Category: Community

THE heaviest and best-dressed pumpkins the Great Southern has to offer will be on display next week for the annual Lower Kalgan Community Association’s Giant Pumpkin Fair.

The Giant Pumpkin Fair will spread its roots through the Lower Kalgan Hall’s grounds on April 14 from 9am to midday, and will have many prizes up for grabs, including the heaviest and best-dressed pumpkins, best pumpkin soup and best pumpkin photos.

Young Charlie, Wesley, Louis and Marnie McGregor have worked with dad Clint to grow their pumpkins, aiming to enter into the heaviest pumpkin junior category.

They are aiming to beat their entry from last year that tipped the scales at 75kg.

“We might have beaten last years’,” Mr McGregor said, inspecting the sizeable vegetables at the bottom of his makeshift garden.

“We planted in November as it takes about four months for them to get to a good size, and I reckon this one is about 75kg at the moment.”

Mr McGregor said the necessary maintenance for the pumpkins was relatively low, using slow-release fertiliser in an old cattle yard, where he said the soil already had good poo.

And while rabbits aren’t necessarily a problem, Mr McGregor said he had enlisted the help of his young tribe to shoo other pests away.

“The kids help with the watering and shooing away the chooks and the duck,” he said.

“The only thing I have to keep an eye on is the kids walking all over the pumpkins.”

To find out more about the pumpkin competition and market stalls at the fair, you can check out the Facebook page, or contact Laura Bird on 0428 294 234 for pumpkin enquiries and Vicki Joynes for stall bookings on 0402 166 161.

RARE birds after which the Shire of Gnowangerup is named are breeding like billyo out Ongerup way.

Manager of Yongergnow Australian Malleefowl Centre Rebecca Brady says that malleefowls Maggie, aged four, and Drei, two, have produced 19 chicks since late last year, and show no signs of stopping.

“After the Christmas break, when we came back we spotted three little chicks in the small aviary, and since then they’ve just been hatching and hatching, and every time we go out there’s been more and more, so the count now is 19,” she says.

“The last time our biologist, Vicki, checked the mound was before the last six chicks hatched. There were five eggs in it and we haven’t checked since then – so there could be more.”

Ms Brady says the 19 feathered newbies were the first chicks produced by their prolific parents.

“Maggie is about four years old,” she says.

“She’s been here a while, and Drei was a chick from the 2015/16 breeding season.

“He’s only two, so we didn’t think it was possible just yet.”

Roughly translated from the local Noongar language, ‘Gnowangerup’, the name of the shire in which the Ongerup-based centre sits, means ‘Place of the malleefowl’.

According to Birdlife Australia, the malleefowl – which ranges from Victoria and South Australia, up to the Northern Territory and through to Western Australia – is vulnerable nationally, and rare and likely to become extinct in WA.

“In the wild, the chick survival rate is only two per cent because they have no parental control or anything,” Ms Brady explains.

“Once their mum lays the eggs, that’s her job done.

“The father then adds dirt or removes dirt to keep the temperature in the mound between 32 and 34 degrees, and when they hatch they need to work their way out of the mound, which could be 1.5m high, all by themselves.”

Ms Brady says that when the chicks hatch they have to walk up to a metre from the mound, making them vulnerable to foxes and feral cats.

It is partly for that reason that an annual fox shoot that has been arranged for the night of April 7 by the local Community Resource Centre, which Ms Brady also manages, is so important.

“We feel like the local farmers are really helpful in realising that foxes are major predators, not just of livestock, but also of malleefowl,” she says.

Yongergnow plans to release malleefowl currently at the centre into mallee country in Gnowangerup Shire and beyond.

“Around northern Ongerup there have been sightings of malleefowl, including a male who had a mound,” Ms Brady says.

“He was unfortunately hit by a car so we’d like to think if we could put another male out there that male could then work on that mound again.”

Ongerup locals looking to participate in the April 7 fox shoot, and free brekky early the next day, can call 9828 2326 for more details.

Photo: Rebecca Brady with Maggie, Drei and the mound where the 19 chicks were born. Credit: Chris Thomson

PUBLIC art is popping up all over Albany at the moment, and it seems everyone is getting on board with the newest fad.

A grinning pirate, his treasure chest, his parrot and a curious octopus have appeared on the entry wall at Trailblazers on Albany Highway, and it’s the most recent project for Albany graphic artist and The Weekender’s own Cody Hulkes.

The modest talent said it took him just over 20 hours to paint the image, which he worked on at home and installed on the Trailblazers wall in three sections.

Mr Hulkes produced the oceanic feature wall for his big sister, Chantel Lawson, who owns the tackle and camping store.

“We love it, it’s absolutely wonderful,” Ms Lawson said.

“It’s something fun and something we think the kids will like.”

Mr Hulkes said the pirate graphic was the first large-scale project he has ever completed, and the first time he’s dealt with paints, being a graphic designer by trade.

He said it was interesting to learn about the different paints and wield a paint brush, rather than his usual computer mouse or stylus.

“It was great fun to do and a great opportunity,” he said.

“It’s the biggest thing I’ve done and it was a bit of a challenge, but the next wall will be even bigger and a bit more of a challenge.”

The wall Mr Hulkes is referring to is the side wall of Trailblazers, visible from Albany Highway as you head towards town.

The design for this wall is being kept tightly under wraps, but what we do know is that it will keep with the underwater theme.

“Watch this space,” Ms Lawson said.

COOKING celebrities Justine Schofield and Anna Gare popped into Denmark’s Rockcliffe Winery Night Market on Friday to show off their culinary skills as part of their Taste Great Southern tour.

Before taking to the stage, the talented ladies caught up with The Weekender for a glass of wine and a giggle or two.

The TV personalities are no stranger to Taste Great Southern; Ms Schofield took part a few years ago and couldn’t resist coming back, and Ms Gare has already participated in the 2018 trail, demonstrating at the Porongurup Wine Festival on the long weekend.

“I absolutely adored it,” Ms Gare said of the recent wine festival.

“It’s a beautiful start to the Taste Great Southern.”

Ms Gare said she was eager to get around to the other Taste events, and get her hands on some of the region’s local produce, including Denmark grass-fed lamb, Peaceful Bay seafood, marron and fresh produce from the Albany Farmer’s Market.

“That’s what I love about the festival, there are so many satellite events,” she said.

“That’s the beauty of the Great Southern; you’re always exploring new places and finding hidden gems.”

Ms Schofield had a busy weekend planned, heading to the Albany Farmer’s Market on Saturday and The Lake House Denmark on Sunday for the cooking and sundowner by the lake events.

“I love this festival,” she said.

“I can really immerse myself in what this place has to offer.”

One of the major events next on the Taste Great Southern menu is the Albany Wine and Food Festival at Eyre Park this Saturday from 11.30am to 5.30pm.

There’s plenty on before and well after this festival, so be sure to check out tastegreatsouthern.com. au to see what’s next.