THIS Sunday, January 26, people across Australia will be celebrating and reflecting on what is great about being Australian and others will be made new Australians by making their Australian Citizenship Affirmation.
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Australia Day means something different to everyone, and it’s important you do what feels right for you. It's a day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future.
This Sunday the Narooma community is giving you a helping hand to celebrate what’s great about living in Narooma and surrounding areas. The Eurobodalla Shire Council, Woolworths Narooma, Nu Tech Sound and Visual, Narooma CWA, Lions, Quota, Rotary, Rural Fire Service and The Men’s Shed have all banded together and organised a barbecue breakfast and Australia Day ceremony right on one of the best Aussie back drops in Narooma at the main Surf Beach.
The day starts at 8am where Narooma Surf Life Saving Club volunteers and Lions Club helpers, for a small donation, will be putting on a cooked Aussie breakfast spread until 10am.
From 10am official proceedings will start and Peter Bull from Rotary will be the Master of Ceremonies.
CWA president Joanne King will address the audience, where CWA were the first Narooma Australia Day ceremony founders. Next is where we all band together and sing the two verses of the National Anthem and raise the Australian flag.
This year’s Narooma Australia Day Ambassador is Petrea King, who is the founding director and CEO of the Quest for Life Foundation.
She is the bestselling author of eight books including Quest for Life and Your Life Matters.
Petrea has also written three children’s books You, Me & the Rainbow, Rainbow Kids and The Rainbow Garden; and recorded a dozen meditation CDs, including the Rainbow Connection CD for children.
Petrea is a regular guest on ABC national and local radio and she has been featured in many television programs.
She received many awards for her work including the Advance Australia Award, the Centenary Medal, Citizen of the Year for 2008 and has been among the nominees for Australian of the Year each year since 2003.
A Woolworths Narooma representative will present Petrea with a badge to express thanks and gratitude for her services.
Also for the first time this year several singing/choral local groups have gathered to form the Narooma Community Choir and present two choral items.
Councillor Neil Burnside and a high school student representative will address the audience on what Australia Day means to them and living locally. The official part of the proceedings is about recognising our local community.
There will be the Quota Club awards, Rotary Club Tertiary Scholarship award, the 2013 Community Event of the Year, Young Citizen and Citizen of the Year.
What a grand program and one big morning for Narooma and the local community to celebrate what’s great about Australia and being Australian. Don’t forget to slip slop slap, and just in case bring a chair or picnic rug.
Finally, don’t forget the Rotary Club’s duck race at the Narooma Bridge at 9am but unfortunately all the tickets would have now been sold.
Ducks take early dive
NAROOMA’S Rotary ducks will dive off Narooma Bridge this Sunday, Australia Day, at 9am and travel to the finishing line out from the Apex Park boat ramp (eastern end of the boardwalk).
Narooma Rotary President Charmaine White said all 1000 tickets are now sold; the number of each ticket corresponds to the number of a duck.
“The funds raised will buy at least two ShelterBoxes,” she said.
ShelterBox is a Rotary International project that provides emergency shelter for people around the world.
Each ShelterBox costs $1000 and gives aid, shelter, warmth and some dignity for a family of up to 10 people for a prolonged period.
It includes a high dome tent, thermal blankets or sleeping bags, stove, water containers, treated mosquito nets, water purification tablets, a multi-fuel stove, and tools all boxed in a rugged multi-use container.
ShelterBoxes can be carried into remote areas by boat, canoe, helicopter and even camel.
Recent ShelterBoxes funded by Narooma Rotary have gone to villagers in Nigeria and North Korea who lost their homes from severe flooding, to Syrian refugees and to people impacted by the recent typhoon in the Philippines.
Narooma Rotary markets are also on this Sunday, 8.30am -1pm, behind Narooma Visitors’ Centre.
Activities to the north and south
ONCE you have enjoyed Australia Day in Narooma consider heading down to the Bermagui Country Club where television travel presenter Catriona Rowntree will launch a display of painted umbrellas at 2pm.
Catriona meanwhile is the Bega Valley Shire Australia Day ambassador and will speak at the Cobargo ceremony hosted by the Cobargo CWA.
The Cobargo Scouts start the barbecue at 11am at the School of Arts and the formal part starts at noon.
In Moruya, the day will start at 8.30am with breakfast at Russ Martin Park, down by the Moruya River, followed by the Moruya district Australia Day awards.
There will be games and competitions for all ages, including an ANZAC biscuit competition.
