Blogs from Geelong, Victoria, Australia, Oceania

GOR Day 9. Geelong. A great meal of Indonesian stir fry last night at the busy Torquay Hotel, perhaps the best $26 I have ever spent, followed by a pleasant walk along the sea front in the wind at dusk. Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes yesterday. Warm sunny day as we left Torquay cycling along the seafront which is always a pleasure after a breakfast at Miami, a few doors from the hotel. After Horseshoe Bend Road we turned onto Boundary Rd only to find that it was blocked after the B100 dual carriageway. We rode to the next junction and eventually got back onto Boundary Rd again to take us into Waurn Ponds. I remember having problems on this section in 2016 when we had to lift our bikes and panniers over a gate ... read more

Today was Moyra's actual birthday, so she had more presents from Pete at breakfast plus phone calls. Moyra and Alan went off to a lovely little church hall in Drysdale to a life drawing class for a couple of hours. Winks and Pete did some gardening and chores. Good to have time together Later in the afternoon Pete took Winks and Al to the 'Men's Shed' where Pete joins other retired blokes to do 'things'. The shed is well equipped for producing many repurposed items in wood, metal and other materials. It is a great place fo men to get together and chat, work on projects, garden or just hang out. On the way home we went to Bunnings Hardwear superstore in Leopold, which is huge and holds a massive variety of stock. We ought the ... read more

Pete and Winks were up very, very early at 4.40 to take Sue to the Airport to catch her flight back to Perth. SadLyn she missed thes celebration. At mid morning the Nicks and the McCarthys and all the children arrived and the day turned into a mad party fo Moyra's birthday celebrations, two days early but a convenient day for those still working. There was all kinds of activities to suit all ages with biking and walking on the nearby rail trail, fun at the nearby playground, spa hot tub plus painting For the children. There was roast chicken rolls and salad for lunch for 8 adults and 6 children. In the evening Pete and Moyra provided a tasty lasagne and salad dinner for 14 people, aged from 18 months to 76 years old. Everyone ... read more

Today was a recovery and orientation morning for the weary travellers. We were honoured by a visit from P&M's elder daughter Julie and her four children, Ella, Charlotte, Paddy and Tom who made the trip down from Romsey, about an hour north of Melbourne. It was a fun day getting to know this lovely little family. Julie had to make the return journey to Romsey in the evening.... read more

Left Halls Gap today and drove to Geelong. I had to see those bollards that Geelong is so famous for. Probably the attraction of the area. The Bay Walk Bollards is a trail through the waterfront from Eastern to Western Beach. Basically these bollards are a pieces of wood sculpted by artist Jan Mitchell. She chose figures of the area that provide a context and representation of life around Geelong historically. In total there are more than 100 figures you can see as you walk the Bay Walk Bollards. Interestingly, the sculptures are made from reclaimed timber pylons and transformed into works of art. All sites are numbered and each bollard display has a name - Portugese Sailor, Nurse, Fireman, Tram Conductress etc. I spent over two hours today trying to find as many as I ... read more