Horse Races and Bush Walking, all in one weekend!

This weekend was a pretty fun one, and pretty big. It was our last weekend in Wollongong for several weeks because we have some upcoming trips planned for the next few, including mid-session break on Thursday!

Anyway, by the end of the week I was worn out by all my school work, and this week was a friend Kerri's 20th birthday, so I was also pretty worn out from that party... 

A group of us had been planning on going to Sydney to Rosehill Race Course for the Golden Slipper Race, one of the biggest races of the Fall season, but on Friday afternoon we found out there was a race nearby at Kembla Grange Racecourse. We also had free tickets to the Kembla race, so we decided to attend that race instead.  Originally, we planned on taking a free bus that was supposed to pick us up at Weerona around 11am, but when it never came, we figured out that we should probably make a plan B. We eventually took the train from North Wollongong south to Kembla, and it put us out right outside the track. 

Before the race we had fun picking out what to wear, and decided that we might be overdressed, but that we were doing it Kentucky Derby/American style.  I was also channeling Carolina Cup, because it was planned for the same Saturday as this race.  We decided against heels, because we weren't sure where we would be standing (i.e. grass?), and looked pretty cute!  However, once we got there, we realized WE were underdressed.  All of the women were dressed in very flattering cocktail dresses and heels, and instead of hats they wore little headpieces with feathers and ribbon sticking out.  It was a very fashionable affair, and definitely a little more formal than we thought.  

One of the coolest things about the race was the betting.  The entrance opened into a large area with lots of different bookies, with their own statistics and odds on each horse.  They all sat on computers calculating odds at the end of the race, and they each had one person with a suitcase over their shoulders collecting and handing out money.  All the money was kept in the suitcases, so that the people on computers did not have to deal with it.  It was cool how they were all private bookies; none were really working together, each had his own big odds boards.  Because there were so many races going on that day around Australia, each bookie had more than one board, and would mark which race was next.  You could bet on races right there in Kembla, or at Adelaide, Melbourne or Brisbane, and even at the Golden Slipper in Sydney.  I bet $5 a few times that a horse would place, and one time I even won $20 back, on Lay Down Sally!  He came in third! 

It was really exciting to go with a group, because usually atleast one person bet per race (but sometimes more than one of us bet for different horses!), so we always had a horse to cheer for.  There were also two levels of places you could go watch the other races on televisions, place a nice outdoor area to watch the races at Kembla.  I think we watched 7 out of 8 races at Kembla, and many on the televisions, including the Golden Slipper race.  

The racetrack was a little smaller than the one in Camden, or maybe just not as wide, but it was easier to see everything because there was nothing in the middle.  All the people either gathered on the grandstand or in the lawn in front of the track, or even in the bars or dining room. There were not as many people there, but the people that did go were fun!  There were at least 3 bachelor parties, or 'bucks' parties as they call it here, and maybe a couple of bachelorette parties, or 'hens' parties, too!  It was a lot of fun to talk to people to see who they were betting for.  We had a lot of fun day drinking and mingling around the field.  The horse races were a Saturday well spent!

The horses came to warm up around this track and to be presented.

The crowds in the field waiting for the race.

Racetime!

Here is one bookie place where we placed bets. There were atleast 10 of these groups in one big room. 

Last week, we received an email about a free guided coastal bushwalk from Kiama to Gerringong.  I responded and said I would like to participate, even though it was an estimated 13km/6mile walk!  So, on Sunday Laura and I set off to Kiama to bushwalk around the coastline.  We took the train about 45 minutes south of Wollongong to Kiama, where the famous blowhole is, and met a guide and a group of around 20 there.  We set off on a walk- it was up and around cliffs and back down- one hell of a workout!  I got some beautiful shots while on the walk (it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere), and was once again reminded how beautiful this place is!

At the end of the walk we headed thru a big field, and Laura fell into a little hole.  I didn't think much of it, and she was fine but then I fell into a big hole (covered by grass, like a booby-trap or something!), and sprained my ankle.  It was an ankle that I have injured before, so I probably should have expected it, and I was wearing Ree-tones (not exactly bushwalking shoes), so I was sort of unprepared.  Anyway, the guide was awesome.  All she had was a snake bite compression bandage, so she wrapped it in that and gave me a few minutes, and then she and Laura helped me make my way just a little farther to our destination at Werri Lagoon in Gerringong.
PS- I haven't posted my address on here yet, but I think I will just in case anyone wants to send me a letter :). My dad sent one the other day and said it only cost $.98. So, here it is!
Victoria Bone
Weerona College
CRNR Throsby Dr. & Foley St.
Gywnneville, NSW 2500
Australia