When we woke up in Ballarat, we were both eager to get moving. I think three straight days of touristy things are enough to drive anyone crazy. Our big stop today was Lake Wendouree, where they held the 1956 Olympic rowing competition. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw black swans for the first time. They look like they’ve been in an oil slick disaster. I suppose I’m just used to white ones.

After a drive around the Lake, we headed to the Ballarat Botanic Gardens, where I oohed and aahed over the incredible flowers that grow to monstrous heights in Australia. I videotaped a bunch of it, just to take it home and investigate the possibilities. No one seems to have much yard here, just metre after metre of huge flower bushes.

We had lunch in a posh cafe in the Gardens, and then headed back out again. This time we took some grapes from the trip to Apollo Bay and squashed them and fed them to the ducks and swans. Jen was trying to be helpful and explain how to hold my hand to get the swan to eat from it, when I managed to get bit by the damned thing. Yuck.

The ride back from Ballarat seemed to take several hours, when in reality it only took one. By the time we returned to Melbourne, the sun was shining and we were both obnoxiously tired. Take away seemed the only answer, so we ordered Indian food. Cool. It was my first Chicken Tika Masala and Lamb Rogan Josh. I like curry, that’s for sure. And lamb isn’t bad at all. This is the second time I’ve dined on it, and I wish I could find it in the US. I’m sure I could - I’ve never tried, actually.

We all crashed really early, because we knew we had a big day ahead - shopping in the city!

Yummy curry,

michelle