After being introduced to musical theatre in high school where she was stunned by a performance of the Sound of Music, Sophie Salvesani went on to study education at university and became a primary school teacher for three years. But then, thanks to a twist of fate, Sophie landed a chance with the Ipswich Musical Theatre Company (IMTC). From there she progressed to Opera Australia where she landed her first role as a principal performer in the currently touring West Side Story.
We asked Sophie about her exciting pathway to fame.

LifeStyleQ: What was it like performing at the Sydney Opera House?

Sophie Salvesani: We had a lot of people in. We had actors from Game of Thrones, Elizabeth Moss and Hayley Atwell. It was such a fabulous experience to perform there, especially on the Joan Sutherland stage.

LQ: What do you enjoy most when on stage?

SS: The opportunity to make the audience feel something, especially in an iconic place. My character goes on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster and sometimes when we finish the show I’ll see people go through the door and they are still crying. As bad as it sounds that makes me feel really good because that means I’ve done a good job. That’s how you know they have gone on the journey with you.

LQ: How do you prepare for Maria who is such an unhappy character?

SS: Nothing in particular! I think that goes to show how well West Side Story is written. It doesn’t take much for me to cry multiple times when I hear the words, or feel completely overjoyed. It’s just as relevant now as it was back then.

LQ: How do you enjoy touring internationally?

SS: I’m loving it. I only found out just before we started rehearsing that we were going to Germany. I never thought I’d have the chance to perform in some of the most prestigious opera houses in the world. I did my best to get out and see as much as I could.

LQ: Any really memorable times from Germany?

SS: In a museum we met this incredibly lovely German woman. Her English wasn’t too great as she was from Dresden but she was so welcoming and tried so hard to speak to us. Later we realised our explanations got lost in translation and that she thought we were on holiday from doing the show. It was 5 days until we closed up and moved on that she found out. She was panicking and messaging me saying “I’m getting a ticket!” So we met up after the show and she told us that just over the river one of Germany’s favourite singers was playing. She took us and we watched him and had drinks together and that is one of my favourite memories because I loved that feeling of being welcomed. It’s the same reason I love performing, making a connection with people.

LQ: You started with the Ipswich Musical Theatre Company, how did you get to Opera Australia?

SS: It was a happy accident. I was having singing lessons in the old Ipswich courthouse and IMTC were rehearsing Phantom of the Opera there. I ended up auditioning and was cast as the Christine alternate but the lady who was playing Christine had commitments with another show and was very ill so I stepped in. Ken and Brenda with the IMTC gave me a lot of little things to do. Small groups, advertising, historical societies. I was doing singing wherever I could. They gave me so many opportunities that no matter how small it was I was interacting with and meeting new people. It all counted, it all went to where my career is now.

LQ: What do you love to perform?

SS: It would have to be Ah! non credea mirarti. The character believes that the man she loves doesn’t love her anymore and he’s blamed her for being unfaithful but it was a mistake. It’s this completely emotional, heart-wrenching aria and then minutes later it’s followed by Ah! non giunge and he decides to marry her and she’s completely over the top happy and I love that.

LQ: What would your dream performance look like?

SS: One of the Opera houses in Vienna! Phantom of the Opera in the Vienna Opera house with one of the original Phantoms.

LQ: Late nights, travelling through countries, performing every night what are your tricks for getting through it all?

SS: I don’t have any tricks! I didn’t learn like that, I’ve had a very different career path. I went to university and I became a primary school teacher and then I got my first professional role in a principal role. There is one thing I do. If I think I’m getting sick or my throat feels a bit funny, I’ll down an entire lemon straight. Do it in the morning and it will get you through the whole day.

The post Star Chat – Soprano Sophie Salvesani appeared first on LifestyleQld.

LQ: When did you realise Circus was your passion, and why contortion?
“I grew up doing gymnastics but I was terrible at it because I was very flexible and very weak. Then I saw a circus show with a contortionist in it and I was just like “wow” this is what I want to do with my life.
“Later, I moved to Melbourne and studied at the National Institute of Circus Art. So I have a Bachelor degree in Circus and I specialise in contortion handstands and swinging trapeze. I’m not as bendy as I used to be as I’m a bit older now but I do perform contortion in the show and I perform contortion on the trapeze as well.

LQ: What is ‘Peepshow’ all about?

“The premise of Peepshow is looking and being seen, like voyeurism. How we explore that is we invite you, the audience, to watch us, the acrobats, and we are conscious of you watching us.
“We play with these themes of mirrors and these ideas of looking at ourselves, at symmetry, knowing what the audience is looking at and what they are feeling.
“The show is in two halves, the first half is much more avant-garde cabaret, very performative, very much to the audience. The second half is cross over into the mirror and it’s a very pulsating, gritty side of what you’ve just seen. It’s a thirty-five minute piece of music that is an evolving club track and we enter the space and exit the space and things are revealed.”

LQ: How does living in Berlin, renowned for its creative communities, compare to working and performing Peepshow here?

“Audiences in Berlin and Australia respond very differently to cabaret and the circus performance. Because Berlin has such a rich history in cabaret they love it, and because Australia has such a diverse and wide range of circus acts they truly enjoy that.
“It’s great to see how each audience responds to each segment of the show.”

LQ: Why do you think Circus continues to draw crowds?

“I think circus work is accessible to everyone. It is not a narrative. We’re not telling you a linear story, but there is an abstract logic to every show and an impetus to why we’re doing what we are doing on stage. Also, Circus is innately entertaining. You can’t take the thrill and danger out of seeing massive towers built by acrobats or someone flying through the air and being caught. There is this sense of danger that the audience can’t get enough of. I think that’s why circus is so successful. Particularly CIRCA, it really pushes the boundaries of what Circus is.”

LQ: How do you build a circus show?

“Usually Yaron, our artistic director, would come in and he would pose a few questions and we would often start with task-based making.
“He might say ‘I’m interested in atoms colliding, how can we make that acrobatic with that kind of feeling?
“ We would start to improvise and really start to explore these ideas and then he would start to bring the music into it. It is a truly organic and quite fast process and really enjoyable. When you’re on the floor in the studio working with your fellow acrobats and these great ideas start working, then yeah you know you’re onto something good.”

LQ: What has been the most enjoyable aspect of performing Peepshow?

It’s a very challenging show to perform because both parts require very different mental states. I really enjoy the beginning of the show and the first half of the show. I do a trapeze number to a great piece of music and I really enjoy that moment on stage.
“I have to say, the second half of the show as a whole is my favourite. I can’t give too much away but the second half of the show is a brilliant piece of contemporary circus that is really pushing the boundaries physically but also what we expect Circus to be.

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Working as a journalist with Ipswich’s own ‘Big Rigs’ magazine gave Cobey the knowledge and interest in machines, and now via Channel 10 he’s able to tell the story of some amazing vehicles in a way that will intrigue even the most pedestrian inclined.

Where are you from and how did you start out?
I’m originally from Brisbane, but now live in Sydney! I was always into anything with wheels, so motoring journalism was an obvious choice for me. From that, it’s progressed to me travelling around getting paid to drive the wildest machines I can get my hands on.

What are your hobbies off-screen?
I actually prefer two wheels to four, so my spare time involves motorcycles, mates and as much time outdoors as possible.

What got you interested in machines?
I grew up around them – from swinging a leg over a dirt bike as a wee fella, to doing all of the silly things a teenager with acreage and an array of machines gets up to! My step father is a mechanic, so that gave me an early introduction to the automotive world and the joys of going fast.

How do you source the vehicles?
We source the vehicles and come up with story ideas, a process that can be quite time consuming. My co-host Harrison and I are both journalists within the machinery/transport/automotive space so we had the contacts to make it work and we were never short of machinery and ideas.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve had to get to to film?
Hmm, that’s a hard one. We went to some pretty random places during our New Zealand filming, because we’ll really go wherever we have to. Perhaps the weirdest place I was filmed, would be 6,000 feet in the sky….but I won’t give away any more than that!
The most intense situation I’ve been in so far during the filming of Mighty Machines would have to be the time I crashed a high-powered off-road racing buggy during a race. It’s a calculated risk you face when racing, particularly off-road, but that one mistake landed me in hospital with a sore head and a bruised ego.

Why is the show geared towards a younger audience?
There is nothing like it on TV, it’s that simple. There are 101 car shows, but there hasn’t really ever been a show that focuses on the heavier end of town – from 4WD’s to mining trucks to tractors, we cover it all.  There’s a pretty substantial regional audience that hasn’t really had a show dedicated to covering the machinery they use day in, day out. It’s an important show for consumers of this machinery, as well as anybody interested in seeing two hooligans drive wild things.

Which mighty machine would you like to take home with you?
Despite crashing it, the Polaris RZR Turbo that I raced was an absolute hoot. I’d happily park one up in my garage.

Will you be adding to ,or upgrading the bikes you ride?
Hmm, well my Mighty Machine at the moment is a D-Max supplied by Isuzu Ute Australia, official vehicle provider for the show. I frequently throw my dirt bike in the tray, head for the bush and revel in the absence of speed limits…and hey, it isn’t really possible to own too many bikes. So to answer your question, more dirt bikes are on the cards.

The post Cobey Bartels is hands on with Mighty Machines appeared first on LifestyleQld.

On his latest tour, ‘A Crawl to Now’, Reyne and Josh Owen perform as an acoustic duo.Speaking from somewhere in Redfern, one gig into his regional tour, Reyne speaks about his tour, the Australian music industry and offers some advice to upcoming musicians.
So far, so good on the tour and he’s loving the country towns he passes through. “Most of these towns have really good little theatres, of about 350 to 500 seats so it’s good for ambience; you put people in a theatre, sit them down and they tend to shut up and listen, which is incredible.”
Touring now for nearly 20 years, Reyne says he enjoys touring more now, and not just because he’s got it down to a fine art. “The difference now is a really basic simple thing, like no one had mobile phones or Sat-Nav. For years we toured and you’d just say ‘see you at the other end.’ You had no way of contacting anybody else; you’d just assume they were going to get there.”
Despite this he swears he’s never missed a show, knock on wood. The energy Reyne possesses on tour is amazing and you can tell he respects the audience, always agreeing to play classic hits as well as his new material.
His illustrious career comes down to a lot of talent and hard work but also a special time and place in the Australian music industry: when young bands could get a leg in the door their own way. Today, a lot of music is defined by what commercial radio stations will play or TV talent competitions. Both have a distinctly American tinge to them.
Reyne says we still suffer from cultural cringe, especially in the arts. “Culturally, we’re regarded as sort of a little outpost to what’s going on. In the UK and America, if it’s a big hit over there, it will be considered here. There’s nothing like the support for local stuff like there used to be. When I was first doing stuff, there was great support in radio and television. It’s just not there now.”
Reyne also reflects on the impact technology has had on how we create and enjoy music, which is vastly different from the time when you’d have to go to the local venue to catch an act.
“It’s much easier because technology has changed everything and it’s allowed you to sit at home and press a button and say ‘I’ve got all the music I want’; I don’t have to get up and get out of my chair.
“As humans, it’s just a basic human foible. You just sit at home in your chair and you eat some fast food and you press a button and you go “oh, I’ve got everything I want.”
Talking about Reyne’s experiences as a young musician, it seems some things never change. Exploitation, expensive equipment and bad pay seem to be ingrained in the profession. Reyne calls them a rite of passage and explains how he experienced it and what it’s taught him.
“When you are a young band starting out, everybody at some level is going to try to take advantage of you, at some point you end up paying to play. You work your arse off trying to get exposure so it costs you more, because you have to buy or rent gear, but you’re not getting paid as much as it costs you to hire or buy this stuff. You’ve got all the associated costs with just getting people around and carry crap around. You’ve got agents that don’t understand you, often young agents who don’t understand.
“They put you with supporting bands; you go through that but that’s part of the rite of passage. The ‘us against the world’ thing that hopefully, if you believe in it, it’s going to make you stronger and better and come through to the other side if you persevere. We went through that, every single person I know who does this work, when they were young when they started out, went through it.
“We were on the dole until we went on telly. We went to get our dole checks and they were like ‘hey you boys are on television” and we had to pay it all back. It was costing us! In those days $150 a week was a lot of money, it was costing us to keep the band together. That happened for a couple of years. Eventually, you start to make a bit more money than you are outlaying and you start to, you know, make $50 a week and then we’d make $100 a week and we’d put it away.”
Reyne has inspiring words for the young bloods out there.
“If you believe in your band, and you believe in your friends, the mates you’re in the band with then well, you know, then you’ll stand together and it will make you stronger and you’ll go ‘bugger you people, we’re going to get better and we’re going to get stronger and we’re going to pull people in to see us.
“The only way you can beat the dickheads is to build an audience and if you build an audience then they can’t argue with that because if you start to pull people you start to get the power.”

The post Legendary James Reyne finds new highs appeared first on LifestyleQld.

This attitude is one of the reasons Carly wrote ‘Say Hello’ – an honestly refreshing and triumphant memoir on Carly’s experiences of living with a visibly different appearance.

Living with a rare skin condition called Ichythiosis, a disorder characterised by dry, scaling skin that is often red and prone to infections, Carly often sees people pointing, staring, avoiding eye contact or saying nasty things – a common experience endured by disabled Australians.

When writing Say Hello, she had two audiences in mind – one of those being non-disabled Australians, who may not be aware they partake in active ableism or ‘inspiration porn’ – the objectification of disabled people for the benefit of non-disabled people.

“I’ve had people without disabilities say they’ve really learned stuff from [Say Hello], that they’re now seeing ableism for the first time, that they didn’t know about it before I started writing.”

“Inspiration porn occurs a lot on social media where people’s hearts are warmed by a disabled person doing an ordinary thing, perhaps playing sport or using their prosthetic limb.. another thing that has come prevalent now is videos of non-disabled people doing really nice things for disabled people, making them look heroic,” she said.

“However, nobody has usually given consent for these photos or videos to be taken, especially the disabled person.. it’s often uploaded to social media, makes mainstream media and the disabled person has no say in it.”

The other audience Carly has written this novel for is for Australians with disabilities, facial differences or chronic illnesses.

“I hope that people who feel like they’re alone or that they haven’t had anyone like them growing up or as an adult even, can take some solace in it,” she said.

And whilst she doesn’t want to be pegged as an inspiration, she hopes that this book can encourage other Australians with skin conditions, facial differences or disabilities to feel confident about their appearance, tell their stories on their own terms and not feel the need to make others comfortable through apologising for their bodies.

She also wants to encourage all Australians to quash the notions of ableism and discrimination.
“It’s super important that disabled people have a seat at the table,” Carly said.

Ensuring that all disabled people have access to her book, Carly will be releasing an e-book (recorded by her) as well as making her book launches wheelchair accessible and interpreted by an Auslan Interpreter. They’re also recorded live and posted online for those that are house bound.

Whether you’re disabled, a parent of a disabled child or simply someone who wants to learn more about ableism and discrimination, Say Hello is a hearty read that will have you laughing and crying just pages apart.

Published by HarperCollins and is in-store on Booktopia, Apple Books and in all good bookstores. To attend her Brisbane Book Launch on March 21, held at the Avid Reader in West End, visit www.eventbrite.com.au and search for ‘Carly Findlay.’

The post Carly Findlay doesn’t want to “inspire” appeared first on LifestyleQld.

Before Wickety Wak, there was nobody in the Australian entertainment biz that could make people of any age laugh quite like the Wak boys could, but now the Outtawak gang are carrying on the tradition.

“We were entertaining everyone from nine years to 90 years,” said former Wickety Wak lead singer, Tony Jeffrey.
Not expecting nearly half the fame that came in the years to come, Jeffrey believes that a similar attitude, humour and talent is what captivated audiences state and nationwide.
“We were just young guys, all of the same sort of attitude.. we wanted to have fun and entertain,” he said. “It just became bigger and bigger. It wasn’t without planning of course, but we were just getting out there and having a tonne of fun.”
At the time, there wasn’t too many bands in Australia doing what they did best – parodies of popular music, sung and performed with incredible talent.
Soaring to fame after their regular appearances on Jacki MacDonald’s morning show, the band produced hits that made the Top 10 in the charts, numerous albums and singles, continuous television appearances and most notably, earned international fame when being appoiined ambassadors for Expo 88.
However in 1990, the band retired to go on and pursue their own individual careers.
“I think we pulled the pin too early to be honest with you,” Tony joked. So did their fans too.
With demand growing to reform, the band got together in 2016 minus Pahnie Jantzen, who passed away in 2013. “We missed one another and we needed to do it [perform together] again because there was demand for it,” he said.
“I think Greg instigated it.. to do another tour.. so we did.”
With the passing of Greg Doolan and the retirement of Peter Mackay, Tony and other original band member Rob Rosenlund wanted to continue the legacy.
“We’ve lost a few great comrades.. Peter’s enjoying his retirement.. so we couldn’t re-pretend we were Wickety Wak,” he said.
“We knew Davo and he’s a fabulous entertainer so we asked him to join the lineup and he fit perfectly.”
Almost half a century since Wickety Wak’s conception, Outtawak are still providing audiences with the same fun they always have – “lots of fun, lots of laughs.. a diversion with a bit of humour and good songs.”
Returning to Ipswich and performing at the Civic Centre, Tony said the band has fond memories of the place.
“Ipswich to us is like a home away from home, we actually performed at the PA Hotel in 1976,” he said.
“We’ve always been warmly received from Ipswich, ever since we first started.”
If you miss them this time round, don’t worry – they have no intention of retiring or slowing down.
“We’re having a great deal of fun, we’re great mates, it’s good company and [Rob and Davo] are easy to perform with,” Tony said.
“We’re not divas or pop stars and we’re having a ball.”
Wickety Wak return to Ipswich on Thursday, February 7 at Ipswich Civic Centre. Tickets are $15 and include complimentary tea and coffee. For tickets, visit www.ipswichciviccentre.com.au.
Images courtesy wicketywak.com.au

The post Sing a song and have a dance! appeared first on LifestyleQld.

Sarah’s resumé includes some impressive feats, like becoming the youngest opinion columnist at News Corp at the age of 24, appointed editor of Cosmopolitan Magazine at 29 and then going on to host the first ever season of Australian MasterChef. But contracting a thyroid disease changed all that, and it also changed her lifestyle.
An early adopter of technologies Sarah developed an engaged online community ahead of the curve. She soon realised a gap in the market for a solution to the sugar problem, so she created the world’s first consumer quit program – initially as an e-book, then as an online product.

Fast forward to 2018, and Sarah is still ticking off major goals, but doing it at her own pace and on her own terms.

With 9 books under her “I Quit Sugar” brand, and one beautiful book about her struggle with anxiety, Sarah has become an authoritative voice in the health community.

Even though she is a journalist by trade, she has meticulously studied and consulted with some of the world’s best international biology and endocrinal experts to develop the most effective techniques for breaking fructose addiction.

Some of the nascent science she idenified have since informed the WHO’s nutritional guidelines, and Sarah is regarded as an international pioneer in the realm.
‘Simplicious Flow’ is a little different to her other cookbooks. Why? A passionate environmental geek, Sarah noticed that people were caring about the food they were ingesting, but not the food they were wasting.

“There’s a vital memo we seem to have missed: giving a sh** about food means we need to give a sh** about how much we’re wasting of said food,” Sarah said.

“If wasted food was a country, it would be the third largest producer of CO2 in the world, after the US and China, and who are the #1 contributors to this? Us, the consumer.”

If that statistic freaks you out, don’t worry – Sarah sees it as great news, because we as consumers have the power to tackle the war on waste. The thing readers will love about this cookbook is that you don’t have to race out and buy fandangled ingredients that you’ll only use once, then have sit in your pantry or fridge for weeks or months before it inevitably ends up in the bin.

Sarah said she (and others) are so tired of cookbooks that have isolated and complicated recipes. “The normal cookbook way invariably leaves us with ingredient carnage – half a red capsicum or a lemongrass stalk sagging forlornly at the back of the fridge, or random packets of chia seeds and matcha powder that will feed an army of weevils for the next 12 months – all of which we will then chuck,” she said. “On to the next recipe, and on it goes. Which makes us sad, and stuck. So terribly stuck.”

Simplicious Flow will not only have you giving a stuff about the environment, food wastage and more, but will also inspire you to get more creative with your left overs, will have you saving a lot of money and will have you considering a more minimalist lifestyle. It will have you in a state of flow.

“And what is flow? Flow is a progressive movement forward that’s in harmony with the world around us… it’s starting where we are, then gliding with surety and grace, the elan we all seek in our cluttered, fidgety, stop-start world.. it’s a freedom that we all seek in a life of too many restrictions and conveyor-belt rides.”
Sounds good to us!

WIN A COPY OF SARAH’S BOOK

We are giving away two copies of ‘Simplicious Flow”!
Email win@strikepublications.com.au with your name, number and codeword: ‘Simplicious’.

The post Sarah Wilson’s state of ‘Simplicious Flow’ appeared first on LifestyleQld.

In terms of cooking, Matt Golinski lives for the season of Spring. Residing in the beautiful Sunshine Coast region, he believes it’s the perfect time of year for produce to thrive – not too hot or too cold.

“I really hang out for this time of year because Spring really is the best time for produce,” he said.

“Things like cheeses for example, the milk is good at this time of year so you get really good cheese, I also hang out for peaches and stone fruits in Spring.”

Working for Peppers’ Noosa Resort & Villas View Restaurant as the hotel’s Food Ambassador and Advisory Executive Chef, Golinski revealed some of the dishes going on his first ever menu with the restaurant.

“An example of a dish that is going onto the menu at Peppers is spatchcock with a ricotta stuffing made by us, served with kipfler potatoes, broad beans, asparagus and I think I’m doing all of that with a pickled fennel vinaigrette,” he said.

“A lovely dessert on the menu is grilled peaches with goats yoghurt sorbet and a lavender honey, sourced from the Sunshine Coast region.”

Cooking on stage at this year’s Good Food & Wine Show, Golinski said the theme throughout the show is cooking with loved ones. So naturally, he has chosen Irish-born chef and good friend Alistair McLeod to cook alongside on stage.

“Alistair and I will be cooking the type of dishes we would make if we had each other over for lunch,” Golinski said.

“They’re share dishes. It’s all about that style of cooking.. cooking with friends and adapting a sharing concept.”

Golinski and McLeod, who share a friendly rivalry as food ambassadors for the Gympie region and Lockyer region respectively, will be using some of their favourite produce from their areas.

For a unique twist, they’ll also be incorporating another shared passion of theirs – music.
“We’ll be incorporating music while cooking into our stage show.. well attempting to, anyway,” Golinski joked.

As for other big names you can expect to see at GFWS 2018, think Australian legends like Matt Moran, Magdalena Roze, Miguel and Carlos Maestre and of course Maggie Beer – who is a great inspiration to Golinski.

“Maggie embodies what cooking is all about,” he said.

“Using beautiful ingredients, respecting them and respecting the produce.

“She cooks in a way that lets the flavours and ingredients speak for themselves rather than getting too complicated.”

For now, Golinski is happy doing various food shows across the country, cooking for View Restaurant and spending time with his fiancee Erin Yarwood and baby Aluna. Whether he graces our televisions again or not “is entirely up to the producers”, the celebrity chef joked while reminiscing on his time on Ready Steady Cook.

“I really do miss doing Ready Steady Cook,” he admitted.

“I’m still really good friends with the other chefs that were on the show.

“However if anyone came to me and asked me to do a TV show, I’d jump at it!”

The Good Food & Wine Show will be held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre between the 26th and 28th of October. To snatch up the last available tickets, visit goodfoodshow.com.au/brisbane/.

Happy eating!

The post Ready, Steady, Cook… with Matt Golinski appeared first on LifestyleQld.

Scott McLaughlin raced by to tell Lifestyle Queensland about his 2018 season, his recent move to Queensland and his impending nuptials with fiancé, Karly.

After suffering a heartbreaking end to his 2017 Supercars title bid, Scott McLaughlin has reflected on last year’s mistakes and is in better form than ever before. Without wanting to jinx things, the 25 year old believes he has a real chance to win his first ever Supercars Championship, and recognises the winner will be the one who “has made the least mistakes all year”. “I definitely think it’s the best chance I’ve had in my career so far,” McLaughlin said. “In 2017, we weren’t as consistent and had some really bad results. “This year, we’ve minimised the problems, but when things do go wrong we’re approaching it different, being a lot smarter and getting the best finish possible and banking lots of points.”

Whilst there’s healthy rivalry between McLaughlin and Red Bull Holden’s Jamie Whincup, one person McLaughlin feels he doesn’t need to compete with for the Championship is teammate Fabian Coulthard. Ten years his senior, Coulthard’s experience in the Supercars game has been influential to McLaughlin. “He’s become a mate, and we chat away from the track as well.. the relationship is strong, and we work together as a team very well,” McLaughlin said. “We’re always stoked whenever there is success on either side of the garage.

“In our team we have a saying that when we win, the team wins.

“So it doesn’t matter if its Fabian or me taking the victory, we’re always there to congratulate one another and enjoy the success.”

Perhaps McLaughlin’s refreshed attitude on the track can also be accredited to his life outside of his No. 17 Ford FG X Falcon. Becoming engaged in New York to American partner Karly Paone and relocating to sunny Queensland has had a positive effect on the New Zealand native. “Having come up from Melbourne, it’s made such a difference to how we go about our day to day lives,” McLaughlin said. “We love taking our dog Chase for a walk along the river.” As for when we can expect McLaughlin to wed? “We’ve been planning the wedding for a few months. We’re going to get married at the end of next year, in the US.

“Karly is from New York, so we decided that we’ll have the wedding over there, and then have a party here when we come back.”

McLaughlin is no stranger to Ipswich and loves to race at Queensland Raceway. Whilst the keen golfer hasn’t had a chance to have a swing at Sandy Gallop, the close proximity of Brisbane living means he’s keen for a few day trips out this way.

“Now that I live in Brisbane I’ll have to take a look at some of the golf courses out that way and make a trip!” he joked.

“Seriously, I love the Ipswich fans. “It’s a real grass roots event, and we’re racing in one of the proper heartland areas of our sport. Also, driving for famous Queenslander Dick Johnson in the iconic No.17 definitely helps when you’re racing in front of a big Queensland crowd!”

You can see Scott, Fabian and all your other V8 favourites race at the 2018 Coates Hire Ipswich SuperSprint on July 20th – 22nd by purchasing tickets at www.supercars.com/ipswich/tickets/.

The post McLaughlin revs up for Super Sprint appeared first on LifestyleQld.

With more than ten books to her name, Lola Berry is one of Australia’s most trusted nutritionists, favourite influencers, and a passionate campaigner for bringing nutritious, healthy recipes into the everyday Australian’s diet. Lola’s recipes and approach to living a balanced life are anything but boring; you won’t be living off of tuna and carrot sticks, under the guidance of The Yoga Body.

“The theory is if you want to have that yoga body and you want to have yogi abs, it isn’t just about going to classes.. it’s also having a very clean lifestyle and diet and so this probably, out of all the books I’ve written, would be the cleanest book of mine,” Lola said.

As you flip through the recipes, yoga poses and teachings, one thing of note is Lola’s loving nature. Rather than a basic recipe guide, this is more of a health and wellness bible – a beginning to the reader’s self love journey.

“You’ve got to love who you are, value yourself, you’ve got to figure out why you’re doing it..,” Lola said.

“I think a lot of people think, I’ve got to have a good body for bikinis or for a boy, and it’s like no! You’ve got to do it because you love who you are and that’s where the yoga mindset comes into play because it’s actually about being the best version of you and loving who you are and living in a very kind way.

“The yoga way is less ego and living more from the heart space.”

Lola has been practising yoga for more than 10 years, and has been teaching for approximately five years. After extensive research and honing her own craft, she decided it was the perfect time to share her passion for yoga and the yoga mindset.

“You want to learn as much as you can and do all the the teacher training and research so you can feel confident talking about something you’re passionate about,” she said.

Her passion is so evident in her writing, the way she talks about yoga (affectionately named yoges by her) and if you follow her on any form of social media, you know that she makes the time for yoga and self care whether she’s at home in Melbourne, attending events at Fashion Week in Sydney or holidaying in Bali. Why? Lola says for her, it’s simple: “I say to people when I practise yoga, it’s the gift I give myself and when I teach it, it’s the gift I share with others.”

After reading The Yoga Body for a few days, I learnt some recipes that truly boosted my mood after eating them, picked up a few basic yoga moves and delved deeper into the world of self-love and yoga mindset. She says that she wants this to be the case for everyone.

“I want anyone to be able to pick it (the book) up and ‘go oh yeah, I’ve got this’. I don’t want anyone to think ‘oh, I can’t touch the ground or do a handstand, I won’t be able to do it. Everyone can get something out of this book.”

The Yoga Body is available in stores now.­

Want your own copy? We’re giving one away! Click on the link below and fill out the form or or post your entries to PO Box 124, Ipswich Q 4305 with the codeword.

Enter the competition HERE

Codeword: YOGA

The post [CLOSED]Lola Berry’s guide to the Yoga body appeared first on LifestyleQld.

The Brisbane-born triple threat grew up watching the original Wiggles but he never once envisioned becoming one.

“One of the first things that came to mind was that I never imagined the original guys finishing up. It was such a shock [to be offered the role], but such an amazing surprise,” Gillespie said.

“I think it’s so wonderful now looking back over the past six years we’ve been doing the show that we’re a new generation of Wiggles. The children who watch it now don’t know of Jeff, Murray or Greg.

We are their Wiggles and it’s so lovely that the music can continue. You know, ‘Rock-a-bye Your Bear’ is still the most popular song and it has been for the past 26 years.”

Donning the purple skivvy that was famously worn by Jeff Fatt, Gillespie admits he was nervous of living in his shadow. However, Anthony Field who has famously worn the blue skivvy since the formation of the band encouraged him to be himself.

“Right from the start Anthony was trying to bring out our natural personalities; when you do that all the pressure comes off,” he said.

I originally thought that I’d somehow have to be ‘Jeff’ in the purple shirt, and of course that’s not going to work because he was so wonderfully untrained. He never trained as the actor you saw on stage.

“I realised hang on, I don’t have to be Jeff the Wiggle, I’ve just got to be Lachy.”

Embracing their individual personalities has led to the success of the ‘new generation’ Wiggles despite claims “The Wiggles Are Dead”, by Forbes Magazine in 2012 when original members Greg Page, Jeff Fatt and Murray Cook retired. While they may not have fans chasing the tour bus like they did in the original days, Gillespie says their biggest problem is not being able to perform everywhere.

“Our biggest struggle at the moment is getting around to everybody, which is a wonderful problem to have but we can’t be all over Australia all at once,” he said.

Recently announcing an up and coming American tour, it’s apparent that “Cold Spaghetti” and “Big Red Car” will be a part of children’s musical repertoire worldwide for years to come.

For those lucky Mums and Dads who secured tickets to The Wiggles concert this month at the Ipswich Civic Centre, you can expect a “really changed up show” that incorporates a slightly more calm and laid back feel with nursery rhymes. For the full sixty minutes, the Wiggles will be entirely live and playing some new songs as well as the classics your children know and love.

For more about entertainment shows coming to Ipswich, visit www.ipswichciviccentre.com.au.

The post Lachlan Gillespie on being a ‘Wiggle’ appeared first on LifestyleQld.

Celebrities that are just so good, they only need to go by one name: Beyoncé, Adele, Bono and yes, dare I say Jimeoin. And no, before you ask, it’s not because nobody can pronounce his complicated Gaelic surname. He’s just that funny… and that ridiculous.

The Irish-born funnyman is set to perform in Ipswich after touring the United Kingdom since the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year.

With his “I don’t give a damn” attitude, the comedian says he doesn’t alter his jokes for anybody or any audience, whether they’re watching him in big cities like London or small Australian townships like Bunbury.

“I sometimes change things like dollars to pounds but my material travels well,” Jimeoin said.

“I curse more in mining towns, and there’s more of a difference between a gig on Monday and again on a Friday as opposed to different countries.”

Australians enjoy a crude joke or two, but Jimeoin believes it’s all dependent upon the session of his show, for when he can really let the less politcally correct comments fly.

“Depends what day of the week is,” Jimeoin said. “Fridays are brutal. Saturdays are couples. Sunday? F**k ‘em,” he said.

Since Jimeoin’s ‘The Ridiculous’ performance falls on a Saturday, he says “best you bring along someone you’re comfortable with, for their sake!” Jimoein says, whatever happens “expect a really good laugh, one where you slap the person next to you and grab their arm.

Hopefully you’re sitting next to somebody you know!”

While he jokes around about enjoying the bigger crowds more for the bigger paycheck, Jimeoin is excited to launch the first leg of his “The Ridiculous” Australian tour here in Ipswich.

“I enjoy the big crowds, as I often get paid more money; so yeah, big crowds are better,” he said.

“No I’m kidding! The truth is I just enjoy it.”

The jokester has been in the comedic spotlight since the early 1990s, and he has no intentions of slowing down anytime soon.

When asked what his next big step is, Jimeoin joked: “It’s just lots of small steps, never really one big step, but I believe it was Neil Armstrong who said that when he landed on the moon. If you were lucky to get tickets to Jimoin’s show, you can catch up with him at the Ipswich Civic Centre on Saturday, March 10!”

Are you beginning to see what kind of ridiculousness you’re in for when you see him live in concert?

The one thing you don’t need to worry about is seeing ‘tired’ material.

“If I ever get tired of telling a joke.. then it probably wasn’t a good joke in the first place,” he said.

Visit www.ipswichciviccentre.com.au for more events and entertainment!

The post Ridiculous antics, with Jimeoin appeared first on LifestyleQld.