- Chris Hill
- 0419528446
- chrishill3@bigpond.com
Yarra Ranges National Seniors
A warm welcome to Yarra Ranges Branch of the NSA. (covering approximately the Yarra Ranges Council Map area of the Yarra Ranges and Yarra Valley). We are a friendly, inclusive and active Branch of over 50s with a voice to Government.
Guests and visitors are most welcome to join us at any of our - Meetings (held on the 2nd Monday of the month) at the Lillydale Lake Comunity Room, Lilydale Lake Road, Lilydale. Our Guest Speakers are interesting, informative and cover many subjects.
Also we are involved in many Activities - 'Out & About', 'Dining Out', Saturday Walks and a variety of Entertainment (Morning Melodies, live theatre, live musicals theatre, films etc).
This Branch was first formed in 2006 and has during this time supported a variety of charities to improve the welfare of the community.
Happy Birthdays and Congratulations to.
10th May Shirley
11th May Kathy
14th May Julie
15th May Lyn F
5th June Colin F
8th June Anne
19th June Lorraine Sm
29th June Jenny
Our President's Report I
Hi Members,
It was a pleasure to welcome Jeanette and Les, two new members to our club. The Dinner Meeting was well attended in April. We have unfortunately lost two long standing members of the Branch. Hughie and Connie passing away during April, they will be sadly missed. Looking forward to catching up with everyone at the May and June Branch Meetings at the Lilydale Lake Community Room in the afternoons at 2.00 p.m.
Happy reading
Trevor
President
General Information
MEMBERSHIP FEES
Please ensure you use the ‘Yarra Ranges NSA Application Forms’ at the end of our ‘Grapevine’ News Letter (downloadable from this Website) and then give it to the Branch Secretary(Lyn). By using our form this informs NSA that you are a member of this Branch. The Branch receives an annual payment for your Membership.
EVENT ATTENDANCE
Everyone needs to please text or email Chris with any changes they want to make after they have put their name down for an ‘Outing & About’ / ‘Dining Out’ / ‘Morning Melodies’. Also, if you put their name down for an ‘Outing & About’ / ‘Dining Out’ / ‘Morning Melodies’ please make sure you put it in your diary, so you don’t overlook or forget what you have made a commitment that day.
WELFARE INFORMATION
Please contact Pamela, our Welfare Officer, if you know of anyone who is unwell, having an operation, in need of help or has passed away within the family.
COMMUNITY INFORMATION
JP facilities are available at the Croydon & Lilydale Police Station on the following days and times –
Croydon Tuesdays 10.00am to 1.00pm Lilydale Thursdays 10.00am to 1.00pm
CONTRIBUTE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Have you been travelling? Have you attended a good show? Have you read a good book? Is there something you have experienced, that you would like to share with the members of the Branch? A story? One-liners? Photos from outings? Contact Lyn.
GUEST SPEAKERS for our branch meetings
If you have a suggestion for a ‘Guest Speaker’ please let a Committee Member know.
Norfolk Island
What an amazing small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean – 1,733 kilometres from Sydney and slightly less from Brisbane which are the main flight paths to Norfolk. Supplies of goods are shipped in and if the ship doesn’t arrive the shelves in the supermarket are pretty bare. This happened while we were there due to the cyclone off the Queensland coast. Shipping assumed that Norfolk Island would be affected, which it wasn’t, as it is long way away and the ship ended up in Melbourne!
They are a very resourceful people who know more ways to cook and use a banana then anyone I know. They are very friendly people who know how to be resourceful and share food resources etc. Apart from supplies being shipped in all fuel also has to come this way and we were fortunate enough to watch a small fuel ship pumping first the Aviation Fuel, followed by Diesel and Patrol into their individual huge holding tanks on land at Cascade Bay. Cascade Bay was the original site of the Whaling Station when it was in operation.
I can highly recommend the ‘Norfolk Island Foundation Tour’ organized by
Daytripper Tours where we stayed at the South Pacific Resort on the edge of
town. Burnt Pine is the main town on the island and has all the facilities including
a small hospital.We were kept busy every morning, afternoon and evening with dinners included. First was ‘Who Killed the Surveyor?’ where we had a part to play. We had costumes to put on to play the characters. Denise was Reverand Nobbs and I was his Mrs Reverand Nobbs. Each one had a play book and
we read our parts out in between dinner courses. It was great fun and nobody guessed ‘Who Killed the Surveyor?’
Barnabas Chapel built in 1880 was the original site of the Melanesian Mission (the latter no longer exists) and is also the site of the original settler’s cemetery. At the Hall a retired 87years old Whaler told us how they used to go out in the
Long Boats to catch Whales at the age of 18 for their oil and meat. It was a very dangerous occupation and it was ceased in the 1960s. Liz is a direct descendant of one of the original families and she showed us how the islanders gather raw material and make the intricate weaving patterns
for hats, mats etc. The Islanders are very much in to repurposing and reusing and Liz’s latest idea is to use the plastic strapping that come around boxes and creates. She is weaving these into door mats. (See the blue plastic at the back of the photo) lus introducing us to some of their traditional food dishes. She also spoke about the Norfolk Islanders Language which is made up of Old English and Tahitian languages that the locals use.The Glass Bottom Boat ride around the rock shelf protected
Emily Bay was great with many varieties of corals and even a green turtle having a rest in the sand. A BBQ dinner on the shores of Emily Bay was a lovely end to the evening with the setting sun in the background. The locals are very enterprising with us visiting a small Lavender Farm which took a few years to find the right strain of Lavender to survive the Island climate as it is Sub-Tropical which is rain and humidity that Lavender does not like. It was Larkman Nurseries of Lilydale (Vic) who eventually found a Lavender that would successfully survive the climate. They are also trialing Rose Geranium for their oils and growing Kentia Palms for their seed. The latter is one of
the exports from the Island. The novelist and Australia’s most successful author Colleen McCulloch’s house is an eye opener with its rich interiors and two kitchens. She travelled the world and added the most glamours of interiors to embellish the house which was built for her and her husband. Well worth a visit just to see how the other half lived with German Crystal
Chandeliers, Crystal Vases, Marble Tables plus entertaining prominent guests to the Island.
A Dinner and Show ‘On the Bounty’ was at the Norfolk Golf Club rooms. Again, dinner courses between the various Acts of the play. We also did a walking tour of some of the shops in Burnt Pine who are using the philosophy of – Reduce, Recycle & Reuse. One of these shops is Prinke Eco bulk store of flours, nuts, seeds organic vegetables, natural cosmetics etc. Aatuti Art shop where the owner designs and screenprints her tee shirts, skirts, long pants, table cloths etc. Brook our guide then took us to the RSL where he continued to explain the contribution the island had made during the wars over a cold drink. Rachel in the afternoon then drove us on a tour of the north and west side of the island to the various parks and lookouts with great views of rugged cliffs and afternoon tea.
‘The Commandants Dinner’ again enacted in between courses told the story of the beginnings of and early days of the penal settlement of Kingston. It was researched and written by one of the actors and his wife and has been running for over 10years. It was very good and fun.
‘Foundation Day’ was a re-enactment of the landing on Norfolk Island which centered around Emily Bay. The locals dressed in period dress boarded a long boat at one of the Bay and then rowed to the other end where they arrived on shore to proclaim the land and raise the flag pole and flag. Tents were also erected of the period. Very well done. We were very well provided for with a large marquee with tables and chairs, morning tea/coffee, scones, jam and cream. Plus, a buffet lunch followed. The afternoon was free and dinner was at the Resort. An early morning start with a short walk at ‘100 Acres’ with Liz who explained how they have kept this remnant forest with the majestic Norfolk Pines as a haven for ‘Fairy and Sooty Terns’ birds who fly so fast it is hard to photograph them. She also explained the difference between the male and female Norfolk Pines and how to tell them apart. Breakfast was at ‘Cooks Landing Lookout’ with the men doing the cooking – yes! Afterwards we went to the Information Centre to get our passports stamped with the Norfolk Island stamp.
On our ‘Farm & Industry Tour’ we first went to visit PJ who showed us how he was starting to train his 3 year old English Shire Horse ‘Biscuit’ (they are actually bigger than the Clydesdales). How he has had to train the horse to be used to having bridles, straps, blinkers etc put on her which takes quite a bit of time. Then he led her out to the paddock where he was training her to listen to his voice commands, then accept the noise of something being dragged behind her which had only happened a couple of times before. This training was to be able to eventually pull a magnificent metal carriage carrying tourist around the local area. Next was a Plant Nursery that harvests the Kentia Palm seeds and then grows them on in hot houses ready for sale overseas. This is a huge market for them and brings in some much needed revenue. The palm plants are packaged when there is only 2 leaves showing. The market will not accept any plants that are more advanced. Next was a small farm that grows hydroponic vegetables. Water is a scarce commodity on the island and so this is a very water wise way of growing. They had 3 huge water tanks and plastic houses to improve production. Finally, it was ‘Norfolk Island Liqueurs’ with tastings – yum! It is only a young industry but there was at least a dozen different liqueurs made. There were a variety of small bottles in packaged sets or full size bottles. Let me tell you – purchases were made!
A progressive dinner that night at 3 different family homes was excellent. Starting with – Smoked Trumpeter Fish, then Chicken Breast wrapped in Bacon and finally Banana Cake and Ice cream.
Must go back again someday as it was a most enjoyable holiday and support the friendly locals.
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