FINAL DAYS

Sunday, 22 September 2019

Itchy swallow

Ferry arriving at Sorrento

Sorrento

HMAS Melbourne passing through the Heads

With Norm, Margaret and Milton

Yachts at Sorrento

New additions to the caravan park

Melbourne – a time for shopping and a time for eating with friends and relations!  Tuesday for our first day of retail therapy and our first stop, by pure coincidence, happened to be having their half-yearly sale!  It didn’t take long for the shirt collection to increase!!!  We were also able to find some good bargains at the DFO (he resisted the temptation for more shirts), with some early Christmas shopping being stored under the bed later in the day.

On Wednesday, we drove to Sorrento, parked the car and crossed to Queenscliffe on the ferry.  During the forty minute voyage, the HMAS Melbourne crossed our bows and we were able to watch her pass through the Heads on her final voyage before being decommissioned.  We were met at the dock by Norm and taken to the Jack Rabbit Winery, where we joined Milton and Margaret for an al fresco lunch.  The weather was just superb – clear skies, warm, no wind and Port Phillip Bay was like a millpond.  It was wonderful to be able to sit beside the water and enjoy the food and company.  Our return voyage to Sorrento went without mishap, although we did pass the alternate ferry sitting quietly in the middle of the Bay, going no where and waiting for assistance; so glad we didn’t take the earlier sailing!

Thursday was another lunch time dining experience at Steeples Bistro, Mornington.  We joined Sandra and Trevor for a very pleasant and long lunch, before returning to say goodbye to Sally and Paul, who were sailing home that evening.

Friday was HOT!  When the weather gets hot, the only place to be is an air conditioned shopping centre, so it was off to Chadstone to help with the Victorian economy – and add to the shirt collection!  It was amazing that we could walk five kilometres in a shopping centre.  That evening, we were collected by Gary and taken to a lovely restaurant, Waterfront, at Frankston; time to catch up with different family news.

Saturday was cold, very windy and showery and after eating so much the previous few days, we decided on a quiet day with light food.  The rain cleared overnight, although the temperature remained cool for our final day before catching the Spirit of Tasmania very late tonight.