Monday, 7 November 2022
We had a reasonable roll up of thirty-four (34) for this event (36 for lunch).

The day started with a bit of early excitement when the steering axle/wheel on the passenger side of our coach threw in the towel when our driver (Nick) attempted to reverse park on arrival at Pohlman’s – However, this had no impact on our day out as the coach was changed over seamlessly while we enjoyed our guided tours etc.
On arrival at Pohlman’s Nursery we split into two groups to fit in with the passenger capacity of the train (30) – Group A had Smoko while Group B had a guided tour of the nursery operations in the train, & then we swooped over.
From my perspective, I was totally surprised at how big an operation Pohlman’s is, & how much automation they have in place e.g., the roofs of the big sheds containing seedlings open & shut, in response to temperature changes (wind, sun & rain etc) to maintain the temperature at a constant level to maximise growth. Geordi (Grandson of the owners) our train driver/guide gave us a running commentary on all facets of the operation as we moved through in the train – very well done. Also, I was very impressed with the great work they have been doing in water conservation – I have attached a pamphlet on the nursery for the benefit of members who were unable to join us on this occasion.
On completion of both tours & a members self-paced walk around the retail part of the nursery, we then travelled onto Porter’s Hotel Plainland in our new coach for lunch.
Following lunch, members’ birthdays falling in November were acknowledged & celebrated in our usual way Viz. Ray Akins, Tony Allom, John Baines, John Burton, John Kleve, Russell Mauch, Peter McAuliffe, Ross Phipps & David Turner.
Special thanks to all who contributed to making this another safe & enjoyable event for all attendees, including Ron Lewis & Kym (Pohlman’s) for organising this event; Geordi Pohlman for his very thorough & informative guided tours riding on the train (Gum Tree Express); Warwick Dingle for his general assistance in the hall to enable us to leave on time; Michael Bourke & Russell Mauch for looking after our finances & name badges; Kelsley Schelberg for ensuring we were able to get on & off the coach safely at each stop; Alan Webb & John Schmidt for looking after our mobile public address/communication system; John Cutler & Sandy Fraser for loading & unloading the coach; Mark Rowland for looking after our hydration needs; Bob Whittaker & Tony Wind for their joint gig as our first aid officers; Jan Neal for making our much appreciated birthday cake; Bianca & team at Porter’s for the timely delivery of our great lunch; & last but not least Nick (our coach driver) for transporting us to & from Plainlands safely.
In closing, I think I can confidently conclude that another great day out was had by all attendees.
Dick
18th November 2022