Tit Tar massages the pain away in new Vincent studio
A massage studio skilled in the traditional Chinese technique of Tit Tar is opening in Townsville.
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Bones will be cracked for relief in Townsville with the opening of a studio specialising in the traditional Chinese Tit Tar bone-setting technique.
Kenny and May Fong will operate the Tit-Tar Massage Studio in the Nathan St shops opposite the Vincent Market Place.
Mr Fong trained under Malaysian Tit Tar Master Chris Leong renowned worldwide for his work in the use of the traditional Chinese technique related to the martial arts, while Kenny and Fay both have diplomas in remedial massage.
Mr Fong was brought to Townsville from Malaysia to work in project management by industrial developer Brad Webb before focusing on his skills in massage.
“I specialise on chronic pain. There are a lot of people in Townsville with chronic pain issues. I think this is going to be very good for local people,” Mr Fong said.
Kenny and May returned to Townsville last year after operating a similar studio in Victoria.
Mr Fong said it was his wife’s liking of Townsville’s warm climate, not to mention Kenny’s love of fishing, that drew them back.
“May suffers the cold. We can handle the heat. It is similar to Malaysia,” Mr Fong said.
They have leased a 60 sqm tenancy in a shopping centre at 72 Nathan St alongside other health-related businesses Terry White Chemist, Aloki Skin, Beautopia and West Fund Health.
Colliers commercial and industrial executive Shaun McLaren said the centre would suit the studio well.
They had ample parking for him, good exposure and it was a central location.
The Tit Tar Massage Studio opens on Saturday
ABSOLUTE CRAVINGS TO REOPEN IN TUMBETIN LODGE
A hospitality business with a big following is set to open at historic Tumbetin Lodge in The Palmetum gardens in Annandale.
The council has announced Absolute Cravings will be the new tenant in the lodge after the previous tenant, the Good Shepherd Home, decided to close its tearooms in July.
Absolute Cravings has operated for eight years, most recently in North Ward as a cafe then providing ready made meals. It has more than 10,000 followers on Facebook.
Owner Giina Lashmar said she was excited to re-open in Tumbetin Lodge.
“This has been under wraps for the past few months, and I am so excited to share that our new home is Tumbetin Lodge,” Ms Lashmar said. “We’ve been working with council to get the space ready for our customers and I can’t wait until the doors can open to the community.
“We put so much love and effort into our nutritious food and now we can do it in such a beautiful space overlooking the Palmetum.”
The lodge has been refurbished with a new kitchen, new furniture and fresh coat of paint.
Built in 1934 in Railway Estate for the Roman Catholic Church, the lodge was the St Francis Xavier School until 1975, before being relocated to the Palmetum in 1993.
It is constructed mostly of Silky Oak timber.
Mayor Jenny Hill said it was fantastic to see the lodge transformed and a local business moving in. “Absolute Cravings is a welcome tenant for the space, and I know the visitors to Palmetum, and the residents of Good Shepherd next door will love what has been done in the building,” Cr hill said.
“It is such a great outcome that the staff were able to work with Giina to transform the building and turn it into a full hospitality experience.”
Absolute Cravings is expected to open next Wednesday.
RECOVERY LAB OPENS SPECIALIST STUDIO IN TOWNSVILLE
A SPECIALIST studio using the latest technology to help people feel better, perform better and cope better with the demands of physical training has been launched in Townsville.
Recovery Lab is a franchise being operated by Lauren and Matthew Scott.
Its products include NuCalm neuroscience technology, infra-red saunas, compression boots, ice bath therapy and Compex electrical muscle stimulation.
All of the services are designed to enhance physical and mental recovery from the demands of exercise, training or everyday stresses and strains.
The Scotts both come from military backgrounds.
Matthew is a warrant officer and personal trainer who has worked in the Army for 22 years, while Lauren previously worked with the Royal Australian Air Force.
Mr Scott likened the studio to a smaller version of the Cowboys new community, training and high performance centre.
He first saw a Recovery Lab studio in Melbourne a couple of years ago and thought the services it provided would be a good fit for Townsville.
Mr Scott said Townsville was an extremely active, outdoor-centric community.
Offering those same kinds of services to his colleagues and the general community here was something he had looked forward to for years.
He said recovery was often overlooked or not sufficiently emphasised but was probably more important than the physical training itself.
“We are extremely happy to be able to give back to our local community by offering them a professional, high-end recovery centre that can still be used by the everyday individual,” Mr Scott said.
“What we fell in love with about Townsville is the amazing sporting hub that exists within the community.
“However, what was missing was a place for the locals to come and recover and now they will have a studio where they can do exactly that.”
He said Recovery Lab was for anyone who needed to recover from something, whether it was simply taking the dog for a walk, not sleeping properly or fly-in fly-out workers suffering from sleep disorders.
For more info see: https://recoverylab.com.au/
TABS BOAT DEALER ESTABLISHES IN TOWNSVILLE
A small warehouse in West End will be the new showroom and workshop for some of Australia’s best made aluminium plate boats and trailers.
InTune Marine, a new business to town, is setting up shop in 179 Ingham Road, selling TABS boats made in Yatala on the Gold Coast.
They will also sell Mackay boat trailers made in Braeside, Victoria, Japanese-made Tohatsu outboard motors and all manner of accessories.
Jeff and Linda Bullard previously operated a boat dealership in Long Jetty, NSW, for 25 years before seeing the light and relocating to Townsville three years ago.
Mr Bullard, a qualified marine mechanic, said he had taken a break from business before moving back into boat sales about a year ago.
Previously, they had enjoyed holidays in Townsville.
“We love the weather. We are big time boaties and you have a lot better boating conditions. The opportunities brought us here,” Mr Bullard said.
“We have been working from home until now out at Alligator Creek. We have decided to move to town and get a bit more serious about what we are doing.”
They are the exclusive dealer for TABS boats in North Queensland where the
demand for the sturdy plate boats has been strong.
“We’ve had 20 boats (sold) on back orders. Every time we get a boat here, it sells,” Mr Bullard said.
The family has bought a 310 sqm warehouse with high clearance. The property has a 50 sqm office, some on-site carparking and good exposure to Ingham Rd.
Colliers commercial and industrial executive Shaun McLaren said the purchase was an example of a local business backing themselves and buying a site to build their operations.
“This will be a great area for them to display their products with high clearance, great exposure and easy access off Ingham Rd,” Mr McLaren said.
He said it was great to see another property in West End getting some new life.
Many of the buildings along Ingham Rd from the city to Garbutt have been upgraded or refurbished for small businesses in recent years.
KEYES & CO TAKES POSITION IN CBD
Residential real estate business Keyes & Co Property has acquired its own offices in the Townsville CBD with views over the city and room for growth.
The business has taken a third-floor 300 sqm floorplate in 122 Walker St, the commercial office building alongside the Altitude Apartments tower.
The offices have been fitted with one of the largest auction rooms in town.
Business founder Damien Keyes said he and his partner Kirsty bought the property just as the market began to move last year and settled on the sale in February.
They were confident in the market and believed Townsville was primed for growth, he said.
“We can see what’s going on in the residential sector. We think the CBD and the commercial market is going to follow suit,” Mr Keyes said.
“Townsville is in significant recovery and prices are going to rise. We wanted to be part of that growth.”
The location also suited their brand and the clients they represented, he said.
The office fit-out has been designed by local architects Counterpoint Architecture and installed by Blanco Building.
It includes an open plan space for agents, client rooms, a large 40-seat auction facility and cloud-based IT system to allow agents to work remotely.
Mr Keyes said there had been a move to virtual auctions during the pandemic but that as restrictions eased, there was a preference among people to attend auctions.
“Most bidders prefer to attend auctions in person so they can get more of a feel for what’s going on. It’s a lot more transparent,” Mr Keyes said.
They will also offer the auction room as a meeting space for use to community groups.
It has been designed to provide access to kitchen facilities and amenities.
Mr Keyes said Townsville was definitely on the radar for investors and others looking to buy property. Their sales had almost doubled over the past year.
The city was affordable, attractive for people looking to relocate to a regional destination and its property prices offered good value with room for further growth, he said.
Damien and Kirsty Keyes established Keyes & Co Property in 2012.
Originally published as Tit Tar massages the pain away in new Vincent studio
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