Spring is in the Air at the Next Great Glenorchy Getaway Day

Spring is in the Air at the Next Great Glenorchy Getaway Day

Getaway with the family to Glenorchy on Saturday, 16th September to celebrate “The Gifts of Spring”

GLENORCHY, NEW ZEALAND, 6 September 2017 – Spring is in the air at this month’s Great Glenorchy Getaway Day on Saturday, 16th September, where visitors and residents of Central Otago will get an early heads up how to raise spring seeds, prepare a nourishing spring garden, and get the buzz on beekeeping and caring for hens at home.

The theme this month is “The Gifts of Spring.” Headlining the event are Riverton couple Robyn and Robert Guyton , who are living the good life off their two-acre permaculture food forest they planted than 25 years ago. Featured on TVNZ’s Country Calendar, the Guyton’s food forest now boasts more than 120 fruit trees including 80 different types of apple trees and 60 types of gooseberries, and includes than 480 different species of plants. Robyn and Robert harvest fruit over 10 months of the year, have run Riverton’s South Coast Environment Centre for over 20 years and write for the New Zealand Gardener.

Mrs Woolly’s General Store is hosting the day-long Great Glenorchy Getaway Day from 10am to 8pm, and the workshops, music, market stalls, family activities and Camp Glenorchy tours are all free. Mrs Woolly’s BBQ Brunch Buns and delicious Mrs Woolly’s Shepherd’s Pies will be offered all day and a range of over a dozen market stalls will showcase heritage seeds, native plants, preserves, wine and food, jewelry and crafts. The award-winning Wild Earth Catering is running a stall during the day, doing a tasting of Wild Earth Wines’ spring release wines and preparing the evening meal. A beer-tasting by Wanaka’s boutique craft beer company B.Effect Brewing Co , is also on offer. Live music throughout the day features local legend Lyall McGregor.

Six free workshops will be running throughout the day. Josie Blackshaw from Gardens Without Borders will share her tips about Spring Seed Raising from timing, seed preparation, containers, care and planting. Caro Rennebeck from Homegrown Glenorchy will inspire visitors to grow organic and nutritious food by exploring Our Intuitive Relationship with Plants. Liz Smith is running a hands-on workshop to show How to Make your Own Bee Wax Wraps as an earth-friendly alternative to plastic wraps. Beekeeper Christine Byrch from Glenorchy Honey will share The Buzz on Beekeeping; local builder Mike Kingan will show how to Build a Bird House with Upcycled Wood; Robyn Guyton of the Riverton food forest will share how to prepare seasonal and delicious Quick and Healthy Spring Garden Meals drawn from ready ingredients in local gardens; and both Robyn and Robert Guyton will offer tips and tricks for success at keeping Hens at Home.

Debbie Crompton, General Manager of Mrs Woolly’s General Store , says the next-to-last Great Glenorchy Getaway Day of the season features a range of talented folk from all over the region.

“We live in a wonderfully creative and nurturing land where people not only make do with what they have, but grow and care for it for today and generations to come. Spring is all about new growth, and just before Daylight Saving kicks in we’re gathering some of these people together to share their experience, tell their stories and inspire our Central Otago neighbours to plant seeds, grow gardens and feed themselves fresh and nourishing food for good health and satisfaction.”

Sneak Peek’ tours of Camp Glenorchy at 12 noon and 3pm will enable visitors to see progress on the constructed wetlands that will allow Camp Glenorchy to process all of its own wastewater onsite, taken in the 26m x 5.5 m Scheelite Campfire Shelter designed and built by Glenorchy artist Dan Kelly , see the South Island’s largest solar garden, and enjoy the beautiful braided river stone mosaic pathways designed and built by landscape artist Jeffrey Bale . They’ll also get an early peek at what the well-insulated year-round cabins will look like when the campground opens in December.

Children’s activities include a day-long children’s craft table and face painting, along with live lambs and chickens, sheep shearing and a pet show where families can bring their pets to compete for a range of prizes for best dressed, best bark and best trick!

At 4pm Head Brewer James Hay from B.Effect Brewing Company will run a Beer Tasting session ($12pp) and at 5pmWild Earth Wines will run a Spring Release Tasting ($15pp).

To cap the day off with seasonal deliciousness, at 5:15pm Wild Earth Catering will serve a dinner of wine-barrel roasted pork ribs in a spring marinade, Akaroa salmon and beef short ribs with three fresh spring salads and at 5.45pm Riverton’s Robyn and Robert Guyton will share their passion for and story about living simply off the land.

Following dinner, a screening of the quirky feel good flockumentary film Pecking Order will be screened, featuring the 148-year old Christchurch Poultry Club where a “bird knows when it’s a good-looking chicken” and “it’s not easy being a chook fancier”. The day’s events will end by 8pm.

Tickets for the Beer Tasting, Wine Tasting, Wild Earth Dinner and movie ($45/pp), are available at Mrs Woolly’s General Store in Glenorchy.

ENDS

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