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Enjoy A Wonderful Valentine Picnic on the Lawn at Vend Marketplace

For many couples, Valentine’s Day is a special reason to dress up and dine out so cafes and restaurants are usually packed with people on this popular occasion. But if you want to celebrate the day of love with your significant other differently, Vend Marketplace in Virginia has got a wonderful idea.

The shared retail space might be the last thing on your mind when thinking of a romantic date place. However, on Friday, the 14th of February 2020, Vend Marketplace will be transformed into an amorous and intimate site for lovers for its Picnic on the Lawn for Valentine’s Day.

Enjoy a dreamy night with your loved one amidst romantic fairly lights and a live acoustic band playing sentimental music. The voice of George Hodges will be soothing your night whilst you cuddle and whisper sweet nothings to each other.

*Photo Credit: Vend Marketplace/Facebook*

Set down a picnic blanket by the lawn so you can comfortably sit down and enjoy a delicious charcuterie board with chocolate-dipped strawberries, along with wine or beer. To impress your date, you’re actually encouraged to decorate your own space on the lawn.

A pop-up bar will be nearby to serve sumptuous food — it’s a Picnic on the Lawn after all!

Meanwhile, you and your mate could also swing by inside the Vend Marketplace to browse for gifts from local vendors. This site has heaps of homewares, arts and crafts, and plants, among other interesting finds.

Book a ticket for the Picnic on the Lawn via Eventbrite.

The Baristorian: You’ll Love This Cafe’s Community-Focused Vibe

Trendy, modern restaurants may impress diners with discriminating tastes but an eatery that evokes a homey feeling will always win anyone’s heart. If a charming community-focused restaurant appeals to you, then you’ll love The Baristorian in Wavell Heights.

The Baristonian stands at the corner of Newman Road and Main Avenue, taking over the site of what used to be Shutter & Brew. This neighbourhood cafe offers a seasonal menu for brunch, with choices of gluten-free and vegan-friendly meals.

*Photo Credit: The Baristorian/Facebook*

This restaurant also provides a range of alternative refreshments from various local companies like Simara, Margaret River Chai Teas and Kakadu Organic Bush Teas. Their coffee is sourced from Syndicate Coffee, which specialises in sustainability.

But what makes The Baristonian more impressive is its commitment to the community building. The cafe has regular activities — for kids and adults alike — for de-stressing and winding down, and for forging friendships with like-minded people.

For instance, this January, The Baristonian hosted a social sewing club for women, an educational Minecrafting session for young boys, a cupcake decorating workshop for children and a teen book club.

The restaurant also helps local artists sell their creations of mostly Aboriginal-inspired art in its dedicated art gallery. These are commission-free work so all profits go to the artists who made them.

At one corner is a nook filled with relishes, jams and other items for gifting to friends and family if you don’t have time to shop elsewhere. These items are from small businesses and local entrepreneurs, further boosting The Baristorian’s goal of supporting the community.

Suffice it to say, it’s more than just the food or coffee at this charming restaurant.

The Baristonian is open from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every Tuesday through Friday and at 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.

“Great service and food.. simple but stylish menu with normal portions not over the top.. great selection of coffees, gift ware and small gifts..absolutely a gem and great find.”
~ Benjimen Olsen, Facebook

“A light but cosy atmosphere, great coffee and wonderful proprietors. There’s a water bowl and fake grass mat out the front to park your pooch at (please don’t let them on the lovely comfy chairs, it’s bad form) and they’re more than happy to bring your order out to you. They have a nice selection of hand made products and art by local and Indigenous artists, the perfect gift or treat stop off.”
~ Julia Moore, Google Review

VEND Marketplace in Sandgate Road Stages One-Day Greenhouse Plant Sale

Plants transcend trends and offer heaps of benefits as a decorative item, an illness deterrent and mood enhancer, among other things. Here’s your chance to spruce up your garden or literally add life to your home. VEND Marketplace in Sandgate Road is staging a massive one-day Greenhouse Plant Sale on Saturday, the 25th of Jan 2020.

VEND Marketplace, the shared retail site for hundreds of small enterprises, opened its Greenhouse section in 2019. This paradise for plant lovers has a huge range of greenery, pots and other gardening stuff to make your green thumb tingle. For the forthcoming Greenhouse Plant Sale, many of these plants will be priced for $12 or less.

Doors to VEND Marketplace will open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and if you’re feeling a bit hungry whilst plant shopping, there’s a cafe nearby to grab some food, coffee, wine or beer.

For some added excitement, there will be hidden jungle animal images around the Greenhouse. If you spot one, you could actually take home a plant for FREE!

The Greenhouse Plant Sale is a dog-friendly event so feel free to have your puppers and doggos tag along!

Dear Deer Cafe in Wavell Heights Welcomes Every Kind of Food Lover, Including Dogs

A cosy cafe in Wavell Heights, which opened in early 2019, could be your next favourite hangout. Dear Deer Cafe in Hamilton Road is a family-friendly eatery that serves every kind of food lover, including their dogs.

The place might be quite small but Dear Deer Cafe delivers the kind of service you’d expect from a tight-knit community like Wavell Heights. The warm and friendly staff will entice you to visit again.

*Photo Credit: Dear Deer Cafe /Facebook*

Your brunch cravings are easily sorted out at this restaurant with its sprawling menu. It will be hard to resist their all-day breakfast choices, featuring the Dear Food Coma (bacon, chipolatas, house hash, mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, sauteed spinach, free-range eggs, a side of fresh garden salad and a toast of your choice).

The lunch selections are a simple but nonetheless satisfying, featuring the Dear Deer Burger (slow-cooked pork belly on a bed of spinach, American cheese, home-made tomato relish and red onion with mustard. Served with a side salad and chips). Groups dining with children are given the easy option to order Breakfast for Fawns, which comes with a juice box in every order.

To perk up your mornings or energise the rest of your day, Dear Deer Cafe serves coffees from Toby’s Estate.

This cafe is pretty convenient for dropping in with your furry pets for some time to chill, for enjoying a social brunch, or for bringing your family for a hearty meal to celebrate a special occasion.

The cafe is open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For the 2019 Christmas and New Year break, be sure to check their Facebook Page for the closed dates beginning the 24th of Dec to avoid inconveniences.

“I loved my experience at Dear Deer, the quality of service was superb, just like the food. There is a sense of a tightly-knit community at Dear Deer, they accommodate for all kinds of food lovers, will definitely be recommending to my friends!”
~ Kian Burke, Zomato

“I went to Dear deer and it was delish! We ordered the veggie food coma and dear food coma. So many fresh ingredients – Homemade hash browns, REAL freshly squeezed orange juice. Food was quick, friendly service. A great local cafe I’d be happy to visit and support again.”
~ Bell Silverthorne, Google Reviews

Belgian-Inspired Brewery and Bar Now Open in Northgate

Fick Brewing Company is Northgate’s newest suburban brewhouse that offers a stylish European-inspired kitchen and taproom as well as an open air rustic beer garden.

Calling all craft-beer lovers! A new local brewery has just opened at Northgate. And unlike other local breweries located nearby, Fick Brewing is offering its customers authentic Belgian Beers that are brewed to perfection by its owners— Luxembourg native Fabrizio Ceccarelli and his wife, Nadresha Costa.

Fick Brewing is located at a warehouse space in 108 Old Toombul Road.

*Photo credit: https://www.mustdobrisbane.com/*

The warehouse was initially transformed into a family residence by the couple upon moving in the area in 2018. Its transformation into a microbrewery and taproom only commenced after Ceccarelli and Costa had secured its initial development application approval.

Fick Brewing had its official launch last November 22nd 2019.

View this post on Instagram
We love craft beer! Golden ale and guest tap strawberry sour from @fickbrewingcompany yesterday afternoon.
A post shared by Kirra Hill (@kirraaa_billie) on Nov 30, 2019 at 5:11pm PST

Belgian Beer and European-style street food

Fick Brewing has a 12-hectolitre brewing operation placed in the site’s rear shed. On its brewing set up, it has five fermenters—two double sized and three single sized—which allows five beers to be brewed at any time.

*Photo credit: FICK Brewing Company/ Facebook*

Apart from the staple Belgian beers, a collection of European-style street food is also offered on Fick Brewing’s “tasting room” or kitchen.

Customers can order meals and snacks that complements well with Fick Brewing’s craft beer. These snacks include: French-style pizzas (tarte flambee), Luxemburger—beef patty with blue cheese, jalapeno mayo and mustard, Currywurst, and more.

Wines and boutique spirits are also available for purchase on site.

Opening Hours

Friday- Saturday	12:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Sunday	12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Want to know more? Visit FICK Brewing Company for more updates and information.

Multiple Dwellings Within Summerlin Banyo Development Proposed

A development application has been lodged seeking to establish for Phase 5 of the Summerlin development on Solomon Street, Banyo.

The proposed site at 15 Solomon Street and 43 Rochat Avenue, Banyo covers a development site area of 1,973 sqm for the multiple dwellings, out of the total area of approximately 4.92 hectares.

Multiple Dwellings Within Summerlin Banyo Development Proposed — *Summerlin Banyo Master Plan Community*
*Photo credit: Brisbane City Council – Argus Design / pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au*

Designed by Argus Design, the proposal will be Stage 5 of the $100-million Summerlin development in Banyo and seeks to establish a multiple dwelling comprising 21 apartments across the three-storey residential building. The application also seeks boundary realignment to facilitate the changes to the master plan configuration.

*Staging Plan*
*Photo credit: Brisbane City Council – Argus Design / pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au*

The building will contain nine 2-bedroom and 12 3-bedroom apartments with a 67% percent site cover. Private open space will be provided for the ground floor apartments including a courtyard area, ranging from 35sqm to 100sqm, whilst all other apartments will be provided with balcony ranging from 15sqm to 26sqm in size.

Access to the building is via a 7.4-metre crossover from Solomon Street on the northern end of the western boundary. Two on-street car parks and four street trees will be removed to facilitate the upgrade of the roadway.

The proposal provides a single level basement car park, containing 33 resident car parking bays and 4 visitor car parks.

“The proposed development will add to the variety of housing available in the vicinity, providing spacious apartments which are complemented by the large communal open space and the surrounding well-designed residential development within Summerlin Estate,” Wolter Consulting Group Planning report said.

Banyo Rated No. 1 Brisbane Suburb with Best Access to Schools

Banyo, the residential/industrial suburb 13 kilometres north of Brisbane CBD, emerged as the number one suburb with the best access to education. This community in the Northgate Ward scored 10 out of 10 in a study on the most livable places in Australia.

The Domain Liveability study, which was released on the 18th of Nov 2019, looked into 18 indicators to determine the quality of life of its residents. The scores for access to both primary and secondary schools, however, were based on proximity and not the quality and performance of the schools.

Study co-author Daniel Terrill said that proximity is significant for many families since there are faced with challenges like travel time, drop-offs and pick-ups. Having schools near where residents live lowers travel times and presumably, short travel times are better for the parents and the children.

Aside from Banyo, Chermside West, Clontarf, Ferny Grove and Kelvin Grove also scored high on school accessibility. In Kelvin Grove, open homes are popular with families because they want to secure a house in a school catchment area. People buy houses in this suburb not necessarily to live in it but to rent it out first until such time that they would actually need it.

According to The Good Schools Guide, there are 76 primary and secondary schools within and around Banyo. Based on the NAPLAN, Earnshaw State College at the corner of Earnshaw and Tufnell Road in Banyo is the most improved Brisbane North school for 2019.

Bunnings Warehouse Virginia Is Now Open!

The new $50-million Bunnings Warehouse on Sandgate Road, Virginia celebrates its grand opening via a four-day kiddie event slated over two weekends.

*Photo credit: Bunnings Warehouse / bunnings.com.au*

Designed by Group 4 Architects, the elevate Bunnings Warehouse features a hardware and trade supplies, a nursery, food and drink outlets, shop and showroom.

The warehouse retail is located on the first level with an undercroft parking that can accommodate 433 cars including 8 spaces for accessible parking, 3 trailer bays, and 39 within the Timber and Trade area. The timber and trade shop is situated at the store’s rear area and can be accessed from Newton Street and Sandgate Road.

Bring along the kids and enjoy the fun-filled activities that Bunnings Warehouse Virginia has prepared to mark its grand opening:

Saturday 9th November
- Jumping castle, giant games, roving magician, animal farm, face painting, snow cones, popcorn and lollies, from 9am to 3pm
- Dora the Explorer meet and greet, from 11am to 2 pm
Sunday 10th November
- Jumping castle, giant games, roving magician, animal farm, face painting, snow cones, popcorn and lollies, from 9am to 3pm
- Chase from Nickelodeon’s PAW Patrol meet and greet, from 11am to 2pm
Saturday 16 November
- Jumping castle, giant games, roving magician, animal farm, face painting, snow cones, popcorn and lollies, from 9am to 2pm
- PJ Masks meet and greet, from 11am to 2pm
Sunday 17 November
- Jumping castle, giant games, roving magician, animal farm, face painting, snow cones, popcorn and lollies, from 9am to 2pm
- Spider-Man meet and greet, from 11am to 2pm

Bunnings Virginia is also opening its doors for community groups to raise funds via Sausage Sizzle. Interested community groups may contact Bunnings Warehouse to book a Bunnings sausage sizzle.

The new Bunnings Warehouse Virginia is located at 1836 Sandgate Rd, Virginia. Store hours: Monday to Friday 6.30am – 9pm; Saturday 7am – 7pm; and Sunday and 7am – 6pm.

1836 Sandgate Rd, Virginia QLD 4014

Council Starts Trial of Foreshore Dog Off-Leash at Nudgee Beach

Council has commenced a year-long trial of foreshore dog off-leash in pilot areas in Sandgate, Nudgee Beach, and Manly.

Beginning 12 October 2019, residents will be allowed to walk their dogs at these pilot sites: Manly – at the end of Davenport Drive, between the fishing platform and RQYS Port Centre Park; Nudgee Beach – in Nudgee Beach Reserve, south of the car park to Nudgee Road; and Sandgate – along Lover’s Walk between Second Avenue and Zeehan Street.

The start of the one-year trial comes after Queensland Government issued the guidelines for establishing off-leash areas in marine parks, based on the result of University of Queensland research on disturbance to migratory shorebirds.

Based on a 25 years worth of data, the UQ research revealed that the population of many of the migratory species have dramatically declined and are already close to extinction, including the eastern curlew, which has already declined by 80 percent in 30 years.

A joint project of Brisbane City Council, the Department of Environment Science, and the University of Queensland, the Foreshore Dog Off-Leash Area Project aims to protect and conserve shorebirds whilst creating recreational opportunities for dog owners in the identified foreshore dog off-leash areas.

By engaging the community about the areas where dogs are allowed to move about freely without a leash and areas they will need to be on-leash, disturbance to threatened shorebirds will be reduced.

*Nudgee Beach Foreshore Dog Off-Leash Area Map*
*Photo Credit: Brisbane City Council / brisbane.qld.gov.au*

On-site signage will be in place, and community education and engagement events to ensure voluntary compliance during the trial period.

During the trial period, the University of Queensland – School of Biological Sciences will monitor shore bird species present, habitat value, and levels of disturbance along the entire foreshore.
Members of the community are invited to have their say about the dog off-leash trial by completing an online survey before midnight on 17 November 2019.

Arnott’s is Having a Bakery Tour This November at Virginia

Witness and experience the magic behind Australia’s iconic biscuits at the Arnott’s Bakery Tour Day, happening at Newtown Street in Virginia on 2 November 2019.

Ever wondered how Arnott’s scrumptious biscuits were made?

If you answered yes, well then it is time for you to mark your calendar because Arnott’s Virginia Bakery is opening its doors to the public for the second time in 30 years. How cool is that, right?

On 2 November 2019, Arnott’s Bakery in Newtown Street at Virginia will allow families to enter the biscuit-making facility through a one-hour guided tour from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

On the tour inside the bakery, guests will be able to witness how raw ingredients are combined and manufactured into a variety of Arnott’s best-selling biscuits. Guests can also expect to be involved in the different activities prepared by Arnott’s.

Here are some of the activities prepared inside the tour:

Arnott’s Mobile Bikkie Bakery
Arnott’s Merchandise Stall
Chocolate Wheel
Face Painting for the kids
Free photo opportunity in our 1925 Albion truck
Food & Beverages available for purchase through Sodexo onsite catering

Ticket Price

Adult	$30
Child	$20
Family (2 Adults & 2 Children)	$80

You may purchase your tickets online at EventBrite. Make sure to select your chosen time slot during checkout at the payment page.

All net funds raised through ticket sales as well as other activities inside Arnott’s bakery during the tour will be donated to Camp Quality, a primary beneficiary of the Arnott’s Foundation.

Camp Quality is a non-profit organization that helps children with cancer. They have been operating in Australia since 1983 by offering programs that are specifically designed to help children aged 0-13 cope with the daily ups and downs of dealing with cancer.

Arnott’s Bakery Tour Terms and Conditions

Here is a short-list of reminders for all guests of the bakery tour:

Guests should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to their scheduled tour. This is to ensure that there is sufficient time to check in all personal belongings before entering the site.
Children below five years of age are not allowed inside the tour for safety reasons.
All children must be accompanied by an adult.
All jewelries and accessories must be removed. Guests with nail polish will be required to wear cotton gloves during the tour.
All hair must be covered, hairnets to be worn over the ears; and beards, moustaches and long sideburns must be covered by snood (all provided).
Shoes must be fully enclosed with a non-slip sole, such as trainers. Thongs, sandals, and heeled shoes are not permitted.
A Lab coat must also be worn (this will be provided on day).
No cameras or mobile phones permitted in manufacturing area and no photos are allowed.
Some areas inside are very warm. Please do not participate if you are prone to heat stroke, heat exhaustion or suffer from heat intolerance.

For more information about Arnott’s Bakery Tour, click here.