Carefree No. 415 – April 2016

C a re f re e C o m m u n ic a t io n s
C a re f re e C a ra v a n e e rs o f S A I n c – A f f ilia t e d w i t h
A CCSA
NEWSLETTER 415 – APRIL 2016
PRESIDENT: Peter Hicks, phone 8381 9266
TREASURER: Rod Whitelock, mobile 0417 883 095
SECRETARY: Yvonne Cock, mobile 0417 803 206
email carefreesecretary@gmail.com
VICE PRESIDENT:
NEWSLETTER:
AUDITOR:
Chris Edwards, phone 8271 5713
Barb Iles, phone 8263 8070
John Grovermann, phone
8355.2221
THIS RALLY: Halls Gap Caravan and Tourist Park, Grampians Road, Hall’s Gap.
4251, e-mail: inf@hallsgapcaravanpark.com.au. DOGS ALLOWED
‘Phone: 03 5356
Extra nights on the way there and home are at your own leisure.
Those people who have indicated their intention of attending are:
Yvonne and D’Arcy Cock
Pat and Joe Vella
Ann and Rod Whitelock
Ruth and Don McChesney
Beverley and Christopher Edwards
Hazel and Tony Langley
Audrey and Trevor Porter
N.B.
Jacquie and Graham Brown
Judy Duke
Sheila and Peter Hinks
Val and Graham Wilkinson
Donna and Leon Noble
Marilyn and John Grovermann
Philippa and Karl Becker
The above members are going in pairs, as they are sharing Auction holidays.
Please note:
FC
Those going to Port Vincent in May are reminded that a deposit of $50 is to be paid by 27th March.
It was supposed to be 2 months prior, but Yvonne has not heard from them. If you cancel 28 days prior
you get a full refund, less 20% admin fee.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
HALLS GAP RALLY
Monday 11th – Saturday 16th April 2016
Monday 11th
P
am
Tuesday 12th
Happy Hour.
6:30 pm
BYO meal to sit and eat with
everyone.
10:00 am
G
R
A
M
Wednesday
13th
Next Rally:
4:30 pm
R
O
Arrive and settle in.
Free day for walks or drives.
Meet to see who wishes to
join whom.
1:00 pm
Meet for lunch – soup provided
by Club.
4:30 pm
Happy Hour.
7:30 pm
Yvonne’s quiz.
10:00 am
4:30 pm
-
($50 deposit to be paid by
27th March 2016 – see
above)
Thursday 12th – Monday 16th
May 2016
(4 nights)
Dogs allowed
Meet for visit to Zoo.
Happy Hour.
BBQ Tea together
everything.
Port Vincent Caravan Park
–
BYO
Program (continued)
Thursday 14th
Friday 15th
Saturday 16th
-
Visit Dunkeld for lunch.
-
Rest of day free.
4.30 pm
Happy Hour
9:00 am
Breakfast supplied by Club.
2:30 pm
Disc Bowls (weather permitting).
4:30 pm
Happy Hour.
7:30 pm
4 question quiz.
-
Safe trip home
Reporter:
Pat Vella
Thought of the Day:
Day:
It’s your road and yours alone, others may walk it with you, but no-one can walk it for
you.
A MESSAGE FROM PHILIPPA
Can everyone attending Halls Gap bring a packet of coloured pencils with them as we are going to
have a Hans Heysen-inspired landscape picture. Not being able to draw is a qualification; secretly
numbered art paper will be supplied (the sheets of paper will not be very big about the size of a school
exercise book) and we will have an exhibition at the end of the rally. Only each artist will know their
secret number so no-one will feel like a dill. Drawings can be done in private or public, artist should
suit themselves; it’s just a fun thing. But everyone to beg, borrow, steal or buy and bring coloured
pencils and a sharpener
THINGS TO DO AT HALLS GAP: A helpful list from Yvonne
The Pinnacles. Walk – 2 hrs each way – some of it over rocks. Take trail up from Sudial
Carpark – easier walk.
Halls Gap Zoo, 4061 Arrarat/Halls Gap Road.
interesting
Excellent.
We have been there, very
Brambuk National Park and Cultural Centre, 277 Grampians Road. Insight into Gariwerd
traditional owners.
Reed Outlook. Short, easy 10 minute walk – can drive to lookout.
Golf Course.
Steve Morvill Wildlife Art Gallery. Very interesting man, even if the art does not impress
you.
Mt William. Can drive to car park and see views OR walk is a bit steep 1.8 km bitumen path
but steep.
The GAP vineyard, Pomonal Road Halls Gap. Wines – Shiraz CB Sav Riesling, not far from
zoo. Great tasting cheese platter to have with wines.
Fish Falls. Access from Zumsteins Car Park. Easy walk – beautiful tiered waterfall. Take
bathers for swim and perhaps picnic lunch – can continue on this path to Mackenzie Falls.
Can drive to Mackenzie Falls also.
Things to do at Hall’s Gap (continued)
Lake Bellfield, Lake Fryans, Wartook Reservoir, Silverban Falls. Easy walk.
Visit Pub at Dunkeld.
Stawell has a gold museum and lookout.
Caravan Park gives maps and info on all these activities.
Park is close to shopping centre. Great shops: ice cream –take away – sweet shop and others.
UNDER-CAPTAIN’S CHATTER FOR THE PORT HUGHES RALLY, MARCH 2016
Twenty people attended the rally at Port Hughes. A small, but happy group!
We shared a meal on Thursday night after a noisy Happy Hour with everyone catching up with their
news and, once again, the cooks’ imaginations came to the fore and the dishes were various and
delicious.
We did not have organised tours on this rally as most people had seen all there is to see in the district,
but some of our numbers arranged their own tours and enjoyed them very much. We did, however,
have an excellent meal of fish and chips from the local shop/post office/everything on Friday night,
disk bowls on Saturday afternoon and a Sunday lunch at the Port Hughes Tavern followed by mini golf
(where Hazel scored a HOLE IN ONE!!!) It was lovely to see Ron and Margaret Feast and Brian and
Nancy Routley at this rally too.
Thank you to all club members for their support while I have been “Under-Captain.” Now we’re looking
forward to Hall’s Gap and seeing Peter and Sheila back in their place as President and First Lady.
Ruth McChesney
BIRTHDAYS
3 rd
4th
6th
8th
20th
ANNIVERSARIES
Hazel Langley
Ruth McChesney
Lorna Amis
Pam Holding
Keith McAloney
1st
2nd
4th
18th
20th
21st
2 3 rd
Pam and Colin Sieber
Val and Graham Wilkinson
Viv and Don Grund
Kath and Bob Rowe
Beverley and Christopher Edwards
Lorna and Clive Amis
Nancy and Brian Routley
GET WELL
To
the
best
of
our
knowledge, there is no-one
on the sick list.
PORT HUGHES REPORT: 17th – 21st March 2016
Reporter: Philippa Becker
th
Thursday the 17 March and it dawned warm and tropically humid at Port Hughes for our rally date
and what a good turnout we had, including some welcome surprise visitors.
Among our van surprise comers were Judy for a short time, Viv and Don with the new addition to the
Grund Family; their pup Charlie who seems to have Don and Viv as his willing slaves. Pam Holding and
her friend Val came and stayed in a cabin on site. Joseph remembered the date of the rally this time
and we were happy to see him with his caravan.
The ablutions at this park are rather spacious, nice big toilet cubicles not those ones that are so
miniscule that you have to insert yourself between the closing privacy door while the loo roll holder
pokes in your back and you knock your knees on the toilet bowl into the bargain. Big mirrors over the
hand basins that are angled in such a way that as you approach you can scarily see three of yourself
approaching. For a moment there I thought I had turned into triplets.
Port Hughes Report (continued)
Tony went into his van and hey-presto! returned dressed all in green to honour Saint Patrick whose day
it was. Applause.
Well that humidity was not for nothing, and before Happy Hour rolled around a big storm did with
thunder and lightning and big buckets of rain were dropped from above turning what had formerly
been dry, dusty and grass-free into sloppy, brown mud with sudden rivers. Our plans to have Happy
Hour under the trees was quickly changed to the camp kitchen shed.
Our acting leader “Capitan Ruth” climbed up onto a bench and magnificently delivered her welcome
speech, announce the coming program for the days to come and everything else that needed to be
announced. She did well.
Following Happy Hour, all who attended the shared casseroles enjoyed the variety the club is famous
for. Big surprise, while we were eating Nancy and Brian Routley came along. They were staying in their
holiday house at Moonta and it was so good to be able to catch up with them. They are both looking
full of health and this is pleasing as Brian was not well some time back.
The sunset over the sea was able to be viewed from the windows of the camp kitchen and due to the
low clouds it was colourful and spectacular. While we were dining the rainstorm passed so we could
make our way back to our vans without having to juggle umbrellas at the same time.
During the night when we went to our beds, up came a heavy duty wind with extra big gusts shaking the
awnings and consequently the vans. Most vanners went out during the small hours just to check. As
dawn approached the wind abated somewhat and morning inspection revealed everything to be in good
order and the only damage done was to Joseph’s awning which sustained a small rip.
Some people suffered the attentions of sandflies, and someone whose name begins with K was savaged
and has itchy polka dots all over his continental legs. A visit to the local chemist helped relieve the
itch, if not the spots.
On Friday we took it easy, thankfully the weather had cooled to a more acceptable level of comfort.
At Happy Hour that evening yet another surprise, the Margaret and Ron Feast appeared, they were
staying at Moonta and it was good to see them too. That evening the Club put on Fish and Chips which
were really some of the best tasting bought fish and chips. Overnight the weather was calm so we
were able to have a good night’s sleep without having to worry if we were gofsing to be blown away.
Again cooler the Saturday and a gentleman who up to that date had been wearing shorts resorted to
jeans, only to find that he had not included
a belt when packing his stuff.
Hazel
offered to source one when she went into
Moonta that afternoon but did not count on
country hours, the shops shut at lunchtime
on a Saturday in the country so the
gentleman had to step, step and hitch his
duds up, sort of like a dance.
Three of the clock and all the players
gathered on a grassy patch outside the
camp kitchen for a big game of disc bowls.
What a tense and exciting comp! The
winning combo were Don Grund and Philippa.
(See photo left, courtesy Tony Langley).
At Happy Hour, left over fish from the previous night was cut up and served; everyone was surprised
how good it tasted. A cool night followed, good for sleeping and I did hear that a couple deemed it so
cool that they put on their winter PJ’s.
Port Hughes Report (continued)
Sunday lunch at mid-day at the Hotel down by the water where the Hot Veg and Salad Bar were great
and they served us good fare, much more than we could eat, but did offer doggie boxes.
At 3:00 pm a gang of the most inept mini golfers hit the park course. First we had a trial, well the
scores were so high we thought we best declare it a trial and begin again. Hazel almost gave herself
conniptions of surprise when she hit a hole-in-one on number five. Someone should have given her a big
bag of money for that, but we did not have one. After more calculations than required for the national
debt by Grahame and Val, Tony was declared the winner of the sheep station prize and Philippa the
worst player.
That afternoon Happy Hour was between the vans of Whitlock’s and Becker’s, by that time our
numbers had been depleted a little and Judy bought out her game of “Jackpot” and we all had a go for
fun and entertainment.
Monday and it was pack up and leave for home or other parts of the country. A big ‘thank you’ to all
who attended and for your company, hope to see as many as can make it at Hall’s Gap next month.
1.
Those going to Port Vincent in May have to pay a deposit of $50 by 27th March. (See page 1)
2.
Philippa asks:
(See page 2)
Can everyone attending Halls Gap bring a packet of coloured pencils with them?
Photo courtesy Trevor Porter