Day tripping came into its own in 2020.
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Many of us suffered cabin fever with COVID-19 restrictions ranging from the strict, to allowing some like us in Benalla a little room to move.
I called it moving within the halo, a narrow band around Victoria that did not include Melbourne.
Just when it was thought safe to go to NSW, everyone had to scurry home at new year.
Recently Western Australia and Melbourne reminded us that restrictions can be imposed without notice.
Making plans is still risky and keeping us close to home.
Day Trips: Off to Bendigo we go
During the early lockdowns many used day trips for exercise.
Some started or increased their walking, jogging or bike riding.
Hopefully within the rules, they found new routes, started looking into shop windows, reading signs in parks, visiting play parks, looking at views, noticing plants and animals.
Anything other than just being intent on getting to the destination.
More recently day trips enabled us to get more stimulus or have a picnic.
Some started to explore nearby towns.
Now we can also go to art galleries.
Hopefully you have got to know Benalla better, as well as north east Victoria and beyond.
Day Trips: Surprising Shepparton
You might also have noticed that size of a town does not matter, it is its community spirit that makes it glow.
Did you know that the definition of a tourist is one who travels more than an hour and a half from home for whatever reason, including visiting friends and family, delivering goods or shopping?
Staying away is not a necessary criterion.
When did tourists start thinking they would enjoy art, history, culture, plays, new experiences and scenery because they were "away" when they overlooked this at home?
Many will recognise that they have queued for hours to visit art galleries all over the world and elsewhere in Australia, but have not visited the Benalla Art Gallery in years.
What a pity.
Benalla Art Gallery owns a wonderful art collection and attracts exciting visiting exhibits like those on display at present.
It is a perfect training ground for seeing and learning about art.
Benalla Art Gallery's new director Eric Nash has had a difficult start because COVID-19 closed the gallery, but it is open now.
He has used his contacts to attract a fabulous exhibition that combines art works from the RACV collection with those from Benalla's.
Art is used to reflect the experiences of COVID-19.
It is cleverly curated and has interesting explanatory boards.
Day Trips: A quintessential little country village
Today, when you enter the Benalla Art Gallery you will also see a large installation that draws you into the Bennett Gallery.
I will not hint what it is, but it will take your breath away.
Find its accompanying notice, push the button and it will expose the what and why of it.
Then you will want to explore the other 19 interactive or digital exhibits.
My favourite is the art-science experiment, Hierarchy of Eddies, that uses polystyrene balls and fan blades to show degrees of turbulence.
It is in a large chamber at the back of the gallery.
Without prompt from the exhibition's catalogue I might have overlooked thinking about constant kinetic changes in our bloodstreams, rivers or cyclones on Jupiter.
Oh my gosh, there is so much I still don't know about art.
Thank heavens I recognise this at home rather than stress about it anywhere else.
This Experimenta: Make Sense exhibition is a joint venture with RMIT and is part of the touring International Triennial of Media Art.
Day trips: An Indigenous education
Benalla is one of only a few Australian galleries to show it.
The exhibition uses art and science to prompt thinking, feeling and doing by children and adults alike.
Don't miss it, it could start a long journey of discovery.
It departs Benalla on February 14.
I had another fabulous day trip that only required walking from home.
- Suzie Pearce
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