Australia Day: 2008 style

Jan 26 is Australia Day. Around the country big events and small celebrate what it is to be Australian. There were award ceremonies, parties, a countdown of the 100 most popular songs in the country (which also included more than one party) and many other local events. Here, we were more low key.

First Stop: Victoria Market

Our day started with a 6.30 am visit to Victoria Market. The Vic market is a great tradition. At this hour, some stall-holders are still getting their goods into order(the fruit and veg, deli and the like – the non-food stall-holders start later). Only the most serious of shoppers are nearly done, heading home to breakfast, special trolleys laden with the best.

Deli Hall Breakfast then Shopping

We start with a breakfast outside the deli hall. Breakfast done, we ‘do’ the deli section and then the meat hall (sometimes). Then it’s a gentle peruse through the fruit and veg, gathering produce all the way to our endpoint, the second coffee. From this vantage point we are able to watch the potato stall and various others at work. They are humourists, this population who rise in the dark, and I hope to get some sleep in the afternoon. It’s nice to be leaving, our bags full, before movement in the aisles become slower than fudge.

Home and then to the Beach

Once home and unpacked, it’s time for the beach. It’s going to be a fairly warm day and we hit the dog pool…a part of the beach with a natural pool that’s perfect for all. It’s a very social place, for the dogs that is. For one of our party – newly overcoming fear of dogs – the placid Irish Wolfhound and the bounding Labradors are almost too exciting. But here, dogs of all sorts with their no-less varied owners happily share the space. We lingered long.

Next Stop: the Swimming Pool

After lunch we visit our very new reinvented local swimming pool. It’s a much grander affair than the old one. It has a much larger 25 m pool with room for lap swimmers, lessons and ‘general users’. There’s a large beach entry shallower pool and a smaller toddler pool. There’s room for everyone.

And then to Finish?

We finished our day with a barbecue.

I reckon that’s an okay kind of Australia Day. I enjoyed it.

More things that happen in Melbourne: Open Melbourne  and   Tourist in my own Town