CFA Urban Seniors Championship 2010 - Mildura: 5-8 March

The CFA had their "Firefighter's Olympics" AKA the CFA Championships in Mildura this year. And as part of the Online Services team, I'm always sent to be there to mend the Online Services booth in the Corporate Tents area. Our booth is there to promote the CFA member's website and the new forums and new sections and also to activate and assist members with their accounts.

Accomodation and meals were of course all provided as it was considered a working trip. We stayed at the Grand Hotel just next to Mildura Brewery. I'd say it was more fun than work and also a chance to visit a new place! Here are pics from over the 4 days.
Day 1: We arrived a day before the championships started and had time to wonder around. Dropped by the Ice-Creamary which of course sold ice-creams, finger food and sausages as well to grab lunch.
Day 1: Lucky to have been able to meet Tanya, one of my colleagues and tagged along with her dad and another colleague, the health and well-being officer and his wife to take a cruise down the murray river. Lovely breeze and relaxing trip.
Day 1: Crusie down murray river - pictures of other house boats all owned by people and some you can even rent them for the day or for a few nights! They are fully furnished.
Day 1: This is called the lock chamber. Because of the raised water levels on the other side, we had to enter this chamber and after it closes its doors, the chamber fills up with water to match the level on the other side before we continue on our journey.
The place which I slept in for the 3 nights. Wished I had brought tubby along haha.. Ample space to fit him as there was a double and single bed.
Day 2: Officially the first day of the championships and the first day we started "work". This is the Online Services and Public Affairs booth.
Day 2: Giving a member some assistance after activating his account. He was more interested in posing for a photo. lol.
Day 2: Inside the Online Services booth where one of our colleagues was so excited to spot Minister for Emergency Services, Bob Cameron standing nearby and so quickly shuffled us to take a photo with him.
One of the events of the championships: hose cart reeling and then fixing the pipes / couplings to the water pipe and the first to spray the target in the fastest time wins.
Every year, they will have the torchlight procession where firefighters march in the streets holding torchlights and their marching is also marked and counted towards their brigade scores.

Day 2 night: Just chilling with colleagues at the Mildura Brewery Bar. With Heather and Andria.
Sacred Heart Parish in Mildura. No matter where I am, and as long as it's a weekend, I have to find a church and go attend mass. :D
Day 3: Another hose and coupling event. This time they have to pull the hoses from the truck, fix them to the water pipes and activate them from the fire truck and which team has the fastest time in assembling all that and spraying the target wins.
Here you go, the target that they spray on. I got water on me a few times cause I was standing too near.. LOL..
And finally after a 3-day "olympics marathon" the brigade who won the most points out of all the events and won was Dandenong Brigade. This is their trophy presentation.

After a tiring but fun 4 days, we caught a (propeller plane yet again!) back to melbourne where I took the next day off just to sleep in and rest! :P Man I love my job sometimes esp. when it involves going away from the usual office mundane-ness!