On Thursday 8thDecember we all met bright and early at ‘Chambly’ and set off in two buses on our Christmas excursion. It was a sunny morning, with a light cool breeze, and perfect for our last excursion for 2005. We arrived at South Wharf, just near the ‘Polly Woodside’, with plenty of time for a stroll along the river and a morning cup of coffee, before boarding our boat for the trip along the river.
The tide was high, so upon boarding we were all instructed to go below and forward of the boat, so we would be sure to clear the ‘Charles Grimes Bridge’!! The bridge is very low, and the clearance very limited. Once we cleared the bridge we were able to sit up on deck if we so desired, to better take in the views of Melbourne City and Southbank. We continued west along the Yarra, past Victoria, Appleton and Swanson Docks, then heading north into the Maribyrnong River at Yarraville. It was certainly a very different aspect passing various jetties, bridges and parks, and viewing them from the river instead of the road.
As we were in a large boat we were unable to pass under Lynchs Bridge at Ballarat Road, so had to disembark south of the bridge and continue on to Flemington Racecourse by bus. It was a most pleasant and interesting way to travel to the course, and certainly much quieter than by road. It was difficult to believe that we were so close to such a busy and congested city centre.
Once we boarded the buses we were taken on a tour of the racecourse, which consists of over 300 acres of track, stables, gardens and carparks. There are considerable works in progress, including a large lake under construction near the main gates.
After our tour we continued to ‘The Hill’, and to our lunch venue, where we were treated to a sumptuous three course Christmas lunch, of soup, roast turkey and plum pudding. After lunch there was a little time to view the grandstand, try your luck on the poker machines, or simply sit in the garden and enjoy the sunshine.
Our next stop was the well known ‘Poyntons’ nursery in Essendon, which is situated in a very picturesque spot, on a steep hillside overlooking the river. We enjoyed an hour browsing the various sections of this very extensive nursery, as well as the two gift shops in search of last minute Christmas presents.
All too quickly it was time to board the buses for our trip home, this time by road, which was not as pretty or as interesting as our trip by boat this morning.
