Floriade has not disappointed. As you can imagine I took a million photos capturing the many displays of the flowers in bloom. The vibrancy and variety of the tulips and coordinating colors of pansy and daisy were so lovely.
However, I have spared you from having to look and them all and instead have included my favourite selections for you to see. I hope these snapshots inspire you as much as me.
We are lucky, the weather has been lovely and sunny since we arrived in Canberra.
From Ceduna we made our way to Port Augusta for the night and then continued our journey through Berri and Mildura. We have visited these places several times before so we decided not to stay and look around them this time, as we are on a bit of a deadline to get to Canberra.
So far we have passed these three ‘bigs’. The galah in Kimba, the orange in Berri and the koala in Hay.
After Port Augusta, we have been camping along the Murray River for a couple of nights, in both SA and VIC. The river currently has plenty of water and an abundance of bird life.
Passing through Hay in NSW, the Hay Plains area is flat and irrigated for growing cotton, legume and cereal crops. The lack of trees remind us of the Nullarbor.
Wagga Wagga is a large city – bigger than we remembered. The combination of locals and tourists makes it a bustling place. The memorial garden at the bottom to town is a lovely relaxing place and the nearby churches date back to the 1870s.
We took a leisurely stroll through the botanical gardens.
Next stop was Talbingo up in the Snowy Valley. It’s pretty chilly up here, on the first day low cloud hung around us but the second was beautiful sunshine. The town is on Jounama Pondage.
A few kilometres away is Tumut 3 Power Station. Water from Talbingo Dam (which is the largest of the dams on the Snowy Mountains Scheme) is used for the hydroelectric station and then flows into Jounama Pondage. The water is then pumped back up to Talbingo Dam or flows downstream into Blowering Reservoir. The diameter of each pipe is shown in the third photo.
We are on our way to Canberra to visit the Floriade Spring Flower Festival which starts mid September.
It is always an interesting trip travelling across the Nullarbor, a long stretch of road that offers so many different landscapes. Depending on the time of year you make the crossing, the seasons put on a different display, making every journey from west to east feel like a new adventure.
At our first overnight stop the spring wildflowers were blooming.
After staying at Norsman to charge up our batteries, mobile devices, and get water for the next few days, we headed off and found a great camping site just west of Madura. The site was well off the road, so nice and quiet. The gorgeous sunset of oranges, pinks, and purples, was a fitting end to the day.
We always stop in to see the amazing Bunda Cliffs, a breathtaking natural wonder on the Great Australian Bight. The views never disappoint! It was rather calm the morning we arrived so chanced sending the drone out for a couple of photos.
We heard along the way that whales and their calves were still hanging out at the Head of the Bight, a renowned spot for whale watching, so that was our next stop. We spotted several whales breaching the surface, but unfortunately, they were a little too far away to get a good photo.
We called in to Penong to revisit the Windmill display to see if any more had been added since our last visit – I don’t think there have been!
We are now in Ceduna for a few days to look around and explore the area. Down at the jetty fishers were catching squid and whiting whilst these Eastern fiddler rays, commonly called a banjo shark, were feeding on the shallow sandy, weed-covered area close to shore.
WA has had plenty of good rains this year so we knew the wildflowers through the wheatbelt would be outstanding.
Here is a good selection of what we have seen. Hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I have had taking the photos.
There are so many areas where the little flowers cover the ground like carpets.
The delicate orchids have been in full bloom. The days are getting warmer now so they will start to die off soon.
The flowers on the shrubs will hold on a bit longer yet. The variety of flowers is amazing.
We are now making our way home and have spent the last few days enjoying the trip west whilst we are still in SA.
Our morning tea stop was at the picturesque Warran Reservoir.
We overnighted at Yacka in the Yackamoorundie Park on the banks of the Broughton River. Great spot and as you can see they are desperately waiting for rain as well. We had a lovely view up the valley from our camping spot.
This is our second time at Port Germein and we have agreed to stay for longer next time we are in the area. It’s claim to fame is that it has (supposedly) Australia’s longest wooden jetty – 1676 metres. We didn’t have time to take the walk out as we had to get to our next overnight destination to watch the footy. The tide was way out and off in the distance the Flinders Ranges were covered in a smoke haze.
Our next overnight stop was at Nuttbush Retreat on Pandurra Station about 30km on the western side of Port Augusta. Lovely afternoon when we arrived but woke to a very heavy fog. Delayed our start a little.
Love to see the big galah each time we pass through Kimba. Standing 8 metres tall it has had a makeover since our last visit.
Elliston is on the western coast of the Eyre Peninsula and we decided to take a short detour to revisit. It has such a lovely and rugged coastline.
The sculpture drive had quite a few art installations.
Between Elliston to Penong we called in to the all the little towns. The water was so calm – great lunch spot.
Our final overnight stay in SA is at Penong where we say the windmill display. Great idea to have it right next to the caravan park.
After leaving Penong we are saddened by the number of road kill wombats that we saw between Penong and Yalata. Perhaps 10 or 12 fresh carcasses and something we had not encountered before.
Our final look at SA was to call into the Whale Centre at the Head of the Bight. No whales today but great cliff views.
We have crossed back into WA and look forward to the next few days travelling home.
From the Tailem Bend Caravan Park we watched as the sun set over the Murray River.
The park is right on the Murray and the views are lovely. Their parcel of land includes this small walkway out to the island and is accessible to park guests.
We spend the best part of the day out at The Bend Motorsport Park. What an amazing facility. A Rydges Hotel and bar and restaurant, a display of exotic and unique sports and racing cars, a race car circuit, a dragway and karting track are all part of the complex.
Today was Open Track Day out there so there were quite a few different classes of cars racing.
Jim was in his element!
We have now left Victoria and are back in South Australia. The small town of Penola is on the southern end of the Coonawarra and home to some of the regions well known wineries.
We settled into Penola Caravan Park for the evening after enjoying the lovely settings at Di Giorgio and Parker Wineries and taking a stroll through town.
Although we didn’t visit Wynns for a tasting we did drive in and have a look around.
Di Giorgio Family Winery is set in lovely gardens. The colour in the vine leaves are dark gold and burnt red as they start to turn and drop off.
Parker Estate wines began in 1985 and we tasted some very nice bubbles, whites and reds.
Penola is just as we remembered it; a lovely small town and a good caravan park to overnight in.
The journey home begins from here and we will take about 2 weeks to trundle along.
We are based here in Warrnambool for a few days and have loved being back on the beaches again.
Port Fairy, one of our favourite coastal towns in Victoria, is only a short drive away. It has been a beautiful day here and the perfect day to take in the sights of Port Fairy.
Their are many boats moored along the Moyne River close to town. The houses along the river have a gorgeous view to wake up to every morning.
Where the river meets the ocean birds gathered in and around the crystal clear water.
Surfers braved the chilly water.
Battery Hill overlooks the point of entry to the harbour and was established to protect the town from seafaring threats in 1887.
The main street was busy with shoppers and tourists.
We leave the coast tomorrow and are off to Penola in the Coonawarra wine region for a short stay.
We are in Stawell for a few days to explore this area. From the towns lookout you can clearly see the Grampians off in the distance.
The following morning we could see a low fog hanging in the valley.
Once the fog had lifted we went off to explore Halls Gap and take in the scenery from the lookouts.
From Bokara Lookout it is obvious why Halls Gap is so called. It sits at the northern start of the rock formations that opens up through the middle.
Unfortunately a smoke haze makes the photos look a little dull but it really was worth the visit.
The views from Reids Lookout and The Balconies is spectacular. It is a one kilometre easy walk to the lookouts and well worth the stroll.
From the lookout you could clearly see the festivities of the ‘Grape Escape’ taking place below in Halls Gap. The event promotes local wines, beers, ciders and gins as well as local gourmet foods and guest chefs. From up on high we could even hear the music.
The dam is Lake Bellfield and it started as the local water supply but in 2010 a pipeline project was completed and it now supplies water to approx 35 town across the Wimmera and Mallee regions. It is also a local recreation area and used for swimming, canoeing and fishing – but no powerboats are permitted.
North of Stawell is the small town of Murtoa, home of the only remaining ‘stick shed’ in Australia.
The Murtoa Grain Store, know known as the Stick Shed, was built in 1941 to hold a wheat surplus during WWII. After a bumper year and with world export restrictions in place due to the war there was an urgent need for the grain to be stored. The usual hessian bags were in short supply so bulk storage was the only way to go.
The shed is about 270 metres long, 60 metres wide and 19 metres high. It is constructed from 560 tall mountain ash trees and took just 4 months to complete. It had two conveyors, one up on the roof for distributing the grain after it was received in the hopper and the other along one side for outloading on to the trains.
After here we are heading back down onto the coast for a few days.
On the trip over to Stawell we had a couple of stops. The first was in Avoca right at morning tea time. Afterwards we strolled down to the Chinese Gardens for a wonder.
We then drove through Ararat and parked for a stroll on the main street. In the local information centre and gallery there was a small textile exhibit. The spotlight lighting doesn’t really work for photography. Interesting pieces and it seemed to not have a theme.
At Great Western we arranged to take the underground cellar tour at Seppelt Winery. The tour guide talked about the history of the three kilometres of hand dug cellars that are the largest in Australia and how the tunnels are no longer used to store current vintages. The scale of the winery now demands modern above ground storage facilities.
From there we went to Best’s Winery and also did a walk down to the cellars and had a tasting. The colour of the leaves on the vines is still a vibrant red.
Both of these wineries began growing grapes back in the 1860’s when gold mining was flourishing in the area….every man needed to have a drink after a hard day on the mine fields.
Needless to say we had to bring home a couple of bottle to have along the way on these chilly evenings.
Bendigo is only 40 km’s from where we are staying here in Maldon and so it was easy to head up there to see the ‘Paris – Impressions of Life 1880 – 1925’ Exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery.
The exhibition focuses on the period of great change in Paris when social, urban and artistic developments shaped the new and modern Paris. 170 paintings, photos, prints and couture explore the changing life on the streets of Paris at the turn of century. It was fabulous.
There is a wall sized map of Paris at the entrance and it was great to stand and just listen to the visitors gushing about were they had been and what they had seen during their visit.
More large wall images showed street life in Paris.
Here are just some of the works on exhibit.
If you happen to be in the area the exhibition is certainly worth a visit.
We decided after being on the road for 5 weeks to just settle in one place and take it easy for a few days. The little town of Maldon has been a relaxing place to do just that.
We did make a couple of visits to nearby towns just to have a quick look around.
Bendigo was on our trail as we wanted to see the art exhibition but we did have a bit of a walk around as well. The architecture is beautiful and so many of the buildings have been preserved.
In the lovely gardens in Rosalind Park the roses were still in bloom. This large garden is right in town and a very pretty place to walk through.
In Ballarat we stopped for a coffee around Lake Wendouree. The lake was used to host the 1956 Olympic rowing events.
Our friend Jill’s father competed the in events and his name is on the plaque. What an achievement!!
Originally a gold mining town Daylesford is now a popular spa town attracting many visitors throughout the year. Between Daylesford and the nearby Hepburn Springs the area is believed to have more than 80 per cent of Australia’s known mineral water springs.
It is an attractive little town on the side of a hill.
We will be venturing off again tomorrow.
After spending the weekend in Melbournes south to catch up with friend’s, we set off for Maldon making our way to the north of the city which of course is always nerve racking when you are towing the caravan and it is raining.
We are now staying the lovely little historical town of Maldon for a few days. The heritage shopfronts on the main street means the town retains its old world charm. The 1850’s gold rush in the area put Maldon on the map as one for the richest towns in Australia for a short period of time.
The nearby town of Castlemaine is another of the gold rush successes in the area. It is a larger town and it’s lovely buildings are a sign of wealth from those early days. Given it is only 90 minutes from Melbourne, Castlemaine has become a bit of a food, wine and arts hotspot after Covid19.
We visited the Castlemaine Vintage Bazaar which is a housed in the The Mill and has over 100 stall holders selling bric-a-brac, curios and collectables along with a cafe, chocolate maker, brewer, wine maker and more. Great place absolutely jam-packed with stuff!!
Very cold here….about 14 deg today with a freezing wind from the south. The jackets, scarves and beanies are out!
Cowes is the main town over on Phillip Island and is on the north of the island overlooking Western Port Bay. Down on the waterfront restaurants and cafes were packed with diners after the ANZAC services.
Phillip Island’s Grand Prix Circuit was open today and had a nice display of cars and motorbikes that have raced the circuit over the years.
A club motorbike event was on today so we got to see some action.
The Go Karts operate alongside the track and were very popular.
Wilsons Promontory National Park in Victoria is the southern most part of the Australian mainland. We visited the day after ANZAC day and the campground was completely full. I can’t tell you how many tents and campers, with a few caravans, were at Tidal River but I imagine there would have to be 500 or so sites and mostly with families around them. Very busy! Somehow I managed not to take a photo with the crowds in!
We are staying in Korumburra and just had time for a visit to Coal Creek Park and Museum. It is a recreated coal mining village with exhibits from 1870 through to the 1920s.
The weather has been kind to us and we have managed to get out and about between the showers. Hopefully it will clear up in the next day or so.
It was great to see the ocean again. Lakes Entrance, as its name suggests, is on the Gippsland Lakes with a cut through to the Southern Ocean. It is also the start of Ninety Mile Beach.
Overnight the weather changed and the boat cruise we had hoped to do was looking less likely so we decided to drive to Paynesville and take the very short ferry ride over to Raymond Island to see the koalas.
About 300 koalas inhabit the island and you need to walk around island and reserve to see them living in the wild. They are very cute!
We also dropped into Metung to reacquaint ourselves with this little holiday spot. We lasted visited here in 1996. It has been a chilly day and when we arrived the sun had popped out but by the time we left the winters day has returned.
The steepest drive with the caravan on this trip is on the Great Alpine Road to Mt Hotham from Harrietville. Driving up through the trees made it impossible for photos but once you arrive at the snow line the trees give way to open country and visibility is much better, albeit the smoke haze is still around. The Great Alpine Road is the highest sealed road in Australia.
The ski resort town of Mt Hotham seemed to be in preparation for the upcoming ski season. Mt Hotham’s peak is at an altitude of 1,862 metres. Ski lifts are ready to take you either up or down.
The drive south from Mt Hotham to Omeo is much easier.
The little town of Omeo is very nice. It has a lovely grassed park area right in town. The smoke haze has even made its way down here.
Around Omeo the countryside is very pretty.
We drove the Benambra Omeo Scenic Drive and stopped off at the Mitta Hinnomunjie Historical Bridge and campground.
Back closer to Omeo is the Oriental Claims Historic Area Walks from where you see how the alluvial gold was mined by the Chinese from 1876 to 1904.
It is from here that we farewell David & Di with whom we have been travelling with for the last 8 days. Great fun to be on the road with friends.
Bright is another of the high country towns putting on a colour show at the moment. The Saturday morning markets under the trees was worth a wonder around.
The view from Sullivans Lookout on our way to Mt Beauty was amazing. In the photo you can see Mount Beauty in the foreground and the Great Dividing Range in the distance. A smoke haze made it a little unclear.
This machinery operator must like living on the edge! At least he was anchored to the machine at the top.
The highlight of our trip has been the drive up to The Horn, at 1,723 metres, it is the highest lookout point of Mount Buffalo. The views were fantastic but once again the smoke haze limited the panoramic views.
To be honest the photos really don’t do it justice. It is burn-off season now and a smoke haze is everywhere. A good reason to plan a revisit at some stage.
Beechworth and Bright are putting on a colourful display at the moment. So glad we have come here at this time of the year.
Bonegilla
We arrived a Bonegilla and were surprised to hear that Lake Hume was down by 67%. Not sure why as our friend David was here in October 2023 and the dam was full to capacity. The lake is at it peak when it laps up to the wall in front of the caravan park.
The Bonegilla Migrant Experience relives the stories and experiences of migrants following WWII when displaced peoples mostly from across Europe came to Australia seeking a better life.
Block 19 is the only section out of 24 blocks that has been returned to a museum like experience for visitors to wonder around and see how conditions were for those who made the journey south.
From 1947 to 1971 the army camp was transformed into a arrivals camp for more than 300,000 migrants who stayed at Bonegilla to learn English and be allocated jobs. Around 7,000 people where housed in the camp at any one time.
Beechworth
The trees are putting on a pretty spectacular show up here in the high country now that autumn has arrived.
We took a drive to the nearly Woolshed Falls and Beechworth Cascades which were significant during the gold rush era.
Woolshed Falls
Beechworth Cascades
Back in Beechworth we did a walking tours of the Old Gaol and the history of Ned Kelly in the area. He of course spent time in the gaol and his presence is reknown in the area.
Some of the buildings in town date back to 1852 when the gold rush was on.
And finally we took a drive to nearby Stanley lookout. From here on a clear day you can see Mt Buffalo and Mt Kosciusko – but not today. It was nevertheless a lovely view.
Next stop Bright for a few days.
We visited old friends in Oxley and were surprised at now much the little town had grown since our last visit in 2009. Covid has bought an influx of Melbournites and Sydneysiders who have built new homes and settled in the town.
We had a fabulous dinner on the first night at King Valley Cafe in Oxley and although I forgot to take photos of the very delicious food I did get this one. Jim was served Rat Trap Entree … it was very funny.
Kev took us on a leisurely day out in a friends Mustang 64 and whilst it was a little cramped in the back we had a great day out visiting Chiltern and Rutherglen. At Caffeine Machine we wandered around the vintage bike display.
Brown Bros cellar door in Milawa is just 6km from Oxley. These grapes are Prosecco vines and are in fact growing on the block right next door to were we were staying in Oxley.
Their cellar door rivals those in our Margaret River region.
And I have officially tasted the very best croissant in Australia from Milawa Bread. Did we over indulge….yes of course we did!
Thanks Kevin and Cheryle … we had a great time with you.
We had an afternoon stop in Mansfield – just time to have a quick look around. It is apparently a busy place all year round but more so in winter as it is the gateway to the Mount Buller ski fields.
The main street is centred by a grassed tree lined avenue where you can sit and enjoy the world.
The visitors centre let us know that the ‘Bald Archy Prize’ paintings are on display in the Arts Mansfield gallery so we took the opportunity to see the exhibition. Here are some photos but I have not given a discription of the works here as it would take forever; you may like to check out their website here for more details. My favourite was the Cameron Smith portrait.
https://baldarchy.com.au/2024-finalists
Bonnie Doon, about 20km from Mansfield, is a very small village on the banks of Lake Eildon and a good vantage point to see the lake. The water was so calm and the lake looked as though it was pretty full.
It would be nice to come back and explore a little more.
We spent a couple of days in Echuca and reacquainted ourselves with the town. The Murray River has always been a hive of activity in Echuca. In the early years the paddle steamers and barges transported wool and timber to markets down river and returned with all the necessary supplies for townsfolk to survive in the area. Today it is a thriving regional centre and it is school holidays at the moment so a very busy tourist hotspot.
We enjoyed a paddle steamer cruise and were surprised at just how high the 2022 flood level reached.
The town has some lovely buildings and attractions.
The National Holden Motor Museum was a must see even for a Ford man!
The weather is brilliant at the moment … sunshine and about 25 deg. Perfect for travelling.
After leaving home on Easter Friday we have spent the past couple of weeks making our way to Victoria and are ready to start exploring the state.
We have had a good trip over from West to East and as usual it was an interesting journey.
We made it to Adelaide to see the ‘Gather Round’ West Coast Eagles vs Sydney in Mt Barker. Not a win but a promising game for the Eagles. We stayed with friends in Adelaide as and always it was great to catch up with them.
From Mt Barker we headed north east and followed the Murray River across into Victoria.
Next stop is Echuca where the exploring begins.
Oeuilly is only 15 kms from Epernay in the heart of the Champagne wine growing area. Everywhere we look there are grapevines. It is a small village with about 600 residents and it has a lovely feel to it. All that remains of an old castle is a rampart and today has hanging baskets of flowers along it.
The symbol of the village is the Ergret and there are many to see in the gardens.
We have been staying in Gite L’Oeuillade en Champagne in Oeuilly and what fabulous place to stay. Our host Jean-Eric is certainly a wonderful character. He is a retired professor from a nearby senior school and he and his wife have built and decorated the cottage themselves – and are very proud of their efforts. It is such a lovely and comfortable place to stay if you are every visiting the area.
The nearby village of Ogen had some lovely champagne houses.
In Châtillon-sur-Marne there is the French 1st World War cemetery of National Necropolis Le Prieuré de Binson. The crosses are testament to 2,671 soldiers who lost their lives during the fighting that took place in the Marne Valley. Between 1921 and 1934 the bodies of fallen soldiers from isolated graves were exhumed from nearby sites and this new cemetery was created to honour their service to France. They include soldiers from French colonial regiments such as Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea and Mali. The church near the cemetery was also bombed and there was a photo of it then and you can see it as it is now in my photos.
At the top of the village the statue of Pope Urban II overlooks the valley below.
On our last day in France we decided to lunch at Chez Max in Epernay. It of course was fabulous! Our entrees of asparagus and seafood were delicately flavoured, the red wine jus over the duck was a taste sensation, followed by a choice of local and iconic French cheeses and finally the dessert – what can I say!
We are now driving back to Paris and making our way home. It has been a truely wonderful holiday and we have enjoyed France’s offerings so much. The food, the wine, the champagne, the backroads and countryside, the gorgeous villages we have visited and all our accommodations have been very comfortable, and the people have been very hospitable. Jim has chauffeured me everywhere in our Citroen C4 and has done so with excellent driving skills.
It would be nice to think we will be back one day…..
The largest city in the Champagne region, Reims, is only about 40km from where we are staying. On our day trip we took a short bus tour of the city to get our bearings before wondering around ourselves.
The most dominating building in the city is the Cathedral of Notre-Dame. It is currently undergoing some restoration and clean up on the outside and the front bottom half has already been done. The difference is very noticeable. The detail in the stonework is remarkable.
Much of Reims was damaged or destroyed in both WWI and WWII and has since been rebuilt. The restoration of the cathedral in particular has been a joint international effort over many years.
Inside the stain glass windows are the most intricate we have seen in any of the cathedrals we have visited.
The elegance of the new buildings after the wars is akin to Paris’ facades and rooftops.
The excited children were just getting off the carousel as we passed. It was closing for a few hours for lunch so we we missed seeing it in operation.
Reims is a very attractive city and if we had more time we would make another day to visit and see some more.
Margaret River & Beyond 