Now this was a busy day, zig-zagging
across the Mallee. But first stop before leaving Birchip was Sharp's Bakery – a last-ditch attempt to get another vanilla slice. Still
in the oven. How long? 10 minutes. 30 minutes. Hmmm, what to do? First, admire the fascinators in the
next door shop, getting ready for Melbourne Cup Day.
The two places I hoped to visit required a phone call first to check
if they were open. So I went and sat in my car to make the calls.
Both OK. When I said where I was in reference to how long it would take to get to Yando, Marilyn at Simply Tomatoes asked if I could
pick up half a dozen vanilla slices for her too! LOL Luckily, by the
time I'd made my arrangements, said goodies were available and I was
able to set off with my half-dozen +1.
Did I mention both of these places are at/near Boort - another of my 'B' towns.
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Lots of water in the Avoca River ... and it had a lovely bridge to cross! |
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On the (wrong) road to Yando - but not a problem at this point |
I intended to go to Simply Tomatoes first but taking the wrong turn and following Google maps to the wrong end of the road, I was confronted by a stretch of road that had been overtaken by Venables Creek … and I'd left the car's water-wings at home. So back the way I came and now, running out of time, first I went to see the SpannerMan, John Piccoli, who makes the most amazing sculptures out of spanners. At one point I thought I might not make it - thought I might get bogged when the car went slip-slidey in some mud. But all OK, thank goodness!
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The Spannerman (yes, in a wheelchair) and one of his creations |
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Eagle and prey |
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Marlin on the line |
The SpannerMan also collects birds and
although he has some rare, colourful varieties unknown to me, but I
must admit that wasn't what I came to see.
After a tour of the birds and gardens,
with history and explanations, there was time to wander at leisure,
which I did before heading off to the right end of the road to
reach what had originally been planned as my first destination.
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My favourite ... and this thistle would fit in my garden too! |
Simply Tomatoes was fun! As I handed over
the vanilla slices, I apologised for mucking around with the times and Marilyn apologised for blurting out her
request - which I didn't mind in the least ... you couldn't say I went out of my way!
I caught the tail end of some other customers buying wool products because the other half of this business is making quilts, pillows, heat pads, you name it from wool from local farms. All very interesting. Then Marilyn brewed coffee and prepared my own personal tasting plate of the farm's tomato products. Yummmm!! Breakfast!
I caught the tail end of some other customers buying wool products because the other half of this business is making quilts, pillows, heat pads, you name it from wool from local farms. All very interesting. Then Marilyn brewed coffee and prepared my own personal tasting plate of the farm's tomato products. Yummmm!! Breakfast!
I bought a few samples then it was off
to see the kitchen where all the processing is done (so many tons of tomatoes processed in what looked a tiny space to me) and to have a
look at the shipping containers, buried in the ground, where the
processed tomato products are stored at a constant temperature prior to
sale and export.
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Looking down into the underground shipping containers |
Not to mention the beautiful homestead and the too cute geese!
This was all fascinating but I had
such a lovely time because of the personal touch of doing the
vanilla slice errand – which, of course, was no trouble at all. Just
shows how little things can make a big difference.
I have to wear 2 kg weights on my ankles
for some of the exercises at my balance class. This was the opposite.
I left there feeling like I was buoyed up by soft, fluffy clouds.
It was handy that I felt like that
because I had a bit of a drive ahead of me in indifferent weather.
There was water on the roads in some places but thankfully, not
enough to cause me trouble … and the rain held off pretty much the
whole way to Horsham.
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I don't think all that water is supposed to be there! |
Not too far down the road, I stopped at
Wycheproof for lunch – at the Bakery on Broadway. Loved this place!
Wouldn't mind if it were my local!! It was chockers, much of the day's
goodies had been sold already, and the staff were run off their feet
– one of the few places open for miles around on account of the
day-before-grand-final public holiday.
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Bakery on Broadway at Wycheproof |
Right next door was an industrial art
“showroom”.
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Not so sure about these in my garden. Hmmm? |
Then it was the steady drive to
Horsham, just beating the rain and just arriving at the caravan park
before the office closed for the day. En route I passed through
Murtoa so I knew where I'd be heading the next morning.
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Sun and rain clouds fighting it out |
I knew I'd found the place when I saw
caravans in the street. I drove in, not realising that those caravans
were queued to book in. Oops! I might have unwittingly jumped the
queue but as I'd booked a cabin, it only took a minute to sign a bit
of paper and get the key.
Then, instead of the RSL for tea as
planned, the caravan park operators directed me to the local sports &
social club. A group of locals got together some years back and
decided, if pokies were coming to town, they'd make sure the money
stayed in town. Smart move! And the pork wasn't bad either! .... Finally, back to the cabin in the caravan park to polish off that vanilla slice :-)