After the rest and recuperation of Melbourne (as well as all the fun that was had), Rustle and I hit the road again on Tuesday with Sydney as our destination.
The day's planed journey, with endpoints marked for recreating if google maps link doesn't work.
It's not the most entertaining day, but it does contain a few brief highlights for the travelling companion to see. The Yarra Valley in the morning light is always nice, and with the road works after Yea finally finished, the trip from there through to Bonnie Doon and Lake Eildon is much nicer. It's only a brief view of one of the largest man made lakes in the country as we cross over it near the top of the northern arm. It's currently quite a bit down on it's capacity level with a lot of previously sunken trees showing all the way to their bases.
Source: I've got photos on this bridge somewhere, but I just can't find them. It's a nice walk parallel to the bridge you drive over
Not long after the lake we turn north and head for Benalla and our first food stop of the day. There weren't parks in the main street near the cafes, so I ended up grabbing subway and getting back on the road. The Hume Hwy lay ahead for almost the entire rest of the day. We pass by Glenrowan, Wangaratta on the way to Albury-Wadonga and the border. We pushed on and passed by Holbrook eventually stopping at Tarcutta, the 'halfway' town, being roughly 430 km from Sydney and Melbourne.
Source: This sign is out on the highway so you see it even if you don't take a visit into the township
The stop at Tarcutta was a bit longer than planned due to my hip deciding that it would like to play up when getting out of the car. Thankfully it just needed a bit of a massage and some rest, as well as only being the left hip, so not that important for driving my car. It did allow for some snack foods being consumed in the park. A crab stick and crumbed sausage. they're expensive, but I'm a sucker for them.
It's a shot I've used before, but it's not like the dog has changed in the last couple of years
More driving and we cross over the Murrumbidgee River at Gundagai, as well as passing the dog on the tuckerbox. Rustle was amused at the little statue as we flew past. He didn't want to hang about though with the local magpies running the show in the park. Next stop, Goulburn and Rustle's next 'big' item with us stopping near the big merino for a break and some food. I decided to try the indian place that is on the side of the road that leads to the McDonalds, and it was decent. I had the beef curry (which I forget which type it was) that the owner said was hottest. It was quite a decent heat, and I was glad for the rice and naan, but it could have done with something to balance out the heat a bit. Best was seeing him freshly cook the naan in what looked like a mini tandoor style oven. It was one of the better naan I've had, especially from a cheap take away style place. The curry did me for leftovers for a bit as well which is always nice.
source: It's a really big sheep next to a petrol station and right at the entry to town
After leaving Goulburn, the run into the city starts. There's still a couple of hours of highway driving before it becomes the wider freeway and then I wander through the other main roads to avoid the toll road. It was great to get home, and it's been a fun journey with my little friend. In the next few days I'll set up a meetup for Sydney people to come to and meet him, and hopefully I can talk with bearone about him visiting her.
Upgoats made by the talented @ryivhnn
Don't let him drive. Confidence is not competence. I love him dearly but its not his forte.
Crazy, not stupid. I know better than to let that galah drive
Thank you @ratticus and @rustle for introducing places I’d never heard of. It makes me realise there is so much more of Australia 🇦🇺 I have yet to explore.
There is so much to the country. I grew up in a touring family, with caravan holidays being a feature for many years. This sort of travel was rarely ever part of that life, and it would only be the first and last day or 2 of the holiday to get to and from home to where we were exploring. Being gone for all of the school holidays was pretty much the best we could do, but that gave us up to 16 days during the breaks between terms, and we'd get away at least once a year and usually twice. I doubt there are many towns that tourists go to in SA, Vic or NSW that I haven't been to at some point in my life. And I still haven't seen much of the country, or even those states really
Wow.....you have had a wonderful upbringing being able to tour this vast and beautiful country @ratticus I used to do a lot of camping and caravanning in New Zealand with my family when I was younger. There is quite a difference between seeing places on casual visits to actually staying there to appreciate all it has to offer. Road trips have a different appeal altogether, especially if you have time to drop into place on route for a meal or have a look around. It is a very enjoyable way to get to know your country. My husband and I leave for a road trip to Coffs Harbour on Friday which is a good 6 hours from Brisbane........but, it will take much longer than that as I and my camera have a date with at least two places on the way down. We are planning to get up very early (lol)
Yeah, I've had a great upbringing that instilled the value of travel and learning about other places. One day I'll make it back to Coffs and hopefully it'll be part of a coastal tour rather than a direct road trip as there are quite a few nice coastal spots along the way
A coastal tour sounds like a fabulous goal to look forward too @ratticus. We are spoilt for choice aren’t we?
Absolutely. And now that I'm East Coast based, there's no transfer time from elsewhere to get here either
meet up! meet up! getting that post sorted today!
Wooo! I look forward to the post, and then making my own one that lends heavily from yours :)
Lol its up! I have to stop looking at the menu. Makes me so hungry.
so very hungry
Finally, I’m was feeling relaxed enough to settle into reading your trip. I have only one thing to say....You didn’t go buy a pie in Benalla?!! They have this bakery there I always must stop at. My husband is from Benalla, and the only reason I ever go to Benalla is for the pies...
Anyway, I love all the quirky statues and monuments you see as you drive through the towns. :)
I didn't this time, but will in the future, as country town bakeries are some of my favourite stops. Which place in town do you recommend? (I have stopped at a couple of the cafe's before)
Most of the bakeries are good in Benalla, but the original best one for me is Hide's Bakery. , They're popular locally for their pies. The one I always get is the Thai Curry one. Talking about them makes me want to schedule a trip out that way.
Someone needs to make a pie-tasting roadtrip. For me, that is one of the great things about going through our country towns...forget Macca's, go the pie!
Yeah, I think I only ever end at the fast food chains when I fail at planning and can't find a park and really need food now. And even then it's not usually Maccas. I'll check out Hide's next time I'm through, and a Thai Curry pie does sound like a pretty good plan.
I would totally be up for a pie tasting trip, but that can lead to eating way more pies than is healthy in a day...
I should do a write up about Stone Hut, but it's been so long since I've been there.
Nice run down of he trip mate, I've never been to Melbourne and any of the towns you passed through. Currently live in Newcastle a little north of Sydney. I'll be sure to make my way down when I can!
I haven't been up to Newcastle since family holidays where we visited family that lived there. I've thought about looking them up since I moved to this side of the country, but still haven't. Might have been different if they were family we always knew about and grew up with
It would be great to see Rustle's adventures on the Steemit World Map! I am hoping that the Brisbane meetup will happen again soon and that he might pay us a visit :)
I always forget that's a thing. Is it possible to add it later? would really only need the GPS locations for the meetups I'd guess, which currently is Adelaide and Melbourne
Only within the 7 day edit window.
I'd better get on to working out how to do it properly soon then )
You'll have to ask @choogirl about that one... I haven't had any worthy events to add to the Steemit World Map :D
Seems that your summoning has brought her here with an answer
Nice round up of the trip and glad you and Rustle made it home safe.
Makes you wonder what kind of person just decides “yep, I want a giant fat and not sheered in a year sheep at my gas station. I guess well played the owner of that you just made it into a travel blog hehe. I had to do a double look when I noticed the photo I’m not used to seeing them with horns.
Any trip that can end in some fresh crab sounds like a wonderful way to end things!
I find it fairly amusing the large amount of "big" things we have in this country, but a decent amount of country towns see them as something to attract tourists.
The horns make it a ram, and thus male. I think it was actually the Wagin (WA) one that had it's balls painted blue at some point, because that's a great plan too...
Fresh crab? I wish I had fresh crab! Though at some point I do have to make a trip to the Sydney Fish Markets...
you always upload better post.best skill.stay with me,please.@ratticus