LIFE & STYLE

The Crowne Plaza Hawkesbury Valley recently ran a photo competition to encourage locals and visitors to take advantage of the beautiful Hawkesbury by capturing a photo and entering in one of the three categories available .

The response to the competition was overwhelming and there were some great entries . All entries were judged by Mauro Risch who is an award-winning photographer specialising in hospitality and lifestyle photos and who has been involved in the world of Photography since the age of 13 . Mauro loves the chance of telling stories through the images he creates . A lot of warm and vibrant colours are the unmistakable elements of Mauro ’ s style . Hotels and resorts have become a major subject in his photographic life , shooting for the hospitality industry in the Asia-Pacific Region and in South America . There were three categories up for judging : 1 . BEST HOTEL PHOTO which was judged on capturing how it feels to stay / or visit the Crowne Plaza , the best photo had to capture the ability to express the feeling of a moment that a guest or visit to the Crowne Plaza Hawkesbury Valley . Winner : Lillian Verkroost- Clark .

2 . BEST HOLIDAY SELFIE were judged on their creativity and needed to be unique and taken in the grounds of the Crowne Plaza Hawkesbury Valley . Winner : Morgan Costa .

3 . The final category was BEST LOCAL ATTRACTION photo and this was judged on an attraction or natural wonder within 45 mins from the Crowne Plaza Hawkesbury Valley . It was judged on its ability to show people and capture what makes Hawkesbury an incredible place to stay and play . Winner : Anna Pijaca . Photo taken at Pinecrest Orchid Bilpin

The winners were awarded a weekend escape at the Crowne Plaza Hawkesbury Valley which included two nights ’ accommodation in a luxurious one bedroom balcony suite , daily gourmet buffet breakfast ; high tea for two ; a dinner in the Harvest Restaurant ; nightly cocktails in the Barracks Bar ; and two spa dreaming rituals at Villa Thalgo . Each prize was valued at over $ 2000 . Congratulations to all winners !

Binge Worthy TV • Movies • Books • Reviews & News

I ’ m an 18-year-old student , passionate about all things movies , TV shows and the occasional book . I am excited to talk about my favourite films / tv shows and review some new ones in a fresh and informal way . I love analysing and critiquing forms of media and watching people review my favourite shows on TikTok has inspired me to write reviews of my own .

In honour of the Netflix Original Series premiere of Season 4 Volume 2 , I thought it would be fitting to do a review on one of my favourite shows , Stranger Things .

Inspired by top-secret CIA projects like MK-Ultra or the alleged Montauk Project plus 80s horror films , Stranger Things is a supernatural , sci-fi horror show that centres around a group of children in the 1980s and their quest for answers when one of their friends goes missing .

To be honest , if you haven ’ t heard of the Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things … you may be living under a rock .

American film and television writers , directors , and producers , The Duffer brothers , have possibly created one of the most iconic shows of the century . I believe the characters are going to become household names as they are both familiar and relatable .

Every character , including the siblings and parents of the main children , get the care and attention they deserve within the plot and they each add their own valuable contributions to the show . They get fully developed stories with their own motivations , goals , and relationships . In fact , you might find yourself caring for the initial “ side characters ” more than the actual kids themselves . Plus , the character development in this show is literally the best I ’ ve seen .

The horror portrayed in the show is so unique and its 80s vibes are iconic , making it very nostalgic for anyone who was a teen in the 80s . However , it generally evokes a

Source : Wikipedia .

Source : The Atlantic .

The best part of Stranger Things is its ability to successfully mix horror , comedy , drama , and romance without making the show seem too crowded or overwhelming to the viewer . It also has the unique ability to juggle multiple storylines at once and maintain a perfect balance of each .

It ’ s incredibly well thought out , with countless clues , Easter eggs , and connections that can be made throughout the series . No matter how insignificant details may seem , know that it was carefully planned and executed in a way that comes together in the end .

I consider it one of the most binge-worthy and rewatchable shows , getting better and better with each season . The show matures along with the kids and because of that , each season has a more terrifying , deadlier villain , making the stakes that much higher .

Obviously , I highly recommend this show to anyone who loves a bit of horror and a clever , well thought out story . In starting it today , you also get to binge-watch all four ( technically five ) seasons !

Stranger Things is available to watch on Netflix .

to the winners of our photography competition .

Here are some of our wonderful entries . Thank you to all who entered .

WINNER Best Holiday Selfie

WINNER Best Hotel Photo LILLIAN VERKROOST-CLARK

MORGAN COSTA

WINNER Best Local Attraction Photo ANNA PIJACA

14 ISSUE 85 // JULY 2022 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT