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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stop by for a cuppa!

If you are ever in the area of NE Victoria and in particular at Tintaldra, then do stop by for tea and scones at the General Store.

tea & scones served in an enamel mug and served on an enamel plate!

The Tintaldra General Store, built in 1864, is the oldest commercial shop front business in the Upper Murray. The building has been classified by the National Trust as a fine example of the pioneer construction techniques using local timber utilised during this period of Australian history .
Built of natural materials available in the area at the time (such as River Red Gum and Stringy Bark) the store is a living history taking visitors back in time.

Once you enter the store be prepared to step back in time, but after a wander around do ask for tea and scones to be served "out the back" if the weather permits!

no better view than here!

who wouldn't enjoy sitting here having a cuppa?

 
Be rest assured, 86 year old Bette Walton - owner & operator of the store - will take good care of you!

if you are unsure where this delightful place is located, here is a map:

Further blog posts will be uploaded over the next few days on our visit to NE Victoria.

Previous blog posts are:

• The drive from Ballan to Corryong 
• our visit to the Colac Colac Caravan Park
• our visit to Corryong
• an early morning walk
• a short drive to Khancoban
• Tintaldra - by the rivers edge
• The historic Tintaldra General Store

I appreciate the helpful advice that I have found to be available on the following websites:

• The Tintaldra Store
• Old Tallangatta
• Colac Colac Caravan Park
• Tallangatta (Sydney Morning Herald)
• The Mitta Mitta River (DPI)
• Lake Hume (Wikipedia)
• Huon Reserve Rest Area (Caravan.com)
• Explore Australia
• Corryong (discover the Murray site)
• Tintaldra (discover the Murray site)
• Wikipedia
• Snowy Mountains - Khancoban
• TyndallBoy Blog
• Tintaldra (UpperMurray Business Directory)

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Road Trip (Ballan to Mt Egerton)

Last week we explored the area south of Ballan along Glenmore Road, towards Bacchus Marsh. Today we decided to have a look at the area south-west of Ballan and so headed towards the Ballan-Mt Egerton Road.

After leaving Ballan and turning left onto the Geelong-Ballan Road, it was not long before we needed to turn right, onto the Ballan-Egerton Road - as seen above.

This really is another delightful area to explore, to get off the main freeway and see what this regional road has to offer the tourist.

From Ballan it is only 14.5 klms, or 20 minutes drive time. Though it will take longer than that if you want to stop and admire the views along the way!

Today we are actually on our way to Buninyong via Mount Egerton which is an historic gold mining town in Victoria, Australia. The town was named after settler George Egerton.

In 1838 he held approximately 35,000 acres of stock farming land which to outsiders was known simply as "Egerton's Run".  Gold was discovered in this area in 1853.

The town's main street is Main Road and consists of an historic gold mine and battery, general store and hall. While nearby are the local primary school and recreational reserve.

The following images were taken along the Ballan-Egerton Road on the way to Mt Egerton .....

we stopped often to admire the scenery and of course, to take many photos along the way, but there was a cold wind blowing and didn't want to stay out too long. We are looking forward to exploring this area in the springtime now!

It was not long before we came to the intersection at Mt Egerton, it was here that we turned left (see image below) and followed the Yendon-Egerton Road - crossing the Moorabool River - towards Yendon, which is only a 12 klm journey.

The next blog post is on that section of our journey, to read about it click here.

Road Trip (Ballan to Gordon)

Just a short journey on our way to Ballarat last weekend when we decided to bypass the M8 (Western Freeway) and travel via the Old Melbourne Road towards the township of Gordon.

Ballan and Gordon are west of the city of Melbourne, on the way to Ballarat as seen on the above map.

The road we took runs parallel to the M8 (Western Freeway) and is called the Old Melbourne Road.The following image was taken at the intersection as you leave the town of Ballan, the signpost points the way to Ballarat via the freeway. Instead of turning right, we continued straight ahead to the town of Gordon.....

Was well worth the extra time, as it was quite pretty as you can see by the following images:

Gold was discovered in the Gordon area in 1858. By 1885 Gordon had developed as the centre of a mining and agricultural district.

Although mining is no longer active in the area the township still retains a post office, police station, store, hotel and is now a peaceful cul-de-sac in a district renown for it's heritage, natural beauty and fly-fishing.

When next you travel via a freeway, check your map to see if there is another road you can follow to your destination. It is often quieter as in less traffic and often the scenery can be quite spectacular.  The bonus being that you arrive at your destination far more relaxed and happy that you got to see something beyond the busy freeway!


stay tuned for our 'next road trip'.