Beechworth

Murrumbidgee River Valley
near Jugiong.

Down the Hume Hwy we head, destination Beechworth, on the edge of Victoria's high country. It is a part of Australia we absolutely love. It is spring time, and the country is lush and green and there are countless fields of golden canola. It is truly spectacular.
No trip along the Hume is complete without a stop at one of our absolute favourites, The Long Track Pantry at Jugiong. It is a gourmet delight. As luck would have it, we arrive at lunchtime. The lunch tasting plate is delicious, loaded with their famous trout pate, pork terrine, local goat's cheese, artichoke hearts, local prosciutto and roasted tomatoes, plus a freshly baked baguette. I've died and gone to heaven!!
Loaded up with bottles of dressing, chutneys and jams, we are back on the road, our mouths full of delicious flavours.

Set up at Lake Sambell Caravan Park.

We arrive at Beechworth late afternoon. Whilst we have visited the area a number of times. we have never actually stayed at Beechworth. We are staying at Lake Sambell Caravan Park, situated on the banks of the lake, a short and very pretty walk into town. It is a really lovely park, and the managers are super friendly and helpful. Manager Roger offers Carolyn a ride to our site on his quad bike ( I bet he says that to all the girls!). We soon realise that the tree next to our site will interfere with our satellite, so Roger is on the walkie talkie to Mick and almost by magic Mick appears with his pole saw, and the tree is suitably pruned! Talk about service. A cold beer for Mick! As night falls, the fire pits start to light up, and there is the sound of guitars and harmonicas, as the locals put on a free show. Our neighbour plays a pretty good guitar. The caravan park resembles a fairy land. So many talented people.

Beechworth Gaol.

Beechworth is a lovely little village, full of history, including lots of Ned Kelly. The old stone buildings and churches are some of the best examples you will see, and of course there is the old Beechworth Gaol, that operated from 1856 until 2004. You can do tours at certain times, or simply have a walk around, which is what we did. In more recent times, the Beechworth Bakery has become quite famous. Unfortunately, we are a little Beechworth Bakeryied out, as almost every country town in Victoria has a Beechworth Bakery. They seem to be the Woolworths of the bakery industry, and the experience is now more one of average coffee and commercial cakes. Instead, we found and liked Blynzz Coffee Roasters, where the coffee was excellent. 

Reign of Pearls Cafe at Myrtleford.

Friday was a beautiful day, so we headed for Myrtleford and Bright. It is a spectacular drive along part of the Great Alpine Road, that eventually makes its way across the mountains and down to Bairnsdale. With the mountains as a backdrop, and the countryside green and lush, it is a sight to behold.  At Myrtleford, we attended to some banking matters and in desperate need of coffee, Carolyn spied Reign Of Pearls, a wonderful little antique shop and cafe. Real old world, all served in antique fine china cups. So,with pinkies suitably extended, we enjoyed home made custard tart and lovely coffees.

The road follows the Ovens River, and the old Rail Trails, which have been converted into bike and walking trails. This area is full of these wonderful trails that are well patronised. We stopped in the little town of Porepunkah, nestled by the river, and a popular stop for the cyclists.

Blossoms in Bright.

Arriving in Bright in Spring, is a real attack on the visual senses. There are blossom trees, Rhododendrons, Camelia, wisteria and azaleas all in full bloom, amidst the the fresh new greens of the deciduous trees coming to life.

Heading for the Apex Lookout
at Bright.

Bright would be at home in the Cotswold's of England. The lovely river running through town, the mountains in the distance and the endless stream of cafes, gift shops and even a Boutique Brewery. We drove all around town, and checked out the caravan parks, for future reference, then spied a sign, "Apex Lookout", so off we went. The sealed road became a gravel road, became a 4WD only steep dirt track, all well sign posted, and soon we were in 4WD heading for the summit. The drive was a great test for the new car, and the views at the top were well worth it. It was a lot cooler up on the mountain, and as happens with 60+ men, a toilet break was essential. Carolyn sent me down a track, where I met a snake slithering towards the same tree. It was  a classic encounter of Black Snake meets One Eyed Trouser Snake, and I knew who'd win. Hiss was bigger than mine, so I high tailed it back up the track, my toiletry priorities having re focused! The mountain descent was rapid!

Lunch at Ginger Bakers in Bright.

Tapas at Ginger Bakers in Bright.

Now back in town, and desperately in need of a drink, Carolyn comes to the rescue, in the form of Ginger Bakers, a Cafe and Tapas Bar with a wonderful outdoor area under the trees and looking over the river. This was one of those special lunches we get to have, in a setting that is picture postcard perfect. A walk along the river is a fitting end to the lunch. There are people everywhere, and even some blue children swimming in the icy river. There was one little girl, who obviously was looking at a career in beauty therapy, as she had covered herself in mud!

My first mud pack!

We decided to take the long way home, up over Tawonga Gap to Tawonga and Mt. Beauty. The views down over the valleys were unbelievable, all in the shadows of Mt. Buffalo and Mt. Bogong (Victoria's highest peak), both of which were still snow capped. As we drove into Mt. Beauty it was really living up to its name with blossoms in bloom everywhere. From here we headed down through the lush green Keiwa Valley, which is full of dairy farms. Taking the Happy Valley Road, we climbed back over the range, seeing first hand the carnage that still remains from those horrific bushfires of 2 or 3 years ago. Some trees just don't come back. The forest road was alive with parrots and we rounded a bend and startled a beautiful black faced wallaby, grazing by the side of the quiet road. Easy to see how they get skittled.

Is Ray the goat????

We are back on the Great Alpine Road at Ovens, where we are met by an interesting sight, a goat sitting on an old car being used as a billboard. Not sure how many votes Ray the goat got, but he'd be right at home in Julia's cabinet!!
We arrived back at home just in time for happy hour and the lighting of the fires. No guitar tonight, just the lone harmonica.

The Woolshed Falls.

One for mum!!

That night the heavens opened and Saturday dawned cold and very very wet. We lay in late, listening to the rain on the roof, before a late breakfast at home followed by coffee at Blynzz. It continued to bucket down so we decided to head out along the local scenic drive around the gorge, which was really nice, and quite spectacular in parts with the creeks and rivers swollen with rain. We continued on to the lovely little village of Rutherglen, Australia's home of fortified wines. A delightful cafe with the name of Taste proved the ideal place for lunch. Lovely soup and gnocchi, and then back out into the rain. It got heavier and heavier as we worked our way back to Beechworth via Wodonga. We passed a sign that was a real family moment, and couldn't help but take a photograph. Mum will love it, her maiden name was Jones, and there they were, the Jones and Anderson wineries side by side!One final warming coffee at Blynzz and we were back at the caravan park, feeling nothing but sorrow for those camping in small tents, huddled under shelters and looking cold, wet and miserable. We locked ourselves in, put the heater on high and settled in for cosy night of TV. 

Sunday morning, surprisingly started bright and sunny. We got packed up in no time, thankful that everything would not be put away wet. One last drive through town. One last look at all those poor campers, hanging everything out to dry. One last coffee at Blynzz, and we were on the road to Melbourne, looking forward to a few days R & R in Melbourne Town, whilst the roof on the caravan is being repaired. Thanks to our new Navman Sat Nav unit, we reached the Ashley Gardens Big4 Caravan park at Braybrook, in Melbourne's inner west, with a minimum of fuss. We are doing a drive thru for the night before dropping off the caravan first thing Monday morning.