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ISSN ISSN 1838-8124 1838-8124
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bright | mount beauty | beechworth | omeo
KIEWA VALLEY SNOWSPORTS IS YOUR ONE STOP, FRIENDLY AND FAMILY OWNED SNOWSPORTS SHOP
f ON THE WAY TO FALLS CREEK IN MOUNT BEAUTY f NEXT DOOR TO FALLS CREEK COACH SERVICES f FRIENDLY SERVICE AND COMPETITIVE PRICES f EXCELLENT RANGE OF SKIS & SNOWBOARDS f DPS, VOLKL & ROSSIGNOL DEMO RENTAL SKIS f ON MOUNTAIN SERVICE AVAILABLE f MOST MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED f RESORT ENTRY PASSES AVAILABLE f HALF PRICE CHAIN RENTAL - CONDITIONS APPLY f ALL CHAINS ARE QUALITY KONIG DIAMOND PATTERN f CHAIN FITTING INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED f PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP SERVICES f MONTANA CRYSTAL GLIDE FINISH ON ALL HIRE SKIS
KIEWA VALLEY SNOWSPORTS
SKIS | SNOWBOARDS | CHAINS
Kiewa Valley Snowsports is your One Stop, friendly and family owned Shop providing modern high quality and carefully maintained ski and snow board equipment right at the base of the mountain with very competitive prices. Providing and selling Falls Creek Resort Entry Passes and snow chain rental, plus take us up on our Half Price Snow Chain Offer.
KIEWA VALLEY SNOWSPORTS STOCKS A WIDE RANGE OF GLOVES, BEANIES, GOGGLES, SOCKS, OUTERWEAR, HELMETS AND MANY OTHER ACCESSORIES FOR ALL YOUR RIDING NEEDS. Our new modern workshop provides waxing, tuning and repairs for all skis and snow boards. At Kiewa Valley Snowsports we strive to ensure that your equipment is correctly suited to you and your ability to ensure a safe, fun and progressive riding experience. We look forward to meeting you soon.
KIEWA VALLEY SNOWSPORTS 239-241 Kiewa Valley Highway, Tawonga South, Vic 3698 7am to 7pm - 7 days a week during ski season Ph: [03] 5754 4000 Em: info@kvss.com.au
www.kiewavalleysnowsports.com.au
editorial issue #01
index
Welcome to our first Issue
Our Advertisers
Welcome to the first edition of High Country Lifestyle, a magazine showcasing what is great about living in the High Country of Victoria.
ADG Architects | Bright Baarmutha Wines | Beechworth Gather & Harvest | Mount Beauty Kiewa Valley Snowsports | Tawonga South Mountain Creek Architecture Mount Beauty Nurture HR Consulting | Bright Seasons MB Café | Mount Beauty Ski Plus | Mount Beauty Two Pot Brewing Co. | Yackandandah
I first came to Mount Beauty in 1971 with Mitcham High School as a wet behind the ears student from form 3 (year 9), staying at the now defunct Mt Beauty Chalet and it is a pleasure to come back to the area some 48 years later; and has the town changed! The charm of Mount Beauty is there for all to enjoy and see; the people are so warm and friendly, welcoming to outsiders like me. Also, we have ventured into Beechworth, Bright and other parts of the High Country, and in time we will do even more. This is the start, and the journey has just begun. Enjoy!
Doug Pell / High Country Lifestyle
Writers Photographers Advertising Editor Creative Printers
Rosemary Oldis, Lacey Madigan, John Munns, Chris West, Anita Butterworth & Alexandra McManus Rosemary Oldis, John Munns, Scott Hartvigsen, Anita Butterworth & Chris West Doug Pell Maree Bradshaw media101 Southern Colour (VIC) Pty Ltd | www.southerncolour.com.au
Back Cover 33 9 2&3 5 17 17 37 17
Our Content Mount Bogong Rosemary Oldis – Mt Beauty Writer & Photographer Mount Beauty Music Festival – Highlights Bright Country Golf Club – For All Seasons Bright as a Button – Billy Button Wines From Backyard Brewing Brothers to Craft Beer Kings – Two Pot Brewing Co. Billson’s Brewery Bubbles Back to Life Authentic Brew – Bright Brewery Darker Days Festival – Highlights The Allure of the “Big Fella” – Climbing Mount Bogong An Adventure to Remember – Bogong Horseback Adventures Snow Camping – Million Star Accommodation A Community Called Alpine Radio Mount Beauty [A Town for all Seasons] Mount Beauty to Omeo – Bucket List Road Trip #1 Travels with John – “There’s still gold in them there hills...” Cast a Line – Angling in the High Country Canine Country High Country Events A One-Stop-Shop for Cutting Edge Snow Gear – Kiewa Valley Snowsports
Front Cover 5 6-8 10-13 14-16 18-21 22-25 26-29 30-32 34-36 38-41 42-45 46-47 48-51 52-55 56-59 60-62 63 64-65 66-67
Our front cover Mount Bogong Photograph by Rosemary Oldis www.rosemaryoldisphotography.com.au
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high country lifestyle ™ A: PO Box 862, Wonthaggi 3995 P: 0404 301 333 E: thelifestyle@dcsi.net.au W: www.gippslandlifestyle.com facebook | @highcountrylifestyle Instagram | high_country_lifestyle
This magazine is distributed throughout Victoria. All photographs in this publication are copyright to South Gippsland Publishing Pty Ltd 2019, and if any are used in other publications or used in a commercial sense, you will be liable to prosecution. Permission to use any photos in the publication must be obtained by contacting South Gippsland Publishing Pty Ltd via email to: thelifestyle@dcsi.net.au Disclaimer: South Gippsland Publishing Pty Ltd 2019 has the discretion to add or remove words or photos that are deemed unsuitable for the magazine. South Gippsland Publishing Pty Ltd is not responsible or liable for any inaccuracies, omissions, or use of information contained within these pages, offering no warranties, either expressed or implied with respect to any material contained within the pages. Material in this magazine cannot be published or reproduced without South Gippsland Publishing Pty Ltd's written consent. Failure to heed to this could result in prosecution. The opinions and views expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers.
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WRITER & PHOTOGRAPHER high country lifestyle
Rosemary Oldis MOUNT BEAUTY RESIDENT Rosemary is a photographer whose journey began as a child with a manual film camera and a dark room. With a writer/photographer as her father and a writer as her mother, she spent most weekends hunting (with a camera) for Australian wildlife. Together they printed the glossy black and white images that were published, with her father’s articles, in many Australian publications. The learning curve continues for her with a digital camera (or two) and computers. Her passion is to create images of beauty from the world around her. Wild places, cold places and huge skies attract her. The night sky, and the challenges of after-dark photography, are Rosemary’s latest fascinations. She has had two successful joint exhibitions, and several solo exhibitions, around Victoria, including Hurstbridge, Moonee Ponds, Lake Mountain, two in Echuca and recently at Windy Corner, Falls Creek. Rosemary has experienced competition success at Rosanna Photography Club, in magazines, at the Whittlesea Show and in some international photography competitions. She was delighted to achieve 4th and 5th place in the International Loupe Awards in the Amateur Landscape section in 2013. Recently, Rosemary was honoured to have an image included in the Top 101 Landscapes of 2017, in the International Landscape Photographer Of The Year Competition. Her greatest professional joy is to create an image that another person enjoys.
Rosemary Oldis Instagram Facebook Website
@rosemaryoldisphotography www.Facebook.com/rosemaryoldisphotography www.rosemaryoldisphotography.com.au
Beautiful Designs Energy Efficient Budget Conscious Architecture for the High Country Helen Mathew 0419 399 737 helen@mountaincreekarch.com www.mountaincreekarch.com high country lifestyle
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MOUNT BEAUTY
MOUNT BEAUTY 6
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MUSIC FESTIVAL MOUNT BEAUTY MUSIC FESTIVAL With 3 full days our festival ran from Friday 26th - Sunday 28th of April 2019. All venues were within walking distance, with three indoor venues and an outdoor stage with markets, children's entertainment and our first Tow & Show Car Show was a big success.
Children had plenty of free entertainment with Captain Pete and Sniff plus Fluff and Clara. Kinetic Chaos put on a fantastic fire show on the Saturday drawing a large crowd. The Teens also were catered for with our Glow Party.
More than 34 artists and 3 venues, it was a full weekend of music and entertainment. With a fantastic line up, this year’s festival was highlighted by Alice Skye, The Pigs, Zoe Fox & the Rocket Clocks, Z Star Delta, Alana Wilkinson, Jack the Fox, Tim Guy, Jessica Lorraine and local winner of the Alpine Shire Freeza 2018 event Rex Stringer from Harrietville.
Sunday continued with a picnic by the pondage and music performed at the library overlooking the picturesque pondage. Finishing the festival we had a Sunday night performance from Z Star Delta. All in all, a successful and fantastic festival from everyone invloved and the local Mount Beauty community. Lock it in for next year, it can only get bigger and better. Dates for 2020 April 24-26th
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MOUNT BEAUTY MUSIC FESTIVAL To get involved or for more information MOUNT BEAUTY MUSIC FESTIVAL COMMITTEE ad PO Box 6, Mount Beauty Vic 3699 ph 0407 797 228 em mountbeautymusicfestival@gmail.com wb www.musicfestival.org.au Photographs: Big Bright Photos, Bronte Productions and Mount Beauty Music Festival
MOUNT BEAUTY MUSIC FESTIVAL 8
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A FIVE ELEMENTS LIFESTYLE RETAIL BOUTIQUE AND STUDIO SUSTAINABLE | ETHICAL | LOCAL | HANDMADE | CREATIVE GATHER & HARVEST USES THE FINEST NATURAL INGREDIENTS TO CREATE A UNIQUE RANGE OF SOAPS, BODY PRODUCTS AND NATURALLY DYED TEXTILES IN OUR IN-HOUSE STUDIO. Â VISIT OUR RETAIL STORE OR JOIN US FOR CREATIVE WORKSHOPS AND RETREATS.
18A HOLLANDS ST, MT BEAUTY VIC 3699 PH: 03 5754 1286
Golf for all seasons
Pine covered hills provide a scenic backdrop at Bright Country Golf Club, where members and visitors can enjoy ideal playing conditions throughout the year. Words: Chris West
At a time when numerous golf courses within Australia are concerned about their financial future, Bright Country Golf Club is buoyed by a consistent revenue stream derived predominantly from paying visitors who flock to the town all year round, but most particularly during the peak holiday periods. Bright Country Golf Club’s fairways are shared by annual members and casual visitors. Members’ competitions are held every day except Friday and Sunday, with visitors also eligible to enter provided they have an official golf handicap. Players simply wishing to just enjoy a social game are also warmly welcomed at Bright at all times. When arriving at the course on Back Porepunkah Road for the first time, the picturesque setting will have caught your eye before you’ve even had time to unpack your clubs from your car. Towering sequoia trees, conifers, pines and majestic gums are dotted along the fairway edges, whilst long sections of the course are flanked by pine covered hillside. Another natural feature of Bright Country Golf Club is its proximity to the Ovens River, which flows alongside the whole length of the course. The 18-hole par 72 layout is closer to flat than hilly, probably best described as gently undulating. It is an easy walk to negotiate out in the clean, fresh alpine air, but motorised carts are available for hire if players wish to save their legs.
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The course is maintained in excellent condition. Golfers will appreciate the quality of the couch fairways and the immaculately manicured greens which include a blend of two types of Bent grass – Penncross and Penneagle. Bright Country Golf Club is the sole golfing destination in the township. The next closest courses are located several kilometres away at Myrtleford to the north-west and Mount Beauty to the east. It has a long and proud history, being one of the oldest clubs in the state and considered to be amongst the best courses in regional Victoria. The club’s history dates back to its formation in 1909, with the original course having been created on private properties in Quins Gap Road (now known as Mt Porepunkah Road). It wasn’t until 1937 that the club purchased land for its own course and then subsequently secured a further 50 acre parcel in 1950 which enabled it to operate 14 holes on its own land and the remaining four holes on private property. In 1956, the number of holes was reduced to 14 when the privately-owned land was reclaimed for building use. The topography and layout of the old course on Mt Porepunkah Road was very different to the present site. Many of the holes were fashioned along the side of sloping hills and the greens were sand scrapes.
Bright Country Golf Club
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George and Jean Barber
Long-time members George and Jean Barber, who have lived locally in Porepunkah for the past 59 years, are better qualified than most to relate the story of how the club evolved from the former course to create a new future at its present location just over 30 years ago. George was club champion in the final two years at the old course and has been a member since the 1960s, whilst Jean joined the club in the late 1970s and has been Ladies Captain for the past two years. She is also presently a member of the club’s Executive Committee.
In 1983, the Bright Country Golf Club commenced negotiations with the government department controlling the pine plantations in an endeavour to secure the burnt out land parcel. Unfortunately this proved to be a more complex and drawn out process than anticipated, as the regulations of the day would not allow any Crown Land to be converted to private ownership. Ultimately, the club had to purchase a similar land parcel in Gippsland and through an exchange of title then gained ownership of the 50 acre site on Back Porepunkah Road from the government authority in 1987.
Both George and Jean have given many years of service to the club. George took on the challenge of constructing the new layout between 1987 and 1989 and even stayed on for a further decade as the Course Superintendent.
The club engaged leading Australian golf course architect Tony Cashmore to design the course. Cashmore has been responsible for creating some of the country’s finest golf courses and had a blank canvas to work with at Bright.
“The old course was situated on extremely difficult terrain which made it very taxing on the members,” George recalls.
George Barber took on the challenge of constructing the layout to Cashmore’s plan and bringing his vision for the course to life. Although George had no prior knowledge or experience of how to build a golf course, he did have a farming background and was accustomed to working on the land. His previous job at that time had been supervising at a saw mill at Myrtleford.
“Then in the early 1980s, the Club President at that time, Ron Cherry, identified the site where we are now and thought it would be a good location for a new course.” The land had been a plantation forest which was almost completely burnt out by bushfire. Fortunately a few California Redwoods (Sequoia Sempervirens) were saved by quick thinking firefighters and have now become an iconic natural feature of the golf course.
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George was a Committee member and the delegate for the North East region when the club asked him if he wanted the job of building the course. He recalls how barren the site was when construction of the course began in earnest in late 1987 and how the ground had been impacted by gold dredging from the early 1900s which had effectively turned the soil upside down.
“The land was all dredge tailings. It was nothing but stones,” he explains. “We got a bulldozer from Mitta Mitta with a stump removing blade on the front. After taking the burnt tree stumps out, we then got a grader in to shape the fairways. We had to put the watering system in first because of the gravel, and then level it all over again before we could cover the course with different soils and shape the greens.” Construction work progressed at a sufficient rate to allow the club to initially open the first 12 holes in 1989, with the remaining six holes completed within the next two years. Soon after the course opened, the club acquired a building from a local hardwood mill that was earmarked for closure and shifted it over to use as a clubhouse. In subsequent years, the clubhouse building has been extended twice and had verandahs added. George remained in the role of Superintendent for a further decade as the new layout consolidated into the high quality course that it has become. “The course has excellent drainage,” George notes. “Because of the gravel beneath the turf it’s probably one of the best winter courses around.”
The tees, fairways and greens are maintained in optimum condition by current Superintendent Cameron Wickes, who has been with the club for close to twenty years. One of the surprising aspects of the layout at Bright is that there are no bunkers anywhere on the course. “Instead we have several grass hollows around the greens that are lined with fescue and can be even trickier to negotiate than bunkers,” George says. Having passed his 80th birthday, George has reduced his playing schedule down to a couple of games a year nowadays, but his wife Jean remains a regular every Wednesday and Saturday, alongside her dual role as Ladies Captain and Executive Committee Member. As Jean observes, the club offers flexible membership options to suit all players. There are three available membership categories: Ordinary Membership (often referred to as “Full Membership”) for local players, Country Membership for those residing outside the district, and Junior Membership.
“The club has recently made some major changes to its fees structure to accommodate people who aren’t regular players,” Jean states. Ordinary Members have two payment options $550 per annum with no other charges and no restrictions, or $150 per annum plus a levy of $10 each round played ($5 for 9 holes), the latter with some tournament playing conditions. Country Members also pay $150 per annum plus a levy of $10 each round played ($5 for 9 holes), again with some tournament conditions. Of course, you don’t have to be a member to play at Bright. Visitors playing socially make up a significant component of the course patronage and contribute vitally to the club’s financial wellbeing. Due to the course’s popularity, if planning a game during the summer holiday season or any other peak periods including Easter, it is often advised to book well ahead to ensure a tee time. For George Barber, seeing so many people playing golf on the course he built is the main source of the pride he feels rather than any desire for personal recognition. “The course is here and it’s going to stay here. I’m just pleased that we’ve done something for the town,” he says.
Bright Country Golf Club Back Porepunkah Road, Bright | Phone: 03 5755 1773
“We didn’t have as many people playing golf around here back then as we do now. That alone gives me more than enough satisfaction.” Photographs: Chris West
Green Fees: 18 holes - $38 | 9 holes - $25 | Golf Club Hire: $10 Buggy Hire: $5 | Cart Hire: $40 Neat casual attire is required, with no tank tops, singlets, footy shorts or thongs permitted to be worn. Course facilities include a golf shop, licensed clubhouse, practice fairway and warm-up nets.
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WORDS: CHRIS WEST
In late 2013, Jo Marsh was working as the head winemaker at Feathertop Wines in Porepunkah when she sat down for what would prove to be a career defining chat with her close friend Eleana Anderson of Mayford Wines. Originally from South Australia, Jo had come to the Alpine Valleys region two years earlier, bringing with her an impressive CV underpinned by a successful decade-long career with Seppelt Great Western after initially landing a position in the Southcorp/Treasury Wine Estates Graduate Recruitment Program. Along her career journey, she also gained invaluable experience overseas during stints with Beringer Wines in California’s Napa Valley in 2007 and Frédéric Magnien in the Burgundy region of France in 2010. Working at Feathertop Wines in the role of head winemaker presented a wonderful opportunity for Jo to further develop her skills. She subsequently elevated Feathertop to a 5-star James Halliday-rated winery and in doing so was making wines with exciting varietals. But at the same time, working at an established winery like Feathertop carried certain constraints and Jo was keen to further expand on her creativity. Eleana Anderson encouraged Jo to establish her own label and from that conversation between two friends Billy Button Wines was born. From day one, Jo has been the driving force and inspiration behind the success that the business has become. She chose the Billy Button name in symbolic recognition of the yellow native alpine daisy that blankets the mountain tops in the region with colour over summer.
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Initially, the fledgling enterprise was based at a winery out of Beechworth that was owned by a Wangaratta-based accountant. The deal Jo struck with the owner was to be able to use his winery for Billy Button in exchange for also making his wine for him. That arrangement remained in place until September 2016 when Jo relocated to an old hop factory in Ovens and that property has since become the home of production for Billy Button Wines. Over the past three years, Jo has been joined by two other women as assistant winemakers – firstly South African-born Alex Phillips in 2016 and more recently Megan Wallace from Wagga Wagga – making Billy Button very much a feminine-powered operation. For the 2019 vintage, the trio processed approximately 170 tonnes of fruit between them. Three years ago this November Jo married New Zealander Glenn James, an experienced winemaker whose many achievements include being the founder of Claypot Wines. His present role as Chief Winemaker at Winemaking Tasmania, which is based just 15 minutes out of Hobart at Cambridge, has forced the couple to maintain their relationship around periods of separation while Glenn travels back and forth from the Apple Isle at every opportunity. Although Billy Button is very much Jo’s operation, she and Glenn have combined their wine making talents in collaborating together to create the Tasmanian Shy Susan brand with its own unique range, along with other wines under the Claypot label.
Bright is nestled within some of Victoria’s most popular wine country. Enthusiasts are not only keen to visit the Alpine Valleys, but also sample the wineries of the nearby King Valley and further afield at Beechworth and Glenrowan either on day trips or extended stays. “Our Cellar Door is in a great location in town just across from the caravan park which helps draw in a lot of customers,” Grant observes. “The weekends are always busy, but people are coming in all week long and we can get a rush at any time.” The original Billy Button Cellar Door, which opened in 2014, was located a couple of streets away from the current premises. It was more of a makeshift operation, trading as a Cellar Door by day and pizzeria by night. “I was working for Peter as his pizza chef when Jo established the Cellar Door. Peter and I had both previously worked at Feathertop Wines and knew her from our time there,” Grant explains. Originally from Sydney, Grant has extensive experience across many different aspects of the hospitality industry. He possessed sufficient capability and nous to run a bar in Artarmon at just nineteen years of age. Jo recognised Grant as the perfect person to entrust to manage the Billy Button Cellar Door, with Peter’s presence also being a further asset to the establishment. “It’s been great for us to be part of Jo’s dream in contributing to the success of Billy Button and I have to say that she is the best boss anyone could hope for,” Grant says. “Her decision to move the Billy Button Cellar Door away from the pizzeria to standalone premises and incorporating the gourmet deli has elevated it to a whole new level. We opened here in Camp Street on Boxing Day in 2016 and in the two and a half years since then, as the wine list has grown, the cheese and deli side of the business has grown with it,” he adds. While customers peruse the wine list, it is hard not to be tempted by the delicious deli products behind the counter – from a variety of cheeses and smallgoods to local salmon and trout. Pre-orders are also presently being taken at the Cellar Door for locally grown Perigord truffles. “We are distributing the truffles for a couple from Smoko who have about 1,600 trees in the ground,” Grant explains.
Billy Button Wines has grown considerably since the original vintage in 2014 when six wines were planned but ten ended up being produced. There are now 34 wines on its list catering to all palates and tastes and that number will increase again in the coming months as the 2019 vintage begins to be released from early September. Considerable excitement also surrounds two upcoming very limited additions to the range consisting of Jo’s favourite parcel of red and white wine from the vintage – Silver Xenica (a 2017 skin fermented Friulano) and Flame Robin (a 2017 Tempranillo) – which will be released in Spring. Whilst Jo and her able assistants tend to the wine production at Ovens away from the spotlight, the public face of Billy Button Wines is its Cellar Door premises in Camp Street, Bright. This award-winning establishment has successfully realised Jo’s vision of taking the traditional cellar door model and complementing the wine range through the addition of a gourmet deli with cheeses, meats and condiments. Billy Button’s Cellar Door manager Grant Williams and colleague Peter Nannipieri are kept busy hosting a steady stream of visitors seven days a week. “Along with getting good support from our locals, we do welcome a lot of visitors from other parts of Victoria, interstate and overseas,” Grant says.
“I brought the first truffle off them last year and then started taking orders from our customers for them. It’s very much a seasonal thing. The truffles begin to arrive at the end of June and only last until early Spring.” Grant believes that it is a combination of the diversity of products and the emphasis on customer experience that gives the Billy Button Cellar Door a tangible point of difference. “We’re very relaxed and not pretentious at all,” he suggests. “We appreciate that customers should feel comfortable, so we try to be as flexible and accommodating as possible. It is not our style to try to dictate how their wine tasting should be structured. After all, it is their tasting, and doesn’t necessarily have to adhere to any rigid protocols.” There are some small but significant additional touches which are also appreciated by customers, such as giving a free gelato to all kids who accompany their parents to tastings. According to Grant, the customer-focused mindset at the Billy Button Cellar Door is an approach that is working well. “Our average tasting would last around twenty five minutes and we have quite a high conversion rate into sales,” he says. “Some people buy on the spot and others come back to make their purchase, often after visiting other wineries in the region. If they don’t buy wine to take home, they invariably purchase some cheese or produce instead.”
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JO MARSH IN AMPHORA
TEAM BW – JO MARSH IN THE MIDDLE, WITH HER HUSBAND GLENN JAMES AND ASSISTANT WINEMAKER ALEX PHILLIPS
For people who may not be able to get to Bright regularly, Billy Button Wines also offers the convenience of online shopping through its Wine Club, which currently has approximately 250 members. “We are currently distributing around 3,750 dozen bottles a year through the Wine Club,” Grant states. As an added incentive, there is no freight cost applicable in Australia with the exception of the Northern Territory. Grant is full of admiration for the level of impact and positive influence that Jo Marsh has had on the Alpine Valleys region since her arrival. “When Jo first came here, the local growers were leaving fruit on the vines to just ripen and fall to the ground. Now they are proud of what they grow and the quality of the product their fruit is going into with Billy Button Wines,” he says.
“Jo also has a reputation for the consistent quality of her wine making and quite a lot of people are seeking her out as a contract winemaker.” In the space of five years, the quality and excellence Jo has cultivated within the Billy Button brand has already been recognised with several industry awards for both the winery and the Cellar Door operation. Accolades are always nice, but Jo is not one to rest on her laurels. According to Grant, her ultimate dream is to purchase the property at Ovens to expand the winery and establish another onsite cellar door and restaurant. Whatever direction Jo decides to take with Billy Button Wines in the future, the underlying philosophy behind her vision will always be neatly encapsulated in three simple words which appear on a sign on a wall inside the Cellar Door at Bright … Eat, Drink, Enjoy! Photographs supplied by Billy Button Wines CELLAR DOOR MANAGER GRANT WILLIAMS
Cellar Door - 11 Camp Street, Bright Phone: (03) 5755 1569 Open 7 days 11am to 5pm Sun-Thurs - 11am to 6pm Friday & Saturday www.billybuttonwines.com.au
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Nurture HR Consulting Pty Ltd is an experienced HR consultancy specialising in: Leadership • Coaching • Facilitation • Change management & • HR advisory services
We provide services throughout Australia to enable our clients to: optimise performance, minimise employment risk, meet changing workplace demands, build and drive organisational culture and attract and retain talent.
Coming soon to Bright Victoria
Ph: 0413 437 057 Email: eva@nurturehrconsulting.com.au www.nurturehrconsulting.com.au
Seasons is a busy, home-style cafe located in the heart of Mount Beauty’s main street, serving breakfast, lunch and specialty Honeybird Coffee roasted right here in the beautiful Kiewa Valley. Catering for all tastes and dietary requirements, our savoury and sweet treats are all freshly made in our kitchen, with our specials changing every day to suit the season.
20 Hollonds Street, Mount Beauty VIC 3699
Ph: (03) 5754 1179
Delicious food & coffee - no matter the season!
Come in and grab your mid-morning coffee and lunch on the go, or take a seat in our vibrant laneway garden to eat in. Either way, we can’t wait to see you at Seasons!
BEER FROM TWO POT BREWING CO, YACKANDANDAH, IS DELIVERED TO THE GLASS FRESH, UNADULTERATED AND INFORMED BY MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF BREWING EXPERIENCE
FINE AMERICAN & GERMAN ALES FROM YACKANDANDAH ON TAP AT THE STAR HOTEL STAR HOTEL | 30 HIGH STREET, YACKANDANDAH VIC | TWOPOT.COM.AU high country lifestyle
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From backyard brewing brothers to craft beer kings Words Anita Butterworth
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When Brendan Kellaway talks about brewing beer, his eyes get the same flicker of excitement as when he’s talking about his three adorable sons. It’s obvious to anyone who hears the Yackandandah local wax lyrical about the complexities of brewing that his passion for crafting the best small-batch brews runs deep. In fact, it stretches back a quarter of a century. Brendan and his Sydney-based brother Joe created Two Pot Brewing Co. four years ago, eventually going on to supply the local pub stellar craft beers created at Brendan’s Yackandandah farm property. But his love for making beer started long before. “I started home brewing about 25 years ago. I just started enjoying craft beers,” Brendan explains. “Actually it was an allergic reaction, I had trouble with the preservatives in the mainstream beers. I started home brewing, had a good time, didn’t think much of it and then about five years ago I started talking to my brother Joe and we thought we’d start up a little business. He’s home brewing for himself and his friends as well, so together we’ve probably got 25 plus years of brewing experience per se.” Brendan and his wife have both travelled extensively through their roles with the Australian Army, but fell in love with the rolling hills of the high country, and in particular Yackandandah, and decided to put down roots. It wasn’t long before plans for a brewery were drawn up, and thanks to an incredibly supportive local council, the family was able to create their dream – a brewery in God’s own country. “We decided to start this up, became good friends with the local publican and we’ve been on tap continuously now for over 2 years.” That local pub is the The Star Hotel in Yackandandah, which is the official home of Two Pot. Locals and visitors are able to indulge in the brothers’ Koelsch, American Pale Ale and Dunkel on tap. Sometimes, but not always, Two Pot’s reserve barrel aged stout is released. The editions are deliberately limited. But that leap from homebrewing to supplying the local pub was a steep learning curve. “I did it in stages, but not by planning. And that’s what they don’t recommend. We’ve had to keep full-time jobs. In terms of size, “Homebrewing” is 20 to 50 litres. I then stepped up to a 150 litre system, which to homebrewers is massive but to any commercial brewer, is tiny. Then I went to 250, and now I’m at a 500 litre system. This is still tiny by modern craft brewing standards but it’s good enough to turn out 10 kegs a batch.” Brendan is a true scholar of the brewing art. His brewing shed whiteboard is filled with formulas, created to ensure temperatures are tweaked perfectly to suit the current cool weather. “Everything’s on site. The brew system we made ourselves, four fermenters, all 500 litre fermenters, including kegging.” While Brendan still has a full-time job, he pulls long off-days in the brewery as he perfects each and every batch. Using rainwater from huge tanks on the property and Australian grain, he draws on his chemistry and physics knowledge to craft each batch.
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It’s all about hitting the right temperature, you don’t really get a second chance.
”
Brendan explains the brewing process with indepth and precise knowledge, and it’s evident his dedication is drawn from a place of complete devotion to creating the best beer possible. While Two Pot also provides its beer to the Snowline Hotel in Harrietville and The George Kerferd Hotel in Beechworth, the history already runs deep with the home of Two Pot – The Star Hotel. The brothers struck up a relationship with head chef and co-owner Matt Frauenfelder before they’d even found a property to set up their brewery. With the hotel specialising in smoky American barbecue fare, Two Pot’s distinctive brews have found a perfect pairing. “With my American Pale Ale for example, it’s got a good bitter finish to it and it just cuts through fat. They complement each other really, really well. You would not be able to have a plate of ribs and my Black which is the barrel-aged product because sweetness and big, fatty foods don’t go well together. But you could certainly have my American Pale ale or Koelsch and enjoy a nice, big plate of ribs.” While the brewery runs year-round, the peak of production is the Yackandandah Folk Festival in March, when Two Pot goes through 40 kegs in just two days. The extent of the brothers’ commitment to making the best beer possible starts with a love of their own product, and the process. Two Pot uses 50-year-old tawny barrels to age their stout for 12 months. As Brendan proudly explains, “we do it because we love it, and we love it when people love it. I go to the pub that’s the home of my beer, and I enjoy watching people drink my beer, smile and say, ‘that’s a pretty good beer’. “Ninety per cent of the time I make beer that I am interested in.
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I’ve had my arm twisted into making classic lagers on occasions and I also confess to putting down some pilsners in summer, and I enjoy that. People have sometimes asked if I can just make a plain beer that just tastes like “normal” beer. Yeah ok, if you want me to, but I thought, ‘why am I doing this’, that’s not why I do it.”
“
All we care about is making nice beer. We don’t rely on achieving economy of scale, and we’re not commercialising. We’ve had big-end venues ask us to come on tap and we’ve said no. We really love the scene that we are in. So that’s what’s unique about our product.
”
“Our ingredients - we try to source Australian ingredients all the time. The other unique thing is we’re on a farm. There’s no sewerage connected. I can’t use any chemicals, everything has to be environmentally friendly because it’s got to be biodegradable. All of our grain once I’ve finished brewing goes on a trailer to our friend Jac from Yack Ingredients who farms pigs. And we’ve done charcuterie and sausages in return: we run a full circle here.” The brothers insist that they’re not lured by the idea of commercialising beyond supplying local pubs. “You walk into a bottle shop now and between weeks there’s new labels. Shelves have some good craft beer, sure. But there is also a lot of mainstream conglomerates that have bought into the market, and mass produce what we used to think was “craft”. So we’re deliberately staying away from that. “If you want to try our beer, on tap is where it’s served fresh and best, come to The Star Hotel, enjoy good food, taste good beers off tap, barrel aged beers that are pumped by hand, the way it should be.” Photographs supplied by Two Pot Brewing Co.
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BillSON`S
BreweRY bubbles bacK to lifE WORDS ANITA BUTTERWORTH
In 1856 a man with a dream settled in north east Victoria, eventually building an empire atop a pure spring boasting some of the finest water on the planet. More than 150 years later a whole new chapter is being written in this colourful tale by a family passionate about preserving yesteryear and forging a new future. But when Nathan Cowan and his fiancée Felicity Cottrill walked into the century-old former Billson’s Brewery in Beechworth two years ago, they were faced with anything but a thriving business. Leaky and in disrepair, rather than being filled with the chatter of tourists it was echoing with the sounds of 400 cooing pigeons.
George Billson
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Most 20-somethings would’ve hightailed it out of there, back to their comfortable city jobs and reliable paychecks.
But the extraordinary building had so many stories to tell, and its part in history was far from over. For Nathan and Felicity, the need to revive Billson’s back to the glory days of full production was an itch that needed to be scratched. So they put everything on the line for their romantic vision, and proved that history can indeed repeat. It all started just a couple of years ago when the couple decided to get back to their roots in north east Victoria. “Both Felicity and I were working pretty intense hours in Melbourne. We thought this would be the perfect place to raise a family,” Nathan explains. Felicity was born in Albury and Nathan’s granddad grew up in Wangaratta, so they both had connections to the region.
Billson’s Brewery 1890’s
The Old Team
“My family has a design agency in Melbourne that specialises in FMCG label design. We got to work with some of the biggest breweries in the world and also some that were just starting out. We always thought if you could work on your own brand, rather than for other people all the time, it would be really worthwhile. “So I think we were looking for something with authenticity that you could tell the story of, building a brand on something real rather than just coming up with a cool name and on trend product, something that lasts longer than that.” But their attention hadn’t yet settled on the north east. In fact, they were drawn across the pond. “We actually got engaged in the South Island of New Zealand, a little place named Arrowtown.
We were definitely on the hunt for a change, so we purchased a dilapidated old flour mill in Oamaru, which is kind of like New Zealand’s version of Beechworth, an old gold mining town with beautiful old buildings. Our plan was to restore the building and use some of the local oats to start making oat milk. We ended up selling it to help fund this project. We chose here because it was closer to home and family.” The couple never actually started their tilt at oat milk, because while waiting on the flour mill lease to end, a run-down brewery in Beechworth hit the market. And despite the leaks, the pigeons and the fact it was only making small amounts of cordial for very little return, they took a leap of faith.
“We sold our house in St Kilda and the mill, everything went into here. We had enough money to purchase this but not really renovate it. Our ambition was to try and slowly grow it as a cordial business, rebrand and expand organically.” But with their first bub on the way, Nathan’s parents started spending more and more time in Beechworth, and recognised the entrepreneurial pair was onto a winner. “Dad, who thought that this was probably a crazy idea to begin with, fell in love with it too. And so mum and dad have come on board as 50/50 partners. And that was what allowed us to actually get it to the stage it’s at now. We would have thought it would have taken 10 years to get to the point it’s at now.”
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Nathan Cowan, Felicity Cottrill & son Charlie
Where it’s at now is truly incredible. In just 22 months (and with one baby in between) Felicity and Nathan have forged a loyal following for their throwback products that draw on the local area for inspiration and produce. They did in less than two years what it took one man almost a decade to create back in the 1800s. Englishman George Billson Snr settled in Australia in 1852, lured to Victoria with thousands of others by the promise of gold. Settling in the Beechworth area in the mid 1850s, his success as a publican propelled him to set up his own brewery in 1856. He purchased Ovens Brewery in Beechworth and his success was profound. His discovery of a pure spring under the street drove even more progress, with the creation of a large tower brewery in the early 1870s. In fact, it’s Australia’s second-oldest tower brewery, built at a dizzying height to take full advantage of gravity in the beer-making process. Billson’s remained in the when it was registered as It stopped producing beer wouldn’t again bottle ale Felicity’s ambitious venture.
family until 1914, Murray Breweries. in the 1950s, and until Nathan and
In their first six months of ownership, the couple did little more than clean. The business was still making cordial but had stopped opening on weekends, and the building was perilously close to being beyond repair. “It was really screaming out to be looked after,” said Nathan. “It wasn’t a tough decision in the end, it was easy. Let’s give this a go while we’ve the chance and it was good timing for everyone.” It wasn’t easy going, with the family working tirelessly to turn around the ailing business.
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Billson’s Cordial range
“When we got here, we were lucky if we got one or two people through a day and so Felicity and I were both working on the bottling line. Friends and family helping. And then on the weekends we’d just sit here manning the shop. And so we decided to engage a local historian, and that’s probably when things started to get a bit of momentum because she tracked down some beautiful old photographs and labels and so about six months in we found the original Raspberry Vinegar label and we decided to go back to the original Billson’s name and image.”
Cordials are still produced at the brewery, as well as beautifully flavoured sodas. Drawing on the knowledge of local dietitian Claire Douglas and there’s always a unique taste being crafted.
Changing the name back to Billson’s was a risky move, one that Nathan understood more than most after having an extensive career in branding. But he says the town was ‘beyond supportive’.
“It’s been pretty full on, intense. We really wanted to make the most of the tourist season which is typically from the summer school holidays all the way through to Easter. So we had this mad scramble to get beer launched and get our liquor licence which allowed us to open the café and the bar and get the place up and going.”
“We changed the name to Billson’s, the first product under the Billson’s name was just a limited edition version of our cordial, it was pretty much our Lime Juice Cordial with some added gold flakes in it for the Golden Horseshoes Festival. And called it Billson’s Golden Lime and we handed it out at Easter last year. “Then we swapped over all the cordial labels. We launched our spring water in cans, because we wanted to showcase what really sets us apart. Every drink is made from that spring water. We then looked for the low hanging fruit, like taking our best selling cordials and converting them to classic sodas. And finally on Boxing Day last year we got our liquor licence granted and so all of the beer, cider, ginger beer and gin has been made within the last 12 weeks.” The extensive Billson’s range is ever-growing, but always stays true to the local area and produce. It now includes alcoholic ginger beer, small batch apple cider, Australian Ale, stout and the uber popular Billson’s Beechworth Dry Gin.
“Claire’s got a huge orchard, she simply picks fruit and comes up with recipes. She’s been helping us develop some of those natural cordials. She developed the tonic waters in conjunction with Tony Paull our head brewer and so he’s been responsible for all the beer and spirits.
The popularity of Billson’s Brewery and its products has allowed the couple to expand from just two full-time staff to 16. The facility includes not only a shop and café, but a speakeasy bar, barber shop and collection of National Trust-recognised horse carriages. While the family is humble about the role it’s played in getting the brewery back to its former glory, they’re full of praise for the local community’s part in resurrecting a slice of history. “Bridge Road Brewers, which I think is the best brewery in Australia, came to us and said here is who you should use for equipment, if you need anything we’re here to help. And that’s kind of been the mentality of most of the people and businesses around town.” “Seventy per cent of current volume comes from this shop and it shows you just how important locals are. What I love doing, particularly on the weekends when it’s the
busiest, is working in the shop and trying to greet everyone that comes in. Hearing where they’ve come from and how they’ve heard about us. And most of the time it’s because one of the locals that they’re staying with has recommended they come here and it’s just been word of mouth.” But above everything, it’s the products and their connection to a bygone era that keep drawing the crowds to tread the well-worth floorboards inside Billson’s. “I guess there’s a few major changes going on in the drinks industry, which is people are looking for less manufactured, more handmade, closer to fresh and if they can meet who’s making it or see the process happening, that’s really special. “I think there are four things that set us apart. The spring water is definitely number one, and that’s why the brewery was built here. More than 90 per cent of every one of our products is water. The second one is Beechworth itself, it has such a good reputation for not only food and drink, but accommodation and amazing history so leveraging Beechworth is really important. The third is all the history. Reviving old labels and telling stories from the past is one of the things the locals seem to have really engaged with. The last is just having a physical venue that people can come in and experience and see everything. And then hopefully form a long term connection with the brand.” Historical photographs supplied by Billson’s Brewery Photographs by Anita Butterworth
Billson’s Cafe & Bar
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authentic brew IN THE QUEST FOR PROVIDING BETTER EXPERIENCES FOR ITS CUSTOMERS, BRIGHT BREWERY HAS ALWAYS DARED TO BE DIFFERENT WHILE STAYING TRUE TO THE CORE VALUES THAT HAVE UNDERPINNED ITS SUCCESS. WORDS: CHRIS WEST It was while travelling around North America in his late twenties during 1996 and 1997 that Melbourne-based software developer Scott Brandon made the most significant discovery of his life. What he found was not any sort of secret to a ground-breaking new computer program, but something far simpler – craft beer. “I hadn’t ever really been a beer drinker. Having grown up living opposite Main Ridge Estate, which is the oldest winery on the Mornington Peninsula, I was more interested in wines and preferred their flavours,” Scott explains. “It wasn’t until I visited Canada and Europe that I realised the variety and depth of flavour that could be achieved in beer. I also noticed the craft beer boom starting to take shape in North America and recognised the untapped potential it offered back home in Australia. I guess that realisation was what started me on the journey to where I am today.”
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Tucked away in the back of Scott’s mind was a desire to somehow step away from the software industry and find his true calling in the wine industry. “I had always admired the passion of someone like Nat White of Main Ridge Estate, whose philosophy was all about making the best wine he could and getting it to as many people as possible,” Scott says. “For a lot of his wines he actually had an allocated limit that he’d give out down to as little as one per person so that he could have more people enjoying his products. “That kind of thing inspired me in many ways to think about that type of industry. But at the same time I was very aware that there is a huge amount of competition in the wine industry. There are so many small wineries around and I lacked the capital required and time to start something up.”
Scott instead turned his thoughts towards his newly developed awareness of craft beer, which at that time was still yet to gain any significant profile or market share in Australia. He knew that less competition meant his chances of starting some sort of enterprise involving craft beer were much more achievable. The pathway forward involved small steps rather than any giant leap. In 2003 Scott and his wife Fiona Reddaway decided to make a tree change away from the city life and start a family in Bright. Around this time Scott was introduced to home brewing by his friend David Cocks, who had also recently moved his family to Bright. “Bright appealed as a much better place to raise kids and it was such a good move for us to make,” Scott says. By 2004, Scott had started giving more thought to turning his home brewing hobby into a commercial brewery.
SCOTT BRANDON
After arriving in Bright, Scott continued to maintain income from software work and he and Fiona also later started a café business. “Running the café gave us a good feel for the seasonality of the town,” Scott reflects.
“When we found the block, we learned that the site had apparently been empty for three decades. It wasn’t on the market, but we approached the owners and negotiated a sale,” Scott recalls.
But the dream of establishing a brewery was always bubbling away in the background and moved closer to becoming a reality when Scott and Fiona found willing business partners in David Cocks and his wife Julia.
“We didn’t have much money left after taking possession of the site, so basically just built the nicest looking tin shed that we could afford. It was just large enough to house all the brewery equipment and tiny bar on side of the building, but we made do and operated under those conditions for about six years.”
“We found some second hand brewing equipment which we were able to purchase through a combination of grant funding from both the Federal and State governments and a loan,” Scott says.
By then Scott and Fiona were also busy raising three young daughters whilst striving to take the brewery to the next level.
“We started off getting our beer made for us at Jamieson Brewery until we could establish our own base for Bright Brewery.”
“Fiona was pregnant when we moved up to Bright and the three girls were all born within four years. Trying to build the brewery business up was hard work and very challenging with a young family,” Scott admits.
An empty, but ideally located block on Great Alpine Road adjacent to Howitt Park and the Ovens River would ultimately provide the solution the partnership group was looking for.
The arrival of Bright Brewery heralded a big change for the town.
“People used to come to Bright and buy trinkets to take home. We could see a shift in that focus happening and felt people were looking more towards experiences,” Scott states. “We positioned ourselves to capitalise on that change and now there’s a very different vibe around this town. Trinkets have been replaced by experiences.” Today’s Bright Brewery is very different from the tin shed that opened its door to a curious public in 2006. “We started with four beers and that number has expanded to around twenty,” Scott says. “When we opened we also didn’t have the food offering we do today. All we had in the way of catering equipment was a pizza conveyor.” Bright Brewery reached an important crossroad in 2009 when Scott and Fiona purchased their partners’ share and continued the venture on their own.
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SCOTT BRANDON POURING BEER IN BAR
“David and Julia were seeking to take business in a different direction. They wanted the brewery to focus on wholesale, whereas we felt the best path to take at that time was to make it into a hospitality venue,” Scott explains. In 2012, Scott and Fiona commenced a substantial redevelopment of the brewery, transforming it into a multipurpose, all weather venue. Gone was the humble tin shed and, in its place, a new building with seating capacity for over 250 people. Scott says that creating a restaurant at the brewery added more to the town and enhanced the customer experience.
“She’d be thrilled by the way our plans for business have progressed,” he says.
This dedicated production centre for the business has been dubbed Fred’s Shed.
“Fiona was deeply involved in the whole thing. I think what she’d be most proud of is the impact the brewery has had on the town. Over the past fifteen years the town has become so much more vibrant and more in line with what visitors from capital cities expect from a holiday location.”
“It’s a larger brewhouse and much easier for trucks to get in and out,” Scott explains.
Live music has become a permanent fixture at Bright Brewery every Sunday afternoon – rain, hail or shine.
“It also gave us the capacity to support the active lifestyle in this area which is what we moved up here for,” he states.
“Sundays used to be like a ghost town here,” Scott remembers. “But the live music has helped give the place more spark. We have the flexibility to use the stage on the deck in nice weather or move inside on cooler days.”
“We wanted the brewery to embrace that and make it a key part of what we do. The restaurant provides a meeting place for people to come after they’ve been skiing or mountain biking or pursuing other outdoor activities.”
A calendar of special events also helps draw patrons to Bright Brewery in their droves throughout the year. These events are often deliberately programmed to fill gaps outside the busiest periods.
Two years after the redevelopment, Bright Brewery benefited from another significant uplift with the addition of the stunning Hop Terrace deck at the rear of the premises overlooking Howitt Park and the Ovens River. The tranquillity and scenic appeal make the deck one of the best places to sit outside on a beautiful day.
A willingness to dare to be different has always been entrenched in the DNA of Bright Brewery. Nowhere is this more evident than with its beer choices.
“It has made a big difference to our business,” Scott observes. But amid all the positive development at Bright Brewery, tragedy would also intervene in April 2014 when Fiona lost her brave 11-month battle with cancer at just 40 years of age. “She lived to see the redevelopment but unfortunately passed away just before the deck opened,” Scott reflects. Fiona’s vital and dynamic contribution to the early success of Bright Brewery continues to be respectfully honoured throughout the business to this day. A painting of her by artist Phil Barnes hangs on the wall inside the dining area. Scott has no doubt that Fiona would approve of how Bright Brewery has continued to evolve in the five years since her passing.
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BREWER IN FRED’S SHED
“As a micro brewery, we are able to make more specialised beers using natural ingredients and have fun experimenting with different flavours,” Scott says. “We’ve been making sour beers and lambic style beers since around 2011. Personally, I am a big fan of sour beers and naturally fermented beers. Our approach has been to try to make interesting brews. Back when we started out, two of our beers were a Witbier and a Dubbel, which hardly anyone else was doing in Australia.” Bright’s crisp alpine freshness makes it a perfect location for brewing full-flavoured craft beers of the highest quality. “We are fortunate to have pristine mountain water and be in a valley renowned for its hop growing,” Scott comments. Most of Bright Brewery’s beer production is now done at a purpose-built brewing facility Scott has established about a kilometre away from the main premises.
“We still do some brewing here in town alongside the restaurant and bar operation but tend to limit it now to smaller or trial batches. We also have a barrel program and have wine and whiskey barrels which we store here while they mature. It’s become more of an experimental facility for us and we instead allocate the bulk of the production to Fred’s Shed which is better equipped for that purpose. One important consideration is that we have to be careful not to get any cross contamination with the yeast strains. The sour beer yeast strains can have a detrimental effect on the regular beers, so it is wise to keep them separate.” Bright Brewery is gaining increasing popularity year upon year and finding favour with all types of customers. “We see a broad cross section of people at the brewery,” Scott reports. “We do know that there’s a certain age demographic in the late twenties to mid forties range who are more aware of craft beers. They realise that there’s more beer waiting to discover than what they’re being sold by the multinationals. They’re seeking it out and trying to become more educated about it. Their minds are still open to new and better experiences,” he continues. “Older people can at times tend to be more set in their ways and resistant to change, but having said that, we do still get plenty of older customers who love our products. Our blowhard pale ale is one of our most popular beers. Pale ales are pretty approachable for most people. Ours has a citrus flavour and quite a hoppy character to it, although I personally prefer more malt driven beers or yeast driven beers myself.” Bright Brewery also offers a Brewer for a Day experience once a month for anyone who wishes to discover more about craft beer. “This was one of Fiona’s initiatives,” Scott says.
BREWERS REDI STRATTON & DAVID STOKIE WITH BEER IN BREWHOUSE
“People get a hands-on guide through the whole process with our brewer. What better way to actually educate people on what craft beer is than to see how it’s made?” he adds.
Scott is also working busily behind the scenes to ensure the brewery’s systems work better and become more efficient and that its quality control is as good as it can possibly be.
We want people to know that we’re being open and honest about the natural ingredients we are using and that when we say we are making the beer in Bright that we’re actually doing it here.”
Participants get involved with helping to brew more than 1000 litres of beer which will ultimately be consumed by Bright Brewery’s customers and the cost of the full-day experience includes lunch, beer tastings and a t-shirt.
“Our aim is for our manufacturing arm to be a kind of safety net for the business by ensuring it can continue to function in the event of anything impacting on the town,” he notes.
Sustainability has also become an increasing focus for Bright Brewery.
Many craft beer lovers have also recognised the value in joining Bright Brewery’s popular Mash Club, which provides members with a quarterly delivery of a box of mixed beers and access to special discounts. Thinking beyond his own business, Scott has been collaborating with other craft brewers in the area to create the High Country Brewery Trail. “There are nine of us involved now,” he says. “Our aim is to try to get people who come to this region to go and visit other parts and realise there’s more to the area than first meets the eye. Hopefully that drives repeat visitation, longer stays and adds to the economy of the region which is really important.” Bright Brewery is certainly playing its part in attracting visitors to the High Country, having been a dual Gold Winner at the Victorian Tourism Awards in 2017 and 2018. Looking ahead, Scott sees mainly logistical projects on the horizon at the brewery in the short term, including relocating some of his administrative staff out to the production premises and increasing the focus on the wholesale and distribution side of the business. “Our sales team is busy working on growing our market in Melbourne at the moment,” he says. “We do have a number of bottle shops and bars down there that have been very supportive of us over the years, but up until last year when we put on a Melbourne-based sales rep we really hadn’t been trying to actively promote the wholesale side of the business at all. Now our aim is to actively distribute our beers around Melbourne to get them closer to our regular visitors.”
Bright Brewery has continued to operate as an independent family business whilst accommodating a level of growth over the years that has seen its staff size swell to now number nearly fifty over summer. “When we started, it was just the four of us plus a couple of extras during summer,” Scott remembers. Scott’s family has also grown up alongside the business. His daughters are now aged twelve, fourteen and sixteen. It is no coincidence that Bright Brewery has thrived by staying true to its three core values – Active, Authentic and Sustainable. “We came here for the active, outdoors lifestyle. This is represented by having a different form of outdoor activity depicted on each of our beer labels,” Scott notes. “We also support a lot of outdoor activities as a business, including being a key sponsor of the Tour of Bright three-day road race and several mountain bike events. We also encourage our staff to pursue outdoor activities and have taken added steps like rewarding them for walking and riding to work instead of driving. One of our team, Samantha McMahon, even climbed Everest last year and is now planning to mountain bike ride to base camp at K2 and climb some of the nearby peaks there which is just fantastic.” Scott says that authenticity is also imperative to his business. “We have to be authentic in what we do,” he insists. “There is a bit of a trend in the corporate brewing industry where some are being a bit liberal with the truth and giving the impression that they are doing something which they are not.
“When you live in a place like this you want to look after it. We also want the business to be sustainable and ongoing. The tourism season can fluctuate, so we’re trying to position the brewery so it can smooth over any downturns or any potential threats which could disrupt the business,” Scott explains. “We’re also examining our electricity use and energy efficiency, and looking at ways of reducing our carbon footprint to help protect the environment.” Scott’s focus on sustainability also extends to his staff. “We want to take care of our people and part of that is making sure nobody works more than forty hours a week. If they happen to do so, they are given time off to compensate. It’s probably no coincidence that we’ve got one of the happiest kitchen teams you’ll find anywhere in the hospitality industry,” he says. With Scott’s leadership continuing to infuse zestful energy and an innovative mindset into the business, Bright Brewery is undoubtedly destined for more exciting times ahead. “Our team is always working on something. We’re constantly reinvesting in the business to make it better,” he concludes. Photographs supplied by Bright Brewery
bright brewery 121 Great Alpine Road, Bright Phone: (03) 5755 1301 Open 7 days - 11am to 11pm Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day www.brightbrewery.com.au
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Early Highlights of Darker Days. “Winter is coming. Embrace the darkness.�
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Bright Brewery presented DARKER DAYS and set Bright alight despite the wintery weather on Saturday, June 29, 2019 and provided a celebration of dark beer and the Alpine winter. With live music and entertainment.
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Bright Brewery’s acclaimed Stubborn Russian Imperial Stout was launched at DARKER DAYS, and other High Country brewers poured their most warming, wintery brews. Images by Scott Hartvigsen Photography
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WHAT HAVE WE DONE? Baarmutha Wines has been the brain child of Vinny and Sharon, and a massive labour of love passion and hard work, starting from scratch in 2006. Just a short 6.5 KM from the Beechworth post office our journey has included every facet of pouring fine wine into glass, from the Oenology and Viticultural studies at CSU, to the variety and clone selection, planting and establishing of our small low yielding vineyards, hand weeding, mulching, nurturing to hand selecting the fruit at harvest with family and friends. We then follow Old World principles, minimal intervention, wild ferments, and time underground, to truly support Beechworth’s envious reputation for high quality artisan wines.
THE EXPERIENCE…. Organise some time to visit wine maker Vinny Webb, and his wife Sharon to enjoy a truly personal and unique wine tasting experience. A planned visit can include all or some of this journey, including underground barrel tastings, following a few years of the wines development, and the sharing of our home made Salami, in a wonderful purpose built old Gold fields building, with a few modern climate control conveniences.
We very much like to meet and greet fellow foodies and wine lovers, please phone ahead so that we can organise a time and date that best suits you. We can be contacted at contact@baarmuthawines.com.au Facebook Baarmutha Wines or call us on 0�58 850 252 baarmuthawines.com.au
Climbing
MOUNT BOGONG THE ALLURE OFTHE “BIG FELLA” by Rosemary Oldis
At the end of the KiewaValley, and looming over the town of Mount Beauty, Mount Bogong beckons to us all. Even without its status, as Victoria’s highest peak, it would weave its seductive charm. Unlike most of the peaks in the Victorian High Country it is not rounded by time and erosion, but stands craggy and majestic. Reminiscent of the European Alps with its magnificence, it attracts and calls and challenges. We humans are wired to conquer that which stands before us as the highest and the most spectacular. So it is that Mount Bogong is a popular mountain for hikers. It has always been that way. The Aboriginal people of the Yiatmathong tribe knew its peaks and named it Bogong, meaning ‘Big Fella’, possibly after the large edible moths that made an annual migration to the area. The first European to climb it was Baron Sir Ferdinand von Mueller in 1854; no small achievement! The early settlers made one of the main tracks to the summit, the Staircase Spur, to access the mountain for summer grazing for cattle. Once that terraced track was established, the hikers and then the back-country skiers became the next adventurers to ascend to the summit. These days there are two main walking tracks to the summit: the Staircase Spur and Eskdale Spur. I have explored both summit routes and each has its individual character.
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Mount Bogong rises over 1,600 metres from the Kiewa Valley to its peak height of 1,986 metres. Luckily, these days, cars can take us to the trail heads of the two hiking trails to the summit, reducing the kilo-meterage and the elevation to be ascended on foot. On that issue, there are several shallow river crossings on the road to the Staircase Spur, and a 4WD vehicle is needed for access to that trailhead by car. Alternatively, beautiful walking access to the Staircase Spur begins at the Mountain Creek campground. Vehicle access to the Eskdale Spur trailhead is via kilometres of well-maintained gravel tracks. I have made the climb to the summit twice and it is not for the faint-hearted! My advice is to stop frequently for breathers and water and just know that it will be worth it. Most recently it was Eskdale Spur that took my breath awayquite literally. With the donning of packs, gaiters and sunhats the adventure began. The upward slog defies description, other than to say that I was never meant to be a dromedary and the smile pretty quickly left my face! All thought of comfort and ease had to be forgotten until finally the path through the peppermint gums began to level out.
Overhead the arch of the stark white branches of the dead eucalypts contrasted with the clear blue sky; and at our feet, bright pink upright flowers adorned the edges of the widening track. All at once we were at Michell Hut and the packs came off with a relieved sigh. From here it was around half a kilometre of packfree hiking to reach the edge of the tree line and the ever-widening vistas of unimaginable extent. The Victorian and New South Wales alpine wilderness area lay spread before us with all its ridges and spurs and peaks. Stunned by the grandeur and excited to reach the summit, the final climb along a winding, rocky track and then up a steep green hill, was achieved with comparative ease. The summit then lay before us with its rocky cairn and 360 degree panorama. At our feet carpets of weird and beautiful wild flowers hailed the sun and pretended that the snow would never return. The return trip to our tent at Michell Hut was a highlight of my life. Without urgency, and with gravity assisting us now, we meandered back down slopes and over ridges as the sun slowly travelled east and the light resolved to a pink glow on the spectacle below us.
we humans are wired to conquer that which stands before us as the highest and the most spectacular.
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MOUNT BOGONG
THE ALLURE OF THE “BIG FELLA”
With pure white daisies peeking between the rocks, and magenta coloured flowers silhouetted against the brilliant sky, I felt drunk with the sheer beauty of it all. This summer journey contrasted sharply with my previous springtime Bogong experience. The presence of deep pockets of snow to negotiate, the challenge of slippery slopes of ice on southern flanks, the shorter daylight hours and the colder temperatures were the biggest differences. The beauty and the grandeur were equivalent, if not greater, with the dazzling snow on the peaks adding to the drama of the views. However, the risks were greater. Sudden changes in weather are possible at any time at this elevation, even if the weather bureau has not indicated so.
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Snow can fall in any month and clouds can suddenly amass over the peak, creating a white-out. So, to the adventurous and the fit, give in to your urge to climb the Big Fella; but never allow yourself to feel that you have conquered it. Cleve Cole Hut and the Gadsden Memorial cairn stand as testament to man’s vulnerability to Bogong’s winter wrath. The mountain is always in control. Respect that, and be careful, and you will reap the amazing benefits. Photography | Rosemary Oldis
ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT | Water purification tablets for the tank water | Up-to-date maps of the area | comfortable hiking boots
warm socks | gaiters in spring and summer
| First aid kit containing 2 snakebite bandages, blister
treatment Band-Aids, paracetamol & ibuprofen
| At least 1 litre of water per person to last until
the tanks at the huts
| Waterproof jacket | warm extra layer for top & bottom
made from polar fleece or wool | gloves | beanie sun hat | sunglasses
| Sunburn cream | lip balm | mobile phone (charged)
References
insulating sit-mat made from rubber | thermals for top & bottom
www.traveller.com.au/step-up-and-meet-the-big-fella-1xmhn en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Bogong www.pressreader.com
| 4 season’s tent and sleeping bag if sleeping
at the huts | high energy snacks & meals
For all your Ski Hire, Snowboard Hire, Clothing and Equipment Hire requirements for you to enjoy your perfect holiday at our First Class resorts, Falls Creek and Mt Hotham. We have an extensive range of Snowboards and Skis to choose from, also stocking a large range of Retail products including Skis, Boards, Bindings, Clothing, Goggles, Helmets and Boots.
www.skiplus.com.au
AN ADVENTURE TO REMEMBER Descending Eskdale Spur
Lin Baird on Mount Bogong
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A LONG-ESTABLISHED FAMILY BUSINESS IN VICTORIA’S HIGH COUNTRY, BOGONG HORSEBACK ADVENTURES, OFFERS UNIQUE, DOWN-TO-EARTH HORSEBACK EXPEDITIONS IN ALPINE NATIONAL PARK. WORDS ALLY MCMANUS
Lin Baird on Mount Bogong
A horse-riding trip in Victoria’s High Country is an adventure to remember. Exploring the breathtaking surrounds of the region atop your very own horse is a unique way to discover the Alpine region’s wild rivers, stunning landscapes and off-the-beaten-track camps. This is an experience made possible at Bogong Horseback Adventures. Established in 1986, Bogong Horseback Adventures is one of the longest standing horseback tour operators in Australia. The family-run business offers a range of unique experiences for guests, which include three-hour day rides in the lower levels of Alpine National Park, hosted accommodation at its Spring Spur farm stay to enjoy weekend ride-andstay packages in the Alps, as well as traditional Australian packhorse tours that can span up to nine days across Victoria’s beautiful High Country, journeying through remote landscapes that wouldn’t be accessible without packhorse travel.
THE BACKGROUND Steve and Kath Baird, the owners of Bogong Horseback Adventures, have a long history with their business. “Our family has deep ancestral connections to the Victorian High Country that date back to the gold rushes of the 1860s,” explains Lin Baird, a son of Steve and Kath. “With a wish to preserve our family history and connection to the Bogong High Plains, and to enable us to share this connection with others, we established Bogong Horseback Adventures in Tawonga in 1986,” Lin continues. The Baird family has worked hard over the years to offer unique, down-to-earth experience for guests. “Now long established, we continue to provide unparalleled mountain horseback experiences with comfortable camps and great fire-cooked meals in the pristine Alpine National Park. We’re proud to preserve the great Australian tradition of throwing a swag down under the stars and sharing stories over the campfire,” shares Lin. The award-winning horseback rides operate all-year round from the family’s stables in Tawonga, near Mount Beauty. They breed and train every Australian Stock Horse in their stable using Natural Horsemanship techniques and high-quality, Australian-made equipment. Their horse bloodlines have stemmed from the Australian Stock Horse Stallion ‘Inca Gold’, who was owned by Kath and Steve in the late 1980s. “Our vision was to offer exceptional horseback expeditions in some of the best mountain terrain in Australia,” shares Lin, which continues to come to fruition through their impressive horseback experiences on offer for guests.
A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE Packhorse Team crossing Mount Bogong
A Bogong Horseback Adventure is like no other. “We think that what sets us apart is that none of our experiences are typical!” explains Lin. “We’ve been operating our award-winning rides for over 30 years, so we like to think we’ve refined the experience into something that is genuinely unique,” Lin reflects. “We offer safe and enjoyable horseback tours with warm and experienced guides, so that people of all riding abilities can enjoy discovering the High Country on horseback,” he adds. Being multigenerational and family-run are core values of their business. “We all live on the property and work together, and guests are welcomed into our home to ride with us and share stories around our famous Long Table, which always seems to be people’s favourite part,” he shares. When it comes to the most iconic part of the horseback adventure, the packhorse tours that take place from November–April are what take the cake. “We’re the only tour operator that explores Mount Bogong on horseback,” Lin reveals, “which is a truly remarkable experience for anyone who is interested in discovering the highest of High Country!” During the warmer months the High Plains are awash with beautiful colour, which allows the Baird family to share the unique and diverse ecology of the region with guests. During a packhorse trip, they journey across spectacular mountaintops, wild rivers, historic huts and secluded camps across the region. “We traverse both Mount Bogong and Mount Fainter, and explore many of the pristine surrounding valleys (perhaps with a Brumby sighting or two) and end each day sharing a story around the crackling campfire while the spectacular southern sky glitters above us,” shares Lin. “After more than 30 years, we still count down the days until the start of the upcoming pack season – we absolutely love it … these are the bread and butter of our family business and a pretty magnificent experience for those who are interested in exploring the best of the High Country in a time-honoured way,” he continues. high country lifestyle
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Lin Baird on Mount Bogong
Liberty work with a young horse at the Spring Spur stables
From left: Lin Baird, Steve Baird and Clay Baird
Since the business’ inception in 1986, they have kept a trip log of every packhorse tour itinerary. In each log, the trip leader has summarised every day of the trip, and guests have also been invited to share their own personal experiences and photos. “It helps us to preserve the memory of our mountain adventures and has become such a treasured part of our family history,” explains Lin. The family shares one guest’s log from their famous Mount Bogong New Year’s seven day tour from 1995: “Absolutely sensational; a life-cleansing experience. Not only were we exposed to the raw beauty of the High Plains but were privy to the Baird family unit which, for me, was just as magnificent as the High Country itself.” Sounds like an adventure to remember.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME In 2010 the family developed a new arm of the business: Spring Spur Stay. They describe this farm stay experience as “your country home away from home”. Lin and another one of the couple’s sons, Clay, brought the vision of Spring Spur to life when they returned home after leading horseback expeditions throughout California, Central America and the United Kingdom. With a wealth of experience under their belts from 10 years working abroad as well as a lifetime growing up in Victoria’s High Country, they injected a new energy and passion into the family farm. “Spring Spur is the result of a dream our sons had to bring more people together here on the farm,” explains Kath. Beginning as an idea shared around the family’s well-used dinner table, Spring Spur now encompasses the unique farm stay accommodation in a beautiful, rural setting adorned with artwork from Steve himself; a Rider’s Lounge, which is home to long table meals where stories of High Country horses are shared; as well as an impressive kitchen garden bursting with produce that nourishes both the Baird family and guests of Spring Spur.
Camp at Cemetery Spur in the Alpine National Park
The family designed and built the accommodation themselves. They used raw and salved materials and incorporated passive solar design principles to enhance sustainability and minimise any environmental impact. “Our family has built everything that forms the Spring Spur brand as it stands today,” Lin explains, “from the buildings and infrastructure to the quality mountain horses that are bred and trained here on the property to offer award-winning adventures.” The pavilion-style building features six private en-suite rooms that boast beautiful views of Mount Feathertop or the surrounding gardens. “We have tried to capture the essence of the High Country in the design, while ensuring the buildings remain unique to our family,” explains Lin, with each room home to one of Steve’s paintings as well as a variety of trinkets and treasures embedded in the floor. “We’ve tried to keep it as personal and homely as possible, so people feel as though they’re becoming part of the story,” Lin adds. Staying at Spring Spur is an all-inclusive experience for each guest that goes well beyond your traditional meet-and-greet scenario. “People who stay at Spring Spur are encouraged to share meals with us around the Long Table and to get involved with some of the aspects of a family-run farm; from helping with animal feeding to learning to make bread,” Lin explains.
Spring Spur Homestead and Stables
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Babs riding Sassafrass atop Mount Bogong
PRACTISING PRESERVATION Sustainability is an integral aspect to Bogong Horseback Adventures as a business. “Kiewa Valley and its surrounding mountain landscapes are the lifeblood of our family business and the place we lovingly call home, so preserving them is of such incredible importance to us,” explains Lin. This philosophy is integrated into the experience for guests, too. “We’re constantly looking for new ways to reduce our environmental impact and encourage our guests to do the same. We request that no guests bring single-use plastics to our farm, we help to maintain the mountain camps we use on our packhorse tours, we obviously pack out everything we carry into the park, and we’re looking at ways to become more sustainable and eco-friendly in the coming months and years,” Lin continues. Over the past few years the business has evolved and diversified to offer paddock-to-plate and regenerative farming practices. This has been implemented while still retaining core tourism business, which is a testament to the family’s success. The business’ sustainable philosophy is also reflected in its strong relationship with the community surrounding them, which has continued to grow over time. “The local community influences our business more and more each year,” explains Lin. “We’re surrounded by such a diverse and vibrant community of local growers and producers, and we’re always so excited to showcase them in our offerings.” They also respect and support their neighbours near and far by sharing resources. “What we can’t grow and make ourselves, we source from the local community,” explains Lin. “Locally crafted beer and wine are a real highlight of our packhorse tours and we’re proud to showcase them to our guests. We hope to see this element of our offering expand in the future, and are always open to new opportunities to work with those in our community,” he continues.
NURTURING A “DREAM LIFE” Feedback is an integral part of the business to the Baird family. “We really do consider all the feedback we receive — it’s an opportunity for us to understand what we do well and where we can improve, so we’re always happy to hear from our guests and the community,” explains Lin. One particular phrase is widely used by guests to describe the experience: “dream life”. “Apart from fairly outstanding online reviews, the general consensus from our guests is that we are a unique family-run business with the ‘dream life’,” reveals Lin. “It’s hard to disagree when we’re riding on horseback in the beautiful Alpine National Park for a living!” he continues. As the business continues to expand, grow and diversity, so do the goals of the family behind Bogong Horseback Adventures. “As we look to the future we are trying to become more sustainable, continue to improve our customer experience, find that ever-elusive work/life balance and enjoy this wonderful life of ours!” reflects Lin. Photographs supplied by Bogong Horseback Adventures Spring Spur Stables
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SNOW CAMPING MILLION STAR ACCOMMODATION Words & photography by Rosemary Oldis
Picture a sky so full of stars that you are humbled. Contemplate catching an early back-country ski on pristine, crisp snow. Imagine being able to ski in, ski out; for free. Imagine snuggling into a super warm sleeping bag and defying the elements by being warm and cosy.
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Is camping your thing but you have never considered camping in the snow? By challenging yourself to step out of your comfort zone, snow camping may become the very thing for you. I remember packing and re-packing for my first snow camp and wondering whether I would come back alive. Into the pack went head torch, sit mat, sun glasses, goggles, waterproof over pants, Gore-Tex jacket, thermals, polar fleece jacket, puffer vest, hiking pants, beanie, buff, 2 pairs of gloves and thick socks. Somehow it didn’t seem enough to keep me alive, so in went another woollen jumper and another set of thermals. “Perhaps now I will survive”, I thought. Needless to say, I returned home intact and able to tell the tale. Many snow camps later I chuckle at this memory and the trepidation that I felt. Many are the times, however, when I have appreciated that extra woollen jumper that I continue to squeeze into the pack, just in case.
There are challenges to snow camping, but they can be reduced by planning for this experience. There are also expenses. Being warm and dry are the top priorities upon which your life truly does depend. Spare no expense on your sleeping bag, which needs to be rated to as low as -10 degrees Celsius. Next you must learn how to waterproof your sleeping bag by using a rubbish bin liner inside the sleeping bag stuff sac. If your sleeping bag is warm and dry you can survive anything.
Snow camping is a sublime experience. To fully appreciate the beauty of nature you need to allow yourself to be at one with it in a way that can only happen when camping. Strip away the walls, the roof, and the soft furnishings and just get out there. When you replace the house with a simple tent and the bed with a foam mattress and sleeping bag, something magical happens.
A high quality lightweight four-seasons hiking tent will only set you back the cost of a couple of nights in luxury accommodation, and you will have it for years of use. If you can split the carrying of the tent so that one person carries poles and pegs and the other person the tent and fly, you won’t even notice it in your pack. A foam sleeping mat and a Trangia cooker are the final elements of the survival essentials.
You are free to really be there in the environment. You are available to notice things that would have been unobserved if you were behind four walls: that slanting morning light coming through the mist, taking your breath away; the cheeky currawong that descends from the snow gums to share your lunch break; the splendour of a billion stars arching over your head; the water frozen in your drink bottle in your tent in the morning.
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SNOW CAMPING
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I recall lying cosy in my sleeping bag and listening to the tiny birds, just centimetres away from me, hopping around in the snow outside the tent, their cheerful, busy calls heralding a new day. Each new day snow camping brings its own potential hazards, however. When the sun is shining and the snow is crisp it is hard to imagine the same world buffeted by blinding winds, driving snow or even rain. It is important to remain in awe of the environment and to be in tune with its changes. Always inform someone of your plans and, where possible, make contact with the outside world every 24 hours for a weather update. In Alpine environments a white-out or even a blizzard is always possible.
If you are warned that such an event is likely you can adjust your plans to stay near camp and also to make your tents storm-proof. For me, the hardest time of the day is late afternoon through to bed time. My temperature drops and I can become down in mood and disinterested in eating. I have learnt to rug up as the daylight wanes, donning every extra layer that I have brought with me. I have also learnt to make myself eat dinner, as warm food in my belly helps to keep me snug in my sleeping bag all night. Finally, I have learnt the importance of having a leakproof drink bottle that is capable of holding hot water. Its importance is revealed when I experience the sheer luxury of a hot water bottle in my sleeping bag!
Whether you are travelling by cross-country skis, snow shoes or even 4-wheel drive vehicles, the overnight experience of snow camping will be the thing that you will remember most. The sheer incongruity of being warm and safe in a seemingly inhospitable environment brings its own joy. A few millimetres of thickness of nylon is all that separates you from the wind, the snow and the wild world outside. You have created a tiny sanctuary. When the dark gives way to dawn you will awaken alive, refreshed and surprisingly warm. A new day lies before you and you are already there! You do not need to travel anywhere; simply unzip your tent and the winter world awaits you. If you are very lucky, some kind soul may have lit the Trangia and a steaming cup of brewed coffee might add to the perfection of your morning.
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MICHAEL AHEARN – STATION MANAGER
Alpine Radio is a not-for-profit community radio organisation based in the heart of Victoria’s High Country in Mount Beauty. It is proud to be a part of the local community and serves the northeast region of Victoria from its Mount Beauty-based studio. It’s a special organisation to High Country residents, having won the ‘Outstanding Small Station’ at the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia’s national community radio awards ceremony in November 2018. In addition to this, Alpine Radio was voted Best Organisation of the Year at the Alpine Shire’s 2019 Australia Day awards. Alpine Radio is dedicated to providing a broadcasting service that encourages, enables and facilitates communication within the community through the following avenues: Programs that cover local issues, events, culture and activities; Coverage that showcases the work of Australian musicians and performers to help support and promote further Australian musical talent; and Allowing community groups and associations, organisations and individuals to be involved in the production of and presenting of original radio programs at the station.
SERVING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH RADIO Michael Ahearn, the Station Manager of Alpine Radio, says that the station offers a unique radio program for the community. Its values are, “To provide programming of a type not adequately covered by existing commercial broadcasters, to encourage the use of radio for community and public affairs, education, culture, information, entertainment and recreation by, for and directed to the local community,” Michael explains. “To become a voice of cultural and community information by compiling and disseminating community resource data and information with respect to local activities, events and developments affecting the community,” he continues. Alpine Radio is also passionate about teaching the community about radio broadcasting and production. It is dedicated “to teach, train, instruct, prepare and assist members and the local community to produce material
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for transmission and to provide facilities for members to learn and practise the technical and aesthetic aspects of radio broadcasting and production,” continues Michael.
THE ALPINE COMMUNITY RADIO PROJECT Mary Smith, a local to the Mount Beauty community and now a life member, organised a public meeting to gauge community support for what is now the Alpine Community Radio Project. “A committee was formed immediately and within two years the station made its first public broadcast,” explains Nick Brown, who is the Secretary of the Alpine Radio Committee. From 2003–2011 Alpine Radio was only broadcasting into northeast Victoria’s Kiewa Valley. In 2011 a transmitter was fitted into the Apex Hill Tower, which overlooks the beautiful landscape of Bright, and Alpine Radio then began broadcasting into Ovens Valley, reaching the well-known tourist towns of Bright and Porepunkah. “Because of the propensity of bushfire risk in the area, in 2011 Alpine Radio applied for and received status as an Official Emergency Services Broadcaster for its listening area, one of only five community radio stations in Victoria to be granted that status at that time,” reveals Nick. Fast-forward to 2016 and Alpine Radio’s head technician Rob O’Connor installed a transmitter, with help from the Harrietville TV Committee, on a small tower at Cavalier Spur, which overlooks the quaint town of Harrietville at the head of the Ovens Valley. Harrietville was in a black spot, unable to receive Alpine Radio’s transmissions from other towers, but not any more. This goes to show just how committed Alpine Radio is to spreading its message throughout Victoria’s High Country.
“WE ARE PROUD OF OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF THE NUMBERS OF OUTSIDE BROADCASTS WE DO, OUR PROMOTIONS OF LOCAL EVENTS AND FESTIVALS, AND THE EMERGENCY BROADCAST STATUS WE SOUGHT TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE DURING TIMES OF NATURAL DISASTER,” EXPLAINS MICHAEL.
CRAIG VINE – PRESENTER
CAITLIN FRAWLEY – ADMINISTRATION OFFICER
I ask Nick to share any remarkable stories that have been told on air at Alpine Radio. He names the late Warwick Randall, who was referred to in 2014 by The Weekly Times as “Victoria’s oldest radio DJ”. Warwick was an actor on notable TV series Division 4, Homicide and Bellbird back in the 1960s, and used to run four programs on Alpine Radio as a volunteer. “When Alpine Radio started in 2003, Warwick was much-loved for presenting great programs of music of all styles, including big bands, jazz, nostalgia and golden oldies,” explains Nick. “Some of us were surprised to learn that in the early days of Alpine Radio, Warwick even presented a country program; such was his love and knowledge of all types of music. Warwick was presenting as many as four programs a week (up to three hours each), and continued this until his death in 2016. So for 13 years, four programs a week – [that’s] roughly 7800 hours of music presenting,” shares Nick. That’s no easy feat. Michael notes Alpine Radio’s “music guru” Scottie Graham as another highlight. “[Scottie] has thousands of LPs, CDs, books etc. in a huge collection of rock, jazz, blues – he presents a music trivia program and two other programs each week,” explains Michael. “[He] vast knowledge, often rings the station to add some tit-bit about a rock band that the presenter has been chatting about. Great encyclopaedic knowledge of all things music,” he continues. In terms of the most popular programs on the station, previous surveys have confirmed Alpine Radio’s most popular programs take place in the 9am–midday slot on weekdays. Noteworthy, popular programs include ‘Something Different’ by Scottie on Monday; ‘Valley Country’ by Peter Rogers on Tuesdays; ‘Brunch’, a magazine-style program by Fay Mason on Wednesdays; ‘Drive’ by Craig Vine on Thursdays; and ‘Strike Up the Band’ by Mary Pike on Fridays. For any blues fans, make sure to check out “Rock n Blues”, a popular program on Wednesday evening from 6pm hosted by Glenn Spencer.
Community is at the core of Alpine Radio, with many of the station’s presenters interacting with listeners as they receive, on average, three-
four song requests per program. And sometimes this figure has gone into the double digits. “We have had up to 42 requests in a three-hour rock program on a Saturday night,” reveals Michael. “People often give us feedback on our Facebook page and ‘like’ the station or a particular program,” he continues. In addition to great music, the station presents a wide array of entertaining and insightful information for the community. This ranges from snow reports in winter, to gig guides for local musicians playing at venues in the community, to other events showcased in the local area such as music festivals and bicycle events. The local community has been incredibly supportive of Alpine Radio. Some of the sponsors have supported the station for 15 years, right from the start where it all began. “We would not survive without our fantastic sponsors who provide over half of the funds that we require to stay on air from year to year,” Nick explains. “We have terrific support from the Alpine Shire, and receive grants from the local Mount Beauty and District Community Bank, as well as grant funding from the Community Broadcasting Foundation,” he continues. Nick reveals that one of Alpine Radio’s proudest achievements in the past two years was setting up the radio’s online streaming function, so Alpine Radio can be listened to anywhere in the world. “We have several intermittent listeners overseas and regular listeners in Melbourne who interact with the station,” explains Nick, which shows just how powerful a community radio station can be worldwide. “Alpine Radio wishes to thank all the many volunteer presenters, technical staff and committee members for their input and hard work over 15 years,” he adds. For more information and to stream online, visit alpineradio.com.au
Frequency 96.5FM into the Kiewa Valley Frequency 92.9FM into the Ovens Valley Frequency 94.5FM into Harrietville Streamed online at alpineradio.com.au
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MOUNT BEAUTY by Lacey Madigan Beautiful, alive and welcoming; Mount Beauty waits for you at the apex of a long green valley. Caught as it is between sky, pasture, rivers and peaks it constantly experiences change at the whim of the weather, the time of day and the seasons. As if it is at the focus point of all the forces, Mount Beauty’s contrasts are intense and sharp. Even the sharpest image needs drama to be eye catching; and Mount Beauty certainly has that with its backdrop of Mount Bogong. At 1986 metres the craggy mountain is omnipresent. Visible from many parts of the town, it is at its most impressive when viewed from the Mount Beauty Pondage walk. It is here that reflections, shadows and ripples add to the magic. The town of Mount Beauty has charm and prettiness of its own, but it is the setting that makes the town beautiful by name and nature. In autumn the fierce heat of summer gradually fades to a memory as Mount Beauty experiences swathes of mist which float across the lake and catch the morning sunlight. Early autumn is the time for the ‘The Peaks Challenge’, a gruelling 235 km, 1 day cycling event, starting and finishing at Falls Creek via Mount Beauty, Tawonga Gap, Mount Hotham, Omeo and Anglers Rest. Later in autumn, the ‘Mount Beauty Music Festival’ fills the valley with sound as over 20 musicians share their talent. At this time autumn is transforming the town. Green leaves slowly change into a display of colour that saturates the senses. Days grow shorter as sunrise creeps later and later. In mid-May the ‘Mount Beauty Half Marathon’ offers everyone the chance to run with 3, 10 and 21.1 km events. This is truly the season for spending time in the outdoors.
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Everything awaits you. Whether it be by running, strolling, bush-walking, cycling, mountain biking, participating in parkrun, kayaking, fishing, camping, four-wheel driving or taking a road trip, autumn beckons you to get out and explore the magnificent Mount Beauty environs! Winter arrives and the excitement in the town builds. Everyone holds their breath in anticipation of the first snow fall. Will it be a sprinkle or a dump? Will this season be better than last? Weather is discussed with a new urgency as skiers and boarders make their plans. Sitting, as it does, at the very base of one of Victoria’s best skiing mountains, Mount Beauty is both a supply town for Falls Creek, and an accommodation hub for winter sports enthusiasts. The population of the town swells and this epicentre for the winter lifestyle sparkles. This is never more so than on Hoppet weekend, in late August. Even if you are not taking the bus or your car to the snow, you can still be part of it. In the cosy, brightly lit restaurants, pubs and coffee shops around the area, talk is all about this international cross country ski racing event which attracts people from all around the globe. You can join the throng ascending to Falls Creek or you can stay back in town and browse the elegant and quirky boutiques and gifts shops in the main street. After shopping, coffee and delicious treats await you at the bakery and cafes. You might be tempted to try a winter walk or bike ride around the lake - it is under 3 km and rewards you with the stunning spectacle of the snowy peak of Mount Bogong framed by the bare branches of the trees.
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The 4 km return walk to Pebble Beach is another opportunity to be dazzled by the mountain scenery. Winter beauty is everywhere. After the long haul of frosty nights and frozen lake edges, spring creeps in and slowly the temperatures rise. If you are a fair-weather skier this is the time to stay at Mount Beauty and take the 40 minute drive to the resort for some superb spring skiing. Days lengthen and the sun shines from a dazzlingly blue dome. Hiking in the alpine region gradually becomes alluring again and the nearby hills offer copious opportunities. This is the time of year that you find yourself trekking through large snow patches, and thunder storms can be sudden and dramatic; appropriate clothing and footwear must be worn. The Bogong High Plains are still mostly white and offer unique snow touring potential for those who love cross country skiing. Down in the valley, spring brings fresh green beauty to the trees, and, of course, brings flowers. The streets of Mount Beauty become living palettes of colour and the roads through the valley are lined with laden blossom trees. Cyclists revel in the spring conditions. On the walking track around the pondage a barbecue pavilion is popular and the adjacent children’s playground, dormant over winter, springs to life with happy users. Finally, spring transitions into summer and, once again, Mount Beauty fills with visitors. Camping grounds, motels and rental cottages swell with holiday-makers and ever-hopeful fishermen.
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The rivers provide legendary fishing spots and swimming holes and the sparkling community swimming pool is ever popular. The heat can be intense during the day but at night the cool breeze descends from the surrounding lofty peaks to bring welcome relief. Summer nights can be a magical time to eat out, stroll or watch the sun set. Cyclists and runners enjoy the cooler times in the mornings and evenings to explore or train. Mount Beauty truly is a town for all seasons. The possibilities for relaxing, exploring, fishing, eating, exercising and shopping are there in abundance all year round. And when you are in Mount Beauty remember to look up! Above the town and peaks gleaming white gliders soar on the thermal updrafts, and, at night, there sparkles a sky full of stars to amaze you. Photography by Rosemary Oldis
References www.tripadvisor.com.au (Mount Beauty Pondage) www.hoppet.com.au www.parkrun.com.au/mountbeauty/ www.visitmountbeauty.com.au/swimming/ www.visitmountbeauty.com.au/fishing/ www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/rides-and-events/peaks-challenge/ www.mtbeauty.com/festivals-events/mt-beauty-music-festival/ www.mtbeauty.com/latest-news/mt-beauty-half-marathon-saturday-20th-may www.visitmountbeauty.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/walks-and-trails-2018.pdf www.mtbeautygliding.com/index.php?id=2
Mount Beauty truly is a town for all seasons. The possibilities for relaxing, exploring, fishing, eating, exercising and shopping are there in abundance all year round.
MOUNT BEAUTY
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MOUNT BEAUTY to OMEO Words by Rosemary Oldis
BUCKET LIST ROADTRIP #1
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Mount Beauty is the capital letter at the beginning of the Bogong High Plains Road. As soon as you leave the town and commence the drive upwards you know you have entered another world. Your town self is dwarfed by the massive scale of the objects that surround you: towering eucalypts are everywhere; alien-like high voltage transmission towers remind you of the history of the road; and, through the trees, there pass vistas of the craggy peaks. My journey, in the summer afternoon sun, took me first to Clover Arboretum. These old terraced gardens are what remains of a village built in the 1930s to house the workers on the Clover Dam Power Station. The foliage of the European trees and shrubs contrasted with the surrounding blue green Australian bush. With a similar history, Bogong Village, centred around Lake Guy, provided a delightful rest point of stunning European beauty. Many bends later, and much higher up, the tall orange snow poles with the accompanying sign “Drive to the right of the poles” were a reminder that I was entering a world that has a very different nature in winter. Climbing higher, with ever increasing views of stunning Mount Spion Kopje, the Mountain Ash took on a different appearance - stark, white and skeletal; a grim reminder of the ferocity of the 2007 bushfires that devastated swathes of the high country and left their mark everywhere. And so I arrived at Falls Creek, one of Victoria’s premier snow fields and a centre for outdoor sports in all seasons. Enjoy the spectacular views and dream of returning to hike, mountain bike or to ski when the white magic falls. At aptly named Windy Corner the yellow gates that close the road in winter lay open, inviting me to enjoy this seasonal delight of driving the Bogong High Plains Road. Through the thinning forest of increasingly stunted snow gums, with their vivid trunks of olive and rust, I cruised. Suddenly, Rocky Valley Dam lay before me, a shimmering blue and grey expanse of water surrounded by rolling hills. After crossing the dam wall the Alpine National Park welcomed me. I was reminded, with a large warning sign, that this well-maintained bitumen road threading its lazy way across the heathy undulations is not always so benign. This road across the roof of Victoria holds many treasures to explore, including the well preserved cattlemen’s huts which now serve as both tourist attractions and as life-saving sanctuaries for bush-walkers and back-country skiers. My favourite, and one of the most accessible, was Cope Hut. It was well worth the short walk from the road. high country lifestyle
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This road across the roof ofVictoria holds many treasures to explore...
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It was at about that point that the long descent from the Bogong High Plains began. Gradually the number of stunted snow gums increased and slowly the trees grew in height until the road was twisting and turning through thick boulder-strewn bush. As I rounded one gentle curve a Sambar Deer, the size of a moose, disdainfully gazed at me, turned and re-entered the scrub. Just when I began to think that I would never see civilization again the twisting road took a sharp hairpin bend and the Omeo Highway lay before me, as did the Big River. This highway followed the river’s curves, sometimes at water level and sometimes above with tantalising glimpses of rapids and rocky beaches through the trees. I was enchanted when a crow, “spirit animal associated with life mysteries and magic” * seemed to lead the way. He swooped and glided above the waters of the Big River, reappearing around every bend until dreamy Anglers Rest. I was truly in magical country. As the sun sank lower, small, dark Swamp Wallabies and russet Rednecked wallabies lined the road and watched me pass. One swamp wallaby turned from the verge and leapt up the steep embankment in three powerful movements. A mother and joey calmly stared unblinkingly at me from the bush on the roadside. A young Fallow deer, twitching ears alert, drank from the Big River and then bounded along the river’s edge, its light tail flashing at me in the falling light. Not so magical was the moment when a Kookaburra hit the windscreen with a flurry of feathers and flew off, a trifle dazed. Dusk was falling as I arrived in Omeo and I was treated to the atmospheric sight of this hilly, historic gold mining town glowing in the blue hour. Daylight brought more history to light when I explored the Oriental Diggings. The looming red cliff faces drilled through with caves and tunnels gave a poignant insight into the hardships and determination of the gold miners. Not far out of town the highway was very crowded - not with traffic but with grazing cattle that showed as much curiosity towards my car as I felt towards them. If Mount Beauty was the capital letter then Omeo was a fitting full stop at the conclusion of this uniquely Australian journey. Tired, but delighted with the whole experience, I was ready to call a halt and explore this old treasure of a town.
References
www.spiritanimal.info/crow-spirit-animal www.echidnawalkabout.com.au Difference between Red-necked and Swamp Wallabies. Photography by Rosemary Oldis
ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT | Fuel, as there is none between Mt Beauty and Omeo | Up-to-date maps of the area | comfortable hiking boots and gaiters
(in Spring and Summer) if you’re planning to explore on foot | First aid kit containing 2 snakebite bandages | Drinking water | Waterproof jacket | warm extra layer for top & bottom
made from polar fleece or wool gloves | beanie | sun hat | sunglasses
| Sunburn cream | lip balm | mobile phone (charged) | Snacks as there are no shops between Falls Creek village and Omeo;
Food for meal preparation as there may be nothing open if you arrive after hours in Omeo
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Old Bank House Omeo
Day Street, Omeo’s main street
TRAVELS WITH JOHN THERE’S STILL GOLD IN THEM THERE HILLS… SO LET’S GO AND FIND SOME. The growth of Victoria has in part been due to the gold rush era and the influx of population and business into various areas. The Golden Triangle of Bendigo Ballarat and surrounds has long been the epi centre of that history but up in the High Country we can find an almost overlooked but none the less significant part of that era. An impressive drive up the Great Alpine Road, the highest all year round sealed road in Australia, and traversing Mt Hotham from Bairnsdale to Wangaratta a distance of some 312 Kms is an experience in itself, one which I always enjoy for its pure driving, especially with the added enjoyment of a manual gearbox. The full journey from Bairnsdale to Wangaratta can be driven in about 4 and 1/2 hours but our trip to Omeo is an easy 122 Kms in a comfortable hour and three quarters and takes you through a number of quaint settlements each with their own piece of history along this long established route.
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Bruthen, a rustic little town with a wide choice of cafes, a bakery (great lasagne pies), service station, pub and its own brewery/restaurant. The town overlooks the Tambo River, with great views across the flood plain from the rear of the brewery. Just out of Bruthen on our way north is Ramrod Creek, a picturesque yet short diversion into a sheltered swimming hole and scenic aspect of the Tambo River, it is well used by locals especially on a hot day. The Great Alpine Road continues to our destination, running in part alongside the picturesque flowing waters of the Tambo River, particularly at Tambo Crossing where there are some good photo points. On then to Ensay and Swift Creek, both small towns with histories not only in farming (grazing), but timber and mining. Ensay is well known for its winery and Swifts Creek not only for its timber mill but for its production of fresh local produce and baked goods from the wood fired bakery, (always worth a stop).
Golden Age Omeo Hotel / Motel
On then to the pioneering town of Omeo, with a population of about 400 and an elevation of 685m, through undulating grazing country and into the old gold town at its peak, the site of one of the richest alluvial goldfields in Victoria. A signature town of the High Country, the town will impress, with its steep streets particularly the main street (Day St) and a number of stand-out 19th century buildings still in use to this day including the Omeo Post Office 1881, and Courthouse 1893. Bakery, cafes, a pub, galleries and local art and craft outlets will keep those with a need for retail enjoyment fully satisfied. Take your time to wander the Omeo Historic Museum and Justice Precinct reputed to be the best intact example of a 19th century police and court complex in Victoria. Five heritage listed buildings make up the precinct, in and around the Historic Park. The police cookhouse and stables date from 1883, the original courthouse, now a Museum 1862. The log goal circa 1858 is also preserved where the last prisoner was held in 1981 later to sit in the dock of the courthouse.
LIVINGSTONE CREEK OMEO & THE ORIENTAL CLAIMS Nestling in the High Country just out of Omeo, on the road to Dinner Plain and Mt Hotham is an area many simply drive by with little or no knowledge of its historical significance. The Oriental Claims Historic Area is 2km the Mount Hotham side of Omeo on the Great Alpine Road (B500). You can access a walking track to the claims area from Omeo township along the Livingstone Creek Walking Track, or drive to the car park accessed by a track on the right of the highway immediately after crossing the Livingstone Creek Bridge. At the end of the track, which is suitable for all vehicles, you will find the picnic area, BBQ and toilet facilities are available. The heritage-listed Oriental Claims was one of the world's largest gold-sluicing operations and many mining remnants, caves and sites can be seen on the short walks, including Ah Fong’s Loop Track commencing and finishing at the car park, and which takes you to the site originally worked by Ah Fong in 1875. The area is also excellent for bird watching and wild flowers. Why “Oriental Claims”? Apart from the fact that many Chinese migrants worked the area after fleeing the poverty in China at the time (19th century), and chanced their luck hoping to make a fortune or at worst live better than in their homeland. The Oriental Claims Historic Area was named for the company that worked the site for gold from 1876 to 1904. It was the highest alluvial goldfield in Australia.
Livingstone Creek at Diggings
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Shot Blaster
TRAVELS WITH JOHN
Route to walk to diggings over creek
Timber Mill Swifts Creek
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The exposed clay cliffs towering over the area were created by high pressure hoses (Shot Blasters) which washed vast quantities of soil and gravel into sluice boxes from which the gold was extracted, an activity which was banned in the early 20th century due to its devastating environmental effects including reported pollution of waterways extending as far afield as the Murray River. The Water Shot Blaster, which is preserved close to the car park, is a remnant of the mining methods in Ah Fong’s time and one which was responsible for over 170 kgs of gold to be found in these diggings. One of the Chinese miners, Ah Fong, worked various claims from 1875 and part of the loop track hugs the pretty Livingstone Creek and offers a number of places to rest and perhaps have a picnic. The creeks and surrounding sediment still have pockets of gold, and as the world price has increased, commercial mining has again been investigated in the area.
Ah Fong’s was one of several who were mining claims in this area. Others included the Ah Fie and Corea claims. During the life of his claim, Ah Fong’s operations yielded about 6000 ounces of gold, (just over 170 kgs) worth today at more than $3 million. With some of the proceeds he opened a store in Omeo, eventually leaving his claim to his wife, Mary. Today, eucalyptus trees, banksias and many other native shrubs and wildflowers have returned to this once denuded place, attracting many varieties of birds and mammals. From late winter to early summer, look for the native orchids which grow prolifically in the area including Pink Fingers and Wax Lip and more common varieties of Spider, Sun and Donkey Orchids. In autumn, the flowering banksias and grevilleas attract a number of species of honeyeater and parrot. Any time of the year, Swamp Wallabies may also be seen. Work is currently being planned to improve the track from this area into Livingstone Park in the centre of Omeo and to include a cycle path. Spending time here you can almost imagine the bustling of the miners hoping to strike it rich. Now just before you leave on your return trip down Great Alpine Road, take a short diversion up towards Dinner Plain to the Mount Kosciuszko Lookout. Access is signposted on the right, on a fairly steep incline which opens into a magnificent viewing area over the high country and on to Mt Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest peak. There are interpretive signs including examples of “Bogong Moths” set into the wall of the lookout and the site is a designated “RV Free Camping” location. What a marvellous view to wake to in the morning.
Mt Kosciuszko Lookout
On your return journey take a scenic diversion to the right just out of Omeo township, along the signed “Wine and Gold Drive” through Cassillis, a small settlement that was once a thriving mining community. If time permits, and you are feeling energetic, many old gold mining relics can be seen by exploring on foot, the Cassilis Cemetery and the old gold mine are both of interest. The local winery Mt Markey is always worth a stop and where you can stock up on the fruits of the region, both alcoholic and not so. Mead is also available if not sold out, a tasty throw back to times past and the drink of the day. It is a very picturesque valley returning to meet the Great Alpine Road in Swifts Creek. You may not have found real gold on your exploration of this area of the High Country, but the experiences, tastes, sights and sounds will, like the goldfields, remain with you as a golden memory. Words + Photographs by John Munns Sources: Tourism Victoria. Parks Victoria: Visit Melbourne.com
Tambo River Crossing
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A nice Mitta River brown taken on a grasshopper pattern. And ain't she pretty?
CAST A LINE ANGLING IN THE HIGH COUNTRY WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY BY TREVOR STOW Victoria’s High Country, centred around the township of Omeo, offers some of the best trout fishing in the state. Most of the rivers in this area flow off the Victorian Alps from well-known mountains such as Mt Hotham and Victoria’s highest mountain, Mt Bogong. These are crystal clear mountain rivers that are fed by snow during the winter months and springs during summer. The rivers are largely wild rivers. Rivers that have not been tamed by man. All the rivers in this area contain predominately brown trout and a few rainbow trout. These are fine sporting fish and much prised by anglers. They range in size from palm size up to trophy size but the average bread and butter fish is around 300gms. Also present in the rivers is a remnant population of Macquarie Perch. These native fish were largely wiped out following the building of Lake Dartmouth back in the 1970’s. They are still taken on odd occasions, mainly by bait fishermen.
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Like most waters in Victoria, also present in these rivers is carp. They are often seen in the summer months when the water temperature increases. They are not too keen on the cold snow water. One of the beauties of these rivers is that they lend themselves to all types of fishing. Fly fishermen love the late spring onwards when the water flow drops and the temperature warms up. This is when the beetles and insects abound and later in summer and autumn when the hoppers are about in big numbers. Spin fishermen find miles of river to explore with their chosen lure. And of course, the bait fishermen are in their element, often fishing the big holes on the river. Some of these big deep pools such as the Black Duck Hole have become legendary for producing big trout caught on bait. Let’s have a look at some of these rivers:-
BUNDARRA RIVER This little river is a beauty. It flows into the Mitta River just a tad north of the Blue Duck Inn Hotel. The upper part of the river flows off the mountains in very inaccessible country and is of no interest to fishermen. Further downstream it enters a beautiful farming valley. It meanders through this valley for quite a distance before emptying into the Mitta River. The farmland has a good quality gravel road that follows the river and makes access very easy. Just park your car, fish upstream and walk back down the road - too easy! Fishing can be very good in this river particularly during spring, early summer and autumn.
MIDDLE CREEK Just south of the Glen Wills Bridge, the Omeo Highway crosses Middle Creek just where it joins the Mitta River. Fishing access is good upstream of the bridge for some distance. Middle Creek is just a small creek but it enjoys quite good fishing.
COBUNGRA RIVER This tributary comes off Mount Hotham and enters the Mitta River at the Blue Duck Inn Hotel. It mostly flows through open farmland, tussocks and some native bush. Access is not good through much of the river. From a practical point of view, the only 2 access points are at Blue Duck Inn Hotel and at Innisfail Station. At Blue Duck Inn there are reasonable fishing opportunities downstream of the hotel for a kilometre or so. The river then enters some very rough bush on its journey into the Mitta. Innisfail Station is privately owned and anybody fishing this area would need to contact the owner and ask for permission to enter the property. The river does offer some good fishing at times. It can be very good when the grasshoppers are around during the summer months so long as the flow is good and it is not too hot.
LIVINGSTONE CREEK This is another small creek. This little creek runs off the mountains, through the centre of Omeo and then spills into the Mitta River at Hinnomunjie. Below the township of Omeo the river is badly silted and, for the most part, not worth fishing. There are a few little sections in this area that do still hold trout but they are not numerous.
MITTA MITTA RIVER This river rises below Mt Bogong and flows into Lake Dartmouth, many kilometres from its source. It is easily the largest river in the area and it flows through native bush and vegetation before entering the cleared farmland around Hinnomunjie Station. The very upper reaches of the river are inaccessible apart from the odd 4 wheel drive track, until the river reaches the Omeo Highway near Glen Wills. It then flows in a southerly direction from quite a distance before turning west and entering an inaccessible gorge where it leaves the highway. The Omeo Highway runs parallel to the road until the gorge and there are numerous fine camp spots along the road and on the river. The river is very accessible in this area. Bush tracks lead to the river in many places although a few of them need a 4WD. If you do not have a 4WD and want to fish these tracks, you can usually walk down the track to the river as the river is not far from the road in most places. Once the river leaves the gorge, it runs through farmland at Hinnomunjie Station for quite a distance before returning to the bush for its final few kilometres before emptying into Lake Dartmouth.
In the town itself, the Swimming Hole often holds good numbers of trout and is certainly worth a look. A short drive out to Cassilis is often worthwhile and this is my favourite part of the river. Both upstream and downstream of the Cassilis Bridge is productive water with pretty good access. The fish are not big here. A 500g brown trout could be considered quite a trophy.
GIBBO RIVER This small to medium sized river is spring fed as it does not run off the snowfields. It is reached by taking the Benambra/Nariel Road and the river follows the road for about 10kms. There are heaps of great camping spots here. To fish the river you will need waders as you will need to fish upstream under a canopy of trees. Casting is not difficult but there are not a lot of spots that you can walk along the shore. It is not uncommon to stumble onto a Sambar deer in this area. The Gibbo River is one of the few rivers in this area where the rainbows outnumber the browns. It is often a very productive river. Due to the fact that it needs to be waded, I recommend that it not be fished too early in the season. It is best to let the water drop a little to make wading and fishing easier.
The Mitta River is not only the biggest river in the area but it is the most popular and possibly the most consistent fish producer.
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ANGLING in the HIGH COUNTRY MORASS CREEK This is a small, slow flowing creek that flows into the Gibbo River at Gibbo Park. It is very accessible along much of its length. It is best suited to bait fishing as it always flows a dirty yellow colour (even in summer) which does not lend itself to fly or lure fishing. This creek contains some of the biggest fish in the High Country but local knowledge of where and how to fish it is a huge advantage. It is a favourite water for the Benambra Angling Club. The creek can completely dry up during periods of drought.
VICTORIA RIVER This is another small river that flows into the Cobungra River. It is crossed when you drive from Omeo to Mt Hotham and can be fished both upstream and downstream of the highway. Driving downstream to just above the Victoria River Falls and fishing upstream is a very good option. The Victoria River is quite a productive river that holds mainly smallish brown trout.
FREE CAMPING AREAS There are many great camping areas on the abovementioned rivers. The following is a brief starting point for the fisherman.
An angler fly fishing the upper Mitta River during summer. It is a good time to concentrate on fishing the ripples and the edges. There are good toilets and BBQ’s available and it is a short walk into the town. The famous Golden Age Hotel is at the end of the street and offers a great meal and a frothy.
GIBBO RIVER Situated along the 10 km section of river that runs alongside the Benambra/Nariel Road there are lots of bush camping areas. The tracks into them are easily seen from the road. These are attractive camping areas but you need to be self-contained.
VICTORIA RIVER Take the Victoria River Road towards the Victoria River Falls and you will see a brilliant camping area on your right hand side. Again it is a grassy area with trees scattered around. A bush toilet is available and BBQ’s are scattered around. All the above mentioned camping areas have a few things in common:✓ They are free ✓ They are all situated on a river ✓ You can light a fire (except obviously during a fire ban period) Omeo is about a 5 hour drive from Melbourne. It is a small country town that has all the usual facilities including 2 hotels, a supermarket and several cafes and takeaways. Accommodation in Omeo includes hotels, a Caravan Park and numerous B&B’s.
MITTA RIVER (above Blue Duck Inn Hotel) Great camping is available at The Joker and at the Glen Wills Bridge. Both these camps are grassy areas interspersed with trees and a little light scrub. They both have a bush toilet and fire places.
MITTA RIVER (HINNOMUNJIE) There is a great grassy camp spot situated right on the river immediately downstream of the Hinnomunjie Bridge. There are no toilets but campers often light their own fires.
COBUNGRA RIVER The riverbank immediately downstream of the Cobungra Bridge on the Omeo Highway is a beauty. It is grassy, has a bush toilet and some fire places. It is a short walk to the Blue Duck Inn Hotel. On the other side of the river, about 1km downstream of the Hotel is the old CRB camp site. Again, a very good camp site but no facilities.
LIVINGSTONE CREEK (Omeo) Situated in the middle of Omeo is the swimming pool hole. The Council have made the area into a very nice picnic and camping area. Short term, overnight camping is permitted. A bit over 1 pound. Nice!
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High Country LIVE MUSIC ON THE BALCONY AT BEECHWORTH BAKERY Date Sunday 29 September 2019 & each Sunday through to May 2020 Time 11.00am to 4.00pm Location 27 Camp Street, Beechworth Contact 1300 233 784 www.beechworthbakery.com.au Beechworth Bakery is supporting local musicians by featuring live music, great coffee, and your favourite treat on the balcony overlooking the heart of Beechworth – it is the ideal way to spend a relaxed Sunday. Come to Beechworth Bakery, grab a drink and a bite to eat, then kick back and enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon of live music.
DINNER PLAIN SLED DOG CHALLENGE Date Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 August 2019 Time 9am-1pm Location DP Hut Contact 0412 327 997 altitude5k@yahoo.com.au The Annual Dinner Plain Sled Dog Challenge event showcases the top dogs of sled dog racing in Australia and is unique in being the first Australian snow-based race of its kind. More than 80 mushers (dog team drivers) and in excess of 350 sled dogs are expected to compete at this year's event. The race is held over two days. This year spectators will see two, three, four and six-dog teams supplemented by the exhilarating eight-dog team class.
BRIGHT RUNNING FESTIVAL Date Saturday 31 August and Sunday 1 September 2019 Location Bright Brewery 121 Great Alpine Road, Bright Contact 0415 732 776 Combine your ski holiday at Falls Creek or Mt Hotham with a running event. Distances from one kilometre (five years to 14 years), 5k, 10k, 25k, 50k and the UltraX 100km.
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RAMBLE TAMBLE AUSTRALIAN CREEDENCE SHOW IN CONCERT Date Saturday 7 September 2019 Time 8.00pm to 22.30pm Location Public Hall, 36 High Street, Yackandandah Contact 0438 633 887 rambletamble.giz@gmail.com
NED KELLY WALKING TOUR & ECHOES OF HISTORY WALKING TOUR Date Monday 14 October through to Sunday 20 October 2019 Time Tours leave at 10.15am and 1.15pm from Beechworth Visitor Information Centre Location 103 Ford Street, Beechworth Contact 5628 8064 www.walkinghighcountry.com.au for more information and Beechworth Heritage Passes Learn the story of the Gold Rushes of the 1850s in Beechworth - once the richest alluvial goldfields in Victoria on the Echoes of History Walking Tour. Take a journey through the Beechworth Historic Precinct during the time of Bushranger, Ned Kelly on the Ned Kelly Walking Tour.
Ramble Tamble are as close as you will ever get to seeing and hearing the real thing, live on stage. Hit songs of Creedence Clearwater Revival like 'Proud Mary', 'Down on the Corner,' 'Who’ll Stop the Rain' and 'Green River'.
LANDCARE GORGE WALK Date Saturday 19 October 2019 Time 10.30am to 1.00pm Location Wellsford Street, Yackandandah Contact 5728 8000 www.walkhighcountry.com.au
BEECHWORTH’S HIDDEN WINERIES TOURING TRAIL Date Second Saturday and Sunday of the months September 2019 through to June 2020 Time 11.00am to 4.00pm Location 59 Havelock Road, Beechworth Contact 5728 2858 info@haldonestatewines.com.au
Join local Yackandandah Creek Landcare members for a return walk to the Yackandandah Gorge where you will learn about local flora and fauna, see the revegetation work achieved by Landcare, check out some nestbox inhabitants (with a bit of luck) and learn a little about the history of the area. All ages, please wear appropriate shoes and bring a water bottle. Donations can be made to Landcare on the day, with the opportunity to join.
On the second Saturday and Sunday of the months September through June this select group of wineries throw open their cellars (sheds, barrel halls, gardens and vineyards) for you to visit between 11:00am and 4:00pm. There are cosy fires in winter and exceptional views in summer. Haldon Estate, Baarmutha, Indigo Vineyard and Weathercraft have picnic facilities where you can enjoy the grounds. Serengale Vineyard's cellar door is set within their winery and Bowman's Run and Star Lane lie in the sleepy hamlet of Wooragee. Amulet has lunches from noon to 3:30pm whilst Indigo Vineyard does cheese and charcuterie platters.
CARYLE CEMETERY WALK Date Sunday 20 October 2019 Time 11.00am to 12.30pm Location Distillery Road, Wahgunyah Contact 1800 622 871 www.walkhighcountry.com.au The tour will take in the graves of some of our local artists, ANZACs and the 17 Chinese footstones that remain. You will visit the graves of Tommy McCrae and Percy Fullerton and see where the first grave was dug in the cemetery.
Events
WALK TO THE SOURCE Date Sunday 20 October 2019 Time 11.00am to 1.00pm Location 29 Last Street, Beechworth Contact 57281304 info@billsons.com.au Start your day with a coffee in the Billson's café, where owners Nathan and Felicity will begin your guided tour, Walk to the Source. Since purchasing Billson’s in 2017, they have been working to fulfil original owner George Billson's vision. Once you have become acquainted with the well take a walk to the gorge where you will see the reason George Billson came to Beechworth in the first place, gold. You like him however may decide to stay for the water as you taste a signature Billson's mocktail. Upon your return to Billson's choose between a tasting paddle of their original beers or their signature cordial range. On your way out select a bottle of their original cordial range to take home or if you are ready for lunch the cafe is open until 2:00pm.
THERE ARE SO MANY WONDERFUL NATURE BASED EXPERIENCES IN THE HIGH COUNTRY
BRIGHT SPRING FESTIVAL Date Saturday 26 October through to Tuesday 5 November 2019 Location Bright and surrounds, Ireland Street, Bright Contact brightspringfestival@gmail.com and Facebook Visit Mount Buffalo National Park for the amazing views and take in the spectacular wild flowers along the Bogong High Plains Road. Catch one of the exciting Spring festival food and wine events, enjoy the monthly Make It, Bake It, Grow It market by the river or Rotary’s Monster Street Market and of course have fun at the Grand Spectacular Fireworks and concert. Savour the tastes of our diverse restaurants, cafes, bars, coffee shops, bakeries, specialty shops, breweries, wineries and the chocolate factory. Check www.brightspringfestival.com.au for a full program of events.
DINNER PLAIN MILE HIGH TRAIL RUN Distance 1 – 5 – 10 – 21 – 32 km Runs Date Sunday 17 November 2019 Time First Check in: 7.45am Location Dinner Plain Community Hall opposite Village Square Car Park, Great Alpine Road Contact Paul Ashton 0418 136 070 for more information
REFERENCES indigoshire.vic.gov.au alpineshire.vic.gov.au visitdinnerplain.com.au
BRIGHT OKTOBERFEST Date Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 November 2019 Location Centenary Park, Corner Gavan St and Mountbatten Avenue, Bright Contact 5755 1833 www.brightoktoberfest.com Bright Oktoberfest is a celebration in the style of a traditional German Oktoberfest. It is a free entry event with live music alongside traditional food and drinks held in beautiful Bright over the Melbourne Cup long weekend for two days of drinking, dancing, eating, live music and lots of fun.
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KIEWA VALLEY SNOWSPORTS The newly refurbished Kiewa Valley Snowsports would be equally at home amongst Japan’s most popular alpine peaks as it is in the small town of Tawonga South. The world-class pro shop houses some of the globe’s leading brands including Volkl, Black Crows, DPS, Rossignol, Nitro and Bataleon to name a few and they’re not just reserved for experienced skiers and boarders. Perfectly positioned in Mt Beauty and just a stone’s throw away from beautiful Falls Creek, Kiewa Valley Snowsports is more than just a place to hire and buy high-quality gear. It’s a knowledgeable outpost where accomplished skiers and snowboarders can draw on more than half a century of combined experience. Four years ago Simon and Wendy Rawlings took over the store and commenced renovations expanding the store to accommodate their full selection of exceptionally maintained rental and pro retail range of skis and snowboards. Simon and Wendy’s connection to north east Victoria runs deep, and despite having worked all over Australia and Internationally, the family has always been drawn to the area. “I’ve always been involved in snow sports since I was a kid. I learnt to ski when I was about threeyears-old at Mt Buffalo with my dad,” Simon explains. Originally from South Australia, the couple, who have two children, used to live every snow sport lover’s dream – an endless winter. “We started in Falls Creek as hoteliers. We used to own Summit Ridge and we also had a business in Hakuba, Japan - we were doing back to back winters perusing our passion for winter sports. “I always really wanted to have a ski shop. I love the sport and all aspects of winter sport, and we have a long history with it. I was a ski instructor years ago, and always had a dream to do it and now we are.”
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high country lifestyle
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What Simon and Wendy have created is a hub for snow sport enthusiasts, where day-trippers and experienced skiers and boarders alike flock to hire and buy the best gear available whilst drawing on the team’s vast knowledge acquired after a life time in the snow industry. Every customer is individually consulted to make sure their equipment is perfectly suited to them, from skis and snowboards to outerwear and accessories, if you’re heading to the white stuff, it’s a one-stop-shop. “The quality of the product is what’s really important to us, we pride ourselves on having expertly maintained gear that we rent out. We’ve got separate tiers within the rental fleet so that you’ve got basic comfortable rental equipment for beginners, then you’ve got a performance rental range and then we have the Demo rental range. The basic rental range is still brand new gear but very approachable, user friendly, and ensures a great day on snow for all. “We have many types of boots in our range to cope with different shaped feet, it’s not just a one boot fits all program here, we have eight different boot variations, meaning different widths and shapes are stocked to fit any foot. All our skis are modern shaped skis and they’ve got rocker in them which makes initiating turns really easy. Same with snowboards, we’ve got all new boots, new bindings, and new boards in all the shapes and sizes to suit our customer’s needs.” All of our gear, from the beginner range to the professional demo equipment is designed and maintained to ensure a great experience on snow for all. Every member of the Kiewa Valley Snowsports’ team has completed an accredited SIA (Snowsports Industry Australia) intensive course focusing on fitting gear and clothing to ensure nothing is missed and customers get what they need. The shop is also a haven for experienced skiers wanting to test out the best gear.
“A Demo ski or snowboard is the latest and greatest, its next year’s model, so it’s a 2020 model and it’s a retail product, and they normally range from $1100 or up to $1800 and you can rent that from us. And if you like it, you can buy it.” We retail skis and boards in here and we rent skis and boards also. We rent clothing, we sell clothing. We rent snowboards, we sell snowboards. We rent chains for your car, we rent everything you need for skiing or snowboarding and we also sell resort entry passes, you can get your car parking pass from here, you can literally get in your car, drive up there and you’ve got everything you would need from the one place.” Simon still has his finger on the pulse of the global snow sport industry, and draws on what’s happening around the world to keep Kiewa Valley Snowsports at the cutting edge. “We get a completely different view of the ski industry than just living here. I see what’s going on globally with skiing, because of Hakuba’s huge international market. I grew up in the US, in White Fish Montana so I’ve been exposed to skiing globally. This whole shop is built on what’s going on now around the world. Your typical ski shop does not look like this. Our ethos on this is simple, people now are a lot more savvy, they don’t want to feel like they’re out on some broken down thing with big numbers etched all over it. They want to feel like they belong and that nobody would be able to tell if it’s their own gear or rental gear. The store also boasts a state-of-the-art full Montana workshop with a Montana Crystal Glide wide-stone grinder, Montana Crystal Edge robot and a Montana Infrared Waxer giving a perfect finish to skis and snowboards and maintaining their peak condition. For the Rawlings family, it isn’t just snow sport that’s in their blood, it’s the high country and they wouldn’t be anywhere else.
a one-stop-shop for cutting edge snow gear WORDS ANITA BUTTERWORTH
“I live here. This is my home. Mt Beauty is where I live, I’ve been here well over half my life, we take great pride in what we do and enjoy being a part of the local community and delivering a premium experience to our customers.” Photographs supplied by Kiewa Valley Snowsports
Kiewa Valley Snowsports Ph: [03] 5754 4000 Open 7am to 7pm - 7 days a week during ski season 239-241 Kiewa Valley Highway Tawonga South, Vic 3698 www.kiewavalleysnowsports.com.au
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