The Centre was on a plain at the foot of the Dandenong Ranges and Slab Lodge was in the foothills of the ranges.   It is lush dairy farming country, there was wild life in abundance and a finger of flat land alongside the track leading to the Lodge. 

Local farmers were supportive of the jumpers and brought fresh vegetables, fruit, scones, biscuits and cake to the Lodge for them.   Perhaps the fact that to declare yourself a parachutist at that time was akin to claiming to be from another planet had something to do with it.

The lodge was built on the side of a hill and a horse paddock at the back of it was the only reasonable landing area.    Claude and Bill jumped in for dinner the first night it was open and on landing heard an unusual noise.  It was the hoof beats of the horses running straight towards them.   It transpired that the horses were inquisitive about these strange creatures that had come out of the sky and gathered up their means of transport in their arms.   They followed them to the gate into the Lodge trying to get a bite of the big pieces of nylon they were carrying.    It became a regular scenario until the horses decided it was no longer a novelty.

Seeing the jumpers landing at the Lodge, one of the farmers, Jack Hines, invited some jumpers to lunch and asked if they could jump in.   It become common to see the Centre pickup vehicle headed off to pick up a load of jumpers that had been invited for lunch or afternoon tea in the foothills.

In the year that the Lodge was in use by the jumpers there are many tales of their adventures.   If you were one of those jumpers and don't mind if your story is told, contact the webmaster and give him permission to print it here.

The cottage can be seen today at "Old Moe Town" just outside of Moe, in Gippsland.   It is preserved as a heritage building in a living museum.