The drought broke a little today with some rain to dampen the parks and gardens.
I walked along the foreshore this morning after hearing that the ship from Tasmania was late in docking due to bad weather .
The white caps buffeted the sea wall where once there was a beach now high rise apartments some 14 storys into the air.
The large Tasmanian ferry bobbed alongside the pier as it was tied fast ,the winds affected the traffic crossing the Westgate Bridge and cars and trucks were reduced to 20ks an hour slowing up peak period traffic causing long queues winding along main roads through Port Melbourne.The beach was littered with rubbish and the new large outfall drains could not cope with it all.
The Christmas seasons decorations have been put up in Bay Street and these too were not sitting as straight and upright as maybe they should. The main street looks quite bright with yellow,white and mauve flowering plants in the centre strip.The wind always blows along Bay St and it has been said that the only way to stop it would be to build a 100ft wall at the corner of Beach St and Bay Sts,it is certainly one of the windiest streets along the bay.
The sand from the beach was blown along Beaconsfield Pde filling the gutters ,the flags flying high on the Port Melbourne Yacht Club could be heard above the traffic noise it seemed more like a wintry day in July than the first week in December.
Apart from the weather all is busy at the Port Melbourne Town Hall with the demolitian teams in and knocking down the back section ready for the building of the new library.The town hall looks great now this added part has been demolished ,it was built many years ago to add a large reception area for dances etc etc ,it was not in keeping with the original building ,and always looked odd.We hope that the new library is a fine example in keeping with the older style facade of the original building.
With funding from a Federation Grant the Town Hall is undergoing a thorough clean of the sandstone and repairs are well under way where the weather has done a lot of damage.This restoration is being carried out by experts in this field and is looking great although taking quite a while.It will be good to see the Bell Tower restored as well.The town hall is only small by comparison to perhaps South Melb or Collingwood or North Melb but just the same it has a special look for a community that has been small.
We notice as the Christmas period comes along an increase in traffic in Bay St.With not enough parking for those shopping between 12 & 2 Pm lots of impatient motorists & tooting of horns also care needing to be taken when crossing either with the lights or at the pedestrian crossing .
Christmas in Port Melbourne can be a great experience but with such an increase in its population and our streets unable to be widened it can also be a chaotic time as well. Lois Daley 5th Dec 2002..