Farewell Frankston
I guess many of us might be feeling a bit like the girl in the above picture! This is just of the many photos I have taken during my “one hour a day exercise allowance” during the Stage 4 lock down in Frankston, Victoria.
The library there has many creative drawings on its outside walls, which made walking around the city rather entertaining.
As the gateway to the Mornington Peninsula, Frankston has much to offer including scenic walks along Sweetwater Creek and the Beach foreshore as well as walking and cycling paths to Baxter and beyond. There are also some lovely parks offering shade, seating and duck-watching to while away the time.
Walking along the water front is also a very pleasant way to dawdle, discover and delight in one’s hour of fresh air and freedom. And there’s always something unusual to spot.
Whilst spending my last few weeks in Frankston, having sold my unit there and organising the sale of a few pieces of furniture and packing up my worldly possessions, I spent much of my time talking with the NSW and Queensland Government people.
I had intended driving back to Queensland in trusty old Bluebird and, having at last received a permit to travel and having packed up house and belongings, was ready to leave, when at the last moment I was told the rules had changed and I was unable to drive across Victoria into New South Wales.
Fortunately, my dear friend Margie in Diamond Creek extended a lifeline and said I was welcome to stay out there.
So, despite the travel restrictions that said we could not travel more than 5km from where we lived, on a dark and rainy night I found myself on the road to Diamond Creek.
A visit to the local Police Station had resulted in somewhat oblique advice to “just drive the 55km to Diamond Creek and you’ll probably get stopped but state your case.”
I guess an older, temporarily homeless lady sobbing into her mask and clutching a wad of documents might have helped!
Here’s a quick, rather funny tale that I can’t resist telling … the old gentleman waiting in front of me at the Police Station was clutching an empty plastic kitty litter bag. He was in and out in a few minutes and the last thing the Policeman said to me was “well, at least you have a reasonable story to tell … the last person just wanted to know where he could buy some more cat litter!”
Which maybe proves that the universe was smiling, even through the gloom and doom of COVID19.
