Public holiday activities

Tuesday was a public holiday for the Melbourne Cup. I have absolutely no interest in the cup, except that because I live in the Melbourne metro area I get a day off work.

I guess you could say that my public holiday activities started the evening before. My sister, K and I were at a bit of a loss to know what to do in the evening, and she suggested we do a jigsaw puzzle. I had this one that I had started on months ago and really wanted to finish, so we got it out and worked on it for a couple of hours. Mum and my other sister, A, also put a few pieces in, but as you know jigsaws are addictive and you just want to keep going until they are finished. So I was up late, because I just couldn't stop. However, I did stop without finishing it that night.

When I got up the next morning A had done some more of it, and K & I ended up finishing it at about 11am.

By the way, the picture is of a painting by Andres Orpinas.

K & I had also decided that we wanted to go somewhere in the afternoon; for a walk and for afternoon tea. Bacchus Marsh was our place of choice. Mum & I had gone there Cup Day last year, but K couldn't come that time. I didn't mind going again because I really enjoyed it last time.

At the last minute, Mum decided that she wanted to come as well. So the 3 of us set off just before 2pm.

The photo to the left is of the first part of the Avenue of Honour as you come into Bacchus Marsh. The trees are Dutch Elms, and each one represents a soldier who did not return from the 2 World Wars. Some of the trees are being replaced because they have died, but the lady at the information centre told us that each replacement is a clone of the original. Further along the Avenue of Honour the tree arch looks better, but to get the photo you have to stand in the middle of the road and that is too dangerous because the road is quite busy (Mum & I tried it last year).

The route into town also takes us past the house where my Dad lived when he first came to Australia from England as a child. It looks a little rundown, but it's still there. The church where my Grandfather was a minister is no longer there - instead there is a shopping plaza.

After stopping at the Information Centre for advice on the best walks, we ended up going to the Peppertree Walk along the Werribee River. The walk takes you along one side of the river, across a ford, along the other side of the river and finally across the road bridge back to your starting point - 2.9 km in all. Along the way we saw moor hens, rabbits and other birds. We were told that if you take the walk in the early morning you can a platypus or two as well (actually the lady we talked to has seen 7 in one morning)!

This is one of the photos I took of the river on the way back to our starting point.

After our walk we had a yummy afternoon tea at The Jolly Miller, a bakery/cafe, and on the way home we stopped at one of the many fruit & vegetable shops on the Avenue of Honour, selling both local and interstate produce.