Have lunch at Grazeland ("A playground for foodies") then optionally join us for a short circuit walk, ending back near the starting point at 2:45pm ready for the Pride Month Stargayzing Show at ScienceWorks Museum. GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Grade 1: easy walk of up to 5 km (graded according to the AWTGS: Australian Walking Tracks Grading System) plus social events.  ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: We'll meet at Grazeland, 20 Booker St, Spotswood, where according to the Grazeland website you can "tantalise and excite your senses in a unique outdoor dining experience to discover the best of Melbourne's food scene". At Grazeland, you can enjoy some of our city’s best food and also get to enjoy live entertainment! For local headline acts head to The Arch Stage (located next to the Meadow bar), or kick back with the resident DJs at the Metro Stage (next to the metro bar). Grazeland is open from midday to 10pm on Saturdays (as well as 5-10pm on Fridays and midday-9pm on Sundays). Those who would like to go on a short walk passing under the Westgate Bridge and incorporating the mangroves at the nearby Stony Creek Reserve should meet near the information booth at 1:15pm. If you prefer to hang about in Grazeland, soaking up the vibe and enjoying the performances on the two stages, that's absolutely fine. Everybody will meet up again at 2:45pm, at the Planetarium of the Scienceworks Museum this time, to attend the Pride Month Stargayzing Show, and learn about some of the queer stories from space in a special presenter-led Planetarium show. The Scienceworks Museum is located at 2 Booker St, Spotswood (just along the road from Grazeland) and the Planetarium entrance is on the corner of Booker St and Craig St.  BOOKING: For the Nomads: Click on Get Tickets to let us know you're coming along. For the Pride Month Stargayzing Show: Book ASAP via the Science Works Museum: Pride Month Stargayzing Show, and select the 3pm session on Saturday 13 June. Book your Stargayzing tix ASAP to ensure you don't miss out! Unsure if you've already booked with The Nomads? Click View my bookings. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 12:15pm beside the information booth at Grazeland, 20 Booker St, Spotswood. The information booth is quite close to the main entrance, and is marked "i" on the Grazeland map.  MAP REFERENCE: Google map maps.app.goo.gl/sWNZch8RpcahtYki8.  PUBLIC TRANSPORT: It is easy to get to Grazeland (and Scienceworks Museum) by public transport: Train: It's located just a 10 minute walk from the Spotswood Station, on the Werribee and Williamstown lines. From Flinders Street Station, catch the 11:40am Werribee line service that arrives at Spotswood at 11:58am. To get to Booker St from Spotswood Station, walk along Hudsons Rd to the end (then turn left for Grazeland or turn right for Scienceworks). Ferry: Scienceworks is located directly opposite the jetty of the Westgate Punt.  FOOD: There's an enticing selection of food options from all around the world available at Grazeland. COST:  Grazeland: $4 payable at the entrance, plus whatever food you purchase. Pride Month Stargayzing Show: $25 Full, $22 Seniors, $10 Concession. Your ticket gives you entry to Scienceworks Museum for the date of your ticket. Scienceworks is open from 10am to 4:30pm on Saturdays. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Comfortable shoes and dress according to the weather forecast. Solid shoes/boots are required for the walk as parts of the path are rocky, and other parts may be muddy and slippery. LEADER: Alan D. | Email LeaderAlanD@nomads.org.au 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  

Do you enjoy cycling, and are you sometimes free on Wednesdays? You're welcome to join the Nomads Wednesday cyclists. ** See Archive - Wednesday Bike Rides for the upcoming Wednesday's cycling details (posted on the prior Monday night). ** GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Rides are of varying length and difficulty, mostly in metro Melbourne, but sometimes in Regional Victoria. The typical distance is between 30 and 50 km, though there are usually options to either extend or shorten the ride. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: Time off on Wednesdays? Join a small group of Nomads and friends for a leisurely cycle on trails around metro Melbourne, and occasionally into Regional Victoria, usually on the third Wednesday of the month. Emphasis is on the social aspect, not on breaking world speed records! All rides are designed to either start in central Melbourne, or to start and finish close to train stations. The rides usually start at around 10:30am to avoid needing to travel with bikes on trains in peak hour. We often meet in, or near, a cafe so you can have a coffee prior to starting the ride if you wish. We generally have lunch in a cafe or pub along the way, though occasionally you will need to bring a picnic lunch if there are no suitable options available - in that case the ride description will clearly indicate the need to BYO lunch. The upcoming ride details are emailed to everybody on the Wednesday Cyclists Mailing List, usually on the prior Monday evening, by which time the weather forecast for Wednesday is fairly reliable. That way, a ride can be chosen to suit the forecast, for example to keep the wind behind us as much as possible, and to ensure there are bailout train station options if there’s a likelihood of rain. (Tip: the details are also added at the start of the Archive - Wednesday Bike Rides document).  If you have any additional enquiries or requests, email Chris Stewart on LeaderChrisS@nomads.org.au. If you're not sure whether your bike fitness level will match, contact Chris to plan your first foray. BOOKING: MAILING LIST: To join the mailing list so that you receive an email (usually on Monday evening) about the upcoming Wednesday ride, click on Get Tickets in this event. (Afterwards click the "+" to set the number of tickets to 1, click Checkout and follow the prompts to provide your contact details). You only need to do this once. If you decide in future that you don't wish to receive the weekly emails, just email LeaderChrisS@nomads.org.au to be taken off the mailing list. RIDING: When you plan to ride, please put your name in a free cell of the Wednesday Attendees spreadsheet on the day prior (be sure to click out of the cell afterwards, so that your name gets automatically saved). If a blank cell has a coloured box around it, somebody else is currently entering their name in that cell, so select the next cell instead. Your first name plus the first letter of your surname will suffice. If having difficulty, just reply to the email or email LeaderChrisS@nomads.org.au. COST: Free. Note that for most Nomads activities, visitors need to pay a small fee, but as an introductory offer that fee is waived for the monthly social nights and the regular Wednesday and Friday bike rides - a way for you to meet some club members and find out a little more about the club. After attending 5 or more rides, you will be asked to become a member though. FURTHER INFORMATION: Please see Cycling Tips for some things to consider prior to hopping on your bike. LEADER: Chris S. | Email LeaderChrisS@nomads.org.au 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  

Join fellow dark beer lovers to enjoy an afternoon of tasting a selection of 30 dark beers on offer from 14 independent Victorian craft breweries.  GRADE | TYPE: Social, with a short walk in Ballarat. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: Back for its third year, Obsidian Dark Beer Festival strives to curate an exceptional selection of dark beers, ranging from stouts and porters to black IPAs and barrel-aged specialties. They believe in promoting the exploration and appreciation of these rich, complex, and often underrepresented beer styles. Celebrating the rich tapestry of dark beer styles, weaving together the warmth of community, the depth of flavour, and the spirit of discovery. They aspire to create an unforgettable experience in the heart of Ballarat, where enthusiasts and novices alike come together to explore the dark side of Victoria's craft brewing. Born out of the depths of a brisk Ballarat winter, Obsidian serves as a gathering place for both established and emerging breweries. Your ticket gives you a memento glass, entertainment and unlimited beer tastings. There are also Offsider tickets available, which give you a memento glass and entertainment, but no beer tastings. You can also purchase merchandise, palate cleansing spirits, cocktails and food offerings. BOOKING: Please book both a Nomads and an Obsidian ticket: NOMADS: Please get a free ticket via Get Tickets so we know who is attending, and can coordinate the group. Unsure if you've already booked with The Nomads? Click View my bookings. OBSIDIAN: Please book your event ticket via the Hullabaloo Events website for the 11am to 3pm session. Ticket sales commence at 10am on Wednesday 1st April. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: From Melbourne: 9.00am at Southern Cross Station to catch the 9:15am service to Ballarat, or anywhere en route, arriving at 10:41am. In Ballarat: 10:55am at Ballarat Mining Exchange, 6 Lydiard St North, Ballarat Central. MAP REFERENCE: Ballarat Mining Exchange - Google map: maps.app.goo.gl/FPRqZd1HpnvT4dL96 (350 metres from the station). DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: 125 km, approximately 1 hour 40 minutes by car, but travel by V/Line train is recommended (1 hour 30 minutes). PUBLIC TRANSPORT: If travelling from Melbourne, catch the Wendouree V/Line service departing from Southern Cross at 9:15am, arriving in Ballarat at 10:41am. For the return journey, we plan to catch the service departing Ballarat at 3:24pm, arriving at Southern Cross at 4:52pm. *Note the train time table may change closer to the event. COST:  Obsidian Dark Beer Fest: 1st release tix: $85 plus $3.11 bf (until sold out, number of tickets unknown) 2nd release tix: $95 plus $3.11 bf Offsider tix*: $45 plus $2.01 bf (*want to join the group, but not a fan of beer? This ticket will provide you entry to the festival, festival glass & access to all the entertainment, WITHOUT any samples of beer included).   Public Transport: Ballarat is in the Myki fare zone. Weekend fares to anywhere in Victoria are capped at $8.00 full | $4.00 concession. FOOD: Lunch can be purchased at the event. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Comfortable walking shoes and dress according to the weather forecast.  LEADER: Stephan C. | Email LeaderStephanC@nomads.org.au 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