For example, who decided that if cheese and Vegemite were good, they’d be even better in a meat pie?

That’s actually a thing. You can check it out at any of Bendigo’s supermarkets.

But imagine the free-wheeling brain session which must have led to this event.

On Saturday, March 10, the latest in a national series of events will take place at Balgownie winery in Maiden Gully.

It’s called a Grapest Run, and the Bendigo one is subtitled: Sip Happens!

The purpose is to have a 5km or 10km run through the vines followed by a 1km “waddle” during which there are four wine stations … followed by some more wine and music.

But it’s OK if you think you shouldn’t drink and run. You can sign up just for the waddle.

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There’s been a lot of work on why Australians often think of putting together weird combinations, especially with food.

In just a few stomach-churning minutes, Down The Mall found evidence of:

Weet Bix and tomato sauce sandwiches; Vegemite in a martini; Vegemite in just about anything, including buttered iced buns sandwiches which already contain jam, cheese and onions; honey, apple, avocado, lettuce; chopped tomato in condensed milk; soy sauce on ice cream; bacon in a milkshake; bacon with nearly anything – including Vegemite; orange juice IN your black coffee; bubblegum flavoured vodka; barbecued chicken wings and ice cream; Nutella on a pepperoni pizza.

There was a place in Bendigo serving Nutella “cronuts” – donut shapes made from deep fried croissant pastry and covered with a thick layer of Nutella.

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When you look back through news clippings you find Bendigo’s heat has often been a matter of comment, although it used to be in more elegant terms.

From The Age, December 31, 1931:

“BENDIGO, Wednesday: Each succeeding day brings a higher temperature.

“At Bendigo today it reached 103.5 degrees, the highest for two seasons.

“In the morning clouds gave protection from the sun, but the circumstances were most enervating.

“The sky cleared in he afternoon and the heat became intense.”

Enervating? There’s a word you don’t find in many weather reports these days.

That 103.5 Fahrenheit is 39.7 in today’s money.

However, 43 Celsius, you will be further enervated to know, used to be a hefty 109.4 Fahrenheit.