August 22, 2018
Taking advantage of our return to Bendigo we decided to take the “Talking Tram Tour”; this extract from Bendigo Tramways website explains a little more and the Yarn Bomb Tram which we rode on (above):
Bendigo, home of the world’s first yarn bombed tram
A visit to Bendigo Tramways throughout Winter is guaranteed to brighten up your day and put a smile on your face. It is here that you will find the world’s first yarn bombed tram.
Yarn art
Decorated both inside and out with hand-made crochet bunting, seat covers, blankets and cushions, the yarn bombed tram is a feast for the eyes.
The tram is decorated by an anonymous group of needling ninja’s, who have been brightening up the streets of Bendigo with an explosion of colours, shapes and textures for the past seven years.
Like a well-tailored suit, the moving masterpiece is a testament to the craftsmanship that has been poured into its design and creation.
See Bendigo in style
The best way to take in the wide streetscapes and grand architecture of Bendigo is curled up aboard the yarn bombed tram, wrapped in one of the hand-made blankets, whilst listening to entertaining stories about the city founded on one of the world’s richest goldfields.
Bendigo Woollen Mills
If you love the yarn bombed tram, you will love Bendigo Woollen Mills, which is conveniently located right next door to the Depot and should be included on your itinerary!
Bendigo Woollen Mills are Australia’s largest hand knitting and crafting mail order manufacturer, with a huge variety of different yarns and colours to choose from. The mill produces anywhere between 80-100 tonnes of yarn per year!
Interestingly, the historic building occupied by the Bendigo Woollen Mills was built in 1901 and used to be part of the Bendigo Tramways complex.
Vintage Talking Trams
The yarn bombed tram forms part of the Vintage Talking Tram fleet which allows you to hop on or off throughout the city to explore the many attractions, shopping and dining facilities that Bendigo has to offer.
We started and finished our journey at the Tram Depot where you can see some of the trams being worked on as well as part of the working collection, including “specials” like the Yarn and the Dja Dja Wurrung Tram which commemorates Bendigo’s first people, A day ticket allows you to hop on and off at any of the five stops; we got off at the Chinese Joss House (see next Post) and back on to the next tram 30 minutes later (there are two trams running at any one time so each stop is serviced every half hour).
Central Deborah Gold Mine at one end of the tramway:
Some Images of Central Bendigo:
