Welcome to Your Macedon Ranges for Monday, January 10, to Sunday, January 16.
🍷 What’s required to produce great wine grapes? Bob Nixon, from Gisborne Peak Winery, should know. He’s been growing grapes for more than 40 years, and on Saturday in a special masterclass for the Summertime Fling wine festival, he will be sharing what he has learned about trellising and canopy management. You can also hear Bob talk about how he built up the winery on Pete Fraser’s This Local Life podcast.
🧦 Some school holiday activities scheduled for this week will not now be going ahead. They are the Electronic Music Adventure program in Kyneton (Jan 12-14), and the tie-dyed socks and Sharpie shoes sessions at Romsey and Kyneton libraries (both Jan 14).
Here are the events and activities happening in the Macedon Ranges this week:
Click the links for more info 👇
Thursday, January 13
Drink Pups and Pints: Catch up with friends and bring your dog along too. In an enclosed area where dogs can be off-leash. Woodend. 5pm-8pm.
Saturday, January 15
Exercise Campaspe Parkrun: 5km fun run along the Five Mile Creek path. Every Saturday. Campaspe Park, Campaspe Dr, Woodend. 8am. Free (registration required).
Market Riddells Creek Farmers’ and Makers’ Markets: Memorial Dr, Riddells Creek. 9am-1pm.
Market Trentham Farmers’ Market: Town Square, High St, Trentham. 9am-1pm.
Market Glenlyon Village Market: Shire Hall, Barkly St, Glenlyon. 9am-1pm.
🍷 Wine Turning Sunlight into Wine: Learn how to grow grapes for wine. Summertime Fling event. Gisborne Peak Winery, 69 Short Rd, Gisborne. 9am-1pm. $30.
Food & Drink American Barbecue Pie and Wine Pairing: Pulled pork, beef brisket, pumpkin pie, smoked lemon cheesecake, and wines. Double Oaks Estate, 104 Ashworths Rd, Lancefield. From 12pm. $50.
🍷 Wine Pinot and Penne Puttanesca Special: Summertime Fling event. Kyneton Ridge Estate, 517 Blackhill Rd, Kyneton. 12pm-3pm. $25.
Music Summer Sessions: Music from Bill Barber and Charlie Bedford at DV Cider House. Food DV Cider, 39 Darraweit Valley Rd, Darraweit Guim. 12pm-5pm.
🍷 Wine Pinot Unearthed: Sample wines from some of the Macedon Ranges’ new and up-and-coming pinot producers. Summertime Fling event. Lyons Will Estate, 60 Whalans Track, Lancefield. 12pm-6pm. $25.
Food Cheese-making Workshop: Learn how to make mozzarella, artisan rennet-curd cheese and ricotta, and how to preserve olives. Woodend Neighbourhood House, Forest St. 12.30pm-4.30pm. $180.
🍷 Wine Wine, Picnic and Music in the Vines: Bring a picnic and make an afternoon of it. Summertime Fling event. Zig Zag Rd Winery, 201 Zig Zag Rd, Drummond North. 1pm-4pm. $25.
Music Tunes and Tastings: Live music. Local wines and gins on paddle boards, plus beers. Family-friendly event. Newham General Store, Dons Rd. 1pm-4pm.
Beer Brewery Tour: Learn how the beer is brewed at Holgate Brewhouse. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4pm. $25.
Music The Smallgoods: Back after seven years with a batch of new songs. Major Tom’s, 57 Piper St, Kyneton. 8.30pm-11pm. $15.
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Sunday, January 16
Market Daylesford Sunday Market: Daylesford Railway Station, Raglan St. 8am-3pm.
Market Malmsbury Farmers’ and Artists’ Market: Mollison St, Malmsbury. 9am-1pm.
Market Woodend Lions Sunday Market: Cnr High St & Forest St, Woodend. 9am-2pm.
🍷 Food & Drink Bubbles Brunch: Summertime Fling event. Parkside Winery, 308 Parks Rd, Lancefield. 11am-2pm. $35.
Food & Drink American Barbecue Pie and Wine Pairing: Pulled pork, beef brisket, pumpkin pie, smoked lemon cheesecake, and wines. Double Oaks Estate, 104 Ashworths Rd, Lancefield. From 12pm. $50.
🍷 Wine Pinot, Pizza and Petanque: Summertime Fling event. Cleveland Winery, 55 Shannons Rd, Lancefield. 12pm-3pm.
🍷 Music Jazz Deuce: Enjoy the smooth music of the Bendigo duo. Summertime Fling event. Kyneton Ridge Estate, 517 Blackhill Rd, Kyneton. 12pm-3pm. $25.
Beer Brewery Tour: Learn how the beer is brewed at Holgate Brewhouse. Holgate Brewhouse, High St, Woodend. 3pm-4pm. $25.
Beekeeping Woodend Bee-Friendly Society: Monthly meeting. Woodend Neighbourhood House, Forest St. 3pm-4.30pm.
Music Between Day and Night: Harp performance by Michael Johnson. Dromkeen, 1012 Kilmore Rd, Riddells Creek. 3pm-4.30pm. $30.
Exhibitions
Kyneton Creatures of Art: Kylie Cuthbertson pairs the vibrant colours and textures found in nature with her whimsical, energetic style. Until February 14. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm.
Kyneton Over the Horizon: An exhibition of work by five local artists. Until January 31. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm.
Kyneton Stockroom Artists: Fri-Sat 10.30am-5pm.
Kyneton A Biodiversity Crisis – Animals and Plants of the Macedon Ranges: Interactive exhibition. Contains taxidermy. Fri-Sun 11am-4pm. Adult $5.10, Concession/student $3.10, Child under 5 free, Family $10.20.
Newham Art in the Vines – AV4: Sculptures by 26 acclaimed artists. Until April 25. Every day 10am-5pm.
Trentham Little Gallery Members: Artwork by Rose Wilson, Helen Cottle, Kim Haughie, Ri Van Veen, Larissa Gray, Llael McDonald, Frances Harkin, Liz Archer, Ruby Wilson-Peirce, Sam Bloomfield. Thu-Mon 10am-4pm.
School holidays
Kids Tie-dyed Socks: Have fun with colour and create a unique and groovy pair of socks just for you. For ages 5-10. Woodend. January 20.
Kids Movie Matinee – Sing: Animated musical comedy. A hustling theatre impresario tries to save his theatre by holding a singing competition. Gisborne. January 19.
Kids Sharpie Shoes: Create cool and colourful shoes. For ages 10-15. Woodend: January 20. Gisborne: January 22.
Kids The T-Rex Tea Party: Interactive theatre about a cheeky dinosaur. For ages 4-8. Woodend. January 21.
Coming up
Gardening Gardening in a Changing Climate (online): Trentham-based garden designer and author Simon Rickard presents the first of three masterclasses. This one looks at the early-summer garden. January 20.
Nature Hanging Rock Night Walk: A rare opportunity to experience Hanging Rock after dark. See gliders, wallabies, native birds, bats, possums, koalas and many other animals. Hanging Rock. January 21.
Theatre Love Song: The Mount Players present a romantic comedy about an oddball and his mysterious new love. Macedon. February 18-March 6.
Comedy Arj Barker Comes Clean: Australia’s adopted son of comedy returns with a new hour-long show. Kyneton. February 9.
Opera Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: Family-friendly production by the Australian Contemporary Opera Company in the magnificent grounds of Bolobek. Two performances. Macedon. March 12.
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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Your Macedon Ranges is researched, written, and edited by me alone. Compiling it takes me 10+ hours each week. I love doing it, and the response has been incredible. I’m very grateful for your kind words.
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Before petrol, customers here bought beer
Then & Now
With thanks to Woodend & District Heritage Society. The society meets on Wednesdays, 10am-4pm, at the old courthouse in Forest St, Woodend.
McKenzie’s Hotel sat roughly where Woodend’s BP petrol station and 19th Hole car park stand, and was built by Alfred McKenzie in 1853 as the London & Liverpool Hotel. His son Henry took over and by 1896 the hotel was so popular it had to refuse 187 applications for rooms in December alone, with many of the visitors bringing maids and governesses.
Henry officially changed the name of the hotel to McKenzie’s Hotel. In 1936, Ellis Davis, referred to in the Woodend Star as Melbourne’s leading bookmaker, took over and added counter lunches and gambling. By the 1950s, Nellie Dowling ran the hotel, arranging every Christmas for busloads of old-aged pensioners to be brought from Melbourne for a lavish dinner.
Ted Rippon, a well-known footballer, renamed it the 19th Hole Hotel to attract the golfing crowd, and renowned golfers such as Joe Kirkwood and Peter Thomson were among the visitors. Delicensed, the hotel burned down in November 1960.
✍️ Jannyse Williams, author of Time Gentlemen, Please! Hotels of Woodend and the Surrounding District.
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