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Check Out These Fitness and Well-being Events in Forest Lake

Looking for fun ways to stay fit? Check out these free fitness and well-being events that will be held at the picturesque Lake Parklands in Forest Lake.

Dance2BFit

Thursday, 26 April 2018 (9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.)

Photo credit: Facebook/BFit4Life – Dance, Cheer & Fitness

Dancing is not only a fun activity but also a great form of exercise. It’s good for your heart, helps you become stronger, and aids in improving your balance and coordination.

A 30-minute dance class is said to burn between 130 to 250 calories which is the same as jogging.

Dance2BFit, a high-energy dance fitness class, provides a full body workout. It combines all styles of dance and movement. Try out a different form of full-body workout that is both fun and easy yet effective.

Dance2BFit is open to all ages so you can bring your family along. Booking is not required for this free event.

To learn more about the dance fitness class, you may call or text BFit4Life – Dance, Cheer & Fitness on 0415 651 290 during business hours.

Participants are asked to meet at the stage overlooking the lake. A car park is available on Forest Lake Boulevard.

Fitness 4 me

Saturday, 28 April 2018 (7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.)

Photo credit: Facebook/MONA Health Coach

Fitness 4 me is a skipping and hula hooping exercise class brought to you by Aggie at Mona Health Coach. It includes weight training, cardio and flexibility exercises that assist with join movements.

Open for all ages, this exercise class is free for all and no bookings required. For more information, call Aggie at Mona Health Coach on 0433 463 578.

Participants are required to bring an exercise mat or towel.

Meeting point will be under the blue shade sails of the Lake Parklands.

Yoga back to nature

Monday, 30 April 2018 (9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.)

Yoga is considered as one of the most effective ways to heal and strengthen the body. Aside from being a full-body exercise, it brings stillness to the mind, filling your life with inspiration, purpose, and abundance while being a fun activity.

Yoga back to nature will help you reap the benefits of yoga in an outdoor setting. Practising yoga outdoors and being one with nature lets you experience yoga as it was originally intended.

This free event is open to all ages and bookings are not required. For more information about this activity, call Nicola at YogandU on 0406 574 454.

Don’t forget to bring your yoga mat.

Participants are asked to meet at the stage overlooking the lake.

Itchy Grubs Spotted In Forest Lake & Other South East Areas

Hairy caterpillars are taking over the South East Queensland. In Forest Lake, a local has also seen quite an infestation in their neighbourhood.

It all started when a resident in Noosa Heads area posted on Facebook a photo of caterpillars that have inhabited her home. After that post, other residents also shared photos of caterpillars in their properties.

Such species is called the Ochrogaster lunifera, a sub-species of the bag-shelter moth. They are also referred to as “itchy grubs” and can be a threat to humans and pets. Their hairs can cause irritation to the skin and eyes.

The sudden outbreak of the caterpillar may be due to the weather. Normally, these insects are seen between September and November. However, the recent wet weather, combined with extreme heat that Queensland has experienced, could have affected the life cycle of the insects. This has caused the increase in their numbers this month.

Last year, a sudden outbreak also caught the attention of many. In May 2017, hairy caterpillars were spotted in various areas in south-east Queensland.

University of Queensland professor, Myron Zalucki said these caterpillars are social creatures that form a chain or what is mostly referred to as “procession.” Each procession is most likely one family group and they stick together as one.

Forest Lake Residents Petition To Return Lake To Its Former Beauty

Forest Lake residents are eager to see a cleaner and more beautiful lake in the suburb. For this purpose, the Forest Lake Community Crime Watch has launched a petition demanding Brisbane City Council to take action.

Algae, Weeds, Pest Fish Problem

The petition asks the council to clean the lake by removing algae, weeds, and pest fish.

Earlier this year, the fish ban in the lake was lifted for the Chillout Fishing Event. Participants were taught how to fish and they caught plenty of pest fish.

As they saw the huge number of pest fist in the lake, the locals as well as the participants felt more eager to catch pest fish in the lake and looked forward similar events in the future.

However, the council hasn’t committed to a regular fishing event in the area or to lifting its fishing bans.

Ibis Infestation Continues

Ibis infestation is another issue plaguing the area. Trees have been stripped of leaves, leaving other birds with no place to live.

There are also bird droppings that are not only an eyesore, but are causing an unpleasant smell around the area.

The Ibis issue has already been raised last year and the council has implemented rules such as reducing the food sources as well as installing signages that warn visitors not to feed the birds. They have also started cleaning picnic areas.

When the Ibis issue was raised, the council also encouraged residents to make an effort and contribute to reducing the number of ibis in their properties.

Filtration System

Locals are also asking for a better filtration system to make the water clear again. The surrounding infrastructure around the lake also needs attention with parks and pathways in need of maintenance whilst some needs upgrades or repair.

Lighting Upgrades

More lighting around the lake is also requested by residents for night time walking. They also seek for GPS coordinates for the Emergency Location signage around the lake. More rubbish bins are also needed to prevent littering in the area.

The petition has so far garnered over 800 signatures so far.

Actions Taken

A master plan for a revitalised parklands was revealed by Cr Charles Strunk in November last year to improve the lake and its surrounding areas. However, it will take some years to complete.

There are already some works underway such as the upgrade of walkway lighting, a new picnic area with family barbecue, and a new children’s playground equipment.

Cr Strunk may agree with the residents regarding the improvement of the lake and the facilities that surround it, but he said that there is no plan to change the filtration methods.

Easter Carnival In Forest Lake

Celebrate Easter in Forest Lake with the whole family.

Are you up for some easter egg hunting, or carnival? This year’s carnival will give you both and more.

On 25 March starting at 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., head on over to The Lake in Forest Lake for the annual free Easter Carnival organised by the MTR Property Group. This is their fourth year hosting the event in collaboration with Heritage Bank, The Lions Club Forest Lake, and the Forest Lake Hotel.

There are so many activities in store for you. You can also participate in their Easter Egg Hunt.

Kids will enjoy the Jumping Castle and other fun games.

Snow cones, sausage sizzle, and popcorn are available as well.

This year will also be the launch of the Easter Bonnet Parade. Make sure that you bring yours because there are great prizes to be won.

The property group is known for hosting several events in the area such as the World’s Greatest Shave & Colour, and the Forest Lake Community Market.

QATSIF Continues To Support Young Indigenous Students In Forest Lake & Other Queensland Schools To Finish High School

A good number of young indigenous students in Queensland are getting a good chance of completing their high school senior years, thanks to the help of The Queensland Aboriginal And Torress Strait Island Foundation (QATSIF) scholarship program.

Forest Lake’s Success Story

One of the success stories come from Forest Lake. Student and scholarship recipient Lucina Colbert graduated from Forest Lake College last year. She was also Queensland’s top performing Aboriginal and Torres Strait student.

The Scholarship

The organisation has delivered scholarships to 1,045 students in Queensland since 2010 to support Year 11 and 12 studies. Scholarship recipients are given $1,000 a year on their final two years of high school.

QATSIF aims to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait island student retention in Years 11 and 12. The funding is also used to build on existing school community programs and support for individual students.

Get Funded

The secretariat director of the organisation, Michael Nayer, has also invited parents who attended the recent scholarship grants ceremony this year at the Australian Catholic University to apply for the 10th round of scholarships in mid-June.

Families can approach their schools to apply for these scholarships.

Forest Lake Residents Appeal for More Cops

Forest Lake residents have started another petition to deploy more cops in their suburb. The petition calls for an increase in the number of police officers in the area especially in the early morning and early mid-afternoon.

The demand for more local police officers is brought by the increase in crimes happening in the suburb. During the last Community Crime Watch meeting, a local police officer said that there were only two police cars patrolling the suburb after 8:00 p.m.

The petition has so far garnered over 300 signatures.

Currently, there is no stand-alone station in the area. The two police officers that patrol the suburb at night are from the Inala Police Station, the largest in the South Brisbane District.

Coffee With a Cop

In light of the residents’ concerns, they are encouraged to join the Coffee With A Cop on 10 March at Simple Bliss, which will start at 9:30 a.m. This is the perfect opportunity to discuss their concerns and for the police to hear them out.

Crime Hotspot

From June-August 2017, the suburb had reports of serious assault and break and enters between 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

In March 2017, statistics from the QPS Crime Map show Forest Lake on the second spot on the list of the biggest burglary hotspots in Brisbane’s South.

Termite Infestation May Get Worse Due to Humid Weather In Forest Lake & Other Suburbs in Southeast Queensland

The humid weather in southeast Queensland has given rise to more termite infestations. In particular, Gold Coast houses have found an increasing number of termite infestations. Amongst the southern suburbs of Brisbane, Forest Lake is one of the places with identified infestations.

Termites thrive in the summer. However, as the weather has gotten more humid throughout the year, termite infestations have become present all-year long. Plenty of homeowners in Forest Lake and the surrounding suburbs have dealt with termites in their properties. Termite control and eradication can be very expensive. In some extreme cases, people have had to rebuild their homes.

Forest Lake’s close proximity to bushland and the prevalence of large gum trees become more susceptible to termite attacks. In fact, termite nests can easily be spotted in the trees on almost every block of the suburb.

Early detection is very important. Residents are advised to keep an eye out for cracks in walls and termite mud. Pest controllers are urging residents to have regular termite inspections. They recommend inspections every six months.

To report an issue to the Brisbane City Council, click here.

Forest Lake Anglers Eager To Catch More Pest Fish

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified eel-tailed catfish and barred grunters as noxious fish under Queensland regulations and stated that all listed species must be killed after capture. Eel-tailed catfish are native Australian freshwater fish and are not classified as noxious in Queensland. Barred grunters are also Australian native fish but can be invasive outside their natural range. The article has been amended to clarify the species classifications and applicable fishing rules. We apologise for the error.

Forest Lake anglers are calling for more opportunities to catch invasive fish following a youth fishing workshop that highlighted the presence of pest species in the lake.

The fishing ban was temporarily lifted for the Chillout Fishing Event on 6 January, allowing young participants aged 10 to 17 to learn basic fishing skills while helping remove pest fish from the water.

Young anglers catch more than 100 fish

The workshop taught participants how to tie fishing knots, bait hooks, cast fishing rods and catch fish. More than 100 fish were reported as pest fish caught during the event, although a verified breakdown by species was not provided.

The activity formed part of Brisbane City Council’s Chill Out program, which offers free and low-cost recreational activities for young people.

Native fish and invasive species

Tilapia and carp are classified as restricted noxious fish under Queensland’s biosecurity regulations. Both species are subject to restrictions intended to prevent their spread into other waterways.

Eel-tailed catfish (Tandanus tandanus), however, are native Australian freshwater fish and are not classified as noxious in Queensland. Barred grunters (Amniataba percoides) are also native to Australia, although they can become invasive when introduced outside their natural range.

Queensland’s biosecurity rules prohibit the release of restricted noxious fish into waterways. The same classification does not apply to native eel-tailed catfish, which are covered by separate recreational fishing regulations.

Calls for more fishing events

Following the workshop, local anglers expressed interest in further opportunities to catch pest fish in Forest Lake.

Cr Charles Strunk said he would advocate for more events of a similar nature, while Brisbane Lifestyle and Community Services chairman Matthew Bourke indicated that opportunities for community involvement could be explored.

At the time, Brisbane City Council had not committed to establishing regular fishing events at Forest Lake or lifting fishing restrictions across the region.

Forest Lake Has the Most Dogs in the City

Who doesn’t love dogs? A whole lot of people in Brisbane, it seems,as it is home to over 100,000 registered dogs. And the city’s top choice of breed? A labrador retriever!

The Brisbane City Council’s latest dog registration data shows that there are 9,195 registered labrador retrievers in the area, making it the city’s most popular dog. Other popular dog breeds include Maltese, Staffordshire bull terrier, poodle, and border collie.

Dogs such as dachshunds, pugs and French bulldogs are also popular in the city. Forest Lake shows that residents here have mostly owned dachshunds, with record showing 56, whilst there are 26 pugs registered in Bracken Ridge, and 22 French bulldogs in Morningside.

Still, the data reveals that the Brisbane suburb most populated by dogs is Forest Lake with 2,450 registered dogs.

Rank	Suburb	No. of dogs
1	Forest Lake	2450
2	Bracken Ridge	2342
3	The Gap	1920
4	Carindale	1690
5	Ashgrove	1493
6	Camp Hill	1438
7	Manly West	1427
8	Brighton	1426
9	Wynnum West	1313
10	Wavell Heights	1261

There are 25 suburbs where residents are living among more than 1k dogs.

On the other hand, suburbs with the least number of dogs are Moreton Island (1), Eagle Farm (1), Enoggera Reservoir (2), Karawatha (4), Kooringal (4), Lake Manchester (1), and Lytton (3).

The council continues to encourage the community to register their dogs as it is also under state government law. Dogs three months of age must be registered and you can check out the fees here.

A Giving Heart and An Open Home in Forest Lake For the Lonely & Alone on Christmas Day

Christmas is a time of giving and a Forest Lake resident made sure that she gives more than she receives.

Ms Elizabeth Ferguson first posted on the Forest Lake community page weeks before Christmas looking for strangers to have lunch with on Christmas day. She specifically posted that she’s looking for someone “who has nowhere to go and might not be able to have a nice X’mas lunch due to finances.”

The lunch will be for four adults in their 60s and 80s. Her kids couldn’t come for Christmas lunch so she was left with two empty seats. However, she thought that no one would come having no response for a few weeks but at the last minute, two adults turned up, one from Spring Lake and the other from Forest Lake.

Ms Ferguson was very happy to have the empty seats filled and the fact that she has gotten to know these strangers more.

According to her, she always wanted to open her home to the less fortunate and lonely but her family discouraged her in the past. This also comes from her parents dying many years ago and how she would always feel sad during Christmas day.

Next year, she plans to start a register to connect people spending Christmas alone with families willing to open her homes.