holistic living - issue 4 october 2014
DESCRIPTION
Spring IssueTRANSCRIPT
Photo - Claire Cottone Issue 4 - October 2014
Editor
Josephine Flynn
Layout
James O’Malley
Cover Image
Claire Cottone
The days are warming up, the early mornings are lighter, the evenings are lasting longer and the sweet sweet smell of spring is in the air. Our October issue celebrates all things spring from Swell Sculpture Festival to spring cleanses. This issue also sees two articles brought to life that we (Jade and I) have been very passionate about for some time and have been wanting to discuss with you. With more and more live local music venues having to close their doors (the infamous Swingin’ Safari being one), we wanted to investigate why this is happening and what we, as a community can do to stop it. Local organisation Save our live music Gold Coast have been working tirelessly on this issue, and we are very pleased to have joined forces with them to create awareness around this very important topic.
Another subject we feel very close to is the struggle for consumers to identify what exactly is in the food they are eating – Palm oil being the main offender. Disguised by manufacturers under two hundred different names, this ingredient is destroying rainforests, habitats and communities in Borneo, Malaysia and Indonesia. We want you to become informed in what you can do to help and provide you with links to organisations that can provide more information.Alongside the serious, of course we celebrate those in the community that are doing incredible things and provide some uplifting stories about people doing what they love.We hope you enjoy the October issue, one that has become very close to our hearts.
Love Josephine x
EDITORS LETTER
EMMA GARDNER
PRO BIOSKIN
UP THE ANTEA
DEATH OF LIVE
SWELL SCULPTURE
FEST
PALM OIL
CLAUDE HARVEY
06
12
20
23
27
30
34
AKOVA
SARAHHOWELLS
SPRING CLEANSE
GROMS THATRIP
ECOVILLAGE
PILATES BY LISA
40
44
53
58
64
70
EMMAGARDNER
Art
Words – Jade Hopley / Pictures – Care of Emma
It seems there is an increasing theme amongst all of the artists
we have interviewed. They all spread themselves across a
variety of mediums. Our latest Artist Emma Gardner is no
exception! Working across painting, sculptor, digital design and
public/performance art. We recently caught up with Emma to
talk about her inspirations, travels and recent exhibition. This is
one Emerging artist to keep an eye out for! I know we will be…
You work in many mediums do you have a
preferred one?
Not necessarily, painting is most accessible for
me as I can set up with paints, easel and canvas
easily, but I don’t like to limit myself to one
medium. I find that sometimes painting isn’t
the best tool to use with some of the ideas I am
trying to convey. I love that investigations into
art can be made through limitless processes, I
really enjoy making sculptures and working
with installations, taking art into the public
arena so that it engages with people that
might not attend galleries or spaces where
it is exhibited. It seems that a lot of festivals
are really pushing the importance of art and
interactive elements to combine with the
music. I think this merge is awesome and it’s a
field that I would like to move into.
How long have you been an artist? Where did
you train?
Creating is something that I have always
done, ever since I was a kid. It’s a feeling that
builds up inside me and I have to get it out, it
doesn’t matter if there is an audience or what
the outcome, it’s personal drive. I’m always
tinkering with things. As I’ve
gotten older and through
my studies I am learning
to develop and articulate a
thought process along with
my expression. Currently I am
completing my second year
of a Bachelor of Visual Arts
at Southern Cross University
in Lismore. The course is
conceptually based and has
really pushed me to ask
questions about the statements
or impact I’d like my art to
have, or if there is any at all;
if it is just an investigation
into the process of material
thinking, I think it’s ongoing
and ever changing. Before uni
I was at the Tafe in Lismore,
also having studied at the Tafe
in Coffs Harbour, but between
all the formal studies art is
something that I practice on
my own, it is a passion.
Your latest exhibition with
fellow SCU student Judie
Richardson at The Lone
Goat Gallery in Byron
‘Exploration into Strength’
finished recently. What was
the inspiration for the works
within this exhibition?
Judie and I have been studying
together for three years now,
so to get to this stage where
we both had a body of work
that could tie together under
this title was really exciting.
Although the actual meaning
behind our works was very
different, strength and its
representation was the unifier.
My fascination with the
differences in masculine and
feminine qualities were I
have begun to explore how
strength, something usually
associated with the masculine,
can be synonymous with the
nature of grace or tenderness.
Exploring this notion through
the often clichéd traits of
females, decoration. Finding a
way through the history of pattern, repetition
and colour to stimulate these feelings. Working
through a variety of processes and mediums to
explore how different materials and imagery
could convey the idea behind my thoughts my
investigations were between oil and acrylic
paint on canvas, and mixed media trials. I used
the motifs of the female figure, represented
through abstracted form and shape along with
varying types of flowers based loosely on lilies
and roses, with decorative patterning to create
a commonality amongst the set of work.
Your off to India soon, is it your first trip? How
does traveling influence your practice?
Yes I am, I’m so excited! India is actually the
first leg of my trip, I have been awarded a
scholarship to go on exchange through uni
to Barcelona, so I’m tying in my trip to India
with the research that I’ll be doing for the
scholarship. It is based around a progressive
body of drawings that reflect on Public and
Private spaces. I’ll be doing a drawing every
day of my trip which will directly respond to
my experiences. In India I am doing my yoga
teacher training certificate, so the drawings
will not only reflect the vibrant culture of India
but this more personal exploration. Barcelona
is all about art, being influenced by great
Masters like Gaudi, Picasso and Tepes. The final
outcome will be an essay that investigates the
differences within the drawings. It is going to
be such a great experience and something that
I think will change my arts practice forever.
I lived in London for some time and traveled
through different parts of Europe. All the
cultures and the ways in which they represent
things, as simply as how they build their houses,
is so visually stimulating. It makes you see
things with new eyes. I think that everything
you do and every place you go influences you
in different ways, whether you are directly
aware of it or not, so I’m sure that my art has
been impacted by all of these journeys in one
way or another.
Are there any other local artists you can
suggest our readers have a look at?
One of my girlfriends has been really inspiring
me lately, we studied together at Tafe and she
has always been passionate about portraiture,
focusing on Rock’n’Roll stars. Her paintings are
realistic but still hold elements of expressionism
which I thinks makes them more intriguing.
But another artistic avenue which she has been
trying to get into for years is tattooing, and just
recently she started an apprenticeship and has
begun to ink people up! I love it when people
pursue their dreams and
after time they begin to pay
off and become reality! It’s so
inspirational. Her tattoo style
draws on the old school flash
style, I think it’s so wicked that
I just got a signature rose of
hers branded onto my leg! Her
name is Emma Eriksson, she is
working at Tatt22 in Byron,
check her out!
www.emagardner.com
Business
Established 4 years ago ProBioSkin is a Mother, Daughter run
super house of health and wellbeing. As soon as you walk
through the doors at Number 1 Paradise you feel at peace. The
light open space is filled with the scent of essential oils and you
are greeted immediately with a smile and a hug. ProBioSkin is
not just another skin care company; their aim is to look after
your body from the inside out, with a range of all natural
concentrated skin care products, and nutritional supplements.
There is also an array of workshops and practitioners who run
out of the space, this business is the epitome of Holistic Health.
Read on to find out more…
PROBIOSKIN
How did the business start
and how long have you been
running?
Where do we begin...I guess
our roots are back in the
beginning of my career 25
years ago when I completed
my training as a Remedial
Therapist & Beauty Therapist.
I worked with a beautiful
Woman Vera Shepherd & her
daughter Diane for several
years as a therapist & teaching
in their academy. They were
strong women highly thought
of in both their profession and
in their principles, involved
with a lot of international
bodies and new government
criteria that formed what is
now the teaching platform
for government & private
institutes in Beauty Therapy
and Body Therapies. Great
times.
I felt very aligned with Vera
& Diane’s philosophy and
practice as they had their own
chemical free natural skin care,
a passion for aromatherapy
and helping people with their
health and wellbeing. Beauty
was more than skin deep in
this practice in a time where
not many people were thinking about nutrition
as a key part of having beautiful skin.
Over many years in my own businesses and
practice, I have tried to uphold these principles
and methods with my clients, having their
trust in my advice is something I treasure. 4
years ago my Mother & I decided to put our
beliefs into something more of our own hearts
and Probioskin was born. Kind of a full circle
really and with a little of the universe’s sense
of humour as probioskin.com is also a Mother
Daughter team. Our business is an expression
of our life practice and beliefs going global!
We understand you do not only skin care, but
supplements as well including capsules and
powder, which products came first and where
to from here?
Yes part of our core philosophy
is that our inner world is
intimately connected to our
outer world. So once again the
belief that beauty is more than
skin deep. Balance between the
two worlds is the key to good
health and vitality. We believe
in the power of concentrated
nutrition for healthy cells
and our DNA, the energy
and resilience needed for the
world we live in today. Our
skin care is the gift of Natures
science in a bottle. With wild
crafted, organic and natural
ingredients, there are no
GMO, palm oil, questionable or
toxic chemicals allowed in our
serums and lotions for face,
body and hair.
Bioactive cell food for your skin.
Technically our skin care came first, within the
next breath our nutritional supplements. A bit
like twins being born I guess. We have organic
herbal teas and pure essential oil aromatherapy
blends about to birth with our new updated
web site about to release early November. The
family is growing which is very exciting and a
lesson in patience for me!
Tell us why your products are different to
other skincare and supplements in the market
at the moment.
At times we feel we are a very small fish
swimming in a very big sea. Those days we
just keep swimming and doing what we do
best. Usually these are the days we get an
email from someone using our skin care or
health products commenting on how they
are enjoying our products, the difference they
have felt and seen in their skin or energy
and thanking us. It’s a mental high five when
you get that feedback and an
affirmation to keep swimming.
We are pretty stubborn in our
ethics and desire to stick with
concentrates in our skin care
and nutritional supplements.
For example, we don’t use
maltodextrin to bulk out our
greens, 1 teaspoon of pure
plant power goes into your
juice or smoothie.
Our skin care is the same,
concentrates with no inert
substance bulking up the
lotion or serum so it can look
like more, or be cheaper to
produce. We go to the source
with our ingredients to obtain
the best quality and best
practice of harvest, process
and purity so that what is
in the bottle sitting in your
bathroom practically walks
over to you when you go to put
it on. We want the lifeforce in
our skin care. If you have seen
the movie “Like Water for
Chocolate” you will connect
with the way in which we
create our skin care and health products. Made
with loving purpose for a purpose.
We understand you have a unique packaging
model, tell us about that.
Our skin care is packaged in glass in order to
preserve the vitality of the contents. Glass is a
personal favorite medium of mine, with one of
my favorite artists being Chihuly, an incredibly
talented Glass blower who has made the most
amazing items in glass. Even to making a glass
didgeridoo played once by Stu of the Australian
band OKA and now in a museum.
We don’t use boxes for the majority of our
products in order to reduce the amount of
waste materials when you purchase our skin
care. When we do create a particular gift
package, we try to do so in a way that is not
excessive but aesthetic.
Pure essential aromatherapy oils are best in
a metal or glass container, as they will perish
plastic over time. We have stepped away from
boring brown glass as being visually stimulated
is a part of the process of engaging with the
beauty and magic within.
Are you a vegan friendly company?
Yes we are vegan and animal cruelty free.
Ethics is an important part of our business
practice from the ingredients through to our
business model.
We love that you support local, tell us a little
more about how that is included in your
business model.
We love being a part of the very creative
community that is the Gold Coast. Friends
and colleagues are talented fashion designers;
photographers, practitioners and we love being
able to incorporate their work in our journey.
For example Lisa Brown Fashions are often
perfect for the mood we want to create in a
photo shoot for a new product or blog post with
our ambassador Jessica Green. Finding a shoot
location on the Gold Coast is never difficult.
We are so fortunate to be living in this part of
the planet.
We have everything here and the community
is positively bursting with talent. As a local
business it feels so right to reflect our local
community in our expression of what is
probioskin.com, to the rest of the world. It’s
a bit like in quantum physics, and reaching
critical mass. Boom pow, here we are world!
You have a lovely space in Miami, what else is
it used for?
Thank you. We often receive compliments
about the serenity here and I feel this reflects
the energy of the Wellness Centre with
the Holistic Facial and Remedial Therapies
happening. The aromatherapy oils permeate
everything and often I can’t smell them at
all after half a day of giving treatments.
There are a unique team of specialist
practitioners with a depth of knowledge and
ability forming the family at Number 1 in
Paradise. Along with a variety of seminars
and workshops regularly on the calendar,
this is another local part of the expression
that for us is essential for Carpe Diem, and
living the full life. Yoga and Meditation
classes, Nutrition and Naturopathy, Massage,
Reflexology and Facials are a healing part of
the week and create the serenity. Some of
these practitioners already skype and email
consult to reach beyond their local clients and
we are in the process of creating the ability to
hold webinairs so we can reach more people
with the tools and techniques we have in our
wealth of experience and
ability. Sharing the love.
Hiding underneath that
peaceful healing vibe is the
slightly chaotic business and
admin part of life also going
on here at Number 1.
We understand you are
friends with our lovely
friend Ronaldo Fullieri, tell
us how you met and how you
continue working together
now?
Ronaldo came into our lives
via our healthy café, The
Shack Superfood Café at
Nobbys Beach. He had just
released his first cookbook
Volume 1 and was talking
about his book and cooking
classes. After he had spent
30 minutes with my husband
Eddie, one Virgo to another
and coincidently 1 day apart in
birth dates, they were pretty
much brothers on a mission. 4
years later we are an extended
family and have shared many
times together in the kitchen,
life and business. Some people are drawn
together and our friendship is reflective of this
energy. We have similar beliefs, passion and
personal goals to reach with what our purpose
in life is. He is a beautiful person with a smile
and heart to match.
Where can our readers find you and can they
still buy your products if they are overseas?
We are online with all our products available
on our website. We love being a part of the
global village with people in Russia, UK, USA,
Hong Kong being on our newsletter mailing list
and having purchased from us online. We get
so excited when our products go to a town or
country for the first time. We feel like a part
of us is going there too. Our social media is a
fun way of engaging with the global village
too, we’re all virtual neighbours thanks to
instagram, facebook, tumblr google plus etc.
To connect with Amanda or find out more
about the beautiful products of probioskin,
follow the links below:
W – www.probioskin.com
FB - www.facebook.com/probioskin
T – www.twitter.com/ProBioSkin
I – www.instagram.com/probioskin
UPTHE
ANTEA
Two girlfriends coming
together from an obsession
with tea and a knack for puns,
Up the AnTea are a beautiful
organic tea company that
have just hit the Gold Coast.
If you’re already a lover of
delicate teas, or if you’re new
to the “tea obsession”, this little
company is one to look out for!
How many times have you
found yourself sitting around
with your best friend/
partner/family member
dreaming about starting up
a business that you’re really
passionate about? Sometimes
it’s related to a field you’re
already working in, but more
often than not it feels like a
pipe dream that’s too risky to
jump into…boots and all. Best
friend’s Danielle and Jessica
did just that.
When asked how Up the
Pictures courtesy of Up The Antea
Business
AnTea was born, the girls replied “Funnily
enough, neither of us have a background in
hospitality! Up The AnTea was born from
procrastination. We used to sew together
and we drank tea when things got too hard!
Eventually our obsession with tea grew and it
seemed like a natural progression to create our
own blends.”
With clever names like PretTea (organic rose
petals and rose buds), CinnaMinTea (organic
peppermint leaves and cinnamon chips),
MasculiniTea (for men’s health) and DiviniTea
(organic calendula petals), it’s evident the girls
are having fun creating and expanding their
brand. “Most of our tea’s names are born from
banter and pun-tastic jokes. We both have
quite big personaliTeas (see what we did there?)
so it’s never too hard to come up with some
funny stuff.”
With the small business market a difficult one
to crack and a few gourmet tea companies
already established, we asked the girls how
they got the business off the ground and what
makes them different. “We only had 3 flavours
to start with. We just started really small and
let it grow from there and are looking forward
to expanding further. We’re
both really into health so
our main focus is on health
and wellbeing and not
including any ‘natural’ flavour
enhancements. Every flavour
in our tea comes directly from
the actual ingredient itself.
We work really hard to ensure
all of our ingredients are
organic. We also try to bring
the fun to our tea and appeal
to everyone, not just your
stereotypical tea drinkers.”
Whether you’re a local, or
from across the pond, Up
the AnTea organic teas are
available online. The girls
are hoping to branch out into
some local stores shortly, so
keep an eye on their website
or facebook page to keep up to
date with the new and exciting
company.
W- www.up-the-antea.myshopify.com
F - www.facebook.com/UpTheAnTEA
Words - Natasha Leventhal
Music is so much part of human existence that where
it originated and dated from is one of life’s unanswered
questions. We do know that Live Music has been performed
by all of mankind as we know it, from the Aboriginal
Corroboree to Mozart’s opera’s to Kiss’s endless reunion
tours.
SAVE OUR LIVE MUSIC GOLD COAST
Music
Sadly, new generations are missing out on
the full and true experience of live music,
and artists are fighting a fruitless battle
in trying to accelerate their careers let
alone just earn a minimal living, as more
and more unreasonable restrictions are
placed on venues. Noise level restrictions
is the main contributor to this issue as
Queensland Government has ruled a
sound level regulation averaging 95Db.
To give you a basic understanding of Db
levels, most Live venues have monitors set
to 95Db only 3m directly in front of the
stage, and if you stand on the shoreline of
one of our beautiful beaches on a windy
day the average reading is 105Db.
Imagine telling Mozart that his symphony
could not play or his opera singers could
not sing any louder than 95Db or the
performance would be shut down?!
Imagine telling Pavarotti he could
not raise his vocals to more than this
volume? Gold Coast Tenor, David De Vito
has been recorded singing
at 152 decibels, which is
extraordinary but gives you
the general idea.
Once upon a recent time, the
Gold Coast was alive with live
music venues where our local
artists could earn their living
and practice their craft in a
real environment for their
careers. This was a city where
we were entertained with live
music and dance. National,
international and local
acts would honour us with
performances we still talk
about decades later. We could
dance without inhibition and
sing out loud with the band,
without being self-conscious
of being heard over the top
of the band which is the case
of today. Venues thrived as
their establishments were filled with revellers
because they had a reason to be there – Live
Music.
New generations don’t know the exhilaration,
freedom and honest emotion that comes with
seeing Live Music and it has come to a point
where we need to educate them. Artists are
unable to hone their talents in an environment
suitable to prepare for the world stage, and
live venues have closed their doors all around
us. It’s time for all of us to see reason and save
Live Music – a past-time that goes beyond our
knowledge of history.
In upcoming articles for Save Our Live Music
Gold Coast we’ll talk in depth about contributing
factors to the unfortunate decline of our live
music industry as a whole. More importantly,
we’ll offer some reasonable, valid solutions that
can help revive this industry, as well as show
how it can and is a viable solution to some of
our city’s nightlife social problems.
Save Our Live Music Gold Coast encourages
community involvement and discussions to
ensure all voices are heard and appropriate
action can be taken. Your feedback and support
are encouraged on our Facebook page.
F- www.facebook.com/solmgc
Words and Pictures – Jade Hopley
Every year for ten days, the tranquil Currumbin
beach foreshore is transformed into a bustling
arts community. Entering its 12th year in 2014,
Swell did not disappoint. This is a lot more than
just a sculpture festival. If you had the pleasure
of walking down the esplanade as we did, you
were taken on a sensory journey; the warm
spring sun beating down upon your skin, the
waves lapping at the sand and elephant rock
(which was brought to life with a giant octopus
overtaking its highest point.) Drumming
workshops, local musicians playing their sweet
SWELLSCULPTURE
FESTIVAL
Art
tunes, creative workshops,
performance artists and the
scent of the kitchens of the
local cafés firing at full pelt. It
was a day to be remembered!
However it is indeed the
sculptures that we were all
there to experience. I could
sit here and babble on all day
about all my favorites but ill
let the photos do the talking in
this case.
AwardsSwell Sculpure Festival Award – Daniel Clemmett – Keeping up with the Kalashnikovs
Max Fabre Foundation Environmental Awareness Award - Mike Van Dam – Intervention
Jennie Neumann OAM Emerging Artist Award – Glen Star – Erebus
Groove Café Artist Peer Award – Jina Lee - Harmony
Currumbin Beach SLSC People’s Choice Award – Ivan Lovatt – Wolf
School of Humanities Griffith University Kids Choice Award - Filthy Luker & Pedro Estrellas - Octopus Attacks
Environment
This is a topic we have been extremely
passionate about for some time, and in a way,
was one of the driving forces behind creating
Holistic Living and HL e-magazine. We all
know it is important to know where our food is
coming from and what is in that food, but now
food companies have become more cunning
in hiding the ingredients we, as an informed
society are trying to avoid. One of those
ingredients is Palm Oil. Read on and you will be
amazed at what cupboard favourites contain
this (mostly) environmentally un-friendly and
unsustainable oil.
What is Palm Oil?
Palm oil is a type of vegetable oil derived from
the fruit of the oil palm tree. Its origins are
traced back to West Africa. Palm oil is grown
and exported globally from Africa, North and
South America and throughout Asia. However
these days most of the palm oil (85%) used in
the products we purchase is imported from
Palm oil plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Why should we avoid Palm Oil?
The production of this oil is linked to many
environmental and social injustices. Including
the degradation of animal, and rainforest
habitats, as well as the exploitation of the
indigenous peoples of the
lands. In order to grow the oil
palm, hectares of rainforest
are being cleared annually to
make room for the plantations.
The destruction of these
rainforests in Malaysia and
Indonesia in particular has
brought many species under
threat. Studies have shown
that species such as the
Orangutan could be extinct
within the next 5-10years as a
direct impact of deforestation.
How do I avoid Palm Oil?
Currently 40-50% of all
household products contain
palm oil. It is becoming
increasingly harder to know
whether a product contains
palm oil. This is because
there are no government
regulations and because of
public outcry against the use
of the product, the producers
have cunningly come up with
a list of different names to
disguise the fact their product
contains it. There are currently over 200
different names for Palm Oil, therefore making
it harder for the consumer to be aware when
buying their groceries.
Thankfully there are many websites out
there that have done the hard work for you.
Our favorite is Palmoilinvestigations.org.
They have a great little resource that you can
download and cut out to fit into your wallet
with a list of alternative names companies use
to disguise their use of Palm Oil.
You can find it on this link
palmoilinvestigations.org/names-for-palm-oil
The wonderful people at Palm Oil Investigations
Australia have also compiled a list of Australian
products containing Palm oil as well as an
alternative similar product so you can make
an informed choice next time you do your
shopping. I have listed a few below, but please
make sure you check out this website for the
full list. They are also working on a handy app
so you can just scan a barcode when you are
out shopping and the app will tell you if the
product is palm oil free or not. How great is
that!
WHAT CONTAINS PALM OIL?
Bakery and Bread Products
Coles Bakery Breads
Woolworths Bakery Breads
Mission Wraps (certified)
Alternative Bread Products
Abbotts Bakery
Mountain Bread Wraps
Sourdough Bread
Candle Products
Angels Rising
Ecoya
Dusk (certified)
Naturally Inspired
Alternatives Candles
Eco soy Candles
Handmade in Bellingen
Heaven on a wick
Cheese Products
Coles Deli Danish Fetta
Mayers Fetta Cheese
Picasso Foods Marinated
Creamy Fetta Cheese
Alternative Cheese products
Coles Australian style Fetta
Dodoni Fetta
Southcape Persian Fetta and
Crumbled Fetta
Chocolate Products
Belgian Seashells
Cadbury chocolates
Hersheys cookies and cream
Mars Bar
Alternative Chocolate
Cadbury chocolate without
fillings
Hersheys Kisses
Just Organic (Aldi)
The list goes on so make sure
you check out the website for
a full list of products including
cleaning and skin care.
You can also give this great
not for profit organization a
donation to help them continue to research and fight against
this extremely destructive and unnecessary oil. Do you have
a Palm oil free or know of someone that has a Palm Oil free
product?
We would love you to jump on our facebook page and let
everyone know!
For more information, please visit any of the links below:
www.palmoilinvestigations.org/products-australia
www.saynotopalmoil.com/Whats_the_issue.php
www.wwf.org.au/our_work/saving_the_natural_world/
forests/palm_oil/
Words Josephine Flynn.
Pictures – Bravehearts and Jade Hopeley
If you’re local to the Gold Coast, chances
are you’ve had the pleasure of witnessing
Claude, pushing his lawnmower from Hope
Island to Tweed Heads on his annual walk
for Bravehearts. Having currently walked
somewhere between 16-17,000km for those
in need, Claude is the absolute epitomy of an
inspirational person.
We’re sitting in a Café, waiting in anticipation
Inspirational Human
to meet one of the most
inspirational people we would
ever come across. Jade says
to me “Here he comes.” I turn
and see Claude, dressed in his
Braveheart whites, pushing
his trusty lawnmower, with
a selection of his personal
photo albums resting on his
mechanical friend. We stand
up and walk over to shake his
hand and introduce ourselves.
Greeting us with a welcoming
smile and lively blue eyes,
Claude takes a seat (once we’d
negotiated the famous lawn
mower) and opens the first of
many photo albums.
The afternoon continues
with the three of us flicking
through the albums; us asking
questions prompted by the
photos and ample newspaper
articles he has accumulated
over the 15 years, and Claude
enthusiastically reliving every
moment – the ups and the
down – along the way. “Why
a lawnmower?” We ask.
“Well I owned a landscaping
and lawn mowing business
and I was pushing my lawn
mower one day and I thought
“Listen mate, if you just walk,
no one’s gonna take notice of
ya, but if you decorate this
lawnmower, everyone, the
whole World, is gonna notice
ya!”
Claude was sitting with his
family one night when news
broke that two local girls in
the neighbourhood (aged
three and four) had been
sexually assaulted by their 16
year old next door neighbour.
“He was basically given a pat
on the back and told never to
do it again but those girls got
a life sentence. I turned to
my family and said “I’m going
to raise $1 million to raise
awareness, so this will never
happen again.” And so, his
journey to help the vulnerable
began.
“I started with the Gold Coast
Project for Homeless Youth
and raised $203,000 for
them. Then 11 years ago, my
granddaughters school had a
talk from Bravehearts. The
next day I went into their
office and said I wanted to
help them raise money and I
wanted to walk for them.” So
far, Claude’s incredible efforts
have raised a staggering
$710,000….but that’s just for
Bravehearts!
One of the albums we were
stuck on was full of newspaper
articles of the people Claude
has helped and the mammoth
walks Claude has completed
to raise money for those in
need. He tells us two stories
of children whose lives he has
changed forever. “I read about
Tameka in the newspaper.
She really needed a stomach
transplant, but the only place
it was done was in America. I
ended up raising $12,500 for
her and she got to America
and got the surgery. Yeah
(smiles)… that was great.” We
find it hard to believe that he
just lists off the amounts of
money he’s raised for each
project straight off the top
of his head, as if we were
talking a couple of dollars here
and there, not hundreds of
thousands of dollars.
“There was another young
girl that I’d read about. Her
family really wanted to get
her to the Son-Rise Program,
it’s an autism treatment
centre in America. I ended
up raising $17,500 for them
and they got her over there.”
He pauses and thinks. “I was
at the Pines Shopping centre
sometime after that and her
Mum came running up to me,
and she was crying. She gave
me a hug and said “Thanks to
you, my daughter is talking a
lot more and doesn’t need to
wear nappies anymore”. Yeah,
it feels really good.”
After these two stories
we’re blown away with how
humble Claude is about his
achievements. We ask him
how his family feel about
everything he’s done and he
becomes visibly emotional.
“My family…my son is that
proud….is that proud of me
that he is going to do seven
marathons in seven days to
raise money for Bravehearts.”
This he exclaims through
bloodshot eyes and a beaming
smile. “Isn’t that great?” He
asks us, and of course we could
do nothing but absolutely
agree with him. It seems
inspiration runs in the Harvey
genes.
We turn back to the folder full
of articles and Jade finds one that seems overly
impressive. “You walked from Mt Isa to the
Gold Coast?”
“Yep.” He simply replies, nodding. “That was
exciting!”
“I bet it was!” Jade laughs.
“I got chased by three bulls, two dogs and a
woman on that trip.” We all start laughing
“What was the woman chasing you for?”
We ask, as if the bulls and the dogs weren’t
interesting enough.
“Oh she stole my bucket in Ipswich.” Apparently
all the people Claude comes across aren’t the
giving type. “Yeah, I got it back though. I
chased after her and she threw it on the ground
and kept running. Some people then helped me
pick the money up, got some tape and helped
me sticky tape my bucket back together.”
Not even a robbery can stop Claude, he’s got a
mission and he’s not going to let anyone get in
his way. “If I was raising money for cancer, or
the surf club it would be a lot easier. Because
it’s for Bravehearts and talking about child
sexual assault, some people just don’t want to
know about it. They may have had it happen
to them, or they find it confronting, so they
can make it really difficult for me. I’ve been
punched, robbed, abused mentally, but it’s
such an important message and I just need to
get it out. 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys are being
affected by it, so it’s happening right under our
noses.”
It’s evident how passionate Claude is about his
cause as his eyes begin to redden “I’d die for
these kids. I wouldn’t care if I died half way
to Sydney ‘cause I’d die for what I believed in.
And the education programs
are working!”
Claude’s fundraising skills
aren’t just restricted to the
sunshine state. Tasmania
has also had the pleasure of
witnessing Claude’s dedication
and has benefited greatly from
his 60 day visit earlier this
year. “I raised $69,500 down
there and was told when I got
back, that if I hadn’t raised
that money, the Tasmanian
branch (of Bravehearts) would
have closed down!”
When asked what he’d be
doing if he wasn’t pushing his
trusty lawnmower, he laughs
and replies “What would I
be doing? Oh, annoying my
wife and getting into trouble
probably.”
So what’s on the horizon for
Claude Harvey? Lots it seems,
he feels he has a lot more work
to do yet and can’t see himself
stopping anytime soon.
“I might do another walk
in November/December
because the Watson family
want to take Hannah back to
America, but I’m not sure yet.
In January I’m going to walk
from Tweed Heads to Sydney,
inland via Glen Innes. That
should get me to the $1 million
mark.”
Claude has two immediate
goals on the horizon. First, hit
his goal of raising $1 million
(currently sitting at a jaw
dropping $954,000). Once
that goal is reached, he then
wants to raise $1 million just
for Bravehearts. “So far I’ve
made $710,000, but I guess
once I hit the $1 million, then
I’ll want to raise $2 million.”
He says with a cheeky grin.
Claude has just been notified that he is one
of ten finalists in the Regional Achievements
Award. We applaud him for everything he has
done over the last fifteen years and think he
should now be nominated for Australian of the
Year. To find out more about what Claude is up
to, or if you’d like to know more information
about Bravehearts, follow the links below:
W - www.bravehearts.org.au
F - www.facebook.com/claude.bravehearts
W - www.autismtreatmentcenter.org
Claudes efforts so far$750 – Blind Society
$10,000 – Coast to Coast Community Care
$203,000 – Gold Coast Project for Homeless
Youth
$17,500 – The Watson Family
$12,500 – Stomach transplant for local girl
Tameka
$710,000 - Bravehearts
AKOVAWords – Jade Hopley. Pictures – Care of Akova
This is a man with a message and an inherent need to make
music and make people happy. From the first strum of his guitar
your foot will be tapping, by the time he sings the first line your
head will have joined your foot, and as soon as he beats the first
drum you’ll be on the dance floor shakin’ what your Mumma
gave ya! We recently had a chat to the man to find out just how
he became the One-man, eight instrument extraordinaire…........
Music
1. We hear you are currently
on the road touring the east
coast. What’s your favourite
memory of the tour so far?
So many good memories, how
do you choose? From packing
the van and driving down the
highway, that total feeling of
freedom. Then there are all
the venues and the supporters
(which I call Earth Recruits),
who have been amazing. So
basically the whole tour so far
has been one big fat awesome
memory.
The tour is promoting my new
single Time To Stand, which
has been really well received
around the country. It’s a song
I have been wanting to write
for a little while. It concerns
me that people are having
to work so hard just to stay
afloat. Families are suffering.
I see political decisions getting
stranger and stranger. I heard
the other day that common
sense is becoming a super
power! Fracking is a concern
to me; this is also mentioned, so maybe it is
Time To Stand! I am also calling upon people to
send in their own Time To Stand photos, which
I will use for the music clip. The response has
been incredible. Photos are coming in from all
over the world and Oz. Hope to have the clip
up soon.
2. How long have you been playing music?
I have been playing music my whole life pretty
much. When I was about 8 yrs old I was on a
drive with the old man and a song came on the
radio by a guy called Donovan. The song was
Sunshine Superman. That was it, I was hooked!
Guitar shopping time!
3. How did you become a one-man, eight
instrument extraordinaire?
I guess when you’ve played in bands, trios and
duos there comes a time when you want to
see what you can do on your own. Plus always
wanting to be a drummer and percussionist,
collaborating them all together sounded fun.
4. Who is you biggest influence?
I would have to say Donovan, he started it all
for me. His lyrics are uplifting, environmentally
conscious and quirky. Along with some unique
instruments played beautifully.
5. You write such fun, uplifting songs. Tell us
about your song writing process?
I write with my heart and at the moment I
have a very happy one! It’s all about emotion
with me. Sure there are things out there that
concern me, but instead of getting too involved
with the mean and nasty, I let it flow in, write
a song, voice my opinion in a message and let
it flow out. It is something I have learnt in life,
don’t hold onto the negative. Let it in then let it
straight out.
6. What is in the pipeline for Akova?
To bring a little peace, love and harmony
into everybody’s house. Other than that, not
really sure what’s in the pipeline. I’m more
of a dreamer than a planner. I just follow my
gut and I go with the flow. In this industry
everything can change with a phone call or
email. I like surprises so it suits me fine.
7. What local musicians are you diggin’ right
now?
I’m really lovin’ Steve Smyth at the moment.
He is a breathe of fresh air for Aussie music,
love his style. Always into the uplifting tunes
of the Cat Empire and am big fan of my friends
Tijuana Cartel. The beats ‘n’ rhythms and Paul
Georges guitar playing, those boys rip.
Keep up to date with Akova’s
love and music adventures
here:
W - www. akova.com.au
F - www.facebook.com/AkovaMusic
T - www.twitter.com/akovamusic
SAR AH HOWELLS
Words: Josephine Flynn.
Pictures: Jade Hopley
Having one of the coolest jobs in music, the
Roots N All and Weekend Lunch presenter
is the perfect example of persistence paying
off. Having a love of music from a young age,
Sarah’s passion for new and interesting music
landed her in the triple j studios meeting,
playing and promoting some of the most
excellent local and international musicians on
the planet. We caught up with Sarah recently
in her West End home to talk about festivals,
awkward phone calls, dreads and spinning the
decks.
Music
Describe for us how your love
affair with music began?
My house was always filled
with music as a child, as
my Dad is a musician and a
huge lover of music. I would
always dance around the
house, putting on singing
performances for my family,
and started going to dance
class when I was around 4
years old. I guess my love of
music was always there, but
it became more of a conscious
choice for me when I was
14. That was the year that
I discovered triple j on my
radio dial, the year that
Silverchair made me realise
there was more to life than
Top 40 music, and shortly
after that my hometown of
Murwillumbah hosted its
first festival. I just couldn’t
get enough – music made me
feel a freedom that nothing
else had before, and as a
nerdy, shy, teenage girl in a
regional town it made me feel
really connected.
Did you always know you wanted to be
involved in music as a career?
I actually never thought that music would be
a career for me. I knew that I would always
be doing something with music, because I
absolutely loved it, but I assumed that I would
have to work a day job to pay the bills and be
involved in music for fun in my spare time.
People always told me that there was no
money in the arts, and how difficult it was to
get work. A pivotal moment for me was at that
hometown festival when I was 15. It was the
first real live gig that I had gone to, and as I
stood there in the mosh pit the feeling of being
part of something so much bigger than myself
was monumental. At that moment, standing
in the middle of a crowd jumping around to
Spiderbait, I knew that I wanted to share that
amazing feeling with as many other people as
I could. So, I guess I never knew it was going to
be a career, but I just knew I needed to share
this feeling with others.
How did you score a job at Triple J?
Persistence and patience. When I was 15 years
old I told my school careers advisor that I
wanted to work for triple j, and his response
was “everyone says that” and I should be more
realistic. So, I forgot about it for a while, but still
continued to volunteer in the industry. I did
poster runs, edited street press,
booked all ages gigs, wrote for
and distributed street press,
did event management, saw
loads of gigs, and went to Uni.
I volunteered my time in all of
those roles for about 8 years,
and then had the opportunity
to work at Bay FM in Byron,
producing and presenting a
show with a team of other
people as part of the Work
for the Dole program. When
the funding ran out for that
project, Bay FM asked me
to continue presenting the
program, which I did for about
8 months. During that time
I managed to get the contact
details for Costa Zouliou, who
was running the Brisbane
office of triple j at the time. I
sent my resume and an air
check through, just asking if
I could come and look around
the office. Luckily for me
he said yes, and I ended up
volunteering once a week for
a year, and moving to Brisbane
to do it. I also did a little work at 4ZZZ in
Brisbane during that year, presenting Sunday
morning breakfast. I was still there because I
loved it, and I got such a buzz out of rocking
up every Friday to label CDs and open mail.
Then, after almost 9 years total of volunteering
in music, I was given a graveyard shift at triple
j. In hindsight that seems like a long time, but
I always had multiple projects on the go and
just loved what I was doing so much in each
moment that I definitely didn’t think about it
as a chore. I just followed my heart and what
made me feel good, and it all worked out in the
end.
Do you think working at Triple J has exposed
you to more to up and coming talent, or were
you already spending a lot of time looking/
listening to new and interesting artists?
I was definitely always interested in up and
coming artists, and I have been passionate
about local music since I was in high school.
Coming from a small town, there were always
young bands that I thought should be getting
more love than they were. It’s awesome to be
in a position where I can give smaller artists a
broader audience. For me that’s what it’s always
been about – sharing this great new artist I just
discovered with my friends, and finding out
about their favourite new stuff too. Working
at triple j has definitely meant that new music
hunts me down as much as I am looking for it,
which does make life easier sometimes!
We know you’ve already met some stupidly
incredible people, but who has been your top
3 so far?
Oh, that’s always such a difficult question!
There are a lot of incredible people in the world,
and I have been lucky enough to meet and chat
to a few of them. The first in-person interview
I ever did for triple j was a live-to-air backstage
chat with Michael Franti at Bluesfest. That
was pretty incredible, as I had been a massive
Franti fan for years, and I was freaking out not
only about meeting him, but also about using
this new piece of equipment I’d never touched
before and doing my first live-to-air interview.
It all went really well though, and Michael was
super-lovely and gave me free reign on his
rider and backstage space. I’ve met him a few
times since then and he’s always lovely. George
Clinton was also a highlight – that man is equal
parts incredible and crazy,
and I love it! I can’t wait to
have him back in the country
for Bluesfest. Eric Bibb is one
of the most beautiful people
that I’ve ever interviewed, too.
He just has such a gentle way
about him, and it’s always a
pleasure to get to chat to him.
But honestly, there are so
many incredible people in the
world, and not all of them are
the big superstar names. I just
feel so lucky that I get to meet
so many wonderful people in
this job, and in life in general.
Have you ever been star
struck?
Oh absolutely! The Michael
Franti example is a classic
one! I was also massively
star struck when ex-triple j
presenter Robbie Buck called
me to ask if I would report on
a gig for him. It was my first
ever on-air spot for triple j
and I was both scared and
excited, but when Robbie
called me he said “Hey Sarah,
it’s Robbie Buck from triple
j” and I responded “Yeah I’m
good, how are you?” Whoops.
I still get star struck these
days, but at the same time I try
to remember that we are all
just human at the end of the
day. I guess I get more excited
and nervous than star struck
– is that the same thing? My
latest one was when I got to
interview Ben Harper and his
mum Ellen on the same phone
call. I’d been trying to get an
interview with him for years,
but I was pretty happy that it
ended up being for this album.
The banter between him and
his mum was so lovely, and it
felt like we were just hanging
out in the family living room.
Prior to the phone call I was
super-nervous though!
Who is still on your “bucket
list” to meet and interview?
Wow, I don’t know! I just love
finding out other people’s
stories and getting to meet
people from all walks of
life. I can’t think of anyone
specific – it would probably
be someone that I don’t even
know exists yet! Or maybe
all of the Marley clan? I’ve
spoken to Damian before, but
that was many years ago now!
I’d love to chat to the next gen
of Marleys – Daniel Bambaata
and Jo Mersa. What a legacy!
Part of your job is to get out
and about at festivals, what’s
your favourite?
Hands down Island Vibe and
WOMADelaide! We are so
lucky that there are so many
awesome festivals to choose
from in this country, and it
is relatively easy to travel
around to them. Island Vibe
is just so chilled out, and
feels as much like a holiday
camping on the beachfront
for the weekend as it does a
music festival. The location is
absolutely gorgeous, and the
line up is usually pretty sweet
– so much reggae and a great
mix of local and international
acts. WOMADelaide is also
gorgeous – it is held in Botanic
Park and is easily the most well
organised festival I’ve been to.
The mix of world music artists
there is second to none, and it is always such a
fun weekend. If you haven’t made the trek to
Adelaide for it, I strongly suggest that you do.
So good!
We love that you’re always promoting local
musicians from this area, what locals do you
recommend our readers check out?
There’s so much good new music coming out
of the Gold Coast at the moment! Your readers
are probably all across it, but two artists I’m
loving right now are Karl S Williams and
Felicity Lawless. Both of their latest albums are
awesome, and well worth checking out!
We know you’re a big fan of yoga, how long
have you been practising for and how much of
an influence does it have over your daily life?
I’ve been practicing on and off sporadically for
about 15 years. I’m definitely not a daily-yogi,
although that is my aim. I absolutely love it –
yoga strengthens my mind, body and spirit all
at once. It also provides me with some serious
downtime, which I am terrible at taking for
myself. It is such a beautiful practise, and so
good to connect at that very simple level with
myself. I’ve been putting
together some yoga playlists
lately too, and I’m super keen
to get involved in more yoga
and music collaborations - it is
just so much fun!
We have to ask…how does it
feel having the dreads gone
and what prompted the big
change?
It feels great! I love having
the ability to run my fingers
through my hair, to wash my
hair at night and have it dry
before bed, and to be able to
style it a different way every
day if I like. It was a big decision
to change my hair after ten
years, and there were a lot of
factors that came into it. I did
manage to use the exercise
to raise just over $7,000 for
Beyond Blue, which I think
is amazing. I’m so grateful to
everyone who donated to the
cause – it really blew me away.
Finally, what does the rest
of the year hold for Sarah
Howells?
I’ll be on your radio for the
rest of the year, presenting
Roots N All and Weekend
Lunch, as per usual. You’ll also
see me popping up on Double
J radio presenting a J Files or
two soon. I’ve got a few other
projects on the go, including
more DJ gigs, and from
November I’ll be curating a
weekly Sunday session at new
Brisbane venue Triffid. That’s
pretty exciting, actually! Every
Sunday arvo you’ll find me at
Triffid, DJing between some
awesome roots artists and
hanging out in the sunshine.
You should come check it out!
I’m also launching a new
project called Sajana Designs!
I make wearable art -
headpieces and necklaces,
for festivals, brides, tribal
bellydance and just for fun. It’s
been a hobby of mine for ages,
and people keep telling me I
should sell them so I’m making
them available. Some are pre-
made, but I also love making
custom designed pieces - each
is one of a kind! Check out my
Facebook page and contact me
if there’s something you’d like!
It’s still early stages for this
project, but I’m super excited
about it.
Keep up with what Sarah is up
to here:
W - www.abc.net.au/triplej/roots/
F - www.facebook.com/sajanadesigns
ECO CHALLENGE GOLD COASTare looking for volunteers with expertise that can assist with their surfrider foundation fundraising event. The event scheduled for March 15, 2015 at Tugun Surf Life Saving Club as part of the Bleach Festival. It is a free, family friendly, surfing, lifestyle, community event which will comply with sustainable event management guidelines and promote alternative surfing products & services & the natural & social environment.
Volunteers:Event OrganiserAdmin AssistantGraphic ArtistWeb Developer with Wordpress & Nation Builder experienceMarketingSocial MediaStudents can apply for an internship. Accreditation & recognition of voluntary work will be given to all hands on supporters.Please contactGreg HowellClimate Wave [email protected] or 0414 939 942
SPRING CLEANSEWords and Pictures by Kelly Fielding
After the hibernating period of winter,
Spring always inspires a period of cleansing
and rejuvenating as we automatically move
towards lighter, more vibrant food. A cleanse
or detox is a wonderful way to kick start
the body and introduce some healthy eating
patterns that can continue through the
warmer months.
Our bodies automatically perform the natural
process of elimination and neutralizing toxins
though the colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph
system and skin. Over time, regardless of
how healthy a life we maintain, toxins in the
Nutrition
form of fat, old fecal matter,
mineral deposits and toxic
chemicals accumulate in
various organs and tissues
in the body, affecting their
operation and efficiency.
Doing a gentle cleanse
periodically can help to
restore vitality to the body
and flush out toxins that can
otherwise lead to viruses,
bacteria, parasites or disease.
The body also uses a
significant amount of energy
for digestion, therefore
when fasting or cleansing,
the digestive organs can rest
and energy can be diverted
towards rejuvenating tissue
and cells. A cleanse can
also help to restore immune
system functionality, restore
good digestion and return
the body’s metabolic process
to an optimum state.
A gentle weekend detox can
be a great way to give your
body a rest from the stress
of the modern world-from
both environmental pollutants and dietary
substances such as sugar, gluten, alcohol,
caffeine, dairy, chemical food additives
and pesticides. All of these factors place a
tremendous burden on the body. While a
longer detox on solely liquids can be very
beneficial, sometimes a gentle weekend
regime can be an easier way for people to fit
a break into their lives and begin to make real
changes and establish new healthier habits.
In the lead up to your cleansing weekend, cut
down or eliminate these acidic foods such
as caffeine, dairy, alcohol, meat, wheat and
sugar. Try and spend these days eating light,
focusing on raw greens, steamed vegetables,
legumes, beans and raw nuts. You will
find that this will lessen the symptoms of
headaches and withdrawal symptoms as you
move into your cleanse.
Cleansing can trigger various reactions in the
body, these vary greatly and often depend on
your existing state of health and the amount
of toxins present in your body before you
begin your process of detoxing. You may
experience headaches, joint pain and other
mild discomforts. You may find that you shift
between periods of having boundless energy
and mental clarity, while other times you
may feel weak and tired and just wish to rest.
These are all normal detox reactions as the
toxins move out of your body.
When you are ready to break your fast, take
several days to transition back to a normal
way of eating again. Continue with smoothies,
juices and gentle soups or salads for the first
day or two. The body will continue to detox
and cleanse due to the natural sweeping
motion of the fiber in the fruit and vegetables.
The longer you stay on primarily raw and
plant based foods, the longer your body will
detox for.
To assist your cleanse you may also like to
consider these points-
-Upon rising each day drink a cup of warm
water with the juice of a half a lemon. This
stimulates the bowels and detoxes the liver.
-The skin is the body’s largest eliminative
organ, therefore saunas and steam rooms are
great for purification and the elimination of
toxins and heavy metals through the skin.
Dry skin brushing is also excellent to remove
outer layers of dead skin and keeping the
pores open.
-Massage therapy, especially lymphatic
and deep tissue massage, is very useful and
supportive during a detox as it helps to move
toxins from stored areas in the body that are
then eliminated through the colon.
-Mild exercise, light yoga and
short walks also help to keep
the lymphatic fluid moving
and the vascular system
working.
-Make time to do things you
enjoy whether that may be
listening to music, reading
a book, writing in a journal,
playing an instrument or
doing some gentle gardening.
-Write and reflect, make
notes in a journal about
changes you notice in your
body, how your thoughts
are and emotions you are
experiencing. Jot down any
powerful insights that may
have come to you. When the
body has time to rest and
slow down and digestion is
given a chance to unwind,
there is often a sensation of
more clarity and emotion.
-Take a relaxing warm bath in
Epsom salts. The Epson salts
are high in magnesium which
allows the muscles to relax
and also helps to detoxify the
lymphatic system.
-Make sure you get to sleep
nice and early and aim for
a full 8 hours so that your
body has time to rest and
rejuvenate thoroughly.
-For any cleansing period
it is important to plan times
to meditate, rest, exercise,
gently and to get plenty of
fresh air and sunshine.
Here are a handful of recipes
for you to use as a guide.
Focus on plenty of raw fruits
and vegetables, keep food
combinations very simple
and remember to eat slowly
and chew thoroughly.
Alkaline Green Smoothie
1 cup of coconut water or filtered water
1 stalk of celery
½ a cucumber
¼ inch piece of grated ginger
1 small green apple chopped
1 tsp spirulina
4-5 kale leaves
1 sprig pf parsley
½ a lemon juiced
Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy, adding more
liquid to reach your desired consistency.
Happy Belly Morning Bowl
2 cups coconut meat
½ cup coconut water
1 teaspoon probiotic powder or one capsule
Blend coconut meat and water until smooth and creamy.
Add the probiotic powder and blend briefly until combined
You can enjoy the yogurt fresh or you can leave it out at room
temperature for 12 hours to allow it to ferment and then keep
the jar in the fridge again for 1 day. This will give the yogurt a
sour, tangy taste like regular yogurt.
Top the yogurt with-
½ a small ripe papaya diced
1 passion fruit and a good squeeze of lime juice.
Dawn Fruit Bowl
½ a medium size papaya
1 large banana
I mango
I avocado
1 tablespoon of goji berries
1 tablespoon of dried mulberries
1 tablespoon of chopped activated almonds
1 lime
1 passionfruit
Chop the papaya, banana, mango and avocado into bite sized chunks.
Mix in a bowl with the goji berries, mulberries and almonds.
Top with a squeeze of lime and the pulp from a passionfruit.
Simple is Best Salad
1 cup of fresh leafy greens
1 teaspoon of dulse flakes
½ a ripe avocado cubed
½ a large cucumber diced
1 teaspoons of flax seed or hemp seed oil
½ a lime juiced
a pinch of salt
½ cup sunflower sprouts
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
Top with sunflower sprouts and enjoy.
For more information on nutrition, visit Kelly’s
website and keep up to date with her facebook page:
W - www.bellaandbhakti.com
FB - www.facebook.com/bellaandbhakti
Words = Jade Hopley
FEARLESS, PASSIONATE
DETERMINED, STRONG,
COMMITTED…
I could spend all day listing
synonyms to describe the
subjects of this next article. I
guess if you hadn’t already read
the title you would find it hard
to believe I am using these words
to describe a bunch of kids.
These kids are kicking goals BIG
TIME! They have been fortunate
enough to find their true passion
in life, riding waves and tearing
up the pavement on skateboards.
These kids are the next
generation of champions set to
take on the world and change
the face of their chosen sports
forever and they are right here
in our backyard, getting up at the
crack of dawn to practice their
craft. A common thread we see
with each Grom, is that they have
extremely supportive parents
behind them encouraging, but
not pushing their children to
follow their dreams.
GROMSTHAT RIP
Surf/Skate
How old were you when you started surfing/skating?
I started surfing when I was 4 and a half and then started
skating about 2 months later, I have just turned 6.
Do you want to compete and possibly make surfing a career?
I compete at Snapper Boardriders and I have just got home from
BL’s Blast off in Sydney. I won this comp last year and again this
year. It is the best grom comp ever, soooooo much fun!! I really
want to make the WCT (World Championships Tour) and travel
the world surfing and skating
What’s your favourite thing about surfing?
Going to new breaks and meeting new people. It’s very fun to
get barrelled and make a big snaps.
You’re also a pretty rad skater we hear. Which of the two sports
do you prefer?
I like both the same. When there are no waves I skate but when
there are waves I want to surf.
What was it like the first time you paddle out and caught your
first wave?
My first wave was fun but a bit boring because it wasn’t big
enough. I really really love to surf BIG waves! One day I really
want to surf Shipsterns, Teahupoo and Ours. We went and
watched some guys surf Ours it was about 10-15 foot and it was
amazing to watch. When I am bigger I am going out there.
If you want to follow my adventures you can check out my
instagram page @theflyingsquirrel_ or my youtube channel
www.youtube.com/user/TheFlyingSquirrel08
(aka the flying squirrel.) QUINCY
DEMBEHow old were you when you started surfing/skating?
I was 3 when I started skating, & about 5 when I started surfing.
Do you want to compete and possibly make surfing a career?
Yes I already compete on a short board & a long board. I would
love to have surfing as my job, so I could go to the best surf
places in the world.
What’s your favorite thing about surfing?
My favourite things about surfing are having fun and trying
new manoeuvres and getting barrelled.
You’re also a pretty rad skater we hear. Which of the two sports
do you prefer?
Surfing, because it doesn’t hurt as much when you u come off
your board and I generally know more people in the surf. But I
still love the skate park.
What was it like the first time you paddle out and caught your
first wave?
I thought I was ripping, but I was actually getting pushed on to
waves and just standing up on a 6’2” single fin.
NYXIEHow old were you when you started surfing/skating?
I started surfing when I was 9, I was riding a skate board by the
time I was 5.
Do you want to compete and possibly make surfing a career?
Yes I love competing. This year I got 3rd in the under 12 girls at
NSW State titles, and have more comps coming up in the next
few months between Coffs and the Sunny Coast. Yes I would
love to have a career in surfing, to be like Steph, Sally & Tyler, to
travel the world surfing.
What’s your favorite thing about surfing?
My favourite things about surfing are being out with my family
and friends, and sessions with my coach Jenny. ( I love nailing
what she teaches me).
My least favourite thing about surfing was being out of the
water for 2 months, after being bitten on the hand by a shark
earlier this year.
You’re also a pretty rad skater we hear. Which of the two sports
do you prefer?
Surfing for sure, but when the surf is bad I love to skate.
What was it like the first time you paddle out and caught your
first wave?
I can’t remember my first wave, but I do remember the first
day I decided to surf. I went out in the white water and was
determined to do it.
Sabre NorrisHow old were you when you started skating/surfing?
I think I was 7 when I got really into surfing and skating.
Do you want to compete and possibly make skating a career?
I do a comp every year for my skating it’s called ABC bowl comp.
I love to do it because the best skaters in the world come skate
my local bowl and I get to watch them. I accidently dropped in
on Pedro this year. He is the best skater in the world he was
really nice to me.
What’s your Favorite thing about skating?
I love that in skating you are the boss you can do it how you
want to. There is no teacher telling you how you should skate
it’s just your brain. I like this the most
You’re also a pretty rad surfer we hear. Which of the two sports
do you prefer?
I don’t know surfing or skating is really hard for me to choose.
I like how in surfing when you fall you don’t get belted by the
concrete. The water is soft and it doesn’t hurt. But I love about
skating there are so many tricks to learn. When you learn a
trick it is the best feeling ever. It feels like a fire cracker went
off in your guts.
What was it like the first time you pulled off your first trick?
When I landed my mctwist it felt better than Christmas and my
birthday put together. I just felt really proud of myself.
JAY OCCHILLUPOHow old where you when you started surfing?
I was about one when my dad started standing on a board with
me, But I was about two when he started pushing me into waves.
When did you know that you wanted to compete and possibly
make surfing a career?
As soon as I was getting out there by myself I knew that I wanted
to make a career in surfing.
Congrats on being added to team billabong! What’s that like?
Being on the billabong team is a blast. Everyone is so nice and
friendly and the team riders are really nice too.
You’re also a pretty rad skater we hear. Which of the two sports
do you prefer?
Well if the surf is flat I definitely want to skate, but if there is
surf I definitely want to surf. So I would probably choose surfing.
What was it like the first time you paddled into the big, heavy
waves in Hawaii?
It was really fun. The first time I surfed Hawaii was during the
2013 Pipe masters when my Dad and I stayed at the Billabong
house. I had fun surfing Pipeline and Backdoor and stuff but its
really different to the Gold Coast, its much heavier and the reef
is different, because there is no reef on the Gold Coast.
Do you have any comps coming up locally, that our readers
could come down and watch and show their support?
Yeah definitely the Parko Grom Comp is coming up in Caloundra
from the 6th - 9th of November. If your in the area definitely
come its going to be a blast!
For this issue, we’ve done something different to our usual “Sweet Street” spot. Since living on the Gold Coast,
we’d heard so much about the Ecovillage at Currumbin that we just had to get out there and see for ourselves. We
discovered there were so many “sweet streets” in this buzzing sustainable community that it had to have a space all to
itself. Ladies and Gentleman, we introduce you to The Ecovillage. Words – Josephine Flynn / Pictures – Jade Hopley.
THE ECOVILLAGESWEET STREET
CURRUMBIN CREEK ROAD
Nestled in the picturesque Currumbin Valley, just 7 minutes’ drive from the
beach, there is an innovative and environmentally conscious community that’s
home to around 300 residents, 147 species of birds, swamp wallabies, grey and
red neck kangaroos and an abundance of native flora and fauna. The idea for
this inspirational community was created by the late Chris Walton, his wife
Kerry Shepherd and close friend Colin Bear, who together formed a company
called Landmatters.
“We went to an expo in 1995 called The Living City which was just fabulous, it
had speakers from all over the world come and talk and it was the first time we’d
heard the word “sustainability” used in terms of human habitation. We were
really inspired by it and wanted to build a duplex in Budds Beach (where we were
living at the time) that used solar power and some form of recycled water, we
weren’t really sure how, but the idea was there. So that started us on the journey.
Instead of a duplex, we did this (laughs)…took a little bit longer and was a little bit
bigger.” Kerry tells us when asked about how the idea was born.
“We spent two years doing research, travelled around the World on our
Ecovillage tour honeymoon and spent time at communities and villages that were
at the forefront of sustainability practices. Our vision was to inspire Sustainable
Living and Practices in the development industry by creating the world’s best
environmental development. We made the vision and wrote it down in our
garage visioning workshop in 1999 and achieved it in 2008.” Once they found
the perfect place to make their
dream a reality and sought
permission from the local
Indigenous Kombumerri tribe
The Ecovillage began to take
shape.
Not one single native tree has
been removed from the site to
make room for the houses that
now inhabit the area. “We let
the site tell us where to build.
We used ‘soft engineering’
techniques which utilise the
existing contours of the land.
We don’t have any storm
water drains, we use swale
drainage. When it rains here,
every single drop stays here
and either waters vegetation,
creates fauna habitats or
percolates back into the water
table.” It’s evident when
wandering around the site
that this use of swale drainage
is working beautifully. “It
hasn’t rained here in a few
weeks, and as you can see,
everything is still beautiful
and green.” Kerry explains as
we move around the lots.
When creating the lots, not
one site in the 280 acres has
been excavated. The houses
do not sit on concrete slabs,
instead, all of the houses sit
up off the ground to allow for
maximum air flow under the
house, easy termite inspection
and allows for the swale
drainage to work its magic.
“Why not work with nature
instead of against it?” Kerry
simply asks and as we continue to work our
way around the oasis, we start to wonder why
more architects, builders and developers aren’t
taking on the same principal. “We’re not doing
anything new here, we’ve gone back in time,
doing a lot of things how they used to be done.”
When buying a plot of land out here, there are
strict regulations (covenants) each home owner
needs to adhere to before their house plans
gets the thumbs up from the Ecovillage Village
Design Panel. These include mandatory solar
hot water with gas backup, no air conditioners,
a percentage of recycled materials and an
element of thermal mass in each home. Eaves
on the houses (allowing winter sun penetration
but keeping the summer sun out), sloped
ceilings to allow the maximum amount of light
and air flow and the houses need to face the
right way. Another interesting requirement
that the local community now fiercely protects
is called the dark sky policy. “This was one of
Chris’ ideas that he was really
passionate about. Basically,
from the outside of the homes
looking in, you are not allowed
to see the naked bulb of the
light. It creates an ambient
atmosphere and allows our
residents to be able to go
outside of their homes, look up
into the night sky and still see
the stars. It’s also really good
for the animals, insects and
birds of the area.”
Every inch of the land is
used for a purpose, down to
the trees lining the streets.
“Planted streetscaping is either
native to the area or are nut or
fruit trees. There is a group of
local ladies called the Lemon
Tarts who get together in the
communal kitchen and bake with the seasonal
produce. It’s really nice how the community
is so close. They’re minding each other’s kids,
getting together in their “hamlets” of a Friday
afternoon for BBQ’s or end up around the
wood fire pizza oven of an afternoon with their
families.”
The “hamlets” Kerry is referring to are made
up of between 5-8 homes, centred around a
communal grassed area, or “greenway”. These
areas are there for the residents to use however
they wish, whether it be made up of kids play
equipment and a trampoline, or the residents
deck chairs, they create a lovely neighbourhood
feel and with the site made up of 20% private
lots and 80% open space (the opposite of a
typical development model) there’s plenty of
outdoor space for the residents to enjoy.
Amazingly, this is the first community that has
the permission to “untap” from the city’s water
supply. Each home has at least one water tank
(and you get so used to seeing
them, that they somehow start
to blend into the environment)
and 100% of the used grey and
black water is sent to the on-
site waste water treatment
plant, treated to Class A+
standard and pumped back
to the houses. The Ecovillage
is completely water self-
sufficient. “The Ecovillage has
never had municipal water
restrictions. When the rest
of the Gold Coast was on
them, gardens here were still
beautiful and green.” Kerry
exclaims. She continues on to
talk about how the community
compares to the statistics from
standard houses is South East
Qld. “EV homes use 25% of the
electricity of a standard QLD
home, but they are generating
around 100% of their own
electricity. There’s only 3
houses in here that I know of
that are paying some kind of
electricity bill, and even then,
they’re extremely minimal.”
When it comes to waste, each
house is responsible for their
own. There are no city council
rubbish trucks coming in to
pick up the household rubbish.
Instead, each household takes
their own to the RRR (Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle) centre onsite.
Kerry explains “We did this
for two reasons; one, we didn’t
want trucks coming in here,
driving around making noise
and waking our residents up
at silly times of the morning.
Secondly, we wanted each
household to be responsible
for the waste they were
creating and really thinking
about their environmental
footprint and it’s worked
amazingly.”
Wandering around the community, meeting
the people, witnessing the strong relationships,
viewing the innovative houses and abundance
of wildlife, we just can’t help but wish that
more of these principals become “mainstream”
in the rest of society; how better off would our
World be?
For more information about the Ecovillage,
follow the link below:
W - www.theecovillage.com.au
When I tell people what I do, the most common response is “What is Pilates?” or “Is that the same
as yoga?” I sometimes get over enthusiastic telling the amazing history, benefits and intricate
details of the Pilates method, but it’s hard not to…it’s fascinating! Here is a brief history of Pilates,
the amazing benefits and exactly why I swear by it!
PILATES BY LISA
Wellbeing
Curious what the hype is
all about? Pilates is on trend
in 2014, it is the exercise of
choice for models, celebrities
and athletes to maintain their
highly coveted figures! The
method transforms the way
your body looks, feels and
performs. It builds strength
creating a powerful, well
balanced, toned body.
The Godfather of the method,
Joseph Pilates, was German
born and was far from
healthy as a child. He suffered
from asthma, rickets, and
rheumatic fever just to name
a few! He grew sick and tired
of this and decided to dedicate
his entire life to becoming
physically fit.
When WW I erupted, he was
interned on the Isle of Man
in a prison camp for German
citizens labeled as “enemy
aliens”. It was during this time
that history was made and
he developed his system of
exercises, which he originally
called “Contrology”.
After the war, famous athletes were lining
up to train with Pilates, including the heavy
weight boxer Max Schmelling, who convinced
Joe to emigrate to the USA by financing the
very first Pilates studio on 8th Avenue in New
York City.
By the early 1930s, whispers spread through
the entire country of Joe’s expertise and
his training studio was a celebrity hot spot.
Athletes, dancers and even famous performers
such as Vivien Leigh and Katherine Hepburn
could not get enough of “Contrology”. It became
an intrinsic part of the dancers training and
rehabilitation, a must for any serious ballerina!
Joe continued to teach until the age of 87,
when it is said he succumbed to injuries he
sustained after a fire burned down his studio
and he attempted to salvage what he could.
Some of Pilates first generation instructors
that he mentored himself are still alive and
teaching the method as he did to this very day.
My love affair with Pilates started 13 years ago.
I pleaded with mum to buy me a Pilates video
after seeing an infomercial on TV. I got my
very own video and literally loved it to death! I
did it religiously every morning before school
and on weekends, not missing one single day
in five whole years (yes, even Christmas!). I still
have that video to this day,
it’s special to me because it
made me fall in love with the
method that changed my life.
After completing my Pilates
qualifications in 2009, I hired
the local community hall one
night a week, never expecting
to turn my hobby into a career.
Only months later, the hall
was bursting at the seams…
the class was a success!
People were discovering the
remarkable benefits of Pilates.
We then added more and
more classes to the timetable…
Pilates By Lisa was growing!
To cater to clients who travel,
have children and work erratic
hours, we created our very first
Arm Sculpting DVD. We then
went on to produce 8 more
DVDs, covering all body areas
and specific needs including
back pain and rehabilition,
which Pilates is renowned
for. I had a lot of people from
overseas requesting the DVDs,
however due to shipping
times and high postage, it did
not seem viable. But what if I
could discover a way to reach
people from any country,
anytime, anywhere no matter
their circumstances? With
hard work and persistence,
our online Pilates studio was
born!
Today, five years on, we have
now spread our passion for
Pilates right around the globe
with our online studio “Pilates
By Lisa On Demand” at www.pilatesbylisa.com.
au, where members have unlimited 24/7 access
to over 100 online workouts anytime, anywhere!
Members can access the workouts from any
device including laptops, PC, mobiles and iPads.
Our online studio is the future of fitness, it’s like
having your very own personal trainer in the
comfort of your own home! I am thrilled to be
able to bring health, fitness and the beautiful
scenery of the Gold Coast to people from all over
the world!
So what is all the hype about? Pilates is feeling
great, looking sensational and keeping your
body in peak physical condition.
For more information on Pilates, workouts on
demand or to catch one of Lisa’s classes, follow
the links below.
W - www.pilatesbylisa.com.au
F - www.facebook.com/PilatesByLisa
www.holisticlivingtv.comFacebook: holisticlivingtv
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