It feels like many moons ago that Dad (a former farmer) and I (a photojournalist with a belly ache to start a magazine) first started doing the rounds to business owners, hotel managers, adventure specialists, tourism advocates and anyone else who would listen to us talk about a magazine that was to be like no other on the Sunshine Coast.

We had nothing tangible to show our potential advertisers, however we preached with unabashed passion about a magazine that would be called salt – a name picked for its simplicity and symbolism of the essentials of life. We explained that salt would never have advertising on her front or back covers, only a panoramic landscape image of our Sunshine Coast and she would sport three pages of maps at the back so that our readers would be compelled to explore every nook and cranny of the region.

As for her interior, we explained that salt's articles wouldn’t feature famous personalities nor articles on our advertisers. We would write about the snail farmer at Boreen Point or the fourth generation surf life saving family at Sunshine Beach, the trawler skipper who braves the ocean elements or a kayak trail up the Maroochy River.

We also explained the decision to not accept holiday accommodation advertising so that salt had the advantage of directly captivating and charming visitors staying in holiday rooms along the Sunshine Coast. This made her mighty attractive to potential advertisers.

Initially, some of the comments were disheartening. “Not another magazine,” said one; others said: “salt, where is the pepper?” and “you have to sell advertising on the back cover that’s what magazines do”.

Happily, belief from a handful of supporters was enough to rocket salt, with her fine photgraphy and stylish stories, into the hands of tourists and locals on the Sunshine Coast in winter, 2005.

Four and a half years on and now let me introduce you to our salt...

In the early days, she was quite bashful about her beliefs and physical appearance but now, thanks to bucket loads of compliments from near and far, she's grown into a confident lass who holds her head high.

She still firmly believes that salt-of-the-earth people are captivating and intriguing to feature and photograph, and that setting the pace is the way forward.

She never dreamed that she would have captured the hearts and minds of local Sunshine Coasters and is chuffed to have their tick of approval along with that of the wonderful visitors who choose the coast as their holiday destination.

From little things, BIG THINGS GROW.

We hope you enjoy reading our salty creation

with eyes wide open and arms outstretched. At its core, salt is a celebration of the good things in life in the piece of paradise that is the Sunshine Coast.

Kate Johns