A Football Free Anzac Day.....

Not what we had been hoping for but with Tammy and Paul staying in Perth and all the tickets snapped up before we even knew they were released this year we had to put Plan B into action.

With Anzac Day falling on a Thursday we both took the Friday off and so joined the many other True Blue Aussies turning this into an unofficial long weekend.  We hooked up the camper van and headed back to Yackandandah to have one more try at finding that elusive little Regent Honeyeater.

We got off to an early start and though the traffic was much lighter that Easter there were still lots of other people with the same idea.  We stopped at Beechworth for lunch again, this time at a quaint little teahouse called Moments and Memories.  The Chunky Potato and Bacon soup was yummy and for a 'teahouse' the coffee wasn't bad either.

We arrived a short time later at Yackandandah, found a nice little site beside the river and were soon settling in for the next few days.  A walk to the shops to pick up supplies for dinner that night before coming back to sit beside our little river and watch the world go by.   Later that night we tried out our new toy - a little television to watch our movies on so Bill can continue to use the laptop.  It worked a treat and we enjoyed our movie before braving the chilly night for that 'last bathroom run' you have to do before climbing into bed for the night.

We woke the next morning to the sounds of nature and discovered that it was 8.30am and we were warm and cozy in our little cocoon.  We discovered that it was not quite that warm outside though the sun was shining and it looked like we had a great day to look forward to.  After a leisurely breakfast we went off to explore the Historic Gorge Walk along the Yackandandah River.  This is a peaceful track that follows the river around to the crossing at Bells Flat for about 5kms.  We did not walk all the way round but returned to the town where we stopped for coffee and scones (yep Sticky Tarts again) before heading out to find Mount Big Ben.

We followed the mud map instructions on the only tourist brochure we could find and a couple hours later were at Dederang heading towards Mt Beauty.  A short while later we found the correct turnoff but were met with closed gates so our mission was aborted.  We did find out the next morning that we could have opened them and gone up but no-one could tell us what the track was like so we didn't try again. Another time maybe.  The view is meant to be spectacular but it is certainly a track they don't want you to find.

We stopped soon after at a little roadside picnic area to have lunch and found a small memorial for Black Saturday in 2009.  It was a lovely little spot with beautiful views over the ranges and I'm glad it had been spared on that dreadful day. 

Leaving there we wound our way back towards Yackandandah stopping at Allans Flats for a look at the water hole and picnic area there.  This area was once a gold mine and and now filled with water is a lovely place to visit and enjoy the views.  Back at home we finished our day beside the river until the chilly night drove us inside to another movie after dinner.

The following morning Bill braved the 3.6 degs and drove over to Bartleys Block in Chiltern on his quest for birds.  I stayed cozy and warm in my bed for another hour or so before getting up and braving the 6.9 that it was at 9.00am.  You could say that it is a bit chilly in this neck of the woods.  The days were clear and bright and sunshine abounded but oh dear those mornings are a challenge. Especially under canvas!  He drove back to town and I met him at Sticky Tarts before we drove around to the Bells Flat crossing to see the historic gorge where it had been blown out by dynamite.  Soon after we headed back towards Chiltern to spend the rest of the day in the ironbark forests.  Unfortunately that elusive little Regent Honeyeater never made an appearance so I guess we try again another year.  It was dark when we got back to camp and so dinner and a movie finished off another great day in the bush.

Monday morning was much warmer though still bright and sunny so it was not too hard to leave our bed but it is getting harder to have to pack up and leave these lovely little towns we visit.  But pack up we had too and we were soon on the road again for the long drive home.  Once again we had loved our time here and will definitely be back again one day.  Next weekend is Mothers Day and we all off to spend the day at Faye's place.

until next time.......