Alive Magazine - Edition 06 - January 2021

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Finding the perfect fit for 95 years Iconic coast business celebrates Full story on page 25-27

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Bucket List

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Making unrealistic goals a reality MEET THE WILD WOMAN WHO CAN’T BE TAMED Full story on page 4-5

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Edition 06 | January 2021 What’s on your list?

YOU could always see the look of pure joy on my Nana’s face as she spoke about witnessing the snowflakes fall in New York’s Central Park at Christmas.

I also want to visit a musty jazz and blues club, take off that exquisite jacket and enjoy a glass of wine while sitting at a candlelit table.

Nana and grandpa would visit their two sons in the US every couple of years when they were younger, and many times at Christmas when some of the world’s most stunning light displays lit up the streets of the Big Apple.

A walk over the Brooklyn Bridge would also make an appearance on the itinerary.

I remember Nana showing me photos of her dressed in an elegant coat, boots, scarves and beanies, like out of a scene from Love Actually, and thinking, yes, I want that to be me one day.

Meet our Home-Grown star who I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing.

I had the privilege of visiting America about 15 years ago with my husband Shaun who proposed to me in the Bahamas.

Because of that, talking about the US always bring back special memories of that moment and the incredible time we had.

Sadly, we didn’t go in winter and we didn’t have time to experience New York.

It’s the one thing that I want ticked off my bucket list before I leave this world.

It may be some time away due to Coronavirus, but I want to stand in the snow, look at the lights, dress in my best coat and let the snowflakes fall around me.

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All the wonderful humans (and Kev the border collie) featured in this edition also have something special and unique to share about their hopes and dreams.

Tahnee Salata realised her dream of becoming a professional dancer from an early age.

The determined young woman worked hard to succeed and has since travelled the world doing what she loves.

Turn to Ride and read how car enthusiast Darryl Barns realised his dream of owning two Holden muscle cars.

There’s so much inspiration in all their stories.

A bucket list, whether you complete it or not, will at least give you something to work towards, look forward to and hopefully bring some fulfilment one day if it is completed.

So, what’s on your bucket list?

Kerrie Alexander Email info@alivemag.com.au Website www.alivemag.com.au Editor KERRIE ALEXANDER editor@alivemag.com.au Deputy Editor LEANNE ESPOSITO Digital Editor LIZZIE MACAULAY Graphic Designer / Photographer JOY BUTLER Advertising Manager LOUISE HOLMES Ph: 0477 094 335 Advertising enquiry advertising@alivemag.com.au Published by Alive Magazine (ABN 20 904 521 774). All content © 2020-2021 Alive Magazine, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without prior written permission. All material sent to Alive Magazine whether solicited or not) will not be returned. Unless otherwise agreed beforehand, all rights including copyright in such material is assigned to Alive Magazine upon receipt and Alive Magazine may use or sell such material in perpetuity without further consent or payment. All prices and information are correct at time of printing. For full terms and conditions of competitions contact Alive Magazine on info@alivemag.com.au.

04 Cover Story 07 The Profile 10 Home Grown 14 Young Achiever 17 Community Connection 18 Season Recipes 20 Lizzie Learns to 23 Health Hunter 24 All About Food 25 Bill Langer Feature 29 My Garden Gate 31 Smart Money 32 Parenting 34 Alcohol Reset Coach 36 Fashion Breakdown

37 Fitness 38 Circus Rio feature 39 Skin Care & Beauty 41 Destinations 42 Outdoor Adventure 43 The Big Catch 44 Kingfisher Bay Resort 45 From the shed 47 Ride 48 Life Chat with Michelle 49 Inspirations 50 Kev’s Adventures 50 Pet owner tips 51 Readers’ Gallery

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Cover Sto r y

Leanne Esposito

Bound by no boundaries.

Contained by no countries.

Tamed by no time.

MEET OUR EARTHWALKER EXTRAORDINAIRE WHO TRAVELS THE GLOBE.

When Selina Jane Wild, the inimitable Jane of

the jungles of Sumatra and Borneo, the wild one, started travelling the depth and breadth of this earth she’d never even heard of a bucket list, and rightly so. Especially since the term was only coined and popularised earlier in 2007 after the movie of the same name, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman was released. Bucket list, it seems, comes from the phrase ‘to kick the bucket’ which is a figure of speech meaning to die. What Jane Wild has done her entire life, is live life to its absolute maximum and more. She is a woman whose bucket is bottomless, or if it isn’t, its overflowing, and like the good Hebrew psalm, her cup certainly does runneth over.

To me Jane Wild is Hervey Bay’s own fashion icon.

She possesses the stylistic flair which could only be compared to New York’s Accidental Icon Lyn Slater, head of the sartorial sisterhood of older women.

Only Jane is some years Lyn’s senior. As a teenager Jane was saving her pennies and buying up trendy threads in the town of Leicester back in the United Kingdom’s swinging sixties - long before Lyn had even purchased her first lipstick.

So it’s not surprising that at 74 years of age Jane has kicked open the doors on another new venture and established her latest fashion business. In the midst of the Covid crisis, smack bang in the middle of the world’s annus horribilus, she opened Dress Me Wild, a women’s fashion boutique in Pialba. And it’s thriving. While fashion is her passion, Jane is only

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marking time until the worldwide borders open up and she can book her next flight out of Australia.

She hopes to travel soon, and this is where perhaps we might see a glimpse of what could be called her bucket list.

After her medical practitioner gives this superactive septuagenarian her regular physical and the all clear, she lets him know there’s certainly more living to do, with trips to destinations in the Indonesian archipelago already pencilled in.

‘Whenever my doctor says, ‘oh no that’s fine Jane’, I say good because I’ve got so much to do,’ she said.

I am learning that it’s her signature style to blend business with pleasure, or at least to work hard and save enough money to travel. She tells me that she has done it all her working life, with international past-employers, grateful for her services, yet being fully informed from the outset and appraised of her special condition – itchy feet.

“I’ve told the Centre Manager that I would like to stay here until the planes start flying. I don’t have a lease. I went (into the centre) for two weeks and now I’ve been there five months. I just go month to month,” she said.

And travel she does so well. It may have started out as a dream for young Jane. While living an idyllic life from within the walls of an historic mansion, set in the countryside of the English midlands, she fantasised about travelling across the seas to the Isles of Guernsey and Jersey. Perhaps living in the middle of your country, without saltwater in sight,

it’s not surprising that a trip to the ocean would inspire an otherworldly experience. As a 17-year-old that dream all too soon became her reality when her family left the UK. In the middle of a snowstorm, they travelled across several oceans, and landed in Australia in a 30-degree searing, Sydney summer heatwave.

Soon after the family moved to Armidale in country New South Wales where doors opened effortlessly for an extremely intelligent young Jane, and a secretarial career blossomed. Even then the jobs were only a means by which she could fund her travel plans. Right from the beginning Jane proved that she could handle any situation, working with impossible bosses where others had tried and failed.

“I spent a few months working there as a secretary and then I went to Sydney, which was amazing because you would be a typist until the day you died in England. I did it because I was good at what I did. I worked in London and would come back to Australia to get a bit of sunshine. I worked for five years in Holland as a secretary with BP and at Shell’s head office in The Hague,” Jane said.

Jane appears to possesses a pragmatic no-nonsense and fearless approach to life. She is sensitive the needs of others and savvy in a worldly way, which is all at once alluring. Her boundless confidence, engaging energy and charismatic nature are traits which have stood her in good stead, in life, and in sticky situations throughout her travels. I gather she won’t be intimidated by anyone or anything.

Bad bosses and poison people step aside and seem to naturally afford her the respect she so rightly deserves. However, like many of us, it took her several years to understand the saying ‘choose a job that you love and you will never work a day in your life’ and to be able to manifest her love of clothing into a career.

“No one ever told me that you should work in what you love. No-one has ever told me that. It was not a thing. To think I worked as a secretary for years and years and saved hard to buy what I liked. I realised it (clothing) was such a passion,” she said.

When referring to her later career in fashion a glint appears in her eyes as she discusses an inaugural shopping spree to Macy’s of New York. Fifth Avenue is certainly the pinnacle of any fashionista’s fantasy.

Whether she actually purchased many items is not disclosed, however it wasn’t long after that she decided to open her own pre-loved boutiques she would source clothing to sell at the markets from in the early nineties - first with Selina’s Bazaar in Hervey Bay to Yeppoon. Her modus operandi was Maryborough, then Wild Things in Scarness. simple. On arrival at Denpasar airport her transport “Everything you saw was second hand. It was about would be ready - a bicycle with panniers or large recycling and that is what I was really passionate baskets into which the apparel would fit. Riding about. The word pre-loved clothing was struck at the in and out of traffic along the busy streets of Bali’s time I had my shop there. There was no such word wholesale fashion district was a breeze for Jane.

Perhaps it was all those years of living in Holland, until the eighties. because Jane has an affinity, she even gives pet “While I was living in Holland there was a shop called names to her two-wheeled transport.

Second Hand Rose. It was very high end and I wanted “I worked in Brunei for a year and when I left I put to do that. my bicycle called Oskar on board a freighter called “I wanted to take your lovely outfit when you are sick the Rupert Brook and we got off in Singapore where of it and sell it to someone like me who would love I had friends living on the 84th floor of a building and it,” she said.

Oskar and I rode the lift together,” she said.

Jane was able to run her businesses while raising her Some of us pick our way with the caution of a daughter Samantha who was born in 1984. At the barefoot walker on a bindi covered lawn. And then age of four Samantha took her first flight to London there is Jane; fearless in taking risks where others fear where they went on a buying trip together. Soon to tread. She lives life the Jane Wild way. Whether they moved into an old Queenslander in Howard she’s taking an overland trip from London to which Jane colourfully renovated. The home was to Kathmandu with side jaunts to Baghdad and Kuwait be yet another business called Country Clutter. Jane for a mere £40; selling her own blood in Kuwait or confesses to, at that time, a notch of nostalgia for the politely eating rancid eggs while sitting on the floor old country and says that she has now come to terms of a Bedouin tent (so as not to offend her hosts) with her Australianness, when speaking in fashion Jane is living her life to the fullest. terms.

The earth’s atlas is her playground and she’s “I was trying to be as English as one could be in navigated its map with a gleeful, youthful abandon, Australia.” she said. loving every swing and roundabout she encounters.

Later Jane made triannual buying trips to Bali where “I was in Penang when there was an uprising between the Chinese and the Malays. I went to Bali in 1970 and stayed for about six months. I fell in love with it. After that I travelled the rest (Asia) except Cambodia and Vietnam because there was a war on at that time, but it was always back to Bali. I wanted a villa there but ended up with a beautiful time-share,” she said.

the countryside of her youth.

“Last year I went to England for the first time in thirty years and I fell in love with it all over again. Lots of people said you wouldn’t like it as it has changed so much. I adored it. The first day I was there I heard a babbling brook and a song thrush. I saw English nature. It was the nature that was calling me,” she said.

Later in life Jane worked for many years as a disability support worker and loved it. She is a Reiki Master and has immersed herself in rebirthing courses.

While Jane the earth-walker has criss-crossed the world many times over, she admits there is still more to do. There are places to see and people to meet on what could possibly be called her bucket-list, but what is really Jane’s way of life.

If you ever get a chance to meet Jane, ask her how was her latest canoeing adventure? Her trek across Komodo? The snorkelling trip in Flores? Or the scheduled excursion to Rome? It was the city she deviated around as a young broke backpacker, but one to which she had already booked to stay in 2020 - this time around in luxury accommodation.

These and many more are the itineraries Jane has been dying to do – figuratively!

If you’ve read Jane’s story and feel inspired, you may like an affirmation to go with that pinch of aspiration.

While working in Brunei she was know as ‘the Aussie girl who liked to go walkabout’. Wherever Jane lived it was understood that she would only work until her next adventure.

“I worked in a French nightclub Vientiane in Laos where young trendy ex-pats would come. I was taking receipts and on the cash till,” she said.

After that she worked in a Malay shop where she encountered a trip of a lifetime, canoeing up the Ulu River to live with the Iban tribes for a week.

“I found out where the boat was to take you. It took two days to get up the Ulu because of the ferocious rapids. We had to sleep overnight and eat wild boar.

I just walked off the boat and all the little kids came running. I lived in a long house and I’ll never forget sitting down there. They were able to tell me that the last person they had there was a French man 10 years ago and now we have you,” she said.

While Jane admits to enjoying the tropics more than a temperate climate, a recent trip to England was particularly special, and helped her reconnect with

The yearly bucket list oath.

I solemnly swear to create memories that last a lifetime.

I vow to make an impression on the world, not the couch.

I promise to dream about unrealistic goals.

And make them my reality.

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06

The Profile

PAOLO ESPOSITO FROM PAOLO’S PIZZA BAR D id you know that Pizzaiolo is the Italian word for the man who makes your pizza? Lucky for us that Hervey Bay has Paolo Esposito. A man who decided to travel all the way from Naples, the city where pizza originated, to make us all his authentic Neapolitan style pizza.

Legend has it that baker Raffaele Esposito, perhaps one of Paolo’s ancestors, invented the first pizza for Italian royalty in 1889; but in reality street vendors in Naples had sold flatbreads with toppings for years.

Neapolitans are brought up eating the best pizza in the world. It’s a life staple.

Loving and eating pizza is in their blood. So when Paolo first arrived in Australia 15 years ago and couldn’t find a pizza he liked anywhere along the east coast he decided to open his own restaurant. From the Bay of Naples to Hervey Bay he’s transported his love for pizza and its authentic Neapolitan flavour.

Paolo hand-makes each pizza and every morning prepares his dough to a family recipe. He allows it to proof throughout the day and right before service he prepares the dough balls. This is when the mastery begins. Once you order, Pizzaiolo Paolo masterfully hand kneads, stretches and spins your base to

achieve that air filled lightness which is his signature style. Look out for the most important feature of a Neapolitan pizza - the 2cm raised edge called a cornicione.

Next time you hear the pizza gods calling head for Paolo’s Pizza Bar situated on the Esplanade and directly across the road the Hervey Bay Surf Club. Here he has been serving authentic Neapolitan pizza and pasta now for over 14 years. It’s becoming an institution. Locals love him and his pizza. Tourists tell tales that a trip to Hervey Bay is not complete without returning to satisfy their craving for Paolo’s pizza Open from 5pm to late five days a week, the restaurant enjoys a relaxed and friendly feel. A fully licensed bar offers premium wine, cocktails and craft beer.

Antipasto, dolce and gelato round off the rustic menu.

And from the man himself on why pizza is so popular across the globe and why he enjoys serving this humble dish.

“You can be rich, you can be poor, and you can still afford to buy a pizza. In the beginning it was made for the poor people who had nothing but flour, water and salt. The ingredients are simple and are still the same. We just serve it with a smile and great service.”

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H o me Grown

Kerrie Alexander

EVERY STEP COU TOWARDS YOUR Icompetitive F you aspire to be part of the professional world of ultradancing, then you better be prepared to work hard for it.

Hervey Bay’s Tahnee Salata did just that.

Most people don’t know what they want to do with their life until their later years but for Tahnee, who started dance classes at the age of three, there wasn’t a doubt that dancing would be her obsession.

Following in the footsteps of her mum Mandy, also a lover of dance growing up, the two were able to be side-by-side at training and dance concerts throughout the years at the former Jaye Smith Academy of Theatrical Dance in Hervey Bay. The studio is now owned by Tina Sparks (Sparks Dance Centre), where the 27-year-old has been a much-loved dance teacher throughout the years.

Her journey to becoming the phenomenal dancer and professional performer she is today started with moving to Brisbane after graduating school to study with the Conroy Performing Arts Centre, training six days a week from early in the morning until late at night.

Doors started opening for auditions and getting selected was tough, but the then stubborn 18-year-old wasn’t about to give up on her dream.

Even if her body and mind was physically exhausted.

“I didn’t start off with many yes’s … but they did tell me that there’s about 10 no’s to every yes you get in this industry but it actually just made me want it even more,” Tahnee said.

“Nothing good ever comes easy and gives you that extra opportunity to train harder and work towards doing what you want to do. It gives you an extra push.”

The ‘yes’ did eventually come and Tahnee landed her first professional contract, performing with Bindi Irwin as Jungle Girl at Australia Zoo. “Every school holiday, I would get my chance to perform and it was so much fun.

“I was still doing that gig up until about two years ago.

“Bindi is such a great role model and I got to know her on a personal level as well having known her since she was 14. It’s been

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an awesome experience and family to be a part of.”

At 19, Tahnee was contracted as a lead dancer role in the Barbie Anything is Possible live show in Dubai, which was her first overseas contract.

“It was nerve-wracking, but I think I was more excited than anything.

“I had done two years professional full-time dance training at that point, so it was so good to have something to show for all the hard work.”

But the best was yet to come.

Even before leaving home, Tahnee dreamed of performing on a cruise ship, specifically through the Caribbean.

After accepting her contract to dance in Dubai three days later whilst packing, she received the phone call that changed her life.

“I don’t know why the Caribbean, I just thought it would be the coolest job ever and that was just in my sights.

“That’s what I was working towards.

“I got the phone call from my agent to tell me that I had landed a contract with Norwegian Cruise Lines onboard the Norwegian Gem that would sail out in April the following year and it was a cruise throughout the Caribbean … I didn’t believe my agent at first.

“I don’t think I stood still for the next three hours. There were no words for it and I just couldn’t believe it.

“I remember the first thing I did after yelling the news to my brother and our other roommates at the time was call my mum and dad then my grandma and poppy, it was a family affair.”

“It kind of gives you that bit of fire inside your belly when you know this is just everything I ever wanted, and it had come true.”

For the next five years, the versatile dancer thrilled cruise ship passengers with themed aerial acts, tap, jazz, lyrical, ball room – you name it, Tahnee danced it.

“I just loved performing on stage; it was the highlight of my career. I got to travel the world.

“I would do one show, go to sleep, and wake up in a different country.

“When I look back at it now, it was very cool. I had no idea that it would be that good, and it was.”

Tahnee was selected as Aerial Captain on board her first cruise contract, and many other lead roles were to follow including Dance Captain, Show Captain and Universal Swing.

“The more versatile you are, the more roles you get,” she said.

“Every little bit of the skills and the style that you learn is one more thing for you to get picked for a job over someone else.

“In the world of dancing, you are competing for a job for the rest of your life nothing is ever guaranteed.”

Those years spent performing on the cruise ship continued to open other career pathways, including a year spent in the UK, living the “performance life” while travelling through Europe in her spare time.

Tahnee modelled as well as performed in film clips, TV commercials and as movie extras in a variety of films, including the Harry Potter Series “The Fantastic Beasts crimes of Grindelwald”. ... continue next page

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It was yet another learning curve for the young dancer who, over the years, has developed a thick skin in what is known as an extremely cut-throat industry.

“It was a whole other experience over there. It was great, but it was very hard,” she said.

“It wasn’t just hundreds of dancers competing for the one job, it was thousands.

“It was a great eye-opening experience, but it just makes you realise that you’re a very little fish in a very big sea.”

Tahnee said it just reiterates that fact that as a professional dancer, you always need a backup plan.

“I have been lucky in the fact that I had continuous contract connections with Norwegian cruise lines, Pen 2 stage productions and Bindi and the Jungle Girls etc to go back too, or I when I came home back to Hervey Bay I was able to teach.

“It’s all about making those honest, hard-working connections and friendships that last a lifetime.”

Tahnee was amongst many others in the performing arts sector that had no choice but to pack their bags and head home during the Coronavirus crisis.

“I was living and working in the Genting Highlands Malaysia, opening the first ever Fox Studios IP Theme park as Show Captain and Universal swing; a project I had been a part of for about two years.

‘It was a shame I didn’t get to finish it.”

The pandemic has put Tahnee’s dancing career on hold for the time being, but she’s okay with that.

She is now settled back in Hervey Bay for now and enjoys working with her partner Sam Peaker on his family owned and operated business Hervey Bay Whale Watch, Quick Cat II as well as Barista Work for Espresso 3.31 cafes.

She is also thankful to be back closer to her parents, David and Mandy, who she says have always been her biggest supporters.

“Mum was always backstage with me one show and in the audience the next and dad was always in the audience when I was younger right up until I graduated full-time performance college.

“They have both travelled the world to see me perform.

“I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today without them or any of my family to be honest.

“I used to always be told by my college teachers that I must bring the half of Hervey Bay to my Concerts as there was always so many of my family and even friends there supporting me.”

As far as her bucket list goes, Tahnee can without a doubt tick off everything she set out to achieve and says she has learnt a thing or two along the way.

“I always said to my friends and family I was going to be on a cruise ship in the Caribbean and I was.

“I also said I was going to be a backup dancer for Beyonce but that hasn’t happened yet,” she said with a laugh.

“One of the main lessons I have learnt is that if you’re doing what you love, no matter what it is and it’s your passion … then you’ll be happy.

“Performing is performing and no matter what you do it’s admirable at any level.

“As long as you’re on that stage there’s nothing else that really matters or compares.”

To see Tahnee in action, head on over to YouTube and search Tahnee Jade Salata Dance and Performance Reel.

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Young Achi ever

Shaun Ryan

MAPPING HER OWN

N ever turn down an opportunity because you just don’t know where a simple ‘yes’ will take you.

That is the message from Ayeisha Sheldon before jetting off to Geneva, Switzerland to join up with the United Nations Satellite Applications Programme, UNOSAT. While the job specifications sound really technical and scientific, the 24-year-old former Urangan State High School student said she is simply living her best life.

Removing the scientific jargon, Ayeisha said she has a real passion for geospatial design, GIS web development, urban geography and drone technology.

“I really am working in my dream job,” she said.

Geospatial scientists analyse and model data on specific locations before using creative ways to map or represent the information so it is easier to understand.

“It is a very broad field and can be used in areas like town planning, disaster management, engineering and development,” Ayeisha explained.

Ayeisha has a particular interest in human and social development.

This means she is not only a highly skilled person - Ayeisha completed her Masters Degree in Geospatial Science this year – but is also having a positive impact on other people’s lives.

Ayeisha left Hervey Bay soon after graduating high school and started her education and professional development.

“I hadn’t really come back to Hervey Bay long-term until now, but being away makes you appreciate everything you grew up with so much more.”

“The prospect of going away again was difficult, leaving family and friends, but my mum reminded me that everything will be here when I come back one day.”

A positive person who is always open to new challenges and adventures, Ayeisha said she would never have gotten to where she today is if she did not follow her dreams and accept the opportunities that came her way.

“Always say yes and be willing to learn, that’s how I ticked off my major bucket list entry.”

Ayeisha is also a self-taught graphic designer and photographer.

She said her design skills allowed to her to explore her creative side and help her parents’ company, Fraser Dingo 4WD Adventures as a media and marketing manager.

“It’s important for me to be involved in the business and it’s something I can do together with them without having to be in the office.”

If you want to learn more about geospatial science, you can reach out to Ayeisha via her website: https://www.ayeishasheldon.com.

“Before getting a job in Geneva I had already worked for the UN but I needed to say ‘yes’ to open those doors,” she said.

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HISTORY BOUND FOR

Com m un i ty Co nne ct i o n

FUTURE GENERATIONS N EVER seen before images of the Fraser Coast region have been preserved for future generations thanks to a local historian and several Fraser Coast museums.

John Andersen – a historian, a Hervey Bay Historical Village and Museum volunteer and pioneering Hervey Bay resident – was the driving force behind producing the first historic 200-page Moments in Time book in 2019.

Kerrie Alexander

every chance that they could have finished up at the local rubbish tip, as has so often happened previously.”

Volunteers from the Maryborough-Wide Bay Museum, the Wide Bay Hospital Museum, The Military & Colonial Museum, Bauple Museum, Brooweena Museum, Burrum-Howard District Museum and the Hervey Bay Historical Village & Museum, were all involved in producing the second edition.

The book took nine months to complete and featured many photos, panagrams and postcards of Hervey Bay and surrounds that date back to the 1890s.

after a meeting we held in Maryborough late 2019.

“All of the participating museums contributed their 30 to 40 pages with hundreds of pics that I culled for inclusion … pics that told a story.

“Many meetings, over 600 emails, many miles travelled, and countless phone conversations have resulted in the completed work.”

John said some of the rarest and iconic pages include images of a graphite mine on Bauple Mountain, the tobacco industry at Bauple with WD & HO Wills, convict-built culverts around Brooweena, bushranger hide outs, plus many others.

“There are many (rare photos) but some of these really make me realise the importance of the publication.

Following the “unbelievable” response to MIT1 and plenty of photos left over, John said it was only logical to produce Volume 2, featuring the pictorial history of the entire Fraser Coast.

“There is so much to learn … the history of TOC H, its Maryborough connection.

John said his passion, and the endless hours spent scanning the photos and producing both the books, was done purely to keep the region’s history alive.

“The book contains everything from Queens Mary walking the streets of London to Chad Morgan as a 19-year-old at Scrubby Creek in Howard.”

“Once in print, at least pictures that may have been lost forever are spread through many libraries and private homes so that in 50-100 years, the generations to follow will be able to see life in 2020 as well as the 160 years prior to that,” John said.

There are souvenir editions available for a limited time for $50, which include signatures by Mayor George Seymour, John Andersen and museum president Harold Collins.

“There are countless pics in MIT2 that have never been before been published.

“Maybe they were in someone’s family album with

The book features 200 pages, full colour, hard covered with dust jacket, top grade gloss stock and is professionally bound.

“I have worked on Volume 2 virtually since the completion of MIT1, which was launched on April 5, 2019, and the other museums were highly involved

The book will otherwise retail for $40 and can be bought at all participating museums, the Hervey Bay Tourist Information Centre, Stockland Newsagency, Torquay and Urangan Post Office and Keen’s Caltex in Nikenbah.

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Tim Tam Cheesecake

Alive Reci pes

Lisa Stimpson

Method: (allow an hour for the chilling)

Ingredients:

1. Grease a 24cm round spring form pan (base measuring 22cm). Line base and side with baking paper, extending paper 2cm above edge of pan. Line side of pan with Tim Tams.

Ingredients 3 x 200 g packets Tim Tam biscuits 50 g unsalted butter, melted Cocoa powder, to decorate Filling 2 x 250 g blocks cream cheese, at room temperature Âź cup caster sugar 2 x 180 g blocks white cooking chocolate, melted 300 ml tub thickened cream, whipped 200 g block dark cooking chocolate, melted

2. Process remaining Tim Tams in a food processor until finely crushed. Add butter, process until combined. Press evenly over base of prepared pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

3. To make filling, beat cheese and sugar in a large bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Beat in cooled melted white chocolate. Mixture may look curdled. Continue to beat until smooth. Fold in cream until just combined.

4. Transfer one-third of the mixture into a separate bowl. Fold cooled melted dark chocolate into larger amount of mixture until just combined.

5. Spoon white and dark chocolate mixtures alternately into prepared pan. Smooth over top.

Refrigerate, covered, overnight.

6. Remove side of pan. Slide onto a serving plate. Decorate with sifted cocoa. Cut between biscuits into slices.

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19

Lizzi e Learns To. . .

Lizzie Macaulay

Soul Search

(MUM STYLE)

R ecently I managed to sneak away on holiday with my tiny tribe and it gave me a big opportunity to reflect – something I haven’t had the time or emotional

energy to really tackle over the last couple of years with starting a new business and raising my teeny loves. Let me start by saying this isn’t the column I thought I’d be writing this month. I’d had this great idea for this month to complete a deep dive into my soul while I was away and this amazing vision of how it was all going to come together. The lovely Michelle Robinson, our resident ‘agony aunt’ columnist, psychic, spiritualist and soul luminary had set me some tasks as a way of making it all happen, and it was going to be gooooooooooooooooood...

A revelation and a revolution all in one.

This quest was something that I’d been needing to invest time in for a while now, but the opportunity to get started just hadn’t presented itself (or at least, I hadn’t taken it on to this point).

Michelle provided seven fabulously insightful areas for me to do a deep dive on myself: 1. Consult your inner compass 2. Honour yourself 3. Assess your values and beliefs 4. Gratitude is the attitude 5. What would love do?

6. Spiritual gifts assessment 7. Your life’s purpose and lessons

20

Going through the list, I was dead keen to get started and right all my perceived internal wrongs so I could be a better human, mum, wife, colleague – all the things. Asking yourself fundamental questions about your own happiness, direction and approach to this one life seems pretty important, but had I been doing it in recent years? Uhhh, nope.

I’d had grand ambitions of taking an hour or so out of each day to stop and ‘do the work’ so to speak. But of course things didn’t pan out quite as I’d hoped on that front – because what ever goes to plan when you have toddlers, right?! My intentions were good, but actions seem to be more of the point here. So, with many hiccups, interruptions and false starts, I did what I could when I could for myself, and other practices that could be applied to the entire family unit.

Gratitude is something we try to practice every day in the Mac Fam, so that was an ‘easier’ task in some respects, and could be worked in to conversation and my own thoughts throughout the day. ‘What would love do’ was another one that had practical applications (like when my 4yo decided it was a good idea to jump on my sleeping 2yo’s bed at 4am – I really did ask myself ‘what would love do?’ but in that moment my novice self was drawing a blank! Evolved future me will know what to do, though…)

Honestly, I’m not sure if I came up with all the answers. Most likely a bunch more questions, but the experience was invaluable for setting my up long term for checking in with myself as a daily practice. Just like my fitness has integrated to become normal, rather than the exception, so too can my introspection…

True North I have had some nagging doubts in my head lately about whether or not I’ve been honouring my true self. Such beautiful timing, then, that Michelle asked me to reflect on the key areas of my life and test them with the question: “Am I steering myself towards happiness and a contented life?” Realistically, I’m doing better on that front with each passing day, but with the new year ahead, there are some areas that could do with improving. I’ve made note and just need to keep checking in with myself that I’m heading in the right direction as the year goes on.

Honour Yourself I have been terrible at this over the last few years. Making sure I carve out time for myself, and ‘fill my cup’ is something that I’ve been missing. Missing this essential step has at times made me crabby, resentful and less than the best version of myself. I’m determined to do better here, and making time for quiet reflection, my health and fitness, and seeing the people that make me happy more frequently is going to be a game changer.

Who am I, exactly?!

Well, isn’t this the greatest question in the universe… The truth is, I’m still figuring that out. Michelle’s instructions for this part were to “ensure that you have formed your own values and beliefs, and there are no automatic ‘programs’ or unhelpful beliefs that you may have picked up from others”. That’s actually harder than it sounds, but bringing awareness to the possibility of it is a great starting point.

Spiritual gifts I’d never thought about it before, but the heart of my work as a copywriter and journalist is to place myself in the shoes of my clients and write from their perspective. The basis for this work is empathy. Always. In her instructions, Michelle specifically said, “A sensitive nature, an empathic ability to ‘feel what others are feeling’, a sense of being guided in creative pursuits eg writing, recognising moments of synchronicity and signs from the Universe, energy coming from your hands, vivid dreams... these are all signs of intuitive gifts.” I can tick ALL of these off the list. So making sense of how this all fits together is the next bit. I’m keeping my eye out for signs from the universe rather than keeping my head down and my blinkers on.

My purpose I’m feeling a bit shy about this one. I think I’ll keep it under my hat for now. I mulled it over a lot while I was away, looking for opportunities to enhance my contribution to my family, friends and broader community. I have a few ideas, and as I work through each of them, I’m getting over the sensation that I should be doing more for others and starting to put that into action. I finished 2020 on a high of giving back, and I thoroughly plan on keeping that up. But beyond that, I think this is a work in progress and something I’ll keep chipping away at.

I hope this isn’t as unsatisfying as it seems from the inside. The truth is, I can see quite clearly now how each of these focus areas slots into the everyday. This task of assessing your life and purpose isn’t something to just think about once upon a time on holiday then store in the back of the cupboard of emotional tools.

Becoming a ‘fully realised person’ is definitely an iterative process and takes time (possibly an entire lifetime!)

BUT… I’m so grateful for the chance to start and bring my awareness to the things that really matter to me. Staying true to myself is not something I’ve always done (knowingly or otherwise), nor staying open to my intuition. 2021 is feeling super hopeful as I apply my newfound skills in every aspect of my life. It’s not a new year’s resolution, simply a new way of looking at my life more deeply rather than just coasting through on autopilot. So keep your fingers crossed for me, and if my journey has inspired you to take your own, head on over to Michelle’s business page, The Academy of Spiritual Practice for loads of insights on what to do next!

With the warmest of thanks to Michelle Robinson for taking the time to set me on this new path!

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The idea of Bucket List T he idea behind a bucket list, is to create a list of things you hope to do before you kick the bucket, simply put, it is a collection of goals, dreams and aspirations that you would like to accomplish within your lifetime.

No-one could have known that the coronavirus would shut the world down, and amidst the pandemic, and the contemplation that’s followed during and after lockdown, some of us may be needing to retool our bucket lists.

Now there is nothing inherently wrong with still adding things that involve travelling, after all, it’s your list and the things you want to achieve have relevance and importance to you in their own unique way. But until the world resumes back to its new kind of normal, here are some ideas that don’t require anything that is beyond yourselves: DON’T WASTE TIME: When I’m feeling stretched, overwhelmed, and like I never have time, I stop and revaluate where I’m directing my time ( or wasting it ). Time is my most valuable resource and I treat it like currency. Your day, just like everyone else’s, is 24 hours, how you choose to plan, prioritise, and spend the hours you have determines what you can squeeze in. I’m a planner + prepper. It takes me a good 2 hours at the start of the week to plan meals, grocery shop and do a little bit of food prep. That 2 hours at the beginning of the week, saves me so much time every day. Time that can then be spent doing things that make me happy; playing with my kids, hanging with my hubby or exercising. Also, it’s okay to say NO to something, if that something is going to steal more time from you. For example, adding too many things to your to do list, meeting up with friends, or running an errand.

HAVE THE COURAGE TO LIVE TRUE TO YOURSELF: Life is too short to be living it based on the opinions of what others consider to be good and bad, or by comparing yourself to others. What we see in our minds is not what truly exists outside our minds, in other words; what the next person

Healt h H u nte r

Rhian Hunter

perceives as good or bad, may differ from your perception, so it’s important to do things that are aligned with what is most important to you.

CREATE RITUALS: Creating specific routines or as I prefer to call ‘rituals’ that you can perform day in and day out, it is a great way to create positive energy management. Rituals give us a feeling of going beyond the ordinary, of having a moment that transcends that, turning a daily something into something that is sacred and meaningful. For me, that ritual is making a LOV Matè for myself, and a warm cacao for the girls, sitting up on the couch together with them and having a snuggle with total presence. It completely changes the way I think and feel about being awake at 4:30am, and having those tiny arms wrapped around me is the best feeling starting the day.

DO THINGS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD: Science tells us that the following themes can influence levels of happiness: • Practicing gratitude • Random acts of kindness • Practicing discipline • Creating + Committing to goals • Being Optimistic • Learning to forgive These are just to name a few, not to say they will bring happiness to everyone, perhaps a glass of wine a week with your best gal pal is what lifts the corners of your mouth. Seek out the things that bring you happiness and do them!

Whatever the reason, be it your health, a new year, or simply post-covid, take the time to think outside the bucket and revise your list.

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PRACTICE MAKES

All abo ut fo o d

Scott Thompson and Jason England

WHAT do you do when your career is at a plateau?

Well, you open a small business of course! For Jason and I (Scott) it was an opportunity to invest in a future direction where we gained control of our career journey.

Echo Alpha Tango opened at The Junction on Truro in 2019 and we worked with other like-minded hospitality individuals to create something new and exciting for Hervey Bay. When we opened, we did not have a complete grasp on what was involved with running a small business.

Countless hours were spent business planning while working and learning about the reality of running a business.

We gained an understanding of how well our skills complimented each other and began looking for a suitable location to create our next dream.

perfect

Our fish is sourced from Tim, a local fisherman who delivers direct to the door.

We have other regionally sourced products and are always looking to find unique foods to incorporate into our menus.

We write our menu based around this concept of fresh seasonal availability and it changes from day to day.

We love the challenge of living our dream and acknowledge that it happened with lots of support from business professionals, families, friends, and an amazing team of hospitality staff.

Go on a culinary journey with Odyssey Bistro owners Scott Thompson and Jason England.

You will find them at 4/341 Esplanade, Scarness. Visit odysseybistro.com.au

We had a goal to open a restaurant that encompassed our combined philosophy of fresh regionally sourced food and a comprehensive beverage menu delivered with knowledge and great service.

After a year of searching and evaluating we finally found a property that ticked all the boxes and set about creating our dream.

Odyssey was launched after a four-month project to establish a space that aligned with our vision to create a new dining experience for the Fraser Coast region.

We work directly with our farmers to obtain the freshest available ingredients that we personally collect from the farm each week.

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IMPORTER | RETAILER

RENEWAL 2021

Happy New Year from World Bazaar Scarness and our Team.

As we watched the tail end of 2020 disappear…What did you think?

It was a tough year for all. Challenging.

Do you recall the “keywords” we should implement- pivot, resilience, employ rational decision making…

I thought of it as an opportunity. What do you think?

AS a retail store owner, who cannot travel for my business in the immediate future…I think, what next?

It has to be a combination of the all those 3 things, done in the natural World Bazaar style.

So, I have spent summer thinking about how I can contribute to resilience and renewal in my local Community…Who can I work with and develop skills and a product that helps me in a retail situation locally?

Well, if you investigate we have an amazing community of Artisans, Artists, Producers of homemade products that fit right in with the profile of World Bazaar Scarness…plus I can still receive custom orders from my local overseas suppliers for the amazing Jewellery, Boho Chic Clothing and Collectables in the store.

Welcome for a browse, a conversation, swap a book in our street Library. We love it when you actually throw a few $$ our way as a local business.

Thank you Hervey Bay and our returning visitors for the support you have showed for many years now, to local Independent Business.

Kristen & the Team

boho chic clothing . jewellery . Handicraft . gifts . essential oils . incense . collectables . furniture Kikai Kuma- Machine Bear unique local leather

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steampunk jewellery In-Store NOW

352 Charlton Esplanade, Scarness, Hervey Bay worldbazaarscarness@gmail.com World Bazaar Scarness

Phone 0419 248 202

Open 7 days!

95 years

OF LANGERS BROADWAY SHOES

25

BRUCE SAUNDERS MP

Wi se Word s

Putting the Maryborough electrorate 1st Kerrie Alexander

‘Congratulations Langers on 95 Years in business’ Saunders

6795448ai

Putting the Maryborough Electorate 1st

LOVED SHOEMAN THE LIFE AND SOLE OF LANGERS

Authorised by Bruce Saunders 1/133 Lennox St, Maryborough Q 4650 Lic No: 37045

Servicing Maryborough area since 1951

Congratulations to Bill Langer on your store’s 95th anniversary.

All the best!

Free quotes. Call us now

4121 4294

www.watkinselectrical.com.au

E ACH time Bill Langer opens the doors to his Maryborough business, it’s not just to let the customers in.

It’s about walking in the shoes of his grandfather and father, literally, who spent their life building the much-loved and respected Langers Broadway Shoe Store on Adelaide St in Maryborough which first opened 95 years ago.

As I sat down to chat with the pure gentleman that is Bill Langer, his softly spoken voice tells me that at 71 years young, he still works Monday to Saturday, and even some Sunday’s when the store is closed.

A work ethic that is seldom today.

Congratulations Bill on 95 years of Langers Broadway Shoe Store.

Best wishes Charters Footwear Footwear agents for over 50 years

David and Richard and the team wish Bill Langer all the best on his store’s 95th Anniversary From one local and long established family business to another!

23 Rocky Street, Maryborough 24 Hours Emergency Service Phone 07 4122 1226 – Mobile 0417 775 551 26

In April next year, he will have served the Maryborough community for 50 years.

He says it’s the joy he gets of out helping his customers to find their perfect fit that keeps his body moving and his mind sharp, especially with long-time customers who have become like family.

“Quite a few of the customers that are coming in now … their families used to come in with mum and dad,” Bill said.

“I’ve made some very good friends over the years, that’s for sure.”

During the Coronavirus pandemic, Bill said one of the biggest difficulties his team faced was not being able to offer the same old-fashioned customer service people are customary to.

“I love seeing the customers and knowing the customers and that’s the main part of it,” Bill said “With this Covid business we have been missing not being able to get down and serve the people … we just have to hand the shoe to them, and they fit them themselves.

“We’ve really been missing being able to offer that personalised service.”

Sitting on the fitting chairs, you can almost feel the incredibly rich history made by the three generations of Langers.

When it’s quiet or he needs to take a break, Bill will take a seat out in the back room at the pine desk that was crafted by his grandfather, Henry William.

He tells the story of how his grandfather came from small beginnings by opening a shoe retail store in the Royal Hotel and later buying the building where the business is still located today.

The familiar smell of leather is always comforting to Bill.

Morton “My grandfather bought this building and it’s been the same for 95 years,” Bill said with a proud smile.

The thick pine shelves that run around the length of the store and stocked ceiling-to-wall with shoes were built by Henry and were often used by a young Bill to run his toy cars up and down on while in the shop with his father.

When Bill’s father, also Henry, and his mother Edna took over the store in the late 40s, Bill would lend a hand after school and on weekends, earning about 5 shillings for pocket money.

After finishing school, he later went on to work in a local hardware store for five years but decided at 21 that it was time to continue the family tradition.

“I just wanted to help my mother and father out.”

He carried on running the business for many years with his adored wife Joan Noelene Langer, who stayed by his side and shared his passion and vision for the business until she passed away a few years ago.

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At the front counter you will meet long-time staff Dianne Stevens who started work at the store back in the 80s, and Valmai, whom Bill can’t talk highly enough of.

Along with his keen eye for business, what some might know about Bill is that he is a master wood worker, and in his down time he can be found out the back of the store crafting pens, cheese knives and cake servers on the lathe, which are sold at Australiana Cottage Craft and Herb Farm in Takura.

He has also been the president of the Granville Indoor Bowls Club for the last 40 years.

While the Langer business is certainly rich in history, Bill has also kept the business moving with the times by stocking the latest fashions and has embraced the sales of specialty orthotics.

Customers travel from around Queensland to shop at the independently owned shoe store, which stocks Australian-made socks and work boots, as well as orthotic shoes and sandals from Portugal, Vietnam and Indonesia.

“We cater for the comfort area of people and we get people from Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Bundaberg, Gympie and quite a few people from Brisbane come on holidays hoping we are still here.

Morton

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Congratulations to Bill Langer on his store’s 95th Anniversary.

“In Brisbane, there’s no independent shops.

“I have loved being here to serve the people and a few years ago I made the decision to help people be more comfortable with orthotics and we are now a podiatry recommended store.”

It’s this business nous that has seen the Langer family survive a World War, the Great Depression, recessions and the Coronavirus Pandemic.

There are also many local business awards in the back room that pays homage to the excellent customer service the people of the Fraser Coast have come to know and love.

While there are no children to keep the family business going, Bill hopes to be in good enough health to celebrate a century of the proud Langer name.

If his determination and passion for his business is anything to go by, I would happily place a bet to say Bill will be there to celebrate the milestone in five years’ time.

Congratulations to Bill and the team for 95 years of proud history!

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My Garden Gate

Bucket List

M y G arde n G ate

Krisy Goodwin

H ello readers, I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and are looking forward to the new year ahead. My New Year’s resolution is to never have a year like the

QUICK TIPS:

My veggie garden has kept me on my toes, with heat, wind and bugs trying to thwart my efforts! So far things are still looking good, with my corn, lettuce, capsicum, beans and

1. Give them a good clean removing any rust or dirt either with some steel wool or a brush. Barkeeper’s Friend is a great product for this. Allow to completely dry.

bok choy still producing well. Though the December rains played havoc with my zucchini and cucumber causing powdery mildew, they survived after a heavy pruning, but it’s looking like it may be time to retire them.

2. Give them a good sand with a medium grit sandpaper.

My garden right now looks like a patchwork quilt, a myriad of coloured pieces of shade cloth, nets and structures to keep the searing sun and tomato stealing birds at bay, it may not look picture perfect, but it does the job.

4. Give your tools an oil using machine oil or olive oil if you have it.

one just past…well that’s my hope anyway…

So one of the things on my bucket list isn’t an exotic trip to far away places or a candle lit dinner at the base of Uluru ( I have ticked that one), but to have one big roll back shade-cloth that covers my entire garden for the summer. Another is to simply win the lotto so I can hire someone to set to work doing all those little things a gardener sometimes struggles to find time to do… oh so nice to dream, right?!

Speaking of those jobs that sometimes get forgotten are the poor tools that do all the work for us, now would be a good time before the best growing season to give your tools a service.

3. Sharpen your secateurs, shovels and shears, you can pick up specialised inexpensive sharpening stones for this.

5. A handy trick is to fill a bucket with clean river sand and any sort of clean oil, just enough to lightly dampen the soil, you can pop your smaller tools into this when not in use, or rinse, dry well and dip into the sand before storing away, it will stop them from going rusty in the future.

6. Finally, I like to tie brightly coloured ribbon or tinsel to smaller tool’s, so they are easier to spot in the garden when they get misplaced…doing this has helped me out many times.

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Pro perty

Looking ahead to

Twenty-twenty one We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our past and present clients for your support during 2020. It has been a challenging year with the worldwide health pandemic, however we have been so fortunate in Hervey Bay to miss the worst of it.

Our Real Estate markets both rental and sales have stayed continually active during this time. Many of our local businesses have had to temporarily close their doors during parts of 2020, but we have all come out the other side stronger and more supportive than ever.

We are so fortunate to live in such a place where community is important to everyone that lives here, we all support each other in one way or another.

While 2020 has been a tough year we are now looking ahead to 2021, and we can see that it is going to be another busy year for our region in the Real Estate sector. Our team is focused and ready for another incredible year working with our investors and tenants, and delivering a quality service.

Whether you are in the market for your first investment property and need advice or, like many of our clients, you are actively growing your portfolio, feel free to contact our Business Development Manager Graeme Bailey on 0499 700 233 or 4124 0282 or email: graeme@visionpropertyhb.com.au

We finished the year on a high note with zero vacancy in our investment management portfolio, our team is still seeing record numbers of quality rental applications come through and vacant properties are taking less than a week to secure a new tenant.

According to Real Estate Institute of Queensland in October 2020, Fraser Coast vacancy rate is sitting at a record low of 0.7 % and Hervey Bay was recorded at 1.0 % and we have an extremely high demand for rental properties across the region.

At the time of writing this article there were 53 properties available for rent in the Hervey Bay Greater Region, consisting of – 34 houses and 19 apartments/units.

Things are being made very tough for would-be renters within the region, with many applicants not able to secure a rental for months as everything they apply for ends up having multiple applicants all applying for the same property.

Rental prices in our office have also increased as the demand increases with some properties seeing an increase of 10 – 20%. A standard 4-bedroom, 2-bath, double garage would at the beginning of the year rent for between $380 - $420, whereas now most similar properties are achieving $450 - $480p/w. These attractive yields have also brought many new investors to the area, and the sales market is booming.

12/53 Torquay Road, Hervey Bay Phone: 07 4124 0282 Email: info@visionpropertyhb.com.au www.visionpropertyhb.com.au facebook.com/HerveyBayPropertyManagement @visionpropertymanagementhb 30

Graeme Bailey

Sm a r t Mo ney

Grow your wealth by

starting small

We all have goals and dreams that we want to achieve.

Kodie Axelsen

the game is through a RAIZ account.

Going on holidays every year, building an investment property portfolio, getting that Harley or that Land Cruiser we’ve always wanted.

If you spend $4.50 on a coffee it will round up the cost and deduct 50 cents into your savings account and it will invest it in a portfolio structure of your choice.

These are things that leave us with that feeling of achievement. Don’t get me wrong, money doesn’t buy happiness, but it does contribute towards the ability to do the things you want to do.

You can also transfer money consistently or transfer a large balance. This is a great way to get a higher return on your money than your everyday savings account.

Have you ever budgeted or set a money goal you’ve wanted to achieve? If not, it’s never too late to start.

You can even set a goal and it will track how long it will take you to get there based on your savings pattern.

The later you start, the later your goal will come to fruition.

I love little tricks like this that help you achieve your dreams and goals.

They can sometimes seem too far away or too unachievable but if you just start then who knows where you will end up.

If you had of started saving $100 a week 12 months ago, you would have $5,200 towards your goal as of today. Every bit counts and you’re not getting any younger, so start ticking off your bucket list now!

There are small ways to invest your money without having to input large amounts to begin.

After all, they call it a bucket list as you have your whole life to achieve it.

Good luck with your savings and remember that this money is for bigger and better things. Good things take hustle, great things take time!

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Parenti ng

Amanda Coop

Snowflake

“W HAT’S on your bucket list, buddy?” I asked my five-year-old son, anticipating the obvious question: “What’s a bucket list?”

“It’s a list of things you want to do before you die,” Miss 9 offered helpfully from across the room.

Given we’d never discussed it previously, it was hardly a surprise Mr 5 didn’t know the term.

Making a bucket list has never really been, well, on my bucket list.

In making a list of things you want to do, is it not redundant to add the words “before I die”? I mean, that’s obvious, right? I’ve never met anyone with a list of things they want to do after they die. As far as I know, the movie Weekend at Bernie’s wasn’t based on a true story.

Instead, his adorable answer was: “I want to spend time with my family.”

What a sweet wish, not to mention much cheaper and easier than buying myriad toys or texture packs.

“I haven’t got a bucket list because I’m not planning to die any time soon,” Miss 9 said (logic, right there). “But there is something I’ve always wanted to do and that’s go somewhere it snows.”

Well, it turns out that if Miss 9 and I had bucket lists, we’d both be wanting to check off the same item. I’ve always wanted to see snow, since I can remember. My dream (apart from winning the lottery, of course, or being able to lose weight by eating chocolate) is to have a white Christmas and do all the Christmassy things you can’t do while sweating your way through a 35-degree festive season in Queensland.

With the explanation, I expected Mr 5 to say he wanted to buy every toy in the world or own all the Minecraft texture packs in the PlayStation store. (If you’re not sure what Minecraft texture packs or the PlayStation store are, just move on and count yourself lucky. Your wallet doesn’t want to know.)

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adventures on the horizon MA K E A DAY O F I T B Y T H E MA R I N A That’s probably a bit too ambitious budget-wise for us any time in the near future (and who knows when international travel will resume on any major scale?) but we could at least make plans to see snow in Australia.

It made me wonder why I’ve allowed myself to reach middle age without accomplishing what is an easily achievable aim, and I resolved to make plans instead of pushing it to the vague status of “one day”.

ENT

RÉE

I don’t want Miss 9 to be telling her kids in a few decades’ time that she’s never seen snow.

But I hope Mr 5 still wants to hang out with us all.

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Take control and

Alcohol Reset Coach

Annabel Stewart

find yourself

P alm trees and blue skies. Azure seas and white sand. The dictionary defines bucket list as: a number of experiences or achievements that a

person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime. Five years ago, our family’s bucket list dreams were no different to many others, except we wanted to travel by boat. A family gap year! Rent out the house, buy a yacht and sail the Queensland coast.

We were in such a great position to do it too. My husband and I were both sailor-y people, he’s a commercial mariner and I grew up in a sailing family.

We’d even met working on big posh boats owned by rich people and had travelled the world before we’d settled down in Queensland and started our family.

We looked into renting out our house, discussed with our primary-school age daughters what it would be like to live on a boat, compared monohull versus catamaran and read endless kid-boat family blogs. We were very, very keen.

There was only one fly in the ointment though. I had a dirty little secret that no-one knew about, not even my husband.

I had a drinking problem. I didn’t know what sort, because I couldn’t work out what label fitted me. I wasn’t carrying around a water bottle filled with vodka, or waking up in hospital after three-day benders. If I couldn’t drink because we were going out for dinner and I was designated driver, I could spend the evening sober (cranky, but sober).

I knew in my heart that my drinking wasn’t compatible with living on a boat.

I knew the risks were too great, that on a boat you needed your wits about you. You couldn’t go to bed drunk because the wind could pick up and you’d need to re-anchor or you could literally fall overboard and never be seen again.

I had to learn how to manage my drinking, or it was going to be bye-bye dream. Bucket list begone! And our little family really wanted to go sailing and find those desert islands.

So you know what? I did it. I researched, and tried, and failed, and researched more. I tried again, and failed again. I studied addiction and habits and neurobiology. I read everything by anyone who has ever stopped drinking and found freedom. And I kept trying, and kept trying, and finally I learned how to take back control.

And I’m happy to say that we got to tick “family gap year” off our bucket list. We rented out our house, bought a 50-foot ketch, pulled the kids out of school and sailed the Queensland coast for nearly a year. The kids loved it, we loved it, we found the palm trees and azure seas and made some fantastic memories. It was quite an achievement and we feel very lucky.

Bucket lists can be jumping out of planes, trekking the Kokoda trail or finding desert islands. Sometimes though, the biggest achievement can be finding your way back to yourself.

So I was pretty sure I wasn’t an alcoholic. But I also really looked forward to a glass of white wine at 5pm. Much more than most, I suspected. And I found it hard – no, impossible – to stop at one glass. Sometimes a whole bottle would disappear. Sometimes (*whispers*) even more. I spent a lot of time and energy avoiding looking at the exact quantities.

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And I kept trying, and kept trying, and finally I learned how to take back control.

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Fi tnes s

LIFT (Lifestyle Individual Fitness Training) www.teamlift.com.au

Josh Hoodless

O T S P E T S C I T S I L A E R SIX S S E C C U S S S O L T H G I WE

36

Step 3 - Environment:

Does anyone make New Year’s Resolutions these days?

For those that do, can you make it to February? It seems that making a resolution is counterproductive.

Let’s face it, who wants to start the year in defeat. The University of Scranton had a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology finding that most of us make New Year’s resolutions but only 8% of us are likely to succeed.

Losing weight was the number one commitment reported.

How can we succeed in 2021?

I believe if we use our New Year’s resolutions to set goals that are measurable and realistic we might actually get somewhere! That’s right, set goals!

Ensure your work, home and social environments are absent of temptations. We are only human and we all give in to temptation such as high calorie food, alcohol or lazy behaviours.

If your environment doesn’t have any junk food or excessive alcohol available you can’t be tempted let alone give in to it because it’s not there.

I’ve seen a lot of disappointment in gyms over the years. I’ve seen people training very hard and not loosing weight, people being mislead or misinformed and even taken advantage of.

Spending time, money, energy and lots of sweat without loosing a kilo of fat will make anyone give up.

Right here, right now! I’m going to give you the steps to succeed with your 2021 resolutions.

Let’s use the most popular New Years Resolution of all time - weight loss.

Step 1 - Make it a goal: Turn your resolution into a goal. Weight loss is a general idea and to some just a dream. Let’s put it into reality and break it down. You want to loose 10kg of body fat by October 1, 2021. Ok. We can measure that, it’s realistic (1kg a month), it’s got a time frame and it’s very specific.

Great what’s next?

Step 2 - Information: How do you actually burn fat off your body? Forget about trying to kill yourself with gruelling exercise, forget about all of the expensive supplements, fad diets and the money-hungry misleading online ‘fitness gurus’. It’s very simple maths: • Get into a CALORIE DEFICIT. • Get the correct protein intake.

• Get your fats and carbs to your liking with the remainder of your calories.

• It’s that simple!

• You can eat the same and burn more calories with activity.

• You can eat less and not exercise.

• You can eat a bit less and exercise more.

• As long as you get into a CALORIE DEFICIT! For more information on exactly how many calories you need please see an experienced trainer or dietician.

Get educated with real science and maths. Everyone’s requirements are different.

Step 4 - Accountability: You are less likely to disappoint others than yourself. Having someone to be accountable to helps you stay on track every week.

Whether it be a personal trainer, gym buddy, walking friend or someone to weigh you in every month. A non-bias reliable person will be best. Be accountable to the goal you said you wanted to achieve!

Step 5 - Choices not lifestyle: I hear the phrase, “you need a lifestyle change” or “it’s your lifestyle that’s the problem” way too often. I believe living here on the Fraser Coast is an amazing lifestyle, we don’t need to change that. It’s our choices within our lifestyle that needs to change.

Simple small changes add up over a year. For example. Don’t stop drinking coffee or beer, instead drink long blacks or low calorie beer and maybe less of them. Don’t sleep in on the weekends, get up a bit earlier and go for a walk or run. These choices go a long way to achieving a calorie deficit.

Step 6 - Fun not a drag: If you dread cardio or going to the gym, don’t do it. You’ll quickly give up anyway. Find exercise or activities that you enjoy. You have a much higher chance you’ll keep doing it. If you like lifting weights - lift weights, if you like running - run Forest run!

The path to success in 2021 no matter the resolution: Establish a goal, use the science or correct method, set up your environments, have accountability measures, make the right choices and enjoy the journey towards your awesome RESULT!

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Edi to ri al

CIRCUS RIO IS LAUNCHING THEIR NEW YEAR SPECTACULAR C ritically acclaimed Circus Rio is launching their new New Year Spectacular this school holiday season in the hub of the Fraser Coast.

Experience the real magic of Christmas with cheeky elves, death-defying acrobatics, angelic aerialists and a magical visit from the big man himself - Santa Claus! An immersive circus spectacular Christmas Wonderland, with something for everyone. Featuring high calibre, awe-inspiring, risk-averse stunts performed by world-class acts, Circus Rio is bringing the Big Top Circus back to Queensland shores. This school holidays Circus Rio presents a Circus Christmas Spectacular, with a brand new show, brand new crew and a brand new cast.

Circus Rio is one of the first Big Top Circus shows to reopen during the pandemic in Australia. Boasting a spectacular 1500 seater venue, the Big Top show is permitted to go ahead at a reduced capacity aligned with social distancing protocols. The show is expected to sell out this school holidays, with preview night and opening shows already at full capacity.

• Acrobatic Elves, Aerial Angels, Jolly Jugglers, Magicians • Christmas Circus & New Year Spectacular • Debuting a new cast of world-class acts WORLD CLASS ACTS! • Wheel of Death (pictured middle right) • Freestyle Motorcross (FMX) Stunt Riders • Lyra, Cloud Swing, Aerial Silks • Cyr Wheel • Speed Juggling and Spinning Cube • Quickchange Adagio SCHOOL HOLIDAY ENTERTAINMENT • Family Fun Show • Premium Seating available • Family Passes • Carnival Rides before & after the show!

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Girl, don’t leave it to your Bucket List – Do it right now!

S k i n Care and B eau ty

Tammy Wakely

Ilifet’stends easy to put things off and say, ‘Someday I’ll treat myself to a facial’, but to get the best of you and someday could easily turn into never.

5. Get a wax

You should do things for you every now and then like buying a beauty product you have to save up for, because girl, you work hard and you deserve it – especially since it’s 2021!

6. Get a results driven Facial and Skin Check-up

1. Nail your winged eyeliner Getting your cat-eye perfect takes T I M E. But once you figure out which works best for you, you’ll never have to be late to dinner with your friends again.

2. Get your makeup professionally done A pro makeup artist — even I — can show you the most flattering ways to apply, based on your personal features that you might not be able to figure out on your own. To make sure you have the best experience, you’ll want to talk to the makeup artist about how much makeup you typically wear and what kind of look you’re going for.

But you know what else is a pain? Having to shave all the time. Be smooth and hair free you will feel amazing.

You’ll leave with completely refreshed skin that resembles a baby’s proverbial. Let’s all sign up for that right now.

7. Purchace a product you’ve been dying to try This isn’t an everyday thing, obviously, but you don’t need to always buy the cheaper version of a product that doesn’t work as well. Buy the expensive product you’ve been reading about — it’s most likely going to work better and make you feel really nice.

8. Get Polished Try a body Ritual that will bring your skin back to life and make your senses go in to over drive! Even better book an all-day escape.

3. See a brow expert to help you find your perfect shape

9. Treat yourself to a blowout

Eyebrows are one of the most important yet underrated facial features.

It’s amazing what a difference it can make to your overall look. It’s like to swiping on a red lipstick: If you take the time to fill in your brows, you won’t have to wear any other makeup.

Giving yourself a blowout is a pain in the other proverbial. Have someone else do it for you - at least once.

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Australia’s best

kept secret

D e s t i n at i o ns

Brooke Wilson

Tasmania T he New Year is rolling around, and with it, borders are opening, and restrictions are easing.

These days, travellers have the option of many different guided tours to explore Port Arthur, including a ghost tour for those looking for a fright.

What better way to ring in the New Year than by travelling a little further afield? This month, we are heading down south to beautiful Tasmania.

A must do while visiting Tasmania is of course Bruny Island. Accessible by a 20-minute ferry ride, Bruny Island is a haven for an abundance of native wildlife and birds.

Kick off your journey with a visit to Salamanca Place, a cobblestone square just minutes from Hobart’s CBD.

Take a walk through the national parks with options for all fitness levels, and see how many white wallabies, echidnas, and parrots you can spot.

Once a bustling port, the old sandstone buildings and warehouses have since been converted into quirky shops, cafes, and galleries.

Be sure to stop at The Neck lookout, a narrow strip of land connecting north and south Bruny Island. At the far south end of the island, take a tour through the Cape Bruny Lighthouse, Australia’s second oldest and longest continually staffed lighthouse.

Make sure not to miss the Salamanca Markets, as hundreds of stallholders pack the square every Saturday. After exploring all the markets have to offer, take a break in one of the many quaint pubs for a drink or two.

Only a short drive from town and well worth the trip lies Mt Wellington. Easily accessible by driving to the summit, you will be rewarded with exquisite 360 degree views over Hobart and surrounds. Take a jacket with you, as being well over 1000 metres above sea level, the peak is frequently covered in snow!

History buffs will love Port Arthur, a 90-minute drive from Hobart. Originally settled as a timber station in the 19th century, it soon became known for its convict history. British criminals reoffending after their arrival into Australia were sent here to serve their time.

After the closure of the prison, the region became popular as a tourist destination for boating and fishing and remains a popular tourist destination for those travelling to Tasmania.

A trip to Tasmania is never complete without visiting Freycinet National Park. Situated two hours north of Hobart, this will surely be a highlight of any travellers’ trip.

Most famous for its stunning Wineglass Bay, with its azure blue waters and silky white beach, it’s easy to see why it is so popular.

More to offer than just the bay, Freycinet Peninsula boasts an array of activities and stunning scenery.

To really take full advantage of the scenery, be sure to check out The Hazards – gorgeous pink granite peaks that are at their absolute best during sunrise and sunset.

Take advantage of the borders opening and start planning your trip to beautiful Tasmania.

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Outdo o r Adventu re

Steven Barnard

MAKE YOUR WISH LIST

COME TRUE WOW, what a year!

With 2020 gone and 2021 at our doorstep, what shall we plan? What shall we do? Perhaps our outdoor adventure bucket list.

Tasmania? Once we have covered the NT we plan to travel to Tasmania and yes with a caravan, as you have a huge range of lactations to stop on the way including free overnight stops.

I hope you all enjoyed this festive season spending time with loved ones and even spending some time outdoors in the fresh air.

Tasmania has some of the most spectacular mountains with plenty of snow for the kids to play in, if it’s the right season.

We may appreciate life and what it means to us more, especially after a crazy 2020. I hope we all have a bucket list which we can accomplish and not just wish.

I look forward to seeing the mirror-like lakes and I’m sure we will sneak in a few trout fishing stops on the way.

Start by writing a bucket list of what you haven’t yet done, but always wanted to.

Perhaps getting outdoors as a start or learning something new, anything as long as your writing something down it will influence you more to get it done before you kick the bucket.

One location we would love to visit would be Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, with its amazing heritage culture and breathtaking scenery.

While we are in the NT, I would love to do a little spot of fishing for popular barramundi.

When that’s done and dusted, next on my list will be something even bigger and that is exploring more of Australia, and what better way to do it with a caravan.

42

We will travel along the coast with its amazing coastal scenery and absorb what nature has to offer.

Overall, I just want to explore new locations around the world and find out all their untold stories.

How about Alaska where you can hike 17 of the highest peaks. Fishing for salmon would also be great, as there are more than 3000 rivers to explore, and let’s not forget about putting seeing the northern lights on the itinerary.

I believe they are breath taking.

The list may continue but I’m sure you can see we love the outdoors.

Bringing this to an end, I hope I have given you some inspiration to sit down, relax and write your own personal bucket list with some outdoor adventures included.

PLAN AHEAD FOR

TROPHY FISH HAPPY New Year to all my readers! I wish everyone the very best for 2021.

With a new year comes new goals and ticking off that bucket list fish is always high on the agenda at the beginning of the year for the keen fisho.

Thinking about what your goal is and coming up with a plan is the key.

Homework is essential; think about tackle, tides, season, zones you know your target species may be found, then putting aside time to chase that dream fish.

One thing often over looked is tackle! Check that your tackle is running to perfection, your reel has a smooth drag, the roller bearing is spinning, the guides on the rods have no cracks, knots are good and hooks are strong enough on your terminal.

These little things can go a long way when targeting big trophy fish.

Good luck on whatever your bucket list fish may be in 2021.

When you achieve your goal soak it up and enjoy the moment.

Burrum The Burrum has seen lots of attention from both locals and holiday makers recently.

Mangrove Jacks have been active with hard bodied lures and soft plastics working well.

Around the mouth, whiting and flathead have been taking baits along the flats.

The B i g Catch

Andrew Chorley

Local Reefs The local reefs have been firing with good catches of sweetlip, blackall, squire, golden trevally and pencil squid.

Working the tides has brought success for those who are putting in the effort with soft plastics with an hour either side of the tide being the best.

Wide Grounds The wide grounds have been producing some big sweetlip with whole squid baits working very well. For those after coral trout there has been a few reported from the southern gutters.

Platypus Bay Platypus Bay has seen a few mac tuna and spotted mackerel on the surface.

This time of year, scarlets and sweetlip can be caught on the reefs with fishing at night working the best. A few longtails can also be found deep on the bait schools.

Sandy Strait Salmon can be found by working the banks along the Mary River, with holding on the rock bars and deep holes.

Trolling, casting saltwater fly, lures and soft plastics has all been getting results.

Flathead can also be found up the creeks of the Mary with the drains being a favourite hangout for flathead this time of year.

If you are after a feed of whiting try Turkey Straits and Booral flats on the flood tide with some live yabbies.

If winning the Daly M wasn’t enough for Canberra Raiders star Jack Wighton, this black marlin was another highlight and bucket list ticked for 2020.

Hervey Bay Fly and Sportfishing www.herveybaysportfishing.com.au

43

Edi to ri al

THE REGION’S #1

bucket list

EXPERIENCE BACK IN BUSINESS! PARADISE ON FRASER ISLAND REOPENS FOR VISITORS!

A fter a challenging year for the local tourism community, first with the COVID shutdown and then second island closure due to the bushfires, we have gone on to have a bumper summer on Fraser Island!

With the interstate borders open again, our businesses welcomed back guests from around Australia to experience the paradise we have here on K’Gari. The difficulties we have faced in 2020 have made us even more appreciative of just how lucky we are to live, work, and play in such a special destination – the place that most Aussies come to have a holiday!

Special acknowledgement is due to the firefighting personnel and local volunteers who worked tirelessly to save Kingfisher Bay Resort and Fraser Island’s iconic attractions. As a result, the oasis around the resort and the famous sites like Lake McKenzie, Central Station, Pile Valley, Eli Creek, Lake Wabby, Maheno Shipwreck, Indian Head and Champagne Pools were all protected, and the central rainforest remains in pristine condition for future generations.

Our own team members worked around the clock behind the scenes to support the firefighting efforts and undertake the task of closing and reopening all of our businesses. The local community really banded together during this time, with great support from the Mayor, local councillors, and the team at Fraser Coast Tourism & Events leading the charge with a recovery campaign for the region.

There is plenty to be excited about in 2021 – a booming domestic travel market and Aussies keen to get out and tick the nation’s top bucket list experiences off their list, and that includes Fraser Island. With strong forward business, there are plenty of career opportunities in tourism and we are actively recruiting for new team members to join us in paradise.

We hope to see you island-side this year!

44

From t he she d

David Everett

SQUEEZING EVERY LITTLE BIT OF

LIVING INTO LIFE …

A bucket list is not something I have ever entertained. Not that there aren’t things that I want to do, but nothing that is a ‘must do before I die’ sort of

• A wander around Cardiff (home of Torchwood),

affair.

• fly fishing in New Zealand,

There are so many amazing sights, activities, experiences and the like that would be incredible to be part of, but there is not that pull to fulfil a list. I understand a person’s desire to have a list and to undertake it before they pass over the rainbow bridge * but I don’t have it in me. I think it’s that I’m not a passionate person by nature. Loving: yes, curious; definitely, excitable; Oh hell yes!

• aimless & pointed strolling the streets of New York,

Excitable probably doesn’t quite adequately describe my intermittent levels of enthusiasm. I honestly actually use the ‘Squeeee’ in real life. In fact, I have been known to bounce on the spot and clap my hands excitedly while exclaiming ‘Squeeee’ much to the amusement of friends and family. Possibly to the consternation or confusion of people who aren’t friends or family, but that doesn’t particularly worry me.

A lot of the time this excitability is to do with something pop culture related; a trailer for a movie I’ve been looking forward to, finding the Tardis LEGO set I had been wanting for ages (and even on special even!). Watching one of my kids nail a skill in karate or gymnastics, or a pregnancy announcement are other excitable moments. Speaking of which, can I just mention that David is a great name for a boy or girl if you were trying to decide on one.

So what would I like to do if the opportunity arises? Well maybe I do have a list.

• undertaking a carpentry or electrical apprenticeship, • going to Comic Con, • craft brewery tasting tours, • a tropical family holiday, • learning to scuba dive, • wander through a European old growth forest, and a many other things that don’t immediately spring to mind but I know I would really enjoy.

A bucket list isn’t for everyone and for a while it became a fad, rather than a genuine fulfilling of activities, but if you have one and are working towards achieving it, I’ll cheer every tick you achieve.

Also, happy new year. *Yea, that’s a euphemism more akin to a pet dying but I thought I try it out here. I don’t like it but I’ve come this far and this keyboard doesn’t have a backspace key so I’ll leave that one in but I’ll skip on including any others.

Chris Postle Art Quality original art and sculpture G A L L E R Y AT H E R V E Y B AY W H A L E M A R IN A Open 7 days 10am - 3pm

WWW.CHRISPOSTLE.COM INQUIRIES: 0409 286 364

45

Voted Australia’s best Distillery, Winery or Brewery Experience,

the Bundaberg Rum Distillery is a genuine bucket list ticker that should be at the top of the list for true lovers of all things rum and fun.

Whether it’s a quick visit to Bundy R. Bear’s spiritual home, a journey deep into the beating heart of the Distillery, indulging in our famous selection of Royal Liqueurs or just taste testing some of the world’s best rum, a trip to Australia’s most awarded rum distillery is a total must when visiting Queensland.

So drop in and take your tastebuds for a rum inspired adventure at the spiritual home of a truly original Aussie icon.

BOOK ONLINE & SAVE

46

BUNDABERGRUM.COM.AU

(07) 4131 2999

@BUNDABERGRUM

BUNDABERG RUM

R i de

Kerrie Alexander

H OLDEN fans would have their jaw drop to the floor while walking up to Darryl Barns’ shed.

The sight of a stunning yellow 1976 GTS HJ Monaro and an immaculate bright blue ‘73 GTS HQ Monaro sitting side-by-side, took my breath away.

I’m secretly a fan of Holden muscle cars, and I couldn’t wait to find out more about these bad boys, in particular the four-door HJ. Darryl is a long-time Holden fan, much like his father, but never had the opportunity to own muscle cars of this calibre.

As a pharmacist, husband, and father-of-four, he only ever owned sensible 4- or 6-cylinder family orientated cars.

Now, his face lights up as he starts and revs up the 5.0 litre engine in the HQ that he bought about five years ago, which he completely rebuilt.

His focus then turns to the HJ. The HJ was fairly rusty before the previous owner undertook a full rebuild, returning the car back to the original Abasynth yellow paint work and trim as it was delivered from the factory.

It’s not often that buyers of classic have the privilege of knowing who owned the car from new until now.

For Darryl, the story of the paintwork is where its history unravelled.

His go-to spray painter in Maryborough, who had done work on the blue HQ previously, worked at Gilbert Motors in Mount Barker in South Australia in his younger years.

The story goes, Rick the painter worked at the dealership and this car was bought by the dealer principal as his own personal car in 1976.

“Rick’s brother phoned him from South Australia and asked him if he would paint this 76 HJ Monaro he had bought … he recognised the honeycomb rims etc and Rick asked him if it had all the paperwork, and he did,” Darryl said

“It was the same car.”

Rick painted the car in an open booth in Mungar and when his brother later put it up for sale, Rick was quick to tell Darryl, and the rest is history.

Its standout features are totally original including the honeycomb rims, four-speed manual gear box and the vinyl seats that have been recovered, but in the original material used in the factory.

The 253, 4.2 litre is also factory.

“I love that it’s all original. All too often these days young fellas buy them and flog them and just replace the engine rather than getting the original parts and replacing them,” Darryl said.

“I bought it in excellent condition. I’ve only just given it a clean and tidy up.

“When they did it, they tried to keep it as close to factory. The only thing that I’ve done is tint the windows.”

It has been in the family for 12 months now and although the 253 engine it is not as quick as the HQ’s, Darryl says it no “trailer queen”.

“Both my cars are drivers not hiders. It really drives well.”

The HJ was in the spotlight recently at his son’s wedding, with the incredible yellow the bride’s colour of choice for the bridesmaid’s car.

As a member of Wide Bay Rodders car club, both the HJ and HQ are a regular sight in car runs and at the annual May in the Wide Bay car show.

Rick the painter is now sorry that he didn’t buy it for himself, Darryl said with a laugh.

However, should Rick ever find him the right twodoor coupe … he may just have his time again.

As for the HQ, it will have its rightful spot in the garage for many years to come.

47

Life Chat wi th M i chelle

Michelle Robinson Bach. Counselling.

Dip. Clinical Hypnotherapy www.academyofspiritualpractice.com

Rehearse the

positive feelings

“Michelle, Last year was tough on all of us, I know. I’d really like some guidance on how to find my feet again this year. I still feel nervous to leave the house but miss my family, friends and my old life generally. How can I pull it all back together for 2021?

Thanks.” - I-so-late Dear ‘I-so-late’, Thanks for your really great question. I know that many people are feeling nervous - even anxious - about how to get their life back onto a familiar track after the disruption of 2020. You sound like you’ve had some significant challenges. Your confidence has been knocked and you’re not sure of the best way to move forward. Your feelings are completely natural.

I have a few suggestions that may help, but the best resources available to you are actually your own. It takes courage to accept that our lives may never be exactly the same as they were before a disruption, like COVID. Courage is needed to approach life with a different perspective. Flexibility and a positive attitude are important.

It is pointless to obsess what cannot be changed. For example, social distancing may be the new norm for a very long time to come. How we approach the world we now find ourselves in, is our choice. That is one thing we have influence over - our reactions and attitudes to what occurs around us and to us.

I suggest tackling your nervousness in regular small steps. Avoidance of anything because of fear, heightens that fear. Phobias often begin through a pattern of avoiding what makes us uncomfortable. Ask yourself, ‘What’s real here?’ when you feel nervous. Get accurate information that helps you understand any risks you may be facing, then make a plan to manage those risks so that you feel comfortable with your decisions.

I am sure that you already know how important it is for your mental and emotional well-being to stay connected with friends and lovedones. Don’t let anxiety separate you from the ones you care about.

Prioritise staying in touch, and do that in whatever ways are practical for you.

“Hey Michelle, All you hear about is resolutions this time of year.

I’m not really the ‘resolution making type’... Are my friends and the TV wrong, or is it me?” -Failed Resolutioner Hi, ‘Failed Resolutioner’ My quick answer to your query is that no-one is right or wrong. Some people need a particular date or a ‘kick start’ like a resolution to start working towards a goal. However, many resolutions are made with a flurry of enthusiasm and commitment that quickly wane. Put simply, if you rely on motivation as the fuel for sticking to a resolution, (especially one that has not been achieved in the past), then expect failure to follow.

Motivation is like a sparkler. It burns brightly for a short while, but all too soon, it fizzles out. When that occurs, commitment and routine need to take motivation’s place. If they don’t, a person often gives up on their goal.

So, I agree with you, ‘Failed Resolutioner’. A resolution is only helpful if a person is committed to the discipline needed to achieve the outcome. The mindset needs to be, for example, ‘It’s okay if I don’t feel like going for a walk today. I will do it anyway because I will feel better once it is done.’ New habits need at least 6 weeks to create new helpful neural pathways. If you quit before then, the new habit is easily discontinued.

To gain the best possible results from a resolution, imagine as vividly as you can, all the benefits your desired outcome will bring. Feel these benefits in every cell in your body. Rehearse the positive feelings over and over. Back up your mental rehearsal with discipline, and then success is very possible.

Wishing you a wonderful 2021, Michelle

I wish you every happiness in 2021. I do believe that courage, determination and taking one step after another towards a goal, are your allies in overcoming your nervousness.

My very best wishes, Michelle

Disclaimer: While every letter answered is given careful attention, in no way is any response in this column intended to offer professional advice. Please always seek advice from a relevant qualified professional.

Thank you for understanding that only a limited number of letters may be published in each edition.

48

I n spi rat i o ns

Fill your soul with

inspiration Cheers and Happy New Year to you all!

Here are some examples:

With the buzz of a brand new year comes New Year’s resolutions, vision boards, and of course bucket lists.

A bucket list is a personal journey between you and your aspirations.

So are bucket lists useful? Yes, they are. They help to motivate us, to achieve what we really want out of life.

When I think about other people’s bucket lists, my mind conjures up visions of exhilaration and excitement whilst climbing tall mountains, sky diving, and of course bungee jumping.

Just thinking about this is slightly terrifying!

So whilst physically gruelling bucket lists aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, I’d like to offer you an alternative.

A bucket list that fulfills your soul.

This sort of bucket list is awesome because it makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside.

So what sort of things could be in a soul fulfilling bucket list?

Alison Dunlop

Meditate more, focus on gratitude, learn to stand up for self, spend more time on self-care, trying to be more positive, ground more and spend more time in nature, read inspiring books, journal, declutter, and of course try a Kinesiology session.

So how do you start?

Firstly, find somewhere quiet with no distractions, or make it a fun experience with a group of friends. Working on your lists together can be inspiring.

Grab some paper, your phone or laptop.

Start by focusing and naming your bucket list. Examples can include, my life balance list, my dream list, things to conquer list, my aspiration list.

Write down your ideas. Brainstorm them if you wish.

Once you have a few ideas, sort them in to categories like short term (spending more time in nature), long term (writing a book).

Another tip is to make your bucket list real. Make sure you can achieve your goals on your list. If you can’t, or need help, do not hesitate to book a kinesiologist session.

My contact details are below. I can guide you through the process.

I’m off now to spend more time on self-care!

Guidance Card: Clary Sage

Trust in your self and your skills.Know you are more powerful than you think, so trust your intuition.

Alison Dunlop Kinesiologist. Find out more at: www.alisondunlopkinesiology.com.au

49

Kev ’s Adventu res

@KevsAdventures

Kevin

Live my bucket list every day of my life

From what I can gather, a ‘Bucket List’ is a list that a person makes of all the things that they would like to do once over their lifetime that they can then tick-off as they do them.

I’m a simple border collie and I was wondering how I could apply a bucket list to my own life. You see, the thing is, being a dog, I don’t think very far into the future and I enjoy every day and as many moments in each day as I can. There are moments that I don’t enjoy, like cracking thunder or certain aspects of vet visits, but when those moments pass I go back to being happy with whatever the next moment brings.

After a little contemplation, I have realised that I live my bucket list every day of my life – sometimes we skip things, or we mix up the order, or add in something unexpected and that just adds to that unpredictable nature of life that makes it oh so interesting.

So here goes, this is my current Bucket List: 1. Morning cuddles with my humans 2. Walkies – we mix it up between sniffy-walks (encountering kangaroos makes this a particularly exciting walk) and social walks, usually to coffee shop.

3. Breakfast – mostly the same each day with some surprises thrown in.

4. Sleep – usually wherever the breezes are, on cool tiles, or under the Air Con if I have succeeded in convincing my human to turn it on.

5. Postie patrol – this is the highlight of my days – I can hear the postie coming and I wait by the front gate where I can watch and hear them all around the neighbourhood until it comes zooming past gate – this is when I get ridiculously excited and bark and run like a crazy dog – sometimes the postie even comes up close to the gate and when I bark at them they zoom away – my success rate at scaring the postie away is 100% so far –what a great guard dog I am!

6. Afternoon breeze/snooze – after all that excitement and after successfully protecting our property I deserve to chillax. I find the best location on the front deck to soak up the afternoon breezes and watch the afternoon neighbourhood goings-on.

7. Afternoon entertainment – If there is a human home I will do my utmost to convince them that I need some sort of additional enrichment – sometimes that will include an additional walk, some food puzzles, sniffing games or make they might even teach me some new things – I do love this time of day because it’s when my human’s attention is solely on me and that, afterall, is what us dogs live for. We live to serve our humans and bring unconditional-

Nissen Street Vet presents

love and connection to all, so whenever we get to just ‘hang-out’ with our humans we are very grateful. If us dogs had to put one thing on a bucket list – it would be ‘one on one time with my human’ but that’s not something I want to do once, that something that I want every day.

Hmmmm, I’m wondering what I should call my ‘everyday list’ – maybe it’s more of a gratitude list. Yes! That’s what it is I think I have made - a list of all the things that I am grateful for everyday! What would you put on your gratitude list?

A “Gratitude List” - What a great way to start the year!

Your furriend, Kev

Pet owner tips by Dr Sam Toad won’t turn into a prince

PET SUPER STAR OF THE MONTH

“Kenji - our little model” -Belinda Russo

137 Nissen St Urraween Ph 4184 9466 www.nissenstreetvet.com.au 50

Summer is coming, and so are the cane toads! I am sure most of you have already noticed an influx of these little guys in your backyard recently, but would you know what to do if you caught one of your furry family members suffering from toad toxicosis?

Cane toads have poison glands on either side of their head that exude a toxic milky substance if attacked, which will be quickly absorbed by your pet’s gums and into their bloodstream.

Signs of toxicity include: Excessive salivation, bright red gums, gagging or pawing at the mouth, vomiting, hyperexcitability, walking off-balance, difficulty breathing, tremors, seizures

and sometimes death.

If you notice your pet showing these signs, the best thing to do is wipe their mouth and gums with a wet cloth or gently wash their mouth with water for 10 minutes before transporting them to a vet clinic for further treatment. Be careful when using a hose to wash their mouth as we do not want any water or toxin getting into the lungs!

Fun fact: Did you know some dogs become addicted to the hallucinogenic effects of toad toxin and actively seek to bite them again and again?

Crosswords of the month

Reade rs’ G alle r y

ARTWORK OF THE MONTH

“I’m a mixed media artist. The ocean informs most of my work however flora and fauna are truly close to my heart.”

- #looseartbylou

“My daughter and my mum worked on this pastel painting together of our cat Milo.”

- Katie Clews

Last month’s solution

128 Boat Harbour Drive, Pialba

www.bigscreencinemas.com.au 51

FRASER ISLAND

Bucket list adventures in paradise !

Discover the World Heritage-listed wonders of Fraser Island!

Award-winning one and two-day tours depart daily from Hervey Bay and Rainbow Beach.

LOCAL GUIDES

ALL AGES

KFB1088

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ECO ADVENTURES

1800 FRASER