On a warm, sunny afternoon 500 people aboard the Dolphin Cruises "Explorer" helped to raise a large sum of money to help pay for the new P.A. system in the Irish Association Hall, Carrington Street, Adelaide. 180 of them were Going Places With Gareth network members.

We left Port Adelaide at 2.30 PM and cruised along the Port River almost to Outer Harbour before returning. Bands of Celtic musicians played aboard the boat moving from one level to another. The three-level vessel is huge, easily accomodating the number that were on board. Feedback was extremely positive with smiles all around when the trip ended.

A similar trip is planned for 5th November.

The BBQ/House party at Lee's Ingle farm home on Saturday 28th January proved that you don't need huge numbers to have a great time. Threatening weather and high humidity limited the crowd to around fifty but of those who attended, few left early.

Lee had a huge tarpaulin slung from the pergola to cover most of her lawned area, keeping guests safe from the occasional drizzle. A sizeable number turned up for the BBQ so the party got under way quite early. There wasn't much dancing happening as the close atmosphere sapped our desire for exercise but the buzz of conversation continued all evening.

Once again we welcomed a squad of newcomers into our midst, ensuring the continued growth of our network.

People love the Saturday Night house parties. Coming up in the near future we have a BBQ/House Party at Helen's Oaklands Park home on Saturday 18th February. Richard will hold one of his fundraising parties at the end of March with proceeds going to the Adelaide Zoo and other animal charities.

The tickets for the Celtic Music on 12th February are definitely sold out at this stage. That may change as there may be some more tickets available by mid-week if a few people who've got them haven't sold them. Also its inevitable that some people who already have tickets won't be able to go so their tickets can be re-sold for them. Please advise Gareth if you would like to be on a waiting list.

You just can't keep a good (party) man down! Legendary host James will again invite us to a Shared Lunch on Sunday 19th March in the beautiful grounds of his Prospect home. See the program for details.

Also coming up, Shared Lunches at Stella's Plympton home (15/01), Vaike's Bellevue Heights home beside her massive swimming pool (26/01), Pam's Hazelwood Park home(19/02) and Wendy's Athelstone home (05/03). Its a very popular format for a relaxing afternoon of conversation with friends. Each attendee brings a generous plate of lunch to share (not bbq!) plus drinks and a chair. Arrive from 1 PM, lunch at 2 PM.

The Celtic Music Cruises along the Port River have always been a magic experience. The next one is on Sunday 12th February 2006 from 2.30 PM to 5 PM on the new 'Explorer' cruise boat. If you are interested in attending let Gareth know ASAP. Tickets have sold out in advance on each of these trips. Musicians from the Celtic Music Association will be playing on board. You can attend for the musical atmosphere or just for a pleasant cruise to help support a worthwhile cause.

The cost is $10 ($9 conc.). Money raised will go towards completion of the new P.A. system in the Irish Hall, Carrington St, Adelaide where so many fabulous events take place, including the monthly Irish Bush Dances.

The last trip was on a beautiful afternoon in June this year when the boat had a maximum capacity of 400 people during it's fitting out. It is now licensed for 500 passengers and features a much more extensive fit-out including restaurant, bar and coffee/cake shop. The 38m vessel has 3 levels with the top-level being a sun-deck. It is moored at Port Adelaide near the lighthouse at the end of Port Road.

Please note that tickets booked will definitely need to be paid for well in advance, preferably upon booking. They will not be held for payment on the day. Also, attendees must present their tickets upon boarding. In line with government regulations the operators of the boat will not allow anyone on board without physically presenting a ticket. Please do not leave your ticket at home.