Forster Through Until Xmas

Bushfire around Wallis Lake Forster.

Our last few days at Forster were fine and warm, in fact quite hot. The southern sky filled with smoke, and the air was pierced by sirens, as we were given a stark reminder that the dreaded bushfire season was near. It wasn't threatening the town, but burning in rugged bushland on the far side of the lake, and as the sun started to set, it made a spectacular site. Thankfully, it was under control in a couple of days.

Harrington from the Lookout.

We took a drive north up to the holiday villages of Harrington and Crowdy Head. The last time I had been here was 1969 when as a pimply faced teenager I came with schoolmates in a clapped out Morris Minor that constantly over heated. We camped on the beach at Crowdy Head and surfed, and lived on hamburgers, fresh prawns off the trawlers and beer! There was a caravan park a few old shacks, a general store and take away shop, and a pub right on the water. Boy has it changed!! Now there is a marina at Crowdy Head and lots of expensive homes, and Harrington has a waterways housing estate, a shopping mall and a championship golf course. Progress?? The pub is still there, albeit swamped by development, and the caravan park is still in the same location. It was a nice nostalgic day. We also drove out to Halliday's Point, another popular holiday spot, that has undergone some significant development.

One evening at Happy Hour, a new neighbour dropped by for a chat. His name was Stan Christie, and he introduced himself as a Philosopher and Poet who was 78 years young. I thought, "here we go, I'm about to be conscripted into some obscure religious order", but thankfully I was wrong. What an interesting bloke. He entertained us for quite a while with his adventures around Australia and overseas. He still back packs, and has seen much of South & North America, Asia, Africa and Europe, as well as almost everywhere in Australia. He had some wonderful enlarged photographs, from around the world. He has published a book of poetry and inspiration, a calendar and photographs, and there is no doubt that if more people followed his philosophies on life, the world would be a better place. A quote from his book:

A SMILE.

A smile costs nothing,
It enriches who receives,
When given, only takes a moment,
But, the memory can sometimes last forever.

A smile creates happiness,
It brings rest to the weary,
Cheer to the discouraged,
Sunshine to the sad,
So give someone a smile,
It's easy.

Yes, our time talking to Stan passed very quickly, and was most entertaining. He pottered off in his battered old caravan the next day, in search of his next adventure.

Tallwoods Golf Resort.

On the tee at the 14th.

For our last day in Forster, we decided on a game of golf at the nearby Tallwoods Golf Resort. It is a lovely layout in a housing estate development near Halliday's Point. It started probably 20 year ago in boom times when Real Estate Agents could sell anything for crazy prices, but has managed to survive, even though the estate appears still less than half sold. The golf course is good, set among the valleys and hills of the estate. We had a lovely round of golf. We almost had the course to ourselves, which is a leisurely way to play. There was lots of bird life, especially parrots and kookaburras.

Happy Birthday to You!

Bobby, Cheryl and Carolyn.

Leaving Forster we headed back to Camden, to surprise our dear friend Cheryl, who was about to join the 60 brigade. A surprise party had been planned and we wouldn't have missed it for the world. It was a fantastic night, held at Enzo's Italian Restaurant at Camden. There was plenty of good food and wine, being shared by Cheryl and her family and friends. Those Radford's sure know how to put on a good party! Friend Vicki had done a beautiful birthday cake, that tasted even better than its amazing looks. The big night got bigger, with after drinks back at Cheryl's place, and it was a pretty late night for us 60 pluses!!

John's new BBQ Apron.

The rest of the week was a round of hectic activities, that included moving all our personal effects out of Mum's garage and into a storage unit we will share with my brother Neil. What a day! We were exhausted by the time we got home. There was an ill fated golf game back at my home course at Moore Park. We left Camden at 7.00am to meet my 8.45am tee time, but arrived at 9.15am and caught up with my group at the third green!! God we don't miss Sydney traffic!! No, my score was nothing to write home about! After Golf Carolyn picked me up and we headed to the dentist for another dose of pain! Still we did manage to catch up with Nancy & Keith. While I was being punished, Carolyn & Nancy did lunch at the Wentworth Hotel. As always, it is great to catch up with mum. We had a nice lunch at Oatley and caught up on all the family news.

Fred with a couple of good Morwong!

The Double/Double Hook up!

From Camden it was across to our other "home", Shellharbour. As you all know, it is one of our favourites, right on the waterfront. We get to catch up with Bev & Fred. This year we are having Christmas Lunch with Bev & Fred and their daughter Katrina and her fiance Malek. We are really looking forward to it. In the lead up to Christmas we have managed to finish our shopping, as well as fit in a round of social engagements, that sets a punishing pace! Fred & I have managed to get in a spot of fishing, and the good news is we haven't lost our touch. In fact, we may have found the secret to successful fishing, as on our last trip we managed a double, double hook up, whilst eating our lunch, and no hands on the rods!! That's right, whilst we ate our sandwich and downed a cold beverage, the bloody fish caught themselves! Whilst we fish, the girls Bingo at the club, and this week with some success. Tuesday Bev won two games and Wednesday Carolyn won her first ever game, which she quickly followed with another win. The purses are full of Shopping Vouchers. Well done girls!! We have been having some lovely evenings both at Bev & Fred's and down here at the caravan park, where Xmas preparations are well under way. The Xmas lights are increasing every night, and you can feel the fun in the air.

On Friday, we did the pensioner thing and caught the train (no more bloody traffic!) from nearby Oak Flats, up to Sydney, to have a Xmas lunch with Nancy & Keith at City Tattersalls Club. The $2.50 fare almost makes it worthwhile being 60+! It is a lovely train trip up along the coast and through the National Park. The hour and 45 minutes flew by. Lunch was great, and it was a really nice catch up and we even had time to see the big city shop decorations and the Xmas Tree in Queen Victoria Building.

The only not so fun at the moment, is John's sister Jenny, who has just spent a week in hospital suffering horrendous migraine headaches. She has been given the all clear on anything major causing them, but it has been a bad time for her. She is home now, and knowing Jen, that will probably hasten the recovery. We hope so.

Stormy Shellharbour.

It is Christmas Eve in Shellharbour. As I write I look across an angry sea towards the harbour. People are running in all directions as the sky is full of lightning and thunder is rolling across the clouds. The heavens have opened, and we are in the midst of a terrific summer storm. We are tucked up under our awning watching the scene, with a glass of Moet in hand, and thoughts of all our family and friends both here and departed. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a hope that the next year will bring you all that you wish for. The journey has now started year three, and we will enjoy bringing you new adventures in 2013.

Merry Christmas to All from Carolyn & John.

Forster - Tuncurry

The bridge at Forster Tuncurry.

For those who've never been there, Forster - Tuncurry is a lovely seaside area, situated where the Wallis Lake meets the sea, only 4 hours north of Sydney. Forster is on the southern side, and Tuncurry the north, and they are linked by a long bridge that traverses the wide lake entrance. It is on the Lakes Way, a tourist drive that leaves the Pacific Hwy south of Taree, and rejoins it just north of Buladelah. There are a number of other lovely beach side places along the way, but Forster - Tuncurry is the main commercial and residential area.

Forster Beach Holiday Park.

The last time we holidayed at Forster was almost 30 years ago, when we were young and in love. We decided to see what it would be like now we are older, and still in love! Not a lot has changed. The beach is still the beach and the lake is still the lake. Town is now a one way street that has been well landscaped, and it has a nice cosmopolitan feel with lots of cafes and a good selection of shops. Like most of coastal Australia it has grown and spread. There is a high proportion of "retirees" , which is to be expected given the easy access to Newcastle and Sydney. There is no shortage of things to do. You can fish crab and prawn in the lake river or sea. There are three excellent golf courses to choose from, and countless beaches to swim at. It is flat and easy to walk and cycle around.

Carolyn with Diane and Peter.

We are at the Forster Beach Holiday Park, which is two minutes walk to the break wall and marina at the lake entrance, two minutes walk to the surf beach, and two minutes walk to the centre of town. Yes, it is a wonderful location, and the perfect place to relax. The park is older in style, but very clean and well maintained. It contains a lot of permanent holiday homes, and it is obvious that many of the caravans have been plonked for a good while. The coveted sites along the break wall side, are rarely available, other than for a day or two between long term bookings that go from year to year. The sites vary in size and elevation. The manager is very laid back, and because it wasn't overly busy, we had a choice, which was narrowed down due to our size. We eventually found a spot in the middle of the park on Bonito Ave (all the streets are named after fish!). Our neighbours, Diane and Peter, have been coming here for more than 30 years, so know everyone. We've struck up a nice friendship, and have had some great happy hours!

Tartt Cafe is good!

Since arriving, we have had a mixed bag of weather. Early on it was cool wet and windy, but over the last ten days it has been finally acting like summer. As usual, we have sussed out the coffee scene. Each morning, we set off for our walk, and there are lots of choices. We can head out along the break wall and across the beach to Beach Bums Cafe at the surf beach, where the coffee is pretty good, or we can walk across the bridge to Tuncurry and back and then choose from a host of options along the main street. Our favourites are Tartt, at the bridge end, and Grind Coffee at the opposite end, which wins our overall award for best coffee, and the fruit muffins are excellent! Tartt also does great pizza on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, which we can vouch for, as we whiled away a wet Friday night there early in our stay.

Typical Coastal Scene, Tuncurry.

Forster is not far from Gloucester, and John's cousin's dairy farm. We called Lindsay & Myrelle, and drove across for one weekend. I never get sick of driving out to the farm through the beautiful country framed by the Barrington Tops. I've always loved coming here, and always will! It is all about life's simple pleasures for us. Helping around the dairy, driving around the farm, dropping in on neighbours. This time Lindsay took me out to a farm sale on the Saturday. It was a full scale farm auction where they were selling everything on the farm from buckets of bolts to horse blankets to farm equipment and machinery, and even the farm!  There was a sausage sizzle in full swing, and at 10.00am the auctioneer started selling off the hundreds of lots. It was frantic with a couple of hundred people in attendance, looking for a bargain. I met a couple of new relations. I met John Relf, who is the current owner of the Rookhurst property that mum will fondly remember. We had a great old yarn trying to put branches on the family tree! We finally left around 1.30pm, loaded up with buckets of bolts and rabbit traps! There was still a lot of stuff to sell. That night the whole family came out to the farm for dinner. Margo and Adam with Alby and Ellie, and Michael & Wendy with Andrew and Samantha. We had a lovely time, sitting around the table just making family talk.

A little rain can't stop Happy Hour!

Back around Forster, we continued our lazy life. John headed out to the golf driving range to get the rust and cobwebs off his golf clubs, and Carolyn hit the shops. A small group from the Cronulla Caravan Club arrived one wet afternoon, and we laughed as they set up in the rain, and then set about Happy Hour. The circle became ever smaller as the rain intensified, but nothing was going to stop them, huddled under an awning, surrounded by umbrellas! 

Dave the Prawn Man.

A regular attraction around the Caravan Park is Dave the Prawn Man. He drives through the park in his little Noddy Car tooting the horn and yelling out "Fresh Prawns". He has medium king prawns at $20.00 per kg and they are delicious. He stops for a chat, and it is a great way to learn about the area.

Diane & Carolyn on the boat.

I mentioned our neighbours Diane & Peter. We've struck up a nice friendship. They currently live out at Narrabri in their new Retreat Caravan, where Peter works in a Coal Mine doing a 3 day weekend shift. They hail from Cessnock, where they have a home and their kids and grand kids live. They have been coming to this park for well over 30 years for holidays, and will eventually settle down here when they retire. We've really enjoyed their company, and have had quite a few  beers and wines, cups of tea and coffee, and walked across the bridge to the Thai Restaurant for dinner one night. I was doing well until Peter suggested a nightcap. Out came a rather large jar of port, which was excellent. I've been watching the tide go out in that jar ever since! 

Zooming across the Lake.

Back from the Lake trip.

They have a lovely Steber boat, and were kind enough to take us out on the lake to check their crab pots and generally have a look around the lake. It was a very still, late afternoon, and the water was like glass. It was a real treat for us. The whole place looks so much different, looking back from the water. Unfortunately, the crabs didn't cooperate on this trip!

As I write, they are very reluctantly packing up to head back to Narrabri. We will really miss their bright company. Our farewell dinner last night was a beauty. Weber BBQ'd Greek lamb, followed by Vanilla Slice, all washed down with some excellent wines, and punctuated with some lively conversation. The clock was past midnight when we finally turned out the light! 

There are pelicans everywhere.

Last weekend, we again caught up with Lindsay & Myrelle, this time at their Laurieton holiday house. We drove up from Forster, only about 45 minutes, and stayed two nights. Daughter Margo and hubby Adam came as well, with little Alby and Ellie. We had another great weekend at the beach and being lazy. The water was cold, until you got acclimatised, but on a hot day was beautiful. Little Alby loves the water, and even Carolyn got wet, well up to the waist! Lindsay always has something to do! We caught up with their friends Al and Cath, who were moving into their new home that weekend. Al is a local builder, and the house is spectacular, opposite the river in North Haven. For us caravan dwellers it seemed huge! Saturday night they joined us for a BBQ at Lindsay & Myrelle's, which was a relaxed and really enjoyable family evening, sitting out on the front veranda soaking up the warm balmy breeze.

Main Beach at Forster.

The rest of our stay will no doubt be more of the same. Probably include some fishing and some golf. If the weather can continue hot and sunny, as it has been for the last few days, we should be able to handle the pressure. December is now upon us. We will soon be on our way to Shellharbour and Christmas festivities with friends and family. The second anniversary of the start of our Big Caravan Adventure is only a week away. Where has that time gone!!!

Friends

Off for a day's fishing.

From the green hills of Tumbarumba, we headed back up the Hume Hwy, to rendezvous with our friends Bev & Fred at Shellharbour. It is a true reflection of the wonderful life we are enjoying, when we can wake up one day in the shadow of the Snowy Mountains, and the next day be sitting in Fred's boat, a few kilometers off the coast at Shellharbour, fishing the day away! No thanks, we aren't swapping lifestyles with anyone!

We were grateful that on our first morning, the weather gods gave us a good day for fishing. Fred and I headed off shore and enjoyed a terrific day, bringing home sixteen lovely flathead. The rest of our stay didn't prove so lucky as regards the weather. We only managed one more day, and even that was pretty uncomfortable, with showers and a big swell, but we did manage to add another five flathead to the freezer. 

Apart from the fishing, we did get an excellent show from the wildlife. It is that time when the whales are heading back south, and the bay at Shellharbour is a great place for mothers and their calves to break the journey. We were fortunate enough to get a spectacular show up close, with a mother and calf breaching and rolling and flapping fins and tails only 100 metres away. In addition to the whales we also had a seal for company for a while, a penguin swam by, quite close to the boat, and our old friend the pelican landed beside us waiting for a feed. The pelicans are fantastic. They swim around the boat, and when you start reeling in, they come up close to see what you've got, hoping like mad it is under size, and therefore fed to him! Fred caught a spiny old red rock cod which we tossed to the pelican. He turned it around and around in his bill, then swallowed it, and Fred & I were thankful we weren't him at tomorrow mornings spiny ablutions!

The girls did Bingo at the club. Shopped there way around the emerging new shopping centre at Shellharbour, and generally had a good catch up. The other highlight for all of us was spending Melbourne Cup Day at Nancy & Keith's place. We had a great day. Nancy & Keith were as usual wonderful hosts, with the food and drink laid on. Bev & Fred cleaned up on the races, amidst a constant flow of champagne and laughs.

Mark & Jodie.

Mark & Jodie.

After Shellharbour it was across to Camden to attend the wedding of Cheryl & Chris' son Mark and the lovely Jodie. We are regulars at Camden, and Managers Darren & Karin give us a warm welcome. It is almost like coming home, as Darren follows us to the site and helps us get set up. 

The proud parents Chris & Cheryl.

It's all official.

Time to cut the cake.

Cheryl & her sister Deb, are well and truly up to their necks in Wedding preparations. All the planning paid off handsomely, with a really happy day being had by all. It is probably the most relaxed wedding we have attended. Everything went off like clockwork. The service was held in the grounds of Gledswood Winery. The bride looked very Audrey Hepburn in her simple elegant dress, and all the boys looked very smart in their light grey suits. I think the parents were more nervous than the bride & groom! They too looked terrific, and I'm glad to say, survived the day. The service was followed by champagne and nibbles in the gardens, then it was off to the Mount Annan Botanical Gardens where a sit down dinner was enjoyed at the Restaurant. The night just flew by, with lots of dancing and other forms of gyration, and some excellent food and wine. You couldn't imagine a happier couple. To top the night off, a bus was organised to take us all home, with our cars locked and safe in the secure car park.

Sharing the special day.

The next day, Cheryl & Chris hosted a lovely brunch. Mark & Jodie were heading off to Tahiti for their honeymoon, but not for a couple of days, so we enjoyed a lazy day sitting around looking at photos and generally having a relaxing time catching up with family and friends.

Monday we headed up to see mum. We headed for Brighton for a lazy lunch and catch up. It is always good to see mum again.

Tuesday morning we packed up and headed off again, this time heading north for Forster. We haven't holidayed there for more than 25 years, so are really looking forward to it. We plan to be there for a month or so before heading back to the Sydney region to commence Christmas festivities with family and friends.

Beechworth/Tumbarumba Revisited

We travelled back up the Hume Hwy to beautiful Beechworth, and the Lake Sambell Caravan Park. Our friendly manager Roger, had allocated us space at the rear of the park this time, where we backed onto the bushland. The site was terrific. Big and grassy, and when we arrived, the Fisschers were already in residence and setting up camp.

Lynne, Harley, Paul, Kenzie & Carolyn

After a boisterous welcome from the unruly children, i.e. puppies Kenzie and Harley, we set about arranging our campsite. This time, the fire pit was a must, and it wasn't long before young Mick arrived on his quad bike with fire pit and firewood in tow!

The plan was a simple one, do nothing for a week but relax. Everything went according to plan beautifully. The weather was fine during the day, but cold at night, so the fire got a real workout. We just lazed around, walked the dogs around the lake to town, enjoyed coffee and/or lunch at almost every cafe in town, and generally did nothing. 

The resident Koalas in the bushland next door, were the only ones disturbing the peace. Have you ever heard Koalas mating? Maybe they know more about marriage than humans, because it sounds like murder! If you didn't know better, you would swear that wild pigs were running amok through the forest, grunting and crashing about in all directions. Yes, it was even worse than my snoring!! Glad they chose the tree next to Lynne & Paul!

Dinner by the fire.

Flaming marshmallows!

Most nights we dined around the campfire, which was a real novelty for us all. And what is an evening around the fire without marshmallows. In the morning, the ashes of the fire, were dotted with little blobs of pink and white, melted marshmallows that fell off the skewers! The game boards get a real workout as well. This time Upwords and Ratatatcat are the favourites, and it is always a load of laughs.

We ascertained that the best dinner in town was at the Hibernian Hotel. We dined here twice, and it was good both times. Sunday nights Parmy Night, was terrific value, with a choice of nine different versions of a Chicken Parmigiana, all at $14.95. The place was packed.

Coach ride around town.

Moments and Memories Tea House.

We did sneak off on Sunday afternoon, for a carriage ride around town. Carolyn felt cheated that she hadn't gotten to have a Stage Coach ride at Sovereign Hill, so this was the next best thing. We luckily found the carriage driver packing up on a slow day, but he agreed to do one last ride around town. It was all great fun, sitting up top with the driver's dog, who did every ride and seemed quite blase about it.

Traditional afternoon tea.

Famished after the carriage ride, someone had spied a traditional little tea house along the route, so guess where we headed, Moments and Memories Tea House. It was a delightful little place.Very English with lots of linen and fine china, so we indulged in traditional afternoon tea, sitting up in the window seat at the front of the establishment. Yes, we practised our best possible sipping with extended pinkie. It was simply delicious my dear chaps!

Pancakes for the puppies.

We always enjoy a pancake breakfast sometime during our get togethers. Nothing better than fresh made pancakes with fresh fruit and maple syrup. John fires up the hot plate and everyone tucks in, and I mean everyone. The puppies get some too!

Fireside chats had determined that since we were so close, we should continue our relaxation at nearby Tumbarumba, one of our all time favourite spots. So after a week in Beechworth, we broke camp and headed for Tumby. It is only a couple of hours drive up the Hume Hwy. The road was full of motor cyclists, which reminded us the Moto GP had been run and won at Phillip Island the day before, so the two wheeled pilgrims were returning home. We shared lunch at the Holbrook Bakery, with a motley looking lot of Bikies and Bikers. The staff were being run off their feet.

Tumbarumba Creek Caravan Park.

Arriving at Tumbarumba, we got a warm welcome from the owner Maryann, and settled in at a very quiet caravan park. It was so different to the hustle and bustle we were used to during our previous Christmas visits, when the park is full of all the African and Asian berry pickers.
We are still very much in relaxation mode, so we just veg out and enjoy the lovely weather. The morning walk up town along the creek, is especially lovely, with all the new growth on the trees and the blossoms in full bloom. Not a lot changes in Tumbarumba, so it has a very familiar feel.

The 4 Bears Cafe.

We stop into our favourite cafe, the 4 Bears Cafe. Owner Anthony is pleased to see us, and we enjoyed a catchup. It is four years since we first came to the 4 Bears, just after he opened up, and it is great to see how well it is going. The coffee and food is still first class and generous in proportions. We visit regularly during our stay. He has somehow managed to get even more bears into the restaurant, including a three meter high monster, that apparently came down the freeway in a combi van, half in and half out of the van! He even has a real bear that he bought from an auction house, but don't worry, it has been to the taxidermist!

It is time for us to leave Lynne & Paul. They will be staying for a couple more days. We have a booking at Shellharbour, where Fred has the hooks sharpened, the boat ready and the fish forewarned. We have had a really nice relaxing catch up, and as we head up towards Tumut, our thoughts are already turning to Jugiong, and morning tea at the Long Track Pantry.

Ballarat

Ballarat's wonderful old architecture.

Ballarat is a beautiful Victorian rural city, born out of the gold rush of the 1850's. It is only 75kms from Melbourne. Due to the riches of the gold rush, the town boasts wonderful old heritage commercial and Government buildings, as well as theatres, private schools and so many magnificent old homes and gardens. Add to that the wide avenues and the parklands, Lake Wendouree and the Botanical Gardens, the political history, Sovereign Hill and the Eureka Stockade, and you have weeks of exploring to do. We have 4 days!!! We will need to be selective!

The Arch of The Avenue of Honour.

Spring at Lake Wendouree.

Wonderful wysteria in a private home.

We are staying at the Big4 Ballarat Goldfields Holiday Park, just 300 metres from Sovereign Hill, and less than 5 minutes drive to the centre of town. It is a lovely park with great facilities, and again we have a huge corner site.The weather is cool days and very cold nights. We started out with a drive around town to familiarise ourselves with the layout of town. We are immediately struck by the wonderful buildings and the wide avenues. The main street, Sturt Street, has a wide nature strip down the centre, full of spring flowers. As we drove along Sturt Street out of the CBD, we passed the many grand old private school campuses, and churches and countless huge old homes with equally huge gardens, all beautifully manicured. Finally we arrive at the huge Arch that marks the beginning of The Avenue of Honour, which is lined with trees, each one a memorial to a fallen soldier with a plaque bearing their name. It runs for miles and is like no other we have ever seen. A drive along the shore of Lake Wendouree shows us more grand homes and gardens, and lots of well maintained Boat Houses, some privately owned, others owned by clubs and schools. For those that can remember, Lake Wendouree was the rowing venue for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, and the course is still in use, or should I say back in use after a period when the lake was dry due to the long drought of the early 2000's. 

At Ballarat Botanical Gardens.

Poor Man's Orchid display.

We stopped at the entrance to the Botanical Gardens and headed in for a look around. There are a  number of glass houses from the 19th century. One holds a fantastic collection of marble statues donated by a wealthy benefactor. We headed for the new modern looking glass house, and once inside were presented with a visual extravaganza of colour. The display of "Poor Man's Orchids" (sorry but I'm not even going to try and spell the botanical name), is breathtaking.

Carolyn among the orchids.

Back out among the gardens, we walk through avenues of huge American Redwoods, and so many other species of huge old trees. Interspersed are the blossoms and new green foliage of spring. Even if your thumb is brown, this is impressive. A walk along the Avenue of Prime Ministers was nostalgic. All those great people cast in bronze and surrounded by colour. At the end of the avenue was a concrete slab on the earth. My hopes were raised but then dashed as I read that Julia's bust (well head) was currently under way. We only saw a part of this great garden. Apparently the tribute to Australia's Prisoners of War is a very moving sight, but we were running out of time.

In town there was no shortage of places for coffee. We chose a delightful little Italian cafe specialising in home made scones and pies. There was a lady behind the counter making and baking her pies, pasties and scones. John chose the plain scones with strawberry jam and double cream, while Carolyn went the whole way and tucked into Raspberry & White Chocolate Scones with more jam and cream. They were absolutely the best scones we've ever had, so light and moist, and the coffee was excellent too.

The Mine at Sovereign Hill.

The police keep the kids in order!

Main Street Sovereign Hill.

Hopefuls seeking gold.

Next day we were off to Sovereign Hill. It came to life in the 1970's and is an unbelievable attraction. The entire Ballarat gold fields town has been re created from old lithographs and photographs. You pay your fee, $36 for seniors, and it lasts for two days, and you step through the gates and back in time. It is a working, life size town. Actors roam the streets adding to the authenticity. Everything is in working order. There are skilled tradesmen making things the old way. There are blacksmiths, wagon wheel makers, foundries with their metal workers making tin & copper plates, and all the stores are staffed with men & women in period costume selling items reproduced to reflect their age, and packaged accordingly. In the centre of town you can pan for gold in the stream. They seed the stream with real gold specks and you can hear the cries of glee when someone finds a golden speck.

Musket firing demonstration.

The kids thought it was hilarious.

Cobb & Co Coach rides.

Ladies out for a stroll.

At various times there are demonstrations and of old skills, and mock disputes. There are Red Coat soldiers marching through town, and the real life Cobb & Co Coach takes visitors for rides around the streets. We particularly enjoyed the musket firing demonstration conducted by a larriken policeman, who had the kids and adults in stitches with his antics. There was also a street altercation between a gentleman and a lady of ill repute, that involved the police and most of the crowd. It was pure entertainment. We enjoyed a very full afternoon, as we walked among the old buildings, seeing how life was in the 1860's. We finished off the day with an actual demonstration of a gold pouring, but alas there was no sampling! This is an attraction not to be missed in Ballarat. If you only have time for one thing to do, make it this. Across the road, is the Gold Museum, and your ticket includes entry here as well. This was also excellent, as we followed the history of gold, not only in Ballarat, but the role it has played in the world's cultures from times BC to the present. You can also see some amazing gold nuggets that lucky buggers have dug up, fallen over, or found with metal detectors, and coinage from all around the world.

Buninyong Fresh Produce Markets. 

Our last day in Ballarat started with a thunderstorm, a hail storm and freezing winds, but cleared to be a lovely spring day! Gotta love Victoria's weather! We took ourselves out to the nearby village of Buninyong, where the Fresh Produce Market was in full swing. We filled our bags with loads of fresh vegetables, some meat and smallgoods, and some home baked bread. It was a good market. Small, but quality. The village of Buninyong has a lot of history and some grand old buildings. as we discovered as we followed the heritage trail around the small village. We enjoyed a Chinese Yum Cha lunch, Ballarat style. It wasn't quite what we were used to in the hustle & bustle of Sydney's Chinatown, but it was tasty. That afternoon we decided to escape the cold and take in a movie at the beautifully restored Her Majesties Theatre. We saw the new movie Lawless, all about the prohibition era and hillbilly moonshine. We enjoyed it, though it was pretty brutal in parts.

The new Australian Centre for Democracy @ Eureka, was not yet open, so that will definitely be on our next visit list. The history of the Eureka Stockade and the role it played in Australian democracy is a great story, probably not fully understood by many Australians.

So there you have it. A whistle stop tour of Ballarat. Next day we are off to meet up with Lynne and Paul at Warburton.

Stop Press!!
Monday morning, the alarm is followed by a phone call from Lynne & Paul. They arrived in Warburton Sunday afternoon in steady rain. The Caravan Park was a perfect example of how glossy brochures can lie. It was a shocker. It was a bog. They somehow managed to get set up for the night, and went to bed with visions of our caravan sinking up to the axles, so next morning they were quickly on the phone, and we agreed a quick change of plans. So now it's back to Beechworth for a week of rest and relaxation.