On The Road With Wal & Sue: Patchewollock and Murrayville

Monday, June 2:

Packed up and left by 9.45am heading north to Murrayville. The rain had stopped and all the paddocks looked good – some green some fallow and some ploughed with crops just starting to show their first shoots. The sheep all looked happy. The further north we drove the bigger the paddocks and the flatter the terrain – we moved from the Wimmera to the Mallee.

We stopped for a pit stop at Birchip, a place neither of us had visited before. Inside the ladies rest room was a notice about the historical society, the butcher and vanilla slices at the bakery. Outside was an aerial map of the town and down the sides a potted history – a great idea. Next to it was the War memorial and park flanked by magnificent Moreton Bay Figs.

While standing there an elderly lady came up pushing her walker. I said g’day and we spent the next half hour talking about everything from politics to the town. She was born and grew up in the district. Married a farmer and lived at Morton Plains south of Birchip. There they raised their five children. When her husband died she moved into a unit in town. Jean Noonan is 88 so I urged her to contact the historical society and record her life story and show them the family photos she has.

An aside story she told me was about the bakery’s vanilla slices. Apparently when Premier Jeff Kennett was holding a function and asked the bakery to make vanilla slices for him. They struggled to make the large order for him. Apparently their secret is to use cream rather than milk!!!

After leaving Birchip we headed north to Speed where we turned left to go the Patchewollock and our failure to stop at the railway crossing in the side road almost became a very expensive mistake. We thought we would pull up before the crossing and have lunch but the site was suitable so drove on across the railway line – not noticing the STOP sign. We tootled on and soon a car with flashing blue lights pulled up behind us.

A policeman had stopped for lunch at the shop and was walking out and saw us. After a breath test and licence check we were thankfully let off with a warning and a lecture – stop at the stop signs on the railway crossings.

Lunch was a homemade pie at Patchewollock by the old railway line. A local pulled up and suggested a camp area at Walpeup as he thought we were stopping for the night right in the heart of town. The long weekend will see the staging of the camp oven challenge and he thought we had arrived for that. Nice bloke nice town if a little sad – life is a struggle for these tiny places. It is the home of the Big Mallee Fowl which I photographed.

We arrived at Murrayville, set up camp and went for a wander of town armed with a brochure form the laundry. This is a fantastic park - $10 a night with beautiful amenities and peace and quiet.

We heard the trains so headed to the station to watch them hook up 42 grain carriages and head off for Geelong. The guys offered a ride but we declined. It’s fascinating watching the shunting, checking etc.

We said we were waiting for the passenger train and they suggested we would need a few meals while we waited – this is a good only line now.

As it was by now 5pm we popped into the pub for a drink or two and then dinner. The bar was small but had a roaring fire in the corner. We chatted with a local from Cowangie down the road. He was a motor mechanic by trade but worked at a golf course in Frankston until a heart turn. He was told he should retire and move to the country if he wanted to stay alive. He purchased a home at Cowangie 18 years ago and loved the place. He is amateur photographer and his work hangs in the pub and dining room – most impressive – his name is Kevin Goss.

We have already met some fascinating people – all with a story or two to tell.

We had a great meal – Wal his mixed grill and me a scotch fillet.

While Wal watched Foxtel via the internet I caught up on my emails and rang Lyndel and Andrew.

Distance travelled: 335kms