Regional Extra 041023

1200km bike epic through France

A TEAM of Beechworth and Wangaratta locals took part in the Paris Brest Paris bike ride on August 20.

The team comprising Rik Thwaites, Michael Crowe and Mark Newton from Beechworth and Rodd Mann and Tom Sallinger from Wangaratta, rode 1200km from Bergerie Nationale to Brest Brittany and back again under 90 hours in a ride that takes place every four years.

Mr Newton completed the ride four years ago with two others and this year they recruited two more members to their team.

LOCAL FLAVOURS

By CHLOE JAENICKE

“We decided we wanted to get another couple of guys involved, one of them was a local Beechworth guy, and it was his 70th birthday this year,” he said.

“The other guy was from Wangaratta, he’s been through a lot of health challenges lately and we thought we’d get him involved as well.

“They were the primary reasons for doing

it - to get those two guys into it.”

Mr Newton also decided to take part in the ride again in order to enjoy the ride more this time round.

“We also did it to just enjoy the course a bit better this time, I think we tried to ride too fast last time so this time we thought we’d take our time and enjoy it a bit more,” he said.

This time round Mr Newton and his team completed the ride in 89 hours and four minutes which is just 56 minutes within the time limit.

“We planned it pretty well, although we fell

a bit behind time at times and we had to make up time along the way,” he said.

“We planned to finish in 87 and half so to finish at around 89 was great.”

All of the local riders are members of Audax Australia, a cycling organisation that specialises in non-competitive long-distance bike rides.

“The Audax community is a fantastic one I’d certainly encourage anyone to come along and try the Audax rides where you can start off small and you can grow to the 1200km range,” Mr Newton said.

■ Continued page 6

E ING

◆ LOCAL TEAM: Rik Thwaites, Michael Crowe, Rod Mann, Mark Newton and Tom Salinger all rode in 1200km Paris Brest Paris bike ride.

with ROB

GONE FISHING

with MICK

TOOL TALK

JAM DROPS with FNPW

VET CORNER

The Pink Cockatoo

WHAT do Pink Cockatoos look like?

Pink Cockatoos (Lophochroa leadbeateri) are most commonly known as Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos.

They are hard to miss, with their pink colouring and distinctive red and white headdress.

Pink Cockatoos are usually about 35 to 40 cm long, which is fairly small for a cockatoo.

Their pink patches are found on their face and neck, breast and under their wings.

This magnificent colour is displayed most clearly when Pink Cockatoos are flying or landing, when their wings are fully spread out.

Pink Cockatoos live in south west Queensland, central NSW, and southern and northern inland Western Australia.

They don’t usually stick to one area.

They move around to wherever there is abundant food and water.

You’ll see them living in inland arid or semi-arid areas, such as open

with With FNPW (backyard buddies)

woodland, timbered grasslands, as well as mulga, mallee, callitris and casuarina country.

Fast facts:

1. The Pink Cockatoo is known by a variety of names, most commonly as Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo, as well as Leadbeater’s Cockatoo, Desert Cockatoo, Cocklerina, Chockalott and Wee Juggler.

2. Pink Cockatoos mate for life.

Every mating season, from July to January, they raise two to three babies together.

Pink Cockatoos share the parenting duties equally.

They both sit on the eggs to warm them.

They also take turns preening and feeding their new baby.

Pink Cockatoos usually return to the same nesting area every year to start their family again.

Great fishing across region

THE great fishing continues right across the region this week with most of your favourite spring fishing spots worth fishing.

Last week I headed west and fished Lake Cooper and the Waranga Basin.

Lake Cooper, which was dry for over 10 years but filled with last year’s flooding was dead.

I know that there are fish in it as I caught them there back in May, but they’re off the bite at the moment.

The Waranga Basin on the other hand is fishing very well for redfin.

My friend Rohan and I caught around 20 redfin just casting lures from the bank.

Four of those fish were over 30cm long.

We caught a lot of small fish, but

still managed to keep a feed of redfin each.

People fishing from boats are catching a lot of nice redfin at the Waranga Basin at the moment. It is a fair drive from Wangaratta, but well worth a visit if you’re looking for a fishing adventure. Avoid windy days though as the enormous open body of water can get very rough on windy days.

I fished the Broken River upstream of Benalla last week.

I was angling with worms as bait, hoping to catch a spring yellowbelly.

I intended to fish Lake Nillahcootie which has been fishing well but it was very windy so I went to the river instead.

I caught three Murray cod, six yellowbelly and two carp.

The cod and yellowbelly were all tiny.

The biggest cod was about 30cm and the biggest yellowbelly was about 20cm.

I am pretty sure that I was fishing in the nursery!

The fish are very much on the bite in the Broken River at the moment.

The challenge is trying to find something of a decent size.

This Day in History, 1945

ON this day in 1945, with the war in the Pacific all but over, the district was looking to the future.

In Wangaratta, the commanding officer of Wangaratta’s Own 2/24 Battalion addressed the Rotary club, and there was talk of a Battalion Reunion.

Rationing had been eased from October 1, on such non-essential items as ties, collars, gloves, braces and suspenders.

There was worry about the future of the town’s aluminium production based on its cheap hydroelectric power.

Sporting organisations had begun to think ahead.

The Wangaratta Athletic Club decided to stage a one-thousand-pound carnival on the following Australia Day.

◆ PRETTY PINK: Pink Cockatoos have a distinctive appearance with their pink colouring and red and white headdress.

◆ SMALL CATCH: The biggest of six small yellowbelly caught in the Broken River one day last week.

with Robbie Alexander WANGARATTA

bie ander GARATTA

LOCAL FLAVOURS

Jam Drops with Beechworth Bakery

When someone drops in for a cup of tea or coffee, you might say, “Would you like a biscuit with that, Auntie Dolly?”

She’ll say, “Yes”.

You’ll give her a couple of Jam Drops. And she’ll be real nice for the rest of the afternoon.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup caster sugar

½ cup butter

50g x 2 eggs

2 ⅔ cups plain flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

Vanilla essence

2 teaspoons jam

Method Pre-heat oven to 180ºC.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add 1 egg.

Cream into mix.

Add next egg, cream into mix until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla essence.

In a separate bowl, sieve flour and baking

powder together.

Fold flour into butter, egg and sugar mixture. Use soup spoon to spoon onto greased tray. Allow room for each one to spread.

Make an indent in centre with your fingertip (not right through to tray).

Fill the indent with jam.

Bake at 180ºC-190ºC for 12 -15 minutes or until golden brown.

Epic 1200km bike ride in 90 hours in France

■ From page 1

To qualify for the Paris Brest Paris ride, riders have to complete a Super Randonneur series of BRMs, including a 200, 300, 400 and 600km ride, within the last year. The local team had been training for around 18 months prior to the event, riding around 300 or 400km a week.

Mr Newton said the ride was a fantastic experience with the locals getting behind them, despite some of the physical challenges that he faced.

“The French people in the control towns line the streets, they shout encouragement for you, they set up their own

food and drink stalls along the way and you get all that for nothing,” he said.

“You meet some fantastic people along the way and see some weird sights and heroic deeds.

“There are not many flat sections so over 1200km you cover 1200 vertical metres, it’s a tough event physically especially when you incorporate sleep deprivation.”

According to Mr Newton, the ride to the finish line is a particularly rewarding and breath taking experience as you ride down the cobbled street to the chateau at the end.

“As you ride you see the

chateau in the background and there’s all these people at the finish that make it a wonderful and emotional moment,” he said.

Mr Newton said long distance rides, such as the Paris Brest Paris, take a lot of practice to build up to but he believes anyone can do it if they start off small and enjoy it from there.

“You’ve got to start off slow, get your body acclimatised to sitting long distances in the saddle,” he said.

“It’s amazing how far you can ride with little training, your legs and body can take more punishment than you think.”

◆ LONG DISTANCE RIDER: This was Mark Newton’s second time riding in the Paris Brest Paris bike ride.

NorthEast JOBS

JOBS AT INDIGO

Senior Information Management

Beechworth

Finance and Administration Manager

North East Media and its subsidiary companies has a vacancy at its head office in Wangaratta (Victoria) for a motivated and experienced accounting and business administration professional to provide administration management, financial management, and HR support across the group.

Finding the right job for you matters to us

Check out the North East Jobs section inside the Regional Extra every Wednesday, or online anytime at

Office Administrator/ Sales Support

Full or part time

Are you working in office administration, retail or hospitality and looking to take the next step in your career? This position is a permanent opportunity which offers stability while working in a supportive team environment.

You will be joining a well established and highly successful print and digital media company based at our Wangaratta office.

As a Sales Support/ Office Administrator

you will be supporting the team by providing administrative and sales support. Your role will have variety and a typical day will include.

phone and email

our in-house design team

To be successful in this role you will have:

skills

verbal and written skills

The person in this role will also demonstrate a strong sense of urgency working to strict deadlines.

This is an opportunity to join our sales team and use your customer service skills to support our clients with their print and digital marketing needs.

Applications should be forwarded to:

Ian Pople Wangaratta Sales Manager North East Media ipople@nemedia.com.au

Reporting directly to the CEO, the successful applicant will be responsible for the provision of day-to-day accounting and financial management responsibilities in the company. They will deliver on all financial and management accounting requirements within allocated deadlines, collaborate with the wider business to optimise finance operations and provide insightful financial and team information to the CEO for strategic decision making.

Essential Experience:

management and the ability to multitask while working autonomously. role and the group.

data entry and financial record-keeping.

to collaborate with internal teams and external stakeholders.

We offer a competitive and attractive salary package for the right person and the chance to build a good long-term stable career with a well-respected employer.

letter to:

Edward Higgins CEO North East Media Pty Ltd ehiggins@nemedia.com.au

To book your ad, call 5723 0101

Circulating in Wangaratta, Myrtleford, Bright, Mt Beauty, Beechworth, Yackandandah, Rutherglen, Chiltern and districts

Graphic Designer

Full or part time opportunity

K&M Automotive 4x4 is the leading Emergency Roadside Assistance provider in Mansfield and surrounding areas. We provide roadside care and towing for RACV, emergency services, vehicle manufacturers and motor car clubs.

We are looking for new RACV contractors to join our team.

The job will be providing emergency roadside assistance after hours and weekends, on behalf of the RACV and another programs. You will be provided with a work service vehicle / tow truck as required, work phone and tools, as well as training.

Roles & Responsibilities:

An opportunity has arisen for a graphic designer to join one of Victoria and NSW’s leading independent news and media groups, based at our Wangaratta office working on newspapers, magazines and digital properties across our group.

Following recent acquisitions North East Media is seeking additional graphic design support. You must be able to multitask, have strong organisational skills and be able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines. You must also be a team player who shows initiative and be able to work with minimal supervision.

Your experience will include sound skills developing artwork using Adobe InDesign. Experience designing artwork for multiple digital channels, including websites, social media, email marketing would be an advantage but not is not essential.

If you are looking for a new challenge in an energetic and stimulating environment, we would encourage you to apply.

Applications should be forwarded to:

Skills & Experience: but not essential)

To apply, please send your resume to shannon@kmonsite.com.au or (03) 5775 1605.

Important Notice

Discrimination in Advertising is Unlawful

The Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 2010 makes it unlawful for an advertiser to show any intention to discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, race, age, marital status, political or religious belief or activity, industrial activity, parental or career status, physical features, disability, lawful sexual activity/ sexual orientation, HIV/AIDS status or on the basis of being associated with a person with one of the above characteristics, unless covered by an exception or granted an exception under the Act. As we could be legally liable if we print an unlawful advertisement we will not accept advertisements that appear to break the law. For more information about discrimination in advertising, contact your legal advisor, the Equal Opportunities Commission on 1800 134 142.

GREAT JOBS FOR GREAT PEOPLE

The following opportunities now exist for enthusiastic, safety focused people with suitable experience and qualifications. Please visit our website to find out more about current positions available across Mawsons business divisions.

Alexandra – Concrete Truck Driver – ALEX001

Castlemaine – Concrete Site Supervisor – CAST006

Regional North Victoria – Mechanical Engineer – COSE001

Myrtleford – Concrete Truck Driver – MYRT007

NSW Riverina – Contractor required for Concrete Cartage

Deniliquin – Concrete Truck Driver – DENI001

Wangaratta – Concrete Truck Driver – WANG003

Edward Higgins CEO North East Media Pty Ltd ehiggins@nemedia.com.au

Much hardship and difficulty is caused to job seekers by misleading advertising placed in the employment columns. Our Employment column is reserved for advertisements which carry a specific and genuine offer of employment. Ads for 'Business Opportunities', 'Commission Only' training courses and employment services should be submitted under those headings. Placing misleading ads is an offence against the Trade Practices Act and state/territory fair trading acts and all advertisements are subject to the publisher's approval.

For further advice, contact:

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on 1300 302 502 or your state consumer affairs agency.

Position available: Welder/Metal Fabricator

info@vacuumtrucks.com.au

Simple and easy pruning with Milwaukee

LANDSCAPE your garden with Milwaukee’s M12 Brushless Pruning Shears, now available at North East Fasteners.

These pruning shears offer fast, controlled pruning while reducing user fatigue.

For increased speed and control while tackling repetitive cuts, the M12 Brushless Pruning Shears not only deliver the power to cut 30mm branches, but also provides the user to set the blades to half capacity through the mode select board.

For maximum control over the cut capacity during application, the active blade control enables movement of the cutting blade to follow the trigger movement.

The mode select feature along with its lightweight, inline design, offers maximum comfort and control in intricate and tight pruning applications.

The pruning shears also reduce muscle effort for the user and can deliver over 1,500

cuts per charge in 13mm branches when paired with an M12 REDLITHIUM-ION 3.0Ah battery.

They also come with a wrist strap, which makes it simple and easy to move onto other tasks without having to put the tool down.

All of this combined ensures that the M12 Brushless Pruning Shears will make your outdoor area look amazing while being easy for anyone to use.

◆ Scan here to learn more about Milwaukee’s M12 Brushless Pruning Shears that are now in stock at North East Fasteners:

Why should we use water efficiently?

SAVING water helps our environment, the planet and our bank balance.

Have you ever stopped to think how often you rely on water in everyday life and how much you use?

And what about the water that comes out of your taps and how climate, weather and population impact this water supply?

Let’s be honest, most of us take water for granted.

We expect it to flow out of our taps day in day out and we rarely give it a second’s thought.

But it’s a precious resource, and one we all

need to use more wisely.

Here are three reasons why water efficiency matters and easy ways you can change your water habits:

• It’s better for the environment - by using water efficiently rivers keep flowing, dams stay full and groundwater supplies stay healthy for wildlife and plants.

• It’s better for the planet - capturing, treating and pumping less water to our homes uses less energy.

• It’s better for the bank balance - reducing your water bills and by using less hot water, reduces your energy bills as well.

◆ SAVING WATER: Conserving water use in our home can help the planet and our bank accounts.

◆ PERFECT PRUNING: The M12 Brushless Pruning Shears lightweight and intuitive design makes it simple for anyone to use.

with Mick Baillie NORTH EAST FASTENERS

WITH the Water Conservancy (Smart Water Advice)