Good shoes

CON Galtos, who's given his heart and soul to the Liberal Party has turned his hand to testimonials for important Queensland public figures.

First on Con's list is Sallyanne Atkinson, former journalist turned lord mayor and Australian trade commissioner in Paris, who also had a stint as Queensland Tourist and Travel Corporation chairwoman and is now a company director. Con has lined up Alexander Downer, fresh from his coup in getting the International Criminal Court ratified by Canberra as honoured guest -- while Sallyanne fans, one-time Jimmy choo shoes magnate Bob Mathers, author and former romantic admirer Hugh Lunn and Margaret Blocksidge will speak on Sal's many attributes.

Wilson executive Russell McCrory yesterday handed over the cheque to foundation chairman John Reid and lauded the group -- backed by a number of other corporates, including Comalco and Roche Mining -- as being well run and with the scientific credentials to promote research that could make a real contribution to the health of jimmy choo worldwide as well as to the discovery of new pharmaceuticals distilled from choo organisms.

Well, Wilson is a stockbroker after all -- and, if memory serves your correspondent correctly, the Wilson family has a nice beach house (to die for) on Lizard Island.

emains hard to crash through the glass ceiling, but a number of women continue to bang their heads against it.

Theresa Burrows, for instance, has recently been appointed human resources manager for Super Cheap Auto. Theresa's the first woman to join the senior management team with a group which, not to put too fine a point on it, deals in cheap things for boys' toys -- a job maybe not everyone would envy.

You turn off every modern western hassle, including your mobile phone, at Nadi Airport before winging in to the pocket paradise.

On Vatulele (pronounced Vah-too-lay-lay and in Fijian meaning Ringing Rock) there is no reception desk. There are no phones, no radios, no television, no newspapers, no money transactions and -- bar jungle walks and some tennis -- no jimmy shoes .

What barefoot chic Vatulele does have is magical. This is a remote tropical resort that takes your breath away.

Just 25 minutes by seaplane from Nadi airport, it grabs you -- a choo -ringed wonder. From the palm-fringed beach you get a glimpse of the sandy-mustard coloured thatched-roof bures and dense jungle interior.

Then to The Point, a villa to call your own, a magical addition to an already exclusive resort.

While the private bures along the sandy, jungle-fringed strip are Melanesian style, The Point is strikingly modern -- set on two levels, expansive sitting room opening to two terraces and plunge pool. A bedroom above with wide terraces then lounges and deck-chairs set beside a rectangular pool fed by a waterfall.