Monday 27th February - Yackandandah to Bruthen

Still raining when we woke this morning.  Because Bill had hooked up the van last night it was one less thing we had to worrry about this morning.  We left the park, in the rain, at about 9:00.  We came home via Myrtleford, Porepunkah, Bright, Harrietville, Mount Hotham, Omeo, Swifts Creek and Ensay.
We stopped at Harrietville for an early lunch.  As we walked into the cafe a bikie sitting outside said "I wouldn't like to be towing that up the mountain today.  It's horrendous.  Fog so thick you can't see."  Of course that filled me with confidence no end!  Bill assured him we'd be OK as he knew the road fairly well.
Well, the bikie was right.  The fog was horrible.  We didn't get above 35km/hr the whole way.  Eventually we reached Omeo and the fog cleared.  But by the time we got to Ensay the rain came back, and it rained the rest of the way home!
It was good to be home, although it had been an enjoyable holiday all round.  Lots of new places and things to see, and a few repeat performances.

Sunday 26th February - Yackandandah, Tallangatta, Hume Weir

Our last day before heading for home.  And it was bucketing rain!  We still decided to go for a drive.  First we went down the street to the supermarket.  On our way out of the park we told the lady we hadn't paid yet - she seemed rather surprised, then realised.  We had to call into the office on our way back and she would come up and take our money.  We duly did so, and reminded her we had never actualy got a key for the ensuite so we didn't have one to return. We headed for Tallangatta.  We went through Baranduda, Kiewa and Tangambalanga.  Eventually got to Bonegilla and Bandiana.  Didn't stop at any of these places as it was pouring rain. However, we did stop at the Hume Weir on Lake Hume.
Despite the rain we walked along the approaches to the dam wall (sign implied you could walk over to Victoria, but a big gate put paid to that idea).

Hume Weir on Murray River

Hume Power Station

It was somewhat damp, so we didn't stay out in the rain for too long.  Although Bill did walk down the stairs to take photos of the power station.

Lake Hume Holiday resort

We made our way to the Lake Hume Tourist Park to grab a bite to eat for lunch.
Drove back to Yackandandah.
We had our first meal in  Yack at Java@Yack, and we decided we'd have our last meal there too.  Bill had roast lamb, and I had a fisherman's basket.  Both very nice and very reasonably priced.
It was still raining quite heavily, the ground was quite soggy at the caravan park so Bill decided to hook the van up when we went back in case we had move the van during the night.

Saturday 25th February - Yackandandah, Rutherglen, Wahgunyah, Corowa

Our holiday is drawing to a close.  Only today and tomorrow left before we head home.  Another day trip today.  We headed to Wodonga first because we had to go to a chemist.  We intended to have a look around the shops, but there didn't really seem to be many shops to look at.  A lady told us about a couple of shopping centres, but we decided against trying to find them.  So we went to the Visitor Information to see what we could find.  We gathered yet more brochures (I wonder how many trees were cut down to provide our reading material for this trip?) and then went a little further along to Gateway Village where we had some yummy lunch at La Maison Cafe.  Actually we both had yummy cakes.

We decided to drive out to Rutherglen - a very pretty drive with a lot of grape vines.

Grape vines near Rutherglen

We kept going without stopping on our way up, and continued on to Wahgunyah.   I should have checked my family history files before we came here, because I knew someone was buried here, but didn't know who. Found out later that it was a LORING - not a direct line, but a LORING all the same.

Foord Bridge over Murray River

Wahgunyah is on the Victorian side of the Muray River, with Corowa on the NSW side.  You cross the river on the Foord Bridge, named after the man who first settled in Wahgunyah.

Vampire at Corowa RSL

We had a quick look at Corowa since we were there.  Found the RSL and saw this Vampire plane on display outside.

Star Hotel Rutherglen

We headed back to have a look at Rutherglen.
Outside the Star Hotel there were at least 100 motorbikes and their riders.  There were also many police cars.  We think maybe it was a wake for a bikie and that the poice were there to make sure there was no trouble.
We stopped at Tapsell's Books.  There were three rooms absolutely choc full of books.  We spent some time browsing.  I bought a couple of books and Bill ended up buying a book detailing the menus on the Titanic, complete with supposedly genuine recipes.
Then we headed back to the Caravan Park.

Yackandandah Hotel

For tea we went to the Yackandandah Hotel, otherwise known as the Bottom Pub.  I had Nachos, but unfortunately although they tasted nice I think the corn chips were stale so I didn't really enjoy them.  Bill had fish and chips yet again.

Friday 24th February - Yackandandah, Beechworth, Chiltern

Beechworth Post Office

Another day for a day trip to see the sites.  First we went to the beautiful town of Beechworth.  I just love the beautifully preserved heritage buildings to be found here.  We didn't take many photos because I thought we had some from our last visit, but seems I didn't take lots of photos then either.

Beechworth Court and Cells

We did some shopping at Mike's Beechworth Bazaar (which was the place that charged our card $300 instead of $30 last time we were there! Got it back though.) and had a look at the One Tree Hill Pottery shop.  They had some beautiful pieces, not exhorbitant prices - but we really have nowhere to put anything so we didn't purchase anything.

Beechworth Bakery

We then had some lunch at the famous Beechworth Bakery. Bill bought a Bakery truck (the second one he has we discovered when we got home, although they are different - does that mean he's started a collectiom?) and I bought a Baker bear.

Tom the Bakery Bear

We continued wandering down the street and I went into the Beechworth Sweet Company shop. It really is like an old-fashioned shop, but for some reason the lollies don't seem to me to be like we used to have.  They are also fairly expensive.  I did buy some fruit salad rock candy.  I would have loved a golliwog, especially a girl one, but even the smallest were $50 or so.  Then I saw a really tiny one, but it was nearly $90!!
On our way back to the car we stopped for a look at Beechworth Gold.  Bill wanted me to buy something - we both would have loved the gemstone globes of the world - ranging from small to really large - but apart from the fact we would struggle to find a place to put one they were terribly expensive!  Anyway, we were looking at a necklace Bill had chosen, but I wasn't sure of the colour so I picked out a torquoise one that looked the same. Decided on that, and a matching pair of earings.  Got a bit of a shock when the lady said how  much - the browny one was about $30 which I thought was reasonable, but the turquoise one was $89!!  Earings only $19 thankfully.

Beechworth Anglican Church

We then drove up the hill and parked under the shade of a tree while we decided what to do next.  This was outside the Anglican Church.  On the opposite side of the road there was another Church building which is now a second-hand bookshop.  It has to be the best organised second-hand bookshop I have ever seen, especially considering it is actually like an op-shop - run by volunteers (?) with all proceeds going back into the community. It is called Quercus Community Bookshop. I bought three books and two Andre Rieu DVDs.  I have been doing a lot of reading on this holiday.  More than I've done for a long time, and I'm really enjoying it.

Quercus Community Bookshop Beechworth

Woolshed Falls Beechworth

We then headed out to the Woolshed Falls.  They were quite pretty, although not very steep.  You could walk down to the falls themselves, but we contented ourselves with looking down from the lookout.  There were three people enjoying the presumably cooling waters while we were there.
Next we headed for Chiltern. We looked at a junk shop on one side of the street, then one opposite.  Bill bought a 'thingy' - not sure what it is exactly.  It has two pots joined together, with one lid covering both.  They seem to be too small to be biscuit barrels, but not airtight enough to be tea caddies.  He liked it because it is a similar pattern to a tea set of his mothers that we have.  Saw a lovely and unusual old letterbox on the street corner.

Chiltern Letterbox

I went into a milkbar to buy an icecream and then we headed back to Yackandandah.

Main street of Chiltern

Yackandandah Milk Bar and Cafe

Tonight we went to the Yackandandah Milk Bar and Cafe for tea.  I had a tropical pizza which was very nice and Bill had fish and chips, also nice.  We sat at the table and chairs outside on the footpath and enjoyed the summer evening.

Thursday 23rd February - Young to Yackandandah

This is the last leg of this trip.   Our route today took us back through Cootamundra and Gundagai, through Tarcutta and then Holbrook. Holbrook is famous for the submarine in its main street.  It is HMAS Otway.

HMAS Otway at Holbrook

We continued on through Albury and across the border to Wodonga.  About 27 kms past Wodonga we came to Yackandandah, or Yack.  Actually we took the wrong turn and went the less convenient way from Wodonga we later discovered.
We arrived at the Yackandandah Holiday Park.  Like all the other parks we have stayed at on this trip it was a very pretty park.

Creek at Yack Holiday Park

The lady showed us the site and said she would come down soon with the paperwork, and the key for the ensuite - which was currently unlocked.  After we had got ourselves settled we went up into the town for a look around.  No sign of the lady by this stage.  Yackandandah is a very pretty town with lots of trees.  Many of the buildings are old, but well reserved.
We decided to have lunch at a little cafe called Java@Yack.
When we went back to the park we stopped by the manager's house to fill in the relevant paperwork - the lady's husband said he'd come down later.
For dinner we decided to try the Star Hotel.  We had quite a nice meal.