Keep up to date with Rhos and Bill as they enjoy life in country Victoria and places beyond. Photos by Bill and Rhos

Monday, January 28, 2008

Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud

was what we found when we joined our friends Astrid, Bianca & Hans at their campsite at Lake Eildon last weekend. The forecast was for showers so we decided that they would probably have passed over by the time we arrived. What actually happened was the rain got heavier the closer to the campsite we got. We had visited them at the campsite 2 years ago in very hot & dry conditions so it was good to see the Lake & surrounding areas getting some rain.

During the afternoon the rain stopped for a while and we all donned wet weather gear, gorgeous green ponchos, and together with our trusty big blue & white 'Hills' umbrellas we went for for a walk along the shores of the Lake where 2 years ago kids were jumping out of trees into the water. Now the same trees are many metres away from the waterline. The other point of interest we walked to was the site of an old homestead that had been underwater since the area was first flooded to be used as a damn in the early 1950's. When it first came out of the water sometime during the 80's it was preserved complete but now after all these years it is only part of the 2 chimneys that are still standing. You can see all the foundations and layout of the house and the paths and outbuildings as it stands now. It is very hard to imagine that the whole area was once covered in water when at the moment it is only at approx 24% capacity. The 67 mm of rain rec'd over the weekend was much needed but only a drop in the 'lake' compared to what is needed. The kangaroos sheltering under the trees watched us with amusement as we walked back to the campsite in the rain.

While Bianca and the gentlemen were cooking the bar-b-que the rain set in for real and dinner was eaten under the awning with mud running freely. Still we had great fun and left late at night for a drive back to our 'dry' motel room in Alexander. It continued to rain all night and for the first time in many years I was woken up by rain on the roof.

A week at home and the Australia Day weekend was a very different story. Three beautiful days of sunshine and mild weather was just perfect for the many activities around town. On Monday we went and watched one of the more unusual of them when the Great Duck Race was held on the Yarra. It is held to raise funds for Surf Lifesaving and rubber ducks are sold for $5 each and then raced 200 metres down the Yarra. There were 11,000 ducks drifting along on the current and the lucky winner was plucked out of the water by the Mayor.

So with the long weekend over it was time to get ready for work once again and plan for the next weekend's activities.
Until then...............

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Safari Sunday


After a great Saturday we decided that we would continue to explore places unknown and so we drove out to Werribee Open Range Zoo. We had passed it a few times but decided today was the day to drop in and see what it had to offer. I still had memories of the old Bacchus Marsh Lion Park which thankfully this is not at all like that. Still it was over 30 years ago.

Being another cooler day it was very busy but we joined the masses and had a great time. The Hippopotamus is the newest acquisition and there are 3 of them. 3 large pools give them plenty of room to wallow and hide from eager tourists but we did manage to spot them all at different times. The kids loved the Hippo water sculptures (pictured) as well.

The Zoo is divided into 2 sections. The African section takes you on a walk through villages and areas where all the creatures are visible but contained. Free but safely separated from you by moats and glass viewing areas. You can watch the Lions, Cheetahs, Verveet Monkeys, Meerkats, Zebra, Waterbuck, Ostriches & the Hippos all living a reasonable life (and all separated from each other of course) as you wander round the Pula walking trail.

Take a wander through the Volcanic Plains walk and you are in with the Australian animals, the emus, kangaroos, wallabies. There are other species there too but as many are nocturnal or tiny you may not see them as you wander. The bird hide at the lake gives you the opportunity to see some of the bird-life that frequents the water-hole. We did see the brolga and the pelicans as well as the ducks that seem to feature on every pond we visit.

No trip to the zoo is complete without heading out on the Safari tour through the zoos grassy plains to see an amazing array of animals including rhino, giraffe, zebra and antelope living together in harmony on the open savannah. (not the ones that might eat you - they have fences between them and the other animals). It is a great opportunity to get up close & fairly personal with all of those animals you can see from a distance.

After saying good-bye to the animals we drove down the road and took a look at the Zoo's neighbour - Werribee Park. It is here that you can step back in time and have a look at Chirnside Mansion. The mansion was built from 1874 to 1877 by two Scottish brothers who were a driving force behind early settlement in the area. In the 1920's the mansion was bought by the Roman Catholic Bishops of Australia for development as a seminary. (We knew two guys who were there for 4 years each and then left the church and had 5 kids each - what were they teaching?) Additions were built on to the original mansion at this point. In 1973 the Victorian Govt took ownership of the mansion and have progressively restored it to it's former glory. The gardens have been recreated as well and are lovely.

Werribee Park is also home to a Sculpture Walk where you can wander along through 30 contemporary sculptures. This sculpture is called Happy Endings, so cute eh! As we had spent most of our day at the Zoo we were not there long enough to do justice to the whole park so we will definitely be going back for another visit. The site is also shared by the Sate Rose Gardens so perhaps our next visit will be timed to see them at their best.

So there ended a busy weekend but one we enjoyed immensely visiting new places, all very different. Back to work on Monday and we'll see what we can get up to next week.

until next time....................

Friday, January 18, 2008

Tranquil Waters


Waking up on Saturday to find the cool change had arrived we decided it was time to explore some new territory, so we drove down to Yarra Bend Park and spent the day wandering along beside the peaceful waters of the Yarra River. The park is an area of land set aside since the times of the first European settlers and is now the largest remaining area of natural bushland in inner Melbourne. The Yarra River winds its way through the park for 12 kms and even though you are only a few kms from the city there is a feeling of total seclusion and isolation from the hustle & bustle.

The park is also home to the Studley Park Boathouse and this is where we started and finished our day, first of all having lunch by the river and a nice cold drink at the conclusion of our big day out. The boathouse was built in 1863 and is the oldest public boathouse on the Yarra river and with a fine dining restaraunt, a cafe & kiosk together with the adjoining picnic areas it is easy to understand why it is as popular today as it would have been way back when. You can hire row boats, canoes & kayaks from the kiosk and it was fun watching all the different people trying to master the craft they had chosen. We saw a few bumps but no-one fell in so I guess they did all right. No we didn't give it a go, we were on a mission to walk.

After lunch we followed one of the walk trails over the Historic Kanes Bridge and walked along the river around to Dights Falls & Merri Creek. We stopped for a while at Deep Rock, an area where swimming races used to be held in the early 1900's. While there we were captivated by the Bellbirds. We couldn't see them but their constant tinkling calls made us well aware of their presence. This was the only place that we could hear them. So with a bit of exercise and loads of peace & tranquility we had a great day and have have found another beautiful spot that I imagine will have lots of repeat visits.

For a change of pace we decided to check out Docklands for dinner and managed to find a table in Man Mo, a very nice Chinese/Malaysian restaurant on the waterfront. So after some good food and a nice bottle of Red to finish our day it was 2 weary adventurers that hit the hay for a good nights sleep.

The adventures continued on Sunday but I'll leave that until next time.......

Thursday, January 10, 2008

The heat is on!


Well, it is summer after all but the last few days have been a bit of a shock to the system. After a perfect day weather wise for Christmas the temperature started to climb again with Perth's heatwave making it's way across the country to Victoria. New Years Eve was our hottest day for the whole year. Being a work day for some of us the city took a while longer to change from a place of business to party central. The heat played a part too in keeping people home until after dark.

Bill & I ventured out about 10.30pm and wandered off to Fed Square where we managed to find a little cafe up the back that still had a spare table & the bonus - it was air conditioned. So after a drink and something to eat we set off to the best viewing area, the middle of the Princes Bridge, to watch the fireworks at Midnight. Special permission had to be granted to allow the fireworks to continue on a Total Fire Ban day. As you are not allowed to stop on the bridge the trick is to time it right so as to be where you want to be when the countdown begins. Of course that's where erveryone else is too but it makes for a great time for 10 mins or so. Once again the fireworks were spectacular and worth going out for.

A different route off the bridge this year and we were at Crown toasting the New Year, with a glass of Sparkling Red, in record time. 30 degrees at 2.30am was still a touch warm but with hundreds of people still out & about it was a friendly walk home.

The cinemas & the shops were the coolest place to be over the next few days and that is just what we did staying out of the heat and being entertained at the same time. Of course most of what was on offer was for the kids but we managed to find a couple that were OK. Mum & I saw Atonement during the following week. It was very good too. Definitely not one for the kids!

I started the New Year off with a bang of a different sort, managing to kill the car on my way to work on my rostered Saturday. I am OK and the car is getting fixed but we'll have no women driver jokes thanks very much. Needless to say I didn't make it to work that day.

I thought the Sculpture 'Reed Vessel' from the Docklands Park was a fitting picture for this week. It is by artist Virginia King from New Zealand. It's themes are migration, survival and the sea. The water was the one area that people flocked to this week to try to escape the heat.

Bill was in Adelaide last week looking forward to escaping our heatwave only to fly straight from one here to another there, and then followed the heat home again. With a cooler weekend forecast it just might be time to get out and see what new adventures we can find.

Until next time.........