Z is for Zorbing

In my life there are many things I have imagined myself doing--writing a best-selling novel, living in Paris, winning $10 million dollars in Powerball.

But one thing I never included in my life plan was hurtling down a hill in a big plastic ball.

I am officially a Zorbonaut (that is a real word--I didn't make it up--Google it if you don't believe me). EGG and I finished have finished off our Alphabet Weekends by Zorbing.

What! You've never heard of zorbing--an activity where you jump inside a water filled plastic ball and career down a hill. Actually it was excellent, but I didn't think it was such a great idea when EGG proposed it (knowing how good I am at physical things and all).

I thought it was less of a good idea when I got to the top of the hill and looked at the ball--and the hill. The only other time I've felt such a sense of fear is when I went on the 1/2 kilometre flying fox and that was a moment of insanity that I never ever want to repeat.

Let me be frank though. Once I got over my fear of rolling down the hill, I had another, far greater problem to contend with. How I was going to squeeze into the little tube opening of the ball? What would happen if I got stuck? Now that would have more embarrassing than my ice-skating attempt.

Fortunately though, after I got hosed down (wet t-shirt competition anyone), I wriggled my way quite easily through the little opening and landed with a huge splash in the water inside the Zorb. Apparently a water-filled Zorb prevents chaffing and grazes(?)!!!!!

EGG joined me and with a mighty heave we were rolling, rolling, rolling down the hill--we were Zorbing. Who knew which way was up--it was exhilarating (that's us in the big plastic ball). What a way to finish Alphabet Weekends.

Z is for Zorbing.

Y is for Yatala Brewhouse

Remember that old joke about the man looking for a fiancee whose father owns a brewery? No? Me either but the brewery part of it was the clincher in sealing the deal as I recall and it made me appreciate the importance of beer in the male happiness equation.

So it was with this in mind that I decided that my last Alphabet Weekend contribution would be all about EGG--and true blue Aussie male that he is--it had to be about beer.

Brisbane has a lot of things going for it--lovely weather, lots of interesting things to do (just look how many we've found in the course of our Alphabet Weekends), nice hotels and restaurants, but most importantly it has two breweries and conveniently one of them begins with Y.

So on the hottest day of the year, EGG and I set off for a tour of the Yatala Brewhouse. To be fair the tour of the brew house was pretty low on my list of things I Want To Do In My Lifetime, but the lure of drinks at the end was always going to be enough to keep me happy and EGG--well he was thrilled.

But back to the brewery tour--we got on one of those road train thingies, drove around the brewery (very clean and hygienic), looked at big vats and things and watched lots of little bottles go round on conveyor belts. We found out how to make low carb beer and how all the beer by-products are recycled. We found that beer tasters have the best jobs in the world (have you ever seen that job advertised?)

I guess it might have been interesting, but I couldn't hear half of the commentary because of the devil children who were also on the tour. Just EGG's and my luck--any earlier we might have joined the buck's party. But no. Instead we got four boys juiced up on red cordial.

To be fair, the tour was a bit boring, but who takes kids on a brewery tour? For the future I am going to remind myself that no matter what an irresponsible mother I have been in the raising of SSS I have never taken her on a brewery tour--and then readjust my halo.

So tour over we went back to the pub bit of the brewery and downed a few refreshing ales in the comfort of air conditioning. EGG got to pour his beer from the tap (all those years of watching bar staff really paid off).

EGG was so enthused by the whole idea that he wants to go on the Castlemaine Brewery Tour next. Good little Queenslander that he is, he much prefers the taste of XXXX.

Y is for Yatala Brewhouse--cheers!!!