Normally brands take years to grow, but the election offers a marketing microcosm in just 4 short weeks.
Our 2 contenders will be saying, “As a brand, here’s what I stand for”. But being politicians, they will never master brevity, so let me have a go. The incumbent has a reputation as a nice guy, but the perception is that with no new hospital funding, results have been patchy.
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Some of us have the gift of the gab, and the rest of us do not (except maybe after a few alcoholic beverages).
Everyone knows someone who can talk the leg off a chair. Maybe it’s in the form of an ability to match a story or anecdote to any situation in life; maybe it’s just an uncanny ability to sustain a conversation.
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Has somebody turned the volume down on winter? The sneaky pseudo summer weather has inspired many of us to get out and about, including my hubby, who has gone into uber prune mode – cutting every living thing in our winter-worn garden within in an inch of its fragile life.
In the corporate world, it is said to dress for the job you want, not the job you have.
Here are a few fail-safe tips guaranteed to have you in line for that promotion.
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Travel Editor Susie Boswell visits a dream destination – where the essence of the tropics blends with romance and colonial charm.
The closest I’ve come in Australia to my favourite holiday spots, Bora Bora and the Maldives, is Palm Cove in tropical north Queensland. The bonus: holidaying at home means saving thousands of dollars in airfares and precious days otherwise eaten up by long-haul travel and jetlag. At Palm Cove – just 15 minutes from Cairns’ new international airport to martini, bikini and poolside sun lounge – I spent a week in the exotic surrounds of three beautiful resorts, all dotted along the cove’s Esplanade beachfront with its sandy shores and ocean-side boardwalk winding through groves of tall swaying palms. Read more
It’s the question that plagues us every year … when is Mother’s Day? This year Mother’s Day falls on Sunday 9 May so get prepared and treat your mummy dearest to a Mother’s Day to trump the rest.
Since you could walk and talk you have watched your mum wash and iron your clothes and keep your school uniform sparkling and spotless, without a single crease. Most of you were delivered to and from the school gate, often chauffeured around to your after school piano lessons and weekend soccer matches.
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Travel Editor Susie Boswell goes bush and enjoys a Berry relaxing weekend.
The countryside around is as easy on the eye as anywhere in the world – all graduating shades of green, from the lightest of lime-tinted roadside tufts of grass to a deep green forested mountain escarpment soaring high above my valley.
I’m at Jaspers Brush, next door to Berry, on the upper South Coast of NSW. The area’s part of the Shoalhaven region less than 150km from Sydney. Berry itself is next to coastal Gerroa and Gerringong, and east of Kangaroo Valley, just below Kiama and a whisker above Nowra, a short drive from Seven Mile Beach. Read more
Travel Editor Susie Boswell says scenically-stunning Canada is welcoming visitors and offering some good deals post Olympics.
The Winter Olympics are over – let the fun and games begin! The billions of dollars spent by the Canadian Government and private enterprise to stage last month’s winter sports extravaganza – based on one of the world’s best ski resorts, Whistler – is now required to pay dividends. The TV spotlight’s faded to black and now’s the time Canada hopes to capitalise on the worldwide exposure the Games delivered. Let’s hope they do better than Sydney: despite staging “the best Olympics ever” Australia’s premier city is considered to have failed to benefit fully from the heightened, welcoming, profile it gained from holding the friendly summer 2000 Games. Vancouver, capital of Canada’s westernmost province British Columbia, was “Games central” and has focused much attention on B.C. and its neighbouring province, Alberta, the country’s winter sports capital. Read more
Seriously, enough already!
Allegedly we are supposed to be on the party wind down for the year – someone has obviously forgotten to give Port Macquarie this memo! Celeb spottings, race days, birthdays and weddings literally saturated this hectic month, with more of the same expected for March! Clearly I am going to need a bumper pack of party feet and serious dose of Vitamin B to get me through!
We recently had a delicious breakfast at new café ‘The Milkbar’ under the Observatory. It was standing space only for the wet and woolly Sunday when we celebrated good friend Jamie ‘Sparkles’ Styles’s birthday. Thankfully our booking ensured us a very comfy table! Eight of us tucked into a fabulous brekky and some seriously yummy coffees. Steve clearly enjoyed himself, tucking in to no less than 3 luscious lattes! In typical form, the ladies in the party were left wondering how breakfast turned into beers, with the party going through three venue changes and finishing at four in the afternoon! Happy birthday Jamie – looking forward to trying the new release ‘sparkles’ from Cassegrain soon!
We did a spot of power shopping a couple of weekends ago and we bumped (literally bumped – poor thing!) into Toni Collette. The gorgeous Aussie actress must have been home on some well deserved R&R with hubby Dave Galafassi and his family in Wauchope. Fresh from her recent Golden Globe win in the US for her starring role in The United States of Tara, Toni topped off her trip with dinner at the Boardwalk for an evening of vino and tapas. She was even so gracious as to sign a plate for the Boardwalk boys to hang on their wall of fame. It’s good to see that even Hollywood hasn’t diminished her love for the coast or a bit of retail therapy at Just Jeans! A girl needs a decent pair of jeans, after all!
Best hat contestants at the Queen of the North Race Day.
Exciting times for ex local and beautiful entrepreneur Samantha Wills, whose success in Tinseltown continues to sky rocket. This lovely and hardworking lass, now based in New York City, recently showed her wares to LA style guru Rachel Zoe from the Rachel Zoe Project. Rachel styles for all the huge names in Hollywood, including the leggy and lovely Cameron Diaz. Rachel most notably styled Anne Hathaway for her Oscar red carpet/Hugh Jackman moment – it’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it! There is no doubt local girl Sam will continue her ascent to fame and fortune. Sam may be planning a little visit home later in the year for a special local event – fingers crossed she can fit us into her very busy and fabulous schedule!
If rain on your wedding day is a sign of good luck, then Joel Wehlow and his lovely new wife Jenny Mezzina are going to be the luckiest people on earth! The two had planned to be married on sunny Oxley Beach; however, due to the torrential downpour, a quick ‘Plan B’ venue change was put in place as the happy couple said “I do” at Flynn’s Beach Surf Club. Guests were bussed back to Pam and Arthur Wehlow’s stunning Fernbank Creek Rd property, where they were greeted by a magical marquee filled with stunning flowers from Touchwood and twinkling tealights. Over 160 guests greeted the gorgeous couple, who quite literally radiated love and fun throughout the night. Jenny looked absolutely stunning in her off the shoulder gown, with her gorgeous bridesmaids in a striking blue. Joel and the boys wore camel suits and looked handsome and happy as they partied throughout the night. The whole wedding was a family affair, with both sides assisting with preparations on and before the night. Parents of the bride, Jane and Gerry Mezzina, along with sister Louise and hubby Demitri put the final touches on the marquee. MC Josh did a fabulous job of keeping the night on track. We had lots of fun with the guests, including Jenny’s cheeky and charming Italian uncle, who insisted we keep a solid stream of red vino coming his way! The guests enjoyed Silverspoon canapés followed by a sumptuous buffet main course. Rain certainly didn’t dampen the crowd’s mood, with every Mezzina and Wehlow up on the dance floor! Congratulations to Jenny and Joel – wishing you lots of fun, love and happiness!
Alicia Steinhardt and Shaun Weelands were married in mid February in a ceremony at historic St Thomas’ Church. Seventy guests enjoyed a waterfront reception at Rydges with a wedding feast created by Executive Chef Michael Schubert. Guests enjoyed champagne and canapés, with band ‘Well Swung’ entertaining the guests throughout the evening. The main course was followed by a chocolate mud wedding cake from Penelope K for dessert. The couple honeymooned with a cruise on the South Pacific. Congrats to you both.
Jenny & Joel Wehlow on their wedding day. Photo credit: PortPix Photography
We had a lovely if somewhat windy day at the Port Macquarie races in February. Rydges & Travelworld supported the Focus Fashions on The Field for the annual ladies’ day, Queen of the North race meet. Thankfully it was a sunny day and we enjoyed an afternoon of bubbles and nibbles on the Chairman’s Lounge Deck overlooking the track. It was good to see some fashionable and familiar faces, including Dianne Richmond, Toni Cooper, Annabel Warren and Varan Freestone, all frocking up and looking fabulous on the day. Official judges Ria Smith from Funk’d and I had our work cut out for us, with so many elegant ladies and gents to choose form. Congrats to all winners who went home with a swag of prizes to the tune of $5,000, including goodies from Travelworld Port Macquarie, Novotel Coffs Harbour, Rydges, Tommy’s By The Beach, Touchwood Flowers, East Coast Laser and Ella Baché. The guys in Port really should wise up to this whole ‘ladies’ day’ concept – where else are you going to get a chance to rub shoulders with so many fine fillies all frocked up and ready to party? Note to self, fellas – Queen of the North – worth a diary entry for next year!
I made a rather rash comment in an online public forum last month that I would be hanging up my party shoes for the season … It seems that this statement was quite hasty and is considerably harder to adhere to than initially anticipated! Statement officially retracted!
Until next month, Kate.
The success of any business depends on a basic mathematical calculation – how much does a good or service cost to produce – and based on this, how much does it need (and can) be sold for in order to provide the seller with a viable profit margin.
This alone can give you a pretty good indication for the fundamental reason that over 70% of start-up restaurant businesses fail! These are cold, hard stats and pretty depressing if your dream has always been to open up a little café, pizza place, or Belgian beer hall.
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The land down under comes out tops for Australian family holidays, writes Travel Editor Susie Boswell.
HOBART, January 2010 – This is one happening town! From my heritage hotel overlooking Constitution Dock I’ve waved farewell to the last of the returning Sydney-Hobart yacht fleet. And I’ve inspected the navy-hulled $25m three-masted luxury vessel berthed nearby (with grand piano in the salon!) belonging to an Italian multimillionaire, his crew awaiting his next nautical whim. She sits rather conspicuously alongside hundreds of tour cruisers and working fishing and cray boats tied up at this bustling port – that make for an entertaining stroll around the waterfront. Read more
Travel editor Susie Boswell samples a road less travelled – and finds the Mediterranean offers far more than the much-vaunted Greek isles.
Despite being installed in the spiffing Les Orangers Beach Resort, standing on golden sand on the south-west Mediterranean, I was none to happy with the hotel just at that moment. Read more
Sydney for summer holidays is not so far away, but it can transport you to a world of great entertainment.
Mamma Mia! What a show! The stage musical has returned to Sydney by popular demand, following the success of the Meryl Streep film version in spawning a whole new generation of ABBA fans. Opening night in October was a wild success, with stars strutting the red carpet, champagne flowing, and patrons from eight to 80 dancing and singing in the aisles – some of the more overly enthusiastic in the dress circle in danger, it seemed to me, of toppling over the balcony. Read more
The spotlight fell unhappily on Samoa when a deadly tsunami struck the tiny South Pacific nation a month ago. But travel editor Susie Boswell suggests it’s still worthwhile saying Talofa (“hello”) to Samoa sometime soon.
The mid-morning refreshments I enjoyed in the restaurant at upmarket Coconuts Beach Resort on the south coast of Samoa’s main island were welcome on a steamy tropical day. Read more
We humans are a divided bunch of creatures. It would not be a broad generalisation, or a remote stretch of the truth to split us into two distinct camps. The first distinct human condition is the dislike of change. This applies to anyone who has ever coined the phrase, “When you’re onto a good thing, stick to it”.
