Yesterday we picked up the van from our friends’ house at Newstead and headed to the goldfields town of Daylesford for the weekend. After coffee and picking up a gourmet vegetarian picnic at Cafe Himalaya, we headed for an area called Twin Bridges where we joined the Three Lost Children Walk?
This 15km walk commemorates the tragic story of three small boys who wandered from their Daylesford homes in 1867 and after a massive search, were found dead.>
Today some lucky City of Melbourne tourism volunteers and staff had the good fortune to take a “flight” on the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel, the third largest observation wheel in the world (the others being the London Eye and one in Singapore.
The wheel turned slowly giving ample time for photos and the staff had been careful to put only about 10-12 people standing in each cabin, meaning that we could all circulate and take shots from every direction: harbour, CBD, Flemington Racecourse. It gave a great overview of this developing part of Melbourne. The exhibition of Melbourne experiences on the way in and out plus the tastefully stocked gift shop all complemented the experience – well worth a visit with family, overseas guests or just to see it!
At last the caravan is operational after its Eromanga bingle (see post last August) and we have taken it to Bendigo, a city that had its heyday in Victorian times, after the discovery of gold in 1851.
Bendigo has lavish buildings and was designed as a London in the Southern Hemisphere, complete with Charing Cross and Pall Mall. There is naturally a large statue of Queen Victoria and an elite gentlemens’ club, the Sandhurst Club.
Bendigo has had a significant Chinese community since the days of the Gold Rush and boasts the oldest Imperial (five-clawed) dragon in existence, Loong. Surprisingly, Loong takes to the streets annually for the Easter festivities, helping raise funds for local charities.
The beautifully restored trams provide a tourist amenity, allowing the visitor to “hop-on, hop-off” between the restored Deborah Mine and Chinese Joss House.
Belly dancers, clowns, a hairy-nosed wombat who jumped through a hoop, magic tricks and a mandolin duet were features of a birthday party last weekend. Every guest was involved in this extraordinary family performance. A chance for talent to come to the fore.
Bron and David's trips 