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October 2018. issue 97

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Comments and opinions of our contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinion or view of the Publishers. 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 material including advice with individual businesses and industry professionals. Articles marked as ‘Interview or Contributor’ are non-sponsored content. Greater Port Macquarie Focus is published by Creative House Publications PTY LTD ABN: 621 287 8600 5. Material in Focus is Copyright © Creative House Publications PTY LTD 2018 and may not be reproduced whole or in part, in any form, without permission of the Publisher. All rights reserved. FOCUS is printed by Fairfax Media Print & Logistics North Richmond. Our paper is FFC and PEFC certified and meets with ISO14001 accreditation. FOCUS delivery bags can be REDcycled at your local Coles Supermarkets and the paper through normal recycling methods.

team From the

Welcome to the October issue of Coﬀs Coast FOCUS.

hat an amazing eight years it has been for Coffs Coast FOCUS. Our FOCUS family work tirelessly, flying the FOCUS flag each month and thanks to the mammoth efforts, a great community spirit and genuine interest from business owners on the Coffs Coast, that in your hands right now is our 97th edition! Only THREE more editions to go until we reach 100! 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. It’s great local businesses like yours that help keep our publication in circulation. So from the FOCUS team ... Thank you so very much for all of your support!

THIS MONTH’S COVER When Rhianon Taylor approached us and asked us to sponsor Coffs Harbour Skate, Ink & Rhyme 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. Our cover model is the gorgeous Sarah Jeane. Once again, our fabulous photographer Gavin Moroney has nailed the brief. He has a great eye with lighting and attention to detail, and we are extremely fortunate to include him in our FOCUS family. A big thanks goes to Gav’s wife, Daisy Moroney, who was on hair and makeup this month. What a truly talented couple! INSIDE THIS EDITION Solli Raphael is an incredibly inspiring young man, who at the age of 13 is already an accomplished poet and performer, and a published author. He currently holds the title for

the Australian Poetry Slam Championship, has been a speaker on an impressive list of TV and radio shows, at festivals, and recently performed his poetry at TEDxSydney HUMANKiND and the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games! Mitch Grady, owner and chef at Popla in Bellingen, has started a non-profit project called Bowl of Plenty. The aim is to provide meals for anyone in need, and it’s bringing the community together. He tells us all about the project. FUNCTIONS & EVENTS The end of year is fast approaching, and with this comes the excitement of end of year celebrations. From music and food festivals, sporting events, school formals, corporate and private functions, to Christmas celebrations, it’s all happening! This feature kicks off on page 34. FINAL SAY: “The road to success is always under construction” - Unknown.

The A, B and C of Mercedes-Benz. Owning a new Mercedes-Benz can be as straight forward as A B C. A. Meet Lachlan, he is a Mercedes-Benz Certified Sales Consultant at Mercedes-Benz Coffs Coast. B. Lachlan is professional, courteous and knows just about everything there is to know about Mercedes-Benz vehicles. C. You know that you will get the right advice and friendly service from Lachlan, before and after you have purchased your new Mercedes-Benz.

Make an appointment with Lachlan on 0402 214 323 for your personalised test drive and demonstration of our new A-Class, B-Class or C-Class motor vehicles today.

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

LMD3461

Coffs Coast focus 3

Women’s Day International

Coffs Coast

WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

The search is on again to recognise outstanding women in the Coffs Coast region who demonstrate significant leadership and achievement in empowering women and girls.

he International Women’s Day Coffs Coast - Woman of the Year Award, an initiative of the IWD Planning Committee in 2015, was set up to acknowledge the positive contribution of women in the region of the Coffs Harbour Local Government Area and Bellingen Shire. It aims to recognise nominees who are involved in work of a voluntary, community, business or professional nature, and who, within that arena, would be displaying vision and initiative inside their role. Past award winners have been Christina Monneron (2015), Charlotte Young (2016), Jane Tavener (2017) and Aunty Bea Ballangarry (2018). In 2018 a runner up award, won by Kyla Holley, was introduced. Nominations are now being called for the 2019 IWD Coffs Coast Woman of the Year Award, to be announced at the IWD Breakfast, C.ex Coffs, on 8th March 2019. The three major women’s groups in Coffs Harbour: the Zonta Club of

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Coffs Harbour Inc.; Business and Professional Women (BPW) of Coffs Harbour; and the Coffs Coast Business Women’s Network (BWN) come together to organise the IWD Breakfast, to acknowledge the positive contribution of women and girls in the region of the Coffs Coast, and to recognise the winner, and runner up of the Woman of the Year award. The Criteria: The International Women’s Day Coffs Coast Woman of the Year Award will honour a woman who: • Demonstrates significant leadership and achievement in empowering women and girls, and • Is engaged in work of a voluntary, community, business or professional nature, and • Is a resident of the Coffs Coast (Coffs Harbour Local Government Area and Bellingen Shire). The two awards will consist of an inscribed

trophy and publicity for Facebook / IWD Coffs Nominations are now being called the women and their Coast Woman of the Year for the 2019 IWD Coffs Coast cause. A cash prize; Award 2019. Closing date Woman of the Year Award, to be $1,000 for the major is 18th November 2018. announced at the IWD award winner, jointly Nominators and Breakfast, C.ex Coffs, on sponsored by Coffs prospective nominees are 8th March 2019. Harbour City Council invited to an information and C.ex ClubGrants, evening to be held on and $250 for the runner Wednesday 17th October, up, sponsored by One from 5:30pm - 7pm, in Agency Real Estate, allows both the winners the Boardroom, ANZ Bank, cnr of Harbour Drive to advance their objectives. All finalists are and Gordon St, Coffs Harbour. In this session, recognised and acknowledged for their own the IWD Planning Committee will explain the achievements. nomination and judging process, including the Nomination forms are now available by email importance of nomination form information. from iwdcoffscoast@gmail.com as well as RSVP to iwdcoffscoast@gmail.com

contents

Issue 97 - October 2018

focusinterviews

Bowl of Plenty.

feature a special

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW TO PLAN YOUR SPECIAL FUNCTION

Mitch Grady, owner and chef at Popla in Bellingen, has started a non-profit project called Bowl of Plenty. The aim is to provide meals for anyone in need, and it’s bringing the community together. Here he tells us all about the project, the amazing response it has had amongst the community and the people who are helping to make it happen.

Sonia Kaur. Sonia was born in India, grew up in Italy, has lived in London, and now she calls the Coffs Coast home. She is an experienced hairdresser and has recently opened her own salon here, bringing her knowledge and experience from some of the world’s fashion capitals to the Coffs Coast!

Daryl Braithwaite.

Functions the Usual

Suspects

18. WHAT’S ON for October 24. TECH TALK with Gavin Moroney

Aussie music icon Daryl Braithwaite is gracing our shores again this October at the Hoey Moey, and Sam Dawson was given the highest of honours - to actually interview him! If you know Sam, you will understand how huge this was for her!

28. TRAVEL TIME with Kerry Moss 30. EAT local restaurants 50. SOCIAL SCENE with Carole Beros 53. TOURISM with Stephen Saunders 56. FITNESS with Duncan Marchant

Catherine Fogarty. FOCUS spoke with Catherine Fogarty about her role as curator of Clay Intersections, now exhibiting at the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, and her role as Gallery and Museum Coordinator.

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59. STARGUIDE with Terri Hall 74. BUSINESS MINDS with Sam Wardman

www.facebook.com/CoffsCoastFocus

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

Sam Dawson of PFLAG CoďŹ€s Coast.

CoďŹ€s Coast PFLAG stands for Parents and Friends of Lesbians And Gays and this month we met new parents, had a morning tea at Bellingen with the Love is Love committee, attended a Gender Diverse Panel evening, and were represented with ACON (Aids Council of NSW) at the Southern Cross University Open Day.

rying to get the word out there is growing! As you know, this support group is exactly that - a resource for anyone who wants information and/or support and who knows they can safely ask questions, finding out how they can best support their loved ones. Bellingen Youth Hub was the setting for our PFLAG morning tea and gathering this month in Bellingen. We combined with The Love is Love Committee and we shared personal stories and discussed ideas and future planning. They are such a great group of passionate people making a difference. Love is Love Committee also invited PFLAG along to a public forum in Bellingen facilitated by trans speaker, psychotherapist and trauma educator Dragan Zan Wright, called You can ask that. The night was really informative, answering all questions about gender diversity and same sex attraction and to explain the different identities, especially about the acronym, which is sometimes shortened to LGBTQI+ that includes Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual/Ally and Pansexual, plus genders that identify outside the male and female binary. The youth blew me away with their openness, warmth and frank discussion on the questions being asked. This was a great opportunity for PFLAG to meet parents, who approached us with all different scenarios happening in their lives. There are so many great people in our community who are really generous with their

time, offering up their life experiences and are genuinely caring and loving towards our youth in this area of support. This month saw a brave girl called Evie McDonald, who is only 13 years old, challenging our Prime Minister on his tweets, saying how hard it is to be gender diverse with negative attitudes towards people like her. I am learning all the time, but the panel and this young girl made me realise that we are so ready to label people. We are not content to just accept the differences and stop worrying what toilet people choose to use! Or, how they identify. Respecting each other and being kind and inclusive seems to be the key. I also had the pleasure of meeting Michael, who works in Sydney at ACON, and he has started a great initiative where businesses who can register and receive a free pack to pop a sticker on their door, saying that anyone LGBTIQ + are welcome in their place of business. It is called The Welcome Here Project (https://www.welcomehere.org.au), so I made sure I got my pack ordered! Check our FB page for the next coffee meeting in October, or get in touch. PFLAG is here to give help, support and information to families and friends of all gay people right here on the Coffs Coast. We have great up to date booklets for free that are written by a gay parent and are so easy to read. Please feel free to contact me for a copy. w. https://pflagcoffscoast.com/ FB. PFLAGcoffcoast P. 0417 861 045

NOWAT W ER P OP AR EN K !

W .B

BA N

CO M

WWW.BIGBANANA.COM | PH: 02 6652 4355 351 PACIFIC HWY, COFFS HARBOUR NSW 2450 Coffs Coast focus 7

focusinterview.

R A P H A E L

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focusinterview.

Solli Raphael is an incredibly inspiring young man, who at the age of 13 is already an accomplished poet and performer and a published author. HE CURRENTLY HOLDS THE TITLE FOR THE AUSTRALIAN POETRY SLAM CHAMPIONSHIP, HAS BEEN A SPEAKER ON AN IMPRESSIVE LIST OF TV AND RADIO SHOWS, AT FESTIVALS, and recently performed his poetry at TEDxSydney HUMANKiND and the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games! Solli is a budding humanitarian and enthusiastic environmentalist, and his hope is to inspire and create change through his words.

i Solli. Can you tell us a bit about your connection with the Coffs Coast? I was born here on the Coffs Coast. You are an incredible poet; when did you really get in to writing and poetry? I’ve been writing since I could hold a pen. I remember writing books and comics for fun when I was seven. Traditional poetry was my first connection to poetry at nine. I loved it and I wanted to know more, so I researched through poetry books that we had around the home and from websites. A couple of years ago, I watched YouTube videos on rap battles for homework, which led to a YouTube video of a slam poet, and I’ve loved slam poetry and poetry ever since! Can you tell us about what inspires you and your poems? I’m inspired by absolutely everything, but my main inspiration comes from my aim to raise awareness about the impact we all have on our planet. I’ve always had a love for the environment, so when I realised that I wanted to help protect it, I started writing and found that poetry was the perfect platform for me to try and achieve that. At just 13 years of age, you have such a long list of achievements. What are some stand out moments for you? I’ve had some amazing opportunities, like being on the panel of Q&A, The Project, BehindTheNews and ABCNewsToMe and performing at 2018 TEDx Sydney, but one of my favourites was when I performed at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in front of 35,000 people. It was surreal to stand in front of such a big audience, and I also had fun meeting The Veronicas, Guy Sebastian, Kate Cebrano and Amy Shark. What made you decide to start performing your poetry on the public stage, rather than just leaving it in its written form? When I learned that poetry could be performed, I knew this was something I wanted to try. Becoming a slam poet made sense, as I’ve always felt comfortable on stage and when the opportunity came up last year to perform at the Australian Poetry Slam, I was like, “Yeah! I can do this!” It was perfect timing for me, because I’d already written a collection of poems and as my poems are mostly about raising awareness, I knew that I needed and wanted to share them,

MY MAIN DREAM HAS ALWAYS BEEN JUST TO SHARE MY POETRY AND MESSAGES ON A GLOBAL PLATFORM, WITH HOPE TO MAKE SOME KIND OF A DIFFERENCE.

so it kind of just happened. You write a lot about equality and the environment; are these topics you have always been passionate about? Was there anything in particular that really fuelled your interest in these areas? I’ve always been passionate about global issues, and I try to make a difference in my everyday life. My family live as sustainably as possible, minimising our negative footprint on the earth by recycling, reducing and reusing. We’ve also always grown organic veggies. But the thing that fuels me the most is the lack of leadership in not only our local councils and state governments, but among our federal government and world leaders too. I think there’s going to be a time in the future where countries won’t be able to pay for the damage we’ve caused to the environment, and this is my biggest motivation in what I do. I recently learned that if our world leaders all agreed to act on climate change, it would cost $15 trillion just to start making a change, let alone to fix the problem. It seems crazy that the world is not together on these topics. Do you think living on the Coffs Coast has influenced your interest in the environment? Living on the coast has influenced me in two ways. One, because we live in such a natural part of Australia with awesome beaches and the hinterland at our back doors, and two, because not enough people seem to be doing enough to help preserve both our local areas and our planet. I go for bike rides, runs and beach walks around here all the time, and there’s always too much litter on the ground, like near schools or on the sides of the roads near the fast food restaurants or even in the sand dunes. Sometimes I find that other towns or cities are doing more than we are here on the Coffs Coast and when I see what other councils are doing to minimise pollution or to make their community more sustainable, I get inspired and want to do more too. What do you hope to achieve through your poetry? My main dream has always been just to share my poetry and messages on a global platform, with hope to make some kind of a difference. What sort of reaction do you get from your peers when they see your performances? I guess my friends seem to like what I’ve been up to with

my poetry. After performing and talking poetry in schools, the feedback is that they hadn’t heard of slam poetry and some even told me that they used to think poetry was boring, but after they’d watched my slam poetry performance, they felt inspired. This inspires me - to know that my generation is inspired to make a positive change in shaping our future. You won the 2017-18 National Australian Poetry Slam Championship title, which is an adult competition, making you the youngest ever winner! How did you find going up against artists a lot older than you? Performing at the Sydney Opera House was a really special moment for me. I felt nervous before the competition, mainly because I was new to performing my poetry and I didn’t know what to expect from a slam poetry comp. I remember practicing lowering the microphone stand in the green room, so I knew how to lower it on stage after the poet who performed before me, who was nearly double my height! Going up against adults was a crazy experience, but everyone was really supportive and encouraging. Can you tell us about your debut book, Limelight? I’m so excited to have a book published! Limelight is a collection of more than 30 of my poems with five chapters on how kids and teens (and adults) can learn how to read and write traditional and slam poetry. I also include lots of tips on overcoming stage fright and managing writers block, along with my personal experiences, too. One of my favourite things about making this book was when I recorded the audio version in Sydney, because I was able to mix music with my poetry and I was able to narrate the whole book; it is rare for authors to narrate their own book. What are some of your goals and hopes for the future? I recently found out that Limelight will be launched in America and Canada, so I hope to travel overseas for that in 2019. I’m also writing more books and some of them are nearly ready for publishing. One day I would like to become a songwriter and a rapper. In terms of upcoming events, I’m presenting a speech at another TEDx event soon, I’m also collaborating with Greenpeace and, I am preparing an exciting program for 2019 which includes visiting schools. Thanks Solli. Coffs Coast focus 9

focusinterview.

Bowl of Plenty Mitch Grady, owner and chef at Popla in Bellingen, has started a non-proﬁt project called Bowl of Plenty. THE AIM IS TO PROVIDE MEALS FOR ANYONE IN NEED, AND IT’S BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER. Here he tells us all about the project, the amazing response it has had amongst the community and the people who are helping to make it happen.

M I T C H

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G R A D Y

i Mitch. What made you decide to live and start a business on the Coffs Coast? My parents moved to Boambee about six years ago, and I have good mates who moved to Bellingen after they got married, so I’d been spending a lot of time here. It’s such a beautiful area. One Christmas farmers and really we were at the getting to know where Before we moved here I found beach at Sawtell and the produce comes out that the restaurant at 2 I said to Jo, my wife, from and seeing how it Oak Street was for sale. I “Why don’t we just is grown and raised. KNEW ABOUT ITS move up here?” You have recently LONG, RENOWNED And so, we did. started a nonHISTORY FOR FINE My business profit project called DINING and the site really partner, Claire, and I Bowl Of Plenty in suited the kind of restaurant I have a restaurant in Bellingen. Can you imagined running here. Sydney, Bloodwood. tell us about the We had been concept and what wanting to open you are hoping the a second restaurant in Sydney for a long project will provide? time, but we just couldn’t find the right At this stage Bowl of Plenty provides spot. Initially I never thought of opening a meals that people can collect from the restaurant here in Bellingen, but once we Bellingen Neighbourhood Centre and also did, everything fell into place and things a hot communal lunch twice a month. moved fairly quickly. We are wanting to create something Before we moved here I found out that that is sustainable and will carry on for the restaurant at 2 Oak Street was for sale. years to come, even if we are not part I knew about its long, renowned history of it. I hate the thought of someone not for fine dining and the site really suited the knowing when their next meal will be. kind of restaurant I imagined running here. Everyone deserves a hot nutritious meal, I finished up at Bloodwood and moved even if they can’t afford one or they’re up to oversee renovations on Popla. Three getting to the end of the week and they’re months later, we opened. It is everything just too exhausted to prepare something we wanted to do in Sydney, but is a little for themselves and their kids. bit harder in the city environment. Open How did it all start? What inspired the fire cooking, great relationships with idea?

focusinterview.

I HATE THE THOUGHT OF SOMEONE NOT KNOWING WHEN THEIR NEXT MEAL WILL BE ... EVERYONE DESERVES A HOT NUTRITIOUS MEAL.

The idea came in part from what we’ve done with Bloodwood in Newton. Throughout the years we have worked with the community to help others. We have a close rapport with the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre and hold a Christmas party every year for those in need. After living in Bellingen for just over a year, I really wanted to become part of and help the beautiful community here. I had heard that there has been an increase in homelessness and more people are struggling in general. I was trying to figure out how I could help, and I noticed there are no free meals in Bellingen, although the LifeHouse Pantry and Vinnies do a great job with providing affordable groceries and vouchers. I thought I could maybe help to fill the gap and supply some sort of meal. After writing a letter for potential sponsors to see what we could do to help and letting people know on local Facebook groups, I

Anyone can access the

received an amazing All of the meals are frozen meals by popping in amount of positive prepared in a commercial to THE BELLINGEN feedback from those kitchen, at this stage NEIGHBOURHOOD wanting to help. May Popla or Darkwood CENTRE, MONDAY TO from the Bellingen Diner, and can be FRIDAY BETWEEN Neighbourhood Centre collected from the 9AM AND 3PM, and asking has been a fantastic Bellingen Neighbourhood at the desk. The communal collaborator. She told Centre. lunches will also be open to us that the centre’s There is a freezer at anyone who’d like to attend. emergency relief the Neighbourhood funding had just been Centre with ready to eat cancelled. So, it was meals that can be taken really good timing to get together. home or reheated at the centre. Who else has become involved in the Who can access the meals? And how do project? people go about it? Monica from Darkwood Diner has come on Anyone can access the frozen meals by board to prepare some of the meals. Already popping in to the Bellingen Neighbourhood there is an amazing team of volunteers, and Centre, Monday to Friday between 9am and many other individuals and businesses have 3pm, and asking at the desk. The communal pledged their support and donated food. lunches will also be open to anyone who’d Where will the meals be prepared? And like to attend. The first communal meal will where can they be collected? be on Wednesday 22nd August, and after

that meals will take place every second and fourth Wednesday of the month between 11am and 2pm. Look out for flyers around town. We are also planning on delivering meals to those not able to attend the lunches. There is a huge elderly community in the area who need nutritious meals. How are you sourcing produce for the project? So far produce has been donated by the public and OzHarvest. How can other community members get involved to help? People who want to help should contact May at the Bellingen Neighbourhood Centre by dropping in or emailing community@bnc.org.au. People can also donate food by leaving it at Popla (at the front door if we’re not in) or at the Neighbourhood Centre. Thanks Mitch. Coffs Coast focus 11

focusinterview.

Joe Rattray, a born and raised Sawtell local, has spent the best part of THE LAST 15 YEARS TRAVELLING AROUND SOME OF THE MOST REMOTE AREAS OF AUSTRALIA after a fateful injury led him to leave the coast in search of a new experience.

Joe Rattray

fter working as a tour guide for much of that time, learning from local communities and experiencing all different regions of Australia, he has returned to the Coffs Coast and is now running local tours with his partner, Chelsea and friend Annelies. Hey Joe. Tell us about your relationship with the Coffs Coast? I was born here and raised around the Sawtell area. You have spent a lot of time travelling around some of the more remote parts of Australia; how did that come about? The first time was in 2003. I was living a stone’s throw from the beach in Sawtell and would surf before and after work every day and sometimes even sneak one in at lunchtime. I injured my back and wasn’t able to surf or do anything I enjoyed, and after a couple of months I decided to pack up and head as far from the coast as I could. The decision was made on a Wednesday, I had a garage sale on the Saturday and Sunday, and on Monday we were off. I ended up living and working in a remote Aboriginal community in the NT, Hermannsburg (Ntaria) population between 300 - 600 (which was a large community). That was the beginning of everything for me. What were some of your roles while on your travels? My first job in Ntaria was working in 12 Coffs Coast focus

the local supermarket and managing the takeaway and fuel station. I adopted two stray dogs, Blacky and Browny and a red kangaroo we named Tjala. Every now and again a tour bus would stop in to get supplies before heading to Palm Valley. Tjala was a huge hit! She would flash her big eyelashes and suck in every tourist from all over the world. After speaking with the tour guides on a regular basis, word must have got out about us, and in 2004 I was invited to attend an intensive training camp to become a tour guide. My first job as a tour guide was from Alice Springs to Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon and the Western Macdonald Ranges. This led to guiding everywhere between Melbourne and Cairns, Darwin to Alice including Kakadu, Litchfield and Nitmiluk National Parks, Adelaide to Perth across the Nullarbor and even at home on the Nymboida River. In this time you spent a lot of time with remote indigenous communities. How was that experience? It was incredible! For a while I worked in remote transport, taking people from remote communities to Alice Springs to attend medical appointments, meetings, funerals or shopping. My regular run was 1,000 km from Alice, along bumpy corrugated roads. I was privileged to visit just about every community within 1,000 km of Alice Springs - not something many people have the opportunity to do. My favourite part of

that job was learning tour with easy walking I WAS PRIVILEGED TO language and culture. I tracks, still visiting the VISIT JUST ABOUT EVERY worked with more than spectacular sights; the COMMUNITY WITHIN 10 language groups, but other is our Adventure 1,000 KM OF ALICE SPRINGS, mainly with Pitjantjatjara Day, which requires a NOT SOMETHING MANY people. I loved breaking high level of fitness. PEOPLE HAVE THE down! That usually We run a Coastal OPPORTUNITY TO DO. meant waiting at least Sightseeing Tour MY FAVOURITE PART OF six hours until someone THAT JOB WAS LEARNING which visits some of could get to us, or LANGUAGE AND CULTURE. our favourite places another car may pass between Urunga and by. That is where I learnt Woolgoolga, and we a lot. Everything from offer surf lessons and edible plants, tracking Surf and Stay packages. animals and getting water; I listened to Where did the idea of running tours here stories from Elders who spoke about the first on the Coffs Coast come about? white man or motor car they had ever seen. I have wanted to run tours here ever since I then studied Indigenous Studies with I started guiding in 2003. I believe we live in Uni SA and expanded my knowledge. I was one of the most unique regions in Australia, extremely lucky to be offered an internship with beautiful accessible beaches, diving, in the APY Lands in Central Australia to work fishing, and just behind is rainforest and in Anthropology. I worked alongside the Traditional Owners and Senior Anthropologist pristine freshwater rivers and waterfalls. Not too many places have the best of to protect significant sites. I was privileged to both worlds. All I had to do was to convince take part in ceremony and document stories Chelsea and Annelies, and how could they to preserve for future generations. refuse everything we do in our business is Now you're back for the long term, what what we would be doing in our spare time have you been up to here on the Coffs anyway! Coast? How have the experiences from your Along with my partner, Chelsea and good travels influenced Coffs Coast Surf tours? friend Annelies, we are the proud owners I’m sure if you jumped on one of our trips, and operators of Coffs Coast Surf Tours. We by the end of the day that question would run day tours which cater for all age groups and fitness levels. We have two different probably be answered ... tours going to Dorrigo, one a relaxed paced Thanks Joe.

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Coffs Coast focus 13

focusinterview.

KiCK

BOXER JEMMA LEE BYARD

JEMMA LEE BYARD STUMBLED UPON MUAY THAI KICKBOXING ONLY TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO AS A MEANS FOR UPPING HER FITNESS, AND BECAME HOOKED ON THE SPORT. SHE IS NOW COMMITTED TO TRAINING AND

COMPETES REGULARLY, RECENTLY WINNING THE WBC QLD FEMALE SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE.

i Jemma. Can you tell us about your connection with the Coffs Coast? The Coffs Coast is a very special place to me, as it is the place I spent the first 20 years of my life, growing up in the small beautiful town of Corindi Beach. It still, and always will be, home to me. I always played a lot of sport, but when I was younger, soccer and touch football were my chosen sports, playing all over the Coffs Coast and on representative sides. When did you first start kickboxing? It was about two and a half years ago. What made you want to give it a go in the beginning? My friends had been trying to get me to do a fitness challenge with a group fitness organisation called "Wanna Be a Kick Boxer" for a while, but I was always too scared to commit. I eventually thought I would give it a go, and I am so glad I did. I walked into the gym on the first day and was greeted by the couple who run it, Nick Atkins (who is now my coach) and his wife, Lauren. I had no idea how they were about to help me in so many ways. After eight weeks of the fitness challenge, we were partnered up with someone we had been training alongside. We would then have our Muay Thai debut in front of a crowd on an organised Muay Thai fight show. The fitness side of things was what I really started it for but by the end, without even realising it, I was overcoming so many personal fears and becoming stronger not only physically, but mentally also. Unless I was running around on a soccer field with a group, being in front of a crowd was absolutely horrifying for me. Once I had my first fight, I was addicted. It was the best 14 Coffs Coast focus

feeling of empowerment and self-confidence and from my previous fight, what I need to improve overcoming so many different personal hurdles. on and what we know about the opponent. I The feeling of being a winner was already within train every week day morning with my alarm me, no matter what the result on the night of going off at 4am, so I can train before I have to the fight. be at work at 7:30am. Then when 5:30pm hits, What’s your training schedule like at the I finish work and go straight back to the gym for moment? strength training. On weekends it is just Saturday My training schedule is quite consuming when morning sparring with the rest of the Boonchu I am in prep for a fight. I have another fight team. coming up in late October, so after having two Can you tell us about what went through weeks of a relaxed schedule, I am back into fullyour mind when you realised you’d won? time training and working. It actually still seems so surreal and almost When I don’t have any fights lined up, my like I was watching that moment from afar. I just training is still consistent, but I make the most of remember looking at my corner where my coach my freed-up time to either get home to the Coffs was standing, and behind him was my army of Coast to see the family and catch up with friends supporters who had come from all over. I knew on the Gold Coast. Working a full-time job and my coach, Nick Atkins, and I had done the hard committing to a full-time yards in prep, and I gave training schedule does take it my all on the night. I its toll at times, so when I was just praying it was have the time to get away I enough for the judges. ONCE I HAD MY try to do just that. When they called blue FIRST FIGHT, I WAS You recently won the ADDICTED. IT WAS WBC title; can you THE BEST FEELING OF tell us a bit about the EMPOWERMENT AND competition? It was held in Cleveland SELF-CONFIDENCE AND on a show called Battle OVERCOMING SO MANY By the Bay, with three DIFFERENT PERSONAL WBC title fights on the HURDLES. night, two of them being female titles - the "WBC QLD female super featherweight” which I won, and the “WBC international lightweight title”. What was the preparation like? And how did it differ from your regular training? Although each prep for a fight has the same foundation, it always differs as to what I learnt

corner and said my name, I remember hearing a huge roar in the background, and I just dropped to my knees. Are there many women who compete in the sport in Australia? There are quite a few women in this sport and it’s still growing, which is awesome! Boonchu gym is run by John Wayne Parr and his wife, Angie Parr, who both are World Champions. So, having a female World Champion as a mentor is motivation in itself. Have you set yourself any particular goals in your competitive career, and are there any more titles you have your eye on? I always set myself new goals, as there is always so much for me to learn and improve on. Ha ha, as much as my poor parents support me 100 percent, I think they would like me to take my QLD title gracefully and be done, but I am always aiming for the top and I plan to make my way up and go international one day. Thanks Jemma.

Coffs Coast focus 15

focusinterview.

Sonia Kaur

ey Sonia. Can you tell us a bit about how you came to be on the Coffs Coast? I had been living in London for over four years, and in 2013 my brother decided to move to Australia - first to Sydney, and then he moved to Coffs Harbour. I belong to an Indian family and we are very family oriented, so I ended up here too. You have lived in a few different places around the world. Can you tell us about some of those places and what took you there? My dad has always been a traveller. He started his journey in 1980 by moving to Jordan, and then he lived in a few different countries but decided to stop travelling and move to Italy in 1989. He first worked on a flower farm in southern Italy, but then moved to north Italy in Mantova, where he found a job as a cow farmer. The farm was owned by an Italian Family named Bacchi, and after a couple of months when he was settled in, we joined him, and it was a blessing for us. The Bacchi family treated us as family and taught us Italian, helping us with our homework and supporting us in everything. After working as a hairdresser for many years, I decided to move to London in 2012, to seek some more exciting opportunities in the fashion industry, and also to learn English. My brother and I had also learned German at school, and so being multilingual I also got an opportunity to work in Heathrow Airport as an

16 Coffs Coast focus

Sonia was BORN IN INDIA, GREW UP IN ITALY, HAS LIVED IN LONDON, AND NOW SHE CALLS THE COFFS COAST HOME. She is an experienced hairdresser and has recently opened her own salon here, bringing her knowledge and experience from some of the world’s fashion capitals to the Coﬀs Coast!

and truly caring about them. All my customers know I am very honest BEING A HAIRSTYLIST when it comes to my work, and I MEANS TRULY LOVING teach them how to make themselves PEOPLE BY GIVING look beautiful at home too. I can THEM A BIT OF change someone's day or life even POSITIVITY FOR TODAY just by spending a short amount of AND LEAVING THEM time with them; it's an art and talent interpreter. WITH A GLEAMING to achieve a look that gives someone We believe you have also RAY OF HOPE FOR not only outer beauty, but helps worked as a translator in TOMORROW. grow inner confidence to help them Italy; that must have been achieve their goals while helping you an interesting role? reach yours. Earlier in my life my dream Being a hairstylist means truly job was to become a police officer. One day, one of loving people by giving them a bit of positivity for today my dad’s work colleagues had some issue with his and leaving them with a gleaming ray of hope for documents and he couldn't communicate in Italian, tomorrow. The hair industry is one of the only industries so my dad asked me to help him. That day I met the I know where at the end of the day you have made president of A.N.O.L.F., which is an association for someone look and feel like a movie star, made a woman migrants, and he could not believe my accent and feel as beautiful as she thought her favourite celebrity offered me a volunteer job straight away as a interpreter was, and that makes me feel like superwoman too. Ha for the Indian community. I was working hard, as this ha! was my second job, but I got personal satisfaction What have you learnt in your experiences working knowing I was making a difference to people. all over the world that you’ve been able to bring A couple of months after joining the association, the to the Coffs Coast? president decided to give me full control of the office London and Milan are recognised internationally as and I was helping all Indians and whoever else I could two of the world’s most important fashion capitals. help. The local police were also informed that there was Working in these big cities you learn so much; you will a girl who had been brought up in the local area who never miss a style or a show. I have learnt and I am could help with translating; it was such an amazing constantly learning a lot every day, educating myself and opportunity for me, as I had always dreamed of working others. as a police officer, so working with the police was super Working around the world with different people, the cool and very interesting. amazing thing I have learned is listening. Listening to What do you enjoy most about hairdressing? people builds a relationship with them and makes them When I started hairdressing, I thought it was all about comfortable. As a hairstylist, we can change a person cutting and styling hair. I was totally wrong! It’s about by building their confidence. Each stylist is unique and growing a relationship with your client by listening caters to the different needs of their clients. and catering to their needs or wants, being sincere Thanks Sonia.

Coffs Coast focus 17

focus_What’s On Coffs Coast

O C T O B E R

Coffs Harbour Buskers & Comedy Festival

Six days of fun and laughter on the streets, in parks, pubs, and clubs of Coffs Harbour. Most events are free entry, with a hat donation to the artist at the end of each show. Some shows are by gold coin donation and KIDS’ DAY is via ticket entry. When 2nd until 7th October. More info www.coffsharbourbuskers.com

Clay Intersections ADC On Tour: An Australian Design Centre National Touring Exhibition. Clay Intersections is an ADC On Tour national touring exhibition, first presented by Australian Design Centre in 2016. Curated by Gallery Co-ordinator Cath Fogarty, the exhibition highlights the work of eight contemporary makers selected for their diverse approaches to their ceramic practice: Kenji Uranishi, Tania Rollond, Bridget Bodenham, Helen Earl, Ulrica Trulsson, Natalie Rosin and Cone 11’s Colin Hopkins and Ilona Topolcsanyi. When 14 September - 10 November. Where Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery.

Australian Women’s Leadership Forum The Australian Women’s Leadership Forum is for women who are looking for increased awareness of their leadership style and competencies, as well as practical strategies to help them overcome challenges within their work and personal life. When 12th October. Where C.ex Coffs Harbour. Tickets www.wla.edu.au/leadershipforum.html

Coffs Harbour Skate, Ink & Rhyme Festival The Inaugural Coffs Harbour Skate, Ink & Rhyme Festival is a cultural gathering of everything art. This event will be made up of local and travelling tattoo artists, graffiti artists, skateboarders and lots more. When 20th October. Where Coffs Harbour Showground. Tickets www.oztix.com.au and on the gate.

Josephine Wants to Dance Josephine Wants to Dance is a story about dreams, believing in yourself … and a dancing kangaroo. From the award-winning duo of Diary of a Wombat comes another hilarious tale of a bush animal you’ll never forget. Josephine is a kangaroo - who loves to dance. When 6th October. Where Jetty Memorial Theatre Tickets www.jettytheatre.com

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A Night of Music, Song & Dance Big band music at its very best. When you hear the big sound and huge repertoire of the Bellingen Big Band, you’ll know why it is considered the finest big band in the region. Tap along to the great music, or dance your feet off. When 13th October at 7pm. Where Cavanbah Centre. Tickets $27 from www.trybooking.com/WTLK More info 0409 716 774.

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 home-grown talent in both folk and bluegrass genres. When 26th until 29th October. Where Dorrigo. More info dorrigofolkbluegrass.com.au/

India British

Its been over 10 years since British India burst on to the music scene, WITH A FIST FULL OF HOTTEST 100 ENTRIES, SIX ALBUM RELEASES AND HEADLINING OVER 700 SHOWS. They’re heading to Sawtell on Friday, October 5th; this is a show not to be missed …

i guys. Where does the name British India come from? What’s the meaning behind it? The name was initially taken from a clothing store in Singapore we had seen as 16 year olds and at a time when we were heavily influenced by the Beatles. We were watching the Beatles anthologies; we must have been up to the episode where they travelled to India. Ultimately we thought it would be a memorable name. It has no real meaning outside of that. It been a busy few years for you. What have been some of the major highlights? We are often asked this question and the answer, for me at least, always comes back to playing a gig with and meeting the Rolling Stones. It was such a great day and night! We had spent years listening to their music and devouring any and all documentaries we could find. So to be standing next to and shaking hands with these monoliths of culture and music was surreal! You’re now touring your sixth studio album. What do you love most about touring your new music and bringing it to your fans? It’s great to see which songs people latch on to. It’s always hard to know what they will like. We, in the band, will have our favourites,

but a lot of the time they differ so drastically from what our die hard fans want to hear. After touring for over ten years now, there is some muscle memory with the older songs, so to play new ones that sometimes have only been played a handful of times can be an enjoyable challenge. We are are lucky enough to have you stop off here in Sawtell this month. What can we expect at the show? You can expect a show that has a mix of old, new and possibly even a cover or two; depends how we feel on the night. We are partial to playing requests of our back catalogue too … if we can remember the chords. What’s on the horizon? More shows and writing. As I say to young bands when they ask me what they should do to become more popular, “Write good songs”. It’s the only currency and security you can have in this industry. If you have the tunes, people will come. Thanks guys.

Don’t miss British India with special guests. Friday 5th October (opening 8pm) at Sawtell RSL. This is an 18+ event. sawtellrsl.com.au

Coffs Coast focus 19

focus real estate

AMANDA LANGLANDS FROM LANGLANDS PROPERTY

real estate update. WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE REAL ESTATE MARKET?

Our market is currently a neutral market - not a sellers' market and not a buyers' market. People are simply buying and selling for normal reasons.

istorically house sales are slower during the winter period, so it is no surprise when people say things are a bit slower. However, the question on everyone’s lips is, “Is the real estate market turning?” Major cities are experiencing softening in prices and extended days on market to sell, but how does this affect Coffs Harbour?

20 Coffs Coast focus

The past twelve months Over the past twelve month period we have been experiencing a shortage of properties for sale to meet the buyer demand, which has pushed sale prices up. We have seen strong population growth for the Coffs Coast from all regions of Australia. Basic supply and demand means if we have active competition for product, the value of the product increases.

Due to the tight supply and increased number of people moving to and investing in our area, prices have pushed higher. This is great news for sellers; however, the buyers have been left frustrated as they miss out on homes, compete with cashed up metropolitan purchasers and continue to look for properties with limited options. Market changes Whilst other areas are experiencing changes in their market, we still have good interest from qualified and active buyers. With the slower Winter listing period we are seeing a backed up supply of purchasers looking for more options for properties to view. The heat coming out of the metropolitan areas is slowing the external price push, which means some of the properties currently listed for sale are experiencing extended days on market, as they take a bit longer to sell due to the urgency to purchase no longer being as pressing. Vicious circle Heated markets create a vicious circle. Due to the property shortage, sellers are reluctant to place properties on the market for sale, as they are concerned about what they will be able to buy when they sell. This creates a holding

pattern and with the tension coming out of the market, this will free this pattern up, allowing people to have options when selling and therefore creating more options for others as they place their own home on the market. The relief in the cycle The good news about the heat coming out of the city areas and Spring sellers coming on to the market is that the housing shortage may be turning; this is excellent news for spring buyers. Of course, the increase is a double-edged sword. Supplies are increasing because sales are slowing, and sales are slowing because buyers want to see better value and they have the luxury of time to make a decision. A seller's responsibility Well presented and well marketed properties will always sell if priced correctly. It is imperative in a changing market to ensure you do your research and make sure you are pricing your home correctly to sell. Buyers are definitely out there and they are ready to get into action, but they want a reason to stop and look at your home. Make sure your presentation is exceptional; every bit matters. Ensure you are supported by an agent with experience who understands property cycles and marketing. This is a great time to buy and to sell.

Whilst other areas are experiencing changes in their market we still have good interest from qualified and active buyers.

Coffs Coast focus 21

Australian forum Women’s Leadership

here to from here for female leaders in Coffs Harbour? It’s a question that local female leaders will be pondering with an audience of aspiring female leaders from Coffs Harbour and surrounding areas on October 12, when Women & Leadership Australia bring the Australian Women’s Leadership Forum to Coffs for the first time. The one day program will feature local leaders, including Aunty Bea Ballangarry AM, Councillor Tegan Swan, Julianne McKeon and Liz Keen. Tracey Spicer AM will also give the keynote presentation at the end of the day. Alongside this, there will also be three leadership development sessions throughout the day; ‘A Mindful and Resilient Leader’, ‘Building Career Changing Connections and Networking Strategically’ and ‘Be Brave, Adaptive and Experimental.’ We had a chat to Julianne McKeon, local leader and President of BPW (Business & Professional Women) Coffs Harbour about some of the opportunities and challenges that face female leaders in rural and regional areas. "Why is leadership important in rural and regional areas?” "In rural and regional areas there is always a need to get in there and do the hard yards. If something needs to happen in your town or community, it’s no use sitting and whingeing, but get on and make sure it happens. "Women-owned businesses comprise 70% of local business owners in our region and they are helping to make the economy tick. 22 Coffs Coast focus

For over fourteen years, Women & Leadership Australia has been developing female leaders and supporting the increased presence of women in business and community leadership roles. FOCUS had a chat to Julianne McKeon to ﬁnd out more about the up and coming Australian Women's Leadership Forum. Most are sole traders and they are ensuring wonderful teaching at my high school and that they and their families are fed and they then encouragement from family. I have held are contributing to the local economy. Many managerial or supervisory positions for most of of these women and their sisters who are in my working life. the workplace, professions or working in the "However, I believe that my leadership community on a volunteer basis are showing journey really began in the early 1990s when that women are leading the way to make our I was mentored and encouraged by a female region great." employer who helped "What extra barriers me find my voice to do women face when speak on subjects that they are in leadership were important to me in positions in rural and regards to equity for all, I'M THRILLED TO BE regional areas?” women and men, and GETTING OUT OF THE CITY "Many women in fair dealing in business. AND INTO REGIONAL AND regional areas face Since that time I have RURAL AUSTRALIA, TO MEET discrimination in their been involved more WOMEN MAKING GROUNDworkplace or community directly in executive BREAKING CHANGE IN THE because the perception roles where I have learnt BUSINESS AND NOT-FORis that they do not have some important lessons PROFIT SECTORS. the skills to lead that on how decisions could men have traditionally and should be made for possessed. Reasons for the benefit of those in this discrimination vary the organisations I have but it could be that in a regional area, the first helped run. The smart and wise women of BPW white settlers were male and therefore they have helped me to further my understanding of took on the early leadership roles. how to bring equity in all fields for women." "The women of the Coffs Coast have "Do you have any pearls of wisdom you also learnt the importance of networking to would share with other women who are gain valuable allies and friends. In our region interested in being community leaders, or women are stepping up to the plate to take workplace leaders, in the future?" on leadership roles. Organisations such as "For our future leaders I would suggest that BPW (Business & Professional Women) Coffs they commence their role by a combination Harbour provide them with skills, mentoring of taking on leadership positions in their work and networking to succeed." and also by joining a community committee/ "How did your leadership journey begin?" board to hone their skills on strategy and learn "I could say that my leadership journey from fellow committee members. Additionally began early as I was a committed feminist from I would suggest they network with the aim of

supporting each other and raising their profile." Tracey Spicer AM, who will be giving a keynote address at each event, said of the day; “I'm thrilled to be getting out of the city and into regional and rural Australia, to meet women making ground-breaking change in the business and not-for-profit sectors. I've spent a lot of time in beautiful Coffs Harbour in recent years, and am inspired by the many powerhouse women in this region." Veronica Lake, Director, Partnerships and Alliances at Women & Leadership Australia, said; “We know from feedback from women over the last 14 years that it is hard for women in rural and regional areas to access leadership development opportunities like this one. We are incredibly excited to be going out to nonmetro city centres at the end of this year and hope that we will be able to continue these forums in the future. "We also know from a report released by the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2017 that women in rural and regional areas experience higher levels of gender discrimination in the workplace than their big city counterparts. There is also a bigger gender pay gap in these areas. We hope that by bringing leaders together in rural and regional centres, we can be part of the solution to these problems.” The Australian Women’s Leadership Forum will take place in Coffs Harbour on October 12. More information: https://www.wla.edu.au/ leadershipforumcoffsharbour.html. FOCUS readers can use the code FOCUS18 to grab a ticket for only $200 (normally $395).

Coffs Coast focus 23

focus_tech

WITH

GAVIN MORONEY

Tech Head

SMART HOME TECH

Carrying on from our last instalment, we continue looking at ways to “techout” your residence with the NEST Protect and Phillips Hue bulbs, bringing light and security to your home.

NEST PROTECT Every home should have at least one, if not more, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to warn you of any unexpected fires.

ut what if you’re not home? How would you ever know that your house could be moments away from burning down? The Nest Protect sends you a warning straight to your phone if there is any sign of an emergency. Installed like any other smoke detector, the Nest Protect comes hard-wired or powered by batteries. It uses a split-spectrum sensor, which can pick up both slow smouldering fires as well as fast burning ones. The Nest has a voice warning before the alarm sounds, which comes in handy when you have just burnt the toast. You can bypass the alarm to deal with the toast, instead of having a blaring alarm ringing in your ears reminding

The Art of Colour you that not becoming a chef was a great decision! A neat little feature is the path light, which is great for illuminating the way when it senses movement, so you don’t go crashing down in the middle of the night. You can also sync it with your smart lighting, so when the Nest goes off all your lights can come on, giving you valuable seconds in the case of an emergency. The downside to the Nest Protect is it’s on the pricey side, coming in at $189, but it is one of the most comprehensive types of alarm systems, being able to detect several types of fires as well as carbon monoxide.

PHILIPS HUE WHITE AND COLOR

AMBIANCE STARTER KIT

One of my favourite pieces of tech is the Philips Hue bulb.

ne of my favourite pieces of tech is the Philips Hue bulb. This range has evolved into a dominant presence in the smart home world. Light can transform the way you feel about a space, as the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance has around 16 million different colours. So if you have a specific colour scheme in mind, 100% this bulb will be able to get you there. The set up is really simple - just plug in the Philips Hue bridge to your router and then wait for the app to find them, that’s it! Once

24 Coffs Coast focus

in the app you can turn the lights on and off and have full control over the colour you desire. You can set different routines to have the lights turn on and off by a timer, which is great for the times you may be on holidays and want it to look like there’s someone home. Connected to something like Google Home, your lights now become voice activated, which I have to say is really fun! Laying in bed and telling Google Home to turn the lights off without reaching for a switch is something you will quickly become accustomed to. Definitely a cool piece of tech!

Most people, at one time or another, have changed the colour of their hair, whether it’s to try something new or to cover up those pesky greys. If you wish to redecorate your home, Dulux has over 4,500 paint colours, of which 72 are shades of white. When it comes to colouring your hair, whilst hairdressers don’t have that many ready-made formulas to hand, most product companies have over a hundred colours on offer, which can then be customblended. Mixing the right personalised colour for the client is an art form for a hair colourist like Adrian at Celtic Roots Hair Designers. “Everyone’s hair colour is beautifully unique,” explains Adrian, “the basic colour palette that a salon has can be mixed to the desired shade, using a particular ‘recipe’.” However, just like an master chef, each recipe needs refining to achieve the desired, wholly individual, result. “For example,” continues Adrian, “silver is currently popular with many younger clients,

but it can easily look ‘brassy’, so it’s important I adjust the colours to remove unwanted warmth. On the other hand, going darker could produce green tones, which no one appreciates in their hair - indeed, my first boss had a rule of no green décor in the salon for this very reason!” Adrian also emphasises the commitment this kind of change in hair colour requires: “The roots will become very obvious after six weeks, unlike with highlights. However, if you have so many highlights that the roots become obvious anyway, then it may be easier and more costeffective to use all over colour.” This colour refining is a skill not necessarily taught, but one that is perfected through experience and exploration. That is the true artistry of the colourist. Adrian invites you to book a free consultation, where you can discuss the most affordable way to achieve your perfect, unique colour in a creative, relaxed environment over a cup of coffee.

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65 Sussex Street Sydney | westhotel.com.au | 02 8297 6500 | west_hotelsyd Coffs Coast focus 25

focusinterview.

Owner of creative business Paint Your Town, Aimee Pelley speaks with FOCUS about the fun social experience oﬀered at pubs, restaurants and cafés.

your

COFFS HARBOUR, IT’S TIME TO PAINT YOUR TOWN!

i Aimee; thanks so much for speaking with us. Please tell us a little about the business and exactly what Paint Your Town is ... We’re all about fun, getting people in touch with their creative side, and sharing that experience with their friends. Paint Your Town is a painting class run in pubs, restaurants, cafés, or anywhere people can grab a few drinks and try something different. Our classes add a colourful twist to the usual night out, team-building adventure, and birthday parties. Peak celebration time is just around the corner - holiday season - so we’re really excited about events coming up. You’re obviously naturally creative yourself; what inspired you to launch a business like this? I’ve been an art teacher in schools in the USA and love seeing people surprise themselves by unlocking their creativity. When I moved to Australia with my husband, I wanted to extend that experience to adults too. What takes place in a typical Paint Your Town class, and do we need to bring anything along? All you need is a mind open to unleash your creative spirit! We supply the art supplies, the guidance and everyone creates a unique painting to take home. It’s fun art, not fine art! It’s about connecting with your friends over a few 26 Coffs Coast focus

drinks, a canvas and some paint while we help you let your artistic streak shine. Many people use painting as a therapeutic measure in today’s busy society. Why do you think it is important to switch off from our hectic schedules with art? Getting creative is good for the soul! Even if you think you’re not “good” at painting, creativity is about thinking differently, stepping outside your usual zone for a little while and learning something new. We hear time and time again from our customers that for two hours they were able to focus solely on this artwork and forget about everything else! Fun is important. Adults can sometimes see having fun as a bonus in their day, not something to actively choose to experience. Having fun shouldn't be an accidental incident; we should seek out fun for ourselves every day. And if Paint Your Town can bring that to people, we’ve achieved something wonderful. Paint Your Town isn't just for adults having fun; we heard you've coined the term "art for all abilities". What does this mean? We recently became an NDIS provider, allowing all abilities to join in on the fun. We provide easy tips to manipulate the paint and in-depth guidance tailored to the customer's ability. All of our public art classes are completely inclusive; everyone can join in. Carers are welcomed and encouraged to join in too. Art is good for the soul, and that goodness

is universal. We want to help all people harness their creativity and make their mark. How can people get in touch with you to find out more? www.paintyourtown.com.au has everything you need - click Find a Class and you’ll see upcoming parties in your local pub, restaurant, or café. Venues can also become a Paint Your Town Hot Spot, and book us to come along (no mess - we take care of the clean-up). Get in touch if you’d like to add a splash of colour to your next event, corporate function, team building exercise, or other group party. Hosting an art class in your workplace is a great way to break down boundaries or "silos" in the corporate world. Co-workers get to see each other in a new light. Best part - you don’t need a creative bone to have fun! Use FOCUS15 in your enquiry and save 15% on your group party if you book by October 30th. Thanks Aimee.

OpenArms CARE

FOCUS CAUGHT UP WITH CLAYTON SIPPEL, CEO OF OPEN ARMS CARE, A COMMUNITY BASED NOT-FOR-PROFIT, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RANGE OF COMMUNITY SERVICES THEY OFFER ACROSS THE COFFS COAST, BELLINGER AND NAMBUCCA VALLEY REGIONS.

i Clayton. What is the history behind Open Arms Care? Open Arms Care Inc. was formed in 2008 from the amalgamation of three smaller entities providing quality services in the local community for more than 40 years. Since then we have continued our mission to provide quality care, valued by our community. What services does Open Arms provide? Open Arms Care provide a wide range of services benefiting the whole community. Family Day Care offers early childhood education in a nurturing home based environment. Our educators cater for the needs of children aged 0 - 5 years old to enable parents to continue to work or study while providing the best care, education and development to their children. Out of School Hours Care caters for children aged 5 - 11 years. Out of School Hours Care includes before and after school

care and vacation care. After school care and vacation care is available in two locations, Bellingen and Urunga, and before school care is offered at our newest centre in Urunga, located at Urunga Public School. Both centres offer a fun, engaging and inclusive program of activities which has proven to be very popular. Bookings are essential, as places are limited and fill rapidly. NDIS Plan Management provides support with financial administration of a participant’s plan. We have a qualified accountant who functions in this role as an intermediary and assists individuals with plan and financial capacity building. Ageing Services provide a variety of services to over 65s or over 50 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Our programs are designed to provide support that takes into account each person’s individual goals, preferences and choices, with a strong emphasis on wellness and reablement. One of our most popular is Meals on Wheels, delivering a nutritious

selection of mains, soups and desserts right up and down the coast. Who makes up your team? I am very fortunate to lead a highly qualified, community focused team of professionals. Our team includes Rina O’Connor Management Accountant, Mary Wunderlich OSHC Coordinator, Cindy Warren Family Day Care Coordinator, Brittany Hardy Family Day Care Coordinator and Eleanor Ball Ageing Services Coordinator, as well as a dedicated and enthusiastic administration team, team of educators, and care staff. What are some of the important considerations when choosing a care provider? I would say for the vast majority there are three main aspects people ask: Service location - for Family Day Care or Out of School Hours Care, you may prefer to have the service located close to either home or work? For Aged Care and NDIS Plan Management, you may prefer a local service

with local knowledge, or just someone you can talk to face to face. Availability - no matter what service you require, is it available when you need it, on the right day at the right time? Cost - what are the costs involved? All service types have some form of client contribution for using the service. Open Arms Care is a local community based notfor-profit organisation, not a big for-profit; we continually strive to deliver quality service that is affordable. Why choose Open Arms Care? Open Arms Care are local, not-for-profit, community based, delivering quality services that are affordable. You are able to pick up the phone and talk to a real person, or drop in and speak to a friendly team member face to face. How do we find out more about your services? For additional information or to find out about eligibility requirements, please contact our friendly team on (02) 6655 2650.

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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

Quadrant Australia Local tour company Quadrant Travel and Journeys have been taking travellers around the world for more than 30 years. Their tours are a unique mix of special interest and sightseeing, and it is this combination that ensures the experience on tour is both unique and memorable. In 2019, Quadrant Travel and Journeys have more than 40 tours, including tours to the USA, Canada, South America, Asia, South Africa, Europe, UK and within Australia and New Zealand.

Why people like to travel... and why you should too! We asked our regular travel writer, Kerry Moss, what all the fuss is about! Why are more and more people travelling than ever before? Here’s what she told us ...

eople love to travel for all types of reasons: adventure, relaxation or to escape. For most, it is hard to imagine what life is like for others around the world, what it would feel like to be born in a different country without visiting to see it for ourselves.

If you’re stuck in a rut and looking for a new

Some travel to learn. Whether it is to learn a language, learn to cook or learning how others live. A wise teacher once told me, that you’ll learn more in the classroom of the world than you will ever learn out of textbooks.

nothing beats the feeling of satisfaction after

Others travel for work or study opportunities. We live in a world where many children are travelling even before they have left school, either through exchange programs or through sporting opportunities. Many careers include travel as one of the perks. It can be part of the package or an extra incentive but either way, it’s become a way of life for many workers these days.

travelling to visit or celebrate with family and

There is a new term called the Digital Nomad. It was created with the introduction of the remote workplace. With the introduction of mobile internet connection came the ability for some jobs to be done remotely and from almost anywhere. There are an entire collection of people travelling the world constantly, stopping for a few months at a time and immersing themselves in the destination before moving on to another destination, all the while logging in and working remotely. 28 Coffs Coast focus

adventure, looking to challenge yourself with a foreign language or an international cuisine, then nothing beats experiencing a culture first hand. When you first arrive in a foreign city, it’s the overindulgence of all your senses that drive you to return time after time, and you’ve challenged yourself to something new. It’s becoming increasingly common to celebrate special occasions somewhere exotic, and this has seen an increase in people friends. There also continues to be a large number of young school leavers travelling for the traditional “Gap Year” before settling down for further education. As a world traveller myself, I think nothing describes me more than a wanderer. And in truth, not all those who wander are lost. Wanderlust is a strange word. It is originally from the German word “Wandern”, meaning to walk, and “Lust,” which is described as “a very strong or irresistible impulse”. Those effected by wanderlust travel simply because they have the urge to. One thing is for sure; travel changes the way we view the world. It helps us be more accepting of our differences, and it is true when they say, “Of all the books in the world, the best stories can be found between the pages of a passport”.

New for 2019 is the Glorious Gardens of UK. The United Kingdom is well-known for its impressive castles, ornate stately homes and historic manor houses, generally surrounded by fabulous trees and beautiful gardens; this tour is a chance to soak up the glorious scenery of the UK in spring and appreciate the rich heritage of generations of passionate gardeners and garden designers. The journey starts in Edinburgh with some spectacular Scottish gardens. Travellers will stay in historic locations, including the Lake District, the Cotswolds and Bath and finish in

London with a visit to the Royal Horticultural Society’s flagship event - the Chelsea Flower Show. Other unique opportunities in 2019 include the Legendary Sounds of the USA combined with farming in Southern USA. Take a musical journey through the USA and explore the fascinating heritage of country music by visiting the places where the music and its legends were born. Visit Nashville, Music Capital of the USA, to see the world-famous Grand Ole Opry. Travellers will even get to tour Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. Music lovers will revel in this funfilled tour, and at the same time you’ll have the opportunity to see some of the best farming operations in the South of the USA, including cotton, peanuts, soybeans, cattle and dairying. So whether you are a gardener, a farmer, a music lover, or a foodie, drop in and see the team at Quadrant Travel and Journeys in Harbour Drive Coffs Harbour. The experienced team will be able to assist you with all of your travel needs.

Will you be posting Christmas gifts overseas this year? Love & Kisses has some of THE best MADE IN AUSTRALIA gifts, that weigh way below that dreaded 500 g. Call in and have a look at the wonderful wild and wacky unisex socks - made in Victoria with Australian cotton, and even the paper wrapper is made in Australia. Judy says everyone who wears them comes back for more, they feel so good on your skin. And they’re just $14.95. Also made in Victoria, by a company that employs mostly disabled people, are the fabulous microfibre tea towels. Gift boxed, with designs in wildflowers and birds, they really do work. Judy says she never thought she’d sell tea towels, let alone get excited about them, but these are very different, and well worth a look. And while you’re there, ask her about the great stuff featuring Aboriginal art from the Utopia company in Alice Springs … And the little wooden Melbourne-made Nativity Scene in a Matchbox - you’ll LOVE these, and what a perfect Christmas gift for family overseas. And a tip: Love & Kisses will be “Christmassing” the shop at the end of October (and Judy thinks even that is too early!) … but it will be worth waiting for, so hold off on the decorations ‘til then!

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Honeycomb Strawberry Triple Stacked Pancakes - triple stacked pancakes with melted housemade sweet honeycomb butter and fresh strawberries from CafĂŠ Aqua. 30 Coffs Coast focus

Crafty • Brouhaha Strawberry Rhubarb Sour •

grants

Fresh and chilled on the taps at Element Bar on the Coffs Jetty Strip is this spring time cracker from Brouhaha Brewery in Maleny, QLD. It’s a kettle sour beer made with a natural yoghurt culture and stewed strawberries and rhubarb. Results in a super refreshing light pink drop with berries on the nose and a lovely dry tart rhubarb finish. Sun’s out, sour’s on!

McDonald’s junior

P R O G R A M

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

L for a

Farmer

north coast hotel group

North Coast Hotel group RAISED $12,142 DURING AUGUST AS PART OF THEIR “PARMA FOR A FARMER” CAMPAIGN. FOCUS had a chat to the guys to find out more ...

e are really thrilled, and so thankful to all our great patrons who really got behind the idea, donating in the form of $1 a meal. In addition to this, people were so generous and donated additional money by placing their loose change in buckets throughout the venues. We all know our farmers are doing it tough, especially in Northwest NSW, and it is great that we were to be able to help, to let our farmers know that the people of Coffs Harbour care and want to help also! The people of Coffs Harbour have been incredibly generous, and it really is fantastic that were able to raise this money for our farmers. The money was donated to the Buy a Bale

charity, where they will put it to use for all the farmers struggling with the drought. It is a great result, being well over a full truckload of hay delivered, and then some! We have always been massive supporters of our local community, through sponsorships, donations, running charity events, and having each of our venues doing their bit in their own local area. This is the first time we have combined and to get such a great result for such a worthy cause shows how much all our patrons from Coffs Harbour, Moonee, Woolgoolga and Grafton are willing to get behind a worthy cause. A massive thanks to all who ate with us, donated in our collection tins, paid more than they needed to as an additional donation, a massive thanks to our staff, who embraced the cause, and of course, to Great Ocean Foods for their support.

ocal twins and passionate football players Jacob and Marcus Field are looking forward to attending the 2018 National Youth Football Championships for Boys. “With the help from the McDonald’s Junior Grant we will attend these titles and test our skills against the best U14 Footballers from around the country. The competition will see teams from each of the State Federations of the FFA compete over five days.”

and trains with the Australian Ballet School Interstate Program in Melbourne. She also competes regularly in Eisteddfods and has just won the junior classical ballet performance scholarship at Coffs Harbour Eisteddfod. The grant would help immensely with the cost of tuition and travel for her to access training opportunities, which she will need to do in order to achieve her ambition.

idea of what it takes to succeed in sport. Attending the championship would make our dad so very proud, especially with all that he does to allow us the opportunity to play.”

The McDonald’s Junior Grant Program believes that building a successful generation comes from supporting our great locals, so, if you are a local 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.

Rosie Smart, another talented local and grant recipient, recently competed in the 2018 NSW Junior State Titles in Sydney. The boys have the “I came runner up! opportunity to be This awesome result selected to attend the Rosie Smart, another has qualified me for youth squads from talented local and grant the Australian Junior current A League recipient, recently Surfing Titles in South Teams, hoping to get competed in the 2018 Australia in December them one step further NSW Junior State this year. I’m really towards the ultimate Titles in Sydney. looking forward to this goal of becoming a opportunity, and I am professional footballers. working very hard to “The Championships ensure I can give it my will assist us to absolute best shot. The McDonald’s Grant grow stronger mentally, improving our self will aid me in training and attending the confidence, assisting us to develop greater Australian Titles”. team skills, as well as giving us a realistic

Another grant recipient, Amy Gillespie is working towards her dreams of becoming a professional dancer. Passionate about pursuing a career in Classical Ballet, Amy travels interstate to access scholarship classes

www.maccasjuniorgrant.com.au Coffs Coast focus 31

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events & Functions

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christmas functions Bonville Golf Resort and Pacific Bay

As a Coffs Coast local, you’d be well aware of the abundance of beautiful resort properties that during our busy holiday periods are seen bustling with families enjoying a relaxing break in one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline on the Australian East Coast. But it’s not just holiday makers who should be given the opportunity to enjoy these settings. So says Stephanie Kesby, Group Sales Manager for Bonville Golf Resort and Pacific Bay Resort.

n early 2018, Pacific Bay Resort changed hands and joins the award-winning Bonville Golf Resort, making two Coffs Coast resorts that now share a common vision built on customer service and an exceptional guest experience. “It’s an exciting time for our business. We’ve taken many of our learnings at Bonville Golf Resort and applied them to refreshing Pacific Bay Resort, and we’re now welcoming local businesses, organisations, clubs, groups and families to both properties for the festive season,” says Stephanie. What can you expect when you organise your Christmas party or end of year celebration at one of these resort properties? Firstly, you can expect fresh, local produce to dominate menus designed by a growing team of food loving professionals, bent on always improving their offering. The ever-popular Flooded Gums Restaurant at Bonville Golf Resort has recently refreshed the

á la carte menu, and guests looking to create a two or three course sit down celebration can now enjoy dishes including a roasted eye fillet of beef with creamed spinach, eshallot jam, café de paris mascarpone, fondant potato and red wine jus, prepared to your liking. Also garnering fine review is the maple glazed roast duck breast with celeriac hash, apple and date relish, charred bok choy and port jus. The recently refreshed and re-opened Bayside Bar and Grill at Pacific Bay Resort has attracted a trove of 5-star reviews on TripAdvisor. With a lean on a modern Australian / Italian menu, the restaurant, set amid the tranquil and tropical surrounds of the resort’s lagoons and gardens, can only be described as the perfect summertime Christmas function venue. “Our functions team is looking forward to making the most of our beautiful outside deck area this year,” Stephanie says.

CELEBRATE

Functions “Many of our guests enjoy a Christmas celebration that is less formal, so we offer a really nice Christmas buffet menu with all the trimmings, including plum pudding and pav. It’s great for our larger groups and a really nice way for folks to enjoy a casual celebration. We’re extending our buffet options across both properties,” she added. Both properties are offering a free glass of sparkling on arrival for groups of 10 or more who

book their celebration before the end of October. Not a bad way to inject some Christmas cheer into the most wonderful time of the year.

CELEBRATE

CHRISTMAS

Book your staff Christmas party or end of year celebration at the beautifully refreshed and re-opened Pacific Bay Resort. Dine on the decks overlooking our tropical gardens and lagoons or take advantage of our range of function rooms.

Our friendly and professional events team will plan the perfect occassion for you!

WITH US

YOUR ESSENTIAL CHRISTMAS FUNCTION VENUE

BOOK NOW | 6653 4002

christmas@pacificbayresort.com.au www.pacificbayresort.com.au christmas@bonvillegolf.com.au www.bonvillegolf.com.au

christmas@pacificbayresort.com.au www.pacificbayresort.com.au Coffs Coast focus 35

Coffs

Centre

Coffs Event Centre hire or service all your event needs, including decorations, drapes, chair covers, sashes, lights, sound equipment, props or staging for your next event, wedding, conference or function. We had a chat to the owner, Jim Browne, to find out more ...

hat is your connection to the Coffs Coast? The whole team who work at the Coffs Event Centre have been living the Coffs Coast lifestyle for a very long time. The latest arrival discovered Coffs 25 years ago. The oldest arm of our business, “Balloons Plus”, still has customers that go back over 30 years. We all live here and work here, because we love it - it is a lifestyle choice. Can you briefly describe what you do? The Coffs Event Centre is an interesting concept. We host a range of "Event" focused services under one roof, keeping these businesses viable in the small Coffs Coast market. This delivers all the advantages of "Big City" wedding, party, function, and business promotion services to our local community. Tell us about the products and services you provide. The Coffs Event Centre is in the business of helping people with their event needs. We work with you to create an event to be remembered,

36 Coffs Coast focus

whether it be at a venue, your home, your workplace, indoors or outdoors. If you need help with decorations or hire equipment - just call us. We can fully service any event - deliver, set up and collect when your event is finished. Or, you can hire and DIY (Do-It-Yourself). We hire a wide range of event equipment: chairs, tables, red carpet, AV equipment, lighting, truss, stage and even small garden marquees. We have an enormous range of decorative fabrics and a great range of sound systems, for events large and small. We produce creative ideas in balloons, draping, lighting and various fun and decorative themes. You can see the wide spectrum of our talents on our websites and learn a lot of useful things about making a success of your event along the way. Where do you source your ideas and inspiration? Our team has a great deal of talent derived from personal skills and 20 years' experience in the event industry. We have very good creative and management systems. We know what works

Functions and what doesn’t! Can you cater for budgets of different sizes? This is where we excel. We can handle budgets of any size and guide you in making your budget fit your dreams. We want everyone to have a memorable event, without having to be worried financially. Our aim is to give you the maximum value for the money you spend. Where can we find out more? There is a lot of information and photos on our websites and Facebook pages. Information Websites include: www.coffseventcentre.com www.coffseventhire.com.au

www.mywedding.wowfunctions.com.au www.coffsharbourpahire.net.au www.wowfunctions.com www.avcorporate.com www.balloonsplus.com.au Find us on our four Facebook pages: Coffs Harbour Weddings / Coffs Event Centre / Wedding Coffs Harbour WOW Functions / Balloons Plus Coffs Harbour VISIT our showroom at 30 Lawson Crescent, Coffs Harbour (off Orlando St). Our office hours are 9am - 3pm, Monday - Friday, weekends by prior appointment. We are often out on a job so please ring and check we are available before you call in (02) 6658 0071 or (02) 6652 7186.

Functions

Any Entertainment T H E M I D N O R T H C OA S T’S P R E M I E R P R O D U CT I O N C O M PA N Y

Heather COFFS COAST EVENTS

With our feature this month on events and functions, WE SPEAK TO DANIEL HEATHER, SECTION LEADER FOR STADIUM AND MAJOR EVENTS with Coffs Harbour City Council.

o tell us, Dan; what is Coffs largely depend on your target audience. If you Coast Events, that we’ve been plan to attract visitors to your event from outside hearing about? Coffs Coast Events the region, let’s say for a conference, make sure is best described as your silent your event does not clash with another major partner in running an event on the event. Accommodation can be at a premium Coffs Coast. Coffs Harbour City at certain times of year, and early research will Council recognises the importance of events in avoid issues down the track - similarly with our region, and getting the right advice can be school holiday periods, Christmas and New tricky. Coffs Coast Events makes this a whole lot Year holidays. Conversely, your event may take easier! advantage of larger crowds being in town. Coffscoastevents.com.au is a website (and Generally speaking, summer months will see printed Event Guide) full of planning tools more events, markets and things to do, so your for event organisers and templates you can event will compete for people’s time. Winter is a download to use immediately. It also has a great time for events, because there is less activity directory to help you find the right venue or and you will have more opportunity to generate supplier for your next visitation to your event. event. We are more If someone has a great than a website though event idea, how would - we are a dedicated they get started? Go to Events are a reflection of the team of people who coffscoastevents.com.au! region - they showcase the are happy to chat, Sorry for the obvious plug; city’s vibrancy and personality. share their knowledge, however, this is exactly Our beautiful natural and help with your what the website is for. landscape, cultural event queries. You can plan your event diversity and sub-tropical Why are events so from start to finish, and climate gives Coffs Coast important to the whether you are a first a great advantage over many Coffs Coast? Events time event organiser or a other regions. are a reflection of the seasoned pro, the tools, region - they showcase resources and templates the city’s vibrancy are always up to date and and personality. Our are best practice from beautiful natural landscape, cultural diversity and across the industry. I encourage anyone thinking sub-tropical climate gives Coffs Coast a great of running an event to call us and have a chat. advantage over many other regions, and we What would be your top tip for someone boast a packed calendar of events every year, running an event in Coffs? In one word: plan! ranging from wonderful community festivals, art An Event Plan will help you define your event, and culture, food festivals, regular markets, music from the fun stuff down to the serious stuff, and and of course, major sporting competitions. ensure you cover all the operational and logistical Not only do events provide entertainment, requirements. A Business Plan will help keep you education, inclusiveness, and activity for on track, identify opportunities for revenue and residents, they showcase our region to the rest control your costs. A Marketing Plan (which I am of the country and in some cases internationally, sure will feature FOCUS!) will be your road map which creates tourism opportunities, and in turn to ensure your target audience not only hears drives economic growth. about your event, but will also tell their friends When is the best time to run an event on the and colleagues and ultimately attend your event. Coffs Coast? Great question, and the answer will Great, thanks Dan.

Any Entertainment is the Mid North Coast’s premier production and commercial installation company. Any Entertainment is able to cater from 10 to 10,000 delegates with full concert P.A., lighting and visual solutions from all the industry’s leading brands. Any Entertainment now supply, install and service CCTV monitoring systems. With an extensive range of experience installing A.V. and CCTV equipment into major shopping precincts, hardware stores to “one off” retail outlets, schools, churches, clubs, outdoor arenas and government buildings, we can design, plan, specify, fit-out and commission all aspects of Audio Visual and CCTV equipment. Any Entertainment’s hire department will cater for all your event needs, large or small. From a full scale rock concert, corporate dinner

or a simple back yard party, we have all the right gear to suit your event. From conception to completion, we are with you all the way. Our trained, well presented and experienced technical support crew will have everything running smoothly for your entire event. There is no need to worry about our equipment, as we only use quality, unobtrusive, reliable and well maintained equipment, and we have plenty of equipment in our inventory. No matter what your budget is, we offer competitive pricing to meet your event needs. Feel free to contact one of our team today for a friendly chat about your next event, or follow us on Facebook to see what we are up to, and where we will pop up next. www.facebook.com/AnyEntertainment

Coffs Coast focus 37

COFFS HARBOUR REGIONAL GALLERY 14 SEPTEMBER – 10 NOVEMBER ALL WELCOME, FREE ENTRY

Clay Intersections

Functions

ADC On Tour: An Australian Design Centre national touring exhibition

Opal Cove Resort Welcome to Opal Cove Resort, the largest Accommodation and Event Centre on the Coffs Coast. Let our team of dedicated, passionate, experienced, hospitality experts look after your next event!

Helen Earl, She-Oak Vessels, 2017. Photo credit: Greg Piper

• CONFERENCES • WEDDINGS • PARTIES • EVENTS

Kenji Uranishi, Momentary (installation view), 2015. Photo credit: Carl Warner

Clay Intersections is an ADC On Tour national touring exhibition, first presented by Australian Design Centre in 2016. This exhibition highlights the work of eight contemporary makers selected for their diverse approaches to their ceramic practice: Kenji Uranishi, Tania Rollond, Bridget Bodenham, Helen Earl, Ulrica Trulsson, Natalie Rosin and Cone 11’s Colin Hopkins and Ilona Topolcsanyi.

Presented By:

Government Partners:

COFFS HARBOUR REGIONAL GALLERY OPEN TUESDAY–SATURDAY 10AM–4PM FREE ADMISSION CNR COFF & DUKE STREETS \ COFFS HARBOUR  02 6648 4863  coffsharbour.nsw.gov.au/gallery  facebook.com/coffsharbourregionalgallery Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery is a cultural facility of Coffs Harbour City Council

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Opal Cove Resort features breathtaking views of the Solitary Islands, amazing garden backdrops, alfresco entertaining, along with large function spaces for product launches and gala events. Horizons Restaurant and Bar is perfect for small or large events. Whether inside the Restaurant or alfresco on the Terrace, the contemporary menu reflects the very best modern Australian cuisine, with daily specials and Happy Hour every day between 5-6pm! Our team will take care of every detail, ensuring your event is a success! We are passionate about the Coffs Coast and we love to support locals. Did you know that we are a family owned business employing over 100 locals! Early Bird Specials* are available for 2019, and it is not too late to plan an event in 2018! Book now with us and mention ‘Focus’ to receive your Event Bonus Gift*. *T and C’s apply.

Festival 2018 HAPPY JACARANDA! FREE PHOTO BOOTH AT GRAFTON SHOPPINGWORLD THURSDAY 1ST NOVEMBER OPEN 10:00AM – 3:00PM Visit ‘AUSSIE COUNTRY’ at Grafton Shoppingworld and help us raise money for the BUY A BALE Campaign! SNAP your Happy Jacaranda Photo & donate a gold coin for our Farmers this Jacaranda!

JACARANDA SOUVENIR & INFORMATION POP-UP SHOP OPEN FRIDAY 26TH OCTOBER TO SUNDAY 4TH NOVEMBER DAILY 10:00AM – 2:00PM

OPEN FOR THURSDAY LATE NIGHT SHOPPING!

Free Grafton Shoppingworld Shopping Bag + Souvenirs, Information, Maps and more…

JACARANDAFESTIVAL.ORG.AU

CENTRE TRADING HOURS Mon – Wed 9.00am – 5.30pm Thursday 9.00am – 7.00pm Friday 9.00am – 5.30pm Saturday 9.00am – 4.00pm Sunday 10.00am – 4.00pm FOOD | FASHION | HOME | SERVICES

OPEN 7 DAYS

www.graftonshoppingworld.com.au

FIND US ON

FREE

FACEBOOK

WI-FI

Coffs Coast focus 39

Dean Sharkey - Element Bar Dave Fahey LIVE & DJ Flak3y - Coast Hotel

Coffs

GIG GUIDE

13TH OCTOBER

Rory Ellis Duo - Seaview Tavern Manoa - Element Bar Melody Moko - Element Bar Doubleshot Live & DJ Blakey - Coast Hotel Oct Vera Beach Duo - Toormina Hotel

14TH OCTOBER

Mckenzie - Hoey Moey

16TH OCTOBER

Mischa Tanashevich - Element Bar

17TH OCTOBER

Yhan Leal - Element Bar

18TH OCTOBER

Vena Klymo - Element Bar

19TH OCTOBER

3RD OCTOBER

6TH OCTOBER

Nathan Power - Element Bar

Steve Bennett - Seaview Tavern DJ Bisho - Hoey Moey Chris Wiggins - Element Bar Red Light Special LIVE & DJ Blakey - Coast Hotel Josephine wants to dance - Jetty Theatre Oct Phat Tracta - Toormina Hotel

4TH OCTOBER

Peter Roberts - Element Bar

5TH OCTOBER

Matty Devitt Band - Seaview Tavern Dâ€™boyzos - Hoey Moey Benny Black - Element Bar Owen Shannon LIVE & DJ Flak3y - Coast Hotel British India - Sawtell RSL

7TH OCTOBER

Louey Howell N Funkatu - Hoey Moey

Billie-Jo Porter - Element Bar Jess Swilks - Coramba Hotel

10TH OCTOBER

Taleena Peck - Element Bar Ball & Chain - Coramba Hotel

11TH OCTOBER

Mat Morgan - Element Bar Lords & Ladies - Jetty Theatre

12TH OCTOBER

Pink Zinc - Seaview Tavern Benny Black - Hoey Moey Daryl Braithwaite - Hoey Moey

Empire - Seaview Tavern Richie Williams Duo - Hoey Moey Damion Towner LIVE & DJ Flak3y - Coast Hotel

20TH OCTOBER

Richie Williams Duo - Seaview Tavern DJ Wazza - Hoey Moey Chris Wiggins - Element Bar One Night Stand LIVE & DJ Breno - Coast Hotel Phat Tracta - Coramba Hotel Oct Jazrol duo - Toormina Hotel

a monkey baa theatre company production

based on the book by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley, adapted for the stage by Eva Di Cesare, Sandra Eldrige and Tim McGarry

A story about dreams, believing in yourself... and a dancing Kangaroo! Proudly supported by

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21ST OCTOBER Mental As Anything - Hoey Moey Peter Barry - Element Bar

24TH OCTOBER

James Ross - Element Bar

25TH OCTOBER

Jesse Morris - Element Bar

26TH OCTOBER

Whos Charlie - Seaview Tavern Lazy Sundays - Hoey Moey Chris Grieve - Element Bar Ziggy LIVE & DJ Brandon - Coast Hotel Eirebourne - The rebirth of Irish Dance - Sawtell RSL

27TH OCTOBER

The Groove Robbers - Seaview Tavern Ladies & Tradies - Hoey Moey Hekyl & Jive & Dj Bisho - Hoey Moey Benny Black - Element Bar Lockout LIVE & DJ Brandon - Coast Hotel Oct Thorazoo - Toormina Hotel

28TH OCTOBER

The Big Iilch - Hoey Moey Josh Matheson - Element Bar Vanessa Lea & Roadtrain Coramba Hotel

31ST OCTOBER

Jacob Murray - Element Bar

Coffs Coast focus 41

Big focusinterview.

Changes

BuSKERS this year

When we sat down with Buskers Festival organiser John Logan this week, HE WAS EXCITEDLY GETTING READY FOR THIS YEAR’S EVENT but offered straight away that this year would be quite different from previous years.

“

n a difficult climate for events, we’ve had to make some hard decisions and for 2018 we’ve cut the program from nine days back to six, and the events from 21 back to 14. This was absolutely necessary to survive. We’ve also reached out to other towns to ask them to share some of the costs, and for the first time this year the festival will travel to both Armidale and Grafton. The upshot of all this is we will have a short sharp festival, and I honestly believe we will deliver more bang for your buck,” John said. “To survive and prosper you have to innovate, to make changes, and we believe these changes are in the best long term interests of the festival”. K I D S ’ D AY- U N R E A L Kids’ Day has become the Unrealestate /Geoff King Motors KIDS’ DAY and will move to a new location, the Coffs Harbour Showgrounds on Wednesday, October 3rd. Organisers have brought in two major attractions for the day, with a 10 metre giant Super Slide and the Hells Bells Junior Roller Coaster from March’s Amusements in Brisbane. Presale tickets for this event are $10.50 and available online at www.trybooking. com/416117 with organisers strongly suggesting to the public to pre purchase tickets. Avoid the queue and don’t line up; book online now. Once inside, ALL ENTERTAINMENT IS FREE - THE RIDES ARE FREE - THE BUSKING IS FREE - THE BUSKERS DO NOT PUT OUT THE HAT. A D U LT C O M E D Y S H O W S With Unrealestate also coming on board to sponsor the ever popular adult comedy nights at the Pier Hotel on Tues 2nd, Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4th, locals will be thrilled that the full three nights remain in the program. Hosted by Lindsay Webb with special guest the deliciously naughty KIKI, who will be here for only

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BEHIND THE SCENES A SMALL TEAM OF DEDICATED FOLK AT JLE WORK FOR NINE MONTHS TO MAKE THE EVENT HAPPEN. ROSLYN GARDNER UNDERTAKES IMMIGRATION, INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC TRAVEL.

two days, the shows feature a different line up every night. THE PROGRAM The festival will also be in the City Centre for three days, Toormina Gardens for three days, will open the Twilight Markets on Friday and be at the Harbourside Markets Sunday 7th. Moonee Tavern will host one night on Saturday 6th and Coffs Central will play host to the festival on Saturday 6th. THE ACTS The Flying Dutchmen from the Netherlands, Clown Loto from Japan, Sports Suzie from New Zealand, Popeyed and Son from Tasmania, KIKI from the little known European republic of Kazador will headline an impressive list of acts that also includes Epic Darren the mini motor cycle stunt guy, Gold Coast busking champion Kaboodle the Clown and a 92 year old man whose act was inspired by the Russell Crowe movie Enigma, who can decipher any message in Morse Code in seconds. We’ve dubbed him VIV THE GENIUS MORSE CODE MAN. LOCAL ACTS In keeping with recent years, organisers are working with several local groups and individuals to develop acts for the festival, and this year the Young Actors Guild have developed an interesting and thoughtful act. Pierre Rabere is also a local creation, as is VIV THE GENIUS MORSE CODE MAN. Organisers are keen to hear from anyone else with a new and unusual act, and while it would not be for this year, it may be included for a new year’s program.

NEW SPONSORS We welcome new sponsors BCU, UNREALESTATE COFFS COAST, the CEX GROUP and SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY, who have come on board this year to help make the event happen. Without them it just wouldn’t be possible, so where possible we ask you to please support them. We also pay tribute to our existing sponsors and thank them for supporting us year in, year out. HISTORY OF THE EVENT John believes it is really important to acknowledge the work of the Rotary Club of Coffs Harbour City for the work done in those early years of 1989 - 92. “Going to those shows, watching those acts, it’s where I caught the buskers bug .“ With the loss of major sponsor Buttercup in ‘92, it became too big a job for a volunteer organisation, but the seed had been sown, and in 2000 it was relaunched to much fanfare. Apart from one year ( 2001) when the old mall was being ripped up, it has run every year up until 2017. THE TEAM Behind the scenes a small team of dedicated folk at JLE work for nine months to make the event happen. Roslyn Gardner undertakes immigration, international and domestic travel. “I handle what John forgets,” she laughed. Steve Douglass and Adam Smidt are the technical brains behind the operation. The entire festival is handled by this small group, but as both Steve and Adam chimed in, “We just don’t let John touch anything.” For more information, go to the website www.coffsharbourbuskers.com or call 6652 8266 BH.

LINDRUM: The Uncrowned King will premiere at the Jetty Memorial Theatre on Sunday 30th September at 3pm. FOCUS spoke with Jan Lindrum about the show ...

professionals and our collective dream of seeing the here’s no family quite like the Lindrums, and no author/actress better placed show on the stage off the West End in London, which to tell their story from the inside would be a feather in the cap of the whole City of Coffs than Jan Lindum. Portraying the five Harbour. strong women behind her father’s Reviews: Riveting, captivating, fascinating and aweextraordinary life, this dramatic and inspiring. Wow! What a fabulous performance. It was intensely human piece of theatre is NOT TO BE MISSED. a “goose bumping experience”. Jan took to the stage Jan first performed a version and pulled us in as soon as she of her one-woman show as an started talking. Morphing into "experiment" aboard the vessel an array of different characters Diamond Princess on its voyage so seamlessly, it felt we were between Darwin and Vietnam. PORTRAYING THE watching several actresses. A The response was overwhelming FIVE STRONG WOMEN stunning performance. so, on her return home, she BEHIND HER FATHER’S Aside from being an decided it was only appropriate EXTRAORDINARY LIFE, accomplished writer and to premiere the complete work in THIS DRAMATIC AND performer, Jan has established her home town of Coffs Harbour. INTENSELY HUMAN a tutorial academy which aims An army of talented local PIECE OF THEATRE IS to raise literacy standards, people have contributed to the increase confidence and improve NOT TO BE MISSED. production, headed by COAST communication skills. A tailored and including FreshSqueezed program, for school and university CREATIVE, Kylee Burton Costume students, the Academy also Design, Owl Design (poster, caters for employers seeking to help their employees to program, flyer), Any Entertainment (lighting and sound), become blue-ribbon Ambassadors for the businesses Steve White Photography, Trevor Windmill of Coffs they represent. Maintenance (props), the team at Office Works and, of WEB ADDRESS course, Natalie Boyle at the theatre and her box office www.lindrum.com and volunteer staff. www.lindrumacademy.com When you support the show, you will also be supporting Email: jan@lindrum.com The Jetty Memorial Theatre Trust, the efforts of local

LINDRUM:

The Uncrowned F O R

T H E

F I R S T

T I M E

I N

A U S T R A L I A

LINDRUM: T H E

U N C R O W N E D

K I N G

WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY JANNE (JAN) CLARA LINDRUM

The story of 5 strong women in one man’s life. Tragedy, war, betrayal, controversy, crime and corruption, this captivating story explores the concept of ‘madness’ and ‘genius’ and tests humanity’s understanding of success.

A SHOW “NOT TO BE MISSED"

SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2018 AT 3.00 PM

“What an incredible story.” Dee Dee Hanson, The Reel Awards (Playing Joan Rivers in Las Vegas)

“Riveting, fascinating and awe inspiring. Your portrayal of the women in the Lindrum story was both endearing and confronting. A performance I will never forget.” Louise Debeck, Diamond Princess, voyage Darwin to Vietnam

“A beautiful, provocative and profoundly original piece of work.” Professor Gerry Turcotte

PURCHASE TICKETS AT JETTYTHEATRE.COM

Lindrum_focus_ad.indd 1

6/9/18 9:55 am

Coffs Coast focus 43

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COFFS COAST // 15-18 NOV 2018

Don’t miss the unforgettable climax of the FIA World Rally Championship! See the world’s most daring rally drivers and the fastest rally cars in up-close action. Who will be the new World Champion? Thursday (4pm): FREE Rally Show and Ceremonial Start with all the drivers, Coffs Harbour Jetty Foreshore. Friday: All-day competition on shire and forestry stages followed by the spectacular twilight Destination New South Wales Super Special Stage on the Jetty Foreshore. Saturday: More shire and forestry stages includes the stadium-style Raleigh Special Stage. The Destination New South Wales Super Special Stage on the Jetty Foreshore caps an exciting day.

Sunday: The rally and the WRC season end on Wedding Bells Special Stage, with heaps of all-day family entertainment. Wait to the end for the Podium Ceremony. All weekend: Visit Pedders Rally Central, where the rally cars will be based and return for service. It’s FREE and a great place to see drivers and cars up-close, eat, drink and buy souvenirs. Turn your rally visit into a great mini-break. See www.rallyaustralia.com.au for holiday ideas and a full rally spectating guide.

BOOK NOW RALLYAUSTRALIA.COM.AU Coffs Coast focus 45

focusinterview.

Aussie music icon Daryl Braithwaite is gracing our shores again this October at the Hoey Moey, and SAM DAWSON WAS GIVEN THE HIGHEST OF HONOURS - TO ACTUALLY INTERVIEW HIM! If you know Sam, you will understand how huge this was for her!

Daryl

BRAITHWAITE

Aussie music icon Daryl Braithwaite is gracing our shores again this October at the Hoey Moey and I have been given the highest of honours to be able to actually interview Daryl. If you know me, you will understand how huge this is for me!!!

s we all know, Daryl started off as lead singer of Sherbet, a band synonymous with the ‘70s - and that's when my love affair started as a young, impressionable

teenager. Between 1971 to 1978, Sherbet produced 20 national top 40 singles and were the first Australian band to top the $1 million mark in album sales in this country. During this period, Braithwaite won the Australian King of Pop Award three times. The most popular song was undoubtedly The Horses, holding the #1 position on the national charts over three consecutive weeks. The unexpected success of this single led to it being voted “Australian Song of the Year” at the 1991 Australian Music Awards. Braithwaite remains an integral part of the evolution and development of Australian popular music and is a must see live act on stage! I really had to think about what I and his fans would like to ask Daryl! Daryl, thank you so much for your time. I’m worried I may become tongue tied asking you questions, as I am your undisputed no.1 fan here in Coffs! Congratulations on last year’s induction into the Aria Hall of Fame what an amazing achievement! Thank you very much. When did you start to realise you could sing? When I was about eight years old. I have a twin brother; we would sing along with the 46 Coffs Coast focus

songs of the time, and we loved it. Plus, my dad was a singer too, and we got it from him. There have been so many, but do you have a favourite venue or place to perform? All are really good venues; sometimes there are some that are not great acoustically, with too much sound bouncing off walls, but as for a favourite - there are too many places to mention. What has been your most memorable gig? One that comes to mind, and it’s a recent occurrence, would be playing at the Falls Festival in Lorne in WA on December 28 last year. As a band and personally, we did not know what to expect. The crowd was relatively young compared to my age and compared to who we would normally play to, but there were around 20,000 there and it was glorious - quite amazing! This brings me to my next question! As you would be aware, there are fans who would have followed you (me) from when they were teenagers (me) and are still following you (me) ... but to have such a young crowd following (me), as in the next generation; how do you feel about your music and voice still resonating and being so popular to this day? It is so pleasing and encouraging. I would never have thought this looking back. I remember interviews when I was in Sherbet and being asked, “What do you think you will be doing in 10 years’ time?” (meaning 1985), and I would probably have said, “I hope I am still going”. And now it’s 2018, and I’m still going!

AS LONG AS PEOPLE ENJOY MY SHOW, THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS. I AM SO LOOKING FORWARD TO COMING BACK TO COFFS - THE OCEAN , THE PLACE - I LOVE IT.

I am very very fortunate and loving every single minute of it. Have you found that your voice has changed or evolved over time? I know my husband is a singer, and people say his voice has matured like a good wine. (Laugh) I think that it is the luck of the draw who knows how the voice works! If you do look after your voice and don’t abuse it too much, it can be maintained, and so can your health as well. As one gets older, things tend to break down a little bit. When you are 20, you never think about that - you have to be more aware of how you treat your voice. Do you see a change in energy levels with the performing side too? Sometimes you do think you have to be like when you were 20, and that’s impossible! Who do you admire in the music industry? Who has been an influence on your style? I think it has been John Farnham and Jimmy Barnes, and John Paul Young is another one. John Farnham is quite an amazing singer - like him or hate him, he is so good at what he does. I agree wholeheartedly! I had the pleasure of meeting him in Mataranka in the NT when he was on a car rally over 20 years ago. He played with the Mataranka Band and was so personable too. And what do you do to really relax? What's your favourite down time pastime? I have the occasional holiday and body surf,

and it frustrates me that I can’t do as much as I like! I like to travel a lot - here and overseas - and we are now back on the road after a lovely break. I’ll be coming to your Coffs Harbour show, along with the rest of this town. What can we expect from your show? Music! Music and songs that people will know and hopefully they will like what we play ... Songs that were successful and others that are album tracks. Hopefully this will be enjoyable as a show. I put out to Facebook what to ask you, and the overwhelming response I was asked to run by you is, how do you handle overzealous fans? Especially in Coffs Harbour? I haven’t had to worry too much in the past. As long as people enjoy my show, that’s all that matters. I am so looking forward to coming back to Coffs - the ocean, the place - I love it. Thank you so much Daryl; it has been a complete honour! Thank you Sam, and thanks for your time!

When: Sat 13th October; opening 6pm. Where: Hoey Moey Hotel, Ocean Parade, Coffs Harbour. www.hoeymoey.com.au

The Coramba Hotel Brett and Sandy are the â€œnew handsâ€? on management at Coramba Hotel, which is 12 km from Coffs Harbour, nestled in the beautiful Orara Valley, with spectacular views, great food, cold beverages enthusiastic, friendly and warm staff, and now set hours of trading that the locals can rely on. Brett and Sandy are now locals, owning their new home on the outskirts of Coramba, so they are most definitely here for the long haul and want to be a useful, active part of the community. Their awesome new head chef has an extensive and impressive background (Versace's and Jupiter's, to name drop a couple). Good old pub grub favourites will still be available, but he is going to mix up this up with a new menu too. They also support local businesses by utilising their services first and foremost and also purchase and use locally grown produce in their bistro. The pub and bistro is also open for functions (no charge) with anything from weddings to birthdays, family reunions baby showers and more. We have introduced Tuesday Trivia night, which is proving to be hugely popular, a pool comp on Wednesday nights with a new added incentive of whoever beats the publican, knocking him out of the comp, wins themselves a slab of beer!

Coffs Coast focus 47

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F e l s t i v a

an you briefly describe the event? The inaugural Coffs Harbour Skate, Ink & Rhyme festival is an event celebrating the culture behind skating, tattoo body art and music. This event is creative, artistic and allows for

expression. The event will be jam packed full of fun for the whole family, including live music, skateboarding demonstrations and workshops, live graffiti, retail/food vendors, children’s entertainment and lots more. We have a range of selected tattoo artists performing body art on the day; come down check the artists out and get tattooed. Where did the idea for the event come from? I want to change the community’s perspective, educate us on the culture of Skate, Ink & Rhyme and how valuable it actually is in our community when we are inclusive and appreciate difference. I have travelled to many different tattoo, music and skateboarding events and have always wondered if we can have a similar event here in Coffs Harbour. We have all the resources and culturally aware people to do so. So, I started looking into the nitty gritty of putting on such an event. There was lots of hard work and support from many local businesses and the council there was some nervousness, as nothing like this has ever happened in Coffs Harbour before - but with the right understanding and developing relationships, the council embraced us and this event. Who are some of the tattoo artists we can look forward to seeing?

48 Coffs Coast focus

The Inaugural Coﬀs Harbour Skate, Ink & Rhyme Festival is a cultural gathering of everything art. THIS EVENT WILL BE MADE UP OF LOCAL AND TRAVELLING TATTOO ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, GRAFFITI ARTISTS, SKATEBOARDERS AND LOTS MORE. FOCUS had a chat with event organiser Rhianon Taylor ...

We have a range of talented The event will be jam packed artists, some local and some full of fun for the whole family, travelling. All the research has including LIVE MUSIC, been done for you to bring a SKATEBOARDING variety of artists to this event. DEMONSTRATIONS They will have designs “Flash” AND WORKSHOPS, available for you to look at and LIVE GRAFFITI, retail/ choose to get tattooed, special food vendors, children’s prices, unique designs. We have entertainment and lots more. painting, circus play area and 24 artists, just to name a few more. Ash Gravino, Eloise Lydford from Who are some of the sponsors Samsara Tattoo Studio, Keegan of the event? Ryan from Happily Ever Inked, Thanks to everyone who has Cameron Schenk and Shaun Mifsud from Absolute made this event possible. Tattoo, Ciana Wilson from Squall and Anchor, Jacob A big thank you to FOCUS, Coffs Harbour City from Impact Tattoos and lots more. Council, Coffs Harbour Showgrounds, HIT FM, Offbeat We are running tattoo competitions on the day, eight Operations, Red Bull Australia, The Hoey Moey, Protat different categories, 22 trophies to be won, judged by Tattoo Supplies, Advance Printing, Pops Good Skate well respected artists. Come and show off your art and Shop, Coffs Temporary Fencing, Coates Hire and more. win some prizes. Where can we find out more? Who are some of the music acts and attractions Find out more on our Facebook page - Coffs Harbour people can look forward to seeing? Skate, Ink and Rhyme Festival. Again, we have a range of music for all to enjoy, Instagram @skateinkrhymefestival from local hip hop acts, duo acoustic loop pedal Listen out to HIT FM leading up to the event for percussionist to punk, hard metal and rock bands, Ticket Giveaways and an exciting competition; stay Meridian Theory, Son of Jaguar, The Outcome, The tuned. Fingerz, Café Enema, Vera Beach, Jessamine B and Thanks Rhianon. more. Is the event child friendly? Yes, this event is child friendly; children under five are free. We have family passes available. Coffs Harbour Skate, Ink & Rhyme Festival. There is lots of fun for your children, including Saturday 20th October - Coffs Harbour Showground. Bayden’s Jumping Castles, Micarla Marshall Face Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au

Coffs Coast focus 49

focus_contributor

WITH CAROLE BEROS FROM LE DĂƒIN DESIGNS

Justeen & Mark Byrne

Glen Wallace, Collette Cash, Wendy Barton

Michelle McKinnon, Greg Powten

Cheryl Evans, Allison Davidson

Megan Leckie, Beth Laverty

Social / Scene

Nikki Hunt, Karen Hunt, Sophie Hunt, Charlene Todd-Duff

Rick Newton & Jaguar

Nikki & Adam Rose

Steve & Aileen Wilson

Adelaide Zietsch, Erin Jackson

Rachael Harris, Marissa Blyth

Jasmine Keenes, Jenny Evans, Rachel Cox

2018 HIA Awards Evening

50 Coffs Coast focus

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WITH CAROLE BEROS FROM LE DÃƒIN DESIGNS

2018 HIA Awards Evening

2018 HIA Awards Evening v

2018 HIA Awards Evening

Sawtell Cup

Renee Bartlett Opryszko, Tim Saladine

Social / Scene Trudy & Andrew Thomson

Emma Binns, Caroline Bleechmore, Adelaide Zietsch

Barbara Ellis

Sawtell Cup

Mick & Shanette Farrell

Aleysha Gormley, Caroline Thompson, Ruth Harrison, Mona Murphy at the opening of Clay Intersections, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery

Cath Fogarty, Tania Rollond, Helen Earl, Mayor Denise Knight at the opening of Clay Intersections, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery

Tony Norris, Julie Norris, Joe Earl at the opening of Clay Intersections, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery

John Mawhinney, JP Willis, Steve Godstone at the opening of Clay Intersections, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery

Coffs Coast focus 51

focus_contributor

W I T H TA N J A A C K E R M A N

WITH TEGAN SWAN OF WOOLGOOLGA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Wildgirl and the Wasp

Woolgoolga loves to

PARTY

Angourie - Orara Valley - Angourie Rainforest Resort

Stunning cold, clear, tranquil morning ... Perfect conditions for an adventure. Wildgirl and the Wasp left the Coffs Harbour Marina at dawn and enjoyed the bends through Coramba.

ithin a short time, we were the tip of Yuraygir National Park, was an absolute captivated by the peaceful pleasure. Dramatic coastline, stunning beaches rolling, rural landscape of and a visit to the Angourie pools. Pandanus trees, the Orara Valley. Gliding large tree ferns, Red Ash and an abundance of Pink alongside the Orara River was Euodia were a delight to walk through. The view to a meditative experience. Lush green, robust, forest Angourie Point was spectacular, with a magnificent hemmed us in, and we enjoyed many sightings of surf break. Taking the track from the Point, Wildgirl the crystal-clear river. Such a source of joy. Pockets hiked Angourie Back Beach along a section of the of cold air in the lower valley, bushland floral aromas Yuraygir Coastal Walk to Woody Bluff. Coastal and an abundance of heathland, rocky shoals, a birds enthused the senses. Brahminy Kite, a coastal emu Wasp was in her element. and plentiful sea creatures ... Crossing the bendy bridge Shimmering schools of bait over the mighty Clarence fish sparkled and scurried on Amazing to think the River or Breimba, Big the ocean surface, closely Pacific Highway was River, we rode through followed by an energetic once crossed by ferry prior Grafton to the township pod of dolphins. Captivating. to the construction of the of Lawrence. Boarding Inspiring. existing Harwood Bridge, the Bluff Point Cable All the motorcycle riding which was built in 1964. Ferry at Lawrence, Wasp and walking resulted in a was escorted across the decent appetite. Angourie river dwarfed by a rather Rainforest Resort was the large sugar cane truck accommodation of choice. to Woodford Island. Sugar cane lined the road all Wildgirl relished her time in a luxurious apartment the way to the McFarlane Bridge giving access to to rejuvenate before her three course meal and a Maclean. Amazing to think the Pacific Highway was perfectly partnered glass of red wine at the stylish once crossed by ferry prior to the construction of the and elegant Cunjevoi Restaurant. Service was on existing Harwood Bridge, which was built in 1964. point. The menu offered numerous delicious options, Wildgirl was surprised at the recent transformation catering to all dining needs. Entrée of pulled beef of the Yamba interchange. An iconic beautiful bridge croquettes followed by grass fed Clarence Valley had emerged since we last travelled this way. The beef eye fillet certainly filled Wildgirl’s belly. What thirty-metre-high new crossing of the river spanning about her dessert stomach? That was treated to an 1.5 kilometres is a new definitive landmark well incredible caramelised pear and almond tart with worth seeing in the making. Cruising under the toffee ice cream and peanut brittle. Wildgirl and deck, we made our way along the glorious glistening the Wasp will most certainly return, and in greater waterways that guide you to Yamba and Angourie. numbers! The small coastal village of Angourie, nestled on www.wildgirlandthewasp.com

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In fact, we’ve won a silver medal for it! The Woolgoolga and Northern Beaches Chamber of Commerce, with the assistance of local event management team Taste Coffs Coast, organises the town’s biggest party, Curryfest. And the Chamber and Curryfest recently received the silver medal in the events category at the NSW regional tourism awards.

urryfest is on Saturday 29th plan ahead, because this Coffs Coast community September this year, followed by knows how to throw a great party. Eat St on Market St on Saturday Bollywood on the Beach outdoor movie 6th October. Curryfest has been 28th September at dusk on the Beach Reserve. going for 13 years and continues Curryfest 29th September (9am - 5pm) Beach to expand, attracting 15,000 visitors and St and surrounds. generating around $1.5 million for the local Eat Street on Market Street Coffs Coast community. The profits from the 6th October (4 - 9pm) Market St. event go back into Blues & Berries Fair the community, 4th November (10am benefiting a range of 7pm ) Beach Reserve. organisations and their Carols on the Beach Curryfest is on Saturday 29th local projects. That is 15th December (6 - 9pm) September this year, followed by why you see Rotarians Beach Reserve. Eat St on Market St on Saturday and Red Cross Eat Street on Market 6th October. Curryfest has members and Scouts Street 12th January (4 been going for 13 years and Surf Lifesavers 9pm) Market St. and continues to expand, along with Chamber attracting 15,000 members volunteering visitors and generating around to run the festival … $1.5 million for the local Coffs it’s their festival too. Coast community. As well as this colourful and spicy celebration of Woolgoolga’s Punjabi heritage, the Chamber runs Carols on the Beach each Christmas and supports a range of other events. Chamber member Taste Coffs Coast also organises food, beer and wine tastings at the Seaview Tavern in Woolgoolga and several outdoor street eating events on Market Street during the year. They also organise and manage the new Blues and Berries event coming up on 4th November. If you love the blues, you need to be there, enjoy the music and taste the blueberry treats on our fabulous Beach Reserve. If you haven’t been to a Woolgoolga event, then put it on your bucket list, clear your diary and

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W I T H S T E P H E N S A U N D E R S O F D E S T I N AT I O N C O F F S C O A S T

tourism UPDATE

Exploring Coffs Coast with the Kids It’s spring holiday time, and everyone is looking for ideas to keep the kids away from their screens and keep the grown-ups happy too!

e’ve polled the Coffs Coast Gondwana Rainforest are complemented by Destination team and created a list sweet treats, snacks and coffee in the Canopy of some of our favourite spots for Café. kids of all ages to get active, all Make sure you get out and about to enjoy conveniently located close to popular cafés with some holiday fun on the Coffs Coast and fresh-roasted coffee to keep you going all day. #createyourparadise North Sapphire Beach has a fantastic playground, with a climbing net and flying fox GET INTO COFFS COAST EVENTS for older kids and a great area for little ones. The Each year, the International Festivals & Events new beach boardwalk (easy access for prams) Association announces the recipients of the IFEA takes you through the bushland to the lookout World Festival & Event City Award. “Recognising and on to the beach. In the reserve, Beachstone the best in community leadership and festival Café serves up delicious coffee and dishes created and event partnerships around the world”, Coffs using local produce. Harbour City Council has Lala Land in Moonee been a proud recipient of Market shopping centre this award for the past three is an amazing indoor years. This award recognises play centre featuring a the city’s outstanding efforts Up at Bruxner Park you’ll find huge multi-level climbing to attract and develop the award-winning Sealy structure, and a special events that can position it Lookout in the Orara safe play area for the on the international stage, East State Forest, the new under 5s. They look deliver strong economic TreeTops Adventure Park and the after the adults with benefits and bring visitors Gumgali Walking Track. great coffee and locally from around the world to supplied Red Sparrow discover this beautiful part Tea. of NSW. Over the coming Up at Bruxner Park spring and summer months you’ll find the award-winning Sealy Lookout in Coffs Coast is spoilt with an amazing line up of the Orara East State Forest, the new TreeTops events - here are just a few to get excited about! Adventure Park and the Gumgali Walking Track. • Coffs Harbour Buskers & Comedy Festival, Open from Wednesday to Sundays near the October 2 - 7 lookout, Nyanggan Gapi Café serves great coffee • Eat Street Woolgoolga, October 6 and delicious snacks (with a bush food twist). • Coffs Harbour Skate, Ink & Rhyme Festival, The Coffs Jetty area is perfect for smaller kids October 20 for swimming in small waves along the shoreline. • Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival, October 26 - 29 They can also jump on a bike or scooter and cycle • Tag World Cup, November 1 - 4 to the southern breakwall, stopping at one of • Blues & Berries Community Fair, November 4 the playground areas lining the track. Order your • Kennards Hire Rally Australia, November 15 - 18 coffee from Salute Jetty kiosk for a great local• SWIFF: Screenwave International Film Festival, roasted coffee kick. January 10 - 25 Jump in the car and enjoy one of NSWs most Let your out-of-town friends and family iconic drives along Waterfall Way to the Dorrigo know what’s coming up and you might just find National Park and Rainforest Centre. Pack your yourself with some visitors! Go to walking shoes and hike one of the many trails coffscoast.com.au for details on these events and to immerse your family in nature. The sounds, many more. sights and smells of the lush world heritage listed

Springtime Fun It’s time to pull back the blankets and head out to your local NSW State Forest to take in the fresh spring air! NSW State Forests cover 2 million hectares of forest, offering a range of experiences from adrenalin pumping mountain bike riding to leisurely forest drives. The natural environment is centre stage during spring, showcasing an abundance of unique Australian flora and fauna emerging in bursts of colour and activity. You can bring your car, caravan or campervan, you can pitch a tent, explore forest roads on trail bike, horse-back, or 4WD and bring your dog too - yes, that’s right, dogs are welcome in NSW State Forests. Best of all, visiting NSW State Forests is absolutely free, representing one of the most cost-effective holiday escapes you can find. With over 125 forest-based dedicated visitor areas state-wide, with a mix of visitor facilities such as picnic tables, BBQs, fireplaces, shelters, rainwater tanks, toilets and easy-access carparks, NSW State Forests are a “must-see” destination in your travels. NSW State Forests provide beautiful forest environments for you and your family to “switchoff” and connect with nature. A range of information is available to ensure your next trip is a memorable one, including a NEW free mobile phone app called “VisitForests”, providing online and downloadable maps, photos and information on forest experiences. Alternatively, you can pick up a regional Forest Map at local Visitor

Information Centres in NSW, or contact us online to purchase your copy. We also encourage visitors to share their experience via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - we love to hear from you and are happy to share your ideas on special places to visit, and your holiday snaps! With great places to explore, rest, learn, play or just get away from it all, come and experience a forest playground! Visit us on the web: www.forestrycorporation. com.au/visit and share your experience: Facebook: Visit NSW Forests Twitter: @visitnswforests Instagram: #visitnswforests

Coffs Coast focus 53

Health Wellbeing focushealth

and

WITH NAUTILUS

WITH LAUREN VESTEY FROM LIVING DOLL

HIFU

Turn back time on ageing skin

Now there is no need to undergo expensive and high-risk surgery. HIFU, your non-invasive approach to skin tightening and rejuvenation is in high demand around the world.

IFU is the most advanced technology available in the world today for nonsurgical skin tightening. The treatment utilises focused ultrasound to visualise through the skin to target and treat deep support structures. Deep skin layers are targeted and heated to stimulate the growth of collagen, which gradually lifts the skin in three - four months. You can choose to have HIFU on targeted areas, such as an eyebrow lift, chin tightening, jowl tightening or have an entire face uplift. HIFU is not just used for the face - body treatments including tummy, inner thighs and arms will also benefit from the cutting edge technology in HIFU. The ultrasound treatment can be quite effective to non-invasively rejuvenate the face; if you choose to, you could use light pain medication to increase comfort during the treatment. As compared with plastic surgery, there is no cutting, no recovery, and all patients can resume their normal activities immediately. Several months after treatment, patients look refreshed and rejuvenated, never pulled. It’s suggested to repeat the treatment every two - three years to maintain the results. HIFU is the next generation in advanced nonsurgical facial rejuvenation with deeper penetration, and longer lasting results.

The benefits of HIFU • Reducing fine to deep wrinkles • Under eye troughs, bags and dark circles • Skin lifting • Tighter, better-fitting skin, including your neck. • It’s the lift without the surgery! How does HIFU work? Unlike lasers, which penetrate the skin from the outside-in, the HIFU procedure by-passes the surface of the skin and 54 Coffs Coast focus

Metallic Hair Rock the Metallic Hair Colour Trend delivers targeted energy specifically into the deep, structural tissues and muscles where collagen lives. By stimulating the deep structural support layers of the skin, a natural, regenerative response is initiated, stimulating the growth of new collagen, which lifts and tightens the skin over time. Because ultrasound technology actually works non-invasively from the inside-out, results build gradually over 2 - 3 months, and can continue to improve up to 6 months after the procedure. How long is the treatment? Each session is dependent on the treatment area, but we advise around 30 minutes per area. Your treatment will be tailored to your individual requirements, which will be discussed in your pre-treatment consultation. Additional time will be required if you require more areas. esults we can achieve with High Intensity R Focused Ultrasound: Look Between 4 - 8 years younger with one treatment. • Improves and tightens sagging skin • Wrinkle reduction • Nasonabial fold reduction • Acne reduction • Skin rejuvenation ow long do results last? Individual results will H differ; however, on average a minimum of 18 months to two years. How many treatments are required? One treatment is usually sufficient on light to moderate skin laxity. To book your free consultation or appointment, contact Carolyne Moran at Nautilus Anti-Ageing Clinic on 6699 3628 or info@nautilusantiageing.com.au

Surely you’ve caught wind of the budding metallic makeup trend, but did you know that it actually stretches beyond your face? THAT’S RIGHT, IT’S OFFICIAL: METALLIC HAIR IS IN. From sleek silver ponytails to gunmetal greys, you’re going to fall in love with these beautiful shades.

f you’ve been toying with the idea natural, darker roots showing to showcase of hair colour change - especially enviable cool-girl style, one hair flip at a one in the “ronze” (red + bronze) or time. rose gold category - now is a good Rose gold hair: who said rose gold time as any to take the colourful plunge. was only meant for As soon as you can accessories? One of the catch a glimpse most popular metallic of your gleaming hair colours, rose gold strands, you'll be in is ideal for those with hair heaven. Keep WANT TO REALLY AMP blonde hair who want reading to learn UP YOUR METALLIC HAIR to spice up their hair about the prettiest LOOK? LEAVE SOME OF color. And hey, who metallic hair YOUR NATURAL, DARKER doesn't love to look colours, and how ROOTS SHOWING TO pretty in a shimmer of to take care of your SHOWCASE ENVIABLE pink? newly coloured COOL-GIRL STYLE, ONE Ronze hair: One of hair. HAIR FLIP AT A TIME. the latest metallic hair The best shades colour crazes is a mix of metallic hair: of red and bronze hair. Need some hair This super-wearable colour inspo? Hop rendition of metallic hair is perfect for on the metallic hair colour bandwagon by brunettes. With the right balance of red trying one of the exciting shades. and bronze, you'll be able to find your Copper hair: seen on some of Hollywood's most complimentary hair colour yet. hottest celebs, this penny-like hair Silver hair: Yep, silver hair is trending - and colour can take your mane to the next if you’re all about a subtle shimmer to magnificent level. Want to really amp up accentuate your locks, look no further than your metallic hair look? Leave some of your a striking silver shade.

Living Doll Premier Stylists Does the need to maintain your perfect “do” ever keep you up at night? Remember when hair salons only opened late one night a week and it was the first in, best dressed to nab the coveted after-work appointment? Luckily, that’s a thing of the past, and the premier stylists at Living Doll now offer their services late into the evening, multiple days a week. Thank GOODNESS! The power of a great haircut or hair colour is undeniable. As is the opposite (show of hands if you have ever been reduced to tears by a DIY hair disaster!) To save you from a seriously bad hair day, we’ve teamed together to offer Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night appointments. Now spring is in the air and the days are starting to get longer, why not come in and enjoy being pampered after work, leaving your weekends free. Why not get some yummy takeout from one of the many choices on the Jetty Strip, where they will deliver to your chair, keeping it a stress free evening! At Living Doll, we believe that a woman who styles her hair is about to change her life. That’s why we’re committed to creating the most beautiful and individual look that’s right for you. Our Premier Stylists, Lauren, Kate, Chloe and Tia along with our young gun stylist Sharna, are passionate about their craft and meticulously trained to deliver outstanding hairdressing that is ahead of the latest trends and techniques. Living Doll will help you express your personal style and are your beauty secret to getting the hair you deserve. XO Dolls.

Coffs Coast focus 55

focusfitness

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

MyFitnessStory

.com.au

This month’s inspirational fitness story comes to us courtesy of Amanda “Deano” Bellette. Amanda is a 31 year old personal trainer, pre & post-natal health coach & mum to beautiful Bailey. Why did you become a personal trainer? I became a personal trainer because I really enjoy helping my clients strive to reach their fitness goals. I feel like I can really make a difference in the community and assist in helping people’s quality of life. Being a personal trainer is something I have always wanted to do; it is very satisfying to see someone excel in an area of fitness and watch as that big smile spreads across their face when they achieve something they thought might not be possible for them. There is no better job in the world! What did you do before becoming a personal trainer? Before I became a personal trainer I was a police officer for six years in Sydney. Being in the force allowed me to see how important fitness really was. I enjoyed my time as a police officer; however, my passion was helping people in another way. What is your area of passion and expertise now with personal training? My passion and expertise in personal training is in strength training and pre and post-natal exercise. Since having my little girl, Bailey, I realised how important it is to remain fit pre, during and post pregnancy, not only for peace of mind, but for recovery. I found that there were not a lot of options or information on how to train women during this important time in their life. Therefore, I decided to dedicate my time to helping women continue their fitness journey. What are the top five tips for exercising while pregnant? • Listen to your body. If you are feeling a bit off or lethargic, it’s okay not to train that day. • Modify your workouts to your fitness level. Your body is already going through a mini workout by growing that little bub who’s inside of you • Strengthen the glutes, lower back, transverse abdominals and pelvic floor. Give flexibility to the chest, psoas, and quadriceps • Try to stay away from movements that can cause the rectus abdominals to stretch too far. • Train for muscle memory 56 Coffs Coast focus

What are the top five tips for exercising after giving birth? • Make sure you have been cleared by your doctor and do not try to come back too soon after pregnancy. Your body is still recovering from that little miracle you created. • Pelvic floor work is crucial during this time, and now is the time where you may need that extra support to work on that area. • When working out, ensure you have good control over your abdominals to support your back. • Stay hydrated, to ensure your milk supply remains sufficient. • Join a fitness group where you have likeminded people; this not only gets you out of the house, but you get to meet new people who have lots in common with you. Why is it important for women to exercise both before and after pregnancy? To maintain a positive level of fitness throughout the whole experience. It helps when a woman can maintain her strength during pregnancy to assist with labour and maintain a healthy body weight during pregnancy for the overall health of the mother and baby. Exercising during this time has many benefits on both woman and child; however, it is important to seek professional advice, to ensure it is safe to participate. How can you help pre and post-natal women on their exercise journey? I can help pre and post-natal women on their exercise journey by offering them personal training for any of their specific fitness needs, such as pelvic floor or attempting to get back to their previous fitness levels and beyond. I can also assist through my new Mum Bods program that is being held at Coffs Coast Health Club, Toormina. These classes are designed for pre and post-natal women. The classes will run for six weeks, starting on the 2nd October. There are two classes a week on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:30am - 10:30am, but places are limited. Please contact me directly on 0439 079 664 for further information.

Exercise

A KEY TO BEATING

CANCER

1 in 2 Australian men and women will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85. And whilst survival rates have increased, and we have seen some major improvements with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, we still have a long way to go. So, imagine if you were told there was something you could do that would reduce the adverse effects of cancer treatment such as nausea and fatigue? A pill that would make you stronger, improve your mood and your confidence. A pill thats side effects are small and does not cost much. Would you want to take it? The majority of us would say yes! What if I told you this pill is simply exercise? Why are only 40% of Australians diagnosed with cancer staying active and completing exercise during treatment? Aaron Hardaker spoke with Brianna Hope, Exercise Physiologist at Mid North Coast Physiotherapy, to discuss the benefits of exercise for the prevention and management of cancer. Tell us a bit about yourself. I have always been interested in the way our bodies are able to adapt to maintain a balance, especially when it comes to fighting off disease and injury. Having always been active growing up, with a keen interest in hockey, I have been fortunate enough to develop a good understanding of the benefits of regular exercise in keeping healthy. The combination of these two factors led me into studying a Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology at the University of New England. Throughout my studies and into my career as an EP, I have developed a strong interest in using exercise as a tool to improve outcomes for a range of chronic diseases, with a particular focus on cancer. I recently moved home to Bellingen and have joined the wonderful team at Mid North Coast Physiotherapy to share my passion for using exercise to help with the management of chronic diseases with the Coffs Coast community. How does exercise help with cancer treatment? It is well known that staying physically active is one of many ways to reduce your risk of developing cancer. However, it is not until recently, with a major worldwide effort from the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia, that we are now seeing the introduction of exercise to be used alongside traditional treatment methods such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, to further improve the outcomes of these treatments. Research has shown that exercise can reduce

adverse side effects, reduce the risk of cancer recurrence, reduce fatigue and improve immune function. Not only is exercise great for our physical health - there are major psychological benefits, including improving mood, reducing stress, and also improving our social interactions. What advice would you give for someone wanting to get started in an exercise program? Current recommendations are to aim for 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week. However, this can seem like an overwhelming number initially. My advice is start small, go on walks or bike rides, find something you enjoy doing that you are likely to continue with. Also, some days will be harder than others to stay motivated, especially if you are going through treatment, so don’t be hard on yourself; just plan for days like these and try to stay as active as possible. So does this advice just apply to people diagnosed with cancer? No, certainly not! Everyone can benefit in participating in regular exercise. Whether it is reducing blood pressure or cholesterol levels, losing weight, or improving balance to reduce the risk of falls - all you need is a place to start. To help you in getting started, Mid North Coast Physio is offering 10 FREE Pre-assessment sessions with one of our Exercise Physiologists to see how they can help with that by developing an individualised program that suits your needs. Call NOW on 1300 273 747 to secure your spot, before they are gone.

NEW

Breed

Knowing Your Why.

veryone has a goal, right? When it comes to health and fitness, we know we need to get fit, lose body fat and gain lean muscle. But with the enormous amount of options to choose from, it doesn’t come down to which method or gym you choose; the questions you need to answer are why do you want to train, and why do you need to train? Answering these two questions will give you a clear pathway to begin cultivating your journey to reach the goals that you truly want. There is a reason a lot of people fail reaching their goals; the dropout rate for many gyms is huge ... So a staple question we ask new tribe members is the reason they want to train. Is it for muscle, health, longevity, practicality, functionality, community, confidence etc. Asking this question is vital in ensuring that you pick the right journey that suits you best. Now, this isn’t only limited to yourself; you may ask this question when it comes to your children as well. What sport should they do? Martial Arts ... which style? The same principle applies in all areas of life, and as an individual in our local community we cannot settle for the old “This’ll Do” approach. We have to demonstrate a strong diligence in seeking out the right training for the goals we are chasing. If we don’t, we begin to set our standards too low and accept them as normal. This will lead to inconsistent results, unfavourable training experiences and an environment that doesn’t fit your ideal scene. The effect of this often deters you from continuing your pursuit of health and wellbeing and inhibits your ability to unlock your full potential. Our mission is to help you understand that

you must know what you are hunting and then have a reason that matches your goal. We are strongly passionate about helping people live their dream life by becoming capable, strong and mobile creatures, and this is the first step that you need to take to begin your journey. Once you have nailed this, we then recommend finding a tribe that inspires you and fits your vibe, as these people and support networks will become one of the staple factors in ensuring you are staying on track, supported and cared for. Your tribe and coaches should be passionate, helpful and highly experienced, so you have access to the information that will continue to build you into the healthy human that you deserve to be. You must be able to feel a strong connection with your coaches and tribe, just as you would with your immediate family. Your fitness and health isn’t just a fling nor is a quick bootcamp going to fix you; it is a life long journey that can provide new opportunities and possibilities, but most of all it can help you reach the greatest and most unimaginable heights in your life. This is REAL living and we need to be REAL about how important it is ... If You Know Your Goal, Know Your Why and Know Your Vibe, You Are On Your Way To Taking The First Step In Your Epic Fitness Journey. If you would like to know how to start your journey or even just have a chat ... We are happy to help you in all things health. Simply drop us a message or give us a call. 7/9 Wingara Drive, Coffs Harbour (Behind Bunnings) m. 0421 146 502 e. info@newbreedmixedmartialarts.com.au w. www.newbreedmixedmartialarts.com.au

Coffs Coast focus 57

Introducing you to CC Facial Aesthetics; Anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers with a smile. For many years, Dr Caroline Gordon B.D.S and Dr Cecilia Mwanje B.D.S, both dentists practising in Coffs Harbour and surrounding areas, have had an

Mental Health Month

interest in facial rejuvenation techniques. The high standard of dental training in the UK combined with further qualifications they hold in the facial

October is Mental Health Month and WayAhead, the Mental Health Association of NSW, aims to use the month to encourage all of us to think about our mental health and wellbeing, regardless of our personal experiences with mental illness.

Actions everyone can take include - talking with friends and family when things are a bit tough, finding others who have been through something similar, connecting with your community, finding a health professional you trust, or simply engaging in regular physical activity.

rejuvenation field demonstrates their competency

This month also gives us the opportunity to understand the importance of mental health in our everyday lives and encourages help seeking behaviours when needed.

During October we want to help everyone kick-start or restart their physical and mental health journey.

Dr Caroline Gordon B.D.S qualified from the

For more information, please see the WayAhead website: mentalhealthmonth.wayahead.org.au or check out our social pages: F: SCUsportscentreCH or I: scufitnesscentre_coffsharbour

the move to Coffs Harbour in September 2016.

This year, as in 2017, the theme is “share the journey”, which looks to break down barriers and encourage people to take action with their own mental health, while looking out for others.

58 Coffs Coast focus

and capability to administer these treatments. Both Dr Caroline and Dr Cecilia take this line of work very seriously and would encourage anybody interested in such treatments to contact them to arrange a no obligation consultation, in order to answer any queries they may have. University of Liverpool, England in 2012. She spent fourx years working within the UK, before making Caroline carried out anti-wrinkle injection and dermal filler treatments for three years in England. In her spare time, Caroline supports her husband, who plays rugby for the Coffs Harbour Snappers, and they are both keen travellers, having ventured

around Europe and south east Asia for five months in 2016. Caroline is thoroughly enjoying living on the Mid North Coast and is a keen camper and enjoys trekking. Dr Cecilia Mwanje B.D.S qualified from the University of Birmingham, England in 2000. She then spent 15 years working within the UK prior to making the move to Coffs Harbour in May 2016. In 2003 Cecilia spent a year travelling around Australia and worked in both public and private practices in NSW and Victoria. Cecilia carried out anti-wrinkle and dermal filler treatments for one year in England. In her spare time she likes cooking, running and travelling, but not necessarily in that order! Like Caroline, Cecilia loves living and working on the Mid North Coast. As dentists, they have ethical and legal obligations to protect the privacy and confidentiality of patients’ personal and sensitive information. Patients will be seen in a GP overflow room where payment will also be taken, therefore other people will not be aware of the purpose of your visit.

with Clairvoyant Terri Hall Phone. 0424 818 343

SPRING 2018 SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAM

DAILY FROM 11AM - 2PM

October 2018

DOWNLOAD YOUR CALENDAR TODAY AT BCCCINEMAS.COM.AU

AQUARIUS.

GEMINI.

LIBRA.

JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19

MAY 22 - JUNE 22

SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 23

Your inner strength has been challenged lately. Now is the perfect time to set some new goals for a positive future. You will enjoy some newfound talents and friends. Azeztulite helps us to connect with alternate realities. Carry it on your being.

Stand your ground with important discussions; you are waking up inner strength and everyone in your space will like you more, so remain true to yourself. Citrine shatters any negative energy in our space and attracts abundance.

CANCER.

SCORPIO.

FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20

JUNE 23 - JULY 23

OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 22

Your words hold the power to end conflict. You are a peace keeper and a natural teacher, so don’t be afraid to speak; just be aware of your motive. Sugilite helps us to connect to our dreams for understanding life from different perspectives.

Fears and insecurities will surface but if you claim them and heal them, nothing will hinder your progress. If you treat them light heartedly, they will be transformed into new strengths. Calcite brings spontaneity into the picture.

ARIES.

LEO.

SAGITTARIUS.

MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

JULY 24 - AUGUST 23

NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 21

Your past hurts have re-surfaced, just so you can release them and free yourself. You are being prepared for new beginnings, so try and go with the flow and focus ahead. Ruby shatters any fear and strengthens our passion.

Goal setting at this time will benefit you most, so make the most of this time. You can have what you want, but you need to know this. Give yourself permission to receive your wish and enjoy it when it gets here. Aventurine will help you to grow very quickly.

TAURUS.

VIRGO.

CAPRICORN.

AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23

DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 20

Listen to your words of wisdom, as these words will contain your own answers. Removing any prejudices or judgements will assist you further. Look for the outcome of your magical words. Kyanite helps us to build inner bridges for personal-growth.

LOOK FOR THE

FAMILY SAVER SESSIONS THESE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

You have already wished for something; now all you need to do is get out of the way and let heaven help you. Romance and passion are likely to be a major influence over the next few months. Rhodochrosite helps us find our inner child’s joy of life. Carry it for a couple of weeks.

APRIL 21 - MAY 21

You are aligning with career changes, stepping up or into a new job. You need to be confident, and assertive without being bossy, and enjoy the new learning. Turquoise is great for confidence, and uplifts our energy.

S ACTIVITIES

Some new friends are entering the picture, which is why old relationships are fading away. Words need to be spoken to clear some old issues. Speak from the heart. Zincite helps creation of new ideas.

PISCES. You are letting go of a lot of passed hurt. Try to recognise all of your insecurities, so you can release them and their influence from your sphere of existence. Phenacite is a wonderful stone for initiation, bringing a new level of awareness.

EE FR KID

Some direction is needed now, so you will be ready for the perfect opportunity. Deep inside you have your own answers; trust in your sensitivity and psychic ability, as this is never wrong. Labradorite brings magical energy into the picture for manifestation.

*Online booking fee applies. Vmax & 3D surcharges apply. Offer valid for Cinebuzz members only. Not valid on sessions after 5PM. Valid for shown films only. Valid during the school holiday period only. Not valid in Gold Class. See website for T&Cs.

Coffs Coast focus 59

PE AS

CI A L F O C U S F E ATU R

Families IN BUSINESS

PA I N T S M A R T S M A S H R E PA I R S Phil and his wife, Anita, grew up in the small country town of Guyra, in the Northern Tablelands of NSW. With both his dad and one of his older brothers being mechanics, Phil has worked around cars his entire life. After spending 13 years in the industry and becoming dual qualified, in 2014 the young family decided to make the move to the Coffs Coast, with the hope of owning their own smash repair business and providing their children with the lifestyle that comes with living in a coastal town.

We purchased this business 10 years ago in October when our three children were only very young, so we relied on extended family to help support us in the early days.

en years on and our eldest staff and the standards we maintain. We have daughter, Chelsea, works in the won numerous awards over the years, including business some weekends and State and National Store of the Year in 2014, school holidays and our son, State Store of the Year in 2015 and 2016. We Jack, will start later in the year. were recently nominated for Hardware Store Our youngest daughter, Lucy, of the Year, which is industry wide, so that loves to help with “odd jobs” around the store was a great honour! We are heavily involved whenever she has the in the local community, chance. providing sponsorship to We are very much many sporting teams and a local family busicharity groups. We are ness and employ 14 also the major sponsor great staff, who are of our local Woolgoolga We enjoy great support from also locals. It means a Carols by the Sea. We are our local community, and most lot to us that we can well supported by the lopeople understand and provide employment cal community, so we are appreciate that we are a for these families. happy to be involved and small family business and We enjoy great supprovide that support back not a big corporate entity. port from our local whenever we can. community, and most We are celebrating 10 people understand years in business this Ocand appreciate that tober! We invite everyone we are a small family to come to the store on Saturday, October 13th business and not a big corporate entity. to join the fun. Netball stars and current Block It can be pretty difficult at times to balance ontestants Bianca and Carla will be here, and we the business with family needs, but it can also will have plenty of super specials, giveaways, a provide flexibility so that we can attend school BBQ, face painting, jumping castle, petting zoo and sporting events with the children. and much more! We are extremely proud of our hardworking

60 Coffs Coast focus

When and how did the family business start? Phil worked for the previous owners of Paintsmart for about three years, before purchasing the business and opening the workshop as the new owner in January 2018.

In your opinion, what is the best thing about working in a family operated business? The best thing about working in a family operated business is the relationships you build with your customers and knowing the joy our kids feel when they visit the workshop and get to see where Dad fixes cars. Everything we do is for them. What part of the business are you most proud of? We’re most proud of the team we have within the shed, who produce quality work every time. Our priority is to keep our customers happy, and to be able to achieve that job after job is because of the dedication of our team. What is the next big thing on your agenda? Being so new to business, our focus right now is getting the fundamentals right.

A SPECIAL FOCUS FEATURE

C O F F S M E C H A N I C A L R E PA I R S Coffs Mechanical Repairs is a genuine, family owned and operated business. We provide all your vehicle maintenance and servicing needs, including log book servicing for new vehicles, tyres, brakes, exhausts and much more. We also offer great prices through the buying power of the Carline Group. The Coffs Mechanical team have a great passion for cars. Performance vehicles, classic vehicles, your pride and joy or your daily driver are all just as important to us. A well-maintained vehicle is a safe vehicle! Mark, Mick, Chris and Kylie take great pride in their work. The boys are sharing their vast knowledge of vehicles with Kylie since she started her apprenticeship earlier this year. Her love of motorsport and all things car related ensured she quickly became one of the team. Our involvement in motorsport provides the perfect platform for our staff to continually upskill, which ensures the latest technology is used to get the best results for all vehicles. Their extensive knowledge in diagnostics and product testing ensures our customers always receive excellent service and cost-effective repairs to their vehicles. We are also an RMS Authorised Inspection Station for all your vehicle registration requirements. PH: 6650 9370 for any enquiries.

Klaustel. Your “LOCAL” NBN Internet and Phone Line Provider. 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, offer an efficient personalised and prompt service with ongoing local 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. As a service provider under Klaustel’s brand with our competitive rates, we are now rivalling the larger telcos with our NBN and phone line pricing, with the flexibility to style a plan to suit your business. “Our aim as a local service provider is to provide uncomplicated, easy to use, easy to understand products and services with exceptional customer service”. Call us today for a no obligation bill assessment, to see how you can save with Klaustel.

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focusinterview.

Shannae

LUKE

and

MORRIS

Luke and Shannae Morris are high school sweethearts who are now raising their two children here on the Coffs Coast, whilst also running their own business together ... Combining their skills and strengths to start a New Breed of gym and balancing their work and home life as a family.

i Luke and Shannae. Have you both always been Coffs Coast locals? Luke is a bred Coffs/Sawtell local, spending his early years surfing and skating as a grom. I was born and raised in Sydney until the age of 12. I then continued my schooling years at Toormina, and that’s where I met Luke. We are good old fashioned high school sweethearts. You guys own a gym here in Coffs, New Breed Movement. How long have you had the business for? We have been in operation since 2012. We started working out of OOSH centres/ halls and C4 BJJ ranging from Nambucca - Coffs - Woolgoolga, teaching ladies self defence and kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, progressing into all forms of training. We then forged our unique gym in Wingara Dr in 2016, which has become home of many locals who were looking to step outside the box and take a practical and crafty approach to fitness. What motivated you to start your business? A number of areas are lost in current methods of fitness and health, such as practicality, applicability, complexity and exploration. We wanted to create a

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mindful breathing, self discovery, physical space that would really help people feel confident and able to live a life in which flexibility and positional strength. Her they are able to adapt to any situation background in beauty therapy has really and adventure that is thrown their way. given an extra depth to her passion that Having our two beautiful children by resonates with her teaching. our side added fuel to our fire to show My coaching background is cultivated them that when you have a passion and through many years of Martial Arts, a dream, chase it and make it a reality so Fitness and Nutrition, which has been you can do what you truly love. implemented into each class to bring a You both bring different backgrounds unique and practical style of fitness and and skills to the business; how do you movement. With mainstream industries find those skills work together? We both have unique styles that were crafted through our own life experiences, which we feel provides We wanted to create a space our tribe with a real that would really help people and honest form of feel confident and able to coaching. live a life in which they We want NB are able to adapt to any to really make a situation and adventure that is difference in our thrown their way. community’s health, and the best way to do that is to teach and coach our methods in a way that open people’s eyes to what fitness should be. Shannae is our Yoga Instructor, focusing on helping our members develop a deep awareness for

focusing on aesthetics, we add the focus of improving practical, real world capabilities to our classes, which are fun and always evolving. As a family with young children, how do you find balancing work and home life? It’s a matter of speaking honestly to our kids and letting them know why we do what we do and why it requires so much of our time. To be real with you,

focusinterview.

PE AS

CI A L F O C U S F E ATU

Families IN BUSINESS

We started NB with no investors, no savings, no staﬀ, just a big dream for our community and thirst for helping people. Hours

this is extremely who work with challenging at times, you? of blood, sweat and tears and it takes a lot We started NB have gone into our facility. of thought and with no investors, We have handcrafted every bit behind the scenes no savings, no staff, of our facility, from our pallet/ organisation to just a big dream for upcycled furniture to our jungle ensure we stay the our community and gym & rock wall you are looking course and continue thirst for helping directly into our hard work, with providing the very people. Hours of kids running around us. best our community blood, sweat and deserves. We love tears have gone into that our kids are able our facility. to get involved and We have see what hard work and commitment looks handcrafted every bit of our facility; from like. our pallet/upcycled furniture to our jungle Do the kids get involved at the gym? gym and rock wall you are looking directly Yes! Our kids surely do; you couldn’t stop into our hard work, with kids running them if you tried. Mia (six years) makes around us. obstacles for sessions, is a team player and Family and friends have been such a welcomes everyone. Lyrik (two years) likes to support, from lending us their work truck to think he’s helping around the place, ha ha! helping us out with a fundraiser; we really He’s our little Wild Mascot. couldn’t have done it without them. Have they influenced the kind of We now have a team of coaches we hand schedule or classes you run? selected to help grow our tribe. Both Tom Mostly yes. We operate early mornings and Hailey are extremely passionate about and evenings - it gives us flexibility to see our methods and vision and have fitted in them off to school and pick them up in time perfectly with our family business. before the fun starts. But as our fellow Coffs What are some of the benefits and families would know, getting kids ready for challenges of having a family run school can be a scene out of Rambo trying business? to blast through the chaos. We manage our The biggest blessing is spending time with schedule as best we can, but yeah - we have our kids, and working alongside each other a few scars to show for it. as husband and wife and best friends. Is most of the running of the gym done Knowing at the end of the day we can be by you guys, or do you have a team proud of our efforts and the positive input

we have on our community is nothing less than ultimate satisfaction. The biggest challenge of running a family business is the persistence. Very little to no break, with the late nights and trying to bring awareness to our locals of what we do and why we do it.

But like they say; water carves rock not with its hardness, but with its persistence! We are willing to do what it takes for our community to provide a service that is based on one family’s vision that has become a reality. Thanks guys. Coffs Coast focus 63

64 Coffs Coast focus

AS A LEADING METAL, STAINLESS STEEL AND ALUMINIUM FABRICATION COMPANY, ALL METAL

FABRICATIONS SPECIALISE IN CREATING CUSTOM STEEL SOLUTIONS FOR A WIDE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS. FOCUS CAUGHT UP

WITH DIRECTOR STEVE PERRIE, TO FIND OUT MORE â€¦

hatever your steel fabrication needs may be, you are guaranteed expert advice, quality workmanship and a cost effective solution. Whether you are residential, commercial or industrial, we have services that will exceed all your expectations. Our services are second to none, and we pride ourselves on delivering quality workmanship on every project we undertake. What is your connection to the Coffs Coast? I grew up on the Coffs Coast, but moved

away for work. Once I started a family, I knew I wanted to return to start a business and enjoy the Coffs Coast lifestyle. How did the All Metal Fabrications story begin? We started small in a little workshop in Toormina, with just myself and my now foreman, Rodney. We wanted to provide all types of metal fabrication and took on all kinds of jobs, and the business just grew from word of mouth and the quality of work we were providing. All Metal Fabrications has since moved to Coffs Harbour and now has a team of 14.

Coffs Coast focus 65

WE UNDERSTAND THE

What part of the the challenges that come IMPORTANCE OF A WORK business are you most along with growth and AND FAMILY LIFE BALANCE proud of? an increased workload. HERE AND DO OUR We are a relatively The Coffs Coast has BEST TO PROVIDE THAT, new business - we experienced a significant KEEPING THE TEAM HAPPY opened our doors growth in the last decade in 2014 - and the and is getting bigger and AND SAFE AT WORK. growth we have better, which for small local experienced since then business has been and is something I am very continues to be a positive proud of. I think it change. shows how hardworking my team are and our All Metal Fabrications is a family-based determination to provide quality workmanship business. Have the original values and goals for any job that we take on. remained with growth? What have been the biggest changes and Yes, we are a family-based business, and I challenges you have seen over the last believe that is a very important aspect of our decade? growth within the business. We understand the As a business, the biggest changes for us importance of a work and family life balance would be moving into a new larger factory and here and do our best to provide that, keeping

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the team happy and safe at work. Who makes up your team, and what are their roles? We have a team of 14 here, all with varied skills. We have boilermakers and an apprentice boilermaker, sheet metal workers, fitter and turners; I, myself, am a qualified fitter and turner. We also have an admin team and an onsite estimator. Do you offer on the job training in these roles? We do. Since opening we have taken on a few apprentices, and we make sure our team

are up to date on industry knowledge. What is a typical day for the team? Due to the wide range of skills and services we provide, I would say no day is typical; thatâ€™s a great thing about this industry. What services do you provide? We have a wide range of engineering capabilities, including steel, stainless steel and aluminium fabrication, metal forming, metal tube bendingÂ and welding. We are uniquely capable of welding metal to any standard that you specify, pressure, structural etc.

Coffs Coast focus 67

WE DO WORK WITH LARGE COMPANIES ALL AROUND AUSTRALIA, LOCAL COMPANIES, SMALL BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUAL CUSTOMERS, SO THE PRODUCT AND BUDGET VARIES TO FIT THE JOB.

What is the best advice you can give to a prospective customer? Just call us or pop in and see us. We will take on any job that we can and are always happy to offer advice. Do you offer solutions for budgets of different sizes? We sure do. We do work with large companies all around Australia, local companies, small businesses and individual customers, so the product and budget varies to fit the job. How has the local building and construction

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industry changed over the last few years? Due to the growth in Coffs itself, I think the biggest change would be all the new businesses that are locally based now. Itâ€™s such a great thing for businesses to be able to source local contractors and products. What are your plans for the future of All Metal Fabrications? We are constructing a purpose-built factory designed specifically to support existing and new contracts. Construction commenced in March,

with an October 2018 completion date. This business expansion will increase our capacity and provide new employment opportunities. We are also wanting to invest in the latest plant and machinery technology, so we can continue growing as well as to be able to provide Coffs Harbour with services that are not yet locally available. All Metal Fabrications is known for its community involvement. What projects have you been a part of, and what are you most proud of?

We have been involved in many community projects and upgrades and have worked alongside The Coffs Harbour City Council, National Parks and Wildlife Service and other local councils to provide the community with various new developments, from bus shelters to jetties. The local jobs and community upgrades are the jobs we are most proud of. Do you believe that it is important to be part of the Coffs community? Yes, we believe it is very important.

HURRY. LIMITED TIME OFFER.

7 DAY SALE $777 GIFT CARD

ON TOP OF GREAT DRIVE AWAY DEALS ACROSS SELECTED MODELS

Celebrating 40 years proudly servicing the communities of the Coffs Coast

Coffs Coast Kia 3 Tolhurst Place, Coffs Harbour 1300 002 450 coffscoastkia.com.au ] The 7 Day Sale $777 Gift Card is not available with the Stinger and MY19 All New Cerato Sedan. The 7 Day Sale $777 Gift Card offer can be claimed in addition to current Kia retail offers. $777 Gift Card available on new Kia vehicles purchased between 10 September 2018 to 16 September 2018 - unless extended. Vehicles must be delivered by 30 September 2018. The Gift Card is only redeemable against the purchase of a new Kia vehicle and must be presented to a Kia dealer (acting as agent for Kia Motors Australia Pty Ltd for this specific purpose) at the time of purchase of the vehicle and the amount of $777 will be deducted from the recommended retail price of the vehicle. The Gift Card may not be used to pay any other person or for any other purpose. Gift Card redemption form can be printed from www.kia.com.au/giftcardoffer or available at the participating Kia dealer. Private buyers only. Kia reserves the right to change, supersede or extend these offers. For warranty terms and conditions visit kia.com.au.

Coffs Coast focus 69

WE ALWAYS AIM TO EMPLOY SKILLED LOCALLY BASED AND TRAINED PEOPLE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO AS OUR BUSINESS GROWS.

Local businesses working together create a stronger community, which in turn brings about more opportunities for local business and individuals. Are you happy when you know that you have trained so many people in their various areas and provided employment and upskilling to locals? Yes, we always aim to employ skilled locally based and trained people and will continue

70 Coffs Coast focus

to do so as our business grows. It is beneficial to our business due to our involvement in the community and keeping

work local. Where can we find out more? Visit our new showroom at 14 Ray McCarthy Drive, Coffs Harbour. 6653 2000, info@allmetalfabrications.com.au www.allmetalfabrications.com.au Thanks Steve.

focusMotoring.

Motor mouth rating

09/10

Mercedes Benz

Motormouth with Carl Bennett from Mercedes-Benz Coﬀs Coast

he “all new” A-Class has arrived diamond” grille. If you want to add the sparkly at Mercedes Benz Coffs Coast, chrome “diamond”-studded grille on the A200, and what a cracker of a car it you'll have to option it as part of the “AMG Line is - new body, new platform, Sports Package”, which also includes 18-inch new interior, new technology AMG wheels and a body kit. and a new look, thanks to more Two 10.25-inch touch screens are standard on refinement and adoption of Benz's latest smooth the A200 and so is the “MBUX” (Mercedes-Benz styling. The A200 has User Experience) artificial been given a new 1.3-litre intelligence media system, four-cylinder turbo-petrol which through a Siri-like “Hey engine, making Mercedes” function gets to 120 kW/250 Nm. know you to make life easier Expect it to produce about The A180 will also have through brilliantly improved 100 kW when it arrives in 2019. this engine, but Mercedesvoice activation. The A250 will have a Benz hasn't disclosed the Standard on the A200 is 2.0-litre turbo-petrol output. Expect it to produce sat nav, Apple CarPlay and four-cylinder and will about 100 kW when it Android Auto, a nine-speaker be all-wheel drive, while arrives in 2019. stereo, digital radio, wireless the A180 and A200 are frontThe A250 will have charging, a touch pad media wheel drive only. a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol controller, climate control, four-cylinder and will be allambient lighting (single wheel drive, while the A180 colour), LED headlights, front and A200 are front-wheel and rear parking sensors, drive only. All have a sevenauto parking system, lane speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. keeping assist, blind spot monitoring, active brake A-Class's dimensions have changed, too, with assist with autonomous emergency braking and the hatch being 16 mm wider (at 1,796 mm 18-inch alloy wheels. across), 6.0 mm taller (at 1,440 mm high) and 120 Want your A200 to look sportier? Then there's mm longer (at 4,419 mm end-to-end). the $1,990 “AMG Line Package”, which adds The A200 comes standard with 18-inch alloy 18-inch gloss black AMG wheels, the chrome wheels, side skirts, twin exhaust and a “black diamond studded grille, brake calipers with

Mercedes-Benz lettering and perforated front discs, plus lower suspension (a little) for a tougher stance. Even better, the “AMG Exclusive Package”, which adds leather seats, ambient (84 colour) LED lighting and multi-link rear suspension for $3,190; and also the $2,490 “Vision Package” which adds a panoramic sunroof and adaptive headlights. For a fully decked out A Class, the $2,490 “Communications Package”, which adds a head-up display and 12-speaker Burmester stereo, is a must. The A-Class is covered by Mercedes-Benz's three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with service intervals every 12 months or 25,000 km.

Tech Specs. 2018 Mercedes-Benz A 200 PRICE $47,200 (plus on-road costs) ENGINE 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol OUTPUT 120 kW/250 Nm TRANSMISSION Seven-speed automatic FUEL 5.7 L/100 km (ADR Combined) CO2 130 g/km (ADR Combined) SAFETY RATING Five-star ANCAP Book a test drive today: 6648 3517.

Coffs Coast focus 71

focusinterview.

MJA BUSINESS S O L U T I O N S

FOCUS caught up with Melanie Zander, Director of MJA Business Solutions, to learn more about THEIR NEW PROGRAM - THAT’S MAKING BUSINESS COACHING ACCESSIBLE for more business owners.

an you tell us a bit about MJA Business Solutions and how long you’ve been around? I established MJA over 11 years ago, with a vision to create an accounting firm that was more open and aligned with the client and not just about meeting the ATO’s taxation and compliance deadlines. Over the years we have evolved into a firm offering a holistic approach to gaining our clients abundance and financial freedom. Ultimately, we are here to help make things better! We want our clients to do better in all areas of their lives: better business, better health, better awareness, better lifestyle, better balance, better wealth. Our progressive and forward-thinking team are your trusted advisers. We are here to view your wealth, business and accounting needs from a holistic view point and to help with all areas of your life, ensuring you are asked the right questions and are covered in the right areas. Our mission is to work with people who are looking for more than just a tax return those who want to grow and expand so they can spend more time doing what they love. We want to see you grow and thrive. Business coaching is one of the business solutions you offer clients. What are the benefits of having a business coach? Having a business coach can be a powerful tool and invaluable resource for many reasons. Our top five benefits would be: • Falling in love with your business and 72 Coffs Coast focus

finding your passion • SMART goal setting and accountability on your action plans • Growing your business size / profit / value • Developing a healthy work / life balance • Building a confident team that values your business as much as you do What is MJA Business Keys? MJA Business Keys is our new group coaching service, where you’ll unlock the power of your business. We offer five different coaching programs, depending on what stage you are at within your business. How does it work? Each program consists of monthly group workshops where all participants will come together with their course coach and facilitator. The workshops are interactive, and participants actively work on their desired business outcomes and goals. Each group has a maximum of 10 participants and business type exclusivity. How is this new service different to one on one coaching? We have designed five different group coaching programs to be accessible by anyone at any stage of their business. By offering these programs in a group setting, participants benefit from a peer learning process, sharing wisdom and experience while also expanding their external networks and tapping into a valuable pool of resources with like-minded people who are in similar stages of business. Who can access this new program? Anyone who is currently in business or is ready to make the commitment to start. Is this something all businesses should

consider? people. Brendan gets Absolutely! No matter a buzz out of helping The workshops are what your experience his clients achieve their interactive, and or business knowledge, financial and lifestyle participants actively taking a step back and goals. Whether it’s work on their desired reviewing your business retirement planning, business outcomes and operations, performance estate planning or goals. Each group has a and goals with the eyes, investment advice, maximum of 10 participants guidance and support Brendan is here to and business type exclusivity. from a third party is provide advice and invaluable and can make strategies to better all the difference in his clients’ financial helping you achieve your position. business goals. Melanie Zander Denny What other services do you offer? Mel is the founder of MJA Business MJA Business Solutions offers both Solutions and has been working in the individual and business clients: industry for over 20 years. Mel is not the • Compliance and taxation services stereotypical “backroom” accountant. She • Accounting and bookkeeping services prefers to play a business advisory role with • Business setups and structure advice clients, focusing on strategies and financial • One on one business coaching plans to drive the business forward, rather • Financial planning and wealth creation than counting past results. Mel works advice closely with clients on cash flow issues and How do we find out more about MJA managerial accounting to help clients reach Business Keys or your other services? for excellence and growth. Visit our website: www.mjabusiness.com. Steven Oakley au or give us a call on (02) 6652 8788 and Steve joined MJA in 2013, new to the speak to one of our advisers today. industry but with a passion to help clients Thanks Melanie. problem solve and understand the financial MEET OUR COACHES: side of their business. His logical mind, Brendan Hoy strong attention to detail and IT skills enable Brendan joined MJA in 2016, bringing him to analyse large amounts of financial with him a wealth of financial planning data and provide clients with clear, concise experience that complemented MJA’s and easy to understand information. Steve holistic advice approach. Brendan started his works with numerous clients for one on one career as an accountant but moved into the business coaching and is passionate about financial advice sector in 2005, as he felt it helping clients succeed in achieving their enabled him to be more proactive in helping goals and maximising their business gains.

BUSINESS KEYS UNLO CK YOUR BUSINE SS P OWE R

‘MJA Business Keys is a new service from MJA Business Solutions. There are ﬁve different programs based on what stage you are up to in business and where you want to go next. A fully interactive, personalised group coaching service where you can explore your full business potential and unlock the power of your business.’

EXCEED PROSPER PERFORM ACCELERATE

12 MONTH PROGRAM

KICK START

3 MONTH PROGRAM Are you new to business or not sure where to start? Then the Kick Start program is the one for you! We take you through each step of how to set up your business with the right structure and the tools you need to get things oﬀ the ground. This program includes 3, fully interactive monthly group workshops, where we’ll walk you through all you need to know, step by step, to give your business the best start possible.

Are you in the ﬁrst 12-24 months of business? Then the Accelerate program is the one for you! The Accelerate program has been designed for those wanting to take their business to the next level. With our guidance and accountability, we’ll dive deep into what the core of your business is to help you set and achieve your business goals. This program is a series of 12, fully interactive monthly group workshops, where we’ll start by going back to the basics, then help you build a solid foundation for your business to grow and thrive. Working smarter, not harder, so you will get the results you are wanting sooner.

12 MONTH PROGRAM Have you been in business for more than 2 years and are ready to boost your performance? Then the Perform program is the one for you! The Perform program has been designed for those who are looking to increase the performance of their business. With our guidance and accountability, we’ll breakdown the areas of your business that drive eﬃciency and eﬀectiveness so that you can start gaining your performance potential. This program is a series of 12, fully interactive monthly group workshops, where you’ll gain an understanding of the key drivers in your business to build on the areas where you can improve your businesses performance. We’ll explore the growth opportunities, how to make the most out of them and how to start integrating a precious work / life balance.

12 MONTH PROGRAM Are you running a well-established business and wanting to optimize your potential? Then the Prosper program is the one for you! The Prosper program has been designed for those who want their business to operate with or without them in the front lines, knowing that if they step away, things will keep running smoothly, giving you more time outside of the day to day business operations but still reaping the beneﬁts of a healthy business. This program is a series of 12, fully interactive monthly group workshops, where we’ll build on the foundations you’ve already established to bring your business operations to their full potential. You will develop more work / life balance skills and have a clear picture on your business goals for the future.

12 MONTH PROGRAM Are you running a well-established business and starting to think about your exit strategy? Then the Exceed program is the one for you! The Exceed program has been designed for those who are 3-5 years away from selling or retiring and are looking to maximize the value of their business. We’ll guide you through the steps of building your business ready for sale and how to exit when it comes time to move on. This program is a series of 12, fully interactive monthly group workshops, where we’ll work on readying your business for sale, creating a succession plan, preparing for retirement / life after this business and much more.

fli

www.mjabusiness.com.au or 6652 8788 for more information. Coffs Coast focus 73

focusinterview

Business Minds with Sam Wardman of CornerPost Creative

GORDON

PREWETT

i Gordon. Tell us how you came to call the Coffs Coast home. I was born here in the old Coffs Harbour Hospital at the Jetty, so I suppose it was Mum and Dad who made Coffs Harbour the place I call home [laughs]. My father was born and raised here in Coffs and my grandparents were also local residents of Coffs Harbour Jetty; although, during my younger years we moved around quite a bit, with my father being in the NSW Police Force. I finished high school at Grafton High School and after serving in the NSW Police Force for 17 years myself, I returned to where I’ve always felt is “home” - Coffs Harbour. You recently made the leap of faith to start your own business; can you share a little about it? You are right in this venture being a leap of faith. “Strata” differs from other branches of the real estate industry, in that you both need to gain the majority support of a group of building owners (Owners Corporation/Body Corporate) and that you are the best Strata Manager with exemplar knowledge of the legislation and best interests at heart for their property. The real difficulty is in persuading the majority of an Owners Corporation, not just one person, that you are “that Manager” for their Strata Scheme. We know that we hold the qualities to provide the best specialised Strata services on the Coffs Coast and Clarence Valley, with a proactive, personalised and friendly approach. We now look forward to backing our “Leap of Faith” by proving to Owners Corporations that they can trust us to manage their Strata assets in the best way possible. What services does Jetty Strata Management provide?

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We provide all Strata management related services for the day-to-day running of Residential, Commercial and Mixed-Use Strata and Community Titled properties. Services range from building repair and maintenance management; maintaining Strata records; organising, preparing and convening Owners Corporation meetings; maintaining Owners Corporation trust accounts; monitoring compliance (By-Laws, fire safety etc); arranging insurance policies and lodging insurance claims. The list goes on and on, but ultimately, we perform these duties with transparency, accountability and friendly nature in mind. What do you enjoy about your role? I enjoy knowing that I am now my own boss working for my family’s benefit and not someone else. I know that I can now concentrate on being “out and about” providing onsite visits/inspections and other related services that Owners Corporations deserve. This additional client interaction and level of service is something that I really look forward to providing our clients. Dealing with lots of people in your line of work must come with its challenges at times. Can you walk us through your approach to customer service and managing expectations? I truly believe that the secret to providing great customer service and addressing client expectation is simple … LISTEN. It is not just about answering a specific question; it is about understanding where the question came from. My approach to customer service and identifying expectation is to “put myself in the client’s shoes”. In my previous employment roles as a supervisor, mediator, mentor and trainer, I have applied this approach as a vital tool in going a long way to resolving issues and keeping people content. I admire and practice the principle recommended by Sir

Richard Branson, know that they can I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE when dealing with trust us at Jetty Strata SECRET TO PROVIDING customer service: Management. GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE “Seek to understand I’d like to think that AND ADDRESSING CLIENT before you seek to be through specialised EXPECTATION IS SIMPLE understood”. Strata knowledge and … LISTEN. IT IS NOT JUST The main issue we friendly service, Jetty ABOUT ANSWERING A deal with in Strata Strata Management SPECIFIC QUESTION; IT IS management is that will become a wellABOUT UNDERSTANDING many of our clients do respected family WHERE THE QUESTION not totally understand business like other CAME FROM. the complexities of long-standing local the legislation and businesses that have the strict, sometimes obviously gained non-common success formed on sense statutory requirements in dealing with similar principles. Strata matters. Most the time people have What inspires you to get out of bed every a preconceived idea of what “should be” day? regarding their Strata enquiry; however, I suppose it comes down to trying to be identifying the misunderstanding and then the best person I can be each and every day: more importantly, explaining the correct honest, upfront and fair. process in a respectful manner, usually results I want to inspire my kids to be the best they in a more civilised resolution. can be, so I try to go about setting a decent Looking ahead, what would you like to example; hopefully they’ll follow after me (or achieve with your business? Yvette). Stay grounded and true to our clients! With a busy family life and a new Our goal is not to be the biggest Strata firm business, what does work / life balance in Coffs Harbour, but the “go to” Strata firm. look like for you? Our philosophy is to “provide more service Our life is hectic at home … My wife, Yvette, to fewer clients rather than fewer services to runs her own hairdressing business (SY Hair) more clients”. Our focus is providing the best and with four kids ranging between two years comprehensive Strata service possible to our old to 11 years old, it is very busy. We believe clients and realise that there is a limit to how the secret to balancing business and family life many properties we can manage to sustain is recognising your capacity in business and not that desired goal. overstretching yourself in that aspect. I take enormous pride in having strong Ultimately, whilst getting bigger in business connections to the Coffs Coast (Dad and his can mean more money and success, it can also parents) and the Clarence Valley (Mum and her mean less family time - which is something parents). With that comes my drive to continue that we are not willing to compromise. the family reputation of being hardworking, Do you have a life motto? honest people and creating a legacy for my Work hard, be kind and never stop learning. children, whereby people of this region will Thanks Gordon.

Up-close Animal Encounters.

Barry Hockey B A R R Y

H O C K E Y

A C C O U N T A N T S

Billabong Zoo Koala and Wildlife Park cares for over 80 species, with over 200 animals located throughout ten acres of shady gardens.

It is hard to believe how quickly this year is going. If you prepare your own tax return, then you need to complete and lodge your tax return by 31 October.

Experience an up-close Animal Encounter with personal Zoo Keeper commentary: available with Snow Leopards, Cheetahs, Red Pandas, Meerkats, Koalas and Snakes. Bookings essential. An Animal Encounter is a very special experience that stays with you for a lifetime.

If you have not been to a tax agent before and would like your return completed by a professional, then you need to see them prior to 31 October. You should ensure that your tax professional is a registered tax agent.

You can also enjoy 16 free Zoo Keeper talks throughout the day included in the entry fee; PLUS, there are reptile shows on the weekends and during the school holidays. There is a children’s playground and an all-day Kangaroo and Wallaroo walkthrough meadow for patting and feeding; Zoo Café for meals, snacks, ice cream, coffee and drinks; souvenirs, gifts and retail therapy in the popular Zoo Shop. The multi award-winning Billabong Zoo is always fun for the kids and educational for everyone. Open every day: 9am - 5pm, rain or shine. Billabong Zoo, Port Macquarie - it’s more than a great day out. It’s the best value zoo in Australia. Located at 61 Billabong Drive, just off the Oxley Highway (two minutes from the Pacific Highway). For full details, visit billabongzoo.com.au or call 6585 1060.

Do you have work related expenses, or you are a sole trader? Then check out the ATO App - myDeductions. This will make it easier and more convenient to keep your tax deductions and income records all in one, and it’s free. Simply download the ATO app to your smart device and choose whether you’d like to use as an individual, sole trader or both. Then you can add deductions/expenses, vehicle trips, income (if sole trader) and photos of your receipts. You’re now paperless. At Barry Hockey Accountants, we have a dedicated team to assist you. We not only specialise in taxation, but we have extensive background skills in finance and banking. Our firm is big enough to get the job done and small enough to care. Personal service and attention to detail is our business.

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Enjoy a fun day out at Billabong Zoo, set amongst 10 acres of lush beautiful gardens. Get up close to over 80 species of animals, reptiles and birds. Feed our kangaroos, pat a koala, dingo or snake. We are open every day except Christmas day, rain or shine. Zoo talks 16 FREE keeper presentations daily

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Up-close Book one of our Personal Encounters Zoo Café Enjoy a fresh and delicious bite at our café Zoo Shop Buy a souvenir or a gift for someone special

Conservation through education

OPEN DAILY 9am to 5pm

H&N_PORT_ADVERT_SEPT18_107x169.indd 1

WINNER 2016

Billabong Drive, Port Macquarie 6585 1060 | Billabongzoo.com.au

12/09/2018 10:14 PM

WINNER 2016

WINNER 2015

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Educational Trends & Myths

It’s time to celebrate Small Businesses of the Coffs Coast. October 2018 is Small Business Month, a time to celebrate what it is to be in business, particularly here on the Coffs Coast. Small Business Month is the NSW Government’s annual celebration of the small business sector and the major contributions it makes to NSW. Small and medium-sized businesses play an important role in communities by offering a range of goods and services, creating jobs and driving economic growth.

WITH BDC PRINCIPAL NICK JOHNSTONE

Educational research papers can create or perpetuate educational trends that filter their way into the classroom. I HAVE SELECTED THREE EDUCATIONAL TRENDS THAT ARE SUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE AND THREE COMMONLY TOUTED EDUCATIONAL MYTHS.

HREE SUPPORTED EDUCATIONAL TRENDS:

The press often focuses on the importance of

1. Project Based Learning...

that all students need to learn to code. My

Project-based learning asserts that students learn best by engaging with real-world problems. Students can work in teams and have a higher degree of autonomy in the learning process. This allows teachers to act more like coaches. Studies show that projectbased learning can also increase retention of content and improve student attitudes towards learning. 2. Push Back on Technology... Although technology has become ubiquitous, some research supports the “push back on technology” movement. This research encourages schools to have a policy around limiting screen time for younger students and to discourage the use of mobile phones during break times. Effective teaching and learning does not always need technology. My thoughts in this area are that moderation is the key. However, I strongly support the use of technology in the classroom when it enhances the learning experience.

digital literacy and couple this with the idea thoughts in this area are that we don’t need to teach everyone how to code. However, it is important for students to know how to visually express logic. This computational thinking, together with an understanding of how specific technologies work, allows students to engage at a level that interests them. With high quality computational thinking skills in their toolkit students have options open to them. 2. More homework means more learning ... There is evidence that homework in secondary school is effective when it is specific and timely. There is much less evidence of benefit for primary school students. The broader evidence base suggests that shared activities that focus on parental engagement are more important than the homework task itself. My advice in this area revolves around the concept of supporting a love of learning and more particularly, fostering a love of reading in the home.

3. Growth Mindset...

3. The best thing for a struggling student is to

Research in this area is complex, but focuses on the concept that teachers who develop a classroom culture of high expectations and generate specific high quality feedback have significant benefits on student learning, learning attitudes and future academic behaviours. Praise such as “you’re so clever” or “you must be so talented” doesn’t tell students what they need to do next time. By praising student effort and the strategies they use, teachers give students a template to follow.

repeat a school year ...

THREE UNSUPPORTED EDUCATIONAL TRENDS OR MYTHS:

the expert on your child and they are the

1. All students need to learn coding ...

decision that is best for your child.

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Evidence suggests that students who repeat a year are unlikely to catch up, even with the extra year of schooling. A better investment in this area includes one-to-one support or peer tutoring. There is also much evidence about the negative effects of repeating a year on attitudes to schooling and self-esteem. This decision should involve collaboration between the classroom teacher, the learning support educator and the school principal. You are educationalists, so together you can make a

Small Business Month will be celebrated in Coffs Harbour with an event on Tuesday 16th October between 1pm and 7:30pm at Pacific Bay Resort. The afternoon program will include a variety of inspirational talks by business leaders and advocates, panel sessions, interactive workshops, networking opportunities and of course, good food and refreshments. These sessions will focus around the Coffs Harbour ecosystem, how to be involved and connected, along with opportunities to discuss growth, customer engagement and relationships. From 5:30pm, in partnership with FoundX (an initiative of Crowe Horwath), the event will focus on the story of one of our local

founders, Luke Floyd and his innovative i-milk technology. From small café to entrepreneurial success, Luke will showcase the twists and turns in his local start-up story, and his progressions from idea to prototype to success. Businesses of the Coffs Coast are invited to this free event, proudly funded by NSW Government. Bookings are essential for catering purposes - secure your ticket today! For bookings and information, including a full event program, go to coffssmallbusinessmonth.eventbrite.com.au or contact Fiona Barden at fiona.barden@chcc. nsw.gov.au

Nexus Human Services FOCUS sat down with Nexus Human Services, a local Disability Employment Provider, to find out about what they can offer to our local students looking to leave school prior to graduation. Can you tell us about the Early School Leavers Transition to work programs you have? Students in their senior years at school sometimes find it hard to transition into the big world of finding employment. Nexus Human Services offer a range of individualised programs and support for DES eligible school leavers, focusing around the last 12 months of school support, as well as straight after Year 12, to assist them in finding the right careers for them. Some of the services we offer are opportunities to do work experience, job skills training, travel training, advice, confidence building and support. We can also offer a wage subsidy to potential employers, to give the students the head start

they need in gaining employment. We also offer individualised support for up to two years when a student finishes Year 12. Thatâ€™s fantastic. Can you help with obtaining an Apprenticeship/Traineeship? Absolutely! We are in collaboration with local business owners, education facilities and a wide range of providers, to ensure we can offer the best individualised support service to enable our young people to take their first step into creating a successful platform into a much brighter employment future. Great; so how can our readers get in touch or find out more information? We have sites in Macksville, Nambucca, Bellingen, Coffs Harbour, Woolgoolga, Grafton and Yamba. Itâ€™s as easy as calling 1800 163 987. Ask to speak to: Nathan, Rose, Aaron, Jess, Lace or Linda, as we would all be happy to have a chat with you about your eligibility.

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focusinterview.

A r t

Fogarty

C u r a t o r

FOCUS spoke with Catherine Fogarty about her role as CURATOR OF CLAY INTERSECTIONS, NOW EXHIBITING AT THE COFFS HARBOUR REGIONAL GALLERY, and her role as Gallery and Museum Coordinator.

Catherine

atherine, you are clearly a lady of many talents. Can you please tell us about your background and role at Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery and Museum? I’m the Gallery and Museum Coordinator for Coffs Harbour City Council, and my patchworklike background in the arts includes working with the Museum of Contemporary Art, TAFE, Museums and Galleries NSW, making my own work and most recently before coming to Coffs was running my own business - a gallery and store in Sydney that specialised in Australian ceramics. Ceramics has been an interest as long as I can remember, and one of the best jobs I ever had was teaching pottery in remote communities across northern and central Australia. Along with another potter, we travelled for two years in a small ex-Army truck loaded with clay and a kiln, spending two - three weeks in one place, working with schools and women’s centres. It was an amazing experience to meet and work with people in such far flung places and see our beautiful country. My role with the gallery and museum is, with my team, to plan and organise the direction of our exhibition programs, manage and develop our collections and build our external relationships with artists, arts and heritage organisations, sponsors, funding bodies and professional associations. I also manage the Council’s cultural grants program. What does it mean for you as an artist to hold this role with the gallery and museum? I feel pretty lucky! Most creatives have to work outside their art practice to keep afloat financially, and while I don’t have much time to make my

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own work right now, I really enjoy being in an environment that supports arts and culture in the Coffs region and engages with the community and with artists. You have a relatively new team working with you. What influence has this had on the gallery and museum? Yes, we all pretty much started in 2016 and it took a while for us to find our feet, as there had been a lot of organisational change throughout council, but I work with a wonderful team of people who are passionate about what they do. They are highly experienced and talented individuals, who have worked with prestigious institutions like the Queensland Museum and the National Library of Australia. Curator Jo Besley has worked for a few major cultural organisations before coming to Coffs and was the consultant curator to the new Cairns Museum. Debbie Campbell came from the National Library of Australia, where she was instrumental in the establishment of Trove - an online collections database which is regarded internationally as one of the best. As a team we are striving to create an exhibition program at the gallery which is diverse and inspiring for the community and which includes local, national and international artists. We also have changing exhibitions at the museum, along with a permanent display of objects from our collection. The Coffs region has a rich and dynamic history, and we are hoping to develop our program in a way that reflects the evolving story of the region, underpinned by the ongoing connection between the land and the Gumbaynggirr people. One of the most exciting things that our team is involved in at the moment is planning towards the new library, gallery and museum for Coffs. I

My role is to plan and organise the direction of our exhibition programs, manage and

develop our collections and build our external relationships with artists, arts and heritage organisations, sponsors,

sometimes hear people in the handmade. People ask, “Why do we need a have been signing up for new gallery or library?” evening classes and get Many people don’t realise togethers focused around funding bodies and professional that the Coffs Harbour everything from knitting associations. Gallery is the second and sewing to ceramics smallest regional gallery and woodwork. in NSW, despite being It seems however, a major growth area for many years. Similarly, that evening ceramic classes are in the highest our library is four times smaller than it should be demand, and many artists from other disciplines for a city of our size (based on State Library of have turned their attention to ceramics in some NSW benchmarks) and our current museum is way - either to dabble or become obsessed. not big enough to display our largest and most Clay Intersections explores the work of eight interesting objects! artist/maker/potters who all sit somewhere at We have a wonderful collection that people the intersection of art, craft and design, and it never get to see. All in all, the proposed project is accompanied by a series of videos that take will be an exciting and inspiring addition to our you behind the scenes to their studios and community and we are already thinking about how they think about their work. For example, the exhibition and educational opportunities this Ilona Topolcsanyi and Colin Hopkins share an new project will provide for all age groups, as amazing studio in Melbourne, where Ilona makes well as visitors to the area. tableware for high end restaurants around What inspires you as an artist, and what Australia and Colin makes wheel formed light mediums do you work in? shades in porcelain and fine stoneware. Ulrica I work in clay, usually porcelain, and I’m Trulsson’s work is as much about sculpture as inspired by nature and history - I’m always it is about function, and Tania Rollond’s work fascinated by ancient objects made of metal, is inspired by poetry and the world outside her glass and clay that have survived thousands of kitchen window. Bridget Bodenham was at the years and still reveal the maker’s touch. I think all vanguard of this resurgence of interest and has artists have an intense curiosity and an interest over 40,000 followers on Instagram. She is part in the world around us - as do scientists, for that of a new generation of artists who sell direct to matter. their customers using social media and design Tell us about Clay Intersections ... markets. Clay Intersections is a touring exhibition from Thanks Catherine. the Australian Design Centre (ADC). Just before I moved to Coffs Harbour, I was invited by ADC to curate an exhibition of ceramics that presented a plug! snapshot of what was going on in the world of Clay Intersections, 14th September - 10th ceramics in Australia now. Over the last five -10 November, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery. years, there has been a resurgence of interest

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HIA 2018 WINERS

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On Saturday 8th September, the FOCUS team were invited along to the 2018 Northern NSW HIA Awards, which were held at Opal Cove Resort. FOCUS chatted with Richard Stoker from HIA, to ﬁnd out who the ﬁnalists and winners of each category were ...

hat is HIA? The Housing Industry Association (HIA) is Australia’s peak residential building, renovation and development industry association. HIA’s mission is to promote policies and provide services which enhance members’ business practices, products and profitability consistent with the highest standards of professional and commercial conduct. HIA has offices all around Australia, and the Northern NSW office is based in Coffs Harbour. Tell us about each of your roles at HIA. Richard Stoker - Branch Manager for Northern NSW, covering the Mid North Coast and North West New England region, from Taree in the South, Yamba/Maclean in the North and out to Moree and Coonabarabran. Megan Chase - Training and Events Coordinator for Northern NSW. Megan organises all the workshops, training courses, including the Certificate IV in Building and Construction and events within the region. The most exciting event on our calendar is the Northern NSW Housing Awards. Daniel Pleaner - Business Development Representative for the region, focusing on membership development, assisting with trade nights and events. The role is field based, on the road most weeks meeting and assisting members with their businesses across the area. Jemima Accadia - Administration and Member Services for the office. Jemima oversess office administration, invoicing, member calls and stationery sales. How long has HIA been around, and what is the history behind it? The HIA’s origins can be traced back to 80 Coffs Coast focus

just after the end of the Second World War. of choosing a winner all the more difficult. Residential building at that time was a difficult Entrants, finalists and winners must be pursuit, because of acute shortages of building commended on showcasing our industry with materials. Builders and the subcontract trades such high quality projects. decided to create an organisation which would Who were the judges, and how are the raise the voice of small builders trying to build awards judged? houses. The idea found ready acceptance, The awards are judged to a nationally forming the Builders and Allied Trades applied set of criteria specific to each category, Association (BATA) in considering design, Victoria. Difficult building quality of build, conditions persisted attention to detail, use through the 1950s and of materials and many The workmanship and standard into the 1960s. BATA other facets that go of design seems to get better each became an incorporated into making a quality year and 2018 was no exception. body, as the association building project. Sixteen Judges commented that extended its influence into industry specialists the award entries were of other states. The decision volunteered their time a very high standard in to become an Australia this year to judge the all categories making their wide association in 1965 Northern NSW awards. job of choosing a winner all the led to the formation of Collectively, they more diﬃcult. the Housing Industry have an acute eye for Association (HIA). Very detail and enormous soon, the industry’s experience in the unified and authoritative residential building voice, and its distinctive logo, was recognised sector. nationally. Today the HIA represents more than The Judges for the 2018 HIA - Laminex 45,000 builders, contractors, suppliers and Housing Awards were: service providers in the residential construction Rick Hall - Advanced Metal Industries industry across Australia. David Houston Tell us about the recent 2018 HIA awards. Dan Duffy - DJ Duffy Building The 2018 HIA - Laminex Northern NSW Josh Dunne Housing Awards were a great success and Andrew Hundal - Andrew Hundal Building the most successful awards event held in this Tony Beaton region. 2018 saw a record amount of entries James Philippidis - Solitary Designer Homes in the building and kitchen and bathroom Joe Walsh categories. The workmanship and standard Michael Kucinskis - Coast Building of design seems to get better each year, and Toby Smith 2018 was no exception. Judges commented Warren MacDonald - Sapphire Homes that the award entries were of a very high Peter Clyne KIS Drafting standard in all categories, making their job Danny Suitor - Pycon Homes

Ben Meader Daniel McIntosh Mack of all Trades Port Macquarie Who are the sponsors of the event? As HIA is a not for profit industry association, we rely on our sponsors to support events and award programs like this. The major sponsor for the HIA Northern NSW awards is Laminex, who have been outstanding in their ongoing support of HIA and our members. Our other sponsors for the awards were Advanced Metal Industries, North Coast Power & Water, James Hardie, Stoddart Group, SafeWork NSW and our media partner FOCUS. Tell us about the committee - and what are their roles? We have a Regional Branch Committee which meets every quarter to discuss and develop approaches to deal with policy issues our members face within the building Industry. The Chair of the Northern NSW Regional Branch Committee also sits on the NSW Regional Executive Committee. Recent issues tackled by our local committee have been Home Warranty Insurance, delays in smart meter installation, lack of certain trades, new safety regulations and supporting the growth of apprentices. Our committee members for northern NSW are Todd Mackay (Committee Chair), Rick Hall, Gary Tisdell, Sam Broomfield, Glenn Leet, Deb Farquhar, Justine Laurie, David Malvern and David Hopwood. How has the building industry changed over the years? Residential building is a highly regulated industry. NSW is one of the most regulated states, but all three tiers of government (federal, state and local) have considerable

HIA 2018 WINERS

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of the 2018 HIA - Laminex Northern NSW Housing and Kitchen & Bathroom Awards are:

impact on the industry. Whilst building is much more complex and exacting than many people realise, it is the need and ability of HIA members to navigate an ever increasing regulatory regime and still deliver on people's dreams of a new home or renovation that is an ever increasing challenge - a challenge that most continue to overcome with great skill. One of the biggest changes over the years in the building industry is linked to population growth, the rise in land prices and the need for more affordable and efficiently designed homes and emerging technologies. This has led to an amazing array of new products, processes and design approaches that those in our industry need to understand and navigate to deliver the quality of building we see today. This is where HIA plays a significant role in providing information and guidance to our members, helping them keep up to date with the latest changes to regulations, products and practices, so they can continue to deliver quality and innovative projects. How can you get involved in the HIA Awards 2019? Becoming a finalist or winner of an HIA Award is a great honour, as it is judged by the industry. Many businesses have experienced significant growth and brand value by leveraging the fact that they have been recognised in the HIA awards program. It is also great recognition and reward for your employees and contractors. It is definitely worth the effort to get involved and it is as easy as contacting your local HIA office or visiting the HIA website for more details on how to enter. Where can we find out more? If any members are interested, please contact the HIA Office in Coffs Harbour on (02) 66512 422 or visit our website at www.hia.com.au Thanks Richard.

HARBOUR DESIGN HOMES COFFS HARBOUR HIA - Laminex Northern NSW Home of the Year Partnered by Laminex

EAST COAST GRANNY FLATS COFFS HARBOUR Specialised Housing Partnered by North Coast Power & Water

HARBOUR DESIGN HOMES COFFS HARBOUR Northern NSW Custom Built Home of the Year Partnered by Advanced Metal Industries Australia

G.J GARDNER HOMES TAMWORTH Northern NSW Spec Home Partnered by North Coast Power & Water

TRIST CONSTRUCTIONS - TAMWORTH Northern NSW Renovation & Addition Project of the Year Partnered by James Hardie

MCMAHON STRUCTURAL INVERELL Townhouse/Villa Development 2 to 10 dwellings Partnered by North Coast Power & Water

G.J. GARDNER HOMES TAMWORTH Northern NSW Project Home of the Year Partnered by North Coast Power & Water

MCMAHON STRUCTURAL INVERELL Northern NSW Townhouse/Villa Development of the Year Partnered by North Coast Power & Water

STROUD HOMES PORT MACQUARIE Northern NSW Display Home of the Year Partnered by Stoddart Group

STROUD HOMES COFFS HARBOUR Northern NSW Display Home $350,000 - $400,000 Partnered by Stoddart Group

DESIGNER LIVING KITCHENS Kitchen Design of the Year Partnered by FOCUS

STROUD HOMES PORT MACQUARIE Northern NSW Display Homes $400,001 to $500,000 Partnered by Stoddart Group

PLATINUM KITCHENS COFFS HARBOUR Kitchen of the Year Partnered by FOCUS STROUD HOMES PORT MACQUARIE Bathroom Design of the Year Partnered by FOCUS ASHLEY FARROW BUILDER COFFS HARBOUR Medium Bathroom 8 sqm - 16 sqm Partnered by FOCUS ASHLEY FARROW BUILDER COFFS HARBOUR Bathroom of the Year Partnered by FOCUS PLATINUM KITCHENS COFFS HARBOUR Medium Kitchen 10 sqm - 20 sqm Partnered by FOCUS PLUMBE JOINERY COFFS HARBOUR Large Kitchen over 20 sqm Partnered by FOCUS WILLIAMS DESIGNER POOLS COFFS HARBOUR Outdoor Project Partnered by North Coast Power & Water

DAVID REID HOMES NEW ENGLAND Northern NSW Custon Built Home $200,00 to $400,000 Partnered by Advanced Metal Industries Australia TKMAC BUILDING YAMBA Northern NSW Custom Built Home $400,000 to $600,000 Partnered by Advanced Metal Industries Australia SHIPWAY CONSTRUCTIONS PORT MACQUARIE Northern NSW Custom Built Home $600,000 to $1 Million Partnered by Advanced Metal Industries Australia HARBOUR DESIGN HOMES Northern NSW Custom Built Home $1Million to $2.5Million Partnered by Advanced Metal Industries Australia PAUL NEWTON CONSTRUCTIONS COFFS HARBOUR Northern NSW Renovation & Addition project up to $400,000 Partnered by James Hardie BALDWIN GROUP BUILDING COFFS HARBOUR Northern NSW Renovation & Addition project $400,000 to $800,000 Partnered by James Hardie

GREEN HOMES AUSTRALIA TAMWORTH GreenSmart Sustainable Home Partnered by North Coast Power & Water

TRIST CONSTRUCTIONS TAMWORTH Northern NSW Renovation & Addition project $800,000 to $1.2Million Partnered by James Hardie

EAST COAST GRANNY FLATS COFFS HARBOUR Affordable Housing - over $100,000 Partnered by North Coast Power & Water

JG HOMES ARMIDALE Work Health & Safety Award Partnered by SafeWork NSW Coffs Coast focus 81

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Coffs Coast focus 83

SMALL HOMESâ€”BIG ADVANTAGES

NN R E H T R IA NO H O W T OF ARDS WINNER W A G N HOUSI

RETIREES OR INVESTORS SPECIALISED & AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Ph 1300 252 858 www.eastcoastgrannyflats.com.au | BLN: 287600C 84 Coffs Coast focus

HIA 2018 WINERS

E A S T

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C O A S T

Flats East Coast Cabinets We have recently celebrated 30 years as members of the Housing Industry Association (HIA) and really value our involvement with them. Both the local branch and the organisation as a whole provide wonderful support not only with employee and legislation matters, but with fighting governments and authorities for better deals for our industry. I was one of the inaugural members of the Northern NSW Regional Committee and happily rejoined about six years ago as a voice for the subcontractors and the industry as a whole. Being able to participate in discussions on events and problems is a learning experience that gives great insight into what is happening around us. I grew up on the land, and our neighbours were our neighbours and friends. They were not our opposition. Accordingly, I treat the building industry the same and have enjoyed making many friends over the years and being able to assist and support them.

More than just granny ﬂats! East Coast Granny Flats & Small Homes are the 2018 winners of two HIA Northern NSW Housing Awards in the categories of Aﬀordable Housing and Specialised Housing.

We are very proud to have received the HIA NSW Kitchen of the Year (early 1990s) and the HIA NSW Northern Region Kitchen of the Year in 2017. Our cabinetwork has also been an integral inclusion in many building projects that have received awards over the years. None of this would have been possible if we were not members.

his is because they are the leading or disabled loved one who needs that extra support and Granny Flat self-contained home care. East Coast Granny Flats & Small Homes are sure to be installer on the Mid North Coast ... able to find a design that suits you. With a As the name suggests, they don’t great range of just build granny flats; they also architecturally build stunning small homes which designed homes using a unique can be custom designed to suit your modular system that is designed individual style. Perfect for downsizing As the name suggests, they for quick, quality construction, the family home, opportunity for first saving you time and money, don’t just build granny ﬂats, home buyers, or generate additional without compromising on they also build stunning income. The sky is the limit. functionality, space and style. small homes which can be Testimonial: Throughout the process East Coast Granny Flats & Small custom designed to suit your of my building my parents’ granny Homes have a team of design individual style. Perfect for flat, from council through to the and construction experts who downsizing the family home, cleaners and the A team of tradies work closely with their customers opportunity for ﬁrst home on the Mid North Coast, nothing was to deliver inspired designs. Every buyers, or generate additional ever an issue. Thank you for valuing team member has been carefully income. The sky is the limit. your elders; they sure felt honoured selected as experts in their field. and you have built them a beautiful From initial contact through to the home. I & M Laverencic. build process and finished product, Granny flats are able to view upon they take care of everything. Granny Flats are a fantastic option as an ideal home for Nan and Pop to encourage independent living, without the expense of a nursing home. Perhaps you are looking for an investment alternative to generate additional income or maybe to be used for an aged

appointment, so give the team at East Coast Granny Flats & Small Homes a call today to discuss how they can help you: Ph1300 252 858 www.eastcoastgrannyflats.com.au *Land is not included with our homes Coffs Coast focus 85

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HIA 2018 WINERS

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Builder of Quality and Award Winning Homes A multi-award winning builder, Paul Newton Constructions is well-known for the consistent delivery of inspirational and award-winning projects.

his family owned business has been delivering premium quality builds to the highest standard and customer satisfaction

since 1992. Their proven record of excellence has won many awards for both large and small projects. Paul Newton Constructions won the Renovation/Addition Project under $400,000 category in the recent 2018 HIA - Laminex Northern NSW Housing and Kitchen and Bathroom Awards. They were finalists in the HIA Northern NSW Renovation/Addition Project of the Year Award. Paul Newton is considered to be among the best builders on the Mid North Coast and is a traditional, yet innovative hands-on builder with an eye for detail and precision workman-

ship. He has over 42 years’ building experience, working with the industry’s most recognised tradesmen and architects to create exciting homes and structures. Paul Newton Paul Newton is considered Constructions to be among the best builders has extensive on the Mid North Coast and is Paul has expertise in bespoke experience a traditional, yet innovative hands-on challenging remedial residential with develbuilder with an eye for detail and building works, restorations, oping and heritage homes, alterations and precision workmanship. delivering beadditions. Paul takes pride in spoke projects, building reimagined residences ranging from with recycled elements from the comfortable original structure of a renovation, as well as family homes to luxury residences. An accredthe latest in environmentally-friendly home ited GreenSmart builder, Paul builds energy technology and materials. Paul and his team efficient and environmentally focused designs.

also have considerable experience in the construction of many new striking homes all over the Mid North Coast and Midwest regions. With an impressive portfolio to date, Paul is dedicated to providing exceptional personalised service that’s customised to suit his clients’ needs and budget. Able to handle all projects from concept through to final completion, the Paul Newton Constructions team is a complete construction solution.

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WE'R TO M E HERE AKE EASI LIFE ER Ca ll 13 find o 28 36 to ut mo re

Our team is here to make life easier The faces may be different, but the things we believe in are the same. No matter where you go across Australia, the moment you set foot in any Aveo Freedom Aged Care community you’ll meet people like Sophie, Shane and Lisetta. Shane will take care of the garden and help out with odd jobs around the home. Lisetta is a qualified nurse and is passionate about keeping you happy and healthy. And Sophie is always on hand with a smile to help with day-to-day chores around your home. They’re just a small part of our big team who’ll make sure you enjoy the comfort, security and support to live well everyday.

Call 13 28 36 to book an appointment today and see what makes Aveo Freedom Aged Care Coffs Harbour different.

Aveo Freedom Aged Care Coffs Harbour 13 28 36 aveo.com.au 88 Coffs Coast focus

92 Taloumbi Road, Coffs Harbour