Australian Travels Part Two: Canberra to Melbourne

Our short stay in Canberra was over before we knew it and soon we were heading south. Eden was to be our destination but we couldn’t resist a stop off at ‘the snow’ en route.  The green landscapes turned to the brown more commonly associated with the Australian outback before entering the lush mountain area. A brief pause at Jindabyne was necessary to buy passes for the Kosciuszko National Park. It was a very brief stop which was a shame as the mountains and lake (which covers the previous site of the town) shimmering in the sunshine were begging to be explored.

We arrived at Thredbo as the first flutterings of a snowstorm were floating through the air. An obligatory snowball fight later and we were back on the road again. Even the skiiers were moving away from the mountain as visibility had decreased so drastically.

 

A seemingly interminable drive along dark and twisting roads followed until we finally arrived at Eden Beachfront Holiday Park where we passed a chilly night (a natural hazard of winter travel). With the rising of the sun the next morning we realised what beautiful views we had stretching out to sea. Our first tourist stop was the Killer Whale Museum where we learnt about how whalers and killer whales worked together to trap humpback whales that entered Twofold Bay. I admit boats and whaling don’t exactly get my heart racing but it told a fascinating tale, and I skipped through the rest of the exhibitions. A walk along the beach to stretch the legs and soak up some fresh sea air made a welcome interlude before heading to Boyds Tower.

The tower is a short walk from the car park along an accessible path lined with melaleuca trees, signs of bush fires apparent. When built in 1847 it was one of a number of similar structures, many of which did not survive as they were made of wood. Boyds Tower was built of sandstone so weathered the years better. It does show some damage from its age however, part of the top missing from a lightning strike in the 1860s. Unfortunately, visitors are unable to climb the tower but any disappointment will be washed away with views from the lookout. Eden is very aptly named.

Green Cape Lighthouse is a 31km walk away but alas the sun would begin to fade before we could cover such a distance and so had to rely once more on the car. When built in 1883 it was the tallest lighthouse in New South Wales but lost this title shortly afterward with the construction of Smoky Cape in 1891. Green Cape was replaced by a solar power light tower in 1992 but the original structure still stands and if you time your visit right you could be treated to a tour.

The very nature of a road trip means there’s never much time in any one place and soon we were on our way to Lakes Entrance, our first stop in Victoria. Unfortunately, everywhere seemed to close by 8pm so we struggled to find anywhere for dinner (our only choice in the end was a takeaway pizza place which turned out to be satisfyingly tasty). The benefit of arriving in the dark is the pleasure of waking to unexpectedly beautiful views in the morning, especially after another cold night. The water with boats floating gracefully atop was serene as the sun glimmered off the still surface.

A walk along the sunny esplanade led us to Esplanade Mini Golf, a wonderfully fun course which is just how I imagine crazy golf should be and yet very rarely is. Just across the road is Charnwood café, a charming little eatery

attached to a gift shop. The perfect place to warm up and toast the victor. A few more stops to look at various of the Gippsland Lakes and we were back on the Princes Highway heading for Melbourne.

Australian Travels Part One: Sydney to Canberra

Not long after having arrived in Australia I found myself learning how to handle an automatic and navigating Sydney city centre. This is one thing that amazed me until the day I left – everybody seems to have a car, and drive through the centre of Sydney without a second thought. How different to London where most feel driving to be unnecessary, and for those that do, venturing into the heart of the capital by road is almost unthinkable. A brief drive to pick up my fellow road trippers and we were heading out of the city to make our leisurely way to Canberra.

Gumnut Patisserie

Barely had we left when the roads began to empty and the houses became infrequent. We stopped in historic Berrima for some lunch. At first it felt as though the town was closed, the first few eateries we tried either being shut entirely or having stopped serving. This turned out to be fortuitous however as we ended up in Gumnut Patisserie. We hadn’t expected to find more than a few pies on offer but were greeted with a wide range of beautifully crafted patisserie that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a French patisserie. Having sampled some of their delicious savouries and sweet offerings we went happily on our way. Leaving with pleasant opinions of the place, on further inspection I fear we may have done the town a disservice. It is widely recognized as Australia’s best preserved example of a Georgian village on the mainland, and had we lingered longer I’m sure we would have discovered many more treasures.

The Big Merino

Our next stop was the Big Merino, a 50ft concrete construct, and one of over 150 ‘big things’ dotted around the country as eccentric quirks standing out from the landscape. Originally opened in 1985 but moved in 2007 to capture the attention of more tourists it now sits beside a petrol station and McDonalds. Within there is an exhibition on the history and uses of merino wool and you can climb to the top to look out of the eyes of Rambo, as he is affectionately known. The rest of the structure is taken up with a gift shop selling you average souvenirs, merino clothing, and some merino wool yarn and knitting patterns, which naturally I couldn’t resist.

The final landmark before entering Canberra was Lake George, which admittedly did challenge my idea of a lake, being completely devoid of water. This, in part, is what makes it famous, its constantly shifting water level as well as its location making it one of the most studied lakes in Australia. It may not have had the vast expanse of water I was expecting, but a lookout point on its perimeter proved the perfect spot for some stargazing.

Remains of a telescope at Mount Stromlo

A refurbished telescope at Mount Stromlo

We arrived in Canberra after dark so didn’t see much of it on our way in, however, we did dine by the water, which wasn’t a bad introduction. With the rising sun we went to experience the city by daylight. I had heard that it’s a very green city, but nothing had prepared me for the surrounding mountains, and how much it just didn’t feel like a city. In fairness, we didn’t really explore the centre, but I’m reliably informed that there isn’t really one. Instead, we headed for the mountains and Mount Stromlo Observatory. The original observatory was destroyed in the bush fires of 2003, and as you approach you pass the burnt out shells of the previous buildings. It makes you stop in your tracks and ruminate on the haunting remains. It’s not otherwise somewhere that you’d spend a long time, although I imagine in summer it would make a beautiful picnic spot, and I believe there are a number of walking and cycle tracks in the surrounding area. Inside the visitor centre is a small exhibition and a café with gorgeous views, which seemed to be why most people were there.

Our next stop was Canberra’s Deep Space Communication Complex, part of NASA’s Deep Space Network. The exhibition space here is larger and has several interactive displays to keep visitors of all ages entertained. You can see the large antennas across the site and there are boards in the exhibition with details of what they are tracking. We were even lucky enough to see one of them move.

After a short time we were back on the road again and heading for Corin Forest, a mountain recreation resort. There was no natural snow on the mountains but they have a snow play area so icy fun can be had even when the weather doesn’t oblige. After a snowball fight or two it’s pleasant to warm up again next to the open fire in the visitor centre. It wasn’t as forest like as the name suggests but a great place for a family outing. This is also where we saw our first kangaroos of the trip, which definitely made it worth it. Slightly further down the road was a short walking track leading to a waterfall which is well worth a look.

Our trip to Canberra was short but sweet and far more scenic than I had previously imagined.