Life

Bendigo and region is Australia’s first UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, so this is the perfect way to highlight all we have to offer and help people design the perfect day trip or weekend away.

Kirstin Nicholson. “Everyone has their own role and responsibility. The three events are all different technicalities where you’ve all got to gel together and work as a team, but there’s also a bit of speed put in. Between first and third place sometimes there’s not even one second,” explained Brigade captain, Matthew Trigg. Matthew cannot speak highly enough of the team and it is clear he is impressed with their effort and achievement. “The crew works really well together. We haven’t had much training, and it shows you their dedication. When we get down there, we make every minute count.”

Stunned fishermen have had a close encounter with what they described as a ‘Sand Slug’. Once thought to be a tale of folklore, the mythical creature rose to public awareness after a Sand Slug was reported to have caused the blocking of the Barmah Choke.

The milko is back — the clinking of glass bottles, the layer of cream at the top of the milk — harks back to a time long gone. Dairy farmer Shane Hickey delivers fresh bottled milk straight from his Jersey cows to homes around Kyogle ... Shane said bypassing the supermarkets meant people could connect to a farmer who “farmed in a way that was ethical and sustainable”.

They had been planning to construct a lake out the back of the Rappville Pub. But publicans Lisa Rosenbaum and Col Foyster didn’t expect the deluge last week to leave a body of water so vast it lapped at the steps of the back veranda as Rappville faced flooding ... Through it all they kept serving drinks at the bar. Dave Newby came to the pub in a tractor to get through the floodwaters, she said.

Ed Rourke. Recently, after several attempts to repair the keel on “Albatross” it was, sadly, decided to bring the boat ashore!

The vaccination rollout across the remote reaches of the Torres Strait has been made easier thanks to the generosity of Skytrans. The airline has committed to supporting the vaccination rollout by transporting vaccines and supplies for free across the region to all locations serviced by the airline on Cape York and the Torres Strait.

“Policing can’t just be about responding to crime,” says Senior Sergeant Warren Flegg. “It’s about having a connection to the community and encouraging strong behaviours, especially with the younger generation.” ... “It’s on every community member to do their bit to stop domestic and family violence,” he said.

A Tasmanian athletics icon is helping to grow a love of sport among Barkly school students. Jocelyn (Millar) Cubit, an Upper Primary Teacher at Epenarra School, south-east of Tennant Creek, boasts an impressive athletics resume, having represented Australia at three successive Commonwealth Games ... Still the holder of several Tasmanian athletics records, Jo is now devoted to inspiring remote school students.

The star-gazing project at Mallanganee Lookout is exciting and ambitious. With expansive views across the Richmond Range, Mallanganee National Park and Hogarth Range Nature Reserve, the under-used lookout has the potential to attract thousands of visitors of the star-gazing kind.

The 1959 All Saints Church in Old Bonalbo is preparing to hold its final service. Jill Gorry said she felt sad about the church going. “But we’re not left without a church, there is one in Bonalbo,” she said. The Anglican church will be deconsecrated on April 13 by Bishop Murray from Grafton.

Kendall Jennings. Jaydyn Coggins is a former student from Barham Primary School. The school had cups and that is where Jaydyn first tried sport stacking. At this moment the world changed for Jaydyn, his family moved to Adelaide after he completed year one. Then, at nine years old, Jaydyn rediscovered the sport on YouTube, but it would also be the start of an obsession with sport stacking. With the support of his family, at 15, Jaydyn quickly became the fastest cup stacker in Australia, with a dream to travel overseas to the World Sport Stacking Championships. As a young man with Autism, Jaydyn has had his hurdles to overcome throughout the years and so, when he found a sport that he not only loved, but excelled in, there was no turning back.

Unequipped and unsafe health facilities in the Murrumbidgee region, lack of funding and available services and minimal staffing leading to burnout have all been the focus of regional submissions to a NSW Upper House inquiry ... “The reality is however, throughout rural NSW hospital operating theatres stand unused, no babies are being delivered and regularly there is no doctor available to attend emergency wards” : Narrandera Shire general manager, George Cowan.

Geoff Helisma. There’s a sign on the outside wall of the Bak’d Hot Bread (formerly Yamba Street Bakery) announcing that it accepts Bitcoin; the Independent spoke with proprietor Will Trevithick about the cryptocurrency, which was last week valued at $74,500 AUD. The bitcoin.org website asks on its FAQ page, Is Bitcoin really used by people? The answer is yes and, while it’s an apparent rarity among on-street shops, one Yamba business accepts the digital currency.

Emma Pritchard. Her eyes sparkle and her lovely smile widens with excitement as Dr Dinara Markhabullina speaks about her love for Australia and how her childhood dream was to live and work in this beautiful country, to be able to experience its climate and lifestyle, and be a part of its amazing diversity.

Emma Pritchard. With areas of bushland and forestation cleared following the bushfires, cane toads have hopped their way south along the Summerland Way and breeched the southern containment line, the Clarence River, within the past 12 months.

At the November 2020 Council meeting, following the presentation of the 2020-21 Plant Replacement Report, Cloncurry Councillors voted to purchase a new grader. In partnership with Hastings Deering, part of the machine was painted blue to help raise awareness for men’s mental health.

With the support of the CEF Gwydir Learning Region, Louisa has recently made the big move to Sydney to study her dream course, a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Media and Communications at Macquarie University.

Michelle Elvy is happy to bring a little bit of boring to her newly created role as she looks to put her stamp on Rio Tinto in Weipa. The new general manager of bauxite, replacing the GM roles at Weipa and Gove, says that safety and stability will be pillars of her leadership.

Sunshine Coast foodie Martin Duncan said he started the Scone Time events as a way to combat isolation experienced by our elderly residents and to breathe life into Sunshine Coast heritage halls. “Now, Scone Time is about bringing everyone together for a good old-fashioned chat, in person, while enjoying a sweet treat,” Mr Duncan said.

Back with a brand new format, Whyalla's award winning uneARTh Festival is sure to offer a great experience for everyone.

Watch the snapshot of the Words Out West, Western Downs Readers & Writers Festival