamish Rose
group editor-in-chief / publisher Alli Grant
publication manager Coral Florian, 0419 483 183
tnq editor Alana Rushton, 0422 288 545
sub editors Phyl Grant, Stacey Carrick
creative director Kara de Schot
mystyle contributors Katie Mackenzie, Pip Addison
profile writers Mia Lacy, Sarah Sheehan
photography Andrew Watson, Veronica Sagredo
email Sales: coral@profilemag.com.au Editorial: tnqeditorial@profilemag.com.au General: info@profilemagazine.com.au
call / fax (head office) 07 5451 0669 / 07 5475 4405
post (head office) PO Box 1065, Cotton Tree, QLD 4558
distribution 14,000 copies printed monthly.10,000 are home delivered and 4,000 copies are street delivered to high traffic areas such as highend cafes, boutiques, hairdressers and professional offices across the TNQ region (from Cairns to Port Douglas), monthly, and online along with an eMAG to 6000 inboxes regularly.
subscriptions www.profilemag.com.au/subscriptions, $65 + gst (12 issues)
C
CORAL FLORIAN TNQ PUBLICATION MANAGER
www.profilemag.com.au
ould you meet a more positive person than TNQ profile magazine’s publication manager, Coral Florian? We think not! Coral radiates positive energy and is the perfect advocate for life in the Tropical North and for TNQ profile magazine. As someone committed to early morning ‘boot camp’ sessions and a ‘work hard, play hard’ approach to life, Coral embodies all we stand for here at profile magazine. With more than 10 years in the media industry, both in Cairns and internationally, Coral has been blown away by the feedback she has received from the local community since the launch of our magazine. “Advertisers are thrilled with the feedback from customers and at the quality of the publication, readers love our stories, and the local business community has wholeheartedly embraced TNQ profile magazine. What an amazing experience it has been … and it’s only issue two!”
accounts Katherine Allan – accounts@profilemag.com.au
Profile magazine is a free publication (subscriptions available) published 12 times a year by Brisbane Profile Publishing Group Pty Ltd. All rights are reserved and the contents are copyright and may not be reproduced without the written consent of The Publisher, Brisbane Profile Publishing Group Pty Ltd (“The Publisher”), their related companies and officers hereby disclaim, to the full extent permitted by law, all liability, damages, costs and expenses whatsoever arising from or in connection with copy information or other material in this magazine, any negligence of The Publisher, or any persons actions in reliance thereon. Any dispute or complaint regarding placed advertisements must be made within seven days of publication. Inclusion of any copy must not be taken as any endorsement by The Publisher. Views expressed by contributors are personal views and they are not necessarily endorsed by The Publisher.
THECOVERSHOOT This month we wanted to portray the inner and outer beauty of our cover girl, Louise Orbons, in a soft, feminine dress. She looked glamorous in Sacha Drake (www.sachadrake.com.au), adorned with jewellery by both Secrets Shhh (Cairns Central, phone 4041 4544) and Colette Accessories (Cairns Central, phone 4041 4521), towering in stunning Suna Shoes and Accessories (Cairns Central, phone 4031 0933). Louise’s look was perfectly put together by the team at Pulse Hair and Beauty (Spence Street, phone 4051 4212), who worked with Louise on her hair and makeup for the shoot. Photographer Andrew Watson captured the strong and sensual poise of Louise, who was styled by editor Alana Rushton. We chose the Julia MacAlpine Dance Studio on Reservoir Road to create the reflective shots of Louise in the mirror (as seen in our cover story on page 27). We hope you like the results! Beautiful, if we do say so ourselves.
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pinboard
with Jennifer Thompson A List Events International To register your event email jennifer@alistevents.com.au
1-3
cairns amateurs
Various events and venues range from Ladies Day to the Annual Ball and two race days. www.cairnsamateurs.org.au
1-30 september moonlight cinema, port douglas Almost every night throughout September, you can catch a movie under the moonlight at Rydges Sabaya Resort, Port Douglas. Check the screening dates and times with prices from $16. www.moonlight.com.au
2 september renee geyer The headline act for the 2011 Jazz Up North series is legendary singer Renee Geyer and Sextet at the Tanks Arts Centre. www.ticketlink.com.au
2 september amateurs cbwc lunch Cairns Business Women’s Club Lunch at Amateurs from 11am. www.cbwc.org.au/book.lunch
2-30 september creative generation touring exhibition An exhibition showcasing the work of 34 artists. The launch will be held on September 2 at the Tanks Arts Centre. Open daily from 9:30am to 4:30pm.
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www.tanksartscentre.com
festival cairns finale Celebrate with Tijuana Cartel and fireworks at Fogarty Park from 7pm. Free family event. www.cairnsfest.com.au
3 september jazz under the stars Enjoy some entertainment presented by local musicians at the Flecker Botanic Gardens, Collins Ave, Edge Hill. www.cairnsfest.com.au
4 september kasey chambers and shane nicholson This multi-award winning duo are on tour to present their respective solo albums. www.cairnscivictheatre.com.au
5-9 september VII world avocado congress The World Avocado Congress will attract more than 1000 representatives from the industry. www.cairnsconvention.com.au
8 september recruitment drive 2011, twenty jobs in 11 weeks
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Direct Employment Services’ Open Day at 218 McLeod Street. Discover the benefits such as financial incentives and on-job support.
carnival on collins Celebrate Father’s Day at the signature event of Cairns Festival 2011 – Carnival on Collins at the Botanic Gardens, Edge Hill, 9am-4pm. info@tanksartscentre.com or 4032 6600 6
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Phone 4031 4816
13 september cairns chamber resource and industrial taskforce breakfast briefing Featuring guest speaker Keith De Lacy. www.cairnschamber.com.au
profilemag.com.au
pinboard
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14 september chicks at the flicks
men’s cancer awareness month
Grab the girls and head to Birch Carroll and Coyle to check out an advance screening of Crazy, Stupid Love from 7pm. Free gift bag for all chicks!
‘Blue September’ events include a blue Father’s Day on September 4 at the Car Wash Cafe and a Blue BBQ on Ishmael Rd on September 17. Contact Carolyn Rutter 0438 390 579, www.blueseptember.org.au
www.eventcinemas.com.au
15 september australian institute of management AIM Cairns management excellence awards final. Phone the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino on 1300 882 895
21-23 september queensland disability conference 2011 This year’s conference will focus on the theme ‘Absolutely Everybody: Enabling Queenslanders’. www.cairnsconvention.com.au
28 september qld fertility group seminar Queensland Fertility Group will host a seminar from 5:30pm for up to six couples to informally discuss fertility issues. Phone 4041 2400
30 september breast cancer evening awareness movie Opening of Beautiful Bras for Breast Cancer Exhibition at City Place Mall followed by Living Downstream breast cancer awareness movie screening at Centre of Contemporary Arts, Cairns. The exhibition will run until October 21. Entry Free. Phone 0438 174 947 or email emma.pinkribbon@gmail.com
next month … 7 october worklink stress less day luncheon Held at the Cairns Convention Centre at 12pm. Phone 4031 0877
september 2011
24
megan shorey
Award-winning songstress Megan Shorey returns to Cairns in a moving two-act performance ‘Just like Breathing’ with Anthony Young. Centre of Contemporary Arts. Phone 4050 9401
27-28
september civic theatre event Bell Shakespeare’s production of Julius Caesar at the Cairns Civic Theatre. www.ticketlink.com.au
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he says, she says
y t u a e b is ep? e d n i k s y l n o
WHAT DO A CRUMBED SAUSAGE AND TWO BANANAS HAVE IN COMMON? WE FIND OUT THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION, AND MORE, WHEN WE ASK DAVE AND INKIE FROM THE ZINC FM MORNING ZOO ABOUT THE AGE-OLD ADAGE, IS BEAUTY ONLY SKIN DEEP?
he says
ZINC’S D
AVE and
She says
H
er skin had the hue of nuclear yellow and the texture of something you’d see rolling around a belt sander. She was fatter than a Melbourne wharfie’s wallet, not as fat as a Mt Isa miner’s, but nonetheless, she was hot. Probably more tepid than hot, but she was still one of the most beautiful creations I’d ever seen. I’m talking about a crumbed sausage. Too many people, including my co-host, Inkie, think they are the ugliest things you’re likely to see in a bain marie. Hats off to the ‘chicken wing-ding’ and the humble homemade ‘dim sum’ for giving it a good shake in the ugly stakes; they’re on the podium but no cigar. The ‘sausage a la crumb’ is not to everyone’s taste, but something I personally find beautiful. Sure, the skin’s not much to look at, but when you couple its crusty exterior with the fatty flavour that lies beneath, hidden from the surface, that’s what dreams are made of, people. It’s beautiful. And its beauty has absolutely nothing to do with its appearance. But that’s just me and that’s the point; the concept of beauty is in each and every individual’s personal perception. As the cliché goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. Or for a bloke on a big night out, it’s in the eye of the ‘beer holder’. The idea that beauty is only skin deep is about as close to the truth as Ricky Nixon’s testimony in relation to the St Kilda schoolgirl. Beauty can be found in an emotion or a gesture, in a sound or a song, in a complex design or a simple sketch. And none of the above even have skin. One of my personal heroes, Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones, has skin, in fact he has a face like a scrotum, but for me he’s a beautiful man who’s penned some beautiful tunes. Like I said, it’s in the eye of the beer holder, and I’ll drink to that. Cheers!
TaNKs arts Centre
A
s I stand in my bathroom I see a colourful array of beauty products on my white vanity, all standing in a row at attention looking like little soldiers going to war. But the battle ahead of them is far greater than any other; it’s the battle against wrinkles and dry skin. We are all trying to ‘age defy’ ourselves, spending hundreds, or even thousands of dollars on skin care products and getting botox to smooth out those character lines. Some of us are even using placenta protein and trained leeches (really, can you train a leech?) on our face because that’s what the big name celebs are doing! So are we only doing this because we have great personalities, or is it beauty that captures your attention, and personality captures your heart? Grab your baskets people and meet me in the fruit and veg section – we’re going on a school excursion to try and answer this question. Two yellow bananas are sitting on a shelf ready to be sold. Both are the same size, looking deliciously voluptuous, have infectious personalities and a great sense of humour (cracking banana jokes like, “Why did the banana go out with the prune? Because he couldn’t find a date”). But, one of the bananas has more blemishes, or I’d like to call them Marilyn Monroe beauty spots, than the other on their skin. Now let us be honest here, which banana would you buy? I’ll be the first to put my hand up and say I would pick the prettier one, but why? Is it just the way we’ve trained our eyes? So is beauty only skin deep? It’s a loaded question and plenty of answers are swirling around in my head. But, I’ll leave you with a little quote a grade five student submitted in her mid-year English assignment which sums it up perfectly: “Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it”.
MUSIC • ARTS • COMMUNITY • EVENTS • CULTURE
triPoD
Carnival on Collins martinez
FRIDAY 23 SEPTEMBER
arChiteCture in helsinki
They’ve made people laugh across the country and the world for many years - now bringing their hilarious show on the road, to Tanks!
SUNDAY 4 SEPTEMBER
A sparkling jewel in the Cairns Festival crown, Carnival on Collins is Festival’s finale event and a great family fun day.
Victor Martinez is one of the greatest Avant Garde guitarists ever. The Martinez Family - Victor, Andro and Dauno - bring their captivating show to Tanks.
Modernist pop quintet Architecture in Helsinki has been stunning crowds with transcendently joyous live shows across USA and Europe - in Cairns for one night only! I COST: $40 / $35 (CONC) (MA 15+) SHOW: 7.30PM
I COST: $40 / $35 (CONC) (MA 15+) SHOW: 7.30PM
I COST: FREE OPEN: 9.00AM – 3.00PM
46 Collins Avenue, EDGE HILL - 4km north of CBD 8
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I COST: $30 / $25 (CONC) (PG) SHOW: 7.30PM
tanksartscentre.com
SATURDAY 24 SEPTEMBER
All tickets sold through
SAGD12369
THURSDAY 1 SEPTEMBER
inkie
ticketlink.com.au profilemag.com.au
Kasey Shane Geneic Venue 2011 Poster V2.1.indd 1
september 2011
15/02/2011 3:47:37 PM
Venue:
Cairns Civic Theatre
Date & Time:
Sunday 4 September, 8pm
Tickets:
$43.15 - $59.20
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AU D I C E N T R E CA I R N S
AUDI DRIVERS CHOOSE PRESTIGE AS A WAY OF LIFE. THESE LUXURIOUS CARS ARE FAR MORE THAN JUST A MODE OF TRANSPORT. EACH MONTH WE MEET THE REFINED TNQ DRIVERS BEHIND THE DASHBOARD. THIS ISSUE WE CATCH UP WITH SCOTT AND SAM MCLEAN FROM MAIDEN CIVIL. AS PARENTS TO FOUR CHILDREN, SCOTT AND SAM CHOSE RED PEAK ESTATE AS THE PERFECT HOME BASE FOR THEIR CIVIL EARTHMOVING BUSINESS, WITH A LOT OF PLANE-HOPPING AROUND THE COUNTRY ALSO REQUIRED.
WITH SCOT T AND SAM MCLEAN SCOT T AND SAM DRIVE AN AUDI A4 2.0 TDI MULTITRONIC
LET’S MEET SCOTT AND SAM …
SCOTT AND SAM’S REVIEW …
Scott and Sam McLean are the owners of Maiden Civil Pty Ltd, a Queensland-based company providing civil pipe services for contractual works, mining and infrastructure work Australia-wide. The business also prides itself on indigenous training, equipping locals with the knowledge and experience to continue work within their community with specialised trades and service skills. Although the majority of their projects are based in the Northern Territory, the family chose Cairns as a ‘fly-in, fly-out’ home base, enjoying life in the Tropical North.
From one to 10 (10 being the highest), individually rate your car...
We earned our way to the top in business by … believing in what we do, having a never say never attitude, sheer determination and through loads of hard work.
Safety: 10 (after just recently being offered by Audi Cairns an all expenses paid trip to Lakeside raceway for an Audi experience, I now know just how safe we are in an Audi). Value: 8.5 Design: 9 Technology: 10 Practicality: 9
On any given Sunday, we go … not very far as we have a family of six and our A4 is a five-seater. The Audi is used for business and the odd school pick-up when one of the adults is busy elsewhere.
Fuel economy: 10 (you get 5.8 litres to 100km).
Our car’s best interior gadget … is the Bang & Olufsen sound system (a sensational listening experience).
Car featured: Audi A4 2.0 TDI multitronic
Our favourite exterior asset of the car … is the front-end with wrap around Xenon headlights that run during the day.
Fuel consumption: 5.8 L/100km
The vehicles we learnt to drive in were … a Ford Escort for Scott and a Mitsubishi Sigma for Sam. Nicknames for our cars have been … at the moment, we have Alexander Audi and Paxton Pajero. The garage also houses … a Mitsubishi Pajero. However, we are in the process of looking at the Audi Q7 (suitable for our family of four children) now that we have had a taste of the Audi experience with our A4. The stretch of road we would choose to drive our car on is … let’s face it, we live in a beautiful country so we would say the Great Ocean Road for the 243km of stunning Australian scenery along the bluest ocean.
Driveability: 10 SCOTT AND SAM’S CAR
Acceleration: 0-100km/hr 9.4sec
Engine: 4 cylinder diesel with common rail and diesel particulate filter Capacity: 1968cc Power: (kw/rpm) 105/4200 Safety: Eight airbags including side guard, electronic stabilisation program (ESP) electronic differential lock (EDL) traction control (ASR) and brake assist, electromechanical parking brake, servotronic power steering, safety steering column with tilt and telescopic adjustment. Cost: $77,756 drive away Includes factory options: Comfort Package, Xenon Plus Headlights, S-Line Sport Package, F & R Optical Parking, B & O Sound System and Tyre Pressure Monitor.
Our car’s best interior gadget ‌ is the Bang & Olufsen sound system (a sensational listening experience).
AU D I C E N T R E CA I R N S
scott and sam mclean
www.audicentrecairns.com.au august 2011
Audi Centre Cairns 303-309 Mulgrave Rd Phone 07 4046 6322 profilemagazine
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view
words sarah sheehan ll photography veronica sagredo
MELANIE WICKS SKIPPED THE USUAL TRACK TO UNIVERSITY AND INSTEAD KNOCKED ON THE DOOR OF FLEET STREET, LANDING A JOB AT THE FINANCIAL TIMES AS AN EDITORIAL ASSISTANT. SHE WENT ON TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE AUSTRALIA WITH A FRIEND AND ENDED UP FALLING IN LOVE WITH BOTH HER WORK AND A MAN. THE NOW CO-DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS CONSULTANCY, THE 20/20 GROUP SHARES WITH SARAH SHEEHAN HER PERFECT VISION FOR LIFE IN CAIRNS.
I
walk into the office of ‘The 20/20 Group’ looking like someone who has just conquered Mount Everest. I have just reached the summit of three flights of stairs on a set of crutches thanks to some torn ligaments after trying a bit too hard at an indoor soccer game. Panting, perspiring and with as much grace as a baby giraffe on roller skates, I scramble to The 20/20 Group reception area. I had falsely envisaged that an office of strategic planners was going to be a dark, windowless office space, the inhabitants of which would all be wearing black while being drip-fed on percolated coffee. You can thank my personal experience of enduring strategic planning meetings in a previous working life for this ghastly preconception. This isn’t some stuffy, windowless office space, nor are its inhabitants anything like I imagine. The contrary actually. The colourful office smacks me in the face and staff greet me warmly and hurry to sit me down and make me comfortable. I meet co-director of The 20/20 Group Melanie Wicks. She is glamorous yet relaxed in her dress, a powerful yet approachable business woman. She has a quirky sense of humour and is an engaging conversationalist. After chatting with Melanie for a few minutes, I quickly learn she has never shied away from a challenge. At the end of her schooling in Mother England, and not being a fan of homework, she thought it would be a good idea to skip university and become a journalist. While most young, budding journalists in England had to move to rural villages spending their hours reporting on “missing dogs and dead grannies”, Melanie decided to knock straight on the door of Fleet Street. The first job she landed was with the Financial Times in London as an editorial assistant. “I wanted to see what the industry was like and just get my foot in the door and I loved it. It was great,” she says. “However, all the journalists I worked with, who would have been in their 30’s or 40’s, were all divorced, verging on alcoholism, and led a very hard life! Very fast-paced, very exciting, very glamorous, but very tough on the social life.” At this point I would like to point out I have just turned 30, so the alcoholism and the divorce mustn’t be too far away. For Melanie though, all this was avoided through a change of career direction. Like many explorers before her, Melanie circumnavigated Australia on a gap year with a girlfriend in a beaten-up car and fell in love with the place.
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MELANIE WICKS
profilemag.com.au
september 2011
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When she returned to England and began working for a publisher in the finance sector, her boss smelt massive opportunity in Australia as the banks were deregulating in 1984. “I was sent out to Sydney to run a conference for international bankers, and was basically left behind,” she laughs, explaining that her boss jumped back on a plane to England and left her to “make what she could” with a delegates list and a revolutionising banking industry. As a result, she helped to build an Australian magazine in the finance sector. Melanie’s fondest memory of her early career was working as a gofer for the infamous Richard Neville, a social commentator and a member of the Oz Three, a team of writers who were victims of the conservative censorship wars of the 1960s, controversially charged for producing an obscene publication in both Australia and England. This magazine was called Oz. She helped Richard produce a television program that only survived one season on Channel Ten, covering a variety of subject matter, from curing cancer with laughter to hydroponics, it was considered too progressive and outlandish for the conservative Australian public of the 1980s. “It bombed,” Melanie explains. “It was far too ahead of its time.” After a hectic career in the Sydney advertising industry, what lured her out of the rat race to balmy, laid-back Cairns? “A bloke,” she admits, “who is now my husband.” Cairns was initially a change of pace for Melanie. However, her career quickly took off again with work as a freelance marketing consultant, as John McKenzie’s producer at 4CA. She then took on a seven-year stint in a variety of roles for Delfin Lend Lease, the creators of Forest Gardens, and many other developments along the eastern seaboard. She was the first female project manager for Delfin, a position traditionally held by those with engineering and civil construction backgrounds. “What I didn’t know about front-end loaders you could fill a library with,” she laughs. This proved to be insignificant when she was promoted to manager for north Australia. Ironically, you could fill a library with the experience and knowledge Melanie has gained over her colourful and vibrant life. “I feel I am learning the whole time, and I hope I always will. I have a vague ambition I am going to go to university when I retire. I’m going to study backwards. I think it’s really important to keep using your mind, keep being curious and keep questioning.” Melanie is the chair of Tourism Kuranda, a member of the Kuranda Infrastructure Advisory Committee, and has positions on numerous other panels. Despite juggling so many roles, she claims to be “very good at relaxing”, enjoying kicking back on weekends at her Holloways Beach home with a good coffee and the Saturday newspapers, and cooking for pleasure ... not from necessity. And what about her business? “I am challenged every day and I love it,” Melanie says, referring to her nevertypical day at The 20/20 Group. “It’s very strategic and we’re paid to think.” The 20/20 Group was born “over many bottles of champagne” with her friend Gaye Scott back in 2002. The pair realised there was a huge opportunity in Cairns to unite their expert marketing skills and create a consultancy that could help other businesses reach their full potential. They approached Jodi Peters who boasted a strong commercial business background, and from there, The 20/20 Group was formed. “In terms of managing a business together, it’s a very, very happy marriage, and I think that’s reflected in the company,” Melanie says of her partners. “I certainly don’t feel like we are ever sitting in a comfort zone here. We are constantly pushing ourselves and challenging ourselves, and sometimes it can be quite scary. Sometimes you take something on and think ‘wow!’” We discuss the philosophy behind The 20/20 Group’s name, meaning ‘perfect vision’. “It is also our exit strategy,” she says. “In the year 2020, we want to think, well, good, we’ve made our millions, let’s march off into the sunset.” Now that’s a perfect vision.
Smarter Business Solutions profilemagazine
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people
When you are old and in a rocking chair, your family and great friends will always be there for you – along with a wardrobe full of shoes.”
if the
fits ... words alana rushton ll photography veronica sagredo
KYLIE GABUTTO HAS ENJOYED MANY PERSONAL TRIUMPHS. EQUALLY, SHE HAS FACED GREAT LOSS. SINCE MOVING TO CAIRNS FOR A JOB IN 2004, THE ONCE PRACTISING BEAUTY THERAPIST HAS FOUND HER JOY BEING CLOSE TO PEOPLE AND MAKING BUSINESS FUN. ALANA RUSHTON peeks BEHIND THE IMMACULATE FACADE OF THE CAIRNS BUSINESS WOMEN’S CLUB PRESIDENT AND UNEARTHS A VERY GROUNDED LADY.
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Kylie Gabutto profilemag.com.au
people
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ven though I have been a journalist for 11 years, it never ceases to amaze me when my subjects opens their heart, let down their guard and shed a tear. Sometimes it’s because they are reliving a sad event. Sometimes it’s due to an overwhelming sense of pride. And sometimes it’s when they come to the realisation that they are grateful for what they have. These are the three very reasons that brought the Cairns Business Women’s Club (CBWC) president, Kylie Gabutto, to the brink of raw emotion. Kylie shares with me the sad tale of losing her little boy at 38 weeks through a stillbirth. This year, her son would have celebrated his 21st birthday. “I had always been maternal and wanted to be a mum. My own mum often joked with me that I would be pregnant before the end of my teen years,” she explains. I ask Kylie how she managed to keep going after losing a child. Bringing her exquisitely polished nails to her mouth and trying to hold back the emotion, Kylie was frank about the traumatic experience. “I am appreciative of the experience because it taught me an empathy I wouldn’t have learnt any other way, and gave me resilience. He essentially made me who I am now. It was 21 years ago, but there are days when it’s almost like it was yesterday.” Luckily, fate had a surprise in store for Kylie – just when she needed it most. Only six months after her devastating loss, Kylie and her first husband, Graham, were told they were pregnant with twin girls. “My sister said, ‘It’s poetic justice’.” Those two grown-up girls, now aged 20, are the second reason for Kylie’s tears. She proudly talks about Sami (Samantha) and Ali (Alexandra) as they make their own journey through life. Kylie reflects on the challenges that came with juggling two needy babes at once. “I saw a photograph of me the girls’ first Father’s Day and I looked like I had been dragged through a bramble bush backwards. But they are the joy of my life, and the best work I have ever done,” she says without hesitation. “People would often ask me how I cope, but I am a firm believer that you are not dealt anything you can’t manage. The universe felt I was up for the challenge.”
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It’s Kylie’s full-time paying job, as opposed to her volunteer presidential role, that funds an impressive wardrobe of shoes, in every colour and design. Kylie sells commercial furniture for Sebel, which is probably where her love for stylish, designer shoes comes from. “I am involved in selling furniture to industries from aged care to education, and everything in between.” When asked why she moved to Cairns in 2004, she said she visited family on the Tablelands every second year while working for a New South Wales government organisation project managing final fit-outs of buildings. “Everyone has a reason for arriving here. The catalyst for me was the loss of a job that I thought I was going to have till the end of my career.” The company created a position for her in Cairns, but her toughest moments in the lead-up to moving here involved managing a swag of staff who were made redundant. For her twin girls, the move up here was not so smooth. “Ripping 14-year-old girls from the bosoms of their friends … they constantly told me I had ruined their lives and it was torment for them.” And while the girls have since flown the coop, Kylie and her partner of 16 years, Bruno, live very contentedly in their Kewarra Beach “renovator” where they listen to the waves lapping from their back deck. “I am the tradie’s assistant to my husband, the builder. This is the fifth home we have renovated. Our tastes are the same, and he has that Italian design thing.” For someone who appears to have it all, I wanted to go further back to her early working days. She worked as a beauty therapist and in a bank before having her babies. While at home one day with her twins, she had a moment. “I was standing in the lounge with a coffee in my hand and realised Oprah was my best friend, so I rang the beauty salon and they let me come back to work.” She then found her way into recruitment. “I discovered if there aren’t people involved in my work, then it’s not fun.” She adored the nurturing role she could take on which involved steering people into the right job path. “Everybody is placeable. You just need to find a job you love that
makes you tick.” Kylie went on to work in insurance and project management in the manufacturing industry. Inevitably, after a stint in recruitment in Cairns, Kylie decided it wasn’t hitting her hot button, and that’s when she started with Sebel Furniture. When I remind Kylie she is now the lady at the top of the Cairns Business Women’s Club (after starting as secretary in 2009), she was quick to cut the kudos. “I am not running my own multinational organisation. I am just Kylie. I put my shoes on one at a time like everyone else.” This year Kylie has seen the introduction of a male board member, David Smith, a significant milestone in the 25-year history of the club. “It’s healthy to encourage both genders to be involved, and the lunches have never been exclusive for women only. The whole idea is for it to be a bit of fun while profiling your business. We just facilitate that networking opportunity.” Kylie puts everything she has into her day at work, then goes home to work on her personal goals she has set for the CBWC. Her first goals are to get the CBWC to be the leading networking base in Tropical North Queensland, and ultimately, to run a national conference that can showcase Cairns. When I ask Kylie what she likes best about both her paying and non-paying jobs, she says, “I enjoy the relationships I have established with people and being the go-to girl when problems arise.” It is also something she has instilled in her children. “Both of my girls have a very mature work ethic, and they both have a confidence that I didn’t get until much later in life.” “I am the happiest I have ever been. People told me that when I hit my 40’s my skin would fit. So when I turned 40 and nothing happened, I waited. Not many people are happy and are always looking for external recognition. You have this house, or you look like this … But I thought about all the people around me and they make you who you are. I think I just needed some runs on the board and some years behind me to realise that. When you are old and in a rocking chair, your family and great friends will always be there for you – along with a wardrobe full of shoes!” And as they say, if the shoe fits ...
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success advice
Football in the ‘70s was really different. It was an amateur sport on the brink of transition.�
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gary young
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success
words alana rushton ll photography andrew watson
THE NAME GARY YOUNG CONJURES UP IMAGES OF A GREEN OVAL, WHITE GOAL POSTS, BRIGHT LIGHTS AND A RED LEATHER SHERRIN FOOTY. BUT THE AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL CAIRNS PRESIDENT DOESN’T JUST HANG HIS HAT ON HIS SPORT OF CHOICE. THIS FIVE-TIME ESSENDON FOOTBALL PLAYER HAS ‘LUNCHED WITH THE QUEEN’. HE IS ALSO A WALKING, TALKING, BIKE-RIDING, TOURISM PROMOTER AND STAUNCH FAMILY MAN WHO MARRIED HIS CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART, AS ALANA RUSHTON UNVEILS.
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s a footballer’s wife myself, I happily fit into the WAG (Women and Girlfriends) category. I enjoy glamming it up for the Cairns Saints footy functions, and will just as happily jump behind the canteen on game day to serve hot pies. Being part of a club brings about rewarding friendships and lots of fun to boot. So it’s no surprise I already know Gary Young, having spoken to him and seen him on football game days many times over the years. He is a very personable man, good-looking and always professional. His president’s office at the Australian Football League Cairns is modest and houses a picture of the football grounds in 1963 – a stark reminder of how far the game has come, and how lucky we are to have people steering a change in thinking in football in Cairns. “To create an oval out of a swamp showed enormous foresight, and took a little bit of guts all those years ago,” he tells me. With 23 years in tourism prior to his role with the AFL, it’s no surprise his background continually influences his everyday life. When I first spoke with Gary on the mobile, he described to me the spectacular views as he stood on the balcony of an apartment in Townsville. He was there as part of his voluntary judging role for the Queensland Tourism Awards, taking a ‘tried and tested’ approach to judging – ensuring each tourism operator stands true to the claims in their submissions. We chat about the tongues that have been wagging down south after the Richmond versus Gold Coast game at Cazalys Stadium in Cairns, and how he hopes to continue to build the hype and entice footy fans to linger longer when they visit again next year for the home-ground Richmond fixture. “Everyone who came up here, even the media and AFL [staff], has been delighted with how it all went,” he says. I joked that we locals knew it was a big deal for Cairns when we had to park four blocks away on AFL match day. “It reminded me of the footy in Melbourne and what it used to be like for me going to Windy Hill in Essendon. As a kid as you walked to the grounds. There was a real hum in the air.” Nobly, that young boy from Melbourne went on to play five senior matches and 60 reserve matches for the Essendon Football Club, from 1976 to 1978, in the days when footy was not a celebrity sport. “Football in the ‘70s was really different. It was an amateur sport on the brink of transition,” Gary reflects. Gary is in the thick of preparations for the Tourism Tropical North Queensland Awards in Cairns on October 29. With 10 years behind him in the role of local judge, Gary is always conscious of giving fresh eyes to the awards process and believes it’s a great way for participants to internally critique their own businesses. And he has been impressed with the resilience of the region of late. “We judge a business no matter of their size or history, but within their abilities to operate. At a time when it would be easy to withdraw and cut costs, businesses have got smart and reinvested to make themselves more sustainable.” But what really gets Gary talking is tourism – leisure tourism, business conference tourism, medical tourism – anything tourism. And, that’s how we get on to the topic of his interest in bike riding, both on and off road. september 2011
He lights up about sports tourism and excitedly talks about New Zealand’s shared tracks just above Christchurch called Port Hills, where they attract the masses to either walk or ride. At this point, he says he wishes he had $1 million to again stage a World Cup mountain bike event at a Smithfield track, “because it puts you on the map”. Gary is also quick to defend the highly-criticised money spent on bike paths in the region. “You go to other places in the world where people are out cycling for fitness or as a family, and we haven’t embraced that as much here in Cairns.” When he is not on the new Esplanade riding track, he names Smithfield Mountain Bike Park and Davies Creek in Kuranda as his hot cycling spots. “Mountain biking is not just for young ones who want to get dirty, there is a whole bunch of business people in Cairns who like to get together and get muddy.” I ask Gary about his family. He’s a proud dad of three (two girls and a boy) and a husband of 30 years to his Croatian wife, Manda, who is deputy principal at Holy Cross School. So how did Gary find himself in Cairns? “I bought a backpackers hostel up here on the Esplanade [in 1988]. I was a physical education teacher by trade and came up here on holidays … I thought let’s give it a go!” Gary went on to work in hospitality and marketing for R&R Rafting, and later became regional manager for Queensland Rail for 10 years. Like many locals, he hadn’t even ridden on the Kuranda train, so he jumped onboard before his job interview. But he needn’t have worried, because the company didn’t recruit him for knowing about rolling stocks and bogeys, but rather for his tourism drive. He successfully turned the train timetable into a tourism brochure and a massive attraction. “It never had a brand, and we positioned it in the marketplace to make sure it was fully entrenched.” Celebrating 125 years of operation, it’s one of the longest and most widely recognised Australian train journey experiences, and Gary is humbled to have been involved in its history. In 2002, Gary was responsible for meeting and greeting the Queen and Prince Phillip at the station. He also rode in the far end of the carriage with the royals. “So I guess you can sort of say I had lunch with the Queen.” This year marks a significant milestone for Gary and his wife; 30 years together as husband and wife. Manda, who speaks English, Croation and German, will soon be learning the key words of a few other languages when they head off overseas for an anniversary celebration in 2012. The couple will be joined by a few close friends on part of the journey to Chamonix Mont Blanc for a “classic mountain bike trail ride through France, Switzerland and Italy” being organised by Gary, of course. Quite the adventure! When you ask Gary about his long association with Cairns’s most widely known industry, he says, “I wanted to give back to the industry that has been good to me for more than 20 years.” It proves Gary is most definitely a big-picture man. “I was always brought up on team sports, so I have always been a good team player,” he tells me. Perhaps Gary’s approach to life is the reason he is as equally at home in the world of tourism as he is on the sporting field. profilemagazine
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lads at lunch
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“I thought about 50 a lot leading up to it, but now I’m looking forward to the next decade. It’s better than the alternative.
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John Riordan
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1. John Riordan 2. Alan Baxter 3. Pesci’s seafood tasting plate features prawns, scallops and fresh fish with a special Mediterranean herb crust 4. Salt and pepper calamari 5. profile’s mia lacy interviews the lads over lunch 6. Mark Peters
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lads at lunch
words mia lacy ll photography alana rushton and mia lacy ll venue pesci’s mediterranean and seafood restaurant, cairns
IN OUR LAUNCH ISSUE, MIA LACY TOOK THREE LOVELY LADIES OUT TO LUNCH TO DISCUSS THE TOPIC OF AGEING AND SHE DISCOVERED THEY HAD ALL EMBRACED GROWING OLDER. MIA’S TASK THIS MONTH WAS TO FLIP THE COIN AND SEE IF MEN APPROACH AGEING DIFFERENTLY TO WOMEN. IS TRYING TO LOOK YOUNGER A SIGN OF MAN-O-PAUSE, OR SIMPLY THE NORM? AND IS THE MALE SPECIES ON A QUEST TO TURN BACK TIME?
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ou’ve probably heard the saying that “40 is the new 30”. However, several weeks ago I was astonished to read in a weekly lifestyle magazine that “60 was the new 40”. No, really. You have to love the blind, bleedin’ optimism. (Or is it that sub-editors don’t ‘do’ maths?) With women now embracing ageing with a flourish, we thought it was high time to hear from the men on this subject. Many women have said to me, “Oh, men are so lucky; they age so much better than we do”. But ladies, what yardstick are you applying? There’s the obvious – the physical – but what about the cerebral, and do the two intersect? Loosening their lips at lunch are three Cairns’ ‘lads’ who have each entered their fifth decade (some more recently than others, it’s pointed out to me early). John Riordan is an account executive at Seven Cairns. Married to Kath, the couple has two sons under 10 years. Alan Baxter owns the Audi Centre in Cairns. Now separated, he’s a proud dad to teenage daughters, aged 13 and 17. Mark Peters, employment lawyer and founding partner at Peters Bosel Lawyers, has a 17-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son. He married Jodi five years ago and the couple now has a one-year-old son. We’re just rating the views at Pescis Mediterranean and Seafood Restaurant and John is giving us the lowdown on his boss Kerry Stokes’ boat, ‘Antipodean’, which is parked at the end of E finger. “Probably not so much a mid-life crisis purchase as a considered lifestyle investment,” quips Mr Riordan. I covertly check out the lads. There’s no hair dye, and these men look fit, healthy and casually well dressed. What’s their secret? profile: How does the way men and women treat the ageing process differ? mark: There’s a cliché that women put in a lot more effort to maintain their looks but I’m not sure that’s true these days. Men are putting in huge effort in the gym and in other ways. alan: Men are looking after themselves better but still not to the extent women do.
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profile: All the men at this table look pretty good to me. john: I’d hate you to be looking at me right now thinking ‘there’s a hair sticking out of his nose!’ Seriously though, the best thing about the morning I turned 50 was the plumbing hadn’t frozen up. Plus I married a very young, incredibly attractive woman who doesn’t need much help to stay that way. profile: You all talk about the physical ... what about the intellectual side? john: We have young children so we are too tired of a night time to talk, therefore I can’t comment on the intellectual approach. mark: I’m in the same boat, except my wife’s 14 years younger than me. I think a young wife keeps you young, but with that comes a degree of pressure about staying on top of the ageing process. john: I started man-scaping 30 years ago by applying moisturiser. I’m way ahead of you! profile: Should you try and arrest the physical decline or leave it to Mother Nature? john: I undertook a fairly disciplined gym routine in the past last 12 months and got down to around 80kgs. It felt great. alan: Stay active. 60 was thought to be old, now it’s 75 or 80 years of age because people are taking more care of themselves. profile: Er, perhaps 60 doesn’t seem old because you’re all in your 50’s. I mean, isn’t it relative – 60 is still old to a 30-year-old? alan: Yes sure, but generally speaking people are a lot younger today and not as set in their ways as a generation ago. john: We learnt from the mistakes of the last generation. alan: Yes, that’s particularly true of not smoking in our generation. mark: I say fight age gently. You’ve got the brain of a 30-year-old and the body of a 50-year-old but the two don’t quite go together in terms of physical recovery, so go at it very gently and enjoy it. john: And there are so many options these days for fitness. We’re spoiled for choice.
profile: Okay, the mid-life crisis, is it fact or fallacy, and has anyone experienced one? john: Never had one. I think there are ways of avoiding it and readjusting your life. You have overall control. It’s definitely not a fallacy. There’s medical evidence confirming the male mid-life crisis is real. mark: I’ve been too busy to have one so far. Maybe when I can take life a bit easier I can look forward to one! profile: What is a mid-life crisis? Is it a crisis of confidence? What defines it? mark: Buying an Audi sports car, isn’t it? (Everyone looks at Alan and cracks-up for five minutes). john: I can answer that and Mark will agree. It’s watching men our age putting their golf clubs in the car on a Saturday for a friendly game, while we’re putting our kids in the car to go to footy or swimming lessons! alan: Often people reach their 50s and do things that they’ve always wanted to do and haven’t had the time for. That’s what I see more than people trying to be 21 again. mark: Our lifestyle in Cairns relieves us of a lot of the stress that causes a mid-life crisis. alan: It does go back to lifestyle. When something happens to cause you to re-evaluate your life, people do tend to make major changes, which can be very positive. profile: Growing up versus growing old … when did you feel you’d grown up? john: I haven’t grown up. alan: We’re still a work in progress. mark: I don’t think about growing old. Growing up to me is learning from your mistakes. alan: If you think about growing old, you’ve taken your foot off the pedal. john: At a certain age, things pan out a lot easier. I thought about 50 a lot leading up to it, but now I’m looking forward to the next decade. It’s better than the alternative! mark: Do you think you have something to offer younger people? john: I’d like to do mentoring for young people profilemagazine
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lads at lunch pesci’s mediterranean and seafood restaurant, cairns
PESCI’S Mediterranean and Seafood Restaurant, Cairns Couples strolling beside the pier, boats bobbing at their moorings, the warm sea breeze and the attentions of Yves and Lucio – it’s all very Mediterranean indeed here at our outdoor table at Pesci’s. The backdrop of the marina and Trinity Inlet is a delight, day or night, and the team at this perennially popular waterfront restaurant is as professional as it gets here in Cairns. With a menu firmly focused on seafood and Mediterranean-influenced dishes, we are spoiled for choice and defer to Yves for some recommendations. My sardine ripiene is a standout: crumbed fresh sardines filled with bocconcini, olives and fennel. The flavours are perfectly balanced. The very generous serving of salt and pepper calamari is light and beautifully cooked and the oysters Kilpatrick (with the chef’s own sauce) smell and taste superb.
profile: And ageing disgracefully … what’s unacceptable? mark: Don’t drink cheap wine or bad coffee! If you’re going to over-indulge, go for quality. If you’re going to spend your whole life trying to turn up with a pristine body at the end of it, you won’t have any fun on the way. john: Mark’s right. We’ve earned our stripes along the way to indulge in good wine and great coffee. profile: Wine, coffee? Are those the only disgraceful indulgences you can come up with? john: If you want to light up a cigar, just do it! alan: Don’t chase a plastic surgeon all around town trying to stay looking younger. Chase your dreams and don’t let age be a barrier. john: What about the bucket list? Who’s got one? alan: Not me. mark: I don’t agree with the idea of a bucket list much. john: I don’t see jumping out of a plane as something I need to have on a ‘to do’ list. It might be something I just stumble across. mark: If there’s a chance to do something a bit different you should take it. If it’s fun, say yes! profile: Like the time you spent a few hours in Lake Street dressed as Santa Claus? mark: How did you know about that? I was elected Santa for a work Christmas party and
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“If you’re going to spend your whole life trying to turn up with a pristine body at the end of it, you won’t have any fun on the way.
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– apart from my kids, of course, which I do on a daily basis. alan: Your mentoring program would need to be supervised, i.e. not just taking them to the footy!
afterwards, well, I just stayed in the suit and had a chat to some people. It was memorable, wearing a Santa suit and sunnies, having tourists take your photo, singing ho ho ho … I made a lot of new friends! Well, after listening to that, the lads don’t seem too different from us ladies and I’d say that myth’s well and truly busted. After all, what’s important … a body rating of eight out of 10 or a happiness rating of nine and a half? It seems our menfolk are advocating moderation and personal choices to deal with the advancing years, with a nod to indulgences earned. And, if Warnie has had work done, good luck to him (and Liz) I reckon. Whatever rocks his boat. Happiness should come first, at any age.
The mains are generous servings. The unique tasting prawns and sweet potato gnocchi is served with rocket, fennel and onion salad, and the Pesci’s seafood tasting plate features prawns, scallops and fresh fish with a special Mediterranean herb crust. Served with salad and aioli and lemon, this is a perfect way to sample Pesci’s signature cuisine style. The fragrant Morrocan lamb has interesting spice combinations and the size of the seafood linguine will satisfy the biggest male appetite. Pesci’s wine list is a joy to read, with nothing run-of-the-mill and nothing too over-priced. The majority of wines are available by the glass too, which is ideal for lunch time or when there are a few of you wishing to try different styles (with this wine list, you’re going to want to). We loved the memorable Mud House sauvignon blanc from Marlborough, and the Yarra Valley Punt Road pinot noir. Pesci’s rates at number 12 of 226 restaurants in Cairns on www.tripadvisor.com and this is no doubt due to the combined attributes of a great venue, trained staff and consistent cuisine. Final tip: If there are two of you, try the Mediterranean antipasto tower for two! Phone 4041 1133 www.pescis.com.au
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business promotion
A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT For further information please visit www.cairnschamber.com.au, phone 07 4031 1838, or email info@cairnschamber.com.au. The Cairns Chamber of Commerce has a number of projects, activities and interest areas being worked on at any particular time. To give you a better understanding of the operations of the Cairns Chamber, snapshots from some of these are shown below. As president of the Cairns Chamber, I welcome your thoughts on the above and other matters and appreciate you contacting myself or other members of the Cairns Chamber Management Committee. Anthony Mirotsos President Cairns Chamber of Commerce
WHAT’S NEWS AT THE CAIRNS CHAMBER? Beautiful Art Spaces The Beautiful Art Spaces project is breathing life back into vacant shops in the Cairns CBD. A joint initiative between our Inner City Taskforce and Cairns Regional Council, this project is giving exposure to artisans through the use of vacant shops and is the first step towards these artisans becoming viable businesses in their own commercial spaces.
Mine Managers Familiarisation
Defence Expansion What a fantastic sight to have the USS Blue Ridge in town last month. It is testament to the value both the Australian and United States navies place on Cairns. It is the attractiveness of the region, coupled with our strategic position in north Australia, which is at the heart of the collective push to expand defence infrastructure and staff levels.
With a proven track record of servicing mining operations and fly-in/fly-out workforces across Australia and Papua New Guinea, Cairns is stepping up a notch to capture more of this growing sector. Through a series of activities, our Resource and Industrial Taskforce is directly engaging with mines to promote the attributes and capabilities we have on offer. The major event in the R&IT program is the Mine Managers Familiarisation on September 2 and 3. A dozen senior mining executives will experience first hand what Cairns has to offer. We will tap into the unique atmosphere of the Cairns Amateurs to showcase Cairns at its best, as well as providing industry briefings on what services businesses can offer each mining operation.
Defence is one of the highest economic multipliers of any industry sector, dramatically improving the long-term economic structure of the region, which is why the Cairns Chamber is involving itself in the drive to increase defence levels in the region.
FNQ Leadership White Paper In a turnaround from past exercises, the Cairns Young Chamber will challenge the leadership paradigm of the region by writing the first ever FNQ Leadership White Paper, which will be released in the next few months. The White Paper is based on the outcomes of the highly successful 2011 Cairns Young Chamber Cre8 Leaders Symposium, at which unique perspectives were drawn from young professionals, secondary school students and young indigenous leaders from Cape York. Our future leaders have taken the initiative and laid down the gauntlet for our current leaders to sit up and take notice. We are extremely excited about this initiative. september 2011
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inspire
ll words imogen lines renee geyer
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inspire
AUSTRALIA’S LEGENDARY RHYTHM AND BLUES SINGER RENEE GEYER, AND SEXTET, WILL PERFORM AT THE TANKS THIS MONTH AS THE HEADLINE ACT OF THE ‘2011 JAZZ UP NORTH’ SERIES. IMOGEN LINES FINDS OUT THE INNER BATTLES RENEE FACED IN GAINING HAPPINESS FROM MUSIC WITHOUT HER STRICT JEWISH FAMILY’S SUPPORT.
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his morning I was just a local Cairns girl. A girl with big dreams and goals, but unsure where my life will take me and what career I would ultimately pursue. But after speaking with Australian music legend Renèe Geyer, I feel a greater sense of clarity and determination about my future.
You can’t have a career without setbacks, it’s [more about] how you come back from them and learn from them.”
I woke up knowing very little about this amazing woman but now feel like I can relate to her like she’s an old friend. Working around dodgy phone lines and bad reception, I receive a very special insight into Renée’s life and thoughts. One day I hope to be just like Renèe: finding something I am passionate about and pursuing a successful career, just as she has done. Renèe assures me she’s a huge fan of Cairns and is very much looking forward to performing at the Tanks Arts Centre on September 2. She tells me to come to the concert and introduce myself; she is so friendly she could almost be a local herself. Renèe hasn’t been this far north in some time, but she used to travel along Australia’s east coast with her band and really loves performing here. “We always look forward to coming back.” Unfortunately though, this time round she won’t get a chance to relax in our tropical paradise as she’s here for one night only! Although Renèe has spent a great deal of time on the road and fondly notes, “the road is kind of home to me, because it’s what I’ve done for a long time,” she is now living in Melbourne. She loves being there and mentions that the idea of going travelling on a holiday makes her “shrink in horror at the thought of having to pack a bag, but not because I’m working”. Originally born in Victoria’s capital, she moved to Sydney with her family at a very young age. Renee still feels Melbourne is the heart for all musicians. When I ask her how she discovered her love for music she simply tells me she can’t explain it. “It’s just natural. No one can work that out.”
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Even now, Renèe remembers the moment she first sang. “People’s mouths were opening and jaws were dropping.” While her strict Jewish parents didn’t approve or understand her career choice, Renèe knew it was what she wanted from the first moment musical notes came out of her mouth. She affectionately tells me she hasn’t stopped singing since then. “Do what you love – whatever you do, it’s got to be something you love.” To Renèe, the most important song she has in her repertoire is It’s a Man’s Man’s World. She tells me the day she stops enjoying it, she will stop singing. But for now her motto is to “have no regrets”. However, she is only human. “I think my only regret is that my family wasn’t with me to help me get on my way.” Renèe was a very strong girl to make it without their support and help, nevertheless she feels for her parents as they could have shared her amazing journey with her. This incredible woman doesn’t feel nervous when she sings in front of large audiences any more. Although it can be daunting sometimes, she says it’s still very exciting. She’s definitely come a long way since she started out at 17, and one thing Renèe strongly believes is, “you’re not learning if you don’t make mistakes and learn from them.” Her career choice has been fraught with setbacks, but after 40 years in the business, Renèe knows that will always be the case. She says, “You can’t have a career without setbacks, it’s [more about] how you come back from them and learn from them”. Renèe’s determination to overcome setbacks was demonstrated when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2009. However, she refused to let it slow her down - she was back on stage just a few days after emergency surgery. She continued regular live performances during 12 months of intravenous treatment combined with radiology and received news in July last year that her cancer was in remission. Renèe loves to laugh and doesn’t really enjoy musicals, but underneath all the achievement and fame, the queen of Australian soul is just like the rest of us. “There’s nothing that makes me different to everyone else.” Her inspiring words fill me with the confidence and courage I need at this time in my life. If this successful lady has come so far after a challenging beginning, there is no limit to what I can achieve. “You fall down a lot, but it’s the picking up and moving on that makes you into what you are.” And that is exactly what I needed to hear.
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cover story
For me it’s all about the self. It’s about loving who you are for who you are. People identify beauty in so many different ways, in so many different places. I wanted the girls to know that they were perfect …”
Louise ‘Lu’ Orbons is a truly beautiful person, inside and out, devoting her life to serving and helping people not as fortunate as herself
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LOUISE’S HAIR AND MAKEUP WAS CREATED BY CRAIG AND HIS TEAM AT ‘PULSE HAIR AND BEAUTY’ (SHOP 9-14, SPENCE ST, PHONE 4051 4212). A WATER-WAVE RIPPLE WAS ACHIEVED USING A GHD STYLER. SCHWARZKOPF ‘BODY ME’ WAS BLOW-DRIED INTO THE HAIR GIVING IT VOLUME. THE END RESULT WAS BEAUTIFUL, BOUNCY HAIR, FULL OF LIFE AND MOVEMENT. ZAZI MINERAL MAKEUP WAS USED; A ‘CITRUSY’ PRIMER, FOLLOWED BY ‘YELLOW BASE’ CONCEALER WAS APPLIED, BEFORE A LIGHT DUST OF ‘LATTE MINERAL FOUNDATION’ THAT GAVE LOUISE A CREAMY FINISH. ‘ACE’ MINERAL EYE SHADOW AND ‘JEWEL’ WERE APPLIED TO THE EYE LIDS; ‘ACE’, AS A CONTOUR PRODUCT AND LINER. ‘CHARM’ BLUSH AND ‘TUSCANY’ BRONZER WERE USED ON HER CHEEKS, AND TO CONTOUR THE CHEEK BONES AND JAW LINE. A BLAST OF ‘MUNROE’ LIPSTICK FINISHED THE LOOK.
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cover story
THE
LOUISE ORBONS
words alli grant ll photography andrew watson
TRUTH ll hair and makeup pulse hair and beauty ll shoot styling alana rushton
Beauty – it’s an attribute sought-after by many and lauded by most. Glossy magazines celebrate it, young girls starve themselves for it … but does what you look like on the outside really count more than what’s on the inside? This month, Alli Grant meets Louise Orbons from Lulu’s Models and discovers that, while beauty can of course be just skin deep, true beauty goes far, far deeper.
W
hen I was a teenager, I daydreamed about being beautiful. Not just pretty, but ‘stop people dead in their tracks, supermodel earning potential, cover of Vogue, married to Brad Pitt’ beautiful. How I longed to look like the skinny girls in the pages of Dolly magazine – with their perfectly permed hair (it was the early ’90’s, after all), stick thin legs, pouty lips and pierce your soul blue eyes. But I was just me – lacklustre mousey brown hair with mousey brown eyes to match, average physique, an underachieving top lip (how I longed for pouty!), not a cheekbone in sight (thanks to somewhat chubby cheeks) and decent junk in my teenage trunk. While certainly not embarrassed to step out in public by any means, but ‘Most likely to become a supermodel’ was not my high school yearbook destiny. That said, I was intelligent, somewhat theatrically and musically talented, did okay in the sports department, and confidence certainly wasn’t a problem. However, all these somewhat positive attributes paled into insignificance when I compared myself to the really pretty girls. Enter hindsight. If only I knew back then what I know now: that what you look like on the outside actually counts for very little in the scheme of things. No matter how stunning the exterior, if you’re lacking in the inner beauty department you may as well look like the Elephant Man. Inner beauty is where it’s at, people. Louise Orbons is indeed beautiful, although the statuesque local modestly tries to shake the apt adjective every chance she gets. As someone who has modelled for most of her life, you’d expect her to scrub up all right, and she does. But it’s Louise’s inner beauty that takes me most by surprise. Admittedly, I didn’t know Louise (or Lu as she’s better known) before interviewing her. But people kept telling me about her, and not just because she would look stunning on our cover (as she does, incidentally), but because of her personal qualities, qualities you wouldn’t normally expect september 2011
to see in a professional model. Yes, I’m generalising (apologies for this seriously blatant stereotyping) … but models are generally better known for what they look like rather than how much they give back. Not Louise. A born and bred country girl, Louise hails from Port Lincoln, a farming community in South Australia, and was the youngest of five children. Her parents migrated from Holland in 1956 “smack bang in the middle of the Melbourne Olympics, and couldn’t speak a word of English”. Louise spent her childhood enjoying life in the country – swimming, fishing and horse riding with her four siblings. Life was good, until tragedy struck. Louise’s father died when she was just three years of age. “Dad was a fine furniture cabinet maker by trade. He also worked in the building industry with asbestos, and he was a smoker. He died very suddenly of lung cancer,” she sadly tells me. “Mum definitely had it hard, with five children to look after. It was a tough upbringing, but we never went hungry. I guess going through those tough times makes you stronger for the future.” And what would the future hold for this naive, shy little country girl? The cut-throat and somewhat superficial world of modelling! Louise, now 41 and still stunning, completed her first modelling course at the age of 12. And why was she drawn to modelling? She’s not actually sure. “Like so many young girls, I was full of self-doubt. I certainly didn’t think I was pretty growing up. But for some reason I just had to do this course. I bugged and bugged Mum until she gave in.” Off Louise went to Adelaide to stay with one of her older brothers while she completed her course. “I actually don’t recall talking to anyone at all during the course. But one day I was running really late. I remember thinking that I had to try really hard to do everything the teacher had said, and we were told we had to always be nice to people – to be friendly to clients and to be polite.
“I was in the elevator on the way up to the course and the doors were closing … a man in a suit was coming towards me so I decided to hold the doors open. I was so nervous – I was in a lift with this strange man, but somehow I asked him what floor he wanted and made general chit chat.” That man was the marketing manager for the Coles Myer Group and he was coming to the agency to cast for a Big W job. Louise got the job – her first official modelling gig. “If I had allowed my self doubt to control me I wouldn’t have stopped the elevator. My instincts told me to hold the elevator door. And my instincts told me I had to do that course. It’s very important to listen to your body and what it’s telling you.” As I get to know Louise, I learn that she truly believes in listening to her gut. “Our angels or spirit guides or gods – whatever you want to call them as it’s all the same source of love – are there and we need to listen to them. There are so many signs out there – we just have to pay attention to them.” Louise returned to Port Lincoln to finish high school, knowing that even though she yearned to become a model, this would have to wait. Adelaide was too far to travel for auditions and castings. When she was 18, Louise packed her bags, rallied her beloved dog, and headed off to see Australia, with Adelaide her first stop. At five foot nine and a half (or 178cm), she was the perfect height for catwalk. Combined with her exotic, dark features, Louise quickly became a catwalk favourite, modelling for David Jones in their famous runway shows. Somehow, this naive little country girl not only found her niche in the super competitive world of modelling, but also managed to become part-owner of a night club. “I met a guy … where we lived there was no night life, but there was this amazing heritagelisted church, so we started bringing live bands to town.” Louise soon grew tired of what she describes as “an unhealthy lifestyle with too many late nights profilemagazine
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When it’s something you love, it’s easy to find the time and to balance it all. Serving has made me feel whole again.”
ON THE COVER: LOUISE WEARS ‘CHERYL’ OMBRE DRESS, $649, SACHA DRAKE (WWW. SACHADRAKE.COM.AU STOCKED AT TEA LILY, CAIRNS, PHONE 4041 4150, AND BARBARELLA & SWAN, PORT DOUGLAS, PHONE 4099 4212). CLARICE ‘DELIGHT’ RED SATIN HIGH HEELS, $89.95 FROM SUNA SHOES AND ACCESSORIES (CAIRNS CENTRAL, PHONE 4031 0933), AND PINK ‘BRILLIANT’ CUT PENDANT $385, SILVER CHAIN, $60, PINK ‘BRILLIANT’ CUT RING, $820, FROM SECRETS SHHH (CAIRNS CENTRAL, PHONE 4041 4544) page 24: LOUISE WEARS ‘MADDISON’ IN RED, $339, FROM SACHA DRAKE, ‘COCO’ TEARDROP EARRINGS, $14.95, AND ‘COCO’ BANGLE SET, $9.95, FROM COLETTE (CAIRNS CENTRAL, PHONE 4041 4521); ‘ROYAL COLLECTION’ YELLOW GOLD RUBY RING, $780, FROM SECRETS SHHH (CAIRNS CENTRAL, PHONE 4041 4544); AND, CLARICE DELIGHT RED SATIN SHOES, $89.95, FROM SUNA SHOES AND ACCESSORIES (CAIRNS CENTRAL, PHONE 4031 0933)
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and drunken people”. It wasn’t the wholesome existence she was searching for. Time for a change. Off she went, dog in tow, to the Tropical North, staying with her sister in Mission Beach for all of three days before heading to Cairns. “My first job in Cairns was in retail – but I saw a gap in the market so I started my own company, Paradise Clothing, and became a supplier to the far off islands and communities. I had watched so many retailers rip off the people in their communities, charging double.” Unfortunately, the business wasn’t as profitable as Louise had hoped, so she accepted a position in fundraising with the Endeavour Foundation. Louise felt at home – serving the local community and helping those less fortunate. “I believe you can think heavenly but you have to do earthly good,” she says. Louise loved her role with the Endeavour Foundation, helping people with intellectual challenges. During this time she was able to put her modelling and deportment skills to good use – running several state-wide quests. Louise was still modelling on the side when she could. “I have always modelled – I have managed to make it fit in my life.” So when her role was made redundant, she knew it was time to challenge herself and to do something good. Something better. But what? And how? While pondering, she found herself in an administrative role with WIN Television – also working in promotions, and juggling deportment work on the side. “Clients would ask me to work with their kids to help them with their confidence.” And then September 11 hit. This catastrophic event changed the way Louise viewed the world and her reason for being. “The terrorist attacks happened and the World Trade Centre went down, and I thought to myself, why am I doing things I am not happy doing? How many people went to work at those towers every day unhappy with what they were doing?” It was time for Louise to follow her dream and open her own agency, Lulu’s Models, with her husband Craig Roberts by her side. Louise and Craig met in 2000 at a greasy fish’n’chip shop in Port Douglas the morning after Carnivale, and they have hardly spent a day apart since, marrying in 2005. Together they created Lulu’s Models, although this was to be no typical modelling agency. Louise’s vision was to open an agency that mattered, that cared and that made a difference. Most importantly, Louise wanted to teach young people how to love themselves and find beauty within their own hearts. “For me it’s all about the self. It’s about loving who you are for who you are. People identify beauty in so many different ways, in so many different places. I wanted the girls to know that they were perfect – who they are was perfect. “When I was growing up I was full of self-doubt. I didn’t think anything great about myself. I’d think back to those days and I realised thinking like that just made me feel sad. I realised that if I thought only good things I would feel good about myself!” To be honest, it takes me a while to grasp where our
interview is going. I’m a little bewildered. How can the head of a modelling agency in an industry purely based on looks spruik inner beauty and self love? It just doesn’t make sense. Or does it? I explain my confusion to Louise. “You’re right. That is what modelling is about,” she tells me. “But if one of the girls doesn’t get a job, I want her to know that there’s nothing wrong with her. She just didn’t fit the brief. I want to give the girls strength and confidence. That’s what makes them stronger people and better models.” But surely this is a rarity in the industry? Had Louise ever been taught to love herself, first and foremost? “Never! But that’s why I wanted it for myself so badly … and for the girls later. “We teach the girls to always be nice, to never bitch, and to hold their heads high. Otherwise they are just bringing themselves down. We promote a healthy weight to our girls, but ultimately, it’s about the body, the mind and the spirit.” And this isn’t the only way Louise is teaching her girls to be better, more confident people and to appreciate themselves and the fortunate lives they live. Through a chance meeting via a young, potential model and her mother, Louise was introduced to the Children of the Golden Triangle Orphanage in Thailand. “I was with my boys in McDonald’s and I saw this nice, young girl. Craig told me to go and talk to her … and I did, but I wasn’t sure why I wanted to meet her. She later came in with her mother to talk about modelling and we got chatting [about the orphanage] … it was another chance meeting and I listened to my gut.” Louise wanted to help the orphanage. She decided to organise a trip to Thailand to work at the orphanage with a group of young models. “I realised these girls needed to experience the hardships others experience. We spent a week living and working in the orphanage and a week travelling. “We taught English to the kids – and these were kids in a bad way, with scabies and lice. It was an amazing experience. The kids loved the girls so much.” The orphanage is home to about 500 children, most of whom hail from the Akha tribe, a stateless hill tribe who are not acknowledged or ‘owned’ by anyone. They have no country, no jobs … they are a nomadic people and their children are often stolen and sent to Bangkok to work in the sex trade. “One girl was kept in a cage and fed pig food, waiting to be sent to Bangkok. Thankfully she escaped. But these kids somehow keep smiling – it’s amazing. They have this ability to look to the future.” Louise is clearly passionate about the plight of the Akha people. So much so, she has two trips under her belt and a third planned for next year. But Louise’s giving doesn’t end there. Two years ago, Louise saw an advertisement in the local paper for a coordinator for the Pyjama Foundation – a non-profit organisation committed to promoting the love of reading within the foster system. “Did you know that 90 percent of children in the foster care system are 87 per cent below the national average in reading and writing?” Nope, I did not. Nor was I aware that such an organisation even existed. profilemag.com.au
cover story this page: LOUISE WEARS ‘NORA’ MARBLE DRESS WITH SLIP, $319, FROM SACHA DRAKE, OVAL ‘COGNAC’ WHITE GOLD RING, $770, ‘COGNAC’ RADIANT WHITE GOLD PENDANT, $500, SILVER CHAIN, $60, AND 14CT WHITE GOLD CHAMP BRACELET, $950, FROM SECRETS SHHH (CAIRNS CENTRAL, PHONE 4041 4544). SHOES BY NATURALIZER ‘NAPOLI’ BLACK PATENT SHOES, $139, SUNA SHOES AND ACCESSORIES, (CAIRNS CENTRAL, PHONE 4031 0933). SHOT ON LOCATION AT THE JULIA MACALPINE DANCE STUDIO (RESERVOIR RD, PHONE 4058 1866)
louise orbons
“If you have an education, if you can read and write, you can control your future,” Louise adds. “So many of these children are born into homes that aren’t ideal – they don’t pick that. They can’t choose the situations they are in, but if they can read and write they can make good choices when they are older.” Louise heads up the Pyjama Angels in the Tropical North – each angel (or volunteer) commits to spending at least one hour a week with a foster child. (Incidentally, Thursday September 8 is the foundation’s first ‘Stay in your PJ’s all day’ fundraiser – go to www.thepyjamafoundation.com to register). Most definitely a compassionate person, Louise’s commitment to giving back and inspiring others doesn’t end here. Determined to continue on with her community work, she has brought two new partners into Lulu’s. “My life really is leading me in different wants – I want to do all these great things … so I brought on Barbara and Donna as partners in the business. Their hearts are in the right place and this enables me to do other things.” By other things, Louise means to continue to serve, to give back. True to form, she read an advertisement for a national training facilitator for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Development (FASD). Louise didn’t know a thing about the issue, but now she travels the country to train and educate other professionals, from counsellors to foster carers to correctional workers. “There’s this misconception out there that the mother has to be an alcoholic in order for her baby to suffer from foetal alcohol syndrome, but that’s not the case. In fact, many of the mothers are social drinkers.” A terrifying thought, if you ask this mother of a two-and-a-half-year-old. I know I was certainly given mixed messages all the way throughout my pregnancy. “There’s not a lot of Australian research, so you don’t hear about it as much as smoking during pregnancy, but really, the only safe amount is no amount.” september 2011
We taught English to the kids – and these were kids in a bad way, with scabies and lice. It was an amazing experience. The kids loved the girls so much.”
How Louise manages to balance her commitment to the Thai orphanage, her modelling and deportment agency (and all things self-confidence related), the Pyjama Foundation and her role with FASD is beyond me, and I’m a multi-tasker from way back! “When it’s something you love, it’s easy to find the time and to balance it all. Serving has made me feel whole again.” If there’s one passion that gazumps the others, it’s the love of her family – Craig and their two teenage sons, Daniel and Jack. The boys are not actually Louise’s birth children (they are Craig’s children from a previous relationship), but she has been a mother figure since they were just babes in nappies. “I may not be their birth mother but I am definitely their heart mum,” she proudly tells me. I ask Louise if she regrets not having children and I am met with a resounding yes. Such a giving person – I couldn’t help but wonder why she has only step-children. “Absolutely! If I could have any wish now, that would be it. But I wasn’t able to, unfortunately. You can choose to dwell or you can celebrate what you have. I couldn’t love my boys any more – they are fantastic.” Louise clearly sees the positive in everything. In fact, she also sees the beauty in everything, and in everyone. “Some people see beauty only in magazines, allowing society to dictate what is beautiful. “But beauty isn’t just what you see on the outside, it’s what’s inside.” And Louise Orbons should know. She is proof that, “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart” (Kahlil Gibran). To me, Louise is truly beautiful, inside and out.
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profile loves
belt up Dotti orange and pink waist belts RRP $12.95 each. Available at Dotti cairns central, phone 4051 3689 and at www.dotti.com.au
paradise found Holster Paradise Jelly, RRP $46.95. Available locally and online at www.holsterfashion.com
flower power Flower necklace by Leoni & Vonk (made of sterling silver and 14kt gold), RRP $209. Available in boutiques and galleries Australiawide and on Leoni & Vonk’s online store, www. leoniandvonk.com.au
splurge alert Invest in these cool shades from Tom Ford – TF Emmeline in black frame sunglasses, RRP $607.50. Available From Bright Eyes The Pier, Cairns, phone 4031 5506
seeing stripes Dotti striped tee RRP $29.95 each. Available at Dotti cairns central, phone 4051 3689 and at www.dotti.com.au
with Pip Addison, fashion stylist 0425 756 083 www.modernstyle.com.au (Join me on Facebook for more fashion tips!)
They say spring is the season of love … so have a spring fling with these new season items, guaranteed to fill your wardrobe with love. mini me
get high every girl needs a pair of flares this season! High waist denim flare in pale denim, RRP $129. Available from Country Road, Cairns Central, phone 4031 5131, or online www.countryroad.com.au
Millie Loves Min Sun Touch Mini, RRP $110. For stockists, head to www.millielovesmin.com
by george Georgini Camellia white CZ pave ring, RRP $269.00. For stockists phone (02) 9318 2444
the look for less Coast wildfire wedge in white, RRP $49.95, available from Spendless Shoes Australia-wide or cairns central, phone 4033 1259 or head online www.spendless.com.au
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slide on in Noosa Cord Slide in peach, RRP $149. For Queensland stockists head to www.venessacowell.com
fresh and flirty EMU Australia coral sun dress, RRP $126.95 and EMU Australia vintage tan sandals, RRP $69.95, Shop online at www.emuaustralia. com or check for local stockist
bangle it enamel bangle, Sterling Silver Set with Blue Onyx and Peridot, RRP $480. www.moimoi.com.au
well heeled VIZZANO pink heels, RRP $99.95. Available from www.easylifeshoes.com.au
feminine and floaty Perfect for the tropics, Nougat Jenny print dress, RRP $239.99. Available from VIVA boutique, Shop 1/6 Grafton Street, Cairns, phone 4041 5188
brace yourself Andy and Molly Design Gibblers Drive bracelet set, RRP $95. For stockists, head to www.marleyrose.com.au
the nails have it ORLY Manicure Miniatures in Lemonade and Gumdrop, RRP $7.95 each. www.orlybeauty.com.au
september 2011
colours of the rainbow Billabong bella top, RRP $59.99. Available from Spire Clothing, 84 Lake St, Cairns, phone 4031 1844 or www.spireclothing.com.au
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vanity case
a splash of colour
naturally protected
jane iredale, THE SKIN CARE MAKEUP® Lip Fixation™, RRP $56. Packed with botanicals, the stain actually soothes and pampers lips for comfortable, buildable coverage without feathering or drying. Available at Shambhala Spa, The Marina, phone 4031 8800
Mukti Tinted Moisturiser with Sunscreen, RRP $49.95 for 50ml. It’s a safe alternative sunscreen that is free from chemicals in a light, certified-organic base that is nongreasy, non-toxic with an estimated SPF of 15. For stockists head to www.muktiorganics.com
with Katie Mackenzie beauty director
smooth skin SKINVIGOR8 DÉCOLLETÉ PAD, RRP $43. THE NATURAL WAY TO ACHIEVE A SMOOTH DÉCOLLETAGE, THIS PAD IS MADE FROM 100 PER CENT MEDICAL GRADE SILICONE. VISIT WWW.SKINVIGOR8. COM.AU
from day to night
refreshing
The Body Shop Baked to Last Eye Colour, RRP $29.95. A duo of eye colour, on one side is a pure mono for dramatic colour, on the other is a marble of black and shimmers. Available at The Body Shop, cairns central, phone 4051 4366 or www.thebodyshop.com.au
Schwarzkopf Osis Refresh Dust, RRP $28.95. Bodyfying dry Shampoo provides a quick hair freshen up with light texture control, incredible volume and lots of structure. Available at Pulse Hair and Beauty, Cairns, phone 4051 4212
bronzed babe SAX Complexion Bronzer, RRP $19.95. SAX’s finely micronised bronzing powder gives your complexion the warmth and luminosity of a natural tan. For stockist details head to www.saxcosmetics.com
lush lashes Lashes Eyelash Conditioner, RRP $149. Lashes is a revolutionary new cosmetic formula that will rejuvenate your eyelashes and eyebrows within weeks, giving your eyelashes greater length, volume, texture and density. To order, head to www.eternalbeautyproducts.com.au
c the difference Ultraceuticals Ultra C Eye Cream, RRP $95. A velvety eye treat that rehydrates and helps improve tone and clarity. visit www.ultraceuticals.com for local cairns stockists
beach hair De lorenzo ELEMENTS OCEAN MIST Sea Salt Styling Spray, RRP $23.95. Ocean Mist is a salt-infused spray that provides the feel and texture of ‘beach hair’ without the tangles and knots. For stockists head to www.delorenzo.com.au
it’s rad Environ RAD SPF 15, RRP $76 for 130ml. Contains a powerful cocktail of vitamins C, E, and BetaCarotene. RAD can be used as an after-sun treatment and contains no fragrance or added preservatives. For stockist information phone 1300 850 008 or visit www.margifox.com.au
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For information or to register your interest:
www.cairnsep.com.au Phone 4044 3322
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wedding fever the power of flowers Your wedding bouquet can make or break your wedding day look. BRIDAL BOUQUET (below) – WHITE ‘DAVID AUSTIN’, ‘EMMANUEL’ AND ‘ADVANCE’ ROSES $180. YELLOW ‘EUREKA’ BRIDESMAID BOUQUETS, $95 EACH (AVAILable ALL YEAR). available from BLUSH FLORAL, CAIRNS, PHONE 4039 3713, WWW.BLUSHFLORAL.COM
vintage glamour These to-die-for ‘Vintage’ heels and matching handbag by Keara Hamiltyn will add a touch of old world glamour to your wedding day look. Shoes RRP $189 and handbag RRP $49.95. Available from Suna Shoes AND Accessories, Cairns Central, phone 4031 0933
with Pip Addison, fashion stylist 0425 756 083 www.modernstyle.com.au (Join me on Facebook for more fashion tips!)
While any time of year is the perfect time of year to get hitched in the Tropical North, a springtime wedding is the stuff of little girls’ dreams. Whether you plan on saying ‘I do’ under a tropical palm tree, in a church, at a restaurant or on the beach, do it in style … TNQ style.
sleek and stunning Show off those curves in a figure-hugging gown. this one shoulder number shows just the right amount of skin. Isadora (left), RRP $1,795. Available from Stanzi, Earlville, phone 4033 0033
get hitched … beachside The Yasu long dress by Lisa Brown is hand-dyed in peaches and cream, RRP $728. Available on order from Viva, Grafton St, Cairns, phone 4041 5188
classic beauty
a girl’s best friend
Look and feel like a princess on your wedding day with a classic gown. Royal Pearl in taffeta (right), RRP $1,995. Also available in silk, RRP $2715. Available from Stanzi, Earlville, phone 4033 0033
you don’t have to be dripping in expensive diamonds to look a million dollars. VINTAGE DROP EARRINGS IN WHITE GOLD, RRP $580, VINTAGE RING, RRP $475. Available from SECRETS SHHH, CAIRNS CENTRAL, 4041 4544
style tip The team at Pulse Hair and Beauty tells profile that TNQ brides are going for a high-fashion, vintage look. “Lace is huge this season with a major influence coming from the amazing Royal wedding, with our newest princess becoming a fashion icon. Kate took the meaning of simple and elegant to a new level with her fresh outlook. Our brides have been having a variation of hair styles from dazzling curls to striking up-styles, creating elegant, timeless styles, with a 2011 twist.”
beach bling perfect for a beach wedding, Holster Swarovski jelly flats in champagne, RRP $102.95. Local stockists available at www. holsterfashion.com
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it’s a shoe thing Step out in style on your wedding day with these stunning Mayfield heels by Keara Hamiltyn, RRP $189. Available from Suna Shoes and Accessories, Cairns Central, phone 4031 0933
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style counsel
ll photography brad newton
THIS MONTH WE TALK TO THE NAMESAKE OF FASHION DESIGN HOUSE VIVIENNE FRANCINE IN CAIRNS CENTRAL. VIVIENNE, ALONG WITH HER BELOVED HUSBAND AND BUSINESS PARTNER ANDRE SUCHER, EMPLOY nine LOCAL STAFF MEMBERS, FROM PATTERN CUTTERS TO MACHINISTS. THE WHOLE TEAM is SYNONYMOUS FOR DRESSING THE WHO’S WHO OF THE REGION. NOT JUST A HUGE NAME IN AUSTRALIA, vivienne AND ANDRE HAVE BEEN INVITED TO SHANGHAI IN NOVEMBER TO STYLE A MELBOURNE CUP RUNWAY EVENT.
profile: Where do you get the energy to continually come up with new designs? vivienne: Fashion runs through my veins and it is hard to stop. But every few months I hit a creative wall and need to stop. We reward ourselves by travelling to Japan and visiting the ‘onsen’ (hot springs) which are calming and reflective.The creative doors open even more and I come back buzzing with new designs. profile: What is the best way to sum up your distinct Vivienne Francine style? vivienne: A myriad of personalities rolled into one. I guess it is the actress in me. profile: Why do you give names to each of your clothing items? vivienne: All pieces have characters, moods and places which create a story. My new ‘Mod Squad’ exudes ‘60s chic, and my customers get a kick out of wearing a design that isn’t just a barcode. profile: Describe your perfect setting at home for drafting your designs? vivienne: On my own in pyjamas, runners and an apron. I am a get up and go girl. I try to do yoga practice in the morning before the sun is up so I can get going. Sunrise is perfect for concentration and focus. The day just flies. I can be in the work room for 10 hours and still be in my pyjamas. Perfect. No distractions. profile: What is your own fashion fetish? vivienne: I have a built-in radar for shoes. When I’m travelling, I’m drawn like a bee to a honey pot. I know all the hotspots in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo and Kyoto. profile: What do you wear in your non-work time? vivienne: I wear my label lifestyle pieces and I love to mix it up to create a bohemian relaxed look. Otherwise I am naked in a Japanese onsen overlooking cliffs at sunset with a token eagle soaring. How amazing! profile: What is the one fashion rule you won’t break? vivienne: Don’t go to the shops in your pyjamas, and if you break this rule, do wear sunscreen. profile: What are your hottest looks coming into the store? vivienne: Paradise Café, Elizabethan, Marilyn, Shimoda maxi dress, Zipper dress, Kyoto and Galaxy Girl (inspired from Star Trek). profile: What do you love most about your job? vivienne: Having a passion. From humble beginnings 18 years ago, I have created a family not only with my wonderful staff, but also my wonderful customers, of whom many have become dear friends. They dig me and I dig them. september 2011
profile: What do you always have in your handbag? vivienne: Red lipstick and my iPhone 4 (which Andre always pinches). profile: What is your signature fragrance? vivienne: Anything oriental with woody, patchouli and lemongrass undertones with a bit of fizz. If I designed a fragrance I would call it Woodstock. I am a hippie at heart. profile: Who is your fashion icon? vivienne: My mum, Doris. She is so stylish and coordinated to a ‘T’. Love her! profile: What has been your career stand-out moment? vivienne: ‘Essence’ at the Hilton in 2008. I was invited to showcase with designers Wayne Cooper and Morrissey. My collection was rejected six days before the show because it wasn’t edgy enough. In panic mode, Andre and I threw fabric (express posted to us) on mannequins and the house was turned upside down. I sat on the machines until the last look was completed. But what a triumph! I cut the mustard with the big guns and felt like I had arrived. profile: What is your best memory working in fashion over the years? vivienne: Memories are created everyday with all my loyal customers, both here, interstate and overseas, who keep coming back. Andre and I are extremely excited to show my designs on an international stage in Shanghai in November. How cool is that? A memory waiting to happen.
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understanding pregnancy ultrasounds with Kath Deed Having an obstetric or pregnancy ultrasound is an exciting time for most parents as you get to see and hear your baby, and for some, find out the baby’s sex. You may even be given images of your baby on a CD as a keepsake of the day. It’s important to remember that the primary purpose of the ultrasound is to determine the health and development of your baby and pregnancy. What is an obstetric ultrasound? An obstetric ultrasound is a non-invasive procedure that uses sound waves (not X-rays) to scan a woman’s abdomen and pelvic cavity, creating a picture or sonogram of the baby, placenta, uterus and other pelvic organs. Why is an obstetric ultrasound necessary? It allows your doctor or health care provider to obtain vital information about the health of your baby and the overall progress of your pregnancy.
•• First trimester. To confirm the pregnancy is viable, confirm a foetal heartbeat, check that the embryo is developing inside the womb (rather than, for example, inside a fallopian tube), confirm the number of embryos, calculate gestational age and the baby’s due date, and in weeks 11 to 13, check for potential chromosomal abnormality such as Down syndrome.
Are there any risks or side effects?
•• Second trimester. At weeks 18 to 22 to check for congenital malformations (best at 20 weeks), for the development of foetal structures such as the spine, limbs, brain and internal organs, confirm the size and location of the placenta, to confirm a multiple pregnancy, to establish the baby’s sex if the parents wish to know, and check foetal wellbeing.
At Cairns Women’s Imaging, all obstetric ultrasound tests are bulk billed, with the exception for nuchal translucency scans. Medicare has strict criteria for nuchal translucency scans in order to be eligible for a rebate, so you will need to ask your doctor if you can be bulk billed. If not, a fee may apply.
•• Third trimester. To check the baby is continuing to grow at a normal rate, confirm the location of the placenta to ensure it isn’t blocking the cervix, review foetal presentation and movements, and to identify uterine and pelvic abnormalities of the mother.
When are obstetric ultrasounds performed? Your doctor may order an ultrasound scan any time during your pregnancy:
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Numerous studies done over many years have found no evidence that obstetric ultrasounds harm either mum or developing baby. It is recommended that these types of ultrasounds only be used when medically indicated. Can I be bulk billed for my obstetric ultrasound tests?
Obstetric ultrasounds are an important part of your pregnancy, providing vital information about you and your baby. Contact your doctor as a referral is needed for the procedure. Cairns Women’s Imaging 4042 6888 admin@cairnswomensimaging.com.au
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causes of foot pain with Tyson Franklin Symptoms Sesamoiditis typically starts as a mild ache under the big toe joint and gradually becomes worse. In some cases it will cause intense throbbing, even at rest. Once sesamoiditis starts, even simple activities like walking become difficult. Normal feet rarely get sesamoiditis. However, people with both high arched or flat feet tend to be more prone to this problem. Treatment by a podiatrist Sesamoiditis is a common condition that causes pain in the ball of the foot, specifically under the big toe joint. Sesamoid bones are very small bones that are located under the big toe joint within the tendons that run to the big toe. Due to their location and function, they are subjected to massive amounts of pressure every time the big toe is used to push the foot forward.
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Initially, after a thorough examination of your lower limbs and feet, a podiatrist will usually make a temporary support to control abnormal foot motion and to redirect weight away from the painful area. In most cases, adding temporary support will reduce your pain by about 80 percent in the first 48 hours, as pain relief is initially the primary goal.
If the temporary support has been successful, your podiatrist will then discuss making a permanent foot support (orthotic) for the patient to use long term. To be effective, the permanent foot support should be made using softer rubber type materials and should also be full length. Immobilisation, rest, ice and oral antiinflammatory drugs can also be very beneficial. However, all of these forms of treatment only complement foot supports. It’s important to remember foot supports treat the underlying cause of the problem and this is really the only way to treat the problem effectively and to stop it from reoccurring long-term. Proarch Podiatry Cairns and Smithfield 1300 776 272 www.proarch.com.au
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the odds of conceiving a baby with Dr Bob Miller How many times have I heard the emotional cry of anguish, “We want a baby and we want it now”? Starting a family can be one of the easiest, or one of the most frustrating exercises known to man – and woman. Unfortunately, natural fertility is a very hit or miss affair. For about one in six couples, there is significant delay, if not failure to conceive at all. When it doesn’t happen, one’s life is put on hold, as anxiety tends to crowd out all other priorities. So it’s important to maximise your chances as much as possible. Couples trying to conceive naturally have a one in four chance of success per cycle. It really is a bit of a lottery. As the lucky couples go on their way, for those left behind, the chance per cycle steadily decreases – such that there is only a 1 percent chance per cycle of conception after 18 months of trying.
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The Fertility Society of Australia advises that couples should seek advice and help after 12 months of trying; or six months when a woman is more than 35 years of age.
My best advice is to not leave it too late before starting to try. Don’t leave it too long before seeking help … and practice makes perfect babies.
Of course, not everyone needs IVF. Often, simpler techniques will achieve success, such as ovulation induction and intra-uterine insemination.
Queensland Fertility Group, Cairns 4041 2400 cairnsivf@qfg.com.au
A fertility assessment starts with the simple things – the birds and bees of reproduction. Initially, your general practitioner can help you with such advice. Then they would refer you on to a specialist gynaecologist if the going gets tough. “When is the best time to make love, doctor?” Funny how the guys never ask that question! Ovulation should occur around the middle of a normal cycle. Sexual intercourse every second night is adequate; more often if you like! Both short and long cycles tend to be anovulatory (cycle where no egg is released) and help is advised. More about that next month.
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spring back into shape with Christina Borzi Spring time is the best time of year; warmer weather, flowers in bloom and spring-time fashion. But for some, a lot of anxiety comes with spring; wearing skirts and shorts, going sleeveless and bathing suit season right round the corner. Here are my top tips to shed that unpleasant souvenir from winter – that extra layer. Make a commitment Put your goals in writing and devise a plan to succeed. If you don’t already have one, consider investing in a personal trainer to keep you focused and motivated. Be consistent Exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes each day, or a total of 210 minutes each week. Include some strength training for optimum benefits on your health, energy and metabolism.
Keep a food diary
Get organised
Keep a log of what you’re eating. This will help make you more aware of your food choices and habits.
Take some time to plan your training and think about what you are going to eat the night before your day begins. Just 10 minutes of preparation can ensure you don’t grab the wrong foods when you are hungry and not thinking straight.
Exercise portion control Focus on quality and not quantity of food. Try using smaller serving dishes when you eat so the food looks abundant on your plate. Drink plenty of water Water helps counter the dehydrating effects of the warmer climate. Water will also help satisfy your appetite as often thirst is mistaken for hunger.
Spring time is a great time of year to get outdoors and get in shape. It’s the perfect season to renew your commitment to living a healthy lifestyle. What’s more, if you start exercising and eating right today, you’ll be in great shape by the time summer is here. Rydges Esplanade Health Club 4044 9010
If you drink alcohol, slow down your consumption Alcohol is an easy way to consume more calories than you need to, and it totally inhibits your body’s ability to metabolise fat.
QUEENSLAND FERTILITY GROUP CAIRNS BUSINESS PROMOTION
New Advanced IVF Technology for Australian patients Advanced Embryo Selection™ increases the liklihood of pregnancy Indicated for patients who: •• are 38 years and over or •• have a history of miscarriage or •• have experienced unsuccessful IVF
The key benefit of the new Advanced Embryo Selection™ is the tests ability to provide overnight results. We biopsy a day 3 embryo so that, with rapid results, a patients’ cycle can continue with a fresh embryo. This provides the highest chance of success. Clinically proven technology
Advanced Embryo Selection™, the world’s fastest and most precise embryo selection test, is now available for patients at our clinics.
Our Advanced Embryo Selection™ builds on CGH PGD using the robust 24Sure™ test, with is based on technology that has been used in more than 250,000 clinical genetic tests internationally, and is now being successfully used in IVF.
How Advanced Embryo Selection™ works
Cost
This test using the established 24Sure™ methodology screens all chromosomes in a developing embryo, allowing selection of an embryo with chromosomal normality and therefore the greatest likelihood of pregnancy success.
Advanced Embryo Selection™ does not attract a Medicare rebate and will be undertaken with a standard IVF Intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycle.
Rapid test results allow fresh embryo transfer Our team is a leader in the development of Comparative Genomic Hybridisation (CGH), the preimplantation genetic diagnosis technique on which this new test is based.
september 2011
Dr Robert Miller Queensland Fertility Group phone 4041 2400 www.qfg.com.au/cairns
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travelfile
apartment in the melbourne marriott hotel melbourne marriott hotel
MELBOURNE ... a city of
ll words genine howard Melbourne ‌ it is a city of contrasts, from grungy alleyways to modern skyscrapers. It is a city thats exterior belies its mecca of culture, food, entertainment and, of course, shopping. Genine Howard takes a weekend break and discovers there is more to Melbourne than meets the eye. 40
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trip to Melbourne simply must include the big ticket items; a trip to the zoo, the casino, the art gallery, shopping down Bourke Street Mall and a tram ride. On my recent trip to Melbourne I did none of the above. Instead, I decided to scour the streets and head to places I had yet not seen, not yet experienced, to find the real Melbourne – the good, the bad and the ugly. But, of course, ‘bad’ and ‘ugly’ certainly didn’t describe my choice of digs … no siree. No grungy backpackers here, thank you very much. For this trip I decided to go top end and, well, work my way down. In fact, we even chose to stay at the top end of town, on the corner of Exhibition and Lonsdale Street at the newly refurbished Marriott Hotel. This hotel is one of the original five-star establishments in Melbourne, and I would have to say with its $10 million refurbishment it is still well and truly up there. With classic New York styling throughout, understated colour schemes and cool ambience, this hotel is perfect not only for business travel, but for a sophisticated girls’ weekend away or a romantic interlude. For the purpose of this trip, I chose the romantic interlude option … with husband in tow, clearly. Keen to do things in style, we opted for the top-of-the-range executive suite. This suite is fit for any global traveller or businessman, and we had to admit we felt uber sophisticated on our executive floor that even includes an exclusive lounge for guests. More on that later. Our room was literally like two rooms in one, with a separate lounge / bar / office area with a massive 42 inch flat screen LCD TV, a separate bedroom complete with ensuite and dressing room … and another 42 inch flat screen TV. My husband was in sport-watching heaven (well, he would have if only I had let him!). The executive suites are worth the few extra bucks as they are spacious and functional, even for a mobile office like mine … running two magazines, writing on the go and proofing on and off all weekend. Even though the room has paid WiFi, as a Marriott member, internet is completely free. The office area is straight from The Devil Wears Prada (very fitting) with its massive glass desk, executive office chair and accessories. I spread out and pretended to be Miranda Priestly (without the attitude … I was on holidays!). I was also extremely impressed by the large, separate dressing room in the bedroom that not only allowed all our clothes to be hung and shoes tucked away, but also cleverly hid our suitcases from the main suite. Yet again, another sophisticated touch. With a king size bed (of course), iPod docking station and revamped modern bathroom, the Marriott certainly provided everything we needed. Time to get the sightseeing under way. We headed out of our room and … down the hallway. Well, with a hotel like this with all the trimmings, we knew we should make the most of it! We headed into the private executive lounge (accessed only by room key) and were quietly impressed. Converted from two hotel suites, the executive lounge boasts business facilities, daily papers and internet along with a relaxing lounge area and TV and dining areas. But the cream on top was the complimentary food and drinks. Yes, free, anything you want kind of free. An afternoon cappuccino and biscuits? Certainly, help yourself. A refreshing beer or crisp wine? No problem! Evening canapes … on the house. Early breakfast … all yours! Starting with breakfast, followed by canapés and a glass of wine before dinner, and then usually a nice hot chocolate before bed. Best thing is you don’t even have to get out of your laneway graffiti art
the block arcade
pyjamas to duck down the hall and grab a treat. Having sated our appetites, it was time to hit the city and explore. Melbourne is a beautiful city by any world standards, with its century-old stately buildings and cathedrals, tree-lined streets and gorgeous parks. But it was the hidden, the back streets, the grunge that we were here to find. So we set off on foot to see where would our feet take us? No visit to Melbourne is complete without heading into Chinatown, which dates back the Gold Rush days of the 1850s, and extends along Little Bourke Street between Swanston and Spring Streets. Instead of heading to the tried and trusted restaurants, we played pot luck and popped into the first restaurant found to try their dim sum. Next we checked out the shopping … the back street kind. We scoured the alleyways between La Trobe at the top and Flinders Street at the bottom and discovered a whole other side of Melbourne. By bypassing the main shopping strips of Bourke Street Mall and the Myer Centre, we found a plethora of intimate boutiques, from high end to bargain basement. For cutting edge local designers, the best strips are Flinders Lane and Centre Place, while the Block and Royal Arcades, both built in the mid to late 1800s, provided a magical step back in time with boutiques, specialty stores and the most amazing cake shop. The iconic Haigh’s Chocolate Shop in The Block Arcade is a must-do (or should I say must-eat), and look out for the ‘Tapping Man’ in the window who has been there since the 1930s. On our self-guided discovery tour, we also found a great selection of cafes and restaurants. One of the best little eating strips is in Degraves Street, between Flinders Street and Flinders Lane (or try Centre Place). This cool alleyway is a favourite with uni students and locals, serving up Italian coffee, cheap breakfasts and cafes galore, all in an outdoor setting straight out of Rome. Apparently it is cool enough for rock stars too as we dined next to frontman Rai Thistlethwayte from Aussie band Thirsty Merc and his ultra hip entourage. Another of my favourite sections is the web of alleyways that weave from Flinders Street, near Federation Square. This iconic gaggle of Melbourne laneways is dedicated to urban art, and the walls (and in one alleyway, everything from the bins to the street) are covered in graffiti. Now this is not the kind you find on the train station wall. Think pure artworks using bright colours and showcasing brilliant talent. See if you can find Hosier Lane, Rutledge Lane, Caledonian Croft Alley and ACDC Lane (and yes, it was named after the legendary Aussie rock band). After a day of exploring the ‘real’ Melbourne, we finished off with a little culture, of the musical kind. A visit to Melbourne isn’t complete without a night at the theatre, and Melbourne is certainly the best place to do it. From the Gothic Hall of Regent Theatre on Collins Street, the grand Princess Theatre on Spring Street and, of course, Her Majesty’s Theatre where Dame Nellie Melba sang her first opera, Melbourne’s theatres are magical. They have, after all played home to world-famous shows including Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies. So there you have it. From the top of town to the bottom, Melbourne is certainly a city of contrasts. With its five-star hotels, grungy graffiti-lined alleyways and hole-in-the-wall cafes, it is a city steeped in history, culture, food, shopping and damned good coffee.
Melbourne Marriott Hotel Corner Exhibition and Lonsdale Streets, Melbourne phone 03 9662 3900 www.marriott.com.au Property details
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10 floors, 167 rooms, 19 suites
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6 meeting rooms, 432 sqm of total meeting space
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Executive lounge available only for executive room stays. profilemagazine
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on the table
curry laksa lemak
with Sim Hayward managing director Hayward & Hayward Pty Ltd
H
aving owned and operated Asian Foods with my husband, Daryl, for 20 years (until 2008), we worked really hard to link Cairns and Asia through both food and tourism. As suppliers to hotels and restaurants, we also operated an Asian retail supermarket, imported and exported products, and manufactured a range of my own curry pastes, chilli sauces and condiments. So appropriately, this month I bring a little bit of authentic Asian to the pages of profile magazine. Traditionally consumed at make-shift dining facilities by the corner roadside stalls in certain parts of Asia, this ‘hawker’ favourite has now become a household name in its own right. This simple, fully balanced and nutritious one dish meal (not to be confused with the other just as popular Asam Laksa) is now easily prepared in your own kitchen. Those of us who are fortunate to live in Cairns and the Far North will find that the fresh herbs used in cooking the dish are easily grown in our very own tropical gardens.
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curry laksa lemak Makes 4 to 6 bowls ingredients: paste – ground ingredients
•• ¼ cup vegetable oil
•• 50g dried chilli powder
•• 8 cups good rich clear stock (500g chicken thigh and leg on the bone and prawns from below seafood combination ingredients)
•• 100g shallots or onions •• 10g turmeric powder •• 50g lemon grass (fresh)
•• 750g green seafood combination (fish fillets, prawns, bugs, squid, mussels etc)
•• 30g galangal or ginger (fresh)
•• 2 cups thick coconut cream
•• 5g black pepper powder
•• 12 pieces fried bean curd puffs
•• 20g blachan (dried shrimp paste)
•• 750g fresh Hokkien noodles (blanch quickly in hot water to soften)
•• 20g candlenuts or macadamia nuts •• 20g tamarind paste or 1 tsp powder •• 1 tablespoons sugar •• 2 teaspoons salt •• ½ cup water
•• 400g rice vermicelli (dry, reconstituted with hot water) •• 250g fresh bean shoots •• Garnish with 2 red chillis, sliced, and 1 bunch fresh mint leaves
method: Heat oil in saucepan and gently fry ground ingredients until fragrant and oil appears on the surface. For the stock, skin and de-bone the chicken thigh and legs. Slice meat into bite size pieces. Buy prawns whole and peel, leaving just the tail on and de-vein. Bring water to the boil, add chicken bones and simmer for 20 minutes. Add prawn shells. Simmer for another 10 minutes and strain. Add the prawns and other seafood into the boiling stock, return to the boil and remove onto plate for serving (so it does not overcook). Add the curry laksa paste to the stock together with the fried bean curd and chicken pieces. Return to the boil, add coconut cream simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust salt to taste.
To serve, place noodles in a deep boil with seafood and bean shoots. Spoon the stock, bean curd and chicken pieces over noodles. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and sliced chillies. profilemag.com.au
advertise. brand. design.
Let our creative juices flow for you! Brands, logos, advertisements, signage, brochures, publications, stationery, books, promotional items... We love designing it all. Suite 12, The Conservatory, 12-14 Lake St, Cairns Q 4870. phone 07 4051 6263 email studio@suzanneashmore.com.au
suzanneashmore.com.au september 2011
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abode
spike light ARTICHOKE LIGHT FITTING AVAILABLE IN A RANGE OF SIZES, FROM 51CM TO 78CM, FROM $250, LIME HOMEWARES, 46 LAKE ST, PHONE 4041 5579
You can brighten your night or lighten your day with lamps. Take a bold stance and make lighting the brightest feature in your room.
with Richie Stevens Inside Out Stylists www.insideoutstylists.com.au
shining silver WE USED THIS BEAUTIFUL TRIPOD SPOTLIGHT TO SET THE MOOD IN A LOUNGE. THE SILVER LIGHT COMPLIMENTS THE SILVER WALLPAPER. AVAILABLE FROM WWW. ZTWOLIGHTS.COM
drift away
KNOL TABLE LAMP IS PART OF THE ECODRIFT RANGE FROM MAYFIELD LAMPS, WWW.MAYFIELDLAMPS. COM.AU. ALSO AVAILABLE FROM BEACON LIGHTING, 331 MULGRAVE RD, PHONE 4033 0700
september 2011
black as night BAHAMAS, 500MM BLACK WICKER PENDANT WITH INNER FABRIC, $169, BEACON LIGHTING, 331 MULGRAVE RD, PHONE 4033 0700
fab feet REVERSE ‘J SWEEP’ TABLE LAMP, $450, COAST STYLISH LIVING, 2 INDUSTRIAL AVE, STRATFORD, PHONE 4055 1241
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lounging around with Kate Ifould Buying a new lounge can be quite daunting, especially as there are so many options available. Finding the perfect lounge suite is important, as it is often the place we relax and unwind at the end of a busy day, and usually the centrepiece of the living room.
by the design or style of the sofa and forget to check the measurements. Compare the size and layout of the space in your home with the size and configuration of the lounge/s you are considering. Bringing home the wrong size can be devastating.
Endless options can make the buying process even more confusing. While your final decision will depend on budget and personal preference, here are some tips to consider when choosing a new lounge.
Users
Style Look around your home to get a general sense of style – modern, traditional, retro, eclectic and so on. Be confident with the look and style you set out to find and don’t be distracted by things that look great on the shop floor, as they may not work with your décor. Size Is the size of the sofa you are looking at right for the room you plan to put it in? Don’t be blinded
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Make sure your choice is right for all users. Does your husband want a headrest and to put his feet up? Do the kids like to stretch out? Do you have a big family to accommodate? Are your pets likely to make themselves at home on your couch? This will influence your choice in fabric, layout and design. Always ensure the lounge style and material you choose reflect the practicalities of your home life. Fabric vs leather Choosing the right fabric or leather can be just as important as selecting a lounge that is comfortable to sit on. You want a lounge that is easy to maintain while being attractive at the
same time. Try to choose upholstery that not only looks good, but is durable as well. When buying leather, ensure you’re actually getting quality as it does vary. Comfort Comfort is completely subjective – what you find comfortable another person may not. The only solution is to ‘test drive’ every lounge. Make sure you sit on multiple lounges to get a true sense of what is comfortable. The lounge is an important piece in any home and should satisfy your needs for many years. With these tips in mind, you will be well on your way to choosing your perfect lounge. Coast Stylish Living 4055 1241 www.coaststylishliving.com.au
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building grant announced with Roslyn Smith Would you like $10,000 towards that new home? Now is the best time to build that new home you’ve been thinking about for some time. The Queensland Government has announced the $10,000 Building Boost for constructing or purchasing a new home. You are eligible for the building boost if you contract to build before January 1, 2012. This is applicable for all new housing, including investors and owner occupiers, single or multiple dwellings, up to $600,000 total house and land package. The best part is that it’s for anyone, not just first home owners. If you are a first home owner you will be given a further $7,000 from the Federal Government. We are currently at the bottom of the building cycle in Cairns so this is a good incentive to get moving on that building project as soon as possible. Due to the economic climate in Cairns, there has been a lack of new homes being built
for rental investment, so there will be a shortage in the near future. Suppliers’ pricing has been steady for some time, and due to the abundant supply of land in Cairns, several developers are ready to negotiate. Many builders are discounting construction prices, which will further reduce the total price. These are just a couple of reasons why now is the cheapest we have seen house and land packages for a number of years and they will never be this low again.
Talk to your bank or financial adviser to see if it’s the right time for you to start that building project, as value for money is the key to housing right now. Affinity Designer Homes 4051 8866 www.affinitydh.com.au
If you have been thinking about an investment home, remember to make it affordable for both your pocket and the future tenant’s pocket. It should be fairly low maintenance and not too individualised, but it should have all the requirements of modern living. That way you will always be able to rent it, rather than it being vacant. The rent and the home itself should be comparative with other properties in the area.
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renovation reality ll words alli grant
onfession time … I’m a little obsessed with reality television. But not just any reality television: renovation reality television. After bidding a sad adieu to my friends on MasterChef, I became quickly transfixed on the world of renovating and design. I feel like I am intimately acquainted with the couples on The Block, and, thanks to The Renovators, I now know how to pull an old, rusty nail safely from a floorboard. Who knew I’d even want to know that? Then there’s Jamie Durie and his eclectic gaggle of creative types who bicker constantly over the placement of throw cushions. I love it all! And this coming from someone whose interior design experience extends to painting a feature wall (not very neatly, I might add) and whose renovating savvy starts and ends at filling gaps in VJ walls. So, not one to shy away from a challenge, I have decided spring is the perfect time to put my new renovating skills, or rather enthusiasm, to work. But I don’t have Channel Nine to fund my revamp, so it’s time to get creative! If my friends on The Renovators have taught me anything, it’s that even a lick of paint can give a tired, old room a new lease on life.
“Wallpaper has been making a comeback for years and it is still one of the fastest growing segments in the market. It’s a great way to add atmosphere as well as to cover any imperfections in your walls. The latest trends are flocked wallpapers, natural textures and grass weaves. But the biggest sellers are murals. When it comes to colour, whites and neutrals are always popular, with green back in vogue. Greens offer a sense of renewal, self-control and harmony.” Dwain Exne, The PaintSpecialists, phone 4044 2700
colour me happy A change is as good as a holiday, so why not freshen up your home with a splash of colour courtesy of a fresh coat of paint or a few rolls of wallpaper? You’ll be surprised how much you can improve the look of your home simply by painting the trims, doors and windows in a contrasting colour. Remember to consult the experts and do your research so you can be sure the colours you select are in vogue and will appeal to a wide range of potential buyers should you want to sell any time soon. Personally, I love a wallpaper feature wall – it adds instant character to any room.
accessories a go-go! Accessories make the the outfit. So, they should also make your home. Refreshing a room with a few new throw cushions, a rug in a bold colour or pattern, a fabulous vase or a creative artwork is the way to go in the ‘cheap and cheerful’ makeover stakes. Be bold. I have just added a touch of red to what was a fairly neutral lounge room – new cushions on the couch, a strong, red rug, a few bargain vases and a new picture. My lounge feels shiny and new again.
fix the floors
“People under-estimate the power of accessories in transforming a room. Try stripping back your room to furniture only, add new pieces with a splash of colour and your old look can be completely updated and revitalised. You will be astonished by the results.” Kate Ifould, Coast Stylish Living, phone 4055 1241 AVAILABLE FROM WWW.DESIGNERRUGS.COM.AU
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It’s easy to fix your floors. If you’re game, you could rip out the carpets yourself, hire a floor sander (available for hire locally at hardware stores), throw on a few coats of varnish and turn your faded old carpets into impressive, polished floors. It’s a great way to add depth and character to a room. If your carpets are in good condition, just give them a clean! Or if they have seen better days, consider dyeing them. The dye will cover the stains and modernise the look of your flooring.
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tricks for growing natives with Marcus Achatz
I’m always surprised when people tell me they don’t like native plants because they are too difficult to grow. Apparently, you need to be an extraordinary gardener and you need to spend lots of money getting special soil brought in. All your garden beds need to be raised and you can only use special native plant fertilisers. No wonder people prefer exotic plants. They are so much easier to grow. Isn’t it funny though, that all around us, in forests, deserts, swamps and all other natural habitats, native plants grow without any special care. So why are they so hard to grow in the garden? The fact is, they aren’t. It’s a person’s choice of native plants that’s the problem. Don’t forget we live in a very unique part of this very large continent. Our climate is completely different from most other populated parts of Australia. So most plants that do well in Perth will not do well on the tropical coast. And vice versa. So what’s the trick to growing native plants? Easy. Choose the right plants to grow.
Obvious as it may sound, in North Queensland the plants that grow best are plants from the Australian tropics. There’s no secret soil mixture, super fertiliser, or university degree in native horticulture required. Just the right advice from someone who knows what they are talking about. Buying native plants from nationwide hardware outlets or supermarkets is a good way of getting it wrong because their plants are unlikely to be suitable for the tropics. They are more likely intended for the more populated coast from Brisbane to Melbourne, and the only reason these plants are sold in the tropics is because the company also has an outlet here. Native plants are extremely easy to grow as long as you’ve been sold the right plants. The rest is just care and a little bit of maintenance to obtain the best results. Yuruga Nursery 4093 3826 www.yuruga.com.au
Scarlet Honeyeater sitting in a Grevillea
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business
focus on your strengths with Kirsten Le Roux Some time ago I was completing a training needs analysis for the next 12 months. It typically asks what areas you think need improvement; where you feel you lack skills, tools or knowledge to perform your role effectively and what new skill you would like to learn? I’m so grateful that I work for a business that values personal development. Because I lean slightly towards grave perfectionism, I diligently listed over a page of my own weaknesses and areas for improvement. That same week I attended a ‘NeuroPower’ session with Shelley Evans-Wild and read a discussion paper in my group out of the Harvard Business Review that made me think. The paper argued that weaknesses are weaknesses, and, while years of training may slightly improve them, wouldn’t businesses be better off training strengths instead? It read, “It takes far more energy, resources and time to improve from incompetence to mediocrity
than to improve from first rate performance to excellence”. And how motivating and productive is the space where you are focusing on your flaws and limitations? If you looked at a team and recognised that each individual brings strengths to that team, how incredible would it be to train up those strengths to be super powers within the group, and place them where they’ll make the greatest contribution? Combine complementary strengths, and where the team lacks in a specific area or shows a gap, consider other ways of filling this rather than spending time and effort training up a weakness.
The trick, of course, is knowing your strengths and knowing the strengths of your team members. Few people are able to accurately pinpoint their talents, so a good place to start is 360-degree feedback analysis to specifically assess the flair and contribution of each person, a process that we have now implemented with success. CBC Staff Selection 4051 9699 Kirsten@cbcstaff.com.au
Conversely to all this, in practice, building on an individual’s strengths and showing respect for their talents also allows them the motivation and confidence to work on areas they are not strong in. Positive energy always breeds more positive energy. What better way to motivate employees than from within themselves?
Want an Australian Visa? At Visa Connection we provide expert and personalised immigration advice to individuals and corporations worldwide. We have a vast knowledge of: • Australian Migration Law • General Migration Advice • Family sponsored visas • Spouse and Defacto visas • General Skilled Migration • Australian Citizenship and • Work sponsored visas (457 and RSMS/ENS)
Call us today on: (07) 4051 9043 to arrange your FREE half hour consultation Registered Migration Agents Fiona Ryan, Registered Migration Agent No. 0640004
e: info@visaconnect.com.au www.visaconnect.com.au 50
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business
maximise your superannuation with Teresa Farrah For those with their heart set on retiring in the next couple of years, the financial downturn has come as quite a blow. But don’t panic, there’s still time to maximise your superannuation and save for your retirement. With a bit of careful planning you can safeguard your investments against the worst of market volatility and put yourself in a position to make the most out of gains when the market bounces back. The most obvious way to safeguard your retirement savings may be to delay retirement for a couple of years, giving your investments time to recover and you the opportunity to contribute more to your super balance. Of course with super balances falling, it’s natural to want to stop investing but this may be the worst thing you could do. When markets are volatile, it’s tempting to want to change your investment strategy to avoid ‘riskier’ asset classes like shares and property.
STRATEGIC PLANNING
But superannuation, as well as asset classes like shares, are long-term investments so you need to maintain a long-term view rather than reacting to short-term fluctuations. By their very nature, shares are more volatile than fixed interest and cash, but in the long-term, history has shown they provide better results for investors who have the courage to remain invested through bad times. While share-market downturns can last for some time, when they bounce back they can do so in a very dramatic fashion and often when you least expect it. ‘Bear Markets’ can also provide the opportunity to buy blue chip stocks at discount prices.
reviewing your portfolio with a professional eye and suggesting strategies to get you and your savings back on track to retire in style. RI Cairns 4041 5772 teresa.farrah@ricairns.com.au (Teresa Farrah is an Authorised Representative of RI Advice Group Pty Limited (ABN 23 001 774 125), Australian Financial Services Licence 238429. This editorial does not consider your personal circumstances and is general advice only. You should not act on any recommendation without considering your personal needs, circumstances and objectives. We recommend you obtain professional financial advice specific to your circumstances.)
Retiring during a market downturn can be quite challenging and the worst thing you can do is panic and make hasty decisions. Instead this can be a good time to lean on your financial adviser – they can be the voice of reason,
HUMAN RESOURCE CONSULTING
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUSINESS MENTORING
Activate Your Knowledge! We gain insights into the theories behind our thinking, behaviours, decision making and style of management when undertaking training. What many people don’t learn is how to take this knowledge and put it into action. Effectively applying our knowledge in everyday situations is a skill in itself. Learn how to implement the theory and realise superior business results with Fortis One’s Business Achievers Program. Call Elmarie Gebler on 4225 5333 to find out more! 4225 5333 enquiries@fortisone.com.au
a boutique advisory firm
september 2011
www.fortisone.com.au Follow us on Facebook
delivering unique solutions
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FORDE GROUP BUSINESS PROMOTION
Is holding down a job a privilege or a right? With Paul Fitzgerald Our politicians are always keen, particularly around election time (which in Australia seems to be about every other month), to extol the virtues of ‘working families’. Somehow, it intimates that this demographic is more downtrodden than others, deserving of better protection and a higher political profile. This, of course, is a shameful and cynical manipulation of the wider electorate, driven by a need to secure votes through fear, rather than by any genuine sense of morality. The reality is that for the most part, it is business owners and senior business managers who create, secure and increase jobs and provide a platform for ‘working families’ and others to thrive and achieve their lifetime goals and not politicians or other vestedinterest groups. No amount of political interference, electioneering or legislation can alter the fact that it is the men and women who put their money where their mouth is, by running and investing in small to medium sized businesses, which drive our economy and enable most of us to secure gainful employment. To be an employee is to become a partner in your employer’s business. It gives you a stake, however small, in the success of that business and rewards you with the opportunity to contribute to its growth. In most instances, such a collaboration widens your skill base, enhances your experience, improves your net worth and reinforces self confidence, all of which make you an appreciating commodity in the workplace. For those with their heart set on retiring in the next couple of years the financial downturn has come at quite a blow. But don’t panic - there’s still time to maximise your superannuation an save for your retirement. We can help you: •
Ease your mind.
•
Maintain a long-term view.
•
Find strategies that may help you avoid turning paper losses into real losses.
•
Ensure your portfolio remains diversified.
•
Establish a family succession plan to minimise tax and provide for your loved ones.
Is holding down a job a privilege or a right? The only way to answer this question is to rely on your conscience. If you believe your career belongs to you, that your success is determined by the collaborations you make and the choices you take, and if you believe it is worth taking time to source an employer who realises your true potential, you will earn the ‘privilege of partnership’ which all enlightened employers are committed to. HEAD OFFICE – CAIRNS Corner of Minnie and McLeod Streets, Cairns QLD Phone: 07 4031 1128, Fax: 07 4031 1271
PORT DOUGLAS 19 Macrossan Street, Macrossan House, Port Douglas QLD Phone: 07 4099 4806, Fax: 07 4099 6808 TOWNSVILLE Suite 301-303, Mercure Inn, Townsville 4810 Phone: 07 4775 4700, Fax: 07 4775 4011 CAIRNS – TOWNSVILLE – PORT DOUGLAS
www.fordegroup.com.au, gm@fordegroup.com.au
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MIGRATION PLUS BUSINESS PROMOTION
philosopher’s corner … true happiness and feelings of happiness with Dr Chris White The folly of living in transient happiness (feelings of happiness) Paraphrased from Miyozaki Yamagishi Looking back over several thousand years, no matter how many heroes, wise men and saints appeared and concentrated every effort to create peace and happiness, the current state of unrest continues throughout the world. It’s an unstable society, a world full of mistakes, where dissatisfied, unhappy people jostle each other. Distrust of others, jealousy, hate, war – these are incessant disputes. How many people end their life by continuing to work eagerly day after day to pile up property which disappears some day? By fighting each other to gain a high position, which they must give up some day? By being educators just for a livelihood? Or, by reading sutras with a dull mind which they don’t even follow themselves, but happily preach from an elevated seat? Government for the people should be run by the people. How could a good government arise by leaving it in the hands of people, who aim at money and position? These are mostly wrong living conditions and something that will never bring stable happiness to us, and to our descendants, who are the extension of our life. In our world there are many people who believe happiness comes from social position, or from living in noble houses, or from fortune and savings and to be able to use people as one likes. But if we continue, the day will come in our children’s days, or our grandchildren’s days, that it will be the other way. That they will wail in sorrow. The word happiness is used in two ways. One is the temporary feeling of satisfaction or gratification, also called happiness. Without knowing when it might disappear, this transient happiness is called the ‘feeling of happiness’. Isn’t it so that many people mistake the feeling of happiness for genuine happiness? Maybe it’s time to undertake a severe self-examination and reflect on why we make efforts and work day after day, and are suffering for nothing, to become conscious at once of the present folly of being intoxicated by the momentary feeling of happiness which will disappear soon like a dream. Or, do we stand up to achieve happiness that doesn’t change, forever, and to set up a peaceful world that doesn’t stop prospering eternally? We can only be truly happy when everyone, to the very last person in the world, is also happy. We cannot have true happiness when brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, even other animals and our planet are unhappy. The jealousy, the hate and the desire for power will always come back unless we are in balance. We might ask what my motivation in life truly is. What was I born for? What do I live for? If we can find this we can find true happiness. Migration Plus 4041 2620 www.migrationplus.com.au
september 2011
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business
sponsoring overseas workers with Fiona Ryan Are you an employer in Cairns and surrounding regional areas, who cannot fill skilled vacancies within your business from the local labour market? Then there are two employer-sponsored visa options available to sponsor overseas workers to fill these skilled positions. The two programs are; the subclass 457 temporary business visa, and the permanent Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) visas. This month we will look at the 457 temporary business visa program and its requirements.
The first involves lodging a sponsorship application to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). The sponsorship approves the sponsoring business as a ‘business sponsor’ (if approved, applicable for three years). There is a list of sponsorship obligations attached to the 457 program that the employer must comply with, and these obligations apply to the main applicant and any accompanying family members. The employer must also meet training requirements for the sponsorship.
The 457 temporary business visa program is available for employers to sponsor overseas workers to work in Australia in a skilled position on a temporary basis. The employer may choose the length of the visa sponsorship for the visa applicant, anywhere from one day to a maximum visa time of four years.
The second step involves lodging an application which nominates the position to be filled. The position must meet a minimum skill level, and be on the gazetted list of occupations. In addition, there is salary threshold that must be met. And, it must be shown that the pay is the market salary rate equal to an Australian citizen filling the same position.
There are three steps to the 457 program process.
be sponsored for the position. The visa applicant must have the skills, qualifications and employment background to match. The visa applicant is also required to meet English language proficiency, licensing, health and character requirements and also hold private health insurance. Employers should seek advice from a registered migration agent to discuss their eligibility for the 457 temporary business visa program. Visa Connection Pty Ltd 4051 9043 info@visaconnect.com.au (Fiona Ryan, Registered Migration Agent No. 0640004)
The final step of the 457 visa is to lodge the visa application nominating the person to
Friday 7 October 2011 Presenting Guest Speaker
Mike Munro
Resilience and a Passion for Life
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business
technology and relationships with Elmarie Gebler It seems more changes have occurred in the past 25 years than in the previous 2000. Every generation experiences massive changes as we evolve at an exceedingly rapid pace and discover more about our own capabilities and best utilise the resources around us.
cutting edge, is now obsolete. ‘What’s a telex?’ I hear you ask. Our workplaces are more connected and competitive than ever, which is reflective of our desire to innovate and detect advancements in an effort to stay with, or ahead, of the market. Technology now allows us to achieve tasks at a lightning pace, while many of our everyday business practices remain the same.
In addition to this, business has dealt with an amazing shift in societal norms and gender equality that have further transformed the dynamics of the workplace.
Technology as a communication tool is invaluable in meeting customer needs and allows people to share and acquire information with great ease.
Where I was once focused on getting correspondence to the typist in time for the day’s mail run, I now send and receive emails in a continuous, instantaneous cycle of communication. Instead of leaving the office to attend professional development sessions, I now log into webinars to learn and share ideas.
Having said all this, changes in technology seem to be forced upon business. Careful analysis needs to be undertaken to maximise the benefits. We must remember not to rely upon technology solely and that business is very much based on relationships.
Remember when the facsimile machine was the latest in office equipment? Or the telex, once
The importance of regular face-to-face meetings and conversations should not be undervalued.
So consider your customers, what form of communication works best for them? Talk to your staff, they will have a good idea. Research by reading and, dare I say it, search the internet. But enough from me as I need to decide whether to hand deliver, post, telegram, courier, phone, telex, fax, email, blog, Myspace, tweet or Facebook my column to profile. Ahh ... choices! Fortis One 4225 5333 www.fortisone.com.au
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september 2011
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milestones
words alana rushton ll photography andrew watson
carlo amerio
Carlo Amerio is a gifted man. A man with the rare ability to design and create awardwinning buildings that are works of art in their own right. But becoming an architect wasn’t always on the cards, as Alana Rushton discovered.
Wendy was patient and gave me the space and time I needed to complete my studies.”
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L
ocal architect Carlo Amerio could have gone down a very different path in life. The son of a tobacco farmer from Mareeba, Carlo was initially destined to follow in his dad’s footsteps – a life on the farm beckoned. However, five years at boarding school intervened and Carlo was sent down a different road, deciding instead to study architecture in Townsville. He became a registered architect in 1984. Today, Carlo, a father of three, is director of CA Architects, a business he has owned for about 18 years. Carlo boasts a wide range of experience in many different areas of design and has a swag of awards acknowledging his professionalism. Locally, Carlo has worked on a number of high profile projects, including Grove House, Ishmael
Road Apartments, Tinaroo Studio (a residence at Lake Tinaroo), Marina Point (the Cairns Yacht Club/Salt House), the Conic Building, William McCormack Place (stages one and two) and the Reef Fleet Terminal building. While many of these projects have been recognised by the industry with commendations and awards, Carlo is most proud of his work with the William McCormack State Government offices. Stage two is Australia’s first tropical six star-rated building, as acknowledged by the Green Building Council of Australia. Most recently, Carlo was invited to work with high profile, Brisbane-based agency Cox Rayner Architects on the design and development of the Cairns Entertainment Precinct – Carlo’s largest and most significant project to date.
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WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION BUSINESS PROMOTION
westpac wins again We asked Carlo to share a few of the key milestones that have shaped his life, personally and professionally. Milestone 1: School’s in Attending Saint Augustine’s College in 1968 as a boarder definitely shaped who I have become. I attended this school for five years which influenced me away from following in my father’s footsteps and becoming a tobacco farmer. Milestone 2: University time Acceptance into architecture at QUT in Townsville in 1975 was my first major step towards achieving my goal of becoming an architect. My life changed from being a bank clerk, earning reasonable money, to earning survival money working for an architectural firm during the day, and attending university in the evening. Milestone 3: Meeting Wendy Meeting my wife, Wendy, in 1976 is most definitely a milestone in my life. Wendy was patient and gave me the space and time I needed to complete my studies. Milestone 4: Moving to Cairns In 1990 I moved to Cairns with my wife and three children to be closer to our family. I experienced the effects of the pilot strike and general downturn in the Cairns economy as my introduction to working in the tropics. In hindsight, this was not a good career move at that time! Milestone 5: Setting up shop Setting up own my practice in 1994 gave me the opportunity to express my passion for architecture and the opportunity to raise the bar for tropical design in the Cairns region. Milestone 6: Brothers Leagues Club unveiled The first major award I received for a project was for the design of the new Brothers Leagues Club in 1998. This gave CA Architects the kick-start it needed. Milestone 7: A new joint venture We established a joint venture relationship with Cox Rayner Architects in 2000 which gave CA Architects the back-up of a national firm to tender for larger, significant buildings in the Cairns region. Milestone 8: Delving into development ‘Savannah Lifestyle Resort’ in Mareeba (2009) was my first venture into development work, wearing both hats as architect and developer. With the economic downturn we experienced firsthand the hardship of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Milestone 9: That’s entertainment! Design of the Cairns Entertainment Precinct with Cox Rayner Architects is the largest and most significant project CA Architects has undertaken in the Cairns region. Winning this project work acknowledges our position as producers of quality, tropical architecture for our community. This project will help to kick-start the Cairns economy back into gear and will establish Cairns as a leader within the entertainment industry, with a state-of-the-art cultural venue outside of the major capital cities.
september 2011
With Geoff Taylor
Westpac has been named ‘Money Magazine’s Business Bank of the Year’ for the fourth consecutive year. Westpac’s focus on understanding its customers and going the extra mile to help improve their businesses contributed to the accolade. “The fact Westpac has been declared ‘Business Bank of the Year’ for four years in a row shows we are more serious about supporting business than any other bank,” Westpac retail and business banking group executive Rob Coombe said. “We are the bank business customers prefer, and are top of the major banks in customer advocacy in the commercial, small business, agriculture and micro-business segments. “Our newly launched Local Business Sentiment Survey means we understand the local business sentiment like no other bank, and can give our customers important insights and strategies to deal with the issues impacting businesses at a local level. “Local capability is a key strength of Westpac. We have more, better-trained, business bankers at our branches. Our frontline staff are empowered to make decisions for customers and reduce process burdens, saving business owners time and money. “These bankers act as a single named point of contact for all our customers’ needs – personal or business. Our bankers can also use Cash Scan, a market-leading tool, to help customers understand and optimise their cash flow, and we offer them financial education through our Davidson Institute.” Westpac recently launched the Davidson Institute’s program titled ‘Australia’s First School of Money’, which offers businesses everything from a website packed with free financial guides and online seminars, to short courses and accredited courses in business and finance. This is a key part of Westpac’s strategy to support businesses. Speak with your local manager Geoff Taylor at the Earlville branch on 0429 554 328 and see why the bank is continually named as the best. Westpac Banking Corporation 517 Mulgrave Road, Earlville phone 4054 0300
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rsvp
ll photography andrew watson
Launch of TNQ profile magazine, Whitfield House
Meghann
Ahern (Cai rns Post), and Doro thy Reeman Nikki Bishop (YAPS)
Some of the TNQ profile team, from left, Editor Alana Rushton, Group Managing Director Genine Howard, Group General Manager Hamish Rose, Group Editor-In-Chief Alli Grant, and Publication Manager Coral Florian
Juanita Soper (Cairns Parenting Companion Magazine) and Claire Pennington (Argentea Palm Cove)
Louise Struber (Cairns Central) and Bridget Evans (Paronella Park) Debbie and Nicolas Devic (C’est Bon)
Gerlinda Aras (Mirror Image Consultants) and Rick Stella (Telstra Business Centre)
butto r and Kylie Ga ) Mayor Val Schie Women’s Club s es sin Bu s (Cairn
David Anthony (Dept. Employment, Economic Development and Innovation) and Cr Di Forsyth
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Cr Linda Cooper, Tony Weal, and Mia Lacy (Libra Communications)
Kirsten Le Roux and Sally Mlikota (CBC Staff Selection)
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rsvp
TNQ PROFILE MAGAZINE WAS LAUNCHED IN STYLE AT WHITFIELD HOUSE ON AUGUST 1 WITH STRONG SUPPORT FROM THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. GUESTS ENJOYED DELICIOUS CANAPES AND DRINKS FROM OCHRE RESTAURANT (WITH SWEET TREATS FROM DELlo MANO BROWNIES), AND ENTERTAINMENT BY LOCAL BAND TAKE FIVE (WHO SUPPORTED CROONER ROWAN HOWARD AND TAP DANCER SIMON BATTERSBY). THE MAGAZINE WAS OFFICIALLY UNVEILED BY OUR OWN LITTLE PAPER BOYS (PERFORMERS PROVIDED BY THE JULIA MCALPINE DANCE STUDIO). WHAT A FABULOUS WAY TO LAUNCH TNQ PROFILE MAGAZINE!
Tyson, young Tia and Christine Franklin (ProArch Podiatry)
Teagan Twomey, Craig Roberts and Nicola Lister (Pulse Hair)
Chris and Dianne White (Migration Plus) and Jamen Wilcox (Chamber of Commerce and Industry QLD)
Michael De laney (Cair ns Amateurs Scott Brow ), n (All Signs )
Natalie Mann (Pullman Reef Hotel Casino) and Cat Goode (Consolidated Tin Mines) Lou McClure and Liam McGuigan (Ireland’s Holden)
Susan Loukas (Suna Shoes and Accessories) and Gillian Corbett
Lauren Moal and Leticia Moran (Hot Croc)
september 2011
Leane and Brent Simpson (Shangri-La Hotel and Hawker Pacific)
Niki Biro (WorkLink), Ama nda Hinrichsen (Advanc e Cairns Business Enterpr ise Centre), Suzanne Ashmore (SA Graphic Desi gn) and Nicky Swan (Advance Cairns)
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win
win a mini-break at the brisbane marriott Brisbane will come alive in the coming months, transformed by a whirlwind of fashion, art and culture, as the city’s signature festivals make Brisbane a must-visit location. The Brisbane Marriott’s exclusive ‘Festivalista’ one night mini-break offers a deluxe river view room with buffet breakfast for two and valet parking, in addition to two delicious cocktails at Motion Bar and Grill. Brisbane Marriott’s light, bright and airy rooms offer breathtaking river views and are equipped with the hotel’s signature ‘Revive’ bedding. Visit www.marriott.com.au. Together with profile magazine, the Brisbane Marriott would like to offer an overnight ‘Festivalista’ package for one lucky reader and their partner, valued at $755. Winning bookings must be taken by December 31, 2011. Enter online at www.profilemag.com.au
win cool koolaman jewellery
Koolaman Designs specialises in creating beautiful, personalised, handstamped jewellery pieces in silver and gold. The range includes pendants, bangles, earrings, cufflinks and chains. Visit www.koolaman.com.au. Profile magazine and Koolaman are offering a $350 gift voucher for one lucky reader. Enter online at www.profilemag.com.au
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Spring into September with these super chic prizes! win fresh skin for spring Do you want plumped, hydrated and dewy skin? AIESHA is an all-natural, professional strength, anti-ageing skincare range. Products contain potent levels of active ingredients, proven to reduce the signs of ageing. To view the range, visit www.aiesha. com.au. Profile magazine and AIESHA have a skincare pack containing seven of the brand’s most popular products, valued at more than $350. Enter online www.profilemag.com.au
win luxury lingerie Indulge your passion for luxurious silk lingerie by selecting from a divine range of vintage-inspired lingerie classics, stretch silk tulle intimates, camisoles and French knickers by designer brand KU SHU SHU, www.kushushu.com. Profile and KU SHU SHU are giving one lucky profile reader the chance to win a gift voucher valued at $250 (offer excludes robes). Enter online at www.profilemag.com.au
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win 4 ingredients for little people Queensland success stories Kim McCosker and Rachael Bermingham have just released their most requested title, 4 Ingredients KIDS. Loaded with fun and imaginative, healthy recipes for babies, toddlers, teenagers and big kids too, 4 Ingredients KIDS provides inspiration for all, saving time and money in the kitchen. Profile magazine has four copies of 4 Ingredients KIDS to give away. Enter online at www.profilemag.com.au
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on the road
A BRIGHT SPARK ll words hamish rose
holden barina CD
T
he Holden Barina Spark is one of Holden’s newest models and a smart move into the fast-growing light car segment. My biggest frustration when it comes to this category of vehicle is that, while the core buyer for this car would generally not be a family of six and is probably a Gen Y or empty-nester, it is quite frustrating having to squish passengers in and out of the back seat of a two or three-door car. Which leaves me, the self-confessed penny pincher, in quite a bind … do you opt for the extra dollars for a five-door over the three-door just for the comfort of the occasional passenger? Well thank you Holden, the Barina Spark offers the best of both worlds: a five-door vehicle with the styling and price of a three-door. Once again, Holden is spot on for value for money and has kept it simple with two great base options – a CD and CDX. The CDX does offer up extra benefits such as larger wheels, heated seats (probably not high on the priority list for TNQ), and a few sportier trims, but the benefit for me is value in the base product, so the CD is the one in the spotlight for this review. For the current price of $13,990 drive-away, it does not take long to see this value. The CD Spark offers the usual power options and accessories you expect with any new car, but adds to the package with extras as standard such as: alloy wheels, fog lights, six airbags, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, sports body kit and even steering controls for the MP3/CD player. With a tight turning circle and short wheel base, taking the Spark into the CBD lets you know what it has been designed to do. This is a great option for getting in and out of local car parks and shopping precincts with the greatest of ease. If you are looking for something to tow
september 2011
the boat or caravan, the Spark probably isn’t the best option (profile magazine has reviewed the Captiva as a good option for this – check out the August issue for more info). The Spark’s motor was clearly developed with a focus on efficiency and with the current petrol prices, this is a good move. The 1.2 litre petrol engine produces 59kw and sips only 5.6L/100km on a combined driving cycle, and achieves a five-star rating in the Federal Government’s Green Vehicle Guide. How does Holden know potential buyers love the styling? Simple – they asked the punters to vote for it! The Spark’s styling is derived from a promotion featured at the 2007 New York Auto Show where voters could pick from a trio of cars as to which they would like built. And this is what they voted for. The Spark was obviously designed with the focus on the female segment and a quick discussion around the chick-filled profile office proves they have succeeded in the styling department. Integration of the rear door handles into the window surround to give the sleekness of a three door car, and the alloy wheels, rear boot spoiler and sleek headlight and grill make a design you would be proud to drive. The interior sings the same song, with a clear mix of fun and function. A motorcycle-inspired instrument cluster with an ice-blue speedo and dial lighting theme, colourcoded door and seat trim, and an all round sporty design all feature. Space is quite generous for the category, with enough room in the back to sit three or the flexibility to fold the rear seats down to fit up to 580 litres of cargo space. Overall, the Holden Barina Spark is a must-see for those looking for a great value runabout for the tropical north. The Spark represents great value for a really safe, economical, environmentally-friendly and smart looking small car.
THE FACTS ... Holden Barina Spark CD FEATURES
•• Six airbags •• 14 inch alloy wheels •• Electronic stability control and ABS •• Electronic brakeforce distribution •• Steering wheel mounted audio controls •• Sports body kit with fog lamps and rear spoiler •• USB input CD player with IPOD connectivity ENGINE
1.2 litre four cylinder petrol with 59kw and 107kw torque FUEL CONSUMPTION
5.6 litres per 100km PRICE
From $13,990 drive-away
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the last word
juanita maiden
ll photography veronica sagredo Juanita Maiden is a third generation Cairns local, known better by her former name, Juanita O’Brien. She built her profile through her hard work with the Cairns Taipans and in her father’s former business, Pacific Toyota. Now as a practising lawyer at MacDonnells Law, the tall and fit Cairns Netball Association team player loves travelling and being organised.
“Most people don’t know that I … am colour blind.
I grew up in … Cairns. I was born in Cairns Base Hospital, as was my mum and her mum. I start my day by … wishing I went to bed earlier the night before. I am definitely a night owl, not a lark. I would love to be a better … singer. I am at my happiest when … chilling out at home with my husband in ‘The Serenity Lounge’, our little garden sanctuary.
“
When I am not working I am … planning – something, anything. I like to be organised! I wish I could … devote one month every year travelling to somewhere in the world I have never been. Lawyer Juanita Maiden loves nothing more than spending time with her husband in their garden sanctuary
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My favourite restaurant is … any of the local restaurants that have treated me like part of the family over many years, such as Barnacle Bills, Villa Romana, La Fettucina, Fasta Pasta and Salsa in Port Douglas.
My favourite holiday spot is … the next one I am planning. Most people don’t know that I … am colour blind. When I was growing up I wanted to be … a rock singer or a professional athlete. It didn’t work out. My all time favourite movie is … I’m not really a movie person. I am currently addicted to Glee. My greatest achievement is … going back to practise law after a 12 year absence. My most annoying habit is … pretending the red chair in the corner of our bedroom is a clothes basket (according to my husband). In five years I hope to be … healthy and happy. What makes me laugh out loud is … my close friends. They always put a smile on my face.
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102.7
ONE STATION ALL THE ROCK LEGENDS
weekdays from 5.30am ZINC 102.7 ROCKING THE CAIRNS COMMUNITY ...
september 2011
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