This Perth Life

York Gourmet Food & Wine Festival

Avon Valley Good Food
Originally uploaded by thisperthlife.

The York Gourmet Food and Wine Festival returns Saturday June 25th to Sunday June 27th 2011 bigger and better than ever at York Town Hall (81 Avon Terrace). 

Showcasing a huge range of food and wine from all over WA, and amazing fresh produce from the Avon Valley. 

Visitors can also experience flavours from all around the world with well over 30 gourmet food and wine stalls to sample from. Products include Olive Oil products, Wines, Chilli, Yabbies, Cheeses, Jams, Pickles, Exotic Spices, Sauces, Nuts, Chocolate and much more. 

Food demonstrations, Competitions and Entertainment abounds. 

This event is not only for food critics but for those who are just curious and those just looking for a family friendly day out. 

 

Please note that this event was previously to be held at York Mill but has since been changed to York Town Hall.

 

School Holiday Workshops at PICA

For The Kids
Originally uploaded by thisperthlife.

The fantastic and fun-filled PICA (Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts) Workshops are back just in time for the Term 3 School Holidays! 

Local artist Renae Coles will lead activities inspired by John Meade’s sculptures as well as the diagrammatic and pattern inspired works within Love of Diagrams. 

Fanciful Objects 

Younger Kids, 5–8 years 

Create the objects of your imagination. 

Inspired by John Meade's sculptures, learn clay sculpting techniques and work with unusual materials as you use everyday household items to shape clay into bizarre and playful objects. 

Mapping your World 

Older Kids, 9–12 years 

Explore the work in the Love of Diagrams exhibition to create a collaged map of an everyday journey in your life. Use drawing, grids, typewriters and paper collage to show the interesting things that only you see everyday. 

$25 per Student (inclusive of materials) 

Be sure to get in quick as places are limited 

Bookings on 08 9228 6300 or at pica.org.au. 

Younger Kids between 10am and 12pm, Older Kids between 2pm – 4pm on Tuesday 28 September, Thursday 30 September, Tuesday 5 October and Thursday 7 October 2010.

York Antiques Fair

Antiques Fair Pic
Originally uploaded by thisperthlife.

Easter Weekend 2011 will see the ever popular 26th York Antique & Collectors Fair return bigger and better than ever. 

With a new location at The York Mill and more stalls than in previous years, this event is one not to be missed. 

You'll find a good cross representation of antique, bric a brac, jewellery, furniture and collectables with plenty of bargains to be sniffed out! 

Also, new to 2011, there will be auctions and valuations so bring along your antiques piece that you've been wondering about and find out its worth. 

This event is not only for die hard collectors, but for browsers and those just looking for a family friendly day out. 

The picturesque historic town of York comes alive Easter Weekend and there is something for everyone. The York Mill is also home to The York Mill Markets, The York Mill Gallery, The York Mill Café and The York Mill Chocolate Factory. 

Date: 23rd-25th April 2011 

Time: 10am-4pm daily 

Entry Adults $5.00 Children under 12yrs free 

Venue: The York Mill 10 Henrietta St York WA 

Contact: Tanya at Avon Events & Marketing on phone number: 0429260537 or check out the website www.avonvalley.com.au

Indian Ocean Drive Opens!

Cervantes bay
Originally uploaded by smilingscot.

There are some great coastal roads in the world; the Big Sur in California, the Garden route in South Africa and now WA has it's own mini version!

Overlooking the Indian Ocean, the Indian Ocean Drive runs from Perth's Northern Suburbs linking coastal towns such as Guilderton, Lancelin and Cervantes and tourist destinations all the way up to Cliff Head, just south of Dongara. 

The new road provides a scenic alternative route away from heavy vehicle traffic on Brand Highway and reduces travel times between Lancelin and Cervantes by at least 30 minutes. 

 Now all we need is for it to stretch as far as Shark Bay and we'll have our own world famous Scenic Drive! For more information ( it opens from 3pm on Sunday 19th Sept '10) click on http://www.mainroads.wa.gov.au/BuildingRoads/Projects/RuralProjects/Pages/indian.aspx#modifications

Aladdin for the School Hols

Aladdin at the Don Russell Performing Arts
Originally uploaded by thisperthlife.

Aladdin brings his magic to The Don. 

Enjoy the last day of the school holidays with a visit to the theatre when Aladdin plays at the Don Russell Performing Arts Centre on Sunday 10 October at 1pm. 

The Wembley Theatre Company take on the classic tale that combines the best elements of traditional pantomime, including slapstick humour, romance and comedy. 

Aladdin desperately wants to marry the ravishing Princess Badroulbadour but she has been promised to the horrible Prince Lilac. Aladdin decides to make his fortune, hoping this will help win his true love’s hand. 

Along the way he finds a magic lamp, meets its genie Superbus and must stop wicked magician Abanazar from stealing it. 

Join Aladdin and his friends as they go on a madcap adventure, all in the name of love. 

The cast includes talented Wembley Theatre Company veterans Amy Harrison, Kirsty Bailey, Peter Niblet, Lloyd Snook and Jenny O'Donoghue. 

This newly revised production comes from the pen of the pantomime authority Tony Nicholls, who wrote the original version in 1986. The English expatriate and former head of the Curtin University drama department has had his work performed widely in Australia and in New Zealand for many years. 

In true pantomime tradition, Aladdin is full of family-friendly entertainment with jokes for the kids and humour for the adults. 

 Admission is $16.40 standard, $13.70 concession and $11 for children under 12. For bookings or information, call 9493 4577 or visit www.gosnells.wa.gov.au and click on the Don Russell Performing Arts Centre link to buy tickets online.

To The Rescue!

"To The Rescue" at the Don Russell Performing Arts
Originally uploaded by thisperthlife.

Slapstick comedy, acrobatics, juggling, hula-hooping and balancing acts form a riotous combination in the school holidays! 

"To the Rescue", is performed by globetrotting local duo Pinstripe Circus and is a celebration of the Western Australian affinity with the sun, sand and surf. 

It tells a rollicking 1920’s seaside story filled with dashing heroes, diabolical villains and charming damsels inspired by Charlie Chaplin and the golden age of silent movies. 

The Western Australian Maritime Museum commissioned Pinstripe Circus to create To the Rescue in 2007, the year it celebrated 100 years of surf lifesaving in Australia, to accompany its exhibition Between the Flags. The success of the show has lead to its current world tour which comprised performances at eight international festivals including the World Expo in Shanghai. 

To the Rescue is on Thursday 30 September 2010 at 11am and 1pm and is a family show that is ideally suited for children aged between five and 12 years old. 

Admission is $11 and $10 for groups of 10 or more. For bookings or information, call 9493 4577 or visit www.gosnells.wa.gov.au and click on the Don Russell Performing Arts Centre link to buy tickets online.

Dinosaurs Alive!!!

This sounds great and me and my two boys will certainly be visiting this new exhibition in the next couple of weeks...have to say we love the museum and the regular exhibitions have all been great.

The Western Australian Museum has an educative and fun-filled exhibition featuring robotic dinosaurs. It takes visitors along the 165-million-year journey of the Age of Dinosaurs.

You'll be able to marvel and learn about seven dinosaurs on display as you walk through the exhibition. You'll be seeing a Tyrannosaurus rex, Velociraptor, Stegosaurus, Apatosaurus, Allosaurus, Iguanodon and Triceratops in motion. The exhibition presents more wonderful learning opportunities with informative panels on climate change, flora and fauna, fossils, extinction theories, endangered species and Australian dinosaurs placed throughout the space.

There's also a shop with books, toys and a range of useful and educative dinosaur related products.

It takes about an hour to experience the whole exhibition but there is no time limit.

You can see DINOSAURS ALIVE! until 7th March 2010, admission fees apply.

For more information go to www.dinosaursalive.tv

Smell the Eucalypts

Eucalypts Lake Gregory S30317
Originally uploaded by yaruman5.

I've just got back from driving round trying to get youngest son off to sleep.

He's at that age where you fear that he may be outgrowing daytime naps (please God he goes on till at least his 3rd Birthday!) on odd days but today wasn't one of those. He went to get his blanket and settled himself in his Thomas The Tank Engine paddling pool that is currently full of play balls in the family room (don't ask). As his neck was at rather peculiar angle I decided not to let him fall asleep in there but hoisted him out, blanket and 3 cuddly toys and all, and popped him in the car. 

It's been raining a little this morning (tra la la Little April Showers I hum to myself) and to get him off to sleep I've been driving in the country. It's only 5 minutes from our suburb to the country (how long this will last is anybody's guess at the rate of houses going up) and I love the fact that I can trawl down country lanes and find new ways of getting here, there and "oh that's where we've ended up".

Because of the rain though, the air was completely pungent with the scent of eucalypts, my window was down and I breathed in a day spa worth of natural scents. Bliss.