When silent films first made an appearance, they were almost always accompanied by live music, starting with a pianist at the first movie projections by the Lumière Brothers in Paris in 1895.
The music for silent films was often improvised, and by around 1915, large city theatres began featuring organists or ensembles of musicians. Over 100 years later, members of the collective Small Space Music come together to improvise contemporary soundtracks to classic silent films.

Small Space Music connects curious listeners with music that is taking place in the nooks and crannies of the Victorian scene. Renowned drummer Ronny Ferella and Trentham guitarist Robbie Melville have been curating a season of six performances at the Radio Springs Hotel.
Two performances, a matinee and evening show, will take place in the 35-seat Henry Langlois Screening Room at Radio Springs Hotel on the last Sunday of each month until September. The films will be selected from former career projectionist and Radio Springs proprietor Ken Parfrey’s private collection.
Magic Lantern Session Three features the 1929 German drama Pandora’s Box, following the life of Lulu, a seductive, thoughtless young woman whose raw sexuality and uninhibited nature bring ruin to herself and those who love her.
The musicians have worked with a variety of top Australian and international acts such as Guy Sebastian, the Australian Pops Orchestra, Michelle Nicolle, Shane Howard, Krystle Warren, Stephen Magnusson, Julien Wilson and Nat Bartsch.
The screening of this unsung German classic paired with live music from some of Australia’s leading improvisors promises to be an experience like no other.
Tickets are $20/$15 and can be bought at trybooking.com
Pictured, Ken Parfrey at the Radio Springs Hotel | Image: Kyle Barnes

Demolition of sections of the Trentham Mechanics Institute has commenced, as the building is transformed into a $6 million Trentham Community Hub.
Tree removal, sewer realignment and removal of asbestos is now complete.
Hepburn Shire Mayor Cr Tim Drylie said the building would include a library, council customer service centre, large community hall, commercial kitchen, visitor information services, playgroup area, onsite parking and landscaped surrounds.
Regional Development Victoria has provided $3.5 million through the Regional Infrastructure Fund, with $1.1M from the federal government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure grant.
Cr Drylie said the building would have a five-star Green Star rating.
It will also have a back-up generator to serve the community in times of power outage and ensure the building can remain operating.
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of June next year.

Creswick’s St Andrew’s Uniting Church women have, for the last 15 years, been providing school backpacks filled with supplies including pencils, textas, scissors and glue, to school children in Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands and Kiribati.
Coordinator Ann Connan from Frankston picks up the filled backpacks in November and they are sent out in large shipping containers in the New Year.
Sometimes Creswick community members have also filled school bags which has swelled the numbers of bags being sent.
If anyone would like to help by filling a backpack phone Joan on 0417 976 352. She will provide a bag and an itemised list to purchase to fill it. Ann says it is important for every child to receive exactly the same items so everyone is treated equally.
Donations can also be made to UCA Creswick Clunes Parish, BSB: 633 000, Acc: 175041706 – just mention backpacks in the description.

One year on from the devastating storm that impacted Hepburn Shire on June 9, Bushfire Recovery Victoria have announced additional funding to assist with work on community assets and public land. This will include works on key public assets like heritage railways, tourist walking trails, fire access tracks and recreation reserves.
According to BRV, the eligible works include those required to clean up community asset/facilities or land to its pre-disaster function in preparation for any rebuilding works, including the assessment and management of hazardous trees.
Community assets selected in Hepburn Shire are the Daylesford Spa Country Railway, Domino Trail, Wombat Trail, Stony Creek Reserve and Lyonville to Bullarto Reserve.
Railway vice president Steven Fiume said volunteers were elated by the news that works would soon begin to clear the section of railway between Musk and Bullarto.
“The magnitude of the destruction is overwhelming, it’s not until you actually see it for yourself do you understand the scale, that’s its far beyond the capacity of a volunteer non-profit organisation to deal with.”

Chris Burgess grew up in Naarm, Melbourne and from an early age aspired to be in musicals as his mum took him to every show that came through. He even has a closet full of programs and ticket stubs to prove it. Chris said early influences were his school teachers, namely a Ms Gore who encouraged him to audition for his first musical, Children of Eden by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, Godspell). Chris chatted with Donna Kelly.

Donna: When did you get into being an entertainer?
Chris: When I graduated school, I studied music theatre at Showfit in 2016 and then went on to further my training at the VCA where I studied a Bachelor of Fine Arts in music theatre. I loved training as my peers really became my family, but a family of people who were all uniquely obsessed with music theatre – which can be intense at times. Beyond the training, I was always someone who enjoyed making people laugh and entertaining.

Donna: You have a show LENNOX: Legend In My Living Room coming up…
Chris: Over the past few years, I started listening to Annie Lennox’s music more than ever. The lyrics painted such a beautiful world to escape into from the realities of lockdown and the songs are so anthemic that they dropped me down into my body in such a visceral way. They really helped me through what was a challenging few years of uncertainty…. also she’s just an epic singer and someone who really lives by a strong set of values and isn’t afraid to speak up and rebel. Her music makes great sense in a theatrical setting too as her music videos have such iconic costumes that I couldn’t resist trying to replicate them on stage.

Donna: What can audiences expect from your show at The Palais on July 2?
Chris: A queer, dystopian solo cabaret featuring the music of Lennox and her iconic costumes. I play a host of characters from her maid to her erotic lover and wear a bunch of iconic costumes from her video clips to live gigs. The show also features an epic two-piece band with Imogen Cygler on keys, synth and violin and Ash Griffin on guitar.
This is not a typical tribute show as Annie is not a typical rock star. I share personal reflections of the last few years, some poetry and dive into some fanciful characters, each haunted by ghosts of the society we live in. In this show, I aim to subvert expectations and suspend disbelief through an intimate explosion of Lennox’s music…you gotta see it to believe it

Donna: How did you cope over lockdowns?
Chris: Coping in the contemporary Australian arts industry is certainly an uphill battle, which is reflected in the deeply concerning mental health of the sector. This was exacerbated over the last few years, and I feel we have a lot of healing to do as artists coming out the other side. Having said that, it is inspiring to see the industry come alive again recently and I’m hopeful looking to the future. A silver lining for me is that it gave me time to reflect on what kind of career I want to have as an artist which is something I wouldn’t have had if I had gone straight into shows.

Donna: This is our travel edition, so give our region a plug if you don’t mind.
Chris: I recently visited the area for my brother’s wedding, which was held at my now sister-in-law’s family wine estate – Red Hare. It’s such a gorgeous little pocket of Victoria, particularly for the beautiful nature around here. I also love that it’s the official LGBTI capital of regional Victoria. It certainly has it all.

Donna: What’s next on the agenda?
Chris: I’m planning on touring LENNOX on the interstate festival circuit so keep your eyes peeled for that. I’m also in the process of writing a new show and forming a theatre company so lots happening. Stay up to date on my Instagram, but if you’re really committed, I also teach yoga for anyone who is physically or spiritually inclined!

MEMBERS from the Rethink the Rex community group will launch Hepburn Matters, a newly incorporated association designed to advocate for community assets, when they offer a free performance of theatre production A Prudent Man at the Daylesford Town Hall on Wednesday, June 22 from 6pm.
A Prudent Man is a one-man tour de force drawing inspiration from historical and contemporary figures to explore how leaders use power. Dubbed political satire at its sharpest, it won the coveted Audience Choice Award from over 400 productions at the 2016 Melbourne Fringe Festival and has since been performed over 100 times across Australia and New Zealand.
The work will be performed by Hepburn Springs resident Lyall Brooks, an award-winning actor and director.
Hepburn Matters president Jules McDonald said that with a decision on the future of The Rex building in Daylesford imminent, the organisation was thrilled to offer a high-quality event the group hopes will highlight the potential a space like the Rex could offer the community.
“From a cinema and performing arts space to a hub for local artisans and food producers, we have so much creative talent on our doorstep, but no central place to nurture and support them,” she said.
Ms McDonald said the newly-formed group was not advocating for one solution above any other. Instead, the group has identified four essential elements it believes the community cannot afford to lose, whatever happens to the iconic 95-year-old building.
“The return of our cinema, provision of public toilets, community space for locals and maintaining heritage protections are absolutely vital to the future redesign or sale of The Rex,” Ms McDonald said.
“Whatever the outcome, we’re asking council to explore alternative options in close consultation with the community, so that we can work together to deliver the kind of long-term, intergenerational benefits that will ensure we continue thriving as a local community into the future.”
Running at 50 minutes and recommended for audiences 16+, the performance of A Prudent Man will be followed by a brief introduction to Hepburn Matters, including a call to attend the upcoming council meetings on June 28 and July 19, where a decision on the future of The Rex is expected to be made.
Entry is free, with donations welcome. Enquiries to Jules McDonald at julesmcd11@gmail.com or sign up to the newsletter at www.facebook.com/hepburnmatters

I read with great interest, the article published in The Local (Issue 254, May 23, 2022) regarding the significant problems associated with guests staying at short term accommodation sites in the Hepburn Shire.
I have a situation in Hepburn Springs where on each of my neighbouring boundaries are short-term holiday accommodation sites. I am literally surrounded. Approximately 50 per cent of the dwellings in the once quiet street, are short term accommodation holiday rental sites.
Over a period of many years, I have had all the issues short-term holiday accommodation brings – noise, abuse, trespass, rubbish, illegal and unruly behaviours, blatant disrespect, straying animals, compromised privacy from overlooking and loss of amenity. Consistently, more people are staying at these sites than is allowed, which creates congestion and parking issues within the neighbourhood street. Irresponsible guests and their careless actions during the fire season pose a significant risk.
Every time I contact the booking agencies to represent my concerns – I am met with total disregard.
Hepburn Shire Council should absolutely mandate a policy similar to those of the Yarra Ranges and the Mornington Peninsula councils to control and apportion accountability for loss of amenity to the local neighbourhood, and to also penalise these irresponsible and ignorant accommodation property owners.
Hepburn Shire Council has granted planning permission for these dwellings to be constructed, with no declared consideration for the preservation of the local neighbourhood amenity. Applicants for these planning permits should declare to the council their immediate intention for the proposed purpose of the dwellings – a private residence or holiday accommodation – before any planning permit is issued.
At the moment there are no such council controls. Local neighborhood residents have no combative power or recourse to these council decisions. No-one listens, no-one cares – residents are completely ignored.
The owners of both these short-term holiday accommodation sites adjacent to my property are out of town Melbourne people – so no direct financial gain is felt by the town. The accommodation property owners and booking agencies just take the money. Any issues represented and preventative measures recommended to be taken are simply ignored.
Immediate and strong actions are now required by the council, accommodation property owners and booking agencies to restore lost amenity and to strictly control guest behaviours at short-term holiday accommodation sites throughout the Hepburn Shire.

• Dave McLachlan, Hepburn Springs

Letters to the editor are always welcome. Email donna@tlnews.com.au

IT’S no secret that Aussies love a resort holiday. Thousands of us flock to tropical destinations like Fiji and Bali for family-friendly, cheap and cheerful holidays. Well, before Covid anyway. But as life and international borders start looking like pre-Covid days we start dreaming and planning our escapes.
As a family we’ve done the Bali adventure and it was great. But the crowds and the commercial touristy feel pushed us to look somewhere else for the tropical feel without the hype.
A few years ago we were encouraged by a travel agent to consider New Caledonia for our next family trip. Surprisingly it’s only a four-hour flight from Melbourne, on French Polynesia’s own Aircalin, so no jetlag or sleepless, uncomfortable red-eye experience either. In fact, the capital, Nouméa is closer to Brisbane than Melbourne is.
One bite and we were hooked. Nouméa is the capital of the South Pacific archipelago and overseas French territory, New Caledonia. Situated on the main island, Grand Terre, it’s known for beaches and its blend of French and native Kanak influences. It naturally weaves the breathtaking beauty of the South Pacific with the elegance of Europe. And with a tropical savanna climate, the weather is glorious year-round.
While thousands get a glimpse of its culture when cruise ships dock for the day, it certainly isn’t enough to comprehend the region’s exquisite beauty and Kanak heritage.
When we’ve been able to escape to Nouméa we’ve stayed at Le Meridien Resort, one of a number located directly on Anse Vata Bay. It’s a short walk into the township of Anse Vata and a short bus trip into the city centre of Nouméa itself, where the island’s Melanesian and colonial influences are on full display alongside a decidedly Paris chic.
The rooms at Le Meredien are huge, with adjoining rooms for kids so there’s space to move around. But if you decide to move one of the signature egg chairs into the kids’ room – don’t. A broken toe on the first day is no fun at all.
New Caledonia is the place the French go for their summer escape. Despite Nouméa’s relatively large population (about twice the size of Ballarat), there’s no crowds, no jostling for a beach bed or a poolside spot. Even at its busiest, there’s a sense of calm – and no Bintang singlets in sight.
With the beach and the beachside pool at the secluded resort, it’s hard to prise the kids away from swimming, snorkelling, paddle-boarding and kayaking. However, a six kilometre walk along the beachfront, with maybe a stop at the local aquarium, brings you to Baie des Citrons.
This pretty little beachside suburb is nestled on the stunning bay and hosts a wide array of eateries which really showcase New Caledonia’s fascinating ethnic diversity, from French-style bistros serving flammekueche to terrific Vietnamese cuisine. And you can finish it up with a stroll along the promenade and melt in the mouth, tropical-style frozen yoghurt.
Parents become pretty savvy when it comes to food. And you need to be in Nouméa. Most of the food is imported from France and eating there is certainly a bit more expensive than in Australia. But if you plan ahead and stash a jar of Vegemite away and a few non-perishable items then it eases the pain.
Or head to one of the local French-style grocery stores and pick up some baguettes, ham, cheese and tomatoes (and perhaps some Tim Tams, because they are one of the few non-French delicacies available) and do a picnic on the beach.
Then it’s just a matter of choosing one of the many fabulous restaurants when you do decide to eat out, or maybe you can opt for a beach-side cocktail at Le Meridien’s own bars and restaurants.
It’s a beautiful part of the world to visit and to appreciate the French-Melanesian hybrid lifestyle, right in our own little corner of the South Pacific. It’s perfect for a tropical island holiday with a touch of European elan.

Closer to home

It’s been at least 20 years since I last visited Port Fairy but an overnight trip there recently reminded me how beautifully preserved this small coastal town is. The drive from Daylesford transports you through a beautiful, ever-changing landscape, from farmland, to forests, beach scenes and small townships dotted throughout the trip.
The drive itself was effortless. For a small town, Port Fairy has a great choice of food options, a surprisingly large number of clothes shops catering for the tourism market and some fabulous op shops open on the weekend. It’s a short drive to Warrnambool where the Maritime Museum is a must for adults and kids alike.

IT MAY be a long way to Tipperary but it’s also a long way from Glenlyon to Cairns. About 4000km. You can apparently do it in four days if you really push yourself but what’s the fun in that. Road trips are about taking it easy, taking in the scenery and chatting to locals. Connecting, breathing, dropping back to a slower pace.
Of course, Kyle and I don’t quite do it like that but we did have a great trip recently. We drove past the original pub with no beer and went into the pub with no wine. But more about that later.
The main gist, the boring bit, is that we drove off, spent six days on the road via Sydney to the Gold Coast, stopped there to put The Local, House.Land.Home.Premium and The Little Local together, and then travelled on another six days to Cairns, sort of along the coast.
The drive to the Gold Coast is pretty easy. Going through Sydney used to be a nightmare but now there is a tunnel and you just go in and pop up out the other side. Lots of trucks, not sure why they don’t use rail, but mostly good drivers.
At the Gold Coast we stayed at Burleigh/Miami – sort of inbetween – in a high rise apartment where we were the only ones still wearing masks in the lifts. But that is OK. If you put a mask on it often stops others getting in. They look a bit scared, like you might have Covid, and then if you just let out a little cough or say sotto voce something like “The RAT test was negative but I’m sure I’m positive” that works well too.
Anyway, we mostly worked there but also took time out to see the latest Top Gun movie. Being still a tad paranoid, we chose a really quiet time, middle of the day, and Gold Class. Of course, when we arrived at the cinema, Gold Class was having a business function and it was heaving. And in the cinema itself there were about 10 people coughing around us. Oh well, the jets were worth the watch. Spoiler alert, don’t read the next sentence if you are yet to see the movie. Kyle thinks the jets could have gone out the same way they went in and avoided the surface to air missiles. After some deliberation, I concur.
Kyle must have also looked very friendly, I walked out of a shop one day to find him holding a dog lead. The owner had to buy needle and thread. WTF?
On the road again and there are lots of roadworks happening above say Gladstone, so you need to factor that in, time wise. As Kyle says in his rant, they are really keen on roadworks that stretch for kilometres. Nothing like the patch-up jobs down our way. I’m thinking about you, piece of road just before the Woodend railway stop.
Mind you, Siri, who I now have talking in a gentle female Irish accent, was pretty good at making roads on the phone orange or red and letting us know the speed limit. There are also a few cars on the side of the road where you know people have had a really bad day. And jackknifed caravans. Keeps your mind from wandering.
Not many kangas but quite a few signs with big and little cows, calves I guess, and then you realise they are live, grazing next to the road with no fences, and you are doing 110km an hour. Bloody hell.
At the start of the trip you do wonder how you are going to pass the time, especially if you have been together as long as us and have run out of things to say, but there are some great podcasts happening now.
We listened to Yeah Na, strange things that have happened on the ABC – like this couple who were both struck by lightning and survived to tell the tale. Their main beef was that they were publishers and of all the interviews they did, no-one mentioned that. So no publicity for their books. Bummer.
Oh, back to podcasts and there’s also the Armchair Expert podcast with comedian/actor Dax Sheppard. Elon Musk was one guest and really interesting although he is quite nutty, and there was also a NZ expert talking about an American cult called NXIVM.
It was really popular with actors apparently but some of them realised it was a scam – after 12 years and being branded with the leaders’ initials. Yep, branded. They kept asking why intelligent people would allow themselves to be branded. Who called them intelligent. Actors not rocket scientists. Not Elon Musk.
And then, when the podcasts get boring, or stop downloading because you have no signal, each country town has its own unique radio broadcasting. We listened to one for a while until we realised it was a preachy thing. Nothing wrong with that but it wasn’t even a Sunday. Another one, out of Rockhampton, had the female of the broadcasting pair screaming as she gave out ferry trips. People must love those ferries.
One of the best things on the road is talking to locals. We popped into the Royal Hotel at Mt Larcom just out of Gladstone and chatted with a woman working at the bar. She was a long time local and said she thought of the lyrics of Glen Campbell’s Rhinestone Cowboy when she cleaned the pub.
I’ve been walkin’ these streets so long
Singin’ the same old song
I know every crack in these dirty sidewalks of Broadway
“I know every crack in every tile in this pub,” she said. Nice woman, lots of tatts.
Then there was Carlon’s Hotel in Sarina, up from Rockhampton. We had a sandwich at a bakery, and decided to pop into the pub next door. The bar was round and inside was a huge steel vat thing, with the taps running off it and fridges inside.

There was a young woman behind the bar, and two blokes in front. One with a cane looking a bit old wizardy and one with your typical orange work shirt. They all looked as we walked in, in a surprised way, and I walked to the bar and asked: “Would you have a chardonnay?” And the woman said: “I don’t think so.” She then asked the cane-wielding bloke if they had any chardonnay and he said: “Might be a bottle in the back fridge.” But as the woman got there he added: “Nah, we don’t have any.”
And we all laughed. Not so much ha ha, more WTF? I said: “Must be a beer pub.” She said, “I have only sold four glasses since I started three months ago.” And he said: “It’s a beer and spirits pub, you’ll need to review your drinking.” Then pointed us in the direction of the hotel next door. They did have wine and I told my story to the woman behind that bar. “How funny,” she said, ‘You’d think they’d keep one bottle, but I guess it would go off after a bit.” Very understanding.
We also pulled into Marlborough and had a look through the local museum. The woman there was really friendly and I ended up buying a pendant and ring made from chrysophrase, also known as Australian jade. And then I bought two jars of preserves. Janet, who made them, apparently took home every award in the last show.

Finally, a little diversion to Clairview where we found the most idyllic seaside village ever, complete with a combined op shop and tearoom. We shared a scone topped with jam we chose from the preserves for sale, and a cup of coffee and tea. My tea was a shop-bought lemon and ginger dropped in hot water, but the woman doing the scones, called on another woman to help “with the tea”. A group effort and a great break.
Oh, another nice bit was when Kyle “blew” his thong just as he walked into a pub in Gladstone. He showed the broken footwear to the young barman and said, joking, “don’t have a spare pair of thongs, do you?”. To his surprise the bloke disappeared and returned with a pair of size 11, yellow Bundaberg Rum-themed thongs. Free. The bloke said Kyle would just have to start drinking rum instead of beer. Fair enough.

There are also lots of “big things” on the road which aren’t really that big. Big watermelon, above, big crab, big hamburger, big mango. But, you know, bigger than the real thing, so it’s all relative.
Anyway, we are in Cairns now and working out our trip home. It was all about the road trip, but it is a long way, so the ute gets popped on a truck and we fly home. Four hours tops. See you soon.

ORIGINALLY known as Hopwood’s Ferry, Echuca was founded by one of the most enterprising characters of the early colonial days, an ex-convict named Henry Hopwood. In 1850 he bought a small punt to transport people and goods across the mighty Murray. Hopwood died in 1869 leaving a thriving town where nothing had existed 16 years earlier, when he built his first slab wood inn.
On a recent trip to the sister cities of Echuca and Moama we decided to stay in a caravan park. The sort of spot that we normally shun, not because we are snobby, it’s just caravan parks by and large consist of sunset drinks, early dinners, early to bed and the racket of caravanners and children packing up at six in the morning to get on the road.

However, I spotted these almost cantilevered cabins from the bridge that connects the two towns, and swung back for a look at the Moama Riverside Holiday Park and immediately booked into cabin 22. A two-bedroom cabin on the edge of the park for $220 a night with a steamer funnel height view up and down the main river.
I am not taking it for granted as we wander our great southern land again. It was only months ago that I saw a young man sat on the edge of the road crying on the Victorian side of the Murray as police swamped him and ushered him back to NSW. He, probably like all of us, just wanted to see his family and was denied access. Bloody lockdowns.

The Echuca side of the river ticks a lot of the boxes for me. It is steeped in maritime history although I am not much of a fan of the bearded man who goes around and around the block picking up tourists to experience a ride in his horse and cart or other naff tourist attractions like that. But drill down a layer, walk under the side show of the historic village and you find yourself in a world under the wharves, where you appreciate the height and engineering intricacies of the inland wharf necessary for the land of flood and drought.
The walks around the Murray are as long or short as you like. If you want to see another engineering marvel, I suggest a 30-minute car ride to Torrumbarry Weir, where there is a working lock and a lot more interpretive information to get your head around how big and navigable the water system is.
Whether you’re a car buff or not, a visit to the National Holden Motor Museum back in Echuca is great for a nostalgic jaunt down memory lane, however back on the Moama part of the divided megalopolitan area is the Moama Bowls club, a huge sprawling NSW-style club.
It is great for a visit and only about a five minute walk from the caravan park for any meal in the day. Some folks I recognised didn’t seem to have left between meals, choosing the dark serenity and noise of the pokies to the blue skies and serene whistle of the steamboats that ply up and down the river under our balcony. But if that’s your scene, it is there for you in abundance.
A visit to the twin cities wouldn’t be complete without a ride on an old steamer such as the Canberra or Emmylou, with the latter coming back into commission later this year. An hour trip on the former is about $30. The Emmylou does longer overnight trips of two to six nights which, for that sort of diehard riverbank steering and wildlife watching, I would think you would be better off grabbing a few friends, a couple of tonnes of booze and food, and head off on a houseboat with a spa pool bubbling away on the top deck.
Certainly to get a taste of the river cruising (no pun intended) the dinner and lunch cruises on offer looked fabulous. Unfortunately we were a bit time poor and besides already had the best seat in the house back at the cabin which came complete with a BBQ. I couldn’t resist borrowing the words from Darryl Kerrigan: “How’s the serenity?” Images: Kyle Barnes

Horoscopes June 20^th to July 4^th

All signs:

With the Winter Solstice taking place on the 21^st of June, we are about to pass the longest night of the year, signaling a lengthening of daylight hours in the lead up to spring. Saturn, the planet associated with duty, effort, and restraint has turned retrograde and is asking us to re-evaluate our boundaries, responsibilities, and obligations until late October 2022.

I’m also looking at the ingress of Venus into the sign of Gemini that happens on June 23^rd and shifts into the next sign on the 18^th of July. A window of time where you could find yourself hosting the most fabulous dinner party, enjoying the company of others with any sort of luscious surroundings. It’s also a time when we might be drawn into more Gemini-type accoutrements, such as books, stationary, or office supplies – everyone loves a little office supply top-up!

Also on the agenda is the Sun shining on/in the sign of Cancer and signaling the birthday season for our water ruled Cancerian friends! This turns our focus towards our homes, families and loved ones, and how we can protect and nurture these places and people that we hold dear. Read on to see how you might harness the power of the planets. If you know your rising sign, start there first.

Aries:

Fair Venus is entering the area of your chart that deals with communication with others, as well as your thought process and ideas. I think this can be called the “Barry White Effect”, upping your charm and dare I say, sexiness. You might be more inclined to wax poetic and others will be pulled in by your wiles. While your efforts out in the world are well received, this is also a time to focus on your home and family, feeling the love and warmth that they can provide. It might be a time when you want to reassess how much time you spend at work or out in the community rather than at home.

Taurus:

You might have some extra cash to splash in the next few weeks, and who doesn’t love that? Opportunities to earn more money or increase assets are more abundant with Mercury moving in a forward motion again (it’s the planet in charge of your money sector). If you aren’t keen to part with your dollars, even giving your place good spruce with just elbow grease can be most satisfying. This is a month when mindfulness or positive affirmations can have a positive, helpful effect in your daily life. A window of time to make some changes to your inner chatter, it only pops up once a year and lasts for about a month.

Gemini:

This month sees a great time to balance the books or start investing your money. This theme continues with a four-month long window opened that is giving you the opportunity to scrutinize your major loans, taxes and getting your estate in order. Make the appropriate upgrades or amendments, it could pay out in dividends. Getting a better deal in these areas will be a little easier with Venus helping you out, making you more charming than usual! If you can swing it, pamper yourself this month, a wardrobe upgrade might be on the books or a trip to the salon for a new doo.   

Cancer:

Many happy returns to those born in the early weeks of Cancer season! Putting yourself first is top of the agenda, finding a little time to nurture or even challenge yourself in aid of self-expansion. Indulge in some alone time and reflect on how you’re travelling. It can be most satisfying to take stock and see how far you have come, give yourself some credit and show yourself a little love. It’s time to tackle some of the spaces that only you see (internally and externally) and do some beautification, you deserve it, it might help lift your spirits if you’re feeling a bit lack luster.

Leo:

It’s time for a personal retreat Leo, especially if you’re feeling uninspired, tired, and burnt out. If you can get away to places that bring you happiness, to the beach, the woods, the movies, absolutely go. Get out of dodge, schedule some alone time or just Netflix and chill. It’s a four-week cycle in the year that’s asking you to fill your cup, because you can’t pour from an empty one. Your social calendar might be filling up fast, make sure that you are RSVPing to gatherings with people that will pump you up and not drain you. A glass of vino with your bestie can be the best medicine, the opportunity to have deep and meaningful conversations can give you that spark or spring back in your step.

Virgo:

Embrace social gatherings and time spent with your friends over the next few weeks, networking for work purposes can be lucrative at this time too. Setting yourself some goals relating to your work, career, or general life direction can be most helpful, offering you insights as to what or who you might require to push yourself in the best direction. Once you have that big picture goal in mind, it’s easier to work backwards to figure out the steps that you need to take in order to get where you would like to go. Keep this in mind as those networking/social engagements play out. Reassessment of your daily routine could also be helpful in reaching these goals, to ensure that you’re spending your time wisely and not wasting this precious commodity.

Libra:

Finding time to expand your mind can be most rewarding at this time. Immersing yourself in the arts, literature, or religious studies can be a fascinating journey that might also offer you some escape from the stress points in your life currently. Work, career, and life direction are highlighted for you while the Sun traverses the sign of Cancer. While the spotlight is flattering, it might highlight the need to enjoy your career and what you spend so much of your energy doing or working towards. This is a time to be clear about what direction you see yourself heading towards, if you don’t know where you’re going, how will you realize when you have arrived?

Scorpio:

This is the time of year that you want to stretch yourself out, more in a mental type of way as opposed to your hamstring, if you catch what I’m trying to say. Deep conversations around philosophy, spiritual practices or more structured religion might offer some clarity if you are interested in shining a light. This is also an ideal time to review aspects of your life that are more down to Earth, such as investments, insurance policies, estate planning and getting your books ready for tax time. If you’re in need of re-financing or any type of approval from a lending institution, you might viewed more favorably at this time.

Sagittarius:

Take time this month to indulge in your passions, what has been playing on your mind consistently or often enough that you want to give into it and have a go? Passion projects might lead you to interesting places or to fascinating people. If you are looking for love, Venus has entered the part of the Zodiac that speaks to relationships and partnerships for you, passion projects indeed. If you are currently committed to someone, this is a joyful time to connect and deepen the bonds within your relationship. Be mindful that the time spent together is more about quality and not necessarily quantity.

Capricorn:

Health and wellness are highlighted for you, the opportunity to investigate new ways to take care of yourself are ripe. What new technology, apps or tracking systems can you implement to get focused on your goals? Agreeable new people might come into your life at this time too, possibly making for a more harmonious workplace. Relationships are also in the spotlight, asking you to find balance between taking care of you (inside and out) and taking care of the needs of your partner. If it’s been feeling like a see-saw situation, it’s easier to find balance and allow yourself to shine as brightly as you deserve.

Aquarius:

You might be feeling like you are emerging out of hibernation, like you’ve been warm and cozy in front of the fire and now you want to get ready to emerge into spring. A new daily routine, cleaning up your diet and implementing an exercise routine can help you feel like you are kicking goals. Remember that all work and no play make Jack a dull boy and you will want to play just as hard as you want to work. Leisure activities, creative projects, and time spent playing with children will help lift your spirits and bring more fulfillment than usual this month. Get curious and use your grey matter, if you can take a hobby course at this time, I would highly recommend it.

Pisces:

You might be more inclined to spend the rest of the winter season rugged up, enjoying the comforts of home, reading a good book. This can be a great time to tidy up and de-clutter your pad, invite others over for lovely gatherings and scintillating conversation. If you can take time out from the obligations of daily life and indulge in creative endeavors, it might be an inspiration to others as well, to see that you can find balance between being a responsible adult and having some fun. Beautification of your space can also bring you happiness, or a new coffee machine, coffee will always help to spark joy.

AUGUST in the Wombat State Forest means you’ve probably been burning wood in the stove 24/7 for at least three months and are suffering from a lack of sunlight.
In northern California, meanwhile, August is high summer – long, hot days spent swimming in the lakes and rivers, and warm evenings sipping cool drinks on the verandah.
With that in mind, in the early 2000s I decided that every August I would flee the forest and visit my family in northern California.
In 2004, my wife Carol, in her guise as the Amazing Travel Agent, made a game-changing discovery: the folks at Air New Zealand had launched a new ticket class called Premium Economy. It cost more than cattle class but to my way of thinking it’s worth every penny.

There was room for maybe 50 passengers – with big, comfortable seats and generous amounts of legroom. The attendant brought us real glass glasses of good NZ sparkling wine. We were off to a grand start.
I love the way Air New Zealand broke up the trip. Our flight left Melbourne and landed in Auckland less than four hours later, where, after a customs check, we were able to stretch our legs walking around the airport, maybe stock up on reading materials, and find a comfy seat in the bar and quaff a few Kiwi ales. It helped us prepare for the nearly 14 hours of air time ahead to reach Los Angeles.
Back into the comfort of our Premium Economy seats, it was more NZ sparkles, followed by satisfying meals, with big cloth napkins and metal cutlery. Accompanying the food were glasses of excellent NZ wine, and the attendants were happy to keep those glasses full for as long as we cared to drain them.
It’s a good idea not to go too hard on singing syrup, however, because eventually you’ll arrive in Los Angeles airport – LAX – and you need your wits about you to navigate through that madhouse.

At LAX our plans took on different shapes, over the years, but most often they involved struggling from the international to the domestic terminal and finding the departure gate for the flight to either San Francisco or Sacramento.
Air New Zealand’s domestic US partner is United, which seemingly has adopted as its slogan “Better late than never”. No matter what it says on your ticket, there’s no way of knowing what time your United flight is going to leave.
Twice we were picked up at LAX by friends and driven 150 kilometres to their home in Santa Barbara, a lovely town on the southern California coast.
The first time, after a few days hanging out with our friends, we boarded an Amtrack train to Redding, in northern California. Distance-wise it’s about 725 kilometres but the trip takes about 15 hours. It’s not quick, but there is some lovely scenery and we enjoy travelling by train.
The second time we hired a car in Santa Barbara and did the full tourist ride. We took an easy two-hour drive to Paso Robles, a quaint little town, home to more than 300 wineries. We stayed in the Paso Robles Inn – legend has it that John Wayne stayed there too while shooting a movie in the area.
From there we drove to Monterey, the beautiful coastal city that’s home to the amazing Monterey Bay Aquarium.
After Monterey we battled heavy traffic through the San Francisco Bay area, picked up Aussie mates Anne and Kathleen at the Golden Gate Bridge visitor centre, stopped off at the beach in Fort Bragg and hiked in the redwoods at Prairie Creek State Park on the northern California coast.
Anne and Kathleen eventually took off on their own adventures and Carol and I went south and home.
Here’s one tip about LAX: it is possible to walk from the domestic to the international terminal. Once, my United connecting flight was so late, I had to run from domestic to international, and I’m not built for running.
The route took me through long, empty corridors, through strange shopping areas, down stairways and up escalators, and eventually into a departure area disguised as a vast shopping mall.
The best part about this mode of going is that because you never leave the terminal interior, you don’t need to go through customs screening. I would’ve loved to explore this grand monument to commerce but I’d arrived at the Air NZ gate just as they were calling my name and preparing to shut the doors on the plane – I was the last person to board.
The glass of good NZ sparkles tasted sensational.

After many happy years living in Victoria and working at The Age, former Wheatsheaf resident Jeff Glorfeld, and his wife Carol, went back to California, the land of his birth, where in the past four years he has survived bushfires, snowstorms and drought. And Trump. And Covid. The cicadas and locusts didn’t arrive. Well, not yet.

Opposite, clockwise, from top right, Sacramento River running through the drought-stricken canyon that should be Lake Shasta, afternoon sky during 2021 bushfires, Southern Oregon coast, Jeff swimming in Clear Creek just outside French Gulch

MY wife Sally, aka “my gal Sal” has often reminisced sentimentally about happy childhood holidays on the Murray and at Eildon in her family’s tiny plywood teardrop caravan.
I was nevertheless surprised when she announced, as her retirement loomed, that she was going to combine a modest family inheritance and her new buckets of leisure time and buy a caravan.
Becoming a grey nomad, or in my case, bald nomad, wasn’t the last thing on my bucket list. It wasn’t even on my bucket list.
Fours years, 15,000 kilometres and 127 overnight camping spots later, I’m happy to report we’re both hooked.

Now both retired, we use the van as our winter escape from Trentham.
Broadly, the plan is to follow the bonnet north to anywhere warm and reasonably amenable and drop anchor, spending July-October in tee-shirts, shorts and flip flops.
And our mega anxious dog, Neurotica, has, amazingly in my view, adjusted well as well.
She is fine with her cosy safe-haven corner in the van, as long as my gal Sal is within constant sight.
The 127 places we’ve slept the length and breadth of Australia range from free camp sites, usually gravel and/or dirt patches offering no amenities by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere half way across the Nullarbor up the coast of WA, down the centre from Darwin to the south coast of our nation, and out west in remote back blocks Queensland to lavish tropical resorts boasting multiple pools, bars, restaurants and games rooms.
We’ve been to every state and territory except Tasmania but who knows, that might be on the cards one day as we hear from fellow travellers, including plenty of Tasmanians, who visit the mainland as grey nomads, that lots of folk take caravans, campers and mobile homes across the Bass Strait on the ferry.
We’ve learned a lot along the way.

Caravanning is way different to the child bride’s childhood days.
We have, for instance, nicknamed our relatively modestly sized 19-foot, 2-inch, 2.2-tonne van “The Hyatt on Collins on wheels”.
Solar power runs the lights, water pump, bedside fan and TV when we roadside camp off grid, and gas keeps the shower water hot – we can carry 180 litres of fresh water – and runs the fridge, oven, cooktop and portable Weber BBQ on those nights as well.
There is diesel-fuelled central heating to keep us cosy on nights such as below zero stopovers in a truckies’ parking bay just east of the Nullarbor roadhouse which we share with a hulking semi, or at Uluru overlooking that majestic rock.
And when connected to 240-volt power, as we are in most caravan parks, the air con is mega-efficient at stopping the van turning into a sweltering tin box.
Extensive insulation and double glazing helps on that front too.
The outside, roll-out awning gives us a sheltered outdoor spot, specially when drop-down privacy screens are attached, for our portable chairs, tables and Baby-Q BBQ which runs off the gas bottles padlocked to the front of the van.
Cooking outdoors keeps heat and cooking smells out of the van and lends itself to social connection with fellow campers.
Go below floor, and under the rugged, double-dipped galvanised chassis lurks a bunch of hi-tech help I don’t understand which helps ensure the van tows straight and level without swaying and stops fast and straight when you stomp on the brakes when a giant bullock wanders onto the Stuart Highway while you are travelling south at 100km/hour with a 30-metre road train roaring south in the only other lane.
All in all, a far cry from the rugged outback camping of my youth when going to the dunny involved taking a shovel and digging your own hole!
The freedom to roam largely as you will, the fascination of seeing so much of our vast, largely flat, dry and empty country and meeting its usually proud and welcoming locals, has made the grey nomad life amazingly popular, and has brought lucrative tourism dollars to many small remote and otherwise economically-blighted communities.
It has also made the caravan industry into big business, with more than 100 locally-made caravan, camper van and camper trailer brands being lugged around the nation.
Covid has driven an enormous boom as Aussies who were unable to travel overseas decided to take the opportunity to see their own country from ground level.
The delivery time for a new caravan pre-Covid was three months, that blew out to 12-plus months at the height of restrictions, and the value of second-hand vans went through the roof.
Simultaneously, roads and popular locations were packed and booked out months ahead. Sal and I were laughed at when we tried to book Broome with three weeks’ notice and were told popular sites had been booked a year in advance.
Ditto Ellis Beach just north of Cairns and just about everywhere else in Far North Queensland.
Media reports said vans were camping in the streets of Kununurra and Cooktown because grey nomads who hadn’t booked ahead found no accommodation available in local camping grounds and caravan parks.
Interstate Covid restrictions were a challenge on our last two treks but judicious use of good luck and reasonable management saw us through.
We crossed the Murray into New South Wales 36 hours before it shut its border in 2020 and trundled into Queensland several weeks later, by fluke, four days before it shut its border, flashing our border passes to a scary looking, black-clad cop who proved mega-friendly.
We’ve kept print-outs of our border passes to show our grandchildren that Australians once effectively needed passports to travel within our own nation.
Last year proved more challenging than the year before, getting locked down at Palm Cove because of a local Covid breakout, and then finding our path home through NSW was blocked when that state locked down.
A 2000-km detour from Townsville to the Northern Territory, then down through Alice to Port Augusta and east to the Murray River at Renmark, where the child bride cheered herself hoarse watching the Dees win the AFL flag on the van TV (local big-screen pub gardens banned dogs) proved to be a diverting detour.
We were initially denied entry into the NT at a remote Queensland border roadblock west of Mt Isa as we arrived 48 hours ahead of our authorised border pass paperwork details.
A tiny skinny woman who looked like a high school kid in a senior constable’s uniform with a giant pistol on her hip proved firm, insistent but friendly and efficient.
She showed us how to stand on one leg on a crushed ant hill and point our 3G-connected phones at invisible satellites somewhere up there to apply for and to our amazement, receive new online passes.
We camped by the road that night and were visited by a horse which stuck its head in the open door of the van and was nipped for its troubles by a very unimpressed Neurotica.
We have met all sorts of fellow travellers on the road.
Couples who sold up, bought huge rigs that are virtual homes on wheels, stuck an “adventure before dementia” sticker on the back, and hit the road as a permanent lifestyle, often taking short-term casual work on the way.
Couples with little kids doing remote learning lessons as they travel. They almost all say the kids get a better education from the travel than they do from their books.
There are people who telecommute. A dude in Port Macquarie was running his graphic design business from inside his van while his wife did therapeutic massage under the awning outside his door.
And lots of nice folk like us, wandering open-jawed to see how wonderful Australia is.
And how enjoyable is the roaming gypsy life.
As mentioned above, we’ve learned a lot.
“Travel light, travel bright – and save fuel and tow safer.”
If you are doing the famous “lap” around Australia travel anti-clockwise, there are less fuel-burning headwinds on average.
Importantly, while I’m yet to become a competent reverser of the van, we’ve learned to get backwards into tight spaces in a clumsy fashion without getting divorced while simultaneously providing amusement for fellow campers.
And I’ve learned that emptying and cleaning the removable 20-litre toilet canister is a job reserved exclusively for blokes!

Images: Peter Young

IT’S been a long two and a half years. And while we are still in a pandemic most of us are vaccinated, know when to pop on a mask and distance, and are ready to either go full speed ahead into the the world, or just take some baby steps.
So we have dedicated this edition to travel – past and present. Along with our features, we asked friends of The Local to tell us about their favourite travel spots. Glen Heyne, Richard Cornish and Bill Wootton also went international with their columns.
We hope you enjoy this edition and maybe find some ideas for that long-missed travel. We would love to hear about your favourite places as well. Send a few lines and a pic to donna@tlnews.com.au and we’ll post them on our website at www.tlnews.com.au Enjoy. Donna

Tony Sawrey

It is hard to know how Hong Kong is faring these days. I have not been there since 2019. And by the time the pandemic curtain came down on this unique place China was asserting more and more control over Hong Kong Island and the New Territories.

But this harbour metropolis of 7.5 million Cantonese speaking inhabitants was always an experience and will no doubt remain one of the world’s significant nodes no matter how much mainland China tries to suck the life out of it. I have visited the region five times and while Hong Kong as a foreign tourist was never a place you could ever really know, I quickly acquired an affection for the place, from Central with its international art galleries, the sleaze of Wan Chai to the bustling energy of Kowloon. Here’s hoping for another visit in the future. 

Jen Clarke

Without a doubt, my favourite travel place is somewhere I don’t want to tell you about. It is a small, historic coastal town in the south east of South Australia, seemingly miles from anywhere and it is dear to my heart.

I grew up in the area and have loved the stunning coastline, beautiful beaches, historic buildings and wonderful walks of Robe since I was a small child. Driving on to the 17km Long Beach for a swim or surf, bouncing over the back beach tracks, playing golf, having drinks and dancing to live music at the beloved historic pub ‘The Cally’ and even seeing the latest movies at the tiny cinema are just a few of the daily summer activities. Yes, it can be windy and the water can be freezing, but the little town is always just a lot of fun.    

Kevin Childs

Memories of the sun-painted dawn across the sea at Mallacoota, near the Victoria-NSW border, never fade. As does the time we cruised out in the inlet with a local, who dived overboard to get a crayfish for lunch. Then rustled up abalone, and some venison. Fires harshly hit the town, with the Navy evacuating locals and tourists, but it’s fought back, with guts and spirit. We love its characters: painters, fisherfolk, historians and semi-retired bikies. The moment we arrive is just bliss. Ruled from far-away, it’s even declared itself a republic! To upend a famous song, it’s in our blood like holy wine.

Lindsay Smith & Nick Bunning

The UK – Our favourite holiday destination has to be the UK. Whether it’s the abundant history, verdant countryside, crazy accents that can differ even from suburb to suburb, or the amazing theatre on offer, there is so much to do.

One of the other great pleasures is “spotting a celeb”. In 2019, we were fortunate enough to catch up with Aussie Olympic gold medallist, Matthew Mitcham on the underground rushing below the streets of London.

Loretta Little

Turkey – Without a doubt, my favourite place to visit is Turkey. I guess the main reason is that this exotic, historic country was where my eldest daughter was married in a Crusader castle on the Aegean. She and her fiancé were archaeologists working in Eastern Turkey.

Thirty Australians travelled to Bodrum, and we took all the wedding dresses, the champagne and bouquets with us. The wedding at sundown was glorious, performed by a robed female cleric, and all the local councillors invited themselves, and the Australian consul and his wife also asked to be included.
As the sun sank over the sea, we adjourned to the gardens, where peacocks paraded amongst the ancient statues, and the food was amazing, completed by a huge wedding cake made in the image of the castle…It was a truly magical experience, and one we will never forget.

Darren Lowe

New York – At the moment, it’s right where I am, NYC in summer. You can pay for the tourist attractions, which are great, but you can also just walk neighbourhoods, and as one local put it to me, ‘see action every 50 feet’.

Vibrant, colourful and importantly at this time of year for where we come from, warm!

Renea McCarthy

Singapore – My favourite place to travel is Singapore. Less than eight hours from home and you enter a whole new world. Be it the food, the people or the culture.

You cannot go wrong with Singapore or the traditional breakfast of kaya toast while taking in the views of the Singapore River. Take me back to Singapore.

Julie Hanson

High Country – We recently holidayed just up through Mansfield at Merrijig last November; we stayed in a beautiful resort looking up at Mt Bulla.

The town of Merrijig is where a lot of The Man from Snowy River was filmed many years ago. We fished, golfed, visited and tasted wines at the wineries in the King Valley and had some wonderful meals. Local hospitality was amazing, we even joined in at the local pub for a trivia night.

Jennifer Atchison

Vancouver – One of my favourite spots, that makes my must-go-to list when I’m in Vancouver, is Granville Island Market. Brimming with local produce to please the most discerning of foodies (guilty), as well as all manner of art and craft for purchase, this place feels like magic.

From taking an Aquabus to get there, visiting the art galleries, eating ice-cream on the waterfront boardwalk to the colourful floral hanging baskets found everywhere, it conjures up only the happiest of memories with each and every visit.

Bradley Thomas

USA – I’ve been very lucky to travel to the USA twice now, and absolutely love it. Each state is so different, and I’ve found where I have travelled really safe and friendly.

The highlight for me has to be NYC as it is true, it is the city that never sleeps but it’s also the city that you can access anything easily – whether that is a Broadway show, shopping, sporting events, awesome food, even great coffee when I last visited and you can spend hours just watching the people.

In just under 100 days, one of Victoria’s most iconic and loved events, the Melbourne Royal
Show will return bigger and better than ever before, being held from Thursday 22 September to
Sunday 2 October 2022 with a refreshed program of much loved favourites and exciting new
experiences that are sure to appeal to all Victorians, young and old.
The Royal Agriculture Society of Victoria revealed the rebrand to Melbourne Royal and in
turn a renaming of the Melbourne Royal Show, signifying an exciting new era for the
organisation.
“This year the Melbourne Royal Show will be like no other great family fun and farm experiences
by day and a feast of fabulous food, entertainment and live music by night,” said Brad Jenkins
Melbourne Royal Chief Executive Officer.
“There will be loads of fantastic new attractions and unique experiences along with a revamped
evening program featuring a line up of some of Australia’s best musical tale nt.”
All the quintessential Show favourites will still be there including the animal nursery, thousands
of farm animals on display, the dog show, woodchopping, arts and crafts, showbags and rides.
Speaking of the rebrand, Mr Jenkins said: “After extensive review, consultation and
consideration with our partners , we made the decision to rebrand the organisation from RASV
to Melbourne Royal to help better reflect the variety of events, awards and experiences that our
organisation represents . The Melbourne Royal name is familiar to many, particularly our
members and exhibitors who commonly refer to being involved or participating at the Melbourne
Royal , so this felt like the next natural evolution of our brand.”
In addition to the Show, Melbourne Royal also conducts the Melbourne Royal Australian
International Beer Awards, Melbourne Royal Wine Awards, Melbourne Royal Australian Distilled
Spirits Awards, Melbourne Royal Australian International Coffee Awards and other celebrations
of excellence in food, beverages, and agriculture.”