Day Four - Winton

Dino bin

One of the drawcards to Winton in recent years, besides the dinosaur finds, has been the Waltzing Matilda Centre - or it was until it burned down a couple of years ago.  It It is now a different drawcard of sorts ... it is currently under reconstruction and the cranes tower over this small oasis in the outback.  We were taken by this, the wide streets  ... and the garbage bins.  Hello Dinosaur Land!
We were booked in to The North Gregory Hotel (thank you TripAdvisor and Wotif ... which reminds me, I have some reviews to do) - which is on the main street.  Sooz and I debated about where we would park - around the back on the hotel, on the dirt near the Caravan Parking area, or out the front with its rear-to-kerb-angle parking.  No contest ... of course we were parking out the back ... at the far end of the "parking lot" because there was a truck unloading supplies blocking part of the area.

Ollie and Bethany

Our room was on the first floor - down the back - and even though we were travelling fairly light for the trip, we were glad there was an elevator so we didn't have to carry all the bags upstairs.  Had the elevator not been there, of course, we would have unpacked just what we needed and left the rest in Billi Stanley.  Ollie and Bethany were coming in regardless.  They're enjoying the trip so far ... or we think they are, there have been no complaints from either of them. 

Sooz had a nap this afternoon while I went down for a coffee ... which turned out to be a cold drink because I wasn't quite sure where to find a coffee shop - since the one next to the hotel was closed - and I wasn't sure where there might be another ... since the one directly across the alley was closed - as in no longer an operating business.  It was quite pleasant sitting out at a table on the footpath, slowly sorting through the photographs from this morning. 

I was back to the room in time to collect Sooz so we could go down for the Chicken Races.    

North Gregory Hotel - Chicken Races venue

They've been operating for a few months so far this year ... and involve 8 chickens chasing a remote controlled feeding bin up and down the courtyard (in a wire enclosure so they can't leave the track).  Ben, the master of ceremonies, explained that the chickens really wanted to race - they put very yummy food in the feeding bin a couple of times a week, the dyes they use to colour the chickens do not hurt them - and they enjoy when it is massaged into their feathers ... and it's all for a good cause.  The chickens are auctioned off each night and the proceeds become the "pot" ... the "owner" of the winning chicken gets half the pot, and the charity for that night gets the rest.  It's great fun and a wonderful way to earn some charity dollars. 

The chickens have names:  Chicken Dinner; Pinky; Sunny; Apricot; The Hulk; Bluey; Opal; Diamentina.  (I knew I had to remember them because I know this will form part of the Holiday Quiz).   We bid on Bluey - but didn't succeed - and that was a shame ... because Sooz she said she had a feeling about Bluey ... and she was right, Bluey won! 

Sooz at Banjo's Bar

As we sat waiting for the races to begin, three gentleman carried in a few bits of wood and before you knew it, they had erected BANJO'S BAR.  The Winton Show is on this weekend and they are obviously getting ready for that and the other cultural events they have coming up - including a film festival, and possibly a writers' festival.

Dinner tonight was in the Daphne Mayo Dining Room  - and even though we had made a booking for 7, we didn't actually finish there until after 9.   There was something happening in the dining room, we're not quite sure if it had to do with their moving to a new menu (that had happened recently) or their systems, but we had to wait to place our order, and then for the food to arrive.  We ended up having to ask twice and each time we were told we would have our food within a few minutes, but that wasn't exactly so.  When it did come, the order was wrong ... well, half of it.  It wasn't a bad menu but I don't think we were able to give it the attention it deserved ... because it took so long to come and then, when it came, that we were quite tired after the busy day we'd had with the early start, the excitement of the Stockman's Hall of Fame (yes, we will take the ticket for a return visit) and the drive to Winton.    I'm not sure if it was good or bad that someone who seemed to have some authority was talking with people as they left (he stopped them as they were walking past his table) - and when he called us over, and we said we couldn't really comment because of our level of "jaded" experience, he said he had noticed that we were less than happy (and did nothing!!!!) but he did comp our meal.  We're just hoping that our waitress didn't cop any flack - especially since it wasn't her fault ... on her second night on in the restaurant (she usually works the coffee shop).