COMPILED BY RICHARD CORNISH

Gin and Sonic

On a long, hot, summer’s evening is there anything better than a nice, tall, ice-cold gin and tonic? But how about some sonic with your tonic? Some lounge for your cocktail? All these dreams can come true and more if you head to Castlemaine on Friday 14thDecember for the next Gin & Sonic Party! It’s a fund raiser to keep Castlemaine’s local community radio station on air and doing what they do best – sharing local news, local ideas and issues, and local music. This is your chance to taste the three signature, small-batch, hand-crafted gins concocted by Kyneton’s ‘Animus Distillery’, while shaking and grooving along to a fine collection of records. With 4 different DJs spinning tunes throughout the course of the evening, playing everything from lounge, to pop, to dance club bangers there will be a little taste of something to suit everyone’s style.

Friday 14th Dec, 5:30pm – late, 4 Hargraves
Street, Castlemaine. mainfm.net

Portrait Workshop

The broad brush strokes are Daniel Butterworth’s signature. The Kyneton artist has made a name for himself in galleries, the media and even gracing the walls of the Farmers Arms Art Hotel in Daylesford. On Saturday the 15th December he is inviting a small group of eight people to attend a workshop at his Kyneton studio. There will be a demonstration to start, to be followed by quick warm up session. Attendees will be asked to bring along images of whom they would like to paint. Lunch will be provided. Daniel will assist with portraits and finish with an optional glass of vino. Some materials will be provided, if you have materials that you often use please bring them.

10am-3pm. $130 pp. Book on 0435 784 666

New Year’s Sports Day

The Glenlyon Sports day continues the tradition that began in 1857. Billed as a mixed sports day, the meeting is one of the last remaining old-fashioned country sports days, offering events ranging from wood chopping to ladies’ gumboot throwing competition. All activities are organised and conducted by local volunteers as our forefathers would have done in yesteryear. A bar and catering facilities with a good selection of food are available. Breakfast is available for early starters. A well-equipped children’s playground is located near the barbeque area. The World Bull Boar Competition (bull boar, locally made sausage of distinction) is conducted, in which the consumer of a set number of bull boars in the fastest time is recognised as the world champion. With the exception of the wood chopping, all events can be entered on the day. The gates open at 10.30 am and the first wood chopping event is at 12.00 noon with the horse events from 12 noon to 3 pm.

Glenlyon Reserve, Glenlyon. Gates Open at
10.30am Admission $10.00

Hanging Rock – At Night

This 6.5 million year old magma outcrop so enthralled author and artist Joan Lindsay that it became the location for her 1967 fiction Picnic At Hanging Rock. It was a fictitious novel that combined the pioneer settlement narrative of being lost forever in the Australian bush and what has been described as ‘Aussie Mythic Reality’. While the fabricated girls are gone forever it is still home to gliders, wallabies, native birds, bats, possums and koalas. Many of these are nocturnal so consider pulling on the Blundstones for a night walk around this very spooky rock looking for the inhabitants. Put on by the Macedon Ranges Council these night walks are truly unforgettable. They are being held on Friday, 07 Dec, 18 Jan, 08 Feb and 15 March at 7pm Numbers are limited and bookings are essential.

Book on (03) 5421 1468 Adults $24, Children
$12 and Families $60.

Old Fashioned Sausages

Ever wanted to make your own sausages but did not know where to start? Damian Sandercock from the Piper Street Food Co. makes excellent snorkers and he has agreed to share his knowledge with the general public in this sausage masterclass. This 4.5 hour hands-on workshop covers the history of sausage making, regional variations and different types of sausages such as boudin blanc, Toulouse, en crepinette and duck neck. Class includes recipes, lunch served with regional wine and sausages to take home.

Monday, 28 January, 10am-2.30pm.
$195.00. piperstfoodco.com