17th & 18 May 2014
A late entry in the paparazzi stakes as John brought over a photo he took of us on Friday where we were enjoying a ice cream at Lake Weeroona. It is rare that there is a photo of the both of us.
Thanks John. Yesterday we split up and John & Denise drove the Stanhope where a successful trotting horse they once owned in partnership, Royal Force, had been put out to stud and died there. They saw where Royal Force was buried and spent time with the last owner of the horse.
We had a look around and drove to an outer suburb of Bendigo called Eaglehawk. It was formerly a gold mining town where in October 1851, Joseph Crook discovered a gold nugget while searching for stray horses. This event sparked a gold rush in the area leading to the establishment of the township in 1852, the population quickly building up to 40,000. Over the years the population fell to just over 4000 people and the town was amalgamated in to the Greater City of Bendigo. Some great old buildings the best of which was the former Town Hall which is now a cinema.
On Sunday we had a slower start to the day as it was my birthday and Lance’s & My 12th wedding anniversary. My present to Lance was some Castlemaine Rock candy and a wine “glass” from Bendigo Pottery. Lance gave me a new fleecy jacket as the one I had bought in Peterborough, south Australia had been subject to an ember attack while we were camping at Hogwash Bend. The result was a melted hole in my fleecy jacket, a hole in my T shirt and a burn on my belly. Denise gave me some lovely soap and face washer while John, the wood turner extraordinaire (not) gave me a steel crochet hook as he reckons I will never get a wood turned crochet hook from him.
Then it was of to the historical town of Maldon, that was classified by the National Trust in 1966. the business centre of the town and its immediate surrounds remain as they were and cannot be altered other than with the Trusts consideration.
While wandering around the town we saw a motor cycle bike club out for a Sunday outing. Quite an impressive sight.
It was a nice walk down the street with the names of the original stores on the buildings.
Even the sale of fuel was restricted to the old bowsers outside the garage. We didn’t see BP or Caltex anywhere.
Walking along the street I came across a Christmas Shop – wow what a lot to look at. The only time I had seen something similar was in Germany a few years ago. It was an adult’s dream place.
Another view of the main street:
There were so many things to photograph that I can’t show you everyone. We had our lunch at the old Railway station where a steam train runs from Maldon to Castlemaine and back. This magpie made a lot of noise just above us and watched us carefully in case we dropped anything worthwhile.
John got a little bored waiting for the train to come in but moved quickly when he heard the train whistle.
This was not a large steam engine but looked impressive as it came into the station full of passengers.
Lance always enjoys steam trains and this was no exception.
We reluctantly left Maldon to go to Castlemaine. We saw this beautiful Clydesdale horse scratching his nose on a fence post.
Castlemaine was a little disappointing after seeing Maldon. We should have looked at Castlemaine first. We saw this sign next to a fish & chip shop. The name of the shop is a real tongue twister. Go on, you try saying the name, “She Sells Seafood” quickly.
Lance & I found the Burke & Wills monument. In 1860–61, Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills led an expedition of 19 men with the intention of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the south, to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, a distance of around 3,250 kilometres (approximately 2,000 miles)..The Castlemaine Burke and Wills memorial obelisk is of outstanding historical significance as the first monument erected in Victoria to honour the achievements of Burke and Wills. Coincidentally the date of Burke’s death is Lance’s birthday, 1 July.
An anniversary/ birthday Chinese tea was organised by us while John & Denise provided the birthday cake, a lamington cake. Candles were lit, Happy Birthday was sung and all the campers in the campers Kitchen joined in. 4 of these people were linesmen, working on the power lines after the fires during summer.
thanks to Lance, Denise & John for a wonderful Happy Birthday.
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