May 2014 1

Clear skies and crisp mountain air provided ideal conditions for the 2014 Giant Odyssey on the Anzac Day weekend. A field of 1300 riders tackled various courses, with competitors ranging in age from 6 (4 took part in the 15 km event) up to a 70 year old who finished the 100 kms. Participants came from all Australian states, the UK, Philippines and New Zealand.Chris Jongerwaard came out of retirement to claim his 5th Odyssey victory in a time of just over 4 hours and 20 minutes. That’s an incredible average speed

of 23 km/hour over 100 kms of steep climbs, single track and rough terrain.‘I told my fiancé I was going to give it a crack and when you give it a crack you’ve got to go for gold,’ said Chris at race end. The objective for most riders is to challenge themselves to complete the course, rather than to race. 57 year old Adrian Murnane who has a property in Forrest that he shares with son Jayden and family, completed his first 50km race in just under 3½ hours. His grandchildren cheered and greeted him with a ‘Yay Poppy’ sign as

he crossed the finish line.‘I’ve never been this fit in my life and I needed something to aim for,’ said Adrian. ‘My wife entered me because she believed I could do it.’‘The support from the Forrest community was once again outstanding and really appreciated,’ said Race Director, John Jacoby. ‘Forrest is one of the best mountain biking destinations in Australia and we always receive really good feedback from race participants,’ he said.Local mountain bike champion Jess Douglas finished 5th in the women’s event having completed the 100 km course every year since its inception in 2007.

Adrian Murnane, happy to cross the finish line

Epic Otway OdysseyMAY 2014

After 5 years on the market, the Forrest General Store is set to have a new owner in August. Rose McAlpin and Jim Fell took over the property 26 years to the day before the sale was finalised on May 1. ‘I woke up and thought, “If it’s going to sell, it’s going to sell today!”’ said Rose. Interest was sluggish when the store first went to market, but has increased dramatically over the last two years. Rose puts it down to the popularity

of the bike trails and increased numbers of visitors to town.The new owner is moving from Melbourne and has plans to redevelop the space and the business.As for retirement, Rose is looking forward to being able sit down and read a book, but what will she miss? ‘The people,’ she said. ‘After this long we’ve made a lot of friends. Wherever we go it will be to a strange neighbourhood.’

It’s a boy!

Simon Stewart, Chef at the Forrest Guesthouse, partner Kara and big sister Scarlett welcomed Ezra Campbell to the family in early April.

SOLD!

Wish you were here

Congratulations to Forrest artist Sandy Taylor-Smith who won the Hinterland category of a postcard competition organised by community group Creative Otways. Her mixed media work entitled, ‘There be baby dragons in this Forrest’, is on display with the other Hinterland entries at COPACC. Some of the 1300 riders power off the start line

May 20142 May 2014 3

After saying goodbye to her first host family, our schoolgirl on exchange had a brief visit to St Petersburg with other students. ‘I am going to miss my first ever host parents Tujia and Jorma very much. They are so caring and thoughtful and took me to meet their extended family in so many different places.’The Church of the Saviour of Spilled Blood is one of St Petersburg’s main attractions. ‘This church was just incredible! We did not go inside but the outside was good enough. The detail on the roofs, and every window has a different stained glass effect. We did not stop there for long, the time we spent there was enough to walk around and take about 100 photos – I just couldn’t stop!’

Finnish line!The Forrest Men’s shed maintained the tradition of a friendly game of two up on Anzac Day. Under the watchful eye of Boxer (game supervisor) Graeme Knight, community members and visitors tried their hands as Spinner and at predicting the toss outcome. Two up was popular with Australian soldiers during World War 1 and has become a customary part of Anzac Day commemorations. Original pennies are still used, partly to honour the origins of the game, but also because their weight, size and design provide the best spin and landing.Some beginner Spinners at the Men’s Shed found it difficult to get the hang of the coin toss. Not all coins landed in the field of play, some ending up behind cupboards or raining down on the spinner’s head. Graeme made sure that all the rules were followed, disallowing tosses that were too low or where the coins did not spin adequately. Funds raised from bbq lamb burgers will help build the new shed, recently supported by a State Government grant. At the end of the day, no-one had appeared to lose the shirt off their back, although some pockets were definitely lighter.

Two up-manship

Letter to the editors... Men’s Shed to the rescue!

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Thursday 10.00 - Late for Lunch & PIZZA for Dinner

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Thursday night is PIZZA night, plenty of flavour and casual style dinner.

Bookings are a great idea.

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Spinner Stuart Baker tosses the coins under the watchful eye of Boxer Graeme Knight.

On a recent family escape to the unique Otways Loft (part treehouse, part vintage train in a rambling adventure garden) the fridge decided to pack it in. Owner Fleur Leslie got working on a solution with a ring-around her town contacts and eventually found the Men’s Shed willing to lend a hand. Stuart Baker and the boys emptied out their second fridge and wheeled it over to us on Sanderson Lane. No worries. No trouble. No charge.

Not only did they help hubby get the broken fridge out,

and their replacement fridge in, but they took the time to offer up some colourful banter about the town (‘We had a rally down the main drag to protest the Optus tower!’), point out the best spots to eat, and talk about their plans to make the Shed bigger and better for the blokes of Forrest. ‘Would you like some of these beans I’ve grown in the garden?’ Nice to feel like we were locals, and not blow ins - got to love the spirit of the bush.

Katie Cincotta

Jasmine Walsh is a local schoolgirl on a 12-month Rotary exchange in Finland.

Recipe for success

The children at Forrest Primary School have been working on a set of values for living and being together and for taking pride in everything they do. Their program centres on four values that constitute ‘The Forrest Way’. These values are Excellence, Support, Respect and Healthy choices.

‘We encourage our community to support our ways of being and use these terms too,’ says Jo Ridgeway, specialist teacher at the school. ‘A happier day is just a healthy choice away!’

Looking for quality childcare that’s fun and educational?

Look no further…

FORREST EARLY LEARNING CENTRE

Catering for children from birth- school age

Morning (9-2pm) and Afternoon (2-6pm) sessions available

Contact Forrest Primary School for more information

Tara Hulonce 5236 6393

Looking for quality childcare that’s fun and educational?

Look no further...

FORREST EARLY LEARNING CENTRE

Catering for children from birth-school ageMorning (9-2pm) and

Afternoon (2-6pm) sessions available

Contact Forrest Primary School for more information

Tara Hulonce 5236 6393

May 20144 May 2014 5

What prompted the move to the Forrest police station?

Dale: I did a bit of research and there were signs that the Forrest community is really up and about. Happenings at the Men’s Shed and the hall and the Forrest Post showed that it was a busy community. We didn’t really have anything planned,

but when this opportunity came up I discussed the pros and cons with the family and we decided to go for it. It all happened quite quickly, with the advertising in February and then I started in April.

What have been your first impressions?

Dale: My first impression is just how dark the nights are! I’ve been working in the station until after dark and when I turn the lights off I can’t even see my way across to the house.

We have found the people really friendly, and I’m not just saying that because it’s the thing to say. Everyone is making us feel welcome,

both me and my family. Someone said, ‘You’re here to look after us’ and said I was hoping it was also the other way around!

You’ve moved here with your family.

Dale: Yes, with my wife Felicity and my two boys Hugh, 12, and Luke

who’s turning 8. We’ve been trying to get out and explore the town and our surroundings. My kids have loved going down to Stephenson’s Falls, they’ve been there 3 or 4 times. We’re keen to get to places like Deans Marsh and Birregurra and also to have a look at the trails.

How do you see things for the future?

Dale: The job is a minimum 2 year placement. I’ve been in the police force for nearly 20 years and I’ve moved around a bit and worked in a wide variety of roles. It will be a change going from crime and investigations to traffic and community safety and I’m looking forward to familiarising myself with roads and areas around town.

I think it’s really good after 6 months without a police officer for everyone to know that if you have an issue there can be a policeman on site in minutes. It is really important that things are reported. As the local policeman it’s important to know what’s happening around town.

Who’s who: The Op Shop ladies

Nancy Kurzman, Bev Frizon, Pat Peskett, Marj Crabbe (not pictured), with help from Noel Kurzman.

How long have you been in Forrest?

Bev and Pat: since 1956, Nancy: since 1959, Marj: lifetime.

It’s unusual to find an op shop in a church, how did that happen?

Bev: We started in 1997, to raise funds for the Anglican Church in the Otways. At first we were in the Hall but had to pack up each week. In 1999 we moved to Station St, to the shop that’s now the Corner Store—John Weegburg and later David Frizon gave it to us rent free!

In 2004 we moved into Matt’s shop, but then he started the Brewery. So then we moved into half of the church, with the permission of the church and support of Anglicare.

We raise up to $3000 a year. We know our prices are low but we like to have good turnover, and also it’s an outreach for the church. We often help people like refugee families with children’s clothes, or linen, or cutlery.

What’s it like working in the Op Shop?

Pat: We meet lots of different people, people from all over Australia!

Bev: It’s great, I remember one day a young man called in on his way to the Apollo Bay music festival. He didn’t have much to wear so he bought a suit and wore it on stage that night!

Nancy: We had some boys in once that had us in stitches. They were going to a ‘unisex’ party, and were trying on ladies dresses. But they still had their black socks on—oh, their legs! (Chuckles all around.)

Bev: Some families have dressed their children from here, and as they get older, they return the clothes and buy more; it’s like a lending library. It’s great in the winter because tourists don’t realise how cold it is here, so they race in and buy warm clothes.

Nancy: Last Saturday we had a couple who were not long married, who were camping at Lake Elizabeth. She said it was so cold, it was nearly a divorce. She asked if we had any foam mattresses.

What’s the future?

Bev: Well, Pat’s 85 this month, and Marj and I are 79; Nancy’s the chicken: she’s 72 …

Nancy: We’ll keep the shop open for as long as we can.

Who’s

Who Wh

o’s New

The

Op S

hop

Lad

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zies

Geotechnical RepoRtsRisk assessmentscomputeR DesiGnslope stabilityWateR supplyFaRm Damsbush FiRe assessmentsite classiFications

Consulting EnginEEr

MICHAEL DELAHUNTY beng mieaust

ph 0428 141 441Fax 03 5233 4608

mddelahunty@bigpond.com

www.2020es.com

CommunityCalendarFootball & Netball

May 10

May 17

May 31

July 13

Otway Districts (Away)

Colac Imperials (Home)

Western Eagles (Away)

Reverse Raffle Fundraiser

Run Forrest

June 8 21 & 10km trail runsrunforrest.com.au

Church Services - St James Church, Grant St

2nd & 4th Sundays

1st Sunday

Anglican Services, 11.15am

Uniting Services,10.30am

Soup Fest

June 8 Delcious soups, local music and market

Mountain Bike Riding

Thursdays, 6pm ‘Brew Crew - Under Lights’ meet at Forrest Brewery

Forrest CFA

May 25, 10.30am

Forrest CFA AGM CFA Shed (members only)

For the second week in a row, Forrest was the venue for a mountain bike challenge. Again riders set out under blue skies, but the weather didn’t hold for the duration of the Forrest 6 hour on May 3.

330 entrants formed teams of two, three and four, while some set out solo for 3 or 6 hours of continual mountain bike trail loops. Most came back clean from their first laps, but as the rain settled in colourful bikes turned dark grey and faces were spotted with mud.

What was not dampened was the enthusiasm of the competitors. In a village carnival type atmosphere of tents, music and camaraderie, riders tagged in the next team member for their turn on the track and cheered the solo riders as they passed.

It was a big day for Forrest local Andrew Evans, who chose the challenge of a solo 3 hour ride over a team entry.

‘Pretty much I love mountain bike riding and I decided to take a big step and go into it much harder,’ said Andrew as he waited at the starting line.

The 12 year old was the youngest entrant in the solo category, completing three laps of the course. Two bikes fell by the wayside, but

Andrew had a smile at the end. ‘It was wet and muddy and fun,’ he said.

Local champ Jess Douglas won the women’s solo 6 hour and the Forrest Brew Crew team of Matt Bradshaw, Sandy Maxwell, Jayden Murnane and Peter Ashton took out the Men’s 4 category.

A dirty day for the Forrest 6 hour

Left The Brew Crew celebrate their win Right Andrew Evans comes through after lap 2

May 20146 May 2014 7

The Aboriginal heritage of the Forrest area is not well known, even among long-term residents. However, people attending a recent Indigenous history event in Forrest learned how Aboriginal people have retained contact with the country and knowledge of traditional culture in this region.Many assume the original inhabitants of this region were completely wiped out with European settlement in the 1830s and 40s. There are many records of massacres, murders and disease reducing numbers drastically in these years, and Aboriginal people were certainly displaced from their traditional homelands and hunting grounds. Despite this, researchers

and family historians are finding that some local Aboriginal family groups go back multiple generations in this district.Initially, hundreds of local Aboriginal people sought protection at ‘missions’. Eventually, some worked and lived on the farms of the growing communities. The Bunting Dale mission located between Birregurra and Forrest from 1839 to 1951 was the first of these. Colac author Heather le Griffon’s book Campfires at the

cross tells the story of the mission in these difficult and often tragic times for Aboriginals.Forrest is near the line drawn between the Otways-coastal Gadubanud (koala to king parrot) language area and the inland Gulidjan country, which stretches from Gellibrand to Colac and Birregurra (place where kangaroo rests). Four known clans lived in the Gulidjan country, each with differing languages. However, boundaries are artificial as the groups intermarried and moved along traditional trading routes and story lines at particular times of the year.The Otway National and Forest Parks contain more than 100 registered Aboriginal heritage places, but this is likely a small percentage of the cultural sites that exist in the region. Richard Collopy, a member of the Kirrae Whurrong men’s group, says Aboriginal people still visit cultural sites and observe tradition, though generally they would not attract attention. He and others are working hard to educate people in languages and customs to ensure these continue.

This is a winter favourite of mine, it takes no time at all and there is always a bag of peas in the freezer. Plus it’s a great hangover cure!

2 cloves garlic, crushed1 brown onion, finely diced1 carrot, finely diced 2 sticks of celery500g bag of frozen peas1½ lt good quality chicken stockBunch tarragon leaves eggs

1. Saute garlic and onion in saucepan with a pinch of salt in a good dash of olive oil until translucent.2. Add carrot and celery - cook until soft.3. Add chicken stock and bring to the boil then add green peas - cook for 2-3 minutes, then add tarragon.4. Blitz with stick blender until smooth and silky then season.5. Bring water to boil in saucepan with a dash of vinegar and poach eggs for 3-4 minutes.6. Serve soup in bowl - drop egg in middle and give it a good splash of extra virgin olive oil and fresh cracked pepper.

By Simon Stewart, Chef, Forrest Guesthouse

Forrest’s Aboriginal heritage - past and continuing

Gunditjmara and KirraeWhurrong dance group, courtesy of Richard Collopy

YOURRIDESTARTSHERE

CNR STATION ST & BLUNDY STBIKES - COFFEE - CULTURE

Green pea & tarragon soup with soft poached eggs

Recipe

TRIPP BUILDING

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MBA Member: 099036

Two unique, fully self-contained, 3 bedroom cottages

Centrally located in the township of Forrest

For bookings:www.ozbook.com.auPhone 5233 3579

5 Grant Street FORREST

The Forrest Post is an initiative of the Forrest and District Community Group. Every effort is made to remain current, accurate and non-partisan. Feedback, submissions and advertising input are encouraged. Submissions may be edited. You may request an electronic version by email delivery.

Contact theforrestpost@gmail.comEditors Mandy Bishop, Mary DracupLayout/design Laura McKinnon

© Forrest and District Community Group

Caspers Accommodationa true Ride-in Ride-out experience

Located in the heart of the Yaugher Trail Network

Fully self-contained apartmentSleeping up to four

Contact Rob or Deb0408 982 880

pindanredangus@gmail.comwww.rideforrest.com.au

May 20148

The short-beaked echidna belongs to an order of animals called monotremes, which are basically egg laying marsupials. The only other monotreme (other than 3 species of long beaked echidnas that live in Papua New Guinea) is the platypus. The female echidna lays one leathery soft shelled egg, which she places in her pouch. Following the hatching of the egg, her baby will suckle on milk which weeps from pores in the pouch. Their favourite tucker is largely ants and termites, which they get at by ripping into nests in trees and dirt with powerful claws. Once it has located the ant tunnels, the echidna uses its sticky and very long tongue to probe the ant pathways and collect its prey, which are ground between its tongue and jaw, as it

has no real teeth. The male echidna has a spur on its hind leg which was probably used for defence at some point in its evolution. The platypus also has a similar spur, however it still has a poison gland, where it appears the echidna now uses the spur and the waxy secretion for marking its territory. The evolution of the echidna is somewhat of a mystery to science, as its ancestors have been

very similar for millions of years. The echidna is a common resident around Forrest, especially in the heathy forests. The best time for a sighting by the trails is in autumn and spring. They hibernate in winter and stay out of the heat in summer as they don’t have sweat glands or the ability to pant to regulate their temperature.

Peter Ashton, Forrest Guesthouse

Echidna!

Cue groovy disco tunes! Straight backs, shoulders down and breathe in and out! The gentle exercise class is a workout for the mind and body with plenty of laughter! Instructor Kerry Searle from Bluewater Fitness Centre has been leading the class for the past two and a half years. Under Kerry’s expert guidance the class moves through weighted and resistance band exercises that relate to everyday movements, mostly on a chair to provide stability and support. The 1-hour session encompasses strength, balance, co-ordination, stretching and breathing exercises that test the memory as well. She says the class is

for anyone who wants to keep active and alert, with the exercises able to be modified to accommodate each person’s ability, injury or disability. Kerry says it’s great fun teaching such a fun, enthusiastic group. There is plenty of chatting while everyone lifts and stretches. Leila Day keeps everyone up to date while Joy Evans makes sure to keep count of the repetitions!Rosemary Murnane and Lois Kemp are two Forrest locals who benefit from the class. Lois has been coming along for the last 5 years while Rosemary began soon after the class was started almost 20 years ago. They said they enjoyed the class for not only the physical and mental

health benefits but also the social atmosphere. Rosemary said, ‘It keeps your mind active and your knees ready to tackle the veggie garden. The friendships as well - we catch up each week and then see each other about town and in Colac.’ The class is held every Tuesday at 11am at the Forrest Neighbourhood House. The class costs $3, with the option of staying for even more chatting over a light lunch for $3. If anyone is interested in coming on the bus from Colac they can contact the Colac Otway Shire on 5232 9551 or for further information contact Gillian at the Forrest Neighbourhood House on 5236 6591.

Gentle excerise keeps the community limber

A fossicking short-beaked echnidna

Left, the enthusiastic group; middle and right, Strength, co-ordination and stretching exercises using bands and hand weights.