A
bus load of SEWA members departed from Dandenong on Saturday (20.10.2007)
afternoon heading towards Warrnambool to spend the week-end. It
was a very pleasant afternoon in spring. The climate was moderate
and traveling was comfortable. Our first stop was Geelong enabling
the Captain of the coach to have a break while the rest of us
had a cuppa and relaxed the muscles. Resuming the second leg of
the journey it was a non stop run for the destination. We reached
our destination and our place of abode the Wooranmbool Holiday
Park before dark. We had 5 two room apartments – 4 Star
reserved for us and the crowd comfortably settled in to the rooms.
We selected one room for cooking and the ladies of the food committee
got down to business and in a flash dinner were ready.
.
There was plenty of time for the dinner to be served. Showered
and in comfortable attire one by one by one started gathering
in the common room for a drink and a chat. An informal chat turned
into a competition of story telling, anecdotes, yarns and idioms.
As usual Sarath kept the crowd alive and dragged each and every
one to participate. Sarath discovered that our new members Mr.
& Mrs Kannangara were very rich in relating stories and yarns.
He exploited them to the fullest as both husband and wife came
out with yarns and stories with uncontrollable laughter almost
competing each other. Although the President Tissa was a silent
observer in between he dropped bomb shells that exploded the crowd
bursting out with laughter. I will be failing in my duty as a
writer if I do not mention about the role played by our Secretary
Justin Weerasooriya. A man full of energy, cautious and handles
every thing in balance. Drinks but never get drunk. Always acts
sensibly. Keeping to his nature Weera related some puzzles, ‘theravillas’.
It always had a double meaning but when solved shattering every
ones thinking it refers to a part of the body like the ‘eye’.
Thereafter we had dinner and retired for a good night sleep.
The
following morning every one was up by the dawn of the day and
was enjoying the morning cool breeze while having a cup of tea.
The ladies got busy in preparing the breakfast while the men folk
struggle to go through the three ‘S’. By 0900.a.m
every one was ready to depart. Memorable photographs were taken
before departure to add to the album of enthusiastic of the scenic
beauty at the place we stayed overnight.
Sunday
the day we were returning home we decided to return to Melbourne
via the Great Ocean Road. Before departing Warranmbool we visited
the Tower Hill State Game Reserve which sits inside an extinct
volcano and is a beautiful haven for wildlife with koalas, emus,
kangaroos and many species of waterbirds roaming freely. Having
seen Tower Hill we headed to the Great Ocean Road. Every one who
lives in Victoria and has visited the Great Ocean Road several
times knows that the Great Ocean Road offers spectacular vistas
from start to finish with lots or look outs on the way. We visited
the Bay of Island, Bay of Martyrs, The Grotto, the London Bridge,
the Arche, Two miles Bay, Sentinal Rock, but we unable to visit
the Lodge and Gorge as we were running out of time. However, we
visited the Twelve Apostles.
Our
next stop was at Appolo Bay, regarded by many as ‘Paradise
by the Sea‘, for a late lunch. After lunch we set off to
go back home and having stopped on the way for a cuppa reaching
Melbourne by 8.00.p.m.
The
bus journey was not at all bored. All arrangements had been made
to play CD music covering a wide range of pleasant melodies through
out the journey drawing in the participation of the group as well.
A few ladies formed a choir and sang the yester year songs.
So
ended another memorable trip of ‘SEWA’ with every
one happy and content thanking the organizers. |