Law firm marketing: Making the most of what you’ve got!

2011 October 13
by squadron

If the marketing strategy for your law firm revolves around online marketing, niche marketing to particular industries, traditional advertising, or just retaining and growing wallet share of a solid growth of clients, you will need to create content.

Content is the lifeblood of legal marketing, and without it you may as well not bother with a law firm marketing plan. However, producing content is hard work, and you must make the best of the writing you can produce. Here are some quick suggestions for making sure you use two of the most reliably produced types of legal marketing content as effectively as you can.

Law Firm Marketing – Written material (blogs, email alerts, brochures, guides, information sheets)
If you have produced any worthwhile, interesting material in any of the forms mentioned, don’t only send it out once or print it and let it stagnate in your reception area. You ought to distribute that content as broadly as is possible. For each item of writing you produce, consider:

- Have I distributed it to as many, relevant, clients as possible?
- Has it been loaded onto my website?
- Have I sent it directly to people who have referred me, associates and other professionals?
- Have I linked to it with a post on Facebook and a tweet on Twitter?
- Has it been sent to media contacts?
- Are others in the company aware of it and can they explain it in detail if a client asks about it?
- Can I turn it into another type of content and distribute in a different format?

Law Firm Marketing – Presentations
Presentations are generally created with a specific audience in mind, or because of a particular request. As a result they are often presented only once and then left to become stale. All of the effort and time involved in preparing them results in just one showing. To get much more benefit from your presentation consider:

- What other companies may I show it to?
- How can I let the greatest number of people know about it?
- Have I discussed it on my website, Facebook, Twitter, and suggested that I present it to others?
- Is it relevant to send the presentation in hard copy to people who were unable to attend the seminar?
- Can I record an audio or video of the presentation and distribute it via email or directly?
- Is it viable to write an article or blog discussing topics that arose from the presentation?
- Have I sent additional content to all the people who attended the presentation?

Although these suggestions might seem like additional work just when you’ve probably created a dent in your monthly billings with the amount of time you spent preparing the first lot of material, it’s crucial to consider that it is far easier to use a small amount of time at the end to really impact on the impression you’ve already produced than it is to produced a completely new piece of legal marketing material.

Maximise the benefits of all the time you put into law firm marketing and you’ll discover that the next time you create some content you’ll feel more positive about how effective that content will be.

John Gray is a practising lawyer and the Senior Marketer at John Gray Marketing, an Australian specialist law firm and legal marketing consultancy. If you are interested in law marketing, legal marketing and marketing for lawyers, contact John Gray today.

Relationship Combatibility Factors

2011 October 12

Relationship and Marriage counseling can help you discover how suitable you are.

The two most important factors that decide how compatible you are as a couple are:

A similar degree of psychological health and maturity and a compatible ranking of Instinctual Variants.

What are Instinctual Variants?
The 3 Instincts represent the inherant energy or drive that are innately part of us as humans. Our personality is highly engaged with and often dependent on these libidinal, instinctual energies to give it its spark.

Self Preservation Instinct.
People of this Instinctual type are preoccupied with the basic existential needs as they translate into our modern society, for example, finance, food, housing, health, physical safety and comfort.
Being safe and physically comfortable are priorities, and they will tend to bring these supplies with them.
When entering a room, they will tend to notice bad lighting, uncomfortable chairs, the room temperature, when the lunch break will be, and whether they will like the food provided. They tend also to be the most practical in the sense of taking care of basic life necessities.
They are the most introverted of the types.

Sexual/ Intimate Instinct.
People of this type have a strong desire for severity of experience and affection. The blunt riveting gaze is the dead giveaway. When they enter a situation they automatically gravitate toward people they feel magnetized to, as if they are looking for the juice. These people can turn into intimacy junkies, often neglecting pressing obligations or even basic maintenance if they are swept up in something that has captivated them. This gives a wide ranging exploratory approach to life, but can also generate a lack of focus on one’s own priorities.

Social Instinct.
People of this type are focused on their interactions with others and with the sense of value and esteem they derive from their involvement in collective activities. These include work, family, side activities and clubs.
On entering a room, these people would immediately be aware of the relationships and subtle politics between the different people and social circles. They are subconsciously attuned on other people’s reaction to them, particularly about whether they are being accepted or not.
They need to interact with others to feel safe, acknowledged and energised. They tend to love interacting with people, but they avoid intimacy.
They are the most extroverted of the types.

Within a personality, one of these Instincts will dominate. In fact the three instincts can be ordered like the sections of a cake, with the most predominant one at the top. The weakest one, at the bottom, is termed the blind spot.
These instincts play an essential role in our relationships because personalities of the same variant tend to share values to understand each other innately, and therefore feel very compatible.

In relationships between 2 different Instinctual types, each will struggle to convert the other.

For further information on discovering whether you and your partner are compatible, contact the Hart Centre Australia. We are Australia’s premier relationship and marriage counselling service with 53 locations Australia wide, and 8 relationship counselling centres in Brisbane, 3 marriage counselling centres in the Gold Coast, and 2 relationship counselling locations on the Sunshine Coast. Phone 1300 830 552 for appointments at all centres.

For relationship counselling Brisbane, marriage counselling gold coast and marriage counselling sunshine coast, contact your local Hart Centre.

Stone Veneer

2011 October 10
by squadron

Stone veneer is a modern way to decorate the walls of a making. The stone veneer cladding offers a stylish method adopted by architects to impart a dynamic look to a lifeless construction. This is mostly used for visual purposes and has a long life. The elegance and simplicity of stone veneer provides homeowners, architects, building contractors and developers with a versatility and flexibility to be more to imaginative. Stone veneer is also efficiently used in yards and complementing the natural beauty of the open spaces as well.

Stone Veneer acts as a decorative and protecting masking on exterior as well interior walls and surfaces. The veneer is usually one inch heavy; it is lighter in weight and weighs about 15 lbs. / sq. ft. It does not need any extra structural support for its installation.

Stone Veneer is mostly made from natural stones. It can also be produced from manufactured stones. The natural stone veneer is manufactured from stone, which is collected from quarries or as subject stone. The stone is then sawn using huge diamond impregnated cutters equally spaced to get the slices of the stone in a consistent heavyness and weight. This stone is also known as “thin stone veneer”.

Besides the natural stone veneer, manufacture stone veneer is also a decorative building material. It is produced to imitate the appearance of natural stone. There are numerous names used for this type of veneer. The stacked stone veneer, artificial stone veneer, manufactured stone veneer and flexible stone veneer are various names used for stone veneer.

Stone veneer is produced by mixing a lightweight concrete mix to rubber molds of different type. These are painted with a coloring process to make them resemble the real stone. yet another method to make stone veneer is by casting and molding it from chemically modified lightweight concrete. Stone veneer is actually a replica of natural stone. It takes the finest details of the original stone. At a shut look, the artificial stone veneers appear just like original stones.

The stone veneer is mostly used as a siding on the walls. It can be fixed on the walls working with particular good quality mortars for highest adhesion and strength. flexible stone veneer is manufactured by slicing a thin part of a stone. It is then backed by some composite material. It can be produced in a variety of designs and colors making use of different stones. The manufactured stone veneer is more affordable than natural stone veneer and there is the least amount of wastage in its use.

Manufactured stone veneer costs almost 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of working with natural stone. simply because of the lightweight of the manufactured stone veneer, there is no need for wall ties or any footings. It makes the construction easier and And thus reduces the cost. There is a vast variety of designs, patterns and colors available on manufactured options as compared to the natural stone since the natural stone is generally used in the area close to where it is extracted due to the huge transportation rates.

Manufactured stone veneer is relatively less strong as compared to natural stone rock walls, but many applications do not call for higher strength as aesthetics is a more important issue in many cases. Stone veneer is also not reusable like natural stones.

Stone veneer provides the natural look of the stones at inexpensive charges. Stone veneers are preferred these days for most of ornamental facing in buildings and open spaces.

Cheap SEO packages- what to look for in these services

2011 October 9
by squadron

The term SEO as we all know is an acronym of search engine marketing which is the process of improving a websites awareness on search engines. Websites that are highly ranked in search results have more site visitors. SEO targets many selections including picture search, local search, video search and academic search. Today, there are many companies offering cheap SEO package deals~deals} for customers~shoppers~buyers} who want their sites’ rankings to rise. SEO’s (acronym referring to search engine optimizers) use different methods to achieve good search engine marketing on the customer’s website.

Any company offering inexpensive SEO packages~deals} should be able to enable the customers site rise in the search engines fast. When many internet users search for a particular term(also referred to as ‘keyword’), they perceive the ones at the top as having more relevance to the key phrase. while there are many variables that contribute to a website acquiring to the top spot (or at least among the top ten), SEO comes in handy to make sure that this is realized in a short interval of time. being professional, SEO’s know what is best for a site and how to go about making sure that it rises to the top. They use a variety of tactics that are all geared towards achieving the same.

A few of the methods they use include:

-Back hyperlinks building and,
- LSI (Latent Semantic Index) content writing.

In back link building, inbound hyperlinks are used to improve a site’s visibility. Inbound links are from other sites and they are important simply because of their significance to search engine optimization. A site with a big number of back hyperlinks is one indication that it is common and of significance to others too. Google and other web search engines determine the Page Rank of a website or webpage due to the number of back hyperlinks it has. It is Thus worth noting that this SEO selection is of great importance to any website owner who wants his site to get ranked fast.

LSI content articles writing is among the most preferred SEO choices. because search engines rely on the content on the website or webpage so that it gets ranked, having a website that is well taken care of in this area is very important to the owner. For instance, Google is very strict when it comes to content. They call for a webpage to have key phrase rich content so that it can get good rankings. In many cases, search engine optimizers create content for buyer}s observing key phrase density and also length. content articles of considerable good length are better positioned to get ranked much less difficult than short ones with crappy content. All content articles have to be free from plagiarism. This means that they are authentic and written by the site owner and are not copied from other resources.

In most cases, consumer}s who consult these affordable SEO packages~deals} providers want providers so as to improve rankings to their money creating websites. They either have affiliate links on their sites, promote CPA, run Adsense or offer providers that people pay for. To them, it is an investment and Thus it makes perfect reason for getting good site rankings.

To get the best affordable SEO package, a client} desires to look for the following qualities:

- no matter whether the company has been offering the companies for a considerable period of time of time,

-no matter if the company charges reasonably,

-whether the company offers all the providers that he/she demands and also,

-no matter whether the company has reviews from previous successful projects.

Having found that all the above stages~factors} are well taken care of, he/she can from that point purchase their providers. The consumer} should ensure that all instructions and particulars are meticulously tended to before giving them out to the SEO guys. using inexpensive SEO package deals~deals} has proven to be the most efficient way that website owners use to make to the top of the web search engine results. simply because of the ever growing internet employing population globally, these companies will continue to provide their companies to the ever hungry website owners who also want to get a item of the large chunk of money made from the internet. To sum up, we can say that this is two way traffic as both the consumer and the service provider need one other.

Looking for a cheap SEO packages? Try this new service from Search Tempo. These cheap SEO packages are just about the best value on the internet.

Things To Consider When Hiring A Spit Roast

2011 October 9
by squadron

If you are an avid party thrower and you want that extra special someissue to add that element of glam to your party, spit roast hire is a great idea. Spits come in different sizes and depending on the number of people today at your party and the amount of space you have at your disposal, you can roast a couple of chickens or even a whole pig or goat. When thinking of spit roast hire there are several easy ways to procure what you need through the yellow pages and the internet. Even so, before you go in for spit roast hire, there are some important things you must take into consideration.

Do It oneself v/s catering.
For a lot of folks, do it oneself options are much better because they can save on lots of money. Setting up a spit and actually cooking on it can be a time consuming and cumbersome task. When it happens to spit roast hire, there are corporations which will let you simply hire the spit roast and do everyfactor on your own, or give you a absolutely loaded package deal in which everyissue from setting up, cleaning up and helping is done by a team of professional caterers. So relying on whether you have enough time or not you can decide if you want to do it all oneself or pay someone else to do it for you.

Gas Spit v/s Charcoal Spit
When contemplating spit roast hire, you must first decide what kind of a spit you will need. There are spits that work on charcoal and those that work on gas. Weigh the pros and cons of each type and decide which one you want. The good issue about charcoal spits is the fact that the meat you cook on it will retain the scrumptious smokey flavor of the charcoal. Gas spits will not permit for that. Having said that, charcoal spits are untidy, they create a lot of substance and can be dangerous if not attended to. Gas spits are cleaner, make less of a mess and don’t create as much smoke cigarettes. Another disadvantage of charcoal spits is that you are unable to use them in closed spaces because they create a lot of heat and burn. If you plan to cook insides, a gas spit makes much more sense. However, with gas spits you have to make sure the enclosed area is well ventilated.

Size Does Matter
Another important aspect of spit roast hire you must consider is the size of spit you need. What kind of meat are you planning to cook? A spit roast is a very versatile strategy of cooking and everything from cow, venison, bull, goat and pig can be cooked on it. relying on the type of and amount of meat you want to cook, you have to choose an appropriately sized spit . For occasion if you wish to cook a full grown goat, you will need a spit that lets for 25kgs. Of course, the larger the spit size you choose, the more expensive the affair will be. talking about spit roast hire, gas spits come in a limited number of sizes while charcoal spits are readily available in a larger variety of sizes.

Cost Of Charcoal v/s Gas Spit
One of the most important things that you must keep in mind when heading in for spit roast hire, is the cost. You have to first figure out how much you can afford and how much you are willing to spend to hire a spit roast. A lot of individuals feel that charcoal spits are cheaper which in fact is not the case. Technically if you go to see, charcoal and gas spits cost virtually the same if you take the total cost of cooking into consideration. The fee to hire a charcoal spit is much less than that of a gas spit but what you must take into consideration is the fact that charcoal spits require additional fuel whereas gas spits don’t.

So relying on whether you are having an interior or outdoor party or if you want to be extravagant or minimalistic, put some time into research, figure out what you need and then go in for the right spit roast hire. For more information about spit roast hire Brisbane, visit http://spitroasthire.brisbaneoz.com/

The Importance of Proofing Designs

2011 October 7
by squadron

You’ve concluded it’s time for a new site or design. For most, the first step is to choose the right organization. However, the first thing you need to do is formulate at least a basic idea of what you expect from the completed product. Not only is this step often overlooked in the initial phase of project formulation, but also during the creative briefing phase after recruiting a design company.

Everyone wants to send off a concept to the professionals and let them handle it all. If you’re having your car washed, then nothing is really needed from you. For other projects, you need to be more directly involved. Website design and graphic design are two fields where getting yourself involved is necessary to the perfect design for you and your business.

During your first meeting with a website and graphic design agency, you should supply them with your estimations and goals. This gives the company something of a starting point. This doesn’t mean you are done. No one can read your mind. In order to make certain you get the best design possible, you must take the creative briefing stage seriously.

This is the stage of the project where you work one on one with the designers to ensure they completely understand what you desire. The more they understand, the faster they can deliver the finished project. It also reduces the number of initial design changes.

The next step before the designer can work on your project is proofing your design. You should never just quickly glimpse the design and give your approval. Look over the design plans as thoroughly as you would any important document. If the design isn’t exactly as you envisioned it and doesn’t provide the features you discussed, now is the time to make changes.

Waiting until the final project is delivered means time consuming revisions for both you and the designer. By involving yourself in both the creative briefing and design proofing stages, you save both time and money. You also get the perfect website or graphic design the first time around. The sooner your project is in place, the sooner your customers and visitors will see it.

You should never take this responsibility lightly. It’s your design, your website. Take the time to ensure the design company you choose fully understands your vision. By communicating your needs, the company is able to provide suggestions. With thorough communication between both parties, the best designs and sites are created.

For graphic design Brisbane or logo design Brisbane visit The Creative Noise. The Creative Noise is also a website designer. Brisbane is where their head office is located.

Choosing a Mackay Lawyer, Solicitor or Law Firm

2011 October 6
by squadron

As a popular and growing area, there are many new families and people in the Mackay region that need a Mackay lawyer*, solicitor or law firm for the first time. Choosing a law firm to do the conveyancing to help you buy a house, to advise you about starting a business or to prepare legal documents such as wills or enduring powers-of-attorney, can be a daunting and worrying time.

When you are trying to choose a Mackay lawyer, solicitor or law firm you should consider looking for these characteristics:

Satisfied Customers
For most individuals it is impossible to compare the quality of legal services provided by one Mackay solicitor/lawyer or another. Unless you regularly use the same sort of legal service you are unlikely to be able to compare various law firms. But you can look for a Mackay solicitor that is proud of their past performance provides references from previous or existing clients. If they offer plenty of testimonials it lets you know two things. First, that they have numerous happy clients and secondly, that they take time and trouble to discover what their clients think of their service. They are aware that theirs is a service-oriented business.

Local Knowledge
A Mackay lawyer or solicitor ought to have good local knowledge and demonstrated experience in helping others in the town. Find out if the firm has worked on major local developments or firms with established conveyancing sections that will have developed a valuable source of “inside knowledge” about the property market, local agents and banks that can make all the difference to the ease and efficiency of your transaction.

Breadth of services
Because you will only need a lawyer rarely, it is wise to find a Mackay lawyer, solicitor or law firm that can provide a full range of services without you needing to find different law firms. Finding a firm that can assist with your conveyancing, estate planning, disputes, business services and even workplace or employment issues, means you can stick with one firm that will meet all your legal requirements. Law firms value clients that use several services, and are often able to provide those services more cheaply and efficiently if they have provided other services for you in the past.

*In Queensland a person with legal qualifications was traditionally referred to as a solicitor while a person who “had standing” to represent you in court was called a barrister. More recently the general term lawyer has become more widespread and can be used to describe either of these types of legal practitioner. In some other states of Australia the conveyancing process (the legal process required to transfer ownership of house) can be undertaken by licenced conveyancers. This is not the case in Queensland where conveyancing must be undertaken by a solicitor/lawyer.

John Gray is a practising solicitor and marketing consultant who has worked with leading Mackay law firms. If you need a Mackay solicitor or Mackay lawyer contact John Gray for a recommendation.

Relationship Counselling can help you discover more about yourself.

2011 October 2
by squadron

If you really want to examine deeply at why the two of you have the unique relationship and problems that you have, look no further than the Enneagram.

One of the most useful ways to discover yourself and just as importantly, how you may add to your relationship issues, is to look at your Enneagram profile.

The modern Enneagram is based on ancient Eastern wisdom combined with modern Psychological thought. There are 9 personality types each with different modes of thinking, feeling and acting. Each style has its own natural strengths, faults, and blind spots.

When you know your Enneagram number, you can then be aware of the unconscious assumptions that drive the way you see yourself, do your work, and relate in your relationships.

And you can also understand why your partner seems to act in the strange, selfish, intrusive, self-interested, seductive or charming ways that he or she does.

Once you know how he or she see things from within, you can see why they do the things they do which makes perfect sense to them.

There are no types that are better than any other. Each is effective in their own way, but from a very different point of view.

• Ones want to make things right.
• Twos need to be of help.
• Threes are driven to succeed.
• Fours yearn to be special.
• Fives want to be left alone to think.
• Sixes seek safety and support.
• Sevens are connoisseurs of life’s pleasures.
• Eights are driven to dominate others.
• Nines don’t want to make waves.

For more information on how your and your partner’s Enneagram types interact, call us at the Hart Centre. We are a group of Psychologists around Australia who are passionate about relationships and specialise in relationship counselling.

With 15 relationship counselling centres in Sydney, and 12 relationship counselling centres in Melbourne, you will more than likely find one near you. Phone 1300830552 for more details.

Remember, for relationship counselling Sydney or relationship counselling Melbourne contact the Hart Centre.

Stradbroke Island Queensland – Travel Guide

2011 September 28

Right on Brisbane’s eastern doorstep, North Stradbroke Island (”Straddie” to the familiar) is another of Australia’s east coast natural treasures and a perfect escape destination. Somehow, the secret has been well kept and it is only recently that Straddie has started to sparkle on the tourism and property radar.

To travel to Stradbroke Island via the bayside village of Cleveland will take approx. fifty minutes using the vehicle ferry. Cleveland is only a thirty minute drive from Brisbane International Airport or the centre of Brisbane, and an drive from the Gold Coast. The ferry ride across Moreton Bay is the first step that makes Stradbroke Island such a wonderful trip.

Stradbroke Island is 27,530 hectares, which means it is 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. The beaches are able to be accessed by four-wheel drive, bicycle or tramping, with a number of good camping sites situated down Main Beach, and beautiful 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 constant reminder of the stark contrast to the more relaxed lifestyle of Straddie.

North Stradbroke (Minjerriba to the indigenous Noonuccal tribe) was the home of famous Aboriginal poet Kath Walker, or Oodgeroo Noonuccal. There is a lot of Aboriginal and European history surrounding Dunwich where water taxis and vehicular barges berth.

The calm waters of Moreton Bay swish against the shores of the island’s western fishing towns. With a lack of agriculture and the filtering effects of the sand provides unpolluted water which sea creatures, and particularly Stradbroke Rock Oysters thrive in.

North Stradbroke attracts four-wheel drivers, fishermen, surfies and beach-lovers to its free lengths of accessible coast and rugged granite headlands, and the Island offers a wide range of accommodation, restaurants, cafes and holiday infrastructure. With a wonderful diversity of attractions to offer and beautiful spots to explore, North Stradbroke is a great holiday location 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 the main destination, only a thirty kilometre drive on a sealed road from Dunwich. The North Gorge Headland is 40m above sea level and recognised as a leading land-based whale watching area throughout between May and November, and world-class surfing and fishing throughout the year.

Point Lookout’s unspoilt 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 is 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 tour operators.

One of the best features on the island is the fresh seafood available direct from local fishermen. Look for the signs at Amity Point and Point Lookout which direct you to their homes and the freshest, most delicious 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 amazing island resource in 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 the 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 drop in for a beer on your way back around -you may even bump into world ranked surfer and local Bede Durbidge! Stradbroke also boasts what is perhaps the last truly old-school surf shop in the country, that makes it’s business selling surf equipment rather than fashion.

The jewels in Stradbroke’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 differing 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/

The Attractions of Stradbroke Island

2011 September 24

Situated on Brisbane’s eastern doorstep, North Stradbroke Island (’Straddie’ to the initiated) is another of Australia’s east coast natural treasures and a perfect escape destination. Somehow, the secret has been well kept and it is only in recent years that Straddie has started to show up on the tourism and property radar.

To travel to Stradbroke Island via the township of Cleveland takes approximately 50 minutes using the vehicle ferry. Cleveland is a 30 minute drive from Brisbane International Airport and Brisbane central, and an drive from the Gold Coast. The ferry ride across Moreton Bay is the first step that makes Stradbroke Island such a great trip.

Stradbroke Island covers 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 great camping sites located down Main Beach, and beautiful views appear visible from almost everywhere on Straddie.

The 35 kilometres of white sandy beaches fringing the island’s eastern side runs from Point Lookout at the north to Jumpin Pin in the south. From the Point lookout headland, the concrete jungle of the Gold Coast can be clearly visible, and is a reminder of the contrast to the more relaxed lifestyle of Straddie.

North Stradbroke (or Minjerriba to the indigenous Noonuccal people) was home to famous Aboriginal poet Kath Walker, or Oodgeroo Noonuccal. There is a great deal of Aboriginal and European history surrounding Dunwich where 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 provides pure water that sea-life, and particularly Stradbroke Rock Oysters thrive upon.

North Stradbroke attracts four-wheel drivers, fishers, surfies and beach-lovers to its wide lengths of beach and rugged granite headlands, and the Island also offers a good range of accommodation, restaurants, cafes and holiday attractions. With a diversity of experiences available and spectacular areas to explore, North Stradbroke is a fantastic holiday location 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 the main destination, and only a 30km drive on a sealed road from Dunwich. The North Gorge Headland is forty metres above sea level and recognised as a leading land-based whale watching site during the colder months, and world-class surfing and fishing throughout the year.

Point Lookout’s unspoilt beaches and headlands are safe for swimming, surfing and fishing year round. Whales, dolphins, turtles and manta rays can often be spotted from the spectacular North Gorge at the northern tip 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 4WD or on a tour with one of Straddie’s tour operators.

One of the great features of the island is the fresh seafood available direct from local fishermen. 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 who prefer the work be done for them, Straddie’s restaurants and cafes all make use of this fabulous island resource on their menu.

“The Point” offers a number of alfresco style cafes, a bakery, chemist, post office, newsagent, corner store and supermarket. The island also has its own bus service linking the 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 focusses on selling surf equipment rather than fashion.

The jewels in Stradbroke’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 various 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/