12 minute read
THINGS TO SEE AND DO
Drink in the region’s finest
DISCOVER THE BEAUTY AND UNIQUE TASTES OF ECHUCA-MOAMA AT THE PERRICOOTA POP AND POUR FESTIVAL ON NOVEMBER 26.
A progressive festival, Pop and Pour takes participants on a journey across seven different wineries, where they can taste what Perricoota’s wine region has to offer. Starting the day from either the American Hotel, The Border Inn or Echuca Moama Tourist Information Centre, participants travel between Echuca and Moama tasting the wines at each venue. The day isn’t just for wine lovers, with each venue also offering a variety of drinks such as cocktails, beers and ciders. EM events director Jacqui Wegener said there would be something for everyone.
“Most of the venues offer cocktails and a lot of the smaller wine producers offer wine tastings so it’s a good way to get their product out there and to learn about them and there’s lots of beautiful food available too,” Jacqui said. Each venue will also showcase two local bands, keeping the day lively and upbeat as people meander between places. To shake things up a bit, the festival is also putting a venue on the water with Murray River Paddlesteamers. The Pop and Pour Festival started in 2017 and since its humble beginnings, it’s expanded each year, slowly growing ticket numbers due to high demand. Now after two years of the festival being cancelled due to COVID-19, tickets are sure to sell out fast. The festival’s purpose has always been to highlight the hidden gems of Perricoota’s wineries. “I’ve been to a couple of similar progressive festivals like Toast to the Coast in Geelong and it stood out that we have so many great wineries in the Perricoota region that have lived in the shadows of Echuca,” Jacqui said. “So, it’s great to make an event over the NSW side of the river, too. “There’s a heap of beautiful wineries on that side that people don’t often know about and the buses make it easier to get around to all the different venues.” Participants will exchange their tickets for a wristband, which allows them to go between as few or as many wineries as they’d like throughout the day by bus. The buses will go in a continuous loop, so participants will have the luxury to choose their own wine adventure throughout the day, free to stay at one venue longer, return to another or make various trips throughout the day. For more information and to buy tickets, go to:
www.popandpour.com.au/
UPCOMING SPRING RACES
Saturday September 10th | Tuesday September 27th Tuesday October 11th | Tuesday November 1st Race Day – TAB Facilities, Café/Kiosk, Bar – Race Day Packages available Race Day Info via the ERC Facebook Page MELBOURNE CUP DAY TUESDAY NOVEMBER 1ST
Get in Early and Book your Marquee or Umbrella Package or to find out more information go to
www.country.racing.com/echuca
ECHUCA RACING CLUB – Scott Road Echuca, turn off the Murray Valley Highway – (03) 5482 2487
Off and racing in Echuca
A DAY OF FASHION, HORSE RACING AND EXCITEMENT — THE ECHUCA RACING CLUB’S MELBOURNE CUP DAY IS FAST APPROACHING.
Having run for well over 35 years, the Echuca Racing Club’s Melbourne Cup Day is a popular event, often attracting crowds up to 3000, according to the club’s general manager Garry Armstrong. “It’s about that relaxed country atmosphere,” Garry said. “We have a large spacious lawn area so there’s plenty of room and free activities for the kids. It’s just a bit of a chill event and family friendly for everyone to come and have a great day.” There’ll be fashions on the field with prizes to be won, a catered food bar alongside live local music to keep the mood going — and it wouldn’t be the Melbourne Cup without the TAB and bookmakers. The day will see racing on the Echuca fields as well as on a big screen, which will show the live broadcast of the Melbourne Cup. Included in the ticket is also access to the free shuttle buses that will be running throughout the day, with the option for food and drink packages available. If you’re looking for a day to get dressed up and cheer on your favourite jockey and horse, check out Echuca Racing Club’s Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday, November 1 at the Echuca Racecourse. General admittance costs $25 and under-18s have free entry. Tickets will be available in early September on Echuca Racing Club’s website at www.country.racing.com/echuca and for more information email the club at echraces@ countryracing.com.au or call 5482 2487.
Paddle the mighty Murray
SINCE 1959, KEEN PADDLERS HAVE COME TOGETHER TO RACE ALONG 404 KM OF THE MURRAY RIVER OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE DAYS.
Originally known as the Murray Marathon and held late December, it became the Massive Murray Paddle and shifted to November. Now organisers are changing both the name and the game of this year’s event, opting for the more competitive title of mmp415 and a new course. In previous years, participants usually travelled 404 km along the Murray from Yarrawonga to Swan Hill. This year, the course has changed slightly — diverting through Gunbower State Forest and fi nishing in Koondrook. Mirage Sea Kayaks and Sydney Harbour Kayaks are the organisers behind the event and are big investors in tourism in the region. Organiser Shannon O’Brien said boosting regional tourism was an important factor for them when planning this event. “We heavily promote the paddlers to not bring anything into the region and we’re encouraging them to stay in the local campgrounds, hotels and motels and shop locally and eat locally,” Shannon said. The event also acts as a fundraiser, with every participant required to raise funds for a local cause, with the option of donating their time to a cause also counted. “By giving freedom for people to choose their cause, we found they raise so much more,” Shannon said.
“This February we only had 110 paddlers but they raised $100,000. That’s crazy — it’s really substantial and fantastic to have that result.” Since 2016, the paddle has raised a total of $895,442 and Shannon hopes the event will hit the million dollar mark this year. A popular annual event, registration for this year’s paddle has already hit 300 people and with registrations open until the beginning of November, numbers will only get higher. The event will run from November 21 to November 25. To register, go to www.mmp415.racing or phone (02) 9969 4590 for more information.
Race along the river
THE ANNUAL BEEHAG 100 SKI RACE RETURNS TO THE MURRAY RIVER THIS SPRING.
Since 2006, the Beehag 100 Ski Race has been held in honour of the Moama Water Sports Club founder and life member, Barrie Beehag, who died in June that year. The event has been put on hold for the past two years due to COVID-19 restrictions, but this year it will be back with a splash on November 12. Usually going 60 km along the Murray River from Deep Creek Marina to Torrumbarry Weir and back, the race will be slightly diff erent this year. Boats and skiers will instead start from Wills Bend, west of Echuca, making it a 100 km race altogether. Race chair Neil Donald said it would be good to have a fresh course for the race.
“It was bit short so we thought we should lengthen it and more people are on the Victoria side,” he said. “Just to make it longer and find a spot to assemble the boats — Wills Bend is a campground with toilets and good road access to drive in.” Entries open six weeks before the event — which is on Saturday, November 12 from 8 am to 4 pm — and close two weeks before. It is a team event and there is a range of age categories, available from kids to seniors. Neil said the Beehag 100 Ski Race was a good practice event and more relaxed than its famous Southern 80 cousin. “Good for Echuca to have another event and it’s good for the competitors to have a another race in our town and a warm-up to the Southern 80,” he said. “A lot of city people aren’t used to the tight river we have here. “It’s also good for businesses in town with a good influx of visitors to the area as they spend money. “People come along to watch more of a family event. It’s free and you can just sit anywhere on the side of the river to watch — it’s more of a casual event.” The event only takes 100 teams across all categories so get in fast and register your team before spots sell out. To register your team or for more information, go to:
www.barriebeehag.com.au
The show must go on
THE ECHUCA MOAMA AGRICULTURAL SHOW IS A HIGHLIGHT EVENT OF THE YEAR.
The 2022 show will be held on November 5 and 6, showcasing the best of our agricultural industries and attracting livestock and horses to the two days of competition. The show also boasts extensive sideshows and activities, with pony rides, mini golf, petting zoos and fi reworks displays, as well as competitions such as photography and baking. Echuca Moama & Districts Agricultural Show Society works with school children in the area to brainstorm ideas for sideshows and provide feedback for what they would like to see at the show. The students also participate by producing promotional posters for the show. Echuca Moama & Districts Agricultural Show Society president Allan Mathers said they did their best to try and keep everything free after attendees paid their gate fee, but that might be challenging after the past two years of not being able to fundraise. “We usually pride ourselves by keeping the gate price down — so once parents have paid their gate fees they don’t have to put their hand in their pocket for the sideshows,” Allan said. The society has received grants from the Federal Government that will be used to secure the iconic staples of the show, like the pony rides and fi reworks, and hopes to hold fundraisers ahead of the show to mitigate expenses. Allan said the society was looking for volunteers to man the gates, and vendors and businesses to set up stalls at the event. The Echuca Moama Show has been held about 144 times since records began in 1876. Allan hopes to see the show run for another 100 years to come “A lot of people seem to think I was there for the fi rst one — but I wasn’t!”
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Free home medication delivery service
Monday – Friday 9am – 6pm Priceline Pharmacy Echuca Square Saturday 9am – 2pm 147-149 Annesley Street, Echuca Ph: 5482 3777
Priceline Pharmacy Echuca Square
Priceline Pharmacy Echuca Square147–149 Annesley Street, Echuca 147-149 Annesley Street, Echuca Ph: 5482 3777 Ph: 5482 3777 priceline@echucapharmacies.com.au
Priceline Pharmacy Echuca Square
147-149 Annesley Street, Echuca Ph: 5482 3777
Services: • SMS Script reminder service • Scripts on file • Medadvisor • Blood Pressure monitoring • Sleep Apnoea testing • Webster packs • Whooping Cough vaccinations • Flu vaccinations • Click & Collect • NDSS • FREE Delivery
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Are you ready to steam?
SWEAT VS STEAM, A UNIQUE RACE THAT PITS RUNNERS AGAINST A PADDLE-STEAMER, RETURNS TO ECHUCA IN OCTOBER.
In previous years, 300 participants — locals and visitors from across Victoria — have tested their skills against the paddle-steamer. Sweat vs Steam has been around since 1998, but didn’t happen for the past two years because of the pandemic. It returns on Sunday, October 9.
