As I’m writing this entry we are back on the road after a visit with our friends Dennis and Christine. Yet again they have made us feel welcome and what starts out as a couple of days stretches into 12 days so easily. Now we are off again, manoeuvring our way through Geelong’s morning traffic and slowly heading towards Emma’s for Christmas.
After leaving our base at Normanville we decided to do the Silo Art Trail which was conveniently on the way to Dennis and Christine’s.
Our first silo was at Patchewollock (no.1 of 6) where we stopped to admire and take photos of the impressive artwork before heading to our next free camp at Lake Lascelles in Hopetoun. What a beautiful spot! A large lake that provides caravan parking, (powered and unpowered) and also old buildings and silos that have been renovated for basic sleeping quarters, ($30 a night to sleep in a silo) or like us and many others, there is plenty of space around the lake to just pull up, enjoy and donate.
We used Lake Lascelles as a base for a few days while we explored the area and went back to the silo at Lascelles(2.) This one was next to The Drover’s Hut Gallery. The artist here has created an amusing oasis around his property using corrugated iron, producing artwork from the ridiculous to the beautiful. We realised then that we had already seen one of Phil’s pictures at Lake Lascelles as we pulled in on our arrival.
We spent a few days at Hopetoun, enjoying the lake and the town. We chatted with the lady in the visitor’s centre asking if there were any painted silos in town and her comment was “no, we only have the naked ones here” which amused me so of course we had to take a photo of those as well!.
As we left Hopetoun we followed the trail, stopping at Roseberry(3) Brim(4) Sheep Hill’s(5) and the last on the trail Rupanyup(6) All silos were amazing works of art and all so different. It was impossible to choose a favourite. We wondered at how the artists could create such large pieces so close up and under such unusual conditions. Job well done guys. Apparently the plans are to extend the trail by a further 12 more silos so we may have to come back this way again! These silos have certainly brought tourism into the area with many caravaners like ourselves following the trail.
We stayed at Rupanyup Lions Club park, (just $10 a night with power and water) enjoying the company of fellow travellers, Michael and Leanne before heading off the next morning.
Our next stop was Green Hill Lake, just out of Ararat. Another great spot but unfortunately the weather was not the best, cold wet and windy. We did the tour of “Arandale” which started out as a mental hospital and then became a prison and yes, they did let us out! Then the next day we visited Gum San, the Chinese heritage museum telling the history of the Chinese in the gold rush days of the area.
We spent time at the library trying again to update the phone, iPad and photos etc. It was here we realised that our iPad was so old it wouldn’t take any more updates and that was also partly why it was soooo slow. Next stop Harvey Norman where we purchased a new iPad that we had been promising ourselves for a long time. Thanks Ange for all your help and great customer service. The grandkids can still use the old iPad for all their games!
While at Ararat (on one of the better days, weather wise) we took a ride up into the Grampians where we did lots of driving and walks. Chris walked to the bottom of McKenzies Falls (a reasonably long walk and then 260 steps down) while I went only as far as the lookout. I did walk that bit twice though as I went back to the car for water for when Chris got back to the lookout. We bought yummy pies from the bakery at Hall’s Gap and then drove to the visitors centre and wandered around the very interesting cultural centre/museum out the back. This museum tell the history of the aboriginals in the area but was all the more interesting because it was obviously told from the side of the aboriginal people. There was a most impressive wooden bench in the foyer, made from interwoven branches that I would have loved to take a photo of but unfortunately we were asked not to take pictures. It’s a aboriginal spiritual thing and we respected that.
After the museum, dodging the rain we drove out to Lake Bellfield and walked along the dam wall where we could see a caravan park down below the wall. A great spot for a park and central for the Grampians but maybe a bit bleak in winter.
When we left Ararat we headed to Haddon, a free camp just outside Ballarat. The weather was still unsettled and is a downside of our travelling lifestyle but we both agree that the occasional bad weather is a small price to pay for what we think is a wonderful way of life. While at Haddon we also went to the movies, something we don’t do very often but with the average weather it was a good idea. We saw the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, about Freddy Mercury. We have never really been huge “Queen” fans but we both agreed it was a thoroughly enjoyable movie.
The morning we were due to leave Haddon we were surrounded by a large collection of vintage cars and motorbikes, all Pre 1930s. They were gathering at the camp ground to start their annual rally. It was a great sight to see, all the old cars with a lot of the members in their classic costumes. We counted 34 cars and 11 motorbikes in all and I even managed to video them as the convoy left. One of the motorbikes however was returned not long after, on the back of a trailer. It had broken down already so it was a sad start to that guy’s day.
Next stop Wallington with Dennis and Christine. Chris and Dennis doing “boy things” outside and played a few games of golf while Christine and I caught up on the TV series of The Crown which I had seen but Christine hadn’t. Plenty of cooking, soup and cake making and doing the school run to pick up Jade, their granddaughter who along with her sister Addison, they both had fun playing the kids games on our old iPad.
We took the opportunity, while so close to Melbourne, to meet up with our niece Suzanne and her family. We took the ferry across from Portarlington to Docklands in Melbourne and later met up outside Spencer Street Station, headed to a German restaurant somewhere along the riverbank (we were too busy chatting for me to notice where we were going) and had a great catchup with this lovely little family. Our timing was pretty good as they are now on their way to South Africa and the Uk for Christmas. Any later and we would have missed them.
As we got off the morning ferry we were too early to meet Suzanne so we spent our morning doing a quick tour of Costco and then the Melbourne Star. Costco was interesting but unless there was one on our doorstep, we wouldn’t be too bothered about joining and the Melbourne Star was good. A 30 minute ride on the huge wheel that gives you 360’ views of the city and surrounds. A very pleasant day!
Another day we drove along part of the Great Ocean Road with Dennis and Christine as far as Lorne, stopping at the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery near Anglesea. That was a chocolate lover’s paradise with plenty of samples and tasters. Of course we had to buy!
After we reached Lorne and took the obligatory photos at the famous sign, we then headed inland and back to Wallington, finding yet another painted silo at West Geelong, not too far from Wallington.

Thanks Dennis and Christine for you hospitality, good company and sharing your granddaughters with us. We had the best time and I think Dennis and I should be declared overall winners of the board game “Sequence” that we played most evenings.

*I took photos of silo postcards for this blog as they show the names as well.