Wheat and barley, mallee scrub and then more wheat and barley.
We decided to branch down the Sunraysia rather than the Calder after Ouyen to check out some different places.
Some great place names along the road, Tempy, Speed, Watchupga, Watchem. Half way between towns you could see the grain silos of both the previous and next town.
Birchip is apparently the home of the Mallee bull. Apparently the local town called Kinnabulla is named after the local aborigines calling for the station owner to 'kill a bull' for big BBQ. The bulls ran wild and big red is a local legend.
Birchip is also pretty much the end of the Mallee. We had not previously noted it but there is not a hill or a river in the Mallee. Well the Murray being the exception. But in three hours of driving we did not cross a bridge. So when we saw some hills and actually crossed a bridge near Donald we knew we were out of the Mallee.
Stopped at St Arnaud, named after a french general from the Crimean war. A lovely town. We had lunch by the local botanical gardens. Too cold to have lunch IN the botanical gardens.
Checked in to our 'art hotel' in Bendigo and went for a walk. We struck it lucky again. It was the Bendigo winter beer festival today, so walking around Bendigo in the cold was enlivened by the many happy people walking around with beer glasses. Great view from the tower just behind the Art Gallery, but it was pretty nippy. So called it a night and went back to get ready for dinner and get our free drink at the hotel along the way.
After a visit to the Art Gallery it will be back to Melbourne tomorrow.
Bye from us
