Winter in Bathurst

For the last ten years Bathurst has hosted the “Bathurst Winter Festival”. It first came into being as a part of the city’s bicentenary celebrations in 2015.  Like so many others, our local council is struggling financially and sadly, the Winter Festival was one thing to get cut from the budget.

Fortunately, the Bathurst Community Club, where Mick’s bowling club play out of, decided that they would hold a substitute event over the two weeks of the July school holidays.  

The main draw card each year is the ice skating rink.  This was able to be placed on one of the bowling greens that is no longer suitable to play bowls on.

On the first and the last weekends of the event, there was the Brew and Bite evening that has become synonymous with the festival.  We popped down briefly on the first night.

Quite a few local businesses came on board with sponsorship to help run the event.  There were special days for kids and a fully accessible day.  The dodgem cars and carousel were also popular.

The future of the event is currently uncertain.  Council may run it again next year, or maybe the whole thing needs a rethink, as since Bathurst started their Winter Festival, many other locations have started up something similar, so it is not the draw card that it originally was.  A case of watch this space.

Now for some wintery photos.

To start with, we had a sunrise that absolutely glowed one morning.  I’m so please that I caught it before it faded.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen one so bright.

Then, on another morning, when we were out and about in the car, the frost was right up in the trees.  So pretty……and so very cold.  We were please to be snug in the car.

The last week or so has been cold, damp and bleak.  Real winter weather.  It is forecast to continue for a few more days, after which we hope to have a bit warmer weather, as we approach the start of spring, which will be here before we know it.