Our visit to Wollongong, New South Wales, included a wander through its main centre. The first thing that struck us was the architectural contrast. Modern buildings stood shoulder-to-shoulder with structures that clearly had seen better days.
One particularly interesting building was an old stone church that had been repurposed. The sandstone construction, complete with gothic arches and multiple spires, stood proudly despite the modern trappings surrounding it. The tidy flower beds at its base added a splash of colour to the otherwise grey stone.
Given that our visit was nearing the middle of December, the Christmas decorations were also out in full force.
The main street was lined with festive banners, and there was an attempt at a Christmas tree. We say "attempt" because it appeared that someone had the rather quirky idea of laying a palm tree on its side and decorating it. It certainly wasn't what we expected.
It was, shall we say, an interesting take on festive cheer. We appreciated the effort, if not the final result.
Overall, our walk through Wollongong's main centre was an experience. We have certainly seen more Christmas trees on our travels.
