Melbourne meetup.......

[Cjay]

The weather forecast for Sunday currently reads (in part):

Melbourne area

Cloudy. Areas of rain, easing to isolated showers by the afternoon clearing later in the evening. The chance of thunderstorms early in the morning.

It's not looking like a good day for a meeting / picnic / BBQ at Badger Creek. I have to make a decision before it's too late to get the word out to everyone. The decision is:

Meeting at Badger Creek cancelled due to forecast rain.
Plan B is for the meeting to be held at my home in Mornington.

Most of you have already been to my home but a few who have expressed an interest in joining us this weekend do not yet have my address.

Please send me a PM if you would like to come and need to know my home address and directions.

I will attempt to contact everyone who has previously attended one of our meetings or who has expressed an interest in joining us for the first time.


After discussions with a few Avalonians from the Melbourne area, I have the following suggestions regarding future meetings (suggestions from others are always welcome):

• I would like to make the dates of our meetings more predictable so I propose that we hold meetings at 12:00pm (mid-day) on the third Sunday of each month. However, we have had one meeting on a Saturday evening and that was a great success. If anyone wants to volunteer to host a meeting at their home, that person should be able to choose the day and time.
• I have no desire to monopolise the organisation of these meetings, nor do I want to hold all meetings in the east of Melbourne. We have members who live in the western suburbs of Melbourne and Ballarat.
• I propose that our first meeting for next year be held on 15-January-2012 at Badger Creek. As stated in a previous post, Badger Creek is a very special place so I think we should try again to hold a meeting there. Normally, the weather is warmer and dryer in January.
• I propose that we hold the February meeting on Sunday 19-Feb-2012 at Hanging Rock - another very special place (see video below).
• One Avalon member who lives at Phillip Island suggested we hold a future meeting there. I propose that our third meeting next year will be on Sunday 18-Mar-2012 at Phillip Island (precise location yet to be decided).

Information video on Hanging Rock, Australia.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=JVRsDG43ssk

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=JVRsDG43ssk

[Cjay]

The 5th meeting of Project Avalon members, friends and families starts in 24 hours.

RSVP here or by private message. Thanks

[Cjay]

Just a quick thank you to those who attended out meeting on Sunday 11-Dec-2011. It was a small group and we had some very interesting discussions. Seven people contacted me personally to apologise for not being able to attend.

Please put these dates in your diary for meetings in 2012 - on the 3rd Sunday of each month, starting at 12:00pm (midday):

• 15-Jan-2012 at Badger Creek
• 19-Feb-2012 at Hanging Rock
• 18-Mar-2012 at Phillip Island

It would be great if those who want to attend could commit early and RSVP here (in this thread), rather than calling / texting / emailing me at the last minute to cancel or simply not turning up.

[Cjay]

Only five days to go until the next meeting of Melbourne Avalonians,
12:00 noon, Sunday 15-Jan-2012 at Badger Creek, Healesville.
Please read previous posts for more info.

All Avalonians are welcome. Your families and friends are welcome too.

BYO food and drinks for a picnic lunch / barbecue

The current weather forecast for Sunday is mostly sunny, max temp 28°C - in other words, a beautiful warm day BUT there is a cyclone now, near the north-west coast of Western Australia and that is already driving a lot of moisture down the west coast and into the desert, so anything could happen this weekend. You know how it is here - if you don't like the weather in Melbourne, wait five minutes.

If rain is likely on Sunday, the backup plan is to hold the meeting at my home - many of you already know where that is. If you don't know, ask me in a private message.
I will make a final decision regarding the venue on Friday night and post details here.

Looking forward to meeting you all again and hopefully meeting some new people this time.

Cjay.

[StateOfTheHeart]

Hi Cjay,

I leave for Tasmania tomorrow (later today..) so I won't be around on Sunday. I hope all the effort you go to with keeping these meetings going isn't in vain...

[Cjay]

Sorry for delaying the decision on the Badger Creek meeting. Here's why.

Tropical Cyclone Heidi (now downgraded as it moves inland) continues to move south-east with strong winds and a lot of rain. Right now the weather forecast for the Melbourne area looks ok for Sudnay but the forecast is deteriorating and could get worse. I believe there is a risk we could get wet on Sunday which could spoil the meeting at Badger Creek. There is limited shelter at Badger Creek and it would be a shame if we had to take refuge in our cars - worse if we had to abandon the meeting.

I will review the forecast Saturday morning then post an update here and do my best to contact everyone.

[Cjay]

The 5th meeting of Melbourne Avalonians

will commence at 12:00 noon
on Sunday, 15-January-2011

at Badger Weir Reserve (picnic area)
Badger Creek, Healesville

Please aim to be there around 12:00 noon
If you are slack and turn up an hour late,
you lose an hour of valuable meeting time.

BYO picnic lunch and drinks

The fickle weather looks like it might be kind to us this time
but you never know, so bring a shower-proof jacket

Click map to enlarge


Directions:

From Melbourne, take Maroondah Highway to Healesville.
Follow the signs to Healesville Sanctuary.
Go past Healesville Sanctuary on Badger Creek Road (or Don Road - they cross),
then Badger Creek Road becomes Badger Weir Road.
Go all the way to the end of Badger Weir Road.

There is plenty of car parking at the picnic area
on the edge of the beautiful rainforest.

Look for the people with tin hats. Hopefully, you will recognise someone.
If all else fails, call me. Most of you have my phone number.
If you don't have my phone number and think you might need it,
ASK ME for my phone number in a Private Message.

[TelosianEmbrace]

Looks like a pleasant day out. If you want to share what you think is in store for us in 2012 and beyond, wish to share alternate visions of reality, or simply feel in touch with Mother Earth, then why not come along?

[TelosianEmbrace]

Just got back from a great day out with Peter and Chris. The sun was shining, the children were frolicking and the stream was making a very pleasant stream gurgling noise. The most surprising event of the day was when an obviously adept kookaburra swooped from a low branch on a diagonal between Chris and I and absconded with half his sausage, straight from his upraised hands! It came so close with its passing that one of its feathers was stuck on the top of the tomato sauce bottle.

Very unfortunate that John's vehicle, after all the time in the repair shop, should break down on the way up. Still, as he said, it was a good place for it to happen, so near to home.

I think John's already got the next meetup lined up- 19th Feb. at Hanging Rock. Certainly an auspicious place! Thanks to all concerned, and I hope to see you all at the next meetup!

[Cjay]

Guy, thanks for the kookaburra story. Did anyone take some photographs at Badger Creek? If so, I hope to see them here.

I'm really sorry I couldn't be there but I am glad you had a good day.

When my vehicle broke down, I was only 25 minutes into a 2 hour journey. Thankfully, it didn't break down at Healesville or it would have been a much longer and more expensive trip back on the tow-truck. I would much rather have been immersed in the serenity of Badger Creek than stranded for two hours on the grass in the middle of the freeway. I wish I had industrial earmuffs with me as the noise of the passing traffic was painfully loud. My day improved when I had a surprisingly interesting conversation with the tow-truck driver. The mechanic whose team rebuilt my engine was devastated by the news. Based on my description of what happened, he suspects the timing chain broke. If so, it could be rebuild #3 coming up. I hope it's not that serious.

It's disappointing that only three people turned up for the meeting, especially when so many people previously expressed an interest in having monthly meetings and specifically expressed an interest in meeting at Badger Creek. I wonder if it is just because this time of year is particularly busy. Whatever the reasons are, I would like some feedback from the people who did not make it to Badger Creek, either here in the forum or in private messages to me. It is not to judge or chastise - I just want to evaluate whether it is worth the effort to try to organise these meetings. Every previous meeting has been worthwhile and very interesting but I wonder if people are getting bored with our meetings. If commitment levels are so low, perhaps we should cut it back to 3 or 4 meetings per year.

Please share your thoughts, everyone.

[Cjay]

The next meeting for Avalonians and friends from the Melbourne area is scheduled for 12:00 noon, Sunday 19-Feb-2012 at Hanging Rock.

We understand that weekends might be difficult for some people so it has been suggested that regular, monthly, mid-week evening meetings could be held at the same location, in North Blackburn.

As always, you are invited to suggest alternative dates and venues.

[TelosianEmbrace]

I'd enjoy the trip to Hanging Rock this time around. Though my Echo isn't a huge and powerful machine, it's great for economy and reliability (Touch wood), and I would be happy to pick up at most three others on the way through. This includes you, John, if you are worried about your vehicle. If there is anyone thinking of coming- if you could let us know and give someone who's going your phone number. It's good to go to these locations, but even better to actually meet up with the other Avalonions. i wonder how much it's changed, and how busy it will be. I know there's a kiosk/cafe at the bottom...

I would also be happy to pop along to Blackburn for the one after that, if all are in agreement and the poles don't shift before then.

EDIT POST: Something else has come up. I might not be able to make the 19th Feb. Will play it by ear.

[Cjay]

My car is off the road awaiting a replacement engine. I may not be able to make it on the 19th of Feb. I, too, will play it by ear.

[Cjay]

Starting on Tuesday 6th March 2012 at 7:30 pm,
there will be regular meetings in Blackburn North
on the first Tuesday of each month.

Dates for these meetings are:

Tuesday 6th March
Tuesday 3rd April
Tuesday 1st May
Tuesday 5th June
Tuesday 3rd July
Tuesday 7th August
Tuesday 4th Sept
Tuesday 2nd Oct
Tuesday 6th Nov
Tuesday 4th Dec

All meetings at 7:30 pm

Everyone is welcome.

BYO drinks and snacks

Please send me a private message for the address.

[Cjay]

Santos Bonacci will be special guest speaker
at the next Melbourne Avalon meeting
on Tuesday 6-March-2012 at 7:00 pm.

Please note: the previously announced time of 7:30 pm has been changed to 7:00 pm

for details, see: https://projectavalon.net/forum4/show...g-6-March-2012