MOT Tour Day 5 - Geelong (Vic)

The Ferris Wheel of death.

Our first day of not moving on since leaving home was spent largely in preparation for catching the Spirit of Tasmania tomorrow. After previous disasters, so thoroughly documented on these pages at the time, it was Boy Scout motto time. 

In the early part of the morning we re-read everything which had been provided and found answers to any questions we still had on the company website. I must say, in that regard, SOT are first rate at providing information. With that all locked in, we took a drive along the chosen route to the terminal and walked a mile in our own shoes. Locked and loaded. 

Feeling confident, we returned to the bayside precinct at Geelong. 

Sue hopped aboard the Ferris Wheel, as determined to ride as I was certain she would die. While assuaging my grief, I talked with the ice cream lady about her other life, as a care-giver in aged care. She had found the responsibility during everyone’s favourite pandemic overwhelming. Two of her three clients had died with her, the one present to provide comfort as family were not allowed to be there. Now she’s serving cream from a truck on the Geelong foreshore and another unseen and unheard of victim Covid-19. The boysenberry and choc chip was excellent. 

After Sue decamped the wheel of almost death, we hopped on the hop on and hop off train. It would be the only hopping we did as we stayed on the ride for it's duration and several uncomfortable moments with Jones, the driver (close personal space, no mast and an occasional cough. Actually train is a grandiose name for a souped up golf cart and three rattly bogeys with a range of quality in seating. On the driver’s recommendation we sat on the soft vinyl ones with the gaffer tape patches or more accurately, the soft gaffer tape seats with the vinyl patches. The aluminium bench seats looked a bit spine tingling. Our ride took us along the esplanade to the Cunningham Pier and included no commentary about the Pier but about five minutes on 15 boxes of bananas left over from a festival at the weekend. Our “tax payer’s dollars” and their misuse were in the mix. 

Back underway, we went to the other end of the run, Easts Beach. A lovely facility, incorporating a
netted ocean pool and purpose built wading pools for beginners. Two old original pavilions added to the scene. Our driver informed us that a few years back, the place was in rack and ruin until a Go Fund Me project raised $3 million from the local community to refurbish. Now that's cutting out the middle man: no tax payers dollars there. Returning us back to our starting point, he asked for feedback so I gave him a tip … but he had heard the one about looking both ways when you cross the road. 

Click here for today's photos

This was the first day of the trip that felt like a holiday and that was a damned fine ice cream.