A Meeniyan Moment – Day 1 – Confusion reigns

Day 1 Wednesday 4/1/2023 Home to Meeniyan 16-21

When Toothless rang 2 nights ago and suggested getting away for a few days, we thought “Why not?”.

By 8:45 we’re on the road and headed for the nearest Aldi to stock up before skirting Western Port and picking up the South Gippy (South Gippsland Highway). Leongatha is busy and Meeniyan is positively jumping thanks to the summer holidays. We snag a nice grassy spot at the Meeniyan Recreation Reserve and are set up by the time Toothless and his Missus arrive. She bolts off to the toilet and sheepishly returns to tell us that she visited the men’s by mistake. Hello? I think she’s adopted one of El Prado’s misadventures.

We all wander around town checking out the cafes, bakeries and, of all things, I find a jar of Melon & Ginger jam at the art gallery. It’s a treat that we haven’t had in years and probably not since jam came in tins. It always pays to have a good look around.

Even though we’ve only been back from Portland for a week or so, it does feel good to be back in the van and in this delightful town. With sketchbook in hand, I visit the community garden which like everything else in town is close to our park. Cabbage moths are in abundance flitting about the plants. On the lawn, there’s a Santa pulling a huge well-endowed reindeer. I perch myself on a plank and enjoy the tranquillity. Two ladies (about my age) wander down the pathway and we get into a discussion about the reindeer while they prod the straw of its’ undercarriage. The garden volunteer who’s been ferreting about in the vegies pops her head up and informs us that it’s not a deer but a cow and that we’re udderly incorrect.