Benalla

The drive to Benalla from Frankston was a breeze. Driving the road systems in Victoria, especially around Melbourne, was a delight, and a horrible reminder of just how bad our Government has been in NSW. You cannot believe the infrastructure improvements in Victoria versus NSW over the past 15 years. Anyway, I'm not going to talk politics, just enjoy the ride until we cross the border. 

We hadn't booked at Benalla, where we intended to stay for 4 or 5 days, so were quite shocked when the Manager at Benalla Leisure Park announced they could only give us 2 nights as the place was fully booked over the weekend, as the V8 Super Cars were racing at Winton over the weekend, only about 10 kms away. So that meant cramming 4 days fun into 2 days so we could leave town before the arrival of the race crowds, which didn't actually eventuate as they started arriving Thursday so the macho, testosterone crazed young men could use the streets to show their prowess, while the experts practiced at the circuit.

The bridge over the lake at Benalla

The caravan park provided a free pancake breakfast every morning from 9 to 9.30, which proved a great way to meet fellow travellers, and watch the V8 crowd fuel up before taking to the track! We met a lovely couple, Dave & Carol, who were quite a few years older than us, who had been travelling for a few years in their motorhome. Dave was in a wheel chair, so his motorhome had been modified for him and his wheels. I asked what had led to him being in the chair, and he told me he had polio from birth, then proceeded to tell me that at one park a lady had asked the same question, and when told the reason replied "oh well you must be used to it by now!!"

"Weary" Dunlop Memorial

Benalla has a lot of history. Not only did that famous outlaw Ned Kelly frequent the area, but the great hero from the second world war, "Weary" Dunlop, was also a local. Both are immortalised in a variety of museums and parks. The museum, was one of the best we have ever seen, all for $2.00! The museum had a wonderful display of costumes and clothing from as early as the 1850's, and the display of wedding gowns from 1850 to 1980 was excellent. They even had the outfits worn by then PM, Malcolm Fraser and wife Tammy at Charles & Dianas Wedding. The Frasers are also locals. Remember the wattle dress girls??? I was disappointed that they didn't have the trousers that Malcolm had so famously lost at a motel in America. Wonder who has them?? Anyway, the museum also had fantastic displays honouring "Weary" Dunlop, and another war hero, naval captain Hec Waller, who went down with his ship at the Battle of the Java Sea, taking quite a few nips with him. Then of course there was a fantastic display all about the Kelly Gang.

Ceramic Sculpture - Benalla

Outside the museum is a most interesting Ceramic Sculpture. It was the idea of a local artist, and has evolved over many years with contributions from dozens of artists. It incorporates seats for contemplation, areas for kids to climb all over, and some amazing artworks, and no graffiti!!
From here we went over the bridge to the Art Gallery, which is in the Botanical Gardens that are lovely, and has the most marvellous rose garden, which was unfortunately past its best. The gallery has quite a few famous artworks by the likes of Boyd, Streeton, Rupert Bunny, as well as the famous Sidney Nolen tapestry of Ned Kelly. Also had a great cafe, looking out over the lake, where we enjoyed a delicious light lunch.

Ned Kelly - Glenrowan

Over at Glenrowan, a short drive away, everything is about Ned Kelly. As the scene of his last great stand against the cops, in that famous armour, you can buy everything Ned Kelly. We resisted, and only took a few photos, but it was all very interesting, and not to be missed.

A few kilometres east is the Gourmet Food Trail that leads to Milawa. Being the foodies that we are, we enjoyed a morning of tasting. First there was the Olive Shop with an amazing array of oils and produce. Then down the street a little to the Mustard Shop, where John learnt very quickly that when you taste mustards, you should have your reading glasses on so you can read "exremely hot chilli mustard", and be prepared for the 10 pound sledgehammer hit and steam coming out the ears! The other patrons got a laugh. Bastards! Next stop was the wonderful Brown Brothers Winery where we tasted some of their fantastic wines. John liked the chilli shiraz, the chilli sauvignon blanc and the chilli graciano, then wisely let Carol choose which wines to buy! Last stop was the Milawa Cheese Factory where we tasted some fantastic cheeses. The blue cheeses killed off the chilli! Having topped up the larder, we headed back to Benalla, to find the V8 crowd had filled the park.There were Holden & Ford flags everywhere, and not a spare blade of grass to be seen. The sites beside us, empty when we left, were now full of both caravans and tents, so close you could hardly walk between them.

So Friday morning, we lined up for our final pancake breakfast, and hit the road, squeezing out of our site, successfully just missing the neighbours, heading for Yarrawonga on the Murray River, just 67 kms away, and just out of earshot of the V8's.

Melbourne & Mornington Peninsula - Week 2

This was supposed to be John's golf week. The Mornington Peninsula boasts some of Australia's greatest courses, and I was determined to play a few. It started well with Monday at The Dunes, a beautiful Nick Faldo designed course. I loved the layout, and the greens were some of the best I've ever played on. Then the weather gods intervened, and Melbourne turned on some of its worst weather. Rain, cold, wind, we got it all in bucket loads.


The Big House - Nancy & Keith


Thursday, Nancy & Keith arrived for a six day stay. This brightened us up no end. Lovely to see family and friends from home. They stayed in one of the deluxe cabins at the caravan park, which Carol dubbed the "big house", as it had rooms, which we don't have. April, couldn't be left out,  and she loved the extra rooms and all the carpet, and had a great time rolling around. With such bad weather, we used the big house as our base for dinner and happy hour, and it worked a treat.

Friday was supposed to be a golf day for the boys, and shopping expedition for the girls, but as all the amphibious golf carts were booked, we opted for a joint drive and lunch day. We headed out around the eastern side of the Mornington Peninsula, and explored the towns of Hastings, Balnarring, and Flinders, all of which were well worth a visit, but Flinders was the pick. We found a great coffee spot right next to the Post Office, with an open fire, and lots of wicked cakes to go with the coffee. A yummy stop for such a terrible day. We decided to walk the shops and galleries, which were very good, but very optimistic with their pricing. However, the rain came in torrents, and we had to head for the car. We continued on past a number of those wonderful golf courses, that so desperately needed golfers, and headed for Sorrento, which brightens up any day. We really like Sorrento. The sun tried to break through, and we took refuge at The Baths restaurant, right on the bay. A great spot, and a nice simple seafood lunch, and then we got kicked out, as the guests started arriving for a 3.00pm wedding. The girls insisted we hang around the carpark for the arrival of the bride, who arrived just as the heavens opened again. Unfortunately she was wearing one of those strapless numbers. Can you believe that! So the girls left a little disappointed, and the bride arrived a little damp!

Saturday, the rain eased, but the wind got up. The boys decided to give golf a go, whilst the girls headed for the shops at Mornington. Golf was at Moonah Links. We chose the Legends Course, the easier of the two courses at Moonah. We enjoyed the course, which was in great condition despite the rain, but the wind and occasional shower made golf difficult, and on a course with hundreds of bunkers, the sand wedges got a workout! Still the sign on the drive out said it all "a bad day at golf beats a good day at work, any day!" The girls shopping was more successful, so we rendezvoused at the big house for happy hour and home delivered pizza, as the heavens opened again.


John's Dessert

Lunch at Ten Minutes by Tractor

Sunday was a real treat. John had researched the restaurants at the wineries, and flushed with the success of T'Gallant for the wedding anniversary, chose a place with the wonderful name of "Ten Minutes By Tractor". This is one classy place and goes onto our highly recommended list. The food was amazing, with presentation that resembled artworks. It was so good we all had 3 courses. The ingredient lists for each dish were so great, I can't remember every dish. If you are interested, google the restaurant, but keep a towel handy so you don't drool all over the keyboard! The whole day was theatre. The way some of the dishes were brought to the table was fantastic. One entree, which was a smoked terrine, came with the terrine under glass, with smoke captured inside the glass, so that when it was lifted the smokey smell from the fire wafted around the diners. Sounds corny, but it worked. Not to mention Carol's coffee dessert, that came with a small square bowl of coffee beans over which was poured some hot coffee. Under the beans was dry ice, so we got this eery smoke floating around the table, with an incredible coffee aroma. The staff were terrific, and added to a wonderful afternoon in a cosy place with a roaring fire inside, gazing out across the misty vineyards with all their leaves changing colour, eating the most fantastic food. Almost worth missing out on golf! Can you believe that we ended that day back at the big house watching Dancing With The Stars. What went wrong!!!!


A break from shopping



Monday was our last shot at golf. We were running out of venues that weren't waterlogged! We were recommended Eagle Ridge, as it handled wet weather well. Unfortunately the guy neglected to tell us about the very narrow fairways and the fact it had more bunkers than Adolph Hitler, so on a windy and sometimes wet day, we returned dazed and scarred, and light a few golf balls. Yet we still enjoyed ourselves and kept remembering that sign, "a bad day at golf.........

Thankfully, the girls shopping was more successful. Nancy got her new dressing gown, which Keith was thrilled about, and Carol got a new device to measure exactly how much pasta you need per serve, which John is very excited about. We caught up with the girls in front of an open fire in a pub in Mornington. We all had coffees and teas to thaw out, and headed back to the big house for one last happy hour.

Tuesday morning, we farewelled Nancy & Keith, as they piled into the little yellow Getz for the journey back to the airport, and a return to temperatures with more than one number in them. We had had a fantastic time, as usual, and despite the worst weather Melbourne could throw at us. It always leaves us a bit flat when friends go. It seems so quiet. So we got right into packing up. At least it was dry, and we got most of our stuff packed away dry, to start our trip north to warmer places. Next stop Benalla.

Melbourne & Mornington Peninsula

Well our first week at the Frankston Discovery Holiday Park has flown by. It is very nice with a new area for caravans. It is nicely laid out, with large concrete slabs, so is easy to keep clean. We've erected the full annexe for the first time, and given that our weather has been, shall we say, "Melbourne Like", it has been great. Lots of shops and centres nearby, so it is a real city experience for us after lots of small towns. Oh, and we are back in the traffic, which we definitely haven't missed!


T'Gallant Winery & Restaurant


Arrived in time for the last event in our week of celebrations, our 28th Wedding Anniversary, on 1st May. This time it was John doing the research, and I came up with T'Gallant Winery, in the hills of the Mornington Peninsula wine district. Good choice Ando! The research was spot on. It was an overcast, cold, and sometimes rainy day, but with the fire roaring, and the food and wine to warm our innards, we celebrated in style. A nice added touch was the live music, which was provided by the guy who has been John Farnham's backing vocalist forever. We couldn't remember his name, but JF always referred to him as the hippy. Any JF fans will remember him well. Anyway, he was very good, and certainly added to the occasion. The place was really buzzing, with the Pizza Bar doing a roaring trade, and the trademark Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, was disappearing in large doses.


Our lunch at T'Gallant Winery 


Our meal was in the main restaurant, and it was a delicious mix of French Provincial and Italian. Crab Cakes and Pizza of the Day, shared for entrees, followed by Ricotta & Spinach Gnocchi with braised duck and Asian greens (sorry while I wipe the drool off the keyboard!), for Carol, and a Casserole of Chicken, Bacon and Vegies for John. Washed down with a glass of the Pinoir Noir, it was fantastic. Shock! Horror! No room for dessert. It was just a gorgeous afternoon befitting the Duke and Duchess of Brentwood.

On Tuesday we were joined by the lady Robyn of Canterbury for a few days of relaxation and rejuvenation. Having travelled Tiger Airways, we found Robyn dazed and disoriented at the City bus depot (only kidding - she had a great flight down and back. It was the bus that broke down!), and whisked her away for lunch at St. Kilda Pier, followed by a little sight seeing on the way back to Frankston. We settled her into her accommadation in the motel section of the park, and had a nice home cooked meal in.


Some of the relics at the Exhibition


Wednesday we were off to the city to see the Tutankhamun Exhibition at the Melbourne Museum. The new Motorway system that now reaches as far as Frankston, is fantastic. Barry O'Farrell take note! We travelled the 55kms into the city in 35 minutes, and Barry, if we hadn't wanted to drive we could have caught the train. That's one of those long linked things that run on rails to where the people live in the outer suburbs. Hopefully you can get some for Sydney soon!

The Exhibition was well organised, and with our pre-purchased tickets, we were in after a short wait, and the treasures were beautiful. It is amazing to think that they are 3,300 years old, and still in excellent condition. We took the audio tour, mostly because the girls couldn't resist the chance to have Omar Sharif whisper things in their ears. John found it informative, rather than erotic!

T

Along the Artists Trail at Sorrento



Homes & Gardens along the Artists Trail

hursday we did the tourist thing and drove out along the Bay to the towns of Sorrento and Portsea. It is a lovely drive along the shores of Port Phillip Bay. There are the lovely seaside and holiday centres of Dromana, Rye, Rosebud and Blairgowrie along the way, setting the scene for the poshness of Sorrento and Portsea, a playground of the rich and infamous. We stopped at a Yacht Club to take a walk out on their pier. We ran into a guy fishing who turned out to be a wealth of information, having been in the area for 30 years. He gave us a long list of places to see, places to eat, and a real gem, in telling us about "The Artists Trail" at Sorrento. It is a secluded walk along the clifftops, between Sorrento and Point King. It goes through the backyards of some of the magnificent homes of the rich people, as you open and close a series of gates. We would have never found it without his directions. The trail highlights the spots that the great Australian Artists, Streeton and Boyd, used to sit and paint some of their famous landscapes. Some of the paintings have been reproduced onto boards, facing the scene that was painted. Fantastic imagery. All the way along the walk are the scenes looking down at the beaches, bathing pavilions and jetties as you look out across the bay, and behind you are those magnificent homes and gardens.

The girls at Sorrento

Having walked up a hunger and thirst, it was time for coffee and sustenance. No shortage of places in Sorrento. We found a likely stop, that had a big sign "Best Vanilla Slice on Earth", and Carol went straight for it. A closer examination found it had lots of nice goodies, so orders were placed for soups for Robyn and John, and that Vanilla Slice for Carol. All exceptionally good, and the vanilla slice was so big, Robyn and I got a taste too! A walk around all the very nice shops in Sorrento was mostly for looking. A $900 pair of shoes with a 50% Off sticker, still sounds a lot, not to mention the tiny little top that was $600, or about $30 per square inch ! Still, it doesn't cost to dream.

Back home for a quick change, then back on the Motorway to town, for dinner and show. Dinner was at a pub we found, with the lovely name of The Elephant and Wheelbarrow. The Elephant is for the size of the meals, and the Wheelbarrow is how they deliver them to the table! No dessert here! Just off to the show, "Rock of Ages". It was fantastic. If you love the rock music of the'80's you'd love it. We had a ball, and our hearing should be back to normal around next Friday, which is when we will also hopefully find the last of the foil confetti that rained down upon us, and keeps falling out of our hair, clothes, bags and most body cavities!

Alas, come Friday it was time for Robyn to leave us. More babies to be delivered. We went into town for a bit of retail therapy, at the new Myer Centre, which is quite a transformation. A nice lunch in one of the alleyway cafes, that are so Melbourne, and it was time to drop Robyn off at the bus depot for the trip to the airport. This is where the bus broke down! But Robyn still made her flight, and we had a happy ending.

Saturday and Sunday have been lazy days, with cold and wet weather not enticing us out. So all that is left to say is HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the mums, and Jenny & Dave, have a wonderful and safe holiday in Europe.

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.