Halls Gap

It’s sadly time to say goodbye to Sandy and her beautiful house but first we have one more visit to make to meet Alyssa, Beau, Kade, Dyson, Avery and Nixon. They live on the other side of Bendigo in a gorgeous heritage house. All 4 children are quiet at first but soon get used to us being there and all dressing up as their favourite superhero’s. As always time passes too quickly, and we have to say goodbye and start our journey to Halls Gap.

Our route takes us through Maryborough where we have lunch in the trendy Bull & Mouth Hotel. We’ve been surprised to learn that being called a hotel doesn’t mean that it has rooms you can stay in, no, that’s a motel! The route takes us on through, Avoca, Moonambel, past Barkley and on through Stawell. Its not a long drive by Aussie standards and much of it is on long straight roads edged with bush with the occasional house set back in the trees. We hardly see another car during the whole drive.

Kangaroos outside our room at Kookaburra Motel

Halls Gap is a small town with one street which seems to contain all the essentials to sustain a community and some tourists, supermarket, petrol station, fish and chip shop, ice-cream shop and a smattering of pubs and cafes. The lady on check in is so helpful giving us tips where to go tomorrow and where to eat tonight. Our room backs onto an open grass area with a dam and extraordinary views of the tree covered mountains. On the grassland are numerous kangaroos, I can’t tell you how long Dave spent searching for a glimpse of a kangaroo at Sandie’s and here we have them feeding and sleeping within feet of us!

This evening we’re eating at the Kookaburra Restaurant which is a popular laid-back restaurant, we decide on Italian lamb and barramundi with prawns and scallops. It’s all delicious and we now need a stroll around the local park and town before returning to Kookaburra Motel.

Kookaburra