We went to Bathurst

Last Monday was the Queen's Birthday holiday here, a relic of Australia's colonial past no doubt and once upon a time, Cracker Night! But there are no crackers any more, I expect they eventually blew one too many people up. So being without, we drove to Bathurst instead.

Bathurst is about 100 kms west of us here in Lawson, has a population of around 30,000, and is apparently the oldest inland settlement in Australia, having been founded in 1815 on the orders of Governor Macquarie. The local aboriginals were from the Wiradjuri groups, but they got short shrift and in the early 1820s the Frontier Wars effectively put paid to any idea they might have had of keeping a hold of their land.

Nowadays, Bathurst is the home of my old mate Pete Simmons. Pete and I went to the same primary school in Warrawee, so I guess he's the oldest friend that I keep in touch with, though it's five years or more since we saw each other last.

We spent a lovely day and night with Pete and his wife Bernie and their boys Max, Henry and Joe, who are all in high school or beyond. Pete's mum Helen was there as well. We also met Bernie's sister Alice and her daughters Anna (8) and Rosie (6), so Zac and Tash had some kids to hang around with too.

Good times.

Ant.