Porcupine Ridge Road .......

Early this week we did a Photo Drive north east of the Daylesford area in Victoria, Australia.  The following map shows - in black - the section I have documented in this post which is Porcupine Ridge Road and Leslies Lane.

If you would also like to do a similar drive, then after leaving Daylesford heading NE on the A300 (Midland Highway) turn right once you reach the C316 (Daylesford-Malmsbury Road) and soon after make an immediate left turn into Porcupine Ridge Road. 

We travelled along the Porcupine Ridge Road (centre of map) and veered left onto Leslies Lane as seen above.

Along the Ridge Road you will be able to see this amazing countryside, fresh spring grass with quite a few cattle and sheep farms along the way.

As we drove along Porcupine Ridge Road we often saw bush tracks and gravel roads leading off into the countryside, obviously to farms and other residential homes, some with a row of letterboxes like this one at Scotts Lane.

The red cross marks the area where the letter boxes are located and the image on the far right is direct off Google Maps so you can see the actual intersection.

After passing Scotts Lane, we came to the intersection of Leslies Lane and Porcupine Ridge Road, it was at this section we turned left into Leslies Lane - see images below - and followed the gravel road towards Mt Franklin.

On our drive we noticed many large farms and smaller homes set back off the road or high up on the hills and on checking the Internet noted there are a few for sale, one of them - in part - reads as follows:

There are two dams and a spring fed creek, one of the dams could be more aptly described as a lake and has its own little jetty from which you could throw a line in and catch a trout or red fin for dinner. The lake is set off beautifully with a large willow tree on the island.

and another:

It comes fully furnished and decorated and is a “no fuss” investment that could also be enjoyed by an owner occupier. With 180° views of Mt Franklin the home features 2 bedrooms (master with spa), 2 bathrooms, open plan living with cosy wood fire, and large decked outdoor entertaining area.

I can imagine there would be many people that would enjoy this style of country living, not to mention sitting on the "large decked outdoor entertaining area" just watching all the magnificent scenery!

After we had chatted about 'the dreams' we were back in the car heading south and onto Glenlyon to enjoy lunch!!


other blog posts from this day are:

• the drive to Glenlyon is HERE
• the wildflowers we saw are HERE
• lunch at The Glenlyon Store is HERE
• Glenlyon General Cemetery is HERE

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up the Wallaby Track ....

The Central Highlands and Goldfields area of Victoria provide ideal cycling and walking conditions. There are some fantastic hill and bush tracks for mountain bikers as well as great options for tourers.

Whatever transport you use to get around the Goldfields area, you will find walking is ideal. The network of National and State Parks all have walks ranging from short loops around the picnic grounds to overnight expeditions like the 18klm Pyrenees Walking Track in the Pyrenees State Forest or the 21 klm Beeripmo Walk in the Mt Buangor State Park.

The premier walk - the Great Dividing Trail, also called the Goldfields Track - traverses the Goldfields from Bendigo to Daylesford where it splits into two legs: from Daylesford to Ballarat and from Daylesford to Bacchus Marsh.

magic scenery wherever you look!

Located in central Victoria, west of Melbourne, this 270 kilometer trail passes through what was once the richest gold mining area of the world. The trail design itself is very unusual as it has three arms, which meet at the historic town of Daylesford. This means that if you walk this as a through track, you will only complete two of the arms.

Smaller sections are also designed to be accessible to day trippers.

The Goldfields Trail - is a multi-use track through the historical Goldfields region of Victoria to the north-west and west of Melbourne. The trail passes along the southern most parts of Australia's Great Dividing Range. The trail combines goldrush heritage and natural beauty. Its a pathway to the Goldfields hidden treasures!

The community managed trail has four major tracks, each of which is in turn separated into thermic walks that can be easily accessed for a day or shorter walks. Many sections of the trail are suitable for the casual stroller and there are some very rugged parts as well, such as the Lerderderg section.


The Wallaby Track (92klm) formerly known as Federation Track, runs from Buninyong, via Ballarat, Creswick and Mollongghip to Daylesford.

so much to see! so much to do!

 

most of the above information comes from the above book as well as the following URL's:

1. The Goldfields Track - Wallaby Track

2. The Goldfields Track - Wallaby Track

for maps and guides click HERE

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Newlyn Reservoir in the Central Highlands.

Been very slack with the blog over the past week or so ...... we have had a few things on, then this past week I was housebound due to illness!  Couldn't believe it, have not been sick like this for well over 6 years. I was going stir crazy being 'locked up' for the entire week and missing out on all the wonderful fun events that were in our diary. Not a good week to be sick that's for sure.

So yesterday JF took pity on me and took me out for some fresh air. We only traveled about 90 klm over a two hour period, but it certainly lifted my spirits!

We drove north of Wallace up to Mollongghip, which is about 17.5 klms NE of Ballarat and then over to the Newlyn Reservoir.

Located about 11 kms from Creswick on the road to Daylesford.  This is probably the number one fishing location in the district. Reports of fish taken from Newlyn Reservoir are often found in local and Melbourne papers. There are Redfin of all sizes, brown and rainbow trout up to about 3 kilograms. There are BBQ sites (take your own wood) and a playground for children, so it is a good spot for the whole family.

It is a delightful area just to stop for a picnic, read a book, go for a walk or even fish if that's your preference!

This is a suggested day trip if you are around the area at anytime and some of the following images will certainly entice you to take the journey I hope.

The following websites will be of interest to those that enjoy fishing:

BruceSmith Newlyn Reservoir

Ray Long Newlyn Reservoir

check back again soon for further travels around the Central Highlands of Victoria.

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fields of gold

Just a month ago there was a sea of gold rolling across country Victoria as the warmer weather brought canola crops into full bloom. The following images were taken around the Ballan district, a small rural village west of Melbourne on the M8.

Though it is coming to the end of its 'full bloom', it still looks amazing as you come over the hilltop and see vast fields of gold!

Vivid yellow flowers in spring make canola the most distinctive of Victoria's winter crops. Walk close to a canola crop in flower and the strong cabbage smell explains its origin as a member of the Brassica family which includes broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard, radish and turnip. Canola is a variant of the ancient crop rapeseed, a word derived from the Latin rapum meaning turnip. Fodder rape is a related plant sown in southern Victoria for grazing by sheep.

Canola is grown for its seed which is crushed for the oil used in margarine, cooking oils, salad oils and edible oil blends. The properties of the oil fits with the current view that human health is better served by increasing the intake of mono and poly unsaturated fats in place of saturated fats.

After the oil is extracted, the by-product is a protein-rich meal used by the intensive livestock industries.

Victorian grain growers are hoping for average spring rains to finish off the season and deliver the potential of crops like these. Victorian farmers are forecasting a healthy canola production crop of 770,000 tonnes.

URL for the Department of Primary Industries and growing of Canola.

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John's ride along Glenmore Road .......

The weather this morning was superb ... clear blue skies and the temperature was expected to reach 13 deg.  So the decision was made to get out for some fresh air ..... John on the bike and myself in the car and stopping where possible for any photo opportunity!

Last week we had seen the VisitMoorabool website and in particular noted one of the bike tours that was suggested out of Ballan. It was called the PARWAN VALLEY GRASSLANDS Touring route that covered approx 40 klms. But have since been told it is actually the Rowsley Valley as Parwan Valley is east of Bacchus Marsh. Never mind, we decided this is what we would be doing anyway!

above: We left Ballan (E) mid morning and headed south on the Ballan-Geelong Rd (B), after approx 15 klms we turned left into Glenmore Road. This is where John started riding the bike.

above: The following images were taken along this east west section (grey) of the Glenmore Road.

above: as we turned left into Glenmore Road, the first thing we see is a sign that warns John of a "very steep decline" ahead.

above: those white spots on the hill are sheep and the lonely rider on the road is John!

above: and it was here at this intersection that we needed to turn left to go towards Bacchus Marsh.

John continued riding for awhile, until we hit a headwind. Next blog post will be of the scenery I captured along the way. Truly is a beautiful area to explore, the road is mostly narrow and there is one very steep decline of about 2.5 klms. Other than that it is a good area for bike riding.

Just be aware the vehicles do travel close on the narrow tarmac.

It was certainly a ride (and drive) through a landscape of extremes.



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a little bit of exploring in Regional Victoria

Get off those main freeways and highways and start exploring the small country towns that you only 'see' on the road signs as you whizz by....

If you think of country roads and roadsides as home to nothing more than a few motley old trees, think again! 

Nation-wide, the network of winding bitumen, dirt tracks and roadsides covers in excess of 1.6 mill km’s which offers a significant conservation upside- 1.6 mill km’s of remnant vegetation.

above: map of one of the rural roads from Ballan to Bungaree, via Gordon and Wallace.

Ever heard of WALLACE or GORDON for example?
The tiny village of Gordon is true to its Scottish meaning, “big hill”. Nestled amid rolling hillsides it is home to the slightly eccentric Wild Trout’s Gordon Hat Shoppe which offers a unique range of Scottish and Irish inspired apparel and music.

above: the township of Gordon

Wallace is a town in Victoria, Australia. The town is located 99 kilometres (62 mi) north west of the state capital, Melbourne. The township was established in the 1880s, the Post Office opening on 22 February 1885

Wallace can a quick detour from the Western Freeway on the way to Ballarat, but better still don't use it as a "quick detour" but rather as another town to explore!

Difficult to find out exactly where the name came from, but on searching Google it seems that Wallace was named after a Mr R. Wallace or perhaps even a John Wallace, who was a notable figure on the Central Victorian goldfields.

above: the township of Wallace, showing the Wallace Hotel at the intersection.

the following article was located in an article titled "Did Matthew Flinders go one river too far?" that was on the ANPS website.

So when next you go exploring, you can do some research even after your journey ... it's amazing what you can learn about some of these country towns you have visited!

For some good old fashioned country fun, colour, festivals, markets, atmosphere, bakeries and a warm welcome .... 

you can't beat the smaller towns of Regional Victoria!

useful links:

Australian Place Names Survey

road trip: Gordon to Wallace

road trip: Ballan to Gordon

Visit Moorabool website

Visit Moorabool - Gordon 

Visit Moorabool - Wallace

Visit Moorabool - road less travelled

 

come springtime, we will be out in full force 

exploring Regional Victoria, 

so stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

exploring Ballan

We will soon be living in Regional Victoria, to be precise, the town of Ballan - a small agricultural and pastoral township situated on the Werribee River only 78 kms north west of Melbourne.

map below shows where Ballan is situated in relation to Melbourne:

The town blooms in March for the Ballan Autumn Festival or if you have an interest in vintage machinery we have heard there is a Vintage Machinery and Vehicle Rally in February. 

... and guess what? Ballan boasts a mineral spring which is open all year round, just a shame there is no swimming pool "open all year round".

So here I am sitting in Singapore contemplating the big move back to Australia .... well not just to Australia, but to this tiny little village named Ballan.  Its going to be a huge 'life change' for us both and we will miss our lifestyle and our friends here in Singapore too. But times do change and we do need to move back to Australia and as we own property in Ballan, it is sensible that we move there.

How we feel about living there will have to wait till we actually arrive.  We know no-one and we know what its like to be the 'rubber necks' of a small country town. We have been through this before when we lived in Bairnsdale ...... way over on the east side of Victoria with a far greater population  than what Ballan has. We lived in Bairnsdale for 5 years and we were still considered 'new people' the day we left!

In the meantime, I sit here in Singapore after spending most of the day at the ArtScience Museum, lunch at Marina Bay Sands and then a wander around Little India with a visit to my dressmaker. Last week I was in Halong Bay, wandering the streets of Hanoi and trekking in the mountains around Sapa  .... I realise my life is going to be so very, very different. 

I have been googling everything I can on BALLAN and whats on, where to go, what to see, whats available and what time the stores are open!!!

One of the first things I am learning is about the history of Ballan....

Now I am not laying claim to any knowledge on Ballan, so while I sit here in my warm sunroom in Singapore, I have to rely on what is available on GOOGLE!

So thanks to all that over the years have added to the web, bits about Ballan. For without that, I doubt we would have even heard of Ballan!!

The area around Ballan was part of the tribal area of the Wautharong people, part of the Kulin nation. The area was rich in fauna including kangaroo, kangaroo rats, bandicoots, dingos, and two species of native cat. Many species had vanished by the end of the nineteenth century, with European settlement.

The first European settlers crossed Bass Strait landing near Geelong and worked their way up the Moorabool River with their sheep flocks. Robert von Steiglitz first settled the area in 1838, who named the area after Ballan in Ireland. Other early settler names included Covvie, Stead, Wallace and Egerton.

Gold was found in the area in 1851 which brought an influx of prospectors during the Victorian Gold Rush. The Ballan Hotel dates from the gold rush period in 1851. The town became an important staging point for coaches traveling to the Ballarat goldfields. The Post Office in the township opened around September 1853 although there were two earlier offices in the area named Ballan.

Ballan Primary School was established on 8 January 1855.

The first Mechanics' Institute in Ballan was built in 1861, with the current Mechanics' Institute built on land purchased in 1881, although the façade was demolished and rebuilt in 1922. The building houses the library for the town and a hall.

St Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Ballan was officially opened in July 1866.

To the south of Ballan are the Brisbane Ranges National Park and the You Yangs Forest Park, both of these areas we have explored in the past and are looking forward to exploring again on our return.

There will be many cycling trips or trekking around the Lerderderg State Park, Werribee Gorge State Park, Brisbane Ranges or even in the Wombat Forest, all close by to Ballan.

These are the things we can look forward to as well. Then of course there is our photography ..... we know a little of whats around the area now and we know there are many beautiful places in which we can meander around with our camera's and hopefully be able to replace all the images on this page that have been (shamefully) lifted off the internet.

But again, thanks to those that have freely added these to the web so that people like ourselves all over the world can see what the area is really like!

We certainly hope to be able to continue with our Social Media engagements, to encourage others to explore the area's of Ballan, Wallace, Millbrook, Egerton, Gordon, Myrniong, Greendale or anywhere along the M8. Including the restaurants, the wineries, the galleries and the festivals.

But time will tell.

In the meantime we are on the lookout for restaurants, cafes, bakeries, or any other place I can blog about .... so if anyone knows of such a place along the M8 do please contact me.

Though I have found one to keep us both very happy, well in particular John, as I am sure they must already know him according to their website they actually say:

"The Ballan Tandoori is one of the finest places for those which thinks that their belly rules the mind."

They must be OK , they have ROTI and Parantha on the menu, but I don't see Teh Halia.  Well that's the first place we will be eating at and of course blogging about  ..... lets see if the food matches the belly!


There is a Facebook page for people that live anywhere along the M8 (Western Freeway). Please feel free to link to this so we can share what's on, anywhere around the M8 (Western Freeway) which covers the district from Ballarat to Baccus Marsh.

Along the Western Freeway (the M8)

some useful weblinks in and around Ballan, Victoria, Australia:

Ballan Tandoori Indian Restaurant

Lavender Farm near Ballan

The Mill Cottage 

Visit Moorabool

do click on the FOLLOW button so we can explore the area's around Ballan together.