Cheap Travel Blog

Whether the legal marketing strategy for your law firm 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’ll need to create content.

Content is the lifeblood of legal marketing, without it you might just as well not bother with a law firm marketing plan. But producing content requires hard work, and you should make the most of the material you manage to produce. Here are some suggestions for making sure you use the two 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 written any worthwhile, interesting material in any of the types above, don’t just send it out once or print it and let it stagnate in your office. Distribute the content as broadly as possible. For each piece of written material you produce, consider:

- Have I distributed it to as many, relevant, clients as possible?
- Is it loaded to my website?
- Have I sent it direct to referrers, associates and other professionals?
- Have I linked 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 a different style of content and distribute in a different forum?

Law Firm Marketing – Presentations
Presentations are generally prepared with a particular audience in mind, or because of a particular request. Therefore they are often presented only once then left to become stale. All of the time involved in preparing it gets only a one time presentation. If you want to get far more benefit from your presentation consider:

- Who else can I present 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 a hard copy of the presentation to people who couldn’t attend the seminar?
- Can I record an audio or video of the presentation and distribute it electronically online or directly?
- Is it viable to write an article or blog discussing topics that arose during the presentation?
- Have I followed up with additional content to all the people who were at the presentation?

While some of these suggestions may feel like additional 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’s necessary to remember that it is much easier to add a small amount of time at the end to really impact on what you’ve already produced than to produce a completely new piece of legal marketing material.

Increase the benefits of all the time and effort you put into law firm marketing and you’ll discover that the next time you create some content you will 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 and Marriage counseling can assist you find out how suitable you are.

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

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

What are Instinctual Variants?
The 3 Instincts represent the inherant 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 type are often with the basic existential needs as they translate into our modern society, for example, finance, food, accomodation, health, safety and comfort.
Being safe and physically comfortable are essential, and they will often bring their supplies with them.
When entering a room, they will tend to notice bad lighting, uncomfortable chairs, the room temperature, when the coffee break will be, and whether they will enjoy the food provided. They also tend to be the most practical in the sense of taking care of pressing life necessities.
They are the most introverted of the types.

Sexual/ Intimate Instinct.
People of this variant have a strong desire for intensity of experience and affection. The blunt riveting gaze is the dead giveaway. When they enter a situation they gravitate toward people they feel magnetized to, as if they are looking for the juice. These people can be intimacy junkies, often ignoring pressing obligations or even basic maintenance if they are swept up in something that has captured them. This gives a expansive exploratory philosophy to life, but can also give a lack of focus on one’s own goals.

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

Within each person, one of these three Instincts will dominate. In fact these three instincts can be ranked like 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 inherent instincts play an important role in our relationships because people of the same type tend to share values and 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 is a modern way to decorate the walls of a creating. The stone veneer cladding gives 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 resourceful. Stone veneer is also effectively used in landscaping and complementing the natural beauty of the open spaces as well.

Stone Veneer acts as a decorative and protecting overlaying on exterior as well interior walls and surfaces. The veneer is normally 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 employing 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 a number of leaders used for this type of veneer. The stacked stone veneer, artificial stone veneer, manufactured stone veneer and versatile 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. 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 making use of particular excellent mortars for highest adhesion and strength. versatile stone veneer is manufactured by slicing a thin layer 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 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. because of the lightweight of the manufactured stone veneer, there is no need for wall ties or any footings. It can make the construction easier and Thus lowers the cost. There is a vast variety of designs, patterns and colors available on manufactured options as compared to the natural stone due to the fact the natural stone is generally used in the area close to where it is extracted due to the huge transportation price ranges.

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 ornamental facing in developings and open spaces.

The term SEO as we all know is an acronym of search engine optimization 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 alternatives together with picture search, local search, video search and academic search. Today, there are many companies offering cheap SEO bundles~deals} for clients~shoppers~buyers} who want their sites’ rankings to rise. SEO’s (acronym referring to search engine optimizers) use different methods to accomplish good search engine optimization on the purchaser’s website.

Any company offering affordable SEO packages~deals} should be able to permit the purchasers 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. Although there are many elements that contribute to a website obtaining 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 period of time of time. being professional, SEO’s know what is best for a site and how to go about producing 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 links building and,
- LSI (Latent Semantic Index) content writing.

In back link building, inbound links 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 marketing. A site with a big number of back hyperlinks is one indication that it is well-known 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 choice is of great importance to any website owner who wants his site to get ranked fast.

LSI articles or blog posts writing is amongst the most well-liked SEO possibilitys. 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 occasion, Google is very stringent when it comes to content. They demand a webpage to have key phrase rich content so that it can get good rankings. In many cases, search engine optimizers create content for client}s observing keyword density and also length. articles or blog posts of considerable good length are better positioned to get ranked much simpler than short ones with crappy content. All 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 cheap SEO bundles~deals} suppliers want solutions so as to improve rankings to their money producing websites. They either have affiliate hyperlinks on their sites, promote CPA, run Ad-sense or offer companies that people pay for. To them, it is an investment and Consequently it makes perfect reason for getting good site rankings.

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

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

-whether the company charges reasonably,

-regardless of whether the company offers all the services that he/she demands 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 level buy their companies. The consumer} should ensure that all instructions and details are meticulously tended to before giving them out to the SEO guys. working with cheap SEO bundles~deals} has established to be the most efficient way that website owners use to make to the top of the web search engine results. since of the ever growing internet using population globally, these solutions will continue to provide their services 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.

If you are an avid party thrower and you want that extra special somematter 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 webpages and the internet. Even so, before you go in for spit roast hire, there are some important points you must take into consideration.

Do It your self v/s catering.
For a lot of people today, do it your self options are much better because they can save on lots of money. Setting up a spit and truly 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 everymatter your self, or give you a totally loaded bundle in which everyfactor from setting up, cleaning up and serving is done by a team of professional caterers. So depending 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 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 matter about charcoal spits is the fact that the meat you cook on it will retain the delightful smoke cigarettesy flavor of the charcoal. Gas spits will not let for that. Even so, charcoal spits are untidy, they create a lot of smoke and can be dangerous if not attended to. Gas spits are scraper, make less of a mess and don’t create as much smoke a cigarette. Another disadvantage of charcoal spits is that you are not able to use them in closed spaces because they create a lot of heat and smoke a cigarette. If you plan to cook indoors, 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 method of cooking and everyfactor 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 occasion if you wish to cook a full grown goat, you will need a spit that allows for 25kgs. Of course, the greater 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 whereas charcoal spits are 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 going 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 men and women 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 while 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/

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 company. However, the first thing you should do is formulate at least a basic idea of what you expect from a completed product. Not only is this step commonly ignored in the initial phase of project formulation, but also during the creative briefing stage after recruiting a design company.

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

During your first meeting with a website and graphic design agency, you should provide them with your estimations and goals. This provides the company something of a starting point. This doesn’t mean you are done. No one is a mind reader. In order to be certain you get the most optimal design possible, you must take the creative briefing stage extremely.

This is the stage of the project where you work one on one with the designers to ensure they completely comprehend what you desire. The more they understand, the faster that 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.

Because it is a popular and growing city, there are many new families and people living in the Mackay region that need a Mackay lawyer*, solicitor or law firm for the first time. Choosing a law firm to complete the legal work required to enable you to buy a house or building, to give advice about starting a business or to prepare legal documents like wills or enduring powers-of-attorney, can be a intimidating and stressful time.

When you are needing a Mackay solicitor, lawyer or law firm you ought to seek the following characteristics:

Satisfied Customers
For most individuals it’s impossible to compare the quality of legal services that is provided by one Mackay solicitor/lawyer or another. Unless you are a regular user of the same sort of legal service you are unlikely to be able to compare different law firms. But you can look for a Mackay lawyer who is proud of their past performance with generous use of testimonials from previous clients. If they offer plenty of testimonials it tells you two things. First, that they have a lot of satisfied clients and secondly, that they are willing to take time and go to the trouble to discover what clients think of their service. They are aware that they are a service-oriented business.

Local knowledge
Your Mackay lawyer or solicitor should have a good local knowledge and demonstrated experience in assisting other people in the town. Find out if the firm has worked on local developments or firms with established conveyancing specialists who have garnered a valuable amount of “inside knowledge” about the property market, local agents and banks that will make a big difference to the ease and efficiency of your transaction.

Breadth of services
While most people only need a lawyer rarely, it is wise to choose a Mackay solicitor, lawyer or law firm which can provide the full range of services without you having to find alternate lawyers. Finding a firm that can help with conveyancing, estate planning, disputes, business services and even workplace or employment issues, means you can rely on one firm to meet all your legal requirements. Law firms value clients who use a range of services, and will often provide those services more cheaply when 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.

If you really want to look 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 contribute to your relationship challenges, 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 patterns 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 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 have a deep desire 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.

Right on Brisbane’s eastern doorstep, North Stradbroke Island (’Straddie’ to the initiated) is one of Australia’s east coast natural treasures -a perfect escape destination. Somehow, the secret has been well kept and it is only in recent years that Stradbroke Island has begun to show up on the tourist and real-estate radar.

Travel to Straddie by way of the Brisbane suburb of Cleveland will take approximately fifty minutes on the vehicle ferry. Cleveland is only a thirty minute drive from Brisbane International Airport and 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 fantastic destination.

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 numerous popular camp sites located down Main Beach, and beautiful views appear visible from almost everywhere on Straddie.

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 buildings of the Gold Coast is often clearly visible, being a reminder of the contrast to the more relaxed lifestyle of Straddie.

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

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

North Stradbroke attracts four-wheel drivers, anglers, surfers and beach-lovers to the free stretches of accessible coast and rugged granite headlands, and the Island offers a range of accommodation, restaurants, cafes and holiday infrastructure. With a wonderful diversity of attractions available and stunningly beautiful places 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 a popular destination, only a 30km drive on a sealed road from Dunwich. The North Gorge Headland is 40m above sea level and known as a leading land-based whale-watch site during from May-November, and world-class surfing and fishing throughout the year.

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

One of the great features of the island is being able to purchase 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, most delicious 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 in the menu.

“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 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 quick 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 focusses on selling surfing 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/

Situated on Brisbane’s eastern doorstep, North Stradbroke Island (”Straddie” to the initiated) is another of Australia’s natrual treasures and a perfect escape destination. Something of a secret, it is only recently that Stradbroke Island has started to sparkle on the tourism and real-estate radar.

To travel to Straddie through the Brisbane suburb of Cleveland will take approx. fifty minutes using the vehicle ferry. Cleveland is only a 30 minute drive from Brisbane International Airport or Brisbane central, and one hour’s drive from the Gold Coast. The ferry ride across Moreton Bay is the first of a series of experiences that make visiting Stradbroke Island such a fabulous experience.

Stradbroke Island is 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 able to be accessed by four-wheel drive, bicycle or on foot, with a number of popular camping sites situated down Main Beach, and 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 towering jungle of the Gold Coast can be clearly visible, being a 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 barges land.

The calm 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 sea creatures, and particularly Stradbroke Rock Oysters thrive upon.

North Stradbroke attracts four-wheel drivers, fishermen, surfies and beach-lovers to its free lengths of beach and rugged granite headlands, and the Island also has a wide range of accommodation, restaurants, cafes and holiday attractions. With an incredible diversity of experiences on offer and spectacular places to discover, North Stradbroke is a popular 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 the main destination, only a 30km drive on a sealed road from Dunwich. The North Gorge Headland is 40m above sea level and recognised as a leading land-based whale-watch site throughout 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 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 is 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 friendly tour operators.

One of the best features of the island is being able to purchase fresh seafood available direct from local fishermen. Just 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 who prefer the work be done for them, Straddie’s restaurants and cafes all make use of this fabulous resource on the menus.

“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 all 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 boasts what is perhaps the last truly old-school surf shop in the country, that makes it’s business selling surfing gear rather than fashion.

The jewels in the Straddie’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/