Greater Port Macquarie Focus - i201

Andrew Miedecke Motors 100 Hastings River Drive, Port Macquarie 6583 8855 www.mbportmacquarie.com.au

Welcome to the DECEMBER 2022 ISSUE of Greater Port Macquarie FOCUS.

erry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. Wow, 2022 almost done and dusted. I don’t know about you but here at FOCUS we are ready for a well earned break over the Christmas period. Looking back over our editions our region has had a massive 12 months. Lots to do, new exciting cafes and eateries opening, shows and events back on for all to see. It’s been HUGE, I wonder what 2023 has in store for us all. Fingers crossed lots of fun and good things for us all.time! A huge thank you to Steve and Rachel at the Westport Club for helping us out with this months Cover. Christmas Carol events are super special and it was lovely to be able to feature this year’s event on our Cover. The perfect fit for our December Edition we thought.

Our local clubs and pubs have jam-packed your December weekends and Thursday nights so there is sure to be something for everyone. Make sure you head out and support our local acts and of course our pubs and clubs.

In this Edition; December Edition can only mean one thing... Christmas Under the Stars

We also have a beautiful Christmas story from our friends at The Department Store. Judy Sandring each year goes above and beyond for her Christmas windows and again this year she has done a stunning Christmas display. Make sure you head out to Wauchope to have a look at these gorgeous displays.

The live music scene this month is next level.

A big congratulations has to go to Margret and the Hello Koalas team who have just won Gold at the 2022 Toursim Association awards for NSW. An amazing achievement and well deserved.

Enjoy our December Edition and once again from all of us here at FOCUS Merry Christmas. Be kind, be patient and enjoy what our region has to offer this holiday season.

ART DIRECTOR Dylan Gaul dylan@focusmag.com.au GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kyle Rathbone kyle@focusmag.com.au PHOTOGRAPHY Gavin Moroney gavin@focusmag.com.au CIRCULATIONS COORDINATOR Steve Foye steve@focusmag.com.au COPY EDITOR Bev Mulcahy info@focusmag.com.au

as ‘Interview or Contributor’

Got a story idea? Looking to advertise in Focus? Contact us for more information.

M

Enjoy the magical Hasting River with family or friends in Port Macquarie’s most unique stays featuring Airstream, glamping or luxury family cabins. Get on the water with our barbecue boats, kayaks or polycraft boat hire. There truly is something at Camp Jordan for all!

Judy Sandring has been with The Hastings Co-op Department Store for 15 years and each year she plans and puts together the most incredible Christmas window displays.

Ana Martin has always been curious about what it means to lead a good life and know that having a mindfulness practice is vital to staying grounded and true to one’s heart.

Nikki Stafford and her surf rowing crew The Quokkas are off to compete with some of the best in the country at the Ocean Thunder Race at Dee Why Beach in Sydney.

NIKKI STAFFORD

ANA MARTIN

JUDY SANDRING

ECEMBER 22

SAVE OUR BREAKWALL

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Public Rally to support the preservation of Port Macquarie’s existing and iconic breakwall and to protect and retain the many heritage pine trees in the public area. All welcome and encouraged to attend. When Saturday December 10th, 2pm Where Port Macquarie Breakwall (North End)

THE SIZZLE

ELVIS AND FRIENDS

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Port Adventure is proud to present the biggest Elvis extravaganza in town! Come watch the King on the big screen at Majestic Cinemas, then enjoy a delicious Hawaiian buffet lunch aboard our ship while being entertained by some of the best Elvis impersonators around. When Sunday December 11th Where Meet at Majestic Cinema Tickets https:// portadventure.rezdy.com/.../elvis-blue-hawaii...

Hot Tropics & Burntout Bookings Presents THE SIZZLE, a yearly music festival with an epic lineup of artists including: • DOPAMINE • STALE CAKES • SPOONHEAD • NANA KLUMPP • PALOMINO • SCUFFS • ROYAL CHANT • MIKK • MAGIC IAN • GOON GREMLINS Tickets events.humanitix.com/ the-sizzle Pre-order $35 | Door: $40 When Saturday 17 Dec 2022  3:00 PM Where The Basement

CHRISTMAS ON THE GREEN

Fun for the whole family!! Bring a picnic blanket or some chairs and enjoy the evening together. Visit from Santa, Bedford Fire Engine, face painting, kids play activities, christmas carols, sausage sizzle, bar and food specials, Gold Coin donation per attraction. Where Wauchope Country Club When Wednesday 21st December

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WOOP WOOP CUP

It’s on again - the annual Woop Woop Cup brought to you by Wauchope Jockey Club. Join us for another exciting and friendly day of racing. The day will see a five card race program, with the feature race being run over 1,800 m. There will be plenty on for the young ones, so make a day of it and bring the family. Where Wauchope Race Course Beechwood Rd When Boxing Day 26th December

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NEW YEARS EVE FIREWORKS

Are you ready to celebrate New Year’s Eve? 9pm family fireworks thanks to Eire Constructions and New Years Eve fireworks bought to you by Hello Sailor. Where On the Hastings River PMQ Town Centre

CHRISTMAS UNDER THE STARS

Damien Leith has been going from strength to strength throughout his music career.

SINGING, WRITING, PERFORMING, PRODUCING, COACHING… HE DOES IT ALL. Damien will be performing at the Christmas Under The Stars event at the Westport Club on Sunday 11th December and we are so looking forward to ringing in the festive season with this show!

DAMIAN L E I T H

Hi Damien. Can you tell us a bit about your introduction to music and how you came to love singing?

Music was a huge part of my life growing up with my father playing guitar and my mother singing. We always had parties and my parents were great entertainers. I didn’t actually start singing until I was about 16 years old. I wanted to enter the school musical and I wondered if I could even sing. I au ditioned for the role of Fagin in Oliver and ended up landing the role and that was the catalyst for my music career.

I love Christmas time and the build up and being with family and friends, so it will be all about that with all of your favourite Christmas carols with my incredible band.

Many people would recognise you as a winner of Australian Idol, what was that experience like and what was it like to rise into the spotlight so quickly?

To be honest I did not expect to win, I was having fun just being a part of

the show. I was working as an Indus trial Chemist at the time and my staff and workplace were so supportive and would have Idol parties every week I kept staying in the competition. It was strange when I won and people would come up to me and feel like they knew me and everyone was so supportive and great. You have been working in the music and entertainment industry consistently since then, what has it been like to continue to release your own music and tour regularly?

It has honestly been a dream come true, not without hard work and dedication but being able to do something you love and get paid - it’s wonderful. I love singing and touring and meeting people; I’ve travelled all over Australia and even done shows in Europe and it never gets old. I really realised how much I loved it when COVID hit and I didn’t tour for two years!

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How would you describe your music currently and where are you drawing a lot of your inspiration from?

I work alot with Joe Melson, who wrote songs like Crying, Blue Bayou and Running Scared with Roy Orbison. I was lucky enough to meet him when I worked with the late Barbara Orbison on my ‘Roy - a Tribute to Roy Orbison’ album. Joe and I write songs about life and the fragility of it and everything in between. My latest single, ‘Superhuman’ is about chasing your dreams and doing what you love. You have always been a songwriter as well as a singer, and you are currently offering lessons and mentoring. What do you enjoy most about sharing your talents and skills with others?

I know there is so much talent out there and I love helping artists realise their potential and just believing in them before they believe

in themselves. As well as offering my years of advice so they can fast-track their learning from my mistakes or guidance; it’s very rewarding.

You have also become a popular radio and television host. How did you get into it and what do you enjoy about that kind of work?

I always wanted to try radio hosting and just before COVID hit, an opportunity came up to do the breakfast radio in the Upper Hunter Valley and my family and I were keen for a change of scenery from living in the inner city of Sydney. It was a great two years of country living in Scone and now I’ve moved to breakfast radio in Wollongong. I also love

live TV and hosting so I do that whenever I can too.

You will be performing at the Christmas Under The Stars event at the Westport Club on Sunday 11th December, what can people expect from this show?

I love Christmas time and the build up and being with family and friends, so it will be all about that with all of your favourite Christmas carols with my incredible band.

What is your favourite Christmas song?

Ohh that’s a hard one, probably O’Holy Night.

How do you like to spend your Christmas?

With family, lots of food, drinks, music and fun games. I’m still getting used to having a hot Christmas but it’s always nice to end the day with a swim in the ocean!

I love singing and touring and meeting people; I’ve travelled all over Australia and even done shows in Europe and it never gets old.

It has honestly been a dream come true, NOT WITHOUT HARD WORK AND DEDICATION BUT BEING ABLE TO do something you love and get paidit’s wonderful.

JUDY SANDRING

Judy Sandring has been with the Hastings Co-op Department Store for 15 years, and each year she goes above and beyond to plan and put together the most incredible Christmas window displays. It creates a buzz in town and brings people from all over to check them out and start getting excited for the festive season.

Hi Judy. How long have you worked for Hastings Co-op Department Store and what is your role there?

I’ve been with the Co-op family for 15 years and am the Manager, Buyer and Merchandiser for Wauchope and Laurieton Department Stores. Can you tell us about the Christmas window displays, what you’ve done with the windows in previous years and who puts it all together?

I design and organise the windows myself every year and always try to have a different theme.

It’s a labour of love and I spend months collecting ideas and sourcing special pieces, intricate figurines and sparkling lights.

Over the years we’ve had everything from North Pole windows with polar bears and penguins, traditional nativity scenes with Jesus in the manger and animated elf workshops to native Aussie animals in gum trees covered

in wattle, Gingerbread men taking over the kitchen and regal pigs in pink carriages.

The windows always look incredible, how long does it typically take to set up the displays and what is involved?

It’s impossible to say exactly how much time is taken in the planning stage, but once everything has been sourced, unpacked and priced we generally work on the windows for a solid two weeks before the unveiling in November.

The planning starts in February, when I attend trade fairs and visit wholesalers to purchase the decorations. I also scan through books and websites for inspiration all year round.

It’s a labour of love and I spend months collecting ideas and sourcing special pieces, intricate figurines and sparkling lights.

I always have my eye out and the possibilities are limitless, although after 15 years it’s getting harder to come up with something new each year.

Can you tell us about this year’s window?

Even when the windows are unveiled I’m still adding finishing touches. There must also be a lot of planning that goes into it. How do you go about choosing a theme or coming up with something new each year?

We basically divide the shop front, which is quite large, into four sections and each has its own theme. This year, one of the windows has a snow man theme, with penguins, polar bears, nut crackers and reindeers and of course, snow men.

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Then, there’s a gingerbread window, with lots of Gingerbread girls and boys, rocking horses, Santa and his delivery truck and gingerbread chefs, cakes and sweets.

The third and fourth windows are brightly coloured, with pink trees, tropical birds, flowers, vibrant lights and lots of cheeky elves. As always, we also have the nativity scene at the front of the store as people enter.

What is the response from the public like each year?

Our windows traditionally attract crowds from near and far. When you read the

Visitor’s Book people travel from all over to see the displays – from the Manning Valley, Newcastle and the Hunter Valley, Sydney, Armidale and further west, Coffs Harbour and even QLD.

It’s become a tradition for many people to make an annual trip to Wauchope to visit the store – and hopefully they get to enjoy everything else our town has to offer while they’re here.

We love hearing how much people love and appreciate the work the team has put in. We especially love the smiles on children’s faces.

People say that when the windows are unveiled it adds colour and excitement to Wauchope’s CBD and everyone knows the festive season has arrived.

We pride ourselves on offering a unique shopping experience and our Christmas

We love hearing how much people love and appreciate the work the team has put in. We especially love the smiles on children’s faces.

displays are just one of the many reasons people love to visit.

You can spend hours exploring the windows and displays in store.

What is your personal favourite thing about the window displays and your part in it all?

I love planning and selecting decorations and then gradually seeing the windows come to life, sometimes even better than I imagined.

When do you usually have the

Christmas display up for people to come by and have a look?

We generally unveil the windows in the first week of November and they will be on display until late December. The perfect time to visit is on December 1, 2 and when we have our annual Christmas Sale Days at Wauchope and Laurieton stores.

There’s 25% off storewide and customers who spend $50 or more on those days will go in the draw to win a $200 shopping spree. On the Thursday night (December 1)

Wauchope store will be open until 7pm, so hopefully that gives everyone a chance to come in and admire the Christmas displays after work.

It seems like you really enjoy the Christmas season, what is your favourite thing about the holidays?

Christmas is when we all make the extra effort to get together with family and friends and give thanks for what we’ve achieved throughout the year. It’s also a time to remember those who are not with us and count our blessings.

I love planning and selecting decorations and then gradually seeing the windows come to life, sometimes even better than I imagined.

From the magnificent to the minuscule, local artistic photographer Richard Shaw perfectly captures dramatic imagery across the Mid North Coast. FOCUS had the pleasure of speaking with Richard as the launch of his new studio ‘Amegilla Studios’ opens at Flynns Beach.

Hi Richard. Thanks so much for speaking with FOCUS. Firstly, can I say, your work is extraordinary. In your signature seascape images, you so perfectly capture the movement of water through long exposure photography and seem to have a preoccupation with the natural landscape. Where do you draw your inspiration?

That’s very kind, thank you. I’m in awe of what nature has to offer. Being behind the lens has opened up so much of the natural world that I didn’t know existed. Eight years ago when I first moved to Port Macquarie, I would walk Lighthouse Beach with my camera every day. Every day was different. Back then I didn’t know what a Blue Dragon was and I’d never heard of Velella Velella. I thought anything blue that washed up on the beach was a Bluebottle.

I was also fascinated by the skies over Lighthouse Beach. We get some stunning sunrises and sunsets, so I found myself learning about cloud formations and anti-crepuscular rays in order to better capture the scene. I started experimenting with long exposure photography too and I love the effects you can get with the movement of the water. Most of all I love how nature can make you feel, and I guess I’m always trying to capture that moment through the camera.

You also refer to your ‘minuscule’ subject matter referring to your work in the macro photographic space. You love to showcase and bring to life the diversity of insect life abundant in our region which offers the viewer a rich perspective into Earth’s natural world. Tell us a little bit about your experience photographing insects? When I was learning how to use my camera I practiced on insects. Seeing creatures I never knew existed was amazing. I would

take a photo and then get home and try and identify the insect. I loved the learning behind it all, so much so that one year on Instagram I posted a bug a day for the entire year!

These days I have some better equipment and a better understanding of framing a shot, but I still love finding and photographing new species. The detail you can get of these tiny creatures is remarkable.

It’s a colourful world close-up! Now I enjoy sharing my knowledge with others. Port Macquarie has Blue-banded Bees, Neon Cuckoo Bees, Teddybear Bees and more.

When did you first pick up a camera and what is it you love about the craft?

My previous career was in Sports Management, so picking up a camera in 2014 was completely new to me. I never really imagined making a new career out of it. My first camera was an entry level Nikon and I’ll admit I didn’t know what I was doing

with it. I just tried to capture anything I found interesting. Prior to taking photos I didn’t consider myself overly creative. Initially it was the science behind it all that I enjoyed. I started learning about aperture and shutter speed. From that understanding my creative juices began to flow. I loved that it brought out a side in me I hadn’t explored before. Now I can’t imagine doing anything else!

What type of equipment do you predominantly use?

I’ve been a Nikon user from the get-go, though I’ve upgraded my camera several times over the years. My lenses vary from wide angle to telephoto, and of course macro. A good

sturdy tripod that can cope with sand and water is a must, and my current Sirui tripod allows me to get down low for seascape shots. My first Instagram user name was Rich’s Wet Socks because I was always going home with wet socks and shoes as the tide covered my feet.

I’m rarely without my NiSi filters. They allow me to take longer exposures by blocking some of the light that gets let into the camera. Whether I’m working with waterfalls, tides or sunsets, and whether working in full colour or black and white, the filters bring a new perspective. The ability to shoot a long exposure photo is one of my favourite things. I also love NiSi’s close up lens that allows me to get even more detail in my macro work with tiny subjects.

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We get some stunning sunrises and sunsets, so I found myself learning about cloud formations and anticrepuscular rays in order to better capture the scene.

Congratulations on opening your studio at Flynns Beach, entitled Amegilla Studios which I understand is named after your favourite native bee, the Blue-banded bee (Amegilla cingulata), which you love to photograph. The studio will be a place of learning for new students to engage in classes and workshops to further develop their own photographic skills. How do you see the studio developing and what is on the horizon for you for the new year ahead?

When I started out there were so many local photographers who helped me, and still do. People like Matt Gilligan, John Armytage, Will Eades and many others have always been so generous with their time. There’s a great photography community in Port Macquarie. My aim for the studio is to pay that forward. To be a place where beginners can come and

ask questions and feel comfortable doing so. A lot of people have a DSLR camera but don’t know how to use it.

The first round of beginner DSLR classes, From Auto to Manual, have been a great success. The participants have blown me away with how well

they are grasping key photography concepts through the 8 week course. I’m also very excited to work with Billabong Zoo in running wildlife photography workshops on location, and then returning to the studio for participants to edit and print their work.

The other big news is that Amegilla Studios is now an approved Creative Kids provider.

There’s a great photography community in Port Macquarie. My aim for the studio is to pay that forward. To be a place where beginners can come and ask questions and feel comfortable doing so.

During Term 2 and 3 I did some work with The Nature School and taught some of the kids there. They were such great students, and the teachers and parents were amazed by the final works they produced. I’m so looking forward to developing the next generation of photography talent in Port! I’ll be offering after school courses for teens during term time, and holiday workshops for teens and kids. I want to give back something that has given me so much, while growing and developing a fun and safe photography community.

What have been some of your highlights of your work looking back?

While not a highlight for those of us living through it, I will always remember capturing footage of the bushfires that ravaged the Mid North Coast. It was humbling to have my photographs of the fires shared so widely. The courage of the pilots was incredible. It’s been an honour to receive some recognition of my work through the Mono Awards and the Emerging Photographer Competition. I’m particularly proud of my black and white work with long exposure, and my macro photography.

The biggest highlight for me though is when someone connects with a particular photograph.

It’s a thrill to have my work on the walls of their home or office.

Can you describe a little about yourself behind the lens and what do you love most about living in Port Macquarie?

I grew up on a farm, which I think is where I learned the values of hard work and humility. I spent time in the city in my twenties but these days I prefer the laidback lifestyle Port Macquarie offers. It’s the best of both worlds, and the climate is perfect. I love being able to easily get to the beach or take a short drive to a waterfall. During Covid lockdown I came to appreciate Port Macquarie even more. I photographed a whole series of birds that frequent my backyard, and spent a lot of time with my tripod set up beside the bower of a Satin bowerbird.

Away from the camera where would we find you spending your own time?

It’s really my wife who is the birdwatcher. It was through a love of nature and wildlife that we met, and it remains a big part of our relationship. She’s my wife and my best friend. I have two step-kids that give me reason to be proud every day. Throughout my life I’ve been fortunate enough to have a family that enjoys spending time together and I’m grateful for the support they’ve given me. I have great friends and still enjoy sport, although I play a little less and watch a little more than I used to! It’s a good life.

For people wanting to find out more about your work or engage your services, how can they best connect with you?

Amegilla Studios, Richscape Photography amegilla_studios, richscapephotography info@amegillastudios.com.au amegillastudios.com.au

Studio: 3/4 Flynn St, Port Macquarie

Thanks Richard. Interview: Sarah Baker.

THE

GARY W I L LI S

Local Bonny Hills resident Gary Willis has shown extraordinary skill in the sport of Bowls. As the Head Coach of the Australian Team, the Jackaroos, FOCUS caught up with Gary to chat all things Bowls.

AUSTRALIAN JACKAROOS

Hi Gary. Thanks so much for speaking with Focus. For someone who tried the sport of Bowls with your mates for a bit of fun in 1986, you have shown immense talent and now find yourself as the National Coach of Bowls Australia. This is an incredible achievement. What is it you love about the sport?

It’s one of those sports that just gets you hooked! It’s always different and always a challenge so it keeps you coming back and wanting more. It truly is a game for everyone that doesn’t discriminate through age, sex or physical capabilities. Anyone can play and become good at it and I just love that about the sport. I worked very hard over the years to eventually represent Australia back in the late nineties and early 2000’s and here I am twenty years later trying to help our players develop and represent our country through coaching the National team, a role that I feel extremely fortunate and humbled to have.

Tell us a little about the Australian team, the ‘Right at Home’ Jackaroos’ performance this year and your plans for their development in the future?

Coming out of COVID and getting back into international bowls was just tremendous. The excitement for our players who have worked so hard at their skill in training and to be able to put that into practice through competing again has been very pleasing to witness, along

with the reconnection of old friends from all parts of the world made the return very special. Our team had a very good year with a Trans-Tasman victory over New Zealand, a strong event in the multi-nations in the UK followed by what turned out to be a history making Commonwealth Games ‘best ever’ performance by an Australian team on international soil rounded out an excellent year for our team. I’m extremely proud of them.

Our Jackaroos squad consists of ten women and ten men with an average age of around 28 at present. We also have squads including Emerging Jackaroos, Pathway Jackaroos and Para Jackaroos who are located all around the country working with our state based pathway coaches to become the next world and Commonwealth champions. All of our high performance staff continue to work tirelessly ensuring the next generation keeps Australia on top of the world in Bowls.

Your local bowling green is Club Lake Cathie. Why is this a great spot for locals to bowl socially or for competitors to hone their skills?

Lake Cathie is a beautiful location and I really enjoy driving past the lake itself when it is open and seeing the crystal clear water and all of the activity going on around it including fishing, kayaking and swimming. It’s just magic when it is like that and Club Lake Cathie is right next door with friendly, welcoming staff, great facilities and three excellent greens for everyone to enjoy. What is on the horizon for you for the new year ahead?

Our Australian team is currently going through a selection process and preparation for the 2023 World Championships which will be held on the Gold Coast. This is where our full focus is at present and our team is training and working hard to ensure they back up and better their results from the Commonwealth Games.

For people wanting to connect with Bowls Australia or the Jackaroos, how can they best get in touch?

Bowls Australia has an excellent website including all information on how to get started and have a game and any of our excellent staff would be happy to help any interested or new players get involved. Our Jackaroos can also be contacted through the website or you can just come on down to Club Lake Cathie and I could be there having a bowl myself and always keen for a chat!

Thanks Gary. Interview: Sarah Baker.

I worked very hard over the years to eventually represent Australia back in the late nineties and early 2000s and here I am twenty years later trying to help our players develop and represent our Country through coaching

along the Macleay Valley Coast

Staying in Port Macquarie for the Christmas holidays and looking for a new beach to explore? Follow us as we beach hop north from Port Macquarie, discovering all that the Macleay Valley Coast has to offer!

1. Point Plomer, Crescent Head

Start your adventure into the beautiful Macleay Valley Coast by packing up the car and jumping on the ferry at Settlement Point to 4WD your way up the beach or along Point Plomer Rd. No 4WD? No worries, you can drive along the Pacific Highway and through Crescent Head to get to this spot.

Point Plomer is a popular surfing, swimming and fishing beach. Located near Crescent Head, the beach offers a fantastic right-hand point break for surfers and clean, calm swim ming conditions that make it ideal for families and children. Take a walk to the top of the headland to spot Plomer’s resident playful pod of dolphins surfing or enjoy a long stroll to the end of the beach.

Better still, book a night or five in the beachside campground and wake up to the sound of gen tle waves almost lapping on your doorstep.

2. Delicate Nobby Beach, Crescent Head

Continue the drive onto Delicate Nobby Beach, where you’ll find your own rock pools to play and snorkel in. Delicate is also one of the few beaches that allow dogs off-leash.

3. Racecourse Beach, Crescent Head

Quiet, expansive, beautiful and often wind swept – this is the perfect place to escape to if you want a solitary walk or surf.

4. Killick Creek, Crescent Head

It’s a summertime tradition for many families to pack up the inflatable floaties and make

the pilgrimage to Crescent Head for lazy days spent floating in the creek (the lucky ones chance upon a king tide and fly down the creek at record speeds!). The creek runs out to the ocean, joining the Crescent Head Surfing Reserve - a world-famous surfing location with a phenomenal right-hand wave.

5. Hat Head and Korogoro Creek

A hot spot for families and fishermen, the turquoise Korogoro Creek is a sight to behold at high tide. Pack your snorkels and fishing gear and set up on the sand beside the creek for a day in the great outdoors. In summer, snorkel ers will spot tropical fish that won’t be seen any further south than Hat Head. The beach itself is also safe for kids and patrolled during the holidays.

6. Gap Beach, South West Rocks

An adventurer’s paradise, Gap Beach can only be accessed by 4WD or by hiking the Smoky Cape Trail. Just be aware that the beach is not patrolled.

7. Trial Bay and Main Beach, South West Rocks

Trial Bay is a great spot for families, usually protected by the swell so a great calm spot for the kids and one of the few places on the East Coast you can watch the sun set over the water! Main Beach is a gloriously long stretch of sand that runs for 3.5 kilometres from Trial Bay into the heart of South West Rocks. This beach is patrolled during sum mer and school holidays.

8. Horseshoe Bay, South West Rocks

Location, location, location! The picturesque Horseshoe Bay is a stone’s throw from the centre of town, making it a delightful spot to dine on fish and chips whilst watching the waves. The safe little cove is patrolled on weekends and during school holidays and is a wonderful place for a refreshing dip.

9. Stuarts Point

Set on the banks of the Macleay River, the Point Holiday Park is a serene getaway nestled between flowing waterways, beach frontage and lush forest. Whether you prefer to launch the kayak from the banks of the up per Macleay River, stroll along the footbridge to the beach, or just sit back and cast a line from the park, you’ll find it all right here.

10. Grassy Head

This little-known treasure has a secret fan base of holiday-makers who spend Christ mas in the Grassy Head Holiday Park playing cricket and swimming at the beautiful beach just over the dunes. Walk around the head land to find your own rock pools or enjoy an uncrowded surf on the southern side of Grassy Head.

SHOWMEN

Spectacular!

As audiences return to theatres around the country, the biggest names in Australian magic have assembled their next sell-out smash hit, Showmen – The Ultimate Magic Spectacular - a supergroup of conjurers, tricksters, comedians, illusionists, and daredevils. Showmen is a family-friendly, jawdropping spectacle of live magic, illusions and stunts. The magic of live entertainment is back, with two live shows in Port Macquarie at the Glasshouse on Friday 20th January 2023 and Taree show at The MEC on Thu 19th Jan.

Mike Tyler and Christopher Wayne (also known as The Naked Magicians, Australia’s biggest ever magic export) are putting their clothes back on to become the creators and part of the Showmen lineup. With their return to

Queensland following their Las Vegas residency and touring the world to over 300 cities since 2015, they’ve assembled the ultimate cast of performers who have entertained millions on TV including America’s Got Talent, Australia’s Got Talent, Entertainment Tonight, The Bachelorette and Big Brother. This production is truly homegrown with the entire team of producers, cast, and creatives heralding from South East Qld.

Showmen also stars Josh Norbido (Australia’s Got Talent semi-finalist) as the show’s beatboxing, hiphop dancing street magician. Apollo Jackson (Australia’s Got Talent) who’ll

get your heart racing by showcasing the intimate side of magic. Many will remember Apollo as Sophie Monk’s love interest on The Bachelorette or the magical genie of Australia’s beloved Tim Tams.

Joel “The Cirque Stuntman” Fenton rounds out the cast as the world renowned big top sideshow artist, who will have the audiences both in tears AND on the edge of their seats! Perfect for adults, teenagers, and children aged 7+, Showmen is set to take Australia by storm as live theatre returns without restrictions in 2023.

Tickets available at officialshowmen.com

The Ultimate Magic

Home Grown Entertainers Team Up For Brand New Family Magic Spectacular Following Las Vegas Residency And USA Tour

GILL ANGUS

Angus Gill is a local singer songwriter who won this year’s Golden Guitar at just 24 years old. He has just released a Christmas album The Gilly Season which features all new Chrissy tunes including a song with fellow Golden guitar winner Melinda Schneider.

Hi Angus. When did you first feel really connected to music and decided this is something you wanted to pursue?

I got the hint pretty early on that I was a totally pathetic sportsman. A swimming teacher once told me “that kid’ll never learn to swim'' and she wasn’t too far from it either! I was 7 when I started on guitar and I took to it like a duck to water…if only I took to water like a duck to water! A local retired country singer, William Lane, taught me how to play and sing. I was taken aback by Bill’s own success, and wanted to learn his original songs before I learnt any others. When I got up in front of a crowd for the first time at the Star Hotel in Wauchope, I knew this was what I was going to do. I was hooked. How would you describe your style of music?

I’ll always be a country artist at heart, but

I’ve released quite a diverse body of work, as well as writing and producing for other artists across several genres. My own work ranges from traditional country, folk and bluegrass to Americana, roots, rock and blues.

I admire artists like Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan who have always tried to expand their sound and grow artistically with each project that they do. There’s still a distinct ‘Gill’ stamp on the music and the songs, but I’ve never been interested in trying to recreate the same project over again…there’s gotta be a different goal, a different purpose. A few years ago I produced and co-wrote a comedy album with a bunch of Australian comedians, such as Bev Killick, Hughesy, Akmal and

others. We got up for an ARIA for Best Comedy Release for a song off this project, which was awesome! I enjoy taking on side projects which are outside of what I normally do and challenge me to think differently and work differently.

As a singer songwriter, can you tell us a bit about your process from writing a song to having a finished piece?

It always starts with a strong idea (and title), as I believe a song is only as good as the idea. A song never comes about the same way in a collaborative environment, but when I write on my own, I tend to write a lyric first before picking up an instrument and finding the right glove for the lyric. I am also a meticulous editor. Songwriting is a very condensed form

I do what I do because I love it, there’s never been another option for me. Awards are always a bonus, but when you receive that recognition there’s no greater feeling of gratitude.

of storytelling, so you need to make sure there’s not a word wasted. Steve Martin said it best, “precision creates movement.”

You won the Golden Guitar this year, how did it feel to receive that recognition?

It was an amazing feeling! I do what I do because I love it, there’s never been another option for me. Awards are always a bonus, but when you receive that recognition there’s no greater feeling of gratitude. They say it takes 10 years to win your first Golden Guitar and that was true for me. I started recording professionally at 14, and I’m 24 now. I'll never forget that moment and the kind words John Williamson said about me shortly after I received the award. It was incredible!

You have just released a Christmas album The Gilly Season, why did you decide it was time to write some new Christmas tunes?

The catalyst for this project was a song I

wrote with Stuie French about 7 years ago called Present Time. I’ve always wanted to write some companions for that song and release it as a project. It was a challenge coming up with new Christmas song ideas and also trying to avoid too much overlap in subject matter from song to song. I think I managed to find those fresh ideas, by tapping into my own experiences and observations. The songs cover a range of emotions that accompany the Silly Season, from the fun Don’t Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle and Present Time, to the wry Cheapskate Christmas and Mistletoey and the poignant First Christmas Without You.

Your song Don’t Get Your Tinsel In A Tangle is a duet with fellow Golden Guitar winner Melinda Schneider, how did that all come together? Have you ever worked together before?

When I was writing Tinsel with my friends and long suffering collaborators Bill DiLuigi and Kirsti Manna, it became clear that this was a male/female duet and I was hearing Melinda’s voice singing it with me. I’ve always loved her work and we did work together briefly on

a variety show in Sydney a few years ago. I sent her the song, she loved it and thankfully agreed to do it with me. It was a real blast working with her on this!

Your songwriting often has a fun, relatable and comedic element to it, where has the inspiration for this Christmas album come from?

On every project I write for, I try to write what I know, what I see and what I feel. I feed the ‘art’ side of what I do by reading regularly and listening to music I’ve not heard before. I’ve tried to capture the ‘Gilly’ take on Christmas with this project. The fun, the humour, the stress, the pathos, the joy and everything else that goes along with it. What is your favourite way to spend Christmas day?

My favourite way to spend Christmas Day is at home with the family. My parents always get me practical presents for Christmas, like undies or Aldi pyjamas. So if anyone wants to buy me a present, I want something that’s not practical that I can never use! You could buy me a pair of flippers, but that’d be too practical…I could swim then! (laughs)

Where can people find out more or have a listen to The Gilly Season?

The Gilly Season is available on all streaming platforms, or via my website angusgill.com.au Thanks Angus

I’ve tried to capture the ‘Gilly’ take on Christmas with this project. The fun, the humour, the stress, the pathos, the joy and everything else that goes along with it.

EXP LORE Ignite Excite

very special curated program, all facilitated by a group of really talented local creatives living right here on the Mid North Coast.

This year’s line-up features some of our most popular art making programs. Returning will be our kids Sprouts, Creative Parents and Bubs, our very popular Craft and Cocktails, Life Drawing and a fun filled felt making workshop featuring six local contemporary artists who have created tailored activities based off their current art practice.

Hi Bridget. Thank you so much for speaking with FOCUS. The 2022/23 event looks spectacular. There truly is something for everyone and for all age groups and skill sets. Tell us a little about this year’s line-up of local artists and what they will be showcasing?

Thank you. We are very excited to launch our Summer Fun Program on December 1st. It’s a

The Port Macquarie region is such a vibrant hub of creatives doing extraordinary things in their artistic fields. Why is it so important for people to take advantage of these opportunities to engage in art and creativity?

We are so fortunate to celebrate and support our local creatives and their arts practice as this is at the very centre of what we do here in the Gallery and through our programming. This year’s SUMMER FUN Program not only creates a platform for exposure for these creatives, but it creates a place to connect, to learn about their processes, learn a new skill and of course - to

Glasshouse Regional Gallery presents the annual ‘Explore Excite Ignite’ Creative Learning Program. FOCUS caught up with Gallery Curator Bridget Purtill ahead of this year’s exciting event.

LUCY PASCALE SPROUTS

have fun!

As part of the ‘Explore Excite Ignite’ Program, there are also two key exhibitions currently on display in the gallery. Can you tell us a little about both of these?

We have two stellar exhibitions on display. On the ground floor we have ‘The Dobell Drawing Prize #22’. This is a touring exhibition from the National Art School, featuring forty three of some of Australia’s renowned artists. This exhibition transforms how we interpret drawing as an art form.

On our top floor and mezzanine we are excited to launch a new initiative in collaboration with the Cultural Development Team. Our first ever ‘Regional Creative Showcase’ features some of our senior high school and TAFE Creative Industry students, officially opening on December 9 at 6pm. It is a wonderful juxtaposition of exhibitions with something for everyone.

As the Glasshouse Regional Gallery’s Curator, you do such an incredible job putting this enriching event on each year. What do you hope participants will

take away from the creative learning program?

Thank you, I feel very blessed to sit in this seat and couldn’t do it without the support of a wonderful team and loyal patronage. Whether you visit the incredible displays in the Gallery space or participate in one of our programs on offer, our intention is that you walk away feeling inspired, perhaps have met someone new or have picked up a new skill. Either way this program is created for you.

What is on the horizon for the Gallery for the new year ahead?

We have another huge year ahead. The Gallery will be filled with local, touring, and curated exhibitions, along with exciting yet to be announced programs to “Explore, Excite

and Ignite” your senses. To keep up to date with what’s coming up, join our Gallery mailing list by visiting our website, or speak to one of our friendly Customer Service staff on your next visit. For people wanting to find out more about the program and book their spots (I know places are limited and will fill up very quickly), how can they best get in touch?

The Summer Fun Program will officially launch on December 1st Come and pick up our exclusive Summer Fun Program or check out our website for more information. glasshouse.org.au

Thanks Bridget. Interview: Sarah Baker.

Our first ever ‘Regional Creative Showcase’ features some of our senior high school and TAFE Creative Industry students, officially opening on December 9 at 6pm.

STU DOHERTY

CARLY MARCHMENT

GABRIELLA DOMIN

GEMMA CROSS

CLAIRE JOHNSON

LIFE DRAWING CREATIVE PARENTS & BUBS

CRAFT & COCKTAILS

CRAFT & COCKTAILS

MASTERCLASS

Wine TIME

with ALEX CASSEGRAIN SENIOR WINEMAKER CASSEGRAIN WINES

The festive season is fast approaching and no doubt what many of us are thinking about is spending time with family, friends and obviously enjoying great food and wine. For many of us in the Australian wine industry it’s the last break before the harvest starts which can be sometimes as early as MidJanuary so we all like to take full advantage of this time to celebrate and hopefully relax a little, and I can’t think of any better way then enjoying this time accompanied by a nice bottle of Sparkling Wine.

It might be interesting to know that there are four ways of producing Sparkling Wine but the clear differences between them is they are either force carbonated, or the carbon dioxide is created by yeast. They all have their place

in the market however the ‘Methode Traditionnelle' process (like the method that is done in making Champagne) in which yeast is used to create the sparkling wine is more complex as it involves a unique three stage process.

The first being to allow the wine to complete a secondary fermentation in the bottle resulting in the creation of the bubbles.

The second is allowing the wine to mature allowing yeast autolysis to develop complexity until deemed ready.

The third stage is to disgorge the wine which is the process of removing the yeast from the bottle to prepare for enjoyment.

The fantastic thing about this process is that all the maturing of the wine is done by the Winery so when you see a Sparkling Wine on the shelf it's completely ready for you to enjoy. Have a great festive season and bring in the New Year in sparkling style!

focus contributor.

The FESTIVE SEASON is upon us!

IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE FOUR WAYS OF PRODUCING SPARKLING WINE...

Palate

IT’S ALL ON THE MENU

Anyone else feel the same? Or does this year seem to be on some kind of heavy steroid regime?

All of a sudden we seem to be careening at breakneck speed into the silly season and then some. And I have the feeling that it is going to be very silly indeed.

Meanwhile

In much the same vein of the rest of the year, it appears that everything that had been denied throughout the course of COVID lockdowns has reappeared with a vengeance and crammed into our already overflowing to-do lists.

Not that anyone’s complaining right? After all, it is simply a joy to once again be able to freely experience the plethora of life’s many and varied offerings and get out and about, whenever and however we please.

You name it, it is all on the menu this year…travel, work conferences, sporting events, family reunions, huge birthday soirees, school open days, concerts, gala days and just about any other event or excuse to get people together. To make up for lost time for sure, and also just because, what we all know to be true now – that you never know what is around the corner, so best to just get things done while we can.

For our industry and many others it has been a push to get back to some kind of ‘new normal’ this year. With our sector still in flux and continuing to face all manner of challenges, we’re doing our best to go with the flow and enjoy being back in the

swing of things. Indeed it’s been wonderful to have recently attended the Good Food Guide awards in Sydney, after a 3 year hiatus and celebrate not just receiving awards, but having survived as a business and an industry.

It’s been a ride, this year of 2022 - but some of us may be experiencing some level of burnout to be sure. And with a big silly season on the cards, there’s got to be some time left for ourselves to regroup somehow. Meanwhile there’s people to see and places to go and parties, dinners, and presentations. Did someone say shopping? Surely there’s a good few weeks before that particular day arrives!

Hopefully the sun keeps shining and we can all plunge into the ocean for a reset, or take a quiet few minutes to walk along our beautiful coastline. Whatever you do this December, take the time to enjoy the company of those you care about and choose a moment or two just for you.

FROM THE STUNNED MULLET with LOU PERRI

focus contributor.

there’s people to see and places to go and parties, dinners, and presentations. Did someone say shopping? Surely there’s a good few weeks before that particular day arrives!

THURSDAY, 1

BROCK COLLEY

SUNDAY, 4

GREATER-PORT MACQUARIE

ANDREW COUSINS

DECE MBER2022

6:30pm Gary King Club North Haven

7:00pm Russell Dick Bar Capone

FRIDAY, 2

3:00pm Beechwood Community Christmas Beechwood Recreation Reserve

5:00pm Lo Monaco Wicked Elf Beer

5:30pm Andrew Cousins Chop n’ Chill

6:00pm Rockabillys Club Lake Cathie

6:00pm Pure Acoustic Wavebowl

6:30pm Alex McLeod Port Macquarie GC

7:00pm Geoff Jones Settlers Inn

7:00pm Elegant Bunny Tapp Bar

7:30pm Will Andrews Port City Bowling Club

8:00pm Andy & Betsy’s Funhouse Bonny Hills Hotel

8:00pm Electric Duo Finnians Irish Tavern

SATURDAY, 3

12:00pm Steve Bennett Brewhaven

12:30pm Andrew Best Chop n’ Chill

2:00pm Bill Roberts Wicked Elf Beer

5:30pm Yhan Leal | Orlandos Duo Tapp Bar

6:30pm Brock Colley Wavebowl

7:00pm Cheryl Hall Duo Bar Capone

7:30pm The Trapps Port City Bowling Club

7.30pm Geoff Jones Hastings Hotel

8:00pm Humpdaze Finnians Irish Tavern

8:00pm Adrenaline Crush Kove Lounge

8:00pm Can’t Adult Today Laurieton Hotel

12:30pm Simon Gudgeon Chop n’ Chill

1:00pm Dan Hopkins Long Flat Pub

1:00pm Al Mcleod Tapp Bar

1:30pm Nikki Rudge Wauchope Country Club

3:00pm Andrew Best Laurieton Hotel

4:00pm Beach Street Bonny Hills Hotel

WEDNESDAY, 7

6:30pm Mat Brooker Botanic Wine Garden

THURSDAY, 8

6:30pm Reggie Sinclair Club North Haven

7:00pm Ross Ruprecht Bar Capone

FRIDAY, 9

5:00pm Kyle Moore Wicked Elf Beer

5:30pm Andrew Best Chop n’ Chill

6:00pm Shane Peters Club Lake Cathie

6:00pm Geoff Jones Wavebowl

6:30pm Mike Mille Port Macquarie Golf Club

7:00pm Brock Colley Settlers Inn

7:00pm Rowland & Shekinah Duo Tapp Bar

7:30pm Super Cell Port City Bowling Club

8:00pm Cheryl Hall Duo Bonny Hills Hotel

8:00pm Nana Klumpp Finnians Irish Tavern

SATURDAY,

10

12:00pm Geoff Jones Brewhaven

12:30pm Jackson James Chop n’ Chill

2:00pm Sam Buckley Wicked Elf Beer

CHRIS ROSE

5:30pm Who’s Charlie Tapp Bar

6:30pm Mike Miller Wavebowl

7:00pm Subvertigo Bar Capone

7:00pm Pure Acoustic Comboyne Club

7:30pm Adrenalin Crush Bonny Hills Hotel

7:30pm Alter Ego Port City Bowling Club

8:00pm New Wave Solo Kove Lounge

8:00pm Dan Hopkins Laurieton Hotel

SUNDAY, 11

12:30pm Goody 2 Shoes Chop n’ Chill

1:00pm Lighthouse Trio Tapp Bar

1:30pm Pure Acoustic Wauchope Country Club

3:00pm Bill Roberts Laurieton Hotel

4:00pm Nikki Rudge Bonny Hills Hotel

4:30pm Christmas under the Stars Westport Park

6:00pm Max Marvell Wavebowl

WEDNESDAY, 14

6:30pm Ross Ruprecht Botanic Wine Garden

THURSDAY,

15

6:30pm Young Floyd Club North Haven

7:00pm Angie Lee Duo Bar Capone

FRIDAY, 16

5:00pm Mark Bergin Wicked Elf Beer

5:30pm Mat Brooker Chop n’ Chill

6:00pm Stevie B Club Lake Cathie

6:00pm Gotcha Covered Wavebowl

6:30pm Besty Port Macquarie Golf Club

7:00pm Jazz Duo Bar Capone

NIKKI RUDGE

7:00pm Rhys Callinan Settlers Inn

7:00pm Live Music Tapp Bar

7:30pm Craig Stewart Port City Bowling Club

8:00pm The Rockabilly’s Bonny Hills Hotel

8:00pm Jonesy Finnians Irish Tavern

8:00pm Leigh I’Anson Laurieton Hotel

SATURDAY, 17

12:00pm Mat Brooker Brewhaven

12:30pm Andrew Best Chop n’ Chill

2:00pm Dan Hopkins Wicked Elf Beer

5:30pm Max Marvel | Shmoné Tapp Bar

6:30pm Young Floyd Little Turkey

7:00pm Raku Bonny Hills Hotel

7:30pm Liam Moylan Port City Bowling Club

8:00pm Smooth Moves Finnians Irish Tavern

8:00pm Graham Howle Kove Lounge

8:00pm Humpdaze Laurieton Hotel

SUNDAY, 18

12:30pm Craig Stewart Chop n’ Chill

1:00pm Starboard Tapp Bar

1:30pm Happy Dave Wauchope Country Club

3:00pm Goody 2 Shoes Laurieton Hotel

3:00pm Pam Hata Wavebowl

4:00pm Steve Taylor Bonny Hills Hotel

5:30pm Carols at the Beach Bonny Hills SLSC

WEDNESDAY, 21

5:30pm Christmas on the Green Wauchope Country Club

6:30pm Starboard Botanic Wine Garden

THURSDAY, 22

6:30pm Shane Peters Club North Haven

7:00pm Mat Brooker Bar Capone

FRIDAY, 23

JESS FLANAGAN

6:30pm

THURSDAY, 29

1:00pm Craig Stewart Chop n’ Chill

6:30pm Leigh I’Anson Club North Haven

7:00pm Andy Blackmore Bar Capone

5:00pm Jasmine O’Brien Wicked Elf Beer

5:30pm Mat Brooker Chop n’ Chill

6:00pm Can’t Adult Today Club Lake Cathie

6:00pm Jake Davey Wavebowl

6:30pm Brody Ireland Port Macquarie Golf Club

7:00pm Mr Stitches Fernhill Tavern

7:00pm Besty Settlers Inn

8:00pm Supercell Bonny Hills Hotel

8:00pm Live Music Finnians Irish Tavern

8:00pm Pam Hata Laurieton Hotel

SATURDAY, 24

12:00pm Bill Roberts Brewhaven

12:30pm Brody Ireland Chop n’ Chill

5:30pm Nikki Rudge Tapp Bar

7:30pm Darren White Port City Bowling Club

8:00pm Off Tap! Bonny Hills Hotel

8:00pm Scoundscape Laurieton Hotel

TUESDAY, 27

1:00pm Craig Stewart Chop n’ Chill

WEDNESDAY, 28

1:00pm Craig Stewart Chop n’ Chill

1:00pm Kallidad Tapp Bar

FRIDAY, 30

5:00pm Anna-Vee Wicked Elf Beer

5:30pm Craig Stewart Chop n’ Chill

6:00pm Gary King Club Lake Cathie

6:30pm Jim Moore Duo Port Macquarie Golf Club

7:30pm Gotcha Covered Port City Bowling Club

8:00pm Bill Roberts Finnians Irish Tavern

8:00pm Prime Suspex Laurieton Hotel

SATURDAY, 31

12:30pm Echo Bravo Delta | Kyle Moore

Duo Wicked Elf Beer

5:00pm Pure Acoustic | Jackson James Duo Wicked Elf Beer

6:00pm Monster Boys Wavebowl

6:30pm Kyle Moore Little Turkey

7:00pm Dean Weston Comboyne Club

7:30pm Super Cell Port City Bowling Club

7:30pm Happy Dave Wauchope Country Club

8:00pm Orlando Trio Bonny Hills Hotel

8:00pm Ecko Beach Laurieton Hotel

Sarah McKenna Botanic Wine Garden

EVENTS

Marketplace Events has a huge lineup of markets to tick all your local shopping boxes this Summer.

Kicking off with the Foreshore Market on Saturday 10 December at Westport Park. This market has been operating for over 10 years providing a supportive and inclusive platform for stallholders to showcase their wares. From plants to pottery, cooked food to fresh eggs, jewellery, candles, pet accessories and more, there is literally something for everyone! SAVE THE DATE: Be sure to join us for the first Foreshore Market of 2023 on Saturday 14th January!

We’re super excited to announce the return of the ‘Town Square’ markets, they were a huge hit with tourists and locals earlier in the year.

These markets are right in the heart of the CBD at Town Square, with over 45 stallholders showcasing their wares just in time for Christmas. Bring the kids along to

the craft tent to create something special to take home and enjoy the live music stage presented by local music legends .

The ‘Town Square’ markets will run from 10am-2pm on 17th, 22nd and 31st of December. See you at the markets.

17TH DECEMBER 2022 | 10AM-2PM 22ND DECEMBER 2022 | 10AM-2PM 31ST DECEMBER 2022 | 10AM-2PM

Join us as we transform Town Square into a vibrant shopping experience for our 2022 holiday markets!

ASSEF’S

-COMES TOPORT MACQUARIE

Please introduce yourself and your family to our readers. My wife Zoe, daughter Georgie (almost 2) and I (Charlie) have just moved from Wagga Wagga to open the Assef’s clothing store on Horton Street, Port Macquarie. Zoe grew up on Lord Howe Island, and I grew up in Armidale. We’re grateful that opening the store has enabled us to be much closer to our families.

Who is the ASSEF’S brand and where did it begin? In 1923, Anthony Assef travelled to Australia from Lebanon, following the path of many others in setting up a new life for his family in regional NSW.

Four generations and almost 100 years on from Anthony Assef’s first venture, the Assef family still own and run a department store in Moree selling men’s, women’s and children’s clothing as well as an extensive kitchenware range. The Port Macquarie store is the first new Assef’s

store in more than 50 years.

What can customers expect when they come into your shop? They should expect to find quality Australian and international brands at excellent prices (brands like RM Williams, Country Road, Industrie, Mimco, Gant, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi’s, Ariat, Thomas Cook, Goondiwindi Cotton and many more). They should expect to be served by a fantastic team who will warmly welcome and assist them as much as they’d like. They should expect to see plenty of stock on the shelves (in a full range of sizes) so they can find what they need in

the store, try it on, and know that it fits them before they buy it.

What are you most proud of when it comes to bringing this store to Port Macquarie? We’ve been overwhelmed with feedback from customers who have told us just how much Port Macquarie needed a store that stocked something a little different. It’s been both unexpected and very lovely. We’re proud to be playing a small part in enriching both the retail scene and the social fabric of the community by providing the town with great clothing that they otherwise wouldn’t have access to.

It’s an interesting time of the year isn’t it? A time when we’re starting to feel the weight of the year that’s been, but we’re also sensing that Summer is finally on its way, so the relief of sunset drinks and long lazy evenings are soon to be with us.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned during my 10 years in retail, it is that this time of the year unlike any other time of the year means so many different things to so many different people. Many look forward to letting their hair down and enjoying some long overdue “me time” while for others it’s the busiest time of year where focusing on everyone else becomes the highest priority.

For us personally, while we don’t celebrate Christmas it’s always a very hectic time of year, with our businesses requiring our highest level of attention and our gift wrapping skills going into overdrive! However you plan to spend your December, there’s a couple of failsafe techniques I use to ensure I’m able to enjoy the ride that the end of the year always tends to turn into!

Tip #1 - Don’t leave everything until the last minute… now we hear this every year, whether it be grocery shopping (throwing in

an extra can of three bean mix each week because, you know, Woolies closes for 24 hours) or buying gifts, it pays to get prepped early to try and avoid the crowds. Making a list and ticking it off is a tried and true method of keeping on track and allowing you to focus on what needs to be done and when!

This year, we’re seeing a big lean towards bright fun colours, with lots of jewel tones, the odd sequin here and there and a definite return of the Summer Dress - all making it easy to be party ready in a flash.

Tip #2 - Look after yourself, mentally and physically December can take its toll on us both mentally and physically, by adding a whole extra layer of effort onto what has already been a big year. Taking some time out to ensure that your metaphoric “cup is full” (however that looks for you) is an essential part of ensuring that you can enjoy the longer days, and feel refreshed when the new year rolls around and we find ourselves back on the treadmill all too soon!

Tip #3 - Dress to Impress! December is often the time when we are either

entertaining more at home, or heading out to drinks and dinner with friends, sometimes at short notice! One way to ensure you feel your best is to have a killer “go-to outfit” at the ready, one that will easily take you to any occasion that is calling your name. This year, we’re seeing a big lean towards bright fun colours, with lots of jewel tones, the odd sequin here and there and a definite return of the Summer Dress - all making it easy to be party ready in a flash. But now as the end of the year approaches, and we all begin to reflect on the year that was, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our lovely loyal customers near and far for your support throughout the year. It’s been our pleasure being here for you. And to those of you who we haven’t met yet, we look forward to meeting and getting to know you in 2023.

Until next time… Lusanna x

FROM MEG + ME with LUSANNA

MONTHLY focus contributor.

Well I don’t know about you, but I’m slightly freaking out at the fact that I am writing this column for the December edition, which can only mean one thing… we’re heading into Party Season!

BUBLÉ BEST OF EXPERIENCE

RHYDIAN LEWIS

Popular Australian singer Rhydian Lewis will be channeling his inner Michael Bublé and performing his biggest hits at the The Glasshouse for a special matinee tribute show on Sunday December 4th at 3pm. FOCUS caught up with Rhydian ahead of his exciting 2022 tour.

Hi Rhydian. It is such a pleasure to speak with you and I know there are already so many excited Port Macquarie locals who cannot wait to see you perform this year at The Glasshouse for another Michael Bublé extravaganza. Firstly, how has your year been? What have you been up to? I know you must be relieved to be performing live again after a couple of years of COVID restrictions?

Yes, well, it’s been a slow start to the year, but definitely finishing with a bang. Michael Bublé usually has the number one Christmas album for the last nine years in a row and I don’t think it’s any different this year. So starting this weekend, it’s non-stop shows. I’ve got at least three performances a week, right up until Christmas Eve where I’m finishing off the tour in Airlie Beach. I’m really looking forward to performing at The Glasshouse. I loved playing there last year and the facilities are world class. The crew I believe are still the same. They’re on such a high professional level and the actual building itself is just a dream,

it’s so extravagant. I believe that the ticket sales are doing really well and so I’m really looking forward to meeting a lot of residents. I’m pretty sure there’ll be some return guests for this year’s event. Now as well as Michael Bublé, your performance repertoire includes music by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Paula Anka, George Michael, Elvis and Neil Diamond. What are some of your favourite hits amongst these iconic artists to perform and why?

God what a great question. Where to begin?

I really like songs where the artist has been involved in the writing, so either the idea or the lyrics behind the song. I’ll give you an example. I really love Michael Bublé’s ‘Lost’ song that Michael wrote when he told his then longtime girlfriend that he’d met somebody else, and realised how devastating it was to his partner and also to himself and that actually put him in such a low place. Sometimes when an artist is in such a tragic, massively heartfelt situation they can create magic through their artistry. I believe that being an artist is actually sort of paramount to sharing your passion and

sharing your feelings or your emotions with an audience.

Rhydian, you can also sing in five languages including Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish, Italian and English - this is extraordinary! Tell us about some of your highlights to date performing numbers in various languages?

Definitely a career highlight would be performing in the Gold Coast Star Casino. It was a full house. I sang a Chinese mainland company theme song. In China, all the big companies and corporations have a theme song and they either choose a song that already exists, or they make one themselves in house using a famous artist. So I performed this company’s song and they were that blown away that they invited me to come to China to play a worldwide show in Guangzhou, which is about 70 kilometres from Hong Kong. I sang that song in Mandarin and I didn’t quite know how big it was going to be. It was actually a football stadium. The Chinese Army was there, and there were 17,000 people in this stadium including delegates from Russia, Korea, America and Poland. The Chinese don’t do anything by

halves and they have massive budgets. That experience was mind blowing.

I actually speak in about 20 languages. I know a lot of different languages and I know a lot of pieces. Singing in another language opens a lot of doors and it’s really interesting when you actually sing in somebody’s native tongue, for instance, I use the Chinese again, they’re so tactile. They will actually come over and start touching you and speaking to you and hugging you and taking your picture. It’s quite bizarre but beautiful in the same way. There is nothing quite like the sound of Michael Bublé as Christmas approaches. What can we expect from this year’s performance at The Glasshouse and what do you consider to be the most popular Bublé hits with an audience?

These are great questions I have to say. So there’s 10 of us on the stage - huge sounding musicians, all the very best in their field. I’m really blessed with our band. I’m basically surrounding myself with the best musicians that I can find. These types of songs from the 1940s up to the 1970s carry this massive horn sound and that’s the magic key for me when they’re playing behind you. It just makes all the Christmas songs come alive with that swing feel. The instruments when blended together in the various harmonies just ignite and the sound is so beautiful, so I’ve got fantastic charts and fantastic musicians. The most memorable songs that I think Bublé audiences love would be ‘Home,’ ‘Everything,’ ‘It’s A Beautiful Day’ and

then obviously you’ve got ’It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas’ and ‘Winter Wonderland.’

I understand you also have a standout female vocalist who joins you for some duets and is part of the ensemble playing trumpet. Georgie Chorley is also quite popular amongst a crowd. What will her influence bring this year to the show?

Yes, Georgie is a phenomenal singer and hails from Bellingen, up your way. She’s performed in the United States and she’s released singles in Australia and worldwide. She also doubles up on trumpet number two and joins me for a couple of duets. Georgie’s presence is fantastic and everybody truly loves her in the band. She’s such a high level performer and the fact that she is the only female doesn’t really mean anything. Everybody’s on a level playing field. As well as Georgie, you also lead a talented ten-piece band. Tell us a little about your performance group as a whole and how long you have been performing together?

So to my knowledge we are Australia’s longest running Bublé tribute show. We’ve been going now for 11 and a half years. There’s not been a year, apart from COVID that we haven’t toured nationally. It all happened quite organically. I approached my Musical

Director and told him that I wanted to create Australia’s premiere Bublé band. His name is Nicolas Laganin. He hails from Brisbane University and he plays trombone and keys and he’s a phenomenal singer. He put the band together originally and we’ve still got five of the original members. What is on the horizon for you career-wise for 2023?

I love your questions! I’m going to give you a scoop. I have not told this as yet to any journalist so you are the first. It’s been on the cards for a long time but I have finally managed to make it happen just yesterday when I completed the song lineup for what I’ve called ‘King of the Swingers.’ It’s Sinatra through the years. So 2023 is the launch of this brand new show. I do believe that I hold the crown of Australia’s Sinatra. It’s going to be huge and I hope that we can take it throughout Australia and to Las Vegas. This kind of show needs to be put on in front of an audience in a place where people would expect that kind of show featuring a 16 to 20-piece swing band, and some of the best songs ever written. So, yes I’m really looking forward to 2023. It’s going to be magical. I can’t wait!

Thanks Rhydian. Interview: Sarah Baker.

It just makes all the Christmas songs come alive with that swing feel. The instruments when blended together in the various harmonies just ignite and the sound is so beautiful.

At the 2022 NSW Tourism Awards held at Luna Park in Sydney on 17 November, Port Macquarie’s Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail won Gold in the category of ‘Tourist Attractions’.

We were proud and honoured to represent Port Macquarie in this year’s NSW Tourism Awards. Launched in September 2014 by the NSW Premier, after 3 years of research and development, Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail has won NSW Tourism Awards each year since 2015.

But winning Gold for the category ‘Tourist Attractions’ is the best of the best!

It’s the result of a wonderful team of artists, sponsors, suppliers and supporters making this popular and free public art tourism experience the best in NSW. It’s a real turning point for the Hello Koalas project in terms of our national and international profile. Since 2014, we have created 83 one metre high fibreglass koala sculptures, hand-painted and decorated by 69 commissioned artists in 65 locations around Greater Port Macquarie and the Mid North Coast.

Many of our Hello Koalas sponsors have been with us right from the beginning and remain committed to our ideals of promoting koala conservation and preserving this iconic species for future generations. Special thanks to Forestry Corporation of NSW which sponsors 3 Hello Koalas sculptures – ‘Forest’ at Port Macquarie Museum, ‘Woody’ at Sealy Lookout in Coffs Harbour and ‘Guula’ at Wauchope Train Station.

Forestry now hosts Hello Koalas latest sculpture ‘The Big Koala’ (2.5 metres high) at their new tourism and educational precinct in the Cowarra State Forest, called Guulabaa, Place of Koala. The Big Koala is sponsored by Regional Bank Australia. It is estimated that in the first month since its launch on 18 September, The Big Koala was visited by 15,000 people and it’s already a landmark for our region!

A facial cast of The Big Koala is on display at Hello Koalas Gift Shop at Bellbowrie Park Business Centre, Shop 16, 10 Bellbowrie Street, along with 16 one metre high Hello Koalas sculptures. COVID halted our Hello Koalas travelling exhibitions in 2021/2022 which is why we have a larger number of sculptures than usual on display in the Hello Koalas Gift Shop, open 6 days a week.

Hello Koalas Gift Shop is the best place to come for Christmas Shopping – with novel and fun gift ideas with a koala theme including my favourite ... a koala doorstop! Proceeds help us to continue our advocacy work for koala conservation. The special edition of Monopoly Port Macquarie is exclusive to Hello Koalas Gift Shop and has been a fantastic fund-raiser to build The Big Koala and continue support for the overarching Big Koala Project which includes children’s books. Following the success of Hello Koalas’ first children’s book, ‘Lola had a Dream’, written and illustrated by local artist Francessca O’Donnell, Hello Koalas is planning its second children’s book for mid 2023 about The Big Koala! Painted by Pauline Roods, The Big Koala features 31 koala characters living happily in their forest home and telling

the story of why caring for our koalas is so important.

It is also a wonderful testament to the partners working with Forestry Corporation of NSW to create a world class koala experience while raising awareness about forest ecology and koala care.

Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail, with The Big Koala, is one of four project partners at Guulabaa, Place of Koala, located on the corner of the Oxley Highway and Burrawan Forest Drive – just 5 minutes from the Pacific Highway turnoff to Wauchope. The three other project partners are the fun-filled forest adventure WildNets, now open, and coming soon, Koala Conservation Australia’s wild koala breeding centre and Bunyah Aboriginal Land Council’s gallery and café. Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail is very excited about this new nature-based tourism venture and hats off to all who have worked very hard to make it happen for the enjoyment and delight of people of all ages from our community and visitors to our region.

Margret Meagher, Founder, Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail.

Hello Koalas Gift Shop

Bellbowrie Park Business Centre Shop 16, 10 Bellbowrie Street, Port Macquarie (between Bay Street and Hastings River Drive, 5 minutes from Settlement City) 0416 641 482 info@hellokoalas.com hellokoalas.com

Hours of Opening for Christmas

Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm Saturday 9am to 12 noon

Pictured. Hello Koalas Margret Meagher and Chris Denny, Greater Port Macquarie Tourism Association accepting the 2022 ‘Tourist Attractions’ Gold Award, presented by Paula Martin, NSW Tourism Industry Council

Jess

GYPSY RAE DESIGNS

Hi Jess. Your jewellery designs are so gorgeous and fun, when did you start Gypsy Rae designs?

Gypsy Rae has existed, in some form, for the last 12 years! I started it as a creative outlet while working in a very uncreative career. Initially as handmade hair accessories, then Kimono Jackets repurposed from silk saris and now handcrafted resin earrings. It exists as an expression of me and I’ve let it evolve over time to follow my passions through the years. Have you always been a crafty person?

I’ve been blessed with really crafty role models - my Grandma, who would curate craft gift kits and exposed me to new hobbies, like glass painting, quilling and Teddy Bear making and my Mum, who sought out weekly art classes with a local artist for myself and my twin sister when we were little. My mum has discovered, since retirement, that she’s an incredible oil painter. Her talents having sat dormant while she focused on encouraging my sister and I to pursue our own. My twin

sister, Katie, is an artist who works with acrylic paints on gorgeous timber pieces and creates stunning Australian Native Flora (Insta: Katie Yarnold Art). I feel incredibly proud to come from a bloodline of beautiful female artists who have always inspired me to explore and play with art in its various forms. Why did you choose to focus on creating jewellery?

During my maternity leave, I stumbled upon the earring maker community of Instagram and was inspired to try my hand at epoxy resin. My sister Katie, bestie Rea, Mum and Mother-In-Law, loved what I made and encouraged me to move it from a hobby to a business, staying my most loyal customers, often raiding my collections to be walking billboards for Gypsy Rae! I just love that earrings are for everyone, they always fit and are an easy way to make any outfit special. Can you tell us a bit about the process of creating these pieces?

A couple of years ago, my husband gifted me an IPad and Apple Pencil for my birthday and it, hands-down, changed Gypsy Rae. I

design in Procreate and spend time refining each digital design, before moving into the prototyping phase. This involves making prints, using a cricut to precisely cut shapes and usually going back and forth, printing, adjusting, resizing and reprinting, until it looks the way I envisioned. It is rare for a concept to work straight away, I usually have to make a number of changes to ensure that the elements work as a physical design. Does the earring hang straight? Does it sit comfortably beside the face? Once the design works, it’s time to resin. This is the most fun/precarious time. Resin still has the ability to surprise me, as the slightest change in temperature or additive, like glitter or colouring, can completely change how the resin reacts, but when it works in your favour it’s absolutely invigorating. Once cured, it’s on to sanding and drilling. It’s a messy step and I usually need a shower to get rid of all the dust! I always recommend using a respirator to guard against inhaling any of the epoxy powder, but once done it’s time to assemble and card up the earrings on their display cards. This

Jess is the creator behind local

Johns

River brand Gypsy Rae. She creates the most fun, vibrant earring designs using resin and has just released the cutest Christmas collection to help us get into the festive spirit!

is when everything comes together, the final design is revealed and all the hard work pays off! I then become a photographer, IT person and content creator, updating and maintaining my website and creating for Instagram and Facebook to introduce the next collection release. How do you come up with new designs? Where do you draw your inspiration from?

My inspiration comes from everywhere! It could be while watching a movie or TV Show and I’ll see a character, colour or a shape I want to play with. I’m actually loving the 70’s aesthetic right now, so that’s inspiring a lot of what I’m doing. Sometimes inspiration will come through one of my friends, or a gorgeous customer, who will suggest something they would love to see. I love my little Insta community and getting into the DM’s to chat and be inspired by my customers is always a huge source of inspiration.

You are a one woman show. How long does it take you to create a collection of pieces and how many pieces do you usually make of each design?

Some collections come to me so organically and it feels so quick and easy, while others (and usually my favourites in the end) are more hard fought wrestles against gravity, for resin to not overflow into odd shapes. But I usually take around 2 months to see a collection go from concept to finished

product. I aim to pull together at least 6 unique styles per collection and start with 6 pairs of each style. I like to keep my releases on the small side, as there’s something special about getting your hands on something a little limited and rare. Popular designs will often pop up in a restock down the track, but I find smaller releases allow me to gauge interest and get a feel for what people are attracted to. This helps me to create future collections, constantly adding to my knowledge of what draws people to GypsyRae and the aesthetic I want to represent me as a brand.

You have some super fun Christmas designs out at the moment, is this your first Christmas collection? What inspired you to get into the festive spirit?

This is the 3rd year Gypsy Rae has released a Christmas Collection and they prove to be the most popular designs of the whole year! The feedback is that people are thrilled to see a new take on Christmas. I’m incredibly proud of my innovation of the Bobble-Head characters, like Buddy Elf, Grinch and Mr & Mrs Claus. They’re so recognisable and have become synonymous with Gypsy Rae. I have so much fun creating quirky Christmas designs which give people a giggle or add extra sparkle. It’s a thrill helping people bring on the festive season and to express a little of their personality in such a fun way!

When you’re not making jewels what

might we find you doing?

I just celebrated 15 years married to the love of my life Timmy, and we’re preparing to send our one-and-only, Jackson to Kindy next year. We’re very slowly renovating our little cottage on our acre block, paying professionals when we’re over our heads, but utilising YouTube and our (perhaps misguided) enthusiasm to learn and do a lot of the renos ourselves. I never would have imagined that I would enjoy hooning around on a zero-turn mower, but I do! We live on the best street, with amazing neighbours who we count as friends and often pop over for a few drinks and a BBQ around the bonfire. I’m also lucky enough to have beautiful parents & amazing in-laws who are close by and always up for a visit or perhaps a camping trip in the caravan. But on the quiet days, there’s always a good coffee and a true crime doco or podcast calling my name and keeping me entertained. Where can people find your designs or get in touch?

My website is the best place to checkout: www.gypsyrae.com.au. I’m also on Instagram, just search for @gypsyrae.designs. I love the community of gorgeous humans I have over there and there’s always room for more kindred spirits, who enjoy their accessories a little quirky, fun and love to support small, handcrafted, Aussie business! xx

It is rare for a concept to work straight away, I usually have to make a number of changes to ensure that the elements work as a physical design.

Inside you'll find some new exciting businesses and some old favourites. Conveniently located close to Settlement City and with plenty of easy parking, Bellbowrie Park Business Centre is definitely worth a look.

Matt Jorgensen

PHOTOGRAPHY

Port Macquarie based wedding, seascape and landscape photographer Matt Jorgensen has a passion for photography. Since discovering the art form in 1991, he has never looked back. ‘I love being able to see some of the most amazing sights on the planet and I love being able to share these with other people through my work. A big part of my approach when photographing an image is in maintaining a respect for the natural beauty of the amazing views I capture.’

View Matt’s image gallery online or at his Bellbowrie Park space. You can also contact Matt to hire out a photo booth for your next special event. Pose It! Photo Booths are a brand

new addition to the Port Macquarie and Mid North Coast photography and entertainment scene. Bringing fun, vitality and unique appeal, Pose It! Photo Booths are guaranteed to bring out the creative spirit of your guests and add a touch of hilarity to traditional photography. Pose It! Photo Booths are available for your

mattjorgensenphotography.com.au Unit 17, Bellbowrie Park Business Centre, Port Macquarie info@mattjorgensenphotography. com.au 0414 428 867 fb / ig

Hello Koalas

‘Welcome back to Vicki Eslick, as Shop

Manager of Hello Koalas Gift Shop, after a few months visiting family in Melbourne.

With Vicki’s arrival back in Port Macquarie, the opening hours of the Hello Koalas Gift Shop are expanding to Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm and Saturday 9am to 12 noon over summer. Pick up a FREE Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail Map & Guide and take photos of 16+ Hello Koalas sculptures all in the one place. Plus choose unique gifts which say "Port Macquarie” in a very special way including Hello Koalas 2023 Calendars, Tea Towels, T shirts and Port Macquarie’s very own exclusive edition of Monopoly with its own customised silver koala token based on the Hello Koalas sculpture design.

Hello Koalas Gift Shop is opposite Cassera’s Cafe in the Bellbowrie Park Business Centre and directly behind PC Pitstop on the streetfront at 10 Bellbowie Street, Port Macquarie - just 5 minutes walk down Bay Street from Settlement City.

Unit 16, Bellbowrie Park Business Centre, Port Macquarie

(just 5 minutes walk from Settlement City)

Contact Us: Online at www.hellokoalas.com Phone 0416 641 482, Email info@hellokoalas.com

AIR LIQUIDE HEALTHCARE

Locally family owned and partnered business with a world leader in sleep and respiratory solutions.

Business owners, Brett and Renee Cone have been serving the Mid North Coast community since 2015, providing sleep apnea and medical oxygen products and services to the Manning, Hastings, Macleay and Nambucca regions as the Air Liquide Healthcare Agent. Brett was diagnosed with sleep apnea and has been using CPAP therapy over 15 years ago and He and Renee draw upon this experience to offer extensive firsthand knowledge on therapy use and living with sleep apnea.

Along with having the most comprehensive range of CPAP and medical oxygen equipment

on the Mid North Coast, Brett and Renee facilitate Medicare funded (bulk-billed), home based sleep apnea testing with quick availability and a diagnosis provided by an independent Sleep Physician. Contact us today for more information.

Come in to Bellbowrie Park Business Centre to discover these and many other businesses and services

Unit 4, Bellbowrie Park Business Centre, Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie, NSW 2444 P: 02 6583 6728

E: team@mylifetech.com.au

Vicki Eslick, Hello Koalas Gift Shop Manager, Margret Meagher, Hello Koalas Founder, Suzanne Waller, Hello Koalas Events Co-ordinator

Nikki S T A F F O R D

THE QUOKKAS

Hi Nikki. When did you first get into rowing and what do you love about it?

Well, I was a late starter into rowing commencing when I was 26. I did Nippers until I was 14 and wanted to get back into the Surf Club somehow. One afternoon I saw Rick Rolff sweep a surfboat over the bar in a big swell and I thought “that sport is for me”.

I love surfboat rowing for the competitive comradery and fitness it provides, not to mention the wonderful friendships I’ve made along the way. There’s nothing better than working together as a team, busting out to get to the cans, then turning the can to catch the wave of the day with your mates.

How does surf rowing differ from rowing in calm water and what skills do you need to be able to participate in surf rowing?

They say how you pick a ‘boatie’ is that they don’t move when you throw bricks at them, so it’s safe to say surf boat rowers are a unique but a tough bunch. Naturally you get knocked around as you’re trying to get the boat off the beach, through waves and back in again but we have faith in each other and our sweep’s ability to navigate any conditions. It’s surprisingly very technical but with some good training and eagerness to learn, anyone can learn!

You train and compete with your team

The Quokkas, can you tell us about your team members and how you all came

together?

Our crew is made up of some pretty amazing and committed women. I first met Sarah and Corinne last year when they wanted to be part of the Ocean Thunder series. Lyndsay has joined us this year also after moving out of Sydney. Sarah’s from Old Bar, Corinne’s from Forster, Lyndsay’s from Crescent Head and myself from Port. These ladies are very experienced rowers and travel 3 times a week to train all together as a crew, so to say they are committed is an understatement. Our sweep Mark also dedicates a lot of time into making sure the boat is ready for us, setting great programs and making sure we are ready both mind and body.

What sort of training do you do and how

Nikki Stafford and her surf rowing crew

THE QUOKKAS ARE OFF TO COMPETE WITH SOME OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY AT THE OCEAN THUNDER RACE AT DEE WHY BEACH IN SYDNEY. The competition is tough but these ladies are ready for it!

often do you train?

We are coached by a very experienced surfboat coach Mark ‘Skitz’ Van Aalderen, and he sets our program making sure we peak at the correct times. He has moved up from Ocean Beach and trains us 3 times a week in the boat. This could be at the beach or river, plus multiple erg and gym sessions per week. Rowing isn’t for the faint hearted and he prepares us well. You guys are heading to Sydney to compete in the Ocean Thunder race, can you tell us a bit about this particular comp?

We are really excited to be competing in this elite series for a second year. They say “to be the best, you have to beat the best” and this is why we are going to give it a good crack. It’s a hefty entry fee and lures the cream of surfboat crews across Australia. There will be crews from NSW, QLD, SA and VIC all coming to join the broadcasted event at Dee Why beach. This competition in particular is an opportunity to refine our skills and compete against regular Australian finalists and medal winners, even Olympians! Why did you decide to put your hands up for this particular comp and what are you hoping to take away from it yourselves?

This season as a crew and the direction of our sweep, we have made some big goals and will be attending many events. ‘Ocean Thunder’ is our main priority but we are also competing in the National Short Course

Titles, the National Team selection, Australian Surf Rowers League (ASRL), Country, State and finishing up at the Australian Titles in WA.

We competed in the North Coast Boat Series a couple of weeks ago as this was a good opportunity to get our season going, competing against strong Queensland crews and we won the whole weekend. So this has set us up to be competitive against seasoned Ocean Thunder campaigners and put our region on the map.

We will take away the experience and enjoyment of being on the big stage knowing we are making our family, friends and supporters proud.

You will be one of the only teams from a smaller regional area, what do you hope to show others in getting out and competing with the big guns?

We are very proud to represent our local community and the Mid North Coast and to be a small country club mixing it with the biggest and best clubs from Sydney is amazing. We like going in under the radar and we just focus on our crew and the job we need to do. We’re a competitive bunch of ladies but enjoy making friends along the way.

You guys have competed in this comp

once before, what do you know this time heading into it that you were unaware of last time as newbies?

At Ocean Thunder last year, we were star struck and were in awe of the amazing competition and rowers on display. They set the bar high and by the end of the season we rose to the occasion making the top 6. This year, we are simply building on from where we left last year which was the semis at the Aussie Titles. Our mindset is different and we are so much stronger, wiser and we have an additional new experienced rower into our mix so we will definitely go into the competition raring to go.

This year there are over 20 female crews which is a great sign the competition is strong and growing each year.

We can’t wait to see how you go! The event is televised, where can people watch along or check in on how you went?

The event will be live streamed via YouTube https://www.youtue.com/channel/UCq2Doa48Wm0yK6S8I-pcA alternatively you can follow our journey on instagram @pmq_ quokkas. Channel nine will also show all 4 rounds but will post details when available. Thanks Nikki.

We are very proud to represent our local community and the Mid North Coast and to be a small country club mixing it with the biggest and best clubs from Sydney is amazing.

focus contributor.

FITNESS

UPDATE

FROM MISS MOTIVATOR with RACHEL LEMAN

TO SPLURGE OR NOT TO SPLURGE?

elcome to the December Fitness update. With the festive season well and truly upon us I thought it would be a good time to discuss the holiday season and some of my best strategies to uncomplicate your health and fitness routines.

From my experience, people often sit in one of 3 camps, they either completely overdo it and let one over indulgence roll into the next completely sabotaging their progress, they deprive themselves of all indulgences, or indulge and then feel guilty about it and have the need to exercise away any perceived wrong doings.

I wonder where you sit with this?

I am a true believer of everything in moderation and that we all need a little indulgence in our life. Life is for living and

Wenjoying, so of course this includes having a little fun during the festive season.

It doesn’t mean that you have to completely let your hair down and go all out for the months of December and January…. because, Christmas is really only 1-2 days, your indulgence doesn’t need to last for days or weeks. Here are my top tips to enjoy the festive season without the guilt:Enjoy what the season has to offer, without judgement and guilt. Move your body - Make a plan to keep to your regular exercise routine. During the holidays you might actually have more time or be visiting another location – why not try a different walking or running track, a surf lesson, bike ride or something different to keep things interesting.

Serve healthy options and plenty of veggies and salads at Christmas. In many homes the food is the main event at Christmas, and that’s wonderful. Most of us leave the dinner table feeling over indulged and ready for a nap. Try to serve yourself a plate with

50% vegies! Then add the other yummies around that.

Keep up the hydration – amongst all the busyness and indulgence of Christmas it’s easy to drop the water intake. This can lead to cravings of sugary and salty foods – the ones we love to overindulge on. Keeping yourself hydrated will not only help to reduce cravings, it will also help your brain recover if you happen to have that extra wine!

Christmas is really only a couple of days. By all means enjoy, but don’t let the party stretch out to a couple of weeks. If you follow the tips above you can enjoy a guilt free festive season that your body and mind will thank you for.

Why not pop in and see us here at Miss Motivator before Christmas and we can help to keep you on track.

Jump onto our website to find out more or download our eBook of workouts to do while on holidays. Merry Christmas and stay strong.

Rach x

I am a true believer of everything in moderation and that we all need a little indulgence in our life. Life is for living and enjoying, so of course this includes having a little fun during the festive season.

Diabetes and Dental Health.

DDiabetes and Your Oral Health, many people with diabetes are aware that their medical condition increases their risk of developing oral health problems, such as gingivitis (early stage gum disease) and periodontitis (serious gum disease). Diabetes can cause blood vessels to thicken, reducing their ability to remove waste products and deliver nourishment and oxygen to body tissues, including the gums. So people with diabetes have a heightened susceptibility to bacterial infection, and a decreased ability to combat oral bacteria.

If your blood glucose levels are wellcontrolled, your risk of serious oral health complications is similar to those of people without diabetes. But much of the population of Australia will experience gingivitis (the mildest form of gum disease) during some point in their lives; while 30% to 40% of us will experience periodontitis (the severe form of gum disease). New research also indicates that serious gum disease may have the potential to affect blood glucose control and contribute to the progression of diabetes. Good oral health can help you manage your diabetes.

Taking Care Of Your Teeth. Bacterial plaque is the primary cause of 90% of all dental disease. Bacteria secrete acidic waste products. This creates an acidic environment in your mouth that weakens teeth and leads to decay. Over time, without proper oral hygiene and dental care, the plaque clinging to teeth works

its way under the gums, resulting in oral infections.

Your best defense is consistent removal of the bacterial plaque. If it’s left alone for about 48 hours, it begins to harden – this is called tartar – and is extremely difficult to remove by simple brushing and flossing. You need professional cleaning to remove tartar. Even if you do brush regularly, it’s easy to miss tartar that can be lurking between your teeth, in tiny chips and cracks, or just under the gum line. Regular brushing and flossing may be enough to keep these harmful bacteria under control. In the absence of good oral hygiene however, a sticky substance called plaque starts to build up on the surfaces of your teeth—and that’s where harmful bacteria can flourish. Put plaque bacteria together with a lowered resistance to bacterial infection, and you’ve got a recipe for a more aggressive gum disease than normal.

Gingivitis, if left untreated, can progress to a more serious form of gum disease called periodontitis. This is a bacterial infection that can attack not only the gums, but also the bone that supports the teeth; the loss of supporting bone can eventually lead to tooth loss. People with diabetes have a significantly higher rate of tooth loss than the general

population.

Other oral problems associated to diabetes include thrush, an infection caused by fungus that grows in the mouth. Diabetes can also cause dry mouth. Salivia is the mouth’s major defense against tooth decay, and also helps to control the bacteria and other microorganisms that live in your mouth. Too little salivia can cause accelerated tooth decay, gum disease, oral sores and pain, bad breath and even interfere with your ability to taste.

Talk To Your Dental Team

Let your dentist and dental hygienist know that you have diabetes and keep them up to date on your medical status and medications. Your dentist will likely want to see you every six months for checkups and cleans, perhaps more if you show signs of having an oral infection. It’s likely that you will need to postpone dental treatments if your blood sugar is not well-controlled. Talk to your dentist and medical team for more information about dental health and diabetes.

If you have a dental emergency or are looking for a dental team to look after your family’s dental health ring the caring team at Sundial Dental Port Macquarie on 6583 3533 or one of our other friendly locations in Wauchope, Laurieton and Taree.

Salivia is the mouth’s major defense against tooth decay, and also helps to control the bacteria and other microorganisms that live in your mouth.

Ana MARTIN

YOUR MINDFUL YEAR

Can you introduce us to Your Mindful Year and tell us what it is all about?

It is a mindfulness system designed to maintain a lasting practice of awareness, focus and consistency regardless of how busy we are.

Your Mindful Year comes in the form of fiftytwo cards and beads to measure your progress. Every card has some recurring questions that train our brain to reflect on the week that was.

A twelve-theme journey allows us to explore important subjects throughout the year, with a unique question presented each week.

An optional companion guide allows the user to dive deeper into the themed questions. Where did your passion for creating this

begin?

I have been practising meditation on and off for years, learning about the mental and physical benefits of living mindfully. But I had an issue with consistency. If I fell off the wagon, I would quickly spiral into stress and a sense of disconnection and would forget to be in the here and now.

I needed something to help me get out of my head, stop, regain control, and ponder the questions that genuinely impacted the quality and direction of my life. That something needed to be simple so that I could be consistent and so Your Mindful Year came to life. As I worked my way through the questions, it helped me get back on track. Now

I feel called to share it with others. What does mindfulness mean to you,

and how do you practice mindfulness everyday?

To me, it means maintaining awareness of my thoughts, emotions, and experiences on a moment-to-moment basis, which is as challenging to do as it sounds.

But even getting it right a few times a day can have a considerable impact. First, it allows me to respond rather than react, especially when frustrated. And most importantly, I feel calmer, happier and more accepting of my current circumstances, which is great for my blood pressure.

On a practical level, I review the weekly questions and journal what comes to mind. I remind myself to look for beauty in each moment and to be present with all my senses. Walks on the beach with our dogs and a bit of

Ana Martin has always been CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO LEAD A GOOD LIFE AND KNOW THAT HAVING A MINDFULNESS PRACTICE is vital to staying grounded and true to one's heart.

meditation help as well. Why is something like this so important for people to consider and be aware of?

These days we are so busy, constantly multitasking, and bombarded with so much information and distractions that we have almost forgotten where we are going and, more importantly, why!

Scientists think we have more than six thousand thoughts a day. The vast majority are unconscious and negative. So, who is driving our lives? Are we making decisions with our hearts? Do we live by our values or by default? Are we prioritising what is good for us and our well-being or what we feel is urgent?

Everyone deserves to live their best while on this planet, follow their dreams, and enjoy

nurturing relationships with others. I believe it starts by cultivating awareness. How can Your Mindful Year help our readers?

Everyone knows that journaling, meditation, yoga, and other practices that encourage us to look inward are beneficial. However, creating a structure and a habit becomes difficult for most people. And that is where Your Mindful Year can help.

The twelve-theme journey guides us to rediscover ourselves and what is important to us and focuses our attention on what is going well in our lives. It helps us regain control, make better decisions and improve our relationships with loved ones.

Going through a process that takes only 15 minutes a week but lasts a year makes it easy to create a habit that we can maintain for the rest of our lives.

For those who would like to learn/find out more on how they can insert mindfulness into their lives, what do they need to do They can follow @yourmindfulyear on Instagram for small doses of inspiration. There they can also sign up for a free fiveday gratitude challenge and notice how that changes their mindset. And those ready for more can find a Your Mindful Year set at Bookface in Port Central or by visiting yourmindfulyear.com.au

But even getting it right a few times a day can have a considerable impact. First, it allows me to respond rather than react, especially when frustrated.

To me, it means maintaining awareness of my thoughts, emotions, and experiences on a moment-tomoment basis, which is as challenging to do as it sounds.

Who can access our services? What do we offer?

ANYONE! If you need a lift, Linked Community Services is ‘here to take you there’! For eligible people there is a subsidised rate available. This includes people who are aged 65 and over and part of the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP), or for those people under 65 and transport disadvantaged through the Community Transport Program (CTP).

Otherwise, we can still take you to where you need to be even if your trip is not subsided. We are affordable and available.

Linked Community Services has a large fleet including sedans, vans and buses (some vans and buses are fitted with accredited wheelchair lifts). Our drivers are friendly, and our vehicles are very clean, presentable and regularly sanitised. Why not give us a try?

Social Outings are ALL $5.00

The warm weather is finally here, and we want to get as many of our clients out and about in this beautiful weather.

Create your next adventure that you will talk about for a very long time. We take you to great local venues and events - some of which you may have never experienced.

With our Social Outings, you will meet new people, make friends, visit new places and try new things.

Our SUMMER SALE will be running from the 1st of December 2022 through to the 28th of February 2023. Over the 3 months Linked will be offering: Social Outings are ALL $5.00! (*T & C’s apply)

Call for Volunteers

We couldn’t achieve the positive impact we are without the indispensable help from our committed volunteers. Do you know someone, or are you looking for an opportunity to give back to the community and make a significant difference in the lives of others? Volunteering with Linked Community Services can be an excellent option. We offer a broad range of volunteering opportunities, and volunteering is open to everyone, and we don’t expect you to have specialised skills or experience. Head

Celebrating

GARDEN VILLAGE

VOLUNTEERS

This holiday season Garden Village shares thanks with everyone who has supported our community in 2022. Special gratitude to the Garden Village Auxiliary Committee and volunteers who raise funds in a myriad of ways to support people in Aged Care.

Garden Village Auxiliary recently welcomed new President Maggie Searle. Maggie moved to Garden Village in 2018 and is actively involved in village life. The Auxiliary Committee has a strong tradition of supporting the community with events and donations. Born and raised in Australia the youngest of seven, Maggie spent forty years living in South Africa with her husband before moving to New Zealand to be closer to their grandchildren. In New Zealand, Maggie taught the practice of Ikebana flower arranging, an art which uses the principle of ‘less is more’ to create space and beauty.

Maggie was chief designer for the Christchurch Festival of Flowers and created the beautiful Christchurch Cathedral floral carpets for five years. These strikingly creative displays stretched the full length of the Cathedral inspiring locals and visitors from around the world. Today Maggie enjoys the warmer climate of beautiful Port Macquarie and continues her love of flowers creating occasional floral displays for special functions. This year the Garden Village Auxiliary raised funds for trainee equipment and a bed to support family with a loved one in palliative care. They fundraise through raffles, special events, the GV Craft Group and

the Garden Village Op Shop which is open to the public Wednesday and Thursday weekly and one Saturday a month. The committee welcomes new volunteers whose experience and ideas shape the future of Garden Village. All donations are greatly appreciated and support the volunteer efforts of the Garden Village Auxiliary who fundraise for people with high care needs. A big thank you to Maggie, the Committee, volunteers and community who have all given generously this year through donations, gifts in kind and volunteer hours. Garden Village wishes everyone very happy holidays.

Pictured Left to right: Yvonne Armstrong, Maggie Searle, Barbara Hile, Sue Barnes, Helen Brown, Patricia Light. Photographer @GoodHeartStudio_

LIFEBLOOD

In her role she meets donors and those on the receiving end of blood and plasma donations so she sees first hand both the generosity of donors and the incredible gift it gives those on the other end. Lifeblood is calling on community members to consider giving The Gift Of Life this Christmas, and get in touch with your local centre to donate blood products.

Hi Ruth. Can you tell us a bit about the Lifeblood Centre here in Port Macquarie, the team that works here and the kinds of roles they have?

Absolutely. At our Port Macquarie Donor Centre, we have a mix of Registered Nurses, Nursing Assistants and the lovely Kelly, our Customer Service Officer, who runs the front desk. We also have a fabulous team of volunteers who are kept very busy running out milkshakes to donors and keeping them well fed after their donation on sausage rolls, meat

pies, chips, biscuits and all our other delicious snacks. I work out in the community between the Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie and Taree Donor Centres, working with our local donor teams and at events, helping to spread the word about the need for blood donations and recruiting new donors. We are always looking for more volunteers, so if you’d like to be part of our team, please drop into the donor centre and have a chat with Kelly.

Lifeblood is such an essential service, what are all the different services you provide here?

We take both blood and plasma donations at Lifeblood Port Macquarie, with about 80% of our donations being plasma. A lot

of people don’t know what plasma is (myself included until I worked for Lifeblood!) – it is part of your blood and makes up 55% of your blood volume. Your plasma contains antibodies, the body’s own little “ninja warriors,” which help fight infections and diseases and when you donate plasma, you pass on this protection to patients. Our city-based donor centres also collect platelets. As they have a very short shelf life, platelets need to be donated close to our processing centres in cities.

What are some different reasons someone might need to receive a blood donation?

The most common use of blood donations is for cancer treatments – patients frequently need blood before treatment to boost their

We are always looking for more volunteers, so if you’d like to be part of our team, please drop into the donor centre and have a chat with Kelly.

red cell count. The other main uses for blood donations are to treat anaemia and in surgery. We talk about plasma a lot, because every year more and more patients rely on it to treat so many illnesses - treatment for cancer, immune disorders, haemophilia, trauma, kidney disease, burns, pregnant mothers – the list goes on! It’s also used to make vaccinations for chickenpox, measles and tetanus. As you can see, many of us will have needed medication made from plasma in our lifetime but most likely had no idea that medication came from blood donations. What are the statistics on numbers that donate versus numbers of people that may need to receive blood?

Amazingly, in Australia 1 in 3 people will need blood or blood products in their lifetime. Yet only 1 in 30 people donate. So that means 3% of the population is helping meet the demand for the 33% that needs blood products. Australia has some of the most generous voluntary plasma donors in the world, but despite Australians donating more plasma than ever before, we still need more. This growing patient demand comes from the improvements our doctors make in the diagnosis of many health conditions, along with the discovery of new

Just today we celebrated 3 milestone donors – a 50, 100 and 375 donation milestone. Chris Bell, who celebrated his 100th donation today began donating as a teenager in the Navy...

uses for plasma products. And as Australia is one of the world’s largest users of plasma medicines, we ask many new donors to give plasma rather than a straight blood donation.

Of those that do donate regularly, what are some of the reasons you have heard as to why they have chosen to do so? Meeting our donors and hearing their stories as to why they come in is one of the highlights of my day and I am constantly amazed by how generous and giving they

are. We have so many regulars who come in fortnightly or monthly, giving up their time to donate plasma, booking in just as you do your hair or beauty appointment. Just today we celebrated 3 milestone donors – a 50, 100 and 375 donation milestone. Chris Bell, who celebrated his 100th donation today began donating as a teenager in the Navy and has just kept coming back – drawn by the knowledge of how beneficial for society his donations are and of course by the lovely nurses at the donor centre. In his words, ‘Everyone should have a go. You should just do it’. Simple right? Continued over.

Can you share with us any stories you have experienced of how a blood or plasma donation has helped someone in our community?

Absolutely. We have a number of Port Macquarie locals who have needed blood and plasma products to help treat their illnesses. Children battling childhood leukemia, such as local Bronson Payne and Austin Roper have needed blood transfusions and medication from plasma to help fight their illnesses.

Port Macquarie local, Taylor Bateman,

needs ongoing regular transfusions of plasma to treat a rare autoimmune disease. These plasma infusions allow her to live a normal, happy life. Despite all of today’s amazing scientific achievements, it is still not possible to manufacture blood and plasma, so a lot of these treatments rely on many thousands of people to donate for us every day.

For those that aren’t aware, what is the

process like when someone comes to donate?

The biggest comment I get when I speak to people about donating is that they’re scared of needles and they don’t like the thought of the donation. But once people have been brave enough to give blood donation a go, they wonder why they were so scared. You just feel a small prick as the needle is inserted, then you can just sit

Children battling childhood leukemia have needed blood transfusions and medication from plasma to help fight their illnesses.

back, relax, log into our wifi or watch our TV as you donate. Our lovely volunteer brings our plasma donors a milkshake to enjoy and then once the donation is over, we load you up with a meat pie, sausage roll, Byron Bay cookie and lots of other snacks before sending you on your way. We ask you to allow an hour for a blood donation and 1.5 hours for a plasma donation from start to end.

Whether you give blood or plasma depends on your blood type, but also what type of blood donation is most needed when you give.

When you donate blood, the donation itself takes around 10 minutes and we take about 470mls of blood. For a plasma donation, you’re donating for around 30 minutes as the donor receives their red cells and platelets back during the donation.

There is a Christmas Blood Drive running in December, during the giving season one of the most special gifts you can give is the gift of life! Can you tell us about the idea behind this drive?

Yes, that’s right the Gift of Life campaign is about donating as a gift to someone you'll never meet. We have our ‘Gift of Life’ initiative running in the lead up to Christmas. For many Australians, their wish list has only one thing on it: life. So, this is your chance to make their wish come true. Lifeblood is calling on donors – new and existing – to make a donation and wrap 2022 up with a red or yellow bow.

If you're eligible to donate, we ask you to consider giving the ultimate gift of life this festive season.

Alongside this, we are also running our annual Bleed4Blue blood challenge where our local police forces are rolling up their sleeves to see which force is the top donor team. These team-based blood challenges are a great way to bring our local communities together and with our natural competitive spirit, bring in more donations.

Where can people find out more about Lifeblood and how to donate?

Our website www.lifeblood.com.au is a fantastic source of information. You can register as a donor and book your appointment there. So many people have questions about whether they are eligible to donate – a lot of those questions are answered on our website and there’s a short eligibility quiz you can take there also. It also has information on how you can become an organ and tissue donor, lots of medical information and some beautiful stories on the people who blood donations have helped. We also have a great, user-friendly app – just search ‘Donate Blood’ at the app store. It’s so easy for booking and managing your appointments and, an added bonus - all your health stats are stored there too so you can keep track of your blood pressure, haemoglobin and other stats. And lastly our call centre team are always on hand on 13 14 95 to answer any questions and assist you.

Thanks Ruth.

CAMPUS CONVERSATIONS

with

KATE WOOD-FOYE

FROM CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY

DR. ANWAAR ULHAQ

What is artificial intelligence and what started your journey and passion in this field? Informally, artificial intelligence (AI) is the simulation of human intelligence in computers to think and behave in human-like ways. As a child, I was always fascinated by the workings of the human brain and used to wonder if machines would one day be able to achieve similar abilities. Later, my curiosity led me to study and research artificial intelligence, which led to a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence from Monash University. The recent hype around AI has further fuelled this enthusiasm and enabled me to travel across the globe to learn and share from peers in this field.

What are some of the exciting AI projects that you have worked on in your career? My research project has contributed to three major application areas including healthcare, environmental monitoring, and disaster management. In healthcare, I have developed AI solutions for medical imaging-based disease diagnoses like COVID-19, Glaucoma from eye fundus images, and early mental health detection for autism spectrum disorder and deep depression disorder. In ecology, I have worked on a funded research project called

ThermalEye for monitoring pest animals like rabbits and feral pigs from dronebased thermal cameras, weed detection in agricultural farms, and vegetation biomass estimation. We are working on a digital twin to monitor disaster situations like bushfires and floods from the city and state-level live data sources. Developing and delivering these projects enables us to directly engage with industry and community as we work collectively to improve and innovate positive outcomes for real-world challenges. What community-based projects have you worked on in Mid-North Coast region in particular? With my research collaborators, I have worked on a project called Technology at Home on the Mid-North Coast with the assistance of Mid-Coast Assist to help the elderly learn about new technology. We engaged Charles Sturt students as technology buddies to help train our older community in Forster to use new IT and communication technology to assist them navigate and use these platforms to their benefit which was greatly appreciated. I have recently been selected as a Senior Research Fellow at a regional mental health research institute named Manna Institute where I will assist the institute to develop an AI system to analyse depression and suicide ideation in the regional community. This project is designed to develop effective strategies to address

challenges and improve regional mental health outcomes.

What opportunities are available at Charles Sturt to study artificial intelligence? Alongside my colleagues I have developed a Graduate Certificate course in Applied artificial intelligence that provides a unique opportunity to learn AI with real-world business applications. It has been designed for working professionals who currently don’t have computer science knowledge and would like to advance their skill. Students enrolled in this course are industry professionals or AI enthusiasts who may want to develop their own AI business. I highly recommend this course as it is focussed on the emerging business application of AI.

How do you see the future of AI? Artificial intelligence has become so embedded in our everyday lives that most people use it without even realising it. AI is no longer science fiction but here and now and has become so practical and applicable in our everyday lives. Driverless cars, Google Home, intelligent healthcare, movie recommender systems like NETFLIX, and hands-free farming is already in practice.

I am incredibly excited by the endless possibilities and potential to realise the vision of an AI transformation in regional areas alongside urban development.

Find out more https://study.csu.edu.au/ courses/technology-computing-maths/ graduate-certificate-applied-artificialintelligence

Dr. Anwaar Ulhaq is a Senior Lecturer in Artificial intelligence as part of the School of Computing, Maths, and Engineering and Deputy Leader of Machine Vision and Digital Health at Charles Sturt University. He is passionate about artificial intelligence and working to innovate practical solutions for digital transformation of our regional and global communities.

AI is no longer science fiction but here and now and has become so practical and applicable in our everyday lives.

PAT CONAGHAN MP

YOUR FEDERAL MEMBER FOR COWPER

So Pat, it’s been a big year for you, how are you feeling as we wrap up 2022?

As we see out the year 2022, it’s time to reflect on the year that was. We saw an election, a change of Federal Government, learning to live with COVID-19 and a natural disaster or two, to name a few memorable moments.

Through all of this we have seen camaraderie, community spirit and the everpresent ability of regional people to roll up their sleeves and get on with the job, even when things aren’t going our way. It’s that very tenacity that I take with me to Parliament to fight for a fair go for the Mid North Coast and, despite a change of the guard, I will continue to do just that!

As we head into a new year with renewed focus and positivity, I would welcome any thoughts or concerns from the community that affect our electorate. Your input drives change, and I encourage people to call, email, make an appointment with my office or attend a mobile office to discuss ideas and issues. Together we can make our region stronger.

It was great to see some funding reinstated as a result of your recent efforts in Parliament. Can you tell us what

happened?

I recently called on the Albanese Government to reinstate the funding provided in the previous Coalition budget to an organisation called Fortem; an Australian organisation dedicated to the mental health treatment of front line workers and first responders. As a former Police Officer, I am incredibly passionate about the provision of mental health services for those who serve and protect us.

In Labor’s budget, this service had $8 million taken away that would have gone to the continuation of its current offices, one of which we have in Port Macquarie, and the expansion to Townsville, Ballina, Albury-Wodonga, Gippsland, Dubbo, Nowra, Newcastle, Sunshine Coast, Darwin, Launceston and Perth.

I could not allow existing services to be removed and argued for service expansion. In a region such as ours that has seen fire and floods, people losing lives and homes, we owe it to those who answer our call to now answer theirs when they deal with PTSD and the mental and emotional aftermath.

I’m relieved to say that the Prime Minister heard the call and reinstated the funding – a decision that is a welcome relief for our first responders. Thank you to all of you, past and

present.

We saw your updates on the Mid North Coast Veteran’s Hubs and your fight for funding to support them. How are things progressing?

It was fantastic to see the Fortem funding reinstated, but yes, we are still waiting for any funding to be confirmed for our critical Mid North Coast Veteran Wellbeing Hubs, despite it being previously budgeted for.

I spoke on this issue again in Parliament and I believe that the merits here mirror the merits of the Fortem funding, so I can’t understand why there is any delay or hesitation in reinstating it.

How a cost-effective model that would see not just one, but four centres service the largest cohort of Veterans in NSW was overlooked is beyond comprehension.

The same $5 million required to achieve this has instead been apportioned to single centres servicing smaller numbers and covering less distance.

I will continue pushing for the funds to be re-instated, just as I did for our First Responders. Our local Veterans deserve nothing less.

Any final words for the year?

Have a happy and safe Christmas and New Year and I look forward to seeing you in 2023!

Focus caught up with Pat to chat through his highlights of the year.

NOAH MASON

Noah Mason completed his work placement at Bennetts Steel while in Year 11 at school and WAS OFFERED A SCHOOL BASED APPRENTICESHIP BY THEM SHORTLY AFTER. HE TOOK ON THE OPPORTUNITY AND HAS EXCELLED, winning the School Based Apprentice Award and completing his HSC recently.

Hi Noah. You have been doing a school-based apprenticeship, can you tell us how that works? How many days a week are you on the job, training, or at school?

My apprenticeship started out as three days a week at school and two days a week at Bennetts Steel in the fabrication department. Since completing my HSC my position has now evolved to four days a week at Bennetts

Steel working between the fabrication and retail sheds, serving walk-in customers, working on fabrication jobs and lending a hand where I am needed. Why did you decide to do your apprenticeship whilst still at school and what do you feel the benefits are?

The manager of Bennetts Steel, Shiree offered me a school-based apprenticeship soon after the completion of my work placement in year 11. It appealed to me to be able to still complete my HSC and work

simultaneously. Getting my foot in the door in the workforce was a huge priority of mine being the big decision maker in taking on a school-based apprenticeship. What is it you enjoy about working at Bennetts Steel?

I really enjoyed my work placement and the variety of work offered at Bennetts Steel which made my decision to take on the apprenticeship easier. I learn from a variety of people, skill bases, new experiences, and situations. I like the welcoming nature of

working for a small, family-run business where my needs and concerns are encouraged rather than just being another employee at a large company.

Can you tell us a bit about what you do there? What kind of jobs are you given?

The range of work I’m exposed to is vast within fabrication, machining, retail and the

up-to-date equipment required to complete such jobs like welders, bandsaws, croppers and punches, plasma cutter, rollers, milling machine, metal folders and more make this job exciting and motivate me to learn more every day. The jobs I am given range from small folding jobs for the handyman to large structures for Council.

You recently won an award for schoolbased apprentices, can you tell us about the award and what it meant to you to win?

Winning the School Based Apprentice Award was a nice surprise to end the year on. Eligibility for the Award included being nominated by either a registered training provider, employer, school, or apprenticeship network provider.

It really solidified that the skills and education I’m putting into my work here at Bennetts Steel is being recognised by the local community and my educators.

What made you eligible for the Award

and what were the requirements to be awarded?

As previously mentioned, not only do you have to be currently enrolled/employed in an apprenticeship but you have to have completed schooling working solely at the place of the apprenticeship. You also have to be nominated by one of the following: registered training provider, employer, school or apprenticeship network provider and have a registered training contract with the NSW Department of Education. What are some of your goals for the year ahead?

Next year will be my second year of my apprenticeship with Bennetts Steel and my goals are to further my education and knowledge within my position, continually aim to upskill in all areas and advance my skills on the jobs that come through Bennetts Steel. Where are you hoping to take your career in metal work in the future?

My long-term future goals are to work for myself and start a mobile fabrication business using my experience and education provided by Bennetts Steel, but for the short term I’m aiming to complete my apprenticeship and put my hand up for as many opportunities as I can to further my education and experience within fabrication.

It appealed to me to be able to still complete my HSC & work simultaneously, getting my foot in the door in the workforce was a huge priority of mine being the big decision maker in taking on a schoolbased apprenticeship.

How has your year gone? Have you had a chance to take a breath and sit back and reflect on what worked well and what you would like to change for next year? Our participants in The Small Business Accelerator Program have taken the opportunity to do exactly this with our 5 week class during November.

A huge thank you to our fabulous presenters, Stuart Goodfellow who took us all through doing business plans on one page that make sense and are easy to follow to keep us on track. Stacey Morgan covered the message we are sending to our customers, how we can make it clearer and more engaging whilst giving the customer the experience so that they want do more business with you.

David Ross made reading our financials so much easier to understand getting rid of the accounting jargon and putting it into plain English. Susan Judd had us looking at

focus

our emotional intelligence as well as getting the right team around us and Bron Watson beautifully rounded out the month ensuring our marketing was planned and scheduled so that we don’t become a slave to it, but we are reaching our right market.

With the tools our participants were able to take away from these sessions, they are in a great position to start the new year off with a bang. We look forward to watching their journey. Apart from the great content it has also given the opportunity for them to meet other business people in the area and know that they all have similar issues and are there for support. We look forward to having a follow up lunch session with each presenter so stay tuned for these workshops. We would like to thank the business community for your support throughout the year and especially all of our sponsors. Platinum Sponsor Sovereign Hills and Gold Sponsors Eire, Regional Australia Bank, Port

News, Oxley Insurance Brokers, Charles Sturt University, Optus, Linked, Panthers Port Macquarie, MBC Recruitment and Port City Bowling Club. Without your support none of what we do would be possible. Also our members, you inspire us to want to keep improving the services that we have to offer you.

From our board Kellon Beard, Stuart Goodfellow, Kieren Dell, Chris Denny, Angela Frimberger, Michael Mowle, Tony Thorne, Charlie Cull, Jenny Fraser, David Relf and Claire Mathews.

Retiring board members Janette Hyde, Greg Freeman, Linda Elbourne and Tadhg Kelliher, Executive Officer Katherine Harris, Membership and Sponsorship Co-ordinator Rebecca Stockwell, Marketing Events Coordinator Bron Watson and myself, from our families to your we wish you a very merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy, Safe & Prosperous 2023.

We look forward to seeing you at our first event in January which will be a cocktail event launch of our events for 2023. A fantastic way to regroup, network and kick the year off.

Merry Christmas

Alex

with ALEX GLEN-HOLMES

focus contributor.

We would like to thank the business community for your support throughout the year and especially all of our sponsors. Without your support, none of what we do would be possible.

Illuminate

with KATE WOOD-FOYE

THE GUTS, GRIT AND GROUNDWORK OF REMARKABLE REGIONAL ENTREPRENEURS, INNOVATORS, LEADERS AND GAME CHANGERS.

How did your journey to become a Dyslexic Warrior begin?

When I first found out I had dyslexia and dysgraphia, nobody seemed to know how best to help me to survive and thrive at school. Nobody seemed to know much about dyslexia, including myself! It was at that time I decided to find out as much as I could and to spread awareness, change perceptions and address misconceptions about dyslexia.

In 2018, Jessica Watson, one of my dyslexic heroes was speaking at Luminosity Youth Summit. I wrote to Kelly King and Joanna McNamara, who are the founders of Dyslexia Mid North Coast (DMNC) to see if they could speak to the Lumo team to see if I might be able to attend. Being too young at only 12-years of age, they managed to pull some strings to allow me to attend. Jessica was such an inspiration that she encouraged me to get out and do something. I felt that somebody should be doing more to help those of us with a learning difficulty and I realised that that somebody was me!

Shortly after, I started my petition to have a core module on learning differences and to have reading taught using evidence-based reading programs, underpinned by the science of reading, included in every preservice teaching degree. Kelly and Jo invited me to be a Youth Ambassador for DMNC and from that moment dyslexia has taken me on an amazing

Georgia is an incredible young woman whose passion to seek equity and a voice for young people with dyslexia has taken her all the way to the United Nations. Her mission as a Dyslexic Warrior creates awareness, inclusion and understanding - inspiring, educating and giving a voice to all possibilities for young people across the globe with dyslexia.

journey and allowed me to meet the most incredible people from around the globe. Knowing I was being seen and heard, made me realise dyslexia was not going to stop me from doing anything! I’m incredibly proud to not only be a Youth Ambassador for Dyslexia Mid North Coast but I’m also now an Ambassador for Raising Literacy Australia.

You have been a visible and passionate participant in many local programs and initiatives to raise awareness and understanding about dyslexia. Your passion and commitment recently took you all the way to the USA with an invitation from the United Nations. Can you describe the moment that you found out you were on your way?

It still feels like it was all a dream! Earlier this year I was invited to become a member of the International Council for dyslexia, which is made up of advocates and organisations from around the world, to work on a proposal to have the United Nations recognise October 8 as World Dyslexia Day. We also want to advocate for early identification and intervention for every child that struggles with reading. We want to continue improving teacher education programs and educational practices in the classroom ensuring all children have equitable opportunities. We are also working towards connecting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to the universal issues that people with dyslexia face. As a

Georgia RYAN

result, we were invited to the United Nations and my amazing family did everything they could to help me get there. It was such a surreal experience that I think I’m just starting to appreciate it’s enormity. I am incredibly proud to be a member of the council and as the youngest member I hope to bring issues that young dyslexics face to the mainstream and continue to advocate for educational equality.

How did you prepare and what did you hope to achieve?

The International Council meets via Zoom and due to the time differences, there have been some early morning 2:00AM Zoom calls! Originally, I wasn’t scheduled to talk at the meeting in person but about a week before, I was asked if I might address the meeting. We were already in the States and as I didn’t have my laptop, I ended up writing my speech on my phone! I even celebrated my 17th birthday on the way to the UN! I wasn’t able to follow my usual speech prep routine but I hope I was able to achieve my goal in explaining that being a schoolkid with dyslexia can sometimes feel overwhelming, all-consuming, isolating and even excluding. I think the main message I wanted to get out was to let young people with dyslexia know they weren’t alone.

What was the most memorable moment

from the UN experience and did you achieve what you set out to do?

It was such an incredible honour to even be in the building, let alone be given the chance to participate in a meeting involving not only the head of the European Commission (who spoke via videolink), but the heads of UNICEF and UNESCO. I loved being part of a meeting where the input and the exchange of ideas helps contribute to finding answers to the challenges those of us with dyslexia face. Knowing we are working towards real change for us on an international level was a real highlight. I feel positive that there will be future changes and I’m incredibly excited that we might see some tangible outcomes result from the meeting.

To be a young person and to have your voice heard is incredibly powerful and I hope it shows young people everywhere, that if a dyslexic advocate from Port Macquarie can speak at the UN, then anything is possible!

Sometimes taking a stand can be a lonely business – how have you found your own support and kept yourself and your vision strong?

From the time I was diagnosed, I have been incredibly lucky to have been supported in my dyslexic journey. Not only is my family amazing, but I am fully supported as a student at Mackillop College who have been incredible

in their support of my Advocacy role. I am also lucky to have the support of a whole international dyslexia community through my social media platforms. I also have the most amazing support network here through Dyslexia Mid North Coast and some amazing mentors here who give so generously of their time, expertise, and passion. It is my greatest wish that every child with dyslexia has access to the same support networks and that is one of the reasons I am so passionate about meeting and mentoring other young people with dyslexia.

How instrumental were mentors in your journey? What is the most valuable lesson they taught you?

I am incredibly lucky to live in Port Macquarie! I’ve had access to so many opportunities through Luminosity and the ChangeMakers Leadership program, whose impact and reach can never be measured.

I have been able to meet and be mentored by some amazing local people from many professions and I’ve always felt supported. The Honourable Leslie Williams and Pat Conaghan along with our Mayor, Peta Pinson have also been incredibly kind and supportive, not just of myself but of many young people in our area.

I think that is what makes Port so special, that young people’s voices are heard and listened

to. I think the biggest lesson I’ve learnt from my mentors is that my voice matters and to never underestimate the power of igniting even one young person’s passion!

What has been your biggest challenge so far?

School still poses the biggest challenge for me. Being a schoolkid in our one-size-fits-all education system makes it incredibly difficult for anyone that thinks differently. I study hard, I try my hardest and I always give 100% yet I know the marks are going to be what they are going to be. I don’t let them define me because we are so much more than any number. There are so many ways to achieve your goals, the path isn’t always a straight line. I think the challenges those of us with dyslexia face has just made me even more determined to change the way reading is taught and to advocate for more educational equality.

If you could make just one change in the world through your work what would it be?

I think it would be to normalise the way we view those of us with learning differences and to change the negative way dyslexia has traditionally been viewed and help other young people to see their neurodiversity in a more positive way. I really just want young dyslexics to know they are not alone.

As a passionate young leader with the world at her feet, what advice can you share with others to enable them to have a positive impact on the world?

That our voice matters - we just have to be brave enough to let it be heard.

A Word from

MR TERRY

PRINCIPAL MULDOON ST COLUMBA ANGLICAN SCHOOL

St Columba Anglican School celebrates the individual successes of all its students. As students await the results of their recent Higher School Certificate examinations, there is much talk about what constitutes individual success and what constitutes failure.

It would be so easy if the way to assess a student’s worth could be distilled down to their HSC marks plus their ATAR result. It should never be made that simple. Using that matrix, we would ignore all the other goals a student has achieved, contributions they have made to their school and the wider community, and the challenges that they faced to get to the end of high school. Some students respond exceptionally well in school, gaining excellent

examination marks, but struggle with the change of style that comes with access to university or the workplace. For some students, the maturity required for success in tertiary education and the workplace does not automatically come when they leave school. History is littered with stories of both hightalent dropouts and late bloomers who achieve success late in life. How do we find a common view of what constitutes success at school or in life? Should failing an examination label a person a failure? Should the ability to remember a series of facts and formulae in a test label someone a success even if that person is not able to function effectively in the workplace? Yes, we will be proud of this year’s Year 12 students who achieve great success in the Higher School

Certificate and receive multiple university offers. But we will also be proud of the students who excelled as leaders, students who excelled as performers, sportspeople, good friends, mentors and role models. And we will know which students have struggled and “done it hard” but lifted themselves up and defied the odds. And we will know that they are a success. At St Columba, we know that: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

LEGAL Light

with

LORIS HENDY

LAWYER/DIRECTOR PRIEST LEGAL

WILL KITS, INTESTACY AND ESTATES

There is a general misconception that if you die without a Will (intestate), the government will get all your assets. This is only correct if you have no family, including first cousins. If you do not have a Will there is a real risk that your Estate will not be dealt with as you would want and the process of administering your Estate can be complicated and expensive.

If you die without a Will or without a valid Will, your Estate is disposed of according to a predetermined inheritance formula set out in Part 4 of the Succession Act 2006 (NSW). The formula in NSW is quite complex and allows for more than one spouse or partner.

approximately $490,000 (July 21) and half of everything left over. The children of the deceased, but not step children, are entitled to the remainder of the Estate equally.

If the deceased had more than one spouse such as the person that they are married to and a de facto partner or more than one de facto partner, the Estate is divided equally between all the spouses/partners.

If the deceased had more than one spouse such as the person that they are married to and a de facto partner or more than one de facto partner, the Estate is divided equally between all the spouses/ partners.

For example. If the deceased had a spouse and children from a previous relationship, the spouse is entitled to receive a gift of

Clearly, this can cause issues if there is no Will to direct how the estate is to be distributed.

A Will Kit may seem a simple and cheap solution. Peter Brock, the famous racing car driver, tried to provide for his wife Beverley, and his partner, Julie Bamford, on two separate occasions using a legal Will Kit.

In the 2003 Will Kit, he appointed his wife, Beverley, as the Executor and signed the Will in front of two witnesses only one of whom signed it. He told Beverley to complete the body of the Will as to whom his assets should go to and to sign it.

Beverley never completed the body of the Will. The Court found that the Will was valid but besides appointing Beverley as his executor, there was an intestacy because there was no direction as to whom his assets should go to. At the time of Peter Brock’s death, the rules of intestacy provided that the whole of the Estate would go to Peter Brock’s children. This resulted in Julie Bamford making a claim against Peter Brock’s estate. The claim was settled out of Court but both the Court proceedings to establish a valid Will and the subsequent family provision claim were costly.

If a Will Kit is not properly completed it can lead to an expense and a distribution that was never intended. A valid Will is vital if your family circumstances are not the standard long term relationship with a couple of kids.

At Priest Legal, we have built up over 100 years of experience in drafting Wills and administering Estates.

Come and see me at our Wauchope Office, or see any of our experienced solicitors in our Port Macquarie Office.

Priest Legal, 41 Hay St, Port Macquarie or 49 Hastings St, Wauchope P: 6583 1777 to make your appointment.

King Team

Damian, many people will recognise you as being instrumental in launching the ‘Save Our Breakwall’ campaign. Tell us a little bit about why you are so passionate about this movement? The passion is driven from the fact that this particular beach is what gave me my start in my career. I used to surf it from dawn to dusk from when I was 13 years old. To see something happen to it without justification is not acceptable and I want to make sure we do the right thing by it.

How is the initiative going? The Council’s support has been amazing and Mayor Peta Pinson shares the same view as the community. We don’t want to see the soul of Port

Macquarie which consists of 139 memorial rocks, 29 Norfolk Pines, and an iconic surf break at risk because the State Government has a budget.

There will be a community rally in support of protecting the existing breakwall and the many heritage pine trees in the area on Saturday December 10th. What do you hope the meeting will achieve? To show the community, the MP and the NSW Government the cultural value this area has to our community has been massively underestimated and the rip-tear-bust

approach is not in the community’s best interest. Ripping out historic Norfolk Pines, memorial rocks and changing the head of the breakwall is the farthest thing the community wants. Yes, we would like a wider breakwall path but this can be achieved without the proposed devastation.

For people interested in finding out more about the initiative, how can they best engage?

Come to the rally and follow our Facebook page ‘Save Our Breakwall’ or scan the QR code to take you straight there

Check out Team King’s Christmas competition below.

Leading McGrath and Team King Real Estate agents Damian & Holly King have had a busy year.

‘Save Our Breakwall’ Facebook page

Port Macquarie RENTAL PROPERTY MARKET UPDATE

WITH ELDERS LIFESTYLE GROUP

You can trust Elders to find and manage the right tenant for your property; explore how a dedicated Elders Real Estate property manager can help you every step of the way

As we creep closer to the end of the year, the appeal of our fabulous little town increases as we see more people excitedly moving from Sydney, the Gold Coast and everywhere in between. With the New Year bringing new job opportunities, the Elders Lifestyle Group has seen a marked increase in the demand for virtual tours, something that had previously dwindled since the ease of Covid restrictions. This sudden boom in virtual inspections coincides with a record-low vacancy rate, currently sitting at 0.6%.

This consistent downward push has been geared by many economic factors as interest rates further increase and more investors leave the market. A 19% increase in tenant enquiries from September to October is also a dominant factor; supply and demand playing an integral role as the number of properties stayed tight.

Interestingly, rental yields in Port Macquarie have dropped by 0.15% since the beginning of the financial year, sitting at an average of 3.57%. Median rents have staggered back to the same price as June 30 after a small surge in September. This is a clear indicator that many landlords are happy to adjust rents

to secure quality tenants in the run up to Christmas, regardless of such demand.

So, with demand so high, why do we need to adjust rents? It seems like an odd concept; adjusting rent when there are numerous applications flooding each property, but it is especially important for most investors to prioritise securing a high-quality tenant. While demand might be on the rise, affordability has been difficult for some people as rents have risen so dramatically in the past year while wages haven’t quite kept up. Rental history is also an important of mitigating a landlord’s risk and having impeccable references is preferred for most investors.

The Summer market is still on track for our predicted drop in stock as we see landlords move back to Port Macquarie into their investments and even some long-term permanent rentals make the switch to holiday letting in anticipation of the holiday season.

FROM THE TEAM AT ELDERS LIFESTYLE GROUP!

SOVEREIGN HILLS

People naturally gravitate to the kitchen, where meals are created and conversations and memories are made, no matter how nice your living room is.

Contemporary Design

Clean and uncluttered, with clever lines, flat cabinetry doors and built-in appliances, a contemporary kitchen maximises space by featuring a place for everything.

An example includes Pycon Homes and Constructions Waratah Display which features a striking Polytec ‘Steccawood’ kitchen island in Tasmanian Oak, paired with Quantum Quartz white swirl benchtops and a stylish vertical kit kat splashback tile.

Sleek Minimalism

Featuring the classic colour combination of black and white, Rob Tate Homes’ light-filled Sanremo kitchen harnesses the power of streamlining with hidden storage and select embellishments for maximum effect.

Sophisticated Style

For a lavish kitchen, it’s hard to go past a moody palette with brushed metal highlights.

Adenbrook Homes’ modern and luxurious Penn E Display blends rich golden tones with stunning black cabinetry accompanied by full bodied espresso timber shelving.

Sorensen and Caldon’s Manhattan kitchen

York Street serves up sizzling kitchen designs to inspire

PYCON HOMES & CONSTRUCTIONS’ CONTEMPORARY KITCHEN DESIGN

LAMINEX BENCHTOPS MADE FROM COTTON DENIM FIBRES STAR IN HOTONDO HOMES’ BOLD KITCHEN

More than a place to prepare food, the kitchen is the hub of the home

The feature timber shelf and pops of greenery bring warmth to a minimalistic styled space and compliments the stark colour palette

design is also an entertainer’s delight with matte black features, smoked mirror glass splashback and gallery-style shelving.

Seaside Inspired

Highlights of a coastal décor scheme include a seaside-inspired palette with natural materials of rattan and wood.

Stroud Homes’ open plan kitchen maximises natural light creating a casual space you will love to relax and unwind in.

Better Homes and Developments has concealed the kitchen appliances with timeless shaker-profile cabinetry – a signature of coastal Hamptons homes.

Kitchen with a Conscience

Hotondo Homes’ eco-friendly Icelyn Display features a centrally-located kitchen with polished concrete flooring, clever timber

Want more style tips? Check out the new Sovereign Hills Style Series Scan here and be inspired!

cabinetry (which conceals kitchen clutter), overhead skylights and Laminex benchtops made from cotton denim fibres collected from cloth production mills. The bold colour choice makes a real statement. Find your kitchen inspiration at the Sovereign Hills Display Village, open daily.

York Street, Sovereign Hills sovereignhills.com.au

BLACK AND GOLD FEATURES ELEVATE ADENBROOK HOMES’ LUXURIOUS DESIGN

ROB TATE HOMES’ SANREMO SLEEK STREAMLINED DESIGN

STROUD

Resting upon a grassy rise on an expansive property in the spectacular Manning Valley, this thoughtfully designed, light filled, three-bedroom home beautifully interacts with the surrounding valley and bushland views.

On first meeting our clients they talked about how they envisioned their dream retirement home as a modern upmarket woolshed, simple elegant lines a must. They described having always wanted a home that gives a nod to Glen Murcutt, the famous Australian architect renowned for his love and extensive use of iron, and designs that talk to our uniquely Australian environment.

Entering the open plan living and dining area, you are immediately captivated by the floor to ceiling stone fireplace, centrally positioned in between two full height windows, these elements rising to meet the pitched ceiling of the north-east wall. All windows were strategically placed to take in the view of the property and the dam in the distance. Solid timber spotted gum timber flooring warm the space and add a sense of Australiana.

Featuring a large waterfall island bench and expansive butler’s pantry, the custom kitchen is an entertainer’s delight, featuring energy efficient appliances and an extremely generous amount of storage. The sizeable laundry, with large separate linen and broom closets, is also conveniently located off the kitchen.

Extremely practical in functionality, the T shaped floor plan of the home conveniently locates the study and main bedroom at the opposite end of the home to the other two bedrooms giving our retirees that privacy when all the family is in residence.

The art filled entrance foyer and visitors wing is accessed via a large glass door, this helps to zone off the visitors wing and assist with using the AC in a smart way.

When no visitors are in residence the glass door allows the light and property views to filter into the heart of the home and keeps the cold air in

the space it needs to be, a small design element that allows our clients to run minimal zones. Small details deserve careful thought for anyone wanting a large AC system with an off-grid setup.

All bedrooms feature ensuites, including a palatial master ensuite and large walk-in robe in the main bedroom. Considered design of the extra-large study meets requirements above and beyond for working from home. The impressive open plan living, and dining areas lead to a vast, north facing, tiled courtyard with gal steel framed pergola that will ultimately be a green roof once the vines establish themselves. This creates a relaxing outdoor lifestyle space, overlooking the dam with magnificent bushland views.

Incorporating large open and airy scale of the interior spaces, raked ceilings and square set throughout, lots of consideration was spent on rafters vs bulkheads vs scissor trusses to work in the allowance of the AC ducting. Scissor trusses were chosen, as the most cost-effective solution, to facilitate the ducting, but also gave the benefit of some additional air space to assist in the thermal performance of the home, with clean internal ceiling lines being a priority for our clients.

Passive solar design principles applied at design stage achieve a natural climate within the home, minimising the use of artificial heating and cooling, given the home is run via a stand-alone solar system. Using area closure options, louvre windows for cross flow ventilation, the home further minimised the requirement on the solar system with energy efficient LED lights throughout, as well as appliance selection with a focus on the efficiency of the appliances. A multistage inverter water pump was selected to supply water pressure to the home via the 100,000 litre poly lined steel water tank.

The quality craftmanship of this bespoke design exceeded our clients’ needs and desires, with the outcome being an incredible ‘forever’ home to be proud of.

RAMSEY BUILT

Congratulations Mick on your recent MBA Award.  Tell us about the property that won the Award.

The property at 315 Plomer Road was not only one of our first large scale projects, it was a challenging and exciting place to work. The detail and finishes selected by the design team really made the property pop, along with the large glass windows and raked ceilings, it was really cool to watch it come together.

The biggest challenge we faced was of course the 2021 floods that absolutely destroyed many parts of the building and materials stored on site and this made that Award that little more rewarding and special. MBA, stands for Master Builder Association. How was the Award decided and what was the process from nomination to coming out as the winner?

There are over 8000 members of the MBA just in NSW. To enter your projects, you simply apply in the category that your projects fall in to and then you are judged by industry professionals on site for a range of factors, mainly being the execution of detail and finish. It’s been a pretty big 12 months for you

and your team with some awesome projects, what have you been up to as a company over the last 12months?

Yes, good question. This year has by far been the most challenging year as a builder due to many factors. COVID, limited supply and trade recourses, the demand of people wanting new homes and renovations and the massive increase in the building costs have put a lot of strain on many in my position. Tell us a bit more about your renovations. It seems to be a big part of your work load. What do you enjoy most about renovations and what have been some of your most rewarding renos that you have done?

We have been lucky enough to pull off some amazing renovations over the past 3 or so years and I think it is really rewarding to watch a tired space become a new beautiful paradise.

To name a few - 11 Kelvin Grove, 2 Tallong Drive, 5 Cunning Street and 34 The Summit have been some of our favourites.

With Christmas just around the corner you must be looking forward to a well earned break. What plans do you have for the holiday season and what are you looking forward to the most?

It is, it’s coming around way to quickly haha. We are that busy and have so much work to complete, this year will be a short but relaxing few weeks at home with the family.

For those thinking of building with Ramsey Built in 2023 what advice do you have for them and is there a wait list?

Our books are currently closed up until June 2023 but we are definitely sitting down with new clients and estimating a lot of exciting projects for next year. Congratulations again Mick and team and all the best for 2023.