GateWAy Blog

Wayne is a Maori living and working in Albany and, lucky us, staying at our new accommodation premises at 1849 Backpackers, behind the London Hotel.

Wayne has been a singer/songwriter for more than 30 years and today shared a CD with me, with a little of his music. To coin a cliche … I was blown away!

This track is dedicated to his mother specifically, and to all mothers everywhere. I don’t think it even has a title, I have listened to it only four times but it impacts and touches me every time I hear it, so I felt the need to share this with you.

To listen to an audio track only, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

We have been privileged to listen to Wayne play us everything from Rock and Roll to Blues to Jazz, to playing covers and his own songs to improvising for hours and indulging in what is clearly, lucky for us again, his passion.

This is an audio file only so have a listen while surfing and checking emails. I think you’ll be glad you did.

The other nine tracks are superb too and I believe he deserves to sell a million of these. What do you think? Please click on the link below. Enjoy …

Wayne Maxwell

Great Southern Wine & Food Festival

The Great Southern Wine and Food Festival has moved to April and teamed up with the Harboursound Music Festival to produce a festival that takes advantage of the mild autumn weather and quality entertainment available in Albany at the time.

The major tasting event on Sunday 18 April showcases twenty of the best Great Southern wineries, regional produce and encore performances from some of the international and national entertainment provided through the Harboursound Music Festival.

‘We’ve moved the Festival from December to April to coincide with Harboursound,’ said Great Southern Wine Producers’ Association (GSWPA) Executive Officer John Gates, ‘this should give both Festivals a better chance of sustainability and help to turn autumn in the Great Southern into a really exciting Festival season’.

‘With Harboursound concerts and workshops and GSWPA member satellite events scheduled over the whole weekend, this will be a great weekend to be in Albany’, he said.

The Festival will be held in and around a large marquee on the Grassy Knoll in central Albany on Sunday 18 April. Details are available from www.greatsouthernwines.com.au.

If you commit a traffic offence(s) and have your driver’s license taken off you, why should you be allowed to apply for  an extraordinary one? What was the point of meting out punishment in the first place?

A country magistrate has been recently quoted as wanting to ban extraordinary licenses so that people who commit offences on the road actually have to deal with the consequences of their actions and think twice about drink driving or speeding or behaving recklessly on the road. It appears that the law society opposes this, saying that it could impose unnecessary hardship on people if they were stranded at home and unable to get to work, take kids to school etc.  (more…)

Christmas is just around the corner and everyone is busy with food, food and more food – and the prospect of expanding girths to attend to afterwards. I found this recipe for Stuffed Dormice ( from Apicius – a Roman Cookery Book) in the front of my well thumbed Kenya High School cookery book which was published in 1959 to raise money for the new school chapel.

Ingredients: Several dormice, pork, pepper, pine kernals, asafoetida, (a gum resin with an obnoxious smell)and  liquamen. (Does anyone know what liquamen is/was?)

Method: Stuff dormice with minced pork and the meat of whole dormice (minced), pounded with pepper, pine kernels, asafoetida and liquamen.  Sew up the dormice, place on a tile and put in the oven, presumably with a bit of fat. Very tasty!

Does anyone have any recipes to rival this one for sheer revulsion and age?

A work in progress!

There has been no lack of comments and opinions on our distinctive new entertainment centre on the Waterfront. Some have been very unkind, referring to it as some sort of monster… while others have put a positive slant on it and are confident it will one day be quite splendid – let’s hope so. Meanwhile in its present half finished state it doesn’t look too pretty but I firmly believe the end result will be fabulous. According to our poll, so do the majority of other people.

Meanwhile how about sending in some pics of really ugly buildings, that are finished, beyond redemption, eyesores, real monsters… from anywhere in the world!

Get practicing for the Mount Barker Cherry Pip Spitting championships which are on throughout  the Community Fair on the 28th Nov at the Visitor Centre Stall.

The biggest spitter will win $100.00 for their nominated club or charity also $50.00 cash to keep.Should the winner make it to the 2nd round in Manjimup  then  another Mt Barker winner will be off to New Zealand again as a prize. Also collecting $50.00 for making the trip to Manjimup.
There will be spot prizes  on the day for  both adults and kids. The cost will be $2.00 per spit and any money raised will go to the Mount Barker Visitor Centre.
Ring 98531110 for more Information.

With the demise of a local brewery, comments were made by the company spokesman that Albany was not ready for an inovative hospitality industry. It’s not the first time a concept has failed in Albany but has thrived in other cities. Is it true that Albany clings to it’s old habits?  So instead of a trendy Tangleheads, we are getting back “our” White Star Hotel. (more…)

Next months Albany Blues Club event is set to go with the Sneaky Weasel Gang on the 6th August at the Stirling Club. 
Many of you may have seen them in or around the great southern area over the last year or so.  Originally from Mandurah, this 3 piece outfit are sure to bring a tap to your toes.

Supporting the Weasels’ will be our very own House Band “Mooseknuckle”. Rarely do the House Band get an opportunity to let their hair down at the club these days [ hair? good one ] so they will no doubt be busting at the seams to blast out some blues tunes. (more…)

Albany Waterfront

The Waterfront at Albany is now moving to the next phase of development, with environmental approval for Stage 2 of the project being issued last week. (more…)