Thursday 27-Mar
We had an early start to see the sunrise from the Boroka Lookout.
Afterwards we climbed through rocky woodland to the Pinnacle Lookout for unrivalled views over Lake Bellfield and the Mount William Range. This challenging hike winds through the unique terrain of the Grand Canyon and Silent Street.
We were impressed by the quality of this hike, the path is well signposted and where needed they added stairs and handrails.
Friday 28-Mar
On our way to Bendigo for a few days. We stopped in Horsham to see their silo art.
From Horsham we drove on to Murtoa to visit the Stick Shed.
The Stick Shed (previously known as the Murtoa No. 1 Grain Store) is the only remaining emergency grain store built during World War Two.
Completed in 1942, the unique and dramatic structure of The Stick Shed has captured the imagination of everyone who has seen its serene and evocative cathedral-like interior. Referred to by some as the ‘Cathedral of the Wimmera’. The Murtoa Stick Shed’s ghostly unmilled tall timber poles and central aisle draw the eye upward towards the roof as light spills into the space through skylights as if through a stained-glass window.
Saturday 29-Mar
We settled just outside Bendigo behind a interesting pub. We decided to see the town by means of their vintage talking tram. It seems the the quickest way to get our bearings, learn about Bendigo’s history and see the city’s key landmarks and monuments.
We stepped off the tram to visit an old Chinese temple called a Josh house. Built in the 1870s, this small Chinese place of worship is dedicated to the god of war & prosperity.
We walk along a beautiful lake to the next tram stop where we boarded the tram again.
That trip didn’t last long, after a few minutes Arno became unwell and fainted. Luckily Jen was sitting across and caught him before he would hit the floor.
An ambulance was called and Arno was admitted (again) to hospital. The reason for fainting was a very low blood pressure. This was caused when Arno resumed one of his blood pressure medication as directed by the Dr in Bangkok. What he did not do was to start this with a 1/4 of the tablet and build it up over a few days to the normal dose.
The result a blood pressure of 96/65, which for Arno is very low and caused a blackout.
Sunday 30-Mar
After being monitored overnight the Dr was happy to discharge Arno and resume our travels. He stressed many times to be careful with the particular medication as it has a big impact on ones blood pressure.
Jen picked Arno up and we decided to finish the town tour where we left of yesterday.
Bendigo is Victoria’s rich heartland, a gold rush boom town, full of ornate architecture and diverse cultural heritage. It’s also renowned for its food and wine scene and has a big tick of approval as Australia’s first-ever designated UNESCO Creative City.
When we got back to the caravan, the power was out. We were free camping and for some unknown reason both batteries were flat.
So we packed up and drove short distance to a caravan park with power. This will be investigated when we get back home. For now, and we are only a week away from home, we will use caravan parks with power.
Monday 31-Mar
Next stop Wangaratta, but we did stop to shoot some more silo art in Rochester.
We settled in at the booked caravan park, unloaded the bikes and went for a ride to town. There is a nice bike path all the way from the caravan park to town.
We will be here for 3 nights so we’ll see more of Wangaratta and the surrounding area in the next few days.
Tuesday 1-Apr
We put the bikes on the back of the car and make our way to Bright. The landscape here is very different to what we’ve seen before. More trees, rolling hills and shops for ski gear. We are in the Australian alps.
The region is also known for wineries and fall foliage. Bright is a starting point for the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail, a hiking and cycling path. Bright Museum, in the town’s former train station, documents rail and gold rush history. Our plan is to do some part of the M2M rail trail. We had a picnic alongside the Ovens River and walked around town.
A beautiful day and perfect for some bike riding.
On our way back to the caravan we visited Glenrowan.
Ned Kelly’s last stand in Glenrowan is one of the most famous events in Australian history. In June 1880, after years of outlaw activity, Kelly and his gang—Dan Kelly, Steve Hart, and Joe Byrne—planned an ambush on police by derailing a train carrying officers to capture them. They took hostages at the Glenrowan Inn, but their plan fell apart when a local railway worker, Thomas Curnow, warned the authorities.
The police surrounded the inn, leading to a brutal siege. Ned Kelly, wearing his now-iconic homemade armor, attempted a last stand at dawn, firing at officers while advancing toward them. He was eventually shot in the legs and captured. The inn was later set on fire, killing Dan Kelly and Steve Hart, while Joe Byrne had already been shot earlier.
Kelly was taken to Melbourne, tried, and hanged in November 1880. Today, Glenrowan is a key historical site, featuring museums, reenactments, and the famous statue of Kelly in his armor, keeping the legend of Australia’s most infamous bushranger alive.
Wednesday 2-Apr
We left the bikes on the car as today we want to do another bike ride, this time in the town of Rutherglen.
The town is near the Murray River border with New South Wales and was named after the Scottish town of Rutherglen which lies just outside Glasgow.
We decided to do the Lake Loop which encircles the iconic Lake Moodemere, a natural billabong formed by the Murray River. This remote trail offers an immersive bush experience with opportunities for wildlife spotting and photography.
The “Chinamans Bridge” (also known as Kerris Bridge) in Rutherglen, Victoria, is a historic timber bridge on the Goulburn River, named after the Chinese market gardeners who once exploited the area’s rich soils. It’s one of four large timber bridges from the early 1890s on the Goulburn River between Seymour and Murchison. Back in the mid 1800 many Chinese people came to this part of Australia to search for gold.
This is also a major wine region and on our bike ride we passed quite a few wineries.
Thursday 3-Apr
We left Wangaratta and made our way to Yass. We’ve been here before and know both the town and caravan park
Friday 4-Apr
We decided to make the trek home today. We’ve been on the go for 110 days with a few challenges and it is time to sleep in our own (big) bed again.
We have driven 15,838 km and visited 5 states, although we did fly to Tasmania ☺️
Now its time to unpack the car and caravan and give them both a good clean.
Thanks for following along.
The plaque commemorates the site of the saying of the first mass at Wahgunyah around 1869. The river redgum (known as The Mass Tree) is the site of the first mass held by Dean Tierney of Beechworth in the tent of Mrs. M. M. Burrowes.