Traralgon - Latrobe Valley Victoria

Having spent a delightful 2 weeks at Bairnsdale, we headed for Traralgon in the Latrobe Valley. It wasn't on our original list of stops, however Dave the bikie we met at Eden came from here, and according to him it was a pretty cool place with lots to see and do. We took him at his word and were quite relieved that we just didn't find the largest Harley Davidson shop in the world!

It wasn't a long drive, but again it was very nice. This is dairy country, and we have never seen such huge herds . Cousin Lindsay at Gloucester milks around 120 cows. Here some of the herds exceed 1000 and they even milk 3 times a day, in some cases. I played golf with a dairy farmer from Cann River, who only milks around 400 cows, and he was a wealth of information.
We drove through the town of Stratford on the river Avon, and talk about milking it. These folks were really driving the Shakespeare theme! But alas poor Yorrick, we had no time to dally, as we were headed for Traralgon. We did make a mandatory stop for morning tea though, but at Rosedale at the Rosedale Tea Rooms. Absolutely beautiful home made goodies from a lovely old fashioned  lady who proudly advised that she made everything herself, and then blushed bright red when I said "God, I wish I'd met you 30 years ago!"

Farms & Power Stations in Latrobe Valley

This photo sums up the Latrobe Valley. It is the power centre of Victoria. Huge deposits of local brown coal, drive a number of power stations situated in the valley. This one is Low Yang Power Station. It is the largest of them all, and it is right beside the open cut coal mine. There is no attempt to hide it. You drive right through the middle of it, and there are picnic spots and photo opportunities a plenty.

Our caravan park at Traralgon is the Park Lane Tourist Park. It is quite a drive from town, but so are all the other parks. It is quite new, and all the way around the perimeter fence are new cabins, painted in fantastic bright colours. Our site is a good large, flat one, and with school holidays ending tomorrow, there is a mass exit, and we have lots of peace and quiet.

Around the valley are some glorious drives through an area that produces wonderful produce, and given that it is only 2 hours from Melbourne, there are lots of cafes, craft shops, boutiques and B & B's, in all the little towns and villages that abound. Very close by are the equally large business centres of  Moe and Morwell, and in between are lots of little towns with names like Mirboo, Barkoo and Walhalla.

At the Visitor's Centre we asked what are the must do's. We only have 4 days and want to make the most of it. Without hesitation he responded, Walhalla, Grand Ridge Drive and the Tarra Bulga National Park, all within 45 minutes drive. We did the lot, and were quite amazed at what we found.

 

Tree ferns along Grand Ridge Drive

First up we did the National Park and the Grand Ridge Drive. We had never heard if this drive, so were shocked that it is rated among the top 10 drives in the world, according to the brochure. It is mostly dirt road, and is about 140kms in length. We started at Carrajung, and drove up through the National Park. The scenery is beautiful with lots of rivers and creeks, lots of tall timbers and rainforest. There are many stops to look at small waterfalls, as we have had a lot of rain and everything is flowing and fresh. You never know where the next ooh! or aah! will be. You just know it will be soon! We have never seen tree ferns as prolific as they are on this drive. They go up and down, away from the roadway as far as you can see.

Bushfire devastaion

Along the way, we see extensive evidence of logging, as much of the area, outside the National Park of course, is plantation pine and hard wood. We see evidence of those devastating bush fires of 2009. Some of the species don't revegetate, and just stay as stark reminders, until they rot and fall over, and there were a lot of those that had been recently removed from the road.

Progress along the road is slow due to the constant twists and turns and getting lost, or should I say exploring unchartered territory, on one occasion. The detour was very scenic, but very long, and it did mean we missed a planned lunch stop, which was proving very unpopular for the driver, until he found the Chocolatier and Cafe in Mirboo North, where the anger melted into the gateau, cream and steaming latte.

Our next journey was to Walhalla. It is a gorgeous little gold mining town, in them thar hills, that has been beautifully restored, complete with the Walhalla Mountain Railway. Apparently it was Victoria's richest gold mine from the 1860's until the early 1900's, and produced a lot of gold. 



Town Centre Walhalla



Has Dad been holding out on us?

We walked the streets on a picture perfect day, looking at all the beatifully restored buildings, and some not so beautiful dumps.

I have launched a full scale investigation into this property, to determine my share of the Zillions that went out of this valley. I am devastated to learn that it was a haberdashery shop, and that the stock was repossessed in 1903. Bugger!!!!!

April's first Train Ride.

Walhalla Mountain Railway

We headed on down to the train station. I asked for 2 seniors and a dog, and was pleasantly surprised that the dog travelled free! The guard has his own dog on board, and told me that if any of the passngers  complained about the dog, "tell 'em to find another seat!" So April had her first ever train trip. The railway is manned by, and was built by volunteers, and is the second most popular small gauge (2ft 6") railway in Australia. It travels from Walhalla to Thomson River and return. It takes about an hour, and if you are ever in the area, it is a must.



Wildfish Restaurant at Port Albert

The April celebrations continued on the 28th, with Carolyn's birthday. Carol is now 49 and 156 months. We all know that story! She still loves a party, and dinner out is always the centre piece. This year when I asked her if she had anywhere special in mind, she advised me that one of Victoria's best seafood restaurants, WildFish, was at Port Albert, a little over an hour away, so off we headed for the coast. Port Albert is tiny. It is amazing to think that this restaurant can survive in such an isolated outpost, but thank god it does. It was wonderful. Sumac Crusted Calamari for her, Steamed Mussels in lemongrass, ginger and chilli for him, followed by Gremolata Coated Flounder with Roasted Tomatoes and Cajun Potato Skins for her, and Home Made Fettucini Marinara for him. Dessert no problem. We shared Strawberries Romanoff in a Meringue. The staff were fantastic. Recommended a couple of terrific local wines for us to try, and overall ensured we had a wonderful night. First class and a big tick from us!!



Our last night in Traralgon was the royal wedding. For Carol this is a huge event, so we decided to get into the spirit as Caravanning Royalty. John becomes Sir John, Duke of Brentwood KCC (Knight Commander of Caravans), whilst Carol becomes The Duchess of Brentwood OA (Order of the Annexe 1st Class). Cucumber sandwiches were served with tea, followed by a sumptious feast of Fish 'n Chips. Vows were renegotiated, much cheering and waving occurred, and with a stolen kiss on the caravan steps, we retired ro prepare for our not so secret next destination, Frankston on the Mornington Peninsula, on the outskirts of Melbourne Town.

This region will definitely be on our list for some serious time in the future.