Latest news with #ChillOutFestival
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Locals share off-camera moments as Daylesford becomes The Block's new star
A town where you can bathe in mineral-rich water and explore a vibrant arts scene is becoming its own star on hit TV series The Block. Season 21 is based in Daylesford, Victoria, and locals, including Hepburn Shire Council mayor Don Henderson, have noticed the TV attention has brought a lot of interest to the town - particularly with more than two million people tuning in to an episode. "It's pretty good stuff," he said. Read more in The Senior This season of Channel 9's long-running show sees Scott Cam and Shelley Craft in hosting duties, while the judges are Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer, and Marty Fox. Daylesford is set in a luscious landscape just a 90-minute drive from Melbourne. It is among the few places where you can find Australia's natural mineral springs, and has become a hotspot for spas and wellness. There are several galleries and studios to explore, and it is known as the LGBTQIA+ capital of regional Victoria, hosting ChillOutFestival, Australia's longest-running regional pride festival. Its traditional owners are the Dja Dja Wurrung people, and the town experienced a population boom after gold was discovered in 1851. Today Daylesford is home to about 3400 residents, and according to Domain, the average price for a three-bedroom home is $820,000. In this series, the contestants are building homes from scratch on a block that forms part of Hygge Property's new neighbourhood, Middleton Field, on the corner of Raglan Street and Malmsbury Road. Most of the filming happened earlier this year, but the final sale is yet to come. Besides the show's entourage staying in local accommodation, Mr Henderson was excited that the cast worked on other sites, including for a bathroom challenge at the Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa, where visitors can bathe in natural mineral waters, and on an upcoming revived cinema. Mr Henderson said the stars he'd met, including Mr Cam, were "very good". "Mind you, I must say they've been on their best behaviour when they're talking to the mayor," he said. Mr Henderson, a former building tradesman, said the project had been of interest to him and had inspected the work with "different eyes". "The quality of the work is actually very good... but the workmanship has been very well supervised." Artists David and Yuge Bromley are among the co-owners of The Phoenix at The Rex in Daylesford, a Spanish colonial-style building opened in 1929 and home to the upcoming Phoenix Cinema. It's under renovation, and The Block's stars lent their skills to the project including working on the candy bar area, plus installing bench seating, painting, and putting up wallpaper. Mr Bromley said there was a lot less drama than what people see on-screen. "When you watch it on the TV, you're like, 'my God, they're freaking out or they're stretched'... but I thought every single one of them was delightful," he said. "It was like they were having a good time; competitive, yes, but throughout there seemed to be a great rapport and sense of teamwork." Boltons Takeaway is a street away from The Block site, and owner Leanne Bolton said many of the tradies had come through. She recalls Scott Cam ordering a cheeseburger with barbecue sauce. "I tried to leave him alone because everybody else was hounding him, but he was polite," she said. As someone born and raised in Daylesford, she recommended visitors with children go to Jubilee Lake for a picnic, while foodies were spoiled for choice with dining options. Artist Cristina Doyle has a gallery and studio at the back of her house off the main street. She'd noticed some extra foot traffic from The Block, with a group of people who'd come up for a look at the construction site wandering around and popping in. Ms Doyle has lived in Daylesford for seven years, but has visited for 35 to catch up with family. "Daylesford has got a very clear air, and it's a very good community. It's an ideal place to create; you haven't got the general buzz of a city," she said. "I've got a great group of really interesting, entrepreneurial friends that have helped to build an interesting town." Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. A town where you can bathe in mineral-rich water and explore a vibrant arts scene is becoming its own star on hit TV series The Block. Season 21 is based in Daylesford, Victoria, and locals, including Hepburn Shire Council mayor Don Henderson, have noticed the TV attention has brought a lot of interest to the town - particularly with more than two million people tuning in to an episode. "It's pretty good stuff," he said. Read more in The Senior This season of Channel 9's long-running show sees Scott Cam and Shelley Craft in hosting duties, while the judges are Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer, and Marty Fox. Daylesford is set in a luscious landscape just a 90-minute drive from Melbourne. It is among the few places where you can find Australia's natural mineral springs, and has become a hotspot for spas and wellness. There are several galleries and studios to explore, and it is known as the LGBTQIA+ capital of regional Victoria, hosting ChillOutFestival, Australia's longest-running regional pride festival. Its traditional owners are the Dja Dja Wurrung people, and the town experienced a population boom after gold was discovered in 1851. Today Daylesford is home to about 3400 residents, and according to Domain, the average price for a three-bedroom home is $820,000. In this series, the contestants are building homes from scratch on a block that forms part of Hygge Property's new neighbourhood, Middleton Field, on the corner of Raglan Street and Malmsbury Road. Most of the filming happened earlier this year, but the final sale is yet to come. Besides the show's entourage staying in local accommodation, Mr Henderson was excited that the cast worked on other sites, including for a bathroom challenge at the Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa, where visitors can bathe in natural mineral waters, and on an upcoming revived cinema. Mr Henderson said the stars he'd met, including Mr Cam, were "very good". "Mind you, I must say they've been on their best behaviour when they're talking to the mayor," he said. Mr Henderson, a former building tradesman, said the project had been of interest to him and had inspected the work with "different eyes". "The quality of the work is actually very good... but the workmanship has been very well supervised." Artists David and Yuge Bromley are among the co-owners of The Phoenix at The Rex in Daylesford, a Spanish colonial-style building opened in 1929 and home to the upcoming Phoenix Cinema. It's under renovation, and The Block's stars lent their skills to the project including working on the candy bar area, plus installing bench seating, painting, and putting up wallpaper. Mr Bromley said there was a lot less drama than what people see on-screen. "When you watch it on the TV, you're like, 'my God, they're freaking out or they're stretched'... but I thought every single one of them was delightful," he said. "It was like they were having a good time; competitive, yes, but throughout there seemed to be a great rapport and sense of teamwork." Boltons Takeaway is a street away from The Block site, and owner Leanne Bolton said many of the tradies had come through. She recalls Scott Cam ordering a cheeseburger with barbecue sauce. "I tried to leave him alone because everybody else was hounding him, but he was polite," she said. As someone born and raised in Daylesford, she recommended visitors with children go to Jubilee Lake for a picnic, while foodies were spoiled for choice with dining options. Artist Cristina Doyle has a gallery and studio at the back of her house off the main street. She'd noticed some extra foot traffic from The Block, with a group of people who'd come up for a look at the construction site wandering around and popping in. Ms Doyle has lived in Daylesford for seven years, but has visited for 35 to catch up with family. "Daylesford has got a very clear air, and it's a very good community. It's an ideal place to create; you haven't got the general buzz of a city," she said. "I've got a great group of really interesting, entrepreneurial friends that have helped to build an interesting town." Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE. A town where you can bathe in mineral-rich water and explore a vibrant arts scene is becoming its own star on hit TV series The Block. Season 21 is based in Daylesford, Victoria, and locals, including Hepburn Shire Council mayor Don Henderson, have noticed the TV attention has brought a lot of interest to the town - particularly with more than two million people tuning in to an episode. "It's pretty good stuff," he said. Read more in The Senior This season of Channel 9's long-running show sees Scott Cam and Shelley Craft in hosting duties, while the judges are Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer, and Marty Fox. Daylesford is set in a luscious landscape just a 90-minute drive from Melbourne. It is among the few places where you can find Australia's natural mineral springs, and has become a hotspot for spas and wellness. There are several galleries and studios to explore, and it is known as the LGBTQIA+ capital of regional Victoria, hosting ChillOutFestival, Australia's longest-running regional pride festival. Its traditional owners are the Dja Dja Wurrung people, and the town experienced a population boom after gold was discovered in 1851. Today Daylesford is home to about 3400 residents, and according to Domain, the average price for a three-bedroom home is $820,000. In this series, the contestants are building homes from scratch on a block that forms part of Hygge Property's new neighbourhood, Middleton Field, on the corner of Raglan Street and Malmsbury Road. Most of the filming happened earlier this year, but the final sale is yet to come. Besides the show's entourage staying in local accommodation, Mr Henderson was excited that the cast worked on other sites, including for a bathroom challenge at the Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa, where visitors can bathe in natural mineral waters, and on an upcoming revived cinema. Mr Henderson said the stars he'd met, including Mr Cam, were "very good". "Mind you, I must say they've been on their best behaviour when they're talking to the mayor," he said. Mr Henderson, a former building tradesman, said the project had been of interest to him and had inspected the work with "different eyes". "The quality of the work is actually very good... but the workmanship has been very well supervised." Artists David and Yuge Bromley are among the co-owners of The Phoenix at The Rex in Daylesford, a Spanish colonial-style building opened in 1929 and home to the upcoming Phoenix Cinema. It's under renovation, and The Block's stars lent their skills to the project including working on the candy bar area, plus installing bench seating, painting, and putting up wallpaper. Mr Bromley said there was a lot less drama than what people see on-screen. "When you watch it on the TV, you're like, 'my God, they're freaking out or they're stretched'... but I thought every single one of them was delightful," he said. "It was like they were having a good time; competitive, yes, but throughout there seemed to be a great rapport and sense of teamwork." Boltons Takeaway is a street away from The Block site, and owner Leanne Bolton said many of the tradies had come through. She recalls Scott Cam ordering a cheeseburger with barbecue sauce. "I tried to leave him alone because everybody else was hounding him, but he was polite," she said. As someone born and raised in Daylesford, she recommended visitors with children go to Jubilee Lake for a picnic, while foodies were spoiled for choice with dining options. Artist Cristina Doyle has a gallery and studio at the back of her house off the main street. She'd noticed some extra foot traffic from The Block, with a group of people who'd come up for a look at the construction site wandering around and popping in. Ms Doyle has lived in Daylesford for seven years, but has visited for 35 to catch up with family. "Daylesford has got a very clear air, and it's a very good community. It's an ideal place to create; you haven't got the general buzz of a city," she said. "I've got a great group of really interesting, entrepreneurial friends that have helped to build an interesting town." Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send a Letter to the Editor by CLICKING HERE.
Daily Mail
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The Block's Foreman Dan explodes at contestant leaving her sobbing in heated clash: 'I've lost trust'
The Block is only a few days into renovations and already Foreman Dan has had a heated clash with a pair of contestants. The frustrated tradie came to blows with West Australian couple Han and Can when the pair decided to take matters into their own hands and waterproof their bathroom. Dan made it clear the team needed to wait for a waterproofer to do the job professionally, but they defied his orders and got started on the task. Upon discovering that the pair had ignored his demands, Dan exploded. 'What are you doing? You can't be waterproofing,' he told Han. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'I just asked you, like, five minutes ago: You're not allowed to waterproof. If I give you an instruction, you can't disobey it.' Dan raged that he has 'lost trust' in the pair after they sneakily applied a second coat of waterproofing agent despite his advice. 'You're not a licensed waterproofer; you're not allowed to waterproof. You're allowed to help waterproof, if the waterproofer is in there,' he raved. A furious Dan immediately reported the infraction to the site manager, leaving Han in tears. 'Dan shut me down. He told me that I wasn't allowed to touch anything. He thought I was being dodgy. That hit hard,' a tearful Han said. 'I'm disappointed in myself, because I didn't listen. I'm really trying. I feel like I just got told off by my parents,' she added, as her partner Can tried to comfort her. The team were not penalised in the end, and did not lose any points, despite the clash. On Sunday, the show kicked off with high emotion, unexpected confessions and more tears than tiles. WA contestant Can, who is competing alongside her partner Hannah, was visibly emotional as she spoke about her journey with her sexuality, revealing this was the first time she's come out publicly. 'For a lot of my teenage years I felt a lot of shame and insecurity around my sexuality,' Can said through tears in the show's debut episode on Sunday night. 'I have not professed that I have a girlfriend or that I am gay and I still hide it from certain people and in certain instances. So, to come on national TV is a big thing.' Tears continued when Han and Can missed out on their dream home after coming fourth in the ChillOut Festival float challenge, which determined house selections. They were devastated to be stuck with a flat-roofed house they didn't want. Han was so emotional she had a long cry in the bath while Can tried to cheer herself up by Googling design inspiration. 'I hate it. It's like letting go of my child,' Han moaned.
News.com.au
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
The Block 2025 Episode 2 recap: ‘Worst day on The Block'
Plumbing leaks, contestant waterworks and rain clouds all hit The Block just in time for the inaugural Waterproof Wednesday of season 21. Just two days into their Block experience and the contestants are discovering it's not all rainbow parades. An emotional Taz declared it his 'worst day on The Block'. That's not saying much given he'd only been on site two days (the first of which involved joining the local Chill Out festival). 'Gone are the days of dancing in my budgies in the back of a float,' he sighed wistfully. 'It's just the twists and turns which get you. You think you are going well one second. The next, three curve balls are thrown at you. You have just got to be ready for everything.' Adjusting to the new hi-vis uniform is proving to be a work-in-progress for the West Australian cop, who mistakenly referred to his limited DIY experience as a 'DUI' (that's police speak for drink driving). The father-of-two has already developed a reputation for his worksite lingo slip ups, referring to Villaboards as 'vanilla boards' and the Speedhorse as a 'seahorse' to the great mirth of wife Britt and Foreman Dan. 'Look there might be times where I am calling something the wrong tool or using the wrong terminology,' he laughed, acknowledging that he's got more experience negotiating with crims than carpenters. The lead-up to The Block's most notorious deadline (Waterproof Wednesday) wasn't plain sailing for Britt and Taz, who had to move their showerhead to be compliant. It was a similar story for their neighbours Sonny and Alicia who likewise had to adjust their vision. Firstly, Alicia was fearful that their bathroom would be 'basic bitch' with a vanity too large to accommodate fancy lighting either side of it. Then, with limited glass supplies available, they were backed into a corner and forced to move their shower head to no longer need a screen to be compliant. 'I am just not used to working like this because I am not in the trade,' Alicia said through tears about having to make decisions on the fly that compromised her artistic vision. 'I am pretty sure that we will be the only team without glass.' Having gotten past that speed bump, the couple then hit another when their waterproofing team got waylaid for five hours by an onsite safety training session. Thankfully, their inspections went off without a hitch. As did Can and Han's efforts along with Emma and Ben's bathroom. No mean feat given the experienced house flippers had fallen well behind the pack all day. Their slow start earned the Victorians some tough love from host Scotty Cam. But Emma and Ben were nonplussed by the fuss. 'What's the point of worrying,' Ben shrugged, even after Scotty revealed there would be no Hipages army of tradies coming to the rescue in an emergency this year. Another big change is the emergence of Gmac as a major player. With Foreman Keith hanging up his toolbelt, it now falls to Site Supervisor Gmac to step into the void and conduct the gruff inspections. Comparing the inspector to Harry Potter's Professor Snape, Mat said G Mac made him nervous because he could literally bring a wall down with one look. And so he did, forcing the boys to remove plasterboards and replace them with Villaboard before they could get his tick to start waterproofing. It was otherwise confidence central over at House Five where Mat wasn't letting a water leak dampen his spirits. Shunning traditional fans and heaters, Mat turned to his tool of choice to eradicate moisture from the floor: his trusty hairdryer. Mat had another secret weapon at his disposal for this week's room reveal. Enthusing to a sceptical Robby: 'I've got the superpower of being gay so I know how to style things. 'I know how to pick good things. I've got great taste. I can style a tile. It is a super power. There's not many gays with bad fashion.' The best buddies are also playing the long game. And so, it was already full steam ahead on their plan for their wine cellar, having already ticked off two of the three approvals needed to start digging their hole. With just the council left to sign off, the biggest hurdle would now be finding a spare $100k to fund the underground plot. And Mat mused: 'If we spend money on the cellar and don't win anything we are just going to end up with a big mud hole.'
Buzz Feed
07-03-2025
- Health
- Buzz Feed
Say Goodbye To Awkward Screenings And Hello To This Free Self-Swab Pop-Up At ChillOut
Going for a cervical screening test isn't exactly top of anyone's to-do list. Between the awkwardness, the uncertainty — and the very valid concerns about feeling safe and respected — it's no surprise that LGBTQ+ folks screen for cervical cancer way less often than the general population. That's why ACON, Sexual Health VIC and the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care are making it easier than ever for LGBTQ+ communities to take charge of their health — by offering FREE, easy-to-do self-swab cervical screenings at ChillOut Festival's Carnival Day in Daylesford. On Sunday, March 9, from 12-4:30PM, a pop-up cervical screening hub will be set up at Victoria Park, Daylesford. If you've been putting it off (no judgment, we get it), this is your chance to get tested quickly, privately — and for free. If you're eligible, getting screened at this pop-up is 100% free, quick and designed to be as comfortable as possible. First off, say goodbye to the old-school, awkward clinical experience — this is a self-swab test, meaning you do it yourself, in private, at your own pace. Trained nurses from Sexual Health VIC will be there to support you through the process, answer any questions, and make sure you feel safe and informed every step of the way. Once you're done, that's it. You'll be notified of your results after the event. If you're not sure whether you're eligible, don't stress — nurses will be on hand to confirm everything on the day. ACON And if you want to plan ahead, pre-registering is the best way to lock in your spot. For those who are a little competitive, here's a fun challenge. At Sydney's Fair Day pop-up, 48 people got screened. So let's find out if Melbourne can beat that. The stats don't lie — LGBTQ+ communities are seriously under-screened when it comes to cervical cancer, and that's putting lives at risk. Over 70% of Australians diagnosed with cervical cancer are either under-screened or have never been screened at all. For lesbian, bisexual and queer women in NSW, the numbers are just as concerning, with 37% having skipped their screening in the past five years. And for trans and gender-diverse people with a cervix, the barriers to screening are even higher — 48% have NEVER had a Cervical Screening Test. That's nearly half of an entire community missing out on a test that could literally save their lives. ACON The reality is, cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers out there, but only if people are actually getting screened. That's why it's so important to make this process easier, more accessible and less intimidating — because no one should be left behind when it comes to their health. Let's be real — life gets busy, and cervical screenings don't always feel like a priority. But your health is a priority, and this is your chance to take control in a way that's free, easy and on your terms. Whether you've been putting it off for years or didn't even realise you were due, this pop-up is here to make screening simple and stress-free. Step up for your health and swing by Victoria Park, Daylesford on March 9.
