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! Timboon to Curdie Rail Trail Return WalkTimboon Fine Ice Cream & Schulz Organic Dairy Scones
Curdie Trestle BridgeThe 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.
ElmoreCampaspe Run Tourist AttractionI 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.
Train StationLegend has it or so it was told to us by Gumby's Step Dad that the train station in Maryborough, Victoria should have been construction in Maryborough, Queensland. Upon completion the station boasted the longest platform in Victoria and remains one of the most impressive examples of Queen Ann architecture with stucco trimmings and Dutch-Anglo influences; For a town with a population of under 8,000 the station is quite unique. School of MinesThe Maryborough School of Mines was established in 1888 and opened in 1889. The Maryborough area was known as the "great alluvial field" and remains a popular mining district for amateur prospectors. Around townWe visited Maryborough on a day trip from Bendigo a distance of approximately 70kms in a south west direction to see the birth place of Gumby's Step Dad. The town is adorned with a fantastic array of mid to late nineteen century gold boom architecture and is a fascinating place to stroll around on a Sunday afternoon. According to Britannia "the town was founded in 1854 during a gold rush. It was renamed after the Irish birthplace of the local police commissioner and was proclaimed a municipality in 1857."
Arriving at the Threeways Roadhouse we promptly unhitched Florence and took off south down the Stuart Highway in the direction we had just come from. And I literally mean we “took off” down the highway, unshackled from Florence, Cherry was able to really feel the breeze through her radiator grill as we took advantage of the 130km speed limit! Just north of Tennant Creek we had passed the Overland Telegraph Line Station and I was bursting to check it out. I’m completing fascinating by stone dwellings and didn’t want to miss an opportunity to visit a restored stone dwelling in Central Australia. Access to the Station’s interior requires a key obtained from the visitor’s centre, which being late in the day we didn’t have time to collect but we made the most of our experience, exploring the surrounding buildings and old graves. The visit definitely had a profound impact on me, and I was left pondering the connection between stone dwellings and hot-dry arid climates. Extract from Gumby’s unfinished 2022 Honours Thesis…
As I stepped from the air-conditioned sanctuary of the car, I was struck by the intensity of the heat, I felt as though I’d just cracked the door of a hot oven, instantly blasted, my cheeks flushed, eyes watered, and lungs burnt as I gulped for air. It was late afternoon in Jurnkkurakurr (Tennant Creek), Central Australia, January 2019, Australia was experiencing an “unusual extended period of heatwaves” (BoM, 2019, 14 March, p. 4), the Larapinta Trail in Tjoritja (West MacDonnell National Park) near Mparntwe (Alice Springs) was ablaze (DTSC, 2019), and the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres had issued a bleak outlook, “I believe we are losing the race. Climate change is running faster than we are” (UN, 2019, para. 3). The Tennant Creek Overland Telegraph Line Station situated approximately 520 kilometres north of Alice Springs, constructed of stone in 1874 (PWCNT, 2002), was restored and opened to the public in 2012. Michael Holstein a traditional stonemason was engaged to dismantle and rebuild the external Station walls, stone by stone, he stated the stone was laid incorrectly, the grain faced the wrong direction permitting it to shale in the wind (Brain, 2012). Completed in 1872 the Overland Telegraph Line (OTL) was heralded as an engineering triumph that included the installation of 36,000 poles traversing the continent, approximately 3,000 kilometres, south to north, from Kurdnatta (Port Augusta) to Garramilla (Darwin), and included the construction of eleven repeater Stations, to house equipment and personnel (Pugh, 2022). When I visited the Station in January 2019, Tennant Creek had just experienced a record-breaking 23 consecutive days over 40°C (BoM, 2019, p.30). There were no other cars in the carpark as I retreated from the intensity of the sun under the verandah and noticed the cooling effect created by the stone walls. I was reminded of traditional stone architecture prominent in the Middle East. The Köppen-Geiger climate system classified Tennant Creek as BWh, an arid hot-dry desert, the same classification given to the Middle East, countries such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Algeria, and Egypt (Beck et al., 2018). I wondered if the Tennant Creek OTL Station had been constructed from locally quarried stone in response to the climate, and what it was like to live in such a building? 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.
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 HeysenSir 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. Flagstaff Hill Maritime VillageAdmittedly this wasn't one of the most exciting tourists attractions we'd experienced, but we did learn many interesting maritime facts, including the Shipwreck Coast, that stretches 120 kilometres from Apollo Bay to Portland is aptly named as it has claimed over 100 ships, with many coming to grief at Lady Bay in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Cape Otway. Most famously the Loch Ard ran aground on Muttonbird Island, near what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge in 1878. Of the 54 passengers on board only two survived, Tom Pearce and Eva Carmichael, Pearce saving Carmichael's life by dragging her from the wreckage to safety before leaving her in a cave whilst he went to raise the alarm. A peacock made by Minton Earthenware and sent from England to be displayed at the Great Exhibition at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne due to be held in 1880 also survived the wreck. Amazingly the peacock was pulled from the wreckage of the Loch Ard two days after the disaster, remaining for many years displayed in the hallway of a Geelong residence before being purchased by Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in 1975. The peacock is currently valued at over $4million and was the highlight of museum, standing at 152 cms tall the detail and colours are stunning and worth paying the $18 entrance fee just to see.
Around TownShovel and I really enjoyed the relaxed slower pace of Warrnambool and had a wonderful four days exploring the area. The township of Warrnambool was first surveyed in 1846 with the name Warrnambool derived from local indigenous language meaning volcanic cone. But it was back in 1800 that the area now known as Warrnambool was first documented by Europeans when James Grant sailed past in the Lady Nelson. A replica of the ship is displayed at the Visitor's Centre in Mount Gambier. Warrnambool became an important shipping port, but due to the advent of the railway and the devastating coast line the port was closed in 1942.
Jimmi Buscombe a local artist created the "wombat" drawing out of chalk on a rail underpass near his home as a practice run for street art he was commissioned to complete for the local city council. A local graffiti removalist loved the image so much that instead of removing it painted over it with an automotive clear paint immortalising the art work and providing an accidental platform for future commissions for the artist. We were told of this story by a lady in a beautiful homewares store called, Ink and Feathers.
We heart Lake Sambell Caravan ParkMayday Hills Lunatic AsylumBeechworth Gold Fever was raging in 1867 when the Lunatic Asylum on Mayday Hills a few kilometres out of town was opened. It took only two signatures to have you admitted for as little as being presumed to be a lady of the night for wearing red, having epilepsy, being homeless or suffering from asthma. At its peak, the "hospital" housed up to 1200 patients and 600 staff members in 67 buildings on 106 hectares of farmland. Staggeringly the facility closed as a hospital for the mentally insane as recently as 1996, when it became listed on the Heritage Registry and the patiences moved to the Beechworth hospital. The buildings were sold to private investors in 2013 and have since been subdivided and sold to individuals as accommodation. Yes, that is correct, some of the buildings are now actual homes! Shovel and I participated in a night ghost tour, the admission fee assists to preserve the women's building, and we were told this section of the grounds will be restored and maintained over-time. The architecture of the women's building and the other buildings we visited is impressive, but much of the interiors have been guttered by Latrobe University the previous owners, so it was left to our imagination as to room layouts and actual uses. Having enjoyed such a interesting ghost tour of the Geelong Gaol earlier this year, I have to say I was a little underwhelmed and was confused at times with the disjointed re-telling of the asylum's history and the characters involved. We didn't see any ghosts or experience any ghostly activity, but the tour took an odd turn when three elderly ladies were 'kicked off' the tour for having a laugh and grew further odd when we were stuck listening to the tour guide in a completely pitch black 'cell' for longer than was necessary. I did learn that lunatic actually means 'a person effect by a full-moon' and that as a direct correlation to this, timber shutters were secured to the window's of patient's rooms to ensure they weren't effected by the moon, and that you needed eight signatures to have you discharged from the hospital. But, with people being admitted into the hospital for simply being human, it's no wonder they went insane. Shout out to the Yackandandah Star Hotel for hooking us up with a mad feed of Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Smokey Beef Ribs. Saturday night Beechworth was packed with Octoberfest revellers, so we opted for quieter surrounds and were so happy we did.
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