Pandemic, Pandemonium and a short stay in Warrnambool

The COVID-19 pandemic rolls on and along with it the constant changing of restrictions and new 'important' actions for us to follow. Terms like 'social distancing', wearing face masks, curfews, 'get the jab' and more took some keeping up with. 

Are we allowed to cross into the 'border bubble', can we visit, just where is the edge of the Greater Melbourne lock-down area, how many can gather and where? So confusing!

Sign in whenever you enter a public location, now get the Service Victoria app, you need photo ID proof of residence to enter this cafe, do you have your Double Vaccination certificate? These things change weekly and now we are having to request proof of vaccination from our Travellers social group. It seems that entry to most public places is dependent on producing evidence of vaccination. No Vax, no entry!

With all these restrictions the Delta version of the virus has still caused greater problems in Victoria with much higher infection numbers and more deaths, especially in younger people. 

The tension continues despite the fact that Melbourne was released from its long lock-down on Friday. The city has spent more than 260 days in lock-down. Victoria has reached the required vaccination rate to allow this to happen. It is expected that we will reach 80% double vaccinated and 90% single vax by next week-end, and this will mark the beginning of what has always been called 'the new normal.'

Victoria will be aligned with the Federal regulations and the Roadmap to Recovery. That will be a great relief in one sense as the damage done to inter-state relations & rivalries has been enormous.

Our Travellers group has had to cancel two more planned trips. First to fall was ten days in Broken Hill and surrounds, then the Cowra, Bathurst & Mudgee trip was cancelled (for the second time).

Personally we have managed a three night trip to Warrnambool in August, mainly to re-visit the McNamara/Macnamara family history locations and search for more leads on the elusive first arrival in Australia in about 1854.

                      Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village and Museum

  Tower Hill was where the original McNamara family originally settled. It is an        inactive volcano, the crater is 3 kms wide and 80 metres high. It is now a State    Game Reserve.

    The Tower Hill Common School at Koroit is a building of historic importance

    Hopkins Falls were in flood when we visited, a spectacular 90 metres wide and       only a 12 metre fall.

   We visited both Tower Hill and Warrnambool cemeteries and were thrilled to find    a burial place we had been looking for for years. We have arranged to have a        plaque placed here to commemorate this 2x great grandfather.

                                     Us visiting Warrnambool relatives

It was good to get away from home for a couple of days but not really like a normal visit as many shops were shut, the restaurants were closed and even the fish and chip shop we planned to go to was closed. 

Difficult times for all but especially for tourist towns.