Where is Jamieson?

Jamieson is a small country town in rural Victoria with a population not more than 250 making it a perfect destination for our summer vacation and digital-detox! Located in the High Country, it’s beautifully situated on the Jamieson River where it meets the Goulburn River which flows into Lake Eildon.

There are plenty of remnants of it’s past dotted around the town and I took great pleasure in leaving my camp site to take early morning walks by the river and around the town.

Juddy's Hut, an early miner's cottage by the Jamieson River

The view from behind Juddy's Hut

Jamieson Post Office Circa 1872

St Peter's Anglican Church Circa 1865

St John's Catholic Church Circa 1863

...and the not so historical but still delightful 'Perkins & Grey' Cafe

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Jamieson

One Great Reason to Visit Jamieson

One great reason to visit this travel destination is to enjoy the peace and quiet by the Jamieson River and if you score some warm weather, grab a tube and float downstream from Brewery Bridge to Finns Bridge.

For More Information

• Wikipedia
• Jamieson Historical Society

Travel Photos of the Week: RMIT University Open Day

We enjoyed a pleasant day to Melbourne city last Sunday to attend RMIT’s Open Day for Miss 16 who is considering studying journalism, media or public relations. Other than visiting the relevant buildings and speaking with lecturers and volunteers students who make themselves available on the day, we meandered the grounds to take in the historic blue-stone buildings which are located right beside the historic ‘Old Melbourne Gaol’. Some of the RMIT buildings and images captured can be seen below.

Where is Lake Mountain?

Lake Mountain is 90 km east of Melbourne but closer for us! So we decided last weekend to take a day trip and show Master 10 snow for the very first time.

The drive itself is pleasant as you head up the Yarra Valley past numerous wineries. We in fact have our GPS set to ‘dong’ if there happens to be a nearby winery and consequently it was ‘donging’ every few meters which was a bit funny. A pity we couldn’t stop!

As you head through Healesville, which has become quite a bustling little town and many were out enjoying breakfast at the cafes or the famous Beechworth Bakery, you start the incline into the mountain area known as the Black Spur. The Australian wattle was just starting to burst into colour and everything was extremely lush and green from all the winter rain. Much of this area was devastated by bush fire back on 8 February 2009, known as ‘Black Saturday’ but the regeneration is coming along and there is now much undergrowth.

We arrived in Marysville. My first visit there in many years and certainly since it was wiped from the map from the bush fires which resulted in loss of life, homes and businesses. Marysville’s landscape is very different to how I remember it. The tree lined street is very open and you can see for some distance in either direction, obviously where there were once homes, buildings, trees and gardens which obstructed the view. There is still much rebuilding to be done.

From Marysville we headed on up to Lake Mountain where there was still a sprinkling of snow to be found. Well, enough for the children to toboggan and build a snowman!

Cross-Country Skiing: Building Skills for Fun and Fitness

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Lake Mountain

One Great Reason to Visit Lake Mountain

One great reason to visit this travel destination is for the proximity to Melbourne for an easy day trip to the snow for some snowman building and tobogganing for the children and cross-country skiing for the bigger kids!

Lake Mountain Snow Report July 2011

For More Information

From my bedroom window, if I stand on tippy-toes and cock my head, I have a fabulous view out to Mount Dandenong. Whilst not a big mountain, it is the highest point close to Melbourne’s CBD and I am right at the foothills making it very accessible to some favourite spots and all within a 15 minute drive! How lucky are we?

In the short fifteen minute drive from our home, the road weaves up the side of the mountain, past tree ferns, towering mountain ash gum trees, through the small mountain villages of Sassafras and Olinda to the summit. From here, there is a spectacular view eastwards over the eastern suburbs of Melbourne to the city centre which is clearly marked by the towering skyscrapers but is totally peaceful and far removed from the chaos of city life.

Throughout the Dandenongs there are some well-known landmarks that are frequented by both national and international visitors. The most well-known being the historic steam train ‘Puffing Billy‘. The journey carries its passengers along a 24km stretch of track from Belgrave to Gembrook through forests and over the famous wooden trestle bridge built in 1899.

Another well-know location is the ‘William Ricketts Sanctuary‘. A four-acre property purchased by sculptor William Ricketts during the 1930s ended up expanding by the 1960s when the Victorian Government purchased the adjoining properties. William Ricketts remained on the property and continued to produce his Australian sculptures that can be enjoyed throughout the outdoor gallery, until his death in 1993 when he was 94 years of age.

There are also many less-known and well hidden treasures dotted through the hills. One of my favourites for that true velvet escape experience is the ‘Alfred Nicholas Gardens‘. Set on a steep slope opposite Sherbrooke Forest is a magnificent garden of rhododendrons, camelias, azaleas and other exotics dwarfed by the surrounding mountain ash eucalypts.

Taking the path that meanders down the hill through the garden, you arrive to a small, secluded lake with small walkway bridges and families of ducks. At the end of the lake is a little, wooden boat shed framed by the garden and mirrored by its reflection in the lake. It’s an image that could be straight from a fairytale book. It’s not unusual to have this secluded spot all to yourself!

This post was originally written for Velvet Escape.