"I felt honoured," says 2023 MSF Queen after representing Altona in Australia

For 2023 Manitoba Sunflower Festival Queen Olivia Driedger it was the trip and opportunity of a lifetime to represent Altona half a world away in Emerald, Australia, the community’s sister city. Along with 1st Princess Lanea Friesen, the duo spent two weeks in Emerald participating in events related to the Central Highlands Easter Sunflower Festival, as well as some much anticipated touring. Driedger received the opportunity to travel to Emerald, courtesy of Bunge, as part of being crowned the Queen Quest winner in July of last year.

"I honestly was so nervous, but also very excited," shared Driedger about how she was feeling before departing on the furthest trip from home of her life. "The one thing I didn't really want to do was be on a plane for 14 hours. That did not sound like the most appealing thing ever, but it was so worth it and it wasn't even that bad, even though I didn't sleep. I'd do it again if I got to go back."

When the group from Altona landed in Emerald, it was welcomed at the airport by 2023 Central Highlands Easter Sunflower Festival Queen Paige McKenzie.

"Paige made a sign for us, and it said "Welcome Canadians", then got us some snacks and then she drove us around Emerald explaining a couple of things and then dropped us off."

And from there, the official duties began for Driedger and Friesen as they participated in a variety of events connected to the 2024 Central Highlands Easter Sunflower Festival. That included attending the Festival's speech night, an Emerald council dinner, entrant interviews and high tea and being invited by Comet State School to judge its Easter bonnet competition.

"I like their speech night, because it was just seeing all this community, and then it was in a museum kind of thing outside, so everybody, afterward, was walking around seeing the art museum," explained Driedger. "We took lots of photos, chatting with the judges, chatting with the entrants. It was just so well run."

As for the actual crowning, it happens during a horse racing event, and isn't quite as elaborate as the Altona Queen Quest Saturday night which includes a fashion show and on-stage entertainment.

Alongside participating in the Festival, the Canadians also had the chance to tour several places including Rainbow Falls, Jellinbah Mine, Emerald's "Sunflowers" Van Gogh painting, and a sapphire mine and bat cave. Driedger didn't hesitate a moment when asked what her favourite spot was... Rainbow Falls.

Left to right; Olivia and Lanea at Rainbow Falls

"Just to sum it up, it was beautiful," she said. "We basically drove up this mountain, and then you had to walk back down the mountain on this gorgeous trail where there were so many trees. It was like you were in a rainforest. You could just hear the rushing water. It was all foggy. It was just mythical, in a sense. Then as we got down, it was this huge waterfall, gorgeous water. You could look up at the top, and you could see the fog raining down, because you were just so high up. We went swimming near the waterfall, and it was just absolutely stunning. I would love to go back."

So how did it feel to have the opportunity to represent Altona in this way?

"I felt honoured," Driedger reflected. "I can't even describe how much I appreciated going there, and it was just so much fun meeting everybody, and then telling them about our pageant and about Altona. I don't even have words to describe how amazing it felt to go out there and represent Altona."

She is now looking forward to hosting the 2024 Central Highlands Easter Sunflower Festival Queen Chloe Wright and Princess Abbey Fouracre during this year's Manitoba Sunflower Festival in July.

"I want to try to give Chloe and Abby, when they come out here, the same experience and show them the hospitality they showed us and the amount of love and appreciation they showed for their town," she noted. "I want to show it for our town, and be this is what I'm representing, like how you represented your town, I just want to do a good job, and I think I can. You really get to love their town, you're spending two weeks there, and you're like, okay, I could live here. I want them to feel that same way when they come out here."

Left to right; Central Highlands Easter Sunflower  Festival Princess Abbey Fouracre , Central Highlands Easter Sunflower  Festival Queen Chloe Wright and Central Highlands Easter Sunflower  Festival Junior Princess Melia George. Photo courtesy https://www.facebook.com/CentralHighlandsEasterSunflowerFestival

You can listen to CFAM Radio 950 Morning Show Host Chris Sumner's conversation with Olivia Driedger, below.