Missing Bathurst

I went back to Bathurst on the weekend to spend some time with Clare and go out with some of her mates. However, I forgot it was Grad week, so there were heaps of people there, taking full advantage of the opportunity to participate in one of their last true Bathurst benders.

I couldn't help but take a few photos of the place, and the things I miss most about it. In no specific order, here they are:


No traffic

No cars zooming past - and look how clean the streets are!!!


Clare

They say absence makes the heart grow stronger, but I reckon the bloke who said that was probably just constantly in the doghouse, wanted the weekend with his mates, and needed that saying as justification to do so.

The picture below is of Clare & I on a hot date at the Acropole Restaurant. Incidently, whilst a teenager boarding at St Joseph's Convent Perthville, about 15km East of Bathurst, my Mum went on one of her first dates with some bloke to the same restaurant. They had a banana split.

Zigi, the European taxi driver

Zigi has been driving in Bathurst for 19 years after immigrating to Australia and working for some small company back then named Siemens. Ex-Bathurstians may remember her for her stern, but maternally reassuring advice, "don't you dare spew in my cab" or "you'd better finish those beers before you jump into my cab - go on...hurry up, down the hatch".

She informed me on my ride back that she's suffered ONLY two bashings. Fantastic. I've got her number by the way if anyone wants to be, well picked up.

The Park Hotel @ 1:50am

All smiles. I bought a schooner (not schmiddie) and four spirits for $17. The crowd - friendly, approachable and generally well behaved. Well, except a few rugby boofheads getting nude in front of their mates and a group of adoring 1st-year Comm. mattresses.

Old uni friends

Helen Caldwell (pictured below) came back from Canada a couple of weeks ago to visit family and graduate. It was an absolute privilege to catch up with her - she's one of those people I most miss bumping into on the library lawn for a chat, or dancing with to Cyndi Lauper at the uni bar time after time...

3-inch wedges owned by the wives of Oberon lumberjacks

Enough said.

So what else do ex-residents of Bathurst miss most?