For the second weekend in a row we drove up to Castlemaine so that we could go to some more festival events.
Two events were on Sunday. At 4.30 we went to a guitar and violin concert in a mineshaft, yes! you read correctly! This horizontal mineshaft is near the town of Maldon, and for the concerts they line two converging shafts with a double row of folding chairs. The musicians are at the intersection - the acoustics, to say nothing of the atmosphere, are amazing! The tunnels are lit with candles, no electric lighting was used. Everyone, including the musicians, had to wear hardhats, and as it turned out, that was a good thing. I had noticed a steady "rain" of debris from the roof, until one rather large chunk dropped right onto my hardhat and made a resounding clunk!
This is the entrance to the mineshaft, and you can see the hardhats everyone had to wear.
Beforehand we did a walk of a nearby goldrush site. The path goes quite close to some scary looking shafts.
That night we went for something completely different, a burlesque show (yes another one - there seem to be a lot of naughty young ladies around these days). That was fun. We made it back to camp without hitting any kangaroos.
The weather was perfect, and I decided to stay a bit longer. The Man Who Cooks unfortunately had to go back on Monday night so he could leave on a business trip the next day, so I put him on the train back to Melbourne. He was so looking forward to it, but when the train pulled in, there were only two carriages and lots of passengers, and he had to stand for a lot of the journey. Not very good for encouraging people to take public transportation rather than drive!
Here's the Man Who Cooks in his bush kitchen. We can't have campfires yet because it's still too dry.
So I had an extra couple of days up there by myself, pottering around town, and spending lots of time reading in the quiet. Staying there alone at night might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm glad I proved to myself that I could still take that solitude. I hadn't stayed there on my own since the boys were little.
I 'm doing a "model" of a new book I'm working on.
12 comments:
Glad about your holiday.
That mineshaft concert?? Weren't you afraid that the music's vibrations would shake down rocks? Sounds scary to me.
Well, that thought had crossed my mind, but I figured the powers to be had done their homework. There’s a horizontal mineshaft across the gully from our property and when we were taken through it we were warned not to make loud noises…
Hi Val, sounds like Castlemaine really comes to life at Easter, that's good. Don't suppose you saw any of the football?? have you heard who's on top of the ladder?
Solitude sounds lovely to me! I went into a mine shaft once or twice, but I am with John Cowart on this one, playing music in a mine doesn't sound safe, though the romantic index is very high, lol. Val, does having Easter in the fall feel odd, and in Australia is it a religious or a bunny and eggs kind of hoilday?
Annette
Hi Val, nice to have you here again. This mineshaft concert is something I never heard of, interesting. Is the man who cooks a dentist? And I saw you have OMO, is it a laundry detergent? We have it here! How funny.
You always post about the most interesting experiences! I would never have dreamed that concerts were given in mine shafts!
I'm curious about your "new book"
Glad you found it comfortable to be out at your camp alone. Are you really quite far from others if you needed help of some sort?
A mineshaft concert...oh how interesting. I bet that was fun. I always love doing the unusual.
I love that picture of you in the bush working on your new book...it looks so peaceful there.
You are just having so much fun.
Peter,
Castlemaine was actually too busy for our liking during the festival, it’s only once every two years so is a big thing. The café owner we spoke to on Monday was kind of glad it was over, it was non-stop meals for 10 days. She looked exhausted!
Annette, no, Easter now seems "right" in the autumn, just as Christmas seems "right" in the summer!
Cris, I was wondering why you would think my husband is a dentist, then I looked at the photo and remembered that the fridge (turned ice chest) has all those dental stickers on it from the previous owners. Yes, Omo is a laundry detergent. I first came across it in Germany about 40 years ago.
Susie and Sandy, the book is a bit of a secret but I will post photos of it when it's done. It's probably the most complex one I've done, using expensive materials, so I have to practice everything on a model to make sure it works.
Sounds like an amazing experience Val! Perhaps a little scary when the roof started caving in, or was that was part of the theatrics. A novel music festival idea. (-Rachael from Dad's blog)
Cris doesn't miss much, does she? :) I like that in a person. mel looks very much at home in his camp kitchen.
I guess the organizers knew what they were doing or they wouldn't have invited all those people into a mine shaft to listen to load music. However, I think I would've been a tad nervous. Sounds like fun though.
How peaceful it looks there Val. Can't wait to see your new book. Sounds mysterious :)
Hi Val. Very interesting venue to hold a concert, But I must say not my cuppa tea to go down a mine shaft. You look like you have picked a lovely peacefull spot to sit and work on your book take care .
What an adventurous life you lead! Staying out in the bush and going to cultural events at the same time (two events in one day, no less!)
I'm glad you had the hard hat on. A resounding clunk sounds serious!
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