Bus 1

2012 BUS TOURS*
*Some tastings available - bus tour participants are encourage to byo lunch or can purchase lunch on the day. Bring along enough spending money to be able to take home some of our delicious produce and wine.

Bus seats must be booked on 0400 145 558
Tag-along cars do not need to book and can come along to any or all of the tour.
We encourage following the bus as we aim to be slightly flexible with times based on the tour groups preference – as such times shown below may shift slightly.

BUS TOUR 1: TASTES OF BACCHUS
Bus Driver: Allan

A unique opportunity to meet 3 growers - apples/pears, strawberries & vineyard.

1015    
Tour meeting point for those riding on the bus, and tag-along cars.
Station St, outside Maddingley Park gates (across from train station)

1030    
Naturipe Fruits - go on a farm walk with the grower, David Durham. 638 Bacchus Marsh Road (Avenue of Honour), Bacchus Marsh. Hear the story about the Durham's family business, a strawberry farm, alongside apple, cherry & stonefruit orchards.          
Jumping castle just for Harvest. (no toilet facilities)

1115    
Mona's Café - A brief stop to meet the owner and baker Mona Aboussaid. Creator of delicious seasonal pies made on-site. 432 Bacchus Marsh Road (Avenue of Honour), Bacchus Marsh.

1145    
Jeff Jones Plants & Produce - a driving tour through the vintage apple orchards. 388 Bacchus Marsh Road (Avenue of Honour), Bacchus Marsh. Apple tastings, time to browse and try your hand at gumboot throwing.  Also featuring Country Women's Association stall, plus singer and artist Jime Nare, and Relay for Life Sausage Sizzle.  Ph: 5367 5250

1230/1245   
Visit the award winning Bacchus Hill Winery during vintage and take in the views over the Bacchus Marsh Valley. 100 O'Connell Road, Bacchus Marsh. Lunch bookings 5367 8176. Live music, plaster funhouse and more. Watch the competitive entrants in the Best Apple Pie competition,  and get ready for barefoot grape stomping.  Wine & cider tasting 11 - 5. Display by Field to Fridge.

1330     Winery Tour with owner Bruno Tassone
1400     Apple Pie Judging
1430     Barefoot Grape Stomping commences
1530     approx departs winery approx back to station meeting point.

BUS TOUR 2*
Hidden Treasures of the West with thanks to Ballan & District Chamber of Commerce
Bus Driver: Phil

Meet a lavender grower, visit a community garden, and a hidden market garden and gallery. Bus seats must be booked on 0400 145 558.

1015
Tour meeting point for those riding on the bus, and tag-along cars. Station St, outside Maddingley Park gates (across from train station)

 

1100
Yuulong Lavender Estate, Yendon Road, Mt Egerton. Ph: 5368 9453
Holder of the National Registered Collection of Lavenders, which now includes eighty varieties. Invite you along to sample taste and try our lavender inspired tea, biscuits, honey & chutneys.

1230/1245
Ballan Community Garden, a new feature at the Ballan & District Hospital, a not for profit organisation. 33 Cowie St, Ballan. 
Find out how to establish a community garden and the benefits for all those involved.  Special feature: organic composting demonstration. Time available to walk into Ballan town centre, or take part in a second tour visiting the new hospital wing.

1415
A special visit to the picturesque 'Allawah' in a hidden valley west of Bacchus Marsh. Werribee Vale Road, Bacchus Marsh.
Owned by the Webster family for 40 years. Growers of beetroot, rhubarb, silverbeet, spinach and regular participants at the new Ballan Farmers Market. Janice Webster is a local artist. Take time to browse through her on-site gallery. (no toilet facilities)

1500 approx

Tour ends and departs for station meeting point. Option to visit Bacchus Hill Winery.

 

 

 

 

 

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PREVIOUS YEAR'S INFORMATION

TASTES OF BACCHUS - 2011 ITINERARY

A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET FOUR LOCAL GROWERS - lettuce, apples/pears, strawberries and a vineyard. Tripod Farms, Jeff Jones PLants & Produce, Naturipe Fruits and Bacchus Hill Winery. A special set lunch menu is available especially for bus and tag-along tour participants. 5367 8176

10.15am       Tour meeting point for those riding on the bus, and tag-along cars. Station St, outside Maddingley Park gates.

10.30 am      Tripod Farms tour.
One of Australia’s major growers of lettuce varieties. Winner of the 2009 NAB Primary Producer of the Year Award. In the top 5 for the 2010 AUSVEG awards for excellence.

11.00am       Jeff Jones Plants & Produce
A driving tour through the vintage apple orchards. Apple tastings, and time to browse around and have a go at the popular gumboot throwing competition.

11.45am       Naturipe Fruits
Go on a farm walk with the grower, David Durham to hear the story about the Durham's family business, a strawberry farm, alongside apple, cherry & stonefruit orchards.

12.30pm       Visit the award winning Bacchus Hill Winery
During vintage and take in the views over the Bacchus Marsh Valley. Hear from owner Bruno Tassone while on a tour of the winery. A special set lunch is available just for Harvest bus tour participants and you must book ahead. Ph: 5367 8176 Live music and more. Watch the competitive entrants in the Best Apple Pie competition with judging at 1.30pm, and get ready for barefoot grape stomping at 2.30pm. Wine &   cider tasting between 2 & 5pm.

1.30pm         Apple Pie Judging
2.30pm         Barefoot Grape Stomping
3.00pm         3/3.30 departs winery approx

Bus 2

HIDDEN TREASURES OF THE WEST -2011 ITINERARY (2012 PROGRAM ANNOUNCED 1ST FEBRUARY, 2012)
MEANDER THROUGH THE WEST OF MOORABOOL SHIRE - meet a lavender grower, a lamb producer, and a cafe' restaurant owner. Yuulong Lavender Farm, Field to Fridge and The Mill Cottage. Lunch bookings available at The Mill Cottage 5368 2999. Bus returns approx 2/2.30pm. Group has option to stop at Bacchus Hill Winery on the way home.

10.15am       Tour meeting point for those riding on the bus, and tag-along cars. Station St,                       outside Maddingley Park gates.

10.45 am      Yuulong Lavender Estate
Holder of The National Registered Collection of Lavenders, which now includes eighty  varieties. Invite you along to sample, taste and try our lavender inspired tea, bicuits, honey & chutneys.

11.45am       Field to Fridge
108 Hamills Lane, Mt Wallace (pass the house up to the big shed further along the driveway). A special tour of the Lloyd's property, owners of Field to Fridge. Our prime fat lamb farm has been breeding lambs for the past 12 years. Our family have been farming here for generations. Our selection of lambs are carefully bred with our First Cross Ewes along with our Stud Poll Dorset and White Suffolk rams to produce the       finest quality lamb and, rich in flavour.

12.30pm       Mill Rose Cottage, Ballan
Meet the owner Sue Bartleman, to talk about using available local produce, house made cakes and rye bread made on site, ad the ins and outs of running a cafe' restaurant in a restored 1850's stone cottage. Lunch is available for purchase, or take the time to wander through the beautiful village of Ballan.

1.45pm         Depart Mill Cottage for Bacchus Marsh Station
With option for bus to stop at the winery if the group prefers

2.00pm         TOUR ENDS / OPTION TO GO VIA BACCHUS HILL WINERY FOR GRAPE STOMPING

 

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