TEAM 3 I TEAM EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Zakazukha 7/99 West Burleigh Road Burleigh Heads QLD 4220 (07) 5607 0899 1 John Street Maclean NSW 2463 www.zakazukha.com WRITERS James Perkins, Bruce Nelson, Paul V. Walters, Terry Kennedy, Ross Greenwood DESIGN AND LAYOUT Carolyn Ryan SUB-EDITOR Robyn Santa-Maria PHOTOGRAPHERS Paul V. Walters, Carmela Roche, Skye Hotel, Destination NSW DEALERSHIP Mercedes-Benz Parramatta Cnr Church & Meehan Streets, Parramatta NSW 2150 (02) 9897 1777 www.mbparramatta.com.au Dealer Principal Meon Nehrybecki Marketing Manager Vicky Abela-Behrens ADVERTISING For all advertising enquiries contact Zakazukha Bruce Nelson 0423 403 449 bruce@zakazukha.com MB Parramatta is published quarterly. It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to the Winter 2018 issue of Mercedes- Benz Parramatta magazine, which marks the 60th anniversary of our partnership with Mercedes-Benz. This anniversary is a remarkable milestone for our business. It was among the first in Australia to sell Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Together, we have formed a successful partnership that has stood the test of time. Six decades ago, Mercedes-Benz sold around 200 vehicles each year Australia wide. Today, our dealership moves ten times that number annually. In all, 42,489 Mercedes-Benz vehicles were sold across the country in 2018. The growth of the brand in our country is testament to its world-class offering and the hard work of the staff at dealerships such as ours. Each one of our employees has stepped up to the mark as the business has undertaken a significant period of growth. Without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Personally, I am proud to be associated with Mercedes-Benz Parramatta. This business has had many outstanding caretakers over the decades, and I plan to continue their great work to ensure the business continues delivering employment and wonderful vehicles for the people of Parramatta. I would like to thank the many, many customers of Mercedes-Benz Parramatta who have supported us through thick and thin for the past 60 years. It’s been a busy decade: we have re-branded, redeveloped, moved dealerships and have managed congestion at the dealership as best we could. Thank you for your support. To find out a bit more about the history of Mercedes-Benz Parramatta, read the feature on page 8. Elsewhere, come with us as we visit Jenolan Caves on page 21, and meet the inspiring woman behind the Muralisto social enterprise on page 17, who is using art to bring the community closer together. Our intrepid travel writer Paul V. Walters is back, on page 28, to report on an adventure to remote Indonesia, where he saw the legendary birds-of-paradise first-hand. We have also profiled the incredible Mercedes-AMG GT S on page 24 as part of our Workshop series. As Mercedes-AMG’s flagship sportscar, the GT S is unique; it’s built from the ground to deliver the ultimate in performance and stands among the world’s elite vehicles. I hope you enjoy this issue of MBP. MEON NEHRYBECKI Mercedes-Benz Parramatta Dealer Principal TEAM