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Victorian Road Trip 2019
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Victorian Road Trip 2019

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  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler

    Hanging Rock Winery

    July 25, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    After lunch we drove to Hanging Rock Winery. We tasted quite a few wines here and purchased 4 wines, lets hope they taste as good when we get them home.

    This winery was quite large and had some very nice but very expensive sculptures scattered around.

    It is now time to head back to Kyneton, we drove through some small townships but nothing really warranted a stop. We continued back to our bushland resort and now having cheese and crackers we purchased along the road in Warrnambool a few days ago.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler

    Great Stupa

    July 26, 2019 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    This morning we left Kyneton and will be driving to Numurkah through Bendigo.

    Once in Bendigo we visited the Great Stupa, only because we wanted to see if it compared to the ones we saw in Tibet. I can say without hesitation do not waste your time to visit. The Stupa is not finished and looks more like an office block at the moment. When finished I still don't think it will be worth a visit. The Victoria Government is funding the project at $2.5 million and will be finished in 2020.

    We then went into Bendigo city and found a cute little lane called Chancery. We had a nice Spanish lunch before getting back on the road.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler

    Home for the week

    July 26, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Back on the road this time it is my turn to drive. The country side is so pretty along the way cattle, sheep and alpaca all grazing on the lush green fields.

    Now in Numurkah stopped at the local IGA before heading to Lakeside Country Club our home for the week. This is another place from our holiday club. This unit has also been designed badly. I really do not understand why these places do not have storage in the bedroom or the bathroom. These places are timeshare and you book for a week. We have taken over the second bedroom beds as our walk in wardrobe.Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler

    Lakeside Country Club

    July 27, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    The activity for today is planning the week, catching up on computer work and getting to know the area.

    This morning we were greeted with birds, not kangaroos. After breakfast some research on what Numurkah has to offer and what we can do during our week here.

    Once we had worked out our program for the week it was time to explore the resort. It is very good for young and old and I think that summertime would be fabulous. The resort has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, 2 playgrounds, squash and tennis courts, volley ball, basketball, mini golf, a large outdoor domino set, a teenage area with pool tables and an adult room with a lovely fireplace, large TV and more pool tables. Set right next to a lake where you can go canoeing and even fish. The resort even set the fishing rods up for you to try and catch what ever is in the lake. It would be great for large family holidays.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler

    Not so Wetlands

    July 27, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    After lunch we went for a walk to a local attraction near the resort as the description sounded great and the front desk staff also said it was a nice place to visit.
    This is the write up about the Wetlands in a brochure: "Located east of the resort, just a short walk down the road, there is a variety of wildlife to be observed from the viewing platforms and boardwalks. Enjoy the wonderful diversity of the wildlife and woodland."

    Once at the start of the Wetlands this is the description.

    "Kinnairds Wetland is part of a larger natural wetland (a prior stream depression). Covering an area of 93 hectares of natural and constructed wetlands, Kinnairds Wetland is part of a scheme designed to provide major regional drainage benefits for land in the Muckatah Catchment. The wetland is fed by flows from the Muckatah Surface Water Management Scheme, which has a 600 km² catchment, beginning in Yarrawonga. The natural and constructed areas of the wetland act as a retarding basin. This aids in filtering sediments and nutrients, and minimises the rate of flows entering the Broken Creek to the south, which eventually flows into the Murray River in the Barmah Forest".

    However, what we saw was 1 bird, a small creek and mostly dry river beds and dead trees and grasses. Not really a wetland. When we left the area we actally saw more bird life in the land near our resort.

    We then drove into town for some groceriers. It was like a ghost town almost everything was shut even though it was before 3pm on Saturday afternoon. One supermarket was open but I only purchased things for dinner tonight and breaky tomorrow, as it was really expensive. We will be out tomorrow and I am sure I will be able to find a Woolworths or Coles were I can finish shopping at a decent proce. I don't usually worry about how much things are but this was really noticeable. The tiny tins of baked beans for example were nearly $2 a can, tomatos were $9.99 a kilo and they were horrible, the stawberries were Ok at $3,99 a punnet.

    Back at the resort for the day, our activites start tomorrow.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler
    Wine barrels inside a distillery on the main street.Carol couldn't resist having some free fairy floss.

    On our way to Echuca

    July 28, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Today we drove to Echuca which is about an hour away.

    There was a bit of fog but it cleared as soon as we entered the Echuca City Limits.

    The reason for driving to Echuca was that they have a Winter Blues Festival. Today was the last day, not that we had heard of any of the bands but it was really interesting walking around a small country listening to some really good bands and soloists. Pubs, cafes, resturants, small streets and the main street had stages set up where you could just stand and listen or take a seat and have a meal. The first laneway we entered was called Hopwood Lane and as there was a very good band playing we stopped and listened for a while before contining to the main street.Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler

    All about Henry Hopwood

    July 28, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    In John's research he came across the Hopwood name on a few things. Apparently Henry Hopwood was the founder of Echuca.

    Henry Hopwood 1813 – 1 January 1869 was an English convict who established the town of Echuca in Victoria, Australia.

     He was arrested in 1834 for receiving stolen rolls of silk, and sentenced to 14 years' transportation to Van Diemen's Land. A persuasive and manipulative character, within a year of arriving in the colony, Hopwood had been appointed as a police constable.

    However, he often found himself in trouble, mainly due to dalliances with women, and in 1839, he was sentenced to two years' servitude at the Port Arthur penal settlement for 'aiding and abetting the abduction of his master's daughter'. He was eventually released and, in 1846, granted a full pardon after having served 12 years of his original sentence. During his time as a convict, Henry met Marth Bolton, a free woman formerly of Liverpool, Lancashire and with her had a daughter, Alice Bolton Hopwood, born on the 4 January 1844 at Morven, Tasmania.

    Hopwood migrated to the fledgling colony of Port Phillip in Melbourne where he worked his way north to the Murray River in 1848. Here he found work in a tallow plant, boiling down animal carcasses to extract their fat and oils, eventually becoming foreman. By 1850 the shrewd Hopwood noted the increasing numbers of drovers and farmers in the area and used his savings to build both a hotel and a punt.

     He charged a small fee for river crossings and profited from drinkers at his hotel. By 1858 he had almost single-handedly expanded the lonely riverbank site into a small town, complete with a pontoon bridge, newspaper, school, warehouses, and vineyards. The following year Hopwood constructed the Bridge Hotel, a more stylish double-storey brick building that still stands today.

    I guess in our free time ( ha ha) we need to do some research to find out if we are related.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler

    Paddle Steamer on the Murray

    July 28, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    The Murray river runs through Echuca so we had to do a cruise down the river. We decided on the The Alexander Arbuthnot which was one of the last steamers built on the Murray River during the riverboat trade.

     She was built at Koondrook in 1923 to tow barges carrying logs from the forest to the Arbuthnot Sawmills for some years until the 1940's when she was sold to charcoal producers in the Barmah Forest. During WW2 the PS Alexander Arbuthnot lay idle and in 1947 sank at her moorings. In 1972 she was raised by a group of Shepparton volunteers. The Alexander Arbuthnot was bought by the City of Echuca in 1989 for restoration at the Port.

    We steamed up the Murray and back down for about an hour with NSW on one side and Vic on the other. It was another intertesting experience as the captain explained the history of the Murray back in the 1870's.

    At the port there is also a discovery centre where you can get even more details about the paddle steamers and Henry Hopwood.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler

    Tongala Historic Murals

    July 28, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Driving to Echuca I noticed a sign which said "Historic Murals" so on the way back we went to a small town called Tongala . On walls around town they have a number of murals painted by local artist Murray Ross, which show the history of the dairy industry and Tongala.

    The drive home was a little different to this morning you could see the road as there was no more fog.

    Back at our resort waiting for the baked chicken in the oven to cook and then relaxing in front of the TV after another busy day of sightseeing.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler

    Wet day in Numurkah

    July 29, 2019 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    A wet day in Numurkah today so I made cup cakes in the pie maker for morning tea.

    The remainder of the morning was computer work. These slide shows are never ending. I am currently working on our Vietnam Cambodia trip which requires 2 hours of music. So trying to work out the music ,download and upload is very time consuming and trying but we are getting there. 1 hour to go, I am now up to Cambodia.

    After a few hours and lunch we thought fresh air would be good. The rain has stopped but still cold. John found a winery close by so we popped in the car for a 8 min drive, I checked Google along the only to find closed Monday and Tuesday. So we turned around and went into town for petrol. We are now back at the computer.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler
    Devenish Silo - a tribute to the Devenish Community who enlisted in Military Service
    Sophia of Goorambat - This art work is actually in a church and was incredibleGoorambat SiloSt James was dedicated to the Coles founder who lived in the townTungamah - This is one of the first Silo art works

    Silo Art

    July 30, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    Today was a day of culture, we followed the Silo Art Trail from Tungamah to Benalla.

    The total trail, including distance from where we are staying, is about 120km. Today was a lovely day for a country drive.

    We visited 4 different towns which had a few silo's painted in each town they looked fabulous. Some people are just so clever. Each painted Silo also had a history of what the art work represents.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler

    Street Art

    July 30, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    We continued driving into Benalla. We did not really like this town as it was quite dirty, even McDonalds needed a good clean.

    The art work in Benalla is more like street art and is painted on the sides of buildings. However, most of the smaller art is not that good, heaps better in and around Newtown but the larger murals are worth looking at. Also, the map with directions of how to locate the art work is difficult to follow in order to locate the paintings.

    What also made this a shame is that a number of the artworks were behind buildings and had huge dump bins in front of them so you could not see the whole artwork, or they were down weird alleys, again this made it difficult to take photo's and to appreciate the artists work. Benalla council advertises the Art Trail as a tourist atttaction but are not doing it justice. There is so much potential, it's a shame they are not taking advantage of what could be as wonderful drawcard to their weird country town.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler

    On the road

    July 30, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Back on the road and there was one more art work we wanted to visit in the Winton Wetlands. It was a water tank which had been commissioned to thank 3 local CFA firefighters. To my disappointment, as it was not very well signposted or marked on the Art Trail map we could not find it.

    Now late afternoon and the sun is going down so time to head back to Lakeside after another great day of sightseeing in this part of Victoria.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler

    Olive Grove

    July 31, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Today is to be a culinary day, we plan on visiting a few places to try, taste and buy some produce from the area.

    First stop is a 45min drive to Rich Glen Olive Oil, we actually popped in the other day but they were closing. It looked so good we just had to drive in a completely different direction today just to try, taste and buy.

    Rich Glen Olive Estate is a small, family-run farm, café and olive oil producer. Heaps of fun for the entire family – from olive grove tours for the adults ( which we did not go on as it is the wrong season) to farmyard animal encounters for the little ones. With a well-stocked café and a Farmgate Store & Provedore.

    Rich Glen Olive Estate is worth a visit we purchased a few things including morning tea sitting by the fire and played tic tac toe in the garden.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler

    The Big Strawberry

    July 31, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Next was the Big Strawberry, a big waste of time, everything was so expensive and the staff quite rude. You could only taste 3 of the spirits even though we both shared which in our eyes we should have been able to try 6. Wrong, we were told that it is against the law to serve more than 3 so the rude lady said no more as we could blame her if we were in accident and over the limit. Not sure how that is possible on a tiny sip.

    The brochure did look good so the advertising worked in their favour they just could not deliver.

    Next was Cobrawonga Estate and Nursey the brochure for sounded great. We were informed that we could experience the true taste of Australia with hand picked bush tucker spices, rubs, teas, and homemade treats. No, it was just a crappy nursery so either they have changed owners and none of this is available or extremely good misleading marketing.

    Lets hope the next place is better.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler

    Cactus Country

    July 31, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Back on the road and this time to Cactus Country, fingers crossed it is not a cactus visit.

    On driving up the driveway we already knew that this was going to be intetesting.

    Cactus Country has 4,000 species of cacti and succulents from around the globe which are presented in an unforgettable journey throughout eight different garden trails.

    Is sounds really good and it was Ok but does need some maintance especially as you pay an entrance fee of $15 each (for the Oldies).

    We walked around the gardens for about an hour before heading back to the Cafe for Nacho's, Cactus Cake and Cactus Ice Cream. Nacho's average but the cake and ice cream was very nice.

    They do a Day of the Dead Party for Halloween which looked interesting maybe one day in the future when there is not a Halloween Party at Camperdown Castle.

    Our culinary day has ended as we are back on the road to Lakeside unless you call Satay Chicken for dinner a culinary expereince. John probably does as he like's all food especially my cooking.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler

    Last day at Lakeside

    August 1, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    Today was a lazy day at Lakeside. The sun was out today so it was nice staying at the resort.

    The morning started with us working on the video slideshow on our holiday to Vietnam. I needed a break so I made I made iced doughnuts for morning tea. Then back to the computer. As it was a nice day we went for a walk around the lake before having homemade vegetable soup. Then back to the slideshow a few more hours and we have finally finished. It was a holiday which we enjoyed for 1 month and took me 5 months to put all the pictures,videos and music together.

    Now time to cook dinner and pack up everything for an early start in the morning.    Read more

  • We are Living the DreamVictorian Road Trip 2019Traveler

    Road Trip Ending

    August 2, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    Leaving Lakeside today.

    We have enjoyed our holiday in Victoria.

    This morning the drive was interesting the sun was out until we hit Rutherglen and the fog settled over countryside . I was driving and mentioned to John that it just got cold. I pulled over to take a photo and the car had a warning light on. It was 3 degrees , the car has an inbuilt warning telling you when it's this cold and that the roads may be icy. What a clever car.

    About 20min out of Rutherglen the fog started to dissipate but it was still cold now 5 deg.

    As the day progressed we finally reached 10 degrees.

    Road trip ending today.

    Visiting the 12 Apostles was great everyone needs to visit before the ocean and wind reduce the existing 8 to Zero.

    The first week we were on the road moving every day. Some of the places we stayed overnight really need a few days visit so we will be back. The 2 weeks we stayed in our holiday club resorts were also great, they both had a lot to do at the resorts and in the areas around them.

    The Hopwood's, Alexander's and Wilson's should plan a family holiday.

    Tonight we are staying at Minto Mansion to catch up with Michael, Hilda and the A Team.

    I guess it is time to say goodbye Victoria and hello Auckland in a few days.    Read more

    Trip end
    August 2, 2019
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