Sunday, 17 November 2019

Our Trip To Paws at the Park Gold Coast Dog Markets




Paws at the Park, Gold Coast Dog Markets, Queensland. Australia

The Gold Coast is blessed with spaces to take the dog for a bit of fresh air and exercise. So we got up early for the one hour drive down the M1 stopping first at Burleigh Heads Hill to check out the surf and surfers, early walkers and lined up at Nook Espresso. John Laws Park offers one of the most magical views anywhere in the world and was a buzz. 






We then headed back so Shari could have a run and swim at Pizzey Park. Prizzey Park, Miami, has a great enclosed agility area which is safe for dogs of all sizes to play in. The lakeside area of this Miami dog park is also perfect for man’s best friend to have a scamper and sniff around. You can enjoy a walk around the lake, with the pine trees as a backdrop. Pizzey Park is considered one of the best Pet Friendly areas on the Gold Coast. Shari got to stretch her legs, swim, chase and play with other friendly dogs.


Canine friends can play a wide variety of roles in a person’s life. They can be the food allergen detector, the stress reliever, the security officer, the travel companion and even the wingman. However, it’s a fact that they won’t be around forever. This is why you should treasure every moment you have with them.We then headed to Country Paradise for Santa Paws in the Park.






We last attended the Gold Coast’s largest dog market on the 3rd December 2017 at the Cleveland Showgrounds. The market is the brainchild of two small business owners — Jenna, who owns Doggie Tea and Hugo’s Ice Creamery; and Lia, of oodle&co. The idea began and grew slowly, with the two friends just attending normal markets with their businesses. After several of these events, the concept of promoting in these markets was born. They both thought that it would be amazing to have a place where all local dog businesses owners can showcase their products and services to dog lovers.
Their first market started in April 2016 with only 20 stall markets with 500 attendees. After holding several markets, it has rapidly grown, now with more stalls and activities for everybody.






Paws at the Park is Australia’s largest free dog market event and we seem to always miss the August event held at Mudgeeraba Showgrounds. The Gold Coast’s favourite doggie market event was back again today, Sunday 17 November with a festive twist. At Santa Paws at the Park, you’ll have the paw-fect place to pick up this year’s Christmas presents for your fur-kids and snap a photo with Santa Paws himself!







The Christmas market was moved from Cleveland to Country Paradise Parklands. Country Paradise Parklands is a wonderful, open space, community-managed parklands situated in Nerang. The sprawling grounds feature stables and a large paddock for the Healing Hooves program, a community garden, a large main building and workshop for the Men's Shed. There was over 100 market stalls for all those Christmas gift ideas, educational seminars and demos, off-leash areas for small and big dogs, food trucks, plus competitions and raffles with thousands of dollars in prizing.






If you’re an animal lover you know you’ve said once or twice before. What if that dog idea dream could become your next business? With so many people having dogs instead of children, products and services that help people care for their four-legged family members are in a growth pattern that doesn’t seem slowing down anytime in the near future. There was some great stores and imagine the owners trying to cement themselves in this world is a hard no matter what you’re doing. Now imagine doing that in this dog-eat-dog corporate world. Unlike big corporations, these markets offer you unique products that will be as incredible as you think they will. You’ll find unique twists on traditional possessions, or entirely unique ideas that create products that you never even knew you needed before you saw them in that shop. There are lots of local makers who bring their personal experiences, skills, and creativity to their products. So take the time to go to a local market event sometime and you’ll find out how these local people bring the soul to their products. And believe me; it might just make your day.




We love to Follow them on social media and make sure we share their deals or products and announcements so to help them get a wider net for people who will be interested in their products.

ANIMALE PET ACCESSORIES
ASH TO ART
BARKER AND FETCH
BARKLEY AND PIPS
BELLA’S PET FOOD
BEST 4 PAWS
BEST FRIENDS RESCUE
BIGGIES RAW PANTRY
BK BOUTIQUE
BOCHETTA PLUSH TOYS
BUDGET PET PRODUCTS
CHICA + CO
CHRISTENSEN’S DOG BEDS
COCO KABOO
COSY CRIBS BESPOKE PET BEDS
DISHY DOGS
DIZZY DOG COLLARS
DOGGY HAMPERS
DUNDIES
ELITE MACRAME
FETCH N FUN WELLNESS & DAYCARE
FOUND BY THE HOUND
FRANKIE & EMMETT
FROM THE DOG
FURRTRITION
THE GOLDEN BONE BAKERY
GOOD BOY BONES
HAPPY PAWS CO
HUGO’S ICE CREAMERY
INNOVATIVE PET PRODUCTS
K9 THREAD CO
KIMBERLEY KAPERS
KISS MY PONYTAIL
L'BARKERY
LILLIE & LOTTE
M & L HANDCRAFTED
MAX AND KODA
MONTI AND CO
PABLO & CO
PAWS A MOMENT GIFTWARE & BAKERY
PAWPEDICS
PET ACCESSORIES WAREHOUSE
PET POTIONS AND REMEDIES
PETSPA
PLUTO AND ALLY TREATERY
THE POD GREYS
POWER POOCH
PURELY YOURS
THE SCEPTIC OIL CONVERT
SNIFF & SNORE
SNUFFLE EMS
SUNDOGZ
TED AND PATRICK
TRICK 4 TREAT
WET NOSE PRODUCTION
WILD DOGZ AUSTRALIA


It’s important to remember that dogs are social animals. There’s a reason we call them our best friends: They are wired to spend time with us, watch us and help us. It’s hard for dogs to become great at their job of companion if they don’t ever spend any time in our company that’s why we take Shari on as many adventures as we can. We don’t leave her at home or palm off to neighbours so we can have adventures. If she can’t come we find something that she is welcomed at.

Saturday, 16 November 2019

Our Trip To Handmade Redcliffe Markets

Our Trip To Handmade Redcliffe Markets, Brisbane, Queensland. Australia


Up early, for a 20 minute trip to Redcliffe. Redcliffe offers a diversity of shopping experiences, from centres to boutique retail ... fantastic weekly markets showcasing local produce and handmade items, lovely beaches and parks.

We first headed to our favourite parks,  Kroll Gardens, which is about 5 acres of off-leash park. Kroll Gardens is the perfect place to go to when you want to bring your four-legged friends along. We take our pup Shari here at least 2 times a week and she absolutely love it. Shari likes to mingle with the other dogs and Chase… well she loves to chase, steal balls and never brings them back to us.

It’s great for the dogs to have so much room to run free (this place really is massive!) and be able to play with all the other friendly dogs around.  Kroll Gardens is also fully fenced and has lots of trees and a walking track through the middle of it. This park is just perfect for dogs and has all the best facilities for your furry friends no matter how big or small they may be.  If you’d like to take your dogs for a visit to Kroll Gardens then you can find it on the corner of Snook Street and Duffield Road in Clontarf. Hope to see you there!






We then dropped into Handmade/Boutique Market at Margate. A boutique-style market where product and service meet Handmade Redcliffe is home to a unique community of makers and customers. A curation of stalls filled with locally made wares supported by customers seeking niche, handmade products and who enjoy meeting the local crafters that make them.





We love heading to local markets because lots of stall holders are regulars at the markets they attend, so if you fall in love with one of their products, you can always go back and buy it again. Many stall holders also have online stores so you can discover great products that are available online, while still supporting local business.





When you buy a product in a department store, you’re never aware of who made it, how it was made and more often than not, all you know is it was probably made in a factory in China. When you buy from the markets, you almost always meet a products’ maker who will gladly tell you how it was made, what it’s made from and where it was produced.
As almost all products you’ll find at art and craft markets are handmade, it’s common to find products made from recycled or upcycled materials, organic ingredients and making processes that are environmentally friendly. Not only will you be supporting local industry but you’ll also be supporting our environment.







If you’re tired of looking at the generic products of Myer, David Jones and other department stores, but still want variety, durability and quality, markets are the place to go. Keep up to date on art and design being created by the people who live in your local community. Buy their products and support local artists and designers.






Before heading home we dropped into Soul Harvest Wholefoods Eatery, Margate. This amazing business is the epitome of soul food, made with love and it resonates into the food. The staffs are an amazing unit of beautiful human beings that make wholesome healthy food that tastes amazing. As an ex chef, hospitality person , I can honestly say that this unique business is something special that only comes along in rare cases. Kim ordered the Meal Preps from these guys. The food is delicious and she loves that it is nutritious as well. Her favourites are the beef curry and the poached chicken salad - yum! The meals make her work lunches and dinners easy, Kim always loves coming here. Her last order was a very generous size poached chicken and avocado salad. It was divine.



Sunday, 10 November 2019

Cleveland Lighthouse Point Photography Session




CLEVELAND LIGHTHOUSE POINT, PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION, QUEENSLAND. AUSTRALIA


Up 3am, this time with Kim and Shari making the early one hour drive south-east of Brisbane to Cleveland, situated on Moreton Bay. Known for its boutique retail choices, relaxed café culture, and smorgasbord of eateries, Cleveland features coastal and harbourside dining on Redlands Coast. The beautiful Raby Bay Foreshore Park, with sandy beaches, a dog off-leash beach, playground and sprawling grassed areas is perfect for coastal picnics and outdoor catch-ups with friends and family. Cleveland Point Park is a picturesque park with playground for young children, surrounded by sea and adjacent to the historic light house at Cleveland Point.






The Cleveland Point Lighthouse was built in 1864 and is unusual because it is hexagonal rather than round. Also it is clad with weather boards instead of the metal cladding found elsewhere in Queensland. It was moved in 1976 to this location 30 metres from where it was built to make way for a new beacon which I have to say isn't anywhere near as impressive. The white hexagonal timbre-clad lighthouse attracts many keen photographers and gives Cleveland Point a piece of history to hold on to.




Located next to the park is The Lighthouse Restaurant. This dine in restaurant has stunning views and serves great local seafood. It also has a coffee shop (dine in and take away) and a take away Fish and Chippery.



Early risers got a treat this morning with a vibrant sunrise that blazed the sky, and the night before got stunning sunset photos, likely from fires in Queensland and New South Wales. The bright reds, pink and orange were breathtaking and Every-one at one time or another has marveled at the beautiful red and orange colors of a sunrise or sunset.






Sunrise finished it was time for breakfast and because we weren’t too far from Wynnum we finally got to check out Frenchies Café. Frenchies Café is a paradise for both pooches and dog lovers alike. Canine patrons at Frenchies are treated like royalty - even though there are communal water bowls available, each dog also has their own personal water bowl, in addition to their own mat. Your dog can literally lie at your feet in style and comfort.







There is dog decor in every nook and cranny of Frenchies, keep your eyes peeled. From little figurines to pillows, you won't be able to escape the dog life, no matter which area you are seated in. There are even dog themed products for sale. The items for sale are mostly French Bulldog themed (as per the name of the cafe), but there are also other breeds of dogs too. 






Being a dog themed cafe, Frenchies of course has named some of their menu items after breeds of dogs, including "The Whippet", "Staffy's Smashed Avo", "The Great Dane" and "Schnauzer's Shakshuka". Frenchies has a "Woofers menu" - or in other words, a menu specifically for dogs! From woofachinos to pancakes, to scrambled eggs and fried rice, your pooch will be spoilt for choice and also offer pooches go.  They don't come much more dog-friendly than Frenchies Cafe at Wynnum.






After breakfast we headed to Manly. One of Kim’s favourite markets is in a lovely park right beside the ocean in Little Bayside Park in Manly. The Manly Creative Markets often is the reason we head to the Wynnum and Manly area. There is a lot to like about these markets. It operates at a convenient time of 8 am to 3 pm ever Sunday. 





This makes it is a perfect place to visit for lunch while you are in the area. It is nice to walk along the coast from Wynnum to Manly and then stop at the markets. There are many stalls selling food, but there are also restaurants and cafes nearby if you prefer. The markets attract a more amateur crowd of stall holders than most other markets. This means a lot more products that reflect the creative stylings of local Queenslanders. You also get some great stalls and wonderful food as well.




While your around Wynnum and Manly, take a foreshore walk starting at the northern end with the ethereal Mangrove Boardwalk, with observation seats and insights into a unique water world and its inhabitants. Take a walk around the main streets with charming old-fashioned blend of businesses – from fabric, stationery, curtains, book and sewing machine repair shops to continental delis, galleries, cafes and Brisban'e best collection of op shops. Worth visiting in particular are The Collective Store, a fantastic little emporium of wares and clothes all hand made by artisans.