Geelong

Yesterday we went to Geelong, which is a city on the edge of Port Phillip Bay.   Once it was a large country harbour town, the centre of the farming district, and an exporter of wool and grain to England.  Now it is a city, with a large industrial base, and exporter of cars and wood chips as well as a regional base for all the surrounding country side.   It also has a large marine harbour.  It was an overcast day, no sunshine, and a chilly wind. 

There were plenty of large yachts, just like in the south of France.

The 'Notorious' Caravel.    This is a sailing boat, researched, designed and created by Graeme Wylie.    Traditional boat building methods were used when possible.  Most of the timber on the boat is reclaimed timber.   This boat actually sails out on the open sea.

I wonder where these buoys were meant to be?   Come in on the high tide maybe!

Even the corrugated iron on the pier had been cut on the edges so that it represented waves.

Not quite an English pier, but still very popular with an upmarket restaurant at the end.    Also a car park!

We went to the famed Geelong Football Club (Aussie Rules) for lunch.    Good prices plus poker machines for those inclined that way.    For those people who are not familiar with Aussie Rules football, there are four goal posts.    The black posts at the back are used to hold the netting up.   Aussie Rules is a tough game, not for the faint hearted.  

Geelong Cats!  They won the AFL Grand Final this year.

Even here there are bikes tied to the bars at the waterfront.    Not really a Dutch bike though!

Wooden sheep at the Woollen Mills Museum.

The head of a sheep, which was part of a very large model sheep, used in a procession some years ago.

More sheep.    I think these sheep may have been stuffed!   They certainly were not breathing.

Sheep shearing.   The sheep actually looks happy.  The wool is all that is real.

Throwing the fleece.

Making the Axminster carpet.   Very complicated.

We enjoyed the visit to Geelong, very much.