Coffs Coast Focus i112 by Focus

Lars Kristensen

January 2020 issue 112

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The stars are out UNE is the only Australian public university awarded the maximum 5 stars for Overall Experience 14 years in a row*

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Welcome to the January issue of Coﬀs Coast FOCUS .

020 - a new year, a new book, with plenty of pages to fill with a great story. Time to set some goals and ask yourself a couple of questions. What do I want this year, and how am I going to get it? What do you want this year? Go out and get it! And if it’s really epic, call us - there might be a story in it. For the team at FOCUS, the new year always starts with thinking about how we can better write our book for the year - literally! With over 1,200 pages to fill annually, we are always looking for ways to keep content engaging and relevant - everything from our regular sections, interviews, features and advertisements. If you have any ideas, drop us a line; we would love to hear from you.

On the cover ScreenWave International Film Festival (SWIFF) is heading into its fifth year running, and it has gone from strength to strength, with the buzz around the festival growing every year. The pair behind the festival, Kate Howat and David Horsley have put together an exciting and inspiring event, and there’s no doubt the festival will only get bigger and better in the years to come. We are so excited to have such a unique event like this here on the Coffs Coast and to go along and immerse ourselves in the incredible list of films that make up the schedule this year! Inside this edition Lars Kristensen has represented his homeland Denmark in gymnastics; he has toured the world with Cirque du Soleil, where he met his Australian partner, Trudy; he has competed on

Denmark’s Ninja Warrior, as well as competed against some of the world’s CrossFit greats here in Australia. His next adventure will be taking over at CrossFit Woolgoolga. In light of the recent fire devastation that has impacted the Orara Valley, we thought we would give some love to local businesses in the region that have been feeling the pinch. FOCUS had a chat with Alison Johnson, owner of Idle In Café, to find out more … We really encourage you to get out there this summer and support these businesses! For now, enjoy your summer! Remember to slip, slop, slap and swim between the flags! Thank you to all of our local lifeguards who will be keeping all of our beaches safe this season. Final say “Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one” - Brad Paisley.

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.

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contents

Issue 112 - January 2020

focusinterviews

feature a special

PUB CRAWL

Orara Valley United In light of the recent fire devastation that has impacted the Orara Valley, we thought we would give some love to local businesses in the region that have been feeling the pinch. FOCUS had a chat with Alison Johnson, owner of Idle In Café, to find out more ...

Mallrat

Famed as one of Australia’s most promising young songwriters and charming vocalists, indie pop sensation Mallrat is set to grace us with her presence at this year’s Rolling Sets Festival, performing her hit songs and giving us a taste as to why Australian audiences have fallen in love with her.

Katika Adams

the Usual

14. WHAT’S ON for January 27. TRAVEL TIME with Kerry Moss

Katika Adams is part of the team at Recovre, helping people on the road to recovery after injury. We spoke with Katika about her role there and what she finds most rewarding about helping others through rehabilitation after an injury, and we got some tips on staying safe and healthy in the new year.

Shannae Morris As we enter a new year, we often find ourselves making resolutions or simply considering what we would like for ourselves moving forward. Meditation is a practice that many have found to be life changing, altering their perspective and freeing themselves of negative thought processes.

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Suspects

48. EDUCATION with Nick Johnstone 54. SOCIAL SCENE with Carole Beros 72. STARGUIDE with Terri Hall 73. BUSINESS MINDS with Sam Wardman 77. FROM THE ARCHIVES with Kev Smith 78. ABODE Property Guide 92. REAL ESTATE with Amanda Langlands

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No matter where you are in the world, read Focus for free online every month @ www.focusmag.com.au

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focusinterview.

Lars Kristensen has represented his homeland, Denmark, in gymnastics; he has toured the world with Cirque du Soleil, where he met his Australian partner, Trudy; HE HAS COMPETED ON DENMARK'S "NINJA WARRIOR", AS WELL AS COMPETED AGAINST SOME OF THE WORLD’S CROSSFIT GREATS HERE IN AUSTRALIA. His next adventure will be taking over at CrossFit Woolgoolga.

ey Lars. Let's rewind back to your days in Denmark, where you were born. Where did your fitness journey begin? So to me, fitness is a lot of things. Any sport really is a means to not only play a game, but also getting fitter doing so. Back when I was around six - seven years old, I started in the local soccer club with a lot of my friends from school. Soccer never really appealed to me, but that was what the other kids were doing, so I tagged along. After watching a game on television where one of the players did a celebratory backflip after scoring a goal, I was like, “I need to learn that”, so the following week I signed up at the local gymnastic club - and my soccer days were over. You made the national team for gymnastics in Denmark. Can you tell us about that experience? A few years after starting gymnastics, my love fell on tumbling, which is a very powerful sport where you tumble down a 25 m rod floor completing eight movements, which have to be as difficult as possible scary and very technical discipline. I also did some rhythmic and trampoline, but it was in tumbling I was shining. Making the national team didn’t seem like the biggest deal to me. I enjoyed performing, and it was not until I heard about Cirque Du Soleil that I got really excited. How did you become a performer for Cirque du Soleil? At one of our tumbling national camps, we had a guest who spoke to us about Cirque Du Soleil and what a job there entailed. I was hooked on the idea right away. It just seemed like such a cool experience; travel the world, performing and even getting paid good money for it. I started focusing on making some cool audition videos. I did some very clean but also experimental jumps, which I knew they were looking for. I didn’t hear anything for over a year, and I thought that they didn’t like me, but then suddenly they called me and asked if I was still jumping, and if I was still interested. “Hell yes,” was my answer, and then less than a month later I started my specific training in Montreal and two weeks later joined the show Alegria. What was it like touring the world with Cirque du Soleil, and what were some of the jobs you did with them? When I started, I thought it was gonna be a couple of years, but I got hooked and stayed for seven years. It was amazing. Travelling the whole world, visiting more than 70 countries and 200 cities, while performing gymnastics for thousands of people night after night. The company took real good care of us - always four or five stars hotels, all day open kitchen on tour with us, and then a pretty good salary as well. Every 10 weeks we would have two weeks off, and the company paid for our flights to go home and back, but we could also choose to use that amount to travel to wherever we wanted, so we also got to experience some great holidays around the world. Climbing Kilimanjaro, scooter trip in Vietnam, chilling in Zanzibar, adventuring in Costa Rica, bedazzled by the waterfalls of Iguazu - just to mention a few. Cirque du Soleil is also where you met your lovely

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partner, Trudy, who is also an Olympic gymnast. What was it like touring together? Trudy joined the tour a year after me, and we got to travel the world together for six years. Working very close had its ups and downs, but the fact that we got to see the world and share that experience was amazing. It was therefore also an easy decision to settle down and start a family. We had ticked all the boxes we needed in order to settle down and start a different kind of adventure. How did you both come to be here on the Coffs Coast? After the Circus, we needed to figure out where we wanted to live. I knew that I had job security in Denmark, plus my parents didn’t have any grandchildren, and with Trudy being pregnant that would be nice for them to see and be around little Annabell. Then I thought if we started out in Australia, it would have been very unlikely to ever move to Denmark. After four years in Denmark, we went to visit Trudy’s parents, who had just relocated to a little country town called Nana Glen in NSW. We really liked the area, and when we came back to Denmark, Trudy begged to move to Australia. It had already been hard for her without her family, different culture, another language and a lot of bad weather. I agreed, sold my CrossFit gym, finished my teacher job, and applied for a partner visa. It took 18 months to receive the visa, but now we are here and living happily in Sandy Beach. You have also tried your hand at Ninja Warrior in Denmark; what was that like? When I moved back to Denmark, the TV-show Ninja Warrior contacted me and asked if I was interested; they wanted to have a circus acrobat on the show. I agreed right away. It seemed like a good challenge, and I am not one to back out of a challenge. I smashed the first round and was very confident that I would do the same with the semi-final, but then at obstacle number eight I had to face the devil's ladder, and that was apparently too big a match for me - I dumped in the water. I was so disappointed in myself and decided to find a sport where I would become better all around. The following week I started CrossFit, and I haven’t looked back since. Over the past five years, CrossFit has entered your life and you are already smashing goals. What drew you to CrossFit, and how has that shaped your life going forward?

I love how CrossFit tests you in so many different areas. You can not be an overall good CrossFit competitor, being great in just a few areas. It is made to expose weaknesses. I am a competitor and I have chosen to compete in the sport of CrossFit, but what I really love about it is that it is for absolutely everybody. Everything can be tailored to anyone's needs or capabilities, and competitors, kids, pregnant women, grandparents can all train alongside each other. We have an incredible community, and we all train for different reasons, but at the end of the day we have one thing in common: “We all got a little bit better than yesterday”. A few months ago you competed against some of the world's best in Brisbane. How did you go in your events, and what was it like competing against some of CrossFit’s greats? When I started CrossFit, I was thinking that I was a bit too old to compete against the world’s elite, but at the Torian Pro I did just that and surprised myself with a fifth place. Two weeks before that I competed at the Masters World Championships and won that - but that I actually expected, because I know that for my age I do really well, but to hang with the young studs at my recent comp was a surprise to myself. But, it also motivated me a lot, and now I am ready to get better than ever before. You will soon be the owner of CrossFit Woolgoolga. What has made you want to teach CrossFit, and why is it so important to you to teach others? Yes, and I am very, very excited about that. I was partner in a gym in Denmark and absolutely loved it. Coming here, I was not ready to open my own business. I knew nobody and without a work visa and so on, it just wasn’t possible. But I had to train somewhere, and my love quickly fell on CrossFit Woolgoolga. The community was amazing, and I felt so welcome from day one. After a while the opportunity to take over the business with another amazing member, Paul Chambers, presented itself. Paul and I had some meetings together, and our values, ideas and passion for CrossFit Woolgoolga were very similar, and I think we are going to be a super great team moving forward. We are very dedicated and super excited to help anyone who decides to step inside our gym. Everyone is welcome, and there is some cool stuff on the horizon for CrossFit Woolgoolga. Taking that first step is the hardest, but it is a decision you will never regret. Thanks Lars.

"It was amazing. Travelling the whole world, visiting more than 70 countries and 200 cities, while performing gymnastics for thousands of people night after night.”

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Tulli

Stevens

i Tulli. Have you always lived on the Coffs Coast? Not always. I was born on Moreton Island and lived there until I was five. Then we moved down to Mullaway, and I have lived here ever since. I’ve always felt extremely lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world. What are some of your first memories of feeling connected with art? As far back as I can remember, I have felt a connection with art. As a kid when I wasn’t playing outside or down the beach, I’d be at home doing an art project. I chose all of the creative electives throughout school. In Maths and English, my books were completely covered in drawings ha ha. As I’ve become older, the connection has grown stronger. When I was in high school, I found out that I am Aboriginal. I feel like creating art gives me a space to explore and connect with my culture. Do you have a favourite medium you like to use? Paint pens are my main go to. I’ve always created intricate, pattern artworks, so using a paint brush never worked well for me. I would mostly sketch works in pencil or use fine liners. When I discovered paint pens, however, this opened up a whole new world of ideas. I began painting on various items, such as surf boards, guitars, cheese boards, and anything I could get my hands on. I recently painted a whole car with Jimmy Wags; keep an eye out for this driving around town soon. I studied a Diploma and Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts at TAFE from 2016 - 2018. This allowed me to push my boundaries, opening up a whole different range of mediums to explore. I started creating leaf carvings and loved it; I would experiment with different size leaves and see how detailed I could get my designs. Once complete, I press the leaves to dry them out, then frame them in double glass to create a float effect. I had my first solo exhibition, Transience, in 2018, showcasing these works.

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focusinterview.

Tulli Stevens is a local artist whose work you may have seen at a number of local markets or events. She describes the process of creating art as meditative, and it is evident in her pieces; they are intricate and beautiful. Tulli adorns many diﬀerent items with her art, from cheese boards to skateboards to cars, making art from things that can be used in day-to-day life. She also teaches workshops locally with kids of all ages and abilities, spreading her passion and creativity amongst the community.

How would you describe your style? A lot of my work involves I LOVE THE ASPECT intricate patterns and mandalas. OF USING ART AS I love the aspect of using art as THERAPY, SO THIS This was the first time I had done a therapy, so this is reflected in IS REFLECTED IN live painting, so I was a little nervous, the majority of my work. I use THE MAJORITY OF but I was given so much positive creating mandalas and continuous MY WORK. I USE feedback. line paintings as my meditation. CREATING MANDALAS Why did you decide to contribute to This is something I find important AND CONTINUOUS the silent auction? to teach the young ones in our LINE PAINTINGS AS I heard about Botanica from Jane workshops. MY MEDITATION. Tavener; she told me that it was a What have been some of your charity event to raise money for The biggest influences? Heart and Soul Foundation, which runs Nature has always been a big health and wellbeing programmes to influence of mine; I find a lot of assist vulnerable women who are recovering from severe my inspiration for works here. There’s something about trauma. This inspired me and I knew I wanted to get being surrounded by nature that allows me to calm the involved. I thought creating a live painting to be auctioned thoughts and find my creative zone. off would be a great idea. My family and friends have been another big influence; You have been running some workshops recently; can they have always been encouraging and supportive of the you tell us about those? creative path I’ve chosen to take in life. Jimmy Wags and I run one, two and three day workshops I was lucky enough to score a job at Sawtell Framing up and down the coast. These workshops are open to all when I finished high school, giving me the opportunity to abilities; we provide a space for kids to come have some fun work in a fun, supportive environment while constantly and express themselves while learning new skills. learning all of the technical stuff that goes with art, such We also host after school art classes at Mullaway School as using archival quality materials and how important Hall on Tuesday; everyone is welcome, and we accept conservation framing is to preserve your art. Creative Kids vouchers. You recently attended “Botanica” in Coffs, where you Where can people find out more about your art? were completing one of your pieces live, before it Check out my social media accounts, where I post about went to silent auction. What was the feedback like as our upcoming workshops, local markets I’m attending and you were working? exhibitions. It was absolutely amazing - such a heart-warming and @tullistevensart uplifting experience. Creating art has always been about @intricateleafart the process rather than the product for me, so being able Tulli Stevens Art to share this process was very exciting. I was creating a tulli.stevens33@gmail.com continuous line painting, which is a very calming and Thanks Tulli. meditative process for myself and for the viewer.

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

TOBY Kinnear Yiiliwiyay Gundi Yuludarlarla What have your achievements been so far? For the past 10 months this group has come together to learn Gumbaynggirr dances and songs to perform at the Dance Rite Competition in Sydney in November. They have performed twice so far, at the Ocean Day at Scotts Head in June and at Bellingen High School in September. One of the dances is the Warrell Creek Dance. Why did you apply for this grant? We have been fundraising for our transport, accommodation, costumes and food, but we still don’t have enough money for a uniform to wear while we are in Sydney, so this is why we are applying. How will this grant benefit you? And how

do you plan on using It? This grant will help us buy a shirt for the group members, which will be worn while we are in Sydney and on all occasions when the group performs. The group members have spent time designing a shirt, which we will get printed. What are your hopes and dreams? Our hopes are that this group continues to dance together and to learn cultural knowledge and skills together and then to pass it on to younger people who will become members of the group in the future. We hope that he group can dance at festivals and events spreading Gumbaynggirr cultural knowledge and stories to a wide audience.

What have your achievements been so far? I began competitive racing at the beginning of 2019 and achieved a number of overall wins and places (first/second/third) in local grass track and motocross events. I also managed to purchase my own 2018 KTM250 by working part time at the Nambucca Heads McDonald’s Restaurant. Why did you apply for this grant? Because I am a hard working kid and fund my racing, transport and bike maintenance on my own, which does get expensive. How will this grant benefit you? And how do you plan on using it? This grant will help me out tremendously

with funds associated with racing. My bike is almost due for a top end engine rebuild, so this grant will help with the funding of parts and a mechanic to perform the rebuild. This will allow me to spend the money I earn on entry and transport to races. What are you hopes and dreams for the future? In the future I hope to continue racing and riding, and becoming faster and better at riding in general. Who inspires you the most? Anyone who sacrifices everything in order to do what they love and chase what they enjoy and aspire to do are people that inspire me.

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focusinterview.

SWIFF Screenwave International Film Festival

screenwave dps

Screenwave International Film Festival (SWIFF) is heading into its fifth year running, and it has gone from strength to strength, with the buzz around the festival growing every year. THE PAIR BEHIND THE FESTIVAL, KATE HOWAT AND DAVID HORSLEY, HAVE PUT TOGETHER SUCH AN EXCITING AND INSPIRING EVENT THAT THEREâ€™S NO DOUBT THE FESTIVAL WILL ONLY GET BIGGER AND BETTER IN YEARS TO COME. We are so excited to have such a unique event like this here on the Coffs Coast and to go along and immerse ourselves in the incredible list of films that make up the schedule this year!

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focusinterview.

ey Dave and Kate. Screenwave International Film Festival is headed into its fifth year. How have you seen SWIFF grow since its inception? Dave: It’s wild. Last year the festival tipped. Almost all weekend sessions were sold out. There was a good buzz everywhere around town - and tonnes of new faces at the festival again. Seeing people get into the festival vibe is why we put it on. Kate: In the five years since we started, our niche has definitely evolved into screening feature films. There are 70 different features in the program this year. We like watching long-form films ourselves, so organically that’s translated into the festival program too. We break it up into sub-strands to make it a little more digestible, and it’s also a fun part of the creative process. Our strands for this year are World Cinema, Australian Cinema, International Documentary, Nextwave [youth film program], Let’s Talk About Sects, Ireland Calling, SWIFF Live, Music & the Makers, Wild Sides, and some special presentations, including an interactive 40th anniversary screening of Airplane! (which I’m super excited about) and a 100th birthday celebration retrospective on Federico Fellini. Dave: I think it’s that “kid in a candy store” effect. There’s just a lot to choose from. Audiences have grown 35% a year since we started five years ago - 7,000 people bought tickets last year - and I’d put it down to the film selection. I’d like to take credit, but that’s Katey’s job. Now that it’s pumping, Ashton Designs have come on board as Presenting Partner for the next three years. The aim is to take SWIFF to that next level - from regional to national. It’s the first time the festival has had a lead sponsor, so we’re chuffed. Ashton Designs make one-of-akind artisan furniture and are local, based in Sawtell - so it’s cool working with other creatives who get what the festival is about. With each year getting bigger and better, what are some of the key moments you are expecting with the 2020 festival? Kate: Some of the best moments of the fest come from the audience - watching people’s reactions just after they’ve seen a festival film. Most of the films only get one or two screenings, and then they’re gone. Opening and Closing Night galas are always heaps of fun. Booking Jojo Rabbit for Opening was a big deal, seeing as it won TIFF’s People’s Choice Award. I’m excited to hear what people think about

the Wild Sides program, and the two and differ from other festivals which SWIFF Live events will be really special are held in the colder months? (combining live performance and film Dave: Having a summer film festival screening) - same with National Theatre just always seemed more fun. All of the Live: Fleabag … I love that show. other film fests in Australia run between There are a few big films that I would June to October. We live on the coast - it put on my “don’t miss” list: The Peanut just seemed to fit having it in summer; Butter Falcon, Portrait of a Lady on particularly in Bello, where it gets really Fire, Buoyancy, The Art of Self Defense, hot, the cinema at Bellingen Memorial Midnight Family, Jojo Rabbit, Monos, In Hall acts as a little oasis, so people just Fabric, Aquarela, For Sama, Honeyland, come and camp with us all day and night. Slam, Pain & Glory - that’s sort of the tip Screenwave is not confined to just of the iceberg, but it’s what I would fill up film, but you also have some other my 12 Film Pass with. visual feasts for event goers. Can you Dave: Definitely the Nextwave Youth tell us what else you have planned? Film Awards for me. Best event of SWIFF. Kate: This year we decided to double Get along to it. Thunderous energy in the down on SWIFF Live - we’ll have two room every year. events combining live performance and Screenwave isn't about your projection. The first is Bending Light - a traditional “fast food” type films, live music performance by Alon Ilsar. but an interaction between viewers. Alon has retro-engineered some video What are the reactions from the game controllers to map his movement, festival goers, and what does it mean essentially turning his body into an to you to see such interaction over a invisible drum kit, with his music being film? digitally visualised in all these different Dave: Cinema is a social experience. shapes, textures, and artwork - all People spend whole weeks and whole projected back on him. It’s unbelievable. weekends watching Dave: Surfing the back-to-back films. Arctic is the other People take time off SWIFF Live session. work for it. They travel It includes two if people are thinking of to SWIFF from all 40-minute arctic surf SWIFF when they think of parts of Australia for films back-to-back, A the Coffs Coast, that would it. And I think it’s the Corner of the Earth be the ultimate goal. To people you meet - some and Nordurland, create something that friendships only last as both produced locals are proud to have long as the end credits by Northern as theirs, that speaks to but it makes the festival NSW filmmakers. our local identity, and experience. Nordurland features expands culturally past the You are pushing a world premiere borders of the Coffs Coast. some boundaries live soundtrack this year with the performance by festival and some Headland (True of the films that are Flowers From This being shown. What can we expect Painted World) - a band that specialises in this year? live film soundtrack performance. Kate: There’s this whole world of Out of all of the films playing at movies out there. What you see normally Screenwave, what is going to be the at the cinema is only one small piece one you are most looking forward to of a very big puzzle. It’s the job of film personally and why? festivals to bring all these extraordinary Kate: I don’t know if I can choose just films to a wider audience - to people who one. Definitely Portrait of a Lady on want to experience something more. A Fire - I stayed until the end credits rolled film like Monos is made for the big screen and was totally mesmerised. The other experience, following a group of ragtag, would be In Fabric - a hilarious, macabre anarchic child soldiers in the Columbian and undefinably subversive film about a jungle, or Australia’s The Nightingale, killer red dress and the sinister forces that a powerful feminist, revenge Western. compel us to shop. Makes a great pairing But sometimes the films that challenge with Deerskin. A stylish killer double! conventions the most are the quiet Dave: Picking one is a bit rough. I’d ones like Portrait of a Lady on Fire, an say The Peanut Butter Falcon - one of exquisitely made film and absolute mustthe lead actors, Zach Gattsagen, has see of the fest. Down Syndrome and totally knocks his Screenwave is quite unique in the performance out of the park. It’s sparked time of year it is held. Why have Oscar buzz. Everyone should see it. Shia you chosen to host the festival over LeBeouf at his best too. But seriously - just summer, and how does it compare follow Katey’s film advice. I do.

You have some world premieres playing. How has this come about? Well, it’s not just a world premiere - it’s also a feature film debut from Ryan Jasper Walsh, a Bellingen-based filmmaker. Shot in Tibet, Monks of The Sacred Valley is a documentary focusing on a group of Tibetan monks studying at Larung Gar - one of the world’s most significant Tibetan Buddhism monasteries hidden in the Himalayas. The monks are going through having their homes demolished, being displaced by China’s modernisation efforts. Definitely controversial incredible footage - and screened for the first time anywhere in the world in Bellingen. A festival is made up from the contribution of many hands. How many people have helped make this possible now and over the years? Kate: To get SWIFF pumping each year it takes a whole town. Buying tickets, sharing Facebook posts, telling friends about it, lending a hand volunteering - it all goes together to hit that critical mass that makes the festival pulse. Dave: This year we have over 100 people either employed by, contracted to, or volunteering for SWIFF. It’s a big job - and it’s a humbling feeling each year seeing people put a hectic level of effort in, so we can all watch amazing movies in the dark. I love it. Fast forward another five years. Where do you see Screenwave going? Kate: I think in five years SWIFF will play an important role in the Australian film festival circuit - something different to the capital city tent poles that have been running for 60+ years. Dave: In five years, if people are thinking of SWIFF when they think of the Coffs Coast, that would be the ultimate goal. To create something that locals are proud to have as theirs, that speaks to our local identity and expands culturally past the borders of the Coffs Coast. People are coming from all parts of Australia already - so I’m guessing there will be more of that, more filmmaker guests, a few more SWIFF employees, and hopefully a genuine undercurrent of movie love on the Coffs Coast. Where can we find out more? Pick up a printed Festival Program at just about any café, theatre, or bar in town (Element Bar, Diggers Tavern, and Jetty Theatre all have heaps). Grab a coffee and paw through it. Download the mobile phone apps on iPhone or Android (search “SWIFF 2020”). Join the “Screenwave International Film Festival” Facebook group. Sign up for the e-newsletter. Or just go to the website SWIFF.COM.AU Thanks guys. Coffs Coast focus 11

focusinterview.

We spoke with Tallulah RemondStephen recently about her experience as a ﬁlmmaker and what inspires her about the industry. She is deﬁnitely one to watch!

Tallulah REMOND-STEPHEN

ey Tallulah. Tell us where your love of filmmaking begun. I honestly can’t remember a specific moment when I decided that I wanted to make films. I’ve always loved stories and I found that films, for me, became the most fascinating way to tell stories. While creating a film you are able to physically experience, to some extent, the fantasy world that you’re making up - while you are clearly living within the boundaries of “reality”, the sets and props and actors sort of let you momentarily transcend this and be a part of the world in your head. For some reason, this process of bringing fantasies to life always really intrigued me, and I think as I’ve grown up I’ve also come to realise that my love for filmmaking has now become very dependent on my need to share ideas and feelings that I experience in my own life. Being a filmmaker has so many rewarding aspects, but also some hard learning curves. What have been some challenging points during the learning process for you? There is the basic stuff, like forgetting to hit record or accidentally deleting footage, which I’ve done a lot of and learnt direct, painful lessons from, but then there are also the ongoing challenges. For me personally, these have been mostly learning how best to

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communicate my stories to an audience and also just grappling with all the technical stuff. Trying to figure out camera specs and editing software is something I find super confusing and, along with becoming confident in transmitting my ideas, will definitely be a lifetime learning process. What have been the films you have worked on so far, and what role did you play with each film? I’ve mostly just made a lot of my own short films, which I write, shoot, direct and edit. Recently, I’ve also done a bit of work with other directors on short and some feature length films, where I just do whatever needs to be done - organising extras, making coffee, holding lights, that sort of thing. Where do you draw your inspiration from? Definitely from the things going on around me and my own life. I think it would be so hard to make a film about something I haven’t experienced personally or don’t understand, so I generally just draw from feelings I know and then shape my stories around that. Some of the actors within your films have been awarded for the roles they played. What was it like for you as a director to see your cast awarded for their roles in something you created? I’m really happy for them. I’ve been very lucky in terms of actors - most of them haven’t been professionally trained, but they’ve all been committed to the story and

the characters, and I I’m still trying to find While creating a ﬁlm you are think that has really good advice myself! able to physically experience, to shown up in their acting. You’re headed some extent, the fantasy I have to say, I think overseas in the world that you’re making that the actors create coming months up - while you are a big part of the film to further your clearly living within the themselves, so in the end filmmaking boundaries of ‘reality’, the it’s definitely as much career. Where are you sets and props and actors sort of their project as my own. headed, and what do let you momentarily transcend Screenwave is upon you have planned? this and be a part of the world in us. As a filmmaker, I’m going to live your head. what is it like to in France for a while, have something like where I’m hoping to this so close to your work on different film doorstep? sets and learn from Living rurally, it’s so hard to see arthouse other directors and crews. I haven’t organised films at the cinema (or find them online anything specific yet, because film work is without proper internet) so being able to more of an on-the-go sort of thing, but I see current, indie films at local venues is know people working in the industry over pretty incredible. Screenwave also organises there who have offered to help me find jobs. interviews with directors and film crews, What would you say the future holds for which means you get to see and hear from yourself as a filmmaker? people in the industry and learn directly from To be honest, it’s pretty hard to say. All them - something that is always inspiring. artistic industries are difficult to get into and I think one of the greatest things about navigate and there is a lot of competition Screenwave is the way it brings everyone in cinema, so I don’t think there are any together via cinema and generates certainties for my future. At the moment, my appreciation for both big-budget as well as plan is just to keep making my own films and small films, and I’m definitely looking forward see where I end up. to the upcoming festival. Where can we find more of your work? What advice would you give other young I have a film screening in the 2020 filmmakers heading forward in their Nextwave short film competition, and I think own art? there are probably a few things online. As a young filmmaker, I really have no idea; Thanks Tallulah.

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focus_What’s On Coﬀs Coast

J A N U A R Y

2 0 2 0

Celebrate New Year’s Eve in style at Ribeye Rooftop! Treat yourself to delicious cocktails, tapas and boutique beers, whilst listening to live music by local talent Ryan A Parsons Music in the early evening, followed by DJ BRENO ‘til late ... Our doors will be open from 5pm and there is no cover charge - arrive early to secure your place!

When 31st December. Where C.ex Group Coffs Harbour.

Sydney Sixers VS Adelaide The Sydney Sixers are bringing the excitement of cricket’s Big Bash League to C.ex Coffs International Stadium for a must see clash with the Adelaide Strikers. Australia’s premier T20 cricket competition is in its ninth season, but this will be the first time the Sixers have taken a “home” game away from the Sydney Cricket Ground and into a regional area. When 5th January. Where C.ex Stadium. Time 6:40pm. Cost Adults entry starts at $22. Kids (aged 5-15) are just $5.

Jimeoin - Ramble on! A stalwart of Australian comedy and all round likeable rogue, comedian Jimeoin in his new stand up show Ramble On! happily imparts his clever and quirky observations on everyday suburban life in his trademark devil-may-care style. When 9th January. Where Sawtell RSL. Cost $44. Tickets www.sawtellrsl.com.au

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SWIFF 2020: Beach. Mountains. Film.

The Screenwave International Film Festival, held each summer beachside on the Coffs Coast, has announced its fifth program - and it’s stacked. A record seventy different feature films are set to draw thousands of film lovers again into Coffs Harbour and Bellingen from all over Australia, heralding in a new decade with directors, producers, actors, and writers flowing into the region to present their films. When 9th January until the 24th January. Passes and gift vouchers available. @www.swiff.com.au

Pink Silks Race Day

The 14th Annual Coffs Harbour PINK SILKS Race Day is being held on Sunday 12th January 2020, and so is the Pink Silks Race Day Lunch! It’s going to be a fantastic day, with a seven race TAB meeting and Park Beach Plaza Fashions on the Field! When 12th January. Where Coffs Harbour Racing Club. Time 11:30am until 5pm. Tickets Hospitality packages available for $129.

Rolling Sets Festival Call your crew, throw together your best festi-threads and wax your board - Coffs Harbour’s newest beachside festival is just around the corner and the perfect excuse to kick off your end-of-summer long weekend road trip. Featuring Hilltop Hoods, The Rubens, Mallrat, Lime Cordiale, plus many more. When 25th January. Where Coffs Amphitheatre (old fishing club). Tickets GA $117.05, VIP $229.25. Tickets from www.oztix.com.au

Young Actors Studio Junior Showcase See the region’s most talented young actors perform scenes from movies and musicals. Students from the Young Actors Studio have selected scenes that allow them to explore their character, and each act will leave the audience wanting more! When 10th January. Where D Block Theatre, CHEC, Hogbin Drive, Coffs Harbour. Contact 0408 169 415 / bmlemair@gmail.com

SORROWS THE BLACK SORROWS WILL BE PLAYING LIVE AND LOUD AT THE HOEY MOEY BEER GARDEN AT COFFS HARBOUR! urope is falling for The Black Sorrows in the wake of Joe Camilleri’s 49th album, Citizen John, which debuted at #2 on the AIR Chart and #11 on the ARIA Album Chart in April. The Black Sorrows’ European shows, which initially consisted of ten shows in twelve days, from London to Copenhagen, expanded to another thirteen dates in Germany. And when they return, Australian fans will have a new opportunity to witness a band at a new peak of performance as The Black Sorrows embark on their Lover I Surrender Tour for late 2019. “Sometimes you hit a purple patch and you can do no wrong,” Joe says of the UK Scandinavia leg of the tour, which found the Sorrows digging deep into the past as well as claiming new ground. “I know I’ve gotta do Harley &

Rose. I’ve gotta do Chained To The Wheel. I’ve gotta do Hit & Run or Shape I’m In - and I do. I do those songs in a really heartfelt kind of way,” he says. “But some of the songs on Citizen John are really hitting home in the live environment. Wednesday’s Child, Silvio and Worlds Away are working really well, and the band loves playing them. If the band loves playing them, you feel good about it - and that shows.” Another that’s found a life of its own on the road is Lover I Surrender, the new single from the album. “It’s a simple love song, a soul song,” says Joe. “Citizen John was a difficult record to make, ‘cause some of the songs didn’t like each other. Most were kinda dark and every now and then you got a sweetheart. This is one of those.” With more than 50 years of road behind him, the next

gig is never something Joe takes lightly. From Fremantle to Melbourne to Townsville and dozens of shows in between, on their upcoming tour The Black Sorrows will showcase a live chemistry that’s never been more potent. “It’s not very often the band text you to say what fun they had at a gig,” Joe says. “Normally it’s the opposite. You’re stuck together in the van for five hours, and it’s ‘get me out of here’. “We come to play. And that’s what I still look forward to. It doesn’t matter what happens during the day; it’s all about getting up there, doing what you like to do and hopefully people pick up on it and come on the journey with you.” Doors open at 3pm on 5th January 2020. Tickets are $15 plus booking fee at http://hoeymoey.oztix. com.au/?Event=107455.

Coffs Coast focus 15

This is a paid advertisement on behalf of Ohana Early Learning

A Whole New Approach to Childcare on the Coffs Coast Happy New Year For 2020 From Everyone At Ohana Early Learning! With the New Year now upon us, we thought you would like to hear what Ohana has in store for our families across the Coffs Coast. Amongst the various topics below are some interesting new innovations, some based upon our parents input, which we believe helps deliver an enriching educational experience to the children in our care. The name Ohana is derived from the Hawaiian culture meaning family, a place where we come together through love and respect. We aim to provide a safe, warm and loving environment for all our families based upon our core values of fun, community and inclusive learning.

Flexible Session Times To Maximise Your Childcare Allowance Our all new Six Hour Day Sessions Program, which comes in response to our parents requests for greater flexibility, is now available across all age groups at each of our centres. This approach allows parents, who are claiming the maximum fortnightly childcare subsidy, the flexibility to maximise the number of days of childcare per fortnight. This means you no longer need to accept a whole day of care as a fixed term. For example, instead of using all your allowance over three 11 hour days during a 2 week period, you can now stretch that to say 6 days between the hours of 9 and 3 daily, even during school holidays. Extra flexibility also allows for 8 and 9 hour sessions too. And if six hours is not long enough, then we have a session time that will suit. This flexibility gives parents in part-time work for example more opportunities to claim the childcare subsidy for longer. Maybe even give Mum a special day off once a week to do other things. Call us for further details.

A New And Exciting Approach To Preschool Learning As a core component of our educational program across all the age groups, our childcare centres will this year, be integrating a new and exciting learning method built upon a play-based approach to teaching, that’s a whole lot more than just fun and games! The Australian-designed Walker Learning method has over the past 25 years demonstrated marked improvements in the everyday literacy and numeracy 16 Coffs Coast focus

skills of young children, which also helps set up the preschool child up for a smoother transition to big school. Based upon the premise that children are better able to understand concepts they find more enjoyable and meaningful, this approach complements the formal academic teaching through the Government’s Early Years Learning Framework, already utilised by Ohana. The Walker Learning approach requires rigour, planning, systems and understanding, and the Ohana educators are excited about implementing this framework to boost the children’s social interaction, oral language and problem-solving skills, and to help improve their core academic outcomes across the board.

Healthy Eating For Our Children Since the end of October our children have been enjoying a tasty and nutritious new summer menu, designed and delivered by our in-house chef Karlie. Created in conjunction with the NSW Munch and Move nutritional guidelines, the treats include fresh well-balanced meals for the children, and non-solid all-natural food for the babies too. Ohana understands the importance of healthy eating habits at a young age and have incorporated the educational experience into preparing and cooking their own afternoon teas. This is a wonderful experience for the children who love eating their own handmade muffins and cakes. Our daily menu is displayed at the entrance of each centre so parents will always have the opportunity to let centre managers know of any changes. We always cater for children with special dietary needs and food intolerances. Check our website for further details.

Our Staff Rewards Program Designed to reward our staff members who have been noted to go above and beyond the normal call of duty, the Educator Spotlight is an incentive program voted on by our parents. The top 3 educators with the most points across all the centres, besides winning 2 tickets to see Elton John’s Farewell concert in February, also win the recognition of their peers for a job well done. Other prizes along the way include a monthly $75 shopping gift card winner, plus $500 for the centre with the highest monthly votes to purchase new resources for the children.

100 Renewable Challenge Each month we calculate and publish the percentage reduction in consumption by each of our centres, as compared to last years figures. The centre with the best monthly reduction figures scores a vote for each educator to add to their tally in the Staff Rewards Program.

Our Commitment To The Environment Along with our 100 Renewable Challenge sits our commitment to fully run each of our centres on solar energy collected via our roof panel arrays. This year also sees the introduction of battery storage which will help boost our intention to leave only the tiniest footprint upon the environment. We will also continue to monitor our goal to go fully paperless, as well as the ongoing campaigns to phase out single use plastics, and generate compost for our thriving garden beds.

2 New Centres For The Coffs Coast Work has now commenced on the building of our new centre located directly across from the Woolworths supermarket on Solitary Islands Way, Woolgoolga. This comes from recognising the need to accommodate more families in this fast growing region. Ohana has also been invited to operate a new site at Sapphire Beach converting a much-loved cafe to a childcare facility, which will continue to serve up the best coffee to the locals. Collectively, these two new locations will add to the existing four centres we operate across the region.

Further Questions? Call 1300 956 200 to find out further details about our flexible session times, or the new learning program. You can also book a time to come and visit one of our centres across the Coffs Coast, and see for yourself.

Looking for quality childcare on the Coffs Coast Experience the ohana early learning difference • Full Day, 6, 8 & 9 Hour Day Session Programs all ages from 6 weeks to school age • Flexible pre-school program based upon the Walker Learning Method • Locally-owned and operated by experienced passionate educators • Located in North Boambee, Coffs CBD Emerald Beach & South Grafton

Talk to our enrolment experts: 1300 956 200 Book a centre tour today

Use your smart phone camera to scan this code and view our website and book your tour

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Provider #PR-40000780

www.ohanaelc.com.au

focusinterview

with Sophie Bird of Tallow and Tide

Emerald Beach Candle Co L O V I N G LY

H A N D M A D E

B Y

K H O A

S U N S H I N E

If you haven’t seen these incredible candles in your local town, you deﬁnitely need to seek them out! High quality, no synthetics, hand poured candles by Khoa. We sit down to chat all things smelly and beautiful!

ey Khoa! Tell me a little bit about you and what you do in the daytime. I know you moonlight as a candle magician, but I want to know the lady behind it all! By daytime I am a landscaper and a grandmother (Nan) to three gorgeous grandkids. I enjoy creating gardens and meeting the people of the Coffs Coast. The days that I’m not running my landscaping business, I’m kept very busy with my grandkids and the candles. I even like to dabble in a bit of art myself, although I’m not that great! How did Emerald Beach Candle Co start, and what was the main inspiration behind your brand? And what is most important to you when creating your amazing candles? My son and I have always dabbled in various hobbies together over the years. We made a

lot of candles for home and our friends, and always had great feedback. We thought that perhaps our candles were good enough to sell, so we set about designing a candle range that captured the essence of the coastal town where it all started - Emerald Beach. The most important thing to us is supporting other artists and artisans, rather than attempting to compete. This is why we chose to use Mitch Gobel’s artwork. The artwork looks like a topographical shot of the coastline, and it showcases one of our best Australian artists. Coming in to this busy time of year, I know personally your candles are SUPER popular gifts. How many candles are you pouring right now? What is your favourite scent, and how did it come about? Coming up to Xmas, things get a bit crazy in the “candle house”. I can pour up to 300 candles a week!

Tropical sunset is by far our favourite scent. We came up with this one when we were attempting to put a twist on the classic Coconut and Lime scent - it encapsulates coastal vibes perfectly: pineapple, coconut, lime and a few other tropical notes. All of our scents are quite unique, as we blend our own fragrances - to create a candle that you can’t find elsewhere. Tell me a little bit about your connection to the Coffs community. What is important to you, and why did you choose Emerald Beach as the area to front your brand? I am a landscaper by day, and I’m fairly busy

creating beautiful gardens and landscapes for the Coffs Coast, before I head home to pour candles each evening (always creating!) Using our home town in Emerald Beach as the forefront for our brand made perfect sense, as it embodies everything we’re about - relaxed and chilled with a community spirit! Where can people smell, buy and love Emerald Beach Candles? Our stockists are available to view on the website at www.emeraldbeachcandleco.com. au or you can pick one up in store at Tallow and Tide or Nourished Earth. Thanks Khoa.

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Coffs Coast focus 19

focusinterview.

In light of the recent fire devastation that has impacted the Orara Valley, we thought we would give some love to local businesses in the region that have been feeling the pinch. FOCUS had a chat with Alison Johnson, owner of Idle Inn Café, to find out more ...

he recent bushfires have left a mark on the community in the Orara Valley. Can you tell us how people were affected? It has been a harrowing time for many throughout the Orara Valley and surrounding areas for the last couple of months. As with much of NSW now, the watch and act cautions we’ve heard so many times were escalated and the Fire Plans we think we’ll never need were put into action, as the Liberation Trail fireball ate its way from Nymboida and Coutts Crossing through to Glenreagh and Nana Glen. Thankfully for our little community, our RFS teams did an amazing job to limit the scale of destruction and prevent its further advance towards Coffs Harbour. Some homes were unfortunately lost, and many properties were fire effected, but we were thankful that no lives were lost. The major destruction was in the forests and properties on the western side of the valley and as you drive through the beautiful Orara Valley today, it looks largely untouched, until you reach the worst hit outskirts of Nana Glen and Glenreagh. What was it like to come face-to-face with fires of this scale? There was a lot of confusion, shock and disbelief at the scale of the fire and speed at which it spread. The smoke cast a strange orange hue over the valley for many days leading to and following the Liberation Trail 20 Coffs Coast focus

fire. The sound of the fire roaring as it “crowned” when it reached the final The major destruction the information they bank of trees on the was in the forests were willing to share edge of Nana Glen was and properties on the with locals on where something we’ll never western side of the valley the fires were and forget. and as you drive through progress they were Many residents are the beautiful Orara making in containing still in a constant state Valley today, it looks largely or backburning was of anxiety, as the threat untouched, until you reach the invaluable. of further fire remains worst hit outskirts of Nana Glen Neighbours and throughout the region. and Glenreagh. strangers alike We find ourselves looking bonded and showed at the hills watching for amazing support for smoke plumes - hills we each other in moving once looked at for their beauty and serene animals, hosing down properties, clearing strength. fire risks and bulldozing fire breaks. In the How did the community pull together in days and weeks that have followed, there is support? definitely a greater sense of community and The community showed amazing resilience connectedness. and support for each other during this Who are some of the local businesses experience. The small businesses throughout that have felt the effects of the the Orara Valley threw open their doors to aftermath? Have you returned to normal offer support and information to the locals, trading? as well as feed and water the volunteers. The Golden Dog Hotel and Glenreagh Being part of a small community means General Store in Glenreagh, the Idle Inn that we are part of their everyday lives and Café, Nana Glen General Store and Two Tails places of safety and familiarity. Many of Wines in Nana Glen and the Coramba Hotel our businesses became collection points for and Coramba General Store all contributed generous donations and hubs for distribution towards supporting the community of the of government resources to those who were Orara Valley throughout this ordeal. fire effected. During the fire, most businesses that The RFS (most of them local members were allowed to keep trading were open for of the community and familiar faces) were extended hours to assist the RFS and provide information and direction to the community, comforting in their constant presence, and

but it was exhausting and meant that regular trade all but ceased. All businesses have now resumed regular trading and are well and truly open for business. How has this tragedy affected local valley businesses? There is no doubt that we are all experiencing a quieter than usual holiday season, with fewer visitors to the region. There were road closures for a short period which isolated Nana Glen and Glenreagh, and smoke has been a deterrent. Many Coffs residents remain unaware that all roads are now open and our little villages of Glenreagh, Nana Glen and Coramba are still standing. The fires have been largely extinguished, and businesses have resumed normal trade. How can the Coffs Community best support you during this time? We want to spread the word that the Orara Valley is open for business and that we can offer a unique variety of hospitality and friendly service. We have cafés, wineries, pubs and everything in between offering a broad choice of dining experiences. We’d love for the Coffs community to venture out into the valley again and support local small business. What plans do you have for 2020? “Watch this space” for a community event in 2020. Thanks Alison.

Coffs Coast focus 21

focuscontributor.

WITH SAM DAWSON OF PFLAG COFFS COAST

he end game is about keeping families together by educating and having open and frank discussions around LGBTIQ + issues and being able to help each other. There are monthly meetings and resource materials readily available, and it’s a point of reference to suggest more specialised help from other organisations. This group is growing organically and with over 100 allies in the PFLAG Coffs Coast Facebook group, we find this is helping parents out there in our Coffs community. This is a great group of people, and the one main thing we all have in common- is loving a child or a friend of anybody who identifies within the LGBTIQ + group.

to us. We were new to town and felt unsure who to approach. High school can be cruel, and the teachers didn’t know how to deal either - I think even 10 years on, this has become easier for our young. The current enquiries and parents asking for support now are around transgender issues. There is a lot of education required and support obviously needed, as we are losing our youth at an alarming rate and we do not need anyone to feel inferior or suffer mental health issues because of their identity or sexual orientation. People need to know that our group is a non-threatening and casual one, and everybody leaves taking something useful with them. We usually meet once a month at various cafés, and I am happy to meet people one on one if they prefer. You are welcome to join our private group PFLAG Coffs Coast, where we share articles, information and parents chat to others and even arrange to meet up and discuss current situations in their own lives. I am just a coordinator and happy to facilitate and post out or email any resources that may be handy too. We have booklets like Keeping Families Together, About PFLAG, and Sexuality is not a Choice. These can be downloaded from the PFLAG Brisbane site too.

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them Dalai Lama.

HAPPY New Year

PFLAG (Parents and Friend of Lesbians and Gays) is set for another great year of friendship, supporting each other and sharing.

22 Coffs Coast focus

This is not formal with any committee or fees, and all the materials are free. I have enjoyed watching this group make a difference in 2019. We have had parents come to us with all different scenarios and while they can access lots online, you cannot beat face to face discussions with people in exactly the same situation as yourself. People often ask me why I feel so passionate about this. I moved here in 2007, and my son was a teenager questioning and bewildered about accepting the fact that he must be gay. Such a confusing time, and as his parents we didn’t know how to effectively navigate this painful time for him. I looked but couldn’t find any local support groups, and I know this would have been invaluable

So don’t be shy; get in touch with me: 0417 861 045 or email pflagcoffscoast@gmail.com if you would like any more information.

Advanced Mechanical Services We all know it’s important to drive a vehicle that’s safe - especially around the holidays. Have you been neglecting your car? Have you had no time to book that service? Or, have you got it on your “to-do” list for the holiday period? Whatever your excuse, don’t put it off any longer! Advanced Mechanical Services have a great offer for you! For the month of January 2020, we will be offering a free rego check with every lube service. You heard that right! A FREE rego check with every lube service. Even if your rego isn’t due for another two, three or four months, we’ll give you a voucher. A lubrication service will cover an oil and filter change, checking both the pressure and condition of your tyres, checking under the bonnet to ensure optimal levels of cooling system fluids, brake fluids and clutch, as well as hoses, lights and more! Ensure your car is safe on the roads and start the year right. Book in your lubrication service now and get that free rego check!

This is the store you’re looking for.

Conveniently located at 6/163 Orlando Street, Coffs Harbour. Call 0431 231 920 and book your service today.

Park Beach Plaza @edegrees | 66511575 Park Beach Plaza 2019 Retailer of the Year! Coffs Coast focus 23

NICOLE WHITE

NATHAN HUNT

Q Where is your favourite place to unwind on the coast? A The Harbourside markets on a Sunday.

Q Where is your favourite place to have a drink? A The Toormina Hotel! Have to support the local!

HANNAH MCLAUCHLAN

RENEE BILLING

Q Who does the best coffee on the coast? A The Idle In, Nana Glen.

Q What is your favourite dish in town? A The Gnocchi, Latitude 30.

KATIE ALBINUS

JEM REYNOLDS

Q Where do you see yourself in 10 years? A My partner and I just bought a new house, so hopefully still here with a kid or two.

Q Who is your most played artist on Spotify? A A tie between Ruel and Lauv.

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Kevin Hogan - The Nationals As our community continues to face challenges with both the drought and fires, I want to ensure everyone is aware of the assistance that is available to you. The Farm Household Allowance (FHA) is there to help our farmers through periods of hardship, providing four years of income assistance. Payments are available now and eligibility can be checked by calling 180 22 66 or online at www.humanservices.gov.au/disaster Farmers and small businesses that have been hit by the bushfires can now access recovery grants of up to $15,000. To apply for a recovery grant, primary producers and small businesses should contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit raa.nsw.gov.au. The Disaster Recovery Payment provides $1,000 for adults and $400 for children. The payment

will help people whose homes have been severely damaged or destroyed. Payments are available now and eligibility can be checked at www.humanservices.gov.au/disaster or by calling 180 22 66. Members of our community who have lost their income as a direct result of the bushfires may be eligible for income support via the Disaster Recovery Allowance. Payments are available now and eligibility can be checked at www.humanservices.gov.au/disaster or by calling 180 22 66. Emergency fodder is available for those landholders impacted by bushfires; please call the Agricultural & Animal Services hotline on 1800 814 647. For those who require assistance, I encourage you to apply.

lass of 2019, congratulations and best wishes as you embark on another stage of your learning

journey.

As a result of your participation in just the everyday life of 3 Bears, we as educators have witnessed an amazing year.

service workers! Preparing you at 3 Bears to have a strong sense of identity, wellbeing and confidence with the ability to connect and contribute to your world has assisted to lay the foundations for a positive and successful transition to school, with a love of learning for the rest of your lives.

We have observed you being and

We are grateful and feel very blessed

becoming architects in the block

that your families chose 3 Bears to

corner, artists in our gallery, health

share your lives with us for the past

professionals within our â€œWellbeingâ€?

five years, and from all the educators

program and scientists, teachers,

and management at 3 Bears, good

chefs, hairdressers and community

luck and farewell.

Coffs Coast focus 25

F o r e s t

R e c o v e r y

An early start to the traditional fire season has seen northern NSW on fire, a situation that continues today across the state. Much has been lost as a result of these fires. However, there is hope in the resilience of the land.

s fires continue to devastate the landscape, fire-fighting and emergency services have been working together for months on fire response and control measures, saving homes, lives and community assets. Members of the Rural Fire Service, Fire & Rescue NSW, National Parks & Wildlife Service and Forestry Corporation of NSW have been working together on incident control, fire-fighting and fireground management. The effects of these devastating fires on our forested landscape is evident. When fire has finished, what remains is a brown and black palette of scorched and smoldering earth, dangerous trees and an unusual quietness to the land. However, our forests are resilient. Forestry ecologists have been carefully re-entering firegrounds to assess the effects on flora

26 Coffs Coast focus

and support remaining fauna. Regeneration There are many stories of is evident; tiny green bravery, perseverance buds are sprouting on the water-point’s forest and forest recovery trees, shrubs, and in the visitors. around the current ground. Water is still The captured images ﬁre situation. It is needed, but these forests are both reassuring and gratifying to see early have seen fire before and fascinating, showcasing signs of naturally will eventually recover. a range of delightful regenerating life and Forestry field ecologists birdlife not often seen promising for what is to come. Bronwyn and Darren by those of us living have been working in towns. Kingfishers, to support birds and kookaburras, whipbirds, animals returning to wrens, orioles, doves, fire-affected forests. They have been installing finches and even a Lace Monitor have been “water-points” - large tubs of water, fitted caught on camera. These images indicate with mesh and tree branches to ensure small that forests are doing what they do best – animals can get in and out again. Installed regrowing, regenerating, supporting forest life. water-points are regularly checked and Support for mid and north coast koala care replenished, and many are fitted with “critter organisations has been happening through cam” - a small camera that captures images of the provision of koala ‘furniture’ and food.

Forestry staff have sourced timber in State Forests to create koala perches, cutting it to size and delivering it up and down the coast to koala rescue groups in Lismore, Port Macquarie and Taree. Fresh feedstock has been provided where possible too. There are many stories of bravery, perseverance and forest recovery around the current fire situation. It is gratifying to see early signs of naturally regenerating life and promising for what is to come. For more information on the current fire situation, including current closures and stories of forest recovery: www.rfs.nsw.gov.au “Fires Near Me” app (free) @visitnswforests – facebook, Instagram, twitter www.forestrycorproation.com.au/visit

focus_travel

Turkish Delights A trip to Turkey is like flicking through the pages of a history book - each step a different era, with a different tale. Whether it’s the military history of the great Julius Caesar, who famously came, saw and conquered, or the shores of Gallipoli, Turkey has an epic history. The Turkish people are social and familyoriented, which is evident in Turkey’s delicious food. Whether it’s a meze plate, crisp vegetables from the family garden or seafood plucked fresh from the sea, sharing a meal in Turkey takes you straight to the heart of the culture. The modern cities of Istanbul and Ankara are an eclectic mix of East meets West and never disappoint. From the old cities through to the modern bars, the streets are abuzz with activity. Many consider Istanbul a crucial off-point to the Silk Road, the historically important international trade route. Turkey’s charm lies somewhere between its

stunning landscapes and friendly locals but if you think you’ve seen diverse landscape before, then prepare to be surprised on a visit to Turkey. The honeycombed hills and hand cut caves of the World Heritage listed region of Cappadocia look as though they’ve been dreamt up from the pages of fairy tale, whilst the view from your yacht as you cruise through the Aegean Sea is both breathtaking and humbling. Whether it’s cruising the markets or the waterways, it’s hardly surprising Turkey has attracted so many people over the centuries. And for FOCUS readers, a unique opportunity is now available with local tour company Quadrant Australia to join their Ag Highlights of Turkey, including ANZAC Day at Gallipoli, departing 17th April 2020. For more information, drop in to see the team in Harbour Dr, Coffs Harbour, or visit their website: www.quadrantaustralia.com

WITH KERRY MOSS FROM QUADRANT TRAVEL

SOUTH AFRICA A “best of ” tour in a country like South Africa is almost an oxymoron. This is a land renowned for oﬀering some of the most memorable tourist experiences on the planet, with a wealth of wildlife, jaw-dropping scenery and a rich tapestry of culture. South Africa has 11 oﬃcial languages and is regarded as one of the most diverse cultures in the world, giving rise to the term “rainbow nation”. uadrant Director Colin Beckett has managed agricultural travel programs around the world and has returned to Australia after 16 years living on a maize and cattle farm in Kroonstadt, in the north of South Africa. He says the biggest point of difference between Quadrant and other tour companies is that it’s “people to people”. One of the key focuses for Quadrant is on ensuring guests are able to engage with the local community and really get a sense of the culture and way of life of their chosen destination, and the program for South Africa is no exception. As well as several farm visits and the chance to dine with locals, one of this tour’s main highlights is the Nampo Field Day. The Nampo Field Day is the biggest and most important agricultural show in South Africa, with more than 35,000 farmers in attendance. Of course, no trip to this continent is complete without the three words that every tourist hopes to tick off their travel list: THE BIG FIVE! Madikwe Game Reserve is 75,000 hectares of bushland, near the border with Botswana, boasting all of the majestic big five animals: lions, rhinos, buffalo, elephants and leopards. A two night stay ensures guests have ample opportunity to spot them all. Like all the carefully selected accommodation, Tau Game Lodge at Madikwe is a tourist attraction in its own right, and an intimate one at that, designed in harmony with the natural surroundings. With just 30 luxury chalets

spread out in a U-formation on either side of the lodge, all guests have expansive views over the nearby waterhole, which attracts a vast variety of game. From Madikwe, guests spend over a week travelling through the heart of the country, with visits to the Mega Merino Stud, a dairy farm, an elephant sanctuary and a host of other highlights en-route to the final destination of Cape Town. Crowned by the magnificent Table Mountain National Park, Cape Town’s natural landscape makes it one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Travellers will visit the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, to see where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet and stop at Boulders Beach to say g’day to the resident penguin colony. From here, it’s farewell to the regular tour and what will surely be a holiday to remember forever, but those who continue on for the extension tour to Victoria Falls and Chobe will be rewarded with one of Mother Nature’s most impressive creations. There is something almost other-worldly about the majesty and power of Victoria Falls, the world’s largest stretch of falling water, straddling the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Scottish explorer David Livingstone, the first European to discover the falls, described it as the most wonderful sight in all of Africa, with “scenes so lovely, they must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight”. This journey of a lifetime departs in May 2020 and if you want to know more, then visit Quadrant Travel and Journeys in Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour, or visit their website at www.quadrantaustralia.com Coffs Coast focus 27

E N J O Y A L U X U R Y S TAY AT

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28 Coffs Coast focus

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Coffs Coast focus 29

focuscontributor with Rebecca Platts

Sydney Comedy Fest - C.ex Coﬀs F R I D A Y

2 2 N D

I had the pleasure of being invited along the Sydney Comedy Festival at the C.ex Coffs. The travelling comedy band wagon brings along some of their great acts from the Sydney Comedy Gala to regional areas. Boasting four wildly different acts, the show is two hours packed full of laughs! It was easy to see that Chris Ryan was a veteran when it came to performering, after watching her handle a heckler in the crowd like a pro - not to mention her hilarious rendition on Flashdance! Micky Bartlett the Irishman was a clear crowd favourite, being an absolute powerhouse of non-stop hilarity, closing the night by poking fun at his own “celtic

N O V E M B E R physique” and pushing the envelope when it comes to some international jokes. The comedy fest drew in a great crowd; it was good to see some familiar faces amongst the masses. The rooftop bar of the C.ex Coffs is quickly becoming

Brandon & Claire

Josh & Lily

Lisa & Laura

Beth, Natasha & Sophie

a go-to venue for a night out in town. If you’re looking for a good night, this is a jam-packed night of pure entertainment that will leave you sore from belly laughs! The Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase is running up until August next year all around the country. Fair warning - the show is recommended for 15 years+ and parental discretion is advised, but would you want to go if it wasn’t!

’80s Mania Night- C.ex Coﬀs T H U R S D A Y

Matthew & Ernest

Chrissy, Heide & Leisa

Greg, Cathy, Gayle & Ian

Debbie

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2 1 S T

We sent Sam Dawson as our residential ‘80s pro to the ‘80s Mania Night at the C.ex, to see what all the fuss was about! “I had the best night recently attending the C.ex Coffs event ‘80s Mania tour with the actual original bands. Armed in double denim and big hair and big hoop earrings, I couldn’t wait to see if I would love these bands as much as I did in my youth. “The Kings of Wishful Thinking lead an awesome line up of ‘80s artists touring together in a show loaded with enough hits to satisfy everybody. Joining Go West was Pseudo Echo, A Flock of Seagulls, The Cutting Crew and Wang Chung, and each singing their best hits

N O V E M B E R

kept the dance floor full and bopping away! “Those familiar songs like I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight, We Close Our Eyes, Funky Town, I Ran and Everybody Have Fun Tonight did not disappoint! The crowd was a mix of age groups too and from the moment they got on stage, the place lit up. I was excited by the way each band interacted with the crowd too. “My pick was Pseudo Echo with two Keytars and lots of glitz and glam and high energy on stage. It’s easy to see why they were as popular as INXS back in the day! It was so fun to relive that era again!”

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Coramba Hotel is successfully run by Sandy and Brett, who take pride in creating a real “local” pub. Nestled in the Orara Valley just 12 km inland from Coﬀs Harbour, it is worth a visit to take in the views and savour good old country style hospitality.

rettt and Sandy, you are real locals yourselves now. Tell us how the last 12 months have been for you and what changes you have introduced so far. The last 12 months have been a mix of exciting and challenging times on both a personal and professional level. We are well and truly locals now, having bought a house in Coramba, and we try to be involved in as many community events and things as we possibly can. Since taking over the pub, we have introduced regular live bands every Sunday afternoon, Fox Sports, Tuesday Trivia Night, Wednesday Pool Comp, semi regular fun theme nights, plus we have regular fundraiser events with raffles and sausage sizzles, kids’ entertainers etc. Many of the changes we have done are not visual to the public; they are fixing and instigating in-house stuff to be able to better serve our patrons, whilst making it easy and efficient for our fabulous staff. The recent bushfires have been on everyone's minds. Tell us about the local spirit and all the great work you have done in supporting the locals. The bushfires all over the Eastern Coast of Australia are really horrendous, aren’t they?

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And, our local ones here in the Orara Valley have been worrying and scary. But if anything good has come from anything bad, it is the fact that it has further We have live entertainment unified us as an even every Sunday afternoon, stronger community. with local father and plus the occasional Everyone is pitching in, daughter duo “Rowland night events to keep our helping and supporting & Shekinah”, and patrons interested and each other. on the 12th January entertained. I try to use local We’ve been providing we have our annual artists as much as possible, and free drinks and meals massive “Bob Ferris there are certainly a lot about. for our firies and fire Memorial Woodchop brigades, plus we Day”, with lots of fun just hosted a massive and interesting things fundraiser for our eight planned. local volunteer fire brigades that we are still Plus, don’t forget our Broadaxe Bistro can tallying, as money is still coming in, but it is cater for Christmas parties and family/friends over $16k at present. Everyone wanted to get togethers! give back and say a collective thank you to the You seem to have brought in more live firies, and we knew this was one way we could entertainment too - tell us about that. collectively help our community to do that. Yes. We have live entertainment every What is happening over this holiday break Sunday afternoon, plus the occasional night at Coramba Hotel? events to keep our patrons interested and We have our usual live music on a Sunday entertained. I try to use local artists as much afternoon, plus we have a big Christmas Family as possible, and there are certainly a lot about. Fun day event on the 22nd December, with It would be good, though to see people “D’Boyzos” playing live, “The Smiley Squad” supporting these events more. It can be kids’ entertainers, plus a visit from Santa. disheartening not just to us, but to performers NYE we also have live entertainment, when attendance is low. So get on out to the

Orara Valley, folks. All businesses out here are family owned and operated and are OPEN FOR BUSINESS. What feedback do you get from the locals, as they are the biggest critics, aren't they? We do get feedback from the locals and are glad and relieved to say that most of it is all positive, but we welcome constructive comments too, as it all helps us to grow and provide services and facilities that our patrons and visitors like. We try to continually improve our services and facilities all the time, as well as to cater for everyone. Sometimes limitations can restrict us, but we try our absolute hardest to do our best with what we have and can work with. Any plans for 2020? We always have plans. We understand that businesses need to adapt and change in order to grow and accommodate their patrons. Stay tuned and follow us via our Facebook page and other social media … plus, we are in the process of constructing a website. Thanks guys.

Ribeye Rooftop Bar & Kitchen is an 18+ outlet

Coffs Coast focus 33

SHAUN PILLEY C O A S T

H O T E L

ears in the kitchen: Twenty-five. First interested in cookery: As a small child, I was always interested in food (as all children are), helping my mother out, as well as my uncle, who was always cooking for the family. My father loved fishing, so fish was a common thing at home on weekends; things just developed from there. I remember attempting to make peppermint creams with a babysitter ... the chocolates turned out great - my mum loved them although she was not too happy with the state of the kitchen. Ha! First job and training: I entered the industry like a lot of young chefs with a kitchen hand job at the Tree House restaurant, then completed my four year apprenticeship there under the hard and watchful eyes of some very talented chefs, who to this day are still at the top of their game. Although they were strict old school chefs, I’m very appreciative of the knowledge, work ethic and training they provided; they really did put a lot of effort into me. Creating menus: With making any kind of menu you have to consider the seasons; produce is always at its peak in the season. As a chef in Australia, especially on the North Coast, we are lucky to be able to search out and get great products all year round. Local products: Using local is as important as buying local. We have a number of fantastic suppliers that source products for us, like local fish and seafood, which we use on the menu and with daily specials. Favourite dishes: I personally like the lamb

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salad and pork belly salad - the flavours and textures, as well as them suiting the climate of Coffs Harbour. I like doing specials, as these are spontaneous most of the time, so they let a little creativity come into a pub style menu. Special events: We have great spaces here at the Coast, so we can cater to a wide variety of people - from walk around canapés, to grazing tables, to sit down plated dining. Sourcing ideas: I get a lot of inspiration from the natural environment - my vegetable garden, the surrounding farmlands, but mostly from the people we work with, staff members, other chefs, books ... the list goes on. The influence: I think the team and people around you give you the influence to strive to be better, to keep going on; you cannot do this by yourself! It really is a team effort! Outside of work cooking: I love my BBQ and my offset smoker. What I cook for my family on these days is really determined by what my gardens at home are producing. Menu changing: Our menu is constantly evolving to give customers something different, although there obviously are core dishes that stay the same; we are always trying out new things to see what works. Favourite ingredient: Hands down would be seafood - I love it. It’s great to work with, you can simply serve as nature presents it to you, it’s excellent with minor effort, or with a little know how you can take something like the humble crustacean and make three or so dishes using the one product. Thanks Shaun.

Coffs Coast focus 35

RED-C Events The word is out! RED-C Events Centre on Jordan Esplanade is open every Friday from 3pm for dinner and raffles and every weekend from 11am. Come and enjoy fine food, cold drinks and live music in a fantastic, family friendly atmosphere with the most amazing views in Coffs! Come and experience RED-C’s Summer of Music!

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ED-C Events is breathing life into the old fishing club, opening it up to the community once more, providing quality local, national and international events for the Coffs Coast, as well as providing great facilities to hire for weddings, receptions, celebrations and conferences. RED-C Events were nominated as a finalist in the Mid North Coast Brides’ Choice Award and offer a fantastic venue for your wedding or reception, with full kitchen and bar facilities available. RED-C also offer catering and drinks packages for your event. The food provided by Executive Chef Loic Prouin is absolutely superb: from fresh local seafood share plates and tender chargrilled scotchy to decadent desserts, patrons are never disappointed! Why not head on over for a cold drink on the deck at the weekend, listen to some great music, get in some whale watching, while your kids enjoy the jumping castle, all in a pokie-free environment! As a not for profit advancing culture in Coffs, RED-C Events are committed to providing a quality venue for locals and visitors, and performers, as well as support for local social sporting group the Allsports Club. Plans are also in motion to extend the front lawn area and build a beach volleyball court, to make a welcoming entertainment area for the whole family and provide a bit of friendly competition over summer. “At first, we had plans to utilise at least half the space as offices, but after moving in, we just

couldn’t do it. The community deserves to be able to enjoy this space as much as we do! There is no better place to be in Coffs; the views are just spectacular,” said Director Jane Reidy. “We are happy to be able to open the venue to the public again; we think the events centre is working well, and we have had lots of great feedback.” As well as their regular weekly Summer Sessions, RED-C Events are hosting the Rolling Sets Music Festival on 25th January at their Coffs Harbour Amphitheatre, featuring headliners Hilltop Hoods. “This is a real coup for Coffs, having this major Australian talent play here and backed up by a heap of other incredible performers,” commented Director Dan Stevens. International performers Mad Caddies from California are coming on 29th April as part of their 2020 Australian tour, which is sure to be a fantastic night. Each month, RED-C Events hosts their UnCovered music series, featuring talented performers and showcasing their original music. Each month a different genre is presented, such as Rock, Funk or Blues, so check their website for details! RED-C Events also organise lots of other events, such as dinner and show nights, big band music nights, business functions and community events, so check www.redc.org.au and follow their social media pages for upcoming events. If you would like to arrange a function, or need more details about an event, contact RED-C Events on (02) 8999 1818 or email bookings@ redc.org.au - their friendly staff can help!

Coffs Coast focus 37

THE COFFS COAST GIG GUIDE

FFS COAST

JA NUA RY 2 1ST JANUARY

10TH JANUARY

Cocktails Craft and Acoustics Benny Black The Coast Hotel DJ Dangerwaves - Hoey Moey Benny Black - Element Bar New Year’s Day Party - RED-C Events

Magic Mojo - The Pier Hotel Tim Pike (Free) - C.ex Vaine Rabana (Free) - C.ex DJ Bisho - The Coast Hotel Friendly Enemies + DJ Dangerwaves - Hoey Moey Chris Grieve - Element Bar Jeremiah Johnson - Dark Arts Brew & Bar

2ND JANUARY Kailey Pallas - The Coast Hotel Steve Bennett - Hoey Moey Peter L Barry - Element Bar

3RD JANUARY The Official Blues Brothers Revue (Ticketed) - C.ex Bang Bang (Free) - C.ex Jacob Murray (Free) - C.ex Mick Bateman - The Pier Hotel Killer Queen Show - Moonee Beach Tavern Honey & Stone - Seaview Tavern TGIF with DJ Rjay - The Coast Hotel Owen Shannon + DJ OB1 - Hoey Moey Brittany-Elise - Element Bar Josh Matheson - Dark Arts Brew & Bar

4TH JANUARY Pink Zinc - The Pier Hotel Rockabillys (Free) - C.ex Owen Shannon (Free) - C.ex Who Wants to be a Rockstar Feat. Misschief Seaview Tavern Alter Ego & Flakey - The Coast Hotel DJ OB1 - Hoey Moey Love Island Take Over ft Sam Withers Winkxx Night Spot Benny Black - Element Bar Saije - Dark Arts Brew & Bar

5TH JANUARY Jamesy - The Coramba Hotel The Black Sorrows - Hoey Moey Benny Black 4:30pm - Element Bar Benny Black 9:30pm - Dark Arts Brew & Bar

7TH JANUARY Living in the 70s Show - Seaview Tavern

8TH JANUARY The Growlers - Sawtell RSL Cocktails Craft and Acoustics Josh Matherson - The Coast Hotel Daniel Hopkins - Element Bar

9TH JANUARY Jimeoin - Sawtell RSL Chris Grieve - The Coast Hotel Bobby Lea Coulton - Hoey Moey MUFASSA - Element Bar

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11TH JANUARY Summer Meltdown Tour - Sawtell RSL Friendly Enemies - The Pier Hotel Nicks The sound of Stevie - Moonee Beach Tavern Goof Ball (Free) - C.ex Ghost Road - Seaview Tavern Wildflower & Callum Rule - The Coast Hotel DJ Dangerwaves - Hoey Moey LUUDE - Winkxx Night Spot Dean Sharkey - Element Bar Peter L Barry - Dark Arts Bew & Bar

12TH JANUARY DJ Danger Waves (Free) - C.ex Annual Bob Ferris Woodchop Day - The Coramba Hotel Lisa Hunt & Forever Soul - Hoey Moey Josh Matheson - Element Bar The Awesome - Dark Arts Brew & Bar

15TH JANUARY Cocktails Craft and Acoustics Owen Shannon - The Coast Hotel Ben Whiting - Element Bar

16TH JANUARY Dave Fahey - The Coast Hotel Anna & Jed - Element Bar

17TH JANUARY Vanessa Lee - The Pier Hotel Issy Dye (Free) - C.ex Billie Jo Porter (Free) - C.ex The Jacks Band - Seaview Tavern DJ Rjay - The Coast Hotel Simon & Angus + DJ Dangerwaves - Hoey Moey Peter L Barry - Element Bar Vena Klymo - Dark Arts Brew & Bar

18TH JANUARY Never Ending ‘80s - Sawtell RSL Secret Squirell - The Pier Hotel Ol’ 45 Band (Free) - C.ex DJ Helmy (Free) - C.ex RnB Night with The Funk Thieves + DJ Dangerwaves - Seaview Tavern Colonel angus & Blakey - The Coast Hotel DJ Richard Gear - Hoey Moey

KLP Summer Tour - Winkxx Night Spot Benny Black - Element Bar Daniel Hopkins - Dark Arts Brew & Bar UnCovered Band Night - RED-C Events

19TH JANUARY DJ Danger Waves (Free) - C.ex Angle - The Coramba Hotel THE STRIDES & DJ Helmy - Hoey Moey Ryan Brooker - Element Bar Peter L Barry - Dark Arts Brew & Bar

22ND JANUARY Snow Queen’s Aussie Freezing Show (Ticketed) - C.ex Cocktails Craft and Acoustics Jacob Murray The Coast Hotel Josh Matheson - Element Bar

23RD JANUARY Matty Devit - The Coast Hotel Peter L Barry - Element Bar

24TH JANUARY Who’s Charlie - The Pier Hotel The Shuffle Boys (Free) - C.ex Mark Webb (Free) - C.ex The Barnes Storm Show - Seaview Tavern DJ Skoney - The Coast Hotel Calum Foulis + DJ Richard Gear - Hoey Moey Dean Sharkey - Element Bar

25TH JANUARY Rolling Sets Festival - Coffs Amphitheatre Chill Factor - The Pier Hotel Rock n Rollas (Free) - C.ex DJ Dirty Luck (Free) - C.ex

Who’s Charlie - Seaview Tavern Pink Zinc, Chunky Dip & DJ Rjay - The Coast Hotel DJ OB1 - Hoey Moey Chris Grieve - Element Bar Peter L Barry - Dark Arts Brew & Bar

26TH JANUARY Old School Rock’n’Roll - The Coramba Hotel Australia Day with Marshall Okell - Seaview Tavern Josh Matheson, V TRIBE & DJ OB1 - Hoey Moey Chris Wiggins - Element Bar Vena Klymo - Dark Arts Brew & Bar

27TH JANUARY Long Weekend Recovery Party - RED-C Events

29TH JANUARY Cocktails Craft and Acoustics Jake Davey The Coast Hotel Vena Klymo - Element Bar

30TH JANUARY Ryan Parsons - The Coast Hotel Daniel Hopkins - Element Bar

31ST JANUARY Chris Grieve - The Pier Hotel Vanessa Lee and Roadtrain (Free) - C.ex Ryan Parsons (Free) - C.ex Colonial Angus - Seaview Tavern DJ Bisho - The Coast Hotel Georgia Cummins + DJ Dangerwaves - Hoey Moey Dean Sharkey - Element Bar

T O O R M I N A

H O T E L

Named best family friendly hotel in NSW The newly renovated Toormina Hotel is the best local pub on the Coffs Coast, known for its family friendly atmosphere, community events, The Palms cabanas, and delicious bistro menu, with pub classics as well as lighter salad and seafood options.

he venue has been recognised playground area; monthly family fun days, in the 2019 AHA NSW with themed kids’ entertainment and kids’ Awards for Excellence, as the themes including Toy Story 4, dinosaurs and Best Family Friendly Hotel. Christmas; and of course, meal deals that AHA awards are one of the make going out that little bit easier on the most prestigious award programmes in bank account. the hospitality industry, honouring the It’s not just the entertainment and achievement of excellence in NSW hotels wonderful team that makes Toormina Hotel across a variety of segments. the go-to for families. The Palms is the new “We are very proud alfresco bar and dining of what we’ve achieved; area with cabanas, it’s a team effort. To us, beautiful cocktails, and customer service is at fresh interiors. There’s the heart of everything something on the menu We are very proud of we do, and the award for everyone - from what we’ve achieved; is testimony of this. It’s pub classics through it’s a team effort. To us, vitally important that to gourmet pizzas and customer service is at everyone feels welcome, healthier options. Perfect the heart of everything and it’s all the staff and for the whole family, we do, and the award is their attitude that helps there’s even a state-oftestimony of this. to create a wonderful the-art kids’ playground. atmosphere,” says GM With spaces that can Carl Mower. host groups from five to With a team that’s 250 and various beverage committed to excellent customer service, packages, canapés, group platters and set there’s no surprise that the rotating roster menus, Toormina Hotel is the perfect place of family minded events throughout the for your next birthday celebration, family year are a hit with locals. There’s a “mums gathering or get-together. and bubs” club, where new mums can get Make sure you visit the best family friendly out and meet other mums with pick-me-up venue in NSW - Toormina Hotel, your new coffee and cake specials; a state of the art local on the Coffs Coast. Coffs Coast focus 39

ELEMENT

BAR 40 Coffs Coast focus

elementbar.com.au | 6651 6655 | 380 Harbour Drive, CoďŹ€s Harbour Jetty Coffs Coast focus 41

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Famed as one of Australia’s most promising young songwriters and charming vocalists, INDIE POP SENSATION MALLRAT IS SET TO GRACE US WITH HER PRESENCE AT THIS YEAR’S ROLLING SETS FESTIVAL, performing her hit songs and giving us a taste as to why Australian audiences have fallen in love with her.

he past few years have been (I’m from Brisbane, but when I’m not on tour I live big for you, with your career between LA and Melbourne). I keep getting better at taking off both in Australia and music and worse at replying to messages. overseas. You’ve just performed Your music is so catchy, childlike and has a on The Late Late Show with certain innocence about it. Who/what has been James Corden in the US a few your biggest musical influence growing up and weeks ago; did you ever dream that this could over your career? be happening? I think I’ve been influenced by so many things. I dreamed about my music being popular overseas, When I was listening to my parents’ music, it was but a TV performance never a lot of disco and country. My crossed my mind. It was a mum was very cool, so we would really cool experience though. listen to a lot of Ministry of Coming off your recent Sound and The OC Soundtrack I also remember being obsessed American and Europe tours, together. I also remember being with Taylor Swift’s earlier where has been one of obsessed with Taylor Swift’s music and Lily Allen’s ‘It’s your favourite places to earlier music and Lily Allen’s It’s Not Me, It’s You’ album. perform? Not Me, It’s You album. I still I still listen to all of that, Dublin is my favourite place listen to all of that, as well as lots as well as lots of rap and to play shows! The crowds of rap and also Lana del Rey. I also Lana del Rey. I think all there are so energetic and think all of those influences can of those inﬂuences can be heard enthusiastic and funny. I also be heard in my music. in my music. love playing in London, but it’s What’s your favourite song pretty hard to beat shows and to perform at the moment? festivals at home. For me, I love Charlie, as I’m a With your very public huge dog lover! success, tell us what has changed the most for Thank you! Charlie is one of my favourite songs I’ve you in the past couple of years? ever made. I really love playing Better, especially at I feel like my whole life everything has always been festivals. changing, so I don’t really know what to compare Do you have any favourite musicians you have now to! I’ve definitely become more assertive and or wish to collaborate with in the future? I’m good at making home wherever I am that day Kanye! He’s my all time favourite.

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You’re playing here in Coffs Harbour at the new Rolling Sets Festival January 2020. We’re all so excited to see you perform; what can our readers expect? I don’t think I can tell you what to expect, but I do think it will be a really fun day. It looks like you’ll be busy over the next year with a fair few festivals lined up. What’s next for you personally? I’m about to start working on my debut album! I’m very excited. Fast facts … What’s playing on your iPhone? The last song I listened to was Love by Kendrick Lamar. What’s your favourite food? Avocado; I’ll add it to anything. Where’s your favourite travel destination? The beach! Maybe the Sunshine Coast, because it’s nostalgic for me.

Punters are urged to get in quick, as tickets are moving fast for the inaugural event that will take place on Gallows Headland, boasting 280 degree ocean views from the harbour all the way around to Boambee Beach. ROLLING SETS FESTIVAL 2020 When Sat, Jan 25 at the Coffs Harbour Amphitheatre. Tickets Tickets.oztix.com.au

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ERNIES Kitchen

CARL FRUSHER

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MATTHEW & ERNEST

C . E X

G R O U P

W H AT ’ S O N this

SUMMER! The C.ex Group 2019 renovation was completed late October and has been the biggest refurbishment of club facilities for more than 15 years. FOCUS had a chat with Shona Hunter, to find out more ...

ou have gone through a complete renovation. Tell us about that. We wanted to expand our dining options and update the look and feel of our main entrance, to create a modern and appealing entry for members and guests and make better use of the space available in this area. Included in the refurbishments is a new entrance at Vernon Street, new restroom facilities with parents’ room, three new meeting rooms, Papaveros Italian restaurant and café and Ribeye Rooftop Bar & Kitchen. The renovation began in February, with a view to finishing around September. Ribeye Rooftop Bar & Kitchen was opened in late August and Papaveros was launched in October, with works remaining on schedule. We partnered with Paynter Dixon Constructions and Split Watermelon Design to ensure the finishes of all areas were of top quality and had a look different to that of most clubs and other hospitality venues. We will continue to make improvements around the club in general, to ensure our venue maintains a modern and fresh feel. What can we expect to find on the menu at Ribeye Rooftop Bar & Kitchen and Papaveros? Ribeye Rooftop Bar & Kitchen is offering two different dining experiences. The Ribeye Kitchen offers a casual sit down, table service style that offers great steaks, ribs, chicken, seafood and vegetarian meals. Ribeye Rooftop Bar has a more relaxed feel, offering assorted tapas items and a

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quality range of beers, wines and cocktails. Papaveros is a family friendly dining outlet that offers a wide selection of gourmet pizzas, pastas, à la carte options and delicious desserts. With a rustic Italian feel, large communal tables and with a delightful alfresco area, you will think you are in Italy. Ribeye Rooftop Bar is a new hot spot in town; tell us about that. We wanted this space to be something completely different to everything else we offer, and it is also the first of its kind in the Coffs Harbour area. It has a relaxed coastal feel with multiple seating areas, and we offer a tapas menu, cocktails and live music every Friday and Saturday nights. We are now open on Sundays from 3pm - 9pm to Celebrate Sundays! Do you have any big shows coming in 2020? We have some great shows confirmed for 2020, including David Strassman, The McClymonts and Damien Leith, and we are continuously sourcing the best acts for the Coffs Coast, so stay tuned for some announcements in the near future! What else is happening at C.ex Coffs in summer? Plenty of live music every Friday and Saturday night in both our Vista Lounge and Ribeye Rooftop Bar, plus during our Celebrate Sundays! We have lots of great dining options available throughout the club, including PLANK, The Brasserie, Papaveros and Ribeye Rooftop Bar & Kitchen, plus there are also plenty of school holidays activities for the kids. Thanks Shona.

atthew, do you find patrons have higher expectations these days when they dine out, as more people have become creative with their own cooking? Of course; home cooking has never been more encouraged in current world culture. Food programmes have exploded in the last decade, insisting we cook from scratch for myriad health benefits, so, at Ernies Kitchen we are completely in tune with that. Our food is all freshly prepared. To entice patrons further, you need to go beyond what they can replicate at home. And this is the key to our success at Ernies Kitchen, as our patrons can grasp the menu content quickly, putting them at ease, whilst giving them a sense of home belonging. Matthew, what is the proudest moment of your career? Wow, that’s a big answer! I will have to give you three. 1. Having my work printed in Vogue Australia Signature Edition, the only one to date. 2. Opening my first hair salon, “Scarlet & Hollywood London”. 3. And the proudest moment to date was opening “Ernies Kitchen Coffs Harbour” with my husband Ernest, because we did this together. Ernest, have you travelled much to expand your interest in food? Yes, I have travelled extensively with my husband Matthew by having London as our base; this became our gateway to the world. We have always been foodies and score a country on our food experiences, not just its history and culture. We have eaten street food in the dusty lanes of Marrakesh, camel burgers in Syria, whale and puffin bird in Reykjavik. To me, eating isn’t just about fancy food combining in high-end restaurants, and yes, I have done that! For me, it’s about eating what is locally sourced and readily available. The ideal dish is built by combining local herbs and spices to a known dish, or adding an exotic meat or vegetable for further originality - this too is our aim at Ernies Kitchen. Ernest, what plans do you have for the future of the café/brasserie? I’m in the process of doing my licensee course, and it’s a lengthy duration. The point of the licence is to allow

our guests the choice of having a glass/ bottle of wine or a bespoke cocktail at lunch or dinner - while still offering BYO. In saying that, Ernies Kitchen will be known for a particular cocktail served in a gorgeous Martini glass - watch this space! Ernest, throughout your career, what famous chefs have you admired and why? Jacob Kenedy, whom I worked with at “Bocca di Lupo” for four years, the most stunning regional Italian cuisine served tapas style; when we go back to London, we make a point of eating there. Marco Pierre White, whom I worked for at “Quo Vadis” and “Red Cube” - so much excitement and the passion for perfecting a dish! Angela Hartnett, for her stunning Italian. Nigella Lawson for making comfort food look sexy. Finally, Jamie Oliver - what’s not to love; he is so playful with food, making it look so easy, being all about the ingrediency, no fancy finishes - rustic! Carl, what training did you undertake? I was born in England and started my career there in 2005. At 14, I started doing a multitude of positions in hospitality, ranging from waiting tables, kitchen assistant to silver service. I got the “kitchen bug” watching the chefs create - I was instantly hooked! I soon found an apprenticeship with “City & Guilds” at 15. I was under some very talented chefs during my apprenticeship, exposing me to all aspects of the trade, alongside food costings and managing a kitchen team. The venue at that time catered for high-end weddings too, which added greater experiences for me becoming a competent chef in the kitchen as a talented allrounder. Carl, what is your favourite dish on the menu and why? It has to be the Portobello Stack (breaky) and Portobello Burger (lunch). Mushrooms are so understated, especially the portabella mushroom; it’s so robust and flavoursome. This dish I created has onion and goji berry jam, goat feta, served on house salad with heritage beetroot. It’s one of my favourites, due to its versatility for being VG and GF. If you remove the goat feta, it makes it a very tasty vegan dish, catering for all our patrons’ preferences.

Hux’s Seafood Is there anything coming up in the new year for Hux’s Seafood that we need to know about? Yes, we are looking at some ideas we can do to make it easier for our busy customers i.e. pre-packed flavoured seafood for an easy, quick, no preparation dinner after a long day at work. We will also be doing up a larger variety of platters, perfect for entertaining or a picnic at the beach! Will your operating hours remain the same over the warmer months? Our operating hours will change for the months of December and January while it’s nice and warm. Along with our normal operating hours of 9 - 4 Mondays and Tuesdays, 9 - 5 Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 9 - 12 Saturdays, we will be staying open longer on Saturdays from 9 - 2 and opening Sundays from 10 - 2. This will allow our lovely customers to be able to pop in and grab some super fresh local seafood every day of the week! Can I come to you for preparation and cooking advice? You certainly can! While we are not professional chefs here at Hux’s Seafood, we certainly do our fair share of cooking and eating seafood and have picked up some great ideas, recipes and tips to help our lovely customers out.

Coffs Coast focus 45

Coffs City Physie

hat is physie? A fusion of dance and sport, “physie” is the perfect combination of movements designed to increase flexibility, strength and fitness. Upbeat pop music, together with beautiful classical songs, form a sport that fuses together dance styles such as ballet, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, aerobic dance, and even yoga! Who is Coffs City Physie? We are a brand new BJP Physie dance club starting in Coffs Harbour and Woolgoolga in February 2020. Our classes will be offered for girls and ladies three - 83 years of age and will include Stretch/ Technique classes. We will also have competitions, fun social events and much more. Our sign on day is Tuesday 28th January 2020, 4 - 6pm @ Coffs Harbour Showgrounds, 123 Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour. Classes start on Tuesday 4th February. When should I start Physie? Classes are available for girls from three years old, but you are never too old to join! We have many mums joining our ladies’ class as beginners, after seeing the benefits Physie has given their daughters. February is a great time to join, as all girls will be learning a new year’s syllabus.

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Members are welcome to join our classes at any time during the year! What are the costs? Physie is an inexpensive form of dance. There is an annual registration fee, low cost class fees, and the cost of one regulation competition leotard for girls five years and over, and that is all! As we are a community club, we are able to keep our fees to a minimum. We are also an Active Kids provider. Come and join us at Coffs City Physie, where physie is fun and friendships last a lifetime. Why should I join Coffs City Physie? All girls and ladies have the opportunity to be involved in non-compulsory performances and individual and team competitions up to national level. Who are your teachers? Our teachers are Marianne Kavanagh and Elise Cross. More information: For more information, contact the Coffs City Admin Team on 0411 247 370, 0408 658 428 or 0403 285 285. Email: coffscityphysie@gmail.com Web: www.coffscityphysie.com.au Instagram: www.instagram.com/ coffscityphysie Facebook: @coffscityphysie

M A R I A N N E K AVA N AGH Marianne brings a wealth of experience to the Coffs City teaching team. A teacher of forty-six years, she has launched a successful career and is known for her passion with both younger girls through to women. Marianne has taught all ages through to national level performances, with individuals gaining top five national placings. With teams, Marianne has taken teams of eight girls to an elite level, gaining top placings in many age groups. Marianne brings a nurturing, passionate and supportive vibe to our team.

ELISE CROSS Elise has been doing physie since she was nine years of age and has reached the top 15 nationally at senior level and performed at the iconic Opera House. Elise started teaching junior classes eight years ago and has been an Associate Instructor for the past three years. She has taught all age groups and has developed a great eye for strong technique. Elise’s passion for the younger girls is evident, with many successful results with individual and team groups.

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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

SCHOOL READINESS What does it really mean?

Starting school is a big step for little kids, as we all know. “School readiness” is a term you might have heard - but what does it really mean?

chool readiness is about a collection of skills, knowledge and behaviours that enable your child to participate in their education from the first day. There is, however, a misconception around school readiness that relates to your child being able to read, write or count to one hundred before they start kindy. Please let me assure you that this is not the case. School readiness is a more holistic term that relates to your child’s physical skills and coordination, social and

TIX ONLINE!

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emotional skills, their communication skills and their cognitive skills. The physical skills that are ideal include some physical coordination (being able to run, jump, climb and track a ball) and the fine motor skills include the ability to turn pages in a book or being able to correctly grip a pencil. Basic health is also vital. I recommend that a vision and hearing examination occurs prior to a child starting school. If challenges are identified early, interventions can be put in place from the first

day, establishing positive habits. Being able to independently dress and toilet themselves is essential. You needn’t worry about their shoelace tying ability; this will come later as fine motor skills develop. Social and emotional skills are essential as well. A child needs to have had a range of positive experiences with children of a similar age. The ability to engage and play with other children is very important. They learn exponentially in this play-based environment. They model what they have seen from family situations, from the media they are exposed to and from their peers. Basic manners are also essential at this point. Developmentally children are moving from an egocentric time in their lives to one that recognises wider perspectives. The ability for children, therefore, to be able to focus their attention and follow teacher instruction will reduce their stress in this new environment. Communication skills include the ability for your child to articulate needs and feelings without moving to physical interactions. Listening skills are essential. Most preschool teachers would highlight this as being the most important skill. The confidence and/or ability to speak clearly is important. The teacher is unable to assess understanding and plan for future teaching without feedback from the child. A bonus in this category is the ability to follow storylines and identify some letters and sounds. The ability to be able to wait and take their turn can’t be underestimated in this domain as well. What can you do to help with school readiness?

• Social development - arrange playdates or join a playgroup for at least weekly interactions with children of the same or similar age. • Fine motor skills development - let your child practice drawing with a range of different materials, such as pencils, crayons and textas. • Gross motor skill development - spend time outside walking and talking in different environments. Kick the soccer ball around with them and ask them questions about their day at the same time. Encourage them to catch the tennis ball - it helps to develop early eye tracking skills that will be useful in all sports and in their coordination later in life. • Read with your child daily. There are thousands of studies that rate the importance of reading with your child to help develop positive habits around education and to develop cognitive skills and open their mind to a world different from their own. Discuss the story. Let them predict how it will end or what will be on the next page. Join your local library; you will all enjoy the outing and shared experience. • Play card games - this helps with concepts such as sequencing, waiting their turn, and also teaches logic and strategy that supports cognitive skill development. • Before your child starts school, spend a little bit of time with the new teacher. The positive relationship that you have with the teacher is essential. They are professionals in this age group and are wonderful resources. Helping your child with this collection of skills will enable them to participate confidently in their education from the first day.

OVER 70 FEATURE FILMS + EVENTS, PERFORMANCES & SPECIAL GUESTS

HIGHLIGHTS

OPENING NIGHT GALA: JOJO RABBIT Winner · People’s Choice Award · TIFF

Taika Waititi’s plays an imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler, to a young boy caught between the Hitler Youth and a friendship to a Jewish girl.

THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON Winner · Audience Award · SXSW

Mark Twain-style southern-fried buddy movie. Stars Shia LeBeouf, Zack Gottsagen, and Dakota Johnson.

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE

SWIFF LIVE: BENDING LIGHT

Winner · Best Screenplay · Cannes

Live performance blending sound, movement, and projection art, Alon Ilsar seemingly pull shapes, colours, and textures out of thin air in this 55-minute musical performance.

Elegant and nuanced French period drama about the romance between painter and subject.

PAIN & GLORY

BEATS

SLAM

HONEYLAND

Winner · Best Actor · Cannes Semi autobiographical fiction on the highs and lows of legendary filmmaker Pedro Almodovar’s life starring Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz.

NSW Premiere Screening Two friends make plans to get into an illegal rave as new laws banning dance parties sweep 1990’s Scotland.

Partho Sen-Gupta & Rachael Blake in attendance After a fiery Australian Muslim slam poet goes missing, her brother leads the search to find her, coming at odds with Australia’s racial tensions.

Winner · Cinematography Award · Grand Jury Prize · Special Jury Prize · Sundance Gorgeously shot documentary on the dying art of traditional wild bee farming in North Macedonia.

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

THE ART OF SELF DEFENSE

PACIFICO

IN FABRIC

In 1980’s England, the blue collar music of Bruce Springsteen gives teen Javed the courage to find his own voice in the world. Directed by Bend It Like Beckhams’ Gurinder Chadha.

Following a mugging, Jesse Eisenberg joins a karate cult under the power of an oppressive sensei in this pitch black comedy.

Shot over two years, two Aussie friends travel Latin America surfing and broadening their horizons by immersing themselves in the different cultures of the region.

Winner · Special Jury Prize · Sarasota Film Festival A giddy, captivating delight starring a devilish red dress, directed by Peter Strickland. Puts the ‘killer’ into killer fashion.

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW

SWIFF.COM.AU

9 - 24 JAN

DOWNLOAD THE SWIFF 2020 APP Coffs Coast focus 49

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PINK Silks

L A D I E S

R A C E

D A Y

The Pink Silks Trust is a registered charity and has a strong emphasis on assisting local women’s health organisations with much needed equipment and services, as well as contributing to national research foundations on a yearly basis. FOCUS had a chat with the committee to find out more about their January race day, as well as their plans for 2020 …

he main and original event, now held annually, is the Pink Silks Ladies Race Day, held at the Coffs Harbour Racing Club; it is run on the second Sunday of January. It’s aimed to bring families and friends together to show collective support of all women in our community undergoing a challenging time with their illnesses. The first event raised $25,000 and after 12 years, the Pink Silks Trust has raised over $910,000. The Pink Silks Trust now actively runs and assists several events throughout the year, so we can increase our message to many community demographics and all of the community can make an interest-based contribution to directly helping women in our community. The Pink Silks Trust Committee consists of seven hardworking and very passionate people, who give their time selflessly for the cause. Each committee member has a focus to help women in our local community and create a better awareness for health and wellbeing. Who is involved, and what are their roles? Each person on the committee has a fulltime job and a family, but also dedicates a lot of personal time to making this charity all it can be. The generosity of our community is absolutely amazing; businesses and individuals that continuously want to give and help raise money at each event Pink Silks Trust holds is inspirational in itself and pushes us as a committee to do more. The Pink Silks Trust committee includes: Tanya Johnson PST Chair, Co-Founder and Events Coordinator, AJ Civil Projects - Business Development Manager, TAJ Property Development - Owner/Director.

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Stacy Graham PST Secretary and Database, Workforce Support Officer MNCLHD NSW Health. Alison Blanshard PST Treasurer, Senior Business Banking Manager, NAB Business - National Australia Bank Limited. Richard Hinton PST Website and Merchandise, General Manager Bellingen Golf Club. Nicole Pymont PST Social Media, Nurse Unit Manager Intensive Care Unit, CHHC NSW Health. Christine McGregor PST Committee Member, My Mortgage Manager - Owner/Director. Debbie Gooley PST Committee, Mini Mojo Children’s boutique - Owner/ Manager. What have been the highlight of 2019? You set some pretty high targets and goals. Were they reached? As always, it’s hard to pick one highlight, as each year for each event we are constantly amazed at the generosity of everyone. The Pink Silks Charity Golf Day at the Coffs Harbour Golf Club is fantastic and so well supported it’s a sell out every year, and the teams bring so much fun and enthusiasm to the day. There’s a lot of fun along the way, with some amazing prizes - including the chance for a hole in one, and you could walk away with a brand new car. The Ladies and Tradies is always such a fun event; the Hoey Moey are always so generous and like all of our events, the local community is so supportive and contributes so much to everything we do.

Latitude 30 High which include the CHHC This year we are also Tea is another sell Operating Theatres, CHHC continuing with the out - amazing day, Emergency Department, all-female race, fashions great venue and food, CHHC Maternity on the field and once lots of laughter and Department, CHHC again having hospitality conversation. Gynaecology Services, packages that can be What can we expect Cancer Council NSW purchased through Coffs Coffs Harbour, CASPA, from the 2020 Pink Harbour Racing Club. and there will also be a Silks Race Day? Research Foundation (Lung The community Foundation Australia). coming together always We like to encourage beneficiaries to contact brings such a fun atmosphere to the Pink us for future donations. Also, any people or Silks Ladies Race Day. Every year is full of fun, businesses that are interested in donating, laughter and generosity. Like most years we please don’t hesitate to contact us. Remember, have some amazing merchandise for sale, and we are a registered charity, 100% volunteer we have some wonderful donations for the run, 100% tax deductible and 100% local. raffle items. There are also some generous What plans do you have for 2020? donations for our charity auction, which We have our regular events that have so includes various racing packages, dinner much positive and encouraging feedback, we catered by Fiasco Catering, media packages, have to continue these yearly. Upcoming is Women’s Coffs Cup Package, corporate suite the Pink Silks Charity Golf Day held at Coffs at ANZ Stadium, and lots of other wonderful Harbour Golf Club on Friday 10th January; and items. of course, the Pinks Silks Ladies Race Day on This year we are also continuing with the Sunday 12th January. all-female race, fashions on the field and once We also have our Latitude High Tea event at again having hospitality packages that can be Latitude (May) and the Ladies and Tradies night purchased through Coffs Harbour Racing Club. held at the Hoey Moey (August). Tell us about your sponsors and We are currently in discussions regarding contributors. having an amazing event to celebrate the Without our sponsors and their one million dollar milestone, so follow us on contributions, we would not have the events our social media pages for more information in we have and we would not have raised the the near future. money we have raised over the years. With How can we get in touch? over $910,000 raised, this has been because Coffs Harbour Pink Silks Perpetual Trust, of the work of the Pink Silks Committee over P.O. Box 1367, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450 the years but also from the support of these Email: info@pinksilks.com.au businesses and individuals that generously Website: www.pinksilks.com.au continue to donate, sponsor and support the Facebook: @pinksilks work that the Pink Silks Trust do every year. Instagram: pink_silks_trust Without our sponsors and supporters, Thanks everyone. we could not give to our beneficiaries. This year we are supporting a variety of charities,

The Glenn Family J&K Jarvis Racing Coffs Coast focus 51

Brentyn Lugnan,Nunngu Jiinda (Kangaroo Sister) 2017, ink and acrylic on vinyl canvas

WHAT’S NEXT AT YOUR REGIONAL GALLERY?

COFFS HARBOUR REGIONAL GALLERY AUTUMN–WINTER 2020 14 FEBRUARY–18 APRIL AN ARTIST’S GARDEN: TERRI BUTTERWORTH AND GUY GILMOUR OPENING NIGHT FRIDAY 14 FEBRUARY 6–8PM An Artist’s Garden presents work by two of the Coffs Coast’s most established and respected painters: one abstract, one figurative. Founded in a strong sense of place, these artists view the Orara Valley’s bush and pastoral landscapes as their own artist’s garden, through two distinct lenses.

Guy Gilmour, Study for Backyard Morning 2015, oil on paper

24 APRIL–27 JUNE TRADIGITAL: BRENTYN LUGNAN ROBERT HUNTER COLLECTION OPENING NIGHT FRIDAY 24 APRIL 6–8PM A solo exhibition by leading Gumbaynggirr artist Brentyn Lugnan. Strikingly contemporary, Lugnan’s work remains deeply grounded in Gumbaynggirr culture, traditional symbolism and spirituality while still looking firmly to the future. Local art collector Robert Hunter donated his collection of Aboriginal art to Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery in 2018. Featuring the work of 27 artists from Central Australia, the Kimberley and Arnhem Land, these paintings explore the rich concepts that bind Aboriginal artists, communities and land together.

Terri Butterworth, Summersong 2018, oil on canvas

Phyllis Thomas, Daiwal Ngarrangkarni 2006, ochre on canvas

2019 ARCHIBALD PRIZE

Brentyn Lugnan, Kangaroo tracks and Ancestors, ink on paper

4 JULY–15 AUGUST 2019 ARCHIBALD PRIZE OPENING NIGHT SATURDAY 4 JULY 4-6PM Awarded to the best painting of a notable Australian, the Archibald Prize is a who’s who of Australian culture, from politicians to celebrities; sporting heroes to artists. Prestigious and controversial, the Archibald Prize is Australia’s foremost portraiture prize. Finalists are exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales before embarking on a year-long regional tour, including here at Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery. Archibald Prize 2019 finalist, Kim Leutwyler,‘Faustina’ oil and acrylic on canvas 76 x 76.5 cm © the artist Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling Sitter: Faustina Agolley—actor

OPEN TUESDAY—SATURDAY\10AM—4PM FREE ADMISSION CLOSED PUBLIC HOLIDAYS AND DURING THE WEEK PRIOR TO EXHIBITION OPENINGS

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COFFS HARBOUR REGIONAL GALLERY RIGBY HOUSE \ CNR COFF & DUKE STREETS \ COFFS HARBOUR

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/subscribe FOLLOW US  facebook.com/coffsharbourregionalgallery  instagram.com/coffsharbourregionalgallery  02 6648 4863  gallery@chcc.nsw.gov.au  coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/gallery Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery is a cultural facility of Coffs Harbour City Council.

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McHappy DAY

Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia

of The

Firstly, thank you to all the members of our local community who visited one of our restaurants on Saturday 16th November for McHappy Day, to raise much needed funds for The Ronald McDonald House Charities .

e were extremely overwhelmed with the community’s support of this event, with a 50% increase on last year’s donations; for this, we cannot thank you enough. Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia is a registered independent charity and a not-for-profit organisation that provides accommodation for families with seriously ill children. With 16 established houses across Australia, it’s estimated that every year more than 10,000 families will take up residence in the Houses, while their children stay in nearby hospitals. In addition to the 16 Houses, RMHC operate three other key programs in Australia, including 18 Family Rooms located in all the major Women & Children’s Hospitals, five Family Retreats and an award winning National Learning Program, which helps fulfil the gap in education for the 1,300+ kids per week that suffer this education downfall during the treatment of their serious illness. We were extremely humbled to announce the amount we raised on the day; we matched and donated to the Red Cross Disaster Relief & Recovery Fund bushfire appeal, thanks to owner David Munro. We raised a total of $17,683 in donations

and sold a whopping 3,064 Big Macs, with $2 from each Big Mac going towards donations. This year was our BIGGEST and BEST McHappy Day yet. Thank you so much to everyone who volunteered and donated to make this day successful, helping seriously ill children stay with their families through some of their hardest times, and also supporting bushfire victims start to rebuild. We also appreciate all the local businesses that showed their support and purchased a corporate hand. Thanks also to AB and Ben from Hit105.5 Coffs Coast for showing their support and helping us get the word out on this event! So blessed to live in such a incredible community. We also can’t forget about the huge amount raised for Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia - our amazing charity helping families stay together through serious illness - $41,325! Also, a massive thank you to all of our restaurant teams, who worked tirelessly to put together such an incredible day. This was a combined effort from Grafton, Coffs Harbour North, Coffs Harbour Service Centre, Nambucca Service Centre, Kempsey, and Kempsey Service Centre McDonald’s Restaurants. Thanks again to everyone involved.

Classic Mojito Jug Summer in our coastal paradise is all about sunshine, sand, surf and sharing good times with friends! To help you make the good times great, the gang at Element Bar on the Coffs Jetty Strip have just kicked off a classic Mojito Jug for their Stone & Wood Summer Sunday Sessions! An icy cold blend of fresh lime, fresh mint, white rum, house syrup and soda, it’s the perfect summer treat to grab a few friends on a Sunday arvo, sip away to some live tunes and forget Monday even exists! with Madonna Bannerman from Two Tails Wines

wine month of the

ORARA ROSE SPARKING

ubbly, vibrant and sweet with delicate lingering berry flavours, Orara Rose Sparkling is perfect for celebrations and summertime fun. Grown and sold at the newly renovated Two Tails Winery at Nana Glen, this wine depicts the diversity and innovation of the vineyard. Made from hand-picked parcels of Chambourcin grapes, delicately carbonated, creating a wine with balanced acidity and sweet notes of strawberries and red berries. This is a bright and delicately sweet refreshing sparkling wine; serve chilled. CHARACTERISTICS: Bright ruby red in colour, showing defined notes of strawberry and berry aromas with a hint of vanillin oak. Light and bubbly on the palate, with flavours of crushed ripe strawberries and summer cherry notes, which is well balanced with a refreshing citrus, sweet finish. GOES WITH: This demi-sec sparkling red can partner well with sweeter dishes, spicy foods and flavoursome Asian and Indian foods, light desserts such as strawberry mousse, and sweet fresh fruits with soft

cheese. Served chilled as an aperitif for any occasion. COST: $34. AVAILABLE: Two Tails Winery cellar door, 963 Orara Way, Nana Glen. PHONE: 6654 3633. OPEN: seven days a week. Call in at the winery and experience our friendly customer service and taste our unique varieties of white and red, sparkling and fortified wines. Stay awhile and enjoy our delicious cheese platters and relax overlooking the vineyard. You’ll be back for more! EMAIL: admin@twotailswines.com.au WEB: www.twotailswines.com.au

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WITH CAROLE BEROS FROM LE DÃIN DESIGNS

Jane, Dean, Jade & Matt

Sara Shaughnessy and Janet Cormick

Dale Sagar, Nicola Sagar and Ivan Beros

Dave & Kate

Advance Metal Industries Australia

Jesma Bayliss and Lorraine Hirth

Gary and Christine Gardiner

Launch of Gidget House

Ann Rehwinkel and Suzanne O’Donnell

We hope you all had an amazing Christmas and would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy, healthy and safe New Year. Let’s also hope that Mother Nature turns that tap on and it rains cats and dogs, or so the saying goes.

recently attended the launch of a new service to be provided in Coffs Harbour, which will provide free perinatal mental health support for new parents. We are very lucky here on the Coffs Coast, to have access to such a wide range of services that some country towns simply don’t have! The event was held at the Tresillian Family Care Centre in Coffs Harbour and was to celebrate the opening of “Gidget House”. Guests attending included The Honourable John Barilaro MP, who is the NSW Deputy Premier, Minister for Regional NSW, Industry and Trade and The Honourable Bronnie Taylor MLC, NSW Minister for Mental Health, Regional Youth and Women. The guest speaker for the event was Allan Sparkes CV, OAM, VA FRSN. Guests enjoyed a delicious morning tea, which was provided by the local CWA. Gidget House Coffs Harbour will offer free counselling services by appointment and will employ local psychologists. Previously known as postnatal depression, perinatal anxiety and depression during pregnancy and early parenthood (the perinatal period) affects almost 100,00 Australians each year, equating to one in five new mums and one in ten new dads. “Gidget” is the nickname of a vibrant young mother from Sydney who took her own life while suffering from unreconised postnatal depression. Gidget Foundation Australia was created to help stop that occurring again. Today, Gidget Foundation 54 Coffs Coast focus

social scene.

Australia assists thousands of expectant parents and their families each year. It is a not for profit organisation, supported by the community, the corporate sector, the medical profession, the NSW and Commonwealth Government, and the media. Busy night for FOCUS just recently, with two events in one night! First of all I attended a function at the Sawtell Surf Club, overlooking the beachfront of course! It was a cocktail event seeing members and guests with a sprinkling of VIPs enjoy drinks and fine food to celebrate the launch of Stage One of the redevelopment officially opened. The first stage of the clubhouse redevelopment at Sawtell Surf Club was officially opened by Gurmesh Singh MP and Coffs Harbour Mayor Cr. Denise Knight. The redevelopment was awarded to local business Level Projects and includes a building extension to house a brand new patrol room, first aid room, a board storage area, an upgraded driveway and a new balcony … WOW! Funding for the project has come from NSW Government and Coffs Harbour City Council, with co-contributions from the Sawtell Surf Club. The new building extension and driveway was co-funded through the NSW Government Surf Club Facility Programme, while Coffs Harbour City Council shared the cost of the balcony under its Community Capital Infrastructure Grants programme. Sawtell Surf Club members have welcomed the completion

of Stage One; the redevelopment project began seven years ago, and the exciting new improved features will enable the club to operate in a more efficient and comfortable facility and provide surf club members greater capacity to undertake their core role of serving the community on the beach. Seeing as we don’t often get the opportunity to relay information on our amazing surf club events and what’s on their agenda ... Here is what is happenning and as this could save a life, it’s also well worth celebrating: Coffs Harbour City Council and Sawtell SLSC are jointly running a Remote Rescue Tube Trial. Rescue Tubes have been installed along Sawtell Beach as part of a trial this summer, in addition to the regular beach patrols. As most drownings occur either outside of patrol areas or outside patrol times, the rescue tubes can be used by members of the public in an emergency! Fantastic idea! Sawtell had something to celebrate during the festive season, with the addition of a rather spectacular Christmas tree, which was designed and donated by Advance Metal industries Australia. The Sawtell Chamber of Commerce, plus local businesses, clubs, hotel and volunteers donated their time and product to decorate the street. A launch was held for the lighting of the tree, which saw local businesses, Chamber of Commerce members and special guests chinking their glasses and enjoying a bubbles or two to celebrate the very first Sawtell Christmas tree!

Mayor Denise Knight cut the Christmas tinsel to open the event. It has been such a delight to drive through First Avenue in Sawtell and view all the windows of the local businesses in the street all twinkling with fairy lights at night. The addition of a big sparkly Christmas tree was the icing on the cake! The BWN held their annual Christmas party at the ever popular Two Tails Wines at Nana Glen over the Festive Season. FOCUS are one of the BWN Sponsors and of course, were there to celebrate and enjoy a delicious dinner and a glass or two of Two Tails fabulous wines. We were lucky enough to have the pleasure of being invited along to the Soft Gallery opening of Ashton DESIGNS on Friday 6th December. The gallery showcased all the stunning and hand crafted pieces that the team have put together. Alongside of Dean from Ashton Designs was Jade and Matt from Luxcrete Designer Concrete, who have collaborated with Dean on some incredibly beautiful pieces of furniture. The pop up shop does a wonderful job of highlighting some of the amazing local talent we have in our area; it is definitely worth your time to go down and check it out. Here is to … Stepping out of the shadows … And shining in your own light … Carole Beros, Le Dãin Designs.

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social scene.

WITH CAROLE BEROS FROM LE DÃIN DESIGNS

Nathan Baldwin and Kate Drum

Cheryl Lane, Alastair Lane, Gurmesh Singh MP and Garry Murray

Lindy Beynon and Norelle Reeces

Nathan Lamont and Ross Metcalfe

Melinda & Olivia

Rita O’Keefe, Val Browning and Sharon Rose

Shelly Lantry and Jodie McCormick

Ian Peattie, Mark Patton and Lorraine Booth

Avon Medway, Marlow Medway and Rick Hall

Tara & Dean

Duncan Elliot and Joel Paine

Matt & Trent

Pam Worland, Dennis Meagher and Cheryl Lane

Coffs Harbour Boardriders Club Presentation

Gary and Christine Gardiner, Clive Greenway

Mayor Denise Knight, Premier John Barilaro and Australian CEO Arabella Gibson

Sheena McTackett, Troy Pinder, Gurmesh Singh MP and Leanne Stuart

Coffs Harbour Boardriders Club Presentation

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The Big Banana Fun Park

Dolphin Marine Conservation Park

The Big Banana Fun Park is the BIGGEST Fun Park on the Northern NSW coast! It boasts 9 fantastic major attractions including the biggest Giant Slide in the country, Toboggan ride, Laser Tag arena, 36 hole Mini Golf course, Theatre and Plantation Tour, Ice Skating rink, Family Fun Zone, 4D Ride Simulator and the biggest Water Park between Sydney & the Gold Coast featuring an open body slide, a fully enclosed “black hole” body slide with light effects, a 2 person raft slide, a heart pounding 45 degree Kamikaze slide, 2 inflatable slides and a kids Aqua Play area with Aqua Tower, 3 additional kids slides, interactive water jets, tipping bucket and water play toys!

Loved the world over, Dolphin Marine Conservation Park is Coffs Harbour’s premiere attraction & we have been “edutaining” guests for well over 4 decades! Without a doubt, the main stars at the multi award winning park are the dolphins and seals; supported by our penguins, turtles, peacocks & fish! We offer a daily schedule plus a range of special, once in a life-time, in-water experiences with seals and or dolphins.

TRADING: Open 9am to 5pm 7days (Extended hours in school holidays – attraction times vary) ADDRESS: 351 Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour PHONE: 02 6652 4355 WEB: www.bigbanana.com

9am Park Opens 9.30am Seal Breakfast @ Seal Shores 10am Penguin Talk 10.30am Reef Tank and Turtle Talk 11am Dolphin Kisses 11.30am Marine Discovery Presentation

1pm Seal Hugs ** 20 minute duration ** 1.30pm Reef Tank Talk 2.00pm Marine Discovery Presentation 2.30pm Penguin Talk 3pm Gates Close

Wajaana Yaam Adventure Tours

Twilight Food Markets

Aboriginal owned and operated, learn about the Gumbaynggirr culture while paddling on Solitary Island Marine Park or walking in the awarding winning Orara East State Forest. Touch, taste and feel the culture through bush tucker, stories and language. Wajaana Yaam has ecotourism certification. Gift vouchers available. PHONE: 0409 536 670 FACEBOOK: facebook.com/wajaanaYaam INSTAGRAM: @wajaanaYaam WEB: www.wyat.com.au

The Twilight Food Market is open every Friday (weather permitting) during the NSW daylight saving months. A family friendly food only market, diverse in multicultural cuisine and lots of choices for the kids...Dog friendly too. WHEN: NYE then January to April 2020 WHERE: Park Beach Reserve, Coffs Harbour

coffscoast.com.au/addalittle 56 Coffs Coast focus

#naturallyconnected #createyourparadise #coffscoast

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WITH FIONA BARDEN

WITH TEGAN SWAN OF WOOLGOOLGA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

events+ UPDATE

How to Holiday at Home The summer holidays on the Coffs Coast are a symphony of blue skies, blue water and outdoor fun - the perfect, natural environment to relax and reconnect with family and friends on a “stay-cation”.

6. Immerse yourself in events. The dd a little more adventure and fun to your summer and become fantastic line up of summer festivals and a tourist in your own backyard. happenings on the Coffs Coast celebrate It’s great to explore the beautiful sport, culture, art, music and food to create a Coffs Coast … and even better to vibrant, festive atmosphere. Get into them all! share it with others! 7. Uncover our amazing local history. Here are our top tips to help you Visit museums in Coffs Harbour, Bellingen, experience more of this special part of the Urunga and Dorrigo to learn about our world: region’s past through exhibits and collections 1. Go to a tourist attraction you’ve of important artefacts, memorabilia and never been to. Jump online to coffscoast. photographs. com.au/play and you’ll find lots of ideas. There 8. Take a tour. Take a drive. Get into are fun parks, National Parks, marine parks, vacation mode on your own or with an expert kids’ parks and everything in between. guide. Drive to visit hinterland villages or 2. Check out some videos for along the iconic Waterfall Way, or join a tour inspiration. Soar over coastal headlands, to soak up the scenery by bike, bus, boat, learn what birds live paddleboard, surfboard, where in our region, canoe or kayak. check out foodie trails, 9. Search #coffscoast and lots more on vimeo. on socials. This is a great Treat yourself to a holiday com/coffscoast. way to find new activities, away … without the 3. Discover different places to visit, food to exhausting drive. Choose aromas and flavours. eat - find out what other from Coffs Coast’s huge Eat out at a café or locals and visitors are up range, from beachside restaurant where you’ve to when they are out and resorts and familynever been before. From about, and also share your friendly holiday parks, to dinner at a heritage favourite local discoveries. luxurious holiday rentals. hotel in Dorrigo, to fish 10. Get your selfie and chips by the beach on and share! Make like in Sawtell - lots of local a tourist and grab a silly foodies are just waiting selfie with all the Coffs to welcome you! Coast icons - The Big Banana, Sealy Lookout, 4. Stay a night or two somewhere new. Coffs Harbour Jetty, Dorrigo waterfalls … Treat yourself to a holiday away … without the list goes on. Share your holiday snaps by the exhausting drive. Choose from Coffs tagging #coffscoast and #sharecoffscoast. Coast’s huge range, from beachside resorts Find out more. and family-friendly holiday parks, to luxurious Check out www.coffscoast.com for event holiday rentals. information and to find lots of ways to play, 5. Create your own “Best of” list. Whatever stay, taste and explore the region. You can your passion - indulge it! Make a list of your also follow Coffs Coast on Facebook favourite Coffs Coast views, breakfasts, (@coffscoast) and Instagram (@coffscoastnsw) walking trails, shops … visit each of those to see what’s happening. We wish visitors and locals a safe and places, things and activities, and recommend relaxing summer holiday! them to friends and visitors.

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Woolgoolga Chamber of Commerce This year we’d like to give you the opportunity to learn a little more about each of the magnificent villages that make up the “Northern Beaches”. We’re kicking off 2020 with WOOPI!

OOLGOOLGA aka “the Coffs Coast and amazing new places to wine missing piece of paradise” and dine opening every day. - here’s some of what If you like a good dose of nature on your you need to know (we day out along with your food, the beauty encourage you to come of the hinterland is enticing for picnics and and explore to find out more for yourself) … bushwalking in subtropical rainforest. So Splendid beaches, magnificent rainforest pop into any of the funky take away places and a famous curry festival, Woolgoolga is and head for the Woolgoolga Creek picnic perfect for a day at the beach, bushwalking or area in the Sherwood Nature Reserve. On a spicy adventure. the Falls walking track, you’ll wander by Blue Swimming, snorkelling, surfing and kayaking Quandong - blue marble trees - to a pretty are all hugely popular, and with spectacular waterfall. views, the headland is If it all gets too much one of the best vantage and you need to sleep points in the region for over, accommodation spotting humpback and options in Woolgoolga SPLENDID BEACHES, other whales during suit various budgets, from MAGNIFICENT their annual migration camping and caravanning R AINFOREST AND between May and in beachside holiday parks A FAMOUS CURRY November. FESTIVAL, WOOLGOOLGA to beach houses, B&Bs Our coastal village and motels. If you’re a IS PERFECT FOR A is known to locals as golfer, bring your clubs, as DAY AT THE BEACH, Woopi (if you didn’t the Woolgoolga RSL Golf BUSHWALKING OR A know that already). In Club’s seaside 18-hole SPICY ADVENTURE. the beach reserve you’ll course is only a short drive find free barbecues and north. a children’s playground. If golf isn’t your thing, Our grassy reserve also hosts the legendary and the golfers are on the course, have a Curryfest in September and Blues and Berries wander around the town and check out music and food festival in November. The the eclectic mix of clothing and homeware colonial shipwreck The Buster, which ran boutiques that offer unique things to make aground in 1893, is not always visible along you and your space stand out. the main beach but when it is, it’s spectacular. Woolgoolga locals are very passionate Just behind Woopi is Woolgoolga Lake, about our home town. With a vibrant foodie a tranquil waterway where you can enjoy a scene, growing retail spaces and amazing picnic and a swim or even kayaking and standlandscape that surrounds the area, it is easy to up paddle boarding. see why. Come visit and see for yourself. Woolgoolga is fast becoming a foodie Looking forward to sharing more about mecca, with hip cafés and authentic and each of the unique and glorious coastal fusion ethnic cuisines from around the globe villages that make up the Northern Beaches in not to mention the best fish and chips on the 2020. Happy New Year!

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Serviced artments Ap Coffs Coast focus 59

Coffs Coast

PHYSIE In 2020 Coffs Coast Physie will be heading into our 8th year of Physie on the Coffs Coast, bringing women of all ages together. From pre-school girls to Ladies, Mums and Grandmothers, Coffs Coast Physie gives you the opportunity to participate in fundamentals of dance that keeps you strong, fit and flexible; with or without the element of competition.

hysie is a fusion of dance and sport that develops good posture, core strength, fitness, flexibility, coordination and balance through a regular program of exercises and dance. Physie also improves confidence, develops a sense of achievement and helps to build self-esteem. There are opportunities for your whole family to get involved in the physie community throughout the year with other social activities and “ Manfizz”, where Dad’s and brothers can also be part of the fun.

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Coffs Coast Physie is a positive and supportive environment that provides you with the opportunity of performing both individually and as part of a team. It also provides the connection to make lifelong friendships at an affordable price for your family. We are also active and creative kids approved. 2019 was our most successful year to date on an individual level with 25 zone places 18 junior national representatives who competed at Olympic Park in Sydney. 3 national finalists (top18) - Gretel Carpenter 7 years, Amira Kirkaldy 10 Years

and Bronte Pitt 12 Years. Our Senior National representative Chelsea Pitt who performed at the iconic Opera House was awarded 4th place in her section. And our amazing Lady Tara Tweddle who was our ladies national semi finalist. 4 ladies representing our Club in Sydney in the over 40’s and Over 60’s age group. In 2020 Coffs Coast Physie is excited to be expanding to the Northern Beaches area and will be offering classes every Tuesday in Sandy Beach along with 2 classes each week in Coffs Harbour on Mondays and Thursdays. Registration day for Northern Beaches is

Thursday 30th January at Sandy Beach Public School between 3.30 -6.00pm. Our Coffs Coast girls will also be doing a display and we will be holding our registration at Park Beach Plaza on Sunday 2nd February between 10.30 - 1.30. Monday 3rd February will be the start of our open week and we would like to provide all new members the opportunity to come along to any class or all classes in this week as a complimentary trial. For any further information please visit our website www.coffs.physie.com.au or call Allison on 0411460377 with any questions you may have.

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focushealth

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Wellbeing WITH LAUREN VESTEY FROM LIVING DOLL

W I T H S U N D I A L D E N TA L

the best styles

NEW YEAR

F UNC T ION A L

Beneﬁts of Orthodontics

You might be forgiven for imagining that orthodontics is a cosmetic treatment. Indeed, improving the aesthetics of a person’s smile is one of the primary beneﬁts and motivations of orthodontic treatment; however, millions of people worldwide use orthodontic treatments to straighten their teeth for the health beneﬁts, which range from practical, functional, and structural, to long term improvement in their overall health. Bite Correction: A “bad bite” means that the jaws are not perfectly aligned - so upper and lower teeth won’t meet properly when closed. A poor bite can lead to a range of long-term problems, such as headaches, difficulty eating or even speech. It can cause uneven wear on the teeth and cause erosion problems. Correcting a bad bite leads to a generally healthier mouth for the patient and better long-term dental health outcomes. Resolving Overcrowding: Some patients struggle with the size and number of teeth within a relatively small mouth. This can be uncomfortable and can force teeth out of line. The best course of action is often to remove a number of teeth and realign them into a wellproportioned smile-line, which looks and feels better for the patient. Crowding can also make it difficult to keep your teeth clean and cause the formation of periodontal pockets that lead to gum disease. Impacted Teeth: Impacted teeth are those that do not have sufficient space to erupt properly. Orthodontics is used to create space to allow the tooth through and then ensure that it achieves a suitable position within the context of the other teeth. Gaps: Sometimes teeth naturally grow leaving gaps, and this can displace the load on other 62 Coffs Coast focus

teeth and cause long-term problems such as cracked teeth. Orthodontic braces can be used to close gaps between the teeth for an even smile line and to create an even load on the jaw and the teeth. Jaw Realignment: Orthodontics can be helpful in realigning the jaw, the bite and the teeth. Fully functional teeth need to be aligned well to work properly, and jaw alignment has both skeletal and functional health impact. Rotated/Misaligned Teeth: Many people have one or more teeth that are rotated, twisted or out of line. Orthodontics can address this and in some cases, results are surprisingly quick. Mouth Health: Straighter teeth can also reduce the risk of swollen gums, redness and periodontal pocketing and reduce the risk of gum disease, which can all be caused by widely spaced or over-crowded teeth. It can also remove “food traps” created by misaligned teeth or gaps, which increase the risk of dental decay. This improves the general health of your mouth, as well as improving your overall health. For more information about your dental health, book a consultation with the caring team at Sundial Dental Port Macquarie 6583 3533, or visit us at www.sundialdental.com.au

for the

When the clock strikes midnight, the perfect hairstyle to wear in the new year may be the last thing on your mind. Of course, New Year’s Day you’ll probably start realising that with a new year comes the undeniable temptation to switch up your beauty look. After all, your current hairdo is so last year. Need some inspiration? From haircuts to hair colours, there are plenty of ways to change your mane. Keep reading to ﬁnd the best hairstyles for the new year.

F YOU WANT A SUBTLE CHANGE ... If you’re one to err on the side of caution, a subtle change is probably ideal for you. But subtle doesn’t have to mean boring! Here are the best subtle hairstyles to try for 2020. Idea #1: Long layers While you may not want to make the chop, you can add some dimension and movement to your mane by getting long layers. Whether you have short hair or long hair, long layers won’t take away from the length of your locks, but they will get rid of any unwanted dead ends, so you can go into the new year with a healthy mane. Idea #2: Side-swept bangs Bangs are a great way to upgrade your ‘do, but they can definitely be intimidating. Instead of jumping right to blunt bangs, try side-swept bangs. They’re easier to style and will allow you an easy transition into having shorter pieces of hair draped across your forehead. Idea #3: Balayage highlights Want to add some highlights to your hair? If you want to go lighter, balayage highlights

are the perfect option for those looking for a subtle change. The highlights are hand painted to create a natural-looking, sun-kissed effect. Learn more about balayage highlights and come in for a consultation with the Premier Stylists at Living Doll. There are just so many ways we can achieve your desired result; it’s exciting … Idea #4: Wash out hair colour If you’d rather experiment with a fun shade, use a wash out hair colour. You can try all the latest hair colour trends without the need for commitment, as these colours wash out in just one to a dozen shampoos. Idea #5: Hair extensions One of the best ways to get an instant mane update - changing your length! While getting a major cut may not be on your list if you’re looking for a subtle change, why not try adding in some hair extensions? Opt for clipins - they’re an easy solution to the immediate change you crave, and they can be taken out at a moment’s notice whenever you please! Come in and see the Premier Stylists at Living Doll for that new 2020 look. XO Dolls.

Tiarne Sweeney

LOCAL BROW TECHNICIAN Eyebrows are one of the most powerful facial features. They assist in accentuating the eyes, shaping the face, and play an important role in communication. Tiarne Sweeney is a talented local beauty therapist situated at Ella Baché, outside of Coffs Central. She is all about brows, specialising in eyebrow shaping: mapping, threading, waxing, and microblading. With over five years’ experience, she believes that with the right technique everyone can achieve the naturally full, timeless brows they’ve always hoped for. Microblading is a tattooing technique involving a small handheld tool that uses tiny needles to add a semipermanent pigment to the skin. Tiarne has undergone vigorous training in microblading, training with Phi (the largest microblading company in the world) for eight months, both online and with a practical trainer. It is concerning to note that in NSW microblading is not regulated; you do not need a beauty background and can complete a three day course to be qualified. With this, it is important to ensure your beauty therapist is experienced and appropriately trained before allowing them to tattoo your face. Tiarne is artistic and passionate and well and truly meets appropriate training requirements. Her customers leave satisfied and proud with their purchase.

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Katika

ADAMS

ey Katika. What is your relationship with the Coffs Coast? I moved here 18 months ago for family, but have found myself entrenched in sport, work and friends here. The community has been very welcoming and accepting. In Coffs Harbour our office and training facility are located on the corner of West High and Moonee St. Drop in and see us anytime. What is your role at Recovre? I am the North Coast Business Manager, so my team look after people from Taree to Tweed Heads in anything to do with workplace health and training. Why did you choose a career that works so closely in helping others? I have always been invested in sport, health and helping others. This industry of rehabilitation allows us to be creative and help people during a tough time in their lives. We help people return to work after an injury, help them retrain into a different role and coordinate their medical treatment to ensure they get the best out of the worker’s compensation system. Personally, I love training people in the workplace on a range of topics from manual handling to fatigue management and giving them the best guidance in relation to their health. Seeing people who have been injured, how can it affect those people? When people are injured, they are in pain and often not functioning how they want to be. You have to understand that and when embarking on a journey with them, consider what is best for them by motivating them to help get them back to full health. Our clients who have been injured at work or in a motor vehicle accident often need someone to

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back in the same role at work, so we advocate for them, listen and guide I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN contacted other local employers to them through a medicalised pathway INVESTED IN SPORT, give him a go and help him build his - having this support helps to change HEALTH AND HELPING capacity back to full strength whilst people’s recovery instantly. OTHERS. THIS INDUSTRY at work. Sitting at home, he became What do you see as some ways to OF REHABILITATION depressed, his relationship failed, prevent injury, particularly in the ALLOWS US TO BE and he was not in a good space. The workplace? CREATIVE AND HELP work trial kept him engaged with Don’t rush, and make sure you put PEOPLE DURING A TOUGH other people and motivated to get your body first! We often see people TIME IN THEIR LIVES. re-trained in machinery operation, with back strains from not using the which he did and after six months right lifting technique or other injuries from not having a prepared body he was back to working full-time, for work. Stretching and hydration retrained and literally said his whole are key to limber and well-functioning bodies, and so easy life had changed for the better. This guy was determined to to keep up. change his life for the better and didn’t let his injury stop What are some of your top health and safety tips him - one of the success stories of the industry. going into 2020? What have been some of the most challenging and Easy things to do are stretches daily. Warm up in the rewarding aspects of your work? morning and stretch at night to keep your body limber and Often when people are in pain, they are not the best working well. An easy way of remembering this is to stretch versions of themselves and often put up barriers to getting during a TV ad break or before you get out of bed in the back to their full functioning selves. Seeing people not motivated to help themselves is challenging; however, the flip morning. side of that is that when someone is willing to give it a red I would also recommend accessing your company Employee Assistance Program for a check in and maintehot go, they have a faster recovery time and a much happier nance on your mental health. return to function. Can you tell us about some of your experiences with We hear you are quite sporty yourself. What do you helping people through injury and what it was like to enjoy most about sport and exercise, and how does it see those people’s journey to recovery? affect your life? I had a young, male client that had a disc bulge in his I love sport and the social side it brings. I have made lower back after slipping at work. He had surgery to remove dear friends from playing sport in Coffs Harbour; it keeps the protruding disc and has permanent nerve damage in me healthy and positive, and I love the well-earned beer his right leg. Unfortunately, his employer couldn’t take him afterwards.

RECOVRE Recovre is a workplace health, safety and rehabilitation provider with 30 years’ experience supporting our clients to get their lives back following injury and illness. We are a national team with a local approach and have been based on the Coffs Coast for over 10 years, providing care for the community. If it’s anything in workplace health and injury - we can help! We partner with other local providers to offer you the best service and treatment on the Coffs Coast. Our services include: • Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and psychological counselling. • Critical incident debriefing for local employers managing staff after a workplace incident • Pre employment assessments

• Worker’s compensation claim management • Helping people return to function after illness or motor vehicle accidents • Assessing your needs to function in the home (Activities of Daily Living Assessments) • Health coaching • Ergonomic assessments • Workplace risk assessments • Fit for duties assessments • Health and wellbeing training and initiatives for the workforce (manual handling, fatigue and mental health) • Health safety representative and return to work coordinator training. Contact us today for a confidential discussion on how we can help improve your workplace health and wellbeing. We tailor programs for businesses of all sizes.

What is this about? Endometriosis is a disease that affects around 10% of women and goes undiagnosed for an average of 7 years before it is diagnosed and treatment begins. Although difficulties with fertility may affect some women with endometriosis, it is the pelvic pain that make this disease so horrid. Being told “it’s normal”, “it’s not that bad”, or “it’s all in your head”. Even after diagnosis women may still be confronted by those don’t have knowledge or understanding of this disease. So, we want to get the word out on Endometriosis! Endometriosis Awareness Month March is the month to help shed a little more light on endometriosis. All around the country, events will be taking place arranged by local groups as well as national groups such as Endometriosis Australia. A Community Event One of the biggest difficulties with Endometriosis is feeling alone. Uncertainty of how the disease will progress, will it get better, will there be problems with having a baby, will I be able to get back to normal life. And women aren’t the only

ones with these questions as friends and family struggle for answers too. What’s going to happen? This event is here for the community and the information shared is everybody. Whilst medical professionals are welcome to attend the aim to cast some light on the disease and not provide in depth treatment plans. To help us along with the day we have: • General Practitioners in Women’s Health, • Gynaecologists, • Physiotherapists, • Yoga Instructors, and • WOMEN (your stories) The Important Stuff When: Sun 15th March 2020 Time: 10am to 12pm Where: TBC (Please register to stay in touch as this is finalised) Register: Please let us know if you plan to come along so we can accommodate everyone. You can register your interest at info@draaronbudden.com.au If you suffer from endometriosis and would like to share your story in a public forum, or would like details of local support groups, please get in contact at the email above as well.

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focusﬁtness

W I T H D U N C A N M A R C H A N T , C O F F S C O A S T H E A LT H C L U B

MyFitnessStory

.com.au

This month’s inspirational health and ﬁtness story comes to us courtesy of Coﬀs Coast Health Club Founder, Duncan Marchant. He has been running health clubs for over 20 years and in that time has seen thousands of New Year’s resolutions pass him by. This month we ask him for his top 10 tips to help you stick to yours.

tart small It’s easy to promise yourself you’re going to hit the gym six days a week - but harder to do it, especially when the beach is calling. Aim for three sessions a week and do your best to fulfil it. If you only get there once, it’s not a fail … just get back on track next week. Set definite goals The more specific, the better. “Lose fat” or “add muscle” isn’t very specific - “lose 2% body fat” or “add 2 kg of muscle by March” is much more specific, and it’ll keep you focused. Even better - set yourself workout targets, like a bodyweight bench press or 25-minute 5 km run. They’ll keep you focused, and the body changes will be a nice side effect. Have a plan If you go to the gym with no idea what you’re going to do, you’ll waste time once you’re there. Pick a plan you’re prepared to commit to for at least a month, and stick to it. Don’t rely on motivation; book your exercise appointment in to your diary. Keep a record Sets, reps and weights will do, though you can add more detail if you want to. Aim to move more weight, hit more reps, or take less rest between sets every week, and you’ll see improvements fast. Use “finishers” There’s no excuse for neglecting cardio, but it doesn’t have to take long. Finish your workouts with a nasty gut-check - an all-out 500 m row or 30 burpees as fast as possible will do the trick. Stay accountable Tell someone you trust your goals - and ask them to help you stick to them. Once you’re committed, it’ll be harder to quit. Personal trainers are especially helpful in this regard. Stick with it

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For most people, what starts off as a new and exciting hobby can seem more like hard work after only a couple of weeks, especially if you don’t see instant results. Rest assured, this is normal. You’ve come this far, so persevere. It usually takes around three months for training to become a habit, and by that time you will start to look and feel better. In the meantime, remind yourself why you’re doing it and reward yourself for sticking with it with something like a quality massage. Change one thing at once Planning to quit the smokes, booze and sugar at the same time as starting a new fitness regime? Not even you will have the willpower to make that stick, champion. Change one small thing a week - giving up soft drinks, for instance - and add a new habit when the first one’s set. Work as a team Exercise can be social, and it’s easier to stay motivated if you have a partner or friend to join you. Even saying hello to the regulars at your gym can make it a friendlier place. Group exercise classes are also a great option! Visualise success “Use all five senses,” says sports psychologist Michael Sachs. “Don’t only see things, but hear what’s going on, smell, taste the sweat in your mouth and feel the steel bar and what’s it’s like to go through the movements. This benefits ordinary people lifting weights as much as it helps elite sportsmen.” Thanks for sharing, Duncan, and if you are looking to kickstart your own inspirational health and fitness story with Coffs Coast Health Club, simply call 1300 040 479, or drop in to see the team at either Toormina or Moonee Beach, to get started today. More inspirational health and fitness stories can be found at: www.myfitnessstory.com.au

How to Kick Start Your New Year’s Resolutions for

re you someone who makes New Year’s resolutions and never keeps them? Do you always talk about getting healthy after the Christmas binge but don’t really know where to start? Rest assured; you are not the only one. Recent studies showed over 50% of people make New Year’s resolutions, but as little as 8% of those actually stick to it. In fact, it’s highly likely that many of you have already broken your well-intentioned hopes for this year. Mid North Coast Physio owner and leading local physiotherapist, Aaron Hardaker, explains why he doesn’t believe in New Year’s resolutions and outlines the best method for making 2020 the year of good health and happiness for you. Why don’t you like New Year’s Resolutions? Generally, it’s because they’re often made hastily with little thought given to creating the goal or a specific plan to achieve it. I love to see you making goals, especially with a focus on improving your health, but I want you to have a plan to ensure you’re successful. Surrounding yourself with the right people to support you along the road is imperative. What are the common reasons people fail to achieve their health goals? It is usually one or all of the following: 1. Injury - if you don’t manage an underlying issue to start with, you’re much more susceptible to suffering a more significant injury that will stop you exercising. 2. Inappropriate exercise or advice doing exercise that isn’t suitable for you

will lead to soreness, injury or lack of progress, as will eating foods that don’t fit with your goals. 3. Lack of motivation - everyone hits low points when trying to improve fitness, lose weight, build strength or improve flexibility - having someone there to support you through the challenges will ensure success. So, what’s the best way to overcome these challenges? Surround yourself with the right team to ensure your goal is reached. Having a physio assessment to highlight any underlying risk factors will reduce your risk of injury and manage any problem before it stops you exercising. Seeing an exercise physiologist could ensure you’re doing exercises that are best for you and most suitable for your goal, whether it be improving fitness, reducing weight or general toning and strengthening. Getting personalised nutrition advice from a dietitian will always be much more successful than trying to follow the latest fad diet. When it comes to motivation, having a personal trainer who can keep you focused can be a huge benefit, as is little regular massage to loosen up your body along the way. To kick start your new healthy lifestyle in 2020, Mid North Coast Physio is offering 10 FREE Assessment consultations with your choice of practitioner - one of our physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, dietitians or personal trainers in one of our four Coffs Coast locations. Call NOW on 1300 273 747 to secure an appointment, and start 2020 on the right foot.

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Genesis F I T N E S S

We caught up with Haydn from Genesis Toormina to pick his brain and got the best tips and advice for how to have a healthy holiday break ...

i Haydn; thanks for taking the time to talk to us today. The summer break is a busy time for all of us; how are some ways people can stay fit and healthy over the holidays? Holidays are usually a time to spend with family and friends, so exercise and fitness can be pushed aside. There are so many ways in which to keep fit throughout this season for families and singles. • Take the family for a walk or a bike ride, pack a picnic and make a day out of it. • Make use of your gym membership; there is no excuse not to stay consistent throughout this time. • Enjoy leisure sports such as bowling,

kayaking, surfing and swimming. What food and drink should we avoid to stop weight gain and bloating? Weight gain comes from over consumption of calories from the foods we eat, so to avoid weight gain over this period we should look at cutting down portion sizes, and stay hydrated with water. To know what foods are higher in calories than others does also help prevent weight gain; the best way to find this out is to read the back of labels and compare different brands. As for bloating, the best foods to avoid are alcohol, and food high in sugar and salt. Foods which can help with bloating are kombucha, sauerkraut and a probiotic. These foods help to strengthen your immune system, improve

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digestion and can even help you to lose weight. What are some common mistakes people make from training? The most common mistakes people make from training are: • Over training, muscles need time to repair and rest, so then their next session they can lift heavier and have more energy to push through the workout. • Not fuelling the body enough to train. Everyone’s different. Some people don’t like to eat of a morning or before training; if this is the case, my advice would be to carb load the night before. If you are happy to eat before training, try to have high carbohydrate foods such as a banana, oats, or rice, as carbohydrates

are used by our body as the first energy source. • Lifting or moving too fast or too much with incorrect form. This can cause injury; my advice would be to slow the movement right down and ask a personal trainer about the exercise and technique. Is nutrition just as important as training? Nutrition plays a major role in training, because we use nutrition and food to fuel our bodies for the training and recovery. Nutrition can be the determinator to achieving goals; for example, for weight loss. If your nutrition isn’t right, then this can be the reason why your may not be losing weight. It can become unmotivating when you are training so hard and you’re not seeing results.

ACHIEVE YOUR FITNESS GOALS

WITH AUSTRALIA’S

GROUP PERSONAL

TRAINING SPECIALISTS Group personal training for all fitness levels P Personalised nutrition plans P

Cutting-edge workout/performance monitoring technology

P 24/7 Access to Genesis Health and Fitness P Access to two great locations – Coffs Harbour & Toormina P

genesisfitness.com.au | coachingzone.com.au

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NORTHERN Prosthetics E R I N

H E R D

After refining her skills as a Prosthetist/Orthotist in the USA, Melbourne and Sydney, local specialist Erin Herd brings a much needed service to the Coffs Coast. We caught up with Erin, to find out more ...

i Erin. Can you give us a little update as to what’s new with Northern Prosthetics since we last spoke? We’ve moved into a new workshop in Isles Drive, which means we’re now able to offer more flexible appointment times and clients are able to see us as soon as an issue comes up. It’s allowed us to improve our turnaround time frames, and we can also make adjustments and repairs onsite while clients wait. Can you tell us about the process of getting a prosthetic limb? When someone becomes an amputee, there’s an initial healing period, usually around three to six weeks, and once that’s passed, we can start to work with them to take casts and create the prosthesis. With new amputees, we fit a new prosthesis within a couple of days after taking the cast, as it’s important that people start their rehabilitation as soon as possible. This leads to a more positive

rehab outcome and a higher chance they’ll be able to return to the activity levels they had before surgery. We take a plaster cast and then make a mould of the limb and reshape it so it’s a comfortable fit in the prosthetic socket. That’s the part which connects the prosthesis to the person’s own body. The socket is custom made for each client. First, we make a plastic socket, which we can adjust easily, and when we’re happy with the fit, we recreate this shape using a combination of fibreglass, carbon fibre, and resin. Lastly, we attach the other parts to make up the rest of the limb, such as a knee, foot or hand. Once someone has a prosthesis, does it ever need changing? Yes, even though knee and foot components will usually last around three years, the socket will need adjusting and replacing over time. When an amputation happens, it’s fairly traumatic for the body and as with any surgery or injury, there’s a lot of swelling as the body tries its best to

heal. The largest change is seen in the first six months, but there are still subtle changes caused by muscle wastage and new weight bearing areas that will happen over time. If an amputee gains or loses weight, or has other health issues, it can also affect the fit of the socket and ultimately the comfort of their prosthesis. This is why it’s so important for amputees to have regular reviews with their prosthetist in order to maintain mobility as they progress through their rehab. Do you need a referral to make an appointment? No, you can simply get in touch and make an appointment either through our website or on the phone. We see clients from all funding bodies, such as Enable and NDIS as well as Work Cover and other insurers. With the introduction of the NDIS it has allowed publicly funded amputees to have better choice and access to prosthetic services, and amputees can now see the prosthetist of their choice.

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focusinterview.

As we enter a new year, we often ﬁnd ourselves making resolutions or simply considering what we would like for ourselves moving forward. Meditation is a practice that many have found to be life changing, altering their perspective and freeing themselves of negative thought processes.

Shannae

MORRIS

e spoke with Shannae Morris, yoga and meditation instructor at New Breed Movement & Nutrition, about her experience with meditation and its effects. Hey Shannae. As we head into 2020, many people have diets and exercise high on their priority list. But meditation is also quickly becoming a popular daily ritual with the likes of Oprah, Barack Obama to Katy Perry. Why is it so important to introduce meditation into your life? There’s no denying that meditation and yoga have become mainstream; some would even say a “Trend”. These days we are a little more open minded to self-care and nourishment practices and no longer turn our nose up to meditation or conscious movement as a “hippy” only practice. By just taking a few minutes or breaths each day to meditate or focus on one task with the goal of becoming more mindful, or accepting of the present, is a gate-way to relieve stress, anxiety and expectations we put on ourselves and what society puts on us. In a nutshell, what is meditation? Meditation comes in all shapes and forms, and there really is no wrong way to practice it. I feel we emphasise too much on what we can’t do or don’t have; instead, we need to see what we can do and do not need. From what I feel and what I have learnt, mediation is simply a variety of tools that our mind uses to give us 70 Coffs Coast focus

a state of clarity, calm, monks, Buddhism and IN MEDITATION, THE focus, self-discipline and India. Throughout the PAST AND FUTURE beyond. In meditation, years, meditation has BECOME DISSOLVED the past and future developed into many AND WE ARE ONLY become dissolved and religious traditions as EXISTING IN THE NOW, we are only existing in a form of prayer, faith, ALLOWING US TO BE MORE the now, allowing us to and spiritual connection. CONNECTED WITH OUR be more connected with We have adopted SELVES, ENVIRONMENT, our selves, environment, this practice to heal RELATIONSHIPS AND SPIRIT. relationships and spirit. our minds and bodies What are some of though breath, mantras, the main benefits of and one point focus. meditation, and who Meditation isn’t can meditate? something that can be learnt in a day. The beauty of meditation is absolutely What is the typical learning time for anyone can practice it! It is a practice that someone to be confident enough to does not discriminate against age, gender, or meditate on their own? beliefs and is available to anyone at any time. Meditation is a practice, and yes you’re Meditation is a way to free yourself from daily right - it does take time. It will vary person to stresses and emotions; rather than building person and lesson to lesson; however, when upon the emotional baggage roller-coaster, this meditation is a part of a daily ritual, it will be easeful practice allows us to move forward, more easeful to surrender into a calmer, more build awareness within our minds and bodies understanding state, and the benefits will show and learn from what presents itself. up daily. Finding yourself a yoga therapist who You learn a lot about yourself when resonates with your beliefs will help bring ease meditation is a part of your self-care routine. to some frustrations and questions you may You enquire within, learn to accept your have around meditation, but it is not necessary circumstances, surrender to the uncomfortable to have. and unfamiliar and build strength within your To try and put it into words, what are mind for unexpected emotions to stop fighting some of the steps somebody practicing the battles and repetitions within our minds. meditation would do? Where did meditation come from? Firstly creating a “sacred space” within your Meditation is an ancient practice and home or office which is quiet. For example; comes from many tribes and cultures around calm music, an object for happiness, a plant the world, most commonly known from for life, comfortable cushion, and essential oils

to calm the emotions. This is then known as a safe, quiet and calm area and available for you and/or your family when one is practicing selfdiscovery and connection. Sitting or lying in stillness, eyes closed, focusing on your natural breath and how your body is feeling … inhaling a little deeper and allowing the exhale to linger a little longer with each cycle ‘til you find a comfortable rhythm. Without judgment or attachment to your thoughts, bring awareness to them and allow them to pass; this is a time for a calm open state of mind, the jobs and discussions will be attended to later. For now, just focus on breathing … How has meditation influenced your own life, and what have the benefits been for you? This mindful practice has allowed me to connect deeper with my friends, family and self. I have been fortunate to find I truly love the healing path and connect with my students wholeheartedly. I am always learning about myself, and this practice gives me space for growth and understanding each and every time. I have eased my own anxieties and achieved challenging milestones within my personal and entrepreneur life, and sharing this with the tribe and community we cultivate at our facility is nothing short of a blessing, and I am so thankful for it. You can follow my teachings through an alternate lifestyle on Facebook at New Breed Movement & Nutrition - Blissful Warrior. Thanks Shannae.

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TOMARTYS K E Y

E M P L O Y M E N T

Marquee Fitness at Park Beach HomeBase

Let us introduce you to Martyn Blake. Martyn is an example of how a company like Key Employment and an inspiring individual can work together to achieve a dream. Martyn is only too willing to tell his story to inspire others to consider their possibilities.

ell us a bit about yourself. I joined Key Employment in 2015 after a near-fatal accident. I needed some support to return to the workforce and was finding it extremely difficult to find suitable employment within the Coffs Harbour area. I ended up securing ongoing employment working within a local fruit and vegetable store, where I was able to put my lifetime knowledge of the industry to good use. Key Employment was able to offer the appropriate support and incentives to help me maintain this employment for over two years, until the recent closure of the business. That’s when I knew it was my time to shine. What is “Tomartys”? I started Tomartys just over three months ago. It is a fresh fruit and vegetable stall located on Sawtell Road selling only the freshest local produce. The majority of my produce is sourced locally from Coffs Harbour growers, meaning my carbon footprint is minimal and overheads are low. This ensures my ongoing costs are reduced, and I can then pass on these reductions to my customers. I will never sacrifice on quality; I am vigilant in ensuring our produce is of the best quality, and I ensure I only ever sell the freshest seasonal produce. What do you love about your business? I am so passionate about keeping my business local for the locals, and I absolutely love customer service. Customer satisfaction

is of the highest importance to me, as is high quality and super fresh produce. Nothing gives me greater joy than seeing returning customers

We started Marquee Fitness because we wanted something different. We wanted to take what we feel is the best overall fitness methodology out there, make it easily accessible to everyone, and at the same time create an environment where everyone feels welcome and accepted, and everyone has FUN. Our membership means more than just walls and weights! You will be surrounded with people who want to see your progress and success! We are here to connect our community and create life changing experiences through fitness. Working out can be an intimidating, uncomfortable, and nerve wracking experience. Step out of your comfort zone by engaging with positive, encouraging, motivating, and like-minded people who will

enhance your fitness results and help you stay on track! Life’s about people helping people! Services offered • Weights • Cardio • Classes • Personal training • Exercise physiologist • Supplements • Nutrition • Functional training area • 24 hour access • 24 hour security monitoring Join Marquee Fitness 24/7 in January for just $11.95 per week for 12 months with no joining fee. Includes 24 hour access and all classes.

or introducing myself to a new customer who has heard of my business through word

“Friendly ad from the f vice ac you know es ...”

of mouth. My overall goal is to know my customers. I am a strong believer that nothing beats quality customer service and I know if I do this, my business will continue to grow. How has Key Employment helped you? I have been provided with such great support from Key Employment. They helped me create a business plan, assisted me with all my marketing materials and business cards. I see my consultant, Juliet, at least once a fortnight, and she assists me to keep my business on track anyway she can. Thanks to Key Employment’s support, my business is now booming! So much so in fact, I’ve been able to take on a work experience staff member from Key Employment. He has become an asset to my business, and I’d really encourage other businesses to consider this as a chance to give back to the community. Why not come and check out Martyn’s business located at the start of Sawtell Road just off the Boambee turn off. Open Tuesday to Sunday, early mornings to early evenings. Follow “Tomartys Fruit Market” on Facebook for more details and specials. Shop local buy local.

www.parkbeachhomebase.com.au PACIFIC HIGHWAY, COFFS HARBOUR NORTH | Plus 15 lifestyle brands

OPEN 7 DAYS

Coffs Coast focus 71

with Clairvoyant Terri Hall Phone. 0424 818 343

January 2020

AQUARIUS.

GEMINI.

LIBRA.

JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19

MAY 22 - JUNE 22

SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 23

You will benefit by practicing patience at the moment. The universe has the bigger picture in mind, and it’s easy to be caught up in impatience. Just relax and set some goals and try using some visualisation to see yourself walking the walk. Citrine shatters frustrations.

You are aligning with reaching full potential where career is concerned. Expect a promotion or transfer, or even a new position. Set some fresh goals, concentrating on how you wish to feel in the workplace. Citrine shatters self-doubt.

PISCES.

CANCER.

SCORPIO.

FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20

JUNE 23 - JULY 23

OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 22

Your thoughts have lately been focusing on cycles that repeated in your past, although when you reflect on these things, they don’t seem to have the same effect on you as before. You have healed or changed your views. Thank yourself for your growth and watch what comes. Malachite brings past hurts to the surface for release.

As your beliefs and foundations in life have recently been in question, it is a great time to establish new ones to cater for your future. Set some fresh goals and give yourself permission to achieve them. Enjoy! Citrine attracts abundance.

Listen to your wise words when you are giving advice, as you will hear some wise words also meant for yourself. This is how your divine self talks to you. Avoid any selfdegrading thoughts or what you think other people think of you. Turquoise is great for self-worth.

ARIES.

LEO.

SAGITTARIUS.

MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 21

Prepare for the unexpected. The universe is aligning for you to reach full potential and to connect with the bigger purpose in life. Set some fresh goals and give yourself permission to succeed, then have fun. Ruby shatters fears - great for adventure.

Self-worth and self-approval are subjects that may benefit from a little empowering. Life has been a bit challenging for you in these areas of late, and it is likely that these qualities need to be restored. Rose Quartz is the crystal of love.

Justice can be expected to settle any outstanding wrongs. You will benefit by being aware of your fears so you can become the answer to them, thus avoid facing them for personal growth or evolution. Amethyst reconnects us to our personal journey.

TAURUS.

VIRGO.

CAPRICORN.

APRIL 21 - MAY 21

AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23

DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 20

You may be feeling a little suspended at present. This won’t last long. You are discovering what your role in the bigger scheme of things is. Take some comfort and free yourself from any undigested emotions from the last 12 months. Citrine is great for clearing.

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You have carried a dream from a long time ago or for a long time, and you are aligning for another chance to access it. Be prepared and give yourself permission to try it; the confidence it will offer will heal any esteem issues. Rose Quartz is great for self-love.

Your higher awareness is waking, and this aligns you with reaching or striving for your highest potential. Set your sights on a gift or talent and develop it as much as you can. Be kind to yourself in thought, and avoid worrying about what people think. Selenite shatters negative thoughts.

Time to set some fresh goals, knowing exactly why you want the things you crave. This will ensure a pure motive for the universe to work with. As self-esteem is low at present, give yourself permission to succeed. Turquoise is great for self-worth.

focusinterview

Business Minds with Nicci Seccombe

Samantha We’ve turned the tables this month to interview our feature writer, Sam Wardman. SHE’S BEEN WRITING FOR US FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, SO WE THOUGHT IT WAS TIME TO FIND OUT ALL ABOUT HER business life and see what she’s been up to.

ou’ve been running a successful marketing agency, CornerPost Creative, since 2012. How has it has evolved over the years? Even I can’t believe how that time has flown. But I guess we’ve been having a lot of fun, so that’s what counts! When I began the business, I was simply doing marketing consulting to a range of clients on the Mid North Coast, which was a great beginning for the agency that we’ve grown into. Since then, we’ve adapted to offer digital marketing and design services like logo design, website and email marketing, with clients all over NSW beyond. And as we’ve found our groove in the digital marketing space, we’ve grown into the niche of inbound marketing, which is where the agency will settle for a while. Inbound is all about attracting the right customers to your business through content creation on digital channels. We are pretty comfortable in the skills and expertise that the team boasts in this space and are really enjoying offering a growth driven approach to marketing, where clients can actually see results and return on marketing investment transparently. Inbound marketing is a term that we haven’t heard a lot about; can you shed some light on it? Inbound marketing is all about attracting the right customers to your business, sometimes even before they are even ready to buy from you with content. And it’s one of the best and most cost-effective ways to convert strangers into customers and onto being promoters of your business, which is really the holy grail of marketing. I came across it about four years

ago and have been upskilling in this space ever since. The best inbound software on the market is Hubspot, and we’re a Hubspot certified silver agency partner. Inbound marketing requires a solid strategy, content creation and a long-term commitment; it’s a marathon, not a sprint. But, it pays off in the end. Many of our clients are on Hubspot and love the transparency, results and ease that it offers. We’ll be launching a new website in February, so we’ll have lots of good free resources available for download on this topic and more. What’s the biggest trend we’ll see in marketing in 2020? We’ve seen live chat and advancements in how we shop on social media, with “shopable posts” in Instagram and Facebook. But really the future will be about augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) and how these technologies can be used in the customer buying journey. We’re already seeing brands like IKEA use AR tech by providing an app where the customer can use it to see what furniture pieces will look like in their home before buying it. We’ll start to see other technologies become readily available, so that AR/VR can be adapted into your marketing and overall customer experience. You travel and work remotely with a group called the Wifi Tribe, what’s this all about? I’ve always wanted to live and work overseas, but on my own business, so I found this cool group called the Wifi Tribe and that’s basically what they create: a remote work travel experience for digital nomads who want to explore the world. It’s been a great experience so far. As an agency, we’ve always worked remotely for the majority of our clients, as they are not based in Coffs Harbour, so the decision

to ditch the office for our home (or away) digs was an easy one we made in 2018. We seriously haven’t looked back. We’re more productive as a team, because everyone can do their work when they want to and aren’t confined to the 9 - 5 mentality of trying to be productive; but rather, they work efficiently when it works best for them. The result is happier clients and staff, with the added bonus of saving on rent for an office. I encourage any suitable business to explore remote working opportunities in their business. What advice would you give a person looking to start a new business? Firstly, if you have a great idea for a product or service, make sure that there is a market for it. So many times, I have had people come to me with great ideas, but they have not thought of what problem the product or service will solve. After all, marketing and the art of sales is all about satisfying a customer need or want. If your business doesn’t easily solve a problem or need that the customer has, then you will find it hard to get it off the ground. So do your research, be open to feedback and criticism and drop any ego. If you listen and learn from the research phase when planning a product, service or business, you’ll set yourself up with a good foundation for success. Secondly, if you can learn early that growth usually comes from the failures, then you’ll learn to fail more often! Failing isn’t a bad thing, or shouldn’t be looked on as such. The greatest lessons often come from failures or negative customer feedback. Learn to listen, adapt, and you’ll be able to rapidly pivot and grow your business in a healthy and sustainable way. In your opinion, what are the keys to a successful business?

As any business owner knows, owning your own business is not always as glamourous as it sounds. There are loads of challenges and opportunities that come your way when you run your own show, good and bad. And I think the absolute key to running a successful business is being able to learn from the mistakes, pivot and adapt to change and what the market wants. And all without an ego! If you can learn this early rather than later, you’ll reap the rewards. Secondly, look after your staff as if they were family. Hire for fit and on attitude, because anyone can be trained, but it’s hard to change someone’s attitude. Lastly, run your own race. If you run your business with integrity, passion and good service, you’ll set yourself up for success, so don’t keep looking at what your competitors are doing. Invest that time in reviewing how you can improve things in your business, and it will pay off! Lastly, being a born and bred Coffs local, what do you like to do in your spare time on the coast? I love the beach and often walk my dog, Johnny Cash, on Sapphire Beach of a morning. Coffs is so easy, comfortable and really has so much to love and explore. There are lots of places I still haven’t seen after all these years, so I try to find a new spot when I get a free day. When I am not at the beach, I am often glued to a coffee cup or glass of vino somewhere on the coast with my laptop or with friends relaxing. Thanks Sam. Coffs Coast focus 73

Photo: Chef Koochooloo

BYOD Considerations East Coast Cabinets A happy, healthy and prosperous New Year to all of our readers! The Christmas rush is over, and 2020 is beginning. Hopefully everyone is enjoying a well-earned break and quality time with family and friends. Thank you to all of our wonderful customers for their business and patience, contractors for their work and assistance and our suppliers for their continuing support. Now is a good time to start planning and organising your projects for the new year. With January being a short production month, February will be on us before we know it. After a well-earned four weeks’ rest and respite, we will commence the new year on Monday 20th January with a restored supply of vim and vigour. Planning is the most important part of your job. So, start now. Think carefully about what you wish to achieve not only in looks, but practical design as well. Spend quality time on the selection (not necessarily purchase) of all of your appliances and fittings, as well as the colours and materials, before finalising the design and quotation. Before signing your contract, please ensure that your appliances will be available when required, so as not to create delays on the job.

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“Bring your own device” (BYOD) refers to a technology model allowing students to bring their own devices to school for learning in the classroom. It is widely acknowledged that technology plays a huge role in students’ lives and their learning. BYOD is a cost effective way for schools to ensure that kids have access to the technology needed to enhance their learning experience. Purchasing the device is one thing, but at TechAddicts we specialise in “Enabling your Technology”, ensuring that you get the right device and also that everything else is in place for safety and an ultimate user experience, through: • Device security and privacy (passwords / device tracking) • Software (Microsoft Office 365 / note taking / multimedia editing / anti-virus) • Backup (keeping precious work safe) • Protection (hard case / sleeve / etc.) What Can TechAddicts Offer? • Great products at education pricing! • Guidance around each schools’ individual specifications and requirements • 20+ years’ knowledge and expertise working with technology in schools • Discussion and resources around appropriate use and safety We will happily help you work through the requirements and all the considerations for your child’s specific BYOD needs; be sure to come in or call today to discuss further.

What’s New at Billabong Zoo Visit Billabong Zoo this school holidays for a fantastic day out and enjoy free keeper presentations right across the day, every day. Always something new happening at the zoo, including the new marmoset monkeys - Miguel, Romina, Celeste and Alehandra these guys have real character! And of course our lion cubs, which really have grown quickly - so now is a great time to see them as a family, before some embark on new adventures. Then there are our latest Aussie arrivals in: Archer, the ever inquisitive and fast growing dingo pup, making his mark on everyone he meets, with plenty of mischief and affection. And the adorable Mr Magoo - our very popular little koala cutie. Shrek, The Monster Croc will be entertaining the masses as usual at 12:30 every day. Enjoy a great coffee or a bite to eat from the delicious menu at our air conditioned Zoo Café; meals are made fresh daily by our talented chef and reasonably priced, for breakfast lunch or morning/afternoon tea. We have a wide range of gift ideas and souvenirs to choose from - great for Christmas gifts or even gift yourself! Purchase tickets AND Up Close Encounters easily online at billabongzoo.com.au Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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W I T H M AT T O S B O R N E F R O M T E C H A D D I C T S

KIDS Safe K E E P I N G

O U R

ONLINE Tech Head With the new school year fast approaching and a lot of schools now preferring the “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) technology model, a lot more children are becoming independent online. This creates an amazing opportunity for kids to learn and gain knowledge from around the world, but it may also place them at risk - particularly if they are allowed to communicate with others over the internet.

hen you take some practical pass time, to be creative, problem solve and internet safety precautions, socialise. Games can be played on numerous you help to protect your devices, which can all have some level of children from risky or online access. Many games offer “in game” inappropriate content and chat functions and ways to connect with other activities, allowing them to make the most users - think Minecraft, Call of Duty, and Candy of their online experience, with its potential Crush. It is important young people learn to for learning, exploring, being creative and play online games safely and respectfully. connecting with others. WHAT CAN I DO? Some great tips below from Check the content and classification is ThinkUknow.org.au - an Australian organisation suitable for children. focused on kids’ cyber safety, will help to keep Many games contain in-app purchases which your kids safe while navigating the cyber world: can lead to a hefty bill - it’s SOCIAL NETWORKING: a good idea to disable inThere are lots of ways app purchases. to connect online. Kids Only download apps use social networking from the official stores. apps to build and CYBERBULLYING: MAINTAINING PRIVACY maintain relationships, Can take many forms, CAN BE DIFFICULT; IT showcase their creativity, IS IMPORTANT YOUNG including: menacing look for content of PEOPLE SET THEIR messages; hurtful interest and connect PRIVACY SETTINGS messages, images or with like-minded people. TO ‘PRIVATE’ OR videos; excluding others Popular choices for ‘FRIENDS ONLY’. online; nasty online gossip young people include or chat; humiliating others Facebook, Twitter, online; or imitating others Instagram and Snapchat. online. Any device or app This kind of bullying can cause great distress when used incorrectly has the potential to and impact a child’s self-esteem and confidence. cause harm. There may be some challenges WHAT CAN I DO? your children come across when using social Have a positive attitude when kids are media. Maintaining privacy can be difficult; navigating challenges. it is important young people set their privacy Look for teachable moments and encourage settings to “private” or “friends only”. them to help find solutions. WHAT CAN I DO? Highlight the importance of time away from Ensure secure privacy settings are enabled the screen, eating properly, exercising and rest. on your child’s social networking accounts and It is your child’s right to feel safe. devices. Encouraging them to come to you if they do Talk to your child about what personal or see something online that makes them information is and isn’t OK to share online. feel uncomfortable is critical in ensuring that Know who your child is friends with online. children have a positive experience whilst using GAMING: Children and young people play games to their devices.

2020 Limited places in other years

Coffs Coast focus 75

focusinterview.

WATSONS

Aluminium

WATSONS ALUMIN

Watsons Aluminium is a local Coffs Harbour family business; their team brings more than 100 years’ combined industry experience to the job. FOCUS wanted to chat with Lyn and the team about what sets them apart and their history in our community.

yn, who makes up your team? My husband, Phil and I make up a great staff of nine, who are all a very important part of our family business. Our staff are very committed to a high level of quality work, which is something we have always believed strongly in. We offer a friendly and knowledgeable team, who have a combined industry experience of over 100 years. Why Coffs Harbour? Phil was born in Coffs (at Sunnyside Hospital, so that truly makes him a local) and attended local schools, before commencing his apprenticeship in Sydney as a boilermaker and completing his trade back in Coffs. After gaining further experience in his trade in steel, aluminium and stainless steel, he went on to gain experience in drafting and studied business management. I have also grown up in the Coffs area, completing my schooling and tertiary education here. I worked for a local engineering firm in purchasing and accounts for 10 years, before joining Phil in the business. We both love the Coffs Harbour area; we have two daughters who also love Coffs Harbour. We are very lucky to have a large extended family who also call Coffs Harbour home. How long has your family been involved

76 Coffs Coast focus

in the welding and fabrication business? Watsons Aluminum commenced business in the early ‘80s; wow, that certainly is a long time ago! We have seen many changes in our industry over those years. There is more emphasis now on choice and certainly a much greater range of products available. Over the years we have always concentrated on producing a better-quality product, and it is our reputation for quality that sees us still here today. We have visited jobs we completed over 30 years ago, and they are still going strong. We have always worked with our customers to make sure they are happy with the final product. It is always nice to receive phone calls or emails from customers expressing their satisfaction with the job. Seeing customers appreciate the attention to detail and level of quality of our work is a great feeling for everyone here. We are also very fortunate to enjoy the support of hundreds of local builders, over many years. What is aluminium and stainless steel used for? The aluminium and stainless steel is fabricated into a large range of products, including balustrade, glass balustrade, fencing, glass fencing, gates, electronic gates, slat and louvre screens and panels and much, much more.

Being able to say we have been Our varied range of On many of our jobs, in business for almost 40 products are custom experience is essential years, I think says it all. Our made to suit each to be able to produce a customer base ranges application. We source quality finished product. from working on small high quality material to There are often situations, jobs through to large start the process. The particularly on our site projects. We have always had fabrication is carried work, where without the motto that no job is too small, out in our factory, the experience Watsons and small jobs lead to bigger jobs. with the aluminium Aluminium offers, the products often being final product would not powdercoated to a wide have been achieved. variety of colours. Do you get asked to do The stainless steel we use is Grade 316, special projects? which is of high quality and essential, seeing All the time; we enjoy a challenge! that we live on the coast. We offer a full What projects are you most proud of? fabrication service, including welding, cutting Over the years we have worked on many and folding. Our retail sales of aluminium varied projects. sections, sheet and plate covers a large range Projects have ranged from the local of profiles, and we cut to any size. resorts, clubs, smaller homes through to Are you in demand? multimillion-dollar homes, schools, hospitals, Being able to say we have been in business nursing homes, unit developments and many for almost 40 years, I think says it all. commercial projects in a 250 km radius. Our customer base ranges from working on We are currently working on two small jobs through to large projects. We have large commercial projects, as well as unit always had the motto that no job is too small, developments and residential work. and small jobs lead to bigger jobs. The “one off” fabrication projects have What keeps you going? What do you love always been our specialty. It gives us a great about this industry? deal of satisfaction to see our happy customers We are fortunate to deal with great people; coming back time and time again. We look many of our customers have become our forward to being able to provide our services friends. for many years to come! Why is experience important? Thanks Lyn.

focus_archives

WITH KEV SMITH

C O R A M B A

When Coﬀs was settled back in the mid 1800s, it wasn’t long before people looked further aﬁeld for other fortunes. The push was on into the hinterland, where rich, fertile lands were found in the now Orara Valley.

ypically back in the day settlers always looked for gold, either through prospecting or when trees were being logged gold was discovered in the ground that was turned over. It was about 1894 when gold was found in some large quartz reefs in the hills surrounding the town, namely the Coramba King and Queen mines. These were a big affair, where dozens of miners dug away in the hills following the seams inlaid with the precious metal. Nearby in Star Creek, more gold was found, and the push was in to the west of town to extract the gold. Today you can still find the old drives (tunnels), pits, shafts and other workings along the creek. There was another settlement at the base of the nearby Mount Coramba, where Beacon was an active “town” with the usual shops, blacksmith, doctor, school etc. and in the nearby Orara Valley, farms were being established to grow crops to feed the growing hordes that were settling in the area. Coramba was booming in 1870. With all this activity, it wasn’t long before a settlement was officially declared in 1880. With the rags and riches in the town, a court house with adjoining lockups (two gaol cells with yard) was built to control the wild miners and store the gold before it was shipped away. The building was designed by WL Vernon in 1899, but today it’s the town’s police station and residence with a heritage listing. Meanwhile, down the street the local pub has had a chequered past from when it was originally built in 1910 with a Queenslander influence, but sadly that building was burnt to the ground some 30 years later. Originally called the Coramba pub, the name changed to the Hampton Hotel (the name is still on the front of the pub) but when it was rebuilt quickly in 1941 (can’t have thirsty miners!) in an art deco style, the name went back to the Coramba Hotel. Today inside the pub there is an array of memorabilia from the past, highlighting the wonderful history in the area. Back in the 1980s through to several years ago, it was pretty easy to find some of the larger mines that kicked off Coramba’s settlement; tour guides used to take groups to the mines, where large timber frames held back the earth at the mines’ entrance, then later on massive steel

gates were put across the front to stop people entering. Unfortunately over time, the wood has rotted out, people have stolen the gates for the steel, and weathering has collapsed the front of the mines. Lost to the environment. With the raging bushfires at the moment, one of the positives for the history buffs, explorers and the gold hunters is that the low build up of dense scrub will have been burnt away, hopefully exposing relics, new mines or even opened up tracks to the older mines for years to come. Over the years we have discovered mine relics that have been left behind from old shakers, sluices, tractors, mine whinzes, steel wheels, even a five head stamper, but over time the bush has swallowed these pieces up. These days Coramba is a boutique village that sits away from the coastal hustle and bustle, where the grass always seems green, the locals and businesses are proud of what they have and the Orara River flows freely north towards Grafton, before heading out to sea. There’s a large population of descendants in Coramba whose roots are firmly planted from ancestors who settled in the valley. It’s one of our most beautiful towns in the area, where relaxing Sunday drives and a casual stroll up the main street can be the thing to do, followed by a pub feed and cool drink at Coramba’s local, while looking out across their stunning vista.

DI Leach OAS BUSINESS BOOKKEEPING

We had the opportunity to sit down with Di Leach from OAS Business Bookkeeping and pick her brain on how to run such a successful business, that has been operating for 18 years ...

i Di; thanks for taking the time to talk to us. How long has OAS been operating for? How did it initially start? OAS began 18 years ago, operating from my home in a room behind my garage. I began doing small bookkeeping sessions for friends and their families. This I enjoyed, because to me I was helping others with their businesses, and I am passionate about business. I joined a few network meeting organisations; from these meetings and word of mouth, I managed to secure work. I would then go home to my office to complete the bookkeeping, then deliver back to a very satisfied client. But, I had three teenage boys I was bringing up by myself, so I really needed something more consistent and structured - something that would sustain me and my family into the future. I needed to employ staff. So, I created procedures and a system that OAS still has in use. This ensured I was able to deliver an unsurpassed quality for my clients all the time. My first employee began in 2002 and is still with OAS today. What is the best advice you could give other women looking to succeed in their chosen field? Anything is possible if you love what you do. Even today, the accounting field can be quite male dominated. This can be intimidating but if you are passionate about what you do and love helping people to succeed, then keep driving forward. If you are dedicated, you will succeed. What is the point of difference between you and your competitors? OAS has an entire team of professional bookkeepers available for you five days a week. We are part of your financial TEAM. We specialise in businesses, people in business and organisations

that are running a business. We are the largest bookkeeping firm on the Mid North Coast, offering our clients the best possible results in business finance. Does your business have a stated mission statement - the reason that this business exists? OAS was founded with the mission of continually improving the productivity of its clients by delivering high quality professional service and ongoing support. Building on the deep technical knowledge of our staff, we provide and implement tailored technology solutions which will meet current and future business requirements. By delivering excellent business administration solutions with professional integrity, we develop successful business relationships through mutual trust and respect. Most rewarding part of your job? Helping ordinary people like you and me grow their businesses to achieve extraordinary results. To create a work / life balance for business owners with a sustainable future. To be the “head office” for our clients. What is the single most critical talent you possess in your role as a business owner? The potential to recognise the requirements of businesses and how to help maximise their true potential. Best advice for someone starting out in your industry? Be professional. Bookkeeping cannot be done without substantial knowledge of accounting legislation, accounting practices and the knowledge of how to apply these to accounting software. Be prepared, organised, structured and accurate in everything from the smallest detail to the largest. Above all, you must LOVE what you are doing. Coffs Coast focus 77

TOSCAN HOMES

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If youâ€™re looking to build your dream home, or develop an investment block, maybe even build commercial premises - IF YOU WANT IT DONE RIGHT, ON TIME AND ON BUDGET, HEAD STRAIGHT FOR THE TOSCAN HOMES TEAM. Directors Rob McClennon and Todd Mackay have a wealth of local building industry experience between them and have been working at the helm of Toscan Homes for ten years, bringing many dream builds to life.

Coffs Coast focus 79

focusAbode.

OCEANFRONT DRIVE C U R R E N T LY F O R S A L E

i Rob and Todd. Toscan Homes has had a busy year so far; can you tell us a bit about what youâ€™ve been up to since we last checked in? Well, the last twelve months has flown! Our Toscan team has had a busy year, and we are all looking forward to a well-earned Christmas break. We have handed over a three storey townhouse development in Boronia Street, Sawtell, to delighted WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE clients. We are in the middle of a large OF A LARGE HIGH high quality renovation that continues QUALITY RENOVATION to evolve, and we have been busy THAT CONTINUES TO working towards completion on a EVOLVE, AND WE HAVE large townhouse project in Sawtell. BEEN BUSY WORKING We have also had a number of other TOWARDS COMPLETION outstanding builds under construction ON A LARGE TOWNHOUSE for investors and our clients. PROJECT IN SAWTELL. Malcolm, our construction manager has had a busy year co-ordinating contractors and suppliers, to keep everything flowing smoothly. This can only be accomplished through good systems and dedicated teamwork, with our office staff Cherie and Livio backing up Mal in the field.

SPECIAL OFFER

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SPECIAL OFFER

focusinterview.

What is the history behind Toscan Homes? Toscan Homes has been a local business in Coffs Harbour for over thirty years. Directors Rob McClennon and Todd Mackay have a wealth of local building industry experience between them and have been working at the helm of Toscan Homes for 10 years,

BEFORE HE BECAME A PARTNER IN TOSCAN HOMES, ROB WAS A MEMBER OF THE NSW POLICE FORCE, SPECIALISING IN MANY DIFFERENT AREAS WITHIN NSW AND AUSTRALIA.

bringing many dream builds to life. Todd began his building career as an apprentice with Grazz Toscan back in 1995. From there, he moved to overseeing commercial high-rise builds in Sydney

and across NSW, before returning to Coffs Harbour and taking over Toscan Homes with his brother-in-law, Rob McClennon, who has always been involved in and harboured a passion for the building industry. Before he

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became a partner in Toscan Homes, Rob was a member of the NSW Police Force, specialising in many different areas within NSW and Australia. This gives Rob a unique ability and insight into understanding the needs of people, and he has an inbuilt enthusiasm for customer satisfaction.

Coffs Coast focus 81

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O C E A N F R O N T D R I V E C U R R E N T LY F O R S A L E focusinterview. Tell us about your team and their area of expertise. Toscan Homes consists of a team of dedicated individuals and countless sub contractors. Directors Todd and Rob are joined by Malcolm in the construction manager role, Cherie is our office and purchasing manager, Diana is in accounts, Emma is in administration, and Livio undertakes all the estimating and quoting duties. We have also taken on young

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ROB IS PASSIONATE ABOUT THE BUILDING INDUSTRY AND HAS AN EYE FOR DETAIL AND DESIGN. HE LOVES HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN WITH CLIENTS AND HELP SEE THEIR DREAMS COME TO FRUITION.

Will McClennon as an apprentice carpenter; he has completed his first year with flying colours. Rob is passionate about the building industry and has an eye for detail and design. He loves having the opportunity to sit down with clients and help see their dreams come to fruition.

Both Robb and Todd work tirelessly to ensure every build is the best quality, on time and on budget - ethics that have garnered the team major industry awards and plenty of happy, repeat clients. 2020 will be an exciting year for Toscan

focusAbode.

Homes, as we bring Malcolm of building experience both on as shareholder and director here and overseas. With his I LOVE THAT IT’S A FAMILY to further strengthen the roots now firmly planted back ORIENTATED COMPANY team. Joining the partnership, in Sawtell, Malcolm is ecstatic AND THE WORKPLACE Malcolm Singleton - who has to be a part of the Toscan IS SUCH A PRODUCTIVE, been the construction manager Homes team. FRIENDLY PLACE for Toscan Homes for the past “I love that it’s a family two years - adds more than 25 orientated company and years’ worth of construction the workplace is such a knowledge to the team. productive, friendly place,” Malcolm did the hard yards as a building apprentice, Malcolm says. “I also get to work with Coffs at the ripe age of 16, and has since amassed a wealth Harbour’s most talented and creative tradies.”

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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O C E A N F R O N T D R I V E C U R R E N T LY F O R S A L E Rob, what is the process like when a client approaches you about a build or renovation? Every client and project varies; so does the process taking your dreams to reality. We are often also working in conjunction with the client and their architect and or draftsman. Most of our projects are custom designed

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from the beginning, with us working off plans provided by the owner or architect/draftsman, but we also do inhouse design for those starting from scratch. After 30 years of construction, we also have a large number of plans and have the ability in house to sit with clients and work with them designing their dream home. We love this ability with our clients to design

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AFTER 30 YEARS OF and create their dream satisfying to see CONSTRUCTION, WE ALSO home; from the outset something go HAVE A LARGE NUMBER they know exactly what from a plan to OF PLANS AND HAVE THE they are getting, and it completion, and ABILITY IN HOUSE TO SIT is exciting getting initial we put in that extra WITH CLIENTS AND WORK ideas and then seeing mile to ensure that WITH THEM DESIGNING this progress through to the quality and THEIR DREAM HOME. the handing over of a detail follows the beautifully crafted home. vision of our clients. Todd, what part of the The ability to adapt process do you most and build so many enjoy and why? different styles of homes with our clients I love working with clients and seeing enables us to be always at the front of our the project from start to finish. Itâ€™s always ever changing industry.

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Todd, what sorts of trends have you been seeing recently in home design? Thanks to a year filled with news and stories about combustible cladding and sustainability issues, as well as more recently the bushfires across the country, it seems that the demand for metal cladding have increased, suggesting copper, zinc and steel will soon be adorning more homes in place of rendered brick. Other

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THE COST OF CREATING A SMART BUILDING HAS ALSO DROPPED, WITH SO MANY NEW PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET IN THE LAST TWELVE MONTHS AND CONTROL PRODUCTS SUCH AS GOOGLE HOME AND ALEXIA.

lightweight products, such as Hardies fibre cement claddings, are still strong in the market. Wireless and WiFi integration is an upward trend. Automated systems are increasingly in demand to control

the temperature, light or security of homes. A smart building offers its users greater comfort and reduces consumption bills. The cost of creating a smart building has also dropped, with so many new products on the market in the last twelve

months and control products such as Google Home and Alexia. Rob even controls most functions in his home from his smartphone. Rob, you work alongside many other trades and suppliers here on the Coffs Coast and seem to have a great working relationship with many of them. Why is this important to you? The Toscan team has formed solid

Stoddart Group is one of Australiaâ€™s leading suppliers and installers of products to the residential housing industry. Weâ€™re pleased to work with Toscan Homes with our Roofing and Garage Door products.

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relationships with the cream of the crop of local tradies, some of whom have been working for the company for more than 30 years. We couldn’t create such amazing homes without them. They have the energy and passion that’s synonymous with the Toscan Homes brand. This local industry support gives Toscan Homes the edge over other builders and is why the team is perpetually awarded for their efforts. Todd, what are some common challenges you have to face as a building company? I think one of the biggest challenges for a building company today is expectations and maintaining those through a process that

THE TOSCAN TEAM

is nearly entirely all with your clients and HAS FORMED SOLID hand crafted. see their vision and RELATIONSHIPS WITH In a world where craft this onsite whilst THE CREAM OF THE a lot of products all along dealing CROP OF LOCAL TRADIES, are manufactured with and managing SOME OF WHOM HAVE overseas by multiple trades and BEEN WORKING FOR THE machinery and suppliers. Some days COMPANY FOR MORE imported to involve administration THAN 30 YEARS. Australia to a tasks, liaison with retail client – the the approval stake construction industry holders, and of course remains hands on from the start to the being onsite to work through the build and completion of the job. It takes multiple construction matters, whilst always being employees, contractors and suppliers all a listening ear to our wonderful clients and working together to produce a successful dedicated contractors. This enables the project – not only through the build but builds to flow smoothly to give the results also to understand and share the vision of we are known for. your clients. You need to be able to work

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Rob, what advice would you give to people considering building or renovating? Building a custom designed home is an exciting journey, which from the start develops a meaningful relationship with your builder. From the initial meeting to discuss your concept ideas to sitting in the loungeroom of your newly completed project with a design and construct process, this can easily take twelve months. Of course, the process is streamlined with the choice of one our carefully designed inhouse plans. Building with someone you can trust is a big

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responsibility that we take seriously at Toscan Homes, as we want every build to meet our clients’ expectations. The more meaningful and open the builder/client relationship is, the better outcome we always have at the end. Communication is always the essence. What can people expect from a Toscan Homes home? When you build or buy a Toscan Home, you’re getting a solid investment that will stand the test of time. Flick through the local For Sale adverts, and you’ll often see Toscan Homes mentioned as a selling point. This is because the team are renowned for their

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WATCH THIS SPACE, AS ONE quality builds that stay this space, as one of the OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE ahead of industry trends most innovative energy ENERGY EFFICIENT HOMES and are built to last. efficient homes on the ON THE NORTH COAST OF Tell us about some North Coast of NSW gets NSW GETS DEVELOPED. new, exciting projects developed. you are working on Toscan Homes will now and in the future. also complete a large One of our most townhouse development exciting projects of 2020 will be the design and in Sawtell in early 2020, ready to hand construction of a new Toscan Homes Display over to our ecstatic clients! This project has home to be constructed in â€œSawtell Commons presented many challenges along the way, Estateâ€?. but we are more than happy with the finish Sawtell Commons is a new residential being achieved. We have had the pleasure of Estate under construction surrounded by working with great clients on this project and Bongil Bongil National Park, bringing over are all looking forward to seeing the end result. 200 residential allotments to the area. Watch

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ADDRESS HERE PLS?

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Rob, what are the stand out features or the designing a new home? benefits of working with Toscan Homes? 2019 has seen awareness around eco-friendly, Dealing with Toscan green and sustainable Homes means you are materials and practices working with a team of grow substantially, so dedicated individuals and expect to find biomaterials the best sub-contractors in homes in 2020, such TO KEEP UP TO SPEED and suppliers on the as building supplies made AND HAVE OUR SAY, I SIT North Coast. from recycled products or IN ON THE NORTHERN Toscan Homesâ€™ stand ethically sourced materials, NSW HOUSING INDUSTRY out feature is the quality and homewares designed AUSTRALIA COMMITTEE, and craftsmanship with an environmentallyA THINK TANK OF LOCAL of what we produce, friendly mindset. BUILDERS WHICH IS WELL coupled with our vast Todd, what are some INFORMED BY THE HIA. knowledge of the challenges that the construction industry. industry has faced, Everyone at Toscan and how have you Homes is a professional overcome these? in their own field. Construction onsite over the last few years How important is sustainability when has been a lot easier with the unprecedented

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dry weather we have been experiencing, but there are still always new challenges arising in our industry. I find paper trails are forever growing in all aspects of the industry, and government regulators do not always understand or make rules based on uninformed decisions or no practical experience. To keep up to speed and have our say, I sit in on the Northern NSW Housing Industry Australia committee, a think tank of local builders which is well informed by the HIA. The HIA takes local builders’ suggestions and gripes and combats them at a government level, as well as providing builders with invaluable advice. What do you enjoy most about living on the

Coffs Coast? What’s not to love! The Coffs Coast offers the best of both worlds - the coast and our beautiful hinterland. Best weather in the world, easily accessible with our airport and the upgraded highway, the people are friendly, pristine beaches with a labyrinth of walking and riding pathways, so many great restaurants and cafés and a decent variety of shopping. It is the kind of place that attracts young families, working professionals and retirees. Another plus is the quality and pride that local contractors and suppliers maintain and provide to Toscan Homes, as they live here and love it as well.

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AMANDA LANGLANDS FROM LANGLANDS PROPERTY

real estate

update.

When to buy, sell or stay put? Understanding property cycles is one of the biggest challenges in real estate. Many novice investors believe that having read a few articles on the subject or done some basic research, they know what is involved.

owever, property cycles are not impacting on the economy as a whole. as straightforward as some Those factors include interest rates, authors would have investors inflation and employment. And of course that believe. The key to investing immeasurable factor - market confidence. in real estate is timing. As any Market confidence is certainly on the rise and experienced stock market or property investor definitely a different market to the beginning will tell you, it’s all but impossible to pick when of 2019. a market has peaked or bottomed. There are It is true that the underlying force driving many things that determine what happens in the property market is a growing population. the real estate market, both domestically and So, what you see in a rising market is that the abroad. Consumer confidence is imperative to demand for housing is on the increase - that an increasing market, there is a shortage of both and over the past rental accommodation 12 months we have and established and new experienced an array housing. of influences that have According to the According to the standard unsettled buyers. There standard texts on property texts on property markets, have been political and markets, the rules of supply the rules of supply and economical influences and demand then come demand then come into play, that have had dramatic into play, and investors and and investors and property effect, including property developers step developers step in to meet state and federal in to meet the demand by the demand by buying and elections, banking royal buying and building more building more homes. commission with a credit homes. squeeze and tightening The reality is that other of international buyer factors such as interest requirements. However, rates are the real arbitrators as we close 2019 and look forward to 2020, of whether or not that new investment takes we are supported by strong buyer confidence, place. What we are seeing at the moment is low interest rates and exceptional activity at a classic example of a real estate market that auctions. is extremely hot on the back of low interest There are always those who will tell you rates. they “picked the top of the market” or “got it Providing that interest rates remain low, right when it bottomed”. But, the reality is, it the market should continue to rise. Currently rarely happens. Instead, experienced investors Australians are enjoying record low interest try to pick a trend, whether a market is rising rates. or falling. The outlook on the Coffs Harbour real For a property investor to accurately pick the estate market is positive and I am expecting trends, they need to know what a property a strong roll into 2020, with days on market cycle is. Property cycles in Australia generally low and pricing buoyant. Out of town buyers last between seven to 10 years. They operate are still making up approximately 42% of within the broader economy and are subject our buyers, creating strong demand for good to and influenced by those factors that are quality homes.

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B LU E R I B B O N Homes

NRMA Mid North Coast Santa is the only one that should enter your home without a key! Don’t let your Christmas be spoiled. NRMA Contents Insurance includes new for old replacement, flexible excess options for affordability, coverage for visitors’ belongings, temporary accommodation and 24/7 claim service. Our region has recently faced challenges with bushfire. For peace of mind, NRMA building and contents insurance has fire as a listed event, along with storm, theft or attempted theft, explosion, lightning, earthquake, vandalism and malicious acts. Whether you own your home or rent, there is a policy that we can tailor to your circumstances and protect what is important to you. Fire is also a listed event in our Comprehensive and Third-Party Fire and Theft Motor Insurance

policies, so you have peace of mind knowing you’re protected if the unexpected happens. At NRMA Insurance, we’ve been protecting Australians and the things they value for over 90 years. Over time, we’ve built a wealth of knowledge and experience. This helps us provide you with great customer service and quality cover, to better protect what matters most. Come in and meet our team of insurance experts at NRMA Mid North Coast. You will be able to speak to an insurance professional face to face about your personal insurance requirements, and they will empower you in making an informed decision about coverage that is right for you, whether it’s for your car, home, CTP, farm, boat, caravan, and even your life! Come in and see why Help is who we are.

Blue Ribbon Homes is a locally owned company that has been building homes on the Mid North Coast and surrounds for over 30 years. We are proud to boast a reputation of honest and reliable service to our clients, built with hard work and dedication. Design Flexibility At Blue Ribbon Homes we pride ourselves on offering our clients unique custom designed homes that will cost you no more than building from our extensive range of standard floor plans. You may already have some plans drawn up, or maybe even just a sketch; either way, we are more than happy to quote on your plans and help develop your ideas. Free Site Inspection We can arrange a free pre-purchase site inspection of your land, providing you with the right advice to help with your land purchasing and building options. After discussing the requirements of your new home, we will develop your unique concept

plan. You’ll then be provided with a full and comprehensive itemised quote; you’ll see exactly what we have included in the price, which means there’ll be absolutely no hidden extras. Challenging Site? No worries! Challenging sites are our speciality. We can achieve the desired outcome for our clients at an affordable price. If it fits your land, lifestyle and budget, rest assured, we can build it for you. Stress Free Building Some people consider building a new home to be stressful, but at Blue Ribbon Homes we make it easy and enjoyable, as it should be! Our experience and skills will give you the confidence to know you’re in great hands, leaving you free to enjoy the exciting experience of building your new home. At Blue Ribbon Homes we can make your dream home a reality! Call us today for a chat on (02) 6651 8144.

Get quality Home Insurance at a great price Our Home Insurance includes features like: • New for old replacement of your belongings • Up to a year’s temporary accommodation for you, your family and even your pets • Cover for theft and damage, even if you forget to lock the door Drop into your local branch and chat to the team today. NRMA Nambucca Heads at

6568 5477

Shop 8, 38-40, Bowra Street NRMA Macksville at

6568 3515

Shop 2, 6 Cooper Street NRMA Coﬀs Harbour at

6650 0122

30 Gordon Street NRMA Woolgoolga at

6654 8088

Shop 13, Woolgoolga Plaza, 42 - 44 Beach Street

Things you should know: Cover is subject to standard underwriting guidelines and policy terms. To see if our insurance is right for you, always read the Product Disclosure Statement from the product issuer Insurance Australia Limited trading as NRMA Insurance.

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Michael Beattie BEATTIES QUALITY FURNITURE

We caught up with Michael Beattie, from Beatties Quality Furniture, TO FIND OUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO HAVE A FAMILY LEGACY IN THE NAMBUCCA HEADS COMMUNITY, and to see what changes are coming up in the business ...

i Michael. Beatties Quality Furniture has been trading for over 36 years; is it still a family owned business? Yes, my parents Alan and Elizabeth Beattie started the business when they moved to the Coffs Coast region in 1983. My after school job was helping with the deliveries and assembling furniture. After working in agriculture, I returned to the family business 11 years ago. How has the business changed over the years? My parents started with a small shop in the main street of Nambucca; we now have a large 1,200 m² showroom near the entrance to Nambucca Heads, with a substantially larger range of furniture on display. We have quality sofas, lounges, dining, bedroom furniture and mattresses - something for every space in your home. In addition, we have a modern range of rugs, comfortable outdoor furniture and custom made curtains and blinds. Beatties Quality Furniture has many returning customers. Why do you think they keep coming back? We pride ourselves on selling the best products, that people will enjoy for many years to come. We believe that

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quality should be in everything we sell and in the service we provide, from the moment people step into our store ‘til the time the furniture is installed in their homes. We have a large range on display in our store, so customers can find that perfect item. Our staff are trained in the furniture we sell; we want people to be sure the choice they make is an informed and considered one that they will be happy with for years to come. An important part of our customer service is our friendly delivery team. They will deliver your furniture for free to Woolgoolga in the north, Kempsey in the south, Dorrigo in the west and all regions in between, including Coffs Harbour, Urunga, Macksville and Bellingen. Our trained team will assemble and arrange your new items and even take away your old furniture. There are no flat-pack assembly or delivery frustrations when shopping with Beatties Quality Furniture. You speak about your staff as if they are family - are they? Beatties Quality Furniture has always been family run, and we consider our staff part of our extended family. We care deeply about the people who work with us and their families. We believe a happy workplace creates a positive experience for our customer as well. Our customers are treated as friends, and we want their experience with us to be a positive one.

You are long term suppliers of La-Z-Boy. What will people see in your store? We stock and display a large range of recliners, lounges and lift chairs. La-Z-Boy offers a good product range that is great value for money, with options to adapt to suit your individual needs. We have several new models with modern lines, available in a large selection of leather colours and fabrics, all with the comfort that La-Z-Boy is known for. I noticed that you are an NDIS provider; what do you supply? We are registered to sell adjustable beds and lift chairs under the NDIS scheme. There are many options in size, function and finishes to suit each individual, giving a comfortable and serviceable product with a non-industrial and homely feel. We work closely with occupational therapists, to make sure we have the correct item for each individual’s needs. We've heard rumours about exciting changes at Beatties; can you tell us about them? Beatties has had a huge stock refurbishment recently, with many new products now on display. However, our most exciting change is that Beatties has started selling two new brands of furniture - IMG and Stressless. IMG has a large and varied range of

sofas, recliners, chairs and lift chairs. Available in an extensive range of leathers and fabrics - there is something for everyone. If you are after a pop of colour or pattern, their chairs can be covered in Warwick fabrics, giving an unique individual item just for you. Most excitedly, if you have pets and children, they have a fabric called Aquaclean on all their sofas, lounges and chairs. This product is easy to clean; the majority of household stains can be removed with just water; it’s scratch resistant and resistant to bacteria, mite and fungi. It's the ultimate product for pet lovers. Stressless is a fantastic brand from Norway that focuses on the ultimate comfort for our bodies. In 1971 they wanted to build the perfect chair for the then new trend of TV watching. Their chairs are engineered and developed to create the most attractive and functionally comfortable furniture in the industry. Under the surface of beautiful leather or cozy fabric lies multifaceted sets of springs and foam that contours to your body, giving adapting lumbar support whether sitting or reclining. If you are looking for a new recliner or sofa, then come in and try one of the many options we have on the floor and experience the comfort for yourself. Thanks Michael.

Mayfair Recliner with Buckingham Reclining Sofa

It’s time to relax. We all need some personal space aside from the bustle of everyday life. The Stressless® Mayfair with separate footstool takes comfort to another level. Because of the unique Plus™ system and Glide™ system you can lean back and get a comfortable reclining position in an eﬀortless manner. Increasing your comfort options two sofas, the Mary powered suite or the Buckingham suite, perfectly pair with your Mayfair recliner.

Mary Powered Sofa with Mayfair Recliner

Buckingham Reclining Sofa with Mayfair Recliner

Beatties

Quality Furniture

Monday to Friday 9am-5pm Saturday closed Sunday 9am-12pm Cnr Pioneer St & Duke St, Nambucca Heads PH: 6568 7484

www.beattiesfurniture.com.au

Discover a place to be yourself The feeling of home isn’t just memories of what was once there. It’s a haven of freedom – where you can live on your own schedule, how you want. At Freedom Care Communities, you can decorate your home and make it your own, while being part of a close-knit community. Cook in your own kitchen, have the grandkids stay over, and live with your partner, pet* or even on your own. Come and see how Freedom Coffs Harbour can be right for you.

Freedom Coffs Harbour, 92 Taloumbi Road, Coffs Harbour Call (02) 6690 2100 or visit FreedomCareCommunities.com.au *Subject to approval.

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