Good morning Nuri….what a beautiful morning. Today I’m excited cos I’m going to view the first of the Painted Silos. The scenery out here in the hills is dairy, vines and canola. A beautiful array of colours in a melting pot of fresh air, animal smells (read that as you will) and the bitumen that leads me to my next adventure.
Like most of the other morning while I’ve been away to too early for most and the roads are empty. Peaceful!
Just outta Springton SA you come across this big arse tree on the side of the road. It’s hard to miss but when you are too busy looking at surroundings I had to do a uey to come back. The Herbig Family Tree housed Johann Frederick Herbig for 5 years. Yep, he lived in the tree with his wife and family….they had 16 children (obviously no telly back then). It’s pretty amazing. The tree is hollowed out and I can’t even imagine what it would’ve been like.
The Herbig Family.
The Family Tree is surrounded by dairy farms and some very inquisitive cows. While I was admiring the tree all the cows came over to the fence to I suppose “check me out” and make sure I wasn’t doing anything unworthy. Considering I had some of their cousins on, I was surprised when they actually let me pat them. Now there’s a country singer Alan Jackson who in one of his songs has a verse something to the effect of “blessed by the grace of god”, well this morning (not that I’m religious), I do believe though that I was “blessed by the grace of a cow”…..lol
friendly locals
It’s a beautiful riding day and weaving my way through the hills in stills as to why I go to all these little towns and out of the way places. Through Mount Pleasant and into Birdwood. Birdwood, now I didn’t think had a lot to offer (as I had stopped here last year for fuel which is located on the edge of town proper) but I was pleasantly surprised it is a little hidden gem and the first place I came across “traffic”…lol. It does have a quirky pub and some lovely looking little cafés.
downtown Birdwood
One of the guys on the Tracer FB page mentioned that there was this giant rocking horse in a tiny town in the Adelaide Hills, that since I was checking out artwork and such thought it would be a good stop. Since Gumeracha was only a hop, skip and jump away, I thought I’d do a little detour to check it out after all. A nice twisty road to get there lined with beautiful leafy trees slightly swaying. There is a café underneath with a little shop/museum which would’ve been lovely to have a cuppa in – next time. There are some things that you really need 2 people to enjoy, so I’ll just have to come back with Karl. All these little places I “must bring Karl back to” could take up half a year I’m sure……there could be worse things to do! LOL
Gumeracha
Now a few days ago, my good friend Hackle asked what I was doing accommodation wise once I got to Victoria. My kinda plan had me stopping in Dimboola but he suggested I stay with a friend of his in Horsham – Lorelle. After checking out the Dimboola options last night I accepted the most generous offer to stay with Lorelle and Hackle firmed everything up for me – Thanks Mate!! I contacted Lorelle while at Gumeracha to firstly introduce myself and thank her profusely for your generosity. When I think back on the whole thing, I would’ve done exactly the same thing for any rider.
Heaps of farmland and canola fields line the country back roads as I work my way through to Tailem Bend for fuel.
It really is a wonderful day to be out riding and good to see water in the Murray River. The clear bright blue sky and the smell of fresh country air, makes you wonder “why don’t people get out of town?” Just at the end of this bridge Mr Plod was sitting there with his “hairdryer” attempting to catch some with a bad hairstyle. The cruise was set to just under so I had no worries at all.
It’s late morning and now I’m getting excited as I near the first of the Painted Silo’s on the trail. You really have to consciously remember “above the excitement” that you still have to fuel your body correctly and realised I hadn’t had morning tea. A mere hour down the road and we arrive in the small town of Coonalpyn.
The Silo’s are “incredible!” So BIG and so LIFE like! They really are moving and the attention to detail of these is unbelievable. But hey, look for yourself…..the pics again don’t do them justice.
Coonalpyn is booming since the silos were completed. They have a brand new café right across the road, there’s also another café down the road, a pub, supermarket and a few other stores. Local community members were holding a meeting right in the café and I could overhear them mentioning “how great the silo art is for the town”. After a bite to eat it was back out on the road, more new roads and more farming land.
Into Keith and for a pic of the AMP Land Development Memorial….a Jeep on a pole.
As I’m leaving Keith a very nice truck driver in a shiny new car carrying rig gives we the heads up to pass him. We end up playing tag along the Duke Highway as I pull off to take a pic here and there and he “keeps on truckin’”. Half an hour later and I roll into Bordertown and grab a pic of the town sign and the truckie gives me a wave as he passes.
Now I know I’m not far from the Victorian border which means the potential increase of Mr Plod who will stop you if you look at them the wrong way at times. Best be safe than sorry and reset the cruise to just under the limit. And then……..we arrive into Victoria.
We play our game of tag again and then I’m off. It’s mid-afternoon on a lovely riding day and Dudley, Smurfette and I are just doodling along with massive smiles on our faces. Nhill I stop to top up as I wasn’t quite sure if I’d make Horsham on the tank and didn’t want to risk it. In a previous life I had been to Nhill and had pictured it to be the same but WOW there have been some changes in over 30 years. The essence of the old town is still there in the buildings and monuments but the new builds and the change in people has certainly made a difference. Back out onto the Western Highway now heading for Dimboola. About 10km outta town on the right is the Pink Lake. By the time I realised how pretty it was I had to do a u-ey to get back to the carpark so I could take a pic (getting a bit of practice at these u-eys…not that I got any better). I’m told that the local indigenous community work at mining the salt which is sold as salt flakes….so keep your eye out in the supermarket for Pink Salt from Dimboola.
Dimboola Pink Lake
The reason for going to Dimboola is the same previous life where I had prick relations that lived there on a farm. No chance of me finding the farm or wishing to see the relations but thought I would now go through town and just see what it’s like. Well, I’m very glad Lorelle is hosting me tonight cos Dimboola is a ghost town. There are a couple of new buildings including a supermarket but as for the rest of town….it’s deserted. Smurfette yells out to me “dodged a bullet there Kimmie”.
Dimboola
Due to these little detours Mr truckie has passed me but I managed to pull back onto the Western Highway not far behind him. As I wasn’t in a hurry and I didn’t wish to draw attention to myself the cruise was set under the limit again. Just as well cos not long later Mr Plod going in the opposite direction decides to turn around after about 1km and come back and tail me……ALL the way to Horsham. I obviously was too boring for him and he eventually overtook me at a great rate of speed (probably pissed that he could nab me). Anyway, with him now in front of me I was able to stop for the town sign.
Horsham
As I get just into town Mr Plod had pulled over my nice Mr Truckie and was giving him the full treatment. Turns out there was 3 Mr Plods in that car and they obviously needed to get there quota for the day cos the poor truckie was shaking his head and they were all over his rig. Poor buggar.
Anyhoos, after a brief stop to top up Dudley (as we like to have a full belly hen we head off in the mornings) we finally reach Lorelles.
What a WONDERFUL lady! We unpacked Dudley together and got me settled and then she brings out a pot of tea (in a real teapot) and home made date scones with butter all nice and more. Now that my friends is TRUE honest country hospitality. We settled into comfortable conversation like a couple of ladies who have know each other for years and years….funny how you just click sometimes. Tell ya what, turns out we “had” actually met previously (if only briefly) at the Lobethal FarRide last year. What are the chances!!! LOL
We had a lovely afternoon and I insisted on taking Lorelle out for dinner that night to say thank you. Tell you what, the local pub has a great feed and we sit and natter away while chowing down before walking back to settle into the warmth of Lorelles home for the night.
