No 1 - Victoria 2012

BACK TO VICTORIA 2012

I know the first page was titled Victoria 2012 but we (I) had some (lots of ) trouble getting back into Blogspot so started jotting musings in a word document which my computer fixeruperer promptly added as a new blog when he got everything sorted. But heh, you won’t mind if there is a mix up in the itinerary.

·        On Monday 3^rd Jan we finally set out on our odyssey – only one more appointment – Mark’s wedding – and then it’s see you later!! From Geelong we head out the Hamilton highway to Lismore to see if it resembles the NSW version – it doesn’t – much smaller and drier and no river flowing down the middle. There is another Maryborough in this part of the world so I have mentally pencilled it in to go to on our way back to Melbourne. There is an Inglewood and Maryborough in SA I have seen on the map too – our forebears weren’t very imaginative with their place names, but it will be interesting to compare them to the Qld versions. Then headed north to Beaufort and then west to Ararat and into Halls Gap.

·        An amazing gap in the mountains when viewed from the lookout. We spent a few days exploring the area – took a dusty drive around Mt Difficult and Roses Gap and another to Stawell and back through Wartook and Zumsteins, which was unfortunately showing the signs of the floods back in January. Everything in the picnic ground was washed away and it is covered with debris.  Evidently the Council hasn’t put the area high on its priority list – much the pity.  There are some wonderful views from Boroka lookout over Grampians, and then walked past a sleeping brown snake on our way into McKenzie falls. Much of the area is covered with wattle trees and they are flowering – IN JANUARY!!!  While in Stawell we searched the town for the Gift Museum and nearly gave up – wish they would sign post things a bit better. It was quite interesting when found – they have managed to keep lots of photos and records from the last 120+ years. Even found the photo of the guy from Tmba who won the race a few years ago and also one of Arthur Postle from Pittsworth who must have run there at some stage. Of course the tourist thing is to stand behind a painting of someone winning the Stawell Gift and stick your face in the opening to get a photo you in full athletic prowess. It was a lot easier to find Stawell gold mine and it proved quite interesting – took a few photos for Steve of big trucks and little holes in ground, where original underground mine entrance is. Would have liked to explore some more in the area but it was the middle of school holidays, horrendously expensive, and Lake Fyans CP was jam packed so we moved onto Hopetoun. Rather liked Warracknabeal, it’s in the middle of Wimmera country and very flat for miles and miles in every direction. A statue of farm dog guarding some wheat bags in the main street was rather unique. Big bouquets to the Lions club there, they have developed a park with the requisite tables, chairs, BBQ’s and toilets etc and huge aviaries full of birds, one of guinea pigs and a large penned area of roos, goats and deer. Everything was immaculate, clean and very welcoming.

·        At Hopetoun we bypassed the caravan park and stayed next door on the shores of Lake Hopetoun. All the amenities we needed, water views from every angle and only $15.00 per night. There were a lot of water skiers going up and down, so there was no fishing, but very restful. Hidden in a back street behind some houses is a very old cemetery with wording just visible on some headstones – going back to mid 1800’s. Chatting to some of the local farmers who go there for their annual holidays, we were asked where we were headed, when told Ouyen – the rather astonished look said why? We replied that our info book said that Ouyen was the home of the vanilla slice so we were off to try one. After being told that there is an annual competition – much like the sausage king comp – and that Birchip had won last year, we had to go and try one. This young grain grower from Sea Lake also suggested that we head north to Patchewollock then go west through Baring to the snow dunes and follow the dirt road through to Underbool and up to the pink lakes, before comparing another vanilla slice. So after 3 days exploring the flat roads around Hopetoun we headed north on another flat road. Got to Baring ok but then got temporarily disorientated (yes Lost) travelling over some horrid roads and missed both places, but the vanilla slice was nice. On our way into Mildura we stopped at Big Lizzie (the strangest big? tractor you will ever see) you will have to look at the photos of the wheels because I can’t explain them. Needless to say it travelled at 1.5Klm hour and took 18 months to get from Melbourne to Mildura and couldn’t get across the Murray so it stayed in Red Cliffs area pulling scrub.

Cassie had suggested that we stay at the Buronga CP and it was a top spot – right on the river with the local duck family visiting every day, and the city lights reflected in the river at night. Cassie had also mentioned that she spent some time with the Pevensey tied up to the jetty of Gol Gol Hotel, so for JC’s birthday I shouted him dinner there. Shared antipasto entrée and then had a bucket of yabbies. Yabbies at the springs were never this big or tasty. Another example of the higher food costs in Vic compared to Qld but worth every mouthful. Will not tell Bruce, but we are really spoiled with the food and prices at Bull and Barley.

 ·        One thing I did want to do was see the Darling River meet the Murray so we wandered off to Wentworth and were well rewarded. There is a lookout but you can see the two rivers meet from ground level – the Darling was very brown and Murray blue but both were very high. All the locks along the river have it at high water mark so it will be interesting to see how high it is in Tailem Bend and Goolwa. Wentworth was a nice little town, we found the Anglican church on banks of river – I’ll bet it has flooded a few times, and an old catholic convent with a roofing iron statue of a nun in front yard. The museum was full of river boat items, including a photo of a captain Johnson, and lots of the Pevensey which we photocopied and took back to Cassie. Now it’s up to her to see if the Capt’n is an ancestor. They also have a tree with another tree in the centre. When they chopped down this very big river gum they discovered another tree in the centre of it – only this tree had been chopped down with a steel blade back in the 1600’s. So now there is a lot of conjecture on who was here before the british. They also had lots of skeletons of dinosaurs that had been found in the area so we felt quite young in comparison.

·         The flood marker in main street is a stone cairn with the bronze fergie tractor ontop. I like the imaginations of the artists in some of these little towns. We are told to go out to see the Perry sand hills just outside of town and they are amazing – huge sand dunes in the middle of nowhere. They have been there for years and keep moving with the wind. We climb to the top of the one trying to cover the God tree. An old gum tree probably 80 – 100 feet high has had its trunk covered by sand so you can walk up and stand in the branches. Merbein had been promoted in all the tourist brochures as the place to go for antiques so we came back to Mildura that way. Well!!! There was one S/H shop, nowhere to eat, and it was a real dive. But that won’t deter me – I’ll keep looking and one day I’ll find bliss. Had a call from Tony; he and Kate and Matthew are on their way home so we’ve booked them into a cabin across from our van for tonight and have the roast on cooking. Unfortunately the nights have been VERY cold for the last week and I have a doosy of a cold so I hope I don’t pass it on to them.  It was great to catch up, even if the roast didn’t cook (cook says it was because the meat was too big for camp oven and the lid didn’t fit tight??). Hope they enjoy a leisurely trip back to Kingaroy – seems strange to think we won’t see anyone (friends/family) for another 11 months. While wandering around Mildura we walked into a bakery to get some lunch and you guessed it they have all their 2^nd prize awards for vanilla slices and meat pies on display so we had to try their vanilla slice. Unfortunately their speciality was yabby pies and they had run out, so we couldn’t try one – much the pity. The Mildura visitor centre had a Christmas tree decorated, by the local cub scouts, with cans which was different.

 ·         After church on Sunday we wander down to Lock 11 and watch the Paddle steamer Melbourne come in, the lock fills with water then paddle steamer leaves – all very ingenious and fascinating so we wait and watch the lock fill with 3 houseboats and a speed boat and go through the same process. The whole area is a museum with an old house, outbuildings and a mallee roller – a huge tree trunk on its side with chains at ends where it is hooked up to a tractor and dragged over the ground to pull out mallee trees etc to allow land to be ploughed. When you see the size of some mallee roots it must have been effective. After we tear ourselves away we tour down to Red Cliffs (get lost several times so now we have decided that we can’t get lost if we don’t know where we are going) while walking along riverbank viewing the cliffs we spot quite a few fish in the river but can’t get close enough to see what they were and needless to say can’t catch any. The Psyche water pump is nearby whereby they pumped the water out of river for irrigating farms for miles around in days gone by.

·        Didn’t want to look through another museum, but the Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement had a Sound and Light show at night that sounded interesting so we rugged up (well I did) and hopped on the train? As it wove its way around the very extensive grounds the lights came on and a voice told the story of the person/persons/occupants of that particular shop/business/house. It was really fascinating – they also have a Paddle steamer and the music of an aboriginal corroboree lit up in an area amongst the trees.

Taking a drive around the area we end up at an olive tasting farm that did afternoon tea (read another vanilla slice) at Woorinen. On the drive in they had some of the trees that had puzzled us earlier on. They were quite big with large bunches of yellow/red fruit like long grapes so of course I now know what a Pistachio tree looks like. You wait till the fruit turns pink, then pick them and roast them within 4 days to get the nuts that we know. Along the road from Narung to Swan Hill there were acres of a green leaf orchard tree which we couldn’t figure out. I wasn’t able to get close enough to check the leaf so took a long range photo with the idea of checking it out when next on computer. Eventually they had a sign indicating almond orchards. When I commented to the Pistachio farmer that someone was trying to corner the almond market – he agreed with me. He says that those orchards go on for 40Klms on both sides of the highway for most of it and in places the rows are 14klms deep. Mind boggling how many trees are planted. There is no grass under any of them just red soil because to pick them a machine comes along and knocks all the nuts onto the ground and then a big vacuum cleaner sucks them all up. Would be fascinating to watch – with all the trouble I had getting a few nuts off my 8 trees in Stanthorpe – I don’t know how they keep the birds away. About the time Burke & Wills passed through Swan Hill (6/9/1860) they planted a Moreton Bay Fig tree in the main street it is now 29m high and the trunk 13.25m around with the branches 45m in diameter – a beautiful tree.

·        We had to visit Quambatook – I loved the name and John had visited Sandy when she was the school teacher there. Spent an hour or so wandering up and down the main street taking photos and trying to find Sandy & John’s house – the locals probably thought we were mad but there wasn’t any traffic to worry about. We really liked the sign in pub window “dinning room closed - cooks stuffed” That tells it as it is. The museum had 1 lonely plough in the front yard so we are guessing they are just starting off. Like lots of other small towns that had suffered through the drought there were a few empty shops and a few could have done with a lick of paint. It’s to be hoped that times improve for the business that struggle through. On to Wycheproof for lunch which we ate at tables on the footpath while trying to figure what the “art gallery” across the road really was. Everyone has to visit Jimmy YoYos – it is amazing what someone with an imagination can do with old bits of bike chains, wheels, machinery parts etc. I can’t describe it and do the items justice so you will have to look at the photos. Mind you when we are ready to settle down again I’m going back there with my bit of plastic.  After chatting to Jimmy who was sprawled out on an old lounge at the front door (he didn’t feel artistic today) we ventured inside to find pictures of Phar Lap, Don Bradman, Steve Waugh and many other things that were made out of pennies. Tens of Thousands of them in the big pictures. I think there were 11,300 in the picture of Phar Lap and over 10,000 in the ones of the two cricketers. They were brilliant! A real treasure trove of stuff!

·         Continuing on we pass through Majorca – not at all like to one in Spain, and then see signs advising of an historic Anglican church so we turn off and go looking. At the top of a hill is another wonderful old bluestone building full of stain glass windows and then we discover that it is the Uniting church (formerly Presbyterian) a bit miffed we drive on and there is a very bland Anglican church. It’s how you portray yourself in Snake Valley too. Couldn’t find out how Snake Valley got its name but will come back this way another day and try again.

·         In the tourist brochures they mentioned a bible museum in St Arnaud, which after our previous experience in Merbein J wasn’t too keen but heh I have to navigate! so we stopped and what a stop! An older lady and her daughter came on hard times when her husband died, and with 30 years of bible collecting under the house they had to do something with them or sell them. So an old garage in St Arnaud was bought, they moved in and started the renovations and now have the most amazing display of bibles of every type, size and religion imaginable. She has ones made out of goat skin, deer skin and papyrus. There would be hundreds if not thousands of books in the two rooms and they have bought the building next door to expand a bit more. Out the back the daughter is developing a butterfly farm around all their vegetables. A truly remarkable place and lovely people. After being there all afternoon we decide to stay in town for a curry and then bush camp. The Indian couple who ran the restaurant were fascinated with what we were doing (they could see the caravan through the windows) so we filled them in on our travels and had a great meal. As usual J asked for a very hot curry which gets all the chefs interested in seeing how hot they can go – and I am flat out being able to breathe near his food. And so to the end of another great day! Both Maryborough and Inglewood in Vic are smaller than Qld’s versions but quite nice little towns. I’ve always loved Maryborough Q and would retire there if I could, so each town gets judged on that criteria.

·        We join Murray, Cassie and June to travel up to Melbourne for Mark and Samantha’s wedding, which was held in another lovely old church. They seem a very happy couple and you could only wish them the very best for their new life together. The reception was held at Ian’s Golf Club so the views were very green and lovely, and was a cocktail party without cocktails and with finger food which was very interesting. I rather liked it and even managed to get J onto the dance floor a few times. Mind you Scarlet (about 4) dragged her great uncle around showing him everything of interest (to her) and then had several dances with him. Isn’t it amazing what pretty little 4 year old girls can get crotchety old men to do? (Lilly didn’t like the big bushy beard so off it came!) Scarlet and her big sister Elliana were the flowergirls and Aunt Jackie was a bridesmaid. Their parents Bree and Chris did a reading so it was a Webster affair all round. Cassie was wonderful and drove home for a well earned sleep before we all set off for Cape Otway after lunch.

·        Last time we came through the Cape Otway Nat Park I was enthralled with all the koalas in the trees beside the roads so was dreaming of what it would be like to sleep with them – absolutely amazing. The caravan park is full of gum trees with resident koalas moving from tree to tree as the mood takes them. Just when I thought that heaven couldn’t get any better the Gangang cockatoos arrived. Never having seen one in the flesh they were captivating with their bright red heads showing out in the foliage. Murray and Cassie have come down here with us to have a rest before resuming work so we give in to Cassie’s wish to walk to Station beach. My knee is still playing up but plod on, towards the end I wonder how I will ever climb back over the sand dunes, but one feel of the temperature of southern ocean has me moving backward at a great rate of knots. Cassie goes swimming, J wets his feet and Murray stays right away from the water – know who had the brains today. Back over the dunes, through the coastal heath and then the eucalypt belt we arrive home 4 hours later, on what is advertised as a 40 minute walk!! We didn’t learn though, the next day Cassie takes us off to Crayfish bay – another trek over the dunes and through the coastal heath and down to the beach. This time we don’t have the beach to ourselves but it doesn’t stop the other 3 from putting their bodies in the icy water. The rocks around here are in great layers with bits eroded out – they look amazing. We walk back to the car along the beach and check out lots of rock pools for starfish, crabs and sea anemones along with some intriguing plants. I am silly enough to ask how you get such perfectly round holes in the rocks to which Murray replies it is the wave action on a little stone in the hole. This answer will be used by J to explain every round hole from now on.

·         Heading back out we come across a little koala about 7feet off the ground so we have to stop and get some photos. He is quite small and looks as if he just couldn’t climb any further without a sleep. Stopping at Mait’s rest for a walk among the trees, tree ferns and fungi, it is time for some tree hugging. The giant myrtle beech trees are irresistible. Some stubs of broken branches and moss and fungi make some interesting shapes and along the stream we find some yabbies homes. Wonderful cool break. While Cassie slept in the car we head off to look at the Californian Redwood trees planted in 1938 along the Aire river valley – huge straight trees with such a dense leaf cover that the area underneath was bare.

 We finish our journey looking at Hopetoun falls and then it’s back to caravan for a quick meal and then we are off to climb to top of Cape Otway Lighthouse.

·        . It is a sunset tour with Mick who was born there and spent his childhood engulfed in the isolation and wilderness of the area, so the stories he could tell. It didn’t matter how bad my knee was I was climbing to the top, but didn’t go back for seconds the next day as Murray and Cassie did.  The next day was more exploring around the area that, as like many prominent coastal features, had a military post during WWII.  This one was a radar post and the radar hut is still there, not much more than the building shell.  Just below that is an aboriginal display and an artist talking to the kids as well as teaching some native artwork.  There was an abundance of abalone shells around the area and it was a very modern display of old stuff. Back at the caravan Cassie and I go off to bed and J and Murray sit outside talking when our resident possum wanders in and takes a bite of someone’s toes. I had been feeding him on peaches and other tasty titbits, so when they weren’t forthcoming possum went looking for something else to eat or was he saying this’ll teach you not to be so mean?

·        Murray & Cassie leave to return to Geelong and work and we head off down the Great Ocean road, stopping this time to check out Castle Cove, The Arch, Bay of Martyrs (beautiful bay with lots of tiny islands dotted around) before heading into Port Fairy. Being Christmas holidays it is nearly as expensive as Warnambool but we find “The Gums” park just outside of town and make it our base. On our trips around we find the Griffith Island Lighthouse, Yambuk where J goes down the slide (big ones that twist and turn and usually end up in water but this one ended in sand pit and go out to Cape Nelson Lighthouse again. We visited it 3 years ago when I was first taken along GO rd and it is still as windswept and isolated as before, but would love to stay in one of the cottages at some stage – very expensive though. Another day we head north and visit Macarthur (named after the son of those Macarthurs in Sydney) where Mt Eccles National Park is. Lake Surprise is a surprise when you find it and then we wander down a river bed (no water fortunately) scrambling over rocks to Natural Bridge. The rocks came together when the earth was moving around x million years ago and have formed a sort of cave – all quite fascinating.

·        Next was a paid trip on a rubber ducky to look at Aust Sea Lions and NZ fur seals on the more inaccessible parts of the coast near Cape Bridgewater.  We saw plenty of them playing in the surf as well as sunbaking on the rocks.  Had a bit of time to spare so went out a bit further to view and boat around some dolphins.  Absolutely beautiful creatures. Coming back in we are taken into a cave where the sea lions are sleeping on rocks – dozens of them. Evidently both animals do not get on together so the NZ fur seals are banished around the corner and not allowed into cave. They are smaller and darker than the Sea Lions but otherwise look the same to me. A most fascinating morning ended having lunch at the café overlooking the bay and CB. The afternoon is spent near the wind farm checking out a petrified forest. That really is amazing. All the tree roots have petrified into stone and the surrounding sand has been blown away leaving the ‘forest’ behind.

·        It is now time to leave Victoria so we head to Nelson to take the cruise up the Nelson river to see Princess Margaret Rose cave - Can’t get a caravan site in Nelson so decide to go onto Mt Gambier and come back to Nelson on a day trip. Next year we will have to work things out better with regards to school holidays.