Sunrayasia...Mildura...Monday Afternoon...

After spending the morning indoors on the Monday I headed over the river to the NSW side and spent the afternoon outdoors...at the Inland Botanical Gardens...

There is a "rule" that a copy of the gardens map is obtained from the coffee shop before taking the one-way self-drive tour (I hadn't seen the sign so luckily the ladies in the coffee shop put me right when I went in for sustenance first off)...the gardens are large at 124 acres with parking spots so area can be explored along the way.

I walked around the Nature Trail Walk (1) and the Mallee Flora area (2) and Sturt Desert Pea Display (4) before hopping back in the car and heading onto the park circuit...I was ridiculously excited to see flowering Sturt's Desert Peas...

It was quite a warm (OK veering mighty close to hot) day and I was starting to get a bit tired so once back in the car didn't get out in all the areas...

There was one big foray out of the car...I parked near the Rare Fish Habitat and found this fellow by the ponds...

The point of the walk in was to find the WOW Tree...a 2,500 year old mallee tree!...

...while this particular tree (Eucalyptus oleosa) is estimated at 2,500 years old it's oldest stem is estimated at 700 years old...the tree will have withstood many many fires and regrowth of its aboveground stems from its 2,500 year old lignotuber...all the generations that would have benefited from this one tree!...

 

After a few hours I'd barely touched the surface of these gardens! On Saturdays at a particular time there is a tractor train ride guided tour...something to remember for another time...

Happy Stitching

Sunraysia...Mildura...Monday Morning...

On the Monday morning I waved goodbye to Jo and Tony (world's best hosts) and set off to play tourist around Mildura.  I had no idea what I was going to do or even if I was going to spend the whole day or set out back south...mmm...first thought was the Arts Centre...but it was too early so I went for a bit of walk around Mildura Station Homestead, the buildings weren't yet opened but I peeked in a window or two and that was good enough, it filled in the time to go for a wander around the site until the Arts Centre opened. The Arts Centre site includes the gallery space, Rio Vista and in the grounds a sculpture park.

I started with coffee and a scone in the cafe then I took a look at the exhibition in the gallery space which is on two levels...the exhibition was "Botanic", a variety of media and styles inspired by flora and botany.  Of course no photos were allowed of the exhibition but it was worth the look...

On into Rio Vista...I sat and watched the "on loop" documentary that was playing in one of the rooms which was interesting and included interviews with local family members of the Chaffey brothers, including (now deceased) grandchildren who actually remembered that generation, and I wandered at will through the lovely old house...a selection of the leadlight...

beautiful tiles...of course there are "oh that would make a nice patchwork" moments whenever I see lovely tiles...these ones are a fireplace hearth...

looking down the stairs to the front door...

the entry way tiles...looking down from the landing...nothing plain or simple about the tiling in this house...

and...of course the essential item in any well appointed home...

This short vimeo takes a walk through the house...the wallpapers...even on ceilings!...

That filled in the morning...

Happy Stitching...

What Jindi Did Next...

Sunday, after our big trip on Saturday, we spent the day in Mildura...it was a catch-up with people day, the purpose of our trip...

As the human and I were both a bit tired from all those kilometres on Saturday we started the day slooowly and didn't rush about seeing this and that...instead we took a ride down the road to Red Cliff and spent a lazy hour wandering around the market stalls in the park and the main street...I was suitably admired by the stall holder when the human was buying some dried apricots and a nice lady walking past stopped and gave me lots of pats...I do so like it when humans do that...

Then it was off to Irymple for a BBQ lunch...the human was going to make me wait in the car but the humans who live at that house said I could play in their yard and I had a wonderful time...I said hello to the dog that lives there but he was staying at his kennel and...

...I played totem tennis and catch with the girl humans...

There were so many hoppers (immature locusts) that the ground looked like it was moving...

See all those "brown dots"...they are all hoppers and that is just a teeny tiny selection of their population...and they sure do a whole lot of damage...

...the yard was all green grass until a couple of days before the hoppers moved in and ate and ate and ate and now it is brown and dead wherever they have had lunch!...

After the bbq the human went to have coffee with a quilty friend and I waited in the car...again!...then we went to visit some more humans and I got to play with the big boy blonde labrador that lives at that house...

I got to play with lots of different dogs and little humans...there was another Kelpie staying at the caravan park where we stayed and I got to say hello and play a little bit with her too...she was just like me except her tummy was a bit rounder and closer to the ground than mine...but she was a very nice Kelpie...

I was very good at the caravan park and I slept on my bean bag on the verandah...

Monday we had to come straight back down the highway as the human had to go to work in the afternoon...she says it was a Very Long Commute to Work...

So now we are back home again and our little holiday of lots and lots of kilometres is done but maybe Larry will take me and the human up the highway again and we can visit Mildura again...that Murray River looked like it would be a nice place to spend some time...I would like to go for a nice loooonnnngggg walk at the river...

Woofs and Tail Wags...Jindi