Tea & Scones?
A girl will go a long way for
a decent cuppa.
And today - I found a great cuppa! I read about
Old Malcom's Inn in the Age. Okay -so they sent me down a pretty dodgy rough
road on their mud map - but they are forgiven - if only due to the big pot of
strong tea - made with tank water and the
scones.
But I'm ahead of myself -
today was shaping up to be not much in the big smoke, so I pulled out the pile
of paper clippings I've kept on interesting drives and places to visit in
country Vic. Ahh - Avoca .. St Arnaud - wineries and the promise of a decent
cuppa half way through - that'll do me. I loaded the iPod up with all the
podcasts I had downloaded over the last week, grabbed some walking boots and a
parker, and apple and a bottle of water and headed off. Past Ballarat and turn
right, well actually - I missed the turnoff due to a fascinating article on BBC
4 "Go Digital" show about an arts student and her teacher who have made a
podcasts of themselves talking about the art at MOMA - the alternative
tour...what a brilliant use of the technology.
Nice roads, not much traffic,
country towns. Off the Sunraysia highway to Moonambel and Pyrenees Winemaking
district. I didn't really feel like wine tasting so I drove on Barkly. The
dirt road out of Barkly to Redbank (famously known for it's Sally's Paddock
Wine) looked graded and fine - which it was - until we hit the ranges more
properly. The St Arnaud Range National Park is pretty darn nice - in that
Eucalypt forest type of way. Mainly Grey Box and Ironbark.
I stopped for a walk (and to rest
my addled brains) at Dead Man's TRack (who could resist) and trundled up the
ridge. Plenty of Rosellas but no Wedge Tailed Eagles - I think it was a bit too
cold and drizzly for them! Back into the car just as the rain came down in
earnest and headed but to some smooth roads near Redbank. Left towards St
Arnaud and a few kilometers up the road I saw the "do not miss" ivy covered Old
Malcolm's B&B in Stuart Mill. There were a few folk out the front, a dog in
a truck and I needed a cup of tea. And thanks to Aileen and Ray I got one.
And, if you cna believe it, Aileen knocked up a batch of scones for me while I
waited .. how's that? I won't promise that kind of service to everyone - but if
you time it right you may just been in luck. I had a quick tour of the two
rooms on offer for accommodation, Aileen and I chatted about food, Ray and I
about Jet Fighter pilots and fishing (??!!). I brought home with me some local
honey, some more wonderful scones, and some local
bread.
I bit off a bit more than I
could chew by driving up to St Arnaud before heading home via Maldon and
Castlemaine, but it was fun!
Posted: Sun - August 7, 2005 at 06:09 PM