This was another transport section of the journey. The aim was to get to our B&B in Bendigo, plus make a couple of stops along the way.
The first stop was Glenrowen, a town of about 900 people. It’s famous for its association with the bush ranger Ned Kelly, who made his last stand there. We were debating whether to get a guided tour of the town when a local and his dog stopped to talk. Turned out he had an encyclopedic knowledge of the town and after about half an hour we knew everything there was to know about the place. Included was mention of an elderly mate who had married a mail-order Filipina. She cleared out just a few years after the ceremony, possibly because the town was too quiet. He then asked me how long I had been married to Linda.
Most Australians know a little about Ned Kelly, but if you don’t, here’s snapshot. He was a larger-than-life bush-ranger who didn’t just rob banks of huge amounts of money, he held entire towns hostage. The people of the day were sympathetic towards him as he was seen as a sort of Robin Hood.
In 1880, with a reward of about $500,000 in today’s money hanging over his head, he was finally cornered in Glenrowen, where he holed up in the hotel with his gang. He had made body armour from plow-blades that covered his head and upper body. After the hotel was torched by the police, he came out in his armour with pistols in both hands, wounding a number of police. It took some time before the police realised they should be shooting at his legs, and he was finally captured, tried and hanged. Here’s a link if you would like to know more about his time in Glenwrowen: http://www.glenrowan1880.com/
Next stop was Seymour, where Linda’s sister, Menchu, spent 12 months as an exchange student 40-odd years ago. Still the same, Menchu; nothing happening.
Then on to Bendigo, where we checked in at the beautiful Antoinette’s Bed & Breakfast. Then a quick walk around the town centre as darkness fell, followed by a pleasant meal and a beer at the historic Shamrock Hotel, built in 1854.
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