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We didn't end up playing in the tournament at Boronia so decided to drive up to Neerim Bowling Club to check it out and roll up. When we got there, Ross, John and Graeme were sitting down after a game of 100-up. They told us they invented the Big Bash format we played at Garfield yesterday. John is the club President. He asked Jean if she wanted to take home a cucumber. We liked the club logo. Jean forgot to take a clubhouse photo when the boys were there so took one through the door. There's a large shade outside. The side garden is pretty. There's one plastic synthetic that's been in since 2017. The boys stayed, watched and chatted with us for a little while. Jean had a go. She was pretty impressed she got shot and that we both had grass worked out. Mal let one go. He just beat Jean. Mal had shot then knocked Jean up. Mal got the last laugh with two. Neerim - just a little rollup and some new friends!

We saw there's a bowling club at Cardinia Waters Retirement. We're a bit uncertain so thought we'd turn up on Pennant day to see if they are playing. On Monday Jean rang John, whose name she found online, to check if it was OK. He said Tuesday is a bit difficult but suggested we come today, Monday, for a rollup before their Thursday Night Triples Final. We got in the car and met John at the green. They use the retirement village clubhouse as their bowls clubhouse. It's very nice. There's a lovely shade structure in front of the green. There's a nice carpet synthetic green. John rolled up with us. He said the club has two Tuesday Pennants teams and one Saturday team. Both the Tuesday teams are in the finals. Given John said most are over 80 that's fantastic! Jean started off. She dis ok. Our heads weren't bad. Mal was eager to show his skills. He was successful. And again. Jean didn't take photos of John's bowls but most often it was John on the kitty, not us! John introduced us to Graeme. He was proud of his club shirt. Everyone started to turn up for the final. We watched for a while. Jean remarked that she'd seen a few retirement villages with a rink or two but none with a beautiful green like this! Cardinia Waters - ah, retirement life!

Jean's been in touch with Damian at Garfield Bowling Club via Messenger. Damian's managed to get us into their Triples Tournament on Sunday. We had time to kill on Saturday so we went to visit the club. We met Richard in the carpark who let us in. He was waiting to be picked up to play Pennants in Neerim. We arrived on Sunday and saw the inside of the clubhouse. We all sat around before the tournament. Gordon organised things. It's a game like Scroungers. Five games of five ends. Here are the rules. We sat and talked with Rick and Peter before The game. Damian came up to say gidday. He's been corresponding with Jean via Messenger and organised us joining the tournament. There's just one synthetic green. Richard said it's been down about seven years. Given that it's in really good nick. Our team was Mal, Jean and Barry. First game was against Des, Gary and Peter. They were from Mordialloc and Boronia. We lost big. There were people here from lots of clubs around The Dandenongs. The bowl gatherers hung nicely at each end. Second game we played Ian, Laughton and Jeffna from Chelsea. Jean finally drew a shot. Mal wasn't doing well. Always narrow. It was a shocker! We lost again. Third game was Cookie, Lexi and Luke from Garfield. Mal finally got the grass! Last bowl. Nobody else within cooee. Barry and Jean had a good end. We won with a seven on the last end, our Power Play which made 14. We won. We came in for lunch and had a pie. Fourth game our opponents were Jan, Malcolm and Ivan from Garfield. Jean did a couple of great bowls with the jack right in the middle until Malcolm moved the kitty back. Barry said "Must've been that pie you had for lunch!" Jean said "It was a really good pie!" We dropped 14 on the last end! Last game it was Steve, Bruce and Adrian from Burden Park. Second time in five games Mal got the grass. But we lost. Zero again on our Power Play. The four teams that played in the finals were all four game winners. Two of them beat us. The guys sat around to watch. We really enjoyed chatting with them about our time in Deniliquin and Deni RSL. We watched the semi. The Burden Park boys won and got to play Des' team which won. Garfield - talk about getting beaten!

We got a message to say that Pakenham has social bowls on Saturday. We booked in to the caravan park on Friday so we could get there bright and early on Saturday. We drove over Friday so that we could put our names down. We came across the little bridge from the carpark. Bowlers Brenda and Julian gave us right of way on the bridge. When we arrived we met Paul who said "No social bowls tomorrow. Pennants are on. " We forgot! It turns out Paul was a plasterer and worked on Parliament House the same time as Mal. Apparently they are The Lions. The clubhouse was closed. We didn't get a very good picture through the window. It's set up nicely for outdoor activity. There are two greens. One outside and one under cover. We rolled up on the under cover green. It's the Jack Banks Green. As usual - named after a man. Jean got going. Jean said "It's not a very good shot but at least I got a shot!" Mal was ready for it. Mal had four then Jean moved the kitty. "Ah, that's better!" Jean said when she drew another. Mal had perfect weight. "I think it's a measure." Cried Mal. "I'm claiming it!" Said Jean adamantly! Mal and Paul then sat around chatting for a while about their fibrosis plastering days at NPH. Under the dome at Pakenham.

After our visit to storm-ravaged Cockatoo we drove over to Yarra Junction to finally get a game of bowls. After all our lonely rollups we really looked forward to it. Jean's been chatting with Elly on Messenger who said she told Bev about us and that we'd be here. We met Bev in the office sorting out Pennants teams. Jean met Ian the President who let us fill up our tank with water. After a while Joy arrived to check in. She can't stay because her power is out until the 17th. We talked about all the downed trees around. The little clubhouse is light and airy. There's a nice photo array of past club functions. Jean bought one of Joy's 'Spicy Plum Sauce' There's a little bird in the garden. It seemed injured. Jerome our cat was very interested in it! There's an old grass green. Left fallow now. The new green is synthetic. The plastic kind. It looks like it's been down a few years. People at Cockatoo told us it's like bowling on concrete. Not so bad we thought. There were plastic snakes on the green. Some looked more snake-like than others. Pete and Alice arrived. Alice will sort out the game we will join today. There were just a few players. We had one game of a triple vs a four. Alice, Bev, Jean and Mal against Reg, Barry and Peter. The green was pretty slick. It took us a few ends to get used to it. We were three down then Mal put one in. End six Jean's first bowl she managed to get shot and kept it. Jean said "Yay! I've remembered how to bowl!" After eight ends we came in for a cuppa. Everyone had had enough so we stopped. We said we'd come back at 3 to play for Pennants practice. We did that. Jean finally met Elly. Mal rolled up with the boys. It was Mal and Adrian one end and Marty (Mal's partner) with Jason on the other. Jean joined in with Howard and Ally against Noel and Ian. Jean did a little better this match. Ron - a life member - came to watch. Elly told Jean Ron is a former President who still does lots for the club. He's a metalworker and made the bowlers on the front of the building. Jean said "I've waited all game for Mal to do a good bowl so I can get a photo!" He did one but the boys decried that. Marty said "He's been all over it. A minute ago he had four on the kitty!" Mal was having a ball! After the game Ian gave Jean a badge for her hat. We went back happy to the caravan. Everyone was so nice to us. Yarra Junction - nice people, good bowls and a great time!

We were staying in a caravan park in Healesville but yesterday afternoon there was a big storm and the power went out across Victoria. We decided to drive the van to Cockatoo Bowling Club while we worked out where to stay. Everything was locked up tight. We're not used to that but guess it's close to the city. We met the greenkeeper Ken who opened the gate and the mat box for us. He said we could park our van out the back. There's just one synthetic green - plastic. With lots of storm debris. We found a clearing spot and got going with our rollup. Initially the green seemed to suit Jean. But then it all went awry. It was Mal's turn. Jean said, "Of course it's Valentines Day so Mal must knock out Jean's shot bowls!" Jean gave up after a few ends but Mal was ages. Jean went to check on him and discovered he'd met a friend. Brian whose Mum lives in Cockatoo is from Alice Springs but has just come from playing bowls in Bungendore near our home in Canberra. The Tennis Club next door shares the facilities. Jean met the President of the Tennis club. He was out with a chainsaw cleaning up the tree that fell on the fence. Cockatoo - no power, no internet but a nice rollup!

We haven't heard back from Yarra Glen about social bowls. We left Healesville bright and early this morning and drove here to check it out. There was nobody around. There are two greens. We were excited to see a grass green. But it was all locked up. There's a synthetic out the back. It's the Peter Nelson Memorial Green. It was very windy and there were leaves all over it. Bill the Treasurer arrived after a while and showed us the mats and Jacks. Al, Chris, Wayne, Ash and Beth came. They are playing away today for mid-week Pennants. It's the second-last game of the season and they are third on the ladder so they'll likely make the Finals. Jean was annoyed she seemed to be getting worse with the stick. Then she scored a shot and Mal took it out. Jean gave Mal a serve about taking the enjoyment out of her game so he stopped trying. He' a thoughtful husband really but that made her even crankier! We'd started our rollup before 9am. By 9:30 it was already 28° with a fierce wind so we packed it in. Jean had the last word though suspected not really. Yarra Glen - cranky Jean questionably bests Mal.

This morning we rolled up at Whittlesea, then took the hour-long drive over to Healesville for a very warm rollup. Jean had been chatting with Ian on Messenger. She'd found out social bowls was on Thursday so we decided to come for a Monday rollup. We asked him if we could park our van at the club (gate was locked). He said he'd have to check with Chairperson Rob about that. We were sweltering in our van up the road when he rang back. We met him at the gate. He opened the clubhouse so we could take a peek inside. There's a plaque about when the Mayor opened the new synthetic green ten years ago. After a while Rob arrived to open the gate for us. We parked the van near the old green. We were so grateful to find a cool spot for our van. Ian told us they only use the old grass green once a year for their big Fours tournament. It's full of leaves at the moment. Rob had been out of contact this morning as he was helping his Mum out in her nursing home. Ian told us about her. Her name is Beryl Ayers and she's 97. They named the original clubhouse after her as she had won over 50 competitions in her time - including state championships. She was still a force to be reckoned with at age 92. The most amazing thing about her is that, in the 1950's, she pulled on a guernsey and played footy for Healesville - unheard of for a woman. It would have been a privilege to meet her. There are a couple of old machines around. An aerator and a roller. The new green is a carpet synthetic. Even though it was 32⸰ crazy Mal and Jean rolled up on it. Jean was glad she had her bowling arm because the sweaty bowls would have been very slippery. She did OK despite the heat. In typical Mal style, he didn't complain. He managed good bowls in the heat. The boys told us the big tree over the green is more than 100 years old! They also told us there's a family of platypus in the creek below the green. We thought we'd go back at dusk and see if we could see them. Healesville - so friendly and accommodating in the heat!

We've been hearing about Whittlesea at a number of clubs so we look forward to coming here. Social bowls day is Thursday so we'll miss that. We'll have a Monday rollup. Google Maps showed green areas all around the club. Must be 20 years old because now it's in the middle of suburbia. We parked our van a street away. It's quite a big club. The outdoor area is great. It seems the club is The Whittlesea Eagles. The scoreboards were nice. In memoriam. There are two greens. One is grass. It was closed unfortunately. The other is carpet synthetic. We asked the bar lady inside about bowls. She said "Go outside and look for Jordan!" We found him. He's the greenkeeper. He got nice, new mat and jacks for us. Jean started our rollup. It was only 10:30 and it was already nearly 30°. Her bad luck followed her. She wasn't doing well (in her view). Mal tried next. He did somewhat better. Jean finally did a bowl she was happy with then Mal knocked it up. Later bowler Clint arrived and he and Jordan sat down for smoko. It was hot. We thought that a good idea. Whittlesea - nah, too hot for bowls.

Wallan is the next bowling club on our trip back home via Gippsland. There's no social bowls on a Sunday so we'll stop for a rollup. We were told by a bloke we met at Digger's Rest It's pronounced 'Wollen'. We came and met President Peter. Who said we could park our van here overnight . We also met Carol who Jean's been corresponding with Jean via Messenger. They were playing a mixed three-bowl pairs championship when we arrived. The clubhouse is nice with a high ceiling. The smoking area doubles as an outdoor area. There's a lovely old wishing well. There are two greens. One is a lovely grass green. There's a plaque about the green. The other is a carpet synthetic. We rolled up on that. It's the R Stockdale Green. Jean had a go. She managed one with Mal in the ditch. As usual when Mal bowled He was on it. Jean said "We bowl everyday but I'm sick of my bowls not being near the kitty!" She drove at Mal's shot bowl but missed by a whisker. Peter won the match. We sat down for a drink and a chat afterwards. A quiet rollup and a nice chat at Wallan.

We came to Diggers Rest on our way to Qld via Canberra. It's saturday Pennants day so we hoped we could get a rollup before the matches. We came about 10am and it was all locked up. We went and set up the van and came back after 12 for Pennants. We met club President David. The club is comparatively new having been first founded in 1987. It's a nice little clubhouse. There are some great trophies, including one for Pennant eight counts! We saw they had a lovely spread set up for Pennants. Addam told us he's been following our adventures on Facebook. He gave us a Diggers Rest shirt to remember them by. The weather they put on was absolutely beautiful! It was 12:30 and Pennants was to start at one. We needed to get out quickly. There's just one carpet green. It's the Ernie Nolan Green. It's an unusual surface we haven't seen much. We started our rollup. Jean did ok. Mal had a go. He really liked this carpet. Jean worked it out towards the end. They started the matches. Digger's Rest played Woodend and Lancefield, both of which we've visited. We met Derek who recalled when we played Pennants for Woodend at Gisborne. There was a fellow from Lancefield who also remembered us. Jean mentioned the blokes we'd met from Lancefield. He said "Gordon's over there!" Jean went over to say gidday. Good memories of Woodend, Lancefield and now Digger's Rest!

We're on our way back to Queensland via Canberra . We stopped in at Hoppers Bowls Club for a Friday morning rollup. We stopped for a quick chat about social bowls with the first person we met, Howard. We met Eddie Alphabet (very long name!) who runs all the social bowls and does maintenance for the club. Eddie's just finished painting. He's done the Hoppers Hawks sign. There are two greens. One is grass. We were keen to roll on it (been so long) but it was being rested. We rolled on the other green. It's an old flat carpet. Jean started out. She got kind of close but still wasn't happy. Mal was winning as usual! Mark the Coach and Bowls Coordinator came over to introduce himself. He's seen our posts on Facebook. He works for Bowls Australia. He tells us he's a Bowls tragic. He named his daughter Kelsey after Kelsey Cotteril. Mal was all over it. Jean was just happy she got her grass right! After about eight ends Mal asked "Is that it?" Jean said "No! I haven't done any good bowls yet!" We went up and back and Jean finally nailed it. Eddie had shown Mal the design for their new shirts. Jean told him how Mal always has to buy shirts in Parramatta colours. He and Mark had a confab and said they'd give us each one of their old shirts. We were very happy. Hoppers Crossing - we definitely didn't lose our shirts!