Homepage Latest News Archives - Page 45 of 46

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.

Moo-Free Burgers on the Moo-ve to Kenmore

A healthy burger truck is rolling in to Kenmore on 17th May. All ye health buffs out there might want to be at 904 Moggill Road, at Charlie’s Raw Squeeze to get your Moo-Free Burger between 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on that day.

Another healthy venture of Charlie’s Raw Squeeze owners Johnny and Michael Tabet, Moo-Free cooks up and serves delicious burgers – without meat! Noticing the scarcity of decent vegan burgers in Brisbane, the brothers had an epiphany and set off for a healthy adventure. They set up a food truck and started going from one suburb to another, offering vegan burgers and tasty sides.

Photo credit: Moo-Free Burgers / Facebook

All the items on the menu are prepared and cooked without the use of animals and any animal products. Try their “fish fillet” burgers or their irresistible “chicken” burger. They’re so appetising that you’ll forget they’re vegan!

Their sides include beer-battered chips and sweet potato chips with vegan mayo. They also have gluten-free buns.

Want to know when they’re dropping by your area? Check out their schedule on their Facebook page.

Brookfield General Store Still Going Strong

Originally a teacher’s residence, the Brookfield General Store has definitely come a long way. Established as a cafe and store in 1871, it serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some residents affectionately refer to it as “The Shed.”

This neighbourhood corner store is where residents go to pick up their daily staples, such as bread, milk, and vegetables. Overlooking Brookfield Hall, the country-style cafe-slash-store has become the go-to place for residents on a quick grocery or pizza run. Tourists also make sure to swing by the popular store to complete their Brookfield experience.

What’s Inside

Step inside Brookfield General Store and you will immediately see what the store is all about. Shelves and shelves full of surprises line up the walls. There is literally something for everyone. Known for its eclectic mix of merchandise, the store has the requisite grocery items, fresh flowers from Madame Les Fleurs, and even a line of the store’s “Wanted” house-brand sauces.

For those who are looking to stock up on their meat supply at home, the store also offers organic meats from Sherwood Organic Meats. They also have free-range turkey on sale from GreenAg. A selection of Golden Grove wines is on display, while a rack of Jamwork jams will definitely spread good cheer among shoppers.

For rumbling tummies, the cafe at the front of the store is your best bet. You can also enjoy the bucolic view from the back verandah. If you’re coming down for breakfast, don’t miss out on their Brooky brekky roll that consists of aioli, spinach, fried egg, crispy bacon and the cafe’s popular BBQ sauce, served on a toasted roll.

During lunchtime, the Barnyard Grilled Chicken Burger is a popular choice amongst diners. There are also a number of gourmet sandwiches and salads for diners who want something lighter.

Photo credit: http://brookfieldgeneralstore.com.au/

At dinnertime, the kitchen shifts gears and offers a different set of dishes. Check out their selection of wood-fired pizzas and you’ll find out what everybody has been raving about!

Kids have their own menu featuring tasty, pint-sized selections which will keep their tummy’s happy and their mummies pleased. Pets are welcome to tag along. Water bowls are supplied outside to keep those beloved pooches hydrated and happy.

Kenmore, Brookfield, Pullenvale Kerbside Collection Coming Up : Tips For Movers & Crawlers

The next few days will be busy for Kenmore, Pullenvale and Brookfield residents, as kerbside collection day draws near. With the 8th of May just a few days away, Brookfield and Pullenvale residents should by now be on the homestretch of sorting, packing and deciding what to throw away. For Kenmore residents, the 15th of May is collection day. All unwanted items by the kerb a weekend before the kerbside collection date.

For crawlers, as the day of reckoning for these suburbs draws near, now would be a good time to check the kerbsides for some potentially great finds.

Start Packing NOW

Photo credit: http://www.houseandcarriage.com/

Starting now and packing little by little before the kerbside collection date will be far less stressful than trying to do everything in one day.

Save Up on Boxes

Photo credit: http://www.demeterclarc.com/

Why don’t you head on over to a local store and ask if you can get some of their boxes? Plus points if you’re a regular… or maybe, you just know the owner.

When in Doubt, Kerb It Is!

If you’re doubtful if you should put an item out by the kerb, then most probably, you should. If you have not used it for ages, and it’s just gathering dust in your house, you should probably get rid of it.

Keep It Tidy

Pile your items out neatly! Just because it’s going to get picked up doesn’t mean it has to be such a mess. Pile up boxes neatly, put trash/plastic bags together, and for heavy items, organise them in a way that scavengers and the collectors wouldn’t have a hard time getting an item.

Photo credit: http://www.coppercoast.sa.gov.au/

There’s a Pile Limit!

Before you make a mountain out of your stuff, remember that there’s a pile limit. The Brisbane City Council will not collect piles larger than two cubic meters. So ease up on the items!

Acceptable and Non-Acceptable Items

BCC will also not collect unacceptable items. Check out the list here to find out what items you can and cannot put by the kerb.

Photo credit: http://www.shellharbourwaste.com.au/

A week before the Kerbside collection date, scavengers will also be roaming around the streets, looking for items that they might find useful. If you’re planning on doing this, mind your manners.

Some tips for scavengers:

Have a Vehicle Ready

Photo credit: www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au

You might find some huge items that you can use or even if you’re only getting small items, it is best to have a vehicle ready to make the whole scavenging process so much easier.

Don’t Mess It Up

Photo credit: www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au

Make sure that you leave the pile tidy once you’re done with it. Don’t just rummage through it and leave it once you get what you need. Have some courtesy.

Never Break Anything

Photo credit: http://ajaneday.blogspot.com/

Be careful when going through other people’s trash. Those items may be unwanted, but that doesn’t give you the right to break them up, or make a mess on the kerb. Handle the items with care.

Whether you’re putting stuff out for kerbside collection or you’re simply on the hunt for kerbside items, observe proper behaviour. Proper manners during this time will definitely go a long way.

Kenmore Hills’ The Creek House Embraces Nature

Kenmore Hills, with its stretches of fertile land, rich bushland, streams, and hobby farms offers a serene sanctuary to its residents, right smack in the foothills of Mt Coot-tha.

Stuart and Davina Gray knew exactly what they wanted in 2013, when they hired their long-time friend, Andrew Munro, the principal of Define Landscape Architecture, to redesign the property and transform a run-down two-storey house into their very own residential sanctuary.

Photo credit: http://www.caandesign.com/

Their 225-sqm property is perfectly situated in an area that slopes down to a natural creek. When choosing materials to use for the house, Shaun Lockyer Architects went with natural materials such as stone and timber to bring the home and its lush, surrounding garden perfectly together. Today, the home is more commonly known as “The Creek House.”

The living area provides a picture-perfect marvellous view of the greenery outside and a glimpse of the creek. There are several climate-proof entertaining areas spread out across two levels of the garden. Each area serves several parts of the home.

The garden has fifteen separate areas, each with its own distinct character. Social gatherings can be held on the verdant lawn areas. Those seeking peace and quiet can look for the hidden retreat down by the creek. The guest courtyard has its own outdoor shower. A birdhouse, fishpond, and beehive provide a touch of whimsy, while the soothing sound of tinkling water from the water feature provides a relaxing ambience to the masterfully designed garden spaces with its lush garden beds. Seasonal garden produce is also grown for food, allowing the occupants and guests to have a garden to gourmet dining experience while at the home.

Easily one of the most attractive properties in Kenmore Hills, the Creek House’s unique take on contemporary design and landscape architecture makes it a real gem, complementing its forest surroundings and bringing nature in, effortlessly and beautifully. Evidently the Australian Institute of Landscape Designers and Managers think so too. They named The Creek House as their 2016 Gold Awardee and recipient of the Best in Category Award.

Pullenvale’s Brisbane Backyard Film Festival 2017 Location Remains a Mystery

A mysterious festival is about to happen in Pullenvale on the 5th of May. The Brisbane Backyard Film Festival is happening… but there’s a catch.

No one knows its exact location, except that it’s going to take place in the suburb of Pullenvale. Other than that, people are kept in the dark.

The film festival will showcase a number of short films, music videos and other miscellaneous tidbits. It will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will go on for approximately three hours.

Photo credit: Brisbane Backyard Film Festival / Facebook

Since the event is at dinner time, Brisbane’s food trucks will also be around to satisfy your cravings and indulge your appetite. The event is open for all ages. Everybody is encouraged to bring their own fold-up chairs, blankets, or simply anything that you can sit on comfortably.

The exact location will only be given to ticket-holders before the event.

Are you ready for a surprise?

Get your tickets here!

Kenmore Bypass Plan Is Still the Best Solution to Ease Traffic Congestion in the Centenary Motorway

The busy Centenary Motorway is now considered one of the worst roads in West Brisbane due to the horrendous bumper-to-bumper traffic that motorists experience there, every morning and afternoon.

Time To Fix It

The recent Kenmore crash and the traffic it caused have fuelled the cries of commuters and caught the attention of The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland Limited (RACQ). The RACQ is now pushing hard for a fix, citing March as the worst month so far, in terms of traffic on the motorway.

Actually, the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, in response to the continuing clamor for a solution, has already released a study for the Kenmore Bypass. The study investigated the viability of a bypass at Fig Tree Pocket, utilising the existing preserved corridor from Moggill Road, Pullenvale and to the motorway along Fig Tree Pocket.

The plan is to ease traffic congestion in the Kenmore-Moggill area by building a 4-lane bypass, which will link Moggill Road to the Centenary Motorway. With this, vehicles traveling on the proposed bypass would have a direct road to pass through to get to Moggill Road and down south, while also maintaining a T-intersection for northbound motorists on Moggill Road.

Quick Solutions

In the meantime, a quick remedy seems to be in order, and Moggill MP Dr Christian Rowan is suggesting that instead of just waiting for a bypass to be built and focusing on the congestion at Kenmore, a plan that will consider road integration and public transport solutions can be made.

He said that reversing the traffic towards the Ipswich Motorway, building a bridge from Belbowrie across to the Centenary Suburbs would be possible solutions with immediate effects.

In response to Dr. Rowan’s suggestions, Mark Bailey, the Main Roads Minister said that a 2015 study aimed to ease congestion at the Moggill Road/Brookfield Road intersection and the Kenmore Roundabout showed that making upgrades to the Kenmore Roundabout will not resolve the congestion at all.

Waiting Game

For now, it seems that the Kenmore Bypass proposal is the best bet for a long-term solution. The Kenmore Bypass Planning Study is now being assessed by the State Government. If approved, the plan is to have it built by 2026.

Photo credit: Shiftchange/Wikimedia Commons

Upcoming Lone Pine Sanctuary Research Centre in Fig Tree Pocket To Help Save Koalas

Located in Fig Tree Pocket, the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary is the biggest and oldest koala sanctuary in the world. Inside the sanctuary is an abundant community of koalas, kangaroos, Tasmanian devils, wombats, various reptiles, and other species. To support the sanctuary, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk committed a $2-million koala research centre to be finished in June 2018.

The planned research station will be built on riverside land. It will be located at the general entrance to the sanctuary. The council will also help by contributing $1.3 million over four years to aid with the scientific research.

Plans are also underway to expedite the purchase of a 750-hectare, privately-owned koala habitat which will be used to plant more koala food trees for the sanctuary.

The Welfare of the Koalas

Mayor Quirk said that the concept behind the new research facility is to make it available to the public. With it, they hope to spread awareness on the life of koalas and how Australians can contribute to lengthen the koalas’ lives and boost their reproduction.

Some parts of the research centre will be open to the public to allow visitors to become more aware of the lives and the issues that koalas are facing now. In urban areas, koalas lead difficult lives due to the destruction of their natural habitat areas. There have also been reports of dog attacks and incidents of chlamydia, causing the deaths of the koalas.

The research centre also aims to bring together universities and other institutions to advance life-saving research about the species.

Koala Conservation

Concern for the lives of koalas is growing. Koala guru Ruth Lewis from Ipswich is among those who have taken action to protect the marsupial. Ms Lewis is happy and proud that her suburb is looking after the koalas really well. Based on a study by Dr Bill Ellis, Ipswich is one of the areas that still maintain a large and healthy population of koalas.

The aim of conservationists is to save the whole species by procuring large areas for conservation of koalas. Agreements were made with private land-owners and community partners for a more effective implementation of their move towards conservation.

Ending the Deadly Epidemic

A vaccine is also going through trial to stop the chlamydia epidemic that is killing Australia’s koalas. There is a huge number of koalas that have been reported dead due to the deadly disease over the last two decades.

Chlamydia is caused by chlamydia pecorum, which is a bacterium that spreads from livestock from Europe. Antibiotics work on the early stage of the disease, but these don’t see to be enough.

Peter Timms of the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland has been developing a single-injection chlamydia vaccine that can deliver long-lasting protection. They tested the vaccine on 21 free-ranging koalas in Queensland’s Moreton Bay region. Six had early-stage chlamydia, whilst the other 15 were already chlamydia-free. After six months, the chlamydia-free koalas were not infected, despite the fact that half of the koalas in their habitat were infected.

However, the vaccine wasn’t a success because after nine months, three of the 21 vaccinated koalas became infected. Nevertheless, it still slowed down the spread of the disease. Mr Timms remains motivated and plans to vaccinate 50 wild koalas in Petrie.

With the research centre’s impending 2018 opening in Fig Tree Pocket, more koalas in the area can enjoy a better quality of life soon.

Photo credit: CC-BY/Kim/Flickr

Beekeeping Event to be Held in Kenmore, Aims to Go Beyond Sweet Talk

In anticipation of Honey Month this May, the Queensland Beekeepers Association(QBA), a group of apiarists and passionate beekeepers all over Australia, will host a talk called “Beekeeping: More Than Just Honey” from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. at the Kenmore Library in Kenmore Village on Thursday, the 20th of April. The event is free but bookings are required.

Beekeeping in Australia started in the 1820s, when Australians started keeping apiaries. Since then, beekeeping has become a flourishing business in all parts of Australia, including Kenmore and other areas in Queensland, where interest in beekeeping is very much alive.

A Sweet Deal

Beekeeping helps boost crop productivity in the horticulture sector. In Australia, commercial pollination is a growing sector of the beekeeping industry. The biggest sector of the beekeeping industry, though, is still honey production.

Australia is an exporter of honey. All honey has antibacterial properties but the champagne of all honeys, manuka honey, is widely sought for its healing and medicinal properties.

Manuka honey is produced with pollen from the Leptospermum tree species. New Zealand has two species of this plant, while Australia has over 80 species.

New Zealand currently dominates the lucrative world market, in terms of manuka honey exports. Manuka honey sells for up to $40 per kilogram. In New Zealand, the industry is worth an estimated $75 million a year, so there is a lot of export potential for manuka honey in Australia given the diversity of Leptospermum species.

Liquid Gold

In 2015, Capilano Honey, Australia’s largest honey producer completed a multimillion-dollar takeover of KirksBees, the Australia-based manuka honey producer. It then financed a study to see how Australian manuka compares with its New Zealand counterpart. The study will also look at different types of honeys made from different species of plants. Comvita, a medicinal honey producer, is also helping finance the project. Initial results have shown very similar properties between Australian manuka honey and its bestselling New Zealand counterpart.

According to Trevor Weatherhead, the executive director of the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council, New Zealand doesn’t really have a monopoly on manuka. “We have exactly the same plant that they have,” he said, adding that made-in-Australia manuka is similar in quality to New Zealand manuka.

Professor Liz Harry of the University of Technology in Sydney says that, “We should be reaping the benefits of Manuka honey, for farmers, beekeepers and for the medical solution it delivers.” She also said that as the public became more aware of the medicinal properties in honey, the price of honey will rise for producers.

She is also quick to point out that Australia produces many types of honey from commercial beekeeping. “All honey is anti-bactericidal, so not only will the value of Leptospermum species of honey increase, but the value of all honeys will increase because of public perception,” Prof. Harry said.

Big business notwithstanding, most beekeeping enterprises in Australia are family-run and operated. Reaching out to the public with more information on beekeeping is precisely what Queensland Beekeepers Association President Robert Dewar wants to do, with talks like the one that they have scheduled in Kenmore.

Photo credit: Melanie Vujkovic / ABC News

QBA aims to help more people become aware of the benefits and issues surrounding beekeeping in Australia, and how it will impact their local beekeeping business and their community.

Photo credit: CC-BY / Don Hankins / Flickr