I’ve had an interesting week. Work has been busy and on Wednesday I flew to Perth for work. I heard from Ms18 that the Queensland state gymnastics competition has been going well. She did well on the first day and I’m hoping her second day of competition finishes with even better results.
In terms of sleep, it hasn’t been great. Despite my CPAP machine I seem to be going through a period of early waking and an inability to return to sleep. My tinnitus has been worse and I’m not sure why. I’m quite careful not to expose myself to loud sounds and before bed I try to observe good sleep hygiene. I guess I should try to do more exercise. That always seems to be a good option.
So this week I’ve enjoyed some nice food.
On Monday I had leftover slow cooked beef, speck and spam for lunch
Leftover slowly cooked beef, speck and spam
For Monday dinner I enjoyed some greens with a piece of baked salmon
Baked salmon with peas, sugar snap peas and broccoli
Tuesday breakfast was scrambled eggs Gordon Ramsay style
Cheese and chives scrambled eggs
Tuesday lunch was leftover corned beef congee
Corned beef quinoa congee
Tuesday dinner saw me flake some baked salmon and enjoy it with noodles
Baked salmon with ramen noodles with cheese, avocado, and beef, speck and spam gravy plus sugar snap peas
I had sugar and cinnamon doughnuts for Wednesday breakfast
Coffee and doughnuts
My Wednesday lunch was a repeat of Monday, this time with different reading material
Slow cooked beef, speck and spam
A friend at work likes to share with me when Urban Bean Espresso Bar is selling really nice cheesecake. This photograph shows three things I really like. A Queensland flag, a photograph of a FA-18 Hornet which was a gift from the CO RAAF Tindal and Squadron 322 and of course a caramel almond toffee cheesecake.
Caramel almond toffee crunch cheesecake from Urban Bean Espresso Bar with a Queensland flag and a gift from 322 Squadron Tindal, NTCaramel almond toffee crunch cheesecake from Urban Bean Espresso Bar
I was in Perth on Thursday morning and stayed at the International on the water hotel.
Bacon and eggs with mushrooms and a hashbrown
On Thursday night I had room service for dinner
Chilli mussels International on the water HotelStuffed mushrooms International on the water Hotel
Friday night was an easy one with leftover corned beef quinoa rice congee
Corned beef quinoa congee
On Saturday I had a leisurely breakfast of cheese and chives scrambled eggs with a cup of coffee
Cheese and chives scrambled eggs with coffee
Saturday much was tinned pink salmon with an avocado on Vita-Weat with cream cheese
Tinned pink salmon with avocado on Vita-Weat with cream cheese
Chicken thigh, drumstick and giblet congee with black fungus
Sunday lunch was a chicken breast hot pie
Garlo’s chicken breast hot pie
This dish is known as “Jacqui” after my friend Jacqui
The ‘Jacqui’ aka Garlo’s chicken breast hot pie with cheesy potato gemsThe ‘Jacqui’ aka Garlo’s chicken breast hot pie with cheesy potato gemsPotato gems
So it’s been a pretty yummy week in food. None of this is really helping my waistline. Oh well, I will work on that later.
With the gymnastics competition over and Miss13 flying home to Brisbane I had to make my way back to Canberra. It was raining and cold when I left Geelong and it remained gloomy the whole drive to Wangaratta.
My aim today was to take a leisurely drive through Kilmore, Euroa and Benalla stopping at each place and trying a bakery.
This is the vanilla slice at Kemp’s Bakery in Kilmore. The bakery is really good. The range of products is large and for travellers the toilets are remarkable. They are so clean. The coffee is also pretty good. Unfortunately the icing on the vanilla slice was very thick making it difficult to break through with a fork. The icing though did have a discernable strawberry flavour. The custard had a nice flavour but it was too gelatinous. I’d happily eat vanilla slices there but they weren’t the best I’ve ever had.
Vanilla slice from Kemp’s Bakery in Kilmore Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/120sec, ISO 32Apple + Pro HDR iPhone with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/5000sec, ISO 32
I drove through to Euroa while listening to Trek.fm podcasts and stopped at Burkes Bakery. The pies they had on selection were the usual ones you’d see in a country bakery but the bloke serving behind the counter suggested the steak with bacon and egg pie. It was very good and served at perfect eating temperature. It wasn’t too hot and it wasn’t cold. The filling was thick enough that it didn’t fall out after the first bite. The pastry was light but not so flaky that I got it all over me. I’d say it was a perfect casing for what was a very good filling.
Sunday lunch. Steak, bacon and egg pie from Burkes Bakery in Euroa Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/20sec, ISO 200
Even though I’d been making good progress I was wanting to go to Hides Bakery in Benalla again for a coffee. I was feeling very tired after another poor sleep and thought a stop for some caffiene would help. When I arrived I noticed they’d sold out of vanilla slices but I did see a nice looking coconut and jam slice. I do like a coconut and jam slice.
Coconut and jam slice from Hides Bakery in Benalla Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/40sec, ISO 40
I’m spending the night at the Millers Cottage motor inn in Wangaratta. It’s a budget motel and my guess it has been in operation since at least the 1970s. The decor is 1970s.
I was thinking of finding a restaurant but I felt too tired so I went and found a fast food joint and bought a burger. Yep, Hungry Jacks whopper and onion rings.
Sunday dinner. Hungry Jacks Whopper and onion rings in Wangaratta. SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 70mm and f/8, 1/80sec, ISO 2500
So how did you spend your Sunday? I hope it was a good one. Bye for now.
It’s day two of my holiday adventure. Today I drove from Wangaratta to Geelong. I was expecting it to take about four hours but I ended up spending more than three hours in bumper to bumper traffic because of two major accidents on the Princess Highway just past the Melbourne airport.
I woke up at the Parkview Motor Inn in Wangaratta with welts on my skin because there were biting midges in the bed. I didn’t sleep well and missed having my CPAP machine. After two instant coffees and a shower I felt well enough to check out and head for Benalla. I found Hides Bakery and enjoyed a passion fruit iced vanilla slice and coffee for breakfast.
Passionfruit vanilla slice from Hides Bakery in Benalla Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/30sec, ISO 40Hides Bakery Benalla Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/150sec, ISO 32
After Benalla I made my way to Wallan expecting the Top of the Town Bakery to be a suitable place to find lunch.
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Hands free selfie using the camera timer Apple iPhone 5 with iPhone 5 front camera 2.18mm f/2.4 at 2mm and f/2.4, 1/40sec, ISO 32
What I found was a relatively small bakery with a couple of old warped tables. I bought a beef, bacon and cheese pie and found a park to eat lunch.
Beef bacon and cheese pie from Top of the Town Bakery Wallan Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/400sec, ISO 32
It was still midday when I set off and I thought I’d make good progress getting to Geelong with the thought I might have an afternoon at the Geelong Arena. In the end I sat in traffic for more than three hours.
Princess Highway traffic Apple iPhone 5 with iPhone 5 back camera 4.12mm f/2.4 at 4mm and f/2.4, 1/1600sec, ISO 50
On getting to Geelong I checked in and tried to relax a little.
Later in the afternoon I went for a walk to Corio Wharf and then found a Thai restaurant to have dinner.
Public art Corio Wharf Geelong SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 24mm and f/8, 1/500sec, ISO 100Public art Corio Wharf Geelong. It looks like a shark tooth. SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 35mm and f/4, 1/800sec, ISO 100Seagull Corio Wharf SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 70mm and f/4, 1/1250sec, ISO 100Corio Wharf SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 24mm and f/4, 1/2500sec, ISO 100Corio Wharf SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 27mm and f/4, 1/160sec, ISO 100Corio Wharf SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 70mm and f/4, 1/2000sec, ISO 100A Touch of Thai Geelong Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/60sec, ISO 32A Touch of Thai Geelong Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/15sec, ISO 100
I asked for the salt and chilli squid plus a BBQ pork laksa. Both were hot like fire from the chilli. The laksa was very spicy and the coconut milk wasn’t as creamy as I’ve had elsewhere. Overall both were really nice dishes.
Salt and chilli squid at A Touch of Thai, Geelong Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/30sec, ISO 32BBQ pork laksa at A Touch of Thai, Geelong Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/30sec, ISO 40
Today I started five days recreation leave from work. I drove from Canberra to Wangaratta and stopped at the Dog on the tucker box (near Gundagai), Holbrook, and Wodonga.
I’m on my way to Geelong to spend a couple of days watching Miss13 compete in the WAG National Club Championships at the Geelong Arena.
I’ve never driven through southern NSW and Victoria before so in preparation I spoke with many friends who have lived in Victoria. A recurring theme is the food in Victoria is better than anywhere else and the bakeries can’t be beaten.
The dog on the tucker box near Gundagai SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 70mm and f/4, 1/1600sec, ISO 100The dog on the tucker box near Gundagai SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 52mm and f/8, 1/500sec, ISO 100
The next stop was Holbrook because I heard the bakery was amazing and the vanilla slice there was the best in NSW. That is a big claim given my love for the vanilla slices from the Gumnut bakeries in Mittagong and Bowral.
Before I got to the bakery I stopped at HMAS Otway. Holbrook is the adopted home for the submarine.
HMAS Otway SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 24mm and f/4, 1/1000sec, ISO 100HMAS Otway SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 24mm and f/8, 1/200sec, ISO 100Public art SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 67mm and f/22, 1/25sec, ISO 100HMAS Otway SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 24mm and f/8, 1/800sec, ISO 100
Then I got into the bakery and asked for a vanilla slice.
Vanilla slice from the central Holbrook bakery Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/30sec, ISO 40
It was good but it wasn’t great. It certainly wasn’t as good as the vanilla slice from the Gumnut patisseries.
The central Holbrook Bakery Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/1600sec, ISO 32
The drive was made more interesting by podcasts. I love the fact with my iPhone I can listen to podcasts rather than having to rely on the radio or a CD. Today I listened to a couple of Star Trek podcasts from Trek.fm, a Jared Polin “I shoot RAW” podcast as well as a Trevor Long “Your tech life“ podcast.
The next stop was Wodonga just over the NSW/Victoria border. The Murray River at the cross over is fairly narrow. I was expecting a more substantial river.
I stopped at Henri’s Wodonga Bakery and enjoyed a nice pepper steak hot pie with sauce.
Pepper steak pie with tomato sauce from Henri’s bakery in Wodonga Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/15sec, ISO 50
I also had another vanilla slice. This is the first time in decades I’ve tried a vanilla slice with pink icing just like when I was a kid buying them at school. This one was very good, although the icing was a little too thick and very very sweet. The custard was nicer than the Holbrook bakery vanilla slice.
Vanilla slice from Henri’s bakery in Wodonga Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/30sec, ISO 50Henri’s Wodonga Bakery Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/1300sec, ISO 32
The next stop was Wangaratta and the motel I’d booked.
I love how motels in Australia always seem to place this strip of paper or a variation of it over the toilet seat.
Toilet seat hygienically cleaned in the Park View Motel Wangaratta Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/60sec, ISO 40
The room is pretty good and it has free wi-fi. I’ll write a review in TripAdvisor soon.
Parkview Motel Wangaratta SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 32mm and f/5, 1/125sec, ISO 100
For dinner I went for a walk to find a restaurant. I found Cafe Martini and decided to ask for a steak.
On the way to Cafe Martini though I shot some photographs of some public art and the King River
Public art Wangaratta SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 46mm and f/8, 1/400sec, ISO 100King River Wangaratta SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 39mm and f/22, 1/60sec, ISO 320Public art in Wangaratta Park SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 53mm and f/5.6, 1/60sec, ISO 125Public art in Wangaratta Park, Wangaratta SONY ILCE-7S with FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS at 65mm and f/5, 1/80sec, ISO 160
I asked for the rib eye fillet on the bone cooked rare with vegetables. The steak was rare and well rested. It was very good. I’d eat here again.
Rib eye fillet steak at Cafe Martini, Wangaratta Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/40sec, ISO 32
For dessert I had the tiramisu. It was also pretty good.
Tiramisu at Cafe Martini Wangaratta Apple + Pro HDR iPhone with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/180sec, ISO 32
So that’s it for day one.
Have you driven through southern NSW and Victoria? Tell me about your experiences.
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