Last days in Australia

After arriving back in Melbourne late Sunday, we were ready for a day of being a bit more sedentary.  We were due for another laundry (after our ill-fated laundry experience in Katoomba, so spent the morning doing laundry.  By noon, everything was done, so Susan and I went downtown to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), a museum of film, TV, video, gaming, virtual reality, etc.  I particularly enjoyed the historic overview.  Most interesting were the early movies and TV since the exhibit focused on Australian media, much of which I was not familiar with.  One interesting one was Skippy the Kangaroo--roughly the bush equivalent of the old TV program Flipper, in which the animal hero worked all sorts of miracles to thwart the human bad guy or save the human from harm.  The was also an exhibit of the work of Phillipe Parreno, which we found completely incomprehensible.  This was an unusual day in that I took no photos (photos of LCD's and CRT's don't make good pictures).
On Tuesday, Wesley went to school with David to observe a day in an Australian school.  Susan and I decided to make use of the last day of the car by driving east through the city to the suburb of Belgrave, the home of the Puffing Billy historic railway.  The trip went up into the mountains for an hour, we had an hour layover for a picnic at Emerald Lake Park, then took the train back to Belgrave.  It is a very well run operation and quite popular--there were about 20 carriages as we left Belgrave and we had two steam locomotives to pull it.  The train was later split, so our trip back for with a single locomotive.  This line was actually in use until 1953 when a landslide closed it.  Right away, a volunteer group was organized to resurrect the line and had it running within a year.  Then in 1958, several miles of track was taken over by the suburban commuter service and it took a couple of years to build shop and station facilities to reopen again.  Both the locomotives and the cars are the same ones that would have been used 100 years ago.

Getting ready to leave Belgrave station with two locomotives.  Locomotives were built before 1910.

Starting to climb a grade while crossing a wooden trestle.

A rare open spot with a panoramic view.  This is looking generally south towards Phillip Bay, but it's a bit hazy to see.

Susan in one of the open-air carriages.

On the trip back.  Note that the locomotive is going backwards since there is no turn table at the turn around point at Emerald Lake Park.

After the train ride, we took a little side trip up to Sky HIgh Mt. Dandenong, a day-trip destination with a nice view of Melbourne, a cafe, some gardens, playing fields, a maze, etc.  We enjoyed a tea with cake on the terrace and strolled around a bit.

Looking west from Mt. Dandenong with the cafe terrace in the foreground.  You can faintly see the skyline of Melbourne in the distance.

Susan enjoying her tea on the terrace.

Wood sculptures found in the car park, but without any explanation as to who or why.

Another sculpture at the park, this one carved in situ from a large stump that is still in the ground.

They also have what may or may not be the largest chair in the Southern Hemisphere.  (We know there is a bigger on in Geneva, although it is missing a leg.)  Susan wanted my picture here and t his should put to rest for good the ugly rumor that I'm not a good sport about things!

Wednesday was our last full day in Australia.  We started by returning the car to downtown Melbourne, a stressful event in itself.  At the end, we had put 7950 km (5000 mi) on the car is about six weeks (including many days in Brisbane where the car never moved).  If can have the same good luck with cars in New Zealand, we'll be pleased.  Since we were downtown anyway, we decided to visit the Old Melbourne Gaol.  We had seen hundreds (perhaps a slight exaggeration, but certainly many) old gaols throughout Australia, but had never visited one.  This one was built in the 1840's and had an array of exhibits related to inmates, guards, executioners, etc.  One of it's biggest claims to fame is that it was the execution site of the famous bush ranger Ned Kelly in 1880.

The main cell block area for male prisoners.  (The female wing has been torn down.)  There are three levels with about 30 cells per level.

A typical cell as furnished.  Note the ball-and-chain.  The theory then was complete solitude and quiet to "break their spirit," which supposedly was to lead them back to the path of respectability.

Death mask of Ned Kelly, who died here in 1880.  They also an exhibit about a man executed in the 1920 who was exonerated with later forensic methods--unfortunately, there were no re-dos.

The entrance also included the City Watch House, which had holding cells for short-term stays and was used from 1909 to 1994.  Here the guide was a "Charge Sergeant" who led us through a simulation the intake process:  searches, lockup, recreation, etc.  The building is complete with the graffiti that was there when it closed in 1994 and many of the inmates did not think much of the police!

A "wet" cell.  The cell for drunks were a concrete floor with floor drain so the cells could be hosed out each morning.

It's not just a myth--they really do have padded cells.

After a lunch 😞😞 downtown, Susan and I decide to return to David and Beth's to do our final prep for leaving tomorrow morning.

I couldn't resist adding this quintessential Australian scene.  On a large jumbotron-type screen in Federation Square at about 1 pm on a Wed, they were showing in real-time a women's professional cricket match.  Australians truly are sports fanatics!

We've also been looking at possible routes in New Zealand and it's become obvious that a week is woefully inadequate for even the North Island, but it's also clear that we'll have a week filled with wonderful things to see and do.