4 STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS SUMMER 2012–13

NEWS

KANGAROO SHOOTINGS UPSET

TRADITIONAL OWNERS Seven kangaroos were shot and left todie in a shooting spree on Main Beach,north and south of the Causeway.

Quandamooka Traditional Owners wereupset by the callous killing of the adultmale and female eastern greykangaroos, and one swamp wallaby.

The roos, which had been variously shotthrough the head and neck, werediscovered by staff members fromRedland City Council.

They reported the shootings to theQuandamooka YoolooburrabeeAboriginal Corporation (QYAC),Queensland Parks and Wildlife Staffand North Stradbroke Island Police.

The Quandamooka YoolooburrabeeAboriginal Corporation has signed anIndigenous Management Agreementwith the Queensland state governmentand since then has been in discussionwith the state about the allocation ofresources, including beach patrols.

Suzie Coulston, CEO of QYAC said: “Wewholeheartedly support the allocationof adequate resources to patrol theIsland and we are working inconsultation with QPWS, Redland City Council and other stakeholdersabout this.

“It concerns us greatly that theseshooting have occurred and that thereare not more patrols being conductedby those who have been trained asauthorised officers.

“This shooting behaviour is notacceptable and unfortunately this is notthe first time.

“We want to see patrols ramped up byall parties and we encourage the policeto expedite their investigations into this matter.”

IT’S HARD TO MISS THE CHANGES ATthe Straddie Roadhouse since it came undernew management.

With bright blue signs now visible fromthe road, sheltered outdoor seating and anew menu, the Roadhouse is bustling withbusiness from both visitors and locals.

“When we first started, during Christmastime, we were doing one box of bacon andnow we’re doing two to two-and-a-half boxesa week, so it’s doubled,” Straddie Road-house owner, Joe Rahurahu, told SIN.

Home to the legendary “Straddie Burger”and still serving as a general store and fuelstation, Joe thinks their success lies withbeing consistent.

“A lot more local people are coming backbecause we have better food and it’s fresh,and our hours are always the same,” Joesaid. “What you get today, you’ll get tomor-row, so the quality doesn’t change.”

Joe and his partner Megan have moreimprovements in store for the Roadhouse,which was established more than threedecades ago, with renovations planned forinside and outside the storefront.

“A lot of people have commented that

we’ve cleaned it up but there’s still a lot todo,” Joe said. “We are getting a lot morework during the winter time because of allthe local people coming in. So we want totidy the place up. There’s a bit more paintwork to be done, as well as new seatingrather than the green tables. I love my tim-ber,” he added.

Formerly working as a carpenter andlabourer in Browns Plains, Logan, Joe isoriginally from New Zealand.

“I prefer living over here than BrownsPlains or Logan,” he said. “It’s good becausenow I know everyone in the community andit’s a really tight knit community.”

Having holidayed on Straddie for manyyears, Joe and Megan made the decision tobuy the Roadhouse and move permanentlyto Point Lookout, with their two youngdaughters, a year ago.

“We’d spend a lot of time over here holi-daying and camping and we used to comehere every Christmas for six weeks and alsoduring Easter,” Joe said. “Now it’s like livingat work, but it’s good having the beachstraight out the backyard.

“And we still go camping on the beach.”

Home of the Straddie BurgerB Y M A R I A T A N

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SUMMER 2012–13 STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS 5

PEOPLE

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Koalas are often seen crossing theroad in front of the general storeat Amity Point, where they climbthe nearby gum trees to watchshoppers come and go through-

out the day.“Tourists love it,” co-owner of Amity Point

General Dealers, Kylie Manteufel, told SIN.“There are often koalas in the trees out thefront and they just cross the road, go up thetree and sit there for a while.”

While there are koalas out front, out theback the general store looks directly ontothe waters of Moreton Bay, where dolphinsare spotted frolicking near the jetty in theafternoons.

“The water’s just right there, it’s easy towalk to,” Mrs. Manteufel pointed out. “Youhave beaches and you have the bay and youcan walk from one end to the other or swimin the netted swimming enclosure.”

Once, a runaway kangaroo was sightedswimming off into the distance, an eventKylie describes as “one of the strangestthings that’s ever happened” since she andhusband Duane bought the store in 2009.

“One morning we watched a kangaroohop past the shop and jump straight intothe water off the rocks and it just kept swim-ming,” she said. “We were standing heregoing, ‘Gee that kangaroo’s going reallyfast,’ and then it’s gone into the water.

“We had to ring the wildlife rescue tocome and get it. It was really bizarre.”

The mother of four told SIN that her lifehad changed “in every way” since she andDuane swapped country living in a smalltown near Gatton, for the Island’s beach-side lifestyle, 15 years ago.

“I’d never go back,” Kylie said. “I loveAmity because it’s a small friendly commu-nity where everyone knows each other and

helps out. I also enjoy the tourist seasonand meeting new people and seeing differ-ent things.”

Kylie says she and Duane plan to run thestore for many years to come, and hope tosee more “positive changes in Amity”,including a supervised feeding program fordolphins at Amity Point jetty.

“Amity is quieter compared to PointLookout. I’d like to see a bit more servicesin Amity and the only way we’re going to dothat is to see more visitors in Amity,” shesaid. “Even the bus services to Amity arelimited. A lot of people don’t even realisethat if you come by public transport, no-onestops at Amity, so there are a lot of peoplethat just don’t realise how nice it is here.”

Amity Point General Dealers, 9 Ballow Street, isopen seven days and sells bait and tackle as wellas general groceries, fuel, ice and gas.

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B Y M A R I A T A N

10 STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS SUMMER 2012–13

NEWS

ROAD RULESVisitors are reminded that the same road rulesapply to the beaches and roads of NorthStradbroke Island as they do on the mainland.Please be mindful of this as receiving a trafficticket, or a charge of drink driving, would nodoubt spoil your holiday. The most frequentissues are speeding, fail to wear seat belt, drinkdriving, riding in the back of utes, and parentsallowing their children to drive on the beach.Another major issue is drivers failing to slowdown around people on the beach. Please showcommon courtesy and slow right down whenpassing families; we do not want to seeanyone’s summer holiday marred by tragedy,should a child be seriously injured, or worse. Bewarned: extensive traffic enforcement will beconducted throughout the summer break.Flinders Beach 40kph. Main Beach 60kph.

RANDOM BREATH TESTINGGood news: drink drivers are few and farbetween on Straddie. We have been performingRBT’s at the same rate as usual, and have onlydetected one drink driver in almost 1200 RBT’s.Hopefully this is a sign that people are realisingthe selfishness and stupidity of drink driving.

A male person was intercepted while driving acommercial vehicle and he is fronting court fordisqualified drive, which will probably result in aheavy fine, and an extension of the existingdisqualification period.

LOCK IT OR LOSE ITA reminder to our visitors: sadly, crime can anddoes occur here so please ensure that premisesand vehicles are locked at all times whenunattended. Do not leave items around the yardor front of houses over night, e.g. surf boards,fishing rods etc, as they may vanish if notsecured away over night.

OFFICER OF THE YEARI am proud to announce that one of our ownofficers, Sgt Constable Danny Wruck, wasnominated for the Redlands Police Officer of theYear. I won this award myself a few years backand I know what an honour it is to benominated for the top gong. Danny is a mostdeserving nominee.

OPERATION MERCURYOperation Mercury was conducted during theSeptember school holidays. Policing numbers

on the Island were boosted with the assistanceof the Wynnum District Response Team andTraffic Branch. Similar numbers of offences,arrests, and liquor notices as per previous yearswere observed. Parents must take responsibilityfor their children’s behaviour, a message that isvery hard to get through.

AMITY SQUATTERSInformation was received recently regarding amale and female squatting in the Amity Pointtownship. Property offences also started to bereported around the same time. Subsequently,we began investigations, resulting in thelocation of a 25-year-old male and 16-year-oldfemale in a residence in Amity. Following astand off, both persons were taken into custodyand charged with numerous property offencesand one drug related offence. Once again, theassistance of the public was key to thissuccessful result.

On behalf of all at Dunwich Station, and PointLookout Police Beat, I would like to thank thelarge number of locals who have assisted us inour efforts to make NSI a safe place to live, andwish you all a great summer.

While the Newman Governmentcuts funding to Murri Courtsacross the state, a new alternative

is being suggested by Uncle Norm Clarke,a presiding Elder on the Cleveland MurriCourt.

“The community, as well as a couple ofmainstream JPs, can sit and run their ownIndigenous court on the Island, for theIsland people themselves,” Uncle Normexplained. “They do that at the Aboriginalmission at Cherbourg, it’s only about fiveor six kilometres from Murgon. They havea magistrates’ court with JPs and all theAboriginal people who sit in the court areJustices of the Peace.

“That’s something that maybe the com-munity can get together on and put to theAttorney-General’s department about try-ing to run something themselves on theIsland, because all the minor things thatcome through the Murri Court could behandled in a JP Magistrates Court,” UncleNorm added.

The LNP vowed to increase funding toJP Magistrates Courts by $3.5 million as

one of their election promises, but so faronly one new pilot program will be trialled to enable JPs to resolve minor disputes within the Queensland Civil andAdministrative Tribunal.

Funding for the Murri Court was sched-uled to finish at the end of 2012, a movethat Attorney General and Minister forJustice, Jarrod Bleijie, said was based onevidence that suggested the program wasnot working effectively.

“The Murri Court was not deliveringconsistent results and did not justify theamount being spent to keep it operating,”the Attorney General said. “The programwas not reducing imprisonment rates forIndigenous offenders and has notstopped recidivism in the short term.

“This is because many offenders returnto their communities where they areexposed to the same levels of unemploy-ment and drug and alcohol use,” theAttorney General told SIN.

As the director of Project 10%, anorganisation campaigning to reduce theover-representation of Aboriginal and

By Sergeant PETER TWORT, Officer in Charge, Dunwich Police. 3409 6020

ISLAND BEAT

Murri Court closureStraddie Elders and residents are being urged to start a Justice of thePeace (JP) Magistrates Court on the Island to counter the planned closureof the Murri Court in Cleveland at the end of the year, MARIA TAN reports.

Torres Strait Islander people in Queens-land prisons, Uncle Norm believes theMurri Court closure is “a backwards step”and says he is “disappointed” with the gov-ernment’s decision.

“With the Murri Court gone, more ofour people will go to the MagistratesCourt where they can be sentenced toprison time and the prisons at themoment are overloaded,” the Project 10%director said.

“This government has shown that theyare not looking at the bigger, wider picture or committed to their electionpromises.”

The imprisonment rate for Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander people is 14times higher than the rate for non-Indige-nous persons, according to 2011 prisonercensus data from the Australian Bureau ofStatistics.

“In the long run I think it will cost themdouble to what it was to run the MurriCourt,” Uncle Norm added.

“The court system won’t be able to keepup with the number of the cases that willnow run through the Magistrates Court.”

North Stradbroke Island CommunityJustice Group member Colin Kingstontold SIN the most important aspect of theMurri Court system was that it gave the Elders a platform to talk to youngIndigenous people.

SUMMER 2012–13 STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS 11

NEWS

DELIVERING THANKS AFTER POST OFFICE FIRE

Dunwich postmasters, Brian and HettyConlon, have one simple message to allthose who have given them support sincea fire destroyed their home and workplace:

“Thank you so much.” The Dunwich Post Office and the Conlonhome were gutted by fire during a robberyand assault in late July, in which HettyConlon (above) was injured.

“It’s because of the support of people andbeing part of the community that we’vebeen able to get by,” Brian Conlon told SIN.

“We couldn’t do it without their supportand that’s the reason we live here.”More than $50,000 was raised to helpthe Conlons, including $34,000 raisedat a community carnival held in Augustand generous donations from people allover Queensland. North Stradbroke Island Community JusticeGroup member, George Khan, describedthe Straddie Fundraiser as “the mostpositive thing that came out of the wholeepisode.

“That was a major day for the communityto get together. Everyone was there andit just flowed,” George said. “Initially[after the fire] there was shock andhorror, then ‘let the police do their inves-tigation and we will look after Brian andHetty. We’ll support them and make surethey’re right’.”The North Stradbroke Island CommunityJustice Group (NSICJG) helped to put upthe temporary mailing boxes now beingused in the rebuilt post office. NSICJGmember Colin Kingston told SIN that theCommunity Justice Group was formed be-fore the fire, in response to rising youthand social issues that were becomingprevalent on the Island.

“We were concerned and we could seethat there was a problem with alcohol,drugs and anti-social or bad behavior inthe streets.

“We figured the best way we could helpwas to form a group and act as communitypeople normally should act, and get sup-port from the police,” he said.Picking up the pieces has not been aneasy task for Brian and Hetty, who arestill coming to grips with ongoing policeinvestigations while slowly trying to rebuildtheir shop and home.—Maria Tan

Installing Closed Circuit Television(CCTV) cameras around Dunwich is atthe top of the list for the newly formedNorth Stradbroke Island CommunityJustice Group (NSICJG).

“At the Citizen’s Group meeting, we men-tioned the cameras in High Street and we spokeup and said that we think we need cameras insome areas in Point Lookout,” NSICJG memberGeorge Khan told SIN.

The justice group is now awaiting approvalfrom Redland City Council before installing thefixed security cameras.

“This is where other councils have sort ofbuckled because the monitoring of them is acost,” George said.

The justice group believes that security cam-eras will reduce crime on the Island, in the sameway as Logan City Council’s Safety Camera Pro-gram and the Safe City Program in Ipswich.

“Have a look at whether it’s worth it. Thecrime rate in Ipswich has come down, behaviourin the streets has improved and people love towalk around Ipswich at night time now and go tothe restaurants and stuff so there’s consistentbusiness,” he said.

Local pizza shop owner and NSICJG member,Charlie Jia, agrees that the cameras are now nec-essary, following the Dunwich post office fireand ongoing issues surrounding drug and alco-hol fuelled-violence on the Island.

“We could see where our concerns with theseissues were heading anyway. These issues had tocome to a head somewhere and that’s just whathappened,” Charlie said. “It’s an importantpoint too that it’s not just about crime; it’s aboutpublic safety and perception of safety.”

The justice group also serves as a contactpoint for the rehabilitation of Murri Courtoffenders, while working alongside the Minjer-ribah Moorgumpin Elders, local police and thecouncil to discuss possible solutions for crime,social and youth-related issues at communityforums.

“We’re really working closely with the counciland the council is on board with what’s happen-ing over here and also the community, so thatthe police, community and council work togeth-er to do a holistic type approach to deal withthings rather than just the traditional approachof policing,” NSICJG member Senior ConstableDanny Wruck told SIN. “I think we’ve tried tochange tack a bit in terms of being more proac-tive in getting the community involved in theprocess and through research on crime andsocial issues. That’s really the best way, to work inpartnership with the community and help themhelp themselves.”

Formed earlier this year, the justice grouphas been operating on a voluntary basis andhopes to gain more support from the Straddiecommunity.

“We haven’t had any funding yet,” NSICJGmember, Colin Kingston explained. “We’re wait-ing for our first role with the surveillance camerasand hopefully when that appears up in the mainstreet here, and it gets around town that the Com-munity Justice Group was part of that arrange-ment, then maybe the community will prick uptheir ears and say, ‘Oh, there is a community jus-tice group that’s taking things seriously’.

“We’re very new at what we’re doing but we’retrying to do what we can to make a little bit of adifference.”

Members of the North Stradbroke Island Community Justice Group at a recent meeting attended by SIN.Left (Clockwise): Colin Kingston, DSC Danny Wruck, PLO Tom Governor, Charlie Jia from CJ’s Island Pizza,Uncle John Campbell, Anthony Karklis from Sibelco and George Khan.

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Straddie Justice CrewConcerned residents have joined forces with local police,council and community groups to combat crime and tackleongoing social issues on the Island, MARIA TAN reports.

SUMMER 2012–13 STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS 13

BON APPETIT

F rom Biarritz to Point Lookout is notsuch a stretch, when you considerthe commonalities that the twoplaces hold.

Both have a connection to whales andwhaling, and both are famous for their excel-lent surf. Sure, one has a population of morethan 25,000 and has been the play place ofthe rich and the royal, since the wife ofNapoleon III built a beach “shack” there in1854 (now the Hôtel du Palais).

Now, Biarritz, the city in southwest France,and Point Lookout, North StradbrokeIsland, have a another common sellingpoint: the Brothers Bilhe.

Head chef Mathieu Bilhe told SIN he

began his career in Biarritz and began travel-ling at the behest of his mentor.

“He told me, ‘you have to travel now, youdon’t have to stay around this place. Youhave to travel’ so I started to do this and I’venever stopped.”

For Mathieu, who is winning fans with hissignature dish, the chilli pork belly, life is good – or as the French might say, la vie en rose.

“I used to work in all different parts of thekitchen. Before coming here I was a pastrychef and it’s now been 10 years that I’vebeen working in kitchens while travelling.”

With its views over the ocean off French-man’s Beach, it’s fitting that the Look Café

Bar menu now offers a fusion of French andAustralian flavours.

“Everybody likes the chilli pork belly so I cook this as a signature dish, for everybodythat’s the best dish,” Matheiu told SIN.

Secretly though, he revealed to SIN thathis personal favourite dish on the menu wasnone other than that all-Aussie favourite: the steak.

“I cook a beef côte de bœuf that you canshare, for two, with garniture and a reallygood sauce. I make the sauce too, but every-body thinks the best meal is the pork belly,”Mathieu says.

Since joining the Look Café Bar, Mathieuhas revamped the à la carte menu with thehelp of his sous chefs and staff, to adapt dis-tinct French fare to the modern Australianpalette.

“John, my boss, told us about what Australian people like. After that we did themains with all I know, all I like and all I wantto taste,” the head chef recalls. “We tried dif-ferent flavours and mixed Australian andFrench tastes. My brother helped me to dothis, I’ve got a really good team.”

Before arriving on Straddie at the start of2012, Mathieu travelled around Australia,hitchhiking from Broome to Airlie Beach. InBrisbane he saw an ad calling for a chef torun the kitchen at the Look Café Bar, PointLookout.

“I was very surprised that it was a beautifulIsland,” Mathieu said. “I didn’t finish mytravelling; I stopped at Stradbroke.

“Now that I’m here, I don’t want to go!”And that’s another thing Mathieu has in

common with the locals – they don’t wanthim to go either.

French Connection

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Improve your breathingLymphatic drainageRelieve pain & tension

MOB: 0409 538 972 E: lrago@bigpond.net.au

Linda RagoMeiso Shiatsu Practitioner

The Yoga Tower8 Billa StreetPoint Lookout

Locals are discovering their dining joie de vivre with the help of two Frenchbrothers working the kitchen at Look Café Bar, Point Lookout, writes MARIA TAN.

French brothers Mathieu and Fabien Bilhe

STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS—SUMMER 2012–13

F ollowing the beach breaks toStraddie nearly 30 years ago ledveteran surfer Bob Minty fromcarving it up on the water toshaping his own signature series

of hand-crafted surfboards.Overlooking the clear blue waters of the

Coral Sea, Bob is living the dream at hisPoint Lookout beach shack, creating custom-made surfboards in his small surf shop.

“It’s a good lifestyle in this sort of a business if you love what you do,” Bob told SIN.

Fine white foam mists the baby blue

walls at Bob Minty’s Surfboards, as a newshort board is planed into shape in theworkshop out the back.

Bob uses the same tools his mum gavehim as a young man to craft each and everysurfboard made in the shop, and has donesince it was established in 1989.

“I started down at the Gold Coast 35years ago,” Bob recalled. “I started fibreglassing as a boy and then doing boardsand learnt how to shape.

“My mum bought me an electric planer,a three-foot steel rule and a square for my20th birthday – and I still use them everyday.

“I came over here when the surf wasgood and just stayed. I got a job at the oldpub and I’ve been here ever since.”

After working in the mines for a fewyears an opportunity came up to buy a former holiday house turned surf shop,previously known as Uriah’s Heap.

Now Bob specialises in creating custom-shaped surfboards and his own vintagedesigns including the Malibu, Mini Mals,and 70’s style twin and single fin surf-boards.Bob Minty Surfboards is at Point Lookoutopposite the bus turnaround. — Maria Tan

“i came over here when the surf was good and just stayed.”

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