The outdoor museum at Sovereign Hill is
at Ballarat, about 90 minutes drive from Melbourne. It's a living
museum which tells the story of the gold rush in the town in the
1850's. I have been to many such places over the years, but Sovereign
Hill has to be up there among the very best.
Not only is the setting absolutely
splendid, the buildings are so carefully arranged, that you really do
feel that you are wandering around a completely authentic town of the
period. But what makes it very special are the 'interpreters', the
people who play the part of sweet makers, wheelwrights, shopkeepers
et al. They play their parts with such enthusiasm and commitment,
that it is very easy to start role-playing along with them.
Over the years, the attraction has been
expanded, so people who have been there before, will always find
something new to appeal. The tour of the gold mine, for example,
takes you on a train which gives you the sensation of going deep
underground to see two types of mine, the first so cleverly
manufactured that it's not easy to see the join between it and the
real digging which adjoins.
Redcoat soldiers are drilled, muskets
are fired and it all takes place under the Union Flag. God Save the
Queen. Huzzah!
It's interesting to learn about the
interaction between the experienced Cornish miners and the hordes of
Chinese workers who were lured to the boom town to extract a few
grams of gold from each ton of quartz. You can pan for gold in a very
impressive creek, but, for wow factor, to watch the pouring of a
red-hot $140,000 gold ingot and to be able to pass it around only
moments later is truly spectacular.
In the street, a constable might have
to intervene in a street brawl; in the school, the teacher can be
seen showing modern day children the way of learning in the 1850's.
NO talking in class!
In the saddlery, Miss Erin and I strike
up a role play relationship but, so far, she hasn't written. Oh well.
The ticket for Sovereign Hill also
gives admission to the nearby gold museum but to do everything
justice, you really need to spend a couple of days.
It is as good a living museum as I have
been to in many a long year achieving authenticity without the need
for the over-commercial hype of places like Williamsburg in Virginia.
I have no hesitation for awarding
Sovereign Hill a thoroughly deserved 'gold star'!
About an hour's drive from Melbourne is
the Healesville Sanctuary, where you can see Australia's native
wildlife close-up. From kangaroo and koala to wallaby and wombat,
they are all here.
The sanctuary is committed to ensuring
the survival of endangered species and the conservation message is
delivered strongly at every turn.
Especially well done is the 'Spirits of
the Sky' show, where two presenters introduce the audience to a range
of raptors and other birds.
It is lovely to be able to see and
learn about the animals without the feeling that you are in a zoo;
the spacious enclosures giving as close a recreation of the animals'
natural habitats as possible. The animal hospital is also
fascinating, but comes with a warning that you could see an operation
or post mortem in progress.
In front of the centre, a
fire-blackened tree has been transplanted, another reminder of the
Black Saturday bush fires which came so close to the sanctuary that
the fire emergency plan had to be implemented and hundreds of animals
evacuated to its sister attractions at Melbourne Zoo, Werribee and
elsewhere.
A leaflet reminds you that the maximum
penalty for deliberately causing a bush fire is 25 years
imprisonment.
Healesville undoubtedly does what it
does very well and takes every opportunity to deliver its
conservation message to its visitors.
I am never entirely happy with
animals being given names or things like 'Magic Moments' where you
pay to have a 10 minute 'close encounter' with the animal of your
choice, but that's purely a personal view and I am sure the experts
have debated the pros and cons long into the night.
The site is very cleverly designed and
crams a lot into its paths, which only stretch for a total of 3
kilometres, so ideal for children and the less able.
Healesville Sanctuary is a most
enjoyable day out.
Nearby, at Yarra Glen, I buy a couple
of tickets for the Tuesday Oz Lotto, the top prize which has now
risen to $70 million Australian.
In the attractive town, the
Hargreaves Hill Brewing Company offers a sampling 'paddle' of six of
its brews.
It really would have been churlish to
refuse.
