Ginger Factory - Yandina

Everyone said it was a great day out.... So with rain and showers determined to ruin our last day at the beach, we ventured over to Yandina.... a short 20 minute drive from the Sunshine coast beaches. That is if you don't miss the turn off from the highway.

Take the bli bli road from Nambour and enter the Bruce Highway northward... then watch for the exit to Yandina and there is a couple of Ginger Factory signs.

Entry is free so that entices more customers into their shops... smart move...but thereafter only browsing is free...

Ginger Factory Trivia

Did you know that Buderim Ginger Factory ( at Yandina) is the biggest and maybe only Ginger factory in the world... Apparently they used to be at Buderim hence the name.

Henry VIII thought ginger to be a great cure for the black plague and it was generally called The Royal Spice. Centuries earlier, in 1298, Marco Polo introduced ginger to Europe

At the Yandina establishment, they have diversifed introducing a Honey tasting, shop and film show and also a Gourmet Cooking School

There is a small vintage train which will delight children under 5 years, but the various attractions within are in easy walking distance and mainly comprise shops selling a variety of tourist memorabilia and souvenirs.
Adults are $6.50 per ticket for the train ride around the complex.

Amusing garden and shed signs were really tempting.....in the three or four different souvenir shops.

There is a motor garage - which is really a small museum for garage signs and automotive memorabilia.

The Gardens were filled with some extraordinary specimens of ginger varieties from around the globe, both ornamental and edible.

Other attractions include a boat ride with commentary about ginger making, which is indoors and on which you can witness various animated figures that would again, amuse a child under 5. Adults would probably be bored out of their skulls...

There is a large undercover eating area, presumably for the seniors bus crowds when they roll in, thank goodness we missed those... so perhaps Monday is good day to visit.

The rain did follow us around all day, so I would advise taking an umbrella if you visit on a wet day.

The Ginger Factory, 50 Pioneer Road Yandina, is open 364days a year

gingerfactory.com.au


Verdict: Never to return

The good: Entry is free

The bad: Not enough informative attractions for adults

The Ok or is it the ugly: plenty of souvenir shopping

Dying to Tie Dye...

Woofstock is coming. Yes Woofstock, not Woodstock...and it is on this weekend, for dog enthusiasts and their owners. Competitions like Best dressed always get my daughter interested. As it is Woofstock, we thought it appropriate to dress our pup in hippie costumery!

Hence tie dye here we come. It is some years since I did this, since no 2 child was interested in having a hippie shirt, but luckily I still had some cold water dye handy. This is part of Tiffany's costume and it is a fun technique to use with children, especially when they can wear the product afterwards.  And you will gain a new piece of wardrobe attire.... Truly Something to ponder about.
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Instructions for Hippie dog or Human shirt (monochrome)

Soaking in the dye solution

First of all find a preferbly white fabric shirt or piece of material, wet it throughly, ( wash it if it is new) then pinch a small amount of fabric where you want the main design placed and tie a rubber band around it. Wind up some more fabric underneath, and tie more string, or another rubber band below the last one. An inch interval is fine, unless you want concentric circles to be closer together. It should look like a tornado in reverse. The dye will colour all sections except where the rubber bands or string is...

For cold water dyes such as Dylon, I used the following technique, but I have included their own instructions from the website further below for your information:

Into a disposable or stainless steel container:
Place 125 g salt in 500 ml of boiling water
1 tin of Dylon cold water dye in your chosen colour

Agitate till salt is dissolved. I do not use a cold fix but you can if you wish.

Leave sitting in the dye bath for one hour. Agitate occasionally and especially for the first 5-10 minutes.

Agitate for the first 10 minutes and occasionally during the next hour

Rinse under running water till water is clear.

Wash.

Remove rubber bands or string.... Marvel at the results then wash article in hot water.
Hang to dry. Wash separately for the first few washes.

Removing the ties

NB:
You can use a different colour t shirt to start with, with varying results. It will either not take the dye or it will mix the colours together. Eg: red shirt and blue dye = Purple shirt with red tie dye pattern.
The container may get stained with dye so use an old bucket or ice cream container if using plastic.

Make sure that you have rinsed the article to be dyed and it is damp.

If you use string, tie it tightly to create the "resist" ( some dye will seep underneath but it won't soak completely through the bound area and as such, the result will be a lovely broken pattern

Finished product showing the white "resist" areas

Dylon Cold Water Dye Instructions
Product Information
· Suitable fabrics are cotton, linen, viscose and wool.
· Lighter shades on polyester/cotton mixes because polyester and other pure synthetics do not
pick up dye.
· Lighter results on wool and silk.
· One pack will dye up to 250g / 8oz dry weight fabric (125g / 4oz for A52 Black).
· You will also need Cold Dye Fix, 125g / 4oz of salt, rubber gloves, flat-bottomed bowl.
How to use
1. Weigh dry fabric. Wash fabric thoroughly even if new and leave damp.
2. Fill a flat-bottomed bowl with enough cold water to cover article (do not use a bath or sink
unless stainless steel, as it may stain).
3. Wearing rubber gloves, dissolve dye in 500ml/1 pint hottest tap water. Stir well and add to
bowl.
4. Dissolve 125g/4oz salt and 1 sachet Cold Fix in hottest tap water and add to bowl. (For
Black, use 250g/8oz salt and 2 sachets of Cold Fix).
5. Put in unfolded damp article. Dye for 1 hour (3 hours for Black).
6. Agitate continually for first 10 minutes, then occasionally after that, keeping fabric
submerged.
7. Rinse in cold water until water runs clear, then wash in hot water with usual washing
detergent.
8. Dry away from direct heat and sunlight. Wash article separately for the first few washes to
remove excess dye.
Additional instructions for Wool
1. Hottest tap water must be used instead of cold in the dye bowl
2. Use 375ml / 13fl.oz of vinegar instead of salt and cold fix.
3. Use warm water to rinse and wash after dyeing.
How to use Cold Dye on Wood
1. Rub down to bare wood, removing previous coatings. Wipe clean with white spirit.
2. Wearing rubber gloves, dissolve dye in 500ml/1 pint of warm tap water.
3. Apply dye evenly using a brush, sponge or cloth working in the direction of the grain.
4. Allow to dry.
5. For darker shades apply further coats of dye, allow drying between coats.
6. Apply any clear wood varnish to seal the colour.




Jackel Pty Ltd, PO Box 67, Rydalmere NSW 2116 ( 1800 025 021 : www.dylon.com.au
TECHNIQUES


Random Pattern
1. Crush your piece of material to form a ball and tie up tightly with string or elastic bands.
2. Place the tied ball in the dye bath and leave it for 60 minutes.
3. Take the ball out of the dye, rinse until water runs clear. If you want to dye the ball a second
colour, follow Step 4, if not go to Step 5.
4. To dye the ball a second colour untie the material. Crush into another ball and tie up tightly and
place it into the second dye bath for 60 minutes. Rinse the excess dye off until water runs clear.
5. Untie the ball. Wash the fabric in warm soapy water, rinse and leave to dry. Iron the material.


Stripes


1. Pleat your material into a fan. Divide the folded material into portions and tie up each division
tightly.
2. Put the tied material into the dye bath and leave for 60 minutes.
3. Take the material out, rinse until water runs clear. You have two options at this stage:
§ Leave the material as it is i.e. one colour of stripes, follow Step 6.
§ Add a second colour of stripes, see Step 4
4. To dye a second colour retain your ties and add new ones.
5. Put the material into the second dye bath and leave for 60 minutes. Rinse off the excess dye until
water runs clear.
6. Untie the material. Wash in warm soapy water, rinse and leave to dry. Iron the material 




Circles
1. Take a square piece of material. Pinch the centre of the material with one hand and pull with the
other to form a cone shape.
2. Divide the cone into sections and tie each section firmly.
3. Put the tied cloth into the dye bath for 60 minutes.
4. Rinse until water runs clear, you can add a second colour by following Step 5, if not go to Step 7.
5. For dyeing a second colour retain your ties and add new ones.
6. Put the tied cloth into the second colour for 60 minutes. Rinse off excess dye until water runs
clear.
7. Untie the material. Wash in warm soapy water, rinse and leave to dry. Iron the material. If you
have a large piece of material, tie cones at random or in a pattern all over the cloth. 

Aftermath of the Floods..

All the debris that was washed up at Sandgate meant that there was no opportunities for walkies on the beach... the Beach is still closed because of dangerous levels of bacteria from all the algae present..

Chairs, oodles of plastic water bottles and citycat jetty decking to parts from large boats... and dead animals...

All washed up....