Otway Life Autumn 16

connecting communities across the ranges autumn 2016 issue 10

INSIDE

Featuring Aireys Inlet, Fairhaven & Eastern View • Events, Arts & Books • Around the Houses

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Geelong Melbourne

Deans Marsh

Anglesea

Barongarook Aireys Inlet

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Wye River

Beech Forest Princetown

Kennett River

Lavers Hill Skenes Creek Apollo Bay Hordern Vale

Cape Otway

Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

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Editor’s Note

Autumn 2016

The summer just past came with a rush of heat and fire anxiety here in the hills and along the coast. Our thoughts are with those who lost their homes and to the wildlife who suffered. Our thanks is for the tireless fire fighters and to the community members who helped each other through the worst of times.

The Otways and its people, are resilient and resourceful.

We are so grateful for no human lives being lost. Now the clearing and rebuilding begins. In our Autumn Issue we revisit the scene through photographs and stories.

Our aim is to provide residents and visitors to the Otway Ranges with articles of interest that both entertain and inform without bombarding you with advertisements for things to buy. We want the magazine to offer you some time out from your busy schedules and daily concerns to ponder the beauty of our natural world and celebrate what we have…right here, right now. Give us your feedback and share ideas on how we could better meet those aims. And don’t forget to subscribe to help keep this good ship afloat!

We also look at the issue of sustainability in the Otways and are proud to showcase some fine examples of sustainable food production in our own backyard.

Buying local when you can does help to keep our regional economy strong, at the same time as minimising your impact on the planet.

Thank you from the Otway Life Magazine team: Nettie, Gill and Helen.

The Team

Contents

Editor Nettie Hulme Design Gillian Brew Admin Helen Kurzman

Community Profile - Havens by the sea ����������� 4-6

Contributors this issue: Stephen Brookes, Neal Drinnan, Suzanne Frydman, Ami Hilleage, Diana Trewenack, Margaret McDonald, Greg Day

History Note - A View East ���������������������� 7

Published December 2015

by Forrest & District Neighbourhood House 14 Grant Street Forrest Victoria 3236 P 03 5236 6591 E otwaylifemagazine@gmail.com F www.facebook.com/otwaylifemagazine B otwaylifemagazine.wordpress.com T twitter.com/otwaylifemag View Online issuu.com/otwaylife.magazine

Ash Wednesday Fires ������������������������� 8-9

Cover: Rock Platform explorers Image courtesy Otway Tourism

Autumn Planned Burning ��������������������� 22

Next issue (Winter) deadline 31 May 2016

Otway Book Review �������������������������� 26

Otway Life Magazine acknowledges the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Victoria - including its parks and reserves. Through their cultural traditions, Aboriginal people maintain their connection to their ancestral lands and waters.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this magazine and the advertisements supplied do not necessarily represent those of Forrest & District Neighbourhood House.

Painkalac Creek Estuary ��������������������� 10-11 You Know Who Your Mates Are ��������������� 12-13 A Pilots View ����������������������������� 14-15 Aboriginal Heritage ������������������������ 16-17 A Pearl of the Deep Awaits Discovery ���������� 18-19 Artist profile - Nicola Perkin ������������������ 20-21 Through the Prism of History ����������������� 23-25 Babenorek Studio ��������������������������� 27 Tiger Quoll ��������������������������������� 29 Sustainable Table �������������������������� 30-32 The Good Life ������������������������������ 33

Printed by: Adcell Group on 100% recycled stock

Forrest Foods ����������������������������� 34-5

Around the Houses �������������������������� 36 Community Calendar ������������������������ 39

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Havens by the sea Painkalac Creek Estuary

Aireys Inlet is a small coastal inlet and town located on the Great Ocean Road, southwest of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Aireys Inlet is located between Anglesea and Lorne, and joined with Fairhaven to the west.

The Census population of Aireys Inlet - Fairhaven Moggs Creek (township) in 2011 was 1,069, living in 1,551 dwellings with an average household size of 2.29.

Many surfers holiday in Aireys Inlet to take advantage of the popular Fairhaven beach. As the inclination of the beach can change dramatically between years, the surf is regarded as unpredictable. Swimmers should take note there is a strong rip current.

Painkalac Creek, which separates Aireys Inlet from Fairhaven, forms a salt lake or inlet behind the sand dunes before it cuts through to the ocean. Due to low water levels in the inlet it is not often that the inlet breaks through.

There is also a horseshoe-shaped reef at Step Beach which forms an excellent swimming hole at low tide.

The towns main attraction, the Split Point Lighthouse overlooks the inlet. The lighthouse has made Aireys Inlet an icon along the Great Ocean Road.

Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

In the early 19th century, before European settlement, the escaped convict William Buckley lived here in a primitive hut eating fish, shellfish, wild raspberries and sugar ants. Aireys Inlet was known to the Aboriginal people of the time as Managwhawz. The town takes its current name from brothers John Moore and George Airey, who settled in the area in 1842.

During the early 1950s the Australian crime author Arthur Upfield lived at Aireys Inlet. His novel The New Shoe (1951) is based on the township and the lighthouse. Some of the novel’s characters drew on local identities.

Many scenes from the children’s television series Round the Twist were filmed at or around the area of the Split Point Lighthouse. In 2005 the Bollywood movie Salaam Namaste was produced in Melbourne with many scenes being shot around Aireys Inlet, Fairhaven and Anglesea.

While the coastline at adjacent Fairhaven is a long uninterrupted sand beach, the coast at Aireys Inlet is a series of rock shelves, interrupted by sandy swimming beaches, most of which are relatively secluded.

Community Profile

Replica of historic bark hut, Aireys Inlet

Each beach has its own character, a result of differing lengths, orientation and nearby rock formations. Beaches include Sandy Gully, Steppy Beach and Sunnymeade.

At low tide it is possible to walk (or scramble) around the rocks, making it possible to walk along the beach, from Eastern View - the historical start of the Great Ocean Road, all the way to Anglesea.

Aireys Inlet was devastated in1983 by the Ash Wednesday bushfires in which a large number of houses were burnt down. However, after a brief lull, interest in the area resumed and has been steadily climbing since. Properties, especially those with an ocean view, are becoming increasingly sought after.

Fairhaven is a small coastal locality to the west of Aireys Inlet. In the 2011 census, Fairhaven (excluding the rural sections of the locality but including adjacent Moggs Creek) had a population of 354 people.

The village is a popular holiday destination, and adjoins Fairhaven Beach, which at 6km long is the longest beach on the Great Ocean Road. The village is separated from adjoining Aireys Inlet by the Painkalac

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Split Point Lighthouse, Aireys Inlet

Creek, and development in recent years has seen Fairhaven become increasingly joined to the Aireys Inlet township.

Fairhaven Beach is a popular surfing destination, and the Fairhaven Surf Lifesaving Club, which was founded in 1957, has been described as Fairhaven’s “social centre”. The club operated out of a volunteer-built clubhouse from 1960 until 2012, when their old premises were demolished to allow for the construction of a new modern building.

Numerous delays saw the club operating out of shipping containers for more than a year, but a new clubhouse finally opened in December 2013.

A local landmark is the Pole House, a house suspended 40 metres above Fairhaven Beach. The original house, built in 1978, was demolished in 2013 after the owners thwarted a bid to list the house on the Victorian Heritage Register. In 2013-14 it was rebuilt in a modern design along similar lines, on the existing pole. Better Homes and Gardens filmed a segment there for the opening of the replacement house in early 2014.

The Fairhaven area was also badly damaged in the Ash Wednesday bushfires.

6 Community Profile

Eastern View recorded 28 enrolled voters, living in 31 properties in June 2014 by the Victorian Electoral Commission. A remote coastal area prior to the construction of the Great Ocean Road, which was opened to Eastern View, albeit in the form of a narrow gravel track until March 1922. Only four houses were located in the area in 1924; a fifth was later extended and granted a liquor license as the Eastern View hotel in 1927. The hotel owners later leased land on the ocean side of the Great Ocean Road and built a tennis court. The Eastern View hotel was a popular tourist destination for many years, but closed in 1957.

The Great Ocean Road Trust developed a nine-hole golf course at Eastern View in 1936. It closed at the beginning of World War II, and did not reopen. Both the former hotel building and the remnants of the golf course were destroyed in the Ash Wednesday bushfires in 1983.

Eastern View Post Office opened on 1 July 1927, replacing a receiving office that had been open since 17 November 1924. It closed on 31 December 1967. A tollgate on the Great Ocean Road operated at Eastern View until the abolition of tolls when the Great Ocean Road Trust wound up and transferred control of the road to the state government in 1936. It was proposed in 1940 to rename the town “Herschell�, in honour of the long-time chair of the former Trust, but this met with local resistance and did not occur.

Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

The Great Ocean Road Arch, located within the town, is a prominent landmark of the Great Ocean Road, and marks its official gateway. It was first opened in 1939, and has been rebuilt three times: in 1974, after the Country Roads Board found the original too low and narrow, in 1983, after it burned down in the Ash Wednesday bushfires, and again in the 1990s, after it was damaged by a mini-cyclone. The arch commemorates those who died in World War I. Grass Creek (formerly Grassy Creek) runs through the west of the town. The Black Stump Roadhouse and a caravan park were located there during the 1950s. The Christian Brothers later purchased 25 acres in the area, and established the Santa Monica Camp. The original camp was destroyed in the Ash Wednesday bushfires, but has since been rebuilt. A construction camp was built nearby at Point Castries (now Cinema Point) to accommodate workers building the Great Ocean Road.

Eastern View today consists of a small strip of houses along the Great Ocean Road between the beach and the Great Otway National Park. The Cinema Point lookout is also located at Eastern View.

Read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aireys_Inlet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairhaven,_Victoria https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_View,_Victoria http://www.aireysinlet.org.au

A View to the East

History 7

By Stephen Brooks

For many visitors to the Great Ocean Road, the busy towns of Anglesea and Lorne are popular destinations for a day tour or even a long holiday. However, the small communities of Eastern View, Moggs Creek, Fairhaven and Aireys Inlet, which hug a spectacular six kilometre stretch of unbroken beach, are far from a sleepy little collection of houses.

Jonas Hollingworth and his wife Elizabeth were true pioneers of Eastern View, having first selected land there in 1879 and they initially lived in a bark hut.

Their daughter Mary Ann Clarke and her husband George later established a prosperous farm, post office and telephone exchange, and the opening of the Great Ocean Road in 1922 saw them able to more easily deliver their milk and other farm produce to Lorne. In 1924, Alfred Farthing came to Eastern View and for the next thirty years he built and ran the Eastern View Hotel, a favourite holiday resort and stopping place for guests from Melbourne and Geelong. There was a tennis court and a promenade deck with stunning views to the sea. A nine hole golf course, opened by the Governor in 1936, ensured visitors had plenty to keep them occupied, yet the course closed at the commencement of World War Two and never reopened.

Fairhaven received its name from the home built by Robert Cowan after he purchased land next to the

Great Ocean Road in 1931. Five years later, Robert and his wife Irene opened ‘Fairhaven’ as a guesthouse, with a large sign at the entrance welcoming patrons. In 1957, the Fairhaven Life Saving Club was founded and has grown in both numbers and significance ever since.

Located in Aireys Inlet near today’s iconic lighthouse is a small cairn marking the grave of pioneers Thomas Pearse and his wife Martha. Thomas died in 1862 from hepatitis and Martha merely eight years later and was buried next to her husband overlooking the ocean. The bark hut they built survived over 120 years until the devastating 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires and a replica was later built by their descendants in their honour.

Named after the settler brothers, John Moore and George Airey, current streets and roads bear the names of other early pioneers, such as Lugg, Cowan, Anderson and Hopkins, testimony to their contributions in the fledgling community. Even before these families settled here, the notorious convict William Buckley had spent 32 years roaming along the local coast and into the Otway Ranges after escaping from Sorrento Prison in 1803.

For holidaymakers and visitors alike, the stretch of magnificent coastline between Aireys Inlet and Eastern View offers not only incredible scenery but also a fascinating insight into early pioneering history of this spectacular coastal region.

The Clark children of Eastern View The Eastern View Hotel. Images courtesty Anglesea Historical Society

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Ash Wednesday Fires February 16th 1983

Remains of the Great Ocean Road Arch 1983

The burning of “Bills O Jacks “ That day broke with an eerie sense of foreboding. The North wind was howling and it was strangely dark, and the sun completely covered by a cloud of yellow dust. News came through on the radio that fires that has started in Deans Marsh, north of Lorne, fanned by extremely high winds and were threatening the coast. By lunch time we knew it was serious, but not for our house. “No bushfires will ever burn down ‘Bills O Jacks’ ” our grandfather had said. He built the house in 1934 and had often assured us, “ the updraft from the sea will push any fire back up the hill away from us.”

But by lunchtime, the air was full of smoke and blackened gum leaves from across the bay were blowing up our drive in Melbourne. We felt worried and helpless, remaining glued to the radio. Late that afternoon, the wind changed and the fire front was now racing along the coast, fanned by extremely strong South West winds. At 6pm we had a call from my parents, who lived at Anglesea 15 kms from Eastern View, to say they had been evacuated. Police cars had been driving around the streets with a loud hailer saying “Leave NOW, there is no time to collect anything.” The wind had changed, and the fire front was now racing along the coast.

Some residents evacuated to the beach where families, partners and pets had gathered bewildered, many dressed in light clothing since it had been so hot when they had left their houses. They were now cold, hungry and confused as they watched the flames envelope their town.

I was relieved to hear my parents were safe, as they had chosen to drive to Geelong, which was a slow dark frightening journey with fires jumping across the road in front of them.

The teetering chimney all that was left of beloved Bills O Jacks

The next day there was little information available. We knew that homes had been burnt but we just hoped that our house had been spared.

The following afternoon my parents were allowed back to their house in Anglesea, which thankfully had survived. We still had hopes that ‘Bills O Jacks’ might have survived but it wasn’t until lunchtime the following day when owners were finally allowed back to their properties that our worst fears were realised.

Nothing could have prepared us for the sight that lay before us. The landscape had turned into a black and white picture, completely devoid of colour. At first, practically nothing was recognisable. Even our Great Ocean Road archway had gone. A few burning logs marked where the historic landmark had stood just two days ago.

We stood in complete silence. All that was left of our house was the fireplace teetering on the edge of a steep slope. A yellow ribbon was tied around the chimney, a somber sign that the site had been searched for survivors.

Twisted metal evidenced the fate of the fridge and water tanks. Where was the roof? Since the fire had been swept along by 100km high winds we could only presume the roof had become air borne. In our shock and grief there was a need to find something recognisable. We started frantically searching and the children were crying out ‘look here’s a fork and there ‘s a jug stuck to it.’ This fire had been so hot that everything had fused to each other.

We suddenly remembered our precious Bagatelle set the game we had many fun nights playing. It was part of ‘Bills O Jacks’ part of our childhood. We searched in vain but there was no sign of the coloured ivory balls or the cedar polished fold out board that we had opened and set up and played on many times on summer holidays.

Ash Wednesday Fires 9 An eerie quiet all around hung in the air, even the sea seemed to be shocked into silence. A dazed kangaroo, ears burnt, hopped around aimlessly, confused and oblivious to our presence.

As we looked along the foreshore where all the beach marron grass had burnt, we saw driveways leading to nothing, no houses left. Only one house had been spared in the whole of Eastern View. As devastating as this was for us, we realised that for some, these had been their permanent homes, and they had lost everything. In spite of our great loss ‘Bills O Jacks’ had been only our beach house.

That day was the end of that summer. The sun didn’t shine again; the rains came almost immediately, washing the ash down the hill. The ground became sodden, and the steep hill unstable, with nothing to hold the water.

In June that year friends came to help us clear the site.

The debris was raked up and it was buried with the rest of Aireys Inlet on an empty block in Gilbert Street. At night a big “wake” was held around a campfire, and we shared our memories of happy holidays spent at Bills O Jacks.

The chimney which was all that was left of our ‘Bills O Jacks’, was teetering on a dangerous angle, so it was harnessed with ropes and pulled down. As it fell we cheered for all the happy times we remembered sitting around that fireplace.

We were strangely drawn to the silent blackened landscape. We set up a campsite in the silent blackened bush and found ourselves wanting to be there every weekend. Were we trying to accept the reality?

A few weeks after that fateful day, how joyful we were to find new green shoots on the blackened branches of the trees. We were reminded how resilient the Australian bush is. The birds return, the bush starts all over again, as we must.

My grandfather named the house he built in 1934 at Eastern View on the Great Ocean “Bills O Jacks” after an Inn of the same name in Yorkshire, where he was born. It refers to the owners Bill and Jack, Bill being the son of Jack, which was a customary Yorkshire way of naming businesses.

Written by Diana Trewenack

Postscript The Ash Wednesday bushfires, known in South Australia as Ash Wednesday II, were a series of bushfires that occurred in south-eastern Australia on 16 February 1983, which was Ash Wednesday in the Christian calendar. Within twelve hours, more than 180 fires fanned by winds of up to 110 km/h (68 mph) caused widespread destruction across the states of Victoria and South Australia.

Years of severe drought and extreme weather combined to create one of Australia’s worst fire days in a century.

The fires became the deadliest bushfire in Australian history, until the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009.

In Victoria, 47 people died, while in South Australia there were 28 deaths. This included 14 CFA and 3 CFS volunteer fire-fighters who died across both states that day. Many fatalities were as a result of firestorm conditions caused by a sudden and violent wind change in the evening which rapidly changed the direction and size of the fire front. The speed and ferocity of the flames, aided by abundant fuels and a landscape immersed in smoke, made fire suppression and containment impossible. In many cases, residents fended for themselves as fires broke communications, cut off escape routes and severed electricity and water supplies. Up to 8,000 people were evacuated in Victoria at the height of the crisis and a state of disaster was declared for the first time in South Australia’s history.

Ash Wednesday was one of Australia’s costliest natural disasters. Over 3,700 buildings were destroyed or damaged and 2,545 individuals and families lost their homes. Livestock losses were very high, with over 340,000 sheep, 18,000 cattle and numerous native animals either dead or later destroyed. A total of 4,540 insurance claims were paid totaling A$176 million with a total estimated cost of well over $400 million (1983 values) for both states or $1.3 billion in adjusted terms (2007).

The emergency saw the largest number of volunteers called to duty from across Australia at the same time, an estimated 130,000 firefighters, defence force personnel, relief workers and support crews.

Read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_ Wednesday_bushfires\s

View to Split Point Lighthouse, Aireys Inlet.

10 Environment

Painkalac Creek Estuary The Painkalac Creek Estuary environment includes a range of bird, plant, reptile, frog, small mammal and fish communities that depend on the estuary’s dynamic variable nature, e.g. river flow, flooding, variable salinities and salt wedge movement.

Estuary data collection and monitoring assists the community to improve their understanding, and estuary managers to make informed management decisions to protect and restore the estuary’s environmental, social and economic values.

A healthy and functioning estuary system allows a multitude of uses to be enjoyed and sustained.

Indigenous communities have a long association with the Painkalac Creek Estuary. The Painkalac Creek has also supported generations of social and economic uses and users, since European settlement in the early 1800s. This includes recreational fishers, campers, walkers and picnickers, township residents, school groups and day trippers, and rural landholders and agriculture. The river also provides drinking water to the Fairhaven and Aireys Inlet townships.

Painkalac Creek Estuary system is highly regulated due to water contained in the Painkalac Creek reservoir reducing flows to the estuary, combined with artificial estuary mouth openings to reduce the flooding threat to houses and other infrastructure.

This potentially disrupts the breeding and spawning of native fish and limits native plant communities developing. The Corangamite CMA uses information gathered by EstuaryWatch program volunteers to inform management decisions.

Estuary condition monitoring method The EstuaryWatch program volunteers collect data at six locations in the Painkalac Creek Estuary that they enter on the web-based database. The map shows the five water quality monitoring sites (P1-P5) and one observational mouth condition assessment.

The water quality data amounts to a profile at 50 centimetre intervals from the surface, including depth, temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity and electrical conductivity. Turbidity and pH is sampled from the surface and bottom of the water column. This enables vertical water profiles and an assessment of changes in the water quality and salinity stratification (stratification refers to layering of water on the basis of vertical variation in the salinity or temperature of the water column).

Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

Some water column profiles are also collected when estuary managers are considering artificially opening the estuary mouth using methods and sites consistent with EstuaryWatch.

River flow and rainfall data is collected from a number of river flow gauge stations on the Painkalac Creek and the Aireys Inlet weather station.

Estuary Closures and Openings The Painkalac Creek Estuary is predominantly closed to the sea much of the time. This is mostly due to very low river flows, when the estuary is closed on many occasions sea water enters the estuary over the berm.

Artificial estuary openings occur when there is a threat of floodwaters inundating houses on the Painkalac Creek Estuary’s natural flood plain and the Great Ocean Road. These openings are due to rising water levels and are closely monitored along with weather patterns and river flow to reduce the risk of flooding.

They are often classified as an ‘emergency opening’.

The result of such an event is estuary water levels rarely reach a level suitable for a natural opening.

Artificial openings also regulate water quality in the estuary, and not necessarily in a bad way. As the water level in the estuary rises from rain and river flow the estuary starts to stratify. The scale of reduction in dissolved oxygen levels in the bottom waters of the estuary depends on the duration of the stratified layer. After approximately two weeks, dissolved oxygen levels in the bottom waters is greatly reduced. This usually coincides with significant rainfall and increased river flow.

Heightened estuary water level triggers a need to artificially open the estuary mouth.

Upon opening the estuary mouth the freshwater layer is the first layer drained off out to sea. The reintroduction of seawater into the estuary on the returning high tides results in a stratification breakdown in the estuary and re-oxygenates the water column. Additionally, the artificial estuary mouth opening alters the degree and duration of floodplain inundation, and associated salt marsh communities; impacting on the habitat salt marsh communities creates when flooded. The consequences of altering natural seasonal flooding and duration of inundation is likely to impact on native fish species spawning and recruitment, and developing and recruiting salt marsh communities.

Environment 11 Estuary Fact File Type of Estuary: Riverine (Wave dominated) Location: 144°6’2.8945”E 38°28’8.6204”S Nearest Town: Aireys Inlet Landscape Zone: Thompsons Catchment Area: 6.133Ha Estuary Area: 16.2Ha Estuary Length: 3.6km River Length: 20.3km Mouth State: Intermittently open Tributary: Distillery Creek Estuary Management Plan: Yes - Written 2005 Description: The Painkalac Creek begins in the northeastern end of the Otway Ranges at an elevation of 430m in the deeplydissected rolling hills. It flows in a mostly easterly direction for 20.3km and enters Bass Strait, on the south-west side of Aireys Inlet.

Where can you find more information?

Corangamite CMA www.ccma.vic.gov.au EstuaryWatch www.estuarywatch.com.au/CCMA Surf Coast Shire www.surfcoast.vic.gov.au

Barwon Water www.barwonwater.vic.gov.au DEPI www.depi.vic.gov.au Rainfall www.bom.gov.au

blue sky outdoor experts

Corangamite CMA is always looking for new volunteers. Contact the Corangamite CMA on 52329100 or find out more at www.ccma.vic.gov.au Excerpt from CCMA EstuaryWatch Painkalac Creek data analysis summary

...and keep the kids entertained with an extensive range of games and toys instore.

we have all your outdoor, leisure and camping needs covered 76 Murray St Colac Phone: 5231 2347 Email: colac@blueskyoutdoor.com.au

OL5

12

You know who your mates are It’s an expression that resonates with Australians, especially in the hardest of times. And our recent summer certainly qualifies as one of those.

At a time when we should have been enjoying the company of our family, and gearing up for the peak tourist season, fire raged through the region, devastating the communities of Wye River and Separation Creek, who bore the brunt of its fury.

But within the region the painful task of sifting through the ashes of damaged and destroyed homes had started, and the realisation of what had been lost was only just beginning to sink in. Mates would need to be in it for the long haul.

But the people and places of the Otway’s are muchloved, so mates weren’t in short supply.

It may have been decades since a disaster of this scale had visited our region, but our communities aren’t new at looking out for each other.

Immediately, fundraising efforts swung into action.

Driven by the Bendigo Bank branches of Apollo Bay, Anglesea, and Winchelsea, along with their Lorne Agency, donations from across the country rained down.

From the outside, the Surf Coast appeared to return to some semblance of normality within a fortnight.

Tourists began to return to the region, and the media moved on to cover the equally overwhelming bushfires in Western Australia.

Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

It’s this kind of commitment that led to small groups of volunteers along the Surf Coast banding together to open Bendigo Bank Community Bank® branches.

Each is backed by hundreds of local shareholders, and thousands of community-minded customers.

The result? Hundreds of thousands of dollars being returned to their communities via grants, donations, and sponsorships to local groups.

Bendigo Bank Supporting Communities 13

Images after the Wye River Separation Creek Christmas Fires: Ian Bett

Nationally, the Community Bank® movement has seen more than 300 communities return over $148 million in contributions, with millions more being prised from all levels of government. For many communities, these branches have meant the difference between barely surviving, and thriving.

Emergency services have always been a popular beneficiary of the profits made by Bendigo Bank Community Bank® branches.

Using funds granted by the Apollo Bay & District Community Bank® Branch, the Wye River CFA purchased a new firefighting pump. Its importance over those horrific days in late December can’t be overestimated.

The Apollo Bay CFA recently received donations totalling $7,000 as a result of the Fundraising efforts of the Apollo Bay & District Community Bank® branch. The Brigade then utilised those funds towards their efforts to obtain specialised tough terrain firefighting equipment, essential in the Otways’ less accessible areas.

To achieve their goal, a fundraising target of close to $2 million was set. For a small community such as Anglesea, it was going to test even the canniest fundraiser.

The Anglesea and Winchelsea Community Bank® Branch’s quickly committed $100,000 to the project.

With the broader Anglesea community and CFA each adding $350,000, the state government was approached and $1 million in funding secured.

Simple, but significant gestures such as these are repeated countless times across Australia each year.

The station stands as a reminder that people with a purpose can make great things happen.

And while state firefighting units and SES (including Colac’s SES team) have received funding for vital new equipment, there has been no better example of the power of Bendigo Bank’s Community Bank® model than the story of the Anglesea Fire Brigade’s station redevelopment.

It’s comforting, and enormously humbling to know that there are friends, neighbours, and complete strangers willing to risk their lives to protect our little piece of the world.

In 2013, they became one of Australia’s most environmentally-friendly stations. Solar and wind energy now account for 100% of the electricity used in the state-of-the-art building, while water tanks harvest rainwater which supply the entire station.

And while you might not know one end of a fire truck from the other, that doesn’t mean you can’t play a role in ensuring those that do have the resources they need.

That support could be a simple as banking with your local Community Bank® Branch.

Ultimately, we’re all in this together.

14

The pilot’s view During the Australian summer, there is a very talented group of people who are now an integral part of the fight against bushfires.

They provide air surveillance services across the landscape during high fire danger periods and are called to respond to grass and forest fires to directly attack the fire.

Air attack includes dropping loads of water on the head of the fire to stop the forward run.

This provides the opportunity for ground crews to mop up the hot edges and commence blacking out in a much safer environment. Many community assets and homes have been saved as a direct result of aircraft water bombing activities.

The pilots who fly the aircraft are highly skilled and, like other fire fighting teams, are supported by specialists both in the air and on the ground.

On Christmas Day there were 23 aircraft at the Wye River Fire made up of 18 helicopters and 5 aeroplanes. A typical fire would only have up to eight aircraft. In the unusually cramped airspace the pilots were still able to work extremely efficiently and effectively with over 500 loads of water dropped onto the fire that day.

Picture: Tina Garrett

Peter Neilly, employed by Coulson Air and on his eleventh tour of Australia fighting fires from the air, said the conditions at Wye River on Christmas Day were windy and rough with swirling wind that pushed the smoke into the flight path. “Even the ocean was very rough and often the waves would catch on our bucket as we were

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15

lifting which would cause the machine to shift around.”

Peter went on to say, “we would do a run and see some houses that we would have a crack at but by the time we got back, the smoke was blocking our run so we would head off to another location.”

Key frustrations of those in the air include not being able to get enough water on the edge, not being able to stop the run of fire, and not being able to save all community assets and houses.

The crews in the air have an Air Attack Supervisor (AAS) hovering above directing the pilots to drop zones and maintaining air safety. “People owe a great deal of thanks to our AAS Lex Wade for the direction he gave on the day”, Peter said. “He had us drop over half a million litres of water on Wye River and Separation Creek and his direction saved many houses.”

Peter said, “even though we could see the devastation happening below us, it was comforting to know that the township plan of evacuating had been successful and that there were no people on the ground that could have been hurt.”

Aircraft continue to play a significant role in the fire control strategy at the Wye River – Jamieson Track fire.

Motorists on the Great Ocean Road need to be aware of this activity and are asked not to slow and take photos as this can endanger other motorists.

About Peter Neilly Peter Neilly obtained his pilot’s licence in 1973 and was endorsed to fly helicopters in 1979. The next year he started his career in firefighting from the air. Whilst a great deal of his time over the past 36 years has been spent in his home country of Canada, he has fought fires in Argentina, America, Mexico and Greece. He is on his eleventh tour of Australia with his regular home base being in Mansfield. He relayed that whilst the tactics are the same, the ground fuels in Australia are much shallower than the forests of Canada, making the direct attack more successful in a shorter time.

Due to the height of the mountains here, his machine works much better at the lower altitudes, with more available horsepower and greater lift against the denser atmosphere as opposed to the thinner air he experiences at 3,000 metres (9,000 feet) at home.

For information on fires in Victoria and general fire safety, please contact the Victorian Bushfire Information Line (VBIL) on freecall 1800 240 667.

Information is online at www.delwp.vic.gov.au or www.cfa.vic.gov.au

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16 Aboriginal heritage

Acknowledging and Aboriginal Heritage The area that is now the Surf Coast Shire is the traditional home of three Aboriginal nations, the Wadawurrung, the Gulidjan and the Gadubanud.

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The Gulidjan were based to the west of the Barwon River at Winchelsea and past Colac. The Gadubanud were located west of the Painkalac Creek along the Otway Ranges. The Wadawurrung covered the rest, which is most of the Shire. Each nation had their own language and their own Country for which they were responsible. A major way that Aboriginal people recognised, related to and looked after their Country was through art.

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Acknowledgement of the local Aboriginal heritage is an ongoing project in the Surf Coast Shire. Recognition and information is provided through public art, cultural activity and place-naming.

Public art locations around Surf Coast 1. White’s Beach Playground, 3

The Esplanade opposite Lochard Drive, Torquay Foreshore.

(Mel 506 E3) The community local to the playground had input into the themes and design of the playground and unique space, acknowledging the indigenous heritage of Torquay. The playground does this by depiction and plantings of flora and fauna significant to the local Aboriginal people.

Community art workshops were held to create some of these elements.

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Play elements are named with the Wadawarrung (Wathaurong) names – a Flying Fox becomes Waa the Crow. Waa was one of the two totems of the Wadawrrung.

Artists involved: Kirsty Manger, Lee Goller, Kyla Vinton, Claire Gittings, Glenn Romanis.

2. Torquay Sundial, Torquay Foreshore The Esplanade (end of Darian Road) (Mel 506 B4) Torquay Analemmatic Sundial is a Torquay Lions Club project.

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5 Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

Artists Claire Gittings and Glenn Romanis designed the images based on the flora, fauna, landscape and the indigenous sky and oral story of the Mindii. The Mindii was a great three-pronged tongue snake who was a law keeper under the command of Bunjil. Bunjil, the eagle is depicted in the centre of the Sundial. Bunjil is one of the two totems of the Wadawarrung.

More information can be found when visiting the sundial and by collecting the brochure explaining the workings and stories behind it.

Other artists involved in creating the Sundial are: Mark Trinham, Kyla Vinton, Steve Vinton, Anne Kalamaris and Kathryn Soanes.

17

Celebrating on the Surf Coast 3. Bell’s Beach Toilet Block (Mel 15 A21)

A mural project developed through the Shire and SANE (Surfers Appreciating the Natural Environment) to enhance an essential facility by adding cultural and educational elements relevant to this popular and iconic surfing reserve.

Artists – Mark Trinham and Glenn Romanis designed the work to represent the flora and fauna – both land and sea of the area. They were supported by artist, Tom Gittings.

‘Bells Bowl’ is depicted topographically. The Mindii and Wandji Spirit oral stories of the Wadawarrung (Wathaurong) are depicted through the Mindii, a snake with a three-pronged tongue; a red bellied black snake and an eel.

4. Point Addis -Koori Cultural Walk (Mel 15 A21) The Koori Cultural Walk is a self-guided walk with signage indicating and informing significant local indigenous information based on life and the environment.

5. Anglesea Community House Mural (Mel 514 E7) Mural designed and painted by Glenn Romanis.

The work is based on the topography of Anglesea with the Anglesea River (Kuarkadorla – Fishing Place - Mullet) as the central image. The mural was created to acknowledge the indigenous heritage of Anglesea.

5. Buckley’s Bunyip Sculpture Allan Noble Sanctuary, Inlet Cres, (off Great Ocean Road) Aireys Inlet Artist Jeff Raglus was commissioned to create a sculpture based on the story of William Buckley, an escaped convict who lived with the Wathaurong people for over 30 years from 1803.

He was thought to be the “ghost” of the warrior, Mangowak.

As Jeff researched and developed the sculpture, it developed as a work celebrating the bird life, insects, the weather, the story of William Buckley, myths and history of the fantastic wetland in which it sits.

Information courtesty Surf Coast shire

18

‘A pearl of the deep awaits discovery’ Sharing treasures and memories Margaret MacDonald – local resident of Moggs Creek When I retired as Principal of Norlane West Primary School in 1993, the children gave me a beautiful paperweight with the theme ‘A pearl of the deep awaits discovery’.

Although I didn’t take up deep sea diving, I have adopted this motif and have over the years explored the very special natural environment of Aireys Inlet, Fairhaven, Eastern View and of course Moggs Creek, my home since 1995.

It was on the ridge between Moggs Creek and Fairhaven in 1990 that I had an experience that has certainly influenced the focus of my retirement years. My sister Kathie and I were exploring the ridge when we stumbled upon some very small red and white flowers growing in an open area amongst the heathland plants. We were amazed and thrilled to learn that these little flowers were indeed ground orchids – Hare Orchids Leptoceras menziesii attractive little orchids that usually only flower after fire.

discovery set the orchid world abuzz with many photographers keen to capture an image of this special orchid.

Since then Merrans Sun Orchid has occasionally been seen in other places including Fairhaven, Urquhart Bluff and Anglesea.

Sadly my sister Kathie died unexpectedly in 1994 and since that time I have immersed myself in the flora of the area, in particular the native orchids. With Everett Foster from the Geelong branch of the Australasian Native Orchid Society, Mary D. White from Anglesea and my friends from ANGAIR and the Friends of Eastern Otways I have walked the bush tracks and reserves, becoming familiar with the orchids and flowers of Anglesea and Aireys Inlet and taking photos for books that I have written about the local flora. In 1998 I was privileged to discover an orchid endemic to Anglesea, Angahook Fingers Caladenia maritima.

Hare Orchid Leptoceras menziesii

Suddenly a whole new world was at our feet awaiting discovery.

After this introduction to the world of terrestrial orchids, Kathie and I delved into orchid hunting and research.

We found out that a very special orchid Merrans Sun Orchid Thelymitra merraniae had been discovered in Moggs Creek in 1929 and had been missing presumed extinct for many years. Armed with historical records and local knowledge, Kathie and I ventured out in search of the orchid and were delighted to find it growing near the Timbarra estate in 1992. Our Matthew Harding - Within Tight Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

Merrans Sun Orchid Thelymitra merraniae

Margaret MacDonald

Since coming to live at Moggs Creek my life has been an exciting one. I have been heavily involved in natural history, conservation and education – sharing the knowledge I have gained with primary school children, secondary school and university students, community and conservation groups, individuals and international visitors.

I was thrilled to receive the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2011 and the Australian Natural History Medallion in 2015 for my services to conservation. I don’t need awards for my achievements, but it is satisfying to know that one’s efforts are recognised. While I haven’t become a deep sea diver I have become deeply involved in exploring the natural world in which we are privileged to live.

Health & Wellbeing 19

Coming to Nest Aireys and Art

Eagles Nest Gallery in Aireys Inlet is a well established art haven on the Great Ocean Road. Earthily nestled amongst beautiful bushy landscape, visitors are likely to leave a visit changed in some way. This is what art does to us when we engage with it, and art displayed in such inviting spaces is certainly worth celebrating.

Eagles Nest Gallery is owned by Nadia and Bruno Rocchi, who have exhibited a wide range of artists over the past ten years. The gallery was first established in 1999. This clearly makes this hub of creativity an important feature in both the town’s liveability for locals and new adventures for tourists.

Nadia explains that visitors to the gallery range from travellers who conduct prior research and add it to their itinerary, to those who find a lovely surprise on the road, and of course, returning locals and visitors.

Spending time in local galleries inevitably results in discovering regional artists. At Eagles Nest Gallery, coastal themes are often abundant. The awe that draws people to the sea, and in this particular location to the lighthouse, is displayed in a dazzling variety of artist interpretations. As well as displaying many of the local charms, the gallery’s building design allows for nurturing nooks, corners, and streaming light.

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The gallery presents a range of work, from scenic to the whimsical and contemporary. Many of the artists are from the Geelong and Otways region, and all are Victorian. It is a smallish gallery, which is part of its charm, but somehow there is ample space to have personal dialogues with the work on display, and in doing that, with our inner selves.

While most artists create work regardless, artists do need venues, viewers and people to take some of their work home. Like all enterprises, galleries do not exist in a vacuum, and Eagles Nest Gallery is run by a couple who are passionate about promoting the town, what it has to offer, and supporting both established and emerging artists.

It’s no secret that art is good for us, so plan for some time in this gallery. After a visit, you will leave with a piece of the region in one form or another, as well as a likely inclination or hankering to return again soon.

Eagles Nest Gallery is at 48 Great Ocean Road.

See eaglesnestgallery.com.au

By Suzanne Frydman www.relaxcommunications.com.au

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20 Artist profile

Nicola Perkin Autumn #1 2011

What brought you here to this part of the world?

Born in London, I migrated to Melbourne in 1991 and we bought a beach house in Fairhaven, having fallen in love with the Surf Coast on numerous summer holidays. After an interstate move we returned to Victoria, my husband retired and we moved permanently to Fairhaven, replacing the beach house with a permanent home. We have since extended the house with a studio.

What inspires you as an artist?

A recurring theme in my prints and paintings is my response to the Australian landscape. As a child in London I only saw the horizon once a year on our annual, seaside holiday. Consequently I was overwhelmed by the vastness of Australia and its everpresent horizon line. I explore my response to this landscape in an attempt to find my sense of place.

Now that I live permanently by the ocean the influences are changing, lines left by the tide on the sand, the dry, weathered cliff and ridge forms, the vastness of the horizon and the changing light. My abstracted landscapes are in oils, and use a limited palette of colours tied to the landscape. Some works are textured, echoing the texture in the landscape, others are built up layers of colour capturing the changing light. My printmaking follows a similar vein, a limited palette and with texture.

Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

Which artists have influenced your work?

I returned to formal art education as a ‘mature’ student, so my influences are wide and varied. From the British Romantic painter Turner and his emphasis on an emotional response to nature, the way in which sun, fire, smoke, wind and water affect and transform the natural world, to Mark Rothko’s sublime abstract paintings.

I strongly relate to Robert Ryman’s interest in the physical properties of painting; that is the application of paint on a surface rather than any concern with creating an image. Another, more contemporary influence, would be Scottish painter Callum Innes who also explores the possibilities of paint on canvas by voiding areas of his monochromes through rubbing away the paint with turps, I endlessly apply pigment and rub or scratch it away.

What are your hopes for the future?

I am hoping to produce a body of paintings for an exhibition later this year. I have previously been Featured Artist at Qdos, the delightful gallery in Lorne (I can recommend their café too!), so I hope to exhibit there again.

I am also on the committee for the Anglesea Art House and hope that continues to grow and thrive in the future with new members learning and developing their creative skills in a friendly, encouraging environment.

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The Old Shed

Interior Space #1 & #2

Where can people view and buy your art?

As mentioned, I have a studio/gallery at the house which may be viewed by appointment. I also participate in the annual Surf Coast’s Arts Trail weekend held in early August, when my studio is open to the public. In previous years there has been a steady stream of visitors to my studio and many paintings and prints sold. Visitors appear to enjoy seeing an artist’s creative space and talking to the artist to better understand their work.

I can be contacted via my website nicolaperkin.com or email nickyperkin@bigpond.com

22 DELWP

Autumn Planned Burning Visitors and residents in the Otways may notice smoke as planned burning is undertaken across the region this autumn.

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) will use the milder weather conditions in March and April to reduce bushfire risk around towns and the broader landscape with planned burning and other fuel management activities.

DELWP Otway District Manager, David Rourke, said the Otway District team have been delivering a risk reduction strategy since 2010 in partnership with Parks Victoria.

“Over the long term we aim to reduce bushfire risk to below 60% of the maximum possible risk in the Otways, although we cannot completely eliminate risk,” Mr Rourke said.

“We reduce risk by reducing the amount of vegetation in places that bushfires are likely to start, spread and cause damage.

“Our current bushfire management strategy prioritises fuel management within 3km of high-risk towns. By burning close to towns we aim to reduce the speed and intensity of future bushfires.

Planned burn near Moggs Creek

Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

“Planned burns won’t always stop bushfires, but they do slow them down so firefighters have more time to respond and begin work before fires are able to cause damage to communities and property.

“We understand smoke from planned burns may cause concern for some people. However it’s important fire crews do planned burns while conditions are right and reduce bushfire risk for our communities,” Mr Rourke said.

As part of the Victorian government’s new Safer Together approach to bushfire management, locals will have a greater say in managing bushfire risk in their communities, and protecting what’s most important to them.

“The communities of the Otways have worked in close partnership with DELWP over the past two years in particular to ensure our strategies are in line with community values, and we look forward to your continued involvement. We encourage you to visit bushfire-planning.delwp.vic.gov.au to share your views or ask a question about our strategies”, he said.

For up to date information on the timing and location of planned burns, visit vic.gov.au/plannedburn

Books & Writing 23

Through the Prism of Ancient Practice Gregory Day

On a cool autumn morning the week before Easter in 1862, a small scientific party led by the founder of Melbourne’s Flagstaff Observatory, geophysicist Georg Balthasar von Neumayer, headed south-southwest with a guide from Winchelsea in western Victoria, roughly following the telegraph route towards Cape Otway.

The primary purpose of the party was to continue von Neumayer’s thoroughgoing magnetic survey of the new colony and, as with so many pre-photographic scientific expeditions, landscape artists had also been invited along to document the vistas.

Twenty miles south of Winchelsea, von Neumayer’s cohort paused among the birdsong on a grassy upslope just north-east of what is now known as Moggs Creek on the Great Ocean Road. With the packhorses resting and von Neumayer deliberating over his theodolite, Swiss-born painter and bon vivant Nicholas Chevalier took out his paintbox and composed a watercolour sketch of the coastal scenery looking south-west over Louttit Bay towards Point Grey and the present-day township of Lorne.

One-hundred-and-fifty years later, there is no denying the skilful resemblance of Chevalier’s sea scene to Louttit Bay as we know it, but pinpointing the precise location from where it was painted is another matter.

In the 1970s in The Coastal Telegraph, a now-defunct local newspaper produced in the Otways, Patricia Carr

ruminated about the tangle of messmate and wattle that these days makes the location of von Neumayer’s resting party difficult to find. In documenting the Clarke family, who, many years after Chevalier’s painting, cleared some of the land he depicted for their Eastern View dairy farm, Carr wrote: ‘’It must have been at this time that the forests were more like parkland than the dense, heavy undergrowth of today. Where now it is sometimes even difficult to walk without forcing aside the brush, it was then possible to gallop horses.’’

Carr’s quote would fit perfectly within the pages of Bill Gammage’s celebrated recent work on Aboriginal land management, The Biggest Estate on Earth. This multidisciplinary history opens with a revelatory compilation of early colonial quotes akin to this one, in which first settlers describe the landscapes they discovered on arrival in Australia not as wild bush or untamed wilderness but as resembling English parkland.

By some happy triangulation, my own reading and rereading of Gammage in the past few years has been augmented not only by my rediscovery of Carr’s article, which I still remember reading as a child, but also by the recent return of Chevalier’s Louttit Bay watercolour to the south-west, thanks to a touring exhibition of his paintings that had been in Geelong.

24 Excited by the convergence between Gammage’s method of using early colonial landscape painting as evidence the Aboriginal people had farmed this land for millennia with a breathtaking alchemical expertise, and the potential opening of some similar local portal in the Chevalier picture, I found myself striding out from my home to the spot as eagerly as von Neumayer’s party of 150 years ago might have done though without the carbines and kerseymere breeches, and definitely minus the intellectual certitude.

In The Biggest Estate on Earth, Gammage demonstrates how by a repeated seasonal mosaic of burning, the landscapes of the continent we now call Australia were maintained in a variety of states advantageous to human habitation. Some places were burnt at more frequent intervals than others, some places nurtured with cooler fires conducive to the vegetation needed for the access required, and other places converted permanently by hot burning from forest to open grassland and heath.

With a sophisticated and judicious reliance on the colonial artistic record, and by making comparisons with what has happened in those precise landscapes since, Gammage shows what Aboriginal people have always known: that the burning was effected with great mastery, predominantly for the purposes of food and water, with nutritious clearings typically bordered by forest to give kangaroo, wallaby and other quarry the shelter they like during the day. What was presumed to be a natural park-like expanse by the first settlers - including the Clarkes of Eastern View - was actually created by the agricultural craft of a people for whom, logically enough, sustainable landcare was the first principle of life.

Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

Gammage’s matching of historical evidence with corresponding contemporary vistas is, of course, not a new pleasure - one need only think of the archaeological sleuths of Minoan Crete or Mycenean Troy - but as I stood, not on the tree-choked hill where the party’s horses had once nibbled at an open sward but on the cleared slope that lies in the middle-left of Chevalier’s picture, with my head bobbing back and forth like a honeyeater’s from the scene in front of me to the print of Chevalier’s watercolour in my hand, a new verb coined itself in my mind.

To gammage, as in: to go gammaging - to marry an artist’s representation from the historical archive with close observation of the present-day landscape; to observe remnant evidence of the land management practices of indigenous Australia before white settlement.

From what I could see, the slope of flowering kangaroo grass shrugging its shoulder to the bay in front of me remained in a remarkably similar state to that which the artist viewed from his spot on the opposite hill in 1862. But was this rhyming contour of open grassland and heath bordered by gumtrees the result of centuries of hot burning of the slope by the local Wadawurrung and Gadabanud tribes? With its back to the southwesterlies of Bass Strait, with its surrounds of gamefriendly forest, with the creek (known in Chevalier’s day as the Bellbird; its original name is currently lost) flowing nearby and with glade-forming gums left standing for the purposes of shade in the clearing, it seemed unlikely to be otherwise.

Beyond the Chevalier slope, the shallow waters of Bass Strait stretch like a risible tablecloth towards Tasmania, but on its inland side the sylvan bric-a-brac of acacia

Books and Writing 25

and messmate has these days occluded the access Chevalier had to the sight line in his picture. My own spot of gammaging (I like to think of the new verb as an antonym of damage) has proved, if nothing else, it is impossible these days to stand as von Neumayer’s party did, like lords of a new arcadia, looking south-west onto inspiring horizons. We peer not over horses browsing in the clearing but through vast gaps in our historical record, caused not only by the usual passage of time but by the unwillingness of first, and subsequent, settlers and scientific adventurers to credit the ‘’anecdotal’’ evidence of the land’s expert custodians.

So, does my little amateur spot of gammaging actually prove that the still-cleared north-facing slope in Chevalier’s picture fell under a different fire regime from the south-facing slope on which he lit his pipe and fished out his paintbox? Well, perhaps. But as a writer of fiction rather than hard history or science, I’d prefer to leave that kind of certitude to the province of Wellsian time travellers. One thing I am certain of, however, is that the slow process of learning to read our landscape is every bit as important as the reading of books or viewing art. A combination of these activities can be, well, to use another relatively recent local word, deadly.

For Bill Gammage, the whole project of The Biggest Estate on Earth started with a hunch caused by

recognising anomalies between what he read and what he saw in the land around him. I can recommend a spot of gammaging in your own chosen landscape over the summer months, not perhaps as a typical holiday pastime, but as an activity that could transform mere scenery into the living cultural mosaic that is right before your eyes.

Gregory Day’s debut novel The Patron Saint Of Eels won the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal in 2006. His short story The Neighbours Beans won the Elizabeth Jolley Prize in 2011. His most recent novel Archipelago Of Souls was published by Picador in 2015.

26 Book Review

Otway Book Review

By Neal Drinnan from Cow Lick Bookshop Colac

Treasures of Beachcombing

By Ken Martin - Bas Publishing $35.00.

What exactly does serious beachcombing require? Well according to Ken Martin you’ll need fitness, agility, a keen eye and a minimum of hiking gear. Then of course there is the requisite maps, drinking water, mobile phone, first aid kit, pocket knife and lunch.

The coasts of Australia’s southern states offer endless opportunities for rambling discovery and as this author has discovered, there is boundless bounty to be collected from what is discarded by man or offered

forth daily by the sea. Buoys and bottles, driftwood and detritus; Ken has collected a veritable museum of artefacts and made art out of that which would otherwise have been litter. His shack on The Mornington Peninsula evokes a magical world of fishermen and surfers and like all coastal wanderers, Ken’s quest has taken him on searches for fragments of the mythical Mahogany Ship and the Cataraqui. The coastal realm of the beachcomber encapsulates the full circle of life from eggs to carcases and you couldn’t read through this book without pausing to wonder at the extraordinary wilderness we have on our front doorstep. The miracle of the sea, all that she gives us and all she takes away.

The Great Ocean Road - Sea Breeze and Surf

By Bryce Dunkley forward by John Landy - Ides Publishing $49.95 There have been plenty of books on the Great Ocean Road but few capture the breadth and depth of the regions magnificence as Bryce Dunkley’s recent release. This 240 page book covers all the attractions of the coast and the mountains and introduces readers to personalities and organisations such as Graeme Wilkie’s Qdos Arts and Malcolm Brack, the Cape Otway Lighthouse keeper. There is information on Lizzie Corke’s team at the Conservation Ecology Centre and regional environmental issues are covered thoughtfully. The book’s research extends all the way west to Nelson and Cape Bridgewater. The author’s qualifications include a Masters Degree in Environmental Science and a Bachelor Degree in Photography. This is both a coffee table book and a resource for those travelling through our realm. A timeless evocation of a precious place.

BOOKSHOP

WHERE TOWN

ME

ETS

COUNT

RY

T 03 5232 1072 E sales@cowlick.com.au A 86 Murray Street, Colac www.cowlick.com.au Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

Hey Diddle Diddle

Sustainable housing 27

Babenorek Studio ‌ a holiday you can feel good about

Nestled on the edge of 200 acres of natural bush near the rural town of Deans Marsh, Babenorek Studio was hand built by owners Rob and Veronica Phillips nearly 15 years ago to live in with their 3 young children while they built their family home nearby. The Studio has recently had a makeover to accommodate guests and demonstrate how a sustainable lifestyle can be incorporated into a relaxing holiday. It is constructed from Lime rendered Straw Bales making it cool in summer and warm and cosy in winter.

The use of recycled and sustainable building materials is evident throughout the Studio and a testament to their desire to build with minimal impact on the environment in which they lived and raised their family. These materials also add to the natural, rustic aesthetics of the building, giving it a warm, homely feel. The Studio is attached to the family home by a wide carport but has its own private entrance making it secluded enough for a young family or a couple to enjoy a quiet weekend away.

Rob has worked as a Solid Plasterer for 30 years, so had the skills and knowledge needed to render the Straw Bale walls.

Local builders were employed at different stages and all materials were sourced locally when possible.

The property is not connected to any mains power; instead a stand alone solar system provides power to the main house and also to the guest accommodation. This means that the power is collected during sunlight hours and stored in batteries and fed back to the living areas as it is needed. The Phillips say this reliable system is only affected when there are several cloudy days with no sun. For these times they have a generator for back-up power. Rainwater is collected and stored in tanks, and then gravity fed to the house and studio from a header tank.

Upstairs is a spacious room with a QS bed with wool or feather doonas and 2 single beds. Downstairs the living area has an earth floor and Nectre wood stove for warmth.

The stove can also be used to boil the kettle or cook soup on. The spacious bathroom has a shower and waterless dry compost toilet. An outside shower is a great place to wash the sand off after a day at the beach. There is a gas oven in the kitchen, and small fridge will store enough food and drinks for a few days. Fresh plunger coffee and eggs from the resident hens make a hearty breakfast and a good start to a day spent exploring the nearby small inland country towns of the Otway Ranges.The coastal town of Lorne and the Great Ocean Road is a scenic 25 minute drive away.

Photo credit: Mikala Robinson-Koss from www.alltheloveintheworld.com.au photography

Babenorek Studio Eco Accommodation can be booked on Airbnb-Deans Marsh Or book directly P: 5236 3205 M: 0432 011 923

The story behind our poster for the 60th Apollo Bay & Otway District Agricultural Show.

Tori Cooper, a Year 6 student at Apollo Bay P-12 school, produced the winning entry for the 2016 Apollo Bay and Otway District Agricultural Show program cover, repeating her success of the previous year. Tori spent many hours planning and creating her vibrant artwork which incorporates so many aspects of the Show.

Tori explained that many of the images depicted in her artwork, set in the Otways landscape, are things she enjoys at the Show, especially the animals, the cakes and the reptile display. The colourful tents remind her of the spectacle of the Royal Melbourne Show, including a pictorial salute to Apollo Bay Surf Life Saving Club, featuring the Club’s distinctive colours.

Saving the Tiger Quoll, one sip at a time!

100% of Spotted Ale profits go to saving the endangered Tiger Quoll Available online at www.pricklymoses.com.au, at the Brewery Outlet and at Tastes of the Region.

Also on tap at the Great Ocean Road Brewhouse.

Brewery Outlet | Open Friday to Sunday 11am - 5pm 10 Hoveys Road, Barongarook 3249 | Ph: 5233 8400 Tastes of the Region | Open 7 days 10am - 9pm McLaren Parade, Apollo Bay 3233 | Ph: 5237 6240

Conservation Ecology Centre Cape Otway

Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

29

Ferocious team effort to save the Tiger Quoll

Some unlikely partners have joined forces to save the endangered Tiger Quoll from extinction The mighty quoll once ruled the Otways, but in recent years was feared gone forever. So great was concern that the Conservation Ecology Centre (CEC) selected the Tiger Quoll as a focus for its research and in 2012 ecologists rediscovered the existence of Tiger Quolls in the Otways. Since then they have made several crucial discoveries of quoll scat (droppings), restoring hope for the species’ survival.

CEC Conservation and Research Manager Dr Jack Pascoe said the discoveries were encouraging, but it was now vital to increase understanding of the status of the Tiger Quoll and build knowledge for its longterm conservation.

“We have a clear research plan and the information we will gather will help to restore Tiger Quolls and other threatened species across the Otways – but we need to work together and we need to act quickly,” he said.

Some unlikely partners - a brewing company, a performing arts centre and an esteemed playwright are coming together to lead the ferocious team effort to save Australia’s last ‘Tiger’.

Otway Brewing has developed ‘Spotted Ale’ from pure Otways rainwater. 100 per cent of profits from the sale of Spotted Ale support the CEC to carry out critical research and on-ground action which is vital to the conservation of the Tiger Quoll and other wildlife.

“Otway Brewing is committed to the beautiful natural environment of the Otways and our community,” said Andrew Noseda, Director of Otway Brewing.

“This stunning landscape of forests, woodlands and rugged coast are home to a myriad of precious wildlife species which now survive in few other places. We are dedicated to ensuring the Tiger Quoll’s future.”

Renowned playwright Hannie Rayson has also been captivated by the Tiger Quoll and has turned the spotlight on the species in her new play Extinction, coming to Geelong Performing Arts Centre (GPAC) in July.

The story is set in the Otways, where a wild, rainy night and a twist of fate bring together a passionate environmentalist and an unlikely good samaritan. Both are hell-bent on saving the Tiger Quoll, but nothing is black and white in this intriguing story of love, power and survival.

“The arts in general - and theatre in particular - play a critical role in kick starting debate when conversations are lagging,” said GPAC General Manager Jill Smith.

You can join the effort to save these magnificent creatures. Make a toast to the future with a Spotted Ale and book your tickets to Extinction. As Hannie says: “It is pretty amazing to be involved with something as momentous as saving a species.”

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Advertorial

Sustainable Table

The temperate climate and typography of the Otway Ranges provide an ideal setting for the sustainable production of food and other products for the local community. A ‘sustainable table’ is one that uses local food that has been grown using ecological and ethical practices that: Contributes to a thriving local economy and sustainable livelihoods; Protects the diversity of both plants and animals and the welfare of farmed and wild species; Avoids damaging or wasting natural resources or contributing to climate change; Provides social benefits, such as good quality food, safe and healthy products, and educational opportunities.

FORBIDDEN FRUIT ORGANIC CIDER Forbidden Fruit Organic Cider has been handcrafted by Otway Brewing’s proud cider maker, Hamish Spalding, using only the best organic apples sourced from Glen Loch Apple Farm, just down the road in Gellibrand River.

The apples are harvested in autumn and pressed before being placed in the fermenting vat and then aged for 3 to 4 months. Forbidden Fruit Organic Cider is a dry variety of cider in the French Normandy style, and is a lovely accompaniment to a plate of delicious cheeses, especially the rich buttery kinds like a creamy blue or cheddar.

This delightful cider will be available in March for tasting and purchase at the Otway Estate cellar door, as well as at Tastes of the Region in Apollo Bay, the fantastic new store that showcases local and regional produce, beer and wine. And if you can’t get to any of those retails outlets, you can also buy online from www.pricklymoses.com.au

Please support these local industries and be healthy at the same time!

Made with organic apples from Glen Loch Apple Farm, this cider is deliciously refreshing!

Available from the Otway Estate cellar door and from Tastes of the Region in Apollo Bay. Or buy online: www.pricklymoses.com.au

Cellar Door | Open Fri to Sun 11am - 5pm 10 Hoveys Road Barongarook 3249 Tastes of the Region | Open 7 days 10am - 9pm McLaren Parade Apollo Bay 3233

Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

Sustainable Table 31 The Prickly Moses label is wellknown to people in the Otways, brewed locally in Barongarook at Otway Estate. But what many wouldn’t realise is that the owners of Prickly Moses are dedicated not only to the sustainability of their product, but also to the environment.

The spectacular scenery, fresh forest air and outstanding natural beauty of the Otways have inspired the folk at Prickly Moses to produce their wide range of beer using harvested rainwater and solar power to reduce their consumption from the grid. A large 30kW array of solar panels has been installed and 300,000 litres of water tanks feed directly into the brewery.

But the green initiatives don’t stop there. Recycling of glass, paper and plastic forms part of their business practice, as does the re-use of waste water for irrigation. Supplies are sourced locally where possible to reduce the carbon footprint of transport, and spent grain is used for cattle feed.

So next time you feel like a beer, reach for a locally brewed, environmentally conscious Prickly Moses!

The challenge for small producers to expose their delicious hand-crafted products to a broad market is an ever-present obstacle to the sustainability of artisanal businesses. Tastes of the Region is endeavouring to break down this barrier however, by providing a retail outlet for local producers in the heavily-visited town of Apollo Bay. When people come to Tastes of the Region, they enter a one-stop-shop for local and regional delicacies such as jams and preserves oozing with locally picked fruit, sensational spices, organic honey, plaits of pesticide free garlic, locally made cheeses, freshly roasted coffee, tea, cordial, muesli, chutney and so the list goes on. There’s also a tasting room for sampling local beer and wine, as well as a fully stocked bottled shop for take-away items.

If you haven’t yet visited Tastes of the Region, put it in your calendar as a ‘must-do’ this autumn. It’s a great place to spend a few hours and it’s a lovely way to showcase our region to visitors.

tastes of the region Think Sustainable, Drink Prickly!

Harvested rain water 30kW of solar power Glass, paper & plastic recycling Green light program graduates Locally sourced supplies Waste water recycled for irrigation Spent grain used for cattle feed

Specialising in craft beer, ne wine & regional produce

Brew ery O Ope n Fri utlet 11am to Sun -5pm • Sample local beer & wine in our tasting room • Share a platter of regional produce with friends • Browse a great range of delicious local products • Choose from a huge variety of craft beer, wine and spirits in our take away bottle shop • Buy direct from the Prickly Moses retail outlet

10 Hoveys Road, Barongarook VIC 3249 p: (03) 5233 8400 e: info@pricklymoses.com.au www.pricklymoses.com.au

Located behind the Great Ocean Road Brewhouse McLaren Parade, Apollo Bay VIC 3233 p: 03 5237 6240 www.greatoceanroadbrewhouse.com.au

32

Advertorial

Sustainable Table

The temperate climate and typography of the Otway Ranges provide an ideal setting for the sustainable production of food and other products for the local community. A ‘sustainable table’ is one that uses local food that has been grown using ecological and ethical practices that: Contributes to a thriving local economy and sustainable livelihoods; Protects the diversity of both plants and animals and the welfare of farmed and wild species; Avoids damaging or wasting natural resources or contributing to climate change; Provides social benefits, such as good quality food, safe and healthy products, and educational opportunities.

Please support these local industries and be healthy at the same time!

Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

Saint Aire is a boutique beef operation on the limestone hills in the picturesque Aire Valley, Glenaire. The farm focuses on Angus/Bazadais beef production, with a small selection of Bazadais Stud cattle. The French Bazadais Breed is renowned for its finely textured beef. Saint Aire was born out of the desire to offer locally produced quality beef to people seeking out the provenance of their food. The welfare of the cattle is their paramount concern, and they believe healthy, happy animals, through all stages of their life span, provide for ethical food consumption and reflects in wonderful meat quality. The calcium and herb rich terroir on which the cattle graze contributes to the depth of flavor of the beef, which is predominantly grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free.

A farm layout plan was designed in 2012 with planned areas for conservation, benefitting both biodiversity and stock protection, helping to ensure the farm is environmentally sustainable.

Beef is processed locally and can be purchased by preordering 8 kg or 12 kg mixed boxes, with select cuts also available at the Apollo Bay Foreshore market on a seasonal basis. Please contact Ros Denney to discuss the next delivery of beautiful beef.

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33

The Good Life

by Ami Hillege

If you have to ask me which season I like the most, it would have to be Autumn. It’s when the tomatoes, capsicums and eggplants you’ve nurtured over the summer months finally reward you with a bounty that will keep you dreaming of summer days all the way through winter.

The garden suffered through the heat and lack of rain this season. Underfoot the grass was crispy and brown. Watering the kitchen garden took priority over the floral garden beds. And as I watered, the level of the dam sank lower and lower. Keeping stuff alive that fed us was where I directed my energy.

In spite of the lack of wet stuff from above, our 50-year-old mulberry tree gifted us with many kilograms of luscious, purple, juice staining berries.

Mouths, teeth and stained fingers were tell tale signs of whose turn it was to pick the fruit. Raspberries and blackberries were intense in flavour. These made their way into conserves and cordials. Picking berries for around eight weeks is a constant chore.

Sometimes we picked twice a day as the fruits ripen very quickly in the hot sun.

We’ve discovered a delicious way to enjoy these berries. A journey into the world of fermenting has had me experimenting in the kitchen with all kinds of ferments. We’ve mastered Kambucha now. This is a tea based drink that uses a ‘scoby’, which stands for ‘Symbiotic Culture of Bacterial Yeast’ to ferment the tea. The result is a refreshing drink packed with probiotics, which are excellent in restoring good gut heath. To add extra flavours to these drinks, we have used our berries and fruit.

Being able to harvest and enjoy our own produce is something we appreciate. What can be more satisfying than putting a meal on the table where every element comes from within our boundary fence!

For us, our goal is to grow as much of the produce we require ourselves. What we don’t grow we might barter for. Keeping our food miles low and eating organic produce is our main aim. Of course this goal comes at a cost. The cost is mostly time. Time to plant, weed, mulch, nurture, water and then finally harvest.

I still get a buzz when I do a quick turn in the zucchini patch and come out with a basket full of vibrant zucs.

Yellow, dark green, pale green, striped… The same goes for the tomatoes. Last season I planted over 20 different varieties. How many would you find in a supermarket? In our experience, the flavour hit you get from a home grown tomato far exceeds that of any commercially grown one.

Most veggie growers will always have a glut of zucchinis. We have a good repertoire of recipes that we cycle through in order to use them all. A favourite is to simply shave thin strips using a vegetable peeler, soaking them in some lemon juice and then tossing them through a leafy garden salad. When the basket gets too full, we shred them and turn them into delicious relish.

We’re about to pick our apples, and after the success we had last year with our first time cider making, we’re going to repeat the excersize and double our efforts this year. We just need to call it, and then it will be all hands on deck to pick the fruit. What will follow will be a long session at the kitchen table where we’ll chat and sort, sip wine and sort, solve the problems of the world and finally crush the apples for the cider.

There’s something so satisfying in being just a little self-sufficient when it comes to feeding ourselves.

Enjoying a sustainable table is easier than you think.

So here’s to a bumper harvest for everyone!

Follow Otway Fields on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram www.otwayfields.com www.livingthislifeami.blogspot.com

OTWAY FIELDS GROW  EAT  REST

 Newly renovated cabin overlooking the Otways  Gourmet basket featuring organically grown farm & local produce

 Close to the Great Ocean Road & Birregurra YOUR ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY

www.otwayfields.com Tel 0418 757 028

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Forrest Foods

Forrest Foods is owned and run by Paul and Wendy Troughton with the help of their three children Claire, Max Forrest Foods and couple Forrest Foods is owned and run by Paul and Wendy Troughton with Kaye. the help ofThe their three childrenrun a sustainable dairy operation Claire, Max and Kaye. The couple run a sustainable dairy operation on their 172-hectare farm in on their farm in Gerangamete along with a Gerangamete along with a hugely successful fresh shiitake mushroom farm172-hectare on their out paddocks in Barongarook. hugely successful fresh shiitake mushroom farm on their The Troughtons are passionate about sustainable farming and regenerative agriculture and hortiout paddocks Barongarook. culture. They are members of both the Gerangamete Landcare Group and the Otwayin Agroforestry Network and active in the local community.

The Troughtons are passionate about sustainable farming and regenerative agriculture and horticulture. They are of both Compost delivers key nutrients and carbon back into the soil,members increasing the biodiversity andthe bio- Gerangamete Landcare Group and logical activity, which improves pasture, crops and increases moisture retention. This reduces the thechemical Otway Agroforestry Network and active in the local amount of overall inputs required to run the farm including fewer fertilisers and reduced spraying for pests and weeds. community.

One of the keys to sustainability on the Troughton’s farm is an on-farm composting program whereby they compost the waste from both the dairy and the mushroom farm, turning it into natural fertiliser to spread back on the farm.

Under the brand Forrest Foods, Paul and Wendy embarked on growing premium grade fresh shiitake mushrooms on their Barongarook out paddocks in 2012. The Otway region of Victoria is ideal for growing shiitakes with an abundance of clean, fresh water and a temperate climate.

One of the keys to sustainability on the Troughton’s farm is an on-farm composting program whereby they compost the waste from both the dairy and the mushroom farm, turning it featured into natural Because of this, they are highly sought after and in 2015, Forrest Foods was on the finalefertiliser to spread back on the of Masterchef as an Australian producer of note with Paul making a guest appearance during the farm. Compost delivers key nutrients and carbon back show.

The shiitake mushrooms are grown on a sawdust substrate which formedsoil, into a increasing small log. This intois the the biodiversity and biological substrate is inoculated with a shiitake spawn, which grows by feeding on the wood. activity, which improves pasture, crops and increases Fresh shiitakes are sought after for their health properties including their ability to boost the immune system, reduce inflammation and a rich source of vitamin D and iron. retention. This reduces the amount of overall moisture They are are a terrific source of protein for vegetarian and vegan diets, they are paleo friendly and the farm including fewer chemical inputs required to run suitable for nut, gluten and dairy-free dishes. fertilisers and reduced spraying for pests and weeds.

Forrest Foods is one of the only Australian growers of fresh shiitake with the productivity to consistently supply gourmet provedores, grocers and high-end restaurants with quality shiitakes all year round.

In 2016, Paul and Wendy are on track to expand Forrest Foods, including supplying restaurants with rose veal, and producing some value-added mushroom products for retail sale.

Fore more information, visit www.forrestfoods.com.au

Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

Under the brand Forrest Foods, Paul and Wendy embarked on growing premium grade fresh shiitake mushrooms on their Barongarook out paddocks in 2012. The Otway region of Victoria is ideal for growing shiitakes with an abundance of clean, fresh water and a temperate climate.

Forrest Foods is one of the only Australian growers of fresh shiitake with the productivity to consistently supply

Sustainable table 35 gourmet provedores, grocers and high-end restaurants with quality shiitakes all year round. Because of this, they are highly sought after and in 2015, Forrest Foods was featured on the finale of Masterchef as an Australian producer of note with Paul making a guest appearance during the show.

The shiitake mushrooms are grown on a sawdust substrate which is formed into a small log. This substrate is inoculated with a shiitake spawn, which grows by feeding on the wood. Fresh shiitakes are sought after for their health properties including E AT | D R I N K | S TAY

their ability to boost the immune system, reduce inflammation and a rich source of vitamin D and iron.

They are a terrific source of protein for vegetarian and vegan diets, they are paleo friendly and suitable for nut, gluten and dairy-free dishes.

In 2016, Paul and Wendy are on track to expand Forrest Foods, including supplying restaurants with rose veal, and producing some value-added mushroom products for retail sale.

For more information, visit www.forrestfoods.com.au

I N T H E H E A R T O F T H E O T WAY S At Forrest Guesthouse you can stop and relax.

Enjoy the abundant nature and waterfall walks close by or if you like to move at a faster pace, ride the renowned mountain bike trails that wind through the Otways.

Onsite restaurant Bespoke Harvest uses fresh produce from our garden & surrounding farms that capture the taste & flavour of the Otways. Featuring 80% local ingredients for lunch & dinner.

Friday & Saturday dinner is a set menu where you relax and enjoy the local harvest. Our menu is continually changing as the produce provides.

| 1 6 G R A N T S T R E E T F O R R E S T 3 2 3 6 | T H E O T WAY R A N G E S V I C T O R I A | B O O K I N G S & E N Q U I R I E S T 0 3 5 2 3 6 6 4 4 6

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W F O R R E S TAC C O M M O DAT I O N.C O M . AU |

26/11/2015 3:53 pm

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Around the Houses Autumn Colac Neighbourhood House

Find us on Facebook

23 Miller Street, Colac Vic 3250 Phone: 5232 5368 Email: brimmer@cah.vic.gov.au Opening Hours Monday to Friday 9am-4pm

Sowing the seeds of connection On February 27th Colac Neighbourhood House & Colac Area Health partnered with Corangamite CMA to have a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony to celebrate our beautiful sensory garden and story wall and then to COPACC for a special screening of Putuparri and the Rainmakers. What a powerful and informative day spent honoring our land and it’s people.

The Colac Otways was once home to a rich and diverse culture of many tribes of Indigenous Australians.

The story of the local Indigenous Australians and these amazing people is hardly known.

The story wall project is intended as a talking point for everyone to question, to learn, to investigate and to honour those people who once cared for the lands we now call home.

Bunjil the eagle, the spirit of this place, continues to watch over us and the Warrion hills encircle the same plains that feed into the swamps and marshes that are now our lake.

The creeks and rivers remember the gatherings, the land recalls the respectful tread of the elders and as our time here is small, we have a chance to pass on this story of survival and endurance as a mark of our respect to those that walked the land before us.

REGULAR ACTIVITES Just ring for details or to book a place. Everyone is Welcome!

MONDAY Women on the Move - social group for women Breast and Ovarian Cancer Support Group Palliative Care Volunteers Monday Painters – tutored art class TUESDAY Cancer Support Group Colac Otway Sustainability Group Childbirth and Parenting Classes Tuesday Painter Healthy Lifestyle .. cooking and exercise

Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

WEDNESDAY Wednesday Painters Colac Otway Ratepayers Association Australian Plants Society Raphael Centre PND Counselling Womens Group Tinnitus and Menieres Support THURSDAY Meditation Classes CNH Playgroup Thursday Craft and Social Group Garden Group ABCD Parenting

FRIDAY Free Community Meals Program Small Talk playgroup Epilepsy Support Walking Group ALSO...

Community Garden Cake Decorators Music Group Story Wall and Sensory GardenProject Pathways Disability Support Mon-Frid 9-4pm

residents of Lorne became worm

Around the Houses Autumn 37 37

y House

COMMUNITY HOUSE

Cnr Mountjoy Pde & Otway St, Lorne Phone Katy on: 5289 2972 Email: communityhouse.lorne@swarh.vic.gov.au Office open Mon – Thurs, 9.30am – 2.30pm March

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Craft for Kids this Easter Tues 10.30-1pm and 2-4.30pm, $30 per session, includes all materials.

Activities from dream catchers, wooden monogram letters, water colour cushion covers, and pendant making. Suited to ages 9-14 years.

May

2

Pilates Monday 5:45-6:45pm or Wednesday 5.30 - 6.30pm $15 per session.

Creative Art Open Studio FORTNIGHTLY Tuesdays 10am - 12pm or Wednesdays – April 2 - 5pm $170 total. Early bird: $150 *Materials provided.

An opportunity to explore your inner creativity with other people, whilst working alongside an Art Therapist. Create art in an atmosphere that fosters confidence to freely express what is within. You don’t have to be an artist to make art!

Playgroup Thursdays 9.30 – 11.30am. Gold coin donation Come along and meet our new Playgroup Coordinator! Share the joys and challenges of parenthood, while your children engage in play and creative activities. All parents, carers, grandparents and their kids are welcome.

Stress Management Course

Mondays 7-8pm. Start date 2/5/2016 $200 for 8 week course or $25 per session.

Stress is something everybody has experienced. It manifests in many different shapes and forms. Learn techniques to relax, meditate and manage your emotions, covering relaxation, visualization and happiness management.

May

3

July

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Mindfulness Course Tuesdays 5.30pm. Start date 3/5/2016

Christmas in July Save the date! July 24th

A fun afternoon of family entertainment for our entire community to join together for a late Christmas lunch.

Call us for more information about any of these courses, along with Toy Library, Vocal Group, Games, Gardener’s Morning, Health Education, Adult Training and more!

The perfect gift for that certain someone who has everything!

As you know, we love our environment and we have a limited print run, so guarantee you or a loved one gets to feel the 100% recycled paper of every glorious full colour issue, subscribe TODAY. It’s a lovely gift for friends and family, or a perfect way for your business to share our beautiful Otway Life with your clients. Contact us for a subscription form.

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Email: otwaylifemagazine@gmail.com Phone: (03) 5236 6591

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38 38 Section Around the Houses Autumn Forrest House

Find us on Facebook

14 Grant Street, Forrest 3236 Phone: Gillian on 5236 6591 Email: forrest.nh@gmail.com Open Mon, Wed, Thurs10-5pm

Regular events B.F.DM.

COLLEGE of FOOD new youth program

The Birregurra Community Health Centre, Forrest Neighbourhood House and Deans Marsh Community Cottage are joining forces to run a new youth program that will bring our communities together, promote our amazing local food production and service industries, and work together to support our young people.

The B.F.DM. College of Food is a ‘rural food challenge’ connecting 10-16 year olds across our three areas. Each center will conduct a number of engaging activities and challenges to teach practical skills, learn about cooking and service in a team environment, and visit local food producers and businesses. Skilled training will be offered as a part of the program, including Food Service and Food Handling. The program will culminate in an end of year cook off extravaganza between teams from the three areas.

Calling for expressions of interest from young people If you are aged between 10 and 16 years and would like to be involved in the B.F.DM. College of Food, we would love to hear from you. No cooking experience necessary!

CONTACT Birregurra Community Health Centre on 5236 4009.

Forrest Neighborhood House on 5236 6591.

Deans Marsh Community Cottage on 5236 3388.

Calling for community mentors, supporters & sponsors We need community mentors to help guide our teams; if you have professional cooking experience we would love to hear from you.

Community members and businesses can also help with: - Financial support - Donations of produce - Conducting food producer or manufacturer tours at your business If you can help, please contact us for a sponsor’s package The program will be launched for Youth Week on Monday 11 April.

Otway Life Magazine Autumn 2016

First Monday of the month BINGO 1-3pm Light afternoon tea provided.

Cost $5 for 2 books.

Tuesday COS Exercise and Weights class 11-12pm For all ages and abilities. Stay on for a light social lunch. $3.75 or $7.50 with lunch.

Wednesday Tai Chi 6.30-8pm $10/8conc Thursday Gentle Exercise Class 10-11am.

Followed by morning tea. Cost $2 Mind Games 11am-12noon. Cost $2 Community Lunch 12.30-2pm Cost $6 Friday Cert IV / Diploma Visual Art 10am-5pm.

Forrest Youth Group (FYG) 5.30-7pm Supervised activity based group. Next activity TBA Last Sunday of every month Music Jam and Pizza afternoon From 3pm. Join in or just relax and enjoy the vibes.

Woodfired pizza available to purchase.

April

11 April

30 May 2

B.F.DM. College of Food

Program Launch details TBA

Bluegrass Jam Camp

3 Days Tuition & Jamming All bluegrass instruments: guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, bass or dobro NO JAMMING EXPERIENCE REQUIRED PERFECT FOR BEGINNERS Bookings & Info: jamcampsaustralia.com.au VOLUNTEERS & TUTORS WANTED Call Gillian to find out about opportunities to be involved or share your skills and earn income.

COLAC OTWAY Calendar SAT 19 MARCH Colac Kana Festival Memorial Square, Colac 10am - 6pm SAT 19 MARCH Apollo Bay & Otway District Agricultural Show Apollo Bay Recreation Reserve 9am – 5pm www.apollobayshow.org.au SUN 20 MARCH Old Beechy Rail Trail Run Barongarook to Gellibrand 8.30am - 11.30am SAT 26 & SUN 27 MARCH Birregurra Easter Arts Weekend Tarndwarncoort Homestead 10am - 4pm Sunday market in Birregurra Park www.birreartsgroup.com

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Events AUTUMN 2016

FRI 1 APRIL TO SAT 30 APRIL Eat Local Month Various Locations across the Colac Otway Shire www.eatlocalmonth.com.au SAT 2 & SUN 3 APRIL Otway 300 Forrest & the Otway Ranges 7am - 5pm www.otway300.com SAT 2 & SUN 3 APRIL VFBV 2016 Rural State Championships Colac Showgrounds 8.30am – 5pm SUN 10 APRIL St. Brendan’s Precinct Open Day St. Brendan’s Precinct, Coragulac 11.30am - 4pm donnasuther@yahoo.com.au

MON 25 APRIL ANZAC Day Commemorations Services are being held at various locations across the shire. For details visit Council’s website www.colacotway.vic.gov.au SAT 7 MAY Forrest 6 Hour Forrest - Yaugher Mountain Bike Trails 9am – 5pm www.forrest6hour.com.au SAT 14 & SUN 15 MAY Great Ocean Road Marathon Lorne to Apollo Bay www.greatoceanroad marathon.com.au

MARKETS Apollo Bay Community Market Every Saturday Apollo Bay Foreshore Apollo Bay Farmers’ Market Third Sunday of each month Apollo Bay Youth Club Birregurra Sunday Market Second Sunday of each month Birregurra Park (Last market 10 April) Colac Lions Club Market Third Sunday of each month Colac Memorial Square

Promote your event with us www.colacotway.vic.gov.au

March 12-31 Lorne Sculpture Biennale www.lornesculpture.com 18-19 Relay for Life, Torquay www.relayforlife.org.au 18-20 Aireys Inlet Open Mic Music Festival www.aireysinlet.com.au 19-20 Senior SLSC Championships, Fairhaven www.lifesavingvictoria.com.au 19-20 Country Dahlias Flower Festival, Winchelsea www.winchelsea.vic.au 20 Hare Krishna Colour Festival, Winchelsea www.festivalofcolours.com.au 21-22 Rip Curl Pro Trials, Bells Beach www.surfingvic.com 23-31 Rip Curl Pro ASP World Tour Event, Bells Beach www.surfingvic.com 24-28 Lions Easter Art Show, Lorne www.lovelorne.com.au 26 Winchelsea Horticultural Garden Club Autumn Show www.winchelsea.vic.au 27-31 Eat Local Month: Forage Festival

April

1-3 Lorne Sculpture Biennale www.lornesculpture.com 1-5 Rip Curl Pro ASP World Tour Event Bells Beach www.surfingvic.com 1-30 Eat Local Month www.eatlocalmonth.com.au 2-3 Winchelsea Uniting Church Auction www.winchelsea.vic.au 2-3 Kids Adventure Outdoors, Anglesea http://kidsadventureoutdoors.org.au/ 2-3 By the Meadow, Bambra 8-17 National Youth Week www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au 9 Surf Coast Trek, Torquay givewhereyoulive.com.au 9 Sustainable Hook and Vine Festival, Torquay www.hookandvine.com.au 16 Great Ocean and Otway Classic Ride, Torquay www.greatoceanotwayclassic.com.au 16-17 Victorian Junior Surfing Titles, Jan Juc www.surfingvic.com 22-25 Lighthouse Literary Fest, Fairhaven www.lighthouseliteraryfest.com.au 25 ANZAC Day Dawn Service, Anglesea, Lorne, Torquay, Winchelsea

AUTUMN EVENTS IN THE SURF COAST SHIRE May

1 Eat Local Month Surf Coast, VIC, 1 Bellbrae Mayfair Bellbrae, VIC, 8 Mothers Day Classic Torquay, VIC, 14 HIF Victorian Longboard Titles Round 2 Torquay, VIC, 14-15 Great Ocean Road International Marathon Lorne, VIC, 19 Torquay Theatre Troupe presents “All Things Considered” by Ben Brown - Thursday 19 May Torquay, VIC, 20 Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles - Friday Torquay, VIC,