Bendigo

Thursday 30th March It has taken us about six weeks to get 2 hours away from Melbourne, it is a comfortable pace, a bit slower than we anticipated but what’s the hurry? We are going to see if we can change our flight to Fiji to leave from Sydney instead of Brisbane in mid May which will give us more time and possibly enable us to go via Broken Hill instead of heading straight for Brisbane. It is a good time of year to go to Broken Hill weather wise and we are pretty keen to see it. We are heading to Echuca tomorrow, we have really enjoyed our stay here with the Smiths, Phil and I fitted the new bank of batteries this arvo so we are back on track again. I have also fixed a few things on the bus, sorted a few issues with the trailer, done a bit of maintenance and generally feel on top of things. Mum came up with Jarra today, we had some lunch at Gillies in the Mall where Helen was interviewed by Win News as to her views on family tax cuts and we all got our heads on the 6 o’clock news. The Mall at lunchtime is full of teenagers from the huge high school up the road, there is about 2000 year 11 and 12’s, most of which must venture down there for lunch. There is a lot of Gothic fashion about with many facial piercings, and I have also noticed many very young mothers. Went on the talking tram tour yesterday and to the art gallery today with Mum and her friend Merna. Bendigo Art Gallery is great, Mum came to see the Charles Rennie MacIntosh exhibition, he was an amazing talent, well ahead of his time. If you have not heard of him, Google it and check out his work.There was also some great paintings from Brett Whitely, Boyd, Nolan, Drysdale, Tucker and Blackman and some interesting contemporary and Aboriginal art as well. I spent a few hours yesterday afternoon making a small 3D penguin for Robyn out of Colorbond steel, it was a good exercise and it turned out really well. Robyn loves penguins, their bathroom is covered in penguin pictures and posters so I thought Percy would fit in well. It has been a really nice to have a 2 day break from Jarra, he is pretty full on these days and we need to watch out for him all the time. Thanks Mum! Sheila, fishtail burn outs are when hoons (young guys who drive really fast and carelessly - I was one once….) spin the rear wheels of their car and steer from side to side so that the skid marks go in a S pattern up the road. Cobb is a brand of portable oven/ barbeque that you use solid fuel, briquettes in. It has a lid so that you can roast, smoke, bake or barbeque your food, it is a pretty cool thing.