On the 7th of November, the Australian High Commission invited NCWNZ to celebrate the Melbourne Cup during their annual fundraiser event. The event was attended by Suzanne Manning, President of NCWNZ, Harita Gandhi, treasurer of the Wellington Branch, and Rayane Al Faraj, intern for NCWNZ.

We were greeted on arrival by an Australian band who were on hand to set the festive mood, and we had the chance to buy into the sweep to draw a Melbourne Cup horse. The ceremony started with a welcome speech from the Australian Commissioner and some prizes to win. We took the opportunity to admire the superb outfits and hats worn by the guests. At 5pm, the annual horse race finally began. Over the years, the Melbourne Cup has cemented itself as a part of Melbourne and Australian culture. The day of the race is even a public holiday for much of Victoria!

We were all cheering for our horses, but unfortunately none of them won the race. After the race, the band returned to give us a show, and we had time to meet and talk to other guests and organisers. During this event, we had the opportunities to meet a variety of people. As NCWNZ representatives, this was a good opportunity of networking, that helps promote NCWNZ and being visible.

Thanks to these in-person events that we are invited to, we have a place to share on our projects and involvements at NCWNZ, while learning about other organisations and creating relationships. By going to these events, we try to make the most of our opportunities given our limited resources. It represents an important part of our mahi. Going to the Melbourne Cup fundraiser was a fun experience that offered us as representatives of NCWNZ an opportunity to connect with other people.

To read more articles from The Circular (November-December 2023) issue 644, click on the tag below.