Wednesday, February 20, 2013 

Wagga Wagga, New South Wales — Sunday, Governor-General of Australia, Quentin Bryce and her husband, Michael Bryce, visited the city of Wagga Wagga to launch the Junior Teams event and present the awards to the winners at the 2013 Allen’s Coaches World Championship Gumi, meet the North Wagga Wagga residents who were affected by the March 2012 floods and meet a small group of volunteers from the NSW RFS, SES and the VRA at a community barbecue at Wagga Beach.

After the Gumi presentations, Governor-General Bryce addressed the media about the Gumi, stating that “It’s so quirky and I love the way it brings this community together, this community that’s known for its fantastic spirit.” She also commented on the floods which affected the suburb of North Wagga in March 2012. Bryce stated that “A very special thing for me was being at North Wagga Wagga this morning, to see people again whom I meet almost a year ago after the devastation of the floods in that part of the city, […] So many people have a long way to recover but their spirit, resilience, courage and determination, what they’ve been though, is a source for inspiration to all of us.”