Alliance Airlines Magazine – May/June 2021 by publishingbychelle

MAY/JUNE 2021

A real Australian business magazine

CHARMING CHARLEVILLE Bilbies, stars and outback adventure

POOCH-FRIENDLY GETAWAYS

Take your furry best mate on the road

THE MIGHTY MURRAY

An adventurer’s playground

Cradle Mountain

Explore true wilderness

Welcome. WELCOME ABOARD On 1 April 2021, in a major milestone for the company, Alliance received its Air Operators Certificate (AOC) for the commercial operation of its new Embraer E190 aircraft. The E190 commences regular services under a “Wet Lease” Agreement for Qantas in late May, operating between Adelaide, Alice Springs and Darwin. Alliance’s agreement with Qantas sees a minimum of three E190s operating wet lease services, with options to increase to a total of 14 aircraft. During 2020 Alliance committed to the purchase of a total of 30 E190 aircraft, which will be used for expansion of wet lease and charter services for new and existing clients. In other Embraer news, Alliance has worked closely with the Royal Australian Air Force to deliver a spectacular livery on one of its new E190 aircraft, celebrating 100 years of the RAAF. Alliance continues to work closely with the RAAF in a range of ways, including Alliance’s Chairman Steve Padgett OAM sitting on the National Council of the Air Force Cadets. Alliance also continues to welcome new charter customers, with significant growth in business in 2021 from domestic tourism operators looking to build unique Australian experiences via private jet touring programs. Alliance has also developed its own touring program linking Brisbane and Winton for a unique day trip to Queensland’s spectacular outback (please visit Alliance’s website for more information and to book). This joins ongoing growth from our mining and resources customers and wet lease customers. Finally, on 14 April this year, Alliance announced its intent to develop a significant hangar and maintenance facility at Rockhampton Airport, working in conjunction with the Rockhampton Regional Council, Queensland State Government and the Commonwealth. Providing significant skilled employment opportunities to Queensland, this facility will deliver up to three “lines” of maintenance to support Alliance’s Fokker and Embraer fleet. Keep safe, Lee Schofield Chief Executive Officer

MAY/JUNE 2021

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32 AusBiz.

In this issue. upfront

Features

11 Entertainment

26 Dog days

Dive into the latest releases in TV, film, podcasts and books.

14 Conquer Cradle Mountain

Step into Tasmania’s famed national park and experience true wilderness.

20 Charming Charleville

This seemingly quiet town ticks every box when it comes to epic Outback Queensland adventures.

Check out AusBiz at the back of the magazine. TECHNOLOGY Facebook vs the Federal Government – who was the real winner?

We scout out the best beaches around Australia to take your water-loving pup during the cooler months.

AGRICULTURE How Aussie farmers are moving to a more sustainable model

32 Mighty Murray

Experience nature, history and adventure on the river snaking across three states.

MINING Mine site rehab: bringing barren land back to life

37 Young gun winemakers

Meet the up-and-coming wine producers who are shaking up the vino industry in Australia.

PROPERTY The regional boom – how much further will house prices climb?

MAY/JUNE 2021

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PUBLISHER’S

Welcome to another digital issue of Alliance magazine.

EDITORIAL

Publisher: Michelle Hespe publisher@publishingbychelle.com Deputy Editor: Bethany Plint Sub Editor: Claire Hey Designer: Ryan Vizcarra

I was chatting to a friend the other day about the positive things that have come out of COVID and the past year of turbulence and uncertainty around the world. One of the most obvious ones in Australia is the fact that we have all been confined to travelling within our own borders, and when you live in one of the most incredibly diverse (in terms of landscapes, people, food and culture) countries in the world, it hardly feels like confinement. In this issue we continue to celebrate off-the-beaten track places where adventure and wilderness can be found in abundance. Cradle Mountain in Tasmania has to be one of the most stunning, rugged offerings that we have down south, and getting out on to the Overland Track is to slip out of the busy world we live in and embrace nature in all of its raw beauty. We also headed to Charleville, which is considered the Bingo of Outback

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CONTRIBUTORS

Queensland – it ticks all of the boxes on the outback adventure board. From bilbies and blood red sunsets to open blue skies and outback characters, it’s a place where long-lasting memories are made. Add an adventure on the Murray River and a bit of wine tasting, and you have a collection of stories that will have your rejoicing in our country’s ‘confinement’. Drop us a line anytime – we love hearing from you.

Winsor Dobbin Marie Barbieri Bethany Plint Kirsten Craze Susan Gough Henly Ian Lloyd Neubauer Virginia Tressider

PRINTING

Blue Star PRINT 81 Derby St, Silverwater NSW 2128

Alliance is published by Publishing ByChelle (ABN: 78 621 375 853 ACN: 621 375 853) Level 1, 3 Westleigh Street, Neutral Bay NSW 2089 publishingbychelle.com The reproduction of any content, in whole or part without prior written permission by the publisher, Michelle Hespe, is strictly prohibited. Opinions expressed in the content are those of the contributors, and not necessarily those of the publisher. All information in this magazine was believed to be correct at the time of publication, and all reasonable efforts have been made to contact copyright holders. Publishing ByChelle cannot accept unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If such items are sent to the magazine, they will not be returned. We apologise if we don’t get back to your email, as we do receive a large volume of communication via various online channels. Some images used in Alliance are from iStock and Getty images, and we make every effort to credit all contributors.

MICHELLE HESPE

If you would like to read the digital version of Alliance, please be our guest!

MARCH/APRIL 2021

A real Australia n business magazine

CHARMING CHARLEVILLE Bilbies, stars and outback adventure

POOCH-FRIENDLY GETAWAYS

Simply go to trulyaus.com – which is dedicated to exploring and celebrating all things Aussie, giving travellers the lowdown on the best places in regional, rural and outback Australia.

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Take your furry best mate on the road

THE MIGHTY MURRAY

An adventurer’s playground

Cradle Mountain

Explore true wilderne ss

MAY/JUNE 2021

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Alliance News.

Reduced airfares between Perth and the Pilbara thanks to BHP Community airfares to and from the Pilbara region will be cheaper thanks to a commitment to the Pilbara community from BHP. When COVID-19 began in Western Australia last year, BHP increased its use of Alliance Airline charter flights in order to ensure the continued safety of its staff between Perth and the Pilbara. One-way tickets between Perth and Port Hedland or Newman are now capped at $299 thanks to the BHP/Alliance Airlines Community Fare program. This is a fully flexible fare and changes can be made until 24 hours before takeoff. BHP will make up to 300 seats available to the public each week

on the Alliance Airlines RPT-charter flights between Newman, Port Hedland and Perth. BHP’s Community Airfares are available to Pilbara residents as well as visiting friends and family who do not live in Newman and Port Hedland, helping to connect the outside world to the Pilbara. These fares will also support small businesses and notfor-profit organisations in the Pilbara where contractors are needed to fly in to assist business operations. BHP WA Iron Ore Asset president Brandon Craig said the Community Fare program made travel between Perth and the Pilbara region much easier for everyone.

“We recognise the impact high airfares have on regional communities,” says Craig. “That’s why we established the BHP Community Airfare program, to help reduce the cost of flying.” He continues: “Reasonably priced airfares have not always been available to the Pilbara community in the past, so we adopted this innovative new model where we make community seats available on our chartered FiFo planes delivering affordable airfares to our host communities.” The Community Fares can be booked directly through the Alliance Airlines website. MAY/JUNE 2021

Route Map.

Where we fly. Alliance Airlines is Australasia’s leading provider of air services.

CHRISTMAS ISLAND G R O OT E EYLANDT W E I PA

CAIRNS

CENTURY

TOWNSVILLE

PORT HEDLAND K A R R AT H A

CANNINGTON

CAPE PRESTON

M A C K AY MORANBAH ROCKHAMPTON GLADSTONE

MOOMBA

SUNSHINE COAST

ROMA

BRISBANE

KALGOORLIE

PERTH

SYDNEY CANBERRA ADELAIDE

Charter/FIFO Flights only Charter/FIFO and Commerical Flights

ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

NOTE: MAPS ARE NOT TO SCALE

Key:

HOME OF THE

Uluru Charters

WEEKENDS EXCLUSIVE OFFERS BY TRAVEL ASSOCIATES Noosa Eat and Drink Festival - NEW CHARTER! Packages from $1498 per person twin-share

PACKAGE INCLUDES: Return economy flights direct from Townsville to Sunshine Coast Airport travelling on Alliance Airlines Refreshments and drinks included on board the flight to Sunshine Coast Return hotel transfers from airport to hotel 2 nights accommodation at Peppers Noosa Resort & Villas or The Sebel Noosa, situated on/or near Hastings Street Hotel porterage Priority check in Breakfast Daily Exclusive VIP Beach Party presented by Travel Associates which includes all food, drinks (beer, wine, sparkling, cocktails and soft drink) and entertainment Fully escorted by a Travel Associates representative Land only available on request. Departure for the 11th-13th of June 2021. *T&C's apply.

3 Days on Cunard's Queen Elizabeth - Melbourne to Sydney Oceanview from $499pp, Balcony from $569pp, Suites from $1100pp OCEANVIEW CABIN INCLUSIONS: A bottle of sparkling wine to welcome you to your Oceanview stateroom. A steward to help keep your stateroom immaculate and assist you throughout your stay. A nightly turndown service, with chocolate on your pillow. Complimentary room service 24 hours a day. A window offering outside views. Main Dining: Your table is reserved for breakfast, lunch and dinner in one of the sophisticated main restaurants aboard (alternative dining at an extra cost) Evening Performances and Live Music Children's Facilities Traditional Afternoon Tea Sporting Activities and so much more! Cruise departs on the 12th of December 2021 *T&C's apply.

BUSINESS TRAVEL

Do you have a business that requires travel solutions? Here at Travel Associates NQ and CQ we have a dedicated corporate travel team offering 24 hour assistance. No matter the industry, we can a tailor a solution to meet your needs. Contact us today!

Travel Associates Townsville City Travel Associates Castletown 1300 230 176 234 029 From $3,590.00* per1300 person townsville@travelassociates.com castletown@travelassociates.com

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ALLIANCE AIRLINES

DAYTRIP TO

CHILD ADULT

WINTON

695 $ 655 $

Age 2 - 14 years. Infants under 2 years fly free.

Price Includes: • Direct return flights Brisbane - Winton on Alliance Airlines Fokker 70 jet • Transfers • Museum entry fees • Lunch TOUR DATES:

15 MAY 3 JULY 18 SEPT Saturday

Saturday

Dinosaurs, Waltzing Matilda & The Queensland Outback! AUSTRALIAN AGE OF DINOSAURS Visit the world-renowned Australian Age of Dinosaurs: • Collection room • Fossil Preparation Laboratory • Dinosaur Canyon • The new March of the Titanosaurs exhibit

WALTZING MATILDA CENTRE View the newly re-opened Waltzing Matilda Centre. The first museum in the world dedicated to a song, Waltzing Matilda, a song that lives in the hearts of all Australians.

LUNCH IN WINTON TOWN Explore the Queensland outback town of Winton and enjoy the traditional country hospitality with lunch at an iconic outback pub.

Saturday

BOOK NOW: https://localtickets.com.au/host/6608

Entertainment.

Watch, read & listen.

By: Bethany Plint

books podcasts

Always Was, Always Will Be Our Stories

The Botanical Art of William T. Cooper, Wendy Cooper

May 2021, NLA Publishing, History & Botanics This stunning hardcover book showcases the spectacular flora of Australia in all its messy, imperfect glory, painted by the late William T. Cooper, with words from his wife, botanist Wendy Cooper.

Music

Sideways to New Italy, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever

5 June The second studio album from the five-piece band, ‘Sideways to New Italy’ presents a varied selection of buoyant melodies and vintage indie rock sounds, capturing the ensemble’s life on the road while touring their debut album.

Turns Out, I’m Fine, Judith Lucy

April 2021, Simon and Schuster Australia, Biography The renowned author and star of numerous onewoman shows reflects on the events that led her to a downright existential crisis. Despite a slight drowning experience, Lucy finds there is hope for her yet.

Television

Copping it Black, SBS On Demand

Late 2021 In a gripping four-part series, detective Toni Alma returns to the Aboriginal community she fled as a child to investigate a suspicious car accident. Clues lead her to grapple with her past, family and the enduring complexity of Aboriginal art and culture.

How Stella Learned to Talk, Christina Hunger

May 2021, Harper Collins, Pets & Companionship Always wanted to know what your dog is thinking? Speech-language pathologist Christina Hunger has developed a method of communicating with her dog, using simple techniques that you can adopt in your own home.

Film

Hollywood heavy hitters George Clooney and Julia Roberts will head down under to begin filming their upcoming movie, Ticket to Paradise. The Whitsundays and parts of Southern Queensland will provide the backdrop for the romantic comedy that is set to bring $32.7 million into Queensland’s economy, as well as more than 1,000 jobs.

This series shares inspiring conversations with Indigenous role models. Hosted by Marlee Silva, founder of Tiddas 4 Tiddas – a social media initiative dedicated to celebrating Indigenous women.

The Zest is History

Hosts Melissa Mason and Josie Rozenberg-Clarke deliver a weekly dose of obscure Australian history in hilarious yet thoroughly researched episodes. From Steve Irwin to badass female bushrangers – no historical figure is off-limits.

Flash Forward

Each episode, journalist Jane Eveleth leads listeners on a new journey through a possible future. Covering a broad range of topics including technology, philosophy, ethics and science, she asks bold questions to get listeners thinking differently. MAY/JUNE 2021

Events.

11-13 June

Barunga Festival

What’s on. compiled by: Bethany plint

5-8 May Agfest

Carrick, Tasmania The Apple Isle’s premier agricultural event is back in 2021, promising a 500-strong spread of vendors and exhibitors. Top attractions include vintage farming machinery, clothing and homewares stalls, food and horticulture displays, as well as the finest livestock in the land.

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Katherine, NT Traditional and contemporary Indigenous culture will collide at this year’s Barunga Festival, held in the Northern Territory’s spectacular Katherine region. Celebrating community life through music, sport, food and culture, the three-day event will welcome festivalgoers from far and wide to one of the most culturally significant events on the calendar.

June

Hunter Valley Wine and Food Festival

Pokolbin, NSW Throughout the month of June, food and wine lovers should give in to their tummy grumblings and follow their senses to Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley for some of the best viticulture and culinary experiences in the state. Vineyard tours, cooking classes and wine making workshops are on offer for diehard fans, but for those simply wanting to sample the goods, wine tasting and dining experiences abound at various cellar doors and restaurants throughout the Hunter region.

26 June – 11 July

Bathurst Winter Festival

Bathurst, NSW Bathurst Winter Festival is back this June after a hugely successful 2020, despite the challenges of COVID-19. Innovative new pop-ups and event formats allowed the beloved regional festival

to welcome visitors from across NSW. Expect crowd favourites such as the Drive-In Cinema, Brighten Up Bathurst and live music to return in style.

21-29 May

Ord Valley Muster

Kununurra, NT Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Ord Valley

Events.

Muster returns to the Kimberley in May for an epic nine-day event. The region’s biggest annual festival promises over 30 stellar events, welcoming more than 10,000 locals and visitors. The festival will take place in the town of Kununurra, the gateway to the East Kimberley, where endless hiking, camping and 4WD adventures await.

28 April – 19 September Drummer Queens

Nationwide Prepare to be wowed by this world-class ensemble of percussionists, delivering a powerful musical performance that will have your ears ringing in the best possible way. The all-female cast will have you rocking along to their irresistible rhythms while impressive staging and stunning light work provide a breathtaking and immersive experience. Shows will take place in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra, with more yet to be announced.

From 5 June

Archie 100, A Century of the Archibald Prize

The Domain, Sydney, NSW The Art Gallery of New South Wales celebrates the 100th birthday of Australia’s oldest portrait award. The landmark exhibition reveals the fascinating stories behind the entire collection of winning artworks, uncovering the ever-changing styles, mediums and approaches to portraiture captured over the past century.

May

11 June – 24 July

Nationwide Throughout the month of May, the Below the Belt #YourWay challenge is encouraging Australians to get up and get moving in order to raise awareness and funds for those impacted by below-thebelt cancers such as kidney, bladder, prostate and testicular. Cycle, run, swim, even scooter – just commit to a total distance, record your efforts and raise a bit of coin for cancer research.

Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, NSW One of the longest-running plays in West End history makes its way to Ensemble, an intimate performance space in North Sydney’s Kirribilli. Susan Hill’s classic ghost story, adapted for the stage by Stephen Mallatratt, will have you watching through your fingers, laughing out loud and gasping at the spooky twists in an unforgettable theatrical experience.

Below the Belt

The Woman in Black

MAY/JUNE 2021

Images: Tourism Tasmania and Jason Charles Hill

Explore

MEET IN THE

ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

Explore

MOUNTAINS

Tasmania is renowned for its dramatic scenery and native wildlife, but no destination marries the two as strikingly as Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park – one of the last true wilderness regions on earth. WORDS: Winsor Dobbin MAY/JUNE 2021

Explore

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: A WALK IN THE WOODS, KING BILLY SUITE AT CRADLE MOUNTAIN LODGE, DOVE LAKE AT DAWN, CANYONING EXPEDITION IN THE NATIONAL PARK, SNUGGLING TASMANIAN DEVILS AND PEPPERS CRADLE MOUNTAIN LODGE UNDER HEAVY SNOW.

IN THE bracing fresh air here, you will find grazing wallabies and wombats on the many walking trails that can span from a few minutes to several days. There are trails to suit every age, pace and ability. From snowcovered mountain peaks to mosscovered rainforests, deep gorges and wild waterfalls, this Tasmanian Wilderness Wild Heritage Area has something for every nature lover. The park is known for its diverse and breathtaking landscapes which change with the light. In winter, discover deep snowdrifts. In autumn, spectacular displays of yellows, oranges and reds across the mountain slopes. In spring and summer take in the fragrance of the abundant wildflowers, and the youthful exuberance of young joeys and busy echidnas. The vegetation is surprisingly diverse and includes grassland,

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Images: Tourism Tasmania, Jason Charles Hill, Graham Freeman, Kentish Council Paul Flemming and Andrew McIntosh Ocean Photography

Explore

rainforest and many ancient plants, such as the long-lived King Billy pine and the native deciduous beech. You will need to be brave (or foolhardy) to take a winter dip in one of the crystal-clear lakes, but you’ll be totally invigorated if you do take the plunge.

DISCOVER ON FOOT The park has a world-class system of walking tracks to explore, which range from very short easy strolls to the challenging Overland Track. Weindorfer’s Chalet is the rustic former home of regional pioneers Gustav and Kate Weindorfer, and is the starting point for the worldfamous Overland Track. Weindorfer was a botanist who hailed from

Austria and settled in Tasmania after meeting local botanist Kate Cowle. During a plant-finding expedition to Cradle Mountain in 1909, he fell in love with the monolith and the wilderness surrounding it. Returning to the mountain the following year he famously declared: “This must be a National Park for the people for all time. It is magnificent, and people must know about it and enjoy it.” The five- or six-day Overland Track hike stretches 80 kilometres from Cradle Mountain through to Lake St Clair in the south, travelling through Tasmania’s rugged alpine heart. Walkers can camp, or sleep in huts along the track. The jagged contours of Cradle Mountain stand in contrast to the

icy stillness of Dove Lake – but beware. Wild weather and heavy clouds can descend suddenly at any time, and in any season.

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS All journeys should start at the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre, which is home to an interpretive display, ranger station, park information, walker registration and up-to-date weather reports. There are many superb day walks from the centre and the Dove Lake car park, which lies 14km further on. A five-kilometre wooden boardwalk links a ranger station to Dove Lake, giving visitors an easy way to explore the park. The lake itself, at the foot of Cradle Mountain, is circled by a  MAY/JUNE 2021

Explore

LEFT: SITTING BY DOVE LAKE AT CRADLE MOUNTAIN

Images: Tourism Tasmania and Chris Crerar

and home to The Cradle Mountain Wilderness Gallery, which showcases the works of Tasmanian and visiting artists, including an artist in residence. The towns of Sheffield, Burnie, Latrobe and Deloraine are all about an hour away from the visitors centre, and offer a range of shopping and cultural activities.

BEYOND THE WALKING TRACKS

six-kilometre track that offers one of Tasmania’s best day walks. A free shuttle bus takes visitors into the park, and if you choose to walk part of the way the shuttle will pick you up at various points along the road.

WHERE TO STAY Local accommodation options range from the luxurious new King Billy Suites at iconic Cradle Mountain Lodge, to cute, rustic Waldheim Cabins, which actually sit five kilometres inside the park, and offer a rural experience with shared amenities. Cradle Mountain Lodge is a quintessentially rugged Tasmanian experience, with plenty of life’s little luxuries thrown in. One of Tasmania’s star retreats, it underwent a facelift during the COVID-19 shutdown with a multimillion-dollar upgrade to its accommodation, dining, and spa facilities. Choices here include deciding whether to attend a wine tasting accompanied by a range of gourmet local cheeses, or to venture outside

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on a guided night tour of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park to look for Tasmanian devils, quolls, platypus, echidnas, wombats and black currawongs. A spa treatment, perhaps, a choice of dramatically beautiful walks, a waterfall experience, or a helicopter ride over Dove Lake? The five new King Billy Suites are a delight. These offer central fireplaces, outdoor spa baths and classic mini bars featuring a variety of items from high-end Tasmanian producers. Think heated towel rails, satellite TVs and serious rural luxury. There are also more affordable accommodation options. The on-site Highland Restaurant has maintained its casual vibe while, at the same time, introducing a new menu focusing on local produce from wines to cheese and steaks. The Tavern Bar & Bistro has a new woodfired pizza oven and open kitchen, along with an expanded deck offering space for 80 more patrons. Other accommodation options include the Cradle Mountain Hotel – recently purchased by the NRMA

Not all the Cradle Mountain activities are outdoors. You can visit a Tassie Devil wildlife sanctuary, see awardwinning art galleries, or spend a snowy winter’s day sipping pinot noir by an open fireplace in a cosy lodge. Particularly popular is The Devils @ Cradle Tasmanian devil sanctuary, a breeding and conservation facility for three of Tasmania’s unique threatened carnivorous marsupials: the Tasmanian devil, the spotted-tail quoll, and the Eastern quoll. The facility is located on the edge of the Cradle Mountain National Park World Heritage area and conducts in-situ conservation programs for the Tasmanian devil, including an on-site breeding program for insurance of the species. A visit to the sanctuary day or night will allow you to observe these extraordinary animals up close, while one of the keepers will share an understanding of their life cycle and the threats that confront them. The centre operates a successful captive breeding program, ensuring the ongoing survival of Tasmanian devils in healthy numbers in the wild. For wine lovers, there are three cellar doors within an hour of Cradle Mountain: Ghost Rock Vineyard, Lake Barrington Estate and Barringwood Estate. Sipping on a wine flight at any one of these will surely warm you from the inside out.

The Aboriginal Artists Project combines the fashion accessory designs of Catherine Manuell with the artworks of many wonderful women artists from remote Australian communities. Shown here is the Bush Yams artwork by Evelyn Pultara from the Utopia region of Central Australia. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of these products goes directly to the artists.

Call us on 03 9486 4066 for help or a little personal service, or email: info@catherinemanuelldesign.com

www.catherinemanuelldesign.com

Discover

Images: Tourism and Events Queensland

THIS PAGE: There were originally two species of bilby, but the greater bilby is now commonly referred to simply as ‘the bilby’, as the lesser bilby (Macrotis leucura) is thought to have become extinct in the early 1950s OPPOSITE: Admiring the universe from Charleville Cosmos Centre

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Discover

Stars

OF THE SHOW It’s been said that if Outback Queensland was a game of Bingo, Charleville would be the winning combination, as it ticks every box on the ‘things to do in Outback Queensland’ board.

Images: Tourism and Events Queensland

WORDs: Michelle Hespe

MAY/JUNE 2021

Discover

Images: Danielle Lancaster

CLOCKWISE FROM BELOW: The new Secret Base, sunsets stretch forever, meet the locals at the races and pick up a bottle of famous Cooladdi hot sauce from the smallest town in Australia

GIVEN ITS population is just over 3,000, you might think of Charleville as a small outback town. But it’s actually the largest town in Murweh Shire, covering 687 square kilometres – and it punches way above its weight when it comes to great things to do in Outback Queensland. Spend a few days or a week here and you can pack in great country hospitality, an observatory experience like no other, meet one of Australia’s cutest animals (the bilby) go fishing, camp and BBQ under the stars and basically get off the grid in a place that ignites travellers’ love of the true Australian outback.

H ISTORY A N D R A INM A K ING

Established on the banks of the Warrego River in the early 1860s, Charleville was named by William Alcock Tully, at the

ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

time Queensland’s chief commissioner of Crown Lands, after his hometown in Ireland’s County Cork. Its location by a permanent waterhole means that Charleville has always been a part of the major stock routes through the area, and today the town thrives on sheep and cattle grazing. The extremely wide roads are reminders of the old days, when bullock teams of up to 14 pairs needed space for turning when they made their way through town. An amusing piece of history that visitors can take in is the Steiger Vortex Rainmaker Guns in the Graham Andrews Parkland, which were one of 10 guns used by meteorologist Professor Clement Wragge in Charleville in 1902, in an attempt to end the six-year drought gripping the town. After placing the guns around Charleville, Wragge filled

Discover

Images: Danielle Lancaster

LEFT TO RIGHT, THEN BELOW: In spring, see Calytrix longiflora (desert fringe myrtle) bloom at the botanical reserve, calling into the pub on a day trip to Augathella and taking a tour of Charleville’s Outback Date Farm

them with gunpowder and ignited them. The anticipated downpour never came and it is rumoured that after addressing a group of locals at the town hall that night and being met with scepticism and mockery, he left town the next day. Today, the pretty park features a native timber walk where interpretive signage describe the outback trees resilient to drought and floods.

T H E R EA L STA R S OF T H E OU T BAC K

Charleville is home to the fascinating Cosmos Centre, where tour guides take visitors through cosmic activities and regale them with tales of ancient stargazers and the formation of the universe. At night, powerful telescopes offer an incredible peek into the galaxy. With such little light pollution, the views are awe-inspiring. And during the day, large telescopes trained on the sun allow close-up views of its flares and hotspots. The newer tourist attractions are also worthy of your attention. Meet the farmer for an inspiring tour of

Charleville’s date farm, which uses only recycled water, then sample a tasty date slice and wash it down with a cuppa by the boiling billy. Learn about the secret US base in Charleville during World War II – when 3,500 personnel were stationed in the town – on a tagalong driving tour or at the new WWII Secret Base exhibition. For history buffs, head to the Royal Flying Doctors base and visitor centre. This modern facility celebrates the historical links between the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Charleville, home to the longest-serving RFDS base in Queensland. The crew covers around 622,000 square kilometres – an area almost the size of the United Kingdom! A short drive from town is the Charleville Botanical Reserve, a real feather in Charleville’s natural cap. In the semi-arid Mulga Lands, this 2,000 hectare reserve contains most of the region’s major vegetation types, and is spectacular in spring when a sea of desert fringe myrtle surrounds the winding path.  MAY/JUNE 2021

Discover

FROM TOP: Play a round of golf in Charleville – part of the Outback Queensland Masters circuit, the Cooladdi railway siding and Charleville’s Water Tower

BILBIES A R E BOU NC I NG BAC K

You can’t visit Charleville without fitting in a Charleville Bilby Experience. The town is home to the largest bilby breeding program in Queensland. Here, you can see these endangered little marsupials digging their way back from the brink of extinction. Bilbies are believed to have inhabited Australia for up to 15 million years, and once were found across 70 per cent of Australia’s landmass. Wandering around beneath the seemingly endless blue sky that this remarkable part of Queensland is renowned for, you’ll meet the welcoming community and understand why some people fall in love with the outback, and could not imagine living anywhere else.

SIX FUN BILBY FACTS 1. Bilbies can sleep on their heads 2. ‘Macrotis’ means big-eared in Greek and bilby ears are big! They can be as much as 66 per cent of the body length of the bilby, providing an easy point of differentiation between bilbies and other marsupials. These ears are super sensitive 3. The lesser bilby became extinct in the 1950s; the greater bilby survives but remains endangered in Queensland

Images: Danielle Lancaster & Tourism and Events Queensland

4. Bilbies are omnivores, meaning they eat almost everything, including insects and plants. They rarely need water, making them superbly adapted to Australia’s harsh, dry outback 5. Bilbies have one of the shortest pregnancies of any mammals on earth at 12 to 14 days, and can have up to four litters of young per year 6. Bilby pouches face backwards so they don’t fill up with sand as the animals diligently dig burrows. It is estimated that bilbies can move 1.5 tonnes of earth per kilogram of body weight per year, according to the WWF

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CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE IN

Home of Australia's beloved bilby, and a stargazing experience like no other.

E X P E R I E N C E

Charleville OUTBACK QUEENSLAND V I S I T O R S

G U I D E

C H A R L EV I L L E / M O R V EN / A U G AT H EL L A / C O O L A D D I experiencecharleville.com.au

Visit Charleville Visitor Information Centre at Railway Station, King St, Charleville You can also order your brochure online at: experiencecharleville.com.au

PICK UP OUR BROCHURE FROM THE CHARLEVILLE VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE IT'S PACKED WITH IDEAS ON WHAT TO DO WHILE VISITING OUR BEAUTIFUL REGION

Pet-friendly travel

A U S T R A L I A’ S

Dog-Friendly BEACHES

Images: Oscar Sutton, Kevin Turcios and Destination NSW

Summer may have come to a close, but with fewer crowds and eased restrictions, now is the perfect time to treat your pooch to a day at the seaside. WORDs: Bethany Plint

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Pet-friendly travel

OPPOSITE: One wet, sandy car coming right up THIS PAGE: Two best pals exploring the Queensland coast and wandering along Shelly Beach, NSW

ROWLAND RESERVE NORTHERN BEACHES, NSW Known to locals as Bayview Dog Park, this off-leash picninc area is one of the most popular spots in Sydney. The main reason: there’s no restrictions on when dogs can visit! While many other dog-friendly beaches near Sydney allocate certain hours to dog visitation, Bayview Dog Park is an all-day fun park for pets. The beach is located on Pittwater, and when the tide is low, sand bars emerge from below the surface and provide even more terrain for adventurous dogs to explore.

NORTH SHELLY BEACH CENTRAL COAST, NSW The entire stretch between Shelly Beach Surf Club and Toowoon Bay is a dog-friendly paradise, and it’s a social outing indeed. Given it’s one of the few off-leash beaches on the Central Coast, it’s not untrue to say that every man and his dog make their way to this stretch of sand every now and again. When the swell picks up, the waves can test even the strongest of four-legged swimmers, but there are plenty of protected rock pools and inlets to explore as well.  MAY/JUNE 2021

Pet-friendly travel CLOCLWISE FROM LEFT: Doggy day at the beach, Belongil Beach, gone kayaking, family trip to the beach, surfers in Byron Bay, Henley Beach, dog on the open road and above St Kilda Beach

BELONGIL BEACH BRYON BAY, NSW Byron Bay is one of NSW’s most popular getaway destinations, and with more and more Aussies opting for road trips over flying, now you can take your beloved pooch to hang 10 at some of Byron’s best beaches. Laidback Belongil Beach is perfect for an afternoon stroll on the sand. To explore even further, the local council has created a map of the area’s dogfriendly beaches and reserves.

SANDOWN STREET BEACH BRIGHTON, VIC Only 11 kilometres from the CBD and lined with dog-friendly cafes, Sandown Street Beach is the place to be if you’re a sun-loving social dog. Commonly referred to as Brighton Dog Beach, it has a huge fenced-off area with shallow water and plenty of sand for those who want to stay dry.

ST KILDA WEST BEACH ST KILDA, VIC St Kilda has always drawn a crowd. The iconic pier, outdoor markets, music festivals and bustling promenade make it a hotspot for hip Melbournites. Even dogs have a long stretch of sand to

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show off their new collars, freshly clipped nails and shiny coats. St Kilda West Beach is off-leash year round, but you will need to steer clear of nearby Middle Park Beach from November 1 to March 31, between 10am and 7.30pm.

FORSTER’S BEACH MORNINGTON, VIC It may be a little tricky to get to, but this secluded 80 metre stretch of sand is a fabulous place to let your dog run free. Take the windy track down the cliff to the crescent-shaped beach where dogs are allowed to roam free. Continue walking along the track and you’ll discover Fossil Beach, another quiet gem that often goes unnoticed.

HOME BEACH, NORTH STRADBROKE, QLD A short ferry ride from Cleveland, North Stradbroke has a fantastic dogfriendly beach to take your best bud to. The entire island is fairly dog-friendly, though pups will need to stay on-leash in some areas including Amity Point and Flinders Beach. At Home Beach, however, dogs can roam free and play in the white wash while owners soak up the postcard-perfect views.

Images: Destination NSW, Visit Victoria, South Australian Tourism Commission, Maggie Riordan and Angelo Pantazis

Pet-friendly travel

SUNSHINE BEACH, NOOSA NATIONAL PARK, QLD

SURFERS POINT, MARGARET RIVER, WA

While the National Park itself is off limits to dogs, the huge stretch of beach leading up to the headland is an off-leash haven. While you wander along with your four-legged friend, have a sticky beak at the gorgeous houses clinging to the cliffside. If you’ve worked up an appetite, head to one of the nearby cafes or bakeries – many of which are dog-friendly – for a bite to eat .

If you’re visiting this famed food, wine and surfing region with a dog in tow, you’ll want to check out Surfers Point for a play on the sand. Gnarabup Dog Beach is open to pets all year round, but they’ll need to steer clear of the playground equipment. The surf here can get quite big so keep an eye on your best buds if they venture out into the waves.

HILLARYS DOG BEACH, JOONDALUP, WA

HENLEY BACH, ADELAIDE, SA

A stone’s throw from Perth, Hillarys Dog Beach is part of a larger recreational area with plenty of space to run, swim, dig and explore. There’s specialised dog exercise equipment too, plus doggy bins and bags and dog-washing facilities. On weekends, there’s even a coffee van for dog owners to get their caffeine fix, with puppuccinos on the menu too.

A short drive from Adelaide’s city centre, Henley Beach is a great spot for a day out with a dog. The area is surrounded by dog-friendly cafes and restaurants – Malabo is particularly welcoming to fourlegged companions. The beach itself is dog-friendly year round but you’ll need to keep them on a leash during the months of daylight savings. MAY/JUNE 2021

COOL WEATHER comforts 1

1. Queen B The first company in the country to make beeswax food wraps, Queen B remains a pioneer of natural, environmentally conscious Australian beeswax products. Now specialising in handmade candles, the mindfully sourced beeswax provides a superior burn time compared to soy and palm alternatives. Queen B’s gorgeous sample packs and hampers are a lovely gift idea for loved ones. queenb.com.au

2. Indigiearth The highly innovative team behind Indigiearth channel 60,000 years of Aboriginal culture into their range, offering everything from spice blends, tea and chocolate treats to skincare, candles and superfoods. Championing native ingredients, Indigiearth allows people to taste and touch the gifts of mother nature – and even more so now, with the new Warakirri Dining Experience: a five-course degustation of Australian native foods, beverages and botanicals at their Mudgee cafe. indigiearth.com.au

3. Australian Botanicals The family behind Australian Botanicals are taking things back to basics, while keeping their focus on using the purest, highest quality local ingredients. These plant oil soap bars are suitable for all skin types and are triple milled to ensure longer lasting suds and a thick lather. Despite the hoards of skincare companies racing to reinvent the wheel, the Apperley family know there is always a place for a chunky bar of soap in every Aussie bathroom. australianbotanicalsoap.com.au

4. Gourmet Dog Barkery We all love perusing the cabinet at the local bakery, inhaling that intoxicating smell of freshly baked goods. Imagine a pet-friendly equivalent, and how happy a special treat would make your four-legged friend! Gourmet Dog Barkery has been creating fun, flavoursome and (mostly) healthy treats for dogs and other pets since 2009. The two storefronts, Belmont and Terrigal in NSW, and an online shop, mean pet-lovers can spoil their best buds with birthday and special occasion-themed treats, or just because. gourmetdogbarkery.com.au

5. EMU AUSTRALIA

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EMU Australia’s new Winter 2021 collection has just been released and it’s bound to include your perfect fit. Keep your toes warm during the cooler months with a pair from the Australian-made Platinum Collection. These boots are crafted from 100 per cent real Aussie sheepskin and are made right here on our shores in various styles, colours and sizes. Add a splash of colour in vibrant Mayberry slippers or go for last year’s bestsellers, the Wobbegong. emuaustralia.com.au

Aussie Made

6. Do-Good-Labs

7. Arithmos

8. Paint Like Frida

Do-Good-Labs is more than an amazing Australian snack business. They’re using their sleek and enticing packaging as a medium to spread an important message: mental health matters. Founder brothers Dave and Dan Rifkin are dedicated to creating tasty treats that get people talking. Fifty per cent of the profits go towards funding local projects and helping to improve youth mental health services, food security standards and childhood cancer R&R around the country. dogoodlabs.com.au

Don’t let the looming winter months dry out your skin. Melbourne-based accountant turned cosmetic chemist Michelle Wang has created a collection of decadent oil blends to keep skin firm and hydrated. These plant-based botanical body oils are designed to replenish ceramides, which naturally decrease with age and under extended periods of stress. Handblended and made in micro-batches for freshness, Arithmos oils are a must-have winter skin routine. arithmosskin.com.au

Flexing your creative muscle has never been so important, and with these stunning paint-by-numbers kits, you’ll be producing gallery-worthy pieces in no time. Partnering with Australian artist Kahlohe, Paint Like Frida’s kits include a unique design of your choice, a selection of high-quality paints, sturdy nylon brushes and helpful instructions. The wood-frame mounted linen canvas gives your creation a professional finish, perfect to brighten up your home or office. paintlikefrida.com.au

9. Oakridge Wines Got a special occasion coming up? Whether you have an excuse to celebrate or not, a bottle of Oakridge Wines Blanc de Blancs will always go down a treat. The Yarra Valley-based winery is a popular pitstop for wine-loving Melbournians, and if you’re a little further afield, it’s well worth travelling for. The cellar door is open for tasting seven days a week, with three premium wine experiences to choose from, and delicious tasting plates to match. oakridgewines.com.au

10. Acacia Floral Designs Let your worries wilt away, not your flowers. This Central Coastbased business brings elegance and innovation to the flower game, creating everlasting floral arrangements housed in beautiful ceramic pots. Prefer fresh flowers? Founder Nicole hand picks, wraps and even delivers the gorgeous bouquets to their lucky recipients, with plenty of extra goodies on offer, including soy candles, plush toys and even freshly baked tarts. Hands-on flower workshops and wedding arrangements are also available on request. acaciafd.shop

MAY/JUNE 2021

Discover

Marvels of the

MURRAY Image: Destination NSW

From paddle-steamers to houseboats, and pioneer towns to luxury stays, the Murray’s mighty waters are an adventure playground for all. WORDS: Marie Barbieri

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Discover

IT EVOKES childhood holidays. It screams summer getaways. It’s where we go for long, lazy weekends. Yes, the marvellous Murray River is where we seek relaxation, but there is also a gamut of thrilling activities that hail from each side of its New South Wales, Victorian and South Australian banks. So, now released from the tethers of lockdown, it’s time for us to return for some fun on the Murray.

S T E P BAC K I N T I M E

Waltz back to yesteryear at Old Tailem Town Pioneer Village in South Australia. Harking back to the days of early European settlement, when the railway was the lifeblood of the area, here you can explore the dusty rustic streets of warehouses, emporiums, parlours and drapers. Check out the schoolhouse, the bakery and the clockmaker’s. If you’ve seen the movie Twin River, you’ll recognise some of the period-style buildings. Brave the graveyard. Hang around long enough, and dare to catch its spirit-lifting ghost tour or the hairraising paranormal investigation tour. Go on, do it!

PUR E SUCCULEN TS

Know your pilocereus from your oreocereus? Cactus Country, at Strathmerton in Victoria, is a world of pricks, thorns, spears and spikes. The spectacular gardens boast a skyline of cacti rising like monuments of all girth and loftiness. A one-time peach orchard, the soils have been sown by the Hall family, into an oasis of no fewer than 4,000 species of succulents and cacti: Australia’s largest collection. Follow the sandy desert-like trails admiring the plants from various regions of the world, before braving a cactus cake in the café – homemade from the prickly pear cactus harvested directly from the garden.

ROLLIN’ ON THE RIVER

All aboard! Fit for royalty, the PS Murray Princess is an ornate mahogany-dressed, balustrade-bedecked Mississippi-style paddle-wheeler that has been churning  MAY/JUNE 2021

Discover

Images: Cathy Edmonds, Adam Bruzzone for SATC and Marie Barbieri

the waters of the Murray for 35 years. Departing from Mannum in SA, choose from an all-inclusive three-, four- or seven-night cruise that will immerse you into typical Murray River life. Learn about early paddle-steamer captains; dine on lamb marinated with locally foraged saltbush; or enjoy a guided tour of Ngaut Ngaut Aboriginal Reserve. From the top deck, observe the river’s wealth of birdlife. And stay up late: from your cabin window, become utterly spellbound by dozens of pelicans, circling while snoozing at night.

INDIGENOUS ART TRAILS

FAST FACTS tailemtown.com.au cactuscountry.com.au murrayprincess.com.au visitthemurray.com.au murrayrivertrails.com.au alburywodongafarmersmarket.com awwinc.com.au spiritofthecoorong.com.au theframesluxuryaccommodation.com.au

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Aboriginal art decorates the riverbanks and wetland lagoons of Albury in NSW. Follow the 5km Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk through Wiradjuri country, comprising 11 sculptures along the Wagirra Trail. Admire Reconciliation Shield by Tamara Murray: a touching visualisation of a two-tone human figure. Downstream, Wiradjuri Woman by Leonie McIntosh is a carved spirit emerging from the stump of a 400-year-old ironbark tree. And striking is the tree that

features hundreds of stainless steel moths. Bogong Moth Migration by Ruth Davys celebrates the annual moth feast festival. The entire trail is a feast for the eyes – and mind.

H O U S E B O A T H E AV E N

Up for some fishing, canoeing, and marshmallows over bonfires on the shore? For the perfect houseboat holiday, the Murray River Trails team runs the Murray River Escapes offering, where you are set up with a houseboat (up to 10 guests) in SA’s beautiful Riverland, to cruise the Murray with customisable itineraries to boot. Explore the river’s sinuous bends, its soaring limestone cliffs and its forested bushwalks. Let a local guide show you around. Have a private chef onboard to cook up a banquet of Murraylands produce. Or simply moor, allowing river life to fly, ski or paddle-wheel by until an emblazoned sunset turns you into your bed on your floating holiday home. Sounds dreamy, right?

Discover

Every Saturday morning, Albury Wodonga Farmers Market is where the region’s meats, eggs, fruits, vegetables, breads, olive oils, nuts, honeys, jams and chocolates come together in their kitchen recipe wholeness. Straddling the NSWVictoria border, stalls marinate with Beechworth Berries, Australian Pumpkin Seed Company, Milawa Bread (artisan bakers that slowferment), and other local farm-totrestle-table finds. And Willowbank Farm, feeding beef to locals for over a century, offers their playful ‘traffic lights with chefs hats’ (beef, capsicum and mushroom skewers). Also on the grounds is Albury Wodonga Woodcrafters Inc. These skilful woodcrafters have been chiselling and scroll-sawing since 1986. On sale in their cottage gallery are red gum, ironbark and jacarandasculpted animals and ornaments (I buy the wombat carved before me by Tom Gorring). Particularly stirring are the trinket boxes fashioned from salvaged bushfire wood. Their green and red resin wounds have been treated and sealed back to their beautiful pre-fire state.

CO ORONG M AGIC

The breathtakingly beautiful Coorong National Park is a South Australian paradise of international acclaim. Forming one of the sandy jaws of the Murray Mouth (after the river has journeyed more than 2,500 kilometres from the Australian Alps), the oasis is home to a biodiverse wilderness of wading birds, dune plants and protected midden sites of the Ngarrindjeri people. The Coorong also became the location of the muchloved Storm Boy movies. The six-hour Spirit of the Coorong Adventure

Cruise from Goolwa immerses you into migratory and wading birdlife, and includes lunch, as well as an interpretive guided walk through the vast dune system to the plunging surf of the Southern Ocean.

GET FR AMED

It’s luxe. It’s 6-star. It’s a must for that romantic stay when in Paringa, SA. Part of the elite Unique Boutique Collection, The Frames is a trio of sophisticated cliff-perched retreats absorbing sublime river views of unadulterated privacy. The Pastiche Retreat comes with a sunken spa and waterfall feature. The Montage Retreat will seduce you into its outdoor hydrotherapy bath and infrared sauna. And accommodating two couples, the Collage Retreat offers a rain-shower waterfall and lap pool. In-retreat massage, wildlifewatching gondola experiences at sunset, and food and wine safaris can be added on to your stay. Did someone say gin masterclass? It’s all here at The Frames, complete with a charging point for Tesla wheels.

Images: Marie Barbieri and Destination NSW

BU TCHER S, BA K ER S, A N D WOOD - C A RV I NG MAKERS

THIS PAGE: OLD TAILEM TOWN PIONEER VILLAGE, WOMBAT CARVING AT ALBURYWODONGA WOODCRAFTERS INC. AND STAND-UP PADDLEBOARDING IN MOAMA OPPOSITE: LUXURY DIGS AT THE FRAMES, SPIRIT OF THE COORONG AND BLUE SKIES ALONG THE MURRAY

MAY/JUNE 2021

Enjoy a Willie Smith’s cider paddle

Learn about the history of the Huon Valley apple industry

Take a tour of the Charles Oates Distillery

Visit the Saturday Artisan & Produce market

A great little shed that pumps - just 25 minutes south of Hobart in the Huon Valley. Sample Willie Smith’s - some of Australia’s best cider - in the surrounds of an original nineteen-forties apple packing shed.

Where to find us

Charles Oates Distilling is also part of the family, creating Apple Brandy and Apple Spirit on site.

Cider House, Distillery & Eatery

Take a wander in the museum, see the hundreds of heritage apples on display, enjoy a cider tasting or a tour of the Still, and then feast on the Shed’s local, seasonal dishes.

2064 Huon Highway, Grove, TAS 03 62664345 | williesmiths.com.au

Open 7 Days Mon-Thurs 10am – 5pm Fri 10am – 9pm Sat & Sun 10am – 6pm

Food & wine

winemakers UP-AND-COMING

Up there with Napa Valley, Tuscany and Bordeaux, Australia’s wine regions produce some of the best drops in the world. WORDS: Bethany Plint

DANIEL PAYNE OF DIRT CANDY AMONG THE BARRELS

MAY/JUNE 2021

Out & About

WINE LOVERS pour, cellar and savour bottles of Tassie sparkling, Barossa Shiraz and Hunter Valley Semillon all over the globe. While the country’s earliest winemakers cemented Australia’s spot on the world wine stage, a generation of young guns are stepping up to the plate and building a network of boutique wineries that will take that reputation to the next level.

Chouette Swan Valley, WA An ode to the beautiful region in which it is produced, Chouette is a local favourite that is quickly gaining momentum across the country. Focusing primarily on Grenache and Chenin Blanc, winemaker Tom Daniel describes it as “bright, light, textural and moreish.” Hailing from the Swan Valley, Tom is a second generation winemaker. “Dad planted vines and hand-built his own winery on a parcel of land on the Susannah Brook Stream. The first vintage of Susannah Brook Wines was 1984, and it still continues today,” he says. The vineyard team hand-picks, hand-works and basket presses all

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the fruit that goes into the wine using traditional techniques. Visitors can book a tasting at the Cellar Door, or opt for a private wine tasting experience hosted by Tom (available upon request). chouettewine.com

La Petite Mort Granite Belt, QLD With its distinctive label based on a photograph by Ray Cook, a renowned Australian photographer, this experimental winery is known for delivering surprises when you least expect them. “These small batch wines are produced with minimal wine making intervention and put into bottles without filtering or fining to allow the raw essence of our experimentation to shine through,” says winemaker Andrew Scott. To taste La Petite Mort at the cellar door, you’ll need to head to Bent Road Wine in Ballandean on Queensland’s Granite Belt. The property is spread across 40 hectares of vines and wilderness perched on the Severn River. lapetitemort.com.au

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: TOM DANIEL OF CHOUETTE, RAQUEL JONES AMONG THE VINES OF WEATHERCRAFT WINES, DUNCAN LLOYD OF CORIOLE, DANIEL PAYNE OF DIRT CANDY, RAQUEL JONES AND ANDREW SCOTT OF LA PETITE MORT

Food & wine

visitors can book in for a fun and informative tasting. dirtcandy.com.au

Weathercraft

Dirt Candy Hunter Valley, NSW Wine purists, you may want to skip this one – because there is nothing conventional about this unique winemaker. According to owner Daniel Payne, Dirt Candy is about as un-Hunter as you can get. His highly innovative approach includes using alternative varieties and experimental methods to make wines that are built for food and fun times. The school-teacher-turnedwinemaker produced four wines in 2017, and with the help of his wife and business partner Jenni, the range has expanded to include sparkling, white, rosé and reds ever since. The label is currently running a pop-up cellar door at Wine Country Retreat in the Hunter Valley, where

Beechworth, VIC The woman behind this emerging wine label led a rather different life before her wine career took off. A successful lawyer and business owner, Raquel Jones began studying nutritional bioscience and chemistry, and later viticulture and oenology, with the aim of establishing a vineyard of her own. Raquel grew up on a property in East Gippsland, where her passion for growing things from scratch began to flourish. Now, her vineyard in Victoria’s Beechworth region produces delightful local specialties including Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet. Her plan is to move into Spanish varieties next. Wine lovers can visit the vineyard and get to the heart of the wine producing process with a meet-themaker session. The exclusive wine tasting experience includes a wine flight, cheese board, a private tour of the vines and a bottle to take home. weathercraft.com.au

Coriole McLaren Vale, SA Over multiple generations, the Coriole wine label has moved with the times while maintaining strong ties to tradition. While producing some of the best Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache in McLaren Vale – the varietals for which the region is best known – Coriole has also developed a reputation as a great innovator. They tried their hand with Sangiovese in the 1980s and 

Food & wine

FROM TOP: SAM BERKETA OF ALPHA BOX & DICE, MAINTAINING THE ESTATE AND GLEN HAYLEY OF KOOYONG / PORT PHILLIP ESTATE

still experiment with Mediteranean varieties such as Fiano, Piquepoul and Montepulciano. Founded by Hugh and Molly Lloyd in the 1960s, the family vineyard is now under the creative control of their son Duncan, who grew up among the vines and has gained a wealth of hands-on experience in France, Germany and Italy as well. The cellar door is open seven days a week from 11am to 5pm. Walk-in and pre-booked visitors are welcome. coriole.com

Alpha Box & Dice McLaren Vale, SA Based in the stunning McLaren Vale region of South Australia, the eccentric winemaker behind Alpha Box & Dice is undertaking a huge challenge. The label is embarking on an Alphabet of Wine, where each letter embodies an individual winemaking project. Grapes will be sourced from all over the state to deliver a complete collection of bold and bright wines. The cellar door is open Friday to Monday from 10am to 6pm. Wine lovers can visit the heritage-listed barn for a seated premium tasting, or go for a more casual experience and down a glass on the lawn with a picnic grazing platter. alphaboxdice.com

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Kooyong / Port Phillip Estate Mornington Peninsula, VIC Located in one of Australia’s foremost cool-climate wine regions, this wine operation is responsible for some of Victoria’s best Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. Head winemaker Glen Hayley works across multiple locations to source grapes for the range. The Kooyong vineyard spans 40 hectares in Tuerong while the Port Phillip Estate vineyard covers 9 hectares in Red Hill. A further 11 hectares under vine in Balnarring supplements the produce. The cellar door at Port Phillip Estate is a marvel to behold: the imposing limestone rammed earth walls are like a fortress. The restaurant and its outdoor decked area overlook the vineyard, with views out to the Mornington Peninsula. Tasting and tours are on offer daily. There is a range of boutique luxury accommodation on site as well, and the property also hosts weddings and special events. portphillipestate.com.au

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AUSBIZ NEWS

Gene editing to combat climate change Research is underway to safeguard food security and future proof farming systems in a world of increasingly unpredictable weather and variable climate conditions. Biotechnologist Dr Karen Massel from the University of Queensland (UQ) Centre for Crop Science says gene editing technology will play a vital role in climate-proofing crops to protect global food supplies. Her focus has been on integrating CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing into modern breeding programs to create energy-rich cereal crops such as wheat, rice, maize and sorghum, which provide two thirds of the world’s food energy intake. “Farmers have been manipulating the DNA of plants using conventional breeding technologies for millennia, and now with new gene-editing technologies; we can do this with unprecedented safety, precision and speed,” says Dr Massel. UQ’s research proves there is potential for creating more resilient crops that can perform in adverse growing climates, as well as improve water efficiency and deliver higher levels of nutritional value. Gene edited crops are not available in Australia but could be in the near future, as biosecurity and safety risk assessments are currently underway.

FAST-TRACKING WILDLIFE CARE DURING BUSHFIRE SEASON While a relatively wet summer offered a reprieve from the dreaded annual bushfire season in Australia, researchers at Macquarie University are still working hard to improve the treatment of fire-affected wildlife. In early 2020, a project was launched to identify ways to improve the current strategy for wildlife care. After the catastrophic 2019/2020 bushfire season, concerns were raised regarding the overuse of antibiotics to tend to the overwhelming influx of injured and displaced wildlife. The project aims to develop guidelines and training materials to promote best practice in antibiotic use among wildlife, to avoid antibiotic resistance and genetic mutations. Project leader Michelle Power, Associate Professor at Macquarie University’s Department of Biological Sciences, acknowledges the great stress wildlife responders were under, as well as the amazing job they did – however, providing guidelines around “antibiotic stewardship will help to preserve the longterm viability of wild populations of native fauna.” MAY/JUNE 2021

Education

How Boarding Broadened Max’s Horizons Every holiday, Year 8 student Max heads home “along the road to Gundagai”, but during term time, home is the boarding house at Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview. Like many country kids, Max is a boarding student in the city. Here is his story, firsthand. I was born in Wagga, but home is Gundagai. It was a big change moving to boarding at Riverview, but it was easy to make new friends. Even though we come from all different backgrounds, everyone bonded pretty quickly. Coming to Riverview, everything felt bigger. You go from being part of your own family to being part of a boarding house, and all the people you live with and eat with – they become family. We play touch footy together after school, chat and play games in the rec room, and there are set study periods which have helped improve my studies. I feel like my dreams have not only become bigger, but more realistic.

I want to become a farmer like my dad and being at Riverview is helping me. I spend time at the ag farm, I’m part of the show team and I plan to study Primary Industries. If you’re thinking about boarding at Riverview, do it. It’s a great school. We get to do heaps of things and have fun, but you also go on immersions and learn to help others. I’m grateful to my parents for sending me here – it’s a great opportunity to learn new things and make friends for life. For more information about boarding at Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview, head to riverview.nsw.edu.au/boarding

AUSBIZ NEWS

Solar energy trends of 2021 Did you know that Australia sees an average of 58 million petajoules of solar radiation each year? That’s around 10,000 times more energy than we consume! So, it’s no surprise that the solar energy sector is booming despite the economic downturn delivered in 2020. New investment into renewable energy is on a formidable path, largely driven by small-scale rooftop solar installations. The future of solar energy in Australia is looking bright with several key trends emerging as 2021 progresses. New advancements in technology have provided more accessible renewable solutions for ecoconscious Australians. Energy monitors and mobile phone apps provide consumers with real-time data on their energy consumption and solar production, allowing them to alter their habits and maximise the return on their investment. Improvements in reliable battery storage across the board have also proven one of the key drivers for solar uptake, giving users independence from the traditional electricity grid which, as we’ve seen in recent years, can go dark in the case of severe weather. Improved safety standards and regulation will continue to be a significant focus for the industry as more Australians invest in rooftop solar systems at home.

CONSUMER RIGHTS GROUPS CALL FOR BUY NOW PAY LATER REGULATION Some see it as an excellent way to manage cash flow and stretch out payments on a particular item. Others see it as a fatal trap for impatient consumers. Truth is, the buy now pay later model isn’t going anywhere. Commonwealth Bank now has a foot in the market, announcing it’s new BNPL product, sending competitors’ stock prices down even further after a challenging few months. The BNPL sector is currently unregulated. Why? Firstly, unlike other consumer lending models, BNPL charges merchants rather than customers for credit. Secondly, it is still considered a small segment. But with big players like CommBank stepping in to claim a piece of the pie, calls for regulation are being directed toward the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). “This happened when credit cards entered the market, but were regulated once they became popular,” says Angel Zhong, a Senior Lecturer in Finance at the School of Economics, Finance and Marketing at RMIT University. “With the potential growth in BNPL services, regulations should be put in place to ensure consumer protection and financial wellbeing.” With many shoppers caught in hot water after a few too many in-the-moment purchases, responsible lending advocates are pushing for a national code of practice to be implemented across the board to protect consumers. MAY/JUNE 2021

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POSITION PARTNERS

The tech paving the way for Indonesia’s MotoGP

On the island of Lombok in Indonesia, the building of a brand new MotoGP racetrack is in full swing, with completion expected in mid-2021. While an official date for the race has not yet been set, the event promoter Mandalika Grand Prix Association (MGPA) anticipates the action will unfold later this year, subject to construction, homologation and testing. Intelligent positioning solutions specialist Position Partners is working with PP Presisi, the primary contractor, and ITDC, the project owner, to deliver advanced positioning and paving technology that will ensure the works conform to international standards. “We have five highly experienced geodetic engineers and surveyors working full time on site to support the operations,” says Mathew Connelly, Position Partners Regional Manager for South East Asia. “Our consulting services assist the

contractors with managing the design process and taking it to the paving and milling machines via a 3D design, then checking the work using total stations, GNSS and auto levels,” he adds. To achieve the tight tolerances required on this project, an array of technology solutions have been deployed, including Topcon Millimetre GPS paving and milling systems. Millimetre GPS is a unique product that uses a high precision laser transmitter along with GNSS technology to deliver paving and milling operation to within a few millimetres of the design. Unlike total station set-ups that require one to two instruments per machine on site, Topcon mmGPS can be used by all machines and survey rovers simultaneously with a single laser transmitter. In addition to the cost savings, this results in a more efficient workflow without the need to set-up and check multiple devices.

The Topcon GT robotic total station and the Topcon DL-503 auto level are used to check vertical accuracy of the work. MAGNET software is used to seamlessly transfer and update work between the office and field, with Civil3D used to complete the exchange of data. With many of the auxiliary roads now complete, there are now two paving machines working full time to complete laying the street circuit. “With our systems deployed from start to finish on site, Position Partners is able to provide comprehensive workflow management and operational support for the project,” adds Matthew. “Our team is also offering hands-on, practical training to the local workforce and project contractors, upskilling them to the latest construction methods as we work.” Find out more at positionpartners.com.au MAY/JUNE 2021

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

SAY IT WITH FLOWERS: MEET THE AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS TOUCHING HEARTS AROUND THE WORLD

In life’s most significant moments – the heartwarming and the heartbreaking – nothing says “I’m thinking of you” better than a bunch of flowers. With the world in disconnect, and Australians only beginning to warm up to interstate travel, Interflora Australia continues to convey the messages that we can’t yet deliver in person. Words: Bethany Plint

AusBiz.

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

While a lot of industries experienced a significant downturn during 2020 – many of which are still struggling to get the cogs turning again – one that blossomed, despite the chaos, was the floral industry. To celebrate the highs and commiserate the lows, Australians needed a brand they could rely on to connect with loved ones. And so, as they have for 67 years, Interflora stepped up to the plate. “As people were separated due to lockdowns and border closures, flowers became more important than ever,” says Gerry Gerrard, CEO of Interflora Australia. “Sending flowers was the absolute diadem of being able to say I am thinking of you and I am missing you.” Interflora Australia is a leader in the floral industry and is part of an international network of qualified florists operating in 150 countries around the world. What sets the business apart from the rest is the highly selective network of 700 member florists. “Based in the suburbs, high streets and shopping centres of Australia, each arrangement is made to Interflora’s ‘recipe’ by a local, qualified florist and delivered to your recipient,” says Gerry. Supporting local florists and suppliers became paramount throughout the tough 12 months since March 2020. “We were so pleased that we were able to support the industry – growers, wholesalers, florists, couriers – whilst simultaneously supporting our local florists in their retail shops," says Gerry. “It was a tough time, a hard time, but we made it through.” Beyond flowers, Interflora offers a wide selection of delectable chocolates and

Australian and imported wines, as well as Wine in a Glass and Miffy rabbit plush toys exclusive to Interflora. To truly spoil someone special, customers can opt for a gourmet hamper, handcrafted by Interflora’s florists. Adding a further level of indulgence, the Interflora Luxury Hamper Collection offers something for every occasion.

THE GIFT OF GIVING BACK Interflora may be Australia’s leading florist, but it’s far more than just business for them. The company’s social arm supports various charitable organisations by providing essential funding towards their goals. “We have been partnering with Ovarian Cancer Australia, the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, by creating specific arrangements and bouquets, carrying the respective charity logo. This helps our customers know exactly what we are doing and who we are supporting,” explains Gerry These partnerships alone have resulted in more than $100,000 in donations. Other fundraising campaigns, such as those with the Children First Foundation, Motherless Daughters and the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria with an exclusive selection of native arrangements, have also resulted in significant donations and raised awareness for these organisations' important causes. “It is a really important part of our business and we are

deeply committed, in a genuine way, to helping where we can,” says Gerry.

CELEBRATING AUSTRALIAN FLORA While no one would turn down a bouquet of roses and tulips, those with an affinity for native plants are spoilt for choice. Interflora’s network of expert florists source stunning, inseason natives and wildflowers from local growers, tied up with a beautiful burgundy bow. “To understand how lucky we are to be able to have beautiful natives, we have joined forces with the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria with a special native collection,” says Gerry. “The partnership assists the Gardens in providing gorgeous green spaces for the people of Melbourne and Victoria, as well as their visitors.”

AHEAD OF THE FLOWER GAME In addition to their industry leading delivery and customer experience methods, Interflora is also innovating in the e-commerce space. “We are constantly introducing new, contemporary products, arrangements and bouquets, so as to keep our collections fresh – pardon the pun!” says Gerrard. Interflora has introduced buy now pay later (BNPL) options with AfterPay and Zip to allow customers even more flexibility and convenience when purchasing a gift for a loved one. The business is also harnessing the power of social media and content marketing to attract new customers and maintain its status as a best-in-market florist. “Interflora has reinvented itself many times over its nearly 70-year journey and the coming years will be no different. But what we will never change is our service, our fresh flowers, our florists and our Interflora Guarantee," says Gerry. “We love flowers. We love what they mean to our customers.”

MAY/JUNE 2021

AUSTRALIA VS FACEBOOK

Australia took on the world’s largest social network this year and won… or did it? Words: Ian lloyd Neubauer

AusBiz.

Images: Facebook

TECHNOLOGY

Fake news. Creepy advertising. Tax avoidance. Selling private data to the highest bidder. Facebook has been able to break every rule in the book without suffering much of a loss in its profitability. But in February, when Australia introduced new laws forcing it to pay news organisations for the journalism that appears on the platform, and Facebook responded by pulling all news content for its Australian users, it looked to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. A poll by News Corp found that more than a third of respondents said they would quit Facebook if the news ban wasn’t reversed, while #DeleteFacebook and #BoycottZuckerberg hashtags trended like wildfire on Twitter. “Facebook’s actions to unfriend Australia today, cutting off essential

information services on health and emergency services, were as arrogant as they were disappointing,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison wrote at the time, highlighting the fact that the social media juggernaut had also blocked the Bureau of Meteorology, health and fire departments, community groups, unions and charities. “We will not be intimidated by BigTech seeking to pressure our Parliament as it votes on our important News Media Bargaining Code.”

THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT In its defence, Facebook correctly pointed out that nearly all Australian news sites gain a significant part of their traffic from Facebook referrals. It also released a list of 19 training initiatives and grants it had funded

over the past three years to help Australian media organisations make their businesses financially sustainable. But some background is needed to put Facebook’s largesse into context. Between 2001 and 2016 – the era that saw the rise of the Internet – revenue from classified advertising in Australia dropped from $2.35 billion to $143m, according to the ACCC, Australia’s consumer and competition watchdog. Why? Because the advertising spend migrated to the digital landscape, where much of it was gobbled up by Facebook and Google. Five days after it announced the ban, Facebook reversed course, claiming Canberra had introduced amendments to the new laws so it would not have to pay news organisations ridiculous amounts of money for news content its members were independently sharing

MAY/JUNE 2021

on the platform. Canberra also claimed victory, saying the code had not been watered down. But as the amendments are yet to be shared publicly, it’s not possible to know which party is telling the (most) truth. Facebook refuses to say how many of its Australian users – said to number between 11.4 and 17.3 million – quit the platform in those five long days. But in Perth, the founders of LITT, a new app that brings together social media, digital payments, e-commerce and advertising, reported its membership leapfrogged 83 per cent in just a few short days. Granted, the rise came off the back of a tiny base of 9,000 users. But it’s the kind of exponential growth that made Mark Zuckerberg realise he was onto something big when he started Facebook while studying at Harvard University. LITT’s leapfrog also raises a million-dollar question: can an Australian start-up unseat the social media behemoth?

AusBiz.

Images: LITT

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY FROM LEFT: LITT FOUNDERS BRENT THOMPSON AND PETER SALOM, LITT APP IN ACTION

FACEBOOK ALTERNATIVES

ABOUT FACE LITT co-founder Brent Thompson reckons it can. “We believe their brand has been damaged irreparably in Australia. This is reflected in how much interest there has been in people downloading our app and investors keen to buy shares in our company. It is abundantly clear that they are very eager on migrating to an alternative like LITT.” He adds: “I wouldn’t be surprised if Facebook backflipped because they didn’t anticipate the camaraderie Australians have for each other. We look out for our mates, we support local businesses, and we don’t take kindly to foreigners dictating how we run our country.” Dr Lauren Rosewarne, an associate professor at the University of Melbourne and expert on social media, says Canberra and Facebook probably made concessions because the ban was hurting everyone. But she doesn’t subscribe to the idea that LITT or any other Australian start-up can take on a social media platform the size of Facebook. “Facebook got so many people onboard by offering all these different services

that it didn’t originally feature,” she says. “We all went along with it because it was a one-stop-shop and we got hooked. Any new website coming to market is competing against that, so I don’t see LITT as any kind of threat or alternative for the simple reason that it can’t do everything Facebook does. “Many Australians panicked when we heard Facebook would no longer continue to provide our news. But that problem is now gone,” she says. “I don’t see any kind of big change because it’s still so easy to stay with Facebook, because we’re complacent, because we’re familiar with it, and because all of our friends are on it.” Lauren also believes Canberra’s time in the ring with the tech giant is over. “Governments around the world simply don’t want to get involved in regulating Facebook. That’s why they have given them so much leeway to self-regulate,” she says. “So I don’t imagine Australia wants to fight with it anymore. At the same time, Facebook doesn’t want more oversight, either. So it suits each party to let bygones be bygones.”

The fact that Facebook brings so many services together under one roof makes replacing it with a single alternative difficult to impossible. But there are apps out there that are superior to Facebook when it comes to providing individual services. Google Photos – Store an unlimited number of photos and videos. Sharing is easy and users control who has access to specific photos and albums. Twitter – News is something Twitter does much better than Facebook. You have more control over what you see and can keep your newsgathering separate from your socialising. Snapchat – The app that pioneered a style of social networking that makes more sense in today’s world. Messages and photos are recorded for 24 hours and then deleted. Google Calendar – Chances are most of the people you know have a Google account, making it easy to create and promote events. WhatsApp – Send text, voice, photo or video messages to any mobile phone in the world free. The catch? Facebook owns it and will monetise your data. MAY/JUNE 2021

AGRICULTURE

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE: A NEW HOLISTIC APPROACH TO FARMING Words: Susan Gough Henly

AusBiz.

AGRICULTURE

Image: Destination NSW

"REGENERATIVE FARMING ENRICHES SOILS, IMPROVES THE WATER CYCLE, INCREASES BIODIVERSITY AND ALLOWS PLANTS TO DRAW DOWN CARBON FROM THE ATMOSPHERE."

Charles Massy is a fifth-generation sheep farmer on a property near Cooma in the Snowy Mountains foothills, who’s been through it all during his forty-plus years on the land. A few years ago, when he was driving into town with his grandson, they passed a farmer on his tractor, boom-spraying a paddock with glyphosate (Roundup). “Hamish, all of nine years old, turned to me with a puzzled look on his face. ‘Grandpa,’ he asked, ‘why do people have to kill things to grow things?’” The question stopped Charles in his tracks. Wisdom out of the mouths of babes aside, the Millennium drought was Charles’s make or break moment. “I finally realised I was the weakest link in the whole system. There was a disconnect in my head because I was trying to make money while ignoring the ecology of my land.” What followed has been a deep dive into doing things differently. In

the process, Charles undertook a PhD in Human Ecology at ANU and wrote The Call of the Reed Warbler: A New Agriculture, A New Earth, which explores the practices of regenerative agriculture and the vital connection between our soil and our health.

REGENERATIVE AG IN PRACTICE As a concept, regenerative agriculture may be a little difficult to harness, but essentially it is a system of farming principles and practices that enriches soils, improves the water cycle, increases biodiversity and dynamic ecosystems, and restores the solar energy function of plants to draw down carbon from the atmosphere. It embodies a holistic approach to working with the complex ecology of the land and, as such, is different to organic or biodynamic agriculture as there is no rigid code of dos and don’ts.

In the process of researching his book, Charles crossed the country to hear the stories of a wide range of broad-acre and livestock regenerative farmers. “I’m not a great innovator but I’m a good storyteller,” he explains. And stories are a powerful way to reach people and open their hearts and minds to consider new approaches. Almost without exception, Charles learned that it was a major environmental crisis or life shock that changed these farmers’ world view and overcame generations of family habits that have become increasingly entwined with industrial agriculture. While old dogs seem to be learning new tricks, Charles has become increasingly concerned about young, smart agricultural science graduates who can’t wait to hop into giant machines loaded with computers, which are totally divorced from natural systems. MAY/JUNE 2021

AGRICULTURE THIS PAGE: FARM IN BOOROWA, NSW, SHOOT GROWING THROUGH HEALTHY SOIL OPPOSITE: WAGYU FARM IN ALBURY, NSW

AusBiz.

third-generation beef trader, Director of the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance at Southern Cross University, and 2018 Australian Rural Community Leader of the Year, Lorraine Gordon. Today, SCU’s Bachelor of Science in Regenerative Agriculture is already the largest agricultural science program in Australia (there are also postgraduate courses on offer) and the only one of its kind in the world. With 440 students after just one year in operation, it’s rated first in the country for overall experience in Agriculture in the Good Universities Guide 2020/21. The course is designed for students who want to be a part of a new way of farming that better supports, and is supported by, natural processes. The focus is on learning how to read landscapes and solve complex problems from a holistic perspective with the goal of building more resilient farms and farmers in a future of increased seasonal and weather variabilities. For 37-year-old Northern Rivers farmer Louis Bell, who works in landscape management, enrolling

in the Graduate Certificate of Regenerative Agriculture was a natural study path after a career that straddled horticulture and conservation. “There are real opportunities to mitigate the poor practices which are resulting in deleterious impacts to our natural capital – we need to bridge the divide between conservation and production,” he says.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Southern Cross University is not only focusing on agricultural science education but also government advocacy and farmer-driven research. “Farmers are the best researchers we have,” says Lorraine Gordon. “We’re doing applied collaborative research in bio regions around the country with groups of farmers, consultants, natural resource managers and researchers to address a wide range of challenges.” A major focus is about adapting farming practices to specific soils and climate patterns. The ancient continent of Australia has some of

Images: Holly Bradford, Capital Country Tourism & Destination NSW

BACKED BY SCIENCE Luckily, a cutting-edge agricultural science program that’s pivoted away from this type of approach is going gangbusters at Southern Cross University (SCU). The program is run in collaboration with the Regenerative Agricultural Alliance, comprising Australia’s leading researchers and practitioners in regenerative agriculture. These key trailblazers include Kerry Cochrane, President of the Australian Institute of Ecological Agriculture; holistic grazing pioneer Dr Terry McCosker, founder and director of Resource Consulting Services; farmer and grazer Bruce Maynard, a leader in no-kill cropping, stressfree stockmanship and self-herding; pasture-cropping advocate Colin Seiss; and Bruce Pascoe, awardwinning author renowned for his ground-breaking book Dark Emu, which presents compelling evidence that Australian Aboriginal people have had 65,000 years of experience in regenerative agriculture. The project is spearheaded by

AGRICULTURE

the world’s most poorly structured, badly drained, saline-heavy soils that endure high temperatures, droughts and bushfires. Ensuring soil is spongy and full of microbe-rich humus enables it to store more carbon. This directly impacts the soil’s ability to retain water and grow quality crops and pastures. And that’s just the beginning. Healthy soils rich with micro-nutrients contribute to improving human gut health, which helps us become more resilient to diseases such as cancer and auto-immune complications. They also offer the most effective way to pull carbon out of the atmosphere, thereby adding potential income benefits from carbon sequestration while mitigating climate change.

THE SECRET IN THE SOIL Soil biology is, however, a relatively recent science. “In the past, agronomists were trained in chemistry and physics,” explains agricultural scientist Terry McCosker. “We now know that soil biology has a profound impact on all aspects of farming, so it’s vital that we home in on it with a laser-like focus in agricultural science programs.” Soil research is central to SCU’s mission, specifically on the use of regenerative practices to increase soil carbon. They have research groups across the country studying such things as the impact of multispecies cover crops on soil health, the effects of pesticides on soil microbial diversity, and integrating biochar into regenerative agriculture practices. Lorraine is sanguine when discussing the different approaches of traditional and regenerative agriculture. “We don’t have a themand-us scenario. Rather, it’s about us all going on a journey together. It’s about farmers expanding the tools in their toolboxes to work effectively with the environment. We all need to collaborate to educate ourselves regarding the best ways to save our soils, our farms and our planet.” MAY/JUNE 2021

Call us on 03 9486 4066 for help or a little personal service, or email: info@catherinemanuelldesign.com

www.catherinemanuelldesign.com

MINING

HIGH-TECH REHAB Mine site rehabilitation has never been more important. Here three experts share the new technologies they’re using to bring mining land back to life.

Image: Erizon

Words: Ian lloyd Neubauer

MAY/JUNE 2021

MINING

"It's like building a house. You don't start with the roof, you start with the foundation. Some people miss this step and then big winds come through and undo all the hard work."

Before the introduction of legislation in the 1970s and 1980s, mines in Australia were often abandoned without being properly rehabilitated. Mine-reclamation and closure plans are now required before a mining permit is granted, and miners are required to leave multimillion-dollar security bonds as a component of the environmental impact assessment. In this edition of AusBiz, we speak with three experts about the new technologies they're using to bring mining land back to life.

AusBiz.

THE SYMBIOTE

“My current research is focused on not just rehabilitating but repurposing abandoned mine sites and helping local communities that were once dependent on mining with new employment opportunities and avenues,” says Mohan Yellishetty, an associate professor in resources engineering at Monash University. “We are currently working with AGL at Loy Yang, the largest power station in Victoria and the site of a massive brown coal mine. The dimensions of this pit are massive – it's kilometres

long and wide. When you have such a massive pit you also have massive amounts of associated waste and tailings, so the clean-up problem is multi-fold,” he says. “Traditionally, the only way to rehabilitate land to a pre-mining ecological level was to bring in large volumes of fertile topsoil that is in acute shortage at mine sites all around the world. But through our research at Monash, we have invented a process called Symbiosis, in which we try to strike a symbiotic relationship with existing industries to find more cost-

MINING

LEFT: ERIZON IN THE PROCESS OF REHABILITATING A MINE LEFT: LORD OF THE TREES FOUNDER AYMERIC MAUDOUS IN REHABILITATED FOREST

effective solutions. Take Loy Yang as an example. We have established a symbiotic relationship between mine, power plant, wastewater and paper and pulp industries – waste streams were combined to create 'artificial topsoil'.” “One of my former PhD students from India has now started a venture over there using the same method, and we are talking with several large mining companies in Australia that are quite hopeful about its potential. It's a reasonably novel solution, figuring out how one industry's waste can be repurposed to be a resource for another.” See monash.edu THE SEED WHISPERER

Images: Erizon and Lord of the Trees

“We specialise in ecosystem restoration – a process that normally takes five or six years,” says Aymeric Maudous, CEO and founder of Lord of the Trees. “In the first year, we rebuild the 'mother forest' – the foundation of the landscape. It's like building a house. You don't start with the roof, you start with the foundation. Some people miss this step and then big winds come through and undo all the

hard work because nothing is holding the topsoil together. “The first step is to use mapping drones to study the landscape, and then consulting with global databases as well as Indigenous Australians who pass on information from generation to generation about the most ideal plant species to grow there. It's a bit like looking into a crystal ball, though we often end up sowing fast-growing wildflowers and native grasses like kangaroo grass which requires very little topsoil. It's a very resilient species perfectly adapted to Australia,” Aymeric says. “In the next step, we plant seed pods using precision-planting drones that do the job in a fraction of the time it takes doing it manually. The best planter in Australia working from sunrise to sunset can plant 800 seedlings a day, while our drones can work day and night shooting two seed pods per second. If you do maths, it comes to 158,400 seed pods over 22 hours, allowing two hours for swapping batteries. A drone pilot and their co-pilot can supervise five drones at the same time.

MAY/JUNE 2021

MINING

“The survival rate of seeds planted by our drones is also much higher,” Aymeric says. "About 70 per cent will grow into trees compared to 40 per cent of those planted by hand. That brings the cost of planting a tree to around $1 compared to $2.93 if done by hand.” See lordofthetrees.org THE ILLUSIONIST

“Our services fulfil a key component of a mine site’s lifecycle: we aim to make our solutions as cost-effective as possible while still upholding the quality necessary to see the most successful outcome for any mine,” says Glenn Sullivan, senior environmental consultant at Erizon, an Adelaide-based firm with more than 20 years of experience rehabilitating mine sites in Australia. "I make a point to present any client with an ROI that illustrates the benefits of taking these solutions in the short-term, to make the most impact for their site long-term, and minimise more costs in the future. “To that end, we've developed new technologies to help keep our clients’ costs down: our topsoil alternatives and amended

AusBiz.

products help with the initial establishment of vegetation and speed up the process of developing natural topsoil. We use drones to capture multi-spec imagery during the lifecycle of the rehabilitation process to monitor plant health, soil salinity, stress, and moisture, which allows us to tweak solutions in real time to ensure the best possible results. “It’s really quite remarkable what we can do at Erizon when we put all these things together,” Glen says. “At one mine site in South Australia, over time, we were able to work closely with the miner to demonstrate the value in adopting more comprehensive solutions. This resulted in a better outcome and cost-saving by eliminating rework. "Late last year, our site contact received a phone call from a community member who asked if the mine’s waste dump had been removed, because he couldn’t find it. But it was still there. We’d just created such a natural-looking landform with native vegetation that it was no longer identifiable against the surrounding natural landscape.” See erizon.com.au

ABOVE: LORD OF THE TREES PILOTS LAUNCH A SEED PLANTING DRONE

DID YOU KNOW? • There are 60,000 abandoned mining sites in Australia that need rehabilitation – most dating back to the gold rush, according to new research by Monash University • In most cases, complete restoration of mining sites is impossible. But successful rehabilitation can result in the establishment of a functional ecosystem

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Hydroseeding

Dust Suppression

Guaranteed Results Erosion Control

PROPERTY

Australia’s cities might have copped the majority of COVID cases, casualties and lockdowns throughout 2020, but a look at post-pandemic Australia suggests regional centres will see the greatest long-term transformation. Words: Kirsten Craze

AusBiz.

Image: Tourism and Events Queensland

HERE COMES THE BOOM

PROPERTY

Image: Kollosche Real Estate

THIS PAGE: $5.6 MILLION APARTMENT IN MAIN BEACH, GOLD COAST OPPOSITE: REAL ESTATE IS HEATING UP ON THE GOLD COAST

As city slickers spill into the regions en masse, populations and property prices are climbing. For the September 2020 quarter alone, the nation’s capitals experienced a net loss of 11,200 people – the largest quarterly net loss since the Australian Bureau of Statistics began tracking such records in 2001. Inevitably, as cashed-up city folk with high salaries trade multimillion-dollar homes for more affordable regional dwellings, small town real estate prices are being impacted. In the 12 months to January 2021, regional home values rose at four times the pace of capital city markets. “CoreLogic’s combined regionals index was up 7.9 per cent over the 12-month period compared with a 1.7 per cent lift in combined capital city home values,” says CoreLogic’s Executive Director of Research, Tim Lawless. “As more Australians look for properties outside of the capitals, an imbalance between demand and supply is placing upward pressure on housing prices.” “Demand for regional housing can be attributed to a range of factors. Generally, prices are cheaper than their capital city counterparts,

housing densities are typically lower – which is likely to be appealing amidst a global pandemic, and many workers have a new-found appreciation for and ability to work remotely, which is supporting additional demand,” he adds.

IS THE REGIONAL BOOM LIKELY TO LAST? Even data experts are unsure of how long the regional outperformance can continue, but most agree that a permanent shift has already happened. “As the pricing gap narrows between the regions and capital cities, the challenge of affordability will naturally drag on demand. Similarly, as the virus is brought under control, we will likely see more employers looking for their staff to return to the office, at least on a rostered or flexible basis,” Tim says. “However, to some extent we expect the rise in popularity of regional markets will persist into the future. Many workers and employers have found the working from home experiment to be successful, with productivity remaining high while workers enjoy additional flexibility in their work life balance,” he adds. 

FAST FACTS Richmond-Tweed in NSW (home to Byron Bay) had the highest yearly growth for houses in a non-capital city region in 2020, increasing 12.6 per cent over 12 months, according to CoreLogic data. Ballarat in Victoria was home to the shortest time on market for regional Australia in 2020 with houses taking just 27 days to sell. *CoreLogic Regional Market Update, January 2021 MAY/JUNE 2021

Images: Destination NSW

PROPERTY

Simon Kuestenmacher, co-founder of The Demographics Group, said even without COVID a significant societal switch was inevitable. “The movement of people leaving the capitals and settling in regional towns is not simply people escaping virus-prone cities. It’s also a story of sheer demographic forces that would have occurred anyway,” he says. “What we’ve got is by far the largest generation – 7 million Australians belong to the millennial generation – who have been living in the suburbs in one or two-bedroom apartments. This decade was always going to be when millennials needed to move to family-sized housing,” he says.

AusBiz.

Regional centres have always been attractive to those seeking affordability, but is this appetite for small town Australia sustainable? “The answer is a resounding ‘perhaps’ – but it really depends on infrastructure,” Simon says, explaining that governments have so far failed at spreading population growth. “Before COVID we had around 80 per cent of population growth occurring in just five cities. There’s no other country on Earth where the population is so highly concentrated, and that makes for a few peculiar housing markets,” he says. “All the big job growth has happened in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Sydney, so people have had to move close to those centres. Now we have a chance to better spread jobs around,” he explains.

WHERE POPULATION AND PRICES ARE CLIMBING A stand-out example of the regional house price boom is Byron Bay. In just one

year, the median house price skyrocketed 40 per cent to $1.885 million – higher than many inner city suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne. Nerida Conisbee, realestate.com.au’s former chief economist, noted that although such price growth is extraordinary, the demand is there. “The value of a property is whatever someone is prepared to pay for it, so whether a home is overpriced is a matter of opinion,” she writes. “It is highly unusual for towns to experience very strong price increases year on year, however it doesn’t look like Byron Bay’s appeal is abating,” she says, adding that the town is on track to see median prices reach the $2 million mark in 2021. Several non-capital city markets are even tipped to achieve $3 million median house prices this year. “The Gold Coast, which has always been remarkably more affordable than Sydney, is getting up to that level with Main Beach potentially hitting that $3 million median,” Nerida says.

PROPERTY

LEFT TO RIGHT: BYRON BAY IS NOW A BUZZING MECCA OF TOURISTS AND NEW LOCALS; THE LAIDBACK, LOVELY CITY OF ORANGE IS ATTRACTING HORDES OF TREE-CHANGERS.

Newcastle in NSW and Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula have also been flagged as high-growth areas. “Ultimately, there has been a really strong drive to beachside, which isn’t just because of COVID. It’s been going on for about 20 years, but it’s really starting to show up in some locations where we didn’t previously see such expensive pricing,” she says.

HOW TO PLAY THE REGIONAL REAL ESTATE LONG GAME Simon Pressley, director of Propertyology, says the pandemic and a halt on international holidays has led to some regional markets feeling over-cooked. “That’s just people making decisions based on emotion and being able to afford something in the moment. Will it always be like that? No. Those stories are the exception, not the norm, for regional Australia. The norm is what I’d describe as the mini capital city, and there are probably 40 to 50 of them,” he says. He cites the regional town of Orange, NSW, approximately 250km from Sydney, as a slow burner. “It’s arguably Australia’s most consistent property market, with only one calendar year out of 20 where the median house price declined, and that was by 1 per cent.” Sustainability in a housing market, according to Simon, is less to do with the size of a town or city, and everything to do with performance. He adds, “A location doesn’t need to be a big city to have the potential of being a really strong performer with low risk. Remember, the more you pay for an asset the greater the risk, because the further they fall – and Australia’s capital cities are just more expensive.” MAY/JUNE 2021

SCIENCE

DESIGNER FRUIT FLIES: THE LATEST BIOTECH BREAKTHROUGH A new designer fruit fly paves the way for scientists to replace diseasecarrying mosquitoes with harmless, genetically modified versions.

Normally the news of a new species of fruit fly would be interesting only for entomologists. But a new species recently described in Nature Communications is far out of the ordinary. Dr Maciej Maselko, a CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Fellow in Applied Biosciences at Macquarie University, is part of a team that has engineered a new species of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster in about a year, far outpacing the slow course of natural evolution. In doing so, they have developed the foundational technology that will prevent genetically modified organisms (GMOs) from ‘getting away’ and reproducing with wild species. The technology also opens the door to new approaches to precisely targeted biological control measures for invasive species and diseasecarrying insects. As Australians are all too well aware, in the past biological control strategies for pest insects have not been unqualified successes. But those strategies involved introducing a whole new – and extremely fertile – class of creatures (such as cane toads) into an ecosystem. “This new method instead uses engineered pests to reduce the wild population or replace it with a less harmful version,” Maciej says.

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Image: Erik Karits

Words: Virginia Tressider

SCIENCE

THE AIM IS TO REDUCE POPULATIONS OF INSECTS THAT ARE HARMFUL TO HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT, WITHOUT THE USE OF CHEMICAL PESTICIDES

MAY/JUNE 2021

Images: Markus Spiske & Syed Ali

SCIENCE

FROM PEST ORGANISM TO PESTICIDE The team’s technique, called Engineered Genetic Incompatibility (EGI), involves using the gene-editing tool CRISPR-cas9 to make a harmless genetic mutation, and introducing a gene-activator that looks for the original DNA sequence. “When an EGI organism mates with a wild organism, the offspring have one copy of the original DNA sequence. The gene activator recognises that, then triggers lethal overexpression (basically, too many copies) of the target gene,” Maciej explains. This creates a ‘speciation event’. Vitally, the split from the parent species creates an organism – fruit flies in the current study – that will not be capable of reproducing with members of the original species. Another of the study’s authors, Mike Smanski from the University of Minnesota, explains, “This is one of several new approaches to pest control using modern

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genome-editing tools to essentially convert the pest organism into the pesticide without the use of harmful checmicals.” Because this engineered species is identical to the original species in all but one respect, there is a greatly reduced danger of the unintended consequences of other attempts at biological controls – consequences such as environmental disruption, or knock-on effects to other parts of the ecosystem, let alone the carnage that introducing cane toads brought about. By ensuring that the engineered species and the wild species cannot produce offspring, the technique also solves one of the risk factors in introducing engineered species into the environment: the potential spread of transgenic material into wild insect populations. “The engineered material is effectively trapped within the species, with no way out,” Maciej says.

DENGUE-SPREADING MOZZIE IN TEAM’S SIGHTS The eventual purpose of introducing EGI species is to eradicate or dramatically reduce populations of invasive species and insects that are harmful to human health or to the environment, without the use of chemical pesticides like DDT – which created its own new set of environmental disasters – and without risking unintended consequences from removing an element from a functioning ecosystem. “Engineering speciation events has been a long-standing biotech goal, and we are very excited to begin applying this method to major challenges in human and environmental health,” says Maciej. The goal is to use this technology to reduce disease-carrying and invasive mosquitoes or replace them with mosquitoes that cannot transmit disease. Maciej team is specifically focused on Aedes aegypti, a mosquito that can spread Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and other viruses. ABOUT THE PROJECT Dr Maciej Maselko is a CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Fellow in Applied Biosciences at Macquarie University. This story was originally published in The Lighthouse, Macquarie University’s showcase of world-changing research, news, expert comment and data-backed opinions.

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ACROSS

Northern Peninsula Area

WITH RESPECT AND PRIDE WE STRIVE TO BUILD A FUTURE FOR OUR CHILDREN BASED ON UNITY, EQUITABLE SELF–GOVERNANCE, EDUCATION AND CULTURE. Cape York is at the very northern tip of Australia. It’s a narrow peninsula only 80 miles south of Papua New Guinea, with the Coral Sea to the east, the Arafura Sea/Gulf of Carpentaria to the west and the Torres Strait Islands to the north. The Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) is a land of two seasons: the wet season, December to April, and the dry season, May to November. NPA is made up of five Indigenous communities; Injinoo, Umagico, New Mapoon, Seisia and Bamaga. Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council (NPARC) NPARC is the governing local council involved in developing the local economy through everyday municipal services, operating local enterprises and administering social, community, cultural and recreational activities. Visit the NPA, by air, sea or by road. Explore the adventurous, challenging and historical Telegraph Track or drive by the Scenic Peninsula Development Road all by 4WD only. This sacred area is full of wonderful nature at every turn, scenic views, waterfalls, and sunsets equal to the best in the world and make your way to the very tip of the Australian continent, a must do when you visit this remote area. Enjoy the cultural performances, indigenous arts and crafts, fishing tours, boat trips, scenic helicopter flights from Punsand Bay, croc spotting, or other seasonal tours. Accommodation options range from motel units and self-contained cabins, to lodge rooms, eco tents and camping. Embark upon adventure in the Cape York region. Come and experience the unexpected.

For all the latest information about the NPA visit the Council website – www.nparc.qld.gov.au