Monday, January 28, 2008

The Rectory does Victoria.

Rectory does Victoria


Click on the photo.

The Rectory's recent visit to Ballarat/Castlemaine/Echuca: a small selection.

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6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

It works!!

(Tip for visitors: Click on the pic to go to Father Park's picasa web album.)

Some nice shots there, Father Park.

Did the postulants strike it rich? Or even comfortably well-off?

The billabong shot is pretty stunning. And the shot of Your Holiness holding up the altar is certainly one for the Rectory album.

28/1/08 9:39 PM  
Blogger Father Park said...

No they did not strike it rich in the slightest. It was a bugger of day heat wise and I only wished to retire to the Union Hotel (or was it American Hotel?) for a frosty ale.

Summerfield Wines that shot breasting the altar. They do a mighty fine reserve CabSav.

Quoin Hill back towards Ballarat do a "Fat Boy" of a Pinot Noir that one would refrain from taking to Nagasaki. It is a a mouth-filling belter.

The "billabong" is actually a so-many hectare lake. Old farm dam in fact. There was a paddle boat: too bloody hot for Father Park and the Lady Rectoress to be paddling though.

Very comfy place: it had the lot including a marvellous (and huge) reading room; tennis courts; pool; gym (which I studiously avoided)and a huge multi-plated and griddled BBQ with more stainless steel benchwork than a commercial kitchen. I sacrificed several different animals on that particular altar one evening. Along, of course, with some libations poured - of the Wirra Wirra type.

28/1/08 10:58 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Was wondering when we were gonna see the pics Mike!

Yes, some lovely shots there I agree Jarcob!
Sunset is breathtaking.(Or is that a sunrise?)
Loved the cute pic of Caitlin and Josh, with their arms around one another's shoulders.

29/1/08 9:18 AM  
Blogger Father Park said...

That was most certainly sunset Kathy. Much duck feeding took place about the shores of the lake. Much libation consumption too I might add.

The picture of the kids was taken at Pipers by the Lake. The “lake” being Wendouree. It is the none too sizeable puddle behind Josh.

This particular restaurant thinks a bit of itself. We’d taken the tram ride (a 1909 vintage) round the “lake” district and, as it was stinking hot, decided to lunch and have a beer at the establishment. Lunch was over: it was 2:30. We then decided some cake and drinks would be the go. Milkshakes, spiders, cake and beer ordered we sat back, took in the view and waited. And waited…. and waited.

It arrived some 35 minutes after the order. We did not have seconds. The people at the table next to us simply went to the counter and demanded their drinks – twice.

The service was absolutely abysmal. No, atrocious. It was post lunch and there were few people in. God knows what would happen during dinner.

29/1/08 11:30 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah, Kath, that's a really sweet pic of Caitlin & Josh. Bonza kids, Father Park!

And it's been a very long time since I visited Ballarat... your shot of downtown reminded me of just how 'civic' the place looks with that town hall (not sure, but it can only be a town hall) dominating the main drag.

I recall when you drive into the town, something about it oozes patrician benevolence and 'permanence'. Maybe that's very old-time, bourgeois socialist of me.

30/1/08 10:00 PM  
Blogger Father Park said...

I believe it was the Town Hall. I missed the Theatre. Was planning to have a sticky but must have destroyed the brain cell with that thought with the reds consumed.

The children were being most well behaved that particular day. They couldn't understand why the drinks took forever. Caitlin reckoned it couldn't be too hard to pour some coke over some ice cream for her spider. Further, she reckoned that getting dad's beer from a fridge would only take a minute or two.

Not at Pipers it doesn't.

31/1/08 11:09 AM  

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