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.
But for me the best thing about Bowral is the vanilla slice at The Gumnut Patisserie
Sunday morning tea. Vanilla slices from Gumnut Patisserie in Bowral. The best vanilla slice in the world I reckon. | SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/4, 1/1000sec, ISO 100
The day started well with scrambled eggs from Bron. These were so buttery and so delicious. Bron does good scrambled eggs.
Bron made scrambled eggs on sourdough for breakfast | SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/4, 1/80sec, ISO 2500
The point of going to Bowral though wasn’t so much to enjoy a vanilla slice but to do a little exercise and get some fresh air on a fine Spring day.
After the vanilla slice and a coffee we went to the Bowral Cheese Shop and bought some food for lunch before going for a walk along one of the trails. While we were at The Gumnut Patisserie Bron bought some sourdough and a rye sour bread.
At the cheese store we bought some quince paste, some duck and peppercorn pâté, some Small Cow blue cheese, some truffle brie cheese and some chicken, pork and pistachio terrine. This would be an indulgent lunch.
We drove to the base of the Mount Gibraltar walking trail and walked up the stairs to the Mount Gibraltar lookout. The walk took about 40 minutes and involved some stair climbing, some trail walking and some lookout gazing. I tried to shoot some photographs but most of them turned out badly. I forgot to set my white balance properly and I forgot to bring my circular polariser. It was a very glary day and so most of the shots were not very good. We came across a wombat hole and I didn’t adjust the ISO properly and ended up with a very soft shot with a 1/2 second shutter speed. By the time I was at that point I was huffing and puffing and my heart rate was high so the shot was soft and blurry. Anyway, enough excuses, it was a good day out.
We decided to drive to the Mount Gibraltar Jellore Lookout for lunch. It’s a nice place with a good view of Mittagong.After our strenuous walk to check out a number of the fantastic views around Gibraltar rocks, we set up our picnic at the Jellore look out, which is on a little outcrop and is usually quite serene. Today it was not so, with the arrival of a number of groups, including a particularly large and boisterous family that felt the best place for their numerous selfies was half a metre from where we were sitting. After they left we were able to enjoy some peace and quite looking over the hills around Bowral before heading back to Canberra.
This was a very indulgent but utterly delicious lunch.
Perfect picnic lunch at Mount Gibraltar Jellore Lookout Bowral. Quince paste, duck and peppercorn pâté, chicken pork and pistachio terrine, truffle brie and small cow blue cheese | SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/125sec, ISO 200Perfect picnic lunch at Mount Gibraltar Jellore Lookout Bowral. Sourdough bread, rye sour bread, quince paste, duck and peppercorn pâté, chicken pork and pistachio terrine, truffle brie and small cow blue cheese | SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/100sec, ISO 200
Eating the pâté with the rye sour bread was like eating smooth dark chocolate. It was just amazing!
This is where we were sitting for lunch.
Sunday midday. Bowral Mount Jellore Lookout. | SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/500sec, ISO 200
Sunday. Bowral Mount Gibraltar Lookout. | SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/1250sec, ISO 200
Sunday. Bowral Mount Gibraltar Lookout. | SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/500sec, ISO 200
Sunday. Bowral Mount Gibraltar Lookout. | SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/500sec, ISO 200
Sunday. Bowral Mount Gibraltar Lookout. | SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/160sec, ISO 200
Sunday. Bowral Mount Gibraltar Lookout. | SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/640sec, ISO 200
Sunday. Bowral Mount Gibraltar Lookout. | SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/320sec, ISO 200
Sunday midday. Bowral Mount Jellore Lookout. | SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/250sec, ISO 200
Sunday midday. Bowral Mount Jellore Lookout. | SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/800sec, ISO 200
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Bron and I had a brilliant day. The weather was good and the food great.
Have you been to Bowral? What did you do? What did you eat?
If you have any comments or questions please send me a comment in the space below.
Tonight I walked from my hotel into town and through to the Hanuman Restaurant. I wasn’t sure where I wanted to eat initially and I thought it would reveal how predictable and obsessive I am, but you know what? Who cares. I like the food. I like the restaurant. It was my choice.
A couple of weeks ago Mum and Dad celebrated 50 years of marriage. Mum wanted a family celebration with her children and grandchildren. There’s 15 of us including Mum and Dad.
A favourite restaurant for my parents is Morgans Seafood at Scarborough.
Morgans Seafood Restaurant
We had a booking for noon because basically the Lums don’t like to wait too long to eat. On the drive (we had a convoy of three cars), I had a niece with me and she said she was a real Lum because she preferred meat and fish and dessert over vegetables.
We get to the restaurant and Dr47 tells me I’ve been here before but I can’t remember. Not long after, Mr42 arrives with his kids and we’re all seated at a long table with a water view. I find myself at the end with all the kids which isn’t a bad thing since I’m a big kid 🙂
Inside Morgans Seafood Restaurant. We got there just before 12 noon.
Because we had decided we were also going to go out for dinner we all elected to enjoy a main course. The menu doesn’t have a huge selection but every item looks like a winner to me.
It’s been nearly a decade since I enjoyed a seafood platter (my favourites being at Crustaceans and Christos in Darwin). I was so excited when Miss17 said she’d like to try a platter with me. It was the second most beautiful thing I’d heard all weekend. The most beautiful was when Miss19 told me that when I visit in October she wants me to cook for her a meal like I used to when we lived in Darwin. I nearly cried.
Even though I had a camera with me I didn’t want to annoy everyone by capturing images of their food so I took a couple of ninja snaps.
Miss17 and I chose the Moreton Bay platter because it was a combination hot and cold creation and focussed on the local crustacean, Thenus orientalis, which is a slipper lobster and known locally as the Moreton Bay bug. In Cockroach territory (aka New South Wales) it’s known as a Balmain bug. Fittingly Dr47 described it to his Miss8 as the cockroach of the sea (not that that description would put her off eating it). I loved her description of calamari. She calls them Japanese chips (fries for my North American friends).
The Moreton Bay platter consists of Chilled Moreton Bay bugs, Florida lobster, Pacific oysters, and ocean prawns, with Grilled Coconut crumbed prawns, Moreton Bay bugs, half shell Queensland scallops with macadamia nut and lime butter, salt and pepper calamari (aka Japanese chips), and crumbed fish fillets.
Crumbed calamari (aka Japanese chips)Seafood pastaSeafood tasting plateMoreton Bay platterMoreton Bay platterMoreton Bay platterChilled Moreton Bay bugs and fruitGrilled seafood on the Moreton Bay platterMmm…Queensland scallops with Queensland nut and lime butterMy plate at the end
It’s meant to be a platter for two but the quantities are not served evenly, so there is an odd number of oysters, bug tails and only one lobster tail. This could create a little tension, fortunately, I’ve learnt to be less macrophagic in my eating habits and so Miss17 and I made very equitable decisions on the division of the spoils.
After the mains were devoured a spectacular cake was produced. A white chocolate mud cake for Mum and Dad.
We all had a great time at lunch. The kids loved their meals and the setting was perfect. Brisbane turned on a beautiful day for Mum and Dad. They shared that on their wedding day it was brighter and more blue but a little colder in Brisbane. On that day the Beatles were playing in Brisbane and the Wallabies were playing the All Blacks. An uncle from New Zealand asked if he could skip the wedding party and attend the test match. So fifty years on and my parents have a family they love and in Mum’s words they’ll just take each year as it comes now.
I give it 4 colonies out of 5. Really good. I will aim to return. As a bonus they use cloth napkins and the mens’ room had good hand basins and soap to wash off all the seafood odours.
If you have any comments or questions please send me a comment in the space below.
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