J TEAM EDITED AND PRODUCED BY Zakazukha 7/99 West Burleigh Road Burleigh Heads QLD 4220 (07) 5607 0899 www.zakazukha.com WRITERS James Perkins, Ross Greenwood, Bruce Nelson PHOTOGRAPHERS James Perkins, Grace Mackay, Danny Bourke, Chris Currie, George Gittany, Michal Kriesch, Aidan Bryant DESIGN AND LAYOUT Elaine Fang 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. Johanna Griggs has been a continuous feature in the lives of many Australians over the past three decades. We watched her early career as a champion swimmer, and then grew up with her as she made her name as a television presenter. She is a genuine and lovely person, which is why she connects with people so well, even through the television screen. It is an honour to have her as a Mercedes-Benz Parramatta brand ambassador. She spoke to us recently, and you can read her story on page 8. This spring we also take you to Portugal and its capital city, Lisbon, which is a treat to explore on foot. As you’ll read, Lisbon is an underrated gem of Europe – it’s beautiful, full of history, inexpensive, has surf beaches, and is blessed with a much warmer temperature than other European capitals. Ross Greenwood is back with another insightful economic analysis, this time about the bind in which the Reserve Bank of Australia finds itself as it considers the position of Australia’s cash rate. In July, our reporters visited Lebanese restaurant Sahra by the River and found delicious food, and also an inspiring story of an entrepreneurial family that arrived from the Middle East in the 1970s and 80s and made a fulfilling life in a new country. We have a new section in this issue, Culture, where we preview the upcoming Parramatta Lanes Festival, which is a very popular event in the city and not to be missed. At Mercedes-Benz Parramatta, it is very important for us to play a positive role in the community, and this is reflected in the Patronage section of the magazine, where you can read about our work with local schools and other sponsorships. I hope you enjoy the Spring Issue of our magazine. We are keen to hear your feedback, so if you have a story you would like to tell please get in contact. MEON NEHRYBECKI Mercedes-Benz Parramatta Dealer Principal WELCOME MERCEDES-BENZ PARRAMATTA 4 TEAM