Beechworth Ghost Tours
A 19th century asylum might initially seem an unlikely place to take tourists, however, the popularity of attractions such as the Old Melbourne Gaol and Shipwrecked! sound and laser show at Warrnambool’s Flagstaff Maritime Village demonstrate, places with a history of scandal, hardship, tragedy and conflict are eternally fascinating for travellers.
The appeal is even greater if there’s a possibility of a supernatural sighting thrown in.
The new Beechworth Ghost Tours gives visitors a tantalising glimpse of a contentious, rarely discussed part of Australia's social history: how past generations perceived and treated mental illness.
Commencing every night at dusk, the tour shows guests what life was really like at the Beechworth Lunatic Asylum (later renamed Mayday Hospital and now located on the Latrobe University campus) which was one of three major mental health institutions to open in Victoria in 1867.
Guided by a ‘ghostly host’, visitors are taken deep into the former hospital to hear about the living conditions and treatment of patients who were committed there during the 1800s and early 1900s, a time when mental illness carried huge social stigma.
The asylum’s patients, who could be committed to the institution on the strength of just two signatures (compared to eight signatures required for release), included those suffering from schizophrenia, epileptic fits and post-natal depression as well as soldiers returning from world wars, orphans and women considered ‘too seductive’.
With no medication available, patient ‘treatments’ included shackles, handcuffs and dark isolation rooms (where they could be put for up to a month) as well as inhumane shock therapy.
According to many visitors, it’s not just physical remnants of the asylum’s history that linger. Unusual events are a frequent part of the experience, as evidenced by numerous internet postings by those who have taken the tour who describe supernatural objects appearing in photos, unexplained happenings or strange visual phenomena.
The Beechworth Ghost Tours were launched in Easter 2008 by local history buff Adam Wynne Jenkins (whose parents worked as psychiatric nurses at the asylum) and his wife Sharon who wanted to give visitors a chance to understand a major - but largely unpublicised - part of Beechworth’s history.
More information: go to www.beechworthghosttours.com
Media contact: Sharon and Adam Wynne-Jenkins, Ph: 0447 432 816 or email info@beechworthghosttours.com
World cooking classes in Mornington Peninsula
George’s B&B and Culinary Retreat, a stylish architecturally-designed guest house located at Arthur’s Seat on the Mornington Peninsula, is hosting a program of culinary weekends that combine quality accommodation and ‘hands on’ cooking classes.
Modelled on the famous live-in cooking schools of Italy and France, George’s caters from for all skill levels, with classes taking place in an intimate group setting (maximum of eight people) to ensure all guests have access to the master chef instructor.
George’s cooking weekends generally take place over three days and two fun filled nights, with a streamlined two day and one night version recently introduced for the ‘time poor’.
A variety of different cuisine themes are offered including classic French, Mediterranean and South East Asia as well as game cooking and French pastries - all devised by George’s head chef Duncan White-Robertson.
George’s next cooking weekend will take place from 15 to 17 August and explores health conscious cooking. Participants will learn how to prepare low fat and low sugar recipes that still ‘pack a punch’ on the taste buds, highlighting Asian, Moroccan and Middle East flavours. The three-day Health Conscious Cooking Class package ($990 per person) includes: two nights’ luxury accommodation; all meals; a sommelier at each meal; a local producer and winery tour; a 30-minute private mineral spa; and gift pack on arrival.
More information: www.georgesonarthurs.com.au
Media contact: Lori Wilson on 0414898927 or email marketing@georgesonarthurs.com.au
Sovereign Hill offers visitors a real-life ‘night at the museum’
Sovereign Hill has taken a lead straight from Hollywood with a unique new product that allows visitors to literally spend ‘a night in the museum’.
For the first time in its 37-year history, Sovereign Hill is giving visitors the opportunity to become part of the Sovereign Hill story via its ‘Night in the Museum’ package. Guests can stay on-site within the outdoor museum at a new accommodation complex located in the Steinfield building at the top of its famous Main Street.
Formerly utilised as a Victorian-style furniture warehouse, the Steinfield building has been beautifully transformed and extended. The upstairs rooms are designed exclusively for special weekend retreats, with a large guest lounge room providing breathtaking views down Main Street and across East Ballarat.
Overnight guests will experience the romance and charm of life as it was on the goldfields for the gentry of the 1850s, hosted by one of Sovereign Hill’s costumed characters.
The package includes full period costume, Victorian afternoon tea, a tour of the township, an exclusive mine tour and an amazing ‘Taste of Empire’ dinner plus time to enjoy all of Sovereign Hill’s trademark activities including ‘Blood on the Southern Cross’.
More information: www.sovereignhill.com.au
Media contact: Serena Eldridge, Sovereign Hill on (03) 5337 1125
New Melbourne hot spots
This month three city establishments - Madame Brussells, MoVida Next Door and the Red Hummingbird - add new adjacent venues to their alcoholic arsenal.
MoVida Next Door, 164 Flinders Street, Melbourne PH: 9663 3038
For regular patrons of (the original) MoVida restaurant/bar, successfully claiming a tapas table or a bar stool always brings with it a sense of achievement. This laneway hot spot is always packed, with newly arrived patrons buzzing around its tiny entrance area, primed and ready to swoop on any recently vacated seat with the fervour of pre-schoolers playing a game of musical chairs.
This winter, MoVida has welcomed a new neighbour - MoVida Next Door. This adjacent venue, which is already attracting scores of devotees, looks set to replicate the success of the original.
Frank Camorra’s delicious tapas menu, including divine sardines and house-made chorizo, is augmented with a large number of daily specials. The drinks list is extensive, containing everything from a super dry aperitif through to the Cardenal Cisneros sherry (described by leading bar website Deck of Secrets as ‘the liquid equivalent of a Christmas pudding’).
Image courtesy of Deck of Secrets.com
The Parlour at Madame Brussels, Level 3, 59-63, Bourke Street, Melbourne PH: (03) 9662 2775
When Madame Brussels first opened in 2006 it caused quite a stir. With itsEnglish garden party décor, quaint outdoor furniture (nestled snugly indoors), green astro-turf, jugs of Pimms and staff decked out in cricket whites, this bar is definitely one of a kind.
Now Madame Brussels has added a new, more intimate room, The Parlour, which is another great venue for a ‘distinguished’ night on the town. Hidden away down a corridor behind the main bar, entrance to The Parlour is through a green picket fence (yes really). Exuding an elegant, comfortable charm, the bar resembles an old-world gentlemen’s club with refined antique style furnishings and a personal drinks waiter who works their magic using genuine art deco cocktail tools.
For more information about The Parlour, have a read of the highly entertaining, rich-with-double-entrendres description on Madame Brussels’ website www.madamebrussels.com
Silk Pagoda Rooftop, The Red Hummingbird, 1/246 Russell Street, Melbourne Ph: (03) 9654 2266
The Red Hummingbird has relaunched its already existing rooftop bar adding a new Eastern-inspired ‘silk pagoda’ shelter, featuring silk lanterns and a glowing red cover, designed to keep patrons snug and warm during Melbourne’s winter chill.
The Red Hummingbird rooftop bar is a Bali-style oasis complete with hanging wicker chairs, palms, timber decking, candles and heated, undercover areas. As well as a solid beer, wine and cocktails list, the Red Hummingbird has a delicious menu of ‘bird feed’ (bar snacks).
Mantra Deep Blue Warrnambool welcomes whale-watching season
Warrnambool has excitedly welcomed the arrival a southern right whale, affectionately known as ‘Big Lips’, and her calf to its Logans Beach whale nursery, marking the beginning of the whale-watching season which runs until the end of September.
Whales are annual visitors to Warrnambool from July until October, travelling from the Antarctic to the town's warmer waters to have their calves. Upon their arrival, the town goes into ‘whale mode’.
To coincide with the opening of the 2008 whale-watching season, the four-and-a-half star Mantra Deep Blue resort has put together a luxurious new ‘Whale Experience’ package for visitors.
Starting from $189 per couple, the package includes luxury overnight accommodation for two people, choice of continental breakfast buffet or freshly cooked a la carte breakfast as well as free souvenir binoculars to enhance your whale watching experience. An optional extra is a scenic whale flight with Air Warrnambool for additional cost of only $75.
The Whale Experience package is available from now until 30 September 2008.
More information/bookings: call 1300 987 620 or www.mantradeepblue.com.au
Media contact: Leanne Tyrrell, Tyrrell Publicity and Promotions on (03) 9629 7000
Luxury and style for budget travellers in Melbourne
The Pensione Hotel Melbourne is a new boutique hotel specifically designed for budget-conscious leisure and corporate travellers seeking style and comfortable accommodation.
Fusing stunning heritage building features with contemporary design, Pensione Hotel Melbourne’s 114 rooms cater for cater for single, double, twin, triple and family occupancy. Amenities include wireless high speed internet access, 24 hour reception, roof sun deck, guest rooms specially designed for disabled travellers, and a bar and restaurant.
The hotel’s central location adjacent to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and Southern Cross transport hub offers convenient access to the CBD and suburbs and is within walking distance of Melbourne’s key cultural, entertainment and leisure attractions.
Prices start at $95 per room per night inclusive of rates and taxes.
For more information: www.eighthotels.com
Media contact: Konstanze Werhahn-Mees, Eight Hotels Australia on (02) 9295 8803 or 0416 800 793 or email konstanze@eighthotels.com
New Moonlight Sanctuary bus service for day and night visits
Moonlight Sanctuary has been enticing visitors to the Mornington Peninsula for the past six years with its eco-accredited tours showcasing the region’s unusual and endangered wildlife species, such as the Southern Bettong (a miniature kangaroo) and Giant Fluffy Glider.
Until recently, the only way visitors could get to the sanctuary was by car, but last month Moonlight Sanctuary commenced regular express Melbourne-to-Sanctuary bus tours that include pick-ups from city hotels. The tours operate every Monday and Thursday with a special tour on Saturday nights featuring a BBQ dinner.
Tourists can visit the sanctuary as a same-day trip, either during the Sanctuary’s normal sunlight hours (11am to 5pm) or in the evening to attend sanctuary’s popular lantern-lit night walks (those doing the ‘night shift' tour are dropped back at their hotel by 11pm). The Moonlight Sanctuary night walk gives visitors the chance to encounter some of Australia’s remarkable nocturnal creatures, including pademelons, potoroos, owls, quolls, thickness, koalas and frogmouths. As part of the night tour, guests also ‘meet-and-greet’ Monty, the not-so-vicious house python and have chance to hand-feed wallabies and kangaroos.
More information: www.moonlit-sanctuary.com
Media contact: Michael Johnson on 0409 021 843 or email Michael@pearcedale.com
New Murray River Escape cruises
MV Maryann, Echuca's famous Murray River cruising restaurant, has launched a new ‘Murray River Escape’ cruise for those seeking a luxury boat holiday with a difference.
Murray River Escape guests can learn about a bygone era as they relax on board and listen to the Captain’s commentary as the tour follows the same historic route taken by early settlers, passing Wharparilla Station, Winbi Station, Cadell’s Lodge, Merool Station and Torrumbarry Weir.
The cruise also allows opportunities to stop, see and experience some of the Echuca-Moama region’s best attractions.
The Murray Escape cruise package includes accommodation at a four-star Riverside cottage or motel, meals and transfers to and from accommodation (or train station).
More information: call (03) 54802200 or www.maryann.com.au
Media contact: Carol Stevens, MV Maryann via carol@maryann.com.au
Wangaratta festival draws big names in jazz
Victoria's High Country will be in the spotlight when top international and local musicians (including John Scofield, Joe Lovano and Duke Robillard) descend on Wangaratta for the 2008 Wangaratta Festival of Jazz from 31 October to 3 November.
Huge crowds are expected at the festival which will also feature appearances by high profile Australian performers Paul Grabowsky, James Muller, Joe Chindamo, Mike Nock, Michelle Nicole, Bernie McGann, Paul Williamson, and Ted Vining.
Wangaratta’s iconic pubs, concert halls, cathedral and wineries will play host to a variety of great music events spanning a range jazz and blues styles, from very traditional to very contemporary.
Wangaratta Festival of Jazz was originally conceived in 1989 by a group of local business people who wanted to establish a significant event for their town and region. An annual event since 1990, the festival is one of Australia’s biggest regional events, and has won the Victorian Tourism Award for Regional events three times.
In addition to a great line-up of music, the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz offers visitors the chance to enjoy the quality wines and gourmet foods for which the surrounding region is renowned, whether at street stalls in town over the weekend, or meals at venues like Brown Brothers Epicurean Centre or the Wangaratta Gateway.
Visitors interesting in doing a day trip to the festival can book a ride with AAT Kings who are offering return bus trips to and from Melbourne on Saturday 1 November and one on Sunday 2 November; bookings on 1800 803 944 (freecall).
More information (about the festival): call 1800 801 065 (freecall) or go to www.wangaratta-jazz.org.au
More information (regarding accommodation): call 1800 801 065 or go to www.visitwangaratta.com.au
Media contact: Michelle Buxton, Buxton Walker Publicity, on 0419 134 278 or email michelle@buxtonwalker.com
It’s skidget time
A new online 'widget' (or ‘skidget’) has been launched on Tourism Victoria’s skivic.com website to keep keen snow bunnies in the loop with regular snowfall reports.
The 'skidget' provides regularly updated information about snow conditions, temperatures and chairlift operations at Victoria’s alpine resorts.
The self-contained web widget can also be easily shared by emailing to friends or adding it to a range of popular social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace.
The skidget is fully supported and funded by all of Victoria's Alpine Resorts via the Board of Alpine Resorts Tourism (BART); was designed and developed by our developers Next Digital; and is powered by ski report data from ski.com.au.
For more information: www.skivic.com
Media contact: Danielle Poulos, Tourism Victoria, on (03) 9653 9773 or email danielle.poulos@tourism.vic.gov.au
Melbourne struck with spring fashion fever
Melbourne Spring Fashion Week 2008 will take over the CBD from 1 to 7 September, celebrating the latest looks for spring and summer and Melbourne’s hottest retailers, boutiques, laneways, bars and venues.
Fashionistas will be spoilt for choice with a jam-packed program of more than 100 events – including catwalk parades, millinery workshops, film festivals, river cruises, race days, exclusive retail events, lively panel discussions, exhibitions, seminars and not-to-be missed after-parties at some of Melbourne’s most stylish bars.
Evening fashion parades at the Melbourne Town Hall will feature creations by many of Melbourne's leading designers; while the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week Breakfast Club will offer $5 breakfasts at five of the city’s best spots for shopping (Mag Nation, Self Preservation, Superfino, Flower Temple and Verve Café).
The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) will also run a special week-long cinema program titled Yves Saint Laurent on Film, paying tribute to the legendary French fashion designer.
More information: www.msfw.com.au
Media contact: Lainie Blusztein, Haystac on (03) 8689 2249 or email l.blusztein@haystac.com.au
Melbourne’s Art Deco gems
This winter Melbourne has been seized by Art Deco fever, with the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) reporting almost 63,000 visitors to the international blockbuster Art Deco 1910-1939 exhibition during its first 25 days.
Tourists and locals alike can also arm themselves with a copy of the Art Deco Society’s Melbourne City Deco guidebook and take a self-guided walking tour of the CBD’s landmark buildings.
Melbourne is acclaimed as having one of the world’s largest and finest collections of Art Deco architecture and lovers of this romantic design style will find the CBD fascinating.
Some of the city’s Art Deco treasures that are featured in the Melbourne City Deco guidebook include:
Manchester Unity building, 220-226 Collins Street – on its completion in 1932, the building was the tallest structure in the city, featuring a facade of narrow columns and shafts and a decadent ground floor arcade with marble walls, copper panelling and a decorative ceiling.
David Jones (formerly Buckley & Nunn Men’s Store) and Myer Emporium, Bourke Street mall - the eye-catching Buckley & Nunn store’s decorative façade featuring black terracotta and glazing was awarded in 1934 for its modern styling by the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects. Shortly after, Myer’s façade remodelled with a bright white façade made of a new material called ‘snow-crete’.
Newspaper House, 247-249 Collins Street – admire the colourful mosaic murals on the building’s exterior by artist Napier Waller (whose works also appear in the Myer Mural Hall on the sixth floor of the Bourke Street department store).
Copies of Melbourne City Deco – as well as guidebooks to specific suburbs, such as South Melbourne, South Yarra, St Kilda and Elwood - can be ordered via the Art Deco Society’s website (www.artdeco.org.au) for $11 (including GST and postage within Australia).
More information: www.artdeco.org.au
Media contact: Robin Grow, Art Deco Society, on (03) 9813 4365 or email robingrow@ozemail.com.au
Hunt for vintage treasures on new tour
Those with a penchant for vintage fashion and retro home wares will be in their element on the brand new Vintage Outing tour – the latest offering from Melbourne’s Hidden Secrets Tours.
The four-and-a-half hour tours cover the inner suburbs and are hosted by Empire Vintage store owner Lyn Gardener (aka Miss Shirley) and Danielle Pump (aka Betty) who take participants from store-to-store in lovingly restored 1960s Fiat 1500s.
The groups get to fossick in a variety of shops and boutiques selling everything from antique furniture to kitchen utensils, through to fur capes, costume jewellery and children’s toys.
The nostalgic tours run every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and bookings are essential. The $245 per person charge includes refreshments and some goodies to take home as a memento. Group sizes are kept small – four to seven people – to ensure the experience is special and enjoyable.
More information/bookings: call (03) 9329 9665 or go to www.hiddensecretstours.com
Special Packages - Hot Melbourne Deals for Cold Winter Days:
This winter, Great Aussie Holidays and Tourism Victoria have teamed up to offer some fantastic packages to Melbourne.
Melbourne Fly/Stay Package – from $327*
Package includes:
- return Virgin Blue airfare to Melbourne from selected capital cities
- two nights’ accommodation with bonus nights available
- two-for-one entry to the Melbourne Observation Deck
- two-for-one offer on a sightseeing cruise with Melbourne River Cruises
- 20% off admission to the Melbourne Aquarium, and
- 25% off dinner at La Camera Restaurant in Southgate.
Terms and conditions apply. Prices cash, per person twin share.
More information: call Great Aussie Holidays on 1800 999 179 or visit www.greataussieholidays.com.au
AFL Footy Package – from $437*
Image Courtesy: Getty Images/Tourism Victoria
Embrace Melbourne’s passion for sport with this action-packed AFL package which includes:
- return Virgin Blue airfare to Melbourne from selected capital cities
- three nights’ accommodation, and
- premium seat at an AFL game of your choice at either the MCG or Telstra Dome.
* Terms and conditions apply. Prices cash, per person twin share.
More information: call Great Aussie Holidays on 1800 999 179 or visit www.greataussieholidays.com.au
Diary Notes
September 2008
Melbourne
Melbourne Winter Masterpieces Art Deco 1910 – 1939, 28 June – 5 October
The exquisite Art Deco 1910 – 1939 exhibition comes to the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) direct from London’s famous Victoria and Albert Museum. The exhibition will feature more than 300 major works of Art Deco in art, jewellery, fashion, film, architecture, cars, photography and furniture. Highlights include precious Deco gems from Cartier, exquisite fashion by Chanel, pristine vintage vehicles and original architectural elements from the foyer of the Strand Palace Hotel, London.
More information: www.ngv.vic.gov.au
Media contact: Kitty Walker, NGV on (03) 8620 2411
Wicked, Regent Theatre, from 9 July
The Broadway hit Wicked is delighting audiences at Melbourne’s magnificent Regent Theatre. Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and is based on the best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire. According to the storyline, long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls met in the Land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes the most spellbinding new musical in years.
More information: www.wickedthemusical.com.au
Media contact: Howie and Taylor Publicity on (03) 9654 3431
Melbourne Spring Fashion Week, 1 - 7 September
Melbourne Spring Fashion Week 2008 will take over the CBD from 1 to 7 September, celebrating the latest looks for spring and summer and Melbourne’s hottest retailers, boutiques, laneways, bars and venues. Highlights include: catwalk parades; millinery workshops; film festivals; river cruises; race days; exclusive retail events; lively panel discussions; exhibitions; seminars; and after-parties.
More information: www.mmsfw.com.au
Media contact: Lainie Blusztein, Haystac, on (03) 8689 2249 or email l.blusztein@haystac.com.au
Australian Football League (AFL) Finals Series, 5 - 27 September
The 2008 Toyota AFL Grand Final Week will be filled with free activities for football fans. Federation Square will come alive for the entire week from Monday 22 September with fashion shows, football clinics, high profile player appearances and much more. The week concludes with the 2008 Toyota AFL Grand Final at the MCG on Saturday 27 September, with the big game being broadcast live at Federation Square on the big screen.
More information: www.afl.com.au
Royal Melbourne Show, 18 - 28 September
Springtime in Melbourne is show time, and this year Victoria’s largest public event - the Royal Melbourne Show - celebrates its 153rd year. Showcasing agricultural and rural excellence, the Melbourne Showgrounds are transformed into an 11-day celebration bringing country and city together. Wood chopping, sheep shearing, milking and blacksmith displays are just some of the highlights for the show-going public. It’s the place to see prize-winning horses, sheep, goats, cattle, alpacas and chooks, just a stone’s throw away from the CBD. There is also the largest dog show in the Southern Hemisphere with over 4,500 canine entrants.
More information: call (03) 9281 7444 or go to www.royalshow.com.au
Melbourne Fringe Festival, 24 September - 12 October
The Melbourne Fringe Festival spices up the city's cultural calendar with an entertaining program of groundbreaking and daring performances ranging across all art forms. The festival will flourish as a score of vibrant artists showcase their talents with more than 230 fresh acts in more than 100 venues across the city. From comedians to cabaret, the festival will transform the cityscape, including Federation Square. The North Melbourne Town Hall will also house the ever-popular Festival Club which boasts a different star-studded entertainment line-up every night and is guaranteed to push the boundaries of the imagination. Some of the Fringe events are free, with the average price for shows around $15.
More information: call (03) 9660 9600 or go to www.melbournefringe.com.au
Media contact: Michelle Buxton, Buxton Walker Publicity on (03) 9537 7155 or 0419 134 278 or email michelle@buxtonwalker.com
Australian University Games, Melbourne, 28 September - 3 October
The Australian University Games is a multi-sport event attracting more than 5,500 participants across 29 sports from all of the nation’s universities. Now in its 15th year, the 2008 event will showcase the best of Australian university sporting talent. The Games are the flagship event on the university sporting calendar when more than 40 universities compete for the coveted title of overall champion.
More information: www.unigames.com.au
Waters of Tuvalu: A nation at risk, Immigration Museum, 5 August – 16 November
Waters of Tuvalu: A nation at risk is the world’s first exhibition project, focusing on the tiny Pacific island nation of Tuvalu (the world’s smallest nation after Monaco) and its people, who are suffering the immediate effects of human-induced climate change. The exhibition will include Tuvaluan cultural heritage objects from the Melbourne’s Tuvaluan community and from Museum Victoria’s collections – such as woven mats, fans and a scale model of a traditional island canoe – as well as photographs and information on the history and community of Tuvalu.
More information: www.museumvictoria.com.au
Media Contact: Amanda Linardon on (03) 8341 7136 or alinardon@museum.vic.gov.au
Butterflown of love, Fernando Palma Rodrĺguez, Heidi Museum of Modern Art, until 26 October
Fernando Palma Rodríguez was the inaugural international artist-in-residence at Heide Museum of Modern Art from March to May 2008. During his residency he created an interactive installation, Butterflown of love, for Heide’s Kerry Gardner & Andrew Myer Project Gallery, which is on display from 5 August – 26 October 2008.
Butterflown of love is Palma Rodríguez’s passionate offering to Australia; an expression of thanks for his time spent here. Inspired by the environment of Heide and the artist’s personal experiences of Melbourne, the exhibition is also infused with elements relating to his background as a Nahua Mexican.
More information: www.heide.com.au/exhibitions.php
Media contact: Magda Petkoff on (03) 9328 4522 or magda@purplemedia.com.au
Correspondences, Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), until 2 November
Correspondences brings together the work of two visionaries of independent cinema: Spanish director Víctor Erice (The Spirit of the Beehive) and Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami (The Wind Will Carry Us), exploring the powerful parallels in their interests and ideas. Featuring film, photography and new work created especially for the exhibition, Correspondences represents the long distance creative dialogue and intimate rapport that developed between Erice and Kiarostami. During the exhibition’s run, ACMI will also present a cinema retrospective program of Kiarostami’s work.
More information: www.acmi.net.au
Media contact: Claire Butler on (03) 9663 2415 or Claire.butler@acmi.net.au
Regional
Kangaroo Hoppet, Falls Creek, 30 August
The Kangaroo Hoppet is Australia's premier long distance cross country ski
race, and a member of the prestigious Worldloppet series of international
cross country ski events. Held annually at Falls Creek on the last Saturday in August, the 42 km Kangaroo Hoppet provides skiers of all ages and abilities with an
unique opportunity to ski the Bogong High Plains of Victoria's Alpine
National Park. For those who do not feel up to the challenge of the main race, there are the shorter 21km Australian Birkebeiner and 7km Joey Hoppet events starting shortly after the main event.
More information: www.fallscreek.com.au
Media contact: Ian Talbot on 0418413718 or skipress@wix.com.au
Kyneton Daffodil and Arts Festival, 4 - 14 September
Starting on the first weekend of September (and spring), the festival highlights include: a daffodil flower show; open gardens; old time ball; street parade; antique fair and arts show; concerts; one-act plays; fun run; and ferret racing. These events will be held in various venues around Kyneton. The main feature of the spring flower show will be the daffodils, but the show also includes a competition for camellias and other cut flowers, pot plants, floral art and children’s work. The flower show is open to the public from 1–5pm on Saturday (4 September) and from 10am 4.30pm on Sunday (5 September).
More information: call (03) 5422 2282 or go to www.kynetondaffodilarts.org.au
Spring Migration Festival, Yackandandah, 5 – 7 September
Join in the fun of Yackandandah’s annual gay and lesbian festival which commences with a special ‘meet and greet’ welcome on Friday and continues with performances by popular Melbourne artists. Join the locals and visitors from all over Australia at this colourful event’s dance parties and ‘shop till you drop’ sessions.
More information: call (02) 6027 1114 or go to www.springmigration.com.au
Tesselaar Tulip Festival, Silvan, 11 September – 8 October
Welcome spring at a European-style celebration that features fields of colourful tulips, blooming daffodils and freesias, along with traditional Dutch food and music. Located in Silvan, the festival opens from 10am to 5pm seven days a week. Entry costs $15 for adults, $12 for concession and children under 16 years of age are admitted free. For groups of 10 or more, tickets cost $10 per person.
More information: call (03) 9737 7777 or go to www.tulipfestival.com.au
Ararat Australian Cymbidium Festival, 12 - 14 September
Cymbidium orchid lovers from across Australia will converge on Ararat - renowned as 'the orchid city' - when it hosts the Australian Cymbidium Show at the Ararat Performing Arts Centre. This year's show will present hundreds of Cymbidium orchids on display in the historic hall. The spectacular display of orchids will feature new hybrids, some vintage favourites and specimen plants grown by the best hobbyists and commercial orchid growers from around Australia.
More information: call (03) 53550281 or go to www.visitararat.com.au
Australian Yukigassen Championships, Mt Buller, 13 September
Held in Australia for the first time in 2007, Australian Yukigassen Championships returns to the slopes of Mt Buller this winter.
Originating in Japan, Yukigassen (Japanese for “snow battle”) is the sport of competitive snowball fighting. Mt Buller is the only place in the Southern Hemisphere to host an annual Yukigassen tournament, with the other events held in Norway, Japan and Finland.
More information: www.mtbuller.com.au
Media Contact: Helen Vatzakis on (03) 5777 7822 or helen.vatzakis@skibuller.com.au
2008 Mildura Country Music Festival, 26 September - 5 October
The 26th annual Mildura Country Music Festival is Australia's biggest showcase of independent entertainers with more than 100 country music artists, including a mix of perennial Mildura favourites, award-winners, hit-makers and rising stars. The festival offers music lovers more than 800 hours of free entertainment and is held in 24 venues across Mildura and surrounds. The diamond in the crown will be the live concert and radio presentation of the Southern Stars, the Australian Independent Country Music Awards, which recognise the achievements of the independent recording artists during the past year.
More information: call1800 039 043 or go to www.milduracountrymusic.com.au
Annual Spring Show, Stawell Orchid Society, 26 – 28 September
The popular Stawell Spring Show, held at the Stawell Entertainment Centre, is considered the largest orchid show held in regional Victoria. This year’s theme is ‘summer, autumn, winter and spring’. On show will be colourful orchids of different genera arranged in large individual displays. Gardeners will be able to buy orchids and enter the floral art competition.
More information: call (03) 5358 2146.
Timbercorp Tour of the Murray River, 31 August - 7 September
This popular eight-day road cycling classic, the longest in Australia, will weave its way through the picturesque Murray River region. More than 100 internationally-rated professional cyclists from Australia and overseas will join the fast-paced race, which includes 14 individual stages in two States. Hundreds of supporters, crew and media will converge on the Murray River region to follow this event which will visit Echuca, Moama, Barham, Kerang, Cohuna, Euston, Merbein, Wentworth, Mildura, Ouyen, Patchewollock, Swan Hill, Manangatang, Balranald and Robinvale. The Timbercorp Tour of the Murray River is the third event in the Caribou Cup Series and is also part of the National Teams Cycling Series.
More information: www.caribou.net.au