Caravan Group

Dear members,
Following is the final program for the Benalla meeting commencing 27th February and leaving on 6th March. If you have not already made a booking with the Benalla Tourist Park please ring them direct on 03 57602000 and let us know of your booking. We have tried to make the week interesting and varied with something for everyone. We have made a series of group luncheon bookings for 35 people and later on we will need a more accurate figure. We will contact you in late January to ascertain what lunches you want to attend.

FEBRUARY THURSDAY 27TH. Arrive and set up. Happy hour in function room 4.30pm.

FRIDAY 28TH. Leave park around 9 – 9.10 am and travel 24km to Glenrowan for morning tea at the Vintage Hall Café 54 Gladstone St Glenrowan . We have made a group booking at the caf from 9.30am.

The café bake their own food daily and is situated about 200 metres from Kelly land where we have a booking for the 10.30am show. Entry fee to Kelly land is $20 per person and includes a look around their museum after the show. The rest of the day is free for you to wander around the village, have lunch etc. The new Glenrowan tourist bureau building is well worth a visit. Happy hour 4.30 in the function room.

MARCH SATURDAY 1st. Leave park 10am for silo art and observation tour. Prior to tour you will be given a questionnaire to answer about points of interest along the drive. Bring your question sheet along to happy hour that evening as a prize will be given for the entry with the most correct answers. Group lunch for 12.30 has been booked at the Goorambat Railway Hotel, 59 Halls Rd Goorambat. Happy hour 4.30 back at the caravan park.

SUNDAY 2ND Meet at the Benalla Tourist Information Centre 10.30 for a walking / talking tour of town art work. The tour takes about 1 hour, costs $5. per head and is limited to 20 people. If there is more than 20 people interested then a second tour will be organised for Monday afternoon. Lunch has been booked for 12.30 at the Tatong Tavern, 2581 Benalla – Tatong Rd Tatong. Tatong is about 25 km from Benalla and the tavern is somewhat unique, having been modelled along the lines of a traditional English country pub.

MONDAY 3RD Leave park about 9.45am for Devonshire tea 10am at Munro & Sargeant café, inside the Benalla Art Gallery, Bridge St Benalla. The Devonshire tea will cost $12.00 with cup of tea or coffee. If you want a larger drink it will cost a little more. We have booked seating in the outside deck area but will be able to move inside if weather is too warm. Following morning tea we can wander through the art gallery and the adjacent botanical gardens. The gardens contain about 1000 roses and several memorials to famous Australians. The rest of the day is free with happy hour at 4.30.

TUESDAY 4th Meet 11am at the Victorian Gliding Club, Benalla aerodrome, for a talk on gliding and its history in Benalla, inspection of a glider and weather permitting, watch the launching and landing of gliders. If you wish to experience flying in a glider, flights will be available. You need to pre book for this and prices start at $220 for a 20 minute flight, to a height of 2000 feet. Also of interest in the immediate area is an aviation museum and the remains of an early migrant hostel. Lunch of your own choice. Happy hour 4.30 followed by a group BBQ in the camp kitchen.

WEDNESDAY 5th Meet 10.45am at the Benalla Bowling Club, 25 Arundel St for a game of lawn bowls starting at 11am. Cost is $6 and the bowls club will provide the bowling balls and some assistants” for non bowlers. This is intended to be a fun experience similar to mini golf at Lilydale. Following bowls we have booked for group lunch in the bowling club rooms.

Bookings with the Benalla Tourist Park (0357602000) should be made before the end of this month as our reservation expires then.

FEBRUARY THURSDAY 27th Arrive and set up. Happy hour in function room 4.30 pm

FRIDAY 28th Travel 24km to Glenrowan, enjoy morning tea at one of the cafe’s in the village then walk to Kellyland theatre. This is not a movie theatre but features animatronics to take you back to events that led to Ned Kelly's capture. Tour through the museum which houses many original Kelly artefacts. Entry fee for group - $20 p.p. Lunch at a place of your choice. Happy hour back at park in function room at 4.30.

MARCH SATURDAY 1st Silo and observation tour travelling approx. 120 km along the silo loop. Lunch location to be decided but possibly at the Goorambat Railway Hotel. Happy hour 4.30 in function room.

SUNDAY 2nd Morning tea 10am in Benalla followed by a walking tour of the street art in the town. We will provide guide books from the tourist bureau for the walk. The art work is displayed on building walls and is changed from time to time. Lunch of your own choice. Happy hour 4.30 in the function room.

MONDAY 3rd Morning tea 10 am at the Munro & Sergeant café, inside the Benalla Art Gallery and overlooking picturesque Lake Benalla, followed by a walk through the Benalla Botanic gardens. The gardens house several memorials to famous Australians and events and is planted throughout with approximately 1000 roses. Lunch of your own choice. Happy hour 4.30 in function room.

TUESDAY 4th Meet at 11am at the Victorian Gliding Club, Benalla aerodrome, for talk on gliding and its history in Benalla, inspection of a glider and, weather permitting, watch the launching and landing of gliders. If you wish to experience flying in a glider, flights will be available. You will need to pre book for this and prices start at $220. for a flight of 20 minutes, to a height of 2000 feet. Also of interest in the immediate area is an aviation museum and the remnants of an early migrant hostel. Lunch of your own choice. Happy hour 4.30 followed by joint BBQ in the camp kitchen.

THURSDAY 6th Pack up and head for home or continue on for other experiences. If you have any questions regarding the meeting, please contact Bill E (0407432931) or Ian C (0427231791

Tuesday morning saw the group travel 12 km to Gelliondale for morning tea and then a tour through a plant nursery. The nursery is vertically integrated starting with the collection of seed from selected trees in their grounds through all phases of growing until the seedlings are ready to be planted out in their plantations. Approx. 12 million seedlings are grown each year and most are used in their own plantations and a minor number sold to other plantations. Main seedlings are pine with a small number of eucalypts. The nursery covered several acres and is highly mechanised.

Wednesday morning we all travelled 37km to Agnes Falls for morning tea, talk and tour. A member from the “Friends of Agnes Falls” committee spoke about the history of the falls and the current lack of funding from Parks Victoria to carry out essential improvements such as better steps down the hill to the path leading to the falls. There was a good flow of water cascading down the falls so we were treated to a very picturesque sight. Most then travelled on to Toora for lunch at the hotel.

Thursday morning we had coffee in a local café then walked to the Regent Theatre in Yarram for an address by two members from the theatre and art society. The theatre has retained most of its attractive original features and is still in use for films and stage events. The history of the local street art was delivered and gave everybody a better understanding of what the artwork represented. Most of it portrayed local people including one about the “boat” people as a local residents came by boat to Australia from Vietnam and set up a café in the town. The incredible skills of the artist was mentioned. The artist would stand in the basket of a cherry picker with his mobile phone in one hand and a spray can in the other and he would proceed to paint the picture shown on his phone. No grid lines, lasers or other guides for help to get the proportions correct yet they were perfect.

Friday we travelled to Port Albert for a lunch of fish and chips. The fish was local, fresh and was excellent. Some then went to the local Maritime Museum and others went for a drive around the coastal areas.

Saturday morning we all met at the Alberton Cemetery for a guided tour. The cemetery is one of the oldest in Victoria and contains graves from the early whaling days. It also houses a large very healthy population of monstrous mozzies. Decades ago a big flood devastated the lower oldest section of the cemetery and some of its land and residents were washed out to sea. Diphtheria is hardly heard of these days but back in the early days it was often a fatal bacterial infection for children and one
grave site contained the headstones of 5 young children from one family lost over a short period of 2 months. We then travelled a short distance to the Alberton Hotel (known as the “Albo”) and enjoyed a group lunch.

Sunday was a free day so some went home and others went travelling in different directions and met up again at the Yarram Country Club for a group dinner. Each afternoon at 4pm the camp fire was lit in the caravan park and later on all would gather around for an extended happy hour. We were fortunate the weather was fine although windy and on the cooler side. A very enjoyable week.

34 members attended our caravan and cabin week away to Lilydale at the Pinehill caravan park for a variety of activities. The park is nice and owners and staff friendly and helpful.

Even the weather was co-operative with sunny days and cold nights. The park provided free firewood every night so the camp fire was lit around 4.00pm and this served as a meeting point for happy hour at 4.30 and for information about the following day.

Tuesday saw everyone travel to the Sky-high restaurant atop Mt Dandenong for Devonshire morning tea and views over Melbourne and bay. The scones were large and the cream real. After morning tea the group scattered and travelled to local villages of interest including Olinda, Mt Dandenong and Sassafras for a look around and eventually lunch.

The Chocolatier was the destination for Wednesdays morning tea with hu-u-u-ge scones (twice the size of Sky-high's), coffee and chocolate.

After morning tea the day was free and some went to Alwyn gardens next door and then on to Healesville for shopping, light lunch and a tour around the area enjoying the autumn colours.

Thursday was only a short trip to the lovely Chirnside Country Club for morning tea followed by mini golf. The sun came out to make a very pleasant morning and there was lots of fun, laughter, misguided advice, creative scoring and searching for wayward balls.

A very enjoyable morning followed by lunch at the club. Fridays lunch was at the Warburton Hotel, Wesburn and we all enjoyed a very nice meal. The hotel is very old and has been creatively modernised inside.

After lunch members travelled to the redwood forest east of Warburton. Very few of us knew of this attraction which consisted of approx. 1500 tall American Sequoia redwood trees planted over a 5 -6 acres area. These magnificent trees were planted by the Board of Works some 90 years ago, as part of a hydrology experiment, with some follow-up plantings in later years. The trees are close together so most were perfectly straight, no side branches, small canopy and around 50 - 60 metres tall.

Saturday was a free day with group B.Y.O. dinner in the park function room in the evening.

Entertainment after dinner was "the marriage game" and volunteer couples were the Humphreys, Quakes and Youngs.

Lorna C was quiz master and judges - Margaret E and Ian C. Lots of fun and laughter and all couples were still talking to each other next morning. A great night and great result for the footy match too.

Twenty-seven members travelled to Bendigo to attend our group visit starting Tuesday 10th October. The freeway system through Melbourne made it an easy road trip with no traffic lights until you enter Bendigo. Road works did not plague the highway either.

First activity was on Wednesday morning with a visit to the Bendigo pottery where we also had morning tea. The weather was perfect so some members walked from the caravan park to the pottery. The pottery is some 150 years old and parts of it still operate. A large portion of the facility is taken up with antique stalls and most of our generation would have used and grown up with some of the merchandise on sale.

Wednesday afternoon saw most of our group visit the Great Stupa Buddhist complex in Myers Flat, situated on over 100 hectares of land on the outskirts of the city. The Great Stupa is the largest in the western world and home to many holy objects. Most members went on a guided tour through the building where aspects of Buddhists belief were explained and the relevance of holy objects. The guide explained the temple and grounds are still in the development phase and estimated to take another 50 – 100 years to fully complete. An amazing building and project and for some, the highlight of the trip. When you look at the troubles of humanity today it is easy to believe the Buddhist “creed of peace” would be a far better guide to our lives.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday were set aside to “do your own thing” so we scattered far and wide with some visiting local friends, relatives, the Art Gallery, talking tram ride, Sandhurst Ridge winery, Central Deborah gold mine while others went to Castlemaine and Maldon. The art gallery is a very interesting place with some great old works and some dubious “art” that you would not even hang in your cow shed as it would put your cows off giving up their milk.

Fortunately the Gallery had a café’ with probably the best coffee in town. On Thursday evening the caravan park hosted a two course dinner in their function centre which consisted of a large shed like building fitted out to be used by large groups. As the weather had become cool and windy the large wood heater kept us comfortable while dining. Sunday group lunch was held at the Botanical Hotel situated next to the Bendigo Botanic Gardens. A very nice lunch was enjoyed by all followed by a walk around the gardens. The gardens cover quite a large area with a variety of flowers and well established trees. Many family groups were picnicking around the grounds.

On Sunday evening the caravan park provided entertainment in the form of two folk singers during happy hour. They entertained us for approximately 2 hours with popular music from the 1960’s through to the year 2000. Very enjoyable.

Unfortunately some members had contracted Covid during the week and made the decision to return home early. Happy Hour was held each evening at 4.30 in the function centre and enabled members to mix and share their days experiences. Many thanks to Tony and Denise G for organising a great weeks events in one of Victoria’s oldest cities and historic areas. Unfortunately neither Tony nor Denise were able to attend due to health constraints but the event continued on in the capable hands of Bill and Margaret E. Ian C.

When this goes to print, a happy group of 44 caravan and cabin dwellers will be coming to the close of a week’s visit to Moama. This has been a wonderful place to stay with lots of activities on offer. Tony and Denise certainly did a wonderful job on getting detailed knowledge of Echuca and the surrounding area.

Cruises on the Murray have been both informative and relaxing and Morrison’s winery provided an enjoyable lunch. Visits to surrounding towns and checking out silo art as well as cafes has certainly kept us busy.

Happy Hour has extended to at least 2 happy hours as we all catch up with the happenings of the day and make plans for the next. Saturday night pizza was a great success thanks to Denise and Tony’s innovation.

Everyone attended a most enjoyable final dinner at the Moama Bowls Club on Sunday evening.

Thanks again to Tony and Denise for all the time and effort you have put in to make this event a great success.

Our Group started to arrive at the Sapphire Valley Caravan Park in Merimbula on Wednesday and gathered that afternoon for our first Happy Hour. Plenty of news and gossip to catch up on by our lot of near forty attendees. We were formerly greeted by Club President Frank, followed by an overview of the week’s Program by our Group Co-Coordinator Tony.

Thursday started with a Pancake Morning Tea, with the day’s weather making a perfect day for touring, with some venturing to Eden, a few to Bega, while others remained locally and enjoyed what was on offer. Happy Hour provided the Group with plenty of light entertainment with a couple of games of Celebrity Heads. The game consists of three participants who have a personality’s name placed on their head and must pose questions to the audience with a “Yes” or “No” response to assist with their correctly guessing that name.

On Friday a small group of twenty visited a local oyster factory/restaurant called Wheelers and were treated to a short talk by the owner, Jackie, followed by a DVD describing how oysters are formed. The highlight of the visit was the tasting that followed, which included oysters served Natural, Kilpatrick and Mornay. The afternoon’s Happy Hour moved to the Camp Kitchen in preparation for the Sausage Sizzle provided by the Caravan Park for a gold coin donation.

Saturday became a day of relaxation, with our Members doing differing exploits taking in the local Producers Market; a walk followed by a visit to a café; the local cinema which was showing “The Dry” staring Eric Bana or a visit to nearby historical townships. Our Happy Hour moved to the Park’s Fire Pit, however due to the windy conditions we did not have a fire. That evening a few enjoyed Dinner at the local Bowling Club, which featured Lobster Mornay as a Special on their Menu.

With calm conditions on Sunday, a number of us travelled to Eden and enjoyed a 2-hour Cruise around Twofold Bay on the Cat-Balou, followed by a takeaway seafood Lunch from the adjoining on-site caravan café. That night we had our Group Dinner at the Merimbula RSL, which offered a comprehensive menu of Australian, Chinese and Thai cuisines. Yummy!!!!!!

The Longstocking Brewery in Pambula serves fresh oysters and Wood fired Pizzas. This proved too much of a temptation for a number of our Group. Along with a taste of some of their home brews, it made for a beautiful Lunch. The remainder of the Group ventured out to Tura Beach and enjoyed a delightful Lunch there. Happy Hour has always been a favourite and tonight we had a few jokes from Dawn S to liven up our time.

Our final day and our Group once again enjoyed Pancakes for Morning Tea, after which they kept themselves busy with shopping, more eating and prepping for departure the next morning. While a few of our Group left for home to attend to various matters, the Happy Hour was still supported by all those remaining and an opportunity to recap the fun we had during our stay in Merimbula.

Our Group recently visited the historic town of Creswick, located 122km North-West of Melbourne.

Our plans included a number of activities that would take in a number of local points of interest.

However Mother Nature was to play a part in these plans, with rain and bitterly cold temperatures, we had to forego some of our plans.

We did get to visit the Creswick Woollen Mills and enjoyed an interesting Tour conducted by Michael, outlining the history of the Mill from its foundings in 1947 by Polish migrant, Paul Ryzowy, the various materials they use and items they manufacture, through to their on-site Retail Outlet.

Our Group Dinner was held at the Farmers Arms Hotel on the Saturday night, which had quite an extensive Menu providing delicious meals to all.

Sunday we ventured to the Daylesford Sunday Market, which featured all the “normal” items that you find at these Markets.

The highlight was a ride on the Heritage Train Ride aboard a 1930’s Motorail, First Class of course. This journey ran from Daylesford to Bullarto and return. The track appears to lack a little maintenance, which was evident from the rough ride we experienced, however the scenery took in farmland, forest and small communities during our one hour return journey.

With the inclement weather continuing, it was decided to finish our stay with a group Dinner at the local RACV Goldfields Resort. A delightful evening with excellent food. Special thanks to Bob Smethurst for arranging our evening.

Our time at the Creswick Caravan Park was kept entertaining by the “interesting” locals who call the Park “home”, together with a different way to manage a Caravan Park. But that is another story.

The Lakes Bushland Caravan Park was the setting for our Caravan Trip. Tony and Denise G had prepared an interesting itinerary for our stay. Some 20 members in vans and cabins toured the local points of interest. The Caravan Park was in a natural bushland setting with plenty of room to move.

Each evening we had a roaring fire in the Recreation Hall (Log Hut) where Denise had set up a 1000 piece jigsaw and scrabble for those who needed extra mental stimulation. Due to the weather, changes were made to the program, but all activities were fitted in..

One of the highlights was the boat trip from Lakes Entrance to Metung where a scrumptious lunch was enjoyed at the Hotel. Other activities included a visit to Bruthen, picnic lunch at Nyerimilang Heritage Park , evening meal at the Nicholson Hotel where the Chinese cuisine was favoured. There were visits to wineries and Paynesville and other individual choices. The golf pitch and put was won by Geoff H.

A happy time was had by all and thanks to Tony and Denise for the interesting program. The jigsaw still remains a challenge for the next trip away.

The group was based in Stawell , checking in on Thurs. 18th October & checking out on 23rd. October. Accomodation was at Stawell Grampians Gate Caravan Park, 2 Burgh St. Stawell. Phone 5358 2376. ( host Maryanne )

A large contingent of Warragul Tarago Probians ( about 60)headed to Stawell in October to set up camp at the Stawell Grampians Gate Caravan Park. Many of the caravans were parked together with a nicely grassed area and a handy fire-pit, with a good wood-pile, for evening happy hours. Other members were in very comfortable cabins overlooking the lagoon and bird life.

We spent an interesting morning on Friday at the Stawell Gift Hall of Fame learning all about the history of the famous foot race, looking at their impressive collection of memorabilia and walking out on the oval. Travellers then spread out around Stawell and nearby towns, such as Ararat and Hall’s Gap, exploring, checking out places to eat and maybe tasting a few wines. Happy hour before dinner gave us time to meet the other travellers and swap stories about where we’d been for the day. I think a few jokes and tall stories were told too!

On Saturday we boarded our coach for a full day’s tour of the Wimmera Wheat Silo Art Trail, from Rupanyup north through Warracknabeal and Hopetoun to Patchewollock and back. You can see the photos below of these art works in various tourism articles but they really need to be seen in person to appreciate the scale of the paintings! Each of them had explanatory boards telling about the artists and the subjects of the paintings. We were very impressed with them and there was much discussion as to which ones were favourites.

We were very privileged to have our member, John C, an ex-farmer from nearby St Arnaud area, on board the coach to give us a commentary on the farming land, crops, and effects of the drought which gave us a better understanding of the countryside that we travelled through.

On the Sunday many people visited local towns such as Hall’s Gap, Pomonal, Ararat and Horsham. In the evening the Caravan Park managers put on a BBQ tea for us. They supplied the meat and we supplied salads and sweets. It was a lovely evening to sit outside and the BBQ was followed by our campfire with drinks and nibbles instead of

‘Happy hour’ prior to the meal as on other nights.

Monday gave us another opportunity to explore the area and we all met up later for dinner at the Stawell Gift Hotel – opposite the Hall of Fame. Many headed off home the next day but others were able to stay on for a few more days in Stawell or go on from there to extend their travels.

Our thanks go to Gary Mac k, supported by his wife Diane, for organising this great trip for us; also to John C for his commentary on the Silos Tour.

Fintan Magee is a Brisbane based street artist who painted the Patchewollock Silos in October 2016. Local farmer ‘Noodle Hulland’ was chosen for the inspiration of the artwork because he was slim enough to fit the two narrow silos and had “that classic farmer look”, embodying the locals’ spirit.

Renowned Melbourne Street Artist Rone has depicted the faces of Lascelles couple Geoff and Merrilyn Horman. Geoff and Merrilyn’s families have lived and farmed in the area for four generations.Born in the district, the couple married in Lascelles in 1967 and together with their two sons (and their own families) have continued the family traditions of wheat farming and strong community involvement.

Adnate is an internationally renowned street artist famous for his work with aboriginal communities accross Australia and completed this mural in December 2016. The four indiginous faces faces now watch over the tiny community of Sheep Hills and the starry background of the towering portraits has symbolic significant to the local people.

The coach group gathered at the base of the silo at Patchewollock which was the last of the silos for the day. Patchewollock had a population boost that weekend as the football ground was full of campers for their annual Country Music Festival!

Guido Van Helten captured the imagination of Australia in December 2015 when he undertook a gigantic painting on the Brim Silos. The Brim Silo Art generated inspiration for the Silo Art Trail and Guido’s mural will remain an iconic tribute to the farming communities of the Wimmera and Mallee region.

Russian Artist Julia Volchkova is actively involved in the graffiti and street art movement in the places she travels and is currently undertaking the huge metal grain storage bins in Rupanyup as part of the Silo Art Trail. Julia’s work focuses on portraits and the Rupanyup Silo Art mural is inspired by the Rupanyup Panthers Football & Netball Club.

Daylesford is about an hour north west of Melbourne and has many attractions like mineral springs, historic buildings, art galleries, cafes, walking trails ,parks & gardens etc.

The chosen park is Daylesford Victoria Caravan Park at corner of Ballan Road and Burrell Street Daylesford.

The park is set in a parkland environment and within walking distance to Lake Daylesford and bit further on to the main town centre.

This is a huge park set around Lake Sambell, it is neat and tidy and a credit to the proprietors Sue and Roger.

Its capacity is 16 Cabins 53 Powered sites, 3 onsite vans, 27 Annuals Vans owned by people that come and stay for holidays.

We must leave the park on Thursday as it is totally booked out because of the Melbourne Cup weekend and the Beechworth Celtic festival, also in this area several Caravan parks are still closed because of the floods.

Happy hour each day was not to be missed many things were done and said at them were for the attendees only, if you want to know what happens at them you had better come on a Caravan trip. Each mid afternoon some body lights the fire in a cut down half of a 44 gallon drum and by the time happy hours start it is burning very well, at it is the centre attraction.

We must be under the Sydney Melbourne flight path and we are often seeing the vapour trails and the aeroplanes going back and forth.

The early arrivals went to the old court house and performed in a re enactment of the Ned Kelly trial.

Tuesday we walked the 1.5K into town this is a very pretty walk along the Lakes edge and the flood plain, lot of different trees and wildlife to be spotted We explored the shops we had coffee at the Beehive, a heritage listed old building, where we tasted honey and jams mustards etc and naturally we purchased some of them and had $10.00 very generous and delicious lunch at the Pub.

Beechworth Council are amazing. They have severe restrictions on Pokies and Franchises and a promoting buy local.

This has led to most shops being occupied and operating successful looking happy businesses that have good range of stock.

The town is very clean and tidy, no rubbish on the ground, and better still no graffiti.

Wednesday 25 we all car pooled and went out to Lake Stanley, a huge man made lake that is used mainly for the water supply for Beechworth and I imagine it is also a buffering dam to help with flood control. We had a bush barbecue for lunch, it was interesting to observe how they did it. I was not much help if I was going to do it I would have lit up a standard gas barbecue. I noticed many innovative ideas and the end result was delicious.

September, October 2016, See our movie Slide Show of the Caravan Trip to Beechworth Click here.

The caravan park is the BIG 4 Castlemaine gardens, which overlooks the botanic gardens.

I have only received a very brief report about this trip, as Laurell and Ron had to go home unexpectedly

A favourite just over the road from the Caravan Park was the Austrian Coffee shop even for breakfast called “Das Kaffeehaus”

We drove in convoy to the property at Yinnar South. Gretchen and Hank welcomed us into their comfortable multi level house.

Hank gave us a talk about safety in the 5 acre steep garden, and said that we were welcome to go any where on the property including his artists studio situated under the house.

The amazing big garden is situated on the side of a very steep hill and goes all of the way down to the creek and tree ferns.

Most of us will remember Hank playing his guitar at happy hours whilst away with the Caravan group.

The venue was the Pine Country Caravan Park cnr. Bay and Kilsby Rd. Mt. Gambier.

Ron has a few Tourist Guide books, full of day tours around Mt Gambier that you can book. If you are interested please speak to Ron.

The caravan trip to Mount Gambier was an extended affair with people arriving any time from October 5 onwards. People also left at different times making the group dynamics of any particular day unique. This account will be of my experiences, which I shared with Greg who was driver.

We left Warragul on Tuesday October 6 and arrived at Mount Gambier on October 7.

On arrival the first thing we did was to take a drive around Blue Lake (before settling into our cabin at the Pine Country Caravan Park). The lake is unique and much has been written about its changing colours and fascinating place in Australian geology.

We settled in to our first "happy hour" by a warm fire set up in the camp’s outside "kitchen area."

These happy hours are a great way to get to know our fellow Probians better, and I often think of the very special and unique gift of being a part of "people gathered in this time and place." Such times will never be exactly repeated; they are like a particular wine vintage with its own unrepeatable flavour, colour and depth.

The following day nearly the whole group went to Aberfoyle Gardens for a lovely garden tour that finished with scones, jam and cream served with tea or coffee.

The next day Greg and I visited the Lady Nelson Discovery Centre (a must-visit when in Mount Gambier), and then we checked out the Umpherson sinkhole. These sinkholes are unique and the gardens developed in them are quite spectacular. We visited another one in the centre of Mount Gambier.

Mount Gambier has lots of grand old pubs; historical stately buildings that beckoned Greg and me to visit and drink and dine... So we did as we were beckoned.

The Coonawarra winery region has more wineries and Cellar Doors than you could poke a stick at. We visited one and stocked up on supplies and decided we'd visited enough. Seeing acre after acre of rows of vines was what I'd expected; but seeing so many was truly amazing!

On the same drive we went to Penola, where the Information Centre and museum there provided us with information about Mary Mackillop and other (more worldly) Penola identities (for example, poets John Shaw Neilson and Adam Lindsay Gordon).

On the next day we visited Port MacDonnell’s maritime museum; an impressive museum evoking scenes of the early days of shipping in South Australia.

A visit to the Blue Lake pumping station followed the next day; this took us almost to the edge of the lake, after descending hundreds of metres into the bowels of the Lake’s crater edge (by lift).

That night a large group of Probians went to a Thai restaurant in Mount Gambier; again it was a great time of dining and fellowship.

The following day Greg and I visited the Tantanoola Caves. These caves are the only wheelchair friendly caves in Oz. The stalactites were incredibly fine, and very different to the other limestone caves I had seen in Victoria and NSW.

As the days progressed the Happy hour numbers dwindled, but the time was very enjoyable as always as everyone discussed what they had done for the day and what their plans were for the following days.

After stopping overnight in Ballarat Greg and I made it back to Warragul on October 15.

Over forty members, friends and Probus Rangers travelled to Echuca for a very relaxing, enjoyable and social get - together. The highlight of the day was the Happy Hour which generally stretched to two hours. Around 5 pm there was a procession of people with chairs, nibbles and drinks all making for a shady spot on the grass. The weather was quite warm and the pool provided a spot for a dip and a cool off. Ron organised a cruise up the Murray River leaving from Barmah. One group went Monday and saw the elusive kingfishers but Thursday's group were not so fortunate. The Nathalia Bakery was a great choice for lunch before inspecting the Museum which had a very good display of agriculture, wood cutting and district pioneers. Going for a counter meal or to one of the Clubs proved popular as cooking wasn't high on anyone's agenda. A visit to Torrumbarry Weir was interesting, as was their display centre and then a picnic lunch in the well kept grounds. A few who drove up later in the day saw the loch opened and the "Emmy Lou" sail through. Everyone had a good time whether they came for a few days or stayed the week. There is always plenty to do around Echuca with bike and walking tracks and lots of shops and of course the River. It was a time to spend with friends and the opportunity to know our fellow members a little better. Thanks to Ron and Laurell.

Neil's report.

Our end of year caravan trip at Echuca Holiday Park Echuca from Friday the 17 of October to Sunday 26 of October. This trip coincided with the Heritage Family Steam Festival on the 18th and 19th. .The few days at Echuca was just great & the last night Wanda & I asked who would like to join us at the Rich River Golf Club for dinner & yes we had 38 come along for quite a feast.

Our trip to Lakes Entrance was enjoyed be 29 members over 11 days, some in cabins, some in caravans.
There were 6 from Warragul Rangers Probus and 2 from Moe Probus. We had some who cancelled due to fires and road closures Most people did their own "thing " during the day but all joined in our regular happy hours ??.
We had a boat cruise to Metung where we enjoyed lunch at the Metung hotel, then a walk around the village before the boat picked us up for the return journey via Paynesville and Raymond Island, We got back just in time for happy hour. There was also 2 nights at the RSL. for a Chinese Dinner, and a counter lunch at Lake Tyers 'Waterwheel Tavern'. Lakes Entrance temperatures were about 10 degrees cooler than Warragul on the hottest days but we still enjoyed a cool down in the pool.

Beechworth trip, Ron organised a trip to the Silver Creek Caravan Park Beechworth, about 35 people attended some went home earlier than others.

Kim and Brett the proprietors looked after us very well. There were 2 couples in cabins, the rest had caravans.

It was a very friendly happy lot. Happy hour started at 5 PM every evening, we had such a good time each evening that we usually did not need an evening meal.

Early on the trip many lucky people set off to drive up to Veronica and Kevin's daughters home at Baranduda for one of their amazing barbecues.

Another evening we all met in the Camp Kitchen for a Pizza night made in the Camp Kitchen by some of our wonderful team. The pizzas were made from locally grown ingredients.

One day we all set off with a convoy of vehicles down to the Whorouly area to visit 3 amazing places. The first was to go to a mixed farm owned and run by an amazing couple of Italians Mary and Sam. They showed us around the farm and then took us all into their entertainment area for an amazing afternoon tea. Next we all drive off to a small airport with an uphill runway and a huge hanger filled with vintage aircraft. Next off we went to a Kiwi fruit factory, and Rebecca did a wonderful job of showing us around it.

I have put some photos from this trip on our photos page click on the word photo to quickly go there.

Unfortunately all cabins were booked at Surfside Caravan Park, Warrnambool, so only four caravans made the journey there. "Windy Warrnambool" lived up to its reputation on arrival but improved as the week progressed. We enjoyed Sunday lunch together at the Warrnambool Memorial Bowls Club. On Monday we drove to Port Fairy for a look at that historic town. On the way home, we called into Tower Hill which is an extinct volcano and has quite diverse plant and fauna, as well as many walking tracks. Warrnambool also has many excellent bike and walking tracks, while Lake Petrobe Reserve across from the Park is a haven for bird life. The highlight was dinner at 'Alex' Pizza' in the little hamlet of Koroit. The owner, Frank is a born show man who has transformed a tin shed with Australian memorabilia. The food was excellent and caters for all tastes. We would highly recommend a visit. To conclude our stay, we all shared bacon, sausages and eggs thanks to Ron and Laurell.

Go to our photos page see the photos from above click on this.

20th October, I have put some photos from this trip on our photos page click on the word photo to quickly go there.

Our Caravan trip was at Hamilton Western Victoria about a 5 hour drive. The selected Caravan Park is a top tourist park on the banks of the Grange Burn river and is opposite Lake Hamilton. There is bike and walking tracks around the lake along the river and into Hamilton. You can obtain more information on Hamilton click here. Powered sites were $27.00 per night. They also had several ensuite sites. Cabins ranged from $99.00 per night with bedding, linen and towels were supplied to all beds. There website is www.lakehamilton.com.au or you can e-mail them info@lakehamilton.com.au

Greg my friend in Probus and I arrived at the Lake Hamilton Caravan Park at 2:40pm after a 4½ hour drive (coming via Geelong). After settling in to our cabin we went to enjoy the others' company (about 20 of us) in our to-be-usual 5 o'clock happy hour.

In all there ended up being eight of our own probus couples, with two couples from Warragul Rangers probus club and Greg and me.

Some had arrived one or two days earlier and were able to tell us about what they had already done.

The atmosphere was welcoming as usual, and we got ideas on what we could do in the coming week. A number related how interesting the local tractor/car museum was.

On Sunday Greg and I went to the highly recommended farm machinery museum just a couple of kilometers down the road.

There were many old tractors, pumps, cars, motors and a drag saw. The drag saw was the saw used to cut logs before chain saws were invented. Also, there was an old church, an old house and rooms full of memorabilia. It was one of the best such museums in Australia according to a number of opinions. One bloke was happy to start up his antique pump for us, while Greg talked to him about the old days of farming.

After reading a book (back in the cabin) in the afternoon I again went to the happy hour.

For dinner we cooked some salmon but the smoke alarm (directly above the stove!) kept going off. So I stood waving a newspaper at the thing while Greg cooked.

I started cooking some breakfast but set off the smoke detector! Greg had been planning to sleep in but it was impossible with the racket I'd started.

These falls were quite impressive to behold, and some of the group walked down to the base of the Nigretta falls.

After that we headed to Coleraine where the group had lunch in a local cafe. Greg and I had a counter lunch at the Coleraine Hotel. We then headed back to Hamilton but many went to look at the Coleraine car museum, which I was told was very impressive.

Greg and I left the caravan park at 9:30 am, and after having lunch at Ballarat we arrived back in Warragul around 4 pm.

Some of the group were staying till Sunday, and planned to travel to other places as diverse as Albury, South Australia and Ararat, to meet up with family and attend special events. ~Nick.

2011 February 24th–March 3rd (Thursday to Thursday) A CARAVAN trip to Lakes Entrance was arranged staying at Eastern Beach Caravan Park. 11 Couples including friends attended. 2 couples stayed in cabins.

November 4th to November 18 of our members went to Swan Hill and stayed at Swan Hill Riverside Caravan Park. Only 1 stayed in a Cabin. They had many long happy hours and survived the Mosquitos and Locusts and Bindi's.

ON TUESDAY 11^th May Greg and I left Warragul bound for Yarrawonga. The trip up was an adventure all on its own but we finally arrived in Yarrawonga on Wednesday (12^th May), having been delayed by a friendly policeman in Benalla. The day after arriving we went for a leisurely trip to Cobram and Beruga with Kevin and Veronica. At one roadside stop farmers were selling big pumpkins for $1! There were hundreds left to rot in the paddock as one of the producer’s supermarket contracts had been cancelled.

That night the entire group went to enjoy a Chinese meal at the Mulwala RSL. Before the meal some of the group enjoyed some dancing to live music in the classy Las Vegas style setting.

The next day we all went on a bus trip to Rutherglen and Corowa (the “home” of federation; Henry Parkes stayed in the local hotel). On the way there we stopped at Buller Wines and on the way back we stopped at All-Saints winery for a wine and cheese tasting. For lunch in Rutherglen we stopped at the much talked about Parkers pies bakery and that night we enjoyed a BBQ dinner and a sing-along, with Henk, a friend of Ron and Laurel’s, playing the guitar and leading the singing.

On the next day (Saturday) Greg and I went to Finley via Berrigan (with Neil and Jean) to visit some of their relatives. It was a great day with lots of scenery to take in. We came back via Tocumwal, Beruga and Mulwala.

The next day, Sunday, we all went on a boat cruise around Lake Mulwala (a “swollen” part of the Murray river created seventy years ago as part of the irrigation scheme).

While on the cruise we were able to have a sticky-beak into the backyards of the rich and filthy rich. In NSW land can be purchased right up to the water’s edge and 100 ft into the water (unlike Victoria). This means people have private boat ramps and swimming pools.

And all for only $1.4 million! Many of these houses, being holiday homes, are empty for a lot of the year. The cruise itself took us among the eerie dead trees in Lake Mulwala; a fascinating sight. The bird life was prolific, with sea gulls as happy as if they were on the beach. Most of them had never seen the beach, we were told.

After our cruise we had another BBQ dinner, preceded by the usual “happy hour”. Happy hours are a feature of our caravanning trips, much enjoyed by all.

On Monday Greg and I went with Neil and Jean to see Byramine Homestead; this was the house built by the explorer Hume’s widow in 1842. While there we enjoyed a lovely Devonshire tea for lunch on this historic house’s veranda.

The next day we packed and headed back to Warragul. The entire week had been sunny although cold through the nights.

Many thanks to Kevin and Veronica for all the work they put in to make the week such a success. Nicholas Peck

Some of our members went to Yarrawonga from May 11th. to May 18th. This was a beautiful park with generous grassy sites. The two bedroom cabins were bright with linen provided in the main bedroom. Four bunk beds are in the second bedroom. Linen for the second bedroom can be hired for a fee. The cabins had a large bathroom and shower and toilet. There was plenty to see and do in the area. The river was at the bottom of the park and the town was in walking distance. The courtesy bus took them to the Clubs in New South Wales.

22 April 2009, about thirty Probians left Warragul and headed west to Riverview Caravan Park in Gee!ong, arriving there after lunch. On arrival the travellers met up with each other and chatted over a friendly warming "happy hour". This was to be a daily evening ritual adding warmth and enjoyment to the week's fellowship. Some arrived later and were to stay for different times, but all the holiday junkies looked forward to enjoying the coming few days with the pleasant company of their fellow Probians. In all forty two members gathered.There was no set program; every traveller decided on his or her own itinerary. On the following day this writer (Nicholas) went to Port Arlington with fellow Probian Greg, hoping to check out some wineries, but they were all closed! Still, we fitted in lunch at the Grand Hotel; a truly grand old style pub with very high ceilings. On the way back we did manage to visit one winery just out of Port Arlington.

24 April 2009, all the group went to the Royal Corio Yacht Club for lunch Although it rained the lunch was very pleasant and in very pleasant surroundings, making for a great afternoon of fellowship and friendship. That night following our usual happy hour Greg and I watched Midsummer Murders. The next day was Anzac day. A' large contingent went for a brisk walk along the river opposite where we were staying. I went as far as a footbridge about one kilometre down the road, which I thought was pretty good. That afternoon decided to attempt the Age 'quick" crossword which took me about an hour with the help of my i-phone. That evening Greg and I had dinner with Kevin and Veronica, who had taken us under their wings. Sunday 26th started off raining and windy, and it didn't get any better as the day progressed. Greg and I went to Port Arlington with Lynne and Margaret forlunch at the "01' Duke", a classy restaurant. Several others met up with us there also. The lunch was good but pricey. Before heading for Port Arlington the group visited a winery and stocked up for the winter. That night I went to the local RSL club with Kevin and Veronica for dinner and to hear some trad jazz. The evening had been organised by Margaret and Keith Wilson and a number of our group went to hear it.
That same day others travelled out to Queensciiff to take the train to Drysdale but were swamped by seawater over the road due to the stormy weather and a very high tide! Monday 27th was another day to explore the Geelong surrounds, and by now the weather was improving a little. Greg and I were again guests of Kevin and Veronica and we travelled to Lorne via Anglesea. We had "fish 'n chips" for lunch in Lorne. Then we headed back 'home" via Torquay. It was amazing to see the housing developments taking place there. Then we travelled through
Barwon Heads and on through Ocean Grove back to our caravan park "home". A BBQ dinner following the regular happy hour finished the day The next day was another leisurely day of doing crosswords and enjoying fellowship with the group during the happy hour and over dinner. All good things must come to an end and on the 29th it was time to say our good-byes and head for home &Nicholas
After saying our "goodbyes" at Geelong, four couples travelled onto the pretty South Australian town of Penola. Helen and Peter Snape had arranged for us to view their Uncle'
historic home the next afternoon. It was a pleasant autumn day when we met up at 2pm. Helen's Uncle
Glen proudly showed us through his home "Yallum Park" built in 1880, When John Riddoch built the house no expense had been spared and it was so well built that the interior has never been touched. Glen's parents bought the property in 1914 and spent their time furnishing it with period pieces; Gien and his wife continued to do likewise. The house is a showpiece and Glen proved to be a great historian. Helen provided afternoon tea before we explored the orchard, garden and historic outbuildings before adjourning to the cosy kitchen for "happy hour". The following day was spent exploring the historic town of Penoia and the surrounding wine districts of Penola and Mount Gambier. Veronica.

I guess we weren't too enthusiastic about the caravan and cabin trip to Cowes. The weather forecast was for a wet week and we had been to Cowes a number of times. On arrival, we were given a grassy site with a view to the beach. The weather was overcast but fine and each day from then on was fine, mostly sunny with the rain coming at night. We gathered in the Camp Kitchen for Happy Hour and a trip to the Nobbies was suggested for next morning. The Nobbies were windy but the hundreds of nesting sea gulls and baby chicks had us enthralled as we walked the boardwalk. A drive around Cowes showed that the town had progressed rapidly with a number of smart, new houses. Dianne suggested a walk from the Koala Reserve to Rhyll and lunch at the hotel for Wednesday. It was a pleasant walk through the bush and along the mangrove boardwalk but the 6 km. walk was more like 10 km. after a wrong turn. The Hotel, lunch and a drink was a welcome sight. Dianne, Gary and Kevin hiked back but the rest of us gladly accepted a lift back to the Park. Thursday saw the bike riders head out for a ride and a coffee along the way , as well as scones, jam and cream!. Happy Hour was around at Joan and Alan's more expensive cabin with "the beach view". Joan wasn't impressed, especially when the motor homes parked in front. President John, Margaret and Keith paid us a day visit on Friday. Keith introduced us to the Island Hamburger purchased from the shop across the road - it was delicious. By Sunday we were reduced to three caravans, so to finish off the week we dined at the RSL.

Thanks to Helen, Peter, Shirley, John, Joan, Alan, Joan, John, Dianne, Gary, Nicholas and Greg for a GREAT week of fun, laughter, stories and friendship. Thanks for the organisation Helen. Veronica & Kevin.

GEELONG CARAVANNING REPORT APRIL 2009.