A SAUSAGE sizzle, Australian music, inflatables, swimming pool and a game of quoits.
You can’t get more Australian than that, and the warm Mallee sun capped off all the festivities at the Nyah outdoor pool on January 26.
More than 100 people enjoyed the Australia Day afternoon event, now in its third year.
Nyah swimming pool senior lifeguard Gemma Flanagan said she was happy with the success of the event, which attracted 105 peple.
“We had a pretty big mix of people – regulars and members coming, people who we hadn’t seen before and lots of families,” Ms Flanagan said.
“This is our third year doing the Australia Day event and the second highest crowd.
“We had 150 one year, just less than 100 last year and 105 this year.”
Activities included bocce, quoits, ring ross, totem tennis and pogo stick, with competitions and prizes handed out.
The pool committee provided the free barbecue lunch, proving popular for hungry stomachs after exhaustive fun in the pool.
Asked what was special about the event, Ms Flanagan said it was a chance for the community to come together for a “nice afternoon” with music, prizes and pool fun.
“For small towns the community pool is the central hub for young people and families … the social fabric,” she said.
Ms Flanagan noted the pool season’s success thanks to the return of heating to the pool.
“This is the first year in a number of the years that the pool is heated again,” she said.
“It drawing a bigger crowd, more regulars and more morning swimming taking off.”
The previous heating system was decommissioned due to its environmental impact and cost.
“Our old heating is gone and now we have heat pumps installed,” she said.
Ms Flanagan thanked the pool committee and volunteers for ensuring another successful event and locals and visitors who attended.
