We the day started out with plenty of time, I knew we’d need it, and really I did not allow enough. I was up early enough to see the garbage truck. I hooked up the trailer and took the car down to park in 5 ways as there is not enough space on the street for the car and the trailer. Luckily the ANZAC day memorial had finished and some of the people have left so I could find parking space. I had heard the service through the trees in the forest.
I got away over half an hour before Kirsten. As we passed Castella, she had was only just leaving. So I deferred our booking for an hour for the train and we stopped to get some lollies and have a toilet break at the petrol station at Glenburn. Just after this we came to a very recent accident. The police helicopter had just arrived on the scene as we pulled up to stop. I do not know if we would have got through if we had not stopped. Maybe we would have been part of the accident.
The girls found this very exciting. As we got out the Air Ambulance arrived, followed quickly by the local fire brigade and then the channel 7 chopper. The girls were convinced they were going to be on the news. From what I learned later it seems that two were injured, one seriously. I do not know if they all survived their injuries.
Eventually we were told of an alternative route and headed back down the road to drive though limestone and up the other side of the valley to Yea.
I had called Kirsten and warned her of the accident. She took the flowerdale turnoff at Gelnburn and with a bit of help from the GPS arrived not longer after us. In time to quickly eat the sausage meal and catch the train.
I have driving up the road from Yea to Seymour many times over the decades and I have never know of a railway at Kerrisdale. So I wondered if I was just blind. I first learned of the Kerrisdale Mountain Railway when a friend on Flickr posted photos of it. I had told my mother, who lives in Seymour and she did not know of it either. Well it turns out it was only built in the last 10 years. There was no railway there before. It is like a retirement plan for some railway buffs. It looks quite successful and I wish them the best. What a great idea.
They had a Furphy water cart there. People tell the story about how we talk of a Furphy because of the tall stories the water carters used to tell. I have always believed this. But I wondered, is there another reason? This story may be a Furphy itself. You see, I know that to keep the Tank Secret, the reason they are called Tanks, is that when the first tanks were shipped to the front lines, part of the secrecy was that they were shipped as water tanks. Perhaps they were shipped as Furphy water tanks?
After this we went to mums. The girls really wanted to camp again. So we reached a compromise and set up the tent in mum’s lounge room. They were at first disappointed, but thoroughly enjoyed it. One day soon mum will join the world of people who own DVD players.
