** This event has been postponed since everybody will be enjoying "Freedom Day" on this date. It will at some point be rescheduled to a date in the future. ** The previous presentation on Outback Australia proved very popular, so this will be a continuation on that theme, with emphasis on some of the lesser known natural wonders of Victoria.  GRADE: Social - online presentation via Zoom, which lends itself extremely well to this type of presentation. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: Highlights will be: NORTH-WEST VICTORIA: An overview to the Murray-Sunset NP (south of Mildura) and Kooyoora State Park (an ideal overnight stop on the way to Mildura) with its spectacular Melville Caves. The presentation will include some planning considerations. THREE WEEKS IN THE WIMMERA: David R will present some photos, stories, tips and tricks from three weeks spent camping in the Wimmera region of north-west Victoria in 2018. SOLDIERS IN THE OUTBACK: John Tr, an ex-army officer, will present another series of his photos of soldiers under his command, taken in the Australian Outback. Beware: Some of the soldiers will be shirtless again! AUDIENCE CONTRIBUTIONS: You are also invited to share your own photos and stories from the Victorian countryside, especially those from more remote areas of Victoria - if you have a contribution to offer, please email newsletter@nomads.org.au so we can add you to the schedule. In the unlikely event that time permits, we also have lots more photos to share from the Nomads 2018 trip to the Broken Heel Festival and Outback NSW - on 24 September, we didn't have time to present three series: The Road to Broken Hill, Life in the Sheep Stations, and NSW National Parks.  BOOKING: By 5pm on Friday 22nd October. To register, click on Get Tickets. Unsure if you've already booked? Click View my bookings. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 7pm via Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent by 6pm on Friday 22 October to those who have registered. LEADER: Garry O. | Email LeaderGarryO.thenomadsinc@mail.tidyhq.com if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members | Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.   HOME   BACK TO LIST OF EVENTS   MEMBERSHIPS  

Although locked down at home, you can still socialise online with Nomads friends using the Trickster Cards program. Groups of four or six players per game can play 500 online - and with video and sound enabled, it's almost like being in the same room!  If you're new to the 500 card game, but would like to learn about it, check out our 500 Cards Tutorial Notes. For some other ideas of things to do during lockdown, see Socialising Online. GRADE: Social.  BOOKING: Click Get Tickets ASAP. You will be asked to specify your experience level, and we'll attempt to group you on a (virtual) table with others of the same level of proficiency. The sooner you book, the better will be your chances of being well matched! Unsure if you've already booked? Click View my bookings. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 7pm online. You will be sent the link by 6pm on Tuesday 19th October to join a game. LEADER: Alan D. | Email LeaderAlanD.thenomadsinc@mail.tidyhq.com if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members | Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.   HOME   BACK TO LIST OF EVENTS   MEMBERSHIPS  

** POSTPONED: Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 lockdown, this event will need to be rescheduled to a later date ** Take in the sights of Geelong as we follow Waurn Ponds Creek, the Barwon River then the coast around to Lara, including a wander through the industrial Geelong port precinct. GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Medium 36 km point-to-point cycling, on cycling tracks and some quiet roads.  ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: We'll attempt to all get on the service departing from Southern Cross at 9:50am. You should plan to arrive at Southern Cross by 9:30am to get to the front of the (imaginary) queue! If we can't all fit on that train, the second group will get the next train to South Geelong Station (at 10:30am) to meet up with the earlier group. Lunch will be by the foreshore in Geelong. From Lara we'll return to Southern Cross by V/Line train. From Waurn Ponds Station, we take a few suburban streets to connect to the Waurn Ponds Trail, which we follow all the way to Breakwater Rd, a total distance of approximately 9 km. We then follow the Barwon River Trail round to Swanston St (just before Kardinia Park / South Geelong Station), and take the Swanston St on-road cycling path to reach Eastern Beach: about 7 km. From there we follow the Bay Trail to Lara via the stunning Limeburners Bay, about 20 km. There are several exit options should disaster strike: South Geelong Station, Geelong Station, North Shore Station or Corio Station. If the weather forecast is for the wind to be easterly or northeasterly, we'll reverse the order of the ride to keep the wind behind us as much as possible (i.e. we'll start at Lara and finish at Waurn Ponds).  BOOKING: By Friday 15th October. To register, click on Get Tickets. Unsure if you've booked already? Click View my bookings. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 9:30am at Southern Cross Station to board the 9:50am service to Waurn Ponds.  PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Although the train service is operated by V/Line, the entire route is within the Myki region (Waurn Ponds is in zone 4, Lara is in zone 2). COST:  Southern Cross to Waurn Ponds (zone 4) costs $9.52 full or $4.76 concession on a Sunday.  Lara (zone 2) to Southern Cross costs $4.50 full or $2.25 concession (or free for seniors) on a Sunday. Metro Melbourne: no additional cost for any ticket type for travel between a metro Melbourne home and Southern Cross Station. FOOD: We won't have a coffee stop, so please get your caffeine hit at Southern Cross Station before departing! Lunch will be purchased at a cafe in Geelong. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Bike, helmet, spare tubes and sunscreen.  LEADER: Alan D. | Email LeaderAlanD.thenomadsinc@mail.tidyhq.com if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members | Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.   HOME   BACK TO LIST OF EVENTS   MEMBERSHIPS  

Although locked down at home, you can still socialise online with Nomads friends using the Trickster Cards program. Groups of four or six players per game can play 500 online - and with video and sound enabled, it's almost like being in the same room!  If you're new to the 500 card game, but would like to learn about it, check out our 500 Cards Tutorial Notes. For some other ideas of things to do during lockdown, see Socialising Online. GRADE: Social.  BOOKING: Click Get Tickets ASAP. You will be asked to specify your experience level, and we'll attempt to group you on a (virtual) table with others of the same level of proficiency. The sooner you book, the better will be your chances of being well matched! Unsure if you've already booked? Click View my bookings. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 7pm online. You will be sent the link by 6pm on Saturday 16th October to join a game. LEADER: Alan D. | Email LeaderAlanD.thenomadsinc@mail.tidyhq.com if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members | Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.   HOME   BACK TO LIST OF EVENTS   MEMBERSHIPS  

Enjoy a stroll through rugged bushland in the Pyrete Forest, in the buff, with a naturist soiree afterwards in Mt Macedon. ** POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19 LOCKDOWN: It will be run when Melbourne members are able to attend. ** GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Medium- semi hard 8 km circuit walk, with steep small tracks/valleys, small creek crossing. Good fitness levels advantageous due to steep sections ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: Enjoy a pleasant walk in your birthday suit through wild, untouched forest of the Pyrete Range. Afternoon tea afterwards at a Nomads member's place in Mt Macedon for those attending the hike.  BOOKING: By Thursday 14th October. To register, click on Get Tickets. Unsure if you've already booked? Click View my bookings. NOMADS COVIDSAFE CHECKLIST: Checklist 211016: Northern Pyrete Range Walk. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 10:00am near the fountain roundabout in the heart of Gisborne township, corner of Melbourne Rd and Aitken St.  *Note due to covid restrictions we may need 2 leaders in groups of 11. *This means leader 1 leaves at 10am  & leader 2 10.30 MAP REFERENCE: Meeting point: Melway map 678 grid C3 | Google map goo.gl/maps/ZybManT95k7mPWUN6.  DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: 52 km, 55 minutes from Melbourne. FOOD: Carry lunch and adequate water (600ml to 1 litre), plus snacks if desired. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Comfortable walking boots/shoes, sunscreen, hat, insect repellent (optional).  LEADER: Peter H. | Email LeaderPeterH.thenomadsinc@mail.tidyhq.com if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members | Leader Contacts when logged in to the website. Image: hikingfiasco.com.   HOME   BACK TO LIST OF EVENTS   MEMBERSHIPS  

Join fellow Nomads and friends for an 80's themed online quiz night on Friday 15th October - an evening of fun and socialising from the safety, warmth and comfort of your own home! The trivia theme will be the 1980s. Bring your food and drinks and get ready for two hours of socialising online. Play in teams as you try and outsmart your opponents in a Trivia Game around all things 80's! Afterwards, form teams for a 'Name that tv show' quiz where players are given a short sound sample of a popular 80's show! Finally, we'll have a game of Wheel of Fortune, where you choose letters to try and solve a word puzzle. Play starts at 7pm when everyone will be placed into teams. Ensure you register for this event in order to receive an email with your link to join on the night! We will be using the online Zoom program and the TriviaMaker gaming software to run the event. TO BOOK: Click Get Tickets, preferably by 3pm on Friday 15th October so you get an invitation email on the day with your link to join the game. If you haven't used Zoom before, be sure to register for a FREE Zoom account prior. See: zoom.us/freesignup TO PLAY: At 7pm on Friday 15th October, click on the Zoom link in your invitation email. (Tip: add a reminder in your phone)! Once you've joined, sit back and relax. Your quiz and game master will run all the behind-the-scenes work. LEADER: Jason T. | Email LeaderJasonT.thenomadsinc@mail.tidyhq.com if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members | Leader Contacts when logged in to the website. HOME   BACK TO LIST OF EVENTS   MEMBERSHIPS  

Although locked down at home, you can still socialise online with Nomads friends using the Trickster Cards program. Groups of four or six players per game can play 500 online - and with video and sound enabled, it's almost like being in the same room!  If you're new to the 500 card game, but would like to learn about it, check out our 500 Cards Tutorial Notes. For some other ideas of things to do during lockdown, see Socialising Online. GRADE: Social.  BOOKING: Click Get Tickets ASAP. You will be asked to specify your experience level, and we'll attempt to group you on a (virtual) table with others of the same level of proficiency. The sooner you book, the better will be your chances of being well matched! Unsure if you've already booked? Click View my bookings. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 7pm online. You will be sent the link by 6pm on Tuesday 12th October to join a game. LEADER: Alan D. | Email LeaderAlanD.thenomadsinc@mail.tidyhq.com if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members | Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.   HOME   BACK TO LIST OF EVENTS   MEMBERSHIPS  

Although locked down at home, you can still socialise online with Nomads friends using the Trickster Cards program. Groups of four or six players per game can play 500 online - and with video and sound enabled, it's almost like being in the same room!  If you're new to the 500 card game, but would like to learn about it, check out our 500 Cards Tutorial Notes. For some other ideas of things to do during lockdown, see Socialising Online. GRADE: Social.  BOOKING: Click Get Tickets ASAP. You will be asked to specify your experience level, and we'll attempt to group you on a (virtual) table with others of the same level of proficiency. The sooner you book, the better will be your chances of being well matched! Unsure if you've already booked? Click View my bookings. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 7pm online. You will be sent the link by 6pm on Saturday 9th October to join a game. LEADER: Alan D. | Email LeaderAlanD.thenomadsinc@mail.tidyhq.com if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members | Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.   HOME   BACK TO LIST OF EVENTS   MEMBERSHIPS  

** This event has had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The exhibition has been extended until January 2022, so hopefully we'll still be able to get there! ** Pound the streets in the historic inner precinct of Ballarat, visiting the multiple locations hosting exhibitions for the 2021 International Foto Biennale. Travel via public transport is possible. GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Easy, approximately 5 km, circuit walk on flat paths.  ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: Ballarat is home to the National Centre for Photography (NCFP) housed in the old Union Bank building on Lydiard Street North. It's the base for the team behind BIFO. The Ballarat International Foto Biennale was founded in 2005 and attracts significant international and Australian photographers as one of Australia's pre-eminent photographic festivals. The multiple exhibitions, both free and ticketed, are housed in various historic buildings, laneways and cafes. Full details of the program are available online at ballaratfoto.org. Most exhibitions are open daily from 10am to 5pm.  The featured ticketed events this year include two international exhibitions: (1) The (late) Linda McCarthy's Retrospective at the Art Gallery of Ballarat, and (2) Notes From A Queer Mystic, an exhibition of work by the late USA artist, Steven F Arnold (1943 to 1994) at the NCFP building. Check ballaratfoto.org for details of purchasing 1-day passes to visit the multiple ticketed events. BOOKING: By Thursday 7th October. To register, click on Get Tickets. Unsure if you've already booked? Click View my bookings. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 10:45am at the Ballarat Railway Station, Lydiard Street North. Travel options are (1) by train (see details below) or (2) driving and parking on the fringes of the Ballarat CBD, as on-street parking in the CBD is time limited and fees are payable on Saturday. MAP REFERENCE: Ballarat Station - Melway map 611 grid A12 | Google map goo.gl/maps/KjS3JEEYfng9UvaE7. DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: 114 km, approximately 1 hour 25 minutes to drive, 1 hour 29 minutes by public transport. PUBLIC TRANSPORT: The trip is on the train departing Southern Cross Station at 9:14am arriving at 10:43am. It's suggested that we gather in the first carriage (North Melbourne end). Return trains depart Ballarat on the hour with afternoon times of 3:20pm, 4:20pm and 5:20pm.  FOOD: A booking will be made for a 12:30pm lunch at Irish Murphy's Hotel, 36 Sturt St, Ballarat for those interested. Otherwise do your own thing in between visiting exhibition sites. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Comfortable walking shoes and dress according to the weather forecast. LEADER: Garry Oliver | Email LeaderGarryO.thenomadsinc@mail.tidyhq.com if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members | Leader Contacts when logged in to the website. Image: Rove.me    HOME | BACK TO LIST OF EVENTS | MEMBERSHIPS  

A number of Nomads travelled to Antarctica in the summer of 2018/19, and would like to share their experiences with us as well as guiding us through the planning process, and of course showing some pics! GRADE: Social - online presentation via Zoom.  ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: Travelling to Antarctica (the 7th continent) requires a lot of planning, and a lot of cash. But there's more than one way to get there. The presenters will discuss some of the different options, and also make some suggestions on places to visit before or after Antarctica. There will of course be many great photos to view also. They'll also make some suggestions for experiencing some of the magic offered by winter wonderlands such as Patagonia of both Argentina and Chile including Punta Arenas and Ushuaia as part of the experience. Delays can occur on trips like this, which could provide an unexpected opportunity to experience more of those other wonderlands than you had bargained on. BOOKING: By 5pm on Friday 8th October. To register, click on Get Tickets. Unsure if you've already booked? Click View my bookings. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 7pm via Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent on Friday afternoon to those who have registered. LEADER: Garry O. | Email LeaderGarryO.thenomadsinc@mail.tidyhq.com if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members | Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.   HOME   BACK TO LIST OF EVENTS   MEMBERSHIPS  

Our quarterly planning night, in conjunction with the regular monthly social night. ** NOTE: Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, this month's planning meeting will be held online via Zoom on Tuesday 5 October, and no pre-planning meeting will be held on Monday 4 October. ** GRADE: Social.  ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: Do you want to see more of a particular activity, or do you have a particularly favourite area of Victoria you would like to share with others? Do you have an idea for something apart from the regular walks? Come along to the planning meeting, and then stay for our monthly social evening where members talk about upcoming events, share a meal and compare notes on past activities. All members are welcome – you don't have to volunteer for an activity. New members are especially invited to this meeting as an orientation to Nomads activities. BOOKING: By Monday 4th October. To register, click on Get Tickets.  Not sure if you've booked already? Click View my bookings. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 7pm via Zoom. The Zoom link will be emailed on Tuesday afternoon to everybody who has registered to attend. LEADER: Garry O. | Email the Leader if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members | Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.   HOME   BACK TO LIST OF EVENTS   MEMBERSHIPS  

** This event has had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 lockdown. It will be run in a future program ** This is a spectacular trail skirting rugged coastline by the waters of Bass Strait. GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Medium 13 km circuit walk.  ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: We follow the Main Creek Trail from the car park to Bushrangers Bay. The eucalypt forest gives way to shady thickets of coastal banksia and then to an isolated sandy beach at Bushrangers Bay. From there we follow the trail to Cape Schanck. We’ll have lunch near the 1850s Lighthouse. After lunch, we return the same way and then hopefully, time permitting, have coffee and cake at Flinders Bakehouse. BOOKING: By Thursday 30th September. To register, click on Get Tickets. View my bookings (log in required). FURTHER INFORMATION: www.bushwalkingblog.com.au/cape-schanck-to-main-creek-return-mornington-peninsula-national-park-victoria-2/. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 11am at the start of the Bushrangers Bay Walk and Cape Schanck Walk. When coming from Cape Schanck, this is in the car park on the right (not the first car park on the left) on Boneo Rd (C777: the Rosebud Flinders Rd) in the Mornington Peninsula National Park.  MAP REFERENCE: Melway map 259 grid K8 | UBD map 513 grid A7 | Google map goo.gl/maps/R48zXxjF9Ty.  DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: 109 km from Melbourne, allow 1.5 hours. FOOD: Bring your own lunch and at least 1 litre of water. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Sturdy walking footwear, dress for the weather forecast and bring a raincoat just in case! LEADER: Cahal F. | Email LeaderCahalF.thenomadsinc@mail.tidyhq.com if you have any questions. Members can access leader contact details under Members | Leader Contacts when logged in to the website.   HOME   BACK TO LIST OF EVENTS   MEMBERSHIPS