Indented Head and Gisborne, Victoria

Our caravan had sat patiently in the front yard for a few months while we enjoyed our beautiful granddaughter. Watching her grow and develop has been a heart-warming and joyous experience. Tearing ourselves away from little Lucy Kate wasn’t easy, but we hooked up the van to the Pajero and went back on the road for three months with the intention of reaching Mt Isa in Far North Central Queensland, promising to be back for Lucy’s first birthday in October. We still have a bad case of the Travel Bug, and there is an urgency to see more of Australia while we’re still fit and able to. The caravan hasn’t been used very much this year – a few weeks at the beach over Christmas/New Year and the occasional few days here and there. I’m sure the poor old girl was feeling neglected. It was time to get her wheels turning.

Bass Strait was not kind to us for the overnight sailing to the mainland. I suppose we were due for a rough crossing as it was our third trip in as many years and they’ve all been smooth and calm until this one. It was a case of hanging on for dear life while trying not to get tossed out of bed, and the mad dash to the bathroom was virtually impossible while the room was heaving from side to side. Thank goodness for the emergency sick bags being close by.

Anyway, things calmed down after 3am and some sleep was had before landfall arrived on schedule at 6am. First port of call was a few days at Indented Head near Geelong on the Bellarine Peninsula, and the home of friends Jenny and John. Having recently retired and moved from suburban Melbourne to this portside community, we could see why they’ve bought where they have. It’s a quiet and peaceful lifestyle combined with all the facilities of nearby Drysdale, Portarlington and Geelong. The foul weather that had upset our tummies on the voyage over continued for a few more days, but the sun eventually came out. We explored local wineries, cafes, beaches and scenic views. It certainly is a spectacular part of the country, and our hosts made us warmly welcome in their lovely new home.

The wreck of an old paddle steamer at Indented Head, Port Philip Bay.

When the time came to move on, the journey north began with a few days visiting Andrew and Pip in Gisborne, north-east of Melbourne. A year on from our last visit, it was like visiting old friends again, both the town and the family. It’s just another friendly, unique and intriguing part of the world.

A superb night at a little jazz club called “Wine O’Clock” in downtown Gisborne was a real treat. In such an intimate setting, it was as though they were playing just for us. And I must say it was delightful to take the dogs for a walk along the streets of Gisborne, particularly as they are flat. Just up the Calder Freeway is the delightful little town of Woodend, where the Holgate Hotel sits on the main street. After visiting there two years ago, it was very nice to re-sample some boutique beers from their on-site brewery.

We accompanied the family on a journey into Melbourne city by train to see an exhibition from New York’s Museum of Modern Art at the National Gallery of Victoria. It covered 130 years of artwork from artists such as Matisse, van Gogh, Gaugin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Dali, Pollock and Whitely. Seeing original paintings by these masters was quite amazing. Certainly not something we do very often (actually, at all).

"Winter Wednesday" at Wine O'Clock, downtown Gisborne.

Taking the dogs for a walk with Pip and Andrew.

An original Brett Whitely.