Bright

I have just learnt the hard way that if I draft my blog on my phone, it doesn't autosave like it does on my laptop. Now that you will never see that draft, it was brilliant...probably my best yet.😉

Now let's see if I can remember at least some of what I wrote.

Here goes!

After Tasmania we stayed home for the week because we thought we may have been a close contact and didn't want to take any chances before heading to Bright. Fortunately we were clear. 

As we loved our trip in Tasmania travelling in the van, we have now decided that we love the idea of having a campervan for when we are both retired. We thought we might as well start researching and looking into our options. Although the timing was not perfect, as we were heading to Bright on Sunday, we decided to go to the Caravan and Camping Show at the Melbourne Showgrounds on Saturday. Our plan was to stay with Jarrod and Rachel Saturday night but unfortunately they had a full house and no room. We thought we would just find alternately accommodation in Melbourne until we realised it was Grand Prix weekend and there was nothing under $400.

After visiting Jarrod and Rachel in the morning we headed out to the show. We had to park at Flemington Racecourse and had the option of walking or taking a shuttlebus. We decided on the shuttlebus and we overheard a woman complaining that this was worse than last year. I don't know what she was talking about because we thought it was much easier that we thought it would be. Parking was easy to find and there were lots of pick up points for the bus.

In no time at all we were at the showground and the biggest challenge we had was to navigate the hundreds of caravans on display to find the campervan/motorhome section. I'm really glad we are not thinking about a caravan as it would be way too overwhelming

We came away from the show thinking that this was totally out of our comfort zone to spend the amount of money they were asking and we weren't even sure it was what we wanted. Even though we came away rather despondent, it was well worth going.

Now back to Bright, we headed out early  Sunday morning and decided we would go via Bairnsdale and Omeo.

It was an absolutely beautiful day, which was a nice surprise considering the original forecast was not great. We decided to take the back road to avoid Sale and came across cows crossing the road. I hardly ever see this anymore and now we have been stopped by cows crossings twice in the last month. These cows had to walk down the road to get to the next gate. They were so funny as the actually stopped in front the car and stared at us for a second like they we sizing us up. This made both of us laugh and put us in an even better mood for the day.

We stopped at Bairnsdale to grab a coffee and then we headed to Omeo. I haven't been this way for years and I had forgotten how pretty the drive is. The view of the Tambo River was lovely and if we hadn't arranged to meet some of the family at Hotham, we probably would have stopped to have a good look along the way.

The road to Omeo was really good so it seemed an easy drive. At one point we did have to stop for roadworks and as we started off again we saw my brother's car up ahead. He was first in line and shot off up the road so I text Sheree to tell him to slow down. I joked that we would arrive at Hotham about 20 minutes after them. The road from this point was great and I started catching glimpses of the amazing views we were about to discover.

On arrival at Hotham Trev, Sheree, Jordy and Jensen had already checked out the views and Jordy was back in the car because she was cold. I must admit getting out of the car was a bit of a shock. Thankfully, I had packed a warm cardigan that was easy to grab from the car. The reason we stopped here was to have lunch at The General Store. It had been recommended by family that live in Bairnsdale and head up this way fairly regularly. 

Once inside, we were immediately impressed. It had a great comfy and cosy feeling as we chose our table near the window, we were hit by the amazing views. While Trev, Jordy and Jensen entertained themselves with the pool table and dart board we went outside to admire the view from the deck. 

Unfortunately the fog was rolling in but it was still pretty spectacular.

With lunch over, we headed of down the other side of the mountain and the fog we saw rolling in earlier, was now so thick, we could barely see one car length in front of us. It was a bit hairy for a while but fortunately it didn't last too long before we were in the clear again. This is great for me who loves the view from up high but not for someone like Terry who is a little nervous around heights. Luckily, there are lots of turn out areas that he could pull over to let faster cars pass him. It's not that he was driving slowly but there's nothing to make you feel more pressured than someone sitting right up behind you.

Finally, we were back down to Terry's comfort level (I knew this because he had dropped one hand off the steering wheel). Soon we were entering Harrietville and a little excited by the change in the trees and the promise of beautiful Bright in Autumn

We planned to meet up with the rest of the family at the water park in Bright and was shocked to see so many children swimming and playing in the water when we arrived. I thought they were mad as I was still thinking of the cold at Hotham. As soon as I opened the door there was a rush of warm air and it took me by surprise.

We met up with everyone. There was my niece, Tamara, her partner Jack with their little boy Ted, my middle brother Bernie and his other daughter Kody, my youngest brother Trevor and his wife Sheree with their kids Jordy and Jensen. We made our way to our accommodation which was an Air BnB that is directly in line with the bridge that takes you to the town centre. The accommodation was great with room to sleep ten, which is lucky because there at ten of us, plus Ted. It had a lovely yard and a great place for a BBQ that we planned for dinner. 

The motivation for coming to Bright started with Bernie and Trevor. They are both very keen mountain/adventure bike riders and my nephew is starting to enjoy it as well. They are pretty keen to get Jack involved as well. Bright is a very popular area for this type of sport. Needless to say, we wouldn't will see them much during the day.

After settling in and a tryout on Bernie's new e-bike (I think I want one) we headed to the supermarket to get supplies for dinner. Like I said, the house is positioned perfectly and less than ten minutes to walk to the supermarket.

We had a lovely time catching up over a few drinks and some delicious food. After dinner we headed inside to check out the games at the house and found a game called Articulate. This is a new one for me and was lots of fun trying describe something without using the word. I'm sure all the easy ones were in the other team's pile. It was a great night.

The next morning we decided do the Canyon Walk which actually starts in the town. For some reason, I thought it would take a drive to get to it. It started out really easy with wide smooth paths which was good because we had Ted's pusher. Everyone we came across was so friendly and obviously enjoying being out in the fresh air as much as we were.

When we reached the first bridge back across to the other side, the track narrowed quite a bit and became a lot more uneven with a few steps. Tamara persevered for while but when it looked like there was going to be more steps, she and Jordy decided to head back into town. That was a shame because she would have loved the rest.

The further we went it became easier to get safely down to the river's edge. 

At one point, the water was reasonably still and the reflection from the rock was beautiful.

One of the really nice things about this walk was the information boards scattered along the path describing the gold mining process and life at that time.

Reading these and see the trenches called tail-racers that were dug perpendicular to the river to expose more gold, it makes you realise that anything done during this era must have been a hard way to live.

We noticed that there are some still trying there luck. We saw one guy down in the river panning. I hope he got lucky.

The walk ended up talking over any hour because Kody and I stopped to take lots of photos and we also read all the information boards. At the end of the walk we headed back into town to meet up with Tamara and Jordy. We bought a coffee and then wandered around the streets exploring some of the gorgeous shops. The streets are beautiful as well and although I think we are about a week too early, if I took a photo at the right angle, the turning leaves are very colourful. Maybe they are timing themselves for an easter showing.

A friend of Sheree's recommended that we buy pies from the Gum Tree Pie Store and if the line is any indication we thoughr we might be in for a treat. Their range of pies was hard to choose from and we noticed that some varieties were selling out fast. We took the pies back to the house and they did not disappoint. If you happen to be in Bright, this shop is a must to visit.

After lunch, we thought we might go to Myrtleford for a look around, but not everyone was ready so we thought we would go and have a look at Apex lookout as it was only ten minutes up the road to walk off those delicious pies. Unfortunately, when we got there it was actually a 90 minute return walk. Not only did we not have enough time to do this, there was really nowhere to park so we headed back to the home. As I couldn't get a photo from the lookout, I decided to walk up the next court that headed up a hill and got a pretty good view over the town. From this view, you can see the colour change is not quite there yet.

When I got back to the house, the plans had changed so Terry and I decided to go to Myrtleford by ourselves. The drive was another nice one and we noticed that there were lots of people riding along the rail trail. This would be a great ride because of the beautiful scenery and historic buildings like the tobacco drying sheds.

Tamara told us about a really good antique store at Myrtleford. She was right, it was one of those ones that seemed to go on forever and had lots of interesting things to look at. They had a bit of everything from middle eastern style tiles to Japanese kimonos and lots of other quirky things. Such an interesting place.

We had a quick walk around the town but didn't really have time to explore properly as everyone was meeting back at the brewery around four. We'll just have to come back another time. I found this was a big tobacco producing area so it would be good to find out a bit more about this and what the area.has done that growing and production has stoped.

We walked from the house to the brewery and made it just in time. About five minutes after we arrived the rain bucketed down for about ten minutes. Fortunately we had a table inside. It was fun watching people scurrying for cover. Somehow I don't think Ted minded it, and no, we didn't throw him out in the rain, he found this puddle on the undercover deck to play in.

After a few drinks and couple of shared pizzas, we headed back to the house for dinner and play our new favourite game, Exploding Kittens. Everyone seem to enjoy it as much as we do. We discovered a few in the family have terrible poker faces. 

Next day we head off early because we wanted to look at a few things in Melbourne on our way home and wanted to have the time to stop and look at anything that we thought we might be interested in.

Just out of Myrtleford we noticed this on a letter box. Is this not the creepiest thing you have ever seen! I bet these people love halloween.

We planned a detour into Beechworth. What another lovely old town. I think nearly every shop in the main shopping area was a historical building and beautifully maintained. There's an old gaol but unfortunately it wasn't open for tours and the buildings below were closed for maintenance.

This is another town I would like to come back and spend more time exploring. Even though we have only spent just over a full day in this area we have decided that we definitely want to come back for a longer stay.

I think this area would be lovely any time of the year, but I really like the changing colours of autumn. 

Thank you to Tamara, Jack, Bernie, Kody, Trev, Sheree, Jordy, Jensen and of course Ted for giving us a lovely few days. Maybe we could make this an annual family event and get a few more of the family involved.

It's so nice to spend time with family and discover how much we have to explore right here in Victoria.

It's All Over

I can't believe we have been here for twelve days and this is our last day. It's going to be long one because our flight isn't until 9:15pm

With a full day ahead of us we headed off to Bruny Island. This is a small island off the south coast of Tasmania. It's renown for it National Parks, wildlife, scenery and local artisan breweries, cheese makers and eateries.

We caught the ferry over to the island which is a short 15 minute trip. On the way over we were trying to decide if were would head north or south. We were surprised by the size of the island and that it would take an hour to drive down to the lighthouse.

Our first stop was the "the Neck" lookout which is a climb of 220 steps to the top. It was worth it though because the view back down to where the two parts of the island join was impressive. At them bottom of the steps is the penguin rookery. Like the one's on Phillip Island there are only lots of holes and no penguins during the day.

We had forgotten to get fuel before we boarded the ferry so made detour form the road to get some fuel. Not surprisingly, fuel was just a little bit expensive. Down this way is where another Pennicott tour departs from, but not for us today. We tried to find the Captain Cook landing point but the signing was not that great so we missed it. Another attraction of the island was the Bruny Island Chocolate Factory. I was reading reviews and there were far more negative ones. It was so bad that we thought we had to check it out for ourselves. Sadly the reviews were pretty accurate. It was just a shop, there was no viewing of the process or tasting. Needless to say we didn't buy anything.

Back on the road to the lighthouse, the road narrowed and eventually turned in dirt and we were a little concerned when a sign advised that the road was no longer maintained by the council, We shouldn't have worried because we couldn't really tell the difference.

By the time we reached the lighthouse carpark we were glad we were no longer in the vans as the wasn't much room to park for cars, let alone two long vans. It was quite busy when we arrived as we started our trek up the steep hill to the top.

As expected, when we got there, the views were pretty good. The Cape Bruny Lighthouse project was commissioned by Governor George Arthur in 1835 after a series of tragic shipwrecks off the south coast. The lighthouse is no longer operational and there is now a rather insignificant solar lighthouse just over on the other hill on the same point that now protects the ships and boats going around the island.

We had a quick look at the little lighthouse museum and the big attraction for the kids was the dial up phone. There a young teenager trying to work out how to use it. She had no idea and it made us all feel very old.

It was time to make a start back as we wanted to try out the Bruny Island Cheese Company. They not only make cheese, they are farmers, bakers and brewers. The cellar door was in a lovely bush setting and we ordered a delicious cheese platter and a beer tasting paddle. They provided a list of the beers and what cheeses would work best each beer. 

We though this would be our entrée as we planned to try out the oyster restaurant "Get Shucked". Unfortunately, the gates were closed with a sign saying they had reached their Covid limit. 

It was almost time to head back to the ferry. The last scheduled trip was at 3:30 and then on demand after that. We didn't need to take the chance of getting stuck on the island until late.

We were a bit disappointed that we didn't get the time to do any walks and decided that to do the island justice, you would be better off staying for at least one night on the island.

We headed back to Hobart thinking we could spend a little more time looking around the docks and surrounds but the rain decided to set in so we choose to have a drink and then an early dinner and Mures Restaurant. It was very busy and the food was OK.

We headed out to the airport to drop off our bags and then Terry and Mark went to take the rental car back while Ruth and I stayed with the bags. When they got back Terry said that the taxi driver was not happy about having to accept the fare as it was only a 10 minute trip. Apparently the taxi have to wait up to two hours to get back into the airport. In the end Terry had to offer him more to take the fare. 

With everyone safely back at the airport, we waited for our plane. I found myself so tired that I think I was asleep before the plane actually took off.

Back in Melbourne, we were able to collect the bags really quickly and then get the car and head home. 

We have had such a great time with Ruth and Mark and seen some beautiful sites. We have only seen a tiny part of Tasmania so can't wait to go back and explore some more.

It's Almost Over

So, here we are on our final few days. Van life is over and sadly we dropped them off about midday at went to our new accommodation. After navigating the very steep and narrow driveway, we found ourselves inside a beautiful cottage which was quite spacious for its size. I think it may have been a converted garage, but once you were inside, you would never know. We soon forgot about the vans.

It's a bit pricey for one couple but for us it was very affordable, especially for the quality of the accommodation.

It had two large double bedrooms, two bathrooms, one included a laundry, a very well equipped and large kitchen, a large living dining area and then a cosy TV room that I think could be used as a third sleeping space.

Once we were all settled in our plan was to spend the afternoon at MONA (Museum of Old and New Art). This is about 20 minutes out from Hobart CBD and we weren't really quite sure what to expect as we had heard mixed reviews.

MONA is an impressive building and as much as I would like to claim this photo, its a free one from Google

I have to say first impressions are positive. When we got out of the car we could hear live music and we walked up to a large grassed area where lots of people were sitting either on the beautiful lawn space or bean bags provided by the venue. There were a few places to get food that you could eat out in the open space. It was a great atmosphere and just a little hint that this quite a unique place.

Entering into the building was a bit of an experience in itself. The start of the exhibitions was actually right down in underground basement where you had to go down a circle staircase which would have been at three levels down, maybe more.

When you reached the bottom there was a bar to get a drink that you go and sit in lounge space in amongst the artwork. We were also advised to download the MONA app because there is no information on any of the artworks.

If you know nothing about MONA it is a gallery that will exhibit art the no other gallery will. So our first impression was that it was quite gruesome, macabre, very suggestive with some of the erotic pieces, provocative, confronting and just weird in some cases. I guess this is what art does, it makes you look and see the world through different eyes.  

Some of the artwork was rather disturbing and displayed in very unusual ways. The first wall on the ground floor was a huge sandstone wall that when you got closer had small windows that housed some very interesting pieces.

There were some incredibly clever and captivating works like this programmed waterfall that seemed to be showering constantly changing messages. We found as you moved through the different spaces you would catch a different view of this same piece.

As we meandered our way around the works you never sure what you would come across next. Some were quite visually stunning like the one one were you went into a room where they used recycled engine oil to create a mirror to reflect the architecture of the room. This was a bit smelly but quite beautiful and serene.

There were interactive display like the one where you counted a pile of rice grains, do not ask because I don't know why.

One of the more confronting ones for me was one where you went into a room on a concrete path that was surrounded by black water. The first part leading into the room was fine but when you stepped into the enclosed space you instantly felt like you were standing on the edge of a cliff that was going to disappear at any moment. It made you instantly want to push up against the wall even though there was plenty of room to walk. The path turned into stepping stones that lead to a platform that you stood on the look at the artwork. This was extremely unnerving to get to and then even more so when you realised that you had to go back. I'm sure the the water would have been quite shallow but you couldn't see. Definitely not a place for someone with a fear of heights

There were so many displays that were interesting and many that made no sense at all. We all came away wondering who decides what is considered art.

One of the more fun works was a sound proof room that spiralled into central chamber. We were told we could talk normally and our voices could be heard the the large gramophone horn like structure we noticed one the outside of the building. When we reached the centre we heard people talking about the colour of something (not sure what though). I joined the conversation and said I didn't like that colour. The people responded asking me if I would prefer colour more like they were wearing but I told them, "no, something more neutral". They were quite bemused and told told us it was it like I could see them as well, Apparently, they were wearing quite colourful clothing. It was a really fun experience.

Our trip to MONA was well worth it as it was more thought provoking than I expected. I did enjoy it and I think everyone should go there to make up their own mind, but I don't think I would go back.

We decided on cooking at the cottage and had a quiet night in enjoying another night of cards.

The next morning we wandered down to Salamanca Market down on the Hobart waterfront. It was extremely busy and it's probably one of the nicest markets I've been to. Nearly all the stalls had high quality, locally produced goods and I'm glad I left it until today to get some things to take home.

Not only did they have lots of beautiful products to purchase but a huge variety of food. 

We decided to buy some paella and samosa for lunch and both were a great choice.

After I had spent way too much we decided to get a coffee and decide what to do for the afternoon.

We decided to take our chances with weather and take the Hop On - Hoff Off tour around Hobart. After deciding to view from the upper deck and fighting to get our stylish ponchos on we set off taking in the views.

Unlike other cities we've done this, it's pretty hard to see the sites as many of the street are either narrow or lined with large trees. You win some and lose some but it filled in a bit of the afternoon.

It may look like Mark is trying to suffocate Ruth but you be pleased to know she survived.

After the tour we decided to go to the Maritime Museum. This is a lovely little museum with a huge amount of information and we spent nearly two hours there. This is another place that is well worth a visit.

Our last touristy thing to do for the day was to visit the Cat and the Fiddle Clock. I remember this from when I last visited Hobart at16. Well things have certainly changed as I remember going down this dark and dingey arcade to look at this clock that has the cat playing the fiddle and the cow jumping of the moon.

Now its in a bright and shiny new shopping centre but I think the clock is the same.

After this we decided to risk a trip up to Mt Wellington and so glad we did. Since getting back to Hobart, the top of the mountain has been hidden by cloud cover, but as we thought this was going to be our only chance to go there, we decided it was worth a try. As we driving up the mountain the cloud seemed to be lifting so our chances started to look better.

By the time we reached the top the clouds parted just enough for us to get some great views back down the mountain over Hobart. It would really be spectacular on a clear day. 

For our last dinner we tried to get into the Anchor and Hope hotel but it was booked out. The waitress recommended we try Tom McHugos up on the next corner and it was a good recommendation.

Another busy day and it's time to pack up ready for our last day.

History tour

Guess what, not only do the Oatlands' businesses close early, they open late!

We set off to explore town around nine and headed for a walk around the lake first. It was  during this walk we realised how much birdlife was on the lake and a it did look better as you walked around it. The lake is approximately 200 hectare is size, so pretty big!

 

When we headed back into the town we came across the local cemetery. It's always interesting to look at the old graves to see the families who have obviously been in the area for a very long time. 

It was here we noticed that the orange lichen that grows on the rocks around the coast, also grows here in the central area of the state. I thought it was something to do with the sea air, but maybe it has more to do with the clean air here.

We noticed that one a the families was the Pennicotts. I wonder if it's the same family as the Pennicott Wilderness tours?

We got back to the main street around 10am and loved looking at all the old buildings and admiring how so much of the town's historical identity had been maintained. Some of the streets were like stepping back in time.

Fortunately, we were walking by the Pancake Cafe just as they were opening the doors. Terry and Mark thought that was personal invitation to enter. It was another beautiful old building that had maintained many of it's original features. What was originally the stable still had  spoons drain running the length of the building.

 

One thing we've noticed in Tasmania, it's quite easy to get a delicious Devonshire tea. Mark and Ruth's looked beautiful. This time, Terry and I decided to try a maple bacon muffin with chai latte and hot chocolate, and it was delicious! 

After a while of enjoying this cosy cafe with it's delicious food, we dragged ourselves back out it the cold to explore a bit more.

Ruth and I found found a few nice little shops while the guys went down to the information centre to check out what else there was to see.

Our last stop was the old flour mill.

Unfortunately there didn't seem to be anywhere to enquire about having a look through the old buildings. There was a tour starting just as we got there but we didn't get a chance to ask the guide for help.

We wandered around the site that has been beautifully restored. They are also building a large modern distillery which blends well with the historical building.

After a wander and some photos, we headed back to the vans to make our way to Richmond for our last night in the vans.

First stop in Richmond, The Richmond Bridge. It is the oldest stone span bridge in Australia. Another beautiful old structure in a lovely setting. Sadly, the weather had deteriorated so the photo is a little dull. However, this doesn't take anything away from the bridge.

Close by, is the St John's Catholic Church built in 1836 and believed to be the oldest Catholic Church in Australia that is still an active church. 

The church is perched up on the hill overlooking the area around. There is a cemetery behind it but we didn't go and look at this one.  With so many beautiful old sandstones churches and buildings throughout this area it makes me realise how little history we have around us back home.

After this we headed back up into the town checking out a few of the shops. Ruth and I explored another antique store while the guys went on further, probably looking for something sweet. 

While we were in the store we noticed they had a large collection of vinyl records and we knew that Mark had been looking for a particular album by Art Garfunkel that had been extremely difficult for him to find. We asked the very helpful owner what albums he had and he showed us three.  We took a photo to show Mark and I don't think he really believed us (or he was disappointed that we found it and not him) but he did go back and buy it. I think he came out a very happy man and it only cost him $15 dollars.

After our little find, we headed over to the old Richmond Gaol. This is another great historical site with loads of information and glimpses into the harsh life of the convicts. This also had convict list so, of course I looked up our family name but none of them were familiar.

When we finished at the Goal, we went in search of the Old Hobart Town miniature replica village. This model is and replica of Hobart in the 1820's. It is built with amazing detail and a great sense of humour depicting men out the back of a building relieving themselves, or ladies of the night, highway robberies as well as realistic scenes of life back in that time.

They have tried to make it entertaining for all ages and there's a bit of a challenge where to have to find four characters hidden somewhere in the model. Eagle eye Ruth and Mark found most of them and I think that the guy didn't believe us because he quizzed us on what colour clothing they had on.

When we get back to Hobart it will be interesting to see if we recognise any of the building that are still standing.

With it getting late, we headed for our last caravan park with the vans. This time we had powered sites and access to clean hot showers. I have to say a shower has never felt so good after three days of bucket washes.

The last nine days has been fantastic a while I'm a bit sad this is the last night in the van, I'm looking forward to staying in a Hobart Air BnB we have booked.