Wednesday Day 32

Anzac day-and an early start at 5.00 am to catch the dawn events. One of the first there setting up my tripod and checking angles. The grave-faced veterans marched past and I found little space in what had become a large crowd to get a good view of the ceremonies. It was all curiously moving-given the raw deal Anzacs have had fighting ssurrogate wars and loud applause met the vets.

Then a great breakfast at a friend of Donna’s who shows us an early miners house and the shack believed to be the first in Bendigo which belonged to a Chinese Miner turned market gardener. All that will grow here are pepper trees, which strew the yard in pink seeds. At midday I am off on a trek around the wineries arranged by Greg and Vince. We start with a standard winery which is as expected, but end up at a small family run one which makes the best wines in the region. This happy picnic turns tragic as the farmer is clearly in deep despair about the drought. He has no crop and the water which fed his farm has all failed-just a bark filled creek behind the house and every spring dry. This is the true tragedy of the changing weather. Clouds pass over without a drop of rain.