Our Club prides itself on providing a variety of tours and visits to numerous places and all are well supported by our members and partners
Visit to Tindo Solar Panel Factory and Mawson Lakes Hotel o 27th September 2023
23 members, wives/partners drove out to Mawson Lakes on a cold, wet morning to be met by a welcoming group of staff, ready and waiting to take us through the plant where they construct the only Australian-made solar panels. What an eye-opening experience this was! This was not what I expected to see in a modern factory. Every process was handled and completed by robotics with occasional workers present to ensure the process was running smoothly and the quality of each panel met their standard. The whole factory was absolutely spotless as any dust or contaminants would affect quality. Completed panels were being processed at one per minute. After the factory tour, morning tea was provided and we were given a presentation by the Managing Director on the beginnings of Tindo, its aims, how it was set up and where it sits in the Australian and Asian market. Finally, it was off around the corner to the Mawson Lakes Hotel for lunch where our group enjoyed and drink and lunch. Everyone agreed that it was one of the best tours they had every done and that, indeed South Australia could thrive in this area of high technology manufacturing
Visit to Old Tailem Town and Beerenberg Farm on 22nd August 2023
43 members, wives/partners, Special Ladies and friends set off bright and early in the Sealink bus for Tailem Bend. Morning tea at Old Tailem Town was followed by a lesson in the 1881 school with 85-year-old Schoolmaster Peter in charge. Any misbehaviour was controlled by threats of the cane. Little did he know when he selected John Stewart out of the audience to be the Regional Inspector that John had a career as a high school teacher and duly got a lecture on the psychology of student corporal punishment! We were then free to wander down memory lane visiting original buildings of the village including the corner store, emporiums, chemist, blacksmith, undertakers and many more. This was followed by a delicious 2-course hot lunch provided by the Hospital Auxiliary. On to the bus and back down the freeway to the Berenberg Farm Shop at Hahndorf. Some had a nice warm coffee and others enjoyed the ice creams and most purchased some of their jars of jams, sauces and meal bases. Then it was back on the bus and home. A fantastic day was had by all and special thanks to Garry James for his superb organisation as usual
Visit to SA Water Desalination Plant, O’Sullivan Beach on 6th July 2023
On a wet, windy and cold morning, 20 members eventually found the entrance and enjoyed a video and bus trip around the various buildings comprising the plants of the Desalination Plant. Hosted by Steph, we took a look into the main building and the huge pipes, pumps and filters which comprise just a small portion of the plant. No wonder it costs $135M per annum to run in maintenance mode! A short drive and we enjoyed an excellent lunch at the Woodcroft Hotel. Thanks to Garry James for organizing an excellent visit
SteamRanger Workshop, Mt Barker 18th May 2023
Bright, Victoria Chalet Tour 14th – 19th May 2023
WOW! WOW! WOW! What a great Tour we had to Bright staying at The Bright Chalet. Arriving at the Adelaide Airport by 6:00am, the 28 Tourers were booked in by the JETSTAR Staff. On arrival at Tullamarine Melbourne we were picked up by the Chalet Bus and had an excellent 300km trip to Bright via the Hume Highway & The Great Alpine Road, arriving in brilliant sunshine. At The Chalet we were greeted by the Owner/Manager Michael, then checked into our comfortable accommodation. Dinner was served at 6:30pm after “Happy Hour”. Every night the Chef’s Extraordinaire supplied delicious Home Style Cooked meals which included 4 different Mains, vegetables & salads with Dessert to die for.
Monday, off to Wandilagong for Morning Tea, a picturesque drive. Then to Bright for Lunch, at the PIE shop followed by a visit to Nightingale Alpine Apples. The Apple Wine was very tasty. Monday night we had a COMEDY NIGHT ~ PARTNERS DELIGHT. Tuesday, up early to 0 degrees, then after breakfast in sunny skies we went on a long curvy drive up to Mt Buffalo. Due to the lack of Government action the magnificent Chalet was not open. But, it was worth the drive with brilliant views of the Valley below. Then to Beechworth for their Famous Bakery Pies, some shopping & a visit to Beechworth Honey & some Yummy Honey Ice-cream. Home through Yackandanda. Wednesday, another big day on the road doing 300kms for the day. A bit warmer this morning 1degree. We went through some beautiful country side to Yarrawonga, which is on the banks of Lake Mulawa. We had a 1 1/2Hr Cruise with a B-B-Q Lunch on the Lake. It was a great day touring. Tonight was QUIZ NIGHT. Thursday, a quiet day only touring locally, but an interesting day with Lunch in Myrtleford. In the morning visiting The Pumpkin Seed Factory & the afternoon to the RED STAG DEER & EMU FARM. Friday & it’s home time, on the road early to Tullamarine – Melbourne with JETSTAR for our flight home.
Overall it was a great 6 day Tour. Bright Chalet, headed by Michael & his Staff were the perfect hosts. Our taste buds were definitely spoilt by the delicious meals cooked & presented every day by Neil & Atherely & staff. We had a great time of FUN & FELLOWSHIP.
COMEDY NIGHT ~ PARTNERS DELIGHT. Winners: PARTNERS DELIGHT: John & Pam Godden – Marty Nieuwenhoven & Trish Hehir.
QUIZ NIGHT. 1st – John & Pam Godden. 2nd – Ruth Shaw & Joan Davies. 3rd – Geoff Aldrich, Steve & Fran Johnston. 4th – Rosalie Lee & Sharyn Kerr. 5th – Valda Linnett & Carolyn Shaw.
RAFFLE WINNERS: 1st Valda Linnett. – 2nd Trish Hehir. 3rd Gail Turley. 4th Elaine Hall. 5th Karuna Millar. 6th Graham Keane.
For more photos from the tour – see the Photo Galleries page
Visit to Australian Space Discovery Centre, Lot 14 North Terrace Adelaide on 13th April 2023
Twenty members visited the Centre on 13th April. Described as an exciting and immersive experience where you can learn all about Australia’s role in space, it certainly lived up to its claims. The Centre has an Endeavour Room which houses interactive space-related exhibitions and numerous hands-on activities. Of
particular interest was the computerized demonstration of space debris and junk orbiting the around the Earth. Did you know that as of 2020, there are 900,000 objects between 1 and 10cm in size floating in orbit around the Earth?
We were shown the Mission Control theatre where we could see staff controlling and monitoring Australia satellites in real time. We saw screening historic rocket launches and space events and real-time space events. We heard how Australia’s space efforts impact our lives and how science, technology and industry are supporting the future of space exploration.
Many thanks to our Life Member, David Jarman for organizing this tour
Visit to Wakefield House, Coromandel Valley, 30th March 2023
About 30 members and wives/partners visited the historic Wakefield House, Coromandel Valley. Fortunately the weather was fine as, due to our large group, we gathered under gazebos set up in the garden by the National Trust of Coromandel Valley and Blackwood. Prior to and during the presentation of the building’s and its owner’s history, we were treated to a delicious country style home-made morning tea of scones, jam and cream, party pies and pasties served with tea/coffee. We then broke into two groups and explored the house which once served as the butchery and the bakehouse on the other side of Sturt Creek.
Visit to Government House, 26th November 2022
A group of members visited Government House and the grounds for a very interesting tour of the building and gardens. Afterwards we had a very lazy lunch at the Strathmore Hotel on North Terrace.
Lakes a Go-Go Tour, 14 – 18th November 2022
What a GREAT 5 days we had touring the Limestone Coast, staying in Mt Gambier at The Arkana Motor Inn. We visited numerous and very interesting attractions over the five days. We enjoyed a cruise on the Glenelg River at Nelson with a delicious morning tea and then onto Port MacDonnell to the very interesting Maritime Museum and Feast’s Motor Museum. A morning at Portland was very interesting with a tour around the town and a ride on the Cable Tram. We then travelled back to Mt Gambier and visited The Limestone Coast Pantry for afternoon tea. The day was topped off with dinner at the South Eastern Hotel, followed by a Quiz Night. The next day we travelled to the Cave Gardens at Tantanoola, the Nangwarry Forest Museum and finished off the day at the Umphertson Sink Hole with a SCRUMPTICOUS afternoon tea. On Friday, we travelled back to Adelaide via Penola where we toured the excellent Mary MacKillop Centre.
Visit to Oaklands Wetlands on Thursday 29th August 2022
16 members of Marion Probus Club went on a guided tour of the Oaklands Wetlands conducted by our Life Member, David Jarman. Oaklands Wetlands is one of 3 Wetlands on the Sturt Creek system.
David provided a comprehensive lecture of the history of the Wetlands before taking us on the tour. He was able to point out many significant points of interest including several gum trees used by the local Aboriginals and the site of the now demolished Oaklands Homestead as well as how the wetlands work in purifying and storing water down into the acquafer and it’s retrieval for watering parks and gardens in the Marion area.
When the tour was completed, members had lunch at the Morphett Arms Hotel. The day was enjoyed by all those who attended
Visit to Patritti Winery, Dovar Gardens, 21st July, 2022
45 members and, partners and visitors enjoyed a beautiful sunny Winter’s morning on Thursday 21st July at Patritti Winery, Dover Gardens SA. We were met with a glass of their Sparkling Chardonnay and enjoyed hearing how Patritti’s was founded in 1926 by Giovanni Patritti and is Adelaide’s only remaining 100% family owned, fully operational urban winery.
A tour of the winery followed where we heard where the grapes were sourced from and how they are processed into their various wine types. This was followed by a sit-down wine tasting accompanied by delicious antipasto platters with a description of the six wines sampled by the winemaker. This was a terrific morning organised by Gary James and greatly appreciated by our members, partners and guests.
Gene & Judy, Hopgood Theatre, Noarlunga, 16th June 2022
Staring Mike Halcron, Sophie Loughran and Matt Hodgraft on the piano
29 Members, partners and Special Ladies enjoyed a delicious morning tea followed by a fantastic live show of singing, dancing and a few gags by the piano man of Judy Garland and Gene Kelly greatest hits from the MGM musicals of the 1950s and 1960s. This was followed by lunch at the Christies Beach Hotel down the road. A truly most enjoyable day.
