Talking Destination - Fiona Barden

from Coffs Coast Focus - i132

by Focus

Physio & Health - Aaron Hardaker

TALKING

DESTINATION

with FIONA BARDEN

FROM COFFS CITY COUNCIL

FIND YOUR NEW OR REDISCOVER YOUR FAVOURITE THING TO DO

e days are long, the sun is shining, and for many of us it’s holiday time!

Summer is here and we can’t help but share our excitement about a stay-cation. So join in the fun and discover one of the many new experiences available right here on the Coffs Coast.

TASTE

If a bite and a bevvy is your thing, Coffs is home to a few amazing new (or newish) establishments. Try a local at King Tide Brewery or Woopi Brewing Co – where they make the beer right in front of you. Explore a cocktail or two at Critters Distillery – their menu is constantly evolving. The Athletic Club at Sawtell will dazzle you with the myriad of spirits and tastes shaken and maybe stirred. Or maybe one of the tried and tested wineries, taverns or hotels is more your style, with many now serving both craft and traditional brews and the odd extravagant cocktail or two.

Local produce is a highlight on the menus of many of the Coffs Coast restaurants. Newcomer Mermaid Beach House offers seasonal dishes featuring food grown on the premise or sourced locally. Across the region you’ll fi nd locally caught seafood, a expanse of international cuisines, modern café cuisine and coastal food hampers to enjoy in your own space – we’d be surprised if you can’t fi nd a new taste to tickle your tastebuds.

PLAY

Maybe it’s art and culture that gets you in the holiday mood. Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery hosts the White Bluff Project until January 15. This innovative and inspiring exhibition combines artist stories with an intriguing journey that captures the art, science and changing environment of our unique coastal destination.

Or maybe you’d prefer the excitement of some national sporting events. January sees the return of the Big Bash League, not once but twice! The Sydney Sixers bring the fun and excitement to the C.ex Coffs International Stadium when they take on two interstate rivals. Get your bucket hat on, wave your magenta pom poms, and get ready to cheer on our adopted ‘home’ team.

STAY

Holidaying at home is not just about going out and heading back to your own bed. Why not pack up your bags and head to one of our amazing accommodation houses and stay a night or two. Coffs Coast Holiday Parks have recently installed new cabins, glamping tents, an outdoor cinema experience, putt putt golf and an upgraded BMX track – the whole family can relax! There are also options for luxurious escapes in a glorious holiday home. So spoil yourself and indulge in one of these beachside beauties.

EXPLORE

With the Coffs Coast recently certifi ed as NSW’s only ECO Destination, we encourage you to get outdoors and explore some of our amazing spaces. This accreditation shows our commitment to nature-based experiences and ecotourism principles, and guides real actions to enhance and protect the natural environment and honour our cultural heritage.

Link up to a Coffs by Naturetour and discover some unique parts of our environment. Experienced guides will share their knowledge and help you connect with this place we are lucky enough to call home. The Coffs Coast EcoQuest Summer Holiday Challenge is a new way to discover our native fl ora and fauna and will entertain the family for hours. Download the app from coffsecoquest.com and explore outdoor areas – snap a picture of a bird, bug, plant or animal (remember look and snap, but don’t touch) and upload the pics to earn challenge points. If you can identify what you’ve photographed or fi nd something rare and unique, extra challenge points come your way! The EcoQuest challenge runs across four weeks from December 27, with a winner announced weekly.

We live in one of the most beautiful parts of our country, and there is always something new to explore and fi nd. Find all you need to know at coffscoast.com. While you explore we encourage you to connect deeply, tread lightly and discover Coffs Coast… our place of plenty.

#ECOcoffscoast #CoffsCoast #PlaceOfPlenty #OurPlaceIsGreat

PHOTOGRAPHER

Heidi Bell has years of experience as a photographer and a naturally creative eye for what will make an amazing shot. She has recently taken the leap into focusing on her photography business full time and has hit the ground running! Her passion and talent are second to none, and we are excited to see where this next chapter takes her.

Hi Heidi. When did you first pick up a camera and realise it was something you enjoyed?

For as long as I can remember my Dad was right into photography, so I started using his Canon T70 at around the age of 14 or 15.I used to take photos of my friends from high school in the paddock behind my house.They were very accommodating by allowing me to indulge my crazy ideas.

I remember getting one of my mates to stand on a stool in the middle of a full circular water tank so it looked like she was standing on water. So fun!! I have photographed so many of my good friends over the years which is so awesome. Most of them will have a story about something I convinced them to do for the sake of a good photo! From cemeteries to spider infested rooftops to the waves at Kirra.

How would you describe your style of photography?

Relaxed, candid, natural – all about the light! Into the sun (for rim lighting) wherever possible. I really enjoy spending time with my clients, having a good laugh and working together to achieve something they can look back on proudly for years to come.

What do you most enjoy shooting and why?

People in a natural setting. I love a good challenge; for example,

I have photographed so yesterday I found myself in a paddock photographing 3 horses, many of my good 2 dogs, a toddler and his friends over the years parents – all in the one which is so awesome. frame, of course! I also Most of them will have love the opportunity to a story about get arty shots by utilising something I convinced light and wild locations them to do for the sake in all kinds of different of a good photo! ways. At a recent shoot on a client’s recently purchased property I stumbled across an old mirror lying on the ground in the grass – this sort of thing is right up my alley and I certainly used it to my advantage!

Continued over...

What aspect of photography do you find most challenging?

There are two things. I find the physical side of it challenging at times because of a long-term back injury. Recently, I had to lug heavy gear up and down a small mountain, but the resultant images in the amazing location made all the effort worthwhile. As well as this, there are also some days I struggle sitting in a dark office for hours on end in front of a computer editing – especially when the day is glorious outside!

You have years of experience in the industry, but you’ve recently taken the leap and gone full time in your photography business, what made you decide to make that change?

I’m so glad I made that choice as I have I couldn’t do the never been happier. balancing act between Now, instead of going two jobs anymore. to work; I just do With demand for my something I love! photography growing, I realised that it was a case of ‘now or never’, so I chose to dive head first into full time photography. I’m so glad I made that choice as I have never been happier. Now, instead of going to work; I just do something I love!

What direction would you like to take Heidi Bell Photography heading into the future?

Improving what I love doing; that is,

photographing families and weddings in magnificent settings with top-quality gear. I have already started mentoring and employing an assistant, so I can see this business expanding well into the future. Further possibilities have arisen because of the establishment of a studio, which has seen me absolutely flat out and booked out over the Christmas period.Aside from weddings and families, I also do a whole range of other photography from bands to boudoir to models. I really love to collaborate with the incredibly talented hair and makeup artists in Coffs Harbour. You can check out some of my other styles at my Studio Melita page. You can see this on Instagram @studiomelita or Facebook@studiomelita or on my heidibellphotography website.

What has been that one shoot that still stands out and why?

I feel so blessed to have been able to capture my beautiful cousin Nina’s wedding in the dream location of Akaroa Harbour, New Zealand. To capture her effervescence, light, and joy on her very special day was a true honour for me. She was such a gorgeous

It was really like something out of a fairy-tale and to be the person to freeze the magic of that day in time was a truly special and significant person on the outside, experience for me. but what really shone through for me was her heart. On rare occasions I get to see more of a person than what is revealed through the lens. Then I am lucky enough to see beyond the exterior and into a heart. This was certainly the case with Nina. It was really like something out of a fairytale and to be the person to freeze the magic of that day in time was a truly special and significant experience for me. Back then I had no idea that we were to lose my precious cousin to cancer in 2019. I can only imagine how significant those images are now for her husband and her two children.