Sunday 28 May 2017

28th May 2017–Derby

Distance: 21 km

Today I exhausted the charms of Derby. I had to wait for the park shop to open for me to buy ice but once that was done I set off.

First stop the Visitors'’ Centre where I parked the car and followed the Heritage Walk Guide. It was a typical self guided town walk a mixture of what had been but was gone, a brief town history and an explanation of what still remained. It passed a pleasant hour or so in the cool of the morning.

There were the Boab Trees down the main street.170528 006 Derby

The propeller and anchor of a ship, SS Colac, that was damaged and sank at the wharf in 1910.

170528 001 Derby170528 004 Derby170528 003 Derby

The Derby Museum.

170528 009 Derby Museum

The Old Woolshed and Tramway restoration project.

170528 012 Derby Woolshed

170528 014 Derby Woolshed and Tramway

Finally the Derby Picture Gardens a once typical bush open air cinema, alas only the screen remains.170528 020 Derby Picture Gardens

By now I was a bit peckish so I called in at the Jila Gallery Cafe for coffee and cheesecake.

Finally back at my starting point I decided to revisit the wharf because I had missed the Centenary Mosaic when I visited yesterday.

170528 035 Derby Centenary Mosaic170528 036 Derby Centenary Mosaic

The tide was out so the tidal mud flats were visible.

170528 037 Derby Wharf Mangroves170528 040 Derby Wharf Mangroves

I drove to Derby’s Old Gaol next to the Police Station. What an awful place it must have been, just a cage with a tin roof and rings in the floor for attaching chains, No toilets. Terrible!

The original  Police Station is long gone having been eaten by termites but even termites didn’t like the steel cage.170528 027 Derby Old Gaol170528 028 Derby Old Gaol

Finally I was out walking looking for lunch when I came across this hollow Boab tree which was just part of the streetscape. From one side it looked a healthy solid Boab from the other it was a different matter.

170528 042 Derby Hollow Boab170528 044 Derby Hollow Boab170528 045 Derby Hollow Boab