IN FOCUS Western paddlers compete at Adelaide Masters dragon boat races

THE Dubbo region was well represented at the Australian Masters at Adelaide with 26 members from the Outback Dragons heading to the South Australian capital mid-october for two days of racing.

All races were 200 metres long and there were over 60 races each day. Most paddlers participated in over 20 races each day – competing in mixed, women’s and men’s races.

Races included 10 members per team or 20 per team, and there were three age categories – 40 plus, 50 plus and 60 plus.

Dubbo’s 40-plus team won a bronze medal in the 10's mixed and other teams came a close 4th.

Anyone interested in a social paddle should come to Sandy Beach on Thursday evenings at 5.40pm or Saturday mornings at 6.45. We will provide paddles. We are looking for new people so come along for a paddle and have fun on the water.

Tribal Totems by Stephen Hogan

Edward the Eagle by Chris Anderson

AUSTRALIA’S premier regional sculpture exhibition, Sculptures in the Garden, was held at Rosby Vineyard in Mudgee over the weekend of October 12-13 with over 3000 people attending the highly anticipated annual event.

Attracting exhibitors from across Australia and overseas, this year saw the most artists on record applying to exhibit their works during the two-day exhibition.

Special guest and internationally renowned sculptor, Stephen King (who has previously taken out the main prize at Sculpture by the Sea), opened the exhibition which showcased the largest ever collection of works with nearly 40 per cent sold throughout the weekend.

The winners included Stephen Hogan from Bathurst who took out the major $25,000 Sculptures in the Garden and Mid-western Regional Council prize with his work

‘Tribal Totems’, local Artist Nigel White from Mudgee who won the $10,000 Friends of Sculptures in the Garden prize for his work ‘Bird Man XIX’, and Ben Tooth from Walcha was awarded the $5000 Moolarben prize for his work ‘I Beam’.