It was football grand final day here in Melbourne, between Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans. I cared not much for watching it and decided to get my camera ready, the thermos for a nice cuppa along the way and a few bickies.
The roads were very quite and I suspected everyone was inside cheering on the team they wanted to win. But I had better things to do than be cooped up inside screaming at the tv. I wanted to be out enjoying the beautiful sunshine.
We traveled about 600kms, taking in the beautiful sunshine which shone through the window, the cool breeze wooshing past my face and blowing my hair about as we drove along the Hume Highway towards Dunolly.
Dunolly is a very old gold mining town with a few houses scattered here and there and an old cemetery, which I convinced hubby to come in with me and have a look about.
Old grave stones
I have no idea as to the age of these and to whom they belong too, as
the inscription has now worn off over time. If you can read the head stone just leave me a comment.
Ouch that hurt. I could feel something biting at my legs, my beloved looked down and screeched look at your legs, from the shoe up to the knee I was covered in Bull ants. I did a dance of a thousand dances to get them off me and I had to take my shoes and socks off also. You would have laughed at me if you had of seen me and thankfully I was in the middle of nowhere and no one could see me.
The fields were a bright yellow and green covered in canola, it was a site to see, so beautiful with the blue skies above and the sunshine shinning down from above.
Canola fields & silos
Farmhouse and a train line near Avoca
Our second stop was at the local park in Dunolly, where we had lunch, as we watched three young youths walk past us, all decked out in black, wondering what there would be for them to do in such a small unpopulated country town. The township of Dunolly consists of about six shops all of which but one the supermarket were closed. There was a butchers a clothing shop, a hardware store and not to forget the local pub, which I cold hear cheering from the open door at the front, maybe they were cheering on their footy team and hoping for a win. I sat and devoured a nice ice-cream which hubby had purchase, at the only open shop as the nice cool breeze came through the open window of the car.
After Dunolly, we traveled to Avoca, another one of those small country towns with a pub a post office a coffee lounge and a long awaited toilet stop.
The countryside was lush and green and perfect as a picture, scattered here and there was a heard of cows or a flock of sheep, as we headed toward Moyston where Hubbies great, great, gran mother used to live many years ago. It was almost 26 years ago that we went through this town and saw the old house which she lived in. The roof was falling down, the veranda was missing a few palings, the inside which held drawers full of clothing a kitchen with many treasures, was not safe to venture into. Sadly this time we could not see the old house for it was gone, the road had changed and where there was vacant land lived a huge football ground. No shops or service station was to be seen, no where for the weary traveler to grab a nice cold drink along the way. We drove up a few streets some made others not hoping that the house would still be there but sadly not.
Our last stop was at Ararat, which is a much bigger town than I thought and very much to me like Ballarat here in Melbourne. On the way we had a few stops, one to have a cuppa and when I stepped out of the car I was greeted buy the most evil Magpie watching me. They are one of those wild creatures I prefer to stay away from as they can do some damage in on fowl swoop.
I managed to get a few more photos on the way to our last stop of Ararat, before we headed off home. I don't hink I'd ever been to Ararat, but I could be wrong. Never the less I managed to get some lovely shots whilst the last of the sun shone above. We decided to head to the Ararat lookout which was about a 5 minute drive up a very steep and windy road. The view at the top was so worth the drive . It was so spectacular as we watched the sun go down over the hills and the township of Ararat.
I was thrilled to get a really nice compliment from my photography teacher today Tanya said "The light seen in these rolling hills is what professional landscape photographers look for. Well spotted"
Tanya also said :I've known photographers to go back to a place a dozen times and wait several hours to see light like that"
Wow I was so chuffed to get a compliment like that, it does make you feel that all the time and effort you put into something has been really worth it.
♥
