Those who know Oddie know he is partial to the odd tipple, particularly a 2023 Victorian Desal Plant, a 2022 Cresswell or a 2021 vintage IBWPP (Ian Bartlett Water Purification Plant) Bass.
They’re the most recent winners of the Best Tasting Tap Water in Victoria — and soon we’ll find out this year’s champion.
The IXOM 2024 Best Tasting Tap Water for Victoria competition will be decided during heats on Tuesday, February 27 and a final the next day.
The winner will then represent the state at the national titles in Tasmania on Sunday, November 24, home of the reigning champion from TasWater and its Fern Tree Water Treatment Plant.
Maybe this year a Goulburn Valley Water glass will get the sup of approval.
Judges in the competition are looking for water that is crystal clear with minimal turbidity, has a nice scent, is pleasing to the palate and is completely translucent without any white or brown tones.
It’s a far cry from when, as a lad, Oddie relied on water from a channel, on the banks of which his family’s horses grazed and occasionally wandered through.
With that water, brown tones and turbidity tended to collect at the bottom of your glass if you left it on the bench for a few minutes.
The IXOM 2024 Best Tasting Tap Water competition aims to highlight the safe, clean and good-tasting drinking water Australians tend to take for granted when they turn on the tap — and that’s something Oddie can raise a glass to.
More interesting spuds
Speaking of water, News reader Milton believes it is an abundance of it that may have caused his backyard spuds to grow in a unique way.
“Saw your piece on the interesting shaped spuds a week or two back,” Milton said.
“I’ve been a backyard gardener for over 60 years in the north-east, Yarra Valley and the GV (and) I’ve now had my own interesting spuds.
“Not sure why, as I use certified seed potatoes, but feel that perhaps the extra watering from the storms kick the tubers into trying to reproduce their own crop instead of lying dormant as would be the usual summer thing.”