The Geelong-based pair is representing Highton Bowls Club at Warrnambool Bowls Club’s annual three-day Australia Day women’s pairs competition.

The friends arrived at the Timor Street greens on Wednesday after travelling up together.

“We did the road trip down and we didn’t have too many fights,” Milligan joked.

“We might have had fights with the poor GPS. She kept saying ‘turn’ and we didn’t turn where she said to.”

Milligan and Stone, who play Tuesday and Saturday pennant in the Geelong Bowls Region competition, often travel for competitions.

They play at the Vic Open most years and visit Hopetoun and Bendigo to play.

Milligan joked it was “a way to get away from home”.

Stone said they also played at rival clubs in Geelong.

“We play at open days that other clubs have because if we want clubs to come to our greens we have to go to theirs,” she said.

Stone said travelling for games was an adventure.

“We enjoy the accommodation and the friends we’re with,” she said.

Both Milligan and Stone started playing bowls about 12 years ago.

“I started in 2006. I was at another club at Drumcondra because I didn’t want to play tennis anymore,” Milligan said. “I had six years at Drummy and the women’s (section) folded and I live in Grovedale, which is a suburb closer to Highton. I went to Highton because they had women play on Saturdays.”

The Highton team is among 20 pairs entered in the Australia Day tournament, which finishes on Friday.

Thursday’s high temperature could force day two play to be cancelled. The forecast is 37.