Port Douglas - 2019 - unexpected attractions

On holidays always expect the unexpected. As we approached Port Douglas there were posters advertising The Great Moscow Circus which would be in town for four days. We therefore went down to Reynolds Park to have a look.

Entrance to the circus. Two large trucks were parked on either side of the entrance.

The top of the Big Top can be seen behind one of the trucks.

The Big Top ready for the evening performance.

We had parked at the back of the circus and as we walked to look at the front we passed the Port Douglas CWA (Country Women's Association).

Beside the CWA building is a tree with symbols of the CWA - morning and afternoon teas and handcrafts..

Midway through our stay the following sign appeared at the end of Macrossan Street.

The NSW Variety Bash was to finish at Port Douglas on Monday 5 August.

Around mid-day we heard the sound of sirens and horns announcing that the Variety Bash had arrived in town.

As the M & M car passed there was a recording from one of the ads for the chocolates - 'get back in the bowl'.

It was a colourful sight as the cars processed down the road to the nearby Rex Smeal Park.

Adelaide - Victoria v South Australia 2019 (part 1)

The annual Veterans Cricket matches Victoria v. South Australia were this year held in Adelaide so on 11 February we travelled to Adelaide arriving in the early afternoon. For many years there have been matches featuring Over 60s and Over 70s teams from each state however this year the Over 50s teams also played.

Chifley on South Terrace, Adelaide

This time we stayed at the Chifley on South Terrace near the centre of Adelaide. During the afternoon we therefore went for a walk to the main shopping area and the river. Coming from Melbourne we were amazed at how quiet Adelaide is.

Rundle Mall, Adelaide

Rundle Mall is a main shopping area. During the walk there were light showers, fortunately as we were near the shopping area so we were able to find shelter while they lasted.

Rundle Mall Fountain, Adelaide

As we had not had lunch we visited Koko Black in the Adelaide Arcade for a hot chocolate and a coffee. The hot chocolate was really good.

Koko Black, Adelaide.

With Valentine's Day approaching the Adelaide Arcade was brightly decorated for the occasion.

Adelaide Arcade, Adelaide

On the way to the river we passed the Art Gallery of South Australia. The sculpture outside the gallery is the Life of Stars (2018) designed to provide reflections of the city.

Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide

Next to the gallery is the South Australian Museum with a water feature in the forecourt. Next door is the State Library of South Australia. These buildings are in North Terrace close to buildings of the University of Adelaide.

South Australian Museum, Adelaide

Unfortunately we had limited time for exploring Adelaide but will at least know the layout on another occasion.

We were in Adelaide during the Fringe Festival with the Adelaide Festival coming up in March. Posters for events were displayed in various  locations throughout the city.

Looking towards the footbridge, Torrens River, Adelaide

We walked down Kintore Avenue to the Torrens River. Further along the river, the path leads to the Botanic Gardens and the Zoo. The Adelaide Oval is across the river. Plenty of places to explore on another visit.

On the way back to the hotel we passed through Hurtle Square / Tangkaira, one of the many open parklands in Adelaide. The park is divided into four sections. On each corner is a word of the installation - The Forest of Dreams (2003).

Astor Hotel, Adelaide

Later in the evening members of the team and partners had dinner at the Astor Hotel.

The Game

Adelaide - Victoria v South Australia 2019 - The Game

Tuesday 12 February: Forecast rain, should clear by late morning with possible showers in the afternoon. Not a promising day for cricket.

The three games were scheduled to be played at Kensington Cricket Club at Kensington Gardens reserve. There were three cricket ovals, tennis courts and bowling greens as part of the complex. The cricket pitches on two of the grounds had been covered overnight but the ground where the Over 70s game was to be played was uncovered and was therefore a little damp.

The games were scheduled to start at 10.30 but this was obviously not going to happen. The main ground where the Over 50s game was to be played was not too bad and the game started before lunch. Although covered, the ground where the over 60s game was to be played had pools of water on the covers which need to be removed before the covers could be lifted. Meanwhile the players and supporters sheltered from the showers in the club-rooms.

Victorian Over 70s team, Adelaide 2019

During a break in the morning showers the team photos were taken.

South Australian Over 70s team, Adelaide 2019

Meanwhile work continued on making the main oval suitable for play.

Removing the excess water from the covers on oval no. 2 was the next priority while players continued to inspect the third oval to check that it was drying out so cricket might be played .

Not everyone was disappointed with the weather - the ducks enjoyed the change in the weather.

The Kensington Cricket Club was founded in 1871 and the honour boards contained the names of a number of well known South Australian and Australian players.

The Over 60s and Over 70s had lunch at 12 before starting their matches. It was decided that the Over 70s match would still be 40 overs per side but would be played as a split overs game in case rain permanently stopped play.

Victoria had a good lead at the end of the first half of the game and consolidated the lead in the second half. All the players played well particularly the Victorian bowlers. (Robin bowled 7 overs 0 for 8). Greg Johnson retired at 40 runs and took the wicket of the South Australian captain (Alan Reid) so he certainly had a smile on his face.

The players were pleased to have had the opportunity to play and all the games were completed. The Over 60s game resulted in tied scores (115) while the South Australian Over 50s defeated Victoria. Members of all the teams and their supporters enjoyed a barbecue dinner plus the opportunity to discuss the games.

We returned to Melbourne on the Wednesday in time for Robin to coach the Bayswater Park  under 10s after school. As Robin commented, our sojourn in Adelaide was just like a business trip.

Adelaide - part 1

Benalla

25 November a seniors cricket match was to be held at Benalla between Ringwood and Benalla over 60s teams. On the Saturday morning we received a phone call advising that the game was cancelled due to heavy rain during the week. Having booked accommodation we decided to spend the weekend at Benalla anyway.

Our accommodation for the weekend was at the Rose City Motel approximately one kilometre from the centre of town.

After settling into our room we walked into town to investigate.

Benalla is referred to as Rose City because of the extensive plantings of roses, originally established in 1959, in the Botanical Gardens. There are masses of roses planted in sections with the name of the roses displayed.

The Broken River runs through Benalla. The Art Gallery is situated on one side of the river.

On the opposite bank is the Benalla Historical Society Museum and the Benalla Ceramic Mural.

The image on the side of the museum shows that Benalla is part of Ned Kelly country.

Before going to the motel we called into the information centre for ideas on exploring Benalla. It was obvious from talking to the lady in the information centre that art was a feature of the area.

Throughout the town walls of buildings have been painted by a variety of street artists. The project began in 2015.

Wherever you walk you are aware of these paintings.

It is quiet and peaceful walking by the river on a Saturday afternoon.

Flood markers are on some of the trees near the river banks. At the showgrounds we were surprised to see a large number of parked vehicles with no people around. Apparently this was a parking area for cyclists participating in the Great Victorian Bike Ride.

Bridge over the Broken River.

The streets of Benalla were quiet on the Saturday evening. On the way back to the motel we had dinner at the Bistro of the Royal Hotel and enjoyed a delicious meal of lamb shanks in a wine gravy. A good start to our weekend in Benalla.

Day Two - Benalla and District

Benalla and district

Next morning we wandered back into town and had breakfast at the Rusitik Cafe in Bridge Street. Breakfast is served all day and the difficulty is making a selection from the wide range of food on offer. Robin ordered the big breakfast (which was huge) while I enjoyed the salmon stack. The food was great. We knew that we would not need lunch that day.

Opposite the cafe Christmas decorations were being added to a large tree.

Beneath the trees at each end of the main shopping strip were piles of boxes waiting to be attached to trees.

As this was meant to be a cricket trip we decided to check out the ground where the game would have been played if the rains of the previous few days had not intervened.

The out-field of the Benalla Gardens Cricket Ground was not bad but there was a very wet section near the wicket which had been fenced-off with flags.

It was a beautiful morning, an ideal day for cricket - however it was not to be. We therefore set out to explore Benalla and the surrounding region.

As we were leaving the gardens we passed the impressive band rotunda which was built in 1911.

We had been told of the silo art that was located near Benalla so our first stop was Goorambat where the image of a barking owl looks down at spectators. Another silo building is painted with an image of the habitat of this endangered species.

Leaving Goorambat we stopped at the Uniting Church to view the image of Sophia.

Back in the car we drove to Devenish where new silo art was commissioned to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War.

The image on the right is of a World War I nurse while the image on the left is of a woman serving in the army medical forces today. The images were completed for Anzac Day 2018.

The agricultural museum is located next to the silos.

On a Sunday morning, Devenish is very quiet except for the people viewing the silos.

On the way back to Benalla we stopped off to view the Winton Wetlands. The image above is of the wetlands near the boat ramp. It has generally been dry in the area for some time.

There may have been water in other parts of the wetlands but we decided not to explore further on this occasion.

Later in the afternoon we visited friends who live in Benalla - Ron and Sally Taylor.

Ron played cricket with Robin for Bayswater Park many years ago so it was good to catch up with them again.

Later that evening we had dinner again at the Bistro at the Royal Hotel.

Next morning we returned to the Rustik Cafe for a 'small' breakfast before returning to Melbourne. We thoroughly enjoyed our relaxing weekend in Benalla.

Day One - Benalla