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Situated on Brisbane’s eastern coast, North Stradbroke Island (’Straddie’ to those familiar) is another of Australia’s east coast natural treasures -a perfect escape destination. Something of a secret, it is only recently that Straddie has begun to show up on the tourist and property radar.

To travel to Stradbroke Island through the Brisbane suburb of Cleveland will take you approx. fifty minutes on the vehicle ferry. Cleveland is a thirty minute drive from Brisbane International Airport and the centre of Brisbane, and one hour’s drive from the Gold Coast. The boat ride across Moreton Bay is the first step that makes Stradbroke Island such a worthwhile trip.

Stradbroke Island is 27,530 hectares, making it the world’s second largest sand island. The elongated sand island shields much of the southern part of Moreton Bay and the smaller islands from the ocean swells. It’s beaches are accessible by four-wheel drive, bicycle or on foot, with numerous good camping sites situated all the way down Main Beach, and wonderful views are visible from almost everywhere on the island.

Thirty-five kilometres of white sandy beaches fringe the island’s eastern side, from Point Lookout in the north to Jumpin Pin in the south. From the Point lookout headland, the towering jungle of the Gold Coast is often clearly visible, and is a reminder of the contrast to the slower pace of Straddie.

North Stradbroke (Minjerriba to the indigenous Noonuccal people) was home to renowned Aboriginal poet Kath Walker, or Oodgeroo Noonuccal. There is a large amount of Aboriginal and European history in the area of Dunwich where the water taxis and barges berth.

The calm waters of Moreton Bay ripple against the shores of the island’s western fishing towns. With a lack of agriculture and the filtering effects of the sand produces pure water which fish, and particularly Stradbroke Rock Oysters thrive in.

North Stradbroke attracts four-wheel drivers, anglers, surfers and beach-lovers to its wide stretches of sandy coast and rugged granite headlands, and the Island also offers a wide range of accommodation, restaurants, cafes and holiday attractions. With a wonderful diversity of experiences on offer and stunningly beautiful spots to explore, North Stradbroke is a fabulous holiday place for families, couples and adventure-seekers alike. The ideal way to see the Island is by Four Wheel Drive, but there are many stunning coastal walks and a mountain bike and whale watching map are an easier and more environmentally sound alternative.

Point Lookout is a popular tourist hub, only a thirty kilometre drive on a sealed road from Dunwich. The North Gorge Headland is 40 metres above sea level and known as a leading land-based whale-watch site throughout between May and November, and world-class surfing and fishing throughout the year.

Point Lookout’s beautiful beaches and headlands are safe for swimming, surfing and fishing year round. Whales, dolphins, turtles and manta rays can often be seen from the spectacular North Gorge at the northern part of the island. The island has been listed as one of the world’s most ecologically important wetlands with several freshwater lakes, waterways and lagoons that are accessible by four-wheel drive or on a tour with one of Straddie’s friendly tour operators.

One of the greatest experiences of the island is being able to purchase fresh seafood directly from local fishermen. Just look for the signs at Amity Point and Point Lookout which will direct you to their homes and the freshest catch-of-the-day around. For those that would rather the work be done for them, Straddie’s restaurants and cafes all make use of this wonderful island resource on the menus.

“The Point” offers several alfresco style cafes, a bakery, chemist, post office, newsagent, corner store and supermarket. The island also has its own bus service which links all three towns to the ferries and water taxis.

North Stradbroke Island is the ultimate paradise for the many enthusiasts who visit each year. On a good day it’s possible to surf right past the pub, along the evocatively named Cylinders Beach, on waves that peel dreamily for hundreds of metres. Stick ten bucks in the back pocket of your boardies and you can drop in for a beer on your way back around -you may even bump into world ranked surfer and local Bede Durbidge! Straddie boasts what is perhaps the last truly old-school surf shop in the country, that makes it’s business selling surfing equipment rather than fashion.

The jewels in the Straddie’s crown is Point Lookout and the natural wonder of the North Gorge Walk, along with the surf, the choice of beaches, all sheltered in different winds, the whale watching, and the spectacular coastal walk around the gorges. If you are looking for Stradbroke Island Accommodation, make sure you visit: http://www.discoverstradbroke.com.au/

Remember the days when you first met your wife or husband? Those wonderful romantic sexy days when you loved being in each other’s company and could speak for hours. You would do those special things for each other just to see the look of delight on his/her face. They were the days when your relationship was rich and vibrant and you felt fully alive because of it.

Now the “Limerance” stage is long gone, as it always does. But have you replaced it with an even better version of a deeper fuller love? Or have you been taking your loved one for granted and busying yourself with other “more urgent things, like jobs and children and work around the house, and finances and friends?

One of the most common themes I find in my private practice as a Psychologist specialising in relationships is a “natural neglect” in secure relationships.

Even though everything in your shared life is based on a foundation of your love for each other, and your shared life, it’s all too easy to take for granted that your relationship will always be there, without realising that it, too, needs maintenance and nurturing.

Perhaps you could check in with your partner and ask him/her how happy he or she is in your relationship, on a scale of 1 to 10. Then follow it with the more important question of “What would have to happen to make it a 10 for you?”

Keeping your relationship fresh and vibrant needs ongoing attention, but not only does it make for a more enjoyable life, but is one of the most enduring aspects of a life well lived.

In the closing years of one’s life, thoughts more often than not turn to how well did I love and be loved, rather than how much money will I die with.

If you’ve let your relationship falter, a relationship counsellor can show you, in a few sessions, how to reignite the fun, chemistry and love again.

At the Hart Centre Sydney, we have trained and experienced marriage and relationship counselling Psychologists in 15 locations across Sydney, so there is almost certainly one near you. In the city centre we have two Sydney CBD locations and also Bond, Crow’s Nest, Mosman and many more in outer suburbs. Please call our friendly receptionists on 1300 830 552.

For relationship counselling Sydney, contact the Hart Centre. Many marriages have been saved through relationship counselling. Sydney has many qualified relationship counsellors.

Planning for a holiday? There are many important things that you need to manage before going to a vacation as it’s a general tendency of many people to ignore some small things which however need their heed. Yes, that’s right and these small concerns involve the condition of your trailer tyres. Your touring caravan can have more fun and less of worries if all these small issues are looked before leaving. There are some tips which can help you a lot while driving to your holiday destination safe and sound.

The first and foremost things that make you pay a hefty amount while travelling to a distant place is the cost on diesel. Although the basic need that is required by your vehicle cannot be adjusted in anyway but you can try your best to consume it genuinely. Make sure the trailer tyres of your vehicle are at a required amount of pressure. Checking tyres to be at correct temperature and pressure readings makes them consume less on diesel and thus adds to your savings. You can get all this checked at any petrol station.

Treaded trailer tyres make the life and durability of tyres increase to a large extent. If your vehicle has tyres with less treads it can be risky to drive with it. The treads make a vehicle get a better grip on the road and even add to its stability. You can look for this requirement of your vehicle yourself with the help of a 20p piece which is easily available in the market. Insert this piece into a tyre of your vehicle and check if the coin is visible on the outer ring of your tyre. The visibility shows that the trailer tyres have less treads and you should go for replacing the tyres.
Check for the servicing date of your vehicle that is the last time you got it serviced.

Make sure that before leaving for a long journey the vehicle has all its amendments done well on time. Brakes and clutch gels need to be checked and should be refilled if needed. They should have the required friction so that vehicle doesn’t make any disturbing noises and you don’t face any problem during your journey. Check the battery of the vehicle along with the gas bottles too and be contended that they are in a good condition.

Once you are done with this entire work make sure to check the load ratings of your vehicle and the truck tyres. It is important that the amount of load you are carrying with you is within limit and doesn’t goes above it. Carrying too much of load and stuff that exceeds the range of a vehicle can be dangerous for your journey.

All these are a few tips that can help you a lot before leaving for your wonderful holiday. Having a good backup always makes you feel relaxed and comfortable. So, check for everything on time to guarantee yourself a safe and enjoyable journey.

Soundproofing is becoming much more than a scientific necessity now. This has become an important and sophisticated means than just muffing up the ceiling of your house with some material. The insulated ceiling panels are now easily available in the markets which can be used to protect the rooms and buildings from unwanted sounds fire and temperature effects. They are an ideal way to decorate your home ceilings too. The ceiling panels are much more like the tiles that we use for our floors but the difference is just that they are used on ceilings. So if you are also looking for some help to make your homes or offices sound proof then ceiling panels are the best option.

For people who are much more involved into music and such activities generally require these kinds of insulations for their rooms to make them sound proof so that there are no echoes in the room and even sound reverberation is avoided. These ceiling panels also allow you to keep the sounds limited to the room only and no other sounds can enter the room as well. And with so much of advancement they are becoming a hot trend for decoration as well.

They are available in different materials and colors that they can be very easily incorporated into your house and will add to its beauty. The process of using these panels is also very simpler. You just need to fix the base of the ceiling panels of your room and then the panels can be fixed later on them. The trend of popcorn ceiling panels and 3d panels are also coming back to fashion and you can easily find them in most of the shops. There are different designs and patterns for your offices, for your rooms and even totally different ones for your bathrooms. They protect your bathrooms from unwanted bacterial attacks also.

These designs and patterns resemble to the ones that were first created in the Victorian times and from that time are being used. Many amendments have been made since those times and today they are perfect to be used for any building construction that may be an office, apartments, mansions etc. these days many of the interior designers also deal into these ceiling panels. They have their own designs and architects who help fixing these panels to your home. They are even a creative way to cover the wiring inside your ceilings. They can easily be pulled out if anytime you want to make a change and once you are done, you can fix them back. They also make you free from the tedious work of breaking the ceilings and then adding wires inside it.

You can complement the walls and floors of your house with these insulated ceiling panels and make you house look more appealing and beautiful. They are amongst the best aids that help you get away from those unwanted sounds, fire protections and all this in an alluring look.

Looking for some interior decorations for your home? People generally look for various designs and decorative items to decorate the walls and floors of their houses but what about ceilings? Generally ceilings are left without any concern. But how dull does it looks to paint your walls with some striking and beautiful colors, superb tiles for the floors and then those blank ceilings?

Here is a solution of this problem and which can even make your homes look amazing and attractive. It is the ceiling panels; that gives an alluring look to the ceilings of your rooms and even make them complementing to your walls and floors. They are a creative way to customize your homes and even give them protection against fire and unwanted sounds.

Firstly ceiling panels were introduced to give a protection against fire and other harmful conditions. They were used to maintain the room temperature according to weather conditions and to even damp the effect of unwanted sounds and noises. But soon they turned into a great decorative piece which apart from all these services also adds to the beauty of your room.

Ceiling panels are available in various materials like aluminum, tin, wood, perlite, etc. and they can be integrated into your office and rooms according to their look and uses.

If you want to use these ceiling panels for your office then you should go for some aluminum or wooden ceiling tiles which give a sophisticated look to your office. Commercial buildings are always integrated with these ceiling tiles to give them extra protection against any unwanted happenings.

Conference rooms and meeting halls always have so many people that it makes mandatory to employ something that can help in avoiding the noise and sounds to reach out. These are an ideal option to serve all these purpose and also to add beauty to the buildings.

If you are looking for ceiling panels for your own house and rooms then you have varieties of colors and patterns which you can choose according to your wall patterns and colors.

Ceiling panels made up of tin and aluminum are always high in demand because of the shiny and silvery look they give. And apart from the look, the metals are quite durable so you can go for them. They can be availed in different colors also like in chromes, shiny steel, plain steel color ad fiery copper color. The holes that are made into these ceiling panels can also be done in some designer ways so that they also serve the purpose of sound dampening along with giving a finish look.

Customizing ceiling panels is not a tough thing. They can be easily integrated with any pattern or any other tiles which you can also use for the walls and floors of your homes. It depends all on your creativity how you do this. But being an important decoration article they cannot be missed out from your collection.

8 Reasons why Vinyl Cladding is a Green Choice for the Home

Vinyl was first developed back in the 1920’s, and quickly became a key element in numerous products, including wall siding. Vinyl has since emerged as the world’s second most used plastic, but unlike its counterparts, vinyl has a number of environmentally-friendly features.

Here’s a list of eight reasons why vinyl siding is a good choice for your home and the environment:

1. Environmentally Sustainable
The main building block of vinyl is Chlorine, which is developed from salt. This makes up almost 60% of vinyl’s chemical structure, meaning it is a sustainable and cost-effective product.

2. Less Energy During Manufacturing
Vinyl cladding manufacturing uses less than half of the energy necessary to produce bricks and mortar. Vinyl cladding also uses less fuel during transportation as it’s lighter than bricks and mortar.

3. Solid Foam Insulated
Prestige Exteriors’ Duratuff Select Vinyl Cladding also comes with pre-installed solid foam insulation backing. This CFC-free high-rating insulation will help reduce your heating and cooling energy costs, saving money and meaning there is less impact on the environment.

4. Durable
In addition to its environmental credentials, vinyl cladding is extremely durable, meaning it spends more time on your house than in a landfill. We are so confident in Duratuff Select vinyl wall cladding that we offer a lifetime guarantee.

5. Reduced Impact Maintenance
Unlike other products used, vinyl cladding never requires painting, which not only saves time and money on labour costs, but circumvents the environmental damage from continuous painting. In addition, only a mild soap and water is required for cleaning which means that you are not responsible for releasing harmful chemicals into the environment.

6. Recyclable
Recyclability is a great factor in vinyl’s sustainability. In America, more than 1 billion pounds of vinyl was recycled in the last year. In addition, much of the waste from manufacturing can be recycled straight back into the manufacturing process.

7. Less Waste during Installation
Compared to other types of exterior cladding and exterior materials, the installation of vinyl siding generates very little waste.

8. Releases fewer toxic chemicals than other exterior cladding throughout the life-cycle
Vinyl cladding emits significantly lower levels of toxic chemicals, including mercury and silver, into the environment, in comparison to other types of exterior cladding.

Protecting the future of our environment and your home.

Because guarding the environment for a sustainable future continues to become a focus in society, vinyl cladding delivers many recognised benefits which make it a sustainable choice for your home.

Prestige Exteriors is a leading supplier of vinyl cladding in Queensland. We choose to only install Duratuff Select vinyl wall cladding, which comes with a fifty year transferable manufacturer’s warranty! We clad directly over wood or fibro to leave a beautiful, colourfast and lasting impression. Available in 13 colours.

Discover more about Prestige Exteriors vinyl cladding now, or contact us today.

Looking for a great alternative to painting for your home? For Brisbane Wall Cladding & Brisbane Vinyl House Cladding, call Prestige Exteriors today or visit http://www.prestigeexteriors.com.au/

If you believe you have problems in your relationship or marriage, the following is a short questionnaire which will highlight the major issues involved in the relationship that must be healthy to ensure happiness for you as a couple.

Checking these areas will help reveal to you whether you would benefit from relationship counselling.

THE HART RELATIONSHIP HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE:

CARING
How much caring and affection do you display to your partner?

How much affection does your partner give you?

How often do you give to and nurture each other:

With you giving?

With you receiving?

COMMUNICATION
How naturally do you both:

Discuss and make practical arrangements?

Talk about how you really feel?

Feel able to bring up issues of your relationship, and resolve them?

Share your dreams and aspirations?

Tell your partner how deeply you appreciate him or her?

What do you think your partner does/says or doesn’t do that stops you naturally relating well?

Are you able to talk about what it is that you do or say or don’t do which stops clear communication?

Are you aware if you may jump to conclusions or interpretations on things your partner says?

FUN AND ROMANCE
How often do you think of doing enjoyable and playful things together?

What does each one of you do to keep the romance alive?

SEX
Is there passion in your relationship?

How happy are you with your sex life?

INDIVIDUAL NEEDS
To what degree do you enjoy your own time alone and individuality?

To what degree can you accept your partner’s individuality?

To what degree are you happy to be in control of your own needs and wants?

EQUALITY AND RESPECT
Do you practically share responsibilities?

Are you approximately equal regarding performing the “liked” and “not liked” roles and responsibilities?

POLARISATION
Are there any characteristics your partner has that annoys you?

DIFFERENTIATION
Are there issues within your relationship in which you simply give in without really wanting to, or your partner is too controlling in?

What are the areas where you may dominate your partner?

If you have discovered that several of the above questions have raised concerns in your mind, then relationship counselling will help to examine these and get your relationship or marriage back on track.

For marriage and relationship counselling specialists in Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne, call the Hart Centre. We are a committed team of Psychologists specializing in relationship and marriage counselling with 15 locations in Sydney, 12 locations in Melbourne and 2 in Adelaide.

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