COMPILED BY RICHARD CORNISH

01. DIY Guitar

Nick Carpenter is a luthier. That means he makes lutes. He also makes electric guitars and can show you how to make one as well. His studio is called Wildwood Instruments and is based at a bush block at Mount Franklin. There he offers a two-day electric guitar making course, where, over a weekend, you will complete an awesome electric guitar or bass. You can choose from the range of popular electric and bass guitar kits and will be guided through the building process in his fully equipped workshop. The course is open to those aged 16 years and, best of all, you get to take home to show off your custom-made guitar.

Wildwood Instruments, 11 Phillips Road, Mount Franklin; winter dates are 7 Jul and 4 Aug; wildwoodinstruments.com.au

02. Photographic Gallery

Gold Street Studios are photographic studios and a gallery in Trentham East. It is a place where the slow, old fashioned way of making photographic images on paper using different types of chemical fixers are cherished. It is also a place to learn about these traditional photographic skills and a place to buy the different chemicals and supplies. This winter there are workshops offering day and two day courses in skills such as argyrotypes. This is a process developed in 1996 that uses an unusual salt, silver sulphamate, to produce purplish-brown prints. Throughout July there is an exhibition in the gallery space of hauntingly beautiful hand coated contact photographs in platinum palladium of Australia's dry interior by photographer Bob Kersey (Until July 29).

700 James Lane, Trentham East, 54241835, goldstreetstudios.com.au

03. Real Film 

This is set to be one of the best events in Central Victoria this winter, The Castlemaine Documentary Film Festival. One of the highlights sees Paul Williams, the director of the documentary on the life of late indigenous performer Dr Geoffrey called Gurrumul. He will be on stage with Leila Gurruwiwi of Marngrook Footy to discuss the film. Then, in a world first, the film’s producer, Michael Hohnen, composer Erkki Veltheim and other key musicians from the film will be live on stage taking the audience through the incredible artistic and technical challenges involved in bringing together the vastly different words of indigenous and western music. There are over a dozen other films in this excellent festival.

Castlemaine Documentary Film Festival;
Fri 20 July-Sun 22 July; Theatre Royal,
30 Hargraves Street, Castlemaine;
www.cdocff.com.au 
 

04. Christmas in July 

This is one of the most fun fundraisers of the year, the Farmer’s Arms Hotel’s annual Christmas in July in Daylesford. This is a joyous night filled with carols, a delicious Christmas Feast, charity auction, raffle and door prizes raising money for Daylesford and District Christmas Cheer. This charity raises money throughout the year to provide much needed food and petrol vouchers, children’s toys and gifts to families who are doing it tough over Christmas. Last year, Christmas Cheer raised over $50,000 and provided vouchers, gifts and assistance to over 500 families doing it tough. $75 per ticket with $25 from each ticket and all auction and raffle proceeds going to Christmas Cheer. 

Ticket sales www.thefarmersarms.com.au

05. Ferment It

When Sharon Flynn released her book Ferment for Good last year she unleashed a wave of pent up demand in people wanting to learn the traditional arts of fermenting food. She has a small company based in the outskirts of Daylesford where she makes some exceptional fermented products such as sauerkraut, kimchi and water kefir. In this hands-on masterclass, participants will get their hands dirty chopping, salting, packing and tasting as they learn from the master how to make their own fermented foods which they will go home with. At this event Sharon will also be selling her fermented foods and copies of her book.

The Fermentary;
11/57 Leitches Creek Road, Daylesford;
$250 per person; 2pm - 4:30pm,
21 July and 20 October;
www.thefermentary.com.au