Brisbane’s Fitness Mecca, Newstead, Welcomes Australia’s Largest Luxury Health Club this November, right on our doorstep in Long Island

TFP is Australia’s largest luxury health club, poised to redefine the fitness, wellness and longevity for a long, energetic and healthy life. The clubs Romanesque architecture boasts an expansive 9000sqm of training and longevity space, meticulously designed to provide an unparalleled experience for its esteemed members. Embodying the philosophy “TFP is more than a gym – it’s a way of life,” the club embraces the essence of holistic well-being, ensuring a transformative journey for all who step through its doors. Welcome to a realm of boundless possibilities – the ultimate destination for health, vitality, and personal transformation.

 

The journey to unparalleled well-being begins on the rooftop; the Rooftop Recovery Deck welcomes members to an oasis of serenity, offering tranquil views of the piazza below. At its heart lies a magnificent 25-metre heated magnesium pool, embraced by the elegance of Italian travertine and lush Bougainvillea blooms. Tait sun lounges and built-in lounges invite guests to unwind and soak up the sun in comfort.

 

The rooftop experience extends to a world of rejuvenation and revitalization. Eight Infrared Saunas for those seeking to release stress and promote detoxification, while five Hot/Cold Plunge Pools provide a thrilling contrast therapy experience. Members can indulge in the familiar comforts of the Traditional Sauna and Steam Room. A remarkable highlight of the club is Australia’s first rooftop Snow Room designed and installed by TechnoAlpin. TFP’s commitment to holistic well-being is further emphasized through two Float Tanks and eight Thermal Baths, inviting guests to immerse themselves in profound relaxation and introspection.

 

At the pinnacle of innovation lies the Hyperbaric Chamber, where members can experience unparalleled rejuvenation and recovery. The club also houses the cutting-edge HOCATT and Cryotherapy chamber at minus 180 degrees, offering biohacking options to enhance overall wellness. The Theralight 360 whole body red light therapy presents a unique approach to promoting vitality and healing.

 

Catering to diverse fitness needs, the club features a Personal Training Zone and a Reformer Studio fitted with Merrithew Reformers. The Multi-Fitness Levels – Circle of Strength concept provides a dynamic approach to training, while the Custom Built Athletic Rig and state-of-the-art Technogym Equipment present a playground for members to explore their physical capabilities.

 

Dynamic Lighting, Surround Sound by Martin Audio, and a Live DJ create an invigorating ambiance that elevates the energy during workouts. A symbolic Triumphal Arch marks the start of a transformative journey, leading to the Everest Altitude Training Room, challenging members to push their limits and embrace growth. The Stretch, Warm up Zone and GLADIATOR room offer unique opportunities for exploration and personal growth. Climbing enthusiasts can test their skills on the 13m High Kilter Climbing Wall, offering thousands of climbing patterns to conquer.

 

On the Ground Floor, guests can access the Medispa – a haven of rejuvenation offering a wide range of treatments, including PRP, Massage, and Versaspa Pro Spray Tanning booths. Moreover, you’ll find state-of-the-art Lutronic Lasers, including PicoPlus, Solari Square, Clarity II, and Genius, ensuring top-notch care for your skin and body. Additionally, the Healing Lounge awaits you, providing IV Drips, Normatec Compression Boots & Equipment, as well as PEMF Beds and Lutronics Healite II lasers for ultimate relaxation and recovery.

 

The club’s Lobby offers tranquil spaces designed for reflection, such as the serene Reading Pond and inviting Hearth Sunken Lounge featuring an Ortal Fireplace. For productivity and creativity, Indoor/Outdoor Co-working Spaces and a dedicated Podcast Room tailored to meet members’ professional needs. For nourishment the Juice Bar and Café awaits, serving delectable offerings, created to fuel members from within.

Beyond fitness facilities, the club indulges members with unparalleled luxury.

 

The Pamper Parlour, equipped with Aesop products, Fluffy towels, Ironing boards & Steamers, Dyson Hair dryers, GHD hair straighteners, and curlers, elevates grooming to a new level of indulgence.

 

Committed to well-being, the club extends a range of medical services, including Osteopathy, Physiotherapy, and Nutritionists, accessible to all. Families are catered to with the inclusion of the Kids Creche and Dog Day Care, ensuring a seamless experience. Luna Car Care adds a touch of convenience for members.

 

The Piazza Di Long Island and Urban Farm – Chef’s Table present harmonious integration with nature, enriching the culinary experience for members.

 

Australia’s Largest Cutting-Edge Health Club stands as a beacon of innovation, luxury, and holistic well-being, inviting members to embark on a transformative journey towards health and vitality. With its exceptional features and offerings, this grand endeavor redefines what a health club can be, setting new standards in the pursuit of wellness and personal transformation. Welcome to the future of fitness and wellness where humans will live longer, healthier lives.

FIRST LOOK – Seven homes in the Sub-Penthouse Collection at Cavcorp’s Luminare development are now on offer with prices starting at $5.1m

These exclusive never-before-seen images reveal the lifestyle awaiting from the Sub-Penthouse Collection at Cavcorp’s Luminare development at Newstead, close to Brisbane CBD.

Prices start from $5.1m for homes in the collection with Cavcorp managing director Damien Cavallucci saying it is an alluring collection of four-bedroom sky homes meticulously crafted to embody the epitome of sophistication and timeless grandeur.

“With an unrivalled never-to-be built out vantage point, these masterpieces artfully frame the city’s awe-inspiring horizon, boasting an irreplaceable frontage of up to 40m,” he said.

The seven sub-penthouses in the collection boast house-sized floorplans between 250sq m and 300sq m with features including three bathrooms, two living spaces, walk-in wardrobes, steam showers, balcony built-in barbecues and commercial-grade kitchens with more than $100,000 of integrated Miele appliances and either three or four side-by-side carparking spaces.

Luminare apartments will deliver better living from top to toe, Mr Cavallucci said.

“Luminare has a focus on luxury and convenient wellness, executed perfectly: the bold, aspirational notion that personal wellbeing can both start and end at home,” he said.

“A healthier mind, body and soul can in fact be found on your own doorstep. This overarching thought has contributed to the cohesive fabric of not only the design of the building, but also the residents’ daily lives, epitomising an exceptional balance between liveability, sustainability and functionality.”

Mr Cavallucci said the benefits of fitness, mindfulness and routine were found on the luxury rooftop with Romanesque thermal magnesium spas, two saunas, a steam room and state-of-the-art fitness centre by Technogym.

“Residents can enjoy exclusive offerings designed to enhance their wellbeing from the comfort of their own home choosing between weekly rooftop boxing and pilates classes; or fortnightly farmers’ markets with produce harvested on the Long Island Urban Farm,” he said.

“Ease of living is further elevated, with residents having direct access to the Long Island Kids Creche and Doggy Day Care services. At the pinnacle of the building’s allure is Australia’s highest cantilevered glass-bottom and edge pool, floating 95m above sea level and providing an unparalleled view of the city’s enchanting silhouette.”

Mr Cavallucci said self-care took centre stage, with ultra-premium building amenities and a focus on wellbeing across the building and Long Island precinct, adjacent to Luminare.

“Touted to be one of Brisbane’s largest wellness precincts once completed later this year, it will include over 1ha of proven immune-enhancing and anti-ageing therapies including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, stem cell therapy, hot/cold therapy with Australia’s first snow room; red light and cryo therapy, altitude training room and cardiovascular and heavy weight machines,” he said.

“Luminare cultivates a true sense of community, bringing together like-minded individuals who value the new-age approach to wellness as a lifestyle for longevity.”

Mr Cavallucci said research by the Global Wellness Institute indicated apartment values increased up to 20 per cent, when within walking distance of wellness precincts, a phenomenon known in the USA and UK as the wellness premium.

More info: https://www.luminarenewstead.com.au/penthouse-collection/

Fortitude Valley’s iconic GPO Hotel is set to reopen this weekend after $9m makeover

Stage one of Brisbane’s iconic GPO Hotel is set to open this weekend after a mammoth $9m makeover, with more than 1000 VIP guests to be welcomed through the doors and the new restaurant completely booked out.

Artesian Hospitality Group, known for Gold Coast venues Surfers Pavilion, White Rhino and Cali Beach, is behind the dramatic transformation of the Heritage-listed, 1887-built former general post office, introducing three new venues inside the Fortitude Valley site.

Taking centre stage will be 100-seat restaurant Tama, fronted by coveted chef Richard Ousby (ex-Stokehouse), which will serve a contemporary, produce-driven menu running from caviar tarts and crab pasta to seafood platters and premium steak.

The food will be matched to an extensive 400-500-bottle wine list curated by Artesian Hospitality partner and award-winning sommelier Alan Hunter, with drops moving from the easy drinking and affordable to the extravagant such as exclusive bottles of Dom Perignon secured through an ambassador deal and $6000 bottles of 2008 Krug Clos du Mesnil.

Also opening this weekend inside the venue will be The Gatsby, a theatrical, 1920s-inspired bar on the second floor with a whopping 75-page drinks list of cocktails, wine, champagne, spirits and more; a gourmet snack menu, and a private vault with safety deposit boxes for VIP customers and guests to store their high-end wine or spirit purchases if they can’t finish them on the day.

The impressive revamp by design firm Space Cubed also includes the introduction of luxe private dining rooms, and a second public bar, due to officially open in August, called the Tax Office, complete with two bars, a DJ area, dance floor and private booths.

Acclaimed Chef Martin Boetz from Longrain in Melbourne & Sydney to Open New Thai Diner, Shortgrain, in Fortitude Valley

It’s a homecoming for Boetz, who grew up in Brisbane before moving to Sydney where he trained under Thai food expert David Thompson, and spent 14 years as executive chef at two of Australia’s best Thai restaurants: Longrain Sydney (now-closed) and its Melbourne outpost.

Once open, Boetz says the eatery will focus on simple dishes that are suitable for both sharing or enjoying on their own. Expect plates of khao man gai (braised chicken and rice); steamed duck and winter melon soup; salt and pepper cuttlefish; and fried whole fish with green chilli nam jim alongside an international-leaning wine list.

The store, which will be fitted out with dark tiles and shelving, will sell jars of house-made curry pastes, imported Thai products like fish sauce and rice, and fresh produce like snake beans, apple eggplants and Thai basil. Boetz says there will be some pre-prepared curries too, which will just need to be finished at home.

“At this point, the curries will have protein in them but they won’t have any vegetables,” he says. “[At home] you can simmer them and add your apple eggplants or whatever – we’ll help guide you to what [vegetables and herbs] would go with what [curry].”

Shortgrain by Martin Boetz, 2 McLachlan Street, Fortitude Valley, opens in August.

QLD to commit $14b for one of Australia’s most expensive renewable energy projects

The Palaszczuk government will commit $14 billion to fund one of Australia’s most expensive renewable energy projects, the Borumba pumped hydro project in south-east Queensland.

It is one of two mega pumped hydro projects the government is relying on to enable it to shut down the state’s five coal-fired power stations by 2035.

Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick told AFR Weekend that the total cost for the 2 gigawatt Borumba project in the Sunshine Coast hinterland – which will be able to supply 24 hours of continuous energy into the grid – would be $14 billion.

The government will commit $6 billion in equity funding in next week’s budget, and the rest will come from borrowing from state-owned company Queensland Hydro.

Mr Dick said Queensland’s strong economic position post-pandemic had allowed the Palaszczuk government to fund cost-of-living measures, pay down debt and fund key infrastructure, such as Borumba, in next Tuesday’s budget.

“Within nine months of our [$62 billion] Energy and Jobs plan, we are making a substantial investment which we can do because of the strength of our budget and economy,” Mr Dick said.

The Borumba projects is expected to be completed by 2029, while the Pioneer-Burdekin project is not due to be operational until 2035.

Brisbane home prices rise for fifth straight month, maintaining Brisbane’s spot as the second strongest performing capital city.

Brisbane home prices have risen for a fifth straight month and are now on track to surpass their boom-time peak in just three months, according to new figures.

 

The May PropTrack Home Price Index released Thursday reveals the market rebound in the Queensland capital is continuing to gather pace, with prices rising another 0.33 per cent in May to be up nearly 2 per cent so far this year.

 

Brisbane home prices are now just 1.5 per cent off the peak they reached in April 2022, at the height of the property boom.

 

PropTrack senior economist Eleanor Creagh said if Brisbane home prices continued to grow at a monthly pace of 0.47 per cent — the average pace of growth seen over the past three months — they would eclipse that peak by the end of September.

 

Compared to pre-pandemic levels in March 2020, prices are still a whopping 45 per cent higher, maintaining Brisbane’s spot as the second strongest performing capital city.

 

Every market in Brisbane rose in the past quarter, with prices in the inner-city region gaining nearly 3 per cent and Brisbane south up 2.2 per cent.

 

Ms Creagh said strong demand and low housing supply was offsetting the deterioration in affordability from rising interest rates in Queensland.

 

She said the Reserve Bank’s decision to increase the cash rate in May did not impact the rebound in home prices in the state.

 

“Supply constraints have eased slightly with respect to total stock for sale, but the flow of new listings remains soft,” Ms Creagh said.

Teneriffe Festival 2023 – Brisbane’s biggest Annual Street party is on!

The much loved Teneriffe Festival is making its return tomorrow, Saturday 27 May, with so much to explore and a fiesta experience that’s better than ever.

 

The event, which captures the diversity and heritage that makes Teneriffe the cultural hub it is, will run from 10am to 9pm and offers something for everyone, with tickets going for $15 or four for $50.

 

South East Queensland’s best food trucks will once again pull up on Vernon Terrace to share various global flavours and take your taste buds on a trip around the world, and you’ll also be able to indulge in your favourite local eats thanks to The Taste of Teneriffe, with the likes of Dalgety 2.0 Public House and Siffredi’s dishing up signature dishes and festival specials. And a pop-up beer garden which is being overseen by Stone & Wood

 

On the music bill, as curated by The Triffid: Boy & Bear on headliner duties, plus GANGgajang and Odette. There’s also Flowertruck, Felivand, The Moving Stills, Betty Taylor and Dizzy Days — and the list goes on.

 

The lineup will hit two main stages, plus a dedicated riverside jazz garden stage with sounds provided by the Jazz Music Institute — and the tunes will keep going via DJs and roving performers.

 

There’ll be over 100 market stalls to stroll through and community reps to have a chat to and get more involved in your local community, while a dedicated kids zone will make sure the little ones get to have just as much fun as the big kids, so this one’s for the whole family.

 

The Details

What: Teneriffe Festival

When: 10am–9pm, Saturday 27 May

Where: Vernon Terrace, Teneriffe

Highly-Anticipated FruitBowl Launches This Weekend in Gasworks, from the team behind FishBowl

After the huge success of their first restaurant in Queensland, the team behind the hugely popular FishBowl in Gasworks, is opening an equally healthy fruit-based concept restaurant, FruitBowl.

 

Dubbed as “FISHBOWL BUT WITH FRUIT”, the restaurant will offer delicious acai, froyo, locally grown fruit, and a selection of toppings.

 

Founded in 2016 by mates Nathan Dalah, Nic Pestalozzi and Casper Ettelson as uni students, Fishbowl has grown to a network of 30 stores in NSW and Victoria with a cash flow-funded business model, an emphasis on sustainably sourced produce, and a care for culture that flows through community activities and a unique feel to each outlet.

 

FruitBowl is opening this Sunday 21st May, and they are offering the first 100 customers a free bowl from 11am.

Breakfast Creek/Newstead Raceway transformation confirmed as a landmark development for the Olympic Games

The Breakfast Creek/Newstead Raceway will be the site of a new major indoor sports centre ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with the state government confirming the site, saying the venue would be a “a great new sporting facility that will service the Queensland community for decades to come”.

“The proposed new Indoor Sports Centre will be a 12-court high-performance, para-sporting Centre that will host local, national and international sporting events including basketball, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, netball, volleyball and badminton,” said Deputy Premier Steven Miles.

“Work on the master plan for the mixed-use community precinct at Albion is continuing, including increasing indoor and outdoor sporting facilities, open green space and housing.”

The venue would also play host to the Olympic basketball and Paralympic wheelchair basketball at the Brisbane 2032 Games.

The new venue is one of the sporting facilities which fall under the state and federal government’s joint $1.87bn Games venue deal, which means it would be a shared cost – but the total cost of the venue has not yet been revealed.