This Voyage Petite is to celebrate the amazing recovery of Marysville after the devastation of Black Saturday in 2009. Six years on, it is wonderful to see how this tiny community has come back to life with such determination and plans for the future. We will meet at the Healesville Historic Railway Station @ 9am for morning tea and a tour of the railway for starters. At around 10.30am, we will head to Marysville where there is a Community Market with all sorts of goodies including fresh produce, locally produced food, wines, fragrances and various other items. If the market is not your thing, “Made in Marysville & Surrounds” is a cafe, gallery and provedore showcasing all things local including jewellery, pottery, jams, relishes and chutneys etc. At Healesville, we will provide you with maps of Marysville which show key points of the town. For the older cars, we suggest going to Marysville via Buxton (which we will do in our 203) because the road is less up hill and an easier run. However, you can make your own choice as to which way you choose to go. For lunch, we will meet at Gallipoli Park, which has undergone a $1.8m redevelopment after Black Saturday. You should enter from Fall Street by the stadium which will lead you to the BBQ’s etc. The Reflective Garden provides a main entry into Gallipoli Park and features a gazebo and ‘garden rooms’, and the New Life Sculpture, designed and produced by local artist Bruno Torfs, as a permanent symbol of new life in the community. The park is well equipped for those taking a picnic lunch and there are BBQ’s readily available. There are also ample parking and toilet facilities on site. If self catering is not your preferred option, you have the choice of the Marysville Bakery, Cafe Fragas (in Main Street), the Vibe Hotel or the Bunker Restaurant @ Marysville Golf Club. If anyone is interested in having lunch at the Golf Club, call Val Gibson on 9728 3096 or emailvsgmjk@bigpond.com [1] to make a booking. After lunch, we can continue on to Steavenson’s Falls which is one of Victoria’s highest waterfalls at 120 metres. There are 5 cascades with a number of good lookout points and photo opportunities. For those looking to make tracks for home, you have the option of the picturesque Acheron Way (with some dirt road) through to Warburton, or back via the Maroondah Highway where the Gerbera and Alpaca Farm is definitely worth a visit. If you feel so inclined, there are a number of great wineries on the way. Dominique Portet (where we celebrated PCCV’s 60th Anniversary last year), in addition to some beautiful French wines, also have an interesting selection of local wares and products. Links: —— [1] mailto:vsgmjk@bigpond.com
