Podcasts about karuah

Plus all the Friday Fun with Rewind, Free Gig Friday AND Dave's News Wrap!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aunty Margaret Beaven is a proud Worimi Elder from Karuah who was separated from her siblings as part of the Stolen Generations. She shares the story of finding her brother and sisters.

From One FM in Shepparton, Terri Cowley tells a part of Australian history from a unique perspective, as she recounts the tale of one of Australia's first mid-air collisions. Supervising production from Agnes Cusack. Training from the Community Media Training Organisation. Distributed by the Community Radio Network. Produced for the 2021 CBAA National Features and Documentary Series. The episode happened at Sydney's Bankstown Airport in 1955 but, more than 60 years later, it's still rippling down through the generations of the Cowley family, coming to rest with Terri, a journalist who felt compelled to tell the story – before it was too late. Special Thanks Les, Ken and Maureen, Ted and John Cowley for their candid interviews Agnes Cusack Rob Rosenthal Credits Fire by Karuah: karuahmusic.org Come Josephine in my flying machine, performed by Ada Jones and Bill Murray and chorus, 1910 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Award Winning Agency – Why Should You Care? If you had a life threatening heart condition would you use a specialist to give you advice and treat your illness or would you choose the cheapest alternative? I have no doubt that you would use the best in the field that you possibly could. Property is usually a person’s largest financial investment and yet they don’t always realise that they should have a specialist selling their property for them. Worse still, some GIVE the cheapest agent their business. There are also regular sites popping up that advocate that owners can “sell their own”.  Buyers love trying to deal directly with the owners as they know that they can get them down in price, thus defeating the seller’s purpose of selling privately. Some Real Estate Agents are trained in negotiation and marketing and deal with buyers and sellers every day. When you employ a real estate agency that has won multiple awards in many categories, you know that you are dealing with an office serious about their customers and their career.  Awards don't come easily as results and effort must be proven. You have to go the extra mile every time. R & R Property have won many awards, acknowledged by their customers and fellow business owners. R & R have been awarded Agency of the Year, as voted by their customers, for two years running with “Rate My Agent” for the Stroud district. They have also won the 2017 Excellence in Small Business Award for the Midcoast. They were also Finalists in Professional Services and Finalists for Customer Service.  Denise Haynes the owner of R & R Property also received “Highly Commended” as a Business Leader for 2017 as well. This is a huge achievement given that we were up against a big brand agency as well as other much larger independent agencies, and various businesses throughout the Manning Valley, Gloucester & Stroud district. Now this achievement doesn’t come easy. In the past as a small agency starting off as just one person (myself) I have worked night and day to achieve these results, thus bringing my clients the best service that I possibly can.  At R & R Property, we also invest heavily into the business to ensure that we keep up with ever changing technology & services. Our client’s properties are presented to the world with R & R’s up to the minute marketing skills and tools. Now this is important because you are competing with so many properties on the internet, you need your property to stand out amongst the crowd. These wins are such great news for you if you are considering selling your property. You need the BEST agency at the ready to sell your largest financial investment, get the BEST PRICE and move on to the next stage in your life. Seriously think about who you would rather have working on your property’s sale; an award winning real estate specialist or the cheapest agent you can find? Someone who dedicates their life to their business or someone who just does it as a hobby or considers it just a 9 to 5 job? R & R Property’s slogan is “A Passion For Property”. Denise Haynes and the R & R Property Team have offices located in both Stroud and Bulahdelah but cover a large area surrounding them, including Gloucester and Karuah. They are your Tree Change Specialists and love assisting others to make the move from city to country. The team are a combination of lifetime locals and tree changers so their vast experience and knowledge is your asset. You’ll find their free Real Estate advice on their Website, Podcasts and Facebook - “Hints and Tips”. YOU SEE OUR FOR SALE SIGNS EVERYWHERE! Stroud : 02 4994 5766 | “Bowen Chambers” 73 Cowper St, Stroud NSW 2425 Bulahdelah: 02 4997 4325 | 78 Stroud St, Bulahdelah NSW 2423 E: info@randrproperty.com.au www.randrproperty.com.au Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @randrproperty Award Winner for Excellence in Small Business for Midcoast 2017 “Rate My Agent” Agency of the Year award for Stroud District 2017 “Rate My Agent” Agent of the Year award for Stroud District 2016 Featured on Selling Houses Aus. with the Fastest Sale in the History of the show Licensed Real Estate Agent Licensed Stock & Station Agent Licensed Business Broker Accredited Auctioneer Author/Blogger Trained in Marketing & Graphic Arts  

At R & R Property, through our extensive research, we know that the majority of our buyers are tree changers (clients leaving the city or highly suburban areas to move to the country) and where they are coming from. As a group, we generally know their habits, their dreams and their concerns. What we are finding though is that they have an ideal property style in their mind and we know that what we have with a little razzle dazzle could be what they’re looking for. But, they can’t see this. They can’t see past the privet lined creek bank, the farm rubbish lying around the paddock, the falling down old dairy. You – the seller, need to make it easier for them! So what we suggest to our sellers who may be receiving inspections, but their property keeps getting rejected is to look at it from a city persons point of view. Does your property appeal? Is it magazine worthy? Buyers today expect a well presented home in a certain style and a property to match. They would like to be able to envisage their stylish furniture in what could possibly be their dream lifestyle property. They are watching programs such as Escape to the Country on the Lifestyle channel. What your tree changers are reading is magazines like Hunter Lifestyle, Australian Country Style, Australian Country etc etc. Look at your property with fresh eyes: Does it fit the ideal? These magazines present beautiful images of homes where the furniture suits the home, a bit country but clean and modern. The front of the home is welcoming, tidy and stylish. Possibly a picket fence, which is painted, a gorgeous old style fancy gate, an attractive feature front door and a neat and tidy pathway leading to it. Gardens need to be relatively low maintenance but stylish and set the home off like a piece of quality jewellery makes an outfit. Do you have carefully placed attractive tables and chairs for morning coffee, afternoon bubbles, bickies and cheese? Or for that matter an alfresco dining area? Don’t forget a verandah space is another room and should be tastefully decorated accordingly. The paddocks should be slashed and park like if possible, with no rubbish or old building materials, dead tractors or cars etc lying around. If there is shedding or stables it needs to be well maintained and attractive, setting off the home and paddocks. If you have a river, creek or dam on your property, is it clear of weed such as privet? Is it easily accessible? They want to see it and be able to get to it without effort. Let them imagine them taking their little children or grandchildren down there for a paddle.  A cute little moored boat on a large dam also does wonders for eye candy appeal! The interior preferably should be freshly painted in light colours, with plenty of natural light coming into each room through either doors, windows or skylights. Under foot, usually timber floorboards or natural style flooring like bamboo or floating timber style floorboards is ideal. A minimal amount of attractive pieces of furniture, décor and artwork placed throughout. No clutter. All prospective buyers say they can see past mess and clutter – this is not the case. So make it easy and you’ll have far more chance of selling to this target group of buyers. These buyers are usually cashed up after a sale or living in an area where their current home could possibly sell within a week of hitting the market. Quick Checklist Front gate attractive Front fence freshly painted and attractive Pathways clear and neat and preferably attractive Gardens attractive but low maintenance, suit your home Front door, great pop of colour, attractive fittings Exterior paintwork in neutral colour and neat & well maintained Interior, clean, clutter free, light and airy, smells good. Shedding, useful and attractive, especially if it is stables Paddocks, slashed, rubbish free, fencing in good repair Creeks, river, dam attractive and easy access.   If you are struggling to do any of the above yourself or are not sure if your home fits this description please let the team at R & R Property know. We can provide you with free feedback, helpful hints and tips. We can also provide trade references to local builders and handyman services etc. R & R Property assist their clients with a regular Hints and Tips Service on their Facebook Page – R and R Property, and also hold regular Radio Segments with Great Lakes FM (101.5 FM) on Friday afternoons at 5.15pm and twice on Bucketts Radio Gloucester (104.1 FM) at 8am & 9am on Saturdays. The bottom line is that you are less likely to receive low offers on a home and property that is well presented and ultimately meets the dream. The old tag line of – “Move in – Nothing To Do” has been used for years for good reason. _________________________________________________________ Denise Haynes and the R & R Property Team have offices located in both Stroud and Bulahdelah but cover a large area surrounding them, including Gloucester and Karuah. They are your Tree Change Specialists and love assisting others to make the move from city to country. The team are a combination of lifetime locals and tree changers so their vast experience and knowledge is your asset. You’ll find their free Real Estate advice on their Website, Podcasts and Facebook - “Hints and Tips”. YOU SEE OUR FOR SALE SIGNS EVERYWHERE! Stroud : 02 4994 5766 | “Bowen Chambers” 73 Cowper St, Stroud NSW 2425 Bulahdelah: 02 4997 4325 | 78 Stroud St, Bulahdelah NSW 2423 E: info@randrproperty.com.au www.randrproperty.com.au Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @randrproperty

Something that seems to concern buyers when they are considering moving to the country is the threat of bushfire. This is understandable given the tragedies that have occurred in Australia previously. The good news is that there are ways to help prevent the damage and prepare yourself and your family should it occur. We are lucky enough to have dedicated volunteer rural fire brigades in each of our areas, who all band together to save our communities and homes when bush fire does threaten us. They are an amazing crew who risk their lives to save ours, sometimes fighting for days on end in extreme heat and danger. The community is so lucky to have them. The RFS also has an aviation unit and contracts aircraft for fighting fires from the sky. Helicopters and planes water bomb areas, extinguishing or slowing down the flames before they get near homes. Here are some tips that we have put together for you according to the Rural Fire Service (RFS): Preparing your home to be survive: Make yourself aware of whether you are in a bushfire prone area Clean your gutters regularly from sticks, leaves and debris Metal gutter guards, steel flyscreen on doors and windows are recommended Make sure you maintain any holes, gaps, missing roof tiles etc on your home to eliminate places for fire/embers to enter. Install a sprinkler system on your roof spaces and filling gutters Have quality hoses long enough to water down your entire home and shedding. Ensure gardens and surrounding trees are trimmed and maintained. Keep lawns short. Keep a separate water tank full, specifically for firefighting purposes Of course ensure you have home and contents insurance that covers loss from bushfire Keep Your Family Safe: Always have a bushfire plan that you discuss and stick to if the need arises Watch the fire/wind rating/updates regularly if there are bushfires in your area Have a survival pack which you can quickly grab and take with you if you have to evacuate. Items recommended by the RFS to take are: battery operated radio, spare batteries, first aid kit, waterproof torch, candles with waterproof matches, woollen blankets, emergency contact numbers, waterproof bag, cash, credit cards, medications, toiletry items, mobile phone & charger, pocket knife, important docs & photographs, a change of clothing for each family member plus drinking water. Ensure your pets are in a safe place if you can. Have a little safety pack for any that you can take with you ie; cage, leash, medications, food, drinking water, toy. Identify a safe community place that you can evacuate to in the event of a bushfire Keep drinking loads of water to prevent dehydration. Wear clothing that will protect you as much as possible such as denim jeans, leather boots or shoes, a wide brimmed hat, glasses or goggles, gloves, a non-synthetic mask or cloth and a cotton or wool long sleeve shirt. All in all bushfires are a part of an Australia Summer, something we all have to deal with from time to time, one way or another. Thankfully they don’t seem to occur frequently but being prepared and having a plan is the best bet you can make for survival.  I have lived in the Stroud area all of my life and yes there have been bush fires over the years but they have always been controlled by our wonderful teams of Rural Fire Brigade Women & Men Volunteers. Here is a link to download your FREE Bushfire Plan: http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/36597/GetReadyforaBushFire.pdf Check if you live in bushfire prone land: http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/plan-and-prepare/building-in-a-bush-fire-area/planning-for-bush-fire-protection/bush-fire-prone-land I have sourced information from the Rural Fire Service website for this blog: http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au Denise Haynes and the R & R Property Team have offices located in both Stroud and Bulahdelah but cover a large area surrounding them, including Gloucester and Karuah. They are your Tree Change Specialists and love assisting others to make the move from city to country. The team are a combination of lifetime locals and tree changers so their vast experience and knowledge is your asset. You’ll find their free Real Estate advice on their Website, Podcasts and Facebook - “Hints and Tips”. YOU SEE OUR FOR SALE SIGNS EVERYWHERE! Stroud : 02 4994 5766 | “Bowen Chambers” 73 Cowper St, Stroud NSW 2425 Bulahdelah: 02 4997 4325 | 78 Stroud St, Bulahdelah NSW 2423 E: info@randrproperty.com.au www.randrproperty.com.au Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @randrproperty

By R & R Property - Stroud's Real Estate Specialists Established by the Australian Agricultural Company in 1826, Stroud is an incredibly picturesque rural town which is steeped in history. Many gorgeous heritage buildings and convict built structures such as the 8 underground grain silos within “Silo Hill” still remain today. Located along The Bucketts Way, inland of the beaches of Port Stephens, approximately 1 hour from the Hunter Valley and approximately 2.5 to 3 hrs from Sydney, Stroud falls within the Midcoast Council area. The residential area of Stroud is surrounded by farmland, both working farms and lifestyle properties. It is incredibly pretty, framed by rolling hills and mountains, plus a high average rainfall ensures it is almost always lush and green. Stroud has an approximate population of 1000 people, the highest percentage being made up of families in owner occupied homes. At R & R Property we regularly receive enquiries from clients wishing to rent in the area but the town does not hold enough investment properties to accommodate the demand. (Pic sourced from yourinvestmentproperty magazine) For the littlies Stroud Public School has an excellent reputation and there is also the choice of nearby Booral and Stroud Road schools as well. Pre-school and 2 x day care centres are available plus playgroups. Because the schools are small the children benefit from being able to work closely with their teachers and also form strong friendship bonds with their peers as a group. For higher school education children have the choice to commute via school bus to Dungog, Gloucester, Medowie, Bulahdelah, Raymond Terrace, Maitland and Newcastle. Stroud has a commercial hub of retail shops and services within the main street and surrounding areas including a pharmacy, a medical centre, produce store, antiques store, hand made goods, second hand furniture shops, a grocery store with newsagency service, post office, butchers, bakery, hairdressers, beauty salons, café’s, remedial massage, mechanic, tyre service, auto electrician, fuel stations, Hotel, Country Club & Golf Course, Chinese Restaurant, and a Real Estate Agency. There are also a high number and large variety of small businesses operating from homes throughout the area. We currently have one Farm gate/road side stall business operating, where fresh organic produce is sold. There are also regular Permaculture and related classes available. A cluster of boutique vineyards exist, some offer cellar door services, another holds regular muso functions, weddings, parties and markets. Yamahas number one motocross champion, Josh Green has a riding school here as well; perfect for kids and adults alike to learn new riding skills. Community spirit is strong in the country and this certainly applies to Stroud. I have always found that whenever a family or person is in crisis the community all pulls together to help them. It is truly wonderful to see and experience. I also love walking down the street when locals stop you for a chat or sing out a greeting. You certainly feel like you belong in this amazing community. There are numerous groups and activities to be enjoyed, anything from boot camp, trail riding, trail bike groups, pony club, historical society, garden club, quilting to acting & writers groups, whatever takes your fancy. We have the Stroud Raiders Football Team, The Wild Cats Soccer Team & the Cricket Club should you be a sporting enthusiast. Annual events include the Stroud Show, Stroud Rodeo & Camp Draft, International Brick & Rolling Pin Throwing Contest and the Stroud Fair. R & R Property always attend these events, have their marquee up and provide face painting for the littlies. It is a great time to catch up with our community as a whole. R & R Property are always sponsors for Stroud’s events. Our next major event coming up is the Stroud Annual Country Show in which this year we will be sponsoring the wife carrying competition and the token booth. Stroud and its surrounding localities have an amazing array of varying waterways, both fresh and salt water, therefore lending itself to be enjoyed by kayakers, boating enthusiasts, fisherman or just having plain old splashing about fun. I personally grew up in the small town of Allworth. Allworth is located just south of Stroud and is placed along the banks of the Karuah River which is salt water at that point. It has a boat ramp and jetty and we have a very popular fishing club who hold an annual flathead catching competition. I spent my childhood swimming, fishing, boating and catching mud crabs in the river, with friends and family. It’s truly an amazing and beautiful river. Stroud features public parks and BBQ areas, a free 25m public swimming pool, skate park & a beautiful showground with camping facilities. A little known fact is that Stroud has a “Common”. A 30 acre parcel of land on the fringe of the residential area to be used by the community. Locals who live in the residential area can keep their horse on the common for as little as $3 per week. Locals either work in the area in various trades and employment or commute. Stroud has a large poultry & beef industry and a handful of dairies still. We are within easy travelling distance to the RAAF base and the Newcastle Airport which provides employment. Others commute to the surrounding suburbs or to Newcastle City, Central Coast or Hunter Valley for employment, finding it an easy drive along our roads once they’re out of the city areas. As previously mentioned as well, a lot of locals are working small businesses from home. Affordability is excellent in the Stroud district with the current median house price sitting around the $325,000 mark. Our prices range from vacant ¼ acre building blocks in the vicinity of $120,000 and up into large prestige properties in the $1 Million+ range. We have some new rural/residential estates coming onto the market in the near future which will be exciting and meet the demand we currently have for small acreages. We are currently incredibly short on stock given the successful year we had last year which came through into the Christmas period. In Stroud we’ve always had the Sydney market either for weekend getaways or complete relocations but these days it has changed to mostly complete relocations. Central Coast clients have become one of our largest new player groups to the field. It seems that because Sydney is still in boom mode at the time of writing, vendors are selling up and moving to the Central Coast. In fact the Central Coast locals are calling their home town “Little Sydney” and looking to escape from the rat race by moving our way for a Tree Change. We also have quite a bit of interest from the Newcastle area and Medowie. Medowie has the RAAF Base and the Newcastle Airport not far from it; which are an approximate 45 minute drive from Stroud. This leads workers to buy in our area and make the easy commute as needed. Having the Airport at such a handy distance suits business people who possibly work from home but have to attend meetings at Head Office, or meet with clients on a regular basis. It is also popular with mine workers who fly in and fly out to Western Australia. Currently our most popular properties are the smaller acreages, between 2 to 50 acres. These are classed as hobby farms. The smaller sized parcels of land allow people to have the space they yearn for as well as keep animals, have vegetable gardens, ornamental gardens and chicken coops. These smaller sized acreage properties are not as much maintenance, especially helpful for the owners who are working away from home. Here is a handy link to our Business Directory: CLICK HERE FOR R & R Property's Stroud Business Directory Denise Haynes and the R & R Property Team have offices located in both Stroud and Bulahdelah but cover a large area surrounding them, including Gloucester and Karuah. They are your Tree Change Specialists and love assisting others to make the move from city to country. The team are a combination of lifetime locals and tree changers so their vast experience and knowledge is your asset. You’ll find their free Real Estate advice on their Website, Podcasts and Facebook - “Hints and Tips”. You can grab your FREE Tree change Guide at : www.randrproperty.com.au YOU SEE OUR SIGNS EVERYWHERE! Stroud : 02 4994 5766 | “Bowen Chambers” 73 Cowper St, Stroud NSW 2425 Bulahdelah: 02 4997 4325 | 78 Stroud St, Bulahdelah NSW 2423 E: info@randrproperty.com.au ***PLEASE NOTE: This information is meant as a guide only and clients should always undertake their own independent research.

I am Denise Haynes, My Business is R & R Property and this is My Story......... I am regularly asked how my Real Estate career came to be and what the journey has involved. I have therefore written a brief version of my story for you, hoping that this may give you an insight into who I am and where I’ve come from. I’m not sure where my Passion for Real Estate stems from. It certainly wasn’t from my family growing up. Although Mum & Dad always owned our family home there were never any other Real Estate transactions made whilst I was growing up. Our family home was originally a 2bdm old weatherboard home with lots of holes to let the rats and mice come and go as they pleased. When I was aged about 12 Mum and Dad overhauled it and it was converted to a 3bdm and it was pretty neat when I finally got my own room. The long-drop toilet was still proudly located in the back yard though. No luxury such as an inside flushing toilet for us! Times have changed so much with homes, we used to have little old homes and share bedrooms as children. The new homes today are huge in comparison and usually very modern. When I was 20 I purchased my first home to live in, an old 1930’s weatherboard on small acreage. I then sold this and purchased a historic convict built cottage which I still hold to this day. These purchases were achieved with me working up to four jobs at once (1 full time, the others part time) plus my husband at the time working his job. These processes although exciting because I was purchasing a home for myself certainly were underwhelming as far as a Real Estate transaction is concerned. I sold my own property myself but there was no celebratory congratulations from the Agency I dealt with to buy the cottage and in actual fact it was quite a dodgy experience. Not a good introduction to the world of Real Estate I must say. Some years later and now single and having bought my ex-husband out so I could keep the cottage I somehow got it into my head that I should buy myself an investment property. So I scoured the papers, seeking something within my very small budget. Eventually I found a 2 bedroom unit which I thought I could rent out easily enough and purchased it. This was followed by a second sometime afterwards and so my portfolio began to grow. But again all these transactions were totally un-exciting. Not once did I even receive a settlement gift pack from my varied Real Estate Agencies for my trouble. Maybe a bottle of cheap wine some years later from one of them whilst still on my Real Estate investment journey. From these earlier experiences I have gained the knowledge that these are momentous transactions in our life and from this I have ensured that R & R Property have the most amazing settlement gift packs (full of local products) for our clients and hand them over very ceremoniously. After all it’s usually a celebratory occasion finalising from what is generally an emotional roller-coaster ride As an employee I have never ever been the go to work, start at 9 do as little work as possible and go home on the dot of 5 type girl. No not me, I have always been that pesky employee who goes above and beyond, has regular fantastic ideas about what the business can do next to improve and service the customer better. I was the girl who stayed behind if she didn’t complete all her tasks knowing that she wouldn’t be paid any overtime but just wanting the satisfaction of a job well done. For my good willed efforts I have pretty much always been labelled as being a troublemaker. I’m still not sure why, maybe my actions make people nervous or feel inadequate themselves. I re-call when I told one of my Aunties that I was working hard to purchase another investment property she asked me with such disdain – “What do you want to be, a millionairess???” Tall poppy syndrome is rife. At that point in time I was saving as much of my wages as I could each week by sticking to a super strict budget, just so I could try to get ahead. I think the writing has always been on the wall that I needed to own my own business, but it took a while to happen and only because I got thrown in the deep end. When it’s sink or swim – you’d better start swimming real fast! I would like to advise that I am self-titled as unemployable these days. Having been to the other side where I can make decisions, bear the brunt of them when they don’t turn out well or rejoice when they do. Although having my own business is up there with one of the hardest things I have ever undertaken in my life it certainly does give you the benefits of artistic freedom. Whether that is worth it is something you would have to decide for yourself as everyone is different. Some have gone back to being an employee after a stint as a business owner and are happy as can be, just to have a regular wage coming in and no big decisions to make. Not me I seem to like doing things the hard way. In 2004 after being treated what I considered to be unfairly, for quite some time at my current employment, I told my boss to stick it were the sun don’t shine and walked out. There are only so many knocks you can take before self-preservation kicks in. At the time there was a Real Estate Agency in my tiny little suburb. I’d had it in my thoughts that a job in Real Estate might be quite interesting. I quite liked having my investment properties and just thought that it might be something different and interesting. Having no experience whatsoever I plucked up the courage to walk in and ask if there might be something going job wise for me. There wasn’t of course but at least I had registered my interest. I later found out that it was purely because I was a local that he didn’t even consider me. A few months later I thought I might like to have my cottage appraised after having completed some improvements, so I telephoned the local agent and asked him to pop in to do so. Well he must of thought I wasn’t so bad after all and rang me the next day to offer me a casual job, one or two days a week just doing general tea/coffee making, filing, general dogs body type stuff. I jumped at this chance and went in and was a total sponge, listening to everything and following instructions. In my usual mode and work ethic I worked as hard as I could, over and above, learnt as much as I could and I loved it. I was soon invited to take up a full time position and through the years worked in every role along the way. From Filing clerk to Property Manager (rentals) to Sales Assistant. My office manager/sales agent who had given me the job was over the moon because he had someone who would do absolutely everything for him except go out and sell the properties. All the behind the scenes work was completed happily by me and as I said before I just stayed there each evening until it was all finished. Sometimes working diligently into the night without overtime just to meet deadlines and get all my extensive amount of work completed. He had hit the jackpot! One part of the general roles I did was the marketing. When I started within the agency the marketing they had was very crude & basic to say the least. I seemed to absolutely love this creative part of my role and I was soon re-designing their brochures, window cards and general marketing material. I also took it upon myself to produce editorials and advertising to attract people to come to live in our area. Another trait I have is to take people along with me as a bonus. So whatever I was creating was not only for this business but for the town as well, therefore I was effectively marketing for the whole town – for free. I still do this to this day, sometimes it’s reciprocated, sometimes not. I am a strong believer in supporting local businesses regardless, so I purchase whatever I possibly can from them before outsourcing, no matter the price difference or waiting time. The marketing campaigns I created were all very successful. The agency owners that I worked for at the time had 3 offices. One day they organised a meeting with me and asked if I would like to take on the role of marketing officer for all three offices. I was ecstatic and accepted immediately. I was so stoked to think they had such faith in me and I had been given this amazingly creative role as well. Some months later with the takeover of a new owner I unfortunately lost my job with this business as they advised they had no room for a marketing officer. And so the next chapter began. I had a short stint with another agency that left me feeling deflated. I applied for a role with this agency because I loved their marketing. Sadly this company was unsuitable and I was terribly unhappy there. My dream job totally sucked, so disappointing, but oh well time to move on. It was not a waste of time because I learnt more skills and had more experiences under my belt, again things to do as well as things not to do. By this time my previous manager from the original agency had started his own Real Estate Agency. He invited me to be a commission only sales agent and work out of his office. It didn’t take too much thought for me to say yes. By this time I had considered that I wouldn’t mind turning my hand to sales and I saw this as an opportunity. So I grabbed it. Off I went and completed all the courses to become fully licensed (which you are required to do as a commission only sales person, as opposed to a wage earner who at the time of writing can work under a certificate of registration and someone else’s license). I was responsible for providing my own car, which had to be a 4WD (as we work in a rural area), training, phone and motivation. Commission only sales means if you don’t sell a property you don’t get any pay whatsoever. You always have your ongoing & never ending operating costs to deal with though, and when you do sell you only receive a percentage as, of course, most of it goes back to the business. So I had to swim real fast! This was all fine except of course I turned into not only a commission only sales person but his private personal assistant again as well. Never mind, I soldiered on and did everything I could. As a new business we had nothing and I basically helped him create the business bit by bit. The business was created in one of the biggest economic down turns in a long time so things were tough. I just worked as hard as I could trying not to miss any opportunities to learn and sell. I also worked hard to become the best Real Estate Agency within our area and to obtain the lion’s share of business. I was putting in hours and hours of work, doing the km’s, taking the calls, making the calls – then going home and working on it at night as well. I remember clearly one of the business owners friends at the time said – “you will end up being the owner of this business Denise”. At the time I just laughed this off thinking that I would never be capable of doing that. That all sounded way too scary to me! During this time I was a sponge and followed the current owner around and took in as much information as I could. I had done this for years previously when we worked together and I truly believe this, along with being thrown in the deep end is the best way to learn. No amount of text book reading and classes will ever teach you how to or how not to deal with people and the many facets of Real Estate that on the ground foot work will. Of course I do believe in doing courses and have done many in my time and still do. I love self-improvement but it all falls into place when you put what you’ve learnt into practise. Just over 12 months after starting, the owner of the business said “I’ve had enough and it’s all too hard, do you want to buy the business”? Prior to this, for the past 6 months, at the age of 41 I had been trying to fall pregnant with my partner unsuccessfully. I thought to myself, well I’m obviously too old to fall pregnant, that’s just not going to happen for me so why not give this a go. I was terrified to say the least! So my partner and I quickly sold one of our investment properties to fund the purchase. Ironically enough, and against everyone’s advice I paid the owner what I and others perceived to be way too much money for the business, because I knew he was experiencing hardship. Mind you I also knew that I was paying him for something I had helped create, but being the kind hearted person I am, I overlooked this and just decided to run with it. The day I signed the contract of sale I found out I was pregnant. Oh my goodness what a surprise! I had been so busy stressing over buying the business I forgot about trying to fall pregnant and of course that’s when it happened. Good old Mother Nature! After much discussion with my partner I made the decision to keep going with the business regardless and just multi task with bubba in tow. We still laugh today that my husband found me in the lounge room at 3am madly sending emails and completing work because my water had just broken (2 weeks early) and I needed to get this work completed prior to going to hospital. I was also speaking with clients during labour in between contractions. I had to ring and explain this to them afterwards as I thought later that I probably sounded a bit strange at the time. After I had given birth to our beautiful daughter I had my little temporary office set up in the hospital room, as I was to quickly find out neither a baby nor a business sleeps. Everyone who came to visit us in hospital still laughs about my little hospital office set-up today. Then from hospital back to the office we went after a short stint at home getting to know each other. I still laugh today that half of our area have seen my boobs due to the fact that I would be breast feeding in my office when people would bowl in to see Miss Newborn. From the day of her arrival she has been known officially as “The Boss!” The failing business that I purchased in 2010 is absolutely nothing like the business I have today. All aspects except the name have changed. Everything has been overhauled. We have tested and trialled many things, some worked, some didn’t. Over the years I have had many competitors trying to move in on the business, take advantage of the popularity of our area which I have had a huge hand in creating with the continuous stream of editorials, social media campaigns and marketing promotions to draw people here. We’ve even been on Selling Houses Australia, an award winning homeowner TV show on Foxtels Lifestyle channel. I’ve had the ex-business owner and ex-employees go out in competition with me, which is truly heart breaking but hey - That’s business! My mind set being; Do your absolute best at all times and just keep moving forward! It is frustrating though of course, having limped along when times are tough as hell, keeping your head just above water, risking everything you’ve worked all your life for, only to have competitors come in when times improve, taking the cherry so to speak. Being a business owning mother is certainly a challenge and we have had many stressful and funny moments together. From catastrophic poo explosions whilst out with clients to doing $1.4 Million dollar deals at 6am whilst breastfeeding. I must say though “The Boss” has been an awesome business partner winning many hearts. I will be very happy if she has learnt some life and business skills from working with her independent, never give up mummy. I absolutely love changing people’s lives by selling their property or making them new locals. Of course it’s not always roses and sunshine. No matter what the situation, selling and buying property is always an emotionally charged situation. I think a lot of agents forget this, but I strive to always keep the clients care and feelings front of mind. I always ask myself “Could I have improved this situation and process?” If the answer is “yes” then I try to rectify it and if the answers “no” then at the end of the day I can only do my absolute best. It’s always good to learn through any situation and my motto has always been to keep doing the best I can with passion and honesty. I have always had a move forward approach to the business. Never becoming stagnant and always trying to grow. I have had many fails as a boss, a business owner, a mummy and a wife but I have always tried to overcome these and get back on track. I have considered quitting many, many times when things have gotten so tough I didn’t think I could go on, but there’s obviously a tough stubborn streak in me that keeps whispering “keep going – work through it”. There have been many celebrations along the way as well and we continue to do so. I have a fabulous team and we are all passionate about the business and helping others both change their lives and also to be able to enjoy our way of life. Today we have two offices in two locations, have expanded our footprint throughout the area. The two offices although both totally different are both amazing in their own right. Very stylish and upmarket but the down to earth appeal that our clients love about us remains. Although we work really hard, fun and laughter are definitely a daily occurrence and not frowned upon. The whole team are working together wonderfully, but in general the team has always been an ever changing and evolving being in its own right as people come and go for different reasons. I have always been incredibly shy by nature and have had to work really hard to overcome this. I still to this day dislike networking functions as I always feel awkward and nervous. Also unfortunately in today’s society if you aren’t a regular drinker, spending a fair amount of time at your local watering hole you are deemed as odd, stuck up or both. I truly hate that about today’s society and although I have been a regular drinker in my time I am certainly not these days. I also enjoy my own and my family’s company. After a long day working in Real Estate I just want to go home and spend my down time with them. I’m not stuck up, I just love spending my limited spare time in my own company or with my family, having spent all my working day each and every day with everyone else and their family. This also gives me time to indulge in my other passion and stress reliever which is photography. Being a Rural and Residential Real Estate Agent is seriously one of the hardest jobs I have ever done. It is sheer hard work, both physically and emotionally. It is also incredibly rewarding! I have made so many amazing friends from clients who have both bought and sold through R and R Property in and around all of our areas of Stroud, Bulahdelah and Gloucester. And it is a great feeling to walk down the street and have everyone chatting to you, or singing out greetings to you. I am incredibly excited about the future knowing that we have new & amazing projects in the pipeline which will be rolling out during the year. Never satisfied to be the same as every other agency, we definitely don’t cookie cut and we always look for out of the box ideas. That is also why I have never accepted the invitations from franchised agencies to join them. I love our independence and am incredibly proud of having full authority over everything we do. The R & R Property Team are now a force to be reckoned with and I also have a team of awesome contractors behind the scenes who have our back and know what we are seeking to achieve. Trust me I love this business, our slogan is “A Passion For Property” and it has my heart and soul poured into it. I’m not going anywhere and you’d better watch this space to keep up with us! Denise Haynes and the R & R Property Team have offices located in both Stroud and Bulahdelah but cover a large area surrounding them, including Gloucester and Karuah. They are your Tree Change Specialists and love assisting others to make the move from city to country. The team are a combination of lifetime locals and tree changers so their vast experience and knowledge is your asset. You’ll find their free Real Estate advice on their Website, Podcasts and Facebook - “Hints and Tips”. YOU SEE OUR FOR SALE SIGNS EVERYWHERE! Stroud : 02 4994 5766 | “Bowen Chambers” 73 Cowper St, Stroud NSW 2425 Bulahdelah: 02 4997 4325 | 78 Stroud St, Bulahdelah NSW 2423 E: info@randrproperty.com.au www.randrproperty.com.au Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @randrproperty  ***Disclaimer: The information within this document are my personal experiences and therefore my personal opinion and perception of events.

Yes folks it's that crazy time of year again when we are all racing from Christmas party to Christmas shopping trip and back again. For some though there is yet another stress factor to be fitted into this equation and that’s whether to buy or sell within the Christmas and New Year Season. Sometimes for the people involved this situation just happens without them realising before it’s too late.  For example, they’ve had the excitement of selling their home and then “oh no” settlement it seems is smack bang in the middle of Xmas season. Or maybe they’ve excitedly just purchased a home and yes again the settlement sits within that time frame. Possibly they have to sell their current abode before they can complete settlement. Either way, what are the benefits of buying and selling within the Holiday Season? People are generally more motivated to get things completed at this time of year – just ask any tradie about their workload before Christmas. The odds are he or she is in high demand to complete jobs prior to Christmas because that’s the client’s deadline, when all the family are turning up. At this time of year there may be more people on the ground that require a house to move into very soon. People like to have a fresh start for a New Year which in effect gives them the motivation to get it completed sooner rather than later. Buyers also like to have their children change schools at the beginning of a new year rather than during. We tend to make New Year’s resolutions creating moves for a better lifestyle or a career change, therefore pushing them to move house. Placing your property on the market during this time when others are thinking it’s not such a great idea could be quite beneficial. For the seller, take into consideration that workers or business owners who may not otherwise have time to search the internet and inspect properties may be on leave at this time of year and therefore now have the time to do so. Buyers who are inspecting at this time of year may have their family on hand to assist them with the big decisions they need to make. There can be some difficult situations to deal with at this time of year. Most solicitors and conveyancers take leave over the Christmas break. There are some that do work through though so it’s worth checking out who they are. As mentioned previously getting tradies to complete any job at this time of year is difficult because they are usually booked out already. For the seller the home yard may be difficult to keep looking pristine due to the high temperatures and stress on lawns and gardens at this time of year. You may not wish to be bothered with home inspections whilst you have friends and family visiting. For the buyer there may not be a large selection of property on the market at this time of year. You may need to rent before buying, again to overcome not being able to find the right property to purchase. This could possibly prove difficult if there are not a lot of rentals on the market at that time. All in all no matter what time of the year it is there are always buyers on the ground. Being on the market during the Christmas period and New Year period may just give you the edge over others who have taken theirs off the market. As a buyer it may also give you the edge over others who have decided to take a break over the holiday period from seeking a new property and may also give you more buying power. If you would like assistance with buying or selling please contact the Real Estate Specialists at R & R Property. R & R Property have listed and sold an extensive amount of property for our clients and are the leading estate agency in the Mid North Coast. We deal with these matters every day and are always open to your questions and willing to assist however we can.   Contact the R & R Property Team on www.randrproperty.com.au P: 02 4994 5766 Denise Haynes and the R and R Property Team cover Stroud, Bulahdelah, Gloucester and Karuah areas. They specialise in Tree change or Sea Change properties.

Tired but not resting, Bev Manton was the first female chair of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council.

"I'm a fisher girl, the most relaxing time is when I've got that line in the water and you're just sitting there thinking."