Mercedes-Benz Gold Coast Magazine Issue 1 – Summer 2014

DRIVER

PLATE

LABEL

Cut to the chase with Gold Coast stunt master Keir Beck

Meet the couple behind Burleigh Heads’ small plate success story

Sinead James shows off the luxury sports look of summer

SUMMER 2014 W W W. M B GOL D COA ST.COM .AU

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TEAM EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Zakazukha 7/99 West Burleigh Road Burleigh Heads QLD 4220 (07) 5607 0899 www.zakazukha.com WRITERS Sam Cleveland, Bruce Nelson, Murray Waite, Promedia, Paul V. Walters, Sharon Worboys PHOTOGRAPHY Dane Asmussen, Patrick Boland, David Metcalf, Murray Waite, Fotomedia, Go Tambo, Studio Flamingo DESIGN AND LAYOUT Elaine Fang and Paul Everest SUBJECTS Keir Beck, Chris Knapp, Melanie Wear, Olivia Watson and Gaynor Hunt, Mark Mitchell, Sinead James DEALERSHIP Mercedes-Benz Gold Coast 11 Scottsdale Drive, Robina QLD (07) 5558 6555 www.mbgoldcoast.com.au Dealer Principal Robin Mainali Marketing Manager Jodie Mariner ADVERTISING For all advertising enquiries contact McKenzie Partners General Manager Daniel Guest 0414 446 543 www.mckenzie.com.au MBGC is published quarterly.

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In everything that Mercedes-Benz Gold Coast does, we strive to honour the legacy of innovation and precision set by Karl Benz, the founder of MercedesBenz antecedent Benz & Cie who, in 1886, patented the Motorwagen, the world’s first automobile.

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WELCOME

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here might I start? With a greeting, of course: welcome to the premiere edition of MBGC.

With MBGC, we’re championing longform journalism for the Gold Coast, in-depth reads covering engaging subjects and written by some of southeast Queensland’s best-credentialed writers.

In each edition, you’ll find engaging profiles on the locals that matter – the achievers, the thought-leaders, those that intrigue or stand out from the pack.

But MBGC wouldn’t be a Mercedes-Benz product if we didn’t use it to pay tribute to the wonderful machines that continue to inspire and attract us – the cars.

To that end, we dedicate space in each edition to a section called CATALOGUE, which features approved pre-owned models for your browsing pleasure. Who knows? You might meet your next MercedesBenz in these very pages.

Editorially, we’ve split MBGC into a ‘roster’ of regular sections that will appear in this and forthcoming editions. Our current roster includes:

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DRIVER A prominent Gold Coaster behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz. Part test drive, part profile, DRIVER hits the road to explore the Gold Coast and its most interesting residents.

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CONCEPT Who’s who in Gold Coast art and design: what inspires them and what they’re making.

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DESPATCHES Notes and news from Gold Coasters living abroad.

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PLATE Go behind the pass at the Gold Coast’s best restaurants and meet the people who run them.

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LAbel Putting fresh collections from Queensland designers in the spotlight.

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ENTHUSIAST What makes Mercedes-Benz’s most ardent admirers tick.

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HIGHNETT Expert advice on financial matters specific to high net worth individuals.

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TOUR Gold Coast journeys and destinations, bringing back the romance and glamour of weekend driving.

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Propaganda Celebrating glorious Mercedes-Benz advertising of yesteryear.

This magazine is for you – our community. If you know of anyone with an interesting story worth featuring in a forthcoming edition of MBGC, please contact the editorial team.

Robin Mainali Dealer Principal

Mercedes-Benz Gold Coast

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CO N T E N T S

THE HOMEPAGE

CONTENTS 10 DRIVER

Gold Coast stunt master Keir Beck gets behind the wheel of the new C-Class 17 HIGHNETT

Estate planning tips from MWM Advisory director Melanie Wear 18 PLATE

Behind the pass at Little Plate, tripadvisor.com.au’s best-rated Burleigh Heads restaurant 23 TOUR

Rediscover the romance of Mount Tamborine 25 DESPATCHES

The rise and sprawl of Jakarta through the eyes of Paul V. Walters 30 CONCEPT

The visionary architecture of Bond University’s Chris Knapp 35 CATALOGUE

Your next Mercedes-Benz 52 ENTHUSIAST

The Mitchell clan’s generational attachment to classic Mercedes-Benz 56 LABEL

The luxury sports look of summer with Gold Coast designer Sinead James 63 PROPAGANDA

The Roaring Twenties through the prism of Mercedes-Benz press advertising

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PLAYING IT DANGEROUS G o l d C o a s t s t u n t m a s t e r Ke i r B e c k p u t s t h e new C-Class through its paces WRITER Sam Cleveland PHOTOGRAPHY Fotomedia

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e’re peeling along the high road to Springbrook and it’s all feeling a bit car chase.

At the wheel is stunt co-ordinator Keir Beck, a man who’s engineered the wow factor for some of the 21st century’s biggest blockbusters.

He’s just discovered the new C-Class’s Sports Plus mode; somewhere under the car’s sculpted bonnet, the throttle sensitivity is piqued and fuel consumption parameters are disregarded.

Beck grins at the surge of power and threads a textbook racing line through a mountain bend.

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eck – a 15-year Gold Coaster – won’t want a fuss made, but he works at the absolute peak of his craft.

His specialty is stunt ‘rigging’, using wires and body harnesses to move stars, stuntmen and cameras in thrilling directions around a film set – sometimes obeying the laws of gravity, sometimes not.

It’s a discipline where physics, muscle and showmanship meet.

On the first Matrix sequel, Beck engineered a sequence where leatherclad martial artists fought while running between the floors, walls and ceilings of a nightclub.

“You can really feel it sucking to the corners now,” he says, then boots it back out onto the straight.

Legendary action producer Joel Silver (Predator, Die Hard) later handpicked him to work with Robert Downey Jr. on Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

As his foot goes down, we take off smooth – like skimming the head off a Guinness – and leave the traffic lights and city driving of the Gold Coast far behind.

For the 007 thriller Casino Royale, Beck rigged the opening chase sequence, which climaxed with an iconic leap for Bond and the bad guy between the arms of two tower cranes, 42m up.

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D R I V E R

“That one was a massive logistical and planning effort,” says Beck, whose work began with overcoming debuting Bond star Daniel Craig’s fear of heights.

“It was a massive trust exercise, starting with just getting him comfortable climbing a ladder.”

The stunt was rigged with just a 10cm margin of placement error and went off without a hitch, despite last-minute recalculations on the day of shooting to factor wind wash from the many camera helicopters.

The breathtaking money shot won a Taurus World Stunt Award (the stunt game’s Oscars) and was later voted the best stunt in the Bond franchise’s history.

“At that level you’re working with the best stunt performers, you do your prep and tune your rig and then it’s down to those guys to pull it off for the camera,” says Beck.

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he film industry is engineered to protect the egos of A-listers, which puts Beck in a delicate position each time he and his team of alpha-male stunties are given responsibility for a star’s safety.

“Actors are very intuitive people,” he says, “so it’s important to get rapport quickly and build that trust.”

Beck says Robert Downey Jr. was ‘very cool and calm’ and mimicked his Aussie accent mercilessly, while Hugh Jackman – who Beck worked with on Australia and Wolverine – is a ‘true gentleman and professional’.

Another delicate exchange between star and stunt crew occurs again once an actor gets comfortable on a rig and starts wanting to push their performance into the danger zone.

“You can never give control of a move to an actor,” explains Beck, “Their job is to look cool, and it’s our job to deliver a very calculated performance.”

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From the set of Mad Max Fury Road. Beck perched off a mountain 370m above the Namibian desert.

Soon after this picture was taken, champion trials rider Rob Jones raced a motorcycle straight off the cliff with cameras rolling and rider and bike secured by Beck’s rigging.

Picture supplied

Beck grew up on a Perth farm entranced by the Hollywood stuntman archetype – the risk-taking daredevil happy to jump a canyon on a motorcycle.

Athletic and outdoorsy, he later studied horticulture by day and acting at the prestigious West Australian Academy of Performing Arts by night.

His classes at WAAPA ended up shaping his destiny in an unexpected way when in 1990 he met his match in Clancy, the niece of his acting coach.

It was a 40-degree Perth day and Beck was five-feet deep in a ditch he’d dug to repair an irrigation pipe.

“I was covered in sand, sweat and dirt and Clancy’s uncle called out that he had someone for me to meet,” he says. “I looked up to the lip of the ditch and there she was.”

Beck and the ‘already adventurous’ Clancy lit out together on a courtship that included a 240km excursion around the northwest cape of Western Australia, camping on the beach each night and traversing the Ningaloo Reef by kayak during the day.

“To accomplish things like that together, it’s euphoric,” says Beck. “It’s a team effort, you’re looking out for each all the way because at those altitudes you can’t just turn around and head home if something goes wrong.”

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p closer to Springbrook and Beck is at home with the C-Class, comfortably putting the 150Kw 2.2L diesel engine through its paces.

“The performance they’ve got out of a diesel engine, it’s a fantastic bit of engineering,” he says. “You’d expect a trade-off in power for more economical running, but I’m on a decent grade here and getting everything I need.”

Beck’s film industry break came when he was recruited for the Gold Coast-shot sci-fi thriller Pitch Black with Vin Diesel.

He rocked up ready to crash through the nearest wall, only to find his background mountaineering and climbing trees as an arborist made him MVP on the stunt team.

“I didn’t even think my rope work would be of value in film, but I got to set and everything was rigging!” he laughs.

In the US they discovered mountaineering and, side-by-side, spent the ’90s tackling some of the world’s most iconic mountain ranges.

“The picture of the stuntman as some drunken daredevil is gone,” he says, “On a stunt crew now you’re more likely to be working with Olympic-level gymnasts and world-class martial artists, total professionals in their field.”

“That was us walking the path of the eternal hunters, looking for things to climb,” he says. “I was working in Perth as an arborist and saving for one crazy expedition after another.”

The Matrix had also just hit cinemas and that film’s gravity-defying action exploded the potential of stunt rigging.

Together, they summited peaks in the Everest National Park (where they scaled three peaks above 21,000ft), the Swiss and French Alps and the Rocky Mountains.

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Beck hit the industry in demand and gigs on a string of blockbusters – Peter Pan, Superman Returns, Marvel’s Ghost Rider – followed.

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n the action epic Mad Max Fury Road, due in cinemas next year, Beck scored the stunt co-ordinator seat, arguably the most prestigious gig in his field.

D R I V E R

BEHIND THE WHEEL

You’re working directly with the filmmakers, looking for methods that can translate their ideas into physical realities

New Mad Max Tom Hardy, who replaces Mel Gibson in the title role for Fury Road, atop a postapocalyptic Mercedes-Benz W123.

“By the end of the shoot, Tom was pulling off moves that had experienced stunties going ‘whoa’,” says Beck.

Picture supplied Village Roadshow Pictures 13

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He confirms film industry whispers that the Africa-shot project is the most ambitious physical stunt film since 1996’s Waterworld. The final cut is said to feature a major ‘gag’ (insiders’ cant for a stunt shot) every two minutes.

“There haven’t been too many films in history you can realistically compare the scale of Fury Road to,” he says.

On set, Beck had to dovetail the high-speed action of up to 150 stunt players and 30 custom vehicles – each powered by a V8 – including an old W123 body Frankensteined on top of a Mack tractor rig.

“It was a case of totally lifting the caveat of financial restriction. Every day I was asked: ‘we want to do this… how can we achieve it?’ – and then we went and shot it,” he says.

Having delivered the goods for some of the world’s most ambitious action filmmakers, Beck has moved into the rarified air of rigging R&D and the creation of never-before-seen stunt sequences.

We’re cruising back at sea level and the easy pace of Robina traffic

has given Beck a chance to play with the C-Class cabin features. Used to the privations of mountaineering, he’s amused by the options.

“Plenty of gadgets,” he laughs, “we’ll never get bored going from A to B.” Beck’s expression straightens when he discovers the door-mounted seat controls and, with a couple of intuitive flicks, sets the driver’s seat to cup his efficient frame.

“Guess I could get used to that,” he mutters.

In between film jobs, Beck conducts stunt masterclasses throughout Europe and the US, including training collaborations with some of the industry’s international legends.

Last year he opened the AP8 stunt academy on the Gold Coast, where he trains upcoming stunt players in rigging, screen fighting and stuntwork.

It’s top-secret work on the cutting edge between showmanship and intellectual property and the budgets are lavish, as blockbuster directors work in secret to one-up each other with bigger and better spectacle.

The space buzzes with action every night of the week: high falls, fire stunts, sword training. Clancy, a personal trainer, also runs classes there while their boys – Finley, 10, and River, 8 – tumble around on the mats.

“You’re working directly with the filmmakers, looking for methods that can translate their ideas into physical realities,” says Beck.

AP8’s Arundel premises also serve as an ad hoc ‘shed’ for about half a million dollars worth of Beck’s specialist rigging equipment, computercontrolled winches and truss frames.

For the new sci-fi epic from the directors of The Matrix, Beck spent months in Berlin rigging the world’s biggest skateboard halfpipe, purposebuilt to achieve previously impossible stuntwork (and dismantled once Beck’s work was done).

He also helped create an aerial sequence for the forthcoming 007 adventure, due 2015, so intense that authorities at the chosen location refused permission to shoot it.

“It’s all just humans having to become that bit more ingenious to enthrall each other,” laughs Beck.

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“I’ve had so many good experiences in film and learned so much and accumulated so much gear that I feel like I’d explode if I didn’t give something back,” he says.

Curious choice of words for a stuntman.

For more information visit www.ap8actionpact.com

D R I V E R

BEHIND THE WHEEL

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H I G H N E T T

MATTERS FINANCIAL

ESTATE PLANNING hidden pitfalls Morbid, complicated, difficult. Estate planning is not something many of us like to spend too much time considering, but consider it we must, particularly the pitfalls too often overlooked

MELANIE WEAR, DIRECTOR OF MWM ADVISORY AT EMERALD LAKES, OFFERS SOME TIPS, BEGINNING WITH THE (FAIRLY) OBVIOUS DIY WILL KITS AREN’T THE WAY TO GO “Many people have a simplistic view of what is required in their will and often it is outdated,” she says.

“Don’t rely on a will kit that you purchased at the post office: it takes careful planning to ensure a lasting legacy for your family, without risking unforeseen legal and tax complications.”

FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND FAMILY AFFAIRS “If you have assets or wealth in other countries then you need to implement estate planning measures in each of those countries,” says Melanie.

“Holding assets in a family trust can provide significant asset protection and tax advantages.

“Family trusts can also provide a tax effective means of income-splitting where the trust holds income-producing assets.

KNOW YOUR ASSETS Melanie says knowing the difference between personal assets and those held in trusts, or jointly owned, is the next step.

“There may be some non-estate assets that cannot be gifted in your will because you are not the legal owner of the assets even though you have control over them or you own them jointly with another party,” she says.

WISH LIST A Memorandum of Wishes, Melanie says, is important to handle things not addressed on the will.

“This can ensure your family are informed, provide guidance to the Executor and can have a strong moral influence,” says Melanie.

It’s daunting and difficult, but estate planning is your legacy... how will you be remembered?

For more information about estate planning, accounting and business services for high net worth individuals, visit www.mwmadvisory.com.au

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FROM LITTLE THINGS...

A little plate, a lot of love: how a passion for the palate led Olivia and Gaynor around Australia and the world then back again to a beautiful Burleigh eatery WRITER Sharon Worboys PHOTOGRAPHY Fotomedia

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P L AT E

WHO’S COOKING

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heir lives have taken them all over their world; their palate and wanderlust leading them to diverse experiences and deepening their passions.

Now, Olivia Watson and Gaynor Hunt have found their slice of paradise with The Little Plate, their restaurant hidden just off the highway at beautiful Burleigh Heads.

Despite only being open a little over a year, The Little Plate has garnered rave reviews in print and online, including mentions in Gourmet Traveller magazine and status as the best-reviewed Burleigh restaurant on tripadvisor.com.au.

Perhaps most remarkably of all, Olivia and Gaynor are yet to spend a single cent on advertising, preferring to let word spread organically.

The couple is delighted by the warm reception for the place they poured heart and soul into – each piece of vintage dÊcor in the cosy dual dining rooms is handpicked and the menu is loaded with personal touches.

Olivia and Gaynor met when they were both working at a hotel in Cairns and have been together for 15 years.

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These are the amazing experiences you can have as a chef and they all make you the chef you are

There’s a rhythm to their conversations: they finish each others’ sentences, laugh at shared jokes, and know instinctively what the other is trying to say – a rhythm which, they say, extends to the kitchen.

“After so much time with someone, you become in synch,” says Olivia.

“I know by the look on Livvy’s face what is wrong or right – we don’t need words a lot of the time.”

Much of that synchronicity blossomed through their four-and-a-halfyear trek around Australia – a travel adventure that quickly turned into a gourmet tour of the country.

Gaynor has also cooked at the Sultan of Brunei’s property, worked on cruise liners, in hotels and fine dining – even, with Olivia, at a prison.

“We taught inmates how to cook, which was one of the scariest things I had done at first – but it was fine, you know, it was all about the food,” she says.

“These are the amazing experiences you can have as a chef and they all make you the chef you are.”

Gaynor and Olivia’s longheld dream started to unfold when Gaynor found the Burleigh space where The Little Plate now sits for sale on Gumtree. She made a call, and things started to fall into place.

“We were still nervous. On our first night, Livvy turned to me and said ‘what if no one comes?’ I said, ‘then we will drink all of the wine and eat all of the food and think of a new plan’,” says Gaynor.

A new plan wasn’t needed.

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P L AT E

The Little Plate opened March 2013, with just 36 seats. Word spread and popularity grew. They were booked out every night, and jumped at the chance to purchase next-door-but-one – The Little Bar – a second dining space connected to The Little Plate kitchen by a back hallway.

“We have very regular customers and then customers who travel to us; we have those who come when they can’t be bothered to cook, those on special nights out, celebrities, local heads of industry – we are delighted,” says Gaynor.

The property’s ‘small plate’ philosophy encourages sharing of dishes, allowing customers to experience a variety of tastes and encouraging interaction between diners.

Their evolving menu and cuisine has, according to Gaynor, yet to hit a geographical boundary.

“Sometimes we just look at a world map in our kitchen, and go ‘right, let’s do something from there’,” says Gaynor.

WHO’S COOKING

“One dish was made with a recipe we received from a street vendor in Singapore, it was a favourite of ours that as usual ended up on the menu.

“When we had guests from Singapore who tasted the dish and said they felt like they were home, it really felt great. Feedback like that shows we are on the right track.”

The Little Plate is a Burleigh Heads dining success story written around the fundamentals – great company and great food, served with passion.

“Sometimes, it is like an episode of Cheers,” says Olivia.

“Everybody knows each others’ names – and that’s just how we like it.”

The Little Plate | Shop 11/3 Deodar Drive Burleigh Heads. To book call 0499 724 303 or email thelittleplate@gmail.com

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TO U R

GLAMOUR, ROMANCE & ROADS

HEIGHTENED SENSATIONS It’s 500m above sea level and 30 minutes from the Gold Coast, but Mount Tamborine’s distinctive charm makes it feel a million miles away P H OTO G R A P H Y Go Tambo

Picture supplied Paramount Pictures

There’s something about Mount Tamborine: intangible; as you begin to near its charming markets, hidden gems and acres of rainforest it loosens the knots in your shoulders and relaxes the stressed mind.

Let your mind wander and images of Technicolor Hollywood appear.

Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief – mountain-driving in a roadster, all scarves and driving gloves and old-world glamour.

Winding roads tangle at the centre, stretching out to first-class wineries, fine-dining restaurants, fresh produce sellers and our region’s most picturesque rainforest.

You’ve summited. Now it’s time to stretch your legs.

The vibe of the drive is up to you and can be set early: with two roads leading to Mount Tamborine at starkly different elevations, you can control the intensity of the journey. Take the Henri Robert Drive entry for a challenging hill climb or the softly elevating Tamborine-Oxenford Road for a more relaxed ascent.

Once you hit the winding roads up the mountain, the air gets crisper, the scenery more rugged, and with the windows down, the city life can begin to seem miles away.

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Maybe you mean business, and you’ll opt for a Skywalk, Mount Tamborine’s most innovative piece of eco-tourism infrastructure – an elevated walkway through exquisite rainforest canopy, several stories above the floor of the forest.

Maybe you want a slower pace – a meander down Gallery Walk for a shopping experience filled with charm and vibrancy: art, jewelry, clothing, the aroma of lovingly made food in the air, the character of the unique shops, it’s like stepping back to a simpler time (even if the mobile coverage is now almost universally reliable).

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Time now to set that scarf like Grace Kelly and descend to the world left behind

Or perhaps you’d like to take one of the many rainforest walks on offer in six sections around the mountain: from scenic strolls to challenging hikes.

Tamborine home, they illuminate the caves and are a must-see for any mountain aficionado.

Legs stretched, it’s time to cruise over more of the mountain, deeper into the winding roads: taking in the gorgeous properties, the wineries, the farms and the quaint eateries that pepper the mountain roadsides.

The mountain on our doorstep centerpieces the green behind the gold: an idyllic step into yesteryear, a place to unwind.

For a traditional treat, pull over at the botanic gardens: they cover 10ha, with boutique gardens set in the natural rainforest providing a striking contrast and explosions of colour.

Take off again, and take a last stop at the glow-worm caves. One of the largest colonies of glow worms in the world call Mount

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Time now to set that scarf like Grace Kelly and descend to the world left behind, becalmed and with lungs full of mountain air – inhale, exhale, repeat.

For more information visit www.gotambo. com.au or download the Go Tambo app

D E S PATCH E S

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE

TRAFFIC STOPPER J a ka r t a , a c i t y o f 10 m i l l i o n b y n i g h t , b e c o m e s a s e e t h o f a l m o s t 2 0 m i l l i o n b y d a y, c h o ke d b y c o m m u t e r s r i c h a n d p o o r

W R I T E R Paul V. Walters P H OTO G R A P H Y David Metcalf

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was in Jakarta for the first time in eight years and the transformation was something to behold.

An exhibition at the Tugu Kunstkring Paleis by one of my favourite photographers, New Zealand-born David Metcalf, was the reason for our visit.

David also runs photography tours cum masterclasses for tourists, leading them on snap-happy excursions to the archipelago’s most picturesque locations, a rich experience for the visually inclined.

He’s as at home shooting Indonesia’s native cultures as he is the denizens of its capital – his base and the second largest urban agglomeration in the world after Tokyo.

Unlike Tokyo, however, Jakarta has no mass transit system to speak of and so traffic jams are legendary.

Blocking out two hours in your diary to cover the distance from Southport to Burleigh Heads is no exaggeration.

My wife and I learned this the hardest way possible, exiting the dentist to find our Sepeda motor (scooter) sagging forlornly on a flat tire.

15km from home and the middle of rush hour. Within minutes we were surrounded by concerned citizens chatting all sorts of solutions. I’m old now and referred to as ‘papa’ with great affection and respect!

My wife was immediately carried away (with nary a backwards glance) on the back of a motorcycle by a fellow who looked like a Pirates of the Caribbean extra, while I was left to deal with the turncoat tire.

Many cigarettes and general discussion ensued. In Indonesia it is almost impossible to get into difficulties that one can’t get out of with a bit of humour and a touch of patience.

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D E S PATCH E S

The common phrase sema bisa di atur literally means ‘everything can be arranged’.

My trusty HP phone came out and calls were made, elaborate maps were drawn in the dust to convenient filling stations where I would be able to pump the tire up and lurch a few kilometres to a workshop.

Needless to say, most of the air hoses in the establishments I stopped at were rusak (broken) and the same scenario (smokes, dust maps, sema bisa di atur) was repeated with escalating levels of humour.

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE

The lower-middle class elbow their way onto decrepit trains and belching buses or weave their way through the tangle on scooters. Their dream is to own a car and each year up to 200,000 vehicles are added to the treacle that oozes along the roads.

A couple of years ago the government decided to impose a tax on cars carrying just one passenger.

Within days a whole new industry sprang up as enterprising unemployed offered their services as ‘jockeys’.

Jakarta is not an easy city to love. It is a vast, chaotic, selfish monument

Hordes would wait on the side of the road and hire themselves out to cars with one driver for a few rupiah, and then offer the same service from the centre of the city back out toward the suburbs.

The place is crowded, polluted and incredibly noisy. It is built on a swamp and floods every year in the wet season, yet the citizens seem to have a remarkable talent for turning the city’s vicissitudes into virtues.

That level of street ingenuity is reflected at the top end of town. The country is booming, evidenced by the forest of cranes that dot the skyline as rapacious developers lay waste to much of ‘old Jakarta’ as the new city goes ever skyward.

to ambition and consumption and it seemingly knows no bounds.

It’s impossible not to find this 661km-square sprawl, of which 40 per cent is below sea level, somehow exciting, with its 28 million souls going about their daily lives.

The uber-rich in the city (of which there are many) rise above traffic problems by helicoptering their children to schools and kindergartens, leaving everyone else to suffer the chaos below.

This capital is now a city of malls, hotels, fast food restaurants and a plethora of ‘Indomarets’ (a convenience store chain that all seem to run their air conditioners at arctic temperatures).

Apart from the fancy sushi bars and gated communities, it feels as if Jakarta has become almost feral, but with an incredible buzz about it.

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Indonesia is a country in transition, though it seems the pace of change is running at warp speed.

Our stay was short but we did get to a few bars and restaurants populated by the ever-swelling middle class dressed in the latest designer gear, a far cry from the rural landscape lying just beyond the city borders.

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ugust 17 was Independence Day and the entire city was festooned with the merah putih (the red and white Indonesian flag). With new president Jokowi in office, 2014’s national day was one of great significance.

The sweet-looking 53-year-old came through like a rank outsider to capture 54 per cent of the vote, sweeping aside his military-aligned predecessors.

One can almost feel the optimism that his election brought, not only in the capital, but all over the nation.

Indonesians are a proud, nationalistic people who suddenly feel that they have something to feel proud about – 185 million people turned out to vote!

Indonesians have Facebook accounts and a billion tweets are sent from the archipelago every day… go figure!

A few weeks before Jakarta, we were on Flores and Sumbawa (both destination for David’s photo tours) where animist practices thrive and people live very much as their ancestors did.

Change too is beginning to blow through these traditional communities like a wind through a tunnel. The mobile phone seems to be in the hands of everyone and it’s not unusual to see lines of people sitting on the village pavement texting away.

Indonesia is a country in transition, though it seems the pace of change is running at warp speed.

We devour literature on the place; it’s like a spaghetti bowl of cultures, languages and dialects all vastly different yet united under that red and white flag.

Having said that, the country as a whole has a long, long way to go.

Governing nearly 300 million people from a small enclave on Java is, methinks, no easy matter.

There are 17,500 islands and it is ‘estimated’ that 9,500 are inhabited.

80 million people are without electricity and clean water, yet 160 million

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In another life, Paul V. Walters was a partner at Gold Coast advertisiing powerhouse Logan Meo Walters

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CO NC E P T

GOLD COAST ART, CREATIVE & DESIGN

TUNNEL VISION Bond University’s Chris Knapp is striving to build a smarter future for Australian architecture WRITER Sam Cleveland with Promedia PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY Dane Asmussen CELLULAR TESSELLATION PHOTOGRAPHY Patrick Boland

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he world is two decades into an architectural renaissance and Bond University Assistant Professor Chris Knapp is working to help catch Australia up.

Since the ’90s, the venerable discipline has rocketed to new heights as advances in computer-aided design and engineering unlocked previously unachievable results – new geometry and new designs far beyond the standard four walls and a roof.

It’s known as ‘parametric architecture’; iconic structures such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, and Beijing’s ‘Bird’s Nest’ National Stadium typify the new possibilities.

But Australian practitioners have been slow to develop the skills required for parametric work and our property magnates have been reluctant to write cheques for the avant garde form.

From his studio at Bond, however, Knapp has blazed his own trail, working with the next generation of architects to create structures at the forefront of contemporary design.

This year his parametric structure Cellular Tessellation (pictured opposite) became the first Gold Coast project to exhibit at Vivid Sydney, with Knapp’s designs winning through arguably the most competitive creative curation process in the country to receive funding.

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Produced by a team from Bond’s new Abedian School of Architecture, the project – one of the first viable parametric structures built in Australia – put Knapp and his school on the map as a leader in the new wave of parametric design.

“Light festivals like Vivid usually focus on building mapping with projectors or strong visual pieces, but we wanted to create a fully immersive project that you could occupy and be immersed in this lighting effect,” says Knapp.

Since its blockbuster Vivid debut, the piece has been shortlisted for a World Architect Festival Award, exhibited at the University of Southern California and presented at research conferences around the globe.

The S-shaped pavilion measures 9m by 3.3m and is made of 380 individual cells formed from 1200 uniquely shaped pieces that were CNC and laser cut, then fitted with 3000 bolts and plywood spacers and threaded with about 4500 LED lights.

“The geometry is purposefully alien, to give an experience that people aren’t accustomed to,” he says.

32

Knapp says the complex structure was achieved by joining the uniquely shaped panels, comparable to a turtle shell, giraffe skin or membrane of a puffer fish.

“These are examples from nature of what we emulated, with every piece different, yet joining together seamlessly,” he says.

“The 3000 bolts had just half a millimetre tolerance alone, so the fact we were able to put together the entire piece - from development to fabrication - on site at Bond, and again in Sydney to exhibit, is a significant achievement.”

The exposure achieved through Vivid has opened new doors, with Bond now collaborating with an interaction designer from the University of New South Wales and an engineering firm in Melbourne on a new project for Vivid 2015 and other local designs.

Knapp also involved Bond architecture students in Cellular Tessellation and his forthcoming projects, a practical approach to teaching that this year contributed to his Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning from the Australian Office of Learning and Teaching.

CO NC E P T

GOLD COAST ART, CREATIVE & DESIGN

Parametric design – because it’s so structurally specific – has forced architects back across the nuance of building and engineering

“I don’t think it’s too much to compare parametric design to the Renaissance,” he says, “and these new possibilities are central to what I‘m teaching.”

Known as the BURST* house, the ‘surf shack’ was made from 2000 unique plywood pieces, and won the Wilkinson Award in the New South Wales Australian Institute of Architects Awards.

Ironically, according to Knapp, the parametric ‘Renaissance’ represents both a creative leap forward and rediscovery of architecture’s artisanal skill base.

Knapp describes BURST* as ‘career-defining’. He went on to build his office - Built Environment Practice - in northern New South Wales, designing residential and commercial projects, often incorporating experimental technology.

“If you go back 500 years, architects were master builders – if they were building a cathedral they would draw the dimensions out on the ground and work with masons on how to cut the stone,” he says.

“I practice what I preach and, at the moment, am working on a house designed using the latest digital techniques,” he says.

“But that link between architect and builder was lost when architecture withdrew into the academy and the discipline separated from master craftsmen.

“It’s important to demonstrate to people what is possible, how we can do things differently, and that new technology has made individual, expressive design more affordable and accessible.

“Parametric design – because it’s so structurally specific – has forced architects back across the nuance of building and engineering.”

“It is no longer something that is rarefied and only for the uber-rich.”

Knapp studied at Princeton University and the University of Michigan, where he also taught, before moving to Port Macquarie in 2005 to become site architect for a cutting-edge laser-cut plywood kit house project.

For more information about degrees at Bond University’s Abedian School of Architecture visit www.bond.edu.au 33

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$100,000 - AND OVER 2014 Mercedes-Benz S 350

$209,900.00

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Km: 3292 Bluetec in obsidian black metallic . 7sp sports automatic diesel intercooled turbo 6cyl 3.0 2987cc. black leather seats: features include; automatic transmission; 20 inch multi spoke alloy wheels, keyless-go package - boot lid convenience closing feature, hands-free-access and keyless-go, driving assistance package plus that comprises of distronic plus with steer assist and stop and go pilot, pre-safe brake with pedestrian recognition, active blind spot assist, active lane keeping assist. the parking package includes active parking assist including parktronic, 360’ camera. automatically dimming interior lights, memory function for driver and front passenger seats, luxury head restraints. other features; eco start/stop, burmester surround sound system with 13 speakers, led intelligent light system with adaptive highbeam, assist plus, led indicators, cornering lights, led daytime running lights and led tail lights. suspension - air electronic, tail lamps - led trip computer, tv tuner - digital tyre pressure sensor, tyres - runflat, vanity mirrors - illuminated for rear passengers, voice recognition, brake assist, brake emergency display - hazard/stoplights, camera - front vision, camera - rear vision. Too many more features to list.

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$100,000 - AND OVER

2013 Mercedes-Benz GL 350

$147,900.00

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Km: 9878 X166 Bluetec 7G-tronic plus wagon 5doors 7seats. 4x4 7sp Sports Automatic Diesel Intercooled Turbo 6cyl 3.0 2987cc Designo black leather seats throughout. features include; automatic transmission, amg sports package with amg exterior sport package including amg bodystyling, 21 inch amg 5 twin spoke light alloy wheeĂĽls, wheel arch flares, dark tinted privacy glass. comfort package with keyless-go with access and drive authorisation system including door handles with chrome insterts, climatised front seats and heated 2nd row rear seats. other features; designo dinamica roof lining black, designo fabric roof lining black, comand aps with single disc cd/dvd, driver assistance package plus, glass electric sunroof, parktronic including 360 degree camera, leather covered dash, eco start/stop, led intelligent light system, bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming and telephone keypad, spare wheel - space saver/temporary, speed limiter, spoiler - rear roof mounted, storage compartment - centre console 1st row, storage compartment - in cargo area, sunglass holder, sunroof - electric, sunvisor - illuminated vanity mirrors dual, suspension - air suspension - auto levelling. Too many more features to list

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$100,000 - AND OVER 2013 Mercedes-Benz E 400

$199,900.00

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Km: 13,274 C207 7G-Tronic plus Coupe 2doors 4seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Premium Unleaded Turbo 6cyl 3.0 2996cc. Auxiliary15 Speaker Stereo - 19� Alloy Wheels - Abs (antilock Brakes) Power Air Cond. - Climate Control - 2 Zone Airbags Alert/warning - Collision Forward Front Vision X2 Camera - Rear Vision Camera - Side Vision Cd Player Central Locking - Key Proximity Central Locking - Once Mobile Central Locking - Crash Avoidance with Braking (low Spd) Control - Electronic Stability Control - Park Distance Front Control - Park Distance Rear Control - Pedestrian Avoidance With Braking Control - Dvd Player - Electric Seats - 1st Row (front) With Memories - Engine - Stop Start System (when At Idle) - Engine Immobiliser- Fog Lamps - Front - Gear Shift Paddles Behind Steering Wheel- Gps (satellite Navigation) - Headlamp High Beam Auto Dipping - Headlamps - Active (cornering/steering)Inbuilt Harddisk Drive - Internet Connectivity Via Bluetooth System Parking Assistance - Automated Steering- Rain Sensor (auto Wipers) Starter Button - Key/fob Proximity - Sunroof - Electric - Voice Recognition - Woodgrain - Ins. Too many other features to list.

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$100,000 - AND OVER

2014 Mercedes-Benz E 220 CDI

$104,900.00

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$100,000 - AND OVER 2014 Mercedes-Benz E 250

$119,900.00

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$100,000 - AND OVER

2014 Mercedes-Benz E 250

$106,900.00 Drive Away

Km: 1498 W212 7G-Tronic plus Sedan 4doors 5seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Premium Unleaded Intercooled Turbo 4cyl 2.0 1991cc. 10 speaker stereo, 19in alloy wheels - abs (antilock brakes) - blind spot sensor, bluetooth system - body colour:- door handles - bonnet - active safety - courtesy lamps - in doors front - courtesy lamps - in doors rear - disc brakes front ventilated - disc brakes rear solid - gear shift paddles behind steering wheel, gps (satellite navigation) - headlamp - high beam auto dipping headlamp washers - headlamps - see me home - headlamps automatic (light sensitive) - headlamps:- led -headrests - adjustable 1st row (front) - headrests - adjustable 2nd row x3 - hill holder - illuminated (puddle lamps) door mirrors - inbuilt hard disk drive - internet connectivity via bluetooth system lane departure - with passive steer assist - lane departure warning, leather gear boot/ gaiter - leather seats - leather steering wheel - map/reading lamps - for 1st row - map/reading lamps - for 2nd row -memory card view mirror - remote boot/hatch release . Too many more features to list.

41

2013 Mercedes-Benz A 250

$62,754.00

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$50,000 - $100,000

Km 991. W176 Sport D-CT Hatchback 5doors 5seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Dual Clutch Premium Unleaded Intercooled Turbo 4cyl 2.0 1991cc. 18in alloy wheels 6speaker stereo alarm with motion sensor - alarm with tow away protection alert/warning - collision forward- ambient lightingarmrest - front centre (shared) armrest - rear centre (shared) audio - aac decoder audio - aux input socket (mp3/cd/cassette) audio - aux input usb socket - audio - input for ipod audio - mp3 decoder - audio - front- control - electronic stability control - park distance front control - park distance rear control - driver attention detection, parking assist - graphical display parking assistance - suspension - sports tyres - runflat. Too many more features to list.

2014 Mercedes-Benz B 200 CDI

$52,900.00

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Km: 2550. W246 DCT HATCHBACK 5doors 5seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Dual Clutch Diesel Intercooled Turbo 4cyl 1.8 1796cc 12v sockets - auxiliary - 17in alloy wheels 6 speaker stereo, abs (antilock brakes) adjustable steering col. - tilt & reach air cond. - climate control 2 zone - ambient lighting, armrest - front centre (shared) armrest - rear centre (shared), audio - aac decoder - audio - aux input usb socket- audio - input for ipod - audio - mp3 decoder, audio - wma decoder bluetooth system- body colour - bumpers - body colour - exterior mirrors partial, body - colour:- door handles - brake assist - brake emergency display - hazard/ stoplights - camera - rear vision - cargo cover - cargo net - cd stacker - 6 disc in dash/cabin - central locking - once mobile - central locking - remote/keyless engine - stop start system (when at idle) - exhaust - stainless steel single system - Too many more features to list.

42

2014 Mercedes-Benz SLK 200

$89,900.00

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2014 Mercedes-Benz C 200

$58,990.00

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Km: 11,448. W204 7G-TRONIC plus SEDAN 4doors 5seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Premium Unleaded Intercooled Turbo 4cyl 1.8 1796cc Classic CDI Sedan in Polar White With Man Made Black Artico Leather Seats: Features Include; Automatic Transmission, Vision Package with Bi Xenon Headlights, Harmon Kardon HiFi Sound System, Electric Glass Sunroof. Other Features; Bluetooth Connectivity With Audio Streaming and Telephone Keypad, Command Navigation, Cruise Control Including SPEEDTRONIC, THERMATIC Automatic Climate Control With Separate Temperature Controls For Driver and Front Passenger, Front and Rear Parktronic, 17-Inch 5 Spoke Mercedes-Benz Alloy Wheels, Mercedes-Benz Air Bag Safety. Too many more features to list.

43

$50,000 - $100,000

Km 471. R172 7G-Tronic plus Roadster 2doors 2seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Premium Unleaded Intercooled Turbo 4cyl 1.8 1796cc 17in alloy wheels - input for ipod - audio - mp3 decoder - audio - wma decoder - bluetooth system - body colour - bumpers - body colour - exterior mirrors full - body colour:- door handles - central locking - remote/keyless - chrome exhaust tip(s) - clear side indicator lenses - control - electronic stability - control - park distance front - control park distance rear - control - traction - in doors front - driver attention detection - ebd (hill holder illuminated (puddle lamps) door mirrors - independent front suspension - independent rear suspension - leather seats - sports seats - 1st row (front) - sunglass holde - sunvisor - illuminated vanity mirrors dual - tacho -tail lamps - led - trip computer - tyre pressure sensor. Too many more features to list.

2013 Mercedes-Benz C 250

$59,990.00

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$50,000 - $100,000

Km: 10453. W204 MY13 AVANTGARDE 7G-TRONIC plus SEDAN 4doors 5seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Premium Unleaded Intercooled Turbo 4cyl 1.8 1796cc.

Iridium Silver Metallic with Black Leather Seats: Features include, Automatic Transmission, 18-Inch MultiSpoke Alloy Wheels, Electric Glass Sunroof, Electronic Seats with Memory Function, Comand Navigation, Rear View Camera with Front and Rear Parktronic, Mercedes-Benz Air Bag Safety, Hands Free Telephone, Aircondition with Climate Control, Mercedes-Benz Air Bag Safety, Cruise Control. Camera - rear vision, cargo net - cargo tie down hooks/rings -cd player - central locking - once mobile - central locking - remote/keyless - chrome exterior highlights - chrome fog lamp bezels/surrounds - chrome interior highlights. park brake - foot operated - parking assist - graphical display . Too many more features to list.

2014 Mercedes-Benz B 200 CDI

$50,900.00

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Km: 2969. W246 DCT HATCHBACK 5doors 5seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Dual Clutch Diesel Intercooled Turbo 4cyl 1.8 1796cc daytime running lamps - led, disc brakes front ventilated, disc brakes rear solid, driver attention detection engine - stop start system (when at idle), engine immobiliser, exhaust - stainless steel single system, factory tinted windows, first aid kit, fog lamp/s - rear, gear shift paddles behind steering wheel, gps (satellite navigation), headlamps automatic (light sensitive), hill holder, leather look - seats, leather steering wheel, map/reading lamps - for 1st row, map/reading lamps - for 2nd row, metallic finish front grille, multi-function control screen - colour, multi-function steering wheel, park brake - electric parking assistance - automated steering, Too many more features to list.

44

2014 Mercedes-Benz C 250

$59,950.00

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2014 Mercedes-Benz ML 250

$99,900.00

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Km: 5124. W166 BLUETEC 7G-TRONIC plus WAGON 5doors 5seats. 4x4 7sp Sports Automatic Diesel Intercooled Turbo 4cyl 2.1 2143cc. Audio - aux input usb socket, audio - input for ipod, audio - mp3 decoder audio - wma decoder, bluetooth system, body colour - bumpers, body colour - exterior mirrors partial, bonnet active safety, brake assist, camera - rear vision, cargo cover, cd player central locking - once mobile, central locking - remote/keyless, control - electronic stability, control - hill descent, control - park distance front, control - park distance rear, control - traction, cruise control, cup holders - 1st row, daytime running lamps - led, disc brakes front ventilated, disc brakes rear solid, driver attention detection, dvd player, engine - stop start system (when at idle), factory tinted windows, first aid kit gear shift paddles behind steering wheel, gps (satellite navigation). Too many more features to list.

45

$50,000 - $100,000

Km: 12,169, W204 AVANTGARDE 7G-TRONIC plus SEDAN 4doors 5seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Premium Unleaded Intercooled Turbo 4cyl 1.8 1796cc. Iridium Silver Metallic with Black Leather Seats: Features include, Automatic Transmission, 18-inch MultiSpoke Alloy Wheels, Electric Panoramic Glass Sunroof, Electronic Seats with Memory Function, Comand Navigation, Rear View Camera with Front and Rear Parktronic, Mercedes-Benz Air Bag Safety, Hands Free Telephone, Aircondition with Climate Control, Mercedes-Benz Air Bag Safety, Cruise Control. camera - rear vision, cargo net - cargo tie down hooks/rings -cd player - central locking - once mobile - central locking - remote/keyless - chrome exterior highlights - chrome fog lamp bezels/surrounds - chrome interior highlights. Too many more features to list.

2013 Mercedes-Benz C 250

$56,900.00

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$50,000 - $100,000

Km 12200. W204 7G-TRONIC plus SEDAN 4doors 5seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Diesel Intercooled Turbo 4cyl 2.1 2143cc. CDI Sedan with Edition C: That Includes, 18-Inch MultiSpoke Alloy Wheels, AMG Bodystyling, Black Roof Liner, Fully Electric Front Seats with Memory Function, Electric Glass Sunroof, Intelligent Light System with Bi-Xenon Headlamps, Active Light System, Variable Light Distribution, Headlamp Cleaning Systems and Dynamic Headlight Beam Control.

Other Features include, Automatic Transmission, Navigation, Front and Rear Parktronic, Hands Free Telephone, Air-condition with Climate Control, MercedesBenz Air Bag Safety, Cruise Control, multi-function control screen - colour, multi-function steering wheel, parking assist, power door mirrors - heated, power steering - speed sensitive, power windows - front & rear, rain, sensor. Too many more features to list.

2013 Mercedes-Benz C 200 CDI

$56,990.00

Drive Away

Km: 10288. W204 7G-TRONIC plus SEDAN 4doors 5seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Diesel Intercooled Turbo 4cyl 2.1 2143cc. CDI Sedan with Edition C: That Includes, 18-Inch MultiSpoke Alloy Wheels, AMG Bodystyling, Black Roof Liner, Fully Electric Front Seats with Memory Function, Panoramic Electric Sunroof with Convenience Open / Closing and Electric Sunblind, Intelligent Light System with Bi-Xenon Headlamps, Active Light System, Variable Light Distribution, Headlamp Cleaning Systems and Dynamic Headlight Beam Control. Other Features include, Automatic Transmission, COMAND Navigation, Front and Rear Parktronic, Hands Free Telephone, Air-condition with Climate Control, Mercedes-Benz Air Bag Safety, Cruise Control, sunglass holder, sunvisor - illuminated vanity mirrors dual, tail lamps - led, trim - vinyl, trip computer, tyre pressure sensor Too many more features to list.

46

2008 Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG

$79,900.00

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2014 Mercedes-Benz C 250 CDI

$76,900.00

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Km: 2155. C204 7G-TRONIC COUPE 2doors 4seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Diesel Turbo 4cyl 2.1 2143cc. Audio - aux input usb socket, audio - input for ipod, audio - mp3 decoder, audio - wma decoder, bluetooth system, body colour - bumpers - body colour - exterior mirrors partial, body colour:- door handles, brake assist camera - rear vision, cdplayer, central locking - once mobile, central locking - remote/keyless, chrome interior highlights, chrome rear garnish, clear side indicator lenses, clock,- digital control - electronic damper, control - electronic stability, control - park distance front, multi-function control screen - colour, multi-function steering wheel, park brake - foot operated, Too many more features to list.

47

$50,000 - $100,000

Km 87536 W164 MY08 WAGON 5doors 5seats. 4x4 7sp Sports Automatic Premium Unleaded Multi-point injected 8cyl 6.3 6208cc. Obsidian Black Metallic With Black Leather Interior, Features Include, Automatic Transmission, AMG Bodystyling, 20- Inch AMG Alloy Wheels, Rear Entertainment, Rear View Camera with Front and Rear Parktronic, Air-condition with Climate Control, Electronic Seats with Memory Function, Hands Free Telephone With Blue Tooth Connectivity, BiXenon Headlamps, Harmon Kardon HiFi Sound System, Boot Lid With Convenience Closing Feature, Hands Free Access, Mercedes-Benz Air Bag Safety, Electric Glass Sunroof, Cruise Control, Command Navigation. Too many more features to list.

2014 Mercedes-Benz B 200 CDI

$56,900.00

Drive Away

$50,000 - $100,000

Km 3999. W246 DCT HATCHBACK 5doors 5seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Dual Clutch Diesel Intercooled Turbo 4cyl 1.8 1796cc. Brake assist, brake emergency display - hazard/stoplights, camera - rear vision, cargo cover, cargo net, cd stacker - 6 disc in dash/cabin, central locking - once mobile, central locking - remote/ keyless, chrome air vents surrounds, control - electronic stability control - park distance front, control - park distance rear, control - traction, cruise control, cup holders - 1st row, cup holders - 2nd row, daytime running lamps - led, disc, factory tinted windows, first aid kit, fog lamp/s - rear, gear shift paddles behind steering wheel, gps (satellite navigation), headlamps automatic (light sensitive), hill holder. storage compartment - under driver seat storage compartment under passenger seat, sunvisor - illuminated vanity mirrors dual Too many more features to list.

2014 Mercedes-Benz B 200 CDI

$53,900.00

Drive Away

Km: 3427. W246 DCT HATCHBACK 5doors 5seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Dual Clutch Diesel Intercooled Turbo 4cyl 1.8 1796cc. Brake assist, brake emergency display - hazard/stoplights, camera - rear vision, cargo cover cargo net, cd stacker - 6 disc in dash/cabin, central locking - once mobile, central locking - remote/ keyless, chrome air vents surrounds, control - electronic stability control - park distance front, control - park distance rear, control - traction, cruise control, cup holders - 1st row, cup holders - 2nd row, daytime running lamps - led, disc brakes front ventilated, disc brakes rear solid, driver attention detection, engine - stop start system (when at idle), engine immobiliser, exhaust - stainless steel single system, factory tinted windows, first aid kit, fog lamp/s - rear, gear shift paddles behind steering wheel, gps (satellite navigation), leather steering wheel. Too many more features to list.

48

2014 Mercedes-Benz C 250

$77,900.00

Drive Away

2014 Mercedes-Benz B 200 CDI

$53,900.00

Drive Away

Km: 2788. W246 DCT HATCHBACK 5doors 5seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Dual Clutch Diesel Intercooled Turbo 4cyl 1.8 1796cc. cruise control, cup holders - 1st row, cup holders - 2nd row, daytime running lamps - led, disc brakes front ventilated, disc brakes rear solid, driver attention detection, engine - stop start system (when at idle), engine immobiliser, exhaust - stainless steel single system, factory tinted windows, first aid kit, fog lamp/s - rear, gear shift paddles behind steering wheel, gps (satellite navigation), headlamps automatic (light sensitive), hill holder, leather look - seats, leather steering wheel, map/reading lamps - for 1st row, map/reading lamps - for 2nd row, metallic finish front grille, multi-function control screen - colour, multi-function steering wheel, park brake - electric, parking assistance - automated steering, power door mirrors. Too many more features to list.

49

$50,000 - $100,000

Km 874. C204 7G-TRONIC plus COUPE 2doors 4seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Premium Unleaded Intercooled Turbo 4cyl 1.8 1796cc obsidian black metallic audio - aux input socket (mp3/cd/cassette), audio - aux input usb socket, audio - input for ipod, audio - mp3 decoder, audio - wma decoder, bluetooth system, body colour - bumpers, body colour - exterior mirrors partial, body colour:- door handles, brake assist, camera - rear vision, cd player, central locking - once mobile, central locking - remote/keyless, chrome exterior highlights, chrome interior highlights, chrome rear garnish, clear side indicator lenses, clock - digital, control - electronic damper, control - electronic stability, control - park distance front, control - park distance rear, gps (satellite navigation), headlamps - electric level adjustment. power door mirrors - folding, Too many more features to list

2008 Mercedes-Benz B180

$46,900.00

Drive Away

Km 1130. W246 DCT HATCHBACK 5doors 5seats. 7sp Sports Automatic Dual Clutch Premium Unleaded Intercooled Turbo 4cyl 1.6 1595cc. Brake assist, brake emergency display - hazard/stoplights, camera - rear vision, cargo cover, cargo net, cd stacker - 6 disc in dash/cabin, central locking - once mobile, central locking - remote/keyless, control - electronic stability, control - park distance front, control - park distance rear, control - traction, cruise control, cup holders - 1st row, daytime running lamps - led, disc brakes front ventilated, disc brakes rear solid, driver attention detection, engine - stop start system (when at idle), engine immobiliser exhaust - stainless steel single system, factory tinted windows, first aid kit, fog lamp/s - rear, gear shift paddles behind steering wheel. Too many more features to list.

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MB GC

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E N T H U S I A ST

THE PASSION FOR PERFECTION

Gottleib Daimler’s motto ‘the best or nothing’ might have been intended for his design and manufacturing plants and employees, but it applies just as strongly to Mark Mitchell’s personal and professional attachment to Mercedes-Benz.

The Gold Coast businessman and Mercedes-Benz Club of Queensland member has a relationship beyond his love of his two classic Mercedes-Benz cars - his company, Unicla, supplies air conditioner compressors for Daimler AG Special Chassis Division vehicles.

He’s also masterminded the $6 million SuperTest facility at his Ormeau headquarters, used by transport companies throughout the Asia-Pacific region to test vehicular refrigeration systems.

53

MB GC

From a lifetime’s involvement in the automotive engineering sector, Mark regards his specialist work for Daimler AG as his most significant professional achievement and a relationship that cements his personal relationship with the Mercedes-Benz brand.

However, it’s Mark’s 1970 W109 6.3 Mercedes, a three-time Concours winner in the mid-90s and winner of the Challenge Trophy (the undisputed ‘Champion of Champions’ class at 2011 Concours d’Elegance), that makes him most proud.

Originally sold in 1970 by York Motors in Sydney to a local businessman, the W109 was acquired by Mark in 1988, one year after he first joined the Mercedes-Benz Club of Queensland.

There was little doubt that in his hands it would become a major restoration (that would initially take more than four years to complete) and, from a maintenance perspective, a project that would never end.

With close friend Russell Ebeling, then Head of Service at the Gold Coast Mercedes-Benz dealership, every component of the car was removed from the body and chassis.

54

In Mark’s view, patience and attention to detail in replacing, restoring or renovating every individual part of the vehicle was the only way to make it the very best it could possibly be.

The aim was to produce a vehicle to not only win the Mercedes-Benz Club of Queensland’s Concours d’Elegance, but to produce one which would benchmark Concours events for years to come.

When the car was finally ready to enter the 1993 Concours, Mark drove to the venue with the earlier words of club founding member Wolf Grodd echoing in his ears.

“Mark, are you crazy? It’s a white car, it’s got four doors, it’s boring. It will never win,” said Wolf.

Mark says Wolf’s mischievous cynicism and good-natured jibes only made him more determined to win against the odds, and win he did – for three in a row: 1993, 1994 and 1995.

The 1994 event was the National Concours, held in conjunction with the National Rally and hosted by the Queensland Club. It remains the only national Concours ever officially held.

E N T H U S I A ST

THE PASSION FOR PERFECTION

The car is destined to remain in the Mitchell family - its a generational attachment too strong to break

“There have only ever been two other competitors who have won the Concours d’Elegance three times, Brian Brannelly and Rob van Wegen, and neither of their cars were white,” says Mark.

Mark’s rejoined the club for the 2011 Concours along with his son Jonathan, who entered the Mitchell clan’s ‘family car’, a W108 280SE, and won the Street Car class and the Camp Eden Award for highestmileage entry on the day.

A Murwillumbah family owned the May 1968 W108 for the first five years of its life and drove it a rather high 130,000 miles before selling it to Mark’s father Bob Mitchell, an international motorcycle sidecar champion, in 1973.

Bob sold the car to Mark’s wife Veronika in 1986. By 1989 it had travelled 320,000 miles and the engine was rebored. In 1998 the head was replaced but no significant mechanical work has been needed since and it has now travelled almost 700,000km.

In 2008, the decision was made to start a complete restoration, similar to what the W109 underwent; the car was taken off the road and disassembled.

In an exercise some might consider ‘over the top’, a complete new trim was acquired, including the sourcing of new black MB-Tex vinyl and

the actual carpets fitted to the original car, imported from MercedesBenz in Germany.

Like the 6.3, the timber pieces and dashwork were all completely refurbished, resulting in a showroom-quality motorcar. The car was given back-to-metal paintwork in Arctic White, the same white W123 compacts of the 1970s and ’80s were finished in.

As with the 6.3, every detail, including the underbody finish and all mechanical and electrical parts, represent the car as originally built.

The restoration is still a ‘work in progress’, with the engine bay the next area for attention.

The car is destined to remain in the Mitchell family – it’s a generational attachment too strong to break.

Alongside Veronika’s new 300e Estate CDI and Jonathan’s A45 AMG, both classics are in regular use: Mark’s W109 participates in longdistance runs as a member of the International M-100 Group and Jonathan still drives the 280SE to work when the mood takes him.

He admits it earns him kudos with young ladies he encounters along the way.

“They love it,” he laughs, “and so do I!” 55

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THIS SPORTING LIFE PHOTOGRAPHER Studio Flamingo STYLIST Sinead James STYLIST ASSISTANTS Laura Duffy & Sallie Wilson MAKE UP Heather Pinard Muke Up HAIR Amber Olsen MODELS Taylor Firth & Ruby Gunnis

Bel Air Jumpsuit

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old Coast designer Sinead James imbues sport luxe, the global summer buzz-look into 2015, with a twist of sophistication in her brand-new collection.

Sinead says the line, Panthera, re-interprets the streamlined profiles of sport luxe for ‘a woman who loves to power-dress’.

“The collection is built on flattering shapes and timeless cuts,” says James, “I wanted to achieve something luxurious but wearable, a high-fashion collection with an athletic feel.”

Sinead says the custom snow leopard print, an exclusive in-house design, adds a bold note to Panthera’s youthful, sometimes quirky, charm.

Since establishing her label in 2011, Sinead’s work has appeared in Cleo, Cosmopolitan and at last year’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival in Brisbane.

Everything in her new collection is 100 per cent Australian-made from vegan fabrics including Italianbonded lycra, sports mesh and silky polyesters.

To see more of Panthera and a list of local stockists visit www.sineadjames.com

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Top right Arcade Cami Luxe.

Bottom left Moon Jumper.

Bottom right Liquid Silver Bra

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Million Dollar Baby Dress

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Left Catch Me Dress.

Bottom Right High Tee Top Luxe

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Snow Leopard Blouse, The Metal Shorts.

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MERCEDES-BENZ MESSAGING

A glimpse into Mercedes-Benz marketing of yesteryear, an era of long copy, masterful commercial artistry and press advertising with panache. Curated by the team at MBGC.

This 1929 poster, produced by Mercedes-Benz for the luxurious Nurburg 460 (W08) Sedan, its flagship model of the time, epitomises an era of speed and style. Note the direct alignment between car and cruise liner, the ultimate 1920s luxury experience.

Able to reach 100kph (astounding performance for the ’20s), the Nurburg was accessible only to the wealthy, and with a fuel consumption of 25 L/100km it’s little wonder why.

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