Coffs Coast Focus i85 by Focus

COFFS COAST

October 2017. issue 85

1 coffs coast focus.

Feature Story Animal Rescue Coffs Harbour

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Photo by Tom Woods - ST IMAGES

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PHOTOGRAPHY/EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTOR Lisa Cross

lisa.cross@fairfaxmedia.com.au

Comments and opinions of our contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinion or view of the Publishers or Editor. All reasonable efforts have been made to trace copyright holders. Information appearing in Focus is believed to be correct at the time of going to press, however no liability will be held for inaccurate information approved or supplied by advertisers or contributors. While all care is taken it is recommended that readers confirm dates, times, prices and any other material including advice with individual businesses and industry professionals. Coffs Coast Focus is produced and published by Creative House Publications PTY LTD ABN: 621 287 8600 5. Material in Focus is Copyright © Creative House Publications PTY LTD 2015 and may not be reproduced whole or in part, in any form, without permission of the Publisher. All rights reserved.

team

Welcome to the October issue of Coffs Coast FOCUS.

t’s our seventh birthday! What an amazing seven years it has been for Coffs Coast FOCUS. Our FOCUS family work tirelessly, flying the FOCUS flag each month ... And thanks to their mammoth efforts, a great community spirit and genuine interest in business owners on the Coffs Coast, that in your hands right now is one of our favourite editions ever produced! We love what we do, but it wouldn’t be possible without YOU, our dedicated readers. Thank you so much for continuing our FOCUS journey with us. We would like to dedicate this edition to all of our contributors and advertisers. So from the FOCUS team, thank you so very much for all of your support! This Month’s Cover When Sam Phillips approached us and asked us to sponsor “The Jetty Food & Wine Festival”, we jumped at the chance. What a great community event to get behind, and hopefully the first of

many. We have dedicated this month’s cover to the festival. A big thank you goes to all of the people involved: Benny Francis and Tullia Connor, the faces gracing our cover this month - they are so much fun to work with; Heidi from Vast Interior, for lending us her amazing outdoor furniture; Markell from The Platter Effect, for creating the delicious platter; Maddie from Two Tails Wines for her yummy bubbly; Carole from Le Dãin Designs for her stunning jewellery; Tracey from RSVP for the incredibly beautiful dress; Lauren and her team from Living Doll for the gorgeous hair and makeup; and Emma from Emma Louise Flowers for the breathtaking flower arrangement. This was a classic showcase of locals supporting locals, and what a team we make! Inside this Edition Coffs Harbour’s most famous icon, The Big Banana, was first opened in 1964 and since then has defied the odds, changing with the times to

continue to attract over one million visitors per year. FOCUS spoke to General Manager Michael Lockman about how The Big Banana put Coffs Harbour on the tourist map, what happened to the Bunyip, and what is in store for the future of the Fun Park. Dee Spinks is an animal lover who has taken it to the next level by rescuing animals from pounds and other dire situations, after becoming aware of the plight of pound animals and the rangers who look after them. After visiting the set of Russell Crowe’s film Cinderella Man, Kathryn Thornber decided she wanted a part of the action and has recently finished the Diploma of Costume for Performance. FOCUS caught up with Kathryn to check out the impressive costumes she has created so far ... Final Say “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life”- Dolly Parton.

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E Y FR

’ IT

Issue 85 - October 2017

22 Regulars 10. WHAT’S ON OCTOBER 22. EAT FEATURING LOCAL RESTAURANTS 59. STAR GUIDE WITH TERRI 60. SOCIAL SCENE CAROLE BEROS

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

CREA YOUR TE UNIQOWN WOR UE OF A KS RT

Aaron Wilson.

Markell Hughes.

24 75

In the years before his two sons started school, Aaron Wilson took the opportunity to be a stay-at-home dad while his wife, Cass, continued to build on her career. FOCUS chatted to Aaron about the rewards and challenges of “bucking the trend” and also found out what Cass, Bobby (6) and Brodie (4) enjoyed most about the experience.

16 36

Chris Barr.

Chris Barr combines a good sense of humour with his graphic arts skill to create amusing and memorable gifts and promotional pieces in the form of caricatures. FOCUS swung by his home studio in Bellingen, where he told us about drawing live at festivals in the USA, being up against one of his cartooning heroes at the Rotary Cartoon awards, who inspires him today ... And much more.

L A N IO ! T A C UN U D E &F

FR NE

SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN! MONDAY 10 July to SATURDAY 15 July

10.00AM-2.00PM DAILY SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN! (Outside Ritchies Supa IGA)

TUESDAY 3RD October to SATURDAY 7 October 11AM - 2PM DAILY Located in the Promotions Court *Children must be under parental supervision.

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GREAT FOR GIFTS

issue inside this

Bat tle Zon e

Phil focusinterview.

Hitchins. P E R RY H O M E S

Phil Hitchins is the home consultant for Perry Homes. Phil will aid clients in finding the right home design that suits their needs, lifestyle and budget. FOCUS grabbed a coffee with Phil, to find out more â€Ś

hat is the history behind Perry Homes? Perry Homes is one of NSWâ€™s largest and most trusted project home builders, building from Hervey Bay in Queensland and Newcastle in New South Wales. The Managing Director, David Perry, has been building homes for more than twenty five years, and has created a strong and reputable company with a reputation for quality homes at exceptional value. Tell us about your role and area of expertise? I am a building and design consultant and have been in the industry for 35 years. I have helped hundreds of clients see their dream home become a reality. What services do Perry Homes provide? We offer our clients advice on a home design which would suit their block of land. We have a range of over 150 house designs; however, we are happy to modify a design or even use their own design. As part of our service, we undertake site inspections to ensure the design works on their land and then provide an obligation free quote. Tell us about your display home?

6 Coffs Coast focus

Whilst we have received many awards over the years, including a number from the Housing Industry Association (HIA), it is the number

The single storey land packages to suit Aspen 249 is one of most budgets on this our most popular plans, estate, which is only 20 of clients who have with four bedrooms. minutes north of Coffs built three or four Compact in design, this Harbour. homes with us that is meticulously planned We are also excited to the most satisfying. home accommodates announce that our brand every member of the new display centre is family. With the addition currently being planned of the fully-enclosed for this estate and is media room and multipurpose room, it provides expected to open in 2018. more than enough space for a growing family. What are the standout features or the The well-equipped kitchen, which includes benefits of building with Perry Homes? a walk-in pantry and breakfast bar is a pivotal There are more than fifty single, split level part of this exciting open floor plan design. and two storey floor plans in the Perry Homes The Aspen layout is highly functional for family portfolio, and most offer a number of variations living and entertaining, with stack doors off the to cater for individual needs. These plans have family room leading out to a private spacious been designed to suit flat and sloping land, terrace, which is perfect for alfresco dining. varying from courtyard through traditional and This design provides seamless blend of space up to acreage size blocks. and style in a compact layout. One thing that really sets us apart from Tell us about some of the new, exciting other project home builders is that we are projects you are working on now and in happy to work with our clients, to ensure they the future. get exactly what they want. We are currently marketing the new land Whilst we have received many awards over development in Sandy Beach. The Seacrest the years, including a number from the Housing Estate is surrounded by native bushland, but Industry Association (HIA), it is the number of is also close to one of the best beaches on the clients who have built three or four homes with Coffs Coast. We have a number of house and us that is the most satisfying.

What makes you stand out above your competitors? Perry Homes is synonymous with quality built homes offering a high standard of finish and a range of lifestyle options. All homes are built to the highest Australian standards, using only A-grade materials from leading manufacturers. Perry Homes are justifiably proud of their strong reputation as a respected quality builder and endorse this by providing every new home owner occupier with a written 20 Year Structural Guarantee. Tell us about your community involvement. Perry Homes are holding a special event, open to all those who are looking to build a new home in the Coffs Harbour area. This special event is in conjunction with the Regional Australia Bank and will be of most benefit to first home buyers and investors. It will held at the Perry Homes display at 183 Rose Avenue, Coffs Harbour, on Tuesday 24th October at 6pm. Thanks Phil. Come and speak to Phil at the Perry Homes display at 11 Cherry Street, North Sapphire Beach. The display is open every day except Thursday from 9am to 5pm, or call 0428 271 884.

Stunning new beachside home and land package

Lot 345 Rockpool Avenue, Sandy Beach Price $448,063 Every day will feel like a holiday living at Seacrest Estate. Located just 20 minutes north of Coﬀs Harbour, you can join a relaxed seaside community close to the spectacular Sandy Beach. With such a great beachside location, you’ll love coming home to your brand new home. Stainless steel appliances Flyscreens and key locks to all windows and sliding doors Floor coverings throughout

Malibu 196

Concrete driveway

Block Size: 499m2

OWN IT FROM

Total Area: 195.85m / 21.08sqs

$470* PER WEEK

W.I.R.

ENS'

BED 3

3000 x 3000 ROBE

TERRACE 5240 x 3250

WM SPACE

BED 1

LINEN

3300 x 3980

L'DRY HOB

BATH

ROBE

5920 x 4880

KITCHEN REF SPACE

BED 2

3000 x 3000

PANTRY

LOUNGE LINEN

HOME BUYERS INFORMATION NIGHT 6PM TUESDAY 24TH OCTOBER

DINING

DW PROV'

C/T, R/H & UBO

......................................................................................................... GARAGE

Get free advice on your home loan from local home lending specialist Julian Bryant. Perry Homes display home - 183 Rose Avenue, Coﬀs Harbour

MEDIA

6000 x 5750

3600 x 3310

ENTRY BED 4/STUDY 3000 x 2900

PORCH

Visit one of our stunning display homes near you today 11 Cherry Street, North Sapphire Beach

183 Rose Avenue, Coffs Harbour

Open Friday to Wednesday, 9am to 5pm Phillip Hitchins (02) 7903 9116 or 0428 271 884

Open Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm Nigel Longstaﬀ (02) 6652 9800 or 0459 320 029

QBCC Act Lic. No. 718748. NSW Lic. No. 110970C

20 YEAR STRUCTURAL GUARANTEE

CELEBRATING 25+ YEARS

*Weekly mortgage repayments of $470 per week (or $2,039 per month) is based on an owner occupied loan of $425,555 @ 4.02% with principle and interest payments over a 30 year term. ^Rental return of approximately $450-470 per week is based on advice provided by local real estate agent at the time of printing. September 2017. Purchasers should inform and assure themselves by independent advice or as otherwise necessary prior to purchase. 26895

MULTI AWARD WINNER

Visit our website perryhomes.com.au

focusinterview.

ANIMAL RESCUE COFFS HARBOUR Dee Spinks is an animal lover who has taken it to the next level, by rescuing animals from pounds and other dire situations after becoming aware of the plight of pound animals and the rangers who look after them.

he runs ARCH with her mother, Val, at their Moonee Beach property, housing a number of animals for rehabilitation, fostering and adoption with the aim of finding them all a happy and safe “furever”

home. What is your connection to the Coffs Coast? I was born in Coffs and grew up in Sawtell/ Toormina. Although I went to university at Armidale when I finished high school, Coffs has always been home, and I never really could see myself living anywhere else. What kind of animals does Animal Rescue Coffs Harbour (ARCH) re-home, and how does it work? We mostly rescue dogs, but we have also taken in cats, rabbits, aviary birds and even chickens. Animals in pounds are our priority, as they are often put to sleep if unclaimed. If we have the capacity, we take in surrendered animals from members of the community, particularly focusing on families who have found themselves in a crisis situation such as ill health or death of the owner. We also take in quite a few puppies, often whole litters, in order to ensure that these animals do not continue the unabated breeding cycle by going to homes that don’t desex their pets. ARCH does not have kennels. All of our animals are in foster care in private homes and are treated as a member of the family until their permanent home is found. The ultimate goal is to give that animal the best shot at a healthy and happy life, even if it is only for a short time. Once in our care, the first step is to address any health issues they have. We then begin the search for their furever home, assessing interested families to ensure that they are the right fit for the animal and have the capacity to care for their new family member for the rest of their lives. Sometimes the health and age of an animal may mean that they stay with one of our carers for whatever time they have left, and we make it

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DeeSpinks

toys and medications with the help of donations as comfortable and happy as we can. from the community. Our carers also make How many animals are you looking after themselves available to meet adopting families at the moment? Can you describe a few of and take the animals to the vet for treatment as them? required. We currently have three cats, two chickens, Many people say they couldn’t foster because and fifteen dogs in our care. The cats came to us it would be too hard to let the animals go. It is as small kittens found at Lowanna garbage tip. hard, but it is also so incredibly rewarding to see They are in foster care together, being raised with those animals years later, happy, healthy and kids, dogs, and other cats and are the smoochiest loved with a family of their very own. Without cats I have ever known. our foster carers, in many cases the outcome Bubba is a female wolfhound cross from Cobar would have been much bleaker. Foster carers pound. She was seized by the local rangers due save two lives each time to extreme neglect, but they take in an animal this has not tainted her the life of the animal they view of people, and she care for, and the life of is a big, cuddly girl who Foster carers save two the next pound dog or cat loves nothing more than lives each time they take that takes their place at being curled up next in an animal - the life of the the pound. to her humans on the animal they care for and the life Do rescue animals have lounge. of the next pound dog or cat that issues or special needs? Recently we took in takes their place at the pound. It is not true that three boys from Kempsey rescue dogs are damaged pound, including 4-monthgoods. While some may old Hank. Hank was have dislikes and fears found by rangers tied to generated from their previous experiences, it the railway tracks, with what appeared to be is amazing how often they are able to put this cigarette burns all over his body. behind them and love the people who love them. We also have recently taken in 10-yearOthers may have health issues that require old Bear, a Maltese cross whose mum had to ongoing medication. We do our best to address surrender all of her animals due to ill health. Bear needs some vet treatment before he will be made any special needs before adoption, or make sure that the family adopting them are fully aware and available for adoption. capable and confident to meet those needs. Who can be a foster carer, and what should Rescue dogs come vet checked, vaccinated, they consider before signing up? micro chipped, desexed, wormed, flea and tick Anyone over the age of 18 can foster. Our treated and with any other health issue treated, priority is the safety of our animals, so a secure usually for an adoption fee far less than the cost yard is paramount. We also need the foster carer of that treatment. to be able to address the needs of the animal, Because our animals are fostered in family including basic training and socialisation if homes, their nature can be assessed, training required. This can be done with the help of our provided if required, and we can then match members and the lovely Kyra from Bright Bessie them to a family that suits them. The vast Dog Training for special cases, such as our first majority of rescue animals are just looking for deaf puppy, Nova. a place to call their own, where they are loved ARCH provides our carers with as many of the and cared for. No more; no less. There is nothing animals’ needs as possible, like food, bedding,

quite like the love of a pet who knows they have been rescued. Why do so many pets end up at the pound or with rescue agencies, and what should people know about responsible pet ownership? Unfortunately animals seem to have become another disposable commodity, rather than a lifelong member of a family, and some puppy farmers, pet shops and backyard breeders want to cash in on this. The other major problem is owners not bothering to desex their pet, allowing unwanted litters to be produced. There is no such thing as an accidental litter - if the animal is not desexed, it is not an accident. Animals also end up in pounds after they escape their homes. Micro chipping is actually a legal requirement for domestic pets. It is also the best way to get your best mate back home. Also, having a collar and identification tag helps enormously if your pet escapes outside business hours, because members of the community can reunite you with your pet without having to involve the rangers or the pound. How can people help ARCH? Education - spread the word amongst your family and friends to desex and microchip your pets. Adopt, don’t shop - rescue animals are not always cross breeds; there are also pure breeds in need of rescue. Your adoption animal will come fully vet worked and matched to your family. Foster - if you think you can give a rescue animal a safe place to lay their head while we find them a furever home, contact ARCH. Donate - donations of food, toys, bedding, medications as well as cash to assist with our vet bills allows us to concentrate on the animals. We also have several fundraising events each year to supplement our funds, and many local businesses also provide their support. Check out our website www.animalrescue.org.au Thanks Dee.

Coffs Coast focus 9

focus_What’s On Coffs Coast

Akmal

O C T O B E R

Akmal returns with his funniest show ever in the history of comedy. Paramedics will be on call to transport audience members to hospital, as their sides split from laughter. When 6th October. Where C.ex Coffs Harbour. Doors Open 7:30pm | 8pm Show *18+ Event Tickets www.cex.com.au

Light the Night Walk The Leukaemia Foundation’s Light the Night Walk with Lanterns is on in October at Park Beach Reserve, Coffs Harbour. The Light the Night Walk with Lanterns will be down at The Twilight Food Markets. When 6th October. Where Park Beach Reserve. Time 5pm - 8pm. More information Call 0432 380 423 or email lightthenightcoffsharbour@ gmail.com

Russell Morris

Aria Hall of Fame inductee, #1 selling Platinum artist, King of Pop, Australian icon ... We are talking about Aussie legend Russell Morris! Live on stage performing all the hits from his Red Dirt Trilogy! When 13th October. Where Sawtell RSL. Tickets www.sawtellrsl.com.au

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Midnight Oil

27 Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival The Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival is rated highly on the festival circuit for folk and bluegrass followers, and the program includes some of the best homegrown talent in both folk and bluegrass genres. When 27th - 29th October. Where Dorrigo Showgrounds. Tickets info@dorrigofolkbluegrass.com.au

The Great Circle 2017 World Tour is Midnight Oil’s first tour in 15 years and will see the group’s classic lineup perform at shows around the world. Coffs Harbour is one of 11 lucky venues in Australia to the host the Oils live in concert, along with special guests Jebediah and Jack River. When 19th October. Where Coffs Harbour Fields. Tickets On sale now via Ticketek.com

Women’s Ashes Series

Australia v. England. The Australian and England Cricket teams will contest three One-Day Internationals (ODI), one Test match and three Twenty20 Internationals, with the team that accumulates the most points across the series to be crowned the winner of the 2017-18 Commonwealth Bank Women’s Ashes Series. When 26th October. Where: Coffs Harbour International Stadium. Tickets: ticketek.com More information: Phone 6648 4950 or email matthew.haines@ chcc.nsw.gov.au

Stars of the Coffs Coast Dance for Cancer

Stars of Coffs Coast Dance for Cancer is a gala fundraising event held annually in support of Cancer Council NSW. The event was first held in Coffs Harbour in 2011 and since then, has raised an impressive $600,000 to date. When 28th October. Where: C.ex Coffs Harbour Tickets: www.cex.com.au More information: Contact Cancer Council Coffs Harbour on (02) 6659 8400.

SUPERSTARS SHINE AT

P PAUL MERCURIO (Celebrity Judge)

The Stars of Coffs Coast committee are thrilled to confirm Paul Mercurio as a celebrity judge for the gala night on 28 October, along with FOCUS’ very own Director of Sales, Louise Beaumont, and Winner of 2016’s Stars of the Coffs Coast Dance for Cancer, Brendan Graetz ... Here’s what the judges had to say about this year’s event.

THE COFFS COAST

aul is kindly donating his time to this amazing event, which is raising funds for Cancer Council NSW,” stated Sarah Whitaker, Community Relations Coordinator. After being inspired by Elvis Presley as a nine year old boy, Paul’s mother enrolled him into a local ballet school. He then went on to win a scholarship with the Sydney Dance Company, before being cast as Scott Hastings in the Baz Luhrmann directed epic Strictly Ballroom, becoming a virtual overnight sensation. “Having such a high profile judge certainly adds to the prestige of the event. We are really looking forward to Paul bringing his professionalism and knowledge on the night,” added Sarah. Focus’ Director of Sales, Louise Beaumont, will also be adding her dancing nous to the judges’ panel this

year. Louise has been the Chairperson for the organising committee of Stars of The Hastings for the past five years and has intimate knowledge of the event. “I’ve spent so much time organising Stars of the Hastings in Port Macquarie, so I’m really excited to be seeing the event from a different perspective as a judge. I trained as a dancer for many years, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the Coffs Coast can bring in 2017,” stated Louise. The judging panel will be rounded out with Brendan Graetz, who was the Judge’s Choice in 2016. “I’ll certainly be a lot more relaxed this year as judge! It was pretty nerve wracking dancing last year, so I will really understand how the stars are feeling, but they better make sure they bring their A game - because I plan on being tough,” joked Brendan.

Michael “Moffy” Moffett from Southern Cross Austereo is charged with MC duties. Another exciting announcement is that Pacific Marina Luxury Apartments have come on board as a major sponsor. They will be providing accommodation prize packs to the major prize winners, which are Highest Fundraiser, People’s Choice and Judges’ Choice. They join other major sponsors C.ex Group and FOCUS. Tickets are $65, which include a drink on arrival, finger food and an amazing show! Purchase through www.cex. com.au … But hurry! Tickets are selling fast. For more info or to donate, visit: www.everydayhero.com.au/event/ starsofhastings2016. All funds raised on the night go towards Cancer Council’s vital research, prevention programs, advocacy and information and support initiatives for cancer patients and their families.

Coffs Coast focus 11

Tom BORG Tom Borg is a local business owner with a huge heart. His compassion for fellow man should not go unnoticed. FOCUS had a chat to Tom, to find out about his latest act of kindness â€Ś

our generosity has not gone unnoticed. Tell us about your kind act to a complete stranger ...

I was browsing through the internet really quickly. I saw on an Australian PC website there was a man trying to sell a computer ... It seemed a little bit overpriced, and he'd received lots of comments giving him a bit of hard time about the sale. I then saw that he was actually trying to sell his beloved computer system, only so he could fund his vet bill for his dog, who had damaged its leg in a car accident. I thought, with no hesitation, that I had to help this bloke. I'd never met him before, and I didn't want to buy his computer system; I just wanted to help him. I have two dogs myself, Kuda and Coco.

I found out he had a Gofundme page for the dog, which was up to about $20 ... I paid the rest, $1,980, and sent him a nice message saying if he was ever in a position to return the favour, to make sure he did - and I hoped he'd have a great night. The message went viral. I checked it the next morning; I had messages from all over the world (literally) saying there was faith restored in humanity - how they couldn't believe that someone would help a complete stranger. I didn't expect anything to come from it at all; I wanted to help this bloke and his dog. I'm glad that it has been seen by so many people though, as I hope others take it on board to help people if they can.

aldi

M I N O R O O S

ALDI Miniroos Kick-Off For Girls Launches Across Northern NSW, Including Coffs Harbour.

orthern NSW Football has launched ALDI Miniroos Kick-Off For Girls to capitalise on the continued growth in female participation across Northern

NSW and secure the next generation of female players. ALDI Miniroos Kick-Off For Girls is an introductory program for "girls only", and registrations opened today for the program in numerous centres across Northern NSW, including Coffs Harbour. "ALDI Miniroos Kick-Off For Girls is great for girls who are just starting out on their football journey, using short, game based sessions to introduce the sport of football to newcomers in a fun and inclusive way," Northern NSW Football Female Participation Officer Nyssa Suchanow

12 Coffs Coast focus

said. ALDI MiniRoos Kick-Off has been developed in line with the game-sense philosophy of sport participation. This approach to sport delivery emphasises a move away from traditional coach dominated sessions to those that are player-centred, using game-like situations, rather than technical drills. The ALDI MiniRoos Kick-Off for Girls program runs for one hour a week for 10 weeks during Term 4. Each session consists of a 30 minute skills session and a 30 minute game. The program is split into two stages, with a session plan for girls aged 5 - 8 and one for girls aged 9 - 11. Participants can register by visiting www.northernnswfootball.com.au - further info: Nyssa Suchanow Ph. (02) 4941 7200.

Coffs Coast focus 13

focusinterview.

Aaron Wilson In the years before his two sons started school, Aaron Wilson took the opportunity to be a stay-athome dad while his wife, Cass, continued to build on her career. FOCUS chatted to Aaron about the rewards and challenges of “bucking the trend” and also found out what Cass, Bobby (6) and Brodie (4) enjoyed most about the experience.

hat is your connection to the Coffs Coast? We discovered Coffs around five years ago and moved up here from Sydney in search of a better environment to raise our family in. Can you tell us a little about your family? What are your favourite things to do together? Our family consists of my wife, Cass, and my two boys, Bobby and Brodie. As a family we love to get out in our 4WD and explore the local area and those parts of Australia others miss out on. The kids love trips to the movies, and the numerous local parks around the Coffs Coast are great as well. How did you feel when you found out you were going to be a dad? It was something I had always wanted for as long as I could remember; it was pure excitement, and I knew it was something I was going to dive into with everything I had. What was it like being a stay at home dad with Bobby and Brodie? Being able to spend the time with the two boys was the most amazing thing I have done 14 Coffs Coast focus

in my life. To be able to leave my then career in finance and dedicate everything to the kids was a fantastic gift from Cass that I will be forever grateful for. I am often asked if I regret giving up my career, and I can honestly say that I don’t feel I gave up anything and was given the most fulfilling job I ever had. The way I looked at it, was that I was being the selfish one who had all my time for myself, and Cass was sacrificing for me. What were your least and most favourite stay-at-home dad chores? I honestly loved all of it; not for a moment did I have a second of regret. I didn’t even mind changing nappies; if it meant I could steal an extra hug or a kiss, it was worth it. I loved to be in a position where I could take the boys anywhere we chose when we woke up that day, the beach or the bush, or even just to the backyard.

What were the challenges of “bucking the trend” in a role that is not as common for men? There were not challenges so much, but there were certainly things I observed. Trying to get involved in playgroups is near impossible for a man with kids and if you did manage to get involved, it was me and all the kids and barely a hello from a mum. How has your role changed now the kids are at school? I went back to work, had a sea change and found a job that matched by hobbies and the lifestyle I wanted to lead. I try to be as involved as I possibly can with the kids, be it reading books through kindergarten, attending assemblies or sports carnivals, talking through the kids' days and helping them on their learning journeys, just as my parents did with me. What is your advice for new stay-athome dads?

I can honestly say that I don’t feel I gave up anything and was given the most fulfilling job I ever had.

If you have the opportunity, just do it; don’t be put off by perceived notions of gender roles. Do what is right for you and your family, and don’t worry what others think. Don’t be scared off by horror stories about how tough it is; you will love it, and it’s time you never get back once it's gone. Cass, what was the experience of reversing the traditional parenting roles like for you? It was such a satisfying time in my life, where I could just watch in awe at how Aaron took on the father role, especially modelling to our two boys to be the best that they can be. The bond that was created between them at such an earlier time in their life was amazing. It also gave me an opportunity to continue on with building my leadership career, which I am very thankful for. Bobby and Brodie, what is the best thing about spending lots of time with your dad? Bobby: we have lots of fun and he gets to see me trying new things. Brodie: that we get to wrestle lots and beat him in running races. Thanks Aaron, Cass, Bobby and Brodie.

Coffs Coast focus 15

focusinterview.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE BIG BANANA

MICHAEL

Lockman

Coffs Harbour’s most famous icon, The Big Banana, was first opened in 1964 and since then has defied the odds, changing with the times to continue to attract over one million visitors per year. FOCUS spoke to General Manager Michael Lockman about how the Big Banana put Coffs Harbour on the tourist map, what happened to the Bunyip and what is in store for the future of the Fun Park.

hat is your connection to the Coffs Coast? Although I was born in Armidale, I have always had a very close connection to the Coffs Coast. Before I could even walk, my parents would holiday here and travel down the Waterfall Way to waterski at Repton. My wife, Ashleigh, was born here, and we love raising our two beautiful children, Hugh and Isabelle, here on the coast; it has so much to offer and is such a beautiful place. I have no plans of living anywhere else. What is your role at The Big Banana, and what do you enjoy most about working there? I have been the General Manager at The Big Banana Fun Park since early 2013. Being so closely linked to Australia’s best known iconic attraction is a huge honour. There are too many things that I love about this role to list, but some of the most notable are the wonderful team that I work with each day and the motivated and passionate owners that offer me a huge amount of support with everything that we do. The massive amount of potential that the park possesses keeps every day interesting and exciting. How big is The Big Banana? Is it still the biggest banana in the world? The Big Banana structure is 13 metres long, 5 metres high and 2.4 metres wide. When it was 16 Coffs Coast focus

first built, it was the biggest banana in the world, idea and the president at the time, Mr Ray Kratz, and this phrase was displayed on the signage agreed to provide half the funds for the project, beneath it. Although this signage has long which totalled 1,200 pounds. A local engineer, since been removed, it is still believed to be the Alan Chapman, designed the giant sculpture by biggest. obtaining the best looking banana he could find How many people visit The Big Banana; and slicing it up into 40 sections to develop plans where do they come from, and how many from which the builders could work. The project staff look after them? was then put out to tender, and builder Alan The Big Banana attracts Harvey took on the project well over one million and the challenging visitors each year from all budget. over the country and the It was originally world. We have over 100 requested that the banana The Big Banana passionate and dedicated be made temporary, in became a favourite rest staff members to cater case Mr Landi wanted stop for travellers on the for these visitors, many to develop the area into Pacific Highway and of which are school kids something else. He had still today, no trip to the working in their first job. little idea how massive Coffs Coast is complete Over 22% of our visitors the impact would be on without a selfie in front each year come over the the community and how of the magnificent six week Christmas school iconic The Big Banana concrete structure. holiday period, so it is an would become. Using extremely busy time of the ferrous concrete, The Big year for us. Banana was constructed When and how did it all begin? in only three months, opening on the 22nd The Big Banana was the brainchild of Mr December 1964. John Landi, who came here from the USA to How did it help put Coffs Harbour on the study insects that attack commercial banana tourist map? plantations. He had heard of a famous Big The Big Banana was an instant success when it Pineapple, which overlooked the Dole Pineapple first opened, with over 2,000 people visiting each Cannery in Hawaii and decided to use a big day for the 1964 Christmas holiday period, which banana to promote his roadside fruit sales. is not bad considering the population at the time The Banana Growers’ Federation welcomed his was only 6,000 people.

Being the first big thing in the country also gave it instant iconic status, and news of this new landmark travelled very fast. By the mid 1960s, Mr Landi had opened a milk bar, and his banana milkshakes made Coffs Harbour famous. The Big Banana became a favourite rest stop for travellers on the Pacific Highway and still today, no trip to the Coffs Coast is complete without a selfie in front of the magnificent concrete structure. The Big Banana is now over 50 years old; how has it changed with the times? Many people now visiting The Big Banana ask if it is the original Big Banana, because it no longer seems to be as large as they remember it. When it was first built, The Big Banana stood in splendid isolation with only a banana plantation backdrop, so it appeared to be huge, but because of the development around it and the realignment of the Pacific Highway it has been somewhat dwarfed by progress, but it is still the original Big Banana. In 1988 The Big Banana was sold to Horticultural World, partly owned by a local accountant and entrepreneur, Bob Johnson, who set about transforming The Big Banana into a fun-filled education showcase for horticulture. Adjoining properties were acquired and the 43acre site on the surrounding slopes went through a nine month intensive redevelopment project with a $30 million budget. The grand opening was on 25th June 1989. Sadly, this coincided with the “recession we had to have” and 12 months later, the business went into provisional

focusinterview.

The Big Banana was an he n instant success with it first opened , wle over 2,000 peop for visiting each day as the 1964 Chr istm holiday pe riod .”

“

liquidation. Although it remained open to the public, The Big Banana actually stopped selling bananas for a while. In 1993, it was bought by a family company controlled by Mr Kevin Rubie, and there were some significant changes made. These include the installation of the Wiegand Family Toboggan Ride in 1996, the Ice Skating Rink in 1999 and the indoor Snow Slope in 2002. Unfortunately, high running costs forced the closure of the Snow Slope in 2005. In 2005 the Rubie family welcomed development company Village Building Co. as joint venture partners. In this time, the park has seen further substantial development, including The World of Bananas Theatre and Tour experience in 2006, the state-of-the-art Laser Tag arena in 2013, our 36 hole Mini Golf Course in 2014 and the biggest Water Park between Sydney and the Gold Coast in 2015. In December 2016, Village Building Co. (VBC) purchased the remaining share of the business from Kevin and Marie Rubie and are now the sole owners of The Big Banana Fun Park. For more

information on VBC, visit www.villagebuilding. com.au. In April 2017, we welcomed our latest attraction, “The Racer” Giant Slide, which at 17.5 m tall, 83 m long and six lanes wide, is the largest slide of its kind in the country! It features an interactive scoring system displaying time and place and has been a huge hit with locals and visitors alike. Many people have fond memories of the bunyip coming out of the dam; is it still there? The bunyip was certainly a big part of the park’s history, but the closure of the train ride in 2005 eliminated the ability to feature it. The park wasn’t free to roam like it is today; you had to purchase a train ticket and then be taken to each of these locations. Still to this day, people ask for a ticket to ride the train, but unfortunately excessive running costs, the need for a substantial safety upgrade of the infrastructure and rising insurance costs meant the train ride was no longer viable. Can you tell us more about the educational

side of the Big Banana? In December 2006, the World of Bananas Theatre and Plantation tour was introduced at The Big Banana. This attraction features projectors that display images and film onto a wrap-around scrim screen with an object stage background and a holographic-like presentation. The experience details the discovery of bananas and their advancement through history to the present day, the history of banana growing in our region and the use and value of bananas. Visitors then leave the theatre complex for a short walk through our plantation, which demonstrates how bananas are grown and a more detailed look at the plants themselves. Guests then arrive at our re-established packing shed to watch a short presentation on how the “engine room” of the banana plantation operates. The World of Bananas Theatre and Tour experience is an educational showcase on the history of bananas, but it is also a humorous and entertaining journey for young and old. What else can people find at The Big Banana? There is something for everyone at The Big Banana Fun Park. In addition to the great rides

and attractions on offer, the park also features a Gift Shop boasting the biggest selection of banana-themed souvenirs and gifts in the world, Going Bananas Café, Candy Making Kitchen, The Opal Centre, Cheese Making Workshop and of course, The Big Banana itself for a big Coffs Harbour selfie! What is your favourite banana dish? I couldn’t pick just one! It’s very hard to go past a Chocolate Coated Banana, Banana Pancakes or a Big Banana Split, and if you’re in the mood for something more savoury, the Big Banana Burger is delicious! What is in store for the future? Can The Big Banana get any bigger? The Big Banana Fun Park will definitely continue to grow and develop. We have added four new attractions and two new tenancies in the last four years, and we plan to continue this growth. We have a new attraction due to open in October, a family entertainment centre known as “Go Bananas Fun Zone”! This attraction features the hottest Ticket Redemption games on the planet, and there are some awesome prizes up for grabs! The centre will also feature a toddler play area, which will be great for mothers’ groups and parents wanting to enjoy their meal or coffee in peace. There are many other attractions in the pipeline for the Fun Park, which will begin when we feel confident that our patronage will support them, so if you would love to see more attractions at our park, make sure you come and support the existing ones! How can people find out more? Easy, head to www.bigbanana.com or find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Google+ or LinkedIn. Or simply give us a call if we can assist in any way on (02) 6652 4355. Thanks Michael. Coffs Coast focus 17

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IvanBeros Country to Coast Pest Control

hat did it take to get the business started? A lot of hard work. I never wanted to take on a franchise; I wanted to build up my own business and make all the decisions! We had a set budget, as we had just bought a house; we had to do it the hard way and start from scratch. We kick started Country to Coast Pest Control in two separate areas at the same time; one being in Sydney on the Northern Beaches and also here, where we live on the Coffs Coast. That was pre children days, and we travelled up and down the coast, canvassing both areas.

fashioned service. We pride ourselves on being consistent, professional, friendly and â€Ś on time! What services do you provide? Our services range from General Pest Treatments (domestic and commercial) as well as all aspects of termite work. We are also members of the AEMPA, which keeps Country to Coast Pest Control up to date with all the latest information and technology.

Which areas do you cover? As mentioned, we run our business in two areas, one being down on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.Down there we link up with another business to help manage it. We are predominantly based up here on the Coffs Coast. The business We kick started Country is based in Sawtell, but to Coast Pest Control in two separate areas we cover areas from at the same time; one Nambucca through to being in Sydney on the Grafton, and no job is Northern Beaches and too big or too small!

My wife did some serious door knocking in many different areas, slowly building up a clientele that to this day we still provide our services to! also here, where we live Have you any words of We also go out there and on the Coffs Coast. advice for customers had some promotional needing your services? displays, which included We just advise them live Funnel Web, Red to make sure you have a regular termite Back Spiders, a vast array of creepy crawlies inspection. You home is your castle! Early and an odd rodent or two. We still believe that detection of termites is a must, and a thorough a person to person approach works wonders. inspection from an experienced, fully qualified Also, word of mouth is still one of the strongest and insured Pest Technician can literally save you forms of promotion for your business. thousands! Are you a solo operator? We are a family We have some really good specials running run business and our son, Christopher, has throughout the year, so give us a call and we been with us for a couple of years. Family can come by and give you a free quote. Online businesses can provide that something extra for services are fast and convenient, but sometimes the customer, in that you can build up a solid people just like to meet the tradesman and have relationship; you know exactly who is going to a chat! be providing a service for your property. Itâ€™s a trust thing; we work on providing a good old 18 Coffs Coast focus

Thanks Ivan.

Klaustel. Love & Kisses. ELF ON THE SHELF is back at Love & Kisses and ready for Christmas, but owner Judy Sheehan says quantities are limited, so get in fast. NEW this year is LETTERS TO SANTA. Your children write their Santa Letter on special paper. Mummy shrinks it in the oven for three minutes, to a size small enough for the Elf to carry. The Elf takes it to Santa overnight, then returns it next morning to be hung on your Christmas tree. Each pack has a hard cover glossy story book, instructions and all the materials to make eight Santa letters. What fabulous tree decorations - you could have eight years of your child’s Christmas writing and drawing, to keep forever. Also new this week at Love & Kisses: • Keep Cups are back at last, plastic, glass, double-wall insulated, from $13.95 and you get a free coffee. • Lava Lamps - a blast from the past - $19.95. Lovely colours. • Made-in-Australia microfibre tea towels - perfect for overseas posting, great to use for you. • More stock of the super Made-In-Aus. Otto & Spike socks $14.95. Love & Kisses - where every day is a good day to find a gift for yourself or for someone you love.

H AR D HITTING E V I T A E CR

Starting a new business, relocating, or upgrading? Did you know here at Klaustel we personally organise your NBN, telephone and internet services, as well as phone systems small or large? At Klaustel, we are your one stop shop. We give expert advice and offer an efficient, personalised and prompt service with ongoing support; and remember, at Klaustel the people who sell you the equipment are the same people who install and maintain it. Locals looking after locals.

“

Supplying excellent quality at great prices, our Hybrex or MYPBX IP phone systems means there is no need to get stuck in expensive long term payment plans. Our prices are very affordable; however, we do offer interest free payment plans if you prefer.”

It has now been three years since the NBN first started to connect in Coffs Harbour, with most of us coming through the NBN cutover without too much pain and getting on with business. Here at Klaustel we have been involved since the beginning. We have found the NBN speeds are a great benefit to all businesses; and remember, there are a lot of savings to be made utilising the NBN.

N G I S E D D N A G N I T E M ARK S S E N I S U B R U O Y E V I TO G

! H P M O O 7666

N , W EB IG S E D R U O Y S S U C CALL US TO DIS NEEDS AND MARKETING ve.com.au

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WINNER 2016

WINNER 2015

Coffs Coast focus 19

3 REASONS

SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE A COACH You might expect that award-winning business owners have it all together. Surely they don’t need a business coach. But the truth is that just like world-class athletes, the best business people don’t try to go it alone. They recognise that to achieve excellence they need support, guidance and maybe even someone to push them outside their comfort zone. We talked to 3 local business owners who all did well in this year’s Sunnys Awards to find out the main reasons successful people have a business coach.

Allison Davidson and Kyla Holley (L-R) accept their Sunnys Award

fli 20 Coffs Coast focus

MY COACH HOLDS ME ACCOUNTABLE

Kyla Holley from The Australian Centre for Eating Disorders, and her partner Allison Davidson, were this year’s winners of the Sunnys Excellence in Social Enterprise award. In two short years the pair have built a world-class training program for health professionals in best practice treatment for obesity and eating disorders. They are aligned with world experts in the field, hold classes throughout Australia and New Zealand and have established a network of qualified professionals so sufferers can find help. Allison and Kyla had 12 months coaching with Melanie Zander from MJA Business Solutions. Kyla says that being held accountable helped to grow the business quickly. “It was great having someone to push us on. We can procrastinate a bit if left to our own devices, but Mel gave us lists and then she’d check on us. We either had to do the job or confess we hadn’t done it – which meant we usually ended up getting the job done.”

www.mjabusiness.com.au/excellence or 6652 8788 for more information.

Craig Budden and team accept award at Aussie Gala Night

MY COACH IS A GREAT SOUNDING BOARD

Craig Budden is franchisee of Aussie Home Loans in Coffs Harbour. He has been running a mortgage brokerage business for 12 years, so he knows his stuff. In 2015 Craig made the decision to move the Aussie premises to the premier location at the corner of Gordon Street and Harbour Drive. It was clear that the new location was going to increase foot traffic to the business. Craig needed to ensure the business was ready for an upswing in clients, without overinvesting. There was a lot of money at stake and it all felt a bit risky. Although very business savvy, Craig decided to work with a business coach during this period of change. He met with Steve Oakley from MJA Business Solutions every month and says that the real benefit was in having someone to listen. “If you haven’t got someone to talk to, you tend to put decisions on the back burner, and then it never happens,” he explains. “Sitting there with Steve and thrashing out, “what if we do”, “what if we don’t”, “what’s the worst that can happen”…that definitely helped.” This year Craig was a finalist in the Sunnys Excellence in Small Business Award and has won the Best Emerging Store NSW at the Aussie Gala night.

MY COACH GIVES ME BUSINESS CONFIDENCE

Mindy Bell from AT MINDYS SALON 44 is an award winning stylist and a very confident and comfortable hairdresser. But when it came to running a business she felt out of her comfort zone. “I was really lost. I didn’t know what I was really doing behind the scenes and that was holding me back in the growth of my business.” Mindy wanted to expand the business but knew she needed help. Enter Steve Oakley as her business coach. Coaches Mel Zander and Steve Oakley Working with Steve she was able to with Mindy Bell at the Sunnys (L-R) take charge of her business. “Now I actually have a system for things,” she said. “I know exactly what I’m doing and where I’m up to, which is great because it allows me more time on the floor with my clients.” In 2016 Mindy felt confident enough in her business skills to expand her salon into the shop next door. In 2017 she was a finalist in the Sunnys Retail Award. If you are thinking that a business coach could help you to achieve excellence, contact MJA Business Solutions and ask about a free preliminary session.

MJA Business Solutions congratulates our MJA Business coaching clients Solutions who werecongratulates winners at theour coaching2017 clients who were Sunnys Awardswinners at the 2017 Sunnys Awards

W INNE R W INNE R

EXCELLENCE IN SOCIAL ENTERPRISE EXCELLENCE IN SOCIAL ENTERPRISE Kyla Holley & Allison Davidson Kyla Holley & Allison Davidson The Australian Centre for Eating Disorders The Australian Centre for Eating Disorders

F IN A L I S T F IN A L I S T

EXCELLENCE IN SMALL BUSINESS EXCELLENCE IN SMALL BUSINESS Craig Budden Craig Budden Aussie Home Loans Aussie Home Loans

F IN A L I S T F IN A L I S T

RETAIL AWARD RETAIL AWARD Mindy Bell Mindy Bell Mindys Salon 44 Mindys Salon 44

Coffs Coast focus 21

Barbecue Pork Ribs served with coleslaw and steak fries, from The Hoey Moey. 22 Coffs Coast focus

Market fresh Snapper on steamed jasmine rice, steamed vegetables topped with Yellow Thai coconut sauce and grilled lemon paired with a house white wine.

Berry Bliss, charlotte with a light coconut meringue, crunchy crumble, vanilla cream and ruby jaffa

Velvets Restaurant Located in the heart of the Orara Valley, Nana Glen. Velvets Restaurant at Two Tails Wines has something for everyone. Velvets Restaurant prides itself on freshly sourced produce and champions the local artisans and provedores, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and community. Velvets have designed a Spanish tapas style menu, allowing its local produce to speak for itself. With both indoor and outdoor dining options available, Velvets Restaurant provides a unique Coffs Harbour dining experience that encapsulates the essence of the Orara Valley lifestyle.

Spinifex Restaurant Our new menu selections have been flying out the door with something for everyone’s tastebuds, from the usual classics such as the chicken schnitzel with gravy to our Thai coconut fish of the day meal or balsamic vegetable stack. We pride ourselves on sourcing fresh and local produce to complement our menu. This month in the bistro we have live entertainment for your dining enjoyment on Friday and Saturday nights from 6pm - 9pm; come check it out. $10 weekday lunch specials are a big hit, with four selections to choose from and includes a free middy of Little Creatures pale ale!

HEAD CHEF KANELLA ORMSBY

Weekly blackboard specials, à la carte menu, bar menu, kids’ menu, $10 lunch menu and $12.50 night specials, $15 steak and egg Thursdays and the best for last ... $15 Sunday roasts. What more could you ask for?

HEAD CHEF NICOLE HATCH 963 ORARA WAY, NANA GLEN 6654 3633 WWW.TWOTAILSWINE.COM.AU

COAST HOTEL, 2 MOONEE ST, COFFS HARBOUR 6652 3007 WWW.COASTHOTEL.COM.AU FRIDAY AND SATURDAY LUNCH 12.00-2.30PM, DINNER 5.30-9PM. SUNDAY TO THURSDAY LUNCH 12.00-2.30PM, DINNER 5.30-8.30PM.

WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY FROM 11AM ‘TIL 4:30PM.

King prawn and chorizo linguini.

300 g Rangers Valley scotch fillet with steamed vegetables and a creamy mash.

Toormina Hotel

Plantation Hotel

At the Toormina Hotel, you are welcomed by our lovely staff and management team. We have your family night covered, with our child friendly environment and our mouth-watering menu.

If you’re looking for the best value in Coffs Harbour, look no further than the Plantation Hotel … The team at the Plantation pride themselves on offering outstanding service alongside quality food at an affordable price, that will keep you coming back time and time again. Pop in and try something off our brand new à la carte menu, with a tasty selection of burgers, pastas, salads and premium grade steaks, plus all your pub favourites, cooked using fresh local produce and plated with the personal touches of head chef Dave Newick. The Plantation Hotel … Delicious Food, Friendly Service, Incredible Value!

HEAD CHEF DAVID NEWICK.

One of our favourites this spring is our 300 g Rangers Valley scotch fillet with steamed vegetables and a creamy mash. Our bistro is open from 11am - 9pm daily, so bring the family in and try for yourself. The Toormina Hotel is undergoing renovations once again, to bring you the best family dining experience and atmosphere on offer. To keep up to date, check out our Instagram and Facebook pages.

HEAD CHEF ISTVAN KATONA

Check out our new menu online @ Toorminahotel.com.au 88 GRAFTON STREET, COFFS HARBOUR. 6652 3855 WWW.PLANTATIONHOTEL.COM.AU 7 DAYS. MON - THURS & SUN: 12PM - 2:30PM; 5:30 - 8:30PM. FRI - SAT: 12PM - 2:30PM; 5.30 - 9PM.

We look forward to seeing you at the Toormi. 13 MINORCA PLACE, TOORMINA 6653 1039 MON - SAT 10AM - 12AM, SUNDAY 10AM - 10PM.

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up and summer approaching quickly, we will be kicking off our new menu shortly. Our chef, Blake Wittenberg, is very excited with all the great produce he gets to use over the summer period. Be sure to make your way down and have a look at the new and upcoming changes to the Pier Hotel.

Head Chef Blake Wiittenberg.

We are open seven days a week for lunch and dinner; to make a reservation, please call the Pier Hotel on 6652 2110. We look forward to seeing you.

Curcumin, that has demonstrated relief for people with all sorts of disease states including Irritable Bowel Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and cancer. Also, Curcumin is protective for the heart, the liver, the skin and the brain by quenching free radicals and reducing inflammation. Ginger is also known for its powers in settling the stomach and for its anti inflammatory qualities, and focusinterview. Chai spices in milk are just like a warm cuddle from a smiling bear.

O M

So if you want to feel on top of the world, give one of our turmeric lattes a go at O.P 81 café.

Barbecue Pork Ribs served with and Dr steakand fries.Camperdown St, Coffs Harbour Cnrcoleslaw Harbour hotel: 6652 2110 bistro: 6651 8222

81 Ocean Parade, Coffs Harbour 6652 9011

lunch 11:30am - 2:30pm; dinner 5:30pm - 8:30pm; 7 days a week.

7am - 2pm, Tuesday to Sunday.

the hoey moey Welcome to the Beachside Bistro at the Hoey Moey with our newly renovated kitchen. We are the only hotel in Coffs Harbour with direct beach access. Come and enjoy our beachside hotel with spacious beer garden,

The Hoey Moey Spring into the Hoey Moey every Sunday and Monday and sink your teeth into a half or full slab of our fantastic BBQ Pork Ribs! Cooked to perfection, served with coleslaw and steak fries and washed down with a cold beer, you’ll be in every weekend to enjoy these out in the best beer garden in Coffs Harbour! Enjoy our open plan bar, bistro, Kids’ Room, Drive Thru Bottleshop and newly renovated TAB & Keno facilities. Grab a napkin and sign up for a Hoey Moey Members Card today for fantastic bistro, bar and bottleshop specials. Visit our website for all the details.

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open plan bar, bistro, drive thru bottle shop and TAB facilities. Have you tried our new Gourmet Pizza range? There is a large selection to choose from and you can have these eat in or takeaway. Come in and check out our • TOORMINA takeaway specials or phone ahead for pick-up. If a pizza is not what you are after our FAMOUS $7.50 FEEDS are always available daily.

K AT O NA

mr. good beans HEAD CHEF GUS PREZIOSO.

7 DAYS. MON - THURS & SUN: 12PM - 2:30PM; 5:30 - 8:30PM. FRI - SAT: 12PM - 2:30PM; 5.30 - 9PM.

We pride ourselves on bringing a personalised service and product: a finely tuned espresso coffee just how the customer likes it, gourmet café food made from scratch in house, and a friendly, comfortable experience to all With a family background in hospitality who walk through the café door. and some widespread travel

experiences, Istvan enjoys experimenting with different cuisines. You Try the mouth-watering Mediterranean grilled chicken salad this spring, made fresh from creativeness locally sourced vegetables, mixed with feta, kalamata can sample his culinary at the Toormina Hotel ... olives

The Hoey Moey! Great Food, Live Music, Good Times!

84 OCEAN PARADE, COFFS HARBOUR 6652 3833 WWW.HOEYMOEY.COM.AU

HOTEL•

and semi dried tomatoes, topped with grilled chicken breast and sweet potato wafer thin chips and drizzled with Chef’s secret zesty citrus dressing. hen did you first become change the menu seasonally, relying on the fresh Mediterranean flavours expertly blended to match the Australian spring interested in cookery as a local produce sourced from our farmers. We are Head Chef light, yet very satisfying. career? Coming from a large actually just about to launch our new menu in David Ricketts. Follow us onhospitality Instagram andOctober. find our Facebook page @MrGoodBeans family with a strong background, my parents had a catering business Have you travelled much to expand your 84 Ocean Parade, Coffs Harbour back when I was younger, asShop well as1 Moonee an ice cream 6652 3833 www.hoeymoey.com.au interest Moonee in food? IBeach have travelled around Marketplace, cake shop. I was always around the4511 kitchen www.mrgoodbeans.com.au 6656 Europe, visiting many countries over the past 7 days. Mon - Thurs & Sun:12pm few years. The fantastic thing is experiencing the - 2:30pm; 5:30 - 8:30pm. Fri -helping Sat: my mum and preparing food. 12pm - 2:30pm; 5.30 - 9pm. I enjoyed peeling the

Crafty • Black hops pale ale •

The crew at Element Bar on the Coffs Jetty Strip have just whacked on their taps one of the hottest new beers to hit the craft beer scene, Black Hops Brewery’s Pale Ale. Based in Burleigh Heads QLD, these guys have truly delivered a pale with a big, bold crisp flavour, perfectly balanced with incredible tropical hop aromas. If there is ever the perfect beer to match the sunshine season, this is it!

Monday – Saturday 6am – 4pm and Sundays 8am – 3pm

flavour differences in each country, where you have vegetables for Sunday to be there to get the best roasts and one of my out of it. I travelled around favourite activites was Indonesia and I have visited I worked and lived in Sydney making pancakes and Japan a few times. I have for over 10 years. I’ve had of course the best part amazing experiences also explored the east coast was tasting the batter. working with some of Australia up to Darwin, Celebrating birthdays, of the big boys like and to New Caledonia and bringing family together, Neil Perry, Matthew New Zealand. laughing, having good Camp, cooking for times, making great I have worked and lived celebrities and famous memories throughout in Sydney for over 10 people like the Packer ... Weekends were all years. I’ve had amazing family. about baking sweets, experiences working with and experimenting some of the big boys like with new ideas. This is Neil Perry, Matthew Camp, something I am looking forward to sharing with cooking for celebrities and famous people like my children. the Packer family. What training did you undertake, and where was your first job? After finishing school, I enrolled into a four year trade apprenticeship in commercial cookery, based on French cooking, just to learn the basics in the industry, and I worked in a large hotel as part of my training. Having the family catering business allowed me to work around the larger events like music festivals and Formula One. This later became my passion, cooking and travelling, trying exotic foods and meeting great people. How often do you change the menu? We

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H K

Do you cater for children’s menus? Yes, we are a family friendly hotel, offering a great range of meals for kids. Our kids’ meals also come with a drink and ice cream. Currently kids eat FREE on the weekends with a purchase of any main meal. What do you cook when at home? We keep it simple. I really like Japanese food - very often we make Japanese curry at home. Getting our kids cooking with us in the kitchen brings back memories of my childhood; they enjoy it just like I did. Most importantly, we enjoy how it brings the family together, and creates new memories.

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russell focuseditorial.

Aria Hall of Fame inductee, #1 selling platinum artist, King of Pop, Australian icon ... A few phrases commonly used when describing Aussie legend Russell Morris. Shooting to fame in the middle ‘60s with Somebody’s Image, Russell had a string of hits, including Hush and the Bob Dylan classic, Baby Blue.

I Lace from FOCUS sat down with Chris to find out about the amazing Dish and Spoon café on our beautiful jetty strip.

ow Chris, I’ve spoken with you many times and enjoyed your extraordinary coffee, and it’s quite clear how passionate you are which certainly shines through at Dish and Spoon. Could you explain to our readers how and why your coffee is so exceptional? As you mentioned, I think passion plays a big role, but also our knowledge, attention to detail and understanding of the entire coffee process, from farm to cup. With this in mind, partnering with Sensory Lab, who source directly from producers around the world and in turn offer some of the highest quality coffee beans, we are able to ensure that coffee is done as sustainably and ethically as possible whilst not at all skimping on quality. That’s amazing! But coffee isn't the only thing you’ll find at Dish and Spoon to tantalise your tastebuds now, is it? I find your menu to be the perfect balance between sophistication and simplicity, but what can first timers expect from Dish and Spoon’s new menu? And do you have any options if the kids come along? That’s right - in the current climate for specialty coffee, your food menu definitely has to match the quality of your coffee; as such, we offer contemporary takes on some classic café food, as well as some things you might find in

a more restaurant setting. The aim is to offer the highest quality produce we can at a reasonable price, using the influence of traditional European cooking techniques. Fantastic, so the coffee is certainly backed up with a good bite to eat! Something that surprised me was the exceptional catering you have on offer at Dish and Spoon - not only does it look and taste amazing, but it’s also very competitively priced. Can you tell me a bit more about what options you have available in the way of catering? Yes, definitely. We like to be a little bit flexible with catering; it gives our chef a chance to get creative with orders and events, depending on the brief the customer gives us. And what can people expect from the all over feel and atmosphere of Dish and Spoon? With our contemporary semi-industrial feel, we have tried to tell the story of coffee’s journey in the decor; I like to think people appreciate that a bit. With the colours and cozy lighting, I think people can come in and relax ... Which is really what we want - to be able to look after our customer, so they can relax and not worry about the dining experience and just have fun with their friends and family over good coffee and awesome food. Thanks Chris.

n 1969, he and producer Molly (Chain) and Joe Robinson. Meldrum released The Real Thing, "Van Diemen's Land is an album that has been Australia’s only true psychedelic #1 hit an amazing experience to make," said Morris and a song that is played regularly on at the time. With the success of Sharkmouth; it commercial radio to this day. really let me off my leash, so to speak. It showed Following that, Russell penned breakthrough me that people want music that tells them a story hits such as: Sweet Sweet Love, Wings of an Eaand moves them. I spent over a year researchgle, Rachel, Part 3 into Paper Walls, The Girl That ing these great Australian stories. To me, these I Love and many, many albums are about looking more ... back at the characters that Constantly in demand, deserve to be remembered Russell stills tours nationaland then doing that in I spent over a year researching ly throughout the year, as the best way I know how these great Australian stories. well as making - through song. It's about To me, these albums are appearances internationleaving a legacy hat in fifty about looking back at the ally. Russell has worked years’ time, someone can characters that deserve alongside industry heavyput these records on and to be remembered and weights like Cher, The Bee learn something about the then doing that in the best way Gees, Linda Ronstadt, The spirit of our great country, I know how - through song. It’s Beach Boys and toured in the same way we do about leaving a legacy ... Australia with the hugely when we read The Man successful “Long Way To From Snowy River." The Top” in 2012. Upon its release, Van DiAn ARIA Hall of Fame emen’s Land debuted at #4 inductee, Russell captured the hearts and imagon the National Aria Charts. Van Diemen’s Land ination of Australians in 2012 when he unveiled was nominated for Best Blues n Roots album in Sharkmouth, the first of a trilogy of albums the 2014 ARIA awards, won best Australian Blues re-telling some amazing stories in Australia's Album 2015, and Russell Morris won best male distant past, creating a historical document using vocalist at the Chain awards. blues and rock to celebrate the yarns that modIn 2015 Russell Released the third album in his ern Australia was built on. blues trilogy, Red Dirt - Red Heart, debuting at #6 Sharkmouth reached #1 position on the iTunes on the National Aria Charts and still going strong Blues Charts and #1 on the Australian Blues Rain the charts today, hitting #1 on the National dio Charts; Russell won the 2013 ARIA award for Aria Blues/Jazz Charts. Red Dirt - Red Heart tells a Best Blues n Roots album for Sharkmouth. story of the Australian interior, including the peoIn April 2014 Russell released Van Diemen's ple who have inhabited this wonderful country Land, which picks up where Sharkmouth left off, for at least 40,000 years ... this time covering great Australian characters and You can hear songs from all three albums in stories including Breaker Morant, Sandakan, the Russell’s blues trilogy at the Sawtell RSL ... Eureka Stockade and many more. Morris was joined on Van Diemen's Land by a host of special guest artists, including Joe Camilleri, Rick Springfield, Rob Hirst (Midnight PLAYING AT THE SAWTELL RSL Oil), Scott Owen (The Living End), Ross Hannaford When 13th October. (Daddy Cool), Vika & Linda Bull, Phil Manning Tickets www.sawtellrsl.com.au Coffs Coast focus 25

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CAKE

Surf Club Restaurant & Bar Our delicious cakes and desserts are all made in house by our dedicated pastry chef, Gay. On any given day there is a selection of baked cheesecakes to choose from, as well as healthy carrot cake, decadent chocolate mud and gluten free orange and almond torte. This week she is making chocolate caramel tart with pistachios. Celebration cakes are also made to order for in house parties, or to take home. Our favourite is lemon meringue cheesecake … It literally walks out the door!

Brew REVIEW. with Piccolo to Go

The Bailey Centre, 153 - 156 Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour

Felici Blend Rich cacao undertones and light acidity. Features: Sharp and full-bodied. This all-round crowd pleaser is our most beloved blend. Fall in love with Felici’s cacao aromas, heavy chocolate flavour, subtle acidity and lasting finish. A perfect starting coffee for those who are new to our blends. Flavour Profile Espresso - dark chocolate, roasted nuts, cacao. Milk - dark chocolate, hazelnut, caramel, barley. Roast colour: Medium-dark. 26 Coffs Coast focus

Premium Blend Nutty flavours with a hint of butterscotch. Features: Balanced and smooth. Perfectly combined aromas and flavours which can be enjoyed time and time again. Savour a nutty caramel aroma, flavours of butterscotch and hazelnut, bright acidity, medium body and a sharp citrus finish. Flavour Profile Espresso - caramel, malt, butterscoth. Milk - caramel, hazelnut. Roast colour: Medium.

Dish & Spoon. Do you love coffee? Who doesn’t, right? Well, be sure to make Dish and Spoon your café destination. The coffee is to die for and the food is excellent! Suggestion: try the confit chicken. But most of all, it’s the exquisite atmosphere, incredible service and abundance of passion that Chris and his staff demonstrate that has made Dish and Spoon the go to café on the Coffs Coast. If you can’t find a park out the front, DON’T keep going! You can easily find a park in the Jetty Village parking lot, right across the road.

focus coffee.

Dish and Spoon. “Coffee made perfect” - the slogan of Sensory Lab, our coffee supplier, resonates so deeply with the way we view and prepare coffee.

equally awesome coffee. Have you made us you favourite coffee haunt yet?

Come in and try the difference that specialty coffee, from farm to cup, can have on your coffee experience. Of course, it isn’t all about the coffee; we also offer a menu that calls back to fresh ingredients and old skool cooking techniques, to pair amazing food with

384A HARBOUR DR, COFFS HARBOUR 0477 600 640 FACEBOOK.COM/DISHANDSPOON

Yellow or Green Lattes? NO, your eyes are not deceiving you; these coloured lattes are on trend! Boasting huge health benefits, tumeric and matcha have hit the latte scene with a bang. Matcha is widely known for its antioxidant properties and the feelings of relaxed alertness it imparts to those who drink it. Of all the kinds of green tea, matcha is considered the “champagne of teas”. Tumeric, loaded with curcumin, is also a powerful anti-inflammatory and in its own

right a very strong antioxidant. So now there is a coloured drink that is tasty and good for you!

37 VERNON ST, COFFS HARBOUR, NSW 2540 PRE ORDER: 0434 700 910 WWW.ARTISTI.COM.AU

Piccolo To Go. Entering our 10th year of business, Piccolo to go has Coffs Harbour’s First shipping container coffee shop at the Bailey Centre. We are a dedicated team of local coffee lovers with many years of experience in the coffee industry. For years we’ve been searching for a reusable coffee cup we loved, and finally we found it - the Ecoffee Cup. We are currently the only stockists in Australia and Coffs Harbour. The Ecoffee Cup is an alternative to plastic, made from organic bamboo, ranging in size and offering fabulous designs. Piccolo to go is open early Monday to Friday, 5am - 1pm and Saturday, 6am - 1pm. Pop into the Bailey Centre and see Mikey, Ros or Craig for your next coffee fix.

THE BAILEY CENTRE 153-156 PACIFIC HIGHWAY, COFFS HARBOUR 0431 142 597 FACEBOOK.COM/PICCOLO.GO

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Coffs Harbour FISHERMEN’S CO-OP The Coffs Harbour Fishermen’s Co-operative is the perfect meeting place between local fishermen and fresh seafood lovers. We have been around since the early 1950s and are owned by about 50 local fishermen. They supply us with fresh seafood almost every day, which you can buy straight off their boats through our retail store, takeaway, and now directly from our website. We sell all our locally caught fish, including our famous and award winning Snapper, Whiting, Flathead, Pearl Perch, Kingfish, Tuna (perfect for sashimi), Mackerel, Swordfish, Mahi Mahi, Marlin, and others. We also catch delicious prawns, lobsters, Balmain Bugs and crabs. In addition to locally caught produce, we stock the standard staples you’d expect to see, so that we can always provide you a full range of seafood. What’s more, we deliver! That’s right, we are the only seafood outlet in the Coffs Harbour area that delivers fresh seafood right to your door! You can order directly from our website, and we will leave you a cooler full of the very best local seafood at your home or business. There is no need to drive down to the jetty. We will deliver any day of the week, from Arrawarra to Nambucca!

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y Coffee Academ

Dark Arts Coffee Academy has quickly become a renowned food and coffee destination, bringing a rich cultural experience to Coffs Harbour. Well known for its crazy gothic fusion decor, it really is like stepping into a Harry Potter movie set. When hanging out in Dark Arts, it’s easy to connect with a true community vibe. It has become a hub of community activity, immersing itself in the arts, music and general community vibes.

Lace from FOCUS sat down with Glenn from Dark Arts to find out about his exciting new venture into night time trading. Could this be just what Coffs Harbour is asking for? Lace seems to think so.

i Glenn. I'm excited to hear Coffs Harbour’s favourite café is becoming our newest night time destination. Can you fill us in? I’m really excited to be able to present Dark Arts in a new setting. There’s definitely a certain magic to the place at night, with its beautiful lighting and candles everywhere; it’s a different feel to the daylight hours. I’m aiming to create a warm and intimate atmosphere, romantic if you like … Still with its edgy, fun side, but a little more grown-up. Our service will step up slightly, becoming a little more formal, but still relaxed. Dark Arts was always going to become a hub for music and the arts in my mind. I’m looking forward to showcasing quality music acts and visual artists to complement the dining experience, not overpower it. In my opinion, it is important to find a balance between a captivating music performance and space for conversation. With this in mind, our music offerings will be warm, smooth and at an appropriate volume to allow for conversation with friends. That's great - just what Coffs Harbour needs! I can't stop thinking about "plates ‘til late" - this is exactly what I've been searching for. Can you tell us a bit more about this exciting new concept ? The Coffs Harbour restaurant scene tends to dwindle off pretty early, and if you’re looking to go out for dinner after 8:30pm, options become pretty 30 Coffs Coast focus

limited. We’re keeping the food rolling on Saturday nights until 10pm, inviting people to join us for sweet and savoury plates ‘til late. I’m hoping we will attract regular diners, where bookings are common and the bulk of the service is between 6pm to 8:30pm, as well as drop-in diners, who prefer a more transient approach. If people know we’re open till 10pm, we may become a meeting place for friends before they go out to their favourite night spot, or on the way home from the movies etc. We’ll be offering traditional Italian pizzas ‘til late, as well as savoury share plates and lush sweets and cakes. Dark Arts has developed a lot over the past year, but do you still offer barista training? Yes - we haven’t made this public yet ... (So please don’t tell anyone!) But … We’re currently fitting out a space next door to Dark Arts in the arcade. It will become the Training Academy, with the name Dark Arts Coffee Academy. We’re aiming to have it open in February. It will be a purpose built training facility, offering barista classes, as well as some other exciting offerings that I can’t mention yet … Even to you, Lace! facebook.com/darkartscoffeeacademy Trading Hours: Monday - Wednesday 6:30am - 3:00pm; Thursday and Friday 6:30am - 10pm; Saturday 7am - 10pm. Sunday 7am - 12pm.

ver one short year, ambience - chilled background music, Dark Arts has been the coupled with beautiful food and drink home for several live offerings and the warm personalised service music performances, we have come to know. Fridays feature a live drawing classes, vinyl music mixologist (a classy DJ) playing community dinners, art chilled, groovy tunes, respectfully giving exhibitions, educational talks, workshops, space for intimate conversation with friends. book launches and the like. Not banging it out - keeping it classy. Up until now, Saturday evenings Dark Arts has will feature live music. opened for Once again, in the breakfast and lunch Dark Arts fashion, the and has become live tunes will be silky I’m really excited to be able known for a smooth, with roots in to present Dark Arts in a new quality experience, jazz, soul, blues and setting. There’s definitely demonstrating folk. If there was a a certain magic to the excellence in texture to describe place at night, with its products and this music, it would be beautiful lighting and service. Recently the velvet. candles everywhere - it’s venue has become Now here’s a new a different feel to the licensed and has fit concept for Coffs … daylight hours. nout a new cocktail Dark Arts is making and wine bar, itself available for including draught Coffee and Cake (and beers. perhaps a sneaky cocktail) from 8:30pm Now, Dark Arts has extended into evening ‘til 10pm Thursday to Saturday. There’s no trading three nights per week, offering a need to book; you can just drop in for a new evening menu combining traditional lush dessert coupled with your favourite and tapas style dining. The food is creative, beverage, before heading home after the rustic and delightfully un-pretentious, whilst movies or perhaps before going out on the remaining elegant. town. It’s a great concept and a great place Across the three nights are three to meet with friends. You don’t have to different vibes. On Thursday nights you can commit to the full dining experience to enjoy experience Dark Arts in its usual tasteful the ambience of Dark Arts in the evenings.

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Jetty Theatre’s Spring Line-Up. Spring is here and the Jetty Theatre has a new line-up of shows coming to the Coffs Coast! Cinematinee presents the new Danish/German post-WWII drama Land of Mine (Thu 28 Sep), about a group of German POWs forced to clear a beach of land mines under their Danish captors in a gripping story of humanity and redemption. Coffs Harbour’s CHATS presents Frazzled (Sat 14 – Sun 22 Oct) - a fun, family musical ideal for younger children about the busy lives of mums and their rug rats. The fabulous Wayne Rogers returns to the Jetty Theatre, singing show tunes from the golden age of Hollywood with his new show, Gone But Still FABULOUS! (Sat 28 Oct) The incredible Coffs Harbour Comedy Musical Company make the theatre alive with The Sound of Music (Fri 3 - Sun 26 Nov), bringing a cast of locals centre-stage. Elvis is entering the building! Award-winning Elvis performer, Sean Luki Spiteri, shakes a hip and brings the best of The King live on stage! For bookings and information, call the Jetty Memorial Theatre Box Office on (02) 6648 4930 or visit www.jettytheatre.com

Wayne Rogers: Gone But Still

FABULOUS! The biggest songs performed by the biggest stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Show: Sat 28 Oct

The Sound of Music

Coffs Harbour Musical Comedy Company performs the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic. Show: Fri 3 – Sun 26 Nov jettymemorialtheatre @jettytheatre Box office hours Tues to Fri 12 noon – 4pm

CINEMATINEE

COMMUNITY THEATRE

Frazzled

Is your Mum…frazzled? Frazzled is a fun, family musical performed by a local Coffs Harbour cast. Show: Sat 14 – Sun 22 Oct

LIVE MUSIC

A gripping story of redemption and forgiveness in the aftermath of WWII. Screening: Sep 28

COMMUNITY THEATRE

Land of Mine

Thursday fortnights

Upcoming Shows

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

jettytheatre.com | phone 6648 4930 337 Harbour Drive Coffs Harbour

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The Happy Frog. What’s the recipe for a great party? Good People. Great Food. Relaxed Hosts!

KimTowner. Gratitude Day

The famous Happy Frog salad bar can help you with two of those ingredients! We can supply you with the best range of fresh salads, so you can sit back and enjoy time with your guests. You can eat a rainbow from the Super Salad Bar at The Happy Frog. View our salads and download our menus from the website www. thehappyfrog.com.au All the meals you know and love on the café menu can be packaged up to take away. We can supply salads as small as a 12 oz for $8 or a large tray for $45 that can feed 15 to 20 people. Mix it up! You can choose up to four salads for your large take away tray. Dressings and sprinkles come on the side to keep your salad fresh and lovely for a day or two extra if you need to. Gluten Intolerances? Vegetarian or vegan guests? Easily fixed! Most of our salads are gluten free, and we have

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single serve meals for vegetarians and vegans that can just be reheated. So now all you need to do is invite some fun and interesting people to add sparkle to your event. Spend the extra time you’ll save treating yourself! Grab a makeover. Go for a swim. Whatever you love to do to get relaxed and ready to party! The Happy Frog for happy food and a happy host. We are located at 16 Park Avenue, Coffs Harbour, or call to order on 6651 6518. View and download our online catering menu at www.thehappyfrog.com.au

Inspired by the way the community came together to celebrate Coffs Harbour’s 150th birthday in 2011, Kim Towner decided to find a way to bring everyone together once a year to celebrate what we have to be thankful for in this unique part of the world. This dream is finally becoming a reality, with the inaugural event to be held in November this year, bringing together the community and local emergency services not only to say thank you, but also to strengthen relationships and have some fun.

hat is your connection to the Coffs Coast? I have lived and worked here for nearly 40 years. Apart from being incredibly beautiful, I think it’s just the right size in just the right part of the world, with lots of great people doing their best to live well and help others do the same. You have been described as a community champion and a local gem. How are you involved in the community, and what drives you to do this? Well that’s probably a bit overstated, but I do love seeing the community come together to share experiences, knowledge and just generally support each other. Ultimately it’s the experiences we have of connecting with each other that mean more than anything. What is the concept behind Gratitude Day, and what inspired you to organise it? The idea is that eventually we have as many community groups and organisations as possible come down and join with each other and the community to let everyone know what we have to be grateful for. Any organisation that you can join, get help from or give help to would be able to set up a stall. Then hopefully we can all realise how much we have to be grateful for, because if everyone does what they can, then everyone will have what they need. It was the Coffs 150th birthday that inspired me. There was a float parade and concert, a huge banana bread cake and loads of people just being glad to be here. It felt like a giant community picnic day, and I wished we had more events like this - not to make money, not for tourism - just for us to be glad that we are here, now with each other. What can people expect at the Gratitude Day event? For the inaugural event, we are bringing together the region’s emergency service units, including the Police, Marine Rescue, NSW Rural Fire Service,

Fire and Rescue, Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter, SES, NSW Ambulance and Arirservices. These local crews are all very important to our community, and it is with a great deal of gratitude and reflection of their outstanding efforts that we wish to expose their individual and collaborative merits. The day is designed firstly to say thank you, but it’s also an opportunity for the community to learn how to be safer. It is built in conjunction with the different crews in mind to celebrate, display and offer tactile, evocative and sensory connection to the services to help in building community awareness and resilience. There will be loads of opportunities to say hi to all the emergency services and learn about staying safe, as well as games, great music, food and fun. What are the plans for future Gratitude Day festivities? We will see what evolves … It’s important that the community gets to participate and get involved. We already have the Bongil Bongil Community of Schools doing a walk for charity along the foreshores. That is open to everyone to join and will hopefully become a regular part of the event. How can people find out more and get involved? Keep up to date with the Harbourside Markets Facebook page and website: www.harboursidemarkets.com.au and come along to join in the celebrations in November. Thanks Kim.

What Gratitude Day - Coffs Coast Emergency Services Expo. When Sunday 12 November. Where The Jetty Foreshores Event Space. Info www.coffscoast.com.au/event/gratitude-day-coffs-coast-emergency-services-expo

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BOOK YOUR STAFF

CHRISTMAS PARTY BEFORE

THE END OF OCTOBER TO RECEIVE FREE TRANSFERS

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There are some new and exciting things happening at Sawtell RSL in the coming weeks. FOCUS dropped in and had a chat to Head Chef Jim Fahey to find out more …

hat is your connection to started with the Oasis Bistro and Waves Café, the Coffs Coast? then moved to our gaming lounge. Next, we I moved here from went upstairs to The Dining Room and we’ve Sydney when I was 4 with just opened the new Terrace, which is really Mum, Dad and my sister. Then I started school exciting! But WATCH THIS SPACE, as we still at Sandy Beach and went on to Woopi High. have our exciting new children’s playground Now I’m back on the coast to raise my 3 beauand Reception to finish. tiful children with my amazing wife Kristy. Sawtell RSL is the perfect venue for any Tell us about your role function and event. at Sawtell RSL. Tell us about what is As Head Chef at available in terms of Sawtell RSL, my role is to packages and room successfully manage our hire. Sawtell RSL is the ideal venue 2 kitchens and café. Sawtell RSL is the for your next function or event, We have a team of ideal venue for your next with a range of function rooms, 4 chefs, an apprentice function or event, with a a dedicated functions team, and 10 house staff. As range of function rooms, professional facilities Head Chef it is vital to a dedicated functions including wheelchair and surround yourself with team, professional facililift access, ample parking a strong team. My role ties including wheelchair for your guests, and specifically is to co-ordiand lift access, ample catering options to suit all nate staff, purchasing, parking for your guests, tastes and budgets. menus, and to make and catering options sure that each event to suit all tastes and is a successful event. I budgets. work closely with our Functions Manager, Greg Our functions team is here to assist in makRae, who shares my passion for quality and ing your next function a memorable occasion, outstanding service. The best part of my role is with support available in regards to contacts of seeing the creative outcome. florists, cake suppliers, photographers, videogHow long have you been in the hospitality raphers, theming suppliers and entertainers. industry? View our range of catering packages, I first started at The Coffs Harbour Yacht with options including smorgasbord, buffet, Club as an apprentice 18 years ago! Since then cocktail, as well as catering for lunch and I have worked for a wide range of venues all dinner on our website. over Australia. How can we find out more? You are about to finish some exciting new Head to www.sawtellrsl.com.au, call us on renovations. Tell us about them. 6653 1577, check us out on Facebook or email It’s been a big year at the club for renos! We us at info@sawtellrsl.com.au Coffs Coast focus 33

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Food, Glorious Foodcon. Exciting new event for local foodies!

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n terms of quality food production, the Coffs Coast and surrounding regions are up there with the finest. The focus for our growers, manufacturers and value-adders now needs to be on making stronger connections amongst producers, and with consumers. November’s FoodCon2017 will be a unique opportunity to get the key players in our area together over one day, to connect with each other, expose their products and services to potential markets, and to collaborate and inspire the future direction for our region’s food journey. Section Leader, Industry & Development for Coffs Harbour City Council, Stephen Saunders, explains, “Connection will be the theme for this year’s event and creating and enhancing connection between local farmers, growers, fishermen, producers, food businesses, retailers, restaurants, chefs and consumers will be represented by expert speakers and activities throughout the day. “We are fortunate to have John Stanley, international expert in food tourism, as our key note speaker. We know this is a huge trend across the world for businesses to connect with consumers, and we look forward to

John’s expertise on this topic. The event will feature a Harvest Hook-Up ‘speed dating’ session, where new connections can be made in under a minute. These connections could have significant impact for your business. Often it’s just one great idea, or one new contact that can spark a positive direction.” GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCAL FOOD PRODUCERS. Space will be available for food producers from around the local region to be part of the FoodCon Showcase. The opportunity is available to offer tastings, information about products, or trial new products. Suppliers and service providers will also be represented as part of the Showcase. Andrew Mitchell, General Manager of the Coffs Harbour Fishermen’s Cooperative, had a message for local food producers. “This is your opportunity to present your best produce directly to local chefs, meet other local producers, and witness the special variety of our region. If you are a Coffs Coast food producer, this is a networking opportunity that you simply can’t afford to miss.” This sentiment was echoed by

Sapphire Beach farmer, Darren Smith: “FoodCon is such an asset to our local foodie community, from the producers to the consumer alike. We believe there has never been a better time to be a producer to be honest. Consumers are demanding a higher standard, and they want to know their farmer and the back story of the producer. Our local restaurateurs are keen to experiment and source local, seasonal produce. The diversity of producers in the area would have to be at an all-time high!” To be held on Monday, November 13, 2017 at the Coffs Harbour Showground from 9am to 4:30pm, FoodCon will feature a relaxed lunch with several food stations invoking the scents, sights and sizzle of a great Australian cook-up. The lunch will highlight local produce, local wines and beverages and local chefs, and will be held alongside the Showcase to allow maximum time for attendees to mingle and chat. For tickets or information about participating in the FoodCon Showcase, visit the website: www.foodcon.com.au or call Nicole McLennan on (02) 6648 4834.

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Sam Phillips and John Logan are at it again, introducing to the Coﬀs Coast a brand new food & wine festival. FOCUS had a chat to Sam, to ﬁnd out what we can expect ...

hat is your background and connection to the Coffs Coast? I moved to Coffs in 1996 from the beautiful Southern Highlands. Our family bought the lease of the The Coffs Hotel and have had it ever since, and now I am in partnership with my parents and Ray Alaban. I've been to MANY events and each event has inspired me to do them - and the thought I can do them better. I currently have a lot more ideas for the Coffs Coast! Trust me! They're exciting, and I can't wait to share them with you all. Can you briefly describe the food and wine festival event? I thought of this event and have always wanted the right location, and once I saw the plans for the new Jetty area, I literally jumped on it and got it. The event is sponsored by the family owned brewery called Coopers and our favourite local magazine, Coffs Coast FOCUS. We will open from 12:00pm and finish at 9:00pm. There will be live music throughout the day/night, with headliners The Groover Robbers, Then Jolene and Da Boyzos. We will Have GA tickets available and the V.I.P option

hosted by FOCUS. The V.I.P FOCUS area will be something Where did the idea for the event come different. It will have shelter and your table, from? bar, toilets, view to stage will be lit up like As an entrepreneur, every day I'm thinking a glow worm national park. This will be of something else. I love what I do and Coffs the area that everyone wants to be in. V.I.P has so much potential, but it just seems it tickets will be a little more pricey, but when gets held back - and that's what I'm trying to we say that - we mean not much more. change. Do you think there Right now I have a is a lack of this kind lot on the go, like The of event on the Coffs Coffs Hotel, Banana Coast? Field Music Festival, YES! The Jetty speaks for itself. It is The Jetty Food & Wine I've been all over the best location on the Coﬀs Festival, Shore Club the world and have Coast. I was down on site a few months ago and Session, Violet Vibes been to many different applauded Coﬀs Harbour Music Festival, Buoyant countries. Without City Council for what they Pool Party. anyone to blame, I think have done. It’s really going to Who are some of the the town itself is lacking do good for the town, and I’m so vendors and suppliers events like this. excited as you should also be. we can look forward Banana Field Music to tasting? Festival brought 2,000 We're very selective extra people to the with our food vendors, town, which I'm hoping as we want it to be "something different" this will do also. I had a lot of messages from not just your standard same caterers, which local cafés and hotels saying thank you, as is exciting. they were extra busy from it. If we have more Who are some of the acts and attractions events like this, I'm sure it will be VERY good people can look forward to seeing? for the beautiful Coffs Coast and for local So far we have locked in The Groove business. Robbers, Then Joelene, Da Boyzos plus many What makes this event different to other more. food and wine festivals that happen on Tell us about the FOCUS VIP garden. the Coffs Coast?

The experience I'm going for is not like any other food and wine festival. It will be something very different and very family friendly, with a variety of good food, wine and music. What makes the Jetty an ideal location? The Jetty speaks for itself. It is the best location on the Coffs Coast. I was down on site a few months ago and applauded Coffs Harbour City Council for what they have done. It's really going to do good for the town, and I'm so excited - as you should also be. Have you had previous experience organising events similar to this? As I said before, I run a lot of events around the Coffs Coast. I'm constantly thinking of new things to try get this beautiful town going. We have everything going for us, just lack of commitment. Not many people like change in this town and tend to get on the band wagon to make things not happen, which is very unfortunate for everyone. Where can people find out more? Follow our Facebook page and event: Facebook: www.facebook.com/ thejettyfoodandwinefestival Instagram: thejettyfoodandwinefestival See you on November 25th, Coffs Harbour Jetty. Thanks Sam. Coffs Coast focus 35

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Markell Hughes

Double Life

hat is your connection to the Coffs Coast? As a kid, my family had property at Upper Orara and I would spend holidays swimming in the river and cooking with my nan. When it was time to have a family of my own, my husband and I made the decision for a more relaxed lifestyle and headed to Coffs Harbour. Can you tell us a little about your double life? What do you do? My career is as a graphic designer; it is what I studied and is what I do full-time. However, I am always creating things and making food platters is something that I have always done for family and friends. What or who inspired you to become a graphic designer? It was actually my art teacher at high school. I LOVED art, it was by far my favourite subject. I especially loved lino printing and screen printing. There was a fleeting moment of wanting to be a hairdresser in Year 10, but other than that I had no idea what I wanted my career to be. My teacher suggested graphic design to me; he knew my strengths and weaknesses and thought it would be a perfect fit ... Turned out he was right. What do you enjoy most about this work? I love pushing the boundaries and creating something that exceeds clients’ expectations. I especially like it when I get creative freedom to design what I think will work; while it’s great to get a brief, sometimes the best designs come out of exploring something a little left of centre. Print design is my favourite thing holding that magazine, book or brochure as a 36 Coffs Coast focus

In between a successful career in graphic design and raising two boys, Markell Hughes finds time for another creative outlet in the form of food! The Platter Effect has recently grown from helping out at family events to an exciting business venture where Markell uses her skill with colour and balance to create platters almost too good to eat. day, lying around hung over, I remember joking finished product is pretty cool. about possible business names. Maybe 10 What have been some of the highlights of months later I saw some similar businesses in your graphic design career? Sydney and Brisbane and thought, “You know Coming out of uni, I went straight to work what; I’m going to give it a go”. at Girlfriend Magazine and then NW, which How does your background and training was an absolute career dream. Not only was in graphic design help in creating beautiful I designing awesome layouts, we were also platters? going to parties with celebs and famous sports I think having an eye for colour and balance people. a definitely helps. Some platters are trickier A definite highlight was being the Art than others, and I usually Director of TV WEEK sketch them out to help Magazine. I had creative make sure all the food freedom to make that that is requested fits on magazine how I wanted I love pushing the boundaries and the boards in the most it to look and I also creating something that exceeds creative and beautiful got to create a Logies clients’ expectations. I especially way and that all my campaign, which was like it when I get creative platters are different. a lot of work but was freedom to design what I What are your awesome fun … Think think will work; while it’s favourite ingredients hanging out with Liam great to get a brief, sometimes the to use? Hemsworth and Isabel best designs come out of exploring Cheese! I also love Lucas. something a little left of centre. using fruit, as it adds a Probably my ultimate lot of colour - especially career highlight was passionfruit for its smell. being nominated as I like coconuts, because Designer of the Year they look great when they are filled with things a few years ago. I didn’t win, but I was like berries. I think a trademark is my choc shortlisted in the top five magazine designers pretzels; I love using them, because they are with the work I created in Catalogue magazine the perfect mix of salty and sweet. and Sneaky, which were produced here on the Can you describe your favourite platter Coffs Coast. creation so far? When and why did you start creating Definitely a baby shower I did recently platters, and how did this lead to The at Sapphire Luxury Beach House. It was a Platter Effect? table filled with many colourful platters, an It didn’t start as a business idea at all; it was antipasto, sushi and dessert platter. The brief just something I always did. I think the turning was bright and colourful, so I had a ton of point was the grazing table I did at my sister’s fun creating these platters and also styling the 30th. People responded to that table a lot table. The setting was absolute beachfront, so more than I had ever expected and the next

that definitely helped make it a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds. What types of parties or events do you cater for? Any, really. I have done birthdays, hens’ parties, pre-wedding platters for brides and bridesmaids, as well as corporate functions and training days, baby showers, gift platters and platters for couples to take away on retreats. Recently Precision Helicopters took one of my platters to Solitary Island for a morning tea. Can you share any advice for people trying to make more time for their various work and passions? I think the main thing is to really love what you do and do it because you enjoy it, not because it is going to make you money. It’s much easier to find time to do something that you enjoy, and you just really have to back yourself. I love that The Platter Effect grew organically, not because I just wanted to start “a business”. I am passionate about what is right in front of me, so when I am designing, that gets my full attention - same for when I am doing my platters and spending time with my family. Where can people find out more about your graphic design work and The Platter Effect? I am currently a graphic designer at CornerPost Creative, so check out our portfolio online at www.cornerpostcreative.com.au and also on our instagram and Facebook. For more info on The Platter Effect, visit www.theplattereffect.com.au and for more platter pics, check out my instagram and Facebook @theplattereffect. Thanks Markell.

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attitude to ent grin and er, with a perman one to find out more. engagin g charactplayed some one on and energet ic and Yusuf is an the Nike Airs dusted off match. FOCUS

an you tell us about where you’re from originally? From Somalia, which is in East Africa. What is Somalia like as a place? Somalia is an amazing country with great buildings and scenery (Google it) that is full of wealth, with natural resources as well as oil. Unfortunately, Civil War destroyed everything. Right now, the country is growing and recovering at a rapid pace and is much safer. How did you come to live in Coffs? I moved from Melbourne in February last year to play basketball for the Brisbane Spartans in The South East Australian Basketball League, which is Australia's Premier

After school and weekends we played until

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Winter Basketball develop ball handling, sunset. It was very League. Then I shooting, plus all the tough, and we had stayed in Brisbane ‘til other skills, and this a ‘no blood no foul’ rule. ” September last year helps with mental and moved to Coffs toughness. It's open to Harbour. all kids, and I train them I began working with pretty hard so they can better the Coffs Harbour Basketball themselves. Association to try to help develop When did you start playing the hard working country kids and also basketball? run my own academy, called "Hard I started playing ball at 12 and learned Knockz Academy”, for the kids who pretty quickly - always asking questions and want to be beasts. training about eight hours a day, before What is your current role, and how are school at 5:30am, during school, after school, you helping kids learn more about the and then with my team. sport? When did you realise that you had talent I run the Hard Knockz Academy to help and skills?

When I made my first rep team and I noticed I had speed and then skills that I learned playing on the streets of Heidelberg Heights against older people. In Melbourne? The streets of Heidelberg are in Melbourne, Victoria, where I learned to play ball, playing outdoors at the local primary school. After school and weekends we played until sunset. It was very tough, and we had a “no blood no foul” rule. What do you love most about the game? I love the competition, the hard work which is fun to me and also crossing people up. You spent time playing for Melbourne Tigers and Brisbane Spartans; can you tell us about those experiences?

Playing with Melbourne Tigers was amazing. I learned a lot from guys like Dmack, Anstey, Rashad Tucker, Corey Williams and Julius Hodge, Matt Burston and my favourite, coach Al Westover. What is the training regime like? I go to the gym about three times a week and also workout on the basketball court about four times a week, to stay sharp. Weekends usually include a beach session with sprints and parachute workout. I try to do something every day. No days off! You are also the captain of the Somali National Team. Do you travel back to Somalia often, and how is the level of playing there? No, we don't actually go back to Somalia; we meet about four days before tournaments at the location of the tournament and train. We don't have the funds to travel back, and I help pay my way with some support from the Somali community in Melbourne. Is it an honour to be the captain of your nation’s team? The position of captain, for my country is a great responsibility and a great honour, one that I take very seriously. What makes a good captain? The role of captain has its challenges, because you’re dealing with a lot of egos and personalities, and it requires a lot of patience and listening. You must be able to solve conflict on the fly and keep everyone on the same page. On top of all that, you can’t take things people say personally and need to try not to be too sensitive. Lead by example: that’s what Nathan Buckley told me at my time with Collingwood F.C, right before I played for my national team in 2014. Where around the world do the rest of

the Somali team come from? Most of my teammates live in Canada and America. They play for colleges and teams over there. One must stretch What is your a lot to remain favourite memory to flexible and loose from playing There prevent injuries. basketball? is also the ice bath, a My first NBL which I hate with one game, the very first passion, but it’s possession I crossed of the best recovery up and scored on a guy methods. ” who later became like a brother to me. The crowd went crazy every time I touched the ball after that; it’s an amazing memory. What are some of the skills you need to have to play the position of guard? To be a really good guard, one must have: Vision - to be able to see everything on the composed at all times. court, teammate cuts to basket, shooter is As a guard, are you still attacking and open, big man stealing. shooting? Creative - to be able to make plays for not Attacking the basket and creating is my only yourself, but also all of your teammates. bread and butter. I can shoot fairly well, but I Ball handling - must be able to take care don’t live and die by my jump shot. of the ball and with little flair, because that’s Have you had any injuries throughout the beginning of all skills. If you can’t dribble, your career? then you can’t play. I have been fortunate enough to never Shooting - must be able to shoot the ball having a serious injury up until last year after from layups to 3s at a good percentage. the first three games. It’s mentally challenging Layups, floaters, jump shots, step backs and to overcome, not so much the injury, but many more. the doubts about how you are playing. Defence - must be able to lock down his Confidence gets really low and it’s really hard defender and also be able to help teammates. to overcome, but I just stayed positive - and Pick and Rolls - must be able to use screens coaching the kids helped me get my mind at a high conversion rate. right again. I.Q - must be very smart player and thinking How important is flexibility and the game. stretching? Heart - must be brave and never have fear. Mistakes are inevitable, so a guard must stay One must stretch a lot to remain flexible and

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12 coffs coast focus.

loose to prevent injuries. There is also the ice bath, which I hate with a passion, but it’s one of the best recovery methods. How important is teamwork? I think teamwork is very important, but you still have to have an individual’s work ethic. That way everyone improves individually, hence makes the team better collectively. You need to be selfless and pass on a good shot for a better shot - also to be in sync offensively and defensively. What advice would you give to young players who want to make it to the top? I'd tell any individual who wants to be a professional athlete to work harder than the hard working, sacrifice going out with friends but instead work out, be persistent every day, have faith in yourself and in a higher power, and you will be successful. Thanks Yusuf. coffs coast focus. 13

Bush ‘n’ Beach Orienteering Club.

INTRODUCING THE FOCUS MINI-MAG ONLINE FLIP BOOK

The mini-mags are a compilation of our best features from the print edition of each region, united in one flip book and delivered online for you to download...

NOW ONLINE + FREE

Up for an Adventure? Like Exploring? Short on Time? Try the Navigating Spring Series! Navigating Spring is a series of five, weekly orienteering events where you can enjoy a bit of adventure without travelling too far from Coffs Harbour. Explore our local area like never before. Challenge yourself, your friends, your family! Orienteering is a rewarding outdoor adventure sport that exercises both the mind and body. Orienteering gives you a chance to learn and improve your map reading and navigation skills, while enjoying many of the fantastic outdoor locations in our region. Basic fitness is all you need to get started. Orienteering also assists in developing confidence and self reliance when dealing with new and changing environments. After registering with our friendly, volunteer organisers, each person or group is supplied with a map, on which the locations of all the control points has been marked, a question and answer sheet, an electronic timing card, and a pencil. It is then up to you to find the locations in the real world, answer the question for each location and return to the finish. We have prizes for everybody who completes all five events, a competitive class, and a recreational class for those who wish to relax, take their time and soak up the environment. Come along and try it out!

Christmas Functions. Ho Ho Ho! It’s that time of year when the Christmas lights and decorations are popping up all over the place already. So, it’s also time to get the boss to book in your work Christmas function or drinks - what will it be this year? A sit-down lunch or dinner, stand-up finger food scenario, or just a couple of cheery ales around the pool table with the jukebox playing? At the Greenhouse Tavern, no party is too big or small - our friendly managers will help plan your package and event space, to make your function memorable. At the Greenhouse, we offer lunch and dinner specials daily, a generous number of chef suggested meals, and our delicious pizzas are available all day. A wide range of beers on tap, most of which are only $5 a schooner, and our beer of the month is a steal at $4.40. The cocktail menu covers all the classics and some cool house specials, which you’ll surely love. Make this year an easy choice - it’s never too early to book, but sometimes too late! See you at the Greenie.

ORIENTEERING Come along & try Orienteering. It's a great fun way to exercise the body & mind. Families, groups & individuals of all ages and fitness levels are catered for and help is available for beginners.

NAVIGATING SPRING SERIES Oct Oct Nov Nov Nov

VIEW THE MINIMAGS ONLINE AT FOCUSMAG.COM.AU/MINIMAGCOFFS

18 25 01 08 15

Botanic Gardens - Coffs Harbour Southern Cross University - Coffs Harbour Jetty Foreshores - Coffs Harbour Lakeside Reserve - Woolgoolga Cnr Bray St & Taloumbi Rd - Coffs Harbour

Event start: Anytime between 4:00pm - 6:00pm Event finish: 6:30pm Check out our website for more details. www.bboc.asn.au info@bboc.asn.au 0478 226 601 (Helen)

GREATER PORT MACQUARIE

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RALLYAUSTRALIA.COM.AU 38 Coffs Coast focus

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from the Coast to the

Big Smoke Photo: Lincoln Elliott - Rebeccalynne Photography R to L: Jeff Adams, Benny Black, Brad Francis, Alexie Pigot

B E N N Y

B L A C K

Coffs Coast born and raised musician Benny Black realised a dream when he performed with his band at the 83,500 seat capacity ANZ Stadium for the NRL in Sydney earlier this month. The Sydney Olympic Park performance tops off a massive year for the hardworking artist, who has already played major shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Newcastle and toured as support to legendary UK Band The Animals. FOCUS caught up with Benny for a chat about what he’s been up to and what’s on the horizon.

ow was the show at ANZ Stadium, and what was the atmosphere like? It was awesome! It was all that we expected it to be. We were in awe at just how big the venue was from the time we walked in for sound-check until the time we finished our performance. We could feel the vibe of energy and excitement from the crowd as we walked down the tunnel and on to the middle of the ground to play. I remember thinking, “Whoa, how did I get here” ha ha! It was all a bit surreal, but once we began to play we settled in and had so much fun. Is that the biggest show you’ve ever played? It is for sure. There was a crowd of 21,500 people. We have played some festivals, but never to that many. It was a massive buzz to play to that audience, and we feel pretty lucky. Wow, that’s amazing! The NRL has recently hosted Cold Chisel, Birds of Tokyo and Bernard Fanning. How did such a prestigious gig come about? I had played a corporate function for the NRL in the past but I have always wanted to play live at an NRL game, so I contacted the organisers and told them what I’ve been doing and who I’ve been playing shows with, and 40 Coffs Coast focus

they were happy to invite myself and the band song, What About Me. I’m also supporting perform. We were really honoured to get that The Black Sorrows at The Hoey Moey in Coffs opportunity, as it is only offered to a select few. Harbour on Sunday 5 November. I’ve been Congratulations! Who have you been lucky enough to play a few shows with them, playing gigs with lately? and they’re an awesome live band. Then I’m This year I’ve been lucky enough to play tour supporting Ross Wilson (Mondo Rock/Daddy shows in Sydney and the Coffs Coast with Ian Cool) at Lizotte’s in Newcastle again on Sunday Moss (Cold Chisel) and 12 November. I’m playing Diesel. I also toured another one of my with UK Band The favourite Coffs Coast Animals (hit song: House venues, Element Bar, on I love to support good causes of the Rising Sun) in Oct 6 and Nov 17. So and give back to the Coffs Coast Newcastle, Canberra and there’s lots happening. community I grew up in as much Wollongong, and opened You’re a busy man! as I can. I just performed for Bay City Rollers (UK) You’ve just released a for a fundraiser for the in Newcastle. Last week new single worldwide Cancer Council for the I also supported Boom on iTunes. Tell us about Coffs Coast Dancing Crash Opera in Sydney. the track and the new with The Stars event in I’ve been really lucky music you’re working Sawtell on the weekend. to play so many good on. shows lately and have Yeah, I recently released a few new tour shows my new single, Shout that have just been It Out Loud on iTunes, announced. which is going really well and has had some What new shows are coming up? independent radio play, which I’m stoked I just got the opportunity to open for about. It’s just a fun, upbeat song you can jump legendary Australian band Moving Pictures around to ha ha. It will part of an EP that I’m on Oct 13 at Lizotte’s in Newcastle. I always currently recording some tracks for in Sydney had a lot of respect for that band and their and some on the coast. The band and I have songwriting and have been a fan of their hit been experimenting with some new sounds

and directions and it’s all taking shape. We are mixing the EP at Forbes Street Studios (Universal Music) with Producer Dan Frizza (Bernard Fanning/Daniel Johns) this week. Can’t wait to finish it and get it out there. You’ve always been a strong supporter of charity events on the Coffs Coast. Tell us a little about that. I love to support good causes and give back to the Coffs Coast community I grew up in as much as I can. I just performed for a fundraiser for the Cancer Council for the Coffs Coast Dancing with The Stars event in Sawtell on the weekend. Everyone should support that event as much as they can, as it’s an awesome cause. I have also performed at the Coffs Coast Relay for Life several times, as it’s a cause that’s close to my heart. I hope to be able to play as many charity events as I can. You’ve had a lot of success as a musician. What advice do you give to up and coming artists? Play live as much as you can. Give everything your best. Have a lot of patience and never give up. For more information: visit: www.bennyblack.com.au or www.facebook.com/bennyblackofficial www.instagram.com/bennyblackofficial Thanks Benny.

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Trapped Escape Rooms Coffs Harbour You could be on top of the World! Just north of Coffs Harbour, experience the amazing Sealy Lookout in Orara East State Forest - a pristine, protected area where you can enjoy beautiful subtropical forest, a picnic among the trees and the tranquil sounds of nature. The Forest Sky Pier is the centrepiece, a majestic 22-metre platform delivering a breath-taking sweep of ocean, city and coastline. The walk to its smaller sister, Korora Lookout, showcases Gumgali Track, an Aboriginal cultural interpretive experience telling the story of Gumgali, the Black Goanna. Sealy Lookout is part of a larger protected forest area, recently earning a coveted ECOcertification - a first for Coffs Coast. This

certification means visitors can be reassured minimal impact management principles are applied to the area, including protection of flora, fauna, forest ecosystems, Aboriginal and archaeological values. Managed by Forestry Corporation of NSW, Sealy Lookout (Niigi Niigi in local Gumbaynggirr language) invites visitors to get their bearings on the Coffs Coast while discovering this fantastic forest playground. Getting there: Travel north on the Pacific Highway from Coffs Harbour. Past the Big Banana, turn left at the Sealy Lookout sign. Drive up through banana plantations and ocean views to The Gap. Turn left and follow Scenic Drive to this destination.

The Escape Room experience is the latest physically and mentally stimulating activity taking the world by storm, and now it is right here in Coffs Harbour. Trapped is the first Escape Room Experience to come to the Mid North Coast. Centrally located, it is the perfect entertainment for groups of two - eight people. With two unique escape room experiences and a third soon to open, this is the most fun way to challenge the mind. Players are trapped in a themed room and have to use elements of the surroundings to solve a series of puzzles and escape within a set time limit. Save Humanity. Professor Jorgan has formulated a vaccine for the zombie virus, but mysteriously disappeared before he could release it to the authorities. Youâ€™ve been given

the mission of locating the professorâ€™s work, formulating the vaccine and saving mankind. Escape from D-Block. Lincoln Watts has been wrongfully accused of heinous acts against society. Trust us; he has a pretty shady past and has served time before. But after three years incarcerated for a murder he claims he did not commit, he is determined not to spend the rest of his life imprisoned. Help Lincoln escape in time before the guards discover his plans. Trapped Escape Rooms are perfect for team building exercises for community groups, schools and businesses. We can also arrange off site activities for larger groups. For more information, please email: bookings@trappeder.com.au Bookings are essential via our website at www.trappeder.com.au

Find out more: #VisitNSWForests www.forestrycorporation.com.au/visit

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Preatures GIRLHOOD

After a turbulent 12 months, the Preatures have released their new album, "Girlhood". FOCUS chats to guitarist and producer Jack about the new record and their impending FOTSUN gig …

ou’ve just dropped your new album, with knowing what not to do sometimes. I didn’t need to Girlhood. Tell us about the writing whip the band on this album; I needed to be really mindful process; is this a bit of an insight into of the fact that there was a big idea that we were all trying Izzy’s womanhood and growing up? to write out, and to make sure there was enough room for Yes, that’s definitely part of it. I was us to be able to explore that, but also to be able to push very conscious of what Izzy was needing our identity as a recording group as a band on record ... to work through as a woman, as a songwriter, as a person Because the first album was a blip - it just happened. in this part of our lives, and part of being a group and a I think in a lot of ways it wasn’t a wholly reflective thing partner in a creative force. It was really clear to me that to do; it was like, get in there and she needed to say a lot of these do it and get on the road. And with things and write down a lot of this this album I definitely wanted to stuff. make sure and pushed for us having It’s also about us growing a little bit more time to do it. My whole focus for this album up together as a unit, all the It has come with heaps of was to elevate what we’ve already experiences that we shared in this responsibility - a lot of that has created and give it another series city and all the music that we’ve to do with nurturing pain and of layers of depth or meaning or witnessed and shared together and wrestling with difficult emotions purpose, and for it to be OK the things we continue to share, all and difficult situations ... Things for us to spend some time the things that happened in the last that cannot necessarily be described being able to walk away four years - it's a pretty big time for as pleasant. But on the whole, and reflect on it. togetherness, but also the vacuum making records is the coolest thing that you get into when you’re just its greatest challenge is keeping touring a record. focused - especially over 12 months. We work so hard and are so Having prior experience with fortunate that all that hard work gave us all of this time the recording process, one could say you’re quite to run the record Blue Planet Eyes out, but also gave us seasoned now. How did you find the recording the time to write Girlhood. I think it’s cumulative - just a process this time round, as opposed to previous reflection of a lot of things that have passed, in what's times in the studio? really not a very long period of time. This one was a real endurance record in terms of Being a producer as well as the band's guitarist, how a lot of things. We weathered a lot of emotion, we do you balance the two? weathered a member leaving, we weathered a lot of By just keeping my sh*t together. It’s got a lot to do change, we weathered a pretty serious injury in the band. 42 Coffs Coast focus

We weathered a lot of things that might be considered setbacks, but really, what they were is great opportunities for change, and I think part of what I’m really good at is being very in the moment. I’m also a big picture person, and I can never really take my eyes off the distance, I guess, and for me I always envisaged that this record would help us evolve to those things. It was obvious that we were going to have to face that and the writing was going to reflect that, whether we were aware of it or not. My whole focus for this album was to elevate what we’ve already created and give it another series of layers of depth or meaning or purpose, and for it to be OK for us to spend some time being able to walk away and reflect on it. You’re finishing up the year playing at FOTSUN. What are you looking forward to about being a part of our sellout festival? Exactly that! We’ve heard a lot about it and think it's one of those dates you kind of hope you’ll get asked to do. It's a really cool festival, and we’re excited to get there and see our friends, to get amongst it and just cap our year off in a good way! Thanks Jack.

Don’t miss the Preatures at this year's Festival Of The Sun. December 7th, 8th & 9th 2017. Tickets and info www.fotsun.com

SOLD OUT IN RECORD TIME

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Coffs

GIG GUIDE

1ST OCTOBER

Owen Shannon - Element Bar Mckenzie Band + Dj Tarmz - Hoey Moey

3RD OCTOBER

Aladdin and his magic I-pod - C.ex Coffs

4TH OCTOBER

Mitch Burgess - Element Bar

5TH OCTOBER

Ciclo de Jazz - Element Bar

6TH OCTOBER

Benny Black - Element Bar Akmal - C.ex Coffs Matty Devitt Duo - Seaview Tavern Secret Squirrel + DJ Brown Sugar - Hoey Moey

7TH OCTOBER

Chris Rose - Element Bar Damion Towner - Seaview Tavern DJ Bisho - Hoey Moey

8TH OCTOBER

Craig Freeman - Element Bar Charlie Band + Andrew Smiley Kids Show Hoey Moey

11TH OCTOBER

Yhan Leal - Element Bar

12TH OCTOBER

Ciclo de Jazz - Element Bar

13TH OCTOBER

Pam Hata - Element Bar Russell Morris -Sawtell RSL Hekyl & Jive Band - Seaview Tavern The Funk Thieves + DJ Ob1- Hoey Moey

14TH OCTOBER

Mischa Tanashevich - Element Bar DJ Brown Sugar - Seaview Tavern DJ Obi - Hoey Moey

15TH OCTOBER

Peter Barry - Element Bar Agent 77 - Hoey Moey 44 Coffs Coast focus

18TH OCTOBER

Vena Klymo - Element Bar

19TH OCTOBER

Ciclo de Jazz - Element Bar

25TH OCTOBER

Billie-Jo Porter - Element Bar

26TH OCTOBER

20TH OCTOBER

Kingswood - The Coffs Hotel Aqwa - Element Bar Frenchy “Unleashed” - C.ex Coffs

21ST OCTOBER

Jake Davey - Element Bar Vanessa Lea & Road Train - Seaview Tavern Push Band + DJ Brown Sugar - Hoey Moey

Dean Sharkey - Element Bar Richie Williams Duo - Seaview Tavern Hekyl & Jive + DJ Brown Sugar - Hoey Moey

Blue Child Collective - Element Bar Mighty Ocean - Seaview Tavern Dj Bisho - Hoey Moey

22ND OCTOBER

Josh Matheson - Element Bar Pink - Raise Your Glass Tribute Show - Hoey Moey

24TH OCTOBER

Charmaine Wilson, The Australian Medium Tour - C.ex Coffs

27TH OCTOBER

28TH OCTOBER

Chris Wiggins - Element Bar Gone but still fabulous starring Wayne Rogers - Jetty Theatre Stars of the Coffs Coast Dance for Cancer C.ex Coffs Aqwa - Seaview Tavern DJ Bisho - Hoey Moey

29TH OCTOBER

Paul Clement - Element Bar Lisa Hunt & Band + DJ Helmy - Hoey Moey

Coffs Coast focus 45

focusfeature

Two hatted Sydney chefs present this region’s best produce in our unique location.

Ladies &Tradies Night.

Meals in the Fields

The Pink Silks Trust committee are holding a charity event this month at the Hoey Moey called Ladies & Tradies Night. They will be raising funds for the ﬁrst All-Terrain Medical Rescue Vehicle, which will be an essential vehicle to help assist with the urgent medical rescue of patients in remote and hard to reach bushland or beaches. FOCUS had a chat to Pink Silks Trust president Tanya Johnson to ﬁnd out more ...

Spring 2017

e are very excited to have two head chefs from Sydney leading our team for Meals in the Fields this

spring. Locked in for lunch on Sunday, October 29th are Carla Jones, former head chef at 4 Fourteen, who will be joined by her partner, Richie Dolan, former head chef from Chiswick, to create a sumptuous meal featuring the best produce from across our region. Both chefs are well schooled in the paddock to plate and nose to tail cooking principles, and have recently relocated to Sawtell, where Carla was raised, to raise their own family. We are very pleased to have them at our event prior to launching their café in Sawtell early this summer. Carla and Richie are both looking forward to working with local producers and showcasing their produce, having spent time venturing out to meet local artisans to source suppliers for their new venture. As one of the closing events for this year’s Tastings on Hastings Food and Wine Festival, Meals in the Fields will certainly ensure the weekend finishes on a high, saving the best

for last. Now in its sixth year, Meals in the Fields is a truly authentic paddock to plate dining experience, set in the fields that much of the food that is presented has been raised in. Previous occasions have seen the likes of Clayton Donovan (Wild Kitchen), Drew Woolnough (Drury Lane Eatery) and Simon Livingston (Bent on Food) man the pans in the kitchen. Partnering Near River pasture raised heritage pork and field grown vegetables will be other award winning fare from Burrawong Gaian poultry, along with a few newer producers from the Mid North Coast. Matched wines from Tamburlaine Organic wines will be offered, along with local craft beer and cider. Tickets for what is certain to be a highlight for foodies, both local and from afar, are $140.00 inc GST, and go on sale Friday, September 8th online at http:// nearriverproduce.com/meals-in-the-fields Further details can be found at mealsinthefields.com or by calling Andrew Hearne on 0412 995 256.

ell us about the latest fundraising Medical Rescue Vehicle make to the local event that Pink Silks is community? organising. When we’re all out enjoying our great beaches It’s our annual Ladies and Tradies and the surrounding bushland, unfortunately Night at the Hoey Moey, on Friday 27 October accidents happen, and if you are remote, the 2017 at 6:30pm. rescuers may be unable to directly access you It’s a great fun night for everyone to come and this time could be vital to your outcome. along to with some friends and raise money for The ‘golden hour’ is critical in any medical our community and this lifesaving vehicle. emergency! What exactly are you What are some of raising funds for? the benefits and special The first All-Terrain features? Medical Rescue Vehicle The ATV will be a for the Coffs Coast, to The night is being donated by custom build, with roll be used by our Local the Hoey Moey and the free bars etc. for safety of Emergency Services. This drinks by Carlton United all parties. The patient essential vehicle will assist Breweries and Treasury pod will be permanently with the urgent medical Wines, so the $40 ticket price attached to the back and rescue of patients in will be a direct donation towards allow medical teams to remote and hard to reach the vehicle. bushland or beaches. Its treat patients on their way availability will cover from back to the ambulance. Scott’s Head in the south A custom trailer is also to Station Creek in the north and out west to part of the equipment and will allow any of the Ebor. emergency services teams to quickly attach this This vehicle can also be used to access patients rescue vehicle and go to the trauma location to in huge crowded events like NYE at the jetty and retrieve the injured person/s. other major events held on the Coffs Coast. How much are you looking to raise? Who else is involved? $50,000 in total which will purchase the This vehicle is for our local Emergency Services, ATV, patient pod, trailer, spinal board and other like SES, NSW Ambulance, NSW Fire and Rescue, ancillary equipment. NSW Rural Fire Service, Airport Rescue and Fire Tell us about how we can donate? Fighting, as well as Coffs Lifeguards. Please come along and join us at our Ladies The night is being donated by the Hoey Moey and Tradies Night - the tickets are only $40. and the free drinks by Carlton United Breweries Anyone who would like to donate prizes for and Treasury Wines, so the $40 ticket price will be a direct donation towards the vehicle We also currently have 20+ local businesses supporting the fundraising activities through their generous donations of time and products. What difference will the All-Terrain

46 Coffs Coast focus

the night or for those unable to make the event but would like to contribute to this essential vehicle and make a tax deductible donation, please contact us on info@pinksilks.com.au Thanks Tanya.

focusinterview.

Swimming Are you looking for the ultimate adrenaline rush? The FOCUS team was lucky enough to be invited to swim with Humpback Whales, thanks to the team at Jetty Dive. The experience was absolutely incredible, and we recommend you try it for yourself. FOCUS had a chat to Mike from Jetty Dive to find out more …

our whale snorkelling tours are pretty unique; can you tell us why? To be able to swim with these gentle giants can easily be the best moment of your life! Their sheer size and graceful movements are just mind blowing! It is important to understand we are totally reliant on the whales coming to us; it is all on their terms that we see their beauty. We have strict guidelines as to how we conduct these trips, and they are only done within the regulations that protects the whales on their migration path. This makes the trips more of an adventure, as we can’t guarantee they will be interested and swim our way. They are curious creatures, so when it happens, it is pretty special to have Humpback Whales swim up to you! Can you give us a run down of a regular day out on the water on one of your tours? We start with fitting your wetsuit and mask, snorkel and fins at our shop. Then we board our boat at the Coffs Harbour Marina and head out in search of the Humpback Whales. We usually see a lot of whales and search for the ones that we think will be interested in swimming with us. We do a lot of assessing their suitability, to make sure it is safe to enter the water.

When we are ready, we have the swimmers slip into the water and wait for the whales. If we are lucky, they swim to us and check us out, for a life changing experience. We do not swim with The trip usually runs mothers and calves. They I can still remember for three to four hours; are a little unpredictable, the first time I had this allows for the and we choose not to a Humpback Whale opportunity to get in disturb them. swim up and look at the water a number of You’ve still got another us with its huge eye! times. couple of months to You could see it was just as What kind of diving go, but what’s been the curious of us as we were of experience do you highlight of this season them. If only we could talk! need to have to so far? go swimming with We hope to run the whales? Do you need trips until late October, to be fit? but it will depend on how We do specify that you are able to swim and many whales will still be about then. So far we snorkel. Scuba Diving is not allowed and we have been lucky enough to find the “right” do not encourage freediving, as it may upset whales that want to see us. We expect we the whales. You do get in and out of the boat won’t see them underwater on every trip, but a number of times, so you need to be fit for to date, we have seen them on every trip. that; it can be demanding! Since coming back from your tour, Is there anywhere else in the world where I’ve been having trouble putting the you can get this close to Humpback experience into words - it was that Whales? amazing. Can you tell us about your first Swimming with whales is not new; however, time in the water swimming alongside until recently, you had to travel to the islands Humpback Whales? of Tonga to experience it. Over there, they I can still remember the first time I had a have a different approach, as the whales are Humpback Whale swim up and look at us not migrating, and usually mothers and calves. with its huge eye! You could see it was just as

curious of us as we were of them. If only we could talk! After the experience of seeing how graceful and majestic they are, it was hard to think how someone could kill them; maybe if they swam with them, it would change their mind! Do you have any spaces available for the 2017 season, or do we need to be planning for 2018? We certainly have a lot of bookings, but still have plenty of trips with space available. Bookings are essential, to ensure we have availability. Good sea conditions are required too, so being flexible with days and times is important to make sure it’s good to go. We run our Whale Watch trips on Wild Fin, our bigger boat, and Whale Swim trips on 2 Wild, our smaller boat. This keeps the group size in the water small, and more intimate. And finally, give us your best whale fact? We have heaps of whale facts that we talk about on all our trips. The one that impresses me the most is the fact that they can slow their heart rate down to 10 beats per minute, and stay underwater for a long time. Wish I could do that! Thanks Mike. Coffs Coast focus 47

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WITH STEPHEN SAUNDERS OF TOURISM COFFS COAST

TO DO 101THINGS THINGS TOTO DODO THINGS tourism ON THE COFFS COAST

UPDATE

THE BIG BANANA THE BIG BANANA FUN PARK FUN PARK

The Big Banana Fun Park is the BIGGEST The BigNSW Banana FunItPark is the BIGGEST Fun Park on the Northern coast! Fun Park on the Northern NSW coast! It boasts 7 fantastic attractions including a boasts 7 fantastic including a 17.5m tall Giant Slide, Toboggan ride, attractions Laser 17.5m tallcourse, Giant Slide, Toboggan ride, Laser Tag arena, 36 hole Mini Golf Theatre 36rink hole Mini Golf course, Theatre and Plantation tour,Tag Ice arena, Skating and the Plantation tour, Ice Skating rink and the biggest Water Parkand between Sydney & the biggest Water Park between Sydney & the Gold Coast! Gold TRADING: Open 9am to Coast! 5pm 7 days TRADING: Open 9am to 5pm 7 days (Attractions time vary) (Attractions time vary) ADDRESS: 351 Pacific Highway,ADDRESS: 351 Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour PHONE: 02 66524355 PHONE: 02 66524355 nd regular markets that cater for lovers of farm-fresh local produce, funky fashion WEB: www.bigbanana.com es, hand-made art and craft, delicious food, tasty treats and more! Local produce WEB: www.bigbanana.com

RKETS ON THE COFFS COAST

It's a Sporting Life. Sports tourism brings big crowds to the Coffs Coast, and leaves the local community with wide-ranging benefits.

the locals providing accommodation, meals, e are fortunate on shopping and other services that the visitors, the Coffs Coast to be e from across the region, and you can meet some of our local farmers and hear their participants, supporters, officials and media blessed with amazing home-grown talent from a variety of entertainers and buskers, and many have climate and an enjoy when they are here for an event. That ons for catching up with friends and family. Most towns and villages on the Coffs abundance of natural money is recycled through the local economy has their own unique flavour with a diverse selection of food products. assets, and combined via wages, services and increased consumption, : y Thursday, Coffs Harbour City Square with quality sporting facilities, this creates a all helping to generate more jobs and more y, Park Beach Reserve, moving to Coffs Harbour Jetty Foreshore in October/November Sunday monthly, Bellingen Park perfect formula to attract elite competitors services which, in turn, ultimately help grow aturday monthly, Woolgoolga Beach Reserve et – every Friday evening (October to April), Park Beach Reserve from both national and international sporting the region’s economy. Come out and relax at the Winery. Enjoy day monthly, Urunga Lido Come out relax at the Winery. Enjoy st Saturday of even months, Valla Reserve events. Integral to the continued delivery of a some wine, local produce andand Tapas dishes some wine, produce and Tapas dishes Acros inside the newly renovated bar local and Velvets Award winning “Best Family Friendly Venue”, on coffscoast.com.au/see-and-do/shopping-markets This year Coffs Harbour has been host number of these major sporting events is inside the newly renovated bar and Velvets Award “Best Family Friendly Venue”, and ac ach market’s Facebook page Restaurant. Orara Vale Vineyard is located Moonee Beach Tavern has winning a focus on providing to events attracting national attention, the C.ex Coffs International Restaurant. Vale Beach Tavern has a focus onStadium, providingwhich is marke approximately 25km northwestOrara of Coff s Vineyard is located for the whole family.Moonee Featuring numerous approximately northwest of Coff s for the whole family. Featuring numerous passio such as the adrenalin-pumping Australian now undergoing a major upgrade to increase Harbour at Nana Glen in the heart 25km of Orara activities for the kids including, Jumping Castle, Harbour Glen in the heart of Orara activities for Junior the kids including, Jumping Castle, Valley. Why would you wantat toNana be anywhere Putt Putt Golf, Ping Pong Table, Jungle Offshore Superboat Championships grandstand seating, improve facilities for Valley. Why would you want to be anywhere Putt Golf, Pingyou Pong These else? Bookings are essential. Gym, Climbing WallPutt & Activities Room beTable, Junior Jungle else? Bookings are essential. held at the Jetty Harbour, the Hyundai players, spectators, media and you officials, and Gym, Climbing Wall & Activities Room be becom TRADING Tues to Sun 10:30am - 4:30pm sure to enjoy your time with family at Moonee. TRADING Tues to Sun 10:30am - 4:30pm sureon tothe enjoy your time of with family at Moonee. Coast A-League and W-League double-header increase parking and refreshment areas. The school Holidays Check out the Buskers 23rd & 30th Sep DISCOVEROpen THEMonday BEST during Open Monday during school Holidays Check out the Buskers on the 23rd & 30th of Sep ADDRESS 963 Orara Way, Nana Glen & Pig Racing on the 7th of Oct. PLACES TO STAY, EAT, ADDRESS 963 Orara Way, Nana Glen featuring top football talent, broadcast Stadium already & Pig Racing on the 7thenjoys of Oct. a reputation as one Here a EMAIL admin@twotailswines.com.au PHONE 02 6653 6199 DRINK AND PLAY! EMAIL admin@twotailswines.com.au PHONE 02 6653 6199 live from C.ex Coffs International Stadium, of the best regional venues in the country, Coffs PHONE (02) 66 543 633 BISTRO 02 6656 4100 PHONE (02) 66 543 633 BISTRO 02 6656 4100 Harbo WEB twotailswines.com.au COURTESY BUS 02 6653 6199 and the bcu Coffs Tri, which has grown to and the recent addition of broadcast quality WEB twotailswines.com.au COURTESY BUS 02 6653 6199 Download the FREE Coffs Bellin E info@mooneebeachtavern.com.au attract triathletes from around the country lighting has seen it attract even more major E info@mooneebeachtavern.com.au Woolg Coast travel APP for apple W www.mooneebeachtavern.com.au Coffs as an ITU World Championship qualifying race W www.mooneebeachtavern.com.au events. iPhones, iPads, android Urung devices and tablets. and NSW state championship event. The Stadium also hosts many national and Valla B Still to come in 2017 are several state sporting events that see thousands of events which will attract international media participants - often juniors with accompanying Visit o You ca coverage for our region. Two one-day matches family members coming to the Coffs Coast. from the highly-anticipated Commonwealth These alone generate over 150,000 visitor Bank Women’s Ashes Series will be played nights annually. Importantly, the Stadium also CoffsCoast CoffsCoast CoffsCoast CoffsCoastNSW in October, the only Australian regional caters to a wide range of community activities, Coffs Harbour & Northern Beaches only Movies come alive at Majestic Cinemas Coffs Harbour & Northern Beaches only coffs coast focus. 17 Movies alive atcarnivals, Majestic Cinemas accredited Kayak and Stand Up Paddle board suchcome as You’ll school sport development destination for this international series against accredited Kayak and Stand Up Paddle board Nambucca Heads and Sawtell. see the Nambucca Heads and Sawtell. You’ll see the Instructor/Assessor. Learn to improve your Instructor/Assessor. Learn to improve your England, which is a massive endorsement tournaments and local sports finals, providing biggest blockbusters, quality Art House titles paddle skills and safety on your own kayak or SUP biggest blockbusters, quality Art House titles paddle skills and safety on your own kayak or SUP and the best kids films all at the one place for the stadium, the city and grassroots and when employment - forwhen the wider - or hire one to learn on: andenjoyment the best kids- films all at the one place - or hire one to learn on: you visit Majestic Cinemas. Join the Movie Club Courses designed to suit the paddler - child to you visit Majestic Cinemas. Join the Movie Club cricket in our region. The final for round inand theCandy Barcommunity. Courses designed to suit the paddler - child to ticket discounts all year senior - everyone is catered for. for ticket and Candy Bar discounts all year senior - everyone is catered for. For Purchase your tickets onlinethe now! World Rally Championships willround. be held Behind scenes of some of these major Guided tours - kayak or SUP explore. Woolgoolga round. Purchase your tickets online now! Guided tours - kayak or SUP explore. Woolgoolga PHONE Sawtell 5621 8101 event by water. Woolgoogla Lake - Woolgoolga Bay in November, attracting an international events, leading sports teams coming to the PHONE Sawtell 5621 8101 by water. Woolgoogla Lake - Woolgoolga Bay Nambucca Heads 6568 6677 adrenaline junkies lets ride some waves! coffscoa Nambucca Heads 6568 6677 adrenaline junkies lets ride some waves! contingent of teams, spectators andmajesticcinemas.com.au Coffs Coast often contribute their time to WEB All equipment can be supplied or use your own. WEB majesticcinemas.com.au All equipment can be supplied or use your own. media. The Rally Australia event attracts develop local junior players and coaches in We may see a dolphin, sea turtles or even a whale! We may see a dolphin, sea turtles or even a whale! TRADING: BookingsTRADING: only thousands of visitors, delivering a tourism workshops and training sessions. The Stadium Bookings only EMAIL: paddlecoffscoast@gmail.com EMAIL: paddlecoffscoast@gmail.com boost each year, with widespread economic and Major Events team at Coffs Harbour City PHONE: 0418 614 688 PHONE: 0418 614 688 WEB: under construction benefits to local businesses. We are also proud Council and other local event organisers all WEB: under construction Valid until 24th Dec 2017. Not valid with any other offer. Subject to seat availability. Not valid for SUMMER SPECIAL Book a group of 6 and 1 a group of 6 and 1 until Dec Notdiscount. valid with any other offer. Subject to seat availability. Not valid for Special events. Produce voucherValid at the Box24th office to2017. receive SUMMER SPECIAL Book to host another world event in 2018, with work hard to bring a office balance of community, Special events. Produce voucher at the Box to receive discount. person paddles for free. person paddles for free. the Tag World bringing approximately 3,800 state, national and international events to the players and officials and up to 5,000 families Coffs Coast every year, attracting competitors, and supporters from around the world to the fans, and families who play a large part region. in increasing the numbers of visitors to Sports tourism delivers around $30m every our beautiful part of the world. year to the Coffs Coast, and the money www.coffscoastevents.com.au #createyourparadise goes directly into our economy, benefiting w.coffscoast.com.au www.coffscoast.com.au

fs coast focus. 16 coffs coast focus. 48 Coffs Coast focus 48 coffs coast focus.

TWO TAILS WINES TWO TAILS WINES

PADDLE COFFS COAST PADDLE COFFS COAST

MOONEEMOONEE BEACH TAVERNTAVERN BEACH

MAJESTIC CINEMASCINEMAS MAJESTIC

ADULTS ATADULTS AT CHILDREN’S PRICES PRICES CHILDREN’S

101

THINGS 101 THINGS TO DOTO DO ON THE COFFS COAST

THE BIG BANANA FUN PARK The Big Banana Fun Park is the BIGGEST Fun Park on the Northern NSW coast! It boasts 7 fantastic attractions including a 17.5m tall Giant Slide, Toboggan ride, Laser Tag arena, 36 hole Mini Golf course, Theatre and Plantation tour, Ice Skating rink and the biggest Water Park between Sydney & the Gold Coast! TRADING: Open 9am to 5pm 7 days (Attractions time vary) ADDRESS: 351 Pacific Highway, Coffs Harbour PHONE: 02 66524355 WEB: www.bigbanana.com

101 THINGS TO DO THE BIG BANANA MOONEE BEACH FUN PARK TAVERN

TWO TAILS WINES

LOCAL MARKETS ON THE COFFS COAST

Come out and relax at the Winery. Enjoy The Big Banana Fun Park is the BIGGEST Fun Park on the Northern NSW coast! It some wine, local produce and Tapas dishes boasts 7 fantastic attractions including a inside the newly renovated bar and Velvets Award 17.5m tall Giant Slide, Toboggan ride, Laser winning “Best Family Friendly Venue”, Tag arena, 36 hole Mini Golf course,Moonee Theatre Beach Tavern has a focus on providing Restaurant. Orara Vale Vineyard is located Across the Coffs Coast you can find regular markets that cater for lovers of farm-fresh local produce, funky fashion and Plantation tour, Ice Skating rink and the approximately 25km of Coff s for& the the whole family. Featuring numerous biggest Water Park between Sydney and accessories, quirky homewares, hand-made art northwest and craft, delicious food, tasty treats and more! Local produce Coast! Harbour Nana the Glen in the and heart of Orara activities for the kids including, Jumping Castle, markets offer the freshest produce fromat across region, you can meet some of our local farmers and hearGold their TRADING: Open 9am to 5pm 7 days Valley. Why would you want to be anywhere Putt Putt Golf, Ping Pong Table, Junior Jungle passionate food stories. (Attractions time vary) else? Bookings are essential. Gym, Climbing Wall & Activities Room you be ADDRESS: 351 Pacific Highway, TRADING Tues to Sun 10:30am - 4:30pm sure to enjoy your time with family at Moonee. These markets often feature great home-grown talent from a variety of entertainers and buskers, and many haveCoffs Harbour Open Monday during Holidays Check out the Buskers on the 23rd & 30th of Sep PHONE: 02 66524355 become ‘not-to-be-missed’ occasions for catching upschool with friends and family. Most towns and villages on the Coffs WEB: www.bigbanana.com ADDRESS 963 Orara Way, Nana Glen & Pig Racing on the 7th of Oct. Coast will host a market and each has their own unique flavour with a diverse selection of food products. EMAIL admin@twotailswines.com.au PHONE 02 6653 6199 PHONE (02) 66 543 633 BISTRO 02 6656 4100 Here are just some of our favourites: WEB twotailswines.com.au COURTESY BUS 02 6653 6199 Coffs Coast Growers Market – every Thursday, Coffs Harbour City Square E info@mooneebeachtavern.com.au Harbourside Market – every Sunday, Park Beach Reserve, moving to Coffs Harbour Jetty Foreshore in October/November W www.mooneebeachtavern.com.au Bellingen Community Market – 1st Sunday monthly, Bellingen Park TWO TAILS WINES Woolgoolga Beach Market – 2nd Saturday monthly, Woolgoolga Beach Reserve Come out and relax at the Winery. Enjoy Coffs Harbour Twilight Food Market – every Friday evening (October to April), Park Beach Reserve some wine, local produce and Tapas dishes Urunga Riverside Market – 2nd Sunday monthly, Urunga Lido inside the newly renovated bar and Velvets Valla Beach Community Market – 1st Saturday of even months, Valla Reserve Restaurant. Orara Vale Vineyard is located

Visit our website for more information coffscoast.com.au/see-and-do/shopping-markets You can also find more details on each market’s Facebook page

PADDLE COFFS COAST

For more events click on coffscoast.com.au

Coffs Harbour & Northern Beaches only accredited Kayak and Stand Up Paddle board Instructor/Assessor. Learn to improve your paddle skills and safety on your own kayak or SUP - or hire one to learn on: Courses designed to suit the paddler - child to senior - everyone is catered for. Guided tours - kayak or SUP explore. Woolgoolga by water. Woolgoogla Lake - Woolgoolga Bay adrenaline junkies lets ride some waves! All equipment can be supplied or use your own. We may see a dolphin, sea turtles or even a whale! TRADING: Bookings only EMAIL: paddlecoffscoast@gmail.com PHONE: 0418 614 688 WEB: under construction SUMMER SPECIAL Book a group of 6 and 1 person paddles for free.

approximately 25km northwest of Coff s Harbour at Nana Glen in the heart of Orara Valley. Why would you want to be anywhere else? Bookings are essential. TRADING Tues to Sun 10:30am - 4:30pm Open Monday during school Holidays ADDRESS 963 Orara Way, Nana Glen EMAIL admin@twotailswines.com.au Movies come alive at Majestic Cinemas PHONE (02) 66 543 633 WEB twotailswines.com.au

MAJESTIC CINEMAS

Nambucca Heads and Sawtell. You’ll see the biggest blockbusters, quality Art House titles and the best kids films all at the one place when you visit Majestic Cinemas. Join the Movie Club for ticket and Candy Bar discounts all year round. Purchase your tickets online now! PHONE Sawtell 5621 8101 PADDLE COFFS COAST Nambucca Heads 6568 6677 WEB majesticcinemas.com.au

DISCOVER THE BEST PLACES TO STAY, EAT, DRINK AND PLAY!

Coffs Harbour & Northern Beaches only accredited Kayak and Stand Up Paddle board Instructor/Assessor. Learn to improve your paddle skills and safety on your own kayak or SUP - or hire one to learn on: Courses designed to suit the paddler - child to senior - everyone is catered for. Guided tours - kayak or SUP explore. Woolgoolga until- 24th Dec 2017. Not valid with any other offer. Subject to seat availability. Not valid for by water. Woolgoogla Lake - WoolgoolgaValid Bay Special events. Produce voucher at the Box office to receive discount. adrenaline junkies lets ride some waves! All equipment can be supplied or use your own. We may see a dolphin, sea turtles or even a whale! TRADING: Bookings only EMAIL: paddlecoffscoast@gmail.com PHONE: 0418 614 688 WEB: under construction SUMMER SPECIAL Book a group of 6 and 1 person paddles for free.

Download the FREE Coffs Coast travel APP for apple iPhones, iPads, android devices and tablets.

ADULTS AT CHILDREN’S PRICES

Acro and mar pass

The beco Coa

Here Coff Harb Bell Woo MOONEE BEACHCoff TAVERN Urun Vall

Award winning “Best Family Friendly Venu Moonee Beach Tavern has a focus onVisit provi for the whole family. Featuring numerous You activities for the kids including, Jumping Ca Putt Putt Golf, Ping Pong Table, Junior Jun Gym, Climbing Wall & Activities Room you sure to enjoy your time with family at Moon Check out the Buskers on the 23rd & 30th o & Pig Racing on the 7th of Oct. PHONE 02 6653 6199 BISTRO 02 6656 4100 COURTESY BUS 02 6653 6199 E info@mooneebeachtavern.com.au W www.mooneebeachtavern.com.au

Fo even MAJESTIC CINEMA coffsc

Movies come alive at Majestic Cinemas Nambucca Heads and Sawtell. You’ll see t biggest blockbusters, quality Art House tit and the best kids films all at the one place w you visit Majestic Cinemas. Join the Movie for ticket and Candy Bar discounts all year round. Purchase your tickets online now! PHONE Sawtell 5621 8101 Nambucca Heads 6568 6677 WEB majesticcinemas.com.au

ADULTS AT CHILDREN’S PRICES

Valid until 24th Dec 2017. Not valid with any other offer. Subject to seat availability. Not val Special events. Produce voucher at the Box office to receive discount.

ww.coffscoast.com.au coffs coast focus.

www.coffscoast.com.au 16 coffs coast focus.

CoffsCoast

CoffsCoastNSW

Coffs Coastfocus. focus 49 coffs coast focus. 17 coffs coast

Health Wellbeing focushealth

and

WITH NOURISHED EARTH

WITH LAUREN VESTEY FROM LIVING DOLL

Spring Clean your skin regime.

Why go natural when it comes to skincare?

ourishing our body from the inside out is thankfully recognised these days as a key factor in longevity and vitality. However, we should also be vigilant with the products that we are using everyday on our skin. The skin being the largest organ of the body is one that can often be overlooked when it comes to what we are applying. We use creams, perfumes, oils and makeup daily, and all of these things can be packed with artificial fragrances, preservatives, colours, fillers and synthetics. They can often be cleverly hidden within the packaging and marketing using numbers and unrecognisable words. A large number of mainstream popular skin care and makeup brands can contain harmful substances such as lead, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde and nanoparticles. Many people do not realise that these ingredients will absorb into the bloodstream and can increase the toxic load on the body, which is why it is so important to be aware of what we are using. The good news is that there are plenty of

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natural products available for both men and women of all ages that can work better than commercial brands, without the harmful ingredients. These include ethically sourced, cruelty free and vegan options. My advice to you

Thin Hair

when looking for skincare products is to follow the same rule that you would when following a healthy diet: look for ingredients that are as natural as possible. Skincare does not have to be complicated; we can make our own natural soaps, creams, masks and body scrubs using raw ingredients. At Nourished Earth we enjoy making this quick face mask using all natural ingredients. Charcoal Mask 1 tsp Bentonite Clay 1 tsp Activated Charcoal 2 tsp Water ½ tsp Raw Honey 1 drop Tea Tree or Lavender Oil Mix all ingredients together and apply to the face for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Skinny is great for jeans, pasta and Margaritas. But for your hair? Not so much. After all, if Rapunzel had fine, thin hair, her hottie prince could never have worked his way up the tower to her rescue.

ut the reality is, fine, thin hair happens. Blame it on heredity, blame it on hormones, blame it on the passage of time, blame it on abuse. Regardless, more stylists report that clients bemoan their fine, thin hair than any other situation in the salon. So what’s a princess with fine, thin hair to do? Check out these volumising hair tips for the best way to thicken your fine, thin hair from the premier stylists at Living Doll. First things first ... 1. Get a check-up. While it’s rare, sometimes fine, thinning hair can be caused by a medical condition. If you’re noticing an unusually large amount of hair in the shower drain, if your part is getting wider, or you’re experiencing patches of hair loss, it could be due to a condition called androgenetic alopecia. While this genetic condition can begin as early as your 20s, it’s most common after menopause. In fact, about 50% of all women experience some kind of hair loss by the age of 50. This type of alopecia is usually rooted in genetics. Medical issues that relate directly to hair loss include thyroid problems, iron deficiency or anemia and a spike in male hormones - all of

which can be treated. 2. Try massaging your scalp. Healthy circulation can nourish the hair follicles in the scalp where hair growth begins, and massage is an easy, excellent (and delightful) way to rev up circulation. Treat yourself to regular scalp massages to stimulate blood flow into those follicles and plump up your fine, thin hair. Simply work a few drops of a our Biolage Advanced Full Density Scalp oil into your fingertips and rub all over your scalp in a circular motion for a few minutes after you shampoo and condition. 3. Boost Volume as You Cleanse and Condition Volumising shampoos and conditioners like our Advanced Full Density Scalp Range are formulas of choice for most women and men with fine, thin hair. These shampoos cleanse gently without stripping the hair or leaving unwanted build-up; plus, they actually make hair feel thicker and look fuller. The conditioners soften and detangle, also without build-up. One tip: place conditioner only on the mid-shafts and ends of your hair and avoid your scalp, where the conditioner could trap oil and weigh hair down. XO Dolls.

Kaboodle Body & Beauty We would like to invite you to come and indulge yourself in an experience of true luxury at the new Moonee Beach salon. Our team of highly trained and experienced therapists will take you on a journey of total relaxation, with one of our unique treatment packages, tailored to suit each and every individual. Our Kaboodle salonâ€™s stand by their moto - PURE ORGANIC NATURAL - and are committed to using high quality 100% Australian naturally made skincare. At Kaboodle body beauty you can expect to find a top to bottom range of treatments, from our luxurious Facials and Massages, Hot stone therapy right down to our heavenly hands and pampered feet, using top quality EVO, by BIO Sculpture, designed to keep your nails healthy. We also offer a range of hair removal treatments. Remember: we have the Emerge Fractional Laser treatment, for skin rejuvenation, available on Tuesdays by appointment. For the month of October we will be offering: Eyelash extensions for $80. Sculptured Nails for $100. Mention this advertisement when booking your treatment to go into the draw to win a Skin Renewal Facial, using Australian made Pelactiv products.

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Photo credit Peter Sechi

Match

home my

Match My Home - one click, and you’re home! We are a free service ... Why do all the searching on multiple websites, when our real estate agents can do it for you? Just go to our website: www.matchmyhome.com.au

hat is Match My Home all about? We increase the customers’ control in the sales process, by allowing them to send one enquiry to buy or sell a home and get a maximum of four agents to do the leg work, contacting them with potential “matches” or their electronic sales pitch. We decrease the amount of time and effort it takes to search for their next home, or the agent that best suits their needs. We are a service - it’s a one stop shop for buyers and sellers to get access to real estate agents quickly and efficiently online and on one site.

“

We have also collaborated with wonderful bloggers, who are contributing great content for our customers. Everything from Mortgages, Money Saving Tips & Tricks to Home Styling. We also have a free e-book to download, Buying Property in your Self Managed Super Fund. Head to the site and sign up for our newsletter and e-book today. We have access to Mortgage Brokers, Accountants, Commercial Property Specialists and Property Valuers. If you need help connecting with one of our industry professionals, just fill out the Contact Us form on our website and tell us what you need, and we will point you in the right direction. Match My Home is all about the customer and giving you the guidance you need, all in the one website.

We are a service-it’s a one stop shop for buyers and sellers to get access to real estate agents quickly and efficiently online and on one site.”

It’s in two parts - Find My Home: The customer puts in their price point, desired location and property type and pushes send. This then goes to the agents in that area in real time. They will then call the customer within 24 hours with any possible “matches”.

Secondly - Sell My Home: The customer enters their address and contact details and pushes send. The agents in that area will then bid for their business by emailing them all their fees and charges. It is transparent, and the customer can sit in the quiet of their home and make an informed decision. They can look at the agents’ social media and website, and remember that it doesn’t just come down to the lowest commission. It’s about what agent is the best fit for you. The site starts the conversation and builds rapport. It’s efficient and effective. We have to remember that agents provide a great service, so this is just a streamlined way to connect from your home, without knocking 52 Coffs Coast focus

on several doors. It’s a process, and Match My Home wants to give customers and agents as many opportunities to connect as possible. It’s a changing digital world, so we all have to embrace it or get left behind, doing much more heavy lifting than we need to. Our agents are focused on great customer service and want to assist you to make the right decisions.

We have just launched in New South Wales and are hoping to move to other states, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. We want to thank all the hardworking agents and associated industry professionals who have come on board so far and are willing to support another business and who are waiting to give that same support to our customers. Take a look around the site: www. matchmyhome.com.au and contact us if you need any assistance with buying or selling property. Leanne Taylor.

HAIR COLOUR DOS AND DON'TS When it comes to colouring hair, less is definitely more. Highlights were designed originally to create interest in the hair, not to take over. If your goal is an all over colour, you could always add something extra afterwards to create that interest.

remember that the colour companies are dealing with the world: black hair is generally Japanese or W. African; dark brown the rest of Asia and some of E. Africa. So technically, I’m dark blonde (though greying somewhat).

When colouring hair red, a large amount of aftercare and maintenance is needed. Ultraviolet light destroys the red molecules so that each time you wash your hair, you literally rinse the colour down the drain.

If you’re looking to enhance your colour rather than cover grey, then Elumen is the best option, as it makes the hair very shiny. The product can make you darker, add tone or shine, and it also helps to soften frizz.

Going brunette is much easier. Just take care not to go too dark for your skin tone (unless you’re seeking the Morticia Addams look). Most Southern European descendants are not going to be naturally darker than a light brown, whilst their northern counterparts will be a dark blonde. If you are colouring your own hair, the trick is to

On the subject of grey hair, if you are not concerned about the six-week maintenance, then colour the whole head. However (if you don’t mind a few showing) for a less labour intensive option, go with a combination of fair and warm highlights. Be wary of going back to the depth you once were, as your skin tone will have changed too.

SPECIAL

OFFER COMPLIMENTARY 2 YEARS OF CARE

60 DAYS MONEY BACK GUARANTEE Offer ends 31st October

Keith with Personal Carer, Laura Freedom family

At the very heart of a Freedom Aged Care community is a unique Care Governance model with a Freedom Care Program to meet the everyday and ongoing nursing and personal care needs of each and every one of our residents. Your complimentary two years of care includes; • • • • • • •

a Village Manager who is a Senior Registered Nurse a Clinical Case Manager (RN or EN) to manage individual personal care plan for identified care needs, access to 24 hour onsite care personal care delivered by onsite carers throughout the day and night diversional therapy programs for people with cognitive decline resident choices and freedom embraced and encouraged guaranteed consistent, qualified staff who live our values of love, decency, respect and kindness Freedom Aged Care is an approved provider to arrange commonwealth funding or home care packages. We are so proud of this service we want you or your loved one to experience our care complimentary until August 2019 with 60 days money back guarantee*.

Call 1800 984 840 today for arrange a personal tour today, this offer will end 31st October 2017. *All you’ll have to pay for is the service fees while you’ve been living with us, any legal costs, applicable stamp duty and utilities. The Money Back Guarantee is subject to particular time frames regarding sale and repayment, as well as other terms and conditions. These terms and conditions are outlined in full in our contract, which are available upon request.

Coffs Coast focus 53

focus_contributor

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

cyber mum.

Online Safety Tips for Parents

A Parent’s Guide to YouTube. When I was in school, I used to come home each day and spend my afternoons either riding my bike around the local neighbourhood with friends or hanging out watching Skippy, The Brady Bunch or Bewitched on that old-fashioned thing called the television or box!

FREE PARKING

NOW OPEN

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ut our kids of today are different. Instead of being warned about getting square eyes from watching the box, they are glued to YouTube. It’s mostly innocent, but there’s also a dark side to YouTube you may be unaware of. As with the rest of the internet, you can find porn, hate speech, profanity and stolen content on a massive scale. But the biggest difference is that YouTube allows kids to create and share videos, as well as consume them. In theory, you must be at least 13 years old before you can upload videos. That’s the minimum age for creating a Google account, thanks to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The reality, though, is quite different. There are vast numbers of underage YouTubers uploading content. If you don’t believe me, then jump on YouTube yourself and search same simple concepts like “Am I pretty?” then count the number of videos posted by little girls. At the very least, if your kids upload videos without your knowledge, they might reveal personal information to thousands of total strangers. Plus, they will certainly expose themselves to bullies and worse in that cesspool of human depravity known as YouTube comments. If you’re blindly letting your kids on YouTube without thinking twice, I strongly recommend that it’s time to start thinking twice, and the best place to start is the check their viewing history and get a gauge on what they are watching and how they are using YouTube. To do this, simply: From you home computer: • Go to the YouTube website • Click the navigation menu bottom in the top left corner • Click History From an IOS App • Click on the Library button in the bottom left corner • Click on History From an Android App • Click on the Library button in the bottom left

corner • Click on History If you find that your child is accessing YouTube content that is not appropriate or you simply feel it’s time to take a little more control of their YouTube viewing, you can take some simple steps to make it a safer online environment. Turn on safety mode Be aware that YouTube is technically only for teens 13 and up, and what the site considers age-appropriate may not match your values. But YouTube offers a filter called Safety Mode, that limits the suspect content. Simply scroll down to the bottom of any YouTube page. See where it says “Safety”? Click it on. (It will then remain on for logged-in users on the same browser.) Take YouTube’s advice Most kids find out about new videos either from their friends or by clicking on the related videos (which may or may not be appropriate). But YouTube itself offers several ways to find quality content. Visit YouTube Nation for curated content in a variety of categories. Read about YouTube news on the company blog, and find out what’s trending all over the country on the Map and the Dashboard. Watch later YouTube gives you the ability to save videos to watch at a later time, which improves the odds that your kids will be exposed to stuff you’ve preapproved. You can create playlists, too, virtually designing a customised programming schedule of content for each of your kids or for different subjects they’re interested in. If all else fails and you feel you simply don’t have the time to be researching and monitoring your kids’ online activities, then I strongly recommend investing in an online filtering system for your home computer and kids’ portable devices. This simply removes all the worry and time needed to keep up to date, when your kids are generally one step ahead anyway. Cyber Mum www.cybermumaus.com www.facebook.com/cybermumaus

focusinterview.

Dementia Awareness

Month DR VAIBHAV TYAGI

While our population ages rapidly, Dr Vaibhav Tyagi is working hard to raise awareness within the Coﬀs Coast community about the prevention and treatment of dementia and the need to create a dementia friendly city and society. FOCUS ﬁnds out more about Dr Tyagi’s work, what the signs of dementia are, and how it might be prevented.

hat is your connection to the Coffs Coast? I moved from Ballarat and Melbourne to live in Coffs Harbour three years ago. I am very happy living in Coffs Harbour and getting involved with the Coffs Coast Community. It is a wonderful place to live and work. How and why did you become a geriatrician? In order to qualify as a geriatrician in Australia, it requires many years of physician training to become a specialist physician, followed by an additional three years of fellowship training in geriatric medicine. This branch of medicine specifically deals with the care of our elderly population, who often have multiple medical problems and complex medical, psychological and social issues. During my physician training, I also gained experience in various other branches of medicine, such as pharmacology, drug and alcohol, neurology and cardiology, but I enjoyed caring for the elderly, as it is a rewarding and satisfying experience which makes a change for the better in our community. Therefore, I decided to become a geriatrician. As you would be aware, all over the world the life expectancy is increasing, leading to a greater number of elderly people who require specialist care, support and services. You specialise in dementia diagnosis, care and treatment. Can you tell us more about this work? Dementia is often misunderstood in the community, as well as in the medical fraternity. Many people equate it to forgetfulness and memory problems, but actually it is much more than simply forgetting things. Assessment for dementia requires experienced skills and is time consuming.

A framework of a person’s life needs to be constructed together with information from family members and friends, before selecting appropriate memory tests along with different medical tests, before arriving at a diagnosis of dementia, as it has significant implications and consequences for the person and the family. There are different types of dementia, which do not behave in a similar fashion. It is important to accurately diagnose dementia and identify which type of dementia is present, and then provide an appropriate treatment. Care in dementia has multiple components, including medical care, social care and supports, legal dimensions of care, caring for the carer, diet and nutrition, appropriate physical exercises, management of medications, psychological aspects of care including identification of behavioural problems and making a person centred plan of care. Therefore, dementia care is not simply writing a prescription alone. A rapid increase in the cases of dementia has been widely reported. How will this affect the Coffs Coast community? Yes, the number of people living with dementia is increasing every day. In the Coffs Coast region, more than 1,400 people are living with dementia, and the number is expected to rise substantially in the next few years. Like any community, we will face challenges in the form of limitations in the number of carers available, challenges in getting more residential aged care facility beds and increasing pressure on the hospital system. There are direct and indirect costs involved with dementia, including loss of productivity and intangible costs such as emotional and social suffering, which cannot be estimated. We need to become a dementia friendly city and society soon.

How are you working to raise awareness of dementia in the area, and why is this so important? We need to raise awareness regarding dementia in order to prevent it, diagnose it early, provide care for people suffering with dementia and become a dementia friendly community. I am trying to increase awareness regarding dementia and aspects of dementia care in many ways, including providing health education to my patients, as well as their carers, and organising community events. On World Alzheimer’s Day (21st September) we organised a full day’s educational event, called “Take a journey through Dementia”, to provide information about various aspects of dementia, including medical, social, legal, and psychological aspects of care. I am also in the process of starting a community group to bring together evidence-based information to promote health and well-being and provide scientific relevant information on dementia. Is dementia preventable? This is a common question asked not only in the community, but also in the medical community. Because there is a lack of information about treatment options and prevention of dementia, many in the community believe that dementia cannot be prevented, which is not true. As per a review published in The Lancet Journal in July 2017 that considered extensive data and many research trials, there is a potential to delay or prevent one third of dementia cases. I believe there is certainly a potential to prevent dementia by active interventions, including diet, activity and lifestyle, as well as better control of vascular diseases and by preventing head trauma. The type of dementia will determine care and treatment options, as well as the lifespan of a person. Thanks Dr Tyagi.

Menopausal Vaginal Atrophy Treatment Menopausal Vaginal Atrophy Treatment with the Microablative Fractional CO2 Laser Vulvovaginal mucosal atrophy is seen in a good proportion of menopausal women, with symptoms such as decreased vaginal lubrication with resultant dryness, itchiness, dyspareunia and contact bleeding. Treatment of the above problem with local or systemic therapies give little relief. Using the well-proven ability of the pulsed fractional CO2 Laser for mucosal regeneration, a significant clinically appreciated thickening of the mucosa and collagen synthesis is noted in the vagina. The Pentagon Grand Ultra-Pulse CO2 Fractional Laser is used for three treatments at 2 monthly intervals. No anaesthesia is required for the treatment, with each session taking approximately 30 minutes. A recent Pap smear is a requirement and recovery takes about two weeks with some vaginal discharge needing the use of pads. The treatment is now available at the Plastic Cosmetic Laser Surgery Centre. Please call for more information.

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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

Tia Roby

2 5 Y E A R O L D H O S P I TA L I T Y P R O F E S S I O N A L

Thank you for such a positive response to last month’s story about Megan Whittaker. This month we are catching up with Tia Roby and her Personal Trainer, Kylie Calder, to hear her inspiring story. Tia is a mother of two, who is getting married soon and wants to get in shape for her big day.

hat is your diet and exercise back ground? Previously I was sitting at about 100 kg, give or take, and decided I needed to change my habits so my son didn’t grow up thinking it was normal to be of that size. With the hard work I put in, I got myself down to 72 kg; this took a good eighteen months or so, but that all changed when I fell pregnant again. So, where do you think it all went wrong? Upon discovering I was expecting my daughter in early 2016, my exercise patterns began to suffer for fear I would have the same pregnancy complications I experienced while pregnant with my son in 2011. I slowed right down and then came the cravings - foods high in sugar and bacon. Oh, the bacon! My exercise didn’t pick back up the way I wanted it to after she was born, either due to trying to maintain a household, breastfeeding and returning to work only 10 weeks after she came along. What motivated you to find a solution to the problem? My brother bought my wedding dress as a gift, but it’s a smaller size. Knowing this, I wanted it anyway, because it’s the dress I had my eye on for ages; so this is my current motivation to get to the size I’ll be happy with. I am getting married on the 30th September 2017, and I didn’t want to look back at our wedding photos and be disappointed about the way I look in them. How did you go about making that positive change? Knowing that Personal Training had helped in the past, I looked into joining a gym and personal training. After getting to know what goals my fiancée, Pat, and I wanted to achieve, we spoke with the Club Manager at Coffs Coast Health Club Moonee, Lee, and he pointed us in the direction of Kylie. I have set myself the goal of trying to get back down to 75 kg in time for our wedding; my starting 56 Coffs Coast focus

point was 97 kg. Why did you choose Kylie as your Personal Trainer, and what have you been doing together to archive your goals? As mentioned before, Lee pointed out that Kylie would best suit our goals after getting to know what we wanted out of PT, and from there she has worked with us to come up with training sessions to specifically target our problem areas. Every week we do something different to change up our workout and keep our bodies guessing, so it doesn’t become mundane. She is always giving us tips on diet and exercises out of our PT sessions as well, which is a good help when working out on our own. What are your goals for the future? My main goal in life is to be as best a role model for my kids that I can be in all aspects, not just with health and fitness, though that is one of the more important things. I want my kids to grow up loving being active and healthy. I feel like a better person when exercising and eating well, and want to continue to do so in the future. I also get inspired by friends and family who watch my journey and decide to change their way of life due to the outcome of mine. This is the perfect example of working hard to get results. What is the most useful advice you could share with other readers? Taking those first steps to a healthy life are the hardest; changing your eating habits and doing only 30 minutes of exercise a few times a week will help. It becomes easier the more you do it, until it’s “second nature”. You would be surprised at what your body can do if you push yourself out of your comfort zone a little bit. Your biggest enemy is your own self-doubt. Thanks for sharing, Tia, and if you are looking to kickstart your own inspirational fitness story, call Kylie directly on 0414 257 086, or drop in to see the team at either Coffs Coast Health Club Toormina or Moonee, to get started today.

focus_contributor

Set your feet up for

Success.

(Not injury)

hen you walk, you put the force of as much as five times your body weight on each foot, and that force rises as you increase your speed. If the foot doesn’t absorb that shock and redistribute it properly, you can develop a range of problems in your ankles, knees, hips, back, and even the neck and head. So, what can go wrong? With some people, the structure of their foot and ankle, weakness of certain muscles or even the way they have learned to run can cause the foot to roll in or roll out too much, causing strain on the body. Rolling in too much is the most common problem across the population. Excessive Pronation: To provide shock absorption, your foot needs to roll in (or pronate) when it first hits the ground. However, if it rolls in too much, or over pronates, this causes the arches to collapse and the foot to elongate. This unnatural elongation puts excessive strain on the ligaments, muscles and nerves in the foot. Over time, the ongoing elongation of the foot may overstretch the plantar fascia, causing inflammation and heel pain. You may also experience discomfort in the arch and sole of the foot. But it doesn’t stop there. Overpronation puts extra stress on the knees, shins, thighs and pelvis, which in turn puts additional strain on the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the lower leg. Yikes! What should I do to prevent injury? Gait Analysis: The first thing you should do is to have your gait analysed. Don’t rely on someone simply watching you. Even the most experienced practitioner can’t spot all of the issues in the fraction of a second that your foot is in contact with the ground when you walk or run. Seek out a computerised scanning system that

Now that spring has arrived, are you like many others who have emerged from the winter hibernation and embarked on your latest fitness kick? If you plan to be hitting the pavement, you first need to make sure your feet are set for success.

will provide a detailed analysis of your feet and how they move. At Mid North Coast Physio, we use Gaitscan, which records timing and pressure distribution as you walk across a pressure plate, giving a clear and detailed picture of your foot mechanics. Armed with this information, you can make considered decisions about what to do next. The Right Shoes: Some of the abnormalities picked up in your gait scan can be compensated for with the right running shoes. A stable, cushioned shoe can help mild overpronation. Over supinators will do better in a more neutral or lightweight shoe. Shoe Insoles and Custom Orthotics: If your biomechanical problems are severe or you are already experiencing foot pain, your physiotherapist may talk to you about shoe insoles or custom orthotics. Orthotics are designed to create a solid foundation for the body and correct or prevent foot abnormalities. There are many different shapes and sizes available over the counter. But the best solution is usually custom-made orthotics that precisely fit your foot. Strengthen Your Feet and Ankles: Exercises to strengthen your feet (especially your big toe) and ankles can help reduce the risk of injury and even correct some biomechanical abnormalities. Calf raises, single leg hops and barefoot yoga can all help. A good physiotherapist or exercise physiologist will be able to provide you with a personalised exercise regime. If you’d like to have a thorough analysis of your gait pattern and reduce the risk of you suffering an injury, take up our current offer of a FREE computerised Gaitscan assessment. There are only 20 available, so call now on 1300 273747 to secure your spot. Most of all, enjoy your running!

Community Initiatives

McDonald’s is proud to support local children and local groups throughout the Mid North Coast community through their Junior Grants Program. Most people would agree that standing up in front of a crowd of unfamiliar faces to present a speech is daunting.

olli Raphael, who is a 12-yearold home educated high school student, agrees - even though he enjoys the challenges of public speaking. Last year, Solli was the public speaking finalist of his primary school.

become a national Champion Speedway Rider.

“I have always loved public speaking. I was the public speaking finalist within my school last year. This year, I chose to enter the regional heat for the 2017 National Poetry Slam, and I won.”

When children are introduced to sports early in

While Solli admits that it was a huge challenge and quite nerve wracking to present a recited poem before an audience and judges, he is excited to be chosen to represent NSW in the State Finals of the Australian National Poetry Slam. Held in Sydney in October, Solli will present three recited poems in front of judges and thousands of people in hope for a place in the Nationals event, held at the Sydney Opera House.

“My grandfather recently purchased my motorcycle for me to race on around Australia. Receiving this grant will allow me to compete in many competitions over the year, bringing me one step closer to reaching my dream.” their lives, a healthy mindset is often created as a result. The Lower Bucca Community Preschool won a McDonald’s Junior Grant to assist in the setup costs of an outdoor exercise program for their

“

We want the kids to be confident in every way possible - including their ability in all types of sports.”

“I look forward to representing Coffs Harbour and NSW, and it would help my mum so much if I were successful in receiving the grant to help cover travel, competition and accommodation costs,” expressed Solli in his McDonald’s Junior Grant application. Being a young champion is often a costly hobby. William Joyce recently applied for a McDonald’s Junior Grant, as he would like to continue travelling NSW as a competitive Speedway Rider. William has been riding motorcycles since he was two years of age and entering competitions from the age of four. William would love to

preschool-aged students. “We want the kids to be confident in every way possible - including their ability in all types of sports,” Leah Robinson mentioned, on behalf of the community preschool. The grant will allow Leah and her team to purchase a swing,

basketballs, a bike, yoga equipment, among other sporting items. Other deserving McDonald’s Junior Grant recipients this month were the Coffs Harbour Baseball Association, where over 50 children will benefit from new training and safety equipment, and Alana Wardman, who recently qualified for six events in the Christian School Sports Association. If you are a child or group who needs assistance with your sporting, academic, cultural or community project, we want to hear from you. Jump on the Grants website and apply today: www.maccasjuniorgrant.com.au Coffs Coast focus 57

focusinterview.

SAM BENSON AND NIKKI BLEWITT

Wardrobe Update The

When faced with wardrobes over crowded with designer clothes that they knew they would not wear again, good friends Sam Benson and Nikki Blewitt came up with a fabulous idea to make a return on their investments. Little did they know, a gathering to sell beautiful clothes at home with friends and champagne would turn into a heartwarming event, bringing women from all over the Coﬀs Coast together to share their love of fashion.

hat is your connection to the Coffs Coast? Sam: My parents moved our family to Woolgoolga in 1977. After leaving school, my husband and I travelled extensively throughout Europe and sailed the East Coast of Australia. We returned to Coffs Harbour to raise our two children. Nikki: I relocated to the Coffs Coast from Sydney in 1996 and worked as PA to the GM at Pacific Bay Resort. This is where Sam and I became friends 20 years ago. My husband grew up here, and we have three beautiful sons that we raise here. I love the lifestyle that living on the coast offers us. What is The Wardrobe Update? Sam: The Wardrobe Update is a fun project that Sam and I work on together to share our enthusiasm and love of fashion. I love surrounding myself with happy, positive, energetic women and working with them to make them look and feel fabulous. Nikki: I have worked in the retail industry for 18 years in and around the region. I’ve always loved and enjoyed the clothing industry, but got the most satisfaction in helping ladies to find that perfect outfit and feel great about themselves. The Wardrobe Update offers a fashion experience for everyone. Our pop up shop stocks a curated selection of designer and branded pre-loved pieces. Women can find clothing, shoes jewellery and accessories at a fraction of the original price. For those of you interested in handing over your pre-loved pieces, we sell on consignment. How did it all begin? Our wardrobes were over crowded, and we

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decided to let go of things style ladies purchasing we still loved, but no clothing at the event. The concept of The longer wore. You know Over three days, we will Wardrobe Update is to - the cocktail dress you sell our own items, as get a return on your wore once, the stunning well as consigning for investment pieces pants you purchased other women, with all and give someone else when you lost all that contributors remaining the pleasure of wearing weight (that has since anonymous. something beautiful. reappeared) or that clutch What kind of clothes It’s a win-win! that you just HAD TO and accessories can HAVE. people expect to find? We live in a society of You will find both casual consumerism, where we and formal women’s constantly acquire things that we do not need. It clothing and everything in between. We also is just so wasteful. Why not pass some of those consign accessories such as handbags, shoes, things on for others to enjoy? Everybody has that jewellery, sunglasses and feature brands and item that they know they overspent on and just designer labels. sits there, unworn because we feel too guilty for You can expect to find Sass & Bide, Alice the waste. The idea of The Wardrobe Update is to McCall, Shona Joy, Arnheim, Zimmerman, get a return on your investment pieces and give Talulah, Camilla, Wish, Tsubi, Prada and Oroton, someone else the pleasure of wearing something just to name a few. This will obviously be beautiful. It’s a win-win. different each time, depending on who we are This idea grew organically and kind of took consigning for. We will be updating our Facebook on a life of its own. We started with our own page as items come in and consigners are wardrobes and thought it would be fun to set up appointed. at one of our homes, invite some friends around What has been the response from other and share a few glasses of bubbles. As word got women in the area? out, other ladies approached us, asking if we The first Wardrobe Update was a one-day would sell their clothes. We ended up with so event in July this year. We were overwhelmed many gorgeous clothes to sell, that it outgrew with the positive feedback from ladies of the both of our living rooms. That’s how we ended Coffs Coast. Everyone was so supportive, from up with a pop up shop. the consigners, to the customers and everyone How does the pop up shop work? that helped out. It was our intention to create a store to sell The vibe on the day was amazing; there was a designer and brand name clothing that was bubble of excitement, and we just loved seeing simply to good give away. We source clothes ladies leaving our store with their bags full of from women of the Coffs Coast for women of new clothes and a smile beaming from their face. the Coffs Coast, curating quality designer pieces One lady hugged us as she left, with tears in her for The Wardrobe Update, and we also help eyes, saying, “I would never normally be able

to afford such beautiful things. Thank you so much”. It was a feel good moment for all. We had no idea it would make such an impact. It was so lovely to be able to bring something so positive to all of these ladies. It created a wonderful sense of community. Can men get involved too? Absolutely! They can send their partners off shopping with a pocket full of cash for some guilt-free shopping. It is our promise to the gentlemen of the Coffs Coast that we will save you money! How can people become consigners? We invite anybody wishing to sell their designer or branded pieces to contact us via our Facebook page. We accept all sizes and want to have something beautiful for everyone. We appreciate if items are in good condition, clean, and well presented. What happens to the money made? Most of the money from the items we sell goes back to the consigner. Our commission covers the expenses, including rent and insurance. We will also be donating a percentage of our commission to a local charity. We have chosen Pink Silks as our beneficiary for the upcoming pop up shop. They do important work raising awareness and funds for local women challenged by cancer or illness. Thanks Sam and Nikki.

plug! When Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 October. Where Shop 16 City Boulevard Arcade (Opposite Blush Make-up and Beauty). Special Preview: Wednesday 25th from 5 7pm; tickets $32.50. More Info: facebook.com/samandnik

with Clairvoyant Terri Hall Phone. 0424 818 343

Revamp for Spring with Vast

October 2017

AQUARIUS.

GEMINI.

LIBRA.

JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19

MAY 22 - JUNE 22

SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 23

You may be feeling a little unsettled lately. A new move or the discussion of moving is likely to be on the agenda. Avoid rash decisions, wait for what feels right, and you’ll have no regret. New friends are coming into the picture, so relax and enjoy the social interaction. You have a lot of luck surrounding your situation; set some goals and give yourself permission to receive them. Herderite helps us to see our evolution.

All the hurts from the past are surfacing, so you can recognise how they have changed you. You do have the choice to become more powerful as a result of experiencing these things. You don’t need pity. Amethyst connects us to our higher knowing and wisdom.

This month should bring forward good luck and open new doors for further success. Stay focused on the task at hand, to avoid being overwhelmed. A lot of social activity can also be anticipated. Be sure to have plenty of sleep and journalise your dreams. Citrine attracts good luck.

PISCES.

CANCER.

SCORPIO.

FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20

JUNE 23 - JULY 23

OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 22

The challenges you’re facing at home stem from not being appreciated or honoured. It’s time you try something new to break the dynamics and re-educate those surrounding you to be a little less selfish and more considerate of your needs. A journey is a strong possibility, resulting in further career success. Rose Quartz is wonderful for self-confidence and appreciation.

You are wise souls, so why not try following your own advice given to others in your circumstance? You do deserve happiness, and your desires are very achievable. Love yourself enough to honour your feelings and choices in life, and the rewards will be well worth the effort. Rhodochrosite helps us find our inner child’s joy. of life. Carry it for a couple of weeks.

Life may seem a little suspended at the moment, because you need to let go of something from the immediate past that has been exhausting you and causing sadness. Don’t be afraid to try something different. Your awareness is being called to recognise your creativity, because it’s through this talent you will be drawing success near. Turquoise is great for self-validation.

ARIES.

LEO.

SAGITTARIUS.

MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 21

A holiday will soon settle some restlessness within. Visit a travel agent or look at some travel brochures, to awaken the adventurous you. A fresh, new perspective will be gained, which will reflect positively back on your life. Expect some new friendships too. Carnelian helps us take active steps towards change.

Ignore your insecurities and fears, and concentrate on your strengths. Wake up your enthusiasm and connect with your fire, the mover and shaker within. Set some fresh goals and lighten up for your party season - the warmer weather. Citrine is a powerful joy strengthener.

Your brightness in your spirit is strength for others at present. Protect this precious commodity by recognising the things that drain you and avoid them. Physical activity is a must for your body at this time, to maintain this happy vibration. Keep yourself intellectually satisfied as well. Citrine connects us to our creative genius.

TAURUS.

VIRGO.

CAPRICORN.

APRIL 21 - MAY 21

AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23

DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 20

Complete change is coming. You can expect an answer to a wish made a few months ago. Give yourself permission to receive it. Don’t worry about what others may think - go chase your dream. Sugilite will connect you to your dreams.

“Enjoy the moment” is this month’s lesson. You have the chance to soul search and look deeply within. Treat your discoveries with respect, as this will help you to grow at a tremendous pace. Self-appraisal should be an honouring process. Kunzite & Hiddenite give us inner balance and harmony. Try wearing some.

Expect total change from your challenging situation. The changes will allow you to experience the feeling of a new beginning so far removed from how it was, that you may feel re-born. Set some fresh goals, and don’t compromise your standards for anyone. Clear quartz is a very powerful amplifier of energy.

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WITH CAROLE BEROS FROM LE DÃIN DESIGNS

ANTIQUE FAIR Baden Lang & Judy Darby

ANTIQUE FAIR Charmaine Millar & John Dempsey

ANTIQUE FAIR Louise Aggett & Will Marsh

ANTIQUE FAIR Lyn Miles and Charmaine Millar - 2

ANTIQUE FAIR Tracey Langhon & Trudy Viles

ANTIQUE FAIR Val Browning, Kkath Bray, Lyn Coupe

George Cecato, Warren Skinner and Denis Martin

Andrew Fraser and Dallas Dogger

David Tubman, Gavin, Eddie White

Social /Scene

here are so many events to cover! There is always something for everyone, with hardworking organisations making it possible to get out and about and enjoy ourselves. Quota International of Coffs Harbour is one of those organisations! Quota International was founded in 1919 and provides basic needs for women, children, the hard of hearing and speech impaired in communities around the world. Coffs Harbour's branch is 55 years old.They recently just staged their super popular annual Antique Fair. We love to attend this event, and this year was their 22nd! The venue was the Coffs Harbour Showground, and this event saw so many dealers get together to showcase their beautiful antiques and collectables. We attended the Gala Preview and Cocktail Party, where we were able to have a first glance of the beautiful items that were going up for sale at the Antique Fair. Guests enjoyed refreshments and some delicious homemade finger food. Aside from the opportunity to purchase the fine china, Australian tools, toys, jewellery, clocks, books, napery, coins and so much more, one could enjoy delicious sandwiches and homemade cakes on the day. Lovely day out for all the family! Quota International of Coffs Harbour has a very exciting event coming up. A Cavalcade of History and Fashion Presentation

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Such beautiful weather here on the Coffs Coast; where else would we want to be? This is like living in paradise ... I must admit, I never take it for granted!

- Bustle to Brides 1880 - 1940 on the 7th October from 2 - 4pm. This event is a collection of original historic gowns and accessories with provenance, dating from the 1700s, preserving Australia’s social and fashion industry. I definitely will not be able to resist this! For enquiries, call Charmaine on 6656 1969 or Judy 6653 3818. There has certainly been a fast run of social events just recently, all charging up towards the annual Stars of the Coffs Coast Dance for Cancer. One of the pre-fundraisers was staged at the fabulously revamped Best Western Zebra Motel. Simon Chladil and Daryl Brown have turned it into something special. The night was 1920s themed, and there was certainly lots of scrumptious food. Champagne and canapés were served at the bar, and guests were then escorted into the dining room to sit and relax and enjoy a delicious three course meal. Love the booth style super comfortable seats and mellow lighting - comfort is a must to complete the whole dining experience. The entertainment for the evening was provided by Speak Easy Jazz Band … Such a fab trio! Certainly a band I will be hiring for my next event. If you are looking for a venue with atmosphere to have that special event or to simply just enjoy a delicious meal, The Best Western Zebra Motel is the place to go! Great night out, lots of fun, with money raised for such a worthy cause.

Another great night out to look forward to is the Pink Silks Ladies and Tradies Night. This event will be held on the 27th October from 6:30pm at the Hoey Moey. This will be the second of its kind, and this year’s beneficiary will be the Coffs Coast local emergency services. Funds will be used to purchase the Coffs Coast’s very first specialised All-Terrain Medical Rescue Vehicle. This vehicle will be fitted with the first response equipment and provide access to areas that NSW Ambulance cannot normally negate. It will transfer paramedics and doctors to difficult access scenes, providing care that could otherwise be delayed due to retrieval on foot. This will be a fun filled event for an amazing cause! For info or to purchase tickets, please email info@pinksilks.com.au The Beachfront Opal Cove Resort was the venue of choice for the North Coast Primary Health Network (NCPHN) to host the 2017 Primary Health Care Excellence Awards. The evening saw 120 members from the Department of Health, local health districts, primary health network and community, along with members of the aged care, allied health and social services, come together to recognise 14 finalists seen to be bringing better health to the North Coast region. A fun and inspiring night was had by one and all. We attended the Sawtell Art Group’s 30th

Annual Exhibition Launch just recently. Apart from covering the event for FOCUS, Le Dãin Designs has the pleasure of being one of the Major Sponsors for the Art Centre, and the freshwater pearls donated goes towards the prize pool for one of the winning artists. The exhibition is running at the moment; don’t miss out! Our family are rally nuts! It is "The Husband's" fifth year being a rally official, and he gets a special presentation to acknowledge the five year effort with a hat, or something he'll love. Being part of the FOCUS family definitely has its perks sometimes, so when I had the job to take some pics for the launch of the rally at the beautiful Two Tails Winery, you couldn't see me for dust! FOCUS attended the grand opening of the new Iveco and Hino truck dealership, operated by Automotive Holdings Group. The new premises is located on Isles Drive and was attended by Deputy Mayor George Cecato, General Manager of Coffs Harbour City Council Steve McGrath, and various managers from the Iveco and Hino brands. Attendees of the grand opening enjoyed canapés and refreshments whilst perusing the many trucks showcased. Here is to ... Living in the fast lane ... Attending the RALLY! Carole, Le Dãin Designs.

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WITH CAROLE BEROS FROM LE DĂƒIN DESIGNS

Catherine Clyne and Melissa Felton

Kylie Sinclair and Mayor Denise Knight

Chris Nixon, Betty Heaslip and Alissa Smith

Mike Young, Scotty Graham, Nathan Quinn, Even Bollard, Dave Baker, Anthony Bell

Chenoa Wilson and Patrick Duthie

Lilly Lucic, Geoff Smyth, Shelley Turner

Diane Osborn and Beth Holroyd

Kathryn Black and Craig Black

Kerrie Fraser, Adelaide Zietsch and Andrew Fraser

AJ and Daniel Butcher

Chris Frater, John Mostyn, Sean Richard

Deputy Mayor, George Cecato at the opening of new Iveco and Hino building

Area Manager of Castrol QLD, Chris at the Iveco new building opening

Matt and Vicky Hunter

Dr Ruthnam with Deepak William

Dr Ruthnam recipient of the Primary Health Care Excellence Awards 2017 Life Recognition Award

Annette Kramer and Elizabeth Ruthnam

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Simon is the genius behind our favourite “ride-share”- Go Buggy. FOCUS found out how you can be a part of this rapidly growing new company ...

buggy

e’re sure you hear this a lot, but what is a Go Buggy? There is a new industry in Australia called ride-share. Similar to a taxi, we get you from A to B at a more affordable rate. Basically, people can either use a mobile phone app or call our local 1300 GO BUGGY call centre to request a pickup, and we get a driver on the way. Simple! So, how does it differ to a regular taxi service? In many ways. We too are a NSW government accredited service provider, and we get people from A to B, but that is pretty much where the similarities end. Firstly, we are cheaper than a taxi’s standard rate and always will be. Taxi pricing is regulated, which means they charge a rate determined by the IPART [Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal] where we can charge less. Secondly, at Go Buggy, the team has a strong focus on customer service. Every driver, where safe to do so should be opening the car door for customers and assisting them with their luggage, in addition to driving them to their door. No getting out on the kerb to carry your bags in with Go Buggy!

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Another difference is the ability to get the same driver. Customers can call our call centre and request a specific driver to pick them up. Many of our customers have a favourite driver, and our system allows the customer to get who they want and the drivers to build a client base. A big difference is when you book a job in, it is allocated to a driver - not placed in a queue around your pick up time, in the hope of being picked up. This is why we now have a strong user base for airport transfers. People know that our drivers will be there five minutes before their scheduled time. Just like any normal driver, we can’t stop in a Taxi Rank, but we will pick you up from anywhere you want. All we hear is good things about Go Buggy. What has made it so successful? I think a combination of factors. Some people are focused on price, whilst others are focused on the quality service we provide. We cater for both. We have economy options and options for those wanting a more luxurious ride. At the end of the day, we listen to what our customers want. We don’t dictate a certain level of service; we listen and develop. Personally, I think our success comes from our team of contract drivers, who are the face

of Go Buggy. They do an incredible job, and I couldn’t be more proud. Is travelling in a Go Buggy safe? Absolutely. I strongly vet each candidate, before we offer them a contract. This includes a national Police Clearance that goes back 20 years, taking into account Spent Convictions, and all drivers are cleared to work with vulnerable clients. We also conduct other due diligence proceedures to make sure we only have the best. What about being a driver; is it dangerous? I don’t want to jinx us, but in the thousands of trips we have done in Coffs Harbour, we have never had an adverse incident and never had anyone be ill in a vehicle. I think it comes down to the respect we show our customers and the respect we get back. People just love Go Buggy and appreciate the service! Do drivers work set shifts? No, they get to choose when they work. Some work days, some work nights, some a couple of hours here and there. It is all up to the individual and how much they want to

drive their own business. What do you mean by “their own business”? An Australian Taxation Ruling makes every driver a contractor, so we have them treat it like their own business, and we help develop that business and client base. Do you need more drivers? Absolutely. Anyone who has had a full licence for at least 12 months with an outgoing personality is encouraged to apply. We have hit our growth limit on the weekends at the moment, missing around 60 - 80 jobs a night. That’s money that could be going to an eager contractor! Where else does Go Buggy operate? We operate in Coffs and Port Macquarie, with a Wagga launch just around the corner, Bathurst and Orange before Christmas, and we are currently in talks with the NT government about our launch there. How do people find out more? Easy; just call 1300 GO BUGGY and follow the instructions. Thanks Simon.

... some people are focused on price, whilst others are focused on the quality service we provide. We cater for both.

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CHESS Smart Skilled & Hired Staﬀ Danielle & Vincent

C A R E E R S

G U I D E

Tips young 4 REAL LIFE

jobseekers FOR

Starting down a career path is usually top of mind for school leavers and young people. The loaded questions, “What do you want to do? Who do you want to be?” weigh heavy on the mind. It’s a tonne of pressure for a young person to deal with, and the road to success is not always linear.

conomic, social and political boundaries have shifted, and young people manage a unique set of challenges in a world that is more agile, changeable and fast paced than ever before. If you’re a young person about to set off on your career journey, here are a few real life tips that will help to connect you the right opportunities. 1. Lock down your social Potential employers can and will go online and stalk your profiles. If you’re fast and loose on social media, take advantage of your privacy settings and lock down your profiles. Even a throwaway comment or pic might trip up an opportunity for you. If you’re comfy having public profiles, live by this social canon: “Don’t post anything you

wouldn’t be happy for your old Granny to see”. 2. Spend time with yourself Having a better understanding of what drives you and where your values lie will go a long way in directing you towards the type of work you want and the industry you work in. Spend the time to get to know yourself before you start out on a career path. Good news, you’re young - time is on your side! 3. Follow what you’re good at Chances are you have a certain hobby or interest that you spend a lot of time doing. It might not seem like something you could turn into a career, but why not try to leverage the skills you’ve built and explore complimentary career opportunities? Maybe you’re a mad gamer? Have you thought about a career in

Smart, Skilled and

tech? Do you love watching films or reading? Consider studying the arts. Are you a social butterfly who loves bringing people together? Look into a career in PR or event management. If you get bored easily, finding a career path that excites you will help keep you motivated and on track. 4. Take advice when you need it Do your research. Go online, talk to people and find supports in your local area that will help you achieve your goals. There are services out there designed specifically to help get young people into work. This is especially true in regional Australia, where there are more barriers to employment. An initiative like the Smart, Skilled and Hired Youth Employment Program has recently been launched across NSW to help young people and school leavers

hired Youth Employment program

WE HELP YOUNG PEOPLE FIND WORK! CHESS’ new Smart, Skilled and Hired Youth Employment program, connects young people to training, work experience and mentoring with dedicated support to build their skills and get them into the workforce.

become work ready and kick-start a fulfilling career. A bit about CHESS Employment If you’re a young person recently out of school or unemployed, we want to help you get a job! Our Smart, Skilled & Hired Youth Employment Program is aimed at supporting young people and school leavers into training and employment. We can help connect you with training, mentoring and work experience placements to build your skills and experience and get you into the workforce. Let’s Chat! Our dedicated Smart, Skilled & Hired staff Danielle & Vincent are ready to give you the one-on-one support you need! Contact us today: 1800 899 017 www.chessemployment.com.au

Smar Skille t, d and

hired

T 1800 899 017

W www.chessemployment.com.au

#SMARTSKILLEDHIRED Proudly funded by

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Kathryn

Thornber

COSTUME DESIGNER

After visiting the set of Russel Crowe’s film Cinderella Man, Kathryn Thornber decided she wanted a part of the action and has recently finished the Diploma of Costume for Performance. FOCUS caught up with Kathryn to check out the impressive costumes she has created so far and find out more about how they were made.

hat is your connection to the Coffs Coast? I moved here about 15 years ago from a small town named Corowa, near Albury. What or who inspired you to become a costume designer? I first started talking about becoming a costume designer when my mum was working for Russell Crowe. She worked for him as a personal chef for 14 years, which meant I got to visit a movie set for his film Cinderella Man. I loved seeing all the costumes and how the movies are created. I chose costume work over fashion because it was more practical, while fashion involves computers and more theory work. I also thought that costume design was more creative and free, with fewer guidelines to stick to when designing. Can you tell us about the course you recently completed? I recently finished studying a Diploma of Costume for Performance at Wollongbar TAFE, which I highly enjoyed. My teachers, Nikki Herington and Susan Munro, were fantastic; I learnt so many skills from them and am so grateful to them for everything they have helped me to achieve. I have left there with a whole new skill set that will get me through my career, as well as skills for life. When I started in 2016 we had around 10 girls in the course and we graduated with just three - Morgan Goodluck, Jenn chesworth and myself. You could definitely say we were a very close group by the end of it. Late last year we went to New Zealand for the World of Wearable Arts Competition, which was amazing to see.

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Throughout the course I made 10 very detailed costumes, starting with a metal breastplate that I made to enter into the Wearable Arts Comp and ending in my major work of Beauty and the Beast. Can you describe some of the costumes you have made recently and the work that goes into them? I finished my Beauty and the Beast major final work for TAFE in late June. Unfortunately, half way through my major work, a very close friend whom I considered family passed away, which meant I had nine days to make two whole costumes. The Beauty costume had over 80 metres of gather fabric on the skirt and a massive petticoat underneath with steels inserted, a corset and a cloak. The Beast costume had a waistcoat, coat, pants, fluffy beast legs, a pirate style shirt with ruffles, a neck bib with ruffles and a collar. The Beast’s waistcoat and coat has an exact replica of the design pattern from the costume in the recent remake of Beauty and the Beast. To do this, I had to print out close ups of the patterns and redraw them to the size I needed for my garments; I then transferred these patterns on to a screen and screen-printed them on to the cut out fabric. A lot of work went into making these costumes from scratch, starting with designing, pattern making, toiling, final patterns, sewing the costumes and finishing with all of the hand beading and hand sewing. This amount

of work goes into every costume I’ve ever made. What is your favourite aspect of this work? My favourite aspect would have to be the creative side for sure; each costume I have made is completely my design and can be as wild and crazy as I want it to be. I feel like I express my personality and myself through my costumes. It’s all up to how creative I can be, so there’s nothing that can really be too over the top with a costume - the more over the top it is, the better the costume normally is. Are there particular styles or materials you like working with? I love making corsets and tutus and really enjoyed those particular units of my course. Cotton is the easiest to work with, but it really it depends on what sort of costume you’re making as to what material you use, because you have to use the right material to give the right effect. You also make formal dresses. Do you have

I feel like I express my personality and myself through my costumes. It’s all up to how creative I can be, so there’s nothing that can really be too over the top.

any tips for being the best dressed this season? To be honest, I don’t follow fashion trends, but I’m a firm believer in feeling comfortable in what you wear - especially for a formal dress, because you will be wearing it all night. The last thing I would want to do is feel uncomfortable at a formal, so I tell the girls “as long as you feel comfortable in it, we’re good”. Another thing I say to girls when asking about formal dresses is you want it to look flattering and for the dress to suit you, rather than just be the latest trend. A good formal dress should make you feel good about yourself and give you confidence. What would be your dream job as a costume designer? As a costume designer I would love to work on movie sets making costume for major films. I would have loved to work on the TV Series Reign, which is about Mary, Queen of Scots. I love all of the old fashioned costumes. Making costumes like that would be my dream job for sure, but I would also love the chance to work for the Australian Ballet one day with all of the wonderful and different styles of tutus. Thanks Kathryn.

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chandler macleod.

Trendz

Hair and Beauty

Trendz Beauty & Training Coffs Harbour offer personalised quality training in an adult learning environment. Their educators are highly respected industry professionals who offer a wealth of knowledge and experience. FOCUS had a chat to the director, Karen Aide, to find out more …

ake us back to the beginning ... What is the history of Trendz? Carol Williams opened Trendz Beauty and Training in 2007. Carol, who had been a trainer with various other RTOs, saw a gap in the market for a boutique college that could deliver beauty therapy in a fun, friendly environment with teachers/educators who have a passion for the industry and desire to pass the knowledge on to their students. As the school grew, so did the demand for quality training on the Mid North Coast, which led to the establishment of a Coffs Harbour campus in 2013. 2017 has been a huge year for Trendz, which saw us officially join forces with Port Macquarie Community College, where we are now operating under its training arm - SkillsLink Training. This is an exciting development for us and will enable our students to access additional support and funding, if eligible, to enrol in many of our courses. What do you specialise in? Our flagship course is Diploma of Beauty Therapy. This comprehensive diploma includes skills such as facials, waxing, manicure, pedicure, makeup, massage, hot stone and spa therapies, giving students the opportunity to work in many areas of the industry, from home salons, day spas, medi spas, health retreats, mobile salons and cruise ships. Cert III Nail Technology is the industry standard course, which opens the door to give you the skills to operate your own business in the fast-growing nail industry. Manicure,

pedicare acrylic/gel nails, nail art and e-file, this course covers all the aspects needed to be up and running your new business, renting a chair in a salon, mobile or working from home, in no time at all. Diploma of Screen and Media is an exciting, creative diploma which has it all - hair, makeup and business management. Work in TV, fashion, magazines or even movies - the possibilities are endless. Learn the history and application of makeup and special effects, with project work including designing and making elaborate hair pieces such as those you see on the catwalks and in movies such as Pricilla Queen of the Desert. We also specialise in short accredited and non-accredited courses, which cater to both the public as well as professionals seeking to add to or update their skills as professional development. What services do you offer to the general public, and how does one go about booking a treatment? We offer a clinic with a range of treatments and services for the public to access at reduced prices. This gives students the opportunity to turn their skills and knowledge into real life work experience, while under the watchful eye of the teachers who oversee the work. Where do we find out more? To find out more about our courses, call head office 6516 2238 or go to our website: www.trendzbeauty.com.au or www.skillslinktraining.com.au or our Facebook page. We have some great classes starting in the coming weeks, so don’t put it off - call us today and start your new career.

Can you tell us a little bit more about Chandler Macleod and the lovely team here in Coffs? From humble beginnings and just one staff member, our Chandler Macleod Coffs Harbour business kicked off in 2009 and has been supporting employers and job seekers on the Mid North Coast for the past eight years. Our current team of four includes a recent addition, Sherie Hastie, who has many years’ recruitment experience both locally and throughout Australia. Sherie has particular strengths in the civil and blue collar recruitment space, and we are excited to have her on board. Jo Young joined the team in 2016, bringing with her a wealth of payroll and rostering experience, and Jo Ellerman has recently rejoined our team, bringing with her many years of government recruitment experience. We are all very pleased to have Jo back! Our Manager, Kristy Madaffari, with seven years’ tenure now with the business, has grown the Chandler Macleod brand and business significantly during this time. Kristy’s strengths lie in the specialist and professional recruitment space, assisting organisations with their accounting, ICT, HR, procurement and engineering requirements. Now, we can all see there has been an abundance of new projects and developments here on the Coffs Coast. Have you been involved in anything exciting of late? We have a couple of exciting new Civil Projects that we are working on in the Grafton and Yamba areas that are about to kick off. This means we are very keen to hear from people who have experience in the civil industry,

ranging from engineering, plant operators, contract administrators, labourers and pipe layers. How does Chandler Macleod fit into the recruitment industry? Chandler Macleod is one of the largest HR and Recruitment organisations in Australasia, with over 40 offices across Australia, NZ, Singapore and Hong Kong. Our office in Coffs Harbour is supported by significant infrastructure, and this has enabled us to become a diverse and thriving business here on the NSW coast and beyond. We deliver recruitment solutions to our clients in all industries and in all roles. That's great ... And what other services can you provide? Chandler Macleod Coffs Harbour also offers Psychometric Assessment services (and in fact, this is what underpins our organisation), pre-employment drug and alcohol screening and random drug testing for existing employees. We know Chandler Macleod is our first choice on the Coffs Coast, but what other regions do you cover? Our Coffs Harbour branch covers a large demographic, ranging from Taree to Tweed and out west to Moree and Bathurst. Our dedicated team travels to all our sites up and down the coast, keeping up to date with the needs of both our clients and our candidates. How can people get in contact with you, and whom would you encourage them to call? I would encourage people who are interested in registering with Chandler Macleod for work to call Sherie Hastie on 6659 2058 today!

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Nick Johnstone E D U C A T I O N A L

CONTRIBUTOR

The Soft Skills are Key Skills.

W I T H

B D C

P R I N C I P A L

he NAPLAN data around Australia has just been released, and there will be a variety of articles in newspapers about the fall in Australian standards or the importance of public versus private or city versus country schools. The unaddressed question in all of this hazy and unproductive debate is - are students learning the right things to flourish in the real world? Earlier in the year, the Mitchell Institute at Victoria University released a report highlighting the “new work smarts”. This report did not garner the publicity that it deserved. The report focused on the importance of critical thinking skills, worker creativity, the ability to solve problems and show initiative, in addition to the fundamental importance of being able to collaborate and work productively in teams. Mitchell Institute Director, Meagan O’Connell, stated that “traditional knowledge and jobspecific skills alone are not enough to thrive in the global workforce that experiences constant change”. Speaking at a school board meeting recently, which is composed of successful, innovative local employers, it was highlighted to me their hunger to employ independent and resilient problem solvers with good communication and teamwork skills. The Mitchell Institute report also noted the importance of communication, collaboration, problem-solving and the emotional skills that Daniel Goleman popularised back in the 1990s. This combination of skills is collectively called the “soft skills” in recruitment circles.

N I C K

J O H N S T O N E

These soft skills include communication skills; the ability to be self-motivated; initiative and leadership; to be self-aware and responsive; to work in a team; to be decisive; to be flexible and to be problem solvers and show the ability to negotiate and resolve conflict or disputes without engaging management. Ron Richhart, Harvard University, noted these soft skills as dispositions. He also added the characteristics of being considerate, compassionate and open-minded and to be a good listener. High-quality early education can set foundations for children to learn these soft skills, as they are not knowledge dependent. These soft skills need to be integrated into as many learning opportunities as possible throughout their schooling years. Parents play a key role in this area as well. Helping their children by providing opportunities for them to show initiative, self-awareness and responsibility. The old fashioned idea of chores can be brought back into style, as these family roles provide an opportunity for the soft skills to be practised in the home. Schools with leadership programs, outdoor education experience, and service clubs as academic pathways also provide opportunities to build on these soft skills that are key to future development. So, are students learning the right things to flourish in the real world? My answer is yes, but the soft skills need to have more time in the sun. Parents and schools need to provide as many opportunities as possible for our children to develop these skills.

Schools with leadership programs, outdoor education experience, and service clubs as academic pathways also provide opportunities to build on these soft skills that are key to future development.

To ﬁnd out more about a BDC education, register for a tour or receive an information pack please email enrolments@bdc.nsw.edu.au or phone 02 6651 5644

Enrolling Now 2018 Kindy to Year 12 LIMITED places available

Bishop Druitt College | 111 North Boambee Rd. Coffs Harbour NSW 2450 02 6651 5644 | secretary@bdc.nsw.edu.au | www.bdc.nsw.edu.au

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T H E

A N N U A L

C O F F S

Map Training MAP Training is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) that was established in 2002 and has consistently been providing quality training and assessments for the general and civil construction industries. MAP Training specialises in onsite and site specific training and assessments, as well as classroom based training. Our services cover a large-scale area, ranging from Northern NSW to the south of Sydney. MAP Training is accredited to deliver Australia wide. Our courses include a range of High Risk Licences (SafeWork NSW approved), Plant Operations, Traffic Control, General construction and specific short courses. MAP Training has a strong focus on delivering excellent training and customer service. Our Trainers and Assessors are highly experienced and renowned experts in their fields. They have a proven track record in working across all levels of learner competency within the industry. WHY CHOOSE US? At MAP Training, we believe that adequate training by qualified and experienced trainers is paramount to a safe workplace, and by enrolling in one of our courses you can achieve your goal right here on the North Coast. Don’t leave yourself open to hazards in the workplace and potential accidents. Cover all bases and ensure both you and your employees are fully trained and qualified to carry out the work that will be undertaken.

C O A S T

C A R E E R S

G U I D E

earn while you learn.

Coffs Computing Services.

Gain industry experience and formal qualifications through on-the-job training ...

Coffs Computing Services is your local authorised Apple and PC re-seller and repairer.

If you are about to leave school, have been enjoying a GAP year, or perhaps you’re an older person looking for a career change, then you should consider ETC’s Earn While You Learn Program.

Same expert advice, same independent spirit ... NEW LOCATION! Coffs Computing Services - The Vault, Harbour Drive, opposite Coffs Central.

ETC’s General Manager of Training and Business, Karen Busby, said the safety net of earning an income while gaining a qualification to support your new skills was a major bonus of the program.

Coffs Computing Services has been assisting the Coffs Harbour and wider community since 2002. We specialise in Retail, SMB, Education, Medical, and Technical Services. Whilst we are a small local business, we are also a member of Leading Edge Computers, which gives us the backing and the buying power of a very large company, keeping our prices competitive, product range rotating and allowing us to focus on our mission:

“We understand that some young people find it difficult to secure work without experience and that some mature aged people are nervous about a career change, because they will have to re-train,” Mrs Busby said. “That’s why ETC’s Earn While You Learn Program is so beneficial for people of any age, because it combines training and employment.” ETC’s Earn While You Learn Program offers nationally recognised qualifications in Business, Community Services (including Childcare and Aged Care), Hospitality and Retail. ETC’s award-winning industry qualified trainers will visit the participants in the workplace and oversee the training side of the program. For further information, visit www.etcltd.com.au/ earn-while-you-learn-on-the-job-training/ or phone 1800 007 400 and ask to speak to an ETC Training Manager.

ETC’s

To Empower, Inspire, and Enrich lives through technology creating Happiness, allowing our customers to Focus on the things that Matter the most! Our new modern showroom will complement our exclusive product range and our professional team. We aim to provide the Coffs Coast with an interactive, engaging and personal experience. We are looking forward to seeing all our loyal customers and business clients, new and old! We are excited to be able to expand our business to better suit the wants and needs of our customers. Coffs Computing Services - The Vault, Harbour Drive, opposite Coffs Central.

Earn YOU Learn

WHILE

PROGRAM

Available to people of any age Combines training and employment Leave entitlements covered Provides a career path

1800 007 400

etcltd.com.au

RTO 6998

Coffs Coast focus 67

focusinterview

Business Minds with Sam Wardman of CornerPost Creative

BUSINESS MINDS

Daniel F45 TRAINING

an, tell us how you got involved in the fitness industry? I’ve played a range of different sports growing up, and I was always the one to do everything at 100%, or nothing at all. I loved training and all that it’s about. I was thinking about finally starting a proper career after years of just doing jobs that allowed me the time to play Rugby League, without getting in the way. I realised I wasn’t getting any younger and my competitive days were numbered, but I wanted to stay in sport in some capacity. I had a few friends who were already in different aspects of the fitness and health industry who really encouraged me to get going. So, that’s what I did. You’re also a teacher at the Australian Institute of Personal Trainers; what does this role entail? It’s actually a role I pursued purely for selfdevelopment. The thought of standing up in front of people imparting my knowledge to them was actually really daunting, but I knew that to go forward in a career in strength and conditioning, it was about getting comfortable doing that. It has become one of the coolest things I’ve done in my career to date! We deliver the certificate III and IV face-to-face here in Coffs Harbour, which is a total of 52 hours with me in the gym learning every aspect of being a Personal Trainer. The best thing about it, is the students I taught, who applied themselves to their studies, are all doing really well as trainers on the Coffs Coast. I’ve even had the opportunity in my current role at F45 to hire one of them myself, which is really awesome.

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You’ve recently taken over as manager at paramount to our success. F45 Training here in Coffs Harbour. What What marketing do you swear by? does F45 Training offer clients in terms of Social media is huge in the fitness industry. You their fitness? F45 training is a high energy literally have new clients every time a new session environment that has motivation oozing out of is underway, or when a client is happy for you to its walls. It’s a well-rounded program that really share their progress. Word of mouth is big as well does not leave one part of your body at a loss. ... Happy clients tell their friends. The program consists of three cardio-based days In terms of fitness, I think all of us could be a little bit better at and two strength-based prioritising it in our lives. sessions. Across the board, What’s your approach to they are all resistance getting it done? circuit workouts that Well, put simply… you can Well, put simply … By change every day. prioritise your health by making making your health a priority The F45 sessions are it a priority in your life! People in your life. People tend to always overseen by fully tend to use work and use work and other things qualified and reputable other things as a reason as a reason they don’t trainers, so you are always they don’t have time to have time to look after in safe hands, leaving you look after themselves themselves physically. But to focus on the task at physically. But if you set an if you set an hour in your hand. hour in your schedule, like you schedule, like you would do F45 is literally for would do for a business meeting for a business meeting or EVERYONE. I say this or a lunch break, it becomes a a lunch break, it becomes with conviction, because habit then and a part of your day. a habit then and a part of of my experience in the your day. What will it take industry. Some people get for you to understand that the perception that it’s just you only have one body and you need to treat it high intensity and they can’t meet their strength right? I fi nd a lot of people don’t prioritise their goals, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. health and wellbeing enough. The strength sessions we do are among the best What motivates you about the fitness sessions I’ve done. I’m a big believer in full body industry? workouts, and F45 is the definition of that. It’s the opportunity to help people change Being a new player to the Coffs Coast, how their life in some way or another. Whether that’s has F45 built its client base? helping someone lose weight, or to help them Since I have taken over, I’ve really pushed move a weight they thought they had no right in the social media side of things, and it’s really moving. I’m motivated by seeing people’s efforts. been working for me so far. Having a quality I don’t care if you’re the fastest or strongest in product and service that clients enjoy is also very

the room; I can see it on people’s faces - the discomfort. I know that sounds strange, but that discomfort you’re feeling during exercise (not pain, there’s a difference) doesn’t stop there. That’s what it’s about - to physically change something in you! Weight loss seems to be the biggest issue facing Australians, with 63% of adults classed as obese or overweight in 2015 research. What are your top tips for dropping some extras kilos before summer? Start now, or as soon as you finish reading FOCUS … But really, it’s about moving your body as often and as much as you can. If you struggle for motivation, find a friend that you can trust to not let you down. There are some great personal trainers on the Coffs Coast - so find one and let them kick your butt. Now really is go time! You can make a difference straight away. We have a 14-day trial to help you get started too. Keeping your energy up must be crucial to your role of training clients; how do you stay focused? I make sure I get a solid night’s sleep. The 4:30am alarm hurts every morning, but after a few seconds I really do jump out of bed ready to start the day. Knowing that our clients are coming in to put in 100% effort every day really does keep me going. I don’t struggle for motivation as a trainer. In my downtime, I like to really take advantage of refuelling with quality food and plenty of water … If my body feels good, my mind goes with it. Thanks Dan.

Sarah Wood.

W E L C O M E T O A C T I N V E S T.

o Sarah, weâ€™re super curious ... Can you tell us exactly what you do at Act Invest? We are qualified financial advisers; however, we are the first and only ones on the Mid North Coast that are Certified with the Responsible Investment Association Australasia. This means we have been assessed for our expert abilities to offer responsible and ethical advice. We are specialists in providing advice for those clients who want to know exactly what they are invested in when it comes to their super, their investments and their banking. For example, many people may not feel comfortable that their superannuation is invested in fossil fuel companies that contribute to climate change, or that their industry fund invests in live animal exports. We go into the detail of what people may want to exclude from their investments, as well as ensuring their financial plan and strategy is on track. Thatâ€™s very interesting - so what kind of people would you encourage to call? We have assisted a lot of pre retirees and retirees who wanted to ensure their financial plan met their retirement goals, with investments in line with their values. And what connection do you have with the Bendigo Bank? We are proud to be licensed financial

advisers through Bendigo Financial Planning and have our office base at the Bendigo Bank Branch in Coffs Harbour. Bendigo Bank are an example of a bank that not only gives back to the community, but you can also read their statement with regards to investing in the fossil fuel industry. OK, great - and what about the Coffs Coast? Have you been here long? Over 20 years! How do people get in contact with you? Find out more information on our website actinvest.com.au - email us at enquiries@ actinvest.com.au and also call us directly on 0431 299 707. Upcoming event: Global Ethical Investment Week - Make an Impact Wednesday, October 11th, Coffs Harbour Bunker Cartoon Gallery, 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Free event, complimentary drink and nibbles on arrival. Guest Speakers: Alison Crook AO - Director Enova Energy Quyen Dam - Australian Ethical Investment Lisa Wade - Founder/Director Impact 2080 Sarah Wood - ActInvest RSVP: enquiries@actinvest.com.au

Coffs Coast focus 69

ADVERTORIAL

new dynamo introducing our

in Coffs

Helping people achieve their financial goals has been Julian Bryant’s passion since he started out in banking 15 years ago, and here he gives us an insight into what drives this passion.

ow long have you been in the Coffs Coast area? All up, I’ve been in the area for about ten years now. I just love this place! The coast, the beaches, the climate, the rainforest - it’s a fabulous place to live and work, and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. Have you always been in banking? Not always. I started out in horticulture, actually. I have a Trade Certificate in Horticulture and then moved into customer service and customer experience roles. I made the switch to banking 15 years ago now, and I haven’t looked back since. What’s the most rewarding part of your job? Helping people achieve their financial goals is truly the most rewarding part of my job. From first home buyers to downsizers, start-ups to established businesses, seeing my clients reach their goals is something I relish. I also like that helping people achieve their goals also

70 Coffs Coast focus

I really like working with people, finding out what motivates them and helping them achieve their goals.”

“

helps to stimulate the local economy, which is good for the community. In fact, being able to support the community is another very rewarding part of my role, and with Regional Australia Bank we pretty much do this on a daily basis through sponsorships, our Community Partnership Program and a range of other activities. That was what attracted me to Regional Australia Bank. It’s set up with customers and relationships as the focus, not the bottom line. It’s a community bank, so it understands what the Coffs community needs, not like the bigger banks, and I like that older style of banking where relationships and our customers are our focus. What is it like working for a bank that has a focus on helping people, more so than their own bottom line? Honestly, it’s amazing. I really like working with people,

finding out about them, their families, their backstory, so that I can find the right solutions for them, and Regional Australia Bank allows me to do this. We work hard to find the right solutions for all our clients and everyone is important, not just a number. How can people find out more about what you can offer? Now is a great time to get in touch, actually, as we have an exclusive North Coast home loan offer available. Anyone who’s interested should give me a call on 0428 808 896, or pop in and see me. We have an office on West High Street in Coffs Harbour. I’m also on Linkedln, or you can come and see me in Dancing with the Stars next month (laughs). Thanks Julian.

NEW BUSINESS

Commercial Property Specialist Welcome, Jake! Team CPS are excited to have Jake Williams join the family. Jake has his bachelor of business, majoring in marketing and a good few years of real estate experience behind him. He’s keen to share his knowledge and skill set with our clients and we can’t wait to see what results he brings. It’s our Birthday... Team CPS is celebrating a big milestone in October. We warmly thank our clients, tenants, contractors, professional affiliates, family and friends for their support. Top 5 in the State! We’re proud to announce Your CPS are finalists in this year’s REINSW Excellence Awards… This award recognises Your Commercial Property Specialist has: •

Contributed to the industry

•

Delivered exceptional customer service

•

Offers a point of difference

•

Had significant achievements in our field of expertise

•

Follows all industry standards, policies and procedures required by a real estate agent.

focus feature

Coffs Harbour food and travel writer Julie Carlyle has just released her second Thermomix Cookbook. Julie’s first cookbook was a huge success, selling out in under six months. “An Indian ThermoKitchen” is now on a second print run and features 28 authentic Indian recipes. You will find all your favourites, such as Butter Chicken, Lamb Rogan Josh and Lamb Korma, plus many more that are sure to become family favourites. Her latest release is called a “Tex-Mex Fiesta” and features more than 30 Texan BBQ and Mexican Fiesta style recipes, all of which can be made in the Thermomix. Imagine cooking a Smokey Texan BBQ Brisket in the Varoma and topping a Brioche Burger with the pulled meat. Perhaps you prefer things a little on the hot side? Try the Spicy Buffalo Wings with homemade Ranch Dressing. This is American BBQ, made easy in the Thermomix. South of the border, the Jalapeno Soup has received rave reviews on social media and the ThermoKitchen FB page. For a quick weekday Mexican meal, you can’t go past Chili Con Cerdo Quesadilla, quick and tasty. You can have these babies on the table in 30 minutes. ThermoKitchen is dedicated to helping you create more with your Thermomix. ThermoKitchen cookbooks are available on the website www.thermo.kitchen/shop or at Oh Nameh Indian Groceries on the Pacific Hwy, Coffs Harbour.

Elite Scanning Solutions Is your business inundated with documents? Do you have a handle on the influx, or are you buried? Elite Scanning Solutions was born from common issues arising within the workplace such as the need for more space, the risk of hard copy files being destroyed permanently from natural disasters such as the Lismore floods, offsite storage costs and the lack of productivity with staff searching for documents. Did you know? The average executive wastes six weeks annually searching for important documents lost in among the clutter. Wall Street Journal. Elite Scanning Solutions allows quicker access to information, because documents are scanned with a commercial scanner and have software enhancement embedded into the files, so documents can be saved electronically, legally and you can search and retrieve a file in under one secon, as all words in each document are SEARCHABLE. It is a common misconception that office paper files must be kept in hard copy format. The State Records Act states that documents don’t need to be kept in hard copy format legally and in fact, the Evidence Act 1995 allows for evidence in the form of a digital copy of a document, as long as documents are compliant and reliably stored. To find our more, speak to David on 6652 6844 or email david@elitescanning.com.au

Coffs Coast focus 71

focus_travel W I T H K E R R Y M O S S F R O M Q U A D R A N T T R A V E L The 17-day tour departs in August 2018 and highlights include the historical sites of Southern Italy, including the Vatican, Pompeii, Leaning Tower of Pisa and the ancient cave dwellings of Sassi di Matera.

Tips for Travellers

Quadrant Australia.

The Italian Job. Our travel writer, Kerry Moss, has recently returned from Italy. We asked her to inspire us with the highlights of her trip. Here’s what she told us.

ne of Europe’s most enticing countries, I was immediately intoxicated by Italy’s irresistible food, iconic landmarks and stunning coastlines. Within minutes of arriving in Rome, I was surprised how quickly you can be soaking up the historical sites. Rome wasn’t built in a day - and you shouldn’t try and see it in one - but you can easily get around, and it doesn’t take long before you’re imagining what it must have been like for the gladiators during their last fight at the Colosseum. No trip to Rome is complete without a visit to the Trevi Fountain, where the waters originate from a 1st Century aqueduct, and the legend of throwing a coin into the fountain to ensure your return to Rome is played out by thousands each day. But, as they say, when in Rome … For the art lovers and architects, the art filled Vatican Museums, St Peter’s - the world’s largest Christian Basilica, and Michelangelo’s iconic painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel are unmissable, but for something extra special (and a little less crowded), head to the Vatican at night for the lights of St Peter’s and Castel Sant’Angelo (a cylindrical castle dating back to the 2nd Century). It’s at night that you truly appreciate the grandeur of the Vatican. Just a few hours’ drive from Rome and shadowed by Mount Vesuvius, the volcano responsible for destroying the nearby Roman town of Pompeii, is the spirited city of Naples. Sipping Prosecco at a little local restaurant overlooking the Gulf of Naples, it’s easy to overlook the sometimes-suspect reputation of Naples and be captivated by the freshest seafood and stunning vista.

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Further north, after driving through stunning scenery you arrive in the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, the breathtaking city of Florence. A city skyline that is recognisable worldwide and home to world-class shopping and dining options, Florence is best explored on foot, so you can discover the hidden treasures that await you around each corner. For something extra special, a market-to-table experience like no other is available at Mercato Centrale (Central Market) Florence. The building is impressive but it’s what inside that will really knock your socks off! Every possible artisan trader imaginable, serving fresh and locally sourced food, produced, sold and packaged or cooked fresh before your eyes. A true foodie delight. Everywhere you turn in Italy, you are greeted with a postcard view, but it’s when you leave the cities behind that you truly get an understanding of the authentic Italy. The small towns are where you discover the true culture of the Italian people. It’s where you quickly realise that tradition is centered around family, music and food. A place of generous people, rustic farmhouses and sun-kissed olive groves and vineyards. They are gracious and bountiful hosts and whilst you may start dinner as strangers, you will inevitably end up friends. Italy was like returning home for me. It was familiar and welcoming. You return from Italy wondering why you settled for bad coffee all those years and embracing your new philosophy that sometimes when things don’t go to plan (as they often don’t in Italy), that’s when you have the best adventures. Happy Travels! Ciao, Kerry.

Local tour company Quadrant Australia are offering FOCUS readers the chance to explore Italy on their Farmers Tour of Italy.

to explore the lesser known eastern side of Italy, including Bari, Altamura and the home of Baci chocolate, Perugia.

Having just returned from the inaugural tour, Kerry Moss says, “It’s a wonderful opportunity to combine the major sights of Italy and getting out into the countryside to meet and share stories with the farmers. This year, we tasted grapes directly from the vines and helped make buffalo mozzarella cheese, before sharing it with our new friends. It’s a really authentic version of Italy. One of our highlights was wandering the streets of Tuscany and discovering all the local delicacies that make each region of Italy unique.”

Travelling with like-minded travellers and in the safety of a small group is a wonderful way to explore a country. It takes away the stress of trying to interpret a foreign language, navigate the maze-like streets and helps you keep costs within budget, all whilst allowing you to have the independence to make your own decisions.

The 17-day tour departs in August 2018, and highlights include the historical sites of Southern Italy including the Vatican, Pompeii, Leaning Tower of Pisa and the ancient cave dwellings of Sassi di Matera. Travellers also get

Quadrant Australia have been operating special interest tours for more than 30 years and offer tours all over the world. They get you on to the farms and meeting the locals in countries including Canada, Europe, Africa, Asia and the USA. Their 2018 catalogue is out now; contact the team in Vernon St, Coffs Harbour today to get your free copy, or visit their website for more information: www.quadrantaustralia.com

focusinterview.

MEN’S AFL O W

Hanson. Alana Hanson has always been into sport, but growing up she was not often given the opportunity to play high contact games. Since discovering AFL, she can now enjoy a bit of “bumping and tackling” and is working on getting more women of the Coﬀs Coast involved. FOCUS caught up with Alana to ﬁnd out more about her passion for the game and the opportunities, support and fun that are out there for the taking.

hat is your connection to the Coffs Coast? I was born and raised on the Coffs Coast, and my husband and I met here. We spent our early twenties travelling Australia, but returned home to start my university degree and raise our family. I’ve played soccer with the Woolgoolga Wildcats and Corindi Breakers for years. What led you to playing AFL, and which team do you play for at the moment? Growing up in an area dominated by NRL, soccer and netball, I had next to no contact with AFL - I’d barely even watched a game and definitely didn’t understand it, until I started working with AFL NSW/ACT here on the North Coast. Since discovering AFL, I haven’t looked back. It combines kicking, catching, running and adds in a bit of bumping and tackling, which I love and always got in trouble for at soccer. Currently, I’m lucky enough to Captain the North Coast Women’s AFL team for exhibition matches. I also play competitively for Inverell Saints Women’s team in the North West AFL Competition. What do you enjoy most about the sport? I suppose it appeals to me because of the physicality. I love being able to bump and tackle and be tackled. Growing up with two older brothers, I always dreamed of being able to play footy, but there was never an opportunity. Girls were always offered or directed to a low contact sport. I played goalkeeper in soccer and always had a knack for catching and kicking. This sport combines those things, and I like showing the boys that they’re not the only ones who can kick a ball or take a mark. The other great thing I’m finding is the camaraderie between the girls. I believe our core values are strong and will ensure continued success. The willingness of ladies

to witness new participants coming and giving from other districts to come and play us to AFL a go. We have had over 50 participants help promote the sport has been fantastic; the across the five games we’ve played and every youth girls comp was always played in the best single person has come off the field with a of spirits, and just because we go hard doesn’t huge smile, saying how much they enjoyed it. mean we don’t give each other a pat on the Their response makes my job so much better back at the end of the game. We’re all in this and gives me great satisfaction. together and helping the game grow. What is available for girls under 17 who How long has women’s AFL been around? The inaugural professional AFLW competition are interested in playing AFL? Girls aged five to nine can play Auskick, only began in 2017; however, women across which is the most successful and best known Australia have been participating in community modified sport in the country, while girls football for decades in both informal and aged 10 to 13 can play Junior club footy with structured competition. These women who the boys, because at began to play so long these ages there is no ago really paved the way significant strength and drove the agenda for difference. a professional women’s The inaugural AFL league, which has Just because we go hard North Coast Youth enabled girls like me to doesn’t mean we don’t Girls’ Competition for play today. give each other a pat on players aged 13 to 17 Can you tell us about the back at the end of the was launched in 2017 the women’s comp you game. We’re all in this together with teams in Coffs, are starting up in the and helping the game grow. Grafton, Kempsey, area? and Port and over 80 Our aim is for each registered participants. senior club (Grafton, This competition will Coffs, Sawtell and Port) expand in 2018; we already know that Sawtell to have a women’s team for the 2018 season, is excited to be introducing a team next season, any females aged 16 or over will be eligible to and I look forward to continuing to help grow play. the youth girls’ competition. We will continue to develop the sport over Are there any special skills needed to play the summer by holding women’s come and try/ the game? training sessions for anybody who is interested Definitely not. We’re just looking for girls in coming and getting a feel for the game. who are willing to get in and have a go at We will be providing training for anybody a new sport. AFL is a fun, safe and inclusive who hasn’t played before, as well as a safe, game that women and girls of all skill levels, supportive environment to encourage players ages and sizes can enjoy. Clubs and AFL staff of all skill levels to learn how to tackle and be provide skills specific training and coaching tackled, so that even if you’re not a physical to help all participants to learn and develop. contact person you can practice in a controlled The most important thing to have is a sense of environment. teamwork and fun! What has the community response been Why is it important for women to like? have role models in sports traditionally The response we’ve had has been amazing. dominated by men? My passion for this sport only grows when I get

“You can’t be what you can’t see.” Young girls need to be able to look up to other women and know what they can strive to achieve. It’s also important to break the stereotype of footy being just for boys and highlight that girls can be just as involved at all levels. Now there’s a talent pathway available right through to the elite level, girls can aspire to be AFLW champions, if this is their ambition. I was lucky enough to have several women growing up who coached me or played alongside me and greatly affected my outlook on life. They also taught me skills that I now want to pass on to more women; they made me feel included and made playing in a team worthwhile and enjoyable. This is what I want to bring to footy on the North Coast as a female champion of the sport. Are there opportunities for women to play AFL professionally? Yes, absolutely. Female academies and talent programs will continue to expand across the region, as will representative football (locally and state) which really highlights the pathway to play professionally. The AFLW competition is also expanding, with new teams to be added to the competition from 2019. A striking feature of the inaugural AFLW season was the number of athletes competing who came from other sporting backgrounds, including soccer, basketball, netball, rugby union, touch, and volleyball. Recruiters are open to athletes from any background who are willing to give footy a try! How can people find out more and get involved? Visit North Coast Women’s AFL Facebook group for updates and events. Contact Alana Hanson on 0413 963 860 or Laura Connell on 0452 605 293 or contact Paul Taylor, AFL North Coast Football Operations Coordinator by emailing paul.taylor@afl.com.au Thanks Alana. Coffs Coast focus 73

thinking skilled migration

W I T H T H E D E S I M I G R AT I O N S E R V I C E S T E A M

thinking

skilled migration

he Australian Government has made significant changes to the Skilled Work stream of Australia’s migration program. Many are wondering what the long and short-term effects will be for both foreigners looking to come to Australia for skilled employment, and Australian employers seeking overseas employees. One of the major changes is the abolition of the Temporary Work (skilled) Visa (subclass 457) that will take effect from 18 March 2018. The replacement visa will be called the Temporary Skilled Shortage (TSS) Visa with a range of new criteria. It’s important that if you are considering migrating to Australia in the next 12 – 24 months to understand what the new requirements set out by the Department will be, and how best to manage the application process so you can enter Australia with minimum delays. Alternatively, as an employer, it is necessary to know what is involved in hiring new employees from outside Australia. The New Temporary Skilled Shortage Visa The TSS will be the new temporary work visa that skilled applicants may apply for if they are wanting to work and live in Australia for a period of up to four (4) years. Under the new scheme there will be two streams of this visa. One stream will be a short-term visa issued for two years. The other stream will be a medium-term visa issued for up to four years. Linked to the new TSS scheme is a major change to the Skilled Occupations List, which will have a major impact on the occupations people can apply for. From April this year, the Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List (CSOL) was replaced with the Short-Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), which has significantly reduced the number of occupations available from 651 to 435. Fortunately for Regional areas, 24 of those occupations are reserved for applicants who are nominating to work in regional Australia. The Skilled Occupations List (SOL) is being replaced with a Medium to Long Term Strategic Skilled List (MLTSSL). These new

74 Coffs Coast focus

streams will be reviewed by the Department of Employment every 6 months and updated to reflect changes to the labour market in Australia. It is important to keep up to date with the occupations lists and what options you have if applying for a skilled work visa. You can find the combined list of all occupations, which is updated every 6 months, for the current 457 Visas at: https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Work/ Work/Skills-assessment-and-assessing-authorities/skilled-occupations-lists/combined-stsol-mltssl Permanent Residency through skilled visas From March next year, the four-year medium-term TSS Visa will allow applicants to transition to a permanent residence visa after living in Australia for the four-year period. If you hold a two-year TSS Visa you would have to apply for another visa before you can consider applying for permanent residency. Another option is the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS), which involves applicants obtaining sponsorship to come and work in Australia from an approved regional employer. The applicant must meet the skills qualifications requirements their occupation and must live in Regional Australia as defined by the Migration Regulations 1994. Skilled New Zealand Citizens New Zealand citizens can apply for permanent residency through the new Skilled Independent (New Zealand) stream. This program helps to streamline the process from living in Australia to obtaining permanent residency. Applying for any visa can be a complex and stressful process. Seeking advice from a Migration Agent can help to ease that pressure. Talk to us, you’ll be inspired. Christopher K C Serow Principal, Solicitor Director, Notary Public Migration Agent (MARN 0854319) Navneet K Mullee, Solicitor, Migration Consultant Sam L Doyle, Paralegal, Migration Assistant Melissa R Dodson, Senior Paralegal

I still work the ‘old fashioned’ I way to begin with. il nc pe a start with sketch and then move on to a more e reﬁned inking of th caricature.”

“

focusinterview.

Chris Barr

Caricaturist

Chris Barr combines a good sense of humour with his graphic arts skill to create amusing and memorable gifts and promotional pieces in the form of caricatures. Focus swung by his home studio in Bellingen, where he told us about drawing live at festivals in the USA, being up against one of his cartooning heroes at the Rotary Cartoon awards, who inspires him today ... and much more.

hat is your connection to the Coffs Coast? I arrived in Coffs Harbour in 1991, after migrating from the USA. I have progressed my freelance caricature business, along with periods of fulltime work as a graphic designer. I now live in beautiful Bellingen. What is a caricature, and how does it fit into the world of art? Putting it simply, a caricature is an exaggerated cartoon portrait of a person. It is one of the oldest art forms, along with cartooning. It began mainly as a tool for political satire in early newspapers, for which it is still used today. My main focus though, is the novelty side of the art form and creating gifts for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, farewells, retirements, to name a few. How did you get started in cartooning? Ooooh, many moons ago! I have been cartooning ever since I could pick up a crayon. My late father, in fact, used to take credit (and probably still does) for my talent after he introduced me to paper after drawing on the bedroom walls. I started out copying my favourite cartoons like Peanuts and Garfield from the Sunday paper. I later developed a love of caricatures after becoming an avid MAD magazine reader. My early influences were the legendary Mort Drucker and Jim Davis, both MAD artists.

My early professional gigs were drawing live caricatures at local festivals and markets around Iowa. Today I work exclusively out of my home studio from photographs. It’s a much more peaceful and enjoyable process. What have been some of the highlights of your cartooning career? It would have to be my two Rotary Cartoon Awards. The first year I won I was up against one of my favourite cartoonists, David Rowe from the Financial Review. It was a huge shock, but one I will always treasure. Another was becoming manager of the Bunker Cartoon Gallery from 2014 - 2015. It was a huge learning experience, as I threw myself into a position that was as much new to me as it was exciting. I wore many hats - manager, exhibition curator, marketing coordinator, events manager, graphic designer, web designer and social media officer. Although I was only there a year, I believe there were great advancements made in promoting the Bunker to not only a wider audience, but reaffirming the presence of the Bunker Gallery to locals and tourists. Of course to make this happen, I had a lot of support from the volunteers and the Board. It is now in the great hands of Margaret Cameron, who has taken it to the next level. Who currently commissions your caricatures and for what occasions? Virtually all my commissions are from private individuals, and a vast majority of those are gifts for special occasions. I do occasionally get commissions from businesses that desire a

caricature for promotional purposes. Over 80% of my caricature subjects are male. I would like to see more gender equality in this area. How important is a good sense of humour when doing this work? Paramount! You need a sense humour and the skill in order to exaggerate a person’s features, still make them recognisable and place them in humorous situations. As far as caricaturists go, I’m probably one of the kinder ones in relation to exaggerating features on a grand scale. Let’s not forget that the person receiving the caricature has to have a sense of humour also. Who inspires you at the moment? There are several excellent Australian cartoonists and people who inspire me - David Rowe (Financial Review), Anton Emdin (The Spectator, Penthouse), Judy Nadin (Winner of several Bald Archie awards and 2017 Rotaries Cartoonist of the Year), Dee Texidor (illustrator, designer and my soul mate) and my kids Mitchell, Celine, Connor and Bella. I’m also a huge fan of Jason Seiler from Chicago. He’s a very talented digital caricaturist and has been featured on the cover of Time magazine. Everyone should Google his Trump illustrations for a good laugh. What do you look for in a good caricature subject? The more character in the face the better. I don’t necessarily mean wrinkles and such, but personality. If someone likes to pull faces, I will always encourage those types of photographs

to be supplied. That way I can capture a person’s true personality, along with their main interests. Can you describe your creative process? I still work the “old fashioned” way to begin with. I start with a pencil sketch and then move on to a more refined inking of the caricature. From here I go digital and scan the inking and “paint” the image in Photoshop. I supply all my caricatures as a highresolution digital image. I do this because there are so many options available nowadays where the caricature can be printed on to various media like paper, card, canvas, T-shirts, mugs, etc. I can easily advise each customer of how to go about this if required. You are also a graphic designer. How does this work influence your caricatures and vice versa? Hmmm, that’s a good question. I think processing good typography skills and having an eye for balance of space is vital for both. Having the knowledge to use a caricature effectively in promotional material is also a good skill to have. Having a good sense of humour also helps in my design work. Us graphic designers can sometimes take things way too seriously. Where can people see more of your work and get in touch with you? W www.barrtoons.com.au F facebook.com/barrtoonsgiftcaricatures E barrtoons.caricatures@gmail.com P 0409 742 622 Thanks Chris.

focus real estate

AMANDA LANGLANDS FROM LANGLANDS PROPERTY

real estate update. T H E C U S T O M E R E X P E R I E N C E WA R S

How has the information technology era changed the real estate industry? A clash of tech-fuelled convenience, free ﬂowing media, experimentalism and relentless distraction ... We are now working in a world where people demand instant information in all aspects of their life, and real estate is no diﬀerent. Time is a precious commodity, and consumers expect it to be respected.

erhaps it dawned on you while you were sitting in traffic, stuck behind a car using cruise control. You saw its driver sitting dozily at the wheel - probably tuned into a mindfulness podcast

76 Coffs Coast focus

- and realised: these are different times. Information moves faster than it ever has - so fast, it can be overwhelming. Time is our customers’ most precious resource.

In an extremely competitive industry where consumers are digitally empowered, yet feel forever time-starved, there’s a fundamental responsibility for agents to be educated and informed about the properties they are selling. Consumers also expect to be able to reach that information instantaneously. Traditional print media is still strong in our region; however, with 56% of our Langlands Property purchasers relocating from other areas, digital marketing is vital - not only to reach out of town purchasers, but to offer instant information to both relocating buyers and tech savvy locals. Customer experiences need to be time saving and well informed, providing value to the client. Customers today are beyond fortunate, yet they often feel that “paying” for anything - with time and attention - is an almost intolerable cost. While the question, “Are you functional or delightful?” is as old as commerce itself, it’s more relevant than ever. Functional: does it work? The growth of the information technology era has moved so quickly, that we are now seeing “virtual inspections” as the next introduction phase. Only as recent as 10 years ago, real estate purchasers would still make appointments with the agent to go out looking at houses. The agent had opportunity to create an experience for the purchase, engage with them and find out more about their wants and needs. However with today’s real estate search

platforms being functional and user friendly, purchasers do not need to engage with an agent until they have actually decided they are interested in that property. Delightful: does this give users pleasure? Enough pleasure that they use it. Enough pleasure that they will tell others about it. Functional is a technical problem. Delightful, however, is something different. You don’t have to be Delightful to be usable. But you do need to be Delightful to have significant impact. Delightful takes time. Delightful takes understanding, caring and craftsmanship. Delightful is what separates the good from the great. It is an evolving world of how Delightful is received by real estate consumers in the 21st Century. On-Demand Decade: no category has remained untouched by on-demand expectations. Google, iTunes, Siri, robot marketing, mobile phones, SMS messaging, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Linkedin, instant chat … Our industry has changed, but fundamentally real estate is an industry of trust and security. We need to meet the expectation of functional in a time poor society; however, ultimately consumers want to feel that their time is valued and that we understand the importance of being educated and informed. If you are curious how real estate is correctly marketed in the 21st Century and what tools of technology you are missing out on, please give one of our team a call today.

Complete Pest Control We specialise in domestic as well as commercial pest management - everything from rats to German cockroaches. However, I believe where we really stand out is in our termite prevention management systems and active termite treatments. We use both thermal cameras and a motion sensor called a Termitrac T3i. Our customer service and systematic approach means our customers can be confident their investment is being looked after by the best in the business. There are two key things needed to maintain a pest or termite free environment. Professional service and systems in place. This is obviously where we come in. But, also environmental factors. Gardens should be well maintained and not built up against the dwelling. Also, simple things like not leaving food in the dogâ€™s bowl will reduce the appeal of your home to pests. We have the most comprehensive pest treatment and pest control in Coffs Harbour and on the Mid North Coast. We only use safe and environmentally friendly products that are safe for you and your pets. If you are pregnant or have asthma, please advise our friendly staff so they can guarantee the right solution. Call us today on 6652 9956 to book or enquire about our services.

East Coast Cabinets August/September have been busy with kitchens galore and fitting out the new McDonaldâ€™s at Nambucca Heads Service Centre and various other commercial projects. It is pleasing to see that the area is experiencing a hive of activity, with long delays in getting some trades. It has also been a time of great excitement and celebration, with one of our builders, Solitary Designer Homes, winning the HIA Housing Award for Custom Built Home ($600,000 to $1,000,000) and us winning the Award for Large Kitchen (over 20 sqm) and Kitchen of the Year, all for 43 Ocean Street, Woolgoolga. Although we have won awards before, it was most pleasing to realise that each of our employees had played their own part in these ones. Thank you to the owners and to Jim and Mark from Solitary Designer Homes for their ongoing trust in us. December is fast approaching, and it is time to start organising the business and home renovation projects that everyone seems to need prior to their family Christmas, the arrival of friends and family for the holidays, and the annual shut down of the building industry. We are most willing to assist in your planning and design.

Coffs Coast focus 77

focusMotoring. WITH LAARZ

Motor mouth rating

DRIVEN LAND ROVER DISCOVERY DATE 8TH SEPTEMBER 2017 DEALER BELLBOWRIE MOTORS

8 / 10

T H E D I S C O V E R Y I S O N E O F A U S T R A L I A’ S M O S T P O P U L A R L A R G E S U V S . N O W L A U N C H I N G I N I T S F I F T H G E N E R A T I O N , I T H A S G O N E T H R O U G H D R A M A T I C C H A N G E V I S U A L LY , T E C H N I C A L LY A N D I N T E R N A L LY.

he emphasis in a dramatically expanded range is as much on seven-seat interior practicality as go-anywhere off-road ability. Armed with the best of its optional off-road gear, it has enough knob twiddling and button punching resources to climb and descend just about any challenge. Once a workhorse, the Disco has moved to the top end of town. That impression is based on the HSE Luxury specification car I drove. Climb inside the cabin, and there’s plenty of room for passengers and gear. The first and second rows are spacious, supportive and comfortable, but the third row (in sevenseat models, of course) deserves special mention. I’m a not NBA-bothering 182 cm tall, and there was plenty of clear space in front of my knees and above my head. Climbing into the third row is a little cumbersome, though, but the space makes up for it. Ditch the humans for luggage, hardware or shopping bags, and you’ll get a mammoth 2,500 litres of storage space by flattening the second row of seats, and the wide-and-tall 78 Coffs Coast focus

boot entry point means you could generally (power operated on HSE and above), cruise use it as the world’s most expensive van. But, control, button start, rear parking aid with you just wouldn’t. visual display and camera, and an 8.0-inch Five main variant lines are offered, with touch-screen media interface with the HSE three different engine options. These range and above using a 10-inch unit. from the S, SE, HSE, HSE Luxury, to the Land Rover is describing the new model limited First Edition. as being the best family There’s then the SUV in the world, Td4 2.0-litre turbofollowing seven key diesel producing principles. These are; 132kW/430Nm, to the seven adult-size seats, Land Rover is Sd4 with the new twinstandard advanced safety describing the new turbo diesel producing tech, proper off-road model as being the 177kW/500Nm, to performance, creativity, best family SUV in the the top 3.0-litre Td6 storage, connectivity world, following seven V6 diesel producing (with nine USB ports and key principles. 190kW/600Nm. six 12V sockets). All come with an Land Rover’s eight-speed automatic generation-five Discovery transmission, and all is marginally bigger than but the Td4 variants get a two-speed transfer its predecessor, a lot more luxurious inside box with high and low range. An active and very different outside, with the deletion locking rear differential is also optional for of the utility backpack body style and more all, and all but the Td4 get electronic air controversially, the popular split rear tailgate. suspension (optional on Td4). Based on the Range Rover’s aluminium Other standard features include frame, new Disco is quieter and more autonomous emergency braking, in-cabin refined to drive but also loses none of its boot release for the single piece tailgate legendary off-road ability, with the adoption

of Range Rover’s Terrain Response 2 driveline configuration software and improved suspension travel. The Td4 single-turbo 2.0-litre diesel puts out 132kW of power at 4,000rpm, and 430Nm of torque at 1,750rpm. Claimed fuel consumption is rated at 6.2L/100km combined, while 0-100km/h takes 10.5 seconds. Stepping up to the Sd4 motor adds an additional turbo to the 2.0-litre engine, bringing outputs to 177kW and 500Nm respectively - with the latter arriving between 1,500 and 2,500rpm. Fuel use is rated at 6.4L/100km on the combined cycle, while the benchmark sprint is cut down to 8.3 seconds. As driven, the Td6 is a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel, pumping out 190kW of power at 4,000rpm, and 600Nm of torque from 1,750 to 2,250rpm. Claimed fuel consumption is rated at 7.2L/100km combined, while 0-100km/h takes 8.1 seconds. All engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard, driving all four wheels.

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www.bellbowriemotors.com.au Coffs Coast focus 79 MD062422

Award winning quality.

G.J. Gardner Homes Coffs Coast were proud to take out 2 Major Awards at the 2017 Northern NSW HIA Awards and 3 in the MBA Regional Builders Awards!

Get in touch with an award winning builder. Office

HIA Major Awards:

MBA Awards:

Project Home of The Year

Best Exhibition/Project Home $300,001 - $350,000

GreenSmart Sustainable Home

Best Exhibition/Project Home Over $500,000

Best Energy Efficient/Environmental Management â€“

Display Home

Residential Over $500,000

3 Cherry St, North Sapphire Beach

171 Orlando Street, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

7 days, 10am - 5pm Call us on 6691 3509 or visit gjgardner.com.au A big thank you to our awesome tradies and suppliers and all of our dedicated staff - these awards are a reflection of all of your hard work! Pty Ltd trading as G.J. Gardner Homes Coffs Coast. Builders Licence 191313C. 82Fischer Coffs CoastBuilt focus