Winton, Day 2

Well, we woke this morning all a-tremble at the thought of the wonders awaiting us. But first,let me tell you that we broke that not-going-to-any-entertainers rule again. This time we went into Banjo's Shed where the crowd was being regaled with tall tales and a passing association to the truth by two bush poets come yarn-spinners, Mel and Sue. Now these grils are good and kept us entertained for an hour or two. We were even let in on the secret that one of them was Elvis' love child from a lightning visit he made to Qld after the war. Would they lie? They gave us a rendition of 'A sunburnt country' and asked if anyone knew the first verse, the second being the one we think we know. Miss Smart Pants immediately started reciting something I've never heard of, and even though it was the 3rd verse, they gave here their latest CD. I couldn't thank them enough. Some other grey hared fart then jumped in and recited the correct verse, it only takes a freebie on offer to bring them al out. Mind you under questioning he admitted to having seen the show the night before and had looked it of on the interweb. Second prize was 2 CDs, so he got his just desserts.

What, you want to hear about Waltzing Matilda and Old Trucks? OK. So the Waltzing Matilda Centre is a multi-million dollar shrine to the Song (only one in the world) and inside you can read and hear all there is to know about this iconic ditty, even if half of it is hearsay. Good old Banjo flogged the song to Angus & Robertson in 1901 and they flogged it to Inglis, who changed the words around and used it to flog Billy Tea. It's been recorded 500 something times and translated into heaps of languages including French and Finnish. It's well done even if they do skirt around the political and social issues of the time that AB Patterson would have been well and truly involved in. As he was a noted political commentator and satirist, the suggestion that Waltzing Matilda is a metaphor depicting the struggle between the battlers and the silvertails and government narks was also a possibility. Oh well, we'll just go along with the official story that he was dallying with a nice young lass and it amused him to write some words for a tune she had heard somewhere.

Outside they have a biggish collection of old 'junk' as you normal find in a museum, rusty bits of metal, broken washing machines, an old telephone, half a merino's horn - you know the stuff. Except, this stuff is all clean and tidy and labelled and set out neatly. The sheds have spotless concrete floors and it's just really well done.

We had lunch at the Winton Hotel, a few blocks away from the glitz of the main street, down near the railway goods yards. It was lovely. We sat out in the sun and stuffed ourselves with Barra Burghers and chatted to mine host about the decline of the railways.

It couldn't be put of any longer, we had to take the $3 Opal story and Movie Museum tour, which, as our guide proudly told us, included the worlds largest deckchair. We went in in anticipative awe. We walked past the dusty displays of 17th rate opal and crumbling rock and let ourselves out into the open air movie theatre and there it was!!! The biggest deckchair you'll ever see. Wow, Judith had to sit down and catch her breath. Recovered we slipped into the movie museum, and out again.

Next was Arno's wall. Arno is the local crank that build his fence out of rocks and cement and junk (see photos), complimented it with more artwork things in his front yard and now it has a cult following.

Judith needed a rest, I was high on excitement and took myself to the Truck Museum, where they had, well, a bunch of old trucks. 'Old' being the operative word here as most were just rusty hulks out the back in the yard. They had a few restored ones inside and they were 'nice', but really it was mostly old junk. They also didn't understand why they would want to go and get the FJ Utes just up the road and add them, seeing as they had a few old Holdens and Fords and Vauxhalls as well. I thought a Ute would be just the thing. Oh well.

Tonight, however, we are doing dinner and a show, right here at the van park. Roast chicken and the two chooks. Should be a great combo.

Snap of the day, because i cant leave it to chance, I just have to share this

I wasn't game to take it full on, so a sidelong glance will have to do: THE WORLDS LARGEST DECKCHAIR