22 September - Geraldton


Windy, wet, windy, stormy, windy, wet Geraldton.  Did I mention windy and wet? The windscreen wipers were on for rain for the first time since 23rd June when we left Melbourne.  We checked in to the recommended Big 4 but even though we're members we were given a desolate gravel site not one of the beautifully manicured lawn sites.  Not a good start!  Then the first toilet door I opened in the ablutions block was so small, I thought it was a kids toilet. The second, third and fourth toilet doors each revealed a Pygmy-sized calf-height toilet. The shower heads were for also for women of a similar height. Not a good start!

Anyway, we needed to have dinner and two cyclists from Perth who we chatted with in the cafe at Northampton on our way south recommended the Wintersun Hotel in Geraldton. So we headed to the hotel to watch the Preliminary Final between Geelong and Adelaide. We were greeted by, "Arthur ... Arthur's my name, 'Uncle Arthur' woo hoo!"  "I've been here since 11 this morning, woo hoo" said Arthur most proudly.  "Hi, I'm John" said John, shaking his hand and "my name's Lorraine "I said, keeping my hands firmly in my pockets - if he's been there drinking for six hours I know what he's been doing in between drinks and I reckon not a lot of soap and water has been involved. 

"Where are you from?' asked Arthur, not for the first - or the last time. "Ormond, Victoria" was our reply, and not for the first or the last time! "I know Ormond, I was based at the Army barracks in Brighton, woo hoo."  And so the conversation went for the next hour while we waited for the game to start. 

But ... along came the bar girls at 5 o'clock in the most skimpy outfits I didn't know where to look. Old Uncle Arthur clearly knew them and had a cuddle with one of the girls who was clearly not as keen as Uncle Arthur to have a cuddle. Shame.  Anyway, I said I couldn't stay - Uncle Arthur said he understood - he didn't like it either! Woo hoo! 

The Murchison Hotel had a nice meals area with a big screen telly that served us quite nicely and we watched the game till the end. The waitress told us that the Wintersun bar girls hand around a tin later in the evenings and if enough money is given, more items of clothing one off. And this is the 21st Century!


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