One of the great highlights on my calendar is a treasured invitation to celebrate the Onam festival with the Wagga Wagga Malayali community.

Onam is the most celebrated festival of Kerala, India, and is a time of joy, togetherness, gratitude and community. Traditionally, Onam commemorates the annual return of the legendary and much-loved King Mahabali, whose reign is remembered as a time of prosperity, equality and harmony.

The festival brings people together through cultural traditions including the beautiful Pookalam (floral decorations), traditional music and dance, games, and the sharing of the traditional Onam Sadya, a festive vegetarian feast served on banana leaves – and I can assure you, it was delicious!

I was also proud to help the Wagga Wagga Malayali Association launch its new website, helping to spread the word far and wide.

Events like Onam bring new colour, culture and creativity to our community and are a great way to celebrate the enormous economic and cultural contribution that people from all around the world make to our region.