The Spa Country

Goodbye to the Grampains as we drove into the area north of Melbourne known as the “Spa Country” because of the extensive Mineral Springs found in the mountains and forests of the area. We found the most idyllic campsite in the middle of a huge National Parks called the Lerderberg. It is a small hamlet called Blackwood and has the sweetest old cottages with pretty gardens..but the caravan Park is in a clearing surrounded by huge trees and forest on the banks of the river...the only sounds were the birds and gurgling of the river. We put up our annex (side tent) which we don’t do for short stops and our Sat disc and decided to stay for awhile. The reason they call it the Spa country is that the mineral springs that bubble up in various places are full of minerals and trace elements and are supposed to be therapeutic. As a result commerce has cashed in and made the region a hedonistic paradise for those wanting every kind of Health Spa experience from Massages to mud baths. As it happens our Blackwood has a mineral and Soda spring called “Soda Fountain” and we went and tried both. We could not believe it, the water had a sparkle and tasted just like the bottled soda water! Very pleasant, and quite a surprise. We added a little fruit juice and it was like those posh flavoured mineral waters. The area is also known for the mining boom which was so huge in the early 1800 that thousands of men from all over the world, incl China, California, and of course UK flooded in to try and make their fortunes. The area is riddled with old mine shafts and very historic buildings and towns..many of the little diggings and shafts we found while doing hikes in the forests. We drove into historic Ballarat where the famous Eureka Stockade took place (the miners revolted against the gov because of unfair taxation and laws) and so is regarded as the birthplace of the Aussie spirit of “fair go” and the trade unions. Ballarat is the second largest Victorian city and has grand Victorian buildings and gardens dating for the Gold Rush area and prosperity. It had a wonderful Art Gallery where they had some priceless paintings from all over the world and well known Australian artist. On Sunday we drove into Melbourne for the day and had a wonderful day going to the Craft Market, the famous Victoria St Market, and the National Art Gallery of Australia. The latter was awesome, floor after floor of famous paintings by Monet, Rembrandt, Constable, Turner and more. Eventually we could not absorb any more, so went to the markets where we got some real bargains as it was close of the weekend. We have loved this area of lush forests and deep gorges, and our 5 days here have been very restful.
From Spa Country we drove over the “top” of Melbourne and went into the Yarra Valley, which is a beautiful mountainous and forested area, also known for its wines. We stayed in Yarra Glen on the banks of the Yarra River where we saw amazing birds. Paul even thought he heard a platypus during the night (but it could have been a wombat). The Yarra River is the main river that runs through Melbourne. We could not get over how picturesque Victoria was even a close distance (80 kms) from Melbourne.