What to do there - Looking at the website I see the entire surroundings are most photogenic and for those of us interested in close up photography of flowers, particularly water flowers, this would be an ideal opportunity to get down and dirty and to test out those macro and close up lenses we got for Christmas!!  Maybe if I ask Peter Myers, Jill Myers, Dave Sumner or one of the other experts, nicely, to add some tips and hints to the blog site for the beginners among us before we go it would help!!

How to get there - The address is 2628 Warburton H’Way Yarra Junction; The Melways reference is Map 288-H8

Cheers, and have a great Christmas holiday season. And remember “…Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the number of moments that take our breath away”

Andy

Opportunity 1 – Head to the National Sports Museum where someone will teach U, or the children, or your partner, how to shoot an arrow – from a bow of course! The National Sports Museum is opened daily during the weekend and is located in the MCG

Opportunity 2 – Hotair ballooning at the Yarra Valley, really makes me take flight. This weekend from Balgownie Estate Winery; an hour in the sky, unthered, no RAAF pilot but very safe no doubt, and a 5 star gourmet breakfast when U come down. But call before U go 1800 468 247

Opportunity 3 – The Lavendula Swiss Italian Farm just 10 minutes North of Daylesford is, as The Age likes to call it, a sensory celebration. The aroma and the sight of it, a sea of purple lavanda. Fabulous. Seems they are opened from 10.30am to 5.30pm, they live out at Shepherds Flat, or try lavandula.com.au probably a daily occurance.

Opportunity 4 – …is out at the Great Otway National Park, Triplet Falls is “three distinct and impressive cascades” South-West of Melbourne via Geelong or Colac. parkweb.vic.gov.au

Opportunity 5 – Its Christmas so head out to the City and see the Big Christmas tree come to life with a burst of colour. Free tonight at 6.30pm. But Christmas in Oz goes on for months so get out there after the lights have come on. If U cant go today, go later. And finally

 Opportunity 6 – Shepherds Bush, Nortons Park at daybreak, listen for the dawn chorus of nearly 90 species of birds. The Friends of the Dandenong Valley Parklands will be there tomorrow, Saturday November 14th from 7.30 am to take U for a free guided walk to hear the morning calls. Nortons Lane Wantirna South Call 13 19 63 for more information or get on to parkweb.vic.gov.au.

So thats the lot … enjoy your weekend and keep logging into the blog site for more photo-opportunities – when they come in I will get them on to the blog site.

Andy

Opportunity 1 – The RAAF is organising tethered balloon rides at the show. The balloon will take U 30 meters into the sky, but wait don’t worry, it will be driven by an RAAF crew. And best of all it will be tethered, to 3 anchor points no less and held firmly on the ground!! And what’s more it will be driven by an RAAF pilot – Safe!

Opportunity 2 – Still at the Dandenong Show – the Whip Industries (?) Honda Motor bike extreme sports team will be performing. So go, watch them do their thing and photograph them in their death defying acts on their “little” Honda 50 mini-bikes.

Opportunity 3 – To celebrate Christmas my sister and her husband together with the neighbours will be illuminating their homes to the max. the lights will go on on the 28th of November and WCC members are offered a unique opportunity to set up tripods and ‘do’ a night-shoot. My sister is a medical nurse; all contributions will be donated to the Royal Children’s Hospital. Gladesville Drive East Bentleigh and environs.

Nyora Working Horse Show – I have also attached some images of the Nyora Working Horse Show earlier this year March actually. There are vintage cars, tractors, farm equipment, steam engines, working models – yes of all types and a host of other nicks – and knacks. We will talk about them later on.

Cheers Andy

My friend Subby is an ex pilot a trainer of pilots and an air-traffic controller. Over his long and successful life he has also become a keen astronomer offering his pilots another means of charting their way from here to there without over-shooting the preferred airport.

He now wants to take pictures of the stars and constellations and to this end has joined the mornington peninsula astrological society.  Next year he is willing to bring/take his gear to a suitable location and allow WCC members an opportunity both to look at and photograph the heavens if we so desire.

I will be joining him on this jaunt early in December and will let you know more about it later in the new year – Saves us the trip to the mornington peninsula ourselves I say!

Cheers Andy…

Here then are the details.

To enter the sewerage farm you will need a key and a permit.  The permit costs $20, is not transferable and may be used over a period of 2 years; the key costs $50 which is a refundable deposit, it must be returned within 2 weeks of the permit running out to get the deposit back.  There is a provision however for short term loan of keys;  short term loan keys may be collected at the time of arrival and returned at the time of departure but because someone is not always around, (I wonder why?), call 9742 2828 tell them when you are coming and a key will be left for you to pick up from a mutually convenient place. Needless to say returned to the same place when you depart.    Problem solved!  Each Bird Watching Permit is good for a car full of as many as 5 people.

Have a great time and don’t get your feet wet!!

Cheers Andy

We will celebrate Christmas together, at dinner on Friday the 11th of December at Madeline’s at Jells.  Madeline’s is located within the precinct of Jells Park where parking is available either opposite the restaurant or beside it. We have booked out the main function room which I believe is called the Alexander Room.  Suggested arrival time is, say, between 6.30pm and 7.00 pm for a dinner service which might begin at, say, 7.30pm.  The restaurant would like us to make full payment, and where possible to tell them what we would like to eat, before we arrive.  They also ask that if U have any food allergies they be told about it so they can sort the issue out in the kitchen before we arrive.  This, they say, makes for a quick and easy service.  So, given we don’t have many full meetings left, I must ask anyone who has not yet made a payment to see Rodelle our Treasurer for 2010, and please do that as soon as you can. The full cost for the 3 course dinner is $50 per head not including drinks.  This is a strictly no BYO venue. Rosie and I have eaten at Madeline’s and we were impressed with the level of service and indeed the taste of the food.

Your choice of meal can be made from the menu on the blog site but for those of you who, like me, have trouble with anything even vaguely electronic here it is again;

Entree – selection of either …
Pumpkin Soup
Lamb Kofta or
Crispy Calamari

Main Course - selection of either …
Fish of the day
Fillet Steak
Fettuccini or
Chicken Breast

Dessert – selection of either
Chocolate Addiction
Sticky Date Pudding
Trio of Ice cream

We have a list of 36 members who say they would be there which makes for a right crowd.  If anyone else is still thinking about it don’t wait too long.

Cheers Andy Armitage

On arrival
Pita Bread with oils (?)

Entree selection
Pumpkin Soup or
Lamb Kofta with jasmine rice or
Crispy Calamari with the lot

Main
Fish of the day or
Fillet Steak (250g) with mushrooms and veg or
Fettuccini with mushrooms, white wine, cream and parsley or
Chicken breast with feta and sun dried tomatoes with a cream sauce

Desert
Chocolate addiction or
Sticky Date Pudding or
Trio of Ice cream

This is a strictly No BYO folks – under any circumstances but there is a substantial beverage list and what the restaurant quaintly calls a ‘beverage package option’.  We can talk about that later.
Cheers Andy Armitage