Still Around Mansfield

 

The Howqua River at Sheepyard Flat

Remains of Goldmining at Sheepyard Flat - remains

of a water race

 

A Chimney is all that remains of the Goldmine

 

Fry's Hut

The Howqua River at Tunnel Bend.

This area featured in Neville Shutes book "The Far Country"  The ghost town of Howqua
Which really was here to support the Goldmining activity as described and the Hut also featured
(with a different name)

Hre are some links for further information:
http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/howqua-hills-h.a
http://www.wombathills.com.au/howqua.pdf
http://www.flickr.com/photos/takver/sets/72157627622899100/detail/

Next I drove back down from Mansfield via Jamieson and Woods Point - another old
Gold Mining Area

                                 The Goulburn river at Kevington on the way to Woods Point                                        

Two Views of Gaffneys Creek site of the old pub that

burnt down by fugives who escaped from Prison in

Melbourne some few years ago

  

On the road near Gaffneys Creek

 

The A1 Mine settlement.  The Gold Mine was operating

 up until the 1970's and again briefly recently.  The last

 mine to survive from they heyday in the 1930's

 

The Petrol Station at Woods Point

 

A Ghost Town - Matlock.  The buildings there today

The buidings there today are recent holiday homes

Here are some links with more information:
http://australianplaces.com.au/drivetown/drive-jamieson.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woods_Point,_Victoria
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~jdhs/8woodspoint.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A1_Mine_Settlement,_Victoria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaffneys_Creek,_Victoria

                                        

Around Victoria

Well, I have now retired from Australia Post and have started wandering.  Currently, My home is being renovated so I have had to move out!

First trip was to Mansfield north west of Melbourne.  This is on the edge of the High  Country and is not far from the Ski Resort of Mount Buller.  No snow in February!!

It is also the region where the Australian Film "Man From Snowy River" was filmed.

  Lake Eildon from Skyline Road between Eildon and Bonnie Doon

    The new car - a 2008 Ford Falcon Wagon (at the same spot)

    Lake Eildon near Bonnie Doon.  During the recent

    drought all the water dissappeared from here and

    it is good to see it back

   Two views of the two bridges at Bonnie Doon -the

    road and railway bridges.  Since the railway was

    closed it has  become a Rail Trail (walking and

    cycling track)

   Two views of the unit I rented at the Masnsfield

   Country Resort

   A "garden feature" at the resort

   Blackberries in the High Country.  These are an

   environmental weed in Australia but they really like

   the conditions.  However, they should not be eaten

  as they  have most likely been sprayed with weedkiller.

 Some views from Powers Lookout which is between

 Mansfield and Whitfield.  It is named from Harry Power

 a ninteenth century bushranger who hid out here and

 kept a lookout for the Traps (Police from here).  Ned Kelly

 rode with him in the early days of his career

 Here are some links with more information:

http://www.wombathills.com.au/powers.pdf

http://www.nedkellysworld.com.au/bushrangers/power_h.htm 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Power                                   

  Grapes and grapevines in the Upper King Valley

  north of Cheshunt and Whitfield in ther shadow

  of Powers Lookout

 Here is a link about the wineries in this region

 http://www.kvv.com.au/index.php?page_id=230 

 The King River near Cheshunt

 Lake William Hovell on the Upper King River 

The Kelly Tree Reserve at Stringy Bark Creek near

near Tolmie - the site of the Police Massacre by the

Kelly Gang

The Kelly Tree

The site of the Police camp

Here are some links with more information and the poem

http://www.nedkellysworld.com.au/history/murder.htm

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/myth-clouds-truth-of-stringybark-creek-survivor/2005/10/17/1129401196940.html?from=moreStories

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Kelly

http://dreamsis29.tripod.com/Stringybark.htm

Evidence of gold mining at Stringybark Creek

http://www.denheldid.com/twohuts/twohuts.html