Gold and Country (Victoria)
Day One: Ballarat
The sheer grandeur of Melbourne is alone
worth many trips, but this time I have not arrived to be ueber cool, chic or
hip to shop, eat and sip coffee – that is all reserved for what will surely be
a delightful day slotted at the end of our road trip. Rather, my friend Rob and I are here to kick-off a Gold and
Country journey featuring the past and present backbones of Australia’s
economy, one that traverses the gold fields to Bendigo, up North to greet the
Murray and back through wheat and sheep country to Horsham and the Grampians.
Leaving the magnificent skyline of
Australia’s second largest city behind, we head towards Ballarat, just a tad
over 100 km away from Melbourne on the Western freeway. As we settle into the drive, we
contemplate the rich history of Victoria, which became an independent colony in
1851, just at the onset of the discovery of gold. Long before us over 20,000
migrants rushed to Ballarat or Ballaarat (“resting place” of all) as it was
called back then. It soon became one of the Victorian era’s most significant
boom-towns. Entering the city centre, we bask in the splendour and glory of its
absolutely astounding architecture, which serves as a breathtaking reminder of
a richer past.
Before moving further along, we need
some nourishment. Surprise, we discover a restaurant which serves up my
favourite: buckwheat pancakes.
Now ready to go full tilt, where better
to proceed than the very fine art gallery which exhibits interesting pieces.
Next is Sovereign Hill, a museum town where Australia’s gold rush
period is returned to life. Here one can really step back in time, joining some
elegantly costumed ladies and gentleman celebrating their wealth while
wandering through 1850s-replica streets and shops. However, not many get lucky
at Red Hill Gully, having a go panning for gold.
Nothing comes without a price, thus it
is not hard to imagine that many émigré miners from such different nations were
unhappy with the conditions imposed by colonial powers such as tariffs and the
absence of voting rights, as well as the inability to become land owners
themselves. So as many are doing today against harsh economic conditions, the
miners revolted in 1854. This rebellion became known as the Eureka Stockade.
Rob informs me that it laid the foundation of democracy in Australia,
eventually resulting in the establishment of electorate rights. Thus we pause
with pride at the present day memorial and Eureka flag.
The next day we wake refreshed at our farm stay nearby Ballarat where i could feed the lambs.
After this very "country" adventure I am ready for Bendigo, a city which like Ballarat offers amazing specimens of
heritage architecture. Sacred Heart Cathedral certainly stands out, since it is
Bendigo’tallest building.
However, we
grow equally impressed with the “here and now”, what with the city’s fabulous
restaurants, great cafes and the magnificent ultra-modern Bendigo Bank (founded
in 1858).
We can attest to that,
especially upon stopping at the Good Loaf Sourdough Bakery – where we replenish
our esky and partake in a tasty snack with coffee – a unique spot that makes
you feel like a flying saucer just landed in Bendigo. Different and innovative for
sure!
Before seeking out more of the city’s beauty spots, we
opt for more history, visiting the Central Deborah Gold Mine on Violet Street. This mine was operational from 1939-1954, much
the latter days of Victoria’s gold boom. One ton of gold was extracted here.
However, that might seem paltry compared to
the Bendigo area’s overall gold yield during 1851-1954: 700 000 kilo, which
catapulted the city into the centre of the largest gold rush in Australia’s
history. That yield today would amount to a sum of money I can’t imagine: billions
and billions of dollars. And, so we hear, there is a large amount of gold
remaining for prospectors, but overall mining has declined due to the depth of
mines and presence of ground water to contend with. We deliberate the benefits
of perhaps changing professions and becoming gold prospectors before ultimately
deciding to continue on as travellers and explorers….Gold is one thing, but there is another rich aspect
of Victoria beckoning: the “country” or food belt, but not before taking
a quick look at Bendigo’s Chinese heritage and the city’s marvellous gardens at
which point we understand why the state of Victoria is aptly termed the “Garden
State”.
The culture vultures in us make us have a stop at the eclectic Bendigo Art Gallery before venturing further afield and we are quite rewarded with some stunning pieces.
Now, before we say good bye to the “gold” and some art of our journey and
embrace the “country” , we must make one more stop: an approx 15 min drive will lead us to an amazing site. A gigantic project is under way, to create the largest centre of Buddhism in the Western world. Ultimately the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion will equal the Great Stupa of Gyantse in Tibet.
Well, after this excursion into spirituality we are ready for the country part of this journey and as such it becomes obvious that we must start that
leg at the Murray River, Australia’s vital life line for water storage,
irrigation and transport. However, first we need to check into our motel and search out one of the city's fine dining establishments. My choice for the night is the Sundowner Golden Reef Motor Inn because this motel exudes a distinctive gold town feel, offering charming surrounds and comfy rooms. Dinner is extremely enjoyable at the fab Italian Borchelli on View Street in central Bendigo. Cheers and Good Night!
Day Three: Echuca
Our destination is Echuca in northern Victoria.
Echuca is an Aboriginal name and means Meeting of the Waters. Clearly, it is.
In fact, Echuca was once Australia’s largest inland port, but the expansion of
railway tracks and subsequently roads led to the decline of the paddle steamer
traffic, now enjoyed in the form of tourist rides if the river is high enough. First we greet the (all) mighty Murray and visit the
old port, a heritage listed site, and have a closer look at the paddle
steamers.
Then we are ready for a good night sleep at the Sundowner
Nirebo Motel on Hare Street, where Jack, the friendly receptionist, checks us
into a superior room complete with a Spa bath. Since it is quite late by now, and we are hungry after much
sightseeing and driving, we ask him for some dining suggestions and he points
us to the recently renovated American Hotel next door. Thanks to Jack, we had a
lovely evening, good food, and I even enjoyed a Sambuca - with three coffee
beans just as I like it. This is indeed a great “good night” cap.
Day Four: Echuca to Horsham
During our morning walk, we decide to
visit the breakfast room of the Nirebo and are surprised to find such a
lovingly prepared buffet replete with flowers and fresh fruit amidst a backdrop
of stunning antique furniture. This is more than just a good start to the day!
As is often the case, departure time
comes way too soon and we must bid our hosts farewell for one last look around
town and the Murray (not seen again on this trip) before resuming a busy
schedule that calls for deeper exploration of the “country”. We take a quick
spin around the town centre where we note the stunning Uniting Church as well
as interesting speciality shops along Hare Street, a main thoroughfare close tour
motel. Grabbing a Flat White and muffin at a café also seems in order.
Our next destination, Horsham in the
Wimmera, involves a cross-country route through Charlton and Donald, bringing
us very close to the heart of the food belt. There amongst the many crops we
spot are wheat, barley, canola, chickpeas,
lentils and beans. Indeed, the wheat looks rich and ready, sheep are full of wool,
and local radio stations we are tuned to predict a “king’s harvest”. We truly
hope farmers succeed this year because too often, with Australia’s tendency for
harsh droughts, that’s not always the case.
We learn there was some of that this year but, thank God, it was
followed by rain at just the right time. As we edge closer to the Wimmera we
indeed see plenty of smiles along the way. It appears those farmers will soon
have enough cash in the kitty to send their wives to town for some shopping.
Overall we are very taken with the
landscape of the Wimmera, this flat land at the north- western end of Victoria,
where Horsham is the main city. We are definitely not alone in that category;
it seems some famous Australian painters such as Arthur Boyd and Sidney Nolan
felt this pull as well and immortalised the landscape.
Horsham has earned a
reputation for being a dynamic arts community, as evidenced along its Public
Art and Heritage Trail where we are thrilled to peruse a few samplings.
As another day nears its close, we are
ready to locate the Sundowner Horsham Westlander Motor Inn – quite a mouthful,
eh? Indeed, but the welcome is heartwarming after such a full day, even
considering the fact that a big tour group is simultaneously checking in. This
motel offers an indoor pool and spa and, knowing that Robert loves his swims, I
send him to take a gander. Meanwhile I admire the beautiful flower garden
planted around the motel’s restaurant. Not long thereafter we retreat to the
room for a light supper from Rob’s esky and sink into a deep slumber, which
will regenerate us for the next day’s tour of the Grampians.
Day Five: The Grampians
Today I wake up very excited for our drive to the
Grampians. I have vivid memories of that
area because many years ago I spent Christmas Day there with a friend who
went out of his way to get me a turkey dinner in keeping with American
tradition (I had just moved back to OZ from the US). Robert is equally excited,
though he’s never been to the Grampians, because he has heard friends say many
good things about them. Eager to get cracking, we just grab a bit of nourishment
from Rob’s esky, sip extra hot filtered coffee (I never leave home without my
fav coffee, filter and filter bags) and set out on our course. Yesterday I wrote about the great plain of the
Wimmera, but out of this landscape the Grampians rise in exceptional beauty.
The striking sandstone mountains are a world famous destination for serious
climbers, in fact the highest peak – Mount William – is a bit over 1150 meters
high. We are about to enter very ancient ground, more than 350 million years
old. And it is a crying shame to read that in 2006 a nasty bush fire destroyed
approx. 50%, but as nature will have it, the bush regenerates quickly and the
eucalyptus trees are back to their former grandeur.
After driving a mere 30 minutes from Horsham we
enter through Wartok Valley and continue on to Mackenzie Falls. We certainly
are blessed with spectacular greenery, waterfalls and vistas during our short
hikes to all the lookout spots. Our main objective is to reach
Balconies of the Grampians; would you believe, they used to be called “the Jaws
of Death”. Our brief hike to this
spectacular view point seems easy and is certainly worth the effort (and I
stare right into these “devilish jaws”).
Rob rewards us by providing a splendid
bush picnic having all the right ingredients, which was soon applauded by other
bush walkers who expressed their eagerness to join us.
By now, I need my afternoon coffee and where better
to go for that than the charming town of Halls Gap nestled in a scenic valley
alongside the Grampians. This is the touristic heart of the Grampians as we surmise
from the many shops, cafes and motels. Soon it is time to drive back for a second night at
the Sundowner Westlander. Since we are hungry for a good meal we ask the proprietor for a recommendation and he points us to the best pizzeria in town: Bonnie &
Clyde where we find ourselves sitting amidst an eclectic crowd eating pizza
which can hold its own compared with the offerings in Carlton, Melbourne’s
funky Italian suburb. After a brief
dinner, we have no trouble nodding off into a deep sleep in our comfy room, the
culmination of all the fresh air and bush hikes, not to mention enjoying the
best views on our journey thus far.
Day Six: Melbourne
Finally, after all the adventures on this
road trip, we grow excited about making our way to Victoria’s magnificent
capital: Melbourne. But first, we must
bid the “country” adieu with a quick stop at a local grower’s market in Haven
just outside of Horsham. Here we get a birds-eye view (and tasty samplings) of the
area’s delightful produce: country bread, honey, olive oil…. No better farewell
than to have our breakfast here, taste and purchase local goods – a real treat
we will not soon forget.
Unfortunately, we’re unable to linger for long since
we face a full-on day, including a drive of several hours. Our time spent in
the car affords us moments to reflect on our remarkable excursions throughout Gold
and Country, which certainly provided a greater understanding of, and
appreciation for, Victoria’s economic backbone. Granted: Melbourne, in all its
glory, is not the focus of this road trip but we want to make sure that the one
day we have to spend there will be jam packed. When it comes to matters relating to coffee and
eating, I subordinate all guide books and reviews to my own mix of
Melbournisms. I’ve been to Australia’s culture capital on many occasions and
this time, as always, I insist on kicking things off with a Latte at Brunetti,
which is an institution; after all, Melbourne is home to the largest Italian
community outside of Italy. I am certainly thankful for all the good food,
gelato, coffee and culture.
The
caffeine affords Robert and me a hit which enables us to jump in the car very
alert for our drive-seeing tour. With maps spread out on my lap I direct Rob to
Acland Street in St. Kilda, if only to marvel at the cake displays this street
is so famous for as well as the grinning face of Luna Park.
En route back, we pass the city with its
many charming trams and funky buildings. We can’t resist parking the car (expensively as in every city of Australia) to
peruse the many lane ways with trendy shops and eateries interspersed with astonishing
graffiti. Favourites of mine are Flinders, Degraves and Block.
The GPO Building, which houses upmarket labels,
features a gigantic purse sculpture in its front, a timely reminder, that when
visiting any fashion capital one needs money. A quick look, do I have enough cash
for some shopping? Of course, and there are credit cards, too…. Melbourne,
indeed, is the place in Australia to stock up on fashionable clothes, either in
little shops such as Kinki Gerlinki or at Australia on Collins and many other
stores on Chapel Street in South Yarra.
This long stretch certainly is the mecca for the “in crowd” in our
society.
Swinging back through the city centre we visit the
magnificent Federation Square, a futuristic structure just opposite the old
heritage building at Flinders Station, and South Bank with the tallest building:
Eureka Tower, named after the Eureka Stockade we had just visited in Ballarat a
few days earlier. Melbournians say it looks like a washing peg. So much to see in
so little time, but it doesn’t matter because I will certainly return in the
future.
Are we done yet? Quite frankly, we have to be
because I am getting hungry and before reaching our night stop, I want to
eat…..Greek. Many years ago I had the pleasure of living in
Greece, learning the language and getting to know the culture of its people. The
main reason I feel so much at home in Melbourne is the fact that many Greeks
migrating to Australia chose Melbourne. Thus it’s home to the world’s third
largest Greek community, after Athens and Thessaloniki, the two major cities of
Greece. The Greek precinct is around Lonsdale Street and I always pop in and
say “hi” to the lovely people of Tsindos, a restaurant thriving there for
decades. I met its owner and his family on my very first visit long ago. Nonetheless,
I always reserve time to try other restaurants, and this evening I select Alpha
Ouzeri in trendy Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. And what a spread they provide for
us to enjoy: fresh calamari, gigandes (lima beans) and, of course, tzatziki. I also
enjoy drinking Retsina, which has been a Greek favourite for 2000 years. The distinguishing factor making Retsina’s flavour so unique involves the sealing
of wine vessels with pine
resin.
Now that I’m somewhat content with this Melbourne mini-adventure,
I must say good night (and until next time) and head to my chosen accommodation for the night.
Day Seven: Dandenong Ranges
Last night, after a very busy day making our way to
Melbourne and maximising our all-too brief time there, we drove some 30 km on
the Princess Highway to Dandenong situated in the foothills of the Dandenong
Ranges. Why did we leave Melbourne?
Simply, we couldn’t resist booking the good value Summer Package offered by the
Chifley in Dandenong. As we checked into the Chifley Doveton, we could not help
but gaze admiringly at the architecture of this four star hotel: modern,
functional and sporting quite a fashionable cubist style. Rob, who is a
Sydney architect, certainly loved it; he gave them his award for the best hotel
on this trip. Probably, because he just designed and constructed a building in
Sydney with a similar look (albeit much smaller).
Yet, there was another twist, one I would have never
anticipated. This hotel comes with its own tavern and micro-brewery: Coldwater Creek, which offers one or two of its proprietary brews
along with an impressive range of other brands. Naturally we were invited for a taste, all included in the package. Rob took this opportunity quite
seriously, I am more of a Pinot Noir girl, but
couldn’t find any faults in the samples of beer presented to us.
As we now sit this
morning in the hotel’s dining room (brekkie is included as well), enjoying freshly
prepared eggs, we share laughs about our beer
adventure. Rob then reverts to architect mode, pointing out the fab design
of the buffet bar. He reckons it feels like a mix between Swedish and Japanese:
minimalist, ultra-modern, an upper part for food, underneath shelves with
crockery. He is really impressed, I can tell.
Eventually the time comes
to plan our last day on this journey. Whilst the town of Dandenong is one of the
fastest growing commercial and manufacturing centres near Melbourne and also
has a fair share of mega malls, we decide to return to “country” and embark on
the short drive uphill to Mount Dandenong.
The Dandenong Ranges are a favourite excursion destination for
Melbournians because they exhibit the colours of the seasons beautifully and we
are in luck with the blooming Rhododendron.
En route we pass
Olinda where we take a quick break to walk the main street since this quaint
town is renowned for its craft and antique shops. Not much
further, all along passing magical scenery, we reach Mount Dandenong (just a
bit over 630 m) where we pause for a fair while to enjoy the gardens and the
last stunning view over “country” (the “gold” part is too far away) and the
seemingly endless valley from where Melbourne’s skyline for a fair while to enjoy
the gardens and the last stunning view over “country” (the “gold” part is too
far away) and the seemingly endless valley from where Melbourne’s skyline.
What a way to say
good-bye to this great Victorian road trip. But, one more thing: What’s that
over there? My god, I spot a wishing tree. I hug the tree, certain of what I am
wishing for - many more journeys just like this one.
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