HOME is where the hearth is
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Cleaning your chimney flue Sharpening the saw What is SmartBurn and how to use it? Plants for healthier indoor air quality
BACK PAGE Colouring Competition
More Heat Less Smoke Less Cleaning
Winter 2022
Welcome It is like welcoming family over every time I get to share our ‘Home is Where the Hearth is’ annual newsletter. Our customers are our community to us and we are very grateful for your support. In wonderful news for 2022 SmartBurn will appear on Foxtel’s Industry Leaders program. It is a humbling experience to be selected to share some of our history in this 15-minute segment. We will let our customers know when it is on, via our Facebook and Instagram page. We have an absolutely amazing team at SmartBurn. The team have worked tirelessly in times of uncertainty and rallied around for support both between each other and our terrific customers. It was 17 years ago that our proudly Australian Made invention, SmartBurn, went to market. We are extremely grateful for all of our resellers who support this product and we always get a kick out of seeing their fantastic in-store displays.
We are thankful to all of our customers for bringing the benefits of SmartBurn into your homes, your communities, for focussing on flue safety, efficient wood use, for the increased consciousness on smoke reduction benefits across your neighbourhood, and especially for choosing to support Australian Made products. We encourage you to take it one day at a time, in this uncertain era. Look for gratitude in the simplest of things and don’t forget to plan for joy! Wishing the best of health to you and your family, from ours. Kind regards, Glenn & Lisa Fretwell and the SmartBurn team.
P E A
08 9202 0700 orders@smartburn.com.au Unit 2, 63 Walters Drive, Osborne Park WA 6017 W www.smartburn.com.au Annex Media film Crew travelled to Perth from Melbourne
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Proof of the power of SmartBurn
Clean your Chimney Flue 24/7/3 Months
Scott Holmes of Tasmania has used SmartBurn for each of the past 7 years. Take a look at Scott’s photo showing that he has never had to clean his chimney flue since using SmartBurn.
Chimney cleaning and maintenance is vital. With ongoing use of your fireplace, creosote, tar and soot can build up in your chimney, hindering the escape of air and smoke. This obstruction could create a fire hazard, a build-up of carbon monoxide, or excessive smoke levels in your home.
This very thin and fine layer of gray soot seen here is typical of what we have reported by many chimney sweeps who inspect customers homes who regularly use Smartburn.
Bright Idea: If you can remove your baffle plate, use a mirror or your mobile phone camera to look upwards and check inside your flue.
Ideally you should have your chimney inspected annually. If you are sending a family member up on the roof, although cost effective, it is dangerous. The SmartBurn device releases a non-toxic agent that breaks down creosote in your chimney keeping the flue open and free flowing. SmartBurn was created by West Australian industrial chemist Peter Hutchison in 2005, whose sister’s house burnt due to a blocked chimney flue and he wanted to create something that could continually clean the flue whilst the fire burns. SmartBurn is safe to use, non-corrosive, an Australian invention, it releases a non-toxic vapour enabling wood to burn for longer, have less smoke emissions, removes existing creosote, prevents further build up and best of all cleans the heater glass!
Benefits of draft as the engine of the fire
SmartBurn
Think of the chimney as the engine that drives the heater. The fuel (heat) you give the engine (chimney flue) the more power, in the form of a draft, it will deliver. Having the air control fully open for the first 15 minutes of burning will deliver steady inflow of oxygen and outflow of by-products ensuring you have a nice hot fire established very quickly while maintaining the cleanliness of the firebox.
Australia’s longest lasting chimney flue cleaner. Simply load and leave for 3 months.
Contents Welcome 2 Cleaning your Chimney Flue 3 Sharpening the Saw 4 Firewood Species by State 5 Chainsaw Maintenance and Firewood Storage 6 Why use SmartBurn in your wood heater? 7 Customer Testimonials 8&9
Wood for Building Sustainability Solar Energy in a Stick Recipe & Jokes Best Plants to Clean the Air Awards Stockists Colouring Competition
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
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Sharpening the saw An axe is a staple in any woodfire home, however there are many styles and variations with different purposes. It is key to know which type of axe is best suited to be more efficient in completing the task. Felling Axe: The typical axe you see cutting trees and removing branches. The thinner knife-like head shape is designed to cut between the wood’s fibres and against the grain. Its lighter weight makes it suited to swinging side to side when cutting a tree down. The curved ergonomic handle suites long erosive use on the hands when cutting a whole tree as opposed to just a stack of firewood, with the thick knobbed end of the handle serving as an effective way to stop your hand sliding off the end. Splitting Maul: A cumbersome sledgehammer on one side and an axe blade on the other, it has an angle closer to 45 degrees that uses leverage to split wood instead of a thin edge. It is an axe that suites splitting very large slabs of wood. Splitting Axe: In between a felling axe and a splitting maul. It has the same shallow angle head as a maul but without the sledgehammer, so is significantly lighter and more manageable. It is the best suited to splitting and chopping large amounts as it’s lighter and not as tiring to use as a maul. Hatchet Axe: Distinct for its short length that allows it to be used with just one hand. It is smaller and lighter it is capable of much more precise work such as cutting up small kindling, a job just as important as firewood.
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The collection of firewood is regulated in many states through permit systems, controls on the clearing of native vegetation and voluntary codes of practice applying to commercial firewood operators.
Ironbark and Box
Jarrah and Wandoo
Cutting your own wood?
Ironbark and Box
It is estimated that 40% of wood burned in Australian households is harvested and cut by the homeowner.
River Red Gum
Firewood, State by State Each wood species has its own characteristics of burning rate, flame, coal and ash generation, which mainly relate to wood density and the chemical composition of tannins etc.
River Red Gum
Brown Peppermint
Western Australia
South Australia, Victoria and Southern NSW
Jarrah and Wandoo - dense hardwoods, consistent heat, less ash. White Gum (Wandoo) - ideal for pizza ovens, combustion wood heaters, low flame, long burn.
River Red Gum - excellent in a slow combustion heater small flame, high heat and for a long burn.
Tasmania
Queensland and NT Ironbark and Box - less smoke and ash, has a slow burn.
Brown Peppermint - medium density, quick burn with high heat.
Spot Tip: If your axe head shakes loose from the handle, soak the handle in water overnight to swell the wood cells inside the head creating a tight fit. A more permanent solution is to insert small metal wedges hammered in at an angle flush to the eye of the axe head, which will form a dovetail.
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Chainsaws A blunt or wrongly adjusted chainsaw will not cut fine, causing you to apply unnecessary force, which could be dangerous. Maintenance is not too complicated and requires only a little knowledge and experience: •
Chainsaws get clogged with oil-soaked dirt and debris, resulting in overheating. Regularly clean your chainsaw of debris build-ups using a cloth or a brush.
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Check chain sharpness and tension regularly
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Ensure your chainsaw is lubricated. Maintain the right oil level and change oil when necessary.
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Always use fresh fuel.
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Avoid chopping trees after bushfires. The fine charcoal on burnt wood can very quickly blunt the saw.
How to store firewood 1. Choose a location for dry wood storage Ideally close to the house but not in the house as bugs can damage indoor wooden structures. 2. Wood that is already dry can be protected with a tarp. It is recommended to leave the sides of your stack open to allow for airflow. 3. Keep firewood off the ground. Being in direct contact dirt will cause your firewood to decay more quickly. Place firewood on surfaces like concrete, asphalt, bricks and clean gravel are good surfaces. You can use pressure treated boards to elevate firewood off the ground and you can also lay a tarp underneath firewood.
5. Never stack firewood against a wall when stacking it outdoors or in your house. This can leave firewood vulnerable to moisture and bacteria, conditions attractive to termites. Instead, leave a gap 6. Burn only dry, seasoned, untreated wood, and never old pallets or railway sleepers. 7. Firewood takes at least 6 months to dry out. Dry firewood produces less smelly smoke. 8. Well seasoned firewood should have less than 20% moisture content. 9. Use a SmartBurn to increase the woods performance by 17% and reduce particle emissions by up to 54%
4. Always stack your firewood rather than throwing it in a disordered pile. This will promote air circulation and keep firewood from rotting.
Fun Fact Mallee tree roots used as firewood are common in the whealtbelt of WA, and the mallee regions of SA and western Victoria. As a dense hardwood they burn very hot, but oh the ash build-up, and what a fine dust it is too!
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Interesting ways people stack firewood in Europe, the stacks are almost 6 meters tall!
More Heat and Less Smoke From Your Wood Fire
Why use SmartBurn in your wood heater? Simply place the SmartBurn tube level in your fire box, which when heated releases natural, non-toxic and non-corrosive ingredients to optimize the performance of your fire, and value from your wood. One SmartBurn tube will last about three months of burning each night.
17% more heat and value SmartBurn lowers the ignition temperature allowing more flammable smoke particles to be burned, rather than going up the chimney as wasted fuel. Certified Laboratory Testing has shown that wood lasts up to 17% longer when using SmartBurn in your wood fire. By slowing down the combustion rate, SmartBurn helps the fire burn longer, thereby increasing the value achieved from your wood.
54% less smoke
BEFORE
Cleans the heater glass window and reduces ash build-up The device is designed to reduce stubborn stains and tar accumulations on your heater glass door resulting in more radiant heat and increased efficiency. Dramatically reduces the amount of fine ash, dust and charcoal in the firebox.
Gentle on the environment Natural, Non-Toxic and Non-Corrosive
SmartBurn works on the gases and particles released from wood smoke ensuring they ignite and preventing them escaping unburnt into the atmosphere. This results in an up to 54% reduction in particulate emissions.
Tested by a NATA Certified Independent Laboratory and certified as non-corrosive by SGS Testing
Tested and Certified by the Australian Home Heating Association NATA Certified Laboratory (now VIPAC) and also OMNI-Test Laboratories, U.S.A.
Australian owned & made Lasts 3 months
AFTER
Multi-award winning Received 72 Awards for Environmental Sustainability, Innovation & Excellence.
Less ash
Clean the chimney while the fire burns SmartBurn dissolves existing creosote build-ups and is designed to keep the flue free from heavy deposits. Condensation of smoke in chimneys and flues creates creosote - the primary cause of chimney fires. SmartBurn reduces this danger because it burns more of the gases and particles before they escape up the chimney as smoke. Fire lights easier and ‘draws’ better reducing smoke spillage into the room.
Scientifically tested
Featured on multiple TV shows and with over ½ million units sold. Maintain your flue simply, with Australia’s proven chimney cleaner whilst getting More Heat & Less Smoke from your wood fire today….with SmartBurn!
Scan this code with your phone to learn more about SmartBurn
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Customer testimonials “Excellent, cost effective and saving product” Hello i stuffed up My review, Here it is.. didn’t realise there was a word limit. We have used SmartBurn ever since exposure on ABC’s The Inventors. Combined with dry wood or our chimney is ash clear, glass panel always clean. The wood fire bricks an baffle replace once. Excellent cost effective and saving product. Thank you SmartBurn Marg
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We have been using SmartBurn for the last 5 years We first installed our wood heater 8 years ago and have been using SmartBurn for the last 5 years, I like to put a new 1 at the beginning of every winter. This year we had the chimney sweep was surprised at how little soot there was in the flue. I constantly recommend SmartBurn to my friends, family and neighbours and always tell the hardware store staff when I’m buying a new one how great your product is. Thanks for helping me keep my family safe. Annie B
My flue is as clean as the day it was installed. My fire place was installed 7 years ago & the second years in I found SmartBurn in Bunnings, purchased one to try. I have used them every year since, get no residue on the glass front & recently checked the flue ahead of this winter & it was spotless. Highly recommend. Alan Perfect for improved burning. I have been using SmartBurn for about 5 years now, I forgot to put one into the fire for a few days, I couldn’t believe the difference when I used it. Mick
Won’t start the wood burner without it. I just wanted to pass along some feedback and a solid Thank you on behalf my team Good afternoon Glenn, First off as an introduction my name is Sam, and i am the lifestyles coordinator here at the Lithgow Bunnings store in NSW. I just wanted to pass along some feedback and a solid thank you on behalf of my team, we’ve received your pack with both the training manual, cardboard stands and some brochures, and I must say in all my years of bunnings I’ve not seen my team quite as passionate as this one about your product as am I. Attached are some photos of what we’ve done and how we’ve set it up, we’re a bit of a unique store with different layout to your standard Bunnings, but as always my team makes it happens and gets the job done.
Great Aussie product. Keeps the flue, box and glass clean but most importantly makes the wood go further with better burning efficiency. I use 2 in my standard burner and it lasts me the winter (I’m not an everyday burner). Brad
A heartfelt thank you from both myself and my team to send out such an excellent package with great information to pass onto our customer but to also drive our sales during one of our peak product periods. I would say my only feedback would be cardboard stand, while I think it looks fantastic I can see it weathering really quickly, and that’s only because we’re a high outside based store for our heating products, so its really a moot point for feedback. All in all, thank you again for the package. Samuel, Lifestyles/Store Supervisor
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Wood for building sustainability Due to the emissions created in the production of concrete and steel materials, and energy consumption needs over time, these building materials generate nearly 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Over the next 20 years, 420 million tons of carbon dioxide could be sequestered within wooden buildings in Europe—the equivalent of a year’s worth of emissions from 71 million homes or 108 coal plants!
According to a new meta-study, switching to wood for construction could bring emissions down since the material naturally absorbs and stores carbon from the atmosphere.
Source: Nate Berg - FastCompany
Earthday.org 22-04-22 The theme for Earth Day 22nd April 2022 is Invest In Our Planet, What Will You Do? This year is all about focusing on making changes for the better whether that be in the business climate, the political climate, or how we act on climate at a community level. How will you Invest In Our Planet? What will you do?
Living Off The Grid Living Off the Grid has seen a rise in popularity in recent times. It’s when you are not dependent on everyday utilities, mains, gas, electricity, sewage and water. You’re essentially self-sufficient, using alternate methods such as solar panels or wind turbines, rainwater tanks and either a composting toilet or eco septic systems that turns sewerage into reusable grey water. There can be a lot of up-front costs, however, people who have chosen this lifestyle say switching to off-grid living can pay for itself within three to five years.
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Living in an off-grid home provides the opportunity to follow a sustainable lifestyle. More affordable and smart technologies are evolving, allowing people to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle while reducing their impact on the environment. It is not illegal to live off the grid in Australia but you should always look at the laws governing construction, zoning and land use. It is also worth checking if there are any government incentives and rebates to help kick start your off-grid transformation.
More Heat and Less Smoke From Your Wood Fire
“One of the best ways to address climate change is to use more wood, not less.” Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace
Solar Energy in a Stick! Trees use photosynthesis to capture the sun's energy. Trees also absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use the solar energy captured to convert carbon dioxide and water into organic compounds such as cellulose to grow the tree. Oxygen is released to the atmosphere as a by-product of photosynthesis. In photovoltaic cells solar energy is directly converted into electricity, which can be fed into the grid or stored in batteries. In the leaves of trees solar energy is effectively stored in the organic compounds. When deposited into the trunk, roots and branches of a tree as wood this energy will be stored until the wood rots away, unless it is used as fuel.
Firewood is not often recognised as "green" energy, probably because it comes from trees. But, unlike other sources of "green" energy, firewood does not need major capital investment or infrastructure. Every tonne of dry firewood contains approximately 20,000 Megajoules of stored energy. This means that a typical 660 kW wind turbine will generate around the same amount of energy in one year as that contained in 315 tonnes of firewood. Recent estimates made by Driscoll et al., (2000) place Australia's annual firewood consumption at around 4,000,000 tonnes. This is equivalent to the annual output of nearly 13,000 wind turbines
or six large (550 MW) coal fired power stations. Atmospheric carbon dioxide than is released when the wood from the tree's trunk is burnt. The reason that sustainable firewood is so good for the environment is that all of the carbon that is released during combustion is reabsorbed by trees as they grow. The only increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide comes from the fossil fuels used to process and transport the wood. It is worth noting that even "green" alternative energy generators such as wind farms, hydro stations and solar collectors create a lot of carbon pollution during manufacture and construction.
Wood fills the gap Got solar? You still need wood! Wood heating is vastly cheaper than adding a home battery. Wood heats your home during the mornings, evenings and when there is lower daytime solar radiation in winter. If you think about it, solar doesn’t produce energy at the times of day that you most require it for home heating.
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Recipe: Pesto Pasta Ingredients for the Pesto: •
1 cup, cashew nuts, soaked for at least 4 hours and rinsed well
•
2 large bunches of basil, stems removed
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1/2 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
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2-3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
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1/4 cup, pumpkin or sunflower seeds
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1 lemon, juiced
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1/2 cup, olive oil
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a splash of water
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salt and pepper
For the Pasta: •
1/2 packet, whole-wheat spaghetti pasta, kamut or spelt
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Salt and pepper
Method •
Add all the pesto ingredients to a food processor.
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Process until well-combined. The mixture should not turn into a paste, allow for some texture.
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Add a splash of water to the pesto.
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Blend again for 3 seconds and set aside.
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Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil.
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Cook the pasta per packet instruction, recommended cooking time is usually approx. 8 minutes.
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Drain the pasta and drench it in the pesto. If you are preparing the meal in advance and wish to leave the pasta separate for a period of time add some EVOO to prevent the pasta from sticking together.
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The lemon juice and garlic will preserve leftover pesto for approximately 8 days.
Jokes •
Something is odd about my hot wood stove - I just can’t quite put my finger on it.
•
My dad argued with a stove. The conversation really started to heat up.
•
How did Blackbeard light his stove? With the pirate light.
•
Slept like a log last night. Woke up in the fireplace under the chimney.
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Plants for healthier indoor air quality We know SmartBurn cleans the outdoor air, however how often do you think about indoor air quality and what you can do to improve it, be it your home or office? Oxygen is essential for all metabolic processes in the body; T-cell growth, respiration and detoxification. Without proper breathing your body can never use its supply of oxygen effectivelySnake Plant - Thrives in just about every climate and is particularly efficient at converting Carbon dioxide into oxygen overnight. Money plant - Filters formaldehyde and is very easy to take care of, prefers part shade or dappled light. Peace lily - Removes toxins such as alcohol and acetone and also keeps the air moist as it releases a water vapour in the process.
breathing is a well underrated tool in mitigating our health and mood. We may be breathing in dirty, stale air from many common household items such as paint, new furniture, plastics and candles that contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The use of indoor plants can be one simple and economical solution to mitigating the harmful effects of VOCs.
Rubber Plant - Easy to grow at any temperature and is effective in removing formaldehyde from the air. Palm Areca - AKA butterfly palm, very low maintenance and is better at removing xylene and toluene from indoors than any other plant. Bromeliads - In just 12 hours was able to remove 80% more of the VOCs than other species.
One study conducted at the State University of New York measured the way indoor plants filter and absorb airborne VOCs with their leaves and roots and how quickly different chemicals were removed by different species, these were the findings (Niri, 2017).
Dracaena Removed 94% of acetone in the study’s chamber of VOCs and is known for its very high removal efficiency. More Heat and Less Smoke From Your Wood Fire
Smartburn Winter 2022 I 13
Australian Made SmartBurn is an Australian invention, and the company is an Australian run family business a true example of Aussie authenticity. SmartBurn is Australian Made and owned since 2005. SmartBurn employs retirees to work in their manufacturing. Managing Director, Glenn Fretwell explains, “We utilise the service of retirees for many reasons, they are reliable, keen to work, friendly and are very accommodating and flexible with their time. Somehow they manage to fit golf and caravan trips around our production schedule!”
Fire gloves feature New to our website this year are black leather fire-gloves featuring long arm, soft inner liner and certified heat resistance. You can also add natural firelighters and small firebricks to your internet order.
Charity Support
Awards
Looking after our communities isn’t just about looking after the environment. SmartBurn acknowledges the role ‘Youth off the Streets’ plays in keeping our young people safe and warm and so are proud to be continuous supporters of the charity since 2019. ‘Youth off the Streets’ provide support and resources to the 28,000 young people aged 12-24 who are homeless on any given night in Australia. We continue to keep those affected individuals in our thoughts and prayers particularly through the winter season.
SmartBurn has received 72 awards ranging from pioneers in innovation to environmental contribution.
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Prize Hall of Fame
2020 Paul Van Brakel of Swan View, WA
2021 Mitchell Wolff of Cowaramup, WA
Stockists SmartBurn can be found in almost 1,200 stores Australiawide. Go to the ‘Where to Buy’ section on our website at smartburn.com.au to find a store nearest you. We encourage you to support your local store.
2022 Fiona Stanley of Naracoorte SA, her dog Evie gives SmartBurn the woof of approval.
Thank You! I got an amazing surprise when I went to collect my post...I won your current Smartburn freebies. I was really chuffed...I never seem to win anything. Thank you Glen for not only the Smartburn product but very real why you run your business...dare I say it...an comfortable old fashioned way with real customer contact Madeleine
We ship overseas
Internet orders
Do you have friends or family overseas that could use an invention like an Australian SmartBurn? Buy them a SmartBurn as a gift and we’ll wrap and ship it for you!
You can order your SmartBurn online from our website smartburn.com.au and we also now offer fire lighters, fire bricks and heat proof leather fire gloves! Best gifts ever!
Prize draw
1,000
$
Grand prize
Send in our competition on the back page and you could win the annual grand prize of $1,000!* But wait…there’s more! Every month SmartBurn chooses 5 winners and they each get 2 free SmartBurns! *For a bonus entry in the $1,000 draw, send us your completed colouring in with the entry form.
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Smartburn Winter 2022 I 15
Colouring competition No matter your age, show us your artistic skills by colouring the picture in below. Send your work in together with the competition entry form below for a bonus entry in the $1000 prize draw.
SmartBurn Australia THANKS YOU for your support…
YOUR CHANCE TO WIN $1000 Enter your details below to receive a free subscription to our e-newsletter. You will receive updates with exclusive offers, competitions and advice and go in the draw to win $1000. T&C's can be viewed at smartburn.com.au/viewstory/competition-conditions. Why do you buy SmartBurn?
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