Queensland Garden Expo 2012

Queensland Garden Expo (from 6 - 9 July) is a three day celebration of gardening. The event attracts over 28,000 green thumbs and novice gardeners from across Queensland and interstate. Held at Nambour on the beautiful Sunshine Coast, it is ideally situated to showcase all the best of subtropical gardening.

An extensive Lecture and Demonstration Program, Landscape Feature Gardens, over 360 exhibits including 60 nurseries and the Giant Kitchen Garden Feature are just a few of the things visitors can enjoy at the Expo.

Great food, entertainment and a range of free children’s activities all combine to make Queensland Garden Expo a great day out.

SCLA Writers’ Competition Awards 2012

The Sunshine Coast Literary Association is a not-for-profit association dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and celebrating literary talent throughout the Sunshine Coast region. The Sunshine Coast Literary Association received an overwhelming response to the 2012 Writers’ Competition, with entries flooding in from across South East Queensland.

The competition was designed to provide an outlet for talented writers to showcase their work to their peers. There were six categories in this year’s competition including:

• Category 1: Open Short Story, to a maximum of 2500 words.
• Category 2: Open Poem, to a maximum of 40 lines.
• Category 3: Young Adult (High School, Years 8-12) Short Story, to a maximum of 1500 words.
• Category 4: Young Adult (High School, Years 8-12) Poem, to a maximum of 30 lines.
• Category 5: Junior (Primary, Years 5-7) Short Story, to a maximum of 1000 words.
• Category 6: Junior (Primary, Years 5-7) Poem, to a maximum of 20 lines.

A panel of experienced judges will decides on the winners, which will be announced at the SCLA Writers’ Competition Awards Dinner on Thursday, 21 June at 4th Floor Restaurant in Mooloolaba.

2012 Noosa Longweekend Festival

A Barbra Streisand impersonator, a Shakespearean legend, an Australian diva, a GFC Forum, the First Noosa Book Club, an award winning ventriloquist and an Australian exclusive film preview were just some of the 80-plus events that are part of the 11th Noosa Longweekend Festival program. The festival will be staged from Friday 15 June to Sunday 24 June, 2012 at various venues throughout Noosa and the surrounding hinterland.

Eleven Queensland premiere events will form part of the festival including opening night performance by Australian music diva, Debra Byrne with her new show Ripe; an exquisite contemporary dance performance produced especially for the Australian Ballet’s 50th Anniversary from Brisbane’s Expressions Dance Company; an absolutely amazing Barbra Streisand impersonator, Steven Brinberg with his show Simply Barbra direct from New York; and the very first Noosa Book Club with Jennifer Byrne, Marieke Hardy, Jason Steger, Charlotte Wood and Di Morrissey.