Alive Magazine - Edition 07 - February 2021

WIDE BAY

alive

CAPTIVATING IN LIFE, LOVE AND MUSIC 70 years of marriage and still deeply devoted Full story on page 8-9

EXPRESS YOURSELF The ultimate fashion makeover Story Page 21

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Love

Edition

A FAMILY COMMITMENT Photographed at beautiful Lake Mckenzie (Boorangoora)

ONLINE MAGAZINE - WWW.ALIVEMAG.COM.AU

LOVE COMES IN ALL FORMS Full story on page 4-5

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ISSUE 07 - FEBRUARY 2021

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Edition 07 | February 2021 Love is all around us ON September 9, 2006, I married my best friend, my soul mate and now the most amazing father to our little boy.

The most adorable couple I’ve ever met, Ron and Ella Hawkins, also share the same sentiment after an incredible 70 years of marriage.

My love story with my husband Shaun started 18 years ago when we met through mutual friends.

They have lived a full and happy life with no regrets, which is seldom today. You can read their story on page 8.

He chased me, I chased him, and we went back and forth on dates and eventually got serious.

It was on a holiday of a lifetime to the America, living our best life on the beaches in the Bahamas, that he proposed.

Fourteen years of marriage, one awesome little boy and soooo many life challenges and achievements later, we are still going strong.

I feel so fortunate that I met ‘Mr Right’ from the beginning. Several our friends’ marriages have failed, and it is heartbreaking to see.

I think the secret for us so far is that we are a partnership and no matter how hard things get, we work through it together.

Let me also introduce you to this month’s cover stars, the McLeod family, who are a testament to the fact that love can trump all of life’s adversities.

Wade and Belinda met later in life and each had two children of their own.

When they wed in early June 2018, their four children were every bit as part of the couple’s ceremony, showing proudly that they were just as invested in the marriage as their parents.

On that day, their family become one.

Love is all around us and no matter what shape or form it comes in, it is a truly beautiful thing.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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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 08 Wise Words 10 Community Connection 12 Lizzie Learns to 14 Local Musician 16 Local Artist 19 Health Hunter 21 Fashion Breakdown 22 Self-Love 23 Skincare & Beauty 26 Plan your wedding 30 Eco Living 31 Smart Money 33 Ride 34 Alcohol Reset Coach

35 All About Food 37 Destination 39 Fitness 41 My Garden Gate 42 Parenting 43 From the shed 44 Home Project 45 The Big Catch 46 A Journey to Australia 47 Outdoor Adventure 48 Life Chat with Michelle 49 Inspirations 50 Mind-Body Health 50 Pet owner tips 51 Readers’ Gallery

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Cover Sto r y

Leanne Esposito

How do I love thee?

Let me count the ways.

Famously the stanzas of Sonnet 43 by English poet

Elizabeth Barrett Browning have been much quoted over time. Lovers have used them as declarations of undying love and I am in no doubt they are inscribed and devoted to many a Valentine’s Day gift.

February 14 is traditionally the day the western world celebrates love. It’s an opportunity to go all out as couples demonstrate their love by buying flowers, chocolates or gifts. A romantic dinner, champagne and long stem roses de rigueur for those more passionate persons. Some even declare a lifelong commitment to each other by proposing marriage. But, what is love?

Now with our newly acquired appreciation for the wide ranging description of this simple, yet evocative word, we searched high and low across the Wide Bay region and discovered a unique family who embodies most of the eight versions of love.

was bestowed the honour of walking his mother down the aisle. In An Butler’s wedding video he can be seen looking dapper in his wedding attire and sporting a wide grin as he proudly proffers his mother’s hand to his step-father.

The McLeod Family who were married on the 8th of June 2018, in a beautiful ceremony in Dayman Park, are today celebrating daily life surrounding each other with multiple facets of loving.

Belinda tells me that even though the children had been looking forward to the union and becoming a family for some time, that when their parents mooted the marriage idea, each child had a different version of how the events should play out.

When I say the family wed, it is not in error that I write. Mr and Mrs McLeod, Wade and Belinda, were romantically wed as husband and wife. The bride looked radiant, stunning, in a couture off the

Love is a somewhat abstract term which means different things to different people and there is a reason as to why it is interpreted so liberally.

When we think of love our thoughts and emotions are drawn to the notion of romantic love. It’s a viscerally emotive word which we’ve been conditioned to acknowledge as that spark when boy meets girl and they ‘fall in love’; what follows is the narrative of a happy-ever-after love story. It’s a theme which is profusely portrayed in literature, movies and even advertising as a way of stirring our innermost craving for human connection and deep soul satisfaction.

Romantic love, or Eros for the Ancient Greeks, was seen as the epitome on the ladder of love. Those perceptive philosophers identified eight different types of love which are as unique as a bouquet of flowers, where each bloom holds a different representation of love, but which version of love can have a similar effect.

1. Eros – romantic, passionate love 2. Philia – affectionate love 3. Agape – selfless, universal love 4. Storge – familiar love 5. Mania – obsessive love 6. Ludus – playful love 7. Pragma – enduring love 8. Philautia – self-love

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“Lachlan said I’m so happy, I love you guys repeatedly. Sporty Riley wanted us to marry in Suncorp Stadium. Chloe wanted to hold my dress and Sam, who was only 7 at the time, said ‘no, no, no, I’ve got to marry you mummy’. He was a little confused and upset so the trade-off was that he could give me away and he was happy,” she said.

According to Belinda the relationship didn’t start with that instant spark of boy meets girl. Mature relationships rarely do. In real life things are little more complex. Both Wade and Belinda were alone as single parents raising children when they met again at her workplace, yet they were not wholly appraised of the other’s situation. According to Belinda Wade had asked after her ex-husband, unaware that they were no longer together.

shoulder, floor swishing white lace gown as she exited the classic Ford Falcon XG Hardtop of her youth. Beside her in the vehicle were her daughter and son.

On that day, there were four family members, as well as the bride and groom, wholly invested in the marriage. At the time, Wade’s boys Lachlan, 12 and 9-year-old Riley, as well as Belinda’s 10-yearold daughter Chloe, and son Sam, 8 were the other individuals whose lives were joined in the marriage and who were as excited as their parents at becoming a family.

Each had a significant role to play in the wedding ceremony, and as for Sam, the youngest, well, he

Both Belinda and Wade had grown up in the same town. Back then Belinda tells me that she was aware of Wade, the soccer and cricket star, who made regular appearances on the pages of the Bundaberg News Mail. While their paths had never formally crossed they knew some of each other’s acquaintances.

Many years later, Belinda found herself in Hervey Bay, divorced with babies who were only three and eighteen months old. She was successfully raising them on her own and then, as time went by, she and Wade discovered each other during a simple business transaction. Sadly, Wade’s wife and the boys’ mother had died after succumbing to an

aggressive form of breast cancer. Slowly, Belinda and Wade allowed themselves the luxury of getting to know each other more deeply.

“Wade’s wife passed away in 2014 after she fell ill from breast cancer. She was diagnosed when Riley was only two years old. She was in and out of hospital and Wade was alone with the boys for a long time. Riley was six when his mother passed away,” Belinda said.

Learning how the flickering embers of the flame of love were fanned after they reconnected is where the story gets interesting and where the potential for real happiness begins. It started as a slow burn as they explored the possibilities of a relationship and found they held many common connections, interests and beliefs. Belinda said that it was their rational and mutual respect of each other’s business acumen which initially set the ball rolling along lovers’ lane.

“We hadn’t seen each other for three or four years.

After coming in to the bank to do banking he asked after the business I had with my ex-husband and I told him we had divorced. He got my phone number as he was looking to buy another business. He rang me and said as I was business minded and he was looking for a business in Hervey bay he asked me to sort of be an agent for him. I didn’t know about his wife dying until a few conversations in. It was very sad,” Belinda said.

Their business together was and is still a huge success and supports this wonderful blended family. Belinda reports that she always wanted four children and her dreams have come true with Wade’s large extended family providing another secure blanket of loving for Belinda.

“We went over there (NZ). It was nice and drove up to wedding falls or whatever it was called. I didn’t know.

It was just a fluke,” he said.

Timing is everything in life and Wade’s capacity for romance didn’t disappoint as he chose the perfect spot at the bottom of the beautiful waterfall setting to drop to a bended knee and pop the question.

Belinda said yes and her next surprise was a romantic honeymoon in the Maldives in an over-water private bungalow organised by Mr Romance himself, Wade.

“Wade’s parents are beautiful. They are my parents now. I have three siblings and so does he. We are both During those telephone calls they bonded more from a four child family. There are so many similarities. closely over family and single parenting. When they Wade’s sister and his brother are both married with finally sat down for that first meeting Belinda admits children. We are really close and the children are And, as they say, the rest is history with the McLeod close to his extended family. We celebrate Christmas there was a spark.

Clan a testament to living each day surrounded by together and there is about 16 of us,” she said. and celebrating love in all its shapes and forms.

“I didn’t allow myself the feeling until I knew. Of course there were a few dates after, which were very While acknowledging that trust, loyalty and security So remember when we celebrate the love of romance romantic. I fell in love with his loyalty, deep respect are important we need to get back onto that passion for Valentine’s Day, that it is possible, to capture that for a sense of family and well-being for the children. path, and this is where Wade whips out the ring and loving feeling everyday of your life. Love has many We are similar in that we both hold values that we proposes. His capacity for romance is classic. possibilities and there are many ways to love, so appreciate in each other like security and loyalty,” There are family holidays to organise and trips to share it around. Just like the lyrics to the theme song Belinda said. overseas destinations like Fiji for them all to enjoy. for the movie Love Actually remind us not to hide our I look at Belinda I can see she is still smitten. As she However, there is the one trip in March of 2017 to feelings. talks of their life together she radiates a calming the north island of New Zealand which is most warmth that can only be found in a woman who is memorable for just the two of them. Wade secretly truly satisfied with her life. I find it interesting, and a slips the engagement ring which they had previously lesson to myself, that Belinda would focus on traits chosen together into his suitcase. Subsequently he of security and loyalty above physical attributes and pockets it before embarking on an outdoor adventure passion. Don’t get me wrong, they are absolutely a which would take them to, none other than, Bridal smashing looking couple whose connection is strong Veil Falls. A perfect backdrop for romance! Wade tells – I can’t help but catch those sidelong glances they me that the gods were on his side and the setting was pass at each other. How could they not fall in love? serendipitous.

Belinda is a classic beauty and Wade has a strong Hollywood look. I’m thinking a distant cousin to the Hemsworth brothers!

Love is all around us and so it grows… Come on and let it show!

After meeting with them I did some research on what makes for a lasting relationship and I must say again that Belinda and Wade tick most, if not all, of the boxes on the top ten list. Number one is trust, then comes honesty, loyalty, family, communication, lifestyle, religion, self-discipline, self-improvement and finances.

They started out at number ten, and in business together, which was a strong indicator that they could trust each other; then absolutely everything else fell into place. However, they were always aware that they were not the only two people in the relationship. The litmus test would be how well the children related to each other. So there came a time to meet the family and Belinda happily reports it was success from day one.

“The children were introduced. If they didn’t like each other or either of us it wouldn’t work. It was the clincher. They got along very well right from the start.

They are protective of each other and they all go to the same school and now miss each other when they are away from each other,” she said.

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The Profile Chelsea McPherson

TAMEIKA GRIST

ST. MARY’S COLLEGE MARYBOROUGH

S t Mary’s College has a rich history in Maryborough, providing exceptional education for 133 years as it was first established as the Christian Brothers School which joined the Sisters of Mercy and was renamed in 1979.

Speaking to Acting Principal Tameika Grist, I had the opportunity to learn a little about the College and what they offer to their students.

Tameika has only just started with the College, but she is looking forward to being a part of the team of educators already established.

“I am extremely excited and humbled to be leading the community of learners at St Mary’s College this year. I know they will teach me a lot,” Tameika said.

Tameika is passionate about working with the teachers and leaders at St Mary’s to create a positive environment for the students and staff, and one that promotes further growth and excellence in education.

“St Mary’s College is a faith community, with a focus on service, courage, and justice.

“Our desire is to support the development of the whole student: their head, heart, spirit and body.

“We want to help them to develop the virtues of service, courage and justice to graduate as confident, compassionate young men and women.”

“Any school that is consistently achieving high academic outcomes from its students, will have excellent teachers behind that success.”

St Mary’s prides itself on what it can offer its students moving forward.

Tameika said that students are also key in that success, their enthusiasm for having a go, and learning new things will also be a part of what drives their successful results.

The Excellence Program, for example, for Year 7-9 students acknowledges that some students need differentiation to cater for their high achievement and giftedness in the curriculum.

Likewise, St Mary’s has excellent programs to support learners needing assistance with their learning in the classroom.

The dedicated Seniors Pathway Centre offers Senior students access to information and guidance around different programs and courses. Close partnerships with a variety of Universities, TAFE and other external providers, help give access to a wide range of possible futures for the students at St Mary’s College.

St Mary’s College 2020 graduates had excellent results in the first year of ATAR in Queensland, with 47% of ATAR eligible students achieving a score of 87 and over.

When asked about the excellent results for St Mary’s College, Tameika said it was a wonderful outcome.

“Where students have a sense of belonging, fun together, great resources and skilled teachers, you have the foundations for great outcomes.”

Apart from the subject side of school life, there are plenty of extracurricular activities for students to be a part of, such as in the Arts, Sports or their Human Powered Vehicle Super Series, in which St Mary’s students excel.

If you want to experience what St Mary’s can offer your children, they will be able to experience it all in their upcoming Open Day, February 12, 2021 and Taster Day, February 24, 2021.

Call the College office and ask to speak to Leisa to find out more about Open Day and Taster Day on 4190 2200, and check their website smcm.qld.edu. au to find out more about the school and what it has to offer.

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BANDING TOGETHER FOR 70 YEARS

Sitting hand in hand, 91-year-old Ella Hawkins sings ‘Pearly Shells’ to Ron, her husband of 70 years.

In that moment, with the look of pure love on their faces, you could see that even after all that time their adoration for each other was just as powerful as the day they were married on December 23, 1950.

But that’s not to say that Ron, 93, didn’t have to work hard for Ella’s love in the beginning.

Therein lies the start of their fairy tale.

An English-born Ron had just finished four years of service with the RAF and was courting a young lady across the street from his home in Nottingham.

While Ella was from Wales, it was only by chance that the two met each other one day while visiting a mutual friend.

As soon as Ron laid eyes on Ella, the other young lady no longer stood a chance.

It was seldom that young couples would go out to a restaurant for a date back in those days, but Ron wanted to impress and invited a stunning Ella out for dinner.

When it came time to pay the bill, Ron realised he had forgotten his wallet and Ella, a secretary at the time, had to use half of that week’s wage to pay the bill.

“He invited me to dinner … that was posh in those days,” Ella said.

“He was showing off but forgot his wallet and I had just been paid so I had to pay.

“He wanted to see me again, but I wasn’t impressed.

“I wanted to see him to get my money back and that’s the reason we carried on,” she said with a laugh.

“I would never do anything like that ordinarily,” Ron said.

“It was the first time I’d ever asked a girl out to a restaurant and I’d just forgotten the money, and we didn’t have credit cards and things like nowadays.”

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What you do is just take every day as it comes and suddenly here we are 70 years later...

Wi se Wo rds

Kerrie Alexander

Ella did eventually forgive Ron and two years later, they were engaged.

Coast theme parks.

“He grew on me like a wart”, Ella said with a laugh.

The two travelled all around Australia and were offered a permanent residency on Hayman Island, which they had to decline because one of the band members didn’t want to give up his job.

The two say they have absolutely no regrets in life and are incredibly thankful to have grown up in an era where life was vastly different to today.

The hardest part of their lives, they said, was growing up in England and Wales during World War II, with sad memories of losing friends and family and many nights spent in the home’s Anderson shelter.

But after finding each other in their 20s, the fun times began.

Ordinary families had little spare money to splash out on frivolous items during that time and there was no television for entertainment, so Ron and Ella made their own fun with music, which quickly became a major part of their lives.

A very musically-minded Ella had already learnt to play the piano and when she and Ron decided to start a band, she also learnt to play the guitar which was almost unheard of at that time.

Ron was quick to add that it wasn’t just any old instrument his talented bride started on; it was an 1890 antique German-made guitar.

“She trained for four to five hours a day … she was the best woman guitar player in England,” Ron said proudly.

“She could play anything that was put in front of her.”

The band was eventually so popular that they were booked solidly every Saturday and Sunday night for weddings, special events and at pubs and clubs.

They were in so much demand that later in life they gave up their day jobs and started fulltime as professional performers.

In between times, they welcomed their first daughter Nina, who would travel with the band and could often be found sleeping in Ella’s guitar case at gigs.

In 1963, the two were looking for a change of lifestyle and it was a frozen radiator that gave them the push to move to Australia.

“We were playing a gig this night and I forgot to put antifreeze in the car and the radiator and the engine froze up,” Ron said.

They played at Expo 88 in Brisbane and performed for Prince Charles during one of his tours to Brisbane.

As well as being able to play a myriad of instruments, Ella also had an incredible voice that would see her land some exciting roles in musicals, stage shows and choirs.

One of her most famed auditions was for Jesus Christ Superstar, starring Jon English, where she went for the part of Mary Magdalen.

She won the role, but with an expectation to travel around the world – and with their second daughter Ronda now in tow – Ella decided to turn it down.

“When I heard Ella sing for the first time, I thought it was just lovely. It made me love her even more,” Ron said.

After they retired, the two settled down in Hervey Bay and are now living in Fraser Shores 2 retirement village.

When they first made the move to the region 15 years ago they slowed right down, but still immersed themselves in the local music scene.

Ron was a regular performer at Ramada Resort and entertained for four years at Café Balaena in Urangan.

Ella took on the role of conductor with the Fraser Shores Choir for 10 years. She was also the star winner of one of the Seniors Got Talent shows at the Hervey Bay RSL. The couple both wholeheartedly agree that they have lived a full and wonderful life, with their children and their music career being the biggest highlights of their 70-year marriage.

“We have no regrets. Coming to Australia was the best move we ever made,” Ron said.

“I said to Ella, there must be better places in the world to live than this.

“We have lived a full and interesting life and we’ve never been bored. We’ve done so many things that’s it’s hard to remember everything,” Ella said.

“The next day there was a piece in the paper that said come to Australia for 10 pounds each and children free.

Ella added that people often ask what their secret to a such a long and successful marriage is and this is what she tells them.

“So, for 20 pounds we came here.”

After five weeks on an Italian ship, the family of three arrived in Brisbane.

“It just goes so quickly. What you do is just take every day as it comes and suddenly here we are 70 years later,” she said.

Not knowing anyone, the two thought their musical career was over but it wasn’t long before they found their feet and started The Hawaiian Sunset Band.

“You also have to like each other, and if he doesn’t pay the bill … forgive him,” she said with a laugh.

Ron was a legend on double bass and performed in some of the best jazz bands in Brisbane.

The two were also thrilled to receive a letter of congratulations on their 70th anniversary from the Queen, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palascczuk.

He also played the tuba, with many walk around performances done at Gold

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Life is always better with a few mates around Iolder t’s easy to sit back and get lost in the stories of our generations, especially when the yarn becomes

more entertaining as the years go by. Perhaps the details are a little more embellished each time or the jokes are finely tuned to meet the gaining age of the eager grandchild on the couch.

I remember when I was still a kid, listening to my grandfather tell me about his cars, how he played club cricket, fixed his bat with pig skin and crafted his own tools.

It’s easy to forget that our senior community members are not just sources of fun stories and the biggest hugs at Christmas time. They’ve played their part and added value through decades of hard work to ensure their kin have what they need to excel, achieve more and care for their own families when they eventually fly the nest.

They’re important people in our lives and deserve to be respected and acknowledged.

That’s where Older Men Unlimited (OMU) comes in.

The group is a band of mates that meets regularly in Hervey Bay and Maryborough to ensure our region’s senior men do not suffer from the risks of isolation as they advance in age.

Com m un i ty Co nne ct i o n

Shaun Ryan

Living alone with little social interaction is a sad reality for many men, especially those whose families have moved to different parts of the country, they’ve outlived their closest friends or even lost a life partner.

Older Men Unlimited, according to manager David Hoodless, is all about supporting for older men who might otherwise be alone.

David described the group as a “support network” that allows people to get out of their homes, interact with other people and continue living life to the fullest.

He said depression, dementia and suicide are real risks for older men who find themselves isolated from the outside world.

“We want to get them out and about. They are still valued members of society and are definitely not has-beens,” David explained.

The group meets regularly for morning and afternoon teas, art classes, fishing trips and walking groups.

Outreach programs also see members visiting other older men in nursing and private homes, leading to strong friendships and positivity.

“We are always looking to attract new members. If

you want to see what we’re all about, come and have a look and if you’re interested then join up!”

David said members are also encouraged to establish smaller groups based on shared interests.

“If there are members who are interested in bowls, for example, we would say to them get out there and play a game together.”

He said doing so helps include people in the community.

“And everyone feels better with a couple mates around,” he added.

If 2021 is the year you want to make new friends, remain active and have a laugh with other likeminded people then Older Men Unlimited might be exactly what you’re looking for.

You can find more information at www.omu.org. au or by calling 4128 9011. Also, you can catch up with members face-to-face at the Pier Market every Saturday morning either selling raffle tickets or cooking sausages.

The Hervey Bay clubrooms are situated at the Seagulls Football Ground (187 Bideford St).

Maryborough clubrooms are based at the airport in Saltwater Creek Road.

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GET

Lizzi e Learns To. . .

Lizzie Macaulay

IwhoIt’s takes not difficult to see. I’m a low maintenance chick. I am not someone any delight in spending a minute longer than I absolutely have to working on my appearance before I head out the door. Mascara. Maybe eyeshadow and eyeliner. That’s it.

Makeup is a completely foreign language to me.

That’s not to say I don’t care at all about how I look when I head out the door. While I don’t need to spend 3 hours getting ready each day, I’d also rather not repeat the experience of, in the throes of life with a newborn and a toddler, being so bedraggled walking through Stockland that even the guys who bug everyone to try their beauty products took one look at me and realised I was not worth the effort.

made-up!

There’s a middle ground somewhere in between these two extremes, I’d say.

So when I saw that a new make-up studio had opened in Urangan AND that the beautiful owner, Jo Smith, offered personal make up classes, I knew this was my chance. I was finally going to graduate to ‘proper adult’ and stop using the same makeup techniques I’ve been using since I started wearing makeup as a teenager.

When I get to Session XOX, it’s hot and I’ve been rushing to make the appointment. Jo looks effortlessly chic and composed, while I feel more like a (late) sweaty disappointment – not exactly the calibre of actors, celebrities and models she’s previously worked with! But, you can’t learn if you don’t put yourself out there, so I swallow my embarrassment at being

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‘just me’, put my big girl pants on, and walked through the door.

Jo is wonderfully welcoming, and gets straight to work. I explain that I’ve spent my life mostly guessing at how to do my own makeup, and that my recent change in hair colour has completely upended what little I do know already.

She instantly knows what to do, and notices things about my face and skin that I never have – the benefits of a professional eye who looks at faces all day for a living Jo takes me through the fundamentals of what to do for a ‘work eye’, how to transform my skin into dewy perfection, and how to progress that look into something befitting an evening out. The steps seem simple enough on the surface…

Joy is with me taking snaps, and as a fellow artist she can see what Jo sees. Much talk of mastering the light and understanding colour balance (and so on) transpires between the two, and I keep up as best as I can, but make a note to go away and learn more about it when I get home!

I realise the majority of what I have at home simply isn’t the right stuff for the job. I’m not a teenager any more, so the ‘same old’ products just don’t cut it! In reality, it’s probably time to opt for an upgrade of pretty much everything in my tiny makeup kit. (Trip to the big smoke, anyone?!)

Jo talks with me about her philosophy as a hair and makeup professional. Her ethos is around emphasising each person’s existing positives, rather than burying their flaws under inches of thick make up until they’re unrecognisable. As captain of the low-maintenance cheer squad, this is right up my street.

I’m so grateful for the time I got to spend with Jo. Her calm energy. Her expertise and patience. I have some practicing to do to reinforce what I learned at Session XOX, but I’m so very glad I went!

Fancy face in 3…2…1…

With huge thanks to Jo at Session XOX for her time and amazing expertise! You can find Jo within the ‘Salt Café complex’ at 3/569 Charlton Esplanade, Urangan, or head to sessionxox.com.au for more info.

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Local Mus i ci an

Sam Maddison

1. Have you always been musical?

Most definitely - since I was young I have been around music and enjoyed singing.

5. Do you still practise regularly?

I feel like every time I play whether at home, or at a gig/event, it’s practice! And yes, I do this alot!

2. What/who are your musical influences?

I grew up listening to what my parents played, so I love older bands such as the Beatles, ABBA and the Eagles. I really get drawn to great songs, so it doesn’t matter who plays them.

I love it when a popular song is broken down and played acoustically, or with a change of progression in the chords. I’m not dedicated to one genre of music -I really do love them all.

6. Which instruments do you play?

My main instrument is guitar. I can also play ukulele, trumpet and french horn. I’m an less than average drummer which I do enjoy, but I’m terrible at! I’m a whizz at recorder

3. What/who are you listening to right now?

Currently I am loving Tenille Towns (USA), Tori Forsyth (AUS) and my son Nami his single is called ‘Whereever U Are’

8. What gig past, future or present would you like to have been to/go to?

Oh I would have loved to have been at the Live Aid Concert in 1985! Right up the front - It would have been an incredible experience.

4. Favourite line from a song?

Oh what a tricky question! There are so many and I’m not sure I can pick just one.

The first one that pops into my head would have to be from ‘Flame Tree’s ‘ by ‘Cold Chisel’ ‘Kids are driving, Saturday afternoon just passed me by; I’m just savouring familiar sights’ What a great start to a song! You immediately get an image in your head and for me, just memories of great times.

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7. Are there any others you’d like to learn?

Definitely would love to learn piano!

9. If you could play any gig or venue, where would you play?

I would love to play at the Golden Guitars in Tamworth one day. I think that would be right up the top of my bucketlist.

Make someday today.

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15

Lo cal Arti s t

Chelsea McPherson

Emma Thorp A desire to escape city life and embrace coastal living is what led artist Emma Thorp to move to Queensland from Victoria eight years ago.

The Hervey Bay resident has been an artist for as long as she can remember and spent many years studying to earn a degree in Fine Arts from Latrobe University in Bendigo.

She focuses primarily on coloured pencil works and digital art, including short animations.

When I asked her what she loves about her work, Emma told me that her work was autobiographical, and that it gave her a way to tell her story and express herself.

She became focused on digging into her artistic practice after her second child, born prematurely and later diagnosed with Autism and ADHD, began school.

Emma said she found an element of control in her artwork that she admitted she didn’t quite have in her own life.

Her 2019 exhibition Early focused on her journey with her son.

Through this exhibition she became a voice and advocate for carers and special needs parents in the community.

“That’s a theme that runs through a lot of my work: inclusion and community,” Emma said.

Emma is thrilled that Early will be touring several regional galleries in Queensland this year and hopes that it will provide support and understanding for special needs children.

Daily life is what inspires Emma, and she tries to illustrate everything that happens, not just the positive aspects of life.

On the rare occasion that she’s not working on her art, Emma cares for her children, gardens, and walks her beloved dog.

You can view information about her exhibitions, and some of her digital work, on her website emmathorpartist.wixsite.com, Instagram @emmathorpart and @Emma Thorp Artist on Facebook.

Her next installation is a digital animation project called “Invested” that will be exhibited at the Bundaberg Regional Gallery from March 30, 2021.

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Hea lt h H u nte r

Rhian Hunter

SERVES 2 INGREDIENTS: FOR THE PORRIDGE MIXTURE ¼ Cup of Chia Seeds 2 Cups of Cocoquench ½ Cup Quinoa Flakes 2 TBLS of Orange Juice 2 TBLS of Rice Malt Syrup 2 TBLS of Rose Water TO SERVE: ¾ Cup of Pomegranate Seeds 1 Fig (quartered) Zest of ½ an Orange Small Handful of Fresh Blueberries Rose Petals 1 TBLS Roasted Walnuts (chopped or crumbled) Drizzle of Rice Malt Syrup Mint Leaves (torn) METHOD: Combine chia seeds with 1 Cup of cocoquench, and place in the fridge to set for 30 minutes.

Remove chia seed mixture from the fridge, and add all other bowl mixture ingredients, mix until well combined.

Divide porridge mixture into bowls or Tupperware containers, and top with the serving ingredients.

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#fashionbreakdown

Fa s h i on B reakdown

Make-Me-Over

M eet Helen. A beautiful lady living and working here on the Fraser Coast. Helen came into Katies at Stockland Shopping Centre Hervey Bay wearing a blue palette patterned kaftan and was ready to try two different looks.

A few tips to identify when you’re ready to re-evaluate your personal style.

• You’re frustrated with how your clothes make you feel • You’re confused on what actually suits you, or maybe a little curious • You’re willing to communicate openly, ask for help and learn more • You’re ready to confess your default decisions – your go to’s • You’re open to trying something new • You’re committed to do what it takes for positive change A few tricks to experiment with at home.

• L ift up the different colours/patterns you have in your wardrobe to your face/skin in the mirror. Take note of the colours that really make you pop, look pale, dull, warm or cool – you’ll be surprised

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• O rganise your wardrobe into colour sections (you’ll discover what you’re drawn to the most and investing in the same coat hangers make a killer difference #justsaying • E xperiment with your wardrobe and challenge yourself on how many multiple outfits you can make from the one blazer or top or pants or shoes Building your wardrobe from a palette that compliments your skin tone, hair colour and eyes can make a massive difference; remembering that versatility with each piece multiplies the value of your wardrobe overall – win, win right!

Besides trying new colour/pattern combinations with Helen, we spoke a lot about our centre body line. EVERYBODY has one no matter what body shape you have and choosing pieces, accessories, even your hair style can either elongate your body/personal style and look or work against you without you realising.

You can discover more on my socials: Instagram @sotiksahna and keep watch next month to learn more tips and tricks on perfecting your personal style x

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21

Self-Love

Telaine Feeney

Steps to

Self-love

W e are raised believing love looks a certain way. It involves someone else seeing the value in us. It is what we are ‘aiming’ for. Finding someone else to share it all with. It involves an ‘intimate’ partner, romance with another, being desired. But in this new era of questioning the status quo, I discovered that we could change it up, we define what love looks like for us.

Learning to embrace this new framework of how love looks came from hard times.

All good lessons do, right?

The shift in my thinking wasn’t a matter of becoming cynical, or, as some people envision, the concept ‘bitter and lonely. It was a realisation that I already have everything I envisioned love to be. By giving myself the same amount of time and interest as I would at the start of new love relationship, I would be ready for the day a partnered love might come about.

Think about it. We start dating wanting to discover a person’s ‘core’. Their beliefs, their passions, how they think, act, and feel. We are invested in knowing that to decide if we want in on that action. Now imagine having that curiosity with yourself.

This is how I describe my journey to self-love.

For many, self-love conjures a picture of woo-woo self-affirmations watching the sun set, internal peace and ‘no bad vibes’.

As beautiful as that might be, it’s not the truth behind learning to love yourself. Just like we hear in romantic partnerships, love takes effort. It can be brutal. But also just like in romantic partnerships, the journey is rewarding.

You learn compassion, sensitivity, self-knowledge, and perspective. You discover what truly matters to you.

Now I have told you what self-love is not, let me share some steps you can take to your own prospective of what love looks like…

• T ake yourself out for a meal. Dress up, book it in, pack a journal. It sounds so simple. But the first time I did this was terrifying. It was confronting to sit with myself. And this is where the journal played a part. I wrote down things I would have ‘wanted’ to hear or know if I was dating someone else.

Why did I feel good in the outfit I was wearing? Why did I choose that restaurant? What was I enjoying about the food? Was I going to get coffee when I left?

• E njoy your family and friends. Truly invest in those relationships and let yourself realise what you love about them and how they make you feel.

Let them be your sounding board as you discover that you are not perfect, or immune to insecurities and doubts. Be supportive of them as they share.

Let your compassion grow.

• B e curious when you have a feeling. I heard ‘you will find someone who loves you for you one day’ when experiencing another ‘failed’ partnership.

It felt uncomfortable. It tasted bitter in the back of my throat. It turns out it was my true feelings. I was uncomfortable with the aspect of my value being based on ‘someone loving me’. I did not want that. I wanted to be happy and loving MYSELF. • L earn to enjoy yourself. Reconnect with people who make you laugh, let yourself be childish, do something that you get joy from. Give yourself the experiences you fantasised a ‘romantic’ date would involve.

So now you know how you get on with the first gentle steps into creating an authentic, loving connection with yourself. It’s harder than it sounds, but seriously, so good when you get there!

If you’ve been inspired, leave a message with the Alive Mag team at editor@ alivemag.com.au and they’ll send it on to me!

Yours in peace and love, Telaine x

PROFESSIONAL BELLYDANCER

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S k i n Care and B eau ty

LOVE

Tammy Wakely

Ishow n my industry I see the lengths people go to for love. To attract love, to love, and to prepare for the start of a life together in marriage.

While we work hard to give our clients the look they are wanting to achieve for their big ‘love’ events, there are characteristics I observe in a person who is truly in love with themselves and those around them. These are the characteristics, in my opinion, that make a person beautiful.

A Sense of Happiness Being around a happy person who wants nothing more than to make others happy too is always a joy. This joy, in any type of a relationship, from friendship to romance, keeps us coming back to that person and enjoying their company.

Happy to Make Sacrifices To have love also means often making sacrifices to maintain it. That can be hard to manage at times, but when you truly love your friend, family or partner, seeing the big picture when making a sacrifice is important. Those happy to make sacrifices for their relationships demonstrate to those around them how important their relationship is to them.

A Sense of Care Having a sense of care for oneself is essential if we are to offer our best to those around us. Those who balance a busy lifestyle, with family and friends, and always take time out to care for themselves mentally and physically radiate an inner glow. It is a characteristic of someone who not only understands themselves well, but also loves those around them so much that this effort is important to them.

Reciprocated Love A person who is happy cares from themselves and is willing and content to make sacrifices in love often enjoys a reciprocated love. Their needs are being met innately and therefore live their best life.

Love, it isn’t easy to find, and often we stumble along the way, but the beauty found within a true love certainly can make us shine.

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Edi to ri al

Carmel Thomson The Opulence AU

Do I really need a

wedding planner?

W edding planners are your ticket to a dreamy, stress-free wedding. Beyond making sure that you are organised and relaxed for your wedding, the right coordinator can even save you money.

If you fall into the following categories, you might consider enlisting the help of a wedding planner: • You lead a busy lifestyle • The idea of organising your wedding day stresses you out • You would love some help planning, visualising or budgeting for your day • You live away from your wedding location • You have postponed, are eloping or have a long guest list, or • You love the idea of a stress-free wedding If you’re a talented DIY Bride or Groom, ask your planner if they’ll offer on the day set up for your beautiful styling. If you want the full package, your planner can take care of everything, they can style your aesthetic, book and coordinate your vendors, hit play on your aisle song and everything in-between. They really are your fairy godmothers and your bridezillas all in one.

With most planners offering a free first consult, why not reach out and see what they can do for you? @theopulenceau www.theopulence.com.au

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Ed i to ri al

Lauretta Wright Authorised Marriage Celebrant

1-2-3 and you’re

married!

Lauretta Wright, Civil Celebrant 0438 199 984 www.wrightcelebrations.com.au

Photo by Lisa Maree Cater Photography

N ot into something old, new, borrowed or blue, or the sixpence in your shoe? Nor are you a fan of breaking glass or ringing bells at a wedding? If in answer, you aren’t sure, it might be time to bust some myths, reconsider some alternative ideas, and get back to the basics.

Getting married in Australia can be as easy as 1-2-3 with a month of time.

1.

Complete the Notice of Intended Marriage and lodge with your authorised marriage celebrant of choice!

2.

Must have the following wording in the marriage ceremony: For your marriage to be valid, both the Monitum and the Legal Vows MUST be spoken at your ceremony. The celebrant must say at least the following words: Monitum: “I am duly authorised by law to solemnize marriages according to law.

“Before you are joined in marriage in my presence and in the presence of these witnesses, I am to remind you of the solemn and binding nature of the relationship into which you are now about to enter.

“Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.”

The parties to be wed must say: Legal Vows: “I call upon the persons here present to witness that I, A.B. (or C.D.), take thee, C.D. (or A.B.), to be my lawful wedded wife (or husband or spouse)”.

The words above constitute the shortest ceremony that can be done for you!

3.

Five people sign three forms for fifteen signatures.

The couple, two witnesses and the celebrant sign the declaration of no legal impediment to marriage, official certificate of marriage and a commemorative Certificate of Marriage.

And, oh yeah! One must do at the ceremony: celebrate!

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WEDDING-PLANNING CHECKLIST

Step 1

Wedding Planner - If it’s in your budget, hiring a wedding planner can’t certainly take the stress out of planning such a big life event. In addition to helping couples’ budget, the most important perk of a planner is having someone who’ll fight for your wedding vision from start to finish.

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Step 2

Reception - You will need to find the perfect venue to make your BIG day magical. We’re lucky here on the Fraser Coast that there’s plenty of well-appointed venues to choose from. Compare wedding packages to align with your budget and the type of wedding day experience you are trying to achieve.

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Step 3

Celebrant - When it comes to personalising your wedding ceremony, your celebrant is there to help. They’ve done this many times before and will help you with anything you need, whether it’s something common or something outside the box.

Lauretta Wright Authorised Marriage Celebrant Wright Celebrations is Wright Where Love Is for all of life’s rituals and rites: namings, marriage, vows renewal, and celebration of life ceremonies.

0438 199 984 lauretta@wrightcelebrations.com.au www.wrightcelebrations.com.au

Step 4

Photographer - There’s so much build up to a wedding day and, once it’s all over, your photographs or video will be the one thing that will last a lifetime. A wedding is one of the most important and special days in every married couple’s lives, and photos are the perfect way to capture those treasured moments. It’s also a good idea to have a wedding ceremony photo checklist ready for the day.

W W W. S A R A H C A M P B E L L P H O T O G R P A H Y. C O M . A U

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sarahcampbellphotographyau . 0401 654 251 . info@sarahcampbellphotography.com.au . Newborn / Maternity / Family / Wedding

You have been waiting all this time for the question to be popped, then suddenly the ring is on your finger … then what?

Firstly, you need to make the decision to go it alone or to hire a wedding planner. It’s best to start by setting a budget, make your guest list and decide on a theme (this will come in handy when it comes to the invitations).

Step 5

Accommodation - Once you have pulled off the wedding you have always dreamed of, you will no doubt be looking for a place to relax, recharge and reset before you set off on a honeymoon or return to the real world. You might even like somewhere for the bride and bridal party to stay the night before the big day.

Phone 0438 796 625 @bay_dream_luxury_villa Email: info@baydreamluxuryvilla.com https://abnb.me/issDemQJidb House / Venue / Accommodation https://abnb.me/YXCctMMtidb

Step 6

Jeweller - Once you have a basic idea of what kind of ring you’d like, it’s time for the fun part: trying them on! Give yourselves at least two to three months before the wedding date to ring shop. You’ll need this time to browse, research prices and revisit rings that catch your eye.

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Step 7

The Cake - Choosing the perfect cake is certainly no cake walk (hehe). It’s the pièce de résistance of the big day. A detail so significant that it has its very own moment at the reception. So how do you choose one that’s perfect for you? Do some searching on Google, find a photo of a cake you love and take it to your local baker and see what they can do.

Kelly: 0407 435 971 onesweetcake@hotmail.com www.facebook.com/OneSweetCakeHerveyBay Food Safety Supervisions Certificate No: 503873

Step 8

Flowers - You want flowers that complement your theme, wedding dress and the outfits for your bridal party. Remember, flowers aren’t just limited to your bouquet and table decorations. Flowers can be used as boutonnieres, corsages, flower girl baskets, floral hair pieces, and posies to bring out your personality on your special day.

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Eco L i vi ng

Ingrid Gorissen

Welcome to Eco Living.

I am Ingrid - interior designer at Vivere Homes. I’m excited to join the ALIVE team as a new columnist. My focus is on YOU and your living spaces.

You can always reach out to me with questions about a home build or reno, or the interior design of your home.

A HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS! It is underestimated what the effect of a well-designed home can have on its occupants.

Now more than ever, a home base needs to be a retreat that wraps you up and makes you feel great again. In fact, everything from your lighting, airflow, to the colour of your paint can affect your sleep habits, energy levels and overall health.

To feel really at ease in your home, it is important that a home reflects who you are with your ideas, hobbies, lifestyle and the way you like to live. It should be unique to you and your family and will then ooze uniqueness.

If I think about a home, I like to feel:

A Home

I was lucky, coming from a most loving family in the Netherlands, migrating to Australia in 2000 with our family of 7. I always had a love for interior design but moving to a new country, the importance of transforming a house into a home was even more significant.

Not only creating a new connected home for our family, but also creating an interior reflecting an emotional contact with the loved ones we left behind. Memories that make you happy and that tell the story about you are worth sharing or putting on display.

I love(d) creating a welcoming atmosphere for new Australian friends as well. While our cultures are different, when people feel welcome, a first step is made to connecting with new friends.

Home building and interior design for me is getting to know people and creating a space that is quintessentially them.

I am looking forward to interacting with you and telling you more about my vision for a happier and healthier home living.

Homes with LOVE X Ingrid

• a well thought through colour scheme reflecting happiness, harmony, peace • a nice comfortable temperature, preferably achieved with cross ventilation, natural heating/cooling and insulation.

• memories, a collection of personal items without cluttering • nature, lots of natural greens • personality • natural light because of its healing power to the mind, body, and soul • clean as it improves the air quality and uplifts the mood • a layout that fits your and your families needs • a warm welcoming atmosphere • comfort; don’t fight over a couch, just add another one!

• serene bedrooms to rest and rejuvenate The theme of this month ALIVE magazine is LOVE. Love is in people and love is in the homes they live in.

Love is in our environment and…

The way we care for it!

BUILDING, RENOVATING AND DESIGNING QUALITY HOMES TO CO-EXIST WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.

PHONE: 0417 067 592 EMAIL: INGRID@VIVEREHOMES.COM.AU VIVEREHOMES.COM.AU

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IS WHERE THE HEART IS

29

PRESENTS

2021 BUSINESS TENNIS CHALLENGE

FRIDAY 12TH MARCH 4:30PM-8PM Join us for a fun filled afternoon of social tennis raising money for a worthy cause!

Dust off your retro tennis outfits and fancy dress costumes and take part in a great charity event for all levels of abilities. Battle it out for the title of the Fraser Coast’s Corporate Tennis Challenge Champions!

• Round robin doubles format • Social and competitive divisions • Racquets available to borrow if you don’t have one • FREE sausage sizzle included • Trophies for winners and runners-up!

COST $160 entry per business (up to 4 players) WHERE Hervey Bay & District Tennis Association (79 Colyton Street, Torquay) TEAM ENTRY Luke & Leah Harvey 0439 723 832 or email acetennis@bigpond.com

frasercoastmates.com.au 30

Best dressed team prize!

passionate

Being about business!

Iyourelate love to passion. The old saying goes, “If love what you do you’ll never work a day in

your life.” Most people want to work in a field they’re passionate about or start a business that they’re passionate about.

Starting a business can sometimes be a daunting task but I find if you love what you’re doing and passionate about the cause, the excitement gets you through it.

I think this is a relevant subject as I see more and more young people starting their own full time or part time businesses but many don’t know where to start.

As usual my advice is to gather your ‘team!’

These guys are the ones that will guide you through from the get go. Your broker, accountant, financial planner and solicitor. These people are the guideposts you want on your team to liaise with each other and make sure your business plan

Sm a r t Mo ney

Kodie Axelsen

will come to fruition as smoothly as possible.

requiring funds are achievable.

When businesses have these people working together for them, they achieve magnificent things. Your accountant can help structure your business correctly. They will make sure this is done right from the start as changing your business structure can affect things down the track.

Your financial planner can help make sure you are covered with any life insurances required for the extra risk you are about to take on.

They can also help with your cash flow forecast and business plan to make sure your proposed business is feasible. Your solicitor can help you if buying a business or if signing a commercial lease etc. They can make sure your decisions now will protect your business and its future.

Your broker can liaise with your accountant and make sure you can do what you are proposing to do if requiring finance. They will help plan the financing if buying or starting a business as they know the lending requirements. They can also make sure your future plans for growth if

If you are thinking about starting your own business there are more than enough local professionals to help guide you through the process and we are one of them.

If we are talking love and passion there is nothing more that lights us up than helping young locals start rolling with their passion into a new business venture.

Remember you can start small as a side hustle and build it up to replace your income. It’s just getting started that is the big step, and we are here to guide you!

Now go forth and conquer young friends! The world is your oyster!

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32

STUDE IN NAME, STURDY BY NATURE

R i de

Kerrie Alexander

Itraditional T’S love month here at Alive and while our story telling is about passion and romance between people, this love story is a little different.

It’s about the adoration between a man, his car and a long family history associated with motor vehicles.

To start the story, you must know that Terry Bowen and lovely wife Lesley have been married for 35 years, and worked side by side for more than 20 of those years.

Lesley loves her arts and crafts, and Terry loves his cars. The strong partnership they have allows them to pursue their passions with equal support.

If Terry is missing from the house, Lesley knows that she will find him in the shed, tinkering with their stunning 1963 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk, which was bought from a deceased estate in Brisbane about four years ago.

Terry’s love of the Studebaker is where his passion for cars first started and was recently rekindled.

The Bowen family owned a car yard in Sydney where Terry worked, but it wasn’t the type of lot that was filled with just average cars.

“The Studebaker was the kind of cars we sold,” Terry said.

“We would sell anything that was different. If it was just an ordinary Holden or Ford, we didn’t bother but if all the car dealers got in anything like this, they would bring it over and we’d sell it.

“All these classic cars that the hot rod guys have got these days, those were the cars that we dealt with.”

His stepfather was also a mad-keen speed car driver and passed on his wealth of knowledge to Terry.

While all the other primary school kids were playing at the park, Terry was helping his stepfather race speedway cars and hot rods on dirt tracks.

“Because we were involved in speed cars and things like that my stepfather taught me how to drive fast and how to drive properly.

“I used to practice in a paddock on dirt, and it was good fun.”

Terry’s first car was a 1949 Holden that he bought for 50 pounds, pulled apart and completely rebuilt before selling it and buying a myriad of other classic cars over the years.

He’s no stranger to rebuilding cars, having also worked a long side a good mate in a panel shop

cars we used to have.

“They are a real solid car, you can’t break them, and I know how reliable they are, so I thought, yep, I’ll get that.”

Terry is partial to a good sounding V8 and has spent a bit of time getting this one revving to perfection.

As well as the gorgeous moonlight silver colour, the Studebaker has a three-speed transmission, airconditioning and disc front brakes.

The car is totally original, except for new seat belts.

From 1962 through to 1964 Studebaker produced this model, also known as the GT Hawk.

It was an iteration of the Hawk series which had

converting Mustang’s to right-hand drive and whatever other repairs were needed.

begun with the Golden Hawk in 1956.

In his 20s, cars went by the wayside while he focused on his career.

The styling was performed by Brooks Stevens using the prior Hawk cars as a starting point.

He met Lesley later in life and the two worked side by side looking after displays for Plantation Homes.

The bonnet was retained while the radiator and grille borrowed inspiration from Mercedes-Benz.

“One of the displays had 14 houses in it and we’d look after those.

This model was well-loved by its previous owners, with only a few “fiddly” issues that Terry had at first, including overheating.

“We did that for 10 years and had a good time, travelled overseas and did a lot of things.

“With doing all that I couldn’t play with cars.”

After retiring and moving to Hervey Bay, Terry was keen to get behind the wheel once again of a classic.

He had been searching for a Studebaker for about 18 months when this immaculate rare find was listed for sale.

“Rather than buy a car to fully rebuild I decided to try and buy something that I could get in and drive while I played with it,” he said.

“I love the Studebaker because it reminds me of the

With a good clean, some new carpet and the overheating issue resolved, she is now a great ride that’s enjoyed by the whole family.

Terry and Lesley are members of the Australian Street Rod Federation and the Conrodders Hot Rod and Customs Hervey Bay, and often take the Studebaker out for club campouts and events.

The Conrodders meet next to the All-Abilities Park on Seafront Oval at 10am for a coffee and cruise on the last Saturday of every month.

Come along and have a chat to Terry and Lesley.

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Alcohol Reset Coach

Annabel Stewart

Love, Actually

W e’re obsessed with love. Romantic love, brotherly love, puppy love, unrequited love, crazy stupid love … and self-love. Self-love is a tricky one. Some people see it as vanity or self-absorption, others trivialise it as bubble baths and pedicures. What if it’s neither? What if it’s about accepting yourself, just as you are?

It’s so hard for many of us to accept that we might be ok, even if we’re not perfect. Perfectionism is rife, especially in today’s social-media-showreel world, but it can be argued that perfectionism is self-abuse.

It can be a pathway to anxiety, depression, procrastination, and low selfesteem.

Self-love, on the other hand, is about showing yourself some compassion, flaws and all.

We’re often not shown how to do that as we grow up, and as adults we frequently struggle with our harsh inner critic.

Many of the women I work with who are Grey Area Drinkers find it very hard to be kind to themselves.

Quite often they’re high achievers in many areas of their lives: they do well at work, they’re reliable and responsible, they support those around them as carers, nurturers, lovers … but they beat themselves up for never quite meeting the high standards they set themselves.

Alcohol Reset Coach www.annabelstewart.com.au

34

If you find yourself constantly falling short of your own ideals, and numbing your feelings with drinking, try a different approach.

• L ook at your life as a whole and acknowledge that different areas are all important: being a good friend, raising decent human beings and helping your community are just as important (if not more so) than getting kudos at work or looking like a super model.

• I f you find yourself using harsh words to yourself, be curious about where that’s coming from. Imagine how you’d talk to a friend in that situation and the words you’d use to them.

• P ractice being bad at stuff! Creative endeavours are great for this, sketching, painting, gardening … allow yourself to just play. Have a look for “wreck this journal” journals. They are freaky but good!

• G ive yourself permission to just show up as yourself, doing the best you can. Whatever that looks like. Realise that that will vary from day to day too. Some days you’ll smash it and amaze yourself and the world around you with your badassery. Some days you’ll just want to stay in bed and binge-watch Netflix. Both are fine, seriously.

Self-acceptance is the road to self-love, and with self-love you hold the keys to the universe.

How can you show some love for your perfectly imperfect self?

A DEVOTION TO HOSPITALITY

All a b ou t fo o d

Scott Thompson and Jason England

W ith February being the celebrated month of romance and Valentine’s Day just around the corner, my mind is drawn to the ‘concept of love’ for our chosen

To answer the question posed by our customer, I would honestly say there is a genuine love for what we do and how we do it.

During a recent discussion with a customer about Odyssey’s progress since opening, the realisation that we have been operating for three months was suddenly a reality.

The food we create is carefully considered and served with the same level of passion we share with each of our suppliers.

profession.

Our customer finished with a final question “Are you enjoying it?”.

This led me to reflect on our industry and why we do what we do.

We love working with our farmers and hearing their stories about what they value and love about their produce.

From a service perspective one of the most exciting things about our job is being the one who bring the whole experience together.

Something that is personal to myself and many of my colleagues in the hospitality industry is the reason behind the career choice.

We dedicate a big part of our time before service to understanding the food, tasting new wines, and ensuring the bistro is ready for our customers to walk through the door.

For some, hospitality is a job they stumbled into and for others, like the team at Odyssey, hospitality was a choice.

Ultimately, the icing on the cake is hearing diners’ feedback at the conclusion of their dining.

For each of us, something about this industry drew us in and inspired us to dedicate time and focus to our chosen passion.

We are always humbled by the gratitude expressed by our customers and to us this is the most rewarding part of our job.

Odysseybistro

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D e s t i n at i o ns

Brooke Wilson

Coast hinterland Iloved t’s that time of year again where you have the perfect excuse to spoil your ones, your significant other, your friends, or even yourself!

Home to Australia’s largest zipline attraction and high ropes course, this one is not for the fainthearted.

Treat yourself to a weekend away in the Gold Coast hinterland, where the lush mountain ranges play host to a dizzying array of activities.

Criss-crossing over the Cedar Creek Gorge, the course spans nine acres of adventure packed property, with the ziplines reaching speeds up to a whopping 70kms an hour!

The first stop on any hinterland journey must be the Mount Tamborine Coffee Plantation.

A trip to the hinterland isn’t complete without some time spend at Mt Tamborine’s Gallery Walk.

Coffee lovers rejoice, this property boasts organically grown and produced coffee beans to provide you with a fantastic cup of coffee. Stay a little while and enjoy your cup with a delectable brunch from their extensive menu.

The famous strip boasts over 70 specialty stores in one block, ranging from food to clothes to quirky handmade arts and crafts to galleries, and just about everything in between.

Blueberry pancakes anyone? Hardcore enthusiasts can even take a tour of the plantation, learning of their ‘crop to cup’ process through a hands-on experience.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a romantic weekend getaway without a visit to one of the many breweries or wineries the region proudly boasts.

The next stop on your weekend getaway should be the Mount Tamborine Rainforest Skywalk.

A stunning way to see the rainforest, the walk consists of 1.5kms of trails, combining the forest floor trails with sweeping bridges snaking their way through the forest canopy.

The showstopper of this walk is the 40-metre cantilever bridge, rising a stunning 30 metres above the ground, giving you spectacular views of the rainforest and creek below.

For those searching for a more adrenaline inducing way to experience the rainforest, head over to the Tree Top Challenge, just north of the Mt Tamborine township.

Choose from Fortitude Brewing Co. for the beer drinkers, Tamborine Mountain Distillery for liqueurs, vodka and schnapps, Cedar Creek Winery for wine – with the bonus of their own glow worm caves.

If you can’t choose, all three offers tours and tastings, so try them all out!

An absolute highlight though, is O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyard, a twenty-minute drive south of Mt Tamborine.

Here, not only do they offer wine tasting from their vineyard, but also a full lunch menu, picnic baskets, and is home to a host of friendly alpacas!

You can choose to feed these friendly guys, and even take them for a walk through the grounds. Food, wine, and alpacas – what’s not to love?

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Welcome to 2020/2021 – the year of Fun and Reflection…

From Kristen, Ruby & Stiletto of WORLD BAZAAR 2020 Was a year of drought, transformed into a year of doubt.

It turned into a great big fire.

We lost a lot and suffered, and the world looked at the Pyre They gave support, forgot the lot, then moved onto the next event.

An illness came, to claim the lame and weaker of the stack, Who made this? Was the call from the leaders of the pack, “What will we do?” said the men who knew, as they ran around holding their tails.

Let’s shut down the world with our sage advice…

Ask all to run round like frightened mice.

So we stopped on our crosses and followed the bosses, into the new routine, We bought our sanitiser, we bought out paper and made sure our hands were always clean, So 2020 was done in a flash…. Australia stepped up, We followed the rules and accepted advice, it was all done in a dash!

Then we welcomed the New Year of 2021, with a smile and a cheeky grin, It was looking pretty good, to welcome the New Year in.

People celebrated and we watched the cricket… said, where can I buy my virtual ticket?

It was really important to choose a side, buy some chicken and watch them take a wicket.

The story I’ve told is still to unfold, Our country is grand and we share our hand.

Our first nation remains the oldest on this land, Respect and love directly from my hand.

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RELATIONSHIP GOALS FOR GOOD HEALTH Getting up early for a run but your partner wants to sleep in?

Going to the gym after work but your partner just stays on the couch?

Cooking a healthy dinner while your partner orders take away? That’s ok, it’s your goal, you’re the one who wants a healthier body but do you really want to be in your fitness journey alone?

In a study published by the Australian government’s Institute of Family Studies, researchers noted that the longest married couples valued their shared experiences and memories as one of the most important factors in their relationship.

We understand sometimes we have different interests and goals or lack thereof.

A suggestion is to ask your partner to join in at SOME level. For example, get them to ride the bike while you run beside them on the way to the coffee shop. It can also be as simple as a sunset walk on the beach.

Adding any type of physical activity as a shared experience will help a relationship.

Exercise will enable your body to produce more feel-good hormones like endorphins (bodies natural opioids) and Endoconnabiniods (improves mood). Exercising together will make you feel happier and maybe even closer.

Still can’t convince your partner to work out with you? Odds are they will

Fi tne ss

Josh Hoodless

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

still eat with you.

It’s not about someone changing their whole diet and missing out on what they want to eat, it’s about loving each other in support of their goals.

Having a healthy lifestyle starts in the kitchen. Planning out meals is a way for you to work together.

Watching your partner eat pizza and drink beer while you chow down on a nice salad is not supportive. In a previous article, we mentioned about ensuring your environment was “temptation free” in order to have a higher chance of success.

Preparing meals together is another shared experience that can help both parties in a relationship get healthier while spending time together.

Like anything else in a relationship, you and your significant other will have different preferences when it comes to fitness.

But don’t let those differences keep you from playing active roles in each others journey. Stay supportive and respectful. Establishing boundaries when it comes to encouraging each other to go OFF track.

Suggesting a calorie or alcohol binge together is just plain sabotage. Help each other to stay on track instead.

At the end of the day, a loving partner should support your healthy fitness quest. They don’t need to be on the journey with you but if you really want to succeed, they should be supporting and cheering you along.

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WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY & MUSIC FILM Love is a powerful thing, it gives me goosebumps.

My heart is over-joyed to be able to create breathtaking keepsakes for you. It is a passion that lies deep within my soul that allows me to give you something special to adore. A moment in time, that is created through the beauty I see in you. It gives me such pleasure to sit with my clients and show them what my eyes saw through the lens and watch their faces light up when they too see, what I saw.

JOY BUTLER

AN BUTLER

PHOTOGRAPHER

CINEMATOGRAPHER

WEDDING . FAMILY . PORTRAIT . FORMAL . COMMERCIAL WWW.JOYBUTLER.COM.AU 40

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EMAIL: INFO@JOYBUTLER.COM.AU

Pomme d’amour or

‘Love Apple’

P omme d’amour or ‘Love Apple’ is what the French call a Tomato. The French believed

that indulging in this luscious red ‘fruit’ (or is it ‘vegetable’??... more on that later) would make whoever was eating the pomme d’amour, excuse the pun ‘ripe’ for love, acting as an aphrodisiac.

Tomatoes were ordered on romantic dates by the French, as oysters are here.

Who knew that the humble, seemingly boring tomato had such a romantic history!

A short explanation of why tomatoes are both a fruit and a vegetable.

The botanical classification for a fruit, is that it has at least one seed and grows from the flower of the plant, this would make a tomato a fruit. A botanist would classify vegetables as having edible parts e.g.: leaves stems and roots, you can’t eat any of these on a tomato.

A chef or you or I would classify the tomato as a vegetable based on how it tastes and what it’s used for. Tomatoes are generally not used in desserts, but in savoury dishes thus to us it is called a vegetable.

Growing Love Apple’s in SE Queensland Tomatoes in SE Queensland can be grown all year round, though will need some wind and sun protection in the middle of summer.

Tomatoes like a well-prepared soil, so give them plenty of rotted animal manure. Sheep manure is especially good as it contains phosphorus and potassium. A soil pH between 6.5 and 7.2 is needed. If you haven’t got one already, you can pick up a soil tester at any good garden supply store. Add lime if your pH is too high!

After digging the hole I like to add a handful of blood and bone and a dusting of gypsum to help combat fungal problems like blossom end rot.

Over the years I have heard of all sorts of things to put in your prepared tomato hole from a whole broken egg, or a piece of raw liver and Epsom salts to name a few. Give them a go! It can’t hurt!

I have tried two of these, but I’m never sure if it’s the new additions or my usual preparation that makes for good tomatoes. Put in stakes to support your tomato before planting. Indeterminate tomatoes like Heirlooms, will need tall strong supports. Determinates like your Roma tomatoes don’t grow tall but will still need support.

When placing your tomato seedling/plant in the hole make sure you plant it as deep as it will go as the fine hairs on the stem will send out more roots making for a strong, well supported plant.

Remove a few of the lower older leaves if you need to, back fill gently but firmly around the plant, then water in well to eliminate air pockets around the roots. Support the plant with tomato rings or

M y G arde n G ate

Krisy Goodwin

ties as it grows.

Fertilise your tomatoes weekly with an organic liquid fertilizer and water regularly, not letting the ground dry out or be too wet. Don’t wet the leaves and keep the lower leaves pruned so as not to touch the ground, as this will quickly cause fungal disease. If you don’t want to share with the birds and insects at this time of year net your plants giving lots of room for plant growth.

Companion plants for Tomatoes: Basil, parsley, borage, chives, marigolds, garlic, squash, alyssum, onions, beans & mint.

Contact me for any garden questions you may have at: mygardengateinfo@yahoo.com

Companion plants for Tomatoes: 1. Basil

7. Squash

2. Parsley

8. Alyssum

3. Borage

9. Onions

4. Chives

10. Beans

5. Marigolds

11. Mint

6. Garlic

I love you from my head tomatoes.” unknown

www.facebook.com/relaxonriver

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Parenti ng

Amanda Coop

Mum’s love

“Mum?” came the tentative yet hopeful voice beside me.

I opened my eyes and turned to see Miss 9 standing by, doll in hand.

“Since you’re not doing anything, could you play with me?”

Hmm, tactful.

“I am doing something,” I told her, despite the clear and obvious fact I was lying on the couch and had had my eyes closed just a moment before.

I offer to let him share in the joys of adulthood and help me do chores. He does enjoy a spot of vacuuming and likes to help cook dinner. But it’s quite clear he’d rather be stabbing fake villains with his toy Minecraft sword.

“I’m cooling down for a minute while I let the bathroom cleaner sit.”

I try to indulge the kids by playing with them, even when the house looks like a bomb has gone off in it (so that’s most of the time).

It was one of those days where just the effort of raising my eyelids was enough to break a sweat and I was, indeed, taking a breather under the fan between scrubs.

Every time I look at them, they are more grown up. As I write this Mr 5 is about to start school, and everyone who sees them is commenting how tall they’ve got since last time.

It wasn’t long before Mr 5 wandered over to harass me, err, I mean, ask if I could play with him.

“Adulthood must be SO boring,” Miss 9 says with a sigh as she and her brother decide to do something together.

“(Miss 9) just asked if I’d play with her,” I told him. “Can’t you just play together?”

Not five minutes later, I’m back at the cleaning, and I hear them arguing.

That is, after all, the point of siblings, isn’t it? Well, one of the points, anyway.

My kids have been doing a lot of “negotiating” lately.

“I’m a 40-year-old woman,” I told them. “My playing days are over.”

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Now, this is not actually true. I play with the kids often, admittedly under duress at times, especially when it comes to Mr 5 because if I don’t, he simply follows me around whining until I give in and do it.

That’s the other point of siblings, isn’t it? Honing your negotiation skills.

From t he she d

David Everett

LOVE AND SENSIBILITY AREN’T NECESSARILY EXCLUSIVE Ltalking ove or crushes can sometimes make us do some strange things. I’m not about putting up with bad behaviour from the other person which could

cause harm or be dangerous. That’s a whole other story which I’ll mention at the end. I’m talking about those cringe-worthy ‘Oh my god I can’t believe I did that’ or ‘Really? You thought that would win me over?’ types of activities.

We all have them or know of someone who has a story to tell. Love of course does make you do entirely wonderful or downright sensible things too. Let’s start with the odd stuff first.

Now those who know me, know about my terrible memory. They probably have much more shaking of the head stories about me than I recall. However, I’ll go with what I remember - most of which were in my teen years.

How about the time I rode my bike for an hour over hilly terrain to ask out a girl who I’d seen working in a newsagency just one week earlier. I immediately crushed on her. It never occurred to me that she might not be working that day.

Or even what she would think of some sweaty teen, she had never met, asking her out on a date. Youthful optimism took care of that. Turns out she wasn’t working that day, so I never found out what she would have said.

Or that time in winter I got up at 5am every day for a week to ride across to the other side of the suburb. My early morning mission was to anonymously leave lyrics from a song in the screen door of a girl I liked before I finally identified myself and asked her out. Happily, she said yes despite the embarrassment of the notes being found (for the first few days) by her parents. We dated for a short time and I honestly don’t remember what happened.

Until I met my wife I never lasted in a relationship longer than six weeks.

Back then I probably drifted away after the initial burst of excited love had dissipated.

There was however that significant time in my love life. I racked up a large international phone bill calling my then ex-girlfriend who was at the time living in Augusta Georgia. I would fall asleep soon after the call connected because I had to get up in the middle of the night to make the call, and was already tired

…

from a heavy day at work. Thanks Mum & Dad for covering that one!

Maybe they knew she was a worthy investment, because after moving back to Australia we got back together and we’ve never looked back. Now happily married for over 22 years we have four wonderful kids together. This happy ending does move into the sensible part of what love can do, and thankfully away from the opportunity for my friends to share embarrassing stories of my youthful love life. I had this habit of singing You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling at a girl’s front door after watching Top Gun and thinking it was a good idea.

It wasn’t!

The sensibility of love comes into it when love allows us to ask and confirm these questions. Is the person right for me? Surely, I don’t need to look any further than him/her/them despite there being another 25 million people in Australia and about another 7.7 billion in the rest of the world to choose from?

Could my wife do better than me?

I’m prepared to admit that when looking at those numbers, and even after discounting those of the wrong age and gender, she absolutely could have done better. I am fine with that because, happily she drew the line at me and said ‘I will’ and then followed through on it.

Of course, I could never do better than her. I punched above my weight and got first prize and I’m not just saying that because she proof reads all of my From The Shed writings. Definitely not that!

Now, I’m not advocating to settle for what is available at this very moment. I’m just saying to recognise the value of the person you have. If they do make you happy now, and you believe that they still will into the future, then surely there is enough to give it a red hot go.

As a health professional I’ve seen the aftermath of violence. Don’t accept bad behaviour, you deserve so much more and if they are telling or treating you like you don’t, run away as fast as you can. If you need help or advice, call DV Connect on 1800 811 811 or reach out to a trusted friend or family member.

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FOR THE LOVE OF

Ho m e Pro j ect

Denis Trotman “Jack of all trades Master of most”

BEER!

There’s nothing better after mowing the lawn on a Saturday afternoon than enjoying a good refreshing beer.

Typically, you might go to the fridge and grab a bottle or can of your favourite ale.

But why not pour a frosty beer from the tap?

It’s not as hard as you might think. There’s a few ways this can be achieved with full and complete readyto-go set ups ranging from $700.00 to $2,000.00.

A cheaper alternative can be to purchase a secondhand fridge and retro fit the required equipment to

SPECIAL THANKS TO HERVEY BAY HOME BREW FOR SUPPLYING US WITH: - Beer Gas Bottle - Gas Regulator - Beer Hose - Gas Hose - Keg coupler - Pouring Tap - Hose Clamps - Drip Tray

@thejunctionontruro

44

it. With a bit more effort and an aesthetic look an old fridge can be a talking point on any backyard patio.

We purchased a second-hand fridge on marketplace for $100.00. With a quick sand and a lick of paint it looks great. Reinforcing the bottom shelf is important as kegs can be heavy.

The local home brew shop can help out with supplying the right accessories to get you pouring parts listed below.

Two holes are required. One for the tap and the other for the beer gas line. Other than that it’s tools down and bottoms up!

SEASON OPENS

Th e B i g Catch

FOR BARRA IN THE BAY If there is one species that fisho’s just love, it’s barramundi.

Much to their delight, barramundi season opened on February 1 so it is safe to say that many local anglers will be getting out on the water in the early part of the season.

Here’s some hints and tips on what’s biting where this month.

Burrum River Barramundi can be found around the mid and upper reaches in the snags of the Burrum River.

Snag bashing for barra generally finds the smaller fish but a few fish to 80cm have been reported.

Working deeper holes and deep snags has resulted in some bigger models.

Flathead can be found around the mouth of the Gregory and through to the mouth of the river.

Andrew Chorley

Platypus Bay The odd small school of spotted mackerel can be found in Platypus Bay. Looking for the birds and throwing small slugs into the schools will see you hook up to a few spotties.

Tuna have been quite but, in a few weeks, we should see some good longtail schools begin to arrive. Queenfish have been about on some of the reefs in Platypus Bay taking soft plastics and metal slugs.

Wide Grounds Coral trout, cod, hussar, parrot and a few snapper have been reported from the wide grounds in the central bay.

Spanish mackerel have also been about with trolled lures getting some results. Sharks are bad so be mindful once you land a few fish it’s time to move on.

Yellowfin tuna are also a possibility in the central bay this time of year.

Out the front, school mackerel, golden trevally and blackall have been reported on the Burrum 8-Mile.

Keep an eye out for birds while travelling as they may be worth a look for some tasty sashimi.

Local Reefs

Sandy Strait

The local reefs have been firing of late with plenty of grass sweetlip taking cut and live baits.

The ledges of the strait have been producing some great catches of late.

Fishing shallower in five meters or less is great way to avoid the sharks.

Other species on the reefs have been coral trout, cod, blackall and squid.

Urangan Pier Pencil squid have been about in the second channel with the evenings producing good numbers. Golden trevally, queenfish GT’s and longtail tuna have been reported over the past week.

Whiting in the first channels and adjacent beaches will be worth a look particularly at night with live yabbies.

Sweetlip, scarlets to 60cm, cod, tuskfish and more have been reported.

Barra will be a great target in the coming months with the Mary River a great place to start looking. Targeting the rock bars, deep snags, drains and dirty water lines are zones that will produce fish at some point.

Trolling and casting lures can be highly effective with live baits also a great way to fish for them. Salmon will also be on the move as the bit of rain we have had will get a bit of jelly prawn moving. Grunter can be found in the turkey straits with a few diamond trevally also in with them.

Good whiting was reported over the past few days coming from the flats along Fraser Island south of Kingfisher, with live yabbies working best.

Clang Fallon had a great day out on the water with Hervey Bay Fly and Sportfishing after reeling in this golden trevally, caught off Arch Cliffs.

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

45

A Jour n ey to Au s trali a

Rose B.

Chapter one:

M y mum was born in 1915 and had three elder brothers. When she was about 10 years old, she contracted rheumatic fever and was bedridden for a long time. Her youngest brother Bill was her constant companion and would do his best to keep her amused.

During WWII Bill was in the merchant navy and visited Australia many times. He married and had a couple of kids, then he brought his family to Australia. Mum lost contact with him, but she always knew she wanted to come to Australia and find him.

When the time was right, she started putting the Sunday paper in front of my dad opened on the page saying “Come to Australia, the land of opportunity”.

One Sunday my dad said to her, “How about it, shall we go?”

There were three of us kids, me being the eldest at 17. My brother jumped at the idea, he hated school and this was a way of getting out of it. My sister at 15 was madly in love and didn’t want to go but she was overruled. I wasn’t too sure if I wanted to go or not as I had a boyfriend and I didn’t really want to leave him behind. I knew how much my mum wanted to come, so I agreed.

In those days all you did was fill out a form, have a medical, a couple of vaccinations, an interview at Australia House, pay over your ten pounds and you were on your way. Us three kids all being under 18 were free.

They sold the house and just about everything in it. With just one large cabin trunk, packed with memories, mum, dad and the three of us set off for Southhampton and the big adventure.

We caught a migrant ship and I can’t honestly remember much about the journey. Only that it docked in Freemantle – our first look at Australia.

When we arrived, my sister and I decided to catch a bus into Perth. We trotted along and found a bus stop. We asked the first person we see when the next bus is coming into Perth.

The poor chap he had no idea what we were saying with our strong English accents! And he certainly couldn’t the word ‘bus’ the way we were saying it to save his life! Then a young chap from the boat came along and we all hopped in a taxi and went to the Myer Music Bowl for a look around. He paid, which was lovely. Being brand new to the country my sister and I didn’t have that sort of cash lying around. I loved the scenery in Perth. It was so clean and fresh.

Little did I know what amazing things would happen next… (to be continued…)

46

Finding Bill

IT’S TIME TO MAKE

MEMORIES M y love of the outdoors goes side-by-side with my loved ones. I believe Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be spent indoors.

I like to show my love by making moments matter.

Here’s one of my past stories of adventure on February 14.

With 10 days up our sleeves to spend some much needed time together, we set off on a road trip with our furthest location being Airlie Beach.

If you intend on heading to Airlie, ensure your vehicle, trailer or boat have been serviced before your outdoor adventure.

At 7am, we had set off for our first nights destination to 5 Rocks (Byfield national park) which is north of Yeppoon.

Mate! 10 minutes on the road and my wife asks me, “Do you have your wallet?”.

Me: “Arrr ... no”.

So my next tip is to make a written checklist and tick off every thing as you are packing, so nothing important (like your wallet) is left behind.

We did however get back on track after a frustrating start. It should of taken us six hours until camp, if we didnt stop, but that would be crazy, as kids need many stop offs.

We pulled over at a few locations on the way, one being Miriam Vale. They have an epic adventure playground for the kiddies, just one street back off the Bruce highway.

As parents you take these times to unwind and connect with your wife while the kids burn off some energy.

After our stops we where back on the road pretty quick.

Our two kids find the road seriously boring so make sure you have car games at the ready.

I Spy is a classic game for the kids and if they can’t spell yet, then change it to colours instead.

Well, we had been running behind our schedule, but as an easy going family we don’t mind a change in plan, its just a new adventure.

Don’t sweat the small things. Fun and time management don’t mix!

After refuelling the ute and our bellies at Rocky (Rockhampton) we hit the road once again with only 10km to go, woohoo! Little did we know that the last few kilometres should be driven before dark, as the track to 5 Rocks is a soft and sandy one.

With 1km to go, we were in a bit of a soft stretch, the boat trailer dug in under the sand and was not going to make it to our camp zone.

We had to turn back to find another bush camp in the byfield national park. We didn’t mind though as the sound of a fresh water creek nearby was very tranquil.

So, ensure you have a 4wd vehicle to travel to 5 rocks and a trailer to suit.

Waking up to an amazing view with crystal clear water flowing was bliss. Perfect to set up a romantic picnic and try for a fish.

We had nine more days remaining and we where determined to stay a few night’s at Byfield conservation park – a beach side zone which is within walking distance of where you can view 5 Rocks.

We drove into the the reception just out of the national park. There was a shop, fuel station and a cafe. After explaining our nights attempts at the track to 5 Rocks, little did we know we where talking to the cafe owner, who is quite familiar with our destination.

He offered for us to leave our boat behind for a few days and head up to 5 Rocks. This brightened our spirits.

Don’t be shy to ask the locals questions.

We made it to our site by 11am to set up camp.

O utd oo r Adve nt u re

Steven Barnard

5 Rocks had heaps to offer, from hikes to fishing and time at the beach exploring.

Wow! What an amazing spot at the 5 Rocks viewing platform, a small distance along a grassy track down past trickling creeks, we came onto a very private stretch of beach, which we stayed at for a couple of hours watching the kids dig and collect as children do.

We enjoyed our day by the sea, and the time we all spent together outdoors.

There was a lack of phone signal and power so I recommend packing an instant gas hot water system if you are inclined to.

After our beach adventure with only a few days left, we agreed to head to our furtherest stretch of our trip. We passed many free camps on our way up, but we decided keep heading toward Airlie Beach.

We finally made it! Airlie Beach had the most perfect family spots. It wasn’t long until we where on the blue, blue Whitsundays water and very excited to explore the islands.

To our surprise the winds were up to 30 knots, which shortened our boating distance. No problem!

We have a GPS on our boat, so we picked our day trip, an island named Mid Molle island, just past Daydream Island. We spend the entirety of the day perched under a pandanus palm, fishing and exploring together.

What a Valentine adventure!

Our time is so very precious so we need to put time aside for our loved ones.

Memories are made through adventure and what better way to do that then in the great outdoors.

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed reading and maybe this Valentine’s day you can have your own outdoor adventure.

47

Life Chat wi th M i chelle

Let’s Talk Michelle Robinson Bach. Counselling.

Dip. Clinical Hypnotherapy

Welcome to Life-Chat. I look forward to sharing lots of tips to keep the sparkle in your relationships and strategies to tackle tricky dilemmas.

The focus of our column this month is ‘love-talk.’

What is ‘love-talk’, and why does it matter?

Well, although we think we speak the same language as our partner, it can feel like we are in foreign territory when it comes to love-talk.

Love-talk would be so much easier if everyone in a relationship spoke the same love-language. Unfortunately, this is so often not the case.

Let me give you an example of what I mean.

Jasmine’s love-language is Words. She needs to be told by her partner, Sean, that she is loved, that she’s attractive, that she’s smart, and that of all the women in the world, she is Sean’s only choice.

Sean isn’t very fluent in Jasmine’s love-language. He struggles to communicate his feelings, but he does love Jasmine. In fact, he’s entirely devoted to her.

Sean’s love-language is Practical Acts of Loyalty. He is hardworking, honest and supportive. Sean believes his love for Jasmine is obvious.

Unfortunately, Jasmine feels Sean doesn’t try hard enough to give her what she needs from a partner. Sean, on the other hand, feels overwhelmed by Jasmine’s constant search for reassurance.

One of the biggest challenges in any love-based relationship is to recognize your preferred love-language, while also appreciating the love-language of your partner.

Sometimes, it’s too easy to expect another person to fill a gap that sits inside us. Is it reasonable, for example, to expect someone else to plug a hole in our self-worth? Can a partner be expected to conjure up our self-confidence? I

Love-Talk

would suggest that the responsibility for my self-worth lies squarely with me.

Perhaps, if Jasmine developed a stronger sense of her own worth, she would rely less on Sean’s words to convince her she is lovable. That could be healthy for her, and their relationship.

Sean also needs to know that words matter to Jasmine. For Jasmine’s sake, he could work at new ways to express his feelings. Small notes, texts, a few loving words on a regular basis may be enough. It’s never too late to learn some new communication strategies.

When two partners appear to have a special closeness, it is not always because their preferred love-language is the same. It is more likely that each person has looked beyond their preferences and recognized all the ways in which their partner shows love. Not every one of these ways may make the heart flutter. However, if we reject options beyond our first preference, we may miss the gifts of love in front of us.

Finally, I would add that in a truly loving relationship, each person does their best to satisfy their partner’s deepest needs. There’s a huge difference between learning to express love in new ways, and being too disinterested to try. Love doesn’t let apathy into the conversation. Love-talk hates apathy most of all.

Have fun this month, thinking about what your preferred love-language might be. Of course, you probably have more than one, which offers options to those who care about you. Don’t forget to reflect on your needs as far as love-talk goes, and ask yourself whose responsibility those needs truly are.

Above all, stay connected in the best ways you know how. May you experience all relationships with loving eyes, tender talk and an open heart.

Until next month, Blessing, Michelle

www.academyofspiritualpractice.com

CHRISTINE SMITH of CELEBRANT WEDDINGS BABY NAMINGS VOW RENEWALS COMMITMENT CEREMONIES FUNERALS

Phone: 07 4121 4884 Mobile: 0408 072 163 www.perfectlygorgeous.com.au

48

February

inspiration

I n spi rat i o ns

Alison Dunlop

Alison’s Guidance this Month: February is about Love, and Love comes from the Heart.When you connect with your own Heart, you are connecting with your Inner knowing or Intuition.

My advice always is to always “Listen to your Heart”. Stop, breathe, place a hand on your heart and ask yourself for guidance. You will be surprised!

Capricorn

Dec 22 -Jan 19

There is a need to loosen the grip on your steering wheel this month, and allow the universe to drive. Time to give up the struggle and the need to control your life's direction. Once you surrender, only then will you be intuitively guided.

Aquarius

Jan 20 - Feb 18

Cancer

June 21- July 22

Have you been burning the candle at both ends, trying to get everything done?

It is time to let go of your stresses, take a few deep breaths, and ground yourself.

Spend some time outdoors connecting with nature.

Leo

July 23 - Aug 22

Do things that make your heart sing!

Show gratitude, sing and dance like crazy, or follow a passion, because when you feel good, nothing else matters! And you deserve to feel good!

Have you noticed how things don’t really go to plan for you when you are in the doldrums? Find time to have fun and a laugh this month. So watch that funny movie and enjoy life, because this can be a great time for you!

Pisces

Virgo

Feb 19 - Mar 20

Aug 23 - Sept 22

Reach for the stars Pisces! Set intentions for what you want this month and totally believe it will happen. It is easier than you think, because when you believe, watch the magic happen!

What you put out is what you receive.

Take note of what sort of energy you are putting out or taking on. Share the good vibes with others. Show your gorgeous spirit, don’t forget to smile, it is contagious.

Aries

Libra

Mar 21 - April 19

Sept - 23 - Oct 23

Look beyond any materialistic selfdesires this month. Time to think bigger picture stuff, and what is in the highest good for everyone (and only you know who that is!), then watch your dreams unfold.

You are the Super Heroes of the zodiac this month! Use your super powers to attract what you want. You can do this!

Taurus

Scorpio

April 20 - May 20

Make it happen by simply believing, and having faith it will.

Oct 24 - Nov 21

The old phrase “the only way to get ahead is to work hard”, no longer applies to you. Start thinking smarter, and start believing in yourself. You are more powerful than you think!

Life has been busy for you Scorpio hasn’t it! It is time to slow it down. Take five mins out of your day to sit quietly with a cuppa. Simply by doing this, with no distractions, the ideas just seem to flow effortlessly.

Gemini

Sagittarius

May 21 - June 20

If you want things to happen this month, don’t try and force them, because you will feel like you are swimming upstream.

Step back and think for a bit, great ideas come when you least expect it!

Nov 22 - Dec 21

Make time to work, rest and play, so you don’t fall into the stress trap! Also keep balanced with gentle exercise, eating nutritious fresh foods, and of course keeping up with spiritual health too!

Alison Dunlop Kinesiologist. Find out more at: www.alisondunlopkinesiology.com.au (Cards drawn from the Super Attractor deck by Gabrielle Bernstein.)

49

Mind-Bo dy Health

Lou Coles B.Sc.

Love

starts within

Pleased to meet you, I’m Lou. By day, I support humans to accept their humanness and in doing so allow more self-love and self-care into their lives. (By the rest of the time, you may know me as Kevin and Bodhi’s dog-mum!)

You know all those things that we try to avoid? Those imperfections, triggers, niggles, habits and fears? The kind of stuff that traditionally we’ve found hard to change and have often come to believe “I’m stuck with it, it’s just part of being me”, “I’ve always been that way”, “It runs in my family”. All that stuff that gets in the way of loving and accepting yourself, exactly as you are, in each moment. THAT is the field on which I play and that is the human condition that I love working with.

The mind-body connection methods I use acknowledge that these things are not just thoughts and feelings to be put aside and ignored. They are actually experienced and stored in your body until you find safe ways to process and release them! For example, dogs ‘shaking it off’ after a stressful experience and getting back to being calm and relaxed again is healthy.

If only us humans could be more like dogs!

Listening to your own body and connecting with, and acknowledging, your own feelings without judgment is important in releasing that felt-sense from your body and mind long term. It is this missing component that has brought the ancient wisdom of body-based practices into the clinical research spotlight with modalities such as Emotional Freedom Techniques (acupressure tapping) providing extraordinarily high efficacy in anxiety, depression and PTSD.

in it. Without even being aware of it we have taken on all sorts of beliefs that seem like truths to us but may not be true for everyone. In our current culture that promotes fear and scarcity and glorifies busy-ness there are many opportunities to confront our limiting beliefs. Especially around ‘not being enough’ or ‘not being deserving’ or worthy of happiness, health, love or abundance. It is empowering to be able to stand back and notice these internal patterns and external influences and choose which ones we want more of in our lives and which ones we want less of.

Love is one of the positive emotions that is inherently pleasant to experience and we naturally want more of but it so much more than that moment too.

Each moment of an elevated emotion such as love literally changes your mind and physiology. In moments of love division drops away and your ability to connect wholeheartedly and attune to the people around you opens up.

This doesn’t have to be a special feeling you reserve only for your romantic partner or even the warm feelings you have for your family, children and close friends. Love need not be exclusive, love can be experienced and recognised in so many more moments than those the movies teach us to expect to find them.

And why not?

Love is only multiplied by being shared. @loucoles.mindbodysolutions

It is this leading edge of multidisciplinary research that I get nerdy and my science mind gets to come out and play too. This dance between the science of our physiology, neurobiology and behaviour and the less tangible and more ephemeral emotions, thoughts and beliefs shows us where our own understanding of the ‘how’ we are wired this way and ‘why’ we evolved to be this way, helps us to have more compassion, understanding and acceptance of ourselves and our foibles.

When you have more compassion, love and acceptance for yourself then that is the foundation that you take into your relationships with others. How you relate to world and people around you is informed by the filters through which you see and interpret the world around you. Each time you become aware of and remove one of those filters you get more clarity and life gets simpler and easier.

As a baby and then a child we are like a sponge, learning about the world around us, forming our view of what to expect of the world and our position

Nissen Street Vet presents

Pet owner tips by Dr Sam Heartworm, or Dirofilaria Immitis

PET SUPER STAR OF THE MONTH

Heartworm, or Dirofilaria Immitis, is a parasite that is spread by mosquitoes. It is present throughout Australia but is more common in hot and humid climates (as this is the natural environment in which mosquitoes thrive).

Your pet does not need to be in contact with other pets to become infected.

Infected dogs have microfilaria, an immature form of heartworm, circulating in their bloodstream. Microfilariae are ingested by mosquitoes when feeding. The immature parasite develops into a heartworm larva inside the mosquito. The larvae then develop within the mosquito prior to being transmitted to a new host with a blood meal. It only takes a single bite from a carrier mosquito and your dog or cat can be infected.

“Best mates on guard” - Julie Pyke

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

As the larvae continue to mature in the blood of your dog or cat, they are susceptible to preventative treatments. There are numerous methods of prevention and implementing prophylactic treatment should form part of your pet health care routine. At Nissen

Street Vet Surgery we have very effective preventative treatment options available (including monthly chews and tablets, spoton’s and even an annual injection for dogs).

When left untreated larvae progress to maturity in the heart and lungs where they start to reproduce (in the form of microfilaria).

Here they can cause inflammation of the lungs and heart or even physically occlude the heart valves and associated blood vessels. In the early stages of infection there may be no visible signs, however, infection may eventually lead to signs of heart failure (reluctance to exercise, lethargy, coughing) and even death.

If your pet has not been on heartworm prevention a heartworm test prior to starting prophylaxis is required.

When circulating microfilaria are present, treatment with heartworm preventatives can result in an anaphylactic reaction. Currently Nissen Street Veterinary Surgery offer free heartworm testing for dogs when prevention with the annual injection is elected.

Reade rs’ G alle r y

Crosswords of the month

PHOTOS OF THE MONTH

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Thomson family

Last month’s solution

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