glenrowan
The time had finally arrived! COVID had settled down and we could begin to travel freely between states again. Our eldest warrior loves history and was devastated when we could't visit during our whirlwind trip to Victoria last year, so it was a no brainer to start at Glenrowan and channel our inner bushranger.
The the long awaited call to inform us that our brand new caravan was ready for collection (after a 13 month wait) happened just four days before we were due to leave for our Victoria trip 2.0 which was originally dubbed, Flocks, Docks and Goldrush Frocks. Last year we managed to visit Tidal River, Phillip Island and Bellarine Peninsula before border closures where about to happen for the second time. We had our beast of a van in our hot little hands, borders closures were a thing of the past, and school winter holidays were about to begin. Nothing was stopping us now!
We hit the road with a mixture of enthusiasm, relief and nervousness. Towing our new van was much heavier and larger than our last van so we were half tempted to display a 'baby on board' sign, the baby being our new beast! We arrived at Gundagai for lunch and found a quiet free camp called Pump House Reserve which was on the banks of Morleys Creek, just 1.5km from the town centre. We stretched our legs and hubby couldn't miss an opportunity to try out the inverter and battery system to power up the sandwich press. It didn't disappoint, cheesy toasties went down a treat! Forget the Dog on the Tuckerbox, the real statue in town that you need to visit is of Yarri and Jacky Jacky. Two Wiradjuri men who risked their own lives to saves the lives of others during the Great Flood of 1852 using their bark canoes. You can find this statue on the corner of Kitchener and Sheridan Streets.
We hit the road with a mixture of enthusiasm, relief and nervousness. Towing our new van was much heavier and larger than our last van so we were half tempted to display a 'baby on board' sign, the baby being our new beast! We arrived at Gundagai for lunch and found a quiet free camp called Pump House Reserve which was on the banks of Morleys Creek, just 1.5km from the town centre. We stretched our legs and hubby couldn't miss an opportunity to try out the inverter and battery system to power up the sandwich press. It didn't disappoint, cheesy toasties went down a treat! Forget the Dog on the Tuckerbox, the real statue in town that you need to visit is of Yarri and Jacky Jacky. Two Wiradjuri men who risked their own lives to saves the lives of others during the Great Flood of 1852 using their bark canoes. You can find this statue on the corner of Kitchener and Sheridan Streets.
We arrived at Glenrowan Tourist Park on Yorta Yorta Country. The park is at the foothills of the Warby Ovens National Park and 2.5km from the town centre. All van sites are powered, some that are drive through sites. The park is also dog friendly! The nights were chilly so the fire drums that were provided kept us warm under the clear night skies. You can use your own fire pit if you wish and you can buy firewood from reception. Our warriors loved watching the sunrise and building bases in the garden.
Our warriors were keen beans to explore Glenrowan and learn more about Ned Kelly. The question of the day, was Ned Kelly a villain or hero? With a question like that, we needed full bellies to get us through the day so a stop at the Billy Tea Rooms for some warm homemade scones and jam with some old-fashioned milkshakes was a perfect idea. The next question then hit us, do you spread the jam or cream first? Either way, they all went down a treat!
Next was a visit to Glenrowan Tourist Centre where we had tickets to see the show which included live special effects and animatronic figures who reenacted the story of Ned Kelly. The show runs for 40mins and is worth every dollar! Next we picked up a town map from the Ned Kelly Museum and followed the trail of significant sites throughout the town from the infamous siege and Ned Kelly's last stand. You mustn't miss the opportunity to get a photo with the big Ned Kelly either!
Next was a visit to Glenrowan Tourist Centre where we had tickets to see the show which included live special effects and animatronic figures who reenacted the story of Ned Kelly. The show runs for 40mins and is worth every dollar! Next we picked up a town map from the Ned Kelly Museum and followed the trail of significant sites throughout the town from the infamous siege and Ned Kelly's last stand. You mustn't miss the opportunity to get a photo with the big Ned Kelly either!
So did we come to the conclusion as to whether Ned Kelly was a hero or villain, well let's say that we are still sitting on the fence with that one, but boy did we learn more about this part of our history. After two nights staying at Glenrowan, it was time to hit the road to travel to the Great Ocean Road.
Peace + love,