Venus Bay's Local Dog Whisperer.

Christine Grant, a passionate, wise, empathetic woman, has treasured an innate connection with canines since early childhood. She adores the four-legged creatures and is unable to imagine her life without them.

Born and raised in Leongatha, Victoria, Australia, Christine worked as a disability support worker for many years. In 2000, an opportunity arose that was too good to refuse. Christine, her partner, and two cherished Labradors headed north on a road trip to commence work on a small cattle property in New South Wales.

It was there Christine stumbled upon a cattle dog trial, exhibiting the skills of working dogs and the amazing relationships they shared with their handlers. She was instantly in awe of the clear communication between man and beast, and the physical abilities, beauty and grace of the animals. It was on that exceptional day Christine discovered her calling.

During the inspiring event, Christine met Mick Davis, who would become her mentor, teacher and lifelong friend. Mick was a well known, respected horseman, cattleman, dogman and showman. Rough around the edges and direct, he would tell it like it was. Sadly, he passed away in 2019.

Mick would be gone with his dogs in tow three to four months of the year, travelling throughout New South Wales and Queensland to work as a stockman on cattle properties. Upon his return his twelve dogs were trustingly placed in Christine's care. Possessing the capacity to house them, she happily took the hard-working pooches in to feed, exercise and interact with daily.

During the months Mick was home, he returned the favour by sharing his extensive knowledge. He visited Christine three times a week to collectively train his and (by then), her six beloved dogs with encouragement, but stern harangue. “It was tough at times,” Christine claimed, “but I would do it all again in a heartbeat.”

Over time, additional canines joined Christine's pack and she too, headed up north for three years to work as a jillaroo on rugged cattle properties. She particularly enjoyed handling young cattle; teaching them to be respectful of the dogs, while being guided by them. A perfect example of symbiosis!

In 2007, through a sudden turn of events, Christine, her partner, and her then ten, precious, working collies returned to a farm in South Gippsland, Victoria. Acclimatising wasn't easy. In an attempt to fill a void, Christine sought out a local dog working group in Berrys Creek. At the time, this proved to be the perfect pursuit for herself and her furry friends. The connection shared among the dog enthusiasts, through a love for working dogs, was sincere and nurturing. For over two years Christine thoroughly enjoyed engaging with such a wonderful community, while learning a wealth of information.

In that time frame Christine also successfully completed Certificate III in Dog Behaviour and Training, offered by the National Dog Trainers Federation in Melbourne. Gaining accreditation as a comprehensive dog trainer, it was at the end of 2008 she excitedly launched her business 'Everydog Behaviour & Training'. She consequently began feeling her way within the industry, working locally, one on one, with dogs and their humans.

By 2010, life had taken another twist and Christine relocated to stunning Venus Bay with five dogs by her side. Sadly, all five  companions have since passed on, however a new, adorable friend, Fingers, arrived nine months ago. The two are inseparable, a pleasure to watch, and renowned in the area.

Christine delights in her coastal lifestyle and takes great pride in her dog training venture. She strongly believes teaching dog owners to read their pets' subtle body language so as to understand their communication, is vital towards gaining mutual respect. Christine affirms, “It's not rocket science. If dogs are settled, the relationships  between them and their owners flourish. It's about training people to train their dogs.”

Christine, fuelled with passion and expertise, has successfully assisted many breeds of dogs and their human families or individuals to bond on a deeper level. Her unique, kind and intuitive manner with canines is remarkable. For this reason, she is recognised throughout the community and surrounds as the local dog whisperer.

Christine & Fingers.

Nature Inspired.

The Corona virus restrictions in 2020, while frustrating and devastating for many, simultaneously bore wonderful, exciting initiatives. Young couple, Bianca Bennett and Eric Grattan from Victoria, Australia, utilised their lockdown periods last year to bring their dream of creating a meaningful online business to fruition.

Both possessing a love for the great outdoors, Bianca and Eric share a passion for living as environmentally friendly as possible, forever searching for new, sustainable resources to weave into their lifestyle. Wishing to motivate others to proceed in the same direction, their intention is to ultimately protect and honour the environment one step at a time.

Bianca holds a Bachelor of Science degree and majored in Ecology and Environmental Management, while Eric is a sole-trader carpenter. Both lead busy lives, each working demanding, full-time jobs. 

Over the last couple of years, Eric contributed to building their high-performing, eco-friendly home in stunning Venus Bay. The delighted couple, along with their adored pooch, recently moved in to enjoy the coastal area. The couple strive to protect their native surroundings by implementing green living products and practices, transitioning to attain a zero-waste lifestyle.

Every day the couple is inspired by nature. After some hesitation and contemplation, it was in July last year Bianca and Eric took the unnerving plunge and established their online business venture, naturally naming it 'Nature Inspired'. Initially sourcing plastic-free products for themselves, they were amazed and excited over the extensive range of green products available through numerous Australian businesses. They then proceeded to apply to various manufacturers to become wholesalers for their purposeful products. Bianca claims, "It's wonderful to collaborate with a like-minded, passionate business community and we often receive positive feedback for our efforts."

Nature Inspired makes eco shopping easy! Bianca and Eric pride themselves on tirelessly researching and sourcing merchandise to sell from the one online platform. Offering the best range of reusable, compostable and biodegradable products, all are shipped plastic-free. However, before any items are sold, the couple test-drives each product themselves.

Bianca and Eric's passion and motivation is to inspire and educate others to make a difference to our wonderful world. They aim to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by providing sustainable solutions for everyday household items. Bianca says, "We encourage a continuous habit, similar to eating healthy or learning a new skill. People may slip up from time to time, but that's ok. As long as there's a willingness to take part in the journey. It's about making simple, but hugely impactful changes."

The motto behind Nature Inspired is:

"We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly." - Anne Marie Bonneau, Zero Waste Chef.

Through consistent, interesting posts, showcasing available stock on Instagram, Facebook and the Nature Inspired website, Bianca and Eric receive weekly orders from all over Australia. Not only is this venture helping to protect the planet and the health and wellbeing of loved ones, but also the future of our children.

Well done, Bianca and Eric, for throwing caution to the wind and establishing a business with such an important message. Your efforts will surely continue to be rewarded.

Bianca & Eric at home exhibiting numerous varieties of eco-friendly household products.

The Challenges of Reporting.

Possessing a passion for the written word, I've in the past typically concentrated on documenting personal experiences as they occurred throughout my life. I found my sentences flowed easily in light of my emotional attachment as I 'felt' my way through the unfolding tales. My intention, besides relishing in writing, was to carve significant memories into stone; to revisit as I sit in my rocking chair during the winter of my life. My succeeding generations may even feel inclined to read my scribes one day.

However, over the last nine months through wonderful opportunities, I've tried my hand at reporting community stories around people, places, events, even animals. While this form of writing is foreign and sometimes challenging, it's simultaneously rewarding if my articles are well received.

The people I have connected with over time have been approachable, interesting and a pleasure to meet. I've even made new friends! Truth be known, occasionally my given topics didn't initially excite me and with no former knowledge I needed to thoroughly research my tasks before attempting to write informative articles. Once I investigated themes I engaged with the contacts I was asked to interview, either by phone or in person, to gather customised details and quotes. Together with my groundwork I blended the information to form the features. As I wrote I again imagined myself in the subject's shoes, striving to bring the sentences to life through assuming emotions.

Writing the stories seems to be the easy part of reporting! Trying to engage with contacts can be tricky. Co-ordinating days and times to catch up for interviews is often difficult as everyone's lives are busy - including mine. Once the stories are written, emailed, read and ticked off by the organisations or individuals I report of, I submit the articles to the editor. However, waiting on story confirmations can sometimes seem like forever, especially if I am to meet a deadline.

Often over numerous days, there's a back and forth of editing communication before a final draft is completed. This again is due to coordination and prioritisation of time involving all parties. For this reason I conscientiously begin the process of constructing my articles and interacting with the public as early as possible.

I recall I was once asked to write a 1000 word article on an animal refuge, given three weeks to complete. Over that time four meetings were locked in and subsequently cancelled, for one reason or another, by the interviewee. I couldn't hold off any longer knowing how much I fumbled around editing my completed pieces until I was happy with the end result.

I researched the shelter's website and blindly formulated a believable article around the information I interpreted. The story read as if I knew exactly what I was talking about which I found amusing not having ever visited the establishment! 

Being an avid animal lover, I coloured the content assuming how life within an animal shelter would appear. I then emailed my words to the refuge manager in the hope our pending and rather urgent conversation would be about filling in the blanks - and that's exactly what eventuated! A date and time was organised four days prior to the story's submission date, I was asked to add a few significant facts and my story was complete. Both the shelter staff and the editor loved the article. I couldn't believe what I had achieved! Nevertheless, while it was an interesting and exciting process, it's not something I'd like to make a habit of.

I've also come across a touch of language barrier. Occasionally people speak with a strong motherland accent or minimal English. Comprehending their words and phrases to really grasp what they're trying to voice can be tough, especially over the phone. Asking them to repeat themselves numerous times is awkward. However, communication comes in many forms and although it may take a little longer, a story is always successfully written.

I religiously make a point of emailing my completed articles to the people or businesses I've reported on. Without their final approval I wouldn't feel comfortable submitting my work; to cover both our butts! Maybe that's the norm in journalism. I wouldn't know, but I call it courtesy and common sense.

I've personally learned so much since formulating articles around community interests. Not only am I writing in a different format, but many topics I've never dreamt of entertaining I'm now knowledgeable of. My vocabulary is expanding and sometimes, as I'm about to document an intended word within a storyline, I suddenly find myself writing a completely different, more fitting one from left field. I have no idea how or why this happens, but I love it when it does!

I still enjoy writing stories of a personal nature. With only myself involved I can pick and choose the most appropriate times to indulge in my passion. There's no pressure, interviews or research to tackle and I don't second guess myself as I know my words are true - because it's my truth.

I love losing myself among words to formulate non-fiction stories. In fact, if it were possible I'd scribe all day, however that wouldn't buy the baby a new bonnet! Besides, sitting down for so long my ageing back would complain while my backside would inevitably spread to new dimensions.

My intention is to evolve my writing skills through  perseverance, learning and growing as a person along the way. Often I am approached by folk who compliment my articles, which for a short while places a spring in my step. At times others possessing writing credentials, occasionally advise me to thoroughly proof read my pieces before I submit them. That sets off alarm bells, but I appreciate the constructive criticism as it motivates me to become more diligent.

Most importantly, writing is my joy and presently keeps me sane and focused during this unprecedented and frustrating pandemic situation. Seeing my stories in print is just the delicious, sweet icing on the cake .

My little, furry writing companion. ❤️