March 2019 Coochiemudlo Island Issue 21 Coochie Island News DEADLINE FOR Small Island Life & Resilience ADS AND CONTENT By Rachael Krinks FOR APRIL ISSUE Men’s Sheds – We learn a lot about resilience living on 15 MARCH 2019 a small island. The battering the sea Mental Health & and wind gave our little isle recently when Cyclone Oma haunted the coast Wellbeing showed just how resilient we are. By Rachael Krinks Amity Trader staff on the ferries and Contents barges kept us up to date with likely The Courier Mail recently ran a stoppages due to the weather, and story on Men’s Sheds which is Small Island Life & Skippers called, texted and Facebook timely as Coochiemudlo Island now messaged island boaties when they noticed Resilience 1 has it’s very own Men’s Shed! moorings becoming compromised. Men’s Sheds 1 The Men’s Shed movement has Although boats were unmoored and the been credited with saving lives over Photo of the Month 2 sands from our shore were dragged back the years. Many of the men Progress Assoc. 3 into the sea, our community did what it attending these sheds are older and does best – we looked after each other and retired. Their work-based Book Review 3 now Redland City Council and the friendships don’t always transition Coastcare Update 4 community are looking after our shoreline. with the men into retirement and they can find themselves adrift and On the Hammock 7 Cont’d page 16… Cont’d page 2… Meet the Makers 8 Photograph below by Rachael Krinks Strength Training 9 Fishing News 10 Council has already, Dunecare… Resilience Sailing 12 Skippers calling boaties, residents and Poetry 14 visitors with boats helping to check on the mooring ropes of strangers, Editor’s Desk 15 Heritage Society 17 Coochie Foodies 17 Cont’d page 2… Ageing in Place 18 Community Contacts 19 Services & Trades 20 07 3206 8633 [email protected] Kindly sponsored by www.BayIslandTransport.com.au Servicing the Redlands and all Bay Islands since 1974 Cont’d p. 16... Coochiemudlo Island ~ Coochie Island News Page 2 of 20 Men’s Shed Cont’d Photograph of the month… Cont’d from page1 ... lonely. The Men’s Shed movement brings men together. They become mates, and talk together about their health and things men don’t tend to talk about. The men build and repair things for local community groups, gaining a sense of purpose and regaining a sense of belonging and well-being. Coochie’s Men’s Shed By President, Bob Corpe We are finally moving into our new shed! Our store room is rapidly filling with equipment and tools that the Coochie community has so generously donated. Without the support of the island community and a very strong and determined committee I am sure we would not have been as successful as we have been so far. The Men’s Shed is all about mateship and the mental health and wellbeing of its members and we look forward to helping the island community in Above: High Tide, Morwong Beach. any way we can and cooperating and working with our new neighbours, the Gym and the Op Shop. Photograph taken by Nikki Cornwall of Visit Coochiemudlo and Coochie Boat Hire. The Men’s Shed has agreed to maintain and service the Progress Association’s wheelchairs and gazebos as a service to the community. Follow @visitcoochiemudlo on Facebook or Instagram for daily photos of Coochiemudlo Island. We are looking for as many new members as we can with membership fees at $30.00 including insurance for the year. Follow @coochieboathire on Facebook or Instagram for bookings & updates on weather For membership queries call Bob Corpe 0412 190 conditions. 982 or 3820 7002. EDITOR Rachael Krinks GENERAL DISCLAIMER Views expressed in articles are contributors’ [email protected] own and not necessarily the view of the publisher. Statements of fact are believed to be true, but no legal responsibility is accepted for them. CIN ENQUIRIES 0407 664 159 FOLLOW CIN EDITORIAL & PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTRIBUTIONS Facebook @coochieislandnews [email protected] Instagram @coochieislandnews Thank you to all our regular contributors! We welcome new island and mainland retail outlet enquiries. PRINTER: Officeworks COOCHIEMUDLO ISLAND ONLINE Coochie Island News https://smallislandstories.com/coochieislandnews/ Visit Coochiemudlo https://www.visitcoochiemudlo.com/ Coochie Hub https://coochiehub.com/ Coochiemudlo Island ~ Coochie Island News Page 3 of 20 Coochiemudlo Island Progress Association News By Heather Smith Book Review: Everything I’ve This month your Progress Association has Never Said continued the planning stage of securing an island bus, collecting quotes including Author, Samantha Wheeler conversion to electric, and possible routes have been put forward. Review by Kylie Purdie https://www.facebook.com/littleblackmarks/ When the details are firm we will aim for a gambling fund grant to fund the project. Samantha Wheeler is a local Brisbane author, fairly well known for her children’s books. With After the discussions regarding the registering of Everything I’ve Never Said, she steps into the golf buggies on the island, a long term resident young adult space to explore something very came forward with proof of a currently registered close to her. buggy on the island. Fantastic! This information will help in our negotiation with the relevant The narrator of the story is Ava, an 11 year old girl who, authorities. due to a rare condition called Rett syndrome, is unable to communicate. The physical aspects of her disability Thanks for the great effort towards raising funds make it impossible for her to use many communication towards island defibrillators. The first 3 should be devices available to those who are non verbal. For Ava’s able to be purchased sometime in April. parents, this means a lot of guess work about what she does or doesn’t like or want. For her older sister Nic, it Progress would like to publicly thank George often means embarrassment as Ava vents her Filip who organised, donated and did the work to frustrations through screaming, hitting and biting. For Ava it means constantly trying to get her family to replace the old tyres on the Progress trailer. understand exactly what she wants. THANK YOU GEORGE! As I read this, I became frustrated on Ava’s behalf. In her own mind she knows so clearly what she wants. As Up Coming Progress Sponsored a character she has a wicked sense of humour and a Events:- strong drive to never give up on finding a way to communicate. She knows she can if they can only find Sunday 17th March - “Come to the right way. Her sadness at not being able to tell her Coochie” Bay FM Beach Party, Main family the simple things like “I love you”, was heartbreaking and I wanted to step into the pages and Beach explain to her family what she was thinking. The other character I connected with strongly was her Sunday 21st April - Easter Market sister Nic. Frequently embarrassed by her sister, Nic also loves her fiercely. Lost in turmoil frequently stirred Current committee members are:- up by Ava, Nic also pulls at your heartstrings as she shows how disability affects so many more than just the Craig Carter person with the diagnosis. Andrew Symes Samantha Wheeler's daughter has Rett syndrome and Roger Freeman this book came about from her wondering what her Simon Beatty daughter is actually thinking; what are the incredibly Russell and Gabrielle Austenberry frustrating parts of her day when she desperately wants Carrie Anderson to wear the pink shirt and not the purple, watch Step Peter Kroll Up rather than Finding Nemo, tell her mother she loves Heather Smith her. Her personal experience gives the book authenticity. It’s well worth a look. Get Coochie Island News each month straight to your email inbox! Free! Subscribe https://smallislandstories.com/coochieislandnews/ Coochiemudlo Island ~ Coochie Island News Page 4 of 20 New grant project starts with Healthy Land & Water By Vivienne Roberts-Thomson Coochiemudlo Island Coastcare has partnered with Healthy Land and Water in a project funded by the Australian government to undertake restoration works around the Melaleuca Wetlands. Above Establishing monitoring points The $18,651 grant project will improve the integrity and resilience of the freshwater Wetland which has high cultural and ecological values and is part of the wider Moreton Bay Ramsar site. With support from Redland City Council, volunteers will work with Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC) rangers and contractors to undertake restoration planting and chemical-free weed control along several watercourses and foreshore over the next four months. Above Finding orchids amongst the weeds The project started last week with Healthy Land and Water’s Dr David Manning establishing test sites with volunteers while contractors started weeding west of the wetlands track. Hand removal of fruiting asparagus fern was seen as a key priority however by the second day Morning Glory, ochna, painted spurge, corky passion vine, umbrella trees and cocos palms were targeted. The saturated steamer will be used on Mothers of Million, Singapore Daisy and Guinea grass in a staged operation over coming weeks. For further details please contact: Vivienne Roberts-Thomson on 0411226363 or Chris Leonard on 0478176540. Serving Coochiemudlo Island This project is supported by Healthy Land and Water through funding from the Australian 3245 1466 Government’s National Landcare Program. [email protected] www.tbctax.com.au Coochiemudlo Island ~ Coochie Island News Page 5 of 20 Serving Coochiemudlo Island! Coochie Contractors Offering you the following services: “Many thanks to Craig Property Maintenance “Coochie Contractors Carter and Brad for our provided me with prompt Landscaping service & prompt return of very smart looking drive Handyman Services and gates.