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echucamoama AUTUMN/WINTER 2015

WARM OVEN, WARM

THE RECIPE TOUCHING THE HEARTS OF ECHUCA-MOAMA

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PUNCHES WASH & WEAR ART

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11 EchucaMoama

WORDS Andrew Mole, Editor editor@riverineherald.com.au Christopher Best Geordie Cowan Sarah Crossman Rhiannon Horrell

Trent Horneman Erin Lyons Luke McManus Ivy Wise

DESIGN Emma Chandler, Creative Director emma.chandler@riverineherald.com.au Christine Browne Cecilia Farley Paige Jones Sue Lewis

Tahlia Maughan Tanya Pymer Julie Whitehead

PHOTOGRAPHY Geordie Cowan Emma Chandler Luke Dempsey

Jayme Lowndes Ray Sizer

Cover image: Makeup - Sublime Hair and Makeup Model - Teisha Gilbert Photography - Tamara Cadd Contributors: Tamara Cadd Photography Phone 0448 745 824 tamcadd@yahoo.com tamaracaddphotography.com Cindy Power Photography Phone 0418 375 004 cindyh@bigpond.net.au cindypowerphotography.blogspot.com.au

ADVERTISING Haydn O’Neale, General Manager haydn.oneale@riverineherald.com.au Stuart Addicott Emma Mortimer Carly Richardson

Jodi Spence Kerry Vevers

PUBLISHER Riverine Herald 270 Hare St, Echuca Phone: 5482 1111 www.riverineherald.com.au facebook.com/EchucaMoamaMagazine

Welcome to EM. ECHUCAMOAMA HAS BEEN A SPECTACULAR SUCCESS SINCE ITS LAUNCH LAST SPRING WITH READERS EMBRACING ITS NEW TAKE ON TELLING LOCAL STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE, PLACES AND EVENTS. This autumn/winter issue presents another cavalcade of outstanding feature writing, photography and design which began even as the first issue was being delivered to letterboxes in the twin towns.

We have welcomed the feedback we have received from you, our readers, and endeavoured to integrate some of those ideas.

And we have been just as delighted with the ongoing support of our advertisers, who strongly supported issue Number 1 and have again lined up to help us bring Number 2 to you. As always we encourage you to shop local, it is good for our town and it is good not just for us but for future generations.

Everyone at the Riverine Herald, as well as a dedicated group of contributors, has worked hard to deliver autumn/winter echucamoama and we hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we have all enjoyed putting it together.

Happy reading

Andrew Mole Editor

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14

contents ON THE COVER 14 W ash and wear art

The tattoo has emerged from its seedy past to spark a new art renaissance where skin is the canvas and the statement is very public.

28 48

The golden Holden Economics might have ended Australia’s motor car industry but they have turned Echuca’s Holden museum into a vital link with our history.

Getting a kick out of punches When you start getting serious about your exercise the latest thing is to reach for your boxing gloves and start swinging.

124

In the garden of dreams Nothing says more about a community than its public gardens and the establishment of the Moama and Echuca Botanic Gardens is making a major statement.

150 Warm oven, warm heart

here are few pleasures more evocative of happy times than the T smell of a freshly-baked cake or biscuits. But for some EchucaMoama people it means much more.

INSIDE The sorry tale of a weekend duffer 36

Sports writers know they should stick to what they do best. But Luke McManus thought he could take on the game and win.

Mary Ann sails to a different tapas 42 of the drum Moama RSL has taken to the water as it continues to expand its offering – both to members and the region’s wider tourist market.

Crossie will ‘avo’ crack at most 53 crops Andrew Crossman is a familiar face at the local farmers’ market but getting there is not as simple as it seems.

56 In for a penny, in for a Pommie

Two wandering Englishmen settled in Moama and drew on their heritage to come up with their own brand of business.

the wallflower at the pole 60 Meet dance It might not be what her mother hoped for but Erin Lyons could not resist the opportunity to try her hand at pole dancing.

72 15 EchucaMoama

66 150 pets and our dog66 Designer grooming boom Today our streets are awash with Spoodles, Groodles, Cavoodles, Labradoodles, Bernedoodles, Schnoodles and more. And they are all very high-maintenance mutts.

72

J ust what the Easter Bunny ordered Want to get your kids interested in the kitchen? No better chance than Easter and all the goodies that it entails.

Suddenly it just Appened 90

Charley Apps lives life in the fast lane.

A very fast lane. But sometimes things just don’t go according to plan.

92

The colours of war

Wannabe weekend warrior Luke McManus loads his paintball gun, unleashes a squirt of aggression and prepares to do battle.

96

All in the family

When it comes to Mother’s Day, Kerry Cox – a mother second time around – is finding a special joy in the experience.

and-me-down cards create a 103 Hmini master Bridge isn’t every teen’s cup of tea but one Moama student is riding the tiger onto the world stage of this singularly cerebral sort of sport.

108 Taking the plunge – and loving it

In the world of checks and balances it would seem nothing outweighs a day of pure self-indulgence when it comes to the young mother.

Trekking down the Trail with my mates 114 Erik Holt-Crossman has stamped himself on the local tennis scene but when it comes to the Kokoda he was struggling along with everyone else.

128 No prize for running second

The times they are a changing in the racing world but Echuca Racing Club’s Alex Doble is determined to lead from the front.

131 All aboard the Sudo train

We cross the tracks for a fresh regional take on Melbourne based label, Sudo kids.

the home where every day is a 140 It’s holiday For one Echuca couple, plans for a holiday home turned into a new life in a new town with new friends – but saying no to the grandchildren means a major change in direction.

the autism 155 Understanding addendum Diagnosis of autism spreads way beyond the patient and for one Echuca family access to Club Teen is a lifesaver.

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18 EchucaMoama

WASH & WEAR

Tattoos have sparked a new artistic renaissance. It is not art that will ever be seen on the walls of the great galleries but it is art which may well be seen by more people. And in more locations.

Echuca-Moama is, without doubt, one of the great tattoo centres of Australia.

DAN KAVANAGH

It is impossible to walk down a street, into a shop, the gym or schools, on a sports field or in the hospital, without seeing tattoos of every shape and size.

Got it when I was 18 years old, at Tattoo Nation.

There are people covered from head to toe with the most garish, often nightmarish, ink while others feature tender messages of loved ones gained and lost.

Then there are those with just a single tat, such as an explosion of colour down the calf with a many-hued bird.

Why people choose to get inked, and how they choose the designs, is as complex and as varied as the people themselves.

But when EchucaMoama Magazine sent out a general Facebook notice asking for people to be photographed we were inundated within hours.

In this issue we present a cross section of those who replied, from young couples to grandparents, from people covered front and back to those with just a single tattoo.

When did you get your first tattoo?

Who does your tattoos and why do you use that person?

I’ve been to a few people but I’m at Excessive Art in Shepparton now and I use Steve because he’s got more than 30 years in tattooing, does great work and isn’t afraid to share his opinion on what will look good and where.

How many more do you expect to get?

I’d love to finish my stomach, and maybe do legs after that and I’d be happy, but ideally the whole body would be better, ha, ha.

Why do you have so many tattoos, what do you get out of it?

Ah, I just started with a few and I got more ideas and it kept on going from there. What I get out of it is just memories for the future and a past that I’ll never forget through ink. I enjoy the pain to a point as well.

If you are happy to do so, would you be able to take a guess at how much you have spent on your ink?

Yeah, it would probably be close to $5000 >> Do you think there are good tattoos and then the rest?

20 EchucaMoama Up close and painful: Dan Kavanagh goes under the needle at his tattooist of choice – Excessive Art in Shepparton.

21 EchucaMoama

>> For sure; people spend good money to get a good quality tattoo and some get backyard ones which may not have the same quality or detail which can be the difference from a prize winner and a blob of ink.

Which tattoo is your favourite – and why?

I have one on my upper arm which is a fav, it’s my green zombie which we made as gross as possible.

What sort of reactions do you get from your tattoos with family, friends and strangers?

Family is good, we all have a few each so no worries there.

Friends don’t have any problems, some of them have more ink than me and others don’t have any. With strangers it’s always a conversation starter and no one is ever negative to me about them.

Do you regret any of the tattoos you now have – and if so have you done anything about that?

Nah, I don’t regret any they’re all there for one reason or another.

Do you think tattoos are now more a part of general life than say 20 years ago?

Yeah they are. People are more willing to express themselves through ink than ever before; no one is scared to have some because it makes them feel good and they got what they wanted from it. No-one feels judged for having them, compared to 20 years ago. >>

>>

22 EchucaMoama >>

TANYA ELLIOTT

bad, but they all mean something to me, like a living breathing photo album of my life.

When did you get your first tattoo?

If you are happy to do so, would you be able to take a

I was approximately 25-years-old (early 1980s, so yes, I am now

guess at how much you have spent on your ink?

50).

Who does your tattoos and why do you use that person?

I would say I probably have spent in the vicinity of $6000 plus so far.

Bob Nowell from Bendigo Ink, Bendigo and Squirrel from

Do you think there are good tattoos and then the rest?

Tattoo Nation, Echuca. I am extremely particular in who inks

style, a genre at which they excel, so depending on the artwork

Of course, just like there are bad mechanics, painters, plumbers etc there are bad tattoos done by unqualified or inexperienced artists. Another factor is skin type and medication, from personal experience chemotherapy drugs tend to play havoc with the skin, tattoos and the healing stage.

I want, I decide on their skill set and book in for some work.

Which tattoo is your favourite – and why?

me, I have seen some pretty shoddy work. But Bob and Squirrel are amazing artists and tattooists I am extremely proud to showcase their work on my body. Every artist has their own

How many more do you expect to get?

How long is a piece of string? It just depends on how much white skin is left to tattoo.

Why do you have so many tattoos, what do you get out

of it?

My skin is my canvas, I have my own artwork displayed (of which I am very proud) as well as other artists I admire. Other people may place their art on walls, canvas, photographs etc, I have it on my body. Most of the work is memories, good or

It is hard to say as I have so many, the memorials to my son on my right arm/shoulder/back and feet mean a lot to me (My son passed away in March 2009 aged 25 from complications due to epilepsy). The memorial ones on my feet/ankles were extremely painful as part of the tattoo was done in Thailand 2009 not long after my son passed away and they were done in Traditional Thai bamboo tattooing (I participated in a Buddhist ceremony before the tattooing commenced celebrating my son’s life). My back job work in progress by Bob Nowell – Bendigo Ink – it is a huge undertaking and extremely painful, but so worth it in the end, it

is something I have wanted for a very long time and to have it nearly completed is quite exciting.

I have found it extremely hard to gain employment in areas

What sort of reactions do you get from your tattoos with family, friends and strangers?

due to my tattoos. It does irk me to a certain degree as their

Reactions vary, my great grandmother was a tattooed woman back in the days it was frowned on big time to be a female with tats. I admire her for being such a strong woman, going against the norm of the time (in 1930’s Melbourne she apparently owned a laundry and used to get tattooed by American soldiers during the war in lieu of washing their uniforms)

Do you regret any of the tattoos you now have – and if

My sons are used to me having tattoos, I remember overhearing a conversation one was having in primary school at the time and it was basically “my mum is tougher than your mum and dad put together, cause she has tattoos” it made me laugh at the time.

life than say 20 years ago

Strangers vary. I get comments from “wow they look so good” to “she must be a biker” I just laugh at them because, yes I do ride a bike.

think about tattoos. You just have to look on Facebook to be

Employers, now that is a very different kettle of fish. The mind-set is still in the dark ages: “This is not the look our business wants to project” or “we are a family business, not a biker club” and so on.

other than security or work that I am “behind closed doors” prejudice leaves them lacking a damn good employee!

so have you done anything about that?

I do not regret any tattoos that I have had done, they all mean something to me, in some small way. I do not cover them up for any reason.

Do you think tattoos are now more a part of general Yes I do, with more celebrities/sports persons/models etc being tattooed so they are more visible in today’s society.

Social media I think has also helped change the way people able to see some stunning artwork, styles and artists.

The stereotype of 20 years ago has switched itself around and now everyone is getting tattooed, unlike when I started more than 20 years ago. I think clean skins are now the minority instead of the majority. >>

23 EchucaMoama

OTHER PEOPLE MAY PLACE THEIR ART ON WALLS, CANVAS, PHOTOGRAPHS ETC, I HAVE IT ON MY BODY.

24 EchucaMoama

>>

BRIDGET BURKE

JARROD BURKE

Who does your tattoos and why do you use that person?

Who does your tattoos and why do you use that person?

I get all my work done by David Drake at Tattoo Nation in Echuca. I was lucky to stumble across him when I first moved here, and if you find a great tattooist there is no point changing.

I have some tattoos from various people but Squirrel, Dave and Reggie from Tattoo Nation in Echuca have done most of my work. It’s important to me to trust the tattooist and like their work.

Why do you have so many tattoos, what do you get out of it?

How many more do you expect to get?

They are all for my benefit. I love the time and the detail that goes in to them; tattooists can do some pretty amazing artwork.

As all my school reports stated I lack self control, so I’m sure I will eventually fill most spots

Which tattoo is your favourite – and why?

It became an addiction when I could relate the image or pictures to memories that I could carry with me.

My left arm represents special people in my life, so it definitely is a favourite, along with my red and blue birds.

What sort of reactions do you get from your tattoos with family, friends and strangers?

My friends and family are used to it now, half of them don’t even notice if I get a new one anymore. Strangers can do many things; stare, compliment them, turn their nose up and even run the other way.

Do you regret any of the tattoos you now have – and if so have you done anything about that?

No not really, I would maybe prefer a couple in different spots though, as they interfere with others I want.

Why do you have so many tattoos, what do you get out of it?

Do you think there are good tattoos and then the rest?

Yeah, for sure. Generally a cheap tattoo isn’t going to be a good tattoo.

What sort of reactions do you get from your tattoos with family, friends and strangers?

Family and friends are used to them, or already have them.

For some strangers it’s a good talking point while others have already decided I’m the dregs of society.

Do you think tattoos are now more a part of general life than say 20 years ago?

For the most part, the stereotype of it being only for criminals is fading. Slowly.

25 EchucaMoama

I’LL BE OLD ONE DAY, AND MY SKIN WILL TELL SOME GREAT STORIES.

SAM SIMMONS When did you get your first tattoo?

Do you think there are good tattoos and then the rest?

I was 17, and spent almost a full year hiding it from my

Yep. Some tattoos make your jaw drop, and they don’t need to be portraits or overly complicated to be a beautiful piece of work. Then there are ‘the others’ (backyard artists or just shoddy tattooists). It is an industry where you get what you pay for.

parents (as legally you couldn’t get tattoos until the age of 18)

Who does your tattoos and why do you use that person?

Cosi at Scarred 4 Life in Carrum Downs. As well as being the consummate professional, he also has a fantastic team of artists in the shop. They all work well together and it’s an environment you enjoy being in.

How many more do you expect to get?

Am currently starting to design my right sleeve...as for how many more will follow after that...well that depends how much skin I have left and where.

Why do you have so many tattoos, what do you get out of it?

I end up with artwork that I enjoy looking at. No denying it, I enjoy the entire process, start to finish. I’ll be old one day, and my skin will tell some great stories.

If you are happy to do so, would you be able to take a guess at how much you have spent on your ink?

There would have to be close to $3000 there, and climbing.

A lot of mine have been re-covered and touched up over the years hence the costs.

Which tattoo is your favourite – and why?

My lilies are my favourite. I have lots of ‘oldies’ approach me in shops and say how nice it is to see a full arm tattoo they don’t have to stare at to see what it is. Lots of people say they love the colour in it.

What sort of reactions do you get from your tattoos with family, friends and strangers?

Everyone loves the lilies. Occasionally my husband will see someone staring and pointing (usually at my legs), making some remark under their breath. I couldn’t care less. As the old saying goes: “The only difference between tattooed people and non-tattooed people, is tattooed people don’t care if you have tattoos or not”.

Do you think tattoos are now more a part of general life than say 20 years ago?

Yes, especially for women. We are no longer diseased, dirty feral women - we are just women with tattoos. >>

26 EchucaMoama

I HAVE NO REGRETS ON MY CHOICE OF BODY ART.

>>

STEVE HUNTLEY When did you get your first tattoo?

1969

Who does your tattoos and why do you use that person?

Greg (Beanz) Heinz.

How many more do you expect to get?

One Large one.

Why do you have so many tattoos, what do you get out of it?

I like Greg’s style of art work.

If you are happy to do so, would you be able to take a guess at how much you have spent on your ink? $3-4000

Do you think there are good tattoos and then the rest?

I like most styles of body art but there’s also ordinary art.

Which tattoo is your favourite – and why?

My back, the story about the art work.

What sort of reactions do you get from your tattoos with family, friends and strangers?

Most people like the old school style of body art.

Do you regret any of the tattoos you now have – and if so have you done anything about that?

I have no regrets on my choice of body art.

Do you think tattoos are now more a part of general life than say 20 years ago?

These days they are more widely accepted on both male and females than 20 years ago.

27 EchucaMoama

MY FAVOURITE TATTOO IS THE ONE ON MY CHEST IT IS A PHOTO OF MY SON TAKEN FROM HIS LEARNER’S PERMIT WHICH I GOT DONE AFTER HE PASSED AWAY.

KEVIN PAGRAM When did you get your first tattoo?

Do you think there are good tattoos and then the rest?

I got my first tattoo when I was 16 years old

Yes I think there are some exceptional tattoos due to the

Who does your tattoos and why do you use that person?

I have had a number of tattooists over the years but the one I have used the most is Travis Cartwright from Body Language in Ringwood.

How many more do you expect to get?

I am planning to finish the story on my back of Ned Kelly and maybe a few small ones here and there.

Why do you have so many tattoos, what do you get out of it?

Most of my tattoos have some significance throughout my life and to remember some important people in my life.

If you are happy to do so, would you be able to take a guess at how much you have spent on your ink?

designs and colors that are used now.

Which tattoo is your favourite – and why?

My favourite tattoo is the one on my chest it is a photo of my son taken from his learner’s permit which I got done after he passed away.

What sort of reactions do you get from your tattoos with family, friends and strangers?

Mostly positive reactions I find most people want to know about them and the reason behind having them.

Do you regret any of the tattoos you now have – and if so have you done anything about that?

No, I don’t regret any of my tattoos.

I cannot put a price on my tattoos. If I was to have a guess it

Do you think tattoos are now more a part of general life than say 20 years ago?

would be a considerable amount of money .

Yes, they are more accepted these days than when I was growing up.

>>

28 EchucaMoama

I ACTUALLY HAVE A TATTOO SAYING ‘NO REGRETS’ ON MY FINGER, HOWEVER I DO HAVE SOME. SOME HAVE BEEN COVERED UP AND SOME WILL STAY HOW THEY ARE.

29 EchucaMoama

>>

TEISHA GILBERT When did you get your first tattoo?

Which tattoo is your favourite – and why?

I got my first tattoo when I was 15 It was a backyard job and I definitely wouldn’t recommend home jobs to anyone.

I love the portrait of my horse on my thigh and my Aussie war

Who does your tattoos and why do you use that person?

What sort of reactions do you get from your tattoos with family, friends and strangers?

I go to Bendigo Tattoo Studio and most of my work is done by Jimmy Bennett and Mark Bretho. They are very good at what they do.

sleeve as they both have strong meaning to me.

My parents used to hate it when I was younger when I kept getting more tattoos. But they are used to it now and I don’t

How many more do you expect to get?

think they mind. Younger generation friends and strangers

I still have all my legs to do, will be getting tattooed for a few more years yet.

don’t seem to mind but I do often get looks from some of the

Why do you have so many tattoos, what do you get out of it?

Do you regret any of the tattoos you now have – and if so have you done anything about that?

When I was younger I always thought I’d only get a couple, but they are so addictive and now I just love them and the stories they give.

If you are happy to do so, would you be able to take a guess at how much you have spent on your ink?

I have actually kept track, and my last session has taken it over the $10,000 mark.

Do you think there are good tattoos and then the rest?

Of course, it takes someone with a lot of skill to do a good tattoo.

older generation

I actually have a tattoo saying ‘no regrets’ on my finger, however I do have some. Some have been covered up and some will stay how they are.

Do you think tattoos are now more a part of general life than say 20 years ago?

Definitely, generally most young people have at least one tattoo, you only have to walk down the street of most large towns and see a lot of tattoo shops compared to what you would back then. >>

30 EchucaMoama

>>

AMY & LACHIE GALLACHER Amy Gallacher was bursting out of her skin to be legal.

And the minute she turned 18 she took that skin straight down to the nearest tattoo parlour – and she has never looked back.

“At our wedding one group of friends gave us a tattoo voucher so they are all pretty cool with them.”

The friends and family might be, but what about the students?

Of course many years down the track it might be hard to pin down old number one because the high school teacher is kind of lit up like Luna Park.

And more importantly, how do she and Lachie (music teacher) go down at parent-teacher interviews and school functions?

In fact she and Lachlan, her husband of three months (and also a teacher) are now providing some serious combined support for the inking industry.

“Some of them really love them but others prefer to say nothing,” she laughed.

To the point they had a pair of matching wedding skulls tattooed on the backs of their wrists for the occasion.

Hers differs with a dainty bow across the forehead and they both have the message ‘Til Death’ scrolled across the top (his) and bottom (hers).

Amy grew up with Echuca-Moama photographer, who shot the cover feature, but is now working at Shepparton High School, where she met her husband eight years ago.

She said her fascination with tattoos began when she was younger and her older brother had one.

“I always wanted my own, and as soon as I could that’s exactly what I did,” Amy said.

“Lachie didn’t start as early as me, and he only had one when we first met, but he’s got quite a few now,” she said.

“I have a lot more now, and we are still building our collection. I guess I would have had more sooner but they don’t come cheap and it’s only recently we have been able to afford more.”

That said Amy shudders when asked how much the two might have invested in their wash-and-wear art in recent years.

She concedes it would be thousands, lots of thousands, but not even she is game to sit down and work it out.

Her preferred tattooist these days is Fox Body Art at Collingwood in Melbourne.

“With our wedding skulls I had seen something similar so sent a photo to them and they used that as the basis for our work,” Amy said.

“But I have also done my own. I am an English, media and photography teacher so one of the pieces on my back is a camera lens and an eye and another is a photo I took of a rose in our garden, and I am very pleased with that one,” she said.

“Lachie started his sleeve when his grandfather was ill. After he died he had it completed in memory of him.

Amy said the student reactions were always mixed.

“As for the parents, we have never had a bad word about them at any time.”

The wedding skulls were a nice touch.

Amy almost forgot to mention for their engagement they had some work done on their feet.

Which she admitted was very painful.

“They are anchors, to show we were tied down,” she explained.

“And yes, we are planning to get more.”

Lachie is just making sure he isn’t given a ball and chain. 

31 EchucaMoama

I AM AN ENGLISH, MEDIA AND PHOTOGRAPHY TEACHER SO ONE OF THE PIECES ON MY BACK IS A CAMERA LENS AND AN EYE

Golden Holden: GMH might be pulling out of Australia but Ted Furley is staying right in Echuca-Moama with his Holden museum.

32 EchucaMoama

33 EchucaMoama

WE LOVE FOOTBALL, MEAT PIES, KANGAROOS &

HOLDEN CARS

Global economics might have hastened the demise of the Australian car manufacturing industry but it confirmed Echuca’s National Holden Motor Museum as a genuine museum – a repository of a lost species according to Christopher Best.

Being disappointed about the closure of Holden would be akin to disappointment if The Rolling Stones broke up – or died.

Truth be known, though, it wouldn’t matter because for both Holden and the Stones their best work was done a long time ago.

But for a man with Holden in his business name, Ted Furley is disarmingly dismissive about the classic Aussie car company’s local closure set for 2017.

Ted is the man at the wheel of Echuca’s National Holden Motor Museum, which for 22 years has educated locals and visitors about the history of the Holden name and company.

While he’ll be sad to see the company go, his mission isn’t to sell today’s cars, it’s to remind people that Australia once made cars worthy of being called works of art.

“The brief of this museum from day one was to maintain the heritage and integrity of the Holden name,” he said.

“And the period from 1948 to ’78 is where the heritage and value is.”

Originally an estimator and planner for Eastman Kodak Company, Ted began working at the museum nearly 20 years ago, rising to manager before eventually buying the museum from its previous owner.

For Ted, the idea of buying the museum eight years ago was born of a sense of duty and love to the company.

“When the museum was founded, no one was working to remember Australia’s motoring past,” he said. >>

34 EchucaMoama >> “There’s still no one else doing it in 2015.”

the end of something,” he said.

Ted instituted a number of changes when he took ownership, the most important being to make sure people always had something fresh to look at.

“Before then, cars had character – after that nothing did.”

“There was no rotation of the cars we had, the museum was really static,” he said.

“What was here for one year was here for five years – I’d walk out of any museum that hadn’t changed their exhibitions in five years.”

Ted’s implemented a system where he agrees to take cars from private collectors for one, two or three years, and it’s been wildly successful.

“I get offered a new car every week, and we have a 15-month waiting list to get on to the museum floor,” he said.

“We’re very discerning here, though. Of 10 cars we’d be offered, I’d only take two.”

That level of quality even comes through on paper – Ted says the value of all cars on display exceeds $2.5 million.

But Ted makes sure that whatever cars he puts out, they have to date pre 1978.

“In 1978, Holden introduced the Commodore and that was

Ted uses the famous Monaro coupé/sedan model as an example of how Holden changed at the end of the 1970s.

The first and second-generation Monaros had a distinctive coupé shape that made them more in common with American muscle cars like the Dodge Charger.

When the name was revived in 2001, the car that wore it was based on the thoroughly modern Commodore.

Ted points out Holden retained the sloped rear window as homage to the original, but is otherwise indistinguishable from most of the Plain Jane sedans on the road.

“You can’t tell what the car coming up behind you is until it’s right on top of you,” he said.

“It’s not at all like that with the vintage Holdens, each of them had a very distinct body-shape.”

The distinctive body shapes of early Holden cars are something other collectors highlighted.

Robert Mitchell, captain of the Echuca and District Historic Vehicle Club, owns a 1967 Holden HR for two reasons – appearance and nostalgia.

‘‘ IN 1978, HOLDEN INTRODUCED THE COMMODORE AND THAT WAS THE END OF SOMETHING, BEFORE THEN, CARS HAD CHARACTER – AFTER THAT NOTHING DID. ’’

35 EchucaMoama

“I had one in my early 20s that I modified a lot, and I bought and rebuilt my current one from a former Echuca resident,” he said.

Respect is a two-way street though, and Ted thinks the companies have largely ignored their own heritage and left it to people such as Ted, Bruce and Robert.

“Apart from that I like the body shape of the HR. I still prefer the shape and design over Ford.”

“The car industry worldwide believes its heritage does not sell one car,” Ted said.

Robert is a bit kinder on Holden’s more modern designs, admitting the older chassis had serious technological drawbacks.

For Ted, the Holden that was is infinitely more important than the Holden that is and soon won’t be.

“Holden’s designs have only changed to meet the needs of aerodynamics and fuel efficiency,” he said.

Many classic car owners are saddened there’s a generation of Australians who buy their cars about as dispassionately as they buy milk.

Bruce Lethborg is the president of the Holden Sporting Car Club of Victoria, and grew up with Holden, as many did.

“My father was a Holden man – in this country it’s something you’re born in to and progresses down the generations,” he said.

“Because of that I’ve owned about 10 of them in my life.”

Bruce thinks the sheer volume of choice available (CarsGuide. com.au currently lists 55 brands selling in Australia) has severed Australians’ connection to their automotive history.

“Young people buy cars that are cheap up front and cheap to run, I see a lot of second-hand BMWs and Japanese cars,” he said.

“I don’t think the brand loyalty is there any more.”

He has no interest in purchasing any of the last Holdens made in Australia, an opinion Bruce shares.

“I’m not interested in anything Holden will be selling in 2017, I’ve already got what I want,” he said.

Bruce has picked up a new 2015 Ford Mustang, which will be how he remembers the Australian car industry.

He’s got his own ideas on how the rest of the country can do the same – arguing museums miss the point when it comes to preserving automotive history.

“These cars definitely deserve to be properly maintained, kept running and – most importantly – driven,” Bruce said.

“Museums do an alright job, but I’d prefer to see classic Monaros preserved by private owners, driven around town and shown off at display days rather than sitting around.”

Ted doesn’t argue – all the cars at the Holden museum could drive themselves out the door and he says what he’s doing works alongside display days.

“There are enough people out there showing their vintage cars at expos,” he said. >>

36 EchucaMoama

‘‘ IF ALL THE CARS ARE OUT THERE, THEN THERE ARE NONE IN PLACES LIKE THIS WHERE PEOPLE CAN GET UP CLOSE AND REALLY LEARN ABOUT THEM. ’’ >> “If all the cars are out there, then there are none in places like this where people can get up close and really learn about them.”

Robert takes the moderate position, arguing both display days and museums help keep the history alive and within arms’ reach of the population.

“The historic vehicle clubs will keep the memories and the cars going, but there’s room for both,” he said.

While fairly rosy on keeping the past alive, Robert was fairly grim on the future of Australians and the relationship with their cars.

“I don’t believe the general public will notice any difference after 2017 in their Holdens,” he said.

“Australia’s lost something in that.”

Ted thinks what Australia is losing is also an important part of its culture.

“The Holden v Ford rivalry was something unique to Australia,” he said.

“Seeing all the red flags down one side of the track at races and blue flags down the other – that was something Australian.”

Will an Australian car industry ever be possible again?

No, for a number of reasons, Ted bemoans.

“The Australian car is finished,” he said.

“We just aren’t competitive at building cars, our wages are too high – we couldn’t build ’em as cheap.

“And getting rid of tariffs on foreign cars? Overseas companies loved that. That played a huge part in the decline of the Australian car.”

There was no room for Holden and Ford to downsize and remain viable, Ted said.

“Become boutique car manufacturers? It wouldn’t be possible,” he said.

“The presses for parts are set up and you have to make a lot of cars to make the whole operation profitable.”

Ted is saddened to see Holden – the first company to design and build the same car in Australia – leave our shores.

His most powerful feeling is the sense of satisfaction he gets from seeing today’s Australians touch parts of their history.

“That human touch, that warm feeling like you’re doing your job properly, that’s what I like,” he said.

Mark Cvetkovic is a chef from Frankston and visitor to the museum and like many who visit, has Holden in his history.

“Dad used to race Holden HRs, and for a while we had a 1966 HR Premier in the family,” he said.

For him, Holden cars are a link to his father, in more ways than one.

“I’m pretty sure I was conceived in a Holden FJ,” he admits.

That’s the reaction Ted is after with his museum – talking about how the car looks is great for him, but he wants to hear how Holden impacted your life.

“Most Australians grew up with these things – we get 80-year-olds who owned vintage cars in our collection as teenagers,” he said.

“People can talk about style, but they really want to tell you about how this was their first car or the first they bought with their partner.

“There are a lot of memories associated with these cars.” 

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40 EchucaMoama

THE SORRY TALE OF A

weekend duffer As a senior sports writer Luke McManus felt he was master of all fields he surveyed. But the golf gods have an answer for hubris, and any human foolish enough to think they have had a good day out, and expect a better one next time around “Get me off this ****ing course,” I hissed.

Having just duffed a drive on the par-four 10th at Sunshine Golf Club, one of many poor strokes in what was quickly descending into my worst experience on a golf course.

In recent memory.

And make no mistake; there have been more than a few games from hell.

My companions just laughed and shook their collective heads.

They had been there, done that. On this occasion it was as witnesses to my shocking front nine and its depressing blend of abject failure and comical stroke play.

They feared for my next nine holes – and my emotional wellbeing.

My game (and I did too) needed a fix-me-up, a clean out, a good old fashioned renovation.

A hacker can only take so much and at that point, on that day, I stood on the verge of meltdown.

I hadn’t sought a lesson before, not from a professional.

No one had dissected my stroke since my junior days at Riverside Golf Club in Mildura, but that was basic stuff.

It was time to face facts – it was about time I sought professional help.

So I dialled the number for Rich River’s pro shop and the booking was confirmed. I was to meet with Steve Loader, the man entrusted with teaching the unteachable.

What is it about golf?

If pressed many would agree with me in saying the sport is the most frustrating game in the world.

There are just so many variables, so much which can go wrong during a round.

You’re out in the elements, just you and your clubs (do you think I’d be better with new clubs?) and when you’re off you’re generally way off.

In the (possibly) famous words of Mark Twain: “Golf is a good walk spoiled”.

Yet time and again I find myself walking the green pastures, like a fat moth drawn to a dancing flame. And we both crash and burn.

“So how do you hit them?” the genial Loader asked as we set off for the driving range.

Talk about a loaded question as the ice breaker.

Generally I can hit them pretty well. And hit them hard. But direction is another issue altogether, whether the ball travels straight – consistently enough or straight at all – is why I have ended up here.

And as many of you part-timers will know what I am talking about, on the rare occasion one area of your game is up, another is usually suffering.

I could be hammering drives 250-300m down the fairway on any given day, only to shank my approach and walk away with a double-bogey (if I’m lucky).

Or I’ll reach the green in regulation but my short game is consistently such rubbish and it’s three-putt to hell. >>

In the swing: Luke McManus lets rip at Rich River Golf Club Resort – and then let’s rip.

41 EchucaMoama

Are you listening?: A focused McManus gets a few tips on technique from Rich River Golf Club Resort pro Steve Loader.

42 EchucaMoama >> “Depends what time of the day it is,” I quipped, pretending to sound like I had some control over my game.

The only problem was I just couldn’t impress for long enough

My love-hate relationship with golf started when my evil grandfather gave me a putter one Christmas. My grandparents live literally within an eight-iron from Riverside Golf Club.

Something had to change.

Growing up involved twilight walks down a well-worn dirt path and onto the par-five fifth where, when the clubhouse had closed and kangaroos were out in force, we’d have a cheeky chip and putt.

threaten golfers on the next fairway.

I had just started Sunday morning lessons and the putter was Grandad’s way of easing me in. She was a beaut looking thing complete with a white, ‘soft-feel’ face and a small dot on the head to help align the ball with the centre of the club.

or consistently enough.

I’ve always been hampered by a mean slice, causing the ball to banana violently to the right, enough to shock mates and I tried to aim far left to compensate but to no avail.

Sometimes the ball would shoot right straight off the tee, other times it would taunt, flying straight before fading hard right and disappearing into the rough. ‘‘If I didn’t slice, I’d be playing off scratch by now,’’ I would say, low enough so nobody else could hear me.

The present eventually forced the old man to, reluctantly I suspect, buy me a set/bag/buggy of my own.

I didn’t dare tell Steve that as I reached for a requested seven

‘‘He’s never going to learn with those old things,’’ Grandma said, pointing to Dad’s dusty hand-me-downs in the shed.

From what Steve could gather, after watching me hit about

Dad mumbled: “They’re not cheap, so you better bloody use them”.

blade’s centre more often than not “which is half the battle”

I was no prodigy, looking back, but I still used them.

I was never outstanding but I could hold my own so scores slowly but surely came down throughout my junior years.

Every par and birdie recorded and phoned home to mum.

As I ticked into my 20s I found myself hitting the ball longer and harder, with multiple playing partners commenting on just how far I could smack it.

iron at the practice tee. half-a-dozen fluoro balls down the range, I could hit the and possessed a good strike while my swing was fluent.

Yep, that’s what I have always thought (known actually, but who am I to big note myself?).

So what goes wrong after that?

Steve rattled them off: Ball positioning, stance and backlift.

There are a few other things but we won’t overload you with too much information just yet”.

43 EchucaMoama

WHACK! MY NEXT SHOT DESCRIBED A PERFECT LOFTED ARC THROUGH THE SKY WITH NOTHING BUT THE MEREST HINT OF DRAW, WHICH WAS PROBABLY THE WIND AND NOT ME.

Ball Positioning

the sky with nothing but the merest hint of draw, which was

Apparently I’ve been standing too close and striking the ball towards my left foot or to the front of my stance.

Backlift

probably the wind and not me.

I was “scooping the ball” rather than striking at the optimum time of my swing.

The final hurdle in my rampant desire for a ‘perfect’ golf

A little adjustment, so the ball was positioned backward of centre within my stance, straightened me up.

Instead of twisting and lifting at an ideal 45° angle, the club

“The overall shape of your swing is pretty good,” Steve said.

my head.

“With just a few concept changes you’ll be hitting the ball better in no time.”

Well clearly I had no idea what was going on back there. I am

I recalled lofting the ball quite high at times during rounds as well. Not bad with the pitching wedge but not so good when my driver was “un-socked”.

But from Steve’s perspective the “up-and-down” movement

For the rest of the half-hour session my ball flight was mint and I was getting a little more distance out of my seven iron.

you’re coming down you’re creating side spin,” Steve said.

Steve warned me I’d feel uncomfortable for a while.

“It will feel foreign, but it’s all about staying patient and persisting,” he said.

Stance If changing the ball positioning within my stance didn’t feel awkward enough, stepping away from the ball took me to an even higher level of uncomfortable.

swing was mastering my backlift. was going straight back and finishing almost directly above

not my mother; I do not have eyes in the back of my head. was influencing my slice in a big way.

“You’re tending to pick the club up a bit too much and as “In a nutshell, we’re going to make you feel like the swing is coming more in behind you, like a sweeping motion.”

Out came some extra balls and the pool noodle.

Three balls were placed above and to the back of the target ball, strategically as to help guide my backlift in the ‘right’ direction.

Two more were placed directly above and to the bottom of the target ball so I middled my strike.

I felt I was reaching, which really didn’t make sense, in my mind, for someone trying to eradicate a slice.

The noodle wasn’t for a dip in the lake. Its rounded angle and

“Keep going, keep going…keep going,” Steve intoned, like a Trappist monk who had lost his way.

think about the path of my back swing.

“Really stretch your arms out.”

My body and feet didn’t want to listen – to me or him.

But who were they to argue with a PGA pro?

Steve challenging me not to hit it forced me to consciously There were a few strokes which trickled across the ground.

“You’re only human,” Steve soothed me. So that will happen.

The most important thing is we’re seeing that ball start right.’’

The sweeter strikes earned a “beautiful” and a “really, really

“Standing close to the ball means there’s only one way for the club to go,” he continued, this time taking a club and showing me.

good” from my adopted mentor. And a (well concealed) small

“If you look at my set up, my hands are roughly in line with my toe-line, there’s plenty of space to swing your arms.”

Certain 30 minutes was all the coaching I would need I

Whack! My next shot described a perfect lofted arc through

publication there are no details which can be reported.

smirk of smug, self satisfaction as I soaked up a moment in the sun I haven’t been able to enjoy for a while. was back on the course the next week. As this is a family

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All aboard: Moama RSL’s promotions manager Garry Armstrong says the club is turning the tide with its investment in a floating attraction (opposite and overleaf).

46 EchucaMoama

Mary Ann

SAILS TO A DIFFERENT TAPAS OF THE DRUM A tired old Echuca motor vessel is busily being primped, primed, preened and polished before its big comeback as a five-star, luxury cruising machine.

When it will become home to the well dressed and well heeled who will be found sipping cocktails on its deck, bathed in the golden glow of a Murray sunset.

“It will be extremely well-appointed – anything you’d find in a high-class restaurant, you’ll find on the Mary Ann – but with the magic of the Murray as your setting,’’ Garry said.

The MV Mary Ann was snapped up by Moama RSL and with a refurbishment price-tag of as much as half a million dollars when she sets sail again it should be something very special.

So whether you want to log onto Facebook, follow a game on live TV or order a top-notch meal, you will be able to do it in a luxury setting on a luxury vessel while it cruises the great artery of Australia’s waterways.

“We’re aiming for modern, with a touch of class and sophistication,” RSL promotions manager Garry Armstrong said.

Mary Ann has endured a serious invasion of privacy, being stripped from head to toe before she received her new floors and ceilings, a bar on every deck, a stern deck and a new second storey which had to be built onshore and then lifted into pride of place via some delicate crane placement.

But getting into the maritime market might seem just a smidgin strange for Moama RSL — given its bread and butter has always been as a dining and functions centre in a venue which is solidly sunk into terra firma.

“Yes, this project is seeing us diversify from what we normally do but we see this as being an exciting new part, and future, of our business,” Garry adds.

47 EchucaMoama

“The idea has been to revamp (the boat) and give it a completely new look so we can turn it into a floating restaurant to manage functions, weddings, that type of thing,” he said.

“It’s still early days for us and we’ve still got a bit to find out.”

Once up and running, lunch and dinner cruises will form the backbone of the new boat’s operations in between catering for lavish functions.

With the relaunch Moama RSL has renamed the good ship The New MV Mary Ann which will be her monicker for her first 12 months under her new flag.

Garry says the Mary Ann will feature local foods on its menu, sourcing the best ingredients and produce and showcasing them, along with some local wine, whenever possible.

All of the works on the vessel are being completed by local tradesmen.

“As well as the traditional roles we will also be looking to have speciality food nights, tapas cruises, live music and dinner cruises and the like.

“The project will also include upgrades to the mooring and the entry/exit ramp, allowing better disabled access.

“I expect people will get quite a pleasant surprise when they see it complete,” Garry said.

“The guys in this vicinity (other paddlesteamer operators) have shown a bit of interest, so watch this space.”

Garry reckons the boat was built in the 1980s in Goolwa, South Australia, close to the Murray mouth, and it did spend time downstream in Mildura, where it worked as a floating >>

48 EchucaMoama >> restaurant, before finally tying up at the wharf in Echuca.

Which will be its home port for some time to come.

Garry said it was planned the relaunched and the rebuilt Mary Ann would be refloated this month (or April at the latest, depending on last minute hiccups).

“THE IDEA HAS BEEN TO REVAMP (THE BOAT) AND GIVE IT A COMPLETELY NEW LOOK SO WE CAN TURN IT INTO A FLOATING RESTAURANT TO MANAGE FUNCTIONS, WEDDINGS, THAT TYPE OF THING,”

Either way he says when the champagne bottle is smashed over the bow it will signal the start of something particularly special in the Port of Echuca. 

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Head chef Cary Thomson ready to set sail The new MV Mary Ann is almost ready to be launched and one of the key crew aboard when she finally sets sail will be new head chef Cary Thomson, whose job it is to establish its dining reputation as second to none.

Chef Cary Thomson has a big job on his hands – conjuring culinary magic from a small space and with a small team on board the floating venture MV Mary Ann. The boat has been purchased, refitted and relaunched by the Moama RSL club as a cruising resturant as well as hosting weddings, parties, product launches and special entertainment.

But the whole concept will sink or swim on what Cary can produce in the kitchen.

Having relocated to Echuca for the lifestyle and to start a family, the former head chef from Society, just near Parliament House in Melbourne’s Spring St, has landed himself the biggest new gig in town.

Trained and working in fine dining with an Italian/Mediterranean influence he is targeting the modern Australian cuisine with his first menu, including new techniques which he thinks will be a first for the Echuca-Moama restaurant scene.

“This whole thing is a first for me, I have never had to work afloat,” Cary laughed.

“I have been a chef for 12 years and was at Society for seven, including four as head chef,” he said.

“I know the Mary Ann is a big commitment by Moama RSL so yes, my team and I will be under pressure to make sure everything we do works from the first plates to go out of the kitchen.

“One thing which I think will immediately stand out is the quality of our food, we will be using a lot of local produce and everything we serve, everything, will be made fresh by us every day.”

If he had to name a signature dish, Cary said it would be a dessert – his coffee crème brulee. It was on the Society menu for five years and he simply could not take it off without starting a riot in the dining room.

It’s that kind of mutinous passion he is planning to create amongst diners when the MV Mary Ann sets sail.

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52 EchucaMoama Cop that: Brooke, Jason, Jaxx, Jesse and Chelsea Garner are one family it pays to be polite around with their combined years of punching practice.

GETTING A KICK OUT OF

punches

53 EchucaMoama

Sports writer Erin Lyons thought she had better toughen up for her new career and thought few things could get her there quicker than a regular boxing workout at the gym.

Boxing is the most addictive sport I have ever tried.

Period.

And it certainly isn’t for the faint hearted.

But having taken up boxing classes in my hometown for about 12 months before moving to Echuca, it was only natural my gloves were the first things I packed when I moved.

Then the first thing unpacked when I arrived.

Because I found Garners Boxing Gym on Facebook during my first night in town and was knocking on the door the next morning.

And I am glad I did.

The classic warehouse setting, brightened by posters of past and present boxing stars, had a handful of boxing bags still delicately swaying, not from any breeze but from the last whacks of the previous class. >>

Sucker puncher: Writer Erin Lyons has found the punching bag and speed ball the perfect foil for taking out her frustrations and building her body strength.

54 EchucaMoama

ERIN

>> Gloves, weights, medicine balls and yoga mats were carefully

Probably the hardest physical thing I have ever done.

set out ready for the next unwary enthusiast having signed on

And yes, it might be difficult, but trust me when I tell you there

for a workout under the stern supervision of gym owner and operator Jason Garner.

Who quickly sets the timer for his next victims, the gym echoing with the slapping of feet on the floor; the slap of gloves on hard-packed punching bags and the grunts of the class

is nothing more gratifying than punching a boxing bag, or pads.

Hard.

That sound of glove-to-bag contact is one of the most satisfying you’ll ever hear.

as each one puts their shoulders into a series of fast jabs and

I did that, I made that noise, that thud which reverberates up

scything uppercuts.

your arm and into your upper body.

All the time with Garner dancing around the room, driving

It’s such a rush.

them on, demanding more and sounding downright dangerous

Some say boxing is the toughest sport you can do and they’ll get

for any who dared slacken off.

no argument from me.

“I love watching my clients make improvements,” he said.

My first session a year ago made that patently, painfully, clear.

“If you had looked at them when they started boxing months

Garner’s typical circuits consist of two-minute rounds.

ago and compare them to now, fitness wise their improvements are absolutely amazing.”

Yes, I can hear you armchair experts now. “Two minutes? That’s hardly worth the effort.”

Sure my fitness results from boxing might also be great.

Well, it might not sound long but I can promise you on too many

But it is hard, so hard.

occasions these have been some of the longest minutes of my life.

With a ghoulish Garner perched just out of reach and declaring he “likes to ensure people are reaching their full potential”.

Sure there have been times when I just wanted to let my arms

“I will push you to your limits. Otherwise it’s not worth it,” he said.

fire.

“My favourite thing to watch is when the boys are sparring in the ring. I’ve got some real solid competitors at this gym.”

Boxing is also my favourite sport because it tests your nerve and fear, a challenge which is hard to master in both sport and in life.

Fear and the ability to face it is something I have always struggled with.

I’ve always considered myself a very passive person.

But once I pull on those gloves I begin to grasp what footballers describe as ‘white-line fever’.

Suddenly my heart rate begins to climb, I can feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins and I suddenly drag up the few things that might have annoyed me during that day.

And it all gets channelled through those snapping gloves and delivered into the punching bag with more aggression than I would have ever thought I possessed.

An aggression which can sometimes, with serious embarrassment, be seriously misguided.

Such as the real risk of copping a knock to the noggin when working with a partner on the pads.

flop down by my sides.

I’ve even wanted to cry as the lactic acid has set my body on But I haven’t, and I didn’t.

And it has all been worth it.

The Garners took over the gym lease in July, purchased all the equipment and re-opened the gym, formerly punching along as Quinlan’s Boxing Gym. With his wife Brooke and children, Jesse 11, Chelsea, 9, and Jaxx, 4, the Garners will carry the business into a new era.

And Garner said the family isn’t just running a business, it’s offering a lifestyle too.

“We’ve made a lot of changes since the gym opened, particularly to the décor and facilities,” Garner said.

“We’ve cleaned it up a lot, installed mirrors, carpet and bought more equipment.

“I love having the kids here too; it’s good to keep fit as a family while doing something you love.”

With boxing in his DNA, little Jesse is proving to be something of a pugilistic prodigy.

Let’s just say, even though the tale of the tape would ensure I was way out in front, there’s no way I would want to be holding the mitts while this fierce 11-year-old was working out.

Boxing is a hard sport to explain if you haven’t tried it.

I’ve taken a few. The worst being an accidental left hook from my instructor at my old gym. But once solo and happily flailing You have to have those gloves on, you have to land a few good away at the punching bag I delivered what should have been a blows and you have to get the biting scent of liniment in your nose to get the feel for the whole scene. series of savage uppercuts when one missed.

Described a powerful parabolic slice through space while I, almost hypnotised with fascination, watched it peak and then come racing back towards my face.

You need to do a class; you need to share the agony with others.

And yet it’s fun and, as I said, it’s addictive. I’ve met some great

Landing a doozy on my unprotected chin (note: that’s what the people who can share a laugh (hit yourself in the face and see just how hard they can laugh) and occasionally a tear when left hand is for) and left me staggering back across the room.

Garner orders five laps of the block.

You do learn to shake that off and keep going. Rest assured; others who watched the whole comedy will remind you about It’s enough to make you do your own block when you’ve just it so you don’t ever have to think you will forget it.

But boo-boos aside, since I started boxing the improvement in my upper body strength, core stability and general fitness has been off the scale.

I can run further and jump higher.

Best of all, I can punch harder and with more precision (the chin debacle was some time ago).

punched yourself to the point of exhaustion and this ogre laughs, mocks your moaning and invades your personal space to reinforce his message.

Yeah, I just love it.

And my day will come, when Garner gets within reach and I accidentally miss that punching bag – again. 

55 EchucaMoama

IT ALL GETS CHANNELLED THROUGH THOSE SNAPPING GLOVES AND DELIVERED INTO THE PUNCHING BAG WITH MORE AGGRESSION THAN I WOULD HAVE EVER THOUGHT I POSSESSED

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Crossies ‘Cados: Horticulturist and direct marketer Andrew Crossman has built a thriving branded business in a high-risk setting.

57 EchucaMoama

Crossie will ‘avo’ crack AT MOST CROPS

Everything says you couldn’t do it – the temperature, the frosts, the location and the products chosen.

But Geordie Cowan discovers one very determined guy, who goes flat out from sunrise to long after sunset, who is proving all the pundits wrong.

Andrew Crossman started playing tennis not long after he took his first steps.

Today he eats, lives and breathes the game.

As a coach, a player, mentor to his children – and even as a columnist in the Riv. He has coaching classes morning, noon and night – and if there is any other spare time in the day he will find time for a quick hit.

So what the hell is Crossie doing with more than 1000 avocado trees – and plans to increase that by 600? As well as growing corn, cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, lemons, zucchini flowers, blackberries and boysenberries.

But wait, there’s more. He also handles honey on commission

for the apiarist who brings in hives to pollinate the diversity of Crossie’s horticultural kingdom (although he’s never bothered to collect the cash, seeing it more as a favour for a mate).

Clearly here’s a man who has learnt to bend time to his will, because for us humans there just aren’t that many hours in a week, or year, let alone day.

It’s not as if he can’t see the forest for the trees, it’s just that this tennis ace has had two long-term loves.

His tennis and, coming straight at you out of leftfield, a love of trees.

Just about any tree actually, but coming off a dairy farm which he quickly realised would not support any serious livestock or cropping enterprise, he decided he would have to get a little innovative if he was going to get anywhere. >>

>> 58 EchucaMoama

So after some serious research he came up with avocados.

After all, who wouldn’t think growing a tropical fruit tree which needs a lot of shade in downtown Echuca-Moama?

So 10 years ago the first sod was turned for Crossies ’Cados in Torrumbarry which today produces 11 varieties across more than 1000 trees so Crossie can meet demand at farmers’ markets around the state.

As well as for the restaurants, cafes and bakeries he supplies.

“Besides playing tennis, my only other passion was trees. And after a few years slogging around the satellite circuit, having to do extra jobs to keep going because tennis wasn’t putting food on the table and there was never any money, trees started looking even better,” this closet horticulturist admits.

“We looked at a way of deriving an income here and it really came down to the avocados,” he says.

Crossie is the first to admit choosing them was a bit of a gamble, but with Sarah, his city-girl wife and best picker, it has worked so well another 600 trees will go in during the next 12 months.

“We thought ‘there’s no one else in the area and we’re pushing the boundaries a bit’, but the bottom line was we thought we could make an income out of it, and it was a way to take over the family farm,” he says.

“Of course there are challenges, but they only occur every other day so that’s not too bad.

“In its natural setting the avocado is shaded, doesn’t get full sunlight and doesn’t get frost, so yes, I guess we are also a bit nuts to do it here.

specifically that our region fluctuates between extreme heat and extreme cold – with frost thrown in.

“You don’t come into it light-heartedly that’s for sure.”

But a very philosophical Crossie simply shrugs and says that’s “just how it is”.

So while we all agree there are probably (absolutely definitely) better locations for growing avocados, Crossie still regards Torrumbarry as a pretty good spot with good soil and some sandy ridges.

Like any start-up enterprise finances was the biggest hurdle – as well as a “massive amount of labour”.

“Every tree has got to be staked and shaded from top to bottom,” he said. “So that’s a huge job in itself.”

Sourcing quality rootstock also proved more difficult than planned. An early batch of bad trees from Sydney nearly did for them as they arrived with phytopthora, a soil-borne water mould invisible to the naked eye which produces an infection causing a condition in the trees called ‘root rot’ or ‘dieback’.

And they did. In their hundreds.

“We had a 70 per cent failure rate with those young trees,” Crossie says, still wincing at the memory. “It wasn’t our fault but it was a major headache because replanting is expensive – and we ended up doing so much more hard work.”

There are other challenges revolving around the weather,

Last harvest the avocados and other assorted fruits weighed in at a hefty 16 tonnes.

It was a bumper crop but in the scale of the industry does not exactly put Crossies ’Cados in the realm of the heavyweights.

However his thriving block and its output are now a firm fixture at the farmers’ markets in Echuca and Bendigo as well as with his growing stable of retail customers.

“For where we’re at now, we’re still low in the sense of volume,” he said.

“But we’ve got a really good fruit set potentially for the coming season so hopefully that tonnage will keep climbing.

“We established ourselves with a lot of door-to-door marketing and the markets, and were lucky to pick up some media attention which helped push our profile.

“Right now I would say our primary outlet is the farmers’ markets, which helps us maximise every dollar we can.”

As productive as their property is proving, Crossie would be happier if it had a better address.

He doesn’t mean Wharparilla Drive but as they do not have any main road frontage they lose out on the potential of

you can get without certification.

“Also our fruit once picked does not go through a grading

passing traffic and direct selling.

machine, it’s not bruised or anything like that, so we’ve got a

On the upside, they have a nice slice of country all to themselves as they are the only avocado producer between Kyabram and Barham.

good direct selling point right there.”

With a good fruit set for next year, Crossie is licking his

Getting back to the downside as the only grower around there is a lack of technical support, which he values.

“Finding agronomists with specific avocado experience has been quite testing,” Crossie agreed.

lips at the dream of a commercial quantity of avocados and knows there is some substantial planning and building of infrastructure ahead of the 2016 development.

“We are having to get guys from as far away as Robinvale but

It’s all go and gung ho,” he said. “I’d like to be 10 years younger

in regards to the competition for the Echuca market, well any

(with wife Sarah nodding her head) but it’s all good.”

competitors also have to travel significant distances.

People might have thought he was a fruitcake when he started

“We’ve got the product out there, and a lot of people now know it’s a good product.

out but after endless rounds of hard yakka, good and dodgy

“It’s picked and put straight in boxes. It is as fresh as you will

seasons and a lot of vision Crossie is creating his own tropical

get anywhere and while we are not organic we are as close as

paradise on the banks of the Murray. 

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59 EchucaMoama

“ IT’S PICKED AND PUT STRAIGHT IN BOXES. IT IS AS FRESH AS YOU WILL GET ANYWHERE AND WHILE WE ARE NOT ORGANIC WE ARE AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN GET WITHOUT CERTIFICATION.”

60 EchucaMoama Entrepreneurial Poms: Peter Tonge and James Arrowsmith have brought a bit of Blighty to downtown Moama and business is starting to really pick up.

IN FOR A PENNY,

in for a Pommie Everyone knows chefs Matt Moran in Brisbane, and Jamie Oliver in London and Melbourne. So what about James Arrowsmith and Peter Tonge, a pair of likely lads from Lancashire? Geordie Cowan discovers there is a real connection between the Moama unknowns and the kings of cooking.

Who would have thought there could be so many big

first DIY smallgoods manufacturers – and purveyors of many

problems for a smallgoods producer?

things Pommie to the expat community.

At least expat Poms James Arrowsmith and Peter Tonge didn’t

It’s certainly been a long haul from Lancashire to Moama –

have to worry about money in their new careers.

via Bunnaloo – but after seven years of trial and error our

Because they didn’t have any to worry about.

persistent Poms from Lancashire and their business Pacdon

Which explains how they might just have become the region’s

are on a roll. Eeh, by gum.

They launched Pacdon in Bunnaloo in 2008 and built everything from scratch, and by hand. ‘‘The factory, the tile work, it took us three to four weeks,” Peter said. ‘‘We bought a cool room in Mt Buffalo, disassembled it there, carted it to Bunnaloo and put it back together in the factory,” he said. ‘‘We did all the plumbing ourselves – the first time we turned on a tap every single joint sprang a leak.

“Then as a finishing touch we painted the inside and fixed the doors.’’

Having a factory was one thing, knowing what to do with it was something else altogether.

So these digitally-savvy fledgling purveyors turned to YouTube to get them started.

“Learning how the industry worked and getting products consistent, the same every time,” Peter said.

between, and a small trade west to Adelaide.

The industrious duo had identified a viable niche market with only a handful of competitors most of whom, they consider, to be “pretty ordinary with their quality.”

“There are so many Poms there really is a huge market for what we do,” James said.

With Moama as a base logistics and heat are also a constant difficulty to manage.

“Because everything we do has to be refrigerated,” James said.

“And when a weekly order runs out early in, say Melbourne, you have to come up with some pretty inventive solutions pretty fast.

“Overall though we have been fortunate to set up where we are and I think moving into town (or near enough to it) was the best decision we ever made, because that distance lends itself to more traffic.”

And it is a workplace not too shabby to be in.

“Doing it by hand is a real skill and yes, there have been a lot of disasters on the way,” James added.

“Look at this,” he said, waving his arm around their Perricoota Rd shop.

In Bunnaloo the pair were forced to resort to a pensioned-off World War II generator as they didn’t have power.

“For a production facility to be surrounded by vines, a stone’s throw from a major river; is just magnificent.’’

“This thing was so noisy all the neighbours could hear us, and because it would get so hot we could only bake pies at night,” James said.

The pair also appreciate the area as a great place to live, with “a great sense of community”, while they are strategically placed for Sydney.

“You’d do a shift and then we’d take it in turns to watch the pies bake. It’d be running until 2am.

“There are real perks to setting up in the country,” James said.

“You had to fill it with water and hand pump it for five minutes to get the water circulating and then quickly go around and clip some things together and it would finally start up,” Peter said.

The genesis of Pacdon Park stretched back to 2003, when James was backpacking in Australia and went to work on his godfather’s pig farm in Bunnaloo.

After finishing university in the UK, he and Peter came back.

“We had the pigs and we thought well we’ve got the recipe for the one thing we miss, which is a decent pork pie or pork sausage,” James said.

“Tourism and community sport, we couldn’t do the same thing in Deniliquin for example, because they don’t have the right sort of tourism, the foodies who come out for the restaurant scene.”

Looking forward, the pair are aiming to build their product Australia-wide to “continue on the footing we’ve already started”.

Concentrating on the major centres, James said their core business is food service and gourmet supermarkets.

They have been approached ‘by the big guys’ but said they wanted to “remain boutiquey and high-end”.

They had to make their own pork pie machine, because their pies cannot be made the same way as a normal Australian pie.

“Volume is a key to everything you do, but you don’t want to sacrifice quality for volume and that’s one thing we’ve really tried to stay true to,” James said.

Peter came up with the recipes and finally they started showcasing their items at local farmers’ markets.

Obviously they have got the formula right, with a string of awards culminating in the ABC Delicious Products title.

When people started asking for black pudding they provided that too and have since expanded their range to 15 different products, making use of every part of the pig.

“We still play off the back of that,” James grinned.

And are in demand as far north as Cairns, and every capital in

That success got them a distributor in Brisbane, while they provide pork pies to Matt Moran in Brisbane and black puddings to Jamie Oliver in Melbourne. >>

61 EchucaMoama

“VOLUME IS A KEY TO EVERYTHING YOU DO, BUT YOU DON’T WANT TO SACRIFICE QUALITY FOR VOLUME AND THAT’S ONE THING WE’VE REALLY TRIED TO STAY TRUE TO,”

62 EchucaMoama

>> “It brings you into a different league of smallgoods producers,” he said.

“We get invited to festivals … and you see these specialist artisan guys walk by that are huge and that’s the coolest part of it.

“When you see us at 6am when our blood delivery hasn’t arrived, it’s not so glamorous, but hey, it’s swings and roundabouts.”

They have a few pointers for anyone considering a small business in the area?

“Be prepared to work and do whatever it takes, whether that’s seven days a week and 18 hours a day, you’ve got to do whatever you can.”

James said never compromising on what you set out to achieve was also key.

“Things will come along that will make things easier, but don’t compromise on your key goals,” he said.

Oh, yes, and when you finally do get some money “keep an eye on your bottom line”. 

“Get a plan of attack for your finances….”

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Get a grip: Pole dancing instructor Emma Dux introduces her students to a delightful combination of beauty and pain.

64 EchucaMoama

MEET THE WALLFLOWER

at the pole dance

There aren’t many occasions a thoroughly modern miss turns up for the party and wonders whether she is either over or under dressed. So why was Erin Lyons cringing in her car in the wee hours trying to work up the courage to take the next step?

I have never contemplated, let alone dared, set foot inside some sleazy strip joint.

After all, a girl can’t be too careful.

So when I recently announced I would be taking a class in pole dancing the reaction ranged from stunned to hoots of suggestion.

up, shorts and T-shirt when boxing and whatever is clean for

But mostly it bordered on the hilarious.

what do I wear?

However, I soon realised this was no laughing matter.

I mean, what if I have to put on heels? I don’t own any.

On the phone Emma Dux, the woman behind Pole Instincts, made it all sound so simple – and so normal (despite a slight shudder when I saw she advertised it as “the sexiest excuse to get in shape”).

What if I’m not good at it?

So the day and time were agreed for me to join one of her morning classes, my working theory being I could be in and out under the cover of early morning before anyone saw me on this particular job.

My après-work life revolves around tracksuits when warming running.

So not having thought to ask, why was I having visions of

What if they tell me I am no good at it?

Well I am here to tell you, whether you have been taking dance lessons for years – or not, like me – nothing can mentally prepare you for your first pole dancing class.

However, what I did know was getting up on, and staying on, that pole is one of the most strenuous sports (if you don’t

65 EchucaMoama Prisoner of gravity: Hanging on for dear life Erin Lyons makes a mess of her debut on the pole, discovering it is not as easy as it looks.

believe it is a sport, read on) you can attempt, and requires the use of more muscles at any one time than you may believe, or know, you actually have in your body.

I’ll get to the bruising later.

Because mostly, I told myself, as a fit young woman who has done it all, from karate and boxing to netball, basketball and tennis (and lots of running), I’d be somewhat successful at an introductory class of pole dancing.

It can’t be that hard, right?

Wrong.

Because, as you will see, everything about this class was designed to relegate me from preconceived know-all to gibbering scrubber, with quivering muscles strained way too far out of their comfort zone.

The Welcome At this point I am big enough a person to confess I skulked in my car for a good 10 minutes while I exhausted my catalogue of excuses which would pass muster in the office if I failed to front.

smile and every bit as lovely and eccentric as I imagined a pole dance instructor could be.

And I was soon followed by the regular girls, all piling in clad in gym gear and not a stiletto in sight.

So far, so good.

The Workout The class begins with a 15-minute warm up with your standard yoga and elongated stretches.

Being Echuca the sun might barely be over the horizon but it was already 24C in the gym before we got anywhere near one of those poles.

Suddenly memories of those schoolgirl dances and sweaty palms flash before my eyes as my sweaty yoga palms have me slipping down the pole faster than I got up it.

Once we finished warming up Emma began teaching me some simple newbie choreography while she gave the more advanced girls (everyone else) a variety of moves/spins/grips/ hooks to work on.

They all rang fairly hollow.

I felt a total klutz. And I hate not picking things up straight away.

So shame finally outweighed fear and (hopefully exuding a lot more sang froid than shaking) I walked into the small studio, which included eight poles and wall-to-wall mirrors.

First, I learnt how to grip the pole properly because apparently that’s really important if you don’t want to fall flat on your face.

At which point I was pounced upon by the aforementioned Emma, obscenely full of vim and vigour, armed with a radiant

Then Emma demonstrated how to walk/glide in proper form around the pole. >>

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APPARENTLY, I QUICKLY DISCOVERED, THREE-QUARTER LENGTH SKINS ARE A NO, NO AS MY EVERY SAD ATTEMPT TO GRIP THE POLE WITH MY CLAD LEGS, AND A SEVERE DOSE OF GRAVITY, SENT ME SLIPPING BACK TO THE FLOOR AT A RAPID RATE. >> Every trick had a different silly name – champagne, martini, superman or angel.

boxing gloves hanging in the corner of the studio (something with which I am more familiar) and ask some of the advanced

At this point I was looking around for someone to tuck some money into my outfit until I caught on it might just be Emma’s sense of humour.

class to go a round or two with me.

At least I stopped feeling self-conscious even after Brooke, an advanced member at the studio, let me borrow an itsy bitsy teenie weenie pair of shorts which apparently would expose more skin with which to grip the pole.

advanced skills.

Apparently, I quickly discovered, three-quarter length skins are a no, no as my every sad attempt to grip the pole with my clad legs, and a severe dose of gravity, sent me slipping back to the floor at a rapid rate.

holding the extended ‘leg cross’ pose just long enough for our

After a good hour of spinning, climbing and wiping sweat from the pole it was time to attempt some slightly more Emma came to the rescue with some tac to help me stick to the pole and presto, I did it.

On my own I successfully performed the ‘fireman’ spin while photographer to grab a photo.

A triumph my knees did not exactly share, for some weeks later I might add.

Emma’s constant encouragement; and her enthusiastic cry of ‘‘you did it’’ were followed by her more muted ‘‘sort of’’ – but still kept me going.

The Reflection

Many times I was tempted to throw in the towel and grab the

the class was like and then once again fell about laughing, this

As soon as I got back to the office everyone asked me what

67 EchucaMoama Sky diver: Emma Dux can command the pole whether she is going up or coming down – and make it look like a walk in the park.

time when seeing the picture of me wrapped around the pole.

One particular advantage is it’s purely designed for women.

Most decided I looked more as if I was holding on for dear life

“I’ve had a lot of positive feedback about those classes because

rather than strutting my stuff, in a vertical fashion.

people feel more comfortable working out in an all-female

Most damaging were the first words from the editor, leaning

environment,” she said.

over the photographer’s shoulder to see the pictures. “You

When asked about the type of participant in her classes she

could only manage to get that far off the ground?” he scoffed,

assured me she caters for everyone.

walking away and shaking his head.

“I’ve seen all walks of like come into the gym,” she said.

“It’s harder than it looks,” I wailed, as the others ratcheted up

“I welcome everyone with open arms and never discriminate

their laughter. “I’d like to see you try it.”

because of ability.

He pleaded advanced age and kept sniggering as he wandered

“I just love watching the ladies learn.”

off.

The Instructor For those who aren’t as eager to jump straight into pole dancing, Emma also runs her ‘chic fit’ classes which incorporate circuit style group workouts and boxercise sessions.

Emma also runs kids’ classes, and hosts parties from hen’s nights (there’s a surprise) to themed get-togethers for children.

And in her spare time happily caters to the occasional klutz and her cameraman. 

G

ORDON'S

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Moama 1958

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Men’s haircuts Face shaves Beard trim Flat tops

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Open Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5.30pm, Sat 8.30-1pm After hours appointments by request

GEM HAIRDRESSING

Sports champions welcome to sign our “Wall of Honor”.

There is no doubt cutting hair is in their blood.

Three generations of Echuca barbers reflected on several decades in business and the trends which had come full circle.

Gordon ‘Doey’ Elliott, 87, opened a barber store in 1958 in Moama and later shifted to Echuca in the 1960s.

Before he became a barber, Mr Elliott served in the navy for 13 years and cut the hair of fellow crew members on the Quiberon ship while he was a teenager. ‘‘They called him Curly Elliott.

He cut hair on the ships for extra money.’’

In 1978, Maree was awarded the ‘Best Barber in Victoria’ by Sir Henry Winneke Governor General of Victoria.

“Better to be a has been than never been” she joked.

Her son Rick Wilcock, who trained in New Zealand, closely resembles his grandfather and has followed in his footsteps.

Antique barber chairs remain in the Echuca shop, which have been carefully restored by Ms Wilcock, who is in her 39th year of barbering. ‘‘I’ve seen things come full circle,’’ Ms Wilcock said. ‘‘Men’s barbering has come back into fashion and we have brought it back to EchucaMoama.’’

Gordon first brought lady barbers to town and now Maree is bringing the men barbers back into fashion.

Hair art Men’s colouring Affordable prices for the whole family Due to demand ladies cuts on Monday, Wednesday & Friday by appointment from $25

5480 6825 230 Pakenham Street, Echuca

(opposite the Echuca Post Office)

Open Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5.30pm, Sat 8.30-1pm After hours appointments by request

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Designer pets

AND OUR DOG-GROOMING BOOM First there was the poodle, with all its flamboyant bouffant and Parisian chic. No self-respecting Australian mutt, let alone a fair dinkum kelpie or collie, would be seen anywhere near a bathtub, let alone a puppy parlour. But today our city streets are awash with Spoodles, Groodles, Cavoodles, Labradoodles, Bernedoodles, Schnoodles and more.

Not only are they clipped and coiffed, they are adorned with diamante collars, polka dot dog dresses, luxuriate with peppermint, rosemary and lemongrass pet shampoo and have their wool dyed in every colour of the rainbow.

Yes, Echuca-Moama is playing its part in Australia’s booming billion-dollar pet grooming industry.

leaves the fur long around the paws — or there are requests for the ears and tail to be coloured.

More often than not this is for white Maltese, frequently coloured purple or pink.

Besotted pet owners spare no expense to add frills, fringes and even frocks to their beloved dogs – and cats.

But ‘‘up here it’s more maintenance clips because of the hot weather and there’s a lot of farm dogs’’, Sharon added (although the working dogs demand confidentiality in case some of the boys down at the saleyards hear about it.

And today it’s us who almost need training to understand the new doggie dialect as designer breeds.

‘‘There’s been significant change in the industry – people are bringing in their pets more regularly.

This new wave of pets sport a serious cute factor and the trademark curly hair of the poodles on which they are based.

“They’re also spending more money on their dogs – everything from food to collars to coats.

While local Shampooch owner Sharon Villiers said EchucaMoama folk generally weren’t the type to overly ponce up their pooch with bells and whistles (leaving this for the designer dog crowds in Melbourne), she can still recall her fair share of odd grooming requests during 18 years in the industry.

“It’s big business and there’s new things (for grooming) being invented every year.’’ >>

Topping the list is a dog which had the number ‘80’ emblazoned on its side in green — to please owners who were mad Southern 80 fans. ‘‘And two years ago we did a mohawk on a little Shitzu,’’ Sharon said. ‘‘We get the (fancy requests) every now and then.’’

Sometimes staff are asked to give a dog ‘ugg boots’ — which

72 EchucaMoama A dog’s life: Washed and shorn, Stewie (left) and Louie are ready to head home. On the previous pages the cuts – and colours – some people choose for their designer dogs are as individual as the owners themselves.

>> And even if dog-grooming in Echuca-Moama is more practical than fashionable, there is something luxurious about a pet being bathed, clipped, snipped, shaved, shampooed, dried and sometimes even coloured before the big reveal.

Sharon said the type and length of any one pet grooming session will depend on the animal’s coat and what the owner is seeking. ‘‘Often Maltese Shitzu crosses need a clip and bath. During winter (many dogs) are growing their coats back and some come in with coats matted with knots and dreadlocks.

Kylie Tatti reckons there is an art to achieving the perfect look for your pooch.

And she would know – as a third generation groomer who has 27 years experience under her belt.

Kylie is also the best groomer in the country, named the Australian Royal Grooming Champion 2014 and is a training director at the Victorian College of Dog Grooming.

She’s essentially dog grooming royalty, having clipped and snipped dogs for the Real Housewives of Melbourne reality television show as well as dogs which make wedding appearances.

She has even groomed a dog to look like a dinosaur, which appeared centre stage in an advertising campaign for the Open Training Institute.

And forget the on-trend cat cafes popping up around the world — Kylie plans to open a dog cafe in her patch.

“We get poodles, farm dogs, border collies and then there’s the long-haired, drooling breeds.

“There’s some regulars and they get a bath every Monday. Then we get people who bring their dogs in once a year for a clip.”

Cats don’t miss out either — with some cats being regularly shaved — but it is no surprise feline clients are not fans of sitting still, or being dunked into buckets of water. 

Campaspe College of Adult Education

103-109 Hare Street, Echuca 3564 Telephone: (03) 54824601 Fax: (03) 54807257 Email: admin@ccae.vic.edu.au Website: www.ccae.vic.edu.au

Accredited Courses General Education Certificate I [Intro], I & II in General Education for Adults: [Entry*][Pathways*] [Further*] Certificate I, II in Foundation Skills [FSK] Certificate I in Transition Education Training and Education Certificate III & IV in Education Support Certificate IV in Training and Education Aged, HACC and Disability Services Certificate III, IV in Aged Care Certificate III, IV in Disability Certificate III, IV in Home and Community Care

Accredited Short Courses [First Aid /Food Safety /RSA] • Course in Emergency Management of Asthma in the Workplace • Course in First Aid Management of Anaphylaxis • First Aid and CPR • Course in Automated External Defibrillation • SITXFSA101 Use hygienic practices for food safety • SITXFSA201 Participate in safe food handling Practices • SITHFAB201 Responsible Service of Alcohol (Victorian)

Early Childhood Education and Care Certificate III & Diploma Community Services Certificate II, III & IV in Community Services Certificate IV in Youth Work Diploma in Community Services Work Business Services Certificate II & III in Business Certificate III in Business Administration Diploma of Management Financial Services Certificate II & III in Financial Services Certificate IV in Bookkeeping & Accounting Information, Digital Media & Technology Certificate I, II & III Hospitality Certificate II, III & IV in Hospitality Certificate II in Kitchen Operations Certificate III in Commercial Cookery Tourism and Travel Certificate II& III in Holiday Parks and Resorts Lifestyle & Leisure MYOB, Community Kitchen, Tai Chi, Dance Yoga, Creative Art, Basic Computers, Basic & Sculptural Welding, Resume Writing

Brief History Campaspe College of Adult Education has experienced significant growth from its humble beginnings to its present status of being eminently placed to provide a diverse range of quality and affordable personalised training, education and recreational opportunities to meet community needs.

Echuca Community Education Group Inc is known as Campaspe College of Adult Education and has successfully operated in Echuca since 1979.

In the beginning it consisted of a small group of people gathering in a private home. As time passed, the Community Education Group grew and prospered by adapting to the changing training needs of the community.

The Group became an incorporated body in 1989.

Campaspe College is located in the CBD and operates from the heritage building which was the original 208 Primary School.

BEAUTY EMPOWERING YOU

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5480 1805 Ladies Stylist & Barber Shop • Men’s Barber • Cutthroat - Straight Edge Blade • Ladies Colourist & Stylist • Hair Extension Specialist

Hair Room 501 501a HIGH STREET, ECHUCA

5480 1805

hairroom501@gmail.com

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With Easter around the corner, we’ve come up with a selection of the decadent and the delicious to help get the chocolate-feast started. And in addition to some Australian classics, we’ve added a bit of multicultural context to Easter to show how it’s done elsewhere.

EASTER BUNNY CARROT CAKE Ingredients • 1 cup self-raising flour • 1/2 cup plain flour • 1 tpsn bicarb soda • 1/2 tpsn ground cinnamon • 1/2 cup brown sugar • 3/4 cup rice bran oil or vegetable oil • 1/2 cup golden syrup • 1 1/2 tspns vanilla essence

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated • 125g cream cheese, at room temperature • 1/4 cup icing sugar mixture • 85g marzipan • 3 eggs • Red and yellow food colouring • Dill sprigs

Method 1. Preheat oven to 170°C or 150°C fan-forced. Brush a 20cm round cake tin lightly with oil or melted butter and line the base with non-stick baking paper. Sift the flours, bicarb soda and cinnamon into a large bowl.

2. Put brown sugar, oil, golden syrup, eggs and vanilla into a large jug. Mix with a fork until evenly combined. Pour mixture onto dry ingredients, stir until just combined. Stir in the grated carrot. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 1hr. Leave in the tin for 5 mins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

EASTER LAMINGTONS Ingredients • 2 cups desiccated coconut • 1/2 cup hot water • 400g unfilled sponge •R ed and blue food • 3 cups icing sugar mixture colouring

Method 1. Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and add the hot water. Stir icing until smooth (should be quite thin).

2. Divide the coconut between two plastic bags. Add a few drops of food colouring to each bag. Twist top of bag and hold firmly then rub outside of bag to mix the colour through the coconut. Transfer to plates.

Use an oval cutter to cut egg shapes from the cake.

3. Using two forks, dip a piece of cake into the icing. Let the excess icing drip off then place cake piece onto coconut. Roll to coat evenly then place on to a wire rack to dry. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Store lamingtons in airtight container.

Zach already has recipes for the future

3. To make topping, mix the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla essence with electric beaters until creamy. Spread over the top of the cake.

When Zach Condon becomes a pastry chef, he’s already got his employment sorted — he will work in the kitchen of his older brother’s mansion.

4. To make carrots, take small pieces of marzipan (about a level teaspoonful) and roll into carrot shapes with your hands. Use a knife to score little lines across the carrot. Put some yellow food colouring into a small bowl and add a couple of drops of red to make orange. Use a paintbrush to colour the carrots.

Make a little hole in the end with a toothpick and press in a sprig of dill.

Or that’s the dream so far.

Tip: Zach said the cake is best served with a glass of milk.

Zach, 9, whipped up a storm for our Easter baking special — creating not one recipe but two. ‘‘I love cooking shows, my step dad loves cooking too.

I get ideas from cooking shows and it’s always good to experiment,’’ he said.

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R E A STN NEY BU

Just what the doctor ordered

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- AUSTRALIAN -

CHOCOLATE HOT CROSS BUNS Ingredients • 7g sachet (2 tspns) dry yeast • 11/2 cups milk, warmed • 1/4 cup caster sugar • 4 cups plain flour • 1/2 cup cocoa powder • 60g butter, chilled, chopped • 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 1/2 cup dark or milk choc bits • 1 tspn gelatine 1 tblespn boiling water • butter, to serve • Flour paste (for crosses) • 1/4 cup plain flour • 2 tspns caster sugar

Method 1. Grease a 6cm deep, 23cm square cake pan. Place yeast, milk and one tablespoon sugar in a bowl. Whisk to dissolve yeast. Cover. Set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes or until foamy.

2. Sift flour and cocoa into a bowl. Rub in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre. Add yeast mixture, egg and remaining sugar. Stir to combine. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for one minute. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover. Set aside in a warm place for one hour or until doubled in size.

3. Punch down dough. Turn onto a floured surface. Knead for five minutes or until smooth. Add choc bits. Knead to combine. Roll into 16 balls. Place in prepared pan. Cover.

Set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes or until slightly risen. Preheat over to 200°C/180°C fan-forced.

4. Meanwhile, make paste. Combine flour, sugar and 2 1/2 tablespoons cold water in a bowl. Spoon into a snap-lock bag. Snip one corner from the bag. Pipe crosses onto buns.

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 180°C/160°C fanforced. Cook for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

5. Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatine over boiling water in a heatproof jug. Stir with a fork until gelatine has dissolved.

Place buns, top-side up, on a wire rack. Brush tops with gelatine mixture. Cool. Serve with butter.

TIP - Chelsea and Molly substituted the cocoa for melted chocolate so it wasn’t a chocolate overload.

TIP: W hen you make the cross on top, cut the nozzle on the piping bag as small as possible so the cross is thin.

TIP: Use yeast that’s well within its use-by date to make sure the buns rise.

Perfection imperative for experimenting sisters Echuca’s Chelsea and Molly Spence have got the technique for hot cross buns down pat.

The pair added their own twist to the traditional recipe — by adding choc chips instead of spices and raisins.

According to Molly, the hardest part of making the buns is doing the dishes afterwards.

The girls are accustomed to being in the kitchen — decorating cupcakes, cakes and even constructing a monster-rainbow cake with meringue.

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Mum Jodi helps her daughters with baking while dad Matt is landed with main meals and savoury recipes.

And while baking isn’t a strong family tradition, Chelsea and Molly’s grandmother is known for her cupcakes and cooking.

The girls agreed to share their second batch of hot cross buns with us for a photo shoot after the first batch needed finetuning – and nothing but perfection will do.

For the Spence family, Easter also is synonymous with camping trips, so it’s important to have some Easter fare to take.

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- AUSTRALIAN -

CHOCOLATE EASTER EGG CUPCAKES Ingredients CUPCAKES • 80g dark chocolate, chopped • 1/2 cup plain flour • 125g unsalted butter, chopped • 1/2 cup self-raising flour • 1 cup caster sugar • 1 egg • 1/2 cup (125mL) milk ICING/DECORATION • 100g icing sugar • 1 Cadbury Flake or desiccated coconut • 15g cocoa powder • Mini Easter Eggs • 60g unsalted butter, softened • 20ml milk

Method 1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Place cupcake papers in a 12-hold muffin tray.

2. Place the chocolate, butter, caster sugar and milk in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally until smooth, and then cool for 15 minutes.

3. Sift flours into chocolate mixture and whisk to combine, whisk in egg. Pour mixture evenly into paper cases.

4. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

5. To make the icing, cream butter until pale and smooth. Add the milk and half the sifted icing sugar and cocoa powder.

Beat until well combined.

6. Add the remaining icing sugar mixture and beat until mixture is light and fluffy. The mixture should be a spreadable paste. If it is too dry add milk, if too wet add more icing sugar.

7. To decorate, spread each cupcake with a tablespoon of icing.

Crush the Flake or use coconut and sprinkle each cupcake with a little. Decorate with Easter eggs.

TIP: These make a great gift for family and friends.

Grandma, mum – and now Rose Rose Berryman is something of a secret kitchen whizz.

or Maltesers.

She may be politely spoken and quiet but she certainly knows her way around a kitchen.

In the Berryman family Easter has always meant egg hunts with cousins.

The Echuca Primary School 12-year-old said Chocolate Easter Egg Cupcakes was an easy recipe and one that she’d made before.

She recalls an event where an egg was put in a cage and her pet rabbit ate it before anyone else got a chance.

‘‘When you pipe the icing – make sure the consistency is okay.

Start on the outside and work your way in.’’

Rose said the decorations can be switched up by trying M&Ms

Mum Marg Berryman said her mother was also keen on cooking — so the talent has been passed through the family. ‘‘My mum was big on cakes and things – jelly cakes and cream horns.’’

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- CHINESE -

FESTIVE CHINESE DUMPLINGS Makes 60 dumplings, serves 4

Filling • 250g button mushrooms • 500g chicken mince • 1 egg • 10ml rice wine • 20ml oyster sauce

• 50ml fresh homemade red cabbage juice • 200g fresh spinach • 30ml olive oil • 40ml soy sauce • Shallots (1 desert spoon) • Ginger (size of 1.5 stock cube

Dough Method 1. Place 100g plain flour in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add 50ml carrot juice/red cabbage juice/spinach juice*, mix well to combine. Add one lot of juice at a time to make three lots of coloured dough.

2. Knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Put it aside and allow it to rest for 1 hour. * 200g fresh spinach into boiling water and remove immediately and immerse in cold water to retain the vibrant colour. Place into a blender and blend adding a small amount of water to make a total of 50ml juice.

Filling Method 1. Dice button mushrooms into small pieces but not too small, this keeps the texture of the mushroom identifiable in the filling. Put olive oil into a pan; cook the mushrooms over a moderate heat, allowing the mushroom to absorb the oil.

Add 20ml oyster sauce and mix it in thoroughly. Put it aside until cool.

2. Combine chicken mince, egg, soy sauce and rice wine (not essential but lovely flavour) + finely chopped shallots and

gingers. Mix these ingredients, the longer you mix it the better the flavour and texture; you can feel the texture change in your hand as you mix it.

3. Combine the chicken mix and the mushroom together and mix thoroughly. Place this mixture into the fridge while you make the dumpling skins.

Dumpling skins 1. T ake a batch of dough you made earlier, roll the dough on the pastry mat to make a long roll about 2.5cm thick then cut into pieces and flatten them using the palm of your hand.

2. Then roll each piece to a thin round shape approx 8cm across. Take care not to make them too big because they will not cook thoroughly.

3. Take a round skin and place a heaped teaspoon amount of the filling mix into the centre and then fold it over and press the sides together creating a dumpling with flower petal type edges.

Cooking 1. Ensure that your pot of boiling water is ready, place a good pinch of salt into the pot to stop the dumplings sticking together. Over a high heat, place 20 dumplings into the boiling water, gently moving them to keep them apart.

2. When the water has boiled again reduce the heat to simmer, add some cold water if necessary so they do not boil too hard and break open. Allow to cook on moderate heat until they all float to the top of the water.

3. This indicates that they are cooked through. Carefully remove the dumplings using a slotted spoon from the pot and enjoy them with a splash of dumpling sauce.

Dumplings bomb Echuca’s Easter Min Davey cooks amazing dumplings — but the more interesting part to this story is how she met husband Bob.

‘‘I coloured the dough with vegetable juice – either carrot

With Min from Shanghai in downtown China and Bob from the small town of Rainbow in outback Australia, the couple met in Las Vegas when he photobombed her.

to eat their vegetables.’’

He recalls seeing her pose for a photo and then jumping into the background at the right moment.

And they still have the photo which sits on their kitchen counter — a memento of the quick snap that led to something much, much bigger.

The couple are now settled in Echuca and Min has proved she is a talented cook.

While Easter is not usually celebrated in China, dumplings are made for every festive occasion. ‘‘We both love cooking. Our advice is to eat plenty of them,’’ she said.

juice, spinach juice or cabbage juice – as kids don’t usually like

It’s a clever way for Min’s 13 year-old son Daniel to get his five plus a day.

Min said fillings in the dumplings can be changed – with chicken and mushroom or pork and prawn among the favourites.

She said the chicken is minced at home so there is no fat content and the mushrooms are cut finely.

Mr Davey said these cannot be too wet or the dumplings will become soggy.

The pork and prawn dumplings include a whole prawn tail.

The festive dumplings are best served with soy sauce or oyster sauce, and can be fried or boiled.

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Dough • 300g plain flour • 50ml fresh homemade carrot juice

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- SCOTTISH -

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL EASTER CAKE Ingredients • 250g dark chocolate • 150g butter at room temperature + 20g extra • 2/3 cup caster sugar • 6 eggs separated • 1 cup self-raising flour

• 1/2 cup brown sugar • 300ml cream • 600ml whipped cream * You will need two spring form cake tins

Method 1. Melt 150g of chocolate and let cool.

2. Beat butter, caster sugar and yolks in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in chocolate.

3. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.

4. Fold sieved flour into chocolate mixture.

5. Whisk in 1/3 of egg whites then gently fold in the rest in two batches.

6. Put 2/3 of mixture in one tin and 1/3 in the other tin (weigh it to help)

The proof is in the eating Not much can beat a decadent chocolate caramel cake and after being photographed for this magazine, it didn’t last long.

Echuca’s Alice Davidson, 10, found the recipe in an Easter magazine and set to work.

While there may have been some sneaky finger-licking and chocolate tasting during the baking process, Alice said she often makes cakes, cupcakes and sweet treats at home.

Or if it’s dinner or a main meal, she can help with that too. ‘‘I love watching cooking shows — Masterchef and the Great British Bake Off,’’ she said.

She said when making this indulgent Easter cake, be careful not to squeeze the top down when adding the final layers.

Making extra caramel is also a good idea.

Another Easter tradition in Alice’s family is Easter egg rolling. ‘‘Every year we get hardboiled eggs and we decorate them,’’ Alice said. ‘‘We find a big hill and roll them down. The last person with an egg that is not cracked is the winner.’’

Mother Judith Martin said her family was brought up with the tradition and typically, a picnic will be packed for the egg-rolling day out.

7. Bake cakes at 150°C in a fan-forced oven. Bake smaller cake 15-20 mins and larger cake 30-40 mins. Test both with a skewer.

8. Cool on a rack.

For filling/topping 1. In a saucepan combine brown sugar, 20g butter and 1/2 cup of cream. Heat until sugar dissolves.

2. Simmer until thickened.

3. Put in fridge to chill.

4. Put rest of chocolate in a bowl. Heat rest of cream then pour over chocolate. Whisk and let cool.

5. Split larger cake and spread with 1/2 whipped cream and 1/2 caramel. Add cake layer and repeat.

6. Spread choc/cream mix on top and finally, decorate.

7. Cake is best stored in the fridge.

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Around the home JS SERIES – JS28

100 SERIES – D105

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– 13kW (17.5hp) Briggs and Stratton engine to provide mowing power – 42” (107cm) cutting width giving a superior quality cut

– Automatic transmission – 9.08L fuel capacity – more than enough for most yards STARTING FROM

$2,900

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Conditions apply. Finance available through John Deere Financial Limited to approved commercial applicants only. Offer is based on [20]% deposit and [36] month term. Fees and charges apply. If not amended or withdrawn earlier, the promotion expires on [30/04/15]. The engine horsepower and torque information are provided by the engine manufacturer to be used for comparison purposes only. Actual operating horsepower and torque will be less. Refer to the engine manufacturer’s web site for additional information.

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recliners 79-85 Ogilvie Ave, Echuca Phone 5480 7912 Pictured: La-z-Boy Anika Recliner

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All rooms have private en-suites. Adjoining rooms available for couples. Many rooms with patios opening onto courtyard garden.

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Email enquiries@sch.org.au for an information pack.

Contact Southern Cross Care Moama for a tour of the facility and find out what we can offer to make your life easier.

82 Regent Street, Moama | Phone (03) 5482 2973

W

ORKERS

Where everyone's treated like a local...

Echuca Workers and Services Club would like to invite you to our friendly facilities in the heart of Echuca.

There’s a reason we have been a great destination for locals and visitors to meet and have a good time for over 100 years.

Serving the community

Sunday Night Carvery

We have been looking after Echuca-Moama for over 100 years, support the club that supports the community.

Choice of two roast meats, roast potatoes, vegetables, bread roll and condiments PLUS warm dessert. Only $13.50. * Not available public holidays & weekends.

The kids are covered

Monday lunch & dinner specials

Kids of all ages are catered for with our kids’ menu and outdoor kids’ playground.

$11 Bovine & Beverage – T-Bone steak cooked just how you like it with the choice of sauce, chips, vegetables or salad & a drink.

Free courtesy bus

* Not available public holidays.

Leave the car at home and get the free courtesy bus to pick you up and drop you off. (Within a 10 km radius).

Functions are catered for

Open hours:

Nish St

Hare St

High St am St Pakenh

Sturt St

her St

Anstrut

Annesley St

Monday to Saturday - From 9am Sunday - From 10am

rth St

Heyga

Hare St

Echuca Workers & Services Club reserves the right to change any promotions at any time without notice.

With TAB facilities, Sky Channel & FOX Sports all on the big screen, you’ll never miss a moment of the action.

High St

165-173 Annesley St, Echuca.

5482 3140 www.echucaworkers.com.au

Two full sized pool tables

wy

Whether it’s lunch or dinner we have got meals for each member of the family. Kids and Seniors too!

Bistro open 12 - 2pm & 6 - 8.30pm.

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Meals for everyone

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71 Ogilvie Avenue (opposite Dahlsen’s)

Hell raiser: Pocket rocket Charley Apps came a cropper in this year’s Southern 80 but is already champing at the bit to get back on the water.

94 EchucaMoama

SUDDENLY IT JUST

Appened She’s not yet a teenager but Charley Apps is already a hi-octane speed skier who has been cutting up competitive water for the past five years. But in 2015 the water won.

Charley Apps doesn’t remember much.

Not surprising really.

The 12-year-old had just hit the water at more than 100km/h and broken both bones in her forearm on impact.

It was her fifth straight Southern 80 and things definitely did not go according to plan.

And it was all over just three bends into the race, when she copped a cruel cross wash from a passing boat which threw her off her ski.

While 100km/h might just be cruising for this little tacker no-one mentioned that to the Murray.

Right now the most she recalls are her feet slipping out of her ski, her goggle lenses popping out and her helmet flying in the other direction. ‘‘I was going okay, I mean I was a little shaky because I was on my social ski,’’ she said. ‘‘Then the cross wash pushed me off and I don’t really remember much after that.’’

Charley’s dad, Christian, who was observing Heat in his 28th consecutive Southern 80 leapt into the river and carried his daughter from the water and up the Murray bank.

A trip to Echuca Regional Health before being transferred to Bendigo Hospital was the rest of the Apps family’s Southern 80 2015.

Christian said Charley’s wetsuit had to be cut off and it took four doctors and surgeons to align her bones, broken so badly they had actually crossed in her arm.

Eventually her bones lined up perfectly and no pins or screws were required, which was the best possible outcome. ‘‘When I was carrying her up the bank she was yelling

I’M GOING TO PLAY NETBALL, I HATE THIS SPORT’’,

saying ‘I’m never skiing again, I’m going to play netball, I hate this sport’,’’ Christian said. ‘‘I told the nurses what she said and they said: ‘No no, stick with skiing because if you take up netball then your knees and ankles will go.’’

It didn’t last long.

As soon as she recovered consciousness from surgery the promise of a new wetsuit as good as had Charley back in the water and back behind a boat.

Because despite the pain, Charley knew she just loved to ski.

when Charley had her accident.

His main disappointment was missing out on observing Merc Force F1 in the open women’s expert. ‘‘The girls absolutely flew, just five seconds off the record and they got held up too,’’ Christian said. ‘‘They (skiers Chelsea Blight and Kylee Jones) promised me they aren’t going to settle down and have kids just yet until we break that record. ‘‘Fingers crossed for next year.’’

Plus, it was her first major fall in a ski race and this little tough nut isn’t a fan of taking pain relief.

Christian will travel to NZ in April for the World Skiing Title where he will observe Nipple Racing in the F2 women’s with Blight in tow.

‘‘The doctors had to repeatedly tell her to ask for pain killers if she was feeling sore,’’ Christian said.

‘‘That would be a goal of mine I think,’’ Charley added. ‘‘Hopefully I can make the Australian team one day too.’’ 

‘‘But you know, she doesn’t like to crumble.’’

Convinced she won’t be too scared to get back behind the boat, Charley’s cast is due to be removed sometime in April, depending on how her bones reset, and she is keen to get back social skiing as soon as her arm will let her.

As for competing again, that process might take a little longer.

Charley won the 2014 under 13 girls expert at S80 and was leading the Victorian point score competition for her age group before the fall this year.

Now, her skiing partner and best friend Emma Wymer, who was battling it out with Charley for top spot in the state, is likely to sweep to success. ‘‘I’m really happy for Emma though,’’ Charley said. ‘‘I’d rather her win the point score over anyone else.’’

Charley said her love-affair with skiing was inevitable.

The Apps’ obsession with skiing runs through three generations, with Charley taking the command as the family’s latest skiing prodigy.

Skiing behind Hellbent at the Barry Carne was Charley’s most memorable skiing moment.

And her little brother Cruise, 5, might be next to hold the ropes. ‘‘My dad Malcom, was a skier,’’ Christian said. ‘‘He got me into skiing and since then I’ve competed in every Southern 80.’’ ‘‘And now Charley just loves it. It took her a while to get into it but now we can never get out of the water.’’

Unfortunately Christian’s S80 campaign was also cut short

95 EchucaMoama

‘WHEN I WAS CARRYING HER UP THE BANK SHE WAS YELLING SAYING ‘I’M NEVER SKIING AGAIN,

The COLOURS of war It was a desolate scene; of war; shattered pellets littered the ground; once fired with painful malice aforethought. At some unsuspecting victim who did not see death coming.

A stark reminder the next time the pellets were flying around I would be the target.

They looked painful enough, and big enough, to more than leave their mark.

But I am young, fleet of foot, and immortal.

No-one would be able to pin me down, let alone shoot me down.

This is paintball.

It’s not exactly the frontline, but neither is it for the fainthearted – nor for those not as nimble as your correspondent.

But in Echuca-Moama it is as close as you will get to adrenaline-pumping armed warfare.

So bring it on.

The briefing I arrived at Splat Attack, Moama, conscripted into a long-range group of weekend warriors convoyed in from Melbourne.

It was a buck’s party, which constitutes a significant slice

of Splat owner Kylie Spencer’s main clientele – along with birthdays and ‘adventure tourists’.

My soon-to-be band of brothers were late, which hardly helped settle this strange sensation beginning to surge in the depths of my stomach.

Because when you have that extra time to sit down and think about things, who in complete charge of all their faculties lines up for a potential pummelling which all but guarantees a skinful of black and blue welts?

Long-serving staff sergeant Dragos met me at the door, garbed in Splat Attack’s trademark yellow, offset by cargo pants, tucked paratrooper style into heavy, military-style boots.

His ponytail and beard complemented a thick Romanian accent. ‘‘How long have you been in Australia for?’’ I asked the Deniliquin local. ‘‘Eight or nine years,’’ he replied. ‘‘But please, call me Bob.’’ My new best mate Bob would be our referee. The gatekeeper, the man trusted to keep any troublemakers in check — and I doubt anyone would care to pick an argument, let alone a fight, with Bob. So what appeals to Bob about serving at Fort Splat?

He looks both ways, lowers his voice, and with a sly grin admits ‘‘what’s better than to get paid watching people run around and shoot each other?’’

That got the old stomach churning working overtime.

My squad mates finally reported for duty and Bob kitted us out in camo (as we veterans call our camouflage gear) and took us through the safety drill. ‘‘Whatever you do, don’t take your mask off, at any stage, ever,’’ he warned.

Thwack. That’s thwack with a capital T. The bullets were coming thick and fast and people were diving for cover amid howls registering direct hits.

Where’s the stuntman when you need him?

Bravely I peered around the corner of the house behind which I cringed, sparking another hail of shots.

I got off a few too; saw one hit an ‘enemy’ in the elbow and then the Thwack caught up with the image.

Sucker.

This was brutal stuff.

It had unleashed the brute in me.

And the worst was to come.

Nowhere to go Through the mayhem Big Bob strode up the main road, the gunfire dying down as people saw him coming.

He stepped up and hung a torn piece of fabric on a tree branch. ‘‘Gentlemen,” he bellowed. “It’s time to capture the flag.”

Well that clearly wasn’t going to happen because I and my squad would be defending the very honour of that scrap of rag.

We might be confined to the watch tower at the high end of the road, with the enemy roaming freely, like a pack of hungry wolves, but the cloth was ours and was going to stay that way.

But with the groom-to-be in my corner it was quickly becoming painfully obvious the flag wasn’t the only target from the marauders swarming around the tower.

In the fear of the moment my mask was fogging up as I resisted the impulse to tear it from my face and call for backup.

By now the stomach churning was moving into overdrive.

There was nowhere for us to move, nowhere to escape the attack.

Then the firepower was issued, we got off a few practice rounds and were headed out on our first skirmish.

Thwack!

‘‘Save your shots!’’ someone yelled. ‘‘Leave plenty for the buck.’’

The man in question, dressed in eye-catching pink, seemed to be gulping more than me.

Ready, aim, fire!

It was not unlike a scene out of a John Wayne movie, combatants armed with Hollywood guns leaping around like a bunch of loonies firing at everything moving and waiting for the director to call “cut”.

Empty wooden huts were the sets, lining both sides of the ubiquitous dusty main road through Tombstone.

With the baddies and the goodies (that was us) lined up on opposite sides of the street the shooting suddenly broke out.

I’d been hit, and holy shit it hurt. A spectacular pain in my left shoulder was shooting up and down my arm.

“Medic, medic,” I cried.

Well, actually, I didn’t.

Instead I raised my good arm and withdrew to the end of the field for 10 seconds – the protocol when you have been hit.

I still don’t know where that sniper’s nest was, straining to see through my fogged mask.

Amidst all the chaos of battle the five-minute round felt like five seconds when Bob’s whistle blew to end the battle.

Still rubbing my shoulder and inspecting the damage, the survivors of our squad prepared for the third and final showdown of the day. >>

98 EchucaMoama

Wasteland In the ‘wasteland’ rusted car shells and mounds of discarded tyres littered the field.

This time my comrades and I were charged with defending the buck – at all costs.

Bob barely got the whistle to his mouth when the shooting broke out. Hunkered down behind a wall of tyres I figured I might sit this one out.

But the men needed me.

I might have been low on ammo, but I still had a grenade in my pocket, and desperate times call for desperate measures.

The words ‘cometh the hour, cometh the man’ ran fleetingly through my mind as I burst from cover and charged across the field.

Tripped, and fell.

And trying to brace my fall unwittingly pulled the trigger on my gun. Splattering my own men, cutting them down in their prime in a haze of Thwacks and mists of paint.

I rolled after hitting the ground and the first thing I saw was one of

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99 EchucaMoama

my boys collapsed on the ground, hunched over a new pair of painted underpants and incapable of coherent speech.

But his painful glare and bared teeth glimpsed through his mask spoke volumes.

I rolled again to see where the next threat was coming from when suddenly Bob blew his whistle for the final time.

VICTORY. We had held off the hordes, my accidental shooting seemed to be lost in the successful defence of the buck.

Like the warriors of old we came together on the field hard won, arms around each other, smoking guns at our sides, jubilation tempered by the friends we had lost.

Then headed off for a shower, a drink and to start lying about what we had really achieved.

And in my case, to see if the RSL would accept an application for membership. 

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100 EchucaMoama

‘ I’M A VERY CUDDLY PERSON. I LIKE HOPPING IN BED WITH GRANNY AND GIVING HER CUDDLES.’’

Mothers’ Day is a double delight for Moama’s Kerry Cox. She will not only celebrate being 14-year-old Tenaya’s mother, but her grandmother as well.

The 69-year-old maternal grandmother, and husband Barry,

‘‘Lucky her school has been fantastic. One of the teachers

71, have been the full-time parents of granddaughter Tenaya

has spent a lot of time updating me on maths and we have a

since the teenager was nine.

friend who also tutors her.’’

Before then, she was with her mother in West Wyalong.

Tenaya is in year 9 at Moama Anglican Grammar; a school for

‘‘Her parents couldn’t look after her anymore so we took her

which Kerry and Barry are so grateful.

in,” she said.

‘‘It’s been excellent, for her and us. So helpful,’’ Kerry said.

It sounds simple but it’s not.

The couple said Tenaya was doing well at school and they are

Not for Tenaya and not for her grandparents.

extremely proud of her.

But they have made it work.

With interests in woodwork, metal work, maths and science,

And made those signature moments, such as Mother’s Day,

Tenaya hopes to one day become a vet nurse.

work as well.

‘‘I love animals,’’ Tenaya said.

Although it was a tough transition for Tenaya, who does not

‘‘She has tried so, so hard to fit in,’’ Kerry said. ‘‘It’s been a heck

see her own parents, and Kerry and Barry, whose lives were

of a journey for her.’’

completely changed, they wouldn’t have it any other way.

A journey fraught, at times, with bullying, teasing and

‘‘Having another person in the house has been wonderful,’’

frustration, which required counselling.

Kerry said.

‘‘It was pretty horrific (what people were saying) sometimes,’’

‘‘Getting to see all the interesting things she does. We have

Kerry said.

good fun together.

‘‘It wasn’t easy for her or us.’’

‘‘It was difficult at the start. There have been a lot of pluses

That’s one of the reasons Facebook is a contentious subject in

and some minuses.’’

the Cox household.

Tenaya remembered being upset when she first moved in, but

A typical teenager, Tenaya wants an account, but Kerry and

now she loves living with her ‘‘granny and pa’’.

Barry are not all that keen.

The best parts are being ‘‘spoilt’’ and her ‘‘granny’s cuddles’’.

While social media had its benefits, Kerry said it also came

‘‘I’m a very cuddly person,’’ Tenaya said. ‘‘I like hopping in bed

with cyberbullying and predators.

with granny and giving her cuddles.’’

‘‘I don’t think she has the maturity to use it yet,’’ she said.

Obviously Tenaya still has moments as to why, but the Cox’s

Although the couple admits they are strict in some ways,

have taken a patient, loving and long-term approach.

particularly when it comes to respect and manners, they are

‘‘We try to explain it all without picking fault,’’ Barry said. ‘‘We

also loving and adaptable.

don’t expect her to forget, so we try to talk it through with

‘‘You’ve got to adjust with the times and have balance,’’ Barry

her.’’

As much as Tenaya has had to, and still is, coming to terms with her situation, caring for a child in their twilight years was also a challenge for Kerry and Barry.

The last time they did that was almost 50 years ago and, not surprisingly, things were a lot different then. ‘‘(Physically) it was really tiring to start with, but it got easier

said. ‘‘But we also bring our experience into it (parenting style).’’

Because of that, Tenaya has also learnt a great deal from her grandparents. ‘‘Cooking, making my bed, manners and respect,’’ Tenaya said.

And it has paid off.

as she got older,’’ Kerry said.

‘‘So many people have told us Tenaya has such nice manners

‘‘The hardest thing has been the school work and helping

and is such a nice girl,’’ Kerry said.

Tenaya with homework.

Karate has also had a significant effect on Tenaya. >>

101 EchucaMoama

ALL IN THE family

>> 102 EchucaMoama

Starting lessons three years ago, the teenager has already achieved a green belt, as well as gaining important life skills. ‘‘It’s helped her a lot with self defence, her self esteem has improved and her confidence has increased,’’ Kerry said. ‘‘It also teaches the kids life skills and discipline in a subtle way, such as actions have consequences.’’

cooked breakfast by Tenaya and Barry.

The couple’s son Stephan will also visit from Melbourne and the three generations will celebrate the day with a ‘‘nice dinner’’.

But what is Kerry looking forward to most on Mothers’ Day? ‘‘Lots of cuddles of course,’’ she laughed.

Barry is also trying to get Tenaya to start trekking with him.

However, she will need lots of practise if she hopes to keep up with her grandfather, let alone match his achievements.

Last March, the then 71-year-old did a 16-day trek to Mount Everest Base Camp for the World’s Highest Shave.

He was the oldest person in the 16-member team, which raised money for the Leukaemia Foundation.

The family of three has enjoyed some great holidays together, including a cruise around the Pacific islands, but Tenaya probably won’t join Barry on his next trekking adventure; Machu Picchu, an Inca site 2430m above sea level.

She will be more than happy enough to keep her grandmother company.

And on Mothers’ Day, on May 10, Kerry will be treated to a

Kerry and Barry said joining a support group for grandparents raising their grandchildren had been invaluable.

There isn’t a group in Echuca-Moama, so the Cox’s meet with Goulburn Valley Grandparents Support Group once a month in Shepparton. ‘‘There are about 26 families and we meet on the first Thursday of the month,’’ Kerry said. ‘‘It’s been really good. They help with information about what you can get through Centrelink, what support services are available and have guest speakers. ‘‘It just lets people know they’re not alone.’’

Anyone interested in joining the group can call 5820 0444. 

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Ph : (03) 5483 7647 M: 0417 059 949 E: tracyscakes@harboursat.com.au www.tracyscakes.com.au

103 EchucaMoama Tenaya with grandparents Kerry and Barry, and uncle, Stephen.

This multi-generational family cover a lot of country on holidays.

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What Is a specIalIst OrthOdOntIst? 106 EchucaMoama

Many Dentists are now offering some basic forms of orthodontic treatment through various organisations, with many taking a short, two-weekend course in one type of treatment.

Specialist Orthodontists have a university degree to initially become a qualified Dentist with a further three years of full-time studies at an accredited University with supervised training. They are registered as specialists by the Australian Dental Board.

Orthodontic Treatments

Our Specialist Orthodontists

Bee Happy Orthodontic Specialist Orthodontists offer a full range of treatment options to ensure you have straight teeth and proper jaw alignment.

These include • INVISALIGN™ • Insignia™ Advanced Smile Design • Invisible Braces (Lingual) • Clear Braces

Dr. Bruce Sokel - Dr Sokel is a founder of the original Orthodontic practice that he set up in Bendigo 30 years ago. He is an avid golfer, passionate soccer player and karate black belt. Dr. Sokel is a karate instructor and is the proud father of three and married to Fran.

They are fully qualified to offer a range of treatment to suit the patient, rather than the one proprietary treatment promoted by a particular company.

Dr. Tissa Jayasekera Dr. Tissa joined the practice in 1990 after moving to Bendigo with his wife Philippa. They have five children with Dr. Tissa being very involved in coaching local soccer at Spring Gully United Soccer Club. He also enjoys road cycling on weekends.

Bee Happy Orthodontics has two Dental Board registered specialists who service patients from a wide geographic area in Central Victoria with offices in Bendigo, Kyneton, Echuca and Kerang. They are both members of the Australian Society of Orthodontists.

Shop 6 – 7 Pakenham Street Echuca – Ph 5480 2433

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Loaded hand: Moama’s James Thompson is ready to pull the trigger on a career as a bridge player. The 17-year-old is already Australia’s number one ranked under 21 player.

107 EchucaMoama

HAND-ME-DOWN CARDS CREATE A

mini master

If it’s a game, sports writer Luke McManus is always ready to rumble. But meeting a bridge player with some serious street cred proved one game too tough for him to come to grips with, let alone understand.

And it’s considered appalling etiquette to body slam your opponent if he is making you look both slow and stupid.

Bridge might be a game of cards.

But that wouldn’t be telling the full story.

It is almost a global corporation as well.

And its antipodean offshoot is the Australian Bridge

Mind you, he is 85 so he may not see her if she bent over in front of him and asked for directions.

He often plays a hand with fellow (and slightly richer) billionaire Bill Gates, Martina Navratilova never goes

plan, committee of honour and more than 35,000 registered

anywhere without her cards and Omar Sharif (he of Dr Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia fame) is a long-time player and columnist.

active players.

Enter James Thompson, 17-year-old student from downtown

It also has a cast of seriously heavyweight devotees, amongst

Moama.

them Warren Buffett, one of the world’s richest men, who

This self-taught wunderkind of the cards has gone from a

counts his cash by the tens of billions and has been quoted as

modest entree tracking his father around watching him play to

saying: “If I’m playing bridge and a naked woman walks by, I

becoming a self-taught maestro of the game (though if pushed

don’t even see her.”

he might concede the old man gave him a tip or two). >>

Federation, which comes complete with a charter, strategic

108 EchucaMoama

“ IT’S ONE OF THOSE GAMES WHERE THERE’S NO LUCK INVOLVED, YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOUR OWN LUCK.” >> Today the unassuming teenager is Australia’s number one

A membership to the local senior citizens club was sought

ranked Under 21 player and is a regular on the national and

before Thompson could play at the Echuca-Moama Bridge

international circuit.

Club.

If Buffett and Gates are anything to go by, pay close attention

“I used to go there a lot when I first started, not so much

to young James because if he starts giving out share tips who

anymore,” he said. “I was the youngest person there; the

knows where it might lead.

second youngest was my dad.

But getting back to the basics of this Mr Cinderella story,

“Club bridge is the lowest level so I wasn’t going to improve

exactly what turned James onto a game most commonly

very much.”

associated with staid and silent rooms filled with senior citizens mulling over their next call?

Most importantly, how did he get to be so much better at it than most of those crusty curmudgeons who had been slaves to monosyllabic conversation such as ‘four spades’ for decades?

Our boy, however, is somewhat bemused by all the fuss.

“Dad used to travel to Bendigo and Shepparton to play tournaments so I tagged along one day,” James said.

Then Canberra-based playing partner Stephen William arrived on the scene – or in cyberspace rather.

The duo struck up a strong partnership soon after meeting through the Youth Bridge Community and regularly spend hours at a time honing their skills in preparation for tournaments.

“We’ve been playing together for about two years now,” James said of his 22-year-old teammate. “There’s more than 100 members (of the Youth Bridge Community) and about 50 who

“I watched a couple of tournaments and it seemed pretty

play competitively — we’re a pretty close-knit group.”

interesting.”

But if nothing else, bridge is a good travel agent as it has

Masterpiece of understatement from someone who began to

taken James and his kiddie contemporaries to tournaments all

get serious about building a bridge career at the tender age of

around Australia.

13.

James and Stephen have also rolled their hands around the

But it seems it was love at first sight, with our Moama

world, in China of late but most recently in Turkey, where

Grammar student hooked by the first hand of cards as they

the derring duo, competing in the Australian Under 25 squad,

fell to the baize.

finished 10th out of 22 countries.

Now he makes that small confession.

“We missed out on qualifying by not very much at all so we

A few one-on-one lessons from dear old dad were followed by

were disappointed,” James said.

hours and hours of online tutorials as James attuned himself

“But it was an incredible experience, and not only that, it was

to the ins and outs of the game first.

great being surrounded by players my own age for a change.”

And then the tactics and strategies.

James enjoyed a similar experience at January’s Australian

“There’s a steep learning curve in bridge at first, once you’re

Youth Bridge Championships in Canberra.

past that then it’s all about improvement,” he said.

The competition doubled as selection trials for the national

“It’s one of those games where there’s no luck involved, you

team which will travel overseas later this year.

have to make your own luck,” James said, hardly reassuring

The stars and cards aligned with the pair now setting their

mildly interested observers such as your scribe.

sights on another trip abroad. Nothing, James says, is going to

“You can be dealt very bad cards; it’s about making the most

stop him from playing the next hand and carefully planning

with what you’re dealt.”

his next move.

James agrees he had a hard time finding partners and

The only question left unanswered was if it is true the serious

opponents his own age at first, a hurdle that hindered his

bridge player’s never-ending nightmare is getting off a plane

development within a game where only “practice makes

for a tournament and discovering instead of their favourite

perfect”.

deck, somehow they have been left holding a handful of tarot

“I tried teaching one of my friends once,” he said. “We played one session together and have never played again.”

cards.

Read into that what you will. 

109 EchucaMoama

t ther S Anstru t Hare S

t ther S Anstru t Hare S

112 EchucaMoama

AND LOVING IT Ivy Wise knew she was on a good thing as she slid into the warm water to relax ahead of a day of primping and preening at Madison Spa in Moama I am a single working mum.

With two young children.

So imagine how much time I have to myself?

For pampering.

Real pampering.

And stop laughing.

I can’t remember the last time I felt truly relaxed let alone had more than four hours of straight, solid sleep.

So when this opportunity came up, to do a story on a spa, bodies were being flung out of my way as I rushed to the head of the queue.

Much to the disappointment of three of my male journalistic colleagues, protesting loudly they were clearly in need of a relaxing rub down and manly facial.

So after the standard, selfless start to the day — get the kids up, wash, feed and dress in any order, drop the eldest daughter at the school bus, down to the supermarket for weekly shop with youngest in tow, drop in to visit a friend’s sick child in hospital, take youngest (still in tow) to a healthcare appointment, find time for lunch, washing, occasionally amusing youngest, a spot of cleaning and then whip 20km back up the road to collect eldest from the bus - then it was me time.

Just me.

I was booked in for a two-hour revitalise package (so who’s laughing now?).

Starting with a full body exfoliation, followed by a de-stress body massage and finishing with a beauty facial.

What could be better? Well, maybe a two-hour nap in a locked, sound-proofed room afterwards, but I’m not greedy. >>

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Taking the plunge

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“SEALED WITH A VELVETY SOFT MOISTURISER AND SPRAY OF PHYTO-AROMATIC MIST (WHICH AWAKENS THE SENSES) AND I WAS READY TO FACE THE WORLD WITH A RENEWED SENSE OF VIGOUR.” >> I was greeted by the friendly girls at Madison Day Spa, including the lovely Shannen, who would be doing my treatment.

But wait, there’s more.

I got to wind down with a soak in the indoor heated pool and spa first.

Half an hour and a shower later, I was lying in a tranquil and aromatherapy filled room covered in an amazing smelling body scrub.

the occasional flinch as Shannen hit the spot, but there were many more purrs and assorted sighs.

I could feel the tension seeping from my neck and shoulders down to my fingers and toes, onto the tables, down to the floor and out the door.

When unicorns started flying through banana ice-cream flavoured clouds, I knew I was in my happy place.

Ever so gently, Shannen started cleansing my face in preparation for my ‘beauty flash’ facial.

Back in the shower to rinse it off, I was left with the silkiest smooth skin, if I do say so myself.

A facial for ‘‘time poor’’ women. Was I that obvious (unshaved legs aside)?

Now for my favourite part — full body massage.

As an aside I should mention I could have almost eaten the botanical facial products, they smelled so good.

Not wanting a soft ‘tickly’ massage, I asked for pressure and that’s exactly what I got.

Where have you been all my life Shannen?

Shannen tailored the facial to suit my skin type and targeted the areas I wanted to improve.

Her strong hands worked wonders on my back, neck and legs, using a vitamin E oil that left my skin soft and glowing.

She started with a deep, but gentle exfoliation, which helped clear my pores.

My neglected thigh and calf muscles forgave me for pushing them beyond their capabilities in touch football after Shannen worked her magic on them.

A balancing mask that smelled like green apple left my skin feeling fresh and rejuvenated.

Apart from a three-second panic attack after realising I hadn’t shaved my legs in five days (thank God I’m blonde), I was in a state of pure bliss during the massage. There might have been

Sealed with a velvety soft moisturiser and spray of phytoaromatic mist (which awakens the senses) and I was ready to face the world with a renewed sense of vigour.

Well, something like that.

115 EchucaMoama

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Truth be told, it took me a while to actually get off the bed, then a couple of minutes before I could stand unaided, let alone bounce energetically out the door.

My body wasn’t used to lying down for so long in a relaxed state.

Slowly but surely, I adjusted to the light and came back to reality.

My skin felt amazing, my muscles were loose and my body relaxed.

Which makes for a happy mummy.

And a happy mummy is a good mummy.

So a pamper session should really be a necessity for busy mums, rather than something left for a special occasion.

Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. 

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116 EchucaMoama

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118 EchucaMoama We made it: Erik Holt-Crossman and Karl Waddell celebrate finishing the walk.

119 EchucaMoama

Trekking down the Trail WITH MY MATES

It’s not as if he crammed a lifetime into just eight short days last winter, but for Erik Holt-Crossman they still proved to be the time of his life.

Images of muddy paths, struggling through steep, rutted terrain under a dense canopy, in sapping humidity, an easy target for wave upon wave of remorseless insects.

And then the desolate grave sites, the war memorials, the melancholy of another time when the weekend warriors of the Citizen’s Military Forces did things beyond the comprehension of the regular army rank and file.

And of the invading Japanese.

It was a journey into our history, a trip which will be forever etched into his memory.

But completing the 96km Kokoda Trail is an achievement he

beneath their verdant canopy, and started breathing the humidity that he thought: “Wow, I am actually doing this”.

The southern end of the trail begins at Owers Corner and travels through the Stanley Mountain Range, which divides the north and south coasts of Papua New Guinea, before finishing at Kokoda village itself.

If there was one thing Erik established early in the trip it was that the countryside was nothing like Australia.

The dense canopy was so thick he barely saw the sunlight, and when he did it bore down like nothing he had experienced before.

already wants to accomplish again.

“When you actually feel the sun you really do feel it,” he said.

With only four weeks to prepare and armed with a 16kg

“The coverage from the trees was probably good in a way, I was already sweating so much. It was a constant drip.”

backpack and mosquito repellent, Erik flew to Papua New Roskosch to tackle the foreign “life changing trek”, walking in

The rain during the first two days of the eight-day trek was a pleasant relief for the group of about 20 hikers.

the footsteps of the ill-prepared Australian troops who were

But day three was less forgiving.

Guinea alongside best mate Connor and his father Darren

about to write themselves into Australian legend – with their own blood.

Walking the Kokoda Trail has increasingly become a rite of passage for Australians keen to not just pay tribute to fallen wartime heroes but to absorb part of the journey themselves.

But not only was it where more than 600 Australians lost their lives, it was also a battle, and a war, of which Erik initially had little knowledge.

It wasn’t until he arrived at the razorback mountains, hidden

“There were no dull moments on the trip but occasionally I would question myself about how long can this uphill go for?

Or, are we going to make it through this next mountainous path?” he said.

“Day three was the hardest. It was virtually all uphill and we were walking from the crack of dawn until about five in the afternoon.

“But once we got through that day, the rest of the trip went really quickly. I almost got used to it.” >>

120 EchucaMoama >> But Erik said it’s wasn’t going up that was the hardest; it’s

every row I pass stands for 10 or more people who have died.

when you have to come back down.

“Emotionally that part of the trip really hit me the most.”

“I had one fall. I slipped going down the mountain. The mud

The cemeteries, with their neat rows of crosses, in part sanitise the horror they represent but the overwhelming setting still has the power to reach out across the years.

makes it nearly impossible to trek downwards,” Erik said.

“I think most of us on the tour would have had a fall at some stage during the trek.”

While some of the hikers had porters carry their loads, Erik was determined to carry his own.

It was more rewarding that way.

“But then you think about how the young soldiers carried more than 40kg on their backs, with weapons, from rifles to heavy machineguns and mortars, and often under enemy fire, well, my 16kg pack has nothing on that.”

The trail is still littered with the detritus of war, an evocative background to the tales of bravery, and of death, recounted where they happened, by their Australian tour guide.

“The story which stuck with me the most was about two brothers,” he said.

“One was shot and died in his brother’s arms. It’s really surreal to be told exactly where that happened, and to stand there..

“And we passed more than 3000 graves, in the cemeteries

When they weren’t absorbing the war stories, and when they had the energy to raise their heads, Erik said they revelled in both the elusive wildlife and the people who still live along, or near, the trail.

“It makes you appreciate what you have. To watch people live off the land and nothing else is quite eye opening.

“They have no contact with the outside world, but it doesn’t seem to matter, they don’t know any different. It’s just the way they live.

“What was really weird was the wildlife, We knew it was there but we never saw it. We heard them but we didn’t see a single bird.

“We actually started going a little troppo hoping we’d see one.

But the members of Erik’s party soon discovered the birds were smarter than the tourists. They knew the porters were carrying deadly-accurate slingshots in their pockets and any bird foolish enough to break cover would be quickly shot down and end up in the cooking pot. >>

121 EchucaMoama

122 EchucaMoama

“NOT ONLY WERE WE LEARNING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF WORLD WAR II, WE WERE ALSO RAISING MONEY FOR AN ORGANISATION CALLED RIVERS GIFT WHICH CREATES AWARENESS FOR SIDS (SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME), IT MADE THE TREK MORE MEANINGFUL TO ME.”

>> “I guess they knew what they were looking for and the birds are so well camouflaged.”

While making the harrowing trek is an achievement in itself, and the lessons learnt along its hidden journey are a remarkable insight into some remarkable men who now hold a place of honour in the national psyche, Erik said he was also achieving something for the future as well.

“Not only were we learning about the history of World War II, we were also raising money for an organisation called Rivers Gift which creates awareness for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome),” he said.

“It made the trek more meaningful to me.”

Lame jokes, skips and trips and stupid comments would all incur penalty donations to SIDS. “We’d always be on the lookout for someone to do something or say something stupid and they would be fined and have to donate

Unwind & Relax

money to SIDS. Which obviously is a great thing, so we tried to keep as close an eye as possible on everyone in our party,” Erik said.

Erik said when tackling the trek you are given the option to either start at Kokoda village or Owers Corner – and he opted for the Corner.

“I was happy with the decision we made, because the first few kilometres from Owers are completely flat and the final kilometre into Kokoda is virtually a vertical climb,” he said.

“Either direction this trek is never over until its over, and that part of the challenge made it all the more satisfying.”

As 2014 drew to a close Erik had to get his mind more focused on his year 12 VCE studies, and while he quickly became immersed in the daily grind of maths and science, that other daily grind, the one which took him up and over the punishing Owen Stanley Ranges, is part of his formative years which will be part of him forever. 

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123 EchucaMoama

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127 EchucaMoama

N BISTRO E D I A M S E JAM

128 EchucaMoama

Botanic garden dreamtime TAKES SHAPE BIT BY BIT

Chris Dance has provided the cornerstone of professional credibility for the launch and ongoing development of the Moama and Echuca Botanic Gardens but he, like many of those working on it, are laying the foundations for a future they will not be likely to share All architects are dreamers. Wanting to push design from the established to the cutting edge, to master technology and the imagination to create towering legacies.

It kind of started with the ancient Egyptians, whose monuments still tower over the landscape today.

But building a monument is one thing. Growing it is something else altogether.

architect is, to a large degree, in the laps of the gods.

Particularly the ones who arrange for rain and sunshine in the required amounts, and at the required times.

Of course irrigation may have solved half these problems, but when you are dreaming on the scale of a botanic garden, you are dreaming bigtime and relying a lot on the aforementioned deities.

The landscape architect is just as much a dreamer as his distant colleagues with their steel, glass and stone.

Just ask Chris Dance, the creative force behind the Moama and Echuca Botanic Gardens in the depths of the Moama Recreation Reserve on Perricoota Road.

However, by the very virtue of landscape, the success of the landscape

Where its near neighbours are the Moama Echuca Adventure Playpark

and sports grounds, the velodrome and the old trotting track.

The botanic dream was floated in 2003 as a community idea to create a living heart for Moama itself and a living asset for the twin towns.

But it was a dream being run on the smell of an oily rag and a group of seriously enthusiastic volunteers.

“My brief was simple,” Chris said.

“Plan a contemporary, water-wise garden, expressive of the Riverina region, which was to be implemented in stages (political speak for as funding became available),” he said.

“The first structure was finished eight years ago, and to be totally honest, I never thought it would ever get off the ground, if you get my drift.

“That was the Nestle Boardwalk, but it was another four years before we had reached the point where we could officially open stage one and prove to the local doubters it could be done,” Chris said.

“That included a rain garden, rock seating walls, indigenous plantings, gravel pathways and lawn areas.

“Last year it was stage two, with two mature Moreton Bay fig trees planted, a magnificent arbour constructed and a well feature created by stone masons, surrounded by a series of trees to create a designated area.”

Chris says it took a while to even get the local council – Murray Shire – on board with a level of interest at which it would assume a sense of ownership.

He says that was achieved with the passion of planning officer Simon Arkinstall.

“I think initially Simon simply saw us as a job, but as the project has evolved he has become a 100 per cent committed fan of the project and is giving it is heart and soul.

“And heart and soul is what a botanic garden is all about, it truly is worth doing, the rewards are there in front of you, its face changes with the seasons but it is always there.

“In the first 30 years you will witness incredible change and it will have an impact on the social fabric of the community which surrounds it.

“It is the flora first but then it will slowly attract fauna as well, sort of completing the environmental cycle, and all sorts of future possibilities will evolve.”

Chris says stage three will be themed around a billabong setting and goes on from there through the master plan and its proposed eight stages.

Stages two and three are being done on a $150,000 budget and a hell of a lot of free blood, sweat, tears and celebration.

To put that in context, the Cranbourne Annex of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne has an operating budget north of $35 million.

“Clearly here in the Moama and Echuca Botanical Gardens we are the Davids of the business looking enviously, on occasion, at the largesse of the Goliaths,” Chris said.

“But the thing I have found most embracing about this project has been the passion and the belief of the people giving up their time to ensure we successfully launch something very few of them will live to see at anywhere near its full potential,” he says.

“If nothing else explains the power of a living monument in a community; well I think that does.

“My associate Matthew McFall is working with me on the project as well and as he has a few years on me he will be wanting to continue with it in the future.

“I don’t think a lot of this would have been possible with the driving force that is Friends of Moama and Echuca Botanic Gardens president Kron Nicholas. He and his small group have overcome what at times has been a hostile environment and the sceptics. They have kept pushing, kept applying for funds and grants and now have established themselves.

“They had to be established before the gardens to make sure the whole project had a future.”

Chris said while botanic gardens are his thing he really believes what is being done at Moama is using a “special landscape which is at the centre of the community, the local culture and its commercial as well as residential development”.

“It will be a beautiful, reflective, changing and calming place with a strong educational message to deliver, that it is a growing and living thing.

“In the future it will have the ability to become part of the botanic gardens network which stretches around Australia and I don’t think there is anyone pursuing a project such as this, so community based and with such an incredibly exciting – and incredibly long-term – future. 

129 EchucaMoama

“THE THING I HAVE FOUND MOST EMBRACING ABOUT THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN THE PASSION AND THE BELIEF OF THE PEOPLE GIVING UP THEIR TIME TO ENSURE WE SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCH SOMETHING VERY FEW OF THEM WILL LIVE TO SEE AT ANYWHERE NEAR ITS FULL POTENTIAL.”

Community based care for the aged A living memorial to those who fought and those who died during World War One that has continued to serve the people of Tongala and District for over 90 years.

Tongala and District Memorial Aged Care Service Inc. is owned and managed by the Tongala and District Community.

It services started with the Tongala and District Bush Nursing Memorial Hospital which opened as a state of the art facility in 1925. In the 1980s the people of Tongala and district’s need for residential aged care was increasing. At the same time the need for hospital services was in decline. In 1990 R.M.McHale Hostel opened and was named in honour of local war hero and tireless worker for the community – Rocky McHale. The 12 bed hospital closed in that year. The need for high level residential care was met with the opening of Koraleigh Nursing Home in 1993. In 1998 the vision of another local legend, the late Dick McGowan became a reality with the opening of the Men’s Shed named in Dick’s honour. Dick’s aim was to provide a venue where men could go and find some one to talk to and something to do. The Dick McGowan’s Men’s Shed was one of the first, if not the first, Men’s Shed in the world and his dream has now been replicated in many communities. In 2000 Deakin Village – a 15 unit retirement village amalgamated with Tongala Aged Care Service. In 2011 stage one of Memorial Drive Retirement Village was completed. As well as providing a continuum of aged care services, the Tongala Aged Care Service also supports the provision of health and medical services for the people of Tongala and District. The organisation also has

a partnership with the Tongala Community Bank in providing the weekly “Dial a Bus Service” when volunteer drivers pick up senior residents in the community to go shopping in Tongala.

Just as the hospital was ninety years ago, the Tongala Aged Care Service continues to be the focal point of the community.

It continues to adapt to the changing trends and needs of the community and caring for older people. The organisation operates two residential aged care services. R.M.McHale Hostel with 42 residential aged care places and Koraleigh Nursing Home has 30 places. Each service includes a special care unit for people living with dementia. Both services have a reputation for the quality of care provided and have an unblemished aged care accreditation record. The Committee of Management and Staff strive to improve the quality of care services and facilities.

A $1.4million significant refurbishment of Koraleigh Nursing Home building project is being undertaken with completion scheduled for March 2016.

Two options for retirement village services are available.

Deakin Village offers rental accommodation. Memorial Drive Retirement Village collocated with the residential care services offers town-house styled units with street frontage and are purchased on a ‘life lease basis'.

Tongala Aged Care Service exists to provide care and

accommodation to meet the unique needs of each person using those services. To achieve this the organisation’s operations are underpinned by the philosophy of a person centred approach to care and provision of a supportive social and physical living environment for residents and working environment for staff.

Two major community events are planned for 2015, on Sunday 22nd March 2015 the annual Easter Fair, Open Day and Mini Community Expo will be held from 12 noon to 3.30pm at the Tongala Aged Care Service. Representatives will be available to discuss R.M.McHale Hostel, Koraleigh Nursing Home, Memorial Drive Retirement Village and Deakin Village Retirement Village.

Tongala is known as the friendly town and the event also provides opportunity to showcase service groups, clubs and facilities that the vibrant Tongala community has to offer.

On Saturday 12th September 2015 commencing at 11am the Tongala and District Memorial Aged Care Service Inc. will commemorate the Centenary of Gallipoli and the 90th anniversary of the opening of the Tongala Bush Nursing Hospital. 2015 is also the 25th anniversary of the opening of R.M.McHale Hostel. The day will be an opportunity to reflect on the gallant Men and Women from Tongala and District who served and died for our country but whose selfless contribution endures in the living memorial of Tongala Aged Care Service.

For further information and to arrange a visit please contact 0358 590 800, email tacs@tongalas.own.net.au or write to Tongala Aged Care Service, 18 Purdey Street, Tongala, Vic. 3621

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132 EchucaMoama

No prize for

RUNNING SECOND Echuca Racing Club is up against it. Technology, competing tracks, getting more punters through the gate and sinking big bucks into a facelift at its headquarters mean it is taking a big gamble with its future.

The business of running horse racing is as tough and competitive as the action out on the track.

terms of how our track is presented,’’ he said. ‘‘In the past few years we have picked up a number of

Minus only the whips.

transferred meetings because of the quality of our track all

With the rapid rise of off-course TABs, mobile phone apps

year round.’’

and corporate bookmakers, it is becoming increasingly harder

The state’s biggest stables — the likes of Peter Moody, David

for administrators to put bums on seats.

Hayes and Darren Weir — regularly fill Echuca fields, giving

Echuca Racing Club is not immune to the changing climate.

the track a glowing endorsement.

Like many clubs in Victoria, it has had to hand up race

Echuca will host 10 meetings next season, having dropped

meetings to fill the industry’s appetite for night racing and the

back from 12 in 2013, and while the club’s two biggest race

ever-improving tracks on the fringe of Melbourne.

dates – Echuca Cup and Melbourne Cup – remain strongly

Chief executive Alex Doble is confident while the squeeze

supported, Doble and the club are looking at ways to boost

is on for country racing clubs but steady population growth

numbers to their ‘program meetings’.

in Echuca-Moama, a strong supporter base and its close

‘‘These are dates that are given to us, but we can ask for

proximity to Melbourne will carry the club into the future.

certain dates to coincide events,’’ he said.

Doble, a former administrator at Moonee Valley, said it was

‘‘We have looked at perhaps running a race meeting for the

important Echuca Racing Club offered the best possible

Friday of the Southern 80 weekend. While there are tens of

facilities to satisfy the needs of competitors, but also those who came along to watch. ‘‘I am confident we have some of the best facilities on offer in

thousands of people in town for the weekend, if we could get 1000 to go to the races then it would boost our attendances and add to the visitors’ experience for the weekend.’’

133 EchucaMoama

‘THERE ARE LOCAL PEOPLE WHO COME OUT HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 10 YEARS AND ARE GENUINELY AMAZED ABOUT HOW GOOD OUR FACILITIES ARE.’’ The changes have already begun with the club handing up the Saturday meeting of its two-day Echuca cup carnival from next year.

The club will also review the date of its cup meeting to possibly coincide with cup meetings in other river towns, such as Swan Hill.

“The March date is great for the patrons, being on a long weekend, but we also need to look at the quality of horses brought up here and having a date in line with other country cups could be a good drawcard,” he said.

Doble said the quality of the racing was just as important for getting people through the front gate.

He said getting people to attend a race day more often was difficult. ‘‘We need to get the people who come along once a year to come back two or three times,’’ he said. ‘‘There are local people who come out here for the first time in 10 years and are genuinely amazed about how good our facilities are.’’

As well as programming, Doble said the club had also turned its attention to improving the facilities for those coming to the races.

The club is completing an overhaul of the members area, with a timber deck area being built in front of the members bar.

If all goes to plan the final nail in the $755,000 renovation should be hammered in by early May with racegoers given ‘‘a

sneak peak’’ during March’s two-day Echuca Cup carnival. ‘‘The prospect of improving our facilities not only for the race-day experience but for non-race days will be a great revenue generator for us,’’ Doble said. ‘‘We’re first and foremost a racing club, that’s our priority, but we see secondary benefits in opening our doors.’’

A new bar and upgrades to the pavilion’s heating and cooling system have also been earmarked while members should enjoy the surroundings with new furniture, carpet and ceiling planned.

ERC has chipped in more than $235,000 to start the project, while Racing Victoria has contributed another $140,000.

Once it’s open the club’s new era will be off and running.



134 EchucaMoama

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Book a visit today at the Echuca Racing Club 130 Scott Road Echuca (03) 5482 2487 echraces@countryracing.com.au

136 EchucaMoama

Eliza wears: Harlow floral blouse & scene stealer lounge pant Gold Frankincense & myrrh silvi crown

137 EchucaMoama

All aboard the train ‘We cross the tracks for a fresh regional take on Melbourne based label, Sudo kids.

Urban funk, meets country cool for the hippest kids in our riverside towns’.

Photography: Cindy Power Photography Styling: Style is Eternal Paperartzi kids: Eliza Fraser, River Sims & Maddex Fimmel Sudo stockist: Paperartzi Boutique, 52 Nish St, Echuca

Eliza wears: Treasure box jumper, downtown jean & coco headband Converse sneakers by Evans Shoes, Echuca

138 EchucaMoama

139 EchucaMoama River wears: Sudo accent hoodie & uptown beanie.

Maddex wears: Xavier sweater, icon jean, round about snood & midtown cap

Eliza wears: Lifetime legging, out of nowhere t-shirt, dream girl jumper, tall tales beanie.

Converse sneakers by Evans Shoes, Echuca.

River: Icon Jean, Solidarity t-shirt, Grady Shirt & colour my world beanie

River wears: Bystander jean, solidarity t-shirt, greyson cardigan, on the fly vest & uptown beanie.

Scooter from Faktor, Echuca.

140 EchucaMoama

141 EchucaMoama

Maddex wears: Xavier sweater, gradient jacket, icon jean,& midtown cap Eliza: Harlow floral blouse, scene stealer lounge pant & tall tales beanie River wears: Bystander jean, solidarity t-shirt, greyson cardigan, on the fly vest & uptown beanie

142 EchucaMoama River: Garrison shirt, bystander jean & world apart beanie Eliza: CafĂŠ Wednesday t-dress, very Vivienne jacket & GFM queenie crown Maddex: Xavier sweater, icon jean, colour my world beanie & step up scarf

143 EchucaMoama

144 EchucaMoama Maddex wears: Xavier sweater & gradient jean

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146 EchucaMoama

147 EchucaMoama

IT’S THE HOME WHERE

every day is a holiday

148 EchucaMoama

In the heart of one of Echuca-Moama’s most prestigious precincts is a home where no expense has been spared, no luxury overlooked and no innovation ignored. For its owners, moving will be a big wrench, but heartstrings are being plucked by grandchildren – and they cannot resist.

Ronda and Ern Clarke decided to make their life one long holiday.

“When we started up here we did sketches of what we

In Echuca-Moama.

tweaks here and there to get exactly what we wanted –

Twelve years ago the Melbourne-based business couple acquired a block of land backing onto an anabranch of the Campaspe and started building.

wanted, saw those turned into a plan and made a few and we did.”

“Yes, the plan was a family holiday home for us and our three children and assorted grandchildren,” Ern said.

And as fast as the walls were going up and the floors were going down they realised they had got it all wrong.

“For them it has been exactly that and for us it has been

They loved Echuca-Moama more than Melbourne.

10-plus years,” he said.

So they upped stumps and turned the would-be holiday house at 11 Chelsworth Drive into a home – and what a home.

“But as much as we love Echuca-Moama, and

It is 65 squares of living space sprawling across a 4600 square metre block and surrounded by some singularly prestigious properties.

“Not because it is a better place to live but just before

a beautiful and warm family home in a town where we have made some marvellous friends and had a fantastic

everything it has been in our lives, we are getting a strong emotional pull to head back to Melbourne.

Christmas our grandchildren really started leaning on us, wanting to know why we didn’t make it to all their

149 EchucaMoama

sport, and school plays and so on, and on.”

“It’s irresistible,” Ronda added.

“They grow up so quickly and they are such a special part of your life, you really don’t want to miss a day.

So the holiday house that became a home is now on the market, and whoever acquires it will be getting something very special.

This residence might have a flaw, but if you want to find it you will need a magnifying glass and a lot of patience to track it down.

The real problem, though, is where to begin.

You can sense the individual touch at every turn and in every corner of this five-bedroom residence.

For example, at first glance it would seem this most modern of homes does not have a dishwasher.

But of course it does.

It just happens to have been blended into the timber cupboards with a matching pull-down door which reveals a Miele unit, consistent with the quality of every appliance the length and breadth of the home.

Now going into its second decade, 11 Chelsworth Drive has simply improved with age, like the many vintages in its quirky wine

cellar, where ceramic pipes stacked like a beehive guard each bottle in the impressive selection (which will most certainly not be included in the sale).

However, to do the whole property justice requires an organised approach to the viewing, not rushing from feature to feature.

Starting with the electronic gates, opening onto the sweeping half-moon driveway with the main entrance to the left and fourcar garage to the right (we will get back there shortly).

The front door opens into a genuine foyer, formal lounge to the left and private study to the right.

A half wall separates the lounge from the formal dining area and you can keep heading through there or go back to the entrance – both will take you to the kitchen and one of the biggest family/ dining areas under any roof in town (north or south of the river).

Bounded at one end by the entertainment centre, with its surrounding book and display shelves, and opposite by the kitchen (with walk-in pantry).

But it takes a while to notice either because your eyes are immediately drawn over the dining table, through the floor-toceiling glass and out to the swimming pool and the sward of green which disappears down a gentle slope to the backdrop of red gums – and the Campaspe. >>

150 EchucaMoama

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151 EchucaMoama

>> The backyard is just stunning.

It is broken up with genuine rose gardens, not just a few plants stuck here and there; and thick grass softer than the finest Axminster beneath your feet.

Which brings us to another special touch. The pool is surrounded by safety glass and nobody wants to spend

But the master suite is the true king of the home, with its king-size bed. The walk-in robe has more than enough room to swing a cat but the ensuite, with its large shower, spa bath, double vanity and toilet would see you swinging a couple of cats and still having room left in which to duck and weave.

It isn’t resort class, but only because it is better.

every second day cleaning water stains after the automatic

Heck even the laundry is a humbling experience with all its

sprinkling system has done its duty.

extras doo dahs and space enough to sublet if the mood so

No, not at 11 Chelsworth Drive.

Here all the irrigation within reach of the precious plate glass are under the grass, watering it from beneath so the lawns still grow as a verdant showcase but the glass remains pristine.

Now that’s a class act.

But we digress.

There are still rooms to be explored, oohs and aahs to be

took you.

One other feature which at first escapes you is in every cupboard, pantry or storage door you open. The lights simply come on, no switch required, no fumbling in the dark.

A small touch but just so damn clever.

Now you haven’t forgotten the garage have you?

It fits cars, boats, even its storage cupboards have been designed in a theme to complement everything inside the

gasped.

house, and even with all that there is a separate utility room

Take the five bedrooms and two bathrooms – four at one end

just in case you need extra capacity.

for the riffraff and the master suite, about the size of a two-

And did we mention the pool house?

bedroom apartment, in its own wing at the other end.

A self-contained apartment overlooking the water, blue-

Each of the four bedrooms is a genuine double; at least one

ribbon spare accommodation if there is a family/guest

currently has a king-size bed in it, and each bedroom has its

overload at any time, providing a bathroom, kitchen, toilet

own walk-in robe.

and bedroom/lounge. >>

152 EchucaMoama

>> So to wrap it up, in case you are too dazzled to keep up, we have a massive five-bedroom home which features a formal entrance, wide hallways, walk-in everything, 2.7m doors (real doors, solid wood, not that hollow tat in spec built homes), the billiard/rumpus room (that might have even slipped our recollections), formal dining room, wine cellar, views (they are free but hard to match), a private bore and 30,000-litre (underground of course, so as not to blight the ambience) rainwater tank.

Climate control (which operates in sections as required) is ducted reverse cycle cooling and heating to ensure you are kept at the optimum temperature as required for lifestyles of the rich and famous.

And if you are lucky enough to be the next proud owner of this palace, and want to duck out for a relaxing dinner, or get away for a weekend to see how the rest of the world is coping, 11 Chelsworth Drive also has a stateof-the-art security system covering just about every centimetre of the home and its approaches.

• Individually Designed • Domestic and Commercial • Swimming Pools and Outdoor Areas • High UV Rated Protection • Huge Range of Colours • Protection for your vehicle • Kids’ play areas • On site quotes

Contact: Brad Luscombe 5483 7647 or 0428 837 527

Gifts

If you want to know what the current owners will miss the most, it is their meals, from breakfast to dinner, or anything in between, at the table in the family/dining area.

Set in its own alcove it looks across the pool, the flower beds and the lawn and is framed by a backdrop of towering gums.

Homewares

It is enough to make the happy, but also unhappy to be leaving, Clarkes sigh every time they sit there, and even more so because the number of times they will do that is diminishing too rapidly.

Educational Toys

Sit there with them and you will get it too.

You can just feel the tranquillity.

At the time of writing, Cooinda (Aboriginal for happy place) was on the market for $1.07 million to $1.12 million.

Contact Dean Costello 0439 412 545 or Kerry Costello 0409 304 333 at Elders Real Estate. 

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153 EchucaMoama

Clutches & Bags

154 EchucaMoama

THE RECIPE THAT REACHES OUT &

touches hearts

Former Riverine Herald editor Rhiannon Horrell has left Echuca-Moama a valuable legacy with her Baking From The Heart program. It is a program which reaches out and touches families with a message of goodwill and support at a time when it is most needed.

Rhiannon Horrell with the Valentines Day baking, which went to Echuca-Moama families

Mr Chan spent his last days at North Shore Hospice in

His name was Yiu Kong Raymond Chan.

Auckland after being diagnosed with liver cancer.

You won’t know him, hardly anyone did.

‘‘For those of you who have not had any contact with the

But it was his death in a New Zealand hospice in 2005 which was

hospice, I can’t even begin to describe what an amazing

the start of something bigger than anyone could have imagined.

and incredible job they do and I will forever be grateful

Because it spurred on a baking revolution — which would eventually help put a smile on the faces of hundreds of families across New Zealand and Australia during some of the hardest times of their lives.

for how the hospice looked after my dad. We were so looked after and felt so much love from the whole hospice team,’’ his daughter Nessie Sharpe said on a blog.

But it was from the tears and pain that came with losing

155 EchucaMoama

Mr Chan, that a seed of positivity was planted in Nessie to make a difference.

The group attracted national media attention and continues

‘‘I’d always wanted to give back somehow and in 2008 an idea came to me: I love baking and so do a lot of my friends, so why don’t we pool our baking efforts together for the hospice on a regular basis?’’ she said.

With its model picked up and launched in Australia in 2013

And Baking For Hospice was born.

What started out as a small group of friends has snowballed to a list of more than 130 bakers who now create freshly-baked treats for not one hospice but three in New Zealand.

to grow.

when former Baking For Hospice member Rhiannon Horrell took a job in Shepparton.

She was inspired by the people power that Nessie’s group harnessed, and Baking From The Heart was soon created.

A list of about 50 keen bakers was quickly acquired to make food for Goulburn Valley Hospice. >>

156 EchucaMoama

Betty Fitzpatrick and her contribution to the February baking day - a beautiful chocolate cake.

157 EchucaMoama

‘‘ IT IS THE LITTLE THINGS — IT IS THE SMILE ON SOMEONE’S FACE, IT IS THAT UNEXPECTED MOMENT OF JOY WHEN A PERSON RECEIVES A BOX OF BAKED GOODS AND IT IS THE WAY IT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER THAT MAKES IT ALL WORTHWHILE.’’

>> The group really took on a life of its own. I was convinced numbers would tail off after the initial baking day but we’ve actually had the opposite happen — we’ve had continued momentum and overwhelming support which is fantastic,’’ Rhiannon said. ‘‘A lot of the members have been helped by the hospice in some way or another, and now they want to give back.’’

When the Shepparton group reached its first anniversary it was time for expansion.

So now Baking From the Heart has hit Echuca-Moama and while still in its infancy, it is making positive inroads with two baking days already completed. ‘‘It is the little things — it is the smile on someone’s face, it is that unexpected moment of joy when a person receives a box of baked goods and it is the way it brings people together that makes it all worthwhile,’’ Rhiannon said.

Ever y room demands its own

style..

B aking From the Heart Echuca has baking days once every six weeks. Bakers are asked to make an item of food at home, within a specified theme, and drop it into the Riverine Herald office. Food is then packaged up and delivered to the homes of Echuca Regional Health palliative care patients.  The group is looking for more members and someone who can take on a leadership role in the future. Check out facebook.com/sheppartonbaking or email rhiannonhorrell@ gmail.com to find out more. 

Yiu Kong Raymond Chan, whose passing inspired his daughter to start ‘Baking for Hospice’.

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www.roundaboutlighting.com.au

What should I expect from my AFG Broker?

If you haven’t used a mortgage broker before, chances are you’ll have all kinds of questions about them. We’ve put together a few of the main questions to help you understand the process.

What are the advantages of using a broker instead of going to a bank or other lender?

The most obvious advantage is that a broker can give you access to a large range of lenders and their products.

This means you are far more likely to get the home loan that’s best for your needs.

Convenience is another important benefit. Brokers can come to see you at your home or office and will fill in most of the paperwork – a big saving in time and hassle.

Managing your home loan application is another big advantage.

A broker will follow up with lenders and settlement agents to make sure that financing occurs at the right time.

A broker can also advise you how to get

Do home loans cost more if you get them from a broker instead of direct from a bank?

No. The costs are the same. From the bank’s perspective, whether it pays a broker or an employee, either way there is a cost associated with selling a home loan.

any stamp duty relief or first home buyer grants for which you may be eligible.

After the home loan is set up, who sends me mortgage statements – the broker or the lender?

The lender will send you all documentation and statements directly.

You can contact your lender about your home loan at any time, though you may find it more convenient to go through your broker.

Do I have to pay a mortgage broker to set up my home loan?

No. AFG brokers are paid a commission by the lender that provides you with a home loan.

What sort of home loans are available from brokers?

Brokers provide access to home loans from all the main banks, building societies and other lenders.

If I buy a home loan from a broker, do I still need to go to see the bank or other lender who provides the home loan?

No. This is all handled for you by the broker.

In total, they can offer a range of over 400 products from more than 25 lenders.

• Vehicle and Plant Finance

Indicative Weekly Repayment on Housing and Investment Loans Loan Amount

Repayment

$150,000.00

$170.78

$200,000.00

$227.71

$250,000.00

$287.63

• Business and Farm Loans

$300,000.00

$341.56

$350,000.00

$398.49

$400,000.00

$455.41

• Refinance and Consolidation Loans

$450,000.00

$512.34

$500,000.00

$569.27

Australian Credit License 388 807

• Home loans

ON CALL 7 DAYS www.brokerhouse.com.au

Repayments based on a 30 year term. Standard rate 4.28% Comparison rate 5.10%. Rates current as at 11.2.2015.

Fees, Charges, Terms and other conditions apply.

CALL TODAY ECHUCA OFFICE Lockwood Partners Building 486 High Street, Echuca.

Phone: 5481 2995

159 EchucaMoama

UNDERSTANDING THE

autism addendum Everyone has heard of autism. What most people don’t get, or don’t even realise, is the condition may be a lifelong diagnosis but behind the scenes it also proves to be a total life changer for the often-unseen parents who are left to make sure that life is as productive as it can be. And as one of them tells, it can literally take every waking minute of every day.

Julie Sands finds it hard to fully convey the pleasure she gets from something as mundane as roaming supermarket aisles on her own.

For just 15 or 20 minutes, maybe only once or twice a week.

But to have 30 whole minutes to sit down for a quiet coffee, even a moment’s indulgence in a tempting slice of cake, is such a rarity she can probably recall every one of those stolen

opportunities for the past 12 months.

Because first and foremost Julie is a mother.

To three sons.

Enough of a handful for any parent.

But when one of them, her 11-year-old Jakob, also has severe autism then the care quotient goes right off the chart. >>

160 EchucaMoama

“YOU JUST HAVE TO BE SO VIGILANT ALL THE TIME, BUT WITH HIM ABLE TO GO FROM SCHOOL TO CLUB TEEN EACH DAY, WHICH IS OPEN UNTIL 6PM, IT GIVES ME THAT CHANCE TO DO THE THINGS MOST OTHERS TAKE FOR GRANTED.” >> Jakob, his mother says, cannot be left alone whenever he is awake.

His two sentences revolve around apple juice, his favourite drink.

Not only is he non-verbal, Jakob is very reliant on routine, only comfortable with very well-known faces – and is a genuine flight risk.

He will use a simple phrase to ask for it and follow that up with “more please”.

To the extent Julie has only just had to raise the height of her gate after Jakob’s most recent attempt to scale it.

So those valuable moments alone are only possible because of Club Teen “Jakob has a schedule, and we have to stick to it. Children with autism are part of a massive spectrum, they could be high functioning, some with very high IQs and fit into the social mainstream,” Julie says.

But his mother says if he is turned down he will simply divert his attention elsewhere.

“Other than that you have to instruct him the same thing each time,” she says.

“He will repeat things but it may not be there the next time you are in the same situation.”

Jakob has two older brothers and they have, their mother says, “been wonderful with him”.

“Or they can really struggle, have no empathy, no social skills, be prone to meltdowns,” she says.

“That acceptance and involvement has flowed over to their friends, who are all happy to include Jakob in some situations,” she says.

“Jakob first started showing signs something was not right when he was not meeting milestones by 18 months – he wasn’t talking, not pointing, not engaging.

But overarching this daily challenge that is life for Julie Sands and her family is their access to Club Teen.

“We had a telephone consultation and were told he ticked every box so we had to make an appointment to see the specialist.”

That involved a two-year wait, so Jakob was actually threeand-a-half by the time he was officially diagnosed.

Which, in the end, Julie says was OK because no specialist likes to make a diagnosis of any children under three.

But while the diagnosis was quick when it finally came, the prognosis was another story altogether.

“It is different for every child,” Julie says. “Early intervention helps, some children can develop as they grow, obtain basic life skills, but if a child is not diagnosed earlier, I cannot imagine how hard that would be on child and family.

“There is always the risk they will be ostracised at school and in their peer groups because they are different,” she says.

“With Jakob we have had to teach him everything, for example he is 11 and only became toilet trained two years ago.

“Yesterday he brushed his teeth, on his own, for the first time.

“For us these are the milestones. We work with him every day, we repeat the same simple message over and over and one day hope it might click.

“He does have a word or two but doesn’t really understand and as he is a passive resistant we have no bargaining tools to work with, he can’t be bribed, and although we are trying hard to help him write that makes it very hard.”

However, Jakob really knows what he wants.

An adjunct to the Echuca Specialist School, which Jakob attends, it is vital to the Sands family.

“Without Club Teen I would not be able to work. Yes my parents can have him at times but he is getting bigger and they are not getting any younger,” Julie says.

“His grandmother had him at the park the other day but if he decided to run, there is no way she could keep up with him, she would not catch him,” he says.

“And because of his routine it’s not as if I can drop him off with a neighbour for an hour, he wouldn’t cope and neither would they.

“You just have to be so vigilant all the time, but with him able to go from school to Club Teen each day, which is open until 6pm, it gives me that chance to do the things most others take for granted.

“It means so much to us and the team which run it are worth so much to so many people.”

Community Living and Respite Services is now in its 36th

Vacation Care, incorporating Club Teen, is provided by CLRS

year.

for children aged 6-18, at the Echuca Specialist School from

From a small beginning it has evolved into a significant

8am-6pm during week days in the school holidays.

service provider, supporting more than 300 people in the

The program operates 10 weeks per year but does not operate

Campaspe Shire and surrounds, including Moama.

CLRS chief executive officer Suzanna Barry said it now has “160 wonderful staff who provide flexible services in our supported accommodation homes, our respite programs and in the community”.

“For example, this time 12 months ago we were in the midst

on public holidays.

Vacation Care is registered for Child Care Benefit, which may reduce the fee payable by families. Fees are kept as low as possible to ensure maximum affordability. There are 15-20 places available each day. Bookings are essential.

of a major building program – the Minor Street Project – and

Club Teen is available every day during the school year.

we had $290,000 left to raise out of a $700,000 fundraising

A siblings program is also provided two days each school

target,” she said.

holidays. This allows siblings to enjoy activities and

“Since then this balance was first reduced to $40,000 and

socialisation with other children who have brothers or sisters

then to zero with our major annual fundraiser.”

with disability. 

Johnno’s Run for Club Teen Johnno’s Run is raising funds for the “Club Teen” program - a school holiday program for children with disability - benefiting 90 children and their families each year. Club Teen is vital for family well-being.

Johnno wants the Club Teen children to enjoy excursions in the community.

Johnno’s Run will participate in The Age Run Melbourne on Sunday 26th July, 2015.

Johnno, our Team Captain, is an inspirational young man, with friends who attend Club Teen where they enjoy wonderful opportunities and activities.

If you would like to support the team and make a difference in our community, please visit www.clrs.org.au/johnnosrun

Community Living & Respite Services Inc. Community Living & Respite Services Inc. provides vital services to people with disability and their families, in regional Victoria and Southern NSW. Quality services include programs for children and adults, accommodation support, respite and outreach services, to assist people to live the life they choose.

26A Percy Street, PO Box 424 Echuca Vic 3564 p: 5480 2388 e: admin@clrs.org.au w: www.clrs.org.au

Proudly supported by

161 EchucaMoama

CLRS is the quiet achiever

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162 EchucaMoama

So much more than just trophies!

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91-93 Nish St Echuca

03 5482 3892

e: sales@trophyman.com.au

RUN iNto SNap FitNeSS &

get 2 weekS FRee

Snap FitneSS eCHUCa: 111-113 Annesley Street Echuca ph: 0478 202 143 e: echuca@snapfitness.com.au 1800 SNAP GYM snapfitness.com.au Term & Conditions Apply. Only at participating clubs. Offer ends April 30th 2015

163 EchucaMoama

careers-jobs INDUSTRIAL TRAINING PROGRAMS •Warehousing Operations COMMUNITY •Rural Operations CARE PROGRAMS •Food Processing •Aged Care •LEAN Clean - Cleaning •Home & Community Care Operations •Community Services •Disability Services •Children’s Services

www.edgewo rkforce.com.au

training-skills DISABILITY SECTOR SUPPORT

CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS •Career Express Vocational Preparation •General Education for Adults BUSINESS PROGRAMS • SMART Business • Workplace health & safety • Customer Contact • Tourism

CONTACT US TODAY 54 82 5885 231 – 235 Anstruther Street ECHUCA

About Community Blitz Community Blitz is a regional Not for Profit program designed to provide rewarding work experience opportunities for job seekers participating in the Work for the Dole scheme and to help them build employability skills.

It will also provide project services to Not for Profit, Community and Government organisations in regional areas.

COMMUNITY BLIT Z WILL INCLUDE 4 PROGRAM AREAS;

MISSION:

To create meaningful work experience opportunities through connecting with and contributing to the not for profit community.

PLAN, GREEN, BUILD, SHARE Each Program will run projects, which consist of 10 participants and 1 supervisor, run for 6 months and have defined outcomes including; • PLAN: “Futures” newspaper and admin support programs • Green: Gardening, Landcare and Cleaning • BUILD: Light building projects • SHARE: Food share program The Programs will deliver clear tangible outcomes – e.g. gardening, landscaping and Landcare projects, a quarterly newspaper edition with the articles researched and written by the participants and light build projects such as park benches, retaining walls and be managed by experienced Program Coordinators with a specialisation in the project field.

WHY HAS COMMUNITY BLIT Z BEEN FORMED? Whilst the Work for the Dole scheme has been met with mixed reactions from the community, we see great value in people gaining first-hand experience in a work situation. Community Blitz will enhance this opportunity by providing challenging meaningful opportunities that will also help participants in their individual job search.

VISION:

THE FUTURE AS COMMUNITY BLITZ SEES IT

MARK JONES > GENERAL MANAGER

I am a passionate man and it doesn’t take much for me to connect with a person’s individual story. Success or struggle can be equally motivating for me and I believe the way to bridge the gap is through working together. I see the growing need for additional youth and job seeker support in Echuca Moama and Community Blitz will be working towards providing support in these key areas. Our plans include rolling out a youth mental health awareness program and working hand in hand with our local schools.

Spending my time growing up in Port Melbourne, long before it was trendy, opened my eyes to people experiencing life challenges and thickened my skin. I was fortunate enough to become part of the successful big brother campaign in the mid 90’s and got to see the defence offering a helping hand can make.

Community Blitz provides premium projects for the Work For The Dole Scheme and it is these projects with their tangible results that will help motivate the participants. It is just that little bit easier for someone experiencing life challenges to get up in the morning

CONTACT US TODAY 5480 0536

knowing they will be part of a project that has meaning and will result in something they can be proud of. We will be running projects in Aged Care, Community Services, Fire Stations, swimming pools, Councils and sporting clubs. We will be building garden beds, bench seats, retaining walls, writing human interest stories, distributing support packages. Our participants will have a final product to show family and friends and say “I was part of that”.

We are adding skills training, building confidence, growing employability skills and introducing community connections to someone’s life and they will do the rest.

To guide jobseekers, build local employability skills and promote community participation.

We are relying on Government Funding through the WFTD but this won’t be enough to ensure ongoing success so we will be looking to local government for grants, our clubs for donations and public support. Our first steps are going well, all projects are up and running and our next goal is to operate out of a factory where we can also operate our PLAN project and wet days for GREEN and BUILD.

231 – 235 Anstruther St ECHUCA

THE BLITZ TEAM Shelley was born and bred in Echuca and her first role in employment was with the Goulburn Murray Credit Union. After moving to Melbourne, followed

by Brisbane and then Adelaide, she continued working within the Credit Union sector. Wanting to further her career opportunities Shelley chose to return to education in Management and Human Resources.

After working in these sectors the call of returning to Echuca was strong. Throughout her career the vast majority of it has been in the not for profit sector.

Once home Shelley began a career in Job Services Australia that saw her commence in a case worker role up to management of a site where she remained for 5 years. Keen to continue with study Shelley began working with Edge Workforce in its early stages where there were only 7 employees as an Account Manager whilst studying her TAE, with under belt she became a facilitator with Edge, predominately working with the unemployed.

Shelley was offered the opportunity to transfer to Community Blitz in January 2015 which she quickly accepted and is the project coordinator for the “Plan Group” which will see the participants create a quarterly newspaper. Shelley is passionate about working with the local unemployed with a view to assisting them into employment and is a strong advocate for WFD and in particular the programs that Community Blitz offers. All programs will see participants in an employment environment with the opportunity to greatly improve their skills set to garner employment opportunities. In the Plan Program students will have the opportunity to greatly enhance computer skills, language and literacy and working in an office environment. They will have the opportunity to meet locals through interviews and article writing, creating a much wider networking opportunity.

Jason Ramsay is originally from Ballarat and then moved to Melbourne where he completed his year 12. Jason’s first job was working in a Nursery where he gathered an extensive knowledge about plants, trees, soils, chemicals and the care and requirement they require and general landscaping.

After a 2 years within this industry Jason moved onto a Carpentry apprenticeship which furthered his skills in building as he had always enjoyed working with his hands and building.

JASON RAMSAY

With these skills under his belt Jason went around Australia for 3 years on a travelling holiday as he was able to pick up work in either industry. On his return to Echuca Jason gained a role with WB Hunters as a yardman and customer service role in rural equipment and machinery which included fencing, stock feeds, power tools, farming chemicals and general building materials where he utilised his previous skills in carpentry and knowledge of gardening, landscaping and chemical usage.

After a career mainly in the Armed Forces, Police Service and Local Government, Steve Hazell has joined Community Blitz as a Program Coordinator.

Originally from Dubbo, Steve began his working life as a spare parts interpreter, at the same time enlisting in the Army Reserve, as a Section Commander (Infantry).

Seven years on, the Army was the career of choice in which he joined the Australian Regular Army – as Movements Officer, and later as a Military Police Officer, serving at Singleton and Darwin.

Always interested in a policing career, Steve joined the Northern Territory Police Force, serving in various positions, including General Duties, Major Crime, Child Abuse Taskforce Major Collision Investigations and Learning & Development as a Firearms Instructor.

His new career took him to Darwin and remote localities within the Northern Territory.

SHELLEY BLUNDEN

An opportunity arose on the rebuild of the Moama Bowling Club as the WHS Supervisor which Jason took but as this was only for a limited tenure Jason then chose to join the Australian Army in the Armoured Corp and trained at Puckapunyal. Jason was posted to Darwin and was deployed to Malaysia, unfortunately due to injury he was medically discharged.

This then lead Jason to mining in Pine Creek in the Northern Territory flying in and out for the next 3 years.

An opportunity arose at Community Blitz in the Build and Green programs. With Jason’s extensive experience in both of these industries along with his time in the army and OH&S he is well suited to supervise students in these fields and share his knowledge with the participants. Through Jason the participants will have the opportunity to learn many new skills to add to their resumes and increasing their employment opportunities.

During this period Steve was also seconded to the Australian Federal Police as an Advisor to the Solomon Islands Police Force, serving at Honiara in the Solomon Islands with the National Investigations, Regional Operations and Planning & Development Units.

He spent two years with Melbourne City Council as Prosecutions Coordinator/Project Manager, followed by three years as Regional Security Operations Manager with Armaguard before a desire for a warmer climate prompted Steve and his family to consider relocating to Echuca.

Steve is very excited about his latest opportunity to assist the long term unemployed with exciting and meaningful work outcomes to enhance career prospects within the community upon program completion.

STEVE HAZELL

www.communityblitz.com.au

“ ” The New M.V. Mary Ann - Relaunching in 2015