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.
Books of Buderim, an independent bookshop in the Sunshine Coast town of Buderim, closed down on Christmas Eve 2018 after doing business for 51 years.
Since it started operating in 1967, Books of Buderim had provided books for everyone from all walks of life and all ages. They had an eclectic stock of fiction, nonfiction, and children’s picture stories, board books and bestsellers.
The owner, book enthusiast Fiona Blond, and her friendly staff were proud of their book-finding skills. Name it and, most of the time, they can hunt it down for you. They can source books from across the globe in as little as over a week.
Photo credit: Books of Buderim/Facebook
Community interaction was integral to the bookshop so it participated in events that provided many opportunities to fall in love with books. It also supported local causes including Gardens of Buderim Festival, Readers cup, Reading Hour, Voices on the Coast, Imagineers and School and Kindy fundraising raffles.
Located at the end of the lovely courtyard across from Buderim Tavern, it has been the venue for Anywhere Theatre festival to stage “The Likely Story” play amongst its bookshelves.
Photo credit: Books of Buderim/Facebook
The place also offered author events in conjunction with schools and the council. Many local authors launched their books and writing careers in this bookshop. Authors like Lynette Noni, Jessica Townsend, and Peter Phelps provided crowds with lines that reached way down Burnett Street.
Classics Bookclub was a monthly book club that allowed people to engage in interesting conversations or just come together and network, creating a sense of belonging in the community.
Photo credit: Books of Buderim/Facebook
But the evolving changes of the digital
age presented a challenge to the bookstore. The increasing overhead costs and
the slowly declining sales due to the increase in online retail shopping took a
heavy toll so there was a need to shut the shop.
The bookshop traded up until the 24th of December 2018, after which a farewell gathering was held in the premises.
Having been part of the community for 51 years, Books of Buderim will certainly be missed.
In 2015, PETstock partnered with leading adoption site and not-for-profit charity PetRescue to find forever homes for unclaimed animals in Australian pounds. Every year thereafter, National Pet Adoption Day has been celebrated in more than 100 PETstock stores across the country as a campaign to rehome rescue pets. Maroochydore is only one of 26 PETstock stores in Queensland.
Photo credit: PixelwunderByRebecca/Pixabay
With many rescue pets being cared for in out-of-the-way shelters, National Pet Adoption Day gives the opportunity for rescue pets to visit the community and meet families looking to adopt.
Last year’s campaign found loving homes for 520 pets. This year, PETstock hopes to outmatch, if not double, last year’s adoption numbers.
Photo credit: Counselling/Pixabay
This year’s National Pet Adoption Day
aims to encourage people to look for an individual pet rather than a particular
breed. In line with this year’s slogan, “Love knows no breed”, all breed labels
will be removed from the listed pets as a way to forget breed stereotypes.
Stereotypes make dogs of certain breeds
less likely to be adopted because the slightest negative information can
influence people’s perception. But just like humans, each animal is unique. An
animal’s personality and temperament is often influenced by environment and
previous experiences, not just their breed. That is why there is so much
variation both within and between breeds.
Even if a pet has had a rough start in life, they thrive and can become wonderful companions when provided with constant love and care. With a loving family, their personalities shine.
Removing breed labels hopes to encourage people to get to know the animal’s own individual personality, which ensures that pets of all types find the homes they deserve.
Photo credit: PETstock/Facebook
Try adopting a pet instead of buying
one. There’s a pet to suit every lifestyle and National Pet Adoption Day is the
fantastic opportunity to find your perfect match.
What was once a hugely popular sustainable living initiative in Sunshine Coast—the Urban Food Street at Buderim— is now being turned into a housing development plan.
A lot of residents living along the Urban Food Street precinct at Clithero Avenue in Buderim expressed their disappointment after discovering that a number land owned by one of the pioneers of the Urban Food Street initiative, Duncan McNaught, were recently just signed off into a housing development company.
Members of the community further stated how they were still recovering from the aftermath of the Council’s decision to chop down 18 fruit trees last 2017. The latest news involving the housing development plan in the area has become another unexpected and unfortunate controversy.
Despite the negative reactions expressed by the residents of the Urban Food Street precinct, no comments have been given by Mr. McNaught and his partner regarding this matter.
Urban Food Street
The Urban Food Street at Buderim was co-founded by Caroline Kemp and Duncan McNaught in 2009. Over the years, this environmental initiative grew and it became popular amongst the locals at Buderim.
In fact, the Urban Food Street was a considered as a model of a pioneering neighbourhood in Australia that grows and produces large quantities of a variety of fresh and pesticide-free vegetables, fruits, and herbs in public spaces. By simply strolling down the 11 streets at Clithero Avenue, you get to see, enjoy, and even hand-pick a number of food that you need.
Photo credit: URBAN FOOD STREET/ Facebook
Locals feel that a sense of community has been fostered within the neighbourhood thanks to this gardening and produce initiative done by the Urban Food Street.
Given the growing community, the Council has requested the residents participating at the Urban Food Street to obtain a public liability insurance and a free permit in order for them to retain the trees planted on the public footpaths of the streets.
But after six months of ongoing disagreements between the Council and the residents over this matter, the Council was left with no other choice but to chop down 18 fruit trees last May 2017. Apparently, there should be a proper permit applied for by a resident of the area, or the said trees were supposed to be relocated to a private property. Locals were displeased over the Council’s decision to chop the trees down.
Housing Development Plan
Photo credit: URBAN FOOD STREET/ Facebook
Condora Investments, owned by the Rafter family of Sunshine Coast, is behind this Buderim development. The proposed parcels of land to be used in this project were described as underdeveloped by the developer, who also stressed the importance of improving the landscape and streetscape in the area.
The housing development project proposed subdividing the current 4 lots in the area into 14 lots, with block sizes ranging from 700 to 1,500 square metres. The Clithero House, a historic property situated at Clithero Avenue, will be retained. However, most properties are expected to face onto new internal streets after the housing development plan has been completed.
Concerned residents were distraught by this development plan for reasons which include the destruction of trees and vegetation in the area, and the impact of construction in the neighbourhood. Generally, they consider the project to be deeply disruptive to the community’s day-to-day living.
Maroochydore’s Avalon of the Mosaic Property Group has won UDIA-Queensland’s Design Excellence Award. Avalon is an innovative up and coming luxury apartment at Sunshine Coast.
2018 Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) Queensland Excellence Awards
Since 1994, it has been an annual tradition for the the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA)-Queensland to acknowledge the state’s best property developments through a thorough full-site inspection and exhibition of nominated projects to an independent panel of judges.
Photo credit: UDIA Qld/ Facebook
The awards given celebrate the outstanding achievements of different properties in various categories that foster thriving and carefree communities.
Winners of the Mitchell Brandtman Awards for Excellence are highly praised and recognised by the entire property development industry. Being an awardee can raise the brand’s profile by earning a valuable endorsement in order to support and boost the sales and marketing efforts of the property.
Winners of each category are then considered as finalists for the UDIA National Award for Excellence, regarded as top-most award for “the best of the best” in the industry.
Photo credit: UDIA Qld/ Facebook
The 2018 UDIA-Queensland Mitchell Brandtman Awards for Excellence luncheon was held last November at the Brisbane City Hall. About 750 property developers and experts were present at this feast, and everyone was excited for the outcome of the awards. More importantly, the attendees were all looking forward to know what is up and coming with the property development industry of Queensland.
Included in the list of 19 Excellence awardees for 2018 was Maroochydore’s Avalon of the Mosaic Property Group. Avalon, a new luxury apartment that is currently being built on Sunshine Coast, received the Design Excellence award from the UDIA.
Sophisticated Living at Sunshine Coast
Located at the side of the beautiful Maroochy River, Avalon is expected to bring a revitalised and more sophisticated lifestyle in Sunshine Coast.
Developers agree that Avalon’s elegantly designed towers are groundbreaking in the property development industry. Diligently and creatively designed to work with its coastal surroundings, Avalon’s design innovations set the stage for the future of an emerging Maroochydore central business district.
Avalon is strategically located and residents will enjoy first class amenities such as a spacious, 2-bedroom apartment with open plan layout, plus high quality and customised appliances.
Photo credit: Mosaic Property Group/ Facebook
Photo credit: Mosaic Property Group
Photo credit: Mosaic Property Group
Avalon by Mosaic offers a total of 92 luxury apartments that are up for lease. The site is still currently under construction until May of 2020.
Sunshine Coast has been reported the most number of snake bites in the last 12 months from November 2017. Data revealed that Buderim is one of the snake hotspots in the area.
With the onset of warmer weather, the incidence of snake bites from venomous snakes trying to escape the heat is on the rise. Data from Queensland Ambulance Services recorded around 790 snake bite reports since November 2017; so far, 100 were from Sunshine Coast. Snake catching experts, on the other hand, named Buderim as the top hot spot for snakes in Sunshine Coast.
Apart from extreme weather, experts also believe that developments that disturb the natural habitat of the snakes are also contributing to the rising incidence of snake encounters. QAS snake bites statistics showed that over 150 cases have been reported in the Metro North and Metro South compared to the North West and Southwest combined total of about 15 incidence.
What to Do When You Encounter a Snake in Your House?
Close the internal doors in the house and open the external doors and windows.
Block the gaps underneath internal doors with rolled up towels.
Place chairs and boxes under windows to make it easier for snakes to climb out.
Keep everyone well clear of the snake.
If the snake is in a place away from electricity and valuable items, try directing a gentle jet of water from the garden hose or squirt bottle towards the snake to encourage it to move away.
Remember that snakes on the move will naturally try to find shelter, so hosing the snake may not always work.
When you encounter a snake outside, don’t panic, back away to a safe distance, and allow it to move away.
“Snakes found on your premises can be removed and relocated by snake catchers authorised under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Contact details of local snake catchers can be obtained through the Yellow Pages or via the internet. It is important to remember that snakes are an important part of the environment and the relocated snake is often replaced by another living nearby. The best approach is to snake-proof your house,” the website said.
Here are the top 5 things you need to do if you get bitten by a snake according to Queensland Health:
Call an ambulance immediately – Call Triple Zero (000) and ask for an ambulance, or use the Emergency+ app to call an ambulance.
Don’t panic and don’t move – Not moving and staying calm can help slow down the spread of venom.
Leave the snake alone.
Apply a pressure immobilisation bandage and splint.
Don’t wash, suck, cut or tourniquet the bite – don’t wash the bite site as hospital staff may need to use the venom to identify the snake that bit you.
Treating snake bites
Video Credit:Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) / Facebook
How Do You Snake-proof Your House and Your Yard?
Block holes in your rock wall or other structure that can be potential dwellings of house frogs and rats, that attract snakes.
Keep your yard and shed tidy and well-maintained.
Keep shrubs and gardens tidy and away from the house. Snakes will shelter in houses, under shrubs and in timber stacks to avoid the hottest parts of the day.
Ensure that food scraps are disposed of properly to discourage rats and mice.
Bird owners should also discourage rodents by ensuring that aviaries are kept clean and hygienic and that the mesh is small enough to keep snakes from entering.
Install screens on doors and windows. Block any holes around the house including those between the roof and ceiling.
By blocking off all potential access points, you limit the chance of snakes entering your house. Residents are also advised to take extra care during summer as snakes are most active during this time. Also, extra precautions should be taken when in an area that experiences flooding, as flooding will cause snakes to seek higher ground.
The event, which happened on Saturday, 24 November 2018 filled the War Memorial Hall, Buderim Library, and Craft Cottage with handmade, local, and quality products.
Photo credit: Buderim Craft Cottage/Facebook
Visitors of the event were greeted with all things Christmas. From handcrafted home decors to assorted gift ideas, the fair featured several stalls all run by local community groups and market traders.
Photo credit: Buderim Craft Cottage/Facebook
Handmade crafts, one-of-a-kind artworks, pottery, sculptures, cards, as well as jewellery, fashion garments, toys, homewares, knitted and embroidered items were just some of the items offered at the event.
Photo credit: Buderim Library Association Inc/Facebook
Since holidays are a great way to catch up with some reading, Buderim Library also hosted a Library sale which included pre-loved books in excellent condition.
Event organisers, Buderim Craft Cottage, Buderim Lions, and Buderim Library truly made Christmas gift shopping easy with the Buderim Christmas Fair.
It’s almost that time of the year again! The countdown has begun for the annual Buderim Ginger Pride Rally! On 6 October at The Ginger Factory in Yandina starting at 9:30 a.m., celebrate with fellow gingers with good entertainment and fun activities.
Ginger Pride
Photo credit: The Ginger Net
Home of the Buderim Ginger, this is the best place on on the Sunshine Coast for redheads to come together. The day will kick off at 10:30 a.m. with a less than one kilometre march for Ginger Pride. The Buderim Ginger Energy Rehydration Station will be present during the walk to keep walkers hydrated. After that, it’s time for the festivities to begin.
Enjoy plenty of activities such as the ginger garden that will be serving Buderim Ginger Beer whilst moving to live music from Blues Arcadia.
There will also be a ginger beer pong tournament so gather up your pals and play! Young copper tops will also have loads of fun at the event with so many activities for kids at the ginger kids zone.
Feeling competitive? Why don’t you join the ginger jelly eating competition?
You can also do some shopping here at the local producers market.
An Event For A Cause
This is the third run of the event in Australia. Last year, the Ginger Rally was held in Melbourne with over 1,500 participants. This year, event organisers are anticipating more event-goers with more and more families getting involved.
The event encourages ginger heads to celebrate their uniqueness. They are tied to their anti-bullying cause and for the second time, their official charity partner this year will be the Alannah & Madeline Foundation. The foundation cares for children who underwent or witnessed serious violence. They also help in reducing bullying, cyberbullying and other cyber risks.
Buderim Ginger is one of the world’s finest ginger producers, food processors and tourist destinations. This Australian business guarantees only the world’s finest ginger from their beverages to their delicious spreads!
Celebrate with the Matthew Flinders Anglican College on 25 August as they hold their annual Flinder’s Fair! The event starts at 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. This year’s theme is “green.”
In keeping with the ‘Green’ theme, The Flinder’s Fair will show support for being kind to the planet. The activities will revolve around thinking and acting sustainably, reusing, recycling, and making healthy choices.
There will be workshops in creative floral crafting and garden presentations for the green thumbs.
Shopping will definitely be on your list, as the market stalls will be showcasing merchandise that are sure to keep you happily browsing and (uh-oh!) buying.
The event will have live entertainment, delicious food, rides, loads of activities for all ages, and of course, fireworks!
Take a peek at the entertainment line-up for the day.
Sax Ensembles
College Band
College String Orchestra
Wind Symphony
Middle School Jazz Band
Stage Band
Year 12 Rock Band
And also:
Penelope Elder’s Chez Dance Performers
Garden presentations
Flowervore workshops
Entrance to the event is free. You can get your ride tickets here.
The heritage-listed Buderim House once hosted the Duke of Gloucester in December 1934. With this, one can say that the historic home is truly fit for a royalty.
History
Buderim House was built c1915 for Herbert Victor Fielding, son of pioneer Buderim sugar planter, mill owner, and fruit grower John Fielding. The home was designed by Corinda architect George Trotter and was built by Kangaroo Point builder Christian Schriver.
The high set timber residence was built on a 16-hectare section of the property, on the highest point of the northern slope of Mt Buderim, overlooking the Maroochy coast and river valley.
Fruit Groves, Buderim House, 1931 Photo credit: CC-BY/Queensland State Archives/Flickr
Before the construction of the home was completed, the house which sits on about 11 hectares was sold to Walter Frank Oakes who insisted that before the sales of the property could be finalised, changes had to be made to the home. Mr Oakes asked for the addition of a tower, flagpole, and the inclusion of the name Buderim House in the leadlight panel in the front door.
Fielding bought the property back from Oakes in 1925 and worked the farm with bananas, pineapples, winter small crops, coffee, and cattle. He rented out the house until selling it on about 1.6 hectares to HJ Murphy in 1927.
A Royal Visit
Photo credit: www.realestate.com.au
Murphy, later an alderman in the Maroochy Shire Council, was the one who developed the gardens around the house in the 1930s. Mr and Mrs Murphy were responsible for carefully preparing the house to meet the requirements of the Duke of Gloucester during his weekend visit in 1934.
Preparations for the royal visit included setting an environment of colourful flowers, neatly-trimmed shrubs, and well-tended lawns. Decorations and furnishings have also been carried out with a vision of securing artistic and colourful tonings providing an ambience of restfulness.
In 1954, the Murphys sold the house and the land was subdivided further in 1967. The house now stands on about 0.6 hectares.
According to the Queensland Heritage Register, “Buderim House demonstrates the principal characters of a substantial early 20th century Queensland timber residence. It exhibits particular aesthetic characteristics valued by the Buderim community, these being its landmark quality and the contribution of the house, established gardens and rare scrub remnant, to the Buderim landscape.”
The historic residence located at 10 Orme Road, Buderim was put on sale 2016 by its longtime owner Tim and Jackie Banks as they planned to downsize their living quarters.
