Coffs Coast Focus i107

Des Kingdom

August 2019.

issue 107

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team From the

Welcome to the August issue of Coffs Coast FOCUS .

O

ne of the best things about living and working on the Coffs Coast is the amount of opportunities and events that present each month.

We have to give the organisers and promoters of the Bello Winter Music festival a huge round of applause for an event well planned and executed. We braved the cold and danced our way from venue to venue over the weekend, soaking in the awesome array of music and atmosphere. A highlight for us was the band “Goldmember”. What a group of talented legends! We were lucky enough to score some “Glamping” tents sponsored by Louisa from the Stylish Camping Company. Make sure you turn to page 10 and check out how awesome the setup was.

Here come the men As we do each August, we are pleased to be able to present to you our annual Men in

Business feature. This feature is an opportunity for champions in business in our local area to tell their stories and share their success. As always, we encourage you to support these businesses.

A big thank you to our front cover superstars.

Ryan Moran from Rod Moran Automotive, Michael Lockman from the Big Banana, Tony Jones from the Plantation Hotel, Brent Culkin from the Coast Hotel and Reed Clayton from JZ Concrete. Also, a big thanks to Zoe Arndell from Connor at Park Beach Plaza, who went over and above to make sure these guys looked as stylish as their personalities.

Inside this edition In 1979, Des Kingdom was part of the first group of dental prosthetists in Australia. Ever since, Des has been working directly with the public to provide quality workmanship to thousands of locals on the Coffs Coast and surrounding areas. In 2018, Des’ daughter,

Elizabeth, took over ownership of the business, to enable Des more time to enjoy his family and love of golf - although he is still seeing his patients on a daily basis.

Truth Talks is a local community group started

by Karen Plumbe. It is designed to bring women from all walks of life together to share their life stories, with the aim to provide support and friendship, and to create strength and understanding within the group through the diverse range of stories shared.

And as always, we have our normal vast array of interviews with local and visiting identities.

So sit back, relax and enjoy our latest edition of FOCUS. Final Say “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking, don’t settle”.

- Steve Jobs.

Wishing upon a star?

Let Mercedes-Benz Australia's New Vehicle Sales Consultant Of The Year Lachlan Brown assist you with your new car purchase.

Lachlan is professional, courteous and knows just about everything there is to know about Mercedes-Benz vehicles. You know that you will get the right advice & friendly service from Lachlan, before and after you have purchased.

Make an appointment with Lachlan on 0402 214 323 for your personalised test drive and demonstration our range of motor vehicles today.

Mercedes-Benz Coffs Coast 4 Tolhurst Place, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 Tel 1800 693 876 www.mbcoffscoast.com.au LMD3461 Coffs Coast focus 3

contents

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Issue 107 - August 2019

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feature a special

ALL ABILITIES

Kombu Whole Foods.

Kevin and Lowanna Doye opened Kombu Wholefoods in 2004, and it has been growing ever since. It has become a local hub for great quality produce and products for healthy and sustainable living, and a wonderful example of a business that is always striving to live by its ethos and better themselves, their community and our planet.

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Jaimee + Hamish Sutherland.

Jaimee recently married the love of her life, Hamish, at a local property that has been in her family for generations ... A special event for the couple and their families and friends, with many personal touches throughout the day and night...

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PhysAbility.

the Usual

Suspects

9. FROM THE ACHIVES with Kev Smith

Tap into every possible movement a client has to offer, optimising their potential to regenerate and re-educate muscle function! This is one of the driving mottos behind the evolving PhysAbility platform that is Joanne Magill and Tony Ferguson ...

12. WHAT’S ON for August 16. BUSINESS MINDS with Nicci Seccombe 24. EAT local restaurants 36. SOCIAL SCENE with Carole Beros 39. TRAVEL TIME with Kerry Moss

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Crystal Tate.

Crystal Tate has always loved the process of creating art, and recently rekindled her relationship with painting and illustration after a few years away from it. Her illustrations capture those simple moments and pleasures in life that most of us can relate to.

They are beautiful, quirky and evoke feelings of joy and contentment.

4 Coffs Coast focus

46. STARGUIDE with Terri Hall 56. EDUCATION with Nick Johnstone 86. ABODE property guide

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Coffs Coast focus 5

focusinterview.

Des In 1979, Des Kingdom was part of the first group of dental prosthetists in Australia. Ever since, Des has been working directly with the public to provide quality workmanship to thousands of locals on the Coffs Coast and surrounding areas. In 2018, Des’ daughter, Elizabeth, took over ownership of the business, to enable Des more time to enjoy his family and love of golf - although he is still seeing his patients on a daily basis. FOCUS had a chat with Des, to find out more ...

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D E S

K I N G D O M

W

hat is your connection to the Coffs Coast?

Having grown up in Armidale, I have had a long association with Coffs Harbour. My father was camped here with the Army, before being posted overseas.

They were actually camped on what is now the 26th tee of the Coffs Harbour Golf Club.

After that, it became a holiday destination for our family growing up.

We had family living on the Coffs Coast, as I was related to the Saggus family.

I have always loved it here on the Coffs Coast.

Tell us about your profession …

In 1979, then dental technicians were registered to work direct to the public. They were then recognised as dental prosthetists.

Prosthetists have now evolved to be a valued member of the dental profession, with their specialties being full and partial dentures, implant over dentures, and mouthguards.

Take us back to the beginning … When and why did you start your business?

I commenced my apprenticeship in Armidale in 1963. On completion of this apprenticeship, I moved to Sydney and worked in Rose Bay. I then spent some time in Western Australia, before deciding to relocate closer to home.

My wife, Jeanne, and I arrived in Coffs Harbour in 1975 and started working for Mr Bob Wilkinson, who had a commercial laboratory supplying local dentists.

After working for Bob for two years, Jeanne and I decided to purchase the business from him and worked it as a commercial laboratory for a number of years. During this time I also worked part-time at the Coffs Ex Servicemen’s Club.

The practice was moved to Dr Rayne McDonald’s medical centre in High Street, and we were there for a few years. In 1979 I became a Dental Prosthetist and was a member of the first group of Dental Prosthetists registered in NSW. In 1983 the practice was moved to its existing location, beside our home in Long Street.

Who will take over the reins, once you have

retired?

My daughter, Elizabeth, has now purchased the business, having moved back to the Coffs Coast to work alongside me in the business as a technician in 2007. In 2013 Elizabeth became a dental prosthetist, and we have worked alongside each other ever since, forming a strong bond and providing a friendly and professional service to the community.

We also have a new prosthetist in the business, Golf to me is about the Gavin Braybrook, who has friendship of many mates moved up from Victoria. His and being able to hide knowledge and experience away on approximately will assist Elizabeth in the 150 beautiful acres in the Do you have any everyday running of the middle of Coffs Harbour funny business stories practice and allow me to and five minutes from you can share? step away from the business, home. It allows me to relax and There have been although I will still turn up enjoy the camaraderie and banter many funny stories over some days to ensure that that comes with being a member the years.

There was everything is going OK. of the Golf club. once a patient who How has your business arrived at the practice evolved since it began? with his dentures in Over the years, more than ten pieces and covered in mud. He prosthetists have become more recognisable in had been on his tractor, and his dentures fell out the general public. As a result, our business has while coughing.

He had run over them with his grown considerably and with the addition of tractor.

Elizabeth as a prosthetist, we have been able to Another time a local nursing home phoned provide a service for many people on the Coffs to say that ten patients had lost their dentures; Coast. could I help? When I arrived, we found that one It is great to see Elizabeth embracing new patient had been stealing dentures and had them industry technology and becoming involved in stashed under his sink. When I asked him what digitally designing dentures and 3D printing try happened, he said that these dentures were no ins for our patients. good, as none of them fit. Eventually we were What was the most rewarding part of your able to reconnect all of the patients with the job? correct dentures.

The most rewarding part of the job is being If you could have dinner with three people able to see people leave our practice happy and dead or alive, who would they be and why? smiling. The difference that we can make to My father, Gordon Kingdom; he had a people’s lives by providing new dental prosthetics profound influence on my life, and I miss him. that are functional and look great is why we do All of my family; family is one of the most it. important things in my life.

Patients come back to our practice for ongoing Russell Crowe; I think he is a great actor and services, and it is satisfying to be able to make supporter of the local community. a difference for these patients in their everyday Tell us about your love of golf … lives.

I have played golf most Thursdays and Saturdays for the past 35 years. I have been a member of Coffs Harbour Golf Club during this time.

Golf to me is about the friendship of many mates and being able to hide away on approximately 150 beautiful acres in the middle of Coffs Harbour and five minutes from home. It allows me to relax and enjoy the camaraderie and banter that comes with being a member of the golf club.

It is great to see the golf club evolve, and the improvements that they have made over the years are a credit to all involved.

What plans do you have for retirement?

Jeanne and I intend to take a trip to Europe in the near future, do some cruising and blow the dust off the caravan. We look forward to being able to see our fantastic country. I can see myself parked up on the bank of a river somewhere.

We also look forward to spending more time with our grandchildren, as we watch them grow.

What do you enjoy about living on the Coffs Coast?

The climate, people and laid back nature of the Coffs Coast is what I enjoy the most. You’re not far from the tablelands, and a short trip to Brisbane or Sydney if you want to take a trip to the city. We are extremely fortunate to live at the place where the mountains meet the sea.

Thanks Des. Coffs Coast focus 7

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P H O T O G R A P H Y. A N D T H E T R E E S

WHOLE FOODS

Kevin and Lowanna Doye

Kevin and Lowanna Doye opened Kombu Wholefoods in 2004, and it has been growing ever since. It has become a local hub for great quality produce and products for healthy and sustainable living, and a wonderful example of a business that is always striving to live by its ethos and better themselves, their community and our planet. i Kevin. Tell us how you discovered the Coffs Coast and why you decided to make it home?

Lowanna and I met in 1997 at the iconic Glastonbury Festival. I was helping run a solar powered cinema that was showing a range of documentary films on social and environmental issues. Lowanna was screening her latest film, that explored the risks of the genetically modified food industry.

One evening, Lowanna told me that inspired by the latest film she was editing that claimed the aviation industry was the leading contributor to global warming, she had decided to travel back home to Australia by bicycle rather than aeroplane!

I jumped on board and after 18 months, 16 countries and 12,000 kilometres each of pedalling, we ended up in Sydney. It was a hard but incredible journey, and it taught us many life lessons, particularly a humbling reminder of how fortunate we are to be born in the west.

After a couple of years based in Glebe, in the heart of Sydney, our first child came along. Like Lowanna, I also grew up in a small country town; as new parents we immediately wished to return to a rural setting to give our children the same fantastic upbringing and connection with the earth that we had both enjoyed as children.

Lowanna’s mother had visited Bellingen a few times to perform in the annual Jazz Festival and she had suggested we go and check the town out. Needless to say, her maternal instinct was spot on. We immediately fell in love with the Coffs Coast and moved up soon afterwards.

How did you and Lowanna come to start Kombu Wholefoods?

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Lowanna and I and our nine month old daughter, Tallara, moved to Bellingen in 2004, with the intention of continuing to produce documentary films; we soon established that this would not materialise as steady income.

At the time, Bellingen was without a wholefoods store. Passionate about affordable chemical-free living and access to local produce, and with Lowanna’s pre-film making background spent in the health food industry and mine in logistics, we decided to combine our skills and open Kombu Wholefoods.

Kombu has been growing since the day we opened. Lowanna and I are doing something we are very passionate about and after 15 years, we still love it as much (if not more!) than we did on the first day.

Kombu has a clear ethos of healthy living and environmental sustainability; these are obviously important subjects to you?

We both believe deeply that it is crucial to have affordable good food available to all.

As such, we work hard to keep the products and produce in store as reasonably priced as possible. We try our best to check each new product that arrives in store, to ensure that no nasty ingredients sneak on to our shelves.

Feedback illustrates that over the years we have built up a decent bank of customer trust in this process.

Environmentally we both believe that there is no choice but to all work together towards future sustainability, as no one can do business on a dead planet. Whilst we can all make individual changes in how we live and what we consume, Lowanna and I both believe that it is equally important for us to continually look at the environmental impact of all our business decisions.

We have a beautiful planet on which we live, and we need to put a line in the sand somewhere where we stop moving ever more

quickly and growing. It is absolutely not sustainable; there has to be an end point somewhere and if not, there will be an end point for humanity.

I believe that we are something that is going clever enough to be able THERE ARE SO MANY to give us that quick to live a happy, healthy ACTIONS WE CAN TAKE TO hit of pleasure? We life without reducing REDUCE OUR FOOTPRINT can look at where we the life of this earth. The AND MOST OF THOSE shop. Supporting local longer we leave it, the CHOICES ARE NOT ONLY stores means more harder it will get.

MORE ECO-FRIENDLY BUT money circulating in In what ways have ALSO GREAT OPTIONS our communities and you implemented that FOR OURSELVES a healthier and more into how you run the thriving community store? for us all. We can look Every action we take at the food that we has environmental, social currently eat.

Is it really serving us or the and financial implications. We work hard to earth?

Simply by slightly decreasing your take these perspectives into account in the protein and starches and increasing the fruit day to day running of the store. For example, and vegetables on your plate will have a we stock over 300 bulk lines, because buying profound impact on your mental and physical bulk food is more affordable with much less health, with the added bonus of a reduction packaging - a win for the planet and a win for in your packaging, because you can purchase your pocket! fresh produce without using plastic bags.

By We also have a local produce coordinator decreasing the portions of protein on your who works hard to source as much fruit and plate, you may find that you can now afford vegetables from local and regional, chemicalorganic poultry, lamb or beef. Switching over free small scale farms. Buying local produce to support the organic meat industry is a huge supports our growers, keeps the money in statement for individual and global health. our area, builds a more thriving community, Cycle or walk distances 3 km or less. Look reduces food miles, with our customers in your pantry at your favourite packaged getting fresh, nourishing raw ingredients. food items and see if you can replace plastic Earlier in 2019 we launched Arame Street wrapped products for alternatives wrapped Food outside our store, offering an affordable in cardboard.

Coach yourself to start bringing and delicious range of hot meals every your own re-usable storage bags to your local lunchtime on weekdays. store.

In what ways do you think each of us can There are so many actions we can take make a difference for our planet? to reduce our footprint and most of those We can all make a difference in all that choices are not only more eco-friendly, but we do. We can ask if we need to make that also great options for ourselves. purchase. Is it something we need, or just

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WITH KEV SMITH

How’s this for some amazing history in the hills behind Coffs ... Back in 1921, Thomas Timms worked out that a hydro mill could be set up and by using the water from the nearby Little Nymboida River, it could power a saw mill.

fter he worked out what was needed (and how the heck did he work out the water rate was 9 cubic feet per second!) he contacted a UK company (Armstrong & Whitworth) to supply a huge turbine and associated pipes. After being shipped out from London, then carted up from Sydney to Timmsvale, it was set up and it became the first sawmill in Australia to be powered by a water turbine.

The plan was to dam the river 400 metres up stream, divert the water down a man made hand cut - 360 metre long x 1.5 metre wide x 1 metre deep channel to the first pipe with a gradient for the flow, then down into the turbine. A massive feat back in the day. The dam was completed in 1923 and it began to fill, backing up over 1 km, but unfortunately it was washed away in the late ‘30s, and the mill was destroyed by a suspicious fire in July 1933.

Still visible today are remnants of the wall,

pipes, turbine and the race (the channel that the water flowed along) though some sections are slowly giving way to the environment, where tree debris is falling on the old mill. The mill mainly cut Coachwood, carried there by tramline (possibly timber, not steel rail lines) and at peak production it produced 25,000 feet per week. Timer then was taken to Coffs by bullock team, loaded onto boats and shipped out. Back in those days, it was a two - three day trip down the mountain to Coffs. But when the Dorrigo -

Glenreagh line was up and running, the logs were eventually carted to Ulong siding, just hours away. Amazingly, the dam wall and where the water was stored (a square stock like a tank) before it entered the huge turbine was made from timber cut by a broadaxe; even some of the pipes were made of timber, bound with wire to control water flow.

It’s another sad piece of Coffs’ dying history that is slowly succumbing to Mother Nature, decaying into the ground, and before long it will be too late to save.

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Stylish Camping C O M PA N Y

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LOUISA FALLON

After moving from Sydney to the peaceful and picturesque Bellingen Valley, and then having her two beautiful children, Louisa Fallon found herself looking to start up her own business to allow her the flexibility to spend time with her kids whilst they were little. So, she combined her love of camping and the outdoors with the idea of a stylish and unique option not readily available in the area ... and the Stylish Camping Company was born!

H

i Louisa. Can you tell us how you came to be living on the Coffs Coast?

I moved to Bellingen eight years ago from Sydney. It was a complete tree change, escaping the constant hum of traffic in the inner west, to the contrasting peace, quiet and beauty of the Bellingen Valley. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else now. Bellingen, and the Coffs Coast, is such a wonderful place to raise my two children, and Bello is a wonderful community that I feel very connected to. I never take any of it for granted! My children were born here, and I tell them how lucky they are almost every day!

How long have you been running The Stylish Camping Company?

I initially launched the business as an online store at the end of 2014 and then expanded to the glamping hire side of the business in 2016. Later that year I launched our own brand of premium quality bell tents to the Australian market, designed especially for the Australian climate, including an inner fly-screen wall that is great for hot days when you want to roll up the canvas sides. We sell them all across Australia, an achievement I’m just a little bit proud of!

Can you tell us about the idea behind the company? How did it get started?

When I was expecting my second child, I’d been working in the social work field and was managing the Bellingen Neighbourhood Centre, which was a busy and demanding full-time job. I liked the idea of having a home based business, so I could be at home with my children whilst they were still so little, so I started thinking about unique ideas that no one else was doing! The synergy of combining my love of camping, with products that were stylish, unique and many of which you couldn’t find anywhere else in Australia is how the idea came to fruition.

When I discovered the beautiful canvas bell tent and saw how popular it was in Europe, particularly at music festivals and country weddings, I knew it was only a matter of time

before interest would start growing in Australia.

It was a very small market here, and the term "glamping" (meaning glamorous camping) was only just being coined. The hire side of the business really was born out of the fact that we have so many festivals in Bellingen!

I’ve had great support from Bellingen Showground Trust from the very beginning to use the camping ground and arena for our Bello Winter Music Glamping Village, and many other local venues use our bell tents for extra accommodation too.

What are some of the most common events or situations you cater for?

Our furnished bell tents have been really popular at retreat venues, such as North Farm in Bellingen. We also head to a few festivals a year including, of course, Bello Winter Music and Mullum Music Festival, as well as Lost Paradise in Glenworth Valley. Weddings are now becoming more and more popular too, especially on family properties, meaning no one has to worry about off-site accommodation, drink driving, or missing the shuttle bus! Our glamping village is perfect for any weekend-long celebrations or events, including family reunions, birthdays or work Christmas parties.

What is the furthest or most remote place you’ve had to do a tent set up?

The furthest we’ve travelled is to the Lost Paradise Festival at Peats Ridge, which we’ve been at three years in a row now. I get lots of enquiries to travel incredible distances all around NSW and interstate, particularly for weddings in remote locations, but I prefer to keep the business closer to home. We primarily service from Taree up to Byron Bay. What is the process of setting up and packing away like?

There’s a lot of preparation that goes into our glamping villages! All of our bell tents are completely furnished, with luxury airbeds, all bedding and linen, towels, bedside tables and lanterns, floor rugs, and fairylights! Each tent is set up to specific guest requirements, so

logistically you have the more common types to be very organised! of camping tents? What If there are breathtaking Depending on the size do you love about them? views, where else of the set up and the Whenever anyone steps would you rather be distance from Bellingen, inside a bell tent, the first when you’re working? we do most set ups word I always hear is, We are so blessed on in a day, or day and a "Wow!" the Mid North Coast half, dependent on the There are three things to have such diverse and number of tents. Once everyone loves about picture perfect landscapes. we’ve packed down and them: the space inside returned home, then it’s particularly the amount unloading, unpacking of headroom; the ease of and laundry - the not so setting them up - they only glamorous side! have two easy poles, tap in the pegs and within You provide such beautiful set ups; where 10 - 15 minutes your tent is up; and finally they do you source most of the interior furniture are truly a blank canvas for adding your personal and decor? style, and framed by the amazing silhouettes All our bedding and linen comes from Pillow that the trees and the sun reflect onto the beige Talk in Coffs Harbour, who can take much canvas! It’s an ever changing natural mural! of the credit for how cosy our bell tents are!

Bell tents are diverse in their uses too - they Everything we use has to be practical and easily make a great extra room for guests, or a lounge transportable, as well as look stylish and feel space in the garden, for picnics, parties and comfortable in all weather conditions! A lot of events. Or throw one in the back of the car and thought goes into every item we use, such as go on a road trip! all the bedside tables have to be practical and Do you get out and go camping yourself? stackable!

Not as much as I’d like to these days! I took Other more unique items I source as locally as my bell tent for a solo camping trip to Byron possible, such as cushions from Bellingen-based Bay last winter for a few days, which was a Tribe & Temple, or buying dream-catchers at wonderful way to recharge the batteries during markets. I also spend a lot of time in Bunnings the quieter season! I have a few acres at home, for all things lighting! so more often than not I’ll have a glamping Do you have a favourite event or type of set sleep-out in the garden with the kids! up to do?

Where can people get in contact or find out My favourites are usually determined by the more about The Stylish Camping Company? locations! If there are breathtaking views, where You can check out the website www. else would you rather be when you’re working? stylishcampingcompany.com.au for our online We are so blessed on the Mid North Coast to store and to find out more about our glamping have such diverse and picture perfect landscapes. hire options. We have a beautiful Instagram Do you have a team you work with? gallery for a visual feast of what we offer. If For smaller set ups I usually do the whole set you’re thinking about buying your own bell up myself, but for anything larger I have a willing tent, we can arrange personal viewings and crew of Bello locals to call upon for additional demonstrations by appointment in Bellingen, manpower! or if you want to enquire about hiring our bell People can also buy tents from your online tents for an event, send us an email with all the store. How do canvas bell tents differ from details!

Coffs Coast focus 11

focus_What’s On Coffs Coast

A U G U S T

2 0 1 9

1

Coffs Harbour Gold Cup Carnival

Come along for an amazing day, eight race TAB meeting, over $300,000 in prize money and the Park Beach Plaza Fashions on the Field! Gates open 11:30am, with members entry from 11am. General Admission is $20, plus, our exclusive Gold Cup Luncheon, VIP and Lawn Party packages are available online: https://www.coffsracingclub.com.au/ shop/ When 1st August. Where Coffs Harbour Racing Club.

More information www.coffsracingclub.com.au

3

24

3

Pink Silks presents ...Tradies n Ladies night

South Solitary Island Lighthouse - Helicopter & Walking Tour

Tradies supporting our local women!

When 24th August.

Where Hoey Moey.

Time 6:30pm - 11:30pm.

Ticket price $40 (includes four drinks/ food/entertainment).

Exclusive Tour of Abandoned Lighthouse Island - public access only two weekends a year - helicopter flights included. Included in this fantastic offer is an interpretive guided walking tour for one or two hours by National Parks and Wildlife Rangers and return helicopter flights.

When 3rd August to 11th August.

Where South Solitary Island, Coffs Harbour.

Phone (02) 6652 9988.

University of Newcastle OPEN DAYS

Get a taste of campus life, meet academics and students and be inspired by displays, talks and tours.

When 3rd August - Central Coast campus from 10am; 31st August - Newcastle Callaghan or City campuses; or Info Session Port Macquarie - 15th August at Port Central.

Register online www.newcastle.edu.au/openday

3

Coffs Harbour Senior College Coffs Harbour Senior College Open Day 2019.

When 3rd August.

Where Coffs Harbour Senior College (CHEC).

Visit our website for more information: www.seniorcollege.com.au

12 Coffs Coast focus

24 24

Eat Street Woolgoolga

Woolgoolga ... We are coming to you as part of the Woolgoolga MTB Festival weekend thanks to White Lightning Events and Woodseys Wheels. Get set for a night of outdoor dining, street food, and entertainment.

You guys know the drill!

When 24th August .

Where Market Street, Woolgoolga.

For info Phone 0400 271 739 or visit: www.eatstreetwoolgoolga.com.au

Bloom sings the Stevie Nicks & Linda Ronstadt Songbook

The hits Bloom has handpicked in this incredible new show features those of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks’ solo career and that of Linda Ronstadt. You can expect to hear the likes Gypsy, Seven Wonders … and from Linda Ronstadt: Desperado, Blue Bayou, When Will I Be Loved.

Showing 24th August.

Where Jetty Memorial Theatre.

Times 8pm start.

Doors 7:30pm.

Ticket Prices All tix $35 (price includes booking fee).

MY AWARD WINNER S GRAM

Soweto GOSPEL Choir HEAD TO THE COFFS COAST

H

ailing from Soweto (South West Township), a town outside of Johannesburg and home of Nelson Mandela and South Africa’s democratic movement, Soweto Gospel Choir continues to inspire audiences around the world with their powerful blend of African gospel, freedom songs, and international classics. In December 2002 their first album, Voices of Heaven, was recorded and went on to reach the No. 1

Winner of the 2019 Grammy Award for BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM FOR THEIR LATEST ALBUM “FREEDOM”, a collection of songs which celebrate and commemorate South Africa’s democratic movements’ struggle for freedom, Soweto Gospel Choir now bring their “Freedom” concert to the Coffs Coast! spot on Billboard’s World Music Chart within three weeks of its release in the US. Comprised a line-up of South Africa’s best vocalists, these uplifting performers have shared the stage with some of the biggest names in music, including U2, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Robert Plant, Celine Dion, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Josh Groban.

In this uplifting and joyous repertoire, the choir will perform a rousing program of freedom songs celebrating the life of the

father of their Rainbow Nation, Nelson Mandela, as well as international gospel classics, including a spine-tingling take on Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah and an extraordinary rendition of Amazing Grace, which has had over 15 million views on YouTube.

Filling the stage with vibrant costumes, incredible vocals and uplifting songs, Soweto Gospel Choir is 90 minutes of indisputable bliss, leaving audiences exhilarated as they dance in the aisles. The dynamic choir

performs both traditional and contemporary music, adding its unique feel and interpretation to both. The choir performs in six of South Africa’s eleven official languages, with rich harmonies and earthy rhythms.

Spreading joy to audiences across the globe for nearly two decades, you won’t want to miss the spectacular Soweto Gospel Choir LIVE at C.ex Coffs, Saturday 10th August.

Doors open at 8pm, with tickets starting from $59 per person. Tickets available online at www.cex.com.au

Coffs Coast focus 13

focusinterview.

Rachael

Oberleuter East CoastCabinets Cabinets East Mr.Coast Plummer

At last all the elections are over and a lot of the uncertainty Christmas is upon us, and now is the time toare organise Iin am Brad Plummer, owner and operator of Mr Plummer.

I the economy disappeared overnight.

Customers busy your Christmas and New Year activities and whilst started myrenovations plumbing career back in 2002, I moved planning and new builds.

The where list of orders is on holidays (forAll those who getisthem) totostart to Coffs Harbour from the Manning Valley start planning my of the growing daily. we need now the commencement for allHarbour those bypass jobs required localand building Coffs to encourage new The business apprenticeship.

I remained with in the2019. same company for tourist 13 years, industry is ticking over andown everyone is predicting development Coffs Harbour, such as now being experienced until I knew it in was time tonicely, start my plumbing Business.

I more good things year.the clients needs first. in Woolgoolga. believe in hard workfor andnext putting We live a 15th great part South Wales and hopefully Thanks our longyear termasof relationships with local building Now intotoinmy a New plumber, drainer and gasfitter I have others from anywhere else willbusy realise thatofwith they can companies, we have recently large seen it all, which givesbeen me akept quick prognosis thesome problem and move jointous. arrivals from big smoke” projects. the besttoway fixNew it, which saves the “the customer time andare money. amazed at how much they can do inCredit a day, as they The Bananacoast at are not At Mrrefurbishment Plummer we of arethe always trying to exceedUnion our customers spending hours per day travelling to and from work, giving Woolgoolga has been completed and we are now starting on expectations. them more time to enjoy family time, the climate and the new Toormina Branch, in conjunction with X-corp Building I environment, provide a service that includes rapid response to emergency Services Pty Ltd.as well as our sporting facilities. work, we are polite and well mannered, and always clean up A two growing population supporting locally owned businesses A residence development in Woolgoolga

by Solitary after our work is completed which is not a common plumbing and services result in a growing economy.

What more Designer Homes was completed just in time to be enteredisin this trait. there Housing to wish for? year’s Industry Association Awards. Keep your eyes out We are keeping up to date with regulations, and technologies.

To all wonderful builders for thethe results later in the year. and customers who have Some of our new equipment is cutting the time to do jobs down supported us throughout the year, big thank with you for Onhalf, 1st which July wewe celebrated ofaassociation Eastyour to can pass 35 theyears savings on to you, the client. support, patience and friendship especially when things Coast Cabinets, which means that we are now getting repeat There is no job too or small, callyear. me Mr Plummer today, your got chaotic thebig middle of the business frominsatisfi ed customers.

Recently we have replaced Coffs Harbour plumber.

Bestkitchens wishes to everyone veryago happy and a two that we builtfor 25 ayears andChristmas modified another healthy from all of us. one fromand the prosperous same era. It New is veryYear satisfying.

14 s Coast 96Coff Coffs Coastfocus focus

Rachael Oberleuter has recently been awarded Female Coach of the Year in Northern Football. She got Voodoo AutoNSW Electrical into the sport in her teens and has and Caravan Repairs.

Voodoo Auto Electrical gone on to play and coach since.

She isdedicated a Darwin member Sawtell Locally based, reliable, are allofreadily used FC to and Michael is originallyand from and was taken on many describe Michael, theisman behind Voodoo Auto Electrical passionate about passing on Some her camping and four wheel driving trip with his family. and Caravan Repairs.

This month he is celebrating a few the key next knowledge and supporting of his best childhood memories were exploring the off milestones. road parts of Australia. generation of female footballers.

IN BUSINESS: Two strong years of experience and development He completed his auto electrical apprenticeship in Forster, later as a business owner and operator. The continued growth has been moving to Coffs Harbour. driven by a genuine reputation built on effort and integrity. As well Working at Watson's caravans he developed skills and as the support of his family and the local community. understanding of the needs of campers and caravan goers PERSONALLY: The beginning of married life with wife Melissa needs. He appreciates that this is your home away from home. and soon the arrival of their first baby. The BIg Blue Hilux got a Everything needs to run simply, efficiency and reliably. He will ey Rachael; us about yourshe good run exploring Fraser Island for their tell Honeymoon, where give honest advice based on experience and research. relationship with the Coffs Coast. learnt to four wheel drive and didn’t get bogged at Inskip Point!

His services are fully mobile so you can stay in your home I moved to Sawtell when I The many outdoor adventures of his childhood in Australia’s or caravantop park your holiday Michael the was 10 years old toand livedoes withwheel mywork diverse endenjoying have instilled a love ofwhile camping four on site. grandparents, after my mother driving, bike riding, and fishing. Which he is sharing with his passedwhen away.required. growing family Workshop facilities are available Sawtell Primary wasonjust around He is equally passionate gettingto your family or people, off road Michael " I love what I about do, getting meet different the corner, so I started in Year 5, then went on to for your nexttheir trip safely reliable set on up,the firstroad time." hear about travelswith andakeep them Toormina High School.

He to you name... to complete your job with quality materials Tellwill usIcome about met mythe husband through football, and our four and equipment, drawing on 10 years of experience in the industry.

Michael Voodoo Auto Electrical came about as an accident. children have all been involved One of my customers commented that I had done "some Contact Michael on 0481 335 988 in football, both at club and for all your auto electrical kind of voodoo magic to their vehicle when fixing it " needsrepresentative and related caravan level. repairs.

H

women. I have also coached Premier League Men's and Women's teams. I was a North Coast Football representative coach for 17 years as well. I have coached at State Championships, International Tournaments and girls only competitions.

You have recently been announced as the Female Coach of the Year in Northern NSW Football. How has it felt to be recognised by the community like that?

It was such a great surprise that I had been nominated for Northern NSW community football Female Coach of the Year, that I really didn't expect to When did you first start playingAuto Electrical win. My club insisted I attend the Follow the action on Facebook at Voodoo football? What got you into the presentation night, because I wasn't Being involved with sport? going to go, so I was very surprised the club, passing on my You would call me a late starter to find out that I had actually won. knowledge and passion to football, as I was always more I'm very honoured to be to the next generation, interested in surfing, netball, recognised with this award, but I seeing children from basketball and skateboarding. I first have to thank Sawtell FC for their their first training played football when I was 17, after continued belief in me and support session and watching a good friend of mine persistently over many years. their development and asked me to play - and I said yes, What do you love most about improvement throughout just to keep her off my back! I had being involved in the sport? a season is especially never kicked a ball before.

Honestly, I still love what I do. satisfying, and seeing Surprisingly, I was like a duck Being involved with the club, them come back year after to water and picked it up pretty passing on my knowledge and year is very rewarding. quickly, gaining a love of the game passion to the next generation, from day one. seeing children from their first Do you think the numbers of training session and watching their female participants in the sport development and improvement have gone up in recent years? throughout a season is especially satisfying, and seeing When I first started playing, there were a huge amount them come back year after year is very rewarding. of clubs with women's teams participating; that did, The Women’s World Cup has given the game a lot however, drop off and over the years I have seen, through of attention recently. What have you enjoyed about coaching, that number slowly start to increase. Over seeing it in the spotlight? recent years, the greater coverage of the Matildas and What a great Women's World Cup! I recently read the their recent success I'm sure has been a big factor in that.

Matildas are our most loved sports team at the moment; When did you first become a coach? how good is that!

I first started coaching when I was 19, coaching the The more publicity the girls' game gets, the better. We Sawtell U17 girls team. have such fantastic female athletes in our national team; What levels, age groups etc. have you been I hope it inspires all those young girls out there playing involved with in coaching? sport and gives them something to aim towards.

I currently coach U6 - U9 , U16 boys and 2nd division Thanks Rachael.

Coffs Coast focus 83

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Coffs Coast focus 15

focusinterview

Business Minds with Nicci Seccombe

Audio Cos Coast

Gavin Louis + Jarrod Louis

Don’t worry ... Sam Wardman is still our Business Minds contributor; however, this month she is exploring working life in Canada, so Nicci Seccombe was in the driver's seat! Nicci caught up with brothers Gavin and Jarrod Louis from Coffs Coast Audio.

W

hat is your connection to the Coffs Coast?

My wife, Angela, and I moved here from Forster 17 years ago, after starting work with Kevin Budge at Park Beach Music & Hi Fi. After developing the custom installation part of the business over a period of six years, we had reached the point where we needed an additional staff member, and Jarrod was the obvious choice; he had been working as a projectionist and was keen for a start in the AV industry.

Most of our immediate family now call the wonderful Coffs Coast home.

Your business, Coffs Coast Audio, has been running for a few years now. What services do you provide?

Jarrod and I are big music fans and are passionate about hi fi equipment. We provide design, installation and commissioning of music and home theatre systems for all kinds of budgets. These systems are chosen to suit our customers' environments, listening habits and lifestyles. We also integrate and install smart home systems, along with structured cabling, wired and wireless networking and integrated lighting.

How did you get into that work?

We get asked that question all the time, and I am certain that it all originates from that love of music, but I always tell the same story - as it seems pivotal in what we are doing now. We 16 Coffs Coast focus

were about eight or nine years old, and Jarrod and I pooled our pocket money to buy our first CD player; we connected this to an old amp and speakers, and that was our first hi fi system. I can also remember digging out a small light bulb from our Lego and pushing the wires through the speaker; this was so every time the bass drum would hit, the light would flash in time with the music. I guess the rest, as they say, is history.

What motivates you on a daily basis?

That’s easy! In most part, our families - that, and a passion we both share for music and music quality.

What is the most satisfactory aspect of your role?

When we see the look on customers' faces when auditioning a new system, and they hear parts in their favourite music that they have not heard before; the excitement and look of joy is motivation enough.

How do you effectively market your business to new customers?

Word of mouth has always been our strongest form of advertising; exponentially better service at marginally more money is a saying that we have stuck to - and it works. We find that we have success in both traditional marketing, along with social platforms. The different types of advertising all have their own merits, and we find that they tend to complement each other.

One of the most underrated forms of advertising are our vans; two very bright vehicles running around always attracts a lot of

Customer experience is paramount in our industry, and it was a high priority when we built the showroom that we had the ability to demonstrate what we were selling.

attention.

What trends are you seeing in your industry?

We are in an exciting industry that is going through monumental change and growth with the advent of smart devices and homes.

Technology is advancing at a frightening rate, and we must stay ahead of those changes to remain relevant. We use the systems that we install to better manage the devices in your home for a more enjoyable and cohesive experience.

How important is customer experience in your industry?

Customer experience is paramount in our industry, and it was a high priority when we built the showroom that we had the ability to demonstrate what we were selling. We wanted to sell the experience more than the components; audio visual is a part of our homes and lifestyle, and we wanted it to look as good as it sounds.

What is the point of difference between you and your competitors?

When we first put together the business plan for Coffs Coast Audio, our focus was to offer our customers a personal experience based around our product knowledge, all in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. Where it is important for customers to make an informed decision

on their audio visual purchases after informative demonstrations.

What new services will you be introducing in the future?

What we will see coming through is the improvement in sound quality in wireless music products. One of our biggest brands, Bowers & Wilkins, is introducing the Formation Suite of premium wireless speakers and soundbars this year, and we are very excited about the potential that these products will bring.

Our homes and lives will be more connected than ever, and it will be important that the technology is managed efficiently for a great experience; our homes will be more reliant on robust and reliable wireless networks as we introduce more and more devices to our homes.

Most rewarding part of your job?

Both Jarrod and I are passionate about what we do; we love being our own bosses, and running a business away from the traditional retail space has afforded us a lot more time with our families. This time is crucial for productivity.

We have made the majority of our customers acquaintances and friends, we have built relationships with builders, architects and interior designers across the region, and I would have to say that these relationships are the most rewarding part of our jobs.

Thanks guys.

Coffs Coast focus 17

focusinterview.

Jaimee recently married the love of her life, Hamish, at a local property that has been in her family for generations ... A special event

for the couple and their families and friends, with many personal touches throughout the day and night. They used

many local wedding vendors and did much of the preparation and set-up themselves. We asked Jaimee to tell us all about her special day.

JAIMEE+HAMISH

SUTHERLAND

18 Coffs Coast focus

i Jaimee. Can you tell us We were in Sydney for a family occasion and about your connection left Beau (our son) with his family in Sydney for with the Coffs Coast? an extra few days. On our way home, we did the My family have lived in tourist drive, rather than straight up the highway.

Coffs Harbour for many genHamish detoured into a small beach town, and erations. I was born in Coffs we went for lunch at a restaurant on the water.

Harbour and have spent most of my life growing He was ordering a bit fancy and then asked me up in Karangi. to marry him over lunch. I took it as a joke and Congratulations on your recent wedding! laughed it off.

How did you and your After realising it wasn’t a husband, Hamish, joke, I said yes! meet?

We hear the location of We met through your wedding is quite family and friends. The special to you. What I LOVED ARRIVING first time we met was made you decide that AT THE VENUE AND at a party, but eventuwas the place to get SEEING OUR FAMILY AND ally we spent weekends married, and why was it FRIENDS FINALLY THERE, together, which turned so important to you?

ENJOYING WHAT WE into many years.

The location is at my CREATED! WHEN THEY How long into your parents’ property. My father SAY YOUR WEDDING DAY relationship did you grew up on the property, IS THE BEST DAY OF YOUR decide to get married? and it has been in our LIFE - IT IS SO TRUE. We got together family for a long time. We around 15 years ago; had held many events and however, there was a activities there, but not a period where we went wedding. We had talked our own ways, but we came back to each other about doing the resort style wedding, but it isn’t and have been together ever since. We have a us. My cousin got married on her own property seven year old son, and one due early August. the year before, and it really inspired us to get We decided that after all these years, it was time moving and do something similar. It was just so to tie the knot. much more personal and unique.

Can you tell us about the proposal?

There’s a lot of amazing inspiration out

focusinterview.

BEING AN OUTDOOR WEDDING ON A RIVER BED, MY BIGGEST FEAR WAS RAIN - TURNING INTO A FLOOD - WHICH WOULD HAVE WIPED OUT OUR VENUE COMPLETELY. THANKFULLY, WE HAD A PERFECT DAY - GREEN GRASS AND A FLOWING RIVER.

there for wedding planning these days. How did you come up with the kind of look and feel you wanted for your wedding?

I asked a lot of questions from friends and family who are married, asked for their opinions - what worked/what didn’t work etc. I knew that being on a property, the theme needed to be rustic/country. Pinterest gives you many ideas and inspiration.

You did a lot of decorating and styling yourself. Can you tell us about that and some of the challenges you faced?

I started to buy things 12 months before the wedding; I got things second hand from friends who had similar style weddings.

We were so lucky to have a lot of amazing helpers, before the day and on the day. I had ideas in my head, but left it up to the helpers to create the final results. What they all had done was beyond our dreams, and we are still thankful to all those helpers.

As the wedding was in a paddock, we created a day look and also needed to prepare a night look. Having the lighting right in places was important for our guests to be able to see, but also the ambience from the fairy lights etc. - it gave the night a really romantic vibe. One challenge was that there was no power, so we needed to hire a large generator, which supplied power for everything at the venue.

Being an outdoor wedding on a river bed, my biggest fear was rain - turning into a flood which would have wiped out our venue completely. Thankfull, we had a perfect day green grass and a flowing river.

Can you tell us about some of the local ven-

dors/contributors you used and how you came to find them?

I Googled and I searched Facebook (photos and the reviews) and also got personal referrals from friends.

Our first booking was with Married by Sam. She was more than a celebrant; she made us both feel at ease and gave us both so much support in the lead up and on the day. We chose Model Me Photography; Leonie really went above and beyond to get us the perfect photos. We hired our marquee from Always Party Hire, who delivered, installed and pulled it down. Our caterers were the Coast to Coast Golden Roast - all went smoothly, and the food was yummy. My grandfather races pigeons; he contributed by breeding some white pigeons, and we released them after the ceremony with a poem read by Sam (thank you, Pop).

Absolute Entertainment was our DJ for the night and had our guests dancing the night away.

I chose Park Avenue Florist; they were really helpful with fast responses and have been in business in Coffs for many years. Hilliar Roses on Englands Road also supplied me with some beautiful roses for our decoration on tables and around the venue.

Living Doll were our hair stylists; they were fast, efficient and nailed it!

My makeup artists were Jalea and Kasey Dickson, whom I trained with at Trendz. There is no one else I would have picked to do our makeup, as they are very talented girls. The next superstars!

Any Entertainment supplied our lighting; AJ was super helpful and gave knowledgeable advice.

The boys’ outfits came from Conner at the Plaza; they were really helpful.

We really chose the perfect fits; everything just fell into place, and there was not one drama!

Did you have a strong vision of what you wanted for your dress? Can you tell us about when you found the right one?

I actually had no real vision; I wanted to keep my mind open. Being open minded and willing to try anything on made it really easy. I walked into RSVP Bridal and tried on a handful of dresses; it didn’t take me much to decide. I got my dress early in the wedding planning - and then fell pregnant! ABC Stitches handled all my alterations. Donna and I had a few fittings, worrying that my growing tummy would out-grow my dress. But it was all good, and the dress fit!

How did you find juggling your wedding planning and preparation with day-to-day life?

There were some stressful times!! We started preparations 12 months in advance. The venue took a lot of effort - blood, sweat and tears. We turned the work into spending time together.

Most weekends for 10 months we were in the paddock creating a perfect venue. We juggled it great! We had lots of support and help from family and friends contributing in many ways.

Many hands make light work!

Was there a stand-out moment for you from your wedding day?

Being a sober pregnant bride, I took every moment in. Everything stood out. There wasn’t one detail I didn’t notice. I LOVED arriving at the venue and seeing our family and friends finally there, enjoying what we created! When they say your wedding day is the best day of your life - it is so true. Future bride and grooms - take a moment to look around and absorb what is happening. You spend a lot of time visualising and preparing. Don’t forget to really appreciate your day. It goes so fast.

In the end, let go of expectations and don’t sweat the small stuff; it’s your day!

I’m so proud of our wedding day and can’t wait for one of my four siblings to get married and use the venue like I did!

Thanks Jaimee.

Coffs Coast focus 19

Maccas

junior

grants

Breah Fischer

Samuel Moriz What have your achievements been so far?

Most recently I travelled to Sydney to compete in the Australian Junior Opens, which includes players from all over Australia, as well as New Zealand and Malaysia. It was my last time playing as an under 13, and I came 10th overall.

I have now moved into the under 15s, which has given much wanted new challenges and last month won the Under 15s division at a competition held at Coffs Harbour Squash and Swim Centre.

Why did you apply for this grant?

For me to continue to grow as a squash player, I need to train and compete in competitions not just locally, but far and wide.

To do this, I need the support from businesses just like yourself, and every bit counts.

How will this grant benefit you? And how do you plan on using it?

I will benefit by being able to continue to travel and compete in competitions, like being selected for the Combined High Schools North Coast Squash team and NSW State Titles, which are both being held in Sydney 10 days apart. So,

20 Coffs Coast focus

McDonald’s Coffs Harbour and Nambucca are proud to support local children and groups through their Junior Grants Program.

the grant not only helps with getting there, but will allow me to compete at higher levels and gain more experience. I hope to put the money towards one of many entry fees, and maybe a new pair of squash shoes.

What are you hopes and dreams for the future?

My goal is to be good enough to represent Australia and travel overseas to compete in world class events.

Breah's achievments so far ...

Pint-sized pocket rocket Breah has an extensive list of representative achievements already for 2019. At 13 years of age, she’s playing first grade women’s hockey with her local club, Beaches, has already won a bronze medal at the U15 national hockey championships and has recently been selected into the NSW U16 All-Schools hockey team to contest the National All-Schools Championships in Newcastle later in the year - a feat made all the more impressive due to her age. In 2018 she also represented NSW to win gold at the U13s Nationals in Hobart, and in 2017 she won silver at the Pacific School Games in Adelaide, also representing NSW. Breah, why did you apply for this grant?

The McDonald’s Junior Grant will help contribute towards the cost of travel to my next Nationals later this year, as well as the compulsory training camps - which are generally held in Sydney prior to the tournament.

How will this grant benefit you? And how do you plan on using it?

The grant would also contribute to equipment costs, in particular my hockey stick - the most important piece of equipment for a talented hockey player.

What are you hopes and dreams for the future?

To continue to compete at a national level.

1 LASER T AG MISSI ON PLUS 2 TOBOG GAN RID ES PLUS 2 GIANT SLIDES P 18 HOLES LUS OF MINI GOLF 1 ICE SKA PLUS TING SES SION 1 THEATR PLUS E EXPERI ENCE P L U S 1 4D RIDE SIMULAT OR

A FUN PARK N A N A B IG B THE

201

ONLY

29

$

.90

*Reptile World is scheduled to open in mid-to-late May. *Name and age required for Big Day Out pass. 10% discount applies to one transaction per specialty shop.

Must be used on the one day and tickets cannot be shared. $29.90 per person, valid from 27th April - 27th Sept 2019.

Not valid with any other discount or offer. Must be purchased from the Main Ticket Office (next to Gift Shop).

WWW.BIGBANANA.COM | PH: 02 6652 4355 | 351 PACIFIC HWY, COFFS HARBOUR NSW 2450 Coffs Coast focus 21

22 Coffs Coast focus

Trail run with altitude The Duval Dam Buster Trail Run (DDB) in Armidale, NSW, in the heart of the New England high country, is set to bring trail runners of all abilities to the region on Sunday 22nd September 2019. The event, in its second year, is hosted by the Armidale Amateur Athletics Club and consists of four running distances - 30 km, 15 km, 8 km and 3 km. There is something for everyone of all ages and abilities, with the 3 km open to children, adults and families.

The event will start and finish from the picturesque Dumaresq Dam Recreation Area, 12 km from Armidale. With a starting point at 1,000 m above sea level, the 15 and 30 km runners will take on the challenge of a 400 m climb up to Mt Duval to 1,400 m above sea level, the highest peak in the region. The course is varied, with competitors taking in the beautifully forested Mt Duval on single tracks and fire trails.

Join us in September and take on the challenge of the DDB, experience some beautiful high country scenery and local hospitality. Entries are open! Be quick though ‌ some events sold out in 2018!

Register online: duvaldambuster.com.au

Duval Dam Buster Trail Run 3/8/15/30KM TRAIL RUN MT DUVAL ARMIDALE NSW 22 SEPTEMBER 2019

D E R E W O P R E SUP CREATIVE TOGE SUPER-CHANRESS YOUR CBUSSUYOSURIDESIGN, WEB

CALL US TO DIS NEEDS u AND MARKETING sasocreative.com.a

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Run Australia’s highest city in Armidale and get some altitude!

@duvaldambuster facebook.com/duvaldambuster

duvaldambuster.com.au

WINNER 2016

WINNER 2016

WINNER 2015

Coffs Coast focus 23

Upside down brandy snap basket with brandy cheesecake from Two Tails Wines.

24 Coffs Coast focus

focusinterview.

FARMS Meghan and Ben made the move back to Meghan’s family property, Demlane Farm in Dorrigo, to be close to her parents, to live and work in the beautiful Dorrigo landscape and to reconnect with their local community. As food lovers who are passionate about quality local produce, they are motivated to continue Meghan’s parents’ work on the farm, whilst also branching out into other ventures that work together with the farm to bring that produce to the wider community.

H

i Meghan. Can you tell us a bit about how you came to be living on a farm in the Coffs region? We have owned our family farm in Dorrigo for about 17 years, so it has been “home” for a long time. I met my husband at university while we were both studying in Sydney, and since then we have lived in Canberra and Cambodia. We came home from Cambodia in 2016, back to the farm with Mum and Dad. We wanted to be close to family, enjoy time working outdoors on the farm, and reconnect with our local community.

What made you decide to join your parents on their farm? We are both food lovers, and we both feel that buying seasonal and local produce is where you find the most simple but delicious ingredients. Having grown up on farms, I am passionate about the time, energy, knowledge and hard work that farmers put into growing the best produce they can in their environment. Growing fresh produce is a risky business; you are at the mercy of many factors that are out of your control.

We saw that my parents were producing excellent quality produce, that they are also passionate and knowledgeable about how, why and what they farm, and we wanted to be able to share that story with consumers. They had decided that they wanted to switch from cattle to sheep and produce lambs, and together we thought there was an opportunity for us all to play a role.

What changes have you made on the farm since you moved in? The hard work and inspiration for the produce of Demlane Farm is all my parents’ work. They have worked the land together for the last 35 years (my dad since he was born). Ben and I brought a passion for connecting customers with the produce they eat, so they can choose to support local, family-run farms if they want to. We have helped with the physical work of transforming a cattle farm to a sheep farm (a lot of fencing), and we

launched the Demlane Farm brand with a range of sauces, cordials and preserves handmade from produce grown on the farm.

There is also a large area of Demlane Farm that is dedicated wildlife refuge.

Can you tell us about the decision to do this? Being stewards of the land is really important to us. Since we have owned the farm, my parents have been gradually repairing the soil health and biodiversity, planting trees to connect wildlife corridors, and designating more land as wildlife refuges to see native plants and animals making a safe home on our farm. When this wildlife and forest biodiversity is healthy, the farm ecosystem is healthy.

You and Ben have also bought a local butchery; can you tell us about that?

Yes, we have just purchased the local Dorrigo butchery, now called The Dorrigo Butcher. It was not something that was in our sights a year ago, but we had a series of fortuitous conversations that led us to realise the opportunity to sell Demlane Farm lamb directly to the region through a butchery made a lot of sense. We also think that the Dorrigo Plateau produces some of the best beef in the country. We really enjoy running a business together, and with starting our own family we wanted to have a lifestyle that kept us close to family, working together, connecting with our local community, and sharing our love of local.

You are both obviously passionate about good produce and food. What potential do you see in Dorrigo as a “foodie” area? We know there is huge potential for Dorrigo as a food destination.

The plateau provides an amazing growing area with rich red soil (perfect for the famous Dorrigo potatoes) as well as lush pasture and other crops. Traditionally dairy country due to the great rainfall, there are now many small farms around the town that have diversified and are growing unique produce. We know that locals understand how great the local produce is, and hopefully we can work together to

share this with the wider community.

Dorrigo is also so picturesque with World Heritage rainforest on the doorstep. As you emerge at the top of the mountain on the stunning Waterfall Way drive, you are suddenly in an idyllic farming landscape with views of the ocean. We hope that visitors to Dorrigo can enjoy this beautiful landscape, while enjoying the great seasonal and sustainable produce that is grown here. Some visitors come only for the views, but we hope that local food will be more celebrated, so that when people leave they will be able to share with the world how delicious Dorrigo is.

You and Ben both got placements in Cambodia working in international development. What were your roles over there, and how did that experience influence your life? We moved to Cambodia in professional placements; I was with the DFAT Australian Volunteers for International Development program working at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, and then with Engineers Without Borders Australia as a Project Manager. Ben was also working with Engineers Without Borders as an engineering advisor in a local organisation.

For both of us, Cambodia brought home the importance of community and family, and it took us away from a lot of the consumerism that drives our society.

It reinforced many of our values, like cooperation, sharing and celebrating potential.

In our office work there, everybody would eat lunch together as a “work family”, sharing their food with one another, and nobody was excluded. We really enjoyed being welcomed into these “families”, and we wanted to be able to connect with our community and families at home in the same way. Our experience in Cambodia was instrumental in us deciding to move closer to family in a small regional town in which we could connect with people - it just so happens that working with food was a great way of achieving that.

Coffs Coast focus 25

26 Coffs Coast focus

THE COFFS COAST GIG GUIDE

FFS COAST

19

TH

E

CO

20 AUG UST 1ST AUGUST Coffs Cup 2019 - Coffs Racing Club

Leeroy & the Rats - Seaview Tavern TGIF! With DJs Kyle & Rjay - The Coast Hotel

Benny Black - Element Bar

17TH AUGUST

The Coffs Cup After Party with CHUNKY DIP

Ryan Brooker - Element Bar

- The Coast Hotel

Rugby League The Musical - The Jetty Theatre

2ND AUGUST

RnB Night with DJ Richard Gear

Ryan Brooker - Element Bar Ziggy - Sawtell RSL Vanessa Lea & Road Train - Seaview Tavern TGIF! With DJs Bisho & Flak3y - The Coast Hotel

3RD AUGUST

Kenny Slide - Element Bar Who Wants to be a Rockstar Feat: Misschief

- Seaview Tavern One Night Stand with DJ Flak3y - The Coast Hotel

18TH AUGUST

Madelyn - Element Bar Eric Read - Sawtell RSL

21ST AUGUST

Daniel Hopkins - Element Bar

- Seaview Tavern

22ND AUGUST

Cranky Duck & DJ Flak3y - The Coast Hotel

Peter Barry - Element Bar

Kailey Pallas - Element Bar

Tim Richards - Element Bar

The Drive Ins - Sawtell RSL

Troubadours - Sawtell RSL

4TH AUGUST 7TH AUGUST

23RD AUGUST

Matty Devitt Band - Seaview Tavern

Peter Barry - Element Bar

TGIF! With DJs Bisho & Rjay - The Coast Hotel

Tahlia Matheson - Element Bar

Benny Black - Element Bar

8TH AUGUST

9TH AUGUST

Dean Sharkey - Element Bar Chris Grieve - Sawtell RSL Mystery in the Air - The Jetty Theatre Mr Stitches - Seaview Tavern TGIF! With DJs Bisho & Flak3y - The Coast Hotel

10TH AUGUST

24TH AUGUST

Rebecca O’Connor as Tina Turner - Sawtell RSL Bloom sings the Stevie Nicks & Linda Ronstadt Songbook - Sawtell RSL Mal Eastick Duo - Seaview Tavern The Last Melon & DJ Rjay - The Coast Hotel

25TH AUGUST

Josh Matheson - Element Bar Christopher Booth - Sawtell RSL

Chris Grieve - Element Bar

28TH AUGUST

Tangle - Seaview Tavern

Vena Klymo - Element Bar

Red Light Special & DJ Blakey - The Coast Hotel

11TH AUGUST

29TH AUGUST

Jess Swilks - Element Bar

30TH AUGUST

Ryan Martin - Element Bar

Darryl James - Element Bar

Dorathy Cooper - Sawtell RSL

Isaac Butterfield - Sawtell RSL

14TH AUGUST

Vena Klymo - Element Bar

15TH AUGUST

Big Little Tree - Element Bar

16TH AUGUST

McKenzie - Seaview Tavern TGIF! With DJs Bisho & Flak3y - The Coast Hotel

31ST AUGUST

Chris Wiggins - Element Bar

Chris Grieve - Element Bar

This is Me- The Man Behind the Makeup

Top Shelf - Sawtell RSL

- The Jetty Theatre

Simon & Garfunkel to Graceland - The Jetty Theatre

Steve Bennett - Seaview Tavern 1st Avenue & DJ Dollar Bill - The Coast Hotel Coffs Coast focus 27

of The

crafty ink gin A stunning fixture in the line up of Element Bar’s extensive range of craft spirits is Northern NSW’s own Ink Gin. Made with 13 organic traditional and Australian native botanicals, Husk Distillers have created a delicious premium dry gin with an exquisite perfume that leaves the palate crisp and clean with fresh citrus and floral notes. It’s most notable ingredient of specially prepared butterfly pea petals gives the gorgeous liquid a bright inky blue colour, that bursts into a blush pink when mixed with gin’s best friend, tonic water. A must try!

with Madonna Bannerman from Two Tails Wines

wine month of the

CHOCOLATE CHILLI VELVET

If you like Chocolate and Chilli, this is for you! Grown and sold at our award winning Cellar door, Two Tails Winery at Nana Glen ...

T

his wine demonstrates a blend of Jacquez (Le Noir) grapes grown at the vineyard, and displays both varietal styles to perfection.

With the combination of distinctive dark colouring, herbaceous aromas and black cherry, chocolate and chilli flavours, to the lush fruit sweetness of the Jacquez grapes, “Chocolate Chill Velvet” was created.

Perfect for drinking straight, on the rocks, warm up for a coffee/hot chocolate or your favourite cocktail or dessert.

CHARACTERISTICS: This wine presents deep red colours with berry driven aromas.

Ripe and lush, this wine is bursting with black cherry and chocolate and chilli flavours - with a hit of chilli and a smooth chocolate finish. Low in tannin, with a hint of oak.

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GOES WITH: A match made in heaven with dark chocolate or a rich dessert.

COST: $50.

AVAILABLE: Two Tails Winery Cellar Door, 963 Orara Way, Nana Glen NSW. Phone: (02) 6654 3633.

Email: admin@twotailswines.com.au

focus

DISHES of the month

COAST HOTEL

ELEMENT BAR

Share platter and chicken wings.

Crispy chicken wings, slow braised hickory BBQ smoked beef ribs, mushroom and pistachio arancini, flavoured crispbreads and dips, rustic sweet potato fries and a selection of fresh sliders.

PIG & KHAI

PLANTATION HOTEL

“Pinaputok na isda” whole barramundi stuffed with a mixture of tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger and lemongrass to almost bursting and bathed in tamarind and melted butter and wrapped in banana leaf.

Crunchy chicken wings with hot chilli sauce.

THE PALMS,TOORMINA HOTEL

TWO TAILS

Texas Share Platter, 200 g rump, pulled pork, short ribs, brisket, buffalo wings, onion rings, Tennessee smoked corn, jalapeños, sauces and brioche buns.

Seared Salmon topped with oyster mushroom and pea purée.

Coffs Coast focus 29

focusinterview.

Competition Two Tails Wines’ sous chef, Siobhan McCowat, and apprentice chef OWEN COOTES HAVE RECENTLY RETURNED FROM TAMWORTH AFTER WINNING THE 2019 NESTLE GOLDEN CHEF COOKING COMPETITION FOR NSW. Nationals, here they come! FOCUS caught up with the pair, to find out more ...

W

S I O B H A N M C C OWAT

hen did you first sugar; there is so much you can do with it in become interested both sweet and savoury dishes, from fairy floss in cookery as a to balancing out a savoury sauce. career?

Throughout your career - what famous I first became chefs have you admired (and why)? interested in cooking The famous chef I admire most would be as a career when I was a little girl. My parents Jamie Oliver, as I find him very relatable and I would always allow me to bake cakes for really enjoy his healthy style of cooking. school lunches, which led me to fall in love You have recently won a national cooking with cooking. I began working in hospitality at competition - tell us about that.

12 years old, when my Owen Cootes and I parents opened a small recently won gold in the cafĂŠ in South Australia.

Nestle Golden Chefs What would you Hat competition and say is the biggest will be representing Outside of work, my favourite influence on your regional NSW in Sydney thing is to bake cakes and cooking? in September. We are very other desserts. I have a I would have to say proud of what we have love of decorating and the person who has achieved; all the long being creative; I am able influenced me the most nights and hard work to incorporate all different with cooking would be paid off. flavours and put my own Urs, a chef I worked What skills would you artistic flair to them. with in New Zealand; like to learn as a chef? he taught me a lot The skills I would like to about different cuisines. learn in more detail would He had a very healthy have to be presentation. I style of cooking and taught me a lot about am keen to learn a lot more about 5 star fine nutrition in the kitchen. dining food and how these chefs present the Outside of work, what do you enjoy food on a plate with such flair. cooking?

Most proud moment of your career so far?

Outside of work my favourite thing is to My proudest moment would be winning bake cakes and other desserts. I have a love a gold medal with Owen; going up against of decorating and being creative; I am able to some fantastic teams in regional NSW and incorporate all different flavours and put my bringing home the gold was amazing. We are own artistic flair to them. really looking forward to the finals in Sydney in Do you have a favourite ingredient to September and are hoping to win the national work with? competition.

My all time favourite ingredient would be Thanks Siobhan.

30 Coffs Coast focus

W

OWEN COOTES

hen did you first become interested in cookery as a career?

I first became interested in this industry when I took on my first role as a kitchen hand and experienced a real commercial functioning kitchen at the jetty foreshores. I loved the excitement of a busy kitchen and was keen to learn new skills. I continue to pick up different ideas from different people in the industry.

What would you say is the biggest influence on your cooking?

I would have to say it is definitely cooking with my mother. She has taught me so many skills in this industry and has made sure I was headed in the right direction, guiding me to ensure that I make the most of what is on offer in this industry, whilst being extremely supportive of all the things I take on in my career.

Outside of work, what do you enjoy cooking?

My passion lies in the desserts that I make at home with the family and also in my current role at Velvets Restaurant. My sister loves pitching in and throwing in the occasional ingredients to discover new tastes and creations.

Do you have a favourite ingredient to work with?

My favourite would be basil, due to its earthy and powerful taste. It can enhance the taste of a meal and add another depth of flavour, even in a desserts like gelato.

Throughout your career - what famous

chefs have you admired (and why)?

I have never admired one particular chef; however, I really look up to an older chef (now retired) I used to work with at Novotel. He had 60 years of experience and industry knowledge and had a real passion to share this knowledge and skills he had gained in the kitchen with the younger members of the team - thanks Peter Zoranovic.

You have recently won a national cooking competition - tell us about that.

It was the first competition my team mate Siobhan and I had entered and we had some nerves going in, but we pushed them aside and worked great as a team to achieve an outstanding result. We had to not only beat the teams in Tamworth, but also Newcastle to get to the Nationals in Sydney in September.

We did this and achieved a gold winning medal score. We were finding it hard to wipe the smile off our faces with our gold medals on the way home to show our family and friends.

What skills would you like to learn as a chef?

We are always learning new skills each and every day in the kitchen. There is always so much to learn; I have a real interest in learning how to make more stylish garnishes that balance with the meals.

Most proud moment of your career so far?

Definitely it would be being recognised as an awarding winning chef in the Nestle Golden Hat Competition and bringing home the gold from Tamworth. I am looking forward to trying to bring home that trophy in September at the Nationals.

Thanks Owen.

Coffs Coast focus 31

focusinterview

Sophie Bird of Tallow and Tide

KATH O'SULLIVAN TRIBE & TEMPLE

TRIBE & TEMPLE IS STYLISHLY COMBATING MASS PRODUCED HOMEWARES, ONE BEAUTIFUL CUSHION AT A TIME. BELLINGEN BASED KATH SHARES MORE.

T

ell me a little about why you started Tribe & Temple; I want to know the "why" before the "how"!

I have a background in psychotherapy, so I could give you a very in-depth, existential exposition on the why - but best I nutshell it, I think. My last job

was working with adult survivors of child abuse.

It may seem an unlikely transition from trauma therapist to homewares designer, but in a way it is fulfilling a dream. As part of my team’s selfcare program in that workplace, we each came up with a Plan B - a fantasy career change, if you like. My Plan B was to move to the country and make cushions … and here I am.

Talk to me about combatting mass production. Where does that passion come from for you?

I have two main beefs with mass production: the first is ethical in nature, the second creative.

The textile industry is a massive source of waste that ends up in landfill. It uses huge amounts of water and is responsible for more than its fair share of greenhouse gas emissions. Mass production feeds mass consumption as more of us want more new stuff, and faster please!

This demand puts pressure on makers to create more product for less pay; I don’t want to be part of that.

Turning to the impact on creativity, disposable, copycat interiors, which are the outcome of mass produced homewares, say nothing about who we really are. I’m not a fan of consuming homewares like fast fashion; I’m interested in the beauty and diversity of self-expression in real homes, and in the relationship between self and home (you can take the girl out of psychology …) I value mindfulness of the process of creation, and conscious choices that let go of what’s "on trend" to find what resonates with each person and their values. A home is somewhere to reveal our true identity.

I have two of your cushions on my couch right now - the quality is beyond me. What are your favourite materials to use, and where do they come from?

Thank you! I started out working exclusively with vintage tribal and global textiles and

I must say, they’re still a favourite. But let’s face it; I have a full blown fabric addiction and a commitment to diversity, which enables said addiction! Seriously though, I want my customers to choose pieces that reflect their own style. So, I offer the widest range I can, including textiles from all over the world from repurposed traditional costumes (think Hmong Hill tribes of Thailand, Vietnam, Laos), handwoven and hand dyed Indian cottons, vintage Japanese indigo Ikats and the latest releases from independent fabric designers. I’ve found wonderful Australian suppliers you’ll be seeing more from in my collections.

Excitingly, I’m working with Nerida Hansen, who prints the designs of independent textile designers from around the world - see my latest collection and ongoing Australiana patterns.

Nerida’s high quality cloth is sourced from Mills accredited by the Better Cotton Initiative, a non-profit organisation committed to making global cotton production better for the people who produce it, as well as ensuring that cotton develops as a sustainable commodity.

Where can people find, buy and love Tribe & Temple?

Find me on instagram @tribeandtemple and shop online at tribeandtemple.com If you like the coastal Hamptons look, you can find an exclusive collection at Humble Home in Coffs Harbour.

Retro Bello on Church St in Bellingen stocks my Australiana range.

Thanks Kath.

STARRING

SIMON (THE KID)

OATS

‘Absolutely hilarious!’

r i A y r e t s My August 9th Friday in the

– Time Out Sydney

AND

MICHAEL (BIG MICKY)

VEITCH

M 8PM

IS BACK! FRO IO D A R F O E G A N E THE GOLD

SHARPLY WRITTEN, INTELLIGENT COMEDY THAT CROSSES POLITICALLY CORRECT BOUNDARIES ICHAEL VEITCH IS BACK DOING WHAT HE IS BUT MANAGES TO HOLD THE AUDIENCE BY LOVED FOR - ORIGINAL COMEDY. SIMON OATS THEIR HEART-STRINGS. A MUCH-LOVED FADING JOINS HIM ON STAGE AS THE PERFECT MATINEE STAR IS FEELING THE HEAT FROM A DASHING IDOL ROGUE, DASHING FORMER SQUADRON NEWCOMER. TALENT VS STABILITY, OLD VS NEW LEADER, TONY ‘THE ACE’ HAMILTON. SET IN A 1940’S ... THE DRAMA DOESN’T JUST GO ‘LIVE-TO-AIR’ RADIO STATION THE ORIGINAL RADIO PLAYS, FLASH THE LAUGHS COME FROM EVERYWHERE! GORDON AND THE WAX WORKS MUSEUM ARE PERFORMED, BUT THERE’S EVEN MORE THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A TERRIFIC NIGHT OF DRAMA ON STAGE FROM THE ‘OFFENTERTAINMENT WITH BIG LAUGHS AT AIR’ SHENANIGANS. A CRACKING PACE.

M

32 Coffs Coast focus

Friday 6 September from 7.30pm

Coffs Coast focus 33

BWN. C A T H

F O W L E R

Cath Fowler from BWN (Business Women’s Network) is pleased to announce the August guest speaker - please secure your ticket and come along, as these events sell out quickly.

I

t’s been a busy time for the Business Women’s businesses to build better and more authentic connections in Network committee these past few months. a digital world. A bit of a marketing nerd, she has a unique I was lucky enough to be recognised at the background in social media and recruitment, and is an Sunny’s business awards as Start Up Superstar accomplished personal branding strategist, a LinkedIn trainer for my business Cath Fowler Marketing. Our Vice and community educator for brands.

President, Cass Wilson, took up a new role with She was recently recognised as the 2019 Sunny Business Uniting that is seeing her do great work in the Awards Outstanding Business Leader, having founded the community. And our Secretary, Kerstin Thode, moved into #linkedinlocal movement in Coffs Harbour, LinkedIn’s longest a new office with her business, Smart Choice Law. We also running hashtag, and a concept that has been copied in 90 welcomed two new members to the committee: Simone countries around the globe, helping people to build genuine King from ETC, and Lace Browning, who has come on board relationships and communities offline. as our new sponsorship coordinator.

In Anna’s session you can expect to We are so pleased to have such a learn: great group of business women on • What a personal brand is and why the committee this year. it’s important Our June event was a great hit. Not • How to craft a strong personal Your personal brand only did we have a wonderful speaker brand speaks before you do. share with us how to define your • How personal branding builds trust It’s how you convey personal values, the delicious buffet and relationships and dessert from the TAFE students • Using your personal brand to your values, behaviour at the Osprey Restaurant went down understand its role in growing your and character to the a treat. And, I heard lots of great business world. It boils down feedback on the meal.

• How employee personal branding to your reputation in If you are working in a small to can create advocacy and help a the market. What are large corporate or not-for-profit here company differentiate itself people saying about on the Coffs Coast, run your own If you work for an organisation or business, or are a freelancer, you’ll be you run your own business, people you? made to feel welcome in our friendly want to work with others that they networking environment. There is no like, know and trust. This is true in membership fee to join BWN; simply business, as well as when recruiting. purchase a ticket to one of our events, By focusing on your own personal and you’ll instantly become a member. branding, you’ll see many benefits for both your life and We’ve now got all the details organised for our August career. You’ll improve your confidence, while gaining trust, event, and we can’t wait to see you there. authenticity, connections and credibility.

BWN AUGUST EVENT Your personal brand speaks before you do. It’s how you Our August event sees us heading to the Coffs Harbour convey your values, behaviours and character to the world.

Surf Club for a lunch, including main and dessert. The event It boils down to your reputation in the market. What are will be on Thursday 8th August at 12pm. people saying about you? What attributes or skills would We are so pleased to let you know that we will be hearing they first associate your name with? How would they from the amazing Anna McAfee, who will be chatting to describe you? us all about personal branding - a topic that is close to my No matter what your position in an organisation, every heart, as it’s been a core part of building up my business in employee should be perceived as a brand ambassador. So, the past 20 months. This talk also builds nicely off the back we encourage the businesses on the Coffs Coast to send of our prior events that focused on building relationships along some of their vibrant women in their team to this talk. and defining your personal values.

You can purchase tickets by visiting our Facebook page.

Anna McAfee is on a mission to help individuals and

34 Coffs Coast focus

With its powerful Mercedes-Benz 3.0L V6 engine pumping out a whopping 190kW, the X 350 d is one of the most powerful utes in its class. And with 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive, multi-link coil suspension, 4-wheel ventilated disc brakes, and more - it’s more than capable of tackling even theits toughest terrain.

And turning 3.0L moreV6 than a fewpumping heads while at it.

With powerful Mercedes-Benz engine out ayou’re whopping

Mercedes-Benz Coffs Coa Lot 4 Tolhurst Place, Coffs (02) 6648 3517, DL 3461.

Mercedes-Benz Coffs Coast, Lot 4 Tolhurst Place, Coffs Harbour, (02) 6648 3517, DL 3461.

The powerful new X-Class V6.

Let them eat dust.

The powerful new X-Class V6.

Let them eat dust.

190kW, the X 350 d is one of the most powerful utes in its class. And with Visit Mercedes-Benz Coffs Coast and test drive today.

4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive, multi-link coil suspension, 4-wheel ventilated disc brakes, and more - it’s more than capable of tackling even www.mbcoffscoast.com.au the toughest terrain. And turning more than a few heads while you’re at it.

Visit Mercedes-Benz Coffs Coast and test drive today. www.mbcoffscoast.com.au

Mercedes-Benz Coffs Coast, Lot 4 Tolhurst Place, Coffs Harbour, (02) 6648 3517, DL 3461.

Mercedes-Benz Coffs Coast, Lot 4 Tolhurst Place, Coffs Harbour, (02) 6648 3517, DL 3461.

Coffs Coast focus 35

focus_contributor

WITH CAROLE BEROS FROM LE DÃIN DESIGNS

Sunny’s Business Awards 2019

Sunny’s Business Awards 2019

Sunny’s Business Awards 2019

Sam Dawson, Gavin Moroney, Nicci Seccombe, Bec Platts

Key Employment Event, NSW Regional Youth Task Force

Kristen Price Pallas, Kristian Pallas

Sunny’s Business Awards 2019

Dr Christopher Knight, Mayor Denise Knight, Martin Wells, Virginia Wells

Adam Powell, Emma Singleton, Darin Singleton

social scene.

P

Living here on the Coffs Coast is such a dream, where we have chilled down dramatically; the days are still bright and sunny!

erfect weather for the Sawtell Chilli Festival!

This is the event that closes First Avenue in Sawtell for the day and sees thousands of visitors and locals stream through the main street to enjoy the fun of the festival! So much for everyone, from a wide array of stalls, entertainment, competitions and fun activities provided for the children. For the chilli lovers, it was heaven on earth for them.

So many tastings to enjoy, from a wide variety of businesses such as Saucy Spice Co, which is run and owned by Peter and Nicole Bamford. All our cafés, restaurants and clubs provided something delicious to tempt us with. The only cost for the day was a gold coin donation, which supported Rotary International. We had a show side view from our store Le Dãin Designs, which is situated bang smack in the middle of the festival … Lucky us!

FOCUS attended an event which saw Key Employment host Minister for Regional Youth Bronnie Taylor launch the first ever NSW Regional Youth Taskforce. This is a great initiative, encouraging local young people aged 12 - 24 to share their ideas for youth in our community. Bronnie Taylor met with many local young people, principals and service providers to discuss the issues young people on the Coffs Coast constantly face and how to address these. The Key Youth Hub, which is an amazing dedicated space solely used for these young people, features basketball courts, a canteen area and a place where the young can connect and socialise. This was the perfect place for the launch of the NSW Regional Taskforce.

Key Employment is committed to assisting in the creation of

36 Coffs Coast focus

more opportunities for young people and has trained Youth friendly staff ready to accomplish this. Their innovative KAPOW programme offers young people between 15 - 17 years of age who are disengaged from school guidance to take an alternative pathway. If you wish to find more about Key Employment and how it could help you, please contact Simon on (02) 6691 9999.

FOCUS attended the ever popular 2019 Bello Winter Music Festival. This colourful and musical extravaganza of entertainment never ceases to draw the crowds. Now in its fifth year, Bello Winter Music is a family friendly whole town festival. As well as the music literally streaming from over fourteen different event venues, Bellingen town comes alive with amazing street theatre, market stalls, food outlets, children’s entertainment, circus performances and to top it all, a psychedelic Magic Bus! This bus provided the tourist and locals free rides around the town. The festival also provided LeaF, which is a sustainably focused programme of workshops which was available at no extra cost for festival attendees. This also provided a hugely successful Youth Mentorship Programme, which gives aspiring, young musicians the opportunity to receive mentorship from an established artist from the line up and to perform at the festival … How amazing is this! As usual, the festival was a huge success; I hear Nicci Seccombe and the troops had an amazing time, and we all definitely be back next year!

We are looking forward to attending the start of the Coffs Coast Racing Season on Sunday 21st July at the Coffs Harbour Racing Club. This race day kick starts the carnival

with the Sawtell RSL Cup. This is a great day out for everyone. It is a family friendly and fashion event, where aside from the races, you can choose to dress casually or fancy and either enjoy the race day luncheon or eat at the bistro. Bringing the whole family is a great idea, and there is entertainment provided for the children. The Bonville Cup is the same type of race day, which is also family friendly. Le Dãin Designs are proud to announce they are Major Sponsors for both of the Fashions on the Field, and both include a Best Dressed Family! In between these two race days is the Fabulous Gold Cup, which sees thousands of excited race goers attend his massive day! See you all at the races.

FOCUS attended the Sunny’s Business Awards 2019 just recently, which was staged at the C.ex Coffs. Everyone got dressed up to the max to enjoy the big night. The Sunny’s Business Awards are proudly brought to you by the Coffs Coast Chamber, with the Major Sponsor being Holiday Coast Credit Union. In our lifestyle region, business is at the forefront of innovation, and there are many businesses that are well known as market leaders locally and internationally.

The Sunny’s Business Awards for 2019 is the perfect vehicle to celebrate the success of Coffs Harbour businesses. What a night of celebrations it was; if I was to name all the winners, I would need another page! All we would like to say at FOCUS is … Congratulations to all, and see you all next year.

Here is to …

Always stopping to smell the roses …

Carole Beros, Le Dãin Designs.

focus_contributor

WITH CAROLE BEROS FROM LE DÃIN DESIGNS

Sunny’s Business Awards 2019

Mel Browne, Leonie Kennedy, Martin Wells

Barry Bannerman, Madonna Bannerman

Sunny’s Business Awards 2019

Launch NSW Regional Youth Taskforce

Sunnys Business Awards 2019

social scene.

Key Employment Event

Milla, Sarah, And Max Bennett (Sawtell Chilli Festival)

Kathryn & Craig Black (Sawtell Chilli Festival)

Sunny’s Business Awards 2019

Lawson Family (Sawtell Chilli Festival)

Key Employment Event

Sunnys Business Awards 2019

Malcolm Mcfarlane, Guy Wright

Key Employment Event

Renee Chetty, Hastinah Ambarwati, Sharntae Durbin , Flo Voon

Steve Keenes, Matt Francis, Robyn West

Launch Regional NSW Youth Taskforce

Coffs Coast focus 37

focus_tourism

WITH TEGAN SWAN OF WOOLGOOLGA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

WITH FIONA BARDEN

events+ UPDATE

Supporting Industry Growth Coffs Harbour City Council’s Industry & Destination Development team works to support and stimulate economic development and grow tourism in our region.

W

hile tourism marketing is a major focus of our team, we also work across a number of key industry sectors to create activities and collaborations designed to support and build the capacity of your business, or turn your business idea into a reality. Here’s a snapshot of some of what we do and how you can connect with us: Coffs Coast Harvest is all about showcasing the region’s fresh produce and food businesses, and working with local businesses from "gate to plate" to develop the industry. Our major annual event, FoodCon, brings the industry together to make valuable connections. With a new initiative, Eat Local Month launching at the Ocean Harvest Festival on August 17, September is the month to highlight the fantastic food being cultivated, caught, created and cooked across our region - and how you can support local food producers and providers. More at coffscoastharvest.com Tourism is the second largest industry for the region, with a wealth of natural beauty bringing visitors to our door year round. Our team is focused on effectively marketing the Coffs Coast region and developing opportunities for tourism businesses. The new TV commercial and digital campaign, Coffs Coast - naturally connected, offers a deeper connection with nature and people, and builds the relationship between childhood memories and the growing sophistication of the region.

The coffscoast.com.au website is the main source of information for visitors and showcases places to stay, play and taste in our destination. With more than 20,000 unique website visitors each month, this is a fantastic opportunity for tourism and supporting businesses to add a free listing and create a comprehensive online showcase for

38 Coffs Coast focus

the Coffs Coast. Our new #CoffsCoastBlog complements the listings with stories woven around local experiences and places.

The Coffs Coast Champions program fosters a collaborative tourism industry approach by encouraging operators to engage and share business knowledge and support.

The team have received great support from businesses across the region to grow this initiative, and the next Champions breakfast is scheduled for August 13 at The Coffs Harbour Butterfly House. Contact paradise@coffscoast. com.au to become a Champion.

6 Degrees is an exciting initiative that creates opportunities for startup and established businesses by working to grow and develop the local innovation ecosystem and community. A calendar of workshops, networking events, and structured incubator and accelerator programs, plus co-working spaces, are all part of 6 Degrees. This year’s major event, StartUp Coffs Coast, is a series of five free events across July and August featuring inspiring guest speakers and experts, StartUp Alley business showcase, and the annual Pitch Competition. To connect with a tribe of passionate innovators and entrepreneurs and explore your business ideas, check out 6degreesco.com.au Get Involved with "Elton" Activities!

We’re excited about the fabulous opportunities created by Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour coming to the C.ex Coffs International Stadium in February 2020.

Behind the scenes, Council’s Stadium and Major Events team has worked closely with the concert promotors to make this exciting event a reality and are now collating ideas for a week of Elton-inspired activities around the concert, and in the lead up. Go to coffscoast. com.au/eltonjohn and click on Get Involved to submit your ideas. #coffscoast #eltonjohnrockscoffs

Woolgoolga was named the best “R U OK?" Community in Australia!”

You may have heard that Woolgoolga is “the missing piece of paradise”, “the best kept secret” or “a hard name to say but a great place to stay” ... but did you know we have another claim to fame too?

R

ecently Woolgoolga was named the event and many shops were dressed up the best “R U OK? community in yellow, with even more having their front in Australia!” windows sprayed with big yellow “R U OK?” What an incredible testament stencils. to the community and There is a strong sense of community pride recognition that Woolgoolga on the Northern Beaches. Whether you’re new isn’t just a beautiful place to visit; the people to the area, know lots of people or only a few, and sense of community are just as beautiful being connected to this community means too. that you know if you need help, all you have If you visited Woopi in July, you may have to do is ask. Our community is a very proactive seen the town looking community when helping a little more sunny and people suffering from yellow than usual. In depression and anxiety, the lead up to Mental and there are so many Another feather in the Woopi Health Month (October) people working actively in community cap is that of Fluro and R U OK? Day on suicide prevention.

Friday. Every Friday, bright and September 12, the Trust Another feather in the early, rain hail or shine, a The Signs Tour recently Woopi community cap is great big bunch of people visited Woolgoolga. that of Fluro Friday. Every gather at Woolgoolga In case you missed it, Friday, bright and early, Main Beach (or a local I’m going to tell you rain hail or shine, a great café if it’s a little too cold how the town was big bunch of people gather and wet), and surf, swim, transformed, because it at Woolgoolga Main Beach do yoga and just generally hang will be happening again (or a local café if it’s a out, chat and help one another soon for “Woopi Wears little too cold and wet), have a great start to their day.

Yellow”, and you’ll and surf, swim, do yoga want to come and see. and just generally hang The Trust the Signs out, chat and help one Tour are visiting around another have a great start 20 to 30 rural towns all around Australia and to their day. If you’re thinking that’s something (of course) Woopi was top of their list to visit. you would like to be a part of, you won’t Lisa Nichols, our very own community Wonder have trouble finding the group! They’re all Woman, and her crew were behind making wearing bright fluro clothes and crazy outfits. the event a reality and so in Lisa’s words, she If you’d like to know more about Woopi Fluro “thought we better outdo ourselves so we Friday, you can head to Facebook and search decorated the town with over 20 pieces of @flurofridaywoopi and if you’d like to know yellow themed street art painted by members more about how the movement got started, of the community, and we had metre high you can go to www.onewaveisallittakes.com R U O K letters strapped to the Norfolk Pines So next time you’re in need of a little pick in the main street”... and that’s not all … The me up, head out to Woopi, and we promise local business community also got behind you’ll leave with a smile on your face.

focus_travel

WITH KERRY MOSS FROM QUADRANT TRAVEL

Experience Tasmania

A holiday to the Mediterranean is likely to conjure up images of sun-drenched islands in Greece and pretty fishing villages along the Italian Riviera, but if you head East, far East, you’ll find an option that may not immediately spring to mind, yet it will surprise you in ways you never imagined.

J

ust like foreigners may have a perception of kangaroo’s bounding down our streets, the stereotypes of Israel are a far-cry from reality.

Modern day Israel is an absolute goldmine of travel experiences, with a fascinating history, delicious cuisine and undiscovered beaches. Add to that a nation of happy people; as voted by the UN, Israel is regarded as one of the happiest countries on earth, and you’ve got all the ingredients for an incredible adventure.

Tour leader for Quadrant’s Ag Innovation Israel Tour, Kerry Lonergan, says he expects guests to be “gob smacked by the development, the creativity and the sheer chutzpah of this remarkable country and its people”.

The journey begins in Tel Aviv, the second largest of Israel’s cities and voted the “Mediterranean Capital of Cool” by the New York Times.

And while it’s well regarded for its busy marketplaces and hustle and bustle, it has a growing reputation as a technological hub, and the tour delves right into it with a visit to the “Tel Aviv Launching Pad”, a company led by 25 of Israel’s leading investors and entrepreneurs, that brings together startups, corporations and investors. Then there’s “Adama”, a company providing solutions for herbicides and insecticides to help increase global food population and sustain the world’s growing population.

Kerry Lonergan believes guests will be astounded by the ingenuity and skill of the Israelis in a country almost bereft of natural resources and says there is no country on earth that does more with the little water they have. He says they “use, recycle, and use

again and again and again”, and that Israelis have a skill-set covering all facets of science and creativity. This is explored with various ag-related stops throughout the country and interspersed with just the right amount of sight-seeing and exploring.

If you would like to experience Tasmania with a difference, then check out what local tour company Quadrant Australia are offering in their Best of Tasmanian Farming.

The tour takes travellers to places that are usually not accessible to the public, including a visit to the Huon Valley, well known for its high quality fruit and the chance to speak to producers of a large-scale Angus beef operation to discuss how they farm their land and tend to their animals.

Of course, the sightseeing highlights of Tasmania will also be on show, including visits to explore the natural beauty of Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake, the rugged west coast of Strahan, with a steam-train journey from Strahan to Queenstown, and the historic Port Arthur site.

Salamanca Markets in Hobart is one of the top attractions in the state and together with a visit to MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) and the largest privately funded museum in Australia, travellers are given plenty of time to leisurely

explore the historic city of Hobart.

Tasmania is renowned for its artisan producers and when travelling around with Quadrant Australia, you will get to sample the delicacies along the way. There are visits to one of Australia’s leading farmhouse cheese producers, an experience enjoying local wines and freshly shucked oysters, and a unique chocolate experience blending Belgian chocolate skills and the fresh Tasmanian air.

Quadrant Australia has been taking travellers around the world for more than 30 years. Their tours are a unique blend of sightseeing and agricultural experiences, ensuring that every tour is customised to take advantage of the local food and sights, mixing with the local people.

If you would like to know more about Tasmania or to discuss one of many other options available, drop in to see the friendly team at Quadrant Travel and Journeys in Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour.

Sight-seeing in Israel is centered around the captivating historical and archeological treasures, mostly created from the country’s deep religious roots. And there’s nowhere that personifies this history more than Jerusalem, one of the most cultural cities in the world, with a vast mix of religions and race.

This Ag Innovation Israel Tour allows ample time to explore all the historic sites, from the Western Wall to the traditional site of Crucifixion and Tomb of Resurrection, as well as a humbling visit to the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre. Regarded as the world centre for Holocaust research, education and commemoration, it’s a heart-wrenching but truly memorable experience and an important step in acknowledging the history of the people that live and have migrated to this part of the world. The vast history and unique ag-visits are tempered with more carefree activities, like a soak in the Dead Sea. Bordering Israel and Jordan, the Dead Sea is a salt lake, lying more than 400 metres below sea level and offering tourists the chance to float unassisted on water, the perfect photo opportunity!

Add to this, year-round sunshine, with Israel boasting over 300 days of sunshine every year, and you’ve got a completely diverse and utterly unique travel experience to what is surely one of the world’s most fascinating destinations. Visit Quadrant Australia for more information: www.quadrantaustralia.com Coffs Coast focus 39

focushealth

and

Wellbeing

DAISY MORONEY, DAISY LLEWELLYN HAIR & MAKEUP

WITH

LAUREN

VESTEY

FROM

LIVING

DOLL

faceit.

camping beauty essentials

The BUZZ on MEN’S STYLING Bellingen was buzzing recently during the Bello Winter Music Festival, and I was lucky enough to get out and enjoy it. Spending some time with friends at the Glamping Village got us chatting about festival camping and beauty, and how it can be a little challenging to stay looking your best for the duration of the event!

S

o I thought I’d put together a little list of things you can pack to make that easier, as well as some simple hair and beauty ideas that are easy to achieve at the campsite.

When packing for a long weekend of camping, it’s ideal to minimise the amount of products and the size of the products you have to take where possible, so travel sizes and products that can double up are your friends! Keeping your makeup look simple and fresh is generally a good idea, something that leaves you looking soft and glowing during the day, and that will last into the night - that way cleansing at the end of the night in your tent isn’t too much hard work either! Makeup products that double up might include: a tinted moisturiser that includes an SPF (moisturiser, foundation and sunscreen in one!), a multipurpose lip and cheek tint, and a small eyeshadow and brow palette. Stick makeup can be a good option too; some brands even do them with two usable ends e.g. foundation and concealer, or bronzer and highlighter.

Let’s now talk about staying clean on the go, sometimes without access to hot water!

40 Coffs Coast focus

I would suggest packing hand sanitiser for all those times the public loo has run out of soap, and some biodegradable facial wipes for cleansing in the tent when the bathroom line is too long to bother. I also love a good dry shampoo, it’ll keep your hair looking fresh, giving it body and texture, which is perfect for that tousled festival style! There’s even a few brands that do dry conditioner too, usually a light spray that you can mist through your ends when they’re feeling dry and knotty. If you do get the opportunity to wash your hair while you’re camping, shampoo and body bars can be a good option; they take up less room in your bag and mean less items to carry across to the shower block (especially if you get the ones that double as both shampoo and body wash).

A fun and popular idea to dress up the simple beauty look is to wear some metallic temporary tattoos, bindis or jewel decals; it serves as a great alternative to jewellery that might get lost or broken! And rather than spending time on heat styling your hair, you could go for a natural, messy look with some texture powder or that dry shampoo! Throw in a few hair feather extensions, and you’re festival ready and campsite friendly!

This year men’s styling has been all about revived classic retro looks paired with some facial hair - and say goodbye to the messy unkept look. Men, wanting a new look, but not sure where to start? Lauren from Living Doll has a few helpful hints for you.

H

ow can I ask my stylists for the haircut I want?

Bringing a picture is the best way to get exactly the haircut you want. Of

What if I know what I want, but can’t explain it? Getting the perfect haircut is surprisingly difficult, especially if you’re trying out a new stylist. Getting the perfect cut is simply knowing the right lingo. The process here is pretty simple: course, you’re going to have to start with a • Tell the stylist the general style you want hairstyle that works for you, but the Living • Tell them exactly how Doll Stylists can adapt a much you want taken style that best suits you. off How can I style my • Tell them if you want a hair at home? Ask taper or not Living Doll Premier your stylist about hair • Tell them the type of Stylists are not just products and styling neckline you want for ladies; we have a techniques.

• Tell them if you want loyal following of men texture We’ve all been there. we like to call our • Tell them how you You look great leaving #LDKINGS ... want your sideburns the hairdressers, soaking Living Doll Premier up compliments for the Stylists are not just evening. Then the next for ladies; we have a morning you shower, air dry hair, don’t use loyal following of men we like to call our product, and it’s just not the same. How to #LDKINGS. When they enter the salon, they fix the problem? Simple! Watch how your are welcomed and offered a café beverage, stylist applies the product to your hair and followed by a relaxing and rejuvenating works it through. It’s your own personal head massage in one of our shiatsu massage demonstration, as your stylist is a wealth chairs and then finally treated to an on-trend of knowledge, so make the most of the haircut, where they leave feeling like a KING. opportunity. You could be surprised by what Come and see a Living Doll Premier Stylists today. XO Dolls (and KINGS). you learn.

Living Doll.

Coffs Co-Working & Function Space Find us on Moonee St., across the highway, up from Woolworths, along the restaurant strip!

We operate 8:30am - 5pm as a co-work space, with desks, offices and training spaces for hire.

We are flexible, and our space is versatile.

We have accommodated things from twilight skin care parties to group guided meditations, Christmas parties to medical seminars.

We have rooms available to hire by the hour for consults, meetings, collaborations and Skype correspondence.

We are open to being approached, should you have a utilisation for our fluid space.

Bubble Pop operates 8am - 3pm through our servery window.

Come try their notoriously good Bubble Teas and toasties!

A Cosmedicentre Salon resides in our Room 4, offering leading edge skincare treatments with Kayla.

IPL, RF, skin needling and deluxe peels and facials are all available Monday to Thursday. Sneak in during a lunch break!

We are an eclectic space and look forward to hearing from you with any enquiries.

A game-changing in-salon hair dye technique that gives you highlights in less than an hour, thanks to a lightening cream with a NEW formula and a genius heated hair iron that cuts out the usual dye development time.

Here’s the deal - it won’t replace your full head of highlights (because the whole point is not to take an entire day), but if an A-list worth natural looking balayage is your thing, and spending hours sitting in a hairdresser’s chair is not appealing, then this is for you. Why? Because it has the same lightening effect as regular highlights, but in an express time limit.

How does it work? First step, choose your look from the options: 1. InstaContouring - five - 10 face framing pieces.

2. Instalights - 10 - 15 woven highlights all over your head.

3. Instarevive - up to 15 pieces give a grown out balayage a good old refresh.

Lastly, the Instant Highlights heated iron is run gently over each foil section for 15 - 30 seconds. Yup, we said seconds. And you’re done!

Sounds like this is going to damage my hair ... Actually, no.

The speedy service does involve heat; however, the iron is always at set temperature, which is actually cooler than most hair straighteners. Add to that a Smartbond-enriched cream formula that works to strengthen and protect your hair, and you’re as damage free as you can get when dyeing your hair.

Think about it - leaving foils on for hours to develop, or using a heated iron for 15 seconds? We know which one sounds better to us and how valuable your time is. The Premier Stylists at Living Doll are blown away by the effects they are achieving; come in and give it a try. XO Dolls.

Coffs Coast focus 41

Rochelle Hayes Yvette Prewett

&

SYHair.

W

hat is your connection to the Coffs Coast?

I first moved to the Coffs Coast in 2010 for three years with my husband, as he was located here for work. We then moved back to Sydney, where I owned my first salon and was close to my family and friends. The Coffs Coast lifestyle and my husband’s family have drawn us back. We think there is no better place to raise our son and continue our careers.

Tell us about your media like Instagram and We aim to continue that association with SY Pinterest, the average etiquette for many years Hair? hairdresser can create to come and maintain a Yvette (owner of SY a trend! How exciting personalised touch with Hair) is my sister in law. is that! I love watching all our work.

She’s my confidante and other people who are just right-hand girl for anything as passionate and driven work or family related. It as me. I draw so much was a no brainer for us to inspiration from them! eventually go into business together one day.

What does the future hold for SY hair?

When the salon went on the market, she called SY hair has a reputation for being a small me straight away to discuss the possibility of intimate salon that focuses on providing the going into business together. Unfortunately, our ultimate one-on-one experience that all clients stars didn’t align at that time. Two years later deserve. We aim to continue that etiquette after opening the doors of SY Hair, our timing for many years to come and maintain a couldn’t be more perfect, and I’m so thrilled personalised touch with all our work. Yvette and honoured to be working alongside my and I will continue attending many educational sister in law. courses and discussing all things hair with some What do you love most about amazing hairdressing influencers … this keeps hairdressing? our skills a cut above the rest! There is a bright I’m definitely a people person. I love listening future in the pipeline for SY Hair. to my clients' life stories and getting to know What do you love most about the Coffs them on a personal level. You can change a Coast? person’s face with a new style, and how they I fell in love with the relaxed lifestyle of feel about themselves. You can also make their the Coffs Coast. The neighbourly vibe of the day with a haircut, which is pretty empowering. residents living here is a breath of fresh air. My Where do you draw your inspiration from? family and I cannot wait to be a part of such I draw inspiration from a lot of places, but a great community and enjoy a better balance my favourite is from fellow hairdressers. In the of life on the coast. I look forward to meeting past we would look to celebrities to create a new faces and creating an affable social trend or new style, but now because of social network!

3

42 Coffs Coast focus

How do I know if I need a Physio?

With so much information floating about regarding health and lifestyle choices, it can be difficult to know who to turn to when you run into trouble. Everyone has an opinion about which health professional you need when you’ve got a health concern: physio, osteo, chiro, GP? Before you decide who to trust for your health and wellbeing advice, you need to have the facts. FOCUS had a chat with the friendly team at Mid North Coast Physiotherapy, to find out exactly where physiotherapists fit in the world of health care.

W

ho are physios?

Physiotherapists are university trained health professionals and experts in assessment, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal conditions. Physios work with a multitude of people - not just athletes - but everyone from office workers, chippies and retirees. We work alongside you to develop and achieve goals, reduce pain, improve movement and enhance your quality of life!

What do they do?

Ultimately, we are here to help you move better and feel better to enjoy the things you love doing. We help you with this by doing a thorough assessment and providing a diagnosis of your condition or problem, then use a range of well-researched and science-based treatment strategies to address your individual concerns.

We incorporate treatments including muscle and soft tissue releases, trigger point dry needling, joint mobilisations and targeted exercise to help your body repair and build resilience. We provide you with a clear recommendation and plan of action to highlight the areas we need to address and incorporate the rest of our allied health team where we need, including our massage therapists, dietician and exercise physiologists. After seeing your physio you’ll have the knowledge, tools and strategies you need to make lifelong improvements to your movement, fitness and function. It is much more

than “just a massage and some stretches”.

How can they help me?

Aching joints, low back strains and niggly shoulders are common presentations for physios and can create lots of pain and suffering in your life. We often receive referrals from GPs to assist in managing many acute and chronic conditions involving major joints and body structures. You don’t have to see your GP first, if you’re having problems with movement - a physio can help you. You also don’t have to be in pain to benefit from physio. We can help you prepare for the half-marathon coming up, or your CrossFit comp, by ensuring your body is working at its best - reducing your risk of injury and improving your performance. Did you know we can also help with clicking jaws, sore heels and that stiff neck? Physios are well-equipped to treat all areas of the body!

How do I get the help I need?

Your best option is to give our friendly staff a call. We can talk you through any concerns you have and ensure you’re directed to the person most suitable to solve your specific issues. We also welcome new clients to have a free assessment to get the ball rolling if you’re unsure if we can help you. Whether you’re looking to stop injuries in their tracks or if your family is sick of hearing you complain about that sore knee or lower back, let us help you achieve your best health. To book a free assessment with one of our team, call 1300 273 747 now.

Coffs Coast focus 43

focusinterview.

Karen Plumbe

TA L K S Truth Talks is a local community group started by Karen Plumbe. It is designed to bring women from all walks of life together to share their life stories, with the aim to provide support and friendship and to create strength and understanding within the group through the diverse range of stories shared.

H

i Karen. Can you tell us a bit about your personal history here on the Coffs Coast?

I grew up in Dorrigo and went away for school and university. Following university, I returned here with my husband; we settled and began raising our family. I have worked in health in the local area for over 15 years in various roles. Predominantly my roles involved organising education for health professionals and health promotion with the Women’s Health Centre. I love bringing people together to connect and learn.

What is Truth Talks, for those who haven’t heard of it before?

Truth Talks is a women’s story-telling event which is run once a month in the Coffs Harbour area. We invite one local woman to share her story. There are so many women on the Coffs Coast who have interesting stories and experiences of life, some that do not often get the opportunity to share their experiences.

One of the aims of Truth Talks is to provide a safe place for these stories to be told, to create friendships, networks and connections with women in our local area.

Stories are a great connector and as human beings, we have been sharing stories for millennia. Stories connect us through experience, feelings, inspiration, humour and so much more.

I always walk away from these events feeling deeply connected to other local women, with immense respect for the resilience and strength of other human beings and with compassion for another’s experience. These are cherished values in our modern time and worthy of cultivation.

Can you tell us how the idea for Truth Talks 44 Coffs Coast focus

I always walk away from these

came about?

Truth Talks came about when talking with a friend, Lily Isobella; we were discussing ways that we could bring women together, to nourish and foster a stronger support community around local women. I had been saddened by some recent suicides and wanted to create a space for women to come together and bring to life some of the support networks that can be hard to maintain in our busy lives.

Story-telling is a captivating way of bringing people together, as there is no advice giving, no expert, there is just a heart opening sharing of one person’s experience, from which we all learn and often gain a new perspective of our own challenges.

Where is it held, and how big are the groups usually?

It is held in a central location in Coffs Harbour, and we usually have between 30 - 40 women attend. We are currently seeking a “home” for Truth Talks, with space to accommodate our growing community of women - a space that is suitable for connection and story sharing.

Can you give us some examples of the kinds of stories shared and how they might affect the group?

We have had an amazing diversity of stories and experiences at Truth Talks. Stories have included adventure, great teachers, abuse and betrayal, mental illness, and ways to use ceremony to honour the celebratory and challenging moments in life.

One woman rode her bike from Alaska to the tip of South America solo; another woman was at Everest Base Camp when the 2015 earthquake hit and told of her experience of getting off the mountain and home to Australia

events feeling deeply connected and the incredible impact the community. Each to other local women, with that this had on her life. night has a theme, and immense respect for the Two Syrian refugee you are most welcome resilience and strength sisters who now call Coffs to come along if you Harbour home came along of other human beings have a story to share and so generously shared and with compassion for or if you would like to their culture and stories of another’s experience. These hear others share their home with us. are cherished values in our modern stories. Lee Rickwood is We aim to create a time and worthy of cultivation a trained actress and will space where a diversity be providing acting gym of stories can come to classes to support storylife, where the focus is on tellers with performance connection and compassion. skills, should you like some extra support in What do you hope Truth Talks will do for speaking in front of an audience. the community?

In October for Mental Health Month we will I hope that Truth Talks will bring the be hosting a mental health story-telling event community together. I hope that people who are in the library. This is a collaborative event with feeling lonely or isolated or have recently moved Lee Rickwood from Story Fruits and Rowena to the area can come along to Truth Talks and Bianchino from Harbour Therapy Clinic. The feel warmly welcomed - that they can also find theme is “Share the Journey” and we are others to connect with and support networks. currently putting the call out to people with As human beings, we long to be seen and heard lived experience of mental illness or their family and valued. Truth Talks creates a space for that member who would be interested in sharing to happen. their story. This event will be supported with What are your hopes for it moving into the acting and performance coaching to help storyfuture? tellers feel comfortable on the stage.

We launched Truth Talks on the Gold Coast at There are more events on the horizon, so jump the end of July, and that was such a wonderful online and make contact to be on the mailing evening. We will now be hosting monthly events list, or follow our Facebook page for updates. up there too. We hope to expand into other Where can people find out more about Truth towns interested in building community and Talks? creating a connecting event where people come The website is www.truthtalks.com.au together and share their stories in a safe space.

You can join our Facebook page https://www.

Story slam events will be starting at the Happy facebook.com/truthtalksforwomen/ Frog in September. This is a collaborative project Or you can contact Karen via Karen@ with Lee Rickwood from Story Fruits. This event truthtalks.com.au if you would like to get will be open for men and women. It is a fun involved or have a story to share. evening to share stories and connect in with Thanks Karen.

join in iconic

community fun run ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN FOR ONE OF COFFS HARBOUR’S LARGEST HOMEGROWN SPORTING EVENTS, the Bendigo Bank Coffs Harbour Running Festival, on Sunday, September 8. The Running Festival is now in its ninth year and attracts approximately 1,600 participants annually from all over Australia.

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he event has something for all ages and abilities, with the choice of a 21.1 km half marathon, 10 km fun run, 5 km run/walk and the 3 km family fun run/walk - all held on the picturesque Coffs Creek Walkway.

“We are so lucky to have this unique running track in the middle of our town that takes in many beautiful sights, such as the Botanic Gardens, Coffs Creek and Park Beach,” said Event Director, Sinclair Black.

The scenic course takes participants from the Coffs Harbour Showground through

forests of mangrove and melaleuca trees, It caters for teams, families, school students, over floating boardwalks and along the shady workplaces and community groups. banks of the Coffs Creek. It is mostly flat and “Many proudly wear their school or provides the ideal off-road trail for runners and corporate colours and run as a group. walkers of all standards.

Key Employment usually has the largest For those keen to enter and looking for contingent, with over 100 participants proudly some motivation in the lead up to race day, sporting their red active wear each year.” there are some great local training options.

The Running Festival raises money for local parkrun is a free, timed 5 km event open to all charities and has donated over $180,000 back levels and takes place at 7am every Saturday to the community since the inaugural event in morning from Park Beach 2011.

Reserve, Coffs Harbour, Life Education, Coffs as well as on Urunga’s Coast Autism, Camp Boardwalk.

Quality and Early Another group training Connections are among Don’t overdo it, warm up opportunity are the the organisations that will and stretch before each run, RETRO running sessions benefit again this year. and build up your distance on Tuesday and Thursday These charities assist on slowly. And, I would highly mornings at Fitzroy Oval. the day by manning the recommend running or Suitable for all abilities, water stations on the walking the course and coach Andrew Rowlings course and cheering on getting familiar with the provides technique the competitors as they track before race day. advice and tips to all run by. comers for $5 a session.

The Rotary Club of “The best training Coffs Harbour is also advice in preparation for the event is to be instrumental in ensuring a well-run event. consistent,” said Sinclair. “Don’t overdo it, Their volunteers help set the course and warm up and stretch before each run, and the finish chute, man the BBQ and provide build up your distance slowly. And, I would marshals around the course.

For more information and to enter the highly recommend running or walking the 2019 Bendigo Bank Coffs Harbour Running course and getting familiar with the track Festival on Sunday 8th September, go to before race day.” www.villagesports.com.au The Bendigo Bank Coffs Harbour Running Early Bird specials are on offer until 31 July.

Festival is not just for the individual runner.

8 REGISTER ONLINE

villagesports.com.au Coffs Coast focus 45

with Clairvoyant Terri Hall Phone. 0424 818 343

August 2019

AQUARIUS.

GEMINI.

LIBRA.

JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19

MAY 22 - JUNE 22

SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 23

You are so clever at getting what you want.

Victory involving an important speech is at hand, and this will alleviate the feeling of waiting and wanting change to come forward.

You are not on your own; there is a wonderful support system available to you.

Ruby helps us attain our highest ambitions.

Your new sense of personal power has recently shifted, and you are vulnerable to being domineered if you don’t stand your ground. You are such a wonderful, gentle example of love personified; this is your strength. Good luck will come through work soon.

Carnelian can evoke creative energy quicker than many other crystals.

PISCES.

CANCER.

SCORPIO.

FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20

JUNE 23 - JULY 23

OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 22

Play a little more with your creative energy, as you are very gifted and when you’re creatively living life, you feel complete. New rewards are coming to you through career opportunities.

Expect an easier financial flow.

Citrine attracts an abundance of good.

You have outgrown some of your old beliefs.

Even though it’s not comfortable, try debating with your beliefs. Because this is a very strong purging cycle you are in, it’s a great time to release anything stopping you reaching your fullest potential.

Selenite is great for an abundance of crystal-clear energy.

Congratulations: your recent hard efforts at work have paid off. A newfound respect has been activated from your personal changes.

You have the ability to puppeteer people at the moment, so use this skill with the highest intention for all concerned and enjoy the success you deserve.

Apophyllite tip placed on the third eye helps to visualise.

ARIES.

LEO.

SAGITTARIUS.

MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 21

Just listen to your wise words, and you will see your path clearly again.

Avoid living other people’s stress, or you won’t be able to guide them - and you are a natural leader. Keep your sensitivity, but don’t let it hurt you.

Moldavite brings forward change and higher personal qualities.

Set some fresh goals to maximise on the creative and artistic influences affecting your sign. Leadership qualities can be tapped into this month and offer self-enlightenment. Travel is likely to be high on the agenda soon.

Pyrite will bring back courage.

Situations may be forced on to you to show you your strength in your independence. You’re about to become very busy, with a feeling of immense satisfaction for what you are doing.

This is a time of healing past hurts also, so don’t be hassled remembering the things you want to say goodbye to.

Jade brings a feeling of peace and wellbeing.

TAURUS.

VIRGO.

CAPRICORN.

APRIL 21 - MAY 21

AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23

DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 20

Love is in the air! So, be emotionally aware of what’s yours and what’s your partner’s. If you mirror yourselves in one another, you will see what’s yours. If your partner does something you disapprove of, ask yourself WHY you disapprove.

Rose Quartz will aid in raising self-worth.

46 Coffs Coast focus

Be patient, especially with yourself. If delays tempt you to change, stop, visualise yourself in the future walking the walk, and you will reconnect to your passion for it. Allow your mind to explore something light, instead of stress.

Amethyst calms and centres our energy.

Change is coming to any circumstance where entrapment is concerned. Being unable or afraid to express yourself will soon be something of the past. Justice will be served, and a new sense of freedom will be enjoyed.

Set some new goals and enjoy.

Clear quartz amplifies strength.

Plans to travel may be interrupted, or may not flow smoothly. You have been gifted with an acute sense of intuition, so use it to live by and all fear will dissipate, leaving you only in the right place at the right time.

Record Keepers are great to travel with.

all abilities

Coffs Coast focus 47

focusinterview. interview.

WITH SAM DAWSON OF PFLAG COFFS COAST

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young proud be

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ZENA KEIDGE

This month I thought I would start interviewing “allies” who work in various local services, and in particular services that we as a community may not even know we can benefit from. In this edition I have chosen Zena from Mid Coast Communities’ BYP project.

Z

ena, what does BYP stand BYP is a Coffs Harbour-based support for? group that has been facilitated by a number BYP stands for “Be Young of different services and youth workers for and Proud!” A perfect name more than 17 years. Emma (a youth worker for an amazing group of young from the Wesley Youth Accommodation and people who identify as lesbian, Outreach Service) and I are the current BYP gay, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse, facilitators. intersex, queer and questioning (LGBTIQ+).

BYP meets once a month at Groundworks What is your role? and is intended for young people (and their I have been the Program Officer at Mid friends) aged between 14 and 25 years of Coast Communities’ Groundworks Youth age, who identify as LGBTIQ+. BYP is a safe Centre since September 2018. Groundworks place for young people to be themselves, is a safe and relaxing place for young people and to socialise with like-minded people in aged between 12 and 25 years of age to a chilled-out atmosphere. We chat about come and hang out. topics such as safe sex There are lots of and sexual health, coming opportunities to get out (or not), relationships involved in creative with friends and family, activities, to learn new dealing with homophobia, THERE ARE LOTS skills, and to have fun! transphobia and lots more.

OF OPPORTUNITIES Groundworks is a great One of the most TO GET INVOLVED place to find out useful important benefits of IN CREATIVE information, and we BYP is building a strong ACTIVITIES, TO can link young people support network and LEARN NEW SKILLS, to other supports and community for young AND TO HAVE FUN! services if needed. people in the Coffs Young people can Harbour area and beyond. also have access to How can people find computers, a phone and out more? a printer, as well as tea and coffee facilities.

To find out more information, you can As part of my role, I co-facilitate the BYP contact Zena at Groundworks Youth Centre support group. I am a proud ally of the on (02) 5632 4020, or just pop in and have a LGBTQI+ community and feel honoured to chat (Monday to Friday 9am - 4:30pm). We have the opportunity to assist with supporting are located centrally in Coffs Harbour, in the these incredible young people. BYP is one of Community Village at 22 Earl Street (behind my favourite groups to facilitate, because it Coles). is the young people themselves who decide You can visit our website (www. how the group is run and what is needed. midocastcommunities.org.au), “like” our I feel very lucky to work with this group of Groundworks Facebook page, or follow us on young people, as they are some of the most Instagram @ groundworks_youth to keep up passionate and driven young people I have to date. ever had the pleasure of working with.

You can also email Wesley Youth What is BYP all about? Who is welcome, Accommodation and Outreach Service at and what benefits do you see within the wyascbn@wesleymission.org.au or call on group?

(02) 6652 7124.

48 Coffs Coast focus

Across our organisation, spanning from Kempsey to Grafton we employee 600+ employees, all with varying and incredible abilities.

It’s our people and their vibrant personalities that makes our customers’ visits special and personal.

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cDonald’s is a long standing supporter of employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

We aim to ensure that we address the needs of people with disability, whether they are employees or customers.

Our training programs aim to ensure that our people are “disability confident”, so we always provide a helpful and respectful service.

Anyone who has ever visited our restaurant at Coffs Service Centre would have run into Alex or Lyndsay! They are making their way through the dining room keeping it clean and tidy, as well as talking to their regular customers.

Alex Alex started with us over 10 years ago! He comes into each and every shift with a huge smile and positive attitude. He is always willing to do whatever it takes to help his team and his customer out and always leaves his shift with a big smile and “have a great weekend”.

Lyndsay Similarly, Lyndsay has worked at the Coffs Service Centre for over 10 years! He’s always helping his customers and talking to them about their weekends. Lyndsay is active in the community and is always willing to ask his regulars how their day is. Both of these guys are just two examples of some of the incredible staff we have with different abilities across our organisation.

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keyEmployment Youth Hub

The goal of our youth hub is to create a safe space for young people aged 12 to 22 years that provides opportunities for social, educational and recreational development and offers a sense of belonging and community pride. We believe we are achieving this goal and are very proud to be supporting the youth of the Coffs Coast in this way. FOCUS chatted with Jodi Wood ...

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hat is the KE Youth Hub? The recent purchase of our West High Street property (the old Catholic club) has provided KE with a unique opportunity to create a contemporary and innovative youth hub. The hub includes three bowling greens, a tennis court and two basketball courts. The hub building includes office space, a kitchen with free food, wi-fi, Netflix, pool table and shower and wash facilities. The hub has been purposely designed to suit the needs of disengaged youth and has enabled us to support young people on more social levels.

Tell us why Key Employment opened a youth hub?

Since 2012, over 1,600 young people have registered with Key Employment. During this time, we have become increasingly concerned with the lack of social support services available to them. We have seen incredible levels of disadvantage, including: • Homelessness • Drug and alcohol use / misuse • Lack of transport • Self-harm and suicide • Poor hygiene, poor nutrition, poor physical health • Limited social networks and limited family support • Lack of opportunity for educational and social engagement • Generational unemployment and welfare

dependency We believe that the best way to combat many of these issues is by giving young people a sense of belonging to their community by providing them with engaging and meaningful recreational experiences. We also know that employment is the most powerful pathway to broader community engagement, so by providing our local youth with a safe and familiar space to access tailored services and programs, this is more likely to be achieved.

To date, Key Employment has invested 100% of the start-up cost to set-up and open the youth hub. We are a not for profit service, and this youth hub is our way of giving back to the community.

KAPOW is a flagship program that Key Employment offer in assisting young people who aren’t attending school an alternative education program aimed at getting them ready for work. Please tell us a bit about it.

KAPOW stands for Kids and the Power of Work. We developed KAPOW in response to the massive gap that currently exists in the education system for students with psychiatric or learning disabilities, who are disengaged and extremely disadvantaged. It was developed for kids who hate school and who don’t attend - for kids who are familiar with juvenile justice, DOCS, PHAMS, headspace and the inside of a principal’s office. It was created to assist these students transition from school to work. The overall aim of the program is to show these kids what employment can mean for them and

their family. That the power of work means NEVER having to step inside a Centrelink office.

Students who attend KAPOW gain a Certificate III qualification that is equivalent to a higher school certificate. They also complete a personal development program and a work experience placement. Class sizes are small, and one on one tutorial support is provided.

Since 2013, we have graduated over 600 young people in this program and have seen so many of them turn their life around in that time. It really is an inspiring program staffed by passionate and trained youth workers and run from the most youth friendly space in Coffs Harbour.

Key Employment is offering NDIS services now. What programs do you run from the hub for people with an NDIS package?

Key Employment is running a successful SLES program called KIKSTART. This program assists students with NDIS packages transition from school to work. The course runs from our youth hub two days a week from 9am 2:30pm. Students are also placed into a work experience placement for up to eight hours a week, with one on one support. The KIKSTART class covers many different areas, including transport training, life skills, work readiness, budgeting, social skills and employability. The course is designed to help young people with disability get ready for work, and the ultimate goal is to find open employment positions for those who attend.

The class is also a lot of fun, with plenty of

opportunities for social interaction. We are seeing great success with this program, and have already placed a number of students into open employment positions.

What other programs do you offer from the youth hub?

We offer the following programs from our youth hub: • Breakfast program • Youth Sexual Health Clinic • Job Club @ the Hub • Hoops @ the Hub • Crisis Services • School Engagement Program • Youth Worker Case Management • Life Skills Course • Get Fit Activities • Anger and Stress Management For more information on any of these programs, contact Simon Booth on (02) 6691 9999.

What is the best way for a young person or person with disability to connect with Key Employment?

The youth hub is open from 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday, and young people aged 1222 are encouraged to just come in and use the space. If you would like to book a group in to use the facilities, would like a tour or want to hear more about any of our programs, you can contact Key Employment CEO Jodi Wood at any time to arrange a meeting with her or one of her amazing team members. Please email jodi@keyemployment.com.au or call the KE offices on (02) 66 919 999.

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dean evers Hope for the Homeless

Dean Evers started Hope For The Homeless three years ago, and it has already helped many locals in need. They provide items such as clothing, tents and blankets to people who find themselves without secure housing, and also help those who secure a home to set up.

H

i Dean. Have you always been a Coffs Coast local?

What’s your history here?

I moved here in 1994 with my family from the Northern Beaches of Sydney. We bought a home in middle Boambee and raised our family. I decided to go to uni and achieved a Bach of Social Science degree and shortly after joined the Department of Community Services (DoCS). I spent nearly 18 years in the human services sector, and my last official position was setting up the homeless program in Bathurst.

Can you tell us how Hope for the Homeless came about?

Nearly three years ago, I saw an opportunity for an independent local charity to help those individuals who were in need and those who were homeless. If someone needed an item and another had the item, I simply became the conduit to collect and deliver. It all steam rolled from there.

Was homelessness something that was already on your radar? Or were you surprised to find out that it was such an issue even here?

My early days in DoCS, I was involved in community discussions on how the community could address the homeless issue. Fast forward nearly 20 years, and the situation had become even more of a crisis.

We have many individuals and families living in tents, in cars, couch surfing and there is a 50 Coffs Coast focus

huge waiting list for community housing.

What are some of the most common causes of homelessness?

It is well documented that domestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness in Australia. Homelessness can be the result of many social, economic and health-related factors. Research shows people can become homeless after many years of experiencing poverty, poor relationships and drug, alcohol or mental health issues.

How do you hope that Hope for the Homeless can help people who find themselves without accommodation?

We happily donate free of charge any items they may need, like clothing, tents, blankets, cooking utensils, etc. When someone who has been homeless is fortunate enough to secure housing, we donate any or all items they need to set up home. For those individuals and families, it’s like going on a shopping spree for free.

How can the community support Hope for the Homeless, or get involved?

We use the phrase "Locals Supporting Locals", meaning it’s about helping others who need help as a priority. The community can support and be involved by donating goods, or donating their time to volunteer at The Hope Shop at 9 Collison Place, South Coffs Harbour.

Support is also coming in to our shop and finding a great bargain. We stock bedding, furniture, clothing, kitchenware, homeware

and all types of to? What are your wonderful things. We hopes for the future WE HAPPILY OPEN OUR happily open our doors of this project?

DOORS TO ANYONE to anyone experiencing I would like to see EXPERIENCING hardship, without all us continue to grow HARDSHIP, WITHOUT ALL the red tape. We don’t the business and create THE RED TAPE. WE DON’T believe in creating a Homeless Hub that BELIEVE IN CREATING more barriers to find provides support, MORE BARRIERS TO FIND assistance. information, breakfast ASSISTANCE. What do you and food support, think we can all referral and advocacy do to minimise to homeless people the stigma around or those at risk of homelessness. homelessness?

I would love to be able to lease and We as a community need to see the maintain a facility offering overnight and individuals as people first - as we do short term shelter. with other individuals, like people with a You have a special event coming up; can disability, people with mental health issues, you tell us about that? and people who are homeless. We need to On Saturday 13th July we held the remember that homelessness can happen to Inaugural Coffs Coast Motor Show at the anyone. It’s not a condition; it’s a situation.

Coffs Harbour Showgrounds. The Coffs Can you tell us about a favourite Coast Motor Show was a major fundraiser success story or a time you felt really for Hope for the Homeless - Coffs Harbour proud of Hope for the Homeless?

Inc. and we were able to raise a lot of We have been fortunate enough to have money that will assist with our operational assisted literally hundreds of families. Each costs. one is a small success story on its own. In The event was a Show ’N’ Shine for cars, recent months, thanks to McGrath Estate bikes and trucks. Due to the wonderful Agents Community Giveback Program, we response from the community, we will be have received three $500 cheques from holding another Motor Show early next year, anonymous vendors. incorporating a new event for those who I am very proud that individuals I don’t find themselves homeless. Our event will be even know think enough of what we are bigger and better and even more inclusive. doing to contribute towards us.

Thanks Dean.

Where do you see this charity evolving

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Creating a MORE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT is the job of everybody.

With one in five Australians now facing a disability or barriers to participate in our community, 3 Bears made a thoughtful and informed decision to work diligently over the last couple of years to imbed procedures and practices that would foster respect and equal opportunities for all abilities to contribute and participate in our service.

Our team at 3 Bears plays an important role in ensuring we accomplish inclusiveness, and together we accomplish a lot. Our practice is to adopt a strong collaborative approach with our children, families and specialised services, by asking for advice of each other, while supporting and encouraging each other, which in return provides better effective outcomes for everyone involved.

3 Bears introduced our very own wellbeing program last year, to ensure we focused on innovative yearly projects that would enhance the wellbeing of all our children, families, educators and the wider local community.

This year we are proud to announce we have successfully seen our educators give time to more than seven community volunteer programs, gaining skills and insight beyond teaching within the walls of our service.

Volunteering built the capacity of our service to support our educators to implement inclusive action-based strategies within our wellbeing program and build an altruistic team.

Learning environments and our family engagement groups have been ever-changing and revamped to be more flexible and have been modelled around a theme of multipurpose to promote social, emotional and physical wellbeing.

We would like to extend an invitation for a tour of the services on offer at any time, for enrolment in 2020.

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London International

Senior College VET Entertainment Graduates winning the

Golden Ticket!

Since graduating in 2017, Natalie Condliffe and Jack Dutson have both found careers in the entertainment industry, working their way onto the team responsible for the renowned stage production “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.

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ey Natalie and Jack. How did you come to win a Golden Ticket to work on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

Nat: After finishing the HSC at Coffs Harbour Senior College, I’ve been doing freelance Stage Management work on festivals and classical music concerts, and earlier this year I was able to work in venues all around the city through Sydney Festival.

Jack: I have been a lighting designer for musical theatre shows around the Sydney area and I am currently working with the Sydney Opera House, along with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as a staging technician.

Nat: We both were lucky enough to get a place in NIDA’s Diploma of Live Production and Technical Services, which we completed at the end of last year. Through that course, we got to work with some fantastic companies, some of my favourites being Pinchgut Opera and the Pop-up Globe. Now, we are both working together again on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Capitol Theatre, which has been one of the highlights of the past couple of years.

How did the VET Entertainment program at Coffs Senior College directly influence your future path?

Jack: Before I began this course, I had literally no idea that a technical side of theatre existed. Now it is my entire life, and I am loving every second of this seemingly unknown sector of the entertainment industry. We only needed to do 70 hours’ work placement over two years for the course but by the time I had 52 Coffs Coast focus

graduated, I had set a record of 420 hours.

Nat: We arrived at the College the same year as Mel Croucher, fresh to the coast from ten years in Sydney working in the arts and live events industry. She had many stories and experiences to share that definitely put the technical side of theatre on my radar. Learning about all that goes into theatre and live events behind the scenes was such an eye-opening opportunity. I wouldn’t be doing what I am now if I hadn’t done VET Entertainment in Year 11 and 12.

Can you tell us what it is like working on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

Jack: Working with theatre legends, being in costume and hiding in set pieces or props are things that I can say I do for a career.

Nat: It’s the most fun I’ve ever had at work!

The way that so many people from different departments and specialisations work together every night to put on the show is incredible.

What advice do you have for students graduating school soon for how to choose their future pathway? Any tips?

Jack: Being enthusiastic and friendly will get you everywhere in this world. It’s true when they say, “It’s who you know, not what you know”. Finally, try to make a friend of everyone you meet, not an enemy.

Nat: Go with your gut. You don’t have to pick one career for life. Do what feels right for you now and that will open up a range of options that you might never have thought of.

On top of that, you’ll always get out of an opportunity what you put into it, so work hard and soak up all of the information and knowledge you can while you’re doing it.

Thanks guys.

Youth science f o r u m

Young Senior College Scientists Ella Burgun and Angus Croak are off to LIYSF.

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hat is THE LIYSF? How many students were selected to attend the International Forum this July

school holidays?

Ella: LIYSF is the London International Youth Science Forum; it’s run in England from the 24th July to 7th August each year. Approximately twenty-five to thirty students from Australia were selected to join a total of five hundred from fifty-six countries across the world!

Angus: LIYSF is also a residential program for the students, aged between 16 - 21 years, which includes lecture demonstrations, visits to state of the art facilities and universities and networking within the discipline of science.

How has the school helped prepare you for a future as young scientists?

Ella: Coffs Harbour Senior College is an amazing school and has helped me so much personally. Our teachers are incredibly dedicated and have been willing to put in effort to provide extra information, books, and so much more to encourage my curious tendencies! We have many resources here are CHSC that allow us to really explore our interest in science, and our classes are full of cool and exciting experiments that broaden our learning!

Angus: Coffs Harbour Senior College has provided a mature, independent learning environment which has been key in preparing me as a young scientist. The teachers provide unmatched lessons and encourage students to reach out for every opportunity coming their way.

Where do you see this Once in A Lifetime Opportunity leading you post school?

Angus: I have always had an insatiable passion for science, an innate curiosity of patterns, connections, and how this knowl-

edge can be applied to produce meaningful advancements at all levels of society. LIYSF will provide an opportunity to establish connections with like-minded peers across the globe and offer further exposure to the vastness of STEM, cementing my desires as I look towards the future! The possibilities post-LIYSF are limitless; however, I do know that the program is a stepping stone to a career in STEM, which will hopefully assist my community and broader society.

Ella: I’ve always wanted to move into sciences, and this program will give me the opportunity to meet some amazing scientists from across the globe who are as passionate as I am! I’ll get to explore topics I know I’m interested in, but have never really had the opportunity to learn about before.

How pivotal was the crowd-funding support campaign led by yourselves and the school to helping you realise this dream?

Angus: When I applied for LIYSF, I didn’t even think I would get accepted, and as such, didn’t consider the logistics and finances.

When I was then offered a place, I was faced with the reality of needing to fund the expedition. The support we have received has made the seemingly improbable prospect of attending LIYSF a reality and would not be possible without everyone who has assisted along the way.

What do you think the future looks like for your generation in relation to science?

Ella: I think science has, and always will be, a foundation upon which our society stands.

We can clearly see, throughout the world, that young people are standing up for science and for our world - incredibly important things.

Angus: We are currently at a pivotal point in human history, facing many critical issues which will require ground-breaking science to be resolved.

Thanks guys.

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Inclusion is always on our agenda at COMMUNITY CARE OPTIONS. Inclusion is the process whereby every person who wishes to can access and participate fully in all aspects of an activity or service, in the same way as any other member of the community. We advocate strongly for human rights and social inclusion, and this includes in employment.

It takes all sorts of people to work in this sector.

Many staff report significant satisfaction, with a decision to have a total change of employment/ career to the care sector.

CCO provides significant support systems to staff through induction, peer support and ongoing support and supervision. We value the diversity of race, culture, nationality, gender, class, ability and personality that truly define us as people. We need staff as diverse as our clients.

"We have a range of care options as individual

as you are."

Our care options are our staff, and what they bring to the organisation and ultimately our clients.

If you want to change your life and possibly other people’s, for the better, come see us.

We require people who care, have empathy, and are non judgemental. You must be able to drive, communicate and complete domestic tasks such as cleaning, cooking, washing, ironing, shopping etc.

Inclusion is about ALL of us, about living full lives, about learning to live together.

Inclusion treasures diversity and builds community.

Inclusion is about our "abilities" - our gifts and how to share them.

Share your abilities with someone who needs your help.

Disabilities ndis &

Life Skills Classes

We Can All “Love to Learn”. The Education Centre is an NDIS registered local tutoring provider delivering a broad range of services to help students and adults of all abilities reach their academic and personal potential.

S

erving the Coffs Harbour area for 15 years and staffed with qualified and caring teachers and tutors in three convenient locations (Coffs Harbour, Grafton and Woolgoolga) we are committed to the individual development and the academic success of students and lifelong learners on their personal journey.

The Education Centre is a proud registered NDIS provider. As such, we offer life skills classes to support and nurture the development of skills helpful and necessary to improve the quality and enjoyment of the day to day lives of people living with a range of disabilities.

Our vision is to empower our clients with confidence, enabling them to learn the life skills necessary to help improve functionality, communication, independence and relationships with others.

Learning life skills at The Education Centre is an enjoyable and fulfilling experience for our participants. Our innovative programs are tailored to meet the individual needs and goals of our clients. We are an experienced NDIS provider with the capacity to build tailored life skills programs.

This allows us to cater for those individual skills which are a bit different or unique.

Life Skills Programs at The Education Centre cover a broad range of diverse needs like communication, numeracy, literacy, finances, everyday skills, gardening, out and about skills, home, pet and comportment skills.

Communication Skills covers the development of skills needed in sharing and listening, making friends and telling and sharing news and events.

Numeracy Skills addresses counting, recognition of numbers, sorting, matching and turn taking.

Literacy Skills incorporates reading, improvement of basic writing skills, compiling shopping lists, writing emails and letters, and computer skills.

Finances Skills involves money skills, problem solving, budgeting, shopping and savings plans.

Everyday Skills includes the skills of time, measurement, capacity & volume, storing cooked food and cooking itself.

Gardening Skills develops the life skills of gardening, understanding fertilizers and chemicals, storing fresh food and how to run a market stall.

Out and About Skills imparts road safety, driving rules, understanding maps and travel training.

At Home Skills covers house cleaning, how to organise your cupboards, understanding cleaning chemicals, safety at home and resolving crisis situations.

Pet Skills addresses how to look after animals, feeding, grooming, health and vet visits, and pet training and etiquette.

Comportment Skills address personal presentation, telephone manners, going out etiquette, communication and understanding relationships.

The Education Centre also offers art, drama and sound therapies. The environment and tutors are also sensitive and supportive of individuals with Irlen Syndrome.

Belonging is about fitting in socially with your peers and being included. It’s about feeling accepted and understood and understanding others around you. Belonging gives you a sense of community. The Education Centre understands how important the concept of belonging to a community is, and we look forward to welcoming you to our “Love to Learn” community.

In addition to life skills courses, the Education Centre also offers individual and group tutorials covering all academic courses K - 12 (English, Maths, Sciences, Languages, Geography, Chemistry, Biology etc.) available from early childhood, primary, secondary, HSC, and beyond.

To join The Education Centre’s “Love to Learn” community, contact us on (02) 6652 2222, email coffsharbour@theeducationcentre.com.au or visit our website www.theeducationcentre.com.au for more information.

Coffs Coast focus 53

A L L

A B I L I T I E S

|

F O C U S

F E A T U R E

Joanne Magill & Tony Ferguson

PhysAbility Tap into every possible movement a client has to offer, optimising their potential to regenerate and re-educate muscle function! This is one of the driving mottos behind the evolving PhysAbility platform that is Joanne Magill and Tony Ferguson. While the concept may be new to Coffs Coast, they certainly are not, having lived and trained in the local community for some 24 years. Intrigued, FOCUS spoke with Jo and Tony ...

W

hat does the name PhysAbility mean?

A play on physical and ability, research has proven that mind, body and soul all respond to the huge benefits of getting a little physical, regardless of our body’s ability.

Regardless of age, cognitive or physical levels of functioning, our bodies and mental health respond to the art of movement, and some may argue that the best antidepressant is exercise.

What services do you offer?

We are excited to advise PhysAbility has successfully completed a NDIS audit, which will enable Jo to offer Coordinator of Support for those who qualify for a package under the NDIS scheme. Having walked in the same shoes as many families here on the North Coast with regard to having a child with a disability, Jo is excited to be able to share her knowledge of the many services and options of support available with our own local community.

This is in addition to the personal training services offered by Tony, who has been involved in the fitness industry for over 42 years! A qualified Personal Trainer, Tony has successfully trained people over many different life stages and situations from his former PE teaching days, assisting with 54 Coffs Coast focus

inmates' health and fitness and clients with stairs, dancing the night away. identified disabilities.

Who can participate?

Is it geared to all levels of abilities?

As our logo states - health is an outfit that Yes, training with PhysAbility is open looks different on every body. Everybody can for all, regardless of their level of fitness, participate, as the stronger you become, the culture, age or ability. We enjoy working easier life’s little physical tasks will be. It is with people from all walks of life and are an urban myth that if you become stronger honoured to be part you will become more of their personal aggressive. success stories around PhysAbility does offer better health and group sessions which mobility. contain combinations of For some people with differing As one lady of the circuit, HiTT, strength, abilities, a mainstream gym can youthful age of 78 hypertrophy and cardio, prove to be a little daunting, so recently stated, “It’s which are open to having their own private the little things like absolutely everybody. gym set in a great local opening jars and We do find that these spot is not only a great rising out of chairs sessions are very popular way to improve physical you know, those low with our mature clients wellbeing, but build the café ones - that show or those who wish to confidence to be able to sustain me how much I have train with some friends physical activities across a variety improved my general or even work colleagues. of settings in the future. strength and fitness.”

Is the program NDIS How beneficial is approved? this type of training Yes, both our services to the individual? are registered with the NDIS. Sessions Strength training is important to can be factored into planning for future everybody at every life stage. Lean muscle goals, such as a specific achievement or mass needs to be maintained by resistance for general overall health improvement. training (body weight, weighted exercises PhysAbility welcomes input from other and/or free weights) as this is what will health professionals, ensuring a person carry our bodies around all day, help with centred approach is maintained at all times. those tasks like opening jars, walking up the For some people with differing abilities,

a mainstream gym can prove to be a little daunting, so having their own private gym set in a great local spot is not only a great way to improve physical wellbeing, but build the confidence to be able to sustain physical activities across a variety of settings in the future.

What kind of equipment is on offer?

PhysAbility has a purpose built portable gym setup which operates many configurations of resistance exercises, free weights and functional exercise equipment ... yes, sand bags are your friends!

Being mobile, where are your training areas?

Two great local locations with stunning backdrops: South Wall at The Jetty on Jordan Esplanade for the water scenery, and Sawtell Cricket Ground, Bayldon Road, Sawtell for a hidden tree-lined gem. Tony is also able to travel to your private location after a site visit checking out the viability of your flat training surfaces, but most have opted for our public setups.

How can people find out more?

Book in for a complimentary session, whether it’s a chat about your NDIS plan or a personal training session with our purpose built mobile gym - just mention this FOCUS article when phoning Jo on 0401 975 364, and your first visit is on us.

Thanks Jo and Tony.

Coffs Coast focus 55

focus_education

W I T H B D C P R I N C I PA L N I C K J O H N S TO N E

Determination and resilience Coaches and sporting personalities have an important role in shaping and influencing the growth mindset of young people. Their message to students about determination and resilience is essential.

A

t my school, we are passionate about providing innovative opportunities for students to learn and develop resilient behaviour.

This year we have had a number of sporting guest speakers, ranging from former Socceroo Captain Paul Wade to Olympic Gold Medalist Swimmer Brooke Hanson, deliver inspirational messages to our students and staff.

56 Coffs Coast focus

Brooke spoke to students about her disappointment of narrowly missing the Olympic squad in 1996 and 2000 and being electrocuted exiting a spa bath. Brooke showed determination and strength as she fought back from seemingly huge setbacks and claimed gold and silver medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She then followed this up with six gold medals at the World Short Course Championships, one of only six swimmers in the history of the sport to accomplish this

amazing feat.

Brooke, however, did not focus so much on her story of success when she spoke to students.

She focused on the importance of setting goals, having self-belief and being dogged in the determination to reach your dreams and not being beaten by the challenges life can throw.

Brooke is an athlete who uses inspirational quotes as motivators. I have selected three quotes about resilience and willpower from her book, When Silver is Gold, to share with you.

“See every difficulty as a stepping-stone and never be defeated by anything or anyone.” - by Eileen Caddy.

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.” - by Vince Lombardi.

“When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, this is strength.” - by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Paul Wade’s talk to students was about his journey of migration to Australia at the age of 10 and being diagnosed with epilepsy.

Paul made 84 appearances for the Socceroos.

Only five players have played more games for Australia. Paul played half of them as captain.

He will go into the history books as one of Australia’s fiercest and most loyal competitors and is probably most famous for playing opposite Argentina’s Diego Maradona in the World Cup qualifiers in 1993.

Paul is quoted as saying: “I was always going to be there to give everything I got.” He spoke about the need for resilience and being able to bounce back after setbacks. He focuses discussion on the themes of going the “extra mile” to achieve your dream, to do things in and out of training that others are not willing to do.

These two incredible athletes have an important positive and direct message to our youth: don’t give in to setbacks, as they are part of the journey through learning and growth.

And in today’s world with a media landscape full of stories about overnight sensations and people taking shortcuts to achieve their goals, this message that relates to integrity, vision, self-belief, genuine effort, and determination even in the face of setbacks is essential. These high profile examples of success, despite the roadblocks of life, provide the role modelling experience that is richer than what is seen on a sports commercial or on game day. It shows the athlete in a more personal and vulnerable light and highlights their journey, not just their destination.

As a school principal, I am determined to provide my students with these more meaningful opportunities on a regular basis. I will leave you with this quote: “Experience is a hard teacher, because it gives you the test first, the lesson afterwards.” - Vernon Law (an American baseball player).

Coffs Coast focus 57

focusfitness WITH DUNCAN MARCHANT, C O F F S C O A S T H E A LT H C L U B

Gavin Braybook K I N G D O M

MyFitnessStory

.com.au

This month’s MyFitnessStory comes to us courtesy of Coffs Coast Health Club Owner, Duncan Marchant.

I

f you’ve ever felt like giving up on your exercise routine, then this is the article for you. I’ve been struggling with it myself recently, but here is how I get back on track…

I am struggling today. If you’ve ever struggled to be consistent with something you know you should do, maybe my struggle will resonate with you. Outside of playing football last weekend, it has been more than three weeks since I’ve felt like I’ve done a decent workout.

You know that workout - one where I was sweating during it and feeling a bit sore a day or two later. I used to workout regularly, but recently life (and laziness) has got in the way.

How can I not make time to exercise, when my wife is an instructor, I’ve been a personal trainer for 20+ years and I own two gyms?

Here’s what I try to remind myself of when I feel like giving up (this is not my first time)…

Your Mind is a Suggestion Engine Consider every thought you have as a suggestion, not an order. Right now, my mind is suggesting that I feel tired. It is suggesting that I give up. It is suggesting that I take an easier path.

If I pause for a moment,however, I can discover new suggestions. My mind is also suggesting that I will feel very good about accomplishing this workout once it is done. It is suggesting that I will respect the identity I am building when I stick to the schedule. It is suggesting that I have the ability to finish this task, even though I don’t feel like it right now.

I remember that none of these suggestions are orders, however. They are merely options. I have the power to choose which option I follow.

Discomfort is Temporary Relative to the time in your normal day or week, nearly any habit you perform is over quickly. Your workout will be finished in an hour. Your report will be typed to completion by tomorrow morning. This article will be finished in just a moment. Life is easier now than it has ever been. Three hundred years ago,

58 Coffs Coast focus

if you didn’t kill your own food and build your own house, you would die. Today, we whine about forgetting our iPhone charger. Maintain perspective. Your life is good, and your discomfort is temporary. Step into this moment of discomfort and let it strengthen you.

You Will Never Regret a Workout Once it is Done We want our stomachs to be flat and our arms to be strong, but we don’t want to grind through another workout. We want the final result, but not the failed attempts that precede it. We want the gold, but not the grind. Anyone can want a gold medal, but few people want to train like an Olympian. And yet, despite our resistance to it, I have never found myself feeling worse after the hard work was done.

There have been days when it was damn hard to start, but it was always worth finishing.

Sometimes, the simple act of showing up and having the courage to do the work, even in an average manner, is a victory worth celebrating.

This is Life Life is a constant balance between giving into the ease of distraction or overcoming the pain of discipline. It is not an exaggeration to say that our lives and our identities are defined in this delicate balance. What is life, if not the sum of a hundred thousand daily battles and tiny decisions to either gut it out or give it up?

This moment when you don’t feel like doing the work? This is not a moment to be thrown away. This is not a dress rehearsal. This moment is your life, as much as any other moment.

Spend it in a way that will make you proud.

So, what do I do when I feel like giving up?

I show up. Do I show up at my best? I doubt it, but my job isn’t to judge how good or how bad I am. My job is to get through the grind, to get the gold … and so is yours.

Thanks for sharing, Duncan, and if you are looking to kickstart your own inspirational health and fitness story… Simply call 1300 040 479 or drop in to see the friendly Coffs Coast Health Club team at either Toormina or Moonee Beach to get started today.

D E N T U R E

C L I N I C

D E N T A L

P R O S T H E T I S T

Describe how you got started in your How will you embrace change in 2019? business?

Relocating from Geelong, Victoria to Coffs I began as an apprentice for my father in 1980.

Harbour was a very daunting prospect but, In 1988, I qualified as a dental prosthetist and Elizabeth and Neil Harrigan, Des Kingdom, Anna worked in Ballarat, Victoria. and Zaneta at Kingdom From there, I began my Denture Clinic have made my own business in Melbourne relocation seamless. I cannot I believe that you in 1992 and, for the next see myself ever going back are only as good as 27 years, I was involved in to Victoria. your last case, so I business in both Melbourne Where do you see your will always strive and Geelong (Drysdale) as a business in the next year? to do all that I can dental prosthetist.

In the next five years? The for each and every How do you measure next ten years? patient. success in business?

Coffs Harbour - working at Patient satisfaction is the Kingdom Denture Clinic. cornerstone for success. I What do you enjoy most believe that you are only as about the Coffs Coast? good as your last case, so I will always strive to The easygoing, laid back attitude of the people do all that I can for each and every patient. and the breathtaking surrounds.

Danny Moore

D

O W N E R , S O S P H O N E R E PA I R S

escribe how you got started in your business?

How I first started? I bought it in January 2018. I always loved fixing things as a kid, it always got me excited to tear apart electronics and see if I could rebuild them.

How has your business evolved since you took over?

We shifted heavily towards intentionally creating a positive experience for the customer, outside of just getting their device repaired. Our goal is to make people happier than when they first walked in, not just fix their phone. We try to provide an experience, rather than a service.

What is your greatest achievement?

I think it would have to be when we cracked (excuse the pun) 1,000 repairs in one month from our Coffs store. That was cool.

What is your business’ greatest asset?

Our team, definitely. Not just for technical ability, but I love when I get emails, calls and even customers returning with gifts for the team, because they’re so happy. They’re good at fixing things too, I guess!

What is the most satisfying aspect of your role?

Reflecting on all the positive reviews and experiences we’ve heard from our stores at the end of the month and seeing what we can do to create more; it’s always such a feel good time for my fiancée/partner in crime, Codi.

Where do you see your business in the next year? In the next five years? The next ten years?

Establishing SOS as a household name in phone repairs; we want 30 stores across the country. Having said that, it’s quality over quantity; if we only ever have a handful of stores but we know they’re great, then that’s enough for us.

Most rewarding part of your job?

I don’t even think I have a job - it’s too much fun! I must be doing it wrong!

What do you enjoy most about the Coffs Coast?

The people, location, food culture, the fact we somehow get really great musicians here all the time. I’ve always loved Coffs; it’ll be hard to convince me to leave!

How do we get in contact with you?

You can either give us a call on 6699 2869 or come into the store at 11 Vernon St, Coffs Harbour.

Coffs Coast focus 59

D

escribe how you got started in your business?

I started as a greenskeeper and cellarman.

I was then promoted over the years to Duty Manager, and then Operations Manager. In 2014, I relocated to the Coffs Coast, where I was offered the position of Assistant Manager at Sawtell RSL Club. In 2016, I was appointed General Manager.

How has your business evolved since it began?

The club has grown and evolved from being essentially a small social gathering hall, to one of the premier clubs on the Mid North Coast, with over 9,000 members and a high volume of holiday makers and visitors through our doors each year.

The whole industry has evolved; there is a far greater emphasis on dining now. Diners expect more choice in food and beverage, which our team is always striving to deliver. We are fortunate enough to be in the centre of a thriving main street full of top-quality restaurants, where diners come to enjoy all that Sawtell has on offer. It’s a great community to be a part of, and it keeps us on the ball when looking at what our diners want from a dining experience.

The club has also transformed to be far more of a family destination. We have always had a large community focus, but we find that families spend more time out together and are looking for a place where they can relax in comfortable, modern surrounds.

What is your greatest achievement?

That would have to be the two million dollar renovation to the club.

The club was becoming tired and dated, and we really wanted to give every person who walks through the doors the feeling that they have arrived “home”. We strive to achieve a relaxed setting, where you can sit back and enjoy a drink with friends, or grab a meal with the family. Seeing the club alive with activity is a testament that we achieved that! I am proud to say that we have been able to complete the necessary renovations, without borrowing any funds.

What is your business’ greatest asset?

Our club’s greatest asset is our staff. With over 60 staff members all contributing to the positive culture of our club, the atmosphere is always positive and happy. We recognise that each employee has influence over customer relationships, and we rely on this positive influence to ensure our customers have the experience that makes them want to come back time and time again.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your role?

The most satisfying aspect of my role in the club is being able to witness the growth of the club, both financially and with membership. Looking back over the last four years - and seeing how far we have come in such a short time.

Where do you see your business in the next year? In the next five years? The next ten years?

With changing industry trends, the board and management are investigating opportunities that will generate other sources of income, such as acquiring either residential or commercial property. This will allow us to further ourselves from being

60 Coffs Coast focus

SAWTELL RSL

Agius

The most satisfying aspect of my role in the club is being able to witness the growth of the club, both financially and with membership.

dependent on gaming income. which means you have a lower staff So, we have some big plans to turnover, allowing for an operation implement over the coming years with less hiccups. that will allow us to achieve this.

Here at our club we have many What do you enjoy most regular customers and a lot of new Looking back over the last four about the Coffs Coast? faces, which confirms to me that we years - and seeing how far we The Coffs Coast is one of are doing a good job and providing a have come in such a short time. the most beautiful parts of the service that everyone can enjoy.

Australian coast.

How will you embrace change in We have the beautiful ocean 2019? just across the road from our club, Being in the club industry means and we have a luscious rainforest just up the mountain. we must embrace change. Nothing lasts forever, so we We have several community events, like the Chilli Festival must make sure current trends are being replicated, which I here in Sawtell, the Winter Music Festival in Bellingen, the believe we do very well.

Curryfest in Woolgoogla, or our Sawtell Street Parties, With our recent renovations to our dining room and the list goes on! There is always something happening for bistro, our constantly changing beers on tap, our changing everyone to enjoy - what more could you want? entertainment facilities around the club and our vast array How do you measure success in business? of live shows in the Princess Room, we must constantly Success in business can be measured by turning a profit, change with the trends to stay relevant in our community. while keeping your staff happy.

I always ensure we have all of the facilities club members If your staff are happy, they provide a better service to and visitors come to expect and enjoy, and I will continue the customer, which promotes repeat business. to do so into the future.

Happy staff also tend to stay longer with your business, Thanks Greg.

Marcus Phillips DESIGNER LIVING KITCHENS INTERIOR DESIGNER

Bennie V A P E

A G A I N S T

T H E

M A C H I N E

Describe how you got started in your business?

For the last ten years before I first opened the shop, I worked in drug and alcohol across various roles in both rehabilitation and education.

During that time, I’d tried multiple ways to quit smoking myself and found nothing was working, as I was constantly surrounded by smokers, in social and work settings.

I was sent down south to attend a “Smoking Cessation” Course, and the lecturer we had at the time was talking about innovations in Cessation Devices in the U.K and the States and that people were successfully quitting smoking by using them. Shortly after this, a friend and I purchased some cheap setups online and both successfully quit, turning us into anti-smoking preachers to everyone we knew; it was hilarious!

O W N E R / O P E R A T O R

The concept, scene and the online community around it was something I grew very passionate about, wanting to promote and protect it to the stage where “Vape Against the Machine” was born, and I’ve been absolutely living the dream ever since!

How has your business evolved?

Since opening, we’ve expanded our services by adding our in-house barber, “Cuts by Kirra” and Johnny to the team, also expanding our range in diffusers, essential oils, turmeric and other various health supplements.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your role?

Helping beginners get set up and seeing the look on their faces when they return to tell us how well they’re doing and how healthy they’re feeling - and also the money they’re saving, as the price of cigarettes sky rocket!

Describe how you got started in your business? After leaving school, I was accepted into Julian Asheton’s Art School at The Rocks in Sydney - I ended up owning and running a theatre restaurant in Byron Bay and when I sold it, moved back to Sydney and decided to put my interior design hat on and started with Impala Kitchens in Sydney, ending up becoming head designer nationally (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane).

How has your career evolved since it began? I guess the advances have been through technology, with the leap forward of design programs. It wasn’t that long ago the industry drafted by hand on the drawing board.

Personally, we grow into a career as we gain more and more experience. The initial training is just a foundation to build on to at the end of the day, as there is nothing more valuable than experience built knowledge.

What is your greatest achievement? Other

than my three daughters, winning outright Kitchen of the Year and some other awards along the way has helped to guide the path to achievement.

What is your business’ greatest asset?

Word of mouth is by far the best thing, and it starts accumulating with time as the business establishes itself in a particular area.

How do you measure success in business?

By the number of happy clients over the years, some of whom are now my closest friends.

What business leaders do you look up to?

Locally I would say Brian Hopwood, who literally started from scratch and built an excellent housing company. His customers are looked after and are always happy with the end result.

In general, I look up to people who share their success i.e. Bill Gates, who from early on in his life swore to dedicate his fortune and his time to helping humanity.

Gavin

Moroney P H O T O G R A P H E R F O C U S M A G A Z I N E

Describe how you got started in your business?

I started taking photos about 5 years ago when I moved to Bellingen from Sydney, where I was working as a landscaper for the past 12 years. I wanted to move into a more creative field and discovered the wonderful world of photography. I gave myself a year to see if I could make it and with some hard work and dedication I was able to start a business out of it, and it has grown each year since.

How has your business evolved since it began?

I am always driven to learn new things and to perfect my work, I never really stop checking out what equipment is available, what other artists and photographers are coming out with, and trying out new lighting and retouching techniques. There are always new ways to develop my work and therefore my business tends to evolve with it.

Most rewarding part of your job?

The most rewarding part of the job is the people I get to meet and spend a little time with on a daily basis. I really enjoy meeting and taking photographs of people from all walks of life, whether it’s a group of professionals for business head shots or working with a team on a fashion or beauty shoot, it’s always different from day to day.

The process of creating an image; from coming up with a concept to choosing lighting, colours and arrangement of the image, and often working together with a team of other creatives, and then seeing the final result come together is really amazing too.

Coffs Coast focus 61

Over the next few years I would like to increase our distribution side and be selling more direct to builders and the public who wish to install themselves.

Mark Diener I N S P I R A T I O N S

Michael Bailey P A I N T

Describe how you got started in your business? I started working for Inspirations Paint 18 years ago. It was always my goal to purchase my own store. An opportunity became available in Coffs Harbour, so my family and I decided to take a chance and make the move from Newcastle.

How has your business evolved since it began? We have really focused on listening to our customers’ needs and requirements.

Changing products and introducing a vast range of new products into the business has given us more opportunity to meet and satisfy the customers’ needs. We have changed the layout of our store to be more customer friendly.

How do you measure success in business?

Our main measure of success is having a positive return customer base. We have great customers who provide us with practical feedback that we

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O W N E R / M A N A G E R

take seriously. This could be feedback on products and/or service within our business. Without this feedback, how can we improve or know how our products and staff are performing?

Where do you see your business in the next year? In the next five years? The next ten years? Within the next year we have our business set to be in a new location. It is bigger and more accessible for trade and retail customers. We want to see our retail customer base grow by providing project nights focused on specific products. These project nights will be hosted by the product professionals and me. This will give customers the opportunity to get hands on with products, before taking the product home to use themselves.

In the next five to 10 years we see ourselves providing our professional service to other regions on the Mid North Coast.

RADIANCE INSULATION SERVICES BUSINESS OWNER/DIRECTOR

Describe how you got started in your business? I first started installing insulation in 1998 as an extra service to our customers through our family owned Mitre10 store. We had always sold insulation and had customers looking for someone to install it for them. I saw an opening in the market and offered to provide this service to any of our customers who required it.

How has your business evolved since it began? Over time, word of mouth brought more business to the insulation side of the hardware store, and we found ourselves doing more installs for both our retrofit customers and also for new homes, as we started to pick up more builders. In 2004 we decided to separate the two businesses and soon after, Radiance Insulation was established.

How do you measure success in business?

Success is more than just numbers; it is about how you carry yourself in your chosen profession and how you are measured against the competition. For me, it is all about repeat business and word of mouth. We have a number of builders who keep coming back as a result of the service provided on previous jobs. A lot of these builders no longer ask for quotes; they just

ask for the job to be done.

We also receive more enquiries for retrofit work through word of mouth than any other form of advertising. It is amazing how often we receive a call from a new customer who was given our number by a friend of theirs whom we had done work for in the past. So to me, success is based on service, more than figures.

Where do you see your business in the next year? In the next five years? The next 10 years? We are currently moving out of the home office where I have worked since 2015 and in to our new depot in June Street, due to recent growth.

Over the next few years I would like to increase our distribution side and be selling more direct to builders and the public who wish to install themselves.

I also plan to expand further outside the local area, both north and south, to cover an area from Ballina to Port Macquarie in both supply and fit and supply only. I believe there is a big opening in the market outside of the Coffs Harbour region for someone willing to provide a higher standard of service than what is currently being offered in these areas.

mib

Mike and Jon Hibbard

A

HIBBARD HOMES

family owned and operated construction company building communities and building regional NSW since 1968, when Bruce Hibbard started out with his father, Malcom Hibbard. It’s estimated that Hibbards has now built over 6,000 homes in regional NSW. It’s been a long time since it was just about “building houses”.

For many years now, Bruce has been running with the vision of helping people become homeowners, helping people improve their life, and helping people with investment homes so that they don’t retire broke and can finance themselves through retirement.

The philosophy: the intangible idea of home ownership and pride; the aspiration to help people; and the knowledge and experience of residential construction has been born and bred into the power twins. Mike Hibbard (General Manager) and Jon Hibbard (CEO) have all of this running through their veins and have mastered the drive required for success to keep the company

growing and on top. “Maintaining the path of success is a product of successful actions, knowing them and continuing to enact them.” - Mike Hibbard.

Jon and Mike have their mindset firmly on the company’s goal of being the largest, most secure and successful developer of speculative housing in NSW. “Whatever it is that you are doing, you must look at it with purpose. No matter what it is you do, this is a part of who you are becoming; this is the chance to have the battle of your life - to make your life GREAT. We say to the awesome people we get to work with every day to never become complacent in life, because when you’re not striving forward and putting yourself at some point outside your comfort zone, then you’re just existing, or you’re just slowly dying.” - Jon Hibbard.

Mike and Jon read a lot of books on selfmotivation and books on the mind.

“You have to take into account that we spend 70% of our lives in the workplace. Every day we spend more time working and not with our children

or loved ones. I’ve learnt a lot about group dynamics and people. And as General Manager, it’s extremely important that the morale is high in the business. I oversee this establishment and all personnel and staff, and I strive to make sure that people are getting along together and working well together within our company.”- Mike Hibbard.

“I’m very blessed, because I’m in close proximity to my hero, which is my father. I’m so grateful that we get to share such great things spiritually almost every day. As brothers, Mike and I challenge each other, get each other to do things outside comfort zones and keep each other accountable. We also have amazing wives who inspire us to be better men.” - Jon Hibbard.

“Our family is honoured to be a part of so many lives, not just in our workplace, but to be able to give the opportunity for individuals and families within the communities that we do business and to obtain their dream of home ownership. That’s what it’s all about.” - Mike Hibbard.

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Bruce Hartmann and Mitchell Crothers

BANANACOAST BATTERIES & AUTO ELECTRICIANS

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Bananacoast Batteries & Auto Electricians is a locally owned and managed business with over 50 years of auto electrical knowledge and experience to help solve an array of auto electrical and air conditioning problems in a range of modern and vintage vehicles. FOCUS sat down with Bruce and Mitch ...

escribe how you got started in your business?

Bananacoast Batteries & Auto Electricians was established in 1968 and incorporated in 1989.

Bruce began his career in the industry by sweeping floors after school at GEM Auto Electrical and at the end of Year 10, went on to do his apprenticeship in auto electrical, along with his older brother, Greg. In 1983, Greg moved from Gem to Bananacoast Batteries and after several years, bought the business. Bruce moved to Bananacoast Batteries in 1987 and worked alongside Greg up until his retirement in October 2018, when the opportunity to purchase the business became available.

Mitch commenced his auto electrical career after his father encouraged him to do work experience with Bananacoast Batteries & Auto Electricians in 2010. He completed his apprenticeship under the guidance of Greg and Bruce and went into partnership with Bruce on Greg’s retirement.

How has your business evolved since it began?

When Greg first bought the business, he was the only person in Coffs Harbour making batteries (which took approximately

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six hours), before moving into auto electrical increased our product range, while still repairs. In the 1980s, cars were very basic continuing to offer good old fashioned service. and straightforward; however, with the What is your business' greatest asset? modern cars today it’s a lot more complex The 14 employees who create an enjoyable with diagnostics, and working environment, a greater electronic some of whom are knowledge is required. long term, possessing a Our employees continue wealth of knowledge and to keep up-to-date with experience.

The 14 employees who create technology through How do you measure an enjoyable working ongoing education. success in business? environment, some of We have also increased Customer loyalty whom are long term, our stock and now reflects our success, along possessing a wealth of carry a wide range with an ever growing knowledge and experience of batteries and auto customer base. electrical supplies for all How will you embrace makes and models of change in 2019? vehicles, including cars, Keeping up-to-date trucks, boats, caravans, with the latest modern earthmoving and farm machinery. technologies and advancements with modern The need for a mobile field service has also vehicle electrics through ongoing education. grown due to the increase in local road works, Nurturing and developing our two new farming and quarries. apprentices and building supplier relationships What is your greatest achievement? to help keep our retail range expanding and Venturing from employee to employer and affordable. going into partnership together presented a What business leaders do you look up to? whole new world of challenges and learning Greg and Tina Hartmann, for their foresight experiences. We have updated and introduced in seeing the need for an auto electrical a fresher entrance to the workshop and business in the region in the 1980s and the

tenacity to build the business to what it is today, while instilling good work ethics in all our employees.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your role?

The variety and challenges of modern day auto electrical issues and assisting customers to find solutions on a daily basis.

What creative things do you do to develop a likeable company culture?

Offer a reliable, friendly, trustworthy and flexible service.

Where do you see your business in the future?

Growing the business to improve buying power, where we can offer competitive prices to our customers and a greater selection of products.

Most rewarding part of your job?

Customer satisfaction and continuing Greg’s tradition of supporting many of the community groups and organisations in the region.

What do you enjoy most about the Coffs Coast?

The laidback lifestyle and broad range of leisure activities available from the bush to the beach.

Address: 44 Marcia Street, Coffs Harbour Phone: 6652 4455.

Dr Oleg Pushkarev

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F R E S H D E N TA L C A R E

escribe how you got started in your career?

Since I was a child, I have had two passions.

I’ve always been fascinated by electronics and technological advances (in general). I used to spend days soldering miniature parts together, in order to make a superior sound system. And I have always had a strong interest in human biology, science and health.

When I graduated from school, I felt dentistry was a pathway that would allow me to utilise my interests and provide a career that would sustain my need to grow, develop and learn continually.

Who has influenced you?

The people who have had the biggest influence on my life and career include: My family; they have always been influential in my life.

Both my father and grandparents were medical doctors. My father and my grandfather were both cardiologists, and my grandmother was an ophthalmologist.

Two other people who had particular impact on my career and study choices have been: A Russian orthopaedic surgeon - Ilizarov, who discovered the law of bone lengthening and developed a famous frame for healing limb fractures. And Branemark, who developed and placed the first dental implant; he also described the mechanism of joining of the dental implant to the jaw bone.

As a result of these studies, dental implants help patients get back their natural smile and ability to eat comfortably.

What is something you enjoy about your profession?

I enjoy the level of job satisfaction - being able to positively transform a person’s life through improved oral health and wellbeing. Another aspect of dentistry is continual growth.

It is something I enjoy, and part of this growth is staying up to date with advances in the industry and technology. There is never ending possibility, with options to partake in a wide range of clinical aspects, research and academic roles. I have strong interest in restorative dentistry and aim to preserve someone’s natural smile.

What do you enjoy most about the Coffs Coast?

I enjoy living a balanced and healthy lifestyle, and the Coffs Coast has allowed me to do this. One of my most favourite places is Dorrigo National Park, where I love to listen to the melodic rainforest birds while walking to the Crystal Shower Falls. On a sunny day, I enjoy nothing more than walking over Muttonbird Island, watching dolphins, whales and observing the seabirds. For me, it was a brand new experience walking the headlands, enjoying the seascape and sharing it along with kangaroos - a magnificent experience.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Smiling is an important part of a person’s overall health and wellbeing. Being able to be a part of their personal transformation and assisting them in being able to smile is the most rewarding part of my career.

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McDonald’s strives to be an active part of our local community in Coffs Harbour, Nambucca and Grafton. They are absolutely proud of the fact that they can support a large number of charitable causes and community initiatives. FOCUS had a chat with David Munro, Brent Roulstone and Mitchell Ballantyne to find out more ...

Munro Group of McDonald’s

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David Munro F R A N C H I S E E / D I R E C T O R

escribe how you got started in your business?

I was in my last year of university in Canberra, studying business. One subject involved case studies on business, and I chose McDonald’s, as I had worked there as my very first job back in high school here in Coffs. I had never thought deeply about being in business for myself up until that point in time (my ambition was to be a partner at one of the Big Four accounting firms). As I learned more about the franchise model, of the history and success of the brand, it dawned on me that a franchise business like McDonald’s could lead to the success I craved. So I changed direction, and set about becoming a McDonald’s Franchisee. I was 22. I door knocked every McDonald’s restaurant in Canberra, until I got an interview and finally a start as a trainee manager. I had no money, no assets (except my ‘78 Cortina) and no clue as to how I was going to get there. But I now had a start; and as the saying goes, a spark is all you need to get a fire going.

Most rewarding part of your job?

This has changed over the years, as I’ve grown and matured in business, as a leader and individually. Today, understanding and believing in our purpose as an organisation, individually and collectively, is truly rewarding.

And that purpose is to “add value” and make people’s lives better: our employees, our guests (customers), our community. That may seem audacious; after all, we aren’t curing cancer or ridding the world of poverty, famine or disease. But we all believe that

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being a great employer and doing our part.

We employ hundreds of people right here on the Coffs Coast. For many, it’s their first ever job. That’s a huge responsibility. So how we train them, the skills, values and responsibility they learn, that adds value to their lives and we hope sets them up well for their future careers, wherever that may be.

We welcome millions (yes, millions) of guests in our restaurants every year. We know it’s a privilege to have them choose us, and we know it’s a given they want a freshly made hot Maccas burger, fries or a coffee. So, the difference, the “adding value”, is doing the things we can do for our customers, so that they know we care: holding a door open, remembering their order, asking about their day or their families. It makes a difference to someone’s day, however small, and that can’t easily be measured but its powerful.

We also know we have a responsibility to help our local community be a great place to live. So, we created our Community Grants Program (we thank FOCUS for helping us tell the story since its inception), where we actively support local juniors and clubs financially as they pursue their dreams (sporting, academic or cultural). This has been incredibly successful and rewarding; we have provided hundreds of grants in the last three years and helped so many achieve their goals (keep reading FOCUS for more great stories).

So in these three ways, adding value to our people, our guests and our community, we have created a real sense of purpose in everything we do; and we’d like to think that goes just a small way to making people’s lives a little better. That’s pretty rewarding.

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Brent Roulstone G E N E R A L

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hat is your business’ greatest asset?

Our greatest asset is definitely our training and development

programmes.

We often identify talent and encourage those employees to go further. But also, when people come to us wishing to develop and grow, if they are keen and willing, we

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will get them there.

How do you measure success in business?

Success in business can come from many different forms.

We measure success in our business ultimately from the overall profitability; obviously, this is the main reason that anyone is in business, but we focus on sustainable profit, through growing the business.

Mitchell Ballantyne O P E R A T I O N S

hat is your business’ greatest asset?

Our people; we employ over 550 employees on

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nationally recognised qualifications to developing key leadership and business skills.

What creative things do you do to develop a likeable company culture?

As in all businesses, the Coffs Coast there is a constant - ranging from need to innovate and students working Providing people an adapt in many different after school to our opportunity to develop aspects. We also know day crew, to our and have a rewarding our people engage managers and senior career with us, from and communicate in leaders. They are the nationally recognised a different way - so ones that make the qualifications to we must adapt to “magic” happen on a developing key leadership this change to ensure daily basis and bring and business skills. we have an engaged our vision to life. team and also can What is the most communicate effectively satisfying aspect of with all of our staff to your role? foster a positive culture. This includes simple Watching our people develop and grow things like recognising our top performers is the most satisfying aspect of my role.

Providing them an opportunity to develop publicly on social media, sharing our business and have a rewarding career with us, from goals and visions.

Jason Zuvela+ Reed Clayton

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ell us a bit about your business.

With 28 years of concreting experience over a vast range of projects, Jason and the team at JZ Concrete have the knowledge and confidence to successfully complete any project - large or small - on time, on budget and to the highest quality.

What kind of experience and history do JZ Concreting have?

In addition to Jason’s extensive knowledge of the concrete industry, as a fully licensed

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C O N C R E T E

builder he has successfully constructed over 50 residential buildings, consisting of luxury residences and multi-unit developments, as well as several industrial developments.

These buildings were constructed by JZ Developments - a renowned high quality builder and head company of JZ Concrete. All of this knowledge and skill is adopted with JZ Concrete’s approach to all projects, making even the most technical job easy.

What sets JZ Concrete apart?

As part of our efficiency, JZ Concrete has all of it’s own plant and equipment -

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D I A M O N D C R E T E

excavators, bobcats, tippers, site vehicles and all the items required to perform any task.

We are dedicated to our clients and providing the highest quality workmanship, whilst maintaining very competitive pricing.

What are some of the services you offer?

We offer the highest quality concrete polishing, to create a work of art from a concrete floor.

As a leading concrete contracting company with the experience and skill set created from decades of dedication, we understand concrete. We use it every day - we prepare,

pour and polish this wonderful product to create the look and feel that only seamless concrete can provide. With the ability to provide a vast range of colours, aggregates and blends, your Diamondcrete polished concrete floor can be customised to suit your requirements, from traditional to exotic.

From your existing concrete floor to exciting new applications, we provide finishes to suit a wide range of styles, budgets and requirements. So, make sure you look out for Diamondcrete concrete polishing by JZ Concrete!

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Lance Miller

Jeremy Holder

COFFS HARBOUR CAMERAHOUSE OWNER/DIRECTOR

TAC ME D AU S T R A L I A M A N A G IN G DIR EC T O R

hat is your greatest a likeable company culture? achievement?

Something that has not changed over my No brainer - six 31 years in retail is the customers’ desire for children who still love honest value for money. We use our knowledge their Mum and Dad! to determine what a customer needs, and then In a business sense, compare needs with wants to provide the best staying current in a massively changing industry. outcome for the customer. Nearly all customers I did electronic engineering at uni and worked like and respect that model; they don’t really in electronic maintenance in my early years, want the cheapest and they don’t always need so the impact of digital was not too scary, but the biggest and best - value is the key to a the impact to stock management required a satisfied customer. completely new business plan and an ongoing Photography is art - but with a technical learning curve, as the cameras doubled in tool to create your art. The modern digital features and capability every 18 months - while camera delivers an amazing result from very also dropping in price. simple interfaces to get images easily, but if the In personal development I worked as a photographer wants to push the boundaries of Director on the Camera House Board for 17 their camera’s abilities, the cameras can hold years, with the last three of those years as secret capabilities that only good support and Chairman. I am also a Director of a statewide training can help deliver. sporting group, now Training is key to serving as President of our changing model. that organisation and Bringing camera also serving on that company representatives Training is key to national board. I also to Coffs for expos and our changing model. serve as a Director on training, as well as our Bringing camera two other boards. own in house training, company representatives What is your delivers the necessary to Coffs for expos and business’ greatest information to our training, as well as our asset? customers to challenge own in house training, My teammates. We their own creative delivers the necessary are a discretionary boundaries. information to our business, so having Where do you see customers to challenge smart, current, your business in the their own creative enthusiastic, next year? In the next boundaries. experienced and five years? The next customer supporting ten years? staff is critical to Specialist retail is business success. At a desirable part of last count we have over 130 years’ combined the customers’ shopping experience. Being experience in the photographic industry. competitively priced against the no service Another important asset is plenty of stock. business models makes modern specialty retail In the current world of web gratification, if a much more desirable experience than ever we don’t have the product, we cannot train before. Our company warehouse, buyers and and support a potential customer, so we work marketers provide the necessary competitive on the theory that “if we don’t have it, we foundation and our staff’s knowledge and can’t sell it; hence, we have all the interesting service, along with our value for money model, cameras in store for the best customer complete the circle for a positive customer experience. experience. This provides ongoing satisfaction The next great asset is the Camera House in their purchase, and support that continues group. We have our own warehouse, as well as with our training guarantee. dedicated buyers and marketers. This keeps our We have a succession plan for this business price competitive world wide, our marketing and the ability for everyone to take a picture or current and fresh, and stock is readily available a video is evolving, as we have evolved over 31 at a central location for rapid replenishment. years in business.

What creative things do you do to develop 68 Coffs Coast focus

Describe how you got started in your business. I was working full-time shift work for the ambulance on a four on five off roster, so I had a bit of spare time up my sleeve to start a hobby business. There was a gap in the market for medics who work in high-threat environments, so I took the leap and started TacMed in 2010.

How has your business evolved since it began? Apart from being just me working out of my spare room, we have a team of 15 full-time employees and warehouse. We also deliver about 100 courses a year around the country and recently internationally.

What is your business’ greatest asset?

That’s an easy one! Our staff. Everyone in our team is amazing at what they do, and they have built an awesome reputation for us.

How do you measure success in business?

Success is very subjective but for me, when we get a phone call or message saying that one of our products or training has made a difference to someone’s life, that’s a success.

How will you embrace change in 2019?

2019 is a bit bipolar for us. We are working hard on systems and process, but also innovating with the development of Virtual Reality training technology.

Where do you see your business in the next year? In the next five years? The next ten years? The thought of future business really excites me.

In the next five years, I see TacMed being a truly global company making a difference in equipping first responders with the tools and knowledge to stop preventable causes of death in high-threat, austere and complex environments.

I am extremely proud of the team and what we have achieved together and the difference we make to the lives of seniors each and every day.

Rod Lewis HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE

Adam Shalders & Daniel Hayes

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HIBBARDS QUALITY ASSURANCE DEPARTMENT (ADAM) & PLANNING AND ESTIMATING DEPARTMENT (DANIEL)

ur planning and estimating department take great pride in the challenge to make sure everything is budgeted and allowed for in the most accurate manner for each and every home that is built throughout our 11 regions of operation. With a consistent start list of over 200 homes per year, this is a massive responsibility placed on the planning and estimating department. Any costs coming in different to what’s been estimated is always absorbed by Hibbards and never passed on to our clients.

grateful for the opportunity that Jon and Mike have given me. Before this, I didn’t have a dream or career path in mind. This opportunity seemed to come out of nowhere, but I decided to take it and it’s greatly affected my life, giving me something to strive for while being in the company of great people.”

Bruce Hibbard had a vision for Hibbards, to back his product with a service department to assist with figuring out how to “work” your new home. Sounds funny … but do you know how to operate your water tank? Do you know about termite inspections? Do you know how to maintain your grass? Many new home owners need help with this.

What’s your greatest strength? I have a genuine interest in people and a passion to support seniors and their families to age well and remained engaged with their communities.

What are you most proud of in your business? When we opened Home Instead Senior Care in 2015, there were just the two of us. We have now grown to over 95 employees, supporting over 250 seniors from Coffs Harbour to Forster and everywhere in between.

I am extremely proud of the team and what we have achieved together and the difference we make to the lives of seniors each and every day.

What virtue do you most admire in people?

Strength; I am continually amazed by the resilience of people in dealing with the many challenges that life presents them with and done with such dignity and humility.

What’s one thing about you that would surprise people? As a child, I was very shy and quiet. Now I frequently give talks to large groups of people on services and support for seniors as they age.

My mother would be surprised, but proud, to see how much things have changed.

What is your guilty pleasure? I can never go past a gin and tonic while sitting by the water.

How do you switch off after a long work day? We can often be found at our local pub for a quick meal and a catch up with friends.

If you were down to your last $ 20, what would you spend it on? Four coffees, one for me and the other three for our hard working office team to share. Any business is only successful through the combined efforts of its whole team.

Daniel Hayes is part of our planning and estimating team - a dynamic team of five individuals, led by their strong mentor, James I love working for Barry.

Adam Shalders was commissioned for the job of setting up the service department in 2015 and four years Hibbards. It’s a Dan started working on, the success of challenging role, for Hibbards in August this action has led to in a good way. I’m 2017; his two year ensuring raving fans very grateful for the work anniversary is just and repeat business opportunity that Jon around the corner. from our happy and Mike have given home owners. Having As a Sales Estimator, me. Before this, I completed this task, Dan’s regular role didn’t have a dream or Adam is now the consists of designing career path in mind.

Quality Assurance the home site so that Manager. This role it is a good product for delves into all aspects our clients, and cost of the business, with effective for Hibbards the responsibility of making sure we are always to construct. achieving the highest of standards.

“One of my favourite parts of my job is where I get to envisage how the site is going to look. And when I get to go out into the field and see these homes under construction or complete, it’s just incredible to me that I was a part of that. Seeing the real life version of what I put down on paper - it makes me feel so satisfied in my role at Hibbards.

“The highest quality product can only be achieved by providing ongoing staff training, systems that manage and assist our employees and relevant policy written up and followed.

“The team that I am in are all hard workers and great people to be around. James is an extremely good mentor; he’s taught me a lot in the two years that I have been here, and I am very grateful for that.

In reality, my department encompasses all the staff within Hibbards. It’s fantastic to be a part of this family business. It’s the best job I’ve ever had, but it’s not just a job when you’re working here. It really does become part of your lifestyle; you can’t help but be passionate when you’re part of this company.”

“I love working for Hibbards. It’s a challenging role, in a good way. I’m very

“I love having experience in all areas of the business, and being able make a real difference.

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Michael Lamont RESOURCE DESIGN & MANAGEMENT MANAGING DIRECTOR

Describe how you got started in your business. From the very early days, I knew I wanted to either be part of or own a business.

I enjoy using my skills and knowledge in helping people realise the potential of their land and property. In 1995, after working for a number of local consultants for the previous 15 years, an opportunity presented itself to acquire a share of Resource Design & Management. By 1999, I had acquired the whole business.

How has your business evolved since it began? We have certainly grown in numbers; we currently have 16 skilled employees offering services in project management, surveying, town planning, engineering and environmental management. We are always looking at better ways to service the needs of our clients. We work closely as a team to bring about positive change to the services offered.

How do you measure success in business?

A good question. Certainly, one of the key measures is building strong relationships with your clients based on trust, reputation, and value. Just as important is building and developing a great team who hold similar values and who aspire to be the best they can.

Where do you see your business in the next year? In the next five years? The next ten years? We are excited about the future; plus, we enjoy a challenge. We are working hard to build a strong and resilient business that encourages and supports continual learning and development. We recruit new staff who share our vision and core values. We always want to be close to the leading edge of emerging technology. To this end, we have already made the commitment and invested in 3D data collection by purchasing our own drones and 3D laser scanners. A 3D digital world is the future.

Carl Bennett MERCEDE S-BENZ COFFS COA ST SALE S MANAGER

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ow has your business evolved since it began?

In the 10 years I have been involved in the dealership, we have seen huge changes; the days of being a stand alone Ford dealer have gone.

In this day and age you need to be a multi franchised dealership offering more than one brand of vehicle, which is what we How do you measure success in have achieved by adding Kia, Isuzu Ute and business?

Mercedes-Benz to our portfolio.

We have numerous tools we use to measure What is your greatest achievement? success in the dealership, from targets and While running the Isuzu Ute Franchise of the goal setting to customer Business in 2014, we were satisfaction surveys; these crowned Australian Dealer are all effective tools we of the Year, which was Our greatest use at the dealership. based on sales, service and business asset I personally measure customer satisfaction. would be our staff; success through my What is your business' without great customer referrals greatest asset? staff, you have giving a customer a Our greatest business nothing. great experience when asset would be our staff; they purchase a vehicle without great staff, you from you, then having have nothing. We invest them refer their friends and family back to heavily on training programs for our staff you gives me great satisfaction and also so they reach their full potential; this is not lets me know that I have exceeded their only in the sales department, but across the expectations. dealership, including parts and service.

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Tony Jones P L A N T A T I O N

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How did I start in the business? To be honest, it was by mistake; I was out at my local pub, and the staff were getting pumped. The publican at that time asked if I wanted to help him out for a few hours picking up glasses ... and, well ... I haven’t really stopped. If people ask what my current role is, I still say I’m a glorified barman that gets the blame for everything that happens.

Ha ha!

How has the business evolved? Tough question this one, because we are evolving every day. This industry never sits still; we are dealing with all types of issues in regards to licensing laws that affect the way the business is run, and our competition is always fierce between all the licensed venues in the area, so that means we need to evolve on a day to day basis. The great

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thing about that is it keeps us on the front foot in developing strategies to combat all of the above.

How do you measure success? I like this question, because it can have so many meanings.

Business success? Personal success? The obvious answer would be in the figures; are we making money, are we profitable? As much as those things are important, because without them we wouldn't be here, my personal take is have I made today, this week, this year better for my staff, for my customers, for myself? If I can get all those things right and be successful in those things, the figures look after themselves.

Where do you see the business heading?

Watch this space; in the next year you may see and experience something very new and exciting.

Aaron Hardaker

MID NORTH COAST PHYSIOTHERAPY & SPORTS INJURY CLINICS DIRECTOR

Describe how you got started in your business? Having been born and bred in Coffs, I always pictured myself coming back at some stage after living and working in the UK and Ireland. I returned to the Coffs Coast with a short-term stint in mind, but decided to follow through with an opportunity to provide physio services in Woolgoolga for a few hours per week in a small rented room in the old gym.

How has your business evolved since it began? Since that very humble start, we’ve now grown to a team of 15 working across four practice locations and have provided healthcare services to over ten thousand individual clients on the Coffs Coast. We’ve be able to adapt and change our services to the needs of our clients and the community and have now become a real one stop shop for healthcare in the area.

How do you measure success in business?

Our whole business is focused on improving the health and happiness of the Coffs Coast community. From this, success is measured by the number of clients we’re able to help and the number of lives we can have a positive impact on. Our business is successful when we’re meeting the needs of our clients and have a happy, supported and motivated team.

Where do you see your business in the next year? In the next five years? The next ten years? I see us continuing to innovate and adapt. We have a strong growth vision aimed at supporting more motivated team members across an even wider range of health professions. Continuous growth and improvement will ensure the Coffs Coast continues to have access to great healthcare something we all deserve.

Carl Mower TOORMINA HOTEL GENERAL MANAGER

Michael Lockman THE BIG BANANA FUN PARK GENERAL MANAGER

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ow has your business evolved since it began?

The Big Banana has come a long way since it was first introduced at a roadside banana stall, as a way of attracting people to stop and buy bananas back in 1964. In the late ‘80s the site was redeveloped into “Horticulture World”, which went into receivership within a couple of years.

Kevin Rubie purchased the park in 1993, with a vision to turn it into a Fun Park with the addition of the Toboggan ride, Ice Skating rink, and Snow Slope. The cost of power forced the Snow Slope to close and made the Ice Rink less viable, which slowed Kevin’s Fun Park plans. In the mid 2000s, Village Building Company purchased half of the site and added the World of Bananas Theatre and Tour experience and the inflatable Water Park.

Over the past six and a half years I have been lucky enough to be involved in the Fun Park’s transformation. Since 2013, we have added a state-of-the-art Laser Tag arena, a 36 hole Mini Golf course, the biggest Water Park between Sydney and the Gold Coast, the biggest Giant Slide in the country, Coffs Harbour’s first Ticket Redemption Arcade “Go Bananas Fun Zone” and our latest attraction, the XD Theater - 4D Ride Simulator. This is just the beginning for our vision of The Big Banana Fun Park with many more exciting changes to come!

What is your business’ greatest asset?

Our staff are by far our greatest assets. Each one of our team members show so much passion, commitment and enthusiasm for what they do.

The Big Banana itself is a true Australian icon, putting Coffs Harbour on the map for the past 55 years. Even the Prime Minister can’t

help but refer to it when Elon Musk offers to build us a big battery!

How do you measure success in business?

The success of our business is measured by how our guests feel when they leave the park; our goal is to exceed our guests’ expectations, ensuring they leave with great memories of a fun day out with their family and friends.

As in any business, we need to set targets and budgets so we can have a pipeline to continue the development of the Fun Park, but we’re firm believers that if we focus on the experience for the customer, the rest will come.

Where do you see your business in the next year? In the next five years? The next ten years?

The next year: We are focused on improving and upgrading our current facilities over the next 12 months.

We will improve the overall appearance of the park and focus on finalising the new master plan for the Fun Park, which is very exciting.

The next five - ten years Our master planning process is still in progress, but there are some very exciting changes to come at The Big Banana Fun Park.

We are working on expanding the Water Park, adding new and exciting attractions, upgrading the main building and walkways and even looking to add some accommodation to the park. Watch this space!

What do you enjoy most about the Coffs Coast?

Where do I start! We really do live in paradise on the Coffs Coast. We have amazing beaches, mountains, rivers, cafés and attractions. The weather is great all year and the people here are friendly and laid back … I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else!

Describe how you got started in your business?

I have worked in the hospitality and events industry for the past 20 years. I have worked in clubs in both Sydney and Coffs Harbour, and I have also owned my own restaurant in Sydney. For nearly the past three years, I have been employed with W Short Hospitality at the Toormina Hotel.

How has your business evolved since it began?

The Toormina Hotel has undergone considerable major changes over the past 36 months. From a place that very few visited, it has become the “go to place” on the Coffs Coast. Families and friends of all ages now come to the hotel for the experience. Whether it is dining in our Palms Bistro, Cabanas and

courtyard or our award wining TAB and Sports Bar, our hotel is family orientated and is a destination on the Coffs Coast.

What is your greatest achievement?

My wife will say being married for the past 26 years, and my children will say themselves.

And truly, it’s basically that and loving what you do at work and having a great circle of friends.

What is your business’ greatest asset?

The passion and commitment of our Toormina staff. The positive and embracing culture within our hotel truly is amazing. It’s evident every day when the crew come to work, and they continually strive to deliver the very best in hospitality. I am very proud to be part of this hotel and to have the team around me to achieve our goals.

Brent Culkin

COAST HOTEL GENER AL MANAGER

How has your business evolved since it began?

Since the renovation 12 years ago, the Coast has evolved dramatically from the old Fitzroy Hotel.

Now with almost something for everyone, the Coast has a great Sports Bar and TAB area for our regular punters. Our recently refurbished dining room offers quality meals and value for money, with a premium selection of wines, cocktails and craft beers.

Our liquid bar has become one of the Coffs Coast’s premier entertainment venues and with so many function spaces, we can cater for any get together, from after work catch ups to celebrating that special occasion.

How do you measure success in business?

Believe it nor not, it’s not all about revenue (although that is a key necessity in any business).

I believe in hospitality, a successful venue is one that becomes an integral part of the community it serves - a place for people to gather and socialise, where they know they will receive a great customer experience.

Having a strong team culture is so important in

any business, and I’m very proud to have a team of motivated individuals who are passionate about what they do.

Where do you see your business in the next year, five years, ten years?

I see The Coast Hotel really going from strength to strength.

The Coast is continually evolving as a business; we keep an eye on the times and new things on trend, but remain focused on staying in touch with our local community and its needs.

We will continue to work hard to improve the venue and its offerings. We have some exciting plans for the venue, with the addition of some new areas and function spaces, so stay tuned.

Coffs Coast focus 71

Keep it simple; we have spent a lot of time working on the pieces that we create, along with our logo, and also to ensure that our brand is one that will be well recognised and loved by everyone.

D

escribe how you got started in your business?

I first started to make one off pieces for my own home and for friends as a hobby in 2017, which grew into a passion, and from there Ashton Designs began.

How has your business evolved since it began?

I began creating and building furniture under my house in Sydney, then in a work shed attached to our house in Coffs Harbour and have now moved all operations to our Sawtell Kitchens factory.

What is your greatest achievement?

My grandfather, Ashton Raymond Oliver crafted furniture for himself and his family out of his garage in Coffs Harbour. He not only influenced the name, but the

72 Coffs Coast focus

Dean Bridgman A s h t o n

D E S I G N S

beginnings of my business and the ideals that we share.

Using Ashton as my business name continuously inspires me to “keep it simple”, just like he did.

What is your business’ greatest asset?

Using materials that might not have traditionally been used together and working with people from different industries to design and create beautiful and unique pieces has enabled me to be more innovative.

How will you embrace change in 2019?

We are currently working on opening up a pop up store in Coffs Harbour, which will give us a chance to showcase our products and raise some brand awareness; keep an eye on our socials for more info.

What business leaders do you look up to?

John, the owner of Goodspanner in Sydney, has been a good friend and mentor for many years now. I have

O W N E R

always looked up to John and his accomplishments; he continually inspires and motivates me.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your role?

The look on people’s faces when we deliver our products; it is very satisfying to see a project take shape from design to delivery.

What creative things do you do to develop a likeable company culture?

Keep it simple; we have spent a lot of time working on the pieces that we create, along with our logo, and also to ensure that our brand is one that will be well recognised and loved by everyone.

What do you enjoy most about the Coffs Coast?

Coffs Harbour is a great place to live with an amazing community vibe; I grew up in Coffs Harbour and since living in Sydney, I am very happy to be home again.

mib

Ryan Moran MANAGER, ROD MORAN AUTOMOTIVE

D

escribe how you got started in your business. Rod Moran Automotive was originally established by my dad back in 1995. My passion for cars and motorsport led me to follow in his footsteps, and I became a mechanic in 2008.

In 2016, after being employed for eight years, I decided I needed a change and wanted to take on the family business, so alongside Dad we moved the business to 23 Cook Drive here in Coffs, and I haven’t looked back!

How has your business evolved since it began? In 2016, I started out with a one hoist basic workshop with tools and equipment I had collected over the years. I wasn’t anticipating the customer following that approached us in such a small amount of time. Two years on, Dad and I had well and truly outgrown the space. Last month we moved the business, which has provided us with a larger, more professional workshop.

Rod Moran Automotive power profile)

What is your business’ greatest asset? The vast knowledge Dad and I have for all things automotive, alongside being a family owned and run local business is our greatest asset.

We have a large range of cars come through the workshop, from the old to the new. We specialise in 4WDs and a lot of Datsun rally car and motorsport vehicles. We are able to cater our expertise to any car that pulls into the shop.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your role?

I love what I do and because of that, my job doesn’t actually feel like a job at all! I’m privileged to be in a position where I get to work on cars all day. If I’m not at work working on cars, I’m tinkering away at home on my own projects. This is my passion; I always put 100% into what I do, and my clients are always guaranteed top shelf work!

How do you measure success in your business? Seeing our business grow! Our customers’ satisfaction and loyalty has definitely pushed us to succeed more and more. I’m so grateful for the support from so many people on the Coffs Coast. It shows me I did the right thing wanting to follow my dream in 2016.

What do you love about the Coffs Coast? What’s not to love? You can go from the beach to the bush in minutes.

I was born and bred here, and now have started my own little family here, alongside my wife, Lauren, who has recently opened Livelle Hair Studio. We have two beautiful daughters, so you could say I certainly have my hands full and I am looking forward to what the future brings raising them here, with all the amazing things the Coffs Coast has to offer.

Coffs Coast focus 73

Adam Wood K E Y

D

E M P L O Y M E N T

escribe how you got business success”. An obvious statement, but started in your business? one that I think can be lost on people.

Growing up, I had many AND, different jobs. Trolley boy, Indra Nooyi: CEO of Pepsi. Her motto is screen printer, golf cart “I’m brutally honest; I always look at things attendant. from their point of view, as well as mine. And I was given the opportunity at Bonville I know when to walk away”. Something I feel Golf Resort to become the trainee golf that a lot of people do, is listen for the sake of professional under Brad Daymond. I did two responding, instead of listening for the sake years there, then went to Coffs Harbour GC of listening. Something I work on daily, is to to work under Boyd Nolan and Matt Allan. listen better.

Finished up at Coffs Harbour GC, played What do you enjoy most about the Coffs golf around for a little bit, then was given Coast? the opportunity by my We have so many father in law, current cool things to do Executive Director Chris here. From the great We have so many Worboys, to work at beaches, awesome golf cool things to do Key Employment - that courses (so many) to here. From the great was 11 years ago. beautiful restaurants. beaches, awesome golf What is your greatest There is always courses (so many) to achievement? something to do. beautiful restaurants.

Marrying the girl of What is your my dreams and having business’ greatest There is always three beautiful kids, asset? something to do. getting my degree It has to be our staff. in graphic design, Staff are the greatest becoming a golf asset in any company; pro, publishing two they are the ones children’s books (Charlie and Random Facts representing you on a daily basis. Our staff at about Riley), seeing Key Employment grow Key Employment are exceptional. Nothing is from strength to strength. I’ve been pretty too much trouble for any person you talk to. lucky.

So many people work above and beyond in What business leaders do you look up to? our organisation. From the top, KE CEO Jodi I can’t go with the typical cliché answer Wood runs the day to day operations with here; two people spring to mind: a caring and compassionate attitude. Our Mary Barra: CEO of General Motors. Her management team are an eclectic bunch who motto is, “If we win the hearts and minds all have different strengths that help run our of employees, we’re going to have better company as good as it is.

74 Coffs Coast focus

Wayne Pearce N R M A

I N S U R A N C E

W O O L G O O L G A

Describe how you got started in the business?

I started with NRMA back in 1991 at Berry.

In 1998 I moved to Woolgoolga and have been here ever since.

What is your business’ greatest asset?

Definitely, it’s people! Kerrie, Alexis and I are passionate about ensuring our customers receive great customer service. We enjoy helping people tailor our insurance policies to their needs. Kerrie has been with NRMA for 12 years and Alexis for over 15 years.

Having highly skilled, knowledgeable people working with you makes my job easier and provides a great working environment.

NRMA Woolgoolga provide a personal service to our customers, so they have peace of mind that when the unexpected occurs, NRMA will be there for them.

T E A M

L E A D E R

We have a range of policies to help protect what’s important, such as life and income protection, as well as your home, car, personal injury, boat, caravan and travel insurance for domestic or overseas holidays.

Let Our Business Help Yours With over 25 years in the insurance industry, my experience also extends to insuring businesses. We offer tradespeople, small business owners, including farmers, insurance packages to protect for claims made against them and their businesses from loss due to burglary, damage by fire, storm and business interruption for when unforeseen events occur. For farmers, machinery and farm vehicles can be included in your package.

We look forward to helping our Woolgoolga community.

Dr Paul Crichton J E T T Y

D

escribe how you got started in your business?

After working in the military for six years then private practice for 12 years, I felt I had honed my skills and was ready for a new challenge in my dental career.

Going out as in independent dentist was my next goal, and I was fortunate enough to be able to acquire a well established, two chair dental practice at the end of 2016.

How has your business evolved since it began?

When we first took over Jetty Dental, we had no website or social media presence. This was our first priority and we engaged Coast Studio agency, that specialises in brand and digital creativity. We rebranded our logo, created an up to date website and introduced ourselves to social media. At the same time, Tony wanted to reduce his hours to three days a week. After

getting a taste of the semi retired life, Tony hung up his dental drill for good, and I became a single operating practitioner. As our business continued to grow and grow quite rapidly, I was beginning to be booked out four to five weeks in advance. Although this sounds great, it doesn’t leave much room for emergency appointments, so in 2018 we took on Dr Simon Basha. It meant I could share the workload more evenly. Although extra support staff also had to be acquired at the same time, this actually became an advantage, as it meant our staff could have more flexible working hours. We also upgraded our practice management software in 2018. Exact delivers efficiency through an automative recall system and accelerates charting and treatment planning. It also enhances our business performance through tracking our patients’ journey, the effectiveness of our communication and utilising available chair time.

The benefit from this increased efficiency at a

D E N T A L

management level means more time to focus on patient care.

What is your business’ greatest asset?

Our patients, without a doubt. If we didn’t have patients, we wouldn’t have a practice!

How do you measure success in business?

We believe success in business should be directly related to our practice’s vision. We also have four main areas that we track to monitor the success of our business. They are number of new patients, number of existing patients that leave, our overheads, and profitability.

How will you embrace change in 2019?

Change in the dental industry is driven by a number of factors, including new technologies, a heightened involvement of health insurers and changes in consumer behaviour. We attend trade shows to access what new technologies are around. To combat the involvement of health insurers and changes to consumer behaviour, we try to educate our patients

D I R E C T O R

on how independent dental practices allow patients the freedom of choice for treatments, dentists and specialists.

What business leaders do you look up to?

I have been very fortunate to have had two exceptional mentors throughout my dental career. Both have taught me a great deal about what success looks like. And for me, a great reputation is at the forefront of that.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your role?

My real passion is cosmetic dentistry, and the latest dental ceramics are able to provide my patients with extremely strong, durable and natural looking restorations.

What creative things do you do to develop a likeable company culture?

We are only a small practice, so for us we like to get together at the end our week with a cheeky drink on our back deck at work and just debrief about our working week.

Coffs Coast focus 75

Man to man about women: Providing care for the women in your lives

Mana Te Whatu

R M KITCHENS + BATHROOMS/ GR ANITE TR ANSFORMATIONS OWNER

Tell us about your background in the industry.

I have been working in the industry for approximately 12 years, starting out at Beaumonde Design Kitchens in Coffs Harbour, where I completed my trade certificate in cabinet and furniture making.

When Beaumonde closed their doors, an opportunity arose to work with a large local timber joinery specialising in doors and stairs, which honed my skills further.

I started with Granite Transformations Coffs Harbour seven years ago and progressed to installing kitchens and other custom made

cabinetry.

All my past experience and having worked with some of the best in the business has contributed to my present situation of being a business owner and factory manager.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

The majority of our work is through customer referrals and returning customers, which is a testament to our service, innovative design skills and quality workmanship, which is something we take great pride in. We love seeing a renovation come together to create a space our clients can enjoy for many years to come.

A/Prof Harvey Ward & Dr Aaron Budden

H

WOMENS REPRODUCTIVE CARE

ow did you both get into this business?

Our paths into this best of professions may have been different, but our passion as doctors, husbands and fathers to ensure optimal reproductive health at all stages of women’s lives is our joyful commitment.

their family. What can then sometimes start as a simple issue can often affect relationships, family life, partner intimacy and self-worth, compounding the physical issues. Seeing the relief in the eyes of women just by listening and reassuring them they’re not alone is rewarding; however, reaching a practical and effective way to manage some problems can literally be life changing.

Neither of us really started out thinking What are your greatest achievements? we would head into a life of business. Via our journeys into health care, we found the For us, our best achievements are our family. excitement and privilege that comes from Both of us are married to the most wonderful caring for women and their babies. The desire women who keep us grounded in this profession, to continue providing are our most valuable the best possible for advisors and closest friends. care for women of all Our children have enabled ages and life stages has us to have the awesome kept us immersed in this responsibility of being dads There are big challenges very rewarding career. and have made us better some days with women The private practice was doctors. of all ages, but our most developed in 2006 and The start and growth of important role is to listen, grown from there, as it Womens Reproductive care empathise and explore provided another avenue is one of Dr Ward’s other the problems that are for Dr Ward, and now favourite achievements. often too difficult and Dr Budden, to provide The practice has thrived personal to discuss with the best level of care for and grown with a most anyone else. women of the coast. spectacular team of great What are the most satisfying aspects of your role?

We love making birthdays! It is one of the most memorable moments in a woman’s life when she becomes a mum, and we see divine mathematics at work first hand - one plus one equals three! Only in maternity!

There are big challenges some days with women of all ages, but our most important role is to listen, empathise and explore the problems that are often too difficult and personal to discuss with anyone else. And let’s be honest, there are a lot of socially taboo subjects some women won’t discuss with other women in 76 Coffs Coast focus

staff, and with the addition of Dr Budden and the skills both doctors have acquired in minimally invasive surgery, we have added another dimension of care that we can provide for women locally on the coast.

What’s next for Womens Reproductive Care?

We are working towards expansion and improved access to women’s health care services, in both private and public health. As mentors, lecturers and examiners, we work closely with the rural medical school to train our future doctors and encourage them to stay here when they graduate and ensure the best care is offered right here on the coast.

& The Coffs Harbour Racing Club and Function Centre is located on the Coffs Coast and hosts fifteen racing events throughout the year, with the most notable being the Coffs Cup. FOCUS had a chat with Club Manager Tim Saladine and Licensee Cameron Nealer, to find out more …

Tim Saladine COFFS HARBOUR RACING CLUB CLUB MANAGER

Describe how you got started in your business?

I worked for Racing NSW as a Stipendiary Steward for over 10 years. I was approached by our Chairman, AJ, to be the Racing Manager in 2015 and accepted that role, and in February 2018 was appointed as the Race Club Manager.

What is your greatest achievement?

I believe there is plenty to come for the Coffs racing scene, with the recent prize money increases; the Coffs Cup is now worth $150K in prize money - up from $80K last year - and overall prize money on Coffs Cup day has gone up $115K in 12 months.

This is thanks to Racing NSW, which has seen prize money across all sectors rise.

The club is also hopeful of securing the Country Championship heat next February, which would feature a $150K Country only qualifying race and would attract over 3,000 people.

What is the most satisfying aspect of your role?

We have over 150 horses in work at the race track and when you see a horse first come into training and follow up to its first start, it’s great to see them get to the races and then if they go on to to win some races it’s very satisfying.

What do you enjoy most about the Coffs Coast?

Fantastic climate, great people, and it’s very relaxing.

Cameron Nealer COFFS HARBOUR R ACING CLUB/MARLEY’S BEACH SHACK LICENSEE /BUSINESS OWNER

What is your greatest achievement?

Running successful businesses over the Coffs Coast, having a crack at running a massive event like the Coffs Cup, but owning my own business was definitely a life goal achieved. Such a big challenge and so rewarding. Bring on summer.

How do you measure success in business?

Obviously return business is the key, and ensuring that your customers leave with a smile on their face.

What business leaders do you look up to?

Anyone who has started from the bottom and worked their way up has my full respect.

Most rewarding part of your job?

Dealing with humans every day. Making sure that events run smoothly with the best possible customer service, and receiving compliments when a job is completed well.

What do you enjoy most about the Coffs Coast?

How could you not love where we live?

Best place in the world. Very relaxing lifestyle, great humans and Big Panda!

Coffs Coast focus 77

Barry Hockey B A R R Y

H O C K E Y

A C C O U N T A N T S

It is hard to believe how quickly this year is going. If you prepare your own tax return, then you need to complete and lodge your tax return by 31st October.

If you have not been to a tax agent before and would like your return completed by a professional, then you need to see them prior to 31st October. You should ensure that your tax professional is a registered tax agent.

Do you have work related expenses, or you are a sole trader? Then check out the ATO App - myDeductions. This will make it easier and more convenient to keep your tax deductions and income records all in one, and it’s free. Simply download the ATO app to your smart device and choose whether you’d like to use as an individual, sole trader or both.

Then you can add deductions/ expenses, vehicle trips, income (if sole trader) and photos of your receipts. You’re now paperless.

At Barry Hockey Accountants, we have a dedicated team to assist you. We not only specialise in taxation, but we have extensive background skills in finance and banking.

Our firm is big enough to get the job done and small enough to care. Personal service and attention to detail is our business.

78 Coffs Coast focus

Douglas McDonald B U S I N E S S

B U Y

O R

S E L L

If You Want To Sell Your Business The Right Way • In the shortest possible time • For the highest possible price • With the least amount of stress • For the best possible terms • To that perfect couple or individual • You must have your business appraised by an experienced, knowledgeable business valuer that takes the time and effort to determine current market value and saleability.

We realise most business owners have never sold a business before or know where to start. They are totally unprepared and vastly underestimate what is involved in calculating its value, marketing or the selling of a business.

At Business Buy or Sell, we have a three stage process.

1. Sale Assessment - discovering the market value of your business and determining if, in fact, you have a saleable business - most important!

2. Pre-Sale - gathering information from our comprehensive questionnaire to tell your story and that of your business, strengths and opportunities.

3. Actual Listing for Sale - putting it all together and listing on eight major business websites to attract the greatest number of qualified buyers, not time wasters, who must sign a detailed confidentiality agreement.

Buyers do not just buy businesses - they buy opportunities that are profitable now!

Marc Carroll S A W T E L L E L E C T R I C A L P T Y L T D C O M P A N Y D I R E C T O R / E L E C T R I C I A N

Sawtell Electrical started in 2012, basically to provide my son an apprenticeship (Aaron is now a fully licensed electrician within the company).

We began working for Atkinson’s Real Estate (now McGraths) in Sawtell, undertaking repairs and maintenance to rentals properties. The business quickly grew, and we now service 18 real estates, three strata companies, have contracts with government housing, schools and buildings, and are contracted installers for The Good Guys.

Sawtell Electrical specialises in all electrical requirements for domestic and commercial areas. We service stoves, ovens and hot water systems and can respond on the day to urgent matters with our computerised dispatch system.

We constantly analyse and explore ways to improve and maintain our high level of service and pride ourselves on offering our clients a cost-effective solution to their electrical needs. The growth of the business validates that we are doing the right thing.

I love the Coffs Coast, particularly Sawtell, where I grew up surfing and playing soccer. I consider myself a local, having lived here for over 40 years.

I regard our employees as our greatest asset, so the most satisfying aspect of my role is providing them a friendly environment where they enjoy coming to work. It’s equally rewarding to provide a professional and friendly 24/7 service to locals.

Craig Markwort & Chris Ranford

A D V A N C E D

M E C H A N I C A L

S E R V I C E S

Describe how you got started in your business? We are both fully trained automotive technicians in a broad range of areas, who have lived on the stunning Coffs Coast for years.

Not long after moving to Coffs Harbour, we struck up a friendship, mainly over our common interests and backgrounds. We were discussing our previous business experience one day and realised that with the knowledge we have, we could open our own business, Advanced Mechanical Services. And, so we did! It’s been a wild ride to date, and we honestly couldn’t be happier.

How has your business evolved since it began? Keeping abreast of new technology, including the latest diagnostic equipment, means our business is constantly evolving. And we are always up to speed with training! We also run a not-forprofit car club, Advanced Motoring Club, that never would have eventuated if it wasn’t for our business. It’s incredibly satisfying to see how much the business has changed since we started, all for the better!

What is your greatest achievement? The business is definitely one of our greatest achievements! Being able to do what we love, in a wonderful location such as the Coffs Coast, is rewarding in itself. However, we also take great satisfaction in making sure our customers’ cars are maintained to the best possible standard.

Matt Loretan M A T T L O R E T A N J E W E L L E R Y O W N E R .

O P E R A T O R . M A S T E R J E W E L L E R .

Describe how you got started in your business? My family has been in the jewellery trade since 1928, starting with my great-grandfather, Raphael Loretan, whom I share a birthday with. At the age of 19, I decided to continue the family legacy and secured an apprenticeship in Perth, so I packed up my life and started my trade studies in Western Australia.

How has your business evolved since it began? When I first opened in Coffs, I had a nine square metre office. The business quickly evolved into the large retail store located in Park Ave. I traded there successfully for five years, building my reputation within the local community. I was then presented with an opportunity to work as a flight instructor, so over the next seven years I enjoyed working with my father, Robert Loretan, training pilots for Air New Guinea. At this time I closed the retail storefront, however, kept my workshop open and worked on the bench in my spare time.

What is your greatest achievement? Professionally - there have been many great achievements over the years, but recently I decided that it was time to invest in the tools that I have always had on the “one day list”, and now I am happy to finally have the start of the art workshop I have always wanted.

Personally - finding the right balance between work and time to live life with my wife and our two kids, Holly and Archie.

Dave Brighton F L O O R

S A N D I N G

Dave Brighton is a fourth generation timber flooring specialist who specialises in sanding and polishing new and existing timber floors, installation of new timber floors (raw and engineered) with a wide range of species; we also sand and coat timber decks and stairs.

We have been operating here on the Coffs Coast since 1996.

Our NSW team covers all areas from Kempsey through to Grafton, out to Dorrigo and Bellingen and of course, the beautiful Coffs Coast. In January 2019 we expanded to cover the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Dave is highly recognised in the timber flooring industry throughout NSW and QLD and is the “go-to-man” for other floor sanders for advice and reports, including timber associations and insurance companies. We are certified by Australian Timber Flooring Association (ATFA), so you can be certain you’ll always get an exceptional level of workmanship and service. Over the last 30 years in business, we have developed a comprehensive knowledge in all facets of timber flooring, timber installation, sanding and polishing from the best quality products, to achieving the latest trends. We only use cutting edge equipment that is serviced and regularly maintained, to ensure job satisfaction is guaranteed.

We use up-to-date floor sanding machines with revolutionary and current dust extraction equipment, to minimise unwanted dust.

We are fully licensed and insured, and all staff hold construction cards. We operate with the strictest workplace health and safety regulations at ALL times.We are proud to be associated with Integrity Homes here on the Coast. Visit our website: www. davebrightonfloorsanding.com.au or drop us an email or give us a call for a no obligation free quote.

Coffs Coast focus 79

get the W I T H

C O N N O R

A T

P A R K

B E A C H

P L A Z A

Ryan Moran

Michael Lockman

Tony Jones

Brent Culkin

Reed Clayton

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Blazer $139.99 Shirt $59.99 (or two for $100) Tie $19.99 Chinos $69.99 (or two for $100) Shoes $59.99

Suit jacket and pants $199.99 Shirt $59.99 (or two for $100 Tie $19.99 Shoes $59.99

Suit jacket and pants $199.99 Shirt $59.99 (or two for $100) Tie $19.99 Boots $69.99

WEARS...

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Putting Coffs Harbour businesses on the (Google) map Sixty two per cent of customers will stop considering a business if they can’t find info about it online. Is your website standing out? Cath Fowler lives and breathes digital marketing. Her 15year career in Sydney provided a great platform to build a local marketing business, after moving to her husband’s hometown of Sawtell.

Bringing her down to earth personality to her work, she has built a successful business focused on website design, getting your business found in Google, and writing great website copy.

From working with national brands to being published by news.com.au - Cath is on a mission to help local businesses improve their digital marketing presence. She has become an active part of the Coffs Coast community, breathing new life into the Business Women’s Network in 2019.

Her passion for regional business sees her launching a podcast called Regional Roar with another business owner, sharing the stories of successful regional businesses, as well as marketing and business tips.

“I’m proud to have created an advertising agency alternative offering affordable marketing solution for local businesses.

It was a wonderful surprise to receive the Sunny’s Start Up Superstar award, but also great recognition for the hard work I have put in building my business over the past 20 months,” said Cath.

Visit cathfowlermarketing.com Call 0404 367 887.

Email hello@cathfowlermarketing.com

2019

2019 Sunny’s Business Awards THE CHAMBER ARE SO DELIGHTED WITH THE LEVEL OF N O M I N AT I O N S, F I N A L I S T S A N D W I N N E R S F R O M T H E 2019 SUNNY’S BUSINESS AWARDS. FOCUS SPOKE WITH CHAMBER PRESIDENT, MARTIN WELLS ...

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he gala night was held on 22nd June in front of a packed house at C.ex Coffs of over 330 business owners and their teams, who came together to celebrate the dynamic businesses we have within our local region. This year, following feedback received, we changed up the program and provided businesses and teams an opportunity to mingle pre-dinner in a standup canapés and refreshments networking scenario. Apart from being incredibly well received, it created a real buzz prior to entering the main auditorium, which looked simply stunning.

The Sunny’s aim to encourage and celebrate creativity, professionalism and innovation in business. The awards are a great platform to showcase one’s business to the wider business community, and this year we are so excited to see many new businesses enter the Sunny’s that haven’t previously.

It was a delight to look around the room, thrilled to see so much passion, enthusiasm, commitment, growth mindsets and opportunity to recognise the invaluable efforts of their teams, their successes and learnings, and we applaud them all. Across 24 categories, that provide the winners with the opportunity to advance to the Regional NSW Business Awards, a line-up of immense talent, tenacity, and triumph was on display for all to celebrate. After judging by nine independent leading business judges, we are delighted to announce the 2019 Business of the Year was taken out by Affirmations Publishing House, who have

been in operation for 30 years on the Coffs Coast. Multiple Category wins also went to Riverside Holiday Resort Urunga, Coffs Coast Surf Tours, and The Laser Lounge.

The Chamber’s underlying desire is to work tirelessly to create the economic and community opportunities that assist business to thrive and improve their lifestyle and future. The new Board are looking for a complete revamp of the Awards for next year, to make them bigger, better, and more aligned to the Coffs Coast region. There has never been a better time to implement positive outcomes, work together harmoniously, and achieve the best opportunities for the Coffs Coast than right now. We are so grateful for the ongoing support of the Chamber from all of the Sunny’s sponsors, and for the attendance of our newly elected Federal and State Members, Pat Conaghan and Gurmesh Singh, along with Mayor Denise

Knight, GM Steve McGrath, and several Councillors. Congratulations to all who nominated, finalists and winners and thank you to the organising committee for your hard work to deliver such a successful event.

Finally, if you’re not yet a member of the chamber but you have a passion to know how you can leverage the opportunities and other benefits we deliver, please pop over to our website and apply for membership. We would be delighted to be able to assist you, and have your support.

Great things happen when we all work together. Also, if you aren’t following our Facebook page, you are missing out on real-time updates, media releases, and general information that will assist you and your business. Just search Coffs Harbour Chamber of Commerce.

Thanks, Martin.

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Laser Lounge BARBARA HAIGH

ell us about your business.

The Laser Lounge Coffs Harbour was the first laser clinic in the area to offer Coffs Coast residents laser hair removal, skin treatments and cosmetic injectables at a competitive price point with a highly trained team of professionals. Our clinic is a beautiful, modern space. It’s calming and immaculately clean, but what we are most proud of is getting great results for our clients.

You recently just won two categories at the 2019 Sunny's Business Awards: "Retail" and "Marketing and Advertising". Can you tell us how your business plan helped you achieve those amazing results?

Winning these awards in our first year of trading was a huge achievement. As a new business, a lot of hard work went in to create a solid business plan, to ensure we are successful.

By working with The Laser Lounge team, we have been able to achieve our short and longterm goals and have successfully cemented ourselves as a favourite among the Coffs locals.

Although we have won the awards for Retail and Marketing and Advertising, our clients' results and their enthusiasm and ongoing referrals in the community is a great reward for

the team and an important part of our business growth. It really helps maintain our positive mindset and "can do" attitude.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I enjoy creating a fun and energetic clinic environment; this year has been so exciting and rewarding. When we are at work, we focus on giving the best service and treatments possible. While the desired outcome of "smooth confident clients" sounds simple, the process to get there is not. Like many, I enjoy a challenge; the biggest challenge remains ensuring the team feel adequately resourced to deliver outstanding client outcomes, while feeling valued as contributors to the success of the business. I enjoy working alongside a team of beautiful and talented women who inspire me every day to lead us into success.

What systems have you set up in your business to help it grow?

We have intentionally invested heavily on ensuring client and business data is captured and managed. We’ve a state-of-the-art POS system and have embraced Xero, to ensure we have an efficient process underpinning the client experience, payroll system, management reporting and accounting. Over time, we will progressively use three key levers to

increase the capacity of the clinic, i.e. extended trading hours, new technology and additional staffing. We are always trying to build our client base - this is achieved through a comprehensive marketing strategy spanning all mediums, with a strong focus on social media, word of mouth and strategic promotions (e.g. flash sales). Laser Hair Removal has proved a far superior substitute to waxing or shaving, so will continue to be promoted to attract new clients. The team has been trained to help clients navigate the broad service offering of our clinic, so when they come in for one treatment, they often learn and can ask about other services that can meet their needs.

What creative things do you do to develop a likeable company culture?

Great culture is essential to great business.

We work hard with our team to ensure they are happy and challenged; so, we design and monitor personal career plans that cover professional development, career pathing and incentive structures. We get along well and support each other in and out of the clinic.

We are all excited about our next big and courageous development - we will be rebranding to become part of the national SILK Laser Clinics brand. Although we will have a refreshed look and a new name, we will still have the same great team delivering the same great services. We can’t wait!

N OW A PA RT OF

LASER HAIR REMOVAL COSMETIC INJECTIONS SKIN TREATMENTS

SKIN CARE

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FreshDentalCare

O U R P H I LO S O P H Y I S T H AT P E O P L E S H O U L D B E H A P P Y A N D H E A LT H Y ; W E W A N T T O M A K E A D I F F E R E N C E I N O U R CO M M U N I T I E S B Y I M P R O V I N G O R A L H E A LT H AND GIVING PEOPLE SMILES THEY WANT TO SHOW – BECAUSE S M I L I N G I S I M P O R TA N T !

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resh Dental Care are winners again this year in the Sunny’s Business Awards - what category did you win?

We won the Professional Development and Training Award; we were proud to be finalists in four other categories on the evening.

What does winning this award mean to Fresh Dental Care?

Winning this award recognises our team on their fantastic efforts and achievements. As an employer, it recognises us for the investment we make in our teams, to ensure that we consistently deliver a high standard of patient care and in assisting our team members toward achieving their personal and professional goals.

As a progressive, modern and successful regional business, Fresh Dental Care is delighted and proud that our workplace culture means that we have a very committed and dedicated team who wish to constantly improve themselves through ongoing training and grow to be their best.

How do you grow and develop your team?

We encourage growth and individual learning at Fresh and are very supportive of our team’s needs and are constantly looking for ways in which we can help them achieve their goals, both personally and professionally.

Some of the training we do includes regular in house training in all aspects of Safe Work Practices and Infection Control; we also provide our teams with external training, such as Medical Emergencies Training and First Aid. Individual staff are assisted with training in Certificate III or IV in Dental Assisting, and our clinicians are supported through their Continued Professional Development.

By supporting our teams in their development, it is reflected back to us through high levels of staff satisfaction, participation and retention - it’s a win-win and creates a positive atmosphere for all.

Our business manager Kirsty Christensen says: “My aim is to ensure that I am growing people. It is a passion, and I am dedicated to continually improving myself and the members

of my team to better team member who joins us Dentistry and dental versions of ourselves every a happy work-life balance, health is highly personal day.” as well as concrete career and involves a lot What sets Fresh Dental development. Hearing of trust and skill in Care apart? laughter throughout our establishing rapport and Dentistry and dental surgeries is a sign that we relationships. health is highly personal are achieving. and involves a lot of trust Fresh Dental Care’s and skill in establishing passion is to improve the oral rapport and relationships. health and wellbeing of our We pride ourselves on this, community. We - quite literally and it guides all our work and our activities - love to see people smile. within the community. Our staff become part of “There is no magic formula for great the lives of our patients and customers. company culture. The key is just to treat your Our teams are full of dynamic, fun and staff how you would like to be treated.” inspired individuals. We aspire to give every Richard Brand.

Bulk billing CDBS available Family-friendly practice Extended opening hours Saturday availability

(Coffs Harbour & Macksville)

Children’s therapist PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & STAFF TRAINING FRESH DENTAL

2019

Grafton

Cnr Queen & Victoria Streets

6643 2225

Coffs Harbour

Suite 1, 252 Harbour Drive

6651 1350

freshdentalcare.com.au

Urunga

46 Bonville Street

6655 5800

Macksville

1 Princess Street

6568 1335

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2019

6 Degrees of Success Have you heard about 6 Degrees? This exciting initiative from Coffs Harbour City Council creates opportunities for startup and established businesses by working to grow and develop the local innovation ecosystem and startup community.

Over the last 12 months, 6 Degrees has expanded its reach from the Coffs Coast, and now delivers these opportunities into the wider local region of Woolgoolga, Kempsey, Nambucca and Grafton. This has been made possible through the Jobs for NSW Local Innovation Network Program (LINP).

6 Degrees’ activities and opportunities include: • CO-WORKING SPACES: in two different locations - Coffs Harbour and Woolgoolga.

• PITCH YOUR PASSION: allowing members to introduce their venture, share what they are currently up to, and what they need to get their business moving.

• WORKSHOPS: facilitated by industry experts, these workshops teach skills and introduce sophisticated concepts which contribute to business growth.

• SALONS: social evenings providing invaluable

networking opportunities.

• POWER HOURS: invited regional entrepreneurs share their business journey and key-defining moments with aspiring startups.

• STRUCTURED PROGRAMS: through LINP, 6 Degrees has introduced structured incubator and accelerator programs which are offered to startup businesses for a fraction of the cost.

• SYDNEY STARTUP HUB CONNECTION: 6 Degrees members can use the Sydney StartUp Hub resources, including the Regional Landing Pad, for information, support or working space in Sydney.

StartUp Coffs Coast is revving up!

Held annually, StartUp Coffs Coast is the biggest startup event series on the Mid North Coast. This year we feature five exciting events in July and August: an evening with our special guest speaker, young and successful local entrepreneur Jess Wilson; a choice of expert workshops; Ideation Session to get your creative juices flowing; StartUp Alley business showcase; and a Pitch Competition with great prizes to win.

For information on how you can join the 6 Degrees tribe or attend StartUp Coffs Coast events, visit 6degreesco.com.au

Join 6 degrees, innovators and entrepreneurs at the

Biggest Startup Event Series on the Mid North Coast

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Riverside Holiday Resort Riverside Holiday Resort is adjacent to the C.ex Golf Club and overlooking the Kalang and Bellinger Rivers in Urunga. This picturesque Resort offers 32 x two bedroom fully selfcontained apartments that can accommodate up to six guests (at no additional charge). Riverside Holiday Resort offers wheelchair accessible, accessible and upstairs apartments with beautiful views over the river, golf course, pool or mountains. The resort offers accessible family friendly facilities, such as salt water swimming pool, BBQ areas, trampolines, play equipment along with kayak and paddle board hire. Riverside Holiday Resort is within walking distance of town and our almost 1 km long boardwalk, that stretches out across the tidal lagoon all the way to the waves and the mouth of the river. We are lucky to be a part of the Bellingen Shire and be surrounded by wildlife and natural beauty. Guests are sure to make memories here in Urunga they

will never forget.

Construction is currently underway for eight additional apartments, and we hope to have them open and ready for occupancy before Easter 2020. Riverside Holiday Resort management and staff are very proud of our two awards won at the Local Sunny’s Business awards in Coffs Harbour for best Accommodation, Hotels Clubs & Bars, and Excellence in Workplace Inclusion. In 2018 we won the North Coast Regional and NSW Tourism award in the selfcontained accommodation award and placed in the top six at the National Awards. We are finalists in this category at the North Coast awards for 2019, along with finalists in the Excellence in Accessible Tourism category.

We are very proud to offer accessible, affordable self contained accommodation here on the Coffs Coast and look forward to welcoming you all sometime soon.

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Crystal Tate has always loved the process of creating art, and recently rekindled her relationship with painting and illustration after a few years away from it. Her illustrations capture those simple moments and pleasures in life that most of us can relate to. They are beautiful, quirky and evoke feelings of joy and contentment.

Crystal Tate

Crystal

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i Crystal. Can you tell us a bit about your personal history with the Coffs Coast?

I grew up here, travelled overseas, lived in Brisbane and then was drawn back to the area by the love of my life, my now husband, Sam ... It wasn’t such a compromise; it is such an incredibly beautiful area. I love the one street towns, the great food, and most of all - the people. Growing up here, I didn’t understand how amazing it is to have the mountains, rivers and ocean as close as we do - and all in such pristine condition. But now I do, and I try not to take it for granted.

Has art always been something you’ve enjoyed? Was there something you remember that first sparked your interest?

I have always loved art, but I haven’t always made time for it. I made it into Art Express in my final year of high school and then dabbled in it for fun a few times through my twenties - I even managed to sell a whole lot in a café I worked at in Brisbane, but it never occurred to me I could pursue art as a career; it was too enjoyable and pointless! It wasn’t until I started going to the Dead Flower Society drawing nights in Bellingen that I rekindled my love for doing art for art’s sake and dropped the need for everything I do to be productive and result driven.

Tate Illustrations

The older I get the more I realise how work? important it is to have fun!

I like to inspire feelings of happiness, What mediums do you mostly use? connection and contentment in the images I Watercolour, ink and artists pens mainly, create. The world has enough sadness; I want but I have a life-long love of stationery to remind people (and myself) of all we have and copious art supplies, so if I’m chasing to be grateful and happy about. I like focusing a particular colour or texture, I could use on the minutia - the little things that bring so anything - at one stage I much goodness to our was painting with coffee day and are accessible … such a rich brown to everyone, no matter (and smelled good too!) who you are and what What is the process your story is.

The biggest praise is when like for you usually?

Where do you often people look at my art and smile.

When I am planning draw inspiration When they tell me that an artwork, I am from? they can relate to my spending time conjuring I am inspired by images, it reminds me those moments we kindness, by people that we are all in this can all relate to where making space in their together and no matter we pause, feel joy, busy lives for activities how different our path, our wonder, excitement that bring them joy, culture, our beliefs or our looks and contentment. It is and I am inspired by the - we all enjoy a little sunshine. an enjoyable process, strength and courage because whilst I am we all possess in creating the illustration, I often ridiculously hard often have a smile plastered across my face as situations.

I attempt to capture the feelings I am trying to Are there any other artists or people in convey - I probably look quite nutty! your life that inspire you and your work?

How would you describe your style of I love looking at the art other people are illustration? creating; I wouldn’t say there is any one artist Intuitive and whimsical. I love the who has influenced my work profoundly, unpredictability of ink and watercolour, and I but I am falling in love with new artists every love letting things run and splash. day through my adventures on Instagram. I Would you say there is a theme to your am constantly inspired and thankful for my

wonderful friends and family; my art is often based on life events and experiences of mine and those around me.

Is there a medium or style you’d love to try or experiment with that you haven’t worked with before?

I am always excited to try something new. Given the chance, I would love to play with textiles and ceramics. I just did a family portrait that I enjoyed immensely, and I would love to try my hand at greeting cards. I’m always curious to learn and grow creatively.

What do you most enjoy about sitting down to begin a piece?

All of it. I love thinking about the feeling I want to convey, the colours and composition.

I love sitting in the sun or curled up on the couch, listening to my favourite playlist, sipping a hot cuppa and raiding the biscuit jar, as I ponder how to begin. Because my art often sprouts from a personal experience or that of a friend, I enjoy spending time with the memory that has inspired it.

The biggest praise is when people look at my art and smile. When they tell me that they can relate to my images, it reminds me that we are all in this together and no matter how different our path, our culture, our beliefs or our looks - we all enjoy a little sunshine.

Where can people find your work?

On my Instagram account: crystaltateillustrations Thanks Crystal.

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BR IAN AND DAVID HOPWOOD

HOPWOOD HOMES HAVE GUIDED OVER 1,000 FAMILIES TO ACHIEVE THEIR VISION OF BUILDING THEIR OWN HOME. FROM BREEZY OPEN-PLAN BEACH HOUSES UP AND DOWN THE COFFS COAST, TO COSY RURAL DWELLINGS GOING WEST OUT TO DORRIGO, NO STYLE OR LOCATION IS A PROBLEM. FOCUS HAD A CHAT WITH BRIAN AND DAVID HOPWOOD, TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN UP TO OF LATE ...

i Brian and David. everyone posted on this one.

Welcome back to David - As Dad said, the Christmas break is FOCUS. How have the much needed, for not only us at Hopwoods, last six months been for but also for our trades and suppliers. 2019 has Brian Hopwood Homes? seen me spend a lot more time on site; I even Brian - Last time we invested in a pair of work boots, which has spoke was right before our Christmas break kept the trades entertained. I have also spent which is always a great time with our suppliers time to refresh with reviewing our range and family and take some gaining insight as to time away; it never lasts where trends are headed. too long though. The There are definitely some OUR DISPLAY HOME first half of 2019 has interesting products out HAS BEEN A BIG been a busy one for there, and it’s comforting REMINDER TO THE us! This year already to know that Hopwood COFFS COAST OF WHY we have handed over Homes as custom WE HAVE BEEN A BIG 12 homes, with a few builders are exposed to PART OF THE BUILDING more scheduled for the these more often, thanks LANDSCAPE FOR OVER coming weeks. Our to our clients’ diverse 30YEARS LOCALLY. display home has been needs and tastes. Dad a big reminder to the also mentioned our Coffs Coast of why we display home; I have have been a big part of loved the response from the building landscape the Coffs Coast - it is for over 30 years locally. It is for this reason we a comforting reminder of our stance in the have plans for another one, or maybe even market! Plans for our upcoming display(s) are two, display homes on the Coffs Coast in the looking great and something that will excite. next twelve months. I am sure David will keep Continued over Coffs Coast focus 87

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MARK IS ALSO A QUALIFIED Wow, it really sounds like BUILDER AND STILL GETS a family affair. We know OUT TO ALL OUR JOBS; YOU never take a true builder off site, and I Brian and David Hopwood at CAN NEVER TAKE A TRUE am grateful for this. Mark Rose (Rosie) Hopwood Homes - tell me more BUILDER OFF SITE, AND I is our site supervisor; he has the huge about the rest of the team.

AM GRATEFUL FOR THIS. task of managing all our projects Brian - It really is. We have and he does a truly incredible job an incredible team at Hopwood - nothing is ever an issue for Rosie.

Homes; they are all industry Out on site we have Chris, who is our professionals who are also labourer; Chris is a happy and hard amazing people. Mr Mark Bohringer (Boz) was in the past working kid. He is responsible for keeping the sites clean one of our subbies before becoming our supervisor and and working with Rosie to ensure everything is on site to then stepping into the office as our estimator. Mark is also a qualified builder and still gets out to all our jobs; you can get the job done. In our office we have Angie and Helen.

LIVE IT

O U T B AC K RUSTIC Australia’s gifts are yours to keep The rich, earthy tones of the Australian outback set the perfect backdrop for this warm and cosy style.

COFFS HARBOUR CARPET COURT 1/22 Keona Circuit, Coffs Harbour P 6652 4866 Hybrid | Aqua-Tuf Longboard | Native Blackbutt

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selection process.

Brian Hopwood Homes seem to have a close working relationship with local tradesmen and suppliers; why is this important?

Brian - We really do! Being a carpenter by trade myself, I value workmanship and “doing things right”. Believe it or not, I have been off the tools for some time now - well, a long time, so it’s important to trust the tradesmen who are doing the work.

I have worked with many of our trades for as long BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I HAVE as I have been in Coffs BEEN OFF THE TOOLS FOR Harbour. Gidge Basso SOME TIME NOW - WELL, does all of our plumbing A LONG TIME, SO IT’S work, and he and I IMPORTANT TO TRUST Angie is our accounts have worked together THE TRADESMAN WHO manager and one of our now for 30 years. The ARE DOING THE WORK. selections specialists. same with Steve Stocks Angie has been with our Earthmoving; Brad Martin company for nearing six of Harbour Colour has years, and her dedication been painting our homes to this business and our clients is inspiring. for 15 years, one of our carpenters, Bear, has Helen is our administrative assistant who has been on our sites for 15 years, Rick Rooney fit perfectly with the team, bringing her own Electrical are now at six years - and the list passion for building and design. Helen has goes on! recently started studies as an interior designer and is now also guiding clients through the

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David - It’s funny, because a lot of these tradesmen I have grown up around, and now I am working alongside their children in the industry. I just want to highlight the other great thing about our trades, which is the level of involvement they have with our clients.

Because we are on site every week with clients throughout the construction of their home, it isn’t out of the ordinary for trades to discuss various aspects of their home with homeown-

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IT’S FUNNY, BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE TRADESMEN I HAVE GROWN UP AROUND, AND NOW I AM WORKING ALONGSIDE THEIR CHILDREN IN THE INDUSTRY ...

ers. I think this is another benefit our clients get when building with us; the vision is shared between homeowner and tradesmen. Our suppliers also deserve a lot of recognition. They also work closely with not only us here at Hopwoods, but our trades and our clients. For example, Simon,

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Fiona and Michelle from Carpetcourt supply our floor coverings and always make time to help our clients. Rod and Tori at Colortile, Marcus and Cindy at Designer Living Kitchens, Donna and Laura at Reece, Ryan and Nina at Bowden Concrete, John at Bristol, Brendan at North

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Coast Power and Water and Ray at Gutterknight - the list goes on! I have so much faith in the industry here in Coffs Harbour, thanks to these incredible people and businesses.

With new developments appearing up and down the Coffs Coast, what advice do you have for those considering building?

Brian - Contact us! It is that simple. We make ourselves available to meet on the

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site people may be David - Exactly like CONTACT US! IT IS considering for their Dad said; get in contact THAT SIMPLE. WE home. This allows us to with us! The best decision MAKE OURSELVES better understand site you can make is an inAVAILABLE TO MEET features such as slope, formed decision, and we ON THE SITE PEOPLE boundaries, neighare here to give you the MAY BE CONSIDERING bouring properties, site information. I would also FOR THEIR HOME. access, bushfire hazards, like to add that finance is building envelope, and crucial. As we have seen the aspect of the block. in the last twelve months From this information, with the royal commiswe can then find out what the homeowners sion into banking, things have really tightened envisage, what design features are important up. We know of situations where approval is to them, their budget and how they will live in taking up to four months! We have finance the home. Having built over 1,000 homes on partners we can recommend and that we are the Coffs Coast, I draw upon these to provide happy to work alongside so that clients can get clients with an idea of the overall layout and into their Brian Hopwood Home sooner. So, budget based on the previous mentioned feapre-approval and a set budget is a must before tures. I think this is a unique service we offer venturing down any path to home ownership. and something I love to do.

Independent Franchisee of the Wet-seal System (”Wet-seal Franchisee”):

Wet-seal

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Leading the way in Waterproofing fully compliant exclusive complete waterproofing systems

Showers, Bathrooms & Laundries Balconies & Decks Retaining Walls Planter Boxes, Ponds, etc External Joint Sealing

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Brian Hopwood Homes Contact Matt or Katrina Today Coffs Coast Franchisees

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BRANZ Appraised Appraisal No.655 [2013] Appraisal No.788 [2012]

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FOR US AS CUSTOM BUILDERS, IT’S REFRESHING TO SEE INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER IN A HOME. THE HAMPTONS IS CONTINUING TO GROW AS A TREND AND REALLY SUITS OUR COASTAL LOCATION.

Television renovation shows are a continual drive for design trends.

What are you seeing as a big movement in design right now?

David - I think it is fantastic to see a spotlight put on innovative design and trends. We, with our suppliers and partners, keep a close eye on this, to ensure our range is meeting the expectations of current homeowners. What I will say is that

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this varies homeowner to homeowner. So for us as custom builders, it’s refreshing to see individual character in a home. The Hamptons is continuing to grow as a trend and really suits our coastal location.

It is for this reason one of our two newest display homes will be inspired by the Hamptons. I love floor coverings and tiles; they really set a tone for the whole palette of the home and can either enhance or take away from

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LAMINEX HAVE JUST RELEASED A BRAND-NEW RANGE AND WOW, IT IS STUNNING! MY BIGGEST RECOMMENDATION IS BE CONSISTENT, HAVE A VIEW AND STICK TO IT.

other features of the home.

I also love custom cabinetry!

Think kitchens, laundry and storage cupboards; they can really add style and functionality to a space. Laminex have just released a brand-new range and wow, it is stunning!

My biggest recommendation is be consistent,

have a view and stick to it. Often people get nervous in their choices and start to make little changes. This can result in spaces and features that aren’t consistent; make a decision and stick to it.

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What do you believe are the CLIENTS’ SHOES AND biggest benefits clients get THINK, ‘YOU KNOW WHAT? from choosing to build with shoes and think, “You know what?

I’D WANT TO SEE WHAT Brian Hopwood Homes?

I’d want to see what is being done IS BEING DONE WITH MY Brian - One thing I know both with my money!” Our weekly on site MONEY!’ - BRIAN David and I agree on is the weekly meetings are another way we get to meetings. We love to watch the celebrate the process of building a home grow with its owners; home. When I do the design, I almost we are lucky to be part of this walk the space in my head, so to see journey with them. For me, it is important to also keep it as a real thing is incredible; it’s my history and what I a check on the quality and processes on site. A lot of love. builders only allow a few inspections, and believe it or David - I get so much from the weekly meetings. I am not, some don’t allow any! I put myself in the clients’ still relatively new to the industry, so for me it’s learning,

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carbon copies of one another! I think I mentioned it before, but we are always reviewing this and have recently added a gorgeous range of feature tiles for use in bathroom niches or kitchen splashbacks; I definitely have a few favourites in there myself. If you want to see our range for yourself, visit our showroom at our display home in Elements Estate.

Brian - Being custom builders, the trends we see are really driven by the individual homeowners. I am more considerate of the home layout, as this is just how my brain works, so I think of spaces and how a floor plan flows to suit the homeowners’ wants and needs. As block sizes WE TRULY DO OFFER A reduce, this impacts the FULLY COMPREHENSIVE overall design, so you RANGE OF INCLUSIONS, really must be smart.

FROM TURF THROUGH TO Wasted hallways are FLOOR COVERINGS, TILED something I try to avoid, ALFRESCOS TO CEILING and I get to do this as they are costly and FANS, FLY SCREENS TO alongside the clients. take space from importROBE SHELVING. One aspect that I believe ant areas in the home. is a huge benefit to our I am seeing kitchen clients is our inclusions. size increase and with We truly do offer a fully that, the accompanying butlers’ pantries are comprehensive range of inclusions, from turf also evolving. I really like keeping work areas through to floor coverings, tiled alfrescos to such as kitchen, butler’s pantry and laundry ceiling fans, fly screens to robe shelving. To together too; this flow through of space is a give you an idea, within our standard tile selections we have seven ranges; this helps cater really great way to maximise the layout of the home. to varied tastes and ensures our homes aren’t

Apricus Solar Hot Water Experts Our business is local, family owned and operated since 2000

15 Year collector warranty Australian made storage tank Cyclonic wind rated framework

SOLAR HOT WATER Proud to be associated with, and supporting Hopwood Homes

Spare parts and servicing Our showroom is available 6 days per week

Talk to the Experts in Solar Hot Water Today North Coast Power & Water | Web: www.ncpw.com | Ph: 02 6651 4333 Showroom: 13 GDT Seccombe Close, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

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A Tiny Solution to a Huge Problem W I T H K I M C O N N O L LY

I always planned to build my second Tiny House with the bedroom on the ground floor. What I hadn’t anticipated was the fact that 80% of the people who have come through the houses have been over 50.

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onsequently, with the ground floor very progressive regarding Tiny Houses as bedroom, Tiny 2 was snapped up an answer to our affordable housing crisis. within two weeks of completion.

They’re walking the Tiny House Village Our current build is for a client journey with me and can see the positive who wants both a impact Tiny Houses could sleeping loft and a have on our desperate small fold away, wall accommodation bed on the ground challenges on the Mid floor for when the loft North Coast. As we heard I’M SO PROUD OF could be a challenge. recently, only .03% of all OUR COUNCIL, The Tiny House rentals in Coffs Harbour WHO ARE BEING Village for (mostly) are available to people on VERY PROGRESSIVE older single women Newstart allowance or a REGARDING TINY is moving along well, pension. The women I’m HOUSES AS AN ANSWER despite going slowly. dealing with often have TO OUR AFFORDABLE Ironically, I’ve made low superannuations or HOUSING CRISIS. the village logo using part-time jobs and could the acronym for Coffs not afford big mortgage Coast Tiny Village Pilot payments or high rental in the shape of a snail! I should’ve made it in costs. the shape of a rabbit, and maybe it’d be built Putting a Tiny House in the backyard by now. (called “in-fill housing”) would immediately I’m so proud of our council, who are being take some pressure off housing waiting lists

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and would advantage both tiny and big homeowners in so many ways. To this end, ATHA (Australian Tiny House Association) is putting together building standards, to ensure that Tiny Homes are well built I WANT TO SEE THIS PILOT and become a viable VILLAGE REPLICATED FOR housing option.

ALL DEMOGRAPHICS, ALL What can I do to help OVER THE COUNTRY. want to see this pilot ensure every human’s village replicated for all right to housing, you demographics, all over may ask. Join ATHA the country. to voice your support My vision is that Coffs Harbour becomes and talk about Tiny Houses as a solution, the Tiny House capital of Australia, like so we can get this info out to people.

Portland, U.S.A. It would bring money into Because of the interview I did on ABC the town and new residents. I already have Countrywide, when Tiny 1 was first opened two people moving to Coffs Harbour to live in late February, the emails started flowing in Tiny Houses, and I’m only on my third in with heart wrenching stories from all over build. Funny that something called Tiny could the country and not only from older, single be such a huge solution. women. I had over 250,000 views of the To see a Tiny House, come to 101 West accompanying online article in the first two High Street or to help, call Kim on days, because this is such a huge problem.

0405 790 215.

Some older men are in similar situations. I

HOPWOOD HOMES

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t e s t i m o n i a l s from our Coffs Coast Partners

My father, Ashley purchased North Coast Power & Water in 2000, and Hopwood Homes have been a great supporter of the NCPW business ever since.

We are proud to be regarded as a preferred supplier to one of the most recognisable, reputable, local building companies on the Coffs Coast. Over the years we have supplied water tanks, water pumps, water filtration products and in recent years solar hot water systems too. It is great to see Hopwood homes continue to strive as long standing, local family owned and operated business much like ourselves, and it is a credit to Brian, David and their team!

They must be doing something right for their customers, as 20+ years in business in a country town would not be possible if they weren’t. Keep up the great work.

Brendan Graetz, Managing Director, North Coast Power & Water.

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In the beautiful region of Coffs Harbour, it really pays to build with a well-established local builder that supports other local companies, especially if great service and attention to detail are as important to you as they are to Hopwood Homes & Coffs Harbour Carpet Court.

The hardworking team at Hopwood Homes are well known in the area as being people you can really count on when it comes to building locally.

Coffs Harbour Carpet Court has been a proud supporter and supplier of floor and window coverings to Hopwood Homes and their clients for more than five years. Over that time, we have built a great working relationship, and it is great to see the second generation following in Brian’s footsteps.

Every day is an enjoyable day when working with the team at Hopwood Homes.

Michelle Southcott - Sales Executive Coffs Harbour Carpet Court.

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t e s t i m o n i a l s from our Coffs Coast Partners

We have only just recently formed alliances with the Brian Hopwood Team, but have been involved within the local construction industry for over 20 years.

We can tell you that stepping on to a Brian Hopwood job site is always such a pleasure - like a well oiled machine, all the trades work so well together, the job runs smoothly, and it’s only because of how organised and dedicated Brian and his team are. It is not an easy task to run such large scale projects and arrange so many trades at any given time, but this team always makes it work so well. There is no other way to describe Brian but as a perfectionist, and because of that we are very proud to be a part of his amazing constructions. Thank you always, and we look forward to what the future holds.’

Ryan and Nina Bowden, Directors, Bowden Concrete.

Marcus, interior designer with Designer Living Kitchens, has been designing and suppling kitchens to Brian Hopwood Homes for the past five years ...

Providing a unique, individual one-on-one service to Hopwood customers to create a seamless synergy of ideas, textures, colour and form that bring those ideas into reality. As a designer with 20 years’ experience, Marcus has worked in Sydney, Brisbane and Germany and brings a wealth of concept and flavour to the cabinetry of a new Hopwood home, with the emphasis on lifestyle, family and entertaining. Function is a priority in a kitchen design, and with the inclusion of life-time warranty hardware, the kitchen is pleasure to operate and becomes the epicentre of the home.

Marcus, interior designer with Designer Living Kitchens.

Platinum Place, Elements Estate OPEN HOURS Wednesday 2pm - 4pm Thursday 2pm - 4pm Friday 2pm - 4pm Saturday 11am - 2pm Sunday 11am - 2pm BLN 61248c Office 101 West High Street, Coffs Harbour. hopwoodhomes.com.au Brian 0438 665 401 David 0434 409 539

Stoddart Group is the often unseen but everpresent backbone of the construction of a new home.

STEEL FRAMING ROOFING ENERGY CLADDING GARAGE DOORS

stoddartgroup.com.au

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AMANDA LANGLANDS FROM LANGLANDS PROPERTY

real estate update.

Selling property in the current real estate market couldn’t be more opportunistic. Owners with good quality homes who can choose when they sell have been holding off to see signs of market recovery and stronger sales results in their area. Because many owners have adopted this attitude, fewer homes are being listed to provide the evidence of improvement they’re seeking.

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hat can often be overlooked is that many sellers are “would-bebuyers” and they are additionally concerned about selling their home due to the lack of options to buy. This creates a “Mexican stand off”, as potential sellers are not putting their properties on the market as a result.

However, this is actually the best time to sell to maximise your selling price.

Real estate prices depend on the law of supply and demand. When the demand for property is high but property is scarce, prices increase and it becomes a seller’s market.

If you remember that supply and demand creates growth in real estate values and growth in rent, this will help you to become a more successful seller and investor. It will separate emotional decisions from financial opportunity.

The real estate industry is cyclical, in that it

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booms and busts, and rises and dips as the years go by. Stock levels are cent higher than under the low and buyer confidence prior rules, which is a nice and purchasing ability is buffer when turning up to Selling in winter can be a increasing.

Saturday open-homes. little more challenging to Buyers’ purchasing What does this mean for stage your home the way power you? you would like to, but With interest rates If you are thinking with a little extra effort being at an all time low about selling, now is an you can use winter to and more importantly, exceptional time to get your advantage ... loan serviceability criteria things moving. You are loosening up, it’s the selling in an understood best time to be buying a and known market, new home. That seems without the risks of to be the general consensus in the current potential economic changes that may occur in market, with a lot of younger families looking to later months. You are also in the market prior to upgrade or purchase their first home. potential competition waiting to come to market APRA’s revision will mean that customers can during perceived “trend” periods, enabling you more easily achieve home ownership or that to secure motivated purchasers eager to move next upgrade. It has been calculated some home now. With out of area purchasers representing buyers will be able to secure loans some 14 per 42% of our past 12 months of sales, we are

experiencing strong population growth and investment acquisitions for future retirement.

Using winter to your advantage Selling in winter can be a little more challenging to stage your home the way you would like to, but with a little extra effort you can use winter to your advantage - particularly on the Coffs Coast, as our winters really are not severe at all. Buyers moving from other areas where the harsh winters are pushing them north are frustrated at the lack of selection.

They are finance ready and want to buy, but cannot find suitable properties to look at. A large proportion of sellers will wait until spring to list their homes for sale, as this has been typically promoted as the best time to sell; however, this creates an influx of supply for buyers. The increased supply can, in fact, negatively affect sale prices if the supply is greater than the buyer demand.

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WITH GAVIN MORONEY

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Camerhouse Camera Training What training is provided to people who purchase from Camera House?

We provide unconditional support for all Camera House purchases.

How long have you been training people to use their cameras and take photos?

At Camera House we have professional staff with over 125 years’ combined photographic knowledge.

Photography is art with technical requirements, and we help our customers to understand key requirements to create a photo, rather than a snapshot.

Who do you provide camera training for?

Everyone is welcome. Modern cameras are technological marvels, but can be quite complex; hence, we provide professional training. We provide in-store, one on one, camera training for a large dynamic of people and cameras. It can be someone who has purchased a compact camera and would like to know what the

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C A M E R A S H AV E TA K E N A G I A N T S T E P T O W A R D S T H E F U T U R E I N T H E PA S T C O U P L E O F Y E A R S , W I T H T H E R E L E A S E O F W H AT W I L L M O S T D E F I N I T E LY B E T H E F U T U R E OF PHOTOGRAPHY - THE MIRRORLESS CAMERA.

features do, or seasoned photographers who would like a hand to take or use their cameras for a particular photographic scenario, or those people who are about to go on that once in a lifetime holiday and want to make sure they are prepared to get that shot. All photographers need some assistance at some time, as we never stop learning.

Do you hold training nights?

Yes, we are very proactive in bringing the major camera manufacturers’ representatives with their new toys to provide training nights, including light painting and model shoots. We have just successfully held a week long Camera Expo, which we intend to run annually.

Olympus will be here on the 16th September, running a Long Exposure Studio Workshop and will be having a coffee with Olympus in-store on the 17th September.

Book now. Follow us on Facebook and check your emails for the latest events.

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hat is a mirrorless camera, and what makes it different from what we are all familiar with seeing in a DSLR? As the name suggests, a mirrorless camera is one that doesn’t require a reflex mirror, a main component of DSLR cameras. The mirror in a DSLR reflects the light up to the optical viewfinder. In a mirrorless camera, there is no optical viewfinder. Instead, the imaging sensor is exposed to light at all times, giving us a new breed of camera that is lightweight, compact and what you see is what you get - before you take the photo.

The Nikon Z6 is Nikon’s latest release of full frame mirrorless camera and is marketed as more of an all-round camera. Those who have been using the traditional DSLR will have a pleasant surprise with the size and weight of the Z6, coming in at 675 g. Now for anyone who has carried around a DSLR for the day, you will know this is almost worth the money alone. The form factor is kind of perfect, as it’s extremely comfortable in the hand.

The magic happens when you first look through the 3.68M-dot electronic viewfinder; it’s quite surreal knowing that what you are seeing is exactly what you are going to get when you take the shot. This is great for those who are interested in getting into photography, as it will have the benefit of

being able to dial in your aperture, iso and shutter speed settings and actually see how they affect an image instantly.

The tech specs: The Z6 features a 24.5MP full frame BSICMOS sensor, with an in body 5-axis image stabiliser. Eye-Detection AF is now available, offering a powerful tool for capturing portraits and snapshots. It’s able to achieve tack-sharp focus on your subject’s eye. It has a hybrid AF system with 273 points and 90% coverage.

The rugged body is fully sealed against dust and moisture. It features a tilting 3.2” touchscreen LCD. The Z6 can shoot continuously at 12 fps with AE locked and 5.5 fps with continuous AF/AE. It can capture oversampled 4K video for maximum resolution. You can use the same features for videos as you can for stills, including 5-axis IS and the hybrid AF. The Mount Adapter FTZ allows Nikon DSLR photographers to continue utilising the outstanding performance of their NIKKOR F lenses seamlessly with the new mirrorless camera system. Approx. 360 NIKKOR F lenses are compatible.

After using Nikon for about four years, I personally think this is Nikon’s best camera to date and am really looking forward to the coming years to see how the evolution continues. If you want to get hands on with the Z6, head down to Coffs Harbour Camera House and ask for Paul.

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Amoré Lighting Geoff, can you tell us why clients love coming into Amoré? There are a number of reasons why Amoré Lighting has become the number one destination for lighting on the Mid North Coast.

The showroom is fantastic, with a wide range of fittings to choose from, and it’s a pleasurable experience. It also has a large showroom that is not cramped like traditional lighting stores. We have recently renovated and carpeted the store, making it comfortable and quiet. The addition of a specialised “Dark Room”, where a customer can get a very accurate measurement of the amount of light that comes from their chosen fitting, has been especially welcome and useful. Top that off with first class service from industry professionals, and you can see why Amoré Lighting has such a high level of repeat clientele.

Why is it important to deal with an expert in this area when making lighting decisions?

Lighting can make or break a room and the

associated décor. Having the correct level of lumens for the area and also the correct colour temperature is vital to how an area looks and feels. With the combined experience of 20 years in the lighting business, Amoré Lighting can offer the right advice for most domestic and commercial situations. With the advancement of LED technologies, lighting has changed (for the better) over the last couple of years; however, it can be confusing as to what the correct LED Light globe or fitting is required.

At Amoré Lighting we are able to ease the confusion and assist the customer with exactly what they require. One of the great advancements in LED technology is the replacement of the Halogen Downlights. The array of LED downlights is vast. The staff at Amoré Lighting are able to remove the confusion and assist the customer with what downlight will serve their needs the best.

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