Wednesday, March 18, 2026

The English visitors

They were a delightful couple to keep company with. We visited Sister's on the Bellarine for a barbeque lunch. We dined together at Gentleman George across the road, at Gourmet Curry Hut and at Rosco's at the old Chevron Hotel. 

They visited the Grand Prix on three days of the event. They wandered the city and St Kilda. They caught trains, trams and walked. without help from me aside from giving them a Myki card each with one day's public transport credit. We visited the Dandenong Ranges on the Labour Day public holiday, firstly visiting Mount Dandenong, having some tucker then driving on to Grant's Picnic Ground, where we could surreptitiously and illegally feed some birds with seed, but  we could not find a parking space. The best laid plans...

I had a thought, and we journeyed on to Belgrave. Ray's nephew is an excellent driver, and he did all the driving while he was here. We arrived at Belgrave and for the life of me, we could not find parking at the Puffing Billy Railway Station. Later I think I worked out that you use the suburban train car park, I think. We eventually squeezed the car into a space and illegally walked across the railway line. 

There was a train full of people and ready to depart but it didn't have an engine. But we had seen an engine being loaded with coal.

View of Melbourne from Mount Dandenong. Exciting, not.


There is more than one dangerous tree, so an apostrophe must be inserted.


Mustang!


The train reverses in to collect its cars full of passengers.


Ready to depart.

I thought it was quite a feat of the platform staff to walk upside down on the platform.


Puffing Billy sets off, full of happy and waving people. I was waving to them too.


They departed Melbourne to journey on to Bali for a few days, and then via Dubai, they were home and ready for work on the Monday. Don't ask me how they went via Dubai. I have no idea. 

26 comments:

  1. Good morning Andrew. It does sound like they had a very action packed quick visit! Interesting discussion about Labour Day yesterday. We don't get ours up here until May - it used to be that the Queens Birthday was also in June so we would have the last six months with no public holidays to look forward to until Christmas!

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  2. You are a great host.
    When can I come to visit?

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  3. I'm with JayCee. ~grin~ And the sign made me giggle. Be well and take care of yourself, Andrew.

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  4. Is the apostrophe there for the danger or for the multiple trees? I need to clarify 😝

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  5. I'm reading a book right now set on a sheep station in Western Australia. I'm enjoying it but it makes me cry frequently. You live in a beautiful country.

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    1. Which book? Title and author please? I like stories set in my own country.

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    2. Kings in Grass Castles? Just a guess.

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    3. Mary Durack wrote a number of books set in WA

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    4. "A Far-Flung Life" by M.L. Stedman.

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  6. The man walking upside down on the platform. Now I know why they call your country "Down Under" 😏

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  7. They certainly fitted a lot into their trip. I've wanted to ride the Puffing Billy forever, maybe one day... we have the cockle train down here I think, unless it doesn't run anymore. I should check.

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  8. P.S. the apostrophe is wrong! trees, plural, needs no such thing. Love the mustang.

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  9. I gat very annoyed at public notices with incorrect punctuation. You are such a good host Andrew. I wish I had known you when I visited Melbourne all those years ago.

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  10. Seems your guest went many places which is good if you want to see things. Puffin Billy, cool.

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  11. That is a long train, for a relatively small steam engine. I find steam trains fascinating

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  12. That sounds like quite a hectic tour. Puffing Billy Railway is quite nice. I missed that during my Melbourne visit in 2019. Will try to make it the next time I am there.

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  13. How lovely to have nice visitors.
    Puffing Billy was very busy - great fun.

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  14. Sounds so exotic and international, to go from Melbourne to Bali and home via Dubai. Even though upside down, I like the man ringing the bells.

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  15. Even with parking, sounds like a lovely time. That Mustang looks like a classic. I'm a Mustang girl too. Glad you had a good visit.

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  16. Sounds like a great time, Andrew! I love all your photos.

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  17. I'm glad to see Australians also make annoying mistakes with apostrophes. I thought that was just an American thing!

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    1. I have another wrong apostrophe sign up my sleeve, Steve. All people need is a simple explanation of where to use an apostrophe.

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