This Adventurous Age

Adventures travelling and working around Australia.


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2016 Travels April 23

SATURDAY APRIL 23     POREPUNKAH

Until today, all our riverside walks with dog have been westwards, along a track on the bank, towards Porepunkah. This morning, I went the other way. It was not so obvious, from the park, that there was a track in that direction. Dog and I found it was a nicer walk than the one we had been doing. It followed a line of bushland, between the river and the back fences of the houses that front the main road. Those houses have a great location, with back access to the river. Some of them would appear to have water rights from the Ovens too – I saw a couple of places where pumps had been set up.

Because all the smells were novel, and because there were several places where she could look yearningly at the river, dog went further than was usual on these morning walks, so it was a good long one. But eventually, thoughts of breakfast intruded and she refused to go any further- as was the norm.

I thought about driving into Bright to buy the Saturday papers, then thought of the crowds that would be there, and decided to go without. Last time we’d been here, we’d gone to the markets at Wandiligong. I wasn’t keen on going this time, knowing that we’d have to park a long way from the action and then carry any purchases the long way back.

So, it was another lazy day round camp.

The colours of autumn

With hindsight, it might have been better to have left yesterday morning, before the hordes descended on the place – and before the nightly rate went up!

I sat out in the sun, read, and worked on the blanket. Occasionally, I had to glare and growl at little brats who came running through the site, taking a short cut back to their cabin. At that stage, Couey was inside Bus with John. I didn’t want to have her tethered outside, as just her size and blackness would have scared said brats. I was very tempted, but didn’t want anyone complaining that dog had frightened them – just by being. Or coming off their speeding bikes in fright – though, again, the thought was tempting.

A new set of occupants set up on the vacant site on our awning side. An offroad camper trailer. Family, with two young children, and grandparents in a caravan on a more distant site. The camper trailer took them ages to set up – far longer than a caravan would have. Very fiddly. The children were much better behaved and supervised than those of the trail biking/camp kitchen drinking variety.

In less crowded times

In the afternoon, took Couey for a walk in the new direction. I wanted to show John this more enjoyable track. It also had the benefit that all the camp brats seemed to go  the other, more obvious way along the river.

We found a place where Couey could have some stick fetching fun in the river for a while. Then kept going. Unfortunately, around a bend there was a man standing knee deep in the middle of the river, fly fishing. Dog was instantly into the stream, to join in this great new game with the big stick! The fisherman was not impressed – he did not share Couey’s view that he was her new best friend. Probably neither did any trout that may have been in the vicinity. We managed to call her back to us and found a new place, further upstream, where she could play.

Back at camp, the several sets of parents of the bratty little kids had  re-occupied the camp kitchen and were having a drinking session. The kids got more tired and more noisy – and my temper got shorter. By great contrast, the various offspring of our Indian neighbours were so well behaved and civilized.

We had steaks with peppercorn sauce for tea.

TV football again in the evening. Our neighbours had their gathering around their fire brazier. It was a really cold night.


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2016 Travels April 22

FRIDAY APRIL 22     POREPUNKAH

Cooler today, but the rain had gone.

The first part of the morning was lazy. After my breakfast and coffee, sitting outside, I read for a while. John had a long sleep in. Dog elected to join him in Bus – after I’d done her morning walk, of course.

Then, it was moving day for us. Carried our gear over to the site diagonally behind, then put in the awning and moved Bus around there. I confined Couey – and her loud complaining that we might be going somewhere without her – to the Terios. Nicely muffled.

The new site was better than the one we’d been on, in terms of size. We were now no longer on a corner, with vehicles and vans coming too close to the front corner of Bus. There was more room for the car, and the dog.

New site

The down side was that we were right under some lovely big trees, busily dropping autumn leaves in great volume.

After setting up again, just lazed around for much of the day. John spent time on his laptop. I did some crochet. Not long before we came away, I received a parcel of wool from Bendigo. The crochet patchwork blanket that I’d made, a while ago, for the younger grandson, had been so well received that I had been asked to make a similar one for the family to gift to an expectant friend. We’d agreed they would buy the wool and I’d do the work. I was happy to have the project.

New site before we moved – and before the holiday influx

Around lunch time, new occupants arrived for the site we’d vacated. It appeared they were rather novice campers, as they fuffled around putting  up a brand new tent, trying to work around the cement slab. John took pity on the man who was trying to hammer in tent pegs with a small rock, and took across our block hammer for him to use. It was appreciated.

They turned out to be the advance guard of a group of families – all sub-continental – who arrived, one lot at a time, through till about 9pm. With one exception, they proceede3d to put up tents, occupying seven sites on three sides of us. Almost surrounded! One family occupied a cabin opposite, the man making comments to the others to the effect that camping was not for him – somewhat less politely than this, though. The group set up a gazebo, and a fire brazier – the latter on the site next to us. They were all very nice people but – as one of them said to us, later – “Indians are noisy people.”

The en-suite site next to us was empty overnight.

Mid-afternoon, John felt like a drive, so we set off up the Buckland Valley. More superb autumn tree displays. Apple orchards too, extending towards the flank of Mt Buffalo, in the distance.

Buckland Valley road

We eventually drove out of the farmed parts of the valley and into native forest. Crossed a bridge over the little Buckland River, but did not go much beyond that, after the road turned unsealed. Eventually, this track beside the Buckland River heads up into the Barry Range and onto the High Plains, but this was not an occasion for adventurous rough driving. We backtracked.

Mt Buffalo from Buckland Valley

At Porepunkah, took the Back Germantown Road, that follows the northern side of the Ovens River to beyond Bright. Turned right by Bright and crossed the Ovens River bridge to the main part of town.

Ovens Valley farmland

Located the pizza shop that would provide tonight’s tea. Its menu was amongst the material I’d previously collected at the Visitor Centre. It looked nicely extensive.

Bright

The town was really busy, already.

I did a quick pick up of a couple of items at the supermarket, then we went back to camp, in time for Couey’s afternoon walk and play in the river.

Between Bright and the caravan park, the traffic coming towards us and Bright was a line worthy of peak hour in Melbourne!

The Autumn Festival events began tonight. It was also the start of the long weekend.

New arrivals in the park included some campers who had brought in quad bike type machines on the backs of utes and on trailers. There was a group with lots of trail bikes between them, too. Clearly, the forest trails and fire access tracks in the surrounding mountains were in for a massive assault over the coming days.

By late afternoon, the noise levels in the hitherto peaceful park had risen greatly. And we remembered why we liked to avoid popular places at holiday times! The motorized monstrosities seemingly had to all be turned on to see if they had somehow stopped working since leaving home. Actually, it seemed more like a “mine is louder than yours” competition.

On top of these, and these chatter of the Indians, there were several families with numbers of young children – too many of whom were tearing around the places on bikes. Unfortunately, not all of the kids had been educated in camp ground manners, about things like running through any site they felt like.

The group of trail bike riders had laid claim to the camp kitchen, congregating there to sit round drinking and talking – not cooking – in such a way to make it impossible for others to use it for doing a BBQ or other cooking. Yes – holidays bring forth the worst sort of fellow campers.

John tried to phone our order through to the pizza place, but the phone stayed busy. In the end, he decided to just go and get our meal, and put up with a wait. I wanted a puttanesca pizza and John a hot and spicy one. He had to wait in the very busy shop for nearly half an hour, before collecting them. It cost $43 for the two – of a size I would call medium. They were rather too thinly topped for my liking, especially given the price. The base sauce appeared to just be tomato paste, smeared on – there was lots of it visible between the meagre bits of topping – and only a very light scattering of cheese on my pizza. I think making our own pizzas at home has rather spoiled us for the commercial product.

John phoned a friend from teacher college days, who lives near Bendigo, to see if we could go visit him and park at his place on Sunday. Disappointingly, he wouldn’t be home. So we decided to just make our way home again on Sunday.

John watched football on TV, after dinner. I went to bed early, and read for a while. The background noise of the TV did not keep me awake for long. All this fresh mountain air tires me out!

We both had indigestion through the night.


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2016 Travels April 21

THURSDAY APRIL 21     POREPUNKAH

Today was cooler. We’d had rain through the night and some showers this morning.

I find it very cosy, lying in bed in Bus, listening to rain on the roof, knowing we do not have to worry about it leaking, as was always the case with the van, after that incredibly incompetent RV solar power “expert” wrecked the roof for us.

First site

Daughter’s birthday today. She had texted me on Tuesday to say that the card and gift I’d sent her from home, had arrived. This morning, I texted her extra birthday wishes.

After last night’s bottle of wine, we decided to leave early enough to call in at Michelini at Myrtleford and stock up on some more of their merlot.

Hops growing near Myrtleford

The Michelini cellar outlet was on the western outskirts of Myrtleford – a newish-looking establishment, somewhat Tuscan in appearance.

The Michelini story is an interesting one: post WW2 migration to Australia, hard work, an eye for opportunity and courage to grasp same. In 1970 the founder moved to the area to grow tobacco, but noted climatic similarities to his home region of the Italian Alps. This prompted him to try growing cool climate grape varieties from there, presumably initially for private consumption. But the venture grew, the times were right, and the first commercial vintage happened in 1997.

We found their range of wines not as extensive as that of Browns – would not have expected it to be –  but it covered reds and some whites. Although we knew what we’d come for, we did taste a couple of other wines, for future reference. Bought a dozen of their Devils Creek merlot, which was only $10 a bottle, which we found unreal. And we were given a bonus extra bottle. Joined their Wine Club, which meant that shipping our dozen home was free. I didn’t think we would have any trouble buying the dozen bottles a year that the membership entails! We took our bonus bottle away with us. What a find!

Old kilns repurposed, Myrtleford

Drove on to Beechworth. The town was teeming with tourists and so busy. We were lucky and found a parking spot virtually outside the Beechworth Bakery – our meeting place for lunch.

Decided Couey would have to stay in the car. Originally I’d thought that we might be able to eat at one of the footpath tables outside, and have her with us, but it was a bit chilly and there were too many people crowding past them.

Instead we were immediately lucky inside, and found a booth to sit at. The place was humming. I think a couple of tour buses had deposited their clientele nearby and sent them in the Bakery direction.

I found the lack of a system for dealing fairly with such numbers disappointing. There was a queue, of sorts, to one side, with four or five people serving, but a number of people just walked straight in and up to the counter, ahead of those who were queueing. They should have had some sort of take and number and wait to be called system.

Yet again, the pasty option was a vegetarian one! Yet again, John resorted to the old carnivorous standby of pepper pie. I had a roasted vegetable focaccia, which was excellent.

Over lunch and a couple of coffees, we had a good catch-up talk with my friend. The three of us then collected Couey from the car and took her for a walk, down past the bowls club, to a grassy area where she could have an off-lead run. Friend is a dog person, about to acquire a chocolate Labrador puppy. She was very taken with our girl.

After a very enjoyable few hours, drove back to camp the way we had come, via Myrtleford. It was a pretty drive, as they all are around here, at this time of year. By the time we’d lunched and talked and walked, it was too late to go exploring further afield. Yackandandah would have to wait for another day.

Near Myrtleford

Couey had another riverside walk and play in the river.

John had fancied more bread and Milawa cheeses for tea, so had bought himself a fresh bread roll at Beechworth. I had soup and a salad – and some cheese.

Friend F from Griffith phoned. They had been travelling, with their van,  in WA and stumbled across a Hino bus that had been partly converted to a motorhome, and was for sale at a bargain price. Obviously, F had been impressed by our Bus lifestyle when we’d camped with them a few years back, because they bought it. They had just driven it back to NSW, had it checked over and registered there, then flew back to WA to resume their van trip north to Newman, Karijini and across the Top End. Sounded to me like they’d gotten a bargain.


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2016 Travels April 20

WEDNESDAY APRIL 20     POREPUNKAH

It was another lovely day, with more sight seeing. There was some cloud build up through the day, though.

We set out to drive over the range via the Tawonga Gap, and make a circuit back to Porepunkah. This would take us from the Ovens Valley, over to the Kiewa River valley, and back.

Refuelled the Terios at Bright. No one can accuse these travellers of not spending money locally!

Spent some more at the Snow Farms roadside stall, located at the corner of the Alpine Road and the Tawonga Gap road. A very strategic position. John initially stopped because he wanted to buy some chestnuts. Seems it was chestnut season. These are a product I know little about, except that I tried one years ago and did not like it. He seemed confident that he knew how to prepare and eat them, though. We also bought a couple of half kilo bags of walnuts in the shell – good sized ones, some local Pink Lady and Jonathan apples, and a lot of local garlic. That is something I use a lot of, and much prefer to have the Australian grown product that has not been chemically treated. Overall, a good haul.

Onto the winding, steadily climbing Gap Road. The Terios really handled the hilly, winding roads well. Might be a little car, but it really punches above its weight in terms of versatility.

Tawonga Gap road

Came across a wallaby on the road that appeared as if it had just been hot by a vehicle. A couple of cars had just passed us, heading towards Bright. The poor thing was distressed and had a gaping wound under a front leg. When we slowed the car, it hopped off towards the scrub. There wasn’t anything we could do, except leave it in peace and hope it recovered. At least it was off the road. It put a dampener on our mood though.

Had a couple of stops at lookouts.

At Tawonga Gap

The first one gave detail of the building of the Tawonga Gap road – a slightly unusual history. In the late 1890’s, farmers around Tawonga, in the Kiewa valley, wanted a road built across the range so they could get their produce to the railway at Bright. A deal was done that saw the Bright Shire build the road, after a section of the Yackandandah Shire was separated off and given to Bright. The new road opened in 1896.

Plaque at lookout

There were great views over the Kiewa valley, with its string of little villages along the valley length.

The Kiewa River valley

A short distance further on, another lookout gave us views over Mt Beauty township towards Mt Bogong.

View across the valley towards Mt Bogong

 It really is beautiful country, though winters can be so cold. Daughter worked a few snow seasons at Mt Beauty, over twenty years ago now. Her seasonal job in a ski hire shop dovetailed nicely with her equally seasonal job in an outdoor education camp facility, that closed down over winters.

Mt Beauty township

The trip down the range to the valley was much shorter than the trip up the western side had been.

Think we had a total lapse of focus when we reached the Kiewa Valley Highway. Intended to visit Tawonga South and Mt Beauty, and so should have turned right. But something distracted us and John went left. We were kilometres further on before it occurred to me. Too far to back track. Next time…

Down in the valley…

This morning, we’d discussed including Yackandandah on the round trip. But John thought we could tour that, and Beechworth, on another day. He wanted to head straight to Myrtleford – and a pasty lunch! He was also very keen to visit a machinery sales place he’d noticed there, to find out the price of a little machine that is a combined mower and baby front-end loader. A boy’s toy. He was justifying his interest by saying that it would move rocks for the rock walls he was contemplating rebuilding. News to me! So we took the Happy Valley road to Myrtleford. This was a much less hilly and winding road than the Tawonga Gap one.

On the Happy Valley road

At the Myrtleford Bakery – no pasties! So John bought a pepper pie. The shop sold focaccias filled to order, but just about all their filling containers were empty. It was only 1.15pm too. I got them to scrabble together a cheese, ham and pineapple focaccia from what was left in the containers. It was alright – just. John thinks I am too fussy about lunches. But pastry items play havoc with my gut, and I really dislike claggy white bread.

The machine John was coveting turned out to cost $21,000. He will not be getting one of those! The subject was promptly dropped – forever.

Back to Bus. A Couey walk and river games filled in what remained of the afternoon. At one point she got into a bit of a current in the river, and had to swim and battle a bit, but didn’t panic. She loved it all.

Tea was the same as last night. There was plenty of the bread loaf left, and it was only slightly stale.

I phoned a friend and former work colleague who now lives in Wodonga, and we arranged to meet in Beechworth tomorrow, at midday, for lunch.

On these cold nights, the Bus beds were really cosy and warm to sleep in, despite being a bit on the narrow side.

The area surrounding Porepunkah


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2016 Travels April 19

TUESDAY APRIL 19     POREPUNKAH

Usual morning routine for dog and me. It was so pleasant sitting outside with my breakfast and coffee, looking at the brilliant tree display, that I wasn’t worried how late John slept.

We set out to visit the Milawa area, home to lots of food and wine-related establishments.

It meant driving some sixty kms, each way, but that was a pleasure with the weather and scenery as it was.

Pleasant driving through the Ovens River valley

Amongst the information that I’d liberated from the visitor centre in Bright was a promo leaflet that listed lots of cheese and wine outlets, and showed their locations on mud map type diagrams.

Milawa Cheeses was an appealing sounding place to start today’s explorations, so I attempted to direct John there. We overshot the road leading there, it seemed, despite my best navigational efforts. Did a U-ey. Thought I’d read the map wrongly. But then realized that, somehow, the maps were like mirror images. What they showed as being on the left of the road was actually on the right. Milawa Cheeses was not on the Oxley side of Milawa, as the map indicated. Totally confusing.

We eventually found the place, up its side road. It was a bigger establishment than I’d expected and was doing a roaring lunch service. Diners were eating on a covered outdoor area, screened from the driveway by lush, hanging grapevines, now turning deep red. It was really lovely. I was so busy admiring the place that I didn’t think to take a photo, for which I kicked myself later.

The lunch menu looked interesting. Most items featured their cheeses, in some form. There were several unusual pizza offerings too. The place was also a bakery, with bread and items like pies. As we’d started out rather late, it was lunch time already and John would have eaten lunch there, had they stocked a meat and vegie pastie, instead of purely a vegie one. The man had his heart set on a “proper” pastie for lunch. I bought a vegetarian focaccia, anyway, to take away for my lunch. Got to get the sort of things I like when I can!

We sampled a range of their cheeses and bought several yummy wedges, including a beautifully runny Brie. John indulged his taste with a piece of their blue cheese; he would be eating that alone. It smelled out the Bus fridge for the rest of the trip, until it was all consumed. Like old shoes – powerful stuff!

He also bought a couple of goats milk cheeses – not to my taste, either. We bought a little cooler bag, with ice, to carry it all in – an extra $10.

Since it was already looking like tonight’s dinner would be cheeses, I bought some suitably artisan looking bread from the bakery section.

Near Milawa

Proceeded on to Milawa township, looking for the bakery there. It was next to a shop selling olive products, amongst other tourist-geared items. Sampled some local olive oils and bought one very flavoursome one – destined for bread dipping. Yum. Also bought a vacuum pack of assorted local olives, ranging from tiny green ones through to plump kalamata ones.

Alas for John, the bakery too only had vegie pasties, so he bought a pepper pie. We sat out in the car park, eating our lunches. I found there was a bit too much olive paste on my focaccia, otherwise it was really enjoyable.

Cruised slowly past the little Milawa Caravan Park and decided it would be adequate for an overnighter, if we want to make a quick “food” raid at some time in the future. It would certainly be convenient.

Our next, and final, stop was at the iconic Brown Brothers Wines, with its beautiful grounds and interesting old buildings. We had not intended originally to come here, but since it is so much a part of the development of Milawa as a gourmet centre, it seemed somehow wrong to miss it.

The first Brown’s vineyard and winery dates from the 1880’s.

Historic machinery display at Brown Brothers Winery

We sampled some of their wide range of wines and, of course, ended up buying half a dozen bottles, even though I had a sneaking suspicion that our local supermarket would match, or even better, the cellar door prices here. John liked their Moscato Rose and included three of those. I chose the Tempranillo Graciano.

It is really interesting to note how many new varieties of grape/wine have come out of this region in recent years – due to its migrant heritage and wine making tradition. Browns have been well involved with this, but not the only winemakers to work at broadening the Australian palate.

Grounds at Brown Brothers

It was time to go back to camp, before we dented the plastic even more.

I did notice that, over the road from Brown Brothers, was a pleasant looking 24 hour RV park, for self contained vehicles. What a great idea. I bet it promotes sampling and purchases. There were a few motorhomes parked there, too, and it was still quite early in the afternoon.

As we drove back, talked about the decline of the tobacco growing industry that used to dominate the Ovens Valley. It was ten years since tobacco growing ceased, with government buy out of growing quotas in 2006. The signs of decline had probably been there for a couple of decades, in part due to the rise of anti-smoking sentiment. There was decreased government support for the industry and encouragement of research into alternative products for the region. In the end it became a familiar story in the Australian context: the overseas companies still making cigarettes preferred to use cheaper tobacco from other places.

Victorian Alps in the distance

The many corrugated iron drying sheds that occur all along the valley are a reminder of the tobacco industry days.

We saw some farms growing hops, on tall trellises. Now, I don’t think the product made from hops is going to decrease in demand any time soon!

Couey, who had spent most of the Milawa trip in the car, was rewarded with a walk along the riverside track, and a play in the river.

Tea was good crusty bread, olive oil and cheeses. Sooo delicious…. With it we drank a bottle of Devils Creek merlot that we’d bought on Sunday from a display in the park office. That was made by Michelini Wines at Myrtleford, who we’d never heard of. After sampling the product, we promised ourselves to visit there before we left the district.


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2016 Travels April 18

MONDAY APRIL 18     POREPUNKAH

Last night, after we had relaxed and absorbed some of the atmosphere here, John said he wouldn’t mind extending our stay here longer, maybe even for all of our available time. Seems the idea of packing up and moving further on had lost its appeal. I wasn’t upset by this – I like it here, too, and could always file away the Corryong area for another time.

So after the usual morning dog walk – along the riverside path towards Porepunkah village – I checked with the office. Found we could extend on our current site until Thursday, but on Friday would have to move sites. Even then, could only stay until Sunday morning. Fair enough and actually a bit of a surprise. We hadn’t realized it until our arrival, but the annual Autumn Festival, in nearby Bright, begins on Friday. So accommodation in these parts would be at a real premium. Our site fees would be higher for Friday and Saturday, jumping to $58.50 a night after discount. Still, we counted ourselves lucky to manage a week here.

The day was another beautiful, sunny, warm one.

We drove into Bright. Went to the Information Centre. There, of course, John enquired about bowls and was told of a couple of occasions when he could play, during our planned time here. I, of course, collected some sightseeing information. I bought a jar of local crab apple jelly, to give to our flat tenant for keeping an eye on our place.

John was attracted to a chocolate making establishment in old of the old buildings in the river side precinct and went to investigate. He was hoping there might be a tour and demonstration, but not today. He managed to leave the place without buying any of their product – well done, him.

Bright Chocolate Factory

We parked the Terios down by the Ovens River, in central Bright.

Ovens River in Bright

Couey was soooo anxious to investigate the water, so we let her off the lead at the river’s edge – and she was in. She splashed and cavorted and chased sticks and generally had a great time.

Dog in there

Then we walked around some of the shopping centre, drying out dog, looking in windows, checking out what was there. The area was quite busy.

Everywhere we looked, there were trees in glorious autumn colours – and plenty of fallen leaves about too.

We were standing outside a bakery, trying to work out where to walk next, when a lady asked if this was the only bakery in town? We must have looked like locals – maybe it was the wet dog with us? She said that she and her husband had been recommended to go to the bakery on the edge of town, but they weren’t sure if this was it. She then went on to explain that they were rather wary about where they obtained food here. They had been up to Mt Hotham for a drive and had seen a man lying underneath his caravan, there. He was really ill from food poisoning. Told her he was in the region for a wedding and had eaten at an hotel in Bright. He was too ill to continue driving, and his wife did not drive the rig, so they were rather stranded. Our lady’s husband had offered to drive their rig down the mountain, because she could drive their car. But the sick man and wife dithered around and couldn’t make up their minds what to do, so the people we were talking to had left them to it. When you hear about something like that, it does make you think twice about where you eat.

I took a photo of a sign under a big pine tree: “Beware of large falling cones”. Couey has a passion for finding pine cones and carrying them as we walk, but the area under the tree was without any booty for her.

Stand under at own risk

John was in a mood to explore, so we drove out the Alpine Road, towards Harrietville.

Went into a salmon and trout farm that we came upon, where one can catch their own trout, as well as buy the products. There was a family there, of Middle Eastern appearance, trying their luck in one of the ponds and seeming rather frustrated by the process. John was not inclined to try the fishing. I do not eat trout, anyway – to me it is akin to eating river mud with lots of added bones. Cannot see the appeal. With our recent conversation outside the bakery in mind, I was not tempted into buying any of the salmon pate, or other offerings, so we left again. The shop and office had been unattended anyway.

On the way back to Bright, detoured to have a quick look at the caravan park at Freeburgh. Friend M usually stays there, with friends, for two or three weeks, every summer, and loves the place. We decided that it looked quite pleasant, and it was dog friendly too. Would tuck that one away in the future reference mental file, although I don’t think we could do much better than where we are.

I did a quick trip into a supermarket for some olive oil and a jar of sweet and sour sauce.

Had a late lunch back at Bus, then we took dog for a walk along the riverbank track, towards Porepunkah village. Managed to keep her from trying to clamber down the steep banks to the water, though she clearly wanted to go exploring same. Told her she’d had her water “fix” this morning.

Tea was a chicken sweet and sour stir fry, and rice.

John tried to phone a friend from home, who was holidaying in Bright, with a mind to playing bowls together. But there was not answer.

The nights here were chilly, but Bus was cosy enough, without needing the heater.


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2016 Travels April 17

SUNDAY APRIL 17    HOME TO POREPUNKAH     305kms

John wanted to take another short trip before having more surgery, scheduled for the end of April – the 28th.

That date limited the time we had available. Unfortunately, the time also overlapped with Anzac Day, this year falling on a Monday and thus creating a long weekend. Usually, we avoid school holidays and long weekends like the plague, but it couldn’t be helped, this time. Maybe it wouldn’t be as busy as we feared? Decided that returning home on Tuesday 26 would avoid some of the worst holiday weekend traffic, at least.

A goal for some time had been to explore along the Murray River, from its upper reaches to the sea. We had already covered some sections, but there were plenty more to go. So the thought was to spend the eight or nine days we had available to us, this time, visiting the upper Murray. I had in mind Corryong, Yackandandah, and maybe one other place.

Plans, as usual, were made for amending…

John decreed that we would not rush to be ready to leave early, but would take our time and maybe only aim to reach Yea for our first night. This was code for wanting to play bowls on Saturday and leave his packing until Sunday!

It also enabled me to make a roast lamb dinner for M, on her birthday. We’d invited her along on our planned short trip, but she had other things to do. She didn’t even mention the idea of further travel with us to C!

In the event, we left, without any dramas, at 11.50am.

The day was gorgeous – sunny, just warm enough, blue sky with little cloud. One of the glorious autumn days that Victoria does so well.

We took the usual route north towards Yea.

Refuelled at Glenburn. $1.045 cpl.

In Yea, the many deciduous trees were making a brilliant autumn show of red and gold leaves. Autumn burning off made it fairly hazy in the area.

As it was only early afternoon, we kept going. Took the “back” way, for something different – via Merton and Bonnie Doon, to Benalla. This made a change from the usual route to Seymour and up the Hume Freeway.

Track cutting on hillside beyond Yea

Being Sunday, there was plenty of weekend traffic on the roads. Near Yarck, there was a sign indicating radar speed checking from a helicopter. I didn’t know they could do that! Gives a new meaning to “Eye in the sky”. I thought the sign might be counter-intuitive for road safety, with drivers peering upwards for helicopters and not looking at the road?

Yea area

At Bonnie Doon, below the bridge that spans what is sometimes an arm of Eildon Reservoir, there was only a small trickle of water. Lake Eildon was again down to about a third full. This is bad news for water sports enthusiasts and tourism-based businesses.

I had packed us a healthy salad lunch before leaving. We stopped at Lake Nillahcootie Park for our lunch break. This was a great place for a stop. Plenty of room to park, toilets, picnic tables, and we were able to give Couey a good off-lead run. She clearly was very interested by the lake, but we were parked just far enough away from the water to deter her from running off to sample it.

Lake Nillahcootie park

The Lake Nillahcootie water level was also somewhat down, but there were some people fishing and doing other boat based things.

Lake Nillahcootie

As we ate lunch, discussed a possible destination for the night, as we were clearly well past Yea! I suggested maybe having two or three nights at Porepunkah, thinking that the autumn colours displays would be brilliant in that area now, if what we’d seen to date, today, was any guide. We had stayed at a caravan park there in 2011, and liked it, so I phoned to see if they could fit us in. Yes, they’d just had a cancellation for an en-suite site and could do three nights. Good.

2.45 when we left Lake Nillahcootie. That had been a late lunch.

Cloud building over Lake Nillahcootie

As we continued north, began noticing a cumulus cloud build-up over the distant mountains – a nice contrast with the surrounding blue sky.

Took the Hume Freeway from Benalla to Wangaratta, then the Ovens Valley Highway, east through Myrtleford, arriving at Porepunkah at 4.20pm. Nice timing.

The drive along the Ovens valley was lovely, with superb autumn colours displays. The early settlers in that region planted so many European trees – poplars, oak, claret ash, in particular.

Our en-suite site at the Porepunkah Pines Caravan Park cost $48.60 a night, after discount. Our site had a cement slab. The bathroom was clean, with bathmat, hand towel and soap provided – not items one always gets in these places. This park has a very good camp kitchen/BBQ area, and an attractive pool complex.

Camp kitchen at the park

While we were setting up, a car cruised through the park, selling local berries and walnuts. I bought a kilo of walnuts in the shell, for $10. The raspberries were really tempting, but were in frozen packs that were too big for my freezebox. The lady said she’d be round again on Wednesday, with fresh berries then.

After setting up, took Couey for a short walk, across the nearby suspension bridge over the Ovens River – pedestrians only – and along a track through the scrub on the other side of the river.

When we were here in 2011, Couey was only five months old and we’d only had her a month or so. She was still extremely timid about any new experience. It took us days, then, to persuade her to walk across the suspension bridge. Now, she charged across ahead of us!

One of the several attractions of this park is having tracks along the river where she can free range when we walk her. And, yes, from her viewpoint, free range into the river!

Had an abbreviated happy hour, sitting outside Bus, luxuriating in the surrounds.

Tea was cold roast lamb, left over from the special roast dinner I’d made last night, for friend M’s birthday. I used the camp kitchen microwave to cook asparagus and zucchini to go with the meat. This morning, I’d picked a lot of small zucchini from the plants at home and brought some of those away with us.

We were both really tired, and were in bed by 9.30pm. Unheard of, for John!


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2016 Travels April

2016 TRAVELS     APRIL

We bunkered down for the craziness that was Easter in this part of the world, where many Melburnians attempt to escape from the crowded metropolis only to find themselves in crowded holiday destinations.

John occupied himself making a whimsical small table.

The new creation

Years ago, he’d bought some pearl shell in Broome, intending to try using it for inlay in wood. He came up with the idea of an inlaid tata gecko for his table. These little critters, in real life and during our times up north, had many times scared the daylights out of us. They lurk in fallen leaves and bark beside paths, gently waving, unseen, then scurry off with a noise disproportionate to their small size, thereby frightening the bejesus out of the passer-by.

The result was deemed a great success.

Immortalized tata

I occupied myself planning our next short get away. And dealing with figs…. And more figs.


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2016 Travels March 30

MARCH      HOME FOR EASTER

The day after we got home, I did the washing from our trip, including the Bus bedding. It was a lovely day and it all got dry.

Son phoned and invited himself, partner and kids to dinner Saturday. Seven to feed!

There was now no alternative but to brave the shops. The Woolworths supermarket at Lilydale was incredibly busy. It is like people think they will starve, just because the shops are shut for a day!. There were even traffic control people on duty in the carpark! Listen folks. It really is not that long ago that all shops, except for maybe the local corner milk bar, routinely shut at midday Saturday and did not re-open until Monday. We coped.

My Easter Saturday family dinner was well received. Roast chicken, with lots of extra drumsticks and wings for hungry teenagers. There was much talk about the plans in progress for the coming wedding of son and partner, in October. That will be an event to look forward to.

Even with the distractions of cooking and visitors, there was some worry about the 4 year old Bendigo grandson, who had fetched up in hospital before Easter, and been transferred to the Royal Childrens Hospital in Melbourne. Lots of tests eventually resulted in a diagnosis and then surgery. Being in the hospital at the time of the Good Friday Appeal, meant he got to see a number of visiting celebrities. Eventually came good news – the boy was expected to make a full recovery. When he finally was allowed home to Bendigo, after a couple of weeks, his mums were very relieved, and happy to no longer be commuting back and forth every day.

John indulged in an absolute orgy of bowls over the Easter period – major events on offer. It was great that he had an enjoyable time, because a couple of weeks later came the news that he would need a TURP procedure, or a re-bore, in his terminology. Sounded distinctly unpleasant, and more serious than we’d realized, as he would have to be in hospital for four days. Surgery scheduled for late April, and in East Melbourne. That would mean much to-ing and fro-ing and battling with traffic. I am not sure which one of us was dreading the whole thing more!

Clearly, May would be a write-off in terms of any travel.


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2016 Travels March 23

WEDNESDAY MARCH 23      SALE TO HOME     270kms

We were all up fairly early, with the result that we left the park about 9.30am.

As we left the town behind, I texted a friend in Drouin, who was expecting us to call in for morning tea, to let him know we should be there about 11am.

We made good time to Drouin, despite encountering some roadworks. Driving the Princes Highway through this fertile, farming part of Gippsland is always pleasant, with the blue ranges in view to the north.

C was not technologically comfortable, and had not updated his GPS for some time. That was witnessed by the fact that the estate where my friend lived did not appear on C’s GPS. T had lived there for some eight years by now! So we came off the freeway and then waited in the main street of Drouin for them to catch us up, after I had texted directions from the freeway to where we were. They’d had to make a comfort stop in Yarragon, so were about ten minutes behind us. That gave time for a short walk for the dog.

Made our way in convoy to T’s place. The others had never been there, and it was a while since I’d visited. We received a house and garden tour – the garden had really become established since my last visit. His assorted citrus trees were now fruit bearing.

After a pleasant morning tea and chat, we left at 1.30pm, heading for home.

The traffic on the freeway heading towards Melbourne was really heavy. Much more than I’d expected. Part of the rationale for returning home today had been to avoid the traffic build up of tomorrow, when people would be getting a flying start on the Easter break.

The bulk of the traffic encountered between Drouin and the Eastlink exit was trucks and delivery vehicles. With our increasingly heavy reliance on road freight, rather than the rail alternative, poor old Melbourne was rapidly becoming clogged up, it seemed. It had become an endless cycle of building more and bigger freeways to ease traffic congestion, thereby encouraging more use of said freeways, leading to even greater congestion….ad nauseum.

The Eastlink traffic was less, with more cars and fewer trucks. We came off at Canterbury Road and then had the usual stop/start run home – due to proliferating traffic lights.

A big panel in our front fence had blown down. Probably in the same wild weather we had last Friday. No damage to anything – just a fix-up job for John. Back to reality!

Our flat tenant, who’d been keeping an eye on the garden watering needs, had picked a lot of figs from our back yard tree, and left a big container of same on the front veranda for me. Fortunately I got to them before Couey did – she loves figs! Now I would have to think of something to do with them. No room in the freezer because it was full of tomato products. Would have to dehydrate them. Back to my reality!

There were still quite a few fallen and bird pecked figs lying about on the ground beneath the tree. Party for Couey.

Easy and quick unpack. A week’s worth of washing to do.

We would need to get both Bus and Terios serviced again, before the next jaunt. Might need some new tyres soon, too.

Bus is really good for this type of short trip.