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Centenary parties, magpie deterrent helmets, and daylight savings: 1 - 8 Oct
Published 2 months ago • 11 min read
Hellooo, and welcome to October!
(Pinch and a punch!)
This week we're rolling through daylight savings as we head into (hopefully) warmer weather, and I'm thinking it would be nice if we could say goodbye to these wild winds of late as well. Not sure if you agree, but in my (humble) experience, September is usually a beast in terms of wind, and I'd be glad to have a bit of break from them, so hopefully they'll calm somewhat moving forward....
This week as the first week of the month has a bumper market weekend ahead, there's some cool things as noted in last weeks' edition coming up later in October, but for now we've got you covered to sort out your plans for this week. Let's hop to it, shall we?
Know about an upcoming event, and think we need to know about it? Email us to give us a heads up, or submit an event here
Cue Up: this week's Events
West
James and the Giant Peach Wednesday 1 October 2025 – 11 am & 3 pm; Thursday 2 October – 3 pm & 7 pm; Friday 3 October – 11 am | West Gippsland Arts Centre, Warragul Roald Dahl’s classic pops with school-holiday sparkle from Warragul Youth Theatre.
Hall Stories Saturday 4 October 2025 – evening | West Gippsland Arts Centre, Warragul Tales and tunes celebrating our country halls and the communities that keep them beating.
Dancing in the Shadows of Motown Saturday 4 October 2025 – 7:30 pm | West Gippsland Arts Centre, Warragul A ten-piece soul storm through the Motown songbook—dress for dancing.
Katie Noonan – Jeff Buckley’s Grace Tour Sunday 5 October 2025 – 7 pm | West Gippsland Arts Centre, Warragul Ethereal vocals meet a cult classic—Sunday night chills.
South + Bass
Lyrebird Presents at Meeniyan – DUG (with Ally Row) Saturday 4 October 2025 – 7:00 pm | Meeniyan Town Hall, 97 Whitelaw Street, Meeniyan Irish-American duo DUG land in Meeniyan with harmony-rich Americana, clawhammer banjo, and fiddle flair.
Beatles Legacy Saturday 4 October 2025 – 9 pm | Westernport Hotel, San Remo A big night of Beatles bangers by the bay.
Perfect Days – Sale Film Society Wednesday 1 October 2025 – 7:30 pm | The Wedge (John Leslie Theatre), Sale Wim Wenders’ gentle gem on the big screen—midweek movie fix.
Bairnsdale Lapidary Club Biennial Gem Show Saturday 4 – Sunday 5 October 2025 | Lucknow Hall, Lucknow Lapidary heaven with gems, minerals and fossicking inspo for rockhounds.
Adopt a Cutie / Fur-Friend
New section alert - trying this one on for size, and because its also 100% for a good cause.....if any of these fur-pals appeal to you, we've included links below so you can connect with the folks who do an incredible job of taking care of these cuties, and maybe you'll become one of their new forever homes.
West:Liquorice is a young pocket panther in training, all paws and personality (and so damn cute!) Apply today.
Liquorice
Central:Noodle is a medium sized energiser battery ready to get busy as a working dog, but also absolutely loves people and dogs alike. Apply here.
Noodle
Wildlife:Our Haven Wildlife Shelter are a local crew from Stradbroke in Wellington Shire, they do incredible work rescuing and releasing our native wildlife. If you're not in the market for furred pals of your own, but want to support a great charity, we're sharing a link to donate to Our Haven right here.
This week we've found a couple of promising looking properties in Orbost:
The Little Legend at 19 Clarke Street, Orbost VIC 3888
This one is a proper old-soul on a whopping 945 m² section, right in a quiet pocket that locals swear is the best street in town (well okay, I don't know that for sure but it definitely could be). A circa 1895 weatherboard charmer with high ceilings, picture rails, and open fireplace, and a big farmhouse-style kitchen where tea-and-cake chats are pretty much compulsory. Some sensible upgrades are already done (newer roof, concrete stumps, RC air-con, HWS, gas oven), plus a new deck and a double garage out back. It boasts three good bedrooms, a lounge and study, a sun-sleepout vibe, and garden space for veggies or a citrus mini-orchard. This one is low-fuss and high-heart, and priced to actually let you do the fun bits.
All hail 45.85 acres (18.55 ha) of elevated outlooks, with a 4-bedroom brick homestead wrapped in verandas and views that run from Mt Raymond across the Marlo flats to the Snowy River, with the Southern Ocean winking beyond. This one is set up for horses and cattle with 8 electric-fenced paddocks complete with mains-water troughs, stables & tack room, horse round yard (sprinklers + arena lighting), cattle yards with undercover crush & loading ramp, and two big sheds. Inside: a bright family kitchen, huge living space with wood heater + A/C, a cellar and a primary suite with WIR + spa ensuite. Add the 12×6 m four-car carport and a giant entertaining pod on the deck for golden-hour dinners. Just five minutes east of town, you also get a lifetime of “how’s this for serenity?” built in.
Two long, skinny fingers of land reach into a lake like a DIY measuring stick.
Built grain by grain—sediment lays down during quiet flows, then tidied by flood surges.
You can literally drive along the south bank from Eagle Point to the tip.
Answer at the end of the newsletter
🕰️ From the Archives — “Who gets the party?”
Dateline: 12 October 1933, published in the Gippsland Times. With Gippsland’s centenary looming, a bold push to hold the big celebration in Sale sparked the debate: was it a terrific idea… or simply too unwieldy? The paper reports a spirited back-and-forth between ambition and practicality, about how (and where) to the region would mark 100 years of Gippsland life. This was classic regional politics of the time: one part pride, one part logistics, and all parts passionate.
Where the party landed: After the October 1933 hand-wringing, Sale did take the lead. Through late 1933 the local Centenary Committee locked in plans, and by 1934 Sale hosted a string of centenary events: a Women’s Centenary Exhibition, a Centenary cycle race through town, and even a royal moment when the Duke of Gloucester rolled into Sale during Victoria’s big centenary tour.
Check In
🌅 Sunrise / Sunset
So our sunrise/sunset times are a bit wacky this week as we have daylight savings changing things around right in the middle of everything...... Also note that the times included are taken from Traralgon, as it's a large region your local sunrise & sunset time might vary by just a couple of minutes. As the days get longer, the exact time continues to shift slightly as we head towards the summer solstice.
Wed 1 Oct: ~5:48 am / 6:18 pm AEST
Sun 5 Oct: clocks jump to AEDT (DST begins)
Wed 8 Oct: around 6:39 am / 7:24 pm AEDT
🌕 Moon & Celestial Events
Full Moon on 7 October at ~1:47 pm AEST (100% illumination). It's the big, bright Harvest Moon week for us; expect brilliant moonlight both Tue and Wed nights.
Meteors: no major southern-hemisphere peaks this week; save your wishes for later this month (Orionids around Oct 21–22), which should be visible in Victoria.
Planets:
Saturn: excellent in the evening sky (Pisces), still well-placed post-opposition & crisp in binoculars/small scopes.
Neptune: up all night, but definitely a telescope target.
Jupiter: rising late-night into pre-dawn in the east; bright and easy to spot before sunrise.
Venus: low and tricky to see pre-dawn; hugging that clear eastern horizon.
🔭Later this month
Orionid meteor shower peaks Oct 21–22 (good to view from the Southern Hemisphere).
Two potentially bright comets (C/2025 R2 SWAN & C/2025 A6 Lemmon) may be visible around Oct 20–23, lining up with Orionids and a dark-sky window. This might be one to watch, as forecasts firm up.
Go The Distance: 7 Great Rides
Spring’s here, the days are longer, and your bike is giving you some serious “let’s roll” side-eye (or maybe you just know you've been neglecting your bike and it's time to get back on it!).
This week we’ve lined up a few Gippsland bike routes that keep it breezy, featuring some rail-trails, coastal ribbons and quiet country lanes, several also come complete with café bribes, some beautiful views, and freshness and zing to make you feel electric (or just generally alive). Pick your loop, pump up your tyres, cross your fingers the magpies will play it cool (or wear your 'outdoor best' complete with zip-tie protrusions on your helmets), and chase one of these fresh-air rushes.
Great Southern Rail Trail: Koonwarra ⇄ Meeniyan (South Gippsland) Distance: ~8 km one way (≈16 km return) A gentle sealed–gravel return past eucalypts, little bridges and a big Tarwin River crossing into Meeniyan. Cafés at both ends make it an easy out-and-back; spring adds lamb-spotting and soft morning mist in the gullies. Trail details here
Bass Coast Rail Trail: Wonthaggi ⇄ Kilcunda (Bass Coast) Distance: ~13 km one way (≈26 km return) Panoramic Bass Strait views without the highway stress, finishing near the photogenic trestle outlook by Kilcunda. Add a short extension toward Anderson for more cliff-top drama—tide and breeze can make the same ride feel brand new. Peep the trail here
Inverloch ⇄ Cape Paterson Coastal Road (Bass Coast) Distance: ~10.8 km one way (≈22 km return) A scenic, slightly rolling coastal ribbon with wide horizons and sea-breeze therapy. Go early on a low-wind morning for a blue-on-blue cruise; refuel with something warm at either end. Trail on Ride with GPS
Gippsland Plains Rail Trail: Heyfield ⇄ Maffra (Wellington) Distance: ~14.7–14.8 km one way (≈30 km return incl. town detours) Flat, easy gravel through dairy country and Macalister River flats—big skies, birdlife and that gentle rail-grade rhythm. Bakeries and the GVC “Maffra Shed” tempt a longer stop before you roll back. Walking Maps trail listing here
Sale City Loop: Lake Guthridge → Thomson River bank → floodplain trails (Wellington) Distance: ~14.4 km return (loop) Stitch together smooth paths around Lakes Guthridge & Guyatt with levee-top and riverside sections for a flat urban–nature circuit. Expect pelicans, swans and late-arvo golden light across the wetlands. Map here
Lakes Entrance Foreshore & North Arm Loops (East Gippsland) Distance: ~4.5 km one way on the foreshore path (mix-and-match spurs for 6–12 km total) Link the foreshore shared path, marina edges and North Arm paths for a breezy, low-effort spin with constant water views. Early starts = glassy water and boats puttering out; with coffee never far off, what an absolute delight! Details here
Metung ⇄ Nungurner Inlet Lanes (East Gippsland) Distance: ~18–20 km loop typical; shorter out-and-backs 14–15 km A meandering amble up and down some hills, with lake glimpses, kookaburras and “boats-at-anchor” calm. Hit up the bakery back in Metung to make for a perfect finish. Sample loop on Ride with GPS
Know about an upcoming market, and think we need to share it? Email us to give us a heads up, or submit a market here
Cue Up: this week's Markets
Jindivick Country Market Saturday 4 October 2025 – 9 am–1 pm | Jindivick Public Hall, 1065 Jacksons Track, Jindivick Country charm, local makers, fresh produce.
Trafalgar Farmers Market Saturday 4 October 2025 – 9 am–1 pm | McGregor Park, Trafalgar First-Saturday produce, pantry top-ups and bakes.
Koonwarra Farmers Market Saturday 4 October 2025 – 8:30 am–12:30 pm | Koonwarra Memorial Park Locavore heaven: growers, makers, good coffee.
Churchill Island Farmers’ Market Saturday 4 October 2025 – 8 am–1 pm | 246 Samuel Amess Dr, Churchill Island Island breezes and farm-fresh stalls.
Jumbunna Bush Market Sunday 5 October 2025 – 9 am–1 pm | Jumbunna Community Hall Homestead vibes, craft and home-grown goodies.
Kongwak Market Sunday 5 October 2025 – 10 am–2 pm | 1487 Korumburra–Wonthaggi Rd, Kongwak Every-Sunday vintage + produce favourite.
Heyfield Market Saturday 4 October 2025 – from 8 am | St James’ Church, Temple St, Heyfield Variety market: plants, bakes, bits-n-bobs.
Maffra Community Market (Rotary) Sunday 5 October 2025 – 9 am–12:30 pm | Island Reserve, McMahon Dr, Maffra Friendly Sunday browse with produce and craft.
Orbost Community Market Saturday 4 October 2025 – morning | Vacant block next to the Top Pub, Nicholson St, Orbost Grass-roots stalls run by locals for locals.
Lakes Entrance Foreshore Market Sunday 5 October 2025 – 9 am–3 pm | Foreshore rotunda, Lakes Entrance Seaside stroll with stalls; supports the Surf Life Saving Club.
Occasionally weather events can cause changes to markets, but Facebook is pretty reliable if you want to check that things are going ahead as planned.
And with that we've come to the end of this week's edition - plenty to get on with and hopefully plenty of inspiration for you to make some great plans.
Last little bits:
Advertise with us and get the word out on your awesome business by taking up our intro offers here (paid)
Tell us about events and things you know are happening so we can spread the word (free) - or email us, or message us on socials - whatever works for you.
Email us if you have suggestions, or if you'd love to talk to us about what you do, who you are, or toot someone else's horn so we can feature you (or them) (free)
Share your referral code (at the bottom of this email) with mates/enemies/your favourite local barista below (free, for them, and you).
Trivia - B. There's a short walk in the East Gippsland Snowy River National Park which takes you to overlooking the Little River Gorge, the deepest gorge in Victoria.
Hidden Tracks: Mitchell River Silt Jetties, Eagle Point. This is one of the world’s longest digitate deltas of over 8 km feeding into Lake King, and the longest in the Southern Hemisphere. Digitate deltas are formed out of 'finger-like' bars (aka bar-fingers, because they were apparently super literal with how they named things) over thousands of years.
A$5.00
Smashed Avo Fund
We’re hunting down Mrs. T’s secret lamington stash🔎 and eavesdropping on the pub’s latest buzz — so you don’t have to. ... Read more
If you live in Gippsland..... get the good stuff, no static.🦘🚗🌳
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Dropping every Wednesday morning, just in time to save your weekend plans. Get local events, new eats, weird gigs, small-town heroes, pop-ups, markets, and the odd wombat fact — all in one inbox hit. Subscribe for free⬇️
Read more from If you live in Gippsland..... get the good stuff, no static.🦘🚗🌳
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