The Backroads Trail.....

 

Can you tell that I really REALLY love the community I live in? I am totally the history lover, I seek to promote all that is aesthetically wonderful about mid century design and the subcultures associated with it, but one of the initial motivations for this blog was to honour my Grandmothers (Alice and Jean) and their lives here in the 'Golden Rivers Country' of Northern Victoria.

 

Alice and Jean both lived a large portion of their long lives in this area, participating in the culture and community, caring for their environment and its people, working to make it a more beautiful, happy and connected place to live.....a place they invested in with all that they were, to build a future for their decendants (ME !!) This is why I love living here (and also because the people are so lovely and REAL, and the countryside so distinctive and charming.)

 

In the light of this, it thrilled me no end to see my area promoted to the masses through the formation of 'The Backroads Trail" a gourmet food tour of this region.....and let me tell you there is lots to love !! Avacados, Free Range Meats, Winery and Meadery, Olives, Honey, Wines, Citrus and and abundance of art and artisan products.  Let me share the brochure with you.......

 

 

So, this area is moving ahead dynamically in terms of gourmet and organic production (the sense of bonded community already exists)......to me all that is needed to see us become a world renowned region is our own distinctive music and artistic culture - just like the Bayous of Louisianna in the USA. I wonder would anyone take up the challange of building that with me? In the meantime, enjoy the tour along The Backroads Trail !

 

Living in the Australian Bayou's....

This little article was recently published in Melbourne's 'The Age' newspaper. It detailed 6 reasons why a person might want to visit Gunbower - a little town of aprox 200 people near where I live. One of the 6 reasons was Gunbower Island, a most stunning national and state park...the largest inland island in Australia and my childhood backyard. Grandma's Jean's beautiful dairy farm and garden of roses, orchard and deciduous trees backed onto Gunbower Island and I must say it made me nearly burst with pride to see it referred to in the paper as Australia's answer to the Bayous of America !!! As such, I thought I might as well run with the magnificent promotion of my home and share little bits a pieces about life in the Bayous of Australia every now and again......

So, on a rainy, wet footy grand final day, I took a drive to my very favourite road (after stopping at my favourite cafe) in the vicinity of 'the bayou'....Little Forrest Road, Barham. Not strictly Gunbower Island, it is still a part of the redgum lined river country that makes the region so special. There are three major townships that flank the island - Gunbower, Cohuna and Koondrook/Barham - and the regions surrounding them are filled with picturesque farmland, river country and massive strands of river red gums. So, here are some rainy day photographs of my favourite road.... a walk or bike ride down this road is such a peaceful experience with Kookaburra's, parrots, willy wagtail birds, kangaroo's and emus all making a regular appearance, and the eucalypts, orange groves and clover drench the air with a heady smells of blossom and our famous native healing oil. I wish I could impart those things to you via my blog !!! But for now, google some Cajun music in another website page and listen as you take a journey down my favourite road in the Bayou !!!