CHERRY FESTIVAL BLOG

THE WINNER TAKES THE LOT

2012-01-16T01:37:00.000-08:00

CROMWELL
January 2012

IN a startling turn of events, a school teacher claiming to be from Green Island, an island off the coast of Dunedin (NZ), has won the Globe Vista Australasian Cherry Pip/Stone Spitting Championship.

Aaron Collins spat a massive 12.58 metres to to win the event and the right to spit in the faces of 5000 Australians in the return spit in Manjimup this coming December.

It is believed Hercules Hetherington was handed a drink just before the final and the question has been raised: Was it spiked? Were his knees hobbled? Who was that man in the background? Why did the resident official turn his back at the last minute?

Hetherington, who normally spits well over 15 metres was left staring at a pip just over 11 metres from his standing position.

Australian champ and Manjimup boy, Grant Hercules Hetherington shakes the hand of the mysterious Aaron Collins.

Aaron Collins blows his pip.

For those of you wondering, Wikipedia claims Green Island is uninhabited.

Read on: Green Island is a small uninhabited island located at 45°57′11″S 170°23′14″E, 13 km (8.1 mi) southwest of Dunedin, close to the mouth of the Kaikorai Lagoon. The island's Māori name is Okaihae.

It may be the 'Isle of Wight' where the Sydney sealer Brothers, chartered by Robert Campbell and sailing under Robert Mason dropped eight men of a gang of eleven in November 1809. William Tucker who later settled at Whareakeake (Murdering Beach) near Otago Heads was in the gang. Alternatively the 'Isle of Wight' may be Taieri Island a few kilometres to the south. It has been suggested in that case Green Island may be 'Ragged Rock' where the other three men of the Brothers' gang were landed. Some of the men claimed to have stayed on these two islands from 9 November 1809 until 20 December 1810.^[1]

Green Island used to be called St Michael's Mount, suggesting it had been named after the island of that name off the Cornish coast. It is more likely it was so named after Tommy Chaseland's mother ship the St. Michael when he was sealing here in the 1820s. He told Edward Shortland he lost a boat and all its hands when it was dashed on the island while trying to land. He stayed alone overnight and was picked up by another boat the following day.^[2]

In the 1880s the island was mined for guano, bird dung used as fertiliser.

Strange, but is it true?

Can we believe Wiki?

If so, where is Collins really from?

All will be revealed this coming December, as Collins defends his title in Manjimup, part of the great south west of Western Australia and another town in the West's fruit and vegetable bowl.

Catch up - clips from the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival 2011

2011-12-26T22:47:00.000-08:00

THE 2011 CHAMP BY A MILE

2011-12-12T16:25:00.000-08:00

Grant "Hercules" Hetherington spits a pip

(left) Hovea Wilkes hands Grant "Hercules" Hetherington the solid jarrah trophy

(right) Sandy Hetherington stands by her man

Jon Doust basks in the glow of the champ

MANJIMUP
SATURDAY 10TH OF DECEMBER, 2011
THE AUSTRALASIAN GLOBE VISTA CHERRY PIP SPITTING CHAMPIONSHIP
Grant "Hercules" Hetherington once again snatched the trophy he won last year, but this time with a massive 12.7 metres spit.

The flying pip caused some confusion as it seemed to fly forever, but a sharp eyed child in the crowd spotted the rightful landing spot and the trophy was claimed by the big man for the second year in a row.

With a hushed 2000 strong crowd breathless, Adam "Buckers" Buckley lined up for his final gob and make a good show of it but fell short.

The MCs and security guards had to rush to Hercules as the crowd pushed forward, over eager for photographs and memorabilia.

In no time at all the spitter's wife and coach was by his side to claim her man.

In a heart wrenching move not normally seen from commercial identities, Aidan Montague and Tanya Izzard from Globe Vista decided to send both Hercules and Sandy to New Zealand.

On January 4th, a Wednesday, Hercules will spit off against New Zealand all-comers for the right to call himself "Undisputed Champion of the Entire Southern Hemisphere".

The NZ spit will take place in Cromwell, just down the road from Queenstown on the south island.

Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival 10th Anniversary

2011-11-21T17:28:00.001-08:00

This year marks the 10^thanniversary of the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival and celebrationsfor 2011 will be bigger than ever over the Festival weekend, 9-11 December.

Coinciding with the annual cherry harvest and thestart of the cherry season, the ManjimupCherry Harmony Festival will take over the streets of Manjimup for threedays running, boasting a hive of activity, live entertainment, special guests andof course, more cherries than you can poke a tongue at!

The 2011 Festival officially opens on Friday 9thDecember with the Cherry Ball, a night jam-packed with a livebig band, gorgeous frocks, dapper suits and a whole lot of dancing.

Saturday 10 December sees the centre of Manjimupbuzzing with live bands, dazzling dancers, tantalisinglocally sourced food, cooking demonstrations, wine tasting and cherry stalls. Amongstother great community competitions - the Red Wheelbarrow Race and the WoodChopping competition.

An exciting part of the Saturday celebrations isthe annual Cherry Festival Pip SpittingCompetition, which pits contestants against one another to see who can makethe longest distance by spitting a cherry pip.

This year will once against pit the New Zealand SherryStone Spitting Champion against the local champ in the Australasian Cherry Pip StoneChampionship of the World. This event is called by a double act comprising comedylegend Wyat Nixon Lloyd and rapidly fading ex-comedian, Jon Doust.

Festival spokesperson, Roy Pit Bull Piggott, spends a lot of time between Festivals writing topotential contestants from around the world and inviting the best pip-spittersto Manjimup to compete with the local talent.

“We are very proud to show our town off to visitorsfrom all over the state and cherry-enthusiasts from across the globe during theManjimup Cherry Harmony Festival. The community involvement is increasing eachyear and people from out of town are making a weekend of it more and more tosee what all the fuss is about. We like to think no-one loves cherries likeManjimup loves cherries!” says Piggott.

After the all-day celebration on the Saturday,Sunday 11 December allows for a more relaxing time at the Long Table Lunch. Approximately 200 guests line both sides of a longtable covered in crisp white cloth that stretches across the grass amongstcherry trees in the Newton Brothers Orchard. The four course meal served includeslocal cherry produce, black truffles and the finest local wines.

Since the inaugural year in 2002 the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival hasproven a hoot of a time for all ages. Over five thousand people visit theFestival annually, a number that is growing each year.

Whereelse do they celebrate cherries?

· Michigan, USA, is the ‘Cherry Capitalof the World’, where the International Cherry Pit Spitting Championship is heldannually.

· Viterbo, Italy, the ‘CherriesFestival of Celleno's Proloco’.

· Céret, France - here they make afifteen metre cherry pie each year and drink cherry flavoured beer.

Didyou know?

· "Young Gun" Krause fromArizona holds the world record for cherry pip spitting (100 feet 4 inches /approx 31 metres).

MANJIMUP CHERRY FESTIVAL 2010 PART 2

2010-12-21T16:51:00.001-08:00

VIDEO

MANJIMUP CHERRY FESTIVAL 2010 PART 1

2010-12-21T16:50:00.000-08:00

VIDEO

THE BIG SPIT WINNER

2010-12-13T23:47:00.000-08:00

MANJIMUP
DECEMBER 11, 2010
IN an action packed spit-off in the GlobeVista Australasian Cherry Pip Spitting Championships, local boy Grant "Hercules" Hetherington spat his way to the top.

The heats were hot enough and past champ, Craig "I was the Man" McSharer, looked worried early on.

"I could see I was up against it," he said. "I knew my win last year was inspirational, but I hadn't realised it's full impact. Now every weekened spitter wants to represent his country."

Final results were:
1 - Grant "Hercules" Hetherington 10.93 metres.
2 - Daniel "The Whistler" Jones 10.73 metres.
3 - Adam "Tippers" Buckley 10.35 metres.

THE SPIT SPAT

2010-12-10T00:04:00.000-08:00

FRIDAY
MANJIMUP
WEST AUSTRALIA
IN a dramatic development, the current Australasian GlobeVista Cherry Pip Spitting Champion, Craig "The Hoop Boy" McSharer, has announced he will spit in this Saturdays Big Spit.

Only two days ago, the champ, whose mug is not up for grabs until January 4 in Cromwell NZ, had said he would stand aside and let the "local lads have a crack".

All this changed when a number of young turks came out of the orchard and blow their cheeks.

These included Grant "Hercules" Hetherington, Daniel "The Whistler" Jones and Greg "Shorty" Matthews.

Not to forget Adam "Blow Hard, Blow Long" Adams and the Dark Horse, who is yet to show his colours, Adam "The Whisperer" Price. Price, who has been in hiding since last year's event, when he blitzed the field with an early spit in excess of 12 metres.

If you want to see some live action, but not much of it, go to the ABC SOUTH WEST WEB SITE.

The Big Spit will commence at around 11.15am tomorrow Saturday 11.

VICTORIANS SPIT THEIR BEST

2010-12-06T15:48:00.000-08:00

The National Cherry Association provided a highlight for the Victorians this year at their annual Cherry Spit.

Above: the winner of the Vic Spit, Iain Chaney, no relation to Lon, Fred or Michael.

Iain did his best but if he thinks he can wrest the National Championship from our very own Craig "Spit King" McSharer, then he better start practising because a spit of 8.9 metres ain't going to cut it.

To be fair, I understand he spat better in the heat, over 10 metres, and blamed a strong wind for his dismal winning spit.

This, apparently, almost caused a spat with the organiser who thought he was taking the spit out of some of the older members.

Below: The National Cherry Association Ambassador for 2010, Kathleen Alleaume, visited the Cherry Lane Big Spit and displayed much needed grace and charm.

NOW:

This weekend in Manjimup, West Australia, the big men of cherry pip spitting will spit off in the Globe Vista Australasian Cherry Pip Spitting Championships of 2010.

Unfortunately this year will not feature a New Zealander.

They have had it, collapsed in a heap, lost their cherries, are scared, no, they have adjusted their comp and this year will spit next year, January 4 to be precise.

Manjimup's last year's winner, the inimitable Craig "Big Foot" McSharer, will represent Australia in NZ in January.

Local spitters this year will spit for money, glory and a place in next year's Tenth Anniversary final.

The spit is on!

CHERRY PIP SPITTING FOOTAGE FOR 2009

2010-01-21T02:14:00.000-08:00

Almost the last cherry news

2010-01-15T00:51:00.001-08:00

Video

The Final Event

2010-01-04T18:31:00.000-08:00

MANJIMUP
Somewhere in early 10

THE final event of the big Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival is always the Long Table Lunch, set in the magnificent surrounds of a Newton Brothers cherry orchard.
2009 was no exception.
Well, in fact, it was, because every year new people arrive to experience the wonder of fine food, fine wine, fine conversation, in a fine setting. Depending on who they are and how they are, the day finds its own milieu.
2009 was exciting because those gathered were exuberant and expectant.
They saw John Rampaging Towie spit his teeth and a dummy to reclaim the Dummy Spitting Championship of the Warren District.
They watched a sudden gust of wind lift the tarpaulin, bust the steel stays and blow the patrons cover.
Then they witnessed men at work on cherry pickers, on ladders, with ropes, led by Paul Nothing Phases Me Buckley, Peter Who the Hell am I Fontannini, but both answered to the inspired direction of Stuart Mr Fix-it 21ST Century Ipsen.
In no time at all the cover was back, the patrons were amazed and the music played.
Then there was the auction, led by this man:

All photos on this page were taken by David Moyle, or Moyley, budding genius and photographer.

The two big items on the list were a hat signed by Danny Green and a T-shirt donated by the 3 Oceans Wine Company, featuring the Palandri International Comedy Festival and signatures from a number of Australia's best known comedians.
After a long and bitter struggle the hat was knocked down by Adam Take No Prisoners Buckley and the T-shirt was consumed by Bev This is Mine Norman.

The man below on the left is Adam Non-one Can Punch Me and Get Away With It Buckley and the man on the right is none other Harvey I've Got Knees Too Giblett. Together they are an essential part of the team that puts Newton Brothers Orchards on the road.

Is this photo there is a man on the left (no consequence) and a man on the right: Lance Larsen, good bloke and Big Bidder at the Manjmup Cherry Harmony Festival Long Table Lunch auctions.

If you would like to be at this exclusive event next year, good luck. It books out early. And if you don't know someone in Manjimup, then you better get started, you're going to need all the help you can get.

ps: don't call this blogger. He's busy.

Michael Smith

2009-12-17T05:12:00.001-08:00

The above photo was taken by a fine photographer, Jamie Nicolaou, of an excellent dancer, Michael Smith, at last week's Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival.
Michael danced in the street during the day and blew the crowd away with his hip-hop show.
Later that night, in the Timber Park, right in the middle of two sets by One Step Ahead, a polished dance band, Michael walked on stage with all the poise and charisma of Baryshnikov.
No spot could have been harder.
Michael hit the floor running and in about 3 seconds flat he had the crowd spell bound, mesmerized and incapable of eating or drinking, or of doing anything but staring with disbelief.
He was courageous, seamless, beautiful, athletic, magnificent and in flight.
Lucky for us, Jamie Nicolaou was there to snap him in motion.
You want to see more and read more, go to Jamie's blog.

And the winner is ....

2009-12-15T18:38:00.000-08:00

Oh yes, once again Craig "Danny Green" "The Spitting Machine" McSharer has wrestled the Trans Tasman GlobeVista Australasian Cherry Pip Spitting Championship Trophy from the New Zealand contingent.
Second was another local lad Adam "Dark Horse" Price, followed closely by Adam "Bernard Hopkins" Buckley, and third was Sam "Where's My Cherry Gone" Paardekooper.
It was a ferocious competition.
First spit off the back of the truck was Adam Price who almost knocked an old lady out of her chair in the back row.
Price's spit measured out at 25 metres.
All right, it was only almost 12, but it was early in the day and the pip spotters hadn't got their eyes in.
Price could have won with that spit but he had to face up again in the final. He was only in the last heat of the day.
In the final the crowd went ballistic when the local champ stepped up but his early spits were not great.
When all seemed lost, McSharer drew back his massive chest and let fly a spit that drowned a dog and won the day for his family, his personal pride, his town, and his country.
Sam Paardekooper was gracious in defeat.
Adam Price swore he'd be back next year.
Adam Buckley just swore.

Here are the official results:

Craig McSharer 11.44 metres

Adam Price 11.20 metres

Adam Buckley 10.90 metres

Sam Paardekooper 9.80 metres (NZ)

It's ugly work, but someone has to do it

2009-12-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

Love is in air

2009-12-09T18:50:00.000-08:00

MANJIMUP, Thursday
As the weather heats up in West Australia's Cherry Capital, spitters huff and puff, stall holders strut and cuff and the town cleans and preens.
It all bodes well for the 8th annual cherry splash and folk from all over are expected to flock and frock.
There will be fashion parades, eating (Manjimup is a fruit and vegetable bowl), drinking (the region produces some of the best from the West), street theatre, music, and, of course, cherry pip spitting.
The spitting will take place around 11am on Saturday morning and the competition is intense.
This afternoon local businesses will send in their best gobber to the Visitors' Centre to find the best gobber from the town's retail and production houses.
There will nothing, however, like the final, featuring the Sam The Cherry Wisperer up against Craig The Mean Machine.
Visitors are advised to bring protective clothing.

OH NO, THE VICTORIANS ARE GETTING IN ON IT

2009-12-07T03:56:00.000-08:00

AN over enthusiastic person in Melbourne, Vikki Leng, has sent this blogger information about the first ever Melbourne spit-off.
The Victorians put on a wild and extravagant event and are now keen to join forces with the leading exponents, namely the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Globe Vista Team.

Read on.

Haydar Kahlil won the first Victorian spit-off.

This bloke did his best and managed to keep one foot on the ground.

Is a new Olympic sport budding?
On Friday 20th November Prahran Market Square had its own Cherry Lane - just like a swimming lane but on dry land - for the Victorian Cherry Association's official launch of the Victorian cherry season and its inaugural cherry pip spitting competition.
Open to Prahran Market Traders, the competition got everyone fired up.
Fruiterer Frank Scaffaro said, “The testosterone will be flying around here on the day of the competition. We all want to win the title now - it’s a matter of pride.”

The Top Ten Traders from Prahran Market earned their pride of place in the finals during a preliminary pip spit off involving 46 contestants.

With a pip spit of 15.97 metres (for purists, measured at the point the pip stopped rolling) it was Haydar Kahlil of Kahlil Flowers who took the title of VCA Cherry Pip Spitting Champion for 2009" and claimed the trophy - an engraved Kitchen Aid stand mixer in cherry red!

MAD DOG BACKS DOWN

2009-12-07T03:41:00.000-08:00

CROMWELL, NZ, sometime Monday
IN a surprise move, Mike "Mad Dog" Bassett, the current Australasian Globe Vista Cherry Pip Spitting Champion has pulled out of the Trans Tasman competition.
It is believed Bassett got cold feet after seeing Craig "Pretty Boy" McSharer spit at an after-event party.
Observers said McSharer spat well over 13 metres and that was well before he started on the NZ beer.
Bassett's replacement is a relative unknown, Sam "Horse Whisperer" Paardekooper.
Officials at the Cromwell New Zealand Cherry Stone Spitting Championships said The Whisperer spat 11.36m, some 0.16 metres further than MacSharer.
What this means is that without the Mad Dog in Manjimup the big spit off will be even closer than earlier expectations.
Bassett can spit, no-one doubts that, and he spits well under intense pressure, not least from the MC on the day, but the new NZ kid, from all accounts, looks good, spits good and never turns a cheek when slapped.
If you have never seen sensible adults line up and release cherry pips encased in saliva, this is the year.
Oh, local growers are saying there will be plenty of cherries for sale on the day.

MAD DOG WINS AGAIN!

2009-12-06T05:12:00.000-08:00

CROMWELL, NEW ZEALAND, sometime Saturday
Australia's own Craig "Danny Green" McSharer spat his best but could not slam "Mad Dog" Bassett.
Mike Bassett retained his Australasian Championship belt with a huge hurl of over 12 metres.
A registered builder in his home town of Wannaka, South Island, Bassett practises very llittle but saves his best for the crunches of major competition.
McSharer worked his lips, his cheeks, his buttocks and both his lungs and spat further than anyone expected given his lifestyle.
Next Saturday, Western Australian standard time, at the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival, Bassett and McSharer will spit again in the second round of the Globe Vista Australasian Cherry Pip Spitting Championship of the Entire World.
McShare swore he would revenge himself and his country.
"They don't call me Danny Green for no reason," he said. "When cornered, I fight back and punch above my weight."
It all looks good for the biggest spit off since Richard Hadlee and Trevor Chappel. Or Rod Marsh. Or was it Greg Chappel. Well, one of the Chappels.

Mt Barker spits Big

2009-12-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

The Weekender, 3/12/2009

The Cherry pip spitting season is heating up.
Last weekend 90 people, yes, 90 of them, spat off in a precursor to the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival Globe Vista Australasian Cherry Pip Spitting Championships of the World.
That's a lot to fit in one mouth at one time.
The winner was the rambunctious Rob Andrews from Albany and his over exhuberant son, Sam, took out the junior section. In Mt Barker they like to include everybody and so there was also a women's winner, Sharon Boenzi.
Over in Manjimup there will be no discrimination and Rob and Sam will both be spitting in the Open Section.
Rob, by the way, won with a massive toss of 12.33 metres, which is sure to put fear into the gobs of the Manji set.
Meanwhile DO NOT FORGET that the current Australian Champ, Craig "Danny Green" McSharer, is juicing himself for the first round in the Australasian Big Gob.
It all takes place this Saturday morning in sleep deprived Cromwell, where parties last nights, months, and sometimes years.
No doubt he will meet the Big Gobber from last year, Mike "Death Defying" Bassett, a builder by day in Wannaka, another New Zealand town the high country.
GO CRAIG!
The NZ winner will, of course, fly over the ditch, across the flat and be driven down to God Kissed country where he will spit again, and again, and again, then, when exhausted, he will fly home and wonder where the hell he's been and if it all really happened.
Arr, life, what wondrous moments it tosses.

IT'S ON AGAIN

2009-11-27T01:00:00.000-08:00

COME ON AUSTRALIA!

2009-07-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

We're in with a shot.
Rumour had it that we would never compete with the North Americans, that their wind blew too hot, too hard, but we can.
Just take a look at this news story.
Our local boy, Craig McSharer, if he makes a big effort, if he puts in, can do it.
He's got the body, got the bulk, got the wind, but has he got the ticker.
First step, New Zealand.
Once he has spat the TransTasman Globe Vista Trophy all the way back to West Australia, then we can take on the Americans, the Yanks, the Big Blows.
It's up for grabs.

updated 10:39 p.m. ET July 5, 2009

Pit-spitting championship is all in the family

Husband, wife from Arizona win international titles

EAU CLAIRE, Mich. - A husband and wife are tops at this year's International Cherry Pit Spitting Championship.

Rick "Pellet Gun" Krause, of Tuba City, Ariz., spit for the win Saturday at the contest, held in the state of Michigan. In somewhat windy conditions, he shot a pit 48 feet and half an inch [Blogger: that is about 14.94metres.]

Organizers say his wife, Marlene, took first place in the women's contest, spitting a pit 36 feet, 3 inches.

You want to read the full tale, go here.

Local rag stands tall

2009-01-09T01:56:00.000-08:00

The local paper, known to most as the Manjimup Bridgetown Times, but to me as The Warren Blackwood Times, did another fine job for the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival.

Why should this blogger persist in calling it by its original name?
Because my grandfather worked on one, and started the other.
And because the two great rivers, the Warren and the Blackwood, denote two regions, and suggest homage.
All right, homage does not exist, but it should.

The new Local Champ steps up his campaign

2008-12-21T00:53:00.000-08:00

Craig McSharer and Jon Doust with GlobeVista's Tanya Izzard and Aidan Montague
(Photo by Natalie Bell)

Craig McSharer is the Australian Cherry Pip Spitting Champaign.
There is no dispute.
He beat last year's champ, the Mighty Marky Mark Vitler, with an amazing spit that crushed Vitler by 3cms.
Or was it 2, or 1.1?
Who can remember.
The action was hot and fast and furious and all attention was on the 13.3 metres by the crazed New Zealand, Mike Foam at the Mouth Bassett.
We know Craig is the Australian champ because spitters from Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia - all cherry growing states - failed to turn up, to accept the challenge, to even acknowledge the sport.
Craig says to all spitters, Australia wide: "Bring it on! If you think you can spit, let's see your saliva."
If you want to see Craig glow in his glory, go here.

The press can't leave him alone

2008-12-19T23:47:00.000-08:00

New Zealand town celebrates

2008-12-15T20:31:00.000-08:00

Wanaka
Monday
The newly crowned GlobeVista Australasian Cherry Pip Spitting Champion Mike Bassett is fast becoming a local hero.
Wanaka is a neat little town perched up high in Central Otago in the middle of the South Island.
Surely 'The Hound Dog Man' can't be the region's first international celebrity, but you can be sure New Zealanders on both ends will make the most of his success with nothing more than a big mouth and a fine set of cheeks.
If you want to read how the prestigious Otago Daily Times is reporting his success, click here.

THE TROPHY GOES OFFSHORE - AGAIN!

2008-12-15T08:24:00.000-08:00

Mike 'The Dogman' Bassett has won the Trans-Tasman GlobeVista Cherry Pip Spitting Championship.
He is pictured above doing a haka with local hero Mark 'Spooky' Vitler looking on.
The crowd in Manjimup, Western Australia, was left standing numb after Mike spat 13.3 metre, through a wind, round a corner, across a road, up a street, over a truck and between audience legs.
It was stunning performance from the man someone from his home town of Wanaka, New Zealand south island, once described as "a young lad who has been nowhere and likes it here".
Current Australian champion Mark Vitler described his own performance as "not much better than a chook with a head cold".
Mark spat so bad he even gave up the Australian trophy to Manjimup boy Craig McSharer.

Mike took a fancy to his massive trophy and forgot to hand it back to the Manjimup Visitor Centre, was arrested on the outskirts of town, spent three minutes in gaol, was bailed, and returned later that night for a meal with the local sergeant's family.
All in all, the 15,000 people who visited Manjimup for the Cherry Harmony Festival agreed they had had the best time ever in their entire miserable life so far and vowed to return next year, the year after, and very year until the conceptualiser, Jon Doust, was either run out of town, or choked to death on a cherry pip.

EXCITEMENT BUILDS

2008-12-10T23:39:00.000-08:00

THURSDAY, Manjimup
The current New Zealand Cherry Stone Spitting Champion has arrived in Manjimup, Western Australia, pumped, aggressive, ready.
In a blatant and provocative move, as soon as Mike Bassett got out of the car on arrival at the Manjimup Tourist Centre, he spat.
The town is hot, well, cold, because the weather refuses to cooperate, but the town's cherry growers are promissing cherries from the Southern Forests Region.
These folk don't promise unless they can deliver. They will deliver.
And the current local champ, Mark Mr Big Vitler, from Mt Barker, is angry.
He lost in an awkward moment in Cromwell NZ and is determined to wrest back the trophy he never held.
It should be an exciting day, a day of big spits, a day of cherries, happiness, goodwill and exhuberance.
And the weather?
The gods have laps, and they keep them to themselves.

DISASTER

2008-12-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

SATURDAY, New Zealand
IN a shocking result for Australian cherry pip spitters, Mount Barker's Mark Vitler spat his way into second place in the Australasian Cherry Pip Spitting Championships first round.
The big man from the Porongurups huffed and puffed and spat but only managed to sneak in behind the eventual winner, Mike Bassett, from Wanaka, a town just up the road from Cromwell, home of New Zealand's finest cherries and biggest spitters.
Thousands gathered at Cromwell's Saturday markets to watch mouths of all sizes blow air behind cherry pips.
With snow still resting on nearby mountains, the local atmospheric temperature was cold but the competition hot.
Bassett spat 11.42 metres from a field of 48 spitters.
All in all the 48 contestants gobbed 408 cherries pips, or as the Long Cloud's like to call them, "stones".
This means round two in Manjimup this Saturday, December 13th, will be the hottest round ever contested.
According to late reports, Vitler was angry at his loss, blaming his manager, coach, an uncle by marriage, the colour of his socks and New Zealand food.
"There is no way I should have lost this spit," he is believed to have said. "When I get back to Manjimup on the 13th, which is my lucky number, by the way, people can expect to see one of the greatest spits ever.
"I'll show them a 1 in a 100 years spit!"
Local news suggests the competition's frist ever winner, Jo Perry, has been practising with great vigour and is keen to be the first woman to win the big trip over the ditch and spit for Australia.
Manjmup will also see the return of last year's first round winner, Paul Omodei Junior, keen to revive his family's fortunes and remind festival goers that he holds the local record of 12 metres, or 17 metres, or 23, any number greater than any number bragged about by any other spitters.
In the field will also be the winner of 2008 local heats from Donnybrook, Mt Barker and Manjimup.
Not to forget The Bassett Man, the current New Zealand Champ and winner of round one.

2008-12-04T04:44:00.000-08:00

Nic Giblett, one of the famous Manjimup Gibletts, has penned this following piece.

GOURMANDS all over have lately become increasingly aware of a once little-known South West Australian town, thanks largely to the magic woven by the famous black truffle that has made Manjimup its Southern Hemisphere home.

“Manji,” however, is no one-trick pony. Combine it with neighbouring Pemberton, Walpole and Northcliffe, and think breathtaking stands of tall karri surrounding rolling green hills covered with vineyards, dotted by peaceful grazing cattle, sparkling freshwater dams and lakes teeming with sought-after marron, and the picturesque orderly rows of orchard trees – none more popular than the sweet red cherry. All this and more besides will be celebrated at the 2008 Manjimup Cherry Festival, to be held December 13 and 14 in the heart of Western Australia’s beautiful Southern Forests region.

Originally conceived as a morale-boosting event to revive the flagging spirits of the Manjimup township following the demise of its lifeblood tall timber industry, the festival is now in its seventh year and continues to attract a crowd of thousands to celebrate everyone’s favourite fruit.

According to festival coordinator Rose Moyle, the 2008 events programme is moving into new territory. “We want to highlight and celebrate the extraordinary range of beautiful fresh produce available in one of Australia’s most spectacular, clean and green regions: WA’s Southern Forests – and the talented people who bring that produce to your table,” Rose says.

The undoubted highlight of this year’s festival and a new introduction in 2008 will be an interactive cooking demonstration – ‘Tastes of the Southern Forests’ – by top West Australian chefs Don Hancey and Peter Manifis, to be held in main street Manjimup on the Saturday.

These two charismatic culinary maestros bring with them a wealth of experience in staging public food and wine-related events. Expect the very best of Southern Forests produce – marron, truffles, trout, lamb, beef, cheese, nuts, wine, a veritable cornucopia of veggies, and of course, cherries – used to great effect but in a quick and easy style that can be replicated in anyone’s kitchen.

The main festival day also features a range of entertainment for the family, including the traditional pip-spitting competition, fashion parades, market stalls, wine tasting, craft & wood displays, street theatre, and children’s rides and activities.

On the Saturday evening, cherry lovers are invited to pack a picnic for the Manjimup Timber and Heritage Park and enjoy WA band Murphy’s Lore – headed by Australian Idol finalists and brothers Chris and Courtney Murphy.

Sunday sees the festival blue-ribbon event unfold at Newtons’ picturesque cherry orchard, where a gourmet-focussed crowd of 160 converge to partake in a unique five-course long table lunch. Cherries naturally feature in most courses, paired with the best of local produce and wines and set under the leafy shade of cherry trees laden with sweet ripe fruit.

For further information on this year’s cherry festival contact Rose Moyle on 08 9771 2316, e-mail mjpcherryfestival@westnet.com.au or visit the website: www.cherryfestival.com.au. For information on Don Hancey, visit his website at www.donhancey.com.au or Peter Manifis’ www.vineleaves.com.au. The festival’s 2008 long table lunch chef is Ian Leaning of the Gloucester Motel and Figjam Catering; contact 9776 1266 or www.gloucestermotel.com.au.

Mr Barker (WA) Spits

2008-11-22T22:07:00.000-08:00

Here they are, the two winners from the Mt Barker heat of the Australasian Cherry Pip Spitting Championships: Stewart and Shaz.
In keeping with the relaxed atmosphere of the spit-off, no second names were taken and this may have been because the comp was fast and furious.

On the left, Stewart smiles because the money is his, $100.00, for spitting a cherry pip not much further than the winner of the Girl Guides section. That brave young woman stood up to the line and banged a pip over 3 metres, with no wind assistance, no shove from behind, no lurch forward, but almost 2 metres further than the lady down at the bowling club.

There he is, Stewart, spitting for all he is worth - roughly $100.00 - and hoping against hope that on the day of the GlobeVista Grand Final, Manjimup November 13th, that he will be the only spitter to turn up.
Scott Drummond, a man with a second name, a pen, and a clip board, knows all about how to win. He coached last years' success story and will accompany him to the Australasian Final in Cromwell (NZ) on December 6th.
Scott has magnanimously given up the coaching role and will manage the touring party, hoping to keep their heads while all about them New Zealanders are loosing theirs.

The almost final spitter on the night was The Big Man, The Champ, Mark "Call me Sal" Vitler.
After Scott had called for the children to be removed for fear of drowing in a Vitler Gob, Mark stood up, stood back, launched himself, and spat into the next shire.
It was awesome, it was unbelievable, it was portentous.
All New Zealand should ready itself. This man, as he draws back to gather the necessary backdraught, could suck up a small island off the west coast, a medium sized mountain range, or a mob of unshorn sheep.

Ladies, gentlemen, small noisey people, prepare yourselves, the competition has begun.

Get ready!

2008-11-01T01:37:00.000-07:00

Oh, yes, the spitting season is warming up.
Already the great Mark Vitler, Australian Champion, soon to be Australasian Champ, maybe World Champ, possibly the Greatest Champ of All Time, is in training.
On his farm out of Mt Barker, nestled under the Porongurup Range, each and every day Mark begins his morning with lung expansion exercises, cheek and tongue extension exercises and hip thrust manoeuvres.
All are designed to make sure he brings the Australasian Cherry Pip Spitting Trophy home to WA, to West Australia, where it began and belongs.
For too long the New Zealanders have .... ok, it's only a year, but that's too long, a week would be too long.
Word around town is that Mark's manager, the unofficial Porongurup mayor, Scott Drummond, will be joining him in New Zealand, along with his personal trainer. That's Mark's trainer, not Scott's, Scott can't be trained, for anything.
The three warriors will travel to Cromwell, NZ, for the New Zealand Cherry Stone Spitting Championships on Saturday December 6th.
No doubt, once in town, they will be subjected to the usual: endless hospitality, goodwill, generous gift giving, all designed to knock them off their game.
Local Cromwell promotions guru, Terry Emmitt, said this year's event would be held in the town mall, a delightful venue with it's own internal creek. Cromwellians not only know how to spit, they know how to design a mall.
Last year's champ, the youthful and extravagant, Michael Robertson, has, hopefully, completed his university studies and is gainfully employed by an organisation that has no idea what it has let itself in for.

This blog will keep you posted.
If you have any questions, keep them to yourself.

ps: Probably worth noting - this year's Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival will be held on Saturday December 13th and 14th. News to hand from local growers is that it could be a bumper season.

THE LAST POST, until November (more than likely)

2008-01-22T23:33:00.001-08:00

2007 FOOTAGE
It has to be said. It will be said here: GWN, a TV station out of Bunbury, has been a great supporter of the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival.
2007 was no exception.
Sorry, 2007 was an exception.
Why?
Because this year the other mob, WIN TV, also got into the act and attended the festival for a follow-up report.
All reports are included on this blog.
Let's start with GWN, because they started it.

GWN

There are only two TV stations operating in the Lower South West of West Australia, so, for the cherry festival, having two stations is a win win situation.
And now here's WIN.

WIN

Pip Spitting 2006

2008-01-15T19:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, a bit late, but hang in there, I'm working on 2007.
Here's new footage from 2006
And if you would like to view 2005 first, then they are below.

2006

2005

DISGUSTING!

2007-12-15T20:34:00.001-08:00

Jon Doust, Skye Shannon, Roy Piggott, Jeremy Beissel

Manjimup Cherry Festival Day Before
IN a disgusting display of bad manners, Jeremy Beissel stuck his face in a plate of cream, found a cherry and spat the pip on the chest of Genine Unsworth.
He won the Find the Cherry Pip and Spit Competition, a new game designed and created by Maree Cullinan of ABC South West.
It was all over before it started.
Beisseel, the new co-owner of Fonty's Pool, was in a like a duck and out like truck.
Doust was next but he politely held his pip.
Skye Shannon, ABC Rural Reporter, was a close third. She also resisted the temptation to spit on her superior.
Roy Piggott struggled and denied his plate had a cherry: "I've lost mine," he complained.
It was all for a laugh, obviously at the expanse of those with cream on their faces, particularly Piggott who took days to get the stench from his beard.
Maree Cullinan revealed herself as a creative and devious producer and someone not to be trusted with power and responsibility.
Here she is (on the left) leading on Genine Unsworth (on the right), a kind and gentle soul who has no idea what she is getting into.

IT'S TOO L ATE, BUT LET'S BASK AGAIN

2007-12-12T17:08:00.000-08:00

A long time ago, it seems all too long, Paul Omodei Jnr brought the trophy home. Almost. In fact, he didn't even get home before we lost it.
This is how they wrote him up in NZ.

Aussie blowhard wins cherry-stone spitting

BY AIMEE WILSON - The Southland Times | Monday, 03 December 2007

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AIMEE WILSON
Southland Times

BIG SPITTER: Paul Omodei, of Western Australia, is New Zealand's 2007 cherry stone spitting champion.

They have found a useful way of dealing with those annoying stones you find in the middle of cherries in Cromwell.

Okay, so they stole the idea off the Aussies but, even worse, this year's New Zealand cherry stone spitting champion is from across the ditch.

Paul Omodei has been the Australian champion twice and on Saturday he took the Kiwi title from Michael Robinson, of Oamaru.

The agricultural consultant from Pembarton-Manjimup, where the competition originated, pushed his cheeks out to blast a stone 11m, just slightly ahead of Mr Robinson.

Mr Omodei said while he didn't work specifically with cherries in his field of work, he admitted to having four trees in his backyard, "so I was able to practise a bit," he said.

For full results of the NZ competition, click here: Cromwell

A CHAMPION IS WELCOMED HOME

2007-12-12T13:22:00.000-08:00

SUNDAY,
9.12.2007
IN amazing scenes, the new Australian Champion Cherry Pip Spitter Mark Vitler was welcomed back to Mount Barker.
Eyewitness reports say placards were displayed in streets and wild crowds waved at the Big Spitter as he drove, somewhat surprised, towards his modest farm house.
Later Sunday night, Mount Barker time, friends and family joined Vitler with barbecued meat and fresh champagne, or something that tasted like it.
His wife, Jodi Vitler, said Mark was a new hero for the town's young.
"He didn't want to go at first, you know," she said. "I had to talk him into it.
"I said: Go on. You'll have fun. Who knows, you might even win a trip to NZ. He said: "It's a bit embarrassing, spitting in front of all those people."
What a strange comment coming from a man who stood before 10,000 people, on a windy day, with enough confidence to make the front row move back 10 feet, or 5 meteres, or 3 steps, 15 oodlies, 75 pickovers, 18 diddlesquats, or whatever the measuring system is these days.
Vitler is a typical Australian champion, modest, unassuming, laconic, big, well cared for, happy in himself, a hard worker, a mate to everyone who is a mate, community minded, good with bottle tops, ready for an arm wrestle at any time of night or day, an open honest smile always at the ready and keen to finish a meal that is put in front of him.
All right, given this is a blog, a lot of the above may have been made up in order to fill the space, but that is taking nothing away from Vitler and the town that loves him.
(He doesn't actually live in town. His place is much closer to the Porongorups, a mountain range in the deep-south of West Australia. Seriously, the man is blessed.)

THE TROPHY LEAVES HOME

2007-12-10T01:34:00.000-08:00

A sight for sore Australian eyes: Michael Robertson holds aloft the GlobeVista Australasian Cherry Pip Spitting Trophy, almost one week to the day that he lost it.

December 8th
Manjimup, West Australia
IN a sad day for Australian Cherry Pip Spitting, the New Zealand Champion, Michael Robertson, sucked back the trophy he'd lost the week before.
From the back of a truck, Robertson spat in the faces of an entire town and crushed the opposition.
Well, not quite crushed, because his spit of 10.3 metres, pipped the Australian representative, Mount Barker's Mark Vitler, by just .2 of a metre.

NZ's Michael Robertson spits using his famous, curled-tongue, full body method.

Vitler, a big man with a big heart, spat 10.1 metres and might have won the Trans-Tasman trophy if not for the long, early morning drive along the Muir Highway that joins two great fruit growing communities.

Mount Barker's Mark Vitler shows a nation what he's made of.

Competition was strong, with Donnybrook's Norm Bedford spitting 10 metres on his way to a cricket match in Bunbury.
Competition organiser, Jon Doust, said it was time Australian spitters caught up with the New Zealanders.
"Robertson is obviously funded by a serious backer and clearly spends months preparing," Doust said.
"Our blokes all have jobs, families to support, nations to build, creeks to cross, rivers to dam, hills to ship out and can't compete on the same level."
When it was pointed out to Doust that only the week before Paul Omodei Jnr had travelled to NZ and wrested back the Trans-Tasman trophy with a magnificent spit of 11.24 metres, he shrugged his shoulders and said: "That maybe so, but I think my earlier comments will look better on a blog, than some namby-pamby stuff about 'best man won on the day', or 'it's back to the drawing board.'''
Here's Robertson celebrating the next day with a haka.

In other news:
Before the event got under way, The West Australian ran a piece inside the front cover.
Read on:

(Click on it to make it bigger and readable.)

THE TROPHY COMES HOME

2007-12-01T01:15:00.000-08:00

Today, December 1, 2007
Cromwell, New Zealand Earlier today, NZ time, Paul Omodei Jnr spat his way into the record books with a resounding victory in the Trans-Tasman Cherry Stone Spitting Championship.
To win, Paul faced his nemesis, Michael Robertson, the 2006 Trans Tasman winner.

It was a tight contest, according to our on-site reporter, Tatum Larsen: "Paul spat hard and fast and the stone, as they call the pips here, flew 11.24 metres."
Michael was crushed, defeated, took time out, ate a pie, sucked on a bottle of coke, walked back to the podium and faced off for the right to fly to Manjimup and attempt to wrest back the trophy, which looks, in case you've forgotten, like this:

Due to an ongoing holiday, Paul will not appear in Manjimup next week to spit off in the Globe Vista Southern Hemispheric Cherry Pip Spitting Championships (or something like that).
Michael Robertson will be there, angry, tormented by his defeat, eager to find a bed, anywhere, somewhere, but certainly not in the hotel room booked for the purpose of his visit.
And why should he, he's young, he's handsome, he's from New Zealand.
This blogger can't find a pic of Paul Omodei Jnr, but here's one of his father attempting to swallow an avocado stone.

Donnybrook 2007

2007-12-01T00:51:00.000-08:00

NORM BEDFORD WINS?

It was a big day with small numbers.
It was cold, wet, muggy, overcast and the town seemed bereft of Saturday morning shoppers.
Four of us stood around the fine old train station located in the centre of town, handing cherries to each other and talking about the weather, and the whether.
Whether it would rain.
Whether anyone would show to spit in the Great Donnybrook Spat.
They did.
One bloke brought his grumbling kids: "He made us come."
"I want a ticket to New Zealand and I don't care which one of you wins it. Now get up there and spit."
They spat, not at dad, not in his direction, but they were aiming at him.
Then dad spat.
None of them got anywhere near the mark, a mark that wasn't there, but we knew where it would be if it was.
Then Campbell Brown showed and blew the pip a mile. Well, not quite a mile, he claimed it was a mile, but it was more like 6 metres.
So we gave him a t-shirt.
That's him below.

It rained some more.
We ate what we could.
Giovanni from Mandurah turned up and made Campbell look like a mug.
Neither of them could make it to the Big Spat in Manjimup the following week, so we asked them to leave the premises.
We had $100 in our pockets and we were not giving it to anyone who refused to play along.
Finally, Norm Bedford, sent to town by his wife to buy a loaf of bread, was called over from outside the bakery by Donnybrook's Man of the Moment, Angelo Logiudice.
Norm stepped up, puckered up, spat up, and we knew then and there we had a winner.

Turns out Norm is a professional cricketer and while in Manjimup he will also take a shot at the Chuck The Cherry competition.
His spit?
Good question: 8.8 metres.
Not bad.
On a windy day, it might just be enough.

CHERRIES?

2007-11-27T15:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, there will be cherries this year in Manjimup.
And Mount Barker, and Donnybrook.
In fact, cherry spitters from both town will make their way to Manjimup for the big chance: free ticket to New Zealand in 2008 to represent Australia in the Southern Hemispheric Spitting Competition.
On December the 8th, Manjin Park, heat winners from Mount Barker, Donnybrook, Manjimup along with the 2007 New Zealand Champion Spitter, will make their way to the stage for the big Gob Off, otherwise known as The Globe Vista Australasian Cherry Pip Spitting Championships.
This years crop will not be as fecund (can i say that? I mean as big.) a crop as last year's.
Why not?
Good question.
Plenty of rain, sure, but what has been lacking is cold, need more cold, which is why 2007 was such a bumper year: plenty of cold, bugger all rain.
Get ready, gather wind, make your way to Manjimup, December 8th, 2007.

Oh yes, we'll do it all again

2007-11-04T01:24:00.000-07:00

Getting closer.
Closer.
Our Pip Spitting Champ from 2006, Paul Omodei Jnr, is almost on the plane for Cromwell NZ.
He's training, spitting, every day, he said, so I hope he is.
Paul will fly into Queenstown, jump a car for Cromwell, spit like al hell has broken lose and, hopefully, bring the Australasian Cherry Pip spitting Trophy back home where it is yet to belong.
Those pesky NZers may not be able to play rugby when the saliva hits the fan, but they sure can spit.
As for the cherries, not sure this far out.
What is certain is that there will not be as many as last year because although Manjimup has had plenty of rain, it has not been cold enough.
Get ready.
More news coming.

Cherries from the finest cherry growing town on the planet!

2006-12-19T19:40:00.000-08:00

These gems are from Newton Brother's Orchard, home of the Deanmill footballing legend Harvey Giblett and his team of cherry growing fanatics.

Tatum Larsen is a genius. She is the 2006 Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival Queen. She and her mob of Kings and Queens raised over $30,000.00 for the festival .
The money accumulated is also a credit to the Manjimup community because it was they that gave that the money be raised.
Tatum is sitting in a chair that was auctioned at the Long Table Lunch by this man, Dean Allen, legendary auctioneer.

Wow, can these boys spit!

2006-12-19T19:32:00.000-08:00

Here they are again, Paul Omodei snr, West Australian legendary south wester and parliamentarian and Rob Palmer, from tv's Better Doors and Windows, or something with a similar name.
Look closely, you can see the avocado stones flying.
[Pic by Gail Dunns.]

More Spitting Pics

2006-12-19T18:44:00.000-08:00

These two blokes are not spitting cherry pips, no, they are throwing avocado stones as far as they can using their mouths.
The bloke on the left, Paul Omodei snr, is the Leader of the Opposition in the WA State Parliament and when he gets fired up he can spit a mile.
The bloke on the right, Rob Palmer, is a larger than life character from a tv show, Better Fences and Pillow Cases, or something with a similar name.
Rob had a bigger mouth and more wind and spat his avocado stone almost as far as he spat his cherry pip.
He almost won the pip spitting competetion too, but if you look below you'll see he didn't.
Paul had a bad day and wished he was facing another kind of adversity, like a bloke he hated whose job he wanted.
It was all good fun and nobody laughed harder than the contestants. which made it bloody hard to get the stone in the air.
[Pic from Lyn Neal]

The Great Spit Off

2006-12-19T18:08:00.000-08:00

The 2006 winner of the GlobeVista Australasian Cherry Pip Spitting Championships is Michael Robinson, the reigning New Zealand Champ.
It all happened in Manjin Park, Manjimup, West Australia, on a stinking hot day full of cherries and laughter.
That's Michael on the right, watching Rob Palmer, a tv dude from better Homes and Licorice Allsorts, or another tv show with a similar name.
Rob spat well and damn near took the title but was pipped at the spit by Michael's last saliver toss.
The local champion, Paul Omodei jnr, did not spit well on the day and was embarrassed by his inability into the strong wind.
He did, however, beat all other locals and won himself a trip to New Zealand for next year's spit off.
Paul will probably face Michael in Cromwell, New Zealand's cherry growing capital.
[Picture taken by Lyn Neal]

This could be yours

2006-12-08T16:09:00.000-08:00

The Pip Spitting trophy

Press Release

For immediate relief on 11/12/2006

GlobeVista Australasian Cherry Pip Spitting Championship

This Saturday (Dec 16th) Manjimup - West Australia's finest cherry growing town - will host a disgusting event featuring human saliva and the remains of prime cherries.

Up to 4000 people will cram Manjin Park in the centre of town and watch men and women gather as much wind as they can in attempts to propel cherry pips beyond the pathetic 12 metre record and attempt to smash the record of the blow-hard from Minnesota (a measly 28kilometres.) (Sorry, metres.)

The highlight of the morning’s spitting will be the GlobeVista Australasian Cherry Pip Spitting finals, which Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival MC Jon Doust said would “herald the beginning of another great Trans-Tasman rivalry”.

“Last Sunday in Cromwell, New Zealand, home of the south island’s best spitters, the big men huffed and puffed and their champion will now attempt to make our local champion look like a dribbler,” said Mr Doust.

Another highlight will be the annual Politician Dummy Spit, with cherry pips flying in all directions but mainly at members of opposing parties.

The 2005 winner, Fremantle Mayor, Peter Tagliaferri, will be in town to defend his dummy against all comers including Leader of the Opposition Paul Omodei and local Shire President Wade De Campo.

Mr Tagliaferri said he was prepared to spit in the eye of any challengers.

To be or not to be? These folk chose to be

2006-11-03T00:12:00.000-08:00

This mob is the line-up of Kings and Queens for the 2006 Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival.
At the launch they revealed themselves as more than competent speakers and a couple even took over and began standup comedy routines.
The audience loved them, their parents loved them, their confidence soared and all was accomplished with not a drop of local wine spilt.
And there was plenty of that, local wine, because Manjimup is set in a fine wine producing belt.
There was also fine marron, fine fetta, fine food all round, fine conversation and a couple of deals were made in the south eastern corner of the marquee.
All in all, the young folk stole the show and, apart from the old bloke squatting in the middle, all in the photo have an excellent future.

Cherry Pip Spitting Trophy Revealed

2006-10-22T22:59:00.000-07:00

The big news from Manjimup is the Australasian Cherry Pip Spitting Championship Trophy.
Made by two local artisans - Lui Arcaro and Bert Angus - the trophy stands almost 10 metres from the ground up.
All right, not that high, but high enough to make folk stop, look, stay a while, and marvel at the intricacies, the delicacies and the sheer audacity of the craftmanship.
Almost 200 people gathered for the unveiling, in Peter McGinty's cherry orchard, a few ks out of Manjimup on Graphite Road, where he laid on the very best marron the south west can offer.
The Cherry Kings and Queens were also presented for the first time and two Lui Arcaro jarrah items were auctioned with proceeds to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Lui reckons the Flying Doc Service is in much needs of funds and he himself is in much need of the service.
I visited him on the afternoon of the day before and I reckoned he looked in pretty good shape and there was no need to build an airstrip at the back of his house in readiness for the Docs on an emergency call.
While all this was going on people took liberties with wine from the barrels of the Manjimup Wine Association.
As for the trophy itself, that's it above.
(The hands belong to Pam Bodsworth, local identity, local hustler and bustler, local organiser of everything from an icecream to the Southern Aurora. )
Look at it!
Revell in it's comlexity.
Want to own it.
Hang on, even if you win, it'll never be yours, but you will get a replica.
It is proposed that the original be on permanent display in the Manjimup Tourist Bureau.
It will be costly.
Insurance will be needed.
Security is a necessity.
The mystique surrounding the trophy grows by the day and already it has been said that the owner, simply by being in it's presence, has been curred of a life-threatening complaint.
Others living nearby have reported sudden rises in share-holdings, the return of lost loved ones and crops appearing where there has been no rain.
It looks like a miracle!

Not another Cherry Festival?

2006-10-20T06:19:00.000-07:00

The bloke on the left is the Leader of the Opposition Liberal Party in the Western Australian State Parliament. His name is Paul Omodei and he can spit. So can his son, Paul Jnr. Paul Jnr is the local champion and he's spitting to make the international scene.

Yes, another!

Yes, there is one in the Brda region of Slovenia. In June.
Check it out on this web site: http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0410/slovenia_by_the_sea.html
Apparently Brda means rolling hills and the place is west of the Soca River.
Look it up on a map.
Then go there, spit cherry pips and represent Europe in the Great GlobeVista Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival World Championsips of Cherry Pip Spitting.
Ok, laugh, but it will happen.
In Brda, according to Katreen Hardt, the New York writer and actress who wrote the copy on the above web site:"Brda’s annual Cherry Festival is, in short, a weekend celebration in the charming town of Dobrovo, with a parade, including Italian groups from the Friuli region, and the sale of homemade cherry jams and pies in praise of the season. It is the pleasant Mediterranean climate, and the regions close proximity to the Adriatic Sea (on a clear day you can see Aquilea and Grado), that enables Brda grape growers to produce high quality wines to be found on the menu of any high-end restaurant in Ljubljana."
Wow.
Reads just like Manjimup, with it's Italian sausage makers, Greek and Macedonian clubs and its high quality wines.
The major exceptions being that the river is the Warren, the sea is the Indian Ocean (it's a big shire, the shire of Manjimup, runs all the way to the coast) and from a hill you can see Bridgetown, the Blues Music capital of the West.

Big Launch for Cherry Pip Spitting Comp

2006-10-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

The annual Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival has been launched in West Australia's deep south west.
OK, there were no cherries, but there were blossoms, not much, because we left the launch a bit late in the season, but there were cherries, lovely cheeky little green buds - and hundreds of them.
Which means this year's crop with be a bumper, all other things working climatically in favour.
Among the big announcements: the New Zealand Central Otago town of Cromwell will send us the New Zealand Cherry Stone Spitting Champion.
This is no idle threat.
Them New Zealanders can spit. Expecially those raised in the high country on fresh fruit and veg.
The Cromwell Promotions Group is organising the Big Spit on the south island and they only have two requirements for entry: the spitter has a current valid passport and is ready to leave on a jet plane.
Why?
Because the Manjimup spit-off is the very next week: December 16th.
And when in Manjimup there will be no idle spitting.
The pips will fly to determine the winner of the GlobeVista Australasian Cherry Pip Spitting Championship.
Yes, it's another TransTasman rivalry and it all begin in Manjimup: Big Timber Country, Big Caulie Country and Big Broccoli Country.
What's more, I have been in contact with folk in the town of Ficksburg, in South Africa's Eastern Free State, home of a 39 year old cherry festival, about an even bigger spit-off next year. Ficksburg is nestled at the foot of Imperani Mountain and on the banks of the Caledon River, right up against the border with Lesotho. (Goodle it and check it out.)
Who would have thought the simple and primitive art of chery pit spitting could reach such a wide audience.
Saliva has long been thought of as having healing properties, in the future, it could bring nations together.