Mary MacKillop 8

Saturday 2nd April 2022.

Mass:  St Joan of Arc Catholic Church Victor Harbor.

Victor Harbor to Barossa Valley. 

Sunrise from our patio at Victor Harbor.

St Joan of Arc Church, Victor Harbor.

Before our Mass at St Joan of Arc Church, we were given a very interesting talk by the Parish Priest Fr Vin.  He described the stained glass window in the church.  The centre panel depicting St Joan of Arc is over a hundred years old, while the two side panels are quite recent.  The design was developed after consultation with the local community and the Ramindjeri Ngarrindjeri elders. The windows express the people's relationship with Jesus and the Holy Trinity as expressed in their everyday circumstances.  As the disciples were often upon the shores of Galilee being invited to eat with Jesus, the people in the right hand window are a family (actually, a young family within the community) enjoying a beach barbecue together.

The church also features a traditional French fleur de lys window, to honour St Joan of Arc.

Cockle Train, Victor Harbor to Goolwa.

As a treat, Harvest had organised for us to take the Cockle Train along the scenic coastal route from Victor Harbor to Goolwa, a 30 minute trip.  The Cockle Train travels along the oldest steel railed railway in Australia, dating back to 1854, when it was constructed to provide a link between the Murray River and the ocean wharves at Port Elliot and Victor Harbor. It was called the Cockle Train because in the early days of settlement, the local residents would take a horse-drawn train to Goolwa to collect cockles to be used for bait from the sandy beaches near Murray mouth.  I was able to sit in the guard's compartment, with a great view.

Victor Harbor railway platform.

For effect, the platform at Victor Harbor featured luggage trolleys loaded up with milk churns and old-fashioned suitcases.  I have to admit that all of the items were familiar to me.

Hindmarsh Island Bridge.

A proposed bridge to Hindmarsh Island, near Goolwa, attracted opposition from many local residents, environmental groups, indigenous leaders and a group of Ngarrindjeri women elders who claimed that the site was sacred to them for "secret women's business".  The case attracted much controversy but the bridge was finally built in 2001.The railway line in this picture may possibly date back to 1854, but I suspect that it has been upgraded..

Autumn trees in Hahndorf.

We had lunch, and a wander around, in the pretty German town of Hahndorf.  Unfortunately, as we were leaving, our bus was attacked by a strategically placed branch which caused some damage to a window and the body of the bus, up high.  However, we were collected from Hahndorf by another bus, allowing our driver Michael to effect some temporary repairs, and continue our journey.  We all felt for Michael, as he was an excellent driver and very caring of our little group.  Sometimes, as in this case, mishaps can bring people even closer together. We continued on to our accommodation at Lyndoch Hill, in the Barossa Valley.

Some fast dancing after dinner.  (Thank you Angela for this picture!) 

"Whatever we say about creation we are saying about God.  Creation expresses the creator; it is an outward expression of God's love and grace.  Creation is the book that tells us about God, because God is the author of creation."  (From Day 7's handout.)