Melbourne APUG get-together!

Maldon would be a nice change, inland, dry, an old (Australian old that is) town, plus it is more or less a bit of a whole of a museum type of town. Early September could be nice, not too hot up there at that stage.

The plus for us is that there is a bush camp at the bottom of Mt Tarrengower, which is on the edge of the town. Plenty of accommodation for those interested, or thinking about staying overnight.

This link has a short clip:-

http://www.visitvictoria.com/Regions/Goldfields/Destinations/Maldon.aspx

I would suggest if we are interested in Maldon, a thread should be started about that. Also maybe a thread should be started about the possible May outing?

Mick.

I cringe when people talk about Maldon. It's soooo passé. Maldon has been tarted up just for the tourist dollar, and for many who come from the district, it is not for the better of a town that has been stripped of its soul and character at the alter of commercialism. Shops are owned by people living in Melbourne, opening on a whim. My roots are in Newstead and Castlemaine (16km respectively from Maldon) and the whole family remembers when Maldon did have character and its ambiencce. Not anymore. For originality, look at Muckleford and Newstead, Strangways or the old Swiss-Italian settlement of Yandoit with its many ruins. Yandoit is as far off the beaten track as you can get, and the further you go the more you uncover.

The campground at Tarrengower on the outskirts of Maldon town is OK, but you can also camp wild at Mount Mournpal to the north of the town amidst a jumble of granite boulders.

I second the Valley of a Thousand Hills as a very good suggestion with surprising light, though I'd angle toward a pub overnight (Flowerdale, Yarck) rather than camping — May is cold and dark.

Hmmm, Yandoit does sound interesting...

SteveR said:

Hmmm, Yandoit does sound interesting...

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Ah, I forgot to mention that the Gervasonis, the original Swiss-Italian settlers who still live in Yandoit, don't like photographers clambering around their ruins, especially the huge old 1850s two-storey home on the corner of Nevins Road and Yandoit Creek Road. OK from the roadside, but not up close and personal. The Gervasonis can be found everywhere (apart from Newstead, Yandoit and Hepburn Springs); Yandoit to Nelson in the far west — Lisa, a Warrnambool identity, is a keen photographer with thousands and thousands of pictures on Flickr. Another two Gervasoni brothers own the fabulous Newstead Bakery and that alone is well worth a lunch stop (around 20km from Yandoit).

New thread for May trip here

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

If we're going the Italian-Swiss route, why not an international APUG outing to Lugano ;-)

(from 2009, Rolleiflex MX, Kodak E100VS, exposure forgotten - probably f/16 at 1/100th or the like)

Marc!

munz6869 said:

If we're going the Italian-Swiss route, why not an international APUG outing to Lugano ;-)
View attachment 49386
(from 2009, Rolleiflex MX, Kodak E100VS, exposure forgotten - probably f/16 at 1/100th or the like)

Marc!

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Why not indeed, Marc? If you'll hand over your Platinum card number so we can make a group booking...?