the beach from Balnarring to Flinders, camping at Point Leo en route.

Moonlight walks began in the forties, mainly in the Dandenongs.

Lilo derby

The annual Lilo Derby, an event which evolved during the fifties, was usually held on the Lerderderg River. There were some very good waterholes between three to five kilometres upstream from Darley Ford. The overnight walkers would travel to Darley Ford on Saturday morning, walk up-river to a suitable waterhole, depending on river levels, and set up camp. The rest of the day would be spent swimming, lying about in the sun, skylarking, having lilo races, eating or just doing nothing. Some crazy energetic types might even go for walk in the area.

The day walkers would drive up in the van (usually) on Sunday and join us. There would be more races, high jinks, swimming, eating and lazing about before we all headed back home late in the afternoon. They were good weekends, usually held in January, when the weather is fairly reliable (or rather, it was in those days!). We once went further afield, to the Macalister River near Licola.

Wining, dining and parties

Annual Club dinners, held at restaurants in suburbia or the outer edges of Melbourne, are usually well patronised. Restaurants we have visited over the years include the Cuckoo, Olinda; Baron of Beef, Sherbrooke; Alfred's Homestead, Warrandyte; Eltham Barrel; Fergusson's, Yarra Glen; Edelweiss, Heidelberg; the ill-fated Swagman in Ferntree Gully; Potters Cottage, Warrandyte (where we held our 50th anniversary dinner, with members from the forties onwards attending); a Greek restaurant in South Melbourne complete with belly dancer and the obligatory smashing of plates, and a Lebanese restaurant with exotic dishes and