This week in the Macedon Ranges (December 2-8)

Welcome to Your Macedon Ranges for Monday, December 2, to Sunday, December 8.

🎄 The first community Christmas carol events of the season will take place at the weekend, in Gisborne and Darraweit Guim. They’ll be followed by carols by candlelight in Macedon on December 11. Find the details of these events and more in my updated guide to Christmas in the Macedon Ranges.

🌅 Sunsets are the subject of this week’s article on smartphone photography. Tiffany Warner has a great tip for capturing their beauty. See her photo and advice below the list of events.

Here are the events and activities happening in the Macedon Ranges this week:

Click the links for more info 👇

Tuesday, December 3

Author Talk Christine Gregory – The Community: Christine Gregory will discuss her crime novel, which explores fatherhood, family ties and redemption. Gisborne Library, Hamilton St, Gisborne. 6pm-7pm. Free.

Wednesday, December 4

Author Talk Kathy Mexted – Take Flight: Find out about the determination, skill and expertise of Australian women who have beaten the odds to find success and joy in our skies. Romsey Library, Main St, Romsey. 10.30am-11.30am. Free.

Orienteering Go Explore – Romsey: Beginner-friendly twilight orienteering event. Suitable for adults and children, and all fitness levels. Lions Reserve, Main St, Romsey. 6pm-8pm. $5 per participant (parents shadowing children free).

Singing Woodend Warblers: Community choir. Norma Richardson Hall, Buckland St, Woodend. 7pm. $12 (first session free).

Quiz Trivia Night: General knowledge quiz. The Victoria Hotel, High St, Woodend. 7pm. Free.

Quiz Pub Trivia: Put your knowledge to the test. The Lancefield Hotel, High St, Lancefield. 7pm-11pm.

Thursday, December 5

Food & Talk Birds of a Feather Luncheon – Dennis Altman: Dennis Altman is the son of Jewish refugees and first came to attention with the publication of his book Homosexual: Oppression & Liberation in 1972. His most recent books are God Save the Queen: The Strange Persistence of Monarchies and Death in the Sauna. Victoria Hotel Woodend, High St, Woodend. 12pm-3pm. $26.50.

Friday, December 6

Garden Bonsai Nursery Open Day: A wide range of bonsai grown by an accomplished and knowledgeable plantsman. Visitors welcome to look and ask questions. Mount Macedon Bonsai Nursery, 4 Cheniston Rd, Mount Macedon. 9am-5pm.

Workshop Floristry Christmas Arrangement: Learn how to construct a fresh floral Christmas table centrepiece. Macedon Ranges Further Education Centre, Hamilton St, Gisborne. 9.30am-12.30pm. $100.

Games Barefoot Bowls: Play bowls in bare feet or flat-soled shoes. Macedon Ranges Bowling Club, Tony Clarke Reserve, Waterfalls Rd, Macedon. From 5.30pm. Adult $20, Child $10.

Community Kyneton Late Night Shopping: High St, Mollison St & Piper St, Kyneton. Until 7pm.

Quiz Friday Night Pub Trivia: Topical and fun questions plus some games. The Victoria Hotel, High St, Woodend. 7pm. Free.

Saturday, December 7

Exercise Parkruns: 5km fun runs/walks in Gisborne (Dixon Field), Lancefield (Lancefield Park) and Woodend (Campaspe Dr). All abilities welcome. 8am. Free.

Market Woodend Farmers’ Market: Cnr High St & Forest St. 9am-1pm.

Market Woodend Lions Sunday Market: Rear of Woodend Neighbourhood House, Forest St, Woodend. 9am-1pm.

Community Woodend Repair Cafe: Enjoy a cuppa while your broken household items are being mended. The Undercroft, Woodend Neighbourhood House, Forest St (enter via the community garden near the skate park). 9am-1pm. Free.

Market CWA Christmas Fair: Handmade Christmas goods and crafts. Organised by Central Highlands CWA. CWA Hall, 662 Mount Macedon Rd, Mount Macedon. 10am-3pm.

Music Juliarna’s Jazz: Juliarna Clark will be joined by The Syncopators for a show with a Christmas feel. Newham Mechanics Institute, Rochford Rd. 11am-1pm. $36.

Music A Baroque Christmas: Douglas Lawrence will direct the internationally-acclaimed Australian Chamber Choir. Church of the Resurrection, Cnr Mount Macedon Rd & Honour Ave, Macedon. 3pm-4pm. Premium $85, Adult/Senior $73, Pensioner $48, Student $25.

Beer Brewery Tour: See how beer is brewed. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4.30pm. $25.

Community Darraweit Guim Carols: Barbecue, singalong and Santa visit. DV Cider, 39 Darraweit Valley Rd, Darraweit Guim. 6pm-9pm.

Music Dolla Pots: 1960s-90s acoustic ensemble. The Lancefield Hotel, High St, Lancefield. 9pm.

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Sunday, December 8

Food Romsey Garlic Festival: Market garden tour and garlic braiding workshop. Farm shop, cakes, preserves and Christmas gifts. Barbecue by Melbourne chef Lorena Corso. Force of Nature Food Co, 221 Ochiltrees Rd, Romsey. 8am-2pm. Free.

Market Daylesford Sunday Market: Daylesford Railway Station, Raglan St. 8am-3pm.

Market Romsey Market: Bric-a-brac, woodwork, jewellery, candles, handmade goods, and food vans. Run by Lancefield Romsey Lions Club. Romsey Skate Park, Cnr Main St & White Ave. 9am-1pm.

Market Flea Market: Treasures to be found. Malmsbury Town Hall, Mollison St. 9am-2pm. Entry gold coin donation.

Food & Drink Fete de la Fleur: Live music and Italian food to celebrate the flowering of the vineyard. Lyons Will Estate, 60 Whalans Track, Lancefield. 12pm-5pm. Entry free.

Dancing Old Time Dancing: Dancing to a live band. Lancefield Mechanics Institute, Cnr High St & The Crescent, Lancefield. 1pm-5pm. $8.

Beer Brewery Tour: See how beer is brewed. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4.30pm. $25.

Singing Rainbow Voices Community Choir: LGBTQIA+ and allies choir. For anyone aged 13 and over. Kyneton Community House Good Food Hub, 35 High St, Kyneton. 4pm-6pm.

Music Tim Rogers: See the You Am I frontman in concert. With folk singer-songwriter Mariah McCarthy. Kyneton Town Hall, Mollison St, Kyneton. 4pm-6pm. Full $64, Group 6+ $59.

Music Gisborne Community Carols: Music from Burnt Honey and Takt and performances by local choirs and schools. Dixon Field, Robertson St, Gisborne. 6pm (carols from 6.30pm).

Exhibitions

Kyneton The Old Auction House: Exhibition: Buttlejorrk and Macedon Ranges Potters, Megan McInerny and Astrid Lempriere. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm.

Kyneton Art on Piper: Every day 10am-4pm.

Kyneton Stockroom: Exhibitions: Steven Bellosguardo, Welfe Bowyer. Thu-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm.

Kyneton Cusack & Cusack: Fri-Sun 10am-3pm.

Kyneton Kyneton Museum: Exhibition: Nurses, Medicine and Caring. Fri-Sun. 11am-4pm.

Kyneton Kyneton Ridge Artspace: Exhibition: Summer Show. Sat & Sun 11am-5pm.

Mount Macedon The Gallery: Exhibition: Christmas. Fri-Tues 10am-4pm.

Newham Hanging Rock Winery: Exhibition: Art in the Vines (sculptures). Every day 10am-5pm.

Trentham Trentham District Story: Outdoor display telling the story of Trentham from its earliest Indigenous inhabitants to the present day. Open every day in the grounds of the Old Police Station, 3-5 Camp St, Trentham.

Trentham Little Gallery: Fri-Mon 10am-4pm.

Woodend The Back Shed Gallery: 33 Urquhart St, Woodend. Tues-Sun 10am-5pm.

Have a great week!

Richard

P.S. I’ve tried my best to ensure accuracy, but please follow the links above to confirm details before attending events.

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Snap it with your phone

SUNSET REFLECTIONS

Professional photographer Tiffany Warner explains how you can capture stunning sunsets.

📍 Gisborne Racecourse Marshlands Reserve

Sunsets can be beautiful, but sunsets reflecting in water are particularly beautiful.

To add more interest to my pictures, I look for something that will draw the viewer’s eye in a different direction.

In this case, I have chosen a small platform and strategically placed it to one side. This prompts the viewer to look across to the brightest and most colourful part of the image. This is a fun technique to practise when photographing dams, waterways or beaches.

As the sky darkens, the colours become even more vivid. Try capturing images at different times to observe the changes in colour.

💡 Tip: Be on the lookout for reflections and try to find another point of interest to create an eye-catching image.

Happy snapping!

Tiffany

📷 In addition to portrait and commercial work, Tiffany Warner runs short courses on smartphone photography for social media. See more of her images on Instagram.

🎅 Find out about Christmas carols, films, workshops and festivals. Click here for a round-up of Christmas events.

In the news

🐮 KYNETON: About 9,000 people attended this year’s Kyneton Show across two days. Kyneton Agricultural Society president Andrew Ferrington said: “We aim to improve every year and this was just a ripper.”

🏡 GISBORNE: A house renovated by Scott Cam during the 2022 season of The Block has yet to find a buyer one year after hitting the market.

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