An axe to grind ...

As much as we were enjoying the Lancefield Show (on the right day!), we left in the early afternoon to ensure we would be on time for a tour of the Mount William Archaeological Area, a short drive out of town. 

We now know that the site is only open to the public once a year, so are even more pleased we made the effort to go.  We arrived at least 20 minutes prior to the advertised tour departure time, which was just as well because very soon after our arrival, the tour started early!  

We hastily packed away our interrupted lunch and wandered up the hill to listen to a short history of the site.  As we stood in the sunshine, a wedge-tailed eagle flew overhead - which was very auspicious, representing a welcome by Bunjil the Creator Spirit of the area.

Wurundjeri elder Annette Xiberras also made us feel very welcome.  As well as speaking of the production of the greenstone axe-heads, she spoke of how the families would have lived at the site. Given my interest in open-fire cooking, I was intrigued by her description of clay balls used to prolong the heat of a fire for extended, "slow-cooker" meals!

At the end of the talk, we were given permission to wander over the site and explore a little for ourselves. Typically, Vaughan was keen to find the wombat burrow that Anne had briefly mentioned!

We thoroughly enjoyed the tour, which was a highlight of our day - $20 very well spent, indeed!