Alive Magazine - Edition 14 - September 2021

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SEPTEMBER 2021 EDITION #14

TAKING IT TO THE ‘NEST’ LEVEL Meet the organic farmers producing over 18,000 eggs a week Full story on pages 05-07

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A permaculture kingdom Bay green thumb grows for sustainability

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Full story on pages 12-13

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EDITOR’S WELCOME When this month’s theme of Organic came around I was feeling a little bit uneasy about being able to understand my interviewees earthly way of life.

I’ve never been a green thumb and any plant that has come into my possession honestly did not survive.

It’s not because I don’t like the thought of living naturally with flourishing vegetable gardens and fruit trees, chickens, and the whole permaculture way of life.

It’s simply that I’ve never had the time or the knowledge to pull it off.

However, I was incredibly envious of the people in this edition who have done just that, and more.

The common thread between everyone I interviewed was the yearning for a better, healthier lifestyle for the whole family.

Starting with the beautiful human that is Dawn Bryant – a local honey farmer, gardener, designer, mother, wife, and a brilliant cook.

Dawn instantly put my jitters at ease, taking me through step-by-step how her permaculture property came about.

The way she has created a totally sustainable way of life absolutely blew my mind, not to mention the home-made baked goods and award-winning honey liqueur made with ingredients off the property.

Yummy!

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Our front cover stars, Nick and Amanda Kuhn also gave up great government jobs in Alice Springs to take on an adventure of a lifetime … starting their own business to produce premium quality pasture raised eggs.

THE ALIVE TEAM

They knew nothing about egg farming when they first started but after endless hours of research and trial and error, they have an incredibly unique and thriving local business, as well as a space where their young children can roam free.

In the pure interest of getting the story right, I was also treated myself to some iconic Mammino Gourmet Ice-Cream before speaking with the business owners to find out just how the cup of creamy goodness is produced close by in Childers.

Each story is inspiring in its own right and has certainly motivated me to at least give growing some fruit and vegetables a redhot crack! It’s not the life for everyone but I have the upmost admiration for those who sacrificed so much to have a go.

Thank you to all my interviewees who welcomed myself and the Alive team into your home and businesses. It certainly opened my eyes up to a whole new way of living!

If Dawn ever ran a tea and talk tour, I would be there in a flash!

Next was Elizabeth and Matt Pohlmann who swapped life in suburbia for sustainable living, off the grid, with their five children on a 12.5-acre property in Howard. They too live off the land with pigs, chickens, roosters and every fruit and vegetable you could think of growing around the property.

Kerrie

UPCOMING EVENTS

HERVEY BAY SEAFOOD FESTIVAL

Editor KERRIE ALEXANDER editor@alivemag.com.au

Founder / Creative Director JOY BUTLER info@alivemag.com.au

Deputy Editor LEANNE ESPOSITO

Digital Editor LIZZIE MACAULAY

Advertising Manager LOUISE HOLMES advertising@alivemag.com.au

Advertising Executive DARREN STIMPSON darren@alivemag.com.au

Advertising Representative KAREN WHITE karen@alivemag.com.au Phone 0418 197 386

Head of Distribution JAMIE BUTLER Phone 0428 137 968

All editorial and advertising in Alive Magazine publications are published in good faith based on material, verbal or written, provided by contributors and advertisers. No responsibbility is taken for errors or omissions and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. All material in Alive Magazine is subject to copyright provisions. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

Feedback or suggestion?

Send to: info@alivemag.com.au

12 Sep

Where: Seafront Oval, Hervey Bay

19 Sep

Cost: Adults $10, children $5.

Visit: www.herveybayseafoodfestival.com.au

25 Sep

30 Sep

Cost: Free

FANTASY FESTIVAL

When: Saturday, September 25, 9am Where: Seafront Oval, Pialba

What: At Fantasy Festival you can meet fairies and see mermaids!

Plus come say hello to other special guests, be entertainment byroaming performers, magic shows and bubble shows.

Cost: $7 per person

13 Aug

Where: Esplanade, Torquay.

What: Paddle out into the ocean for a minute silence to recognise the importance of the ocean and whales to the world, and particularly the Fraser Coast. Be sure to register and check-in on the day commences at 8 am with the ceremony starting at 9 am.

Where: Fraser Coast Cultural Centre, Pialba.

Cost: Free entry

PADDLE OUT FOR WHALES

When: Thursday, September 30, from 8am (rescheduled due to QLD Covid-19 lockdowns)

When: September 12, 10am to 12pm

What: The Teddy Bear’s Picnic celebrates everything that’s great on the Fraser Coast and also provides families with an opportunity to experience an inexpensive and fun day out.

When: Sunday, September 19, 10am-5pm (rescheduled due to QLD Covid-19 lockdowns)

What: The very popular Seafood Festival returns to Hervey Bay in 2021. Foodies will delight in a day filled with exquisite seafood, sourced locally and from the greater Wide Bay region.

TEDDY BEAR’S PICNIC

BUSH TO BAY MUSIC FESTIVAL

When: Saturday, Oct 9, 1.30pm

(rescheduled due to QLD lockdowns) Where: Bay Central Tavern, Pialba

What: The event expects to attract a large crowd of Australian Country Rock and Blues Roots fans and will run into the night from noon with music from some of Australia’s most iconic artists.

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C O V E R ST O RY

by Kerrie Alexander

Eggs

FACTOR IN RURAL LIFESTYLE

What do you call 3000 chickens who forage freely on 190 acres, live in chicken caravans at night, and produce a natural superfood? I’d say that’s called living sunny side up!

T

hat’s just the kind of free-living environment the birds thrive on at the Brother Brother Organics farm, which is a Maryborough-based family-owned business who produce premium quality pasture raised eggs.

But it’s not only the chickens who have a better quality of life living out on the land.

Owners Nick and Amanda Kuhn gave up their government jobs in Alice Springs to provide a better way of life for their now nearly three-year-old son and 18-month-old daughter, and another baby on the way.

The two moved back to the Heritage City to set up the business on Nick’s family-owned property two years ago to be closer to family and start the business that he and his brother Matt envisioned about 10 years ago.

Hence the origin of the business name.

The couple sold their home and invested everything they had in the initial start-up, including buying 800 hens and the first of three purpose-built chicken caravans.

“We didn’t want to work 9-5 office jobs away from our young family,” Amanda said.

“Starting this business presented an opportunity as no one in the local region was producing eggs farmed this way.

“It was also a way to reconnect back with the family farm.

“The kids just love it. My daughter just loves getting dirty, being bare foot … she’ll walk through fresh cow pats without batting an eyelid.

“They get so excited when they come to the farm every day, and they get to see their grandparents every day.

“They get so see cows as they’re born … it’s an amazing upbringing.

“They also get to see their parents and grandparents working hard and I think that’s important too. Monkey see, monkey do, and if our children see us work, they will know no different.”

The husband and wife team knew nothing about organic egg farming before they started but after plenty of research and trial and error, the two now have an exceptional business.

The 3000 birds share the land with Nick’s dad’s cows, which is a match made in heaven when it comes to providing the best possible pasture for the chickens.

“The cows and the chickens work together,” Amanda said.

“The cows will go through and chomp the grass; chickens don’t like long grass, and we’ll put the chickens in after that so they can forage through the cow manure and eat all the bugs and chew on the pasture.”

Ethical treatment of the hens is of upmost important to the family, along with utilising sustainable farming techniques on the property.

“A big portion of the hen’s diet is what they can graze from the pasture,” Amanda said.

“A hen’s natural instincts are to forage, scratch and dig for things like insects and grass, so they have access 100% to the pasture and are never locked up.

“They are also supplement fed with a non-GMO high protein grain ration and we also give the birds oyster shell grit to help them digest their food and add apple cider vinegar to their water to help improve their gut health. “

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05

For consumers who eat animal products, Amanda said it’s becoming more important that the animals are living a better quality of life.

Compared to hens raised in a cage or barn environment, the hens live a far better quality of life in their pasture-based system.

In Australia, for an egg to be called ‘Free-Range’ there must be a maximum of 10,000 birds per hectare and are able to roam and forage outdoors for at least eight hours of the day.

In their ‘Pasture-Raised’ system the hens are moved weekly onto fresh pasture and the stocking density is only 40 hens per hectare, which is a substantial difference, Amanda said.

“Our hens are free to roam from the moment the sun comes up to the moment the sun goes down.

“Our sustainable way of farming is also better for the environment.

“We continuously move our hens onto regenerated pasture every week and ensure grazed pasture has a two- month rest.

“We have no need for the use of any chemicals, herbicides or fertilisers on the property either.”

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There’s also a major difference in the taste of the organic eggs in comparison to a store-bought range.

“Freshness is key here!

“We only supply local outlets and all our eggs reach the end consumer within a few days of being laid, which makes a huge difference.

“There are absolutely no way eggs you buy in the supermarket were only laid a few days ago.”

Another interesting facet of the business is how the chickens are kept safe from predators at night and sheltered from the elements while they lay their eggs.

When the hens first arrive at about 16 weeks old, Nick and Amanda spend about three days training the birds to sleep in the chicken caravans at night.

All three purpose-built vans are fitted with a centrally levelling devices so, no matter the slope on the land when moved to different locations, the conveyor system for the eggs aren’t on an angle.

“So, come 7pm you can drive out in the paddock and you wouldn’t see a chicken because they will all be in their caravan,” Amanda said.

“Generally, the rain doesn’t really worry them, but if it’s really hot they’ll be under it for shade during the day.

“The nesting boxes are set on timers to open at 4am and close at 4.30pm, so they can’t sleep in there during the night.”

On average, the hens will produce about 2600 eggs per day, which works out to be about 18,200 per week, which is a major coup for the couple who started out fresh but determined to give it a crack!

As the business grew, they were also able to employ two staff to lend a hand.

“Yes, it was an absolute change of life, but it was all worth it.

“Egg farming is a full on seven-day a week business. The early days of starting the business were really difficult as we couldn’t afford staff and had to work long hours, especially after spending 10 hours at a market.

“Our children often come to markets with us and help us collect/grade eggs, but as our business grew, we realised we couldn’t do everything by ourselves.

“We now have two great staff members to assist us on the farm.”

Just as a fun fact, the largest egg collected so far was 130 grams and was a rare double yolker.

The smallest ever collect was no larger than a five-cent piece.

You can find Nick and Amanda selling their eggs through local farmers markets in Maryborough every Thursday, and Urangan Pier in Hervey Bay every Saturday.

If you can’t make it to our local markets, they also sell at various retail outlets all over the Wide Bay. Visit their Facebook page for more details.

Our sustainable way of farming is also better for the environment.

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07

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TH E PRO F ILE

by Shaun Ryan

OAKVALE HOMES We don’t build houses, we build homes

“We’re all about helping owners develop a home that is perfect for them,” Sharon said.

“Our plans are completely customizable and can be changed and altered depending on what the client wants.

“We specialize in raised homes but we will also build on a slab on the ground.”

Sharon said the company’s reputation had a solid foundation of its own – always striving to deliver the best quality homes.

“Our family is very passionate about the property industry.

It’s what we do and our way of helping people find their happiness.

T

here’s nothing more exciting and rewarding than watching someone receive the keys to their brandnew home – a project they’ve watched develop from the ground up.

That’s the inspiration behind the husband-and-wife team at Oakvale Homes.

Kurt and Sharon Hansen took over the family business in 2017 and are committed to building on the reputation Kurt’s parents established over more than two decades on the job.

“We’re a second-generation business that’s been helping families build their dream homes for more than 25 years,” Sharon said.

Oakvale Homes has offices in Gympie and Maryborough and has become a trusted name in the South East Queensland building industry.

The business has been helping build “The perfect home” in the Gympie, Cooloola, Northern Sunshine Coast and Fraser Coast regions by giving clients the choice to create living spaces that incorporate their own vision and needs.

“It’s difficult to describe the feeling when someone walks into the brand-new home for the first time. It’s like Christmas morning – there’s anticipation, excitement, it’s wonderful,” Sharon said.

She said they don’t build houses, they build homes.

“Building a home is a huge step for many clients. Some thought they would never own their own home, let alone build one from the ground up. We give them the opportunity to move into the home they’ve always wanted. It’s a huge financial and emotional investment for the owner.

“And it’s a really humbling experience for us,” Sharon said.

Sharon said regular lockdowns in larger cities have seen a spike in enquiries at Oakvale Homes.

“People are wanting to escape the cities and build in the regions where they have the benefits of working from home and living in an environment that has that country feel to it.

“It’s more affordable to build here and people are definitely chasing that perfect lifestyle.”

For more information visit www.oakvalehomes.com.au.

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09

LIZZI E L EA RNS TO

LIZZIE LEARNS TO BE A

Lychee farmer

by Lizzie Macaulay

I

magine…

You’re a tireless worker. You work seven days a week, never take a holiday and rarely get a change of scenery.

It’s such physical, repetitive work that there’s a chance your body is breaking down and you’re literally out of fingerprints.

The type of job you have means that you’re constantly needing to innovate to future-proof your livelihood, and never, ever take your foot off the gas.

You have competitors, yes, but the biggest threats to your success come from external forces well beyond your control – weather, insects, government policies and diplomacy…

These are the very real challenges the incredible team at Tomarata Orchard (better known locally as Lychee Divine or Lychee Hill Estate) face year-on-year.

And yet, you will never a meet a more upbeat, dedicated, future-focused family who have such fabulous ideas for where to take their business next.

As we toured their incredible orchard in Tiaro, I was astounded at the sheer breadth and innovation of their operation – lychee wines and ciders, a cellar door just out of Maryborough to sell their wares, tours of their spectacularly secluded orchard, just to name a few.

They even have a skincare range in the works.

And ALL of this is handled with the utmost care and

dedication by the entire Pool family. I met with not one, but three generations of Pool currently working on the estate, each with their own knowledge and flair for the lychee biz.

First-gen, John, established the farm with his wife, Kerry, more than 20 years ago. He had big visions for how the business would progress and almost immediately diversified from selling lychees to bottling them to ensure the least amount of waste each lychee season.

As we talked, it was abundantly clear that John is a shrewd businessman who, with the support of his family, has set up an incredible legacy for future Pool generations.

Most impressive in speaking with him was how much of a juggle it all is – the business, the farming, the new ideas that seem to flow from the collective Pool knowledge bank. But nothing seemed to phase him. It was all just part of the gig.

I’d visited the farm at a particularly poignant moment in the life cycle of the orchard – new growth was just starting to emerge from the lychee trees, which would give some indication of what sort of a season would be ahead.

Lots of flowers = lots of lychees. It’s a nervous time.

And then, when the time is right, John and co. have to move fast!

They have just six weeks in the hottest part of the year to pick and pack the crop.

Running up and down a ladder in 35+ degree heat with an

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LYCHEE HILL E S T A T E

w w w. l yc h e e d i v i n e . c om . au

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18kg lumpy bag strapped to your hips? Yikes!

No wonder they were so excited to show me their new ‘toy’ they’d just acquired for the season ahead: the red beast! (my name, not theirs!)

The red beast had two platforms attached to hydraulic hoists that operated independently of each other. By all accounts, it was going to be a game changer for the upcoming lychee picking season, and I could see why… Farewell ladders! Sayonara heavy bags!

And also, just quietly, it looked like a heap of fun to play on. But I digress.

Once we’d had a look around the orchard it was time to head further afield and meet the other inhabitants of the estate. First up: hungry cattle.

John and son Dave hopped in the ute and drove us down to the ’standard feeding place’. So clued in were these beautiful beasts, that as soon as they heard the engine, they made a beeline for the spot.

John explained that the cattle was there in part for ‘ground maintenance’ – that cows made pretty good lawn mowers. And these were only the first set of living lawn mowers we met that day.

Bovine tastebuds satiated with gooey molasses, we moved on to the man-made dam further down the road. How excited I was to see a beautiful boat tied off to a pontoon just waiting for us to board and go for a spin. Travelling around on the water was such a privilege – watching the wildlife, feeling the cool breeze on my skin, just absorbing the peace of the space.

It was the kind of moment my busy soul truly needed, even if I hadn’t recognised it before my arrival.

Disembarking, we had one last stop to make before finishing up: we needed to meet the second team of living lawnmowers inhabiting the farmland.

This time, it was the bleating, chewy, hilarious goats.

These were a particular favourite of mine, and my tiny accompanying helper, Isabelle. They were understandably a little standoffish at first, but oh-so entertaining.

I can now cross ‘hold a goat’ off my bucket list, and I couldn’t be gladder for the experience.

Alas, where highs appear, lows also follow. It was time to head back to reality and let John and the boys get back to work.

I so enjoyed my time as a lychee farmer, getting to know just what it takes to succeed in the lychee game. Admittedly, I’d better stick to writing as my fortitude and usefulness for practical things leaves a lot to be desired.

A HUGE thank you to John and the entire Pool family for welcoming us onto their farm and generously sharing their knowledge and serenity. If you’d like to get your hands on some of their incredible products, head to Lychee Divine’s cellar door: 22473 Bruce Hwy, Tinana South, or visit www.lycheedivine.com.au for more info.

Lychee Liqueurs

Lychee Wines

Cheese Platters

Lychee Icecreams

LYCHEE HILL E S T A T E

w w w. l yc h e e d i v i n e . c om . au Drop in at Lychee Divine, just south of Maryborough conveniently located on the Bruce Highway.

You can enjoy a Devonshire tea, a glass of wine with lunch or try our famous lychee ice creams and discover our range of award winning liqueurs and wines as well as other Queensland and Australian products.

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11

WI S E WORDS

by Kerrie Alexander

nature At work with

D

awn Bryant is the queen of her permaculture kingdom.

The big-hearted 59-year-old just exudes passion for her hobby as a honey farmer, gardener, designer, mother, wife, and equally brilliant cook.

When you first set foot on the 10-acre Booral property, which was bare when Dawn bought it 14 years ago, it’s clear that every inch of her outdoor space has a purpose.

Firstly, with 16-year-old Heidi the dog by our side, we take a tour of the garden that absolutely blew my mind.

We pass the modern Queenslander house that has an abundance of grapes and passionfruit growing on the verandah railings.

There are honeybee boxes dotted around the property, as well as plenty of native bees doing their job pollinating all of Dawn’s gardens, helping them to flourish naturally.

When the COVID-19 shutdown hit the Fraser Coast, Dawn and her husband John had about 90kg of honey to sell to locals.

It’s the one hobby they do together, while the rest of the garden is Dawn’s domain, and anything with a motor is left to John.

It’s incredibly hard to capture what permaculture means in one neat sentence but Dawn explains it well.

As we pass the garden with snow peas, lemon, lime, pumpkin, cabbage, choko, silver beat, tomatoes, coriander, carrots, society garlic with eatable leaves and zucchini, Dawn explains that everything has a purpose.

She snapped off an opened pomegranate of the tree and we all tasted the delicious bits of fruit she calls “jewels for jam”.

Just that one fruit can be used in salads, frozen in snap lock bags and used later in cakes, slices or toppings or be turned into a jam or jelly.

The skin, and every other bit of food scrap on the farm, goes directly into the scrap bin to help feed the 18 chickens that

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there’s just something about getting into the soil and growing something that produces for you, and just watching the seedlings grow. produce a plethora of fresh eggs daily.

There’s paw paw trees, chilli and cassava and every lettuce you could think of including my favourite, the sorrel, with bright green leaves that taste like lemon has been drizzled over the top.

Almost every leaf in the garden is either eatable straight off the stem or can be cooked in a plethora of dishes, like stir fry, as an example.

Dawn said the permaculture life is about getting back to nature and living a healthy lifestyle.

There are no pesticides used on the farm, only boiling water, and salt to kill the weeds, and over three-quarters of the property boasts plants that can be used for medicinal purposes.

Green vegetable shakes and herbs and spices are used to ward off colds and sooth sore throats.

“I’ve been here 14 years and there was absolutely nothing but the house, half the shed and any palm tree on the property. There was no fence, no gardens,” Dawn said.

“It sooths your soul and I think it must be in my blood because I always think about when I am going out there with bare feet and no gloves … there’s just something about getting into the soil and growing something that produces for you, and just watching the seedlings grow.

“I would garden anywhere.”

The other major focus for Dawn is sustainability; living off the land with hardly a need to visit the supermarket.

Dawn also breeds sheep, and the butcher comes once a year to replenish the freezer.

During the local shutdown, there was enough food to sustain the whole family, plus two German backpackers who traded work for food and board, for about six months.

Dawn can turn the simplest items from the garden into a meal, with vegan cheeses, jams, chutney’s, relishes being a specialty, as

well as 30 years’ experience making homemade Worcestershire sauce.

Countless bottles of honey products are also stored in the pantry, including a honey mead which is a dry and sweet alcoholic honey liqueur that took out second and third place at the recent Fraser Coast Show.

Her cakes, fruit, vegetables, jams, and relishes, also saw her win Grand Champion of the Pavilion two years running at the Brookfield Show in Brisbane.

“During the Corona lockdown no one went anywhere, we didn’t need to go to the supermarket.

“We just got one order of flour delivered from the wholesalers and the rest we just ate off (the land).

“The German backpacker was a massive eater, so we just had massive, big salads, I also made bread and crackers.”

Next, we venture out into the back paddock where Dawn points out the little black pellets of sheep poo are collected and delivered to the chook pen, where a hole is dug, the manure thrown in and covered to sit and age, and later used as garden mulch.

We visit the site of Dawn’s latest venture, the camp kitchen, built out of recycled materials and will eventually boast a wood stove and a pizza oven, that she will build by hand.

Behind the camp kitchen are a row of rare lemon scented iron bark trees.

The trees’ leaves are dried and used to make tea.

“In the morning the smell drifts to the house and it’s just unbelievable,” Dawn said.

“Even just using the leaves in the house as a scent is nice but I like to use it for the teas.”

The “Corona” garden on the other side of the house is again home to an abundance of fruit and vegetables, and bathtubs full of ginger.

Dawn points out the sweet potatoes dotted around the property, explaining that Chinese often cook and eat the stems to help arthritis, and the leaves can also be used in meals.

Then we head to the house where the smell of the mushroom and lamb stew cooking on the fireplace instantly gets the tummy rumbling.

Dawn pops the kettle on the fireplace and graciously offered us a sample of bits and pieces taken from the garden and created into something super special.

Recipes that you will never find in a store because they’re Dawn’s creations or sourced from old-school cookbooks.

Set out under the jars of dried homemade teas and across from the pantry filled with jams and preserves was an offering of ricotta swirl cake, mixed with homemade lemon butter and decorated with pomegranate, vegan cheese and Greek yoghurt balls rolled in herbs like parsley, dill and chives … all flavours to die for.

The kitchen is also the place where Dawn and a handful of her like-minded permaculture friends often meet, and swap ideas, food, recipes and cuttings.

While not everyone is a whiz in the kitchen, Dawn said even the simplest of vegetable or fruit gardens could make a difference to what you cook and how you eat.

Even on the smallest block, Dawn said residents could start with simple veggies like radishes and herbs that will be ready to pick within about four weeks.

Pumpkins are also easy growing, as are lettuces and cucumbers.

“You can start with as little or as much as you like, even just get a box and plant some seeds or seedlings or dig up a little patch and just start.” #Many thanks to Dawn for welcoming us into her home and telling her amazing story.

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13

IN HARMONY WITH

nature

Community Composting initiative to start

T

erra Tribe Farm is a place where the Pohlmann family’s passion for sustainability, permaculture and nature is shared with children and the community.

With bare feet and a massive, big smile, Elizabeth Pohlmann welcomed us to the 12.5-acre Howard property that’s open to Earth Kids School Holiday Programs and a Forest Kindy.

It’s also home to her husband Matt and their five homeschooled children, who all live in a Jayco caravan, shed and a bus fitted out for their 15-year-old, the eldest of the four boys.

There are also pigs up to 300kg, 40 chickens, 30 ducks, goats, sheep and a plethora of home-grown fruit and vegetable gardens dotted all around the land.

And let’s not forget Porky, their daughter’s adorable pet piglet who barks like a dog and sleeps in the family bed at night.

I was initially invited to the farm to find out about Elizabeth’s unique Community Composting program.

But what I also found was also a truly inspiring story about a family who gave up life on a half-acre suburbia block in Dundowran to provide an earthlier upbringing for their children.

Elizabeth said it wasn’t at all easy to give up the luxuries of a modern home and move to a totally bare block off the grid, with 14

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not even power or water.

The children went cold turkey on electronics with no TV or gaming devices to be found now.

However, two-and-a-half years on, she said she wouldn’t change a thing.

“It is so much hard work and I tell my husband all the time this is the hardest work I’ve ever done in my life, but I feel so content,” Elizabeth said.

“We just wanted a whole lifestyle change.

“It was a big decision, the first three months we were in tears and doubted that we made the right decision … it was minus three degrees in the caravan, and we had to cart the water.

“But what we have now is amazing, and we’re in the middle of building a house and that will be the most amazing thing ever!

“Starting from scratch, we really appreciate what we have now.”

The two still have a source of income with Elizabeth running the farm and her photography business and Matt being a selfemployed plumber.

But the permaculture lifestyle they adopted appealed to them from the get-go because, while money still has value, life isn’t

C O M M U N I TY C O NNECT IO N

by Kerrie Alexander

nut trees and about 60 natives.

In return for a $10 delivery fee, participants could choose from either a litre of worm juice, a bucket of compost, or a small vegetable box once a month.

It’s a win for the environment and those who take part, Elisabeth said, adding that about 7.3 million tonnes of food scraps go to waste in Australia each year.

That’s enough to fill 13,000 Olympic size swimming pools.

The only waste not allowed to be donated by regulation is dairy or meat.

“There’s a need in the community for something to be done with food waste and this program is like a circular economy.

“You sign up to the program, we collect your waste from your door, we turn it into compost and then we give back to you. centred around acquiring it, Elizabeth said.

She said the move also provided a valuable life lesson for their children on the circle of life, and where their food comes from.

Many of the pigs they have hand-raised have later become a meal, as do the roosters and the chickens.

“I know it’s sad that we eat them, but I know what we are eating, and I know they are raised with love.

“I go in there and scratch their bellies and they roll over … it was sad when we killed the last one but if you looked into factory farming you would literally never eat meat again.

“There would be three adult pigs to a small cage on concrete and they would never dig, run around or play; they live and die on concrete.”

Elisabeth describes the move to the farm as her “revolution”, with an intention of leaving their land better than they found it, while educating others on a life of sustainability, low waste, and permaculture.

The Community Composting Program plays in integral part in that vision.

Elizabeth is calling on the community, and any interested restaurants who would like to take part, to donate their food scraps.

“A fifth of household rubbish is wasted, even the tops of things like zucchinis. Imagine if you could take those things and save them from going to the rubbish dump.

“I can grow more food with the compost … we grow a lot of food in our market garden, and to feed the pigs and the chickens.”

Less than five minutes from the town of Howard and backing on to the Burrum River, children and their families can meet the animals up close, pat the pigs through the fence, feed the chickens and even cuddle a duckling at the farm’s open day once a month.

“There’s no other farms you can visit on the Fraser Coast,” Elizabeth said.

“It’s not a petting zoo farm because that’s not what I intended … I want people to see a real farm.

“We are honest with all the kids, and I do tell them we eat the animals, and I think that’s important for the next generation to know where their food comes from.

“This is my revolution.”

To sign up to the composting program, you can contact Elizabeth on 0418 873 503 or email terratribefarm@gmail.com.

For all open day dates and enquiries about the Forest School, visit www.terratribefarm.com.au

The waste would then be turned into compost to help continue to grow the vegetables and feed some 300 fruit trees,

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15

H OME GROWN

by Kerrie Alexander

DELIGHT IN GOURMET GOODNESS

I

n a humble Childers farmhouse set amongst the region’s rich red soil and cane farms, you will find one of Queensland most famous dessert manufacturers.

There’s no big factory or hundreds of workers that produce the iconic Mammino Gourmet Ice Cream that can be found at about 30 different outlets throughout Queensland.

There’s just husband and wife team, Leo and Helen Ricciardi, and two other workers that produce all the ice cream required, by hand, three days a week at the Luckett’s Rd site, which they sell at the adjacent quaint little red, cream and blue shopfront.

Helen is also the chief events coordinator and, before COVID-19, would travel in the ice cream truck to shows and events all around the state.

“We only have two staff besides Leo and myself, and a few friends who help out selling at events from the ice cream truck,” Helen said.

“We produce about 100 ice creams per batch, all handmade, it’s not machine manufactured.

“It’s all mixed in a big machine mixing bowl and then the cups and containers are filled by hand.”

The unique business has always been a family affair with Leo’s cousin Anthony Mammino and his wife Teena first setting the wheels in motion in 1996.

The two started selling macadamias at a roadside stall until Teena tried her hand at adding the nuts to her grandmother’s old-fashioned ice cream recipe.

The combination was an absolute winner and demand for the one-of-a-kind taste led to the setup of the factory alongside the long-time Mammino family home.

With Anthony’s sad passing in January 2017, Leo and Helen spent a great deal of time helping Teena, learning the recipes, and getting to know the suppliers of all the quality ingredients

Our factory is open 7 days per week from 9am to 5:00pm, offering 21 flavours of hand-made gourmet ice cream and sorbet.

Gluten free options available.

115 Lucketts Road, Childers. www.mammino.com.au 16

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after purchasing the business in September that same year.

Meanwhile, Teena herself continues to be a tourism advocate and mentor for businesses in the region as President of the Childers Chamber of Commerce and also Bundaberg Region Tourism.

Helen said giving up her job of 18 years at the Bundaberg Regional Council to take on the business was a hard decision, but certainly rewarding with many happy, smiling faces, enjoying the product they create.

“It was a big change of pace for Leo, from being a farmer, and it has it’s pluses and minuses, but I love the fact that we only have happy customers.”

What delights customers, Helen said, is the fact that when you take the first bite you realise that it’s truly old-fashioned ice cream.

It’s also a solid mix, while mass produced ice cream mixtures are fluffed, and aerated.

In the interest of writing this story, of course, I put the Mouthwatering Mango, Sensational Strawberry and Extra Sexy Salted Caramel gourmet ice cream to the test, and Helen’s words couldn’t be truer.

It was a delectable, delicious taste of a cream base and real fruit – a taste I’d never experienced before!

“It’s how ice cream used to be made 100 years ago,” Helen said.

“Our ice cream has a pure cream base, it’s not artificial, we don’t put any artificial colouring or flavouring in there.

“We do five different fruits and it’s all fruit.

“Our mango ice cream is mango, and our strawberry ice cream has real strawberries, and I think that’s what makes it special.

“We only use the finest products, and we don’t skimp to save.

We put lots of roast macadamias in our macadamia recipe, which is what we are famous for.”

The only big problem for customers is whether to choose the Marvellous Macadamia blend that the business is famous for, or the five six other macadamia flavours, five fruit flavours, six ‘other’ flavours, two sorbet flavours or the two flavours featuring the famous Bundaberg Rum. There are also 11 gluten-free choices across the range.

“We get a lot of people from Brisbane that come with lists for their rellies and family, and they buy one litre containers to take back with them … we get that all the time.

“We’re very well supported at events, like caravan and camping shows, and we get a lot of people walk up to the truck and ask for macadamia.

“I say vanilla, ginger, coffee, chocolate, ginger or butterscotch and they just say, aw, then have trouble trying to decide,” she said with a laugh.

“But that’s all good because I just love happy customers.”

Fraser Coast Ice cream lovers can get their hands on a Mammino treat at Fraser Shores IGA and Crazy Joes Pizza in Hervey Bay or SIP Expresso in Maryborough.

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17

DUNGA DERBY

by Kerrie Alexander

DRIVING FORCE BEHIND RECORD-BREAKING SUCCESS

N

ot even a world-wide pandemic could quash the spirits of 330 very special humans who came together to raise a monumental $510,000 in this year’s Dunga Derby.

The teams smashed the previous six years’ worth of record fundraising efforts out of the park - an effort that Event Coordinator Andrews Coppens can only describe as “extraordinary”.

A total of just over $1.8 million has now been raised for the Dunga Derby’s charity, Rally for a Cause, which has helped 140 local families and individuals affected by life-limiting medical conditions or who have had their lives turned upside down by sudden death or disability.

This year’s combined efforts saw $400,000 raised by 62 Fraser Coast teams and $110,000 raised by the 26 Sunshine Coast teams, who experienced the dunga for the first time this year.

“It was just an extraordinary effort by every single person involved,” Andrew said.

“We are now in a position to help so many more families than we have in previous years because of the hard work and the fundraising by the Fraser Coast and Sunny Coast teams.”

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The call to action didn’t end when the teams hit the road for four days of crazy dirt-flying adventures on July 30, which is held as a reward for the team’s hard work.

While funds raised ahead of the dunga stay locally, the teams often pool their money for people doing it tough in the towns they visit along the way.

Andrew said one of the most memorable moments came from night three when $22,000 was raised for a Kingaroy family whose young son had been struck by chronic kidney disease and was in the ICU.

Dressed in their super cool 70s bell bottoms and gold chains, the Dodgy Brothers lead the charge by passing around a hat and hosting an auction of “silly goods for crazy prices”, which included a wet, tyre-marked, dirty pillow that was lost on the first day and bought back by the owner for $100.

“That (night) was something that will stay with me forever and is probably one of the most special moments that I have experienced in the three years that I have been on the dunga,” Andrew said.

Andrew believes the sense of community was heightened this year by the effects of the pandemic.

“I’m not aware of any other event where a group of people with the same desires and passions come together to help a complete stranger and an unknown family.

“We’ve just seen much more of a community feel, comradery and generosity that’s come out of this year.

Planning for the 2022 Dunga Derby is already underway but Andrew admits this year’s efforts will be hard to top.

“I think we have returned to a bit more sense of community and wanting to help our own.

“We all just had the same belief to help out the community and it was just priceless.”

“All of the events were also well attended because there wasn’t a lot for people to go and do because of travel restrictions and that was a big part of it (fundraising effort) too.”

To find out more or to donate head to www.rallyforacause.org.au, www.dungaderby.com.au or find them on Facebook under Dunga Derby by Rally for a Cause.

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MICHAEL’S story

M

ichael is a fun loving family man who loves to spend time playing hockey, camping and having fun with the family.

Eight years ago he was at an end-of-season fishing trip with his Colts Hockey Club team mates.

They were out early in the morning in the boats checking the crab pots.

The boat got stuck on a sand bank and Michael was thrown from the boat. The boat then did a circle and Michael was hit with the propeller.

He sustained serious head injuries and lacerations to his body. He was very fortunate that all the hockey boys were well trained in first aid.

He was flown to Royal Brisbane and was in ICU and underwent a 15-hour operation to his head injury and also to had to have his arm repaired.

The surgeons couldn’t save part of his skull so Michael had to spend the next 12 months wearing head gear to protect his head until they could operate again to fit a plastic plate.

He spent two months in hospital until he went to Royal Brisbane rehab unit.

We were told that Michael may never speak again, as the propeller hit the area of the brain that is responsible for speech and writing, which was much like having a stroke.

He then went to the Brain Injury Unit at PA Hospital for a further five weeks.

He received intensive OT and Speech therapy. He has been left with severe Apraxia and Aphasia. This really impacts how he can communicate and sometimes stops him from going out by himself or with his family and friends.

We are extremely grateful for the support from Rally for a Cause, who helped get him back into playing hockey by providing visual aids to assist his memory.

He did spend a few years not wanting to be out with the boys.

He is playing goalie and can’t remember the player’s names but the boys names on the shirts (because anything visual is much easier for him) has given him the confidence to be able to tell the players where they need to be positioned.

Kirralee (our daughter) and I really proud of all the hard work and dedication that he puts into anything he does to improve himself. We also love that he has his passion for hockey back as this is what we spend a lot of time doing as a family.

To find out more about the charity and how you can help families like the Lightbody’s, head to www.rallyforacause.org.au or www.dungaderby.com.au. Find them on Facebook under 'Dunga Derby by Rally for a Cause'

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19

LOCA L MUS I CI A N

FRANK BENN Have you all, always been musical?

Yes, I have always been very musical and loved it so much.

Watching my family play music in Fiji was always a huge inspiration to me, as it’s a big part of everyday life back home. The way music makes you feel and how you can express yourself through music is just the most amazing thing in the world.

What/who are you/the bands musical influences?

My biggest influences in music as a young man used to be some local legends called Steve and Nick Stevens a fatherson duo. They were the only friends I knew that were making a living out of playing what we were all passionate about and I use to be in absolute awe of them.

The backbone to my influences is Eric Clapton, Robert Johnson, Cat Stevens, Tracey Chapman, James Brown, Wild Cherry, Sublime, Nirvana, Sound Garden. Those are just few off the top of my head and many more.

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What/who are you listening to right now?

Olivia Rodrigo, Ed Sheeran, Maroon 5, Bruno Mars, Rita Ora, 5 S.O.S, Jessie J, also listening to a lot of 90s grunge, like I always have done.

Favourite line from a song?

“Since she died easy of a broken heart disease as I listen through the cemetery trees”, is my favourite line from a song by the band “Wall Flowers”. The beauty of music is you can create a visual for listeners and people can relate or make their own mind up about how they feel or see a song.

How often do you practice?

I certainly practice regularly in the shed as it’s so important to always try perfect your craft and get better and challenge yourself. Also, so that your live performances always sound great. We can’t always be spot on as we are only human, but as they say practice makes perfect.

MA K E A DAY O F I T B Y T H E MA R I N A

Which instruments do you play?

Bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and I also used to play piano for many years.

I would very much love to refresh my piano skills at some stage and would also love to play more classical guitar also.

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

The gig I wish I could have been part of way back when would have been Woodstock and just to be able to hear legends like Jimmy Hendrix or Janis Joplin … all of the greats!

I’m a huge Elvis and Beatles fan too! Just to see them perform once would be just amazing.

One of my dreams has always been to headline Glastonbury Festival or iTunes festival. To be able to headline at festivals like that would be a dream come true.

But I will certainly never stop trying and writing my original music to get there, ever! Music is my life and always will be till the end.

boatclubwhalewatch.com.au Phone: (07) 4128 9643 Alive Magazine Wide Bay |

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Information for members & guests.

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

21

L OCA L A RTI S T

by Shaun Ryan

EMBRACING SPIRITUALITY TO IDENTIFY TOGETHERNESS THROUGH DIFFERENCE

Shawn Wondunna-Foley

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W

e are all like raindrops in the ocean.

to our vantage point, they are brought together by a palette dominated by blue.

We are all individuals and we have the ability to recognise our uniqueness and difference but, at the same time, we are part of the collective and cannot exist without each other.

“My mother had a strong influence on me and was grounded in her spirituality and sense of country,” explained Shawn.

Hervey Bay artist, author, designer, and spiritual life coach Shawn Wondunna-Foley believes everyone’s journey is different but we cannot ignore our interconnectedness and sense of community.

He said this in turn had a strong influence on his own work as a creative.

A lot of Shawn’s work as a visual artist is linked back to country and his Butchulla lineage, but is not necessarily dominated by what many would refer to as traditional themes or styles.

“The one thing we all share is the idea of people, place and planet,” explained Shawn.

“There is a need for us to remove our egos from the equation and talk about being one. Through mindfulness and spirituality, we are able to become the best versions of ourselves.

His art speaks to many but is guided by something that is very personal.

In the same way, Shawn believes the concept of home is a fluid one.

“And all of this will help us achieve and create a better world.”

“Home is where you are. Where you are surrounded by good feelings and positivity. You take your spirituality with you wherever you go.”

This theme becomes apparent when looking at Shawn’s own journey as a creative.

As a Butchulla man living on the Fraser Coast, Shawn said he had a close connection with the land and ocean.

Looking out over the bay, Shawn said he loves the colour blue.

The ocean, K’gari in the distance and the clear sky blend together and form a monochromatic backdrop of blues.

While each of the elements differ in terms of their proximity

It is through spirituality and an understanding of our differences and similarities that we can see people and appreciate them for who they really are.

“When we engage spirituality, we see beyond the external features and interact with the person.”

If you want to catch up with Shawn or learn more about his past and future projects, check out his website – www. innerway.com.au.

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23

TA STY GOOD NEW S

by Denis Maher

Culinary creativity takes the crown

Photo credit: Denis Maher

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T

hinking outside the box has seen Hervey Bay’s Denis Maher crowned as the winner in a five-month long national barbecue competition.

Hosted by Ironwood Barbecue from February 12 to July 12, the Pitmaster of Hervey Bay’s BBQ team “The Low ’n’ Slow BBQ Shack” entered eight categories, each with a hand-in window of about two weeks.

Points for each round were awarded for Presentation (4.5 points max), Difficulty (3.5 points max), and Impression (2 points max).

Competitors needed to come up with innovative dishes and special themes to ensure that their entry stood out from the field.

Other requirements included having only one protein to be the hero of each entry, a maximum number of photos per submission with one photo of the chosen protein cooking on an approved unit, and a description of competitors’ thinking and ingredients to help the judges understand their process and method.

Denis chose to barbecue a wide variety of proteins for his competition entries, including Fraser Island mud crabs, brahman hump, pork knuckles, beef shins, pork ribs, beef short ribs and lamb belly, and creating feasting platters of each to impress the judges.

While designing his hand-ins for each category, Denis drew inspiration from classic dishes from Germany, Mexico, Britain, China, the Middle East, Japan, Texas and Australia.

Some of the special dishes he created in his BBQ pits for the comp included Queensland Lollipops, Brahman Ramen, Birria Tacos, Well Hung Char Sui Pork Ribs, Crab Pots and Crab Shots, Lamb Belly Cigars, Beef Short Rib Tomahawks, Chicken Bacon, Pork Knuckle Schweinhaxen, Killer Oysters Humpatrick and Pickled Vegetable Daleks.

Denis finished with first place in the Chicken, Seafood, Mexican and Dealers’ Choice categories, third place in Beef, second place in Pork, third place in Lamb and fourth place in Pork Ribs, giving him an overall score of 83.772 out of 90 and first place in the overall competition.

and then working out how to turn them into reality in the BBQ pit was awesome therapy.

“I’ve learnt heaps along the way experimenting with different techniques and ingredients.

“It’s been great fun and a genuine tribute to the most relaxing and rewarding past time of all – the soothing art of Low ’n’ Slow Barbecue.”

Denis and his Low ’n’ Slow BBQ Shack teammates are preparing to share their BBQ goodness with the Fraser Coast community by catering for parties and events and hosting regular BBQ dinners and BBQ masterclasses with their BSG Smokers trailer-mounted offset BBQ pit “The Colonel”.

Keep an eye on their socials!

Denis said he knew something special had to be pulled out of the hat to have a chance at winning.

“After the first couple of rounds it became apparent that you really needed to do something very special in this comp with some next level culinary creativity in the BBQ pit,” Denis said.

“Hanging in there and being consistent with scores eventually got me over the finishing line. What a marathon!”

Denis said the journey of the BBQ comp-that-seeminglynever-ends was amazing.

“It has been said that Low and Slow Barbecue is an endurance sport. Well, I think that a BBQ comp that goes for five months is mighty epic.

“It required considerable stamina and provided tons of distraction which helped me get through some painful surgery issues during that time.

“Coming up with crazy ideas in the wee hours of the morning

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25

OCEAN SEA

WHALE WATCH & EC The Boat Club’s captain Phil House and the crew of the Amaroo (aka “the Rainbow Boat”) are excited to welcome the majestic giants back to whale bay. “We’re looking forward the humpbacks arriving, and educating guests on our very special Whale Heritage Site. They have really bounced back in recent years and it’s great to see more and more whales each year, and arriving earlier! Nothing beats whale season in Hervey Bay, my favourite time of year.” Board the Amaroo for a half-day whale watch including morning/afternoon tea, guaranteed sightings, expert commentary, and discounts off food at The Boat Club!

www.boatclubadventurecruises.com.au Phone 07 4197 8766

Freedom Whale Watch offers an Eco-Accredited full day tour from 9:30am to 4pm daily from mid July to late October in the calm waters between Hervey Bay and Fraser Island.

Delicious morning tea of Profiteroles and hot scones, jam and cream is served on the way to the whale watching area. Tasty plated lunch, hot chicken wings, two cold meats, three salads and warm rolls is served with whales playing nearby in Platypus Bay. Educational whale commentary from highly experienced skipper during the day.

Afternoon tea of fresh fruit and cheese platters is available on the return trip to the marina.

www.freedomwhalewatch.com.au Phone 1300 879 960

Cruise the sheltered waters of Platypus Bay whilst taking in breathtaking sights as we travel along the beautiful white sandy banks of Fraser Island’s beaches to the whales’ playground. Feel the excitement and anticipation as we get closer to the sanctuary, scanning the horizon for our first splash or blow from a mighty humpback. Loud tail and pec slaps, spectacular breaches, curious spy hops and close encounters are just some of the antics these majestic animals display to keep you captivated. Come aboard and join our friendly crew on a magical day surrounded by nature.

www.spiritofherveybay.com Phone 1800 642 544 26

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ASON 2021

CO TOURS Guide Join us on the Milbi, and be guided thought the calm waters of the Great Sandy Strait.

Search for turtles, dolphins and dugongs, and time is set aside to explore, swim or just relax upon the shores of the beautiful islands. It’s here you’ll receive a very warm Welcome to Country by your local Indigenous guide, hear stories from the Dreamtime and listen to the enchanting sounds of the Didgeridoo. The Milbi has glass panels so you can view the beautiful coral reef from the comfort of the vessel or even have a snorkel.

Morning tea and light lunch provided.

www.milbi.com.au

Phone 07 4125 6888

Tasman Venture is an award winning, family owned, tour operator that specialises in up close and personal Whale Watching and K’gari experiences. Half Day Whale Encounters - Tours depart twice daily. Travel on a fast and luxurious catamaran to the whale watching grounds in the fastest possible time, meaning more time with the whales. Includes our NEW & FREE Whale Warrior Program on all tours.

Full Day Remote Fraser Island and Whale Experience - Experience the unique and untouched remote west coast of K’gari and enjoy up close and personal encounters with majestic Humpback whales. Tour includes swim with the whales when conditions permit.

www.tasmanventure.com.au Phone 1800 620 322

Be one of the few not the many! With over 35 years experience in the marine mammal field, we offer one of the most comprehensive whale watching tours in Queensland.

Travelling aboard a comfortable multi award winning sailing vessel allows guests to feel like they are in the heart of the humpback whale playground. Join Hervey Bay’s leading marine mammal specialists for an experience of a lifetime. Your full day tour includes morning and afternoon tea, full buffet lunch and a complimentary drink. K’gari (Fraser Island) Half Day Eco Sailing Adventures and Champagne Sunset Sails from November to beginning of July.

Our quality and experience sets us apart from the rest.

www.bluedolphintours.com.au Phone 07 4124 9600 Alive Magazine Wide Bay |

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27

LO CA L BUS I NES S

REST, REVIVE AT RETREAT RAINBOW BEACH 10TH -13TH OCTOBER 2021 • 3 nights accommodation • Daily morning meditation/pranayama (breathing) • Restorative Yoga sessions as well as flowing Vinyasa classes to uplift you • Yoga Nidra (guided meditation to clear deep tensions from the body and mind) • Cooked dinner on Sunday by Carol (included) • Remedial Massage therapy with the wonderful Ghneine (book in advance, own cost) • Lots of fun and laughs.

Early bird special ends 15 September. Starting from $525/pp.

www.pilates-yoga.com.au/retreats Phone 0491 759 530 28

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M

y name is Teresa, and I am your passionate Pilates and Yoga teacher right here on the Fraser Coast.

It is important to me to create harmony and clarity in everyday life through my mantra “practice what you preach”.

To integrate everyday life into teaching and the philosophy of teaching into everyday life is my intention.

I have a creative approach to Pilates and Yoga, focused on finding a balance between strength and flexibility. I hope to assist with an improved sense of wellness that can be carried from the studio into everyday life.

My studio, Pilates and Yoga freedom to move, Maryborough, has been growing steadily since its inception one year ago.

I have created an environment that rewards growth, learning and success and I feel that this environment affects my clients in a positive way.

I feel that intelligently working in a group setting is empowering. Pilates and Yoga can really make a difference in your health without taking a toll on your body.

The two exercises are often considered similar, but are, in fact, starkly different. Here’s a basic guide to help you understand the ways in which these two popular exercises differ so that you can choose the one that’s best for you or try them both!

Pilates is more new age, although it’s been around for nearly a century. Pilates was founded around 1925 by Joseph Pilates and was mostly used for physical rehabilitation. By emphasising proper breathing, correct spinal and pelvic alignment, and concentration on smooth, flowing movement, you become acutely in tune with your body.

You learn how to control its movement. In Pilates the quality of movement is valued over quantity of repetitions. Proper breathing is essential, and helps you execute movements with

maximum power and efficiency. Finally, learning to breathe properly can reduce stress.

Yoga is a sacred tradition that spawned in India some 5,000 plus years ago. Its purpose was to connect the individual consciousness to the universal blissful consciousness. Together with asanas (postures), breath control, and simple meditation, it improves your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. A short simple meditation at the end of the classes is a nice finish and a good start to what is to come.

Perhaps the most important benefit meditation is promoting relaxation. When we’re relaxed, our parasympathetic nervous system is activated, causing a lowered heart rate, a sense of calm, and a decreased release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. And the benefits of reducing stress are widely known; it can diminish the symptoms of many health conditions including inflammation, anxiety, and insomnia. Plus, reducing stress makes us feel good.

In my practice and my teaching, alignment-based Pilates/ Yoga and vinyasa-style Yoga and Pilates flow coexist well.

Sometimes I blend them together in a class or workshop, and at other times I keep them distinct. The upcoming Spring Retreat will be held from October 10-13, 2021, in Rainbow Beach.

Spring is coming, and that means longer days, warmer sun, and rising sap. Take a brief step away from your daily routine, and let’s reawaken together from our winter hibernation and move in harmony with the season of slow expansion. Nature, nourishing food, rest and reflection, plus a mixture of active and passive yoga practices will help you find balance and melt away the winter chill. You’ll have plenty of free time to hike, swim or reading a book.

Emerge from the retreat feeling awakened and refreshed. www.pilates-yoga.com.au.

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29

ECO L I VI NG

by Ingrid Gorissen

DESIGN WITH NATURE IN MIND T

he inspiration for this column was found right in my own home this month.

Organic designs are styles where you feel one with the environment around you.

They are raw, earthy, rustic and textured in feel and atmosphere.

It incorporates the sky, ocean, fields, bushlands, and deserts.

Something that I always love to do when designing an interior space is to bring the outdoors inside and create a warm and inviting environment where you can feel grounded and connected.

Simple and cost-effective ways to do this is incorporating these elements:

1. Plants (whether it be potted plants or hanging plants or an indoor garden bed) 2. Natural Light (added windows, or cross ventilation, rearranging furniture)

3. Colour (painting feature walls or added wallpaper, styling with colours through throws, pillows etc)

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Inviting Mother Nature into your home through design is an exceptional way to get back to basics, while infusing warmth, colour, purpose, and practicality at the same time.

To truly accomplish organic design is to engage all the senses and pay respect to nature generally and work with its seasons.

Nature has a way of putting some of the most interesting colour pallets together; So, don’t be shy to experiment with colour, texture, and materials.

Let’s focus back to my own home, which I believe is a true living environment and a place where my whole family feels at peace.

I have created this space by looking at what is around me, our beaches, beautiful bushlands, the vastness of Fraser Island and bringing that back in through furniture, colour, and natural light in each room.

Believe me, you can do it too, just don’t be scared to experiment and try new things.

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31

HE A L TH HUNTER

by Rhian Hunter

KEEPING IT CLEAN G

rowing practices can affect produce, allowing the food to absorb pesticides and therefore leaving trace amounts in your meals. For this reason, many of us know that going organic is better not only for the environment, but also better for our health.

You can find organic alternatives for just about everything, from meat and dairy products, to fruits and vegetables, all the way to cleaning products and skin care. But with the overwhelming choices that confront us on the supermarket shelves, organic is often put in the too-hard basket instead of our shopping basket.

Organic produce is also often more expensive than conventional produce and products, so if buying lots of organic foods isn’t affordable or feasible for you then don’t stress about totally making over your grocery list all at once.

Instead, a good strategy to employ may be buying the organic versions of produce that rank among the most contaminated, and then sticking with conventional foods that are least contaminated can save you some coin.

These two lists are referred to as the Dirty Dozen, and the Clean 15, and they offer us a good starting point on our organic journey.

Fruit and vegetables on the Clean 15 list require minimal intervention in order to flourish, and in their non-organic form contain the least amount of nasty pesticides. These foods are: asparagus, avocado, cabbage, rockmelon, kiwifruit, eggplant, mushroom, grapefruit, onion, mango, peas, watermelon, sweet potato, corn and pineapple.

The Dirty Dozen list comprises fruit + veg that are laden with pesticides and other chemicals and they are as follows: apples, capsicum, blueberries, celery, grapes, cucumber, lettuce, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, strawberries and spinach.

If you want to start adding on to your transition list of foods, then I’d also suggest looking for organic/hormone/antibiotic free meat, Non-GMO soy products, and avoiding fish that is artificially dyed to make to make it more appealing to consumers.

Lastly, look to your own backyard, start growing your own herbs, leafy greens and of you have the space, get a few chooks. There is nothing more grounding and rewarding than growing your own foods and seeing this whole cycle from start to finish.

@healthhunternaturaltherapies

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H E A L TH Y RE CIPE

MUSHROOM ALFREDO

by Rhian Hunter

SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE SAUCE 2 TBLS Olive Oil 2 Red Onion, thinly sliced 3 Cloves Garlic, grated 4 Cups of Mixed Mushies ( Brown, swiss, shiitake, etc) 4 TBLS Nutritional Yeast Flakes 1 Cup Soy Milk (Bonsoy) 1/4 Cup Cashews or Tahini Salt & Pepper, to taste FOR THE PASTA 250g Orgran Vegetable Rice Spirals or San Remo Chickpea Pulsa Pasta or Zucchini Noodles ( take your pick ) 60g Baby Spinach & Rocket Leaves 100g Cherry Tomatoes, halved Salt & Pepper, to taste

METHOD:

1. 1. Heat the olive oil in a large non stick frying pan over a medium to high heat and saute off the onion, garlic, mushrooms until soft.

Season with salt and pepper.

2. Transfer half of the mixture into a blender along with the soy milk & cashews (or tahini), blitz until smooth, set aside.

3. Cook Pasta as per instructions, drain, rinse and set aside. If using zucchini just set aside.

4. Reheat the frying pan with remaining mushie mix in it, add the pasta sauce, pasta or zucchini and the remaining ingredients.

Toss to combine and serve once warmed through. Serve with fresh parsley and some more cracked pepper.

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L I V I N G WELL

by Bec Dudley

@bfree2beschool

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

T

his month I am going to share about the word “organic” and how it is used in the current market and how you can spot the difference between “perceived marketed organic” and “actual organic” produce.

Consumers purchasing organic products should be able to feel confident that the ingredients are in fact organic.

Misleading, false or deceptive organic claims are against the law.

What are organic foods?

Organic foods are grown without artificial pesticides, fertilisers or herbicides. Organic meat, eggs, and dairy products are obtained from animals that are fed natural feed and not given hormones or antibiotics. Natural foods are free from synthetic or artificial ingredients or additives.

What is an organic claim?

An organic claim is any claim that describes a product as organic, or the ingredients used to make a product as organic. For example, ‘100% organic’, ‘made using organic ingredients’ or ‘certified organic’.

Products labelled as organic generally attract a premium price compared to those produced using artificial fertiliser, chemicals or pesticides and non-essential food additives or processing aids.

Organic certification is not legally required for a product supplied in Australia to be described as organic. However, businesses that make any organic claims must be able to substantiate those claims.

Organic products standard

Organic products intended for the Australian market are not

required to be certified in order to be labelled ‘organic’.

However, there is a voluntary standard for growers and manufacturers wishing to label products as ‘organic’ and ‘biodynamic’ for sale within Australia (AS6000-2015). As it is a voluntary standard, businesses do not necessarily have to meet the requirements of this standard in order to label and sell their products as ‘organic’ within Australia.

Certified products

Many products carry a symbol, logo or other trademark to show that they are certified organic. This certification is provided by various private bodies and the minimum standards required to get certification may vary.

A business that labels its product as certified organic must ensure that its product is actually certified.

Tips when buying organic

• Read labels carefully to see which ingredients in the product are organic.

• Ask the business about any certification used and do some research if you are unfamiliar with it.

• If no certification is used, ask the business to explain how its processes ensure its product is organic.

If you think you have been misled

Make a consumer complaint to: https://www.accc.gov. au/consumers/complaints-problems/make-a-consumercomplaint Till next month,

Live a Simple, Happy and Healthy Life!

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35

PREP YOUR

Spring

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SK I N C ARE

by Abby Blanke

SKIN FOR

I

just love this time of year; well honestly I love summer the most but really its only around the corner.

Or the O Cosmedics Micro Biome setting spray. Smells like vanilla pina coladas! This helps keep your skin microbiome (your skin’s own bacteria sounds scary but it’s actually really crucial for healthy skin).

Now is the time to look at your skincare routine at home and see if it needs a little adjusting for the warmer months.

These can be applied over make up to just give you that refreshing boost during the day. I always see the team having a quick spritz in between treatments.

Typically winter your skin needs lot of nourishment from ingredients like Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) and a more cream style cleanser.

Micellar waters

In winter, there is less moisture is the air so we tend to feel drier in general. Adding these oils will help seal and lock in not only the moisturiser we put on but our own bodies natural hydration levels.

This is my go to in the morning instead of my full cleanser routine or straight after any kind of exercise. It just balances out my skin, adds the key ingredient hyaluronic acid (hydrated plump skin) and stops that heavy sweaty feeling that the morning can sometimes bring during the warmer months.

When we lead into spring/summer there tends to be a little more warmth in the air and humidity starts to creep up.

Meaning we don’t lose our water content in our skin as quick.

And the extra nourishment we have been giving our skin in winter may start to feel a little heavy or not absorb as quickly as it normally does.

Skinstitut Micellar feels super gentle and doesn’t have any dry feeling for night time and I love O cosmedics Micellar treatment Gel for straight after exercise as it has a antipollutant and protects the skin from any dirt or grime.

If you tend to be a little on the drier side I would suggest using your oil based serum our moisturiser to just night time now, so you are still getting the lipids your skin needs but not too heavy in the day.

Exfoliation!

I must admit I don’t exfoliate a lot during winter as my skin doesn’t really need it. But in spring/summer, the extra layers of sunblock, sweat and oil; sometimes you need more than just your night time cleanse.

A moisturiser that contains hyaluronic acid is a great lighter moisturise that will keep the skin super hydrated and quickly absorb into the skin so you are not feeling like its sitting on the surface or worse sweating it out.

My top go to is:

Multi Functional Peel by O Cosmedics it contains not only enzymes but lactic acid which helps shift redundant cells and clean out the pores.

What should I use during Spring?

Mists

It’s not about completing changing what you are using but just making subtle shifts for the different seasons. If you are unsure or feel like what you have is not currently working come and have a chat and see what we can do for your skin.

I love the convenience of hydrating mists and how they make my skin feel as a huge pick me up, especially if I am outside for the day.

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37

FI TNES S

by Josh Hoodless www.teamlift.com.au

G

NATURAL ORGANIC MOVEMENT

etting bored of your regular gym routine? Not moving as well as you used to? Hips are getting stiffer? The big buff gym junkies and the lean natural movement guys will always argue what’s best for everyone. I’m saying why not do both? It’s always time to get stronger but maybe it’s time to incorporate some challenging exercises or movements that put your body across several functional planes.

What do I mean by planes? Without going too far into functional anatomy, just think of directions. In the gym, most of the exercises are in the same direction; squat, deadlift, lunge, push, pull and even running or riding a bike.

Do these exercises transfer to everyday movements? Sort of, sometimes, but not exactly. We are always bending, twisting, reaching and moving across all directions and sometimes all at once. Wait a moment! That doesn’t mean we need to join the local fitness franchise cult of crawling around on the floor like some crazy animals do we? Of course not.

However, It does mean that we should think about training movement patterns that we realistically do on a daily basis to help keep us limber.

Don’t get me wrong… traditional strength exercises like Deadlifts and Squats are very natural and are the best way to develop overall strength. But, if you’re unable to get into those positions properly then those maximal lifts can get a bit dangerous on your body long term.

Natural movements along with some stretching and flexibility training can improve the body’s ability to move dynamically - especially if you play sport. Sport is a great example of moving and changing directions while making decisions. Something very rare in the gym.

What are natural movements? Some examples are: Ground movements, crawling patterns, different direction stepping/lunging, lifting and carrying, catching and throwing, and also climbing to name a few. Each movement example has several exercises ranging from easy to difficult.

This style of training compliments other styles of training like cardiovascular, strength and speed, flexibility and muscle gain. The dynamic nature of natural movements help to increase mobility while assisting a healthy joint/ muscle relationship. Just remember, what’s natural for one person may not be natural for another.

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Just remember natural doesn’t necessarily mean optimal.

The limitations of natural movement training is the ability to see muscle or strength increases due to the inability to effectively load certain muscle groups to initiate growth.

When doing dynamic complex movements across many planes, the body is only going to use weight that matches the weakest part of that movement. For example, you can bend over to lift a heavy weight but you would struggle to twist and then press the weight vertically.

If you used a weight that was comfortable during the twist and press, then you would be under-training the bend and lift part of the action.

There are limitations of traditional strength training too.

The idea is to use different styles of training, including natural movement, to help with imbalances or weaknesses with certain areas and abilities of YOUR body.

What is your purpose for exercising in the first place?

If you want to be strong - do strength training. if you want to be flexible - stretch. if you want to be fitter - do cardiovascular training. If you want to move your body dynamically - do natural movements. If you want all the above - DO all of the above training.

Always seek out an experienced strength and conditioning coach or personal trainer with great knowledge of functional anatomy to help you move optimally as well as naturally.

TH E B I G C A T CH

SUMMER SPECIES FIRE UP

S

pring is an exciting time on the Fraser Coast as water temps rise, we will start to see our summer species fire up. Mangrove jacks, barramundi and threadfin salmon will be on the mind of many anglers.

Burrum

With the warm spell dusting off the barra and jack gear will be a good idea over the coming week.

Live baits are a great way to target barra and jacks in the early part of the season, but Hardbodie lures casted around the snags have already been getting some nice fish. Whiting have also been active with black bank producing some nice specimens.

Out the front golden trevally and a few mac tuna can be found around the Burrum 8-Mile along with the odd grunter.

Wide Grounds

The wide grounds such as the 25-Fathom hole and southern gutters have been producing a few scarlets, snapper, cod, coral trout and other mixed reef fish. Mac tuna have also been about and should move in closer to the bay for the sport anglers.

Platypus Bay

Platypus Bay has been quiet, with just the odd trevally, snapper and mackerel being reported. As water temps rise, we should start seeing mac tuna move in along with bigger schools of school mackerel.

by Andrew Chorley

Local Reefs

Cod, snapper, coral trout and blackall have been reported coming from the artificial reef. The next few weeks will also see blue parrot become active with live crabs working best on the blueys. Squid can still be found around the rocky outcrops and shallow reefs.

Sandy Strait

The strait has been fishing well of late with whiting grunter, cod and blue parrot being reported.

The flats along the western side of Fraser Island have been producing the better-quality whiting with live yabbies a must have bait.

Try walking the flats when targeting the whiting, often the best fish will come from water to shallow for a boat to get to. Good size flathead has also been active with soft plastics getting the results.

Urangan Pier

Off the Pier, flathead to 2kg, bream, whiting and mac tuna have been on the bite.

The flats around the pier and toward Torquay will also be worth a look for a whiting on the big tides this week.

Hervey Bay Fly and Sportfishing

www.herveybaysportfishing.com.au

Sam Hill with a quality snapper caught off Rooney’s Point

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SM A RT MO NEY

by Kodie Axelsen

GREEN MEANS GO! W ith our health deteriorating with the consumption of highly processed foods, the effects of global warming and mass production, it is no wonder getting back to basics is becoming more popular.

Eco-friendly processes such as organic farming, solar power and electric vehicles are taking over the production lines. They’re also making their way into the finance world with green loans and reduced interest rates for energy efficient assets. Yes, you heard right! Even the banks are getting on the bandwagon!

If you are an earthmoving business and looking to purchase an excavator you can now get energy efficient interest rates based on the energy tier of the asset. If you are looking to purchase solar hot water, solar panels or an electric vehicle charging station you can now get a low rate home loan option to pair with your existing home loan.

Obviously the options don’t end here but they are a couple of examples of the way the banks are fulfilling their obligations to keep the planet green.

We are seeing more organic farming, more sustainable business practices and even more importantly a conscious effort from business people who care for the livelihood of future generations. We have depleted this earth for profit, now lets help businesses grow in sustainable industries with the incentive to achieve growth and positively impact the planet.

They may be small in stature but they are mighty in numbers. The more sustainable businesses we see coming up the ranks the more power we have to make change.

It’s exciting to think that the world is now making solid changes to support sustainability and the health of our planet and humanity. It’s one small step for man and one huge leap for mankind. As always there is much more we can do, but this is a start and we all have to start somewhere.

I invite more conscious business owners to gain knowledge of the options available to them. As always, if you’re looking to purchase energy efficient assets don’t hesitate to call the office and we will be more than happy to help point you in the right direction.

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Photos credit: Splitters Farm

DE STI N A TIO N www.frasercoasttravel.com.au

by Brooke Wilson

MEET THE CHARACTERS OF

Splitters Farm

A little closer to home this month, and a leisurely 90-minute drive north to just past Bundaberg lies Splitters Farm, a 160-acre property bursting at the seams with all sorts of animals, both domestic and native alike.

From humble beginnings as a refuge for neglected or abandoned animals, Splitters Farm has grown into a successful working farm and popular tourist destination.

It is a fantastic way to spend the day with the family, as the kids will love taking the opportunity to meet and hand feed some of the animals, ranging from horses to goats, alpacas to cows, ducks to guinea fowl, and so many more.

The kids can collect eggs from the chooks and taste the honey from the farm’s beehives.

Visitors can choose between a self-guided tour through the farm, walking from paddock to paddock, or opt for the guided tour, going behind the scenes and learning all about the history of the farm from an experienced guide.

After meeting your new furry and feathered friends, head

down to Splitters Creek and try your hand at stand up paddleboarding or kayaking, with all equipment available for hire.

Weather permitting, you can even go for a swim in the creek. If you’re lucky, you may even spot an elusive platypus!

All this excitement will have worked up an appetite, so Splitters Farm offer picnic hampers for you and the family to enjoy down by the creek, complete with local delicacies, picnic rug and cushions.

And if one day just isn’t enough, the farm even offers a farm stay, with the accommodation options of camping sites or glamping safari tents.

Right now is the time to be supporting our local businesses, so if you’re thinking of a quick weekend break with the family, why not head up to Splitters Farm for the day?

It is sure to be a great day out for all to enjoy.

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A L L A BO UT F O O D

by Scott Thompson and Jason England

Fresh FROM FALLS FARM A

t Odyssey we focus on using sustainable, quality ingredients sourced from local small-scale producers.

Every visit to Odyssey Bistro will take you on a new culinary voyage of inspiration and flair.

You’ll be able to taste the farm to plate difference as we bring you the freshest produce from just down the road.

Every Tuesday, one of our team will jump in the car and head off to visit a selection of local suppliers (and uncover new ones).

One of the most important stops on our Tuesday farm run is ‘The Falls Farm’ located in Mapleton, Sunshine Coast.

Driving up into the Sunshine coast hinterland is an experience on its own. As you ascend the mountain you notice the air cooling. The trees and fields become a rich green and give way to an abundance of varied cropping and farming practices.

The growing conditions are ideal and lend themselves to a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, and herbs. The Falls Farm located in Mapleton, has an emphasis on growing rare, unusual, and forgotten food plants.

Although not certified organic, the farm uses organic and regenerative growing practices and only sell what they grow.

As a result, instead of a standard menu dictating our weekly produce purchases, our chefs are inspired by various seasonal options when placing their Sunday order for the coming week.

Our order is harvested the day before we arrive, ensuring the purchases are fresh, bursting with flavour, nutrient dense and healthy.

The first time we sampled The Falls Farm vegetables we fell in love with the crisp and succulent flavours, memorably the carrots imparted an earthiness equal to pulling one from the ground and eating it on the spot.

We knew immediately we had to showcase these vegetables in their raw form so they could be appreciated by all our diners. We serve Crudités as an introduction to our menu and as an option in our snack menu; these vegetables bursting with colour and flavour have been seasoned, dressed, and are complimented with a house dip on the side. www.odysseybistro.com.au

Each week the team at Odyssey endeavour to honour the taste sensations inspired by The Falls Farm produce on offer.

REFLECTING ALL THAT WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE ABOUT FOOD, DRINK, SERVICE AND ATMOSPHERE.

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45

PA RENTI NG

by Amanda Coop

“I

CAN’T believe I’m going to be double figures,” my nineturning-10-year-old says dramatically.

“I feel so old!”

I chuckle at her definition of “old”.

“Kiddo, you’re not even close to old,” I tell her.

“But it’s been 10 years, Mum, 10. Whole. Years.”

She’s not the only one who’s been thinking lately about the decade that has passed since I took a glimpse of my first baby and gasped in wonder at how we had managed to make the most beautiful girl in the world.

Three-and-a-half years later we were joined by the most gorgeous little boy in the world and although I tell him how cute he is, he corrects me – “I’m not cute, Mum. I’m cool.”

A decade of parenting feels like a milestone for hubby and me as well. How is it possible that it feels like forever but no time at all? While I love watching them grow and learn and do new things, seeing photos of them in their smaller, chubbier days tugs at my heart.

To those just starting out in this parenting debacle, I’m not going to say anything as stupid as “enjoy every moment” because honestly, if you enjoy cleaning up poo-explosions or dragging a screaming toddler off the supermarket floor in front of a stunned and rather disapproving audience, then there’s probably something slightly wrong with you.

I don’t expect you’ll relish their first major vomiting episode (spoiler alert: it will happen in the middle of the night, it will involve every piece of bedding in their room and I hope you have a backup of that favourite comfort toy) and toilet-training is not something I can honestly claim to miss.

What I will say is embrace it. Make the most out of every day. There is something good in even the crappiest of days, even if it’s just watching your beautiful little person sleep peacefully after pushing you to the absolute end of your tether.

Take lots of photos – and be in lots of photos with them. I’ve always been a camera-dodger and being on the wrong side of the lens too often in their earliest years is probably my big regret.

If you’re going to co-sleep, enjoy it. Be comfy. Be safe and sensible about it (safe co-sleeping guidelines can be found here: Cosleeping with your baby | Red Nose Australia).

Don’t feel guilty. The decision is entirely yours – but if some twit offers you the advice “once you put them in there, you’ll never get them out”, ask them how many adults they know still co-sleeping with their parents. More accurate advice would be: “Once you put them in there, they’ll kick you in the face 42 times and manage to take up an entire king-size bed even though they weigh 12 kilos.”

Apart from that, just love them and do your best.

And when it comes to glitter, just say no.

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EMBRACE THE LITTLE THINGS

FAMILY 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

F A M I LY . P O R T R A I T . F O R M A L . C O M M E R C I A L WWW.JOYBUTLER.COM.AU

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L I FE CHA T WI TH M I CH E L L E

by Michelle Robinson Bach. Counselling.

Dip. Clinical Hypnotherapy

W

hen is it time to move on?

RESPONSIBILITY LIES WITH YOU

Last month I was fortunate to be a presenter at the Energy and Wellbeing Expo, held at the Brolga Theatre in Maryborough.

During the weekend I also offered short intuitive counselling sessions and some Oracle Card readings with my own Oracle Deck, ‘The Daily Compass’.

After 13 sessions with a range of lovely individuals, I realized that one challenge kept recurring in the lives of those who were seeking my help.

That challenge is summed up in these two questions:

How can I tell if my relationship has reached the end of its natural life? When is the right time to move on, and how do I know?

Of the 13 people I worked with that weekend, 12 had significant issues with a partner. Most had been in the relationship for several years, sometimes even for decades, and the prospect of breaking up was very stressful. It was stressful even though these individuals recounted many examples of poor treatment, unkindness, threats and sometimes even abuse.

What they were seeking, was for someone (me) to let them know it was okay to leave that unhappy relationship, and that leaving did not make them a bad person. They desperately needed to know that they deserved a happier future.

I wished I could have helped my expo-friends truly understand that they are responsible for only their life. I know that caring for children and vulnerable adults is the exception to this statement, but, in the world of adults, we are responsible for our own life first and foremost.

No-one has the right to make us feel responsible for theirs.

No-one has the right to bully, control, intimidate, guilt, or harass us into intimacy that we do not freely choose.

So - how do we know when a relationship has reached the end of its natural life?

I have no magic wand answer. This must be a choice each person makes for themselves.

Relationships evolve with time. The feelings and energies shared by partners are organic, changing as each person grows, struggles, thrives and battles through life’s experiences.

We all have our share of good times and hard, and our relationships cannot escape the impact of these experiences.

trustyourintuition.com

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Sometimes we emerge from a significant experience feeling like a different person, with new values, priorities and needs. That can be liberating, life-changing and exciting. We may yearn for ‘something more’ from life, and our partner may not understand us any longer. What felt natural in the past may no longer feel that way, opening rifts of confusion between us.

Sometimes, we, or our partner, become stuck in unhelpful patterns like depression, anxiety, anger, jealousy, and resentment. Life may not feel fair, and relationships crumble under the strain of an unhappiness no-one knows how to fix.

It takes work and commitment to remain emotionally close to a long-term partner.

I share here just a few strategies that may help:

• Communicate your feelings openly and honestly, often.

Take responsibility for how you feel.

• Check you and your partner have a shared vision and direction for the future.

• Find the courage to express what you need from a partner. Listen to your partner’s needs as well. Are you still compatible?

• Seek professional help for any mood disorders or medical conditions that are impacting your relationship.

Take responsibility for your own behaviour and do not feel responsible for anyone else’s.

• Honestly assess if you are valued and loved in your relationship. Know you are worthy of that.

• Always seek professional help if you are at risk, or your partner is at risk, of harm.

If you have given your relationship your best effort, and the natural feelings of affection, love and intimacy have become only a ghost in your memory, then perhaps you will ask yourself if your relationship has reached the end of its natural life. If you feel consistently unhappy or are made to feel responsible for someone else’s unhappiness, assess what these feelings mean for you.

All decisions are always your choice. Your free will must guide your decision making. I would only suggest that when making any important life-decision, you access the best professional advice and support. Make sure the timing is right and look after your own well-being.

Until next time, Blessings Michelle

FRO M T HE SHED

by David Everett

FARMING FUNDAMENTAL IN FEEDING THE MASSES

A

while ago we got a list of the upcoming month’s topics for Alive and this month’s made me figuratively roll my eyes.

Ok, it was probable literal too. ’Organic’ to me is a marketing term, a way to create food elitism and guilt people who can’t afford it to buy it anyway in the mistaken belief that it is better for them.

In case you are wondering, I’m also pro-GMO and pronuclear but that is neither here nor there.

Stick with me ok, or at least for another paragraph or so before you also roll your eyes and move on to the next article.

I’m not a fedora hat wearing, nose up in the air ‘well actually, it’s all chemicals’ type proponent for non-organic food but I will make the point that organic grown food cannot feed the world and that organic does not mean pesticide free.

There is nothing wrong with organic food and I won’t begrudge anyone their choice to eat it but when it’s pushed as a panacea to good health and non-organic farming is demonised to increase the sale of organic products, I’ll speak up.

Locally though and on a small scale, organic is where it’s at, at least for those that have the room and resources to grow it.

I’ve had my fair share of vegetable gardens which to be honest haven’t necessarily been the most successful or even marginally successful really.

Sometimes it’s a lack of follow through, other times it’s just not really knowing what the heck I’m doing.

Another time though it was because I read that letting chickens into your veggie patch is a great way to get rid of weeds and pests. It did work but considering they also ate all of our fresh seedlings, established plants and wrecked my beautiful neat furrows so ‘worked’ is probably more accurate than ‘successful’.

I am of course the living embodiment of the $20 tomato.

I get enthused about making the garden beds and setting everything thing up ready for a grand harvest but then fail to properly manage the plants, not really understand what I’m doing, fail to recognise diseases before they take hold, overwater everything and then not water enough, and then at the end of it all, finishing with a dozen beautiful tomatoes and a basket of stunted zucchini and capsicums to show for our investment of time and money.

Needless to say, I am incredibly impressed by anyone that knows what they are doing and can make it work, especially in the suburbs. Then if they can do it by managing the pests and getting quality produce through organic techniques I’m in awe.

I have a dream yard should we ever get to own our own place again and it is organic or at least along organic lines.

My pool is ‘chemical free’ by being filtered through sand, plants and the intestines of native fishes, there is a large centrally located raised veggie beds where everything is rotated and gives enough for us to share with those around us, a couple of native bee hives strategically placed and a corner that is a miniature rainforest.

Also a pumpkin on a trellis. I don’t know what it is about the idea of a pumpkin on a trellis but the idea of it has captivated me since accidentally growing one on a wire fence many years ago. Watching the stalk getting thicker and thicker so as to compensate for the weight of the gourd was fascinating.

I also like the idea of growing carrots that aren’t lush green tops with deformed miniature orange blobs attached or broccoli that isn’t destroyed by pests. Maybe even time the intermittent planting of lettuces so that we can continuously graze them rather than eating two and watching the rest go to seed.

Ah, the simple things in life that I am sure I am capable of but just like fishing, never quite manage to be successful at. Happily though there are other fields that I can hold head up high about so swings and roundabouts.

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INSPI RA TI ONS

SEPTEMBER inspiration

by Alison Dunlop

Alison’s Guidance this Month:

Don’t try and be someone else, be organically you. The lyrics of Peruquoise, “Love Yourself” says it perfectly!

Walk for a day in someone elses shoes/ you will see that they struggle with themselves/just like you Be yourself/ don’t try to impress/Baby, there is no one else quite like you!

Capricorn Dec 22 -Jan 19

Cancer June 21- July 22

Aquarius Jan 20 - Feb 18

Leo

September is Spring and things will be blooming for you! Don’t keep yourself hidden. You are meant for great things!

Be the change you wish to see. Make it happen!

This month is about staying connected.

Some Aquarians love being social, so make an effort to nurture those friendships. Family time is also indicated.

It is so easy for you to be dragged down by negative people. Spring is the perfect time for you to make the change. Keep your mindset positive and surround yourself with positive people. Watch things bloom for you!

Virgo

Aug 23 - Sept 22

Aries Mar 21 - April 19

Libra

Sept - 23 - Oct 23

Aries it’s time to get wild! Good fortune is shining on you this month. Keep your thoughts positive, and you will be winning at life!

Taurus

April 20 - May 20

Taurus slow it down! Don’t be so busy with life, that you forget to nurture yourself. September is a great time to spend with your loved ones. Give them a hug and show them you care.

Gemini May 21 - June 20

Time to realise you do have what it takes!

Flick away self-doubt and believe. The universe is your biggest cheer leader, so take a leap of faith and go for it!

Alison Dunlop Kinesiologist. Find out more at: www.alisondunlopkinesiology.com.au (This month’s cards are drawn from The Modern Oracle of Essential Oils by Katy - K.) Alive Magazine Wide Bay |

July 23 - Aug 22

Pisces Feb 19 - Mar 20

Okay, time to get moving. Get off the couch and stop procrastinating! Move yourself both physically and mentally.

Go for a walk, and or get started on those long awaited projects.

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It is indicated this month that exciting opportunities are coming your way!

Keep being positive and embrace this change.

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Virgo, it is time for you to renew your faith in the universe. You cannot control every situation in life, this will simply overwhelm you! Trust that the universe will assist you to achieve the best outcome.

Is it time to close the chapter on something? You do know, when one door shuts another one opens. This could open up an amazing opportunity for you!

Scorpio

Oct 24 - Nov 21

September is the month to get out of your comfort zone, and do what it takes, to get what you want! You have a lot of potential, so believe in yourself and go for it!

Sagittarius Nov 22 - Dec 21 No more sitting in the shadows for you. It is time for you to stand up and be heard! Do what you need to do to harness that inner strength. After all, you are amazing!

RE A DE RS ’ G ALLERY

Crosswords of the month

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Last month’s solution

Tony Mosley

RECLINE YOU DESERVE IT Ask box office for more details

Now Showing

128 Boat Harbour Drive, Pialba

Starts 9th Sep

Starts 16th Sep

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