Sculling, wineries and tripping

We are preparing for a couple of short breaks. The first short break is to Nowra to see a concert by Dr Hook. Some of my possibly non-existent readers may have no idea where Nowra is and may believe that I am seeing Dr Hook for reasons of my health.

A ticket to see the doctor.

Nowra is a town about 100 miles south of Sydney. European settlement happened in about 1825 though the land is actually owned by the Wodi-wodi and Dharawal indigenous peoples. It does boast a number of famous sons including Jim Stanbury who was he World Professional Sculling Champion between 1891 and 1896 and then again in 1905. The World Sculling Championship ran between 1863 and 1957. Only boxing can claim an older world championship.

This picture is apparently of the first eight-oared race in Australia, at the Melbourne Regatta, Maribyrnong River, 1875 (http://www.graftonrowing.asn.au/oldgrcsite/history/1800s_4.htm).

Whether or not Dr Hook is more or less interesting than sculling I cannot say. Dr Hook (who I remember first as Dr Hook and the Medicine Show) are an American band dating from the 70s. They are famous for such hits as Sylvia’s Mother. They also did a cover of The Ballad of Lucy Jordan (also covered so brilliantly by Marianne Faithful).

The second short break is longer and involves wine (but not sculling because, given my advanced years, I no longer scull alcoholic beverages). But anything involving wine must be good. We are going to various places in Victoria many of which are unknown to me. The places chosen have been selected because there are wineries there. Much excitement. There’s a map here which shows where I think we are going.

This is a map of a hunk of Victoria. We are going to follow (so far as I can ascertain) something approximating the red line. I do not know exactly how we get home again.    

Of course I do not know exactly where we are going. This is because I pay scant attention to The G who Plans All … to a degree of detail unknown to almost anyone I have ever met or heard of (though it's possible that the famous General Sir John Monash was a more detailed planner). We are going with our friends Enid and Terry and The G says that Terry is to navigate. It is difficult to see what challenge this is for Terry as she has plotted everything so carefully that he only has to follow the signposts. But we shall see.

I will no doubt speak to you about the sights, sounds and tastes as we go. Watch this space.

Footnote: I just finished a biography of John Monash (called Monash: The Soldier who Shaped Australia by Grantlee Kieza and I may say it was a ripping read. Of his military skills there can be no doubt but he was an engineer and a lawyer and had no mean success (a couple of problems) with the ladies.