Easter is traditionally at time when Australian families spend time reconnecting. Queensland has always been a popular destination at this time of year but recent weather events have hit the Queensland tourism industry hard.

Sunshine Coast mum and author of Kids Welcome guidebooks, Sarah Pye, says much of Queensland has not been affected, yet visitors are still cancelling their holidays.

“Queensland hotels and attractions are encouraging visitors through the door with remarkable specials and discounts at the moment, just in time for Easter,” Ms Pye says.

“There is always a flip side to any crisis and families can save heaps on their holidays, while helping the relief effort.”

Ms Pye is passionate about making it easier for families to explore this beautiful state. Her guidebook Kids Welcome to Queensland includes reviews of over 1000 activities, attractions, tours, places to eat, places to stay throughout the Sunshine State. Many of the items are free or low cost. Each review saves valuable planning time with contact details and suitability in three age-groups: preschool, primary and teen.

Ms Pye will be sharing some of her favourite Queensland destinations and activities on the stage at the Brisbane 4×4 Show on April 9 and 10. Her talk “School holidays made easy” is scheduled for at 10.30am each day and her talk “The grandkids are coming!” is schedules for 1.30pm each day. She will also have plenty of family-friendly prizes to give away.

Kids Welcome to Queensland (RRP $24.95) is endorsed by Tourism Queensland and Playgroup Queensland. It been called “a must for every glove box” and one of “five top travel books”.  It is available at most bookshops or online at www.kidswelcome.com.au. Sarah Pye’s next book, Kids Welcome to New South Wales & ACT will be available in June.

“Queensland needs your help to get back on its feet,” Ms Pye says, “What better way than planning your Easter holiday at home?”

The creative minds of writers across the Sunshine Coast will be put to the test once again for the 2011 Sunshine Coast Literary Association’s Annual Writers Competition.

President of the SCLA, Bryan Ward said the competition was fierce last year, demonstrating the amazing abilities of writers on the Sunshine Coast.

Entries to the Writers Competition are now open and close on Friday, 29 April. The competition is open to aspiring writers in the Sunshine Coast and Gympie area, with six entry categories including junior short story, junior poem, young adult short story, young adult poem, open short story and open poem.

“This year we hosted a Short Story Summer School on February 3 and 10, which aimed to prepare entrants for the competition and get their ‘writing juices flowing’,” Bryan said.

“The competition is designed to provide an outlet for talented writers to showcase their work to their peers and receive valuable feedback from professional and accomplished writers,” he said.

There are six categories in this year’s competition including:

• Category 1: Open Short Story, to a maximum of 2500 words.
• Category 2: Open Poem, to a maximum of 40 lines.
• Category 3: Young Adult (High School, Years 8-12) Short Story, to a maximum of 1500 words.
• Category 4: Young Adult (High School, Years 8-12) Poem, to a maximum of 40 lines.
• Category 5: Junior (Primary, Years 5-7) Short Story, to a maximum of 1000 words.
  • Category 6: Junior (Primary, Years 5-7) Poem, to a maximum of 20 lines.

There are some great prizes up for grabs with each category having a $200 first prize, $50 second prize, a $25 Sunshine Plaza voucher for the top highly commended entry.  All winners will also receive a certificate.

All category winners will receive$200, with second place with $50 and Highly Commended entries. A panel of experienced judges decide on the winners, which will be announced at the WARM Writing Competition Dinner on Thursday, 23 June. More details regarding the event will be available closer to the date.

The Sunshine Coast Literary Association is a not-for-profit association dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and celebrating literary talent throughout the Sunshine Coast region.

“The WARM Writing Competition was first held in 2007 and has been run every year since 2009 so it is becoming a key part of the Association’s character,” Bryan said.

“We encourage everyone to have a go, you never know, maybe they will discover a hidden talent,” Bryan said.

This year, the University of the Sunshine Coast is sponsoring the Young Adult Short Story category of the competition.  More sponsorship opportunities are available.  For more information email info@scliterary.org.

Each entry is $5 with a maximum of three entries per candidate. Entry forms and details are available online at the SCLA website, www.scliterary.org, or by emailing info@scliterary.org.   All entries must be received by 29^th April 2011.

Australia’s own Low-Fat Cookbook Queen, Annette Sym, is embarking on an adventure of a lifetime as she sets off on a trade mission to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The trade mission, organised by Dr Fiona Hill of Almanar Consultancy, is a landmark first of its kind expedition. Taking only a select group of women from across Australia, the purpose of the trip is to generate lasting business connections between Australia and the Middle East.

Award-winning author of internationally acclaimed low-fat cookbook series, Symply Too Good To Be True, Annette Sym said she is really looking forward to the mission and will be researching the possibility of creating an Arabic version of her cookbooks.

“My cookbooks in Australia and America feature healthy alternatives to traditionally high-fat foods that everyone loves such as burgers, lasagne and cheesecake, and I am hoping that by visiting these countries I will be able to develop low-fat versions of their favourite foods too,” Annette said.

“Almost half of Saudi Arabia are classified as obese including 66% of women and 18% of pre-school-aged children,” Annette said.

“But what motivates me the most, is to be able to help them as this region has the highest rate of type 2 diabetes in the world,” Annette said.

“I am really looking forward to meeting and working with as many local women as possible so I can do what I can to help reduce this,” she said.

During her trip, Annette will visit Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Jeddah and plans to research their cuisine, recipes, cooking style and habits in relation to food and exercise. She will also be meeting with Trade Queensland, Chamber of Commerce and the Australia and Saudi Consulate as well as representatives of Saudi Universities.

Almanar Consultancy is an Australian business that facilitates Australia-Arab relations through training, education and specialised Arab country visits. Almanar specialises in providing advice, experiences and opportunities for Australian businesswomen in the fields of international trade, investment and cultural exchange.

“I will be wearing the Abaya and head scarf while I am there to show my respect for their culture and strict Muslim beliefs,” Annette said.

Selling more than 3 million copies due to their undeniable ability to help people lose weight, Annette Sym’s series, Symply Too Good To Be True are available at all leading newsagencies and Borders Bookstores nation-wide. Books 1,2,3,4 and 5 are $13.95 and the bumper-sized Book 6 with the weightloss MASTERCLASS DVD and 28-day meal plan is $28.

Visit the Symply Too Good website, www.symplytoogood.com.au, for great low-fat cooking tips and to see Annette cooking a new recipe each month.

The Buderim Foundation is once again on a mission to assist local families by distributing cash vouchers to schools and charities that will help with back-to-school expenses.

This is the seventh consecutive year the Foundation has assisted with the project and Buderim Foundation Director Dr Sarah Bird said it has become an annual event on the Foundation’s calendar.

The 125 vouchers, valued at $50 each, will be distributed by the schools and charities to families requiring assistance with their children’s back-to-school expenses. The vouchers can be spent at Target stores.

The vouchers, valued at $6,250, are provided to the Buderim Foundation by the Australia-wide Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) and the Sidney Myer Fund, which operates the 2011 Back to School Program that assists families in need of support with the start of the school year.

“The directors of the Buderim Foundation are pleased that the strong relationship with the program has resulted in Back to School vouchers for Buderim families. And we enjoy working with Buderim organisations to get the vouchers out there,” Dr Bird said.

“We have provided vouchers to several schools including Buderim Mountain State School, Mountain Creek Primary School and Chancellor State College, as well as half a dozen community organisations including St Vincent de Paul, SunnyKids, Community Solutions and the Cindy Mackenzie Breast Cancer Foundation.

“Working through these organisations ensures that the families and children in the greatest need obtain the most benefit from the program, whilst maintaining privacy for all involved.

“The Cindy Mackenzie Breast Cancer Foundation in particular has a strong connection to the Foundation,” Dr Bird said. “Cindy was a dear friend of mine and many others involved in the Buderim Foundation, so it is really great to be able to support them in this small way. The feedback we’ve received is that families are surprised and delighted by the vouchers… it’s definitely a win/win/win situation,” she said.

The 2011 Back to School Program is an initiative of the FRRR and the Sidney Myer Fund and supported by The Sidney Myer Fund, VISY, The Aussie Farmers Foundation, The Julian Flett Foundation, The Edward Wilson Trust, The Wyatt Benevolent Institution and Target.

More information on the Buderim Foundation can be obtained by visiting the Foundation’s website www.buderimfoundation.org.au, by contacting a Board member on info@buderimfoundation.org.au or writing to the Buderim Foundation, PO Box 1408, Buderim, QLD 4556.

Our latest documentary ‘Smiling for Smiddy- The Long Road’, which follows the journey of a group of friends raising money for cancer research in memory of their mate, Adam Smiddy, who died of cancer in 2006.

Through “The Long Road”, Adam’s mother, Maria, tells not only her own intensely personal story about losing her son but also the unforgettable legacy created by his friends to ensure Adam is never forgotten and that a cure is found for this insidious disease.

To view the trailer, see below. [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/19425498[/vimeo]

Our latest documentary ‘Smiling for Smiddy- The Long Road’, which follows the journey of a group of friends raising money for cancer research in memory of their mate, Adam Smiddy, who died of cancer in 2006.

Through “The Long Road”, Adam’s mother, Maria, tells not only her own intensely personal story about losing her son but also the unforgettable legacy created by his friends to ensure Adam is never forgotten and that a cure is found for this insidious disease.

The documentary is set to premiere in Brisbane later this month in the UQ schonell Cinema on Tuesday, 22 February at 7pm.Tickets are $10 for adults of $4 for children. All funds raised will go towards Smiling for Smiddy’s fundraising efforts.

To purchase tickets go to http://www.materfoundation.org.au/Events-and-Campaigns/Current-Events/-The-Long-Road–Documentary-Premiere.aspx.

To view the trailer, see below. [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/19425498[/vimeo]

Aspiring writers are lining up for a spot at the Sunshine Coast Literary Association’s popular Authors’ Summer School so if you don’t want to miss out on securing a seat, then don’t waste another minute.

President of the SCLA, Bryan Ward said the association had received lots of bookings for the Summer School from writers across the Sunshine Coast.

“There are new emails in our inbox everyday with enquiries and people booking for the Summer School,” Bryan said.

The Summer School will be held across two evenings, Thursday 3^rd February and Thursday 10^th February at the University of the Sunshine Coast.  Hosted by industry professionals, the classes aim to provide writing enthusiasts of all levels with ‘need to know’ information, practical advice and feedback they need to become award-winning short story authors.

“They also aim to prepare writers for our annual writing competition, which will be open to entries from 7^th February.

“The competition is open to aspiring writers in the Sunshine Coast and Gympie area, with six entry categories including junior short story, junior poem, young adult short story, young adult poem, open short story and open poem,” Bryan said.

The classes will be presented by two of the University of the Sunshine Coast’s creative writing educators, Nike Bourke (also co-director of the Olvar Wood Writers Retreat) and Naomi Stekelenburg, and will focus on all aspects of short story writing.

The first two-hour session will focus on the basics of short story writing including narrative construction, plot, character, setting and style, and will examine the origins of ideas and include a workshop-style brainstorming session with the opportunity for feedback.

During the second session, the evening will centre on the common pitfalls of short story writing including some strategies to overcome them and will also have a workshop where participants will have the opportunity to put pen to paper and share some of their own ideas.

Nike Bourke said she was really looking forward to working with a wide variety of writers at the Short Story Bootcamp.

“Workshops are a great way to meet other writers, find out the truth about how judging competitions work, and get on-the-spot feedback and answers to your questions,” Nike said.

“Naomi and I have both judged a lot of competitions, and over time it’s easy to see what kinds of stories really grab a judges’ attention and keep them reading,” she said.

“The bootcamp provides us with the opportunity to share those insights with a select group of writers, and give them lots of hints and tips about how to fine tune their short stories,” she said.

The classes will be held in Lecture Theatre 3 at USC and will begin at 6:15pm for a prompt 6:30pm start, concluding at 8.30pm each night. For SCLA members the classes are $25 for one session or $40 for both, and for guests one class is $30 or $50 for both. Positions are limited, so make sure you book your seat today.

For more information about the program, biographies of both our talented presenters or to book you seat for the summer school please visit the What’s On section of the SCLA website, www.scliterary.org or call 5450 2691.

BRISBANE, QLD – January 19, 2011: Opengear (www.opengear.com.au) today announced the opening of a UK subsidiary with offices in Slough in the South E ast of England, close to West London. Opengear is a leading provider of next generation enterprise-grade remote infrastructure management solutions and their new office will enable them to meet the growing business opportunities in this area.

“Our open source platforms give network managers the virtual hands to securely monitor, access and control computing equipment and smart devices in remote sites. European nations are being driven to manage their economies more effectively and they are leading the way in smartening up their distributed infrastructure operations,” Bob Waldie, CEO of Opengear said.

“We are seeing tremendous growth opportunities in this region. One leadership example is solar power where Europe has more than 70% of the global cumulative photovoltaic installed capacity – and they certainly don’t enjoy 70% of the world’s sunshine!”, Bob said.

Opengear delivers its management products in Europe through distributor partners. UK distributors are S-Connect Limited and Entrix Computing Limited. In setting up the UK office Opengear has relocated one of its lead engineers there to work with customers and channel partners. The company has also set up an online store http://www.opengearstore.co.uk to ensure prompt sample delivery.

As luck would have it the home of the engineer who relocated from Opengear’s R&D office in Brisbane to work at the Opengear Limited office was submerged in the recent devastating floods here last week. This event, plus other tales of community suffering from the floods prompted Opengear to initiate an internal program to donate profits to help flood victims in Queensland.

“Effective first January and going through to end March, we have committed to donate 25% of all sales revenues from our online store in Australia, and 5% of sales from our USA estore and our new UK estore to the Queensland Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal,” Bob Waldie said. “So if someone in Australia buys a CM4148 console server from us online for $2070, we will donate $517 of that to flood relief.”