Brilliant-Online Magazine | The Celebration Issue | October 2021

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The Scrapbook by Angus Gill was #1 on the ARIA Top 20 Australian Country Albums for the week of 11 October 2021

CELEBRATIONIssue

INSIDE: Brilliant-Online celebrates Angus Gill #1 on Aria, opening of the new Sancrox Real Estate and Xpace Singapore businesses, Utopian Living Spring Fashion, LGBT history month.

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NOTE FROM OUR EDITOR ✦ ‘Celebrate good times!’

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K, we don’t want to get too carried away but it can’t be denied there is much room for optimism after the travails of recent times.

Spring is upon us, the weather is turning and the countdown to Christmas has begun. The news that restrictions are being lifted by the government suggests, while we are not yet through the woods, the fight against COVID is making positive strides. If ever there is a reason to celebrate then that’s it!

We adopt this approach in the latest edition of Brilliant-Online where we celebrate many fabulous stories; we take a look at LGBT History Month, taking place this October in Australia, celebrating inclusivity and equality with an interview with Stu Doherty and his Amazing Mardi Gras stories.

We also look at LGBT in the sports world and learn how it is continuing to make strong progress.

Angus Gill whose latest album “The Scrapbook” peaked at number one on the Aria chart’s Australian Country Albums.

We celebrate Halloween, spring fashion from Utopian Living, and new business ventures from the likes of Sancrox Real Estate and XPACE in Singapore.

There is so much to celebrate this October that we hope you enjoy!

Ben Tirebuck

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chrissyjones@brilliant-online.com Brilliant-online.com

Brilliant-Online is more than a one dimensional read. It is an empowering read for progressive individuals and dynamic businesses pushing for a better world in the digital era. Born witty, Brilliant unveils an online magazine featuring a variety of digital interactive content that makes it similar to the magical Daily Prophet newspaper from Harry Potter.

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ABOUT BRILLIANT

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In the arts and entertainment space we celebrate Wauchope wunderkind

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IN THIS ISSUE 1

Featuring Angus Gill, “The Scrapbook” On The Cover

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Utopian Living - Unique Handcrafted Jewellery

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Note from Our Editor

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About Brilliant

Brilliant PRIDE COMMUNITY 8

It’s Ok To Be Queer – Celebrating LGBT History Month

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LGBT Is Still Facing Huge Challenges In The World Of Sports

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Stu Doherty's Amazing Mardi Gras Stories

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Same Same Not Different With Gaye White

Brilliant BUSINESSES 22

Sancrox Real Estate Opens Their Big Red Doors

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Turnover Is Vanity, Profit Is Sanity But Cash Flow Is Reality

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Utopian Living - Spring Runway Styles

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Let’s Talk About Ideas For Businesses In The Never Normal World

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Hybrid Workplace – Is This The Normal In This ‘Never Normal’?

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New XPACE For Food Dreamers And Creators In Singapore

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Playing Is Learning For Life At TG's Award Winning Gardens

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Blackstone Minerals Limited - Ta Khoa Project

Armidale, NSW Uralla, NSW Hastings St Wauchope, NSW High St Wauchope, NSW Riverbreeze Wauchope, NSW Urangan, QLD TG's Child Care - We're Hiring early childhood educators Part 1: Branding Blackstone Minerals As The Nickel Producer Part 2: Gearing Up For The Real Impact Of ESG Part 3: Downstream Business And The Art Of Nickel Production Part 4: Mine-To-Market Nickel Business

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I N TH IS ISSU E

Brilliant INVESTMENTS

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From Kaolin Producer Into High Grade Silica

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Green Compressors Are Taking Sprintex Limited Into The EV Space

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Venture Minerals Limited Is A Green Tin Player

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Exploration Patience Is The Key To Gold Discovery For Kingwest Resources Limited

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Looking For The Next Gold Mine In The Pilbara With Caeneus Minerals Limited

Brilliant HEALTH 70

Do Something About That Frozen Shoulder

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Subscribe And Win My Blue Tea Superfoods

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The Eclipse Program

Brilliant ART, ENTERTAINMENT & COMMUNITY 76

Angus Gill “The Scrapbook”

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October 2021 At Wauchope Creative Hub

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No Tricks, Halloween Is A Real Treat!

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Malibu Mojito Mocktail Recipe

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Discovering The Amazing World Of Tim Walker's Story Boxes

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Vegetable Growing Tricks And Tips From Greenbourne Nursery

Brilliant CHRISTMAS 92

The Happiest Gingerbread Folk Ever

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Plan Brilliantly For Your Christmas Promotions

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Pura Vida - Alto Flax Linen Bag Sale

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Dallas Dellaforce: ➸Daniel Jay Cater, Makeup Artist, Designer and Performer

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B RI LLIA NT SPRI N G

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Brilliant PRIDE COMMUNITY ✦

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IT’S OK TO BE QUEER – CELEBRATING LGBT HISTORY MONTH ✦ “It’s more than an issue. This is our life we're fighting for.” - Harvey Milk

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iversity in all aspects of life is absolutely imperative to how to we interact, learn and grow as a species. While we may all be created equal, we do share so many differences and this is the key to providing variety and vibrancy of life.

It sure would be a boring world if we all liked the same things, ate the same food, watched the same movies and enjoyed the same music - likewise if we all shared an identical sexual preference.

Being queer is ok. In fact it is more than ok – it is a fundamental given right to those of us free to pursue individual interests and preferences. Embrace who you are as you’re not different unless defined so, usually mistakenly or inappropriately.

The global Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community have had to fight hard against outdated, misplaced opinions, stereotypes and discrimination. In

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✽ "Being queer is OK. In fact it is more than OK – it is a fundamental given right to those of us free to pursue individual interests and preferences. Embrace who you are as you’re not different unless defined so, usually mistakenly or inappropriately."

one way it seems quite absurd that homosexuality and sexual identity are still very much contentious issues in certain parts of the world; in Russia the LGBT community still face formidable barriers to enjoying their fundamental rights and China has a long way to go on the issue if they are to be seriously considered a global super power of the 21st century. Even Thailand, much lauded for its sexual diversity, only very recently postponed without reason the hearing on a law approving same sex marriage.

However, there have been significant strides elsewhere. The words “lesbian,” “bisexual,” and “transgender” were used in President Barak Obama’s State of the Union address in 2015; in January this year, Joe Biden repealed a law introduced by predecessor Donald Trump banning transgender Americans to openly serve in the military.

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In popular culture, we saw LGBT athletes win 32 medals at the recent Tokyo 2020 Olympics and examples of triumph and success from members of the LGBT community in the arts and entertainment industry are now commonplace. In late September, Beatrice Luigi Gomez became the first person from the LGBT community to be crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2021, quite an achievement in a country renowned for its hardline Catholic beliefs.

Month Long Observance The LGBT History Month is a time when the LGBT community celebrate diversity, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. This is celebrated in Australia this month, October.

The month long observance was founded in 1994 in the USA by Missouri high-school history teacher Rodney Wilson to commemorate the first and second marches on Washington in 1979 and 1987 for LGBT rights. It strives to provide role models, build community, and represent a civil rights statement about the contributions of the LGBT community. As of 2020, LGBT History Month is celebrated in Hungary, the USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Ireland, and the German city of Berlin.

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Beatrice Luigi Gomez became the first person from the GBT community to be crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2021.

October is chosen to celebrate LGBT History Month in Australia to specifically coincide with National Coming Out Day on October 11; similarly there is International Lesbian Day on October 8, Asexual Awareness Week from October 24-30 and Intersex Awareness Day on October 26. The following month sees Transgender Awareness Week every 2nd week of November and Transgender Day of Remembrance November 20.

Camp Out

Australia has come a long way from the dark days when male homosexuality was prosecuted as a criminal act in every jurisdiction of the newly federated Commonwealth. For much of the 1900s the law stipulated imprisonment for up to twenty years for homosexual acts. Sodomy remained a hanging offence in Victoria until 1949. Thankfully, the last 30 years of the century especially, saw every one of those laws consigned to history.

The annual month-long observance began in Australia in October 2016 when Minus 18 organised the first Australian LGBTIQ History Month in partnership with the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives, and Safe Schools Coalition Victoria.

The LGBT community still has a way to go until it is truly accepted as equal but positive strides are consistently being made and celebrations like LGBT History Month are integral to the movement’s objectives.

The most prominent event celebrating LGBT is, of course,

the world-famous Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Held annually on the first Saturday in March, the event attracts hundreds of thousands of revellers from all four corners of the globe and is one of the country’s biggest tourist drawcards. An extensive variety of events are staged including the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade and Party, Bondi Beach Drag Races, Harbour Party, the academic discussion panel Queer Thinking, Mardi Gras Film Festival, as well as Fair Day, which attracts 70,000 people to Victoria Park, Sydney.

Brilliant-Online is delighted to have conducted an interview with Stuart Doherty (now director of Wauchope Creative Hub) about his experience

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Courtney Act wearing Stu Doherty designed costume in the 2014 Sydney Mardi Gras Parade

Read Stu Doherty's Story

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with designing the costumes for drag queens and producing and directing the Mardi Gras shows.

We also interviewed Gaye White about her experience in the LGBT community.

Then there is Camp Out, which offers youths between the ages of 13-17 throughout NSW the chance to attend an away-from-home camp with people who share similar experiences, offering “a supportive and safe space to learn and express yourself, an opportunity for capacity building and a fun environment in which to do so.”

This year the camp was held from September 27 to October 1 with an array of entertainment options on offer such as art, music, sports, games, movie nights and bonfires.

Additionally there were open workshops and informal discussions

on topics such as identity and what it means to be LGBTIQ-identified, questioning your gender or sexual orientation, dealing with homophobia & transphobia, coming out in highschool, coming out to parents or friends, and how to be a supportive LGBTIQ ally.

Ultimately Camp Out is all about fostering a safe, open, inclusive community, providing the opportunity to hang out in a place where you’re not judged for who you are, or who you like. As the website states, “We aim to create our own world, guided by unanimously agreed upon facets of queer and feminist politics. We aim to create a safe, creative, nourishing and inspiring environment through which The Collective members organise, and project into the Camp itself.”

This approach is one very much advocated by local Port MacquarieHastings resident Gaye White whose business Infinity Co. Evolve located at The Wauchope Creative Hub specialises in food, yoga and fitness.

“Communication is the key,” says

Gaye when asked how the wider community can move positively to embrace the issue of LGBT. “Total acceptance of others in the way they experience life as we all take different paths to the same destination. Asking questions and listening to people’s journeys.”

Read Gaye White's Story

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October is chosen to celebrate LGBT History Month in Australia to specifically coincide with National Coming Out Day on October 11; similarly there is International Lesbian Day on October 8, Asexual Awareness Week from October 24-30 and Intersex Awareness Day on October 26. The following month sees Transgender Awareness Week every 2nd week of November and Transgender Day of Remembrance November 20.

Brilliant-Online wholeheartedly celebrates all forms of diversity and inclusion and is proud to shine a light on LGBT History Month. Let’s be inclusive and celebrate this occasion together as one!

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LGBT IS STILL FACING HUGE CHALLENGES IN THE WORLD OF SPORTS ✦ Increased inclusion can have a transformative impact

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ctober is LGBT History month in Australia, a time when we celebrate and further promote the merits of equality and inclusion.

However, despite significant progress made in recent years for the LGBT community to achieve acceptance and equality in society, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and other barriers are still, unfortunately, prevalent in the sports arena.

When we consider that it was over 100 years ago when tennis great Bill Tilden proudly confirmed he was homosexual, thus becoming the first athlete of note to do so, we have to seriously ask how much ground has been covered and how much subsequent progress has been made.

There have been notable examples of athletes over the years coming out as gay, lesbian and transgender with the likes of Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and Caitlyn Jenner springing to mind but the number has been nowhere near enough.

Many cite the “macho” nature of traditional, maledominated sports such as football (soccer), rugby, boxing and the likes of the NFL in the United States as reason for LGBT athletes not to come out and it is believed the fear of abusive chants, threats, bullying and physical assault lead many players to hide their sexuality.

Australian rugby league player Ian Roberts was the first major sports personality in Australia to come out when he posed nude for a gay magazine in 1995 and spoke about being “part of a different group... an outsider.”

Roberts recounts times when he was assaulted by fans while walking from the field of play and an instance when he was knocked unconscious after a vicious attack while walking the Sydney Harbour forecourt.

More recently, Roberts aired his displeasure at the lack of progress and condemned Australia’s main sporting bodies for making “empty promises” to eliminate homophobia, as a collection of groundbreaking new studies reveal ongoing harm to young LGBTQ+ people in sport.

This trend was not helped by the hugely controversial and outspoken comments of devout Christian Israel Forlau who said on Instagram in 2018 that homosexuals would go to “Hell... unless they repent of their sins and turn to God.”

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Bill Tilden, 1924: Full-length image of American tennis player Bill Tilden (1893 - 1953) hitting a tennis ball. Tilden was the only man to win the US championships for six consecutive years, 1920 - 1925.

Photo Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

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However, progress has been made, even if it has been sluggish, and the change and maturing of attitudes in wider societal circles have had a positive measurable impact in the sporting world.

The recently-staged Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games were widely considered a triumph for the LGBT community with a record number of athletes who have come out participating.

Australia had nine LGBT athletes competing in Tokyo, including tennis veteran Sam Stosur, women’s rugby sevens player Sharni Williams, basketballer Leilani Mitchell and footballer Sam Kerr.

We now have powerful figures in sport that represent the LGBT community and provide a voice to the cause. US women’s football star Megan Rapinoe is a prime example of someone that has excelled in her sport and used her fame to propel off-pitch activism. Her clashes for controversial US President Donald Trump are well documented and lauded by supporters of minority rights.

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RUGBY7-OLY-2020-2021-TOKYO-AUS-CHN Australia's Sharni Williams (C) runs to score a try in the women's pool C rugby sevens match between Australia and China during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Stadium in Tokyo on July 29, 2021.

Photo Credit: Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

The Gay Games will be hosted in Hong Kong next year. It will be interesting to see how this is embraced in a location that has increasingly and unwillingly become just another Chinese city, especially given Beijing’s archaic views on the subject.

We also have the World Gay Boxing Championships, founded by 45-yearold Aussie Martin Stark, which will be held in 2023 in Sydney to coincide with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and when the city will also host World Pride.

There is clearly still much work to be done and the LGBT community still has a battle on its hands within the sporting world to achieve full acceptance. However, the signs are definitely there that progress is being made and we can, hopefully one day soon, all embrace the wonder of sport in a united fashion, regardless of sexual preference.

Portland Thorns FC v OL Reign SEATTLE, WA - AUGUST 29: Megan Rapinoe #15 of the OL Reign dribbles the ball during a game between Portland Thorns FC and OL Reign at Lumen Field on

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Read The Full Story

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August 29, 2021 in Seattle, Washington.

Photo Credit: Jane Gershovich/ISI Photos/Getty Images

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STU DOHERTY'S AMAZING MARDI GRAS STORIES ✦ Where fashion meets drag in high performance arts

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ay Mardi Gras and a riot of colours, music, parties and parades come to mind.

Mardi Gras in Australia, also known as the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, is a LGBTQI+ not-for-profit member-based organisation that produces the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade and Festival and several other events and supportive initiatives throughout the year.

Sydney Mardi Gras Timeline

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Every year, Mardi Gras brings together LGBTQIA+ communities from all around the country where we gather in a colourful explosion of selfexpression, celebration and protest.

The glittering Parade and Festival are a demonstration of the amazing power of passion, creativity and community.

Brilliant-Online speaks to Stu Doherty from Wauchope Creative Hub about his Mardi Gras experiences and he has quite a number of very colourful stories to share.

What is Mardi Gras like in Australia?

We have the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras here, which is a festival attended by hundreds of thousands of people from around Australia and the world. It is held in March each year.

As you can imagine, it is a huge event!

In fact, Mardi Gras pumps more than 30 million dollars into the state economy each year. So I'd say we do take Mardi Gras rather seriously here-

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we want to have some serious fun and get the celebrations going!

Mardi Gras today includes a variety of events such as the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade and Party, Bondi Beach Drag Races, Harbour Party, Academic discussion panel Queer Thinking, Mardi Gras Film Festival, Art exhibitions as well as a huge Fair Day. It feels like you simply do not have enough time to experience all of the events!

How did Mardi Gras come about?

We need to jump into a DeLorean and travel back to 24th June 1978 and set the time machine to exactly 10 pm.

There was a night-time celebration following a morning protest march and commemoration of the Stonewall riots in the US organised by the Gay Solidarity Group. More than 500 people gathered on Oxford Street in Sydney in a planned street "festival" calling for an end to discrimination against homosexuals in employment and housing, an end to police harassment and the repeal of all antihomosexual laws.

Many voices were heard that day, and thanks to that, things have changed and in our present day we can celebrate together as one huge community without fear or prejudice.

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How involved have you been in Mardi Gras and which were your most memorable?

Oh I've got some really great stories to share from my time then! I’ve been involved in Mardi Gras since the early 1990s in various creative roles.

I played two major roles, one as their Costume Designer and the other as their Mardi Gras Party Director.

As a costume designer, did you design outfits for anyone famous?

I started out designing costumes for the big shows at the huge after parties. These were shows that had crowds of like 10,000 people watching my costumes. That was a huge thrill!

I can't explain how that feels like for a creative artist to have this kind of exposure.

In 2014, I was art directing and designing a huge parade entry called The Love Train. It was a spectacular walking parade entry starring Courtney Act. She's the winner of celebrity Big Brother UK. Courtney had just finished filming RuPaul's drag race USA and she came back to Sydney for the event.

I remember walking the parade route with Courtney carrying loads of safety pins, band aids, water and I had my trusty sewing kit as well. You never know what could go wrong on that 4km walk from Whitlam Square to the Showground! It pays to be prepared, especially when you have a costume of that size!

I wish you could have seen the costume. It was mammoth. About 3 metres high and 3 metres wide and about 20 metres long. It was emblazoned with the words LOVE and EQUALITY. I think we really made quite an impact there!

Tell us about your experiences as a Mardi Gras Party Director I was the Mardi Gras Party Director for 2 years running in 2011 and 2012. That was a whole new level and as party director I produced and directed huge production shows with international stars such as RuPaul and Alexis Jordan, along with hundreds of local dancers and drag queens.

The sheer scale of it, and just being with so many amazing artists who all brought so much energy to the events… it was an amazing (and highly exhausting!) experience. One that I'll never forget.

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Midnight show at the 2011 Mardi Gras party starring Dallas Dellaforce

2011 Royal Hall of Industries (RHI) Mardi Gras party

You can imagine how one would react on getting news like that. I was just speechless.

I was directing the 2011 Royal Hall of Industries (RHI) Mardi Gras party starring Dallas Dellaforce which traditionally starred a local drag performer accompanied by drag queens and community volunteer dancers. This show was a mash up of tracks from Madonna and Lady Gaga.

It wasn't just because of the scale of the event, or because RuPaul was someone famous. Thing is, I’m a huge fan of RuPaul and it was just mind blowing to be asked to produce the show of the year.

That year, Dallas Dellaforce and her production team from the 2011 Mardi Gras Show were recognised for their big Diva Moment, so that was very special.

Which were your most memorable Mardi Gras?

I was asked to produce and direct the midnight show in the main hall of Mardi Gras 2012. This was a show that would have an audience of at least 10,000 people, and the biggest wow factor was RuPaul - the international star and creator of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Opportunities like that don't drop from the sky. So it was really a chance of a lifetime and when you get something like that, it totally drives your creative juices to the max. You feel pumped up and want to create the best show ever.

I worked with the best choreographer I knew in Sydney. Minnie Cooper and I had a dozen or so back up dancers and drag queens. There was certainly a lot of creative brainstorming and sharing of ideas, and when you're working with artists of that calibre it really invigorates you. I designed and made all the costumes and that was many hours of intense work. I loved every minute of it.

At the final rehearsal on the afternoon of the event, we had a crisis. RuPaul pulled a huge diva fit and refused to perform. Oh…my… god…Literally. OMG OMG OMG just went flying through my head.

But we didn't have the luxury of time to sit there and be dumbstruck or star-stuck!

It turned out to be a real test for everyone, and I'm not going to spill the whole story. Suffice to say that RuPaul finally did perform to a packed hall in a fabulous gold sequin catsuit. And the rest is history.

Google it if you want to read the gossip, it was a huge scandal back then, but all that aside, personally for me and my team, I was proud to have navigated that crisis. I couldn't afford to lose it. I had my team looking to me to keep the ship running.

As they say, the show must go on.

And the challenge is to stay calm, get creative with possible solutions,

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"RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 4 Finale Party NEW YORK, NY APRIL 30: Winner of RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 4, Sharon Needles attends the "RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 4 Finale Viewing Party at XL Nightclub on April 30, 2012 in New York City.

Photo Credit: Astrid Stawiarz/ Getty Images

focus on damage control and remain steady to doing the right thing.

Oh and I'm still a fan of RuPaul! After all, it does little good to hold grudges, but perhaps I'd say I'm just a notch down the scale of being a huge fan!

RuPaul's Biggest Diva Antics

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Even as I'm telling you these stories from the past it almost feels like my skin can still feel the electrical buzz of the energy of the events. I can hear the pounding of the music and the crowds, you feel the heat and spirit of all the colours and there was just so much going on, and all the festive spirit and such a huge community coming together to celebrate.

What else do you have to say about Mardi Gras?

I'd say that Mardi Gras has evolved and continues to change. It started from a political protest for equal rights through its golden age of the 1990s with all the mega parties and now it is actually struggling to find relevance in the 2020s.

Young LGBTQAI+ youths don’t have the same struggles we did 30 or more years ago. So all the huge parades and parties aren't such a draw card for them.

Both Brilliant-Online and Stu agree that our society has moved on to a place where there is more acceptance and in some places easier for youths to come out and express themselves with less fear of prejudice and discrimination. Of course every situation is different but we'd say in most situations the struggle for acceptance and equality is a lot easier today than it was last century. The recent marriage equality plebiscite is making it easier for today’s and

tomorrow’s youth to live their most authentic lives.

I think Mardi Gras has become more of a tourist attraction now and that's great for Sydney’s economy.

For me, I am thankful I had my crazy, wild, fun and creative days and some cool photos to remind me of the fun times! I’m happy now at Wauchope Creative Hub living my creative life in a much more relaxed way. Mardi Gras has evolved as an event over the years, and so have I! We may not have crazy loud music and mammoth costumes at Wauchope Creative Hub, but we do have an artistic community that are coming together to share and exchange skills and inspiration.

This is something that has driven me all my life and I am so proud to have this beautiful space now to continue evolving in my artistic life together with so many other amazing artists!

For Brilliant-Online, inclusivity means total acceptance of others in the way they experience life as we all take different paths to the same destination.

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SAME SAME NOT DIFFERENT WITH GAYE WHITE ✦ Celebrating LGBT History Month

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Gaye White (right) with Francessca O'Donnell

Let’s Be Direct About This Subject. As a member of the LGBT community, how are you any different?

“Same same, not different.” I believe in recognising everybody’s uniqueness as part of the oneness of humanity. In a world where so much can divide, I look for the similarities that connect us . What I see within others must be within me. Love does not discriminate, love is love.

What is life like being different?

I experience being same-sex attracted as my natural expression of self so the ‘difference’ is assumed by the view lenses of others.

You ask about growing up, well exploring your sexuality as a teenager comes with its own set of growing pains. With extra layers of judgement and seeking approval of self and from family, many times it was challenging to navigate.

Coming out was perhaps my point of difference, blessed to be supported by friends and mentors.

I feel so very fortunate to live and work in a country where same-sex couples have marriage equality and human rights to be true to themselves without discrimination regardless of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. Minorities in all cultures still have a long way to go and we all carry stories as a collective when there is still a bridge to gap to defend love.

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Conversations, communication is the key. Total acceptance of others in the way they experience life as we all take different paths to the same destination.

Asking questions and listening to people’s journeys . “Come from a place of love” my girlfriend always says. I say embrace empathy, kindness is a feelgood two-way connection.

What is your business about?

Gaye’s Artisan Bar + Food Botanicals “Sun Soaked Citrus” Infinity Co. Evolve is a trio of passions: Food + Yoga + Fitness. We cater for Event Food mainly boutique weddings and celebrations @ Out There Escapes along with regular Sunday Yoga.

Another branch to the business is Beechwood Botanicals encompassing

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the “Sun Soaked Citrus” range we are highlighting here. The citrus fruit is hand harvested locally in Beechwood, sliced into wheels and dehydrated for up to 24 hours. Oranges, lemons, Tahitian limes, blood oranges, grapefruit, lemonades and kumquats, The Citrus Allsorts! They can be used to infuse a cocktail, mocktail, tea or complement a cake or dessert. Also I love to dip the orange halves in dark chocolate. To really dress up your drinks try glass rimming with the range of Tahitian Lime Salts or with Coconut Sugar also available. The dehydrated citrus is ground into a dust and mixed with salt or coconut sugar to make this mix also can be used in drinks and to enhance the flavour in cooking.

Also loving the lemon myrtle line evolving - the 100% pure dust which is magic in literally everything. A herbal tisane (tea) has so many superfood health benefits and Lemon Myrtle Syrup is being crafted at the moment.

As the citrus season comes to an end, I’m looking forward to the sun soaking

Gaye’s artisan bar at Infinity Co. Evolve

a summer tropical mix of fruits.

Dehydrating is a sustainable way to get longevity out of gifts from nature and 100% natural.

Malibu Mojito Mocktail Recipe

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How can the wider community embrace LGBT?

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Where to buy your products?

The range is at The Wauchope Creative Hub, 9 Cameron St. Businesses, bars or food outlets interested in decorating drinks or garnishing the plate can request a product catalogue and love to gift a sample to try.

Happy to post any orders to the public too.

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Congratulations to Chris and Tanya Gill on the opening of their new agency Sancrox Real Estate

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Brilliant BUSINESSES ✦

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SANCROX REAL ESTATE OPENS THEIR BIG RED DOORS ✦ BUYERS ARE WAITING: Chris and Tanya Gill, the owners of the recently opened Sancrox Real Estate are now seeking properties to sell.

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arketing and selling houses is a craft they have been fine-tuning for many years. They first operated a sign business for more than 20 years, and then in 2008 they started an agency, Bago Real Estate in Wauchope which they ran for 12.5 years. They took a break three years ago to finish building their family home at Sancrox.

Now they have returned to doing what they love - finding clients the right property that caters to what they need and want, and is fitting for their present lifestyle and which offers possibilities for their future.

Chris and Tanya have been eager to tell their clients, ¨Welcome to Sancrox Real Estate, 331 Rawdon Island Road, Sancrox NSW 2446!¨ They are really pleased with their new central location. You cannot miss them if you are driving along Sancrox Road. Their cheerful big red door of their site office is very eye-catching.

As they are signwriters as well, their signage is highly visible, and as you approach the Rawdon Island bridge, you will spot them as the last home before hitting the bridge.

Passion for Real Estate Selling houses and pairing up buyers and sellers is a craft, and Tanya and Chris excel at what they do because they genuinely love their work.

Tanya and Chris are well-respected in the real estate industry and they have a substantial list of qualified buyers and prospective

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Born and bred in the Mid North Coast, NSW, Chris and Tanya Gill, husband and wife team at Sancrox Real Estate.

vendors. They pride themselves on giving excellent service, and being open in sharing their knowledge and experience in the real estate market on the Mid North Coast.

Being born and bred in the area gives Tanya and Chris the advantage of knowing the area really well. They formed Sancrox Real Estate to feed their passion for real estate and to share their local knowledge and love for the area.

For Tanya and Chris, their business is built on trust, integrity and attention to details. As long-time locals, they feel the commitment and responsibility to their community to do their best. That is how they have earned the respect in their field over the years. It is all about doing the right thing by their vendors and buyers.

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Finding the Unique Match Whether it is speaking to a vendor or a buyer, Chris and Tanya fully focus on putting together the best deal possible for everyone. They listen to what their clients have to share and also offer suggestions about marketing and strategies.

Every single client matters to them, and whether they are selling or buying, Chris and Tanya want to get the best price for them in a buoyant market.

As each property is unique, Chris and Tanya have to customise their marketing strategies, both to suit the property itself and also to cater to the client's expectations.

Tanya and Chris specialise in lifestyle properties, residential and rural. With restrictions on overseas travels due to the pandemic, many people are looking for a relatively safe investment for their money. This has led to an increase in interest in investment properties. Tanya and Chris have been spending their time getting to know builders, developers and homeowners in and around Sovereign Hills. It is clear the area is becoming a hotspot for investors who are on the lookout for a small townhouse or a property in Sovereign Hills that they can rent out with a view to their future.

Sancrox Real Estate has a comprehensive list of Qualified Buyers with big budgets now. Most are semi-professionals who are looking for a more relaxed lifestyle, away from suburbia. Some are already living and working in Port Macquarie and the surrounding areas. The most highly sought-after properties are semi-rural, on a couple of acres, 3 to 4 bedrooms with a pool. Locations like Sancrox, Bushland Drive, King Creek and Area 13 at Sovereign Hills are proving to be appealing.

Sancrox Real Estate buyers are qualified and ready to buy properties at the moment. Tanya and Chris have certainly made the right choice in following their passion to open Sancrox Real Estate. What they have now on their plate is a great achievement, considering they have only been open for two months.

Chris and Tanya are on hand to help sellers and buyers make a dream a reality. And they are just as satisfied as their clients when a property has found its right owners.

Read The Full Story

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They are easily found via their Facebook page, Instagram or their listings throughout Realestate. com.au and also Domain.com.au

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TURNOVER IS VANITY, PROFIT IS SANITY BUT CASH FLOW IS REALITY ✦ “Banks will lend you money when you don’t need it!”

✶ John Clarke

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friend vented: “Banks will lend you money when you don’t need it!” He’d just borrowed $1m to buy equipment for his engineering business that he had started several years previously. His bank manager said “David (name changed) if you’ve got anything else you want we’d be happy to lend you up to $4m.” David looked at the bank manager and said “It’s a pity you weren’t so helpful when I started the business and was trying to borrow.”

Another time I was in a business where a major purchaser had decided to delay its payments. A year earlier the business had restructured and refinanced. The purchaser’s decision was going to have a major impact on our cash flow and our ability to pay our suppliers and employees.

I always let our bank know what was happening whether it was good or bad. After Rod (name changed) reviewed our previous 18 months finances he said “John the business has done everything it said it would when we refinanced it but you should have borrowed more at the time.” I said, “That’s no problem, just increase the loans now.” His glass eye twinkled ever so slightly as he said “It’s not that simple.” I knew it was Rod’s glass eye as the other eye was still expressionless.

Why do businesses go broke?

The number one reason is that they run out of cash.

Why do businesses run out of cash?

There are three main reasons why businesses run out of cash:

1. They are not profitable in the first place The lack of cash flow is a symptom of poor profitability or even losses.

There’s a problem with the business model. Maybe like the farmers who buy watermelons from their neighbours for 50c each and sell them in the city at two melons for $1. They do a roaring trade but don’t make money. The answer isn’t a bigger truck.

2. They use short-term working capital to fund the acquisition of long term assets Your working capital is used to buy long term assets like property or equipment. Avoid business cash flow issues by not using working capital to buy long term assets unless you’re absolutely sure you have plenty of cash that you won’t need in the near future.

3. The business grows too fast This can result in a build up of inventory and if you give credit to customers a build up of debtors.

Three things to check regularly so you don’t get into a business cash flow problem The cash that the business has available. Accountants call this free cash flow Your working capital burn rate – or the amount of working capital as a percentage of sales. If this is say 30%, then you will need $300,000 in extra working capital to fund an increase of $1,000,000 in sales Your sustainable growth rate. This is the rate you can grow without over borrowing.

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LET’S TALK ABOUT IDEAS FOR BUSINESSES IN THE NEVER NORMAL WORLD ✦ Community engagement is in the Vermilion Pinstripes DNA.

Knowledge-Sharing Series Let’s talk about ideas for businesses in the Never Normal world

Download The E-Book

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hey have been supporting the community since they launched their Knowledge Sharing series in early 2020, striving to help businesses and the community manage significant events that have had a serious bearing on our lives, such as the raging bushfires and the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The latter in particular has brought about a drastic change in various aspects of human behaviour, much of which bears a huge influence on the way businesses communicate and interact. We have very much entered uncharted waters and the need for

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September 2021

✤ “Vermilion Pinstripes believe that in good times or not-so-good times, our community needs to come together to connect, inspire and empower each other for the road ahead” - Koh Joh Ju, Communications Strategist, Vermilion Pinstripes

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✤

guidance, support and solidarity is, arguably, greater than ever.

conveniences were all discussed in detail.

In response, Vermilion Pinstripes created a range of free resources such as e-books, webinars and “Happy Hour” discussions to share knowledge and offer opportunities for businesses to learn from each other.

Brilliant-Online participated in the discussion and heard how similar the local phenomena was across different markets. For instance, people seeking new thrills in old places like caravan living in London parks and glamping on the hard floors of the Singapore Changi airport.

Read The Full Discussion Download The E-Book

Remember, do or do not. There is no try. Meanwhile, stay safe!

Contact Vermilion Pinstripes:

Future Discussions

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In their very first session of Let’s Talk in September, participants from Asia Pacific and Europe discussed a variety of industries, bringing multiple ideas to the table on how they changed their approach towards business. Ideas such as diversification, collaboration, engagement, digitalisation, the creating of experiences and choosing

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This is why they decided to launch a “Let’s Talk” knowledge sharing sessions, a series that talks about the various ways in which businesses can grow in the Never Normal world.

- Adam Hyslop, Moderator in this Let's Talk session)

Vermilion Pinstripes created an e-book that captures the key points raised in that session. Please download and share it with your co-collaborators, colleagues and friends. Better yet, please apply the ideas and concepts to your business.

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As we near the end of 2021 we are under no illusions that we now operate in a “Never Normal” world.

"Our goal is to shed light on the ways that changes and new developments have impacted businesses around the world, and how each managed to adjust and adapt their business strategies to counter them."

+61 40 777 9828 +65 9681 7045 admin@vermilionpinstripes.com www.vermilionpinstripes.com

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HYBRID WORKPLACE – IS THIS THE NORMAL IN THIS ‘NEVER NORMAL’? ✦ Are we ready for a hybrid workplace?

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tressed out, disconnected and unmotivated, these are how people are feeling in today’s environment according to the 2021 Work Trend Index by Microsoft titled “The Next Great Disruption is Hybrid Work – Are We Ready?”.

The report says that the hybrid workplace, a blend of flexible work or work-from-home and on-site work where some employees work in the office, will be the norm.

Adapting to this new norm requires rethinking among business leaders.

1. What is this study by Microsoft on work trends?

The 2021 Work Trend Index is based on a study of more than 30,000 people in 31 countries and the analyses of trillions of aggregate productivity and labor signals across Microsoft 365 and LinkedIn. This report also includes perspectives from experts who have studied collaboration, social capital, and space design at work for decades.

Some of the numbers are staggering.

147%

40.4B

45%

66%

Meetings

Email

Chat

Documents

Weekly meeting time has more than doubled for Teams users and is still rising

Increase in number of emails delivered in February 2021 vs February 2020

Weekly Teams chats perperson are up 45% and still rising

Number of people working on Office documents is up 66% year over year

2. What is this Work Trend Index for and who should use it?

This report is meant for business leaders, stating that society is on the cusp of a new era of work and leaders must see that adapting to the new hybrid model of work require rethinking of the workplace.

3. What are the key findings in this report?

There are 7 key findings: 1. Flexible work is here to stay 2. Leaders are out of touch with employees and need a wake-up call 3. High productivity is masking an exhausted workforce 4. Gen Z is at risk and will need to be re-energized 5. Shrinking networks are endangering innovation 6. Authenticity will spur productivity and well-being 7. Talent is everywhere in a hybrid work world

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4. Is the hybrid model or flexible work really here for good?

However, for PM Link Pte Ltd, one of Singapore’s bestknown independent project management firms, employees have adapted to a flexible work environment. The company provides project management services from initial planning stage to construction project management stage to help developers and building owners achieve their building and infrastructure project goals and objectives.

It looks like it. Even for Singapore which has declared that it will be moving forward to live normally with COVID-19, unlike Australia, New Zealand and China which are aiming for zero cases, the government quickly implemented snap measures such as work from home (WFH) and no crossdeployment of workers to multiple worksites beginning 27 September to curb the wave of infections.

6. Gen Z are feeling the impacts of hybrid workplace. Why?

5. How are businesses in Singapore dealing with the hybrid workplace?

According to Microsoft, sixty percent of this generation between the ages of 18 and 25 say they are merely surviving or flat-out struggling. Why are they feeling this way?

In the building and construction industry, hybrid workplace works for some but not for others.

For Construction Professionals Pte Ltd (CPPL), Singapore’s longest serving infrastructure and building construction professional organisation, working on-site at construction projects had been the norm. A hybrid model would not work. The reason is due to the nature of work for CPPL. “Construction projects require highly experienced, highly qualified and well-trained Resident Technical Officers (RTO), Resident Engineers (RE), Resident Architects (RA) and Design for Safety Professionals (DfS Professionals) throughout the duration of the project. Whenever any of the workers on-site test positive, the entire construction site needs to close for what is known as Safety Time-Out (STO). During this time when the site is being disinfected, construction work must be on hold for health and safety reasons. After the STO, we resume work,” said Cheng Chuah Tan, Managing Director of CPPL and PM Link.

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Apparently, this generation are more likely to be single and early in their careers, lacking the financial means to create proper workplaces at home. They face difficulties feeling excited about work, getting a word in during meetings or bringing new ideas to the table.

7. How are companies helping them?

PM Link, where 80 per cent of employees are below the age of 40, has been proactively engaging with team members with recreational, social and teamwork initiatives.

“At PM Link, we tend to attract young people such as fresh graduates who want to make a difference in the development of Singapore’s built environment. This year, in celebration of our 20th anniversary, our young project managers (PMs) planned and organised team activities for all staff,” said Cheng Chuah.

PM Link - project managers discussing a project

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The young PMs are also given opportunities to form committees where they are tasked to explore new ways of improving work for everyone.

“We have four committees to study four topics including training, technology and quality, try these out and share their findings or recommendations across the company.

For instance, the committee looking into training examine the necessary skills and competencies for PMs at different levels of seniority, taking into consideration competition and changes in the marketplace. They will present their findings, and these will generate more discussions among the employees,” explained Cheng Chuah.

The idea with this is to move away from a top-down culture in which the management decides what is the best, to an environment where the working level decides the pathways that they want to create or undertake.

FoodXervices Inc, one of the top foodservice distributors in Singapore, has a workforce of more than 180 employees, around 60 percent of whom are under the age of 40, COVID-19 has caused the company to implement a flexible hybrid workplace.

“We have implemented and encouraged a more flexible working environment, including allowing work-from-home (WFH) arrangements even after the COVID-19 pandemic eases. We also have regular check-ins with employees to ensure their well-being as we understand that WFH has blurred the lines between work and play. We hope to create a more balanced environment for our employees to minimize the possibility of burn out and also support them in establishing a healthier work routine at home,” said Duncan, Human Resources Manager of FoodXervices Inc.

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✲ “We have implemented and encouraged a more flexible working environment, including allowing work-from-home (WFH) arrangements even after the COVID-19 pandemic eases. We also have regular check-ins with employees to ensure their well-being as we understand that WFH has blurred the lines between work and play. We hope to create a more balanced environment for our employees to minimize the possibility of burn out and also support them in establishing a healthier work routine at home,” - Duncan, Human Resources Manager of FoodXervices Inc

FoodXervices Inc Managing Director Nicholas Ng with his team of employees

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The company’s new building XPACE is a food space for avid dreamers.

Conceptualised back in 2016, XPACE is aimed at helping the local Food and Beverage (F&B) community to collaborate and innovate. Within that building, there are co-working spaces and central kitchens for rent to F&B players.

“We are constantly on the lookout and open to giving our employees opportunities for career development and inter-department/mid-career switches. We also regularly send our staff for re-training courses. Ideally, we will have happier and better skilled employees in the company where everyone feels that they are able to contribute to the best of their abilities.

In turn, we hope this will result in a vibrant and exciting working environment that will attract the best talent in the industry,” said Duncan.

✤ “Employees of any age must be empowered.

To do so, we as leaders and managers need to establish trust with workers and vice versa.

In fact, I see that trust and empowerment work hand-in-hand.”

- Cheng Chuah Tan, Managing

8. What can business leaders do now to help employees adapt to the hybrid workplace?

Culture takes time to build, according to Cheng Chuah, but the step forward to shape the culture for a better workplace is to empower employees.

“Employees of any age must be empowered. To do so, we as leaders and managers need to establish trust with workers and vice versa. In fact, I see that trust and empowerment work hand-in-hand.”

Explaining more about this type of leadership, employees who are given the space to explore and guide others, will be motivated to create new pathways for the collective group of their fellow colleagues.

Director of CPPL and PM Link 2021 Work Trend Index by Microsoft

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“We are all in for a hybrid workplace and have recently introduced new policies that would appeal to employees. For those that prefer working from the office, we have made XPACE a family friendly place with modern and trendy facilities for staff welfare,” added Duncan.

Contact PM Link:

+ (65) 6391 7088 enquiry@pmlink.com.sg www.pmlink.com.sg 1 Gateway Drive, Westgate Tower #24-01, Singapore 608531

Contact Construction Professionals Pte Ltd:

+ (65) 6357 4829 cppl@cpgcorp.com.sg www.constructionprofessionals.com.sg 1 Gateway Drive, #24-01, Westgate Tower, Singapore 608531

Contact FoodXervices:

www.foodxervices.com 218 Pandan Loop #01-01 XPACE Singapore 128408

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NEW XPACE FOR FOOD DREAMERS AND CREATORS IN SINGAPORE ✦ In the western part of Singapore, a six-storey, 22,000-square metre building for avid food makers can turn their dreams into reality.

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nown as XPACE (pronounced as “space”), the new building houses a wide range of facilities from demo and commercial kitchens to presentation and event space for budding food makers with bright ideas to foster collaboration while managing overheads with shared common resources.

And when it’s time to take the creations further, XPACE can provide food safety consultancy for Singapore Food Agency (SFA) certification and submission.

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XPACE, where food makers dreams are made

Explore, Collaborate & Innovate “XPACE was created to be a haven for liked-minded passionate food people to explore ideas, cook, prepare, work, store, discuss, collaborate, innovate, and experiment. It’s the culmination of our dream and the start of many more to come,” said Nichol Ng, CEO of X-Inc Pte Ltd, the parent of a group of companies that has been in the food business since the 1930s.

“We are thrilled to pave the way for a new generation of collaboration that

will hopefully result in a bigger and better food industry in Singapore.”

No stranger to innovations, here are two of the creations by X-Inc’s collaborations with other food makers: • A sustainable ham with no preservatives, made with off-cuts of meat and vegetables, created with Jill's Sausages • The XPACE Xandwich – a pandanflavoured ice cream with charcoal gula melaka cookies – created with The Ice Cream Cookie & Co to pay homage to local flavours

✤ “We are thrilled to pave the way for a new generation of collaboration that will hopefully result in a bigger and better food industry in Singapore.”

- Nichol Ng, CEO of X-Inc Pte Ltd

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New initiatives at XPACE coming up As part of its grand opening celebration, X-Inc will be launching several initiatives in October 2021.

These are: • A social enterprise known as ReXtore that supports X-Properties Inc and other tenants by delivering modular, adaptable and eco-friendly popup spaces in a sustainable and community-centric manner.

• A movement known as Backyard Productions that aims to revolutionise the way good is eaten and grown in Singapore.

This movement will be initiated by food distributor FoodXervices Inc to motivate food and beverage (F&B) establishments in Singapore to support local produce.

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• A platform for F&B and related businesses to innovate, ideate and develop new dishes and experiment with cutting edge technologies. Known as XPACE Xupper Club, this platform will be supporting The Wok People’s vision of bringing to life the cafeteria of tomorrow.

Nichol Ng, CEO, X-Inc (in a dress, seated) speaking to reporters on the official opening of XPACE in Singapore on 30 September 2021.

XPACE is also the headquarters to the X-Inc group of companies. The facility is the realisation of X-Inc’s dream of a greater and better food industry where innovations and collaborations abound. The group is active in the local food ecosystem from foodservice and retail to logistics and property. It has 200 employees, more than 7,000 products and over 4,500 customers.

Learn More About X-Inc

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The Food Bank Singapore, Garrett Popcorn Shops and The Ice Cream Cookie & Co are among the new tenants with more in the specialty packaged food segment expected to make XPACE their home soon.

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Guest-of-Honour at the opening event is the Minister of Trade and Industry, Singapore, Mr Gan Kim Yong. He speaks with the media via video link.

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PLAYING IS LEARNING FOR LIFE AT TG'S AWARD WINNING GARDENS ✦ Early Learning, Child Care, Preschool and Kindergarten

TG’s Child Care offers Preschool and Long Day Care services for children from 6 weeks to 6 years. Check out one of TG’s Child Care near you:

www.tgschildcare.com.au Armidale, NSW Uralla, NSW Hastings St Wauchope, NSW High St Wauchope, NSW Riverbreeze Wauchope, NSW Urangan, QLD

Enrol Now

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➹

Step into any of the six TG's Child Care and you will wish you were a child again and could stay there. Well-known for its award-winning gardens and philosophy of Playing is Learning for Life, what TG's is doing every day is nurturing growth in the children, the communities and the environment.

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✦ TG’s Child Care Armidale, NSW ✦

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✦ TG’s Child Care Uralla, NSW ✦

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✦ TG’s Child Care Hastings St Wauchope, NSW ✦

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✦ TG’s Child Care High St Wauchope, NSW ✦

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✦ TG’s Child Care Riverbreeze Wauchope, NSW ✦

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✦ TG’s Child Care Urangan, QLD ✦

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WE'RE HIRING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS JOIN THE AWARD-WINNING TG'S FAMILY Our Purpose ​ ur purpose is to create and develop independent young minds, encouraging collective thinking with their peers.

O In doing so, the TG's Way becomes a way of life.

​Why be a TG's Educator? ​ o be a TG's educator is to embody the ideal of Playing is Learning for Life. Every TG's educator sees TG's as their T extended family and they love going to TG's every day, as much as the children do. The loving, nurturing environment at TG's extends to the educators too!

TG's educators can be identified by these traits: • ​They love being curious and creative - they invent FUN every day!

• They are keen observers and can identify each child's interests, understand their backgrounds, development levels and experiences and explore ways to grow each child's gifts.

• They make learning fun and relevant for children, combining what the children do outdoors with their indoor curriculum.

• They identify their gifts and those of their team, working towards success as a team.

• They are excellent communicators with families and are excited to involve families in the learning journeys of the children.

As a TG's educator, your gifts and strengths are recognised and matched to each group of children under your care.

You grow in an environment that resonates with trust, support, respect and love.

FIND OUT MORE AND JOIN TG'S FAMILY

NSW: Armidale, Uralla, Hastings St Wauchope, High St Wauchope, Riverbreeze Wauchope QLD: Urangan

www.tgschildcare.com.au

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+ 61 8 9425 5217 admin@blackstoneminerals.com.au www.blackstoneminerals.com.au Suite 3, Level 3, 24 Outram Street, West Perth, WA, 6005

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Ta Khoa Nickel Cu-PGE Project in Northern Vietnam The Ta Khoa Nickel-Copper-PGE Project is located 160 km west of Hanoi in the Son La Province of Vietnam and includes an existing modern nickel mine built to Australian standards, which is currently under care and maintenance. The Ban Phuc nickel mine successfully operated as a mechanised underground nickel mine from 2013 to 2016. In the Ta Khoa Nickel-Copper-PGE Project, previous project owners invested more than US$136m in capital and generated US$213m in revenue during a 3.5year period of falling nickel prices. The project was placed into care and maintenance in mid-2016 during some of the lowest nickel prices in the past 10 years.

Existing infrastructure associated with the project includes an internationally-designed 450 ktpa processing plant connected to local hydro grid power with a fully-permitted tailings facility and a modern 250-person camp.

Since commencing maiden drilling in August 2019, Blackstone Minerals has made significant progress at Ta Khoa, drilling over 9,000 m of diamond core in more than 47 holes into the Ban Phuc DSS deposit and the highly prospective King Cobra discovery zone. An initial scoping study evaluating mining and processing options is well advanced, including potential incountry downstream processing to deliver high-value nickel sulfate into Asia’s rapidly expanding electric vehicle (EV) industry. The recently announced MOU with Asia’s largest and the world’s second-largest EV battery cathode manufacturer, Ecopro BM Co Limited represents a significant step towards making this a reality.

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✺ "Blackstone Minerals is focused on building an integrated upstream and downstream processing business in Vietnam that produces nickel: cobalt: manganese (NCM) precursor products for Asia’s growing lithiumion (Li-ion) battery industry and providing a product with “green” credentials from mine to customer.

We believe our efforts to create a business that value-adds to the products we mine –delivering this in an environmentally friendly way by using renewable hydroelectricity – sets us apart from our peers."

- Hamish Halliday, Chairman

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BLACKSTONE MINERALS 4 PART SERIES BY SAMSO ✦ Part 1 Branding Blackstone Minerals as the Nickel Producer An interview with Tessa Kutscher, Corporate Affairs Advisor ✦ Part 2 Blackstone Minerals gears up for the real impact of ESG An interview with Anna Cranney, Social Performance Lead ✦ Part 3 Blackstone Minerals' Downstream Business and the Art of Nickel Production An interview with Tony Tang, General Manager of Project Development for the downstream business ✦ Part 4 Blackstone Minerals' Mine-to-Market Nickel Business An interview with Andrew Strickland, Head of Project Development

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PART 1: BRANDING BLACKSTONE MINERALS AS THE NICKEL PRODUCER Most companies in the resources sector may have ignored the importance of branding and social media marketing, but not Blackstone Minerals.

one of the most visible mining companies on social media platforms and why would a mining company need to be out there on social media?

"Ms. Kutscher and I talk about how in the mineral resource sector there is a belief that there is no need for branding.

If you think about it, every sector in the commercial world needs branding and companies are pulling out all the marketing stops to keep up a healthy engagement with consumers. So why not mining companies?" says Noel Ong, CEO Samso.

Believe it or not, it is actually a really well-organised strategy. And it is working very well for Blackstone Minerals.

Noel Ong of Samso speaks to Tessa Kutscher, Corporate Affairs Advisor about why Blackstone Minerals is easily

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As Corporate Affairs Advisor, Tessa is the person to go to, to learn about how and why the company is making itself visible in cyberspace. It pays to watch the development of Blackstone Minerals on social media. There is so much Blackstone's history, strategies, timeline, milestones and upcoming projects that are revealed to investors which help them make informed investment decisions.

Coffee With Samso: Tessa Kutscher, Corporate Affairs Advisor of Blackstone Minerals Ltd on the importance of branding and social media in the mineral resource sector

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B RILLIA NT B USI N E SSE S Ms. Kutscher talks about the company's marketing strategies, the changing market space and the use of different social media platforms. Get ready to open your mind to what branding is like for a company in the mineral resources sector. You may just see marketing and mining companies in a completely different light after this.

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Tessa's social media secret?

1. The importance of the MD being seen 2. Different messaging for different platforms as the audience is different

"Ms. Kutscher and I talk about how in the mineral resource sector there is a belief that there is no need for branding. If you think about it, every sector in the commercial world needs branding and companies are pulling out all the marketing stops to keep up a healthy engagement with consumers. So why not mining companies?"

3. Educating Engagements 4. Distribution channels for visibility Tune in to find out how Tessa Kutscher and the Blackstone team keep the company very visible in the internet world.

Ms. Kutscher talks about the company's marketing strategies, the changing market space and the use of different social media platforms. Get ready to open your mind to what branding is like for a company in the mineral resources sector. You may just see marketing and mining companies in a completely different light after this.

About Tessa Kutscher • Corporate Affairs Advisor • Blackstone Minerals Limited • Qualifications: Master of Arts in Political Science, Linguistics and Languages • Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

- Noel Ong, CEO Samso

Ms Kutscher has more than 15 years' experience in C-level executive support in the financial, higher education and mining sector.

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The importance of the MD being seen: Scott Williamson

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PART 2: GEARING UP FOR THE REAL IMPACT OF ESG With ESG being one of the most important criteria from investors and companies in the mineral resource sector, businesses can no longer sit on ESG and expect it to be a fad.

It may well surprise people to know that even commodity pricing and investment decisions are heavily influenced by ESG compliance and the state of the ESG component of the product.

Ms. Cranney explains that Blackstone Minerals is managing the process by instilling the passion of ESG into the DNA of the company. In fact, it is the very core of the Blackstone business.

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Noel Ong of Samso finds out from Ms. Cranney the ins and outs about how a company can start the ESG process and where ESG could go in the future.

Ms. Cranney and her Blackstone team are working on having best practice to make sure all aspects of the business are fully compliant with ESG requirements. She breaks down the whole ESG concept into highly digestible pieces that allow businesses to have a clearer idea of what it really is, and how to start implementing it.

Coffee With Samso: Anna Cranney, Social Performance Lead of Blackstone Minerals Ltd on the impact of ESG

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About Anna Cranney

✲ "We have a vision to build a world class nickel mining centre at Ta Khoa and one of the world’s first green nickel processing facilities. The Ta Khoa NickelCu-PGE project is currently powered by South East Asia’s largest hydro power plant located nearby in the Son La Province. At Blackstone we aim to set an example to the rest of the world and to be a pioneer on building a green nickel mining business for the future demand coming from the rapid growth in nickelrich cathode materials required to power the electric vehicle revolution."

- Director's Report June 2021

• • • •

Social Performance lead Blackstone Minerals Limited Bachelor of Education/Arts from the University of QLD; Graduate Certificate in International Education from the University of Sydney; • Certificate IV in Training and Assessment; • Diploma of Training Design and Development, RMIT; • Graduate Certificate in Social Impact from UWA and the Centre for Social Impact.

Anna Cranney hails from Goondiwindi in Queensland but moved to Perth a number of years ago to work within the extractives sector. She has over 13 years of experience working social performance, capacity building and community development programs. A decade of this has been time spent working regularly in Timor-Leste.

Ms Cranney has worked across industries and sectors including oil and gas, construction, education, not-for-profits, and in the aid and development sector. Her passion is in embedding impact-focused ESG programs across technical teams and operations on major projects, and helping the extractives sector use a partnership approach with communities and not-for-profits to deliver long-term outcomes.

Anna has recently joined the Blackstone Minerals team to continue to develop their ‘green nickel’ strategy and embed ESG across the business, with a particular focus on their TaKhoa project in Northern Vietnam.

My role is to embed ESG and flesh out Blackstone's ESG credentials early. I anticipate ESG challenges, address them and engage with stakeholders on ESG compliance.

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PART 3: DOWNSTREAM BUSINESS AND THE ART OF NICKEL PRODUCTION Tony Tang brings deep insights into how Blackstone Minerals is making the business of nickel production bulletproof. The chemistry, the cooking process of making nickel products is like the simple art of brewing the perfect cup of coffee.

The process, from growing the beans to making that perfect brew, is the same as what is happening in Vietnam.

There is an art to the precision and the masterful process of making sure all the

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✲ "This is the best time to be accumulating stock.

You are now at the "Sure Thing" part of the market."

- Noel Ong, CEO of Samso

Coffee With Samso: Tony Tang, General Manager of Project Development, Blackstone Minerals Ltd Downstream Business and the Art of Nickel Production

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B RILLIA NT B USI N E SSE S finer elements are measured and calculated to ensure the end product is of the highest quality.

This is the best time to be accumulating stock. You are now at the "Sure Thing" part of the market. Noel Ong, CEO of Samso The stage at which Blackstone Minerals is right now is a time when investors tend to start losing patience and turn their interests somewhere else. Take a pause and listen to Tony Tang. He is one big reason why investors need to adopt a different perspective of this period of lull.

Take this time to deep dive into the business and learn as much as you can about it. When investors are well-informed, they can then take position. Bear in mind there has been quite a bit of de-risking taking place and the market is actually improving.

Nickel pricing is buoyant and most importantly, the future looks bright and secure.

At Blackstone Minerals, the team works as one to create a cost efficient and ESG compliant process.

What is even more noteworthy is how the team members are all on the same page and have ESG instilled in their DNA. Everyone is working with the belief and understanding that this business is one that is made to work for all involved and not just for the market.

Listen to Mr. Tang on his downsteam business at Blackstone Minerals

About Tony Tang • General Manager - Project Development (Downstream) • Blackstone Minerals Limited • FAusIMM(CP) • BSc Chemical and Metallurgy • Cert IV frontline Management Project Management • HAZID, HAZOP, CHAZOP facilitator/leader As a highly-experienced hydrometallurgical engineer, Tony is instrumental to Blackstone's plans to expand downstream refining capacity and technical capability.

His experience is invaluable to Blackstone's Downstream Business Unit (DBU), which includes plans to attract customers, design and construct a pilot plant in Vietnam, and ensure NCM precursor production meets battery-grade specification.

Tony Tang has vast experience in commodities like nickel, cobalt, scandium, gold, silver, copper, rare earth, lithium, and minerals sand and is a pioneer of nickel processing solutions and has led several R&D initiatives in connection to the lithiumion battery industry, spanning across laboratories, operations, engineering consultancies – projects development, studies, EPC, EPCM, sustaining capitals and commissioning.

Since 1995, Mr Tang has been extensively involved in multiple second generation HPAL nickel and cobalt laterite projects. Mr Tang worked at Murrin Murrin Operations for nearly a decade where he was involved in commissioning, operations, plant optimisation and ongoing R&Ds projects.

✲ Nickel pricing is buoyant and most importantly, the future looks bright and secure."

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PART 4: MINE-TO-MARKET NICKEL BUSINESS Post year-end in July 2021, Blackstone Minerals delivered a compelling Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for the Downstream Business Unit. The PFS demonstrated post-tax Net Present Value (NPV) of more than US$2 billion and internal rate of return (IRR) of 67%. Upfront project capital of US$491 million would be paid back in 1.5 years from first production.

In terms of Blackstone Minerals' Upstream unit, they are continuing to drill out five orebodies across the project, comprising two larger disseminated deposits and three high-grade underground deposits. Blackstone Minerals have eight drill rigs operating to support resource

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estimations for each of these and these are intended to be incorporated into the Upstream Business Unit PFS, due for delivery later in the 2021 calendar year. [source: Blackstone Minerals Annual Report 2021] Andrew Strickland together with the experience management team to drive Ta Khoa forward as mine-tomarket nickel business. The Ta Khoa Nickel Project is to produce downstream nickel products for the lithium-ion battery industry.

Andrew describes his role in developing the overall upstream and downstream projects in a way to optimise the overall value of Blackstone Minerals including

Coffee With Samso: Andrew Strickland, Head of Project Development at Blackstone Minerals Ltd on Mine-to-Market Nickel Business

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B RILLIA NT B USI N E SSE S Blackstone's ESG culture, in particular managing ESG in Vietnam.

Get the inside story. Take a peek into Blackstone Mineral's operations of the Ta Khoa Nickel Project

About Andrew Strickland • Head of Project Development • Blackstone Minerals Limited • Qualifications: BEng (Chemical), BSci(Extractive Metallurgy), MBA, FAusIMM

Development at Blackstone Minerals on 9th November 2020. He has a history of developing mining and metals projects across different commodities and jurisdictions, including stints at Perseus Mining and South32 and has a broad understanding and experience in minerals processing, project management and corporate strategy.

He is an experienced Study and Project Manager, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, University of WA MBA graduate, with undergraduate degrees in Chemical Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy from Curtin and the West Australian School of Mines.

Mr. Strickland is a Perth local and former manager at GR Engineering, who takes on the role of Head of Project

✦ Blackstone Minerals has developed a vertically integrated business model, from mining at Ta Khoa to the manufacturing of NCM811 precursor in a downstream facility (Fig. 1). The upstream and downstream projects have been demonstrated to be economically viable, pending further technical studies.

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Fig 1: The vertically integrated business model of Blackstone Minerals, from the August 3, 2021 news release.

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Brilliant

INVESTMENTS ✦

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FROM KAOLIN PRODUCER INTO HIGH GRADE SILICA ✦ Today's highlight is with Robert Martin, Executive Chair of Suvo Strategic Minerals Limited (ASX:SUV) on their high grade Silica project in the Gingin region of Western Australia.

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Suvo Strategic Minerals was listed on the ASX in 2020 (ASX:SUV). Suvo is one of only three players in the Kaolin sector and they are also the only one with a processing plant which makes this Kaolin and Silica small cap resource company a producer.

Those are all exciting points to take note of. Noel Ong, CEO of Samso, has always been one to spot very interesting companies with a trajectory that makes you look at them differently. So it did not take him long to get hold of Mr. Martin and get the details of Suvo's high grade silica story.

In December 2020, Suvo added the Imery processing plant and the Pittong

Coffee With Samso: Robert Martin, Executive Chair of Suvo Strategic Minerals Limited (ASX:SUV) on their Silica project in the Gingin region of Western Australia.

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About Robert Martin

✲ The Nova silica sand project located in the Gingin region of Western Australia could well create value that the market has missed. This is one project well worth paying attention to. One of the reasons is the company's commitment to ESG. - Suvo Strategic Minerals

project in Victoria. These two milestones have effectively moved the company into the producer stage. And that, as Robert Martin tells us, is a sign that the value adding is just starting.

What we want to really sit up and take notice is their high grade Silica project in WA. It is something Suvo has and which is not valued.

The Nova silica sand project located in the Gingin region of Western Australia could well create value that the market has missed. This is one project well worth paying attention to. One of the reasons is the company's commitment to ESG. Suvo has an ESG team to help them focus on sustainability in their mining efforts. The company is clearly looking way ahead long term. While we may be looking at the start of their value adding right now, it would be interesting to follow their development and see how their ESG efforts convert into something beneficial in the future, not just for their shareholders but on a much larger scale, for their communities and the environment.

There are Four Revenue Streams from the Silica project and one of them is exporting high grade silica. Listen to the video to understand what they are.

Suvo Strategic Minerals Limited (ASX:SUV):

Mr Martin has over 20 years’ experience across the mining services, supply chain and capital market sectors. Mr Martin has owned and operated a highly successful mining services company which became a leading provider of products and services to the mining industry and operated globally with offices across Australia and internationally. After seven years of revenue and profitability growth and expansion into multiple countries, Mr Martin’s company was acquired by a prominent Perth business for an undisclosed multi-million dollar sum. Mr Martin runs a family office in Western Australia with a focus on investing and supporting emerging private and public businesses, and currently holds the position of non-executive director at PARKD Limited and is the non-executive chairman of publicly listed Critical Resources Limited.

About Suvo Strategic Minerals Limited Suvo Strategic Minerals is a dual commodity Australian mining company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX:SUV) focused on the development of their 100% owned White Knight Kaolin Project located in the Yilgarn Craton in the central wheat belt and their 100% owned Nova Silica Project located in the Gin Gin Scarp near the township of Eneabba all situated within Western Australia.

About the Nova Silica Sand Project The Nova Silica Sand Project is a 100% owned potential large-scale Silica Sand resource located in the Gin Gin scarp near the township of Eneabba the project has existing rail cart transport solutions direct from the tenements to Geraldton port.

Suvo's ESG Strategy Robert highlighted that Suvo has engaged an ESG team to help Suvo look at sustainable ways to rejuvenate what they have mined and further reduce carbon footprint for example using solar powered resources.

The ESG strategy will see a long term intent to add value to shareholders as well as to communities and the environment.

+61 8 9389 4495 info@suvo.com.au suvo.com.au Level 9, 182 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA 6000

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GREEN COMPRESSORS ARE TAKING SPRINTEX LIMITED INTO THE EV SPACE ✦ Jay Upton, Managing Director of Sprintex Limited (ASX:SIX) shares about the partnership with Aeristech Limited that is making the company go even greener.

Sprintex Ltd and Aeristech Ltd are going into the green, no emission space and making their presence felt, particularly in the Chinese industrial market.

The company is working with Aeristech Limited to supply the Sprintex products into hydrogen energy and clean air markets, including hydrogen fuel cell, industrial turbo blowers and compressor sets.

With the world economy going green, Sprintex is definitely sprinting ahead to make sure they are well in the green industry. And they are taking the necessary steps to ensure they are among the players in this growing sector.

This new partnership is important because Sprintex will be supplying Hydrogen Fuel Cell Compressors and this will allow the company to be seen as a Green

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Coffee With Samso: Jay Upton, Managing Director of Sprintex Limited (ASX:SIX) talks about the partnership with Aeristech Limited.

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B RI LLIA NT I N V E S TM ENT S Engineering company that designs and manufactures clean air compressors.

We are basically looking at a company that is on the path to participating in the renewable and clean energy technologies in automotive and other industries.

Richard Wall, Executive Chairman of Aeristech said: “We are delighted to initiate this partnership with Sprintex. The addition of the engineering resources of Sprintex to our team will help to accelerate product development in key power ranges.

Sprintex commercialisation resources will bolster our revenue growth particularly in the Asian markets.

We are very excited with this opportunity to boost our revenue growth in the fast growing hydrogen fuel cell market, key to achieving global emissions reduction and the deceleration of climate change.”

Jay Upton, Sprintex Managing Director said: “This strategic collaboration will stimulate the excellent synergy between the two companies on product development, global resources for supply chain and sales.

Sprintex aims to offer the most competitive products to the surging electrification, hydrogen fuel cell and next-gen industrial compressor market. Sprintex and Aeristech are confident that under this collaboration, both parties will accelerate the expansion of market coverage and the realisation of revenues leading to profits.”

Noel Ong, CEO of Samso, has been keeping an eye out on companies

that are going green and he talks to Mr. Upton about what the company is doing in production and what they are supplying the market with.

Another interesting thing to note is the opening of the China factory. This is going to open up another part of the business that will create a new revenue stream.

About Jay Upton Managing Director Jay (Jude) Upton has a broad range of business managerial and technical engineering experience gained over a 20-year period working in the international automotive industry where he has amassed a network of international industry contacts.

From 2012 to 2017, Jay was employed at Proreka Sprintex (a 50% owned subsidiary of the Company) and was instrumental in both the selection of the location for Sprintex's offshore manufacturing and the establishment of Proreka Sprintex. Working closely with the CEO of AutoV (the Company’s Joint Venture partner and the other shareholder of Proreka Sprintex), Jay oversaw the selection and procurement of the manufacturing equipment and the building of the manufacturing facility in Malaysia.

As Director of Business Development of the Company from 2007 to 2011, Jay was responsible for the establishment and setup of Sprintex USA Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company) and acted as secretary of Sprintex USA Inc. for regulatory purposes.

He oversaw market development in the USA, Middle East, South Africa and China and was responsible for commercial agreements with OEMs, suppliers, distributors and dealers in multiple jurisdictions.

Sprintex Limited (ASX:SIX):

About Sprintex Sprintex Limited (ASX:SIX) is an automotive engineering, research, product development and manufacturing company. It is is a leading designer, developer and manufacturer of oil free twin screw compressors for automotive and clean-air industrial applications.

With origins in the UK, Sprintex Limited was incorporated in Australia in November 2003 and listed on the ASX in July 2008 (ASX SIX). The company is headquartered and operates an R&D facility in Perth Western Australia.

Sprintex designs and manufactures superchargers for use in a wide variety of combustion engines and is currently focused on the development and commercialisation of the Sprintex® twin screw supercharger, and supercharger systems incorporating the Sprintex® twin screw supercharger, in the automotive aftermarket and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) market in Australia, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the United States of America.

The company operates a wholly owned subsidiary in Malaysia which forms its main manufacturing base, a wholly owned subsidiary in USA, primarily servicing the automotive aftermarket and has recently added a further wholly owned subsidiary in China, primarily to explore opportunities in the clean energy sector including hydrogen fuel cells, waste water recycling and other clean air industrial applications. The China facility will engage in R&D and manufacturing for electric drive compressors and controls for various applications.

+61 8 9262 7277 sprintex.com.au/contact-us www.sprintex.com.au Unit 2 / 63 Furniss Road, Darch WA 6065

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VENTURE MINERALS LIMITED IS A GREEN TIN PLAYER ✦ Andrew Radonjic, Managing Director of Venture Minerals Limited (ASX:VMS) talks about the company's Green Tin Story.

With the surging tin price, Venture Minerals' Mount Lindsay project is taking the spotlight. The company is clearly now a major player in the tin industry, and the nature of its infrastructure is consolidating that as its default status.

When tin and tungsten prices dropped, Venture Minerals Limited shelved the Mount Lindsay project. What was originally the company's flagship project is now setting sail again as the recent surge in tin price is changing the value of the project.

Now, the company is going back to test the Renison Mine Sequence which has been the focus for Venture Minerals. It had been temporarily paused since its

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Coffee With Samso: Andrew Radonjic, Managing Director of Venture Minerals Limited (ASX:VMS) talks about the company's Green Tin Story.

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B RI LLIA NT I N V E S TM ENT S last drilling activity in 2013. The results of the drilling is showing a strong indication of a repetition of the mineralising sequence.

Noel Ong, CEO of Samso talks to Mr. Radonjic about the company's Green Tin Story and how it is ESG-compliant, as well as why investors should really see the Mount Lindsay project as a prize and discover its untapped potential.

About Andrew Radonjic Qualifications: BAppSc (Mining Geology), MSc (Mineral Economics), MAus/MM

At the neighbouring Mount Lindsay Tin-Tungsten Project, higher Tin prices and the recognition of Tin as a fundamental metal to the battery revolution has refocused Venture’s approach to developing Mount Lindsay. Already one of the world's largest undeveloped Tin-Tungsten deposits, the Company has commissioned an Underground Scoping Study on Mount Lindsay that will leverage off the previously completed feasibility work.

In Western Australia, Chalice Mining (ASX: CHN) recently committed to spend up to $3.7m in Venture’s South West Project, to advance previous exploration completed by Venture to test a Julimar lookalike Nickel-Copper-PGE target.

At the Company’s Golden Grove North Project, it has already intersected up to 7% Zinc, 1.3% Copper and 2.1g/t Gold at Orcus and has identified several, strong EM conductors to be drill tested along the 5km long VMS (Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide) Target Zone, along strike to the world class Golden Grove Zinc-CopperGold Mine. Venture recently doubled the Nickel-Copper-PGE landholding at Kulin by securing two highly prospective 20-kilometre long Ni-Cu-PGE targets.

Mr. Radonjic is a geologist and mineral economist with over 30 years of experience in mining and exploration, with an initial focus on gold and nickel in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Andrew has fulfilled a variety of senior roles which gave rise to three gold discoveries, totaling in excess of 3 million ounces in resources and resulting in 1.5 million ounces being produced. Since 2006 Andrew has been an executive director with Venture Minerals, which he has been co-leading during the discovery of the Mount Lindsay Tin-Tungsten deposit. Andrew is also a non-executive director with Blackstone Minerals.

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Mount Lindsay Tin-Tungsten Project

About Venture Minerals Limited Venture Minerals Ltd (ASX: VMS) is entering an exciting phase as the Company moved from a highly successful explorer to producer with completion of the first shipment from the Riley Iron Ore Mine in northwest Tasmania.

Venture Minerals Limited (ASX:VMS):

+61 (08) 6279 9428 admin@ventureminerals.com.au www.ventureminerals.com.au Suite 3, Level 3, 24 Outram Street, West Perth, Western Australia 6005

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EXPLORATION PATIENCE IS THE KEY TO GOLD DISCOVERY FOR KINGWEST RESOURCES LIMITED ✦ Ed Turner, CEO of Kingwest Resources Ltd (ASX: KWR) explains why patience is a necessary virtue for exploration.

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Sometimes the treasure is right in front of us in plain sight. All we need to do is start exploring.

Kingwest has made a gold discovery in a project that has been there all this time.

The geology may span millions of years, but explorers have only been scratching the surface of that area for only a few decades.

Over the years, we have heard the phrase "Cash is King" over and over again. The mineral exploration industry has lived and died on the fortunes of investors since the first geological expedition set out once upon a time.

Coffee With Samso: Ed Turner, CEO of Kingwest Resources Ltd (ASX: KWR)

explains why patience is a necessary virtue for exploration.

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For mineral exploration to work, we need three ingredients.

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1. Patience is the biggest asset. Never leave home without it.

2. Next, it is a big boost to have an eager investment partner. We all need a bit of support to do big things.

3. Finally, explorers need to have Lady Luck close by their side. When she smiles on a project, one can literally strike gold.

As Noel Ong, CEO of Samso has discovered in his conversation with Mr. Turner, Kingwest Resources has been very fortunate to have the stars fall in perfect alignment with one another. Noel terms their recent exploration the Discovery Line, and it is nothing short of a miracle. All except two of the drillholes have intercepted mineralisation of some sort. For Noel as an exploration geologist, this is an unusually rare phenomenon.

Kingwest has made a gold discovery in a project that has been there all this time. The geology may span millions of years, but explorers have only been scratching the surface of that area for only a few decades.

- Kingwest Resources Limited

It is typical to see negative results, especially at the beginning of the program. So Kingwest is certainly bringing some happy tidings.

There remains much work to be done, and perhaps some disappointments along the way, but speaking from an investor's point of view, Noel thinks this is going to be a happy ever after.

in a mix of advanced, intermediate, and greenfield projects within this highly prospective district.

About Ed Turner

The Menzies Gold Project - MGP

Ed is a geologist with 30 years of experience throughout Europe, South America, Africa and Australia in a range of roles encompassing base, precious and speciality metals for leading mining companies. Technical strengths include exploration, underground mining, resource estimation, feasibility studies and development level work. Ed was previously engaged as the CEO and General Manager of Exploration of Geology for Galena Mining Limited where he delineated the high-grade Abra lead-silver deposit that is shaping up to be a highly profitable mine development.

About Kingwest Resources Limited (ASX: KWR) Kingwest Resources Limited (“Kingwest”) is a mining and exploration company focused primarily on gold exploration in the Eastern Gold Fields Region of Western Australia. It will aggressively explore for and extract gold

Kingwest Resources Limited (ASX:KWR):

With a new team on board and new projects, Kingwest is redirecting its focus on developing the highly prospective Menzies Gold Project.

The Menzies Gold Project contains some of the highestgrade historic production in the Eastern Goldfields with the five underground mines producing between 16g/t and 32g/t Au over their respective life of mine for a total of 650,000 oz @ 22.5g/t. The last underground mining ceased in 1943 and there has been limited drilling beneath the historic workings since then. Open Pit mining during the 1990s before the collapse of the gold price in 1999 also produced 145,000 oz at a high-grade average of 2.6g/t Au. A relatively shallow resource comprising 2.42Mt at 2.2g/t Au for 171,300 oz (using 1g/t cut off) has been estimated in recent years. However, the best future economic potential is in targeting the high-grade mineralisation that remains open at depth beneath every deposit.

+61 8 9481 0389 admin@kingwestresources.com.au www.kingwestresources.com.au Unit 3, Churchill Court, 335 Hay Street,​​ Subiaco, WA 6008 Australia

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LOOKING FOR THE NEXT GOLD MINE IN THE PILBARA WITH CAENEUS MINERALS LIMITED (ASX: CAD) ✦ Robert Mosig, CEO of Caeneus Minerals Limited (ASX: CAD) updates us on the projects at Mallina Basin.

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Mr. Mosig is a highly experienced geologist who has spent years refining the art of finding a needle in a haystack. Noel Ong, CEO of Samso, has a lot of respect for Mr. Mosig as he comes from the highly challenging brand of diamond exploration geology. And Caeneus Minerals is a nearology play that seems to be showing some signs that they may be tapping into a known mineralised system.

Anyone who has had experience in the world of diamond exploration will attest to the fact that looking for an economic source of diamonds is very expensive and tough process. You need to be able to think out of the box, and you spend endless hours looking at possibilities. And of course, not all of them may come to fruition.

Coffee With Samso: Robert Mosig, CEO of Caeneus Minerals Limited (ASX: CAD) updates us on the projects at Mallina Basin.

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B RI LLIA NT I N V E S TM ENT S We applaud Mr. Mosig for his experience in exploration and also for being the founder of two companies that are still on the ASX even after all these years - Helix Resources Ltd (ASX: HLX) and Platina Resources Ltd (ASX: PGM).

Mr. Mosig shares his history and his thoughts on why there is a great story in the Caeneus Limited's Mallina Basin Projects which is located in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia. The Pilbara has long had a secret of unknown sources of gold occurrences. The first goldfields of Western Australia may finally be revealing some exciting news.

Noel always says that mineral exploration is where you find the next deposit. The easiest way to look for a value adding project for shareholders is to find your own. Simply put, a discovery is a combination of science, persistence, excellent management and LUCK.

✲ "Mineral exploration is where you find the next deposit.

The easiest way to look for a value adding project for shareholders is to find your own. Simply put, a discovery is a combination of science, persistence, excellent management and LUCK." - Noel Ong, CEO Samso

A combination of all of those points is the key to success. And we are all keeping our eyes on Caeneus Minerals' story in the Pilbara.

About Robert Mosig Mr Mosig is a geologist with over 30 years experience in platinum group metals, gold, diamonds and specialty metals. In 1986 he was the founding Managing Director of Helix Resources (ASX:HLX) and in 2006 he was the founding Managing Director of Platina Resources Ltd (ASX:PGM).

Mr. Mosig brings to the Caeneus team a strong technical and corporate contribution covering involvement in field programs through to corporate and technical acquisitions and fund raising activities.

Caeneus Minerals Limited (ASX:CAD):

08 6102 2656 info@caeneus.com.au caeneus.com.au Ground Floor, 168 Stirling Highway Nedlands WA 6009

About Caeneus Minerals Limited (ASX: CAD) Caeneus Minerals Ltd (ASX: CAD) is an Australian-based mineral exploration and development company established for the purpose of acquiring a portfolio of highly prospective exploration projects.

The Mallina Province Project The company’s exploration licences at Roberts Hill and Mt Berghaus cover an area of 170 sq km and 179 sq km respectively and are situated approximately 50 kilometres to the south of Port Hedland. The ground is comprised of structurally and chemically altered granitic, intermediate and ultramafic intrusive rocks which are considered highly prospective for additional gold occurrences to the recent discoveries in the region (De Grey’s Hemi).

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DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT FROZEN SHOULDER ✦ Injuries are part and parcel of life although, if left untreated, can have seriously detrimental repercussions to our health.

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Our shoulders are one of the most frequently used parts of our body comprising a highly complex joint system so when we experience pain or discomfort, it can be very much debilitating. Shoulder impingement and tendonitis are common amongst sports enthusiasts and gym disciples but can also occur from general day-to-day wear and tear and sometimes from seemingly nothing at all.

My Body My Pilates, Tokyo, as a renowned pilates practitioner has the answer for anyone suffering with a troublesome shoulder injury. They are currently offering a 30 day Pilates Challenge to help restore health and well being during these turbulent times. And the best thing is it is free!

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If you're in Tokyo, Japan, sign up for one of their Pilates classes:

Pilates Classes Booking

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THE ECLIPSE PROGRAM ✦ Support for adults who have survived a suicide attempt

The topic of suicide is a very challenging one to confront.

For some, even uttering the word itself is traumatic, and understandably so. Suicide can have such a profound effect on family, loved ones, friends and the wider community.

Yet, as tough a topic as it is to breach, it is vitally important that open dialogue is initiated, encouraged and maintained as just one life lost in this manner is one too many.

According the Ministry of Health website, official statistics have now confirmed the number of suicide deaths in 2020 was 3,139, 5.4% lower than the number of suicide deaths in 2019 (3,318). This is an age-standardised rate of 12.1 deaths per 100,000 people, a 6.2% decrease from 2019 (12.9) and the lowest national figure since 2016 overall, and the lowest since 2013 for females.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought upon us all incredible pressure with many people genuinely struggling under the strain of lockdown, the threat of illness, and a whole raft of restrictions that have curtailed much of our normal daily routines. Mental health has been tested and suffered as a result as we have become increasingly vulnerable.

Still, one life lost to suicide is one too many.

Despite predictive modelling suggesting otherwise, suicide rates in Australia actually declined in 2020, mirroring a trend that has been seen elsewhere globally.

There are myriad of organisations that offer crisis support services within the community in an attempt to combat suicide, among other issues. Locally, Lifeline Mid Coast offers a new peer support network for adults who have survived a suicide attempt regardless of whether it was recent or in the past. In the Eclipse group, suicide is the main topic of conversation.

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Kelly Saidey, the Suicide Prevention Manager from Lifeline Mid Coast, runs the program which provides an opportunity to meet and talk with others who have survived a suicide attempt, providing participants with skills and tools that may assist in coping with feeling and thoughts of suicide to stay safe in the future.

The support group is closed for the duration of eight weeks and is fully confidential. Participants all start at the same time and complete the eight weeks together, making it more comfortable to share personal

stories. It is important for participants to attend all group sessions.

❖ "Eclipse is an important group as it provides an opportunity to meet and talk with others who have survived a suicide attempt, providing participants with skills and tools that may assist in coping with feeling and thoughts of suicide to stay safe in the future."

- Kelly Saidey, Lifeline Mid Coast

If you have attempted suicide and would like to join the Eclipse group, please give Kelly a call on 6581 2800 or email suicideprevention@lifelinemidcoast.org.au

“It is a huge honour to sit in the safe space of Eclipse to listen and support participants as it takes a lot of courage for them to join the group,” says Kelly.

“It is very rewarding to have participants come each week to Eclipse, seeing them become more comfortable and confident to talk more as time goes on,” she adds.

“Seeing people who struggle with their own mental health each day help another participant that has gone into crisis is just so inspiring and uplifting.

They become a little safe community for each other.”

Read More On The Eclipse Group

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The group was founded in 2016 and piloted by Lifeline Mid-Coast in collaboration with Professor Myfanwy Maple and her research team from the University of New England, Lifeline Research Foundation and Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Centre, Los Angeles.

With positive feedback from participants, the program is now being rolled out across the national Lifeline network.

(02) 6581 2800 admin@lifelinemidcoast.org.au lifelinemidcoast.org.au/eclipse PO Box: 5030 Port Macquarie NSW 2444

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Angus Gill

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ANGUS GILL “THE SCRAPBOOK” ✦ The Scrapbook by Angus Gill was #1 on the ARIA Top 20 Australian Country Albums for week of 11 October 2021

❖ “I’ve always been a big fan of traditional bluegrass music.

From a young age, I’ve been drawn to the high and tight harmonies, vocal stylings, phrasing and virtuosic playing. There’s also this beautiful juxtaposition in some bluegrass music when a poignant lyric is set against a rapid tempo and a major chord structure. I just love that!"

- Angus Gill

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rom the first, fast commanding banjo strokes on “Always on the Run” it is obvious Angus Gill has grown up on this album. Never one to confine himself musically to just one box, the ARIA and Golden Guitar nominee Angus Gill has shed yet another musical skin, checking the boxes on a new song writing journey for his fourth studio album. This time the Wauchope wunderkind has stretched his music talents to create a bluegrass inspired creation that boasts an array of internationally renowned musicians.

On this record, Gill makes peace with all his music personalities.

Tell us why you chose the Bluegrass genre?

“I’ve always been a big fan of traditional bluegrass music. From a young age, I’ve been drawn to the high and tight harmonies, vocal stylings, phrasing and virtuosic playing. There’s also this beautiful juxtaposition in some bluegrass music when a poignant lyric is set against a rapid tempo and a major chord structure. I just love that!” said Gill.

Gill’s familiar voice seems to drop right into collaborations with Tim Crouch, Randy Kohrs, Clay Hess and Tony Ray. And features outstanding collaborations with Jim Lauderdale, Jerry Salley, Gary Burr, Thomm Jutz, Rivers Rutherford and Charles Esten (from the hit TV series, Nashville).

You’ve collaborated with some amazing people on this record, tell us about that?

The project came about in late 2020, after the release of the critically acclaimed “3 Minute Movies” featuring Paul Kelly’s band billed as The Seasons of Change. Gill started laying the bed track down for a song Whittling Away, written with multiple Grammy™ winner & bluegrass icon Jim Lauderdalein

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The Scrapbook by Angus Gill was #1 on the ARIA Top 20 Australian Country Albums for the week of 11 October 2021

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2019. This eventually became the catalyst for a bluegrass record.

“Jim and I wrote Whittling Away in 2019 and I liked it then, but after revisiting it in late 2020, the sentiment of the song hit me even harder than it did when we wrote it. I realised it would work as a duet and Jim agreed to do it with me. I was hearing a slow bluegrass production, so decided to take that approach with this song”, says Gill.

“I remembered I’d written several bluegrass songs over the years, and I also had some straight country songs I’d written, which I realised were better served as bluegrass songs. I’ve always wanted to record a traditional bluegrass album with players that have bluegrass in their blood. I called up Tim Crouch and asked him if he would play and co-produce an album with me and we brought Randy Kohrs, Clay Hess & Tony Way onto the project and recorded it all remotely at the start of 2021. It was pretty cool because it sounds like we were all playing in the same room, despite

being over 15,000 kilometres away.”

The album opens with a rollicking homage to hard working women “Always on the Run”, co-written with 2021 Grammy nominee Thomm Jutz.

Gill quips, “she’s moving like a bullet that was fired from a gun/she’s always on the run.” It’s fast and it’s furious and reaches a pinnacle The narrative based “Samson” has a wonderful message that we cannot always be strong and tough.

The Jim Lauderdale due “Whittling Away” highlights the resilience and strength that people are displaying during these trying times.

Gill’s signature wit comes to the forefront in the swing-grass romp “Caught Between a Rock and a Heartache” which is a wonderful message that highlights love, friendship and heartache.

The challenges of a paternal bond are explored in the heartfelt “Feet of Clay”, co-written with Charles Esten.

“Let’s Have a Drink (To Not Drinking Again)” is the ultimate high-spirited bluegrass drinking song, featuring Music Row veteran tunesmith Jerry Salley. Gill sings of his grandmother’s affection in the autobiographical title track “The Scrapbook”.

After a near 300-bpm sprint in “Heartquake”, the album closes with the exquisite epitaph “Forget Me Not”.

“Our heartstrings will be tied up in a never forget me not” Gill sings a cappella in perfect four part harmony.

Angus Gill’s new album, “The Scrapbook”, is further proof of this artist’s ability to shape-shift into any musical form and do it exceptionally well.

Read More

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Origins by Angus. 2019 Golden Guitar nominated album Welcome to my Heart.

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OCTOBER 2021 AT WAUCHOPE CREATIVE HUB ✦ Can't wait!

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fter a couple of weeks in lockdown the local team of creatives at Wauchope Creative Hub are bursting at their seams to get back into their co-op.

Creative director Stu Doherty said he’s been checking in with the 20 or so local arts and crafts people who make up the WCH cooperative and while a stay at home order provides time for creating, “we can’t wait to rejoin our community again” is the general consensus.

October 2021 at The Hub is exciting with new products from a lot of our members, having extra time to create recently!

Watercolour workshops are in full swing, this term sees a new class of beginners plus two new courses; landscapes and botanical studies.

Stay tuned for more photos of these workshops as they progress.

Wet Felting Workshop

Chris recently told us "There is something very peaceful and creative taking plain sheep wool, mohair or alpaca fibre and magically creating a unique piece of colourful art fabric.

"Each piece of handmade felt is completely unique because there is no way you can duplicate the many intricacies of each lock of wool and fibre.”

This process is one of the oldest methods of fabrication Chris uses Australian merino wool and has been creating unique felted pieces for over a decade, her beautiful one off designs are available for purchase from Wauchope Creative Hub and she will be running more felting workshops in the next few months.

Follow Wauchope Creative Hub on Facebook to keep up to date with our workshop calendar

Check Out WCH Workshops

Detailed Workshop Updates

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Chris is a well known local artist and one of the directors of Wauchope Creative Hub.

Wet felting is the process of combining layers of wool roving and/or wool yarns into one flat piece of felt fabric or art piece

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Wauchope Creative Hubs resident fibre artist Chris Pearce recently ran a sold out Wet Felting workshop to the delight of the locals who attended.

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NO TRICKS, HALLOWEEN IS A REAL TREAT! ✦ Over the years October 31 has developed globally into one of the calendar’s most popular dates - the day, or more so night, of Halloween.

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espite its obvious spooky undertones, it is a time when the community unites, children dress in costume to indulge in the pastime of trick-ortreating, fancy dress parties are hosted, jack-o’lanterns are creatively carved from pumpkins, bonfires lit and endless re-runs of classic scary movies such as the aptly titled Halloween are aired on TV and in cinemas.

All Hallows’ Eve or “hallowed evening”, as it is otherwise known, has very much become a juggernaut of a

commercial entity, extremely profitable for certain businesses with estimated consumer spending on Halloween-related items expected to reach an all-time high of USD10.14 billion this year, up from $8.05 billion in 2020, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics.

It has certainly come a long way to the multi-billion dollar industry it is today but where, how and why did it start?

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Samhain festival Halloween originated thousands of years ago in Europe when the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the ‘darker half’ of the year. According to Britannica, “At Samhain, held on November 1, the world of the gods was believed to be made visible to humankind, and the gods played many tricks on their mortal worshippers; it was a time fraught with danger, charged with fear, and full of supernatural episodes.

Sacrifices and propitiations of every kind were thought to be vital, for without them the Celts believed they could not prevail over the perils of the season or counteract the activities of the deities.”

Many believed the boundary between this world and the next became especially fragile at this time, enabling them to connect with the dead, hence why the occasion adopted its darker, haunted moniker.

Priests, or druids, believed they could see into and thus predict the future during this time and, to appease their gods, they built bonfires and sacrificed crops and animals. Villagers would attend the bonfires adorned in animal skins as costumes to ward off ghosts and protect themselves from unwanted spirits from the other world.

Trick-or-treat Trick-or-treating can also be traced back to this period when it became customary for people to leave out food and treats to appease wandering spirits. In time, people adorned costumes and disguises themselves and ventured from house-to-house within the neighbourhood as part of a process known as “mummimg”, reciting verses or songs in exchange for food and especially “soul cakes”, a treat similar to biscuits.

Costumes evolved from simple tributes to saints made from animal hides to more creative outfits. It is widely believed pranksters in Irish and Scottish communities, drawing inspiration from the darker elements of the occasion, decided to

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adopt more sinister looking outfits in an attempt to spook unsuspecting neighbours, which gave way to the creative and scary costumes we widely associate with Halloween today.

With intervention from the Romans and then Christianity, the occasion spread elsewhere throughout Europe and subsequently to the United States, courtesy of mass transatlantic immigration in the 19th century. Large public parties were thrown to commemorate the upcoming harvest, tell ghost stories, sing, and dance. It continued to increase in popularity and served as a means to unite all manner of people from varying social, racial, and religious backgrounds – today it is one of the most popular and eagerly anticipated dates on the American calendar.

Growing celebration It also, of course, developed commercially over the years, cementing itself as an iconic date in pop culture and spreading its reach to countries as far afield as in South America, most of continental Europe, Japan, parts of East Asia, New Zealand and, of course, Australia.

Whereas it may be still somewhat divisive and not yet totally embedded into the fabric of Aussie culture in the way it

is Stateside, Halloween certainly holds its own in the calendar and is an occasion that is gaining in popularity.

According to research conducted by Mars Wrigley Australia in 2019, the last Halloween before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, “43% of Australians plan to celebrate with nearly 60% claiming Halloween is growing as a celebration in their area. Three quarters of celebrators believe Australians should celebrate Halloween to build a sense of community.”

The report also noted Aussies were estimated to spend $159 million on chocolate and other confectionery products as Halloween grows in popularity.

After such a torrid 18-months or so dealing with COVID-19, any excuse to celebrate and have fun sounds like a welcome respite to us, even factoring in the rather spooky undertones! Besides, any occasion that provides an excuse to indulge in chocolate and similar goodies while building a healthy community spirit sounds like a good one to us so we will be celebrating come October 31!

And as an added bonus, we are delighted to share a delicious mocktail recipe from Gaye White – a perfect accompaniment to your Halloween eve!

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MALIBU MOJITO MOCKTAIL RECIPE ✦ The combination of refreshing lime & the scent of coconut stimulates the senses & sings summertime!

This recipe is from Gaye White, Infinity Co. Evolve. Being a surfer riding the waves on a Malibu longboard, Gaye enjoys the refreshing mocktail option after a day in the sun and sea.

Ingredients: Makes 2 Malibu Mojito’s • 12 mint leaves • 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges • 2 tbsp “Tahitian Lime + Coconut Sugar” plus some for rimming the glass • 6 tbsp Malibu / Or Coconut water ( for a mocktail ) a few drops of coconut essence is amazing too!

• 1 cup sparkling water • Ice, to serve • 2-4 “Sun Soaked Citrus” Lime wheels for infusion & garnish

Method: 1. Gather 2 sexy cocktail glasses, a jug and a plate.

Sprinkle the “Tahitian Lime + Coconut Sugar” in a circle as wide as your glass. Wet the rim of the glass with water, coconut water or malibu! Roll the rim of glass in the sugar to decorate the glass and let your lips get lush.

2. In another jug place the mint & lime. Use the end of a wooden spoon to muddle them together, add the “Tahitian Lime + Coconut Sugar” until mix till sugar dissolves.

3. ¾ fill your glasses with ice cubes or crushed ice is nice!

Divide the lime and sugar mix between glasses.

4. Add to the jug the Malibu or Coconut water and coconut essence then top up with sparkling water.

Stir to combine & pour into glasses.

Buy “Sun Soaked Citrus” Lime wheels

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5. Decorate your drinks with “Sun Soaked Citrus” Lime wheels and sip in style!

6. Take a twist with this drink and swap the sparkling water for pineapple or ginger beer…..

‘Infinite possibilities to let your senses grow wild’…

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DISCOVERING THE AMAZING WORLD OF TIM WALKER'S STORY BOXES ✦ Tim's story boxes are inspired by his love for theatre

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ost Great Port Macquarie locals know Tim Walker as the friendly Marketing Manager of Hastings Co-operative.

But Brilliant-Online has discovered another side to Tim that not many may know. He is a very talented artist and has been exhibiting at the Wauchope Creative Hub. Originally from New Zealand, Tim came over to sunny Australia when he was 21. Now at the age of 54, he has made his home at the picturesque Bonny Hills seaside village with his wife and two teenage sons.

Tim is very much involved in his community and has been involved with many groups over the years as a creative.

Tim is a musician, and he plays the guitar. He studied acting when he was young and first performed in theatre when he was only 14 in New Zealand. He participated in many different shows in theatre, and now he has turned to art and is creating magical story boxes via the medium of paper tole.

What are Story Boxes?

Paper tole is an old term used to describe a photograph or painting that is layered. Tim’s art takes this concept and takes it further by turning it into a montage of layers. It becomes a three dimensional magical box that takes you into an intriguing world, as if you were Alice who has fallen down the rabbit hole.

Tim's story boxes are made from paper, cardboard, leather and finished off beautifully with paint. Each creation tells a story, either created

from a memory or a landscape. The story boxes are also inspired by his love for theatre. There is a story in every single one of them.

perhaps a landscape, a forest and he simply lets his creativity run with the idea. He sketches a drawing, which is then cut out and shaped.

You will often see images of the ocean, bush land and rainforest in Tim's story boxes. From the mountainous and valley landscape of his New Zealand heritage to the sometimes barren and wild landscape and oceans of his Australian home, his artworks come from nature both in idea and material.

The initial form is housed in a cardboard box to frame the 'story'.

Then the paper cut outs are layered to create a scene. Paper and leather are used to create different textures in the 3D design. Colour is then added using paint which can be intricate depending on the size of the story. He continues to add more drawing cutouts and colours to set the scene.

All Tim needs at the start of each creation is just a pencil and paper. He thinks about what he wants to depict,

Tim sometimes works on several different story boxes at the same

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“ I really couldn't praise them enough. To have a venue like the Hub where an artist can be highlighted is absolutely terrific! There are so many artists and musicians for that matter, looking for venues at the moment, at Wauchope we are very lucky to have such a wonderful space for artisans to display and sell their works.”

- Tim Walker

An Artistic Life For Tim, art is his calming antidote to a busy work and home life. He appreciates the time he can spend creating in his home workshop.

When he is creating, he has his trusty Spotify in the background to play classical music and he is off into this creative world. Just him and his paints and materials. And a magical world waiting to be discovered and created.

Tim's list of talents is endless and he never stops growing his creativity.

He is a musician, he plays the guitar, he sings, he has done acting on stage and also taught acting and improvisation, he is an artist making his beautiful story boxes, he sculpts with clay, he is a writer who has done a children's book and plays...no wonder Tim is such a busy man!

At the Wauchope Creative Hub, Tim is proud to be involved with other likeminded creatives. For Tim, this is one

of the best things that has happened in the community and he is quite bowled over by it. “ I really couldn't praise them enough.

To have a venue like the Hub where an artist can be highlighted is absolutely terrific! There are so many artists and musicians for that matter, looking for venues at the moment, at Wauchope we are very lucky to have such a wonderful space for artisans to display and sell their works.”

With so much to offer, it is probably just a matter of time before we will find Tim teaching at Wauchope Creative Hub, sharing his love for his art of his story boxes with many others. We are certainly looking forward to Tim's play becoming a reality and we really would not be too surprised if in the near future Tim calls us to say he has found yet another creative outlet!

With a community that is so supportive of the arts, one can say that artists like Tim have truly found home.

Read The Full Story

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time. As the artwork continues to grow during the process, it is like a progression of ideas evolving from Tim’s initial vision. Each story box is a living, organic creation.

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VEGETABLE GROWING TRICKS AND TIPS FROM GREENBOURNE NURSERY ✦ Have your own little veggie patch

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ere are a few little tips that I always use when growing vegetables.

Soil preparation is everything Vegetables require nutritious and light oil, a good supply of water and light Yes, I realise you have heard me go on and on about soil preparation in numerous articles in this series.

However, I am going to reiterate it again here. And for very good

reasons, vegetables require high amounts of nutrients, a good supply of water and light, friable soil to allow all those beneficial organisms to breed, feed and thrive.

When preparing a new garden bed, do till the soil lightly to disrupt any compaction issues. Add ingredients such as compost, cow manure, mushroom compost etc. Combine all the ingredients with the existing ground soil gently, then water well to completely saturate the area. Top dress the soil with a manure pellet and then you have an area that is primed for some vegetable planting.

If using an existing garden bed, the ideal situation is to not till the soil.

Remember that we want as minimal disturbance to the ‘home’ of our precious little helpers as possible.

Just add the fresh new ingredients in layers on top of the existing soil.

Again, products like compost, cow manure etc. are great to use. After layering the ingredients on the existing soil, just lightly aerate the soil with a large fork then water in well.

These strategies should be at least applied annually to keep the soil in good health.

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Raised beds will make it easier and more enjoyable In particular with your pick and go vegetables. Plants like silver beet, Asian greens and dwarf beans for example. You will be surprised how having these plants at a more comfortable height will encourage you to return more often. Visually the plants look more appealing as you see through the dimensions of the plant rather than simply gazing at the top. The plants enjoy the drainage implications the raised planters provide and there is less incidence of pest and disease due distance from the ground. Over the years I have personally had every type of vegetable garden imaginable and with out a doubt I enjoy the raised bed. My latest one is made with corrugated iron, held in place with some metal piping. The height gives my aging body a break as there is less bending over to do. And my family, as well as myself truly do use the garden area more often. By creating a more comfortable environment there is less likelihood of losing interest.

Get the jump on the new season As the seasons change so do the varieties we grow. While I really do enjoy germinating seed at home, I do recommend purchasing young seedlings at the beginning of the season. Here in Australia, we have fantastic propagating nurseries that are always well ahead of the game.

They are continually germinating and growing various varieties in sync with the season. Their propagation areas are state of the art and allow them to have varieties ready right when we need them. Now, please do germinate seeds, it is a fantastic hobby, however get the first batch of ready grown seedlings into the soil right at the turn of the season. It is as much about getting the maximum amount of time out of the season as it is about keeping our interest levels high. Waiting for seed to germinate can potentially distract attention away from the vegetable plot.

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Get serious about seed As I just mentioned, propagating seed is great. It allows you access to an incredible array of different varieties, allows the plants to climatise to your area quicker and gives you personally great satisfaction having reared the plants from the very beginning. So do it well. I recommend using seed germinating ‘hot boxes’. Basically, these are small containers that are designed to create ideal situations to germinate your seed. They provide extra heat for their small atmosphere which allows the seed to germinate quicker and they also provide protection from attack, be it bugs or small animals. There are many small designs that you can purchase from nurseries. I have in the past had great success with clear storage containers from the hardware stores. They work very well, just keep them out of direct sunlight as the plastic can deteriorate when exposed to direct UV light. If germinating direct in the garden area re-use soft drink containers. Simply cut the bottom off the bottle and place the bottle over and around the area the seed has been placed. It is an excellent strategy to stop slugs and snails getting at your young, vulnerable seedlings.

Using electricity to stop snails No, we are not about to plug a device into the 240V! If slugs and snails are causing you grief try some copper tape. The slimy little guys get small electric shocks when they come into contact with the copper tape.

If you can secure the perimeter of the area with the copper tape you will be creating a near impenetrable boundary around your pride and joys. It is also great to use around potted plants, simply place the copper stripping around the pot and they will find it difficult to climb up the pot and into the soil area. I’ve had good results with this method. There will always be a few tough snails that push through the pain barrier to get to my vegetables but certainly less. I take it as a compliment anyway, my vegetables are that good, it is worth going through pain to get to them!

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Get them on the juice

Grow what you use

Keep your vegetables powering through the growing season by liquid feeding them regularly. I liquid feed most of my vegetable beds at least fortnightly. The best liquid feed I have used is certainly a dilution of worm castings. ‘Worm tea’ as it is commonly called is absolutely fantastic. If you don’t have a worm farm it is certainly worth giving one a go. The nutrient levels and the organism activity that comes in a good worm tea is simply amazing. If you don’t have access to worm tea don’t despair, there are fantastic products out there for you to purchase at the nursery. The best ones like Searles liquid 5 in 1, provide your vegetables with everything they regularly need over the growing season. The main tip is to use these liquid fertilisers often and routinely.

This might sound like a silly phrase but it is easy to get caught up and distracted with all the wonderfully exotic range of vegetables we have access to. When I was growing a lot of strange and unusual varieties for the competitions I was entering, I would often return from the garden with a surprisingly empty basket to use for dinner. I recall my lovely wife one day walking through my vegetable garden and commenting how wonderful everything looked, the gourds hanging majestically, spiney cucumbers sitting like little hand grenades and giant marrows as big as small children. She then politely added that it is a good thing that they look so good because they taste like sh@!...So when you are planning your vegetable garden do

Check out Greenbourne Nursery for all your gardening needs:

take time to realise what food you regularly purchase from the shops and try not to get obsessed with competition growing!

So good luck out there in your vegetable garden, my biggest tip is to make sure you do all you can to keep it continually interesting and enjoyable. So, see you at the nursery for all your vegetable growing needs or just for a friendly chat.

+61 2 6585 2117 greenbourne.nursery@midcoast.com.au www.greenbournenurserywauchope.com.au 239 High St, Wauchope NSW 2446

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✦ Christmas is just around the corner ✦ Christmas Countdown

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Check out our Brilliant Countdown to stay on top of things

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Brilliant CHRISTMAS ✦

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THE HAPPIEST GINGERBREAD FOLK EVER ✦ From the Blue Mountains of Australia, Gingerbread Folk bakes traditional, chocolate and gluten-free gingerbread.

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hen you meet the team at Gingerbread Folk and see how joyful they are, it just makes you want to quit your job and join them in making their beautiful Gingerbread Folk cookies.

The magic ingredient Gingerbread Folk has is simply this - to live responsibly and with kindness.

They are much more than just a business, and it is not about having a production line that manufactures run-of-the-mill gingerbread men for Christmas.

Owners with a vision Karen and Dom, Gingerbread Folk, featured on Brilliant-OnlineKaren and Dom, Gingerbread Folk, featured on Brilliant-Online Karen and Dom are the owners of Gingerbread Folk. The story of Gingerbread Folk has always been about baking cookies with a conscience.

In 2000, they left behind a corporate lifestyle - Karen was an architect and Dom a marine biologist. They were attracted by the beauty of the Australian outback and, with the freedom to visualise new directions, they started a small baking business in the Blue Mountains. Gingerbread Folk was founded on the belief that business has a higher purpose. It goes beyond just profit. Gingerbread Folk embraces ethical initiatives.

“We’re proud to be part of the conscious capitalism movement.

As we share our values through Gingerbread Folk, our business has a higher purpose aside from just making a profit.”

What makes Gingerbread Folk so special It begins with choosing to say Gingerbread Folk instead of gingerbread man (or woman!). There is something so friendly and homey with their choice of ´folk´ that you want to order not just one box but a whole family of gingerbread cookies to share with everyone!

The cookies are gluten-free, nut-free, palm-oil free and vegan with absolutely no colours, flavours or preservatives added. This is one Christmas where you can indulge in gingerbread guilt-free.

Even the icing for their gingerbread houses is special. Karen did her research to try to create an icing recipe that was egg-free. She succeeded, and is delighted that Gingerbread Folk's icing does not need to rely on the battery hen industry.

Gingerbread Folk’s royal icing is proudly egg-free, premium quality, strong and fast drying making assembling their gingerbread houses a breeze!

Sustainability is key and Gingerbread Folk cookies are thoughtfully packed in compostable wrappers.

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“Imagine the surprise and delight when a gingerbread house kit turns up on your doorstep at Christmas!”

Not Christmas without gingerbread If you get the chance to visit and step into the kitchen at Gingerbread Folk, the familiar aroma of ginger and spices is enough to make you feel giddy. Karen and Dom are proud of their Gingerbread Folk cookies.

They are made from the finest quality ingredients and they have just the right hint of ginger and the perfect balance of sweet spices.

Even the texture has been carefully perfected, and Goldilocks would definitely have approved - not too hard, not too soft. It is just right.

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All About Gingerbread Folk

❇ “We’re proud to be part of the conscious capitalism movement. As we share our values through Gingerbread Folk, our business has a higher purpose aside from just making a profit.”

- Gingerbread Folk

Gingerbread Folk uses Green Power and rooftop solar panels to generate their own clean, green electricity to power their business.

With so much kindness, responsibility and thought put into what they do, it generates a warm fuzzy feeling that makes it feel like it is Christmas every day when you bite into one of their happy Gingerbread Folk.

Keeping spirits up through the pandemic The last year and half brought some huge hurdles. Karen and Dom learnt to innovate and create new offerings to adapt to the challenges brought about by the pandemic.

“The pandemic is a challenge for any business owner. You have to try to reframe it if possible. It’s been a great exercise in adaptation, which is something I think is fundamental for survival.”

Gingerbread Folk sent gifts on behalf of businesses to their team members' households. It certainly brought a much-needed dose of joy to families who had all been trying their best to keep going through the lockdowns.

Whether it is the traditional or chocolate version, when you bite into each piece of Gingerbread Folk, the taste and texture takes you on a time travel to cosy, heartwarming childhood Christmases and gets you excited about your next Christmas.

The joy that Gingerbread Folk products bring to everyone of all ages is extremely rewarding. Their gingerbread house kits are the star of their business. These kits are so much fun and they delight across generations and cultures. It is a great activity for families to do together and even make popular corporate gifts. And for those who are planning a Christmas virtual/ Zoom event, decorating gingerbread houses together is a wonderful way to spice things up and bring a few squeals of laughter.

Karen and Dom have come a long way with their Gingerbread Folk.

They love what they do, and they are spreading so much joy and kindness with their initiatives. With each Gingerbread Folk they bake and decorate, they are holding up their vision to live responsibly and with kindness. Perhaps one day Gingerbread Folk would grow to need a Gingerbread Village!

You can find Gingerbread Folk products online, at gourmet food stores (and MYER), and also via fundraisers for schools, churches and charity groups.

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PLAN BRILLIANTLY FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS PROMOTIONS ✦ Christmas is near. Are you ready to sell?

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here is no doubt that Christmas is simply a brilliant time of year!

It is undeniably most people’s favourite occasion when families convene, presents are shared, delectable food and drinks are consumed and merriment galore is had by all.

This Christmas will, no doubt, be different due to the fallout of the global COVID-19 pandemic. We are living in a “Never Normal” world, something even the festive period cannot escape.

That’s not to say it’s all doom and gloom and there is reason for cheer above and beyond that of the usual festive kind, however. Following

recent positive announcements from the Federal government, selected restrictions are being eased and we look forward with confidence to a return to some form of normality.

Many shops and businesses will be allowed to reopen to welcome Christmas shoppers at the busiest time of year. However, there is no escape that the pandemic has already shaped our habits and behaviour and the usual methods of preparation will be different, with shopping for presents and associated festive items being the most obvious one.

As with many other daily routines relating to work, school and contact with friends and loved ones, we have progressed very much to an online lifestyle. With much, if not all,

❇ According to research, 85% of Australian-based shoppers in a “normal year” start their Christmas shopping three months out, 40% before the end of October with 47% doing so just month ahead of the big day.

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of our retail purchases ahead of our “COVID normal Christmas” taking place online it has meant businesses in the sector have had to plan much earlier than usual.

delivery dates and shipping logistics, etc. Some shoppers also expressed concern at diminishing stock levels and thus want to get their orders in early to avoid disappointment.

As such, the time for businesses planning for Christmas to act is NOW!

These kind of figures send a clear message to local businesses and retailers that NOW is the time to act and start promoting your festive offerings!

As shoppers increasingly turn online, so their options increase. Like anything in life, when we are presented with more choices we, naturally, become more selective. Businesses that procrastinate will suffer and, sadly, be left behind. It is a harsh reality of the modern world but a true one.

According to research, 85% of Australian-based shoppers in a “normal year” start their Christmas shopping three months out, 40% before the end of October with 47% doing so just month ahead of the big day.

This year, however, over 20% have already started their Christmas shopping, predominantly to ensure their items arrive in a timely manner with concerns around prolonged

This call to action is supported by statistics on retail marketing campaigns that state a 3-4 month gestation period is absolutely essential. Competition is fierce, especially in the cyber world with that plethora of choices, so capturing customers’ attention and sending the right message in a timely manner is crucial.

This is where Brilliant-Online can help local businesses with Multichannel Interactive Advertising campaigns that are proven to work. Better still, we are running a promotional Christmas campaign for local businesses that offers a free $100 advertising voucher – as a local business owner, you could well claim Christmas has indeed come early! Find out more here.

Keeping it local Brilliant-Online is dedicated to supporting and promoting local business. Given the facts outlined above in regards to shoppers veering online, shining the light on local business has become more critical than ever before. We all want to see the community thrive and local business are the cornerstone of this.

Online shopping obviously widens the net of options for buyers meaning local businesses run the risk of being overlooked for a provider elsewhere in Australia or even globally. Why send your hard earned dollars to the likes of corporate behemoths such as Amazon when supporting local business, often family run and generations old, is much, much more rewarding?

We all want to get through this COVID-induced headache and return to normal as unscathed as possible and local business is no different. As we near the busiest retail period of the year, make sure you are not left behind and are able to engage with and secure business from customers far and wide.

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The modern marketing team at Vermilion Pinstripes has a proven wealth of experience and track record in providing bestin-class sales, marketing and communications guidance and services, Vermilion Pinstripes can

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Free Marketing Consultation with Vermilion Pinstripes

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Plan your holiday campaign accurately and in a timely fashion.

Ensure your messaging is right so you are connecting with your optimal target audience. Be absolutely sure to check your website and online presence is set-up seamlessly to take orders prior to starting your marketing campaign. Trial the service yourself, test, test then test again!

help clients plan their Christmas campaign in the most effective manner possible and are currently offering a complimentary 30 minute consultation. Build business confidence with Veronica and book your free session.

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Marketing help is here

Free Holiday Photos for your holiday campaigns As an added courtesy to the local business community, we are offering a complimentary range of festive holiday photos to download to help promote your services this festive period or to send to clients as customised Christmas cards. You can find out more here.

We look forward to hearing from you and to helping ensure that Christmas for you and your business is an extremely happy, healthy and profitable one!

Contact Chrissy Jones for Holiday Advertising and remember to claim your $100 advertising dollars.

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CHRISTMAS IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER! ✦ Be brilliant today ✦ Advertise early to claim a $100 advertising voucher. ✦ Get in Touch With Us ✦ +61 412 137 621

Claim your $100 advertising voucher

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chrissyjones@brilliant-online.com Brilliant-online.com