Point Lonsdale, good bye

Friday was our last full day in Point Lonsdale. What to do? Sister has lived there for about 14 years. We've seen and experienced it all.

Portarlington is nice. We will visit there and as I set off I thought we should drive via Drysdale. Bone Doctor attends there I don't know how often to treat sports medicine patients. Drysdale is also the Bellarine Railway terminus. 

For once R didn't say he wasn't interested in history as I theorised about how people used to travel to the Bellarine Peninsula by steamer ferries for holidays. I think the train line opening from Melbourne to Queenscliff killed off the steamer ferries. If there wasn't a train change at Geelong, I expect it would have taken around 90 minutes, which would be very competitive with ferries.  

The train to Queenscliff didn't close down until 1975, when many country train lines closed in our state, without a Beeching report. Part of the railway track was turned into a cycling trail and some was retained where the tourist railway runs, from Drysdale to Queenscliff. The Q Train experiences sound great. A train at Drysdale was loading for a lunch run and the attractive and friendly young train platform gate attendant welcomed us to platform for 'a look'. Many had already boarded and even before noon, they were getting stuck into to the wine. They were determined to get their money's worth. R suggested we should take the trip at some point in the future. No children were visible.

We had a nice brunch at a Portarlington cafe, went to a local supermarket for a couple of things and headed back to Sister's. 

Dinner was at the nice enough at the Ocean Grove Bowling Club, a recommendation by Sister. The dining area was booked out so we had a meal in the public bar. 

The grape vine Triffids are coming. It's time to go home, as we did the next day. 

How's your Latin? Nautis must mean sea.

Drysdale was larger than I remembered. All along the main street were a mix of elms or plane trees, and flowering gum trees, in full flower as we drove past. They looked marvellous.