We had to be up at the crack of dawn to meet our Geelong based caravan friend in by 11.30. Geelong is 30 minutes from Queenscliff and we were nearly late. He had parked at the Botanic Gardens and we picked him up from there and found a free parking space right outside our intended destination, The National Wool Museum.
We battled with the parking meter. At home in City of Port Phillip and City of Melbourne I use an app on my phone to pay for parking, but other councils use different systems. Absurd!
I thought I might get a good understanding of how the fleece of a sheep is turned into wool but in spite of the excellent displays, old machines and information, I feel I know less than I did. However I did pick up some information, like 98% of our wool is exported. I am sure a decent percentage is sent back to us as made clothing. A case in point, we bought a pure Australian wool beanie for our youngest great niece Little Ju as a Christmas present. The beanie was made in Pakistan. It is a curious thing that we ship wool to Pakistan and they send it back in the form of a beanie. Well, I am not an economist.
I am not sure what this has to do with wool but this display by changing lights makes patterns and if you look long enough shapes become forms of something recognisable. I didn't stare long enough perhaps.
It was controlled by these relays? loudly clicking away. I didn't get too close in case rats were nesting in there.
This is a very large and impressive carpet? loom. You can see some carpet was being made when, it seems from the out of order sign, the machine failed.
So much yarn.
The runner carpet made on the loom was stunning to both look at and feel. It is a 80 per cent wool, 20 per cent nylon mix, just like ours at home.
A word on this sign grabbed my attention.
Steve, did you know teasel flower heads were used to raise the nap of wool?
Initially I thought I had accidently walked in the museum's staff kitchen, but no. It was a very authentically set up 1950s kitchen. A lot of wool was processed in Geelong and perhaps the industry was at its peak in the 1950s. I've never seen cannisters like these before. Aren't they delightful. Some of the wool stores survived and been repurposed, as has this one.
I really liked these spice containers too.

After our look around the museum, thankfully not full of school children as it often is, we went to the cafe Two Sugars we had been to a couple of times with Sister, Bone Doctor and Jo. I ate a large bowl of lovely mussels in a rich tomato sauce. So good!
It pretty well rained lightly the whole day. We returned to our digs opposite the Queenscliff railway station. R was napping and I heard a train whistle. Out I went with a brolly and managed to get a couple of train photos. The train is not public transport but a tourist railway, and it does so many different trips from just tourist rides, to dinner journeys and blues music nights. Sister had been on it a number of times. The longest journey is from Queenscliff to Drysdale. From Drysdale on towards Geelong it is just a rail trail for walkers and cyclists.
Note to self, steam against a grey sky doesn't show up well.
Better.
Maybe for our next visit to the area, we will take a lunch or dinner train trip. The wait staff were so nicely dressed.

Our friend staying in the Geelong caravan park joined us, Sister and Jo at the Queenscliff Bowling, Tennis and Croquet Club. While elevated to give nice sea views, R did not really like the venue. I thought it was ok. As we used to say in the 1990s on Saturday nights, we were home in time for The Bill.