For some reason, I’d never had a good look around Bendigo and thought it was about time I did.
Bendigo is a prosperous city, 90 minutes north-west of Melbourne, begun when gold was discovered in 1851. The original finds were the first of 9 billion dollars worth of gold found in the Bendigo area, making it the seventh richest gold field in the world.
I was able to find a motel right in the middle of town, and so left the car in its spot and spent the two days I was there mostly on foot.
I’ve featured several heritage mansions in the past but I think the queen of them all would have to be Werribee Mansion. Part of the Werribee Park Estate, it’s an insight into how the other half lived when the other half had so much money they didn’t know what to do with it. Continue reading “Werribee Mansion, Melbourne.”
There comes a time when you absolutely have to get out of your house away from routine and what feels like duty and into the real world. Last Thursday was one of those days.
I headed up into the hills, to a nice little village with the delightful name of Emerald. It’s one of the stopping points for the Puffing Billy Heritage Railway. The century-old steam train runs for 24 kilometres on its original track through the forests and farmland of the Dandenong Ranges, from Belgrave to Gembrook.
Continuing my exploration of Victoria’s Gippsland, I decided to check out the historic gold-mining town of Walhalla.
After my exploration of the villages along the South Gippsland coast, I stayed at Yarram, a short distance north of Port Albert. It’s a spotless town, with the wide streets that Australian country towns have, and all amenities needed to make it, I would think, a very comfortable spot.
After a very busy Christmas, I took a couple of days break in South Gippsland. Even though I grew up in West Gippsland and have lived in Victoria all my life, I’ve never really explored south-east of Western Port Bay before.
Relatives of mine live in one of the world’s magical spots. I may be exaggerating but that’s how it affects me. Aireys Inlet is on Victoria’s iconic Great Ocean Road, about 120 kms north-west of Melbourne. I’ve been dumping myself on them periodically for years, to clear out the cobwebs of the city and take advantage of the cliffs, the beach, the trees and birds and the quietness of nature, not to mention the free accommodation and some very nice cooking.
Having explored the Point Nepean Quarantine Station, I wanted to continue to the tip of the peninsula. A fine day was forecast, so I headed out early and was in Sorrento for a coffee by 8am.
Continue reading “Point Nepean National Park, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria”
Having braved Sorrento in the rain, I returned the next weekend in the sunshine. This time I passed straight through and stopped a short distance along at the Portsea Pier, in Weeroona Bay, for my morning coffee.
Continue reading “Point Nepean Quarantine Station, Mornington Peninsula”
Sorrento is at the far end of the Mornington Peninsula, one of the two arms that almost enclose Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay.
They were having one of their street markets, and though the weather looked ominous, I decided to risk it and go down for a look.
Planning to the Nth 