A family history day today – first outside Maryborough to the Alma diggings where my great great grandfather had a store in the early 1850s. Above is Timor Creek at Alma. Back into Maryborough and the splendour of the railway station in daylight. Talbot Primary school where my grandfather started school Scandinavian Crescent, Talbot Talbot … More South Australia & Victoria 2015 – Day 23 – The Goldfields

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 … More South Australia & Victoria 2015 – Day 22 – The Grampians

Sturt St Ballarat We are not amused The old jail is now part of Federation University Eureka flag flying over its home town Back to Sovereign Hill to see things we missed yesterday and our favourites from the day before. Theatre Hello horse Wesleyan Methodist chapel with canvas roof Underground mine interactive experience Complete with … More South Australia & Victoria 2015 – Day 21 – Ballarat to Ararat and beyond

Sovereign Hill is a theme park with a working township recreating the gold rush days of Ballarat. Paid actors in uniforms and local craftsman complete the experience. The local shops Gold pouring demonstration The real deal Underground tours Cobb & Co Hope Bakery – wood-fired Scottish ovens – lamb pies in our top 3 in … More South Australia & Victoria 2015 – Day 20 – Sovereign Hill

Maits Rest is in Otway National Park and showcases tree ferns in mountain ash and myrtle forests. Inside the cathedral of tree ferns An ancient myrtle The road to Cape Otway Where Otway cheese comes from Signal Station at Cape Otway – most buildings here are from the 1850’s Assistant Lightkeepers residences Cape Otway Lighthouse … More South Australia & Victoria 2015 – Day 19 – The Great Ocean Road

Good morning Portland Wind power is commonly seen across this stretch of coastline Tower Hill – site of one of the recent Australian mainland volcanic eruptions (32000 years ago) Lake at Tower Hill Onto Port Campbell and a small museum at the Visitor Centre dipslays items recovered from the many local shipwrecks. Correa Banksia marginata … More South Australia & Victoria 2015 – Day 18 – Port Campbell and the dwindling Apostles

Once again up the M1 Princes Highway out of Adelaide Pea soup fog On the way to Murray Bridge Flat country of the Murray River plain near Tailem Bend Another pink lake – the colour caused by algae Parnka Point on the Coorong Looking down the long narrow waterway of the Coorong Some vegetation at … More South Australia & Victoria 2015 – Day 17 – Limestone Country

Morning visit to Haighs Chocolate Factory. Rawnsley the spider joined us at Rawnsley Park and was seen a few times in the car. Rawnsley was finally liberated into the Haighs gardens surrounding the factory. One of our travelling party needed to return home so we had a visit to Adelaide Airport. The rest of the … More South Australia & Victoria 2015 – Day 16 – Adelaide again

Rosetta Wharf at the end of the road with The Bluff Pied cormorant A seal pops up to say hello. They are inquisitive. The sheltered bay allows them to take a break from the southern swells… …and even time for synchronised swimming. A pod of dolphins motors across the bay. Encounter Bay was named by … More South Australia & Victoria 2015 – Day 15 – Fleurieu Peninsula

Highway leading out of Adelaide through the Adelaide Hills. View of the city centre from Mount Lofty – with the grid of parkland visible It snowed overnight at Mount Lofty – a rare event for Adelaide Main street leading into Hahndorf Main street in Hahndorf A beautiful log fire greeted us inside Cafe Assiette We … More South Australia & Victoria 2015 – Day 14 – Hahndorf and Victor Harbour

A walking day around Adelaide…. Chapel at the University of Adelaide Adelaide Museum precinct Ediacaran fossil from South Australia Opalised shells Column from the ruins of the Great Temple of Harshefi, made from the red granite of Syene on orders from Rameses II, 19th Egyptian Dynasty, circa 1320–1200 BC. It was presented to the South … More South Australia & Victoria 2015 – Day 13 – Adelaide

A cold grey morning in Clare A short drive from Clare brings us to Burra – a visit to the cemetery to pay our respects to our Mill family ancestors. Burra was a copper mining town that boomed in the 1850s supplying over 5% of the world’s copper at the time. Miners’ cottages The historic … More South Australia & Victoria 2015 – Day 12 – Burra to the Barossa