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We wake up to a cold, windy, cloudy day. Okay, okay, it's still 21 degrees, but it feels the world away from yesterday's 41 scorcher. This weather is also completely predictable considering this is the day we're going to the MCG to watch the Twenty20 cricket. ...it's gonna rain?? Certainly looks like it will at some point today...
Drive into central Geelong for coffee, where the service is poor (refused WIFI in quite an elaborate fashion - so I decide to 'liberate' the coffee house's coffee tasting notes. Thanks chaps) Whilst drinking, we see a newspaper and are interested to read about the bush fire sites that we passed by yesterday on the Great Ocean Road. Apparently, the local fire service used the technique of 'back burning', which is essentially encouraging the fire in a certain direction by artificially intensifying it, in the hope you can control the larger blaze. It's obviously risky, and in this case, it didn't work. The result was 100 destroyed homes in Christmas Day. The picture on the front of the newspaper is the exact spot where we felt compelled to stop and observe yesterday - the charred remains of a house, with holidayers playing on the beach below, as if nothing had happened.
At this stage of the day, we're not impressed with Geelong yet. It's the second largest city in Victoria after Melbourne, and has a Newcastle feel to it. In other words, it's the ex (?) industrial heartland of the state. That being said, as it's on the ocean front and is nearby the Great Ocean Road, it's transformed itself more effectively into a seaside town. So this is where we now head - to the seaside!
On the sea front we inspect the decorative bollards that are a feature here. Not sure why these are here, but they are amusing all the same. A little like the painted koalas we encountered in Port MacQuarrie, but weatherbeaten. The windy conditions make us want to retreat indoors for a bit, so we head for the nearby Westfield to warm up!
Once we're warm, we revisit a Spanish food vendor we had spotted previously who was in a boat, moored to the coast. Here we buy Churros. From a boat. Alice was happy indeed.
Next, the day ever so slightly brightening up (only to start raining slightly soon after), we walk to a new building on the sea front that houses a historic carousel and broken barrel organ. We feel like we're in Victorian England, in Southend. Well, the rain certainly helps this feeling.
A little pushed for time (how does this always happen?) we now leave Geelong, overall judging it to be nicer than Newcastle, and travel to our bnb in the suburbs of Melbourne.
It's a quick turnaround at the house. We let ourselves in (as the owners are still at work), dump our stuff, and drive onwards to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), so we can park outside the venue for just $10. We're going to see Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League (the Australian Twenty20 league).
Arriving at the 'G' in good time, we collect tickets, but then wander for ages to find our burger recommendation from last night's bnb hosts. This is thanks entirely to google being utterly rubbish. We assume that Google have only just got round to 'googlyfying' Melbourne... as we find alot of routes are 'beta', and there are no public transport options at all! The 20 minute walk turns into 45, and we rush back to the 'G' with slight indigestion. As we've used google maps all the time in Oz, is going to continue to hinder us? :S
Anyway, back at the burger joint, here Alice enjoyed a Fluffernutter (a very large peanut butter milkshake), and I enjoy a pint. This is the only the second (?) time in Australia we've been served a pint, rather than a schooner (can't remember where the first was). Perhaps this is a sign of how 'European' Melbourne is? Alice has a Philly cheese steak, and I absolutely ruin my burger by ordering a spicy one. Oops.
Once we had fast walked back to the MCG, the rain lightly falling but not hard enough to stop any play, we take our seats in the cavernous MCG. This stadium is simply humungous. Used also for the hugely popular Aussie Rules Football in the 'winter', it has a 100,000 capacity, and feels it! We take our seats on the the second level and enjoy the pre match entertainment.
Speaking to our bnb hosts yesterday, and from all of the information we had gathered so far, we're aware that the Big Bash League is a big deal in Australia. This is a slick product, complete with music, dancers, pyrotechnics, competitions, excited stadium announcers, merchandise, cheap tickets for kids and so on. All this combines to create quite an atmosphere, without a single ball being bowled. Our favourite entertainment was the half time catches completion. One poor man dropped 5 in a row, whilst the other guy won $500. Ouchy.
Oh, and they had mascots. The one we particularly liked was Stephen Seagull (there were plenty of seagulls mulling around on the MCG turf). So congrats to whoever had this idea for Stephen Seagull! He was hilarious.
...and here is the match report:-
With the visitors batting first, they scored 188-7 with their captain Chris Lynn top scoring with 56. This included an incredible over where Lynn smashed 5 sixes in a row off Ben Hilfenhaus.
In response, the star studded Melbourne Stars imploded. Luke Wright, until very recently an England player, opened the batting and played on for 0. Coming in at three, Kevin Pietersen (remember him?) was trapped LBW for 8. I've now seen KP bat live three times, and he's failed each time! To the great disappointment of the crowd, the Stars then collapsed hopelessly, falling to 23-5 off 5 overs. Brisbane Heat's West Indian Samuel Badree doing all the damage with 5 wickets, and snaffling a batsman golden duck, but missing out on his hat trick ball.
Despite a valiant rear guard effort by Evan Gulbis (61 not out) in the end, they lose by 56 runs. Apparently the Melbourne Stars must now win their last game to progress to the Big Bash League semi finals.
With the cricket over and done with, we return to the car park (this was a good idea) and drove back home in no time. Long day!
AF
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