Sonja & Ian's Excellent Travel Adventures - Rutherglen and Southern Highlands

RUTHERGLEN:

The morning after the Easter Weekend we leave for the lovely caravan park that we discovered last year on our return trip from Tasmania, at Rutherglen. We look forward to spending a couple of days at the absolutely gorgeous park in the center of Australia’s oldest wine growing region. Having discovered a quaint winery called “The Wicked Virgin” (http://www.wickedvirginrutherglen.com.au/) here last year we make our first stop there and enjoy tasting (and buying) some excellent wines.

We then move on to some more wine tasting at the better-known winery called All Saints. Ian, who was already acquainted with this winery from previous golf trips to Yarrawonga, suggests we have lunch here. What a great suggestion – we enjoy a lovely couple of hours, overlooking gorgeous sun-drenched parkland, successfully working our way through the rather delightful menu. Oh my gosh, I am getting pretty rotund again…..but I am not going to let that spoil my appetite, at least not whilst travelling.

After this scrumptious interlude we return to the caravan park. This park, which is pet friendly, is nestled right at the edge of Lake King.  Although only a 3 minute stroll from the town center, it is as one of the most tranquil parks we’ve thus far encountered. Ian, who fondly remembers the fish he caught there last year, spends the remainder of the afternoon fishing and proudly presents me with a couple of large Golden Perch that, which we also learnt last year, are very good eating fish.

At around 4 pm the owner of the caravan park lights a bonfire. This attracts many of the park’s visiting Grey Nomads (us included J). Over numerous drinks we discuss the ins and outs as well as the trials and joys of Grey Nomading and proceed, over more drinks, to solve all the world’s problems. Most of us happily stumble back to our homes away from home at about 10pm – eating Ian’s brilliant catch will have to wait till tomorrow!

PS. The Golden Perch, which we devour the following night, is absolutely delicious!

BUNDANOON BRIGADOON:

After a few enjoyable days at Rutherglen we continue north and set up camp at Mittagong. We have friends at Bowral with whom we hope to catch up, and as I recently reconnected with a lovely friend (the very first flatmate I had after arriving in Australia) and who lives in Kangaroo Valley, we are also planning a reunion.

When we study the local paper on our first day at Mittagong we discover that the 36^th Annual Highland Gathering (known as the ultimate Scottish Experience) is scheduled to take place at Bundanoon tomorrow. As neither of us has ever experienced such an event, we decide to check it out. The weather, despite the gloomy forecast, is quite acceptable. All the same we are amazed to see the vast number of visitors at this gathering. Apparently 12,000 – 16,000 Australians make pilgrimage to this event every year. As always I find myself drawn in immediately by the music, the cheerful colours and the general hustle and bustle created by large numbers of people. Whilst Ian makes himself comfortable on a grassy slope, I run around like a mad thing, taking pictures and shooting video.

Many events are offered that day but those we witness are as follow:

Individual Pipe Bands (video clip included)

Swordplay – with audience participation 

Scottish Fiddler’s Group

Kilted Kiddies Dash (video clip included)

Scottish Highland Dancing (video clip included)

Heavy Weight Caber

Highlander Celtic Rock Band

We have an excellent day. Correction: I have an excellent day, poor Ian very patiently and silently suffers through yet another shocking back day.

The next couple of days we catch up with our various Southern Highland’s friends and enjoy what we do best – more eating and drinking. I definitely feel some dieting coming on. It’s either that, or buying a wardrobe full of new clothes.

From Mittagong we travel to Sydney, where we spend some time with our children and by the time you receive this last post of our first excellent caravan travel adventure of 2013, we will have arrived back home.

I hope you enjoyed my ramblings. If not, tough! 

Till next time,

Sonja 

Sonja & Ian's Excellent Travel Adventures - Easter Weekend

EASTER WEEKEND

First I'd like to apologise to those of you who are subscribed to receiving the blog entries via email. I've been informed that although you received the entry, the video clips did not come through. If you'd like to view the clips, please go to: http://doingthegreynomadthing.blogspot.com.au/

Now, let me tell you about the rest of our Easter weekend: 

MACKENZIE FALLS:

Today, attempting another sightseeing morning, we head for Victoria’s largest and most majestic waterfall – MacKenzie Falls.  Ian who, although starting day with reasonable mobility, realises as we are walking towards the viewing platform, that he won’t be able to manage the steep descent to the bottom of the falls. Although we thoroughly enjoy the view from the platform I decide to join the throng of people that make their way down the steep steps and must say that the effort was definitely worth it. The views I get all the way down and, most certainly the view from the bottom of the falls, is quite spectacular.

STAWALL GIFT:

On Easter Monday we attend the finals of the Stawall Gift. If you are asking, what the heck is that, you are not the only ignoramus. I had absolutely no idea what Ian was talking about when he first mentioned it to me. Apparently an icon of Australian sport, it’s a world’s most famous and prestigious professional foot races that has been held in all but four years since 1878.

Mr Google tells me that “every Easter thousands of runners and athletic fans from all over Australia and indeed the world make an annual pilgrimage to Central Park, the professional running mecca, in the tiny historic gold-mining town of Stawell” (which is pronounced Stall).

Well, here we are, enjoying the electric atmosphere created by fierce competition, courtesy of Ian’s wretched back. Aside from attending the running races at my children’s sport’s carnivals I’ve never been to a running race and, although not fully appreciating the famous nature of this particular race, find the experience captivating and rather exciting. Joining with the rest of the crowd we cheer like crazy as the 20 year old Launceston sprinter, Andrew Robinson, breaks through the finish line and wins this year’s Stawall Gift. Apparently Andrew is the first Tasmanian to win the Gift since 1941 and, as you can imagine, he is a happy chappy!

To see the race, got to: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/athletics/burning-desire-earns-gift-20130401-2h2mi.html

As you can see I've now worked out how to post my little video clips. So here are a few of the Great Western Rodeo 2013 that I reported on in my last blog.

The next one is great but a little long - I still haven't worked out how to edit the video clip length. When I shot the video I kept the camera running because the bull was going ballistic and I thought that this might give you a good idea about what the riders and the Marshalls have to deal with.