40 YEARS OF THE RANGES TRADER MAIL
This edition of the Ranges Trader Mail celebrates 40 years since the first edition hit the streets.
To mark the milestone we revisited a number of stories that were published in the first ever paper.
To me, this 40 year anniversary edition is my magnum opus. I alone put this edition together and dedicated all my time to tracking down individuals featured in the very first edition of the paper, and then retelling their stories 40 years on.
You can read the full edition here.
In addition to revisiting original stories, we also asked 40 of our readers and contributors ‘What does the Ranges Trader Mail mean to you?’ to mark the paper’s 40th anniversary.
The responses provide a great snapshot of the diverse range of community connections the Mail team has forged over the years and for me personally it was lovely to be included in a number of the response.
To read these responses click here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
To mark the milestone we revisited a number of stories that were published in the first ever paper.
To me, this 40 year anniversary edition is my magnum opus. I alone put this edition together and dedicated all my time to tracking down individuals featured in the very first edition of the paper, and then retelling their stories 40 years on.
You can read the full edition here.
In addition to revisiting original stories, we also asked 40 of our readers and contributors ‘What does the Ranges Trader Mail mean to you?’ to mark the paper’s 40th anniversary.
The responses provide a great snapshot of the diverse range of community connections the Mail team has forged over the years and for me personally it was lovely to be included in a number of the response.
To read these responses click here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
ONE MAN SHOW CONTINUES TO GROW - 40TH ANNIVERSARY
In November 1979 Don Fitzgerald started a community newspaper.
The aptly called Emerald Trader came out every Thursday and was advertised as a community newspaper for “you who live in the communities bordering the Cardinia Dam”.
It was run by a staff of three and it was was eight pages. Advertising cost $2 a column, per centimetre, and journalists had to print and develop their own photos.
The paper covered Emerald and the surrounding townships of Clematis and Cockatoo.
It’s been 40 years since Fitzy – as he was known to the community – first decided to publish a print-only community newspaper.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
The aptly called Emerald Trader came out every Thursday and was advertised as a community newspaper for “you who live in the communities bordering the Cardinia Dam”.
It was run by a staff of three and it was was eight pages. Advertising cost $2 a column, per centimetre, and journalists had to print and develop their own photos.
The paper covered Emerald and the surrounding townships of Clematis and Cockatoo.
It’s been 40 years since Fitzy – as he was known to the community – first decided to publish a print-only community newspaper.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
-POETIC JUSTICE IN PHONE BOX RETURN - 40TH ANNIVERSARY
They hover by doorways in hospitals and retirement villages. They lurk on shady street corners, vacant and ignored. They gaze forlorn over coastal foreshores, reflecting the smeary glint of yesteryear. Unlike flavoured milk or AM radio, these cumbersome icons are not yet being mythologised.
It’s official, public telephone boxes are on the way out. The number of these coin-fed relics has more than halved in the past decade, and though some have been reassigned as Wi-Fi hotspots – meaning they now operate like a very low-budget Tardis – many have been forgotten. An out-dated technology in the slow lane, fading fast, soon to be out of sight.
It wasn’t always like this, and in fact in November 1979 Clematis had its phone box re-instated. The conduit for communication was removed due to widening works on Wellington Road.
Read the full story of how Clematis got its phone box back by clicking here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
It’s official, public telephone boxes are on the way out. The number of these coin-fed relics has more than halved in the past decade, and though some have been reassigned as Wi-Fi hotspots – meaning they now operate like a very low-budget Tardis – many have been forgotten. An out-dated technology in the slow lane, fading fast, soon to be out of sight.
It wasn’t always like this, and in fact in November 1979 Clematis had its phone box re-instated. The conduit for communication was removed due to widening works on Wellington Road.
Read the full story of how Clematis got its phone box back by clicking here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
SANCTUARY FOR KOALAS
Stretched out on a surgical table in the veterinary ward at Healesville Sanctuary, Solo the koala is sedated so her wounds can be examined and treated.
When the koala awakens from her anaesthetic, her eyes tell a terrible story.
It’s a story familiar to many Australians. Trapped in the burning bush in Mallacoota, her home was engulfed in flames.
Sixteen Koalas at the Sanctuary share a similar story, some worse than others.
You can read the full story here.
When the koala awakens from her anaesthetic, her eyes tell a terrible story.
It’s a story familiar to many Australians. Trapped in the burning bush in Mallacoota, her home was engulfed in flames.
Sixteen Koalas at the Sanctuary share a similar story, some worse than others.
You can read the full story here.
FORMER FOE BECOMES FRIEND IN CHANCE MEETING
More than 50 years after fighting in the plantations of South Vietnam three Australian veterans and one Vietnamese veteran marked their reconciliation with a hug and a handshake on Remembrance Day.
50 years ago, 3RAR veterans Neil Aldred, Daryl Bristowe and Bill Black would not have hesitated in shooting their enemy on sight. But in a peculiar twist of fate, on 11 November, 2019, four Vietnam veterans, who in 1971 were sworn enemies on opposite sides of history, met face to face in Emerald and became friends.
You can read the full story here.
50 years ago, 3RAR veterans Neil Aldred, Daryl Bristowe and Bill Black would not have hesitated in shooting their enemy on sight. But in a peculiar twist of fate, on 11 November, 2019, four Vietnam veterans, who in 1971 were sworn enemies on opposite sides of history, met face to face in Emerald and became friends.
You can read the full story here.
DUBAI DREAMING - A FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT STORY
Dubai, it's soaring skyscrapers and large highways has meant Dubai has become the essence of luxury and wealth in the middle east.
10-years-ago it was a desert, but today Dubai attracts investors from all over the globe including Australian Real Estate agencies.
I decided to find out what it is that is so attractive about this location, and the pitfalls that await the unwary investor.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
10-years-ago it was a desert, but today Dubai attracts investors from all over the globe including Australian Real Estate agencies.
I decided to find out what it is that is so attractive about this location, and the pitfalls that await the unwary investor.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
THE HEROES AT THE END OF THE LINE
It’s a call you hope you never have to make and the decision to dial triple-zero is usually one done out of desperation for help.
Every day, thousands of Victorians make that call and on Black Saturday that number sky-rocketed to more than 10,000 and continued at high levels for several days afterwards.
Those phone calls came in from people in desperate – and sometimes fatal – situations.
It’s a day that former call taker and dispatcher at ESTA, Michelle Lannen will never forget.
You can read the full article here
By Derek Schlennstedt
Every day, thousands of Victorians make that call and on Black Saturday that number sky-rocketed to more than 10,000 and continued at high levels for several days afterwards.
Those phone calls came in from people in desperate – and sometimes fatal – situations.
It’s a day that former call taker and dispatcher at ESTA, Michelle Lannen will never forget.
You can read the full article here
By Derek Schlennstedt
PREMIER APOLOGIES TO PUFFING BILLY ABUSE VICTIMS
There was a deep seated silence at the Victorian Parliament on November 27 as Premier Daniel Andrews apologised to the people who had suffered sexual abuse as children while involved with Puffing Billy railway.
Victims clutched the hands of loved ones as they were told that a ‘village of people’ had failed to protect them.
Mr Andrews apologised in the Victorian parliament to people abused by convicted and deceased sex offender Robert Whitehead. Mr Whitehead had who used his position at Puffing Billy to abuse children for decades, while the tourist attraction’s management board repeatedly failed to report complaints to police.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
Victims clutched the hands of loved ones as they were told that a ‘village of people’ had failed to protect them.
Mr Andrews apologised in the Victorian parliament to people abused by convicted and deceased sex offender Robert Whitehead. Mr Whitehead had who used his position at Puffing Billy to abuse children for decades, while the tourist attraction’s management board repeatedly failed to report complaints to police.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
TESSELAAR FLOWER PTY LTD GOES INTO VOLUNTARY ADMINISTRATION
The company formerly known as Tesselaar Flowers Propriety Limited has gone into administration, allegedly leaving many growers thousands of dollars out-of-pocket.
Tesselaar Flowers Pty Ltd, which is a separately-owned company to the Tesselaar Tulip Festival, allegedly owes thousands to creditors and went into voluntary administration on 21 April – only a few days after international flower supplier, Wafex, bought the assets and brand of the company on 12 April.
Wafex had a long-standing supplier relationship with Tesselaar Flowers and it is understood that the company was Tesselaars’ largest flower supplier – and now its biggest creditor.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
Tesselaar Flowers Pty Ltd, which is a separately-owned company to the Tesselaar Tulip Festival, allegedly owes thousands to creditors and went into voluntary administration on 21 April – only a few days after international flower supplier, Wafex, bought the assets and brand of the company on 12 April.
Wafex had a long-standing supplier relationship with Tesselaar Flowers and it is understood that the company was Tesselaars’ largest flower supplier – and now its biggest creditor.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
FIRST FEMALE DRIVER MAKES TRACKS AT PUFFING BILLY
A Puffing Billy volunteer has accomplished her dream of becoming the first female driver on the Puffing Billy Railway.
At 10:30am on 31 July, Belinda McKenzie from Gembrook became the first female to sit in the driver seat in the railway’s 119 year history.
Ever since she began volunteering at Puffing Billy in 2010, Ms McKenzie has been steaming towards her goal of becoming a driver on the famous steam train, and she told the Mail she hopes more women will follow.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
At 10:30am on 31 July, Belinda McKenzie from Gembrook became the first female to sit in the driver seat in the railway’s 119 year history.
Ever since she began volunteering at Puffing Billy in 2010, Ms McKenzie has been steaming towards her goal of becoming a driver on the famous steam train, and she told the Mail she hopes more women will follow.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
IS IT A BIRD? IS IT A PLANE? NO, IT’S A SKYWHALE.
We often look to the sky and wonder about our place in the world, and this is especially true when we see a whale with udders floating peacefully above.
On November 22 at 6am, borne on a slight South Easterly breeze, Skywhale floated effortlessly above the Yarra Valley.
For those individuals driving to work in the wee small hours of the morning, you can relax in the knowledge that what you witnessed was not a hallucination and that the well-endowed whale which flew over Healesville-Yarra Glen road was in fact real.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
On November 22 at 6am, borne on a slight South Easterly breeze, Skywhale floated effortlessly above the Yarra Valley.
For those individuals driving to work in the wee small hours of the morning, you can relax in the knowledge that what you witnessed was not a hallucination and that the well-endowed whale which flew over Healesville-Yarra Glen road was in fact real.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
GARLIC CRIME STINKS
In what is arguably the smelliest heist of the year, between 300 and 400 kilograms of garlic was stolen from a Gembrook property.
Between 26 and 27 November a group of garlic pilferers ravaged a Gembrook garlic crop, making off with over $10,000 worth of the odorous vegetables.
The potent and pungent pearls of life never stood a chance and were ripped from their cosy and fertile soil home. It is an utter travesty and we mourn for you sweet garlic bulbs.
In a post on Facebook, owner Leah McLeod said she was devastated, but would not give up on her farming dream.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
Between 26 and 27 November a group of garlic pilferers ravaged a Gembrook garlic crop, making off with over $10,000 worth of the odorous vegetables.
The potent and pungent pearls of life never stood a chance and were ripped from their cosy and fertile soil home. It is an utter travesty and we mourn for you sweet garlic bulbs.
In a post on Facebook, owner Leah McLeod said she was devastated, but would not give up on her farming dream.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
CFA BULLY CASE
A formal complaint has been made to CFA headquarters regarding bullying allegations at Healesville CFA brigade.
The complaint also implicates individuals at other brigades in CFA District 13.
A female complainant from Healesville, who asked to remain anonymous, joined Healesville brigade, and later lodged a complaint following alleged bullying which she received while at Healesville and while training in Mooroolbark.
She has alleged the bullying occurred on a regular basis and contributed to her informal resignation only four and a half months after joining.
You can read the full story here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
The complaint also implicates individuals at other brigades in CFA District 13.
A female complainant from Healesville, who asked to remain anonymous, joined Healesville brigade, and later lodged a complaint following alleged bullying which she received while at Healesville and while training in Mooroolbark.
She has alleged the bullying occurred on a regular basis and contributed to her informal resignation only four and a half months after joining.
You can read the full story here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
OPINION: ASSUMPTIONS ARE THE MOTHER OF ALL PROBLEMS
Friends, folks, fellow human beings, assumptions are the mother of all problems.
Last week, confusion regarding the gardening at the Mount Evelyn Memorial gardens caused a stir among residents.
In a post on Facebook the Mount Evelyn RSL wrongly accused Yarra Ranges Council of abandoning their duties to maintain the area. The RSL made the allegations after allegedly being told by Councillor Tim Heenan that gardening in the area was no longer occurring.
Only a day later Yarra Ranges Council responded to clear the air.
You can read the full story here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
Last week, confusion regarding the gardening at the Mount Evelyn Memorial gardens caused a stir among residents.
In a post on Facebook the Mount Evelyn RSL wrongly accused Yarra Ranges Council of abandoning their duties to maintain the area. The RSL made the allegations after allegedly being told by Councillor Tim Heenan that gardening in the area was no longer occurring.
Only a day later Yarra Ranges Council responded to clear the air.
You can read the full story here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
THE MAGIC INSIDE THE MANSION
Even as we dream of shiny new futures, many of us are captivated by images of crumbling buildings — old mansions that have faded from use and been reclaimed by nature, houses that will never again serve as homes.
For 20 years, the lifeless form of Burnham Beeches has cast a silent shadow over the Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens.
For the next six weeks, as part of an exhibition by Melbourne Artist Rone, Burnham Beeches is open to the public, and as soon as you walk inside that colossal wreck there’s an air of artful decay and an unexpected beauty that welcomes you.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
For 20 years, the lifeless form of Burnham Beeches has cast a silent shadow over the Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens.
For the next six weeks, as part of an exhibition by Melbourne Artist Rone, Burnham Beeches is open to the public, and as soon as you walk inside that colossal wreck there’s an air of artful decay and an unexpected beauty that welcomes you.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
WHEN CHILDREN TELL US THAT CLIMATE CHANGE, RISING INEQUALITY, AND LGBTIQ RIGHTS ARE IMPORTANT WE HAVE TO LISTEN
It could be argued that such is the current climate and state of world affairs that children have become the adults and the adults are the children.
In Australia – at the moment – a large open cut coal mine in Queensland has been given the green light; a plastic bag ban is being blamed for slowing the economy and hostile architecture erected in our main cities prevent the homeless from seeking shelter.
It seems that now the responsibility has fallen to those so young that they are not given the choice of the time they can go to bed to sound the alarm and point to the issues and crises that matter the most to them.
Read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
In Australia – at the moment – a large open cut coal mine in Queensland has been given the green light; a plastic bag ban is being blamed for slowing the economy and hostile architecture erected in our main cities prevent the homeless from seeking shelter.
It seems that now the responsibility has fallen to those so young that they are not given the choice of the time they can go to bed to sound the alarm and point to the issues and crises that matter the most to them.
Read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
ON THE TRAIL OF THE ELUSIVE BURROWING CRAY
You may have never heard of it, but the Dandenong Ranges Burrowing Crayfish is not an urban myth.
In fact, it’s alive and well, living in the headwaters of Emerald Creek, and a recent survey has shown a healthy number of the small-endangered invertebrate in the Dandenong Ranges.
As part of the Yarra Ranges Council Biohubs grant, the Community Weed Alliance (CWAD) of the Dandenongs, along with Yarra Ranges Council undertook a survey over the past two weeks to find this tiny, elusive, crustacean.
The crayfish was first reported in 1969 and again in the 1980s and 1990s, though it was only successfully found upstream of Falls Road on Olinda Creek in 2016.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
In fact, it’s alive and well, living in the headwaters of Emerald Creek, and a recent survey has shown a healthy number of the small-endangered invertebrate in the Dandenong Ranges.
As part of the Yarra Ranges Council Biohubs grant, the Community Weed Alliance (CWAD) of the Dandenongs, along with Yarra Ranges Council undertook a survey over the past two weeks to find this tiny, elusive, crustacean.
The crayfish was first reported in 1969 and again in the 1980s and 1990s, though it was only successfully found upstream of Falls Road on Olinda Creek in 2016.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
OPINION: BUNNIES ARE FOR LIFE, NOT JUST EASTER
While most people associate Easter with holidays and chocolate eggs, those luxuries couldn’t be further from the minds of those running animal shelters.
Instead of partaking in the Easter celebrations, shelters around Victoria are preparing for the debacle that follows Easter where they are inundated with abandoned ‘Easter’ bunnies that are dumped on the curb after their cuteness-factor dissolves and the owners realise the responsibilities associated with owning a living creature.
Pet stores throughout Victoria traditionally report a significant increase in the selling of domestic rabbits during the Easter period, and in the weeks and months following many of these rabbits will find themselves at the Rabbit Run-away Orphanage in Olinda, where they will be looked after.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
Instead of partaking in the Easter celebrations, shelters around Victoria are preparing for the debacle that follows Easter where they are inundated with abandoned ‘Easter’ bunnies that are dumped on the curb after their cuteness-factor dissolves and the owners realise the responsibilities associated with owning a living creature.
Pet stores throughout Victoria traditionally report a significant increase in the selling of domestic rabbits during the Easter period, and in the weeks and months following many of these rabbits will find themselves at the Rabbit Run-away Orphanage in Olinda, where they will be looked after.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
ROBBED OF GRIEF, REDRESS
The son of Healesville man Peter Low said he and his family had faced an 18-month ‘bargaining’ ordeal with WorkSafe, after the death of his father.
The ordeal shows no signs of ending, and it is believed WorkSafe has agreed to pay $150,000 to Mrs Jenny Low and not $577,000 – the amount usually paid to dependants- based on a dependency clause.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
The ordeal shows no signs of ending, and it is believed WorkSafe has agreed to pay $150,000 to Mrs Jenny Low and not $577,000 – the amount usually paid to dependants- based on a dependency clause.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
I DON'T WANT TO ROCK DJ, BUT YOU'RE MAKING ME FEEL ALRIGHT
At 44 years of age, 13 studio albums and seven number one singles, it’s little surprise that Mr Robbie Williams’s presence is enough to send a crowd into hysteria.
Hysterics was exactly what he sent the crowd into when he appeared for his first solo debut tour in 21 years at the Rochford Day on the Green event, on Thursday 22 February.
After getting the audience upstanding for ‘The National Anthem of Robbie,’ the entertainer entered the stage wearing a glittering boxer’s robe and had the swagger of a champion who was keen to give audiences a once in a lifetime experience.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
Hysterics was exactly what he sent the crowd into when he appeared for his first solo debut tour in 21 years at the Rochford Day on the Green event, on Thursday 22 February.
After getting the audience upstanding for ‘The National Anthem of Robbie,’ the entertainer entered the stage wearing a glittering boxer’s robe and had the swagger of a champion who was keen to give audiences a once in a lifetime experience.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
HOME AND HEARTH
Your home is often your sanctuary, a place with cherished memories and precious items; a place often built by the heart rather than the hands.
As Yarra Valley residents we are all aware of the devastating impact that fire can have, and so our thoughts go out to anyone who loses a house; whether through bushfire or house fire we reach out to help those affected.
Healesville’s Latin family was left devastated after their newly-renovated home went up in flames in the early hours of Monday morning, 26 June. And the community has responded.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
As Yarra Valley residents we are all aware of the devastating impact that fire can have, and so our thoughts go out to anyone who loses a house; whether through bushfire or house fire we reach out to help those affected.
Healesville’s Latin family was left devastated after their newly-renovated home went up in flames in the early hours of Monday morning, 26 June. And the community has responded.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
HUMP DAY
When the starter pistol goes off at the Alice Springs Camel Cup, anything could happen.
As Gembrook resident and professional camel rider Rachael Woodham describes, camel racing requires a particular set of skills, and quite a bit of courage.
At what’s commonly considered the Melbourne cup of camel racing, Ms Woodham took first place at the Alice Springs Camel Cup, on 14 July.
“Basically you just make a lot of noise, whip and hope for the best,” she said.
“With a camel there mouth is too soft, you can’t do that, so they have a nose peg, an earring in the nose, but you can’t pull on that so you can’t really pull a camel up when it’s full speed, it’s just going to go wherever it wants.”
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
As Gembrook resident and professional camel rider Rachael Woodham describes, camel racing requires a particular set of skills, and quite a bit of courage.
At what’s commonly considered the Melbourne cup of camel racing, Ms Woodham took first place at the Alice Springs Camel Cup, on 14 July.
“Basically you just make a lot of noise, whip and hope for the best,” she said.
“With a camel there mouth is too soft, you can’t do that, so they have a nose peg, an earring in the nose, but you can’t pull on that so you can’t really pull a camel up when it’s full speed, it’s just going to go wherever it wants.”
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
SCHOOL GIRLS CAUGHT IN PORNOGRAPHIC SHARING WEBSITE
Schoolgirls from at least 16 Victorian high schools were unwittingly targeted by a pornographic photo-sharing website that police were unable to stop.
The girls have shared private photos of themselves with past boyfriends who had then posted them online.
The online chat forum, easily found via Google search, features thousands of graphic images of underage and non-consenting school students. Of the schools involved one was a local school.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
The girls have shared private photos of themselves with past boyfriends who had then posted them online.
The online chat forum, easily found via Google search, features thousands of graphic images of underage and non-consenting school students. Of the schools involved one was a local school.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
SHEEP SAVAGED BY DOGS
A pack of vicious dogs has mauled a flock of sheep in The Patch, killing 22.
Of a 36-strong flock of dorper sheep, 11 were found dead and another 11 had to be put down due to the severity of their injuries.
For many locals, the attack has brought back memories of previous incidents.
The Patch is a known area for dog attacks and in early 2016, one goat was killed, while in the same month another 10 sheep were mauled.
Peter Quinn, owner of the sheep that were attacked, said he awoke in the early hours of Tuesday 26 September to calls from his neighbour that a fox had gotten one of his lambs.
It was only upon going into his paddock that he saw the “utter devastation”.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
Of a 36-strong flock of dorper sheep, 11 were found dead and another 11 had to be put down due to the severity of their injuries.
For many locals, the attack has brought back memories of previous incidents.
The Patch is a known area for dog attacks and in early 2016, one goat was killed, while in the same month another 10 sheep were mauled.
Peter Quinn, owner of the sheep that were attacked, said he awoke in the early hours of Tuesday 26 September to calls from his neighbour that a fox had gotten one of his lambs.
It was only upon going into his paddock that he saw the “utter devastation”.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
TRUST WORKHORSE HAS GONE THE DISTANCE
To say that Ian Moreland has put a lot of kilometres on his Toyota Hilux since buying it new in 2006 is an understatement.
In fact the 64-year-old from Gilderoy, who works in the animal husbandry sector, recently joined a select group of people when his Hilux hit the one million kilometre mark early last week.
Officially the 2006 Toyota Hilux SR turbo diesel has done 999,999 kilometres, but only because the odometer doesn’t go any higher.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
In fact the 64-year-old from Gilderoy, who works in the animal husbandry sector, recently joined a select group of people when his Hilux hit the one million kilometre mark early last week.
Officially the 2006 Toyota Hilux SR turbo diesel has done 999,999 kilometres, but only because the odometer doesn’t go any higher.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
ELTON JOHN STILL GOING STRONG
At 70 years old, Sir Elton John hasn’t lost any of his flair for performing rapturous piano melodies.
The singer/songwriter graced the Yarra Valley on Sunday, performing hit songs, Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer and Bennie And The Jets at Rochford’s A Day on the Green.
A commanding performer, Sir Elton amped up the excitment by opening with his classic and up tempo hit The Bitch Is back.
You can read the full article here
By Derek Schlennstedt
The singer/songwriter graced the Yarra Valley on Sunday, performing hit songs, Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer and Bennie And The Jets at Rochford’s A Day on the Green.
A commanding performer, Sir Elton amped up the excitment by opening with his classic and up tempo hit The Bitch Is back.
You can read the full article here
By Derek Schlennstedt
ROMANCING THE BOTTLE
When it comes to choosing a wine to accompany your meal, there’s only one book that can help decipher the riddle, and with over 700 pages of various wines and their respective flavours, James Halliday’s Wine Companion has become a wine bible.
His most recent book the 2018 Halliday Wine Companion was released on 2 August at the Halliday Wine Companion Awards where once again the Yarra Valley shone.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt
His most recent book the 2018 Halliday Wine Companion was released on 2 August at the Halliday Wine Companion Awards where once again the Yarra Valley shone.
You can read the full article here.
By Derek Schlennstedt