Autumn events

Autumn ushers in great cuisine and entertainment to North Wharf and the Yarra precinct and it is all for a good cause!

Manish Bansal and his crew mate Harshala Dutondkar are from India, so arriving at The Mission to Seafarers in Melbourne on February 20, with four other crew mates from China they were not fussed by what seemed a hot and humid day in our city.  

The Mission to Seafarers Victoria (MtSV) volunteers provided good conversation for the Chinese crew, Manish and Harshala were keen to see Docklands and set off on the City Circle Tram to do just that, “explore”.

In the past five years it is estimated that more than 5000 seafarers have boarded the City Circle tram outside the Mission.  It seems these visitors have enjoyed many sites that, to date, many Melburnians are yet to explore and were really impressed that the tram ride was free!

That afternoon, on their return, Harshala with a smile exclaimed: “I love Docklands” and shared her thoughts in an animated manner about the diverse shopping at Harbour Town and the beauty of NewQuay.

The North Wharf and Yarra River precinct offers great food and entertainment all year round and whilst we may not all be  “foodies” or “sommeliers”, when it came to Melbourne Food and Wine festivities, a great many of the locals and visitors to our precinct were enticed to get out and explore.

 A variety of the Yarra River venues met the festival criteria for 2013, with the Wharf Hotel presenting its “Urban Picnic” with the  WTC Water Taxis extending its Yarra Loop ferry service to effectively transport visitors on their  beautiful historic vessels from Federation Square along the Yarra as far up as Yarra’s Edge.  On disembarking from the water taxis at Docklands Point Park guests found themselves amid the Yarra Valley farmers market, food stalls and “All that Jazz”.   

The Mission extends great thanks to the Yarra Valley farmers who donated the proceeds of sales to support the 717 Flinders St, Historic Building Restoration and Development Project and to the WTC Water Taxis which invited guests to make a gold coin donation.  At Yarra’s Edge, Bistro Vite, Mad Duck Cafe and Claypots Evening Star showcased their culinary delights and Hooks @ the Yarra entertained with sensational Victorian wine and beer tastings.

The Mission extends an invitation to enjoy the culinary delights of chef Nancy Princi as the organisation launches the Quarterdeck Friday Lunch Program  on Friday, March 8  from 12 noon - 2pm.   

On Friday, March 15, drop in to The Mission to celebrate St Patrick’s Day and take a final look at the Norla Dome before the iconic building undergoes restoration work from April to August this year.  In recognising the architectural and historical significance of the Mission’s building complex, we also recognised that the building is in great need of restoration and repair and further to the $700,000 required to operate annually, the Mission hopes to raise $5 million to restore the building complex in time for its centenary year in 2017.

Following the success of the 2012 Music at the Mission fundraisers, (thanks to Aussie rock legend Stephen Cummings) the 2013 series is, in conjunction with music entertainment company Global Onslaught, set to kick off on March 22 with Victor Stranges and DC Cardwell and again on April 19, 7.30pm till 10pm with a night of blues and a whole lot of soul-soothing sounds by the Jacqui Walker Band and Carol McCoy.  Come along at 6.30pm and enjoy our happy hour with friends and the ambience of the secret garden and courtyard before the gig.  The Mission will close at 10.30pm so, if the night is still young for you, we will encourage you to take a stroll to the Wharf Hotel.

To keep informed of how you can support your local charity, check Docklands News or visit http://www.missiontoseafarers.com.au or call the Operations Manager on 9629 7083.  Happy sailing!

Until next month ...

Andrea Fleming,
CEO, Mission to Seafarers

and

Philip Hill,
strategic director, WTC Asset 1