INTRODUCTION

Completed over several stages between 2015 and 2019, the Hinterland to Headland Poetry Trail connects literary and sculptural arts to audio technologies at six independent poetry sites, pathways or mini trails across the Sunshine Coast region in popular public spaces of great natural beauty or heritage significance. QR codes are available at the sites for smart phone access to a podcast of poems about each place, written and read by the poetry trail poets, Judith Bandidt, Deanne Lister and Lyn Browne, all members of the Sunshine Coast Pente Poets. Brochures and a map of the complete poetry trail are provided at the sites.

The poetry trail project was auspiced by Kenilworth Arts Council during 2015-2019. In 2022 the Lions Club of Lake Currimundi-Kawana agreed to support this project to enable it to make an application to the Sunshine Coast Council for a grant to help rejuvenate this important community initiative. The Club also agreed to provide this story on its website and provide a link to it on their Facebook Page.  The Pente Poets highly value the backing of their auspicing organisations. Without this support the Poetry Trail project could never have moved from an innovative dream to an inspired reality.

WHO ARE THE PENTE POETS?

Five poets – Deanne Lister, Ron Wiseman, Susie Faint, Brad Drew, and Judith Bandidt– met in 2006. They shared a common location (Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast hinterland and coast) and a love of poetry. In 2010, poet Lyn Browne joined the group. The Group get together once a month, usually on the Blackall Range. Their gatherings are characterised by good food, good wine, good conversation, lots of laughter, poetry reading and critique. The Pente Poets are serious about their craff producing  a number of anthologies, with several members publishing their own poetry collections.

In 2015 three Pente poets Judith Bandidt, Deanne Lister, and Lyn Browne (who called themselves The Poeiticats) began a journey to establish a poetry trail on the Sunshine Coast, an ambitious project that has consumed their creative energies for over five years.

WHERE CAN YOU FOLLOW THE POETRY TRAIL?

The Hinterland section of the Poetry Trail is situated at:

• Kenilworth Little Yabba Creek picnic area

• Maleny Heritage Trail near the Golf Course

• Montville Russell Family Park

The Yandina ‘walk and drive’ audio poetry mini trail consists of listening posts at six sites in and near Yandina. Walk to the old Anglican Church, the School of Arts, the Heritage Park, and Railway goods shed in town. Drive to the South Maroochy River crossing and the Mt Ninderry walking trail listening posts. QR codes are provided at each post to access recordings of poems written and read by local poets and the poetry trail poets about Yandina’s early days and cultural heritage.

Maroochy Wetlands Sanctuary’s audio poetry walk comprises three listening stations at seating alongside the boardwalk at the Sanctuary. QR codes are provided at each station to access the podcast recordings of poems about the Wetlands’ environment and birdlife.

Finally, the Point Cartwright Poetry Place is situated beside the walkway from La Balsa Park to where the sea meets the headland at Point Cartwright. Here sculptor Wayne Markwort carved short verses by the poetry trail poets into sandstone blocks. A QR code linked to the podcast of the poets’ longer poems about the natural beauty and lifestyle of the Sunshine Coast is available.

POETRY TRAIL REJUVENATION PROJECT

The Pente Poets Sunshine Coast Hinterland to Headland Poetry Trail was completed in 2019. Unfortunately COVID halted any chance of launching the final section of Hinterland to Headland at La Balsa Park, Point Cartwright early in 2020 as planned.  During the pandemic the trail became neglected. However, the Poetry Trail rejuvenation project in 2022–2023 has brought the trail to life once again, with new brochures and maps placed at sites and community visitor centres. A new QR code linked to a podcast of selected Hinterland to Headland poems, written and read by the poetry trail poets, replaces the original code. Here is the link to the Facebook page for the Trail https://www.facebook.com/poetrytrail/? where you can find more information and photographs.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Sunshine Coast Hinterland to Headland Poetry Trail is a place-making initiative of Sunshine Coast Pente Poets Judith Bandidt, Deanne Lister and Lyn Browne, supported by Sunshine Coast Regional Council Public Art officer, local artists, and communities. The trail was developed through a staged approach during 2015–2019 and renovated in 2022–23, and was funded through grants from Sunshine Coast Council, Arts Queensland and fund-raising events as well as voluntary work from the poets and communities.

Every grass-roots project requires a high level of support in order to succeed. Individuals, businesses and local groups from each community involved with Hinterland to Headland assisted in many ways with the project development across its various stages, through auspicing, site sponsorship, local knowledge, fund-raising assistance, letters of support, publicity and information sharing. The Pente Poets acknowledge this support with gratitude, as well as the funding assistance from Sunshine Coast Council throughout the life of the project and since the end of 2022,  the support provided by the Lions Club of Lake Currimundi-Kawana.