Weekly news: June 2015

29 June 2015

What's on at the Forge in July

With A Song In My Heart

Get rid of those winter blues and come and enjoy wonderful music, a laugh, and some time out with friends.

Sunday, 19 July 19 @ 2pm

Uniting Church Bairnsdale

Gippsland Opera proudly present this concert which is out of the box.

We have secured Robert Barbaro tenor, with a singing career that includes winning the prestigious Opera Society Vocal Scholarship through the Dame Nellie Melba Opera Trust.

Robert, as well as singing with Opera Australia in Madame Butterfly and AIDA, is also a performer with the internationally acclaimed The Ten Tenors. He recently returned from a North America tour with The Ten Tenors and is looking forward to future engagements with the group, including an upcoming European Tour. Robert has performed in numerous operatic roles throughout Australia, his highlight was his moving portrayal of idol Mario Lanza in the national tour of Mario Lanza- The Loveliest Night of the Year. We will be asking him to sing a couple of Mario Lanza songs for this particular concert.

Soprano Madeline Crombie currently with Opera Scholars of Australia, and another Opera Scholar who has gone from strength to strength an amazing Baritone Darcy Carroll.

Then the wonderful harmony of La Viva Voca under the baton of that talented and passionate, Elaine Griffiths. This choir brought the full house to their feet for a standing ovation, at the recent East Gippsland Annual Choral Festival when they performed Henry Purcell's Sound the Trumpet.

Sue Goessling is our accompanist for this concert, Sue plays for Opera Australia and Vic Opera singers and is well renowned and regarded. Bruce Ardley that mastreo of the organ will be playing for you as come in, and during interval. Bruce is playing organ at the Malvern Town Hall in October, however he is generously playing for Gippsland Opera audience, setting the ambiance for the day.

Tickets are on sale from our ticket outlet Collins Booksellers and ABC shop Bairnsdale

Or reserve your seat with Andrea Ford 0409771526 or email akford@tpg.com.au

Tickets $25 which includes a delicious afternoon tea, which Red Cross are providing and serving and free program.

Calendar photo competition

Kay Mooney reports...

Coastcare Pharmacy have entry forms out for the 2016 Calendar Photo Competition.

Entries close 31 July. They must be on a disc as well as a photo.

They must be of the local area, of anything you like, but they are encouraging photos that include the Paynesville Community - it would be nice to have some RI pictures wouldn't it.

Postcard from Houtrib

Islanders on leave - Houtrib 2015

We arrived at the boat in the shed at Heerenveen in the second week of May, reducing travel fatigue by stopping over in Hong Kong and Amsterdam on the way. Sheds are important in Holland for working on boats – they are heated (to 15 deg) and they are dry. This late spring the weather was both wet and cold – it would have been impossible to work outside and paint would never dry.

A second reason for the shed is the requirement to contain waste, such as paint scrapings and sanding dust . We heard of one case where a local was fined 1200 euros for allowing the paint scrapings from his topsides to fall into the canal where his boat was moored. Advice we received was that it is most unwise to use a power sander or angle grinder in the open. So, maintenance provides a few more challenges than at home.

We were made most welcome by the other folk at the boat club – an orchid which we had left on the tea room table when we left last year had just begun flowering again and everyone was delighted. A Dutch custom is to have a growing plant on the saloon table of the boat and we buy the boat an orchid each year. We also have planter boxes of herbs and even tomatoes on the deck of our little boat.

This year's plan was to repaint the coach and deck houses, about 10 sq m, with a number of windows to work around. Our first three days were spent getting no where. The low speed heavy duty sander I had brought from home made only very slow progress at grinding off the crazed old twopack paint work, but it did reveal the reason for the crazing -a layer of soft one pack enamel three coats below the surface. We scaled back the scope of work to just the horizontal surfaces and brought in heavy artillery – a belt sander from the local equivalent of Bunnings and an angle grinder with a sanding disk. We were very fortunate that our local friend, Ken , pitched in and helped us remove the paint down to the primer.

Once again, we were well looked after by the boat club. The haven master and his son run a small fleet of small hire boats and we had rented one for static accommodation while we worked on Houtrib (saved a lot of travel time and we could cook for ourselves). He also helped by providing two pack epoxy undercoat from his hireboat supplies – we hadn't expected to need it and things like this can be hard to find in a hurry if you are not a local. So we put on three coats, followed by two coats of the polyurethane two pack we had bought for the job last year. The finish was not perfect, a bit orangepeely (we were short on time in the shed for sanding the undercoat) but it is strong and tough. We can always buff it up next year. A few scrapes on the hull were also painted, and the underwater area was given patches and a promise.

In all this time, and in the week which followed, there was only one good day of sunshine, and it rained two days in three.We then spent a couple of days on a jetty at the club, recovering and cleaning. The dust was everywhere through the boat and after every sweep through, there would be another layer settled the next day. Terry came close to despair, but we persisted.

Our next appointment was at Grou, half a day's cruising away, through a few bridges to get us back in practice. Houtrib was to have a new cockpit tent fitted. In the Dutch climate, the tent is vital, and the old tent had weeps, opaque windows and faulty zippers. It was at least 15 years old and the Dutch reckon on a good quality tent lasting 10 years. Our new tent was to be made by the the same firm as had made the present one and we had to book the previous year to have it done -Dijkstra's tents are known for their quality. We tied up on their jetty and the template was made in situ on the existing frame, taped together out of heavy polythene and carefully marked for fastenings. Rain interrupted the process and we had to move into a shed – most clubs in Holland have water sheds where the pontoons are under cover.

While this was in progress, Dijkstra's sailmakers were repairing the old tent so we cold continue to use it while we waited three to four weeks for the new one. The old tent will continue to play a role as the winter tent we leave on the boat when we return to Australia (covered by a tarpaulin as well).

We then moved to the passantahaven (equivalent of a caravan park for boats) at Grou for a few wet days. Fortunately, the new toilets, showers (and washing machines) had just been opened (the old ones were dreadful) and we were as comfortable as we could be. Grou is an old fishing port with lots of history in the buildings and the boats. The Princess Margrait Kanaal, which carries barges up to 3000 tonne NE and SW through North Holland, runs right by the marina and it was wonderful to watch the variety of traffic passing our door. Each evening, a fleet of about twenty 7m open sharpies (with 40% ballast) sailed from the neighboring jetty to race the other side of the canal on the meer (lake). They are beautiful hard chine Valk (Falcon) dinghies, designed just after the war by van der Stadt, carrying an elegant gaff rig and sailed all through Friesland.

Terry relaxing in her 'garden' with orchid and herbarium on the deck outside.

Because of the weather, we were virtually alone in the marina, and it was a good opportunity to slow down after the intensive ten days in the shed at Heerenveen. We had an adjustment to be made to the VHF so we moved onto Sneek, where the electronic expert informed us that what we wanted done was illegal. Europe has a system called ATIS where every VHF transmission is identified and all VHF units must be so equipped. Catch 22 is that Australia knows nothing about it and Houtrib is Australian registered. A simple solution used by non EU boats passing through is to use the MMSI with a 9 prefix. But Holland apparently insists that any boat kept within the country must have a Dutch ATIS number. We are waiting further advice from the local regulator and we are told it may take a while to get an answer.

We have come back to the same boat club marina in Sneek a few times over the years. Frank, the havenmaster is very good to us and now hoists the Australian flag when we float in. The moorings are on grassy banks and the whole operation, a half kilometre or so outside the town centre is low key and comfortable. The weather on the way here was bad, and we had water sloshing over the windscreen on our way across the Sneekermeer. The car type GPS, which we use as a speedometer, was invaluable in picking the canal entry on the far side of the meer. The bad weather persisted for the last four days through to today, when the sun has at last come out. Perhaps summer is finally here.

The time here has been spent wandering the historic port, talking to fellow travellers and catching up on detail -the mast is being varnished and the horn has been refitted.

Tomorrow we head for Bolsward, where there are more grassy banks on which we might enjoy the sunshine. Then on to Harlingen, a wonderful fishing port on the Waddensee, full of old sailing barges

and not many people (because of the weather. Last night we had the best fish dinner ever at a restaurant here. Terry had sea bass and I had turbot (looks like flounder). Perfectly cooked with great care and attention to detail - a wonderful night out. Tomorrow, we catch the ferry to Vrieland, one of the Fresian islands. A 1.5 hour trip and we have arranged to hire bikes for the day on the island. Forecast is good, so we look forward to a great day. We are still waiting for our new tent so are taking our time exploring the local towns before we head south.

Trust all goes well for you.
Andrew and Terry

Cafe culture: save the date

....Enjoy the wonderful rhythms of East meets West at the next Cafe Culture show ....

Online bookings and further information at TryBooking

Weather watcher wanted for July

Our wonderful weather reporter is taking some well-deserved leave and will be away from late July through to September.

Is anyone interested in keeping passing a weekly island rain total on Friday nights each week from 24 July until 11 September?

Contact me at Raymond Island Net if you're interested!

Fingers crossed,
Jane Ponting
Webmaster

Hunt for island artist

I've received an email from a Raymond Island visitor who is trying to locate an artist from the Island...

"I am hoping that you can help me. There is/was an artist living on Raymond Island who I purchased some clay bats as well as a clay/ceramic mask from many years ago and I want to track him down.

He originally lived in South Australia and moved to Raymond Island as he attended the markets in and around Melbourne and sold his clay works. He also attended some Sydney art/craft festivals.

I have purchased many pieces from him, but in moving some have been broken and I want to replace them. I do not know his name, but his work is unique. His bats showed bats in different aspects of flight and about 14cm in size and his masks had horse hair around them for effect."

If you can help, please email: Raymond Island Net and I'll pass on your news to our visitor.

Cheers,

Jane Ponting

Webmaster

22 June 2015

Recycling

Kay Mooney reports on some unusual recycling options...

The Bairnsdale Lions Club is collecting used Australian and overseas stamps, and unwanted collections. the stamps should have around 1.5 cm of paper around stamps, please don't soak off the envelope. They will sell the stamps and use the funds raised to purchase walking aides for children with disabilities. Stamps can be left with the people at the Bairnsdale Trophy Centre in Bailey St.

There is an artist collecting tea bag tags and strings for an artwork in progress. They can be dropped off at the Community Centre next to the Library. Amazing what you can find a use for, as any Primary School teacher knows.

Also, did you know that you can recycle your old toothbrushes, empty toothpaste tubes, and dental floss cartridges? The dental practice in Paynesville (the lovely Sue and David) are part of an organization that will collect and recycle them!

Postcard from Spain

We have completed our tour of the Canal du Midi and enjoyed many French villages and their environments. We were glad to finish. It was hard work. There is something special about the French countryside that I would like to further explore.

We flew to Barcelona and our crew went their own way. We visited the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona. We spent hours being absolutely awe struck at the amazing architecture both external and internal. The effect of the height and light inside was amazing. It is difficult not to believe in God after that. It is also difficult to do it justice by photo (attached) as you need to see it in the whole. Its architect Gaudi was indeed a genius. The engineering was revolutionary at the time. The aesthetics are inspirational.

Now we are touring Spain and I am terrifying Lorraine with my driving on the “wrong” side of the road. My Tom Tom GPS is now our best friend as we assiduously follow its instructions along the Cote de Sol in southern Spain.

We are resting at Marbella, a popular town for many English tourists and expats who are driving up the real estate prices. The water front of bars and restaurants is full of attempted glitz and glamour, young males full of piss and wind and minimally dressed females dodging families and retired couples. A sort of English Surfers Paradise with no surf. Moored yachts strain with the wind to explore the Mediterranean while would be sailors eat and drink.

There are of course the thieves. I have never been assaulted in a public place so I was amazed when for no apparent reason a young man punched me hard on the shoulder. Lorraine screamed at him and he ran away. It seems he aimed for my face and missed as I had unconsciously veered away with my camera. It left me shaken and sore and a lot more cautious.

From here we will make our way to Seville visiting various towns on the way. We’ll make another sojourn to the UK at Gibraltar on the way.

We watch the BBC news and noted that Australia has become infamous. There were two headlines in one bulletin, 'Australians stressed and fat' and 'Australia pays people smugglers'. It was embarrassing to hear the PM’s response to the latter.

Lou Hill and Lorraine Slater

Maritime incidents book launch

Auditions for Play On!

'Play On! auditions for Bairnsdale Production Line's October production are being held on Thursday 25 June from 6:30pm at the company shed!

There will be no Information Evening held for the play so email us (bairnsdaleproductionline@gmail.com) asap to receive a copy of the information booklet and to book an audition.

Kind regards,
Skye Smith.
(BPLTC Secretary)

8 June 2015

June at the Forge

Choirs and bollards

Kay Mooney reports on action around town...

The East Gippsland Choral Festival took place last Sunday and what a great afternoon’s entertainment it was. Nine choirs from all around the area came together to present a varied and enjoyable program of choral singing. Each choir was unique in style and program. Midway in the program there was a very moving rendering of 'Pennyweight Hill' by a massed choir formed from members among choirs present. This song is a fathers lament for the death of his young daughter on the Castlemaine gold fields. It would move a stone to tears. I must mention too two ladies, playing harps, who greeted patrons with music as they arrived. I was very proud to take part in this wonderful afternoon, which included, for a gold coin donation, a sumptuous afternoon tea.

Work has begun on replacing the buffers Paynesville side, as I am sure most people already know.

PMM member awarded AO

The folk at Paynesville Maritime Museum are celebrating the news that PMM President and Treasurer Christine Svenson and her husband Kevin have been awarded the Order of Australia in this year's Queen's Birthday honours.

Many locals will be aware of the efforts put in by Chris and Kevin to establish the Payensville Men's Shed, now a booming enterprise, and more recently working with fellow spirits to rejuvenate the moribund Paynesville RSL.

Within PMM, Chris has been a respected voice keeping a firm hand on finances and developing into a dedicated researcher.

Congratulations to Chris and Kevin - well done!