We were staying at a friend’s farm during Christmas week when this fellow waddled across the front yard. At the first sign of human excitement he bolted for the nearest tree and did his best bark impersonation until all the … Continue reading Have a Go Anna
Launceston, a city of 86,000, is situated in the Tamar Valley at the convergence of the North and South Esk Rivers where they become the Tamar River. The Tamar flows northwards for some 50kms to Bass Strait. Continue reading Seaport, Launceston, Tas
I’ve written in the past of the food that we eat on the road What food do we take on the road? and how we love to visit country butchers for their quality meat not only to eat whilst we’re travelling … Continue reading Country Butchers
In the town of Dunolly in Victoria there is a plaque erected by the people in honour of Queen Victoria. It reads as follows: June 22nd 1897 Erected by the burgesses of Dunolly In affectionate loyalty to the British throne and empire And in commemoration of the 60th year Of the illustrious reign of VICTORIA Queen of Gt. Britain etc, etc, Empress of India Who rules with beneficent sway over 400 millions Of the human race: On whose wide dominions The sun never sets. A free people we rejoice. ‘She wrought her people lasting good.’ ‘Her court was pure; Her … Continue reading A love So Great
Whilst staying on Queensland’s Gold Coast my sister in law took me to the town of Springbrook in the hinterland to do the Purling Brook Falls walk. Only a few metres into the forest we get a view of the … Continue reading Purling Brook Falls
The Moooving Art sculptures of quirky but cute painted cows are in the Greater Shepparton area, which includes the town of MOOroopna. The sculptures celebrate the fact that this is the dairying capital of Australia. Continue reading Moooving Art
In our travels I have come across references to two of the sons of novelist Charles Dickens. According to Wikipedia, both Alfred and Edward Dickens migrated to Australia. Edward Dickens, son of Charles Dickens died of consumption in Moree, NSW in 1902. Jessie Devlin Dickens is buried in the Hamilton, Vic cemetery. Jessie was the wife of Alfred who was a Stock and Station Agent in Hamilton. She died in 1878 after being thrown from her carriage when her horse bolted. She was only 29 years old. Alfred Dickens died in New York in 1912 whilst on a speaking engagement. … Continue reading Stranger than Fiction
Yet another town possessing a mineral spa Blackwood, Vic is perched on a hilltop with rustic weatherboard cottages flanking the steep streets. The word flanking probably doesn’t quite describe the way the houses cling to blocks that drop steeply away to the Lerderderg River far below. This was once a mining area and the hills are criss-crossed with wooden water races. The crowning glory is the rambling old wooden pub. Across the road there is a ‘gourmet’ general store (we love our food with a passion in Victoria) and a post office. Higher up the hill is the church on … Continue reading Split Level Graves
We get chatting to a butcher in the high country in Victoria. We tell him that we’re camped out at Skipworth Reserve on the upper reaches of the Goulburn River.” Catching any fish?” He says. “No” we sheepishly reply “we … Continue reading Poor little critters
Being Saturday night there is a guitarist in the park and tables are scarce. A rather loud and slightly sozzled couple from down south move in on our somewhat squeezy table. Now grey nomads are normally a friendly lot but this was pushing things a bit far. He tells us that he knows music and has sung to 800 people. We’re thinking it must have been karaoke! She dances the Egyptian and flashes a bit of leg like one shouldn’t at an advanced age. Another table becomes available. We make a dash for it. Our group all breathe a sigh … Continue reading Little Egypt
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