Featured
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A tiny house journey
Gaining a ute-load of nifty building skills has been one of the biggest bonuses of building a tiny house for Castlemaine’s Rainer Cook Tonkin. The uni student started building his own tiny abode back in mid-2020, with a little help from his carpenter father, Bernard Tonkin. The Express visited Rainer and his tiny house project shortly after…
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Characters from another world
The Gardeners are a pair of characters from another world. It is as if they have emerged from a remote rural property of another time. They are the latest creations of Macedon Ranges artists Tamara Rewse and Hamish Fletcher, who have made their living through puppetry and performance. Soon to be crafted to life, The…
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No Djoke for refugees
The recent controversy embroiling Novak Djokovic has shone an international spotlight on Australia’s detention of refugees. Supporters of the Serb champion were outraged by his detention in substandard accommodation. But Djokovic was not alone. The Park Hotel in Carlton, where the Serb was detained, has been used as a detention centre for refugees since December…
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Back to the wild
Woodend Golf Club is going back to the wild in a plan to future-proof the sport there. Members have seized an opportunity to pilot a Green Sport Action Plan for the region. Sustainability is the focus with the crucial element of ‘rewilding’ the grounds for flora and fauna that call it home. “Golf courses are…
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New chapter for Soldier and Scholar
It’s just shy of two decades since Joyce Sanders opened her character-packed bookshop on Castlemaine’s Barker Street. The Soldier and Scholar second-hand store rapidly became a favourite shopping experience for bibliophiles from near and far. But time marches on, and so it appears will the inimitable Soldier and Scholar and its well-read owner who hails…
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Get to know your grower
With the issues currently faced by supermarkets in being able to keep the shelves stocked due to high rates of COVID-related absenteeism, Macedon Ranges locals are being encouraged to source their fresh produce locally and discover the many growers and makers in the region. A new website is helping connect families to the abundance of…
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In the Hall of Fame
The precision that Gisborne’s Stevie McGee displayed as an aircraft mechanic for about 40 years is in many ways reflected in the attributes that led to him being inducted into the AFL Masters National Hall of Fame. And at the age of 67, he’s not showing many signs of slowing down, with his enthusiasm for…
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House’s handy courses
A new course aimed at equipping local women with handy fix-it skills is among the diverse swag of offerings to be found in Castlemaine Community House’s new semester course guide. Leading the new Handy Me (For Women) course that’s set to start in coming weeks is Perry Campbell. Perry is a qualified carpenter with an…
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Out of the shadows
Four Macedon Ranges artists will soon unveil their works in a new project that uses visual expression to explore mental health issues. The Art Bomb Project is set to showcase the work of visual artists from Romsey, Gisborne and Kyneton. Project artists – Mark Ingall, Fiona Farrugia, Aimee Timpson and Lachlan McKenzie – have very…
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Bike workshops now in Castlemaine and Newstead
For the fourth year in a row the On Your Bike! school holiday program, supporting teens and tweens to ride safely to school, will be hosted by CycleSafe Mount Alexander. This year the group has extended the workshop to cover two towns – Castlemaine and Newstead. Newstead’s newly sign-posted tracks by the ‘Walks and Wheels’…
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Strawberry summer
It’s a bumper season for strawberries. In fact it’s the best they’ve ever had out at the Blackwood Orchard in Harcourt, providing a welcome foil to the trickier cherry season with which they’ve been contending amid strong demand for both fruits. “This is the best season for strawberries we’ve ever had,” Blackwood’s Suzanne Pickering told…
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Holiday park a finalist
BIG4 Castlemaine Gardens Holiday Park is a finalist in the 2021 Victorian Tourism Awards. Nominated in the Caravan and Holiday Parks category, it is the only Mount Alexander Shire tourism business and the only Victorian holiday park to reach the finals of the prestigious awards. Winners will be announced in Melbourne in early February. BIG4…