Ocean Grove Voice - 17th May 2024

State champs again

By Justin Flynn

Ocean Grove’s habit of winning state bowls titles continued with a victory in the final of the Champion of State Pennant midweek final in Moama.

Ocean Grove has a history of success, achieving the title of State Champions in 2013, 2016, and 2017. Adding to their accomplishments, in 2023, the club’s Premier Division Team emerged victorious as the best in the state, securing the State Pennant Championship.

Ocean Grove defeated Bendigo 48 to 29 in the final at Moama after beating reigning champs Frankston in the opening round.

Ocean Grove bowls coordinator and player Tyson Cromie said it was a “special feeling” to win.

‘‘ A couple of the players even shed a tear or two just highlighting how much it means to some of them ’’

- Tyson Cromie

“Not too often you get to go away as a group of 15 with a chance to win a state title,” he said. “So to be able to do that, there were a lot of positive emotions running high. A couple of the players even shed a tear or two just highlighting how much it means to some of them. A lot of hard work had gone into getting through region level to get to state level and it was a feeling of elation amongst the group knowing that all our hard work and effort had paid off.”

In round two Ocean Grove defeated Cohuna by three shots and then they disposed of Horsham City by 26.

Heading into day two, the Grovers defeated last year’s finalists Wangaratta and then went down by one shot to Gisborne, but by then a spot in the final was already guaranteed.

The final against Bendigo lived up to expectations as the two best teams battled fiercely. Despite facing a strong challenge from Bendigo, which briefly took the lead midway through the match, the Grovers rallied to mount a comeback, emerging victorious with a 19-shot win, etching their names into history as just the second team to win three State Midweek Pennant titles.

as a collective we played extremely well, with everyone doing their part one way or another,” Cromie said.

“Like any event you can’t be at 100 percent of your best the whole way through, but overall

“We won our first four sectional games, and had a narrow one-shot loss in our last sectional game. I think the final was our best performance as a collective as we won all three rinks in that match when at various stages it

was looking like that may not happen.” Ocean Grove’s team consisted of Casper John, Mick West, Alan Drury, Matt Flapper, Jen Le Cerf, Sue Collins, Patria McGrath, Jenny Keep, Tom Warren, Garry Bowyer, Rod Brehaut and Tyson Cromie. Ian Donald was manager and Bashia Speed and Faye Richardson were emergencies.

Ocean Grove won the Champion of State Pennant midweek final in Moama. (Supplied)

Extra court space is ‘critical’

By Jena Carr

Bellarine Peninsula Basketball Association has called for more facilities following the allocation of funding for an Armstrong Creek stadium in the federal budget.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers released his third federal budget on Tuesday, May 14. While there weren’t many Greater Geelong-specific announcements,$6millioninfederalfunding was allocated to the proposed Geelong sports stadium.

BellarinePeninsulaBasketballAssociation’s

Mark Brunger said he would have liked to see more in the budget for regional sporting venues across the Bellarine as there was a

“critical need for more court space”.

“Whilst we applaud any additional court space being added to the region, the Bellarine Peninsula needs new court space as soon as possible,” he said.

“We have had plans and a business case in place for a number of years now for a new three-court facility in Drysdale. However, funding is naturally the hurdle to this happening.

“(This would help) continue to grow the game and provide a sporting outlet for young people across the area, with basketball numbers rising on the peninsula as the population increases.

“Over the last two domestic seasons, our

Join a walk for autism

An Ocean Grove group will walk thousands of steps a day throughout May to raise awareness andsupportforpeopleontheautismspectrum.

Educators and parents from Nido Early School Ocean Grove have agreed to walk 7000 steps daily throughout the month during Aspect’s annual Walk for Autism national fundraising campaign.

School educator Belinda Rowland has a son with nonverbal autism and said it was her second time participating in the campaign as part of the school’s team.

“Asaparent,thewalkisagreatwayformeto spread some awareness amongst my own small community, even within my family, to educate them,” she said. “As an educator, our service is incredibly inclusive. The children are aware that people are different, and that’s okay. So, as an educational tool, the children are all very

aware of what we’re walking for.

“It’s also a great team building thing and we’ve probably got like 95 per cent of our educators participating this year, so it’s definitely something fun for us to do together.”

TheNidoEarlySchoolOceanGroveteamhas already raised more than $1900. Ms Rowland said one of the group’s objectives was to raise awareness of autism within the community.

“It is amazing the difference between an educator who has some awareness about children’s differences, and one who doesn’t. It impacts on a child so greatly,” she said.

“The walk is something we’re all pretty passionate about...and we have educators with family members with autism and some educators that are on the spectrum.”

Visit walkforautism.org.au/fundraisers/ nidoearlyschooloceangrove

female numbers alone have doubled from around 500 to 1000.

“This highlights the level of growth we are experiencing in the game across the Bellarine Peninsula...as many young families are coming to the area.”

City of Greater Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan said he was pleased that the federal government re-confirmed its previous funding commitment to the proposed

Armstrong Creek Stadium.

“Weknowthereisadesperateneedformore indoor courts for sports such as basketball and netball, and this facility will help meet the demand,” he said.

“However, this is a local-level venue and is

not the Regional Indoor Sports and Events Centre we have been advocating for as part of the state government’s Commonwealth Games legacy facilities.

“Financial Assistance Grants are another key source of support from the federal government to local governments.

“The total value of these grants will increase to 0.51 per cent of the total Commonwealth Tax Revenue in 2024-25. This is up from 0.49 per cent in 2023-24.

“The increase is very welcome, but to assist with the long-term financial sustainability of local governments around Australia, we would like to see the proportion lifted to closer to one per cent.”

IN OCEAN GROVE

Nido Early School Ocean Grove’s Walk for Autism team members Niamh Wilson, left, Lori Fay and Belinda Rowland. (Ivan Kemp) 407474_01

LABOR’S TAX CUTS

Learning the benefits of water sampling

Clifton Springs and Curlewis Coastcare Group have had a chance to learn about how water sampling and testing can benefit the region.

Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CMA) visited the group at Clifton Spring Boat Harbour on Wednesday, May 15, from9.30amtonoontoexplainitsWaterwatch program and its findings.

Clifton Springs and Curlewis Coastcare Group activity coordinator Rob Gardner said the event helped identify ways the group and surrounding community could look after the environment.

“(Ithelped)toteachanybodywho’sinterested about how waterwatch works in Victoria,” he said. “What they do, how they get the results, the findings from those results which changes over the years and explain what it’s for, what it does and what we can do.”

Waterwatch is a community water monitoring program focused on waterway conditions, environmental education and awareness.

Mr Gardner said the group conducted a habitat restoration project along Clifton Springs Beach and that he loved the peaceful environment the area provided.

“It’s quiet and not as overwhelmed as some of the other areas. It has an amazing variety of fauna and flora,” he said

“The project mostly involves weeding at the moment, but we’ll be doing some planting in due course, and then we do some walks and talks along more neighbouring beaches.”

Visit ccma.vic.gov.au/get-involved/ waterwatch for more information about Corangamite CMA’s Waterwatch program and how to get involved.

Jena Carr

Almost 2500 attend Classic

It was a big day for mothers as well as their families and friends, with many walking or runningforbreastandovariancancerresearch.

Close to 2500 people attended the Geelong Mother’sDayClassiconMay12atEastGeelong Reserve to raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation and Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.

Mother’s Day Classic chief executive Zara Lawless said the community’s response had exceeded expectations, with 80,000 people attending the event across its 75 locations nationwide.

“The Mother’s Day Classic Foundation is committed to funding the research that will stop breast and ovarian cancer in their tracks,” she said. “Research is the gift that one generationgivestothenextandourcommunity today has been part of something that is bigger than themselves.

“Weknew2024wasgoingtobeanincredibly special year for the Mother’s Day Classic as we extended our impact to include ovarian cancer research in addition to breast cancer research.”

Ms Lawless said the Mother’s Day Classic donated $2.5 million to the National Breast Cancer Foundation last year and created a chance for people to come together.

“It truly is inspiring to see the community unite with an overwhelming feeling of

strength, joy, hope and togetherness,” she said. “The Mother’s Day Classic provides a way for our community to stand stronger together and for people to realise that they are not alone.

“Mother’s Day can be an extremely challenging day for some people for many different reasons including those that have lost loved ones and those that are facing or have been through a life-threatening diagnosis.”

Fundraising for breast and ovarian cancer research is still open, and donations can be made at mothersdayclassic.com.au

Jena Carr

Many people attended the Geelong Mother’s Day Classic to raise money and awareness for breast and ovarian cancer. (Supplied)

Clifton Springs and Curlewis Coastcare Group’s Hans Heine taking a water sample. (Ivan Kemp) 406946_04

Bowling club and Rotary unite for recycling

Last year local pharmacies and Rotary trialled recycle bins for the disposal of medicine blister packs.

Ocean Grove Terrace Pharmacy was involvedinthetrialandwasthefirstpharmacy to fill their trial bins.

The trial was part of a Rotary initiative around Geelong funded by a City of Greater Geelong community environmental grant.

As a result of the trial’s success, earlier this year Ocean Grove Rotary arranged for the purchase of six new recycling bins.

The bins were quickly utilised and recently

Ocean Grove Bowling Club (OGBC) and Ocean Grove Rotary combined to purchase another set of six recycling bins.

“We’re thrilled to be given the opportunity to partner with Ocean Grove Rotary in expandingourcommunityinitiatives,”OGBC

Nathan O’Neill said.

“Our dedication to strengthening community connection is paramount, and the newly formed partnership will allow us to make meaningful contributions within our community together.”

Ocean Grove Rotary meets at OGBC at

6pm on Tuesdays. Both Ocean Grove Terrace Pharmacy, Ocean Grove Rotary and OGBC thanked the local community for supporting this project.

The recycling program is run by Pharmacycle, more information on their processes is available at pharmacyle.com.au

Don’t spike the pelicans

By Jena Carr

Pelican activists are calling for removing potentially harmful metal spikes on top of lamp posts in St Leonards and Indented Head.

Residents have raised concerns following the installation of spikes on lamp posts along the towns’ ramps and piers by Bellarine Bayside Coastal Management to deter pelicans from roosting in the area.

Heather Snook said she created a petition calling for the spike’s removal as it disrupted thepelican’sdailyroutinesandposedaphysical danger to the birds.

“They’ve left one pole without them, so you’ve got probably ten pelicans all fighting to land on one pole and the others have got metal spikes,” she said.

“StLeonardsstrivestosaythatit’sthepelican town, and it’s even erected that beautiful big pelican on the main street, so the spikes are a complete contradiction.

“I was down there last Friday and saw a pelicantrytolandonitandcutitsfoot...sothey could put up half a dozen poles in the water instead where nobody needs to worry about getting pooped on.

“If they don’t want pelicans on there, somebody could put a covering over the top of it that’s vertical, then the pelicans can’t land on it. It doesn’t need to be spikes.”

BellarineBaysidechiefexecutiveBruceElliot said spikes were installed on lights that the birds regularly damaged.

“The droppings of birds, including pelicans, are acidic in nature and we have found that bird droppings have been corroding the lights, resulting in damage to the infrastructure,” he said. “We share the local community’s love of pelicans, and in our experience, using bird spikes on lights in other areas on the coast has not led to pelicans leaving an area.

“The pelicans’ use of light poles is an opportunisticbehaviourratherthanbeingpart of their natural roosting or breeding habits.

“We will monitor the local pelicans to determine if this change has any adverse impacts on them...and review the design of the

newjettytoensurethereisnoharmfulimpacts to pelicans.”

Visit change.org/p/remove-harmful-metal-

Emergency services came together at a Bellarine Peninsula ferry terminal to undertake a simulated mass causality incident and remain prepared if something happened.

Over 15 paramedics participated in an Emergo Train session, a Swedish simulation system used for emergency management education and training, last week at Queenscliff’s Searoad Ferries terminal.

Ambulance Victoria (AV) Emergency Management planning coordinator Rebecca Hirsch said paramedics respondedtoasimulatedcarfireonboard a docked ferry.

“These ferries transport hundreds of vehicles a day, so it’s not an unlikely scenario to prepare for,” she said.

“Thankfully we don’t come across these scenarios regularly but it’s very important we’re prepared to respond if needed.”

Participants were responsible for assessing and treating more than 80 patients with different injuries, with the session observed by Coast Guard, Fire Rescue Victoria, and Victoria Police members.

“Withthistypeofincidenttherewould be a multi-agency response, so it was greathaveotheragenciestheretoobserve how we would respond,” Ms Hirsch said.

“It’s mentally challenging but a lot of fun and a great opportunity to practice our mass casualty skills in a safe and supportive environment.

“They (Searoad Ferries) have been very willing to engage with all of the emergency services agencies and we are looking forward to holding similar training exercises in the future.”

spikes-from-lamp-posts-at-st-leonard-s-andindented-head-ramp for more information or to sign Ms Snook’s petition.

Paramedics were also on hand to teach commuters and Searoad Ferry staff CPR skills while training was underway.

Nathan O’Neill (OGBC), pharmacist Andrew Rodgers and Rotary president Lynne Carlson. (Supplied)

Heather Snook in front of a St Leonards light post without metal spikes that pelicans like to roost on. Inset: Bellarine Bayside Coastal Management has installed metal spikes on top of light posts to deter pelicans. (Pictures: Ivan Kemp) 406001

Celebrating volunteers

By Cr Elise Wilkinson

Our volunteers are the true heart of our community, selflessly contributing time, skills, and passion to enrich the lives of others and foster a stronger, more cohesive society.

National Volunteer Week (May 20 to 26) is a good opportunity to reflect on the invaluable contributions made by these unsung heroes.

I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the remarkable volunteers who tirelessly support the diverse array of initiatives within our municipality.

We have our beach guardians at the Ocean Grove Surf Lifesaving Club who ensure the safety of beachgoers and provide vital education on water safety. Their commitment extends beyond the shores, as they engage in community events and initiatives, embodying the values of camaraderie and service.

Equally commendable are the Barwon Coast Volunteers, who work tirelessly to preserve and enhance our precious coastal environment. Through their conservation efforts, they safeguard our natural habitats, promote sustainable practices, and create opportunities for all to enjoy the beauty of our coastline.

And of course, we have all our volunteers involved in various community services like the Lifeline Crisis Supporters, Salvation Army Volunteers, and so many more.

Reflecting on this year’s National Volunteer Week theme of ‘Something for Everyone’, this certainly rings true when it comes to volunteering on the Bellarine.

You can explore the roles available in our region and find out more about National Volunteer Week at volunteeringvictoria.org.au

At the City of Greater Geelong, we are fortunate to have hundreds of volunteers working across a wide range of areas,

including at the National Wool Museum, Potato Shed, Visitor Information Centres and neighbourhood houses.

These volunteers are the backbone of countless community programs and cultural initiatives. Their unwavering commitment and enthusiasm play a pivotal role in enhancing the vibrancy and inclusivity of our community spaces.

Our Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine volunteers assisted 15,891 visitors in the opening four months of 2024 and have contributed over 7500 volunteer hours over the last 12 months.

And our L2P Program has been renewed for another two years.

During2023,186learnerdriversparticipated, and 65 learners graduated from the program with their probationary licence.

In this year alone, approximately 1800 drive

hours have been completed and 10 learners havegraduatedwiththeirprobationarylicence.

The program is always on the lookout for patient and calm volunteers with a licence, who can mentor young learner drivers facing barriers getting 120 hours experience behind the wheel.

Like our L2P volunteer Andrew Cleary, who was instrumental in making sure our new electric L2P car became a reality, from proposing the idea to bringing together Rex Gorell, Austeng, Godings and JB Scott Pty Ltd who are jointly sponsoring the vehicle.

Andrew’s contributions are a great example ofthemanydifferentwaystoutiliseyourskills, so I encourage you to consider volunteering at the City at geelong.link/Volunteer

On behalf of council, once again I’d like to thankthevolunteerswhomakesuchinvaluable contributions to Greater Geelong.

Cr Elise Wilkinson. (Ivan Kemp) 358386_01

Maritime Museum becomes more accessible

The Queenscliffe Maritime Museum is more accessible for the community following the opening of a new all-abilities walkway, viewing deck and listening post.

The museum received $122,000 from the state government’s $2.5 million Universal Design Grant program, which helped build an accessibility ramp for the pilot vessel Mavis III, a flagship exhibit.

Vice president June Negri said she was “delighted” to open the walkway on May 11 and to receive the funding to help make the museum more accessible for the Queenscliff community.

“The viewing deck and listening post are another step towards the museum’s aim is to continue to improve our exhibitions and

Dog lovers unite for RSPCA’s Paws Walk

Dog owners can take part in the RSPCA’s biggest annual fundraising event at the Geelong Million Paws Walk next weekend at Eastern Park.

Kicking off at 8.30am Sunday, May 26, the event is not just a walk, it is a family-friendly celebration of all things canine.

TheGeelongMillionPawsWalkwillinclude a dog-themed market with over 30 stalls, dog training and agility course demonstrations and the opportunity to meet with the local RSPCA Inspector team.

Food trucks will be on hand to cater to hungry walkers, while the kids can get their faces painted, participate in a scavenger hunt, get their photo taken at the doggy kissing booth and even meet everyone’s favourite dog celebrity Bluey.

Local dog owner Andrea Dennett has been a prolific fundraiser for the Million Paws Walk since she began participating in 2011, not missing a single event.

She and her whippet Olive will be hitting the pavement again this year to help raise funds to stop animal cruelty and find good homes for dogs.

“I just really like supporting the RSPCA, and as far as the event goes it’s a really fun day out,” she said.

“You’re surrounded by all these people who love their dogs, and heaps of dogs as well. It’s a great way of raising awareness and money for the RSPCA.

“You’re surrounded by people who are on the same wavelength, people who love their dogs and want the best for them and want to help a worthy charity out at the same time.”

Visit millionpawswalk.com.au/geelong for more information or to register.

Matt Hewson

experiences for all people,” she said.

“Being able to view the vessel up close and listen to stories of the Mavis III as told by the people who worked on board brings the history of the Port Phillip Sea pilots alive to all visitors.”

The museum promotes the historical importance of Southern Port Phillip, a challenging entrance into Port Phillip from Bass Strait, and the township of Queenscliff.

“The Port Philip Sea Pilots have continuously been providing safe pilotage for shipping through the Rip since 1839,” Ms Negri said.

“The pilot display at the museum tells the history of the Port Phillip Sea Pilots and brings this fascinating living history to the

public through the inclusion of the new walkway.”

Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant said visitors to the museum would experience tales of shipwrecks, lifeboats and rescues, local fishing, shipping, boating and lighthouses.

“This project is allowing more people to get close to the pilot vessel Mavis III and learn about its exciting past,” she said.

Jena Carr

Tax cuts for every taxpayer

Join Andrea Dennett and Olive at Geelong Million Paws Walk. (Ivan Kemp) 407229_02

Member for the Bellarine Alison Marchant officially opened the new accessible walkway with members of the Queenscliffe Maritime Museum. (Supplied)

Sustainability projects awarded

By Matt Hewson

Two innovative sustainability projects spearheaded by the City of Greater Geelong have been recognised with awards recently.

The Dell Eco Reef at Clifton Springs took out the Special Projects Initiative category at the Victorian LGPro Awards for Excellence, while the sustainable bridges project at Cowies Creek in Seagull Paddock won an Excellence in Environment & Sustainability award at the 2024 International Public Works Conference in Melbourne.

The Eco Reef helps reduce coastal erosion and create marine life habitat through its 46 erosion mitigation units, sculptured domes

made of recycled materials forming an artificial reef.

The visually distinctive domes, which won the Dezeen Award for Sustainable Design in London last December, also serve as a tourism drawcard for recreational snorkellers and swimmers.

The sustainable bridges, which have won a string of awards including three Institute of Public Works Engineers Australasia awards and a commendation in 2022, are made of geopolymer, an extremely long-lasting material that creates up to 80 per cent less greenhouse gases in production than concrete and also uses recycled materials.

The bridges were delivered by a partnership

between the City, Deakin’s Waurn Ponds Carbon Nexus facility, Australian engineering company Rocla and local manufacturer and engineering solutions company Austeng.

Austeng managing director Ross George saidthebridgeshadattractedalotofattention from a range of industry organisations.

“Concrete accounts for eight per cent of the world’s CO2 emissions,” Mr George said.

“This geopolymer is a better engineering material than cement and concrete, but it’s got an incredibly low greenhouse footprint.

“It’s reinforced with glass fibre reinforced polymer,andsoitdoesn’tsufferfromconcrete cancer, so it’s got an incredibly long life.

Supplied)

Take a pause through Brian’s lens

Acclaimed photographer Brian Ellwood is taking his latest exhibition to Drysdale.

Mr Ellwood’s ‘Moments of Pause’ opened on May 8 and will run for eight weeks at Cafe Zoo on High Street.

The curated collection of 18 canvas and framed prints invites viewers to take a moment away from the frantic pace of daily life and pause to reconnect with the real world.

Keeping with the cafe’s zoo theme, many of the photographic artworks have captured wildlife in brief moments of connection with the human behind the lens, while others reflect Mr Ellwood’s experiences of deep engagement with diverse natural and urban landscapes ranging from Melbourne’s Docklands to the sandhills of Africa.

“I’m most at home, most myself, when I’m in the bush or on the coast,” he said.

“There’s enormous peace to be found when you’re standing in a naturally beautiful place. I hope that through these images, people can feel connected to the amazing natural world

around us and be inspired to get out there and be in it, enjoy it, care for it. And find that peace and pause for themselves, too.”

Mr Ellwood’s aerial study ‘Menindee Water – Planted’ came fourth in ‘Australian Photography’ magazine’s Photographer of the Year 2023 competition.

‘Moments of Pause’ reflects his personal journey as he sought out quiet moments of rest, regrowth and recovery after leaving a high-stress corporate career. The connection he experienced in 2019 when first looking directly into the eyes of a wild elephant in Namibia changed his life and has influenced his photography ever since.

While Cafe Zoo regularly displays artworks for sale, owner Marc Rodway is pleased to be hosting a full exhibition for the first time.

“I’m so excited to showcase Brian’s work in the cafe,” he said.

“The pieces he’s chosen are just stunning.”

Artworks will be on exhibit and available to purchase.

“It’s great to see that the technology has been recognised by industry people.”

Councillor Peter Murrihy said the projects delivered environmental, financial and social benefits to the region.

“The Dell Eco Reef units help to build a healthier ecosystem along our coastlines, contain recycled materials and also protect humans from the fallout of storm surges and erosion,” Cr Murrihy said.

“Councilwaskeentoencouragesustainable innovation as well as delivering safe and accessible infrastructure at Cowies Creek, by inviting companies to come up with solutions to the costly maintenance and waste problem associated with traditional bridges.”

Police road safety blitz

Police have detected more than 150 offences during a major road safety operation across Victoria’s west including greater Geelong.

Operation West Connect saw highway patrol units enforcing across major arterial roads in Western Victoria targeting high-risk driving behaviour. It comes as 104 lives have been lost on the state’s roads so far this year, with 28 of those occurring on roads in Western Victoria.

OperationWestConnectisanongoing operationfocusedondetectingspeeding, distracted and impaired drivers.

In greater Geelong, police recorded onedrugdrivingoffence,24forspeeding, one for disobeying a traffic sign, one seatbelt offence, two mobile phone offences, three other traffic offences, one disqualified/suspended driver and one heavy vehicle offence.

Police conducted 45 breath tests, eight drug tests and intercepted five heavy vehicles during the operation.

OperationWestConnectwillcontinue across Western Victoria – encompassing major arterial roads from Geelong, Bacchus Marsh, Bendigo and Echuca as far west as the SA border, and from the Surf Coast, Warrnambool and Portland as far north as the NSW border.

“Speeding on regional roads continues to be a major contributing factor to serious injury and fatal collisions, and yet it’s evident so many motorists are not heeding the warnings as we are continuing to detect far too many people speeding,” Western Region Road Policing Inspector Justine Ryan said.

“We need drivers to slow down and keep to the speed limits, particularly on regional roads – they are in place to keep all road users safe.

“Operation West Connect is an ongoing road policing initiative and motorists should expect to see police out enforcing across major arterials in Western Victoria. We’re doing everything we can to drive down road trauma in the state’s west”.

Botanical garden officially opened at Homestead Estate

TLC’s Wellbeing team personally delivered printed invites to the residents. This created buzz and excitement amongst residents as they began organising outfits and sharing the garden party plans with their friends and families in the event lead-up.

Leaper OAM and Mrs Jenny Duggan Leaper OAM, for their outstanding dedication, distinguished service and commitment to the Australian aged care sector.

Residents and guests enjoyed a selection of delicious ribbon sandwiches and tasty fish and chips, refreshing cold drinks and an ice-cold gelato in their favourite flavours. Entertainment was provided by a group of exceptionally talented Kardinia International College students who performed as a string quartet in the central garden area, along with a solo pianist on the grand piano.

MrPascuzzi,alongwithlong-termresident Barbara Dodds, proudly shared the ribbon cutting and unveiled the commemorative plaque to officially announce the new space as open.

“I want to thank the residents, who really drove this initiative and landscape architects Brocor, who brought their vision to life,” Mr Pascuzzi said.

Brian Ellwood is bringing ‘Moments of Pause’ to Drysdale. (Pictures:

IDAHOBIT flag raising, speakers

By Jena Carr

The Geelong and Surf Coast community is celebrating the international day against LGBTQIA+ discrimination with a flag raising ceremony and speaker’s corner event. IDAHOBIT, the international day against homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, will take place on May 17, marking the date in 1990 when homosexuality was removed from the World Health Organisation’s classification of diseases.

Platform Arts will hold a free speaker’s corner event for people to share stories about finding identity and community from 6pm to 8pm on 60 Little Malop Street.

Executive director Tennille Moisel said IDAHOBIT Day was a time to remember the challenges that the LGBTQIA+ community faced.

“As a lesbian, it’s not that long ago that... sexuality wasn’t considered something that could have multiple definitions or variations,” she said.

Arts trail gets big boost

The Bellarine Arts Trail has received a major boost with the support of Community Bank Barwon Heads for this year’s event.

Barwon Heads Arts Council runs the arts trail over the Melbourne Cup long weekend in November with more than 80 participating artists opening their studios and exhibition venues in Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove, Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff.

Barwon Heads Community Bank chairperson Damien O’Malley said the Barwon Heads Arts Council was a worthy community organisation with a long history of supporting the arts on the Bellarine.

“We welcome the opportunity to get behind the Bellarine Arts Trail 2024 and to support the Barwon Heads Arts Council in its efforts to help the Bellarine’s arts community grow and thrive,” he said.

Barwon Heads Arts Council acting president Libby Darcy said the organisation and its members greatly appreciated the support of the Barwon Heads

Community Bank.

“We think this is the perfect fit for the event,” she said.

“Our community bank supporting a community led arts event. It’s a great opportunity for creatives and the community to connect and support the Bellarine’s rapidly emerging arts region.”

Organisers have put the call out for registrations from artists and creatives, from professionals to hobbyists interested in opening their studios.

Interested artists are encouraged to find out more information and register at bhac.org.au/ bellarineartstrail/2024-artist-registration/. Registrations close on June 10.

The Bellarine Arts Trail first took place in 2016 and is the brainchild of Ocean Grove artist, Kaz Shirley. This year the event is set to grow and will be led by a group of creatives on the newly formed Bellarine Arts Trail committee working with the Barwon Heads Arts Council.

“(It’s important to) bring awareness to the fact that within our living memory, if you came out as homosexual, it was considered a mental illness and not part of your identity.

“We wanted to look at not just focusing on the negative side of homophobia, transphobia and biphobia, but also looking at the importance of community and bringing people together.”

Surf Coast Shire Council will also recognise the day by raising the rainbow flag

from 10am at its Torquay office.

Mayor Pattison said the Surf Coast was a “wonderful place to live” where everyone should feel welcomed and respected.

“Raising the rainbow flag on IDAHOBIT Day is a way we can show our support and continue to be an ally to our LGBTQIA+ community,” she said.

“In 2023 council adopted our awareness raising events calendar to recognise and raise awareness on matters that are significant to our community.”

Nic Everist, Sophia Legoe, Patsy Bush, Fred Thompson, Cassy Twomey and Liz McGrath are just some of the artists taking part in this year’s Arts Trail. (Supplied)

From paramedic to legal eagle

Ambulance Victoria Barwon South West regional improvement lead Paul Jennings speaks with Jena Carr as he celebrates a significant career milestone following his admission to the Supreme Court of Victoria as an Australian lawyer.

Paul Jennings, 51, has spent most of his life in and around the medical field, with his interest sparked at a young age.

The qualified mobile intensive care ambulance paramedic living in Little River and working in Belmont started his career in the health service as a child.

“My father was a seafarer and one of his roles, whilst he wasn’t trained in advanced first-aid, he was the person that would provide first aid on the ship,” he said.

“I used to love going on the ship with him, andhe’dtakemeintotheinfirmary.I’dseethe infirmary with all its gear, bandages, first-aid books, and all sorts of things.

“I was enrolled with St John Ambulance (first-aid youth program) from when I was nine years old and it was probably because of that interest in first-aid and everything that I pursued the health industry.”

‘‘

I love that ability to go into somebody’s home where there’s absolute chaos, concern and fear and just reassure people that everything will be okay

- Paul Jennings

Paul was a registered nurse working in an emergency department, which he did for a couple of years. Little did he know it would lead him to a new career path.

“I always saw the paramedics coming in with patients who had gone from being really sick to often well when they rolled into the emergency department,” he said.

“I was always impressed by how they could provide one-on-one care with the patient, whereas I was working very hard across seven patients and, in my view, not getting the same outcome.

“I just thought that would be pretty impressive being able to do that, so I trained in paramedicine and then worked my way through the different paramedic stages after that.”

Employed by Ambulance Victoria (AV) for 26 years, Paul has climbed the ranks to his current position as the Barwon South West Regional Improvement Lead.

During that time, he said he enjoyed many parts of being involved with AV, including some time he took off from work to undertake a PhD study.

“Seeing people improve during the time from when I arrived, to the time that I can handpeopleoverattheemergencydepartment

is amazing,” he said.

“I think it’s partly the uniform, but I love that ability to go into somebody’s home where there’s absolute chaos, concern and fear and just reassure people that everything will be okay.

“Having that environment go from being just chaos to calm, and where people are relaxed and comfortable again, that’s great.

“From a managerial project perspective, I also love being involved in shaping what clinical practice looks like for paramedics.

“My PhD study was around the use of ketamine for pain, and we compared the drug

ketamine to morphine for patients with severe traumatic pain, and that was really successful.

“Ketamine was really effective, and that led to AV adopting ketamine in the pre-hospital setting. It’s used every day across the state now and we’ve seen real good outcomes for patients.”

A case that stuck out to Paul during his careerwasapatientlocatedcloseto30minutes away who needed ambulance assistance for fluid on the lungs.

“It was one of my first cases as I’d just graduated as an intensive care paramedic, so I had access to a couple of drugs or agents that

we could use for fluid on the lungs,” he said.

“Toseethispersongofromwhatlookedlike near death to being sitting up talking when we got to the hospital, that sticks in my mind as one of my favourite jobs.

“I remember we rang the emergency department and said we were bringing this really sick pre-arrest person. Then, when we got to the hospital, he sat up, chatting and talking.

“That was one I saw where pre-hospital care can significantly intervene in somebody’s life and maybe in that case was truly lifesaving.”

Nowsteppingintotheworldoflaw,Paulwas admitted to the Supreme Court of Victoria as an Australian lawyer after completing three-and-a-half years of study and his Juris Doctor.

“I’ve always been a bit interested in the law, and I was always interested in ambulance related cases that were before the courts or health related cases more generally,” he said.

“Fiveyearsago,Istartedprovidingopinions on clinical review cases, and I’d be writing reports internally for AV or externally for lawyers in other states.

“I noticed when talking to lawyers or watching cases that went through the Coroner’s Court that lawyers had a different way of thinking.

“They also had a different way of extracting information from people and then synthesising it. I was always impressed by how they could do that.

“They seemed to start at a base of having no real knowledge, and then all of a sudden, they wererightacrosseverythingandcouldpresent it back to you in a concise and knowledgeable way.

“They just seem to think differently, and they had a different language that I was unfamiliar with, so I wanted to learn more about how lawyers think.

“With the support of family and AV, I was able to do that (complete his study), but it was a lot of weekends and a lot of nights studying and doing assignments.”

Paul said he would continue to work with AV on top of his new lawyer role along with spending time with his wife and two teenage kids.

“I absolutely love working with AV and they’vebeenverysupportivetomethroughout my career. If I can stay working with AV legal, I’ll be very happy,” he said.

“I’ve got this incredible breadth of expertise withinthatdepartment(AVlegal),andthey’ve just been incredibly supportive of me.

“I had no idea going into the legal departmentthatjustabouteverythingthatAV does involves the legal practice. Whether it be purchasing ambulances or hiring branches or whatever, legal is involved in everything.”

Ambulance Victoria Barwon South West regional improvement lead Paul Jennings. (Ivan Kemp) 406941_02

‘Reawakening’ a classic comedy

By Matt Hewson

AMidsummerNight’sDreamisoneofWilliam Shakespeare’s best loved and most frequently performed plays; it has spawned numerous adaptations, inspired other works and three of its characters have lent their names to moons of Uranus.

Tinkering with such an iconic cultural work holds obvious and significant risks. However, recent reviews of Bell Shakespeare’s latest production The Bard’s most famous comedy suggest artistic director Peter Evans and company have navigated those potential pitfalls with aplomb.

Evans’ “reawakening” of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a “pared-back production”, omittingselectedpartsofthetextsanddialling back the ostentatiousness of the costuming, set

and music.

The ensemble consists of only eight players, including Imogen Sage, Matu Ngaropo and Richard Pyros, all but one of which perform in multiple roles.

Theloneactorwhodoesnotplaytwoorthree parts, Ella Prince, inhabits the role of Puck, the closest thing the play has to a protagonist.

Puck is a mischievous fairy, universally portrayed as an unrepentant prankster who nevertheless does his best to follow the orders of his master, the fairy king Oberon, but ends up leaving chaos in his wake.

Prince’s Puck is a gender-non-conforming versionofthetrickster–describedbyonecritic as “subtle” and “so watchable” – for whom “everything is new”.

“It’s a different Puck than you’ll see anywhere else, and I think that that’s

potentially divisive, but I really enjoy just honouring my understanding of this creature as not neurotypical; exceptionally magical, potentially misunderstood, totally playful and totally reckless, but always with the kind of immediate intention and an enjoyment of things unfolding in front of him,” Prince said.

“I’m not trying to play someone who’s something we can’t recognise; there is a kind of humanity to Puck, but they’re less than adolescent.

“They’reyouthful,albeithowevermanyyears old, so there’s just this kind of delight in play. There’s no master plan for Puck.”

For Prince, part of their enjoyment of the production is bringing the work to so many diverse parts of Australia, as the companyworksitswaythroughanationaltour visiting 23 cities and regional centres across

Progressive metal trio tour new EP

Progressive metal/hard rock three-piece Age of Emergence comes to Geelong for the first time this weekend as part of their east coast tour following the release of their latest EP, The All Seeing Eye: Part 1.

Originally formed in the Hunter Valley in 2014, Age of Emergence consists of Dean Holmes on bass and vocals, Matt Neilson on guitar and vocals and Benn Baxter on drums. Their groove-heavy, riff-based prog metal sound hearkens back to classic heavy bands

release, following their previous EPs Plea for a Dying World (2016) and The War Within Ourselves (2020).

Holmes said the band had focused on making the songs on the new EP more accessible.

“Obviously we’ve been developing our own sound over a long period of time,” Holmes said.“Withthesongwriting,Ireallywantedto try to find ways to make it a bit more catchy, a more hooky and groovy version of what we’ve

completing the tour, which runs till the end of June, before setting their sights on recording Part 2.

“We haven’t got a timeline at this stage,” he said. “We’ve got new material, I’m going to do some more writing. After these shows, the rest of the year, we’ll probably just do more local shows and try to get the new stuff sorted out.”

Age of Emergence are at the Barwon Club on Saturday, May 18, supported by alt metal outfit Spacegoat, Corio Bay area thrash band

the country.

“It’s a beautiful ensemble… and we’re really appreciativeasanensemblefortheopportunity to travel so far and wide, to tell our story and have that conversation with these audiences,” they said. “I’m learning so much because, you know, Sydney is a very different audience from regionalWA,whichiswherewenextwent.You feel different energies in different theatres, you feel a difference amongst communities in the way that they laugh here or there or respond to different moments.

“That’s super magic because it keeps you really enjoying the experience of performing andlisteningtotheworkandwhat’shappening in the space every time you do it.”

Bell Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is at Geelong Arts Centre on May 26 and 27.

No bells, no uniforms...learning the individual way

Zech Horvath’s enthusiasm for adventure and academic excellence knows no bounds as he prepares to embark on the journey of a lifetime while completing his VCE at The Gordon.

But, you might ask – how does he do it all?

Zech’supcomingjourneytowalkthehistoric KokodaTrailaspartofGeelong’sKokodaYouth Program represents the flexibility students can unlock to gain real-life experiences when they choose to complete school at TAFE.

“It’ssounreal,thechancetogooverseaswith a group of fantastic teenagers and adults and get the chance to walk this amazing trail with so much Australian history behind it is truly the opportunity of a lifetime,” he says.

At The Gordon, students only need to be on campus when they have classes. Small class sizes mean one-on-one opportunities with teachers in a supportive adult learning environment, without bells or uniforms.

With a curriculum encompassing subjects like legal studies, psychology, mathematics, English, and his favourite, outdoor education, Zech has found the perfect blend of academic studies and hands-on learning.

“I came to The Gordon after a decade of home-schooling. I heard good things about VCEthroughTAFE,itfeltliketherightchoice,“ says Zech.

“Ireallyenjoytheadultlearningenvironment. The respect I feel from the teachers makes me feellikeI’mnotjustanotherVCEstudentgoing through Year 11.”

Senior college principal Gavin Wake said a standout feature of studying VCE at The Gordon is the integration of vocational education within the senior secondary curriculum. This approach allows students to gain hands-on experience in their field of interest, making learning more applied and relevant to real-world scenarios.

Gavin praised Zech’s dedication and adaptability.

“His achievements in Year 11 have been commendable,” he says.

“The ability to balance rigorous academic coursework with practical skill development is indicative of a dedicated and hardworking

student poised for success in his future as he takes his place in the big wide world.”

Looking ahead, Zech has his sights set on a gap year before pursuing studies in aerospace engineering and one day moving to the USA.

“Other than that, I’m really looking forward to turning 18 and being able to drive to school,

as well as being on the home stretch, as far as my adolescent education goes,” he says.

Looking to complete senior secondary school in an alternative setting or wanting to return to study? Learn more about our VCE programs at thegordon.edu.au

Zech and some of his fellow Gordon students. (Supplied)

SPOTLIGHT ON STEM

Spotlight focus on STEM for Education Week

Education Week will be celebrated in Victoria from Monday 13 May to Friday 17 May 2024.

The annual celebration of education is a chance for students to take part in free and fun activities, with an opportunity to share what makes your school or learning setting great.

This year’s theme ‘Spotlight on STEM’ focuses on the ways science, technology, engineering and maths can be brought to life in the classroom.

Join in the celebrations, and explore free teaching resources, virtual events and more. The way that STEM subjects are taught may have changed over the years, but families are still able to support children of all ages engage in STEM related experiences.

You can help your child engage with STEM by encouraging them to investigate and ask questions about the real world. You can do this by asking open-ended questions, such as: Can you describe...? I wonder what would happen if...? How would you answer that question...? What if...?

Learn more about STEM from your school Talk to your child’s school and ask how children can learn about STEM. Some schools let families volunteer for classroom activities and excursions.

Alternatively, ask your school for examples of STEM activities that you can do at home with your child.

Encourage and support activities that are STEM-related

For younger children, this could include playing games to identify different shapes, numbers and patterns; or singing songs and nursery rhymes about numbers and playing with building blocks.

For older children, this could include using a digital device to make a movie with special effects;learningcookingskills;orencouraging the use of apps and computer games that

Start your Catholic education

St Aloysius Primary School is a calm and caring school of 100 students situated in Queenscliff on the beautiful Bellarine Peninsula.

In 2022, St Aloysius celebrated its 120th Anniversary and is steeped in local history and has been a centre of Catholic education excellence during this time, producing some of the Geelong regions highest NAPLAN results over the past five years.

ThestudentsfromStAloysiusareconnected to their history, are engaged with the present and are striving to influence the future of the beautiful community they live and work in.

The first thing that most parents who come for a tour of St Aloysius Primary School comment upon is how calm the atmosphere in the school is. Students are settled in their

individualclassrooms,insmallclasssizeswith their teachers and teachers aides getting very targeted learning and teaching experiences.

Average class sizes at St Aloysius are about 14 students to one teacher for Literacy and Numeracy sessions, with the opportunity to combine with other classes for Performing and Visual Arts, STEAM and Physical Education in order to mix with other students and collaborate on practical projects. Students in a small school like St Aloysius are given excellent opportunities to have a leadership role, compete in representative sporting tournaments and participate in performing arts events.

St Aloysius has availability at some year levels for a mid-year intake, and all enquiries for 2025 are welcome.

are STEM-related.

For children at secondary school, you could ask your child’s school about STEM subjects and extra-curricular activities that

may have a STEM focus, and encourage youngpeopletotalktotheirteachersorcareer advisers about pathways that lead to STEM careers.

Avery and Sophie love going to St Aloysius Primary School. (Supplied)

DISABILITY SERVICES

Tailored care for your kids

Relight Your Care (formerly Luxe Care Solutions) is a disability service that provides a tailored program designed through collaboration between service coordinators, allied health professionals, our participants, and their families.

Our support workers assist our clients in accessingandparticipatinginthecommunity through a person-centred approach.

All activities are tailored to our participants’ interests and needs to help them work towards their NDIS goals. Our caregivers build meaningful relationships with our participants by engaging in conversation, participating in hobbies, and offering companionship to combat feelings of loneliness or isolation.

At Relight Your Care, we collaborate with participants and their loved ones to develop custom care plans that promote the feeling of independence and decision-making while guaranteeingasecureandcaringatmosphere. Your health and safety are our top priority, and we are committed to delivering dependable,empathetic,andexpertdisability support and in-home care services that have a positive impact on your life.

The programs could include recreational activities such as but not limited to going to the gym, shopping, swimming, visiting the library or seeing a movie, assistance to attend appointments, undertake food shopping or use public transport, improving social interaction, turn taking and reciprocity, peer group activities, social skill building or in-home daily living activities such as cooking, cleaning, homework tasks or general play.

We collaborate with Allied Health teams including psychologists, speech pathologists and occupational therapists.

Understanding individuals with disability challenges

Understanding disability

Disability is not a monolithic concept; it is diverse and multifaceted. It includes physical disabilities, such as mobility impairments, visual or hearing impairments, intellectual disabilities, and mental health conditions. Each person’s experience of disability is unique, shaped by their individual circumstances, abilities, and the environment they navigate.

It is crucial to recognise that disability do not define individuals; they are just one aspect of who they are. People with disability have talents, skills, and aspirations that contribute to the rich tapestry of human experience. By understanding and respecting these differences, we can move towards a more inclusive society.

Common misconceptions

Despite efforts to raise awareness, there are still prevalent misconceptions surrounding disability. One common misconception is that individuals with disability are limited in their abilities or potential. In reality, many people with disability lead successful lives, pursuing careers, engaging in social activities, and contributing to their communities.

Creating an inclusive society

Building an inclusive society involves dismantling physical and attitudinal barriers that may prevent individuals with disability from fully participating in all aspects of life. This includes accessible infrastructure, inclusive education, and employment opportunities. Governments, businesses, and communities play crucial roles in fostering an environment where everyone can thrive.

We aim to support:

1.Supportinginlanguageandcommunication

2. Improving social interactions

3. Improving motor skills

4. Emotional regulation

5. Understanding sensory perceptions

6. Before and after school support

Another misconception is that disability is a static condition. However, disability is often dynamic, influenced by factors such as advances in medical treatment, assistive technologies, and changes in social and environmental conditions. It is important to view disability through a lens of capability and adaptability rather than limitation.

Education is a powerful tool for dispelling myths and promoting understanding. By incorporating disability awareness into school curricula, we can instill empathy and acceptance from a young age. Businesses can also contribute by adopting inclusive hiring practices, providing reasonable accommodations, and fostering a workplace culture that values diversity.

Relight Your Care (formerly Luxe Care Solutions) is a disability service that collaborates with participants and their loved ones to develop custom care plans. (Supplied)

DISABILITY SERVICES

Crossing the Gap provides more than regular care

The motto at Crossing The Gap Disability Services has always been ‘Your choice, your goals, your pace’, and the local organisation is committed to helping individuals live their lives and thrive within the community.

Established in 2021 as a response to the community’s growing need for experienced and care-focused disability support services in Geelong, Crossing the Gap works with participants to empower the individual. As well as the core services of disability in-home care and personalised complex care, Crossing the Gap offers a range of services to help people achieve their goals, such as independent living skills support, community access and disability respite.

Developing life skills allows participants to experience greater independence and live a more enjoyable and self-managed life. Crossing the Gap tailors its independent life skills programs to the interests, goals and abilities of each person, covering activities such as travel and transport, finance management, domestic skills like laundry and cleaning, shopping, meal planning and preparation and organising and attending appointments.

Company director Kristy Browning said seeing participants flourish and gain more independence was one of the most rewarding aspects of her job.

“It’s amazing to see them get to that stage where they can do all these things themselves, especiallywhenthey’vemostlikelyhadpeople tell them that they can’t,” she said.

“Seeing our participants get to that stage, they just get so happy and excited when they realise that they can do it on their own.”

Crossing the Gap staff understand the importanceofprovidingaccesstorecreational tasks and social opportunities, which enable

individualstodevelopskillsandcompetencies that improve quality of life. The service’s support in Geelong includes goal-based activities such as catching public transport or shopping, recreational activities such as going to movies or the zoo, or navigating to a relative or friend’s residence. These supported experiences help participants improve their confidence and independence, as well as providing enjoyment.

“Some people we work with haven’t had a lotofopportunitiestogooutinpublic,”Kristy said.“Sowereallyenjoyprovidingthatchance when they go out with us.”

Giving carers the chance to refresh and recharge their batteries allows them to better take care of their loved one, which is why Crossing the Gap offers disability respite care to participants. Kristy’s team can organise everything for short-term, temporary and emergency relief periods for primary carers, including accommodation, food, travel and activities.

Participants are matched with the right support worker for them to cater for their needs while their primary carer takes a planned break, short holiday or attends to emergency situations.

Kristy said the focus for her staff was to provide a fun time for participants while their carer had a break.

“We don’t call it respite, especially with the kids; we like to call it a holiday,” she said. “It’s a time when they can get away, have fun and take part in a range of activities. We try to make it as fun as possible.”

To find out more about Crossing the Gap’s services and start getting help from the team you deserve contact Kristy Browning at kristy@ctgdisability.com.au or call 0493 057 276.

Crossing The Gap’s respite program is all about fun. (Pictures: Supplied)

Shopping local in Barwon Heads

Left: Andrew and Ange Danebergs with their daughter Sage (top); Adam Saliba and his son Hank. Right: Georgia Roderick with her mother Tracie. (Pictures: Ivan Kemp) 406624

Above: Karen and Geoff Dillon with granddaughter Elyse. Right: Steph Willox, her father Neil and Tony McMahon.

Michael Skinner and Jackie Pallister.

Exclusive plant based degustation with Simon Toohey

A very special degustation is landing at Flying Brick Cider House when Simon Toohey, championofsustainabilityandallthingsvegetal, hosts an exclusive five-course plant-based dinner on Saturday May 18.

The menu showcases a diverse array of inspired vegetable dishes guaranteed to seduce even the most insatiable of carnivores.

Pumpkin seed pasta, smoked ragu pappardelle, whole roasted Lion’s Mane bagna cauda are just a few items set to delight.

On the night, Simon will personally mingle with all guests to chat about his curated menu and the vision behind each dish.

It’sonethingtobeenthusiasticaboutpreparing and eating food but Simon Toohey’s passion goes much deeper than that. Sustainability is at the heart of everything Simon serves up.

The talented foodie and YouTube personality who proved his cooking prowess to the nation on Masterchef, and more recently as the host of Freshly Picked on Channel 10 is driven by a desire to completely transform the process of food production. He is the Founder of the Sustainable Earth Network.

The Simon Toohey plant based dinner costs $85 per person and includes a five course degustation and live background music.

Wine, beer, cider, cocktails and soft drinks will all be available at bar prices.

Flying Brick Cider House, 1251-1269 Bellarine Highway, Wallington. Phone (03) 5250 6577

LEURA PARK ESTATE

Artisan wines without compromise

• Sensational setting

• Stunning pizzas, platters & fresh local fare

• Live Music Sundays

• Wine Tastings

• Open Thurs - Sunday 11am - 5pm

1400 Portarlington Rd, Curlewis 03 5253 3180 leuraparkestate.com.au

12606035-SN21-23

FLYING BRICK CIDER CO

Funky, Fabulous, Fun.

• Landmark Bellarine venue

• Innovative space

• Delicious food

• 100% naturally crafted ciders

• Luxurious grounds & vineyard

• OPEN 7 Days 11am-5pm 1251 Bellarine Hwy, Wallington 03 5250 6577 flyingbrickciderco.com.au

12606701-KG21-23

JACK RABBIT VINEYARD

• Iconic Bellarine winery

• Unrivalled panoramic views

• Contemporary a la carte

• Sophisticated wines

• Lunch / Wine Tastings

• OPEN 7 Days

85 McAdams Lane, Bellarine 03 5251 2223 jackrabbitvineyard.com.au

12606706-RR21-23

Plant based degustation

ANTI-PASTI EVERYTHING (GFA)

Smoked warm olives

White bean dip - Olive powder - fried day old focaccia with dried herbs

Baby autumn vege, Vege-mite treacle Roast red peppers, sherry, pine nuts, basil

CONTORNI

Creamed chickpeas - dried pickled spring

onion - Aleppo pepper

Bitter leaves, green fig vinaigrette

PASTA (GFA)

Pumpkin seed pasta Ragu - pappardelle

SECONDI

Whole roasted Lion’s mane - bagna cauda

DESSERT

Oat milk cool whip, macadamia sorbet, roast maca, sorrel

Contains traces of gluten (oat product used). A substitute dessert option is available.

When: Saturday May 18, 7pm for 7.30pm start.

Where: Flying Brick Cider House. Cost: $85 per person. Drinks at bar prices. Menu and bookings: via flyingbrickciderco.com.au

THE RANGE

@CURLEWIS

Finesse your form or just for fun.

• Lunch / Dinner / Snacks

• Burger, Beverage & Balls packages

• Barista coffe, beer, wine & cocktails

• OPEN 7 days

1201 Portarlington Rd, Curlewis Ph 5251 1111 curlewisgolf.com.au

Champion of sustainability and all things vegetal Simon Toohey will host an exclusive five-course plant-based dinner at Flying Brick Cider House. (Pictures: Supplied)

No luck in spotting flame robins

It was lovely having a wander through Ocean Grove Nature Reserve.

Iwaslookingforflamerobinsthatinformer years would be easy to spot on the fences around the north track.

I didn’t see any of these beautiful birds that are altitudinal migrants that move to coastal areas from mountainous regions such as the Otways, in autumn and winter.

I’ve only seen one on the Bellarine over the past month or so, whereas a few years ago they would be common. I wonder if the housing developments around Armstrong Creek have blocked their passage to the Bellarine, as I was reading in the iconic book by Charles Belcher about the birds of Geelong that flame robins move slowly on their migration, in fact they move ‘one tree at a time’ rather than taking long flights.

I saw a few golden whistlers, white-plumed honeyeaters, pied currawongs, eastern yellow robins, and red-browed finches on my walk.

I saw a few whistlers in the park around the corner from my home. I call this park Sue’s Park as local resident Sue has planted many of the trees and shrubs that are there and she also maintains the plants.

There’s also been a few grey fantails and brown thornbills in the park as well, which is a miracle as there is a healthy population of noisy miners in the area that usually succeed and chase any small birds out of the habitat.

I was fortunate that John Murray, who is a

long term and very valuable volunteer for the BellarineFriendsoftheHoodedPloverGroup, dropped a copy of his 2023-2024 hooded plover records to my house. John walks the beach from Collendina to Point Lonsdale

monitoring the hoodie pairs and their nests in breeding season.

This last breeding season there were six breeding pairs of birds on this stretch of beach, and they created 15 nests (their nests

are really just scrapes made on the ground in the sand dunes). Thirty-seven eggs were laid by the female and seven of these eggs hatched (just 20 percent), and only one fledgling of the seven hatchlings survived around this area. That is despite the efforts of the wonderful volunteers who devote their time to helping these birds, and the incredible efforts of the parent birds to rear their chicks on the busy beaches.

John noted that despite the signs that ask dog owners to keep their dogs on leads on the beach (and the signs saying that dogs are not allowed in certain areas) that out of the 197 dogs he saw on the beach, 157 were off lead (80 percent).

I received an email from Alan from Ocean Grove, who had some interesting days birding around Castlemaine. He had his first sighting (a lifer) of a powerful owl in the botanic gardens at Castlemaine, which would have been exciting. It was roosting about 30 metres up in a Stone Pine and was so hard to spot and evenhardertophotograph.Haditnotbeenfor a local pointing out the bird, as large as it was, he never would have found it. The bonus was a possum tightly gripped in one set of claws.

I received a message from my friend Robyn from Wallington that she had a raptor in her chicken pen. The chickens must have been making an awful racket which alerted her to the presence of the raptor.

Fortunately for Robyn’s chickens the bird hadkilledapigeonthatwaseatingthechicken feed and not any chickens.

Robyn took some pretty good photos of the raptor, which I think was a brown goshawk. These birds look very similar to collared sparrowhawks in plumage, but I think their bird was a brown goshawk due to the heavy eyebrow ridge (collared sparrowhawks have a wide eye look), thick legs.

100%

Top: Jen’s eastern yellow robin at Ocean Grove Nature Reserve. Above: Alan’s powerful owl at Castlemaine, and Robyn’s goshawk at Wallington.

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of

ACROSS

1 Underground railway (6)

4 Water-surrounded land (6)

10 Chickens, pigeons etc. (5)

11 Social exclusion (9)

12 Provider of information (9)

13 Rainforest vine (5)

14 Of Troy (6)

15 Over (4)

19 Currency unit (4)

20 Antelope with lyre-shaped horns (6)

24 Happen (5)

25 Encouraging (9)

27 Male name (9)

28 Proclaimer (5)

29 Proof-corrector (6)

30 Fruit (6)

DOWN

1 Temperance (8)

2 Shoeless (8)

3 German-speaking country (7)

5 Mollusc (7)

6 Shoe brand (6)

7 Humiliate (6)

8 Scottish island (4)

9 Law (7)

16 Bed-bound person (7)

17 Italian church (8)

18 Large marsupial (8)

19 Procession (7)

21 North African country (7)

22 Deadbeat (6)

23 Outline (6)

26 Sham (4)

Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list? The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural nouns ending in “s”.

3 LETTERS

Russet Burbank, Yukon

and Maris Piper are all kinds of what?

Riley Keough

And which music icon is she the granddaughter of?

The quetzal is the official currency of which country?

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Ocean Grove Voice looks back through the pages of our predecessors

8 years ago

May 11 to 24, 2016

Mountain to Mouth came to a spectacular end at Barwon Heads this weekend with the burning of its centrepiece artwork –Canoe.

Ocean Grove’s Tara Lynch said the burning symbolised the completion of its journey carrying water from the You Yangs to Barwon River.

6 years ago

May 23 to June 5, 2018

Ocean Grove is now ready to light up the night for Parkinson’s.

The fifth Light of Day Winter Gigs will be held at Driftwood Cafe, Maggie’s Bar, Olive Pit Deli and Piping Hot Chicken Shop & Burger Grill.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

4 years ago

May 20 to June 2, 2020

Police may be called on to investigate whether damage to a tree on council land in Ocean Grove was a criminal act.

The bracelet honey myrtle tree, in Aldebaran Road, was damaged to the point where a council arborist had to remove it because it was a safety hazard.

2 years ago

May 20 to June 2, 2022

Barwon Heads Fire Brigade is warning residents to be careful after gas cylinders ignited at two separate households resulting in injury and property damage. One resident suffered injuries as a result of a gas cylinder igniting while another household suffered damage to its back decking.

WANT YOUR EVENT LISTED? Community Calendar is made available free of charge to not-for-profit organisations to keep the public informed of special events and activities. Send item details to Voice Community Calendar, 1/47 Pakington Street, Geelong West, 3218, or email to newsdesk@voicegroup.com.au. Deadline for copy and announcements is 5pm Tuesday.

CWA Nightlights Ocean Grove

CWA Nightlights Ocean Grove meets the first and third Monday of the month, 2.30pm, Seniors Club, 102 The Terrace, Ocean Grove. All welcome.

■ Kareen, 0419 246 346, or Janis, 5255 4585

Bellarine Women’s Workshop

Portarlington Girl Guides Hall. Meets every second Thursday, and second Saturday of the month.

■ Facebook: Bellarine Women’s Workshop for further details

Book club

Leopold CAE book club meets second Tuesday each month from 6.30pm. Very friendly group. New members welcome.

■ Shirley, 0488 055 969

Chess clubs

For chess fun simply come along and see yourself, play some chess, meet some members, with no obligation to join. We welcome players of all abilities. Ocean Grove, Tuesdays at 1.30pm at 101 The Terrace, Ocean Grove; Portarlington, Mondays at 9.30am, Parks Hall, 87 Newcombe Street, Portarlington; and St Leonards, Thursdays at 9.30am, unit 2 1375-1377 Murradoc Road, (on Blanche Street), St Leonards.

■ Ralph, 0431 458 100 (Ocean Grove), Rob, 5259 2290 (Portarlington), Lyn, 5292 2162 (St Leonards)

Carpet bowls

Leopold Hall 805-809 Bellarine Highway, Leopold on Wednesday and Friday from

Christian singles

Saturday May 18 – La Porchetta, 29 Malop Street, Geelong. Table for 30s & 40s, table for 50s and over. Book by May 17.

■ 0400 662 352

Wednesday May 29 – Coffee 10-11.30am at APCO, Corner 64 Portarlington and Wilson’s Roads, Newcomb. Book by 28 May.

■ 0400 383 711

Friday June 7 – Halls Gap long weekend away. Book by June 1.

■ 0418 672 570, or clubsolo.org.au

1pm to 3.15pm. Admission: $4 includes afternoon tea.

■ 0400 500 402

Scottish country dancing classes

GOG Scottish Country Dance classes

7.30pm Tuesdays at Leopold Hill Hall, $5. No partner needed, just comfy casual clothing and flat shoes.

■ Jane, 0481 126 022, or Barbara, 0419 511 781

Ocean Grove Senior Citizens

101 The Terrace, Ocean Grove Weekly

Tuesday: snooker 1pm, chess, indoor bowls 1.15pm. Wednesday: bingo 1.15pm, ukulele class 2pm, guitar jam session 4pm. Thursday: snooker 1pm, cards 500, social afternoons 1.15pm. Friday: art classes 9am.

Fortnightly

CWA 1st & 2nd Thursday 7.30pm Monthly

Inhouse Movies 3rd Wednesday 1.30pm.

■ Dianne, 5255 1372

Cards

Ocean Grove Seniors play card game 500 every Thursday at 1.15pm. If you are new to the game a quick lesson will get you in play. The core group of six players adjust to any number and you will enjoy the friendship of like-minded players. Cost: $30 annually and coffee included.

At 101 The Terrace, Ocean Grove.

■ Dianne, 5255 1372

TOWN club

The Springs TOWN Club (Take Off Weight Naturally) meets Mondays, 9-10.30am at the Community Hub, 23 Eversley Street, Drysdale. Weigh-in, group therapy and regular relaxation sessions. Cost: $5 per session, $54 annual fee.

■ Bev, 0421 636 830

Drysdale Day VIEW

Supporting The Smith Family for fun and friendship while supporting disadvantaged Students. Meetings at Portarlington Golf Club for lunch on the fourth Friday of

each month.

■ Margaret, 0431 636 090

Ocean Grove Day VIEW Meets second Wednesday of the month, 10.30am for 11am.

■ oceangroveday.viewclub@gmail.com

Ocean Grove Evening VIEW Meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 6.30pm. Email oceangroveevening.viewclub@gmail.com for details.

■ 0428 546 796

Ocean Grove on Barwon Probus Meets 9.45am for 10am every third Wednesday at Ocean Grove Golf Club.

■ gwen.anne.james@gmail.com

Drysdale Ladies Probus Club Meets at 10.30am on the fourth Monday of each month at the Clifton Springs Golf Club.

■ Lorraine, 0412 805 858

Afternoon tea dance Life Activities Club [Geelong Inc] hosts an afternoon tea dance on Thursdays, 2-4pm, at Belmont Park Pavilion. Entry: $5.

■ 5251 3529

CWA Drysdale Meets Drysdale RSL, Princess Street, Drysdale on the second Tuesday of the month. Meetings start at 1pm followed by afternoon tea. Friendly group looking to recruit new members.

■ Jenni, 0452 258 333

Out and about

It was a blustery, but mild, Monday at Ocean Grove main beach where Ivan Kemp took these photographs.

1/ Jimmy McCowan and his daughter Florence. 2/ Olivia Mawhinney with her son Kingston. 3/ Anna Cundy and Laura Stone. 4/ Jasmine Medancic, Vin Beardsley and Jenny McDonald with Kye. 5/ Georgia Hunt and Alex Joseph with Billie. 6/ Bernie Johnson. 7/ Kevin Beardsley. 8/ Daniel Boaden and Jessica Hunt. 9/ Michael Sands and Gabrielle Saucier. 10/ Rob and Jill Eales with Milo. 11/ Coralie and Leo Fowler. 12/ Ros Sestito with Coco. (Pictures: Ivan Kemp) 406626

SPORTS QUIZ

1. Which A-League Women’s soccer club finished on top of the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season?

2. What is the colour of the middle top ring of the Olympics logo?

3. In which year did Australia last win the Rugby Union World Cup?

4. Which AFL team remained undefeated after the first seven

5. Which Australian allrounder scored 124 not out in a recent IPL cricket match?

6. Which famous soccer stadium was home to Tottenham Hotspur from 1899 to 2017?

7. Australian Hannah Green is a professional athlete in which sport?

8. Which car manufacturer will be entering the Formula One World Championship in 2026?

Which NFL team were the first Super Bowl champions in 1967?

Jason Gillespie was recently named Test coach of which national cricket team?

Which team selected quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft?

Which team selected Australian punter Tory Taylor with the 122nd overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft?

Which year was the NBA founded?

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-Packing/storage case.Aluminium,Large L1020W580H600MM

14. In which form of car racing was Josef Newgarden stripped of a win for misuse of the push-to-pass overtake button?

15. Which Australian netball legend was recently appointed to the board of Netball Australia?

16. How many games did the Phoenix Suns win in their 2024 NBA playoffs series versus the Minnesota Timberwolves?

17. Which former Adelaide Crows captain retired recently after a 255game AFL career?

18. Australian journalist Paul Kent played one first grade game for which now NRL team?

19. Which three-time premiership player (currently a Rooster and formerly a Rabbitoh) has announced the 2024 NRL season will be his last?

20.Which team signed Australian tight end Thomas Yassmin to a three-year rookie contract after the 2024 NFL draft?

21. What is the Australian Men’s national hockey team nicknamed?

22.Former tennis player Serena Williams is married to the co-founder of which social media site?

23.Famous ice skating duo Torvill and Dean are from which country?

24.Which Australian golf professional won the LPGA Tour's JM Eagle LA Championship in both 2024 and 2023?

25.Name any four of the nine animals that are featured in current NBA team names.

ACCOUNTING SERVICES

Kelly Clifford Accounting0407 119 283

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ANTENNAS

Arrow Antennas0439 785 703

Kendall Antenna Services0404 019 781

AUTOMOTIVE

Auto Care Ocean Grove (Repco)5255 1045

Gardiner Automotive5255 5380

BEAUTY/HAIR

Hair By Dana0400 065 431

Swish Beauty & Hair - Leopold 5250 3242

BUILDERS & NEW HOMES

Beechmore Building Solutions5250 4638

MB Builders0400 406 030

BUILDING DESIGNERS

Michael Higgins Building Design5255 3355

BUTCHERS

Benno’s Meating Place5254 1828

CARPET CLEANING

Carpet Cleaners Geelong5255 3510

CHIMNEY SWEEPS

A1 Chimney Sweep & Co0426 897 479

CONVEYANCING

Surfside Conveyancing Pty Ltd5255 5556

Vines Conveyancing5255 4480

DENTAL

Drysdale Denture Services

Ryan Davies & Andrew Irving5251 1683

Ocean Grove Denture Services

Ryan Davies & Andrew Irving5255 4533

ELECTRICIANS

Grove Electrical (REC 16943)0404 022 952

26.Who has been awarded the most (eight) Ballon d’Or trophies?

27. Which Super Rugby team recently lost four games in a row for the first time in their history?

28.Which snooker player holds the record for a fastest maximum break?

29. In what time frame did Joey Chestnut famously eat a world-record 76 hot dogs?

30.Kabaddi is the national sport of which country?

Josef Newgarden

RATINGS

Looks: 8/10

Performance: 9/10

Safety: 7/10

Thirst: 7/10

Practicality: 8/10

Comfort: 8/10

Tech: 8/10

Value: 6/10

In a word, impressive

By Derek Ogden, Marque Motoring

Could it be that auto giant Audi has grasped the Holy Grail of the industry with its most popular vehicle, the Q5?

The most desirable, yet elusive, automotive properties claimed by the Q5 plug-in petrol/ electric hybrid – outstanding performance coupled with miserly fuel consumption – stand as the chalice of Arthurian legend.

The new Q5 55 TFSI e quattro S line showcases the manufacturer’s expertise in electrification and highly efficient internal combustion engine technology with a claimed sprint from zero to 100km/h in a sizzling 5.3 seconds, while, on average, sipping a mere 2 litres of fuel per 100km.

The upgraded vehicle comes to market in a choice of SUV or Sportback styling, starting from $102,900 and $110,200, respectively, without on-road costs. Metallic paint adds $1990 to the price; 20-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels are a no-cost option. On test was the latter at $112,190.

Like all new Audis in Australia the Q5 55 TFSI e is covered by the maker’s five-year unlimited kilometre and 12-year body corrosionwarranties.Thebatteryisguaranteed for eight years.

Styling

The Q5 PHEV takes on the robust character of the standard Q5, which is enhanced by the inclusion of the S line features including S front and rear bumpers and grille, plus tailgate spoiler.

The Sportback is upgraded from the SUV by headlamps with LED Matrix lights, with washers,anddynamicfrontandrearindicators. Twenty-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels have a part polished finish which goes to showing off red painted brake callipers.

Optional roof rails on Sportback feature electronic stability control detection, which adjusts ESC when heavy loads are carried on the roof altering the vehicle’s centre of gravity.

Interior

Welcominguptofiveoccupants,Nappaleather wrapped seating, with diamond stitching, up front is power adjustable, heated and with four-way lumbar support. The driver’s side boasts memory function.

Sliding rear seats have 40:20:40 separation and the three-zone climate control air-con has its own display back there. The mood can be subtly altered with one of 30 shades of ambient lighting.

With seat backs in place there is 460 litres of boot space, extending to 1400 litres with the backs folded. The 14.4kWh battery is stored under the luggage compartment.

Infotainment

Accessed by a 10.1-inch dash-mounted touchscreen, the Audi MMI interface puts a mass of information, including navigation, at the driver’s fingertips. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard.

Digital radio DAB+ is played through a 180W sound system with 10 speakers and sub-woofer. Wireless mobile phone charging also is standard in addition to two USB outlets front and back.

Engines/transmissions

A 2.0 litre TFSI turbo engine works with an electric motor to put out a combined 270 kW and 500 Nm, which is fed to the road through a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission and Audi quattro all-wheel drive.

A 14.4 kWh lithium-ion battery, located under the rear cargo area, can be fuelled up to 7.2 kW AC for a full charge in around two-and-a-half hours.

The vehicle is supplied with all charging gear, including 240V three-pin standard plug, 230V 32 Amp industrial plug and wall bracket mount, plus a Type 2 cable for use at public charging stations.

Safety

The Audi Q5 range initially received a five-star

The new Q5 55 TFSI e quattro S line showcases the manufacturer’s expertise in electrification and highly efficient internal combustion engine technology. (Pictures: Supplied)

ANCAP rating, which ran out in January –not that safety is now second class. Passive features include eight airbags – dual front, dual front-side, dual curtain and dual rear-side.

Active safety includes autonomous emergency braking (up to 85 km/h) with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring (side assist), collision avoidance assist, exit warning, automatic high-beam, hill descent control,lane-keepassist,rearcross-trafficalert, tyre pressure monitoring, turn and swerve assist, predictive efficiency assistant, driver attention monitoring, plus rear-view camera and active bonnet.

Parking is given a wider perspective thanks to 360-degree cameras, plus park assist, hold assist and hill descent control.

Driving

UnlikeotherICE/electricmotorhybrids,which generally make all the decisions about power generation, the Q5 55 TFSI e gives the driver a greaterinputintohowthetwosourcescombine by choosing one of four operating modes via the touchscreen.

Hybrid mode operates automatically through the route guidance in the navigation system and can be also selected manually. Here the battery charge is optimally distributed across the route to maintain minimum fuel consumption.

In stop-start traffic the Q5 Sportback e quattrorunsmainlyonbatterypowerbasedon a large amount of data from on-board sensors. On the open road, when the driver releases the accelerator engine management decides whether to coast with the engine off or use power regen to convert into electrical energy. All these functions are switched on and off with the minimum effect on the driving performance – the rare engine note in no way being a negative intrusion to cabin occupants.

A further three modes are at the driver’s fingertips. In EV mode – the default setting whenever the car is started – the car is powered by electricity alone, so long as the driver does not depress the accelerator pedal past a certain variable pressure point. The Sportback can run as far as 53km up to 135km/h on the emission-free electric motor alone.

In Hold mode, battery capacity is held at the current level. In Charge mode, the drive management system increases the energy in the battery using the internal combustion engine. As it does during regeneration, the electric motor charges the drive battery.

Summary

The Audi Q5 Sportback 55 TFSI e quattro S line? In a word, impressive.

Youngsters tussle at Queens Park

Independent photographer Ivan Kemp was at Queens Park on Saturday May 4 for the BNL 17 & Under Division 2 clash between Geelong Amateur and Ocean Grove.

Eve Lake leaps to take a pass for Ocean Grove.

Ava Verhagen in action.

Charlotte De Grandi takes a shot on goal.

Arabella Clarke pulls in a one hander.

Left: Eve Lake stretches out. Centre: Rikki McMaster at full stretch. Right: Annika Willis stretches to pull down a pass (top); Phoebe Walker shot 16 goals for Ammos (Pictures: Ivan Kemp) 405169

Left: Sienna O’Neill stretches out to accept a pass for Geelong Amateur.

Above: Holly Clifford scored five goals. Right: Charlotte Heenan wins the ball.

Grubbers downed by three points

Voice photographer Ivan Kemp ventured Highton’s Queens Park for the Geelong Amateur vs Ocean Grove reserves footy match. Ammos won a nailbiter by three points.

Lachie Allan leads in the race for the ball.

Above: Leighton Driscoll in a tight contest, and marking near goal. Below: Lachie Bedendo fires off a handpass.

Left: Jack Connolly kicks forward. Centre: Xavier Norman in a marking contest. Right: Baxter Stephensen marks strongly on the goal line. (Pictures: Ivan Kemp) 405172

Noah Cunningham, who booted four goals, plays on after a mark. Right: Baxter Stephensen takes a good mark.

Brandon Duckworth marks in between two Ocean Grove players.

30 years for Lakers Basketball Club

Leopold Lakers Basketball Club is celebrating 30 years in 2024.

New president Jayson Newman has only taken on the role recently but is passionate about ensuring the future of the club.

“Tocelebrateour30thanniversarytheLakers are taking this milestone as an opportunity to rebrand and reinvigorate our club,” he said.

“Ourobjectiveistoempowerourplayersand providepathwaysforthemtobeabletoachieve their basketball dream, regardless of how big those dreams may be.

“Our club mission is to encourage, develop, and welcome anyone who is interested in playingbasketball.Ouryoungestplayersinour Aussie Hoops program start at six years old, and our aim is to develop in them a life-long passion for basketball.”

Newman said the Lakers are a family club that has a focus on getting kids to play basketball with their friends.

“We put almost 300 kids on the court each week, and we represent over 240 families,“ he said. “As an under 12s coach for the last couple of seasons I’ve always told the team that I had two rules for them – have fun; and don’t worry about the scoreboard.

“Theideawasifwewerehavingfunweplayed our best basketball, and then the scoreboard took care of itself. This ‘philosophy’ didn’t always translate to wins but that was never the point. It was instilling in the players a love for the game, and at that age and experience

was the best foundation to provide them. And don’t think for a second we weren’t 100 percent competitive. It’s these ideals we want our club to be known for.”

Visit leopoldlakersbc.com for more information or contact the club via leopoldlakersbc@gmail.com

Moolap victors in decider

It’s the beginning of finals for Tennis Geelong’s Summer Night Competitions, with the different sections spread over two weeks.

Thursday Triples Section 1 this week saw a rematch of last spring’s final with Moolap’s Two Phones Chol hosting Grovedale. Chol won through in two of their three meetings during the season, but Grovedale were good enough to get over the line in their Round 8 encounter by three games. With clouds looming and rain threatening, the final gotunderway,andasexpectedthecompetition was fierce, with both teams familiar with the other’s style of play. Grovedale took an early lead with Nick Armstrong and Brodie Spong winning the first doubles 6-2, while Jacob Dingli took the first singles 6-4.

The second singles was a nail biter, going down to the wire, before Lachy Edgar secured

the win in a tie-break for Moolap, while on the other court Sophie De Wit and Connor Chivell levelled the match at two sets all with a 6-2 win, leaving Grovedale one game ahead going into the final two sets.

At this point the skies opened, and play was suspended with the match resuming on Monday. Coming back in much better conditions, the match was poised as a thriller. Edgar and Chivell did the job for Moolap in the third doubles posting a 6-3 win, and Callum Davey sealed the night for Moolap winning the final singles 6-0, giving them the come from behind win four sets to two, and their fifth win in six seasons.

It was also grand final night for Monday Women’s Section 1, with minor premiers Grape Therapy coming up against Highton’s Smash Hits. It was a tough battle on the first court with many long rallies and some great shot making, and the teams held serve until five-all. From there, Emily Sullivan and

Whiting flock to Stingaree Bay

The inner harbour has been offering some good fishing again this week with Stingaree Bay proving to be a standout for a variety of species, especially King George whiting.

Anglers fishing in this area in depths from 2 to 4 metres have been finding good numbers of whiting on the chew.

Althoughnotquitethesizeandquality as Clifton Springs they certainly are in great numbers. Burley goes a long way in here or pilchard cubes in a metal pot of pellets thrown into the water, they both really help.

It’swellworthhavingsomebiggerbaits out as there has also been good numbers of flathead, salmon and pinky snapper cruising about the whiting grounds at the moment. Further inside Corio Bay, Australian salmon have been holding in good numbers around the Corio Quay area.

Typically sitting a bit below the surface all the way to the bottom but at some particular times they can be seen busting the surface attacking small baitfish.

The outer harbour has continued to offer some exceptional King George whiting fishing with reports showing no sign of slowing down with anglers reporting daily with bag limits being landed.

Anywhere from Point Henry all the way to Portarlington in that 3.5 to 4 metre range has been amongst some hot action with fish to over 40cm being thrown into the mix. Again burley helps with the best baits being pipis and squid. Calamari remain a viable fishing option with these suckers still holding in good numbers amongst the shallows. 3.0 size jigsinbothnaturalandbrightcoloursare working well.

Swan Bay has still got some good garfish reports coming through to anglersfishingeitherthepierorinaboat. A steady and consistent burley trail is key to chasing these guys with just a tiny piece of bait suspended under a pencil float. Pipis, pilchard and prawn are great baits.

BeingSwanBayitdefinitelypaystoput some other baits out for other fish as just about every fish that lives in the bay lurks in here.

Sharon Miguel-Cranston broke to take the lead, then went on to win the set 8-5 for Smash Hits.

Things were a little easier for Anne-Marie McCaskell and Claire Mullen on the second court, taking the win 8-1.

The third set saw Sullivan team with McCaskell,anddespiteaconcertedeffortfrom their opposition, they proved too consistent takingthewin8-3.Lengthyralliespunctuated the final set, with Miguel-Cranston and Mullen taking the court, and again taking the win for Smash Hits 8-5, giving the team a clean sweep for the night and their first premiership.

This week will see the remaining six Triples sections and Section 2 Women’s play their finals, which will provide a lead in for Tuesday Midweek finals which start on Tuesday.

There will be plenty of great tennis over the next few weeks, so if you want to see what’s on offer, sneak down and take a peek.

When the weather permits there is still some great fishing offshore Barwon Heads with pinky snapper and gummy sharks all in great numbers. Fishing with fresh blood baits like salmon or trevally are always a hot favourite and so too is squid. Can expect to also encounter a variety of other cool species in the grounds where the gummies are at the moment like swallow tail, nannygai and big flathead.

Leopold Lakers under 14 girls teams (Spirit and Jaguars) that faced off in last season’s grand final.

(Supplied)

Matt Vanjek with a haul of whiting. (Supplied)

ON THE BITE

Peri Stavropoulos

Monday Women’s Section 1 Smash Hits: Emily Sullivan, Sharon Miguel-Cranston, Claire Mullen and Anne-Marie McCaskill. (Supplied)

LOCAL TENNIS

Donna Schoenmaekers

Grubbers searching for first win

Seniors

Ladder: 10th

A winless season so far probably doesn’t tell the full story of the rebuilding Grubbers. They have been in most games at some point. A lack of scoring power seems to be hurting them, but at times, they have played seriously good footy. The aim now is to stick to the process and reap the rewards further down the track. Ruckman Ed Dayman is probably leading the B&F at the moment while Max Sutton wouldn’t be too far behind.

Reserves

Ladder: 6th

That round 6 loss to Geelong Amateur by three points really hurt. The Grubbers play Newcomb and Anglesea after the break and will start favourites in both before a huge game against Drysdale to round off the first half of the season.

Under 18 Tyrell

A loss to Torquay and then a competitive loss to Barwon Heads started the grading games, which will see the team in Division 3. A big win against Grovedale in the final grading game gave the side a lot of hope going forward. The team opened their season proper with a 20-point win against Portarlington.

Under 18 McCartney

A loss in round 1, a three-point loss to Joeys in round 2, a big win against Bell Park the week afterandahuge162-pointwinagainstAmmos.

James Robbins, Hugo Walsh and Jace Collins have all had a taste of senior footy while Billy Hayward has been super consistent. The team will compete in Division 1 this season where it went down by 20 points to Leopold in round 1 on May 11.

Under 16 Neeld

Three big wins looks set to propel the team into Division 1 with one grading game to play. Byron Hansford has two hauls of five goals and another bag of three. The boys lost to Joeys by 19 points in their final grading game.

Under 16 McTaggart

The side has improved each week despite losing all four games. The final grading game was a biglosstoSurfCoastSuns.CharlieRaehashad a good season so far.

Under 16 Sherwell

Three wins and a loss. Grady Kerin has been in the bests twice as has Ryan Tolley and Malakai Walker.

Under 16 Beaton

The girls had a big loss in round 1, but then thrashed Torquay by 168 points, had a narrow loss to Peninsula Sharks before rebounding with a gritty win against Joeys. Those results will see the team compete in Division 2 where they opened their season proper with a 140-point win with Siena King booting five goals. Holly Confoy has been consistent along with Tannah Andrews and Georgia Rolfs and Siena King booted six goals in round 2.

Under 14 Every

Three losses and a win so far, but there were good signs in round 3 and even better signs in round 4, beating Torquay. Cooper Levis has been in the best each week and Ted Spurdens and Nate Bush three times.

Under 14 Walter

A 101-point win against Barwon Heads in round 3 has been the highlight of the season so far and a 21-point win on the weekend. Jedah Zurawel has led the way while Harry Larsen and Sam McNamee have also been good.

Under 14 Pearson

A 40-point win against East Geelong and a 42-point win against Barwon Heads the highlights. Brodie Edmond has featured in the best every game while Finn Briggs, Harry Jankowski, Tommy Pallero and Ryder Schuller have played well.

Under 14 Dean

Tough going the first two weeks, but an encouraging one-point loss in round 3 and a 10-point loss in round 4. Harry Bright has had afineseasonashaveBillyBianco,DylanAtkins and Aerie Strode.

Under 14 Tisdale

Twowinsandtwolosseswillseethegirlsplayin Division 1 where they defeated Bell Park by 15 points. Sammi Needham and Hahana Young have been consistent while Emma Robinson has kicked six goals.

Under 14 Lamb

The girls will compete in Division 2 where they started off with a three-point loss in a low-scoring game. Ellie Rundle is having a great season as is Grace Tolley while Bridie Brown, Isabella Montgomery, Lola Rutley and Phoebe Punchard have played well.

How the Grubbers are tracking in season 2024

A Grade Ladder: 3rd

Ocean Grove had its first loss in round 6 and it was a hefty one, to top side Geelong Amateur, which was without star shooter Ruby Watson. Another massive test comes immediately after the bye with a meeting against second placed and league surprise packet Newcomb. The Grubbers are still gelling as a team and should doenoughtofinishtopthreeandearnadouble chance come finals time.

B Grade Ladder: 2nd

Ocean Grove should win its next two games, but then faces a big test against third placed Anglesea. Goalers Jesse Sutton and Amelia Cunningham are in good form and it would be a huge surprise to see the side finish any lower than third.

C Grade Ladder: 1st

D Grade Ladder: 2nd

E Grade

Ladder: 4th

The aim will be to finish in the top three and withgamestocomeagainstthreeteamsoutside the five, the E Graders could find themselves there pretty quickly.

19 & Under Ladder: 9th

This year will be a learning one for Ocean Grove, which is winless so far. An extra week thanks to a bye should rejuvenate the team, which will be eyeing off a victory in the second part of the season.

17 & Under Division 1

Ladder: 2nd

stage, finals should be a formality.

15 & Under Division 1

Ladder: 8th

Despite winning one game so far, this team has only had one heavy loss and has been competitive without having any luck. Perhaps the best performance for the season came in a loss - by three goals to unbeaten Portarlington.

15 & Under Division 2

Ladder: 3rd

A two-goal loss to top side Ammos before the break shows that this side is capable of matching it with the best.

13 & Under Division 1

Ladder: 5th

Despite sitting on top of the ladder on 20 points,it’sanevenCGradecompthisyearwith four teams all on 16 points and a further three on 12 points. Grove’s first game back after the byeisagainstNewcomb.ThePowerisineighth spot, but don’t let that fool you. They have a percentage of 98.48 and represent a stern test.

A game clear of Torquay in third and a game in arrears of Ammos on the top, the Grubbers face three teams who are all outside the top in the next three rounds. Then the season is at its halfway point and it’s highly unlikely this side finishes outside the top three. Despite losing to Ammos in round six, there was enough in that performance to suggest the tables could turn later in the season.

This is another competitive division, but Ocean Grove is well placed. Games against Drysdale (7th) and Anglesea (8th) to round out the first half of the season has the side in a nice position to challenge Portarlington for the minor premiership.

17 & Under Division 2

Ladder: 3rd

In yet another close comp, Grove’s next three games are against 6th, 8th and 9th on the ladder. There’s a bit of work to do to catch Torquay and Ammos, but even at this early

Only three wins separates 1st from 6th with theyoungGrubbersinthemixforafinalsspot. The best win of the season so far was against the Seagulls in round 4.

13 & Under Division 2

Ladder: 6th

If not for a two-goal loss to Port and a five-goal defeat to Ammos, the side would be well entrenched in the five. The highlight came in round 4 with a 31-goal win against fifth placed Barwon Heads. With the

Bellarine Netball League taking a break last weekend, Justin Flynn looks at all Ocean Grove’s sides.

Amelia Cunningham has been a valuable player for Ocean Grove’s B Grade team. (Ivan Kemp)

Justin Flynn takes a look at Ocean Grove’s footy season from seniors through to Under 14s.

Left: Max Sutton has been ashining light for the Grubbers. Right: Ed Dayman has had a superb season in the ruck. (Pictures: Ivan Kemp) 350265

Gordon

Armstrong Green Resident

If location is a high priority when considering your next move, look no further. Armstrong Green is conveniently located across the road from the Warralily shopping precinct where you will find:

- Woolworths & Aldi

- Specialty shops and cafés

- Fast food outlets

- Bakery

- Bottleshop

- Pharmacy

- Medical Practices

- Allied Health

- Veterinary Practice