Scenic tour

Trevor took us out today to see the local scenery. First stop was Bodalla, the centre of the local dairy industry, and renowned for its cheese. There is a cheese factory there, with cheese tasting; many of the cheeses are Cheddar-style, but with the addition of thyme, or other local herbs.

The scenery was as close to Sussex as anything we've seen, with fields, ponds, cows. The pic gives the flavour

We moved on to Tuross Head, a promontory with spectacular surfing beaches either side, as well as volcanic rocks.

We had lunch at the Tuross Country Club, essentially a golf and bowls club crossed with a sports bar, set high above the sea. What is noticeable over here is the prominence of gaming machines: a whole area is given over to the provision of moronic ways of wasting your money. Pokies, or poker machines, are apparently the most addictive, and the subject of much political debate. In the end it comes down to economics - without the profits the machines provide the club would not be viable. There simply isn't the population density for a gaming-free club to be viable. The suckers lining up to be fleeced are performing a vital public service.