Bendigo

Leaving Daylesford, I admired their fountain, which looked as if it had been sponsored by a hairdressing salon.



One of the first things I did thereafter was get a haircut. Auto-suggestion, perhaps?

It wasn't very far to Bendigo, a large prosperous town that we'd liked on an earlier visit about 10 years ago. Bendigo was the centre of some of the richest goldfields in Victoria at the turn of last century, and consequently has broad avenues and grand public buildings.



as well as some fine private houses.




It also has the original Myer department store, which developed into a successful chain in cities across Australia. Mr. Myer was a Bendigo citizen who began his empire hawking goods from a barrow wheeled through the streets.
We spent some time wandering in the downtown, or I did: Michael stayed sketching at a convenient sidewalk cafe.

The next day we went into town on the bus (the nearest caravan park to the city is 2.5 km away), and visited the very good art gallery. While I dawdled in the gallery shop, Michael took advantage of a stone bench outside,



and was shortly joined by another patient male.



Behind them was this installation: a gazebo covered in astroturf:



Later in the day we strolled through Bendigo's botanic garden, yet another garden that was more of a park than a properly labelled collection of plants. But it was cool and tropical among the philodendrons and tree ferns:


November 16-17

The caravan park we stayed in was next door to a large primary school. A few minutes before 9:00 a.m. each morning, they broadcast music, obviously to let the kids know it was time to head for the classrooms. I was amused that the tune was a version of "Send in the Clowns", and wondered whether it was the choice of the principal, the teachers or the students.