On Wednesday, January 26 the Southern Beaches Community Garden partnered with members of the Afrekete Community Organisation to put on a unique celebration of cultural awareness.
Compliments of a generous grant from the National Australia Day Council (NADC), the SBCG would host traditional music and dance performances from the Torres Strait Islands, Cuba and Southeast Queensland’s very own indigenous Yugambeh tribe.
The day would include a traditional Torres Strait Kup Murri feast, a childrens’ potting workshop and the start of an ongoing mural painting project.
It was a very special day and one captured brilliantly through the professional lens of Lee Corrington from Noah Productions.
Thank you Lee and thank you to all the performers, community-minded contributors/donors and volunteers that came together to make this Australia Day in the garden one to remember for a very long time to come.
The 2021 Garden Christmas Party BBQ was held in the garden on Friday 10 December. What follows is the contents of the email sent out by SBCG Membership Secretary Deb Powers (with just a bit of extra added for clarification purposes by yours truly). So, if you couldn’t make it this year, keep in mind the Australia Day Afrekete Festival will be happening later next month in the garden.
You definitely won’t want to miss all the dancing, food and libations and overall festive atmosphere of that one.
So, see you in the garden and here’s to a bigger and better 2022.
Now, About that Party
Yummy food, big smiles
WOWđ
What a wonderful SBCG Christmas party we had. In all, the total numbers would be in the neighbourhood of around 50 members and their families.
Picture Perfect Smiles
The weather was perfect with temps in the mid to upper 20s and no humidity to speak of. Even the mozzies behaved for the night.
Everywhere I looked, people were smiling, laughing and eating. And after so much rain, all amidst some incredibly healthy and vibrant-looking garden plots. Such an amazing setting to have and share with the community.
Thank you everyone for your share plates. The range of food was just so good and eclectic. Everything from snags and
An actual photo of Tony NOT working.
chicken to Annie’s ‘rice sausages’ and authentic Thai Green Payaya Salad. Between that and the many chips and dips, cheeses and numerous delicious desserts, everyone was spoiled for choice.
Thanks to Mary and Natalia for cooking the sausages, chicken and onions. In the end, it almost goes without saying, there was nothing left.
Thanks to Jim for the Christmas tablecloths and the decorations. They looked great and added to the festive cheer.
Di, holding forth
Thank you to everyone who joined the party. It was lots of fun.
To our members, prospective members, your families and friends – we wish you all a very joyous Christmas and a safe new year.
We have some great events coming up in 2022 and we look forward to seeing you at them.
We just wanted to give you an update and say thank you for coming to our kindy and fixing up our little garden.
It brings us so much joy to see how much our garden grows from week to week. It literally doubles in size each time we see it anew and fills us all with excitement and joy to find what developments have been happening since we last saw it.
The children created their own signs for the flowers and vegetables and they also made a combined effort beautiful big đthank you đ for all that you did for us.
Fun in the garden
Special thanks to Di, Archie and Judy who came to our centre on the day and to SBCG for the generosity of time, labour, supplies and kindnessđ
I’ll attach a couple of photos for you and we would welcome a visit from any of you at the end of the week group B if you wanted to drop in and see how our magical garden grows.
Of all the happy faces in the garden, theirs are always the happiest.
The Happy Faces of Team Lemonade
Wearing black t-shirts and infectious smiles youâll find them. Getting tucked into any task that needs attending. No job is too big or too trivial for this crew.
They are Team Lemonade, a disability service organisation serving the southern Gold Coast and The Tweed.
Ask them and theyâll tell you, theyâre just happy to be there. In the company of their fellow team members, lending a hand and contributing in any way possible.
In April of 2020, the group was started by Elaine Johnston, a mother who wanted more for her oldest son, 31-year-old Nathan, who has Downs Syndrome and autism.
Team Lemonade Director, Elaine Johnston
âA lot of people let my son get away with a lot when he was young. âThatâs alright, heâs got a disability.â Actually, itâs not alright. Iâve taught him right from wrong and youâre allowing him to do what he likes because you feel empathetic for himâŠWe (at Team Lemonade) empower, not enable, thatâs a huge thing we do,â says Johnston.
Starting with only her son and two other students just over 18 months ago, today Team Lemonade is comprised of 11 staff and 35 team members. Members that range in ages from 19-39.
They are based out of present-day Kirra Cultural Centre atop Kirra Hill where many of the team members went to school as young children. Johnston says doing so has helped to create a sense of familiarity and belonging which the team members find very appealing.
L to R Janelle, Ben, Kerry
And while many of the classroom programs revolve around literacy, numeracy, and general life skills, a large percentage of Team Lemonadeâs educational opportunities are undertaken outside, in and around the community. These events involve work experience outings, health and fitness instruction at local gyms and volunteer opportunities; one of which is visits to the Southern Beaches Community Garden.
Everything is done based on a lesson Johnston learned almost fifteen years ago from three Aboriginal elders while working as a special needs teacher. It revolved around the Indigenous belief that hierarchy should not be triangular but, rather, circular.
Andrew feeding the worms
This circular perspective renders the place of actual teaching irrelevant. And, in the end, teaching moments abound. More often than not, when least expected; which is how a wrong turn in her car helped the Team Lemonade director stumble onto the SBCG.
âThey learn what they need to learn. We benefit from their knowledge and everyone just learns from each other. All with no (traditional) hierarchy, it just doesnât work,â says Johnston.
And the director of Team Lemonade is not alone in this belief. Janelle Staggard, who worked with her current boss at the Coolangatta Special School almost 16 years ago and has known many of the Team Lemonade members for 20 years, agrees wholeheartedly.
âI think weâre setting them up to, actually, fail at school,â Staggard says of the current special needs school programs. âWhat weâre doing is trying to provide a mainstream curriculum to guys that donât fit into the box.â
And, according to Staggard, the SBCG grounds are a perfect out-of-the-box experience. Perfect from a holistic perspective in that it provides a real grounding opportunity to members that too often find themselves amidst a world of sensory overload.
Joel watering the compost bins
She adds the garden requires members to get outside, explore and be hands-on. All in the pursuit of learning what can and cannot be grown, built, or improved upon. And better still, all while finding their own path towards becoming contributing members of society.
On this day the members engaged in this ongoing process of discovery include Andrew (29), Tim (34), David (31), Mitch (33), Joel (27) and Nathan (31).
Pruning tools, garden hoses, and a pitchfork for compost turning are the tools of the trade for the dayâs excursion. One that also involves a quick lesson in worm composting. With minimal instruction from the three Team Lemonade staff members (done in a ratio of 3:1), the team members divide and conquer.
Except for Mitch, who is new to the program, the others are familiar with the routine and dive right in with the first-timer Mitch, quick to follow suit. Each member has their own section of garden to tend to and with water nozzles set to a light drenching mist, they tackle their assigned plots with gusto.
Nathan giving the plants a drink
A gusto including plenty of friendly banter and laughs. Along with the occasional mischievous blast of water directed at their nearest team member. All of which serves as a not-so-subtle reminder: these disabled garden volunteers thrive on the activity and, even more obvious, love each otherâs company.
During an equally jovial lunch break in the garden beneath some nearby trees, team member Joel confirms this stating simply, âI enjoy Team Lemonade because itâs a group of people that I get to be next to and talk to.â
Itâs an unmistakable common theme running through the entire group and their unbridled enthusiasm maintains the afternoonâs positivity and fun. No one is immune from the buzz. Least of all the team staff members.
Staggard says the Team Lemonade members have helped her learn to âlive life without boundaries.â Sheâs quick to comment that the emotions of the team members are genuine and sincere. They donât want or expect anything in return in their dealings with others. âTheyâre just in this present moment and we live so much in the past or in the future. We forget about the right now.â
Team Lemonade in the House
As an outsider, itâs both a unique and refreshing perspective to find yourself a part of. It also serves as a powerful reminder. One which suggests that the path Team Lemonade has pursued this past year and a half works as intended.
Johnson sums it up this way. âI learned a long time ago tropical fish donât belong in a gold fishbowl. So, putting tropical fish in a tropical fishbowl, you then see the capabilities of these young people.â
This belief firmly entrenched, the circle becomes complete.
People are helping people. And with everyone learning from each other.
Wednesday night, the 8th of September would be a business network event to remember for everyone lucky enough to have been able to attend Tugun’s growing Southern Beaches Community Garden.
Community Garden & Community Bankattend the Southern Beaches Community Gardenâs hosted occasion.
Under clear, late summer, evening skies, the SBCG and its members opened up the grounds of their community garden for something unique. An expertly planned and executed gathering of local business and council members and passionate, civic-minded gardeners.
Councillor Gail O’Neill in attendance
Bendigo Bankâs Executive Assistant Maris Dirkx summed it up very succinctly in her following morning thank you email to the garden.
âThe GC South Business Network event, proudly co-hosted by Southern Beaches Community Garden and Community Bank Tugun was a huge success last night with over 80 people enjoying the wonderful hospitality of the volunteers of SBCG.
Guests enjoyed a unique opportunity to mix and mingle under the stars with other local business and organisation representatives.
A BIG thank you to the volunteers of SBCG and their hard work to make the event such a success.â
Smiles all around
In addition to what was expressed in her following dayâs thank you email, Maris even went so far as to say the event raised the bar and the garden should be proud of itself as this was the first Business Networking Event staged at a venue that wasn’t licensed.
One of many volunteers for the big night
And in her short speech on the night, SBCG President Di Gunther was quick to give credit where credit was due. Namely, to the SBCGâs biggest sponsor Bendigo Bank and its Manager Allan Merlehan. As well as to Laura Gerber and Councillor Gail OâNeill for their ongoing support, so much of which has made the gardenâs recent expansion project such a huge success.
Then she thanked the 200 plus garden members. Those who, day in and day out, do all the little things that add up to the gardenâs ongoing success. Especially the members who cleaned, set up, unpacked, cooked, served, sang, picked up supplies, collected seedlings, prepared the market, served behind the bar, spoke, participated in the garden walks and took pictures.
Lauren from Youth Music Venture
Lastly, a special thanks went out to garden member Deb Power who not only led the nightâs team of volunteers but also assumed the eveningâs role of MC.
In short, it was a magical night.
The weather was beautiful, the garden looked spectacular, the Balter beer was cold, the food was delicious and the live music by Lauren from Youth Music Venture topped off the event.
Not surprisingly, the SBCG has been asked to host again next year. An invitation the SBCG was quick to accept.
The skyâs the limit in terms of the work which goes into keeping a community garden running. Even more so, when that community garden is in the midst of doubling in size.
But for Southern Beaches Community Garden volunteer Tony Curtis, heâd really prefer to have it no other way.
I eat work for breakfast
For nearly forty years, Curtis worked as a rigger and a dogman. Setting up and dismantling worksite cranes along with assisting in all facets of the construction process. The building of many of the high rises which today are so ubiquitous on the Gold Coast in which he was born and raised.
The work agreed with him. Enough so that, along with his three brothers, heâd end up owning his own rigging business, Curtis Steel & Rigging, for eight years.
Taking a quick break from building another wicking bed plot, Tony admits he loved the rigging work and the industry as a whole. The industry was good to him and he says he always enjoyed seeing the progress made at the end of each day.
Always making friends
But that was nearly five years ago. And despite his rigging days now being behind him, the sixty-something ex-rigger has found a new way to satisfy his industrious proclivities.
Today, when not flying his extensive fleet of large, remote control airplanes, Tony and his trademark weathered leather full brimmed hat, can be found in the SBCG at least three days a week. There heâs been a member assisting in various garden tasks for almost a year. But most recently, heâs been instrumental in leading the charge in constructing the recently expanded premiseâs new garden plots.
Thirty-six at last count. With more on the way. A roll call of success Tony is quick to attribute to the organisational skills of those heâs surrounded by.
âGetting things done is a matter of having all the right people around you and the right equipment to do it.â
Getting it done, one bolt at a time
Tony lists names such as Kerry Hurse, Mandy McKinnon, Steve James, Nic Day, Dianne Casey and Deb Robson. Friends and fellow volunteers who Tony says are instrumental in providing the elbow grease in getting the heavy lifting accomplished.
âThey all enjoy the work, and I think itâs the same as me, weâre getting something done. They enjoy that side of it.â
As for the planning and procurement of various necessary equipment, Tony doesnât hesitate to give credit to SBCG President Di Gunther, Vice President Arch Cruttenden along with Ron Hasketh who oversees the Expansion Committee.
âOrganisation is nine-tenths and if itâs organised properly, the jobâll go properly and Di and Archie always try to keep a step ahead and I enjoy that side of it.â
And President Di Gunther is happy to let Tonyâs master plan continue playing out as it has been the past four to five months.
âWe will not stop until Tony says so,â says Gunther. âThere has been no other member who has the skill, ability, leadership, respect or integrity that Tonyâs quiet presence exudes.â
Itâs lofty and well-deserved praise. Especially good for a guy whose definition of gardening until only a year ago simply implied mowing his lawn.
Tony helping with the mulching
âIâve always had my own property since I was 17 or 18 old so I always looked after the yard. Iâve never been big into gardens. Just as long as they looked neat, Iâve always been happy. But since Iâve come here, Iâve got an interest in learning all the different stuff.â
Some of that different stuff, he says, revolves around wicking bed construction. And then thereâs the fruits and veggies of his labour. A thriving list that includes radishes, lettuces, kale, tomatoes, and, even, a small lime tree.
As for gardening tips, the ex-rigger likes to keep it simple by keeping an eye on the plots of his more experienced gardening friends. âYou have to look around, see what stuff is growing the best and which is getting least affected by any bugs we do have and thatâs what you grow.â
But ultimately, itâs the garden in its ever-expanding entirety that Tony seems to derive the bulk of his satisfaction from. On this day, when not admiring the periodic small planes flying low over the garden on their final approach into the GC Airport, Tony is quick to point out the hive of activity around him.
New plots being filled. Old ones being watered. Families in the park and playground. Numerous inquisitive faces taking in the sights and
The centre of it all
various areas of the garden.
There is no mistaking the gardenâs expansion to the north side of the SBCG clubhouse has given the garden added exposure. And itâs irrelevant whether itâs the garden reaching out to embrace the nearby playground and public park, or vice versa.
Because, all that matters is, on this day–as has increasingly been the case–people are everywhere.
And Tony Curtis couldnât be happier. âIâm proud to be a part of it.â
How the SBCG came to need our Red Roo CMS 100 is an interesting story. A long story.
Almost 12 years in the making, actually. But the point is, part of the gardenâs successful growth was becoming a bit of a laborious chore.
Compost Bin Turning
In particular, when it came time to turn and rotate our six compost bins.
The problem was simple. Our expanding garden was accumulating too much green waste. And far too often, it wasnât getting chopped small enough. At least, not small enough to get everything to break down as quickly as we needed.
After quite a bit of research, the Red Roo CMS 100 mulcher/chipper/shredder looked to tick all the boxes. Beefy enough to handle a wide range of jobs but still at a price that would agree with grant review members overseeing the funds distribution from the Gambling Community Benefit Fund.
And just like that, the SBCG was the owner of a brand new Red Roo CMS 100 chipper/shredder/mulcher.
Better still, a good two months in, the honeymoon is still in full swing. In short, we love our Red Roo and canât imagine that sentiment changing any time in the near future.
So that said, we give you our 10 reasons we love our Red Roo CMS 100.
Itâs made in Australia. Oi, Oi, Oi! Nuff said. Right? If not, donât worry, thereâs more. Plenty more.
Red Roo CMS 100 Homecoming
Thereâs no assembly required. Setting up involves two things. One, pulling a single pin to lower the chipper hopper into place. Then, two, adjusting the discharge areaâs rear flap to the angle of your choosing. That done, the CMS 100 is virtually ready to be put to use. Just check the oil, add a bit of fuel and youâre in business.
Itâs mobile and built to last. You wonât need to load the CMS 100 to get her home because the machine is set atop a sturdy two-wheeled axel and is easily towable. Thereâs even a spare tyre conveniently mounted on the back of the top mulching hopper. Simply hook your Red Roo to your towing bar and thatâs it. Anywhere you need to set her up, sheâs good to go.
And if your backing skills arenât up to snuff and you accidentally bump into, say, a tree, check the tree for damage. The CMS 100 is built tough. At 650 kilos, sheâs not a lightweight. Keep that in mind and definitely use two hands when youâre lowering the side chipper hopper into place.
Discharge Area
The instruction manualâs concise and easy. At a total of 14 pages, this manual is far from Tolstoyâs âWar and Peaceâ. And after a brief scan, youâll quickly understand why.
Thereâs the page and a half of CMS 100 drawing diagrams to help you quickly pinpoint vital components. A page and a half detailing proper loading of the machine as well as how to avoid and deal with possible overfeeding issues and clogs. A half-page discussing possible troubleshooting issues. And, then, of course, thereâs the obligatory section of safety.
But to be honest, unless youâre inclined to sticking forks into power points, juggling revving chainsaws or swimming in croc infested rivers and creeks, getting up and running can really be boiled down to two pages.
This being the manualâs step by step âStart Upâ and âShutting Downâ page. Read it a couple times and it quickly becomes almost second nature. But just in case you need a quick refresher, Red Roo has been kind enough to mount a convenient storage container atop the chipping hopper. A cylindrical tube with a screw on top to keep both the manual and set of ignition keys dry, secure and close by.
All which segues perfectly into the next reason we love our Red Roo CMS 100.
Itâs virtually idiot-proof. At a single glance, the CMS 100 simply makes sense. There are two feeding chutes or hoppers. The chipper, off to the side for larger material up to 100mm (4 inches) in diameter. And a top feeding hopper for smaller material up to 50mm. Mulched and shredded material is discharged at knee level from the back of the machine. Itâs hardly rocket science.
But itâs the CMS 100âs relatively new external clutch bar that really deserves high praise for taking the cost out of human error. The bar was designed and incorporated to circumvent expensive maintenance repairs resulting from operators overzealously loading the hoppers simultaneously. In the past a burnt out standard internal clutch meant a close to four-figure repair.
Make the same mistake with the current external clutch bar and youâll only be set back less than $50 for a new belt.
Clutch bar
Customer service are patient and helpful. Yeah, I know, itâs virtually impossible to find a business web page that doesnât put this claim front and centre. But due to a Victorian public holiday and some mixed messaging on our part in regards to the pick-up procedure, we put Red Rooâs Sales Management team to a true test.
A test which involved a phone call to Red Rooâs Victorian warehouse and a couple prompt text messages. All from a sales manager out of the office, at home during his day off. On the Queenâs birthday, no less.
It was our mistake and yet, the Red Roo team didnât leave us hanging and helped sort our issue immediately. And we were extremely grateful.
It was to be the first indication our decision to go with Red Roo was a good one.
Itâs powerful and reliable. According to the CMS 100 literature, the heart and soul of the Red Roo CMS 100 is a 31 hp V- Twin Briggs &
Briggs and Stratton Engine
Stratton Vanguard petrol engine. If you just read that sentence and felt your pulse race, I dare say youâre far more mechanically inclined than I am. For those, like me, needing a bit more explanation, the Red Roo website has a three-and-a-half-minute video explaining everything. All about the cutting-edge technology and craftsmanship that goes into every Briggs and Stratton design.
But all you REALLY need to know is this: the CMS 100 starts the first time, every time. And better still, itâs a hungry beast that doesnât flinch in the face of a substantial load.
Itâs versatile. As for those substantial loads, weâve given our Red Roo a real baptism by fire. Tree and bush branches, twigs, sticks, vines, clumps of shrubbery, palm fronds, piles of leaves, small timber offcuts, newspaper, paper cups and plates and cardboard. The CMS is an equal opportunity mulcher/chipper/shredder. So much so, chances are good youâll find yourself constantly on the hunt for more items to feed it. Or, as the case may be, those items will probably find you. See below.
Youâll make new friends. The same way bringing a puppy to a social gather will tend to make you the life of the party, breaking out your Red Roo CMS 100 is guaranteed to draw a crowd. Inquisitive stares will give way to initial tentative questions. All of which will lead to unavoidable friendly banter. Especially once youâve turned the ignition key and set the V â twin loose on the neighbourhood. The word will be out. Pruning jobs will never be the same and trips to the tip will be a thing of the past. Like ute drivers the world over have been doing since time immemorial, you may have to learn how to politely say âNoâ.
Maintenance is minimal. You shouldnât have to know how to strip and rebuild a combustible engine just to do a serious bit of mulching,
Red Roo in action
chipping and shredding. Thankfully, Red Roo would agree. And the preventative maintenance required for their CMS 100 proves it.
There on the next to last page of the Operation Manual, you find everything you need to keep your Red Roo happy. A full third of a page, to be exact. A measly third page dealing with the location, timing requirements for the grease and lubrication points of the CMS 100.
All four of them. It doesnât get much easier than that.
Itâs been a long time coming but it appears the hard work of so many Southern Beaches Community Garden members has finally paid off. For a while, thereâd been talk and plenty of whispers on the grapevine about the expansion of our little community garden. But, as the saying goes, good things come to those that wait. Or, in this case, diligently persevere.
Yet, as the pictures included here can attest to, the wait is over. Eleven and a half years since first being incorporated, expansion is underway.
Back in 2010, equipped with little more than gumption and a lease from Gold Coast City
New garden expansion site
Councillor Chris Robbins, an agenda was set. To commandeer a plot of land located directly behind the Tugun Community Centre, and turn it into something special.
This being a community garden that would allow for the general sharing of sustainable and environmentally friendly gardening ideas and knowledge. While also serving as an outlet to a healthy lifestyle and an overall better quality of life for the community as a whole.
Building garden plots
Humble Beginnings
Just getting the lease would prove a major first hurdle as original plans to set the garden up in Palm Beach were knocked back. Councilâs reasoning being, such a plan would never get enough traction to prove successful. But many early members had a vision that they simply wouldnât allow to be vanquished. Members such as Margo Janes, Chris Ettelbuttel, Mark Bibby and Michael Ratcliffe. And more. Each and everyone who worked relentlessly to get things off the ground.
Such determination would prove instrumental as local councilâs scepticism very nearly proved correct once the ground was finally broken in their new Tugun home. Because itâd be then that the approximately 40 ambitious new SBCG members would be confronted with the reality of various obstacles impeding the success of their fledgling community garden.
There being nowhere to store various tools and equipment, members were forced to liaison with neighbours sympathetic to the gardenersâ
Tony, volunteer extraordinaire
plans. Neighbours who allowed SBCG materials to be stored on their property during the construction of the gardenâs first plots.
And then there was a water issue. The issue being, there simply wasnât much to be had. At least, none other than from a single spigot located in the middle of the nearby public park located a hundred metres away.
So those early days saw more than their fair share of toil. Like busy ants walking to and fro constructing, filling and watering their new community gardenâs plots. Plots that would serve as the initial beachhead for so many to follow.
And follow they have. To the tune of 100 eventual total plots for a present garden membership tally in the vicinity of 150 members.
Community Involvement
Members that, over the years have lent their time and energy in helping various organisations accomplish their own agendas. Groups and organisations such as The Thrower House, Blair Athol Homeless Shelter, U3A (University of the Third Age), the Endeavour Foundation, Centrelink and more.
And then there are the community-building efforts of putting on free workshops and attending various annual festivals. Festivals which you can always find SBCG volunteers distributing free seedlings to young and old alike. Events such as the Bleach and Swell Festivals in Coolangatta, the Check It Mental Health Festival in Southport, the Tallebudgera Flood Relief Effort and most recently the Hide and Seek Markets located around the southern Gold Coast.
Garden expansion plots everywhere
Eleven and a half years of sharing our community and environmentally friendly driven passion for sustainable gardening. And forging new friendships along the way. Working relationships with the Gold Coast City Councilâs Gail OâNeill, the Tweed Pony Club, Somerset College, the Bendigo Tugun Community Bank, Climate Wave Enterprises, Bunnings and countless local community mowing businesses, butchers, builders and nurseries.
So, thank you to everyone that has had a hand in helping bring this special moment to fruition. Itâs been a whirlwind ride but one that proves anything is possible.
Costa Georgiadis. If youâve ever invested even a couple of weeks in attempting to start your own veggie garden, chances are really good youâve heard of the guy.
Costa in the house
The vivacious and exuberant host of ABCâs Gardening Australia, Costa (along with his trademark beard) is a cultural icon of sorts.
In many ways, it could be argued Costa Georgiadis is to gardening in Australia as…
Shane Warne is to cricket
Steve Irwin is to wildlife conservation
And Michael Jordan is to basketball.
Overblown hyperbole? Perhaps. (The affable Costa would probably say as much).
L to R: Dr. Toby, Arch and Peter
But you get the gist. When Costa speaks, people tune in and take notice.
So when the invitation email from the man to be a part of a live-streamed Facebook event on the topic of beekeeping presented itself, an all-hands-on-deck call went out. All with the intention of bringing everything together for what everyone was certain would be a momentous occasion.
But what eventually played out managed to impress even the most optimistic of expectations. And, if I dare to say, even the expectations of Costa himself.
And truth be told, the SBCG has two main individuals to thank for this.
Live Streaming Peter splitting a hive
Peter Davenport, a practising beehive aficionado of close to 35 years. And Dr. Toby Smith, a native bee researcher based out of the University of Queensland.
Following a concise lead-in from SBCG secretary Arch Cruttenden, Peter and Toby would set the dayâs Facebook Live Chat feed alight with their knowledge, humour and, most importantly, their passion.
It was a passion shared by the live feedâs other guests. Guests such as The Practical Beekeeper, Benedict Hughes from Melbourne, Victoria. Etymology Ph.D. student Amelie Vanderstock in Japan. And Christine Peterson, a backyard beekeeper out of Townsville, Queensland.
In all, the SBCG section of the nearly 80-minute-long live feed would top out at a little more than sixteen minutesâŠ
But an amazingly stimulating sixteen minutes it was as Peter and Toby really pulled back the curtains on Southeast Queenslandâs stingless bees,
If youâve ever had any questions about bees and, more specifically, maintaining native
stingless bees here in Australia, you won’t be disappointed. So please click the link below and watch the replay of Costaâs presentation here. FYI, the SBCG segment begins at 18:45.
As it did for us, we’re sure itâll be a presentation that (pardon the pun) will leave you with quite a buzz.
Thanks again to Costa and everyone that helped make the day both possible and so incredibly memorable.
the side for larger material up to 100mm (4 inches) in diameter. And a top feeding hopper for smaller material up to 50mm. Mulched and shredded material is discharged at knee level from the back of the machine. Itâs hardly rocket science.
