We have had an amazing time exploring a couple of towns in NE Victoria. Echuca, where our friends, Rob and Jenny live is a really nice town with a lot of historical homes and buildings. We went walking down town to explore their farmers market local shopes and had a coffee at Rob's sisters shop, (really good coffee). We stopped by a local brew pub and tasted some local brew at a local brewery. Drove about an hour south to Bendigo. This is a much larger town with a history back to and older than the Gold Rush days of 1800's. We visited the Golden Dragon Museum , where the history of the immigrant Chinese to the area is the best we have ever seen. They have the longest dragon in the world (over 300 feet long), "Sun Loong", and also one of the oldest at over 100 years old. We learned that the dragons need to be awakened, blessed and fed at least once a year. We also visited a really nice art museum, climbed an old mining tower to view the area, (125 steps) and had lunch at the Shamrock Hotel, a really nicely restored pub/hotel. On the way back we stopped at Bendigo Pottery where Karen had a good time shopping. After that wonderful drive we settled in for an evening of Pizza and Australian Football (Aussie Footie). There is a terrible drought going on in all of southeastern Australia, and much of the rest of the country. They are doing a great job of conservation. The homes are being built with a lot of thought into environmentally good practices, such as sensors on many light fixtures, water storage, gray water usage, and very well insulated. New homes here run around $350,000, but you get more that what that would get you in So. Oregon. Also, many of you have asked about fuel costs. We have been paying $1.40 to $1.60 per liter of Diesel. Australia is expensive for the most part. A six pack of beer today was $22, a loaf of bread is $6.50, a new battery for the small Pentax camera was $45. Karen went into a quilt shop in Echcua today, the prices seemed pretty compaaible to home.
We are having a wonderful time, the adventure continues for us. Tomorrow we leave our friends the Wrights and continue on our adventure.
3 comments:
Dear Karen and Mike,
Lovely to talk with you. I am delighted I will see you on 14 May. I have enjoyed your pictures.
Travel well.
Love
Faye
Hi Karen and Mike,
We love your photos and stories!! It is so great to see you on your adventure - relaxed and happy. We are also enjoying reading about Australia and the places you have visited. We are all jealous!! Thank you for sharing your trip with us.
Everything is the same around here - Karen you know what that means. We will keep following your travels and see you when you return.
From Wendy and all of us at Pinehurst.
HELLO KAREN AND MIKE.... I'M FINALLY BACK HOME AFTER THE TRIP TO WISCONSIN TO BREW UP A FEW BATCHES OF MAPLE SYRUP. POLLY AND I WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET IN ON THE TAPPING OF THE TREES, COLLECTING OF THE SAP AND THEN BOILING IT INTO THE SWEET STUFF AND CANNING IT. THERE WERE TWO OR MORE FEET OF SNOW IN THE WOODS SO GETTING TO THE TREES BUILT UP MY LEG MUSCLES. THOSE HEAVY OLD SOREL BOOTS DIDN'T HELP MUCH. THEY HAD PLOWED THE MAIN PATHS THROUGH THE WOODS AND WE HAD TO TROMP OUT TO THE TREES, SINKING UP TO OUR KNEES, WITH OUR BUCKETS. I JUST GOT CAUGHT UP ON YOUR ADVENTURES AS THERE WAS NO COMPUTER WHERE WE WERE. I LOVE THE PICTURES. SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE HAVING ONE SUPER TIME.
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