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Fig Tree Pocket State School Holds Fete Again

After four years, Fig Tree Pocket State School is at it again! Fete Winterfest is finally happening on the 11th of June.

For the past four years, the school has had quite a struggle involving parents in such a small school for a big event. Luckily this year, many parents and students donated and volunteered, enabling the whole festival happen again.

Starting at 10:00 a.m. there will be a lot of food stalls, games, raffles and a silent auction. There will also be also rides and a number of shows to entertain the guests.

Photo credit: Fig Tree Pocket State School – Winterfest 2017 / Facebook

Aside from the food stalls, there is also going to be a book stall and other stalls with trinkets and novelties for sale. The stalls are assigned to each class in the school. There will also be stalls for other sponsors who signed up for the event. Students are going to be involved in their assigned stalls.

By 3:00 p.m. the fete will be ready to wrap up, although some of the stalls and rides may continue on past that time.

The fete will be a major fundraiser for the school to have better resources and support for the students. Updates and schedules are posted pom their Facebook Page.

Fig Tree Pocket’s Lone Pine Sanctuary Offers Fun Weekends for Everyone

Did you know that there’s so much to do at the Lone Pine Sanctuary in Fig Tree Pocket? Yes, it’s not just about the wildlife and the koalas, there are more exciting activities that kids and adults can definitely enjoy.

Stretch with Yoga

On Fridays (9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.) and Saturdays (8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.), get your yoga mats ready because Alexis Jane of One Natural Therapies is holding yoga classes on the lawn for only $10 each. For Lone Pine members, you get every 5th class for free!

Find inner peace. Meditate and calm your mind on weekend mornings before you start your day. The calmness of Lone Pine Sanctuary is definitely the perfect place for serenity.

Catch a Flick

On Friday nights, the lawn transforms into an outdoor cinema starting at 5:30 p.m. Catch a family movie with your kids. Don’t forget to bring your blankets and food for that perfect movie night with your loved ones under the stars. You can check out this page for their movie schedules.

Photo credit: https://talesofatwinmum.com

Shop at the Farmer’s Market

Every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., an evening market runs in the sanctuary. The market has everything you need, from vegetables to fruits. All of them are fresh and locally produced. The stall owners get their produce from growers and farmers, ensuring a longer shelf life and freshness.

Feeling hungry? Enjoy the wide selection of dishes available for you at the market, choose from French, German, British, Asian, Indian, and so much more. You can also find some beautiful fresh flowers, buy free-range chicken, or score some hard-to-find spices and delectable, sweet treats.

For the Kids

Just right by the Riverside Cafe overlooking the river, there is a new play area for children so you can sit at the cafe whilst your children play. The Farmer’s Market at Lone Pine is packed with goodies that everyone in the family will love.

Photo Credit: Sharon Higson

Kenmore Streets Getting Shared Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge Upgrades

Bridges at Katunga Street and Akuna Street in Kenmore are being upgraded to provide better pathways for cyclists and pedestrians.

The project is part of the shared pathway network which will provide linkages between Moggill Road, the Centenary Bikeway and the Cubberla Creek Reserve sports fields. Once upgraded, bridges will provide pathways that are safer for bikers and pedestrians.

Katunga Street Bridge Upgrade

The Katunga Street bridge upgrade was initiated in early May and should be completed in mid-2017, weather and site conditions permitting. Under the plan, the existing bridge structure will be replaced and a new concrete pedestrian and cycle bridge will be built. Bicycle-friendly handrails will also be installed on the bridge.

After completion, the bridge would be 3 metres wide to meet the existing standard for a pedestrian and cycle bridge.

Akuna Street Bridge Work

Upgrade of the Akuna Street bridge involves building a 3.6-metre wide concrete pedestrian and cycle bridge. Three-metre wide concrete paths will be constructed at both ends of the bridge to link it to the existing pathway.

The Akuna Street bridge project will commence in June and should be done in late 2017. To minimise the impact of the construction, the bridge crossing will remain open during the early phase of the project.

Visit the Brisbane City Council website for more information about the project.

Kenmore’s LYV Kitchen Aims to Provide Delicious But Clean Food

LYV Kitchen in Kenmore, at Kingussie St. is a restaurant right smack in the middle of a park. And it’s not just a park, it’s actually a park meant mainly for children. The restaurant’s name stands for “Live Your Values” and it’s perfect for health-conscious people who are enthusiasts of plant-based food.

LYV Kitchen focuses on serving healthy food made from locally produced ingredients. Formerly known as Misty’s, it is now being run by the new owner, Ashley, who is all about living her values and sharing it to the public. Ashley created a plant-based menu excluding meat and dairy. Ashley is passionate about spreading a healthy lifestyle and environment, thus her food venture.

Try their granola, which is always freshly prepared in the restaurant. For a boost of energy, you can give their acai bowls a shot.

Those that need their caffeine fix can choose from their specialty lattes such as matcha, charcoal and beetroot, and turmeric.

For the kids and the kids-at-heart, there are delicious pancakes and home-made muffins that will surely delight your hearts.

There are also some tasty sweet treats available such as the carrot cake and blueberry cheesecake. You can also choose from their selection of superfood smoothies.

Not just for the health conscious, the place is also perfect for children and pets. The restaurant has an outdoor seating that flows right into the park and playground. You can sip your morning coffee whilst you keep an eye on your kids having fun in the playground.

Family, healthy food, and good, clean fun. LYV certainly makes living your values worth the visit.

Brookfield Holds the 2017 Kokoda Challenge Brisbane

The Kokoda Challenge Brisbane will be held at the Brookfield Showgrounds on the 3rd and 4th of June 2017. The event will start at 7:00 a.m. and there will be three course options available.

Two of the course options are 30km and 15km. Also, for the first time, a 48km course will be open for adults and school teams due to popular demand. There will be one checkpoint for the 15km course, three checkpoints for 30km, and six checkpoints with one support crew checkpoint for the 48km course.

The Foundation

The Kokoda Youth Foundation is a charity by Doug Henderson OAM, a Vietnam veteran. It was established in 2004 inspired by the battle of the Kokoda Track and the Pacific Campaign. Their main initiative is the Kokoda Challenge Youth Program (KCYP), a 14-month program that includes 6 months of community service, physical training and mentoring, participation in two Kokoda Challenge events, and much more.

Their event series are held to fund participants for their youth programs.

Before You Run…

Participants of the upcoming Kokoda Challenge Brisbane event must be in teams consisting of 3 to 4 people. Each team must be able to raise funds according to the number of persons in the team and their choice of course. Each team member also needs to pay a registration fee. Each team will need to form their own support crew. To find out more about the rates and the minimum fundraising per team, click here.

The Kokoda Challenge events encourage kids and adults to engage with the community through fundraising events.

The 48km and 30km courses require kids to be at least 13 years old to join, while 10-year-olds can join the 15km event. Participants under the age of 18 should be accompanied by an adult.

2017 Brookfield Show : Scary Weather Forecasts, Equine Flu Scare But The Show Was As Good As Ever

Congratulations to the Brookfield Show Committee

Another great rendition of the Brookfield Show is now behind us, the Show Committee once again organizing three days of action packed fun supported by great sponsors, stall holders, and with the assistance of Kenmore Rotary.

As far as major events go in the western suburbs of Brisbane, there is no bigger than the Brookfield Show.

This year’s event was as good as ever despite a terrible weather forecast, thank goodness proven incorrect!

Friday morning kicked the event off with a mixture of drizzle and heavy rain that left the Boscombe road vendor car park greasy but under management by Kenmore Rotary. The hiatus of school drop offs, coinciding with the arrival of show vendors, happened seamlessly. One Friday casualty due to the weather were the pony events, but the Rodeo went ahead in the evening and locals arrived en masse for a fun evening.

Saturday and Sunday brought glorious weather. The main car park was full by 11:00 a.m. though Boscombe Road had space for most of the day. The equestrian events displayed some great equine talent and riding over the weekend, whilst the gravity of the competition there contrasted with the hilarious pig racing in an adjoining ring.

The rides stayed busy during both days, many kids stretching their $45 all-day pass to the limits, with continual lines at the dodgems.

One concern which the Courier Mail has headlined today was the suspected Hendra virus case, though this was cleared up by a statement from the vet:

The Children’s art show was a great success, judged this year by Catherine Mactaggart of Sotheby’s Queensland.

Best in Show was won by Sophie Evans:

Here are some of the other highly talented entrants:

See more entries here

The dog show results can be found here

Councillor Kate Richards reported watching the woodchopping:

A great event that families get wonderful value from every year, West Brisbane is lucky to have the Brookfield Show.

Photo Credit: Brookfield Show from Facebook.com/CrKateRichards

Kenmore Residents Displeased Over New Townhouse Development Proposal

In the wake of a growing number of development plans being submitted for approval, Kenmore seems likely to experience a continuing rise in development and modernisation projects for the near future.

One of these development projects in the area is the Azure Townhouses project along Moggill Road at Margaret Court.

Azure Development Group has lodged its latest proposal with the BCC for the multiple-dwelling project. It aims to provide 104 four-bedroom townhouses of a low-medium density nature across the site in three stages. The proposal also includes a subdivision to accommodate a new public road for the new townhouses on two new lots.

Photo credit: http://www.yourneighbourhood.com.au/ — Photo credit: Brisbane City Council

The stages are as follows:

Stage 1. 34 Townhouses, Communal Open Space, Internal Driveway and Public Road
Stage 2. 34 Townhouses and Internal Driveway
Stage 3. 32 Townhouses, Communal Open Space, Internal Driveway and Emergency Access to Wyndarra Street.

Each dwelling will have its own rear balconies, three communal recreation areas, and a large communal open space in the centre of the subject site to accommodate other recreational facilities such as swimming pool, lounge areas, spa, bbq, and a dining area.

However, the residents of the suburb and nearby suburbs are not that thrilled with the proposed developments. The main concern is the traffic that it might cause. Congestion along Moggill Road and parts of State Route 33 that stretch into the Centenary Motorway has long been a problem in the area.

Lawson McCane, a Greens Moggill candidate, also pointed out that the current townhouse applications in the suburb are increasing the congestion problems not only on the roads but also on the capacity of local high schools and community facilities to support a potential population increase.

He is also pushing for people to help ban Queensland property developers from giving political donations to government candidates, to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

The Azure Townhouses development proposal is still being reviewed by the Brisbane City Council. In the meantime, the discussion and controversy among stakeholders and residents remain.

Kenmore State High School Pleads for Urgent Building Upgrades

The school council of Kenmore State High School is urging the Queensland government to come up with a timeframe and funding for buildings urgently needed by the school.

The school council, headed by Scott Meehan, noted that its request for building upgrades is not being addressed. Mr. Meehan said that the school’s masterplan will have to be treated as a priority.

Mr. Meehan believed that the main issue is the lack of funding. As a result, no timeframe has been made for the masterplan.

At the top of the list for improvements is the school’s library. If not upgraded, it will come to a point where some primary schools in the area will have better libraries compared to that of Kenmore High.

Proactive Measures Needed

The school could reach its capacity in three years’ time, according to Mr. Meehan. He stressed the need for the construction to be done as early as possible, especially as some of the current buildings are already deemed insufficient.

The Department of Education and Training stated that the school’s capacity will be adequate even beyond 2021. The proposed improvements are also being studied under the Infrastructure Management Framework of the department.

To address the increasing number of students in the area, there is a proposal to add a new high school that will service Moggill and Ipswich residents. MP for Moggill Dr. Christian Rowan supports this proposal, although he also highlighted the importance of investing in the current school facility.

Kenmore Village Holds Dungeons and Dragons Game Twice a Month

At Kenmore Village, every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month, the Kenmore Village Shopping Centre welcomes Dungeons & Dragons players from all over the suburb to play.

Dungeons & Dragons

This fantasy tabletop role-playing game was launched in 1974 and remains as the market leader for RPGs. In 2004, the game was named the best-known and best-telling RPG game. It has won multiple awards. The game is normally played indoors with the players seated around a table. Each player controls a single character in a fictional setting. Each member has their own area of specialty and during the game, players direct the actions of their characters as well as its interactions with other characters in the fame.

Usually, several meetings are needed to complete a single quest. Campaigns take even longer to finish. The game play in Kenmore Village is set up like a campaign, which takes longer compared to a single quest because it deals with a series of related gaming adventures.

The Dungeon Master of the DM is the one who determines the results of the game depending on the overall storyline and the party’s choices.

The Game Play at Kenmore

In Kenmore, fans of the board game spend hours at play on tables and chairs set up in the mall. Despite the traffic in the shopping centre, the players remain wrapped up in their own world once they start playing. What do they get out of it? Bragging rights and priceless interaction with fellow players.

Dungeon Master Danny Stevens has been playing the game for more than 40 years now. He started in 1974 and he he’s been organising these events at the shopping centre in Kenmore. So far, there have been five gaming sessions and player participation has started to grow. Recently, Mr Stevens has had to turn some people away to prevent overcrowding. He regularly updates his blog for their ongoing table campaign for Dungeons and Dragons.

Brisbane has a number of D&D groups scattered all over the suburbs. These groups meet at least once every two weeks at a certain area to play. Here is the current list of the D&D groups in Brisbane.

Head on down to the Kenmore Village Shopping Centre on D & D Days and score some face-time with fellow players, if this seems to be right up your alley. You can also check out this Facebook page for schedules and updates.

Fig Tree Pocket’s Luxurious Rivergum Retreat Reveals its Hidden Gem

In the serene suburb of Fig Tree Pocket lies a mansion straight from an action movie. Along Needham Street, the calmness, the green leafy surrounds may fool you that all is calm until you reach No.36, a huge mansion called the Rivergum Retreat.

Seeing the eye-catching mansion from the road is exciting, but the experience of stepping into its massive Zen-like foyer is truly breathtaking. The magnificent river view from the floor-to-ceiling-windows gives new meaning to the term “eye candy”.

The sprawling mansion has luxuriously appointed rooms, a state-of-the-art entertainment area, a beautiful kitchen that will bring out your inner chef, and an infinity pool that overlooks the river.

2_gvkeuq — Photo credit: www.domain.com.au

A House with a Secret

But what makes the house even more special is the secret it keeps in its library. The library seems innocuous enough. It has a sitting area and shelves of books. But it has something straight out of a James Bond movie. Pull out some innocent-looking bookshelves and you can step into a secret hideaway — a room and a bar.

On the Market

The mansion was built in the early 1980s. It was renovated after the current owners bought it in 2008. These days, the mansion is once again in the market and is considered to be one of Brisbane’s most expensive properties.