The tour officially ened last night with the final night dinner in Melbourne.
We had our final hosting on Thursday and Friday night. Lawrence and I were with Brian Roach so it was all bachelor boys together. We went to Ramsey Street - not very interesting to me and looked around the area. We happened upon another steam railway. This one was really good with a track about 10 miles long. For the anoraks they had an operational Beyer Peacock steam engine - quite impressive. We spent about 2 hours there altogether taking pictures.
We went to Melbourne Norwester Apex 40's AGM and Christmas Party - more food, more wine, more laughs.
Yesterday we looked around Melbourne - very lively city - big river, docklands, trams, shopping, museums. Temperature high 20's so just nice and not too many flies.
It is pointless me trying to describe the atmosphere at the final dinner. We were joined by a few hosts, guests including an ex President of New Zealand Ladies Circle and Neil's son and his wife - names escape me - Neil has been the biggest fan of this blog always badgering Peter Driver when it was not updated - hope to meet you one day Neil, but I already met your son!!
Although the meal was not brilliant we had more jokes, banner exchanges and speeches thanking everyone for the part they played in making the tour so enjoyable. Lawrence and I ran the Tour Oscar awards with everyone winning a category and someone having to open an envelope and announce the winner. We both dressed up(down?) for it. We had a final performance of the John Cleese sketch about the British class system. All the ladies did the Twelve Days of the Tour(not Christmas) - very funny.
The highlight to my mind was Sharee Pine (our Coach Captains tour assistant and wife) reciting a long poem all about the places we have been with a verse for every single member. I got a bit emotional when it came to the verse she did for me.
Paul and Jean, Robert and Sharee and Kevin and Liz received lots of well earned praise and went home laden with gifts of appreciation. We finished with Auld Lang Syne and retired to the bar. Bed at 2.30am. Lots and Lots of goodbyes today as most people are leaving.
If you could bottle it all up, you would make a fortune. YOU HAD TO BE THERE.
The blog will not end yet so keep an eye on it for a few weeks and any other news etc will be loaded on. I am in Melbourne for another day and am seeing my colleague Richard Evans for lunch so must go
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2 comments:
good to hear that you made it around Oz in one piece.
I agree that if you are visiting australia that you should spend a few days in Tassie. it's beaut!
have safe trip on your loooonnnnggggg journey home.
merry xmas to you, rachel and the blended family.
aussie maggie
x
Glad fun was had. For anyone interested the mouse kill count is six (im worried about public backlash . . . Stalin and Hitler got bad reputations out of their horrors) so now the battle of the porch is won i shall move on to the D-Day landing in the Garage.
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