Wet and soggy Hamilton.

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The areas we have travelled through in the last 4 days have all recorded really high rainfalls, of course, its good to see that we have maintained our "drought breaking" status. No doubt if we publicised the fact, that it is due to our travelling, the farmers and the community would be particulary thankful, perhaps throwing money, or at least inviting us back.

This morning, this strange thing in the sky spread light and warmth, it was so nice to see. Making the most of the weather, we walked over to the local botantical gardens. These are one of Victorias most outstanding gardens, set in 4 hectares and commenced in 1881. It was classified by the National Trust in 1990.

After another short/sharp downfall, we again ventured out. This time to the Ansett Airways Museum. Did you know that in December 1931, a young Reginald Ansett, drove a studebaker car, from Hamilton to Ballarat, the Ansett empire was thus born. Just 11 years later, this one man passenger service, started with a second hand car, had became the biggest road passenger service in the Commonwealth.

Around the mid 1930s the Victorian Govt took steps to curb the development of the young Ansett company, that was proofing a more popular service than the state owned railways. Undaunted, Reginald flew his moth aircraft to Sydney, navigating with a road map, and bought a Fokker universal passenger plane. On 17 February 1936, this plane left Hamilton for Melbourne.......the rest is history. We didn't realise that Hamilton featured so largely in Australia's transport history and thoroughly recommend this wonderful stopover.

Now the euphoria was short lived, as when we returned to camp, the heavens again opened and we retreated to our canvas cave.

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Comments

[Mike Leonard]

Forecast for wet but interesting.
Interesting history, crap weather = oh dear.