- 5 hours ago
Back Roads - Season 12 - Episode 06: Gayndah, QLD
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00:07Gainer, Gainer, who are we? Gladiator's victory!
00:12Gainer, Gainer, hear our cry! Gladiator's till we die!
00:164, 6, 2, 5! 4, 6, 2, 5!
00:204, 6, 2, 5! 4, 6, 2, 5!
00:244, 6, 2, 5! 4, 6, 2, 5!
00:30There is a rivalry in these parts.
00:32It's about more than sport.
00:34It's about more than passion.
00:37It's all about citrus.
00:44Backroads is in the Queensland town of Gainer,
00:47a farming community on the Burnett River
00:50that specialises in one particular crop.
01:02Since the first orchards were planted in the 1890s,
01:06Gainer has been a vibrant centre of citrus.
01:10It now attracts a workforce from all over the world.
01:13Oh, wow.
01:14Big day, missa.
01:18I thought there were more.
01:21Picking the fruit that makes this town tick.
01:24It pretty much is state of oranges.
01:28State of oranges, yes.
01:30With some willing to do whatever it takes to fit right in.
01:34And what have you come here today to do?
01:37To throw the oranges.
01:40And on this trip, that includes me.
01:43Down it goes.
01:46I can't feel my lips anymore.
01:50As I try to find out just what this injection of culture
01:54and workers from overseas brings
01:56to the oldest town in Queensland.
02:13Now, I'm not going to seek approval for every single one,
02:16but is that OK, or a bit on the small side?
02:18Yeah, just speak.
02:19Oh, it's my first one.
02:23Oh, no, sorry, I dropped the mandarin.
02:28Oh, the leaves are getting in my face.
02:30You just want to pull them off, but you can't
02:32because it'll rip the skin.
02:34Yeah.
02:35Oh, no, there goes another one.
02:37Sorry.
02:39You have to put it away for lunchtime?
02:42Oh, I get to eat it, though?
02:43Yeah.
02:45My picking teacher, Misa, came from Tonga in 2016.
02:50He's one of 20 Tongans employed in this orchard
02:53via the PALM Scheme,
02:55or Pacific Australia Labor Mobility Scheme,
02:58allowing workers to come over for usually nine months at a time.
03:03And at this farm,
03:04they live together in a number of local houses,
03:07like this one next to the orchard.
03:10So this is home, Misa?
03:11Yeah, this is my house here.
03:13We live with my wife and some couple of friends.
03:16We're working together in our farm.
03:20Can I smell something cooking?
03:21Yeah, some of the boys stay cooking a bit.
03:24I've been invited to a cook-up, Tongan style,
03:28which means lots of meat on a spit
03:31or in an earth oven known as an umu.
03:35And while Misa goes in search of a sweet potato,
03:38I meet Moa,
03:40a picker on his fifth year in Australia.
03:43What brings you back?
03:45After I got my bachelor's of agriculture
03:48and I went back to Tonga,
03:49I couldn't get a job,
03:50and I noticed that it is very hard to find a job there.
03:55And even if I find a job there,
03:57I wouldn't get any money.
03:59I just want to bring money back to my family.
04:03It's so nice to get some money,
04:04bring back home and help them,
04:06which is the main reason why I'm here.
04:09What do they think about you being over here?
04:11It's a challenge.
04:13It's a challenge for me and them as well.
04:16Do you miss home?
04:17A lot, very much.
04:18Every single day, we miss home.
04:20What do you do here
04:21to try and make yourself feel at home?
04:26We sell a lot of things together.
04:29Like today, food,
04:31which is what we love the most.
04:33Do you?
04:34Yeah.
04:35What's your favourite food?
04:38I think the pigs.
04:39Roasted pigs.
04:40Yeah.
04:47I get the feeling
04:48saying that home
04:49is wherever the umu is.
04:52And with the spit-roasting pig
04:54well on the way to Crispy,
04:55everyone gets changed
04:57and settles in for a bit of music
04:59and a little kava.
05:01A big part of life in Tonga,
05:03it's made from a plant
05:04found in the South Pacific
05:06and has certain
05:07relaxing properties.
05:18Oh, that was awesome, guys.
05:37What have we got here?
05:39We've got a kava here.
05:40What have I been missing out on?
05:42Yeah, yeah.
05:42I want to try something.
05:43I'd love to.
05:44Is this a regular thing for you all?
05:46Yeah, it's very regular.
05:48What is it?
05:49Energy drink.
05:50Energy drink.
05:54All right, well,
05:55let's see how much energy
05:56it gives me, huh?
05:57I don't think I've had kava
05:58since I was in Fiji
06:00in my 20s.
06:02Yeah.
06:02Down it goes.
06:06How is it?
06:09It's nice.
06:10I can't feel my lips anymore.
06:14It's good.
06:15It reminds you of home, huh?
06:16Yeah, it feels like home.
06:20Gainter has to be richer for this.
06:23Tongan culture singing out
06:25from these back streets,
06:27leaning heavily into the simple pleasures
06:29of food, music and company
06:32to make Gainter feel
06:34more like home.
06:44Wow.
06:45This is what we call
06:47Tongan bread.
06:48We call it
06:48in our language.
06:52Yeah, we used to eat it with this.
06:54Okay.
06:55I like it that there's not a lot
06:56of washing up
06:56that's going to have to be done here.
07:00Why do you love doing this?
07:03We just love eating.
07:06Well, thanks for letting me join you.
07:09Of course,
07:23this is just the story
07:25of one farm.
07:27Gainter has a massive citrus industry
07:29which is just pumping
07:30at harvest time.
07:33Backpackers
07:34and other travellers
07:34from all over the world
07:35fill the packing sheds
07:37and at this time of year
07:39there are still more jobs here
07:40and people to fill them
07:42because,
07:43just in case you didn't realise it,
07:45citrus is a big deal here
07:48and coming into town,
07:50you can't miss it.
07:52We're at the big orange.
07:54Where else would we be
07:54to greet you lovely people
07:56into our town?
08:00It says to me
08:01that welcome to Gainter,
08:02you know,
08:02this is our town
08:03and this is what we're about.
08:05So it's certainly an icon
08:07but our biggest icon
08:09is Gay Dan
08:10and we love him
08:11with a passion.
08:15He was part of the festival
08:17back in 1959.
08:19His name was created
08:21in 1958
08:22with a competition
08:23where there was something
08:24like a hundred odd entries
08:25and Mrs Heather Ping
08:26won the competition
08:27to be called Gay Dan.
08:35So Gainter is
08:36the citrus capital.
08:38Yeah, look,
08:38it can be a bit contentious
08:40but we'll take that,
08:41yeah.
08:42Our neighbouring town
08:43Mandubra also produced
08:45quite a lot of citrus,
08:46so...
08:46So competition.
08:47Well there is
08:48and competition's good,
08:49isn't it?
08:49How fierce is the competition?
08:51Oh, well when it comes
08:52to our football match
08:53which will be on here
08:54on Sunday,
08:55it can become
08:56a little bit fierce
08:58on the footy feet.
09:01It makes sense
09:02that on his visit
09:04in 1966,
09:05the 17-year-old
09:07then Prince Charles
09:08was given
09:08a big orange.
09:15And on the face
09:16of it in town,
09:17I wouldn't say
09:18it looks too different
09:19to when Charlie
09:20was here.
09:35It's been through
09:36major floods
09:37in the last decade
09:38or so
09:38but each time
09:39it comes back.
09:40This is the oldest
09:42town in Queensland
09:43and it's still
09:45pretty old school
09:46in the best way
09:47which means
09:48it loves its footy
09:50and this weekend
09:51is the biggest
09:52match of the year.
09:53The Citrus Cup
09:55between the
09:56Gander Gladiators
09:57and their
09:58Citrus Town
09:59rivals
09:59from down the road
10:01the Mundubra Tigers.
10:10So I'm watching
10:11them out there
10:11Rob and they're
10:12training like
10:13this is the game
10:14of their life
10:15this weekend.
10:16It pretty much
10:16is State of Oranges.
10:18What?
10:19State of Oranges?
10:21It's been around
10:22since the 80s
10:23and it is a huge
10:25rivalry between
10:26two local
10:27Citrus Towns
10:27Mundubra and
10:28Gander.
10:29Gander has the
10:30big orange
10:30Mundubra has the
10:31big mandarin.
10:34Citrus Cup
10:35is just one of
10:36the biggest events
10:37in this town
10:38every two years.
10:40We haven't had it
10:40for the last
10:41I think eight years
10:42so we are desperate
10:44to win it this weekend
10:45to retain that cup
10:46to have it back
10:46for such a long time.
10:48And what does it
10:48mean to them
10:49to even be able
10:50to get out
10:50on the field
10:51and play?
10:52Training twice a week
10:54footy every Saturday
10:55is a huge thing
10:56for this small town.
10:57That physical
10:58fitness
10:58and working together
11:00they are really
11:00great mates
11:01that bond well
11:02and they have
11:03each other's back
11:04every week.
11:05Good stuff boys.
11:06Good attack
11:07you boys eh?
11:10Some of these guys
11:11are local
11:11others travel
11:12not all stay around
11:14but it seems
11:16to do everybody good.
11:18At its core
11:19people like
11:20Mattie
11:20whose father
11:21and grandfather
11:22also played
11:23for the Gainder
11:24gladiators.
11:25He's grown up
11:26surrounded by people
11:27from all over the world
11:28seeking out a game
11:30of rugby league
11:31as a means of connection.
11:33Here in Gainder
11:34I'm a third generation
11:35citrus farmer
11:36and you know
11:38I really love
11:38that lifestyle.
11:40Gainder's always
11:40been a bit
11:41of a melting fire
11:42like here
11:43in our team
11:43you know
11:44we've got
11:45Aboriginal boys
11:46Torres Strait Islanders
11:48Pacific Islanders
11:49and Asian boys
11:50like it's funny
11:51we get a lot
11:52of backpackers
11:52and once we had
11:53a flying Dutch
11:54winger
11:55that had never
11:55played before
11:56and he was pretty funny
11:58but yeah
11:58it helps us out
11:59a lot.
12:01I like to think
12:02that rugby league
12:03is sort of
12:04the great equaliser
12:05and no one
12:07sort of
12:07can get pushed out
12:08like a lot of people
12:09with problems
12:10like come
12:12to be part of the group
12:13and we try to
12:14welcome them in
12:15you know
12:15and help
12:16anyone out
12:17that needs it.
12:18How I like to think
12:19of it is that
12:21sometimes we don't
12:22need them
12:22but they need us
12:24you know
12:24there's no exclusion
12:26everyone's welcome
12:27and we all like
12:28to help each other
12:28out so
12:29that sort of
12:30drives our culture
12:31here and our
12:32passion to do
12:33everything we can
12:34for each other
12:35that's why we're
12:36so successful.
12:38Right eh?
12:39Right.
12:42That's it.
12:48Citrus flows
12:49through the veins
12:50of Gainda
12:50it's what makes
12:52its heart beat
12:53and from what
12:54I'm seeing
12:55it brings a whole
12:56lot of positives
12:57to the town.
13:05Take Thomas
13:06a picker
13:07extraordinaire
13:09and about
13:09a hundred times
13:10faster than me.
13:13Originally from
13:14Vietnam
13:14he first settled
13:16in Sydney
13:17and Bathurst
13:18he met his wife
13:19Wendy
13:19and in 2021
13:21moved to Gainda
13:23to try something
13:24new.
13:28What did you do
13:29when you got here?
13:31Actually when I got
13:32here it was hard
13:32for me to get a job
13:33but lucky
13:34that I found a job
13:34on farm
13:35I picked the fruit
13:36on farm.
13:37Hard work?
13:38Very hard work
13:39but I really
13:40enjoyed it.
13:41I worked very hard
13:42wake up very early
13:43in the morning
13:44worked hard
13:45to fulfil my dream.
13:46And what was
13:47the dream?
13:47I tried to work
13:48hard to save up
13:49money to open
13:50a cafe restaurant.
13:51This is your
13:52restaurant?
13:53Yes, yes.
13:53I'm very happy
13:54of what I have
13:55now.
13:56Congratulations.
13:57Thank you Lisa.
14:07It was a very
14:08old building
14:09very old.
14:10It took me
14:10two and a half
14:11years to renovate it.
14:12Were you a builder
14:13before as well?
14:14Not quite.
14:15I learned bit by bit
14:16but if sometimes
14:17I can't I get stuck
14:18I ask someone else
14:19so I look at YouTube.
14:21And were you still
14:22picking fruit as well?
14:24Yes, I do still
14:24picking the fruit
14:25at the moment
14:26still picking the fruit
14:27too.
14:27Frankly speaking
14:28I feel addicted
14:29addicted to work
14:29on farm.
14:30Addicted?
14:31Yeah, because the
14:32farm is great.
14:33Life is very short
14:34for me and also
14:35have one life to
14:36live and one
14:37Thomas in life
14:38here to contribute
14:40something for
14:40myself, for my
14:41family, for the
14:43community in which
14:43I live.
14:44One Thomas is
14:45achieving a lot
14:46of things.
14:49Thomas not only
14:50fixed up this
14:51whole place
14:51himself.
14:52Pulled the floor
14:53and then there's
14:54no door here.
14:55I cut the door
14:56and build up the
14:56door.
14:57But at the same
14:58time he and wife
15:00Wendy learned how
15:02to cook from
15:02Thomas' brother.
15:06And then Thomas
15:07decided to utilise
15:08his newfound skills
15:10by hiring himself
15:12out as a builder
15:12currently to be found
15:14fixing up a house
15:15for backpacker
15:16pickers.
15:24And all driven
15:25by a desire to
15:27grow his own
15:28on his own land
15:29which is exactly
15:31what Thomas,
15:32Wendy and their
15:32kids, Stephanie
15:34and Alex,
15:34are doing.
15:35Planting jackfruit
15:37in their five-acre
15:38garden next to the
15:40house they bought
15:41just over the river
15:42from the cafe.
15:45Wendy, Thomas
15:46works so hard
15:47and you do too.
15:49That's how normally
15:50we're doing so
15:51with us it's
15:52normal day.
15:53A normal day
15:55is working
15:55till midnight.
15:56Yes.
15:57Did you ever
15:58think you would
15:58end up in
15:59Gaenda?
16:00Oh no,
16:01exactly no.
16:02Whenever you
16:02go somewhere
16:03you have the
16:04feeling, yes.
16:05And when we
16:05come here in
16:06Gaenda we
16:06have the really
16:07warm feeling
16:08and friendly
16:09feeling and
16:09like a welcome
16:10you to,
16:11you know.
16:12So we think
16:13it is the
16:14right place for
16:14us.
16:15Yes.
16:16And then we
16:16get the shop
16:17and now we
16:17get the house.
16:20Thomas,
16:21do you ever
16:21stop working?
16:23Not quite
16:24because I enjoy
16:25working in the
16:25garden too.
16:26Love farming,
16:27little farming.
16:29Remind me of
16:29Vietnam, I love
16:30it, love farming.
16:32Have you ever
16:32been picking?
16:33Yeah.
16:35And I even
16:36got to eat a
16:36mandarin.
16:38What about you
16:39Wendy?
16:39Do you get out
16:40in the yard as
16:41well?
16:41You know I only
16:42have one day off
16:43in the weekend
16:44like a Saturday
16:44and can't come
16:45out and you know
16:46bring the water
16:47and fit here.
16:50Yeah, you
16:51can't work too
16:51hard and I
16:52cannot have a
16:53lot.
16:54You love
16:55jackfruit, you
16:55love wheat and
16:56fruit?
16:56Oh, it's my
16:56favourite fruit.
16:58That's because
16:58of you too.
17:00Good that he's
17:00planted so many
17:01there.
17:02Yes, yes, yes.
17:04So Gainter has
17:06all these people
17:07coming in and
17:08you've got these
17:08different cultures.
17:10What's going on
17:11here do you
17:12think?
17:12Every season of
17:13side trout like
17:14a mandarin, a lot
17:16of people from
17:17everywhere.
17:17So we feel
17:19here like, you
17:19know, here is
17:20already a variety
17:21of cultures.
17:23The people here
17:25they're so friendly
17:26and welcome us.
17:28So we are a
17:30part of Gainter.
17:31We bring
17:32something here.
17:33We try to bring
17:34our traditional
17:35food.
17:36We receive great
17:37encouragement from
17:38people here.
17:39It's a two-way
17:40street, is it?
17:40Yes, only two-way.
17:42We try to
17:43contribute some
17:45but we receive
17:46more a lot from
17:47the Gainter people.
17:48So that made us
17:50feel special here.
17:52Sometimes like
17:54we never know
17:55life full of
17:56mystery.
17:57Looks like a
17:57jackfruit here.
17:58Sometimes we sow
17:59the seed, we never
18:00know what the
18:01tree come up.
18:02In the next
18:02three to five
18:03years, hundreds
18:05of fruit come
18:06from the tree.
18:07It's like in
18:08life we sow
18:09one seed.
18:11In the next
18:11three years, we
18:12receive tenfold
18:13back what we
18:14sow.
18:14What beautiful
18:16wisdom from a
18:17man who with
18:18Wendy has grown
18:19a life here in
18:20Gainter.
18:21I've loved
18:22hanging out with
18:23Thomas and his
18:23family and
18:24thinking about
18:25that two-way
18:26street in
18:27Gainter.
18:27People bringing
18:29in new culture
18:30and the town
18:31seeming to give
18:32just as much
18:33back.
18:35And there's no
18:36greater display of
18:37that than a bit
18:39of this.
18:43Held every two
18:44years, the
18:45Gainter Orange
18:46Festival is a
18:47celebration of all
18:48things citrus.
18:50And it's a lot
18:51of fun.
19:05I find these
19:07small-town festivals
19:08really touching.
19:10There's so much
19:11pride in what they
19:12do.
19:12They put their
19:13heart into
19:14everything.
19:16And in the
19:17brilliant procession
19:18through town,
19:19Moa and Misa and
19:21their Tongan friends
19:21have got right in
19:23there, taking out
19:24most creative prize
19:26for their rather
19:27excellent float
19:28they designed
19:29themselves.
19:30Hey, Misa!
19:33They won the
19:34award.
19:36They did it.
19:37That's so cool.
19:38How good to see
19:39them all.
19:42This whole time
19:43we've been here in
19:44Gainter, we've
19:45built up our
19:45relationship with
19:46the locals, with
19:47the people, and
19:47they're just so
19:48happy to see us,
19:49showcase our
19:50our flags, showing
19:52how proud we are
19:53to be at Tongan.
19:57The citrus
19:58competitions come
19:59in all shapes and
20:01sizes.
20:01Go!
20:11And the
20:12all-you-can-eat
20:13Mandarin competition
20:14is something you
20:15can't unsee.
20:17Oh, look at this
20:18bloke in the blue
20:19face.
20:19He's going for the
20:20rabbit open and
20:21jump in exactly.
20:23Okay, the rules are
20:24simple.
20:25Peel and eat as many
20:27mandarins as you can
20:28in three minutes.
20:29Oh, no!
20:31Oh, no!
20:32Doing it, though, is
20:34another thing entirely.
20:40Some of the competitors
20:41even come with their own
20:43cheer squad.
20:44Woo-hoo!
20:45All of Lucas
20:46will all go.
20:47I love them.
20:49Woo-hoo!
20:50Woo-hoo!
20:50Woo-hoo!
20:50Woo-hoo!
20:50Ollie's family.
20:51Woo-hoo!
20:53Woo-hoo!
20:53They're very proud.
20:55Woo-hoo!
20:55Woo-hoo!
20:58Woo-hoo!
20:58Woo-hoo!
20:58And wherever I go,
21:00I'm still meeting people
21:01attracted to Gainda from all over the world including those banking up their
21:0688 days regional work to extend their tourist visas we have similar ones in
21:12Estonia but not orange we don't grow oranges in Estonia it's too cold there
21:18we just found the post on Facebook so I sent it to her and she was like typing
21:27to the owners of the citrus and here we are I bought the car and we live in a
21:33car and we love it what do you make of a town like Gainda it's quiet and it's
21:38like safe feel safe here because everybody's like not even locked in
21:44their cars and feeling safe is like the most important thing especially if you
21:48live in a car and what have you come here today to do to throw the oranges he's
21:56gonna win the competitions right here the first event is the world
22:00championship orange throwing competition pretty simple all you gotta do is throw
22:05an orange you gotta land it between those two strips of tape and you can't step
22:09over the line under arm over arm the javelin throw we've seen it all here
22:14before if you've got a new technique to bring to the table we'd love to see it
22:18here we go a bit of audience support would help
22:46okay so when I agreed to enter this I didn't know it was a world orange
22:52throwing comp but when in Gainda
23:18this entire festival is so full of heart so utterly charming and just
23:26wonderful simple fun
23:33but then as the festival draws to a close the crowds move over to the football
23:39ground and the atmosphere changes
23:42Mundubra Tigers are in the house kicking off a match versus the Gainda gladiators
23:50this is the battle for the citrus cup this is the state of oranges
23:56Gainda! Gainda! Who are we? Gladiators victory! Gainda! Gainda! Hear our cry! Gladiators till we die!
24:074-6-2-5! 4-6-2-5! Again 4-6-2-5! 4-6-2-5! Go gladiators!
24:19This is a major event for Gainda the Mundubra Tigers look like they mean business as do the fans
24:27including my mate Missa and his wife Talita but it's not the best start and coming to the end of
24:37the
24:37the first half they've got a lot of work to do
24:40they will wipe us we do not go to sleep we go back out you know we still put a
24:45sewer on the clock
24:46just do not panic we get the ball we load up again we'll go again let's go
24:51let's go
24:52hand in hand let's go
24:53let's go
24:541-2-3
24:55let's go
25:07let's go
25:07absolute want to beat Mundubra at this game
25:12this is the game for them of the year and to just bring it home particularly on a home ground
25:18in front
25:19of their own crowd is going to be their number one goal
25:23This footy club is a reflection of Gainda's whole attitude,
25:28one of acceptance, of support, of encouragement.
25:33I think we're very, very lucky to have those people coming in
25:37that we can learn from.
25:38Isn't that what life's about, learning something new?
25:41And it's that acceptance and willingness to grow
25:45that's giving Gainda its strength.
25:48Good job, good job.
25:50It's like in life, we sow one seed.
25:53In the next three years, we receive tenfold back what we sow.
26:15And today, after a lot of hard hits, a lot of hard work,
26:21it's all paying off.
26:24With Gainda refusing to be beaten at home,
26:27not at its own Orange Festival.
26:33And the final score is Gainda, 34.
26:36And in number 20, that's the score.
26:39The Citrus Cup comes back with Gainda.
26:44The season's come and go in Gainda, and so do many of the faces.
26:48But whether people decide to stay or they're simply passing through,
26:52it seems to me they enrich the lives in this little town they've called home.
26:58And right now, that's working for Gainda.
27:05Gainda, Gainda, hear our cry, gladiators till we die.
27:104, 6, 2, 5, 4, 6, 2, 5.
27:13And again.
27:144, 6, 2, 5, 4, 6, 2, 5.
27:17And again.
27:184, 6, 2, 5, 4, 6, 2, 5.
27:31Next time on Backroads,
27:33I'm hitching a ride with the Sydney Youth Orchestras,
27:36who are meeting up with an Outback Kids Choir.
27:39You did that yourself?
27:40Yeah.
27:40That's insane.
27:41Have you seen an orchestra before?
27:43Not in real life.
27:44For the kids from the bush,
27:46it'll be a rare chance not just to see an orchestra,
27:49but to perform with one.
27:51Here we go.
27:52And for those from the city,
27:53it'll be an unforgettable taste of life in the Outback.
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