Camp Quality 1000K Bike Ride - Ipswich to Newscastle

35 cyclists and one award-winning singer to cycle 1,000 km from Ipswich to Newcastle

From September 6-15, 35 cyclists, 20 support crew, two wacky puppets and award-winning country singer Catherine Britt will all embark on a 1,000km journey from Ipswich in Queensland to Newcastle in NSW, raising funds and awareness to create a better life for every child living with cancer in Australia.

The epic cycle challenge - the Glencore 1,000kms4Kids - will begin in Ipswich on September 6 and pass through the towns of Toowoomba, Warwick, Tenterfield, Glen Innes, Uralla, Tamworth, Gunnedah, Murrurundi, Singleton and finish in Newcastle on September 15. 

Riders will cycle from Ipswich, Qld, to Newcastle, NSW

The event has grown year on year - in 2011, 18 cyclists participated and raised $115,000. Last year, 30 cyclists participated and raised $250,000. This year the goal is for the 35 participating cyclists to raise $300,000 - which would be enough for Camp Quality to support 75 families who have a child living with cancer for the next year.

Along the cycle route, the McDonald's Camp Quality puppets will perform at primary schools in a fun and educational show which teaches pupils how to be supportive and understanding of children living with cancer.

Donna George, Camp Quality Fundraising Coordinator, said: "Taking Camp Quality's message on the road in this way is such a great way for us to engage local communities with our work. As well as raising funds to help create a better life for every child living with cancer, our puppet show travels with us to teach pupils how to be supportive of kids with cancer. In addition, the cyclists and support crew spread around Camp Quality's infectious mantra of optimism and fun therapy - so I urge local communities along the route to turn out in force to cheer the cyclists on and enjoy the exciting atmosphere." 

Country singer Catherine Britt said: "I've been so inspired by the heartbreak cures that Camp Quality offers to families going through such a traumatic time, that I've agreed to cycle all 1,000kms of the challenge. It's going to be an amazing 10 days - I only hope my legs last the distance!"

Country singer Catherine Britt is proud to be part of 1000kms4Kids

On Sunday September 8, the mayor of Tenterfield, Peter Petty, will be riding into Tenterfield with the cyclists.

Cyclists will arrive at The Junction Hotel, Newcastle from 11am on Sunday September 15 for a major welcome home party and family fun day. Festivities will start at 9.00am and food, live entertainment, street stalls, balloons, face painting and some Camp Quality style fun therapy will be on offer. All locals are invited to attend.

To sponsor a rider or to find our more, visitwww.mycampquality.org.au/1000ks4kids  or contact Donna George on 02 4947 8311.

Source: http://www.campquality.org.au/news/2013-09/1000kms.aspx

Ipswich Fashion Festival 2013

Don't Miss the 2013 Ipswich Fashion Festival - Catwalk, Culture and Couture

TICKETS ON SALE NOW – ONLY $22.00 per person. 

PHONE: 3812 - 2974

Metro Hotel Ipswich International

Grandchester Ballroom

Friday 25 October 2013

6.30pm—8.30pm

The premier fashion event of the year! A celebration of the diversity of fashion, design and culture.

Runway Designs by Leigh Buchanan Designs and Vanessa Hoe “When Freddie met Lilly’, Naked in the Night Clothing Co, Qld Bridal Design, Pret a Porter, and the PFAFF Student Design Awards.

Wine & canapés 6.30pm on The Terrace.

Runway Showing:7.00pm

Spectacular performance by Allula Productions

Free Guest Hair & Beauty Bar 4.30pm—6.30pm . Bookings essential.

Tickets: $22.00pp. Phone 3812 2974

All tickets enter the draw to win fabulous prizes.

Vintage Vixens & Retro Rockabilly’ Fashion Fiesta!

9.30am—1.30pm

Ipswich City Mall

Saturday 26 October 2013

Stalls packed with vintage and retro clothing and accessories and preloved fashion. Join us for the Prom King and Queen pageant, Vintage Cars, Swing Dance, Fashion Parade, Miss Lindy Charm School, the Sugar Shakers, and so much more.

‘Catwalk Collections’ Fashion Parade

Riverlink Shopping Centre

1.00pm

Saturday 26 October 2013

The Gala Fashion Designs cross the Bremer River. Where high-end fashion meets Ready to Wear. Parade includes Designer pieces, Qld Bridal Designs, Pret a Porter, and the Student Design Award winners.

Welcome to Ipswich - Where Buddhism is Big

HELPING HANDS: Julia Wu (front), the principal of Tzu Chi Foundation Australia based at the Gold Coast, and other members of the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation donate books to Metro Hotel Ipswich International and library services in Ipswich

THE caring ties that bind Ipswich and the Tzu Chi Foundation have been strengthened with an agreement between the city council and the Buddhist group. 

The Tzu Chi Foundation, which live by the creed that it is more of a blessing to serve others than be served, unexpectedly flew into Ipswich after the 2011 floods and has continued to help, regularly giving out care packages. 

After the floods, the group known as Blue Angels due to their distinctive outfits gave $500, blankets and other supplies to 2000 families. 
Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale, who has developed a close relationship with Tzu Chi, is delighted with the agreement signed on Monday. 

"The founder of the organisation has over 10 million followers and this is the first agreement of its kind in the world," the Mayor said. 

"This is not a business agreement. It is an agreement based on care and compassion between a great city and a great organisation." 

Now, in a world-first, guests at the Metro Hotel International in Ipswich will be able to learn more about the Tzu Chi Foundation. 

Cr Pisasale and Ted Matthews from the Metro Hotel International yesterday accepted a special presentation from the Buddhist compassion relief organisation. 
Copies of a book on Jing Si Aphorisms will be in each of the hotel's 97 rooms and copies were also given to the city's library service. 

Cr Pisasale said the donation was yet another wonderful gift to the city by the foundation. 
"We are pleased to be able to accept these books which will provide the hotel's guests and Ipswich library patrons with the chance to learn more about the basics of the foundation," he said. 
"This book is in four different languages - English, Japanese, Italian and Chinese - and this hotel will be the first in the world to get it." 

In the book, Dharma Master Cheng Yen has translated the essence of the Buddha's teachings to exemplify life lessons. 

Cr Pisasale said the council looked forward to working closely with the Tzu Chi Foundation. 
"The foundation believes compassion is not only expressed through words but is to be realised through service to humanity," he said. 

"With integrity, compassion, joy and courage we will embrace a bright and promising future together. 
"People think that because Tzu Chi is a Buddhist organisation that they're there to sell Buddhism; they're not. 
"But part of their religion is care and compassion for the community." 

Buddhism Basics 

• Buddhism is a religion that encompasses beliefs and practices based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, meaning "the awakened one".
• The Buddha lived and taught in the eastern part of India some time between the sixth and fourth centuries BC.
• He is recognised by Buddhists as an enlightened teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings end their suffering and attain the sublime state of nirvana.

When Dad Married Fury – By David Williamson

Featuring – John Wood, David James, Drew Tingwell, Annie Last, Nell Feeney, Tanya Burne and Jan Friedl.

Watch out because here comes the bride…Incongruous brothers Ian and Ben are on their way to Sydney to visit their recently widowed father. Three big surprises are in store when they arrive at his 75th birthday celebrations.

The ‘Old Man’ is worth $100 million. He’s gone and married Fury, an American beauty queen half his age. There is no pre-nup…With his trademark wit and skilful blending of contemporary culture within the ageless framework of family greed, jealousy, love and expectation, Australia’s leading playwright David Williamson delivers another gripping play and his most memorable characters to date.  Is there more to the beautiful Fury than meets the eye? Is Alan the father he thinks he is? Do Ben’s loyalties lie with his wife, his dad or himself? Can Ian contain his greed long enough to get a signature on the right will? And who is to blame for the death of Ben’s father-in-law?  One thing is for certain: everything changed when Dad married Fury.

Check out the Promo Video for When Dad Married Fury

Find Nearby accommodation at Metro Hotel Ipswich International

Can Craig Make it Six Wins In a Row? Ipswich 360

Will Craig make it Six in a Row at Ipswich?

CRAIG Lowndes is the hot favourite for a podium finish at this weekend's Coates Hire Ipswich 360. 
The three-time V8 Supercars champion has won the past five races straight in Ipswich, clean-sweeping three races in 2011 and another two last year. 

He's finished in the top two in seven of the past eight races at Queensland Raceway since 2009 and has 11 career race wins at the circuit - more than any other driver. 

The showdown for the 2013 Australian V8 Supercar Championships continues when the Coates Hire Ipswich 360 fires up at Queensland Raceway tomorrow through to Sunday. 

It's shaping up to be an unforgettable weekend of high-octane action as the V8 Supercar stars line up to gain serious points in the championship. 

Petrol heads turned out in their thousands to welcome the V8 Supercar teams as they made a spectacular entrance into town yesterday in the Transporter Parade. 

Fans met their favourite drivers when they made a pit stop at Coates Hire Ipswich store at Churchill. 
But the big event Holden and Ford fans are eagerly awaiting is race 22-24 of the Australian V8 Supercar Championships, which green-lights on Saturday at 3.40pm. 

The next generation of V8 Supercars will take on the new sprint format at the Queensland Raceway, dubbed the Paperclip, for the first time in Queensland. 

Ford flyer Will Davison, who won at Ipswich for the Holden Racing Team in 2009, will be among 26 other drivers vying to defeat Craig Lowndes in his Triple Eight Commodore who has taken five victories in a row at the circuit. 

Davison said the unpredictable performance variations brought to the category by Car of the Future, the all soft-tyre sprint-race format of the Coates Hire Ipswich 360 and a limited 20-tyre bank were signs that Lowndes may be beatable. 

"I am expecting quite a lot of competitive cars there," he said. 

"Having a car that is good on the tyres in the 100km races on the Sunday is crucial. I think it will be really interesting to see whether we pit or not. 

"We have obviously gone through a lot of different strategy options … and we have a very limited tyre bank so how you manage those tyres will be interesting." 

Davison has scored 1376 points in the 2013 championship. He trails leader Jamie Whincup (Red Bull Racing Australia Holden Commodore VF) by 215 points and Lowndes (Red Bull) by 104. 

After a strong 2-4 Townsville result, Davison's teammate, Mark Winterbottom, has jumped into fourth in the championship on 1337 after earning the most points of anyone in the field at the Sucrogen Townsville 400. 
There are 300 points up for grabs this weekend across the three races. Support races will include the Dunlop Series, Touring Car Masters, Formula Ford and Aussie Racing Cars. 

There will be entertainment for the whole family with aerial displays by Australia's top gun, Matt Hall, Team Army shows, Air Force Super Hornet flyover, Shannons auto show, car club displays, Team Bray Racing with their supercharged burn-out machines and the University of Queensland's Formula SAE team. 

Treat the kids to plenty of action on track and off with the new Disney-Pixar Fun Zone, including Mack the transporter, Finding Nemo, Toy Story and Monsters University. Kids 12 and under receive free general admission with a paying adult.

Find and Booking Ipswich Hotel Accommodation at Metro Hotel Ipswich International

Oktoberfest Coming to Ipswich - Postponed till 2014!

Update: Unfortunately due to venue issues, the event has been postponed till 2014!

Oktoberfest began in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of the Bavarian royals King Ludwig I and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Citizens of Munich were invited to join in the festivities and the celebration became an annual event. The city began allowing beer to be served from makeshift stands and by 1896 Oktoberfest had tens of thousands of guests descending upon the event in Munich each year.

It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 6 million people from around the world attending the event every year. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modeled after the original Munich event.

Today, Oktoberfest is the largest, most well known festival in the world and it has finally arrived in Ipswich!
There will be entertainment, music, rides, German dance, drinks and more!

Beer

Beer is a major aspect of Germany's history and culture. Germany is widely recognised as one of the world's greatest beer centres, producing the largest variety of beer styles in the world. Bavaria is Germany's leading beer producing region, and Dortmund, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen), is Germany's largest beer-producing city (producing over 4 million barrels of beer annually).

Now, you have the facts and you know how awesome German beer is, we want to bring the best selection to you at Ipswich Oktoberfest. After all... Oktoberfest wouldn't be the same without it!

Food

Oktoberfest is not just about the beer, it is also about food! The team will bring you a wide range of German food, including the authentic Ochsenbraterei (Oxgrill) cooked in the traditional way, as well as your favourites like pork knuckle and schnitzel. So there really will be something on our menu for everyone, or if you are anything like us you'll want to try a bit of everything.

Where: Limestone Park (Oval D) Griffith Road, Ipswich
When: From 4th to 7th October 2013

• Friday 4th Oct - 4pm to Midnight
• Saturday 5th Oct - 11am to Midnight
• Sunday 6th Oct - 11am to Midnight
• Monday 7th (Public Holiday) Oct - 11am to 6pm

How To Get There: http://www.ipswichoktoberfest.com.au/info.html#.Ud5KdDtHLE0
Official website: http://www.ipswichoktoberfest.com.au/
Entertainment: http://www.ipswichoktoberfest.com.au/entertainment.html#.Ud5GjztHLE0
Tickets: http://www.ipswichoktoberfest.com.au/tickets.html#.Ud5GmjtHLE0

Coming to Ipswich for Oktoberfest? 
Need hotel accommodation in Ipswich?

Metro Hotels Ipswich International offers a convenient location in Ipswich for Oktoberfest. The hotel is only a 4 minute drive or 16 walk to Limestone Park Griffith Road, Ipswich!

Hotel Features: 

• Free on-site car parking
• 100% non-smoking
• 4 ½ star hotel
• Beautifully decorated with state-of-the-art appliances
• Platform 9" a-la-carte Restaurant/Bar 
• Lift access to all floors from Reception 
• Disabled access and facilities
• Minibar

Hotel Location: 43 South Street (Cnr Foote Lane) Ipswich Qld 4305
Website: Metro Hotels Ipswich International


Hotel room discount package:

Sunday / Monday Madness @ Metro Hotels Ipswich International
Metro Hotel Ipswich International is offering this Sunday / Monday Madness accommodation package for $110.00 including:

• One Nights accommodation
• Late check-out of 1.00 pm
• Free Internet
• Details and To Book: http://www.metrohotels.com.au/special/241

Kick-start Financial Year With A Meeting @ Metro Hotel Ipswich International Qld

Metro Hotel Ipswich International is making it simple and affordable for businesses to plan for the new financial year with a competitively priced, all-inclusive conference package.

Priced at just $50 per person per day (normally $59 per person), the new Daily Delegate Special is available for all new bookings made for meetings held between 1 July and 30 September, 2013 (minimum 20 people). 

Complimentary room hire is included in the package ($250 per day for less than 20 people) along with AV equipment – a whiteboard, flip-chart and lectern.

Continuous tea and coffee are included in the package, as well as morning tea with scones, pastries or a fruit selection, a light and healthy working lunch, and homemade cookies, cake or scones for afternoon tea. Hot lunch boxes can be included for an additional fee of $10 per person.

Rated four and a half stars and holding the Green Star Accreditation for environmental sustainability, Metro Hotel Ipswich International is a well-established and highly regarded conference and accommodation venue experienced in dealing with a wide range of events, from small business meetings to large overnight conferences.

With 97 rooms, seven conference rooms of different sizes and styles and an exclusive fine-dining restaurant, Metro Hotel Ipswich International provides everything necessary to host the perfect corporate event. Catering is provided through the hotel’s signature restaurant Platform 9, which can cater for any number of guests, budgets and specific dietary requirements.

For team-building activities, Ipswich provides the ideal location outside of the busy high-rise areas of Brisbane and the Gold Coast, with its surrounding hinterland offering endless opportunities to push and develop a team. Options range from a gentle exploration of Queensland’s oldest provincial city with architecture dating back to the early 1800's to local high-adrenalin events.

For those who like to combine business with leisure pursuits, try teeing off on the Greg Norman-designed Brookwater Golf Club or touring the spectacular local vineyards and cellar doors. For the more adventurous, there is bushwalking, canoeing, hot air ballooning, fishing or sky diving – staff at the hotel can help advise which local tourism options most suit your needs.

To enquire about the new Daily Delegate Special or to discuss your next meeting requirements, contact Metro Hotel Ipswich International Functions Coordinator Kimberley Gent on (07) 3812 8077 or email eventsipswich@metrohg.com

Metro Hotel Ipswich International location: 43 South Street (Cnr Foote Lane) Ipswich Qld 4305