Distributed FREE every Friday

www.milduraweekly.com.au Friday, June 4, 2010

Sealedwithakiss

Vol. 4 No. 30

WITH LOVE, FROM PERU: This is a love story with a nice twist, about the pro surfer and

a lass from the Millewa... See Pages 14 and 15.

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www.milduraweekly.com.au2 Mildura Weekly - 04/06/10

www.sunraysiaonline.com.au 04/06/10 - Mildura Weekly 3

No.173 Orange Ave, Mildura

Ph: 50211777 - Fax: 5021 1733mwclassies@milduraweekly.com.au

read newspaper in Sunraysia

IT is blatantly obvious that as far as the so-called Mildura Casino Debate is concerned, some peo-ple just cant see the forest for the trees!

Forget the word Casino. Con-centrate on the fact that someone is prepared to inject a considerable amount of money into a world-class entertainment, convention and accommodation complex, right here in Mildura.

At little or no cost to council, no cost to ratepayers, no cost to business and a lot to gain in a lot of areas.

Mind you, the sum that has been mentioned, between $300 and $400 million, could be some-what exaggerated... unless of course this debate drags on for 20 years like the Mildura Marina... and thats on the cards the way things are going.

Vocal minority groups have been quick to con-demn the proposal. Some clergy have joined in the fray based on the evils of gambling. Perhaps they forget that it was church-based groups who started Bingo here 40 years ago as a fund-raiser.

The highly-respected and far-reaching Mallee Family Care doesnt want it. But it would certainly be one of the organisa-tions to benefi t hugely, along with other social, welfare, sporting and not-for-profi t groups from the hundreds of thousands of dollars that would be gifted locally out of the profi ts each year.

Some groups and individuals have even said that proponents John Haddad, Don Carrazza (PIC-TURED) and others stand to make a handsome profi t from the Jewel. H-e-l-l-o? If it wasnt for entre-preneurs like the Carrazzas, the Faulkheads, the Harwoods, the

Dunnings, the Lakes, the Man-gans, the Davison, the Thomsons, the Wakefi elds, the Markwells, the Lanyons, the Tierneys, the Moras, many transport and airline vision-aries and others, Mildura would be dead and buried by now.

We could name dozens more. We have leaders in the world of real estate, table grape and carrot growing, the houseboat industry. The list is almost endless. These are people who have put their money where their mouth is, creating

business, housing and population growth, jobs and endless oppor-tunities for thousands. Theyve all made handsome profi ts, and there is nothing wrong with that!

There are virtually no negatives in the casino debate. The Govern-ment has a second licence to give out. Its preferred choice is Mildu-

ra. The land, both private and Government-owned, is available, at no cost to the ratepayer.

This is a proposal that sits well with the riverfront development plan. You might remember this was a plan given the green light seven years ago. Apart from re-locating a few houseboats, tidying up the cacti garden and making a start on new mooring sites and boardwalk near the wharf, very little has been done.

Councils last meeting was

interesting. The debate on the casino proposal lasted less than an hour. A couple of councillors declared a confl ict of interest and left the room. One involved a possible business link... another in the entertainment fi eld. Good-ness, the other councillors might have a meal there one day too.

Perhaps they should have all left the room.

It was suggested in some quar-ters that the proposal be put to the public vote. Cr Hilton-Wood summed it up nicely: Why elect councillors to make the hard deci-sions if you have to put projects to the public vote?

We have an anti-casino lobby, and other very vocal opponents of more gambling. They havent said anything about horse, dog and harness racing, the fact that

you can now bet on races around the world 24/7 (Sweden, France and South Africa in-cluded), internet gam-bling that is sucking up untold multi-millions, Tattslotto in its varied and widely-publicised forms, footy bets... who kicks the fi rst goal, winning margins etc... pokies everywhere you look, Anzac Day two-up... the list is almost endless.

So why havent the usual suspects been complaining long and loud about all this? Its true that the pro-posed Mildura Jewel (I

would prefer Oasis) has a gam-bling component. Probably cards, roulette, pokies... but its a matter of CHOICE. If you dont want to go to the Gateway or the RSL or the Workers... or the clubs over the river to play the pokies, then DONT.

Continued Page 5

The proposed Jewel Casino, on paper a gem of an idea, has got everyone talking. And its an issue that we could still be debating, like the Mildura Marina, into the next decade unless we act quickly. According to the Mildura Weeklys ALAN ERSKINE, the solution is simple...

More action,less talk!

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www.milduraweekly.com.au4 Mildura Weekly - 04/06/10

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www.sunraysiaonline.com.au 04/06/10 - Mildura Weekly 5

From Page 3

But if you want to go to take advan-tage of the cheap meals, to be there for the members draws when fabulous prizes or nice cash rewards are on offer, well by all means, feel free.

If we ever get an entertainment com-plex, and you want to watch a world-class live show (as is the case at Casinos around the world) for a fraction of the price it would cost you in the capital cities, then do so. If you want to organise a conven-tion, or have friends stay in fi ve-star luxu-ry, feel free. If, on the way out, you feel like putting $10 through the pokies, knowing youll probably lose it, its your choice.

What Mildura has to do is act quickly, and leave the Government in no doubt that well take up their offer. The smart thing to do would be to make sure it uti-lises the best available views of our mag-nifi cent riverfront, works in some way to get a transport hub that includes the train, has plenty of car parking, is Government-controlled so its in their best interests to look after their investment, make sure a hefty slice of the profi t is given back to needy community organisations...

... And above all, make sure our gifted local architects get a say in the fi nal con-cept, ensure all tradies are locally based, use all local labour in all stages of build-ing, use Mildura and surrounding stores for the fi t-outs of all rooms where pos-sible, make sure all building materials are accessed locally... you should be starting to get the idea by now.

I am convinced that this proposal would take Mildura to another level of ex-cellence, just as the recently-opened Quest Serviced Apartments have done. Property values will rise, air services would improve (again), it may well be the catalyst to get the train back, it would provide many more jobs, inject multi-millions into the community, and complement, rather than compete against, long established enter-tainment and gaming venues.

Im more of an optimist than a pessi-mist, but Im not holding my breath that this is one of those projects that will be decided on quickly, and magically appear in two or three years. Based on experiences with the Mildura Marina, this is something that will sway backwards and forwards for many years... and thats something you can bet on!

Moreaction,

lesstalk!

By BEN PISCIONERI

THE Mildura Rural City Council has given in-principle support to the Mildura casino proposal, as have some of Milduras most in-fl uential businesses and industry groups.

But no-one seems to know if this constitutes the Victorian Governments defi nition of clear community support, which is what Premier John Brumby has continually stated needs to be met if the project is to go ahead.

It now appears the Sunraysia community may have been de-bating the issue prematurely, as the Government has yet to decide how community support is to be gauged.

A spokesperson for the Gov-ernment this week confi rmed, The fi rst step will be to develop an evaluation process for the proposal, which includes defi n-ing what community support means.

And it could still be some way off.

Premier Brumby has always stated the Government would not consider any bids for a second ca-sino licence in Victoria until after the gaming auctions for poker machines have been fi nalised.

The auctions were to close at

the end of last month. A Govern-ment spokesperson said this week the results of the auctions were still being fi nalised but could not provide a timeline on when they would be concluded.

She said: The Governments position remains that such a pro-posal would need to show that there is strong local support and would need to generate invest-ment, jobs and tourism..

It already appears to have ticked some of the boxes in terms

of investment, jobs and tourism, as Sunraysias umbrella groups for these sectors have already given in-dications of support the Mildu-ra Development Corporation, the Mildura Airport, Mildura Tourism and the Mildura City Traders.

Member for Mildura Peter Crisp said the Government needs to make a decision on a second casino licence for the debate to continue.

Were right back to, Is there going to be a second casino licence available and on what terms?, Mr Crisp said this week.

At present clear community support had not been defi ned.

Is a four-three vote at a coun-cil meeting considered clear com-munity support?

All that tells us is that this is an issue that has deeply divided this community.

Yes there is strong support from those bodies that represent the business end of our town, but it still gets back to how the Premier defi nes community support.

Mr Crisp said the Victorian Government needs to make a call to avoid causing further damage to the Sunraysia community.

The debate has now pro-gressed past the point where harm is being done. People are in the fi r-ing line, and people are divided.

Casino proposallacks clearway forward

THE Salvation Army, Mildura, is well on the way to achiev-ing its goal of $25,000 for this years Red Shield Appeal.

So far the Salvos have raised more than $17,000, and they hope the coffers will be swelled much more during its ga-rage and car boot sale from 8.30am tomorrow, with people invited to set up their own site (for a $10 donation), or buy from a wide range of goods collected from generous do-nors over the past week.

The Salvos headquarters is at the corner of 14th Street and Etiwanda Avenue, and those wanting more informa-tion should contact Captain Christine Waller on 0439 014 657.

Salvos on Red Shield $$$ target

Member for Mildura, Peter Crisp, ABOVE, and Victorian Premier, John Brumby, TOP.

SUNRAYSIA women interest-ed in fund raising for a good cause are urged to enter this years Jacaranda Quest.

Run by the Friends of Jaca-randa Village in Red Cliffs, the initiative requires entrants or-ganise a range of fund-raising activities from July to October.

The Quest culminates in the popular Jacaranda Gala Ball on Saturday October 9, when the Jacaranda Queen, Jacaranda Charity Queen and Jacaranda Queen Mother will be crowned.

Entrants must be at least 17-years-old. The Queen Moth-er section meanwhile is open to mothers of all ages.

All funds raised will be in-jected into Jacaranda Village, which is an aged care facility.

Anyone interested in taking part can contact Dawn Goullet on 5029 1631 or Pam Nulty on 5029 3236.

The Friends of Jacaranda Village will hold a fund raising sausage sizzle in front of Mil-duras Harvey Norman store tomorrow from 10am.

Quest for a good causeTHE Sunraysia Patchwork Friends will host its bien-nial quilt exhibition over the Queens Birthday long weekend in the Benetook Room at the Al-fred Deakin Centre.

Its an event that has been two years in the planning, with quilts and craft work to be on a display, and a number to also be available for purchase.

The highlight of the event will be the Club Challenge display, which has been run-ning for the past 12 months, which involved each member

of the group turning three paint sample colour strips into a wall hanging.

A quilt raffl e will also take place, with all profi ts to go to lo-cal charity Wings for Kids.

Admission is $5 for adults, with children between the age of fi ve and 15 to be admitted for $1.

The exhibition will open from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, and from 10am to 4pm on Monday, with more in-formation available by contact-ing Maree Pain on 5023 6291.

Quilt exhibition on the way

www.milduraweekly.com.au6 Mildura Weekly - 04/06/10

CORNER SEVENTH & ETIWANDA AVENUE, MILDURA PH 5021 2999SUNRAYSIATOYOTA

LMCT: 10074

www.sunraysiaonline.com.au 04/06/10 - Mildura Weekly 7

By BEN PISCIONERI

SUNRAYSIAS national and international status as a hotbed of motorsport has received a major boost with the announcement this week of a $100,000 study into new national-standard facilities in north west Victoria.

The concept of a national-standard mo-torsport park was fi rst brought up well over 12 months ago, with a view to the entire facility being based in Mildura.

But further discussion and interest from motor-sport clubs in the Swan Hill area has seen the project broadened to en-compass the two centres, under the umbrella of a north west Victoria motor-sport hub.

For Sunraysia, the study, which includes $50,000 in government funding, will look at ini-tiatives including the con-struction of a bitumen race track suitable for car and motorcycle racing and further development of the Sunraysia Drag Racing Associations facility.

The major develop-ment for Swan Hill mean-while could be a quarter mile drag strip.

This weeks announce-ment of a Victorian Gov-ernment-backed study into the viability of develop-ing Mildura and Swan Hill as elite centres for motor-sport by Parliamentary Secretary for Regional and Rural Development, Jaala Pulford is the fi rst crucial step in making the concept a reality according to Mil-dura Mayor Glenn Milne.

The Mayor said one of the biggest obstacles to building national standard facilities was funding, and a government-backed fea-sibility study would go a long way to sourcing that funding.

There are two op-tions. Try and access gov-ernment funding or look at some type of corporate funding, Cr Milne said.

Either way you have to have a good plan in place to show that youre serious about taking it forward.

He said a Sunraysia-based bitumen race track could be used in a wide variety of ways, all of which would generate in-come for the district.

Were also looking at the likes of sporting car clubs, competitive days, youve got drive days with car companies and the possibility of car compa-nies using it for testing in hot weather, all sorts of uses, Cr Milne said.

Theres a whole lot of avenues. Just look at Win-ton raceway. That brings in $30 million per year for that municipality

Swan Hill Mayor Greg

Cruickshank said major facilities in Sunraysia and Swan Hill would complement each other rather compete.

They actually en-hance each other, he said.

Swan Hill is looking at a quarter mile nation-ally accredited drag strip, Milduras looking at a fl at track racing facility as well as enhancements to their existing one-eighth mile strip, so they are quite dif-ferent in their approach-es.

The Sunraysia Drag Racing Associations Jen-ny Gledhill meanwhile believes the project will awaken what has up until recently been a sleeping giant.

Motorsport is prob-ably only now coming to the fore, she said.

People are begin-ning to understand how much money it brings

into the district.Weve traditionally

been a ball sport com-munity. Football, cricket, things like that. Theyre great sports that Mildura cant do without, but they dont really bring in the amount of money that the motorsport commu-nity brings.

At every meeting we run, about 70 percent of our competitors are from outside of town.

Those 70 percent are staying here, theyre eat-ing here, theyre buying fuel here and its got to add to the community.

Motorsport groups in north west Victoria have plodded along under our own steam for so long that weve fl own under the radar.

The benefi ts motor-

sport can bring to the economy have been un-detected for quite some time.

The Sunraysia Drag Racing Associations re-cent Slamfest event, which attracted the best Top Doorslammers in Austra-lia, injected an estimated $1.3 million into the lo-cal economy in just three days, attracting about 6000 spectators.

Long-time motorsport advocate and secretary of the Mildura Motorcycle Club, Brendan Gledhill, said the project would trigger further growth in motorsport in the district.

Its an area that we al-ready know as elite, and it has become elite because of the massive efforts of a lot of people over many many years, sometimes without local facilities, Mr Gledhill said.

This might go some way to providing some of those facilities. I think the other major benefi t is the non-weekend activi-ties that a multipurpose facility might create for Sunraysia.

Its not just the rac-ing that is the issue. Its the Monday-to-Friday activities. We look at some of the other tracks around country Victoria and South Australia and the wider national ven-ues, and most are over-utilised.

I dont see it as just a race track, even though I might be identifi ed with racing.

While no deadline has been set for the study, a project steering com-mittee will oversee the process, with representa-tives from the Swan Hill and Mildura Councils, the Confederation of Australian Motor Sports (CAMS) and the Austra-lian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA).

DRIVEN: Swan Hill Mayor Greg Cruickshank, ABOVE, says the project will be a win-win for both municipalities. and INSET, Parliamentary Secretary for Regional and Rural Development Jaala Pulford

announced the study in Mildura this week.

Study could pave way for Mildura motorsport boom

Analogue TVgone in a fl ickof the switch

IN just 26 days, the analogue signal that has supplied Sunraysia residents with their television service for well over 40 years will be turned off.

It wont be complicated and it wont take long. Pretty much a fl ick of the switch and it will be gone, replaced by the new digital signal.

The Digital Switchover Taskforce, which has been responsible for helping the com-munity through the switch to a dedicated digital television service, says well over 90 percent of Sunraysia residents have already made the switch.

Taskforce executive director Andy Townend has been through all of this be-fore, albeit in another country.

Mr Townend was at the helm of a simi-lar process in the United Kingdom four years ago, where White-haven was chosen as the fi rst area in England to have its television ser-vice changed from analogue to digi-tal.

Whitehavens analogue service was switched off in 2007.

Mr Townend said the roll-out of digital television in the two areas has progressed very similarly despite being on opposite sides of the world.

It has also provided him with a few clues as to what will happen as the switcho-ver date looms closer.

There will probably be one or two per-cent of people who dont plan to convert Australia-wide, Mr Townend said.

In Whitehaven in the UK, about one or two percent chose not to make the switch and only did so in the two or three weeks, after the analogue service was switched off.

Its possible that a small number of households may not decide until the day the Sunraysia analogue service is switched off.

Its for this reason, and to ensure people are comfortable with the new digital-only television service, that the Digital Switcho-ver Taskforce will continue operating in the district after the June 30 deadline.

Were not going to fl ick the switch and then leave, Mr Townend said.

Were going to be active in the area for another month after the switch off to make sure residents know what theyre doing.

A limited signal will continue to oper-ate for a short time on the old analogue ABC television service, simply displaying a message explaining there will no longer be an analogue television service and why.

Were conscious that despite every-thing weve done, we cant force people to get ready for the switch, but wed obvi-ously be encouraging them to do so, Mr Townend said.

SWITCHED ON: Digital Switchover

Taskforce executive director Andy

Townend.

Community Development Funding

For further information, or to obtain a copy of our Application Form, contact Rob Libchard at the Branch on 5025-1377.

We ask that you forward your applicationsby COB Friday, 18th June 2010 to:

The Branch ManagerMerbein & District Community Bank Branch 66 Commercial Street Merbein VIC 3505. ABN: 68 108 297 945

Community Development Funding

Successful Applicants will be presented their Grants Funding at our Sixth Birthday Celebrations to be held at The Mildura City Soccer Clubrooms on Wednesday 21st July 2010.

Note: Late applications will not be accepted.

We invite local Community Groups to apply for our Bi-Annual Community Development Funding Program.

www.milduraweekly.com.au8 Mildura Weekly - 04/06/10

By ALAN ERSKINE

THE concept way back in 1990 was a simple one put together a reli-able crew of adventurers, do up a few old cars, and hit the outback for a week or so while raising mon-ey for a good cause Australias unique and world-renowned Royal Flying Doctor Service.

The RFDS is one of the nations great icons, providing a medical service over 80 percent of the con-tinent, but has to rely heavily on donations from the public to sur-vive.

And so a tradition started the RFDS Outback Car Trek and which from modest beginnings has grown to an event of epic pro-portions, one that now raises up to $1.8 million a year, and which in its 20-year history has put almost $16 million into RFDS coffers.

Its billed as a fun event, not a race, with a strong emphasis on visiting many of the isolated town-ships serviced by the RFDS, raising money by whatever means pos-sible.

The trek is also renowned for leaving many thousands of dollars in the towns visited, as payment (out of each participants own pocket) for food, accommodation, fuel and other necessities.

RFDS trek vehicles are all pre-1971 models, and range from the weird to the wonderful. This year they will include three entry cars and two support vehicles, heavily supported by the Englefi eld and Hill families, who between them

hope to raise more than $40,000.Kevin and Lyn Englefi eld will

be in one car, Ray Hill and Leon Follett in another, and Brian Engle-fi eld and Bill Castle in the third. Support vehicles crews will be Adam Englefi eld and Sarah Bailey,

and Terry Hill, Dougal Leslie and Chris Gallagher.

Kevin, 49, says that once youve been on one trek, you get the bug. He and Lyn are leav-ing nothing to chance with their vehicle this year, spending around

$32,000 doing up their old car from the ground up, in readiness for some serious bush-bashing.

Its not always easy getting time

away from a busy workload, but luckily the trek falls in a quieter time of the year in the grape cart-age business, and Kevin cant wait to set sail. They even plan to take a few back roads

on the way to the starting point at Hay just to get the feel of things.

Terry Hill is also looking for-

It will be the biggest fuel and food order that Pooncarie hasthe pub for a feed! Its all part of the annual Outback Car

Mildura Weekly

A helping hand for

away from a busy workload, but luckily the trek falls in a quieter time of the year in the grape cart-age business, and Kevin cant wait to set sail. They even plan to take

READY, SET...Kevin and Lyn Englefi eld (ABOVE and LEFT)

pictured with the station wagon they and their team converted from this (BELOW) to the shiny new trek

wagon in readiness for next week. Mind you, it did cost $32,000, but

Kev reckons thats an investment in the future...hes already thinking of

more treks down the track...

ALL HANDS ON DECK: Hands up who wants to help the Flying Doctor? There was no shortage of volunteers when the Englefi elds, Hills and friends got together. Left to right with their vehicles (ABOVE)

are Kevin and Lyn Englefi eld, son Adam, Brian Englefi eld, Leon Follett and Terry Hill. INSET TOP - thats grapespeak in the winegrape carting trade...the MOG standing for Matter Other than Grapes.

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www.sunraysiaonline.com.au 04/06/10 - Mildura Weekly 9

ever seen fill up 130 cars please as 350 people descend on Trek, and 11 locals in five cars will this year join them in giving...

ward to the trek, his 7th, and the 63-year-old says hes got a few more left in him yet. Its a great experi-ence, he said. You get to meet some wonderful people, visit some colourful regions of Australia, and raise money for a worthy cause at the same time.

The event is limited to 100 en-tries, plus 20 or 30 back-up vehicles. Then there are the officials cars, and other sweep vehicles bringing up the rear to make mechanical repairs to broken down vehicles, or lend a hand to any stragglers.

The outback trek is an important annual fund-raiser for the RFDS, but just as importantly puts hundreds of thousands of dollars into small communities along the route, and service, sporting and welfare groups selected to offering catering services.

This years trek starts off in Hay this Sunday, June 6, and heads to Pooncarie via Mungo National Park.

The lunch-time population explo-sion of about 350 people in the tiny Darling River settlement is expected to leave upwards of $15,000 in food, drink and petrol sales in the town. The first night of the seven-day ad-venture will be spent at the RFDS hanger in Broken Hill.

From there the trekkers will cover an average of 550 kilometres a day, through Copley, Birdsville, Stonehenge, Barcaldine and Raven-swood, with the last stretch a short drive and a ferry trip to the finish on Hamilton Island.

Kevin says the trekkers are espe-cially grateful for the generosity and hospitality offered by various private property owners who allow trekkers virtually unlimited access to their properties.

Many of this years entrants have been fund-raising since the 2009 event finished. Although its not a contest, organisers keep a top 10

money-raising list, which last year saw the biggest contributor being a three-vehicle interstate combination that raised a staggering $189,686 in sponsorship.

Terry Hill and the Englefields made the list in 5th spot, raising $32,450. Terry said the treks usually manage to raise between $1.4 mil-lion and $1.8 million annually, a substantial amount, but still a drop in the ocean when compared with the RFDS annual running costs of around $110 million a year.

A lot of this comes from Govern-ment funding, but the RFDS has to find its own money for the purchase of new and replacement aircraft, and equipment. Terry says there would be few people in Australia who havent been touched in some way by the RFDS, which covers the bulk of Queensland, NSW, SA and West Australia, and parts of Victoria and the bottom of the Northern Territory

more than seven million square kilometres all up.

He said that a normal day might see 45 aircraft carrying doctors and nurses from 23 bases set out on life-saving mis-sions. Medical teams also carry out health care checks at clinics spread across the nation, do an average of 82 aerial evacuations a day cover-ing 38,000 kilometres, attending to 580 people and making over 100 daily landings.

The part we play, and the mon-ey we raise, is just one small way we can thank the RFDS for the largest, most experienced and comprehen-sive aerial health and emergency ser-vice in the world, he said.

Everything we raise 100 per-cent of it goes to the RFDS and its not a bad way to have fun ei-ther.

ever seen fill up 130 cars please as 350 people descend on Trek, and 11 locals in five cars will this year join them in giving...

the Flying Doc

nation, do an average of 82 aerial evacuations a day cover-ing 38,000 kilometres, attending to 580 people and making over 100

TEAM-MATES: Adam Englefield (TOP) will be joined by Sarah Bailey

in a support vehicle, and mates Leon Follett and Terry Hill (ABOVE) have signed on for their 7th trek. Terrys number plate (INSET TOP) doesnt mean hes over the hill...hes got a lot more treks up his

sleeve. Thats Brian Englefield (MAIN PICTURE) with his 2010 trek vehicle.

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www.milduraweekly.com.au10 Mildura Weekly - 04/06/10

By ALAN ERSKINE

THERE was no fanfare, no brass band, no ribbon cutting and no speeches, but Quests $14 million Mildura serviced apartments opened on time this week, and with 16 of the 41 apartments occupied.

The classy one, two and three-bedroom apartments totalling 66 available rooms on four levels, con-tinues the success story of Quest, which now has around 6000 apart-ments spread over 130 properties around Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

Mildura is the latest in the Quest chain, along with Scarborough in West Australia and Ballarat, with Quest Campbelltown, NSW, set to open its doors in August. Quest has opened 19 new properties in the past 18 months.

Quest chairman Paul Constan-tinou, who began his hospitality/accommodation career at the Mil-dura Inlander more than 20 years ago, will be in Mildura for the offi -cial opening, scheduled for late July.

He predicts that the Mildura operation, which already has advance book-ings running into next year, will inject around $3.5 million annually into the Mildura economy, with another $3 million left as individual day-to-day and living expenses in the wid-er area.

Traditionally, the av-erage stay in a Quest apartment is around a week, but in many cases visiting professionals such as doctors and consultants could make book-ings of a month or more.

Quest Mildura, on a former used car site at the corner of 10th Street and Madden Avenue, is virtually between Mildura RSL and Mildura Working Mans Clubs. Its 14 local reception, business development and service staff are led by franchisees Peter and Lea Walmsley of Nangiloc.

For them its a big career change, coming from owning and operat-ing a 300-acre citrus and wine grape property at Nangiloc.

Luckily, weve got very good farm managers, Lea said. We live at Karadoc, so its a brief and pleasant drive to Quest each day.

Peter, 53, and Lea, 49, and their staff have been working closely with Quest corporate headquarters staff

for several weeks learning the ropes, and the couple are looking forward to their foray into the hospitality in-dustry.

One of the visitors is Quests business operations trainer Alexan-der Forbes, who came to Quest after fi ve years in the cruise liner trade. He couldnt be happier with the way things are progressing at Mildura.

Its a quality building in a quali-ty region, and we believe we have the quality staff to make it a success, he said. Mildura is a growing, vibrant city, and the Quest serviced apart-ments are central to restaurants, at-tractions and the City Heart.

The Mildura Weekly was given unrestricted access on opening day and night, and there is no doubt Quest has raised the bar in the ser-vice, hospitality and accommoda-tion industry in Mildura.

Quest has done deals with local providers in a wide range of services,

including health, fi tness and fi ne dining, and nothing appears to be too much trouble for staff. The four-storey apartment block incorporates lock-up parking, swimming pool and barbecue area, guest laundry, 7am to 11pm service and the apartments fea-ture fully-equipped kitchens and internet facilities. Guests also have access to a conference room. Rooms are spacious and tastefully decorated, and each has a private balcony with sweeping view over the city and surrounds.

Paul Constantinou is well-known for the research he puts into selecting sites for Quest apartments, and hes more than happy to add Mildura to the success story.

Choosing Mildura for this latest project is consistent with Quests 20-year business philosophy of building properties where business demand dictates, and Mildura is yet another

example of our strategy working out as planned, he says

He makes sure all the company properties are built to a specifi c Quest model, with the overall aim of continuing to be a market leader in the serviced apartments accom-modation industry.

Its our philosophy at Quest to be everywhere our customers need to be, he said. The needs of the cor-porate traveller have evolved over the past 20 years, they will continue to

do so, and Quest plans to evolve with them.

Mr Constantinou said Quest chose its property locations for their close proximity to business centres, res-taurants, nightlife and shopping, enabling guests to be close to where they want to conduct their business, and where lifestyle op-tions are available as well.

Quest has devel-oped a strong following in the accommodation market place, with a higher-than-average oc-cupancy rate of around 78 percent, well above the hotel medium of 70.6 percent, and ser-viced apartments in general, at just under 70 percent.

Quest is offering the Mildura apartments as an opportunity for investors, through Frank Tierney and First National Collie and Tierney, for prices ranging from $384,000, promising an initial 6.4 percent rent-al return, increasing by four percent a year.

Apartments are leased back to franchisees of the Quest group, and is aimed at Self-managed Super fund investors in particular.

Theres a new player in the Mildura accommodation game, and its a class act...

Quest off toa fl ying start

HOME AWAY FROM HOME: Some of Quests front-of-house welcoming crew...thats former Mildura Grand Hotel employee Warick Cornell taking a phone inquiry from a customer, while

Business Operations Trainer from Quest headquarters in Melbourne, Alex Forbes and Quests Business Development Executive Belinda Fitzgerald get ready for another

busy day. Thats the impressive new building fronting Madden Avenue (LEFT), franchisees Peter and Lea Walmsley (BELOW) and (BOTTOM

LEFT) typical of the well-appointed rooms at Quest Mildura.

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www.sunraysiaonline.com.au 04/06/10 - Mildura Weekly 11

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www.milduraweekly.com.au12 Mildura Weekly - 04/06/10

By GRANT MAYNARD

THERE are just four J.J. Seek-ing steam engines known to have survived the demise of this once dominant motive force, but two of them will be in Echuca next weekend!

So too will be Thomas the Tank Engine, the popular McLaren direct plough engine (back after an absence of two years) and, if every-thing goes to plan, the Klondyke 3 6 steam loco-motive that once hauled sugar cane to the Pioneer Mill in Queensland.

The Klondyke is nor-mally kept at the Bel-larine Peninsula Rail-way but was hired to the Abt Wilderness Railway, Tasmania, during 2000 to become the fi rst loco to work the track following its successful restoration.

Should negotiations be successful, they say this will be a fi rst for the Echuca steam rally a full-sized steam loco working on site both Saturday and Sunday.

Negotiations to have the Klondyke on display are ongo-

ing, but the events organisers the Rotary Club of Echuca Moama have a raft of other entertainment already se-cured for the Queens Birth-day long weekend, including what promises to be a visually stunning re-enactment of the World War 2 airborne assault on St Mere Eglises and Caren-tan by elements of

the American 101st and 82nd Airborne, assisted by British airborne troops.

The Campaspe Valley Rail-way, which calls the events Rotary Park venue home, will be in full steam with 5 and 7 1/4 locos from Victoria and

NSW taking people for rides. Meanwhile, Steam Rail Vic-

toria will be running a special train from Melbourne to Swan Hill on the Saturday, and then on to Echuca overnight for the steam rally on Sunday.

This years feature car club is the Veteran Car Club of Australia Victoria branch and members will showcase a

range of vehicles built on, or before, December 31, 1918.

By todays standards these vehicles are primi-tive to say the least, but all will be under their own power!

During the week-end up to 30 steam en-

gines will be on display including makes such

as Yorkshire, Sentinel, Leyland, Foden, Fowler, Aveling and Porter, Gar-

rett, Cowley, Buffalo Pitts, Case, Marshall, Robey, Stan-ley, Allchin, McLaren, Ruston, Proctor and of course the ex-tremely rare J. J. Seeking, this years featured marque.

Organisers are confi dent Thomas the Tank Engine will be a big hit with visitors of

all ages. Thomas, known and loved the world over by the young and young at heart, will spend plenty of time at this years rally.

Another star of the rally will be the McLaren direct plough engine. This engine spent its working life as part of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme, and in the construc-tion of the Yarrawonga Weir. It was used for clearing scrub around Moree, NSW, before arriving in Echuca 45 years ago when purchased by a local.

The 101st and 82nd Air-borne troops, along with their British Airborne counterparts, parachuted into France on the evening 5th and 6th of June 1944, in an assault that was to become a near-disaster,.

Scattered over a wide area,

the airborne troops had to overcome myriad obstacles before they even engaged the enemy. For example the tow-ing aircraft for the gliders they were to land in came under heavy fi re and several aircraft were lost including one car-rying the senior offi cers and their combat plans that fell into enemy hands.

Then quite a lot of the British paratroopers landed on areas purposely fl ooded by the Germans.

The re-enactment marks the 65th anniversary of the as-sault, and commemorates the role these brave men played in the eventual success of the sea-borne landing at Normandy.

The Military History Group members will assault German positions, take pris-

oners and stage mock ve-hicle patrols and foot patrols throughout the two days of the rally.

There will also be a com-prehensive static display of military vehicles and a drive around on the Sunday.

This years rally will shine the spotlight fi rmly on the steam engines manufactured by J.J. Seeking. According to the Institute of Agricultural History and the Museum of English Rural life these engines came from a fi rm that was es-tablished by a William Harris in the early 1850s close by the junction of the Severn River and Gloucester Sharpness ca-nal in England and known as Quayside Ironworks and Brass Foundry.

Continued Page 14

All steamed up about the past

Everything old will become an exciting new experience for the vast majority attending next Saturday and Sundays 47th annual Steam, Horse and Vintage Rally at Echuca as the historic river town gets

range of vehicles built on, or before, December 31, 1918.

including makes such as Yorkshire, Sentinel,

Leyland, Foden, Fowler, Aveling and Porter, Gar-

rett, Cowley, Buffalo Pitts,

Your perfect travel companion.

Quest Mildura offers stylish and spacious serviced apartments perfect for business and leisure travellers. The modern property, with an anticipated AAA 4 star rating, features a combination of 66 studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments, conference facilities, secure onsite car parking, an outdoor heated pool and a BBQ area. Guests will enjoy the superbly appointed apartments featuring separate living and dining areas, fully equipped kitchens and laundry facilities, as well as broadband internet access. Located in the city centre near the Murray River, Quest Mildura will be your perfect travel companion.

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www.sunraysiaonline.com.au 04/06/10 - Mildura Weekly 13

By GRANT MAYNARD

SUNRAYSIA salt success story Sunsalt has once again been shortlisted as a contender in this years prestigious nation-wide produce awards.

It is not an unfamiliar position for the company to be in, Sunsalt having made the finals several times in past years and being highly commended in 2005; winning the Con-sistently Excellent Product category in 2007, and a Gold Medal last year.

Since being launched in 2005, the national produce awards have es-tablished themselves as a leader in uncovering out-standing Australian pri-mary producers.

And Sunsalt is one of 20 finalists short-listed by a national judging panel boasting some of Austra-lias most respected chefs including Maggie Beer (Patron of the Produce Awards); Matt Moran (ARIA Restaurant, NSW and Qld); Philip John-son (Ecco Bistro, Qld); Cheong Liew (ex-The Grange, SA); Alla Wolf-Tasker (The Lake House, Vic); Neil Perry (Rock-pool, NSW and Vic).

Once championed by Vogue magazine, this year the awards are being coor-

dinated by the ABCs deli-cious. magazine

The competition en-courages, showcases and rewards Australian pro-ducers, according to pro-duce awards project man-ager, Libby Travers.

The awards build awareness of culinary re-gions, and recognise fresh, seasonal food that is pro-duced with integrity, she said.

Now in their fifth year, the positive response to the Produce Awards,

and the support of pro-ducers, chefs and readers, reinforces the growing demand for information about, and access to qual-ity Australian produce.

Sunsalt principal, Duncan Thomson, is jus-

tifiably proud that his product has once again been chosen to contest the awards.

The companys regular appearance in the awards is a confidence-booster for Duncan and his team and reinforces the im-

pressive positive feedback they receive about their product from around the country, and the globe.

We have been for-tunate, he says, that the product resonates so well with customers.

It has, Duncan says, enviable green creden-tials being made from unwanted salt drawn from the Murray River and that is an ice-breaker with many consumers.

That will get them to buy it once but it is the

taste, colour and quality that keeps them coming back, he contends.

This years awards judging took place over two days at Justin Norths Becasse restaurant in Syd-ney, where the judging panel gathered to critique produce from the catego-ries earth, dairy, pad-dock and sea.

Sunsalt is a finalist in the earth category.

The 2010 Produce Awards have brought to light some great new pro-ducers in Australia, Libby said.

We have also seen some great innovations from producers that have been involved during the past five years and we continue to see new ways these small producers are preserving the environ-ment, creatively using the by-product of their production methods to create new products, and improving their packaging and distribution methods to decrease their environ-mental footprint.

There is no doubt this is an exciting time for Australian produce.

The winners of the 2010 Produce Awards will be announced in the August issue of ABC deli-cious. magazine released on July 20, 2010.

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www.milduraweekly.com.au14 Mildura Weekly - 04/06/10

All steamed up about the pastFrom Page 12

In 1864 the foundry was leased by J.J. Seekings who operated the business under the name of William Harris & Co., until around 1871. The name was then changed to J.J. Seeking & Co.

It later changed again, to Seekings & Ellery, but the exact date is unknown

although an advertisement dated 1885 shows the firm was still called J.J. Seekings at that time.

In 1889, W. Sisson & Co, another Gloucester firm, took over Seekings & Ellery. Sissons were a ma-rine engineering firm.

Other weekend high-lights include myriad work-ing displays and demon-strations, including chaff

cutting and black smithing, an outdoor market, pipe bands, axe men in action and a Grand Parade.

For more information about what promises to be a very interesting week-end contact event secretary Helen Britnell on 0438 576 639, or email steamrally@impulse.net.au. There is also a website at www.echucasteamrally.com.au

that includes a compressive program.

Admission prices for one and two days are: adult $16 and $24; senior $13 ($20); child $8 ($12) and family $40 ($60).

The rally is a not-for-profit fund-raiser sup-porting the Rotary Club of Echuca Moamas local community projects and charitable donations.

SHE is the daughter of the Werrimull mechanic and his postmistress wife, born and raised in the bush, and who studied at university for a maths degree before travel-ling overseas.

He is a professional surfer from southern Peru, a bloke whos lived near the ocean all his life, and for who surfing is in the family blood.

She decided to become a tour guide leader in South America, their paths crossed more than once, he taught her to ride a surfboard, she told him all about Australia, they fell in love and had a baby...

...And tiny Ruby Jane was one of the special guests when Marika Woodberry married Roberto (Robby) Carlo Munoz under the ve-randah of the Werrimull Pub last Saturday.

The tiny Millewa settle-ment was buzzing with ex-citement as the townsfolk gathered to celebrate the towns second wedding in 40 years...the skies had opened up earlier and dumped 50mm of rain on the farms...the pubs dining room was turned into a four-star recep-tion area.

And the bride was only

a few seconds late...after all, she only had to walk the 30 metres from the Post Office residence next door!

A nervous Robby had the job of baby-sitting Ruby Jane as he waited for the bride under the beautiful autumn leaves...and most of the guests lined up at the bar for a quick drink before the for-malities began.

Not too many, mind you... they were under the watchful eye of the law for-mer Mildura and now Swan Hill police inspector Gary Bennett was the Master of Ceremonies, was keeping law and order just nicely, and everything went off with just one hitch.

Marika and Robby had an interesting story to tell when they called in to the Mildura Weekly on Monday, on their way to a honeymoon that will take in surfings world-famous Bells Beach near Torquay, and then a tour of the wine regions (and surf beaches) of South Australia.

Marika, 37, told how she left Werrimull as a 17-year-old to go to university in Melbourne, with a maths degree in mind. But after uni she worked with the Austra-lian Bureau of Statistics for a

few years before getting the travel bug, and deciding to tour South America.

It gave her a whole dif-ferent outlook on life, and she decided to take it a step further by becoming a tour leader, taking groups of in-ternational visitors virtually one end of South America to the other.

She had first met 40-year-old Robby when she called in briefly to his home town of Mancora in 2007, when she joined the group he was teaching to surf.

The following year, when she returned to South Amer-ica as a tour leader, their paths crossed again...every few months in fact... and Robby was convinced it was meant to be.

Marika wasnt so sure at first, but 12 months later they decided to make a future to-gether. It was tough going at first, with Robby remaining in Mancora as a professional surfer and coach, and Marika still on tour, but after Marika fell pregnant with Ruby Jane, they made plans to travel to Australia for the birth.

But as Marika explained, there were minor complica-tions. She was hospitalised in Argentina at 18 weeks,

It was a great weekend in the Millewa...the farms got catching a few yabbies and fish in the Murray River,

social events of the decade. ALAN

Millewa lass wed thePeruvian surfer

TOWERING LOVE: The Werrimull wheat silos make a wonderful backdrop for the photograph by Debbie Symes. ABOVE -

Dad Wal Woodberry leads the bride to the alter at the pub, and (LEFT), the bridal party heads off for the photo session...a surfboard is never far from Robbys side.

Insurance

Im a local business owner just like you. Im from Elders Insurance

on Lime Avenue, Mildura. You might have seen me grabbing the latest edition of the Mildura Weekly from Nichols Point Store, or cheering on the Wenty Roos later in the day. If you need business insurance then Im the person to see. My phone

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Elders Insurance Limited ABN 62 081 106 505 AFSL 237756 Elders Insurance (Underwriting Agency) Pty Limited Head Office 27 Currie Street Adelaide SA 5000

www.sunraysiaonline.com.au 04/06/10 - Mildura Weekly 15a good soaking during two days of rain, campers were and the local pub was getting ready for one of the ERSKINE was there when the...

and was a little apprehensive, despite the excellent way she was looked after. Marika de-cided to fl y home, and the plan was for Robby to follow her back to Australia in time for the birth.

He would have made it too, if Ruby Jane hadnt de-cided to arrive two weeks early! Robby was over-joyed, nonetheless, to fi nd mother and daughter well after he arrived, they got engaged on Aussie soil, and did all the wedding preparations in six weeks, culminating in Wer-

rimulls social event of the year.

Although Robbys parents were unable to attend the wedding, Robby got a nice surprise when a lovely young lady named Pilar, a family friend from Mancora, turned up with her Aussie-born hub-by James. The couple live in Melbourne.

And now, Ruby Jane is thriving, Robby has fallen in love with the Millewa and its people, and is a little disap-pointed his tourist visa runs out at the end of June.

Marika and Ruby Jane will accompany him back to Mancora, a town of 7000 people, but they are not sure of their future beyond that. Marika wants to raise a family, Robby still wants to compete at top-level (hes a former southern Peru surfi ng title-holder) but he is also keen to settle in Australia at some stage in the future and perhaps fi nd a job in the Millewa...

...As long as he can make regular trips to the surf beach-es of SA and Torquay!

I DO. The rain clouds cleared, the sun was shining, and the autumn leaves under the verandah of the Werrimull Pub made for a magnifi cent setting when Robby Munoz and Marika Woodberry were

married by marriage celebrant Taryn Hunt on Saturday

(ABOVE). Robby is nursing the couples new-born Ruby

Jane. LEFT - while most other people are surfi ng the net,

Robby is always on the lookout for a little more action...but

this puddle in Werrimulls main street was as close as he

came. BELOW - Robby back home in Mancora about the

time he and Marika met.

www.milduraweekly.com.au16 Mildura Weekly - 04/06/10

Turlee trivia nightTURLEE Station Stay owners Nathan and Sophie Wakefield will host a trivia night on Saturday, July 3, from 6.30pm, with Mildura locals invited. Being held in support of the Isolated Childrens and Parents Association, all funds raised through the event will go to the group. The night will include a door raffle prize valued at $700, with spot prizes and giveaways to also occur throughout the night. Tickets are $25, which includes din-ner, with tables of eight available, and free accommodation also being offered to those who pre-book. More information, or to book a table, is available by contacting Sophie on 5029 7208.

Playing the gameMILDURA Toy Library celebrated its 30th an-niversary last weekend at library HQ at De Garis Kindergarten. More than 60 people attended the day, and the Library welcomed back four of the original members, Marj Featherston, Jenny Cetenich, Helen Saun-ders and Jan Denham. Mildura Toy Library is a nonprofit group offering a wide range of quality toys, puzzles, games, musical instru-ment and other equipment on loan for chil-dren up to seven years of age. More informa-tion on the toy library is available from Kate Pratt on 0408 053 469.

Genealogical meetingNEXT meeting of Mildura and District Gene-alogical Society will be held at the Carnegie Centre from 7.30pm this Monday.Guest speaker is Leanne Watmuff, who will speak about the 7th Victorian family history State conference that she attended recently at Yarrawonga.

A day for seniorsIRYMPLE Senior Citizens Club has issued an invitation to all seniors to join members for various activities at its meeting days, every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.Indoor bowls is just one of the many activi-ties, and the club has special mats for the vis-ually-impaired. There are regular social out-ings involving interaction with other clubs. More information about the club is available from Beryl on 50 232782.

Red Cliffs MarketILEX Street, Indi Avenue and Barclay Square will be lined with a variety of stalls this Sun-day, with the Red Cliffs Country Market in Barclay Square to be held from 9am. A vari-ety of goods including fresh local produce, preserves, arts and crafts, jewellery, herbs and plants and fresh seafood will be on sale, and live entertainment will be courtesy of Sun-raysia Country Music Club. There will be various rides and other fun activities for kids. More information is available by contacting 0458 907 226.

Continued next page

Whats on

PARINGI table grape grower Bev-an Ball looks forward to his an-nual fishing trips up north... and the accompanying photographs explain why.

The 47-year-old is one of many Sunraysia fishing enthu-siasts who make regular trips to places like Darwin, Melville Is-land and Kakadu in search of the giant barramundi.

Now working back in Alice Springs, where he also grows table grapes, Bevan said his mid-May fishing expedition, along with son Sam, 15, was a trip of ups and downs, a little drama, and plenty of excitement.

Fishing at Yellow Waters, Be-van and Sam hooked on to some nice barra, before moving on to the South Alligator River on the promise of better action.

When it didnt eventuate, the pair returned to Yellow Waters, and in hot and humid conditions worked out the fish were going for deeper lures than normal.

The result was 30 to 40 hook-ups each morning, with the fish ranging in size from 5/6lbs up to the biggest of 21 lbs. Thats about 90cm in length, but Bevan remembers landing a 1.5metre giant four years ago.

As is usually the case, all but one or two of the fish are re-leased back into the water, with Bevan keeping just enough to feed those at the camp site.

Yellow Waters is one of those places in the Northern Territory that is crocodile-infested, and Be-van is one of those who doesnt take any chances. Anglers must always tell people where they are going, fish from a reliable high-sided boat, always use a landing net to retrieve fish, and never wade, swim or dangle limbs in or over the water.

He and Sam actually hooked up with four of the man-eating crocs while luring for barra.

It feels like youre hooked up to a snag, Bevan said. One hook-up I sent a lure retriever down the line, and suddenly the lure took off! A croc had taken it. Luckily I got three out of the four lures back.

While the biggest croc they saw was around four metres, the area is renowned for reptiles of gigantic proportions, and sight-ings of crocs up to six and seven metres have been reported in re-cent years.

As keen a poker player as he is a fisherman, Bevan is hoping to make it back to Mildura in time for the June 19/20 Texas Hold Em tournament, with $35,000 up for grabs, at the Gol Gol pub.

Its a place where the crocodiles can grow to seven metres...and theres plenty of em. Its also an area recognised as being one of the best fishing regions of Australia. As ALAN ERSKINE reports, plenty of Mildura anglers make the pilgrimage each year...

Lured by thegiant barraLured by the

FISH FOR TEA: Its no wonder that local grape grower Bevan Ball enjoys his fishing trips up north, with big barramundi like this on offer. And apparently the bigger they are, the better they taste. The area is also renowned for its big crocs, TOP and ABOVE. As Bevan says...

keep your hands and feet out of the water!

ONE of the most popular competitions at Wentworths annual show is the cookery sec-tion. It is, according to chief steward, Dianne Pollard, truly an event for all ages.

And recalling last years event, Dianne said she was very impressed not only with the number of entrants but also the high stan-dard of the exhibits. That has given her lot of confidence for this years competition. From birthday cakes and scones, to damper and homemade Easter eggs the possibilities are endless, she said.

The event features three age categories

adult, and primary and secondary school age groups with hundreds of dollars in prizes .

So the opportunity to create a culinary masterpiece and put it on show is only limited by your imagination, Dianne said.

And if the men think this is a female only competition, they can think again, Dianne said. We have a chocolate cake section just for the men!

Other cookery sections at this years show include a number for dried fruit in keeping with this regions rich history of producing some of the best in the world. This year cat-

egories include fruit cake plain and decorat-ed; plum pudding, and raisin and nut roll.

And, if you would like to enter the fruit cake section but are lacking a recipe, the show organisers have thoughtfully included one in this years schedule.

For the primary and secondary school ex-hibitors cakes, pizza and decorated biscuits are just some of the 20 sections that they can enter in 2010.

For more information, or to secure a copy of the schedule contact show secretary Susan McKenzie 5027 6304.

Cooking can be rewarding for all ages

CLUB MEMBERSHIP$16.50 to join $11 each year after Discount on all drink purchases Discounted function room hire Membership draws

R&R CLUBFree for club members to join Great prizes, giveaways and offers Travel and accomodation discounts Exclusive member only events Reward me loyalty points & prizes

KIDS CLUB$4 to join Birthday card and meal voucher Exclusive Kids Club events

Deakin Avenue, Mildura Phone 5023 0531 www.milduraworkers.com.au Members, guests and visitors information

Become A Member Of The Mildura Working Mans Club.

www.sunraysiaonline.com.au 04/06/10 - Mildura Weekly 17

From previous page

Farmers MarketFRESH fruit and vegetables, gourmet food products, plants and flowers will again be on offer tomorrow at the Australian In-land Botanic Gardens, with the Sunraysia Farmers Market to be held from 8am to midday. Breakfast using local in-season produce will be served until 11am, with more information available by contacting 5025 2342 or 0439 252 342.

Steam railwayRED Cliffs historical steam railway (on the corner of Millewa Road and the Calder Highway) will be operating on the half hour this Sunday from 11am to 4pm, with rides $15 for families, $6 for adults and $3 for children. More information is available by contacting 5024 1345 or 5021 1098.

Twilight racingMILDURA Recreation Reserve will host a Robinvale Harness Racing twilight meet this Sunday, with gates to open from 4pm and racing to start at 5pm. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for aged pensioners and $2 for those under 18 (free if accompanied by an adult). The on-course restaurant will also be open throughout the event, with bookings, and more information, available by contact-ing 5023 2454 or 0407 864 558.

Mallee Folk ClubMEMBERS of the Mallee Folk Club will get together for their regular jam session next Thursday, June 10, from 7pm at Cel-larbrations (in Lime Avenue). The group provides a chance for acoustic musicians to meet and either perform or listen, with the club encouraging any interested per-sons to attend. More information is avail-able by contacting 5024 1986.

Whats on

By VINNIE RODI

WHILE it will be the al-lure of performing in front of red-hot Mildura crowd that will see Sydney-based rockers Dead Letter Cho-rus visit Mildura next week, guitarist and vocalist Cameron Potts admitted the band did have another agenda in mind when it came to visiting Sunny Sunraysia.

Mildura has got some of the best meat pies Ive ever tasted, he said. Weve been through Mil-dura a couple of times on other tours, and theres this one bakery that is just unbelievable.

This time around we get the best of both worlds, we get to perform for Mil-dura audiences, while get-ting another chance to en-joy your fantastic pies.

Set to visit both region-al and metropolitan areas as part of the tour, Dead Letter Chorus will use the performance to promote the release of its latest sin-gle Covered By Snow, the first from its as yet to be named second album.

The tour will mark the most extensive the group has undertaken in Austra-lia since its debut, with Cameron saying the band was excited to be heading back out on the road.

Its going to be great getting on the road and just playing to live crowds, he said. Weve been in the studio for the past few months working on the album, and I think its a trip all of us are look-ing forward to.

The idea of the tour is to go back to those areas that supported out first al-bum The August Magnifi-cent, while also fitting in some new towns, like Mil-dura, along the way.

Coming from a Wag-ga Wagga, I know how im-portant it is to bring live music to regional towns.

People are very ap-preciative, and its always great to sit down and have a beer afterwards.

The albums release and subsequent tour comes off the back of the bands recent venture to Canada, where they en-joyed enormous success, and were even labelled by several Canadian music

critics as the best band outside of Canada in the past five years.

It was also a trip that saw the group achieve the number one spot on the CIUT college radio charts (owned and oper-ated by the University of Toronto), which while not appearing to be a worth-while achievement, saw the group become the first non-Canadian band to be featured on the station.

The group also enjoyed successful stints playing to packed houses at the Cana-dian Music Week and East Coast Music Award festi-vals, something Cameron said the band had learned a lot from.

We were all a bit ner-vous heading over there, he said. I personally was a bit worried about how our stuff would be received.

Because we dont sound like a set style, or stick to a certain genre, it can be hard for some peo-ple to relate to us.

A lot started happen-ing for us the moment we landed in Canada, we were invited to play at industry-related festivals, and really had the chance to show-case our music.

And then the college radio scene started to hap-pen.

It was very over-

whelming at the time, and we didnt know what to think of all the attention we were getting.

Obviously we were ecstatic with the support, and were definitely look-ing to go back for another stint.

Upon arriving back in Australia the group imme-diately began work on its second album, with Cam-eron saying it had so far turned out far different to anything they had previ-ously done.

This record is far dif-ferent to anything weve ever put together, he said. Our previous stuff has tended to be depressing, while this album has a real hope and faith theme to it.

I think its the first-time weve created a set of laid-back songs, while maintaining our diver-sity.

Dead Letter Chorus will perform at The Sand-bar next Thursday, June 10, from 8pm, with Cameron encouraging locals to at-tend. I really hope we can attract a decent crowd on the night, he said. I know were all looking forward to having a great night, and wed love to share our music, and maybe a beer or two, with as many locals as possible.

Meat pies and music area unique combination...

ROCK ON: Sydney rockers Dead Letter Chorus will perform at The Sandbar next Thursday.

Benetook Avenue, Mildura 5022 3666

www.sunitafe.edu.au

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www.milduraweekly.com.au18 Mildura Weekly - 04/06/10

By GRANT MAYNARD

THERE was no way around it, to get the perspective he wanted for his photograph, this artist was going to have to mix it in the yards with his subjects.

Shearing time is busy at Milkengay, about 80 kilo-metres north-west of Went-worth, and the perfect setting to capture the subjects for the drawings and watercolours Steve Hederics had in mind for an upcoming exhibition.

Steve likes to get up close and personal with his sub-jects. Not content to just sit back and observe although he readily admits to plenty of that Steve was determined to get to grips with his ovine subjects, as well as with the dogs shepherding them into the pens into the arms of the waiting shearers. It is an an-nual ritual that was once the backbone of Australian com-merce.

I like to get amongst it, Steve admits. He took copi-ous photographs during a visit to Milkengay earlier this month, as a rich reference source for the preliminary drawings he did on site, and later completed back in his studio. The works were his contribution to the exhibi-tion I am Australian that

opened last Friday night in Burra, South Australia.

Steve and his artist wife, Anne, were among nine Art-back Australia artists invited to exhibit. The others were Trevor Flett, Cathy Van Ee, Heather Towns, Graham Brindley, Angela Beyer, Fysh Rutherford and Nikita Burt.

The group was invited to exhibit by former owners of Wentworths Central Para Station Jane and Geoff Ben-son.

And quite a few Went-worth friends made the jour-ney to be there on opening night, a gesture of support appreciated by the Artback artists.

The exhibition show-cased an eclectic mix of works in many mediums from Steves charcoal and ink drawings and watercolours, to Annes works in felt and also some of her colourful

jewellery made from buttons, beads and found items like feathers.

Steve acknowledged the exhibition title certainly gave the artists plenty of scope to work with and he is par-ticularly happy with his portrait of friend and Went-worth grazing identity Orm McLeod.

The watercolour has all the hallmarks of a single mo-ment in time. Of the action in, and around, the Milken-gay shearing shed early last month. However, it is really a cleverly rendered collage of several studies Steve com-pleted during his two-day visit, including one of Orms dogs and his right-hand man, Shane Anderson, mustering a flock of sheep on a motor-cycle.

The station was a won-derfully subject-rich place to visit, Steve said.

He is well aware that there is a common miscon-ception amongst those who do not venture far outside the urban confines of our re-gional cities and towns, that the outback is just one, large empty space.

Not so, says Steve.There as so much to see,

he said and the many photos has of his visit attest to that. The white sand dunes in the

To go bush is a very Australian thing to do. With their interesting landscapes, and other discoveries waiting to happen. It is little wonder then that

Theres an artdiscoveries waiting to happen. It is little wonder then that

DOGGONE!: Thats not some kind of canine semaphore youre using there, is it

D-for? One of Steves dog study photographs from Milkengay, TOP, on the boards with

the shearers and rousabout, CENTRE, and a close-up of the ingenious wire twitching

used to hold the yard post and rails together, RIGHT.

MILKY WAY: The white sand dunes of Milkengay stand in stark contrast to the predominantly red and grey of the surrounding landscape,

The Riverland Balloon Fiesta, South Australias only annual ballooning event is fast approaching. To be held in Renmark on the June long weekend, enjoy this great family weekend and take in the many surprises that Renmark has to offer. The Riverland Balloon Fiestas signature event is the spec-tacular Balloon Night Glow. Witness this stunning show as these magnifi cent gentle giants light up the night sky. It is a spectators delight offering kids activities and a range of food and drink stalls. 15 balloons are expected at this years Fiesta. Hot Air Balloon launches will be held daily rising from the mist at 6am and again amongst the Riverlands fi nest winter sunshine at 3pm on both Saturday and Sunday. The wide variety of balloons creates a true kaleidoscope of colour across Renmark skies and is known to attract a diverse audience. All balloon activities are based at Renmark No. 2 Oval (unless stated otherwise), apart from the Balloon Night Glow, which this year will be held at Renmark No.1 Oval, weather permitting. Weather conditions and wind speeds determine the best location for the launch of the hot air balloons. These locations are presented to pilots during briefi ngs prior to launching. To see the balloons launch, it is essential that spectators are present at balloon briefi ngs, which will be held prior to morning and afternoon launches at the Renmark Sporting Club. To complete your visit, enjoy some of the other attractions that our district has to offer. Drop into our Visitor Information Centre and see our friendly staff and volunteers who will be happy to assist you.

Fun for the kids

12th June 2010 Renmark No.1 Oval, Ral Ral AvenueCatering available from 5.30pm

JUNE LONG WEEKEND12th, 13th & 14th June 2010

A GREAT WEEKEND FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

FFFF Gold Coin Entry

12th Jh June 2010 R Renmark Noo 1 OOOval Ral Ral Avevenue12th JJune 20101 RRenmark NoNo 111 OOvOvavall Ral Ral AAvenn e

Dont miss the spectacular

Balloon Night Glow

F Balloon Night Glow 6.30pm 7.30pm

(Jumping Castle & Balloon Cannon Activity)

For a copy of the event programme, contact the Renmark Paringa Visitor Information Centre on 8586 6704.

CAIRNS and THE GULF COUNTRY25 days Departing July 2 $6980Including Longreach, Townsville, Green Island, Cairns, Barrier Reef, Kuranda Train and Sky Rail, Mt Isa, Birdsville, Flinders Ranges.

CARINS12 days Departing July 2 $3990Including Longreach, Townsville, Green Island, Cairns, Barrier Reef, Kuranda Train and Sky Rail.

CAIRNS and THE GULF COUNTRY17 days Departing July 10 $5565Including Green Island, Cairns, Barrier Reef, Kuranda Train and Sky Rail, Mt Isa, Birdsville, Flinders Ranges.

NORTHWEST AUSTRALIA via CENTRAL AUSTRALIA INCLUDES THE KIMBERLEY & EL QUESTRO, WEST COAST, PERTH & SOUTH WEST47 Days Departing August 5 $13505See the itinerary for the numerous highlights.

DARWIN via CENTRAL AUSTRALIA15 Days Departing August 5 $5455Including Central Australia, Coober Pedy, Ayers Rock, Kings Canyon, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine Gorge Cruise, Kakadu, Litchfi eld National Park, Darwin Sunsets.

WEST COAST, KIMBERLEY and SOUTH WEST35 Days Departing August 17 $10370Including Darwin, Ord River Cruise, El Questro Station, Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing, Broome, Tom Price, Exmouth, Coral Bay, Monkey Mia, Perth, Albany, Kalgoorlie, Nullarbor, Port Augusta.

WEST COAST and THE KIMBERLEY23 Days Departing August 17 $7310Including Darwin, Ord River Cruise, El Questro Station, Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing, Broome, Tom Price, Exmouth, Coral Bay, Monkey Mia, Kalbarri, Perth.

PERTH and SOUTH WEST COAST15 Days Departing September 6 $4695Including Perth, Gloucester Tree, Valley of the Giants, Albany, Esperance, Great Australian Bight, Kalgoorlie, Nullarbor, Iron Knob, Port Augusta.

CANBERRA FLORIADE6 Days Departing September 26 $1695See the itinerary for the numerous highlights.

TASMANIA10 Days Departing October 25 $3110 (Pensioner)See the itinerary for the numerous highlights. $3255 (Adult)

Tour costs include: Luxury coach travel, motel accommodation twin share, admissions, meals and air fares as stated on the itineraries. Pick up and return to Mildura and District.

For bookings and itinerary contact Brendan Kaczynski. Ararat.

Brendans Australian Tours. Toll Free 1800 981 187 www.brendanstours.com.au - Or your local travel agent

MOTEL ACCOMMODATED

COACH TOURS

www.sunraysiaonline.com.au 04/06/10 - Mildura Weekly 19points of interest, both natural and man-made, our rural reaches are a treasure trove of some artists seek their inspiration off the beaten track

to going busharea, for example, are striking and Steve was also captivated by the old, and long disused, corrugated iron jackaroos quarters on the property.

To his artists eye the white pureness of the dunes rivalled that of any found along our coast while the quarters, which are showing their age and quietly succumbing to the ravages of the elements, was an Aladdins Cave of colours and textures.

With his well-developed sense of history, the quarters and their surrounds were as good as a museum for Steve, with the buildings construc-tion testament to the bush carpenter skills of the day.

He also found much to admire in some of the simple post and rail fencing about the homestead, much of it

secured with twitched wire.There is a skill to using

wire like they used to that is being lost, he laments.

A quick telephone call to Orm McLeod revealed Milk-engay is named after the lake on the edge of where the old jackaroos quarters sit, along with a tumble-down crutch-ing shed and a set of yards that