The thought of a long drive and day in Shepparton waiting for my car to be serviced used to cause a groan. Now, there is more I want to do than time allows.
After the car drop-off, my first stop is always coffee at The Last Straw in Keppel St or Europa Deli, where I buy almond bread and constantly battle and lose the want/need debate.
Recently, after Europa, I went to Emerald Bank at Kialla, easily identifiable by the large windmill above the chocolate apple shop.
I went especially to visit MOVE, which was previously under wraps during its $5 million extension and upgrade, and because I had been hearing about the Furphy celebrations.
MOVE is a not-for-profit organisation run by enthusiastic volunteers. It has wonderful, ever-changing exhibits for all ages, but the stars are the cars and trucks … and the Harley-Davidsons, cycles, telephones and clothes collected by Loel Thompson. The Furphy farm equipment and water cart exhibition is beautifully curated.
At present, Holden cars feature prominently. There are around 20 truck cabs with banners profiling trucking family histories.
Of course, I started talking to an ex-truckie from Wagga who said I should also go to the Deniliquin Car Museum with the original 1950s milk bar next door and to Liz Martin’s road transport museum at Port Pirie in South Australia.
Liz is a trucking legend herself and has collected and preserved pre-World War II trucks and stories of the outback, including Australia’s original outback road train. I told him about the vast Gosford Classic Car Museum in NSW.
We both agreed that one thing leads to another and endless day trips or longer and also that it pays to talk.
I ran out of time to further explore Emerald Bank and hurried back into town to see the movie Napoleon.
I was raised on the notion that in Europe, a dinner party with good conversation invariably mentions Napoleon in relation to what happened before, during or after his time.
Curiously well proven because he is mentioned in the book Venice by Jan Morris, which I am currently reading.
Folk law or fact, he is attributed to be responsible for long lines of trees beside old roads throughout Europe, planted with the intention to provide shade for his marching soldiers.
The movie brought to mind the song ‘When a Man Loves a Woman …’ War violence is not my thing, but it is beautifully made and costumed.
After the movie, I went straight to the bookshop and bought Joseph Furphy’s iconic Such is Life and another about Napoleon.
Then I went to Shepparton Art Museum, wanting to see The Arndt Collection: From One World to Another (on display until March 10). This is a private collection of Asian and International Contemporary Art loaned by Matthias Arndt and his wife, Tiffany Wood, who have collected their art while living and working in Berlin, Athens and Melbourne.
Silly me, SAM is closed on Tuesday, so I carried on to see what is happening at the Australian Botanic Gardens built on the top of Honeysuckle Rise, a mountain of landfill on the site of the former Kialla Village Settlement beside the Broken River.
Featuring native plants and recycled refuge, it is inspirational.
I have been watching it mature since it was built as a community project in 2012.
The area is now a haven for wetland and native birds. Unfortunately, I was the only visitor, but brochures with walking maps, birdlife, and other information can easily be found.
When retrieving my car, I asked the two people looking after me what they did for recreation in Shepparton and was surprised by their answers.
One said she mostly walked her dog around Victorian Lake or visited SAM, then added she now also goes to Escape, Smash and Play in Wyndham St. I looked it up, and there are rooms where you break things, throw axes or strategise prison escapes.
The other said he goes to Melbourne to ‘forward face’ abseil down tall buildings. I looked this up too.
Anyone over seven can do it in Southbank or Beechworth.
Oh dear, in a couple of months, my granddaughter will want a day trip to do this. Another day trip to Shepparton is imminent too.
– Suzie Pearce