IN Ice Hockey

They’ve only played one full season but Perth’s first Australian Ice Hockey League team, Perth Thunder, made plenty of noise over the winter season.


They’re one of Perth’s best kept sporting secrets, but Perth Thunder – our first national ice hockey team – have had a phenomenal season in the world’s fastest team sport.


Twenty-four-year-old defensive player Riccardo Del Basso, known as Ric in the No 12 jersey on the ice, is the co-owner of Perth Thunder alongside head coach Stan Scott.


Perth Thunder are a not for profit, semi-professional team which is part of the Australian Ice Hockey League. Though established in 2010, this is the first year of the team’s full inaugural licence. Ric says the team have done extraordinarily well on the ice by already battling for the playoff position this season. They’re also garnering the interest of bigger sponsors, which is what supports the team’s travel and home series logistics.


The team train two nights a week on the ice, do their own fitness work and fly east regularly to compete against the other national teams or host local games at their home ground, the Perth Ice Arena. As they don’t get paid, every player has a fulltime job, including the imported talent.


The Australian season, which is played across our winter, also allows players to head to the northern hemisphere for their winter season to compete while still being able to play in the off-season.


Of the 26 players on the team, most of them were born in Perth with a handful of Canadians and another handful born in the US, New Zealand and England. They range in age from late teens to early 40s, though the majority are in their mid-20s.


Ric fell in love with the ice in his early teens and eventually spent a year in Canada skating everyday, which only reinforced his love for the sport. When he returned home he realised there were not many opportunities to compete in the sport and eventually set about creating one.


“I didn’t really want to leave Perth and go anywhere else,” says Ric, who is also an accountant. But he wanted to keep playing ice hockey at a high level, so he co-founded Perth Thunder in 2010 and after jumping through the regulatory league hoops, the team have been actively competing in their first inaugural season.


Living here is about a lifestyle, which is why the overseas players come here too. They want to play ice hockey and see Australia.


Across the winter season – which runs from April to September – Perth Thunder will have played 24 games, 12 of which were played in Perth. Ric says local support for the team continues to grow and it seems that fans are coming from all age groups.


“It’s a sport which welcomes everyone,” Ric says. “We’re already starting to see some strong development players coming up, which I think has something to do with them seeing there’s a place they can play and seeing the team be successful is great for young players."


For more information, check out www.perththunder.com
The Perth Ice Arena is located at 708 Marshall Road, Malaga.

In Auctions

If you’re ready to sell your property, consider an auction rather than doing what everyone else does.


Around 97% of all properties in Western Australia are sold the same way – with a for sale sign on the verge. With sellers looking for ways to differentiate themselves, auctions are now gaining popularity around Perth, but they still have a way to go.


Phil Hayes is an auctioneer and associate director of Realmark Coastal who says the days of feeling that an auction is a combative way to sell your home is long gone. These days an auction equals communication and is a much more personal affair during the four week campaign where the seller is kept totally in the loop.


“When working an auction you virtually speak to the vendor everyday to update them on any changes,” Phil says. “It’s an intense campaign which is designed to climax with multiple offers at the auction at the end.


“The more available a property is the better, because we can bring more people through which creates more buyer engagement plus a buyer favourable time to consider the property and hopefully fall in love with it."


Realmark’s managing director John Percudani says if you’re going to auction your home, it’s imperative your agent understands how to run an effective marketing campaign.


“It requires a great amount of communication between the agent and the client and it’s imperative the client is given lots of the right amount of information,” John says. “When it’s done by the right person it gets a great result because the client is really getting information in real time about the market and understands their position in order to make a good decision.”


In the past a hesitation by agents in general to be confident in the process is why we don’t see as many auctions in Perth compared to cities like Melbourne, but that’s changing.


For a buyer, having the date of an auction gives you a known timeframe to decide that you want to bid on the house, ready your finances and do any associated homework. It also allows you to view the house numerous times as well.


“For the purchaser, the process is a lot more transparent,” Phil says. “Rather than making multiple offers you are able to compete as you know what the last bid was. Also, the time of the actual sale is compressed into the time it takes to complete the auction.”


Don’t be put off by the number of people who turn up at an auction either. Some of them are simply there to watch and others to take in what can be a rather entertaining and compelling 20 minutes.


“A good auction is quite exciting and entertaining. That’s why it gets a crowd, because it’s an event and people like the sport of it. If you have an engaging auctioneer, it’s even  more entertaining."

IN Full Swing

The upswing is in full swing.


In recent months, we’ve been seeing increasing signs that the residential property market is arising from its slumber and for those who’ve been standing on the sidelines; it really is time to take note of what opportunities are being offered up.


There are green shoots appearing in several sectors of the market. First home buyers are more active as are the so-called upgrade buyers. Investors are responding to higher rental yields and even the top end is showing modest but positive signs again.


Here at Realmark, we’ve been seeing some intense pressure on prices in the $400,000 - $600,000 band and that pressure is beginning to start spreading upwards of the $600,000 mark.


Investors are particularly focussed on properties below $600,000 and the apartment market is noticeably attracting their interest.


Realmark has also experienced a marked increase in properties being referred to its property management division from many renewed or new investors in both the residential and commercial markets.


Even Australia’s top banker – the Governor of the Reserve Bank – last month said that house prices weren’t unreasonably high and affordability is in fact much better than it has been in the past decade or so.


Whilst there are statistics upon statistics, when the person at the helm of all interest rate decisions in this country says house prices have declined to where they were in 2002 and that housing is now more affordable than it was four or five years ago then it’s truly time to sit up and listen.


And that’s when we go back to fundamentals that we now see: construction is down, interest rates are down, supply of houses is tight, rental vacancies are very tight and unemployment is historically low.


At the same time, savings and household income are on the rise, rental returns are strong and rising and buyer enquiries are up.


Add to that the estimated 1,000 or so people flocking into Western Australia each week for the work and the strong economy we have here, and it’s no surprise that the property market is heating up. And right now the market is transitioning from a buyers’ market to a sellers’ market.


So what does that mean for you? As an investment buyer, you need to focus on the quality of the asset, the yield on investment, security, facts rather than emotion and the options to exit.


As a seller, you must be very cautious not to “under sell” in the current environment.


Both buyers and sellers must work with an agent who takes the time to understand their individual needs and goals and then provides them with a selection of selling and marketing options.


In this time of transition, it’s never been more important to seek out an agent that uses the customised solution most suited to YOU.


At Realmark, we call this, My Agent, My Advantage – and it’s what we provide for YOU.

IN Spring Lamb

by Ara Jansen

We’re not quite in spring yet, but it’s time to start thinking about lighter cuts of meat to celebrate the turn in seasons.

When the weather does finally start to warm a little, it’s going to be the perfect time to consider the lighter cuts of meat to grace your table.

Karl Osterberg is a butcher and co-owner of Ryan’s Quality Meats alongside Greg Ryan, whose father started the Jandakot business in the mid-1960’s. For the last two years the retail and wholesale butcher, in conjunction with beef producers A. O’Meehan & Co and V & V Walsh (meat processors and exporters) have been the exclusive Australian stockists and suppliers of premium Amelia Park Beef. This partnership brings together some two centuries of experience in supplying premium beef and lamb to West Australians.

Karl says when it comes to meat winter is the perfect time for warming dishes made of braised beef cheeks, lamb shanks and roasts. A married father with two kids and a wife who is studying means the
Osterberg family love a tasty casserole for their winter meals as a hearty, healthy and time-smart option.

West Australians don’t need much excuse to fire up the barbecue once there are some blue skies and a touch of heat in the air. Karl says that’s the perfect time to get into spring lamb, swapping over to lamb koftas, grilled lamb French cutlets or souvlaki butterflied lamb legs.

"I think we naturally just want to eat heavier food in winter and then somehow in spring we want to lighten up in preparation for summer, when it’s always about the barbecue," Karl says.

Shows like MasterChef and the popularity of celebrity chefs have made people a lot more adventurous and willing to try dishes and cuts of meat they may not have dared experiment with before. Of course it also helps to have someone knowledgeable behind the counter to make suggestions when you want to try something new.

“You can always tell when someone like Jamie Oliver has been on television because people come in with the same recipe that they all want to try. They’ll ask about what cuts of meat to use and I’ll suggest what I think would be best or what won’t suit the dish.

“I certainly get some good ideas from MasterChef.”

The butcher says because the company cuts and packages all their own meat, rather than just removing it from a pre-packed carton, they know the best of what’s around and through their relationship with Amelia Park and other local suppliers are able source quality produce.

www.ryansqualitymeats.com.au

IN Nutcracker

by Ara Jansen

The Imperial Ice Stars have spearheaded a form of theatre which mixes sport and dance to bring timeless stories to life. They return to Perth next month with The Nutcracker on Ice.

When Tony Mercer saw the famous skating pair Torvill and Dean he was thoroughly charmed by them, but felt like he missed so much given the rink was large and he was so far away.

“They were beautiful on the ice,” remembers Tony. “But I couldn’t see enough of what they were doing. When they were three to four metres away it was great but when they skated away I lost that magical feeling.”

So when he set about establishing The Imperial Ice Stars in 1991 he made sure that the skaters worked in a smaller space and were much closer to the audience. Since then the group has made a name for itself performing classics like Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and Cinderella on ice. Their latest show is The Nutcracker on Ice, which will be in Perth next month.

Tony is the company’s artistic director and says when you really look at it, competition skaters tend to only use a small part of an ice rink and utilise the rest to gather speed for a jump. That’s why he says the Imperial Ice Stars can do everything a competition skater does and more. Not surprising though, given the cast of the Imperial Ice Stars are all former competition skaters, who both follow the rule book and throw it out to constantly wow audiences.

“People think that because of the space it’s going to be different. In a competition the magic happens in about four to six metres,” says Tony. “Ours is 15 by 15 like most theatre companies, but most use less space than that. As a choreographer I can fill that space and the skaters can still hit 25 – 30 kilometres an hour.”

Tony says this style of theatre has also seen significant changes in audience make-up and has recast how people see this sports-meets-arts entertainment. It started as mums and daughters coming to see classic stories staged on ice with dads and boyfriends dragged along. He believes the mix of sport and theatre, which the troupe spearheaded, is what keeps all ages coming back.

“We’ve changed the way people look at skating. It has become a dance genre in its own right. Early on people were staging a lot of ice shows and putting everyone in big costumes. I decided to take inspiration from sport and using the beauty of ice dance gave the characters layers to tell a story for the audience to take the journey with them.

“As with a phenomenon like Cirque du Soleil, we’ve cast something people know about in a new light. We’ve also been thrilled to see some of our moves making their way back into the sport of skating.”

The Nutcracker on Ice is at His Majesty’s Theatre from August 2 – 12. Tickets from BOCS.

IN Print

Print media still crucial to property marketing.

In recent weeks we have heard a lot about the changing face of media in Australia and the subsequent large changes going on at companies such as Fairfax and News Ltd.

We’ve been hearing about the death of print and newspapers as we know it, driven the proponents say, by falling advertising revenue and readership.

As one of Australia’s leading real estate agencies in marketing and communications (we recently took out the Real Estate Institute of Australia’s national award for Excellence in Communication) we wanted to inject our point of view into the mix relative to property marketing.

We see it as crucial in the current market to utilise multiple forms of media to deliver messages plus alert and inform tenants, buyers and sellers in the property market. And for us, print advertising and editorial is still a very necessary part of that.

Indeed, by comparison to most mass real estate portal advertising sites, print media is a important format to differentiate your property in the marketplace and make it stand out to ensure buyer-tenant engagement.

Relying solely on a single pier of marketing such as the internet will not ensure the best outcome. For property sellers and lessors, confident results will only be attained when your agent utilises the correct media mix that reaches widely and deeply into the marketplace.

That’s why at Realmark we offer our clients a strategic mix of print advertising and editorial, online advertising, including our own customised dedicated micro sites showcasing your property, and premium property magazines, such as Realmark’s IN Property, which is available in both soft and hard copy versions.

At Realmark, we believe in providing the “complete”  marketing solution. We specialise in understanding your needs and developing an integrated marketing campaign that maximises reach, frequency and layering to attract the maximum number of buyers or tenants  to your property; which is essential to ensure you do not under-sell or under-rent your property.

Print media isn’t dead; it just has a lot of new cousins.

IN Music

Fremantle loves music and music loves Fremantle. So it’s time to warm your hands and hearts during Hidden Treasures, two weekends of music in the port city.

Western Australia has a great musical history and Fremantle has long been called home by some of our finest established and emerging musicians. Names like Bon Scott, Kim Salmon, John Butler, Lee Sappho, Lucky Oceans and Eskimo Joe through to hot young power pop quartet San Cisco are inextricably linked to Fremantle. Numerous venues of course provide inspiration to music loving audiences who can take their pick of styles.

This makes Fremantle the perfect place to celebrate a winter music series. In its second year, Hidden Treasures runs across two weekends and brings together musicians and audiences of all generations to celebrate the contemporary and more well-known parts of Fremantle’s music culture.

Last year’s festival was based in the city’s West End and this year the four shows will be held in the East End at the heritage-listed 19th century old Fremantle Boys’ School building, now known as the Film and Television Institute (FTI).

Each night’s four band line-up will feature a collection of well-known musicians and up-and-comers but they all share Fremantle in common as either a home or a place where they played or continue to perform regularly.

Bruna Chiovitti is the festivals officer at the City of Fremantle but is also a long-time music lover and local music supporter and reminds us that there has always been an active music scene in Fremantle.

“The city has always been known for its music and has always produced great artists,” Bruna says. “From rock and pop to folk and blues, the music here has always been from all genres. Even though it’s a real port city, there’s always been music here and places people can play. We’re really proud it has such a good reputation for producing great music.”

With a mix of old faces and new voices, Hidden Treasures will feature sets from Kim Salmon supported by three young gun bands for Back to Cool, Rooster Police and Amani Consort are on the Freo House Party line-up and Jill Birt and Richard Lane join others on Teachers Favourites night. The New School Sirens will feature Kate Kelly showing off her new band The Trophy Wives and Spank reform for the night.

“We found last year that a lot of people who have lived in Fremantle all their lives had never been into the venues where we had the bands. If you’ve never been inside FTI, we’re encouraging locals to come to this festival too, which will bring a whole new audience to the space.”

Fireplaces will keep FTI’s outdoor courtyard warm and a collection of public instruments will be available for anyone wanting to have a jam.

Clancy’s Fish Pub – long-time local music supporters – is hosting a series of acoustic acts to enjoy over dinner before the bands start next door.

Hidden Treasures takes place on July 19 & 20 and July 26 & 27. Entry is $10 and the venues are licensed. Programs are available around Perth and Fremantle or downloaded one from www.fremantle.wa.gov.au.