Busy weekend

The weekend was filled!  First we had some incredible rain storms on Friday night and Saturday morning, then we decided to take another drive to explore some vineyards in the area.  This time we went to Big Hill Winery and Bullock Creek.  The people at Bullock Creek were so very friendly and happy to see us.  We had just pulled up a stool and a very nice wine when another car load of people arrived.  Of course, on a bad weather day, you don’t expect many people to be out touring vineyards.  But like us, they were Canadians.  Bad weather never turned us away.  Two tastings and a purchase later, we were off to a nice dinner with Bruce and Barb, our teaching exchange hosts in Bendigo.  They are exchange veterans, having worked in the US and Canada  on 2 separate exchanges.  So they have a lot of good advice and are a friendly ear.  Dinner was lovely and we are invited to a BBQ with the whole group of former exchangees in 2 weeks.  They taught us the Aussie custom of seeing someone to their car when they leave.  Not just to the door, as we do.  They figured out from their own exchanges that it’s too darn cold to see someone past the door when they say goodnight.

Yesterday, we thought we’d visit the Chinese museum in town and have Dim Sum to celebrate Chinese New Year.  We ended up seeing the military museum instead, which is very good, I might add.  Leon needs equal time too.  After all, he is surrounded by teachers over here.  We then wandered around downtown looking for a Chinese restaurant that was open on a Sunday.  Not that easy to find, actually.  Certainly not like Vancouver.  We came to a nice little place and had a delicious meal of soup, spring rolls, mixed meats and veggies and a great fried rice.  Topped off with a good pot of Chinese tea and the company of the only other dinners in the place, it was a great afternoon!  From there we wandered back to the car via Rosalind Park.

They have a lovely view of the city from a hill and an interesting find – bats!  These are fruit bats that have moved into the gardens in a part that is now fenced off.  You wouldn’t think you would see bats in daylight, but there they were, hanging from the trees, sunning themselves for all to see.  Neat!!

This morning, on the way to work, we finally got to see kangaroos as we drove past a field near my school.  Leon turned around and drove closer so we could have a really good look.  So cute!!!  Mothers and fathers and baby kangaroos, all having a munch of grass under the watchful eyes of a larger kangaroo.  Watching them hop away is quite a treat too.  Of course, wouldn’t you know it, we had no cameras with us.  Better luck

tomorrow morning!