Apple and Salmon Race

Today I went to a peculiarly local event, the Apple and Salmon Race Day Carnival in Franklin, organised by Rotary. Over the past few weeks we have asked a few people what such a race involves, and they all came up with suitably dodgy stories for the gullible mainlanders, the best being this blog post by Steve Cumper, chef and owner of The Red Velvet Lounge in Cygnet.

The description of the event on the Huon Trail tourism web site's event calendar was more accurate:

Rotarians release approximately two hundred pre-sold numbered artificial salmon into the river. The excitement is then on as the tide carries the salmon to the finishing line. Shortly afterwards, numbered red and green apples are released in a similar fashion.

There were food and local produce stalls, rowing and dragon boat races, a cooking competition, music and zumba dancing - all on a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon on the Franklin foreshore.

The best thing about it though (and other recent events we've been to in Franklin) was running into many of the lovely people we have come to know since moving here 5 months ago. Today it was some of our great neighbours Joanne and Brett, and Di and Kel who are building just up the road from us; fellow cat-lovers Peter and Sindi; the lovely Eleanor and Rod who kindly let us join their team at a quiz night in Castle Forbes Bay; Warren and Lorrie (who is one of the pink ladies in the Dragons Abreast boat pictured below) and many more we have met along the way. It is great to feel part of a community here.

And they're off! This is the excitement of the apple race.

Remote control yachts

The winning dragon boat crew coming in to shore

Rowers