After DH and I had seen the Grace Kelly Exhibition, we went to catch the ‘Talking Tram’. This is an old restored tramcar that trundles around Bendigo, giving a running commentary on the historical buildings as well as giving tourists lots of details about the district and its history.
It was of course the site of a gold rush. There are gold mines right in the city as in the Central Deborah goldmine. These mines run tours and are not working goldmines any more. The original name of the town was Sandhurst, and the early settlers gave English names to many features. Our tram stopped at Charing Cross, went past the Chancery and Pall Mall.
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| This fountain is just near Charing Cross |
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| Old building |
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| This beautiful dog, Merri, was on the tram |
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| The tram workshops; the tram tour let us wander around for 5 minutes |
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| The old Town Hall |
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| The beautiful Catholic Cathedral |
The tram also went out past Lake Weeroona and this part of the line was built during WW2 to take workers to the Munitions factory which had been built in Bendigo. The factory site is still an there but I’ve forgotten the name of the company which is now there. DH and I got off the tram on the way back and walked through the city streets. We then caught the tram back to the depot.
Then it was time to visit the famous Bendigo Woollen Mills. I have been a mail order customer for over 20 years (now online of course) so it was great to actually visit the complex and go into the factory shop. I bought some fancy yarns for a couple of scarves, a big ball of 8ply for a friend in K4BN and a remnant bag of 12 ply ensign colour that I use in some of my ‘honeycomb’ throws.
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| Yarn waiting to be dyed |
Our next stop was the Bendigo Pottery. The showroom is filled with the most beautiful pottery. The display racks are nestled in among the old kilns. The gardens in this complex are also beautiful.
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| One of the old kilns |
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| Part of the showroom at Bendigo Pottery |
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| Some of the lovely roses in the gardens of Bendigo Pottery |
After that we went for a browse in an old bookstore that DH had noticed and then we walked around the Chinese cultural area of the city.
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| A lotus sculpture in front of the Chinese museum |
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| The entry to the Chinese Gardens |
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| DH standing in the forecourt to the Chinese museum; it reminded me of Federation Square! lol |
Then we decided that it was time to call it a day’s sightseeing and head back to the motel.
Well, now you've done it !! I'm just going to HAVE to visit Bendigo sometime soon. I always thought it was just an ordinary country town with a fabulous woollen mill in it but you've proven me wrong and it looks like a very interesting place to visit.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful town Maria! Thanks for sharing the photos. The catholic church is gorgeous! I would have loved to see photos of the inside.
ReplyDeleteWOW! What an amazing day! It something Scott and I would love to do. All those stops are right up our alley. I am hoping after he takes this HUGE exam tomorrow we will be able to take a little getaway in a few weeks.
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