Bendigo

Bendigo

So today we travelled from Wangaratta to Bendigo.   Mr Red Elephant drove most of the way as it was raining and I do not feel confident towing in the rain.

There was a lot of excess water lying next to the road along the way.  We could see where rivers had burst  their banks and some roads coming into Bendigo where closed with flooding.

  

Arriving at the caravan park we had to hide out in the car waiting for a downpour  to pass before setting up the caravan.

Bendigo is a bigger town than I expected actually its more like a city.  I much prefer staying in little towns.

Somehow we have timed  our stay with a major national gymnastics meet.  Sporty Elephant keeps being asked if she is participating in the gymnastics.  I guess she is long and lithe so looks like a gymnast.

The junior Red Elephants have enjoyed playing at the indoor playground at the park, actually its a god send as its far to wet to play outside.

While in Bendigo we enjoyed a morning at the Golden Dragon Museum.  A museum devoted to the Chinese community in Bendigo.  The museum had various costumes, furniture,  animation film, shop front dioramas and a Chinese dragon with a body that was one hundred metres long.  I was taken  by the attention to detail and the intricate designs in the carving and costumes.  Being a crafty person I especially liked the costumes. 

We had a walk through the Rosalind Gardens and the kids and I climbed a viewing tower and almost got blown away of the top, a la Mary Poppins.

The afternoon was spent at Bendigo pottery we all had a go on the pottery wheels and with the assistance of a Potterer we all made a vase each and then bowls.  We left our works of art at Bendigo Pottery where the lovely people will  glaze our vases fire them and then send them home to us.  There is also a museum with all the old wood fired kilms.  The kilms where beehive shaped and would take 3 days to fire the pottery.  The junior Red Elephants counted that each kilm had 12 fires.  It was one mans job to keep the fires burning.

I am all inspired to take up pottery when we get home.  It felt  very relaxing and therapeutic.