Oops, I forgot you put Melbourne down.. :) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2003 3:32 PM Subject: Re: *Australian GFM (Abridged/Consolidated)*
> Hi, > > I may come along depending on the date, probaly near Brisbane or in > Victoria are the best options for me. > > Paul > (Melb) > > > Ryan Lee wrote: > > >(Some corrections from the original.) > > > >Hi all, > >Regarding the Aussie GFM (I'm aware of the incorrectness of this term, but > >it's catchy.. we can give it a name of its own when we know where it is!), > >there doesn't seem to be much of a plan as yet. As such, I've decided to > >compile the relevant info, hopefully in a format slightly more useful to the > >(brave) undertaking organiser, and attendees. > > > >This post is fairly long, so here's what's in it. > >- Aussie PDMLers (if you're missing please yell out) > >- Potential guests (see above.. and even if you've got the slightest inkling > >of a temptation to jump on a budget flight and come down here, that includes > >you too) > >- Suggestions (ideas where to go..) > >- Considerations (ands & buts) > > > >I know it's still a while away, but I think it's nice to have a plan to sit > >on. > > > >Best Regards, > >Ryan > > > >------------------------------------ > >**Updated population down under: > >------------------------------------ > >Kevin Waterson (Port Macquarie, NSW) - 30 mins to mountains, national parks, > >2 hours (North) to Bellingen (waterfalls abound..) > >Trevor Bailey (Grafton, NSW) > >Rob Studdert (Hurtsville, NSW) > >Bob Rapp (Terrigal, NSW) - 1 hour from the hunter valley, Blue mountains, > >Sydney, Barrington Tops. > >Paul Ewins (Melbourne, VIC) > >Leon Altoff (Melbourne, VIC) > >Tanya Mayer (3 hours West of Mackay, QLD) - 4 hours from the Whitsundays. > >John Coyle (Brisbane, QLD) > >Ryan Lee (Brisbane, QLD) > > > >-------------------------- > >**Possible globetrotters: > >-------------------------- > >Stan Halpin (Western Missouri, USA) > >"My own schedule is still a bit up in the air. I am expecting a meeting in > >Adelaide, 31 Mar - 2 Apr, adjourning over the weekend, resuming in Canberra > >(?) 5-6 April. Assuming that this is in fact what comes down when our > >meeting host gets all of the proper decisions, the my wife and I will plan > >to arrive in Adelaide on about 26 March and spend the weekend in that > >general vicinity. The following weekend we'll move as called for by the > >meeting schedule, with time to ourselves along the way." > > > >John Francis (San Jose, California, USA) > >"One of these years I'm going to get over to Surfer's Paradise > >for the CART (now OWRS) race. When I do, I'll probably take an > >extra week or two of vacation." > > > >-------------------------------- > >**Suggestions to date (edited): > >-------------------------------- > >--------Tanya Mayer (QLD) > >What about somewhere like the Whitsundays? Great Barrier > >Reef and sunny Queensland weather might be able to entice some overseas > >people for a lovely holiday - I will be happy to organise it if it was in > >that area, as it isn't too far from me... VERY picturesque stuff - we could > >even do a charter flight to whitehaven beach, snorkelling, skydiving (COOL > >pics there!) etc. GREAT sunsets and landscape photography opportunities... > >See here for more details about that place - it is just DIVINE... > >http://www.seewhitsundays.com/w/islands/picture.asp?image=images/whitehaven 2.jpg > >http://www.seewhitsundays.com/w/islands/picture.asp?image=images/beneteauat whitehaven.jpg > >http://www.sailing-whitsundays.com/locations/listings/l0001.html > >http://www.geocities.com/awweir/Whitehaven_people.html > >http://www.whitsundaysonline.com/ > > > >Of course, at the opposite ends of the spectrum, there are places like the > >Hunter and Barossa Valleys, Blue Mountains etc. > > > >Another alternative could be the Maleny/Montville area on the Sunshine > >Coast - very picturesque. > > > > > >-----------Kevin Waterson (NSW) > >Or... if you would like a NSW based outing I could perhaps help. > >Among other things, I am the owner of some beachfront holiday > >units. see this link > >http://www.oceania.net > >I would be happy to provide accommodation for some PDMLers free > >of charge. Our accommodations are humble, but clean and comfortable. > >I can arrange day outings to national parks, fishing, boat > >tours, fishing, camping grounds, fishing, long sandy beaches, fishing > >airplane flights for photography, and if we can squeeze it in, perhaps > >a spot of fishing. > > > >The whales have already passed us on their way south for the summer but > >dolphins are plentyful. We are close (30 mins) to mountains and national > >parks where our local camera club likes to visit for fungus and macro > >works. The waterfalls are a little lacklustre due to the drought at > >the moment, but a 2 hour drive north puts us in nearby Bellingen > >where they abound. I do alot of modelling portfolios so if we need > >models we should be able to get a few together. > > > > > >--------------Bob Rapp (NSW) > >Did she (Tanya) mention Wolf Fang park. I think it is a bunch of volcano > >plugs that have had the earth worn away. To > >me, it is the most exciting sight between Mackay and Emerald. > >If our mob can decide on a venue and, if there are enough, we could perhaps > >get the Pentax distributor CR Kennedy involved. Could be fun. > > > >Actually the Hunter Valley area offers heaps of > >photographic opportunities from Wollombi to the Barrington including rural > >towns. Settled in the early 1800 and is peppered with heaps of old stone > >churches, pubs and homes. > > > > > >---------------Leon Altoff (VIC) > >We could try to compete with GFM by going somewhere like Cradle Mountain > >in Tasmania, Wilson's Prom in Victoria or The Snowy Mountains in NSW. > >Or we could go for a complete opposite like the Whitsundays or the > >Outback. > > > >I personally would like to see some the gorges in the Northern > >Territory, but I'll get to that one day. My wife and I both like our > >comforts at night (we will go walking over slippery rocks for hours at > >a time in weather anywhere between it being 40 degrees and beating down > >sun to 2 degrees in a torrential downpour) so somewhere with a room > >with a bed and a shower is in our list. > > > >NSW school holidays begin 9th April 2004 and > >with Anzac Day holiday, end on 26 April 2004. > > > >We could get a week from 17th - 24th April 2004 This would allow those > >with children to make the journey also and gives 4 months to prepare. > > > > > >-------Stan Halpin (USA) > >The Barossa Valley? Kangaroo Island? > > > > > >--------John Coyle (QLD) > >There is a place I know of not far from > >Brisbane, in the Mt. Glorious/Mt. Nebo area which sleeps 8 easily. Nothing > >organised, though, and it is expensive to hire for a week-end - I think I > >just talked my way out of that one! > > > > > > > >**Considerations > >Leon Altoff (VIC) > >I'm busy at Easter and the week after, busy mid-March, and > >having just started a new job still working on convincing them to give > >me the time that I need off. I know this was my idea, but this is also > >the busy time from now until mid April. My first free dates are Anzac day > >weekend, though down here we don't > >get a public holiday on the Monday. After that any time except the > >weekend of the second Monday of the month is fine. > > > >Paul Ewins (VIC) > >I'll be in Canberra for the Anzac day weekend, probably arriving > >Thursday or Friday so that will cut down on the amount of time that I > >could stay. Still a possibility though. > > > >Bob Rapp (NSW) > >Holiday periods are great to set up for an outing but the only one that > >seems to fit the bill would be the June long weekend. Most of the other are > >too short or require family. > > > >Tanya Mayer (QLD) > >I have a wedding on the 10th April, but after that, my month looks > >surprisingly free THUS far... > > > >John Coyle (QLD) > >Aaaargh, bad timing Stan, I'll be in Hong Kong/China/Hong Kong between 20th. > >March and 10th. April!!! > > > >Ryan Lee (QLD) > >I've got an early 4 day camping/kayaking trip up at Cooloola around > >Australia Day (Jan 26th), but > >I'm guessing it's too early to affect anything. Also, for my sister's > >graduation I might be up in > >York, UK sometime in April or June. I'll keep you posted > > > >Stan Halpin (USA) > >I did a quick scan through the posts this evening, I missed the one that > >said where, but it > >looks like you've about settled on a meet later in April. Looks like I have > >to miss it. But maybe a smaller shorter gathering is feasible? > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
