Voice On Pako February 2015 by The Voice

VOICE

ON PAKO

STOP! ESSENTIAL CAFE READING

free monthly

FEBRUARY 2015

Geelong West Newtown people places property fashion

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ADULT DANCE AND MOVEMENT STUDIO

Cover guy Darren Grayson is a well known hairstylist in Geelong and has recently moved his salon from the CBD to Pakington Street.

Have you ever wanted to do ballet but thought it was too late? The Loft specialises in dance and movement classes for adults including classical ballet, contemporary, barre, yoga and pilates. The beautiful light filled studio is located in Rutland Street, Newtown, and is perfectly situated between the Barwon River and the thriving café precinct of Pakington Street. The Loft was established by professional dance teacher and choreographer,

Lyndel Quick, over eleven years ago. Back then Rutland Street was a fairly deserted industrial street but Lyndel always knew that given enough time, the street would be an exciting arts precinct. And she was right. With the ever popular Boom Gallery opening next door plus a host of other creative businesses moving in – Rutland Street is thriving. And The Loft is right smack bang in the middle. The Loft maintains a philosophy that dance and

movement is for everyone and everybody. They have classes for absolute beginners right through to advanced levels. Studio dancers are aged anywhere between 17-65 years. Some are returning to dance after a long break and some have never danced a step in their lives. Others are industry professionals and teachers who seek out a regular movement practice with like minded adults. Regardless of ability, experience, gender or fitness level, The Loft

can find the right class for you. The studio runs regular weekly classes as well as special events and workshops throughout the year. The space is also available for community hire and home to a wide variety of wonderful dance, movement and arts practitioners. Check out the studio’s website for full class schedule www. theloftstudiospace.com.au or you can contact Lyndel directly on 0419 619 996.

This month the team at Born and Bread Bakehouse share a secret recipe. Page 13

WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBOURHOOD Voice on Pako would like to extend a big welcome to our newest kids on the block. • Recently moving from Geelong CBD, Smile Care Dentures have moved onto the main Pakington Street strip, lead by Dental Prosthetist Neil Boyd. (217 Pakington Street, Geelong West. 5221 2622) • Moving into the quiet Skene Street area, Blue Door Espresso has opened its blue door to the street for all sorts of

delicious treats! (2A/105 Skene Street, Newtown) • The Geelong West Social Club promises to be our newest stomping ground, from amazing coffee to some tasty breakfast bagels we spied on their social media accounts. (1b Yuille Street, Geelong West) • Zakis Fish and Grill, a fantastic new fish and chip shop down the river end of Pakington Street. (361A Pakington Street, Geelong West)

Who?

Recipe time

Welcome to the February edition of Voice on Pako! This month we take some time to say hello to our newest friends in the neighbourhood, introduce you to the Geelong West Community Gardens and take full advantage of our ample supply of hairdressers and pick their brains for the best advice. We also have our grub_guide_geelong columnist back, as well as a new columnist Mitch Grinter who went out and reviewed the Pivot Cinemas movie ‘The Mule’. We hope you enjoy your essential café reading!

To find out who this Pako personality is. Turn to page 25.

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PEOPLE OF PAKO story MADELIN BALDWIN

Eye opener for Pako Twelve and a half years ago Chris Benning and Peter Weston were both working independently of each other around the Geelong area, feeling pretty disillusioned and dissatisfied with where they were. One Saturday morning they had a conversation “and within an hour and a half we made the best decision we’ve ever made”. That decision was to open up Eyewear on Pako, which has been running

successfully ever since. Six months later, Chris’ son Matt joined the team and both father and son work together every day, “Pete's always said that Matt's going to finish up like me, which I’m not sure he’s overjoyed about!’ laughs Chris. Eyewear on Pako is a funky, colourful environment, not unlike the glasses they stock. Along with the high end brands like Tiffany and Co, Versace

and Gucci, Eyewear on Pako have quite a few international brands exclusive only to them. LA Eyeworks is a bright, quirky brand from America, along with AM Eyewear who give some of the proceeds from their sales to one of their charities in the States. “We’re fortunate to secure a number of brands and are the only ones who stock them down this way – those suppliers have been very supportive”.

So why Pako? “We love Pako, it’s the most vibrant shopping area of Geelong!” Most of you will know the guys here from their timeless catchy advertising campaigns with the ‘Can you say I wear from Eyewear on Pako?”. The ads actually started on stubby holders, with a series of cartoons they had made up - “we had a bit of fun with that taking the mickey out of ourselves. One of

the slogans was ‘If the captain of the Titanic had been wearing specs from here, he wouldn’t have hit the ice burg’ – stuff like that” says Chris. As for Matt – his Instagram name is @princeofpako. A friend of his dubbed him that, and when Matt said ‘Why just the prince?’ he replied “because your old man is the king!”

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WORD OF PAKO story MADELIN BALDWIN

Michael's turn to fly Before there was Mister Miller, there was Michael's Caffé Volare – or Michael's Coffee ‘to fly’ as it translates. Michael Quagliara was one of Pako’s well known personalities, and owned his café for over 10 years. I remember going there before having dinner at Café Botticelli, having a hot chocolate and one of Michael's delicious biscotti, lovingly handmade by a group of Italian ladies he knew. Michael was trained as an industrial engineer, but also had a colourful life as a ballroom dancing instructor/judge, an Italian newspaper writer/ editor, a restaurant manager and of course many stints as a barista making coffees.

Michael was known and loved by all. When he became sick with cancer, he sold his business to Stephen Nardi, and used to always mention how Stephen's family was ‘from a neighbouring area near his own in Southern Italy’. Ever since Stephen took over the space, you would see Michael come down to say hello and face his adoring crowd, as I was lucky enough to see a few months ago. Sadly Michael recently succumbed to his cancer and passed away. We send our deepest condolences to Michael's family and friends.

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story MADELIN BALDWIN

When David Hoey moved into his house on Autumn Street just off Pakington Street, he applied for one of the 35 plots at the Geelong West Community Gardens situated right at his back fence. Three to four years later, he finally got one. “We have a large waiting list for these plots, we cull it at 20 people so it doesn’t get too big to handle”. Becoming more involved in the gardens with them essentially being an “extension of my backyard”, he eventually became president. The gardens are allocated on a “first in first served” basis, and the members pay an annual fee of only $35 to participate. The actual area is council owned, but completely self-sufficient with the membership paying for things like maintenance. “It offers an opportunity for people to integrate into the

GARDENING on pako

community. We have people here from all different walks of life, different ethnicities. It’s an oasis in the Geelong West building jungle!” People who have an interest in gardening, or people who don’t have access to their own gardens come and enjoy the social aspect in a communal atmosphere. “With the shift towards high density housing, these areas of escape are great for community, it’s a shame we’re limited in the spaces we have”. The plots are mostly owned by individuals, however some community groups like Karingal also rent one. There are regular visits from community groups and schools who might come in and do a planting project – in the past Bunnings have supported similar projects. Members give up their time to come and speak to the

kids about what is growing and to teach them things about the gardens. As well as single plots, there are areas of the garden that are communal like the fruits trees, herb gardens and grass. Members help maintain these surroundings as well as their own, and working bee’s are held. There is also a head committee who hold regular meetings here. Half a dozen times a year all of the members meet together as well and there is a social space in the garden with a BBQ and sink, tables and chairs. The whole area has keyed access, to help keep everything in order and all members have access to this year round. If you would like to get on the (albeit long) waiting list, contact David Hoey on 0450 885 587

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RECIPES on pako story MADELIN BALDWIN

Born and Banana Bread

Husband and wife duo Ben and Natasha Gower just celebrated their one year anniversary of opening Born and Bread bakehouse. Ben, a third generation baker is the head baker here, and wanted to bring back “proper, traditional baking”. Everything is made from scratch in store with organic flours, with Ben even growing his own natural Levain for their famous sourdough. 2015 is going to be a huge year for Born and Bread, and to get things started the guys have kindly shared their seasonal banana bread recipe with us!

Sourdough Banana, Raspberry and Pistachio Bread.

230g Mature Sourdough Leaven

INGREDIENTS

70g Raspberries

200g Ripe Banana - mashed

85g Light Olive oil

50g Pistachio

75g Brown Sugar

METHOD

75g Honey 2 Eggs-room temp 6g Vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and generously grease a loaf pan.

3g Salt

2. In the bowl of the mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the oil with the brown sugar and the honey until smooth.

1.4g Mixed Spices

3. Add the eggs one at a time,

Zest of ½ a Lemon 140g Stoneground wholewheat flour

beating after each addition. 4. Add the vanilla and the lemon zest. Blend in the sourdough leaven on slow speed.

5. Sift the flour with the salt and mixed spices, add to the batter and mix while gradually adding the mashed banana.

temperature for 2 hours, then store in the refrigerator overnight to allow the batter to rise. 9. Remove from the refrigerator and bake at 180 for about 1 hour, until a skewer comes out clean. 10. Cool on a wire rack.

6. Add the pistachio and raspberry and fold until just incorporated.

Note. If a lighter bread is preferred 5g of baking powder can be added with the flour.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

** This recipe can be modified with seasonal fruits and nuts. For example peach, nectarine, dates or walnuts.

8. Leave to sit at room

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BOOK NOTES with John Allan, Paton Books.

This house of grief This House Of Grief by Helen Garner is a gripping account of the trial of Robert Farquarson who, still reeling from the breakdown of his marriage, drove his children into a dam on the way home from a Fathers’ Day outing, drowning all three boys. Garner shows us the investigation by the police, the machinations of the legal processes, and insights into different ways of human

behaviour. Attending the seven week trial and appeal she faithfully describes what is presented—from the intricate twists and turns of the duelling lawyers to the exposure of human frailties. Farquarson is an ordinary man and in some ways pitiful, his father-in law calls him a sook, his wife thinks he is unambitious and it is hard for us to believe that a loving father

could do what he was convicted of doing. This House Of Grief has all the trademark Garner touches from harrowing scenes, observations of character flaws and wry moments of humour. Her words and the boys' fate linger long after the final page is turned. This House of Grief, Helen Garner, Text Publishing 2014, RRP $29.99

Turn that frown upside down Paton Books’ customers have voted with their choice as the New York Times bestseller The Pout-Pout Fish won our most popular children’s board book in 2014. Children can swim along with the Pout-Pout Fish as he discovers that being glum and

spreading “dreary wearies” isn’t really his destiny. The Pout-Pout Fish believes he only knows how to frown, even though many of his friends suggest ways to change his expression, until one day a fish comes along that shows him otherwise.

Bright ocean colors and a gorgeous playful rhyme come together in Deborah Diesen’s fun tale. This little book is sure to turn even the poutiest of frowns upside down. The Pout Pout Fish, Deborah Dieson, RRP $12.99

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BEAUTY ON PAKO

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story MADELIN BALDWIN

Prissy Nail Bar - Emily De Kryger It’s clean and white, with flashes of vibrant colour marking the walls in lined nail polish bottles, scented candles and plush cushions scattered along the back chair. Prissy Nail Bar has been established on Pako since July last year, but owner Emily De Kryger has been self employed as a nail technician for eight years now. Renting a space from someone else on Pako for the last three years, she was waiting for the perfect spot down the river end to turn up and jumped at the chance to

open up just off a side street. “I knew eventually it would happen – I always wanted to be on Pako, particularly this end I thought really needed a nail bar. It’s great to still be able to get my coffee from Winters, and my clients didn’t have to move far”. Not only does Emily own the business, but she founded her own brand of nail polish years ago (also named Prissy) which is vegan friendly, cruelty free and “Five Free” – “There are 5 main toxic chemicals in most nail polishes, and

mine is free of all of them, so they’re great for kids, and pregnant women as well. In this day and age, people are really becoming more conscious of what to put on and into their body which I think is great”. The nail polish also wholesales, so you can get it at a variety of places around Geelong including Flowerbowl, Two Little Birds and a local online store My Boutique - “it’s great having the local support”. Prissy also use a natural skin care range for all of their

manicures and pedicures called Greenscape Organic Homemade – there’s hand wash, body wash and soak and what I spied to be my favourite - a body polish containing lemon, corn and dandelion! One of Emilys favourite things about painting nails is choosing the colours with clients. “People are definitely more adventurous these days, and I find people choosing colours they normally wouldn’t. I love seeing them walk out of here, so happy

with their nails” “I have a great client base here, I couldn’t complain – half the time I feel like I’m coming to work to catch up with my friends. It’s the perfect job for me”. Prissy also stock candles made locally exclusively for them by Love Heart Home, with exotic and delicious scents like Champagne and Avocado – they burn for 50 hours, so make sure to pick up one up next you’re sprucing up your hands!

HISTORY ON PAKO story MADELIN BALDWIN

GRS 2009/02081 Opening of West Park, Geelong West, 1912 Geelong Heritage Centre Collection

GRS 2009/00346 Laying Tram Tracks, Pakington Street, Geelong West, c.1920 Geelong Heritage Centre Collection

GRS 1160/04/25 Ashby School Students, Geelong West, 1904 Geelong Heritage Centre Collection

Kevin Kirby I was lucky enough to sit down and have a chat to Kevin Kirby about the history of Geelong West. Kevin, a former mayor of Geelong and former member of the Geelong West City Council has lived in in Geelong all his life, attending Ashby Primary School. Kevin is a lifelong member of the Geelong Football Club, the Geelong West Football Club and was even awarded the Order of Australia medal. We had a fascinating chat, and he told me his memories of Geelong West over the years. “I’m extremely proud of the way West Geelong has changed over the years, it’s really come to the forefront, as you can see through the prices of the housing stock now. When we were growing up through the war years, no one really wanted

to live here because it was the downtrodden area of Geelong. It was very run down due to the war. I used to sell papers in front of the (St Georges) pub, and look across the road and see all of these closed up, derelict shops. It was sort of sad the way Pakington Street was in those years, yet Geelong West was a vibrant area in terms of its sporting feats – it had one of the best Geelong football teams and the professional Geelong Cycling Club had a former Olympian in it! You just can’t believe how bad it was – fully over populated with children, most of the families here had large families at least three with up to ten children in that period – a big change to these days. There was only Ashby and St Pats school – Ashby had at least

500-600 kids, you couldn’t move in the yard. There were a lot of lower socio economic families - not many cars around but the big thing was push bikes. I used to wait for the rush of push bikes to come down the street so I could sell them my papers. I think the Geelong West population was about 21,000 with the total Geelong population of only 50,000. It wasn’t unknown for two or three families to be living in one house. My cousin came down the other day just for a drive around the area – people from that era became very attached to it and still are because it had a poor village lifestyle, where we all learnt to share what we had, but we loved it. Most of Geelong envied the Geelong

West community – it all stemmed from the war where we were told to bring tins to school to send to countries like England to help those more affected than us by the war. You can notice through the width of the streets in Geelong, to what socio economic areas lived where – South Geelong has huge streets and the wealthy people all lived there, not like in Geelong West which was only built for a horse and cart. We had a big fear of the war at school. We used to have air raid shelter practice every morning – at the back of Pakington village there was a shelter. I suppose that was the only fun and exciting thing about those war years, we had to sit and wait until they rang the special bell, but it was

extremely serious when you think about it all. I can still remember sitting in the gutters in our street, we would play with matches and have boat races in the gutter as we didn’t have many toys – I can still see all these young people in late teens and early 20’s dressed up in their army gear. I remember a family where everyone of their children was in the army and the navy, every single one of them – and they certainly were not the only ones. It makes me realise how lucky we are to be living in a country like we are now. Most of the credit (to the turnaround of Geelong West) has to be given to the old Geelong West City Council for the visions and creativity they had to improve the quality of life.”

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MOVIE NOTES The Mule

“The Mule” is not a movie with an easy pitch to recommend to your mother: Set in 1983, a man suspected of smuggling heroin in his stomach from Thailand is kept in federal custody after refusing a medical examination. They are allowed to hold him for up to seven days without charge, or two bowel movements, and so a tense waiting game begins. That said, this is one of the best Australian films to come out in a long time. Directed by, and starring

Angus Sampson (Recovery, Thank God You’re Here) the movie keeps a very mature sensibility. Sampson, as Ray Jenkins, very wisely plays it restrained, winning over the viewer’s compassion as the kind of simple friend everybody has but nobody calls. Hugo Weaving lights a fire under the film as one of the AFP officers charged with finding the drugs, and Noni Hazlehurst is in terrific form as Ray’s distraught mother. In fact, it’s the supporting cast and seedy criminal element

by MITCH GRINTER

outside of the hotel room Ray is holed up in that drives the movie every bit as much as the tense patience game going on inside it. Every character feels real and embodied, not the empty caricatures that can so often fill this genre. This could go on to be a cult Australian classic a la “Two Hands”. Go and watch it to support the kind of movies only Australian cinema is capable of. 4/5 The Mule is currently playing at the Pivotonian Cinema.

ARTS ON PAKO

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story MADELIN BALDWIN

Carey's Picture Framing Careys Picture Framing – Brian and Val Thomas (husband and wife) “Small business is hard yakka, but rewarding because you’re working for yourself ” How long you’ve been operating? This is our ninth Christmas, we've been operating eight and a half years. Prior to this, Brian worked in Melbourne at a gallery in the work shop and sales. Why did you choose to set up on Pako? In 1981 Mr Carey started the shop on Pako, and after some ill health he decided to retire at 72 and approached Brian and Val. “It just sort of fell into our laps and we haven’t stopped running since”. Val grew up in Geelong, and Brian spent time growing up in Kenya with parents who volunteered there. They’ve spent their whole married life living in Geelong. What do you specialise in? 95% of what we do is custom framing, where we are actually custom framing items. The customer wants something that is just designed for them, giving them a choice to choose a frame instead of just one off the shelf. We also do a wide range of things – we stretch a lot of canvas, where people buy canvas

overseas or aboriginal canvas and need it stretched after painting it. We also assist with laced needleworks, for people who have done tapestries, we lace them onto acid free backings and frame them. Instead of just buying an off the shelf frame, they are made depending on what artwork you have, for example the pastel works have a mount to protect the artwork. We use acid free product, all the way up to museum product, depending on what the client wants.

A little more about Careys Picture Framing. They have an offsite workshop where they do all the framing themselves, they don’t sub it out to anyone else. They’ve always kept it in the family, “it just seems to work best”. “It’s important when people have artworks and photos, to use good quality products because people have spent hours and hours on it – using a

low quality glue or frame from Malaysia is only going to damage the artwork – we try to use Australian product where possible, all the products we use on our canvas is from a factory in Geelong” “When you have a look at what you spend on custom framing, and you look at how long it’s going to last for on the wall, you’re better off spending a little more”

ARTS ON PAKO Heights Sewing Centre Heights Sewing Centre – Tracy and Ken (daughter and father) “We’re all about quality customer service – we want you to walk in and have a laugh, and get the assistance you’re after” How long you’ve been operating? This year is their 80th year. They started in 1935. Why did you choose to set up on Pako? Heights was originally started by Ken's uncle and aunty, Ken has been here since he was 17 and his daughter Tracy is the 4th generation to work here. Les Height was Ken's uncle. When they first owned it, Ken used to come and stay and catch the old tram out the front of the store. When his parents separated he moved away but then came back, started working here and eventually purchased it. “There is most definitely a benefit to being on Pako as opposed to somewhere else in Geelong”. The area has a ‘wonderful’ ambiance seven days a week, and Ken has watched it grow over the last 40 years. The Pako Traders Association was set up to talk about issues and how they could better the street. They knew that free parking would be necessary.

When houses became available in the area behind the stores, traders purchased them and gave them to the council, and between the traders they paid three different rates, and that’s why there is free parking behind all the stores. Now, a majority of the area has free parking ranging from 15 minutes to two hours on the main strip as well. What do you specialise in? As well as being the top specialists in sewing machine services, Heights Sewing specialises in haberdashery. They sell many different brands of sewing machines, “we won’t sell anything without lessons, and the lessons are free”. A specialty store “in one area, and that’s sewing”, Heights caters for the sewing industry. They service and help teach over 80 schools in the area, with their reach spreading from the South Australian border to Mildura. They also own a service centre around the corner with three technicians working full time and an alteration centre with a full time tailor. Mostly, as Ken points out, Heights specialises in customer service. The staff know every product in the shop, and if you find an item you don’t know how to use, they’ll be able to help you.

story MADELIN BALDWIN

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LANDMARK TRIVIA Ken Wilks

Ken Wilks has lived on and off in Geelong since the age of five. He used to catch the tram down Pakington Street to school when he was younger, and has been here for over 60 years. He gave me some information about what shops and business used to operate where. Did you know:

•

The car park opposite the Post Office was shops. Where Dan Murphys is now located was an ex serviceman's grocery shop, and just down from that was Ernie Allen the Butchers.

• Faggs Hardware and Timber was Geelong Fresh Foods.

• Across the road from Heights Sewing Centre was the court house, which is now the library.

•

The American Bar used to be down Pako; they used walk down for milkshakes “It was the meeting place for Geelong young people at the time”.

• Shirleys was the best and biggest shoe shop in Geelong – this is now Laboratory.

• Ernie Henderson used to have a lovely dress shop on the corner of Hope and Pako.

GRS 2009/00451 Pakington Street, Geelong West, c.1910 Geelong Heritage Centre Collection

Q and A WITH KYLA FIELD Kyla Field is the owner of Endota Spa, Geelong and is currently gearing up to shave her head for the Leukaemia Foundation in March. If you could choose 3 people, dead or alive to come to a dinner party, who would they be? Hugh Jackman, Robin Williams, and my mum If you could be any animal, what would you be and why? My cat Ninger (Ginger Ninger). He seems to have life pretty sussed: a great balance of relaxation and play and not much else! If you could sing one song on Australian Idol, what song would it be? Unforgettable by Nat King Cole If you were on a desert island and could bring 3 things, what would you bring? Fresh water, endota ceuticals 50+ moisturiser and my iPad. If you were 80 years old, what would you tell your children? Surround yourself with people who make you happy, accept the challenges life brings and take time for yourself as often as you can. What was the last gift you gave someone? A slack line to my husbandâ&#x20AC;Ślife is a balancing act! If you could be a superhero, what would your super power be? Youthful skin for all my clients.

FOOD ON PAKO

Hello fellow foodies, On a warm Geelong night we had the privilege of heading to the Gold Diggers Arms Hotel, hidden in complete suburbia. We entered and were greeted with such warmth from the staff, who directed us to our table. The tables are all set with cutlery, wine glasses, cloth napkins and menus, which is a far cry from some of the pubs we have in Geelong. The dĂŠcor consisted of stainless steel windows, dark and moody, reminding me of something out of the 1940's and1950's era. The menu is small and

simple, with a variety of items to choose from. We were in a group so we got to sample just about everything. The establishment features a bistro, bar, beer garden and upstairs private function area which holds 80 people and can house private dinners for events. An assortment of local and international wines are available, with craft beers on tap - the hotel also has cocktails if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re feeling a little bit fancy. Michelle and Jeremy, the front of house staff, were very

www.voiceonpako.com.au with Allira Potter of grub_guide_geelong

knowledgeable and more than willing to help in any way with answers to questions we had on the wines and beers, which is very helpful. To start with we opted for the "to share" meals where head chef Adam surprised us with a few of his favourite items, charred asparagus with mint and romesco - an easy fresh starter, beef empanadas where the pastry just melted in your mouth, fried calamari with chipotle aioli that was spicy and tasty and BBQ king prawns with chilli and garlic that honestly stole the show. For mains we ordered two

specials, one being tuna marmitako, which is a basque style dish comprising potato, tomato, garlic and olive stew. This dish was extremely spicy, not for the faint hearted. The second special was the braised lamb ribs with roasted figs, pomegrante, glaze and farrah when I cut into it the lamb just pulled apart like melted butter! The two other mains that we shared were from the normal menu, the first being a 12 hour Victorian pork belly with orange and oregano mojo, leaves and kohlrabi. This exceeded all expectations, the meat soft and juicy and the skin crispy and crunchy.

The second meal we devoured was the roasted achiote rubbed chicken with a Chilean salad. All the main meals are served with a side of house potatoes, fresh green salad and condiments. There is an amazing dessert menu, with something on the menu for all tastes buds. The Gold Diggers Arms exceeded all expectations. I recommend this place for groups and couples. Food prices range from $6- $50. The beer garden offers heaps of beautiful sunlight and plenty of seating, perfect for those Sunday sessions over summer.

TRAVEL

27 with clients of helloworld Newtown

A cruise to remember

Our first stop was Auckland, where we docked right smack bang in the city centre. An easy walk through the shops, then a trip on the ferry to Devonport, a lovely little seaside village, very art deco in style. Back on the ferry and a short walk to our ship for our departure to the next destination. Tauranga was also a lovely place, and here we walked around an extinct volcano which was surrounded by beautiful coastline. The walk ended at a lovely little beach area with lots of cafes and accommodation and from here we wandered back to the ship through the city centre where there was a large hot rod car display. Some of the passengers went to Rotorua from here, but we had already been there.

Napier was next, a beautiful example of Art Deco, which was completely destroyed by an earthquake, but rebuilt in the same style, with many vintage cars being driven around by locals wearing the appropriate clothes to match their vehicles. The esplanade is also a sight to behold and there is a beautiful little garden at the end of the shopping centre. “Windy Wellington” lived up to its reputation! It was freezing and raining, unlike our last visit which was sunny and warm, so we just had a quick look and saw no point in going up the hill to the lovely gardens on the tram. On a good day, it is well worth a visit. We caught a local bus back to the warmth of the ship. All so easy. Most times we just

disembarked at the ports and walked around, or caught a local bus, except when visiting Christchurch, where we had to anchor at Akaroa and take a 1 hour, 45 min bus trip into the city, which had been destroyed in the earthquake. Christchurch was the place I wanted to visit most of all, having been there twice before and seeing it in its glory. It is still a beautiful place, and most of the rubble has been removed, leaving large empty lots where there had previously been buildings. They have done their best to “pretty” it up, but I could hardly recognise the Christchurch that I had seen before, and just couldn’t get my bearings, even though the Hotel Ibis, where we stayed on our first visit, is still standing. Many hotels are still standing, but unusable

because the foundations are damaged. The Cathedral is being restored, as is the Arts Centre precinct, which is the largest restoration project being done anywhere in the world at this time. It was a beautiful drive from Akaroa to Christchurch and back, travelling through the amazing countryside, with magnificent sea views. In need of a well earned break after a busy couple of years, we were looking for a holiday that would fill our criteria of rest and relaxation with a minimum of fuss. One wanted to do a road trip, the other was not too impressed at all with that idea, so we decided to weigh up the fors and againsts. Fortunately, there were some special deals on cruises being advertised at that time, and best of all, leaving from Melbourne. We had already done two cruises, the first to the South Pacific, and this was followed a year later by a road trip of the South Island of New Zealand in a campervan. We then returned in January the following year on our first cruise to both the North and South Islands of New Zealand, onboard the “Dawn Princess”, which was ex Sydney, and we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience of visiting both

islands in such a comfortable manner. After weighing up the pro’s and con’s of a road trip versus cruise, taking into account costs of accommodation, fuel, meals, etc and the criteria of having rest and relaxation, we opted for the cruise, and I must say there was not one thing I could fault on our trip. Next stop Dunedin/Port Chalmers. A Scottish town, home to a brewery, a chocolate factory and a railway station where you can take a lovely train ride, or visit Larnach Castle. Having been there before, we opted to walk around the shops. The husband found some great clothes! Even I was impressed. From there to Milford Sound, where the weather was not kind to us. Low cloud and rain covered the peaks, but it is still a magical place. We then headed home in time for the Melbourne Cup, where there was much excitement before disembarking, and people telling me they couldn’t wait to be in Melbourne for the Cup. It was true that the whole nation stops for the race! We had a great time and a good rest. This cruise went for thirteen days and departed from Melbourne to New Zealand. If you are interested in attending a similar cruise contact your agents at helloworld, Geelong West or Newtown today.

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PAKOfesta

A Celebration of Cultural Diversity communities and around sixty other community groups and organisations. The street is lined with stalls selling traditional foods and arts and crafts, and six separate stages in the precinct offer performances of music and dance as well as interactive workshops and exhibitions. Pako Festa has become Victoria’s premier multicultural event, attended by well over 100,000 people in each of the last three years and estimated to inject close to $8.5 million dollars into the local

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Pako Festa, now in its thirty-third year, is Geelong’s much loved, award-winning, free, annual community arts festival - the biggest of its kind in Australia. Managed by Diversitat and held on the last weekend of February in Pakington Street, Geelong West, “the multicultural heart of Geelong”, it incorporates an extravagant street parade featuring around ninety floats and hundreds of performers representing forty-five affiliated ethnic

economy just over the course of the day itself. Pako Festa offers a unique opportunity for those 100,000-plus participants to socialise and celebrate in an arena of ethnic diversity and harmony, as well as gaining an appreciation of the great variety of artistic and cultural expression within Geelong’s multicultural community. The Pako Festa Street Parade starts at 11am, embodies Colour, Culture and Celebration and is one

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of the most important events at Pako Festa! Encapsulating the very essence of our nation – diversity, dynamism and colorfulness, and above all else cooperation, community inter-connectedness, creativity and the promotion of our humanity – Pako Festa sends a strong message in these troubled times in which we live: our preparedness to interact with, work with and treat each other with dignity and respect demolishing the walls of division and conflicts;

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bringing everyone together in a spirit of understanding, acceptance and celebration of life itself. A very important aspect of Pako Festa lies in its provision for the CALD (Culturally and Lingguistically Diverse) communities to continue to affirm and honour their contributions to Pako Festa over its 33-year history. Pako Festa will be held on Saturday 28 February 2015, Pakington Street Geelong West. www.pakofesta.com.au

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