G'day Giok,

If you drive up inland from Melbourne, you'll ptobably come up the Newell Highway ... through the riverina (another great wine area - pace Helen) as far as Forbes. Unfortunately, you will have just missed a great Folk Gathering over the "Queen's Birthday Weekend" ... 4 to 6 October, which will launch a CD of Forbes district collected songs - many about bushranger Ben Hall - and will have folk performers from all over. (Organised by folklorist / collector / performer Rob Willis ... and his wife Olya anmd lots of others.)

From Forbes you can head eastward through Bathurst, which has a very active folk club, and on over the Blue Mountains - where there are also several folk clubs, particularly at Blackheath. Either of the links above should tell you what is on when you are passing through. Mudcat's "Roo" - Valda Low, who has the Folk Australia site lives at Mt Riveview on the eastern side of the Mountains, so her site should be good for all the mountains clubs. There will be a Concertina Gathering at Lithgow, just before you go over the Blue Mountains ... but it's scheduled a week too late - 1 - 2 November.

When you get to Sydney, you'll be too late for North by Northwest - but may get to The Loaded Dog (25 October - inner west ... 2 miles from Sydney CBD). Alison's Toongabbie Music Club should be the night before at Northmead in the (northish)west (about 11 miles out of Sydney).

Up to Newcastle - the seaward end of the Hunter Valley is mostly by what passes for expressway in this part of the world and Helen can tell you what's likely to be on. The rest of the Valley is more "Scenic Route" grade roads, but well worth it. (And more very nice wineries!)


Regards,

Bob Bolton