Melbourne
SUNDAY 18 JANUARY
We all headed down to the station in M & T’s Landrover to catch the train into the city. The Seniors’ tickets we bought for $3.40 each allowed us to travel all day on the train, bus or tram – flipping good value. As the other two knew their way around. they had lived for some time in Melbourne a few years ago, we just followed where they led. We seem to have similar interests as they took us to two Craft Markets – one down in St Kilda and the other on the South Bank of the Yarra. It’s nice to some different crafts to those we have in the UK. We even met an Aboriginal pyrographer who was doing some rather nice traditional designs on boomerangs etc. We hoped to make it back the following Sunday, but didn’t make it.
MONDAY 19 JANUARY
I had me hair cut at the hairdressers round the corner fronm the Caravan Park, did some washing and then adjourned to the pool.
Jeff took himself into the City to try to find the Maritime Museum. He eventually found out that the whole site was being redeveloped and he couldn’t even go on board the “Polly Craig??” which is moor alongside the area where the Museum was the last time we were here in December 2005. So, having walker all around the Docklands area, he decided to have a look at the nearby Crown Casino. And what did he find there but the Aussie Millions Poker tournament complete with quite a few international players who we recognised from watching Texas Hold ‘em programmes on TV back home - he even spotted Ross??, from ‘London’s Burning‘.
TUESDAY 20 JANUARY
Jeff and I caught a No 220 bus just outside the Caravan Park which took us straight to the Victoria Market where we bought some meat including loverly garlic and herb bangers for tonight’s BBQ. Biiig mistook – as we then decided to go on to the Casino! We had to check in any large bags (Jeff had our big camera bag) to be kept until we left, but they wouldn’t let us leave any food there. So we wrapped it up well and hoped that we wouldn’t stink the place out (luckily we didn’t). We wandered around the main area – nearly all poker machines (aka Pokies) with a few Blackjack and Craps tables. Then down to the poker tournament. We wandered about (again) and I spotted Joe Hachem, a very good Aussie player who we’d seen many times on TV. I then saw Scotty Nguyen (pronounced Wynn) a very well-known player from the States – originally from Vietnam. I was watching Joe Hachem from a sort of balcony area overlooking the tables and started talking to a lady sitting next to me. She said that her husband, Richard, was playing next to Joe and that this was the third time he had been drawn next to eachother – the other two occasions were in Vegas. She told me that she had been born in Paris and that her father had died in a road accident soon after the second world war when the family had been visiting relatives in Italy. She and her mother came to Australia soon after. Her name was Angelique but the Australians didn’t seem to be able to pronounce it, so she was called Angie almost from day one. We chatted for some time, but then Richard, having been winning, started to lose, so Angie decided that she couldn’t bear to watch and left. Jeff and I stayed on for a while, then we left too.
When we finally got back to Ashley Gardens we discovered that the park managers have found a way for us to stay here – we’re sharing a plot with M & T – great!! We’ll move over in the morning.
WEDNESDAY 21 JANUARY
Our move to site No 63 carried out successfully we were on the bus again this time to visit the Melbourne Aquarium. Quite new and very well done, but full of kids all talking or rather yeling at the tops of their voices – Bedlam!!! Well it is the main school holiday here, so I gues it’s only to be expected. Got some great photos of the fishes and the new exhibit of penguins, even through the glass – eventually they’ll get loaded onto Webshots. Then back to the Casino again to see how the Poker was progressing. We actually had a little flutter on the Pokies, Jeff lost $3 and I lost $2 – big gamblers – NOT!! There were still a few familiar faces in the tournament but sadly no sign of Richard, Angie’s husband – I guess he didn’t progress any further. Jo and Scotty were still in though.
THURSDAY 22 JANUARY
Today it was the Zoo. A bus and a tram journey, but well worth it. Very well laid out with plenty to see. There were some great exhibits – more super photos for Webshots. The only trouble is getting online cheaply enough to take the time necessary to upload all that I need to. Another very hot day, but we made sure that we had hats and water. Then, guess what, back to the Casino.- well it was, more or less, on our way home – sort of.
FRIDAY 23 JANUARY
Visited the Old Melbourne Gaol today. Where Ned Kelly was incarcerated and met his maker. An eerie experience, pretty bleak conditions for the inmates back in rhw 1800s. Part of the tour was a visit to the Watch Room, which had been in use until relatively recently. We, with about 20 other visitors were put through a little of what crims and drunks would have had to go through. We were all lined up and made to put our belongings on the floor. We then had a rudimentary search carried out on us – hands, soles of our shoes and mouths (to make sure we weren’t hiding any contraband) All these orders were barked at us by a rather big copper. We were then shut in a cell in groups of 6 or 8, with the light off for a few minutes. All in all a very weird experience. We ‘passed’ on the reinactment of Ned Kelly’s trial and hopped on a tram to ……. Where d’ya think!!!!! Even fewer tables occupied today – getting down the the last few who haven’t lost their $10,000 ‘buy-in’
SATURDAY 24 JANUARY
Jeff went to the Casino today for the final day. They were down to the last 9 players, but none of the ones we recognised had made it through. They were still hard at it when /jeff left, so we still don’t know who ended up with the $2,000,000.
I just spent the day pottering around.
SUNDAY 25 JANUARY
We all spent the morning preparing for Marion’s son, Neil and his girlfriend Chrissie to come over for lunch. He’s chef and she’s a pianist and piano teacher – they live in Melbourne. Lovely couple – great company – it was a really pleasant day.
MONDAY 26 JANUARY
We left Ashley Gardens this morning after saying farewll to Marion and Terry. It was sad to be parting from them again, but hopefully we’ll catch up with them in March. They were off to the Tennis which has been going on all week – they’ve been a few times, but had really good tickets for today courtesy of Neil and Chrissie. We drove down to the ferry terminal and then had a walk along the bay – very nice it was too – another hot day. The Overnight Ferry to Devonport, Tasmania left on time at 8:30 and we settled in to our “ocean view recliners”. Jeff slept OK – as usual – and I did actually manage to doze off a few times. As it was Australia Day the ferry was only about half full.