Holbrook NSW 17 April 2019

Holbrook NSW 17 April 2019

We left Ballarat this morning, determined not to take the short-cut across to Seymour, or the wimp's way via north Melbourne. Instead we struck out for Bendigo, following the Midlands Highway (almost a misnomer, I'm sure) until we reached Bendigo. Determined to take a rest we tried to follow the Caravan Parking signs only to end up back in the city centre again. Giving up we headed out of town until we reached a nice little park next to Lake Weeroona, on the outskirts, where they thoughtfully provided parking exclusively for vehicles over 7 metres. We stopped, bought refreshments, the children ran amok in the playgrounds and we took a rest before heading out across country toward Violet Town.

The road is not a shocker, but it's not great, being uneven, bumpy and narrow in parts. We were all very releived after the 107km to reach Violet Town where we patronised the only shop opn and had some lunch. Two minutes east of town and you are back on trhe Hume Freeway and finally able to settle into a decent pace and 'relax' a bit. Our initial plan was to overnight at Wangaratta, but seing as it was only just 2.30, the road good, the weather fantastic and the driver refreshed, we just kept going, adjusting plan as we went. After a quick refuel at Yarrawonga, we started our final leg toward Holbrook where the van park is always clean and green and quiet, except for a bit of road noise from the highway.

Now, the sun is setting, the trucks are getting ready to take over the town and the roads. We are safely parked up in the van park behind, between the servo and the highway. There are so many trucks going past I started to time them, about 1 every 15 seconds...

Trucks lined up waiting for the dark.... Holbrook NSW

Ballarat Vic 16 April 2019

Ballarat Vic 16 April 2019

Today we went looking for the trams that once graced the city of Ballarat. They are in a museum next to Lake Wendouree and they have access to a kilometre or so of track that runs around the lake, up past the Botanic Gardens. We went in to the free museum and read all about the trams in Ballarat and their final demise as part of the public transport system of a modern city. We kept asking when the tram was going out and they seemed confused and they seemed confused as to wether it was 1030 or 1130 or maybe not at all but before long after they decided on an 'early run' and the driver went through his pre-trip routine and moved the tram out into the sunshine ready for its first customers - us! . We jumped on board the 1918 model 'M' and rattled and clanked and screeched our way up and down the track. The kids got to help moving the power pole from front to back when we had to change direction at the end of the track. They tried strap-hanging and stood by the driver getting instructions about the various handles and the bell.

After our tram ride we went for a wander through the botanic gardens, which mostly consist of a row of giant redwoods, but the highlight is the glass house with its impressive and colourful display of begonias.

Botanic Gardens, Ballarat Vic

Botanic Gardens, Ballarat Vic

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Botanic Gardens, Ballarat Vic

Botanic Gardens, Ballarat Vic

Botanic Gardens, Ballarat Vic

Ballarat Vic 14/15 April 2019

Ballarat Vic 14 April 2019

We stopped near Glenrowan for lunch and then pushed on to Seymour, where the plan was to cut across country to Ballarat. When will we learn? The only way to travel through Victoria is to go via Melbourne. As it was it took us 4 hours to travel the 200km along the back roads, development roads, dirt roads, horse trails, even Bourke & Wills’ old track. We stopped at Kyneton for a refuel, get our bearings and an ice-cream and pushed on. I thought the GPS was going to blow a fuse, but between Judy’s immaculate directions and the ever-changing map we finally made it into Daylesford.

The Daylesford district has a lot of vineyards around it and I think every drunken fool decided to weave their way home just as we steamed over the horizon. Finally we made it into Ballarat and our park, and not one damn minute too soon!

The kids had a play on the jumping pillow, went to the kid’s club for an hour and then back to watch the movies on the big screen, snuggled down in bean bags and chomping away on popcorn.

Ballarat means Sovereign Hill of course, and off we went for our day's outing. I don't think it's changed much over the years except maybe busier. The kids had a fabulous time poking into every shop and store and barn. We learnt how to make a metal poker thing at the blacksmith, how to make a wooden spoked wheel for our carriage and the kids even learnt how to use a pen and ink to make proper running-writing. We did a mine tour, rode on horse and carriage and went bowling, 1850s style. No visit to Sovereign hill is complete without trying your hand at gold panning, but like moist of the diggers, we went away empty handed. 

Sovereign Hill. Ballarat Vic

Sovereign Hill. Ballarat Vic

Sovereign Hill. Ballarat Vic

Sovereign Hill. Ballarat Vic

Scholars. Sovereign Hill. Ballarat Vic

Sovereign Hill. Ballarat Vic

Sovereign Hill. Ballarat Vic

Sovereign Hill. Ballarat Vic

Sovereign Hill. Ballarat Vic

Sovereign Hill. Ballarat Vic

Holbrook NSW 13 April 2019

Holbrook NSW 13 April 2019

Left home just before lunch and cruised out to Jugiong where we stopped for lunch at the Sir George Hotel. No time for play in the park this time, had to head off to Holbrook for our first nights stay.

The main reason for stopping at Holbrook was to give the kids a play on the submarine and a ride on the miniature train, which only runs on Sunday and starts at 10 o’clock. It is a train very similar to the ones that were at Kingston and it was a double lap ride around the Ten Mile Creek, with a bridge at either end. Ten Mile Creek is one of the former names of Holbrook, along with Germantown and others. Naturally enough, the connotations of the name Germantown were a bit on the nose by 1915 and so the good people of the town decided to adopt the name of the first Naval VC recipient of WWI, Lt Norman Holbrook, and so the town became Holbrook. The town is more widely know as the ‘submarine’ town, as it sports the superstructure of a full sized submarine, the HMAS Otway, which was decommissioned in 1995. The Navy gave them the fin, the town raised a stack of cash and bought the entire top half of the craft from the scrap metal dealers. Holbrook is a spotless and quiet town, except for when we went to the Illawarra Hotel for dinner. The pub was jam-packed with partygoers who had been at the Annual Holbrook races all day and seemed intent on finishing off the night in fine style. Good on them, they haven’t had a lot to celebrate recently, what with the drought, the bypass and the advent of their own version of the Mr Fluffy disaster.

HMAS Otway. Holbrook, NSW

Lt Holbrook at the 'scope. Holbrook, NSW

HMAS Otway. Holbrook, NSW

Oops!. Holbrook, NSW

Tom and newest best friend. Holbrook, NSW

Great old advertising sign. Holbrook, NSW

Seymour Vic 29-31 March 2019

Seymour Vic 29-31 March 2019

Took a few days off and drove down to Seymour, where we stayed at the Big 4 and took the train into Melbourne to go and see the flower show. The train turned out to be a VLine bus as the train, which was coming in from Albury, was already full. And so was the bus as it turned out.


The bus was pleasant enough and took us all the way into the Southern Cross station, which has about 70 bus slots in the terminus under it. From here we strolled across the road to the tram stop, jumped on the first one and were there at Carlton Gardens in a few minutes.


The flower show itself was better than I had anticipated based on our experience from previous years. Somehow, the outside displays seemed more open and flowed better. The only downside was the continuing threat of rain which thankfully came just as we finished outside so we headed for the comfort of the Royal exhibition Building, as did ten-thousand others. The pavilion was full but not sardine-like and we wandered around looking at the beautiful, bizarre and plain bad displays until we had had our fill. 


The return tram was at the stop in a flash, the train, yes a real train, left right on time at 3:30 and we had a pleasant run back through the country to Seymour, where our car was parked a few minutes walk from the station.


Travelling back to Canberra we stopped at The Dog for a sandwich and a cuppa, before making the 
last dash for home. All in all not a bad way to spend a few days and to visit Melbourne, certainly way ahead of taking the van into one of the van parks in the metropolitan area.

Melbourne Tram

Carlton Gardens, Melbourne Vic

Carlton Gardens, Melbourne Vic

Carlton Gardens, Melbourne Vic

Carlton Gardens, Melbourne Vic

Carlton Gardens, Melbourne Vic

Carlton Gardens, Melbourne Vic

Carlton Gardens, Melbourne Vic

Dog-on-a-box. Gundagai NSW