On the Grapevine

There is something for everyone within the Murray region, for wine connoisseurs, to beer devotees and foodies. Lovers of fine cheeses, pasture fed beef, olives and olive oils, preserves, chocolates and the season’s freshest fruit and vegetables are well catered to.

I have it on good authority from the boys at The Corner Shop, Darren and Damien, that the booklet has attracted visitors from out of town to their growing business, who have mapped out their own trail from the booklet and loving the variety of experiences.

It’s ideal also when locals have visitors for the weekend and looking for something different to do. Why not check out the booklet, there is bound to be one or two places of interest.

Produced by Murray Regional Tourism, Sun Country on The Murray and Moira Shire, it would be wonderful to see even more businesses being promoted in this great little booklet.

Copies are available from local businesses, including The Corner Shop, Manto Produce, the Big Strawberry, Cactus Country and Monichino Wines.

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Tocumwal’s Biggest Morning Tea

Tomorrow Thursday, May 26, you have an opportunity to participate in Tocumwal’s Biggest Morning Tea and it’s no exaggeration, it will be big!

Tocumwal Op Shops combine together to conduct the day each year with all proceeds going to the Cancer Council.

Entry is $10 per person and covers a lucky door prize and volunteers combine their talents to offer a sumptuous morning tea of delicious slices and cakes, scones with jam and cream, sandwiches and savouries.

As in previous years, organisers will run a continuous raffle offering some amazing prizes.

A heavily laden plant stall showcasing an impressive variety of potted plants and items for the garden have all been generously donated and are on sale. Some of which would make an ideal gift for that special person.

This year, organisers have added some entertainment with music from Ray McCartney together with demonstrations of line dancing and Tai Chi.

The morning promises to be a lot of fun and runs from 10am to 1 pm.

Each year the combined Op Shop volunteers have raised a significant amount for the Cancer Council so come along and support them in their endeavours to assist those newly diagnosed and those continuing their fight with the disease.

You can be assured of a very pleasant morning but a word of advice, you may not need to have breakfast before you go.

Casey selected for Special Olympics

Cobram’s Casey Petrie will proudly wear the Navy Blue for her state of Victoria after gaining selection in the state’s swim team for the ‘Special Olympics Australia – National Games’ to be held in Launceston on October 17-21 and she is incredibly excited.

The Special Olympics is so much more than sport, it gives people with intellectual disabilities the confidence they need to succeed on and off the playing field. Sport assists as a platform to unite people and promote inclusion and the Special Olympics form part of a global move for people with an intellectual disability.

The bubbly 38-year-old has been swimming seriously since the age of 18 years and qualified at the state trials earlier this year. To gain selection, competitors are required to have placed first in at least one event and for Casey it was in the 50m freestyle. However, she qualified in two disciplines, the 50m and 100m freestyle and backstroke, and will also swim with relay teams in both styles.

The young woman is training regularly in Barooga and also heads to Echuca where she belongs to the Echuca Special Olympics Group and trains in a group of five under local coach Shirley Milgate. Victorian swim coach is Karen Fox.

“I will need to step it up more before we go to Tassie.” says Casey, who is determined to give it her best and hopefully bring home a medal.

“It’s important to maintain your focus and ignore negativity from others. I have checked out the opposition and several swimmers from NSW may be my toughest opponents but I still feel confident,” adds Casey.

Casey eagerly looks forward to the games and catching up again with athletes she has met previously and making many new friends.

About 734 athletes from all Australian states will converge on Launceston to compete in athletics, basketball, tenpin bowling, soccer, golf, gymnastics, tennis, table tennis and swimming.

It has taken total commitment from Casey’s parents Alan and Gwen to drive her to training and competition, spending many hours on the road and definitely without a doubt the couple plays a huge part in ‘Team Petrie’.

“I couldn’t do it without mum and dad and feel proud to be selected for a second time in the swim team and will do my very best,” says Casey, who is not new to the world of competition as she also competed four years ago.

Casey recently attended a weekend training camp in Melbourne where she was fitted out for her Victorian uniform, swimwear and tracksuit, obvious signs that the event is actually happening.

The oath expressed by the athletes at the games “Let me win! If I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt” undoubtedly epitomises the feelings of these special athletes on their way to being the best they can be.

Footnote: If you would like to assist Casey with costs associated in getting to the games, go to https://donate.nationalgames2022.com.au/fundraisers/CaseyPetrie