April 2015 1

The ninth Giant Odyssey was held at Forrest in March. The annual event is known as one of the toughest mountain bike marathons and continues to attract an impressive lineup of riders.

It wasn’t just the elite having a great day out. In total, over 900 very enthusiastic mountain bikers challenged themselves in either the 100km or 50km event.

Proving that mountain biking has something for everyone, 150 riders took on the 15km Giant Pioneer, an event designed for newcomers to the sport and for young riders. The field also included a number of handcyclists who raced on a tailored 6km course.

65 years separated the oldest and youngest participants. 71 year old Mike Swain completed the gruelling 100km Odyssey in just under 8 hours, while Liam Callaghan at 6 pedalled for just over an hour to complete the Giant Pioneer.

Race organisers Rapid Ascent were very pleased with how smoothly the event ran and the number of competitors.

‘This was truly one of the best Odysseys we’ve had,’ said Sam Maffett, General Manager of Rapid Ascent. ‘The trails were in mint condition, the weather was perfect, it was a top notch field, with some tight racing and a great supportive atmosphere at the event festival. I congratulate everyone who took part in it.’

Whilst numbers were down a little on previous years, participants and spectators spent up big with our local fundraisers. The Lions Club sold out and the school ‘pedalled’ 35 more smoothies than last year.

Chris Jongewaard continued his reign to claim his sixth victory of the 100km event and also the King of the Mountain title. In the women’s category, Jenni King took the overall win after a tight race with a stellar lineup of elite women riders.

A perfect day for an OdysseyAPRIL 2015

Made &Found

Market!Easter Sunday

5th Aprilat the Forrest Hall

from 10am - 4pm

Quality pre-loved and handmade

items for sale

Make an Easter

bonnet!

Join the Egg Hunt at 2pm!

The 100km race includes lots of beautiful single track.

The 15km Giant Pioneer is great for families.

Good sports!Forrest Primary School finished 3rd behind Birregurra and Carlisle River at the Polwarth Sports carnival last month. Five students won age group medallions and went on to represent the region at the Colac Divisional Sports day. At least one will compete at the Regional Athletics Sports to be held later in the year. Congratulations to all who took part!

April 20152

What brought you to Forrest?

I came from Geelong in 2004. We had been down a couple of months before to check out the caravan park. The business was advertised and we decided to give it a go for a change of direction and career.

What was it like owning the caravan park?

We spent 9½ years in the caravan park. It was quiet when we first started so luckily I was making dog gear as well. I had started a business making horse gear before we moved – saddle blankets, lead ropes, head collars and bridles. I used to go to events and someone said,

‘You should make dog stuff.’ I made some dog blankets and sold out.

Within one year the caravan park Easter trade doubled. It just kept growing. It became more families and then the mountain bike riders came so it gradually increased in numbers each year. My first Odyssey event I didn’t know what hit me! One event there was a terrible storm and there was no electrical ignition for the hot water. There were huge queues for showers and they were all cold.

What’s changed in your 10 years in Forrest?

It’s a lot busier now. The shop’s changed immensely, which has changed the ambience of the place, and there’s the brewery and Corner Store and changes at the Guesthouse and pub. Forrest’s got a new life now – more of an upbeat feel to it. There has been a change of culture and tourism.

What does the future hold?

I just like it here – we wouldn’t want to move into the city. It’s comfortable, you can choose to keep yourself to yourself or get out and do things. It’s just a nice place to live.

Horses were a big part of my life. I rode from Melbourne to Canberra in 1988 for the opening of Parliament House, and worked at Sea Mist. I want to start riding again and maybe breed a horse.

Who’s

Who

Kare

n D

aymo

nd

TRIPP BUILDING

Peter Tripp 5237 7348 / 0429 799 829

PTYLTD

Reg. Builder: DBU-12327

New Homes...Extensions...Renovations...Small jobs and all other building work

MBA Member: 099036

J.Craig Walker B.App.Sc. (Pharm) Phc. M.P.SABN: 34 249 381 476

Open Hours:Monday to Friday 9.30am to 12.30pm - 1.30pm to 5.30pm

Saturday 9.30am to 11.00am

40 Main Street, Birregurra VIC 3242Ph: (03) 5236 2288 Fax: (03) 5236 2280

The Forrest Post is an initiative of the Forrest and District Community Group. Every effort is made to remain current, accurate and non-partisan. Feedback, submissions and advertising input are encouraged. Submissions may be edited. You may request an electronic version by email delivery. © Forrest and District Community GroupContact theforrestpost@gmail.com Editors Mandy Bishop and Mary DracupLayout Laura McKinnon Printed by Geelong Printworks Pty Ltd, Grovedale

April 2015 3

What brought you to Forrest?

To be with my darling Ben and get away from the city. I came down on days off and just loved it. Ben moved here in November and works front of house at Brae.

Was it a big decision to move?

Easy decision! I was living in Fitzroy and working at a restaurant in Carlton. I was trying to work so that Ben and I could see each other, but it was hard to get our schedules

together so I decided to move.

What have you been doing?

I started off at Brae in pastry and then decided on a change. I work at Wye General Store and help dear Sally in the Forrest General Store making bread and pastries. I haven’t done bread before and it was a good chance to learn from an excellent baker.

What do you like most about living here?

Being out in nature, having a veggie garden and being away from the hustle and bustle. As a kid I loved Mum and Dad’s veggie garden, but where I was living I didn’t have the yard or the time. It’s lovely to cook straight from the garden – there’s a real difference in flavour.

There’s a really nice sense of community down here as well. I didn’t even know my next door neighbour where I used to live. And at night time you can see stars!

What does the future hold?

Long term, Ben and I want to buy some land and set up our own BnB and grow all our own produce. We want a maximum of ten guests that we really look after.

phone 5236 6170forrestbrewing.com.au | Apollo Bay Road, Forrest

phone 5236 6170forrestbrewing.com.au | Apollo Bay Road, Forrest

EastEr opEning hours Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday

open for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Easter Monday open for breakfast and lunch

Open 7-days a week, all year round

Monday - Wednesday - Open 9 - 5pm, serving breakfast & lunch

Thursday - Saturday - Open 9 - late, serving breakfast, lunch & dinner

PIZZA for dinner on Thursday night (eat-in or take-away)

Sunday - open 9 - 5pm, serving breakfast & lunch

Coming soon....

Beer fed free range pork. Our next menu will feature our hand raised pigs,

fed on the spent raise from the beer making.

Washing Machines

DryersDishWashers

Darryl DiffeyPh 0424 054 914ddiffey75@gmail.com

APPLIANCE

REPAIRS

Two unique, fully self-contained,

3 bedroom cottages

Centrally located in the township of Forrest

For bookings:www.ozbook.com.auPhone 5243 3579

5 Grant Street FORREST

The Cob Clinic in ForrestAcupuncture &

Massage TherapiesAndrew & Shizu

(03) 52366 493colacotwaychinesemedicine.com

MATHEW SILVEY PLUMBING

Mobile: 0417 342 531

• Newhomes&renovations• Hot&coldwaterservices• Spouting&downpipes• Stormwater

• Motoriseddraincleaning• 1.5texcavatorhire• Solarhotwaterinstallation• Roofing

LicenceNo.47995

Whitn

ey Firmin

Who’s New

April 20154

ChurCh ServiCeS

Good Friday 5.30 pm

easter Sunday 4 pm(multi-

denominational)

Anglican services2nd & 4th Sundays,

11.15am

uniting services1st Sunday, 10.30am

St James Church, Grant St, Forrest

WHAT’S ON IN

FORREST

Brew Crew Social Rides

Depart 6.15pm every Thursday

from Forrest Brewery

10th ANNiverSArYFOrreST LiON’S CLuB

OTWAY SOuP FeSTSuNDAY 7th JuNe

homemade soup competition Plus categories for other homemade goodies, the largest vegetable grown locally, home brewed beer and wines.

Market and craft stalls, soup for lunch, BBQ, Pizza, coffee and Devonshire Tea

FORREST OP SHOPOPEN FRIDAY

1-3PM & SATURDAY

10-1PMSt James Church, Grant St, Forrest

DONATIONS WELCOME

April 2015 5

Council has approved plans to turn the derelict sawmill site on Station Street into a $6 million brewery, 20-seat restaurant, function area and 20 two-bedroom cabins. The Forrest Brewing Company is now working on its investment structure and looking for business partners for the venture.

Construction will take place over the next three years and will include the existing shed for the beer manufacturing. The development will have sweeping views of the river and valley opposite, and include a good deal of open space as well as a 95-space carpark.

Sharon Bradshaw, who owns the Forrest Brewing Company with her brother Matt, said the Brewery on Grant Street would continue operating as a café-restaurant to complement the new development.

She said the development would

allow them to brew and bottle 10 times more beer, and also give them entry to the growing corporate recreation market, capitalising on Forrest’s bike riding and bushwalking trails.

The 18-month feasibility study for the development was half-funded by a $100,000 quality tourism grant from the Federal Government, and half-funded by the Bradshaws. It included assessing financial viability,

architecture and landscape design, bushfire risk, waste management, cultural heritage and site contamination.

Colac Otway Shire’s planning approval for the development includes about 40 conditions to ensure noise is minimised, car parking is adequate and so on. An industrial, EPA-approved waste

management system will be installed.

The Station Street site was part of the Forrest train station until the station closed in 1957. It was then the site of Henry’s, Frizons’ and finally Otway Hardwoods sawmills. The Bradshaws bought the site in 2012, and hope to be brewing there in three years.

Brewery plans approved

Enjoy a full cooked country-style breakfastRelax in our large hydro-therapy spa pool

Soak up the Otway Valley views from your private suite

Your Hosts - Bob & Carol www.forrestrivervalley.com.au

Couples ACCoMModAtion

April 20156

Caspers Accommodationa true Ride-in Ride-out experience

Located in the heart of the Yaugher Trail NetworkFully self-contained apartment - Sleeping up to fourContact Rob or Deb0408 982 880

pindanredangus@gmail.comwww.rideforrest.com.au

Forrest Holiday Cleaning & MaintenanCe serviCe

Farm & Home MaintenanceBuilding and Capentry

Holiday Homes CleaningPensioner & Seniors Card Welcome

Otways Local Area0428502323

forrestholiday@hotmail.comABN: 92 549 952 741

Monday yoga & Meditation 6-7.30pm with Sue Frydman $15 casual $12 term paymentBInGo 1-3pm. $5 (first Monday of the month)Tuesday Cos Fitness Class 11am $3Wednesday Tai Chi 6.30-8pm

Thursday Gentle exercise & 10-11am.Mind Games 11am-12noon. $2Community Lunch 12.30-2pm $6FrIday (sChooL TerM)diploma/Cert IV Visual arts10am-5pm.

For info Gillian Brew T: 5236 6591 forrest.nh@gmail.com office hours: Mon10-5pm & Thur10-6pm

ForresT & dIsTrICT neIGhBourhood house ProGraM aPrIL 2015reGuLar aCTIVITIes aT The ForresT haLL (unless indicated otherwise) CoMInG uP

easTer sunday 5Th aPrIL– 10-4PMMade & Found MarkeT & easTer eGG hunT saTurday 16 - Monday 18 May BLueGrass JaM CaMPwww.jamcampsaustralia.com.auThe neIGhBourhood house oFFICe WILL Be CLosed FroM FrI 3 - Mon 13 aPrIL

Despite going one better than their semifinal appearance last year, the Forrest Cricket Club fell just short of victory at the Colac and District Cricket Association grand final in March. Warrion took the honours in a close game played on their home ground.

After a solid start with the bat, Forrest took to the field to defend their 161 runs. Things looked promising early with Warrion a couple of wickets down for 62 half way through their innings.

Unfortunately Forrest couldn’t make enough impact with the ball in the second half. Warrion stepped up the run rate to overtake Forrest in the final over with 3 balls remaining.

Captain Jarrod MacDonald was very happy with the season.

‘It was a very successful season even though we fell just short of what wanted to achieve,’ he said.

Great news for the club was that Brad Conway won the league’s Best and Fairest Award for Division 3 and Tony Crabbe achieved the league’s Best Bowling Average

recognition.

‘We were very happy with the support from the community,’ said Jarrod. ‘We’ve had more supporters rocking up to games than we have for a long time.’

‘We’ve improved each season for the last three years and it would be great to step up next year and finally win one,’ Jarrod said.

‘We would like to keep the current list together and add a couple of younger players,’ he said ‘If there are any locals 14 years or more that would like a hit, it would be great to hear from them.’

Forrest goes down in tight grand final

Brett Ruffin hits a 4

The Forrest Cricket Club team (photos courtesy Fiona Marshall)

April 2015 7

After 8 years in Frizon Street, Norm and Jess Douglas moved back to Geelong recently. But that doesn’t mean that they are leaving Forrest altogether.

‘I’ve been mulling a move over for twelve months,’ said Norm. ‘The draw of our distant businesses meant a lot of time apart and we need to reassess a number of things, travelling being one of them.’

‘Given that our business identity is Forrest, we were a bit cautious, but we went through an assessment and decided to have a change. We did live in Geelong for 15 years and Jess was born in Geelong,’ he said.

Norm estimates that moving to Geelong will conservatively be worth 2 weeks a year in time not spent in the car.

The Corner Store and mountain bike events remain important to the couple.

‘As for our commitment to the town, nothing changes,’ said Norm. ‘We created our businesses to run themselves without us. We hope the Corner Store will be part of Forrest forever.

‘We needed to have a change and our lifestyle meant we

weren’t getting the real value out of living in a place like Forrest,’ said Norm. ‘Living in Geelong, we’ll be spending more time together, walking along the Barwon River and I’ll probably even be able to ride more.’

Norm and Jess have been very active participants in the community, volunteering their time on various committees, working to maintain the trails and supporting children in town to develop their riding skills.

‘We’ve had a lot of people come and thank us for our efforts,’ Norm said. ‘Jess and I are really appreciative of the support we’ve received, personally and for our events.’

YOURRIDESTARTSHERE

CNR STATION ST & BLUNDY STBIKES - COFFEE - CULTURE

Jess and Norm farewell Forrest

Geotechnical RepoRtsRisk assessmentscomputeR DesiGn | slope stabilityWateR supply | FaRm Damsbush FiRe assessmentsite classiFications

Consulting EnginEEr

MICHAEL DELAHUNTY beng mieaust

ph 0428 141 441Fax 03 5233 4608

mddelahunty@bigpond.com

www.2020es.com

topbike.com.au

April 20158

Of all the warm-blooded night animals, insect-eating bats are the smallest, quietest and most unfamiliar, even though bats make up a fifth of the mammal species of the world. The ultrasonic cries of most species are so high-pitched

that humans can’t hear them. The cries work as a type of sonar to detect flying insects, though if you disturb a bat it will also produce mouse-like squeaks to warn that it can bite.

These tiny animals often roost in m i x e d - s p e c i e s groups, usually in hollow trees. The locally common Southern forest bat (Vespadelus regulus) is found from sea level to the highest peaks of the Otways. It weighs only a few grams and its body is barely 4 cm long.

The bat must hunt every night that small insects are

flying. In winter insects are scarce so they hibernate, though they may come out on a warmer evening in the hope of a feed. Occasionally one sneaks into our upstairs bedroom, and you can just feel the brief gust of air from each wingbeat if it passes near your face, yet there may be no audible sound.

The bats mate in autumn before their dormant period, and the mother gives birth to just one baby around early summer, suckling it for around two months until it can hunt its own food. She doesn’t look after her offspring alone: females form nursery colonies at this time and may actively drive males away until the young have moved on, leaving them free to feed themselves up again for the coming winter.

Nick Romanowski

Southern forest bat

Southern forest bat

Polworth and District Tennis Association’s reigning A grade premiers Forrest played off again in this year’s grand final against Colac Lawn Tennis Club at Beeac in March.

Unfortunately for the Forrest team, who were attempting to go back to back for the first time in the A grade competition, they were beaten by Colac Lawn 6 sets 45 games to 2 sets 29 games.

Despite being runners up, the grand final appearance means that the past two seasons have been the club’s most successful playing at the highest level of district tennis.

The club has an incredible bunch of committed players who all travel long distances to keep tennis alive in our small town.

President of the club, Mark Murnane said, ‘I would like to thank The Wonky Donkey Hotel for their support this summer in helping the club out, and other members of the community who show an interest in our club’s results.

‘However, to keep the club active in the future, we would like to see more participation from members of the local

Forrest community,’ he said. ‘At present, not one member resides in the town and there has not been a junior tennis team for 13 years.’

Anne Murnane, Forrest Tennis Club

Tennis team runners up

Forrest Tennis Club’s A grade team