You will hear us!!

GVC has purchased an induction loop to provide those of us who need hearing assistance. It will be in operation at Chapter meetings. You can use it in at least 2 ways: if you use hearing aids that are equipped with a t-coil, just turn on that feature for the presentation. We also have 5 personal receivers for individual use. Either way, you will have an enhanced experience.
Contact Bill Lindenfelser or Katy Kuczek for more info.

7:30 pm Program:

Touring the Land Down Under

by Reinhard Gsellmeier

In November 2025 Reinhard and his wife Kayanne spent 18 days with 14 other adventurers touring the eastern half of the continent of Australia. This was a guided trip with touring company Overseas Adventure Travel. The focus of the trip was to experience the diverse Australian landscape (everything from a tropical rainforest to an arid desert), see firsthand the diverse and unique wildlife that is Australia, and learn about the culture of Australia and the native Aboriginal people. The trip included some hiking, snorkeling and even some whitewater rafting.

The presentation will include photos of sites that were visited, including:

• botanical gardens in both Melbourne and Sydney;
• several beaches and their spectacular coastlines;
• sites of cultural significance to the Aboriginal people of Australia;
• the Koorie Heritage Trust, which is dedicated to the preservation of Aboriginal art & artifacts;
• Australia’s spectacular southern coast that lies along the Southern Ocean, including a visit to Australia’s Great Ocean Road National Park (famous for its dramatic sea cliffs, rugged beaches, and the Twelve Apostles limestone stacks);
• a temperate rain forest along Australia’s southern coast;
• the tropical Daintree Rain Forest along Australia’s northern coast, the oldest surviving rainforest in the world;
• a wildlife sanctuary on the Mornington Peninsula;
• the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Alice Springs;
• the spectacular rocky and desert scenery of the rugged Australian Outback, including hikes into Simpsons Gap and Standley Chasm in West MacDonnell National Park;
• the Alice Springs Telegraph Station;
• Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, with hikes around the spectacular geologic formations of Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta – both of which are sacred to the Aboriginal people;
• the Great Barrier Reef;
• the famous Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge; and
• Hyde Park Barracks, which housed convicts from Great Britian sent to Australia in the 1800s.

The presentation will also include photos of many species of wildlife that are unique to Australia, such as kangaroo, koalas, emus, wombats, dingo dogs, echidnas, kookaburras, wallabies, gecko lizards, crocodiles, cassowaries – and even a boa constrictor.

Reinhard’s presentation will also include a discussion on the colonization of Australia by the British in the 1800s, the resulting dramatic negative impact on the Indigeneous People of Australia, and the efforts being made to give Aboriginal People a greater say in the government of Australia.