Richmond Valley Notes

with Therese Schier

Summerland Olive Festival

Owners Da Leone Café and Deli in Casino, Don and Rosie Leo (left), with Summerland Olive president Noel Seaton and some of the goodies that will be available at the fifth annual Summerland Olive Festival at Mongogarie Lodge this Sunday.

Would you like to spend time in an olive grove, taste delicious regional food and relax whilst listening to great music? Then head on out to the fifth annual Summerland Olive Festival this Sunday, April 3, at Mongogarie Lodge.

The festival is hosted by Summerland Olives, a group of Northern Rivers olive growers, and according to president Noel Seaton the annual festival is an opportunity for people to find out more about the industry and to sample local products, all in the beautiful surrounds of Mongogarie Lodge, complete with its own olive grove.

"Our members are local olive growers who support each other and who now produce their own oil, olives and tapenades from a processing plant at Fairy Hill, west of Casino," Noel said. "The festival also promotes other locally grown products including wine, coffee and dukkah."

The day will have a Mediterranean theme with live band Tropicoso playing throughout the day, and plenty of tasty food. Activities will include grove walks, olive tasting, olive pressing, cooking tips, an olive pit spit competition and much more.

There will also be market stalls selling a variety of products such as Northern Rivers pottery, pesto, chilli, fabrics, macadamias, soap, plants, honey, jewellery, coffee and lavender products. There will even be wine tasting from the Flood Reserve winery at Tatham.

The festival starts at 10am and will run all day. To get to Mongogarie Lodge head towards Grafton on the Summerland Way and turn left just past the Leeville School, and follow the signs.

CWA video conference

What's life like for women in today's Vietnam?

That's the question Country Women's Association (CWA) members from Woodburn, Broadwater and Evans Head wanted answered when they took part in a video conference on Vietnam to celebrate International Women's Day in Evans Head recently.

The conference was held at the Evans Head Community Technology Centre (CTC) where the women linked up with Kendall CTC to learn about Vietnam, the country of study for the CWA during 2005.

Burmese born Tin Hta Nu, who worked and lived in Vietnam for four years, talked to the Evans Head ladies from Kendall about life in Vietnam as well as showing pictures of traditional Vietnamese costumes and playing Vietnamese music.

Evans Head CTC manager Barb Hamilton said the women were very interested to hear about family life in Vietnam.

"Tin Hta Nu told them that whilst the man is the decision maker, the women do most of the work and keep the economy of the family running," Barb said. "They also gained an appreciation that the women in Vietnam don't have access to groups like the CWA. They were also impressed with the quality of the traditional costumes and craft."

Barb said it was the first time the women had participated in a video conference.

"It was an awareness for the ladies of the technology," she said. "They were amazed they could have a meeting like that in real time."

Barb said video conferencing is now available at the CTC for anyone to use.

For further information phone 6682 6410.

Village Players auditions

It's just over 12 months since the Evans Head Village Players formed and already they are auditioning for their third production.

Publicity officer Maria Walsh said auditions for the next production, to be performed in September, will be held next Wednesday, April 6, at the Stan Payne oval in Evans Head from 6.30pm.

Maria said the company would like out of town people to audition along with locals.

"We'd like to get some inter-town brotherhood/sisterhood happening," she said.

Maria said local playwright Paul Johnson is well advanced on the draft for this production, which is said to be somewhat "political".

"It's in the vein of Paul's first play Robin Hoodwink and is another farce that will make fun of local identities," Maria said. "Paul is incredibly inventive and clever, and there is a large cast and a very funny plot."

Richmond Valley mayor Charlie Cox had better hope there are no more rate rises in the next few months!

For more information contact Maria Walsh on 6682 5834.