We arrived in chilly Bendigo at around 3:30 on Monday afternoon. Just enough time to find something for dinner, pack the kids off to bed and then pack ourselves off to bed. All thoughts of a sleep in were curbed when during the night both kids joined us in the bed. "Surprisingly", 4 in a double bed is even less comfortable than 4 in a queen bed.

After a leisurely breakfast we finally left our accommodation at 10:30. It had already reached the day's top of 7 degrees. We rugged up and set off for a walking tour of the city. Due to space constraints in the packing department we didn't bring the pram so I carried Emily in the Tula. She slept the entire way. We were amazed by the number of impressive historical buildings there were and by the respect with which they had been treated. Sacred Heart Cathedral has an impressive spire which punctuates the Bendigo skyline. We took in the view from a poppet. The 125 stair climb was no easy feat carrying Emily on my back. The cathedral is worth a visit also with gargoyles decorating the outside and impressive arches and stained glass inside.

We took a quick visit to the art gallery (it was fairly small and William was enjoying jumping on the wooden floors way too much). It was raining when we left the gallery so we ran to the nearest cafe for lunch 'Basement on View'. It didn't look like much from the outside but inside it had several rooms which were quirky but stylish. The food didn't disappoint, the quiche was delicious (you would have loved it Claire) as was the wine. Unfortunately the kids had had enough by then and managed to scare away our neighbours who relocated to the quiet of the next room. We left and quickly found something for dinner before retreating to the warmth and quiet of our accommodation for some relaxation. Well, it's quiet when William isn't running up and down and relaxing when Emily isn't climbing on everything (did I mention EVERYTHING?).

Another day and we wake to a frost outside and only one child in the bed. We started the day with a walk around Lake Weeroona. Emily is again in the Tula and again sleeping. It must be about 5 degrees (the day's high was 9). The sun did manage to break through which was lovely. William had been talking about the dragon museum for the last day so we headed off there. He loved the dragons "especially the oldest and the longest, which is over 100 metres" (his words).

We had driven past Percy and Percy the day before and liked the look of it so went there for lunch. Loved it. Funky cafe with friendly staff and excellent food. I had falafels with quinoa tabbouleh and Mark a pulled pork Asian noodle salad. We highly recommend this cafe.

We headed into town for a spot of shopping. Seems Williams size 3 jacket had shrunk or maybe he had grown! Anyway, his wrists will now stay warm! Again Emily slept.

Another little gem we discovered in Bendigo was Edwards Providore where we bought the best chicken and leek pie we'd had in a long time, delicious carrot cake and rocky road with chunks of honeycomb in it.