Autumn 2018 Just south of Clare in South Australia is the Sevenhills Jesuit Vineyard with its imposing church and somewhat incongruous religious statues dotted amongst the vines and gum trees. In the nearby village we enjoy a quiet drink at … Continue reading Sevenhills
How lucky were we on a Sunday afternoon when we stumbled upon The Earl of Leicester Hotel in Adelaide’s suburban Parkside a classic local pub in a quiet back street. Elegant, classy and welcoming. Continue reading The Earl of Leicester
Guidebook in hand and still engrossed in the history of Burra we stop outside Smelter’s Home Hotel which for a time was operated by Woody’s ancestors in the nineteenth century. A tradesman pops out and suggests that we should meet the owner. Val is a charming lady who knows the history of the pub and of all its publicans. It is Australia’s oldest unrenovated hotel. In the early days when there was a death in the district the pub was used as a mortuary, which has to be better than using the butcher shop. Back when the miner’s dugouts in … Continue reading Burra Passport Tour – Smelter’s Home Hotel
Patchewollock in Victoria’s Mallee region is a town that has seen better times. The houses are rundown, the church and school have closed. The Art Deco era pub has to be the saddest that I’ve seen. The grain silos however … Continue reading Patchewollock
Dec 2016 The Newbridge Hotel has been taken over by the community. The football and netball club to be precise. This friendly little local not far from Bendigo (40kms) in Victoria and across the Loddon River from a pleasant free camp is now being run by a bunch of cheery volunteers who serve cold beer and good tucker. What more could you ask for? Continue reading Newbridge Hotel
Winton Qld, Aug 2014 We enjoy a meal at the North Gregory Hotel in the grand dining room. It is such a relief to have a hotel meal that isn’t deep fried as has been the norm on this trip. … Continue reading The Pubs of Winton
Sept 2012 We walk up to the Commonwealth Hotel also known as the Top Pub, as opposed to the Bottom Pub at the other end of the main street. It is 5:00pm and it’s Friday. The pub fills with locals who all look way too old to have just knocked off especially with their spreading waists and craggy faces. The cheery young bartender has a luxuriant mop of black hair that would have the patrons envious. The bar has suffered many cheap renovations no doubt performed by some of the old locals now breasting the bar. Under the counter, beer … Continue reading Commonwealth Hotel, Orbost
Older Australians cringe at the thought of an American style burger. Whenever hamburger is mentioned the first thing that comes to mind is that it must have a layer of crimson beetroot with egg dripping all yolky through the layers. Pickles? Never! And when it comes to great burgers there’s none better than the famous Nindigully Burger served at Queensland’s Nindigully Pub. This pub is worth going out of your way for and the food lives up to it’s reputation. The burger? Well that will feed a small army of hungry travellers and you can camp out front and sleep … Continue reading Now that’s a burger!
This week we popped down to Little River to catch up with caravanning mates who are suffering itchy feet whilst waiting for the kiddies to return to school after the summer holidays. In short we’re all busting to get our camp sites back when the hordes go home. About 50 kms south west of Melbourne and just off the Princes Highway (Geelong Road) you’ll find the sleepy hamlet of Little River. Known to most Melburnians as the place that inspired the name of the rock band… Little River Band. Hidden in the back of town where the tar starts to … Continue reading Little River Hotel
Here’s a small watering hole that most people wouldn’t even notice when passing even though it’s been here since 1896. In bowling green flat land crossed by irrigation channels, acres of corn and dairy cows ‘cos this is known as cow cockie country. Pull up out front, give the door a shove and you’ll be greeted by a friendly bunch of locals and a bloke called Wayne manning the beer taps. Where is it? West of Kyabram in Victoria and a few minutes south of Echuca. Continue reading Ky West Hotel
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