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

2011 October 13
by squadron

If the legal marketing strategy for your law company depends on online marketing, niche marketing to particular industries, traditional advertising, or just retaining and growing a share of a solid growth of clients, you will need to generate content.

Content is an essential dynamic of legal marketing, and without it you might just as well not have a law firm marketing plan. However, producing content is hard work, and you need to make the most of the material that you can produce. Following are just a few suggestions to help you use two of the most commonly produced types of legal marketing content as best you can.

Law Firm Marketing – Written material (blogs, email alerts, brochures, guides, information sheets)
If you’ve created some quality, interesting material of any of the formats above, don’t only send it out once or print it and let it sit in your office. You ought to distribute the content as broadly as is possible. For every piece of writing you produce, consider:

- Have I distributed it to as many, relevant, clients as possible?
- Is it loaded onto our website?
- Have I sent it direct 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?
- Is everyone in my firm aware of it and could they explain it further if a client questions them about it?
- Can I turn it into another kind of content and distribute in a different format?

Law Firm Marketing – Presentations
Presentations are generally prepared with a particular reception in mind, or because of a particular request. As a result they are often presented once then left to become stale. The large amount of time involved in preparing them gets only a one time showing. To get more out of your presentation consider:

- Who else can I show it to?
- How can I let the most people know about it?
- Have I discussed it on our website, Facebook, Twitter, or 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 electronically online or directly?
- Can I write an article or blog discussing topics that arose from the presentation?
- Have I followed up with additional content to all the people that attended the presentation?

While some of these suggestions may seem like more work just when you’ve possibly created a dent in your monthly billings with the amount of time you spent preparing the first lot of material, it is crucial to consider that it is far easier to add a tiny amount of time now to really impact on what you’ve already produced than it is to produced a whole new piece of legal marketing material.

Improve the benefits of the time and effort you put into law firm marketing and you’ll see that the next time you create content you’ll feel more confident about how effective the results 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 find out how in harmony you are.

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

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

What are Instinctual Variants?
The 3 Instincts represent the natural energies or drives that are inherently part of us as humans. Our actions are highly engaged with and often dependent on these libidinal, instinctual energies to give it its spark.

Self Preservation Instinct.
People of this Instinctual variant are preoccupied with the essential existential needs as they translate into our modern society, for example, finance, food, housing, health, physical safety and comfort.
Being secure and physically comfortable are priorities, and they will often bring their supplies with them.
When entering a room, they will tend to notice 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 important life necessities.
They are the most introverted of the types.

Sexual/ Intimate Instinct.
People of this kind have a intense desire for severity of experience and affection. The direct riveting gaze is the dead giveaway. When they enter a situation they gravitate toward people they feel attracted to, as if they are looking for the juice. These people can be intimacy junkies, often ignoring pressing obligations or even basic hygiene if they are swept up in something that has captured them. This gives a wide ranging exploratory philosophy to life, but can also generate a lack of focus of one’s own goals.

Social Instinct.
People of this type are preoccupied on their interactions with other people and with the sense of value and self esteem they receive from their involvement in collective activities. These include occupation, family, hobbies and clubs.
On entering a room, these people would immediately be aware of the power structures and subtle politics between the different people and groups. They are subconsciously focused on other people’s reaction to them, particularly about whether they are being accepted or not.
They need to interact with others to feel secure, acknowledged and energised. They tend to love interacting with others, but they eschew intimacy.
They are the most extroverted of the types.

Within each person, one of these Instincts will predominate. In fact the 3 variants can be ranked liked the sections of a cake, with the most dominant one at the top. The least powerful one, at the bottom, is termed the blind spot.
These instincts play a pivotal role in our relationships because personalities of the same type tend to share values and to understand each other completely, 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 creating. The stone veneer cladding delivers a stylish method adopted by architects to impart a dynamic look to a lifeless framework. This is mostly used for visual purposes and has a long life. The elegance and simplicity of stone veneer provides homeowners, architects, builders and developers with a versatility and versatility to be more to innovative. Stone veneer is also effectively used in landscapes and complementing the natural beauty of the open spaces as well.

Stone Veneer acts as a ornamental and protective overlaying on outside as well inside walls and surfaces. The veneer is commonly one inch thick; 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 field stone. The stone is then sawn utilizing huge diamond impregnated cutters equally spaced to get the slices of the stone in a consistent thickness and weight. This stone is also known as “thin stone veneer”.

Besides the natural stone veneer, manufacture stone veneer is also a decorative constructing material. It is produced to imitate the appearance of natural stone. There are various names used for this type of veneer. The stacked stone veneer, artificial stone veneer, manufactured stone veneer and flexible stone veneer are various leaders 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 look like the real stone. a different 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 using unique excellent 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 employing different stones. The manufactured stone veneer is less expensive 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 employing natural stone. mainly 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 thereby minimizes the cost. There is a vast variety of designs, patterns and colors available on manufactured options as compared to the natural stone mainly because the natural stone is generally used in the area close to where it is extracted due to the huge transportation costs.

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 aspect 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 decorative 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 optimisation which is the process of improving a websites awareness on search engines. Websites that are highly ranked in search results have more website visitors. SEO targets many choices together with image search, local search, video search and academic search. Today, there are many companies offering affordable SEO packages~deals} for consumers~shoppers~buyers} who want their sites’ rankings to rise. SEO’s (acronym referring to search engine optimizers) use different methods to realize good search engine marketing on the purchaser’s website.

Any company offering inexpensive SEO package deals~deals} should be able to enable the consumers site rise in the search engines fast. When many internet users search for a particular term(also referred to as ‘key phrase’), they perceive the ones at the top as having more relevance to the keyword. Whilst there are many factors that contribute to a website receiving to the top spot (or at least amongst the top ten), SEO comes in handy to make sure that this is obtaind in a short period of time. becoming professional, SEO’s know what is best for a site and how to go about creating 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 since of their significance to search engine optimization. A site with a big number of back links is one indication that it is preferred 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 Therefore worth noting that this SEO choice is of great importance to any website owner who wants his site to get ranked fast.

LSI content articles writing is amongst the most common SEO options. mainly 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 example, Google is very strict when it comes to content. They require a webpage to have keyword rich content so that it can get good rankings. In many cases, search engine optimizers create content for client}s observing key phrase density and also length. posts of considerable good length are better placed to get ranked much less difficult than short ones with crappy content. All articles or blog posts have to be free from plagiarism. This means that they are authentic and written by the site owner and are not copied from other sources.

In most cases, client}s who consult these low-cost SEO package deals~deals} suppliers want solutions so as to improve rankings to their money creating websites. They either have affiliate hyperlinks on their sites, promote CPA, run Ad sense or offer solutions that people pay for. To them, it is an investment and As a result it makes perfect reason for acquiring good site rankings.

To get the best inexpensive SEO package, a customer} wants to look for the following qualities:

- no matter if the company has been offering the services for a considerable time period of time,

-regardless of whether the company charges reasonably,

-no matter whether the company offers all the solutions that he/she wants and also,

-regardless of 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 stage sequence their companies. The purchaser} should ensure that all instructions and particulars are meticulously tended to before giving them out to the SEO guys. working with inexpensive SEO packages~deals} has established to be the most efficient way that website owners use to make to the top of the web search engine results. because of the ever growing internet using inhabitants globally, these services will continue to provide their solutions 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 customer 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 something to add that element of glam to your party, spit roast hire is a great idea. Spits come in different sizes and relying on the number of folks 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. however, before you go in for spit roast hire, there are some important points you must take into consideration.

Do It by yourself v/s catering.
For a lot of individuals, do it oneself options are much better because they can save on lots of money. Setting up a spit and basically cooking on it can be a time consuming and cumbersome task. When it arrives to spit roast hire, there are organizations which will let you simply hire the spit roast and do everyissue by yourself, or give you a totally loaded package in which everything 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 on your own or pay someone else to do it for you.

Gas Spit v/s Charcoal Spit
When thinking about 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 thing about charcoal spits is the fact that the meat you cook on it will retain the delicious burny flavor of the charcoal. Gas spits will not enable for that. Nevertheless, charcoal spits are messy, they create a lot of smoke and can be dangerous if not attended to. Gas spits are scanner, make less of a mess and don’t create as much smoke. 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 interiors, 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 everyissue from cow, venison, bull, goat and pig can be cooked on it. depending on the type of and amount of meat you want to cook, you have to choose an appropriately sized spit . For instance if you wish to cook a full developed goat, you will need a spit that make it possible fors for 25kgs. Of course, the larger the spit size you choose, the more expensive the affair will be. speaking about spit roast hire, gas spits come in a constrained number of sizes while charcoal spits are offered in a bigger assortment of sizes.

Cost Of Charcoal v/s Gas Spit
One of the most important matters 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 almost 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 depending on whether you are having an inside 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 made your mind up that it’s time for a new website or image. For most, the first step is to choose the right organization. However, the first thing you should do is formulate at least a basic concept 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 project to the professionals and let them handle everything. If you’re having your car washed, then nothing is really required of you. For other projects, you need to be more directly involved. Website design and graphic design are two areas where getting yourself involved is necessary to the ideal 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 with a starting point. This doesn’t mean that you are finished. No one can read your mind. In order to be certain you get the most optimal design possible, you must take the creative briefing stage seriously.

This is the part of the project where you work one on one with the designers to ensure they completely comprehend what you want. 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 growing town, there are many new families and people living in the Mackay region who are choosing a Mackay lawyer*, solicitor or law firm for the first time. Choosing a solicitor to do the conveyancing to help you purchase a home or building, to advise you about starting a business or to prepare legal documents like wills or enduring powers-of-attorney, can be a intimidating and stressful time.

If you are trying to choose a Mackay lawyer, solicitor or law firm you should seek the following attributes:

Happy customers
For most individuals it is almost impossible to compare the quality of legal services provided by one Mackay solicitor/lawyer or another. Unless you regularly use a similar type 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 clients. If they have plenty of testimonials it tells you two things. Firstly, that they have a lot of satisfied clients and secondly, that they are willing to take time and trouble to find out what clients think of their service. They understand that theirs is a service-oriented business.

Local Knowledge
Your Mackay solicitor or lawyer ought to have a good local knowledge and demonstrated experience in assisting others in the region. Look for firms that have worked on local developments or firms with established conveyancing specialists who will have developed a valuable source of “inside knowledge” about the property market, local agents and banks which will 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 which can provide the full range of services without having to find additional lawyers. Finding a firm that can assist with your conveyancing, estate planning, disputes, business services and even workplace or employment issues, means you can be confident that one firm that will meet all your legal needs. Law firms value clients that use a range of services, and will often provide those services more cheaply and efficiently if they have done other work 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 look in depth 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 helpful ways to discover yourself and just as importantly, how you contribute to your relationship problems, 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, limitations, 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 bizarre, selfish, intrusive, self-interested, seductive or charming ways that he or she does.

Once you know how he or she see things from their perspective, 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 those familiar) is one of Australia’s east coast natural treasures -a perfect escape destination. Something of a secret, it is only recently that Straddie has started to show up on the tourist and real-estate radar.

Travel to Straddie through the township of Cleveland takes approx. fifty minutes on the vehicle ferry. Cleveland is only a thirty minute drive from Brisbane International Airport or the centre of Brisbane, and one hour’s drive from the Gold Coast. The ferry ride across Moreton Bay is the first step that makes Stradbroke Island such a fabulous experience.

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. The beaches are accessible by four-wheel drive, bicycle or on foot, with numerous popular camp sites situated down Main Beach, and wonderful views appear visible from almost everywhere on the island.

Thirty-five kilometres of white sandy beaches fringe the island’s eastern side, from Point Lookout at the north to Jumpin Pin in the south. From the Point lookout headland, the towering jungle of the Gold Coast can be clearly visible, and is a constant reminder of the contrast to the slower pace of Straddie.

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

The waters of Moreton Bay swish against the shores of the island’s western fishing towns. The lack of agriculture and the filtering effects of the sand provides clean water that fish, and particularly Stradbroke Rock Oysters thrive upon.

North Stradbroke attracts four-wheel drivers, fishers, surfies and beach-lovers to its wide stretches of sandy coast and rugged granite headlands, and the Island also has a wide range of accommodation, restaurants, cafes and holiday infrastructure. With an incredible diversity of experiences on offer and stunningly beautiful spots to discover, North Stradbroke is a fantastic holiday place 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 a popular destination, only a thirty kilometre 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 in the colder months, and world-class surfing and fishing throughout the year.

Point Lookout’s beautiful beaches and headlands are safe for swimming, surfing and fishing year round. Whales, dolphins, turtles and manta rays are regularly viewed 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 greatest experiences on the island is the fresh seafood available direct from local fishermen. Look for the signs at Amity Point and Point Lookout to direct you to their homes and the freshest catch-of-the-day around. For those who would rather the work be done for them, Straddie’s restaurants and cafes all make use of this wonderful resource on their menus.

“The Point” offers several alfresco style cafes, a bakery, chemist, post office, newsagent, corner store and supermarket. The island also has a bus service which links all 3 towns to 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! Stradbroke boasts what is perhaps the last truly old-school surf shop in the country, that focusses on selling surf gear 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 coast, North Stradbroke Island (”Straddie” to the initiated) is one 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 begun to shine on the tourist and property radar.

Travel to Stradbroke Island by way of the bayside village of Cleveland will take about fifty minutes on the vehicle ferry. Cleveland is a half-hour drive from Brisbane International Airport or Brisbane central, and one hour’s drive from the Gold Coast. The boat ride across Moreton Bay is the first of a series of experiences that make visiting Stradbroke Island such a great trip.

Stradbroke Island covers 27,530 hectares, and therefore 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. It’s beaches are accessible by four-wheel drive, bicycle or tramping, with numerous popular camp sites dotted all the way down Main Beach, and wonderful 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 in the north to Jumpin Pin in the south. From the Point lookout headland, the buildings of the Gold Coast is often clearly visible, being a constant reminder of the contrast to the more relaxed lifestyle of Straddie.

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

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

North Stradbroke attracts 4WDers, fishers, surfers and beach-lovers to its wide stretches of beach and rugged granite headlands, and the Island also offers a good range of accommodation, restaurants, cafes and holiday infrastructure. With an incredible diversity of attractions to offer and spectacular spots to explore, North Stradbroke is a great holiday place 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 a popular tourist hub, only a thirty kilometre 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 throughout the colder months, and world-class surfing and fishing throughout the year.

Point Lookout’s unspoilt beaches and headlands are perfect for swimming, surfing and fishing all year round. Whales, dolphins, turtles and manta rays can often be spotted from the spectacular North Gorge at the northern part of the island. The island has been listed as one of the world’s most ecologically important wetlands and has several freshwater lakes, waterways and lagoons that are accessible by four-wheel drive or on a guided 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 signs at Amity Point and Point Lookout which will direct you to their homes and the freshest catch-of-the-day around. For those that prefer the work be done for them, Straddie’s restaurants and cafes all make use of this amazing island resource on the 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 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 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 also boasts what is perhaps the last truly old-school surf shop in the country, that focusses on selling surfing gear 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/