COAST Autumn 2020

AUTUMN 2020

10 FREE FUN THINGS TO DO ON THE CENTRAL COAST

Y THE CENTRAL COAST HINTERLAND HAPPENINGS, SHOPPING & ENTERTAINMENT REINVENTING THE COASTAL GARDEN

THE PENTHOUSE

22/50 OCEAN PARADE, THE ENTRANCE

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CONTENTS WELCOME 6 ONCE UPON A TIME in Gosford DISCOVER THE CENTRAL COAST

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT 80

Map — Villages and beaches

8

10 Free fun things to do on the Central Coast

9

CREATORS AND MAKERS Nola Charles

16

MY COAST

86

CLASSES AND COURSES 88 THE GREAT OUTDOORS Map — National Parks and State Forests

90

Michael McGlinchey

20

Wyrrabalong Coast Walking Track

91

BEST BAKERIES on the Coast

22

PEOPLE OF THE COAST

HOME STYLE

Craig Scott: Wild at Heart

Megan and Jarrod Rose, Killcare Heights 26

GARDENS

PEOPLE OF THE COAST

Reinventing the coastal garden, Bateau Bay

Tash Richardson: at 14 she was learning to fly

38

Y THE CENTRAL COAST Hinterland 40

94

98

DESTINATION WEDDINGS Bec and Joel

102

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Riannon and Jeremy

106

The beloved, yet forgotton, wildlife victim… 46

HUNTER VALLEY

LUXURY ESCAPES 50

Chef profile: Brian Duncan, Hunters Quarter

109

Winemaker: Geoff Broadfield, Iron Gate Estate

113

HEALTH AND WELL-BEING Kids‘ Health

116

HAPPENINGS AND WHAT’S ON 66

EDUCATION on the Coast

121

PEOPLE OF THE COAST

FUN FOR KIDS on the Coast

128

FOOD AND DINING Locals Nights

54

COASTING ALONG with Libby Greig

60

CREATORS AND MAKERS Alex Alexander: A Long Story Short

Mei-Ling Venning

63

75 © CENTRAL COAST DRONES

AUTUMN SHOPPING GUIDE

78

COAST PUBLISHER Catharine Retter editorial@coastpublishing.com.au ART DIRECTOR Jude Rowe, Agave Creative Group PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHERS Reed Plummer, Central Coast Drones Lisa Haymes Photography Kevin Morgan, Magic Light Photography, Merrillie Redden Photography

The Central Coast is looking autumn-splendid.

Welcome S

ummer, with all its many highs and lows, is behind us. The Central Coast was more fortunate than many areas of Australia affected by the widespread bushfires, but even when the only impact on most of us was endless days of smokey skies while keeping a close eye on our FiresNearMe app, we were all touched by the plight of home and property owners, and the wildlife so devastatingly affected throughout Australia.

As always, in times of disaster, Australians pulled together and the Central Coast saw an amazing response via social media as well as on-the-ground fundraisers, and people donating time, energy, clothing and food for those affected by the fires.

Owners of horse floats made multiple trips to relocate horses, donkeys and even goats in pre-emptive evacuations. Matcham and Holgate, among many other areas, saw a generous influx of horses for agistment.

So many holiday home-owners here opened their hearts and homes to people displaced by the fires. The Australian Reptile Park, through its Aussie Ark, announced the establishment of a Koala Sanctuary at Barrington Tops to help provide a safe haven to replenish breeding numbers of our beloved marsupial.

ILLUSTRATORS Maps: Guy Holt Lauren Merrick

In this issue, you can read about the unsung but beloved and uniquely Australian animal we don’t hear much about in those fires. You may be surprised to find out which one it is.

And no acknowledgement is complete without a huge debt of gratitude to the Rural Fire Service volunteers but, that said, the less-heralded National Parks & Wildlife and NSW State Forestry’s field and office staff were also diverted for many many weeks away from their normal roles in order to fight fires.

With the summer crisis followed by flooding rains, now is the time to help with the morale and economic support of those businesses directly — and many indirectly — affected by buying local, staying local, eating and drinking local. As they say, ‘Now is the time to love NSW’, so we’re doing our small part with a photo essay on our beautiful Central Coast hinterland.

We’ll continue to bring you the best of the best on the Central Coast because we continue to live and work in one of the best places in this country — whether it’s along the beaches and waterways, or inland around our beautiful hills, forests and pasturelands! c

Catharine Retter, Publisher

Correction: In the Summer issue of COAST we incorrectly attributed the Somersby Falls photo on page 10. The beautiful photo was taken by Kevin Morgan of Magic Light Photography.

6

COAST

PRINCIPAL WRITERS Megan Arkinstall • Kim Cole • Brooke Doherty • Libby Greig • Suzy Jarratt • Catharine Retter • Katie Stokes • Sarah Tolmie • Paul Urquhart

ADVERTISING Anissa Vineburg 0408 692 129 Diane Dunlea 0425 279 707 advertising@coastpublishing.com.au DIGITAL Jenna Nicholl jenna@coastpublishing.com.au DISTRIBUTION Alex Tkachenko admin@coastpublishing.com.au ADMINISTRATION admin@coastpublishing.com.au COAST is published by Coast Publishing ABN 11 145 976 049 PO Box 6407 Kincumber NSW 2251 For more ‘What’s On for Kids’ information contact Katie Stokes at www.playinginpuddles.com.au COPYRIGHT AND WARRANTIES The editorial content, photographic content, design and graphic art (including design of any advertisements by Coast Publishing) are all subject to copyright and must not be reproduced in any form without written permission from Coast Publishing.

While we strive to ensure information contained in this magazine is correct and current at the time of printing, details may be subject to change and we recommend contacting venues or event organisers before planning your visit. The information contained in this magazine has been provided by contributors, interviewees and advertisers and their sources.

No warranty is given by Coast Publishing as to the accuracy of this information nor any liability arising from any reliance upon the information contained herein.

FIND US ON Facebook Instagram @coast_publishing www.coastpublishing.com.au View COAST online and subscribe (it’s free) to avoid missing future digital issues at www.coastpublishing.com.au We wish to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Awabal Darkinjung peoples and their Elders past and present. We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship with the land.

ON THE COVER Piles Creek Crossing in Propan National Park Photo: Reed Plummer, Central Coast Drones

KEN DUNCAN GALLERY presents…

Fleeting Perspectives - Ocean Art

by Ray Collins

Ray Collins will exhibit a spectacular collection of images at the Ken Duncan Gallery. His awe-inspiring photos will be shown from April 18 to May 10 and entry is free.

Ray photographs the ocean from above and below. His images depict the ocean as a living, breathing entity. He captures all of its intimidating strength and aims to bring awareness of its delicate fragility.

He portrays the power and essence of the waves in a way you have never seen the ocean before.

You will have the opportunity to meet Ray on April 18 and 19.

Ray will also be running some inspiring seminars during his exhibition.

For more information about the exhibition and seminars call 4367 6701 or head to www.kenduncan.com/whats-on/.

WHAT’S ON IN THE GALLERY

Ken Duncan’s Easter Special

Photography Explained Seminar – Central Coast

Four sessions over Easter Saturday and Easter Monday

Learn how to put the WOW factor into your photos!

See Ken’s photos from the Holy Land where the Easter story actually took place and hear him share the stories behind his inspiring images.

Saturday 16th May, 2020 from 9am to 5pm Here is your chance to learn valuable tips and techniques from iconic Australian photographer, Ken Duncan. Your complete guide to photography in one day – guaranteed.

Tickets are just $30 per person, or $100 for four people.

Bookings are essential and places are limited for all events. Phone the Gallery on 4367 6701 to reserve your place.

414 The Entrance Road, Erina Heights Open 10 am Daily (Except Good Friday) Phone (02) 4367 6701 www.kenduncan.com

8

COAST

DISCOVER • Central Coast

10 FREE fun things to do on the Central Coast WORDS KATIE STOKES THE CENTRAL COAST IS BLESSED WITH AN 87 KM COASTLINE, NUMEROUS NATIONAL PARKS AND STATE FORESTS, INSPIRING FOODIES AND CREATIVE ARTISTS, AND EACH OF THESE BRINGS A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCES TO ENJOY, MANY OF WHICH ARE FREE. WE’VE TRAVERSED THE REGION TO BRING YOU WHAT WE BELIEVE ARE THE 10 BEST FREE EXPERIENCES ON THE CENTRAL COAST.

© KAREN RODER

FIRESCREEK FRUIT WINES Nadia and Francis O’Connell own Firescreek, a boutique cellar door and 1-hectare property in Holgate where they grow and tend to fig trees, rose bushes and myriad other botanicals that go into their wines. From the beekeeping to the mulberry picking, everything here is done by hand, and their limited-edition bottlings change with the season. They may have coffee and blackcurrant for you to taste one visit, and fig, date and raisin the next.

© JULIA CALVER

Firescreek Fruit Wines 192 Wattle Tree Road, Holgate. www.firescreek.com.au

BULGANDRY ART SITE ABORIGINAL PLACE

© JOHN YURASEK

In Brisbane Water National Park you’ll find the Bulgandry Art Site Aboriginal Place, a special landscape of well-preserved Aboriginal engravings. A raised boardwalk surrounds the site and offers walkers a good vantage from which to view the centuries-old rock art. The engravings are of fish, wallabies, a dolphin and a man said by the local Darkinjung people to represent Baiyami, the creator.

Brisbane Water National Park, Woy Woy Road, near Kariong nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/aboriginal-sites/ bulgandry-art-site-aboriginal-place youtube.com/watch?v=l6X6oxKUiXA

9

© KEVIN MORGAN, MAGIC LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Somersby Falls

SOMERSBY FALLS The rainforest surrounds and free barbecue facilities make Somersby Falls picnic area a popular lunch spot, but it’s the waterfalls themselves that make this a must-visit location.

There are two waterfalls and they’re both accessed via the steep (and often slippery) 500 m-return Somersby Falls Walking Track. Best viewed after rain when water cascades down the falls creating pools of water and much laughter from children splashing and dancing beneath.

Picnic area, end of Somersby Falls Road, Somersby

DISTILLERY BOTANICA, FRAGRANT GARDENS

Distillery Botanica

Set among three acres of gardens in Erina is Distillery Botanica where you can wander the gardens that supply herbs for the distillery’s gins. There are interesting mud-brick buildings to see, say hello to the blue tongue lizards, take a peek at the copper pot stills, and taste some of the gins for free.

25 Portsmouth Road, Erina www.distillerybotanica.com

KEN DUNCAN GALLERY Ken Duncan, a resident of Wamberal and one Australia's most acclaimed landscape photographers, has his eponymous gallery at Erina Heights. The gallery walls are lined with Ken’s panoramic images of locations far and near, and might include Iguazu Falls in Brazil, giraffes in Africa, twilight at Avoca or dawn at Wamberal.

This purpose-built facility, with its gumtree-lined backdrop, is one of the largest privately owned photographic galleries in Australia, and entry is free.

414 The Entrance Road, Erina Heights kenduncan.com/central-coast-gallery/

10 COAST

Ken Duncan Gallery

EXPECT NOTHING UNEXPECTED ENJOY CAPPED PRICE SERVICING WITH LEXUS ENCORE LEXUS OF CENTRAL COAST 13 Kangoo Road Somersby NSW | PH 02 4340 3500 | lexusofcentralcoast.com.au

DISCOVER • Central Coast

EDOGAWA COMMEMORATIVE GARDEN AND GOSFORD REGIONAL GALLERY This 4,000 square metre public garden of wooden bridges, Japanese maples, resident ducks and manicured azaleas, is known locally as the Japanese Gardens. A gift to Gosford City from Edogawa City in Japan, the garden was designed in accordance with the original principles of the Japanese Heian period (700AD).

With its raked dry-stone garden, Japanese-style tea house and koi-filled ponds, it’s a peaceful oasis.

The adjoining Gosford Regional Gallery features local artists’ works as well as touring exhibitions such as the upcoming Midawarr | Harvest exhibit (May to July), a collaborative body of artworks by Yolngu elder Mulkun Wirrpanda and renowned landscape painter John Wolseley.

36 Webb Street, East Gosford centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/recreation/venues-and-facilities/ galleries/edogawa-commemorative-garden centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/recreation/venues-and-facilities/ galleries/gosford-regional-gallery

Edogawa Commemorative Garden

GLENWORTH VALLEY RUNNING OF THE HORSES Each day at Glenworth Valley Outdoor Adventures some 200 horses are mustered out of the riding yards and across the river to their night pastures. The Running Of The Horses occurs at about 4-4.30 pm each day (call first to confirm), and people are invited to visit the Valley to watch this iconic event for free.

69 Cooks Road Glenworth Valley glenworth.com.au/about/running-of-the-horses/

© MERRILLEE REDDEN

Glenworth Valley

12 COAST

DISCOVER • Central Coast

© CENTRAL COAST DRONES

Little Lobster Bay

THE COAST’S BEACHES The Central Coast’s 87 km coastline is home to 41 stunning beaches. Some have awesome surf breaks, some are frequented by fishermen and some are beautifully isolated and unpatrolled.

Umina’s long rolling wave makes it an ideal stretch for longboarders while Pelican Beach’s punchy beach break is better suited to bodyboarders. Lobster Beach in Bouddi National Park is so remote most think it’s only accessible by boat, but a set of little-known stairs in Wagstaffe also provides access. Avoca Beach is patrolled and fantastically kid-friendly: the rockpool provides a safe place to splash and there’s a fully fenced playground just behind the surf club. For something far more secluded, seek out Little Beach. This 100 m cove is located at the end of a 10-minute bushwalk past ferns and gums and is one of the Coast’s best-kept secrets. visitnsw.com/destinations/central-coast/beaches

13

DISCOVER • Central Coast

BUSHWALKS

© STEVE DAGGAR

Avoca Beach

© CENTRAL COAST DRONES

Wyrrabalong National Park

Bouddi National Park

nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/bouddicoastal-walk nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/wyrrabalongnational-park

© STEVE DAGGAR

The Bouddi National Park is home to countless bushwalks, but the most popular and arguably most stunning is the 8 km Bouddi Coastal Walk from Putty Beach (Killcare) to MacMasters. The first 3 km stretch to Maitland Bay offers walkers the most reward, as the boardwalk hugs the coastline and offers uninterrupted views of the ocean. The Coast walking track through Wyrrabalong National Park also offers spectacular ocean views as it traverses the cliff tops between Bateau Bay Beach and Crackneck Lookout.

Pelican Feeding

PELICAN FEEDING, THE ENTRANCE Watch the pelicans soar, swim or waddle in for a feed at The Entrance Foreshore’s Pelican Plaza. The feeding frenzy takes place every day at 3.30 pm.

Marine Parade, Memorial Park, The Entrance visitcentralcoast.com.au/the-pelican-feed-at-the-entrance

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Norah

SHOPPING • Guide

Autumn SHOPPING GUIDE

WORDS MEGAN ARKINSTALL

FROM INTERIOR ADDICTS, TO ARTISANS, THROUGH TO PARENTS WHO APPRECIATE BEAUTIFULLY MADE ITEMS FOR THEIR LITTLE ONES, WE HAVE EVERYONE COVERED THIS AUTUMN WITH THESE STORES ACROSS THE COAST.

Alberts Line, Gosford Set in the heart of Gosford, Alberts Line is an artisan and design emporium, as well as an art gallery and creative hub for local artists. The vision of two cousins — artist Nicole Ruiz and designer Narelle Mackell-Wong — Alberts Line is a unique outlet for local creatives who want to show and sell their work, as well as learn skills, build on knowledge and foster the wider creative community. Stop by this loft-style space to browse the fashion and jewellery, homewares, artworks and gifts.

97A Donnison Street, Gosford albertsline.com.au

Scout & Trader, Wyong Tucked away in the historic Chapman Building in Wyong, Scout & Trader is a beautifully curated, home design and lifestyle store with a focus on selling wares from small-batch makers and designers, including a number of locally made products. You can pick up quality items for the home such as flax ceramics and luxe textiles, a beautiful range of books for everyone from gourmands to kids, and a unique range of gifts from men’s grooming sets to botanical jars filled with artfully presented dried flowers.

Owner Kiri Nicholson also runs regular creative workshops — keep an eye on the website for more details.

Shop 7, 14–16 Alison Road, Wyong scoutandtrader.com.au

16 COAST

Ettalong Beach Waterfront Reserve

Restaurant. Bar. Beach kiosk.

Fresh. Modern. Australian. e bookings@theboxonthewater.com p 4339 3369 www.theboxonthewater.com

61 Masons Parade Point Frederick Gosford Waterfront

Bringing the best cocktails, South American wines and a Latin American inspired menu to Gosford Waterfront e reserva@holafredericos.com p 4339 4067 www.holafredericos.com

SHOPPING • Guide

Amour Fashion, Ettalong This cute-as-a-button corner store with red and white striped awnings, located near Ettalong Markets and Ettalong Wharf, is easy to spot and is just as lovely inside. In business since 2007, Amour Fashion is a favourite with locals for its affordable, bohostyle fashion that owner Jo-Anne Gordon stocks. You’ll find lots of beautiful pieces for your autumn wardrobe: from flowy dresses to relaxed wide-leg pants in vibrant prints, to beautiful capes and kimonos, as well as a range of denim and knits.

Shop 1, 410 Booker Bay Road, Ettalong amour-fashion.com.au

Ohana Boutique, Tuggerah This magical store is what little (and big) kids’ dreams are made of. You’ll find Ohana Boutique in Westfield Tuggerah, but may remember the store from its former location in Long Jetty. Owner Cheznee Cross is a young mum of four small children, and wanted to create a store where you could buy all of the beautiful kids’ products that you spot on Instagram, all in one place. With a commitment to environmentally conscious goods, with no plastics in sight, you’ll find premium toys both fun and educational, baby gifts, clothing, a sweet reading nook and more.

Westfield, Tuggerah instagram.com/ohanaboutique2018

BUNGALOW by Bohemian Traders, Erina Heights From the same stylish people behind local fashion label Bohemian Traders, luxe lifestyle store BUNGALOW is located just a few doors down from their flagship store at Erina Heights. Stocking premium brands such as Bondi Wash, In the Sac Linen, Status Anxiety and Saarde, you will find an eclectic range of products from ceramic keep-cups to coffee table books, leather goods, cushions and towels. There’s also a selection of fashion from the Bohemian Traders label to browse, and be sure to pop into its beautiful sister store afterwards.

Shop 1/490 Central Coast Highway, Erina Heights bohemiantraders.com

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C E L E B R AT I N G O V E R

40 Years E S T. 1 9 7 9

VIS IT OZ DES IGN FURN ITURE GOSFORD & TUGGERAH

ozdesignfurniture.com.au

MY COAST • Michael McGlinchey

MICHAEL MCGLINCHEY, MARINER, GLASWEGIAN-KIWI-COASTIE, FAMILY MAN, GOLFER, HOUSE RENOVATOR.

20 COAST

MY COAST • Michael McGlinchey

M

ichael sparked the early interest of football talent scouts at Celtic and Manchester United as a gifted-youth midfielder, and built the skills for his future football career before leaving Scotland in 2009 at the age of 22.

He had met his Aberdeen-born wife, Rachel, five years earlier and, together, they followed Michael’s career around the world: the Central Coast (for five years on-and-off), Wellington in New Zealand (the land of his father’s birth) for whom Michael plays as an International, with 55 caps, as well as representing the country at the 2012 Olympic Games), and Japan (for six months, where they discovered Rachel was pregnant with their second child).

They returned to Glasgow and began to prepare for family life while Michael started looking at potential football clubs that were interested in him in Scotland. Then came a call from the assistant manager at the Central Coast Mariners.

‘It was too good an opportunity, a great place to raise our family and put down roots,’ says Michael in an accent that is still heavily Scottish.

Their son (now six years old) was born in Gosford Hospital, but Michael’s subsequent career moves meant their daughter (now five) was born in New Zealand, and their youngest son (18 months) was born in Glasgow.

With such a travelled life, where does Michael feel most at home?

‘Glasgow because I grew up there,’ he says. ‘And the Central Coast because I love it here. It’s such a different lifestyle to Glasgow, and every day we’re at the beach somewhere, or doing something outdoors. The Mariners Club is very welcoming, very sociable — we’re often at each other’s places for barbecues.’

The children love the outdoors and although they’ve picked up something of the Scottish accents of their parents, Michael can hear the Aussie in them.

‘The other day, my son wanted to play “soccer” in the back garden. I had to say to him, “you mean football”!’

‘Putting down roots’ has meant buying a home on the Central Coast … and immediately beginning on renovations: pulling up floorboards, renovating the bathroom, and more.

Rachel and the children are regular attendees at the Mariners’ games, and the older kids are beginning to think it’s pretty cool wearing their Mariners’ tops and realising their dad’s work is being a footballer.

‘I’m lucky that Rachel has always been very supportive of the time commitment football needs. We train five to six days a week — core work and on the pitch — and have one day off. It’s more than that though: it’s a lifestyle thing — what you eat, how much you sleep, staying healthy.

‘Rachel is an amazing cook,’ says Michael. ‘She loves to bake cakes for people. She’s now supplying cupcakes to the Surf Café in Terrigal, and I’m hoping that “after football” this may be something she pursues.’

As well as being a capped, international player, Michael is only one of two players to score a hat-trick for the Mariners, as well as having helped win the Mariners’ maiden championship back in 2013. Diehard fans of the ‘yellow and navy’ still talk of the corner he landed on the head of team-mate Patrick Zwaanswijk to score the opening goal in the grand final. As a player, now aged 32, Michael has a massive 225 caps (games) to his credit.

‘Footballers, if they are lucky, have a career-run to around 35 years of age. I’d like to stay involved with the game after my playing days are over. And if there was the (unlikely) chance of a coaching job, I’d definitely want to stay here on the Coast.’

Some of Michael’s favourite places: Beaches: My local, Spoon Bay, but also Pearl Beach for a day out with a picnic on the sand.

On the water: The ferry from Ettalong to Palm Beach (and back!)

Golf: Kooindah Waters and Magenta Shores Coffee and cakes: Terrigal Surf Café, of course Footwear: flip flops!

Football team: Coasties! Coasties! Go the Mariners.

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FOOD & DINING • Best Bakeries

BEST BAKERIES ON THE COAST WORDS KATIE STOKES EACH MORNING IN BAKERIES AND PATISSERIES ACROSS THE COAST, OVENS ARE PRE-HEATED, BENCHES FLOURED AND SUGAR IS SCATTERED IN THE BAKING OF DELICIOUS SOURDOUGH, CHOCOLATE ÉCLAIRS AND CHUNKY STEAK PIES. WE’VE RISEN TO THE CHALLENGE TO BRING YOU WHAT OUR TASTERS BELIEVE ARE THE BEST BAKERIES ON THE CENTRAL COAST.

Burnt Honey, Copacabana When a bakery’s hours are listed as ‘7 am–2 pm or until Sold Out’, you know you’re onto a good thing. At Copacabana’s Burnt Honey Bakery, Hayley Thorncraft bakes everything on site. You’ll find the likes of Greek almond shortbreads, cinnamon buns and Portuguese tarts infused with cassia bark and lemon zest. Her doughnuts are flavoured with saffron and cardamom, or loaded with salted-caramel cream cheese. And while her Boston baked beans and vintage cheddar pie might be a long way from the traditional, it’s quite possibly the best pie we’ve ever eaten.

Shop 1, 224 Del Monte Pl, Copacabana burnthoneybakery.com.au

Ludo’s Gourmet Patisserie, Avoca Beach Ludo’s cakes are well renowned. The delice gateaux, hummingbird cake and lemon tart are delicious, but it’s the jaffa cake covered in chocolate ganache, mini meringues and toasted flaked almonds that we can’t help but order again and again.

Ludo’s tarts all make a fine dessert, but which one to pick? The French apple is classic, the chocolate soufflé divine. Quiches and pies lead the savoury line. The quiches are packed with smoked salmon or roast vegetables, and the pies are rich with beef bourguignon, chunky steak, and cheese and bacon.

8 Cape Three Points Rd, Avoca Beach ludos.com.au

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FOOD & DINING • Best Bakeries

Flour & Co, Toowoon Bay Pastry chef Jim Picot has been baking long-time favourites such as vanilla slices, baked custard tarts and banana sponge cake at his family-owned bakery for the past 32 years. Formerly known as the Toowoon Bay Pie Shop, and a bakery site since the ’40s, Flour & Co’s happy blend of old and new is a result of the more recent influence of Jim’s daughter Grace and son-in-law Tim, which has seen delicious raw treats and vegan offerings become part of the daily menu. You’ll now find slices free of refined sugar, gluten and guilt on the shelves, along with vegan Sri-Lankan curry pies and Cali-burritos packed with steak, potato tots, guacamole and pico de gallo. Their bone-shaped biscuits made from flour, eggs, peanut butter, oats and coconut oil have been created with pooches in mind, but we’d happily devour them too.

8 Toowoon Bay Rd, Toowoon Bay instagram.com/flourandco

Billabong Patisserie, East Gosford Sometimes you just want a good-old traditional neenish tart or sausage roll, and if this is your craving you can’t go past Billabong Patisserie at East Gosford. The building has been a bakery for some 50 years, and the current owner/pastry chef Adrian Warwick has been stoking the oven for the past 12.

Many customers have been coming here for years, lining up at the counter to order baked custard tarts, continental vanilla slices and mini passionfruit cheesecakes. Their quiches — Florentine, Lorraine, and sundried tomato and mushroom — fly off the shelves as does their lamb, rosemary and shiraz pie.

79 Victoria St, East Gosford. Phone 4325 3521

Goodness Cakes, East Gosford Looking for a sweet treat without the sugar? Make a beeline for Goodness Cakes at East Gosford where they create organic treats that are gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free, and made from natural ingredients. Chantal and Ben Bakker’s keto Coconut Bounty cake is packed with low-sugar and low-carb ingredients, including sunflower and pepita seeds, buckinis, cacao, cashews and coconut cream, while their vegan Berry Vanilla Cake is made from natural ingredients such as dates, coconut oil, maple syrup and berries.

54 York St, East Gosford goodnesscakes.com.au

23

FOOD & DINING • Best Bakeries

Sasa Sicilian Street Food, Ettalong Beach After working in bakeries in Sicily and Tuscany, wife-and-husband duo, Orly and Daniele Del Castillo, opened Sasa in Ettalong nine months ago. Their Danish pastries are topped with nectarines and pistachio crumbs, their focaccia with olives and oregano, their sourdough pizza with pancetta and provolone cheese. And don’t even think about leaving without a three-pack of cannoli to go.

The ricotta cream flavours change daily and could be marsala and fig one day, and espresso the next, and because they only pipe the cannoli to order, the shells are always deliciously crisp.

81/189 Ocean View Rd, Ettalong Beach facebook.com/sasastreetfood/

Bakery La Tartine, Somersby La Tartine is a certified organic sourdough bakery, and they don’t stray from what they do best. This is the place to buy sourdough, pure and simple. Their sourdough is made from organic flour from Gunnedah, Murray River salt and filtered tap water. It comes in wholemeal and multigrain, covered in sesame seeds, and dotted with walnuts or kalamata olives. Their pumpkin loaf is made from slow-roasting the squash, and their very more-ish fruit loaf is packed with dried apricots, figs, sultanas and almonds.

Do yourself a favour and grab a pack of their sourdough hot cross buns this Easter.

You can buy direct from their bakehouse every Friday (12 pm–7 pm, Unit 2/111 Wisemans Ferry Road, Somersby) or at markets across the Coast. latartine.com.au

Bremen’s Patisserie, Umina It’s was Ron’s ‘Flaming Pie’ that got Bremen’s on the ‘Today’ show, but it’s his cherry strudel that’s made his business a local household name. Originally from Bremen, Germany, pastry chef Ronald Bruns opened his Umina patisserie 30 years ago and he’s been pulling the crowd with his apple crumble, bee stings and black forest cake ever since. The Flaming Ron pie, for which they’re famous includes Trinidad ‘Scorpion’ Butch T peppers, Naga Viper chilis and habenero peppers. Unless you’re really game (and willing to sign a legal waiver) we recommend you opt for the korma curry chicken instead.

302 West St, Umina Beach bremenpatisserie.com.au

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NEW DISCOVERY SPORT

NEVER STOP DISCOVERING

BOOK A TEST DRIVE It’s funny what you pick up on your travels. Take all your kit, and then some, with New Discovery Sport’s incredibly generous stowage. And with the new digital ClearSight Rear View mirror*, you can always see behind, even with a fully-loaded boot.

Book your test drive today Central Coast Land Rover 1 Racecourse Rd, West Godford NSW 2250 Tel: (02) 4346 5000 sales@centralcoastjlr.com.au

*Optional

HOME STYLE • Megan and Jarrod Rose

MEGAN AND JARROD ROSE

A house with ‘style’ without forgetting ‘family’

© LISA HAYMES

MEGAN AND JARROD ROSE’S HOME IN KILLCARE HEIGHTS INSTANTLY SAYS ‘TASTE’ AND ‘STYLE’, BUT IT ALSO SAYS ‘FAMILY’ FIRST. STYLISH THOUGH IT MAY BE, THIS IS NO SHOWHOME NEVER TO SHOW SIGNS OF BEING LIVED IN.

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With three young children: Fin (11), Louis (9) and Isla (7), this is a home that takes advantage of coastal living. There are mountain bikes and beach towels out the front, and the house is built to take advantage of the sweeping ocean views and distant headlands towards Palm Beach.

Megan grew up in Ettalong Beach and, after a stint living in Sydney, like so many of us who loved the lifestyle and freedom here, she and Jarrod moved back, ‘for the lifestyle and to be near — though not too near — my parents,’ says Megan.

They were still a family of three then, with Fin just six months old, when they bought a 3-bedroom holiday cottage up the road from where they now live. It cried out for renovation and the first thing they undertook was to renovate the bathroom and, importantly, put in a bath. As Fin learnt to move at catch-me-if-

HOME STYLE • Megan and Jarrod Rose you-can speeds, it was quickly followed by a glass balustrade to protect him from becoming a human projectile down the stairs.

Then along came baby Louis, forcing them to expand the little cottage outwards over the deck and add on another storey.

Meanwhile, Megan was running a successful PR company with major clients in Sydney, including David Campbell, Andre Rieu and DreamWorks, and Jarrod was a busy project manager, commuting to Sydney every day.

‘Jarrod made the perfectly understandable suggestion that he join my PR company to save the hours of commuting.’ Megan pauses with an ‘I probably shouldn’t say this’ aside. ‘He’s really good with people and of course good at managing projects so he had very transferable skills, but I said “no”. He loves surfing and I thought the temptation would be too much — so close to the beach — and that he wouldn’t share the dedication I have for my business.

‘It wasn’t until I was three months pregnant with our third baby, Isla, that Jarrod finally came on board. He’d had another couple of years of commuting and now had the added responsibility of a family that was about to expand to five of us.

He was ready. And it was the right time.’

‘When Isla was about three, we felt we were busting at the seams of the house and needed more space,’ says Jarrod. ‘We absolutely loved our home, our street and neighbours and with impeccable timing, a house just up the road came onto the market. And we bought it immediately ... but we had to sell our current home to pay for it. All this with three kids under seven, and a busy agency.’

The new house was another holiday cottage but on a bigger block of land and with lots more potential to build a home fit for a family of five.

‘We lived in the back of the house while we renovated and added on to the front,’ says Megan. ‘And then we all moved downstairs while the upstairs was rebuilt. We lived on top of each other for all that time, but now that we can spread out through the whole house, it’s been well worth it.’

You can’t help but be conscious of the light and the air-flow in the new and very contemporary Rose house. Downstairs, there’s a family room opening onto a veranda that overlooks the pool; two bedrooms, a bathroom as well as an about-to-be-installed kitchenette so that when visitors stay, they can make themselves a cup of tea when they feel like it.

Upstairs, there are three more bedrooms, as well as an airy kitchen and large island bench, a dining area, and living room, all of which flow seamlessly out to a deck designed to take in the spectacular views. A large sandstone-blocked chimney with

»

27

HOME STYLE • Megan and Jarrod Rose its gas fireplace, the timber floors, and timber-lined ceiling add a cosy ambience.

In the main bedroom, there’s a simple (but thoughtfullyplanned) inset shelf, and the rear wall of shiplap timber pays homage to the house’s timber cottage origins.

The sofas are made for relaxing, and there’s a beautiful unity of style in the timber work: as you step through the large and solid front door, to the round dining table with ample seating for six, through to the cabinetry in the bathrooms. It’s thanks to Loughlin Furniture who crafted all the timberwork — from the round, conversational style American Oak dining table in a natural finish; to the bathroom’s customised Angourie vanity cabinet that sits easily with their Elanora shaving cabinet.

The house looks finished but Jarrod insists there’s always more to do. ‘We’re putting barn doors in to close in the family room downstairs, and this weekend we’re buying a whole lot of plants to finish off the front garden ...’

‘Honestly it’s a dream living here, and a day doesn’t go by where we don’t appreciate it,’ says Megan. ‘It’s still not that far to head to Sydney for client meetings, visit friends, etc. But you have the tranquillity, the views, and of course the community for the children – the kids in our street ride their bikes together, go to the beach together … It’s the sense of freedom I remember having as a kid. I really think it’s hard to match.’

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Quality Timber, Oak and Laminate flooring

PREMIUM ARCHITECTURAL WINDOWS & DOORS COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL

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4340 1000 sublimealuminium.com.au

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STYLE & SUSTAINABILITY Our goal is to design and construct a home that you will love living in.

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CALL DANIEL TODAY

0412 503 2 33 9/8 Gibbens Road, West Gosford NSW 2250

Ph: 02 4384 2466 www.constructcen tra lcoa st.co m .au

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29

© RAY COLLINS AT KEN DUNCAN GALLERY

© RAY COLLINS AT KEN DUNCAN GALLERY

Sea Monster

Collide

Blue

I NTO THE

Sign-up to our monthly eDM @TuggerahSuperCentre for your chance to

WIN $1,000 TO SPEND IN-CENTRE!* Bunnings Home Design Pavi Table Lamp $47

*Winners will be drawn 28 May, 2020.

PILLOW TALK

TUGGERAH SUPER CENTRE RETAILERS

For centre and store information visit www.tuggerahsupercentre.com.au Stay connected @TuggerahSuperCentre

R TD

Tuggerah Super Centre | Corner Wyong Road and Bryant Drive, Tuggerah, NSW 2259

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THE MUS T-HAVE

hue for Autumn

PILLOW TALK

SPOTLIGHT

1.

2.

3.

ON TREND

4.

The new year brings with it an inspiring new Pantone colour and in 2020, you’ll see shades of blue trickling into all corners of the home. Known to cultivate calm in the bedroom and dubbed one of the most universal colours on the wheel, blue in all its gorgeous forms is the hottest hue at the moment.

5.

Top tip

“Before choosing a mattress, make sure you bring your partner and lay on it for ten minutes – don’t be shy!

You need to ensure your shoulders and hips are comfortable and have the correct amount of support for you.” – Forty Winks

FORTY WINKS

6.

BUNNINGS

7.

1. Adairs Malmo Linen Throw $119.99 2. James Lane Kind of Blue Artwork $250 3. Sleepy’s The Goodnight Co Silk Sleep Mask $50 4. Spotlight Rapee Lexie Textured Cushion $45 5. Bunnings Home Design Pavi Table Lamp $47 6. OMF Bedside Table $199 7. Pillow Talk Reactive Hug Me Mug 4pk $49.95 Products and prices are recommended retail at time of printing and may vary – please see in store for any discounts or special offers that may apply. *Winners will be drawn 28 May, 2020.

READER OFFER FIRST 50 CUSTOMERS

7 NIGHTS FREE ACCOMMODATION in Bali, Thailand or Africa by

Luxaflex Gosford is offering the first 50 customers* free accommodation for seven nights — for two adults and up to two children under the age of 12 —

valued at $1,500 if you spend $4,000 or more at Luxaflex Gosford between now and May 30, 2020.

Terms and conditions apply.

1. Offer cannot be exchanged or redeemed for cash.

2. Travel must be booked and completed as per the expiry date. All bookings must be made within three months of the recipient receiving the voucher, or the voucher becomes void.

3. In the event of cancellation of a confirmed holiday, this voucher will be deemed used.

4. Luxaflex Blinds & Design, COAST Publishing, and mygreatescapes.com.au are not responsible for loss or damage directly or indirectly caused by the travel companies such as delays or reschedules, insolvency, loss or damage to person or property.

5. This offer is for accommodation and does not include air fares or other associated travel costs.

Terms and conditions may change from time to time without notice. *For the most up to date, and additional T&Cs please visit: http://mygreatescapes.com.au

Visit the Luxaflex Showroom: 64 York Street, East Gosford 2250 Phone 02 4367 5603

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Discover the

Luxaflex

Difference

Window Fashions as Individual as you If you’re looking to make an individual style statement, it’s time to discover the inspiring range of blinds, shutters and awnings from Luxaflex Window Fashions.

For a tailor made solution to suit your lifestyle, visit the friendly and expert team at Luxaflex Blinds & Designs and discover a new standard in style and service.

Visit the Luxaflex Blinds & Designs Window Fashions gallery at: 64 York Street, East Gosford, NSW 2250 T: (02) 4367 5603 | E: sales@luxaflexgosford.com.au

luxaflex.com.au 13 58 92 |

© KEVIN MORGAN, MAGIC LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Strickland Falls

36 COAST

The SunSpec Louvred Roof is an ingenious mechanism that transforms from a solid water proof covering to an open garden

New Standard In Outdoor Living

trellis or Pergola style covering, giving light, ventilation, and views of the clear sky above.

All this takes place at the touch of a button giving you complete flexibility of your light and weather control needs for any outdoor living area, allowing you to control your environment.

Call for a FREE quote 1300 584 750

sunspec.com.au

SunSpec.indd 1

13/11/19 1:18 pm

INTEGRITY. PASSION. INNOVATION

ARCHITECTURE. INTERIOR DESIGN. CONSTRUCTION. PROJECT MANAGEMENT We believe excellent design is the outcome when the focus is fixed firmly on the needs and expectations of all stakeholders, particularly the end user. claudia@rzkgroup.com.au M: 0412 707 069 vince@rzkgroup.com.au M: 0412 288 082

rzkgroup.com.au

PEOPLE OF THE COAST • Tash Richardson

TASH RICHARDSON At 14, she was learning to fly a plane before she could drive a car.

A VISIT TO THE ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE, WHEN TASH WAS JUST 13 YEARS OLD, WAS THE MOMENT SHE KNEW WHAT SHE WANTED HER CAREER PATH TO BE.

O

n a tour of the RFDS base in Broken Hill, Tash watched the flight crew and paramedics in action; she walked around the planes and the mechanics working on the innards of a King Air; heard from the pilots about the far-flung and, often, very basic runways the planes had landed on, and the people the crews they had helped save.

As someone who’d been diagnosed with a chronic lung disease as a child, Tash had already seen her fair share of the inside of hospitals, and it had made her interested in helping others, perhaps as a paramedic.

‘The idea of flying was exciting, but here was an opportunity to fly and also be able to help people,’ Tash says. ‘I knew then, that

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I wanted to become a pilot with the Royal Flying Doctor Service.’

She asked her parents for an introductory flight for her next birthday and, on the day of her 14th birthday, the family drove to the Warnervale Aero Club where Tash took her first flight. Her instructor could see how thrilled his passenger was when she was allowed to take the controls during their flight, and asked if she’d like him to do a loop-the-loop.’

‘It was the coolest thing I’d ever experienced,’ Tash says, grinning broadly at the memory. From then on, she was up at the Warnervale Airport most weekends, taking flying instructions and getting her flying hours up. She took her first solo flight after her 15th birthday, and officially got her recreational licence at 16.

PEOPLE OF THE COAST • Tash Richardson

Tash is sitting for her HSC this year and is impatient for her 18th birthday when she can get her commercial pilot’s licence.

‘The RFDS is not something you can get into straight away, even with a commercial pilot’s licence which requires 150 hours flying time compared to 3,000 hours for RFDS pilots,’ she says.

‘You need the extra experience to be able to cope with things like a short runway on an outback station, landing in a dust storm or heavy rain, or landing on a runway that’s not even cleared of rocks and sticks, and with kangaroos hopping across your path.’

Her parents were less sure of this new interest for the first three months, and asked a lot of, ‘Are you sure?’ but were happily her first passengers after she got her recreational licence and she was able to take them up, one-by-one, in the two-seater, Cessna 150.

‘If Dad was nervous, he didn’t show it,’ says Tash. ‘He was more excited, but he did compare it to being in the air in nothing more than a tin box.’

Tash’s mother admits to being scared on that first flight, but she is also quick to praise her daughter and to recognise the cost of all the flying lessons as an investment in Tash’s future career.

Tash loves the sense of community at Warnervale Aero Club and doesn’t miss an opportunity to sing their praises.

‘Everyone is very friendly, and we all share the pride in everyone else’s flying achievements,’ she says. ‘I initially looked at Bankstown Airport for lessons but for an hour and a half flight, you spend 30 to 40 minutes queued on the runway. They’re at capacity, so Warnervale Airport is very important in being able to train the pilots of the future.’

According to Boeing, that’s a pretty big need, with a shortage of 800,000 new pilots estimated over the next 20 years across the aviation industry. For Warnervale Aero Club, who have been training pilots for 47 years, it’s an opportunity to develop a strong skilled-employment base on the Central Coast.

‘During the bushfires, the fire-spotter planes landed at Warnervale for refuelling,’ says Tash, ‘as did some of the National Parks and Wildlife planes.

‘One of the instructors here was also able to help rescue his mother-in-law at Old Bar near Taree during the fires because he was able to take off quickly from Warnervale. They’d heard the fire was encroaching and the roads were cut off, then lost all communication with her. The water-bombing planes up there meant airspace was restricted, and he was given a seven-minute window to land. He couldn’t contact her but was able to drop his daughter off with water and supplies and, crucially, she was able to look after her elderly grandmother until the local roads re-opened.

‘That’s the sort of thing I want to be able to do: to use my flying skills to reach people in need,’ says Tash.

And we know that’s exactly what she’ll do.

Central Coast Aero Club, Warnervale: ccac.com.au Royal Flying Doctor Service: flyingdoctor.org.au

39

DISCOVER • Central Coast

NOW IS THE TIME TO

THE CENTRAL COAST

HINTERLAND

40 COAST

DISCOVER • Central Coast

ABOVE Noonaweena looking towards Mt Yengo LEFT Paradise Botanical Gardens, Kulnura

41

ABOVE The Springs, Peats Ridge RIGHT Gap Creek Falls, Watagans

© KEVIN MORGAN, MAGIC LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

BELOW Cedar Brush Creek near Yarramalong

© KEVIN MORGAN, MAGIC LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

DISCOVER • Central Coast

42 COAST

ENJOY • PL AY • REL AX

SPRINGS GOLF P E AT S R I D G E Escape to the hinterland of The Central Coast for your next game of golf.

The 72 par, 18-hole golf course challenges all players.

With a fleet of GPS golf carts, a well-stocked pro shop and state of the art locker rooms, The Springs offers the ultimate golfing experience.

Become a member or join us for a social or corporate golf day.

After your game, chill out on a chesterfield or ottoman, take in the rural view and sip on a local craft beer or local G & T. Taste bar food with a difference or indulge in Chef Dan’s locally sourced and created farm to plate menus in our Sitting Duck restaurant. Once you escape to a Springs Golf experience, you will keep coming back.

Escape to a Springs adventure.

FOLLOW US thespringspeatsridge thespringspeatsridge

(02) 4373 1522 1 0 8 0 P E AT S R I D G E R OA D W W W. T H E - S P R I N G S . C O M . A U

Š KEVIN MORGAN, MAGIC LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

DISCOVER • Central Coast

Kariong Brook Falls

FOR MORE INFORMATION Angel Sussurri, restaurant and manor house, Yarramalong.

angelsussurri.com/

Australian Reptile Park, Somersby.

reptilepark.com.au

Fernbank Farm, weddings, Wyong Creek.

fernbankfarmweddings.com.au/

Mangrove Mountain Memorial Club and Golf Course,

mmmclub.com.au

Central Mangrove.

Noonaweena luxury retreat, Kulnura.

noonaweena.com.au

Paradise Botanical Gardens, Kulnura.

facebook.com/paradisebotanicalgardens

Somersby Gardens Estate, weddings, Somersby.

somersbygardens.com.au/

The Springs, restaurant, golf, weddings, Peats Ridge.

the-springs.com.au

Waterfall Springs Retreat and Wildlife Sanctuary, Kulnura.

waterfallsprings.com.au

National Parks & Wildlife: Propan National Park, Dharug National Park,

nationalparks.nsw.gov.au

Brisbane Water National Park.

NSW State Forests: Strickland State Forest, Ourimbah State Forest, McPherson State Forest, Wyong State Forest, Watagan State Forest, Olney State Forest.

44 COAST

forestrycorporation.com.au

RETREAT AND WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

ENJOY DELICIOUS MEALS MADE WITH FRESH, LOCAL PRODUCE AND BREATHTAKING VIEWS AT SEASALT RESTAURANT. For a dining experience with a difference, you can’t go past Seasalt Restaurant with spectacular views over Terrigal Beach.

Seasalt Restaurant is known for fresh seasonal menus with a coastal influence and is famous amongst locals for the buffet breakfast.

Award-winning chef Dana Chantler has created a menu to suit all tastes with favourites including the best-selling seafood platter, halloumi fries and a dessert share plate that makes lovers of sweets rejoice.

OPEN 7 DAYS FOR BREAKFAST AND DINNER | OPEN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FOR LUNCH First Floor, Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific, Pine Tree Lane, Terrigal W: terrigalpacific.crowneplaza.com P: (02) 4384 9133

/SeasaltRestaurantTerrigal

© DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT AND HERITAGE

GREAT OUTDOORS • The Australian Platypus

The beloved, yet forgotten, wildlife victim of our bushfires WORDS CATHARINE RETTER

© FAYE BEDFORD

T

46 COAST

here’s been a stoically silent victim of the devasting bushfires and drought in eastern Australia. It’s cute and (looks) cuddly, but its shy and elusive nature means it doesn’t get the worldwide publicity that our beloved koalas do.

It’s the iconic Australian platypus, that uniquely different egg-laying, webfooted, fur-covered, duck-billed monotreme that is found nowhere else in the world but here.

We may think river-dwelling creatures are the lucky ones during a bushfire but when the fires swept through our national parks and forests and pasturelands, the platypus’s habitat was already severely affected by the drought’s falling river levels — exacerbated by its human neighbours who had been driven to pumping water from rivers and creeks, legally and illegally.

GREAT OUTDOORS • The Australian Platypus

presence of weakened and stranded animals. Sadly, that story over the past decade includes no sign of habitation in 41 percent of their previous range in eastern Australia.

Organisations caring for bushfire affected areas — including Aussie Ark and Australian Reptile Park staff — who visited known platypus areas have come back with the heart-breaking assessment that thousands, if not tens of thousands of platypuses will have been killed in recent months.

But it doesn’t end with the dousing of the bushfires. Loss of vegetation around the riverbanks means the water temperatures rise which, in a next heatwave, may be more than a platypus can survive.

Scientists also believe the advent of heavy rains brings further habitat destruction as charred debris, ash, and sooty topsoil flow into the river systems and affect the water quality.

‘But it doesn’t end with the dousing of the bushfires. Loss of vegetation around the riverbanks means the water temperatures rise which, in a next heatwave, may be more than a platypus can survive.’

© ZOOS VICTORIA

Another fascinating fact about these unique creatures is that, on land, they can retract the webbing between their claws.

Unfortunately, they are also at their most vulnerable to foxes and feral cats and dogs when they are forced to cross land to seek new watery habitats.

‘Platypus numbers were already in decline,’ says Aussie Ark President, Tim Faulkner. ‘And current populations in their easternAustralian range will have been catastrophically and perhaps irreversibly affected by the fires and drought.’

Once the platypus’s habitat of healthy rivers and creeks disappears, so too does the platypus in the wild … from our entire planet.

It’s difficult to estimate numbers because the platypus is a shy, mainly nocturnal creature, and its last line of defence is to retreat deep into its burrow. But, by scientists and wildlife rescuers going to known habitats, platypus absences tell the story, as do the

47

GREAT OUTDOORS • The Australian Platypus

© JEREMY THOMSON

Wildlife rescue staff were recently able to save several platypuses and release them into deeper water. Others — thin, emaciated, and trapped in billabongs or shallow waters, and too weak for release — have been taken into care.

‘I’m relieved to say they are gaining weight and seem to be recovering,’ says Tim Faulkner. ‘They’ll be assessed for re-release but, at this stage, their future in the wild remains uncertain.’

Prior to the long drought and the bushfires last summer, the IUCN’s Red List* defined the platypus as Near-Threatened, based on a projection of around a 30 percent decline in its population across just three generations. Land clearance, and the continued prospect of climate change with its longer hotter months, has led researchers at the University of New South Wales Sydney Centre for Ecosystem Science, to believe the platypus may be on a one-way track to a cruel extinction in the wild.

In January, they estimated platypus populations may decrease by as much as 73 percent over the next 50 years.

In and around the Central Coast, platypuses have been sighted as close to human population centres in areas such as Lisarow, as well

48 COAST

as, hearteningly, in Erina Creek, Maddens Creek and Fires Creek in the Matcham-Holgate valleys, and, further afield, in the more isolated waterways around Wollemi National Park and Barrington Tops. Aussie Ark teams are committed to helping this species in the Barrington Tops area and donations to Aussie Ark’s Aussie Wildfire Fund will help many species, including the platypus.

Weekly searches for individuals in need of veterinary assistance and relocation to deeper pools are being conducted.

Don’t let an outcry to save the platypus in the wild, come too late to help… c *International Union for Conservation of Nature.

You can help scientists gather information on platypus distribution by downloading the PlatypusSPOT app to record sightings in your local area.

Aussie Ark is a registered environmental organisation and charitable institution and has deductible gift recipient status (DGR status).

It is closely supported by the Australian Reptile Park. You can find more information and donate at www.aussieark.org.au

ADVENTURE IS

CALLING

EXPERIENCE A WORLD OF WONDER & WILDLIFE AT THE AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PARK From the moment you arrive at Australian Reptile Park, you will be greeted by a journey that takes you into a magical world of wildlife and adventure.

Hand-feed free-roaming kangaroos in a beautiful bushland setting and admire some of Australia’s most famous native animals including koalas, echidnas, wombats, cassowaries, dingos, quokkas, wallabies and Tasmanian devils.

The Australian Reptile Park is also home to a variety of exotic reptiles from around the world including Komodo dragons, American alligators, and giant Galapagos tortoises. Visitors can also experience the awe-inspiring power of Elvis the saltwater crocodile during weekends and holidays.

FREE PARKING ∙ ON-SITE CAFÉ ∙ PICNIC AREAS ∙ KIDS PLAYGROUND WWW.REPTILEPARK.COM.AU | PACIFIC HWY, SOMERSBY NSW 2250 | PH: 02 4340 1022

LUXURY ESCAPES

LUXURY HOLIDAY LIVING ON ETTALONG BEACH WATERFRONT OK, we confess, there is one difficult thing about this modern, open-plan living, absolute waterfront holiday rental home— and that is leaving it to go back home again. In the heart of Ettalong Beach overlooking Brisbane Water, it has all the luxuries and mod cons you’d wish for in your own home: air con, wall-mounted fireplace, butler’s pantry, en suites for three of the four bedrooms, walk in robe, electric blinds, and so much more. The dining area comfortably seats eight, or you can dine al fresco on the covered patio, complete with gas barbecue. It’s a short amble to be tempted by Ettalong’s cafés and restaurants, boutiques, the famous Galleria and Cinema Paradiso. When you’re done with the beach, shopping and dining, there are extensive foreshore walks and cycleways — with some of the best views on the coast.

356A Ocean View Road Ettalong Beach. Bookings ’Luxury by the sea’ accomholidays.com or phone 02 4344 6152

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HOLIDAYS & FURNISHED RENTALS

Property Showcase For more info, search the property name on our website.

The Rise Penthouse - Terrigal

Salt Deck - Avoca Beach

Luxury By The Sea - Ettalong Beach

Azure - North Avoca

Ocean Beach Pavilion - Umina Beach

Pearl Beach Villa - Pearl Beach

Find your Perfect escape!

Terrigal office: 02 4385 9564

Avoca Beach office: 02 4385 3860 Ettalong Beach office: 02 4344 6152 Follow us on instagram & facebook:

@accomholidays

A C C O M H O L I D AY S . C O M

LUXURY ESCAPES

One of Killcare’s most iconic homes … and views Holding an historical landmark position, on over 3200m2 of terraced, landscaped gardens and located high on the hilltop with expansive views over the Pacific Ocean and Brisbane Water, sits Oskars, a magnificent Tuscan-style retreat and one of Killcare’s most iconic homes. Oskars is ideally positioned to capture year-round sunlight and the most spectacular sunsets, just a few short minutes from Bells at Killcare, the restaurants of Hardys Bay and the area’s best beach, Killcare Beach.

Expertly extended and remodelled into a luxury coastal estate from the original cottage which was hand-built

by German adventurer Oskar Speck in the 1950s, this substantial residence is a testimony to artistic craftsmanship and offers complete privacy in the most serene and beautiful environment.

www.centralcoastholidayescapes.com.au

Ultimate Beachside Getaway

• • • • •

KILLCARE PENINSULA

Killcare NSW 5 Star rated Sleeps 12 Seconds to beach Open wood fire

02 4360 2222

centralcoastholidayescapes.com.au raywhitekillcare.com

Central Coast Holiday Escapes beach bay bush

Come holiday with us

Unwind, relax, enjoy email admin@terrigalpacific.net.au phone 4385 1555 @terrigalpacific www.terrigalpacific.net.au

FOOD & DINING • Local Nights

Shhh … here’s the secret of ‘locals nights’

WE’RE GOING TO LET YOU IN ON A SECRET. SOME OF THE CENTRAL COAST’S BEST RESTAURANTS RUN ‘LOCALS NIGHTS’ WHERE YOU CAN ENJOY THEIR GOURMET FARE AT A SPECIALLY REDUCED PRICE. HERE ARE SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE TABLES.

WORDS KATIE STOKES

The Wild Flower Bar & Dining, Bells at Killcare

© DOM CHERRY

The Wild Flower

The Wild Flower Bar & Dining (the restaurant previously known as Bells at Killcare) took on a new name, new décor and new direction towards the end of 2019. Under the culinary direction of renowned chef Sean Connolly, the restaurant’s Italian roots have now broadened to feature flavours across the Mediterranean and their locals night has been extended to four! From Monday to Thursday locals can take advantage of their new locals’ plat du jour — a daily changing signature dish with house-made baked baguette, a side and matched glass of wine. Expect the likes of snapper en papillote with garden tomatoes, pork chop salsa verde, and mille-feuille with orange custard.

Locals Plate of the Day (plat du jour) Monday–Thursday nights.

A signature daily dish, a side and glass of wine $35 pp.

Bookings 02 4349 7000 .

© DOM CHERRY

bellsatkillcare.com.au/restaurant-and-bar

The BOX

The BOX on the Water, Ettalong Beach Nestled on the Ettalong foreshore and with panoramic views across the bobbing boats of Broken Bay, The BOX on the Water is an idyllic spot to while away an evening. The menu is modern Australian and has a leaning to seafood, which is perfect given its vista. Dishes might include steamed mussels with preserved lemon, twice-cooked duck with burnt corn, fennel and orange, and Kingfish with Gem lettuce, crisp Serrano and sour Dijon cream.

Locals Nights — Thursday nights.

Chef’s selection of two courses and glass of house wine, sparkling or a tap beer $40 pp. Bookings 02 4339 3369. theboxonthewater.com/

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FOOD & DINING • Local Nights

Seasalt, Terrigal With its oversized floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the pines and sand of Terrigal beach, Seasalt has an unbeatable view.

And with executive chef Simon Quick at the helm it also has an enviable menu that calls on culinary influences from around the world. The deep-fried tofu brings Korean flavours to the table with its sides of gochujang mayo and kimchi, the Sri Lankan-style market fish curry is fragrant with coconut, lime and chilli, and the confit duck leg comes with German spatzle, speck and apple beetroot kraut.

Locals Nights — Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

2 courses $45 pp. Buffet breakfast daily for $25 pp on weekdays and $30 pp on weekends (not available public holidays and special event dates).

Seasalt

Bookings 02 4384 9111. terrigalpacific.crowneplaza.com Avoca Surf House

Avoca Surf House, Avoca Beach With its sweeping ocean view, enviable cocktail list and fun coastal vibes, Avoca Surf House is quite a drawcard, but with Emily Caska at the helm, it’s also a fabulous community hub.

This restaurant hosts wine tastings, yoga classes, kids’ holiday activities, and community fundraisers, plus ‘Love Locals’ nights – their version of the locals night. Adults can choose between the wagyu beef burger, vegetarian pasta or battered flathead tacos with pico de gallo and lime aioli, while kids can get a great meal deal that includes a main, drink and ice-cream.

Locals Nights — Thursday nights (some dates excluded). $20 meals pp incl. house beer/wine. $12 kids meal deal (main, drink and ice-cream). Bookings 0422 843 065. avocasurfhouse.com.au

Boathouse Bar & Dining, Koolewong Jutting over Brisbane Water and surrounded by visiting houseboats is Koolewong Marina, the home of Boathouse Bar & Dining. With its stark white linen and panoramic windows offering views of the gum-lined headlands and twinkling lights of distant residences, it’s an elegant space to dine. Entrée might be twice-cooked pork belly with roasted apple puree or zucchini flowers stuffed with butternut pumpkin mousse, while mains tantalise with the likes of Cone Bay barramundi and roasted celeriac puree or confit duck Maryland with braised fennel.

Locals Night — Thursday nights.

Two-course menu with a glass of wine $45.

Bookings 02 4342 9994. boathousebaranddining.com.au

Avoca Surf House

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FOOD & DINING • Local Nights

Reef Restaurant

Reef Restaurant, Terrigal Located on the waters edge of The Haven, The Reef has been a favourite dining destination on the Coast for many years. Head chef Paul Bouwhuis brings myriad flavours to the table. For a starter, choose between the French-inspired pork pistachio terrine with black cherry gel and toasted brioche or the Thai-style softshell crab with wombok mango salad and red peanut nam jim.

For mains, it could be a whole baby snapper with yellow curry or sous vide beef fillet with potato pave. You’re onto a winner whichever way you lean.

Locals Nights — Wednesday nights.

A glass of Reef wine or Asahi beer and two courses $45 or three courses $55. Bookings 02 4385 3222. reefrestaurant.com.au

The Lake House, The Entrance Just a skip across the road from the pine trees and fishermen who line Tuggerah Lake, sits a heritage-listed dame: The Lake House.

It’s a popular space to dine on smashed avo at breakfast, Sydney Rock oysters at lunch, and to celebrate a special occasion high tea, but it’s on ‘Locals Night’ when The Lake House really comes into its own. This two-day affair extends from Wednesday lunch through to Thursday evening with two or three courses plus matching wines. The menu includes beer-battered flathead and chips, or falafel with cous cous, beetroot hummus, tzatziki & tahini dressing.

Locals Nights — Wednesday lunch through to Thursday dinner.

Two courses $39 or three courses $49 plus matching wines from $15.

02 4332 5253.

The Lake House

theentrancelakehouse.com.au

Maccoa, Terrigal Alfresco dining comes to the fore at Maccoa. Tables are set on the grass just metres from the sand, making it an ideal spot to dine with kids — bucket and spade in hand. The menu includes Berkshire pork cutlets, lemon and za’atar marinated chicken and Singapore chilli crab for mains. With crème caramel, coconut pannacotta and almond orange cake on the cards, we encourage you stay for dessert.

Locals Nights — Thursdays.

A glass of wine and two courses $40 or three courses $50.

Bookings 02 4385 3855. maccoa.com.au Maccoa

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Saltwater Bar and Bistro at Avoca Beach Hotel serves up pub meals alongside contemporary and seafood classics. Come and enjoy a meal al fresco style on the deck in the sunshine.

Open 7 days a week Lunch & Dinner

326-360 Avoca Drive, Avoca Beach | 02 4382 2322 www.avocabeachhotel.com.au

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FOOD & DINING • Local Nights

The Dart & Feather, Davistown With a roaring fireplace, and views over Brisbane Water, The Dart & Feather makes an ideal spot to dine on chilly autumn evenings.

Pan-roasted salmon is served with heirloom tomatoes, olives and snow pea leaves while the black Angus prime rib comes with broccolini, crushed new potatoes, roasted vine tomatoes and hollandaise. Finish the evening with passionfruit pannacotta or chocolate mousse and you’ll depart feeling very content.

Locals Nights — Friday Nights.

Two courses $40 or three courses $49. Bookings 02 43691300. thedartandfeather.com.au The Dart & Feather

The Cowrie, Terrigal Set high over Terrigal and with views stretching across the Pacific Ocean, The Cowrie is a restaurant that delivers time and again.

Owner/manager Grant Lawrence has worked in some of Sydney’s iconic restaurants (including Bel Mondo, Metropol and Catalina), and this experience shows: from the attentive service to the delicate platings. You’ll be hard-pressed choosing between dishes such as Cowra lamb shoulder with pea and mint puree, Bangalow pork belly with apple and caramelised onion tarte tatin or grassfed beef fillet with smoked speck and kipfler potatoes.

Locals Nights — Thursday nights (some dates excluded).

A glass of house wine and two-course menu $49 or three-course menu $59.

02 4384 3016. thecowrie.com.au

Terrace Grill Restaurant & Bar, Terrigal Located in the old Terrigal post office, and with black and white still photos of yesteryear Terrigal adorning the walls, one can’t help but feel a little nostalgic when dining at the Terrace Grill Restaurant & Bar. The menu here is modern Australian with Italian influence and, whether you choose an entrée of Sydney Rock Oysters or goat’s cheese tortellini with Persian fig, it doesn’t disappoint. Mains include char-grilled roast lamb with red wine jus, or black Angus beef fillet with Dianne sauce and hand-cut chips.

Locals Nights — Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday nights (and all lunches).

A glass of wine or beer and two courses $44 or three courses $54.

Bookings 02 4385 8800.

ShoreThyme

terracegrill.com.au

ShoreThyme Restaurant, Norah Head This restaurant-cum-gallery-space features works from local, Newcastle and Sydney artists. The works cover a variety of mediums, from the traditional to the abstract, and change each fortnight. The menu changes regularly too, and might include braised rabbit with chorizo and wild rice one week and lamb

shank risotto with garden peas and parmesan the next. The braised beef cheek with polenta, and eucalyptus-smoked duck with red cabbage and speck both come highly recommended.

Locals Night — Thursday nights.

Three-course meal $40. Bookings 02 4396 4507. shorethymerestaurant.net.au

PLEASE NOTE, THERE ARE CONDITIONS AND DATE EXCLUSIONS FOR LOCALS NIGHTS AT SOME VENUES. PLEASE REFER TO THE RESTAURANT’S WEBSITE FOR ALL DETAILS.

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COASTING ALONG • Autumn

Coasting along with

LIBBY GREIG

THE BIG SPLASH

E

ven if the last time you swam a lap was at the school swimming carnival in the last century, or getting your Bronze Medallion for Lifesaving, I have news for you.

Swimming is back!

You may not be in that cute bikini, slathered in coconut oil — as you may have been then — but you can grab your very sensible one-piece cossie and cover yourself in factor-50 sunscreen. And don’t forget that very large cover-all beach towel.

After years of jogging, gym memberships and aerobic classes I suddenly discovered that swimming is a simple way of keeping fit and making new friends. I recommend your local pool. Better still is an ocean pool, if you’re fortunate enough to be near one. You can swim in all weathers and if you can find a pool with a café nearby, what could be more perfect.

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Would I do this on my own? Absolutely not! I am far too lazy to leap out of bed and do something quite so wholesome.

So, how did it all happen? In one word: JACKY. Jacky, who has swum in the freezing waters of New Zealand and South Africa and, only a week or two ago, in the shark-infested waters of the Barrier Reef (apparently, being followed by a tiger shark improves your swimming times enormously). Her enthusiasm is highly infectious, as are the number of texts designed to get you out of bed and into the pool.

Sometimes it’s only the warm glow of self-righteousness that keeps one glowing and going. But it helps if, like me, you have a firm layer of blubber. Some of our group are very slim and find the water can freeze them to the core. Poor dears!

I’ve fallen under the spell of our local rock pool and now, two or

COASTING ALONG • Autumn

three times a week, I meet with a group of like-minded men and women for a swim. This is followed by coffee and talk: the usual stuff, family, books and films. Fires and politicians have recently been added to the list. Swimming all year round gives us the opportunity of having the pool to ourselves when it gets colder.

I must say that in the winter months a wetsuit really helps ... although I’m now on my way to becoming a duck.

I don my blue and black wetsuit (ahh, the joy of rubber! I now understand why it’s a fetish, so perfect for keeping warm). Add the orange flippers, perhaps unfortunately helping the illusion of webbed feet; pop on a blue cap and goggles, and finally the snorkel. When the attire is complete, I waddle over to the side of the pool and throw myself in (definitely no photos allowed!) In any weather, including winter, I can be found splashing my way up and down until my hands get too cold (although I’m told you can get gloves for this as well).

I’ll share a secret with you, known to winter swimmers: a merino vest under the wetsuit and two bathing caps to stop the

cold headache. But the pièce de résistance is a large bottle of hot water to pour over yourself after the swim and before slipping into something dry and snug.

We sometimes branch out and swim in other pools — like our near-naked sunrise swim in the Women’s Baths. Now that was a way to start the New Year!

We have all come to appreciate what a tremendous asset the ocean pools are, especially when they are more than thigh-deep, and clean. There are no entry fees, and they’re mostly situated next to wonderful views of the sea and surf. They are true heritage sites.

Swimming is good for the soul but with time running out, keeping body and mind going strong is just as important. It’s an invigorating way to start one’s day. All of us have grown much fitter, often improving our style and strokes. Some of us are now even taking part in ocean swims. Some of us are even going to hear live bands or Ted talks, and some of us are just ordering another coffee.

'If you can find a pool with a café nearby, what could be more perfect.'

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CREATIVES OF THE COAST • Alex Alexander

A LONG STORY SHORT: Alex Alexander

How an international film festival was born from a move to the Central Coast

So what makes a guy born and bred in the inner city hustle uproot his family of five from uber urban Surry Hills to the laid-back Central Coast enclave of Pearl Beach?

‘Well it was a no-brainer really,’ says film producer and on-screen storyteller, Alex Alexander. ‘Let me start with a little story first ...’

That doesn’t surprise me, after all you’re a storyteller!

‘When our first child Kat was born I was 28 and like most 20 somethings I was self-obsessed, thought I knew it all and was adamant that having a child would not change the status quo, compromise our lifestyle, or change my love for the energy and electricity a big city has to offer. I had a very serious conversation with my wife, Joanna, that our child would simply have to fit into our lives.’

Ha! Well the old adage: life is what happens when you are busy making other plans, could not be more true. A few things happened when she was born: One: Absolutely everything changed. Two: I, in fact, knew absolutely nothing. And three: It turns out babies have a mind of their own and would not willingly and peacefully come to cafés and restaurants when we felt like it.

And all that was ok because I had never experienced a love quite like the one I felt for my daughter. It was absolutely unconditional. So much so, that I never thought I could possibly love another child as much as her, I was done ... thank you.

So … long story short?

‘Hey, that’s my line … but more of that in due course.

‘We loved living in the inner city but found ourselves immersed in a bit of an urban bubble both living and working in Surry Hills.

As our family grew — the need to burst that bubble a few times a year was ever-present and we found ourselves holidaying in the Central Coast to escape the city grind.’

And that's when you discovered Pearl Beach?

Jo and I felt it was a little piece of paradise there, the kids loved the beach, nature and above all the space. When the opportunity came up we bought a small holiday home at Pearl with the intention of setting up an Airbnb, and slipping in and out between short-term renters and maybe retiring here.

You look far too young for that.

‘Thank you. I meant eventually.

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CREATIVES OF THE COAST • Alex Alexander

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‘As we were renovating and updating our little seaside shack we had somewhat of an epiphany and instead of waiting 25 years until retirement, we completely shifted our core values and made the choice to try and live up here now.

‘I have to say, it's the best decision we’ve made on all fronts ... just like our decision to have more kids, we realised we had the capacity to love more than one place.

What differences in living and working have you experienced since your move?

‘The plan originally was to commute between the Central Coast and Surry Hills. And, for a while, that’s how it went down. I used my time on the train to read scripts for work, listen to podcasts and catch up on emails.

The Central Coast, like the siren that she is, kept luring me back. So my five working days in Sydney turned to four, and four to three. By the time this article is published the commute will probably be whittled down to two out of five days.

It's amazing what you can do with a mobile phone, laptop and wifi.

CONTACTS:

Leasha 0406 539 407 Karen 0425 361 183

‘A shout out to Pearl Beach Café and Lords of Pour in Ettalong Beach for the generous use of your tables and free wi-fi (for the mere cost of a double espresso or two). And maintaining a professional demeanour over the phone while in board shorts and a tank top at the beach is surprisingly easier than it sounds.

Tell me about your creative background and what you do ‘I run my own production company: 412 Entertainment — founder and producer since 2013. Film festivals had been my training ground and motivated and inspired me to tell stories — P-I (Pre-Internet). I had a long and winding career path however, during which I completed a Commerce and Law degree; became a multi-platform specialist via numerous marketing director positions for media and entertainment companies, and then a couple of post graduate degrees before coming back to my love of story-telling for the screen.

A lot of people aren't quite sure what a producer really does.

‘Yes, my parents included. In short, we develop a TV or film story idea, champion that story, collaborate with teams to bring it to fruition, and maximise the exposure of that content through negotiating national and international distribution deals.

In other words, pretty much everything you don't see when you're watching your favourite TV show.

‘It’s allowed me the flexibility to work remotely when I can, and elect the days I go into the office. Things have never been busier, but the beauty is I can take calls with my team and stakeholders from basically anywhere.

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64 COAST

But the long and the short of it is, that you have even bigger plans galloping over the horizon towards the Coast.

Open 7 days 227 Ocean View Rd, Ettalong 0400 489 955 salmonandco.com

‘You’re stealing my lines again. The Central Coast, as I've discovered, has a real creative hub at its heart, and has the makings of the perfect creative space, drawing inspiration from the ocean and the natural beauty of the landscape. It's no wonder creatives from all over are relocating here.

CREATIVES OF THE COAST • Alex Alexander ‘Marie Patane and I came up with the idea while having coffee at Ettalong Beach — she's also a Central Coast local and my co-producer and creator of our upcoming TV show, Alantown, starring Guy Pearce.

That was a shameless plug. ‘… #sorrynotsorry. We wanted to CREATE (there's that word again) a physical hub for filmmakers, content creators and storytellers — locally. More than that, we wanted an event that would showcase the Central Coast to the world on scale, and an event that ultimately brought the world to our little hidden gem.

There is a lot of potential here to create a destination event that celebrates the art of short form storytelling. And so was born: Long Story Shorts.

That took you a long time to make that long story short.

A film festival: how does it differ from just screening themed films in one of the Central Coast cinemas?

‘Oops, spoiler alert, I’m announcing the name for the first time.

So, the vision for the International Film Festival Long Story Shorts, to be held in the first half of 2021, is that it becomes to Central Coast what Sundance Film Festival has become to Utah, and the Tribeca Film Festival to New York.

‘You can tell big stories in little films, whether it’s a comedy, drama or doco. You can make a huge impact with short-form movie making. And making one isn’t just a stepping stone to making features, it’s an art form in itself.

We will draw films from filmmakers all over the world as well as local talent.

We will represent an opportunity for local youth voices to be heard with a dedicated category for local filmmakers under 18, as well as a Local Film category opened to creatives at large.

We’ll run this alongside our international short film categories and TV-pilot categories so the scope and quality of films will be diverse, local, global and 'glocal'.

It’s a three-day event culminating in a beachside open-air cinematic experience featuring new and established talent, heralded by a panel of celebrity judges of actors and awardwinning filmmakers. We think each of our jury members will be, or will inevitably become, advocates of the Central Coast.

What sort of reception have you had so far to the concept?

Both Marie and I have been working busily behind the scenes and talking to local businesses and influencers to get them involved as collaborators, sponsors and supporters of the event. We’ve had tremendous encouragement from the Central Coast Council, and generally it's been received with open arms with local businesses excited to be involved in a creative destination-based event that will showcase the Central Coast and impact tourism. If you are reading this and you haven't heard from either Marie or me yet, and would like to be involved, we can't wait to talk to you.

You can email us at info@longstoryshorts.com.au

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HAPPENINGS • Autumn

HAPPENINGS ON THE COAST

DEAD MEN TALKING Starring Max Cullen as Henry Lawson and Warren Fahey as Banjo Paterson, a hit musical comedy not to be missed! 'Australia’s two favourite storytellers meet up at the Leviticus Bar & Grill, Heaven’s Gate, to swap yarns, sing, recite their poems and remember old times'.

Presented by the Pearl Beach Progress Association.

WHERE Beach Memorial Hall, 9 Diamond Road, Pearl Beach WHEN Saturday 9 May 7.30 pm MORE INFO $45 includes welcome drink.

Bookings essential: pearlbeachprogress.org.au/events Booking fee applies. Proceeds to the Pearl Beach Memorial Hall renovations and upkeep.

MEET THE AUTHOR: PETER FOX Kincumber Library is hosting a talk by whistleblower and former detective chief inspector, Peter Fox, on his confronting and inspiring book, Walking Towards Thunder. It reveals the horrors our police face every day but also the cover-ups and the way sexual predators have been moved around.

WHERE Kincumber Library, 3 Bungoona Rd Kincumber WHEN Wednesday, 11 March 6–8 pm MORE INFO Bookings essential. Phone 4304 7641, visit your local library, or online eventbrite.com.au/e/peter-fox-author-event-tickets-89339901049

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HAPPENINGS • Autumn

LOCAL STARS DANCE FOR CANCER COUNCIL

© KENDELL TYNE PHOTOGRAPHY

Eleven locals are getting their shimmy on at Laycock Street Theatre this May for Stars of the Central Coast, an annual fundraising event for Cancer Council NSW–Central Coast. Now in its seventh year, this charity event has raised more than $750,000 — all of which stays on the Central Coast to support local cancer patients and their families.

The ‘stars’ for this year’s event include Playing in Puddles’ editor (and COAST writer) Katie Stokes, emergency department doctor Ash Bowden (aka Dr Move-it) and local state member for Terrigal, Adam Crouch. Following the format of Network 10’s hit TV show Dancing with the Stars, each performer will dance a routine — be it contemporary, Latin, Irish or ’80s — and will be scored by a panel of judges, including Nikki Webster and Chris King. This is a fabulously fun event with a lot of heart and a great cause.

Stars of the Central Coast Friday 15 May 2020. Tickets from $75.

Find your favourite in their dancing shoes on stars.cancercouncil.com.au/event/stars-of-central-coast/home For tickets, phone 4323 3233 or visit centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/theatres/ whats-on

RAY COLLINS EXHIBITION at Ken Duncan Gallery ‘My aim is to show the ocean as a living, breathing thing,’ says Ray. ‘And to document it in all of its intimidating strength and to bring awareness to its delicate fragility.’

WHERE Ken Duncan Gallery, Erina Heights WHEN 18 April to 10 May MORE INFO Entry to the exhibition is free. kenduncan.com

© RAY COLLINS AT KEN DUNCAN GALLERY

Ray Collins has had a lifelong love affair with the ocean, and a tragic accident in 2007 gave him the opportunity to transform that passion into a vocation. While working in an underground coal mine, Ray severely injured his knee, leaving him unable to walk for several months. During his rehabilitation, he bought a camera and spent hundreds of hours learning to take photos.

Ray learned well and has become a very successful ocean photographer. His photos of wave formations – from above and below the water – are truly captivating.

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HAPPENINGS • Autumn

A GARDEN PARTY FOR DOGS Your dog (and you and the family) are invited to a picnic hosted by Street Paws and the Doyalson Animal Hospital. There are stalls, food trucks, kids’ activities, competitions, giveaways, as well as training, behaviour, agility, and medical advice. Bring a picnic rug and enjoy the yummy food. And don’t forget the pooch!

WHERE The grounds of Doyalson Animal Hospital, 423 Scenic Drive, Doyalson WHEN Saturday 21 March. 11 am–3 pm MORE INFO Entry is free. streetpawsfestival@gmail.com

HIT 101.3 FREE WEDDING AT THE BEAUTIFUL PARADISE BOTANICAL GARDENS IN KULNURA HIT 101.3 will be helping one lucky couple say ‘I do’ with all the musthaves for the ultimate giveaway of a wedding live on-air, thanks to Paradise Botanical Gardens and The Party Hire Company.

In Gawndy and Ash Pollard’s biggest Bouquet Toss, whoever tosses the bouquet closest to the big target can get hitched in May at ‘paradise on Earth’, the picturesque Paradise Botanical Gardens at Kulnura. So gentlemen grab your boutonnieres, and ladies grab those bouquets for the giveaway of a lifetime.

WHERE Friday, 13 March WHEN Central Coast Stadium, Gosford MORE INFO Register online at hit.com.au, and tell them your love stories to get the chance to come along for the Biggest Bouquet Toss. It will be a mini bridal fair too!

As well as The Australian Reptile Park‘s own real-life superheroes — from the armoured Echidna who could give Iron Man a run for his money, to Elvis the Crocodile who looks more like the Hulk than his own namesake — the popular Zooperheroes Superhero Stunt Show will be making a return during the school holidays.

It features popular ‘superhero’ characters doing impressive flips, tricks and fun audience interaction, and there’ll also be the chance for visitors to get a photo with the heroes after the stunt show.

You can also catch the daily feeding of Elvis the saltwater crocodile, and enjoy a family picnic with the Park’s friendly freerange kangaroos.

WHERE Australian Reptile Park, Pacific Highway, Somersby.

WHEN School holidays 10–26 April, daily at 1.30 pm MORE INFO reptilepark.com.au Ph: 02 4340 1022

68 COAST

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ZOOPER HEROES ARE BACK AT AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PARK

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WHAT'S ON • Autumn

What's On

Autumn events on the Central Coast March to May

Women in Art Exhibition The Tuggerah Lakes Art Society will showcase a large range of art and installations from women across the coast in celebration of International Women's Day. They encourage people from across the Central Coast and Sydney to join in the celebration of women in art, craft and culture on the coast. The exhibition will feature seven categories to be voted on, and a People’s Choice Award.

through absurd media portrayals of women and spinning your inner compass. Recalibrate with intent to save the world in a multi-generational riot of Body, Sex and Gender Positive Performance of the Fringe kind.

WHERE Naughty Noodle Fun Haus, 5 Broken Bay Road, Ettalong Beach WHEN 7 March, 7 pm till 10 pm MORE INFO www.facebook.com/events/604601086968062/

WHERE The Entrance Lake House, 27 The Entrance Road, The Entrance WHEN 3 March MORE INFO www.visitcentralcoast.com.au/events/women-in-art-exhibition

Girrakool Blues Festival and BBQ Get ready for an international and Australian Blues line-up, over three days, starting with #guitarfriday, live music all day Saturday, plus Sunday Family Funday. Immerse yourselves in our First People’s culture with traditional ceremonies, basket weaving, earth ovens and much more.

WHERE Mount Penang Parklands at Kariong WHEN 6–8 March

Flavours by the Sea Taste your way around: enjoy the spices, tastes, sights and sounds of the world as the sun sets over Memorial Park, The Entrance. Celebrate Harmony Day at this live multicultural event, celebrating the region’s diversity with a taste of the world’s best food, music and art. There will be new artists and experiences to encounter over the weekend including a few hidden gems for this year's line-up.

WHERE Memorial Park, 1 Marine Parade, The Entrance WHEN 21 March MORE INFO www.visitcentralcoast.com.au/events/flavours-by-the-sea

MORE INFO https://girrakoolblues.com.au

Mulga the Artist, hosted by The Glass Onion Society A pop-up dinner and drinks event, with Mulga the Artist creating original works on The Glass Onion’s walls, among other entertainment. Known for his unique style of intricate line-work and bright colours, Mulga’s art brings to life a world where tropical bearded men run rampant, lions smoke tobacco pipes, tigers wear diamond encrusted sunglasses and gorillas rule the world like some kinda funky planet of the apes. His art pulsates with an untrammelled use of colour and textured shapes.

WHERE The Glass Onion Society, 308 The Entrance Road, Long Jetty WHEN 7 March MORE INFO www.facebook.com/events/576651729399956/

Rayon Riot II, by Naughty Noodle Fun Haus An International Women's Day Cabaret with an evening shining a spotlight on the breathtaking diversity and voice of female-identified women unleashed. In this 2020 episode of Rayon Riot II, you’ll laugh and you’ll cry as it crashes through the repackaging of feminism, the ultimate countercultural movement.

Rose-coloured glasses will be easily removed, seamlessly busting

70 COAST

Oyster Festival, hosted by Mooney Mooney Workers Club A celebration of the Hawkesbury River, with a sampling of local Pacific and Sydney Rock Oysters, live entertainment and more.

WHERE Mooney Mooney Workers Club, 5 Kowan Road, Mooney Mooney WHEN 21 March MORE INFO www.mooneymooneyclub.com.au

Live Well Festival Want to know more about your health? Head along to Live Well at Gosford Waterfront and Central Coast Stadium, a festival purely dedicated to aspects of healthy living, nutrition and wellbeing. The event program will encourage you to discover the ways you can nourish your body. Participate in workshops and classes, eat at many of the healthy-food stalls and connect with local businesses that specialise in the health and wellbeing sector.

WHERE Gosford Waterfront, and Central Coast Stadium 14 Dane Drive, Gosford WHEN 5 April, 10 am to 3 pm MORE INFO www.centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/whats-on/council/live-well-festival

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WHAT'S ON • Autumn

What's On

Autumn events on the Central Coast March to May (continued)

‘Under the Southern Stars’ concert Hosted by The Entertainment Grounds, including live performances from big-name bands including BUSH, Stone Temple Pilots, Rose Tattoo and more.

WHERE The Entertainment Grounds, 4 Racecourse Road, West Gosford WHEN 5 April MORE INFO www.visitcentralcoast.com.au/events/under-the-southern-starslive-stone-temple-pilots-and-bush

Gold Cup Race Day A day of premium Australian racing when, for the first time in the history of Gosford Race Club, Racing NSW has announced a stand-alone Saturday at Gosford. There's over $1.1 million in prize money on offer, including the $200,000 Gosford Quarries Gold Cup and the $150,000 De Bortoli Wines Takeover Target.

WHERE The Entertainment Grounds, 4 Racecourse Road, West Gosford WHEN 9 May MORE INFO www.visitcentralcoast.com.au/events/gosford-quarries-goldcup-standalone-race-day

French Country Markets Feel, see and taste the French experience. From designer fashions to vintage bric-a-brac.

WHEN Saturday 9 May 9 am to 3 pm WHERE Chertsey Primary School, Springfield MORE INFO $2 entry fee for adults only. frenchcountrymarket.com.au

Handmade on the Coast, Woy Woy This new market is a little treasure trove that embraces and sells handmade wares made by local creatives. You’ll find leadlight artwork, hand-poured natural soy candles, rose geranium body cream, ceramic plates, bees wax food wraps, resin boards and crocheted unicorns. There are abundant food options too, including Dan's Jerk Joint smoked meats, Opie Funk’s loaded Mexican beef nachos and Poppy & Myrtle’s chocolate almond bundt cakes.

2nd Sunday of each month (9 am–2 pm) on the Woy Woy foreshore (Brick Wharf Rd). umbalaevents.com/handmade-on-the-coast

Alive!, Gosford Alive! is the Central Coast's first plant-based market festival.

Expect loads of food trucks serving dishes such as Vegan Street lasagna, Zaytoona Foods felafel subs, and The C Word’s “tall, dark and handsome double choc cookies. This event also showcases and sells a large range of vegan products, including cotton knitwear, cashew nut cheese smoked with Tasmanian applewood, fermented Spanish beetroot and Vegan Leather Co duffle bags.

Held in Gosford and Tuggerah, the next market is on 28 March (10 am–4 pm) at Kibble Park, Gosford. umbalaevents.com/alive-plant-based-festival

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PEOPLE OF THE COAST • Mei-Ling Venning

MEI-LING VENNING

A surfing, ice skating author inclined to do the unexpected WORDS SUZY JARRATT

I

n post-war Cambridge, England, Mei-Ling Venning was expected to become an academic, nothing else was acceptable to her parents. But she strayed from their desired path. Even some of her toys were different. While other English girls were serving cups of pretend tea to neatly dressed dolls, young MeiLing was holding sherry parties for tiny make-believe bohemians.

Now in her early seventies, Mei-Ling is still breaking the mould.

‘I had the type of childhood, which I don’t expect many Australians to understand,’ she said from her friendly comfortable home overlooking Shelly Beach Golf Course. ‘I had an academic father and my Chinese mother was a barrister, but she never

practised. It wasn’t what women did in those days and she resented that all her life.

‘I travelled overseas with them a great deal, spent time in Jamaica and, for a while, boarded at a quirky Quaker school in Somerset. There I learned the art of letter-writing which was compulsory every Sunday. My much-loved brother would send chocolate if I wrote more than the required number of pages, and to this day I still love chocolate!’

(Her athletic figure belies the fact that she has ever eaten anything sweet, greasy or fattening.)

‘After doing a post-graduate degree I began teaching.’

It was during this time she married Bob who became a highranking civil servant, and they went on to have two children. For most of her adult life Mei-Ling has worked as a special-needs teacher for both children and adults.

‘In those early days there were no procedures or courses to which teachers could refer, it was up to you to work out what a child needed to assist in their development. There were some people in my class who were predominantly Down Syndrome and I asked head office if they ever participated in exercise classes.

They didn’t.’

So Mei-Ling formulated some appropriate workouts which ‘became a flagship program that attracted the interest of other educators in that field,’ she says proudly.

Two novels Mei-Ling has written are about characters having, or living with others, who have special needs. She wrote them some years after arriving in this country in 2005. Her husband had retired early and their daughter and her Australian husband were based here so they decided to leave Kingston-upon-Thames and come to Australia.

Mei-Ling is very committed to having goals and doing things properly.

‘My only requirement was we had to live close to an ice rink as I was skating regularly in the UK. Shelly Beach is near Erina, but then that rink closed down, so now I have to train twice a week at Macquarie.’

She has been a member of the Toowoon Bay SLSC since 2006 and, in 2017, the surf club made the news for finishing 11th out of 171 at the Australian Masters Championships on the Gold Coast.

At the age of 72, Mei-Ling won four of her club’s six gold medals.

She also participates in a modified Nippers program for children with additional needs. Known as the ‘Stingrays’, many have

75

PEOPLE OF THE COAST • Mei-Ling Venning

graduated into the mainstream Nippers programs and competed in beach sport carnivals. In 2018, Luke Martin, a 9-year-old ‘Stingray’ on the autism spectrum, made the news when he came to the aid of a young swimmer being dragged out by the current on Myuna Bay. Thinking quickly, he pushed his boogie board out to the little girl and helped her reach the shallows where she could stand and be safe.

The surfing beach lifestyle, which Mei-Ling dearly loves, provided the backdrop to Pelican Bay, her novel about an 18-yearold girl with Down Syndrome, a ‘hybrid coming of age/romance novel’.

Mei-Ling’s publishing company, ‘The Oaks Press’, publishes her print and e-books.

‘And Bob creates my websites. When he retired, people asked ‘isn’t he always under your feet?’ Not at all. He knows all about computers, he can play classical and flamenco guitar, as well as the baroque flute, and he cooks beautiful meals which I find incredibly hard to do — juggling with my time is very difficult.

Leading up to the end of 2019, Mei-Ling was busy contributing to a book, Community and Belonging — Stories of the Central Coast by Wyong Writers. It is described by Trevar Langlands, from the Fellowship of Australian Writers, as ‘an interesting selection

76 COAST

of stories which bring the characters to life and give the reader an idea of coast lifestyle, plus little personal insights into how coasties spend their time’.

How Mei-Ling Venning spends all of her time would take up every page of a very big book. theoakspress.com

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ONCE UPON A TIME • Gosford

© LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES OF CANADA

© AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM

Mann Street South in 1887

78 COAST

THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOVERNOR GEORGE GIPPS OF THE COLONY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, THE CAPITAL OF THE CENTRAL COAST WAS MEANT TO HAVE BEEN NAMED AFTER A FREDERICK INSTEAD OF AN ARCHIBALD. As early as 1788, just a few weeks after his arrival, and again in 1789, Governor Arthur Phillip explored Broken Bay and Brisbane Water in a whaleboat and, in 1811, the first land grant in the area was issued.

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the region, now known as the Central Coast was home to the Darkinjung peoples. In the 1790s, Bungaree, a local Darkinjung or Guringai man of Broken Bay was written into history by Matthew Flinders who invited him to sail with him as an intermediary with other Indigenous inhabitants they might come across on Flinders' nautical forays and later circumnavigation of Australia. Bungaree was to become probably the first Indigenous man to circumnavigate the continent.

By the 1820s, settlers had taken up land grants for dairying, or growing maize, onions, potatoes and grasses for hay. Timber was sent by ketch to Sydney for building, as were cockle shells that had been burnt down to make mortar.

By 1829, the area boasted a European population of around TOP Bungaree LEFT 2nd Earl of Gosford, Archibald Acheson

© COURTESY CENTRAL COAST COUNCIL

ONCE UPON A TIME IN GOSFORD

Mann Street c1910

© KEVIN MORGAN, MAGIC LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Brisbane Water from Gosford Sailing Club

Union Hotel

© COURTESY CENTRAL COAST COUNCIL

100, half of them convicts working as labourers for the timbergetters.

When Gosford was just a private town, as opposed to a government town or a city, it had been called Point Frederick until, in 1839, Governor Gipps crossed out the town name and, instead, wrote in the name of his friend. So, by the stroke of a quill, Archibald Acheson, the 2nd Earl of Gosford was written into our local history.

Did the Canada-based 2nd Earl of Gosford, he of British–Irish heritage, ever do anything for Gosford, or even visit it? Was it even marked on a map that he may have been able to look up in that pre-Google era, and did he ever ponder over this great honour bestowed upon him?

The old police station and Gosford Courthouse, built in 1848– 49 on the corner of Mann Street and Georgiana Terrace is the oldest remaining public building in Gosford and on the Central Coast. It replaced the original 1827 watch-house which had crumbled into disrepair. Today, the building is home to the Central Coast Conservatorium of Music where the heavily built sandstone cells are sometimes used as very small tutorial practice rooms.

By 1886, Gosford merged with the privately owned East Gosford to form a municipality. Pioneer Park on the foreshores of Brisbane Water still provides an interesting record of the area’s early days with a number of historic gravestones remaining.

Tourism — for health and leisure — came to the region with the opening of the railway and the Hawkesbury River bridge in 1889. Gosford became a shire in 1947 and, at last, a city in 1980.

© COURTESY CENTRAL COAST COUNCIL

ONCE UPON A TIME • Gosford

79

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT • Autumn

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT ON THE COAST BROOKE DOHERTY TAKES A LOOK AT WHAT’S GOING ON THIS AUTUMN.

THEATRE Grace Under Pressure This interesting piece of verbatim theatre explores the interior worlds of doctors and nurses battling the pressures of our dysfunctional healthcare system. If you’ve ever wondered what curve-balls they’ve faced, the highs and lows of their job and the dichotomy between their professional and private views, this will reveal all in its wit and pathos.

The Art House, 19–21 Margaret Street, Wyong Tuesday 31 March, Wednesday 1 April. Adults $35, conc. $30, members and under 30s $25.

Bookings thearthousewyong.com.au

MUSICALS Monty Python’s ‘SPAMALOT’ Look on the bright side: if you have a penchant for all things Camelot, love singing along to iconic Python songs and have a wry sense of humour that appreciates the farcical side, you’ll be in for a fun night of entertainment! This production sold-out its season at the Hayes Theatre Co. in Sydney last year, so book early.

The Art House, 19–21 Margaret Street, Wyong 26-28 March. Adults $72, conc. $65, members $60,

GRACE UNDER PRESSURE

on-stage $55, under 30s $48.

Bookings thearthousewyong.com.au

80 COAST

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT • Autumn

Backbone Gravity & Other Myths is an internationally recognised Australian circus company that is kicking goals. This, their third production, scrutinises the concept of ‘strength’ from the physical and individual to the emotional and collective. It’s a bold and fascinating work that challenges your perceptions.

© BRETT BOARDMAN

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL

The Art House, 19–21 Margaret Street, Wyong 21-22 April. Adults $39, conc. $35, members $30, under 30s $22. Bookings thearthousewyong.com.au

Laycock Street Community Theatre, 5 Laycock Street, North Gosford Tuesday 19 May, 7pm. Tickets $45.

Bookings centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/theatres

© ADAM MALONE PHOTOGRAPHY

He’s back! Jonathan Biggins reprises his role as the Bankstown Boy made good, Paul Keating. His uncanny impersonation of Keating, pontifications on rival politicians like the late Bob Hawke and views on the way Canberra is run will leave you writhing in your seat with amusement. Prepare yourself for a very naughty treat.

AURORA BY CIRCUS OZ

The Gospel According To Paul

CIRCUS Aurora by Circus Oz

The Art House, 19–21 Margaret Street, Wyong 4-5 April. Adults $49, conc. $42, members $40, under 30s $35. Bookings thearthousewyong.com.au

BACKBONE

Featuring spectacular acrobatics and physical comedy, Aurora explores the antics and issues of Arctic creatures in their diminishing environment. Inspiring, funny and delightful, the show features a live band and is sure to have your family energised by the experience.

81

DAN RUSSELL, PHOENIX COLLECTIVE

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT • Autumn

CONCERTS River, Mountain, Sky Maria Grenfell’s orchestral piece headlines this concert that spans the majesty of New Zealand’s peaks to the crisp terrain of Scandinavia. Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony and Violin Concerto will showcase the virtuosic talents of upcoming star, Harry Ward, who has won a slew of prestigious awards and originally hails from the Central Coast. Harry will be performing on a 1780 Pietro Antonio Landolfi violin which, alone, given the sweetness of sound, is well worth the ticket price.

Central Coast Grammar School Performing Arts Centre, Arundel Road, Erina Heights.

Sunday 5 April, 2.30pm. Adults $45, conc. $40, children $20.

Bookings at CCGS box office: 4365 8497.

The Priest, the Intellect, the Eccentric and the Pirate In this ambitious musical offering, the Phoenix Collective’s Baroque trio will perform works from Vivaldi, JS Bach, Biber and Pandolfi. Of note is their use of a replica 1710 French double manual harpsichord and a period 1750 Tyrolean violin with gut strings and baroque bow to create an historically authentic experience for the audience. With little vibrato and a masterful tweaking of sound to create vibrant tone colours and effects for

82 COAST

Biber’s opus, the pressure is on the musicians to deliver precision timing and pitch. They never shy away from a challenge!

Greenway Chapel, 460 Avoca Drive, Green Point.

Sunday 31 May, 2.30pm. Adults $35, conc. $28, under 17s $15, family $86. Bookings at pcmusic.net Phone: 0402 544 016. phoenixcollective.com.au/ symphonycentralcoast.com.au

OPERA Opera in the Arboretum Julie Lea Goodwin, Daniel Sumegi, Jacqueline Dark and John Longmuir headline the 15th annual opera performance at Pearl Beach. Supported by the CC Conservatorium’s acclaimed conductor, Patrick Brennan, and backed by the talented Francis Greep and Sebastien Hibbard on piano and cello, it will be a memorable night.

Crommelin Native Arboretum, Pearl Beach.

Saturday 28 March, 3–5 pm. Adults: $70, seniors $67, secondary students $36.

Bookings trybooking.com/567088

See with emotion, feel in colour.

Liza meets Bassey

W E D N E S D AY 1 3 M AY , 1 1 a m Morning tea starts 10am TICKETS ALL $20

presents

The Gospel According to

PAUL

THE

WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY

JONATHAN BIGGINS

ULTIMATE TRIBUTE

W E D N E S D AY 8 A P R I L , 1 1 a m Morning tea starts 10am TICKETS ALL $20

T U E S D AY 1 9 M AY , 7 p m TICKETS ALL $45

One of Australia’s favourite performers, Jonathan Biggins, is Paul Keating – visionary, reformer and rabble-rouser. Full of insight, intelligence and wit, The Gospel According to Paul is the smash hit comedy about a critical time in Australian history and the man that shaped it.

BOX OFFICE 4323 3233 centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/theatres

laycockstreettheatre

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT • Autumn

EXHIBITIONS Coastal Sanctuaries – Robyn Pedley

OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN: THE ULTIMATE TRIBUTE

This solo exhibition by talented local artist, Robyn Pedley, explores those areas around us that so often go unnoticed for their unpretentious and gentle charm. Pedley’s compositions often have an impressionistic feel and uncanny harmony of soft, complimentary colour that exudes tranquillity. You’ll be drawn into a refreshing, even blissful experience.

© GAVIN AHEARN

Gosford Regional Gallery, Webb Street, East Gosford.

8 April–13 May. www.centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/whats-on/ council/coastal-sanctuaries-robyn-pedley

MUSIC Who doesn’t love the music of Olivia Newton-John? Donna Watson-Boyd and her band recreate the hits that have made Our Livy a legend in this high-energy show. You be astonished at the vocal and physical similarities.

Laycock Street Community Theatre,

ROBYN PEDLEY: SOMERSBY SONG

5 Laycock Street, North Gosford Wednesday 8 April, 11 am. Tickets $20.

Bookings centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/theatres

ROBYN PEDLEY: HAVAN GARDEN

Olivia Newton-John: the Ultimate Tribute

84 COAST

85

PEOPLE OF THE COAST • Nola Charles

NOLA CHARLES

Hitting the right note WORDS CLAIRE BRAUND

THE CENTRAL COAST HAS MANY HIDDEN TALENTS. FOR CELEBRATED INTERIOR DESIGNER, NOLA CHARLES, BEAUTIFUL DESIGN COEXISTS WITH THE PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS AND, ABOVE ALL, MUSIC.

N

ola has called the Coast home for 20 years. She has often looked back on her rather eccentric childhood wondering just how she managed to become such a passionate music lover, when she still doesn’t know where Middle C is on the piano!

Her father, a celebrated Australian conductor and Director of the NSW (now Sydney) Conservatorium of Music from 1966 to 1971, was pretty determined that Nola’s childhood would not be a repeat of his. The fact that his musical mother named him ‘Joseph Mozart Post’ and his brothers ‘John Verdi’ and ‘Noel Schumann’ gives you a hint. There are many of his students from the Conservatorium who still remember him affectionately as ‘Jo Mo Po’.

He won a scholarship to the Conservatorium aged nine and, at 15, played oboe with the NSW State Orchestra but had mixed emotions about Nola following in his footsteps. She remembers when she was about five years old, her father grudgingly delivering her to the local piano teacher for instruction.

‘I was given a sheet of music to take home and practise before the next lesson. When I handed it back next week, I had joined all the notes together and made them into little people running up and down the hills. The teacher told Dad that she may be able to teach me to play a piano, but I would never be a musician!’

She recalls that her father only intervened once more in her musical education.

‘My 13th birthday was looming, and he asked me if there was something I would like and he seemed unperturbed when

86 COAST

I announced that I would like a record of the jazz pianist Errol Garner. So, I put it on order at the little local record store and when it arrived, I rushed home and put it on the turntable of the Phillips Radiogram. Wonderful!’

‘A few minutes later all hell broke loose! Dad stormed into the room screeching about the abominable sound and immediately decreed that this sort of ‘rubbish’ would definitely ruin the radiogram needle. Eventually we came to a truce … I would change the needle before I played my record and then return the unruined one for him to listen to his ‘boring music.’

Fortunately for life in the Post household, Nola and her father had a far more harmonious time when it came to food. The family had a large thriving veggie garden and many fruit trees

PEOPLE OF THE COAST • Nola Charles

in the backyard of their house in Wollstonecraft. Jo worked overtime on his Fowlers Vacola fruit preserving outfit and Nola was crowned ‘his packer’, with every jar of fruit needing to be packed to the same standard as the produce winners at the Royal Easter Show.

Fruit preserving was only the beginning for Nola, who discovered early on in life that she loved to cook, particularly when there was music involved.

‘The musical crowd were all great party people and by my early teens I was cooking all sorts of things for these parties … and for the often famous musicians from Europe who performed with Dad … and then had nowhere to eat at the end of the concert (restaurants closed way before the end of an evening concert), so they would come home and I would cook.’

Decades later, Nola’s love for produce, good food and music fused at Birdsong Park, a 30-acre property at Lower Mangrove where she and her husband, neuro psychiatrist John Sydney Smith, built the house she had daydreamed about since she was a teenager.

‘We designed it especially with the idea of having intimate concerts supporting many of the musicians we had met along the way. With memories of my father’s garden, we grew lots

of organic vegetables each season, helping set up some local farmers markets, and using all the ingredients in our quarterly concert dinners with musicians such as Bradley Cooper (our favourite tenor) and Taikoz.’

The other event Nola established was The Musos Weekend — BYO instrument and sleeping bag — at which she and her son cooked for the whole weekend while singers and pianists and trumpeters all made music.

She misses those days, but is excited about her latest collaboration, working with talented local designers and builders on the refurbishment and upgrade of the old sandstone courthouse that has been home to the Central Coast Conservatorium of Music since 1984.

The project will continue Nola’s wonderful contribution to the arts sector, which has included being a member of the team who raised the first $ million for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1988 and her deep involvement with the major redevelopment of the Sydney Conservatorium. A fitting legacy for the only child of one of Australia’s most memorable and remarkable musicians — and who will hopefully one day be able to find that elusive Middle C. nolacharles.com

87

CLASSES & COURSES • Autumn

CLASSES AND COURSES WORDS BROOKE DOHERTY

COLLAGRAPH WITH VISCOSITY COLOUR PRINTING The internationally experienced and awarded printmaker, Seraphina Martin, will show participants how to create a collagraph plate to produce images with various tonal effects and colours. Martin is a rare find - trained at the National Art School in Paris during the 1970s under William Hayter and later, under American Dan Weldon.

If you love this art form, get in quick to learn from one of real talents in the business.

The Maker’s Studio, 8 Russell Drysdale Street East Gosford.

21–22 March. Non-members $330, members $300.

Bookings themakersstudio.org.au Phone 0491 614 995

KATHRYN ORTON WORKSHOP: LINO & WOODBLOCK JIGSAW PRINTS Kathryn Orton cut her teeth as a graphic artist so she has an eye for detail. During this weekend, she’ll demonstrate how to create striking composite images with a contemporary feel.

The Maker’s Studio, 8 Russell Drysdale Street East Gosford.

25–26 April. Non-members $330, members $300.

Bookings themakersstudio.org.au Phone 0491 614 995

88 COAST

CLASSES & COURSES • Autumn

WATERLILY WORKSHOP, ACRYLICS In this full-day Monet-inspired workshop, artist Robyn Pedley will guide you in the art of colour mixing and design to produce your own 40 cm x 40 cm piece.

Morning tea, lunch and all materials are provided.

Bobbie P Gallery, Level 1/7 Hudson Lane Terrigal. Cost $279.

Phone 0490 061 949. Bookings bobbiepgallery.com

LEARN TO FLY: 8-18 YEARS If your teen or pre-teen has hankered to fly but hasn’t known where to start, The Australian Air League is the perfect organization to join. Open to both boys and girls, the League gives education in subjects like Navigation, Radar and Flight Theory as well as running practical flight lessons at Warnervale Airport at reduced cost. Cadets also learn self-discipline and hone their fine motor skills through camps, hikes, drills, sports and swimming carnivals, community service activities and constructing model aircraft. They can also complete The Duke of Edinburgh Award if they choose. It’s a fun community that can help channel your child into an amazing career.

The Australian Air League. airleague.com.au Email info@airleague.com.au Phone 1800 502 175

JUNIOR CHOCOLATIER WORKSHOP The Chocolate Factory at West Gosford holds small classes for children aged from 5 to 14 years on weekends. Kids learn how the various products at The Factory are made, complete practical activities and receive an apron and some chocolate samples at the conclusion of their session. Yum! The Chocolate Factory: Nougat & Chocolate Central Coast NSW, 6 Jusfrute Drive West Gosford Saturdays and Sundays, 11 am–1 pm. Cost from $40.

Maximum 8 students per class.

Bookings: chocolatefactorygosford.com.au Phone (02) 4322 3222.

89

GREAT OUTDOORS • Wyrrabalong

GREAT OUTDOORS

WYRRABALONG Coast Walking Track WORDS AND PHOTOS KIM COLE

‘We found ourselves in a beautiful sandy bay sheltered by high projecting headlands, against whose rocky sides the waves were dashing violently … leaving the sands, we continued along the coast (though cut out from view of the sea by high banks) till gradually ascending we reached the summit of Wyrrabalong, one of the highest among the headlands of this coast, and from which there is an extensive and beautiful view…’

Mrs Felton Mathew, 1834

T

he Darkinjung people aptly named the prominent headland between Bateau Bay and Forresters Beach ‘Wyrrabalong’, meaning 'headland looking over the sea'. It was officially listed as Wyrrabalong by the Assistant Surveyor Felton Mathew in 1831, but was not designated as a national park until 1991, saving the area from the threat of proposed sand mining for all time.

Wyrrabalong National Park conserves the last patch of coastal rainforest on the Central Coast. Its 620 hectares stretch from North Wyrrabalong (north of The Entrance), to South Wyrrabalong (south of The Entrance) and four islands within Tuggerah Lake (Pelican Island, Terilbah Island and two unnamed islands known locally as Bird Islands).

The Coast Walking Track lies between Forresters Beach and Bateau Bay and boasts as many features as one could wish for on

a walking trail — from its wide variety of native flora and fauna to the breathtaking views from Crackneck Lookout, and the echoing sounds of the waves crashing onto the rock platforms below.

Crackneck is said to have been so named for cattle falling over the top of the cliff. (See Once Upon a Time in … Bateau Bay in COAST Spring issue 2019.)

The great thing about this trail is that you can choose one of three starting points: Bateau Bay Picnic area, Cromarty Hill or, as we did, Crackneck Lookout which shortens the walk to just over 3 km return, and is clearly sign-posted.

The start of the trail is lined with stunning, overhanging Sydney Red Gums or Angophoras that lure you onward with a taste of

» 91

GREAT OUTDOORS • Wyrrabalong

what lies ahead. You will meander along clifftops that let you savour the spectacular coastal views as you go. The walk runs through the long, thin strip of coastal forest before returning via the quarry of boulders that majestically consume the shoreline along its beaches.

A significant population of the vulnerable melaleuca can also be found behind the safety fence directly south of Wyrrabalong Lookout. There are woodlands of blackbutt, spotted gum and bloodwood along the plateau, with shrubs and heath (mostly coastal banksia and she-oak) on the gentler slopes to the west.

Look for the cabbage tree palm forests, and formidable vine thickets, as well as trees like swamp mahogany, bangalay, corkwood, hard quandong and endangered magenta lillypilly.

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Crackneck Lookout is a popular spot for both hang-gliding, as well as paragliding and the kids love watching the adrenaline seekers take flight. Wyrrabalong Lookout is 130 metres above sea level and is the highest point on the coast between Sydney and Newcastle. From here you can see Forresters, Wamberal and Terrigal beaches in the distance.

The Bateau Bay Picnic area at the northern end trail has the only public toilets on the whole Coast Walking Track and no drinking water, so please be prepared to bring plenty of water.

The NSW Wildlife Atlas has records of the park as home to 144 bird, 29 mammal, 19 reptile and 8 amphibian species within the park.

June, July, October and November are the best times for whale watching so bringing a pair of binoculars is a no-brainer as the sight of the ‘mighty migration’ from Crackneck Lookout is not to be missed.

The total elevation of this walk is only 52 metres and is rated as a grade 3 so it’s suitable for all fitness levels. However, being a sandy trail it can be somewhat demanding underfoot and gives the calf muscles a good workout. The most challenging sections are the metal staircase and the final climb to the Wyrrabalong Lookout.

Distance 3 km return Time suggested 1 hour 15 mins to 1 hour 45 mins Rated Grade 3 What to bring sunscreen, hat, drinking water. Remember to take your binoculars if you want to bird watch or whale watch.

Parking From Crackneck Lookout, at the end of Hilltop Street, Bateau Bay. From Forresters Beach, at Cromarty Hill Road.

Feel the freedom in our State Forests Enjoy what’s on offer in our local State Forests on the Central Coast.

Go bushwalking and experience the diversity of Strickland State Forests brilliant wildflowers, woodlands and rainforests.

Jump on a mountain bike and go for a ride at Ourimbah Mountain Bike Park, or take your horse for a forest ride in Ourimbah State Forest.

#VisitNSWForests www.forestrycorporation.com.au/visit

Camp at Olney State Forest and explore the Watagan Mountains.

Dogs are welcome in NSW State Forest. Please keep your four legged friend under control and do the right thing.

Best of all….it’s free!

Forestry Corp 1/2 Page Horizontal.indd 1

PRINCETON NURSERIES & SADDLES GARDEN CENTRE

12/11/18 1:49 pm

The Wildflower Place

Princeton Nurseries is a wholesale nursery offering tubestock, native and screen plants to wholesalers, landscapers and retailers.

Saddles Garden Centre caters to the general public with a wide selection of plants, hanging baskets, succulents, cactus, veggies and herbs, as well as gifts and leather products.

We run sandstone sculpting and propagation workshops, and conduct group tours of our hothouses and nursery, and provide a complete landscaping service.

PRINCETON NURSERIES 7.30 to 4pm Mon-Fri SADDLES GARDEN CENTRE Open 9am to 4pm Mon-Sun 20 Ashbrookes Rd Mt White 0243701134 princeton.nurseries@bigpond.com FaceBook: Saddles Garden Centre Instagram: @saddlesgardencentre

We specialise in Australian Native Plants, Flowers and Giftware.

Open 7 days a week 9am till 5pm.

453 Central Coast Hwy, Erina Heights Phone 02 4365 5510 Email twp@tpg.com.au Check us out on

Over 120 yrs combined staff experience in native plants and flowers.

Come and see us for personal advice.

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PEOPLE OF THE COAST • Craig Scott

CRAIG SCOTT WORDS MEGAN ARKINSTALL

Wild at heart

EAST COAST WILDFLOWERS OWNER CRAIG SCOTT MIGHT BE MILD IN MANNER, BUT HE IS WILD AT HEART. THE MANGROVE MOUNTAIN WILDFLOWER GROWER IS A WELL-RESPECTED LEADER IN AN INDUSTRY WHERE NATIVE BLOOMS HAVE WELL AND TRULY MADE A RESURGENCE.

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hen asked what the most challenging part of growing flowers is, Craig replies, ‘the hours!’ His working week starts on a Sunday, when they harvest and bunch some of the 50 varieties of Australian wildflowers growing on his 50-acre Mangrove Mountain farm. He wakes at 10 pm three times a week to travel to the Sydney Flower Market, where he dons a fluro vest to pack, ship and bunch up flowers to sell from 5 am. Back at the farm, he works until afternoon before finally having a sleep. It’s an ongoing process. ‘In season’, he says, ‘we are forever picking.’

It takes more than coffee to get through; growing flowers is in Craig’s blood and he is truly passionate about it. He is a fourthgeneration flower grower. His great grandfather, ‘Robbo’, used to pick and sell wildflowers at Sutherland train station in the 1920s; his grandfather grew traditional flowers, and his grandmother owned a florist shop in Sutherland, whereas his father, Col Scott, grew flowers at Menai all his working life. Craig's daughter, Bess, who owns a florist shop in Paddington, is now the fifth generation in the flower business.

Although he also studied horticulture, it was on his father Col’s farm that Craig learnt a great deal about the flower business — growing them, harvesting them, selling them. He recalls going bush with his dad to forage for wildflowers: ‘we would climb trees and pick gumnuts. I had a real passion for wildflowers.’

Indeed, they are outdoor people at heart — his father enjoyed rock climbing and Craig enjoys hiking in his spare time.

Thirty-two years ago Craig and his wife moved to the Mangrove Mountain property that his dad was running. Craig describes him as the backbone of the business. Initially they grew traditional flowers like dahlias and asters, but eventually they cleared the land and decided to focus on native wildflowers.

Col was one of the first to sell flowers like Gymea lillies, and his passion for native plants was soon caught by Craig.

‘Natives are such a beautiful juxtaposition between the delicate and rugged,’ he says.

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© GLENDA GRIFFITH

PEOPLE OF THE COAST • Craig Scott

Rhodanthe or paper daisies.

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PEOPLE OF THE COAST • Craig Scott Around 20 acres of the property is used for growing, while the rest is native bushland. When I visit, Craig takes me for a walk through the fields and greenhouses – followed closely by his kindly red kelpie, Baz. He shows me an array of vibrant and beautiful natives, many that are endemic to other parts of our country, but which he has found success growing here on the Central Coast.

There are rows upon rows of kangaroo paws, flowering gums, Christmas bush, and several greenhouses for one of Craig’s personal favourites, the flannel flower, for which he is widely known.

His knowledge is astounding, as he describes the origins and challenges of growing different varieties, such as the less well-known mulla mulla, as well as flowering gums, kangaroo paw, banksia, waratahs, grevillea, paper daisies and flannel flowers. The only sounds that accompany us are those of birds and the crunching of leaves underfoot – a quietness that Craig appreciates just as much as the beauty of the flowers he grows.

The cultivation of Australian natives was limited to a relatively few varieties with a niche clientele when Craig and Col started East Coast Wildflowers, and although it’s now a roaring trade, there’s still more testing and experimentation required to grow LEFT Grevilleas, kangaroo paws and everlasting daisies.

BELOW Doryanthes palmeri, closely related to Doryanthes excelsa, the Gymea lilly.

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PEOPLE OF THE COAST • Craig Scott

ABOVE Craig's favourite flannel flowers.

RIGHT Ptilotus or mulla mulla.

www.eastcoastwildflowers.com.au/

© GLENDA GRIFFITH

natives — compared to the traditional flower crops that have been cultivated for centuries.

In 2018, Craig was awarded Flower Grower of the Year, an accolade that he is reluctant to talk about, but one which his employee, Hannah – who is bunching up flowers nearby – says is an incredible and much deserved achievement.

‘It’s about innovation, our desire to encourage people to use wildflowers and customer service, too’ he tells me. While humbly adding, ‘which may not always be spot on’, though I can’t imagine Craig being anything but affable.

A quick look at his Instagram page and I find that his blooms are widespread — displayed in a number of businesses, hotels and cafés, used for photo shoots and events, including for Prince Harry's visit to Australia in 2018 and the Invictus Games, and, of course, countless weddings.

The Mangrove Mountain farm isn’t open to the public, but Craig tells me the magic happens at the markets, for which he admits having a love–hate relationship. Despite the gruelling hours, the enthusiasm and loyalty from the florists and businesses is energising. And a little bit of coffee helps, too.

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GARDENS • Native Fusion Garden

REINVENTING THE COASTAL GARDEN

LEONIE GRIMSHAW’S NATIVE FUSION GARDEN, BATEAU BAY WHEN A HOMEOWNER, ARCHITECT AND GARDEN DESIGNER FIND THEMSELVES ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, WHAT YOU GET IS A GROUND-BREAKING BLEND OF OLD AND NEW, OF NATIVE AND EXOTIC, AND A TRUE EVOCATION OF WHAT COASTAL LIVING OUGHT TO BE.

Terraces allow a gentle rise to the top of the garden with steps marked by gabion walls and Corten steel edging.

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GARDENS • Native Fusion Garden

An old copper shower gets a new lease on life.

L

WORDS PAUL URQUHART

PHOTOS LISA HAYMES

eonie Grimshaw is the proud custodian of a family property that is rooted in both the past and the future. Her garden is filled with family associations, from the similarities between the original 50s house built by her parents, to the new build designed by architect Dianna Thomas.

I first encountered Leonie’s mid-twentieth century revival house and fusion garden when judging a local garden competition. It struck me then as an ideal blueprint for coastal living. The house was open and bright; the garden designed with accessibility and a sensitive feel for the link between land and sea. The plantings were subtle, restful, calming and environmentally sound.

Leonie inherited the original 1950s house but, after many additions, it was due for renewal. Architect Dianna Thomas’s designs ‘are contemporary and simple, stemming from the tradition of mid-twentieth century modernism, updated for an environmentally aware twenty-first century’. She listened intently to Leonie about what she wanted and also about the history of the house, and delivered in spades.

The house is a series of three separate pavilions linked by decking. Designed as a beach house, every room opens on to a veranda with generous views of the garden. Leonie wanted to keep the character of her childhood home but give it a funky new look and the chosen paint colour — called Pickled Green — does just that: not too bright, not too dull, but just right (to paraphrase Goldilocks).

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GARDENS • Native Fusion Garden

TOP LEFT: Flowering gum, ‘Dwarf Orange’, is a summer highlight.

LEFT: An old grocers scale makes a vintage birdbath.

ABOVE: Angophora and lamp.

BELOW: The kitchen garden with the rusty half-drum barbecue.

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Decking and steps integrate the house to the garden.

The garden embraces history and revamps long-loved family items. The garden lamp at the rear was previously in the front garden; the outside deck lights were reclaimed from beach cabins that dotted the coast. The garden is filled with family history such as a fire-grate reused as decoration, and an old greengrocer’s scale now reinvigorated as a bird bath. A recycled shower-head makes washing off beach sand and salt easy.

James Headland, whose landscape firm Pangkarra Gardens created the exciting changes of level and planting plan, blended the mature coastal woodland trees into a garden surrounded by national park. Not for him, the hibiscus and bougainvillea approach to coastal gardens, James has selected a subtle blend of native and exotic species with interesting foliage tones and architectural shapes.

Leonie proudly proclaims that ‘the garden, established in 2012, was designed as eco-friendly, flowing, visible, usable and beautiful. I use the garden from every direction all the time,’ she says. And that is true whether it’s socialising with friends, relaxing on a calm day or just enjoying the view from inside the house.

Beehives nestle among trees and provide the family with homegrown honey produced by Leonie's partner, John Holland.

During the consultation process, landscape designer James asked, ‘Do you like gabions, Leonie?’ Her answer was an enthusiastic ‘yes’. This is a sloping block so the gabions (wire frames enclosing stones), define beds and retain soil while Corten steel edging enables some gentle terracing with a contemporary twist. The garden was constructed by Andrew Noble’s Cornerstone Landscaping.

The kitchen garden is surrounded by walls — both gabion and masonry — topped with timber that double as seating around the gravel-covered flat area.

Both owner and designer insisted on this being a ‘planty’ garden neither minimalist nor low maintenance. The design uses

plants sparingly but, at the same time, exuberantly. It contains all the elements of mass planting but with a variety of species in a way that retains an overall cohesion. Partly this is due to using the existing native plants such as eucalypts, angophora and burrawang, and infilling with natives and exotics that work well with the overall texture, muted foliage tones and growing needs.

In the front garden, a young flowering gum Corymbia ficifolia ‘Dwarf Orange’ adds a flamboyant touch surrounded by grasses such as Poa labillardieri ‘Suggan Buggan’, which dries to a lovely wheaten tone in summer. These contrast brilliantly with the upright green spires of Hollywood junipers (Juniperus chinensis ‘Keteleerii’) and the bluish foliage of native kangaroo grass Themeda ‘Mingo’ which covers the ground along with blue berried dianella around the edges.

One of the best shrubs here is the little known and muchunderrated Baeckea virgata ‘Nana’ or ‘Dwarf form’. This little marvel is almost perfect. It forms a naturally rounded shape, about 90 cm high; it withstands frost, drought and heatwaves and, to top it off, it is smothered with jewel-like starry white flowers in summer. The foliage is fine and always green, not greyish or olive-y, but clear and refreshingly GREEN. You can mass it or plant it as a specimen; let it go and it still keeps its mounded form and it keeps the native plants looking fresh.

There are so many other plants in this garden that also work as well, from banksias, to New Zealand corokia, the muted orange flowers of Dicliptera suberecta, various Kalanchoe, Rosemary ‘Blue Lagoon’ and gingers. All combine to add architectural vim or subtle flowering. Leonie loves her garden for its variety and the pleasure it gives her. And what’s not to love?

Designer James Headland Pangkarra Gardens 0404 016 237.

Architect Dianna Thomas 02 4382 6532.

Landscaper Cornerstone Landscaping and Design 0402 530 558.

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DESTINATION WEDDINGS • Profile

Mountain Highs Bec & Joel at Somersby Gardens Estate

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DESTINATION WEDDINGS • Profile

B

WORDS SARAH TOLMIE

FOR A CENTRAL COAST BEACH-LIVING, BEACH-LOVING PAIR, BEC AND JOEL SPEND A LOT OF TIME TRAVELLING IN COLD PLACES LIKE CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK, SKIING IN CANADA, HIKING NEW ZEALAND AND ICELAND AND ATTENDING CELEBRATIONS IN WALES, ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. AND WHEN IT CAME TO THEIR WEDDING, AN INITIAL INSTINCT TO HEAD TO THE BEACH WAS QUICKLY OVERRIDDEN BY THE IDEA OF A WEDDING AT A LOCAL COUNTRYSIDE ESTATE.

ec and Joel loved the rustic and natural feel of Somersby Gardens Estate with its bucolic setting amid lush gardens and views extending across to the Brisbane Water National Park.

‘We loved that Somersby offered a fairly blank slate. We wanted a simple, rustic, and relaxed day. Joel’s family are greenthumb amazing gardeners so we loved the garden setting.

We wanted to utilise the natural beauty of Somersby Gardens and add little touches of white, hessian, simple florals and lights.

We wanted random seating, lawn games and lounge areas. We wanted everyone to mix and most importantly, dance!’ says Bec. ‘It was important to us that our day was simple, no stress, casual, relaxed, and happy! It was important that it was ‘us’ — genuine, not fancy, with all the people we loved together and all our family included in our day.’

Well it’s only right a bride should get what she wants ... and then some!

The gardens were blessed with a bit of rain the week before to spruce up the green and bring out native flowers, but what no one expected was the amplified sense of mountain magic that created the cosy conditions for a memorable night of highs and highs.

The celebrations were a family affair from beginning to end.

In fact, none of it would have happened without the consent of Bec’s twin brother. It’s tricky business falling in love with your good mate’s sister and before Bec agreed to go out with Joel, she made him ring her twin brother, Jason, and ask his permission first. Phew, he said yes!

Joel’s ‘second mother’ Gabrielle was their celebrant, bringing a special sense of intimacy and support to the ceremony experience, for which Joel was particularly grateful as she stood by his side while he waited for Bec to arrive.

‘The ceremony was quite overwhelming, but with Gabrielle there, it helped and we were just in a whirl of emotion, laughs and love,’ says Joel.

They didn’t have a bridal party but preferred to involve their many siblings throughout the ceremony: doing readings, bearing the rings and being the witnesses.

The ceremony took place in the estate’s amphitheatre, where the Wisteria and native flowers had blossomed on time. Another delightful and special moment included sunset on the bushland ridge top, huddling in the 4WD with their photographer waiting to capture the perfect moment.

‘It was so funny and intimate, we just laughed, and I now love that photo so much,’ said Bec. ‘We also got a photo with the resident horse. It was a random moment that again created a joyful memory and great photo.’

When the wind calmed and the party started, a favourite time of the celebrations got underway: the dancing. The party got going and the dancefloor did not stop all night.

Perhaps Joel’s moment of the night was his stint as DJ. Bec had organised for DJ Soho to blast out the Dolly Parton tune, ‘Joelene’, spotlighting her Joel as everybody sang along, and Joel took over the deck for a while, unleashing his hidden DJ talents.

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DESTINATION WEDDINGS • Profile ‘People keep asking us, “how is married life?” and our response is, “exactly the same as before!” And we think that this is what it should be, especially when you have been together for as long as we have. We just wanted to celebrate us, put all the people we love into one spot, and have an awesome time.

‘Being married to us means keeping everything we already had, moving forward together like we already were, but I guess putting an “official” spin on our future. We always thought it would be nice to be married before the next step of starting a family,’ said Bec. Ceremony location and reception: Somersby Gardens Estate Photographer: Jennifer Burch Photography Celebrant/officiant: Gabrielle Streater from Gabrielle Celebrations Musicians: Steve from Soho DJs, and Tarna Rosentreter and Oscar Gross (Acoustic) Videographer: Jaxson Bryden from JXSN Films Dress: Peter Trends Bridal Suit: Peter Jacksons Hair: Phillippa Snodgrass Makeup: Peita Marie Jeweller: Monty Adams Jewellery Flowers/Stylist/Event Hire: GG Events Caterer: Gabrielle Streater from Seaside Celebrations Bar: KuBarz Cake: Kayla Bone

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H e av e n o n e a rt H A place where two hearts beat and become one.

Enchanting and romantic. Beautifully elegant, yet simple and relaxed.

Fernbank Farm – it’s simply heaven on earth...

Enquire today about your day.

Fernbank Farm, 756 Yarramalong Road, Yarramalong Valley 0414 541 901 | www.fernbankfarmweddings.com.au

DESTINATION WEDDINGS • Profile

Paint my love

WHITE

Riannon & Jeremy at Caves Beach WORDS SARAH TOLMIE

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hite, the colour synonymous with weddings, is actually made up on all the colours of the spectrum and reflects everything. And for groom and painter, Jeremy, white is a primer, the foundation from which all other colour is created.

And so, for Riannon and Jeremy, their wedding theme reflected the desire to be light and bright and mostly white. The bridal party, all the guests, and even their ‘practice’ child and fur-baby Charlie, the adorable golden retriever (and star of the day), were all in white and neutrals.

‘It was perfect, especially as we were on the beach in the height of summer,’ says Riannon.

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Beach lovers and Coast locals, Riannon and Jeremy, wanted a wedding that wasn’t their usual local hang-out but still somewhere on their beloved Coast. They found the perfect venue just a little bit north of home at the iconic, white sands of Caves Beach.

‘We loved that we could create our beach wedding and celebrations all in one place. We could just walk from our bungalow to the beach ceremony location and then back to the Caves Coastal Bar for our reception. We wanted our wedding day to be intimate, to be surrounded by our closest family and friends, to enjoy some great music and delicious food together, which is what we achieved. We wanted everyone to have a great time and for the day to be stress-free.

Riannon met Jeremy through her best friend at a music festival when they were teenagers and haven’t been apart since.

In the last nine years, they’ve experienced so much together.

The desire to marry was a natural progression as they set their next intentions for new adventures and beginning a family.

‘For me, marriage is a true commitment to love, a one-time thing and I hope to be married for a lifetime like my parents,’ says Riannon.

‘Marriage is becoming entirely dedicated to each other and growing our love while getting to know each other more and more every day. And we wanted to begin our own family,’ says Jeremy.

For Jeremy, watching Riannon walk down the aisle amidst the sea of white, and the blue of the sky was a memorable moment

DESTINATION WEDDINGS • Profile etched in his mind. ‘Riannon shone.’ For Riannon, she too loved the moment of walking towards her man at the end of the aisle.

The Coastal Bar has always been one of their favourite getaways for a great meal and drink and their reception was a relaxed sit-down affair before the day built into a pumping dancefloor scene, taking them back to their music festival days.

Thankfully, before the festivities ignited, Riannon and Jeremy managed to slip out into the early evening with their photographer Chris to capture the sunset. They loved how Chris was present but never in the way, and his suggestion for the quiet time, and the shots they achieved.

‘We’re so glad we took that time out. It was calm and quiet, and just us. We could take it all in and bank the moment in our memories. It was a special moment of perfection and feeling for all we had achieved and created together,’ says Riannon.

‘I love Jeremy's sense of humour, he always has me laughing.

He is not only gorgeous (as you can clearly see for yourself) but he also takes care of me very well,’ says Riannon.

And, ‘I love Riannon’s personality and her sense of humour. Her blue eyes and her love for animals,’ says Jeremy.

And the wedding achieved its ultimate outcome with Riannon and Jeremy now expecting their first child, the first grandchild in their families, a little girl. Life is bliss.

Ceremony location: Caves Beach Reception location: Caves Coastal Bar and Bungalows Photographer: Chris from Underatreehouse Celebrant/officiant: Lachlan Bowtell, authorised Civil Celebrant Musicians: Soho DJs Dress: Lily Grace Bridal, The Entrance Suits: Bentex Suits, George Street, Sydney Hair: Anika's Mirror, Lake Munmorah Makeup artist: Chelsea Khoury Make Up Jeweller: Michael Hill Jewellers, Lake Haven Flowers: Olivieri Flowers, Doyalson Cake: Ruby from 'Tuezday Cakery'

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HUNTER VALLEY • Chef Profile

BRIAN DUNCAN

HUNTERS QUARTER WORDS CATHARINE RETTER

WITH A COUNTRY GRANDMOTHER WHO LET HER SHEEP GRAZE UNDER THE OLIVE TREES JUST SO THEIR MEAT WOULD BE NATURALLY INFUSED WITH THE SUBTLE TASTE OF OLIVES, IS IT ANY WONDER BRIAN DUNCAN BECAME INTERESTED IN THE FLAVOURS OF GOOD FOOD AT AN EARLY AGE?

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HUNTER VALLEY • Chef Profile

I

t’s hard to think of a chef with a more credentialled background – from the days of his grandmother’s guidance and his first job as an apprentice chef in a French restaurant in Port Macquarie, to the Regent Hotel in Sydney in its heyday, and as the owner of the Paddington Inn — one of the first pubs in Sydney to receive a hatted status.

Brian also built a formidable wealth of experience in the very large and highly organised London kitchens of the (three-Michelin Star) Dorchester Hotel — where they employed extra chefs just to be stationed in the loading docks to quality-check incoming produce — and Claridge’s Hotel (one-Michelin Star). He followed this by becoming the executive chef at the three-hatted Level 4, and at the Establishment in Sydney.

Brian credits being mentored by chef Serge Dansereau while he was at the Regent (now owner–chef at the Bathers’ Pavilion) as one of the first significant influences on his cooking style and career.

‘He opened my eyes to sourcing supplies from small local producers and starting the big push for flavour in produce.’

As a result of cheffing in such illustrious establishments, combined with his international experience and a dedication to the industry, Brian has cooked for a host of celebrities. Among them rank the Queen, Lady Di, and a host of entertainment names such as Harvey Keitel, Jack Nicholson, Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise and Sting. He was also chef at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia where he cooked for President Vladimir Putin with the

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United Nations. Brian modestly takes it all in his stride and tends to remember them as much as ‘Table 6’ or ‘Table 2’, etc. as by their celebrity.

At the pinnacle of his career, what prompted Brian and Jen Duncan to leave all that behind and move to the Hunter Valley with their children, then aged two and three years?

‘We’d built a weekender in the Hunter Valley for a change of pace,’ says Brian. ‘When the site for a restaurant at Pooles Rock/ Cockfighter’s Ghost vineyard came up, I loved that it looked immediately out onto the vines, that it was so green, and had the peaceful outlook of distant hills. And we realised how good a tree-change would be.’

It was all of his background in its wide variety of different dining styles and restaurant formats — from elegantly traditional to modern and influential venues — that Brian believes led him to define what Hunters Quarter now is.

‘My focus for Hunters Quarter is a restaurant with smart casual dining with elegant food and accompanied by great wines.

Our floor plan allows generous-sized tables and more spacing between them so you’re not listening to your neighbours’ conversations.’

Hunters Quarter well and truly lives up to Brian’s exacting food standards but look around and you’ll also notice the careful attention that has been paid to things like conversation levels: sound boards high on the walls and timber-padded ceilings to dampen noise levels.

HUNTER VALLEY • Chef Profile

Peruse the menu and you’ll see his emphasis on fresh local produce: beef from Muswellbrook in the Upper Hunter; olive oil from Olio Mio Estate in Pokolbin; wagyu beef with a 9+ marble rating from Mudgee; Laguna Honey from Harry the beekeeper; as well as lemon myrtle and kangaroo loin.

If Brian has any favourite ingredients, it’s using native plants such as bush tomatoes, pepper berries, and karkalla (a succulent sometimes called ‘beach bananas’).

On the menu, prepare to be tempted by Panzanella Salad of Heirloom Tomato, with Wood-fired Peppers, Manzanillo Olive, Whipped Goats Curd and Shalllot Crisps; and main course options such as the oh-so tender, Full-Blood Wagyu Beef Tri-Tip, Sourdough Pecorino Gratin, Confit Eschallots and Choy Sum. And we challenge you to resist the Torched Triple Cream Brie, Truffle Honey and Shallot Crumb.

‘Diners are increasingly health-conscious. As well as a demand for gluten-free and vegetarian dishes, we also recently catered to an entire party wanting a five-course vegan degustation option,’ says Brian. ‘Everyone’s different, so we can also do an amazing cheese platter if you just want to sit outside, enjoy the surrounds, but not want to do the “Full Monty”.’

And, as you’d expect from a restaurant nestled in the vineyards of Pooles Rock/Cockfighter’s Ghost, there’s an extensive selection of fine wines from their vineyards as well as its associated vineyard, Audrey Wilkinson.

‘I like the simple things in life,’ says Brian. ‘They just need to be amazing of course.’

Hunters Quarter 576 De Beyers Road, Pokolbin huntersquarter.com.au

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MISTLETOE WINERY

WE ARE FAMILY MISTLETOE is a small family owned and run winery that was established by the current owners in 1989. Now in its 31st year, Mistletoe’s “no-compromise” approach to producing small quantities of “true to origin” premium quality wine has seen it rewarded with many, many hundreds of awards and accolades.

With three generations of the founding family now actively engaged in running the business on a day to day basis, Mistletoe is a truly unique family winery.

With over 20 different wines, including Sparkling, Whites, Reds, Rosés, Fortified and Dessert styles on tasting, Mistletoe has one of the most comprehensive ranges of wines seen in the Hunter.

Now g in tast hiraz t–S o n i P 2018

• All wines are made in our onsite winery • Winery tastings available for larger groups – bookings essential!

• Mistletoe Wines are only available for purchase from the Winery Cellar Door • Knowledgeable and friendly staff to make you welcome When visiting Mistletoe be sure to take time to visit POKOLBIN GALLERY and MISTLETOE SCULPTURE GARDEN also in the grounds of the Cellar Door.

Mistletoe is approximately one hour from the Central Coast and we recommend that you use the A15 Hunter Expressway to visit us. Stay on the A15 and turn left into Hermitage Road. It is a much easier, more scenic, and safer route into Hunter Wine Country.

To learn more about our area go to www.aroundhermitage.com.au We look forward to welcoming you,

The Mistletoe Family.

Open 10am until 6pm Daily | 771 Hermitage Road, Pokolbin 2320 PH 1800 055 080 | E office@mistletoewines.com.au www.mistletoewine.com.au

WINE • Hunter Valley

Geoff Broadfield

IRON GATE ESTATE, Tuscany in the Hunter WORDS CATHARINE RETTER

G

eoff Broadfield has one of the best workplaces in the Hunter Valley, not least because it is one of the most beautiful boutique wineries in the Pokolbin area.

Roger Lilliott, who founded the winery in1996 visited the great wineries of Europe for inspiration and travelled all the wine states of Australia for over a year looking for the perfect place to establish a winery and build a showpiece cellar door.

The perfectionist in everything he did — from selecting Spanish roof and floor tiles for the cellar door, to planting the best Semillon, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Verdelho and Chardonnay vines — Roger also brought in the finest stainless-steel wine vats and equipment from Italy to precision-craft his wines. The cellardoor gates, after which the winery is named, were handcrafted by world-renowned blacksmith, Paul Simpson, in Queensland.

With` the winery well established and in good hands, Roger retired in 2017, selling the estate to two Sydney-based families

who brought in Geoff as their professional winemaker. Iron Gate Estate is one of the few wineries in the Hunter to manage its winemaking on-site from vine, to pressing, to barrels, to bottle.

Since taking over, Geoff — an experienced winemaker of 37 vintages in a number of well-known wine companies, as well as being a teacher of wine making at Kurri Kurri TAFE — has worked hard at putting his own stamp on Iron Gate Estate’s popular wine styles. The last three vintages have shown the effects of increasingly warmer summers and the company has changed over some grape varieties to ones better suited to this change in climate, for example grafting over vines to Tempranillo, a Spanish red variety.

‘We’re finding that we’re harvesting earlier because our summer temperatures are getting hotter earlier and for longer,’ says Geoff. But that’s not all. ‘Right across Australia, wine growers are putting a “sunblock” on their grapes.’

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WINE • Hunter Valley

So, can we expect to see vines with white-smudged blockout on their grapes?

‘The sunblock is a natural clay mix,’ says Geoff, indulging me.

‘We spray it over the fruit so that the sun doesn’t burn the skins.

On a 40-degree day in summer, the juice inside the grapes can be as hot as 50 degrees. And that’s particularly harmful to thinskinned varieties such as Shiraz and Semillon.’

It’s for this reason, too, that harvesting will have to change from hand-harvest to machine.

‘Cabernet Sauvignon grapes ripen later than other varieties and we can make a beautiful rosé from harvesting the grapes early’

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‘It’s hard to expect pickers to be working out in the field all day in 40-degree heat,’ says Geoff. ‘And it’s tough on the grapes too. So the quicker we can get the fruit inside to temperaturecontrolled conditions, the better for the quality of the wine.’

Climate change has also meant Geoff has adapted some of the wine styles produced from traditional grapes.

‘Cabernet Sauvignon grapes ripen later than other varieties and we can make a beautiful rosé from harvesting the grapes early,’ he says. ‘It’s now become one of our most popular wines, a dryer, fruit-driven style rosé. It has a lovely delicate colour from softpressing the grapes and only leaving the juice in contact with the skins for a very short time.’

Geoff’s biggest joy is making wines from small parcels of grapes from the winery’s vineyard and improving the quality and consistency of the wine from year to year. He is always refining techniques learnt over a lifetime, and the results are starting to show.

‘The individual attention we can give small parcels of fruit, means we can really lift our quality in the finished wines.

Following and maintaining that quality from grape to glass is very rewarding for a winemaker.’

Which wine is Geoff most proud of from this vintage?

‘I’d have to say the Primera Semillon we’ve produced this year is the best I’ve ever made, and I don’t say that lightly,’ says Geoff.

‘Our assistant winemaker Jade Hafey and I really nurtured that wine to make sure it was the best we could produce and one that we could proudly hang our hats on.’

Iron Gate Estate, cnr Ingles Lane and Oakey Creek Road Pokolbin irongateestate.com

Australia’s oldest wine region is the perfect setting for Éremo’s distinctive brand of modern Italian dining.

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HEALTH & WELL-BEING

KIDS HEALTH

Are our kids ‘byte-ing’ off more than they can chew?

WORDS DR MICHELLE REISS Lifestyle medicine physician

T

he majority of Gen-X or even early Gen-Y parents (myself included) — with current school-aged children — were born and raised in a time without mobile phones, social media or instant information at our fingertips.

Back in those days, ‘2020’ sounded space-aged. But here we are, living the reality of our imaginations of three or four decades ago. The trouble with travelling at lightspeed through digital advancements, and with technology bombarding us so constantly, we’ve had little or no time to prepare ourselves for the drastic lifestyle change that digital screens, in all their forms, have brought to our households.

Of course, there are undeniable benefits of the digital age, but the purpose of this article, from a lifestyle medicine physician’s perspective, is to assist in creating an awareness of the ‘autopilot’ habits we have created with technology; habits triggered by instant gratifications, desires to follow the path of least resistance, and peer pressure.

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Our desires to ‘be connected’, ‘not miss out’, or as it’s referred to, ‘FOMO’ (fear of missing out), has had a rapid but insidious impact on how much we move, how often kids play, and even the enjoyment of the simple things. Moreover, there’s a direct correlation with the rise in levels of fatigue and chronic disease throughout our communities.

These impacts may be recognisable to those of us in Gen-X, in contrast to our own upbringing. But these digital devices have been part of the Gen-Z world since birth and, without guidance and teaching, Gen-Z will have no point of reference for a screenfree existence.

As with all addictions, instant satisfaction and stimulation leads to firing of neurotransmitters in the reward centres of our brains. Digital connectedness, whether through social media, YouTube, or online gaming is no different, and the earlier in life a child experiences these reward pathways, the more entrenched they become in brain structure. If this sense of instantaneous

»

HEALTH & WELL-BEING reward occurs habitually, the less likely children are to experience stimulation or excitement through slower paced, less intense stimuli.

I’ll explain more simply using the trifecta of ‘excitement’, ‘speed’ and ‘least effort’: if a young child is frequently exposed to the excitement of digital connectedness and the instant speed with which that gratification is delivered, it will be very difficult for them to gain excitement or fulfillment from bushwalks, riding their bike or reading a book. Add to that, the natural tendency for humans to want to be sedentary and conserve energy, and you have the trifecta for addiction, and the ultimate impact on poor lifestyle.

Our kids are sitting far more than any child in previous generations. They are finding it more and more difficult to use imagination, to engage in face-to-face play, or to find fulfillment in mindless self-occupation. No wonder ‘attention deficit’ diagnoses are on the rise in a world where rapid gratifications and fast-moving attention-grabbers are influencing little brains that are not yet able to self-regulate.

Reaching the point of engagement in a novel takes time, using imagination to plan a game with a friend takes practise and skill development, applying effort and physical endurance to play outside takes experience. Are we depriving our kids of these essential human qualities?

Dare we consider that as adults and parents in our modern society, we have a responsibility to guide our kids in selfregulation until their brains are developed enough to manage themselves?

If this article has resonated with you thus far, I encourage you to consider the following ‘screen rules’ for home: • Online or screen games for restricted time periods on weekends only: this will see our kids develop perseverance by waiting, resilience by not needing instant gratifiers, skills in prioritising, fulfillment in family time, and more time to play in fresh air.

• Restricted time periods for screen usage: lengthy screen time will see our kids develop short-sightedness (myopia) requiring

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glasses or contact lenses, so keep screen time to one to two hours maximum, and allow outdoor time for their developing eyes to focus on things afar. Restricting usage time will also reduce anxiety, interrupt addiction neurotransmitters, and have musculo-skeletal benefits.

• No phones in bedrooms: aside from the obvious reduced exposure to sexting and inappropriate communication behind closed doors, keeping phones out of bedrooms will assist with keeping kids more family-orientated, improve sleeping patterns, reduce fatigue, and hopefully, allow for less sedentary behaviour and create a definite distinction between ‘down-time’ and stimulation time. And don’t fall for the ‘alarm’ excuse… $5 alarm clocks work just as effectively.

• Have a central charging station where all phones go after 8 pm: this rule clearly gives the message about who is in charge in the house, that family time is valued above external engagement, and assists in building self-regulation (yes, for parents and kids).

In my practice, I see many young patients brought in by their parents with fatigue, depression, anxiety, poor school performance or bullying. In many cases, screen-time is a significant contributing factor to these symptoms.

We cannot be complacent in the IT age in which we currently find ourselves. Digital usage has morphed our household habits without us even recognising the impact. I challenge you to take a step back, review your own household rules and turn-off the ‘auto-pilot’ habits for the benefit of the whole family.

There is no mistaking the incredible advancements that technology has brought our society in such a short period of time, and with these advancements, we can unintentionally place our digital devices on a pedestal.

Without realising, we place undeserved value and importance on a hand-held device as if it was our very lifeline.

As a society, as parents and as families we need to accept that we may have misplaced our value of what’s truly important and make some cognitive efforts to reconnect with one another and enjoy the things we’ve been missing in our own backyards.

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COAST • Education

How the digital world has changed the way children learn

‘When this generation moves up to school it’s clear that the old ways of learning aren’t going to get traction.

Learning has changed a lot since today’s parents were at school.’

CHRISTINE HODGKINSON

D

igital technology is changing the way children learn and having a profound impact on their everyday lives – on all our lives. We are the first generation of parents who are navigating this digital terrain and raising kids in a word where the young people know more about a concept than we do.

Innovative schools are upskilling, empowering and supporting parents and teachers, as well as students. From a very early age, in addition to systemically teaching the technology skills and critical thinking that will equip children for tomorrow’s careers, schools are also teaching digital well-being – how to manage attention, how to stay safe online.

How do traditional values hold fast in this changing world?

Learning with an ethical dimension today focuses on global citizenship, collaboration, communication, creativity, character and critical thinking. Learning focused on solving real-world problems that children are passionate about builds closer connections, increases confidence and boosts motivation. Strong community service programs empower students to bring their

learning to life, to step up and run fundraising and community initiatives that are making the world better for others.

The newest learning environments are reflecting these changes by becoming more centred on students, making them active in their own learning. Flexible learning spaces and furniture respond to the learning needs of the moment, the group, the class, the individual.

Cutting edge technology prepares students for the future. Teachers and students can see each other across light-filled airy spaces.

Connected classroom and community spaces flow inside and out, enhancing wellbeing and creating a sense of belonging.

Managing the wellbeing and mental health issues we are seeing in our fast-changing world is a growing priority for schools. A protective and preventative approach offers both support and social and emotional learning, to create resilient children who will become resilient adults. The structures and culture in a connected school community ensure that students, staff and families look out for each other, know who to reach out to if they need help and are comfortable doing so.

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COME ENGAGE BELONG OPEN AFTERNOON SHOWCASE 4-6pm Wednesday 11 March 2020 Providing a happy, safe and engaging learning environment in the spirit of Mary MacKillop, guiding your child through K-12 and preparing them for life beyond.

Kinder and Year 7 2021 Information Night 6pm 91 Sparks Road Warnervale NSW 2259 P 02 4392 9399 E smccw@dbb.catholic.edu.au W mccwdbb.catholic.edu.au

ENROLMENTS ARE NOW OPEN Online enrolment applications for Year 7, 2021 are now open.

For details please visit: www.stedwards.nsw.edu.au/enrolment

OPEN DAY SATURDAY 7 MARCH 2020 10:00am - 2:00pm All families are invited to tour the College on our Open Day

CAREERS PATHWAYS EXPO THURSDAY 2 APRIL 2020 6:30pm - 8:30pm With over 40 exhibitors across universities, colleges, employers, apprenticeship group training companies and TAFE. It is the perfect opportunity for parents and students from Years 10 to 12 to connect with experts.

St Edward’s College 13 Frederick St East Gosford NSW 2250 Phone (02) 4321 6400 www.stedwards.nsw.edu.au

The Alternative Entry Pathways to University will include presentations from the University of Newcastle, Macquarie University, TAFE, Avondale College to assist students to explore pathways and so much more.

For details please visit: www.stedwards.nsw.edu.au/pathways

TOGETHER WE GROW Green Point Christian College is a K-12 school with an excellent reputation for supporting families. In doing so, we know together we can help form students who are equipped for life.

Online enrolments open now.

Visit us online to book a tour or calculate tuition fees.

gpcc.nsw.edu.au

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St Brigid’s Catholic College Lake Munmorah

OPEN TO YEARS 7 – 12 in 2021

A college recognised for it’s strong relationships with parents, teachers, students and the local business community Come tour our state of the art facilities - Open Day Tuesday 3rd March from 1pm See the College website for further details

Experience secondary education at its best • Helping your child develop into their best self in a nurturing, safe and innovative enviroment • Assisting students develop the skills employers most look for after school

Carters Rd Lake Munmorah NSW 2259 | Ph 4358 4278 | sbccdbb.catholic.edu.au

COAST • Education

EARLY YEARS LEARNING explores the child’s interests to ignite an eagerness to learn

‘It is the process of [a child] experimenting and manipulating materials through trial and error that builds creativity, imagination, perseverance and problem-solving.’

OLIVIA BALBI, JILL ROBINSON

E

arly childhood education and care has changed and evolved in response to an abundance of research into child development and psychology, particularly over the last ten years with the introduction of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). This framework has heavily influenced the way services provide care and education and is indicative of the high value governments and other stakeholders place on early childhood education.

The EYLF takes a holistic approach to children’s education, promotes learning through play and supports the notion that all children develop at their own pace. Emphasis is placed on independence, emotional intelligence, individuality and the process of a child’s learning rather than only emphasising the

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end product. For example, instead of providing a stencil to colour or production-line crafts to replicate, it is the process of experimenting and manipulating materials through trial and error that builds creativity, imagination, perseverance and problemsolving. Instead of themes of study chosen by carers, children become more engaged learners when qualified educators explore the child’s expressed interests, scaffolding these ideas to further their understanding and ignite individual passions and eagerness to learn.

All services are at various stages, working towards the goals of the EYLF to ensure that all our young children are nurtured to become the confident and creative thinkers we need for the future.

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St Joseph's Catholic College East Gosford St Joseph’s Catholic College in the Diocese of Broken Bay educates girls from Year 7 to Year 12 empowering them to lead with compassion, serve with respect, pray with hope and act justly.

The caring and supportive community of St Joseph’s nurtures confident, resilient and independent young women who act with courage, strength and gentleness in the service of others and in the stewardship of our earth.

Challenging learning experiences inside and outside the classroom encourage students to develop their unique gifts and talents, strive for personal excellence and purpose, and recognise that learning is for life.

Now taking enrolments for 2021 For more information on enrolment, contact the college office: St Joseph’s Catholic College Russell Drysdale St East Gosford NSW 2250 Phone 02 4324 4022 Download our college prospectus at

www.sjcc.nsw.edu.au

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Curious?

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12 Penrose Crescent, Erina

CCAS.NSW.EDU.AU

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WEDNESDAY 11TH FEBRUARY TOURS AT 10AM & 11:30AM Register at www.wyongccs.nsw.edu.au

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WHAT'S ON • For Kids

FUN FOR KIDS

ON THE COAST WORDS KATIE STOKES

SHOOTING HOOPS

GET MOTIVATED Looking for some adrenalinecharged fun for your kids this April?

Motiv8Sports Central Coast run amazing multi-day non-sleepover camps every school holidays. All camps are supported by a team of professional coaches and include a heap of sports, competitions and fun. Their Splash City Summer Camps also involve water balloon fights, slip ’n’ slides and a tonne of water sports, while their annual Super Camp brings music, street culture, art and dance to the floor.

They also run various tournaments for little groups of friends or teams, such as 4-on-4 football and 3-on3 basketball, as well as in-school programs and kids sports parties. We offer one bit of advice: don’t delay booking; their camps are incredibly popular and always sell out!

Bookings 0424 951 175 motiv8sports.com. au/franchise/central-coast/

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If you have a mini-baller, get them to Breakers Basketball Stadium: they’ve recently introduced a series of basketball classes that cover all ages.

In February they launched 'AussieHoops', a new federally endorsed program for children aged 5–9 years. The program teaches basketball skills, teamwork and social development, along with the basics of fitness conditioning and wellbeing. It’s just $100/term and all participants receive a backpack, a Spalding basketball (size 4 to suit smaller hands) and a personalised AussieHoops singlet emblazoned with your child’s name.

In 2019, Breakers also launched a new Basketball Minis class for tots aged 1½ to 5. The real icing on the cake here is that siblings of different ages can attend the same class, so you needn’t worry about booking different time slots or holding one child back while the other plays.

It’s held on Monday and Friday mornings (10–10.45 am) and you can attend casually or sign up for the term.

Older kids aren’t forgotten either.

Children aged 10–17 can sign up to the Domestic Players Skills and Fundamental Sessions to finesse their shooting, dribbling and ball handling skills (Saturdays 10–11 am). bistadium.com.au/

Educating hearts and minds

NOW ENROLLING FOR 2021

COME ALONG TO YOUR LOCAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL’S OPEN DAY IN MARCH/APRIL 2020.

Discover how together we can nurture your child to achieve their best inside the classroom and beyond.

WE OFFER INNOVATIVE LEARNING IN AN INCLUSIVE, FAITH COMMUNITY TO PREPARE YOUR CHILD FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE. PRIMARY EAST GOSFORD KINCUMBER LAKE MUNMORAH TERRIGAL THE ENTRANCE TOUKLEY TUMBI UMBI WARNERVALE WOY WOY WYOMING WYONG SECONDARY EAST GOSFORD LAKE MUNMORAH TUGGERAH WARNERVALE

Contact your local Catholic school for further information or visit csodbb.catholic.edu.au

Striving for academic and sporting excellence …

At Central Coast Sports College we combine academics and sport to provide students with a balanced and engaging learning experience.

As a proudly progressive K-12 college, our teachers and coaches are committed to the wellbeing of our students. Our goal is to create an environment that inspires all to find their life purpose and to develop the courage to live that life.

We encourage our students to be active learners, offering a wide range of sports and training facilities, together with creative learning spaces and leadingedge educational systems, teaching tools and technology. Home of ‘Big Picture’ and ‘Walker Leaning’ models, if you’re seeking more from education, we invite you to join us.

Visit our website - ccsc.nsw.edu.au Talk to our enrolment officer Damien Brown 02 4302 9000 Or book a tour ccsc.nsw.edu.au

CENTRAL COAST SPORTS COLLEGE

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WHAT'S ON • For Kids

CIRCUS SKILLS Parkour, juggling and aerial skills — now they're some nifty tricks you don’t pick up at school.

Roundabout Circus runs term-long classes and school holiday camps for all ages, including a 2 to 5-years-old Kinder Class that focuses on circus play, and an Adult Class that teaches unicycling and stilts. The kids, youth and teen Circus Skills classes teach juggling, hoop, acro-balance and aerial, while their tumbling class focuses on handstands, flips and somersaults. They run term-long classes, plus half-day, full-day and multi-day holiday workshops.

Accessible circus classes catering to people with special needs are also held weekly. roundaboutcircus.com/

NINJA HIGH Have a mini ninja with aerial ambitions? Sign them up to Flip Out, Gosford’s kids ninja classes and they’ll soon be spinning, leaping, twisting and back flipping. Flip Out’s teachers show children how to achieve agility, co-ordination and aerial awareness in a safe environment, so that when it comes time for them to attempt a trick in the skate park or half pipe, they’ll know how to control their flip and stick their landing. After mastering

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the basics, students are then taught how to do front flips, back flips and other stunts that come with a street-cred guarantee. The classes are for children aged 5–16, and they can be attended casually or for a full term. Flip Out is a registered Active Kid provider, so you can get $100 off your term fee!

Bookings 02 4323 0162. flipout.net.au/ locations/nsw/gosford/nsw-gosford

SOUNDS RIGHT Sounds Right Phonics (the hugely popular kids classes taught in the UK) has launched in NSW and they’ve opened their first class on the Central Coast.

Run by qualified primary educator and local mum Lauren Coombes, Sounds Right Phonics classes are fun, high-energy classes that teach early phonics skills and literacy to children aged 2–5 using play and games. Siblings of different ages can be enrolled in the same class, and new families are invited to have a free trial. Classes are currently held at Kincumber, with a northern venue opening soon.

Bookings 0408 961 984. soundsrightphonicsclasses.com.au/

WINNING RUNS IN THE FAMILY

Volvo Cars Central Coast

10 Central Coast Highway West Gosford

T 02 4323 6663

VOLVOCARSCENTRALCOAST.COM.AU

THIS IS THE CENTRAL COAST

Fashion designer, Carlie Ballard in her Umina studio. One of the many makers, creators and innovators reshaping the Central Coast.

VISITCENTRALCOAST.COM.AU #thisisthecentralcoast