Gippsland the Lifestyle Winter 2015

the lifestyle. Our pride, Our place™ winter issue 23 BEAU VERNON

Winning Attitude

| $5.95 |

HOWLING HUSKYS

From Alaska With Love

PHILLIP JONES Leongatha South World ClassWine Maker

At The Coalface

GIPPSLAND WEDDING

PLUS NEW FEATURES INSIDE

ISSN 1838-8124

WONTHAGGI COAL MINE

Collection Inside

+ REGULAR FEATURES Horoscope | Book Reviews | Canine Corner | Puzzle | Cartoon | Gardening Tips

editorial Writers: Chris West, Lyn Skillern, Amber Rhodes, Madeleine Stuchbery and Grant Seamer.

Welcome to Winter in Gippsland...

Contributors: Jan Bull, Ali Fullard, Chrissy Malm, Tamara Addison, Erin Miller, Laurie Collins, Craig Goodman, John Turner MAAPM, Jim Radford, Trevor Stow and Sam Twite

After the memorable commemoration of our Anzac history in autumn, we now move onto winter and once again we have some wonderful features to entertain you with.

Cartoonist: Steve White

Our front cover story is guaranteed to bring a tear to the most hardened eye, it tells of the love between man and dog, and in this case the beautiful Husky dogs that are part of a wonderful story by one of our latest writers, Grant Seamer.

Photographers: Amber Rhodes, Madeleine Stuchbery, Grant Seamer & Douglas Pell Advertising: Douglas Pell & Alison McDougal Editor: Maree Bradshaw Creative: Alex Smirnakos

And talking of inspiration Beau Vernon, Coach of Leongatha Football Club, shares his insights with us of his determination to follow his goals despite the accident that has hampered his mobility. Chris West has again contributed with some true Gippsland features.

Front Cover + Photo Husky named Alaska From Alaska with Love photos and story by Grant Seamer, Pages 38 – 41. www.howlinghuskys.com.au

We were very fortunate that Amber Rhodes was able to have a chat to world-renowned Pinot Noir Winemaker Phillip Jones and you can read about how and why he is regarded as one of the leading winemakers in his chosen field.

index

Madeleine Stuchbery relates the tale of Moos At Meeniyan’s World Food Adventure and Belarus cuisine was on the menu. Once a month Marty Thomas takes on a different theme and if you cannot board a plane, then drive down to Meeniyan and experience these delights.

Lake Glenmaggie is located near Maffra and Lyn Skillern has once again provided a wonderful account of the history of the area, back to its origins and where it is today.

Once more, we have produced our Wedding Feature, which provides some interesting features and insights that hopefully will provide assistance to those wishing to take that very important step in life.

Therefore, I can’t think of a better reason this winter, than to snuggle up in front of a warm fire with a copy of Gippsland the Lifestyle magazine and experience the many features that our dedicated team has brought to you, to enjoy!

Maree and Doug Pell Our Pride Our Place

contents

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Page 1 Page 8 - 11 Page 14 Page 20 - 22 Page 24 - 25 Page 30 - 31 Page 32 - 33 Page 34 Page 38 - 41 Page 46 - 47 Page 50 - 51 Page 52 - 53 Page 58 - 59 Page 60 Page 62 - 64 Page 68 Page 70 - 71 Page 72 - 75 Page 76 - 110 Page 112 - 115 Page 117 Page 122 - 123 Page 126 -127&145 Page 130 - 133 Page 134 - 137 Page 139

Alaska the Husky from Howling Huskys Point Hicks – Seeing the Light Beand Recipe Page Bass Phillip Winery, Phillip Jones Remembering Gallipoli – Anzac Day Services The Bunyip Spirit Town Feature Ultimate Indulgence Beauty & Spa Clinic Open Day at Agnes Falls (Prom Coast Seachange) From Alaska with Love - Howling Huskys Food Adventure to Belarus with Moos at Meeniyan Open House Drouin – 12 Unique Historical Buildings The Gippsland Business Centre – A local success story Tinamba Wine & Food Festival End of Harvest Celebrations at Blue Gables Vineyard Lake Glenmaggie – A Hidden Jewel in East Gippsland Tour of Remembrance Farewell – Traralgon Brass Band Basia Mille – One Thousand Passionate Kisses Boots and All – Russell Northe MLA Wedding Editorial and Feature Curtis Australia – Luxury within Reach Nautica Restaurant Recipe Downtowner Warragul Pacing Cup Tarra Festival Street Parade Highlights At the Coalface - Wonthaggi State Coal Mine Winning Attitude – Beau Vernon Ali Fullard ‘Gippsland Gullies’ Exhibition in Maffra

regular features Page 5 Page 6 Page 18 - 19 Page 44 Page 56 Page 66 Page 118 - 119 Page 128 Page 138 Page 140 - 141 Page 142 Page 143 Page 144 Page 146 - 147 Page 147 Page 148 - 149 Page 150 Page 151 Page 152 Page 153

Editorial – Features Index – Advertisers Off the Hook – Trout Fishing in the High Country The Press Cellars Wine Review: Lightfoot & Sons Stonemasonry in Gippsland Gardening Tips – Grow Master Traralgon Google – Theming your Business Wonthaggi Medical Group - Health & Wellbeing Ali’s Art Page Winter Events Guide Winter Market Guide Winter in West Gippsland with Laurie Collins Decorating Dilemmas by House Prowd Canine Corner Steve White Cartoon Zest for Life – Get back on Track!

Chrissy’s Positive Winter Horoscope The Book Nook – Foster’s Little Bookshop Outlets – Where you can get a copy of the Magazine Winter Crossword Puzzle

thelifestyle winter 2015

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index advertisers our advertisers Page 121

AHERNS FRUIT MARKET & FINE FOODS

Page 119

IMAGE DIRECT

Page 69

ALAN WILSON INSURANCE BROKERS

Page 55

LAURIE COLLINS SCULPTURE

Page 139

ALI FULLARD ART STUDIO

Page 26

LEONGATHA RSL

Page 55

ALISON LESTER BOOKS

Page 156

MASSARO VOLKSWAGEN - The New TOUAREG

Page 15

BEANd MICRO COFFEE ROASTERY & STORE

Page 48

MOO’S AT MEENIYAN

Page 35

BELGRAVIA LEISURE: GET MORE AT MT BAW BAW

Page 29

MUMMA GOOSE

Page 111

BEMM RIVER HOTEL

Page 117

NAUTICA RESTAURANT & BAR METUNG

Page 28

BIDDY MARTHA’S

Page 145

NEERIM COUNTRY COTTAGES

Page 61

BLUE GABLES VINEYARD

Page 57

NOOJEE HOTEL

Page 154 & 155

BLUE HILLS RISE

Page 43

OMEO MOTEL

Page 139

BRIAGOLONG B&B CORNER COTTAGE

Page 45

RACV INVERLOCH RESORT

Page 28

C & M RED HAT CHOCOLATE & COFFEE

Page 36

RUSSELL NORTHE MLA

Page 16

CAR MEGA MART PAKENHAM

Page 28

SARAH’S TOWN & COUNTRY

Page 4

COAL CREEK COMMUNITY PARK & MUSEUM

Page 27

SPACE FLOORING AND INTERIORS

Page 17

CRAWFORD MARINE

Page 49

STONY CREEK GO-KARTS

Page 54

CUSTODIA

Page 36

STRAY KATZ Ladies Boutique

Page 42

DINNER PLAIN - HOTHAM ALPINE RESORT

Page 153

THE 3 CHEEKY MONKEYS

Page 13

DWYERS.com.au

Page 55

THE STATION GALLERY YARRAGON

Page 17

EAST GIPPSLAND AUTO ELECTRICS – TJM

Page 29

THE TOP PUB - BUNYIP GIPPSLAND HOTEL

Page 7

EDNEYS LEONGATHA - Nissan NP300 NAVARA

Page 124 & 125

TRARALGON BOWLS CLUB

Page 65

EVANS PETROLEUM

Page 23

TURKISH MAGIC

Page 61

FARMERS ARMS HOTEL

Page 3

VALLEY PRESTIGE BMW - 2 Series ACTIVE TOURER

Page 43

FISH CREEK HOTEL

Page 2

VALLEY PRESTIGE BMW - S 1000 R ROADSTER

Page 120

FOSTER SEAFOODS

Page 54

WARRAGUL CONSULTING GROUP

Page 37

GOLDEN AGE OMEO HOTEL

Page 76-110

WEDDING ADVERTISERS

Page 37

GRINTERS TRANSPORT SERVICES

Page 129

WONTHAGGI MEDICAL GROUP

Page 67

GROW MASTER TRARALGON

Page 152

WONTHAGGI NEWSAGENCY & LOTTO

Page 29

HEADLITES - PRINTING

Page 12

WYNDHAM Real Estate & Livestock – RIVERBEND

SALES & ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Please contact: Doug Pell Phone: 0404 301 333 Email: thelifestyle@dcsi.net.au Or check out our website at www.thelifestylemagazine.com.au Like Us On Facebook at:

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thelifestyle winter 2015

Gippsland The Lifestyle Magazine

is printed by Graphic Impressions 1 Miles Street Mulgrave Victoria 3170 Australia Telephone: 03 9574 9211 Fax: 03 9574 8029 www.gimpressions.com.au

Be one of the first to see the All-New Nissan NP300 Navara at Edney’s Leogatha

1- 5 Roughhead Street, Leongatha, Vic, 3953 P (03) 5662 2327 F (03) 5662 2642 E edney@dsci.net.au www.edneysleongatha.com.au LMCT 1500

Seeing the Light Chris West

Point Hicks Marine National Park

If the idea of a relaxing break far from crowds and the chance to leave the distraction of modern technology behind sounds appealing, then the Point Hicks Lighthouse stands out like a beacon.

of 12 people. The smaller bungalow can accommodate 2 people. In total, up to 22 people can be comfortably accommodated on site. An additional main cottage, once the home of the head lighthouse keeper, has been set aside to house the current small team of management staff who stay at the location in shifts to maintain the light station complex, conduct tours, oversea both campgrounds and provide local weather reports to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Surrounded by the Croajingolong National Park at ground level and with the Point Hicks Marine National Park protecting the waters below, the lighthouse is perched in a wilderness area of great natural beauty and historical significance.

Standing 130 feet high, the Point Hicks Lighthouse was constructed during 1889 and began operating in 1890. It was the first lighthouse in Victoria to be built using concrete.

Although no longer required to operate on the scale it originally did for over a century, the Point Hicks Lighthouse continues to function under private ownership as a tourism landmark and its adjacent cottage residences provide a unique accommodation option.

ornate cast-iron spiral staircase, which winds its way internally up a total of 162 steps. The lighthouse’s original lantern has also been preserved and always attracts many admiring comments from tour participants. From the top of the tower the view is spectacular, looking out over Bass Strait to the west and the Tasman Sea to the east.

Casual visitors can enjoy a guided lighthouse tour at 1pm from Friday to Monday.

Accommodation guests not only get to view the lighthouse, but pay for the privilege of staying on to enjoy an extended visit of their desired duration. Guests have the choice of two spacious well presented wooden cottages and a separate self-contained bungalow. Constructed from Oregon and Baltic Pine collected from a ship that ran aground before the men arrived in 1888 by boat from Melbourne to build the entire light station, these buildings formerly accommodated the families of the assistant lighthouse keepers.

During the Christmas and Easter holiday periods, the tour runs daily except Christmas Day. An iconic feature of the lighthouse is its beautifully

Both three-bedroom cottages sleep up to eight people internally, with a bunkhouse attached to Cottage 1 accommodating a maximum

Staying guests are permitted to bring their vehicles up to the cottages, but casual visitors and campers leave their cars to stroll the 2.2 kilometers from the locked gate along a dirt road to reach the lighthouse. The coastal walk takes visitors past Honeymoon Bay, a sheltered and safe swimming location.

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Although the accommodation cottages have heating and are well equipped for a comfortable stay, do not expect some of the technology that today is taken for granted. A getaway to the Point Hicks Lighthouse really is an escape from the rat race. There are no televisions, telephones or internet access in the rooms.

Mobile phone reception can only be obtained from the top of the lighthouse tower or down on the rocks at the ocean’s edge.

It is essential for guests to pack plenty of food supplies, as the journey to the nearest shops is a one hour drive to Cann River. Bringing your own bedding and towels is also advised. Each cottage has a full kitchen and is stocked with games, books and magazines. Guests can soak in superb views from the verandah of their accommodation.

Any of a number of factors attracts guests to arrange a stay at the Point Hicks Lighthouse.

“There is something to offer at any time of the year,” says Suzanne Davies, who together

with her husband Paul are one of a few couples employed by the current owners of the lighthouse to share the management duties. The owners also manage the complex when they can take time out from their busy commitments.

As Suzanne emphasises, there is an incredibly long list of things to see and do in this beautiful and pristine area for all who stay, either within the lighthouse complex or camping at Thurra or Mueller campgrounds. The habitat at Point Hicks is home to amazing native flora and fauna. Amongst an abundance of local birdlife are sea eagles, which fly overhead every day.

There are several wonderful walks, including a two hour trek to sand dunes that are the second highest in the Southern Hemisphere at approximately 150 metres above sea level.

“It’s like walking within the Sahara Desert,” Suzanne describes.

“And the views are spectacular from the top.”

Another popular walk takes visitors to the wreck of the SS Saros, which was abandoned in 1937. That short journey takes only 15 minutes both ways.

In warmer weather, visitors can swim safely at Honeymoon Bay and at West Beach, depending on the conditions. Fishing, surfing, swimming, snorkeling and mountain bike riding are also regular activities. Canoes can be hired to explore the nearby Mueller River.

Of course, some visitors aren’t seeking pursuits involving any physical exertion and prefer instead to simply relax in the remote tranquility.

At certain times of the year, whale watching is hugely popular and the accommodation is often booked out well in advance.

“Humpbacks and Southern Whites are seen going past in May and June before returning with their newborn calves from the end of October all through November,” Suzanne reveals.

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“It is an incredible experience to see them playing, exercising and teaching their young every day, often quite close to shore.”

Accommodation guests may even encounter the ghost of former assistant lighthouse keeper Robert Christoferson, which is rumoured to occasionally make its presence felt in the tower and his cottage home. Christoferson vanished in mysterious circumstances in April 1947.

He had gone down to the rocks to retrieve a crayfish pot he had left in the sea, but never returned. Despite an exhaustive six-day police search, his body was never recovered.

According to Suzanne, there are two theories surrounding Christoferson’s disappearance.

“One is that he fell or was swept into the water and simply drowned, while there is also a rumour that says his de facto partner was having an affair with another of the lighthouse keeping staff and the pair of them did him in,” she explains.

Christoferson’s ghost has a shy streak, as he has never been seen. But he allegedly creates an audible presence through the sound of someone walking heavily in hobnail boots.

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Suzanne believes she has only ever heard him once.

“I was up in the lighthouse cleaning the glass prisms in the lantern and it had just gone dark,” she recalls.

“Nobody was staying here at the time and my husband Paul had gone down to the camp grounds. I clearly heard footsteps coming up the staircase and naturally presumed it was my husband returning. I called out that I had almost finished cleaning the glass and would be down soon. The footsteps stopped and when I came down soon after, Paul was nowhere to be seen.

He was still down at the camping grounds.”

as the location where Captain James Cook first found the land he had crossed the globe to discover. Cook named the promontory after Lieutenant Zachary Hicks, a crewman aboard the Endeavour who first sighted the headland in 1770.

The precise location that Cook had charted became the subject of much consternation, challenge and debate. As a result, the Point Hicks name was phased out of use over time and the location instead became known as Cape Everard for much of its history. It was not until the Bicentenary year in 1970 that the Point Hicks name was officially reinstated.

“Managers have also spoken to guests who described hearing the same sort of heavy footsteps in the cottage during the night,” she adds.

It was the commencement of oil and gas production off the Gippsland coast during the 1970s that eventually changed the status and operating function of the Point Hicks Lighthouse. Due to the establishment of the off-shore oil and gas platforms, the commercial shipping lanes were pushed further out to sea and beyond the reach of the Point Hicks light beam.

The intrigue of Robert Christoferson’s phantom footsteps adds to the interesting history of Point Hicks. Most famously, it is widely known

In 1991, the original glass lantern was replaced by a smaller solar light. Although the original light source and lens is no longer operational,

Whether you subscribe to ghost tales or not, Suzanne still has no logical explanation for what she heard.

TOUR DETAILS Friday to Monday at 1pm.

Daily during Christmas and Easter holiday periods except Christmas Day.

Prices Adult $7.00 Child $4.00 Family $20.00 Organised groups: inc. schools

$2 per person

Lighthouse telephone: 03 5158 4268 (10am to 3pm weekdays)

ACCOMMODATION Reservation enquiries for cottage accommodation can be mad either online at www.pointhicks.com or via booking agent Gippsland Lakes Escapes, located at 87 The Esplanade in Bairnsdale phone 03 5156 0432

the flashing beacon on the outside maintains its status today to assist recreational boating.

Point Hicks still provides important data for the Bureau of Meteorology from its weather station.

Management provides local weather reports three times daily - at 6am, 9am and 3pm. “We supply a range of statistical information, including minimum and maximum temperatures, rainfall levels, cloud types, wind directions and speeds and wave conditions,� Suzanne explains.

control in 1995. Since January 1997 it has been maintained and operated in private hands as a tourist facility. The present operators are a group of long-time campers who became aware that the lease had again come up for bidding in 2007.

They look upon their involvement as an emotional investment rather than a commercial one. Their intention was, and continues to be, to maintain a landmark that is special to them in a condition as close as possible to its original state for the enjoyment of everyone.

Photographs by Douglas Pell and some courtesy of Point Hicks Lighthouse

The Point Hicks Lighthouse was transferred from Federal Government to State Government

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RIVERBEND - NICHOLSON ON THE EAST GIPPSLAND LAKES Wyndham Real Estate are proud to be releasing stage 1 of this prestigious subdivision with over 1km of frontage to the Nicholson River.

Riverbend promises country living at its best, with each home site carefully situated to ensure privacy and to take maximum advantage of the views. Riverbend is just a 10 minute commute to Bairnsdale and walking distance to the village of Nicholson.

Nicholson is a small town in East Gippsland, 295km east of the State capital Melbourne. With a population of 1,504, Nicholson is situated between the larger towns of Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance.

Nicholson is located on the Princes Highway and lies on the banks of the Nicholson River. The town on the west bank of the River has a substantial boat ramp, deep water moorings, general store, retreat hotel and motel and Nicholson River caravan park. The East Gippsland rail trail passes across the north section of the town. Primary school, tennis courts, Nicholson Angling Club and a community hall brings this unique village together.

Lots ranging from 4000sqm to 8000sqm with prices starting from $95,000 - $220,000.

ONE & TWO ACRE BLOCKS 03 5153 0533 169 Main Street, Bairnsdale

AWARD WINNING DEALERshIP

Coaches to Cars A History of Dwyers 1975 to 1998

1975

Kevin and Kay now have three children – Maigan, Susan and Anthony. The Leyland P76 big car and value for money.

1978

Opening of Unipart 19th October, on the corner of Nicholson and Bailey Streets. Vehicle Spare Parts and Auto Accessories Nicholson Street, self selection mini market. Rover/Landrover currently selling well.

1984

Dwyers Datsun – Dwyers Nissan. An unnecessary name change costing the manufacturer and retailers in market share and huge cost in marketing.

1987

Sold 93-101 Main Street (now Nicks Bairnsdale). Used vehicle operation moved to part of Errol Stewart Ford site at 449 Princes Highway.

1993 Top Awards did come our way. “Toyota Presidents Excellence, Toyota Rural Dealer of the Year”, Individual Awards for Service, Parts, Excellence Business Management and Customer Satisfaction. We have had some very good years and some ordinary; the seasons are constantly changing.

1995 Dwyers purchased land to the east of their

premises, Cuthbertson and Richards sawmill, and built a new showroom adding both Japanese Mitsubishi and Korean Daewoo in the same year, adding both opportunity and complexity to our operation.

1996 December moved into the City of Sale, taking over the Toyota Suzuki dealership in York Street as a branch operation of Bairnsdale connecting the sites into one computer system.

1997

Lui Mosele, Dwyers’ longest serving employee, retired after 48 years. Loyalty! Lui held a unique position in the history of the firm. He has covered all four generations shortly after Anthony joined the firm in January 1997 to take up the reins one day?

1998 One hundred years have flashed by…. For all the daily dramas, we have survived, taking the long-term view and really appreciate the loyal support of customers and staff.

To be continued in next edition...

1991 Appointed Toyota dealer for East Gippsland.

Relocated from our historical site in Nicholson Street to the Princes Highway opposite the East Gippsland Hospital, refurbished and upgraded the facility, increased staff numbers and kept running!

Truly here for the Long Run, With a vehicle for everyone

Dwyers Toyota 449 Princes Highway, BAIRNSDALE, VIC 3875 Phone: 03 5152 9797 www.dwyers.com.au

LMCT 1702

RECIPE th e b e a n d C ORN CAK E S w i th B A C O N & a n AV O C A D O SA L S A Chef Graeme Heenan This is a great meal that can be enjoyed at breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. You can swap the bacon for smoked salmon or ham. If you want to make it vegetarian just leave the bacon out all together. A great addition to the dish is a couple of poached eggs. With all the variations that can be made to this dish you can enjoy it many times over with a different twist each time. This recipe makes 4 servings and is sure to impress your friends and family, without stretching your funds.

INGREDIENTS

AVOCADO SALSA

OTHERS

2 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels ½ a tin of creamed corn ¼ cup creme fraiche 1 egg Zest of 1 lemon 3 pinches of any fresh herbs 2 pinches of sea salt flakes 1 tblsp extra virgin olive oil ¾ cup self-raising flour

1 avocado 1 red capsicum ¼ cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen) ½ of a lemon 2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil 1 pinch salt & pepper 1 pinch of freshly cut herbs

8 rashes of middle rindless bacon 4 tblsp crème fraiche

HOW TO For the corn cakes put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl except for the flour and mix using a whisk.

Next you need to finely dice the red capsicum and the avocado. Put them into a mixing bowl and squeeze the ½ lemon over the salsa.

When the corn cakes are golden brown place them in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes.

Add the flour to the mix and whisk till well combined, then set aside.

When the corn in the pan is done, add that to the avocado mix. Next finely chop the herbs and add the herbs, olive oil, salt and pepper to the salsa bowl. Mix well and set aside till it is time to plate up.

While the corn cakes are finishing in the oven you need to cook the bacon in a frying pan till golden brown and crispy on both sides.

To prepare the salsa put a small fry pan on a low heat and put the corn kernels into a dry pan with no oil. Leave this on the heat for about 15 minutes stirring every minute with a spoon so it does not burn too badly. You want to dehydrate and caramelise the corn.

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In a large fry pan on a medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan. Then using a soup spoon, spoon 1 heaped spoonful of the corn cake mix into the pan. You need 3 corn cakes per serving, leaving to cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Then flip and cook on the other side till golden brown.

To plate up you will need 4 plates, layering it up starting with a corn cake on the plate, then bacon, corn cake, bacon and 1 more corn cake. To finish it off, spoon the salsa on top letting it fall down the sides onto the plate. Lastly garnish with 1 tablespoon of crème fraiche on top of the salsa.

micro coffee roastery

+

eatery

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fudge store

BEANd CAFÉ is a handcrafted micro coffee roaster + eater y with BEANd produce store.

BEANd specialized breakfast, lunch, sweets, coffee and tea.

BEANd use the freshest local produce to create awesome food.

BEANd source the best green coffee be ans from around the globe + roast them with care + love.

BEANd roast small batches of coffee daily, so we can deliver the freshest coffee in Gippsland.

Come tr y our store made FAB Fudge with a selection to tantalize your senses.

The brunch menu goes all day to satis fy your breakfast, morning, lunch + afternoon tea needs.

BEANd coffee – fudge + store made preser ves are perfect to eat in, take home or give as a gift.

OPEN 7AM – 4 PM 6 DAYS (CLOSED WEDNESDAY) s pe c ia liz e d c o f f e e + a ll d ay b reakfast + lu n ch + sweets an d tea S ho p 4 , 1 5 7 Ma rin e Parad e San Remo V IC 3925 p h 04 0 7 7 1 7 5 8 8 w b ht t p: //b ean d .com.au fb faceb ook.com/b ean d coffee

Call in and inspect our range of new and pre-owned boats

BOATING SINCE 1964

71-77 Chickerell Street, Morwell 3840 P: 5134 6522 E: info@crawfordmarine F: 5134 6455 www.crawfordmarine.com.au

MEMBER

TJM Bairnsdale is East Gippsland’s largest TJM distributorship with quality 4WD and commercial vehicle equipment and accessories. We often have the parts you need right here in stock. Being Automotive Electrical Specialists as well, we carry out quality repairs, auto electrical repairs and aftermarket installations ranging from the most up to date car sound systems, in car communication needs to complex vehicle diagnostics.

TJM Bairnsdale | East Gippsland Auto Electrics are a family owned and operated business with a focus on incomparable service.

We have been a 25 year licensed VACC Member.

All of our automotive technicians are licensed automotive air conditioning specialists.

Call: (03) 5152 3431 East Gippsland Auto Electrics 473-475 Princes Hwy Bairnsdale VIC 3875 www.tjmbairnsdale.com.au

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17

Timbarra River

TROUT FISHING IN THE HIGH COUNTRY Last issue we had a look at trout fishing in the Mitta River which is the largest river in the Victorian High Country. This time we are going to have a look one of the smaller rivers that flow off our mountains, the Timbarra River.

The start of the trout season, on the first weekend in September is just around the corner and it is a good time to target these smaller rivers as they are usually far less affected by snow melt than the larger rivers such as the Mitta. Also their water temperature is often higher than the snow fed, larger rivers. At this time of the year it can be a good idea to target the spring fed rivers and leave the streams that are affected by snow melt until a little later in the season.

The Timbarra River is a good example of a spring fed river that fishes well in the early part of the season. This smallish river starts its journey at the Nunniong High Plains and eventually enters the Tambo River at the Playgrounds not far off the Omeo Highway, just north of Bruthen.

Much of the river’s journey is through steep, mountainous country, which makes access difficult. It does however flow through some lovely open country not far from Buchan. This area is known as the Timbarra Settlement area and it is where the river flows through farmland surrounded by native forest and mountains.

To reach this part of the river, turn off the BruthenBuchan Road, just a few kilometres before Buchan and follow the Timbarra Road until

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you reach the bridge over the river. The road is sealed for most of the way until you reach the Nunniong turnoff where it turns to gravel. It is normally in good condition and suitable for the average car and caravan. It is a little windy in places so care should be taken if towing.

The river follows the road and is fishable from this point onwards for about 10 kms. At first it runs through native vegetation but then you will come upon the Settlement area. This area contains a number of farms and the river meanders along the valley for quite some distance.

CAMPS

A feature of this area is the wonderful free camping areas. I cannot think of a better camping area than here. The sites are semiformal and are mostly sited so that the neighbours are out of sight and out of ear shot.

They are dotted along the river from the bridge upstream to the farmland and most are set under a canopy of gum trees with many having flat grassy areas to pitch your tent or park your van. The grassy areas are mown on a semiregular basis and firewood is readily available.

Fire pits have been constructed and are a great aid for campers, and also reduce the likelihood of fires getting out of control.

Bush, ecologically friendly toilets are strategically placed near these camp sites. I recently took 3 grandchildren camping here and they were very pleased that we did not have to use the shovel.

FISHING

The best fishing in this river is early and late in the season. During the hotter summer months the water temperature increases and makes it uncomfortable for the trout. During spring and autumn the days are shorter, the air temperature is lower and the trout are happier in their environment and naturally they bite better. During the summer, the best fishing is normally early in the morning and late in the evening when the insects are most active and the temperature is the lowest for the day.

Do not expect to catch trophy fish in this river.

Most of the fish are a half pound or less. There is a fair smattering of 1 pound fish and anything above that is considered quite a good fish. The river is a delight to fish as it is a series of pools and runs. It meanders backwards and forwards from the road which makes walking back to your car quite easy. All forms of fishing are successful. The fly fishermen do well early in the season with a small nymph fished under a dry fly. Later in the season they will be seen mainly fishing dry flies such as a Royal Wulff or perhaps a Nobby Hopper. Good caddis hatches of an evening are the “norm” during late spring and summer.

Bait fishermen are well catered for with the humble worm being great bait early on in the season, then perhaps a couple of hoppers on the hook and drift downstream after Christmas. As this river flows through farmland, grasshoppers are a stable diet of the fish. One fisherman that I know has great success bait drifting. He puts whatever he finds in the area on his hook, casts into the running water and allows the bait to wash downstream. His bait can range from beetles to hoppers to small

insects such as nymphs. He uses small hooks and, if the bait is small, he puts several insects on the one hook. Sometimes a small split shot is required to add weight for casting.

cream to them”. The Wulff does not look like any particular food item but it does look great on the water, and the great judge of trout flies (the trout) have loved them for years.

Spin fishermen also do well here with the usual range of hardware. The old fashioned Celta in red and black still takes its fair share of fish and soft plastics and hard bodied lures are normally successful, particularly in the ripples.

ACCOMMODATION

I recently fished the Timbarra. The river was flowing just right and the water temperature was 12 degrees. That is pretty sexy for a trout fisherman. I elected to fish the settlement area where back casts are easy. I commenced at 10am but the fishing was fairly quiet for the first couple of hours. Then just before lunch time I nailed two nice browns that both went over 1 pound out of the one pool.

There were a few hoppers still around but I could not interest the fish with a hopper pattern.

I took it off and almost immediately caught the two fish with my old favourite, a size 12 Royal Wulff. As somebody once said “trout love a Royal Wulff; they are like strawberries and

The only accommodation available in the valley is at Timbarra House. It is an old farm house that has been renovated and set up to take guests. It has good facilities and is situated in a great spot on the river. This would be a good venue for a fishing club or group of anglers as it can comfortably take up to 6 people.

The next closest accommodation is situated at Buchan which is about 40 minutes away.

Situated only 1¼ hours from Bairnsdale and with good road access and excellent free camping areas! What are you waiting for?

Get up there and catch a trout.

thelifestyle winter 2015

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Bass Phillip Winery Amber Rhodes

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thelifestyle winter 2015

If you were to imagine a world renowned bottle of Pinot Noir, the vineyard you might picture could be one that flaunts all the pomp and circumstance to go along with it; the elaborate cellar door, the high-class restaurant and even five-star accommodation. But in truth a truly great bottle of wine needs no such flamboyant introduction, merely a working farm and an unassuming grower of wine is all that is needed. Bass Phillip Winery, located just south of Leongatha, bears all the hallmarks of a working farm, and produces some of the most celebrated wines in the country, a testimony to the patience and dedication of Phillip Jones, the winery's owner.

Phillip's passion for wine began in his early twenties over regular dinner parties held with his friends from university, who always liked to challenge each other. “The bottles would arrive on the table wrapped in a brown paper bag and the guessing games would start,” said Phillip, “We often tried to outfox each other with the most bizarre or convoluted questions that had a really strong factual basis, based on the taste

of the wine. I developed an appreciation and a sensitivity to some of the more obscure natural characteristics of some wines, and if I had a wine like that I would go ring the wine maker to find out how it happened.” It was then he knew that he had to have a go at it himself.

He purchased the property in 1979, at the same time working for a management consulting firm, and studying a wine science degree by correspondence.

Originally he wanted to make Bordeaux style wine but was told that you can't make Pinot Noir in Australia and warned that he was wasting his time. Pinot Noir has always been known in this country as the problematic and difficult grape variety, but as Phillip discovered, this is basically due to it being planted in inappropriate climates.

Despite the viewpoints of others, Phillip persisted and succeeded well beyond even his own expectations.

“The secret to making good Pinot Noir is to move to a district that is high in minerals and rainfall, which is contrary to the old tales of vines

having to struggle. Pinot Noir doesn't like to be struggling, it likes to be looked after,” he added.

Initially Phillip only planted three rows of Pinot Noir as an experiment, and within four years discovered that they did well. With his background as an engineer in research and development, he had to find out the answer why.

“The Pinot Noir all grew so beautifully, but the Cabernet Sauvignon was this straggly rough growth with too much foliage, getting fungal disease and ripening too late after the rain break in May. So I ripped it all out and started again.”

Naturally Phillip decided that Pinot Noir was the way to go.

There is warmth in his voice when he describes the characteristics of his wine, in the same way that someone might talk about one of their children. “Pinot Noir is usually softer, a more gentle fruit,” he explains, “It has smells and aromas which are very complex. They can be fruity, like plums and cherries and

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Bass Phillip Winery strawberries and so on, but also mushrooms, nuts, earthiness, truffly smells and even smells of the damp rainforest. Amazing things, with a long gentle flavour.”

In comparison to most other vineyards the vines are planted much closer together. Now that he has been growing wine for so many decades he can speak confidently about his methods, although he knows he is still learning every year.

He has learned that his approach to viticulture, to the vines and their management, as well as the cropping load on each vine, is critical to quality. He believes that the balance between the vineyard activity and winemaking skill is 80/20, which is contrary to what is recognised in the wine industry.

“This is a farming business,” he said. “From the time we crush the grapes onwards we are just monitoring it. I'm not a winemaker, I'm a wine grower and I think that if you're not growing your own material you shouldn't be given the respect regarding production of good wine.

You need to nurture it from there,” he added, pointing at the vines.

His growing methods of increased planting density are unique, although since some have followed suit. The rows are closer together,

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thelifestyle winter 2015

as well as the vines being in closer proximity.

A typical Australian vineyard will have roughly two to three thousand vines to a hectare, whereas Bass Phillip has approximately three times that amount. He started trialling it in the late 1970s, because to his engineering brain it simply made sense. The vigour of growth is high, with the annual rainfall being about a metre, and with soils rich and deep in minerals, it is a recipe for success. They are also organic and bio-dynamic in their methods, although UN-Certified, which is something of great importance to Phillip as he does not want to serve his customers toxic chemicals.

Behind two large timber doors, created from the rough planks hewn from old cypress trees that used to stand at the front of the property, sits a wine barrel proudly displaying the varieties of wine lovingly created on the property. Very modestly Phillip turns and says, “How can I put it. We're kind of famous in the wine industry.”

This modest proclamation does nothing to highlight how well known his wines really are.

The only internationally accepted classification of Australian wines is the Langton’s classifications system, which is declared every five years. It is made up of four categories, which is for all types of wine, with about one hundred wines

included. As Phillip explains there is a secret formula to being included, which is made up of a various number of things, but despite that, you still can only be included if you have met the requirements for this particular formula for at least ten years. Bass Phillip has been on this list since the year 2000 and currently their Pinot Noir stands at number two on the list in the Exceptional category, and under the Outstanding classification they sit at number three.

The top wine critic in Australia, James Halliday, also has great respect for his wines, last year awarding them “Wine of the Year” with a score of 99 out of 100, something he has never given to a dry table wine before. “We're right at the top, which I never would have imaged,” said Phillip.

Most of Bass Phillip's wines are sold to restaurants or private buyers, and with a significant amount going overseas, they are certainly bringing South Gippsland and its winemakers to the forefront of the world stage.

Photographs by Amber Rhodes

In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place: and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

WONTHAGGI Written by Major John McCrae, Canadian Medical Corps doctor With a Field Artillery Brigade in Ypres

R E M E M B E R I N G

GALLIP LI 1915 to 2015

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thelifestyle spring 2013

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thelifestyle winter 2015

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54 Tyers Street, STRATFORD, Victoria (03) 5145 6816 thelifestyle winter 2015

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 The first arrival of Europeans around 1840, with a view to settling, founded the Buneep Run; but in 1847 it was reported by the surveyor, explorer and Commissioner of Crown Lands for Gippsland, Charles Tyers, the earlier findings were confirmed but no major drainage works were attempted until decades later.  In 1857 the Buneep Run was surveyed with a view to founding a village and Messrs. Connor, Vale and Mckinnon purchased most of the allotments in the area. This site is now referred to as Tonimbuk, north east of the current town.  In 1858 the old Buneep Hotel was built to accommodate coach travellers.

You will find the Bunyip Township about 85km, using the Princes Highway, southeast of Melbourne, on the east side of the Cardinia Shire.

History The town is named after a mythical creature, known as the Bunyip or Buneep (as spelt on early maps), which according to the Aboriginal people means “a spirit that punishes bad people”. A legend that the Aboriginal people believed that the Bunyip lived in the swamps of the Bunyip River and therefore avoided the area and early settlers, who believed this myth, never pitched their tents near the ‘Bunyip hole’ apprehensive that they would upset the Bunyip.

In the early 1800s, the first settlers discovered much hardship in trying to cultivate the land because of the marsh like area, which was formed by the waters of many rivers that flowed down from the adjoining high country that often produced impermeable swamplands with the dense Acacias and giant Melaleuca tea trees growing beneath the surface.

So, in 1827, William H. Hovell in his explorations reported that when he attempted to cross the swampy land, found the undergrowth to be an inaccessible and dense wilderness. Albeit, the country, and the areas that were workable impressed him and held some promise for future development.

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 In 1867 Connor selected land to build the Bunyip Hotel on the west side of the Bunyip River along the new road (which was surveyed and later improved in 1860). A township was established in its final location on a low hill alongside the Bairnsdale railway line (which arrived in October 1877).  In 1876 two hotels, the Butcher’s Arms and the Bunyip were set up.

 In 1877 the Post Office opened.  In 1887, in addition to the hotels there were a general store, three or four dwellings and a state school. It was about this time that suitable drainage work started on the large swampy land nearby and speculators started to arrive in the area.  In 1900 the town comprised of a large produce, livestock and furniture market and in 1899 the Bank of Australasia established an agency in Bunyip.  In 1921 a Soldiers’ Memorial Stone was erected following World War I to commemorate those townfolk who had been killed and subsequently those killed in World War II and the Vietnam War were added.

 The heritage two story brick building named Stacey’s new Railway Hotel (which still remains today) opened in 1924 and a few years later enormous bushfires threatened the township and destroyed many properties.  In 1928 electricity had been extended to the township.

Over the last 100 plus years Bunyip experienced a slow and steady growth and many descendants continue to live in the district.

Features The Bunyip & District Agricultural Show is held at the Recreation Reserve early each year with categories for horses, cattle, dogs, cats, cookery, artwork and much more.

There is a wildlife sanctuary, which is popular with bird watchers as there are over fifty different types of birds that have been sighted there. It is on a 13-hectare reserve north of the town. The sanctuary is home to animals such as frogs, lizards, snakes and water birds.

Services Lifestyle Bunyip has an Australian Rules football team known as the Bunyip Bulldogs, formed in 1902 and currently plays in the Ellinbank & District Football League. There is an affiliated netball club and there is also the Bunyip & District Soccer Club.

In the early 1900s the township grew slowly and there were more businesses than houses, and these served the people of the township as well as the surrounding farming areas. As the population grew there were a need for further facilities such as churches and thus the Catholic and Anglican Churches were opened and over the years these were restored and rebuilt.

Broadcasting available at present are the Warragul radio station Star FM and 3GG and the Bunyip & District Community News, local newsletter.

Then in the late 1900s the first hospital was erected on land at the top of the hill on High Street. This was burnt down and later replaced in 1965 by the Shelley Memorial Hospital situated in A’Beckett Street. It was later converted into a Community Health Centre and finally demolished and rebuilt as the Hillview Bunyip Aged Care Centre in 1994, through the hard work of many community clubs and volunteers.

Sadly, in 1967 five members of the Bunyip Football Club: Michael Breheny, Noel Heatley, Peter Kay, Donald Smith and Barry Sullivan perished when their plane crashed at Daly Waters in the Northern Territory. A memorial was erected by the Citizens of the District at the Bunyip Recreational Ground in their memory.

In 1880 a state school was established, named Bunyip Primary School and a Catholic School known as Columba Catholic Primary School opened in 2001.

Currently, there are cafes, hotels, gift stores, hardware and timber merchants, a veterinarian, pharmacy and medical services, petrol station, car repair services, grocery stores, hairdressers, newsagents, banks, a bakery and more – a wide variety of businesses to entice the consumer and traveller alike.

There is the Bunyip railway station situated on the Bairnsdale line; the Bunyip Urban Fire Station; the Police Station; and a District Community House and Bunyip Hall.

thelifestyle thelifestyleautumn winter 2015

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Ultimate Indulgence The saying that every cloud has a silver lining can sometimes be hard to believe, but after working in an abattoir for over five years, Michelle Grimsted found this notion to be true.

Having always had an interest in skincare and make up, a friend suggested that she do a beauty course. Now, just over thirteen years later, she is the proud owner of the Ultimate Indulgence Beauty Therapy and Day Spa Clinic, and also produces her own line of skincare products and soy candles.

Her initial study took twelve months, which she undertook at Helene Abicair in Collins Street, Melbourne. There she learnt a whole range of beauty therapies, such as how to do manicures, facials, waxing and spray tanning.

More recently she has gone on to do a separate course in cosmetic tattooing, which she finds is popular amongst her clientele.

Michelle first opened a salon in Warragul, before going on to work from home while working full time at Coles. Later she relocated her business to where it stands today in the Main Street of Garfield. With two children, one being quite young when she first opened the salon, it was difficult initially, but after taking on two full time staff, it has taken the pressure off.

The salon is spread over two shop spaces, although to start with she was leasing only half.

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thelifestyle winter 2015

She asked her landlord to hold the other side for her, wanting to take it on if things were doing well. The business took off and Michelle's salon expanded, turning the space into separate rooms for treatments, as well as putting in a large spa bath.

Michelle worked hard to get her salon looking as beautiful as it does, giving it a peaceful ambience that helps her clients to relax. “I spent a lot of nights working out how to put it all together,” she said. “It was a difficult task but I am really pleased with the outcome.”

The renovations took a couple of months, doing one side first and later the other. Choosing the colour scheme and furnishings was another task that Michelle met with care, trying to find the right combination that would provide a soothing atmosphere. “I spent many days going around

to display homes trying to get ideas,” she said. “I couldn't sleep because I was trying to visualise how it would all come together.” She also spent a great deal of time sourcing all the fixtures and accessories, going from Berwick, to Narre Warren and back out to Warragul, and in the early days was constantly at the salon working at building up her business. Her time, care and persistence was well worth the effort, with the end result creating a salon that draws clients from as far as Lakes Entrance, Inverloch, Narre Warren and Pakenham, as well as plenty of locals.

Michelle employs two highly educated staff, Emily Collins and Patti Muley. “I have an excellent team of ladies that work for me,” she said. “We all work along side one another brilliantly. We have an open and honest relationship which I believe helps to build a good team. I am grateful to have such a fantastic working environment.”

Between them they have over thirty years of combined experience, with Emily having worked at Ultimate Indulgence for just over three years and Patti for two. Emily completed her Diploma of Beauty Therapy at Elly Lucas and Patti is a fully qualified Dermal Laser Therapist, who managed the Melbourne Laser Clinic for many years. Both women specialise in IPL Treatments (Intense Pulse Light), and they both love giving facials as they are particularly good with clinical

Patti Muley, Michelle Grimsted, Emily Collins

Beauty & Spa Clinic Amber Rhodes

hopes to be selling online through her website as well as in the salon.

At Ultimate Indulgence Beauty Spa and Clinic their primary focus is their clientele and ensuring complete customer satisfaction. The salon and clinic is of the highest standard and equipped with the latest medical grade equipment.

treatments and take great satisfaction from helping to improve their client's skin.

The salon offers a whole range of services, such as waxing, spray tans, IPL treatments (hair removal), skin rejuvenation, cosmetic tattooing, body spa treatments, body wraps and scrubs, facials, manicures and pedicures, teeth whitening, make up for all occasions, lash lifts and massages. They also have a nurse that visits monthly who specialises in wrinkle injections and dermal fillers.

Michelle particularly enjoys performing the cosmetic tattooing, where she can tattoo your eyebrows using natural hair strokes, as well as tattoo eyeliner and lips. She has found that the eyebrows have been really popular. “I apply it like little hair strokes so it looks very natural.

I use a mineral based ink, which is much better

for you. Cosmetic tattooing can last from between eighteen months to three years or more, depending on the person.”

Michelle first started her own range of Ultimate Indulgence Natural Skincare products ten years ago. “I started doing lots of short courses, reading and researching books and the Internet, as well as mucking around in the kitchen making all sorts of concoctions. I started out selling my products through party plan,” she said. “Now I make a large range of natural skincare as well as soy candles, melts and reed diffusers.” It is all made at home, which keeps her busy when she is not in the salon. This May she is also just about to release another natural range enriched with Argan Oil, which is an excellent antiageing ingredient. To help take the pressure off Michelle has been working with a compound pharmacy to manufacture the range, which she

They have an array of products to suit all needs, including Germaine De Capuccini, Medik8 and ASAP skincare, as well as Michelle's own natural range, and their treatments cover everything from the most basic needs to spa ambience, anti-ageing and also clinical procedures for more problematic skin. Their main goal is to give customers the best experience and total satisfaction.

The salon is open Monday to Friday, and Saturday until 1pm, and is located in Main Street, Garfield.

Photographs by Amber Rhodes

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The Agnes Falls are particularly spectacular after heavy rains, The Agnes River looking very still, until it cascades 59 metres to the gorge below! If you come along with children but have water cascading over the rockface all year round. tell them the river is “magic” – it “disappears” !

OPEN DAY AT

AGNES FALLS

PA R T O F T H E P R O M C O A S T S E A C H A N G E F E S T I VA L A steady stream of visitors enjoyed visiting this special place and were happy to support the group with their purchase of refreshments and fundraising items. These beautiful falls are located about 12kms north of Toora and is well worth a visit. Why not bring along a picnic. A great day out!

Kathleen Carol Whelan Friends of Agnes Falls www.facebook.com/FriendsOfAgnesFalls

Sandy, Werner, Peter, Turid and Kathy busy at work at the Special Friends of Agnes Falls Open Day, promoting the beautiful Agnes Falls and the new bushland picnic ground. The peaceful Agnes River flows through the picnic grounds on its way to the gorge, 59 metres below the falls.

Visitors enjoying a view of the falls from the main lookout.

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thelifestyle winter 2015

Picnic Grounds at Agnes Falls

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thelifestyle winter 2015

For many people a dog is not only a domestic pet but also a faithful companion who will always be happy to see you home, keen to chase the ball or head off for a walk. Consider the bond between a working dog and his master and the relationship can be rewarding, so much so that Jake Greaves has thirty-eight close companions in his working sled dog pack.

At 29, Jake’s steely eyes and rugged good looks give way to a deeper passion and life long commitment that you would expect from

someone much older. Jake’s commitment to his pack is absolute, his life and largely that of his partner Kyla, now revolves around the caring for and training of his rescued huskies.

In Australia working sled dogs are a rarity rather than the norm, and although there is a small group of dedicated sled dog enthusiasts a large number of Siberian huskies and malamutes are introduced into domestic homes for their undeniable good looks and friendly nature but a successful marriage is not always the outcome.

All too often breeds such as these are found to be difficult to handle, stubborn to train and totally not suitable for the suburban backyard.

With an undeniable passion for the breed Jake will regularly drive across the state to pick up dogs from less than ideal homes and slowly introduce them to his pack.

“There is a pack order amongst them, but we ignore that as far as feeding, training and attention goes,” divulges Jake over a coffee at Dinner Plain not far from his newest sled dog

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After a visit to a breeder Jake was somewhat dismayed when against his better judgment he came home with the craziest puppy from the litter. Little did he know that his shared experience with ‘Koda’ would lead them both to social sledding as a traditional and more effective way of training through to competing and winning against much more experienced competition in their first scooter/dog race.

When his original pet boxer tragically died from cancer Jake soon realised that huskies need the companionship of a pack as Koda became more and more rebellious and undisciplined.

Rescuing his first Husky from a difficult domestic situation introduced ‘Maximus’ to the fold and a sled dog racing team was born. When I asked Jake about his ideal number of huskies he said it was originally going to be five, but that he is “a bit blurry now about the ideal number”.

trail at Mt Hotham. “Any dogs that we rescue have to pass three tests; they have to integrate well with the pack, not be aggressive and enjoy running.”

Jake’s thriving sled dog tourism business, Howling Huskys, relies on his dogs working as a united team and loving to run, but such is his commitment to the breed that should a rescued dog not be suitable for use as a working sled dog then the time will be taken to train the animal until it is suitable as a domestic pet.

The ideal scenario though for this self taught sled dog trainer is “that they integrate well and can join one of our sled dog teams. Once they

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become part of our family they have a home for life. We use our older dogs in our kids’ education program or they can happily live out their lives on our property being continually cared for,” says Jake.

Jake’s love affair with Huskies came from his boyhood obsession with North American Indians and their affinity with wild wolves garnered through many campfire stories and toy figurine gifts from his Grandfather. When it came time to find a pet there was no alternative for this Melbourne based landscaper than the wolf-like husky despite the diminutive South Melbourne house with associated tiny backyard where he lived at the time.

As his sled dog tourism business expanded from Mt Baw Baw in East Gippsland to Lake Mountain near the Yarra Valley and now Mt Hotham in the Victorian High Country, so too did his canine family. Currently four teams of eight dogs provide alpine tourists with a rare glimpse into the traditional Alaskan way of life as they gracefully slide along trails in an authentic Canadian timber sled propelled only by the dogs that turn and pull to Jake’s every command of haw or gee (left or right) or hike (go).

Feeding and maintaining thirty-eight dogs doesn't come cheaply, and the expansion of his tourism business to include a kids’ education program, Summer bushwalking (with pack carrying huskies) and snowshoe tours will not only improve the viability of his enterprise but keep the dogs fit for the mainstay of the business, Winter sled dog tours.

Now with the ongoing support of Ivory Coat Pet Foods the opportunity to establish community based programs such as Howling Huskies Story Tales, a non-judgmental education initiative to improve the reading skills of children with learning challenges by allowing them to read to dogs, has meant that Jake can share his passion for the animals that support his lifestyle.

Providing a farm-stay opportunity for international back packers on his 100 acre property at Swifts Creek and experience living and working with his dogs, is a way of assisting with the many chores involved in looking after his thirty-eight dogs. Two years ago he received an email from a Canadian traveller who was keen to visit “and she hasn't left” smirks Jake as he recounts Kyla’s integration into his extended family. In my mind they have the perfect partnership born from the shared passion for the husky breed and a combined sense of wanting to do good in the world and make a difference. The life of a sled dog tour operator is not an easy one and Jake and Kyla are constantly making sacrifices to maintain their lifestyle and provide for their pack….or is it the pack that is providing the lifestyle for them?

It is heart warming to watch Jake interact with each and every one of his beloved dogs.

Whether it be a boyish wrestle or a quick rustle of their fur, it is obvious that the relationship between dog and master is equal and heartfelt and that the adage that a dog is man’s best friend, has never been more appropriate or more well earned than in this case …. or at least equally as appropriate as the man being the dog’s best friend. www.howlinghuskys.com.au Photographs by Grant Seamer

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The iconic Fish Creek Hotel (1939) is a magnificently imposing Art Deco building located in the heart of Fish Creek.

Eight comfortable upstairs bedrooms and nine motel units provide accommodation. With the Great Southern Rail Trail and art galleries on its doorstep, award winning wineries nearby and only 25 minutes from the gates of Wilson’s Promontory, it is ideally located as your accommodation base.

THE

FISH CREEK HOTEL

The Bistro features fabulous food with an extensive menu of fresh local and seasonal produce that highlights the best Gippsland has to offer. Bottles of sparkling along with reds and whites from wineries across Gippsland being a specialty. Bookings are advisable.

B I S T R O O P E N 7 DAYS LUNCH Mon – Fri: Midday – 2pm Sat – Sun: Midday – 2.30pm DINNER Sun – Thur: 5.45pm – 8pm Fri – Sat: 5.45pm – 8.30pm BAR OPEN Mon – Fri: 11.30am till late Sat – Sun: 11am till late

THE

FISH CREEK HOTEL

1 Old Waratah Rd, FISH CREEK, Vic 3959

(03) 5683 2404 www.fishcreekhotel.com.au

OMEO MOTEL

OFFICE HOURS 7.30am – 9.00pm 7 DAYS Your Hosts Andrew & Margie Cogger

The charming Omeo Motel offers affordable off-mountain accommodation in a peaceful setting. Families, singles, couples and groups welcome.

Featuring beautiful views of the historic Omeo township and neighbouring High Country Region, midway along the Great Alpine Road, and only 40 minutes to Mt. Hotham.

OMEO MOTEL 43 Park Street, Omeo VIC 3898 Phone: (03) 5159 1297 www.omeomotel.com.au thelifestyle winter 2015

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Wine Review

by Stuart Hay | The Press Cellars

Lightfoot & Sons, Myrtle Point, Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014

Lightfoot & Sons, Single Block, Pinot Noir 2013

Striking bright cherry/strawberry on the nose, which develops a ripe glace cherry note as it opens up in the glass.

A hint of French polish alludes to a gentle oak regime.

Plum, cherry and sweet pastry twist together in the glass demanding appreciation. Alluring yet demure it is beguiling as great pinot should be.

The weight in the mouth is large for a Pinot Noir and the ripe fruit character is more evident in the mouth with black cherry and strawberry coulis being parcelled with bakery spice and toasted oak.

After the first swallow the greatest impression is of balance. Oak, fruit and acid work together in your mouth delivering a creamy cherry punch a pleasant oak driven spice character on the finish and brilliant fresh acid that leaves your mouth craving more of what it just had.

"The finish is long and laden with fruit making for a very pleasant and robust Pinot Noir"

"A masterful effort and shows valid reason for the packaging of this single block of fruit"

Drink Now through 2020 rrp $28.00 See website for stockists

Drink now and drink it often rrp $48.00 See website for stockists Â

The Press Cellars 1/80 Smith Street
Warragul, VIC 3820 Phone: 03 5623 3880 www.thepresscellars.com.au

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travel around THE WORLD with

MARTY THOMAS

of MOO'S AT MEENIYAN on a food adventure to BELARUS Moo’s at Meeniyan, famed for providing a taste of South Gippsland, is asking locals and visitors alike to pack their passports and to carefully stow away their hand luggage as they take you on a journey around your plate, providing a taste of the world at their Moo’s Around The World Food Adventure. Taking place on the last Friday of each month, owner Marty and his team of chefs provide a sumptuous multi course degustation dinner that focuses on the tastes, textures and delights of the designated destination. From exotic locations and unknown cultures, Moo’s is pulling all the stops to educate and explore the world, one dish at a time.

After the success of the first world food adventure, Moo’s at Meeniyan decided to continue the exploration of tastes and travel by making a stop at the European country of Belarus. A landlocked republic bordered

by Latvia, Russia, Poland, Lithuania and the Ukraine, the Belarusian cuisine consists mainly of vegetables and meat, usually pork, with rye breads. Their national dish is Draniki, a potato pancake, often flavoured with onion and garlic and sometimes topped with cheese, or apple as a dessert.

Guests are seated at communal tables, where you exchange excitement and unknown

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Madeleine Stuchbery

expectation over the foods soon to be served up to you. Needless to say, Belarusian cuisine is not a common staple in the modern Australian diet, yet the full house and the high volume of noise and chatter in the Moo’s at Meeniyan dining room heralded the intrigue and anticipation for the foods and flavours that the night would deliver.

and cold beetroot soups. Akin to something straight out of Heston’s kitchen, the intensity of flavours and complex differences achieved using the same root vegetable were staggering, and a single glance around the room confirmed the popularity of this dish, as not a single dish was left empty, with many diners even scooping the last, precious purple drops of soup out with their fingertips.

The interior at Moo’s is intimate and inviting, providing the perfect environment to mingle with strangers as you eagerly await the arrival of your first dish. Diners are treated to a decadent five course meal, which on the evening that the team at Moo’s travelled to Belarus, meant a serving of delicate quail caviar eggs, followed shortly afterwards by an entree serving of Kholodnik and Borscht; a unique sensory serving of hot

The first course was a modern take on the traditional Zrazy, a stuffed eye fillet meatball served with buckwheat porridge and fried onion. While the dish in its more traditional form is a dense, hearty meal, the chefs at Moo’s managed to lighten the affair without taking away from the complexity of the flavours, and the dish sang with vibrant flavours. Third

course was the Vereshchaka with Draniki; a pork and white sausage stew served with the traditional Belarusian potato pancake. In between mouthfuls of tender eye fillet, guests eagerly wiped up the sauce lingering upon their plates with fresh hunks of rye bread. After a short break for a very entertaining, and certainly unique, Belarusian themed trivia game, dessert was served; a Mazurka almond cake with butter sauce and berries. Tightly packed with nuts and lightly flavoured with fresh local berries, the cake served as the perfect end to a long meal, relieving the palate with some sweetness

without leaving one feeling too full or too sated.

As everyone leant back comfortably in their chairs and sipped their vodka and berries, provided as an aperitif to the meal, Marty told us how he “wanted to choose a destination that was a little different. Australians today are spoiled for choice when it comes to multicultural cuisine, yet there is still so much to try and to explore in this world.”

Participants of the Moo’s at Meeniyan Around The World Food Adventure are certainly spoiled in the opulence of flavour, comfortable dining

experience, and entertainment factor. The team at Moo’s could easily have selected the cuisine from a well known, popular palate destination, but the challenge and the reward from tackling a slightly obscure and unknown country is evident on the plate.

Make sure that there are ample pages free in your passport, for there is still so much more of the world to explore, one dish at a time.

Photos by Madeleine Stuchbery

Moo’s At Meeniyan

Restaurant and Café

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Moo’s At Meeniyan

Restaurant and Café

Hours of Trading Thursday to Monday 8.30am - 4.30pm Dinner Friday & Saturday Nights from 6.00pm 89 Whitelaw Street, Meeniyan Vic 3956 Phone: (03) 5664 0010 | Email: eat@moosatmeeniyan.com.au visit www.moosatmeeniyan.com.au 48

thelifestyle summer 2014-15

Stony Creek Go-Karts is now well and truly one of the highlights of South Gippsland.

■ Hire Karts ■ BYO Kart Membership (Day/Yearly Rate) ■ Corporate Days ■ Group Bookings ■ Birthday Parties & Functions ■ Driver Education ■ Phoenix Kart Agents ■ Kart Sales & Spares ■ Café

Please check website for dates and times.

PH : 5664 7272

EM: info@stonycreekgokarts.com.au For more information visit stonycreekgokarts.com.au Please Note: When Stony Creek Racing Club is holding a race meeting the venue will be closed. During the winter period the venue is closed mid week unless prior booking is made.

OPEN 7 DAYS FROM 10am

open house

DROUIN

ANGLICAN CHURCH 1880: First Building ‘Christ Church’ for the Anglican Church, built by volunteers; a wooden structure.

1891: It was transported to the present site and is now known as Maxfield Hall and continues to serve the community.

1936: New brick Church was built by volunteers 2007: Northern extension completed.

HELD SATURDAY 2ND & SUNDAY 3RD MAY 2015 12 OF DROUIN’S UNIQUE BUILDINGS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Discovering Drouin’s best kept secrets… The architecture of the Town is a reflection of their culture.

Open House Drouin is an initiative of The Committee For Drouin which is a community group seeking to speak up for Drouin within the Baw Baw Shire.

The event showcased some of the heritage listed and non-heritage listed buildings of the town, which are rich in stories of the past.

Proudly supported by Baw Baw Shire Council and The Committee for Drouin

DROUIN UNITING CHURCH This building was originally built for the Wesley congregation in1892. It is a Gothic Revival brick building with simple buttresses.

The bricks are variegated red to salmon supplied by the Longwarry Brickworks. Shire Heritage Overlay 2011.

DROUIN PRIMARY SCHOOL This ‘Moderne’ style brick building built in 1936 housed four classrooms opening off a central assembly area. State listed Victoria Heritage Registered.

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DROUIN CROQUET CLUB Built in 1910. The Drouin Croquet Club was founded in 1903

by Dr. Lionel Druitt and has the distinction of being the oldest, continually running Croquet Club in Victoria.

OLD DROUIN BUTTER FACTORY The butter factory was established in 1904, and upgraded in 1911 with a new façade. In its heyday it shipped whole milk and butter by rail to Melbourne.

Shire Heritage Overlay 2011.

ROYAL HOTEL The hotel operated from 1889 until fire destroyed the building in 1907. It was sold to William Armstrong who rebuilt it in 1935-36 in its art deco style. It boasts a two story art deco façade with stepped parapet above the corner. On the south side is a single storey section which is part of the original building. Shire Heritage Overlay 2011.

THE FAMILY HOTEL The hotel began in a humble single storey timber building on the site in 1890. In 1908 Edward Hayes built ornate edifices and wide verandahs with cast iron lacework. The old chimneys are still visible from the front. The upstairs unused bedrooms are still intact with many old features.

COUNTRY WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA Drouin CWA was commenced in 1939. In 1972 the visionary members borrowed $11,000 to erect a clubroom and unit complex. Through members’ hard work, this debt was cleared in 9 years. CWA Drouin continues to serve the community, recently celebrating 76 years.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH A typical mid 20th century church building designed by Keith Reid and built by local builder C.R. Finlay & Son. Opened in October 1959. Shire Heritage Overlay 2011.

MEMORIAL PARK Built after the Second World War In 1991 the two granite tablets were moved from the RSL building entrance to stand either side of the bronze Jungle Fighter sculpture, which is by Ray Ewers from Frankston.

KURNAI TOTEMS - Gifted and built by Craig Fison and erected in the Memorial Park.

WEST GIPPSLAND COMMUNITY RADIO INC. 3BBR-FM Built in the 1950s. 3BBR moved into the Ethel Armstrong Infant Welfare Centre in 1994 and adapted it to operate as a community radio station.

STATE SAVINGS BANK OF VICTORIA Built in 1916, the bank operated in the heart of Drouin for nearly 80 years before becoming the Commonwealth Bank in 1992. Whilst the lower part of the building has undergone change, the top floor remains as a simple residence.

RSL – BUILT 1922 Public donations funded the entire building as a gesture of thanks for those who served in the war and the Red Cross coordinated this project. A plaque at the entrance marks the official opening.

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THE GIPPSLAND BUSINESS CENTRE A Local Success Story

meetings. Everything, from the receptionists, internet connection, to toilet paper and tea bags is provided for your business’s use. You simply walk in, plug in your computer and away you go. Everything is supplied and you don't have to pay any additional costs for overheads or connections, the office space is fully inclusive.

There is a saying that if you want something done you give the job to a busy person. If this is the case, then Pauline Luchetta is just the person you need. Owner and founder of the Gippsland Business Centre, she also runs three other businesses, and is a full time Mum. Within a few minutes of meeting Pauline you realise that you have come across a truly remarkable woman; someone with drive, passion, inner strength and the determination to succeed in everything she does.

The Gippsland Business Centre, located on Queen Street in Warragul, provides serviced and virtual offices for their clients, giving businesses not only support, but providing them with a professional front for their own enterprise. As Pauline explains, a virtual office is basically the office you have when you don't have an office. A business will pay a monthly fee and in return will have a phone number and an address where clients can contact them directly. A receptionist will answer all calls and can put them through to wherever you may be.

As Pauline further explains, “They want to have a presence in Warragul, but they don't want to

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Amber Rhodes

Currently they have about twenty businesses using their services, with twelve virtual offices, although the centre is not limited to this number.

The types of enterprises using their services are many and varied, including a building inspector, two solicitors, a builder, a bookkeeper, an advertising company, an IT business and soon a clinical nutritionist will be starting.

physically have an office. They want to still work from home but look professional as well as have enough space.”

The office itself can be used by these businesses, with office spaces being available for hour long sessions or for the day. There is also a fully equipped boardroom that can be hired for

The Gippsland Business Centre was initially born out of necessity, as Pauline was already running a small business, Custodia Bookkeeping, out of the front bedroom of her house. Having three women working out of her front room beginning to effect family life, Pauline knew that Custodia needed a new home.

With an underlying passion for teaching people, rather than just renting office space, Pauline

that taught her a lot and helped her become extremely resourceful. Many aspects of the business centre were introduced due to the result of being a single mother, and when people ask her how did she think of her ideas she knows these things came about because of her own needs.

Pauline is also an active part of the Warragul Business Group, which is a group of local businesses that work towards promoting business in Warragul, as well as education and networking amongst business owners. They meet monthly for an executive meeting, with Pauline holding the position of secretary.

Wondering how she fits everything into her day, she says that a typical morning will start with her caring for Cassidy, then taking her other daughter to school. She will do a lot of work for Custodia throughout the day; as a fully qualified BAS agent she is kept busy with her bookkeeping. She also does a lot of business consulting for those who are unsure of how to reach their goals, and a large part of the day can be spent answering calls. At half past three Cassidy is dropped off, she picks up her daughter from school, turning back into a full time mum.

knew that she wanted somewhere to have a training facility, as well as somewhere to have a professional front for Custodia. She went looking in 2005, and what was an old Harley Davidson motorbike shop, in 2006 became the new home for her bookkeeping business, and somewhere to run her computer and software training.

As well as Custodia the business centre also houses another of Pauline's operations, the Warragul Consulting Group, which is where she leases sessions to different medical specialists.

Similar to the businesses, the doctors are able to come in and use the space, book in for a session and see their clients there. At present they have a neurologist, a skin specialist and a podiatrist all making use of her service. Another also runs Telehealth, which is where the doctor will come in, set up a laptop and through the internet use Skype to conduct an appointment with their clients.

Not to rest on her laurels, in June of 2013 she started yet another business, one that came about due to her changing needs. Having met her partner Peter, along with his daughter Cassidy, who has special needs, she started a business called Nice and Dry, which supplies incontinence products, something that wasn't readily available in this area. It was put on hold temporarily due to being diagnosed with kidney cancer, and where something like this might cause a person to back down, Pauline, with her

Having grown up with a business influence, her father running a business, and now her six siblings all with businesses of their own, incredible strength and determination, pushed through it. Nice and Dry is now ready to start back up again along with a new business called The Cassidy Crew, which will help people to organise carers for those with special needs.

Learning about the many hats that Pauline switches between you begin to wonder how she manages it all, but she seamlessly moves from one to the other in her organised and professional manner.

“I love being mentally challenged,” said Pauline.

“I don't start all these businesses because I want to say I have four businesses. I start them because I see a niche that is not covered and is something that can intermingle with what I've already got.”

Pauline is of the attitude that “If you really want to get somewhere you have got to do it yourself.”

“I've always had this saying, I don't want to get to the pearly gates and wish I had of; I want to get to the pearly gates and say I was glad I did.” It is this positive attitude that helps make Pauline the remarkable woman that she is and the Gippsland Business Centre a true success story. Giving people the opportunity to run their businesses from anywhere helps give them flexibility and opens doors for others to be as successful as she is.

Photographs by Amber Rhodes

Remarkably the majority of the time spent setting up these businesses was done while she was a single mum, something she found

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WARRAGUL CONSULTING GROUP

Custodia is one of the oldest and most established bookkeeping firms in Warragul.

Now in our 18th year we are renowned for providing a professional and cost effect bookkeeping solution.

Accredited Partners for Reckon, Professional Partners in Xero, QuickBooks and MYOB, Custodia is the perfect place for everything in Bookkeeping and Training.

For a comprehensive list of our upcoming trainings, please check our facebook page www.facebook.com/pages/Custodia

SUPPORTING YOUR BUSINESS

155 Queen Street WARRAGUL VIC 3820

P: 03 5622 1226 M: 0412 340 911 E: pauline@custodia.com.au Web: www.custodia.com.au

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NEWEST AND MOST PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING SUITES IN WARRAGUL. Affordable consulting rooms charged at a sessional rate with full reception.

Our staff can also answer calls in your business name, and take appointments, plus more, for a low additional cost.

We also have rooms that are suitable for:

* Annual General Meetings * Business Meetings * Conducting training * Day-to-day desk space

* Off-site planning / strategy days * Seminars or forums Ph: 03 5624-3808 155 Queen Street Warragul VIC 3820

Visit stunning displays of local artists' work at 'The Station Gallery', Yarragon. The gallery and shop are run by members of the 'Baw Baw Arts Alliance'.

This Volunteer organisation conducts workshops and drop in groups over a wide range of the arts.

Full information at www.bawbawartalliance.org.au Winter Exhibitions June 30 Plus, Moe Art Society July 1 Candle, Bbaa Members August Provincial Renegades, The Way That It Is.

Seven Gippsland printmakers September Snippets - Snip It, Mosaic group October In Bloom, art work celebrating nature

Visit the gallery of award winning Australian children’s book Author/illustrator Alison Lester

Open Wednesday to Sunday 10.30am - 4pm Yarragon Station, Princes Highway, Yarragon Ph: 0490 173 103

Alison Lester in Store

regularly throughout the School Holiday period for book signings, and to meet people.

Check the website/facebook page for dates

alisonlester.com Open Thursday – Monday 10 -4 pm, 7 days a week during school holidays or by appointment.

Shop online at alisonlester.com 1 Falls Rd, Fish Creek, Victoria, 3959 P. 03 5683 2352 E. alisonlesteronline@gmail.com

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IN GIPPSLAND with Sam Twite

is so available locally. Sandstone, Granite and Basalt are all readily available between Bairnsdale and Warragul and down toward the coast, and are great to work with for a variety of applications, with varying levels of workability.

I specialise in using Random stone, which comes straight from the ground to site. It’s this look of natural stone face and flowing lines that excites me. No two jobs are ever the same. I take a load of stone, usually without having seen it first, and have to make it work within the guidelines of the job. I do this by using a variety of hand tools like stone chisels and hammers to work the stone and also can cut the stone with a diamond cutting wheel.

Stonemasonry has existed since humanity could use and make tools. Natural stone, if applied correctly, is a building product that can provide both long lasting structural integrity, and great beauty to a range of structures including houses, chimneys, fireplaces, feature walls, retaining walls and outdoor entertaining areas, to name a few.

I have been working as a stonemason and landscaper in the Gippsland area for over ten years. Last year, I made the decision to focus solely on stonemasonry, and now more than ever, really want to show people what is possible with natural stone.

Creating structures of beauty with stone is where my passion lies, and my creative tendencies really get to come out. I love building beautiful stone features that I know have the capability to leave a lasting legacy, and outlive many generations. I also love that natural stone, like timber, is a timeless product. It doesn’t go in and out of fashion, nor does it need to necessarily adhere to any rules visually.

The vast majority of the stone I use is sourced from local quarries, and on occasion, even collected from a client’s farmland or paddock. It’s a great feeling to know that such a great resource

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The appearance of a stone wall is largely dictated by the stone chosen for the job (of course). But there are many ways that the overall appearance can be altered. I like to fit the stone together tightly to give a “dry stone” appearance. That is, there is still mortar holding the stone together, but no mortar is seen from the front, so it looks like the stone is butt joined.

When building garden walls and retaining walls, it is often possible to build without mortar and stack the stone dry. Alternatively a mortar Joint of chosen thickness between stones might be used. Other things that have a huge impact on the appearance include: size variation, colour variation, laying style (Random, semi coursed, Ashlar etc.). The face of the stone can also be worked and split to varying degrees and effects, which often reveals hidden textures and colours within the stone.

Each type of stone has varying degrees of workability.

For example, Sandstone sets in layers as sediment washes down over millions of years.It’s the division in these layers that creates a grain, and sometimes with a fault line, which is generally easy to split with a bolster. These qualities make it an ideal stone for working to a specific depth such as working against an existing brick wall, as it can often be split down if it is too thick.

On the other hand basalt (an igneous or volcanic rock formed through the heating and cooling of magma or lava) tends to have little or no real grain, but has inherent fault lines and weaknesses which make it incredibly difficult and unpredictable to work. That being said it has a wonderful character and deep blue/grey colour which looks great in rustic garden walls and rockery. In any case, choosing the right stone for the job is crucial in getting a good finish, and getting the job done in a reasonable amount of time, rather than forcing something that just isn’t meant to be!

My main goal as a stonemason in Gippsland is to bring stonework into the spotlight and try to make people aware of this awesome local resource.

The Noojee Hotel welcomes you to experience the old fashioned, family friendly pub atmosphere in the serene bush surrounds of Noojee.

Noojee Hotel is proud to bring you good quality bar meals at affordable prices.

Pizzas all day everyday

The Noojee Hotel is the perfect venue for

Weddings / 21st Parties / Engagements / Club Events Keep up-to-date with EVENTS at the Noojee Hotel via the facebook page or call Simon or the friendly staff

Meals

Monday – Friday: 12 noon – 2pm | 6pm – 8pm Saturday: 12 noon – 3pm | 6pm – 8.30pm | Sunday: 12 noon – 3pm | 6pm – 8pm Come in Sunday lunch for the best Roast in Gippsland.

NOOJEE HOTEL

411 Mt Baw Baw Tourist Road, Noojee, 3833 Phone: 03 5628 9514 www.noojeehotel.com.au

TINAMBA FOOD A Recap of the TINAMBA WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL 2015

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& WINE FESTIVAL Held On Sunday 12th April with record crowds of over 3000 people in attendance

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A gathering of wineries & winemakers of Gippsland celebrating the end of another season.

Held at

Blue Gables V i n e y a r d

End Of Season Harvest Celebration

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Our Cellar Door Menu comprises: Wood Fired Pizzas, Maffra Cheese Platters Wine Tastings Live Music on Weekends

WINE VARIETALS Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sparkling Shiraz Sparkling Chardonnay/Pinot Gris Liqueur Pinot Gris, Moscato

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL Blue Gables Vineyard is available for Private Functions | Weddings | Engagements | Birthdays WINTER HOURS: Saturday & Sunday 12.00pm to 5.00pm 100 Lanigan Road, Maffra West Upper VIC 3859 Tel: (03) 5148 0372 | Mobile: 0407 754 797 www.bluegables.com.au Find us on Facebook & Instagram

FARMERS ARMS HOTEL NEWRY Main Street, Newry, VIC 3859 Ph: 03 5145 1312 OPEN: 11.30am – 11.00am DINING HOURS Wednesday to Saturday: Lunch 12pm to 1.30pm Dinner 6pm to 8pm Sunday: Lunch 12pm to 2pm thelifestyle winter 2015

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LAKE GLENMAGGIE

A HIDDEN JEWEL IN EAST GIPPSLAND Lyn Skillern

Those who know Gippsland well, know of its special places. For some, the region is not as well known as other parts of Victoria and sometimes we Gippslanders would like to leave it that way. It is, however, economically sensible to tell the world about some of the attractions that can be found in our region.

Lake Glenmaggie is one of those hidden jewels.

The lake is named after the small town that flooded when the Glenmaggie Weir was built on the Macalister River. The name Glenmaggie has a number of unconfirmed origins. Glen means valley in Scotland and Maggie is of course, a girl’s name. So did Angus McMillan name the place after a girl from his home island

gie nmag d of Gle forme nship e w k o T la the The EY ter as #01187VH a w e th ty under rical Socie going Histo yfield e H m o raph fr

g

Photo

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of Skye, or did Malcolm Macfarlane name it after another Scottish girl? McMillan had the “Bushy Park” cattle run in the area near Maffra and Macfarlane had the “Heyfield” run on which Glenmaggie was located.

Many of the first white settlers to come into Gippsland in the 1840s were Scotsmen. They came across the Snowy Mountains from New South Wales and travelled down the Tambo River. Angus McMillan named the rivers and called this new area Caledonia Australis. Paul Strzelecki followed the same track and was responsible for suggesting the name ‘Gipps Land’ to the then Governor of New South Wales; George Gipps who chose instead to

give his name to the region. McMillan named the Macalister River after another Scotsman and his employer, Lachlan Macalister.

The soil in the flood plain of the Macalister River is very rich but the natural rainfall of the area is relatively low as it is located in a rain shadow area. As far back as 1886 a Maffra Shire engineer suggested constructing a dam on the Macalister River. However demand for irrigation water did not happen until small farmers in the Boisdale area suffered from years of drought.

These farmers negotiated with the State River and Water Supply Commission and in 1919 the commission agreed to construct an irrigation scheme. The site selected was the Glenmaggie

ction under constru 3836VMFF The Weir Wall ical Society #0 m Maffra Histor Photograph fro

valley on the Macalister River. Work started soon after.

The irrigation scheme was not large but the technology available at the time made the task very challenging. Only human and horsepower were readily available and when looking at the constructions today it is hard to imagine how this was achieved using horses and scoops.

The cement, for example, had to be hauled the 13 kilometres from Heyfield Railway Station by teams of horses. Fortunately, the concrete at least was mixed in a giant steam driven mixer.

in the old Glenmaggie township was the hotel.

The Macalister River flowed into the valley and formed Lake Glenmaggie. The fences of the old farms come into view when the water level in the lake is very low.

The irrigation scheme completely changed the economy of the area. The dairy industry flourished when a permanent water supply was provided. Water first flowed to the Boisdale farmers in 1925 and the weir was enlarged in 1947 to provide extra water for the soldier settlers in the Nambrok and Dennison areas. In

more recent times the wall was strengthened and a small hydroelectric generating station constructed.

Of course agriculture is not the only industry benefiting from the lake. Lake Glenmaggie is one of the most popular inland boating and holiday venues east of Melbourne. Users of powerboats, yachts and canoes, as well as swimmers, enjoy the facility. The lake also contains trout, carp and redfin for those who like fishing. Caravan parks and camping areas line the lake edge on the western side and there

About six men had to be employed just to supply the engine with the wood needed to keep it running. Manpower was also used to direct the stream of concrete down the great flumes to wherever it was needed. Channels to divert the river in rocky country were cut by hand. There were so many workers that a small village was set up officially named Glenmaggie Dam. This was located near the Glenmaggie Weir wall where the current picnic area is sited.

Most homes were temporary.

Some families lived in tents but others made their homes of materials such as tin, bark and bags. There was a post office and a school held in the hall. The Glenmaggie Weir School, number 4046, opened on 1 February 1921. Up to 80 children attended this school established solely to provide education for the children of those working on the dam. When the project was finished the school closed in December 1928. The hall also served as picture theatre, church, dance hall and town meeting place.

The settlement had its own cricket and football teams.

Eventually the weir was complete and the farmers vacated their land in the valley that was to be flooded. The last building to close

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are other facilities nearby. Sandy Point is a very pleasant place to enjoy a day at the “beach”.

During the 1960s an area of bush land on the northern edge of the lake was subdivided to form an estate of holiday houses. At first the area had no electricity and “houses” that were moved in from elsewhere. Many families, including my own, purchased land, and camped there in the summer. This estate was called Coongulla and it has developed into a community consisting of permanent residents and those who have holiday homes.

It has a community hall, modern play ground, electricity, town water, and more recently sewerage. From the start, the lake was the attraction with water skiing and canoeing popular. My family, consisting of two generations of competitive swimmers, did many a lap across the cove in front of our house. The well organised community centres around the hall and CFA. While water skiing and canoeing are still the most popular recreational activities here, many just enjoy the environment and being part of the community. Visitors can travel to Licola and on into the Gippsland High Country to see the spectacular scenery that is to be found there.

The surrounding region is becoming well known for its wine growing with two boutique wineries set up in the Glenmaggie area. Blue Gables is a delightful winery and eatery on Lanigan Road

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between Newry and Coongulla. Visitors can sit outside in the warm weather; enjoy fine wine, boutique beer and cider and a pizza from the wood fired oven. The outdoor tables overlook the beautiful Newry Flats. In the cooler weather, a drink and a meal inside can be enjoyed around a roaring open fire. Owners Alistair and Catherine Hicks have created a pleasant vineyard eatery that has become very popular and provides a special experience for visitors.

Fleur and Tony Dawkins run the Glenmaggie Winery and produce high quality cool climate wines. All the fruit for the wine is grown in their vineyards. Specialising in Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Glenmaggie Winery is easily accessible in the area west of Tinamba and north of Heyfield.

Lake Glenmaggie’s main focus will always be to provide irrigation water for agriculture but it is certainly a great place for a holiday or to live a pleasant country lifestyle.

Photos by Douglas Pell and Historical images courtesy of Maffra Historical Society and Heyfield Historical Society provided by Linda Barraclough Information for this article was found on: The Lake Glenmaggie Community website Maffra’s heritage, the website of the Maffra and District Historical Society Visit Heyfield Region website

BP Service Stations Fish Creek 2 Falls Road Fish Creek Vic 3959 Tel/Fax: 5683 2521 Email: fishcreek@evanspetroleum.com.au

Foster 94 Main Street, Foster Vic 3960 Tel/Fax: 5682 2008 Email: foster@evanspetroleum.com.au

Inverloch 25 Williams Street, Inverloch Vic 3996 Tel/Fax: 5674 1442 Email: inverloch@evanspetroleum.com.au

Korumburra 2-8 Commercial Street, Korumburra Vic 3950 Tel/Fax: 5655 1668 Email: korumburra@evanspetroleum.com.au

LARDNER PARK FIELD DAYS Evans Petroleum have just completed their 25th year of involvement with the Lardner Park Field Days with another very successful 4 days of bringing the company and its products to their customers and prospective clients.

Following on from the early days of sharing the sponsorship and organisation of the yearly event with GPG Mobil and Mobil Oil Australia, Evans Petroleum have over the past four years extended their involvement by becoming a major sponsor of Lardner Park and its events combining with its supply company BP Australia to ensure that this very important event continues to go from strength to strength; and that many other varied display events and major functions can continually be brought to the Gippsland area due to the magnificent facilities available at Lardner Park.

It is also a great opportunity to showcase our brand to new customers who may be disenchanted with their current supplier or may have just moved to the area, and we have found over the past years that people still enjoy being able to speak with their suppliers face to face, instead of feeling like just another number.

The ever changing lubricant packs is also often a major talking point as Australia is now the home of many different types of machinery from all over the world. Often these machines have their own unique lubricant requirements, which can be confusing to customers. The Lardner Park Field Days are the perfect setting to discuss these issues with customers and hopefully put them on the right track to using the correct application for all their machinery.

Evans have over the past few years promoted health and safety on farms and have encouraged the likes of hearing tests, flu shot availability and general health personnel share the BP pavilion with them, while at the same time offering farmers the opportunity to upgrade their fuel storage tanks to meet new Australian standards.

This process will take time due mainly to the cost factor but as many of the currently used overhead tanks become a danger to the farm safety, ultimately this will force a change of thinking for the modern day customers.

The Evans’ staff associated with the running of Farm World from the BP Ultimate Pavilion very much enjoy the opportunity to catch up with their loyal customers each year, as well as provide up to date information on new products and services. While it can be seen by some to be a selling tool, more often than not is a great chance to just say hello and gain feedback from the many customers we only see once a year.

Management and staff at Evans Petroleum have enjoyed the long association with Lardner Park and their staff and look forward to continuing to be a major sponsor, well into the future.

Leongatha 95 Bair Street, Leongartha Vic 3953 Tel/Fax: 5662 2440 Email: leongatha@evanspetroleum.com.au

Muddy Creek 26 Foster Road, Toora Vic 3962 Tel/Fax: 5686 2324 Email: toora@evanspetroleum.com.au

Ridgway 106 Ridgway, Mirboo North Vic 3871 Tel/Fax: 5668 2377 Email: mirboo@evanspetroleum.com.au

Sale 344 Raglan Street, Sale Vic 3850 Tel: 5143 1030 Email: robert@evanspetroleum.com.au

Traralgon 23-29 Shakespeare Street, Traralgon VIC 3844 Tel: 5174 1138 Email: Tim@evanspetroleum.com.au

Westside 7 Anderson Street, Leongatha VIC 3953 Tel/Fax: 5662 2834 Email: westside@evanspetroleum.com.au

Wonthaggi 103-105 McKenzie Street, Wonthaggi Vic 3995 Tel: 5672 3988 Fax: 5672 5229 Email: wonthaggi@evanspetroleum.com.au

Yarram 325 Commercial Street, Yarram Vic 3971 Tel: 5182 6019 Fax: 5182 6458 Email: yarram@evanspetroleum.com.au

Evans Petroleum Head Office 22 Hughes Street, Leongatha Vic 3953 Tel: 5662 2217 Web: www.evanspetroleum.com.au

GARDENING with Q. What are the best vegetables to plant in Winter?

A. Winter is a great time for planting both seeds and seedlings of many of our favourite vegies and herbs.

CraigGoodman Q. Is Winter the best time to aerate the lawn?

A. Now that lawns have slowed up in their growth rates, we should just mow them, keep them weed-free and tidy until Spring.

While gardening in the vegie patch this Winter, consider some of these tasty options:

Carrots both traditional orange or purple and rainbow colours.

Red Beet – round, cylindrical or even mixed colours are available.

Spring and Autumn are the best times to aerate and feed your lawn as they come out of hibernation from cold Winter months, or looking to recover after harsh hot Summers, generally enjoying moisture and still warm soil temperatures.

You will see remarkable improvement within about 7 days, and your lawn’s general health and colour will be obvious. An application of lime at this time will further enhance your lawn’s performance for months to come.

Cauliflower – mini varieties, traditional white and even some coloured forms.

Broad beans, turnips, swedes, broccoli, cabbages including mini varieties, celeriac, mizuna, spring onions; white, red and brown onions; pak choi – both green and red; yukina savoy, tatsoi.

Leeks, lettuce, mustard, rocket, coriander, parsley, thyme and kale.

This is not an exhausted list, so there are plenty of great choices this Winter for your vegie patch.

Q. I want to prune the roses in Winter, can I also move them; and what do you suggest for a good position for the roses?

A. Winter is ideal for pruning your roses hard, removing aged wood and encouraging new strong growth which bare abundant blooms. Don’t be afraid, cut hard and you will reap the benefits.

As the roses are dormant you can move them to a new or more suitable position. Full sun is ideal for best rose health and the proliferation of flowers.

Q. What do you recommend as the best Winter flowers to plant?

A. With overcast shorter days and bare trees after the Autumn, colours have dropped, it’s time to brighten your garden, pots etc. for Winter.

Some easy to grow Winter colour plants in both seed and seedlings are:

Pansies, Violas and Panolas flower for months, providing rich bold colours to mixes of pastels.

If you have a shady spot, Cineraria flower abundantly in shades of pink, purples to white.

Calendula are the Winter marigold with vibrant yellow and orange tones.

Alysum and Lobelia are ideal for borders.

Everyone will know Poppies, which stand bright and gold with pastel to bright yellows, oranges and even red.

Primula are another favourite hardy to rough weather, long flowering in white, pink to mauves.

There are many others such as: Sweet William, Stocks, Snapdragon, Sweet Pea, Polyanthus, Nemesia, Hollyhock and Larkspur.

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When moving roses you will be cutting some of their roots off which is fine. I suggest you water them weekly adding plant starter to the water, which will limit transplant shock by promoting new root growth, even though your rose might look like it’s asleep, the root system will re-establish.

Hope this information is helpful.

Craig

At Grow Master Traralgon inspiration awaits you.

Wander through the layers of our beautiful Garden Centre, each step leading you into another chapter of ideas for your home, garden and lifestyle.

For advice, range and quality we are your destination. For an experience and a garden encounter that will enchant you, we are your destination. For solutions, inspiration and motivation, we are your destination.

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Hours | Monday to Friday 9.00am - 5.30pm Saturday to Sunday 9.00am - 5.00pm 62 Argyle St, Traralgon Vic 3844 Ph: (03) 5174 2861 Em: growmastertraralgon@yahoo.com.au www.growmaster.com.au/traralgon

thelifestyle spring 2014

City Of Traralgon Brass Band Tour of Remembrance UK/France 2015

Farewell Concer t

The City of Traralgon Brass Band played their farewell performance in their hometown on Sunday 17th May 2015, prior to embarking on their Tour of Remembrance to England and France.

Here’s a look at some of the highlights.

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President of City of Traralgon Brass Band, Phil Medhurst

Alan Wilson

Principal Tour Sponsors: Latrobe City, La Trobe Financial, Gippsland Coffee Cab, O’Connors Transport, Alan Wilson Insurance Brokers

Alan Wilson with President of Traralgon Football Club, Doug Caulfield & Debbie Wilson

In December 2012 a fire destroyed the office & showroom of the Growmaster Nursery in Traralgon. Through the efforts of their Insurance Broker, Alan Wilson together with the owners Craig and Debbie Goodman, the nursery was able to open its doors to the public and continue trading the very next day.

Traralgon residents watched closely, as the new showroom emerged from the ashes bigger and better than ever.

This claim illustrated clearly the advantages of dealing with a Professional Insurance Broker like Alan Wilson Insurance Brokers.

We pride ourselves on our ability to deliver tailored insurance solutions for our clients but more importantly that we are there in the times when our clients need us most.

Insurance claims are stressful enough, but having a Broker like Alan Wilson Insurance Brokers to guide you through the process will help reduce the stress and allow you to concentrate on your business.

“WORKING FOR YOU” 24 Hotham Street, Traralgon

1300 888 111

info@awib.com.au Christmas Hours – Open 5 days a week 9am – 5pm except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day & New Years Day

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BASIA MILLE “One Thousand Passionate Kisses” Amber Rhodes

A love story that has survived through the ages was the inspiration behind Tony and Geraldine Conabere's luxury accommodation, built perched on a hillside overlooking Waratah Bay and the distant Wilson's Promontory. 'Basia Mille', meaning “one thousand passionate kisses”, is a taste of Tuscany, lovingly recreated on a sweeping outlook at Waratah Ridge.

do something along those lines back home.

They already had the idea of building something special that would reflect the Italian influence that was present in the area, but the visit to the villa in Sirmione helped those ideas to flourish.

'Basia Mille' was one of Catullus' early love poems and something that both Geraldine and Tony feel that anyone can relate to, and that holds a wisdom that is so strong it has lasted through time. They both feel that the heart of the poem is reflected within the property.

The eleven acre property was purchased in 1995, and what was nothing more than a paddock, grew from a romantic dream to become the stunning luxury apartments, vineyard, cellar door and olive grove that draws hundreds of visitors to sample its delights every year.

“We kind of think this property has a spirit and a life of itself,” said Geraldine, “It's welcoming; it likes people. It's like it's alive.” For both of them it's been a real journey, with the dream of their vision becoming a reality. “It was such an achievement to put it together,” she adds.

Initially, after first buying the property, the couple didn't know what to do with it. Originally thoughts drifted towards moving a little church found on the Grand Ridge Road at Dollar, but it just didn't feel right. It was during a trip to Italy in 1997, and because of a love for an Italian poet, that the idea of recreating a villa first came to fruition.

Tony, an ex-school principal and Latin teacher, had always wanted to go to Italy to see the ruins of the original villa at Sirmione, where the young poet Gaius Valerius Catullus lived, a country boy from the Italian Lakes. Catullus, who went to Rome during the rein of Caesar in 58 BC, met and fell in love with a woman named Clodio. Wanting to get her away from Rome, he needed her to understand the beauty of life in the country and the perfection of loving a single person. Taking her back to the peninsula in Sirmione, he built her a villa, complete with thirty bedrooms, and at her request planted olive trees, which are still there today, two thousand years later. He started

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writing poetry for her when he was eighteen, penning the first lyric poetry, which has gone on to influence poets ever since. Clodio became fascinated by him, but led him on a journey of passion and heartbreak, which inevitably ends in him writing his final poem, a suicide note, before making his way to the beach and ending his own life.

After spending three weeks in Italy, and having shown Geraldine the villa that Catullus built for Clodio in Sirmione, they knew that they could

The journey was one that took them three years, with two architects and a designer helping them along the way. It was a big process from the start, with mud and concept drawings to work it out, and a large cut and fill having to be done as the property is on such a slope. They also

western olive grove. Their deluxe apartment is known as 'Luscious', and comes complete with kitchenette and a stunning marble bathroom.

With views across the courtyard, and beyond to Wilson's Prom, it is for those who truly want to indulge themselves. It is the perfect room for newlyweds, and so far the property has hosted nine weddings.

There is also a small nine-hole golf course and a Poet's Walk, where guests can sit and enjoy a glass of wine and reflect on the poetry that helped create such a magnificent property.

spent a great deal of time sourcing all of the finer details of the building, such as the original three hundred and fifty year old oak doors from France, that help make it look as amazing as it does.

The original architect was an old friend of Geraldine's, who designed the concept and got it to the planning permit stage. Then they met local architect Britta Weller from Sandy Point, and after meeting with her with their basic drawings, she really took the project on. Loving Tuscany herself, she embellished it, moving the footprint of the drawings and doing some really clever things.

are bottled at nearby Leongatha South. The cellar door is open every weekend where visitors can sample from a range of their wines, enjoy Geraldine's menu of dishes made up with local produce, and purchase their single cold pressed (extra virgin) olive oil.

Accommodation is available weekends and is made up of three separate apartments with luxurious facilities that are second to none.

The apartments include 'Waratah', which is

As well as successfully running Basia Mille, Tony and Geraldine are also part of a committee that is helping to build up an identity and a brand for the Tarwin Valley. Years of work have gone into building up the brand and they are looking forward to implementing it. They want to help promote the area so that tourists are not just travelling through on their way to the Prom, but rather stopping to enjoy the hidden pockets along the way.

“It's like a little necklace of villages around here, and all of them are pearls,” said Geraldine.

“What we are trying to say to people is that by all means come down and visit the Prom because it's absolutely stunning, but try and investigate some of the little villages along the way.”

“I think she found us a little frustrating,” Geraldine pointed out, “Because we added the garage and the 'Luscious' Apartment on top of there. That was a real challenge but she took it on and loved it. She did it so beautifully.”

Using all local tradespeople, they started building in 2006 and finally finished in 2009. Geraldine and Tony managed the build themselves, living with neighbours for six months, before moving into one of the partly completed apartments.

They were very much a part of the build, and remember the line of tradies that would be waiting to speak to them about aspects of the project. A lot of the people that helped build Basia Mille still come to the property, which is not only great if they need any maintenance done, but they have kept up a fabulous relationship with everyone.

The property now houses 800 vines and about 700 olive trees, each of which was planted by the couple with the help of friends and family.

They produce both red and white wine, which

adjacent to a large deck overlooking the Prom, Bass Strait and Waratah Bay. 'Oliv' (the Italian spelling of 'Olive') has a slightly larger room with its own small deck with a view of the bay and the

'Basia Mille' www.basiamille.com.au Tarwin Valley - “Brilliant, Bountiful & Beautiful” www.tarwinvalley.com.au

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BOOTS AND ALL Chris West

Whether on the football field during his playing days as a centreman for Traralgon or in his political life as the sitting Member for Morwell, Russell Northe has always been willing to roll up his sleeves and work hard to get the job done.

Northe is presently serving his third consecutive term as a Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, after first gaining office as the National Party candidate at the 2006 State election. His sustained popularity can perhaps be attributed to his core principles and his great care for the local community and its constituents.

“I try to put myself in other people’s shoes, try to listen and not be judgmental,” he says.

“But most of all, I think to be successful in politics you have to be true to yourself.”

As someone with a sporting background, Northe also understands the importance of teamwork.

“I couldn’t do my job without the support of my staff members Katherine and Tayla. They are the first point of contact for the public at my office and do a wonderful job. We are also fortunate to have some great people within our Government departments and agencies locally who are able to work closely with us.”

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The Morwell electorate is quite confined in size and approximately 44,000 people of voting age reside within its boundaries. A mix of rural and urban areas, the electorate includes the townships of Traralgon, Morwell, Newborough, Churchill, Yallourn North, Toongabbie, Glengarry and Yinnar.

Northe knows his electorate intimately. At one year short of his 50th birthday, he has been firmly entrenched in the area for the vast majority of his life. Born and raised in Traralgon, Northe and wife Jenny still live in their hometown.

“My mum grew up on a farm in Binginwarri over the back of Yarram before ending up with dad in Traralgon. My older brother and younger sister still live in Traralgon, so we’re blessed really to have that strong family base in the Latrobe Valley still intact,” he comments.

Northe did, however, spend a short period in Melbourne as an 18-year-old chasing a dream to play football at the highest level.

“I wanted to play VFL football and being a Richmond supporter hoped it would be with them. But back then under the system in place Traralgon was zoned to Footscray, who are now known as the Western Bulldogs in the national AFL competition,” he explains.

“I was playing football with the Seniors at Tralagon when Footscray invited me down to try out with them for the 1985 season. At that time, Mick Malthouse was the senior coach but I was still eligible for the Under 19s.”

Officials at Footsray arranged for Northe to be billeted out to live with a family during his stay in Melbourne and he performed well enough in training to earn selection for several Under 19 and Reserves games.

“In the end though, things didn’t quite pan out how I might have hoped,” Northe admits.

“It was fairly obvious early on that Mick Malthouse thought there were better players in the squad and I wasn’t in his future plans. Footscray had a pretty strong team that year and I was pleased enough just to play a few good games for the Reserves.”

In late 1985, Northe decided to come home and resume playing with Traralgon, where he ended up playing 310 games and becoming a Life Member. He is now the Chairman of the Past Players Committee at Traralgon, which organises a couple of social events each year.

“It’s good to get together with some of the older players and reminisce about the great times we had together,” he says.

with

RUSSELL NORTHE

His playing days at Traralgon ended in 2000, but he later came out of retirement and pulled the boots on again to captain coach Rosedale for three seasons from 2003 to 2005.

Northe has two of his three sons now involved at the Traralgon Football Club. The eldest, 23-yearold Tim, is part of the senior squad and Thomas, 15, is participating at junior level. His other son Matthew, 20, is working in Melbourne as an apprentice glazier while trying out for Coburg in the VFL competition.

Northe’s family also has a long association with the Gormandale Cricket Club.

“In the 1982/83 season when I was sixteen I was lucky enough to open the batting and bowling for the A Grade senior team when they won their first ever premiership,” he remembers.

Their first home together in Traralgon was an old millhouse in Garden Grove, which was purchased for about $35,000.

“That’s not necessarily the case. From my own experience, I lost my job under the Cain/Kirner Government,” he notes.

As a young man, Northe had started to establish a potential career path. He commenced a plumbing and gas fitting apprenticeship, which he put on hold while he pursued his football dream at Footscray.

After losing his position at the SEC, Northe then spent several years as a contractor surveying and designing power lines. However, work again began to dry up around the beginning of the 2000s and Northe looked for new employment.

He joined Veolia Environmental Services, known then as Collex, in a Sales Representative role before progressing to manage the company’s business division in Morwell within a couple of years.

“I still regret not resuming and completing that apprenticeship when I returned,” he confesses.

Upon returning to Traralgon when his football ambitions in Melbourne ended, Northe instead worked firstly in retail before joining the State Electricity Commission in 1987.

“At that time, I envisaged a job there for life,” he says.

A few years after returning to Traralgon following his stint at Footscray, romance blossomed for Northe very close to home.

“A couple of years later there was a significant downsizing at the SEC and the job I had was dissolved.”

“My now wife Jenny and I first got together at a party in 1988. She had been friends with my younger sister growing up. Our house was in Allen Crescent and Jenny lived over the back fence. I hadn’t thought of her in a romantic way before then, but we hit it off well and got married in January 1991.”

Northe suggests that some people carry a misconception that lays the responsibility and blame for the downsizing of jobs in the local region solely with the Kennett Government,

Prior to joining Collex, Northe had first been approached by National Party MP Peter Hall to consider a career in politics.

“Peter was a teacher at my school and my first senior football coach at Traralgon. He was admired and respected throughout our community and was something of a mentor to me,” Northe says.

“Peter spent twenty five years in Parliament after first being elected in 1988. In the early days he called on my support by helping to do things like handing out voting cards, but back then taking more of an involvement was not on my radar at all.”

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Hall’s initial approach in the late 1990s failed to persuade Northe into a life in politics, but he did join the local National Party branch as a rank and file member in the 2000s.

“Peter made another more serious approach in 2005 and I said I would give his suggestion some consideration. After spending some time with him to see what was involved, I eventually decided to put myself up for the Nationals to contest the seat of Morwell at the 2006 State election.”

At that time, the Labor Party had held Morwell for 36 years, but the incumbent MP Brendan Jenkins had only served one term. Northe was the only National Party candidate willing to stand, so no internal pre-selection was required.

“I didn’t go into the election with a lot of confidence,” Northe recalls.

“I’m a bit of a pessimist when it comes to myself personally, but I’m an optimist about everything else in the world. The pessimist in me was saying I was not going to win, but the experience would be good for me.”

The election result in the Morwell seat took several days to finalise. Northe returned to work while the anxious wait went on. After about three days, he received a congratulatory call from opponent Brendan Jenkins.

“Effectively, I had to drop work overnight to commence my career in politics,” Northe says.

Looking back, he believes he was fortunate to be elected in 2006.

“I only got around 28 per cent of the primary vote, but was advantaged by the preferences at that particular count. The result showed that I still had a lot of work to do within the community to get our recognition up,” Northe comments.

Just as he did on the football field, Northe made a boots and all effort in tackling the task at hand.

With his hard effort came the rewards. Four years later at the 2010 election Northe doubled his primary vote to around 56% and retained the seat by a wide margin. He attributes the decisive result to a combination of factors.

“There were fewer candidates in Morwell in 2010 and the Labor candidate at that election probably had a bit less profile. It also helped that the Labor Party in general was down in popularity at that time, but to our credit we had worked extremely hard for four years. We went into the 2010 election with a whole range of commitments that I think resonated with the local community.”

At last year’s State election, the Coalition Government led by Dr Denis Napthine lost power, but Northe managed to hold on to the seat of Morwell in a tight struggle.

“It was a very close call and we are now the second most marginal Coalition seat in Victoria.

But all things considered, it was a pretty satisfying result and to have been entrusted with the chance to serve a third term is fantastic,” Northe says.

“I was still able to maintain our primary vote at around 45 per cent despite a number of factors that were conspiring against us. Being in Government prior to the election, some of the decisions we made had not endeared ourselves

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to the community. Locally, there was a lot of negativity surrounding the Morwell mine fire issue which had a significant impact and there were also more rival candidates contesting the election this time around.”

“There is lots to do and I still have the passion and drive to keep doing it,” he insists.

Northe has experienced politics from both sides of the fence.

“The amount of people who volunteer their time and make an effort to get involved within the community is remarkable. People do extraordinary things without any fanfare.”

“Doing the job is easier when in Government than when in Opposition,” he observes.

In addition to being the Member for Morwell, from a State perspective Northe is also presently the Victorian Shadow Minister for two portfolios - Consumer Affairs and Liquor & Gaming Regulation.

“Being in Opposition at the moment, we have to make sure we hold the current Government to account while trying to deliver on the things we want to see delivered.”

Northe mentions several priorities within his local electorate.

“Leading in to the election, we had committed nine million dollars to build a Gippsland Regional Aquatic Centre. It’s an important and much needed community project, but is not on Labor’s radar, so we have to fight hard for funding.

“We also committed thirteen million dollars to the Morwell Primary School Regeneration Project.

Labor has committed twelve million dollars, which is a positive, but we now have to hold them to account on delivering the project and make sure that their lesser financial commitment is not going to compromise its success.”

Other local issues Northe lists as key priorities include improving rail services on the Gippsland line and delivering proposed projects involving the Newborough CFA Station and Churchill Bowls Club.

Northe has no doubt that it is the local people who make Gippsland what it is.

Northe concedes that in the political world, as in life generally, it is impossible to please everyone all the time.

“People will have differing opinions on the same issue and can often be poles apart. Therefore, you’re not always going to appease people on opinions or policies that you may have. What I try to do is respect people’s views and opinions.

You don’t have to always be in agreement. You just try to get on with getting things done.”

When he entered politics, Northe gained invaluable advice from his mentor Peter Hall.

“I’m probably a person who likes to get his head around every issue immediately, but that’s not always possible. When someone asks me a question, I like to know all the facts. However, Peter taught me that you don’t need to know everything there and then on the spot. There are going to be instances where you have to research and find out more about a specific topic. You don’t need to be afraid to tell something you need to arm yourself with further information before you come back to them. In my experience, people are generally understanding of that,” he says.

bridges and hospitals, but it’s so much more than that. The bulk of our work is about dealing with individuals who have a problem. It might be about housing, or education, or related to health.

It’s very rare that any two problems are the same. They’re the things you don’t see behind the scenes that we’re dealing with locally on a daily basis.”

Northe says it is satisfying whenever his office is able to assist in resolving issues within the community.

“We get a lot of letters and cards from people thanking us for our help. You don’t read about it on the front page of the newspaper and neither should you. But that’s the gratifying part of what we’re able to do for our constituents.”

While he has learnt much in politics, Northe believes he is essentially the same person who first took office in 2006.

“People might have perceptions about politicians and who they are, but I know I haven’t changed,” he states.

“I’m still the same person I was prior to becoming a Member of Parliament. I try to be as real as possible and remain that way. I still enjoy going to the pub on a Friday night for a beer with my mates.”

When at home with his family, Northe has always found the ability to switch off from politics.

“I am able to sleep peacefully knowing I have done my best. That’s all you can ask for really.”

Photographs by Douglas Pell

Northe wants all constituents to realise that there are services available to them through his office on many levels.

“The common perception is that Members of Parliament are all about delivering big-ticket infrastructure or capital items such as roads,

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Wedding Special CONGRATULATIONS! Let the wedding planning begin! Planning a wedding is not a simple ‘sit down and work till it’s done’ kind of strategy as you have multiple projects at once. So try and stay organised.

It helps to follow a checklist and pictures from brochures and magazines that you have collected, etc.

Using professionals is the best way to go.

A wedding is a unique event and those that specialise in their field know how to handle just about any circumstance you may have, as they deal with these on a daily basis.

Gippsland the Lifestyle and our special advertisers and contributors have offered some practical and inspirational advice, with creative ideas to help you plan and enjoy a stress-free day – a day that will be a memorable one for the rest of your life.

Gippsland has many varied and stunning venues, be it a beach wedding, winery, home property wedding or reception room.

INDEX 77 78-79 80 80 81 81 82 82 83 83 84 84 85 86-89 90-91 91 92 92 93 94 94 95 96-99 99-100 101 101 102-103 104 105 105 106 107 108-110

Maria Maraone Couture Wedding Ideas Wedding Ideas Wonthaggi Newsagency Ultimate Indulgence Kasama Décor Wedding Ideas Natural Indulgence Hair & Wellness www.gippslandwedding.com.au Bemm River Hotel Pre-wedding Parties Jacqui’s Catering & New Leaf Café Andrews Land & Surf Real Stories: Bemm River Wedding Wedding Ideas Ross Splatt Celebrant Wild Dog Winery The Press Cellars Stobies Land & Surf Wedding Ideas Danny’s The Venue Van Berkel Flowers Real Stories: Cocktail Reception Etc. Event Styling Lakes Entrance Surf Life Saving Club Traralgon Bowls Club The Riversleigh Shimmer Marquees Little Alice Café Bloomfield’s Fashion House Kings Cove Club Metung The Miners Cottages Jinks Creek Winery

Bridal Boutique & Alterations The Checklist Stationery Wedding Supplies and Stationery Day Spa & Beauty Therapy Unique Gifts & Home Décor Hairstyles and Makeup Upstyles & Weddings Your Local Wedding Wedding Venue on the River The Hen’s and Buck’s Parties Catering Functions Wedding Suits and Attire Paula Stevens & Chris Kingscott Speeches Your Service! Your Way! We Love Weddings!

Quality Wine & Spirit Merchants Wedding Suits and Attire Ceremony Flowers Ideal Venue with Picturesque Views Passion for Flowers Claire Sadler & Levente Szilagyi Creating Extraordinary Moments Perfect Seaside Venue for a Wedding Quality Venue for all Occasions Boutique Accommodation & Function Centre Will organise your Hire Needs at your Favourite Setting Catering your Perfect Wedding Day Maggie Sottero Bridal Gowns Exclusive Beautiful Setting for your Wedding Function Cosy Away-from-it-all Honeymoon Location Weddings | Accommodation | Winebar | Gallery

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS The Gehrmanns Photography Orin Lucke, Blink Photography Alice Campbell Photography www.thegehrmanns.com www.blink-photography.com.au www.facebook.com/alicecampbellphotography

JOURNALIST Amber Rhodes

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B R I D A L B O U T I Q U E & A LT E R AT I O N S

Photography by Renee Alexis

We have an extensive range of bridal gowns, debutante, flowergirl, pageboy, christening gowns & communion dresses.

We stock Nicolina Bridal & Debutante Collection Also an exclusive range of tiaras, veils, jewellery & affordable accessories.

All Alterations & Repairs Welcome And any minor miracles!

C &M Red Hat Chocolate & Coffee Photography by Renee Alexis

Conveniently Located in

Plaza Arcade, Suite B (upstairs) 140 Graham Street, Wonthaggi, VIC 3995 MARIA ~ 0438 483 502 w w w. m a r i a m a r a o n e . c o m . a u Like us on Facebook

Special Orders for Wedding Bonbonnieres Choose Special Treats for your Guests Or just simply gifts for your select one!

Winter Trading Hours Tuesday – Friday 10AM – 3.30PM | Saturday 10AM – 12 NOON 26 Main Street, BUNYIP 3815

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WEDDING

ideas

the CHECKLIST ENGAGED TO NINE MONTHS BEFORE

❥ Choose your bridesmaids, groomsmen,

MC, flower girls, page boys

❥ Discuss the type of wedding you want,

NINE MONTHS BEFORE

SIX MONTHS BEFORE

❥ Order your wedding dress, making sure

❥ Order bridesmaids’ dresses ❥ Order or book the groom’s and

you factor in alterations (if needed) ❥ Select your accessories: veil, jewellery, shoes, etc.

their outfits

❥ If required, book in for marriage

(this will help decide the size of the venue)

preparation course

❥ Book accommodation for your

❥ Set the date and time for the wedding ❥ Ensure that there is not too long a gap

groomsmen’s suits

❥ Aid your mother and mother-in-law with

including budget

❥ Compile a draft guest list

wedding night

❥ Organise accommodation for out

between ceremony and reception

of town guests

❥ Discuss and make your honeymoon

reservations ❥ Renew passports if necessary ❥ Choose and purchase your wedding rings

Select and book  Venues for ceremony and reception  Wedding Co-ordinator  Celebrant  Caterer  Photographer/Videographer  Photo Booth  Florist for bouquets, boutonnières, wedding cake and table centrepieces  Entertainment  Transport Start thinking about your dress, as you may need to book a dressmaker

Select the attire for the rest of the wedding party  Groom  Bridesmaids  Groomsmen  Flower girls  Page boys Select stationery  Invitations  Thank you cards/notes  Place name cards  Menus (if not supplied by caterer)  RSVP cards  Seating plan  Envelopes  Cake bags/boxes (if required) ❥ Send out save-the-date cards

or a swanky email

❥ Contact rental companies to hire

equipment, marquees, tables etc. (check with caterer as they may do this) ❥ Organise gift registry ❥ Decide on and order your wedding cake

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FOUR MONTHS BEFORE ❥ Book hairdresser and make-up artist ❥ Order wedding bonbonnieres for guests ❥ Discuss menu options and wine selection

with caterer/venue

❥ Organise entertainment for children

at the reception

❥ Speak with the celebrant or minister and

check regarding the marriage licence; and decide on order of service, responsibilities, readings, etc. ❥ Set a rehearsal date ❥ Let people know if they are doing a reading/speech

TWO WEEKS BEFORE

❥ Purchase wedding gifts for each other and

the wedding party ❥ Purchase cake knife and etched wedding glasses as a special keepsake ❥ Organise time off work for your honeymoon

TWO MONTHS BEFORE

Confirm with the following that all is booked and advise them of final numbers  Venue  Hiring company for marquee | equipment  Caterer  Celebrant/Minister  Photographer/Videographer  Photo Booth  Florist  Cake maker  Entertainment | Music  Car hire company  Hairdresser  Makeup artist  Bonbonnieres  Hire company for clothing

❥ Post Invitations ❥ Write your vows ❥ Have your hair and make-up trials

(taking your veil etc.)

first dance ❥ Organise hen’s and buck’s nights with the wedding party

in a safe place

❥ Have the wedding rehearsal ❥ Give the bridal party their gifts ❥ Pick up hire items, including groom’s

and groomsmen’s attire

❥ Confirm honeymoon arrangements ❥ Pack for honeymoon ❥ Have your engagement ring cleaned

Final check - the plan for the day  Who has the rings?  Who is taking the gifts home after the wedding?  Who is dry-cleaning wedding dress the next day?  Who is returning suits?  Have you paid the caterers, entertainers etc ahead of time or do you need to take money?  Make sure that everyone in the bridal party are aware of their roles

❥ Give wedding rings to the best man

to hold during the ceremony

❥ Pack a touch-up makeup kit for the

Make a record of all the RSVPs Confirm that you are on track with  Flowers with florist – are they right with the colours and dresses  Menu with the caterer  The cake decorator and delivery  Accommodation for yourselves and the guests

wedding day

❥ Have all that is required for the next day

readily accessed

❥ Relax and spend some quality time on

your own

❥ Present each other with gifts and express

ONE MONTH BEFORE Confirm and finalise final guest numbers Make a seating plan Have your dress fittings Organise bridal party’s final fittings Confirm groom’s and groomsmen’s outfits are ready ❥ Write a speech ❥ Confirm honeymoon accommodation and flight bookings, if necessary

❥ Pick up your wedding dress and hang it

THE DAY BEFORE

❥ Organise dancing lessons for the

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

ONE WEEK BEFORE

your love to each other

ON THE DAY ENJOY YOURSELVES!

❥ Make a list of everything that needs to be

taken to the ceremony and reception

❥ Have your final dress fitting including all

accessories and take your head bridesmaid with you for any help you may require ❥ Ensure the bridesmaids have their dresses, footwear and accessories ❥ Have your final haircut and colour before the wedding ❥ Make certain the groom has his hair cut ❥ Finalise seating plan for reception ❥ Write place cards ❥ Have hen’s and buck’s nights

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ideas

Stationery

From the time that you agree to marry and that sparkly ring is on your finger, and that date has been set, you want to tell the world. When you are planning your wedding it’s these details that make your day that much more special.

The invitation is the very first taste of what is to come for your guests.

It’s instantly exciting to receive.



Go with your colour scheme – it’s the easiest way to start.

Before you can go and pick out your invitations you will need to decide on the wording, whether conventional or contemporary.



Order your invitations in person, if possible as there is less likely to be any mistakes.

If you have to order online make sure you have it in writing that any mistakes will be rectified for free.



Insist on getting a proof. Before you sign off on them, have at least another pair of eyes reviewing the proof, as it is easy to miss an inaccuracy.



If ordering online, the colour resolution can vary between computers. To guarantee the exact colour, it is best to ask that the proof be mailed to you. It is better to be safe than sorry.



Order extra save-the-date and/or invitations with envelopes, in case you have made a mistake when assembling or addressing the envelopes or there are more guests to be added to your list.

WONTHAGGI NEWSAGENCY Wedding supplies and stationery for all occasions

31 Murray Street, Wonthaggi Vic 3995 Tel: 5672 1256 Monday to Friday 6am to 5.30pm | Saturday 6.30am to 4.00pm | Sunday Closed 80

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

Consider working with a graphic designer | stationer for all printed materials. They will guide you in making sure all the components convey a consistent design concept.

Facials ■ Make Up ■ Waxing ■ Lash Lift & Tinting ■ Dermaplaning ■ IPL (Hair Removal & Skin Rejuvenation) ■ Wrinkle Injections ■ Spray Tans ■ Spa Packages Available NEW CLIENTS $50 DISCOUNT on Cosmetic Tattooing, Microdermabrasion 1 hour, Teeth Whitening, Better Than Botox Facial.

MENTION GIPPSLAND THE LIFESTYLE AD Shop 1/91 Nar Nar Goon Longwarry Road, Garfield Vic, 3814 P: (03) 5629 1138 W: indulgencegarfield.com.au Like Us on Facebook + Instagram

Kasama Décor

Kasama Décor Unique Gifts & Home Décor 3/31 The Esplanade Paynesville Vic 3880 Phone: 03 5156 1209

HOURS  Monday: 9.00am – 5.00pm Tuesday to Wednesday: 9.00am – 6.00pm Thursday: 9.00am – 7.00pm Friday: 9.00am – 6.00pm Saturday: 9.00am – 1.00pm Sunday: Group Bookings by Appointment Only

Unique Gifts & Home Décor

Monday to Friday: 10.30am - 4.30pm | Saturday 10.00am - 2.00pm Sunday by appointment Re-open again on Sunday, 13th September (Closed every Tuesday) See you soon, Sue Clementson

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WEDDING

ideas

HAIRSTYLES

MAKEUP

Whatever you do, be sure to try your style ahead of time. Your hair stylist is the best person to get advice. Last minute surprises are the last thing you want on your wedding day!

Brides usually look best in very natural colours, save your teal eyes and orange/dark ruby coloured lips for the honeymoon. A little bit of sparkle on your lips and smoky eye effects are the go. Your wedding day is not a time to experiment, as long as you feel that you look your best. Glowing, not shiny skin and rosy cheeks are a never fail. If you are a bit of a crier it is best that you don’t wear false eyelashes, and waterproof mascara is a must.

If you have a veil, birdcage, blusher or floral headpiece, choose a style that works well.

Here are just a few suggestions:  A sophisticated, classic updo  High top knot bun is a great trend as it shows your beautiful face and you can pair it with some bling  The curly, pretty ringlets  A romantic pulled back loose waves – pulling back a few pieces of your hair with a low veil and gorgeous jewellery  A side low looped bun with a wraparound braid paired with a cage veil  A rustic braided updo hairstyle paired with cascading veil  Sexy, wavy hairstyle for long hair – tousled beachy hair – looks fantastic with a headband and/or veil  Sweet short hair style together with a birdcage headpiece  A flowered, curled side pony is perfect and the flower, crystal clip is a romantic touch.

Pass on the bright colourful painted nails and choose a natural looking sheer polish.

Image courtesy of Orin Lucke, Blink Photography

Make sure your makeup will last. Though it might feel otherwise, your wedding day is a marathon and you’ll want your makeup to hold up through every last photo, toast and dance!

Remember that you will be looking at your wedding photos for years to come.

TIP: Remember to have hair and makeup trials.

Also, ensure that you have left enough time for hair and makeup on the day, and that your bridesmaids get hair and makeup out of the way first, therefore leaving time for the bride. Set aside an extra half hour to an hour.

A Natural, Organic, Eco + Environmentally Friendly Hair Salon. FREE from all harsh chemicals causing health concerns.

• • UPSTYLES & WEDDINGS • • • Women’s Hair Styling • Colours • Relaxation & Pamper Sessions • Children’s Cuts • Men’s Styling and Men’s Night (no appointment needed)

18 Bailey St Bairnsdale Vic 3875 03 5152 4872

Find us on 82

Facebook and

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Instagram

BEMM RIVER HOTEL Weddings ...for your special day

Call us now to arrange your special day with us and see what we have to offer.

3-5 Sydenham Parade Bemm River, VIC 3889 Phone (03) 5158 4241

Hailey & Ryden Braggins Wedding Images by The Gehrmanns Photography

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THE HEN’S PARTY

THE BUCK’S PARTY

Why let the guys have all the fun? The girls can also have a thrilling, daring weekend. Lock and load, push the pedal to the metal and show them you are not to be messed with!

Planning the buck’s party is normally left to the best man. It is best to plan as early as possible. Ask the groom what he likes and who he would like to invite along, as you would want to make it memorable for him. If you are heading out, make sure you have transport organised.

      

Paintballing Go-Karting Archery Horse Riding Water-Skiing Surfing Kayaking

Another idea is have a t-shirt made for the occasion or maybe costumes (you could dress up the groom in a veil and dress!!)?

Make sure you look after the groom. Hopefully he will remember everything and regret nothing. Keep your eye on him and for heaven’s sake, don’t lose him!

On the other hand you can spoil yourselves, because you are worth it after running around juggling work, home duties and the like. You need to be soothed by way of sumptuous activities, with a selection of:

Some Cool Ideas  Take the guys on a fishing weekend – hire a charter boat    

Massages Makeovers Spa Pampering Photo-shoots

Hen’s weekends are a time for reflecting and basically having a good time and creating memories, before embarking on the journey of marriage… and another way to do this is:     

Bar Crawl Restaurant and Casino Clubbing and dancing Wine Tour Party Cruise on a Boat

        

   

and catch a big one Spend the weekend surfing at one of our beautiful beaches Off-road biking Jet skiing Paintball (Try Bass Coast - Wonthaggi or Phoenix – Rawson) Go karting (Stony Creek Go-Karts for instance) Wine tour A day at the Races Lawn bowls – contact your local bowling club Pub crawl – go on a tasting mission making sure you eat as well!

Have a weekend of golf – tour some of the local golf clubs Ten pin bowling tournament Poker night and BBQ at a mate’s place

Jacqui’s Catering provides a high standard of personally prepared quality gourmet cuisine at a location of your choice. Plan the perfect food for your wedding or special occasion with Jacqui’s help you’ll get a menu that caters to your budget, theme and event location. Choose dishes from the fine food selection or one of the tasty buffets.

Call Jacqui for a full menu and to have a chat about your catering requirements.

19 Dalmahoy Street, Bairnsdale, Vic 3875 Email: events@jacquiscatering.com.au 84

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Phone: 5150 1132 or 0438 526 168 www.jacquiscatering.com.au

ANDREWS LAND & SURF ORBOST

Mensland 259 Family owned and operated Over 35 Years experience Buy or hire Also stock Mens & Ladies wear, Surf wear & Fashion wear Any occasion: Wedding Party, Deb Ball, Formals, Race Day etc.

ANDREWS LAND & SURF Hours: Mon to Fri: 9.00am - 5.30pm, Sat: 9.00am - 12.30pm 95-97 Nicholson Street, Orbost, VIC 3888 Contact us on Ph (03) 5154 1043 Em andrewsland_surf@bigpond.com www.facebook.com/AndrewsLandNSurf

real stories

Bemm River

28 February, 2015 The perfect country wedding was a fitting conclusion for a well travelled Gippsland girl, who despite having lived overseas for several years, met her partner in her home town of Orbost, and married him in a beautiful lakeside ceremony on the 28th of February this year.

Paula Stevens, and her husband Chris, now live in Port Headland in Western Australia, where Chris works in construction, but it was a family friend's farm in Bemm River, near Orbost, that saw this couple brought together in front of 130 friends and family.

The ceremony and reception were held outdoors at what is simply known as “The Farm�, a property that overlooks Bob's Bay. The property, with its original old homestead, is a holiday rental, and with both river and lake frontage, it is a truly beautiful corner of Gippsland.

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Wedding

Amber Rhodes

Paula Stevens & Chris Kingscott

Guests came from all over, with some travelling from Port Hedland, and others from various parts of Gippsland and Australia. Paula's three bridesmaids were all from Orbost originally, but made the trip from Melbourne, Tamworth and even Darwin to be there for Paula on her big day.

The groomsmen included two from Sale and another from Port Headland. A rustic signpost was erected noting the towns and distances that people had travelled, a testimony that friendship and family hold both Paula and Chris dear to their hearts.

The signpost happily still takes pride of place at The Farm, with Paula's father unwilling to pull it down.

Paula looked naturally beautiful on the day in her Maggie Sottero strapless fishtail gown. Purchased from Raffaele Ciuca in Brunswick, it was the perfect silhouette for a country style wedding.

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Paula Stevens & Chris Kingscott

She also wore her mother's wedding veil, with the headpiece altered into two separate hair pieces, one she wore herself and the other worn by her niece.

The bridesmaids looked equally as glamorous in knee-length black dresses with a soft grey and apricot floral print. With their hair swept up in classic chignons, they had a real touch of the 1940s about them with an elegant swirl above their foreheads. The girls all carried bouquets featuring delicate blooms in white, muted greys and pretty apricot.

Paula and Chris, who sent out their 'Save the Date' invitations featuring Chris' 1970s Leyland Mini, organised a special surprise for their guests by shipping the car back to Bemm River without anyone knowing, which they then used to arrive at the wedding. Despite a slight catastrophe, with the car stalling and Chris having to push start it, it was a great addition to the day, with guests delighted at its arrival.

In between the ceremony and the reception the guests made their way to the Bemm River Hotel for drinks while photographs were taken

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around the property, before coming back to The Farm. A marquee, with its two big clear sides and ceiling, was positioned overlooking the water, playing host to the cocktails served on a perfect balmy evening. As darkness fell strings of fairy lights lit up the dance floor, with the party continuing on well into the night.

The celebration took place over the whole weekend, which was wonderful for Paula and Chris, who were able to catch up with family and friends properly. As Bemm River is a small town, with only 60 permanent residents, the couple booked out all the accommodation and sorted out where guests were staying

themselves, a move made to ensure that everyone had somewhere to stay. In the end only about 10 people had to drive back to Orbost for the night, and with such an influx of visitors, it was fantastic for the little town. The night before the wedding the hotel was filled to overflowing, with the pub serving up over 100 meals.

For Paula and Chris it was the perfect day, and a great weekend. With no dramas, and everything going to plan, it was just as Paula imagined. “I wouldn't change one thing,” she said, “It was exactly what we wanted it to be.”

Words: Amber Rhodes Photographs by Orin Lucke, Blink Photography

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WEDDING

ideas

Speeches

Image courtesy of Orin Lucke, Blink Photography

Not too many of us like to make speeches.

We become a little jittery and anxious, and start counting down the minutes until the ceremony. Of course, some people are naturals.

For those that are not, we have some tips on how to manage it.

The first and most important item to remember is that the guests you are delivering your speech to are your friends and family. They love and care for you and are not there to criticise your speech.

The second is that preparation is vital.

Give yourself time to write and plan your speech and time to practise it.

This method helps you feel comfortable about the substance of your speech and makes sure

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you don’t forget anyone – the ones that have helped you prepare for this special occasion and especially not your new husband or wife!

It helps to know the conventional things you should include in your speech as that presents a good background.

This will have you speaking like a professional….practise….practise and more practise.

Your wedding is a truly memorable day.

OUTLINE The bride’s father customarily speaks first, saying how proud he and his wife are of their daughter. Next, he will welcome the groom as his new son-in-law and his parents. He should express that he is very confident of the couple’s future together and give them some words of wisdom about marriage’s success; and maybe a short story about his daughter (and new sonin-law). To the point is best. Then finish with a toast to the bride and groom. ........................................................................

they have done during his life. Thank the guests for coming and their presents and also thank anyone that has helped on and leading up to this day. If there are any friends or close relations that could not attend this event, express regret that they could not be there to share your day.

Then finally, thank the best man and recognise the friendship and support he has given. Also, propose a toast to the bridesmaids. (This will lead into the best man’s speech.) ........................................................................

The best man will reply on behalf of the bridesmaids by offering thanks on their behalf for the groom’s toast and also add a few compliments of his own about them. He should then talk about what a good friend and man the groom is, and relate a story or two of their friendship together and perhaps the meeting between the bride and groom. He can then read any emails or cards. (Remembering that short and sweet is good, as you want your guests not to be too bored with the traditional aspect.) Advise the program for the rest of the evening and handing it over to the MC. ........................................................................

........................................................................

The groom will respond on behalf of himself and his new beautiful bride by thanking his father-inlaw for his speech and the bride’s parents for such a beautiful daughter and allowing him to marry her. The most important one is to tell his bride how wonderful AND BEAUTIFUL she is, and how lucky he is to be given the opportunity to have met her and fallen in love with her. He should then thank his own parents for everything

The MC can introduce anyone else who wishes to speak – maybe the father of the groom, the bride or any other guest who may wish to speak? (Of course, limiting the number of speakers if needed as often the guests by now have had a couple of drinks and it might become a little unruly!) He can then organise the cutting of the cake for the bride and groom, then the bridal waltz and distribution of the cake or dessert (depending on whether you want to use the cake as your dessert).

TIPS  Prepare the speech well in advance.

Read and re-read it, making sure you have not left anything out.  Make the speech easy to read by writing/ typing it in dark coloured ink. If you have memorised it, it will be easy to glance at it and prompt you.  Keep it short!  Try not to repeat yourself and be clear on what you need to say and what others will be saying, so you don’t repeat anything and bore the guests. Speak slowly and distinctly and not deviate from what needs to be said, as you can start to ramble.  Double check before leaving the house that you have brought your speech with you!  Don’t have too many drinks before the speech. A couple could calm the nerves but more could be detrimental.  Try and relax and enjoy your event!

Your Service Your Way!

Where you want it & How you want it!

Member of the Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants

Ross Splatt Civil Celebrant A11963 for all occasions all areas.

0409 595 079 Photos courtesy of Carmel Trease Photography

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WINERY

•

R E S TA U R A N T

WE LOVE FUNCTIONS

We have all things functions: corporate, birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas etc.

We offer the best value packages in Gippsland along with a professional team to create your special event.

•

V I N E YA R D

WILD DOG RESTAURANT

Wed Fri Lunch 11.30am – 2.30pm Sat – Sun Breakfast/ Lunch 10am – 3pm Fri – Sat Dinner 6pm – Late Age Good Food Guide Rated 14/20

•

CELLAR DOOR

WE LOVE WEDDINGS AT WILD DOG WINERY

For information and bookings Contact our wedding co-ordinator casey@wilddogwinery.com

Ce l l a r D o o r o p e n d a i ly 1 0 a m – 5 p m Wa r r a g u l Ko r u m bu r r a R d , Wa r r a g u l | ( 0 3 ) 5 6 2 3 2 2 1 1 w w w.w i l d d o g w i n e r y.c o m

The Press Cellars in Warragul is proud to be part of the small yet stout group of independent liquor merchants who provide an oasis of quality and service to customers who are interested in a personal experience and are looking for new flavours and favourites.

In typical country Merchant style the breadth of categories stocked at The Press Cellars is kaleidoscopic. It is frequently the saviour of many a gourmet’s quest for Fondue Kirsch, Chinese cooking wine and Spanish Sherry.

The business is locally owned by Stuart and Saffron Hay and Margo Walker.

If you enjoy browsing or are in need of a good drop, then The Press Cellars should be a port of call to look around and say hello.

With a combined 47 years of experience in the Liquor trade between them, Stuart and Margo have a lot of expertise and considered advice to offer customers.

The store is run along traditional Merchant paths.

All stocked items have been assessed by the owners and selected on the criteria of being of excellent quality within their price range.

The Press Cellars 1/80 Smith Street, Warragul, VIC 3820 Phone: 03 5623 3880 www.thepresscellars.com.au www.facebook.com/thepresscellars

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STOBIES LAND + SURF Stobies Mensland has been a locally owned and operated clothing retail outlet in Maffra since the 1950's. The business has grown during this period to incorporate other areas of clothing such as surf wear, ladies wear, kids wear and footwear. During those years, the business has grown and maintained its core area: traditional menswear.

During the last ten years retail has endured the emergence of online stores and the effects it has had on their business, and during this time many traditional menswear stores have closed their doors... Making it tough sometimes to find quality traditional menswear in the local area....

What we have noticed though during recent times is a re-emergence back to bricks and mortar business.

When purchasing a suit, shirt, tie, slacks and shoes for a special occasion people are beginning to understand that they need to see, feel and try on the garments.

Men’s suiting, formal footwear and accessories have been a big growth area for Stobies over the past few years. These are the main factors that are driving this.

Quality slim and regular fit suits from a great range of brands.

Extremely competitive prices guaranteed (even cheaper rates when two or more suit packages are acquired for the same wedding party).

People are prepared to travel in excess of one hour to find an outlet that meets their needs when it comes to weddings and other formal occasions.

Convenience.

Everything is under the one roof – suits, a massive range of shirting, ties, accessories, footwear etc.

Which means you can accomplish everything in the one place and saves you a lot of aggravation of going from one place to another.

At Stobies we are 100% committed to help make the occasion as painless as possible for you.

Ladies! Send the boys in. You won't be disappointed! Here is a list of some of the brands we keep in the men’s formal area.

SUIT BRANDS

New England | Studio Italia | Kenneth Blake | Milano Workshop | Maurio | Sax Altman | City Club

For any enquiries, no matter how big or small, contact the team.

60 Johnson Street Maffra, VIC 3860 Ph - (03) 51472333 Mon- Fri: 9am-5.30pm | Sat: 9am-12noon Find us on Facebook & Instagram

WEDDING

ideas

Ceremony Flowers Here is a suggestion, when you meet with your florist, bring pictures of arrangements you like. From there, your florist can suggest blooms that will achieve the look and price that you want.

Bridal bouquet - An idea is to have a complex bouquet for the bride and keep it simple for the bridesmaids – being it a miniature of the bride’s or a completely different colour/style. Dress up a simple arrangement with a bit of bling – crystal spikes or rhinestone brooches are an example. You might want a tossing bouquet if you choose to keep yours.

To make it more meaningful attach a memento. It is the little things that make your wedding day memorable. For instance, attach a small frame of a photo of someone dear that can’t be with you; or a photo of your beloved pet.

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TIP: Larger blooms are typically more expensive per stem, but you need fewer stems for fullness.

Boutonnieres for the groom, best man, groomsmen and fathers are also very important. Usually, the groom’s is more extravagant than the rest.

Corsages for mothers are bigger boutonnieres that are worn either on the wrist or pinned to their outfit.

Flower girl’s basket - This is the most popular and everyone

knows that she needs petals to scatter on the ground – making a path for the bride.

Rose petals for tossing – You may decide to throw petals in place of confetti (sometimes disapproved of by venues).

You might also choose to decorate the ceremony and reception venue, either as centrepieces or a few flowers here and there.

(See our previous Winter edition at www.issuu.com) Images courtesy of Orin Lucke, Blink Photography + Alice Campbell Photography

PASSION for FLOWERS Originally a chef for twenty years, my passion for flowers began before I was married. Whilst working for Peter Rowland Catering in Prahran, I studied floristry with Gregory Milner’s School of Floristry one day per week for two years.

training and assessment. I was later employed at BACE Inc in Bairnsdale and EVGT as a workplace trainer and assessor in Retail and Hospitality. In November 2006, Rob and I purchased Van Berkel Flowers.

My husband Rob was transferred to Bairnsdale in 1992 with the power company Eastern Energy. His sister Deb owned a florist shop in Lakes Entrance and offered me a job to further my skills. A whole new world opened up for me as I realised what a fantastic opportunity this was to start a new career.

With a young family, it was quite a challenge for us both. But with the help of family and friends we got through our first Valentine’s and Mother’s Day. Now nine years on, my passion for floristry and good customer service is as strong as ever. We have trained two apprentices whom are now qualified and both award winning young florists.

Our staff has always been very supporting of our family commitments and challenges we face on a day-to-day basis.

My passion for flowers had begun.

I worked at Lakes Entrance florist for approximately 5 years. Rob and I started a family and I continued to work casually for a couple more years. Whilst at home raising our three sons, I studied Certificate 4 in workplace

I truly believe that to be successful in business, you must never lose your passion or ability to accept change.

Training is critical in any small business. We regularly take staff to Interflora conferences and training days to keep up-to-date with the latest trends. I am really proud of what we, and our staff have achieved over the last nine years. In a small country town, employment is scarce and we have managed to grow our business and employ six staff.

We listen to our customers’ needs and do our best always to give the freshest and best product available.

Michelle Lancaster

Our business has grown so much we now employ three permanent staff and three casuals.

We started with just one apprentice!

Image courtesy of Rachel Holloway Photography

VAN BERKEL FLOWERS Here at Van Berkel Flowers we can offer brides one-on-one consultation and a wedding team that have put together over 300 weddings in the last 9 years.

Our florists are all qualified and have been trained by the best in the industry. We source our quality flowers from the Melbourne market to insure the blooms for your special day are the best and freshest you can buy.

Although retro and country picked blooms are the favourite this wedding season, we cater to every bride’s personal needs. This is where our one-on-one consultation with the bride is so important in making sure we have it just right.

Two of our florists were recently married and can offer the best advice with colour, style and blooms to match your outfit perfectly.

We encourage brides to bring with them to the consultation, photos and pictures from magazines of colours and styles they like. We work very closely with Lauren Pool from Etc. Event Styling. Together we can arrange your most perfect wedding day. Reception flowers are our speciality.

You can call us on 5152 5030 to arrange an appointment or email us at sales@bairnsdaleflowers.com.au with the details.

Van Berkel Flowers is located at 174 Main Street Bairnsdale and is open from 8.00am - 5.30pm Monday-Friday and Saturdays until 1.00pm.

Image courtesy of Rachel Holloway Photography

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real stories

Bairnsdale

Claire Sadler & Levente Szilagyi

28 March, 2015

Cocktail

Like any couple, we don't agree on everything.

And when we first imagined our wedding, we were at odds over the details. Nevertheless, we were sure about one thing: we wanted a great party.

Setting our wedding in Bairnsdale allowed us to satisfy our desire for a ‘destination’ wedding, and also showcase the bride’s hometown.

Keen to maximise our time with our guests, many of whom were travelling from overseas, we opted for a series of events over a weekend.

This meant we didn’t have to cram all the festivities into one night, and could enjoy the weekend at a more leisurely pace.

The bride’s family has lived in East Gippsland for generations, so The Riversleigh was a simple decision. The venue provided the flexibility to hold our tapas welcome dinner for guests arriving on Friday night, wedding ceremony/ reception on Saturday, and recovery brunch on Sunday. Our guests appreciated staying on site, and still rave about the attentive service and beautiful setting.

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Reception

CLAIRE SADLER & LEVENTE SZILAGYI

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real stories

Reluctant to lock our guests into a formal sit-down event, we decided on a cocktail affair, showing off East Gippsland's finest produce. The Metung Galley's bespoke menu satisfied all tastebuds, and the Narkoojee Winery's sparkling red - a Sadler family favourite - was a hit all round. Adding to the atmosphere, Melbourne-based band, The Wikimen, entertained the guests with their unique 1920s jazz vibes.

We were consistently impressed by the amazing depth of local talent in the lead-up to our Big Day. Whether it was how Etc. Event Styling made things look just so, Envy by Sherridan’s masterful work with hair and makeup, the touching words of Rev. Edie Ashley, or the last-minute wedding arch built

by Banks Construction, we can’t thank our vendors highly enough. It was such a wonderful day, made sweeter because we could show off East Gippsland.

Story by Claire Sadler and Levente Szilagyi Photographs by Alice Campbell Photography

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WEDDING PLANNING

EVENT DESIGN & STYLING

CORPORATE OCCASIONS

Contact 0433 264 790 Email: etc.eventstyling@live.com.au www.facebook.com/etceventstyling

STYLING PHOTOGRPAHER: LENI LEE; BRIDAL PHOTOGRAPHER: MARK ASHLEY; VENUE: RIVERSLEIGH

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event Styling

by Lauren Pool

My very first job was in hospitality and throughout my schooling years I dabbled between hospitality and retail-based work. I somehow wanted to mesh the two into one creative, awesome world.

It’s then I learnt about a little occupation called VM (Visual Merchandising) and so began my studies at RMIT University where I mingled with equally creative and passionate people in the industry.

It wasn’t until I was introduced to event styling when I realised my calling. Finally! The missing piece to my puzzle, as I wondered why on earth I (as a single gal in her early twenties) kept collecting bridal magazines and scouring online wedding blogs!

From here I pushed to gain as much experience in the industry as possible, from meeting and working with some of Melbourne’s top Event Designers, to learning new skills with the best in the business. I love learning, and continue to network all I can and sign up to any new creative workshop.

We always encourage our team to network! Take that extra half an hour and just chat about life, get to know someone. Knowledge is such a powerful thing. The more insight you have and the more people you meet – it gives you such an incredible amount of wealth that’s immeasurable.

These, too, are the traits we instill with our clients, in meetings and in the office.

Since I graduated University and leaped out into the big scary world, I moved back home to East Gippsland and tried to push my way into the events industry. However, I found there wasn’t much experience to be had as nobody offered the ‘Styling’ side of event décor or ‘Planning’ that I had such a strong passion for.

I found sadly that main options for brides were to choose a pre-packaged centerpiece and a chair sash colour. "Tadaa!; your personalised wedding ma’am."

So, out of determination and a little frustration, Etc. was born. (And yes, it is my baby.)

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Since then, my world has become much more vibrant and fast paced than I would have ever imagined. Like any small business owner, the usual 9-5 work hours don’t exactly apply.

Breakfast usually takes place in front of the computer reading through emails and the agenda for the day.

After designs, meetings, ordering and consultations throughout the day, I take time out for dinner with my partner and our Dachshund Frank, before I’m back at the computer catching up on daily blog edits, paperwork and researching anything and everything.

The events industry certainly involves long hours, a lot of hustle and darn hard work but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I absolutely love it!

Three years down the track, 4 Debutantes, 1 popup Café, 3 Children’s Parties, 2 21sts, 1 store re-design, Countless Window Installations, 50 Weddings, 1 Charity Gala night, 2 Engagements, 5 Corporate functions and soon to be added to the list: 1 whole Wedding Expo –we’ve had one heck of a ride and show no signs of slowing down any time soon.

I believe we’re slowly making our mark and disrupting the traditional wedding industry.

We absolutely thrive on the journey we take with our clients. We genuinely get to know them and instill their own passions and values into a momentous day. We achieve this simply by design.

From our early days as a one-man-band, we’ve grown to employ 3 team members who come from various creative backgrounds. We’ve newly accrued a wonderful intern and professional photographer to capture all of our work in action too.

Every single team member never hesitates when it comes to getting their hands dirty, trudging through paddocks, sifting through paperwork, working in rain hail or shine - even getting up a ladder. They just get in there and do it, and do it well.

It takes on average 200 plus hours to plan a wedding. (Believe it, it’s true!) So from the moment we meet our client our team is there.

I’m so blessed to have these wonderful creatives who equally share the passion for the events industry as I do.

We are the Dreamers, Innovators and Selfconfessed tea addicts. The Planners, Advisors and Designers who will leave you rest-assured that your day will be just a little bit AMAZING! Lauren Pool & the Etc. team Event Design – Styling – Wedding Planning ‘Because the best things in life… are meant to be shared!’ www.etcevents.com.au www.facebook.com/etceventstyling

TRARALGON BOWLS CLUB!

The Traralgon Bowls Club prides itself on its reputation for quality products, service and venue presentation. Our tantalisingly delicious function menus are the perfect solution to complement your wedding day. Select from one of our tailor made packages or have our chef create one to suit your requirements.

Located in the heart of Gippsland, Traralgon Bowls Club is centrally located between Melbourne and Lakes Entrance, making it the ideal venue for your guests to reach.

Our 3 adaptable function rooms can be transformed to suit any function big or small.

Our catering team will carefully prepare all aspects of your wedding. The rooms have a private bar, sound ceiling, and portable dance floor, which makes it ideal for your wedding or any special event.

Contact our friendly function team to discuss the endless options that can make your wedding the success you require.

Phone: 5174 2156 Email: reception@traralgonbowls.com.au Cnr of Gwalia St & Liddiard Rd Traralgon Vic 3844 For more information about the Traralgon Bowls Club visit www.traralgonbowls.com.au thelifestyle winter 2015

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The Perfect Venue for your Wedding

Personalised, attentive service and a sense of tranquil relaxation are among the hallmarks of a stay at The Riversleigh where you’ll enjoy the warmth of a country hotel combined with the luxury you expect from contemporary boutique accommodation.

Located in the heart of Bairnsdale’s central business district on a quiet street over-looking the Mitchell River, The

Riversleigh features elegant period fittings with tastefully-appointed modern rooms, providing a unique accommodation experience.

With 20 rooms designed to meet every one of our guests’ individual needs, you will enjoy beautifullydesigned rooms, each with ensuite some including spa baths. Relax in the picturesque courtyard set against

the magnificent backdrop of one of the oldest and most unique residences in beautiful East Gippsland.

Built in 1886, this East Gippsland icon is now under new ownership and management and this grand example of Victorian architecture has recently undergone a complete renovation.

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Set in the heart of Destination Gippsland, Bairnsdale is the gateway to glorious East Gippsland, within easy drive of the high country, mountain resorts, rainforest drives, the Gippsland Lakes, Ninety Mile Beach and river, lake and ocean fishing activities.

The Riversleigh is the perfect location for your Gippsland wedding. Combining a unique location with picturesque gardens, stylish period elegance, modern facilities and on-site catering, The Riversleigh simply has it all.

Courtesy of Brodee Bills of Leni Lee Photography

Their attentive staff will assist you every step of the way, from selecting the perfect location for your photos, to adding the personal touches to your menu; they work with the bride and groom to ensure that every detail is attended to.

Please contact The Riversleigh to arrange a personal viewing of our unique wedding venue.

Courtesy of Brodee Bills of Leni Lee Photography

1 Nicholson Street, Bairnsdale, 3875 PH: 03 5152 6966 E: info@riversleigh.com.au W: www.riversleigh.com.au

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Shimmer Marquees Leongatha & Surrounding Areas | Events | Weddings | Corporate Functions As a locally owned and operated business, we offer a clear span white marquee with closed or clear walls. The marquee is a 12 x 24m which can be broken down into multiples of 3 x 12m sections.

Also available for hire are tables, chairs, linen, bar, dance floor, lighting, lolly tables and more.

We can help organise all your hire needs!

UPCOMING IN LATE 2015 Our Farm Venue for the marquee site will be available for hire; that means you can have both your ceremony and reception here with a beautiful rural landscape as your backdrop.

Contact Michael Hulls Mobile 0427 623 453 Email shimmermarquees@hotmail.com Like us on Facebook 104

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Our catering philosophy is to tailor a menu of beautiful fresh produce to your event and your budget. From the simple to fine dining. We are so lucky to be able to have so much wonderful produce in East Gippsland to choose from. We value quality and change our offerings to meet the seasons.

We can cater for engagement parties, weddings, parties, corporate events - anything really! We can even host your event for you at little alice!

If you would like to talk to us about your special day, we would love to sit down, have a coffee with you and get to know a bit about you and what would make your wedding day perfect!

Bloomfield’s Fashion House Maggie Sottero Bridal Gowns

Most sought after wedding gowns Exclusive collection to this regional fashion house

Hours Monday to Friday: 10.00am – 5.30pm Saturday: 10.00am – 1.00pm Contact Maria Langenberg on 5174 0333 appointments preferred

So for your next event, give us a call on

03 - 5152 5814

Head Chef: Drew Duguid

194 Main Street BAIRNSDALE VIC 3975

www.littlealicecafe.com.au

112 Hotham Street, Traralgon Vic 3844 Find Us on Facebook

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A KINGS COVE METUNG WEDDING Kings Cove Metung offers a modern and bright function centre that is perfect for all wedding style ideas.

The floor to ceiling windows overlook our lush green golf course and make for a great backdrop for every wedding.

We also have picturesque onsite ceremony locations if you choose to hold your wedding here.

The building itself features solid stonewalls and a large timber decking all surrounded by rolling greens and tall gum trees. All these aspects make this a picture perfect and very impressive wedding location.

We have a dedicated function manager who will work with you all the way through palanning and preparing your big day.

We can cater for up to 140 guests for a cocktail reception and 100 for a seated dinner.

We offer a pre wedding golf game for the groom and 3 mates to help calm the nerves.

Metung village also boasts a florist, a number of marriage celebrants, a day spa, hairdresser and numerous accommodation options to suit all your guests.

There are various settings around the course and estate that can be accessed with our golf carts for photo opportunities. These include our wetlands, lake and mountain views and lakeside marina.

KINGS COVE METUNG OPEN DAY

KINGS COVE METUNG INVITES YOU TO THEIR WEDDING OPEN DAY on Sunday 2nd August 2015 between 10am-3pm



THIS RARE OPPORTUNITY GIVES YOU SOME INSIGHT INTO:  Possible decoration and room set up ideas;  Onsite ceremony options;  A chance to talk to the functions manager about your wedding style & dates;  A chance to talk to the head chef about planning menus; An information pack including details for local celebrants, wedding decorators, local live music, florist, cake decorators and accommodation.

Kings Cove Golf Club, Kings Cove Boulevard, Metung ph: 03 5156 2927 www.kingscoveclub.com.au 106

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The isMiners Cottages a Home Away from Home

Local Attractions

Mt Markey Winery | Cassilis Goldfields | Tambo Valley Golf Course | Swifts Creek Pool Great Alpine Gallery | Mt Hotham

5 kms from Swifts Creek on the Cassilis Road

Free WiFi is also available in all cottages.

Air conditioning cools in summer and a Coonara heater warms in winter.

Fully self-contained with lots of extras including linen, towels, hairdryer, washing machine, TV/DVD and 2 single bunks plus master bedroom.

The region is an angler’s, hiker’s and sightseer’s delight.

Your Hosts Lyn & Richard Darby

The MinersCottages Cassilis Road, Swifts Creek, 3896 For further information, tariffs and bookings telephone Tel: (03) 5159 4205 or AH (03) 5159 4351 Fax: (03) 5159 4205

www.omeoregion.com.au/minerscottages

WINERY Amber Rhodes

Arriving at the gate of Jinks Creek Winery it is hard to believe that you are only ten kilometres off the main highway, and only a short fifty-five minute drive out of Melbourne. Surrounded by the Bunyip State Forest the vineyard, restaurant and accommodation are happily nestled in what appears to be it's own little world; a microcosm if you will.

Andrew Clarke and Abi Edwards, who own and run the one hundred acre property, are kept busy with not only the vineyard and producing their wine; but the restaurant, the bed and breakfast accommodation, as well as the more recent addition of horse riding and polo lessons.

The property, originally belonging to Andrew's family, was bought gradually in sections by the couple, with Andrew first planting the vineyard in 1979. Since then he has put in more vines, as well as additional varieties, and also planted a lot of vines around Gippsland, the Peninsula and the Yarra Valley. Andrew, who initially studied hospitality, received a scholarship to study winemaking at Wagga Agricultural College.

From there he went on to work for Brown Brothers and Rick Kinzbrunner of Giaconda, as well as working overseas in California and Bordeaux in France. During the boom of the 80s he was mainly involved in viticulture, setting up various vineyards, but he got back into making wine in the late 1990s. The Jinks Creek label was created, originally starting out of an old apple shed on the property, before it eventually was upgraded to it's current location in 2003.

There are approximately eight acres of vines on the property, and although it is small, all the wine is produced and bottled there. They have

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several varieties of grapes, including Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Sparkling and Chardonnay, and they also produce a Shiraz, with grapes sourced from other vineyards that Andrew established.

Accommodation has been available on the property for about ten years, with two houses available and three converted sheds. A third house will be available by the next wedding season later this year. The houses are old refurbished cottages, that both Andrew and Abi have spent countless hours working on, creating open living areas and adding extra bedrooms to maximise the number of guests.

Situated on different parts of the property, the

living spaces are all fully furnished and display many of the quirky antiques and rustic finds that the couple have unearthed along the way.

Abi is an avid collector and will find interesting pieces in opportunity shops, at antique stores, amongst old family belongings and even salvaged from the hard rubbish. She always has her eye open for unusual pieces and enjoys creating and fixing up things. “I like to fit everything into an area and use the collections. It's almost like a mathematical puzzle. Sometimes I'll have a light bulb moment and I will think of the perfect place to put it,� said Abi.

The restaurant itself is a conversational piece, as it is an old converted shearing shed that they found on a property in Darraweit Guim, north of Melbourne. Andrew, who saw an ad in The Weekly Times, contacted a man who built new wool sheds. He asked him if he knew of any old ones being pulled down and was led to this one.

Built in 1875, the weatherboards were sourced from trees felled on the original property, and they immediately fell in love with it as it is so iconically Australian. It was leaning over and about to fall down, so with the help of an architect who drew up a blueprint of the shape and size, they pulled it apart, numbered all the pieces and reassembled it on their property.

Other than cutting out additional doors and windows to let in more light, the building was kept as original as possible, and the old timber from the sheep yards was used to make the verandah and the tables. Abi is still using pieces of the timber today to create various things around the farm.

Their food is mostly cooked using the wood fire oven, and is based around using local ingredients. As well as the wine, Andrew also makes beer, and on Sunday mornings can be found making all the dips, flat breads, cakes and home made lemonade. They use all seasonal produce and try and source as much as they can directly from Gippsland. “We like to do as much as we can on the farm,” said Abi. “Everything is closely linked to Gippsland and this farm. Our concept is that everything is hand made or home made. We want to refine that even further and make more things ourselves, be even more self sufficient.”

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They also cater for weddings and will hold between eight to ten a year. They can host up to one hundred and fifty people but find they mostly tend to do stand up cocktail style weddings, which the space is well suited to.

Often during a wedding the guests will stay, and across the various accommodations they can sleep thirty people.

A section of the old shearing shed was once a stable, but now it houses an art gallery, with works from up and coming Gippsland artists and other established artists from Melbourne.

The gallery is a particular passion of Abi's and she is always keen to promote those new artists from the Gippsland area.

Currently they are open Sundays only but are looking at being open one Saturday a month to serve wood fired Argentinian barbecued food.

Guests will stay in the Bed and Breakfast for weekends, or some even a week or two, and their new horse riding and polo lessons are also creating plenty of interest. Eventually they are also looking to host a polo match each year, putting Jinks Creek even further on the map as a tourist destination.

“People love the peace and quiet and the total relaxation,” said Abi. “They love the view and the fact that we are totally surrounded by bush.” Guests also have the option to go bush walking in the State Forest, visit surrounding townships, head out further to Gembrook or

the Yarra Valley, and their location at Tonimbuk also gives guests easy access to explore other areas of Gippsland.

Photographs by Amber Rhodes

WINEBAR | GALLERY | ACCOMMODATION | WEDDINGS Open Sundays 12-5pm or by appointment

Jinks Creek Winery 1720 Tonimbuk Road, Tonimbuk 3815

Ph: 5629 8502 110

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www.jinkscreekwinery.com.au

Like us on Facebook

BEMM RIVER HOTEL BOOKINGS FOR FUNCTIONS, WEDDINGS, BIRTHDAYS AND ANY EXCUSE FOR A WHOOP UP. 4 Self-Contained Cabins, sleeping 5 plus 1 with 6; BBQ area to cater for your big brekkies; 65kv generator to keep the beer flowing cold and the food hot; and we are also a safer place in fire and flood.

Our dog Charlie is the Mayor of Bemm River Hotel who meets and greets everyone to our fun and friendly Hotel.

Bemm River Hotel 3-5 Sydenham Parade Bemm River, VIC 3889 Phone (03) 5158 4241

Operating 7 days a week from 11am till close.

Meal Hours

Lunch 12 – 2 pm Dinner 6 – 8 pm

Curtis AUSTRALIA Chris West

Ever since he was a boy growing up in Orbost, jeweller Glenn Curtis has enjoyed making beautiful objects.

It’s a passion that has translated into a highly successful career and earned him a reputation as an elite craftsman of international renown.

From modest beginnings, Curtis has developed a brand name synonymous worldwide with prestige, excellence and luxury in jewellery and writing instruments.

LUXURY WITHIN REACH

“Bespoke is where we will take a design we have used in the past and tailor it to suit the customer’s individual needs.

“We have a diverse domestic customer base originating from all parts of Australia, as well as local people from East Gippsland. People seek us out and much of our new business is generated through reputation.”

Although Curtis Australia is based in Gippsland, its market reach is not just confined to a local or national presence.

Glenn’s skills have been recognised around the globe. In 2011, he was the only international jeweller to be invited to judge the Rio Tinto Diamonds Global Jewellery Design Competition held in New York.

A winner of numerous international awards, Curtis Australia also has the distinction of its premium pen designs having been featured in the Robb Report’s Best of the Best and its Ultimate Gift Guide, a prestigious annual listing aimed at connoisseurs of the world’s finest luxury items.

“Our progression into the super luxury market and accolades such as the Robb Report are important as a flag bearer for our business, especially on the international front, to help create brand identity,” Glenn comments.

“While we do put a lot of energy into things that give us a presence and profile within the super luxury market, it should be emphasised that we also create a range of high quality items

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“Our products are easy to ship and export anywhere in the world,” Glenn notes. that remain well within the reach of everyday customers,” he adds.

Curtis Australia offers a wide range of products, including diamond rings, wedding bands, designer bracelets and bangles, gold and silver necklaces, earrings, brooches, pendants, cuff links, key rings, letter openers and a variety of handcrafted pens.

Locally, the business concentrates more on its high end jewellery, especially bespoke and custom made pieces.

“With custom pieces, we’ll make something special just for the customer. A one of a kind,” Glenn explains.

Internationally, the business’s main markets are the USA, Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Asia, with a notable expansion into China.

“In Asia, personal adornment is considered extremely important. It’s their way of showing their status and expressing their personality in a very individual way,” Glenn comments.

Curtis Australia has been based at its premises at 129 Macleod Street in Bairnsdale since 2009.

The business also established a Melbourne office and showroom in Collins Street last year.

Glenn owns and operates Curtis Australia with his wife Heather and the couple travel as required between the Bairnsdale base, where all production takes place, and the new

Melbourne office. They consider it important to maintain a visible street presence through the base premises in Bairnsdale.

Heather was working at Prince Henry’s Hospital in Melbourne while Glenn was operating his jewellery store in Camberwell.

“Through face-to-face contact, you really get an understanding of where trends are going,” Glenn says.

“I was in charge of the infertility clinic at the hospital,” Heather says.

The layout of the Macleod Street building provides sizeable space for product development, work production, storage areas for master patterns, moulds and assembly items, in addition to staff offices and meeting showrooms to hold personalised discussions with customers.

Curtis Australia has a small team of employees who rely on versatility to ensure the business performs with precision.

“After my shifts I would often come over to the store and watch Glenn make things.”

One of the items Heather saw Glenn crafting on one occasion was an intricate fob chain for a necklace. She had no idea it was intended for her.

Glenn went to great lengths to elaborately package the necklace inside an easter egg and presented it to Heather hoping to mislead her into thinking it was a Faberge egg.

“Initially I was self taught, but then I started showing things I had made to my grandfather who had worked in the jewellery industry,” he says.

In his twenties, Glenn moved to Melbourne and opened his first jewellery store in the eastern suburb of Camberwell.

“Heather and I were in the same year at school.

She was originally from Cohuna in Central Victoria but moved to Orbost where her father ran the local butcher’s store. We went our separate ways after completing our schooling, but several years later started catching up on weekends in our twenties.”

“By around 1998 we had made the decision to diversify into luxury brands and made our official launch into that market in 2002.”

Glenn confirms that the progression into the ultra luxury market was far from an overnight decision and, in fact, was meticulously planned.

“You get to a point in your life where you think about what you want to achieve and what you want your legacy to be. Some people want money. Others want something different. I found I had a bit of a bug for creation and that’s not an easy thing to satisfy. You constantly want to make and create things, but need to have people who will be prepared to buy them. I’ve always enjoyed making interesting and pretty things and they’re usually expensive. Therefore, you have to find a market before you start making them.”

Now aged 58, Glenn first started making jewellery when he was as young as twelve.

At that time he was dating a young lady named Heather Vaux whom he had known from a young age in Orbost.

“At one time we were involved in four separate jewellery stores in Bairnsdale, Lakes Entrance, Traralgon and Sale,” Glenn recalls.

“We made a significant investment in research and development over several years,” he explains.

“It’s very much a hands-on approach here.

Every staff member has to work some of the time in production, whether we want to or not,” Glenn states.

“It was somewhat unimaginatively named Glenn’s Jewellery,” he remembers.

Back in the familiar territory of East Gippsland, Glenn and Heather’s first jewellery shop in Bairnsdale opened its doors in 1990. The business continued to expand locally over the next two decades before the current premises in Macleod Street were constructed.

“It may not have been a Faberge egg, but the gift had the desired impact anyway. We ended up getting engaged that night,” Glenn laughs.

As you might expect, Glenn also made the rings for their wedding.

Glenn and Heather later moved back to East Gippsland, deciding they wanted to raise their family in the country. Their two children are now aged in their thirties and have shown a willingness to take an active role in the business. A detailed succession plan has been documented to enable them to continue the Curtis Australia operation when the time comes in the future.

Glenn knew he would have to show patience and determination in order to realise the ambitions he held for Curtis Australia.

“It takes twenty years to be an overnight success in the luxury market. People like to buy from brands which have an established tradition of excellence. We can feel pleased to have already earned recognition and credibility, when really we are still only half way through that twenty year window,” he states.

Glenn remembers that many people would question why he would want to try to compete with iconic global brands such as Montblanc and Cartier.

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“I would respond to that by asking if they were suggesting that Australia wasn’t good enough at making things. After all, we’re already recognised internationally for making some of the best wines and for our fashions. I think our craftsmanship is excellent and can compete at any level in terms of quality. Just because the likes of Montblanc and Cartier are big and established, that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to start. I saw an opportunity in the market to be very successful.”

Glenn considers Australians sophisticated in design.

to

be

very

“We’re not a backwater at all. I feel that’s also why our fashion designers do well in exporting. Over here I think we’re encouraged to be a bit bolder and more adventurous in our designs,” he says.

Time has shown that Glenn’s instincts about his ability to succeed in the luxury market have been proven correct.

“At one stage it was unfolding faster than we expected. Things slowed down with the Global Financial Crisis, but now it’s really starting to energise again,” he says.

Curtis Australia can count several notable companies and individuals amongst its clientele.

Locally, the business has produced work for the Parliament of Australia, the Governor of Victoria and large corporates such as Rio Tinto.

Internationally, one of its brand ambassadors is golfing legend Jack Nicklaus.

“Our association with Jack began through an introduction from another of our satisfied clients in America,” Glenn explains.

“We had sent our client Ira a photo of a pen with a design featuring another great American golfer Bobby Jones. Ira told us that his good friend Jack Nicklaus would love that pen.”

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traditional work methods in the production of his pieces.

“Some of my tools were my grandfather’s and we also use some of the latest technology which ensures incredible accuracy,” he reveals.

Glenn loves his work too much to contemplate retirement.

“He won’t ever stop,” Heather predicts.

Neither Glenn nor Heather thought anything further would come of it, but a lunch meeting was subsequently arranged with Nicklaus at his Bear’s Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The timing fitted in perfectly with a visit to America, making it an opportunity too good for them to miss.

Heather vividly remembers their arrival at the meeting.

“We entered the dining room at the Bear’s Club, which had been closed off to the public. There was nobody else in the room, just Glenn and I, Jack and Ira,” she says.

Glenn continues the story.

afternoon to put the arrangements in place.”

Curtis Australia’s ongoing association with Nicklaus has evolved around the design of a collection of five pens carrying his name. Three of the Jack Nicklaus Limited Edition pens have already been released and are currently available for purchase. These are the Masters 25th Anniversary, US Open 50th Anniversary and Ryder Cup Sportsmanship pens, which feature beautifully detailed sculptures in sterling silver and are available in a choice of ballpoint, roller ball or fountain.

“There is another pen to be released in 2015 and the final one next year,” Glenn notes.

“As well as buyers being able to source them directly through us, the Nicklaus series pens are also available for sale on Jack’s website and through luxury pen stores in America.”

Glenn says Nicklaus is happy to endorse the Curtis Australia brand.

“We have met Jack a few times since that initial meeting at the Bear’s Club. He is a lovely man and very good to deal with.”

Experience has taught Glenn and Heather that it is necessary to wear two hats to succeed in their kind of business: creative flair matched with a business orientation that includes detailed plans and market research.

Glenn reveals that while he plans to keep working, Heather hopes to step away from a day-to-day hands-on role in the business when she turns 65 but would still maintain an ambassadorial role.

“That’s the deal we’ve made with each other,” he says.

In the meantime, both Glenn and Heather will continue to put all their energy into maintaining the momentum in their business and producing items that their clients will cherish and adore.

“It’s about taking a customer’s dream and bringing it to reality for them. A Curtis piece will be unique and high quality, but can also be affordable,” Heather states.

Glenn says that he and Heather gain great satisfaction from looking after local customers.

“It is important that people realise that we are approachable and can tailor something to suit anyone’s budget and taste. I really enjoy helping the client when I do a one-on-one consultation.

It’s not up to me to tell the client what they’re going to get. But it is for me to give the client something they want to wear and enjoy which will be proudly passed on to the next generation.

“The service we provide involves personally working with the client all the way from the initial consultation through to the finished piece. It’s a journey from concept to reality and our promise is that what we show you is what you get.”

Photographs courtesy of Curtis Australia

“Ira suggested to Jack that we produce a range of pens to commemorate some of the greatest moments in his career. Jack said to me: ‘Glenn, I like what you do. Would you like for us to form a relationship?’ It was an easy question to answer.”

Heather says the details had to be put to paper quickly.

“We were due to fly out the next morning, so Jack organised for us to go to see people at the Nicklaus Corporation Head Office that

“The business side usually consists of the things that creative people find either boring or difficult,” Heather suggests.

“I think we have the balance right. We believe in constant innovation and continuous improvement all the time. You can’t just sit back and think that what’s worked in the past will necessarily work in the future. You’ve got to keep moving. Design styles, methodology and processes are evolving all the time and we have to keep pace with change,” she adds.

Glenn applies a combination of modern and

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recipe

SEAFOOD CHOWDER Chef Shane Coles Nautica Restaurant and Bar Metung

Makes 6 serves INGREDIENTS 400gm butter 1 & 1/2 cups of plain flour 2 tbls of cumin powder 2 medium carrots, diced Half a leek, diced 1 brown onion, diced 2 sticks of celery, diced

2.5 litres of fish stock 1 tbls of fish sauce Half lobster approx. 300gms 100gm of scallops 100gm of king prawns 100gm of clams 100gm of calamari

100gm of mussels 6 Garfish fillets 1 & ½ cups thickened cream 50mls of lemon juice 50mls black truffle oil 100gms bonito flakes Sprigs of dill for garnish

METHOD Melt butter in a heavy based pot, add all vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes or until soft.

Add plain flour, cook out until a blond roux, whilst continually stirring add hot fish stock, 500mls at a time, and bring to boil on a medium heat. Turn down and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes. Add cumin powder, lemon juice and cream and stir through.

ADD IN SEAFOOD Add half lobster, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes; add scallops, clams and mussels and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes; then add the rest of the ingredients: calamari, garfish, prawns and simmer for a further 2 minutes and turn off.

Divide into 6 bowls, garnish with shaved bonito flakes and small sprigs of dill and drizzle with black truffle oil.

Hours Wednesday to Saturday: Breakfast & Lunch 8.00am to 2.30pm | Dinner: 5.30pm to Late Sunday: Breakfast & Lunch 8.00am to 3.00pm 50 Metung Road, Metung, Vic 3904 Phone: (03) 5156 2345

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Hours Wednesday to Saturday: Breakfast & Lunch 8.00am to 2.30pm | Dinner: 5.30pm to Late Sunday: Breakfast & Lunch 8.00am to 3.00pm 50 Metung Road, Metung, Vic 3904 Phone: (03) 5156 2345 Follow us on Facebook

The journey is almost complete for Shane Coles. After beginning his apprenticeship at the Gaztronomy in Morwell over two decades ago, followed with 7 ½ years owning and operating Pier One Bar & Grill in Merimbula, Shane along with wife Jewel and their two young children, have returned to Gippsland making Metung their chosen destination.

Once opening Nautica Restaurant and Bar Metung, Shane is applying his culinary skills to this beautifully appointed and adorned restaurant. During the winter months there is a no better place to visit, with its warm open fire and the guarantee of enjoying freshly cooked food.

Shane’s specialty is his char-grilled steak and the best offerings of fresh local seafood and a great selection of wine (local) and beer.

This, with friendly and helpful staff, makes for a pleasurable dining experience.

In addition, the restaurant is open for a full range of breakfast and lunch, and subsequently any part of the day or night you can enjoy a sumptuous meal, either inside the cosy restaurant or undercover outside on a fresh sunny morning.

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THEMING YOUR BUSINESS

beat the competition and get higher in Google Search WHAT IS 'THEMING'?

Theming is the process of breaking up your business into smaller manageable marketing chunks. Here we are using it for the basis of online marketing and giving your website a better page structure to be found on Google. However, it will also form the basis of your Social Media marketing plan, as well as your offline marketing efforts.

You need to end up with a list of 3-7 main areas of your business with a further number of, say, 8-12 sub-areas.

The main or primary areas will become the pages in the navigation menu of your website. The subareas or secondary elements will become further pages linking off from those. And if you really want to splice it further you can have tertiary pages linking off the secondary ones and so on.

The coats are on a rack close to the front. Each element has its own area. Most good stores go further and have the men's jeans on one side of the shop and women's on the other side. Get the picture? Hopefully it's starting to sink in.

Imagine how confusing it would be if we walked into our favourite clothing shop in Traralgon, Warragul or Bairnsdale and everything was thrown on the one rack? There are too many websites which do just this. Everything is crammed onto as few pages as possible, you even have businesses who try to put it ALL on one webpage. It makes me cringe, and folks, I am here to tell you Google does not like it.

To break down your business into the themes it covers, though, may not be as difficult as it appears: you already know the themes of your business, you just may not be wholly aware of them. Breaking down these themes makes the time-poor consumer that much more willing to engage with you if they can find what they're looking for in your physical storefront, or on your website.

Themes needn't be specific to your business, but should underline general customer service principles. These can involve:

For example: Our Services (Primary or Tier 1) - Kid's Parties (Secondary or Tier 2)

- Ice Cream Escapade (Tertiary or Tier 3)

- Superman Themed Party (Tertiary)

- etc

An important component of modern marketing is understanding what your business does and doesn't do. With very few exceptions, no single business can be all things to all people – but working within the themes of your business will go a long way towards putting your staff and brand in a positive light.

OR OR

■ Knowing your skillset What is it that you and your staff do better than your competition? Is it attention to detail? Following up on a delivery? Making the effort to make the customer feel welcomed? Even in this day and age, little things like this go a long way.

■ Having the right equipment It's not enough to have the latest technology if it can't fulfil customer requests. By having a thorough understanding of what your equipment does, you'll be better placed to meet market demands.

I think you catch my drift. Don't stress too much over this because if you have a CMS (Content Management System) such as Wordpress or the like you can move the page structure around very easily. The key point is to have a separate page on your website with words, pictures and other materials (eg. Video) for each separate element of your business. When you have worked these out you can then break them into even smaller more manageable chunks. But for the moment let's start simple, we can get sophisticated later.

STILL CONFUSED? Well, imagine any clothing store in downtown Gippsland. You walk in the front door, and the jeans are on the shelves on the right side of the store, and the jumpers are on a different shelf down the back.

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HOW TO THEME?

As corny as this sounds, start at the start. For some business owners it will be based on their experience in the business. We advise all our clients to use the following as a guide: 1. Make sure they are services/products you like selling.

2. Even better if they are profitable 3. Better still if they are easy to sell Now this does not mean you should avoid less profitable products and services. You may have one which does not contribute much profit but is a good 'foot-in-the-door' item to sell and leads onto other sales for you.

■ Product awareness There's a hot new product line coming out – do you have it in stock, or on order? Will you have enough to meet customer demand? Be where your customer is and anticipate what your customer wants.

■ Plans and packages There can never truly be a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to meeting customer demand, but offering a range of options regarding your product and/or service can meet a demand in the marketplace you may not even been aware of.

■ Know your limitations Again, know what you do, and do it well. Overstretching your capabilities will result in a dilution of your product/brand/service. Sometimes, this may involve saying “no” to a customer – as long as you rationalise it, you don't have to be the proverbial bad guy.

■ Areas of service How far are you willing to go to fulfil a customer order? Do you ship just within Gippsland/the Latrobe Valley, state-wide, nation-wide? These are important points to consider as delivery costs will have an impact on your bottom line. If you are positioning yourself as a local business, then it is up to you to consider local interests.

By identifying and building upon the themes of your business, you will be strategically placed to market and sell your product/brand that much better. Utilising these themes on your website is something we advise our clients on in the initial stages of building their online presence.

OTHER METHODS:

We often say to our clients “If you could wave a magic wand, and be selling the perfect product or service, what would it be”?

This can be a good starting point for some.

OR Ask your team for suggestions.

Try Googling a few things for your industry in your part of Gippsland.

See how your competitors do it. Use the power of the internet and look at websites overseas in your industry and see how they do it. Don't limit your research to just Gippsland, Victoria or Australia.

Your Accountant or Business Coach are also a good place to start. They are a great resource so use their extensive business knowledge.

WHAT NEXT?

Let's use a clothing shop in Downtown Gippsland as an example. After sitting down and writing a list we get the following: Men's - Shirts

- Business

- Brand XYZ

- Brand ABC - Casual

- Brand XYZ

- Brand ABC - Jeans

- Brand 1

- Brand 2 - Jocks and Socks Women's – etc.

Children's – etc.

This aligns with what a person may be searching for on Google. Using the information above a person making the following searches is going to get your webpage in their search results: − Men's Business Shirts Brand XYZ − Men's Shirts Brand XYZ − Business Shirts Brand XYZ Using our suggestions in this article you should have a page dedicated on your website to men's business shirts brand XYZ and another separate page to men's casual shirts brand ABC and so on.

This is the online equivalent of someone who is specifically looking for men's business shirts brand XYZ and walks into your business through the side door and is immediately met with a rack of men's business shirts brand XYZ. “Wow,” you think, “they have just what I want!” And more importantly this is your business saying “We love you so much we went out of our way to set up just what you were looking for, aren't we awesome?”

It's the same intent online as it has always been offline.

You see they (your customers) do not need to walk through the front door (main webpage), be greeted by a sales assistant (online equivalent is the pop up 'how can we help you' - who really likes them?), then walk through the store until they find the men's clothing area (click all over the website), then look further for shirts and then business and then finally the brand they are after. Customers just don't have the time.

We see websites set up like the messy clothes pile pictured, all the time, and it's very frustrating.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE:

What is very important to note here is that by structuring your website around the main areas of your business it will certainly help you to get found on Google. There are many other elements to take into account such as mobile responsiveness, proper coding and secure hosting.

Once you have themed your business and built your website around this you will be ready to use Google Adwords cost effectively and boost your online Return on Investment.

We will discuss these in coming issues including our 'Easy Peasy Social Media Plan' for Small to Medium sized Gippsland Business Owners.

Jim Radford

Image Direct Gippsland www.imagedirect.com.au About the author. Jim's Traralgon based company is Google AdWords Certified and Google Analytics Certified and has been building websites in Gippsland for the past 7 years.

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Foster Seafoods

Order Your

For all

Fresh Seafood Now!

the best in fresh Seafood

For all the best in fresh seafood, there is none better than Foster Seafoods This shop has everything for the seafood lover. Alice and Lachie Duncan have added new lines to their business along with the freshest and best fish caught locally within Corner Inlet and Bass Strait.

Crumbing: Sardine and Garfish fillets Smoking: Hot Smoked Atlantic Salmon, Chilli Mussels & Smoked Sardines all in Olive Oil Pickling: Local Scallops, Oysters with Tartare and Seafood Sauce, Home Made Chilli Sauce on the Mussels

And you can be assured that the quality and service is still the best!

Specialising in Local Fish

Foster Seafoods

35 Main Street, Foster, Vic 3960 Tel/Fax: (03) 5682 2815 Contact: Alice and Lachie Duncan 120

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WHOLESALE SUPPLIERS THROUGHOUT SOUTH GIPPSLAND

Monday to Friday 9am – 5.30pm Saturday 8.30am – 12.30pm 29 Toora Road, Foster Vic 3960 Phone 03 5682 2095 | Fax 03 5682 1329 | Email contact@aherns.com.au Web www.aherns.com.au like us on

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DOWNTOWNER WARRAGUL PACING BOWL CUP

Madeleine Stuchbery

It starts with a noise. A vibration, a rumbling sound that begins quietly and softly, before rapidly increasing in tempo and volume. It is a sound that sits heavily in your chest, buzzing with electric excitement and sending a shot of adrenaline pulsing through you. The crowd’s collective head turns towards the left, and unanimously the people rise from their seats and begin to shout. The noise grows louder, and the dust from the track clouds the air, kicked up by the glossy thoroughbreds that speed swiftly by, their drivers bobbing up and down in their sulkies.

An autumn sun shines down on the people who gather by the side of the track, with children running about and bets placed before the races commence for the day. A throng of people, from young children clinging tightly to the fence by the track, women dressed in their finest clothing and men pulling at ties done up neatly at their necks, have turned up for a fine day of racing at the famous Warragul Harness Racing.

The Downtowner Warragul Pacing Bowl Cup, held on Sunday April 5th 2015 was no exception, with a buzzing crowd turning up in droves for a day spent trackside. Arriving at the track for The Warragul Cup, the constant sound of the racing commentators blaring from the speakers littered around the track alerts the eager crowd to which races are getting underway, who’s driving who,

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a popular one to this day, with nine race days occurring from December to August every year.

Aside from a break due to WWII, the club and racing team at Warragul have been hosting trotting events in one form or another since the early 1890s.

and who’s in the lead. People place their bets and lean forward in their seats, either peering through the glass from the sumptuous comfort of the dining rooms or shielding their eyes from the glare of the sun as they cast their eyes across the fence, watching the thoroughbreds being corralled into position before the race suddenly and swiftly gets underway. In an instant conversations cease, and all attention is turned towards the dozen animals majestically trotting their way around the Warragul track as quickly as they can. A flash of colourful silks, a shining glossy mane passes, and in an instant a winner is decreed.

Trotting events have been held on the Warragul racing site for over a century. The tradition is still

This year marked the second Gippsland the Lifestyle Magazine Trotters Handicap, the second race of the proceedings, in which Doug Pell, sales manager of the magazine, presented the trophy to winner Celtic Rose. The main event of the day, The Warragul Cup, is an annual event at the course, with father and daughter team Bill and Simone Walker taking home their second Warragul Pacing Cup win with star pacer Hectorjayjay. Wearing the rather fortuitous number one proudly on their silks, Hectorjayjay led throughout during the race, setting a track record mark of 1:59:8 for the first cup run over the new distance of 2627 metres. Aged just four, the race on Easter Sunday was his second start at the Warragul Pacing Bowl, having scored his maiden win on the circuit at age two.

The Gippsland Harness Training Centre is also based at the track, hosting a facility where young riders and drivers are provided with a fully operational racing stable, as well as a training facility offering courses in harness training, driving and stablehand duties.

WINNER OF CUP Driver and Trainer Simone Walker of Hectorjayjay Winner of the Downtowner Warragul Pacing Bowl Cup

Doug Pell congratulating Trainer & Driver Chris Alford of Celtic Rose Winner of Race 2 overlooked by MC Rob Aubrey

Trainer Jennifer Lewis, who passionately educates and trains young drivers at the track, is diligent, calm, and concise in her practice, and proudly shows off the facilities available to the students at The Warragul Harness Club. “We get students of all ages, young women, people straight out of school, even people in their forties. Harness racing is a sport that doesn’t discriminate, and it is entirely up to the student as to how far they want to take their success,� she explains. Students are given the opportunity to work alongside trotters and pacers, developing their skills and learning horse husbandry and nutrition. From stable to winners stand, the Warragul Harness Club nurtures drivers at all stages of their career.

A day spent at the Warragul trots is not just for fans of all things equine. The most dapper gentlemen and best dressed women participated in an entertaining Fashions on the Field competition, in which our very own Doug Pell assisted as judge. Children were treated to face painting, a huge jumping castle, and a delightful Easter themed dress up competition, in which not the children, but their pet ponies, were judged on their hats and decorations.

As one wanders through the crowd, passing through the dining room and out into the viewing area trackside, you cannot help but feel the contagious excitement coursing through the crowd. People travel from all parts of the state to place a bet, watch the race, or simply get

involved in a day out at the races. Standing in the crowd as the final race of the day takes place, pressing up against the wire fence separating passionate spectator and beguiling beast, one feels incomprehensibly linked to the strong tradition and the pride that is the Warragul Harness Club. As the horses race their way around the course, the thundering hooves mirror the beating of your heart, and a true respect and admiration for the horses and their drivers rises up in you. Horse racing may be the sport of kings, but the trots is arguably the sport of the people.

Photos by Madeleine Stuchbery

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TRARALGON BOWLS CLUB

Our bistro is open 7 days a week lunch and dinner. Ensure to book to avoid disappointment.

TRARALGON BOWLS CLUB... MORE THAN JUST A BOWLS CLUB! Join as a member from as little as $5 per year.

Phone: 5174 2156 Email: reception@traralgonbowls.com.au Cnr of Gwalia St & Liddiard Rd Traralgon Vic 3844 For more information about the Traralgon Bowls Club visit www.traralgonbowls.com.au

MORE THAN JUST A BOWLS CLUB The Traralgon Bowls Club’s fresh new mouth-watering menu is the perfect solution for any occasion. Whether it is just a night out without cooking, or a Birthday or anniversary celebration you can be assured our talented chefs will create meals to remember. The Traralgon Bowls Club has worked extremely hard on establishing a facility that can accommodate a whole range of members, guest and visitors.

Our catering department operates 7 days a week for both lunch and dinner service, with a selection of great value meals there is sure to be something for everybody.

Having completed one of the most comprehensive kitchen refurbishments in the Valley, Traralgon Bowls Club can now provide an extensive range of meals.

To avoid disappointment at not getting a seat, we strongly encourage all customers to ring in advance and book their table.

visit www.traralgonbowls.com.au

015 2 F O S HT HIGHLIG TIVAL

ES F A R R E TA D A R A STREET P

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WONTHAGGI MEDICAL GROUP WALKING TOGETHER FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING John Turner MAAPM, B.Social Welfare, Master International & Community Development Business Manager, Wonthaggi Medical Group (Article Courtesy of Wonthaggi Medical Group, 42 Murray Street, Wonthaggi)

activities of clubs and community organisations so that they are both more inclusive and more accessible.

communities with high levels of social capital are healthier communities.

This is particularly true for older people. High levels of social capital both support and maintain the health of older persons, provides informal support in times of sickness and stress and improves quality of life. It has been shown to reduce or delay the onset of illness and death.

In recent years Wonthaggi Medical Group took the step of offering our staff the opportunity to participate in a community activity in work time.

Various possibilities were considered by staff but in the end they chose to establish a Walking Group.

Every Tuesday on a rotational basis, staff members lead the walking group for about 45 minutes, and following the walk the participants are able to gather in our training room for tea and a chat, and occasionally are offered the opportunity of listening to a speaker on a health subject such as managing Diabetes. The practice pays the staff members involved and receives no funding from any source to support it.

So why you may ask do we do it? Well it is not entirely altruistic.

There is a growing body of evidence that demonstrates social connection and positive relationships in our lives are at least as important in achieving good health outcomes as is regular exercise and a good healthy diet.

Social connections comprise the people we know, the friends we confide in, the family we belong to and the community we live in. Each contributes to our physical and mental health in a variety of ways.

Important aspects of social connection include: • Participation in social activities such as those run by clubs and community groups.

• Getting involved in your community through community groups such as service clubs, professional associations, political associations and volunteer groups.

• Supportive social networks; positive relationships with family and friends.

The evidence is both clear and consistent. For example, by volunteering for some community activity it is not only those that receive that benefit but also those that give of their time and effort. Social involvement such as volunteering creates “social capital” and what we know is that

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Wonthaggi Medical Group’s support for the walking activity was based on the assumption that it benefits both the staff and the participants, with the added bonus that being a physical activity there will be health benefits in addition to those that come from social connection. All the evidence so far supports that assumption.

It is our belief that there is a very clear message for everyone, namely that getting involved in any of the dozens of sports clubs, surf lifesaving clubs, arts activities, conservation groups, charitable, political or social action organisations is literally good for you. Whatever the community organisation is, whether it be the local historical society or the local footy club the important thing is to ”get involved”.

One important way in which you can ‘get involved’ and which research has shown to be especially beneficial to your health is to become a volunteer.

Those who have been or are volunteers are probably not surprised to discover that by helping others we are literally helping ourselves to a healthier life. Nor would many people be surprised to be told that positive relationships within family and between friends and neighbours enhances our health and feeling of wellbeing.

So, why is it that many of us do not volunteer or get involved in our community nor take the time to foster good positive relationships with others?

It is true that social connectedness is only one of many determinants of good health and may not even be the most important one. Overall however, the research is emphatic. It clearly shows that social connectedness and specifically volunteering results in lower mortality rates, reduced levels of heart disease, an improved immune system, less depression, improved weight control, a decrease in insomnia, an increased sense of belonging and improved self-esteem.

Conversely, social isolation and stressful or poor social relationships have a negative impact on health. It is for this very reason that organisations such as VicHealth have long sought to support increased social connection by funding specific

So give it some thought and get involved with your community. Volunteering can be great fun as well as personally rewarding. There are many ways in which you can volunteer. For information on how you can volunteer and other ways to get connected to your community try contacting your local shire office, your local health service and aged care centres, your local community house, your local church group or service clubs such as Lions or Rotary. If the group you join also offers opportunities for physically active pursuits, that is an added bonus.

Finally, a short word about stress. Have you ever felt overloaded, wound up, tight, tense, worried, or in danger or not in control? If you have, then you have experienced stress. We all experience stress at times and it can motivate us to get a task finished or to perform well. It involves a “fight or flight” response that floods the body with hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol pressure. While this may help us deal with the immediate situation, prolonged stress or extreme stress is very harmful to health. Stress has been implicated in many health conditions that include mental illness, weight gain, sleep deprivation, heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure.

Volunteering and getting involved in community activities can be a useful strategy to reduce stress along with such things as meditation, regular exercise, relaxing pastimes and regular routines.

References: Australian Psychological Society (2012) Understanding and Managing Stress www.psychology.org.au/Assets/Files/StressTipSheet.pdf Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of Research and Policy Development (2007) The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research, www.nationalservice.gov Graff, L (1991) Volunteer for the Health of It, Etobicoke, Ontario Hemphill, ML (2003) Volunteer for your Health in “Peer Counselling Perspectives”, April 2003, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12817560 Onyx, Jenny (2008) Volunteering and Health among older people in the “Australasian Journal on Ageing”, Vol 22, issue 2, June 2003 Road to Well Being City of Social Connection in www.roadtowellbeing.ca/connection.html Watson, Stephanie (2013) Volunteering May Be good for Body and Mind in Harvard Health Blog Volunteering Victoria (2013) The Benefits of Employee Volunteering http://volunteeringvictoria.org.au/volunteer/ volunteering-through-work/benefits-of-employee-volunteering/ VicHealth, Social Connection and Health Overview www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/en/Programs-and-Projects/SocialConnection-c

WONTHAGGI MEDICAL GROUP

Accredited Providers of High Quality Medical Services to the Bass Coast Community

YOUR LOCAL GENERAL PRACTICE FOR • Medical Services for the whole family • Obstetrics - Pregnancy Management/Birth • Palliative Care • Aged Care • Vascular Health Assessments • General Health Assessments • Healthy Kids Check • Immunisation

• Diabetes Management, Education and Risk Assessment • Asthma Management & Education • GP Management Plans • Chronic Disease Management - Team Care Arrangements • Skin Checks and Lesion Removal • Travel Health Advice

OPENING HOURS

42 Murray Street, Wonthaggi

8.30am - 6.00pm Mon - Fri 9.00am - 1.00pm Sat

25 A'Beckett Street, Inverloch Consulting Suites, Wonthaggi Hospital

9.00am - 5.00pm Mon - Fri 9.00am - 8.00pm Mon - Fri

2/1524 Bass Highway, Grantville

9.00am - 4.30pm Mon - Fri early closing 1.00pm Wednesday

Tel: 5672 1333 For Appointments and After Hours www.wonthaggimedical.com.au

Chris West

A tour of the State Coal Mine in Wonthaggi opens up a whole new world of discovery to visitors. The heritage site offers a journey back in time, with attractions above ground and below the surface to appeal to people of all ages.

The experience begins at the visitor centre upon arrival, which includes a cafĂŠ and souvenir shop. A short fifteen minute movie is available to view in the theatrette to learn some of the early history of the mine before commencing your guided tour.

Along the way to the mine entrance, you pass several outbuildings and a museum which can be explored afterwards. All tour participants are given a hard hat and a safety briefing by their volunteer guide before starting the walk down the opening to the Eastern Area, one of twelve mines that formerly operated beneath the township of Wonthaggi. The Eastern Area is the only mine still accessible, with the others having all been filled in many years ago.

Amazingly, the network of tunnels below the surface at the State Coal Mine measure a

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combined length of over 4,800 kilometres, all of which were dug by hand using picks, drills and explosives as tools. It is a statistic that is difficult to comprehend.

the site. Before 1909, Wonthaggi did not exist.

The area was just a windswept wasteland. The whole town was built on the foundations of the establishment of the State Coal Mine.

The journey below is easily negotiated on foot, although taller adults have to duck slightly on occasions to avoid bumping their hard hat on the beams above. When the tour reaches the first coal bench, you are already 62 metres below the surface. The mine remains just as it was in its working days, with tools and equipment still in place. The underground tunnels are well lit and the safety of participants is a clear priority throughout the duration of the tour.

Coal had first been found in the local area on the beach at Cape Paterson by William Hovell in 1826, but this discovery was essentially ignored and it took more than 80 years for anyone to capitalise on the availability of the resource. It was a major coal strike in New South Wales that created the urgency for the Victorian Government to establish the State Coal Mine at Wonthaggi in 1909. Coal was needed for industry and to maintain railway operations.

Wonthaggi became the solution.

Visitors should allow between sixty to ninety minutes to complete the tour, but rest assured that the kids won’t lose interest due to the enthusiasm and engagement of the knowledgeable volunteer guides. Youngsters find going underground an adventure and love being able to take home samples of Wonthaggi’s black coal, which is estimated at being around 150 million years old. The tour finishes with a ride out of the mine in a steel drift car which is slowly winched to the surface.

You emerge from the insightful tour with an appreciation of the incredibly difficult working conditions the miners endured and a better understanding of the historical significance of

A tent city quickly grew as the mine began production, with many workers coming from Victoria’s former goldfields. Boys started working in the mines from as young as eighteen years of age, but many did try to get in earlier.

Ten years after the mine was established, there were 5,000 people living in Wonthaggi.

The Great Depression in the early 1930s affected the entire nation and the State Coal Mine suffered accordingly. A drop in the coal price led to many workers being laid off and a strike at the site in 1934 lasted five months.

With their husbands and sons working in the mines, the women of Wonthaggi also played a

prominent role within the growing community.

The Wonthaggi Miners' Women's Auxiliary, the first group of its kind within a mining union in Australia, was established at the township during the 1934 strike.

Tragedy struck the State Coal Mine in February 1937 when an explosion in the Number 20 coal shaft caused by methane gas propagated by coal dust resulted in thirteen young workers being killed. A previous explosion at the site in 1931 had caused four deaths, further underlining the dangerous risks the miners faced at all times. In total, more than 80 workers lost their lives in the mines at Wonthaggi in various accidents over almost six decades of operation.

By the 1960s the world was turning to electric power and using diesel for trains, which meant that the State Coal Mine’s days as a viable operation were numbered. Staff numbers, which had been as much as 1,800 in its heyday, were progressively culled and the mine eventually closed in 1968. The Eastern Area mine now used for the tours had ceased operation as far back as 1946.

When the final whistle blew at the State Coal Mine, just under 17 million tonnes of black coal had been mined at Wonthaggi over a duration of 59 years.

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After the mine closed in 1968, a long-time worker Lou Storti joined forces with three partners to continue operations in a private venture. The mine’s second life was not a long one, lasting only from 1969 to 1974.

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his age who spent a quarter of a century toiling in the mine shafts below Wonthaggi.

“By then, oil had completely taken over,” explains Lou, who began working in the mines in 1949 and continues his involvement to this day as a volunteer tour guide and maintenance worker.

In 1980, Lou was approached by a production crew seeking access to the mine to film scenes for a movie called Strike Bound. When Lou agreed to open the mine for the first time in six years, he found it inundated with water. “It took two and a half months to pump the water out, but the film crew waited and made their movie,” Lou says.

Now 85 years old, Lou remains sprightly and looking remarkably fit and healthy for a man of

“Afterwards, John Cunningham from Parks Victoria asked me if I thought the mine would be

good for tourists. I said I reckon people would be interested in tours.”

Considerable work was required in preparing the mine to a suitable condition for tours before their commencement in 1982. The tours were initially very popular, but were phased out under previous management in 2004.

The appointment by Parks Victoria of new manager Braxton Laine was the catalyst for the revival of the tours in 2009. Under his leadership, the team at the State Coal Mine have enticed the visitors back by providing a family-friendly tourism experience and are gradually making the overall site a multipurpose community hub.

The State Coal Mine’s various buildings and facilities underwent a $3 million upgrade in 2012 thanks largely to Federal and State Government grants. A group of supporters known as the Friends of the Wonthaggi State Coal Mine also played an integral role in rallying to restore the site to prominence and continue to maintain an active association today.

The above ground facilities at the State Coal Mine are now used to support the activities of

sitting down to listen to stories told by one of the volunteer guides.

Word is spreading about the appeal of the State Coal Mine as a tourist attraction, particularly since the advent of online reviews through the hugely popular Trip Advisor website.

Approximately 14,000 visitors are presently making the journey to the mine each year, with large numbers coming from Melbourne and further afield. Many interstate and international visitors also stop by on their travels.

Much of the success of the mine as a tourism destination can be attributed to the dedication and passion of the Parks Victoria staff and the

volunteer guides, which is evident from the moment you arrive. Whichever way visitors choose to enjoy the range of activities and facilities available at the State Coal Mine, a great day is assured. The reaction from people of all ages is always extremely positive.

a number of local groups including the Lions and Rotary Clubs. Weddings and funerals have taken place on site. One person even requested in his will to have his ashes scattered down the mine. Below the surface, parts of the mine are now being used to host laser tag games, which are proving particularly popular in the summer months.

Another new initiative is the Dine in the Mine experience available to the general public in group bookings. This involves the private party having a meal in the café before venturing down the mine to enjoy coffee and cake while

It is not mandatory to participate in a mine tour, which has an admission charge that has been affordable priced to ensure outstanding value for money. All the other historic and recreational facilities at the State Coal Mine site can be enjoyed free of charge, including a sheltered barbecue area.

But as Lou Storti accurately notes, a mine tour is something that everyone should experience.

“People today may have heard about the mine or young children may have seen it in books, but coming here is the only way to properly experience it. This is the real McCoy,” he states.

Photos by Douglas Pell

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Winning

If strength of mind and character count for anything in football, then the Leongatha Parrots should go a long way under new coach Beau Vernon.

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Attitude

Chris West

Beau understands adversity and knows the importance of a winning attitude. Almost three years ago, his life was turned upside down when an on-field collision while playing for Leongatha against Wonthaggi left him a quadriplegic. He suffered a severe spinal cord injury, including a dislocation of the C5 vertebrae and shattering the C6. Unable to walk again, he has been forced to adjust to life in a wheelchair.

Aged just 23 at the time of the accident, Beau was enjoying the sport he loves so passionately without any reason to appreciate or consider how suddenly it could all be snatched away.

Until that cruel moment at Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve on 23rd June 2012, he was a young man without a care in the world.

After a long rehabilitation, Beau has set about rebuilding his life. It is the way that he has approached this task that has earned widespread admiration. Rather than dwelling on his own misfortune, the 26-year-old is busily turning negatives into positives.

Obstacles in his path have been overcome one by one. He is able to drive, has secured parttime employment with the Risk Management department at the AFL Headquarters in Melbourne and amongst many notable achievements over the past year has managed to marry long-time girlfriend Lucy, enjoy a honeymoon in Europe and then gain the senior coaching position at Leongatha. Beau has even found time to inspire many people as a guest speaker at numerous functions and events.

At this year’s AFL Season Launch in March, Beau created a huge impression with his address to the audience. The speech eloquently outlined his injury and its resultant impacts on him.

was his greatest source of achievement would prove to be the source of his greatest challenge.

“June 23rd 2012 was not supposed to be different from any other Saturday,” he reflected.

Beau had won Best and Fairest Awards at Phillip Island and Leongatha in the two previous seasons, but was struggling to match that level of form in 2012, mainly due to injuries that had been impacting upon his performance.

“But on that day I could feel my form changing,” he recalled.

“We were winning. I had kicked two goals playing in the midfield. It was the third quarter.

I had notched up seven or eight possessions in the first ten minutes. Then life threw me a curve ball. I bent down for a contest that I’d been for a million times before and I got hit at the wrong angle at the wrong time.”

Beau immediately sensed the seriousness of the situation.

“I knew straight away that something was very, very wrong. I had a burning sensation throughout my whole body and when a trainer came over and touched my legs, I couldn’t feel anything.

The next half an hour was the scariest time of my life,” he remembered.

The stricken player was airlifted to the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne where he underwent an operation before being transferred the next day to the Austin Hospital. He woke up in hospital a week later unable to breathe, eat or talk and remained in that state of helplessness for a further three weeks.

For Beau, the way back was guided by attitude.

“Two and a half years ago, I had a decision,” he began.

“Did I want to bury my head, wonder why me, blame other people for what happened and go through life with resentment and have people do everything for me? Or did I want to look toward the future, to the next little goal, and try to achieve as much as I possibly could? For me, the answer was simple. But it could have gone either way.”

Beau explained that the decision came when he was at the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre in the Melbourne suburb of Kew, five weeks after being diagnosed a quadriplegic.

“I was sitting in my room all by myself. Couldn’t turn on the TV, couldn’t turn the pages of a book, couldn’t use my mobile phone. I couldn’t even itchy my bloody nose. Never have I been so far from where I wanted to be,” he said.

A talented and decorated footballer, Beau recognised the irony in the fact that the sport that

from his bed, including one where he kept Lucy unnecessarily occupied by repeatedly allowing one of his lifeless arms to flop over the side of his bed while pretending to be asleep.

“Everyone will have ups and downs in their life,” he told the audience at the AFL Season Launch.

“A few weeks in when I could only just move my arms, I dropped it off the bed with my eyes shut and Lucy came over, picked it up and put it back in my lap. A minute later, I’d do the same thing. She’d come over, pick it up and put it back on my lap. I reckon I did it five times before she realised I was having her on for a laugh.”

According to Beau, that same attitude made him challenge himself every day in his rehabilitation until he was moving ahead of people with similar injuries.

“This is not to say that I was always upbeat.

There would be times there for at least the first year where I would just cry uncontrollably.

I would go to sleep that night and realise that the next day was a new day.”

“Some things you won’t be able to control. But something you always have control over is your attitude.

Attitude towards your relationships with family, friends and team-mates.

Attitude towards always finding the positive things in life.

Attitude towards achieving your goals. And most importantly, attitude towards being the person you want to be. How much you enjoy life, what you achieve in life and how you impact others has so much to do with your attitude.”

When Beau woke up in hospital he was smiling and laughing with his devoted partner Lucy, who he has been with since he was fifteen and she was sixteen. He was soon planning pranks

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Aided by his positive attitude, Beau has been able to move on. His love of life is just as strong today as it was prior to the accident. He carries no bitterness at all towards the sport of football.

factor to push myself as hard as I could in rehab.

It was the only way I could thank them really.”

He acknowledges the patience and understanding Lucy has shown towards him.

“I think it is the greatest game in the world. If anything, I’m more passionate about it now than ever. I just couldn’t walk away from footy.

Literally.”

Beau grew up in South Gippsland, spending most of his early life in Inverloch and Phillip Island. He was always sports mad as a kid. He is the middle of three children to parents Daryl and Kerrie. His older sister Skye is now 28 and younger brother Zak is 23. Prior to Beau’s birth, his father Daryl played 17 games with Richmond and Sydney over four seasons in the VFL in the early 1980s.

Beau’s junior football was played with Phillip Island. He progressed to play for three seasons with Gippsland Power and was the youngest player in their premiership side in 2005.

“The premiership year was my first season there, playing alongside the likes of Scott Pendlebury and Dale Thomas,” he says.

Although some untimely injuries contributed to him not being selected by an AFL club, Beau did participate in the draft camp and spent periods training with both Collingwood and Richmond.

At the age of 19, he joined the Casey Scorpions in the VFL competition.

“While at Casey Scorpions I found myself beginning to lose my enjoyment for the game a bit and decided to go back down to Phillip Island to play with my brother and my mates,” he explains.

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“There were times along the way after the accident where I would have been pretty hard to live with.”

Beau established a website at www.beauvernon.com primarily to educate and inform people about his injury and to communicate his progress.

“I won the Best and Fairest at Phillip Island before my brother Zak and I then went to Leongatha and I won another Best and Fairest there. It was just good to be enjoying my footy again.”

Then in the following season in 2012 came the collision against Wonthaggi, which abruptly ended his playing career and permanently changed his life.

Beau’s parents were enjoying a holiday in Africa at the time of his accident.

“They were in the middle of nowhere when they received a call from my brother to give them the news. All of a sudden they had to fly back home from a once-in-a-lifetime trip,” Beau recalls.

“I’m lucky to have such a close-knit family, a long-term partner and good mates because there were some blokes I met in rehab who had nobody in their life to support them. I got so many messages from random people wishing me all the best. Although I didn’t know most of these people, the support was definitely a motivating

“Prior to my accident, I had thought quadriplegics couldn’t move their arms at all,” he says.

Beau has a minimal degree of movement in his upper body and is able to manually push his wheelchair.

“My shoulders are good, the biceps are good and I have limited tricep muscle movement. If my palm is facing down, I can pull my wrist back but if the palm is facing up I can’t. I am unable to use my fingers at all.”

He does not expect any further improvement in his mobility.

“Unless technology advances, this is me now and I can only try to continue to strengthen the muscles that I can use as much as possible.”

Beau has been deriving tremendous satisfaction from his public speaking engagements. He is regularly sought out to speak by schools, clubs and business organisations and is usually contacted via his website.

“I get people coming up to me saying how much my talk meant to them. One bloke who sticks in my mind a lot had a broken elbow and they put the cast on too tight. It ended up killing his whole arm and now he’s got no movement in his hand, wrist or fingers. I thought he must be so angry at what happened to him because it was so preventable, whereas mine was a freak accident.

But I learned by speaking to him and his mother afterwards and through emails that, as a result of my talk, he is setting goals for himself and has a more positive outlook on life.”

The players are obviously responding positively to Beau’s level-headed coaching style.

A desire to make a difference also led to Beau coaching the Leongatha Football Club this season.

While the spotlight has been on the improved form of Leongatha’s Senior team, the fact that the Reserves had their first two wins of the season in Rounds 5 and 6 has also pleased Beau.

“When I first got out of rehab I was an assistant coach, but then took 2014 off to concentrate on doing other things including getting married and going on my honeymoon. I watched my brother and mates play a few games and wasn’t happy with where the club was at and where it was heading. I felt I could do something.”

Beau was aware that the senior coaching role was going to become vacant for the 2015 season and successfully applied for the job. He has made an impressive start to his coaching career. Leongatha started the season with four consecutive wins, followed by a narrow loss away to Sale and then a return to winning form against Warragul. At the time of writing, after six rounds the Parrots were perched on top of the Gippsland Football League ladder.

“I have been loving it and it’s great to be getting the enjoyment back around the club. We’ve got a great bunch of blokes and everyone gets along, which makes it an enjoyable job to do,” he comments.

“I feel like I could ask them to do anything and they’d try to do their best to do it,” he suggests.

Beau says his brother is happy to accept instructions from him.

“Zak says he is absolutely loving having me as a coach. To hear that has been one of the special highlights so far.”

“We want everyone throughout the club to be experiencing the winning feeling,” he emphasises.

At present, Beau is trying not to look too far into the future.

“My immediate focus is on keeping to try to work as hard as possible in everything I’m doing, have as much fun as possible along the way and hopefully the rest will take care of itself.”

Returning to his speech at the AFL Season Launch, Beau left the audience to contemplate some sage advice.

“Be thankful for what you have got. Don’t let the little things worry you. There’s always someone worse off and you don’t realise how good you’ve got it until it’s gone. I certainly didn’t,” he said.

Football photographs by Douglas Pell Other photographs are courtesy of Beau Vernon

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ALI'S ART

SLOW ART WAYS OF LOOKING April 11th saw 150 galleries around the world participate in International Slow Art Day. This day encourages a contemplative approach to art. On average, a visitor spends 17 seconds or less looking at an individual work of art. I am sure many of us have stood in front of a piece of art work and just “stared”. The Tate Gallery in London has produced a guide “Ways Of Looking” that may assist with a sustained and more meaningful contemplation of works of art, be it wall art, sculpture, installation or film.

Below I have given a brief outline and a guide to use when you find yourself looking at a piece of “Art”.

This is based on four main areas of consideration, which ask us some questions.

The first: A Personal Approach - What Do I Bring?

Our responses are conditioned by our different personal and social experience. You should consider Yourself - note your reactions,

Artist Phil Warner “Oil Spill Gulf of Mexico” Acrylic on Canvas

By Ali Fullard

Your World - What does the work remind you of and why? Your Experience - What can you connect the work to?

Secondly: Looking At The Subject - What Is It About? Look at the content. What is it about? What is happening? Is there a message? What is the title? What is the theme? What is the genre? Is it a landscape, still life, nude, abstract?

Composition - How is the work organised or put together?

Thirdly: Looking At The Object - What can I see?

This is a formal look at the artwork in terms of: Colour - What are the colours? Why do you think s/ he used these colours? What effects do they create?

Shapes - What kind of Shapes? Curved, straight, sharp? What effects do they create?

Marks - What kind of Marks does the artist use?

What effects do they create?

Surface - What is the surface like? Rough, smooth?

What effects do they create?

Scale - Does the size affect the work?

Space - Is there an illusion of depth or space or is it paint on a flat canvas?

Materials - What is the work made of? Paint, ink, metal, found materials? What associations or connotations do the materials carry?

Process - How has the work been made? Consider, skills, construction.

Other points to consider may be, how do people view the work today? Is it the same or different from how it might have originally been seen? Can you link it to other arts of the period, for example film, music, literature or design?

Artist Jenny Noone Love Death and Religion - Title “Holy Relic”

The fourth area involves looking at the context relating the work in the gallery to the wider world.

Sometimes researching or reading about the political climate, social history or culture of the time will tell us more. Ask When, Where, Who, History.

The next time you visit a gallery, take ten minutes to ask yourself these questions and enrich your experience with a greater connection to the artist and artwork. Briagolong Art Gallery participated in this day and visitors provided very positive feedback.

Try this procedure out by viewing the images on this page and get involved!

Artist Ali Fullard “Fern Frenzy” Mixed Media

WHAT'S ON Gippsland Gallery Sale –Maffra Exhibition Space “Gippsland Gullies” Ali Fullard (Yes! I am finally getting around to doing this!)

Prints and drawings. May 7th to 29th June 150 Johnson St. Maffra Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri 10.00am – 6.00pm.

Sat 10.00am – 12.00pm Ph.03 5142 3372

Briagolong Art Gallery “Love, Death and Religion” Jenny Noone.

Linocuts. June 13th to July 12th Gallery Members and Briagolong Artists.

Selected works in a variety of mediums.

July 18th to August 16th “aLINEment” Phil Warner August 22nd to September 20th Cnr Forbes and Avon Sts. Briagolong 3860 Open: Saturday and Sunday 11am – 4 pm.

Contact 03 5145 5439 or 0427327494 Email:briagolongartgallery@gmail.com

BRIAGOLONG ART GALLERY Cnr Forbes and Avon Streets, Briagolong 3860 Hours Saturday and Sunday 11am – 4 pm | Contact 03 51 455 439 or 0427 327 494 |

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“Genius Loci” - Freestone Printmakers.

This year’s project reveals artists’ notions of landscape and belonging through landscape to the sense of belonging in one's home to something quite inexplicable that only exists in the mind - all of which are quite valid.

The exhibition will be travelling to Melbourne to the Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, Nicholas Building, Swanson St. Melbourne. June 10th to June 27th.

Opening Saturday June 13th 2-4 pm.

Email briagolongartgallery@gmail.com

ALI FULLARD ‘Gippsland Gullies’ EXHIBITION

Guarded Pathway, Den of Nargun etching & aquatint

Rock Face, Freestone Creek, mixed media

7 May to 29 June At the Maffra Exhibition Space 150 Johnson Street, Maffra www.gippslandartgallery.com

Fern Frenzy, Tarra Bulga, mixed media

Water over Rocks, mixed media

Rock Face, Den of Nargun, mixed media

‘I realise I am drawn to these places of mystery and have been all my life. …The richness, drama and so far, largely unspoilt beauty of the Gippsland landscape, will continue to inspire myself and others in creative endeavours.” Ali Fullard Ferny Walk, Tarra Bulga, mixed media

McKinnon Point 1, mixed media

Prints | Drawings | Watercolours | Mixed Media | Digital images | Original cards “I work across a range of media inspired by the natural world and dramatic landscape of the Gippsland region.”

Open: By Appointment | All Welcome 75 Landy Lane Briagolong 3860 Ph. 0427327494 | Email alifullard@bigpond.com

BRIAGOLONG CORNER COTTAGE

Modern spacious B&B has all the comforts, ideally located in the township and close to the many nearby attractions.

Bookings essential.

63 Forbes Street, Briagolong Vic 3860 Tel: 5145 5426 Mobile: 0417 737 709 Contact: Sally & Steve White

Like us on Facebook www.wix.com/briagolong3860/briagolong

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YOUR EVENTS GUIDE JUNE 2015

JULY 2015 TARRA BULGA NATIONAL PARK WALK

WINTER WHALE CRUISES Date: June 6 – July 31 Time: 9.30am to 1.30pm Saturdays, Sundays & Tuesdays Enjoy sights of Seals at Seals Rocks, the shy Albatrosses along the Southern coast, with regular dolphin and the very special whale sightings Location: Wildlife Coast Cruises Cowes Jetty Contact: www.wildlifecoastcruises.com.au 1300 763 739

COAL CREEK TEDDY BEARS PICNIC Date: June 7 Time: Free activities for the whole family: 10am-4.30pm Bear Hunt: 10am-4pm Live Music: 10.30 and 11.30

Meet Captain Koala: 12pm

Teddy Competitions:

Judging at 1.30pm

Storytelling: 11am and 12.45pm Location: Coal Creek Community Park

& Museum

South Gippsland Hwy Korumburra Contact: Coal Creek 03 5655 1811 METUNG FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL Date: June 7 Time: 11am-4pm Location: Metung Village Green Contact: 0400 460 137 LOCH FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL Date: June 7 Time: 10am-3pm Location: Loch Village Railway Station

Enjoy food and wine tastings, cooking

demonstrations, children’s entertainment Contact: 03 5659 4215

Visit www.creativegippsland.com.au for all Gippsland Arts Festival Events

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Date: June 8 Time: 10am – Depart at 10.10am

60 Minute guided walks

Registration is essential Location: Tarra Bulga National Park

Meet at the Visitors Centre Contact: 1300 362 787 www.heartfoundation.org.au LUNCH IN THE LIBRARY WITH DEBRA OSWALD Date: June 17 Time: 12.30pm Location: Inverloch Library, A’Beckett St Contact: Glenys 03 5674 1912 NEVER MIND THE STIGMA Date & Time: June 19: 7-11pm & 20:

Daytime (inclement of weather) Location: Ramada Resort Cowes Contact: Ben White 03 5952 8000

2015 MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL ROADSHOW AT LATROBE PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE STANDUP COMEDY EXTRAVAGANZA Date: July 2 - 4 Location: Latrobe Performing Arts Centre

60 Grey Street, Traralgon Contact: 5176 3333 GYPSY – LEONGATHA LYRIC THEATRE Date: July 3 – 18 Location: Mesley Hall, Leongatha Secondary College Contact: 0490 525 482 JACICAN CHRISTMAS IN JULY Date: July 11 Time: 6.30pm Location: Jacican 32 Giles St Mirboo North Contact: Jaci 03 5668 2475 AMERICAN VEHICLES DISPLAY DAY Date: July 12 Time: 9am-3pm Location: Gippsland Vehicle Collection

1A Sale Maffra Road,

Maffra West Upper

The exhibit will be on display until the

End of Octobe

MORWELL NATIONAL PARK WALK

Date: June 23 Time: 10am Location: Morwell National Park,

Jeeralang Junction Contact: 1300 362 787 www.heartfoundation.or.au 2015 GIPPSLAND MODEL ENGINEERING SOCIETY MINIATURE STEAM AND DIESEL TRAIN RIDES Date: June 28

Visit www.latrobe.vic.gov.au

for other dates Time: 12pm Location: Newman Park Traralgon Contact: Ainsley 03 5174 0035 HAUNTED HILLS TOURS YALLOURN NORTH GHOST TOUR Date: June 28 Time: 6.30pm and 8.30pm Location: Lions Park Yallourn North, Reserve St Contact: Tegan Dawson 0473 945 639 2015 GIPPSLAND GO KARTS RACE Date: June 28 and 29

Visit www.latrobe.vic.gov.au

for other club days Time: 10am Location: Tramway Park Race Track,

Cnr Tramway Rd

and Princes Drive, Morwell Contact: Anita Stratton 03 5174 3870

VICTORIAN ENDURO SERIES 2015 GIPPSLAND 6 HOUR - ROUND 4 Date: July 25 Location: Blores Hill, Heyfield Contact: www.gippslandmtb.com.au

WINTER events

mus must t see must go do

AUGUST 2015 GARFIELD’S BUSH POETS ARVO Date: August 1 Time: 1-3.30pm Location: Garfield Picture Theatre, Main Street

Music & Food available from the

Garfield Bakery Entry is $5 donation

at door WALHALLA VINTER LJUSFEST Date: August 1 – 31 Time: Lighting and moving images display:

6.30pm nightly

Ghost Tours, Chinese Lantern

Heritage Tours & Light Train Location: Walhalla Historic Township,

Main Road Contact: 03 5165 6262 or 1800 621 409

KINGS COVE GOLF CLUB METUNG INVITES YOU TO THEIR WEDDING OPEN DAY Couples will be presented with: • Possible decoration and room set up ideas • Onsite ceremony options • A chance to talk to the functions manager about your wedding style & dates • A chance to talk to the head chef about planning menus •An information pack including details for local celebrants, Wedding decorators, local live music, florist, cake decorators & accommodation Date: August 2 10am-3pm Location: Kings Cove Golf Club Kings Cove Boulevard, Metung Contact: Lauren Anderson on 03 5156 2927

GARFIELD WINTERFEST ANTIQUES MARKET Date: August 9 Time: 9.00am-4.00pm Location: Garfield Community Centre,

Beswick Street

Valuations by David Freeman will be

$5 per item

Hot Food, Music, Demonstrations

and the Market under cover.

Entry is $5 at door CRAFT ALIVE Date & Time: Aug 14 10am - Aug 16 5.00pm Location: Kernot Hall, Princes Drive, Morwell Contact: 9682 5133 HAUNTED HILLS TOURS YALLOURN NORTH GHOST TOUR Date: August 30 Time: 6.30pm and 8.30pm Location: Lions Park Yallourn North, Reserve St Contact: Tegan Dawson 0473 945 639

West Gippsland’s BAW BAW TRIO join with FRIENDS for a 3-CONCERT SUBSCRIPTION SERIES in Warragul West Gippsland’s Baw Baw Trio – comprising pianist Brian Chapman, violinist Daniel Stefanski and cellist Joan Evans – made their chamber music concert debut at Wesley of Warragul last October, presenting an allBeethoven recital comprising a cello sonata, a violin sonata, and culminating with the sublime “Archduke” Trio for which they received a tumultuous standing ovation from an enraptured audience.

Encouraged by this success, the Trio have decided to present a subscription series of three chamber concerts at the same venue in 2015, joining with two guest artists – David Evans (horn) and Lawrence Jacks (viola) – to present a rich feast of live chamber music, the like of which has not been available in West Gippsland since the twice-weekly Concert-Dinners directed by Chapman at Parnassus 25 years ago and, before that, the occasional Musica Viva concert at the West Gippsland Arts Centre. The three concerts will commence at 2:30 pm on the Sundays of May 31, August 16 and October 25 and will feature music by Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn, Mozart, Smetana and Tchaikovsky.

If you require your event to be promoted please email Gippsland the Lifestyle thelifestyle@dcsi.net.au

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YOUR

MARKET

GUIDE TO

BAIRNSDALE FARMERS’ MARKET

1st Saturday of every month – 8am-12noon Location Bairnsdale Secondary College Oval,

McKean Street Contact John 5156 9342 or Ian 5152 3698

BERWICK AKOONAH PARK MARKET

Every Sunday – 8am-1.30pm Location Akoonah Park, cnr High & Cardinia Sts, Berwick Contact Gary Maker (03) 9796 1455

BRIAGOLONG MAKERS MARKET

1st Sunday of June & Sept – 9am-1pm Location Behind Riverstone Café Contact 5145 5304 or 0427 206 692

CALLIGNEE COMMUNITY MARKET

WINTER

JOHNSONVILLE COMMUNITY MARKET 1st Saturday of month – 8am-12pm Location Johnsonville Hall, Princes Highway Contact Perry 5156 4162

JUMBUNNA BUSH MARKET

1st Sunday of the month – 8.30am-1pm Location Public Hall, Cruickshanks Road Contact Dawn Wylie 5657 3253

KONGWAK MARKET

Every Sunday – 10am-3pm Location Korumburra Road, Kongwak Contact Jane 0417 142 478

KOONWARRA FARMERS' MARKET

3rd Sunday of month – 8am-1pm October to May Location Callignee Hall Reserve Contact Lex 5147 3808

1st Saturday of the month – 8am-12.30pm Location Memorial Park off Koala Drive

(Held in adjoining Halls on wet days) Contact www.kfm.org.au

CHURCHILL ISLAND FARMERS’ MARKET

KOOWEE COMMUNITY MARKET

4th Saturday of month - 8am-1pm Location Visitors’ Centre on Churchill Island

off Phillip Island Contact Peter Arnold 5664 0096

COAL CREEK COMMUNITY PARK & MUSEUM FARMERS’ MARKET AND CRAFT MARKET

1st Sunday of the month - 8am-1.30pm Location Koo Wee Rup Community Centre

Cochrane Park

Cnr Rossiter Rd & Sybella Ave Koo Wee Rup Contact 0418 289 847

LAKES ENTRANCE SURF CLUB FORESHORE MARKET

2nd Saturday of month - 8am-12.30pm Location Coal Creek Community Park and Museum

Car Park, Silkstone Rd, Korumburra Contact 5655 1811 - FREE Entry/Ample Parking

1st Sunday of the month – 9am-3pm Location Near the Rotunda - Foreshore, Lakes Entrance Contact Tom Morris 0407 098 805 or 5153 1916

COWES ISLAND CRAFT MARKET

Every Sunday - 8.30am-1.30pm Location Latrobe Road, Morwell (near Holmes Road) Contact 0449 294 453

2nd Saturday of month - 9am-2pm Location St Phillips Parish Hall and grounds,

Thompson Ave, Cowes Contact Monica 0412 710 276 or 5678 8784

COWES MARKET ON CHAPEL

4th Saturday of month – 8.30am-2pm Location Uniting Church, Chapel St, Cowes Contact Graham 5952 5213

DROUIN CRAFT & PRODUCE MARKET

3rd Saturday of month - 8am-12.30pm Location Civic Park, Civic Place, Drouin Contact John 0419 428 564 Drouin Rotary Club

FARMERS’ MARKET @ THE OLD CHEESE FACTORY

2nd Saturday of month – 8am-12.30pm Location The Old Cheese Factory, 34 Homestead Road, Berwick Contact Market Manager: Geoff Rankin 0407 968 841

FOSTER PROM COUNTRY FARMERS’ MARKET

LATROBE COUNTRY MARKET

LONGWARRY FIRE BRIGADE MARKET 1st Sunday of the month 8am-1pm Location Longwarry Fire Station, Bennett St Contact Janine 5629 9636 or 0419 158 946

LUCKNOW MARKET

4th Sunday of the month - 8.30am-1pm Location Howitt Park, Princes Highway, East Bairnsdale Contact 0432 602 007

MAFFRA VARIETY & FARMERS’ MARKET 1st Sunday of month - 9am-1pm Location Main St/Johnson St, Maffra Contact 5144 1108 or 0408 057 772

MALLACOOTA ARTISANS MARKET

1st Saturday of month – 8am-12pm Location Mallacoota Mudbrick Pavilion, Maurice Ave Contact Leah 0467 856 236

3rd Saturday of month - 8am-12pm Location Foster War Memorial Arts Centre

Main Street, Foster Contact Catherine McGlead 0407 543 371

MEENIYAN MID WEEK MARKET

3rd Thursday of month – 10am-2pm Location Whitelaw Street Contact Tracey Robertson 0402 995 063

GRANTVILLE COMMUNITY MARKET

METUNG FARMERS’ MARKET

4th Sunday of month - 8am-2pm Location Grantville Recreation Reserve Contact John Hulley 5678 8438

2nd Saturday of month - 8am-1pm Location Village Green in Metung Contact Damien Waters 0458 431 844

HEYFIELD COMMUNITY MARKET

MIRBOO NORTH COUNTRY MARKET

1st Saturday of month – 8am-1pm Location John Greaves Memorial Park, Temple Street Contact 5148 3408 or 5148 2394

Last Saturday of month + 13 December – 8.30am-1pm Location Baromi Park, 49 Ridgway Contact Bev Cook 5668 1688

INVERLOCH COMMUNITY FARMERS' MARKET

NOWA NOWA FARMERS MARKET

Last Sunday of the month – 8am-1pm Location The Glade, Opposite Inlet Hotel, Inverloch Contact Tennille 0448 327 637

3rd Sunday of month - 9am-2pm Location Mingling Waters Caravan Park Contact 0409 233 648

INVERLOCH FARMERS’ MARKET

OLD GIPPSTOWN HERITAGE PARK MARKET

3rd Sunday of the month – 8am-1pm Location The Glade, Opposite Inlet Hotel, Inverloch Contact Peter Arnold 5664 0096

3rd Saturday of month – 9am-2pm Location Lloyd Street, Moe Contact 5127 3082

JINDIVICK COUNTRY MARKET

PAKENHAM COMMUNITY MARKET

1st Saturday of month except January – 9am-1pm Location 1070 Jackson’s Track, Jindivick Contact Jindivick Harvest Kitchen 5628 5227

PAYNESVILLE LIONS CLUB MARKET 2nd Sunday of month - 8.30am-1pm SPECIAL EASTER COMMUNITY MARKET Sunday 31 March 8am -1pm Location Gilsenan Reserve Contact Lions Club 0400 327 526

PAYNESVILLE FARMERS MARKET 3rd Saturday of month - 8am-12pm Location Gilsenan Reserve Contact Scott 0409 524 399

ROSEDALE COUNTRY MARKET 2nd Sunday of month - 7am-1.30pm Location Prince Street Reserve Contact George Sharp 5199 2709

SALE PRODUCERS’ MARKET

3rd Saturday of month - 8am-1pm Location Sale Showgrounds enter from Maffra Rd Contact Malcolm Forsythe 0427 456 477

SALE CHARITY VARIETY MARKET

3rd Sunday of month - 7am-1pm Location Thomson River Canal Reserve Contact 5144 1258

SAN REMO CUPPA & CHAT MARKET

2nd Friday of month - Bric-a-brac, cakes & jams 9am-1pm 2nd Saturday of month - Sausage Sizzle 9am-12pm Location St. Augustine’s Anglican Church, Marine Parade Contact Roma Caulfield 5678 5386

STRATFORD VARIETY & FARMERS MARKET 4th Sunday of month - 9am-1pm Location McMillan Street, Stratford Contact 0408 057 772

TARWIN LOWER MARKET

Public Holidays Mondays - 8 June- 8.30am-2pm Location Tarwin Lower Memorial Hall, Riverside Drive Contact John 5663 7505

TARWIN LOWER LOCAL MARKET

2nd Saturday of month at 3pm-7pm Location Tarwin Lower Primary School, School Road Contact 0410 466 260

TOORA COMMUNITY MARKET

2nd Saturday of month - 7.30-1pm Location Former Bonlac Store, Jetty Road, Toora Contact 5686 2690

TRARALGON FARMERS’ MARKET

4th Saturday of month - 8am-1pm Location Kay Street Gardens Contact 0409 232 715 Traralgon Lions Club

WARRAGUL FARMERS MARKET 3rd Saturday of month – 8.30am-1pm Location Civic Park, Warragul Contact 0425 259 177

WONTHAGGI MAKE IT BAKE IT MARKET 2nd Sunday of month, rain, hail or shine 9am-1pm Location McBride Avenue, Wonthaggi Contact 0417 370 488

WONTHAGGI ROTARY MARKET

2nd Sunday of month - 8am-1pm Location Park, Murray St, Wonthaggi Contact Max Williams 5672 5204

YARRAGON COMMUNITY CRAFT & PRODUCE MARKET

4th Saturday of month – 9am-2pm Location Yarragon Public Hall, Campbell St Contact Alison Butterworth 5634 2209

YARRAM VARIETY MARKET

1st Sunday of month - 8am-1pm Location Guide & Scout Hall, Yarram Contact 0419 362 083

3rd Sunday of month – 8am-1pm Location Pakenham Football Club, Toomuc Reserve Contact Noel 0422 822 688

If you require your event to be promoted please email Gippsland the Lifestyle thelifestyle@dcsi.net.au

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west gippsland

WINTER in

with

LAURIE COLLINS Mid year and the weather is distinctly cooler.

Some people act like bears (not that we have any here) and try to hibernate in their caves… or act like migratory birds and head for warmer climes.

However for those of us left here there are lots of hidden and not so hidden delights.

The first and most important thing is that I have a new gallery on my sculpture garden and we have a show in June of Ros Meadmore’s collection, which she is thinning. Come and get a bargain.

Visit www.lauriecollins.com.au. In July we are having a callout show where people can enter a painting or two of Snow for “The Snow Show”; and August has a show of a supportive group of local artists. So apart from the good food and great views there is yet another reason to visit Jindivick.

On other matters arty there is also the Yakkerboo Art Show at Pakenham and the Tanjil Valley Art Show (5th-8th June at the former school Paynters Rd Hill End) and both of these are lovely shows to see and find a fine piece of art to warm the soul.

A more themed exhibition is the Dyslexic Warriors Exhibition at the West Gippsland Arts Centre from 2nd June to the 26th June. This is created by a range of artists who have either struggled with Dyslexia or have supported others with this problem. It should be an interesting and enlightening show.

At the WGAC at this time (5th June) is Dewayne Everett-Smith and I saw this guy on Rockwiz and he has a great voice and fantastic songs. www.wgac.com.au The night after at the Warragul Country Club is a comedy night with comics including Dave O’Neill and Laurence Mooney! www.warragulcountryclub.com.au On yet the same weekend is the Mornington Peninsula’s Winter Wine weekend with too many aspects to describe. www.mpva.com.au Another inspiring event is the Warragul Camera Club’s National Photographic Exhibition at St Pauls Anglican Grammar School on the weekend of 13th-14th June… fantastic local and National work 10 to 4.00 each day.

The next weekend (20th-21st) could be a great time to stock up on some winter yummies with both the Warragul Farmers Market and the Drouin Craft and Produce in full swing on Saturday.

Sunday might be the time to take a trip to Sale to see Dawn Stubb’s Exhibition at the Sale Gallery (council offices), opening hours from 12 to 4pm, before it finishes the week after on Sunday 28th.

On the 27th-28th is the Yarragon Market on Saturday, and a chance to duck into Town and Country Gallery to see some of Lois Brown’s fabulous watercolours. She really is a local

treasure! On the Sunday have a visit to Neerim South to see the Bower sculpture at the entrance to the town, have a fine meal/coffee and the Alley Market. Head on past Neerim South and have a look at Glen Nayook just off to the left at Neerim Junction. Surely a bit of a hidden delight.

On the 9th August Garfield is presenting its Inaugural Antiques Market at the public hall and speaking of antiques, Wild Dog Winery is resurrecting Roy Orbison and the Everly Brothers on the 14th August.

Email: casey@wilddogwinery.com.

The first weekend in July brings a rock and roll show at Wild Dog Winery (Fender Benders) Email: casey@wilddogwinery.com

The Sunday 23rd August, Casey Choir and the fabulous Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra present a great program of music and song, ”Sing into Spring” at Hillcrest Christian College. www.caseychoir.com.au

...and of course the Longwarry Market on the first Sunday.

Now this is also school holidays and Cardinia Cultural Centre has a great range of films for kids on the 1st, 3rd, 8th and 10th of July including Big Hero and Paper Planes. They also have a Fairy Dancing show on the 11th that might be a delight for some of the family. www.cardinia.vic.gov.au Winter is also a time to curl up with a good book and the Yarragon Book Fair is on 11-12th July (second weekend) and if you’d also like some music to go with that Wesley of Warragul has a Musicke’s Miscellany on the Sunday arvo.

Email: marcusjhill@bigpond.com

All of those venues have a range of different activities and its worthwhile going to each of the websites to see the variety of plays, talks, concerts etc. that are available.

We live in such a wonderful area both in terms of natural beauty and also in cultural richness and we must do our best to support all our local events or we really will have to Hibernate! Happy Winter.

Good on ya…

Laurie

On Saturday 25th July is the Octonauts Live featuring Captain Barnacles in Operation Reef Shield at the West Gippsland Arts Centre www.wgac.com.au ...and for more adult fare on the Sunday 26th is Tour and Tapas at Peppermint Ridge Farm Tynong North. www.peppermintridgefarm.com.au August is when the Hills are alive with the sound of music so head to Walhalla for their Winter Ljustfest (light shows are best at night so book for the weekends). www.visitwalhalla.com

Sculpture Garden Jindivick www.lauriecollins.com.au

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decorating dilemmas Do you have an uninspiring room with boring walls and floors, dodgy lighting, or just too much stuff going on all at once? I gathered together 2 decorating headaches and their solutions.

Decorating

complements your existing furnishings.

If you want a patterned rug with many shades, it’s generally easier to choose it first, and add in furniture and accessories that coordinate afterwards.

Q. What are your best tips for decorating a kid’s room?

Ella, Via Email

A. Decorating a child’s room can sometimes be a challenge. Your child needs change and your kid’s style changes. What you may like when they are a baby may not work when they get older. So let’s talk about the flexibility of design.

space. Buying a timeless piece of furniture such as a chair or dresser can last a lifetime and can end up being a childhood memento when they move out of home.

STORAGE - Everyone’s room needs storage! Invest in a great closet storage that will fit and adjust as they get older.

Also, remember some super easy storage ideas like baskets, trunks, and shelving units.

The Right Rug COLOURS - Setting the colour scene is one of the most important jobs. Sometimes it can be tough to set a colour story that is going to serve your child through to their adolescent years. For example a nursery decked out in pink can easily be transitioned into soft pink and grey or navy blue as they progress in age. I decorated a nursery some years ago in yellow and grey. Sometimes avoiding the traditional pink and light blue can give the space a bit more longevity and be also good for the hip pocket.

FURNITURE - Set the bar high right from the start. Invest wisely in pieces that can easily move forward into a more mature

Q. How do you choose the right type of rug?

Helena, Via Email

A. Area rugs are a tricky business: the right one can finish a space to perfection, while the wrong one can make a room feel awkward or unfinished; and considering how expensive they can be, selecting a rug is something you want to do well.

There are three main elements to keep in mind when choosing the right rug for your space.

COLOUR - If you already have a lot of color and pattern going on in your space, you might want to stick with a single-color rug, either a neutral or a shade which

TEXTURE -This is probably the most overlooked aspect when choosing a rug, but it shouldn’t be. A room with a mix of different textures feels rich and layered, and an easy way to set this tone is by paying attention to the texture of your rug.

There’s so much more out there than cut and looped wool!

SIZE - A rug should fit the size of your seating area (which is not necessarily the entire room) and be as large as possible within it. Ideally, all the furniture will be on the rug, but front-legs-only is a good and common compromise. The idea is that when sitting on the sofa, your feet are on fabric, not floor. Under a dining table, you want to be able to pull the chairs back and still have them sitting on the rug.

Check out some of my favourites! www.armadillo-co.com www.gillesandfranck.com.au Happy Decorating! Tam x

Tamara Addison 0439 341 520 Find Me On: Blog: ww.houseprowd.com Email: houseprowd.@gmail.com 144

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Continued from page 127

2015 HTS OF HIGHLIG TIVAL

ES TARRA FPARADE T STREE

Neerim Country Cottages are surrounded by Neerim District's green rolling hills leading to Mt Baw Baw. Self-contained cottage accommodation set on 5 acres of park like gardens provide a relaxing country retreat, ideal for families, reunions and self catering groups.

Outdoor solar heated swimming pool in Summer / Heated Spa / Jacuzzi, Sauna / Games Room / Tennis Court / Children's Playground, BBQ and outdoor camp fire.

The Teahouse is ideal for families or small groups and includes a meeting room.

An ideal off mountain accommodation for Mt Baw Baw in Winter.

Find us on Facebook

2470 Main Neerim Road, Neerim, 3831 Ph 0435 956 461

www.neerimcountrycottages.com.au thelifestyle winter 2015

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Milo

Buddy

Angel Tess

Charlie

Benson

Zac

CORNER Vince, Ollie + Max

Rambo

Lucky

Carlton and United Dalmation

Farmworld Pup

Max

Peppi

Grace, Humphrey + Chester

Bella

The Managers

Ollie + max

Gus

Please email Gippsland The Lifestyle thelifestyle@dcsi.net.au if you would like to place a photo of your dog in Canine Corner Steve White, Cartoonist

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Feeling Stuck?

Get Unstuck & Get back on Track!

Are you familiar with the video of a squirrel on a merry-go-round?

Well if not…..There is a video circulating of a poor squirrel terrified and stuck on a merry-goround holding on for dear life….On one hand the mere spinning force threatens to throw him off, while on the other it holds on for dear life afraid of what might happen if it does falls off.

Stuck! Caught between wanting to get off and unwilling to let go.

For many of us, this analogy of the squirrel and the merry-go-round is a familiar one in our own lives…we are stuck, unable to change the same old patterns.

The same things keep happening over and over, and whatever you do you just can’t seem to get out in front or can’t seem to do anything about it.

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Do you feel like this sometimes? The truth is we all lose direction at times and feel like we aren’t getting the most out of life; so how do you get off the merry-go-round, get unstuck and get back on track!?

1. Firstly recognize that this is happening and acknowledge that if you keep repeating the same patterns you’re going to keep getting the same results! Albert Einstein once said that the “definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

2. Get really clear on the outcome you desire, without intention and a forward destination you might as well remain on the merry-go-round.

This might be in the form of journaling or goal setting…..but I do recommend grabbing pen, paper and writing it down, there is a lot to be said about the power of the pen!

3. How to eat an elephant….one bite at a time! Break challenges and goals down into smaller chunks. We need to feel a sense of accomplishment, that we have achieved something. If the task is too big and daunting we will jump from task to task not completing anything or entirely give up.

4. What patterns are you replaying that aren’t working? What can you do differently?

Changing or tweaking just one thing might make all the difference to getting you back on track and starting to move forward.

Holistic Coaching is really a simple process that helps people to identify where they are now and then where they want to be, it helps them to close the gap between their desired reality and present reality. It is a fantastic process that requires that people commit to themselves and be prepared to make changes that they may never have dreamed possible.

Erin takes a holistic approach to her sessions which are designed to help you release, clear and rebalance obstacles, limitations and negative patterns that have been holding you back and hindering your progress. Through the use of a variety of tools her sessions enable you to eliminate major life blocks so that you can achieve specific, measurable results and reach your full potential.

Erin’s aim is to live life with a sense of excitement, anticipation and energy! Her passion and purpose is to help and guide others to also find their true calling and Zest for Life!

Zest Holistic Coaching offers f f f f f f f f f

Life Coaching Personal and Business Coaching Group Workshops NLP Energy and Chakra Healing Subconscious Mind Work Vibrational sprays, oils and essences Reprogramming Audios Holistic Packages Available

For further information please call 0418 328 441 or visit my website

www.zestholisticcoaching.com

5. How have these patterns served you in the past? There may be an underlying fear there or a past conditioning? It may be trying to protect you. What has it been giving you? Does it protect you from being hurt? Does it keep you feeling safe? We create these patterns at a subconscious level for a reason, sometimes for recognition, sometimes love or perhaps control.

6. Pursue what you love! We all know that when we are doing the things we LOVE nothing seems too hard or unachievable. We feel motivated and like we could take on the world. We are usually drawn to a course of action which uses our strengths and skills, so begin to notice what attracts you and nurture this.

7. Align your heart and mind for when you do so wholeheartedly you activate a powerful synergy so you are once again back on track and on your way!

8. BELIEVE in yourself, your dreams and all that is possible for you! You have choices in everything you do and ONLY you can create that which your heart desires; believe that you will succeed and you will!

9. Be. Here. Now. We spend so much time worrying about the past or focusing on the future that we can forget to “Just Be”; to be present, to be in the now, to be here in this moment-for this moment is brand new, it has never existed before nor will it exist again…..

10. Reward yourself, no matter how big or small the achievement acknowledge it in some way, incentive is a great motivator!

When clients come to me for coaching they are often looking for a purpose or direction in life, are not achieving career goals or seeking a new career, keep repeating negative patterns in life, want to build confidence and increase selfesteem or simply, just want to change their life and need a little support and motivation to do so.

The good news is that we can get unstuck and back on track fairly easily.

Often when someone feels that they are on the wrong path or lacks direction it can be that they simply need to be reminded of what they are good at, what they enjoy and of their individual creativity in a way that satisfies their soul.

We are all unique and amazing human beings infinitely creative, resourceful and with a purpose. When we are going about our lives doing what we enjoy most and using our skills and talents then we feel purposeful, life has meaning and we are fulfilled and feel happy.

The next time you need to get unstuck and back on track ask yourself….Are you doing this because you think you ought to or because someone else expects you to?

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Chrissy’s Positive Horoscope Aries Mar 21 - Apr 20

Secret Desire: To lead the way for others

Oh yes it is a time for educating yourself, get out the books, do your research and feed your brain, if you are bored you can almost get to a point of destruction without realising it. So find your happy space, share your learnings with people that you know support you and are interested in what you have to say. When connecting your Mind, Body and Spirit the words and work will flow for you and this is when you will allow yourself to flourish. Always remember to look after yourself by eating, sleeping and exercising regularly. Re-energising!

Taurus Apr 21 - May 21

Libra Sept 24 - Oct 23

Secret Desire: To live an easy, uncomplicated life

This is a great time for planning, you have a vision regarding your future so by setting aside some time in creating it, this plan will create a sense of clarity and knowingness of what you can start implementing daily in working towards the bigger picture. By giving yourself a 2 – 5 year timeframe of perhaps reaching something that you know deep down you want to achieve, before you begin your plan, take a few moments to deep breathe perhaps take a step outside and ask for some guidance to tap into the heart centre, then go for it! PLANNING!

Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 22 Secret Desire: To triumph

Secret Desire: To have a secure, happy and wealthy life/marriage

I say today right now as you are reading this, make time to take your shoes off, go outside and walk on the grass begin from the head by going down through your body and let go of any sadness, anxiousness, anger and just breath it out of your feet, notice how the grass feels on your feet so you can feel very connected with the earth, take a little time to look around notice what you can see what is close and what is in the distance, whilst noticing what you are hearing, stand up straight and tall, spread your arms like an eagle to open the chest, drop your head back and look up to the sky, then just say THANKYOU! Five minutes is all it takes. CONNECTION with mother earth!

Gemini May 22 - June 21

As you are quite the person that likes to share your opinions with others, Winter can be a time for you to get back to basics by allowing yourself to connect with a higher power by silencing yourself, really tapping into what is important to you in your life right now. When you tap into your great Big Heart centre it will bring with it a sense of Peace, Tranquillity and Harmony that you may not have felt for some time. Letting go of distractions and allowing yourself to take hold of the present moment, have fun with it, see the magic that is around you, give yourself permission to be Happy then watch the ripple effect it will have on others around you! Allowing ACCEPTANCE of self!

Sagittarius Nov 23 - Dec 21

Secret Desire: To make a difference in the world

Secret Desire: To be ahead of the crowd

Yep this is certainly a time to get your Ying and Yang together by trusting in your decision making. If you are feeling uncertain about something in particular it is a good time to look at your choices, then narrow down the best choice by noticing when you think about it, how it makes you FEEL. Stop thinking about the negatives of that decision and start thinking about the positives then weigh them up and you will get your answer and FEEL really excited by it! Trust in your own intuition rather than looking for approval or acceptance from others, as deep down you know the answer and when you allow your gut feeling to go with it then you will find that is what will work for you. There will be travel plans in the future for some of you Geminis just remember to stay present and enjoy noticing what is going on around you whilst in the travelling mode. Big lesson over the Winter is to STAY FOCUSED on your intention!

Cancer Jun 22 - July 22

This is definitely a time to connect on the relationship with yourself by gaining a sense of knowingness in regards to your future relationships and career. The big thing here is to get really truthful by honouring it with a person that may have hurt you, when you have the one-on-one time, let them know how you have really felt and notice your anger levels so as not to add fuel to the fire. You see by remaining calm, taking a big breath and speaking your absolute truth will allow you to move on, let go and start creating a very different future for yourself. Oh my goodness yes you so do deserve Happiness, Love, Kindness and Trust in your life and it is okay to let others know that, but the secret here is believing it yourself, not looking for others to bring those things but finding it within! HONESTY!

Capricorn Dec 22 - Jan 20

Secret Desire: to be admired by their family, friends & the world at large

Wooohooo come on now let’s get happy, yes tap into that happy place, take away too much of that seriousness when your emotions can get the better of you, perhaps stop taking on board other people’s issues and making them your own. I know that sounds harsh, however there are times where you can perhaps be taken advantage of without knowing it or not realising something that you may have said or done to someone else and how it might have effected them. Joy is your Spiritual DNA. Be kind to yourself and let go of what others think!

Yes shout it out from the roof tops Capricorns, it is time to embrace life, allow your emotions to kick in whether good, bad or indifferent. This is a time when you will start to see your hard work and effort pay off. Keep coming from your heart and your best intentions will be noticed by others. You will feel successful in your own right, allow it, get excited by your achievements and keep practising being the best you can be.

Keep moving towards what you deeply know is your passion and purpose, even if there are others that can be challenging for you at times you do not have to listen to them, just take what you like and leave the rest so to speak, then you will find yourself accepting them for who they are even if you disagree, you will just see and bring out the best in them and yourself! NEVER GIVE UP!

Leo July 23 - Aug 23

Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19

Life is hectic for most Leos now, and even though you may find things demanding, you step up and get things attended to as always your reliability and loyalty is to be commended. Just know that if you have pressure there maybe times where your fuse will be shortened so take a couple of deep breaths before reacting, stay calm and move on, this will really help you in achieving the best outcome for all concerned.

Make sure you celebrate your achievements, go and have a nice massage or dinner with special friends! CELEBRATION TIME!

Is there a problem that you are not dealing with and hoping it will go away? If so this is a time to take some action and change something in your life so your situation can change, rather than holding onto it by letting it affect you. So the big thing here is to look at what you can do right now to make yourself feel better about your situation, and this maybe as simple as taking yourself off for a nice walk somewhere special with a notebook and writing down your feelings, connecting to the universe and allowing the universal powers to work there magic on you, trusting that you will receive your answers and life is as hard or simple as you want to make it. SIMPLICITY IS THE KEY!

Secret Desire: To feel safe (emotionally, spiritually, romantically & financially)

Virgo Aug 24 -Sept 23

Secret Desire: To be unique and original

Secret Desire: To be a star

Secret Desire: To love and be loved in return

It is time now to reflect a little on where and what you were up to this time last year, your attention to detail can at times stop you from pursuing something that you might be really passionate about, so here is the thing once you understand yourself and find your own sparkle/happy inside you will have an understanding that it does not have to be perfect and allow yourself to enjoy where you are at now. Virgos are renowned for their patience and caring for others that they can neglect themselves, remembering that this is a time in life where you can absolutely serve, however look at the reasons you are involving yourself in someone else’s life and notice how it makes you feel. Stay true to yourself and your achievements will be well rewarded in a way you would never have imagined. Let it Begin with YOU!

Pisces Feb 20 - Mar 20

Secret Desire: To live their dreams and turn fantasies into realities

Budgeting is a must for you this quarter, you may have found that you have been overspending take time to look at where you can cut back on your daily expenses by working towards saving for that holiday near the ocean, and experience some of that peace and tranquillity to recharge your batteries. Wintertime can be a special time to cosy up and love up with your partner or family by noticing how you feel when practising really being with them in that moment, sharing with them how important they are to you! Connecting with your loved ones.

Chrissy’s Positive Horoscope Phone: 0414 735 165 Email:malmch@bigpond.com Website: www.positiveretreats.com.au and Mindfulness Meditation Classes visit www.lotuschiro.com

the

on the shelf now

BOOK NOOK

I thought we might look at some of the murder mysteries that are around at the moment for those of us who like to curl up with a ‘who done it’ on a cold winter’s evening, by the fire, perhaps?

The Defence by Steve Cavanah Eddie Flynn used to be a con artist. Then he became a lawyer. Turned out the two weren't that different.

It's been over a year since Eddie vowed never to set foot in a courtroom again. But now he doesn't have a choice. Olek Volchek, the infamous head of the Russian mafia in New York, has strapped a bomb to Eddie's back and kidnapped his ten-year-old daughter, Amy. Eddie only has fortyeight hours to defend Volchek in an impossible murder trial - and win - if he wants to save his daughter. Under the scrutiny of the media and the FBI, Eddie must use his razor-sharp wit and every con-artist trick in the book to defend his 'client' and ensure Amy's safety. With the timer on his back ticking away, can Eddie convince the jury of the impossible? Lose this case and he loses everything.

This will keep you awake!

Women Of The Dead by Bernhard Aichner How far would you go to avenge the one you love?

Brunhilde Blum seems to have it all: the perfect husband, police detective Mark and two beautiful little daughters. Blum is a mortician—an outspoken woman in a male dominated profession. She has been happily married to Mark for eight years, a perfect union. Blum has a good life. Then, in one devastating moment, Mark is killed before Blum’s eyes. A hit-and-run.

The most important thing in her life, her support and happiness, is taken from her. Blum grieves, but she refuses to accept her fate. She soon discovers that there is more to Mark’s death than meets the eye. This was no accident. A shadowy group of people wanted Mark dead. Blum is determined to find out—and to have her revenge.

featured children’s book author OLIVER JEFFERS Oliver Jeffers is an artist, illustrator and writer, he is widely known for his picture books for children.

The first How to Catch a Star debuted in 2004 and the author went on to win more awards than can be listed here for this and subsequent picture books. It’s interesting that three titles made The New York Times Best Seller list and The Day the Crayons Quit achieved #1.

Once Upon an Alphabet is my all time favourite and we have great times reading this to children as well as parents.

If She Did It by Jessica Treadway What if you began to suspect your child of an unspeakable crime?

One night changed everything. A father murdered in his bed, a mother beaten almost to death, a daughter who claims she knew nothing about her boyfriend's murderous plans. But is she telling the truth?

Hanna can't remember the details of what happened that traumatic night; she barely survived the brutal assault that left her a widow. However, if she is to keep her husband's killer in jail, she knows she has to try. But Hanna hadn't realised that those memories may cause her to question everything she thought she knew about her daughter.

A good read with some chilling conclusions.

Wired Julie Garwood

watch for these coming soon…

Foster’s Little Bookshop

The Devil’s Bag Man Adam Mansbach

Pretty Girls Karin Slaughter

4 Station Road, Foster 3960 ph (03) 5682 2089 visit www.fosterslittlebookshop.com.au

read our blog

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Swan Reach General Store 2025 Princes Highway Swifts Creek General Store Great Alpine Road Tarwin Lower IGA 45 River Drive Tinamba General Store Maffra-Rosedale Road Toora FoodWorks 66 Stanley Street Tooradin IGA 104 South Gippsland Hwy Trafalgar IGA 5 McCrorey Street Trafalgar Newsagency 97 Princes Hwy Traralgon Newsagency & Lotto 51-55 Franklin Street Traralgon Newsagency 70 Seymour Street Venus Bay General Store 139 Jupiter Blvd Walhalla Museum Walhalla Road Warragul Newsagency & Officesmart 43 Victoria Street Welshpool Supermarket 18 Main Street Willow Grove General Store 8 Main Road Wonthaggi Newsagency 31 Murray Street Yanakie General Store 3640 Meeniyan-Promontory Road Yarragon Newsagency 107a Princes Hwy Yarragon Village Supermarket 2 Campbell Street Yarram Claudio’s Commercial Road Yarram newsXpress 195-197 Commercial Road Yinnar General Store 44 Main Street

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This magazine is distributed throughout Victoria. All photographs in this publication are copyright to Gippsland the Lifestyle, and if any are used in other publications or used in a commercial sense, you are liable to prosecution. Permission to use any photos in the publication must be obtained by contacting Headlites Pty Ltd via email to: thelifetyle@dcsi.net.au Disclaimer: Headlites Pty Ltd has the discretion to add or remove words or photos that are deemed unsuitable for the magazine. Gippsland the Lifestyle Magazine©Headlites Pty Ltd 2015. Headlites Pty Ltd is not responsible or liable for any inaccuracies, omissions, nor use of information contained within these pages, offering no warranties, either expressed or implied with respect to any material contained within the pages. Material in this magazine cannot be published or reproduced without Headlites Pty Ltd's written consent. Failure to heed to this could result in prosecution. The opinions and views expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers.

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ISSUE 23 WINTER CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS

DOWN

1. Bog (4) 3. Disgrace (6) 8. Coupling (7) 9. Drunk Driving (acronym) (3) 10. To find fault (4) 11. Masterful (6) 13. Parlance (6) 15. Betwixt (4) 18. Secular (3) 19. Inklings (7) 21. Mouths (6) 22. Procure (4)

1. Swab (3) 2. Beacon (5) 4. Martial art (6) 5. Broadcast (5) 6. Ambled (7) 7. Mead (3) 10. Mislead (7) 12. Outer coat of the eye (6) 14. Grand (5) 16. American elk (5) 17. And all (abbrev.) (3) 20. Douse (3)

issue 22 Autumn puzzle Answers

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GET THINKING thelifestyle winter 2015

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Blue

Family owned and operated - Blue Hills Rise joins the multi award winner Blue Hills Residences as the best 55 plus resort lifestyle options in Cranbourne East.

Looking for the best way to spend your retirement, Blue Hills Rise offers six unit designs with modern furnishings and fittings. If you want to downsize our two bedroom Stephanie Apartments, may just be the answer. Live independently, within a secure, caring environment.

START THE RETIRMENT YOU HAVE WORKED TOWARD.... CALL THE TEAM AT B L U E H I L L S R I S E TODAY ( 0 3 ) 5 9 9 1 5 0 0 0

Hills Rise There are so many 55 plus lifestyle resorts around, all offering something different, the biggest question you need to ask is 'What am I looking for?'

Well, if you are looking for a quality home with access to some of the most amazing onsite facilities, then Blue Hills Rise is the best choice for you. This family owned and operated 55 plus resort, has a variety of home designs, all offering something just a little different to the last. You will quickly realise that the Resort Owners, Judy and Ivan Clarkson and family, are serious about the homes they build in their very popular resort in Cranbourne East. No expense has been spared; all fittings and furnishings are of an extremely high standard.

fantastic Onsite facilities Swimming Pool / Spa Indoor Bowls Dance Floor Tennis Courts Alfresco CafĂŠ - Orange Leaf Gymnasium Library Restaurant Sports Bar Cinema Arts and Crafts Centre Administration Centre ATM Computer Room BOWLING GREEN

Call David, Rikki or Janice today to kick off the retirement you have worked towards

Open 9.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday, or via appointments on the weekend.

Blue Hills Rise 240 Berwick-Cranbourne Road Cranbourne East 3977

phone: 03 5991 5000