This Adventurous Age

Adventures travelling and working around Australia.

Monthly Archives: July 2023


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2017 Travels May 14

SUNDAY MAY 14     MARYBOROUGH TO HOME     314kms

After the usual cold night it was hard to get up early, so it was 10.15 by the time we were packed up and leaving the park.

The day was pleasant – getting warmer, with blue sky, but rather hazy. That might be due to the inversion and smoke previously mentioned.

Looking down at our Maryborough camp from the lake walking track

I thought that it would be best to go home the long way, via Bendigo, rather than down the Calder Highway and through the city, which might be quite busy with traffic related to football and other special events happening today. We could tootle up some previously untravelled back roads through Eddington and Lockwood. John agreed with that thinking, so he programmed Marong into the GPS.

The ”lady” instructed us to turn right out of the caravan park. That wasn’t logical, according to the basic town map I had in a tourist pamphlet, so I made John turn left. Then, I worked out that the machine had been going to take us around the town centre – very smart. Oops! I had to apologize to John as he negotiated the surprisingly busy centre of town.

It seemed we had hardly left Maryborough before we were into Carisbrook – almost a suburb. Saw an interesting home there, built from shipping containers. There should probably be more use of these, for all sorts of things as there seem to be a lot sitting around in various places mot be utilized for much. One of our former employers in the NT made quite a reasonable dwelling using a couple of containers. The one at Carisbrook looked like it had been architect designed.

By the time I finished admiring that house, it was evident that the GPS had decreed we were continuing on towards Castlemaine, not the way I’d intended. Perhaps I should regard that gadget as adding extra spice to a trip, as in wondering:  where is it taking us now?

The country was different on the eastern side of Maryborough. I could see the occasional volcanic cone in the distance and some paddocks had volcanic rock in. I hadn’t known that the western Victorian volcanic district extended this far to the north.

Saw an old, two-storied substantial bluestone house that would have dated from well over a hundred years ago. Still occupied and cared for – good to see.

This stretch was really interesting to travel. It was quite rich looking land, possibly volcanic soils. There was a lot of cropping evident, but I think it was still grain of some kind, We crossed an arm of Cairn Curran Reservoir – which dams the Loddon River for irrigation and town supply – and could see the cone of Mt Tarrengower in the distance.

Crossed a rail line – defunct, of course, once part of quite a dense rail network serving these agricultural areas. Around the 1970’s the State government shut down so much of Victoria’s country railways, citing cost of upkeep and greater convenience of road trucking. I suspect that, if an honest study was done, the cost of road upgrading and upkeep now far outweighs what rail upkeep would have.

Suddenly, we were in Newstead, where the GPS directed us onto the Maldon road. Ah – now I see its logic! That put us on a road we’d explored last year. I would have preferred a virgin route.

Maldon was busy – maybe there were Sunday markets? We didn’t stop and proceeded out of town and past the old dredge we’d visited last year.

Could clearly smell wood smoke and even see smoke lightly lying in hollows. Such a smoky time of the year. I love wood fires, but have to admit that, in these times, they are not really environmentally friendly.

Stopped at Marong to top up the fuel, at an automatic Express diesel place – where it seemed easier than waiting until we were in Bendigo. But John had immense trouble getting his card to work, knowing which buttons to press, and just how to make it all happen. I didn’t have a clue. Maybe it says something about our world today, when two people who hold post-graduate university qualifications, can’t make a bloody fuel bowser go? John became very cross. He did not want to just up and leave, in case he ended up being charged for $50 worth of fuel he didn’t obtain! Eventually it all happened, though neither of us was quite sure how. Then he was worried that we might be charged twice for one lot of fuel! This is not a fuel stop we will repeat when we are up this way – ever! There are a few servos on the road from Bendigo to Heathcote that offer adequate access for a rig our size. The diesel there was $1.299 cpl.

Negotiating our way on the usual route through Bendigo was not too bad, though I think we struck some Mothers’ Day lunch traffic. It was just after midday as we cleared the central part of that city.

I noticed that, between Derrimal and Heathcote, there were kilometres of dying eucalypts on the roadside verges, and wondered what was causing this.

We stopped for lunch at Heathcote, parking as usual on the side street by the entrance to the oval. This place, too, was quite busy. John took Couey for a walk while I went to the bakery, to spend $28 on coffees, pastie and pie for John, egg and lettuce sandwich for me. The bakery always has a large range of pie types and I chose a chunky steak and pepper pie. John decided it was a bot too chunky! Plain ordinary meat pie for him next time! My sandwich was on grain bread and was stuffed full – yummy.

While we sat at one of the roadside tables, near Bus, we saw a caravanner demonstrating why so many people think badly of the species. This clown – a 4WD towing a big Concept van – drove down the side street, did a U-turn, then drove back towards the main street, passing a couple of long empty spaces where he could have parked. He then pulled in, right at the corner with the highway, almost touching the Give Way sign. He was actually protruding a little way into the intersection, and blocking the crossing from the footpath, so proceeded to reverse, forcing a small car that was parked – legally – behind him, to quickly reverse too, so as not to be hit, That car had been there before the clown arrived. Luckily, there was still a driver in it. All for the sake of saving less than fifty metres of walking distance. Arrogant morons like him give caravanners a very bad image. Unfortunately, we have encountered far too many of them on our travels.

By the time we’d finished our leisurely lunch, mister idiot had departed.

Place where idiot driver parked his rig, right across footpath and poking into highway!

Continued on the usual route home. By now, the day had clouded over. Or maybe it was the smoke polluted air around Melbourne? Near Yea, some of the hill tops just poked out through the haze – looked like they were floating.

Thin line of floating hilltops between the trees

Did not need to stop in Yea, which was its usual Sunday busy.

John decided to top up the fuel at the usual servo at Glenburn, so we would have an almost full tank when we head off on the next trip. Here fuel was 3 cents a litre cheaper than at the best-forgotten Marong place. $1.269 cpl.

We came down the range into the autumn colours of the trees and grapevines around Dixons Creek and Yarra Glen, Very pretty. More smoke haze hanging about.

It will be good when (if?) the Yarra Glen bypass actually gets extended across the Yarra River towards Coldstream. The section of road that currently winds across the river flats and takes both the Coldstream and Lilydale back road traffic, is so slow and tedious. It always seems to have more than its share of impatient and idiot drivers, too.

Reached home at 3.30pm.

The usual fairly quick unpack and sorting things out followed – and a bout of clothes washing.

Trip done, I needed to focus on this week’s appointment with a thyroid surgeon and working out what might be going on with the half gland that remains. Back in 1996, a benign enlargement of half the thyroid – a butterfly-shaped gland that lies across the front of the neck – saw its somewhat difficult removal. The resultant scar drew speculative looks for years after – had things really been so dire that I’d tried to cut my throat? When we’d been travelling in Tasmania, John had been known to tell people that the scar showed my Tasmanian ancestry – it was where the second head had been removed!

Once we know what needs to happen, and get it sorted, can start planning the next trip. Maybe somewhere warmer and drier?

STATISTICS

Nights away: 13

Accomm cost: $419.40

Discount gained: $20.60

Fuel cost: $251.29


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2017 Travels May 13

SATURDAY MAY 13     MARYBOROUGH

Again, a lovely day after a cold night.

After the usual morning routine for dog and me, I left her to slumber with John in Bus, and drove to the town centre, ostensibly for the Saturday papers. Parked where John had, yesterday, and walked to the main street. It was not far to the newsagent. As one would expect, the town was busy.

Now that I had time for myself, was the chance for some indulgence. At the quilting shop, I bought three pieces of Japanese style black/grey/glittery fabric. I am gradually building up a collection in these colour tones, that might one day be turned into a quilt.

In the wool shops, which had some superb yarns, I could not resist buying the wools and instruction booklet for the garment in the window, that had caught my eye so strongly yesterday. The proprietor explained the colours she’d used to knit the sample garment and I bought those same colours. The jumper had a textured stitch, the wools were variegated tones, the end effect was irregular stripes. Hard to describe, but looked beautiful. Hopefully, I might get it made for next winter! That indulgence cost me $138. Money into the local economy.

I visited the very good Information Centre and collected a number of pamphlets. There is much emphasis placed on the history, here, and some of the substantial old buildings date from the 1800’s. Maryborough began as a settlement in the gold rushes of the 1850’s. Gold was a local industry until the 1920’s and, of course, with modern metal detectors, the gold hunters have returned. I would keep the information gathered today for a future visit, hopefully not too long away.

I’d heard train whistles at intervals since we’d been here. It sounded like at the park we were not too far from a rail line. I noted that Maryborough has a grand old railway station, dating from the 1890’s – far more substantial and large than the place ever warranted, apparently. Next trip, we will go look.

Maryborough site

John had to get up in a hurry while I was away. The neighbour from the next van was leaving and very nicely wanted John to turn off and move our water hose, so it wasn’t split as he drove over same. So, he’d knocked on our Bus door – and Couey went beserk! Just as she does at home when there is a knock on the door. People can walk around Bus, with no reaction from her, but knocking on the door is a different matter altogether. So John had to get up and deal.

I had a late breakfast. Hadn’t eaten before going shopping, because I need to leave at least half an hour between medication taken first thing, and eating.

I took Couey for a ball game. I walked her on the lead around part of the lake, to a large grassed area beyond the caravan park. I judged it was far enough away from the water, so let her off the lead and threw the ball for her until she’d had enough, signalled by refusal to give it back to me. Purpose accomplished – one tired dog, however temporarily.

Lake Victoria

As we walked back – on lead again – there was a large black swan wandering about. Couey took one look and just about pulled my arm out of its socket – not in the direction of swan, though. Suddenly, she was very anxious to get back to the safety of Bus. Smart dog.

Walk track behind our site

Read the papers until lunchtime, sitting outside in lovely sunshine.

The large bus motorhome by the amenity block was an older, imported American one, showing its age. I could not see a driver’s door at all – it looked like the side entrance was the only way in. Judging from the tradesman’s ute parked at its front, it might be a long term fixture.

John was not in sightseeing mood, but after lunch suggested a walk right round the lake. In one area where there was some parkland, he let dog off lead for a bit of a free range. There were no people anywhere near us. For a little while she ranged quite happily, gradually and sneakily working her way back towards the lake, until eventually, she ignored John’s calls and happily went in for a dip. I knew that would happen!

Beautiful Central Victorian autumn day at Maryborough

After that walk, I sat outside with the drying dog and did some of my Hardanger embroidery, until it got too chilly to stay out there.

John played his WOW game on the laptop for most of the afternoon.

Tea was tinned mushroom soup, chicken and mushroom sausages, fries and egg. The latter two were John’s choices – woe betide that we should eat healthy vegetables!

The night was cold. There was a full-ish moon. It smelt very smoky outside, partly due to wood fires, I thought. Apparently, Melbourne’s air pollution this weekend had been worse than that of Shanghai! A good time to be away in the relatively unpolluted country air.

There was football on TV.


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2017 Travels May 12

FRIDAY MAY 12    WARRACKNABEAL TO MARYBOROUGH   190kms

Another cold night, followed by a nice day. Pretty typical weather for this part of the State at this time of year.

We were away at 9.50am. While we had been packing up, the caretaker was working around the park, cleaning a couple of vacated en-suites. First time we had seen him doing this, although of course he could have been on previous days while we were out.

Morning reflections in Yarriambiallik Creek

Took the highway back towards Donald – same way we’d come the other day. Not far out of Warracknabeal, a car and caravan going the other way, trying to dodge a bumpy section,  got into the gravel at the road side and kicked up a spray of stones, much of which hit the windscreen on my side, and put a star shaped crack in it. Hope this can be repaired at home, without having to have the whole windscreen replaced – technically, it makes Bus unroadworthy!

After Donald, it was onto a new route, for us, to St Arnaud. We were still travelling through sheep and grain growing country. Could see a low range in the distance – maybe the Pyrenees?

The road was absolute rubbish. It was bad enough before Donald, but really dreadful after. There is so much truck traffic, carting grain and fertilizer. The surface was really bumpy and uneven, and there were sections where the road edges were crumbling  badly.

I found it really annoying that, for some of the way, we were travelling alongside a railway, yet there were all these trucks frequently passing us, and no trains. There should be some sort of government intervention forcing these things to be carried by rail and then only by truck for a very short distance from the nearest rail stop to or from the farm concerned.

Quite clearly, State and local governments cannot keep up with the scale and cost of the road repairs that are needed. The answer seems to be to put up “Rough Road” signs!

Out of St Arnaud, the trucks going both ways were bouncing around badly, too – just making matters worse.

Typical Wimmera scene – long, straight road and silos of a small down in the distance

We stopped in St Arnaud for a coffee break. It appeared a pleasant, well-kept small town, somewhat marred by some rough looking, somewhat intimidating youths, hanging about in the gardens area by which we parked. Their presence made us decide not to go out of sight of Bus, but there was a small café nearby that sold me coffees and jam doughnuts.

We sat on a seat near Bus to have these. An older man walking by stopped to comment on the dog. Just another of the many people who comment on her lack of a tail and to whom we have to explain that she was born that way, and that a Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog is an actual distinct breed.

Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog – made this way!

The man was obviously in the mood for a chat and was very talkative about where he had lived and worked in Melbourne, including as it turned out, at Dunlop Rubber at the same time as my father had worked there, in the 1960’s. He certainly would not recognize that area, these days.

Managed to extricate ourselves from our new friend and continued on our way, towards Avoca, on the Sunraysia Highway, so called. John was relying on the GPS for directions, rather than this navigator, but for once machine and I agreed, and after a while we turned off, towards Natte Yallock.

Just after St Arnaud we had driven into an area of hilly scrubby forest, with an unusual speed sign: 70kmh during the dusk to dawn hours. Obviously this was for the protection of both wild life and drivers.

Then we segued back into farm land, but much more undulating country than before, and with a lot more trees.

Natte Yallock was a hamlet of a school, church and a few homes.

Ahead of us, it became very hazy – a combination of smoke, fog and cloud. We’d heard on the radio that Melbourne was subject to a poor air quality warning today, and this seemed to have spread north of the Divide for some way.

Maryborough is a larger town, of some 8000 people, with a layout that reflects its origins as a gold mining town. It proved easy, though, to find our way to the Maryborough Caravan Park, mostly on a road that skirted the edge of town. Reached there at 1pm.

We took a powered site and were charged $28 a night, after a $4 Seniors discount.

Our allocated site was a pleasant one, albeit rather well-used and bare, backing onto a bank, beyond which was Lake Victoria. Another body of water for the swamp dog! The site was slightly sloping, but parking nose in meant that, at night, our heads would be “uphill”, so we did not bother with the levellers.

The park had a new amenity block in the individual bathroom style, but we were closest to the older, conventional block, so used that. It was well set up and clean. The park seemed fairly full. There were a lot of permanent residents, but a fair number of tourist sites also.

At Reception, we had seen a lot of displayed photos of gold nuggets that park patrons had metal detected in the region, so no prizes for guessing why some of the visitors were here.

There was no water tap to our site. John had to lay the hose across a neighbouring site to reach the tap that served our site. Not the best arrangement, as the occupants of the next site had no choice but to drive over our hose. There were no sullage points either, but a notice that Council rules forbade sullage hoses being run on to the ground, that buckets or containers had to be used and emptied into dump points. However, all the vans around us had their hoses emptying onto the ground at the back of their sites. There was a CMCA type dump point by the amenity block, but it had a sign that only toilet cassettes and similar were to be emptied into it. I never did find a place where sullage waste was to be dumped. We did as the neighbours were doing!

Maryborough site – and hose arrangement

As soon as we arrived on site, were investigated by some busy ducks, but they wisely gave the tethered dog a wide berth. She knows that “birdies” of all descriptions are supposed to be off limits, but was no doubt hoping, as she watched them closely, that one might be tempted to stray too close and she could have some fun.

After set up and lunch, drove to find a Woolworths, as I needed milk and some salad makings. Whilst there, John decided he wanted skinless franks and hash browns for tea, so I bought those too.

I had to visit a chemist to try to get some dressings for a sore that had developed on my leg. John and dog waited in the car, in a parking area behind the main street. By now, it was after school hours, and the town was quite busy. On my walk to and fro, saw some interesting shops, one with quilting materials and another selling knitting wool. This had a really eye-catching knitted jumper on display in the window. The Information Centre was nearby, too, but out of consideration for John waiting in the car, I was very strong and kept walking past all of these.

Back at Bus, John took Couey for a walk on the very attractive lake circuit path. Of course, as soon as he let her off the lead, she was straight into the lake! John thought it was funny, so he got handed the pile of old towels and left to do the drying session alone. That took ages because she has a really thick double coat.

John’s meal was enjoyable, if not healthy!  I had salad and tinned fish.

Football featured on the evening’s TV. John was quite happy with the picture quality here.

On a sort-of site, right next to the clothes lines of the amenity block, there was a really long bus type of motorhome parked – too big for the normal sites. It occurred to me that backing it in there must have been a challenging exercise.

We had not visited Maryborough before, so this short stay would give us a bit of an idea whether it would be worth coming back for a longer visit. The caravan park was one I’d certainly return to – provided we could get one of these “back” sites and not one of those against the road at the front – open, noisy.


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2017 Travels May 11

THURSDAY MAY 11     WARRACKNABEAL

Last night was another cold one, but it became a nice day.

John slept in again.

Have to say that I didn’t like these mornings where it was so cold that I couldn’t sit outside to have my breakfast while listening to morning ABC radio, but must lurk inside for the sake of warmth, tippytoeing about and being silent.

John eventually got going and took himself off to the agricultural machinery museum. He was gone for a couple of hours.

I had lunch alone, outside, and enjoyed sitting in the sunshine. Read for a while, then took Couey walking.

Yarriambiallik Creek at Warracknabeal Caravan Park

According to John, the machinery museum display was well worth seeing – if one is interested in that sort of thing!

The caravan park really filled up this afternoon, relatively speaking, with about eight tourist rigs in.

Unpowered sites backing onto the creek

Tea was ham steaks, fries and eggs. I don’t like the commercial, manufactured ham steaks, and make my own by buying a piece of hickory smoked boneless ham and cutting slabs from it to cook.

Watched some TV, but, as usual, I got sleepy early and went to bed.

Our travels around Warracknabeal


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2017 Travels May 10

WEDNESDAY MAY 10     WARRACKNABEAL

John slept in until about 11am. I couldn’t really blame him as it had been a really cold night and the morning was initially so sold. If it hadn’t been for the needs of the dog, I would have stayed much longer under my warm doona too.

After we eventually got going, drove north on the Henty Highway for about 20kms, to Brim.

The painted silos installation here, completed in December 2015, was the first to be done in Victoria, but not in Australia, because some had been completed a few months earlier in WA.

The artist here was Guido Van Helten. The theme was a tribute to farmers.

Brim Painted Silos

A theme seemed to be emerging of these silo works paying homage to some aspect of their community, be it original people, pioneering farmers, district youth. I would be interested to see what subject matter would emerge for the planned new silo art works at Lascelles and Rosebery.

The Silos being painted

I liked this Brim work, just as I had that at Sheep Hills.

There were information boards placed in the parking area across the road from the silos.

Information board at silos

We were not alone, with several other people there viewing the work, too. The silos were certainly bringing visitors to the region, or keeping them here longer.

We then drove around through the little hamlet of Brim, which still had some operating businesses.

I wanted to look at the Redda Park camping ground here, that has been refurbished and kept cheap enough to attract travellers.

Bush camping area at Redda Park Brim

We found a very pleasant area. Parking bays carved from the bush, beside a lake formed in the creek. There were plenty of low mallee trees about. Some of the bays had power poles, but it seemed to me that one might need to get here early in the day to snaffle one of those.

One of the powered camping bays

There were basic amenities in a steel building, plus a BBQ and play area. All very well done. It seemed the charge was $10 a night.

BBQ and play area at Redda Park camp

We were very impressed and thought in many ways it was nicer than where we were at Warracknabeal, though John really does prefer to have an en-suite site when he can, these days.

A weir across the Yarriambiallik Creek has formed a lake. We walked through the campground and along the lake for a short way. Dog was kept very firmly on her lead, much to her disgust.

Yarriambialik Creek by Redda Park campground

A set of display boards gave information about the 2011 floods of the area, the largest ever at Brim. Last year’s flood event was much lower.

Information board about 2011 floods at Brim

Photo displayed on the Information board, showing floods

We drove back to Warracknabeal. I needed to get milks at the IGA and while I was doing that, John snuck off and bought himself a pie at the bakery.

By the time we got back to Bus, and I could get myself some lunch, it was 3.30pm. That was far too late for a midday meal. We really needed to do things differently – like get up earlier? Take a packed lunch even on short trips?

Relaxed for the remainder of the afternoon. John played WOW on his laptop. I took Couey for a long walk along the creek path – on the lead! She had seemed to have an upset stomach this morning. I blamed the creek water ingested on yesterday’s frolic. So She is not going back in there.

An unusual rig came into the park today. Perhaps a bit of a battler? He had an old station wagon, towing some sort of small commercial van that had been made into a camper. I wondered how legal it was?

Tea was steak, mushrooms, fries.

Watched more Masterchef on TV. Quite a juxtaposition – sitting in my very basic Bus kitchen seeing the contestants in their kitchen equipped with every cooking gadget one could think of, and many I’d never encountered in real life!