Category Archives: Days Out

An Interstate Trip

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We live in Victoria and today we took a trip to New South Wales. The Murray River forms the majority of the border between these states and the southern bank is the actual border so once you are on the river you are technically in New South Wales.

Castlemaine is about 20 minutes drive from home and the railway station there is on the main line from Melbourne to Echuca. When we catch the train it is generally to Melbourne but today we headed about 130km north to Echuca.

About 18 months ago regional travel was made significantly cheaper so with our seniors fares we can travel all day for a mere $5.30. However, this week is Seniors Week and there is free travel anywhere in the state for seniors. We noticed that we we not the only ones taking a day trip to Echuca.

It is about 1.5km walk from the station to the old river port historical precinct. It was a gloriously sunny day and we stopped along the way to admire some of the old buildings and beautiful gardens. Many buildings have plaques which provide great information about the history and previous uses of the buildings.

lunch in one of the many cafes we headed down to the wharf for a cruise of a paddlesteamer. The river seems so benign but we know that this is not always the case. In fact, almost exactly 2 years Echuca endured on of the worst floods on record with the river peaking about 7 metres higher than the level it is at today.

One several paddlesteamers which offer short cruises from the Echuca wharf.

The PS Pevensey at the wharf. This was the one we went on.

The PS Pevensey was rebranded as the Philadelphia for a starring role in the 1983 television miniseries, ‘All The Rivers Run’ and this room included various pieces of memorabilia from the series which was one of my favourites.

Finally, another traveller kindly offered to take our photo on the boat.

No day out is complete without an ice-cream so we indulged on our way back to the train.

During our walking around the town, I spotted an op shop at the Anglican church and they had a terrific selection of cotton fabrics in large and small pieces. I was quite restrained but did pick up these for $5.

Before we knew it we were back at the station where the train was waiting for us.

Shopping Success

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Today we did some grocery shopping in Bendigo as well an appointment I had to attend. I took the chance to check out a couple of op shops. Additionally, we went to Castlemaine to the library and a couple more op shops there, too.

GMan scored this spotless single cup percolator for $3. Apparently you cannot own too many devices for making coffee. I would not know as I do not drink coffee.

I found this sleeveless summer dress for $5. It is 100% linen and has pockets – perfect for when the hot weather strikes.

This is a men’s shirt but I am planning to remake it into a cool summer top for myself. $3 for the lovely strong cotton fabric is a bargain.

I also picked up a couple more shirts and a doona cover which will be perfect for one of my patchwork projects. I won’t need all of the doona cover so I will be able to use it in making carry bags which I am making for the local Community Pantry. It is good to be able to offer people a strong reusable bag when collecting some essential groceries.

Work and Play

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The title sums up our day.

This morning we spent a couple of hours in the backyard. My first job was to remove the old cauliflower plants that remained after I had harvested the cauliflower during the past week. The garden bed will rest until it is time to plant summer crops such as zucchini, tomatoes and basil.

Meanwhile, GMan mowed the pocket handkerchief patch of lawn and then started on disassembling some timber lattice that has weathered badly and deteriorated significantly. It currently provides a division and some screening between the main area of the backyard and the clothesline which is in the far corner. We are planning to slightly realign the framework and change the overall style. I do not have any photos to share at this stage but there will be more details and photos once the reconstruction gets underway.

After lunch we had some slightly more frivolous plans. We headed to Bendigo to admire the mass plantings of tulips in the public gardens in the middle of the city. There were lots of people enjoying the colourful displays on a pleasant spring afternoon.

Here is a selection of photos.

The tulips were definitely the star of the show but by no means the only attraction in the gardens.

Inside the conservatory.

The exterior of the conservatory which was built in 1897.

Our next stop was a nearby hotel where we enjoyed a couple of hours listening to a local band.

A most productive and enjoyable Sunday.

Day Out and A Door

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I went to Melbourne today as I needed to stock on on some of the dry goods that I buy in Melbourne – usually every 3 – 4 months. Graina at Moonee Ponds was my destination and I specifically chose to go today as each Tuesday there is a 20% discount if you bring your own containers. I think that is a pretty worthwhile incentive so I headed off with a list and a bag of containers of various sizes.

I also ventured to Footscray to Cheaper Buy Miles. There are stores at Footscray, Flemington, Fitzroy and Brunswick. The stock is end of lines, short-dated, unpopular flavours etc and varies from week to week. There is generally a good selection of gluten free and plant-based foods. The great thing about buying from here is that as well as saving money you are also doing something positive about saving stuff that would otherwise end up in landfill.

Today I picked up 3 x 350g packs of GF penne and 2 packets of GF crispbreads for the sum total of $7.

I caught the train to Melbourne then used the suburban train and trams to get to Moonee Ponds and Footscray before the train trip home. I was reminded of how easy it is to take familiar scenery for granted. This is a view from the train as we sped towards home.

The reason that I went by myself was that GMan needed to be at home as we had a carpenter coming to install a door at the end of the hallway. This will make it much easier to heat or cool the family/dining room and kitchen in the future as the benefit from the reverse cycle airconditioner will not be bowing directly down the hall.

There is still some finishing touches to be done on Thursday but I am really excited by this relatively minor alteration. It is going to make a significant difference.

Birthday Boy

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Today has been a bit of a mixed bag.

We went to Bendigo after lunch. First up, I had an appointment then we did the shopping. We went to the supermarket, greengrocer, bottle shop and butcher as well as filling the car with fuel. Most of the shopping was for a special lunch I am preparing for Sunday.

You see, today is GMan’s birthday.

Tonight we went out for dinner and on Sunday we will be celebrating at home with a small group of extended family and friends. The festivities look set to continue intermittently over the next 4 months as we catch up with other friends and family who can’t be with us this week.

Winter Winners

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We were out and about today in a town about 40 minutes drive from home. The purpose of our visit was see 2 different exhibitions about nursing and midwifery which were of particular interest to me. One was in the local museum so we also saw other local historical memorabilia. We also caught up with some extended family at a local cafe.

Since we were walking down the street between venues I spotted an op shop so we decided to check it out. They had a lovely selection which was nicely displayed. GMan found a white tshirt which had been on his ‘to buy’ list so I was just idly waiting while he tried it on when I spied a coat. It was red. Be still my beating heart.

This vintage red duffle coat is all I could have hoped for. It is wool/cashmere blend, fully lined, made in Australia from Italian fabric. A perfect fit and cost me $20.

It has definitely been a successful week of op shopping. When we were in Bendigo on Wednesday I bought a red wool blend jumper for $6 which also appears to be a vintage piece as well as a long sleeve shirt which is white with navy spots in a soft cotton fabric for the princely sum of $2.50. It will be more suitable for spring than winter, though.

My other purchase which does not rate a photograph was a king-size doona cover for $8 which I unpicked so that I could use the back of it for the backing of the recently finished patchwork quilt. I took that to be quilted today so I should be able to show you the finished product in a week or so.

Beautiful Bendigo

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The regional city of Bendigo is a little over 30 minutes drive from where we live and we go there regularly to access shopping and other services.

However, our day out yesterday was a much more pleasurable excursion than simply grocery shopping.

We went to the current exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery, ‘Paris: Impressions of Life 1880-1925‘. This exhibition is curated from the collection at the Musee Carnavalet in Paris runs for 4 months in Bendigo until 14th July 2024.

Late autumn in the Arts Precinct of Bendigo is the perfect time and place for a Parisian excursion without a long-haul flight to Europe. Although, I must admit it has whetted my appetite to visit the City of Light again after our brief one day excursion there in 2017.

A spectacular entrance.

A wall mural showing an interior of the Musee Carnavalet. I am putting that one on the travel bucket list.

Back outside – a streetlamp and sunshine.

A late autumn street scene in Bendigo.

Champs Elysees in Paris (taken in 2017).

We enjoy travelling but there is also plenty to do in our local area.

The Train Returns

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We live in an historic town in the Central Victorian Goldfields region. One particular drawcard is the Victorian Goldfields Railway (VGR), a volunteer organisation which operates a steam train between Castlemaine and Maldon. You can check out the link to see the timetable, pricing schedule and make bookings. There are also special events from time to time.

The steam locomotive had to undergo extensive refurbishment so for most of the past year the service has been operated using an old diesel engine.

So, it was very exciting today to welcome the steam locomotive and its passengers.

Each Day

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I have not posted for a few days as GMan caught a cold several days ago and then kindly shared it with me and I simply have not felt on top of the world.

During the past 5 days we have only left the house to take the dog for her regular walk and it has been good to be getting some exercise and enjoying the autumn sunshine on at least some of the days.

I have reflected on what I have actually done and realised that almost every day is a mix of some housework (but not too much), cooking, reading, watching television, walking, gardening, computer activity and sewing. Variety really is the spice of life. Not everything gets done every day but most times it does.

Then there are days when we are out and about all day so only the bare minimum of other stuff happens. Sometimes it is social activities or a mixture of shopping and appointments. It is probably just as well we have had a few quiet days at home as the diary for the coming week is looking rather full. We will be out more than we are home on 4 of the next 6 days. There will be a trip to Melbourne to do some shopping and meet up for lunch with friends visiting from interstate. Another day we will be in Bendigo for a series of appointments as well as some shopping. The weekend will be a social whirl with the locals – TEDX talks, lunch and music as well as a short film festival.

Every week and every day is different so it keeps us on our toes.