A very cold morning greeted us at Halls Gap. There was so much frost on the car, I moved it into the sun to thaw out. Ice on the roof (above) and ice on the windscreen (below)

The temperature had risen to -1 in the sun by 7:45am.

A steep drive up Mount Difficult Road in the National Park leads to Boroka Lookout.

No chance of a snake at 1 degree

Grey currawong

Epacris heath

Hakea

Epacris

Styphelia

The northern part of the Grampians

At Reeds Lookout looking west

Reeds Lookout looking south

Heathus pricklii (sorry – yet to key it out)

The Balconies

Flat top mushroom rock

Ground orchid on the McKenzie Falls track

Cascades above McKenzie Falls

McKenzie Falls

Grand Canyon walk from Wonderland carpark

Further up the canyon

Looking back down the Grand Canyon

Part of the Pinnacle walk

Friends in Halls Gap

Avoca – another gold mining town

The Avoca Hotel built in 1855

The Savings Bank looks older but it was built in 1913. Of more interest in the trough in front of the bank (with spiky plants in it). This is a famous Bills Horse Trough. Bills horse troughs are watering troughs that were manufactured in Australia and installed to provide relief for working horses in the first half of the twentieth century. The troughs were financed by a trust fund of 70000 pounds established through the will of George Bills. A total of around 700 troughs were distributed by the trust in Australia. Each trough cost ₤13 plus transport and installation. The majority of the troughs were installed in Victoria and New South Wales between 1930 and 1939.

Maryborough court house and post office. My great grandfather was born in this town. We were given a great welcome at the Highland Club.

Maryborough Railway Station