In this week’s Day Tripping article Suzie Pearce takes a journey to see what different towns and doing for the festive season, plus a preview of Myer’s Christmas windows.
Most towns have now put up their decorations.
Some are fabulous, while others are devoid of imagination. I won’t mention names.
Beechworth looks fabulous, and Wangaratta is always lit up no matter what time of year.
I’m also planning a day trip to Kyabram to see the result of the Kyabram Yarn Bombers’ work this year.
Their theme is Christmas and includes bollard covers and many knitted murals. All items have now been mounted and will stay in place until the middle of January. This is a novel departure from predictable decorations. Well done, Kyabram.
I have yet to see any lit houses, but with high power costs, they will no doubt appear just in time for a family night drive with the children just before Christmas.
When my three children were little, we would take them on a ‘night trip’ to see the Myer Christmas windows in Melbourne. It was quite a drive, but no matter, it was worth it.
We would give them an early dinner and bath to get into the spirit of doing something special or different.
Then, in their dressing gowns and slippers, we would head for Melbourne to arrive when it was dark. The windows are fabulous at any time but extra special when their lights twinkle at night. The kids would sleep all the way home.
As they got older, we would forgo the early dinner and bath and have dinner at one of Melbourne’s laneway restaurants, waiting for dark. On our way home, we would zig-zag to see houses with their fantastic decorations that local papers had revealed.
That was the era of emerging whole-house Christmas light art. It was the same special pre-Christmas night trip but done in a different form.
This is the 67th year that Myer has displayed its magical Christmas windows.
This year, the story is Bluey. All six windows depict the characters of the Heeler family.
Adults love Bluey as much as children, so it will be very popular. They are open daily from 7.30am to 10pm and will close on Saturday, January 6.
Christmas is fun and busy, but I dislike shopping with crowds, so I shop for presents throughout the year when on one of my day trips. It’s way less stressful, and the result is invariably more interesting.
My now adult children get a night/weekend accommodation voucher or dinner for two at a great place I found on one of my day trips.
Our six-year-old granddaughter loves tickets to the theatre or holiday art classes. She is happy just to have another day trip.
– Suzie Pearce