Support The War On Waste

The Mallee Hen’s Nest is driven by a hate of waste and love of repurchasing.

It has been open for 18 months and has declared war on waste selling second-hand furniture and pre-loved clothing.

“The name is what our mother used to call our cubby house 120 miles west of Bourke where I grew up – a mallee hen’s nest is always pretty random and thrown together,” says owner Libby. “We want to create a har- monious space with good quality, quirky and well made pieces at reasonable prices.”

Get Into Life And Live It!

Sisters Beth and Jo decided to create The Flower Makerie last year after tragic family losses. Their driving force is to get into life and live it, as life is too short. “We love community and bringing people together.”

The Flower Makerie is a florist, homewares and gift shop in Wellington NSW. “We sell fresh flowers for all occasions. Our giftware range includes hampers for any occasions, unique garden wares, Josephine Candles, cushions, homewares, hand and body prod- ucts and artwork for your home.” They de- scribe their style as industrial eclectic with a luxe influence.

The store is a new venture for the sis- ters and as they are passionate and crea- tive, it allows them to combine their love of flowers and styling. They also offer regular creative workshops, and cater for all floral needs, such as birthdays, sympathy and small events.

Coffee With all the Trimmings

Opening early July, Jespresso Coffee is a wholesale coffee supplier with passion based in Wellington. They will offer a range of different services including coffee cart hire, barista courses and training, cater- ing, servicing and spare parts. “We pride ourselves on our outstanding service and quality products.” Their signature little cof- fee cart has been doing the rounds mak- ing good coffee, and will be on site before the opening brewing their signature blend, Lily’s Blend.

Most people probably think caves and Lake Burrendong when the town of Wellington comes to mind, but with a population of 8,850 our neighbour has many other interesting items on its menu for visi- tors.

The town celebrates its bicentenary this year as it is 200 years since John Oxley first crossed into a beautiful glen he named Wellington after the Iron Duke of Wellington who had defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo two years before.

Only 110km from Parkes, the second convict settlement over the Blue Mountains was an important point on the Cobb & Co Trail. You can explore the town’s history with a self-guided walk or guided tour. The Oxley Museum contains a wide range of memorabilia includ- ing a replica period classroom from the Windora Bush School circa 1851.

If you need a nature fix, the Mt Arthur Reserve of 2,100 hectares has six marked walking trails ranging from 30 minutes to a half day trek. There are also parks and gardens to explore with the Burrendong Botanic Garden and Arboretum a nature lover’s paradise. Fern gully is a man-made rainforest situated beneath an enormous suspended, thatched canopy. In the heart of the town is Cameron Park where you can have a picnic and dare to cross the unique suspension bridge over the Bell River.

If you have not been to the caves and phosphate mine, you will be amazed by the 15m high crystal formation in the Cathedral Cave, while you can find out what miners were up to 100 years ago on the phosphate and fossils tour.

Wellington is surrounded by rural villages, each with its own his- tory and experiences. Geurie boasts Australia’s biggest Fuzzy Box tree.

Mumbil has the famous Black Wattle Fair and the unique Chuck- Akubra competition.

Stuart Town was originally known as Ironbark and was made famous by the Banjo Patterson poem, The Man from Ironbark. You can also go gold panning in creeks on the village common.

The Board of Parkes Christian School has accepted the resignation of the Principal for the past seven years, Graham Hope.

According to a message from the board, Graham plans on remaining in the role for term two before taking leave for the re- mainder of the year and officially finishing at the end of 2017.

In the second half of the year Graham will be taking some study time, but will as- sist the board in the transition to the next Principal.

In Graham’s tenure as Principal, Parkes Christian School has made significant pro- gress and the school saw the introduction of Stage 6, including the completion of the first two years of HSC graduates and enrol- ments doubled.

“It would be remiss if we did not thank Graham’s wife Lynne, acknowledging the steadfast support of Graham but also a highly capable and diligent member of the school executive who has contributed significantly to many achievements during this period,” the board said in its message.

A Place For Creativity And Innovation

Holy Family School is very proud of the new Makerspace Centre. The Makerspace Centre is an exciting place for children to be creative and innovative. There are gadgets and tools that cater for the interests of all children. The Makerspace area has the lat- est Mbots, BeeBots, circuit boards and robots, which the students have assembled themselves.

With the school holidays to start in two weeks’ time and Easter a week later, you might be planning a trip somewhere. Before you leave, it is vital to ensure your vehicle/ trailer/caravan combination is road worthy and safe.

Failure to abide by the towing regulations, including maximum loads, may result in a fine, or in the case of an accident, refusal of the insurance claim, and the possibility of further legal action.

At Tuned Suspension in Parkes, an agent for Pedders Suspension, you can get a tow and load assessment for $75. This world- first and comprehensive service is designed for those who tow or carry loads to better understand the effects of weight on their vehicle relevant to their individual driving scenarios.

The end result of the assessment will provide your vehicle weight relevant to the likely driving scenarios that you will face.

There are two main parts to the assessment, namely a brake, steering and sus- pension check and weight matrix.

The first check is to assess the general health of the vehicles brake, steering and suspension systems, which are the most safety-critical systems especially under the stress of additional weight from loads, tow- ing and accessories. The check includes the following:

Under car inspection of the vehicle’s entire steering and suspension system and other related undercar components.

Shock absorber test – as shock absorbers and suspension deteriorate over thou- sands of kilometres, it is often the case that a vehicle’s safety is gradually com- promised via increased braking distances, unstable cornering and various stability concerns.

Brake pad and rotor inspection will check and report on the wear and operating condition of these components.

A comprehensive written report will show the current status of all vital suspension and steering systems.

The Weight Matrix component of the as- sessment refers to knowing your weight now and looking at your weight in the fu- ture based on your towing and load carrying scenarios.

Pedders outlets have a test lane or scales to weigh both the front and rear of a vehicle. The results of this vehicle weight form the basis of the first as-weighed scenario.

As part of the initial weighing of the vehicle your current loads and accessories will be listed as the basis of the as weighed scenario 1.

Where relevant, the ball weight of caravans or trailers will be assessed as this is an integral part of some weight scenarios.

Armed with your vehicle’s current weight and expected weights from future scenari- os the weight matrix software program and report will provide key pieces of information for each different scenario.

The Pedders expert will be able to tailor a solution to ensure greater levels of safety and performance for your vehicle.