While I was in Gippsland with my hosts in Marlo, the topic of my possible relocation came up. Among the questions was whether I want to be in a metropolitan area or not. The answer was “don’t know.” I enjoy being close to all the things that cities have: art galleries, theaters, shopping, neighborhoods, good public transportation, and so on. At the same time, rents are expensive, it’s difficult to have a car (in Sydney it’s incredibly expensive, but then again, everything in Sydney is incredibly expensive) and harder to have a pet.

   To be fair, there are advantages to living in a small city, as well. In the country, people seem more accessible; you tend to know your neighbors and become friends with them. There’s room to run a dog off the leash, it’s easy to have a car, rents are less expensive, crime rate is lower, easy to get around, etc. Plus, you can be within easy distance of a larger city. And it’s better than living in soulless suburbia.

   During this discussion, my host suggested that I try to check out the cities of Bendigo or Ballarat next. During my house sit with Mylo-the-verbally-gifted-feline, I browsed the HelpEx site for possibilities. I found a promising host with landscaping work to finish off after adding an extension to their home. The photographs showed a fabulous Victorian cottage front, complete with a front porch and gingerbread trim, and a distinctly modern corrugated steel back – the extension. The place was in easy walking distance of the downtown area. I contacted them immediately. The day I finished my sit with Mylo, I was on the 9:30 a.m. train out of Southern Cross to Bendigo.

   I adore train trips into the country.

   When I arrived, M. was there to pick me up, although he said he had approached another woman and asked if she was Kimbel. He also apologized that the car was being serviced and that he would call for a taxi. The other half of the hosting couple, J., would meet us here at the train station. He suggested that since I had arrived half-way through the day, we might explore Bendigo a little bit this afternoon. I thought that was a terrific idea.

   To say that the house is lovely would be an understatement. Neighborhoods in Kansas City boast lovingly restored homes of Victorian and Craftsman vintage. But this house, although modest from the exterior, boasted details that I haven’t seen in similar sized homes. Extravagant plaster medallions on the ceilings around the light fixtures in all the bedrooms, multi-layered crown mouldings, a decorative archway mid-hallway, Baltic pine floors, two fireplaces (non-functioning). And then, the extension – an open floor plan that contained kitchen, living and dining areas under a vaulted ceiling, a contrast of clean opposite to the front half of the house. Our brief tour included the back area, but M. said we’d get into the list of tasks in the morning.

   So after lunch (thank you J.!) we ventured downtown and my hosts were kind enough to take me on a tour of some of Bendigo’s attractions. We stopped for a coffee first (M. has his own cappuccino machine, so my coffee habit was supported) at the Bendigo Art Gallery.  Besides a nice permanent collection of early European and Australian paintings and objet, the current exhibit was “Made in Hollywood: Photographs from the John Kobal Foundation” and was organised by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.  We all laughed at that. The other exhibit was a Bendigo Art Gallery exhibit of Michael O’Connell’s textiles. O’Connell was designing in the early 1900s – fabulous work. 

   On the way out, M. suggested that we climb a tower behind the gallery that looked to me like a simple observation tower. Since it was placed on the edge of Rosalind Park, I thought that it was just an overlook built as an attraction for park visitors. Turns out it’s what is referred to as a poppet head, the top of a gold mine that operated the drilling mechanism. At the base, we were met by a nice young woman who told us that a film was being shot at the top of the tower, and that we should be aware we might be in a shot as we passed the crew. No problem. As sophisticated poppet-head climbers, we were aware of all the risks. Including being filmed.

   Turned out that the person being filmed was Tony Robinson, a British actor who I remember as Baldrick in a PBS series called “Blackadder,” which also starred Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean). We did end up being in a shot, and in fact having to be in the shot several times. Mr. Robinson was a sport (he kept saying “Ballarat” instead of “Bendigo.”) He consented to a photograph after we finished. The film is part of a series, “Tony Robinson Explores Australia” on the History Channel, so you can see me on film next year if in fact the scene doesn’t get deleted.

   One day in Bendigo and a brush with fame already.

   The next morning, we assessed the state of the back.  Much of the landscaping had been completed already. Decomposed granite footpaths, a salvaged brick retaining wall, paved patio. The tasks at hand included tearing out some climbing plants called Happy Wanderer, which, as J. pointed out, were no longer happy or wandering. The next task was placing volcanic rock and additional topsoil in an area to make a rock garden that would be host to J.’s lemon tree. Another bush that had failed to thrive was to be torn out. Green waste hauled to the tip (recycling site), top soil moved, excess soil hauled out the tip – a good list. We worked in the cool morning hours and took hot afternoons off.

   One afternoon, we all rode downtown together – J. had a lunch date with Ladies who Lunch; M. had a luncheon scheduled with the Lads who Lunch; this gave me the chance to examine the exhibits at the Art Gallery more closely and have lunch at the cafe, which was delicious and inexpensive. After we were all done with our various lunching, we met and drove out to a friend of M. and J.’s who just happens to be a famous quilter.

   In conversation early in the week, I had mentioned that I sewed and quilted. M. immediately asked me if I knew the name Margaret McDonald. No, I was ignorant, but had a feeling that it was someone that I should know. I Googled. She’s a big deal.

   Over the past 20-odd years, Margaret has fabricated probably around 300+ quilts. In a dozen years, I have probably made six.  But I inherited a love of textiles from my mother, and the chance to meet a quilting super star was too good to pass up. J. and M. called up Margaret, told her that they had someone visiting who was a quilter, and could we come out and visit? Of course!

   Margaret and her husband reside on 27 acres well outside of Bendigo. They lease out the paddocks (pastures) to sheep ranchers in the area, so all the grass is trimmed neatly by the wooly ones. On the property, she has had a portable classroom unit placed for her workshop. All of her machines are in there, and most of her fabric, although she saw a mouse in there the other day, so the fabrics have started a migration to the house.  While there, we watched a PowerPoint presentation showcasing her quilts on their big screen television. Fabulous. She pieces by hand, and that’s what fascinates her – the piecing. She loves to see the patterns emerge. The quilting part she entrusts to a few select long-arm quilters. I could have visited with her for several more hours about quilting and taken advantage of her hospitality, but it was getting on past dinner time, so off we went and stopped for fish and chips on the way home.

*

   I was not expected to work on the weekend, so we all headed out to the Farmer’s Market on Saturday. Since J. and M. were preparing to travel to Adelaide on Tuesday morning and didn’t want perishables going bad in the ‘fridge, we didn’t purchase any of the fresh things on offer.  We also stopped over at the Pall Mall Art & Craft Market in the Town Hall where M., a jewelry designer, would have a stall the next day.  The interior of which took my breath away. Yes, the gold on the mouldings is real gold leaf. (Excuse the head in the shot … there was a shocking number of people there at the last market before Christmas.)

   I am not necessarily a huge fan of Victorian architecture. Craftsman style is more my taste. But I’m not necessarily not a fan of Victorian architecture, especially when it’s in context and so well maintained as much of the buildings here in Bendigo.  The city was founded during the Australian gold rush of the 1850s, so  this style is that of the time. The fact that so much of it has been maintained astonished me.  Of course, there is a good deal that’s not been maintained, as well, and also a portion of those buildings under refurbishment.  And the way that Australians regard this architecture is interesting, as well.  In Sydney, in Melbourne and now in Bendigo, I saw both contemporary and Victorian co-existing on the same street. And somehow, it worked. There are also those who respect superb craftsmanship and preserve it, yet add a contemporary space (like L. in Bentleigh East and J. and M. here in Bendigo.) Again, it works. If one doesn’t layer more gee-gaws on the gee –gaws already there, one can have a greater appreciation for them.

At the Tip – constructed of electronic pieces/parts.

   I don’t quite know what it was about Bendigo that attracted me. Maybe because it’s a small city, the energy seems manageable.  Perhaps the architecture renders it charming. Or it could be that my hosts made me feel so at home, I didn’t want to leave. (Thank you, J. and M.!) But I have to say that the first time I thought seriously about contacting an immigration agent was while I was in Bendigo.

I will be forever grateful of J. and M.’s wonderful hospitality and welcome.
   But on Friday morning I was off again for Melbourne to meet up with friends I made in Sydney and attend an author event featuring playwright and screen writer Tom Stoppard (“Rosencranz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” “Shakespeare in Love,” etc. and etc.) and science fiction writer Neil Gaiman (the “Sandman” series, “American Gods,” “Neverwhere,” and various “Dr. Who” episodes, etc., etc., etc.)