It was a nice change from a busy morning and the endless shifting of moving feet to just enjoy a little normal life for a bit, one where I didn't feel like I was half a world away from my real one, something I needed to ease the ache of home sickness and dull it for if only a few moments...Therefore, this morning after a light breakfast and a little read I caved in... and played with the dogs.
Ziggy the collie and Polly the jack russell are outside dogs and belong to Matt and Kate, they are also full of beans and ready for a game of fetch when someone takes the patience it takes to retrieve the toy from Ziggy.
It was apparently just what I needed, a little quiet and a lot of time to play with the kids as maybe that is what I miss most almost as much as Daryl (and sometimes more so lol, no offence hunni).
It was a good game of fetch in the back yard for about an hour and a half before dad came home and the attention went from my game to fussing over their dad, but not before I got a good cuddle in from both of the fluffy monsters.
The day had to begin eventually so after a quick lunch and a little down time for Matt who worked the morning, we started into town to hit the Central Deborah Gold Mines.
The walk through proved to really not teach us all too much due to the lack of signs and explanations and our attempt to sift for gold - in plastic bowls instead of metal sifters which I thought was a jip! - didn't get us rich or even pocket change, must not be our "calling in life" I suppose better that way.
It was the tour below with our special tour guide "Laurie" who was about 55-60 years old and had a big grey handlebar mustache and a great sense of showman ship and humor that was the best part. After getting some information up on the surface including watching a few "modern day miners" travel down the real mine elevator - that BARELY fit 4 men -, these men were going down to lower levels probably far lower then we went to help put safety measures in the mines, fixing things that need to be fixing and I suppose putting in precautionary measures for those of us who walk on the surface of the mines. We headed down to wear we got equip with hard hats, miners lights and hopped into a large elevator that took us down to the 2nd level... 62 meters below the ground. Now it only took about 14 seconds to reach 62 meters below the surface but it hits you all the same as you are walking through the mine tunnels and you can almost feel the amount of rock and stone and earth above you, if you can deal with that it seems your just FINE.
The tour was great! With examples of some of the working machines and jokes along the way, information that will never serve a purpose in my life but still is worth hearing, Laurie seemed to take a liking to me as he usually turned to me for jokes and other information that maybe others seemed not as fun to poke at, it could have been because I responded "Canada" when he asked where I was from... maybe that's like a big target here? Anyways...
The tour around the mines was truly amazing and I am a little sorry I didn't take the longer one - our was only about 80 minutes - that was about 2.5 hours and took you deeper or even the one that was 3.5 hours and took you way down to I believe the 17th level which is 410 meters under the surface... sounds a little creepy but would be incredible to see! Maybe I'll leave that to when Daryl and I come back in a few years, as I'd like to have someone to hang off of when I feel like the world is literally going to CAVE IN ON ME.Laurie also informed us just as the tour was beginning - we were standing on the "plat" where the miners would get off the real elevator and where the rock carts would be put onto another elevator and sent topside - that if the power were to go off it would take about 30 minutes to climb ladders from the level 2 - 62 meters down - to the surface above the mines, he also mentioned that from level 17 - 410 meters below the surface - it would take roughly 3.5 hours to climb to the top... no thanks.
After saying how much we appreciated the tour to Laurie we headed into town for a few beers and a game of pool at the local pub before returning home where we are now in the warmth of a heater, writing a blog and reading the news, Matt is just about to take the dogs for a nice walk though I hope they are at least a little tired from our almost 2.5 hours of play time this morning - which I doubt - and then its dinner, shower and some tv for the evening... not a bad day in Bendigo, not a bad day at all.Happy Fathers Day to all and especially my Pops - who I really hope got the present my 'messenger' dropped off and the note - and my big brother Dylan who is having his first fathers day ever with my gorgeous nephew.
Ta for now
-A.G
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