Sunshine Valley Gazette

Former Nambour High students Dan Munday, a producer on Survivor, left, and Powderfinger drummer Jon Coghill. by Janine Hill NAMBOUR will get the last look, for now, at eight locally dreamed, locally driven film projects. A special screening of a collection of four short films, a documentary, two reality shows and a Powderfinger music video from the past two years of Sunny Coast Showdown will be held at Nambour’s Majestic Cinema on Friday, 3 November. Sunny Coast Showdown is a film and television talent incubator created by former Nambour High students Jon Coghill, of Powderfinger, and Dan Munday, a producer on Survivor and four-time Emmy nominee who spent 10 years working for the likes of MGM and NBC.  “A couple of years after returning home Jon, who I knew from school, and I were on a surf trip and he brought up the idea of producing short films as a competition and Showdown was born,” Dan said. “We met and partnered with the incredible team at Sunshine Coast Screen Collective and the rest is history.” For the past two years, Sunny Coast Showdown has invited submissions of local scripts and ideas for short films, documentaries, reality TV and music videos and […]

Owner, Ange Dunne. Keeping the Christmas Spirit Alive All Year Owner Ange Dunne of Nambour Heights Gifts & Christmas Shop believes the magic of Christmas should not be confined to December. It should fill every month of the year.  It is this philosophy that inspired her to expand her gift store, transforming it into a year-round Christmas haven. “Sometimes you’ve got to be brave enough to do what other people aren’t going to do,” Ange said, recalling her decision to open this festive shop last September.  This brave move was met with curiosity as people questioned, “Why?” Her simple response? “Why not?” Ange said many of her customers found joy in Christmas and happily celebrated it all year. “You have people who adore Christmas and they enjoy having a look all year round,” she shared. Her shop serves not only the December enthusiasts but also those celebrating Christmas in July. Packed with Offerings From lanterns, baubles, candles, and Grinches to elves on shelves, Santa Clauses, and snowmen, the shop is packed with Christmas offerings that satisfy any holiday craving. Adjacent to the Christmas wonderland, Ange’s gift store boasts an array of unique and beautiful items.  “We carefully select only quality

The Kendray family – Andrew and Catherine and their daughters Georga, Dana and Rebecca – outside their temporary Rigby Street premises. From ashes to accolades Nambour’s Stihl Shop has been named Stihl’s Regional Dealer of the Year for the second year in a row, despite a fire which gutted their business in February. The family business, operated by Andrew and Catherine Kendray and their daughtersm, Rebecca, Dana and Georga, has now won the award three times in the past five years. The most recent award has been a bright spot in a difficult year for the Kendrays, who have been working hard to keep the business running after fire gutted their premises in February. They have been straddling two nearby locations in Rigby Street while wrestling with their insurance company. Family spokeswoman Georga said dealing with the insurance company had been a protracted process. “They fired the loss adjustor halfway through and then they had to start from scratch again with a new loss adjustor, engineer and builder,” she said. “It was really frustrating but we’ve finally got there.” Georga said a conversation between her father and a customer, Tony, had led to a deal with Sunstruct and a rebuild

Denise and Bruce Morcombe break the banner at last year’s walk. The 19th annual Day for Daniel is on Friday 27 October 2023. This is a national day of action focused on Keeping Kids Safe.  More than 7100 schools and early learning centres, plus hundreds more businesses and individuals across Australia, will host events to spread child safety messages this Day for Daniel on Friday 27 October 2023. Day for Daniel urges Australians to Wear Red, Educate and Donate as schools, early learning centres, businesses and communities across the country take action and conduct child safety activities focused on Keeping Kids Safe. “Day for Daniel is an opportunity for Australians to make a statement that crimes against children are not acceptable in modern Australia,” said Bruce Morcombe. “Day for Daniel is all about educating children (and their families) about their personal safety in both physical and online environments,” said Denise Morcombe. “We urge you to have a brave conversation with your children.” 

Brett Mills, second from right, and team members enjoyed the catch-up.  by Cameron Outridge Nambour Chamber of Commerce’s regular Coffee Catch Up was on October 18 at Ken Mills Toyota where guests were treated to great coffee, a sneak peak at the newly-renovated showroom and insights into dealer principal Brett Mill’s views of Nambour and the car industry. Brett outlined his plans to continue to drive Ken Mills Toyota into the future buoyed by the dominance of the hybrids and growth opportunities in Nambour.  “Along with the fact that there’s capacity here to grow, I just think Nambour has got a very, very vibrant and bright future,” Brett said.  “Of course there’ll be peaks and troughs, but I’ve never regretted our decision to stay very solid in this town. Other car brands have shifted out of this town over the years, but we’ve stayed here and I’ve never regretted that decision at all. This is a good business that we’ve got here and I very much believe that  it’ll be solid for as long as what we want to be here.” Brett worked in the Kingaroy dealership alongside his father, Ken, from 1996-1999,   absorbing everything Toyota, where he has

Jenny Grant, shop coordinator Malika Burke and Lyn Nielsen are part of the team that helps fund a team of doctors and nurses in the Philippines. by Janine Hill Most of us do not have the skills to repair children born with cleft lips or cleft palates but there is a way for people to help if they have time on their hands. Helping Children Smile needs volunteers to help in its Nambour op shop, which raises money for the organisation’s life-changing work. Every year, the organisation sends a team of doctors and nurses to the Philippines to perform corrective surgery on children with cleft lips and palates. Cleft lips and cleft palates are birth defects that occur when babies’ lips or mouths do not form properly before they are born. Malika Burke, a nurse and shop coordinator for Helping Children Smile, said cleft lips and palates meant physical and emotional difficulties for children. “They often wear masks because they’re so embarrassed but it’s not just that. Yes, they can have trouble talking and eating, they can dribble, their teeth grow crooked because you need your lips to keep them in, but they’re also at increased risk of choking and

Museum President Clive Plater at the new bridge lift display. 20 YEARS SINCE MILL CLOSED, 30 SINCE MUSEUM OPENED by Janine Hill A new display will be opened at the Nambour museum to coincide with two important anniversaries. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Moreton Mill closure and 30 years since the formation of the Nambour and District Historical Museum Association. A new display featuring the pulley wheels from the lift span bridge over the Maroochy River near Dunethin Rock will be opened at a combined celebration at the museum on 14 October. The mechanism was used to lift a span of the bridge so boats could pass under. The 100-year-old heritage listed bridge which provided a crossing for the cane trains during the Coast’s sugar industry days was destroyed in the February 2022 flood. Museum president Clive Plater said that wheels from the bridge’s lifting mechanism were saved prior to the flood. “In June 2020 the state government removed the lift span section of the bridge. It was in danger of dropping into the river,” he said. “The bits and pieces were stored by the state government. We got the option of doing something with them after

Urban Planning consultant Grant Palethorpe of Place360. A PLAN to revamp the centre of Nambour has been described by a town planner as one of many layers of solutions needed to bring the CBD to life. Grant Palethorpe, founder of urban planning consultancy Place 360, said a vibrant, healthy place was a mixture of many things. Mr Palethorpe, a long-time local, is heavily involved in the local community. He is on a steering group for the Nambour Special Entertainment Precinct, as well as vice president of the Woombye Community & Business Association. He said the proposed streetscaping aimed to provide convenient ‘legible connections’ for pedestrians, inviting them to walk through the CBD and hopefully linger and ultimately support the town’s businesses. He said shade and seating were  important considerations in hot climates. “Cafes offering street dining draws people to a place,” he said. “A variety of businesses with open shop fronts also play a role in drawing people into an area.”  The Sunshine Coast Council has put forward a draft Nambour Place Plan aimed at reinvigorating the town’s business centre. The plan focuses on the Currie Street and the Howard Street, Mill Street, Bury Street and Ann Street areas. It

David Lees, winner of the Reserve Champion Species and Australian Native Champion titles, showcasing his award-winning Dendrobium speciosum at the Orchid Society’s Spring Show. David Lees’ radiant smile says more than words can express after clinching both the Reserve Champion Species and Australian Native Champion titles at the Nambour Orchid Society’s recent Spring Show.  A fervent orchid enthusiast, David’s rich horticultural background, which includes affiliations with Orchid Societies in Sydney and longstanding involvement with Nambour, benefits all club members. His vast knowledge, amassed over many years, is a treasure trove that he generously shares with fellow enthusiasts. Together with his wife Loraine, David nurtures a diverse range of orchid species. Their meticulous care and dedication were evident when their Dendrobium speciosum caught the judges’ eyes, securing the coveted award. For those impressed by the caliber of plants at the Spring Show, there’s more to look forward to. The Nambour Orchid Society’s Species Show is set for November 11, 2023 at the Uniting Church Hall, Buderim. Orchid aficionados are advised to arrive early for the one-day event, which kicks off at 8am. Prepare to be enchanted by the mesmerizing array of colours and fragrances that await. We eagerly anticipate welcoming all

Some of the action from a previous Nambour Crushers event: “Sometimes they get the better of us and sometimes we get the better of them”. by Janine Hill ROLL up, roll up, to the most Australian show on earth. Fred Brophy’s Boxing Troupe is coming to town. The legendary boxing tent run by fourth generation Aussie showman Fred Brophy will return to Nambour on October 6 and 7 in a fundraising double-header for the Nambour Rugby League Club. It will be the third time Fred has brought his tent to the club as a fundraiser and after touring to Townsville, Mt Isa, Cloncurry and Birdsville in the last six weeks, Fred is happy to be closer to home at Verrierdale. “This is the last one I do for the year they’re a great club – one of the best I do,” Fred said. “We get a good roll-up there, they get a good cut, they get good challengers who put their hand up, and they get a good roll up from people from all around the area,” he said. An appearance by the boxing troupe is quite a coupe for the Crushers. Fred’s boxing troupe is the last of its