With the federal government due to legislate Australia’s commitment towards reducing CO2 emissions by 2020 and 2050 by the end of November, there is no better time, or more urgent, to show your support for strong leadership in helping Australia move towards a low emissions economy. From shopping malls to dappled shaded parks, sandy beaches to congested railway stations, on Saturday, right around Australia, the Walk Against Warming (WAW) is taking place in capital cities and in numerous towns and suburbs in regional areas. With the majority of the population now knowing what climate change is, what causes it (generally) and what needs to happen to avert potentially catastrophic loss of wildlife, increases in the rate of natural disasters, the displacement of populations from sea level rises, drought, and the slowing of wages, there is no better way to stay informed and optimistic than by placing yourself shoulder to shoulder with the diversity of your community. Go’oan, git out there!
Archive for the 'Local' Category
a time for waw.
Wisps of clouds linger amongst the treetops of the Himalayan foothills and the gentle chime of Tibetan bells rings out as the smell of incense envelops your senses. You close your eyes and the serenity embraces you as an inner calm sets in and your mind clears of the clutter of Western life. You feel the gentle touch of expert hands upon your shoulders, as they work lovingly to diminish the knots of stress formed in your tired muscles. A soothing voice reassures you, as you settle into a state of bliss. That voice belongs to Miriam van Doorn, founder of the blissful haven of beauty therapy and inner-harmony, Body Essence Day Spa and Yoga Studio in New Farm.
Continue reading ‘local dreamer – miriam van doorn’
To the Italians, coffee is life. It’s community; it’s laughter; it’s connection; it’s beauty. The cafe is a meeting place for friends, family and strangers. A place where friendships are born, love blossoms, ideas come to life and community spirit flows freely. It was in Vicenza, Italy, that John Ronchi first fell in love with coffee. Upon graduating from university, John spent four months in the Northern Italian town working in his cousin’s cafe, surrounded everyday by the Italians’ ardour for coffee. Returning to Australia, John spent the next 15 years helping to build the coffee community in Brisbane, alongside business partner Eugene Phua. In early 2008, the duo’s hard work and passion for the beloved bean culminated in the opening of Campos Coffee in Fortitude Valley, which, in 10 months, has found a creative and passionate community that would make any Italian proud.
Continue reading ‘local dreamer – john ronchi’
Over centuries, the cobbled streets of Paris have provided inspiration for people of all passions and vocations. For Ernest Hemingway, it lit the literary fire within. For Vincent van Gogh, it was awash with colours that could only be captured in a passionate flurry of paint. For Edith Piaf, it was the emotional carousel that fuelled her desire to sing. And for Shan Bauer, the gregarious owner of Brisbane fashion institution, Camargue, simply getting lost amongst those cobbled streets is inspiration in itself. For behind the unassuming doors that line those streets, lies a wealth of fashion inspiration, from artisanal accessories to glorious handmade frocks. It is these sartorial treasures that Shan brings home from her regular trips to Paris, accompanied by her knowing smile and captivating tales, that have made her Brisbane boutique beloved by generations of women.
They float high in tree branches as little puffs of cotton, tumble into shore in frothy white wash and lace around seagulls’ necks like unloved homemade shawls. Plastic bags – they blow, wash and waste their way into countless nooks of our planet with disastrous results beyond that of visual pollution. If it weren’t for environmental crusaders like Currumbin-based business owners, Mark David-Tooze and his wife Belinda, plastic bags might be windswept further into our future than our environment can sustain. Instead, Mark and Belinda are seeing to it that their organic linen, hemp, bamboo and polyester Envirosax reusable shopping bags are reaching far-flung corners of the globe, carrying with them motivational messages about environmental sustainability.
Continue reading ‘local feature – mark david-tooze’
Bleary-eyed revellers look up as you wander through the welcoming wooden doorway of Cirque cafe in New Farm. The familiar ornate pattern of the wallpaper is a welcome sight to your sleep-weary eyes, as it means that a glorious breakfast is only minutes away. The buzz of the coffee grinder sends an invigorating burst of espresso into the air and you can almost taste that first sip of Genovese coffee. Everything about this space is comforting, like the lounge room of a close friend, adorned with familiar trappings – the Art Deco chandelier hanging low above the counter, the wooden communal seating where many a lifelong friendship has been formed, and the stack of weathered boardgames that beckon you to linger for hours. Just as comforting and familiar to patrons as that beloved wallpaper, are the faces of owners Sarah Mexted and Vaughan ‘Spock’ Kelly, whose warm smiles and generous hospitality have helped Cirque become one of Brisbane’s beloved breakfast destinations.
Continue reading ‘local dreamers – sarah and spock’
Regardless of the year, the generation, the culture, or the gentleman himself, a man who is well dressed rarely goes unnoticed. While at first glance, there may be nothing remarkable about his appearance, there’s still something that catches your eye. It comes down to the beauty of detail – the carefully stitched button holes, a jacket tailored with care, a fabric selected after hours of rumination, matched with the perfect thread and machined in a way that will make it sit just right. But the true secret to his style is not something that can be purchased; rather, it’s that certain confidence that comes with wearing something that is tailored perfectly to your body shape and that embodies your individual style. Bringing that well-dressed confidence back to the gentlemen of Brisbane are Andrew Byrne and Josh McPherson – the modern-day tailors behind the clandestine sartorial nook known simply as The Cloakroom. Continue reading ‘local dreamer – the cloakroom’
Have you ever seen a flounder fish crooning the blues; his little puffy lips sucking on a harmonica with the sweetest sentiment he can muster in his bloated skin? It’s a pretty silly sight but endearing in the same breath. And that’s what makes it funny for those who relate to animations that are a bit curious, sometimes disturbed and often irreverent. Matt the Flounder Sings the Blues is just one of the animation clips created by Brisbane-based production company bigfish.tv for ABC’s Triple J TV. Since he created bigfish.tv in 1994, Sheldon Lieberman has built and rebuilt his company to the point where he finally has the time and funds to dedicate to ‘play’. And it’s precisely these clips that Sheldon and his team are producing in their digital playground that is getting bigfish.tv noticed around the globe. Continue reading ‘local dreamer - sheldon lieberman’
Food, along with clothing and shelter, is counted as one of life’s basic necessities. But in the profit-driven jostle for shelf space in supermarkets and the bumpy ride in transport vehicles along dusty highways, food’s purest purpose is often left bruised and battered. Robert Pekin is founding coordinator of Food Connect, an ethically charged Brisbane business harmoniously linking farmers and consumers. For a long time, he’s been driven by the belief that societies need to work together to share food affordably across the world as a basic human right. As one of the country’s most forward-thinking, passionate and intuitive souls when it comes to utilising soil, he’s committed to big-picture dreaming about new and daring paths that Australians might start to tiptoe along in the way we think and act about food. Continue reading ‘local dreamer: robert pekin’
The magic of stumbling across something unexpected in a backstreet – a cool bar or clandestine restaurant called to your attention only by a small sign, sticker or symbol – is an experience mostly associated with cities like Melbourne and Sydney. But on a sidestreet of Fortitude Valley usually reserved for shortcuts, lost tourists, and drunken stumbles, sits fashion boutique, The Outpost. While those who pass a casual glance down the little street often overlook its modest facade, this little locale has found its niche at the centre of Brisbane’s creative community. Anyone who stumbles across the unassuming boutique will no doubt find one of its creators, Matt Brady, behind the counter – and he’s sure to greet you with a grin. Continue reading ‘local dreamer - matt brady’
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