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5 Reasons Why You Should Go to The Food Fair at Cotton Tree in Maroochydore

The Food Fair, the newest curated 3-day food festival, is happening at the Black Swan Park at Cotton Tree in Maroochydore this 9 August until 11 August 2019.

Gather up, food enthusiasts! The Curated Plate is heading to Sunshine Coast this August for an epic and tasteful celebration of food, dining, and cooking.

As part of the listed events for this celebration, The Curated Plate is having a 3-day food festival called “The Food Fair” at the Black Swan Park at Cotton Tree in Maroochydore.

Still not convinced whether this event is worth the hype and your time? Well, here is a list of reasons why The Food Fair is an event you wouldn’t want to miss out.

1. Series of Hands-On Food Demonstrations

A number of incredible and award-winning local and international talents are participating in this event. This makes it the perfect opportunity for you to witness their skills and learn a thing or two from their expertise.

Included amongst the chefs who will be having food demonstrations are: Zaiyu Hasegawa for creative and artistic technique on local produce, Alanna Sapwell and Jade King for sweet cooking finger lime, Joel Valvasori-Pereza for local produce in a pasta, and Chase Kojima for the art of fish-skillery.

*Chef Alanna Sapwell*
*Photo credit: The Curated Plate/ Facebook*

2. Chef Talks

Aside from food demonstrations, The Food Fair is also having masterclasses or “Chef Talks” wherein different invited chefs will share their experiences in the kitchen to give a glimpse of their profession. At the Chef Talks, each speaker will also get the chance to be asked by the audience anything related to food, dining, cooking, and sustainability.

Peter Gilmore, Troy Rhoades-Brown, Darren Robertson, and Clayton Wells are included amongst the list of chosen speakers for The Food Fair’s Chef Talks.

3. Wide-Range of Bars and Eateries

What is a food festival without food and beverage stalls? At The Food Fair, there will be a lot of bars and eateries for you to feast upon. How exciting is that, right?

Enjoy flavourful custom-made creations from festival-favourites, namely Hoy Pinoy and Gelato Messina. The Meatball Company will also be at the fair serving up numerous choices of premium meatballs. And for local drinks, Hartwells and Craftwerk bars will cover it up as they serve drinks from Brouhaha Brewery, Your Mates Brewing Co. and Sunshine Coast Coast Cider.

4. Everyone is Welcome at The Food Fair (Dogs Too!)

Have a festive weekend at the Black Swan Park for The Food Fair with your entire friends and family. If you have pets, feel free to bring them to the park too since the venue and the event itself is dog-friendly.

5. Free Entry and 50% of Proceeds Will be Given to Rural Aid

The entire event is FREE if you register online ahead of time. If you are interested in going to The Food Fair, you may click here to register.

Alternatively, on the day of the event, an entry fee of $5 per person will be charged for adults whilst children who are under 16 years old get a free entry. However, 50% of the total proceeds of The Food Fair will be given to their chosen charity partner, Rural Aid.

Now with the list of reasons why The Food Fair is an event worth going to, it’s time for you to decide and mark your calendars for this epic food festival happening this August at Maroochydore. To know more information about The Food Fair, click here.

Heal Yourself Naturally at this Expo in Maroochydore

Photo Credit: mohamed_hassan/Pixabay

Following the successful ‘Heal Yourself Expo’ in Redcliffe last May, the healing festival is coming to Sunshine Coast this month with a great lineup of workshops, speakers and stalls.

This month’s event is scheduled 27-28 July 2019 from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm at the Millwell Road Community Centre, Maroochydore.

Heal Yourself Expo is filled with a diverse range of information, spiritual readers and health practitioners, helping you find the right tool for your self-healing.

For Day 1, speakers include wellnesspreneur expert Sebastian Hilbert, mentor for parents Ilka Oster, Facebook strategist Chantal Gerardy, Wellness Business Academy founder Kelly Kingston, Think Money founder Chris Childs, and permaculture teacher Ian Trew.

On the second day, there will be lectures about changing one’s vibration from Kirsten Barfoot Patti, The Art of Forgiveness from Pam Siddins, and Vaccination Risks, Effectiveness and Alternatives from Stephanie Messenger.

Aside from being engaged in enlightening workshops, entrants can watch performances from talented artists whilst keeping the kids occupied at the dedicated kids zone.

There will be more than 50 stalls for unique products and local services that can assist in one’s physical, spiritual, and emotional healing.

About the Healing Yourself Expo

Photo credit: Heal Yourself Expo/Facebook

The expo designed to educate, inform and empower people to the ways means and choices available to them to Heal Themselves.

If you are interested to participate in this two-day expo, visit the Heal Yourself Expo website or Events page. Entry is $5 for adults and free for participants under the age of 13.

Buderim Mountain State School Now on the Queensland Heritage Register

Block B of Buderim Mountain State School (Photo Credit: apps.des.qld.gov.au)

Buderim Mountain State School, the first school in Buderim, has earned its place in history and is now listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.

The school, located at 8-42 Main Street, Buderim was entered as a State Heritage on 3 May 2019.

According to the Queensland Heritage Register database, the premises added to the register are:

school complex comprising of Blocks B and C
war memorials comprising of Memorial Gate, Memorial Sports Ground and Memorial Arboretum
Mature trees
Views within and to the site

Block B is a temporary classroom building that serves as a standard type of a Queensland state school. It retains its low-set, timber-framed structure, north-facing open verandah, and a gable roof. It was built in 1951 and was extended in 1954.

Block C of Buderim Mountain State School (Photo Credit: apps.des.qld.gov.au)

Block C, on the other hand, is a high-set timber school building built eight years after Block B was constructed. Like the latter, it features an open space to the north and south sides, facilitating abundant natural light and ventilation of interior.

An important feature of the school is its mature trees, including its extensive pine forestry plot and arboretum planted as a war memorial in the late 1940s.

Mature camphor laurel at Buderim Mountain State School (Photo credit: apps.des.qld.gov.au)

The arboretum, sports grounds, and memorial gates are components of a broader ‘War Memorial Community Centre’, established in 1945 by the Buderim community as a ‘living memorial.’

About Buderim Mountain State School

Photo credit: buderimmountainss.eq.edu.au

When it opened in 1875, Buderim Mountain State School was known as Buderim Mountain Provisional School and only had 18 pupils. The school’s first location was on Panorama Drive but it was closed in 1886.

Provisional schools were established by settler communities whose average student attendance was between 12 and 30 pupils. The local Buderim school committee had to provide a suitable building at their own expense because at that time, the Queensland Board of General Education only built and maintained primary schools with more than 30 pupils.

Fast-forward to the present day, the school has over 1,000 students and continues to honor its traditional custodians, the Gubbi Gubbi people. They are the Indigenous Australian people native to southeastern Queensland.

A more detailed history of these buildings can be found on the Queensland Heritage Register website.

Learn Bike Maintenance at This Ladies-Only Workshop in Buderim

Photo Credit: Manosainz/Pixabay

To all the ladies out there who love cycling, here’s a free workshop in Buderim that will help keep your bike in tip-top condition to improve your riding experience.

The “Visione Cycles Ladies Only Workshop” will be held on 15 June 2019 starting at 5:00 p.m. at Shop 4/53-55 Burnett St, Buderim.

This workshop will cover the basics, such as tyre-changing, drivetrain maintenance, and bike cleaning. You will also learn how to tune gears and check pre-ride conditions.

If you’re interested to join, register either to the event, message, email or phone because the numbers are limited due to space. Food and drinks will be provided at the venue.

Visione Cycles is a family-owned cycling store operating Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Cyclists can come to just admire the bikes and enjoy locally roasted coffee at this premium cycling store and coffee bar. They offer a range of services, from dial-ins to frame strip down or bike build.

Register via Visione Cycle’s Facebook page or give them a call at +61 7 5352 3119 for more information about their upcoming events or services.

Maroochydore’s Plant Based Fast Food

Charlie’s Raw Squeeze and MooFree Burgers offer Maroochydore locals a healthier alternative to all their fast food cravings.

Do you want to indulge yourself with a tasty burger with chips, drinks, and dessert on the side, but without the guilt of eating an unhealthy meal? No need to worry for that because Charlie’s Raw Squeeze and MooFree Burgers got you covered!

Charlie’s Raw Squeeze and Moo Free Burger both serve nutritious, wholesome, and plant-based drinks, desserts, burgers, and more. All their offerings are very tasty that you wouldn’t even notice you’re eating something healthy.

Charlie’s Raw Squeeze

Freshly made smoothies, squeezed juices, ice-creams, squeeze bowls and salads await at Charlie’s Raw Squeeze. As the name states, all their products are locally supplied from Charlie’s Fruit Market in Everton Park.

fruit bowl — *Photo credit: Raw Squeeze & MooFree Burgers Maroochydore/ Facebook*

Aside from the fact that all their offerings are 100% plant-based, Charlie’s Raw Squeeze also has a number of raw, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free options available depending on your preference. So whether you are in for something really sweet or fruity-like dessert or snack, Charlie’s Raw Squeeze is definitely a must-try!

Fruit shakes — *Photo credit: Raw Squeeze & MooFree Burgers Maroochydore/ Facebook*

For coffee lovers out there, Charlie’s Raw Squeeze also has an organic coffee menu available. Their organic coffee has a variety of plant-based milk options such as almond, soy, and coconut.

MooFree Burgers

MooFree Burgers prides itself for being one of Maroochydore’s plant-based restaurants. It even calls itself as a healthy fast food given its menu is somewhat similar to what you would normally find on a fast food chain except that MooFree Burgers are plant-based.

Just like Charlie’s Raw Squeeze, all MooFree Burgers are 100% , and all are made with fresh and locally produced ingredients. In fact, their patties and sauces are all homemade which makes their burgers taste delicious and unique.

At MooFree Burgers, customers also have an option of having gluten-free buns or patties mixed into an amazing salad.

Charlie’s Raw Squeeze and MooFree Burgers in Maroochydore is open daily from 8:00 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. To know more about their menu, click here.

Pre-Polling Booth at Buderim Now Open for 2019 Federal Election

Know where to cast your vote in Buderim prior to the 2019 Federal Election Day.

For those of you who cannot make it to the polling booth on 18 May 2019 or for those who want to escape the Election Day mayhem, the pre-polling booths are now open across the region. With more than 600 early voting centres nationwide, voters can now cast in their votes early without any difficulty.

At Buderim, the pre-polling booth is located at the St Marks Anglican Church Hall. The booth also has assisted wheelchair access for the voters’ convenience.

Here are the opening times of the pre-polling booth at Buderim:

Date	Time
6 May 2019 (Monday)	8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
10 May 2019 (Friday)	8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
13 May 2019 (Monday)	8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
15 May 2019 (Wednesday)	8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
16 May 2019 (Thursday)	8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
17 May 2019 (Friday)	8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Eligibility of Early Voting

According to the Electoral Act, to be eligible for early voting the voter must have plans to be either out of the country, interstate or outside of his or her electoral division more than 8 kilometres from the polling place on the Election Day. Other voters who fall within the early voting eligibility guidelines include those with religious duties, poor health, or reasonable fears for their safety.

It must be noted that voting before the scheduled Election Day at any of the pre-polling booth is carried out the same way as the regular voters on the Election Day itself. Voters still get to follow the same process of selecting their preferred candidates on the official ballot papers.

You may click here for more information on how to vote in the 2019 Federal Election.

Buderim Ginger Chosen as Recipient of Government’s $1.3M Exports Grants Program

Eight diverse Queensland food companies were chosen for a second round of funding from the Queensland government’s $1.3 million exports grants program and Buderim Ginger is one of them.

Buderim Ginger

From a small farming community and ginger growers’ cooperative in 1941, Buderim Ginger has grown to be one of the world’s largest suppliers of ginger. It is a proudly Australian business, one of Queensland’s great agricultural success stories.

In the 1990s, Buderim Ginger earned global recognition for producing the World’s Finest Ginger. Buderim Ginger and the Queensland Horticultural Industry (QHI) have joint plant breeders rights to the variety of ginger known as “Buderim Gold”. This particular species of ginger improves harvest yields whilst maintaining the citral flavour characteristics sought after in Australian ginger.

The company now produces a wide range of ginger products that is distributed in over 17 countries.

The funding will not only allow Buderim to grow and manufacture preservative-free ginger products in Queensland for a worldwide consumption, but it will also support the local produce and provide local jobs.

Growing Queensland’s Food Exports

The $1.3 million Growing Queensland’s Food Exports program (GQFE) encourages food businesses to improve their export competitiveness and profitability through better understanding of their markets. The initiative specifically seeks to:

Contribute to regional economic growth and jobs through increasing exports of food products
Co-invest with Queensland agriculture and food businesses that are either export ready or currently exporting to develop export capability
Foster collaborative relationships between export businesses, industry associations, research agencies and government to develop export capability
Capitalise on current markets as well as opportunities arising from new and existing Free Trade Agreements
Enhance agriculture and food businesses understanding of markets and global trends in order to achieve sustainable long-term export growth

Economic growth through increasing exports — *Photo credit: Image by Sarah Richter from Pixabay*

Aside from Buderim Ginger (ginger products), other companies receiving grants in this second round of funding are:

Australian Gulf Seafood (seafood)
Gin Gin & Dry (dried fruits)
Ironbark Citrus (mandarins)
Kominos Wines (wine)
Natural Evolution (green banana flour)
Perfection Fresh (fresh produce)
Qualipac (fresh produce)

Go Extreme with School Holiday Activities on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast

With the upcoming school holidays, kids are sure to get glued to the television or their electronic gadgets, unless they engage in adventure activities like those offered at the Coast Club Easter holiday programme of the Queensland Recreation Centres on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast.

The programme will run from Monday, 8^th April 2019, till Thursday, 18^th April 2019, and is open to children 8 years and older as well as their parents and families.

Activities Offered by Both Recreation Centres

Both the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast centres will offer the following activities:

Giant Swing: As the name suggests, it is like the ordinary swing but on a bigger scale. You are harnessed and hauled to a height of about 18 or 20 metres. When you pull the cord to release yourself, you get to swing as high as the tree tops. This awesome activity is ideal for those looking for an adrenaline rush.
Surfing: This is a water sport in which the wave rider or surfer rides on a moving wave.
Stand Up Paddle Boarding: SUP is an offshoot of surfing but unlike traditional surfing where the rider sits until a wave comes, stand up paddle boarders stand on their boards and use a paddle to propel themselves through the water.

Sunshine Coast Programme
Gold Coast Programme

Exclusive Activities at Sunshine Coast

The Sunshine Coast Recreation Centre at 80 Currimundi Road offers the following fantastic activities which won’t be provided at the Gold Coast centre:

Caving: Explore wild cave systems in this recreational activity. For participants to experience the unique thrill and challenge of cave exploration, Sunshine Recreation Centre built 150 metres of artificial caving to recreate natural caves. Cavers are equipped with head torches as they navigate through the complex maze of passages.
Rock Climbing: Participants climb up, down or across artificial rock walls which have over ten different climbs of varying degrees of difficulty.
Vertical Climb: In this activity, the climber often uses his head, back and feet to apply opposite pressure on vertical walls that are mostly parallel and large enough to fit the climber’s body into.

Rock Climbing
Caving

Exclusive Activities at Gold Coast

Likewise, Gold Coast Recreation Centre at 1525 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach exclusively offers the following activities:

Abseiling and Quick Jumps: Abseiling or rappelling is a controlled descent off a near-vertical surface with the use of a rope. The bungy-style ‘quick jump’ from the top platform was conceived for the more bold and daring.
Canoeing to David Fleay Wildlife Park: This activity entails paddling along the Tallebudgera Creek and then having a guided tour of David Fleay Wildlife Park, a very natural and unspoiled park that demonstrates the conservation initiatives of the person for whom it is named after.
High Ropes: The high ropes courses allow participants to traverse swinging bridges and other elements 10 metres off the ground, so much like walking a tightrope.

High ropes — *Photo credit: Queensland Recreation Centres / Facebook*

Extreme sports can push you to your physical and mental limits, but engaging in such activities often tests your strength, endurance, agility, and balance as well as mental control. More importantly, the holiday programme is a good way for families to disconnect from their devices and reconnect with each other.

You can register for either the half day (3 hours) or full day (6 hours) programme.

All sessions start at 9:00am. Drop off time is between 8:30am – 9:00am. Pick up time is between 12:00 noon – 12:30pm for the half day programme, and 3:00pm – 3:30pm for the full day programme.

For other details, see their FB page or website.

Follow the Winding Trail of Buderim Forest Park and Falls

Among the hinterland sites in the Sunshine Coast, Buderim Forest Park and Falls is a must visit place for locals and tourists.

Buderim Forest Park is a 45 hectare subtropical oasis less than a kilometre from the north side of Buderim Village. It has towering trees, strangler figs and ferns, meandering tracks, and a stunning waterfall.

The forest park is a popular tourist attraction for its waterfall, widely known as Serenity Falls. The waterfall is actually the most photographed place in Buderim. It’s a wonderful place to visit at any time of the year, but the waterfall looks more stunning during or right after rainfall when the water powerfully cascades down into the waterhole below.

There are two entry points to reach Serenity Falls:

From Lindsay Road

You can park at the bottom of the forest, off Lindsay Road. At the end of the short loop road, you’ll find an elevated wooden boardwalk. This 600-metre walkway takes you on an easy stroll through the lush forest, along the banks of Martins Creek. The walkway ends halfway to the falls though, so you must continue along a more rugged path to the base of the waterfall.

Even if the wooden boardwalk is stroller- and wheelchair-accessible, people with a walking disability may not make it to the waterfalls.

600-metre walkway — *Photo credit: HollyS0 / Wikimedia Commons*

From Quorn Close

You can also reach the waterfall through the top of the forest at Quorn Close. The 350-metre route gives you direct access to the falls, but it is quite steep.

To get to this trail, take Lindsey Road off the Main Street in Buderim Village and then take the first right onto Quorn Close.

In the middle of the parking area is the Edna Walling Memorial Garden, a memorial to one of Australia’s greatest and most innovative garden designers. From there you can walk to the entryway of the bushwalk where you’ll need to navigate a number of stairs as you make your way down.

The dirt path takes you straight to the high arch wooden bridge overlooking the waterfall and creek. A set of steps on the other side of the bridge leads down to the base of the falls and the rock pool below.

This route is definitely not accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.

Although you’ll find some people taking a dip in the waterhole at the bottom of the falls, the Council does not recommend swimming because water in the creek goes through urban areas and stormwater drains. But you can cool your feet to test the water temperature which is almost always freezing cold, even in summer.

Cool your feet in the water — *Photo credit: Taliesi / Pixabay*

There are no facilities or toilets at the waterfalls. You’ll find the barbecues, picnic tables, and toilets at both entrances to the forest park.

When you’ve forgotten to bring along a picnic basket, you can head to Buderim Village shops for some food at the end of your hike. It’s only a few minutes away.

Please note that Buderim Forest Park and Falls are a nature reserve, so you are not allowed to bring your dogs along.

Also, please take your litter with you. Do your part to help conserve these areas.

Lastly, you might want to consider bringing an aeroguard for the mozzies.

Buderim: One of Most Sought-After Qld Suburbs Among Brits as Brexit Looms

Amidst political uncertainties in the UK, British property searchers looking for homes to buy turn to Queensland suburbs, such as the Sunshine Coast suburb of Buderim, the latest report from realestate.com.au reveals.

Among the most sought-after suburbs in Qld, Noosa Heads was the top suburb, whilst Buderim and Mooloolaba follows Noosa Heads among the most searched Sunshine Coast suburb, based on December 2018 property search data from realestate.com.au.

As for Brisbane suburbs, New Farm was the most popular among British property seekers, followed by Redcliffe, North Lakes, Bulimba, Paddington, Kangaroo Point, West End, Macleay Island, St Lucia, and Cleveland.

The house median price in Buderim, from 1 Mar 2018 – 1 Mar 2018, was $675,000, higher than the state median house price of $495,000. Demand is also higher in Buderim than the Qld average, with 420 visits per property as compared to the state’s 382, according to realestate.com.au. Corelogic’s propertyvalue.com.au, on the other hand, reports the median sale price in Buderim at $665,000 for a one-year price change of 3.10 percent.

UK-originating property searches in Queensland rose 31 percent, according to December 2018 searches data from realestate.com.au, making Qld as top search location among UK property seekers. Those searching for property to buy mostly target the beachside, the report said.

Analysts believe that uncertainties in Britain are making British buyers turn their attention to Australian property market, especially in Brisbane where there are more job opportunities and the housing market has been steady.