21 - 28 April 2011 - Trentham & surrounds, Victoria

First day to explore Trentham, & Janine had arranged  a keen walking friend of hers to take the  us  on a nice 2 hr  walk in a nearby area called Blackwood.  The'4 of us plus small dog called Heidi, set off in reasonable sunshine & soon warmed up after the cool morning.  This forest was an old mining area & has an abundance of old shafts, some very deep, so it pays to stay on the track to be safe.  It took us a bit longer than expected, as Janine & I are both 'mad' photographers & found lots of interesting fungi & flowering Heather bushes.  It's nice to be with someone who takes as many shots as I do - you can imagine Stu's comments!  Returned home for lunch & as it was such a lovely sunny day, Janine suggested we drive to an area called 'Hanging Rock' about 15mins away.  It is an amazing area of interesting huge rock formations (again) which is a long-extinct volcano formed when lava blew a vent through the earth about 6 million years ago & it now rises 105 metres on the surrounding plain.  In the past it was a perfect hiding place for bushrangers, including the famous Kelly Gang.  It  is also well known because of a movie made there about 30yrs ago called 'Picnic at Hanging Rock'.  It's purely fictional & quite a mystery, so we are keen to find a DVD now.  They had them at the Visitor's Centre for $25 but we thought that was a bit steep!  The climb to the summit was quite steep but the track was good & the views over the surrounding valleys & distant Great Dividing Range were great.  Even Stu took his camera for a change.  After such a long & energetic day we opted to treat ourselves to dinner at a little local restaurant, really cosy with it's big open fire.  There is a most interesting tale to be told here involving this fireplace....... The present owners have of recent times purchased the very old building, once a residence.  A local resident told them one day that there were two ghosts there, which they accepted tongue in cheek.  However every day when cleaning out the ashes of the fireplace, the wife began to find strange little bits & pieces of hard black stuff & couldn't understand what they could be as they only burnt wood.  At this time they were struggling financially & one night the husband made a plea to the 'ghosts'  to help them.  Nothing happened until one day when once again clearing the ash from the fireplace the wife found a large black 'rock' & by now curious as to where it was coming from, decided to clean the black off it & behold!  GOLD.  On closer inspection they realised it wasn't a gold nugget as first thought, but a mix of gold jewellery which had been placed in the chimney for safekeeping and had slowly melted  - question being, how long ago?  Anyway they just placed it on the mantel above the fireplace in the restaurant, & gradually of course the story spread around the district,  naturally embellished along the way.  Next thing they knew they had radio & TV interviewers banging on the door & got paid $1000 for the story.  A few people in the district decided the story was a hoax,  & eventually the owners got sick of that, so said they had thrown the 'gold' into the lake.  In actual fact she is going to have rings made for her & her husband & will keep the rest as it is - just shows what strange things can happen.

Stu is suffering from a dreaded malady - it's called 'handymans' disease' & manifests itself when the said handyman hasn't had a tool in his hand for awhile & can't recall when he last did some work!  So today he has set himself the task of chainsawing a supply of wood for Janine's fire & fitting some locks on her French doors.  After that there's the car & caravan to be cleaned, & the roof-rack on the Landcruiser to be taken off & repainted.  Overalls donned, he was happy as a pig in mud, so we left him to it & headed off to a nearby town called Kyneton where Janine had to stock up with ingredients for her market stall for Saturdays local market.  While there we visited Kynetons local market & inspected the other interesting shops as well. Kyneton is a lot bigger than little Trentham, has lots of antiques, galleries, cafes etc.  We also drove to a little river park where we indulged ourselves in some more photography, before heading off to one of the local mineral springs to fill a bottle with water.  It's a slightly mineral taste but it's supposed to be good for you so I have been trying to drink a little each morning.  Stu won't have a bar of it - surprise, surprise!

Have done a bit of fossiking around Trentham, checking out the old buildings & shops many of which are only open on weekends & public holidays.  There are 2 pubs, both very old.  One of them, The Cosmopolitan, has had a fire in recent years & a young couple have purchased it with a view to restoring it, & to get the ball rolling have restored the old stables building at the back into a restaurant but the cooking is done in a mobile food cart.  It's quite ingenious really, as it is set in  beautiful old gardens & the stable is  gorgeous, cosy & has the most beautiful old beams etc.  And on a nice day you can eat or have coffee in the garden.  All credit to them, I hope they manage to complete the task sometime in the future, although it is a massive old building.  There are several restaurants/cafes including Miss Marples Tearooms.  Most of them have lots of antique type bits & pieces, but outside one restaurant/tavern is  a large pig on his hind legs drinking a glass of beer through a straw.  There is also a little ute parked on the road with another pig on hind legs leaning on the cab plus a cattle dog as company.  Next to that is a little alleyway, & when we were walking past we noticed a huge giraffe peering over the fence, so curiousity go the best of us, & on inspection we found a whole yard full of these huge animals.  Although giraffes are my favourite, it was obvious it was a little large to take along with us, so that saved us about $1600.  At the lovely vintage railway station there is a market every 2nd Sunday, & because we were there over Easter, there was an art exhibition & several music venues.  So for a very small place, it is very busy when all the Melbournites come up for the weekends & public holidays.  The streets are lined with lovely autumn trees & it really is a delightful little village - I think I could live in it although it's a bit cold being about 750mtrs above sea level.  There are untold places to visit, especially walks etc.  Janine had an photographic entry in the local art show so being interested in that sort of thing, we had to inspect the local talent.  I think our Ruawai Art Group would have competed very well.

On Easter Saturday we attended the local market, then drove to a nearby town called Daylesford where a very large market was in progress.     Then we explored a little more & had a picnic lunch by Jubilee Lake which was very pleasant.  We walked around the lake & took photos of course - the wooded area was so english with it's big autumn trees & the ground  littered with leaves.  In fact all this area is quite english with it's sometimes narrow treelined roads.

Stu & I decided next day it was time we got on our bikes again, so in the morning road out to a local waterfall.  Unfortunately we timed it badly as it was alive with people being a holiday weekend.  However we walked down a narrow little track to the base of the falls, & struggled up again.  That same afternoon we
ventured down a 'rail trail' from the rail station.  It isn't actually formed properly yet, but does mostly follow the old railway lines through a very nice eucalypt forest.  The small first section still had the sleepers laid, so it was like riding over corrugated iron - very bumpy!  However we soon got onto a better track, lots of fun with it's ups & downs & obstacles.  Originally there were lots of little signs to follow, and it was to have lead to an old railway tunnel.  Somehow the signs disappeared & there were so many little tracks that we got a bit lost & we resorted to trying to ride down the railway line again thinking that logically it must eventually come to the tunnel.  It all got too hard in the finish, so we had to give up before it got too late & we got too exhausted to get back.  An enjoyable little adventure just the same.

With the weather improving & the days getting even warmer & sunnier, our next trip was to Mt Macedon,  part of the Great Dividing Range.  It was a lovely drive through a beautiful mountain residential area lined with gorgeous autumn trees & some stunning gardens which were having an open day.  I was the driver today as Stu was feeling off colour, so I passed them with reluctance thinking we would do so on the return journey.  Mt Macedon was aslo wall to wall with people, but the views were lovely though a little misty.  There is a massive memorial cross on the top which of course being the day after Anzac Day was amass with wreaths & flowers.  What a place to have a dawn service, especially if there was a nice sunrise.  Fortunately there were lots of picnic areas, so we partook of our homemade food - all except Stu who had taken a turn for the worse & remained in the car, feeling very nauseous & giddy.  Because of that the return drive was very gentle & no stops, & he headed for bed on arrival back at the caravan.  Fortunately after a good sleep he recovered - a bit of a mystery what the problem was. 

17- 20 April 2011 Mildura - Trentham Victoria

Here we go again - when I get in the car each time we leave an area I hum that tune 'On the road again'  or 'Hit the road Jack' - it's become a bit of a habit.  Anyway, we left Mildura on another lovely day to head towards Bendigo.  Not in a hurry & not too many miles to cover, just taking our time as we are due at our friend Janine's in Trentham on 20th.  It will make a good base to see the area & nice to see her again.

Our first tourist stop was to be not far out of Mildura to see the 'Red Cliffs' along part of the river, but after following a 'tourist drive' which only took us through some residential streets, then out to a scruffy rural bit,  we still didn't find them, so gave up.  They are not very good sometimes with their signage to things like that, but highway road signs are another matter & are excellent.  Also in this little township was an historic machine called 'big Lizzie'.  Stu was very keen to view it & took photos.  It was used in the 1800's to clear scrub & is the most incredible looking machine of  HUGE proportions.  They do value their heritage & history here I feel, & there are all manner of machinery, carts, buildings etc from the old days  Continuing on we passed through lots of little towns, most of them looking a bit depressed with lots of closed shops.  The very worst was a town called Charlton which was one of those hit worst by the floods in January, their 3rd hit.    Most of the shops were closed & in the window of one were displayed photos of the town in flood.  It was absolutely heartbreaking to see the devastation & be actually there in person - the impact of it all was somehow much greater, & we went away feeling quite sad & depressed for them.  People we saw in the street looked that way too, hardly a smile among them.  It would have been quite a charming little place I imagine.  Had a lovely little park & a great caravan stopping place run by the local council.  The set up was two brick buildings  which were set up as ensuites (4 to each building) & parking space around the 4 sides for 4 caravans.  You had a key for your own ensuite & also power & water.  Don't know what it cost but I  imagine it wasn't too expensive.  We didn't stay as it was too soon for us unfortunately.  I almost felt like staying just to try & help the town with a little bit of revenue.  Continuing on we headed for a free parking place we found in our 'travellers bible - just a rest area really), but fine for one night.  It was just far enough off the highway not to be too noisy & looked over a lake in the distance.  We arrived there for lunch & had a very relaxing afternoon for a change, just reading in the sun (& yes, that means Stuart too)!  The highway isn't a busy one, so it was pretty quiet & we were fortunate to get a lovely sunset that evening.

Second day out, still on the flat & not much of interest.  Stuart has discovered the cruise control, so has been 'foot free' for much of the day, though he says it gets a bit boring not doing anything.  It is so long & flat he can almost be 'hands free' as well, but I didn't encourage that as you can imagine.  Our next campsite was also to be a free one, beside a reservoir about a km off the highway.  We arrived to find a big area of it  already taken up by what looked like 'squatters' with their toilet & shower tents etc.  Also had most of it roped off.  However we drove in to see what space there was for us & before we could get out of the car were met by an older couple who more or less told us that they would prefer we didn't park there as their family would be back for Easter which was why there was several caravans & tents.  We could have said they had no right to keep us out, but we weren't keen on being so near them anyway although they looked OK.  Informed us they had been there 4 weeks.  Anyway, we found another spot a reasonable distance away which wasn't too easy to get into, but thankfully Stu is so good backing the van.  It was right on the edge of the lake & was really beautiful when we arrived with the sunshine & reflections.  Gum trees do make great reflections I must say.  Also quite a lot of birdlife & although we have purchased a bird book, it's usually pretty hard to see them.  Must get binoculars.  Late in the day another caravan arrived & parked behind us blocking our exit, but asked if it was OK because they would be leaving early next morning.  We went off to explore round the edge of the lake & take photos - couldn't get right around as it was blocked by a fence about halfway.  We did however find the most beautiful rocks - like granite with lovely seams of colour.  We think it was actually a type of sandstone as we had seen some at Mungo Park which had been made into an aboriginal sculpture with carvings in it.  Would love to have some for my garden at home!
We had a good night in peace & tranquility & set off for Bendigo next morning.

Bendigo turned out to be much larger than we had anticipated.  We spent the night at the local showgrounds which was quite full of caravans & large trucks which puzzled us a bit until we realised that it was a carnival entourage getting organised for the Easter weekend.  Luckily we didn't have to park near them all though they certainly had the better sites.  However it didn't matter to us as we were only staying one night anyway.  It wasn't the quietest place but for only $20 with power, water & ablutions, who can complain.  We set off to the i-site to get all the local info, then walked round town a bit looking at the old buildings etc.  The city is quite well laid out & has some lovely parks as do most of the towns we have passed through, even the little rundown ones.  The autumn trees were looking quite nice too but everywhere we go we are told they are not as stunning as usual, possibly because the summer has been so wet.    We were quite keen to visit the tram museum but after walking there found it was closed for renovations.  We would have thought the i-site would have had some indication of that, but we have found a couple of times that this has happened.   Bendigo was a huge gold mining area, so there is a lot of history in the surrounding area.  In the afternoon Stuart decided he would like to go down an old gold mine called 'Central Deborah' mine, situated more or less in the city area.  I was not keen, being a bit claustrophobic in underground spaces, so he set off & I had a nice quiet couple of hours reading in the van - thought I would be in the sun outside, but it was a cool wind unfortunately.  The gold mine trip was most interesting according to Stu who enjoyed it thoroughly & learned quite a lot.   We are to head to Trentham today where we will park at the home of  our friend Janine, but have the day to fill in so will take an indirect route & stop at Castlemaine.  Not a very pleasant day with showers & quite cold, so we have lots of layers of clothes on.    Again there is lot's of history, - we found this HUGE antique shop which had a whole room of china plates all displayed in racks etc, plus anything you could possibly want to restore an old house.  Some was reproductions, but very, very nice.  They had books, records, old biscuit tins etc.  Really, really interesting, & just perfect to peruse on a cold, wet day.   We decided to have lunch out for a change - lovely home-made soup!  We discovered a gorgeous little cottage called 'Tea with Grace'  Tearooms - unfortunately after we had eaten lunch.   I am missing going to my freezer full of home-made food  & also missing having an oven, but I guess it's a good excuse not to cook too much.  We still take it in turns, though not on a day to day basis.  Hate to admit it, but we are enjoying  the meat here better than at home, even the lamb.  Not so the chicken or the vegies - they don't have the same flavour.  Most of the coffee at cafes is OK, but like home, you get disappointed at times.  Anyway, we left Castlemaine & finally ..... some hills again.  Unfortunately it was still pretty grey & cloudy, but we could see the Great Dividing Range in the distance shrouded in cloud.  Took a bit of a tourist route - not deliberately, but Mrs GPS must have had a sleep & took us astray.  Turned out rather nice travelling through some delightful little areas,  all old & historical & oozing charm.  Lots of autumn trees, horse studs, a few cattle, & a bit of citrus growing, including cumquats.  Finally arrived at Janine's where we realised there was no way we could get the van under the carport to park in her back section.  There was however a big grass area down the side which I believed was also hers & we found an area we could cross the culvert to go onto it.  Stu was concerned that it may not belong to her, but I was quite certain it was.  Janine was still at work in Melbourne as she had informed us & so we left the car & van still hitched till she arrived home.  To keep ourselves warm, we wandered up to explore the village, about the size of Paparoa.  It is really old with original old shops, some empty, but it is so charming.  Most of them have charming names as well, like 'Miss Marples Antiques' &  one had a giant pink pig outside standing on two hind legs which are in a pair of men's boots, & drinking a glass of beer from a straw.  So comical.  There are several very old hotels., a recently opened art gallery, a small supermarket, several craft shops etc.  It is becoming quite a little tourist stop as it's only about 1.5hrs drive from Melbourne.  Also lots of retired folk, but many houses owned by people from the city as weekenders.    Janine duly arrived home &  Stu was correct & it was NOT her land, but a phone call to her neighbour who owned it fixed that problem, as she was only too happy for us to park there right alongside her carport, which means we don't have to get wet going in & out of her house.  She has a gorgeous little place with a nice stand of gum trees next door which attract lots of kookaburras & cockatoos.  Naturally we had a lot of catching up to do, so Stu had cooked some fried rice for dinner ready for her return & we bought dessert for a change,  & ate & talked with Janine's lovely warm fire going.

13 April 2011 Kerang - Mildura, - Murray River Region, Victoria

After leaving Kerang we headed to Mildura about 350kms further along the Murray River Highway, & then the Sturt Highway which is very flat. The  first part of the journey was a bit uninteresting, but we passed  through the townships of Swan Hill & Robinvale (Stu's version is Swan Lake & Robin Hood as he can never remember names). All these little townships have so much character, charm & take a real pride in their old buildings & history.  Unfortunately they are often struggling communities, striving to survive, so quite a few of the old buildings are empty.    Of course many of them are stone or brick so do last a lot better than our timber ones.  The second half of the day we entered the amazing horticultural area with thousands & thousands of hectares of  grapes, (for both table & wines) stone fruits, citrus, nuts, olives & vegetables.  The grapes in particular looks so beautiful with their leaves just turning their autumn shades of gold & such long, long rows with red soil in between - would have loved a photo, but my chauffeur wouldn't stop.  This region grows a huge percentage of Australia's supply of these products, & has a population of around 60,000.  A slogan here tells us that   'In Mildura the sky is brighter, the earth richer, the river breathtaking (the mighty Murray) & the people generous'.  I would agree with them all from what we have witnessed.   Interestingly we met an older couple in the supermarket in Mildura who saw us buying a butternut pumpkin, & heard me exclaim how large they were.  As it happened they were local growers & informed us that they couldn/t market the smaller ones anymore, so had to sell them by the very large bag full at the gate or dump them.  All to do with too many seeds in the smaller ones & therefore viewed as not good value.  They also told us how badly the region had been affected by the recent floods - there is still a lot of water on the ground in places, as it is so flat & doesn't drain away easily on this type of soil.  Many of the grape growers couldn't even harvest their crops as the mildew etc set in & that was that.  Many of the stone fruits were affected als.  No wonder their fruit & vegies are so expensive at present.  How about bananas from Queensland @ $12.99 kilo!!!  Australia doesn't export any either, so the poor old aussies have to pay or go without.  We have had cloudless blue skies, nice sunny days, & apparently the climate is really good here - not too cold in winter, & not quite so hot in summer. Sounds a good place to be.  Have partaken of some of their delicious produce purchased at their Saturday Farmer's market.  I could have spent a fortune as everything was so yummy & fresh.  However we were strong & only bought wonderful locally grown & dried fruit for our muesli & snacks while walking, & homemade marmalade & lemon honey for Stu -  sorry, I forgot, a couple of gorgeous homemade vanilla slices for me (Stu hates custard so I didn't have to share).  Of course we had to experience the Murray River on a paddle-boat steamer, which was a lovely relaxing morning in lovely sunshine.  I took photos of the scenery while Stu took photos of the engine! There are also the super yachts of the Murray, namely their houseboats, some enormous & very luxurious.  Some people have even bought up some of the old paddleboats to use.  Our caravan park is on one side of the river (NSW) & Mildura city on the other, so each time we go out we cross from one state to the other.  We have become accustomed to that happening now, though occasionally it becomes confusing.  Thank goodness they both change from daylight saving at the same time.
 

Next day we drove 110km over a pretty rough red sandy road to the Mungo National Park.  We left the caravan at the park, which incidentally was once again on the river & very nice.  Anyway, it was quite an exciting drive just made for the Landcruiser.  We only met one vehicle the whole way, & only stopped to take a photo of a couple of emus by the side of the road.  Mungo National Park is jointly owned & managed by 3 different aboriginal tribes & the National Parks Board, together with a group of local farmers.  It is now quite famous as not long ago they discovered the remains of a man, woman & child which have been dated to over 50,000 years ago.  The man & woman have been lifted & preserved at present in a secret location till they decide where they will be housed, & the child is yet to be lifted (site also secret).  At the same time they also discovered about 400 footprints around the same area,  which have been covered by sand & only recently surfaced.  It's amazing to think that the aboriginals went back so far, & has been a very exciting find for them.  For $10 each we were taken on a walking tour for a couple of hours round the 'foreshore' of what once was Lake Mungo,  now completely dried out after years & years of drought.  The recent rains were not enough to put water in it again, but it has made it quite lush in native flora like cotton bush, ruby bush & pearl bush.  We learnt quite a lot about the culture of these people from our two aboriginal guides who are 'discovery rangers', including a little bit of 'tracking' which was fun.   It was really interesting talking to them, & one of them carried a beautifully decorated guitar with him & sang us several songs over the course of the walk.  It was also lovely to walk with a metre or two of Western grey kangaroos, who didn't seem perturbed at all.  In the afternoon we took a 'tag along' tour, where you follow the guides in their vehicle to these great sand dunes with amazing rock formations on them called 'the walls of china'.  The only way you are allowed to go on them is with the guides & it was well worth it.  There were about 30 people in the group, so about 15 or more vehicles driving in convoy down this dusty road.   Again a really interesting experience & learning curve.  It was a long day especially for Stu who had to drive the 110km back again, this time with a bit of traffic, though we left the tour early so that we wouldn't have to follow someone else's dust trail.
We did manage to have a little cycling next day, & also went out to Wentworth, where the Darling River meets the Murray.  They are the two longest rivers in Australia, in fact the Murray is the third longest river in the world.  Naturally they had both overflowed in the recent floods, so it was still pretty muddy on the river banks.  Wentworth is quite historical & has the first Australian designed gaol, a very nice brick built right next to the old Courthouse which is beautiful.  Unfortunately the town has seen better days, but it has a huge RSA club right on the river bank which is modern & flash.  We were tempted to have lunch there but resisted & saved our pennies.  Another interesting attraction was some other sand dunes called the Perry Sandhills not far from the town.  In a totally flat landscape there is suddenly these marvellous golden sandhills, & you are sure when you climb them that there will be the sea on the other side.  Just another strange Australian phenomena. 

 

08 April 2011 - Warby National Park, Murray River Region

 

 On the road again, with sore calf musles after all the cycling & then the climbing.  Think it was the latter that did the damage.  Worth every ache though!  We have now left the alpine region - a bit sad but they had a bit of snow where we had been just one day after we left.  I would have loved to have been there as I have never seen snow actually falling.  Anyway, we started to have itchy feet - other adventures call. 

First overnight camp in the Warby Ranges, & first freebee camp - at last.  I must admit I was a bit nervous as we drove along this long dirt road into the National Park as it all seemed pretty quiet.  And quiet it was.  It's a basic campsite, toilets only, no water etc, & we were the only ones there.  It really is going bush, but was lovely & peaceful surrounded mostly by gums (as usual) but looking out to a clearing of grassland.  I told Stu I thought we might see kangaroos in the early evening, & just when we were about to give up, there they were, about 6 of them, munching away on their evening feed of grass.  As we tried quietly to creep a little closer, their ears pricked up & watched us closely, with a couple bounding off.  It's really lovely to see them there in their natural habitat.  Guess we will become blase by the time we are finished.  Next morning we set off towards Echuca, the Murray River Paddle Steamer town.  Decided not to go right into it, so chose another off-road camping ground called Wakiti Creek Resort, which proved to be gorgeous.  Again it was very quiet customer wise even though it was the first weekend of school holidays here, so that was a plus as far as we were concerned.  There were a few families camping in tents, but we were the only caravan.  It was a large camp, with a small swimming pool, tennis court, volleyball court, archery, canoes etc, etc.  They even had an Indian Camp site - about 6 large wigwams which were being used by a group of families.  All this set by a creek surrounded by beautiful redgum trees & wonderful reflections.  And only cost $23 per night.  It really has character & a charm of it's own - I'm sure the trees were saying 'paint me, paint me!"  Took lots of photos of course.  Had a lovely walk in the afternoon after we had settled in which was quite lucky as it rained that night & on & off the next day & turned quite cold.   As it happened we were visiting one of my sisters the other side of Echuca, so it didn't matter.   It was actually sunny on the way to her home, & landscape was quite lovely.  Very flat, but fields of golden grasses & marvellous big clouds in a nice blue sky.  Somehow the skies seem larger here - guess it is emphasised by the flatness.  By the time we got back to camp the sun had come out & was really pretty shining through the trees & onto the water.  It's pretty muddy looking, as are most of the rivers in this area, even the mighty Murray.  Reminded me of our river in Paparoa. 

After another wet night we packed up the van in the rain & headed towards Echuca to see the sights there, hoping the rain would ease, but it only got worse.  We had intended going on a paddle steamer, but it just wasn't worth it, so we spent the day mooching around the town which is charming & interesting with it's lovely old shops,  which contain wonderful gift shops, forge, pottery, scrumptious bakery, cafes, bookshops etc.  The old port still with it's old wharf, featured in the TV series  "All the Rivers Run" which I'm sure a lot of you will have seen many years ago.  It was one of my favourite TV series ever, & they had DVD's for sale, so naturally I had to buy one.  Will be great to watch on the odd night in the van.  Can't wait!  Because it was so cold & wet, we treated ourselves to ' feesh & cheeps' at 'Fish in a Flash' which my sister had recommended.  It was as good as she had said.  By  2pm we decided we had better head off to our next camp a couple of hours away  at Kerang, further along the Murray River.   Found a cheapie, again by the river, mostly workers in onsite vans, everything pretty old but clean.  Decided to stay two nights, as there is a lot of wetlands in the area with a lot of birdlife which we wanted to check out.  Next morning we looked at a few historical sites like the old water tower which we climbed, & some other buildings, & in the afternoon  drove out to some lakes where we were going to have a few walks, but on arrival found the access was closed due to the recent floods.  However, we did get  to the wetlands which were full of thousands of ibis (3 varieties) & others unknown to me.  Will have to look up our bird book.  Not a particularly interesting area, but a really nice little town.

06 April 2011 - Porepunka - Alpine region S/E Victoria.

 

On the move to the next & final camp for cycling, which is near the township of Bright.  And bright it will be in a few more weeks, as the streets are lined for many, many kms with autumn trees, but unfortunately we are a few weeks too early.  They have an annual autumn festival which would have been great, but that's way it goes.  I was very disappointed as I would dearly have loved to capture it with my camera.  On arrival we had a good look around the town & purchased our new supplies, then round our way to the camp for lunch. This new camp is once again on a river (they have rivers everywhere here, all coming down from the mountains of course),  & we chose an unpowered site again to keep costs down, so were able to be on the river flat.  We were all supposed to get an $8 discount, but it still cost $26 for unpowered, $31 for powered.  However, the ablutions etc are good & our group are the only campers here apart from one young couple who are only staying one night so we can make as much noise as we like at our campfire gatherings.   After lunch Stu & I decided to cycle another part of the rail trail, as we had been told about a very nice berry farm which also makes their own icecream.  It was only 15km & all flat, but it was quite hot, so a 'berrylicious'  icecream parfait with layers of berries was  just the thing when we arrived.  IA great pick-me-up to get us back on the return 15km.  I had wanted some fresh berries too, but the season had finished, so we purchased 500gms of frozen mixed berries - blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, & youngberries.   Yum!  Should keep our tastebuds satisfied for quite a while.  Tonight our tour leader decided we needed a bedtime story, so read us one of the Roald Dahl tales, his version of Cinderella.  It is absolutely hilarious, & we all enjoyed it so much she has promised to read us another tomorrow night.

Day 2:
Another beautiful morning - we have been so lucky with the weather here.  It is cold first thing in the morning, - have I mentioned it was down to 1deg one morning?  We are of course right under the mountains, but the days though are brilliant.  The 'gun' riders are off to prove themselves again today by riding up Mt Buffalo, which is even harder than the 110km one they previously did though not so long.  It's just a long slow grind up & up.  A number of us have opted to drive up & do some of the wonderful mountain walks up there.  The riders left camp at about 8am, & we sensible people left at about 9.30am.  About halfway up we caught up with them, but poor things were miserable, as they had road works & they had been held up for 20mins.  Some of the cars had been waiting 40mins.  When you are cycling hard uphills it is the worst thing to have to stop as it's very hard to get started again, especially when your muscles have totally cooled down.  Luckily for us we came at the tail end, so only waited about 10mins.  So we continued up the mountain & hoped they made it.  I have to say the scenery was amazing - fantastic views of fertile valleys way, way below, more of the white, skeletal gums which have been razed by fires long ago, & the most amazing rock formations I have ever seen.  We stopped for a short walk before the top to a lovely little waterfall, but again it was the rock formations & colours of the rocks which we loved.  The water was crystal clear & it must be totally mindblowing in winter when the snow melts & the water crashes down them. Quite frightening too I imagine.  After that we drove right to the top of Mt Buffalo itself  which has a large rock formation called 'The Horn'.  On the way up the rocks were unbelievable.  There is one called 'Torpedo Rock', a huge oval shaped specimen just balancing on almost nothing & it is huge.  Around every corner we got more & more excited.  On arrival at 'The Horn' the views are just spectacular even before you climb up a steep rocky staircase to the lookout tower.  This is all granite rock - so quite gritty & not slippery.  Once up the lookout it makes you almost speechless.  We could see the whole mountain range, from Mt Kosciuszko (in NSW) , Mt Bogong (highest mountain in Vict), Mt Beauty, & others I can not name, & we were on top of Mt Buffalo.  It wasn't the clearest view ever although very hot & sunny, but still spectacular.  We took SO many photos between us.  There were a  couple of abseilers just packing up their gear as we got to the top - disappointed to have missed that.  Had lunch in the little picnic area, then headed down the mountain again, past the giant's playground, a huge area of small boulders everywhere on a flat plain, & headed to our next walk.  We intended to walk the Cathedral walk, but when we got to the rocks of that name, discovered it was only for climbers - would see why, - so we continued on to one called 'The Hump'.  Very steep, more a climb than a walk, & the end bit we had to climb up big rocks (Stu had to haul me up a few as my short legs couldn't even reach the first foothold).  There was this tiny lookout right on top of this HUGE pile of rocks all balancing on each other.  Even Stu felt precarious he said, but funnily enough none of the heights have affected me as they have such good strong rails around them.  I think it's because I can't take my eyes of the views & don't worry about the height.  Well we're starting to feel a bit tired by this time, but one more to go.  After another drive further back down the mountain, our next destination was to the old 'Chalet' built in the 1800's for tourists.  A beautiful old building which was abandoned for some time as Mt Buffalo is not really a good ski area.  However, I think it is now used for tourists who walk, climb etc.  The area around is gobsmacking.  (I'm running out of adjectives).  There are about 6 lookouts, & it's absolutely incredible, the views way, way  down to the lush valleys below & the distant mountains, & sheer, sheer rock faces.  If you have ever been to the Blue Mountains it is similar, but I think more breathtaking.  We did our last little walk down to a waterfall which fell down 100's & 100's of mtrs down a sheer cliff, formed over a period of 3 million years.  Our last lookout was at Prophet rock & to climb up to this tiny little lookout (held 2 only), you had to bend down & climb under a monstrous balancing rock, then squeeze through a little narrow bit, where you look straight down that amazing sheer cliff.  Totally awe inspiring.  By that time our legs were saying take me home, so back to camp after a wonderful experience.  Our cyclists had made it home only about 1/2 hr before us, so everyone was very tired that night, but we still gathered round the campfire as we & a few others were leaving next morning.  We had another Roald Dahl bedtime story, this time 'The Three Little Pigs' another hilarious version.  Must try & find the book somewhere.

01 April 2011 - Towanga - Alpine area south east Victoria

 

Day 1:
32km ride to Mangans Bridge, fairly easy ride this morning, then back for lunch.  In the afternoon Stu & I drove to the little village of Mt Beauty, named after one of the lovely mountains in the area.  It's a gorgeous little town, so tidy & picturesque.  Do wish their autumn trees would change quicker as it would be spectacular then.  The population is about 3000 but it's really only a village much the size of Waipu with a supermarket & most other services needed.  Also a little hospital at the end of the main street (no excuse for not visiting a sick relative).  It was very busy this weekend as there has been a big mountain biking competition on so lots of broken bones etc.  We were tempted by the excellent ice-cream shop there which proved to be a good choice.  There is also a great outdoors shop so Stu bought us a good little thermos flask which will fit in our bike water carrier, plus some lovely little s/s mugs which are very light, to carry in the backpack.  He makes a good little 'burro'!  Late afternoon nibbles & that red stuff he likes is a regular, then our lovely after dinner session around the fire where we swop stories of one kind or other,  & get our programme for the next day.  Ruth is a great organiser having done it many times before.

Day 2:
This morning is supposed to be a 'rest day', but most people did some cycling.  Stu & I plus our friends Lyn & Kevin, decided to ride into Mt Beauty for lunch at the bakery/cafe there.  GREAT vanilla slices & coffee!  Most of the rest of the group went out for a banquet lunch at an italian place not far from here, but we four opted out.  We cycled back via the little local airfield where there were about 4 gliders in action, coming & going, taking paying customers up.  Lynne & Kevin had done it years ago some other location in Oz, & although Lynne was terrified, they both thought it was fantastic.  I don't think I could even sit in the seat & have the lid shut down on me & they only take the pilot plus one passenger, so without Stu to hold my hand it's a NO GO.  I'm slowly getting fitter, but also discovering it's a good idea to have a 'lay day'.  Works wonders.

Day 3:
Lots of long rides planned now, so today Stu & I decided to do some walks in the area.  Headed off in the car to some recommended, Stu with map in hand.  The first one was terribly overgrown with long grass etc which I didn't feel comfortable in at all, so was quite happy when we discovered that it had been washed out about halfway, so we turned back after precariously crossing a creek looking for the other end of the track.  Thought we'd stop & have our lunch on a nice log which was not ON the ground but actually above it.  Not a good idea.  Within seconds we noticed a bull ant nest in front of us, & the next thing I had been bitten 3 times up under the leg of my 3/4 pants.  Naturally we shifted, walked further back & found a picnic table which we sat right up on in case of other 'critters'.  Once back to the starting point we thought we would try another track, but first found a little 500m deviation round the creek which was quite lovely with ferns etc, & we thought we were back home.  We finally found a nice big wide track, followed that for about an hour, then started our return home.  Since I saw the snake some weeks ago, I have been 'allowing' Stu to take the lead, but halfway back I suddenly saw a black snake lying across the track & had to stop him before he walked on it!  It wasn't in a hurry to move from it's sunbathing, so I shuffled my feet & it slowly slithered to the side of the track into the grass, not before I took a photo of it.  There really shouldn't be many around now as it's getting too cold, but I guess these lovely sunny days are keeping them out & about.  My eyes are like mine-sweepers as I walk, but all in all as long as it's a nice wide track I am OK.

Day 4:
The experienced riders are attempting 110km ride today - naturally we are not including ourselves, but neither are some others.  There is talk of a big downhill ride tomorrow from the top of the ski slopes so I decided if I am to do it I wanted to see firsthand what it would be like.  So Stu & I decided to drive up.  A lovely drive up a very winding, steep road, all sealed but although two lanes, not especially wide.  Nice warmish day for it.  Took  about 40 minutes to drive up, & it was cooling off rapidly by the time we came down.  It looked  a bit scary so I kept putting off the decision to put my name down, as we would be getting the 'bus-a-bike'
again to take us to the top & naturally it had to be booked.  That night I had nightmares about my brakes failing & so my first question on waking was 'what would I do?  It's either go over the very long drop on one side, or crash into the banks on the other!  Stu was very reassuring, advising me that my bike was brand new & the brakes would not fail, & anyway, I may as well worry about a wheel falling off!  As you can imagine that helped HEAPS.  He of course is very keen to do it.   Anyway it was a lovely way to spend the afternoon,   Wonderful views of the valley below & the misty mountains all around.  And by the way, the 4 who attempted the 110km very steep ride achieved their goal.

Day 5:
Well the day for the big downhill run has dawned.  I still had nightmares last night, but have decided I am committed now so will have to go through with it.  I am nervous, but am sure I will be fine once I get started.  It's very cold this morning but my dear friends have made sure I have the appropriate clothing like gloves & thermal as going so fast downhill will create quite a chill factor.  We left at 9.30 for the 45min drive up again & we all had to have a caffeine fix when we got there.  I have to say it didn't fix me at all as it was the worst coffee I have ever had in my life & cost $5 - no competition on top of the mountain!  It was just like warm milk, in fact there might have been a bit of water as well, but DEFINITELY NO COFFEE.  Then the moment of truth arrived - time to take the plunge downhill.  There were 9 of us & I said I would go last, but Stu protectivly went behind me.  It was a bit hairy at first as the top is the steepest & therefore the fastest, but I used my brakes a fair bit till I got my courage up a bit.  The thing is that you have to be careful not to use them too much or they start to burn, so I was very conscious of that too.  Anyway, after a short time I got into the rhythm of going round the bends (not too fast) & before I knew it I was passing a couple of the other ladies who have been cycling for years.  We had about three uphills, one quite steep which I didn't think I would make, but I did, so I am definitely improving.  We had stops now & then to make sure everyone was OK & made it down to the bottom in about 90 minutes all safe & sound, no scrapes, NO failed brakes, & no puntures.  I must say it was really exhilarating with the wind whizzing past & a great feeling to have done it.  Great grandmothers can do ALMOST anything!  We had a lovely packed lunch  in the park at Mt Beauty in the sun, then had to cycle another 8 km back to the caravan park.  A good day had by all.  The day ended as usual around the campfire, swapping stories, some quite hilarious.

29 March 2011 - Myrtleford Alpine Area, north east Victoria

Day 1.- Myrtleford area.

Up at 7.30am, breakfast outside, a little cool but OK.  First ride today & although they SAY it's not hard, it may well be for me.  Suggestions have been made that Stu & I drive halfway, then cycle to Lake Buffalo to meet them all for lunch, then cycle back to the halfway mark & take the car again.  However, you know Stu.  He at least was positive 'we' could do the we could do the whole thing.  So off we went, mostly flat to start, on the road which is quietish except for the odd logging truck which luckily was going the other way.  It is the usual thing for the group to wait for the stragglers now & then, so we didn't feel bad from that aspect, & in fact were not always last.  Then came the hills.  Stuart of course had no trouble, & though I can't say it was easy, I made it up them all.  Am learning to use my gears better all the time which is a great help.  Finally made Lake Buffalo for lunch - what a relief!  Then of course I worried about how I was going to do it all again to get back.  Anyway, I got some nice shots of the lake & the wonderful reflections.  Stu cycled round it a little further to get a good shot of the surrounding hills as well.  Then inevitably we had to set off on the return journey again.  Stu reckons I got my second wind, as I seemed to be better going back - probably feeling a bit more confident.  It was a little easier I must admit, till we got to the very last hill & it beat me.  However I am very proud of myself - 47 kms is a fair old stint for a GREAT grandmother who has had little cycling experience.  Expecting some sore muscles tomorrow.  Dinner in the great outdoors back at the camp, then a nice brazier camp fire in the dark.  The stars are amazing here, seem so much closer somehow.  It is very dark which helps.  Instructions for the next days ride are always given at this point before we all drop into bed.  Tomorrow is another 43kms but most of us at  are being taken by van & trailer to the top of the rail trail at Beechworth & will ride down, while a small group of hardy types will ride UP the trail & then down the road (really scary as it is so fast & no room on the sides in places).  Stay tuned in for Day 2.

Day 2.- Myrtleford area

Very surprised to wake with NO sore muscles - except for the slightly sore rear end.  This is considered an easy day, so when we arrive at Beechworth it's coffee time.  LOVELY coffee at footpath tables - delightful little shop (very tiny) with gorgeous old chairs of all descriptions.  There is a big bakery opposite which many patronise regularly on their rides here but we were very strong.  Anyway off we set off,  lovely downhill runs, so exhilarating.  Their railtrail is all sealed, so it's a breeze really.  The scenery doesn't change a great deal, but it is very green after all their rain, most unusual at this time of the year.  Again the worst hills seem to come at the end when you are tired, & we had been warned by the others that this was the case.  We stopped a couple of times to take photos so got a bit behind the group, & I was feeling a bit tired towards the end & commented to Stuart that I was finding it very hard pedalling considering we were on the flat & how was I going to manage this big climb called Taylor's Gap when I came to it.  Was almost delighted at his reply, 'Actually you are already climbing it'.  I was almost ready to give up as we got higher & higher, then  saw all the orange shirts ahead round one last bend so of course had to keep going as if it was no problem at all.  The really great thing was that in another km or two, we were to stop at a little local winery for lunch!  Lovely platters of cheeses, pickles, olives, cold cuts, etc, & a glass or two of very nice wine as it was only 8 kms back to camp.  Beautiful setting with the blue hills in the background, & great company too. 

Day 3 - Myrtleford area

We have chosen to take an easier ride this morning, as the experienced folk are doing a really strenuous one.  So we are doing another section of the rail trail.  It proves to be really flat & pretty boring though we did find a lot of apple trees along the way, so Stu filled his backpack.  This area used to be a big tobacco growing region, till the government pulled the plug on their subsidies some years back.  It all looks pretty sad now & all the  old drying sheds neglected.  There is still big hop growing  though, which looked quite interesting.  We were puzzled at what the vines were growing up big poles a bit like kiwifruit, till we came to the sign giving us some information.  We cycled to an old railway station where we had our morning munchies (for energy), & luckily while we were there a very big group of high school students on cycles arrived from the way we were to return, which meant we had a clear run again.  Stopped at a little collectables/book shop where Stu bought a book to read ???  Arrived back for a late lunch after 30kms, & the others arrived back about an hour afterwards.  My rear end is even sorer now but I guess it will be getting 'hardened' (is that the term?)  Stu  of course wasn't content with a 30km ride, so was keen to do a walk close by up to a lookout.  It wasn't a short, easy stroll as it turned out, & even he started to flag.  It was a nice walk/climb nevertheless & a nice view at the top, although we discovered a carpark at the top, so we could have driven to the top & got the same view.  Most of the group went out for dinner at a local place, but we chose to do our own thing, so no campfire tonight.  Tomorrow we shift camp to a nearby region for more rides.

Day 4.- Myrtleford - Towanga

Everyone packed up, most of us heading to supermarket to stock up for the next 5 days, some to get vehicles checked due to small problems, others back to the winery for lunch.  We were in the first lot, plus I needed BADLY to get a haircut & was lucky enough to find a hairdresser who could do it there & then.  As there were 5 of them in this little town it was a fair bet.  I now feel presentable again, though cycling helmets do nothing for your hair when you wear them day in & day out.  Anyway, nice drive (45 mins) through lovely hills & valleys to our new camp.  What a debacle it turned out to be.  Our organiser had booked the group in but the guy manning the office reckoned she had only booked 2 sites.  He couldn't work the computer & was in a real tizz because he said he would have to go & mow some unpowered sites for us.  His wife normally did the office thing, so he became rather irritable & the whole thing became quite chaotic with no-one knowing where exactly where we were supposed to camp.  It's a huge camp with lots of empty space plus powered sites, cabins etc, & certainly not busy, so it should not have been a problem.  However we all plonked ourselves down in the area we THOUGHT he wanted us to go to, & had lunch & time to calm ourselves down.  The group have been here before but these are new owners or managers, so they were a bit disappointed to find it so different.  Anyway, it is a nice camp right beside a river & we probably could have had a powered site beside that, but we opted to stay with the group on unpowered sites - quite a lot cheaper anyway.  It also looks out on the highest mountain in Victoria (Mt  Bogong) which is a ski area in winter, so obviously gets very  cold.  Luckily for us the days have been lovely.  Have just had a lovely roast chicken dinner, camping style.  Rotisseried chicken from supermarket, vegetables done in the frypan, packet gravy & frozen peas, followed by homemade apple crumble which I made last night & shared with four others.  All good tucker.  So no cycling today, so hope tomorrow when we go out again my rear end will have recovered a bit.  We really are having a lovely time & hope to do some nice walks in the next couple of days while the others do some really long cycles.  We are here for 5 days so it should work in OK.

Day 2 Towanga