Manning-Great Lakes Focus - i71

Feature Story MANNING-GREAT LAKES

Reece Mastin

January 2013 // issue 71

s p e c i a l

feature

editor's note.

Editors Photo: Thye Reading

Jo Atkins

editor.

from the

Happy New Year, and welcome to the first edition of Manning-Great Lakes FOCUS for 2013! nd what a bumper edition it is too Ð 72 pages. I believe this may be one of the biggest editions weÕve published!

Wingham local Ben Gallagher is a young man with a future professional bull riding career in his sights. He shares his dreams with us in this edition Ð and his enthusiasm is contagious.

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I wonder if any of you make New YearÕs resolutions? I have quite a few this year, but on top of the list is to continue to ensure FOCUS grows and ßourishes Ð and to keep searching for great local content. ON THE COVER Now the warmer weather is well and truly here, weÕll no doubt hear plenty of church bells ringing ! ItÕs wedding season, and to help all potential brides and grooms prepare for this exciting and busy day in their lives, weÕve compiled a wonderful wedding feature. ThereÕs no doubt that organising the Ôbig dayÕ can be fraught with complications and pitfalls, but we hope youÕll Þnd our comprehensive list of photographers, venues, ßorists, cake specialists and menÕs and ladies formalwear outlets useful. STORIES AND INTERVIEWS I very much enjoyed sourcing all of our stories this month. It was a pleasure to Þnd out what Rock star Reece Mastin and comedian Jimeoin are up to these days, and did you know É they have something in common? TheyÕre both appearing at Club Forster this month! There are plenty of other things to see and do around the area during the summer holidays as well.

For those who prefer a more relaxing way to while away the summer days, read what Kevin Carter, former Area Manager for the National Parks and Wildlife Service in Taree, has to say about some of our less well known National Parks. If bush walking, a picnic in scenic surrounds, a rock hopping expedition, and splashing around in a crystal clear pool at the bottom of a waterfall sound idyllic, check out Tapin Tops or Coorabakh Park. We also have interviews with Ruth Shooter from Solid Rock, who tells us all about a special youth festival happening in Forster this month, and Bob Murray shares some of the background of the Taree Motorcycle Club Ð which incidentally, is also hosting a special event, the Troy Bayliss Classic, on January 19.

ÒApproach the New Year with resolve to Þnd the opportunities hidden in each new day.Ó − Michael Josephson.

Jo Atkins Ð Editor jo@focusmag.com.au

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The Wingham Summertime Rodeo is set to take place on January 5, promising an action packed day!

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focusinterview.

2011 X Factor champ, ARIA award winner and a Rock Star who’s achieved legions of fans in a relatively short time, Reece Mastin will be dropping in at several venues across the Mid North Coast in January. Don’t miss Reece’s Summer Nights Tour with support act 'At Sunset' at Club Forster on January 18. This show will sell out! hat surprises us here at FOCUS and what a lot of Australians wouldn't guess considering your huge success is that you’re only 18! How do you feel being so young in such a big industry? Well, it certainly made me grow up pretty quickly! I'm lucky to have gotten so far with X Factor. I really love it. I love it! I bet your high school mates extremely jealous? (Laughs). No, not jealous. They love it as well. They completely cash in on it all the time. They love it more than I do! Prior to your time with X Factor, who was someone in the music industry you particularly admired? I love Steve Tyler [from Aerosmith]. I think he’s amazing. To still do what he’s doing and sing the way he does, considering his age now – it’s crazy. He’d be my number one. Being on X Factor was obviously a major learning curve for you, but what do you feel was the most valuable thing you took away from the whole experience? I think knowing that your fans have put you where you are. Knowing that and staying true to them [the fans] kept it sweet. During your time on X Factor, you were mentored by Guy Sebastian. Tell us about your ongoing working relationship with him … It's hard with our work loads. We're often in different states or different countries, but we do try to catch up when we can, and he is always giving me tips ... At 17 you featured in a duet with Australian pop sensation Kylie Minogue. What type of tingles did this give you? Yeah … yeah. That was crazy, actually. I never imagined I'd do that. My dad was pretty jealous about that one! In relation to the lyrics in your debut single, Good Night, what does a good night on the town involve for Reece Mastin? 4

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Just hangin' with great people, really … hanging out with my mates. I'm not too good on the D-floor, so I stay away from that if I can! You've just released your second studio album, Beautiful Nightmare, and it appears to be littered with hints of romance. We are seeing a more mature Reece Mastin: is there a special someone who has inspired this – do you have a girlfriend? I do; I do! Her name is Rhiannon Fish. I'm with her right now. She is gorgeous. We met on my film clip Shout it Out that she features in. She plays April on Home & Away. Where was Beautiful Nightmare recorded, and how long did the whole process take? It was pretty much 10 months after the show that we finished putting it together. I did a lot of stuff down here in Oz, and then I went up to LA and wrote up there. It was a lot of crazy stuff – I had so much fun recording it, and I’m so happy it’s finally out. How much did you enjoy being over in LA? It was nuts! It was like nothing I’ve ever seen in my whole life. It was just so much fun, and I really hope I get to go back over there again. You’ve put your heart and soul into this album, having written the material, but if you had to pick one song you were particularly proud of – what would it be? Probably Stars – I love that song. Rhiannon and I had just started seeing each other, and it was the first time we’d been apart for a while. I wrote about the whole experience of missing her – and that’s probably one of the reasons I love it so much. The album is full of collaborations: Bruno Mars, Kelly Clarkson, Benji Madden, to name a few! Are these names all in your phone book? (Laughs). Nah, not all of them. Some of them don't trust me with their phone numbers! You're often compared to Justin Beiber: how do you feel about this? We have a different style of music but the kid is so

successful, so I'll take that! I admit we do have a similar look going on. Your national tour, Summer Nights, is underway at the moment. In the major cities such as Sydney and Brisbane, you're also performing with the Justice Crew and The Janoskians. How exciting is this? What we think is really cool is that we didn’t just get two other bands to come on tour – we have this versatility through the whole show. If you look at some of their videos, you’ll see the Janoskian boys are kind of like ‘Jackass’ funny boys, and the Justice Crew boys are just amazing dancers and they have some sick songs. Again, I'm not a great dancer! Then we'll finish up with a huge live show. It's going to be awesome! The whole show’s going to be rad! You’re stopping over in quite a few venues on the Mid North Coast in your travels. Do you know the area at all? Kind of. I haven’t spent much time there, but I’ve dropped in before. I can’t wait to come back down. Hopefully we’ll get a little bit of time off while we’re there! You probably don’t get a lot of time off between touring and recording, but if you were to sit down and play some music – who would you be listening to these days? I still listen to a lot of old school stuff. I just bought the new Rhianna album, and I’m loving that … but anything I can get my hands on, really. So, after the tour’s all wrapped up – what’s next on your agenda? Hopefully we can do the tour, then stretch out across the world and touch some new places – and see how far we can go. I’m still writing – I’m always writing! Thanks Reece. Summer Nights is touring nationally – a show for all ages. Please note: support act for Reece at Club Forster will be 'At Sunset'. All ages show, January 18. Tickets selling fast! Call the Club on 6591 6591 for tickets and details.

inside this

Issue 71 - January 2013

Ben Gallagher

10.

Check out all the thrills, spills and excitement of the Wingham Summertime Rodeo at the Wingham Showground on January 5. Sixteen year old Wingham local Ben Gallagher will be competing on the day, and his excitement and enthusiasm for his chosen sport are obvious …

Bob Murray.

56.

Bob Murray, 76 years old and a lifetime member of Taree Motorcycle Club, has enjoyed a long-time love of motorbike racing. Bob has some keen memories of some of the Club’s earlier years; in particular, the establishment of the bike track on Old Bar Road, which is still used today …

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Jimeoin Renowned for his sharp wit and notorious one-liners, Jimeoin visits us at Club Forster this month. Note January 8 in your diary, if you’d like to experience a night filled with laughter and tears!

usual suspects.

the

11. what’s on for January 18. eat featuring local restaurants 41. star guide with Terri 63. tourism update with Richard Old.

No matter where you are in the world, d, read Focus for free online every month @

www.focusmag.com.au follow us on www.facebook.com/mgl.focus w www.twitter.com/focusmag www.focusmag.com.au/eat

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focusinterview.

Kevin Carter was Area Manager for National Parks and Wildlife in Taree for 13 years. Kevin, more than most people, probably knows our entire area like the back of his hand, and he has no shortage of ideas about potential locations that you and your family can visit over the summer holidays … ow long were you with the National Parks and Wildlife Service?

I was Area Manager at National Parks in Taree. I’d been with them since the starting of that office in 1999, so for about 13 years. How large is the area you managed while you were with National Parks? This area is currently changing, but the Manning area goes from the Greater Taree Council equivalent area, which is on the highway at Wang Wauk River just after Nabiac but before you get to Coolongolook and goes all the way up to John’s River. From there, it extends off to the coast, half way through Crowdy Bay National Park on to the beach and all the way down to the southern end, just pushing down to the top end of Tuncurry Beach. The area also goes up into the mountains for a good 800 kilometres; Nowendoc’s right on the boundary. At the moment there are 22 reserves in the area, adding up to around fifty thousand hectares. So in terms of some of the less well known areas that people might like to explore during their summer holidays, explain where Tapin Tops National Park is located? That’s one of our mountain parks, due west of Taree. You can get there via Elands, or you can go through Wherrol Flat. You get to travel through some beautiful old growth eucalyptus forest and some very nice intact rainforest, and it sits about 500 - 1000 m above sea level. What are some of the things people can see and do there? You can go to Dingo Tops rest area, where the road system joins up from the Oxley Highway to the north to Mount George and the 6 manning-great lakes focus.

Nowendoc road to the south. It’s a lovely spot created by the forestry in the mid ‘60s; it has some great planted Sequoia forest. In autumn time it’s absolutely beautiful, because most of the trees lose their leaves. Kids can kick a footy and play cricket, and it’s nice and cool in summer. There’s a really nice shelter area with free gas barbies, toilets and you can camp at the other end. There aren’t a lot of camp sites, but it’s a really good site. I think you’d be rewarded if you stayed there overnight, as you’d see wallabies and the dingoes around. In other parts of the park, a little more to the north, you can park at the foot of Rowley’s Rock and take a walk; it’s about 400 m from the car park up fairly steep steps, and at the end and you come up to an absolutely glorious 360 degrees look way back to the coast: over Taree, Old Bar, Harrington, and on a good day, you’ll see the Bucketts at Gloucester. You can follow the map and go to the Potoroo Falls. There’s a nice little toilet and picnic area there and fresh water. You can go for a walk upstream about 500 - 600 m, and you’ll find what I call a ‘rock-hopping experience’; you have to be careful, as you will be jumping in and out of water. It’s a lovely rainforest environment. Eventually you come to a superb waterfall, not huge, but probably about 20 metres, and it falls into a beautiful hole that you can swim in. This site has archaeological significance too, being a women’s site in Aboriginal times; there are some grooves on the rock where they used to sharpen their tools. Another area people might like to check out is Coorabakh Park. What’s special about this area? It’s located not very far off the highway, only about 25 km from Taree. The best way to get

there is to turn off at Moorland. You need to wind your way through the State Forest, which is pretty exciting and has magnificent Blackbutt trees. As you travel upwards, you’ll climb into the park, which is at the more rugged end of what’s known as the Coopernook Forest Way. It’s a bit of a loop road, so allow a bit of time to go up through the forest road and all the way round through the park and back through Hannam Vale. Hannam Vale is a magnificent piece of dairy country, probably some of the best anywhere in the world, with its rich red basalt soils. There are some interesting things in the park too. You’ll go past a place called Newby’s Cave, which is a big rock overhanging a crystal clear stream. You can jump in and out of there on the rocks and sit under a big rock hangover, which, again, has lots of significant Aboriginal value. There have been some stories of people seeing a Yowie in there! You come out of that and climb onto what’s called Newby’s Lookout, which is a beautiful spot where you can have a picnic. It’s all very safe, but you’re able to look out and see the drop 300 - 400 m direct to the floor below. You can see Taree, the sea and everything to the south right to Forster. You can drive down into a little cauldron and while you’re there, you will strike a huge monolithic rock – a dyke which is called Big Nellie, being a remnant of the big volcanoes of Comboyne formed millions of years ago. It’s an absolutely fantastic piece of landscape. You will end up at Starrs Creek – a drainage pattern going back into the Camden Haven River. This is a very nice, intact subtropical rainforest and there’s a beautiful little spot to have a barbie. There’s a toilet there and a mini walk, literally only a 100 m long boardwalk that

ake you through the rainforest and d some som omee will take ntic Flooded Gum trees. trees gigantic Climb your way out and you can drive to the base of Big Nellie and stand at the bottom looking up to see the top. It’s not recommended that you walk on the mountain, as it has a lot of spiritual value for the Aboriginal people, and it’s also a bit tricky to climb. It’s well worth a look at the Nellies – and by the way, Big Nellie is one of three formations: Big Nellie, Flat Nellie and Little Nellie. You can then go to Flat Rock lookout, which looks to the west and into the Comboyne plateau and south to Wingham and directly down into the Upper Lansdowne valley. It’s absolutely fabulous – 500 m above the floor below you. Allow yourself probably a good half day to do this entire trip; take a picnic lunch with you and you’ll be home by 3pm and have a wonderful time. For people who want more information about these parks and other areas to visit, where should they go to pick up maps or advice? By far the best place is the main tourist information centres; there’s one in Taree on the old highway near McDonald’s. Information is also available online at National Parks and Wildlife’s website: www.nationalparks.nsw.gov. au Thanks Kevin.

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focusinterview. Calling youth and young adults in Forster-Tuncurry and surrounding areas … if you’re looking for something to do these summer holidays, head on down to the wharf at Forster. The Solid Rock crew will be staging a 9 day youth event from January 3 – January 11, with live music, games and great food. Ruth Shooter explains the purpose of the event and gives us an insight into exactly what will be happening …

solid 9 day youth event from January 3 – January 11.

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hat is the Solid Rock group? Solid Rock is a 9 day youth event run by a team of 65 leaders from Forster, the Central Coast and Sydney. It’s an alcohol and drug free event put on for the local youth this summer in January. Fill us in on this event ... where and when will it be held? The mission begins on 3 January and runs for 9 days ‘til 11 January. Each arvo from 2 – 4, the team will be down around the wharf and beach hanging out with the youth of Forster, with the main tent opening every night from 8pm - midnight in front of the wharf next to the Ronald McDonald houses. The main tent is decked out for chilling with friends while hearing live music as the sun sets each night. The tent has Xbox, table tennis, pool tables, Henna tattooing and hairweaving, all for free. Over the 9 days, different members of the Solid Rock crew will share their life story about how they came to know Jesus and the changes that have taken place for them. It’s an exciting time for the local youth to meet crew who have found Jesus and now have hope to live for him. What’s the aim of the festival? The aim of Solid Rock is to connect with the local youth of Forster-Tuncurry … to build relationships with the teens and young adults and to share our lives with them. Each member of the team has had their life transformed by God and all that He has done and now lives with hope. This hope is something that the team desire to share with the youth - to share their experiences and life with them, while having an amazing time over summer chilling

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out and providing a safe place for the youth to games for the kids and the Solid Rock team hang each night. sharing with the community the impact of What are some of the other activities God's love in our lives. We are so excited to Solid Rock will be organising for the announce the return of the massive blow up festival? soccer stadium, which will be in Forster on As mentioned, the main event will be run Thursday 3 January. This has been a great sucin the big tent each night from 8 - midnight. cess in the past in bringing all ages together, There will be live bands each night with local and we look forward to some fun games of artists and guest artists from Sydney and the soccer. coast. There’ll be a café pumping out fresh How is the Solid Rock group hoping to coffee, hot chocolates, chips and chocolate help the local community throughout all for a cheap price, plus our famous the festival? FREE pancakes and free homemade We believe that it’s important to treats, each night supported by demonstrate God's love through local churches. our actions and by practical Who will some of the ways too. Sharing hope visiting entertainers and the love of God is and It’s a free event, s be, and when will our number one priority; we hope to bles they perform? however, we know as g it many by makin ssible to We have a great that many are doing it po accessible as oup. Our gr line up, including: tough and could use e ag et our targ s and en te e th 'Lauren' from Censome practical help. So is s cu fo d we run tral coast on Thurs the team will be sendyoung adults, an them as the mission with 3 Jan; 'Minet' from ing out a community our priority.” the Central Coast group on Mon 7, Wed 9 on Fri 4 Jan; 'Todd and Thurs 10 to help out Connell' from the Central as many people as we can. Coast on Sun 6 Jan; 'John Last summer the team was able Noelen' from Forster on Mon 7 to do a ‘backyard blitz’ clean up and and Wed 9 Jan; 'Bennett Brown' from Old plant a veggie garden for someone else. The Bar on Tues 8 Jan; team is available to anyone in the community and many more to be announced. or group that may need some assistance. ConI hear you’re organising some activities tact details are below if you know someone for the local Koori community too. When who is need of any help around the house or and where will these activities be taking facility. place? What costs are associated for anyone to We will spending 3 afternoons (3 - 5 Januattend the festival, and is there an age ary from 2 - 4pm) with the Koori community limit for those who attend? on the oval next to Tobwobba Medical centre. There is no cost to join in with Solid Rock This will include a free BBQ on the Thursday, over the 9 days, except if anyone wants to buy

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food. It’s a free event, and we hope to bless many by making it as accessible as possible to our target age group. Our focus is the teens and young adults, and we run the mission with them as our priority. We have a great team there to hang out with people who turn up; however, this is a chilled out youth event and all who come are there at their own risk and need to take responsibility for themselves and their own actions. The local Police have been an amazing support over the years, to ensure the youth are safe and protected while at solid rock. Do you have any sponsors/supporters you’d like to thank? We would like to thank Forster Baptist Church for the use of their facility to accommodate the team, Coast Evangelical Church, and many supporting churches in Sydney for helping to raise much needed funding, Great Lakes Council for use of the land, and Forster Beach Holiday Park for the use of their facilities. How can the community help you to ensure the festival is a success, and where can people go to find out more information? We are still in need of funding to ensure Solid Rock runs smoothly this year and can continue in the future, so if any business would like to sponsor the mission, this can be done through finances, as well as by donating food, table tennis tables, pool tables, cushions, bean bags and lights for decorating. We are so honoured to be able to serve the youth of the community this summer, and your support would be greatly appreciated. Contact: Ruth Shooter: released.ruth@ gmail.com or 0431 655 493. Thanks Ruth.

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focusinterview.

Ben Gallagher

W I N G H A M

S U M M E R T I M E

R O D E O

Check out all the thrills, spills and excitement of the Wingham Summertime Rodeo at the Wingham Showground on January 5. Sixteen year old Wingham local Ben Gallagher will be competing on the day, and his excitement and enthusiasm for his chosen sport are obvious … like? Dirteater, and a local Tamworth cowboy, Clint Glass, because The things I like about these events are just the rush of their attitudes and positive thoughts towards bull riding and adrenaline hit you get from riding. Bull riding and the skill to ride the rank bulls. I also look up to is not like any other sport. It takes a lot of Brendan Crawley and Jono Couling; they are talent and toughness, which makes it all the always keen to have a chat and are always full Another good o more fun. Having the thought that the of encouragement and advice for me. point about rode le op pe bull you are riding could be 600 kg to What are your future aspirations for w is meeting ne cially pe es − e tim 1000 kg − that just gives me a certain rodeo – would you like to tour the e th all ll the older open buem will thrill which is hard to explain. I like that professional circuit nationally or riders. Most of th u are you are not competing as much against internationally? help you out if yo , em th to n te lis the other competitors, as looking to My short term goal in rodeo is to make to willing r us which is great fo beat the bull to the buzzer. the ABCRA National Finals in 2014 for the younger fellas.” Another good point about rodeo is under 18 steer ride and hopefully junior bull. meeting new people all the time − especially My long term goal is to compete in the P.B.R. the older open bull riders. Most of them will Australia and America events. help you out if you are willing to listen to them, You’re planning to compete at the Wingham which is great for us younger fellas. Rodeo on January 5. What events are you planning How do you prepare for an event – do you practice to ride in, and how do you think you’ll go on the day? much each week, or have a fitness training program? Yeah, my home town rodeo is coming up quickly on 5 Keeping Þt is an everyday thing for me, because I am always January. I am deÞnitely excited to compete in it due to having doing something active like sports and so on. all my mates and family there to watch and support. Hopefully With our practicing, we try and get on at least once a week we put on an outstanding show for everyone. I am competing if not more, if we have time. Our practice involves riding the in the under 18 steer ride on the day, and at night time I will bulls here at home and then to slow it up and Þx our mistakes, be having my Þrst novice bull ride. If I can make the eight each Breadyn, David and I head down the road to BreadynÕs place, time I ride, I will be happy, but to place in any of the events and he has a setup of 5 barrels that all turn and roll different at home would be a great feeling. My mates and I have been ways, which increases our balance and movement, so we learn practicing on everything we can jump on; we have even been to react quicker to certain movements. in a bit of strife lately from the teachers at school, because Preparing for an event is much of the fun − especially if weÕve been swinging on chairs pretending theyÕre bulls and so youÕre travelling to the place where you are riding at. Each on, but thatÕs just Õcause weÕre keen. town you pass, you get a little bit keener to ride your bull/steer Hopefully we will see you all there at the annual and also catch up with your mates. summertime rodeo at Wingham on 5 January 2013. Slack What’s the wildest or hairiest ride you’ve had to date? Round starts at 2pm and the Main Round starts at 6pm The rankest bull ride IÕve had so far would deÞnitely have to with the Grand Entry. The committee have been really busy be my Þrst junior bull I got on at Scone Rodeo. He blew out of organising a full program of rodeo events, as well as lots of the chute quick and just spun to the left and ßung me Ôout the attractions to keep every member of the family entertained back doorÕ, as they say. It was fun, but I wish I did last the 8 and well fed for the day. seconds! After he got me off, he turned around and put on a Thanks Ben. good show for the crowd, trying to give me a bit of a shove. For further information about the Wingham Rodeo, Who do you look up to in the rodeo world, and why? contact Rodeo Steward Merv Mills at Cleavers Wingham My rodeo heroes would have to be Ben Jones, Ryan on 6553 4364.

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i Ben. Tell us a bit about yourself – whereabouts in the Manning-Great Lakes area do you call home, and how old are you? Hey, I live on a farm on the outskirts of Wingham. I am 16 years old, and I have just Þnished Year 10 at Wingham High School. Whenever IÕm not thinking about bull riding or practicing at home with my mates, Braedyn and David, I am mostly helping my mum and dad run the farm. What first sparked your interest in competing in rodeo? I Þrst found an interest in bull riding when I was 11 or so. My godfather used to ride bulls, and he would tell me stories about it and show me pictures of him riding. From there I was always the kid right up on the fence at our local Wingham Summertime Rodeo yelling out to the riders and congratulating them. I always thought to myself, ÒI wish that was me out there giving it a goÓ. I was in Year 6, and Breadyn and I were helping dad up in the cattle yards drenching the older cows and calves. After we had Þnished, we thought we would give it a go riding a poddy calf. We didnÕt have a rope or anything; we just sat on top of the calf and tried to ride him. From there on in, thatÕs all we could talk about, and itÕs led us to where we are now travelling around the circuit together and having fun riding steers and bulls and just enjoying the life of a bull rider. What events do you normally compete in? The events I am competing in at the moment are the 14 to under 18 years steer ride; if there is an open steer ride, I enter in that as well, the junior bull ride and this year at Wingham Summertime Rodeo on 5 January 2013, I am having my Þrst novice bull ride. What is it about these types of events you particularly

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A RO U N D T H E R E G I O N // JA N UA RY

Tuncurry Races

Seafood RACE DAY

On January 19, Tuncurry Races will hold its very first Seafood Race Day! Buses will run in the morning from 11am, and the last bus leaves at 6pm. You can look on the website for more information: www.tfjc.info The gates open at 11am.

Troy Bayliss Classic

Entry into the track $10 non members, $5 for members and aged pensioners, and children under 18 are free accompanied by an adult. There are also tickets available to the Pavilion and Gazebo. Pavilion tickets are from $30 and Gazebo tickets are $100. These are available from Marg on 0429 967 823.

...and The WINNERS ARE The winners of the guessing competition in December FOCUS are June Granger and Isi O'Connor. Congratulations! You have both won double passes to the Pavilion!

Happy Holidays Exhibition Featuring work by: Lina Basile • Linda Chudy • Tessa Chudy • Lousie Green • Tracey Lang • Bev Leggett Simmons • James McGarry • Julienne Richardson • Claire Skehan • Hoagy van Ewyk When Opening 6pm Friday 7 December 2012; runs throughout school holidays. Where Café Mediterrano Gallery, 232 Victoria St, Taree.

Three time world Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss has announced his first signature motorcycle event, the 'Troy Bayliss Classic', to be held in conjunction with the Taree Motorcycle Club Twilight meet. The Pixado Troy Bayliss Classic will see 24 of Australia's ralia's motorcycle legends and All Stars invited to compete in many feature events taking place within the program. Fans can meet Troy and all the guest riders that include past champions in Moto GP, World Superbike, World Speedway and much more. Where Taree Motorcycle Club, Old Bar Circuit, Old Bar. When Saturday 19 January 2013. Gates open 9.30am; racing starts 11am. More info www.facebook.com/troybaylissclassic Tickets at the gate or through the website. $20 adult, $10 child (5-15), $50 family (2 adults + 3 children). Children under 5 free.

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legallight.

Matters. [ w ith Alan Tickle ]

Justin Stack. Remember, there is e-life after death. You think you’ve organised everything for your estate. You’ve written a will saying who gets what. You’ve carefully laid out instructions on what to do with all your business and property holdings. ut so many people forget we have another life these days – a digital life, an online life, an e-life – and it doesn’t die when we do.

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It could include websites, Facebook, Twitter and numerous online accounts that need to be paid, such as electricity, rent, phones, water and Council rates. You might have a treasure trove of written works, photos, music and videos all existing on a hard drive or, as is increasingly happening, stored somewhere in the digital cloud. They might be valuable to some people such as collectors or historians. They might be of value only to your family. Either way, if you haven’t made arrangements for someone to be told where to find them and have your access codes, passwords and so on, they could be lost forever. Privacy of users is a prime policy for most of the companies that run internet content. Facebook won’t allow access until they see a death certificate. Yahoo! treats everyone’s account content as confidential even after death – and the only way in is with the right password. Google demands a complex ‘proof of death’ process delivered to its US headquarters before it will allow access to material it has stored on Google Documents, Gmail and Google Drive.

American composer Leonard Bernstein wrote his memoir on a computer hidden behind a password only he knew – 22 years after his death, no one has been able to crack the password. He’s not alone. A British study recently found only 11 per cent of people make provisions to pass on their internet passwords after they die. Scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, writers, lawyers, business people … anybody who stores their work on computer should make sure somebody can access it when they die. The person you leave login details, passwords and last wishes of what to do with it could be your lawyer, executor, family or friend. As wills can be seen by many people, it might be wise to split the codes – leave part of the password with the executor and the rest with somebody else. That could all be spelt out in the will so the people involved don’t even know about it until after you die. If there are things stored in the digital world you’d rather your family didn’t discover after you die, you might consider giving your access codes to someone trustworthy to delete embarrassing photos, emails etc. We need to make sure our e-life goes the way we want when we make that final log out.

Dear Alan, I have two daughters, one who is just finishing university (Medicine) and the other who has finished her first year economics. Both have superannuation accounts when they worked casually for a fast food chain that is getting eaten up by insurance. Both will be home for Christmas. What do you suggest? RM. Dear RM, First of all, I would be happy to talk through the issues with your daughters and offer some suggestions. Review Superannuation I have mentioned this in previous articles, but I would start with the superannuation fund that is getting eaten up with insurance. There is possibly income continuance cover attached to the policy which is unlikely to be suitable given their present circumstances. If the insurance is not required or not suitable, and if cancellation is not possible, which is often the case with industry funds, transferring the superannuation elsewhere can be considered in our discussions. Risk Protection Your elder daughter is likely to soon earn good income with plenty of opportunity for higher income as she gains further experience and qualification. That earning potential is her greatest asset but if she can’t work due to sickness or accident, any financial goals, hopes and dreams suddenly disappear. That income earning capacity needs to be protected through insurance. One company I use is excellent for young doctors, as it gives automatic agreed cover of $120,000 pa once qualified, even though the actual start out income might be less. Getting Trauma Cover is also important, as this provides a lump sum in the event of diagnosis of a number of major illnesses. Obtaining this type of cover on level premiums while your daughters are young means that premiums remain affordable for income and

trauma cover, rather than facing the increases each year that applies to stepped premiums as they get older. We could then look at your eldest daughter’s objectives, and if saving for a home deposit is on her mind, establishing a Home Saver Account, which receives co-contribution benefits from the Federal Government and favoured taxation treatment, is a good way to accelerate saving for a home. Superannuation fund suitability would also be considered when establishing a strategy for your eldest daughter. Your youngest daughter might not yet be ready for income cover, but I believe that parents taking out Trauma Cover for their university student child, gives the safeguard of a lump sum should they fall victim to the wide list of illnesses classed as critical illnesses. For example, $20 per month would give them about $130,000 lump sum cover. We can all think of people who have had to have treatment for cancer and other serious illnesses, who would have loved that sort of cover. Estate Planning and Authorities to Act While discussion Wills and Powers of Attorney might sound a bit morbid to your daughters, anyone over 18 should make out a Will and having a Power of Attorney in place from your daughters to you, allows you as parents to act for them should they become incapacitated or unable to attend to their affairs. This is useful if they intend to leave the country to travel and need assistance out of Australia. Similarly, you should consider your own Estate Planning situation, because it might be time to give similar authority to your daughters to act for you. Health Check What we have just touched on is a financial health check, where current circumstances verses objectives are lined up to see if the present strategy is appropriate and bases are covered.

This information and advice is of a general nature only and no reliance should be placed on the information before seeking individual advice from a Financial Planner and Taxation Adviser to ensure the appropriateness to individual circumstances. Alan Tickle and Your Heritage Financial Planning are both authorised representatives of Securitor Financial Group AFSL 240687 ABN 48009189495.

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focusinterview.

Brisbane based band The Medics will be honouring their heritage by playing at what they describe as a special and significant Festival. The Saltwater Freshwater Festival will be held in Taree on Australia Day, January 26. We caught up with the young band to find out more about them.

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or those of us who haven't' heard of The Medics before, please tell us who makes up the band members? My name is Karl Wallace, and I am the lead singer in The Medics; then there is Charles Thomas on bass, Andrew Thompson on guitar and Jhindu Lawrie on drums – he is my cousin. The Medics have been formed for about four years, is that correct? Yes, just coming up to 5 years now. How did you all get together? We started the band in high school, in Year 12. We basically just started jamming together and at that time there were five band members, as we had a keyboard player. It was only two years into being the band and she had other commitments, so we ended up just being a four piece – the four guys – and we just went from there on. We really enjoyed playing music together and spending time together – we are all really good friends who love to hang out and talk about music. We just love playing new music and travelling and seeing new places around Australia. Does the band have a particular style or genre? I don't believe we are a set genre – we mix things up a fair bit. I don't really believe in labelling bands, or giving them a category. It’s like, “Oh, what kind of band is this?”, or label them Indie Rock band or a Blues Rock band. Today music is so different, and it’s hard to categorise music these days ... everyone wants to have labels on things. You know, I feel as if we are the kind of band who can be a bit of a chameleon in a way ... that we are hard to la-

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bel, and we like that aspect of being really difand what it actually is to the Indigenous ferent. The way we write our music is always communities. It may not be one of the best changing, and we're always looking to make days of the year, but we can come together things interesting – not just for ourselves, but as Indigenous artists and musicians and really the people we play our music for. showcase what Australia Day should be about, You’ve had inspiration from The Coloured and that's celebrating the Indigenous comStones Rock band. What is the relationmunity in the way it has coped with the things ship there – is he your uncle? from the past. Yeah, Bunna Lawrie – he's my uncle and Are those stories or feelings there transJhindu's (our drummer’s) father, and posed into some of your song he has been a pretty big part of lyrics? our inspiration to be musiYou could say so. It might up g un yo cians. We grew up listennot be so obvious in our ... as a and coming band ing to his music and his lyrics, but as a band and ic, we in Australian mus stories and the way he a young up and comowcase want to really share puts himself out there ing band in Australian who we are. We we as a musician, and music, we want to really hard to label and being of ct pe learning about how showcase who we are. like that as we ay w e Th t. en his band and he have We are not ashamed of er diff is always write our music shaped Aboriginal music that and we know who we changing.” to get indigenous music are – it’s a matter of getting heard in the mainstream ourselves heard and our ideas music scene. and feelings heard in our music Both The Coloured Stones and and putting it out there. your band, The Medics, will be apSpeaking of being young and up and pearing as the musical acts for the coming, you guys have managed to pick SaltWater Freshwater Festival in Taree up a few large gigs this year … on Australia Day. Is this the first time Yeah, we have. We played Splendour in the you guys have appeared at a festival Grass this year; that was a huge achievement together? for us, you know, a little band from Cairns, Technically yes. We played with Uncle Bunna coming down to Brisbane – starting off fairly at the National Indigenous Music Awards in small and making our way up. You know, Darwin – he played a couple of songs with us we're still working our way up. It’s a never there – so this will be the first time playing at ending thing – you can never really say that an actual Indigenous festival. And especially to you have made it. You just have to focus on have it on Australia Day holds a big signifiyour songs, and you just have to keep working cance and is a special thing, you know, as a hard. lot of people forget what Australia Day means It was just recently announced that we will

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be on the Big Day Out tour; that's another huge achievement for us and really, it’s a childhood dream to be playing among so many bands and international bands. Playing alongside childhood heroes like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers is a huge thing for us. You put out your first album this year too? Yeah, we put out the album Foundations this year, and we did a national tour to support it and played all over Australia, which was another big thing to tick off the list for us. It was amazing to see so many different places in Australia. There is so much to see here and culture and music ... you know, people forget how much Australia has to offer in the music industry and the place itself. It sounds like 2012 has been a great year for you. How has that helped inspire you for next year with your goals? We are just taking it pretty easy. We don't have super massive goals or anything; we just take it as it comes. We have a great manager who helps us keep things together. We are just focusing on writing new music material for next year. We're hoping to release another album, so we are busy writing for that and just doing significant and special shows such as Saltwater Freshwater Festival; it’s a special day, and we really wanted to make sure we played our gig, as we are playing Big Day Out as well. I heard you are flying in from one gig (Big Day Out) to the next in Taree the same day? Yeah. We keep our promises. We wanted to make sure we played at the Festival, ‘cause it is so special and we really want to be there. Thanks Karl.

focuseditorial.

Spoil Yourself

In House Homewares. In House Homewares: from the practical to the sublime, we have everything you need give your home a fresh appeal that will extend beyond the New Year, whether that’s setting the table for that weekend BBQ, adding some flair to your living areas with a few signature pieces or revamping the entire house! Spoil yourself with some retail therapy with body products by Crabtree and Evelyn, exotic Ecoya candles and diffusion sticks, beautiful gifts and decorator items. Handbags, clothing and footwear, Cosgrove and Beasley, Tropicana and Citta Design brands, to name a few. While your in store, be sure to check out our Peaberry gourmet coffee and our T2 condiments and chutneys. Happy New Year to all, and we look forward to seeing you soon. Inhouse Homewares – Wharf St, Forster – Ph: 6557 6550.

JohN Patrick Prestige John Patrick Prestige Cars, now in its 21 st year of operation as a family business, is proud to be associated with the award winning Land Rover Range.

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iscovery 4 Wins Australia’s Best Cars – Best All-Terrain 4WD Award. The Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 SE has collected the Best All-Terrain 4WD Award for 2012, again. Not only is it the fourth consecutive year that the Discovery 4 has brought home the gold, it marks an incredible eight consecutive years that the Land Rover Discovery has won the Best AllTerrain 4WD Award, proving once again it is still the benchmark for all-terrain SUVs. Nothing can match Discovery’s outstanding breadth of capability, luxury and refinement. Australia’s Best Cars judging panel had the following to say about the Best AllTerrain 4WD winner: “In 2012, the 'Disco’ yet again clinched the title of best all-terrain 4WD,

taking its tally to a remarkable eight wins first time in a V-engine. in a row. But these significant performance “Comfort levels are first class, whether figures are not to the detriment of fuel it be the first, second or third row. economy, which shows an improvement “This is a 4WD that will take over the previous model and is you anywhere, on road or off competitive for class. road, with complete peace Come on down (or up) of mind and in the lap of to John Patrick Prestige Enjoy a cup of nd ou gr ly sh luxury.” to view the entire range fre and espresso cofeexe The SDV6 SE is of products, including d 'no talk to the relas staff le equipped with the the Evoque, the Range sa pressure' the and 'experience 180kW SDV6 3.0 Rover and Range Rover difference'. ” Advanced Sequential Sport, as well as the diesel engine, which Defender Range and uses the latest materials Freelanders and the award and sequential turbochargers to winning Discovery series ... optimise responsiveness by delivering Enjoy a cup of freshly ground espresso increased torque at very low revs. This cofee and talk to the relaxed 'no is one of the most technically advanced pressure' sales staff and 'experience the diesels in the world and used unique, difference' that is John Patrick Prestige parallel sequential turbochargers for the Cars Port Macquarie.

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manning-great lakes focus 17

Manning-Great Lakes

Seafood Platter from Harrigan’s Irish Pub.

eat. Dining Guide is available for iPhone & Android mobiles. www.focusmag.com.au/eat

eat. Chicken rolled with pistachio dukkah, wrapped in prosciutto and served with

Sai’s Tuna Salad Canapé

roast capsicum coulis and a watercress and preserved lemon salad $26.

Photo by SAI Thai table and tea.

Bean Bar

SAI Thai table and tea We are proud of our Thai heritage and would like to share the sensation of flavours from our culture. The humble act of sharing food between friends and family is a reflection of our past growing up in Thailand, as it is in many cultures.

MANNING VALLEY COMBINED CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE HOSPITALITY FINALIST 2011, WINNER 2010 AND 2012. NOW ALSO FEATURED IN THE AUSTRALIAN GOOD FOOD GUIDE

We invite people to share our cuisine in a friendly setting.

www.agfg.com.au

We offer a select menu and hope people will enjoy our authentic Thai flavours.

Tony and Ray and the staff welcome all along to their award winning Bean Bar. Open for breakfast and lunch 7 days a week and à la carte dining every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.

We are open for lunch and dinner, 6 days per week and have takeaway in environmentally friendly containers.

Specialists in all types of functions any day OR night of the week. Owners Ray and Tony.

1 Pulteney St, Taree, set on the Manning River t 6550 0022 w www.beanbarcafe.com.au

50 Old Bar Road, Old Bar t 6553 6660 fb www.facebook.com/saithaitableandtea open: Lunch: Wed to Sun, 11 - 3 pm. Dinner: Tue to Sun, 5 - 9 pm.

open 7 days breakfast and lunch and dinner Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Reef Bar Grill

FLOW Espresso Bar

Doogs and Joni have been entertaining guests from far and wide for over five years now and have built a reputation for a truly wonderful dining experience.

Three items off our summer breakfast menu: • BIG Barrel Burrito: Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Spinach, Hash Brown & Feta in a Tortilla Wrap. $14. • Sunrise Bruschetta: Roasted Tomatoes, Avocado, Basil, & Parmesan Cheese on Wood fired Sourdough w’ a Reduced Balsamic drizzle. $14. • Hashi Stack: Poached Eggs, Avocado, Bacon, & Baby Spinach stacked with a Hash Brown on Sourdough toast. $15. Three items off our summer lunch menu; enjoy with a beer or glass of wine. • Tandoori Chicken Wrap: Marinated Chicken Breast, Mesclun, Carrot, Snow Pea Sprouts, Cucumber and a Citrus/Herb Yoghurt sauce. $13. • Middle Eastern Spiced Beef Burger: House made Beef Patty w’ Eggplant Relish, Mesclun, Cucumber, Tomato & Red Pepper Rouille served w’ Beer Battered Chips. $16 • Crying Tiger Beef Salad: Grilled Scotch Fillet Steak Medallions atop an Asian Salad of Mesclun, Carrot, Cucumber & Snow Pea Sprouts w’ a Spicy Thai Dipping sauce. $18

Quite simply, Forsters Reef Bar & Grill boasts some of the best chefs on the Mid North Coast, situated in the busy but cruisy “top end of town” and overlooking uninterrupted views of Wallis Lake. Watch the dolphins swim by while being dined by Peter T and his all star chefs in total comfort in a state of the art restaurant. Book online www.reefbargrill.com.au

Shop 1, 2 - 6 Wharf Street, Forster t 6555 7092 open Breakfast, lunch & dinner, 8am - late during school holidays.

Owner Darren McDonagh.

FLOW – For the Love Of Water, Wind & Waves!

31 David St, Old Bar t 6557 4224 f www.facebook.com/flowcafe open Tue to Sunday, 8am to 4pm and Fri and Sat nights from 6pm. Closed Mondays. Fully licensed. Bookings recommended. manning-great lakes focus 19

eat.

Breakers at Sporties

Harrigan’s Irish Pub

Two of the region’s most popular chefs, Dylan Gummer and Ian Robinson, have returned to Tuncurry’s friendliest club, the Sporties, and promise you a gastronomic delight in the very comfortable and stylish Breakers @ Sporties.

Open 7 days per week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Lunch specials: available Monday – Friday; 12 meals for $12 each. Dinner Specials: Monday: $15 schnitzel night Tuesday: 12 meals for $12 each Wednesday: $12 steak night Thursday: ‘Redback Special’, 3 courses for $20 Friday: $15 pizza and pasta night Sunday: $12.50 two course lunch or dinner, roast + dessert.

Along with a brand new menu that will please the most discerning diner, the boys offer great specials – 7 days a week!

Head Chef Scott Hyde.

For starters, their lunchtime special, ‘Fish and Chips’, at an amazing $5.50 for members is very hard to beat. If you haven’t been to Breakers @ Sporties lately, do yourself a favour – ‘cause the BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN!

Chefs Dylan and Ian.

Beach Street Tuncurry t 6554 9270

Harrington Waters, Josephine Blvd, Harrington t 6556 0555

open 7 days for lunch and dinner. Lunch: 12pm - 2.30pm. Dinner: 5.30pm - 8pm.

open Breakfast: 7.30am - 9.30am Mon-Fri, 7.30am - 10.30am Sat Sun. Lunch: 12pm - 2.30pm every day. Dinner: 6pm - 8.30pm every day.

Sheppo’s on the Green

Light meals, coffee and snacks

Book your Christmas Party & Function now – call 6551 3677 Catering to meet your requirements and budget. Alternate Drop/Buffet/Finger Foods Casual or Formal settings available. Sunday night $10 for two courses, Daily $8 lunch specials, dine in or take away. Nightly dinner specials, or choose from a huge variety of Aussie & Thai Cuisine. Why cook when you can get a great meal any night of the week, plus club raffles – Sunday 60 hams to give away up until Christmas, Bookings appreciated call 6551 3677.

Club Taree If you are looking for a place to dine with friends and family these holidays, The Iron Bark Restaurant or Lilly Pilly Café at Club Taree is the place to visit. The Iron Bark Restaurant is open daily and features an all day à la carte menu, along with a selection of chef’s specials.

Chefs Luxmee & Wayne

Taree Leagues Sports Club, 43 Cowper Street, Taree t 6551 3677 open 6 days: lunch 12 - 2pm; dinner 6pm - 8.30pm. Closed Mondays.

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The Lilly Pilly Café is the perfect place to enjoy a hot or cold beverage, a very tasty dessert, cake or slice following your meal or even just for a treat. The café also features a selection of light meal options for an afternoon snack, lunch or dinner. The Iron Bark Restaurant and Lilly Pilly Café at Club Taree open 10am daily.

121 Wingham Rd, Taree t 6539 4000 w www.clubtaree.com.au open from 10 am daily. Closed Christmas Day.

Chef Kevin Williams.

eat. Raw Sugar’s fillet of fish.

Beach Bums

Raw Sugar Café

Beach Bums Café boasts a unique position just 5 steps from the sand overlooking Forster’s Main Beach. A favourite brekky local, great food and coffee are the heart of Beach Bums. Here you will find a delicious team, a sexy menu, fresh tunes served up daily, with a great atmosphere! Rest and recuperate and watch nature at its finest.

Our food is prepared by our qualified chefs, using only the freshest local ingredients and served by experienced and friendly staff. Our specials board changes weekly! Don’t forget our fantastic fresh fruit smoothies, frappes and fresh juices. Come in and enjoy the five star experience today. Open for breakfast at 7.30am, lunch from 11.30am and afternoon tea until 4pm.

News Flash! Now serving our brand new espresso blend through our brand new hole in the wall servery. Owners Kate and Darrin.

North and Beach Streets, Forster Main Beach. t 6555 2840 w beachbumscafe.com.au

Freshest local ingredients.

214 Victoria Street, Taree t 6550 0137

open seven days a week from Sunrise to Sunset (weather permitting)

open 7.30am to 4pm.

Black satin duck leg with pickled cabbage, coriander, radish and bean shoot salad.

Atlantic Salmon marinated in garlic, ginger, soy and lime served on a bed of jasmine rice.

The Bellevue Hotel Bistro

Restaurant Synergy

Have you experienced the Bellevue bistro lately?

Synergy Restaurant & Bar, located at the Mercure Centro Hotel – where food and service works in harmony.

Bring the whole family down and enjoy a great meal by the pool, afterwards the kids can have have a dip or play in the games room.

Enjoy an intimate dining experience, serving modern Australian Cuisine at its best.

Come down on a friday night and enjoy some quality fresh local seafood in the bistro and listen to great live music.

Private dining rooms available for up to 20 guests, or for larger events, consider our spectacular ocean view roof top.

The Bellevue is the perfect spot for your chrissy celebrations this summer. (shopper dockets, tuesday lunch lobster special, $9.50 lunch steak specials will not be available during the holidays, we apologise for any inconvenience) From all the Bellevue staff we wish you a happy and safe christmas and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Manning Street, Tuncurry t 6554 6577 Open 11.30am - 2pm & 5.30pm - 8pm Sunday to Thursday. 11.30am - 2pm & 5.30pm - 8.30pm Friday & Saturday.

Happy hour 5.30pm – 7pm nightly. Our Chefs Hayley & Jason.

Sunday special $50pp – 2 course choice menu with complimentary bottle of wine.

Maître d' Ammish & Executive Chef Nathaniel.

Cnr Hay & William Streets, Port Macquarie t 6583 0830 w www.centrohotel.com.au open 7 days, from 6.30am 'til 10am for breakfast; 5pm – late for dinner. Bookings essential.

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DARLISON

Local author Aleesah Darlison has been involved with a wonderful project recently, assisting young aspiring writers to get their stories told and published. The We are Now We are the Future anthology showcases the work of 58 school children from schools around the Manning-Great Lakes area and reflects a passion and commitment on the part of many people …

ou’ve been involved with compiling and editing an anthology called We are Now We are the Future recently. How many students and schools were involved with this work? We ended up with 58 students submitting 60 stories. These students came from six different primary schools: Tinonee Public School, Hallidays Point Public School, Chatham Primary School, Cundletown Public School, Krambach Public School and Moorland Public School. We also received submissions from several home schooled children. How did you come up with the idea to create this anthology – was your own experience of attending school at Taree High and being involved with the We are the Future anthology much of an influence ? The original We are the Future anthology project was developed by Year 12 Chatham High School student, Ainslee Dennis (now at the Manning River Times), to commemorate the 1988 bicentennial year. Students from across the Manning Valley entered short stories and poems, and the book was edited by author Jenny Summerville. I had three works published in that original anthology and still have a copy of the book. It was probably my Þrst faltering step towards becoming a ÔrealÕ author, although it took me twenty years to Þnally fulÞl that dream. Once I did become published, I tried to think of ways to give back to kids in the Manning. Helping to develop their creative writing skills was where I thought I could add most value. I approached Taree Library (Danielle Old and Margie Wallace) to ask whether they would be interested in supporting a new anthology project to celebrate 2012 National Year of Reading. Danielle and Margie were behind the project one hundred per cent. Danielle and Debbie Horgan, who also works at the library, have worked incredibly hard to make the project a success. They also applied for and secured funding from Mission Australia. Without that funding, we couldnÕt have completed the project. Describe the workshops you ran at various schools around the area. What skills were you aiming to teach the students? In March last year I spent Þve days visiting six schools across 22 manning-great lakes focus.

the Manning Valley and Great Lakes running narrative writing workshops. The idea was to teach students how to structure a narrative so they would be conÞdent enough to submit stories for the anthology. Students started their stories with me, then had several months to Þnish them by the end May closing date. How many pieces of work have been published in We are Now We are the Future, and how varied is the subject matter and narrative style? Sixty different pieces feature in the anthology. Most are short stories, though there is one non-Þction piece and two poems. There was a huge diversity in the stories, and their subject matter reßects many of the issues facing todayÕs youth, including: school, friendships, family, animals, the environment, the beauty of Australia, dinosaurs, danger, death, war, healthy eating and so on. Some entries really impressed me with their narrative ßair, imagination and imagery. Several fantasy stories are included in the anthology and feature fairies, grifÞns and my personal favourite, unicorns. How long has it taken you to complete the anthology, from the initial concept stage right through until the book was published? I came up with the concept of re-inventing the We are the Future anthology two years ago and suggested it to Margie Wallace and Danielle then. We knew it would be an ideal project to run throughout the 2012 National Year of Reading. We launched the project in March last year. That same week I conducted the narrative writing workshops. After students submitted their stories, I spent several months typing and editing those stories and putting them all together. The last two months of the project (October and November 2012) saw Danielle and I conducting Þnal editing tweaks and getting the book printed. If you look at the Þnished product, read the studentsÕ stories and see the pride they take in being published authors, it was worth every minute spent on it. We are Now We are the Future was launched on December 7. What kind of feedback have you received both at the launch, and since? The launch was amazing. We had well over a hundred students, parents, teachers, principals, library staff, NYOR Ambassadors, community members and the media at Taree Library to help us celebrate. The place was buzzing. Camera ßashes were popping everywhere, as the young authors featured in photograph after photograph. Several students read their stories out and they all signed each otherÕs books, just like real

authors. My publisher, Walker Books, provided some special giveaways. Many teachers and parents approached me at the launch to thank me and say how wonderful the project was for the community and how thrilled they were for their children to be involved in it. My hope is that one day some of these students will become published authors in their own right. For me, thatÕs what itÕs all about − inspiring others to write, to express themselves, to know that they can achieve. Simple things like that make a huge difference in kidsÕ lives. The launch and the anthology project went so well, that in the not-too-distant future we hope to repeat our success with a new project. So stay tuned! You’re a prolific author yourself, having published 15 books in the past two years. What’s your latest novel about? IÕve recently submitted Books 7 and 8 in my fantasy series, Unicorn Riders, to my editor at Walker Books. IÕm now eagerly awaiting the draft illustrations. The Unicorn Riders features strong, empowered, intelligent female lead characters who are positive role models for a new generation of young readers. Why do you feel it’s important to encourage future generations of aspiring writers? ItÕs crucial that every generation has its own storytellers to express the hopes, dreams, thoughts, feelings and experiences of that generation. TodayÕs young writers need to be encouraged to be the voice of tomorrow. Every child has potential, no matter where they come from, but that potential needs to be nurtured. It gives me great joy to be able inspire and encourage young local writers. You’ve held the role of National Year of Reading Ambassador for Greater Taree City Libraries this year. What was involved with this position? Being a NYOR Ambassador has been an honour. ItÕs involved me spreading the word about the importance of books and stories. ItÕs enabled me to engage with students and teach them about writing. ItÕs also enabled me to bring this anthology project to fruition and have a positive impact on local students. Every year should be National Year of Reading. Where can people purchase a copy of We are Now We are the Future, or find out more info about the project? The anthology books can be purchased from Taree Library. For more information, visit www.gtcc.nsw.gov.au or phone Taree Library on 6592 5399. Thanks Aleesah.

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s o c i a l s c e n e with Donna Carrier from Bent on Food. Left. Mary Grima Disability Day Below. Disability Day

Below. Helen Zanardi at Wingham Brush P and C

Below. Marcia Fowler

Above Carnival Committee President Grahame Nash with Lauren Newell

Below. Lauders

Above Larry, Kev and Robert at Akoostik party

Above. Elaine and friends

Social/scene. I am hearing a lot of people say that 2013 is going to be the year for them, the year of

success, the year of fabulous health and new starts. For many in business, 2012 was a tough year; rising costs and difficult retail sales have led to some stressful times for many. Small business is the lifeblood of a community, and in difficult times the dollar doesn’t gett around town so much. Escaped spending means less for all of us.

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have been extremely busy in December, but I have not attended one Christmas party that I wasn’t catering for. Many of the business groups who get together each year just didn’t this year; everything crept up on us, and we were all just busy making hay while the sun shines. I do hope that 2013 is a great year for all readers. I have a great feeling about it – forever the optimist – but there is something very exciting about a new year with new beginnings and time to reflect on the previous year. I just love opening the new diary and making plans for the future, getting organised ... well, a little bit organised anyway! So let’s talk about December; on 15 December we catered for our last evening Christmas party for the year and just quietly, as much as I love my work, I was a just a tad relieved that it is all over for another year. I am a wee bit tired, feeling my age and looking forward to a relaxing drink. Mind you, the last party was a lot of fun, with Wingham Beef booking the backyard for 54 people, a great deal of beef, and a large karaoke machine. Let’s just say there were no Wingham idols amongst them, no James Johnstons, but they enjoyed a great night with singing and dancing under the fairy lights. Lauders Real Estate and Wingham Brush P and C enjoyed their Christmas parties on Friday night 14 December. As usual, the P and C committee had some hilarious awards to give out, 24 manning-great lakes focus.

specifically picked for each recipient ... oops, I forgot to grab my Ita Butrose biography from the table! It must have gone to a more worthy recipient.

sponssored d and and nd conducted ccon ond ducted by the races were sponsored tal the carnival rides were enjoyed Mayo Hospital, by many, and it was one of the Chamber’s most successful carnivals yet. All of the usual charities attended, with local sporting and community groups raising funds and growing awareness for their particular charities.

On 8 December, we catered for a special event in the backyard. It was Marcia Fowler’s 60th birthday, celebrated with canapés for 85 people. It was a fabulous Once again I was privileged to be event, with great music involved in celebrating Abilities played by local musician Day on 3 December, held at the Warren Targett, who got Sports Stadium in Taree. I get is I take th to ity everyone up dancing to be the chief judge of the un rt po op of – even in the rain! cooking competition, and wish the readersfe and Marcia is well loved I really enjoy this role. This my column a sa . ” prosperous 2013 by many, and it was year saw record numbers evident from the lovely in the cooking competition, speeches and personal and I was very proud of the gifts she received. Happy entries, which have improved birthday, Marcia, and thanks each year. I was fortunate to have for choosing Bent on Food as plenty of help from Nate, his dad your venue. Thanks also to Cathy Roger, and Cnr Kathryn Bell, along with and her team from Wingham and Taree West Chris, who were all amazing and ate as much Newsagency, who were very happy to assist cake as I did. when any of Marcia’s partygoers were looking I was honoured to receive a surprise award, as for a soft drink or a coffee, as they had their I was given the 2012 Legends Award for my Christmas party inside at the same time. contribution to the competition; it brought

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Wingham Chamber of Commerce Christmas Carnival was a great success; held on Thursday 13 December, the carnival attracted around 1,800 people, with a visit from Santa and Hooker Bear, along with many Police, who were wonderful at keeping the crowd in line. The bed

a tear to my eye when they announced it. Thanks so much to Richard Wheatley and the organisers for inviting me to be a part of this event. I always stay for the concert, as it is a wonderful celebration and this year was no different, with singing and dancing, stories and

enjoye yed d my my morning, m mor orni or nin ni ng, instruments. I thoroughly enjoyed and I love seeing the smiles when we announce the winners of the cookery competitions; there certainly are a few budding chefs amongst the competitors. Wingham Akoostik Carnival Committee held a debrief and thanks to volunteers at Bent on Food on November 29. Around 35 people attended for drinks and canapés, with some fabulous ideas circulating for next year’s festival. As I said, 2013 is going to be a fantastic year! Congratulations to Honeycomb Valley Farmstay at Nabiac, who joined Bent on Food in being awarded a bronze at the 2012 NSW Tourism Awards. They are passionate about sustainability and offer tourists a lovely haven complete with a bee motel and a farmgate shop. Elaine Wiggins is one of the lovely yoga ladies who visits Bent on Food each week; she doesn’t look a day over 60, all that yoga, I suspect, but she was actually celebrating her 80th birthday with friends from her yoga group and one of our home made hummingbird cakes on the 28 November. Happy birthday, Elaine. I take this opportunity to wish the readers of my column a safe and prosperous 2013. I would love to hear from you if you have any social events, weddings, parties anything! Send pics and info to donna.carrier@bigpond. com Cheers, Donna.

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P E T E R TJ O R N E L U N D . HEAD CHEF // REEF BAR & GRILL Hailing originally from Denmark, Peter has enjoyed a long career creating flavoursome and imaginative dishes for his patrons. With a penchant for seafood and beef, Peter shares his unique style for local diners to enjoy. ow long have you lived in the Manning-Great Lakes, and how long have you worked in the industry? I moved to Forster in July 2011 after 24 years in Sydney, where I had my own waterfront restaurant for 13 years. I started as an apprentice in 1977 in a seaside hotel in Denmark, so that makes it 35 years in the industry ... well, has it really been that long!

Flathead is a great tasting fish, and the flesh is so delicate. Local Jewfish has an excellent flavour and is highly versatile. The eye fillets are packed with natural flavour and after ageing for 3 months, supremely tender.

What can people expect from a Reef Bar and Grill experience? Dishes that draw their inspiration from all over the world, packed with flavour, a strong attention to detail and highly consistent an as d te quality and value for ar st I “ 77 apprentice in 19tel money. I have a great team in a seaside ho that working with me who are in Denmark, soars in ye passionate about creating makes it 35 .” ry st du in great looking and tasting e th food.

What is the first dish you mastered? Hard to say. As an apprentice, I think it was a de-boned lemon sole, baked and filled with a marinara lobster ragout. As a chef, not so much a dish, but an event making a medieval feast/buffet for 300 international journalists in a heritage listed 16th century old castle in Denmark.

What are some of your favourite local ingredients to cook and why? Flathead, Jewfish and Sand Whiting when available and of course, the oysters – they are superb. I also like the grass feed beef eye fillets from Wingham.

What are the highlights on the menu that you believe should most definitely be tried? Crispy rice paper duck spring roll with tamarind dressing or seared scallops on ginger kumara mash and Thai chilli dipping sauce. For mains, being a new menu starting this week, I think the Moroccan spiced lamb rump with a ‘tagine style’ vegetable, date cous-cous and harissa is a great dish. Thanks Peter. manning-great lakes focus 25

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P s y c h i c P a l m i s t Palmistry, or Chiromancy, is a practice believed to have its origins in the Far East. Many ancient cultures, including India, Tibet, China and Persia have practised the art – possibly for thousands of years. Maya is an internationally recognised Palmist with 38 years’ experience in the art and says whether you’re a sceptic or not, palmistry can help you understand yourself and your relationship with others in a more positive light. Maya appears at Club Taree on February 7 …

hat first sparked your interest in palmistry? It first started when I was about 18 years old and I went to see a palmist – for a little bit of a laugh, actually. I thought I’d have my ‘fortune’ told and it’d be a bit of entertainment. At that time, I thought the palmist was quite an elderly woman; she had about 38 years’ experience as a palmist – which is where I’m at now with my career! It’s amazing the different perspective you have when you’re younger! I had the reading, and it was incredible. I wondered how she knew me so well! It wasn’t so much about my fortune or the future, but me as a person. I was quite shy as a teenager and young adult, and I found learning palmistry was a great way to meet different people – everyone seemed to want to have their hands read, and I could tell different things about them and their personalities. It breaks down a lot of barriers! I became really interested in the science behind palmistry and how it works, so I studied many, many books. It took me a very long time to piece all of the information together. I also wanted to find a way to make palmistry useful to people in their everyday lives, and this is what I do now – taking the science and making it into something that helps people learn more about themselves and other people, their behaviour and how they interact. I can also use my psychic abilities to enhance the palmistry, which is wonderful.

reflect our character, as well as our life journey. It can also point out why we may be having difficulties in our lives. As an example, if you try to bend the tip of your thumb, you’ll get an idea of how rigid or stubborn you are. The more rigid your thumb, the more stubborn you’re likely to be; whereas, a For me, it’s more thumb that bends easily of an intuitive, has denotes a more flexible , but it When you mention empathic ability casions character. psychic abilities, also on a lot of ocictive. I In the second part what exactly are you been quite pred o far on to of the show, I have go referring to? Do you tend not to feel I – th pa e tiv everyone who’d like to ic the pred mean clairvoyance, a lot ke ta ld ou sh le be involved put their peop or empathic abilities, r onsibility for thei sp re name in a hat. I draw of for example – and n lives.” ow some names out, and how does this work these people get to come in conjunction with up on stage for a reading. palmistry? I have a video camera on their For me, it’s more of an intuitive, hands so people can see what I’m empathic ability, but it has also on a lot reading and see if what I’m describing also relates of occasions been quite predictive. I tend not to to their hand. My main focus is for you to see go too far on the predictive path – I feel people YOU. Every palm, every hand, is unique. No-one should take a lot of responsibility for their own else is like you, and this process helps you get to lives. I feel the danger is if you tell people too know yourself better, learn to love yourself more much about their future, they may go along and be the best ‘you’ that you can be. The show those lines, rather than making their own future. is very interactive and a lot of fun. Whenever I do a reading, I like to hone in on all To a palmist, what’s the difference between the positive features in a person and in their lives, the left and the right hand? perhaps look at the difficulties they’re having and Your left hand is the ‘inner you’, and your right empowering that person to be the best they can hand is the ‘outer you’– the ‘you’ you choose be. to show to the world. Then it becomes a little The show you’re presenting at Club Taree bit more complicated, because I look at what is is called Your Life in your Hands – a Road your active hand and your non active hand i.e. if Less Travelled. How does this type of show you’re right handed, that is your active hand. This work in a public forum – it’s obviously quite shows how you’ve developed certain things in interactive? your life; it shows whether you’ve reached your Yes, it is. I take my audience on a journey of potential as well as what you’re focusing on in self discovery. I do this by inviting them to look this particular time of your life. at their own hands as I explain how various What’s some of the typical feedback you features on their hands relate to their mental, receive from your shows? emotional and personality traits and behaviours. I get a lot of curious people to my show, This way they can see what is relevant to them. ranging from those who are quite sceptical to It’s a ‘D.I.Y.’ reading! The show is a really good those who want to lap up all they can about overview of palmistry and reveals how our hands

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themselves. Most people are amazed at how accurate, relevant and helpful it is, and I remind them that Palmistry is a ‘science’... the science of reading all about ‘you’ from what’s written on your hands. Some of the common comments I receive from people about the show as well as personal readings I do, is that it’s changed their life, they go away with greater understanding, and they often feel validated and empowered and happy to be who they are. In life, people can often try to tear us down, but I show people they don’t have to be anyone other than who they really are. It’s a very positive experience. You must experience sceptics quite often. What are the usual comments you receive from these people? I have people from all different walks of life come to my shows. I have a lot of professional people – and a lot of men come to my shows too, surprisingly. People will often openly tell me they are sceptics, but after the show it’s quite common for them to say that what I’ve told them makes sense and that they enjoyed the experience. You regularly tour around the world too with your show. Where have you been in your travels? I’ve been working on cruise ships for about 10 years now – I am one of the highest rated lecturers on the cruise ships. I’ve been all around the Pacific, New Zealand, Europe and the UK. I’m looking forward to tapping into the American market soon. Thanks Maya.

the plug! When Club Taree on February 7. Time 7.30pm Phone For tickets or further info, contact the Club on 6539 4000. If you're interested in a private reading... Phone: 0413 305 001 Web: psychicpalmist.com.au

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This is not your average store; it is unique.

Belinda Novicky

Bent on life.

The Legendary Pacific Coast The Legendary Pacific Coast, the major j ttourism i drive d i ffrom Sydney S d to Brisbane on the east coast of Australia, has combined with regional Aboriginal communities to create a new and historic tourism product. hroughout the past 12 months, local Aboriginal Land Councils along the Mid North Coast from Karuah to Coffs Harbour have worked with the Saltwater Freshwater Arts Alliance to record and document 34 Aboriginal stories. To find out more about this exciting project, we spoke to Chair of TLPC Belinda Novicky …

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Where did the idea behind the Aboriginal Stories from TLPC come from? The idea originally came from Toursim Australia, who identified the need for more Aboriginal experiences – not just in our region, but across Australia. We (The Legendary Pacific Coast) had already started a relationship with the Saltwater Freshwater Arts Alliance and through the discussions we had with them and also when the original concept of the Legendary Pacific Coast was put together by the creative agency, they identified that the TLPC was an original Aboriginal trading route. So, it made perfect sense then for us to do stories – not contemporary stories on people who have had experiences on TLPC, but also to look at our Aboriginal stories as well. How important was it for you to have these stories intertwined with the TLPC Tourist product? It was very important. It provides our visitors with interpretation and an interactive experience and also flexibility to listen to the stories anywhere they are when travelling along that stretch of road. And it also provides us the opportunity to promote other Aboriginal products and services and direct them to experience those – such as the art galleries and things like that as well. How were the stories found and compiled? That part of the program was completely managed by Saltwater Freshwater. With their experience of dealing with all the Land Councils and Aboriginal communities on the Mid North Coast, they were able to identify those elders who were able to share 28 manning-great lakes focus.

the stories. There are 34 stories. For you, was there a particular one that stuck in your mind? All of them are really great, but I do know that when we launched the program a few weeks ago and we did the friendship circle, there was one that everyone was particularly proud of and wanted to share. This was one of the contemporary stories – the one from Karuah – and was called The Dam Dog Legend. It was so delightful to hear this story about how, when heading home (past the dam) and running late, if the Dam Dog was seen, it was known there would be consequences. Seeing the dog meant you were late home, and you would also be quite scared of the dog. The other one that comes to mind is the story by two Aunties in Coffs Harbour called Life in the 50s, and it is this great story by two Aunties who are just sitting around having a yarn and a cup of tea. Life in the 50s was about growing up in Coffs Harbour and how innocent and lovely life was then. There is modern innovation and technology being used to deliver these Aboriginal stories? Yes, that’s right. We have the stories on the website at pacificcoast.com.au and also on the iPhone app that can be downloaded. Once people are on the website, they will see an Aboriginal hands icon, which will take them through to the stories. At the moment there are only the Mid North Coast stories by Saltwater Freshwater, but we’ll soon be adding the Northern Rivers and Hunter region stories, so the collection will be complete. It’s really great to be able to download and listen to the stories as you take the route. To find out more about the Aboriginal Stories or the Legendary Pacific Coast, visit pacificcoast.com.au

You may have heard of Bent on Food, but do you know about Bent on Life? Just 2 doors up from this well known café is a stylish homewares store filled to the brim with the most beautiful homewares and gifts to be found in the region. The old historic bakery has been tastefully transformed to bring out its heritage features. Each morning we put out lovely topiary trees in terracotta pots along with a French style welcome mat, and open our French doors to the public. We have created a beautiful space with polished timber floors and rustic original walls. The stock is displayed tastefully in a large space, providing a relaxed shopping experience. So many customers comment on how beautiful the shop is and what a pleasant surprise they get. This is not your average store; it is unique. Here you will find gorgeous handcrafted jewellery from Riley Burnett, Tuskc and Polka Luka, along with handbags from Manzoni, Louenhide and Melbourne brand Temono, which is not available anywhere else in the region. You can purchase Neoflam Eco

Friendly cookware, Scanpan, Chasseur and a range of kitchenware tried and tested by our chefs and often showcased in our cookery school. You will just love the choice of French provincial homewares, and Bent on Life is a popular outlet for wedding gifts. You can also buy online, and your presents are tastefully wrapped to make your gifts stunning on the inside and out. You will enjoy your trip to Wingham; it is a great place to eat and fabulous place to shop. Make sure you plan to be there for the day, as you will find many pleasant surprises in this friendly town.

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K E P T

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feature.

best KEPT

Secrets Treat the Family

Do something completely different!

Sugarloaf Point. Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse Holiday Accommodation, Seal Rocks. Secluded in the north east corner of Myall Lakes National Park, above the sleepy fishing village of Seal Rocks, lies Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse and award winning keepers’ cottages. Steeped in cultural and maritime history, the lighthouse and cottages recall an era of timber-getting and fishing. Built in 1875, the historic cottages offer self-contained heritage accommodation in a truly spectacular location. The three cottages have been sensitively restored with warm timbers and soft furnishings, to reflect the integrity of their historic significance. Each cottage features a spacious outdoor area from which to enjoy breathtaking panoramas, cook up a barbecue feast or enjoy a meal with a view. Here you can experience nature’s serenity, pristine waters, secluded beaches and nature trails nestled in an untouched environment. Wonder at the annual whale migration. Meet the dolphins, birds, sea life and the brightest star of all ... the lighthouse by night. Aside from an idyllic place to spend time, the cottages are a great base to explore Myall Lakes National Park and Seal Rocks village, renowned for its unspoilt natural beauty – ‘the last frontier’.

The secret is out! Artisans on the Hill is THE unique place to visit these holidays. Open 7 days during the summer school holidays, Artisans offer something different for the whole family. Workshops Take a short class in woodturning, kiln formed glass, PMC (pure silver jewellery from ‘clay’) or lots more. Things for kids too, including kite making, candle making or woodcraft. Have some fun and make your own masterpiece. Workshops are scheduled ‘on demand’, so call to arrange a time. Check artisansonthehill. com.au for details. Gallery Artisans unique gallery space has functional pieces from some of Australia’s top artisans, from one-off jewellery pieces to artistic practical glass to amazing world class timber items. There is even a contemporary grandfather clock with a handmade wooden movement! Coffee Lounge It is worth the short drive to Artisans on the Hill just to relax in the coffee lounge, gazing at the magnificent view while enjoying mellow coffee, specialty teas and home-made goodies. You can even enjoy home cooked lunches if you book in advance. Where is Artisans? Only 10 minutes from the Pacific Highway Taree Service centre, Artisans is on the road between Tinonee and Wingham. Scan the QR code below to download a map and directions.

Plan a Tea Party. Plan a tea party at The Other Side Gallery Teahouse, only 5 minutes north of Taree, on Moto Road which is adjacent to the Pacific Highway at Ghinni Ghinni, or just relax by the river and sample our chef’s ever changing specials. Our food and cakes are made fresh on the premises. We are famous for our ‘apple pie with cream and icecream’, or try something savoury, like ‘the Mediterranean baked ricotta’. Open for breakfast, morning and afternoon teas and of course, lunch. Our opening hours are Thursday 10am - 2pm, and Friday to Sunday 10am - 4pm.The Other Side Gallery Teahouse, home to resident artists Wendie Patch, Mrs Shepherd and Sharon Tudor Smith ... with other local artists exhibiting throughout the year ... enquiries welcome. Thursday and Friday art classes, 10am to 12.30pm. If you are interested in joining in the fun, ring Wendie: 0439 496 848. Some customers’ comments: “There is a short piece of fairly rough road, but well worth the trip.” “Best pecan pie I have ever tasted and amazing coffee.” “I go there every trip; makes a great highway stop.” “ A great little find.” “Cakes are delicious; best scones ever.” “Worth visiting; amazing artwork.” “Great to meet the artists; Wendie is a gracious host.”

Make it a Memorable Holiday

Gallery Coffee Lounge and more! Air Conditioned! Open 7 days from 10am all Summer Holidays 702 Tinonee Rd, Mondrook Ph: 6553 1199 www.artisansonthehill.com.au

Scan for map and directions manning-great lakes focus 29

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SteveAttkins. Stev

I've developed a renewed interest in Sparkling Wines, and I'm drinking it as a complement to food in the same way as you match wine with food. Many people tend to only drink sparkling wine on special occasions, which is a shame, as it is a fabulous complementary drink to have with meals.

from Great Lakes Winery

S P A R K L I N G

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parkling wine, Champagne and Spumante are essentially all the same; it just depends on their origins. Sparkling wine can only be called Champagne when it originates from the Champagne region of France, so the majority of foreign producers use the term Sparkling Wine. Other regions within France use the term Cremant, and Italians use the term Spumante, rather than Sparkling Wine. In the same way as wines differ, so do sparkling wines. Ranging from light and dry to sweet and fruity, while others can be heavy and yeasty. A special treat for me at this time of year is drinking sparkling with oysters ... a wonderful appetiser. Chicken is a classic combination with champagne as an accompaniment, or adding it es ak m to a sauce is simply delicious. Like t ha w So A any wine, the enjoyment is in Bubbly bubbly? uced od pr is e in experimenting with the various w se ba flavour combinations. using fruit that isted typically harves od Another fascination with early to ensure go Champagne is its history. Dom gar acidity, lower su hol.” Perignon was a Benedictine monk levels/lower alco who is given credit for turning what was considered to be unappealing discoloured bubbly wine into something similar to 'drinking the stars'. He mastered blending red and white grapes together, pressing them gently to prevent any discolouration from the skins, and he also mastered the retention of carbon

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dioxide in the bottle. Both were major milestones in the development of what we take for granted today in our Champagne. The story of Veuve Clicquot is also worth a read. The trials of producing and distributing this 'liquid gold' back in the late 1700s and early 1800s really required entrepreneurs with nerves of steel. Using hand blown glass bottles, with all their irregularities, to be stacked and shipped from France across the English Channel to the UK and even further afield to Russia for royalty and the wealthy was a mine field of challenges. Many times entire shipments were lost due to breakage – every shipment was potential disaster. So what makes Bubbly bubbly? A base wine is produced using fruit that is typically harvested early to ensure good acidity, lower sugar levels/lower alcohol. Once the maker is happy with his base wine blend, a second fermentation process is generated and dependent upon the method being applied, the resultant wine is either bottled under pressure or stored in specialised tanks under pressure. The bubbles occur as a result of the carbon dioxide releasing into the wine. The pressure created by the bubbles is the reason sparkling wine is bottled with a style of bottle strong enough to cope with the pressure. So now you’ve got a better appreciation of champagne’s history, get that bottle of champagne that has been sitting in that special place for too long and put it in the fridge and bloody well drink it ... what are you waiting for? You can go and buy another one tomorrow!

MANNINGGREAT LAKES

KITE MUDDIES 'It’s time to Fly!'

SKYDIVING NSW DROP ZONE

Kiteboarding is one of the fastest growing sports in the world – and with good reason. It’s fun, extreme and accessible to everyone. The sport has been in the mainstream for over 10 years now, with recent technology making kiteboarding safe and easy to master. Your first lesson will see you learning the skills of flying the kite safely on the beach and then in the water. All equipment is provided, including radio communication helmets that will have you up and riding much faster than you could imagine.

• 5 day clinics, up and riding specials

Kite Muddies / Jeep kite School.

Facebook. ‘KiteMuddies Kiteboarding’.

• Kitesurfing/wave riding and beginner kiteboarding lessons.

Phone. 0429 091 109.

and hourly tuition. • Easily one of the best locations in Australia. Experience the thrill and learn an incredible new sport. Kite Muddies Kite Boarding Lessons. Web. www.kitemuddies.com.au

CLARENDON HORSE RIDING At Clarendon Horse Riding, we prize our horse riding for being fun, scenic and exciting. The trail horses are beautifully responsive and quiet. Naturally, riding helmets are provided. Riders, judged by the instructors to be capable, are allowed to canter where appropriate. We operate with one riding instructor to every four (4) riders. This ratio may vary slightly depending on numbers, the experience of the riders and ages of riders on the trail.

TANDEM SKYDIVE is the fastest and easiest way to experience the thrill and exhilaration of a freefall skydive. Attached to a TANDEM MASTER, who is an experienced skydiving instructor, via your own harness system, you will experience the amazing sensations that accompany freefall, without the responsibility of opening your own parachute. TANDEM SKYDIVE FREEFALL lasts up to 50 seconds, reaching speeds of around 220kms per hour, before your instructor opens the parachute. Once the parachute is open, you are encouraged to assist the instructor in flying the parachute. Here you will have the BEST VIEWS of the MANNING VALLEY AND

COASTLINE. The parachute ride can last up to 6 minutes. The quiet sensation of floating under our specially built parachute for two above the earth is something not to be forgotten, before landing at our DROP ZONE. What to bring Lace up shoes (runners/ joggers), sport casual wear. Times. Weekends or during the week by prior arrangement, weather permitting.

Our many different trails into the surrounding forest valleys will allow you to experience the magic of the State Forests and reserves, sometimes alive with fascinating animal and bird life. Many of these tracks allow long canters for experienced riders; gentle walking rides will be appreciated by others. “100% pure fun; book me in with ‘Barney’ for life!” Adrienne Simpson, Sydney.

To book. Call 0418 730 741 or

Coates Road Possum Brush, 25 mins from Forster/Tuncurry or Taree.

email. skydivingnsw@bigpond.com

Phone. (02) 6554 3162.

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL. EFTPOS NOW AVAILABLE.

www.cfr.com.au

Conditions apply; please ask for details.

Photography by Nigel McNeil.

Smiths Lake News & Supamart Paul and Tricia Edwick moved to Pacific Palms in 1994 for a sea change. They knew the area well, as they have been holidaying here since the early ‘80s. They first owned Blueys General Store, and then in early 1995 they opened a second shop in Smiths Lake, which they now fully manage after selling the Blueys business in 2001.

Billabong’s MONSTER CROC! Staff at Billabong Zoo are delighted to announce the arrival of the newest member to their animal family, ‘monster croc’ Shrek. The massive salt water or estuarine crocodile measures 4.6 metres and is estimated to be 50 years old. Construction on the Jurassic Pond exhibit began in early 2012 and boasts a naturalistic themed exhibit, large pool and state of the art viewing areas for the public. Visitors can enjoy watching Shrek swim through an underwater viewing panel, which had to be imported from Germany! There is also a second storey viewing area, to allow visitors to look out over the pool, and the view from the front of the exhibit is uninhibited by the use of all glass fencing panels. Shrek made the journey from Crocodylus Park in Darwin to Billabong Zoo in an 18 hour marathon journey by plane and truck. Shrek’s Jurassic Pond exhibit will be open to the public from December 20, 2012.

“At Smiths Lake News & Supamart, we love to meet and chat to all our customers and always look forward to meeting new people from all over the world who travel though this beautiful area,” Paul and Tricia said. They have a huge range of stock and cater for different needs during the peak holiday periods. Newspapers, magazines, DVD hire, grocery, fruit and vegetables, milk, ice creams, icy cold drinks, ice, bait and tackle and many other items can be purchased in store, along with an expanding range of giftware, gift cards and both internet and mobile top up credit and fishing licences. They now sell Evodia, which are all natural skincare, bath and body products, fragrances and luxurious home fragrance such as candles and diffusers. No harmful ingredients, parabens, artificial colours or preservatives are included in any of the products. Major credit card, cash and eftpos facilities are available. They pride themselves on their service and product range. Come in and say hi to Paul, Tricia and the team. We look forward to seeing you there!

Careers That Care Do you have young people living at home who are interested in getting paid to study? School Based Traineeships now made easier with a locally funded support and mentoring program called Careers that Care. School Based Traineeships have long been recognised as an innovative way to combine paid work, school curriculum and vocational training. Careers that Care is specifically targeted at Community Services and Health Sector School Based Trainees. The program provides students with a personal Support Person who provides an individual and structured mentoring program throughout the first twelve months of the traineeships, which traditionally is the most likely time for attrition to occur. Parents are encouraged to use social media platforms to communicate directly with their young person’s mentor directly, using Facebook and text messaging to talk about any questions they might have. Parents’ feedback is encouraged by completing anonymous surveys in survey monkey. Parents and guardians’ support is vital in supporting students to finish their Apprenticeship/Traineeship. The program was developed based on both student and employer feedback. Trainees have many competing demands juggling school, work, a social life and rest. Careers that Care can be used to help with assessments, school work, motivation, communication and negotiation, even helping in the workplace to develop new skills. Careers that Care can support trainees undertaking Aged Care, Disability Services, Allied Health and Child Care. Additionally, Careers that Care can provide assistance with young people who are considered vulnerable and at risk. Mid Coast Connect has been working with local schools and businesses for many years. Careers that Care is funded through the Australian Apprenticeship Mentoring package and is facilitated by Connect Northern Rivers, Youth Directions and Mid Coast Connect. For more information, visit www.careersthatcare.net or contact Gabbie Beckley (02) 6551 5463 or 0447 788 993.

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a passion and skill for craft

Anne Bloomfield and Ag gie McClutchey

Aggie McClutchey and Anne Bloomfield Bloomfield are both local women with a passion – and skill – for craft. Recently the pair sent a beautiful gift to Queen Elizabeth II for her Diamond Jubilee, for which they received a letter of gratitude and acknowledgement. Aggie and Anne would both like to see many of the old, beautiful crafts such as tatting, crocheting and macramé passed down to future generations, and they have both done their best to ensure their skills are shared with others over the years. hat are your backgrounds in the local area, and how did you both meet? Anne: I was born at Upper Lansdowne. When I left school, I went to work at Connells – the department store [located where Spotlight in Taree is now]. I worked in another department to Aggie at the time, with another boss, and later on I actually worked for Aggie – so I’ve known her since I was 16 years old. That’s 42 years! After I married, I moved to Mitchells Island; I’ve been in the district all my life. Aggie: I was born in Taree and brought up on my parents’ dairy farm at Kolodong. My first job was at Lyndons’ ladieswear shop [in Victoria Street]. I worked at Woolworths for 8 years and then at Connells for 18 years, managing the wool department. After Connells was bought out by Mates, I managed two departments and became the national buyer for the company. I eventually owned my own store, selling wool, handicraft and fabric until I retired. I was one of the instigators behind establishing the Flair Fashion Awards in 1994, and I was a coordinator of the Awards for 11 years. I’m very proud of how the Flair Awards are still being run so successfully today. I’ve enjoyed every moment of my working life – it’s been a wonderful career I’ve enjoyed in retail. Anne and I worked together for many years. She’s always been very creative, and I admire that. Anne’s become a part of my family. Anne, have you been interested in craft all your life? Anne: Yes, ever since I was a child. My grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was about 10, and my mother taught me to knit as a small child. 34 manning-great lakes focus.

When I worked with Aggie in later years, we sold lots of tatted edged hankies created by a local lady. I fell in love with tatting then and decided I really wanted to learn. I had a couple of ladies teach me, and I finally mastered it! I’ll admit to being a little bit ignorant here – but what exactly is tatting? It’s not something you hear a lot about these days. Anne: Tatting is a form of lace that you make with a shuttle by hand. You can use it to make doilies, lace edgings, or motifs. I make a lot of tatted crosses that can be used as bookmarks, and I sell these through the Craft Centre in Taree. I also make hankies for special orders, which is what Aggie had me do recently for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Describe the gift you actually made for the Queen … Anne: It was a white hanky around which I tatted an edge with a 4 leaf clover design. I embroidered the words, 'Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee 2012' across one of the corners. How long does an item like this typically take you to make? Anne: Many hours. For over a week, I’d sit down for a couple of hours each night to work on it. Something with a more complicated design would take even longer. Aggie, what made you come up with the idea to present the Queen with this particular gift? Aggie: I read the Queen carries a hanky everywhere she goes. Anne does such lovely tatted hankies, which she sells at the Craft Centre. I thought a tatted edge with the symbol of the 4 leaf clover and what it represents would make a beautiful gift. What was the response from the Queen after she received your gift? Anne: She sent a lovely letter back to Aggie and also some photos of herself from various

stages throughout her life. It was said in the letter that Her Majesty was very touched by the gift – she described it as a very pretty handkerchief. Aggie, where does your love for the royal family stem from? Aggie: Although I’m a few years younger than the Queen, I have had the pleasure of witnessing her journey through life. I was present at her very first visit to Australia as Queen and amongst the crowds on many other occasions when she visited our beautiful country. The Queen and Prince Phillip have been and remain an inspiration to us all. What crafts did you like to do before you retired, Aggie? Aggie: I loved designing in knitting yarns. I actually won the Designer of the Year at the the Gown of the Year Awards in Melbourne in 1972 with a crocheted creation. In the ’70s, crocheting was really big on the fashion scene. I’ve held many crochet classes over the years and taught hundreds of people. I’m very proud of what Anne’s achieved and also that she’s still carrying on with her craft now. The problem today is that a lot of crafts, such as tatting, are getting lost. As a society now, women work and don’t have the time for craft like they used to. Sadly, we’re going to lose a lot of the craft that our grandmothers taught us. I also used to love macramé, but that's another skill that's been lost now. I also did a lot of tapestries. So Anne, do you also feel that the public’s

losing its knowledge of some of the old crafts? Anne: Yes, I do. I teach crocheting, knitting and tatting classes at the Taree Craft Cottage to pass on my knowledge and skills. Aggie: And may I say how much I admire the committee of the Craft Centre here in Taree and what they’ve done locally. There have been many years of hard work put into the centre, and I don’t think there would be any other town in the state that would have a better representation of craft. Why do you feel it’s so important to preserve these craft skills for future generations? Anne: Some of these crafts were created many, many years ago, and they’ve been passed down from generation to generation. It’s such a shame that many won’t be passed on. What are some of the other projects that are keeping you busy at the moment? Aggie: When I used to work in the shop, we sold many crocheted booties for babies in football team colours. I suggested to Anne she should carry on with this and sell them through the Craft Centre, as I still had the pattern. Anne: I think I’ve sold over 400 pairs of them now in three years. I seem to sell a lot of Manly, Canterbury, St George and Roosters booties. Aggie: As soon as we find out which team they barrack for, we’ll send the Duchess [of Cambridge – Kate Middleton] a pair! Thanks ladies.

• HOW IT'S MADE •

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Have you ever eaten something wonderful, admired something beautiful or quirky, or even worn something you just love the feel of? Welcome to the first interview in our new series, ‘How It’s Made’, which will highlight some of our local products and explore just what goes into making them so special! Meet Tash (Natasha) Topschi from Baba Lila Chocolates.

hat is the origin of the name ‘Baba Lila’? ‘Baba’ means grandmother in Russian, and ‘Lila’ is my mother’s name. I come from Russian descent − both parents are Russian. I was born in Sydney and grew up in a Russian community that embraced our 'Russianaity', from the language we spoke to the food we ate. The recipe has been passed down in my family, something my mother taught me ... and a reason why I named my business after her − a respect to my family and heritage. What variety of products (flavours and sizes) does your business make? We have 12 varieties broken into 2 ranges − Traditional Range, this includes: Prune 'n Brandy, Almond, Rum 'n Raisin, Hazelnut, Rosewater, Marsala 'n Cherry. Most of these flavours are from the original recipe passed down from our family, with a couple of my own inspirations. The Native Australian range includes: Wild Lime, Davidson Plum with Coconut, Aniseed Myrtle, Lemon Myrtle, Pepper Berry, Wattleseed. This range is an adaptation from the original recipe, using the same methods but including Australian bush foods. What processes/methods are used to create your wonderful chocolates from start to finish – and is it true that everything you produce is made by hand? Indeed, these are truly hand made. Each chocolate has hand mixed centres (for some larger quantities I use a mix master to start off the blending process

then use a hand method to complete); then they are hand rolled into balls and weighed individually. After freezing the centres, they are hand dipped in a semi dark chocolate, left to dry, then hand wrapped and hand packaged and labelled − I'm very handy! What equipment/materials do you use to make your products? Apart from my hands, some general kitchen utensils, bowls and trays, a freezer, a bain marie for melting chocolate and a mix master to whip the butter. In the past I have been offered investment to increase manufacture to a larger scale − in doing this I would need the equipment to keep up with demand and growth … just more fossil fuels! I would also be led to compromise local support because of the economic viability of using products outside our small local area. I produce over 2,500 chocs per week with myself and my daughter and still produce more when needed. Where do you source your raw ingredients? Believing in supporting our local economy, and the concept of 'treading lightly' on resources by minimising fossils fuels through transport etc, I stay local. If it's not made in our local area, I use local suppliers to source products − everything from the ingredients to packaging. How do you come up with the concepts for new flavours or styles? I look close to home for availability; our local area has a diverse abundance of bush foods and businesses that process and manufacture them. Also both sides of my heritage – Russian and Australian, are a great inspiration.

Where can people source your products or find out more info? I manufacture the chocs in Comboyne but do not retail from my factory kitchen; however, they are sold through the Comboyne Community Centre 7 days per week. You can find them mainly on the Mid North Coast between Forster and Coffs Harbour − in cafés, florists, hotels, gift stores and at local markets (Wauchope Farmers, Port Macquarie Foreshore, Bellingen Community) or order by email (details at www. babalila.com.au). We will be updating our website to a 'shop front' in the near future. Thanks Tash. Pics feature Tash and daughter, Rhianna Topschij. manning-great lakes focus 35

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Photo by East Coastt Phot Photogr graphy

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We will help make it your own; the only limit is your imagination.

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Michel’s Patisserie Michel's Patisserie is a much loved family patisserie offering sweet treats, scrumptious savouries and award winning coffee. We make entertaining easy, with a wide array of tantalising and delectable cakes to suit every occasion and budget. Our engagement and wedding cake range is simple and elegant but more importantly, affordable. You can choose from a variety of sponge, mud and gateaux flavours and a size to suit your guest list. We can finish your cake (depending on the design) with royal icing, ganache (chocolate, marble, caramel or white chocolate) and a selection of ribbons to tie in perfectly with your colour scheme. Visit your local Michel's Patisserie store to view our complete Engagement and Wedding Cake range and discuss all decorative options with one of our friendly staff. Don't forget, we can arrange overnight turnaround of your cakes and also hire out tiered cake stands for a fully refundable deposit, making your planning a breeze. Michel's Patisserie makes catering your next occasion a breeze! Order online before 2pm and pick up at your local store tomorrow. Select from a range of Cakes to Share, Small Cakes, Celebration Cakes, Photo Cakes, and Image Cakes that are currently available.

Your Wedding Your Way One Hair & Beauty The Team At One Hair and Beauty specialise in making every bride’s big day stress free. Choosing between loose and wavy, a boho braid, a messy bun, sleek and straight, some retro waves or a classic updo? We have got them all. For that special day, trust the experts at One Hair and Beauty to pamper you from head to toe. To ensure all of our brides look perfect for their big day, we have beauty treatments available from facials, waxing, eyebrow shaping, blow waves and hair treatments. The salon also specialises in solarium tanning, which can give you a nice glow for your special day. At One Hair and Beauty, our aim is to make you feel and look your best for your special day. We can assure that every detail will be specifically tailored to meet your individual needs. For every type of wedding, there’s a perfect hairstyle just waiting to be worn. Call Annie or Jan at One Hair and Beauty to discuss you wedding day and arrange your hair trials.

Pacific Palms Recreation Club offers a stunning location with unsurpassed views of Wallis Lake. We can cater for any size wedding, from small and intimate to large gatherings. Our wedding specialist will work with you to design a tailored plan to suit your vision of the perfect wedding day. Choose from our Oceanside Ceremony, with a perfect beach backdrop that captures the natural beauty of our local beaches, or make your vows at our Lakeside Service on the lawn. Host your reception in relaxed surrounds making use of our expansive outdoor area. Alternatively, dine in our spacious Sunset Room, which includes exclusive deck access. Select from a vast range of dining choices, or design your own specialised menu in consultation with our creative chefs. Our club bus can transport you and your guests to and from your venues and is also available for private hire for bridal photo tours. We will help make it your own; the only limit is your imagination. We are dedicated to making your wedding a day to remember. For further information, don’t hesitate to contact us by phone (02) 6554 0207, email: functions@pprc.com.au or feel free to visit us at the club 3957 The Lakes Way, Pacific Palms.

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C LU B TA R E E W E D D I N G S H OWC A S E

C LU B TA R E E

WEDDING SHOWCASE

C LU B TA R E E

WEDDING SHOWCASE

BELLA ROSE COLLECTIONS THE 2013 WEDDING SHOWCASE

S E A S I D E S TAT I O N E RY

Our 2012 event cemented the Club Taree Wedding Showcase as the largest and most informative annual wedding event in the Manning Valley. Club Taree is delighted to once again bring together over 40 industry experts at our 2013 Wedding Showcase. The aim of the Club Taree Wedding Showcase is to highlight the range of products and services available to brides and grooms within our local region. Club Taree, with the support from local professionals, will present what we believe to be the ultimate tribute to the local wedding industry, to inform, assist and inspire you in the lead up to your special day.

An invitation is the first point of contact with your guests. A well designed invitation will set the scene for your unique wedding or event and create a lasting impression. Stationery should reflect your own style, personality and the event or celebration.

We invite you to join us on Sunday 20 January for the region’s ultimate wedding planning event for 2013. On the day, brides and grooms will be treated to a range of hands on displays, informative exhibits, an ‘ideas’ zone, live entertainment product demonstrations, complimentary sparkling wine, a goody bag, a complimentary copy of WHITE wedding magazine, and entry into our lucky door prize draw. Club Taree recognises the support of Imprint Imaging, FOCUS and Travelworld Taree for their assistance in presenting the 2013 Club Taree Wedding Showcase. Club Taree. Sunday 20 January 2013, 10am – 2pm.

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SEASIDE STATIONERY can help you design exclusive, handmade matching ‘Save the Date’ cards, invitations, place cards and more. This stationery can then be made for you by Margaret, or you can purchase the paper, envelopes and ribbons from Margaret and make it yourself.

Your stationery will be beautifully original, with the feel that only handcrafted items can convey. Margaret works from home, so is available for appointments outside business hours. Margaret has hundreds of samples of card and paper to select from. There are also hundreds of sample invitations to give you inspiration. Contact Margaret on 6554 7151 or 0438 690 700 or by email: seasidestationery@yahoo.com.au to make an appointment to discuss your ideas and for a quote. Seaside Stationery is located at 11 Lake St, Tuncurry.

Bella Rose Collections is a name synonymous with elegant bridal gowns and stylish evening wear, and we are proud to showcase labels for both men and women at our premier emporium. When you visit our stunning showroom, you are treated to hundreds of latest-styles in formal attire for both men and women from the best designers and labels Australia has to offer. We are proud to boast the biggest showroom and largest selection on the Mid North Coast. Stocking a range of men’s suits and accessories for purchase and hire in our dedicated menswear section – BR Collections for Men complements the stunning women’s range, enabling us to provide you with a complete service package. At Bella Rose Collections, our speciality is still quality designer gowns, carefully selected from leading bridal houses due to the highest quality of workmanship and cutting edge in design, with a large selection of gowns to suit all sizes and budgets. We are proud to stock gowns from Brides Desire, Essense of Australia, Ella Bridal, Alfred Angelo, Only You by Jean Fox and Sylvia Rose. No matter what the occasion, you can be sure to find exactly what you need from the extensive range of both men and ladies formal wear available from Bella Rose Collections. Visit us today at 44 Gordon Street, Port Macquarie.

Craig Mason Photography Craig Mason is a national and international award winning photographer with in excess of 25 years of photographic knowledge, providing discerning clients with excellence in photography. East Coast Photography is proud to be at the forefront in Wedding Photography in the Great Lakes and Manning regions. Locally covering weddings in Pacific Palms, Green Cathedral Tiona, Forster, Hallidays Point and Harrington. Craig’s images are a reflection of the passion he has for wedding photography – a passion that exists at each and every wedding, a passion to attain the best in imagery, a passion to go one better. This passion for wedding photography combined with the artistic ability of a fine landscape photographer go hand in hand to create stunning emotional images for clients to cherish for a lifetime. There is something unique and new in each and every wedding, so Craig strives to better himself and to go that extra mile. This is the reason why Craig is the most awarded photographer in the Mid North Coast region – you don’t get awards with everyday images. If you want stunning images from you wedding photographer, then you have come to the right website. Covering Pacific Palms, Forster - Tuncurry, Green Cathedral, Taree, Port Macquarie, Newcastle and surrounds.

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Your Perfect Wedding Day. What do you see when you picture your perfect wedding day? Do you have visions of a tranquil tropical setting, of sea, surf and sand, beautiful cuisine and a relaxed contemporary atmosphere where you and your guests dance the night away with not a worry in the world? Sounds like Mobys will be the perfect destination for the wedding of your dreams ... Nestled against Boomerang Beach is the sophisticated yet relaxed Mobys Beachside Retreat and Function Centre. What could be more romantic than your own private beach ceremony with family and friends on the pristine sands of Boomerang Beach, less than 50 metres away? We cater for all wedding celebrations, from intimate gatherings to lavish functions for up to 180 guests. Mobys will bring your dream wedding to life with

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the help of our experienced and friendly staff, including your own personal Events Coordinator. Our superb hospitality and amazing cuisine will make such an impression, that you and your guests will talk about your wedding day forever. Mobys offers a variety of catering options, including cocktail, alternate course menus, and banquet receptions. Choose from one of our fabulous packages, or let us design something specifically catered to your needs and desires. Running the full length of our Boomerang Function Room is our spacious outdoor deck area set with tables, chairs and candlelit lanterns for you and your guests. Enjoy the added ambience of the soothing sounds of the surf just metres away ... As a Mobys bride, you will receive exclusive use of your own Bridal Retreat Room for the duration of your reception.

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JANUARY 2013 s p e c i a l

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WITH TERRI

A Symbol of Perfection

CAPRICORN. December 22 - January 20

TAURUS.

VIRGO.

April 21 - May 21

August 24 - September 23 A

The world is your oyster. You will soon be finishing off old business ties and making ways for new opportunities so be prepared. 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 your truth from your heart. Zincite helps creation of new ideas.

Balance and equilibrium are about to enter your picture. Justice will be granted, you will have a positive outcome regarding a legal matter but you can expect a series of delays first. Good news will be given soon. Enjoy your period of rest as you are likely to be busy during the month of January. Rhodonite aligns us with our talents and our purpose in life.

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. By walking fearlessly into your future, you will discover even more personal strength. Azeztulite helps us to connect with alternate realities. Carry it on your being.

AQUARIUS.

GEMINI.

LIBRA.

May 22 - June 22

September 24 - October 23

January 21 - February 19

Your soul is calling out for your attention. Listen to your needs. Some personal nurturing is required. Release other people’s stress and problems, as these weigh you down. Set some personal goals and enjoy what is about to befall you. Enjoy! Kunzite fills your soul with joy, allowing us to override stress.

PISCES. February 20 - March 20

You are about to embark on a journey. For some this will be literal, for others, an inward journey of self-discovery. During this time, you will make new friends and acquaintances who will mirror your lessons in life perfectly. To gain the most out of this, remove all judgement and look for the outcome. Seraphinite allows us to heal passed hurts from a subconscious plane.

ARIES. March 21 - April 20

Your emotions have been a little over sensitive lately as you have begun a cycle of self-discovery, where you will be 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.

Choice is upon you. Your talents have been activated, which will wake up new gifts. Some direction is needed now, so you will be ready for the perfect opportunity. Deep inside you have your own answers, but unfortunately you are lacking the confidence to listen. Trust in your sensitivity and psychic ability, as this is never wrong. Labradorite brings magical energy into the picture for manifestation.

CANCER. June 23 - July 23 Ju

A gift is about to be bestowed upon you. This was your creation through a wish made several months ago. 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.

You are currently involved in a cycle of family or group healing. 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.

At Artique Hair & Spa, we offer beautiful wedding packages to make your day absolutely perfect and much more. My name is Shanna; I am the owner of Artique. I am qualified in hairdressing, beauty therapy and makeup. I have eight years’ experience in the industry, including hair, fashion shows and many weddings. Mikaela is our new emerging beauty therapist, who has just started at Artique. She brings a warm and friendly personality to make your experience enjoyable with her gentle touch. Artique Hair & Spa is located in the beautiful community village in Harrington Waters. Our spa is a Keune Colour expert salon which supports the Keune Foundation, helping children with life threatening illnesses. We use Pelactive cosmecuticals for our facials, which are Australian made and owned and have wonderful skin improvement results. We have a wide variety of services, including hairdressing services, beauty, waxing, manicures, pedicures, facials, massage, makeup, beautiful and natural spray tanning and specialist wedding services. We have so much to offer, with our new summer promotions and packages tailored to your needs. Thank you for reading our article; Mikaela and I hope to see you soon to relax and unwind in our aromatic environment.

SCORPIO. October 24 - November 22

Goal setting at this time will benefit you mostly. New beginnings are at hand, so make the most of this creating 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.

LEO.

SAGATTARIUS.

July 24 - August 23

November 23 - December 21

You are entering a new cycle, with lots of excitement and laughter. At first your 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.

Weddings are a symbol of perfection and beauty ...

You have answers to other people’s dilemmas. This is because you have a cosmic understanding of life. You are a natural teacher and other people are drawn to you, because they know you have their answers. 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.

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Summer in the lakes When you find an amazing place, you are often torn between keeping it a secret and telling all your friends – the Great Lakes is one of those places. The Great Lakes is a region defined by water. At its heart is a unique triple lakes system surrounded by rivers, vast tracts forest, 145 km of stunning coastline, golden beaches, true wilderness, rich history and a rolling hinterland, all with the magnificent Great Dividing Range as a backdrop. This amazing space contains everything anyone would need to create memories to last a lifetime, and in summer it comes alive. Summer in the Great Lakes means long days, warm blue water, sandy beaches and cool forests. It’s all about getting outside and exploring new and old places; it’s about

reconnecting and rekindling, about celebrating and reflecting. Summer in the Great Lakes is all about you. Great Lakes Tourism has produced a special guide which has everything you will need to get the most out of summer in the lakes. Ideas, must dos, what’s on, activity guides, information on our beaches and parks and a fantastic competition. This guide is also a gateway to the most up to date Great Lakes info. Using a technology called ‘layer’, we have created links on some of the pages to live updates, videos, weather reports, updated event listings and even accommodation prices and availability. What other guide can provide that? Grab a copy at the nearest coffee shop, visitor centre or where you are staying.

summer in the lakes places, spaces, events, activities, adventures, beaches, markets, everything you will need to explore a great lakes summer

Pick up your free guide today, download a copy at greatlakes.org.au or contact Great Lakes Tourism on 1800 802 692 42 manning-great lakes focus.

Tuncurry Seafood Race Day Tuncurry Races this year is proud to announce that on 19 January, it will hold its very first Seafood Race Day! Buses will run in the morning from 11 am, and the last bus leaves at 6pm. You can look on the website for more information: www.tfjc. info The gates open at 11am. Entry into the track is $10 non members, $5 for members and aged pensioners, and children under 18 are free accompanied by an adult. There are also tickets available to the Pavilion and Gazebo. Pavilion tickets are $30 for members & $35 for non members. These are available from Marg on 0429 967 823. On the day, race book with a pen will be

available for $5 each. Food available on course will be prawn rolls, local Barclay oysters, BBQ sausages on a fresh bread roll with oysters in the sausage (sausage carpet bagger!) Wallis Lake Fisherman’s Co-Op is BBQing fresh fish and plates of prawns. Also available are pies, hot dogs and fresh cut sandwiches. There will be an under cover food eating area with tables and chairs. There’ll be a bar selling beer, wine, champagne, spirits, cold drinks and water. The feature race of the day, ‘The Oyster Cup’, will be ran over 1,400 m, plus there’ll be four other races on the day. There will be 10 book makers, and a six window TAB operating on Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane.

s p e c i a l

feature

Just Dresses 4 U Justdresses4u have a great range of dresses, from casual beachwear to daywear to cocktail and formal dresses. We have the right dress to suit any occasion. Looking for ideas on what to wear to a wedding? We have got the dress and style advice for traditional weddings, receptions and even beach weddings. Come in to Justdresses4u and browse through our stunning collection of dresses and formal wear.

Ballistic Chix Ballistic Chix has a large range of fashion, handbags and unique footwear and accessories with new season’s stock arriving daily; lots of beautiful pastels and florals are in for the summer! Our sizes range from 6 to 16 and beyond; Ballistic Chix caters for all ages, from teens and mums to nans. Ballistic Chix are your wedding and racing specialists with plenty of one offs, so you can feel comfortable that you will be unique for that special day or evening. So please feel free to take a browse in my store and see for yourself the large range of goodies inside.

The Races are also around the corner, and we have the perfect dress to make sure you stand out from the crowd with the perfect race-day outfit, from pretty dresses and eye-catching jewellery and beautiful fascinators. Justdresses4u also stocks shorts, tees jeans, tops, handbags and jewellery. We also have a fabulous new range of cosmetics and bathbombs. We have a huge range of dresses in store for all your party season requirements. Come in and meet Leanne today and try on a dress that will be perfect for your Wedding and Race Day Wear. We have all the accessories that you could ever need, to really set you apart from the crowd.

Dianna Jehnsen has been dressing the most stylish locals for over 20 years and would love to meet you today!

We are also on Facebook – justdresses4u; hit like, and you will be the first to see the fashion ranges, specials and competitions that we are running.

You can go BALLISTIC at Ballistic Chix. Open 9am to 5pm Monday through to Saturday and 9.30am to 4pm Sundays, I will look forward to your visit.

You will find us on Kularoo Drive, Forster, just past the Likely Street turn off. We look forward to seeing you soon. We also have gift vouchers available.

Ballistic Chix is located at 1/3 Wharf Street, Forster. Our phone number is 6557 2171.

FREE FASCINATOR with every race dress sold (while stocks last).

Port Central Port Macquarie 6583 8041 Corner Albert and Manning Streets Taree 6551 5858 Wharf Street Forster 6555 8356

www.occasionsjewellers.com.au manning-great lakes focus 43

focusinterview.

with Sharon Fowle

Business B

Andrew O’Sullivan & Associates Landscapes

It is common for business owners to bee concerned about the 'bottom line', and the same goes for Andrew O’Sullivan. The difference for Andrew is the bottom line is less about the financial impact and more about the impact our garden has on our lives and on the resources we produce. Andrew has a unique perspective on how we should be looking at resources to create a sustainable environment. ave you seen changes in the environment that are adversely affecting your business? The natural world runs on cycles. We are kidding ourselves if we think that Mother Nature is being affected. Mother Nature could wipe us off the planet in a minute. No doubt we may be irritating, but we’re probably less irritating than fleas on a dog's back. I don’t believe we are detrimental to the planet. Rather than worrying about global warming, green house gases and the state of the world’s environment, we should just try to concentrate on our own backyards. Nature looks after us; it gives us warning signs, but also gives us ideas on what to do. What is your design philosophy working in this industry? Sustainability – we are a throw away society. My mother always taught us to reuse and respect everything. We grew our own food and had ducks and chickens. Our bird aviaries were made from old wooden boxes. I collected glass bottles at age 8; reusing is in my blood. Recycling is about breaking down 'stuff'. We are made to feel good about putting our recycling in the bin. Rather then doing this, we should try to think about how we can put those items to use again. Nothing is worthless; everything has a value. It is better to pay a little more for an item and have it for longer. We have the skills and the ability to make things last forever. I used to be a patron for the Alternative Technology Association and an ABC Gardening Australia presenter, which gave me great exposure to learn about sustainability. It is important to have a practical, multifunctional space. Look at how the environment is working for you; it can tell you a lot. For example: where do you want to be sitting in your garden at 7am in winter and 7am in summer? Permaculture (permanent agriculture – a way of looking at plants in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system) is a great philosophy, but it doesn’t present well and is often not set up in a designer style. Because presentation isn’t fantastic, only a small percentage of people will do it in their garden. I can put a designer spin on it and take the character of the house into consideration. Reusing the existing materials makes it more cost effective for the client and helps create a natural habitat for all the little animals that already exist in the yard. I include some

44 manning-great lakes focus.

educational information to help the client have an understanding of their environment. I call it the PEACE principle – practical, environment, attractive, cost effective, educational.

The first thing you do is have a your good look around mind in g in ar garden, be ts is . You what already ex tive with ea cr can be very u already all the things yo have.”

“

What have been some highlights of your career? I built a display garden at the Gardening Australia Show some years ago out of waste. At the front of the display, I left all the untreated rubbish; all the exact same materials that were used in the display were positioned in front of a divider wall. Behind the wall I built three display gardens – one natural, one Balinese and one Mediterranean, with exactly the same products but with different looks. It was the paint colours used and the furnishings that made the look of each so different. I won awards and Sandra Levy, ABC’s Gardening Australia producer, approached me and said she wanted me on the show. I felt I was making a stand for all the rubbish in the world. I was making a massive statement, and that’s what got me the job as TV presenter on the show. I worked there for 5 years, and then went on to Australia’s Best Backyards with Jamie Durie. A really significant achievement in my career was being the only landscaper ever to win the John Seale Award. What should we consider for new garden projects? Have a realistic budget, because it’s what you're spending on your lifestyle. The rule of thumb is your landscaping budget should be about 10% of the value of your property, which is not very much. It’s pretty sad that people spend 10 - 20k on a kitchen, when in this beautiful part of the world we can frequently eat alfresco. Consider a wood fire oven; it’s a fantastic tool for socialising. If you do up your garden well, it’s like adding another room and potentially multiple rooms to your property. Picture sitting back in a hammock picking grapes off your own vineyard hanging above you. You can have an outdoor bathroom with a hydrogen heated bath, a bedroom, a kitchen, and it’s making use of this amazing climate that we live in. Putting a spiral of plastic piping in the middle of a compost pile will give you unlimited,

free hot water. A fire pit can bring a family together. You can sit around for a chat, cooking marshmallows rather than being glued to the TV.

Salvaging stuff can make it affordable. You may have stuff already that you can use once you start looking at it with different eyes. Creating lifestyles in your own back yard is as good as going on holiday.

How can we create a designer garden using reused materials? Other landscapers design from scratch. It’s a mind challenge to reuse products. It’s like putting a jigsaw together, without having all the pieces.The first thing you do is have a good look around your garden, bearing in mind what already exists. You can be very creative with all the things you already have. My aim is to try to use everything a client already has and turn it around to include a designer twist. There is a beautiful word: 'Ecologos'. It’s a Latin word which means 'look after where you be, and wherever you be is your home'. Utilise everything you have and respect everything. Stop treating things in a wasteful manner. Are there other ways to reuse materials in our gardens? Newspapers have multiple uses and can be used in a worm farm or as a weed suppressant. Plastic bottles can be cut and used as pot plants to get seedlings started. Take the bottom off a 2 L plastic bottle, put holes in the lid. Bury it upside down with the end poking out, and use it as a water reservoir. It will act as a drip system. Use it under the drip line of your trees to keep the areas moist longer. Make triangular cuts in a 1.25 litre plastic bottle, fill it with soil and pull triangular slots out; it can be used as a hanging basket for strawberries. Before long, you wont be able to see the plastic. Cut the top off a 1.25 L bottle and put a slit down the side. It becomes a sleeve to prevent the whipper snipper cutting your plants. They can be used as snail guards, a hothouse for propagating plants. Put old tin cans around your orange or lemon tree. Citrus trees love iron and will thrive. Thanks Andrew. Andrew hosts The Garden Show with Andy O on Great Lakes FM on Tuesdays from 10am.

manning-great lakes focus 45

Memorial Gardens.

The peaceful setting and beauty ofes spring provid an ideal location for reflection.

In the past decade, many families have attended funerals at the Manning Great Lakes Memorial Gardens and experienced the tranquil setting, providing ideal surroundings to say goodbye to a loved one. The landscaped grounds provide quiet spaces, including many memorial options, where family and friends can reflect on a life lived by a loved one. The mourning process has many levels and for some family members, a memorial provides the level of closure required to be able to move forward in difficult times. A memorial forms the tie between generations, with a tangible place to visit for generations to come. The choice of placing a loved one in the

46 manning-great lakes focus.

Where presentation is a priority.

beautifully maintained grounds at the Memorial Gardens gives all members of the community a chance to remember and reflect how that life had an effect on them. The Family Estate & Rock Garden Memorials allow for family members to be united together in a final resting place. The Family Estate is an individual memorial that features the family name placed on the main stone backing, along with standard roses and individual plaques. The Rock Garden Memorials are twin family plots set around a larger garden and also provide for the family name on the backing rock and two individual plaques.

focuseditorial.

with Amanda Priester from Coasting Home

AmandaPriester

Coastal Style

he Sand and the Sea Many years ago, blue and yellow were the dominant colours, representing in all their shades the sand and the sea. Interiors were dominated with yellow and blue feature walls and furniture became more rustic. Coastal style furniture also became more deconstructed, with baskets replacing drawers. We liked the idea of informal lounge furniture to reflect our more casual style of living. This saw the re-emergence of cane and the introduction of the relatively new materials, such as Water Hyacinth. Room accessories were dominated by motifs of beach huts, fish and frangipanis. Coastal Style was starting to be featured in a number of home living magazines and TV

As Australians, we have an affinity with living on the coast. The beautiful beaches and waterways of our local area spoil us, with great views and locations to live. In contrast to those of us who live in the much harsher inland environment, coastal living is a much-desired way of life. We take the motifs of the sea and its lifestyle in, when decorating our home to refect this. Coastal style is a more common decorating theme than it was a decade ago. Some of the basic looks and styles have developed from our interpretation of this. shows. This opened the door for different ways to incorporate the new style with your current interior. Set Sail The element of nautical, while always popular with the ship’s Captain, moved into our lounge rooms. Navy, red and white, which we associate with flags and sailing, resonated here, along with boats, lighthouses, port holes, and anchors. Combined with darker shades of timber and brass, we were drawn to maps, navigation tools such as sextants and telescopes, tapestries and ships models. Navy, red and white are a classic palette that is still favoured by iconic American brands such as Ralph Lauren and Lexington. Blending a combination of these colours in stripes, solids, checks and patchwork give a room texture and interest. A Natural Wave The look of sand, shells and driftwood was the inspiration for the more natural decorating palette. Represented by neutrals in both fabrics and colours, this is always popular, as we are drawn to more simple colours that create a more serene environment. The use of natural materials such as stone, weathered timber, linen, cotton, and wool, give a neutral palette more

interest and variation in texture. This scheme also lends itself to modern homes and interiors, as minimalism requires a fairly sparse colour scheme. Here materials dominate, often in the use of timber, chrome or steel, stone, polished concrete and glass. These contrasts are where texture becomes the pattern and design detail. This palette has also seen the combination of French inspired furniture and accessories, mixed with the coastal elements, the natural fabrics and finishes, often used within this style are easily adapted to a coastal theme. The Timeless Blue and White Blue and white are what as seen as a constant in the coastal theme. It is not unusual to see a group of Chinese ginger jars in blue and white in a coastal interior. The combination of the same palette, but different themes works well to create interest and reflect your personal sense of style. Blue and white stripes say beach: they remind us of deck chairs, life buoys, canvas awnings and the classic French sailor's top. Today, we have many choices when choosing to incorporate coastal style into our homes. Finding the right elements to combine can be sourced in lots of ways, from the great coastal style books to regular magazine articles and apps like Pintrest.

At BCS Kularoo Centre Your Care is Our Passion

Book a tour today: The BCS Kularoo Centre offers low care, high care, dementia care and respite care services with special overnight accommodation for visiting friends or family.

BCS Kularoo Centre Cnr Kularoo Drive & Boundary Street Forster (02) 6555 1600 or take a Virtual Tour at www.bcs.org.au

manning-great lakes focus 47

education + training

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Dolphins Child Care Centre Back to School Blossoms Childcare The Tarean Newsagency two time winner of the People’s Choice Business Awards is your one stop shop for quality back to school stationery. Here at Tarean we can take the hassle out of your back to school needs – drop off your book list, and we can pack exactly what exercise book you need for every subject. The Tarean Newsagency stocks a comprehensive range of speciality magazines and a fabulous range of giftware for all of the special occasions in life, as well as quirky gifts for the every day. The Tarean is not just a newsagency; we also have a great café where you can sit and enjoy a cup of our fabulous Segafredo coffee. We have a great range of different foods, from tasty melts, fresh sandwiches to our delicious cakes or slices.

Blossoms’ top tips when deciding upon a childcare centre: Forward-plan: Luckily we live in an area where parents do not have to put their child’s name on a list at conception. It’s always a good idea to research potential childcare options for down the track, when you might consider returning to the workforce. Blossoms is currently taking enrolments for 2013. Be prepared: It’s best to allow your child settling time when a parent can be available if needed. Similarly, if you are expecting a child, think about placing your older child before the baby is born, so the child is happily settled when their brother or sister arrives. Understand the childcare system: Information is available on www.mychild.gov.au

New owners of the Tarean Libby and Brian also operate 2 air conditioned coaches in the Manning Valley. So if you’re a school, sporting or social group requiring quality transport in air conditioned comfort, call us on 0419 493 110 for a quote.

Visit: We welcome parents and children for play times. Parents can get to know staff and develop confidence in the transition. Appointments are necessary, so staff can be available to show you around at an appropriate time when children are not resting.

The Tarean Newsagency is conveniently located outside the Coles shopping centre in Taree. Call in and meet new owner Libby and her friendly staff. Hope to see you soon.

Relax: Our early childhood education is highly regarded worldwide. We have dedicated staff and wonderful programs where children are very happy.

manning mall

Dolphins Child Care Centre is a family owned and operated business that has been nurturing your children for over 15 years. Its quality education and care program also caters for babies. The babies 0 - 2 are also involved in our education program, along with the Dolphins tradition of the children being immersed in music, movement and dancing. The baby room has been fitted out to cater to all the specific needs of babies. Programming in the babies room will focus on each of the individuals needs and routines, whilst ensuring that their waking hours are filled with fun, learning and music. New staff have been employed to cater for the increased number of children, and they too have backgrounds in the creative arts. Kerry is a dance teacher, whilst Sharna has a great interest in the visual arts, and Sam has worked casually in many preschools and has many wonderful ideas to contribute to our education programs. Dolphins now offers you a complete ‘home away from home’ care, from babies through to 10 years with before and after school available too. After school care includes afternoon tea, homework supervision, computer time and outdoor play time. For more information on our educational programs and care facilities, please call our Director/Owner Jo on (02) 6555 3266.

dolphins

manning-great lakes focus 49

focusinterview.

Home Grown

Helen McCabe, Co-Owner and Director of Lillypilly Preschool and Casey Kent, Primary Educator, have been busy helping their students to grow their own produce. Not only have the children been amazed by the process of growing their own herbs and veggies, they’re preparing to host a special Locavore evening to cook and prepare what they’ve grown!

H

ow did the idea develop for community and support local business in every way we children at Lillypilly Preschool to can. This is why our challenge was to source food from grow their own produce? within 100 km of Lillypilly. We wanted the children to Helen: The idea came as a provalue and respect the environment, which has proven gression from a number of other ini- to be evident in the children’s accounts of their growing tiatives we had developed over the experiences. past few years. We have a strong environmental policy, How many children have been involved with this including things such as reducing waste, re-using and project, and what is their age range? recycling waste, growing fruit, herbs and vegetables, Helen: All our children have taken home seedlings composting food scraps, fertilizing from the worm farm, and organic seeds to plant; this includes 66 children making our own paper etc. Sustainability has been at aged between 2 - 5 years. Each child was also given a the forefront of our philosophy and practice since we learning journal to keep a record their experiences to established Lillypilly in 2009. show everyone what they had learnt. We decided to go the extra step of growing produce What are some of the items the children have at home after the children showed such posbeen busy growing? itive interest in caring for the gardens Casey: We were given a large variety of at preschool. It was amazing to see veggies to grow − pumpkins, tomave children snap off fresh snow peas toes, beans, cucumbers, and herbs, The children ha ng or cucumbers in our preschool the list is endless. The children’s developed a stro e g and se gardens and eat them as they favourite would have to be the sense of belongin nsion te played. We shared these stobeans. It has been instant enjoyLillypilly as an ex anted w ries with parents, who in turn ment for them, as they grow so of home. We also they e the children to se unity began to grow food at home. quickly. When we first started this m are part of a com eir food This proved such a valuable experience, about 60% of families th re he w and know learning experience, we wanted had gardens. Now it’s close to comes from.” all families to be involved. It is a 100%, plus grandparents and fantastic way to encourage children neighbours who have joined in. to eat healthy home grown produce What do you feel has been the main rather than prepackaged food. benefit of this whole process? Given the statistics on childhood obesity, we saw Casey: When we first asked the question about this as a positive opportunity to reinforce good food where a seed comes from, most children answered: “A choices. We have in the past bundled up food from our packet”. So watching their seed and seedling grow and gardens to send home; however, it has been great to then reaping the benefits of fresh produce has been an have the children grow food at home, bring it in and we amazing experience for both children and families. The all cook together. children have gained valuable insight into plants and The children have developed a strong sense of bewhere food comes from. longing and see Lillypilly as an extension of home. We In addition, the process has strengthened our partalso wanted the children to see they are part of a comnership between families and educator, which results munity and know where their food comes from. in our children being confident and involved in their We have always been supportive of local business, learning. including local produce growers. We value our local Of course, growing food has just been the start

“

50 manning-great lakes focus.

of the whole learning process for the children, and the next phase will actually be harvesting the food, followed by preparation and cooking. You’ve planned a special day in January to help with this process ... when exactly is this day taking place, and what activities are planned? Helen: We are having our harvest week from 14 - 17 January, where the children bring in all the food they have grown. We will have our Locavore evening on Friday 18 January. Our families and children will be cooking the dishes using the freshly harvested food, as well as any other fresh produce that is grown from within 100 km of Lillypilly. We will have the Locavore evening at Lillypilly, where we will enjoy the food and listen to live music. We will display the children’s learning stories from the process. The evening is open to all those who have contributed to the process. This includes local suppliers, children and families and of course, our wonderful team of educators. Casey: We wanted to capture the community spirit. You’ve received some special donations to help with your event too. What products have you received, and who would you like to thank? Casey: All our seedlings came from Melissa at Nature’s Harvest at Nabiac, and our seeds were donated by Green Patch at Old Bar. The Farmers Patch at Forster, Bob and Rada Kinkade, have been helpful connecting us with local supplies. Megan Cooke has given us seedlings and insightful support. Megan is one of Lillypilly’s mothers and horticulturalist of the community gardens in Forster. If anyone would like further information about your upcoming special event, who should they contact? They can call Lillypilly Preschool on 6555 2111 and speak with Helen or Casey. We would love to hear from local musicians who may be interested in playing on the evening, or any local chefs who would like to contribute. Thanks Helen and Casey.

Wesley Uniting Employment is now stretching its services to Gloucester, Purfleet and Tea Gardens.

Wesley Uniting Wesley Uniting Employment, as a provider of Job Services Australia, has now been successfully servicing the Manning and Great Lakes region for over 10 years – and now also offers specialist Disability Employment Services. To better service the needs of both employers and job seekers, Wesley Uniting Employment not only has branches in Taree and Tuncurry, but also provides outreach services to Gloucester, Purfleet and Tea

Gardens. Wesley Uniting Employment is very keen to work in partnership with industry to build business capacity, ensuring candidates meet employer’s criteria, offering training, wage subsidies, mentoring and ongoing post placement support where applicable. If you would like to know more, call 1800 631 132 to talk to your nearest Wesley Uniting Employment office, the leaders in local knowledge.

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education + training

TAFE’s Open Campus

focus feature

Learn any time, any place at your own pace.

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interaction by email, forums and chat groups.

More and more people are turning to online

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or distance education solutions as a result,

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a flexible mode, mixing on-the-job, on campus

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North Coast TAFE’s online courses can be

in basic study skills, it also provides help from

accessed from home, in the workplace or at

highly qualified online tutors in research,

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report and essay structure, English, Maths and

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manning-great lakes focus 53

focusinterview. Jodi Stevens of Whitecaps Photography.

H

ow were you first introduced to wavesailing? When I was 10 years old, my parents bought me a ‘Seaskip’, which was a sailboard made for kids. The Seaskip had footstraps and a lightweight aluminium mast, so jumping it was the most fun thing to do when the conditions permitted. If the wind was right in the channel, it was possible to get some decent air, but the best spot was off 7 Mile when the Nor’easter would kick in. At the time skateboarding was my other passion, so I couldn’t help but launch every time a bit of chop or a wave presented itself. The thrill of getting airborne and landing was amazing, and from that rush was born the passion to push the limits of the sport within my own physical boundaries. For those of us not very familiar with the sport, what’s the difference between wavesailing, windsurfing and sailboarding – or are they all one and the same? These terms are used to describe the sport. There are a multitude of disciplines that make up windsurfing, as people commonly call it. Speed Sailing, Formula Windsurfing, Super - X, Freestyle, Slalom, Olympic RS-X Class are all disciplines within their own right that make up the sport. Wavesailing is windsurfing in the waves. The equipment is quite different, with wave gear resembling surfboards in the rocker lines and rail shapes. The rigs are also quite specialised and purpose built for surf conditions. The real difference between Windsurfing and Sailboarding comes down to a patent. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Windsurfing#section_2 Newman Darby in 1965 wrote an article for Popular Science which he used to sell his style of sailboard. Jim Drake and Hoyle Schweitzer 54 manning-great lakes focus.

Wavesailer

in in w s i h from Division h s r g Fre ateu vesailin m A Wa the w 012 2 n no e o h r t f a o ,A n nals o i set o t s t Na h er bett is sig d h n s ra ha igge b n eve gs ... thin

(inventors of the WindsurferTM brand) along sailed the mecca for wavesailors, Hookipa Beach with Robby Naish and others went about shaping Park. I spent nearly six months in Maui. Jason and creating a culture that both combined the Polakow was starting to make a name for himself laid back nature of surf sports with the more in the sport for his extreme style, and I was rules based environment of yachting. The fortunate enough to meet him during that time. Windsurfer brand was very successful and meant How many competitions have you entered that manufacturers of sailboards had to pay to this year, and what have been your results? use the term sailboard, because they couldn’t call I have entered two events in Australia this them windsurfers. year: The Australian Wavesailing Nationals and As manufacturers were granted licenses to the Merimbula Sailboard Club Classic. In the produce sailboards, major players like Ten Cate, Nationals I entered the Amateurs Division and Bic, Mistral, F2 and HiFly emerged and started won it against Luke Baillie from QLD. I placed influencing sailboarding culture. 2nd in the masters division at the Merimbula What first made you decide to event against 30 other masters from around wavesail competitively? Australia. I used to hound my dad to Take us through the 2012 Australian take me to windsurfing Wavesailing Nationals at events before I could Woolgoolga … drive. When I was about The Australian Wavesailing Next year I will e enter every stat 13 years old, he took Nationals was a spur of the ith a round in NSW w a State me to Long Reef to moment event for me, as I ng ni in w to view watch an event called had no equipment and no t en ev xt ne Title. My y in ar the Sony Surflite. I way of getting there. My nu Ja til un t is no was fortunate enough mate, Tim, picked me up from Gerroa.” to chat to the guy who Forster and brought some won the event, and he equipment up for me, which I took the time to listen to borrowed from Wind Surf N Snow. my nervous questions and I had a great first day of competition, encourage my enthusiasm. getting through my side of the double I was fortunate enough to sail with some elimination in an undefeated 1st place. The other highly esteemed mentors on a regular basis. competitors had to beat me twice to take the 1st Kai Hopf (North Sails International Chief place result from me. As the week progressed, sail designer), Tom Leudecke (World Cup we sailed numerous times in conditions that were Competitor), Mark Paul (Bombora Sailboards, not good enough to hold the comp, so it was Designer), Mark Pedersen (World Cup decided that the single elimination results would Competitor), Kevin Wadham (Gaastra Sails be the final result, giving me the victory. Designer) and a crew of hard core wavesailors Do you have/are you looking for sponsors? like Scotty O’Connor, Rohan Cudmore, Brett Leading up to the 2012 Australian Wavesailing Goodwin and others that were based on Nationals, I borrowed a rig and board from the Northern Beaches gave me plenty of Sam Parker at Wind Surf N Snow. The rig was encouragement. amazing for the conditions and my board In 1992 I travelled to the island of Maui and was very short and floaty, which meant that,

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combined with a quad fin set up, it powered up nicely in gusty conditions. NCAC Stash House have been supporting me in my pursuits and helping me to promote and cross market the sport to the younger generation. Chris and Dean Deland from The Boxfish Restaurant have helped me out enormously by bearing some of the costs associated with events. In Sydney I used to manage a wholesale/retail outlet who are now helping me out with Neil Pryde Sails & Equipment and JP-Australia boards. I still have to buy the equipment, but it is at discounted rate. I am always keen to take on new sponsors, so if you’re reading this and you would like some exposure, please contact me! When and where is your next event? I am taking a metered approach to the NSW Wavesailing Association State Rounds this year and just entering the comps I know are going to have good conditions. Next year I will enter every state round in NSW with a view to winning a State Title. My next event is not until January in Gerroa. It is the final round for the year ... Where would you ultimately like to see your wavesailing take you? Maui in August 2013 is a goal. The Taranaki Wave Classic is on during October and is an event that I used to co-organise when I was Australian Sub-Editor for Wind N Kite Magazine. My best mate, Jeffro, who I used to wavesail with me on the Northern Beaches lives in Taranaki and has been a major influence on my wavesailing style. I am really keen to go fast as well as wavesail, so I may sneak a trip down to Sandy Point, Victoria during the 2013 Speedweek held there by the local Speed Sailors to try and break my personal 2 second best of 38.87 Kts. The current record stands at 52.05Kts, so I am fairly sure that I won't quite be reaching that speed! Thanks Aaron.

manning-great lakes focus 54

focusinterview.

M U R R A Y. Bob Murray, 76 years old and a lifetime member of Taree ree Motorcycle Club, has enjoyed a long-time love of motorbike racing. Bob has some keen memories of some of the Club’s earlier years; in particular, the establishment tablishment of the bike track on Old Bar Road, which is still used today …

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i Bob. How did you become associated with the Taree Motorcycle Club? I left school when I was 14, and I think just about everyone had a motorbike back then. I got an old bike and decided to join the Club – and that was back in 1952. I was there from 1952 to 1978; I raced for about 20 years. I’m a lifetime member of the club now. What are some of your earliest memories from your Club days? When we first started, we didn’t have anywhere to race. Before I joined the club, they apparently had a little track over behind the Showground – this would have been back in the ’40s. A group of us were all really interested in racing, and we were given permission to use the Aerodrome at Old Bar. We built a circuit right around the outside of the Aerodrome – it was a mile and a half long. This circuit was always known as the ‘seaside circuit’. We had one race meeting there, but it was really too long a distance for the old bikes in those days. We decided to cut the track down to half a mile, and then we cut it again to a quarter of a mile. After a while, we weren’t allowed to use the Aerodrome anymore, so a few of our members got together, contributed some money and bought the land along Old Bar Road, where the track still is today. Some of these blokes who put in the money were Les de Leon, Des Rigby, Maxie Salter, Ian Cooper and Noel Godwin. What did you guys do once the land was purchased? This was back in about 1959 - 60. We were down there every weekend with post hole diggers and tools, putting up fences – we did it all by hand. We got an old grader that we took turns to drive and make the track. This track’s now known as the ‘roadside circuit’. What was the very first bike you ever 56 manning-great lakes focus.

owned? It was an AJS. I bought it for about one pound ten, I think. I won my first race on thatt bike, on the quarter mile track over at the seaside circuit, in about 1958-59. There were over 2,000 people there on the day! How many bikes do you reckon you’ve gone through? (Laughs.) Oh … heaps! Most of the bikes I raced ranged from 125 cc to 500 cc back then. Back on the short circuit, we used to race the Ultra Lightweights – 125s, then there were the Juniors (up to 350 cc) and the Seniors (from 350 cc – 500 cc). What are some of your other special memories from your racing days? I got to meet Bobby Limb in 1965 over at the circuit. We used to always race in January over the Aquatic weekend back in those days – it was always a great weekend, as people would come visit to see the boats, and then they’d come watch the bikes. I used to go to Newcastle, Muswellbrook, Nepean, down in Sydney, and Tamworth to race. Some of the boys would even go to Western Australia. We’d take the bikes with us on trailers. Down at the circuit, there also used to be go kart races, TQs (they’re a little car with a motorcycle motor) – even old 10 horse motor cars like the Morris Minors and Triumph Heralds – they were a bit wild (laughs)! What’s the toughest race you ever competed in? They were all tough! The one that sticks in my mind the most was a ride I had at Bathurst in April 1968. It really frightened me! I was racing down Conrod Straight at 100 miles an hour, and my back tyre went flat. I was trying to pull over, and the other blokes were whistling past at 100/110 miles an hour. It was pretty hairy. But I survived! I was able to get back out on the track once

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I won my firs the we fixed Mick Doohan … a lot of fixed the tyre – I think on that bike, on I came about 30th out them start on dirt tracks. er ov quarter mile track of 60. I was more of a From all the years you t, ui rc ci at the seaside e er Th dirt bike racer than a actively raced at the 9. -5 58 19 t in abou people 00 2,0 road bike racer, but it Club, what’s the best er ov e er w ” was good experience. memory for you? there on the day! We’ve had some wet The friendships. It races at the circuit over the would’ve been just like years – sometimes there was playing footy, I suppose … so much mud, you couldn’t see we had the Taree crew, but we’d though your goggles! travel away and meet up with the The Club’s been going for a long time now. same blokes from all the other clubs. You know What do you think’s kept it going all this … there’s one bloke who stills owes me 5 quid time? from those days – I’d forgotten about that! Last time I went down to the circuit to visit, it Some people had money and could buy was great to see all the little kids down there on the best machinery, but if you didn’t have the their bikes – I think their helmets were almost money you did what you could with what you bigger than some of the bikes! had. Just because you had the best machinery I think it’s great it’s still going – and it’s great didn’t make you the quickest! that all these young ones are learning to ride So, you’d encourage all the young ones a bike. I’ve always said that before people these days to get out and ride? get their car licence, they should get their Oh yeah. It’s not as dangerous as most people motorbike licence first. Riding a bike teaches might think. I raced from ’52 to almost 1980, you to look around you everywhere, and it and I only ever had one prang, and I broke my makes you more aware. leg. Through the years there have been some Back in my day, we’d race with thongs and really good riders come through the club or shorts, but these days it’s really controlled. There race at the circuit – like Troy Bayliss (Superbike are people on every corner to make sure riders champ) and Herbie Jefferson (an Australian title don’t fall off, and all the riders wear protective holder); John Rumford from Cessnock was a gear too. good rider; Mick Turner; Jack (John) Davies from The kids love it – you should see the grins on Wallsend … there are too many to remember! their faces when they get off the bikes! Some of the clubs that used to visit the circuit Thanks Bob. were Wiley Park, Willoughby, Gosford, Penrith, For all motorcycle fans, the Taree Fairfield, Cessnock, Aberdeen, Maitland, Lake Motorcycle Club will be hosting a special Macquarie, Wallsend, Ipswich, Manly, Western event organised by three times World Suburbs, Canberra and Lake United. Superbike Champ Troy Bayliss at their Do a lot of professional riders get their circuit on Old Bar Road on Saturday 19 January. For more information, please see start on dirt tracks? our What’s On page. Yeah. Troy [Bayliss] did, Casey Stoner did,

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manning-great lakes focus 57

focustechnology. with Cameron Illingworth from Harvey Norman.

TECH

A reflection on the year that was.

Planning for our Future The growing population of the North Coast is stimulating an increase in the demand for renewable building materials, of which timber is the most environmentally friendly. On the North Coast, industry expansion and the push towards a low carbon economy is being hampered by a lack of access to renewable wood supplies.

Happy New Year! It feels bizarre to even say those words ... where did the year go that was 2012? And what a year it was, especially for technology. Let’s do a written montage on the releases we had here. There was: • Windows phone from Nokia • iPad 3 • iPad 4 • Windows 8 • DNA headphones • iPhone 5 • Microsoft Surface Tab • Samsung’s Android camera

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• Facebook’s Timeline • Playstation Vita • Nintendo Wii U • Apple TV HD • Samsung Galaxy S3 • Nokia Lumia 920 Windows 8 • Google Nexus • Samsung Galaxy Note 2

2012

But the most compelling means of all is through credible voluntary certification schemes such as the Australian Forests Standard (AFS). The Taskforce is also investigating adding a local branding to all timber products grown, harvested, processed or retailed within this region.

RELEASES

hose are mostly just the hardware due to pricing. Hopefully, we may see some of releases too. In software, we had our leading scientists in this area stay within our major improvements to Google’s borders and not be snapped up by our Asian GMAIL services, more integration Pacific neighbours. with their social networking platform Google Apple may very well release the iPad 5. + and calendar. Not to mention iTunes, Then the iPad 6. Then the 7, with the which probably released another latter coming out just in time for 10 versions (it really seems to Christmas …? update at least monthly, e gl oo G ct Expect Google + to renew Expe sh and probably just released + to renew itsalpu its push into the social ia ed m an update while I am into the soci with media playing field, with d, el fi g playin writing this. Don’t get me ns new innovations and new innovatio ps started on Adobe!) So and partnershi partnerships with hardware d an with hardwareors to what will we see come to nd ve and software vendors to be e ar softw the table this year? Well, be integrated into integrated into new devices. we’ll more than likely see new devices. Microsoft could be releasing tech retailers either adapt to more of their own hardware a new market by ways of service devices, moving into Apple’s domain quality, new product offerings and with a Microsoft Phone to rival the iPhone. If online solutions, or fight a losing battle with the Surface tablet is an example of the build discounting wars and be run out of business. quality we will see consistently from Microsoft, Watch closely this year, as I believe more a Surface phone would be a nice device to get businesses will suffer the same fate as the likes my hands on. The logical follow on from this of some Retravision and Dick Smith stores in would be Notebooks, Ultrabooks and All-in-One 2012. devices from the same company, with a move There should be a new push for investment and into Microsoft stores in Australian capital cities. I development of renewable energy resources predict late 2013, early 2014. But I’m just a tech and technology as the carbon price begins to enthusiast; don’t take my word as gospel. It put non-renewable power further out of favour would be nice to get a few right, though. C.I. 58 manning-great lakes focus.

The industry-led North Coast Forests taskforce believes that it is now time to change the many misconceptions about this truly sustainable industry. Visit the website (www.forestmatters. com.au) or our Facebook page www.facebook. com/NorthCoastForestsTaskforce) for good news stories about this most important local industry.

Of course, illegal logging is a major contributor to tropical deforestation and forest degradation. Australia is currently considering legislation to prevent the importation of illegally logged wood. But even if the legislation passes, we will still be faced with identifying the origin of imported timber. Fortunately, DNA technology is on the way, enabling fingerprinting of various species of trees.

FORESTS NSW – sustainably managing forests on the mid north coast

www.forests.nsw.gov.au Forests NSW is a public trading enterprise within NSW Department of Primary Industries

AFS / 01-21-05

focuseditorial.

The Mid North Coast is blessed with large areas of native forests and a specialised, high-value timber industry. Research conducted in local State Forests has resulted in the publication of a landmark study on the role of production native forests in reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.

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he report, Harvested forests provide the greatest ongoing greenhouse gas benefits, was recently published in the international journal, Forests (www.mdpi.com). Department of Primary Industries (DPI) research leader for climate in primary industries, Dr Georgina Kelly, said Australian scientists were leading the world in this area and were contributing to the global debate on the role of forests in addressing climate change. “In an Australian first, the report compared the full greenhouse gas (GHG) potential of NSW production forests against conservation forests,” Dr Kelly said. Some recent reports have claimed that ‘locking up’ our native forests in Australia will lead to substantial greenhouse gas benefits. However, these studies have not included many important elements, such as the very important role played by wood products. Dr Kelly said, “It is critical to understand the ‘whole of life cycle’ implications of production forests. This means looking at the way forests grow, the way they are harvested, what the wood is used for, what happens to the woody residues from logging operations and how the wood products are dealt with at the end of their service life. “The report authors found that production forests had a significantly higher greenhouse benefit than conservation forests when considering the full lifecycle of timber products as well as standing carbon in trees,” Dr Kelly said. Forests NSW planning manager at Wauchope, Justin Williams, was one of the authors of the paper: “We are really excited about the results from this research, which pulled together data, models and results from a wide range of different types of studies to give a complete assessment of all of the elements of the carbon cycle from harvested forests,” Justin said. “The starting point for the research was looking at how much carbon is currently stored in the forest.

“We have hundreds of inventory sample plots established in the forest in which tree species, size and quality are measured so we know how much wood is available in the forest and how the forest is structured, and from these we can estimate how much carbon is stored in those trees. “Next we estimated how that forest grows into the future based on either our normal logging practices or not harvesting.” Justin said those growth models were built from 30 years of measuring permanent growth plots and allowed us to estimate how much carbon was standing in the forest under either the logging or conservation scenario at any point in time in the future. “Not surprisingly, we find that over time the conservation forest ends up with more carbon in it, as the trees do not get removed and they grow larger and store more carbon, even though the forest’s rate of growth diminishes over time. “However, the carbon in the forest is only one part of the whole picture and is the point where many other studies have stopped.” Justin said that unlike the conservation scenario, the logging scenario produced a stream of wood products that provide additional GHG reduction benefits. The native forests of the North Coast produce mostly high-value, specialised timber products that are valued for their beauty and strength and have a long service life and substitute against more energy intensive products. Timber floors and power poles, two of the most common products from local forests, have much lower energy intensity than concrete slab floors and carpet or concrete or steel poles. “Most of the logging in recent years between Kempsey and Taree are from regrowth forests logged and regrown after World War II,” Justin said. “What we see now is timber coming from these regrowth forests, even though much of the timber from the original logging is still in use. “If you live in a house built before the 1990s, the bulk of the timber would have come from a

local forest, and that carbon is still stored. “ Justin said when the harvesting and growth of the forest was modelled over the next 200 years, it was possible to estimate the timing and amount of wood products produced. “We used the results from life-cycle analysis studies of those wood products to assess long-term carbon storage in wood products. These studies show that typically for every tonne of wood produced, two tonnes of carbon emissions are avoided from the use of more carbon intensive products.” The study also identified that use of forest residues, the heads and butts of trees that cannot be sold as logs, could improve the production scenario even further, as these are

currently burnt and the carbon emitted directly to the atmosphere. “So the overall carbon picture for the harvested forest scenario is long-term maintenance of carbon stored in the forest due to sustainable practices and an ever increasing store of carbon in wood products and in substitution benefits,” Justin said. “Finally, we compared those potential benefits against the additional carbon storage under a conservation scenario and saw that the production scenario gives double the GHG benefit over the 200 years of the model. The bottom-line from this research is that using locally produced wood products is a great way to minimise our greenhouse gas emissions.”

Tonnes of carbon stored per hectare over the next 200 years from Mid North Coast Blackbutt Forests under either a sustainable harvesting or conservation scenario.

Scenario Harvesting

Conservation

Forest Carbon

74

166

Bioenergy Benefit

49

0

Carbon Stored in wood

79

0

Substitution Benefits

196

0

Machinery Emissions

-17

0

Wood in Landfill Emissions

-19

0

TOTAL

360

166

400

300

Wood in Land Fill Emissions Machinery Emissions

200

Bioenergy Benefit Substitution Benefits

100

Carbon stored in wood Forest Carbon

0 Harvesting

Conservation

manning-great lakes ffocus ocus 59

focusinterview.

Renowned for his sharp wi wit and notorious one-liners, Jimeoin visits us at Note January 8 in your diary, if you’d like to Club Forster this month. No experience with laughter and tears! exp perience a night filled w

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lot of people may not be aware that w when you first came to Austr Australia, you earned a crust workin working with your hands. I’ve re read you did gardening work, so how are your g gardening skills these days – green thumb, or loathe it with a passion? eve Carpenter. Don't believe everything you read gardenin skills are very on the Internet. My gardening good for a carpenter! Share with us a reflection of your very whe was it, how first stand up gig – where did it come about, and what do you most remember about it? At the Harold park in Sydney. A girl I was with put my name down for the try out section, and I got up and told a few jokes. I then watched the rest of the thou night. The very thought of that night f puts a smile on my face, as I don't hav done stand up if know if I would have fa it wasn't for that fateful night. I really i I really rememhad no interest in it. ber how bright the light was! t have an Comedians tend to th absurd, and eye and ear for the materia in all sorts find their material of interesting place places. One comedian I spoke to yea years ago told me they loved to eaves eavesdrop on trains! Where do you find are good venue to gather mate material for your shows? t I think eve everybody loves I’m not mad abou ve lo I t bu g, to eavesdro eavesdrop, don't they! fishin takes Snippets o of other people’s the places that it der I ol e th t me too. Bu conversat conversations are a great to it nd fi get, the harder I re. Shot insight in into other people's tu ea cr g kill a livin golf a worlds, a and from that you on − oo ar ng a ka e had it often get good stuff. course though. H as I was You’ve tra travelled all coming … moved taking a putt. ” around the world and then some fo for your career, including many tiny venues in outback Australi Australia while you were filming the docum documentary Jimeoin Down Under. What’s the m most unusual venue you ever performed in, and why does it stick in your mind? Boraloola on the border of NT and Q Queensland … next to a place called Hells Gate − and for g good reason. Real

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eye opener as to what drink can do to people. Given you’ve written and starred in two feature films, The Craic and The Extra and performed on TV many times, you’ve experienced the unblinking eye of the camera ‘audience’. How tough is it to perform when you’re not in front of a live audience, who’d constantly give you feedback? You get used to it. Doing the Midday show live on TV with a live audience who were all very close to dead was very funny. It used to really make me laugh, as no one really cared that much if you went well or died on your ass. I liked that. How long have you been working on your new show, What!, which you’re about to tour down under’? All of my life, really. Give us a few teasers about what we’ll be hearing and learning from you on your new tour. Can't do that. I could tell you a joke, though. Guy says to his friend: “What kind of ring tone do you have?” Friend says: "I haven't looked, but I think it's a brownie pink.” You’re obviously an expert at making audiences laugh, but what are some of the things that really tickle your funny bone? People falling over is hard to go past. Bad smells. Very basic. I’m like a master chef who eats KFC … I like KFC, by the way. Your bio says you’re a keen golfer and fisherman. Do you have any stories to share about ‘the one that got away’ ... and this could equally apply to a golf ball, as to a fish? They all got away. I'm not mad about fishing, but I love the places that it takes me too. But the older I get, the harder I find it to kill a living creature. Shot a kangaroo − on a golf course though. He had it coming … moved as I was taking a putt. What’s in the pipeline for you after you finish the next round of touring – any plans for some more film work, or possibly some new DVDs/CDs? I think I've got a DVD out at the minute. It's called Something Smells Funny. Thanks Jimeoin.

the plug! See Jimeoin at Club Forster with his new show, What! on Tuesday, January 8 at 8pm. Tickets cost $39. Call the club on 6591 6591 for details.

Use our water wisely during the summer Do your bit to save our water resources - refrain from using sprinklers and hoses between 10am and 4pm during daylight saving MidCoast Water is urging all Manning, Great Lakes and Gloucester resident residents to take water saving seriously in a bid to slow down demand on supplies. MidCoast Water’s voluntary ‘summer savers’ program, now in force, aims to reduce the amount of water we use during the warmer months. This program covers all water supply schemes in the Greater Taree, Gloucester and Great Lakes council areas and applies to households, businesses, parks, gardens and sporting grounds.

The program’s main message is simple - don’t spray in the middle of the day! All fixed hoses, sprinklers and microspray systems should not be used during the hottest part of the day – between 10am and 4pm. Supporting the summer water saving program will not only help water supplies, it is also more effective for gardens. Watering during the heat of the day is inefficient as the water evaporates before the plants have a chance to benefit from it – wasting water, and money.

Ways to save water this summer Reuse where you can Reuse tap water by keeping a container in your bathroom basin or sink. Use the water captured on garden beds and pot plants at the end of the day. While waiting for the hot water to come into the shower, catch the colder water in a bucket and use it for outdoor cleaning...

Washing machines Only use your washing machine when you have a full load, even if the machine has adjustable water levels.

Outside Don’t water concrete – you won’t grow anything! Use a rake or a broom to clean driveways and footpaths. The sweepings can go on the compost heap.

Mulch, mulch and more mulch! Using mulch on your garden is a great way to reduce the amount of watering you need to do, especially during the summer months.

Water efficiently! Always use a watering can or a trigger nozzle on a hose so you only water those areas that need it. Water the base of plants, not the leaves. Check how quickly the soil absorbs the water before it runs off.

MidCoast Water, providing water and sewerage services to communities in the Manning, Great Lakes and Gloucester region

1300 133 455, www.midcoastwater.com.au

focusbusiness. with Tim Deverell from Manning Valley Business Chamber

Welcome to another New Year, and I trust you all enjoyed the festive season and have come through it safely with lots of presents! 2013 is an exciting year for the Manning Valley, with major developments and the introduction of the NBN to our region putting the Manning Valley at the forefront of Regional Economic Development.

tim deverell. he Manning Valley Business chamber has been working with the Economic Development Board, the Greater Taree City Council and local businesses to develop a Northern Entrance to Taree, combining it with a Transport/Freight Hub. Taree is ideally located for this development, being approximately 4 hours from Sydney and 8 hours from Brisbane. By combining the Northern Entry with the Transport/Freight Hub, the Council is putting in place infrastructure vital for the development of New Brimbin Town, which will eventually house 20,000 people. The Chamber is also anticipating that rural enterprise will be reinvigorated through the ability to move produce quickly via the transport hub. Landholders should be able to grow or develop speciality produce and products that can be shipped nationwide or even internationally, opening a wider market for sales and sustainability. This proposal needs community support, as the benefits for the region will be enormous and I urge everyone to get behind the project and see it brought to fruition. In 2013, Taree will become one of the first regions in NSW to be connected to the NBN, and the opportunities this provides to business are enormous. I recently spoke to a graphic

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designer who is based in North Sydney and employs 20 staff. of face to face consultancy at no cost to the business, bringing He is planning to relocate his staff out of Sydney to a a fresh set of eyes to your business and more perspective regional area and maintain an office in North to any changes you are planning to make. It doesn’t Sydney of just 4 staff. Through the NBN, his matter whether you are a new start up or have staff will be able to complete their work been in business 20 years; we all need a fresh ill In 2013, Taree w from a remote location and have an look at our business at some stage to ensure e become one of th increased lifestyle, whilst he reduces our strategies are working. If you would SW to be first regions in N BN his overheads. This is just one like more information on this, please eN connected to th is example of the opportunity that contact the Chamber on (02) 6551 2299. th ities and the opportun are the NBN provides. No longer will Finally, it would be remiss of me not ss ne provides to busi ly spoke your business need to be staffed in to congratulate our own Donna Carrier nt enormous. I rece er who is gn si Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane with from Bent on Food in Wingham, who was de to a graphic and ey dn Sy th expensive costs; you will be able to a fi nalist in the Business Leader section or N based in .” aff st 20 s operate it from anywhere in Australia. of the recent NSW Business Chamber oy empl Look at your business and think about 2012 awards. Other nominees were from the opportunities that the NBN can provide national companies like Telstra and NRMA, so and begin to develop them now, so that the for Donna to make the finals was a testament to Manning Valley can take advantage of this great her business acumen and the leadership Donna has given opportunity. to the business community over the past 12 months. I know In September, the NSW Minister for Small Business, all Manning Valley Business Chamber members value the Katrina Hodgkinson MP, announced a New Small Business contribution that Donna has made to business in the area, and Connect Advisory Service. This service offers businesses 6 hours we warmly congratulate her on this important recognition.

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GPYR MDFT3828/C/ST

EDUCATING OUR FUTURE LEADERS The Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) provides education and military training for the future leaders in Australia’s Navy, Army and Air Force. The program at ADFA combines a world class degree from the University of New South Wales with military training and leadership development. Undergraduate degrees include Arts, Business, Engineering, Information Technology, Science, and Technology. Midshipmen and OfÀcer Cadets also earn a salary, enabling them to focus on their studies and training in preparation for their future careers in the Australian Defence Force.

CALL 13 19 01, EMAIL CPTNEWCASTLE@DFR.COM.AU OR VISIT DEFENCEJOBS.GOV.AU/ADFA

62 manning-great lakes focus.

focusTourism.

Richard Old - Great Lakes Manager Tourism & Marketing

Tourism Medco Petroleum Richard Old Great Lakes summer is in full swing – the sky is blue, the waters clear, the forests cool and green and the sand golden. Nothing beats the warm sun on your back or going for a swim (making sure you are being sun smart of course!) love this time of year and being able to grab a swim after work – it is a brilliant way to end a day.

years ago and very discerning. They will not

Right now is the peak season for our region. During January, visitor numbers, local population movements and activity levels (economic, social, cultural and environmental) are at their highest. It is estimated that 50% of our total visitors come at this time of year. People will be visiting their families, taking that well-earned break, rekindling relationships or starting new ones, getting the boat or kayak wet and most importantly, getting out and about.

like to research before they travel and most

It has been said that a good or bad summer can make or break the year ahead. This can be applied socially, culturally and environmentally, as well as economically. It makes sense then that during this period every effort is made to capitalise on the increase in activity. This is even more important when looking at tourism activity, which influences all facets of the community and is the primary economic driver for the region.

visitors to return for a holiday later in the year

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Tourism generates an estimated $136 million for the Great Lakes. This is a huge amount of money. The tourism multiplier affect means this money flows through the whole community – everyone benefits in some way. Summer visitors are the ‘bread and butter’ of our community, bringing new money, ideas and personality and then going back and marketing the region to their family and friends. The value of ‘word of mouth’ exposure is incredible. However, the drive for these visitors and a ‘piece of the tourism spend’ has become extremely competitive. The cost of living, other regions’ big marketing budgets, low cost airfares, the Australian dollar and plenty of temptation to discretionary spending all creates an environment where every little thing counts. Visitors today are after ‘real’ experiences. They are very different from even the visitor 2

tolerate fake, manufactured experiences and definitely not poor customer service. They importantly, they are after value for money. Value for money does not mean they will not spend, but rather they will only spend where they feel their dollar is being well spent. Therefore, this month, the success of our

Medco is the new service station on Macintosh Street, Forster ... where the old BP used to be and UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP! Medco is a family owned and run independent company. We have just recently bought the station and would love you to come and meet us today.

offer very friendly service, always with a smile! We also stock a wide variety of groceries, confectionery and cold drinks for your convenience. We also have magazines and newspapers available daily. Medco is also in the process of getting extended trading hours, so we will be open later for your convenience.

MEDCO stands for Making Every Dollar Count, and we really stand behind what the name means!

An independent petrol station, we also are the cheapest in refilling your gas bottles! Come in today for our BBQ gas, on special for $19.99!

Not only do we guarantee our fuel, but we are the cheapest in town WITHOUT a docket!

Please come in and meet Jonathan, Rebecca and Joe today.

We have had 30 years of experience in the industry and are a father/son business who

MEDCO Petroleum, 86 - 88 Macintosh Street, Forster. Phone 6555 7252.

region is in all our hands! During summer, everybody is effectively an ambassador for the region. We already know how wonderful this place is, and now this is our chance to tell everybody else. The key to this is getting and bring their friends. To help, this year Great Lakes Tourism has produced Summer in the Lakes, a guide to everything in the region over summer – events, activities, beaches, parks, food and lots more. Copies of this fantastic booklet have been spread far and wide. If you haven’t seen it yet, ask for it next time you are grabbing a coffee or having lunch. So – locals – say hello when walking along the beach or down the street, offer help to someone who looks lost, be patient when driving to the shops and be prepared to share your favourite patch of sand. Business owners – focus on over delivering in customer service, value adding to the experience and most importantly, networking with other businesses. For tourism impact to be maximised, yield must be increased – what is that? Not more people, but more spending. Your local Visitor Information Centre has copies of Summer in the Lakes, as well as loads of other information and contacts/ideas for every possible scenario. They are open every day, so make sure if you need anything to drop in. All the best and – happy New Year! Richard Old, Great Lakes Manager Tourism & Marketing. manning-great lakes focus 63

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DYLAN JONES CONSTRUCTIONS MANNING -GREAT LAKES

Preserving the natural environment and blending in with surroundings is the key to the distinctive homes built by Dylan Jones Constructions.

property guide

January FOCUS Home of the Month is an exceptional example – seaside living with a fresh, contemporary twist at Boomerang Beach.

Beachside living

n architectural masterpiece, showcasing the visionary building talents of Dylan and his team of highly skilled tradesmen, the home is a standout. Chrissy Jones had the pleasure of taking a look through this truly magnificent family home ... Imagination is the key to the design and construction, with a feel for space and tranquility paramount. Drawing inspiration from many of the contract and spec builds that they have completed across the Manning-Great Lakes region, Dylan and wife Kellie have designed and built the ideal home for their young family. Being a 4th generation local builder, Dylan completed his apprenticeship under the guidance of his father and learnt a lot from his Pop, working alongside him in his younger years. This valuable experience gained has guided Dylan to form his own local building company, employing 2 apprentices, six carpenters (including his Dad) and also a part-time bookkeeper. With many jobs continuously on the go, five to be completed in the last week before Christmas and many more approaching completion in 2013, the builders sign – Dylan Jones Constructions – is prominent in the Manning-Great Lakes region and beyond. The front facade presents as a modern, contemporary design with a two level skillion roof line set at 5 degrees, allowing high ceilings in the internal living areas. An interesting combination of angles, textures and product finishes is further testament to Dylan’s eye for finished detail and the superior quality in all of his projects. From the Sycon range of exterior claddings including white board stria horizontal panelling and Axon vertical panelling to the rendered Blue board which has been texture coated, the exterior is 3 tone grey, white and trimmed with deco wood – a powder coated wood grain finish based on photographic images of real timber. So you have the timber look with no warping, twisting, splitting or rotting like timber. Being a durable alternative to timber that can be used in many applications, Dylan has cleverly used deco wood on his custom built entrance door, giving the natural beauty and warm textured feel of timber, but the low maintenance and high durability qualities of aluminium, ideal for the coastal property. An extra large double car garage gives not only plenty of space for the family’s vehicles, but also is large enough to provide plenty of storage for recrecontinued over

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ntion “ Exacting atte use e th d an to detail e ut in m e th of up to d an gs in tt fi , products t. � fixtures is eviden

ational and garden equipment. Having a deco wood automatic panel lift door for ease of entry from the street and an internal door opening into the wide grey tiled entrance foyer, the garage is multi-functional and easily accessible. Dylan’s office is to the right on the entrance, providing a very functional light and airy space to sit with clients, suppliers or sub-contractors to discuss projects, all behind an opaque glass timber framed entry door. A guest bathroom alongside the office has timber look floor tiling and on 3 walls to ceiling. Being waterproof, they have also been laid in the shower recess, which has a stainless steel grate drain and a centrally placed floor to ceiling glass shower screen. White moulded pattern tiling on the back shower

wall is a striking contrast to the other surfaces. Three large cupboards are found under the white wall hung vanity that has an above bench rectangular basin, stainless steel tapware and wide vanity mirror. Separate WC behind a sliding wooden door ads a touch of privacy for guests. The guest bedroom is located behind the bathroom and provides a home away from home. Very comfortable, the room is large, fully carpeted, has a wide panel window above the bed, with louvre window panels either side to allow for direction of airflow of the ever present seaside breezes. Four sliding wooden doors conceal a large wardrobe fitted with both hanging space and drawers, ducted air conditioning and downlighting complete the comfort for guests. continued over

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DYLAN JONES CONSTRUCTIONS continued from over

A sliding door adjacent houses the laundry, which has side yard access through a glass screened door that lets in lots of light. Loads of storage space is provided, comprising both above and under bench cabinetry, hanging space and a spot for the deep stainless steel laundry tub. Further along the hallway, access through deco wood framed glass sliding doors takes you to the children’s outdoor undercover deck, which also opens on another wall into their rumpus room. An easy clean timber-look tile is the surface of choice for the flooring of the deck, which has also been continued on on the second level. The rumpus room has the tiling of the hallway underfoot, which blends in well with the white built-in cabinetry that neatly tucks away the TV, DVD and game consoles. This, along with the custom built wall cabinet, helps to keep the children’s books, toys and games out of the way, but easily accessible. The home has ducted air conditioning throughout and an integrated surround sound entertain-

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ment system, with speakers strategically placed in the ceiling of all rooms allowing for music on both levels of this truly amazing home. A deliberate design aspect is the extra storage allowances throughout, from the walk in linen cupboard downstairs, the huge under-stair storage space and the cabinetry placed at the top of the staircase; items are neatly tucked away but readily at hand. The remainder of the ground floor takes in the magnificent kitchen, dining and lounge areas. Stunning is the only word for the kitchen, that is set for entertaining. Incorporating the dining and an indoor/outdoor BBQ kitchen and deck alongside the family’s very own resort-style pool area, it is definitely a one-of-a-kind and a true showpiece. The contemporary layout makes full use of the great views of the pool and bushland through the massive glass panel window, that gives the impression that the pool is set inside the house. The extra long and wide 100 mm Caesar Stone island bench divides the kitchen from the dining area. Expertly doubling as a breakfast or snack

bar, the island is a highlight, providing a stylish, yet easy clean surface – ideal for the young, active family. A double stainless steel sink with flick mixer, under bench microwave nook, dishwasher and deep self close drawers are all cleverly incorporated. Wide 100 mm Caesar Stone benchtops installed on the back wall give plenty of room for food preparation and cooking on the integrated Smeg gas cooktop or in the oven, that has a stainless steel range-hood. A bulkhead ceiling over the cooktop was purpose built to give a spot for extra lighting over the cooking area. Deep drawers either side of the oven and opaque glass door overhead cupboards provide plenty of storage. Centrally placed is the walk in pantry. Having lots of shelving and bench space, the pantry divides the kitchen on the back wall, with a further bench on its right, giving a convenient spot for the coffee machine and hot-water spout; no jug in this home – hot water is at the ready at all times at the touch of a button. Four over-

head opaque glass doored cupboards contain all the space needed for crockery. Stylish pendant lighting above the island bench finishes off the kitchen elegantly. An expansive dining room is easily serviced from the kitchen and overlooks the outdoor entertainment pool area. With its ceiling following the rake of the skillion roof line, and by being encased either side by extra large deco wood framed windows, both flat panel and louvre, it is very spacious and inviting. Adjoining the dining is the formal lounge; spacious and comfortable, it has a bulk head ceiling with a pelmet edge enclosing the space, giving a cosy feel. Built-in cabinetry houses the integrated home stereo system controls and DVDs next to the widescreen TV. Constantine glass aluminium deco wood framed doors open out to a tiled deck area overlooking the pool and rear yard. Another set of constantine doors in the same style, open completely from the dining room to the undercover outdoor kitchen. A fabulous indoor outdoor entertainment area has been

DYLAN JONES CONSTRUCTIONS

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created, bringing the outdoors in and the indoors out. Bedroom 1 is a boys’ man cave, featuring a panelled A Jackeroo Gas BBQ, timber look tiling on the outdoor wall, picture frame and louvre windows placed for privacy kitchen benchtops that have plenty of cupboard space and airflow. A walk-in wardrobe with overhead shelving, underneath and a spot for the bar fridge have all been hanging space and plenty of drawers has timber look tiling, incorporated. With a ceiling fan and downlighting in the whilst the bedroom has carpeting as the flooring of choice. fully lined ceiling, it is little wonder that this is a high use The remaining 2 bedrooms are similar in layout, but area of the home. designed individually for their occupants – one as a nursery Custom built by Dylan and his team of talented tradesand the other as a girls’ room that has a pretty pink crystal men, the concrete block heated swimming pool is load chandelier. bearing, meaning that it is built right to the edge of the To complete the top level is the spacious master bedhome. Glass balustrade screens the deck area from the room and en-suite. The ceiling follows the rake of the L-shaped 1.6 m pool; one section of the pool has purposely skillion roof, adding height and has downlighting as well been designed for the little ones, being 600 mm deep. as an integrated speaker system. A wide horizontal Aluminium powder coated fencing encloses the panel window with louvres either side and pool and has been used as perimeter fencair-conditioning ensure comfort. His ing to the remainder of the back yard. and hers separate walk-in robes are in tw , ed Hardwood panelling is the backdrop to purpose built. His is behind a slid“ Glass screen er ow sh the outdoor shower, in keeping with ing wooden door and has built-in side by side so al e ar the Bali inspired statues and bamboo drawers, shelving and hanging recesses ng vi ha ch screening. ea space. Hers is walk around, with , provided rope al du vi di Ascending two flights of timber four levels of hanging space and in n their ow ed til d an er ow look tiled treads that have a stainless shelving divided by drawers, all sh hand poos am sh r fo ss tile trim and porthole lighting on the encased in timber look laminate ce re wall giene hy al on rs skirting for safety, you find the upper cabinetry and a wall mirror for pe d an products. ” level of the home comprising the famdressing. ily’s bedrooms and all that goes with that The timber look tiling continues plus more. The timber tile continues on the from the robe into the adjoining en-suite, second level in all walkways as a durable finish. into the shower recess and continues to the Linen cupboards are placed conveniently adjacent to the ceiling. Twin showers: opposite ends have been fitted with main bathroom servicing the children’s bedrooms. Crisp, both rope and drencher showers and are screened by a white floor to ceiling tiling and louvre opaque windows glass wall. His and hers square above bench hand basins sit encase the bathroom. Focal point is the impressive deep, atop the large white wall hung vanity that finishes off the freestanding grey oval stone bath, that was imported from en-suite nicely. Bali and took 8 strong men to carry it up the stairs and put To top off a great parents’ retreat is the private balcony it in position. The wall hung vanity is extra large, with three opening out through a glass sliding door from the en-suite. cupboards under the benchtop that has an oval hand basin Hardwood timber panel screening blocks out the neighmatching the bath and wide vanity mirror. bours, and glass balustrade enables unimpeded views to Glass screened, twin side by side shower recesses are the backyard and pool area below. also provided, each having their own individual rope hand Overall, the home is an ideal family home that will shower and tiled wall recess for shampoos and personal evolve to suit the family’s needs as the children grow and hygiene products. A separate WC with a square set white will provide a place to entertain family and friends in comvanity is hidden away behind a sliding wooden door. fort and style for many years to come. continued over

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DYLAN JONES CONSTRUCTIONS

forever learning new techniques and construction methods. One thing I have learned over the years is that there are always simpler ways to build without compromising quality. In the last 18 months our crew has grown to accommodate being able to complete more work at a faster rate. We can have up to 6 or 8 jobs on the go at once. In those 18 months, we have also expanded our services to the Newcastle and Hunter Valley regions. This is proving to be a positive expansion, with approx 60% of our work in that area now. What types of building do you specialise in? Everything. Small renovations and extensions, FROM THE BUILDER all the way up to million dollar architect designed homes. The area has a huge scale of clientele, so we try and appeal to all areas. Tell us about your business - How long have you How do we go about commissioning you to been operating? build for us? What is the process? You could say building is in the blood, being We offer various services. We can build a 4th generation builder. I founded your plans that you bring to us or we can Boomerang Beach based Dylan Jones design and construct a home to your ue Constructions in 2008 after comWe contin budget on your block of land. A lot e th er off to pleting a four year apprenticeship expertise e, ic of customers come to us now with rv se with my father, then two years t and commitmen a block of land, a budget and some er ild bu l” working as a carpenter, both in of a “loca ings ck ideas. ba e th ith w the business and as a subcontracl a major nationa of I work closely with a local draftstor. construction man and we design a lot of houses ” . ny pa m My Pop moved from Wales 50 odd co for clients with some small ideas, keepyears ago to this area when my dad ing within budget constraints whilst still was four. I grew up going to work with trying to achieve all that the client is after. Dad and spending time around building Give me a call on 0408 616 078, I am only too sites. I saw what he got out of it and wanted that for happy to discuss your next building project. myself. I enjoy being a builder. Thanks Dylan. The building industry is always evolving and I am

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DYLAN JONES CONSTRUCTIONS

GREAT LAKES WINDOWS Great Lakes Windows are suppliers of Vantage Aluminium and AWS Commercial aluminium window systems for Architectural, Residential and Commercial Applications. GLW have been supplying glass and aluminium products to the Mid North Coast and beyond since the company was established 1982. GLW take pride in helping customers develop designs for economical, energy efficient and aesthetically pleasing solutions for their new or existing projects utilising state of the art products developed by Architectural Window Systems Pty Ltd, Australia’s leading supplier of Aluminium Window and Door systems. In the featured project for DJ Constructions,

oduc ducts ts to to achieve ach ac hi hieve we have used a variety off pr products the design objective as requested by Dylan. A project of this calibre required the use of our Architectural range of products. Some of the systems include Louvre master windows, an excellent product offering superb wind and water performance, an unobstructed view, and huge amount of ventilation when required. Dylan also utilised GLW’s Magnum Series sliding doors, the flagship of our Architectural sliding door systems, with robust external framing and superior strength there are very few applications where the 618 Magnum Series Door will not meet and exceed requirements in regards to strength and performance. To bring the great outdoors indoors, our 548 Bifold Door system was supplied to

open up and expand the entertaining area of this project. Offering 100% opening there really is no better product to bring about the sensation of space. Available in many configurations Bifold Doors really have become fundamental in modern, open plan designs. These are just a few of the products utilised to fulfil the design brief. A combination of Powdercoat and Decowood finish was used on these products t compliment the overall appearance of to t project. The greatest advantage of the the D Decowood timber grain finish on aluminium i the minimal routine maintenance required is w when compared to actual timber windows a doors. and Great Lakes Window are always happy t discuss any of your requirements to help to achieve your goals. There is no project to big or too small and we understand that every single project is as important as the next.

FROM JAMES HARDIE Many James Hardie products have been used on the exterior of Dylan’s home, tell us about them ... Dylan has used a number of our innovative products to achieve a smart composite design. The James Hardie portfolio of products has allowed Dylan’s homes the opportunity to achieve a range of different looks from Horizontal and Vertical cladding to a traditional or contemporary look.

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Sycon range: The Scyon™ range consists of breathtaking facades to resilient flooring. Made from the advanced cement composite Scyon™, the range is sustainable, efficient and most importantly durable. See more at www.scyon. com.au White board Stria panelling: Scyon™ Stria™ is a wide cladding board with a 15mm horizontal and vertical joint that has a classic appeal of decorative appeal of decorative render. Available in two different width lengths – 4200 x 325 and 4200 x 405mm. Axon Vertical panelling: Scyon™ Axon™ is a vertically grooved cladding panel that looks sharp and smooth. Available in 3 sheet sizes and 2 groove design widths. Both designs are available in all 3 sizes. Can these products be used in other applications? Yes. Many of the external cladding products are being used as internal feature walls. What other products do James Hardie offer? James Hardie has a large range of External, Internal and Flooring products. To see more please visit our website: www.jameshardie. com.au or www.scyon.com.au James Hardie also offers a rewards program for builders using our products. For more information call Nigel McKenna on 0418 883 765 or go to www.scyontakeoff.com.au Thanks Nigel.

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If a picture is worth

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ocean club story

i John. Please introduce yourself and your role here at The Ocean Club Resort ... My name is John Gilmore, from Huntingdale Properties. I am one of the two partners in the development of The Ocean Club Resort community. We started our project and bought the land here just over six years ago and have been in construction since a little over two years ago, and we have just recently gone on the market. So what is The Ocean Club Resort? The Ocean Club Resort is NSW’s first 5 star over 50s resort. The Resort is pitched at people who are not ready to move into a retirement village. What we are creating here is a young, vibrant and active community and giving them all the facilities to enjoy their early retirement years. How is the development different from other over 50s seniors communities? I would say firstly, it is that this community will be much younger than the others.We are building houses as slab on ground construction via local firm Better Homes, and our facilities are unparalleled. I think that our location in this growth area of Lake Cathie is also unbeatable. We have three of these projects that we are going to develop, and we have chosen the first one here to be our flagship property. With properties now available for purchase, who would you encourage to come and have a look? We are primarily locals focused and looking for retirees who are active; in other words, retired from work but not from life (residents who intend on residing with us for a long time). 70 manning-great lakes focus.

a thousand words, then this newly developed 5 star luxury over 50s ‘resort’ will sell itself … nestled just 10 minutes from Port Macquarie on the southern side of Lake Cathie, this brand new (property) community is set to change the perception of village living. While the focus is still on low maintenance, private living for your early retirement years – nothing has been left out when it comes to lifestyle facilities and a truly unique and luxurious Resort Style life. Louise Beaumont finds out more …

Tell us about the key features of the nance lifestyle which we regard as homes. highly affordable. For all intents and purposes, they are So what is the price guide for just like a normal slab on ground home. a new home at The Ocean Club Nearly all of them have ensuites and Resort? large garages with storage areas. Pricing starts at $295,000 and goes Our main focus has been to make through to the mid $300,000s. sure the homes are absolutely private, What made Lake Cathie the idyllic because it is medium density living. Our location for this Resort? unique selling proposition is that we are As I mentioned, we have three of enabling people to live in a brand new these style communities which we have architect designed, free standing home, already acquired the sites for. We chose but without any of the maintenance. It Lake Cathie as it is halfway up the coast is a set and forget style of arrangement – it has the perfect climate, according – we do all of the landscaping and the CSIRO and is the perfect location in gardening for them if they choose. a new urban growth area. It has been As an all inclusive community, what an absolute pleasure to get to know the other standout facilities do you local Council and contractors … plus, have? we hear the fishing is good. There is a long list It is great to hear you of amazing facilities, have engaged local ub which includes: contractors. Who has Cl an ce O e Th “ ’s first 5 A championship been involved in the Resort is NSWre rt. star over 50s piso tennis court with a development? d he tc The Resort is are not pavilion; golf driving Where possible, ho w le at peop to a nets and challengeveryone involved in ready to move in .” retirement village ing golf putting the job has been local. area; commercial level Commercial Projects free standing gym and Group has completed wellness centre; a half size all the community facilities, Olympic pool with aquacise Better Homes Constructions area; we have Yoga and Tai Chi spaces; have built all of the houses, and then and a $5 million Club House buildwe have many other local firms that we ing which has a private cinema, bar, are involved in, such as Adams Marketcommercial kitchen, lounge and dining ing Group and King and Campbell. areas, as well as a library and craft area. We have been amazed by the level We also have a full competition size of support – everyone has got behind bowls surface with the latest tiger turf what is a $20 million investment projcarpet coming out of Europe, and at ect, for which we are grateful. the rear of the Resort we have secure Thank you, John, for your time RV and boat parking and of course, a and good luck with the rest of the fully decked out men’s shed. development. Tell us about what one can expect For those interested in The Ocean as the ‘lifestyle’ of the Resort. Club Resort, contact Karen or Darren on It is a very luxurious, low mainte1800 462 326.

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