Come along to our 50th Anniversary International Convention - Easter 2024
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Zephyr and Zodiac Owners Club of Melbourne Inc., the club is hosting our fourth International Convention, which promises to be the best ever !
Previous conventions have attracted participation from enthusiasts of Ford Consul, Zephyr, Zodiac and Granada vehicles from around the world to share our common interest over a number of days of interesting activities. What a great way to spend your Easter break !
Activities planned include scenic drives, daily activities, a show and shine display, fantastic dinners with entertainment and plenty of time to share stories and information about the cars we love.
IMPORTANT - In order to provide the best value as possible to our delegates, our club will be subsidising or partially subsidising each event to the best of our ability. Our aim is to make this event memorable for fun, historic interest, great food and outstanding value for money.
Each delegate should receive over double the value of the registration fee paid !!
The 2024 International Convention is being held in the historic town of Ballarat in central Victoria Australia. Ballarat was a significant town that developed during the gold rush from 1851 to the late 1860’s.
Ballarat is Victoria's largest inland city, a thriving hub of contemporary arts, events, food, brews and wine, with a fascinating heritage backdrop.
As such, Ballarat boasts many interesting buildings, tourist attractions, activities and wonderful scenery that offer something for all ages. It is anticipated that interstate and international guests will want to extend their stay in order to experience all the Ballarat and the surrounding area has to offer.
Tourist information will be provided at the convention. However, you may wish to visit the following websites for more information on Ballarat using the following links Ballarat, Destinations, Goldfields, Victoria, Australia (visitvictoria.com) and Visit Ballarat - Where there is so much to be discovered
The stunning Mercure Convention Centre in Ballarat is very well resourced for such an event and has been selected as the main venue for this exciting event. We invite you to review the facility and all it has to offer via the following link Home - Mercure Hotel and Convention Centre Ballarat
We have secured preferential pricing for our convention delegates and recommend that you book early and directly with the Venue, making sure that you mention that you are participating in the Zephyr and Zodiac Owners Club of Melbourne International Convention. Of particular note, there is no actual deposit required when making a booking at this early stage.
We trust that you will enjoy and appreciate the opportunity to spend a lot of social time with your partner, family and/or other delegates.
A comprehensive convention brochure is being prepared and will be available closer to the event, but for now, please see below a sneak peek at the agenda for this Convention.
Zephyr, Zodiac, Consul and Granada International Convention
Easter 2024 – Ballarat, Victoria , Australia
Agenda*
Thursday – Afternoon Registration and ‘Meet n Greet’.
Traditionally, a fabulous opportunity to share a relaxing time (with drinks and nibbles) at the venue to meet up with friends and make new friends with other delegates.
Delegates can then choose to relax their way into the convention with an early night or join other delegates for a fun and relaxing evening interactive activity with supper provided.
Good Friday – Local Attractions
The morning starts with a scenic car run, a convoy of approximately 70 delegate vehicles, to Pomonal to visit a world class collection of Lincoln Vehicles at Lincoln Lane. The collection is open for the day to the public to raise funds for the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. We have secured a premium parking spot to display our cars on the substantial property where we will relax together, enjoy the tour of the collection and have lunch.
After lunch the convoy heads back to the Mercure in order to be back in plenty of time to chat and get ready for a coach ride to the medieval themed, Kryal Castle, one of Ballarat's leading tourist venues. After an entertaining afternoon with pre-booked live performances and evening dinner, we return to the Mercure at a decent hour in order to continue chatting or get some rest.
Saturday – Show and Shine
Allowing time for early morning vehicle preparation, we’ll head off in convoy for a short trip to picturesque Lake Wendouree where we will display the vehicles in our Show and Shine and conduct the judging for a variety of awards. Lunch will be provided at Lake Wendouree with time allowed to also take in local attractions including, but not limited to, a scenic walk around the lake, a relaxing visit to the nearby Tramway Museum, Botanical Gardens or even a boat ride on the lake if you choose.
Following the Show and Shine, we head back to the Mercure in plenty of time to freshen up and quick coach ride to another top tourist venue, Gold Rush themed Sovereign Hill where afternoon entertainment is booked along with a scrumptious dinner followed by the evening’s spectacular Aura laser light show. What a day this will be !!
Easter Sunday – Country Run, Presentation Dinner and Memorabilia Display
After a pleasant evening (above), we’ll form a convoy to take a relaxing and scenic drive out of Ballarat to visit and experience historic Cricket Willow. Visitors can easily get absorbed in the sporting and general museum and/or tour of the cricket bat manufacturing process using willow produced on the property. Lunch will be provided along with an option to visit the popular neighbouring tourist town of Daylesford.
We return to the Mercure with time to relax and enjoy the memorabilia display before our formal Presentation Dinner where awards from the previous day’s Show and Shine ( and other mystery prizes ) will be presented. A wonderful, even magical, entertaining night to remember is assured!
Make sure you bring your neatest of neat casual clothing and a hearty appetite for fun .. and dinner of course !
Monday – Morning Tea and Farewell
To wrap up the convention, after a sleep in and time to prepare for departure, all delegates are invited to share brunch together, exchange contacts and take photo’s before heading off home around lunchtime.
For those that don't need to travel home in a hurry, we have an optional run available to visit a couple of local car and auto memorabilia collections.
We trust that all delegates will remember this convention for the fun shared, places of interest, great food .... and outstanding value for money !
*Please note that the agenda above is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances
613 Main Rd, Golden Point, Victoria 3350
Act now - Download the convention registration form of your choice and submit
- Word version for typing in details, saving and submission via email
- pdf version for printing and handwritten submission via post
The Mercure Ballarat Hotel and Convention Centre offers a wide range of accommodation options and outstanding conference facilities from which to base our 50th Anniversary Convention.
We have reserved over 60 rooms at favorable rates for our delegates. The rooms can and will be released to the be available to the general public if our delegates don't make their bookings in a timely manner.
Please refer to the Accommodation Booking attachment below to see all the details.
Bookings are made directly with the venue. When booking, please state that you are booking in for the: ‘Zephyr and Zodiac Owners Club of Melbourne’ 50th International Convention 2024
Recommended booking dates are from Thursday 28th March through to Monday 1st April (4 nights)
Don't let the convention countdown timer below fool you. Advance registrations and bookings are essential. We encourage you to act now and book your room so as to avoid disappointment !
It is important to note that there is no up front payment required at the time of booking and that you have the flexibility to cancel up until December 2023.
Address:
613 Main Rd, Golden Point VIC 3350
Phone:
03 5327 1200
Email:
reception@mercureballarat.com.au
Please state that you are booking for the: ‘Zephyr and Zodiac Owners Club of Melbourne’ 50th International Convention 2024 Thursday 28th March through to Monday 1st April (4 nights)
The date is approaching fast and we’re making preparations. Don’t miss out!
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