Welcome to Your Macedon Ranges for Monday, February 5, to Sunday, February 11.
🧭 Ever watched The Amazing Race and thought you could do better? Now’s your chance! Three beginner-friendly orienteering events will be staged this month in parks around the Macedon Ranges. Suitable for adults and children, and all fitness levels, the events will take place at Kyneton Botanic Gardens on February 14, Woodend parklands on February 21, and Malmsbury Botanic Gardens on February 28. No previous orienteering experience is necessary. Click here for more details.
🚗 The Picnic at Hanging Rock Classic Car Show will be roaring back for its 37th year on Sunday. Thousands of cars, bikes, and trucks will be on display from 8.30am.
🍅 Do you prefer cherry tomatoes or slicing tomatoes? As a kid, I wouldn’t have gone near either; now I love the former and happily eat the latter, and appreciate the variety of flavours in both. Duncan Cocking’s gardening article this week is all about growing tasty tomatoes. You’ll find it below the event guide.
Here are the events and activities happening in the Macedon Ranges this week:
Click the links for more info 👇
Tuesday, February 6
Environment Getting off Gas Webinar: Energy experts at Renew will discuss options for switching from gas to electric in your home. 7pm-8.30pm. Free.
Wednesday, February 7
Singing Woodend Warblers: Community choir. Norma Richardson Hall, Buckland St, Woodend. 7.30pm. $12.
Thursday, February 8
Entertainment Dolly’s Disco Bingo: Music-based bingo. Mark off songs when you hear them. Kyneton Bowls Club, Mollison St, Kyneton. 6.30pm-8.30pm.
Quiz Trivia Night: General knowledge quiz. Gisborne Golf Club, Daly St. 7pm. Free.
Friday, February 9
Environment McGregor’s Loop Walk: Join Parks Victoria volunteers on an 8km moderate-level walk. Learn about plants and animals as well as the history of the Macedon Regional Park. McGregor’s Picnic Ground, Cameron Dr, Mount Macedon. 9.30am-1.30pm. Free.
Nature Hanging Rock Night Walk: Experience Hanging Rock after dark on a ranger-guided walk. See gliders, wallabies, native birds, bats, possums, koalas and many other animals. Hanging Rock Reserve, South Rock Rd, Woodend. 7pm-10pm. Family $75, Adult $30, Child $15.
Music Oscula Hail: Indie rock. Major Tom’s, 57 Piper St, Kyneton. 8.30pm-11pm. $15.
Saturday, February 10
Exercise Parkruns: 5km fun runs/walks in Gisborne (Dixon Field), Lancefield (Lancefield Park) and Woodend (Campaspe Dr). All abilities welcome. 8am. Free.
Market Kyneton Farmers’ & Makers’ Market: St Paul’s Park, Piper St, Kyneton. 8.30am-1pm.
Market Kyneton Community Market: Bric-a-brac, art, clothes, plants, food and local produce. Ebden St & Yaldwyn St West, Kyneton. 8.30am-1pm.
Walk The Macedon Ranges Circuit: A 20km hike to Camels Hump. Organised by Hiked. Mount Macedon Hotel, Mount Macedon Rd, Mount Macedon. 9am-3pm. $60.
Gardening Tuberous Begonia and Fuchsia Show: Hundreds of nursery-grown tuberous begonias. White House Nursery, 691 Ashbourne Rd, Ashbourne. 10am-4pm.
Music & Drink Songs and Cider: Live music with Bill Barber. DV Cider, 39 Darraweit Valley Rd, Darraweit Guim. 12pm-9pm (music 3pm-6pm).
Poetry Chamber Poets: Poets young and old, new and experienced share their poetry in a supportive environment. All welcome to participate or listen. Open mic on topic of love. Plus music by Black Forest Smoke. Woodend RSL, Anslow St. 1pm. Entry by donation.
Family History Graeme Davison – My Grandfather’s Clock: Eminent historian Graeme Davison AO will discuss his latest family history, My Grandfather’s Clock: Four Centuries of a British-Australian Family. Lancefield Mechanics’ Institute Hall Annexe, Cnr High Street & The Crescent, Lancefield. 2pm-5pm. $35.
Beer Brewery Tour: See how beer is brewed. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4pm. $25.
Music The Dingalings: R&B and rock ‘n’ roll songs from the 1950s and ’60s. Mount Monument, 1399 Romsey Rd, Romsey. 5pm-7pm. Free.
Music Lyonville Hall Folk-Blues Show: Music from Rhyley McGrath and Maddie O’Connor, Mick Trembath, and The Darlings Family Trust. Lyonville Hall, Bremner Ave, Lyonville. 7pm-10pm. Entry $12, Under-15 free.
Quiz Macedon Cricket Club Trivia Night: Test your knowledge. Tony Clarke Reserve, Waterfalls Rd, Macedon. 7pm-11.30pm. $30.
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Sunday, February 11
Market Daylesford Sunday Market: Daylesford Railway Station, Raglan St. 8am-3pm.
Motoring Picnic at Hanging Rock Classic Car Show: Retro cars, trucks and motorbikes, plus miniature train and exhibitors. Hanging Rock Reserve, South Rock Rd, Woodend. 8.30am-3.30pm. Car $25, Motorbike/Pedestrian $12.
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.
Gardening Tuberous Begonia and Fuchsia Show: Hundreds of nursery-grown tuberous begonias. White House Nursery, 691 Ashbourne Rd, Ashbourne. 10am-4pm.
Community Cleveland Estate Community Day: Live music with Jarrod Shaw, market stalls, children’s activities, and petanque. Plus pizzas, food vans, and local wine, gin and beer. Cleveland Winery, 55 Shannons Rd, Lancefield. 11am-3pm. Free.
Music The SoSaxy Band and Casey Withoos: Jazz, soul, Motown and pop hits. Hedge Farm, 124 Three Chain Rd, Carlsruhe. 12pm-5pm. $22.
Beer Brewery Tour: See how beer is brewed. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4pm. $25.
Music Ross Wilson & The Peaceniks: Celebrate 50 years of hits such as Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock. Kyneton Town Hall, Mollison St. 4pm-6pm. Full $69, Group 6+ $64.
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.
Exhibitions
Gisborne The Ranges in Focus: Images of the Macedon Ranges by members of Macedon Ranges Photographic Society. Gisborne Village Shopping Centre, Brantome St, Gisborne.
Kyneton The Old Auction House: Exhibition: Queerthentic Art Prize. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm.
Kyneton Art on Piper: Exhibition: Scott Maltese (photographic artist). Every day 10am-4pm.
Kyneton Stockroom: Exhibitions: Greg Wood, Yuria Okamura, Laura Veleff. Wed by appt, Thu-Sat 10.30am-5pm, Sun 11am-4pm.
Kyneton Cusack & Cusack: Fri-Sun 10am-3pm.
Kyneton Stitch in Time: Historical folk art and craft materials. Fri-Sun 11am-4pm.
Kyneton Kyneton Ridge Artspace: Exhibition: Jaime Emily Powell. Sat & Sun 11am-5pm.
Mount Macedon The Gallery: Exhibition: Tatiana Korinfsky. Fri-Tues 10am-4pm.
Newham Art in the Vines: Sculptures by 26 acclaimed artists. 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.
Coming up
Craft Vintage Model Vehicles: David Flintoff will talk about the beautiful wooden models he makes, including a 1930 Ford Roadster, a 1934 Chevy Coupe, vintage fire trucks, and an engine that runs on air. Kyneton Library, Baynton St. 10am-11am. Free. February 14.
Garden Open Garden at Stone Hill: Designed by Michael McCoy, the stunning perennial and gravel gardens at Stone Hill have attracted attention worldwide. Stone Hill, 97 Boundary Rd, Woodend North. 10am-4pm. Adult $15, Child free. February 17.
Garden Campout at Hanging Rock: Spend a night under the stars at Hanging Rock. Join a ranger-guided sunset tour to the summit. Watch a movie in the open air. Explore the reserve after dark. Hanging Rock Reserve, South Rock Rd, Woodend. From 4pm. $70 per site (up to six people). February 17.
Community Macedon CFA Community Day: Stalls, auction, children’s activities, petting zoo, plants, raffles. Macedon Fire Station, Cnr Smith St & Victoria St, Macedon. From 9.30am. February 24.
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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Which tomatoes will you choose?
GARDENING
Horticulturalist Duncan Cocking, who runs Kyneton-based Leaf, Root & Fruit, invites you to put tomatoes to the test.
A great variety of tomatoes are ripening in my garden. We as a family really only need a small number of plants. However, each year I run a workshop that includes some tomato taste tests, so to ensure there’s an adequate range of tomato flavours, I grow a lot more tomato plants than we need.
One new variety to our garden this summer is Earl of Edgecombe. It produces huge round yellow fruit. The Earl of Edgecombe plant seems fairly resistant to fungal disease and the fruit is tasty. I much prefer cherry tomatoes to large slicing tomatoes, but this one is good for its size.
What influences the flavour of your home-grown tomatoes? Soil quality, irrigation and ripeness can all play a small role. But the most critical aspect of growing tasty tomatoes is choosing the right varieties to grow in the first place.
Seed selection is critical. Now is the best time to taste as many different types of tomatoes as you can and decide which ones you will grow next summer.
You can try Earl of Edgecombe and many other tomato varieties at my workshop on March 16.
Happy tasting!
Duncan
🍅 For more gardening tips see my latest planting guide and garden update.
In the news
🚒 MALMSBURY: The historic Malmsbury Railway Station has been extensively damaged by fire. The blaze erupted about 5.30pm on Wednesday in the original station and station master’s residence, quickly spreading into the roof of the 1862 bluestone building.
👮 MACEDON RANGES: More than 50 speeding offences were recorded in the Macedon Ranges on the Australia Day long weekend.
🏃 KYNETON: Tony Davis, who helped to start Little Athletics in Kyneton more than 50 years ago and has been a volunteer at the club ever since, has been named as Macedon Ranges’ Citizen of the Year for 2024.
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