Williamstown Doesn't Want You
Yesterday Nologic and I pooled our collective genius (geniii?) and decided that it was the day for the beach. We wanted to go somewhere we'd never been before so we decided to chance the western suburbs and see what Williamstown had to offer. Apart from a potential sighting of Bracksie in a wetsuit, obvs.
Little did we realise, as we set out, how hostile Williamstown would be to our advances.
There are no direct trains to williamstown, for example. There are no platforms for the halfway trains either. They are everywhere and nowhere. They are at platform 9 1/2. They are in your collective unconcious. They are right behind you.
After stabbing a few dragons to prove our seriousness, we somehow found ourself at the back of a children's crusade, all scantily dressed teenagers and "ohmygaaawwd!!", heading left towards the sea. We decided to take a right and find some beer.
Why do all seaside towns seem the same? Too many roundabouts, no footpaths in the side streets and enormous roads.
Not realising that Williamstown provides exactly one window of availability per day to outsiders we attempted to lure others down to the waves and rocks. One spent an hour waiting for a train that wouldn't let him on. One couldn't find the yellow umbrella (to be fair she was about half a km away) and one simply refused because I think he actually knew it was a stupid idea.
At least we got to sit in the sea and drink a beer. And I got to yell at small children for throwing rocks near me. Who needs a senior citizen's card to be cantankerous?
posted by Kate @ 9:25 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
I grew up in Willy (as it's know to the locals) and I agree.
It is NOT user friendly.
a) it's inconvenient to catch a train there outside of peak hour (and sometimes even then as the trains don't "do" the loop)
b) which station for the beach? When you get off, there are no signs pointing the way TO the beach.
c) there's nowhere to eat near the beach aside from a few kiosk places.
d) the eating places that are not near the beach are overpriced and not very good.
But what do you do when the locals LIKE it that way? They successfully campaigned the council to REMOVE bike lanes last year.
That said, it was a nice place to grow up, be thrown out into the traffic to play etc.
Elaine - yep, I had to print out a map before I left which led to feelings of intense "tourist"ness.
How could they have a problem with bike paths though? Did they not consult their wrist bands and think "what would bracksie [renowned lover of bikes] do"?
It was quite a pretty beach though.
Yeah, I went there with the pez once. It was the sort of place they could imagine retiring to, to care for my (imaginary) children while my (imaginary) husband and I worked fabulous (imaginary) jobs. Glad to see they have my life worked out for me.
But the point I was going to make is, it looked bloody hard to get there without a car, etc.
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