Renee Kelly is young woman who started life 21 years ago with a huge disadvantage … a tiny 620 gm birth weight and hopelessly under-developed heart and lungs. She had only a very slim chance of survival … but survive she did.

Now Renee is making her mark on life, despite a disability that would have detered the most determined of spirits.

IN WHAT could turn out to be the adventure of a lifetime, Witta resident Renee Kelly has been invited to travel to London to play with an Irish band.

It’s a trip that even the most independent first-time traveller would find daunting. But even though Renee has a significant disability, her courage and determination to face challenges will carry her through.

Born 21 years ago in Mackay at 25 weeks (15 weeks premature), Renee weighed only 620g and her torso was the length of a pen. Given less than a 50/50 chance of survival, her first few months were a nail-biting time for parents, Donna and Tom. Tiny Renee’s under-developed heart and lungs required a number of operations and use of pure oxygen, which, tragically, caused the loss of her eyesight.

Thankfully, today, Renee is a healthy, confident and attractive young woman with a passion for all things Irish and a gift for drumming. Having climbed up on a chair at the age of three to explore her dad’s kit, she now has her own electric drum kit, which is both small and portable but still packs a punch.

Earlier this year, while cruising the Internet, Renee came across a song by Irish band, Saoirse, and sent a message to guitarist, Jamie Connors, to say how much she liked their music.

“I told him that I was a drummer and I love all sorts of music and I’m fully blind,” she explains.

Within 24 hours, Renee was delighted to receive a response, inviting her to send samples of her work.

“So I made a DVD of me playing drums to one of their songs and sent it over,” she says. “Next thing, there’s a message in my inbox inviting me to come and have a jam with them in London, where they are based. I was blown away!”

Renee is no stranger to seizing the moment: recently, through friend Kel Cork (of The Rain), she was invited to play with fellow Maleny-ite Kevin Borich, a formidable musician with a 30-year professional career. It was a nerve-wracking experience that tested even her mettle.

“A week beforehand I was a wreck – I was texting Kel about five times a day,” she says with a laugh. “Then the day beforehand, the power went out and I couldn’t practise – I was furious! When I got there, I was shaking like a leaf but the moment I started playing, I knew this is where I have to be.”

When she’s not studying, Renee enjoys listening to audiobooks and it’s no surprise that one of her favourite authors is Maeve Binchy. Many of her audiobooks are supplied by Vision Australia, which also supplies equipment for blind and low vision clients. Just to keep her on her toes, she is about to start learning the violin, having long admired fiddle players Kristin Kelly (no relation) from The Barleyshakes and Joe Murray from Sasta, both bands well known to Irish music enthusiasts.

Plenty of famous musicians have held down a day-job well into their career, and Renee is sensibly working on her fallback in the form of a business qualification. She lives part-time in Brisbane with her two elder brothers, attending TAFE where she is studying for a Certificate III in Business, with a view to working in the police force.

“I enjoy typing and hope to get a job transcribing police interviews,” she says, matter-of- factly. “The course is pretty full on – it requires a lot of reading.”

Studying is abnormally time- consuming with all text being ‘read’ by Renee using a voice synthesis program. First, every book used in the course must be turned into digital format and any pictures in the document described. The result is made suitable for her screen reading software, JAWS, which was developed for computer users whose vision loss prevents them from seeing screen content. Sadly for Renee, JAWS does not offer an Irish accent option.

With London set firmly in her sights, Renee is hoping that she might also be able to visit Ireland and listen to some of her favourite music in its homeland context. One can only imagine her excitement. And perhaps trepidation?

“I’m pretty good at overcoming my fears,” she reflects, her fine features masking an iron will. “I just live with the belief that life’s full of risks – there’s a risk in getting out of bed in the morning!” “If an opportunity comes along then you should take it while it’s there and see what happens.”

“I know I was born to play music and I want to focus on that. The business course is good, but music is the main thing I really want to do. If this London thing goes ahead, I’m going to be so stoked; it could open up doors that I never could have dreamed would happen.”

Undoubtedly, Renee has the spirit and determination to take this opportunity and turn it into a reality.

Wayne, Fran and Zach, their youngest of four children - on the Hinterland since August 2011

IT TAKES courage during these uncertain times to pack up and travel across the world to settle in a new country. But Wayne Markwort and his wife Fran and their four children Tess, Jordie, Anika and Zach have taken it in their stride. This young family moved to the Blackall Range in August from Huddersfield in the north of England. Perhaps courage is the wrong word for Wayne and Fran who are both professional artists. Because they both exude confidence and determination to establish themselves, coming as they do with an impressive breadth of skills from ceramics to stone carving, painting and digital art.

Nature Altar. Bronze

Wayne was trained at college as a stone carver and on graduation he immediately started pitching for public art commissions. He found it a very competitive area and eventually went on to further study in stone carving in Barcelona where he met Fran 17 years ago. “There’s such massive competition for public art work in the UK,” says Wayne. “I have a sense that the Australian artworld is more accessible and we will be approaching galleries with our portfolios.” Wayne’s portfolio reveals an impressive range of monumental abstract sculptures, delicate bronzes, and bold spray can images in primary colours.

“Narrative is important to what I do,” says Wayne. “I don’t think it’s really art if there is no story behind the composition. Craft and design on their own are OK but without a narrative it is simply a utilitarian object.”

With four young children, Fran is careful to find time for her ceramic sculptures, and as they settle into Range life, Wayne is planning to install a bronze foundry at home to make small bronze pieces, which he sees as more commercially attractive than large stone sculptures.

“Abstract sculpture is such an elite art. You have to work at it and I have gradually developed a style which often relies on religious iconology for its form and theme.”

Like many artists, Wayne is prepared to work at most things to sustain his creative bent, from gardening to building.

“For me, art comes first. Creative ideas tend to build up and then they rush out. For example, I have just finished about 17 spray can paintings – still lifes and very classical in composition.”

Having travelled the world with their art – making their way through America, Africa, Europe and SE Asia – Wayne and Fran have settled on the Blackall Range. That’s partly because Wayne’s father lives here but Wayne also sees things through the eyes of an artist.

Boats - spray can colours on board.

“Apart from the weather, there is something about the space and time here – every hour seems to last longer,” he adds with a smile. “There’s a solidity here, and despite the sometimes deafening bird chatter, there is a stillness about this place.”

Bob Cameron beside the completed cob oven at Maleny’s River School.

strong sense of responsibility for the well-being of our community and our planet.

Bob’s concern for the planet is rock solid…

BOB CAMERON is an enigma – a self-proclaimed corporate hippie. His business, Rockcote, which specialises in advanced architectural coating systems, was built on solid green foundations and recently signed a multi-million dollar deal with Bunnings. He didn’t complete his university studies because he didn’t ‘fit the system’ and yet in 2010 he and wife, Chris, were made honorary senior fellows of the University of the Sunshine Coast.

And while he could be lunching with high-flying clients anywhere in Australia (or the world), Bob would prefer to get muddy while teaching a group of Hinterland enthusiasts about cob ovens.

Unlike some other ‘green-washed’ business leaders, Bob’s environmental ethics are both genuine and visionary. He started Rockcote 30 years ago and from inception measured its success in terms that include, but are not limited to, financial – he believes success is about living in accordance with your beliefs, respecting the planet’s resources and encouraging others to do the same.

Resting in the shadow of towering silos, the garden is living testimony to the company’s philosophy that people live best when they are in harmony with nature.

I had met Bob a month beforehand, when I joined 15 enthusiastic workshop participants at the River School in Maleny. Our mission was to build the school a cob oven and, along the way, learn about this fascinating method of construction.

While waiting for the workshop to begin, I introduced myself to a shy man wearing a floppy hat, loose shirt and friendly smile, who turned out to be Bob Cameron.

He launched the workshop with an explanation of why he believes natural building materials are an important solution to today’s economic and social woes.

“Most of the problems we face today emanate from the difference between the way nature works and the way humans think,” Bob began.

“Although our march towards civilisation has brought many benefits there are also some very important things that we have lost, many of these just in the last generation.”

Bob is passionate about keeping alive the knowledge that helps us keep in tune with the rhythms of nature. He believes we should be identifying and preserving the skills that equip us to:

• grow food without huge inputs of fossil fuel energy and chemical fertilisers;
• process, store and prepare food without the use of modern chemical additives;
• design communities that are not reliant on cars and that function as nurturing communities for all age and ethnic groups; and
• design and construct our buildings so that they don’t rely on huge amounts of fossil fuels to make them liveable and comfortable.

Neither romantic nor devolutionist, Bob believes we need to marry traditional knowledge with modern techniques and understanding, his views reminiscent of Bill Mollison’s permaculture writings (without the larrikin anarchist angle).

“For too long we have been looking exclusively to science and the future to lead the way,” he observed sagely.

“However, many solutions can be found in traditional cultures. For example, cob (a mix of clay, silt, sand and straw) has incredible thermal properties, is genuinely sustainable, natural, plentiful and carbon neutral, and yet has been overlooked in favour of synthetic, non-renewable materials.”

Bob inside his Yandina Rockcote warehouse - the business he started 30 years ago.

Our introduction over, the workshop participants mixed and moulded the cob using our feet, hands and arms. Working side-by-side to create a functional work of art was both bonding and satisfying, especially knowing that it would be used to nourish River School children for years to come.

Sitting alongside the school’s new edible garden, ‘Myrtle’, as she is to be known, is an attractive addition to the school’s resources that support a broad range of subjects, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, environmental studies, health, food and cooking. It is for this reason that Bob is passionate about building cob ovens and introducing other traditional arts in schools.

“If we don’t keep these traditional arts and skills alive, we are in danger of losing them forever,” he warned. “We are not talking about this happening some time in the next century – it could happen in the space of the next generation.”

“It is vitally important that we introduce this knowledge at primary school level and inspire kids to understand how it can be used in the modern world to solve some of the systematic problems their forebears have created.”

Bob Cameron may not fit the traditional business leader mould but his altruistic business approach is a beacon of optimism for the future.

Emma Cameron is set for a stimulating career path with Maleny-based Mondo Floral Designs. In February she will graduate as a fully qualified florist, having served her apprenticeship with Terrianne and Mondo - one of south-east Queensland’s most highly regarded floral design studios.

As the Sunshine Coast Hinterland wedding industry continues to grow, one of this region’s award-winning wedding suppliers recently moved into new premises to expand their range of client services.

Julie Shelton caught up with business owner, Terrianne Burns.

MONDO FLORAL DESIGNS is a boutique floral stylist for weddings and events on the Sunshine Coast. Established seven years ago as a home-based business, Mondo has grown into a busy enterprise, annually servicing about 400 weddings, spread across a twelve-month wedding season, and employing three staff members to assist in the floral designs.

In December, Terrianne Burns, and her team took over an old Queenslander in Coral Street, which itself had great appeal.

“We like that it is a bustling thoroughfare with a lot of professionals lining the street,” Terrianne explains. “The move to Coral Street came about after an opportunity arose – we felt we needed more of a presence and the building we have moved to has a quaint, vintage charm that very much describes who we are and what we do.”

“Although we’ve only been here a couple of weeks, we have attracted a bit of attention and people want to come in and have a look, which is exactly what we wanted from the move.”

While the wedding industry is estimated to be worth more than $12 million a year for Maleny alone, the decision to stay in Maleny was a difficult one, with Mondo doing about 50% of its business in the Hinterland and 50% in Noosa.

Image by Calli B Photography

“The pull from suppliers and venues for Mondo to move to Noosa has been massive!” she exclaims, rolling her eyes.

“But we made a decision that we will stay in Maleny – all of the clients who choose to get married in Noosa love coming to Maleny to see us. Most of our clients are from interstate and overseas, so coming to the Hinterland is a lovely experience for them, and it’s a great way to showcase the area.”

Terrianne also greatly values the support that Mondo receives from local venues, including Maleny Manor, Laurel’s, Spicers Clovelly Estate and Flaxton Gardens.

“One of the most refreshing things about moving to the Sunshine Coast was the incredible amount of support that all of the suppliers give to each other. It’s not really an ego thing up here. It’s more about being involved, working together and lifting the level of service in the entire wedding industry.”

“I’ve been here for about six years and I’ve made some incredibly dear friends from colleagues in this industry. It’s been a wonderful experience.”

At the new location, Terrianne has created a beautifully appointed showroom with Mondo Floral Design’s portfolios, wedding magazines and a magnificent collection of vases and vessels on display. It is clear from this room alone that Mondo is committed to quality – an important first impression for clients.

“Having a showroom with a lot of soul and character was important and I’ve been able to put my touches to the building and do some interior decorating to create the space to suit what we are wanting,” she says, her perfectly manicured hands holding one of the photo albums.

“The first meeting is nearly always with the bride-to-be, who may be on her own, or may be accompanied by her fiancé, mother, mother-in-law and/or sisters – there can be up to ten people in the showroom!” Terrianne says with a laugh.

After spending an hour or so with the client, gathering information about the gown, stationery and colour palette, a mood board is developed to work in the floral component.

“It’s really the only day of your life where you can get your wish of having that highlight of flowers shining through,” she describes romantically.

The next step is the preparation of a custom designed proposal, which is Mondo Floral Design’s unique quote. It is usually between four and six pages long and involves a lot of information about decisions for the client to consider, and includes descriptions of florals, varieties and colour palettes.

“We are not a florist that will supply a client with a package that asks them to choose between A, B, C or D. We take every client on individually, find out the components of their day and what they want to achieve, and then create a personalised proposal based on their requirements.”

Like many of the wedding professionals in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, the Mondo team put in long hours during the wedding season. Working seven days a week, in the peak time they can work from 6am until midnight.“It’s very important to us to make sure that we are involved in every facet that involves the florals – we don’t give the flowers to a courier and tell them to take them to the bride,” she says disapprovingly.

Mondo’s service is very personalised – on the wedding day, the bride is shown how to walk down the aisle while holding her bouquet, all the buttonhole flowers and corsages are pinned then the ceremony and reception flowers are set up, which can take hours. For most weddings, at midnight someone will return to the venue and pack it all down again.

“It’s a very labour-intensive job but it’s a job that we all love,” Terrianne says, her passion clearly evident.

Indications are that the blossoming wedding industry will continue to provide the Sunshine Coast Hinterland with the kind of economic security that other regions can only dream of. One might say that Mondo Floral Designs’ future is looking rosy.

“We take every client on individually, find out the components of their day and what they want to achieve, and then create a personalised proposal based on their requirements.”

…about people who change their lives to settle on the Range and why they choose to stay

Hank and Wendy de Vries and their daughter Tamarah have been on their 11 acre co-owned property in Montville for only four weeks. And while they struggle to adapt to a rural, and at times rugged, environment after life in suburban Brisbane, they are sure this is where they belong.

Why did you come here?

Wendy: Hank and I met in Africa 37 years ago. He came over on one of his business trips to Rhodesia. I had an identical twin sister so he could choose between the two of us. But I was the quieter one, so he chose me. We got married and decided to come out to Australia in 1975. This is one of the first places he brought me to and I loved it here. But for all sorts of family reasons it took us 34 years for us to finally get here.

Now my twin sister lives here, just one and a half kilometres the other side of Montville. She and I are both distance education teachers and we work at the same school in Caboolture. As a family we’ve had different ideas of what we would like to do here. Wedding gardens is one idea. We love gardening. Tamarah and I are also looking at a business designing and making wedding and cup cakes aren’t we?

Tamarah: Yes. Mum and I started making cupcakes about five years ago as a home-based business when we were living in Cleveland. My great aunt in South Africa is a world-renowned cake decorator. She has written two books, although she’s been blind in one eye since she was eight. She’s won many cake shows in Paris, New York and England. She’s now 76 and is coming out here in February, and she’s given mum and I all her cake cutters. So that’s how I decided to follow her and start a cake business.

What did you have to change in coming here?

Tamarah: Well, I couldn’t handle the city life. It’s a place where you don’t even know your neighbours across the road. As for mum and dad, it’s always been their dream to live up in the hills where there’s a lot of water.

Wendy: As a family we have always been very open to change. We have travelled a lot … Papua New Guinea, Bougainville Island and several third world countries. So, I don’t think in ourselves we have changed, or have had to change anything in coming here. It’s just always been our dream to live somewhere in the country in a beautiful environment and set up a small family business.

Hank (pictured inset) started out as a boilermaker but now he is an apprentice mentor for the mining companies. He’s away for seven days, then back for five. It’s a new role created by government because they are finding that young people are dropping out of their apprenticeships. So Hank gets in there and encourages them, helps them with their maths or their English, and he liaises with their teachers. He loves the job.

Wendy: We are a very close and happy family… very emotional and gregarious and we have a lot of fun and laughter together. Life is never dull and we never know what’s going to happen from one moment to the next, and we are very open to things happening.

I have never known a place where you can go into a shop here and the shopkeeper will give Tamarah a big kiss and a cuddle.It’s fantastic. You don’t get that in the city. The people here are outstandingly friendly, open and honest.

Tamarah: Living in Montville is basically what it was like living in Zimbabwe many years ago. You feel more at peace; there’s less stress. It’s country people. You just don’t get that in the city. For example, when you stand back and look at the kids here in Montville and Maleny, they’re completely different to kids down on the Coast and in the city.

Wendy: Yes. Being a teacher, I am always watching how children behave. I see the kids who work behind the counter at IGA here, and they are so polite… they’re beautiful! It’s the way that their parents have brought them up.

What would keep you here? Wendy: Ah … we are here for life!

Tamarah: No more moving! It’s been very unsettling for my sister and I, having been to thirteen different schools.

Wendy: There’s so much to do here; so much to be involved in, and I feel we haven’t really tapped into it yet. We want to become more community involved.

Tamarah: I said to mum when we first arrived, it takes special people to live up here. Not everyone can.

Wendy: Yes and that’s why we finally feel at home here. Hank too has always been a mountain person rather than a sea person. I like the water so I am so thrilled that we have a spring here on the property.

I love gardening, but we might have bitten off more than we can chew with this property!

Anthony’s Maleny-designed guitar called ‘4552’ is selling along with the renowned Fender and Gibson designs

HINTERLAND LUTHIER, Anthony Pizzica has designed the 4552 Series guitar and put Maleny on the guitar players’ map.

Anthony Pizzica has a simple philosophy of life but a practical one. After all, he’s a married man with a child, who spends most of his time crafting and repairing musical instruments. Anthony is an artist and he says with quiet confidence that he has no interest in being a poor artist.

The Pizzica family home overlooks the green fields of Maleny and it is in Anthony’s workshop that he has found a way of making guitars whilst earning a consistent family income at the same time. For Anthony it’s all about producing a high quality product that doesn’t cost the earth.

Fortunately, Anthony has two special skills that greatly assist the skilled luthier, or maker of stringed instruments. He has been a professional guitarist for 15 years, and he is a trained carpenter and joiner.

While working as a professional guitarist, Anthony supplemented his income in early days by working in retail guitar sales then evolving to repairs. He also picked up a wealth of knowledge from helping the dying breed of old- time luthiers. Eventually, seven years ago he decided to back himself and form his own boutique guitar company.

Timber for Anthony’s guitars are sourced from furniture maker, David Linton. Special jigs were made to ensure efficient production runs.

While the guitar-making business is a busy one, world- wide, it was impossible for Anthony to compete with established guitar makers like Fender, Gibson and Maton who produce guitars in the thousands, or with cheap imports from China.

The first turning point for Anthony came a couple of years ago when he formed a friendship with fine furniture maker and fellow Maleny resident, David Linton. David told him that he could assist in devising jigs to streamline his production as well as supply the beautiful wood that he sources and mills locally.

The second turning point was deciding to make his very own guitar model which he has named the 4552 – after Maleny’s postcode. The David Linton link has meant production of 20 guitars at a time in a range of amazing local timbers.

“ No-one else does this,” says Anthony. “The big manufacturers mostly source their wood and materials including plywoods, from China. We use all non-toxic finishes. All the wood is sourced sustainably. For example, the African mahogany comes out of Conondale. The camphor laurel came out of town. The bunya was struck by lightning in town and we managed to rescue some pieces. So each one has its own story.”

“The best compliment I can get is when a musician comes in and gets excited because he knows the guitar has been made by a human being. All my guitars are different. They’ve all got different grain and they each sound, smell and feel different.”

As well as the 4552, Anthony makes versions of traditional electric guitar models made famous by Fender and Gibson.

“ A custom guitar will cost between $2-3000 dollars,” says Anthony. “whereas my production models hit the market from $1199 which is much more achievable for most musicians. And they’re selling really well.

“I proudly have a relationship with every musician who buys one of my guitars,” adds Anthony. “They come into my workshop, we chat for an hour and I set up the guitar the way they want it. It’s service that you just can’t get from a factory,” he adds. “Try ringing Fender and talk to the actual guy who built your guitar. It’s not going to happen because they are churning out 10,000 guitars a year.”

Anthony is delighted with his new 4552 series because it is keeping up with sales of other models. So what makes it unique?

“I guess perfect balance,” he replies.” Second, the contour is designed to sit on your leg so that the neck actually feels closer to you and feels really comfortable, if you’re playing over a long time. So they’ve been really popular with smaller guys and women players. I have also simplified a lot of the electronics and hardware,” he adds. “So rather than having a floating tremolo which can be difficult to maintain on the road, we’ve developed this very simple bridge which anchors the string as well as being the tail piece. The pick- up system is also simple, while being incredibly versatile.

“So it’s like the neck of a Stratocaster, the body feels more like a Telecaster and the pick-up configuration is more like a Les Paul or a Gibson. It doesn’t drop tune. It produces a wide array of sounds that no other guitar will produce. And believe me I have used and abused every type of guitar known to man!”

Anthony is pleased to have found a formula that allows him to be creative, making several customs per year, and yet able to earn a great living from selling up to 40 locally-made production guitars a year. He sells them through stores and to musicians from Los Angeles to New Zealand and throughout all parts of Australia.

“It’s bridging that gap between business and art,” affirms Anthony, keen to stress his philosophy. “It’s still being true to your ideals and your passion. After all, we all need money, but, more importantly, you’ve got to enjoy what you do, he says with a smile.

“THE WEDDING PARTY is running behind on a very tight schedule.

The bride is fretting that her dress won’t fit. The groom, meanwhile, has forgotten to pack black socks and is worried his white socks will be seen.

Time is ticking on…”

IN BETWEEN SNAPS, the photographer offers reassurance. It’s OK, she says calmly. You look beautiful. No-one will see your socks. Relax and enjoy. Everyone nods and smiles. The tension is diffused.

As one of this region’s most awarded photographers, Penny Riddoch is a jack-of-all-trades. Her role as a wedding photographer extends from counselling to fixing torn gowns (yes, she carries a needle and thread, among other things).

I joined Penny for a day to gain an insight into this world. Her clients (I’ll call them Jade and Steve) generously allowed me to shadow Penny through their special day from preparation to party. Before we set off, I asked her to outline a typical wedding.

The first step, Penny explains, begins with her meeting with the couple to discuss the options.

“A lot come to Maleny for the beauty of the place but may not know much more than that,” she observes. “Some spend holidays here so they know where to go. Others are completely open to ideas and suggestions.”

“Within their budget, we work out what kind of photographs they want taken and then go through a rough timetable for the day,” she outlines.

For Penny, the wedding day usually starts with taking photos of the bride (and sometimes the groom) getting ready. Our bridal couple have chosen to prepare themselves at the same venue in Montville.

We arrive just before Jade puts on her gorgeous dress. It fits (with room to spare, thanks to weeks of careful dieting) but now she’s anxious that the dress is see-through. We all assure her that it’s not. Penny cracks jokes, her blue eyes flashing, and gets the party to relax and laugh, the emotional release making for better photos.

Penny takes dozens of photographs here, including the bouquet and wedding rings, and some artistic shots of the groom looking wistfully out to sea. An hour later, we head off to the chapel, arriving about 20 minutes before the ceremony. Penny straps herself into her harness and hooks on two enormous cameras. She may be small but she appears to be a ball of muscle.

“I carry a lot of gear,” she says with classic understatement.

“I have a little case with a variety of lenses and flash units, parts and so on. Then there’s the tripod and a certain amount of lighting equipment. Of my two cameras, one has a zoom lens for close-up shots, and the other a semi-wide angle lens.”

By the time Jade and Steve get to the chapel, the tension has built again. More reassurance is given, a few deep breaths taken, dresses straightened and, finally, the doors to the chapel are thrown open.

The congregation murmurs with delight as the bride follows her bridesmaid and the best man down the aisle, bridegroom at her side. She can’t stop smiling. Minutes later, while making their vows, she’ll be crying, as will he and some of the guests. It’s a beautiful, emotional day that will never be forgotten.

Helping to make this day more memorable are the stunning photographs that Penny is taking – she snaps as many as 1200 per wedding.

This is a small wedding with fewer than 30 guests but taking the group photos is still a stressful process. Later, I ask Penny how she manages at a large wedding.

“I usually ask the bridal couple to provide me with someone to help for this part – someone who knows the family members and can get everyone together,” she explains.

“Time is always tricky at this point, especially if they want to catch the sunset.”

I watch Jade and Steve maintain their smiles for what seems like hours (but is, in fact, only about 30 minutes) and then we’re off to do the location photos. Having rung to alert the landowner that we’re on the way, Penny leads the bridal party to their first selected location about five minutes from the chapel.

“Fortunately, I’ve got good relationships with the people whose land I use,” Penny comments.

Half an hour later and it’s on to the next location, just in time to catch the sunset. Amid spectacular gardens and stunning views, Penny weaves her magic, directing the bridal party, searching for beautiful reflections and complementary angles. It’s obvious that these photos are not formulaic – Penny is an artist in the truest sense, working with the individual subjects and vagaries of nature.

It occurs to me at this point that to lose these irreplaceable photos would be heartbreaking. Penny describes her comprehensive back-up regime and relates a cautionary tale.

“One well-known Brisbane photographer lost all the photos from one particular wedding and he had to pay for all the guests to come back to re-do all the photographs. It nearly bankrupted him!”

After nearly an hour, the sun has finally set and the colour has faded from the sky. The best man is eager to get Jade and Steve to the reception, where Penny has another hour or two of work ahead of her (plus travel time). I’m feeling tired but Penny is still determinedly snapping the last few shots. Later, she admits how taxing this work is.

“It’s exhausting! I have done as many as 11 hours for a big wedding and I was expected to be on duty for all of that time.”

The reception over, Penny’s job is only just beginning. The 1000+ photos need to be downloaded (“the computer is my darkroom”), rejects deleted and each of the remaining ones sorted and edited, after which they’re uploaded to an online viewing platform. A slideshow is also created with the couple’s chosen music and later – when the couple has selected the final photos – Penny spends hours crafting their album.

“Some couples ask for the traditional album with the photos mounted on the page, but most want the digital wedding album where the photo is actually printed on the page, resulting in a high quality coffee table book.”

It surprises me to calculate that only around 20% of Penny’s time is actually taking photos. In addition to hours at the computer, she is committed to ongoing professional development to keep up to date with what’s going on in her industry.

Penny Riddoch doesn’t sit still for long, with over 30 weddings each year on top of her other photographic work. With greater insight into her world, I can see now why her services are in high demand.

After years of travelling the globe as personal chef to celebrity actors and rock stars, Brent Cressey has established a café in Maleny. Julie Shelton had a chat with him to find out just why he’s picked this region.

IT SOUNDS like a dream job: cooking for A-list performers, flying in private jets to exotic locations around the world, never quite knowing where you’re going to hang your towel next.

This was Brent Cressey’s life for three years and he still has to pinch himself that it happened. Now, however, his adrenalin is pumping for a different reason – he’s opening his first café and cooking school on the Hinterland, and life is chaotic with contractors and multiple trips to Brisbane and beyond.

Perhaps travelling is in his blood – he was born in Barbados (his American father was in the military, his mother is British) and the family later moved to New Zealand, where Brent has dual citizenship. After to-ing and fro-ing to Australia, Brent trained as a chef in Sydney and spent several years working in high-end restaurants. A move to the Blue Mountains exposed him to the developing food culture around Leura, Katoomba and Blackheath.

“I was there in the early days when the foodies started coming up from Sydney,” he reminisces.

“That’s what I love about up here (in the Hinterland) – it reminds me of the Blue Mountains and I was there when the food scene was just beginning. I can see it coming here.”

Brent believes that this region is already in the sights of key chefs and restaurateurs.

“A lot of people I’ve worked with have come from Sydney and are now setting up in Brisbane – people like Matt Moran, who is doing another Aria in Brisbane. He could have chosen to go to Melbourne but for him to choose Brisbane is a good indicator.”

Brent first arrived on the Sunshine Coast in the mid-90s, and worked with some now influential people who, back then, were putting lots of energy into developing Noosa’s fine food culture. During that decade, he worked at

Bistro C, Eats at Eumundi and Berardo’s, to name a few. After stints in 1770, Yeppoon, Townsville and Echuca,

Brent spent almost a year in London, where he worked at Gordon Ramsay’s Boxwood Café in Knightsbridge (now closed). On his return to Australia, a chance encounter got him a meeting with Russell Crowe’s team and a three- year contract between 2007 and 2009.

“The first three months working for Russell were the hardest months of my life,” he says, shaking his head.

“I remember getting off a plane in Dubai and during the first couple of days on set I was thinking, “What have I got myself into here!”

Travelling with the Crowe family, life became a blur of planes, hotel rooms, movie sets and various destinations, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Syria, Sydney, Coffs Harbour, London, across England and a lot of time in the U.S.A.

“I don’t think I stood still for a minute,” he recalls. “My role involved everything from hands on cooking, to helping out with the Rabbitohs, to managing cafés and restaurants.”

Brent catered for Russell’s entourage on the sets of Robin Hood and Body of Lies. His job included organising where the food had to be at certain stages of the day and how it was to get there – no mean feat in itself.

“Every set is totally different so it makes it very hard,” he explains. “I had to quickly hone my organisational skills!”

“And every day was different – if he was training, I’d spend a lot of time with Russell’s nutritionists and personal trainers, working out diets. On set, I had to have a handle on what stars, producers, managers, security and other members of his entourage were around and where they were all eating.”

On top of that, he had to make sure Russell’s wife, Danielle, and their children were catered for. It certainly wasn’t all glamour and celebrity. Firstly with the Crowes and later with Rob Thomas from Matchbox Twenty, Brent got to experience firsthand how little privacy A-list stars have, together with the complicated arrangements and time delays at every departure and arrival.

“Getting through customs and security can be difficult, especially in the Middle East,” he recalls.

“Private jets are targeted for special attention. And when you’re accompanying rock stars, you tend to get singled out.”

“I wouldn’t trade my life for theirs any day of the week. They don’t get enough credit for what they do.”

“It’s a big wheel that keeps turning and you can’t stop the wheel! There were times when I wanted to get out but couldn’t.”

“Yes, it was exciting and challenging but I realised that I had to stop if I was going to have any chance for a family life.”

Having just turned 40, Brent is looking forward to a quieter period, not that he’s showing any signs of slowing down just yet. His newest venture, Truffle & Co., will be offering a range of services from its Coral Street location.

Opening on the 12th of December, the BYO café will be doing relaxed meals six days a week from breakfast to late afternoon tea, then opening for dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

“I want to cater for everybody – you’ll be able to come in on any budget. We’ll have a range of seating options, from an intimate table for two to a large family dining table, to a private room for 12 guests seated around one table under the chandelier.”

Starting in February, Brent will be offering cooking classes – everything from the very basics in the kitchen right the way through to fine dining techniques. He also has an off-site licence and can cater for any number, from two to 52 guests.

So, will Maleny provide Brent with enough stimulation and challenge?

“Absolutely! I’m excited to be here at this time,” he says enthusiastically.

“We’ve got pretty much everything here (in the Hinterland) and so many good chefs. This area is ready to go ‘boom’!”

THEY say every dark cloud has a silver lining, and for Colin and Jean Cunningham it was the dark days of dairy de-regulation ten years ago that spurred them into setting up one of the most successful fine food businesses in Queensland.

What they had to build on was Colin’s expertise as a former cheese maker and his experience in developing ice cream recipes for other clients. Along with Jean’s creative ideas and organising skills (she was a former school teacher), they realised they could create a specialty food business offering innovative and high quality products, many of which could be sourced locally.

Colin and Jean chose an existing cafe site on Maleny’s main street because it was close to where they lived, and offered scope to expand.

Colin’s vision was to make and sell up to 30 flavours of ice-cream and sorbet he had been developing over several years using premium local milk. That’s now grown to more than 80.

Within a couple of years of opening, their son Andrew joined the family business and has played an enormous role in making it the success it is today. While he quickly became an award-winning ice cream maker too, he also turned his attention to the cafe and the stocking of fine foods. What started out as a humble fromagerie offering just 25 cheeses now draws locals and visitors alike with its diverse range which has, at times, stocked up to 250 cheeses selected from all over the world.

“Around the beginning of 2001, there was hardly a person in town after 2pm on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon”, says Colin, “and you could confidently have fired a pistol up the centre of Maple Street without hitting anyone,” he quips. “Now at 4pm on weekends it is pretty standard for us to have a queue up to ten people deep waiting for ice-cream as well as a full cafe.”

Colin and Jean started out with three concepts that were all based on using the best possible quality products available – quality cheese, quality ice-cream and freshly prepared, made-to-order cafe meals. For example, toasted sandwiches from bread made to Colin’s own recipe, and fresh salads using quality local ingredients and they have stuck to that philosophy.

“However, on the first day we opened”, says Colin with a smile, “five of us were scratching our heads trying to work out how to make a milkshake.”

Creating a good coffee was another thing that took time. Eventually their son Andrew met a prominent barista who sparked his interest, and now

Andrew has become a passionate coffee aficionado, making Colin James a serious contender for the best cup of coffee in Maleny.

Another part of Colin’s dream was to establish their own ice cream manufacturing plant for wholesale distribution. Late last year the first batches of gelato and sorbet were produced in their new, purpose-built production facility in Lawyer Street, Maleny.

“We’ve taken prominent local chef Alex Lyle on board and we now distribute our products in 5 litre and 500ml tubs from Gympie to the Gold Coast and out west to Toowoomba and Warwick.”

Colin believes the passion for good food is definitely growing.

“I’m still staggered at the way Maleny has become such a foodie destination,” he says. “When we started up Maleny wasn’t really a tourist destination. But there is no doubt that winning so many awards at state and interstate shows has not only benefited us, but other businesses around us too.

“And we are very proud as a family to have played our part over the past ten years to have helped put Maleny on the tourist map.”

Each year the Colin James brand becomes more well known. At a recent trade fair in Melbourne, a rival ice cream manufacturer was asked how her product stood up against the Colin James gelato. Her reply was, “I’m good, but I’m not that good!”

Sunshine Coast Councillor Debbie Blumel wants to be mayor of the next Sunshine Coast Council. At the time of going to press, she was the only councillor standing for the position, and the only woman. Debbie is known for her enormous hard work, both within council and on a variety of outside organisations. She agreed to be interviewed by HT editor, Michael Berry

What will it take from you to be a successful second mayor of the Sunshine Coast?

Future success is about local ownership and local empowerment. It’s about working with and working for communities. And it’s about getting things done!

The current council has embedded a solid foundation around ‘sustainability’. In the next term, we need to reap the bounty of that work and build the future economy. This means a strong focus on the regional economy as well as a focus on the ‘village’ economy of each of the Coast’s 44 individual communities. Services to community and liveability must be top of mind. Sound financial management of ratepayer funds will be a given.

I have a plan to make the Sunshine Coast an economic engine room by using our competitive advantages. This will be achieved through a partnership between Council and a new Sunshine Coast Industry Group.

In summary, we must deliver a rich and diverse economic base and adopt high tech, low carbon technology in urban renewal.

How will you measure that success?

Success will be measured by the level of community support for our endeavours – both what we achieve and how we achieve it. It will be measured by increased profitability for businesses and the number of local jobs created across our 16 industry sectors. Success will also be measured by how well we protect our environment.

Sustainable urban development will be measured by water harvesting and reuse, climate smart urban design, sustainable energy and waste options, and links to high speed broadband.

Current mayor Bob Abbot says that the job requires specific skill sets. What do you think are the most important ones for being mayor?

Community engagement and listening to what people need are key skills. This means building partnerships between people who can help each other and help the economy grow. Skills in getting things done are also extremely valuable. Values are important too – compassion, and a heart for people and community.

You have had one of the highest profiles as a can-do councillor in the past four years. How important is it to be seen and heard?

For a leader, it’s more important to see and hear than to be seen and heard. Profile is really just a byproduct of getting things done – from the community consultation through to the end product and “ribbon cutting”. I want to create a “can do” culture in the new Council so that every councillor is properly assisted to get things done in their division and portfolio.

One of the criticisms of you is that you don’t suffer fools and you don’t respond well to those who oppose your ideas. Your response?

I don’t see anyone as foolish and I welcome different views. By listening to everyone, we have the opportunity to get it right. There are some things I’m passionate about – like water reform, sustainable urban planning and building the economy. For really important issues like that, I’ll work hard to persuade and influence people with the facts.

You have strong links to Labor party politics. Do you think that will be used against you?

I ran as an independent when I was elected to Council and I am running as an independent again for Mayor. I’m committed to cooperation within Council and across the three levels of government.

I use my positive working relationships with federal and state ministers to get things done. Many councillors are members of the LNP and I get along very well with them and help them often.

This Council has struggled with the state government over planning control of the Sunshine Coast. If there’s an LNP government next year how will you deal with the state government?

I will work with the state government and the Urban Land Development Authority (ULDA) to get the best possible outcomes for Caloundra South. Council can’t influence the outcome if we are not at the table.

As a member of the Council of Mayor’s Infrastructure Committee, I worked closely with the Opposition leader and I’ll happily work with whoever the people elect. You won’t find any criticism from me of any other level of government or member of parliament during my term as a councillor. It is very important to be able to positively influence outcomes by having an open door across the political spectrum.

I have also been chairing the Business and Industry Development Opportunities Taskforce for the Sunshine Coast University Hospital. I’ll be keeping up the pressure to ensure it is not scaled back if there is a change of government because some cost cutting has been flagged.

Your list of priorities is probably what any candidate would want to address … job creation, build the local economy, clean technologies and environmental protection, improving transport links … So is this business as usual?

I have outlined a number of specific policies including a big agenda for water reform to provide safe, affordable and sustainable water for our people. Another key point of difference is that I will only support sustainable urban development. My plan to create a Sunshine Coast Industry Group will provide the mechanism and process to achieve new jobs through industry diversity.

Bob Abbot also says that this first term of amalgamated councils has been one of establishing the planning framework policy documents to guide the future. They are the legacy of the future he says. So do you see the next term as primarily about putting those policies into practice?

Bob is right when he says that we spent much of this current term laying the foundations for a sustainable future. But while the policies and strategies were endorsed, the new Planning Scheme has not been delivered. The new Council will get an opportunity to further review it. There is a real risk of it not being delivered if people elect councillors seeking a ‘mandate for change’. We need to build on the foundations of the Bob Abbot Council and reap the rich bounty of that term of government.

The Sunshine Coast is clearly heading for a population of 500,000 within 15 years. Bob Abbot said we would lose those values that made us a coast community at 350,000. What are your thoughts?

I see blue skies ahead for us if we work together to get things done.

People want Council to protect and repair the environment and I am committed to that.

With innovative clean technologies, the additional population could have a much smaller ecological footprint than the current population. My house is only 10 years old and already its design and technology have been superceded by more sustainable technology.

Everywhere I go, in the hinterland and on the coastline, people are making new friends in their local communities by participating in groups and activities. Council has a role in providing parks, pathways, bush trails, events and community centres to help people get out and meet each other. I want to continue to build community and ‘people’ values.

Local media projects an image of a Council doing battle against a rampant development industry. Is that how you see it, and where do you see the media flashpoints during the coming term?

An immense amount of work has gone into making sure that growth on the Sunshine Coast is planned growth rather than unrestrained growth.

Media flashpoints will occur, quite rightly, if Council approves development that is not consistent with the planning scheme, if the environment is degraded and if we don’t continue on with good financial management without new levies. I think a water reform strategy would be supported by the media if I am elected as it is a key part of my platform.

As mayor, would you want to restructure council and councillors’ roles in any way?

The changes have been tough for some, but we need to get out of survival mode and into proactive management. I want to beef up our economic development unit so it can assist the Sunshine Coast Industry Group with their projects.

Council’s Development Services section must refocus as a service to the public. This will mean swifter approvals and more certainty.

I’d like to introduce a quality control system for customer requests to ensure continuous improvement. This will free up councillors’ time and allow them to get out into the community.

If you are elected, how will you manage the enormous work load and still retain a balanced home life?

In addition to being the councillor for Division 8 and my Major Projects Portfolio responsibilities, I have also been the inaugural chair of Regional Development Australia Sunshine Coast, represented Queensland coastal councils on the National Sea Change Taskforce, represented Council on the Council of Mayors Infrastructure Committee, chaired the Recreation Trails Taskforce and chaired the Entertainment, Convention and Exhibition Centre Taskforce.

As Mayor, I will support councillors as they fulfil some of these roles instead of trying to do it all myself. As mayor, I would have a regular catch-up with each councillor about how they are going and what’s happening in their divisions and portfolios.

I hope that a change of focus to guiding regional development and supporting others will mean I get to see my family more and go for a regular bike ride which I love doing.