It was an early morning today and practically watching sunrise from our hotel bedroom window. It was going to be a good day for a 300km drive from Melbourne to Beechworth, our overnight stop before heading to Sydney to pick up our camper van.
After breakfast, we left straightaway and it was still 9.30 am – as soon as we left Melbourne we were out in the golden countryside, rather flat at times and with sprinkling of rolling hills in some places. It was rather a monotonous drive so after the first 150km that Gerry was driving, I took over as then I could keep myself awake!
We arrived in Beechworth round 14.30 – well in time after stopping to have coffee at a little township called Avenel. Apparently this township was also home to the Ned Kelly’s family when they moved to Australia from Ireland.
Our overnight stay was at the Beechworth Cabins on the High Street in Beechworth, a small township which was a gold mining/panning place in the early 1800’s. After checking in, we went out for a walk to the main centre – a complete 1850’s shops and malls scenery! If you could imagine the parked cars away from the kerbs, then you surely would be back in time! We bought some groceries and also some local wine as there are vineyards in the vicinity and then had lunch at the bakery!
Once we had our groceries, we walked back to our cabin – just in time before the rains came – but then I badly needed an afternoon nap so no worries about the rain – Gerry just enjoyed it all having his smoke and coffee on the porch! And watching the screeching wild parrots and kookaburras.
After my nap, we took a walk following the little stream behind our cabins. Apparently this stream was exactly where gold was panned back in the 1850’s. In a couple of years there was enough gold panned that at today’s value would be worth a few billions of dollars! We also then visited the main historical sites especially the court house and gaol where Ned Kelly was tried and given a death sentence.
Once back again at our cabin, we enjoyed a glass of wine before having an early night – tomorrow was going to be a long drive – 600km – to Sydney!
