Yarck, Vic

Day 1 Saturday 5/10/2024 Home to Yarck, 17.5 pleasant

We head up Eastlink to Ringwood then veer off to Yarra Glen. The Yarra Valley is bursting with new spring growth and the vines march down the hillsides in emerald-green livery. It must be the patterns, but is there any time of the year when grapevines don’t look good? For probably the first time ever we bypass our favourite pitstop at Yea as it’s only another 25kms on to our destination.

This tiny town of weatherboard cottages has turned its recreation reserve into an RV free campground. There are clean flushing toilets and a playground for kids. The old oval is perfectly level and neatly mown and there are panoramic views to the Strathbogie foothills.

We plant ourselves in the middle of the oval and as I light the gas fridge, I notice that Woody is already off like a shot. Of course, there’s a bakery in town and it’s a busy one. He returns with a loaf of bread and bursting with excitement about the goodies that they sell.

Toothless and his Missus arrive, and we sit in the sun chatting. There’s a shy horse in the paddock across the road and a few sheep. Taking a short walk to the pub next door it only takes a minute for us to be captivated by the feel of the place and we book a table for dinner. Just a few doors away is Buck’s (as in deer, as this is deer country) Bakery and it’s no wonder that Woody was overjoyed earlier, as it’s packed to the gunnels with gourmet goodies…and they even have a traffic system within the shop to prevent chaos. We buy scallop pies. Elle arrives in her motorhome ‘Betty’ and we return to chatting in the sun and watching the rain clouds build. We hope that it will go round us but we’re out of luck and rush into Elle’s motorhome which is henceforth to be known as ‘Betty’s Bar’.

Thank goodness for brollies. But there is a warming fire at the pub to dry out our legs. On the mantlepiece there is an old black and white photo curiously titled ‘Madge Day outside the Yarck Pub 1950’. And there she stands, sunnies on, drink in hand and looking laid back and relaxed. Good on ya Madge. If Madge once owned this pub I reckon the carpet was chosen by her, but it is in good nick, and reminiscent of old aunts and nannas and post war fibro houses. In fact, this is a cosy little place with a bit of the 50’s and a bit of modern, and a few sets of antlers gracing the walls. Probably the deer who became venison pies.

As we change our minds back and forth over both the food and the drinks menu, I catch Elle saying “I’ve got a good scotch in the freezer.” Knowing her Scottish heritage and her love of a good whisky and me being befuddled over the contents of the pub parmie, I pipe up with “What you keep your Scotch in the freezer?” Only to be set on the right path, steak silly!

Our waitress peppers us with many greetings, Luv, Darl, Darlin’ and a few others, I told you this place is homely. The rain stops, the parmies are excellent, and I think we made the right choice. Sated, we toddle back to Betty’s Bar for a nightcap.

Accom: $0 (with flushing toilets), Fuel: $ 49.14, Towing Kms: 149Kms