Celebrating 30 Years of Clare Valley’s Riesling Trail: A Testament to Community Spirit
Volunteers who have dedicated themselves to maintaining Clare Valley’s iconic Riesling Trail are commemorating a significant milestone this year – the trail’s 30th anniversary since its first stage opened three decades ago.
Constructed on the former rail line stretching from Adelaide to Spalding in South Australia’s mid-north, the Riesling Trail covers a scenic 33-kilometer route from Auburn to Barinia. Notably, it marked the pioneering conversion of a railway line into a recreational path in the region.
The trail’s development unfolded in four stages, with sections completed between Sevenhill and Watervale in 1994, Clare to Sevenhill and Watervale to Auburn in 1998, Clare to Barinia in 2009, and the final extension into Auburn in 2019.
Reflecting on the trail’s origins, Sue Wurst, secretary of the Riesling Trail Management Committee, recalled the challenges encountered during its construction, including labor disputes, material shortages during World War I, and the demanding task of carving pathways through rugged terrain. Ironically, these obstacles have now become cherished highlights of the trail’s allure.
Chairman of the Riesling Trail Management Committee, Allan Mayfield, expressed pride in the trail’s popularity, with approximately 100,000 annual visitors, a significant portion of whom are locals. He noted that the trail’s appeal extends globally, with around 10% of visitors coming from international destinations.
Mayfield emphasized the trail’s profound impact on the local economy, with properties often marketed based on their proximity to the Riesling Trail. Despite some government funding, the trail’s maintenance primarily relies on support from local businesses and individuals.
Volunteers, dedicating approximately 1000 hours annually, play a pivotal role in ensuring the trail’s upkeep. Mayfield highlighted the unique aspect of the trail being managed by a voluntary committee, underscoring the collective motivation to maintain its pristine condition and ensure a memorable experience for visitors.
As Clare Valley’s Riesling Trail commemorates three decades of scenic beauty and community engagement, its legacy stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of collaboration and dedication among volunteers and supporters.
Source: https://www.indaily.com.au/news/community/2024/05/20/riesling-trail-celebrates-30-years
Kane Cornes Calls on Isaac Quaynor to Step Up Against Adelaide
Kane Cornes has urged Isaac Quaynor to elevate his performance for Collingwood’s upcoming game against Adelaide at the MCG on Saturday.
Quaynor, who had an exceptional 2023 season, was named in the All-Australian squad and played a crucial role in Collingwood’s premiership campaign. However, his impact in 2024 has not matched his previous form. Over nine games this season, Quaynor’s statistics have seen a noticeable decline: his average disposals have dropped from 16.2 to 13.2, marks from 5.5 to 2.2, tackles from 2.6 to 2.1, and rebound 50s from 3.7 to 2.8.
Despite these drops, Quaynor remains secure in his position in the team and has continued to perform well defensively. However, Cornes believes that Quaynor’s signature bounce and run from half-back, which were instrumental last season, have been missing and need to return for the team to thrive.
“Just a quick little one, I’m going to put Isaac Quaynor in the gun,” Cornes said on SEN Breakfast. “I just don’t think he’s having the same impact that he had last year; he hasn’t had 20 disposals once this year.”
Cornes emphasized the importance of Quaynor’s dynamic play: “I just haven’t seen the bounce and the run and the intercepting ability that we saw last year. I’m a big fan of his work and I’m not suggesting he’s under pressure or anything like that, but I’d just love to see him impact a game for maybe the first time this year.”
The game against Adelaide presents a prime opportunity for Quaynor to showcase his abilities, particularly with a potential matchup against the in-form Izak Rankine. Cornes highlighted the significance of Quaynor’s energy and its potential impact on the game: “It’s a big game against Adelaide tomorrow and I feel like they need his bounce, his intercept. It’s just his energy which I think has been lacking this year.”
Isaac Quaynor has been named to start on a half-back flank for the match. The clash at the MCG is set to commence at 1:45pm (AEST).
PHOTOS: Athletes sprint, throw, and jump their way to gold at Maple Ridge meet
Hundreds of athletes from all across the province attended the Eagles Classic track meet at Maple Ridge Secondary on May 11 to compete in events ranging from hurdles to javelin and more.
The all-day competition pits the best of the best athletes in Grades 3 to 7 against one another, with a few of the events also involving masters and open class competitions to include more veteran athletes.
Hosted by Golden Ears Athletics, this was the 18th iteration of the annual track meet, with nearly 1,000 spectators coming out to support this year’s batch of athletes.
Golden Ears Athletics president Phil Pitzey explained that the historic mile run was once again the featured distance race of the day, with perpetual trophies that name past winners being awarded to the fastest mile runner, top thrower, most outstanding individual meet performer, and top team.
The local Eagles athletes had a particularly strong showing, with the following athletes earning top-three finishes:
• Serena Obioha (2nd – U14 Women’s 80m Hurdles, 2nd – U14 Women’s 100m, 2nd – U14 Women’s 100m Final, 2nd – U14 Women’s Long Jump)
Kelechi Obioha (1st – U12 Women’s 60m Hurdles, 1st – U12 Women’s 100m, 2nd – U12 Women’s 200m, 1st – U12 Women’s 100m Final, 3rd – U12 Women’s High Jump, 1st – U12 Women’s Long Jump)
• Elliot L’Esperance (3rd – U11 Men’s 60m Hurdles)
• Zekiah West (3rd – U10 Men’s 60m Hurdles)
• Kaylee Ferguson (3rd – U12 Women’s 600m, 3rd – U12 Women’s 1000m)
• Maeve Jaskiewicz (3rd – U13 Women’s 100m, 3rd – U13 Women’s Long Jump)
• Joe Broeders (2nd – U13 Men’s 100m, 2nd – U13 Men’s 100m Final, 1st – U13 Men’s Shot Put, 1st – U13 Men’s Discus)
• Joel Breedveld (1st – Open Men’s 400m)
• Zachary Edgerton (3rd – U12 Men’s 100m Final, 3rd – U12 Men’s Long Jump)
• Ronan Sullivan (2nd – U10 Men’s High Jump, 1st – U10 Men’s Long Jump)
• Anthony Blackman (3rd – U10 Men’s Long Jump, 1st – U10 Men’s Shot Put)
• Joshua Edgerton (2nd – U14 Men’s Shot Put)
• Bella Zanotto (2nd – U13 Women’s Shot Put)
• Trystan Bakira (2nd – U11 Men’s Discus)
• Kalib Soltesz (2nd – Open Men’s Javelin)
• Cannen King (3rd – Open Men’s Javelin)
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Mykolas Alekna breaks men’s discus world record with throw of 74.35m
Australian Matthew Denny’s quest to win discus gold at the Paris Olympics got harder, with Mykolas Alekna breaking the oldest world record in men’s track and field.
The Lithuanian powerhouse took advantage of windy conditions in the unlikely setting of Ramona, Oklahoma, on Monday AEST, to set a new mark of 74.35 metres.
The previous best of 74.08m was set by German Juergen Schult way back in 1986.
Having finished fourth at last year’s world championships and the Tokyo Olympics, Denny is a serious medal contender at the Paris Games.
But if he is to secure top spot on the podium, the Queenslander will need to find a way past reigning world and Olympic champion Daniel Stahl from Sweden, as well as Alekna, who at just 21 is six years younger than the Australian.
“I’ve said my focus was to win the Olympics and a lot of people haven’t taken that too seriously,” Denny said after his record-breaking throw on Saturday.
“Which is fair enough considering I’m fourth in the order right now, fourth in the rankings and I haven’t broken that 70-metre mark.
“Today we didn’t have huge winds or anything.
“That’s a replicable (sic) throw in an Olympics and that changes my argument on being competitive and looking for that win in Paris.”
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-15/mykolas-alekna-breaks-men-discus-world-record/103708542
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Torrie Lewis, Ebony Lane, Bree Masters, and Ella Connolly break national 4x100m record to secure Olympics spot for Australia
A squad anchored by Australia’s fastest woman Torrie Lewis has smashed the national 4x100m record for the second time this year to claim an automatic spot at the Paris Olympics.
Racing at the World Relays meet in the Bahamas, Ebony Lane, Bree Masters, Ella Connolly and Lewis clocked 42.83 seconds to finish second in their heat behind Germany.
It was the fifth fastest overall time, with the top two in each heat advancing to the final and guaranteeing their places for the Olympics in early August.
“I think we all had a lot of trust in each other, so we said, you know what, let’s just relax, we’ve done the work and we’ve done this a million times,” Connolly said.
“Let’s just go do this and qualify for the Olympics together.”
The same quartet had flagged they were destined for great things by running 42.94 at the Sydney Track Classic in late March, breaking an Australian standard that had stood for 24 years.
Lewis, 19, is also well placed to contest either the individual 100m or 200m in Paris.
The US women were fastest in the Bahamas qualifying round in 42.21.
Australia’s 4x100m men went within a whisker of also claiming an automatic Olympic slot on day one at the World Relays.
The young team of Sebastian Sultana, Jacob Despard, Calab Law and Joshua Azzopardi clocked 38.50, only to be pipped for second spot by Jamaica in a photo finish.
They have another chance to shore up an Olympic berth in the repechage round on Monday (AEST).
“Jamaica have always been such a powerhouse team, so to even be in the same conversation with them is kind of surreal,” Azzopardi said.
“If we run roughly the same time tomorrow, then we should be going to Paris but we will need to execute and run to our full potential.”
If they are successful in that quest, Australia’s leading male sprinter Rohan Browning would be added to the relay squad in Paris.
An American team including world 100m and 200m champ Noah Lyles led the automatic qualifiers in 37.49 — the fastest time in the world this year.
Australia’s men’s and women’s 4x400m squads will contest the repechage rounds in the Bahamas on Sunday.
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-05/torrie-lewis-and-team-break-4×100-national-record/103807212
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