Tuesday 7th October

This I knew was going to be a manic day.  We drove out to Darling Mills Farm for the third Botanic Lecture. 

The farm specialises in salad herbs and micro salads grown using hydroponics. The lecture was followed by a great lunch and  then Stephen Adey showed us around his farm.

Then it was back to the car and off to Channel 9 where I recorded a cooking programme on how to make Basil biscuits, followed by a quick dash to the airport to fly to Melbourne.

Wednesday 8th October

Up bright and early to record live TV with David and Kim, a morning show, on the roof of the TV studio.

It was an experience.  Both David and Kim were very enthusiastic which made the interview go very quickly.

This was followed by two interviews and the second Gardening Australia Lunch at the Café Bursaria, Como House, with its beautiful gardens.

The lunch was very good and the wine was supplied by a local vineyard which I am sure helped with the success of the event.

This is a night view of the Melbourne Concert  Hall from her flat.

Thursday 9th October

Woke up with a very bad stomach. Oh dear, as this was the day when I was to give two lectures, back to back, for the Melbourne Friends of the Botanic Gardens.  Well somehow I managed. Infact, even if I say so myself, the lectures went well - the audience was very appreciative and we sold over 50 books. For the lunch break we sat outside under the beautiful oak trees in the Botanic Gardens. It was a glorious warm day. After the second lecture it was off to the radio studio for another session in the Tardis talking to ABC Canberra, then back to the Botanic Gardens for a short tour around.  It was quite magical in the early evening light. 

Anabel then took us to the Flower Drum, a Chinese restaurant, which has won every award going.  Mac thoroughly enjoyed the meal.  I was feeling better but kept my diet to rice which was sad as the food did look good.

Friday 10th  October

This was to be another very long day. It started early in the Herb garden in the Botanic Gardens where I did a pre record TV interview with John Patrick for Gardening Australia.  During the interview I heard, then saw, a Kookaburra. I was so pleased, it took me back to being a Brownie singing about the Kookaburra sitting in an old gum tree!! 

Before we left the garden I did manage to have a look around and found a parsley that I did not know, Melanoselinum decipiens, Black Parsley, a very striking plant.

It was then off to Pellerini’s for an early lunch, brilliant Italian pasta, followed by another radio interview. For the first time our schedule did not quite work, the traffic was bad and we missed our flight to Tasmanian by one minute.  We did land in Hobart eventually, got into a hired car and then Mac drove us to Launceston.

On arriving at the hotel we were made to feel most welcome. There were two letters one from home and one from the organiser of the next day’s lectures, Robyn Hawkins, welcoming us, plus a posy of herbs.  That was so uplifting after the long drive and frustrating aeroplanes.