Events

Our regular monthly social night - this month at the Junction Club in Moonee Ponds.  GRADE: Social.  ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: The Nomads hold a social night each month, where members and guests can enjoy a meal, talk about upcoming events, compare notes on past activities and float ideas on events they would like to see run. Everyone is welcome to these monthly Nomads social evenings. Tuesday night is Lasange night at $20 plus pot of beer or house wine for $5. See the Junction Club Menu (scroll down) for other options. They also have a seniors menu. BOOKING: By Sunday 8th November. To register, click on Get Tickets. Unsure whether you've booked already? Click View my bookings. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 7pm at the Junction Club, 740 Mount Alexander Rd, Moonee Ponds. MAP REFERENCE: Google map maps.app.goo.gl/VmZhjqUhFnbjMKWQ9. PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Take tram #59 (Flinders Street Station to Airport West) to stop 32. Alternatively, the Junction Club is a 640m walk from Moonee Ponds Station, on the Craigieburn line. LEADER: Paul K | Email LeaderPaulK@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  

A warm invitation to join Wayne and Bryan on their (pretty) regular fortnightly Sunday morning ride from Kooyong to Hampton and Mordialloc, with a coffee somewhere in the final section of the ride.   GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Ride distance is approx 34 km from Kooyong to Hampton station. 48 km if you ride to Mordialloc. You add on your ride distance to home - or catch the train back from Hampton or Mordy.  ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: This is a 'working-on-our-riding-fitness' ride. We do it every second Sunday morning - more or less. We begin at Kooyong Tennis Stadium at 7.25am and take Gardiners Creek Trail into the city. You are free to join at several points along the way. Kooyong (7.25am); Birrarung Marr Walk (7.50am); Port Melbourne Beach (8.40am). We ride the same route each time. We pick up Gardiners Creek at Kooyong Tennis Centre Glenferrie Road and ride to Birrarung Marr Walk, then through Southbank onto Lorimer Street - Westgate Park to Port Melbourne, Beaconsfield Parade to St Kilda and Beach Road to Hampton, then onto Mordialloc. We ride on trails, on quiet roads and a choice of bike path or road from Port Melbourne to Hampton and Mordialloc. For the Beach Road section, riders choose whichever option (bike path or road) they are most comfortable with.  We don't stop much on the ride apart from road crossings at lights and a toilet stop in Westgate Park. Oh Yeah :) We ride at a steady pace. We surge a bit down Lorimer Street. We take it carefully on Beach Road or bike paths where there are other forms of traffic (runners/ walkers/cyclists/cars etc). Coffee is for about 30 mins, then we move on. Post-coffee choices are to head home on your bike or catch the train. It's a morning ride and we aim to be back home by 11.00 - 11.30am. The rest of the day is yours and you're feeling great, having done a beautiful Sunday morning Melbourne ride.  BOOKING: We communicate via SMS if required, such as - "it's raining we're not going" or "good weather - we're on!". This generally happens on the morning of the ride. Early. Around 6.30am. Check your messages before you leave home. If you are keen to join this ride email Bryan and we can exchange numbers for communication purposes. Proposed ride dates at this stage are 12 & 26 July; 23 & 30 August; 13 September. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: Gardiner's Creek( next to Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club) at 7.25am. Birrarung Marr Walk at 7.50am. Port Melbourne Roundabout at 8.40am. Let us know via SMS if you want to join us at one of these pick up points. MAP REFERENCE: Google map of the route: Kooyong Tennis Centre - Fed Square - Westgate Park - Hampton - Mordialloc. PUBLIC TRANSPORT: The ride interlinks with trains at Flinders Street, Hampton and Mordialloc stations. FOOD: Water, rain gear, tube/pump, phone, helmet, glasses, $ for coffee/muffin APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Your riding gear. You know the drill.  LEADER: Bryan S. | Email Bryan on LeaderBryanS@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  

** Accommodation is tight, please get a Waiting List ticket and indicate exactly your preferences. We will actively try to make it happen. ** The event is a mixed social and bushwalking event, based on accommodation at Cosela Alpine Lodge and walks on the Bogong High Plains. We have booked out the Cosela Alpine Club in Falls Creek for four nights over the 2026 Melbourne Cup weekend and will do day walks on the Bogong High Plains from that base.  GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Various. The walks will be selected based on the weather forecast plus the abilities and wishes of the attendees. It will also be possible to do easier self-guided walks closer to the Falls Creek village. WALK OPTIONS: There are a great number of walks available in this very special region. The walks actually selected will depend on the weather forecast plus the abilities and wishes of the attendees. The following links give some examples, but there are many available options: Victoria's High Country: The High Country - Walks around Bogong High Plains and Mountain Creek. AllTrails: Bogong High Plains Loop. AllTrails: Best Trails in Bogong. ACCOMMODATION: We have booked out the entire Cosela Alpine Lodge. The lodge is centrally located in the Falls Creek Village. (In winter it provides ski-in, ski-out access to the snow fields). The deal is for Friday + Saturday + Sunday + Monday nights (i.e. four nights). If not present for part of the period, you still need to pay for the full period.  There are two standards of accommodation: Standard Rooms (with shared bathrooms) and Premium Rooms (each with an ensuite bathroom). There will be a 20% surcharge for Premium Rooms. The cost for a queen bed is double the cost for a single bed/bunk. All attendees need to bring their own sheets, pillowcase and towel. The bed cost will depend on the number of attendees - the more attending, the cheaper the cost for everybody.  BED COST: STANDARD Single Bed: $205 | PREMIUM Single Bed: $245 | STANDARD QUEEN bed: $410 | PREMIUM QUEEN bed: $490. In rooms with single beds, two beds can be pushed together to form a double bed.  The room quality varies somewhat. Rooms will be allocated on a best-available basis in the order that bookings are received (for the requested room type). Above Photo: Communal area in Cosela Lodge. The Lodge has room duties that need to be completed every day so the lodge is kept clean and tidy. So be prepared to clean bathrooms, vacuum, sweep and mop floors. Those that choose an ensuite room only need to clean their own bathroom before leaving.   BOOKING: To join this weekend you need to book ASAP by clicking Get Tickets. Places will be allocated in the order of registration. Cancellations within a month of the event will only receive a refund if somebody else is able to take your place. If you find the event is fully booked, please take out a free WAITING LIST ticket and you will be contacted (in the order of ticketing) if a bed becomes available. This event is not open to Visitors (but Visitors can take out a 1-month membership, cost $8, prior to booking).  Unsure if you've already booked? Click View my bookings. Booking Guide: When booking, you will be asked the following questions: Optional: Name of the PARTNER you wish to share a BED with? You will only be asked this if booking a Queen bed. Further details about what you want? You can use this free text field to make any special requests. For example, you might list the people, other than a named partner, who you wish to share your room with; or you might request a private room with your partner. Dietary Needs. You will be asked to select from the available options to assist with planning, so that attendees can be grouped into appropriate food teams. How are you travelling to the event? & My Suburb: Please select the appropriate option so that we can maximise car pooling. SAFETY POINTS: APPAREL: Walkers must carry enough clothing and gear for all weather eventualities irrespective of the starting weather and forecast, as mountain weather can change very rapidly; you should wear comfortable walking boots or shoes and carry a minimum of a sun hat, a warm hat and a rain and wind proof jacket.   BRIEFING: A briefing will be given each day about the planned walks. FOOD & MEALS: There are very limited options for purchasing food in the Falls Creek Village in summer, so it is essential for us to bring all food and drink needs with us. Due to the limited kitchen space, the attendees will be divided into four teams, with each team providing a three-course meal on one of the four evenings. The ingredients for the evening meals will be organised collectively, but bring your own breakfasts, lunches, drinks and snacks for all days. During the walks it is essential you carry your own lunch, snacks and at least 1 litre of water. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: Arrival time is from 3pm Friday onwards at Cosela Alpine Lodge, 5 Snowgum Lane, Falls Creek. MAP REFERENCE: Google map goo.gl/maps/V7fBUEiNBb62. DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: 391 km, 4.5 hours. GETTING THERE: To drive from Melbourne, take the Hume Freeway (M31) to Wangaratta then the Great Alpine Road (B500), turning off to Mt Beauty. There are train/coach services from Melbourne to Mt Beauty, but in summer the options for getting from Mt Beauty up the mountain to Falls Creek are very limited.   LEADER: Les B. and Stephan C. | Email LeaderLesB@nomads.org.au or 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  

Please Note: This event will be rescheduled to Sunday 25th October if there is poor weather forecast for Saturday 24th October. This is a day event only. Please respect the wishes of the host that no provisions for overnight stay at the property will be made before or after the event. Enjoy a naturist day out, walking in the beautiful and spectacular country near Lancefield courtesy of one of our Nomads members who has a farm in the area. Meet at the farm for morning tea, coffee and refreshments before the hike. We are planning an optional BYO BBQ dinner for those wishing to extend their stay on the farm into the evening.  GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Grade 2: Moderate 6-8 km circuit walk in quite hilly open country (graded according to the AWTGS: Australian Walking Tracks Grading System). Walking is on 4WD tracks, animal pads and through grassy paddocks. Please ensure that you are fit enough to hike 6-8 km up and down hills, and over sometimes rocky and slippery terrain. Please contact one of the event leaders if you have any concerns. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: We will meet at the farm property. Tea, coffee and refreshments will be available when you arrive. After introductions and the briefing for the day, the group will carpool about 3 km on good gravel and bitumen roads to the start of the walk on a neighbouring farm property. Clothes can be shed once we park the cars at the designated location on the neighbouring farm. We will walk for a while to build our appetites and then stop for lunch at a good spot with a view. After lunch, we continue our exploration of the picturesque farm and the spectacular rock boulder formations before returning to our cars to drive back to the farmhouse. There you can have tea, coffee, nibbles and a drink while enjoying the lovely open fire if the weather is cool before departing for home or staying on for the optional dinner. For those wishing to stay on, the optional BBQ dinner has been planned around 6pm. BYO meat and drinks and anything else you wish to contribute. Salads, bread, sauce, tea, coffee etc will be provided. The BBQ dinner is planned to wind up around 10:30pm. BOOKING: By Thursday 22nd October. To register click on Get Tickets. Unsure if you've already booked? Click View my bookings. MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 10:45am at the farm, which is 14 km north of Lancefield. The exact address will be sent out on Friday 23rd October to all those who have registered by 11pm on Thursday 22nd October. Please do not arrive before 10:00am on the day, to give the host enough time to finish preparing for our arrival. MAP REFERENCE: Google maps goo.gl/maps/y5sn4nWk3PpjFjBVA (approx location).  DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: 82 km, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to drive. If you are returning home at dusk it is safer to drive at 60 km/h or less (between the farm and Lancefield and Kilmore-Lancefield Rd) and keep an eye out for wombats and kangaroos on the road when driving via that route. Please be alert to the possibility of wildlife on any of the country roads and drive accordingly. PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE WITH TRANSPORT: Public transport will only get you to Lancefield, 14 km short of the farm so is not a practical option. Anyone without transport to or from the property can seek the limited assistance of LeaderMichaelJ@nomads.org.au to co-ordinate a pick-up using the following procedure: 1   The person seeking a lift needs to email LeaderMichaelJ@nomads.org.au requesting assistance with transport. 2   The email is to contain the full name, mobile phone number and pick up suburb requested. 3   A person requesting a lift must agree that their full name, mobile phone number and pick up suburb be provided to all people registered to attend the event. 4   LeaderMichaelJ@nomads.org.au will email all participants as at the time of the request and provide full name, mobile phone number and pick up suburb for the person requesting a lift. 5   It is up to those who receive the email to decide if they will be prepared to provide a lift and make their own arrangements directly with the person who seeks a lift as per the provided details. 6   If no one contacts the person seeking a lift, then unless they are able to make other arrangements, they will be unable to attend the event. 7   There will be no other coordination of lifts provided by the event leaders. Please understand that we are extremely busy arranging other events and with life in general.  8   Anyone who has purchased a ticket but is unable to attend due to not having transport will be entitled to a refund of ticket cost. FOOD: Carry lunch, snacks and water for your day out in the country. If after the walk you'd like cheese, biscuits, nibbles and a drink other than tea or coffee, could you please bring a contribution. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Sunhat and sunscreen. Sunglasses could be useful. A warm top and beanie if there is a fresh breeze. If the day should unfortunately be a bit cool, feel free to put on clothes to keep yourself comfortable. Wear walking shoes or boots suitable for hiking on 4WD tracks, animal tracks and through the paddocks. As this is a naturist event, we ask that everyone brings a towel to sit when at the house. No bare bums on seats please. WEATHER REPORT: The nearest town to get an appropriate weather forecast is Pyalong, just north of the Great Dividing Range. LEADER: Jason T. and Michael J. | Email Jason on LeaderJasonT@nomads.org.au  or Michael on LeaderMichaelJ@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  

A walk from Spotswood to Williamstown Beach via the Bay Trail West.  GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Grade 2: Moderate 12.2 km point to point walk (graded according to the AWTGS: Australian Walking Tracks Grading System).  ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: We walk along Hall Street to the Westgate Bridge where we join the Stoney Creek Walk to the Yarra River which we then follow for 3 km to its mouth, and will be viewed from Greenwich Reserve. Continuing on, we arrive at Williamstown for our lunch stop. After lunch we go via Point Gellibrand to Williamstown Beach, with time for a swim and or refreshments. It is then a short walk to the station for our train home. BOOKING: By Friday 16th October. To register click on Get Tickets. Unsure if you've already booked? Click View my bookings. FURTHER INFORMATION: Transport Victoria |  Customs House Hotel MEETING TIME | LOCATION: 10:30am near Spotswood Station in Hall Street near Hudsons Rd (level crossing).  MAP REFERENCE: Google map goo.gl/jKGccXiRzNYEMGLD8. DISTANCE | TIME FROM GPO: 10.2 km, approximately 18 minutes by train from Flinders Street Station. PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Catch the 10am Werribee train from Flinders Street to Spotswood, arriving 10:18am. Return train is from Williamstown Beach. Fares are at 1/2 price - myki money weekend daily cap is Full $4.00, Concession $2.00 & Seniors FREE. FOOD: If you would like something to eat or drink before the walk, plan to arrive 30 to 60 minutes earlier. There are several cafes along Hudsons Rd, Spotswood to choose from. Carry snacks and 1 to 2 litres of water. Lunch will be at the Customs House Hotel, Williamstown See Menu, including seniors menu or BYO for lunch in Commonwealth Reserve, opposite the hotel. Please select the "Pub Lunch" or "BYO lunch" option when Getting Ticket. APPAREL | FOOTWEAR: Comfortable walking boots/shoes and dress according to the weather forecast. Bathers if warm enough for a dip at Williamstown Beach. LEADER: Paul K | Email LeaderPaulK@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