The Miss Wagga Wagga Quest - MWW & CP Blog

MWW & CP 2022 - Blog Number 4 - February & March

19/5/2022

Hello and welcome to our blog!
February was relatively quiet for us as Miss Wagga Wagga and Community PrincessQuest, as we settled into 2022 and returned to work. We attended a Welcome to Wagga Wagga event held by the Defence Member and Family Support Branch at the OASIS. It was a great evening with a BBQ and market stalls, and entertainment by the Kapooka Army Band. We finished February with an information session for potential Entrants for the MWWQ 2023. It was great to see young women from our local community interested in the Quest.

In March, we were busy with a variety of events in the community. The first was another Citizenship Ceremony. These ceremonies are heartwarming and we feel honoured to attend and assist with the presentation of certificates and commemorative gifts to our new citizens. The photo opportunities at the end of each ceremony are always a highlight.

International Women’s Day was held across the globe on 8 March 2022. We attended a lovely dinner hosted by Wagga Wagga Women In Business. We heard from three incredible local guest speakers; Vickie Burkinshaw, Jane Robertson and Diana Gibbs. Each guest speaker was inspiring and shared their knowledge, experiences and perspective of the International Women’s Day phrase #Breakthebias. We also had the opportunity to network with many inspiring and influential local women. This dinner was held at Wagga’s newest restaurant - HIDE Steak and Bar. The food was delicious!

Mardi Gras in Wagga Wagga occurred on the 12th, and it was an absolute blast! Jessikah unfortunately could not attend, so it was up to me (Rachael) to sit on the throne for our Miss Wagga Wagga Quest float. I was joined by Miss Wagga Wagga 2020, Hannah Smith who sat next to me on the float and waved to all the awesome people in the main street. We were also accompanied by previous entrants, possible future entrants, and committee members. The parade ended at the Victory Memorial Gardens where there were plenty of stalls, music, and colourful people! It was an incredible honour to be able to help represent the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest whilst promoting equality and love!

Our last event in March was to welcome and present a professional and personal development session for the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest 2023 Entrants. It feels like only yesterday that we were attending these sessions for our Entrant year. We loved the opportunity to share our experiences with the 2023 MWWQ Entrants and did what we could to ease their nerves.

We look forward to what next month brings, there’s some fantastic events on our calendar.

See you in April!
Jessikah & Rachael

MWW & CP 2022 - Blog Number 3 - January

21/3/2022

Welcome to 2022! We hope that everyone had a happy and healthy New Year!

Our January started off pretty slow but really picked up speed in the last week.

Our first event of the year was a Summer Morning Tea at the Mercure Motel, hosted by the Defence Family and Members Support (DFMS). We were spoiled with scones, sweets, and plenty of tea and coffee to go around! It was so rewarding getting to meet so many new people.

We were invited to attend a Mayoral Reception at the Civic Theatre on that same day. It was lovely getting to catch up with members of our local Council and members of the community after the busy period of Christmas and New Year. We were treated to canapés and drinks while talking to Mayor Dallas Tout and his wife, Janine.

Straight after the reception, we were guided into the theatre to part-take in the Australia Day Community Awards Ceremony. Jessikah was invited to give a speech on what being Australian means to her. It was beautiful to see so many members of Wagga Wagga being recognised for their actions in our community and all of the hard work they do to make a difference. Congratulations again to all award nominees and recipients!

Australia Day was a very busy day for us! We started the morning off by attending the Australia Day Community Breakfast & Activities at the Victory Memorial Gardens. We had a delicious barbeque breakfast before catching up with our good friends, Poppy and Leigh, at their Triple M tent.

We then attended the Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony. We assisted Mayor Dallas Tout with handing out the Australian Citizenship certificates and gifts before posing for photos with all of the new Australian Citizens. These ceremonies are always such a special event and so rewarding to be a part of.

After attending the ceremony, we headed over to the 2AAA studios to speak with Ian about our year as entrants and our year to come as titleholders. We also put the call out for entrants for the 2023 Quest… So if you’re interested in being an entrant, or know someone who is please get in touch!

Later in the week, Rachael had the opportunity to head back to 2AA to talk to Alan on his Saturday Night Party show. She spoke about the Quest and the fantastic experiences that entrants can enjoy.

It was a hectic week for us titleholders, and we are loving every minute of it! We are so excited for the rest of the year!

Lots of love,
Jessikah and Rachael

MWW & CP 2022 - Blog Number 2 - December

8/3/2022

Hello! We are back for another Titleholder blog!

December started off strong, with us being invited to our first Citizenship Ceremony at the Civic Theatre. Unfortunately, Rachael could not attend, but Jessikah was able to go and assist onstage. It was such a rewarding experience to attend a Citizenship Ceremony in person, as these have recently been held via Zoom due to COVID-19 restrictions. It was wonderful to see how excited everyone was to receive their Citizenship Certificate.

We were invited to attend a Morning Tea with the Mayor Mr Greg Conkey OAM, in his office the following day. It was wonderful to catch up and discuss what we were most looking forward to in the year to come. We also spoke about what we love about Wagga Wagga and what we had learnt about our city throughout our time as Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Entrants.

Later that week, we had another fantastic opportunity to go on Saturday Night radio with Alan Lean at 2AAA. These radio shows were always great fun when we were Entrants and we are fortunate to have the continued support of 2AAA as Titleholders. We discussed our Crowning Ceremony in November, our personal journey as Entrants and we listened to some great music! We are always excited to be invited to be on the radio with Alan.

Later in December, we were privileged to be invited to volunteer with the Salvation Army to fill Christmas Hampers. We felt overwhelmed when we entered the room to see so many tables covered with items such as toys, books and clothing all donated by our local Wagga Wagga community to support those in need at Christmas time. We met some lovely volunteers and had a fun and rewarding time filling hampers. We are already excited to go back and volunteer next year!

We hope that everyone has a safe and happy Christmas!

We will see you in the new year!

Talk soon,
Jessikah & Rachael

MWW & CP 2022 - Blog Number 1 - November

8/3/2022

Hello and welcome to the first 2022 Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Titleholder blog!

It’s Jessikah and Rachael here!

November was an exhilarating month for us. We were thrilled to be announced as Miss Wagga Wagga 2022 (Jessikah) and Community Princess 2022 (Rachael) at the Crowning Ceremony on Saturday November 6, 2021. We felt a million bucks dressed up in our elegant gowns with our hair and makeup done.

Before the formalities started, we were treated to a ride up and down Baylis Street from the Wagga Wagga Vintage and Veteran Car Club. At our Crowning Ceremony, we each had a member of the Australian Defence Force escort us into the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery. It was lovely to see the continued support of our defence personnel at this event.

At the Celebration Dinner following the Crowning Ceremony, we were treated to some incredible live music performed by the Kapooka Army Band and a delicious cake by Nayz Cakes.
The night was so much fun, and the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Committee did a fantastic job organising the night!

The morning after the Crowning Ceremony was jam-packed; we were interviewed by Prime7 News and Poppy and Leigh at Triple M before Jessikah was also interviewed by ABC Radio. We spoke about our experiences as Entrants in the Quest and how we were feeling now that we had become Titleholders - although it still hadn’t sunk in!

Our first official event as Miss Wagga Wagga and Community Princess was to lay a wreath on behalf of the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest during a Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Memorial Gardens. Our wreath was beautiful and created by Flower Talk Wagga.

It is an honour to have these roles for 2022. We are very much looking forward to the opportunity of becoming even more involved in our community, meeting and learning more about community groups and organisations, volunteering where we can and representing the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest and Wagga Wagga.

We can’t wait to see what December brings!

Talk soon,
Jessikah & Rachael

MWW & CP 2020 - Blog Number 6 - August

14/10/2020

A busy birthday month for my family, my Aunt, Brother and myself all celebrate in August. I am a birthday tragic and love to spoil and be spoilt. Happy Birthday to all those August babies who share our birthday month.

Our team returned to playing netball this month, how exciting to be active and together again with team mates. I coach an under 12 netball team, so it was fabulous to be able to get these girls back together training and playing again.

Lots of work trips kept me on the go this month, but I did find the time to enjoy the beauty of the full moon, there is so much beauty and peace in nature, if we stop and look.

I hope you love this photo as much as I do.

Until next time.
Brittany Hackett
Community Princess 2020

I found time to catch up on some crafting this month. Something to keep busy and productive is always welcome at this time of year, as we wait for the weather to warm up a bit and we can start to spend more time outdoors.

I also participated in the Thirsty Crow Hot Wings Challenge this month. This business is to be commended for their proactive approach to managing COVID restrictions. They have been live streaming a very individual bingo game each Tuesday, with players joining in from all over Australia. I know many people have looked forward to each week and enjoyed participating in the fun.

Another interesting activity for me this month was 4WD training offered by my employer. I am really enjoying learning and experiencing all that is required of me at work.

We rounded out the month sending Happy Birthday wishes to our Community Princess Britt.

All My Love
Hannah Smith
Miss Wagga Wagga 2020

MWW & CP 2020 - Blog Number 5 - July

14/10/2020

Here we are halfway through 2020!

Wagga Wagga Rural Referral Hospital Maternity Ward had a project I could not refuse. They are the recipients of a Community Princess Grant to buy mini fridges for patients’ rooms, to store breastmilk and snacks. What a perfect idea.

Another Community Princess Grant was awarded this month. What wonderful work is done by this very worthy beneficiary. Country Hope will use this grant to provide support to families with children diagnosed with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Knitting kept me warm and busy this month, it is so good to be able to create with your hands, especially when we are restricted and it has been so cold.

I took my first ever solo car trip this month. Driving from Wagga to Goulburn, Port Macquarie and finally Gladstone, catching up with friends and family on the way. I loved riding the camel on the beach, what a perfect way to spend a few peaceful hours.

A very full month of family, work and Community Princess grants.

Until next time, keep well.
Brittany Hackett
Community Princess 2020

A good news story to start my July blog. I was able to donate blood this month, a simple thing that can do so much. I took a look at the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood website and found these statistics. I am happy to roll up my sleeve, and if you are thinking about making a donation, please do so, it is quick and easy, and so valuable.
·       One in three Australians will need blood or blood products in their lifetime
·       One in 30 Australians give blood each year (3%)
·       One blood donation can save up to three lives
·       Australia needs more than 31,000 donations every week

I was honoured to be invited to a Citizenship Ceremony in July.
As I wrote in my Feel Good Friday post, Today is the day that I have been looking forward to for months! This afternoon, I am lucky enough to be attending not one but TWO Citizenship Ceremonies It is such an honour to be able to represent Wagga Wagga and welcome so many new people into our wonderful community. I will not be able to wipe this smile off my face all day!

My Fiancé and I took some time away and headed to the snow during July. We have committed to spend locally and were happy to be able to give something back to the communities ravaged by fires earlier this year, while having a fun and relaxing break.

My housemates and I really felt the full brunt of COVID19 restrictions this month, with one of us having a test for the virus after not feeling too well. The resulted in a complete lockdown of the household while we waited for results to come in, fortunately all was ok, however it was certainly a wake-up call. We all need to remember, if in doubt head in for a test, then fully isolate the household until given the all clear.

I hope you are all keeping well.

All My Love
Hannah Smith
Miss Wagga Wagga 2020

MWW & CP 2020 - Blog Number 4 - June

14/10/2020

Here we are in June already!

Restrictions have been lifted and while I am still working from home, I did get out for a small Feel Good Friday treat this month. I never believed I could be so excited to have my nails done.

I had the very great honour of being invited to join the Wagga Wagga Australia Day Committee this year. Our first meeting was held this month, and I am looking forward to participating and helping to organise our Australia Day celebrations.

Whilst there is not a great deal to share about my activities as Miss Wagga Wagga for this month, I did move house, a change of scenery was welcome even if it did come with all the effort and stress of clearing out the old place and setting up the new, and I am loving our fireplace on these chilly days. I hope you are keeping warm and comfortable, and making the most of the sunny days and slightly eased restrictions.

Until next month, keep warm

All My Love
Hannah Smith
Miss Wagga Wagga 2020

Welcome to the first month of winter.

I have been looking forward to handing over the first of my Community Princess Grants. I chose Ronald McDonald House as my first beneficiary, and was so happy to be able to visit in person, meet Lisa Simpson the Executive Officer, and hand the cheque to her.

Later this month I found myself driving through the snow to the coast for work. It was so beautiful to see the snow, ice and mountains, I had to stop and take some pics.

My beautiful puppy Layla left me this month. Anyone with a pet will understand the devastation of saying goodbye. Thank you to all of my friends and family who reached out and offered love and support during this very sad time.

I hope you are all feeling the warmth from your families at this time and keeping warm during this cold weather.

Keep smiling
Brittany Hackett
Community Princess 2020

MWW & CP 2020 - Blog Number 3 - May

14/10/2020

I am thinking none of us expected this year to be the one it has, May already and we are still working from home, continuing to maintain a social distance and hoping to clear this virus which has become a household name. The 2020 Quest was launched in May last year, and I am looking forward to the launch of the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest 2022, next year.

Some highlights from this month…

I spoke with Marguerite McKinnon on her Friday Morning radio show with 2AAA. What a wonderful Community radio station this is. Marguerite and Alan Lean from 2AAA delivered media training to all Quest Entrants last year, and I am so thankful for their knowledge and guidance; it has certainly helped with my nerves when facing the microphone.

In May we congratulated a local family business on 40 years of service to our community. Dossers Quality Bakery, a longtime supporter of the Quest.

National Volunteer Week was held in May, so much is made possible for so many by the tireless hours given to our community by our valuable volunteers. It is always such a good thing to take the time to thank those who give of themselves for others.

Britt, our Community Princess 2020 and I began our Feel-Good Friday posts on the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Facebook page in May. Just a simple thing we can do to promote positivity at this most unusual time, and share some of the things we have been doing to help ourselves to feel good. Speaking of Facebook, we were thrilled to see the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Facebook page had hit 1700 likes, this month.

Making the most of May...

All My Love,
Hannah Smith
Miss Wagga Wagga 2020

It has been quite the year since the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest launch, 12 months ago.

So much has happened, I have gained and lost so much in this time.

It is so exciting for me that Community Princess Grant applications open this month. I am so looking forward to receiving and reading applications from the community for grants toward small projects from the Community Princess Fund 2020.

It was my honour to post on the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Facebook page on National Sorry Day, standing together toward reconciliation.

I took a short work trip to Eden on the NSW coast. It was so good to be out and about again, different scenery and that fresh sea air, really cleared my head after such a long time staying home.

With COVID 19 restrictions easing up slightly toward the end of this month. I had the opportunity to visit with my beautiful mum. It was so good to see her after all that has happened this month.

I hope you are doing what you can for yourself and those around you.

Remember to look after yourself Wagga Wagga, hope to see you all, around our beautiful town soon.

Brittany Hackett
Community Princess 2020

MWW & CP 2020 - Blog Number 2

8/5/2020

Hello,

Community Princess, Brittany Hackett here!

Due to COVID-19, we have had a very quiet month with not much to report. Myself and Hannah did however, join Adam Drummond on Wagga TV for a brief conversation surrounding the unfortunate decision to postpone this year's Quest, as well as our Sister City visit and upcoming events. If you have not tuned in, you can find the interview on the Wagga TV Facebook page.

I truly hope you are all looking after yourselves in these difficult times. Mental health is a very important topic for me and I understand at times, the current global health crisis and Government restrictions can play on your emotional wellbeing and mindfulness. My tip is - where you can, practice self-care and continue to check in with your family and friends via video links and telephone. Remain positive and I hope to see you all soon, out and about within our beautiful City of Wagga Wagga.

All the best,
Brittany Hackett
Community Princess 2020

Hello Again,

Although it feels so long ago now, it has been only a month since we last spoke.

The Government restrictions under the current COVID-19 pandemic environment have made for a few interesting ways in which we connect with each other. Starting earlier in the month when Brittany and I joined Adam Drummond for a video interview. We discussed the 2021 Miss Wagga Wagga Quest and our plans for Easter. At first it felt a little strange being interviewed over a call in our homes but soon became a bit of a novelty and reminded me how lucky we are, living in Australia and having the technology to still be connected.

For me, Easter has always been a great time of the year for family to come together in the one place. This year however we found ourselves scattered around. Leading up to the day I was feeling sad that we would not have that opportunity this year, especially my mum’s beautiful food. However looking back, I can't remember what I had for dinner this year but I know I had a lovely time relaxing and enjoying the day spending time with my household.

This year's ANZAC Day was an event I had been looking forward to for quite a while. The opportunity to walk in the annual march and lay a wreath is an honour I was humbled to be asked to be a part of, and I look forward to ANZAC Day in 2021. This year, I will remember the day however in a different but nevertheless special moment. Sitting at the end of my driveway, joining in the national radio broadcast before playing the Last Post on the cello to everyone else in my street is a moment I will never forget. The sombre mood yet proud aura of respect felt is a beautiful reminder of those fallen heroes who gave the eternal sacrifice for our country. Lest we forget.

Finally then, with the success of our wider community flattening the curve of cases of COVID-19 I would like to take this time to thank each and every essential worker and most especially those working in our health care system. I would like to further reiterate the need to continue to practise good personal hygiene, washing our hands regularly, and practising social distancing. The months ahead will still be a great challenge to each of us individually but in saying that, you are not alone.

Wagga Wagga is an extraordinary community of extraordinary people and I urge anyone who is struggling to reach out. Whether that be to family, friends or reach out to us through the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Facebook page or website, please if you feel like you need help, we are here.

All my Love,
Hannah Smith
Miss Wagga Wagga 2020

MWW & CP 2020 - Blog Number 1

31/3/2020

Hello,

Brittany Hackett here, your 2020 Community Princess!

What a massive couple of months it has been since crowning.
Finally into the new year and collecting ourselves after the magical November night, that was the 2020 Miss Wagga Wagga Quest Crowning, Hannah and I would like to update you all on what we have been up to for the past four months.

The first engagement, Hannah and I had as the 2020 Miss Wagga Wagga and Community Princess, was the Leisure Company’s Disability Dance. Hannah and I joined some fabulous friends, for a night of song and dance down at the Kyemba Smith Hall. We were so appreciative to be invited to such a great event. We danced the night away and were also given the important job of handing out gifts from the lucky door prize! We took so many photos that you can see on our Facebook page.

Our next duty, was running a Blood Drive for the Australian Red Cross Life Blood Service.
Donations seem to be very limited over the Christmas period, though holiday season is when we see your precious blood being needed the most. We ended up with 15-20 donors through the doors during our Blood Drive and we are so grateful for all of you who gave your precious time to save some previous lives, so thank you.

I will allow Hannah to take over the blog now to provide you with further updates of our adventures. Do not fret though, you will be hearing from me again soon and certainly seeing me around and more involved moving forward!

Warm regards,
Brittany Hackett
Community Princess 2020

We are already a third of the way through, oh how time flies!

Welcome to our first title holders blog! After the crowning ceremony on the 2nd of November Brittany and I were overwhelmed by the interviews, congratulatory wishes, photos and celebrations. After such an amazing and tiring entrant year we couldn't believe what had just happened. I don't think anyone could have prepared us for the 48 hours after being crowned. By 10pm on Crowning night I was already speaking on 2AAA with Alan Lean about the night we had just had. The next morning both Brittany and I had phone interviews with The Daily Advertiser and capped off our media run on the Monday at Southern Cross Austereo; with Poppy and Leigh on Triple M and Herbie and Dane on Hit 93.1.

My first engagement as Miss Wagga Wagga 2020 was a Citizenship Ceremony that welcomed around 20 new citizens into our country. This was an event that I will never forget. The happiness and joy on every new citizen as they finished their pledge was amazing! I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, the feeling is definitely contagious!

Later in November, Brittany and I had the opportunity to attend our first event together as Miss Wagga Wagga and Community Princess 2020 at the Leisure Company’s All Ability Dance. We got to meet so many new people and share some amazing memories. It was a night of handing out lucky door prizes, taking lots of photos and dancing the night away. The sense of community was absolutely astounding that night with so many happy faces all around.

Our last activity before Christmas and New Year was running the Royal Blood Drive, whilst many people give generously throughout the year, during the holiday period people can sometimes forget our hospital system continues to need donations. Blood products have a short shelf life, so it is vital that we continue to extend our support during this period. We are so proud of the donors we had, and are very grateful for their help in saving lives.

After the holiday season - and taking a quick break ourselves - we settled more into our roles and began looking forward to how we would spend the year as representatives of this great community. I had the pleasure of having a meeting with Mayor Greg Conkey OAM about Wagga Wagga’s year ahead. We discussed all the upcoming major events and how Brittany and I can be involved. I had started to regularly attend Wagga Wagga’s monthly citizenship ceremonies and had the very great honour of attending the Australia Day Mayoral Reception before later presenting a speech about ‘What Being Australian Means To Me’ at the Australia Day Citizen of the Year Awards Evening. Congratulations to all the award recipients; Lynne Graham - Citizen of the Year, John Mason - Walk of Honour, Megan Graham - Young Citizen of the Year, Geoffrey Jacobson - Ted Ryder Sports, and Ben Holt - Environmental Citizen of the Year and all the award nominees on the night, you are all a credit to our incredible community.

I am sure many people will remember last year's titleholders had the honour of travelling to our sister city Nördlingen in Germany. I had the very great pleasure of meeting two of their very own citizens in Wagga Wagga, Hannah and Lilly. The girls were fun and friendly and recounted their time in Australia so far and their plans to travel through the rest of this great country.

Our most recent engagement has been at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Market Day during Orientation Week, where we spoke with a number of new students about the Quest and hoped to encourage as many young women as possible to enter in the same journey we took last year.

On that note, the Miss Wagga Wagga Quest 2021 will launch soon. We are holding an information session at 6:30pm, on March 17 at the Wagga Wagga Commercial Club, in Gurwood Street. The Committee, former Titleholders, previous entrants and I will be there with a short presentation, to answer questions and chat about all things Miss Wagga Wagga. Please feel free to come along if you or someone you know might be interested. We definitely encourage anyone with any questions or interest in becoming an entrant to join us.

That’s all from me for now, we look forward to sharing many more great stories and memories of the year to come.

All my Love
Hannah Smith
Miss Wagga Wagga 2020