Wangaratta - day 5

With the forecast of possible showers and a much cooler day than yesterday, it was a group rugged up which departed for our tour of Bright. The showers did not eventuate and the sun kept us from feeling too cold.

Bright is renowned for its autumn colours, however the many blossom trees in town were just starting to show off their splendour.

Our coach headed straight for the riverside park where we started the day with morning tea. The Ovens River was flowing very swiftly and was very swollen. With a large snow melt to come it will be watched very carefully as summer approaches.

We watched a video presentation of the area with a historical account of how the High Country has changed since gold was discovered. Then our local guide, Les, took us on an entertaining overview of the town of Bright and also the heritage town of Wandiligong. Once a mining area it is now a producer of apples and chestnuts.

Apparently this town has such a tight knit community they call people from Bright ‘city slickers’. The people from Bright reputedly say they need to lose their front teeth and play the banjo to be accepted in “Wandi” – only in Australia!!

Back in Bright we had lunch in a local café and then had free time to wander around this pretty town.

One last stop – we were taken to the Red Deer and Emu Farm. Situated in the hills outside Myrtleford we were welcomed by the owner who talked about how the business has grown and diversified over time. The views were gorgeous and as we wandered around the grounds the sun found its way through the clouds currently showering the High Country with snow and we saw that snow on one of the peaks shining like a beacon between the wooded hills.

The animals provided plenty of interest as did the emu oil they produce – good for arthritis and dry skin and other ailments – a popular purchase.

lots of emu chicks keeping warm under an electric light

Many deer had shed their antlers - this rack was still on display

On our way back we passed through Everton where they are now the proud owners of a bus shelter.

Only in Australia

Once back in Wangaratta the usual 5 o’clock drinks did not happen, everyone was resting up for their dinner and entertainment on our last night.

It’s been a wonderful few days. Now it’s back to Sydney and reality.

Wangaratta - day 4

Today was yet another highly anticipated day for our tour – Beechworth. The weather was still being very kind with an exceptional forecast of a warm day for the area.

Beechworth is such a jewel in the region for a number of reasons. It is not only the last place the infamous Ned Kelly, bush ranger, was interred before being moved to Melbourne (for trial sentencing and hanging), but also for its development as a gold mining town and important regional centre in the mid to late 1800s.

There are more than 30 heritage listed buildings in the town (most of which are in the two main streets, Camp St and Ford Street) where the majority of the buildings survive from the 1850s. The notable deep gutters were constructed around the 1870s to assist with the disbursement of snow and flooding rains. The beautiful elms lining some of the main streets were planted around 1880 and all the buildings in town are painted with heritage colours and no neon signs are permitted for the businesses, in keeping with the heritage value of the town.

Outside the historic Courthouse

You can still send a telegram, sent via Morse code from here

 In Finch St, there are also some beautiful buildings and the granite façade of the old hospital is still to be found in Church St. It was built in 1856.

One of many beautiful cottages in Beechworth

The park at one end of town has some grand North American Sequoias and other plants which were transported from the Melbourne Botanic Gardens in 1875. This park is near the Museum in Loch Street which is named for Robert O’Hara Burke (of Burke and Wills fame) who was, for a time, Police Superintendent in the town.

At the opposite end of town down Camp St and continuing into Albert St is the highest point of the town and the site of the former psychiatric hospital. The buildings here are NT classified.

Now owned by La Trobe University, it is worth the short drive around the grounds which in spring time are a blaze of colour in the gardens. As you enter the grounds and follow the road to the right there is an avenue of oaks which was planted by an inmate who was simply known by his initials. Also, just at the beginning of the avenue are two magnificent white gums which are estimated to be more than 250 years old.

Before we were taken to the lake for morning tea, we took the route past the Beechworth Gaol and then dropped off our guide. The gaol was built between 1860 and 1864 and was eventually decommissioned in 2005. Again this building is NT classified.

Near the lake a Chinese sunken garden is in the process of being developed to recognise the contribution of the Chinese to the town during the days of the Gold Rush. It being spring, there were blossoms coming out on the trees and along the side of the lake the wattles were showing off their golden tresses.

After morning tea we were left at the Beechworth Courthouse for a very entertaining presentation about the history of the Courthouse as well as an interactive recreation of the trial of Ned Kelly. Naturally, I put up my hand to be involved and took the part of the Prosecutor. Costumes were provided and a script. It was a thoroughly entertaining end to our morning in this historic town.

Acting up in the dock before we started

Michael (aka Ned Kelly) setting the scene prior to the trial of Ned Kelly

All set to 'take to the stage'

Lunch was provided by the CWA across the road – beautiful soup and a roll. As they had a captive audience, they put on a raffle too. After lunch we were free to wander the town. So many places to visit – the honey shop, the pottery store (which, sadly was not open today), lots of cafes to choose from and beautiful buildings to photograph – Tanswells Hotel, the Post Office, and of course, the Beechworth Bakery.

Many a famous Beechworth Bakery Beesting was consumed with cups of tea or coffee this afternoon, despite having had such a beautiful lunch. No room for ice cream sadly. The ice creamery will have to wait for another day.

Our last stop was at Murray’s Brewery where we were able to taste the cordials that are today the mainstay of the establishment. Also housed here is a carriage museum under the auspices of the National Trust. Some renovations were being undertaken, but we were still able to see the carriages, despite their being crowded into a small temporary housing space.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

Wangaratta - day 3

No fog this morning. Just beautiful clear blue skies. I went for a walk after breakfast as our day ahead was focused on the Milawa Gourmet Trail. Along the route I took, past the Merriwa Park, was this quaint sculpture; the bass drum had Tin Kan 2 written on it.

Sculpture created for the Wangaratta Jazz Festival

Away promptly once again at 9am we were headed for the Milawa district which has a deserved reputation for food and wine. First stop was the olive grove where we were informed about the growing and processing of olives for making oil. No-one will be buying “Pure Olive Oil” again. Everyone left loaded with brown paper bags full of goodies. This was also where we had our morning cuppa.

Then it was on to the cheese factory. Being such a large group we enjoyed a talk by the owner of the business. She explained about their background and also about the cheeses which were laid out on platters for us to enjoy. This time there were no paper bags, they very kindly packed all the cheese up in an esky with some ice bricks which was stored in the bus luggage compartment for the rest of the day (each package with our name on it).

Local Milawa shops including Maddison Cafe our lunch stop

After a shorter stop at the mustard shop (lots more paper bags on exit) we enjoyed a lovely sandwich lunch once again in a local café.

Brown Brothers wines was just a short drive up the road and we spent a very pleasant hour or so with a guide. We learned about the establishment of this family owned and operated business (since 1857) followed by our tasting experience. No brown paper bags here – just boxes containing varying numbers of bottles!!!!

The day was rounded off with a visit to a sock factory located back in Wangaratta. What an enterprising business – not just socks but beautiful sheepskin moccasins and garden ornaments, all made with care and attention on the premises (except for some of the finishing which is undertaken by local women in their homes).  This city has many such businesses still trying to keep their enterprise afloat - we are very pleased to be able to make a small contribution to their community.

Everyone is thoroughly enjoying their time here. The accommodation is great, no complaints, the food is super and each day is carefully thought out. Tomorrow we head for Beechworth which is promising to be another terrific day.

Wangaratta day 2

The morning dawned misty and cool. The forecast was for a fine day however.

Our accommodation

After a substantial breakfast everyone was at the coach promptly for our day out in and around Wangaratta. We started with a guided tour of the town itself which was very informative and interesting. All the major historical buildings are pointed out as well as the substantial public buildings and lovely parks.  The tour ended at the Apex park just on the fringes of town which runs down to the Ovens River.

We heard about Major Thomas Mitchell’s tree or at least a tree that he supposedly camped under while, as Surveyor-General, he was surveying the area in 1836. We were also told about a different town icon. A child’s rocking Yogi Bear has been in the park for some time but has come to represent a measure of how severe the Ovens River flooding is. The further up the bear the water reaches is noted even to the extent of locals providing goggles if the water is likely to rise above its head.

Major Mitchell's tree

After morning tea we finished off the town sights and then headed for Benalla, a town some 30 minutes further down the highway.

Known for its superb gliding conditions in the summer, Benalla is also home to a museum with a substantial collection of material associated with the bushranger Ned Kelly. A very interesting hour was spent wandering through and reading some of the details of this young criminal’s life.

Adjacent to the museum just along the lake shore there is a whimsical terra cotta structure from where I am writing this blog after our lunch stop. These photos were taken earlier after our visit to the museum.

  

There was also more evidence of the journey made by Major Thomas Mitchell while surveying the area. He had also made camp at Benalla. He was responsible for naming The Grampians in western Victoria and also Mt Macedon just to the west of Melbourne.

Lunch had been arranged for us at the Art Gallery just across the lake which is also where the rose garden is located to commemorate the life of Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop one of our war time heros. The roses in summer would be spectacular I’m sure. The spring growth is already looking substantial and very healthy.

After lunch we walked in to town, meandered the shops and then found a pathway along the lake edge to take us back to the museum where we would later pick up the coach. Along the way we came across this analemmatic sundial – it told the time accurately too!!

Back on the coach again we drove the short distance to Glenrowan the town made famous more than 120 years ago when Ned Kelly and his gang made their last stand and Ned Kelly was finally arrested after only a few years as one of Australia’s most infamous bush rangers. He was hanged in Melbourne aged 26 in November 1880.

 

Scene of Ned Kelly's Last Stand

Our day ended with a walk around some of the streets of Wangaratta taking pictures of some of the lovely homes close to town. I hope you like them.

Wangaratta - day 1

Sydney to Wangaratta

Our journey started off well – everyone arrived well ahead of time!!!! 27 Probus members and three additional travellers were on their way promptly by 8.30. Our driver, Toby, had explained the necessary housekeeping details and we were soon on the freeway headed south.

We were forewarned by our driver about the possibility of what may happen at the upcoming weigh station - just as well - there was a full on police operation with cars being diverted to have roadworthiness and registration checks. Our coach must have passed muster as we were waved through.

The countryside unfolded before us. The Great Dividing Range, the second longest mountain range in the world after The Andes, offering up the rolling hills of first the Southern Highlands, then the Southern Tablelands and later the distant high country in NE Victoria.

The freeway was lined with rivers of gold as it is wattle season. A spectacular sight, the beautiful fragrant trees are particularly beautiful this spring after a very wet summer. Generally the countryside was of rolling hills with either sheep or beef cattle grazing, interspersed with the golden fields of canola striking a contrast with the clear blue of the sky.

It was a beautiful day with the clear skies offering up the inevitable sunshine. Our stops along the way made for a very comfortable trip –morning tea at Mittagong, another comfort stop before lunch at the Dog on the Tuckerbox just outside Gundagai; a further stop at Holbrook the ‘submarine town’ then into Wangaratta by 5.30pm and our accommodation for the next 5 nights.

Dinner was made especially enjoyable with the celebration of a member’s birthday – what a great start to our week.