GLENROWAN and MOUNT BUFFALO

27^th November, 2014

Well there we were, hurtling north up the Hume Freeway, when a road sign caught our eye.

A quick decision was made and we took the next exit and checked into Glenrowan Tourist Park – a sleepy little caravan park set in bushland.

Camped at Glenrowan Tourist Park

Over the next couple of days we explored the area and were entertained by the kangaroos and rabbits foraging in the nearby paddocks each afternoon.

There is no getting away from the legend of Ned Kelly in Glenrowan as this was the place where he was captured.  Even if you knew nothing about Ned the humongous statue of him in the main street should be a dead give-away.

Can't miss this in the main street of Glenrowan

Glenrowan is a small country town with tourism its main source of revenue.  Anything and everything ‘Ned’ can be obtained here and a museum depicts the siege at Glenrowan where Ned was captured.  A reconstruction of Ned’s family home is also on display.

Replica of Ned Kelly's family home

The following bit of information is a snapshot of the Ned Kelly legend :-

Edward "Ned" Kelly (December 1854 – 11 November 1880) was an Australian bushranger of Irish descent.  His legacy is controversial; some consider him to be a murderous villain while others view him as a folk hero and Australia's equivalent of Robin Hood.

Ned Kelly was born in Australia in the town of Beveridge in the state of Victoria to an Irish convict father and an Irish-Australian mother.  His father died after a six-month stint in prison for unlawful possession of a bullock hide when Ned was twelve.  Following an incident at his family's home in 1878, police parties searched for Ned in the bush.  After he, his brother Dan and two colleagues killed three policemen, the colonial government proclaimed Kelly and his gang ‘wanted outlaws’.

A final violent confrontation with police took place at Glenrowan on 28 June 1880.  Ned, dressed in homemade plate metal armour and a helmet, was captured and sent to jail.  He was convicted of three counts of willful murder and hanged at Old Melbourne Gaol in November 1880.  His daring and notoriety made him an iconic figure in Australian history, folklore, literature, art and film.

For those of you who may want to know more about Ned Kelly just go to the following website :-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Kelly

At the siege site information boards describe the events that took place and we wander along the trail leading from the site of the Inn to where Ned was finally captured.

Site of the Glenrowan Inn where the siege took place - Mount Glenrowan in background

1880 photograph of burnt out remains of Glenrowan Inn

Just loved this 'log' Ned Kelly depicting the place where he was captured

Photograph of Ned Kelly taken one day before he was hanged

The following day we took a drive to Mount Buffalo – stopping off at Greta Cemetery where Ned Kelly (minus his head) and his mother lie in unmarked graves.  Ned was only recently interred in the cemetery and a headstone has been erected by the Kelly descendants in memory of Ned, his mother and other family members.

We can see Mount Buffalo from the caravan park but it is a good couple of hours drive away.

Mount Buffalo

Along the way we notice that many of the farms have kilns – not in use.  When we reached Myrtleford we stopped at a picnic area where one of these kilns was on display and found out that they were ‘Tobacco Kilns’.

Tobacco Kiln at Myrtleford

There must have been a lot of tobacco being grown here in the 1900’s as every farm we passed seemed to have anywhere up to several kilns on their property.  Obviously the bottom must have fallen out of the tobacco market as we did not see one crop of tobacco now being grown.  Just past Myrtleford we turn onto the road leading to Mount Buffalo National Park.

Driving up Mount Buffalo

The road winds back and forth up the cliff faces for over twenty kilometres with rugged granite outcrops dominating the landscape.  As we traverse the terrain across the top we can see the feature known as the ‘Horn’

The Horn (Mount Buffalo)

and as we get closer we can see people standing at the railing on the top.

The Horn (Mount Buffalo)

At the car park on the western side of Mount Buffalo an old shelter still stands

Wok at road's end - Mount Buffalo

and a panoramic vista opens up.

View from the shelter - Mount Buffalo

View the other way at the shelter - Mount Buffalo

It always amazes us to see where some trees manage to find a foothold and survive the elements.

Just love this tree growing between the granite boulders

On the way back down the mountain the stark white skeletons of trees caught in a devastating bushfire a decade ago catch our eye.

Bushfire devastated trees on Mount Buffalo

We got back just in time for happy hour at the caravan park with the rabbits and kangaroos.  

Its stone fruit harvest time with lots of fruit being sold at the farm gate – so we couldn’t drive past without taking full advantage of cheap prices and tasty produce.

Wok is all set - computer to play with - apricots and cherries to munch on ..

Hmmm  -  wonder how many cherries one has to eat before a falling into a ‘cherry coma’ ... ?

EUROA

24^th November, 2014

It was a bit drizzly at Stony Point as we packed up this morning and headed north.  We skillfully skirted around the main Melbourne CBD and breathed a sigh of relief when we finally joined up with the Hume Freeway and left the Melbourne traffic behind.  Over the past ten days we had experienced all kinds of traffic situations, ranging from a traffic jam (that lasted over five hours for some motorists) to crazy tailgating maniacs.  Now we only had to contend with cars and semi-trailers all hell bent on travelling at warp speed.  Our destination was only 140 klms up the freeway and we were only too pleased to see the turnoff to Euroa come into sight.

Turnoff to Euroa from the Hume Freeway

Euroa is a small country town that had its beginnings as a wool growing community back in 1838.  During the gold rush Euroa was a regular coach stop on the way to the goldfields and Cobb and Co travelers on the way to Sydney were revived by the permanent water supply of the Seven Creeks.  The area around Euroa is now more well known as a home for horse studs and several famous race horses have been bred here – the latest being Black Caviar.

We check into the one and only caravan park and the manager finds us a lovely spot on the banks of the Seven Creeks.

Our campsite in Euroa

It doesn’t take long for some of the resident wild ducks to pay us a visit and over the next couple of days there is an endless parade of ‘quackers’ either paddling or waddling by. 

The ducks make themselves at home beside our caravan

We have an ulterior motive for stopping at Euroa and that is to meet up with Wok’s sister Gwen and her husband Roger.  They have arranged to buy a new Crusader D-Lite caravan from the factory outlet in Melbourne and tomorrow will stop here in a cabin overnight, drive into Melbourne with Wok the next morning to pick up their van and then return to Euroa in the afternoon to camp overnight and then head off towards home on Thursday.  It’s going to be a busy few days for them but after having the same caravan for the past 25 years it will also be an exciting time.  They arrive just after lunch on Tuesday and after the obligatory ‘cuppa’ and a quick chat we decide to take a walk along the creek and into town for a look see.  The caravan park managers have recommended the hotel on the other side of the creek for dinner and it looks pretty good as we pass by.

Seven  Creeks Hotel at Euroa

We continue on the path beside the creek and come across three recent statues of  Victoria Cross recipients who came from the Euroa district.  Unfortunately none of these men returned home to Australia – they were all killed during the First World War.

Statues of the three VC recipients at Euroa

One block over and we find ourselves in the main street with a rather ornately built Post Office facing us on the opposite corner.

Post Office in Euroa

Further down Main Street is Blairgowrie – built in 1890 for a Mr. H London (a chemist) who used it as a residence and dispensary.  The owners’ name, initials and date of erection are worked into the decorative pattern around the top of the arches.  It took us ages to find the intricately carved name and numbers – well Roger spotted them actually.  It was quite a brain teaser for a while.

Gwen outside Blairgowrie House

The next building down the street was obviously old but there was no plaque to tell us if it had any historical significance.  It did have plenty of character though .. !

Wok and Roger admire the awning and wonder how long it's been this way!

The last building at the end of the street was the third National Bank to be built in Euroa.  It was built in 1885 and is one of the best examples of banks designed in the Queen Anne style in Victoria .

The National Bank built in 1885 is now privately owned.

The bank is located on the opposite corner to where the Colonial Bank stood.  In 1878 this bank was robbed by bushranger Ned Kelly and his gang.  For our overseas friends Ned Kelly was an Australian outlaw similar to Jesse James in the wild west of the USA.  We are in Kelly Country now and will probably run across ‘Ned’ quite a lot.

By the time we got back to the caravan it was time to get ready and walk over to the hotel for our dinner.  We had a great meal and were way too full to even think about dessert.

Roger and Gwen (with friend) in lobby of the Seven Creeks Hotel

In the morning Roger, Gwen and Wok headed off to Melbourne to pick up the new van and arrived back at the park at 3pm.

Roger and Gwen's new Crusader D-Lite and Mitsubishi Pajero

The van looked great and Roger and Gwen were D-Lited … sorry about that pun but it had to be done.  The next few hours were spent opening and closing cupboards and transferring stuff from Roger’s vehicle into the caravan.

Gear unloaded from the Pajero ready to go into the caravan

The inside of the van soon had luggage and boxes strewn from one end to the other but by the time dinner time rolled around everything was packed away.

Gwen having a break - trying to decide what to put where ... !

A tasty celebratory meal was consumed at the local Chinese restaurant followed by Gwen taking a tumble backwards out of Mitzi as she tried to get in.  Fortunately no bones were broken and she only received a few bumps and bruises.  Just goes to show that one can never trust what goes into a lemon squash these days!  In the morning we waved Roger and Gwen ‘Bon Voyage’ as they headed off with their Crusader D-Lite in tow.  We also packed up and headed out.  We’re heading in the general direction of north … no idea where to yet … but why worry about that!

MELBOURNE

20^th November, 2014

While camped on the Mornington Peninsular we took the opportunity to do a day trip into Melbourne city on the train.  With the train station right beside the campground it was an easy matter to walk over to the station and take the two carriage commuter train to Frankston.  The trains doing the round trip from Frankston to Flinders Street (the main train station in Melbourne) run every 15 minutes so it was a quick changeover from the Stony Point train to the Melbourne train and 40 minutes later we were standing on the platform in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD.  We crossed the road to the Information Centre in Federation Square

Information Centre in Federation Square

and from there we could really appreciate the ‘olde worlde’ architecture of the Flinders Street railway station

Flinders Street Station

and Saint Paul’s cathedral.

St Paul's

We’re not so sure about the modernistic style of architecture in Federation Square itself

Modern Architecture in Federation Square

but there was certainly something for everyone (architecturally speaking) on all sides of the square.  As we took in the high rise vista an icon of Melbourne’s public transport system rumbled by.

Melbourne Tram

We’re so happy that at least one capital city in Australia retained their tram system.  They might not be the best option for modern day commuters but for a hands on travel experience they can’t be beat.  We found where all the two wheel commuters park their motor bikes as we walked along Little Collins Street

Motor Bikes on the footpath in Little Collins Street

and in Collins Street itself we window shopped at all the brand name stores.

Collins Street

The security guard at Tiffany’s gave us a long hard look as we loitered in the doorway admiring some obscure architectural feature on the building opposite.  After wandering the streets we finally made our way back to the train station and crossed the bridge over the Yarra River

Melbourne high rise along the Yarra River

to the Arts Complex on the other side.

Arts Complex Melbourne

We were getting rather hungry as it was way past lunchtime so we stopped for a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants along the river at Southgate where we watched the tourist ferries plying up and down the river.

View across Yarra River to Flinders Station and Federation Square Melbourne

After our late lunch we strolled along the riverbank and eventually made our way back to the footbridge which crossed over to the train station.  We were amused to see the hundreds of locks that had been placed on the bridge railings.

Lovers Locks - Melbourne

The tradition of couples showing their commitment to each other by placing a lock on a bridge or railing of some structure seems to have also become quite popular here.  We saw many instances of this in lots of different countries on our overseas travels.  Before we made our way to the train station we took one last look at the view across the river to Southgate.

View across Yarra towards Southgate from Flinders Station

Our trip today was just to do a bit of sightseeing and enjoy the train journey without having the hassle of driving Mitzi in the city traffic and trying to find somewhere to park.  Our goal had been attained and the photos in this blog are just a snapshot of what there is to see in Melbourne.

MORNINGTON PENINSULA

13^th November, 2014

After a detour into the northern suburbs of Melbourne to check out a new Crusader caravan for Roger and Gwen (Wok’s sister and brother-in-law) we headed south to the Mornington Peninsula and checked into the Stony Point Caravan Park on Westernport Bay.  The caravan park is situated right beside HMAS Cerberus naval base and is a stepping off point for a ferry to French Island and Phillip Island.

Stony Point Jetty

Besides the Stony Point Caravan Park there are only a couple of houses, a small shop, dockside offices for the Westernport Marine Authority and a train station where one can take a two carriage train to Frankston and then hop on a train to Melbourne.  It’s a great place for some quiet camping with the occasional day trip to explore the peninsula.  This is also a popular spot for local fishermen to launch their boats and after setting up the van on site we take a walk to the foreshore to see what type of fish the returning boats had brought back.  We weren’t the only ones interested in the catch and the fish cleaning tables were staked out by a bevy of pushy pelicans.

Pelicans at the fish cleaning table Stony Point

Two fishermen had just tipped their esky full of red schnapper onto the table and we chatted to them as they cleaned their catch.

Fisherman at Stony Point with his catch of red schnapper

All the while the ever vigilant pelicans and seagulls kept a watchful eye on the proceedings and were quick to snaffle up any discarded morsels.

Aww ... come on ... I'm being really really good ... !

Our first excursion is south along the eastern coast of the peninsula, popping in and out of the small seaside villages until we get to the most southern point at Cape Schanck.

Cape Schanck Lighthouse

Then we cross over the peninsula to the western side and Port Phillip Bay and follow the coast north checking out the seaside holiday villages of Sorrento, Rosebud and Dromana before climbing up to the lookouts at Arthurs Seat.  The views are fantastic with the peninsula spread out on both sides and disappearing into the haze.

View of Mornington Peninsula towards Point Nepean from Arthurs Seat

And we did actually find Arthurs Seat on top of Arthurs Seat.

Robyn takes it easy at Arthurs Seat

It was late afternoon by the time we followed the ridge road through Red Hill and back to Stony Point.  Our next excursion was to the furthest point on the Peninsula – Point Nepean National Park.  It was a lovely sunny day and the colour of the water was turquoise and blue – simply enchanting.  Point Nepean National Park is not fully accessible for private vehicles so we parked Mitzi and caught the shuttle bus into the park.  One of the first stops along the way is Cheviot Beach where a memorial to Prime Minister Harold Holt is located.

Cheviot Beach

We remember at the time the media frenzy surrounding the disappearance of Australia’s Prime Minister and the many rumours – from him being taken by a Great White Shark to being kidnapped by scuba divers from a Russian submarine.  The reality is that he more than likely was caught in an undertow and simply drowned but one can’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.  With no witnesses and no body the disappearance will always be a mystery and this secluded beach is now part of Australian history.

The shuttle bus winds its way along the narrow road out along the peninsula with Bass Strait on one side and Port Phillip on the other.

View back along the peninsula - Port Phillip Bay on the left and Bass Strait on the right.

The bus drops us off at the furthest point on the peninsula – Point Nepean.  There is a wonderful view of the entrance to Port Phillip from here.

View from Point Nepean across the entrance to Port Phillip Bay

The entrance to Port Phillip was the most heavily forted port of the British Empire with Fort Nepean standing guard over Bass Strait and the entrance to the bay.  Built in the 1870’s the fort was manned through both World Wars.

Wok makes his way towards the tunnels

We explore the tunnels

Wandering through the maze of tunnels

and fortifications and read the information boards which give us an insight into the history and life of the military personnel stationed here.

After wandering through the maze of tunnels and gun emplacements we eventually make our way back to the bus stop.  Point Nepean National Park was also home to a Quarantine Station which was established in 1852 and operated until 1952 when the buildings became home to the Officer Cadet School until 1985.  From 1985 to 1998 the buildings were used as a School for Army Health.  The site is now looked after by the National Parks and there are over 50 heritage listed buildings.

Avenue of trees at the Quarantine Station

We stroll around the site and through some of the buildings. 

Heat Oven for processing luggage of Quarantined passengers

There are five large buildings that were used as hospitals for sick passengers off the boats that entered Port Phillip.

One of the hospital buildings at the Quarantine Station

With many immigrants pouring into the colony in the second half of the 1800’s the outbreak of diseases such as typhus was a constant threat.  The tragic stories of those who were put into quarantine and those who died and were buried here are heart rending.  Some of Robyn’s ancestors may have passed through the Quarantine Station on their way to the Victorian goldfields in the 1850’s.  We wondered what they would have thought of this strange country so different to their home in Britain.

After leaving the National Park we followed the coast around Port Phillip Bay.  In the distance across the water we could just make out the outline of Melbourne’s high rise buildings in the haze.

View of Melbourne (in the haze) from Mornington Peninsula

All along the beaches on this side of the peninsula are colourful bathing sheds – a reminder of a bygone era.

Bathing sheds on Mornington Peninsula

Our time on the peninsula is nearly over and we’ve enjoyed exploring the many roads and by-ways that criss-cross its length.  Before we leave there was one last stop to make – sunset over the water at Portsea. 

Sunset at Portsea

Breathtaking …..