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It was the Melbourne Cup public holiday weekend in Victoria which coincided with our birthdays, and although we don’t celebrate (either event), we do like to get way and where better to spend four glorious days than in Yackandandah, nestled within the Victorian high country, a short distance from another favourite place of ours, Beechworth. We’d had the caravan park in Yackandandah booked for months and are so grateful we did; it was packed (for our first three nights) and despite the less than satisfactory amenities the location adjacent to the creek and short stroll to town made it more than perfect. The Yackandandah Star Hotel radio jingle had been reverberating as an ear worm in the lead up to our adventure into the mountains and we were elated to discover the vibe hadn’t changed since we last visited in 2018 and that the food on offer was even better than we remembered; dinning in for the four nights of our stay, indulging in the beef brisket and barramundi, most likely the best we have tasted (although I did say this about the barramundi we ate at the Threeways Roadhouse, NT). Just out of the main town centre we discovered a groovy little coffee shop, located in an old train carriage called The Guard which serves toasties and hot drinks in mugs, this place doesn’t believe in takeaway cups and we loved that; having to drink in from a mug chosen from an odd assortment, rather than get a takeaway paper cup made us slow down and enjoy the moment of being in this beautiful town. We love everything about Yackandandah!
 Colbinabbin Silo Art
Colbinabbin Around Town
Rushworth Around Town
Timboon to Curdie Rail Trail Return Walk
 
Timboon Fine Ice Cream & Schulz Organic Dairy Scones
Curdie Trestle Bridge The rail bridge over Curdies River was constructed in 1892 to facilitate the Timboon-Camperdown Line and provided access to the coastal town of Port Campbell and helped local creamery and butter produces access markets to sell their products. The bridge was constructed of local Heytesbury forest timber and displays both utilitarian bridge and wharf building techniques. The rail line was closed in 1986 and the bridge was restored to form part of the Timboon-Camperdown Rail Tail. The bridge is one of the few surviving railway structures of this type in Victoria.
 It's about a 285-kilometer journey from Bendigo in Central Victoria to Warrnambool on the south-west coast. We stopped at Beaufort the halfway point for lunch each way and also checked out a vintage secondhand store, which I can never resist and always want to buy everything in the store, thankfully the Shovel is there to bring me back to reality... I do tend to pendulum between uncluttered minimalist and maximalist hoarder... Beaufort This area was called “Peerick” by the Jajowarrung First People. Thomas Mitchell was the first European in the region before gold was discovered in 1852. Although unsubstantiated, the town was named after Rear Admiral Francis Beaufort who devised the Beaufort scale for measuring wind velocity. Gumby had a lovely chat to Jim in the local Newsagency regarding the importance of carrying physical cash, of which Gumby does not, as she paid for the Frankie magazine by tapping her phone against the EFT device…
Elmore
Campaspe Run Tourist Attraction
I went into the Information Centre at Elmore looking to purchase local honey and left, without honey, but with knowledge I never knew I needed. The welcoming Information Centre volunteer invited the three of us to view the interactive museum display which taught us the suburb of Sunshine in Melbourne was named after the HV McKay "Sunshine" Combine Harvester where the factory was located.
This was the first time Shovel and Gumby had flown together since meeting in 2016. Over land is how we'd previously travelled until a trip to Geelong to celebrate Gumby's step dad's 70th Birthday had us flying south. The view leaving Mount Isa following the recent heavy rains was spectacular and we felt grateful for the opportunity to witness this from the air. Shovel loves planes and flying and was completely in his element sitting by the window.
Museum of Play and Art (MoPA)
After another big day on the road, travelling approximately 540kms between Penong and Port Augusta, effectively crossing the top of the Eyre Peninsular in one day we parked Florence for the night and headed to the Standpipe for a fancy meal of Indian. The Standpipe Inn established in 1883 is home to accommodation, conference, and dining facilities, including an Indian Restaurant. According to the website, “When it first opened, the Standpipe premises had a billiard room, skittles, stockyards, bullock cueing pens and horses for hire and it became a popular meeting place, though the decline of the teamsters [or Afghan cameleers] saw the closing of the hotel licence in 1901.” Thanks to a beautiful restoration the Standpipe Inn has reverted back to the watering hole it once was and Shovel and I were extremely happy to receive a magnificent feed of Indian after officially completing the Nullarbor, west to east in three days. We were so happy with the meal we left a review on Tripadvisor: Curry with History Set in a wonderfully preserved hotel-cum-private residence-cum-nursing home, the building dating from 1883 is well worth a look on its own. Go for the architecture, but definitely stay for the curry. The service is flawless and the meals incredibly delicious. The atmosphere in the restaurant is welcoming, professional, yet relaxed, and would be highly recommended for any occasion. Thanks for a lovely meal. Keep up the great work.  Port Augusta pronounced Port-A-Gutta, or so were told by a fellow traveller at the Broken Hill Outback Resort is a junction for road and rail, connecting Adelaide to the north and provides travellers with respite between Sydney and Perth. We made sure to stock up at Woolies, unsure what to expect at our next and final destination, Roxy Downs.
Ok, so here's the story.... Whilst toiling away at the Broken Hill Outback Resort, during the dust storm two couples of Grey Nomad caravans checked in for the night on their way from the Gold Coast heading West.... After listening to them vent their frustrations at the lack of dump point at the 'Resort' - agreed, extremely inconvenient and their apparent enormous fuel consumption driving through the dust storm they mentioned their destination was Streaky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula. 'You've not heard of Streaky Bay' one Grey Nomad squarks 'Everyone's heard of Streaky Bay' the other chimes in...
So here we are at Streaky Bay checking out what all the fuss was about and I have to say, 'not impressed' and very thankful we didn't park Florence here for the few weeks over Christmas and New Year... Kids and Grey Nomads everywhere! After lunch and a bit of a walk around we decided to head out to the Point Labatt Conversation Park... this on the other hand was well worth the trip and certainly demands hype, although I'm pretty sure this isn't what the Grey Nomads were talking about given they appear more interested in W(h)ine Time than actual travelling... Around Town
The newly settled immigrants, including an additional 14 families who were already in South Australia named their new town, Hahndorf or Hahn's Village, after Captain Hahn, who assisted the families in acquiring the land. Hahndorf, now a heritage listed Germanesque town is located approximately 30 kilometres east of Adelaide in the picturesque Adelaide Hills. The Cedars - The House of Hans Heysen
Sir Hans Heysen OBE, born Wilhelm Ernst Hans Franz Heysen in 1877 was a German immigrant, a prolific painter, a husband to Sallie and father to their eight children who lived at The Cedars in Hahndorf from 1912 until his death in 1968. Hans was known for his water-colour paintings of landscapes and eucalypts, of which many he painted at the The Cedars, but he also had immense talent for painting still-life. Most notably a painting produced for his wife depicting grapes, fruit and a vase of flowers, as left on his front verandah by a friend as a thank-you gift. The painting is titled, 'Zinnias with Autumn Fruit' or 'Flowers and Fruits' and when the famous Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova saw it whilst attending a dinner party at the Heysen home, offered Hans a blank cheque for the painting. Hans kindly refused, after all it was a gift to his wife, and still to this this day the painting remains eloquently displayed in the dinning room of The Cedars for viewing; whilst on the tour of the house, studio and grounds. Shovel and I took the guided tour of the property on a recommendation from the caravan park, knowing nothing of the artist or his work, but left feeling spiritually full-filled. I say this not with any religious connotation, because as far as we were lead to belief Hans himself wasn't religious, but the atmosphere of the grounds and interior of his studio and home were captivating with an alluring charm. The studio is the oldest purpose built studio still available for viewing in Australia, and was constructed by Hans after purchasing The Cedars, of which he used the proceeds from one of his first exhibitions. Hans dedicated his life to painting, his family and to conservation. He acquired many of the surrounding properties, not with the intent of felling the trees for agriculture, as many others were doing at the time, but rather to preserve them and natural environment, as subject matter for his paintings. Hans ceased painting still-life when he realised his daughter, Nora had a talent for painting and was interested in still-life. Nora went onto become a prolific artist in her own right, but possibly without the same flare and attention to detail as her father. Art however will remain forever subjective and as they say 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder', but Hans's 'Zinnias with Autumn Fruit' as seen in real-life I believe is absolutely stunning with many intricate details and gorgeous layers. It is easy to see why Anna Pavlova wrote a blank cheque for it. Although Hans did not give up his precious gift to his wife he did paint a similar picture for Anna and sent it to her in Russia. She returned the painting with a note saying, 'If I can't have the one I want, I don't want any at all.' Quite foolish you might say given Hans's immense notability. Hans remained an enigma in the art scene, rarely taking up invitations and although he travelled to Europe in his younger years to paint and ventured to the Flinders Rangers on several occasions, was content painting within his home town of Hahndorf, surrounded by his adoring wife and family. Today we learnt of a beautiful story, told by an endearing tour guide, that forms a fascinating part of our Australian Art History.
Photos can only be taken inside the studio and through the grounds. Therefore, if you want to see a few of his paintings on display and the interior of the house you will need to get yourself to Hahndorf. |
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