DH felt like a drive, so we tootled off to Hepburn, in mineral springs country. It was a bit of a cold day with threatening clouds but not much rain. The drive up there is nice, through farm country with rich fertile soil, and forests, waterfalls, creeks, and little out-of-the way hamlets such as Musk and Glenluce. We avoided the tourist trap of Daylesford and took a turn down the road to Hepburn, where Wayne wanted to have lunch at "Chowder House". Hepburn was quiet, very few people about and what few shops there are, ready to close up for Sunday naptime! The "Chowder House" was
hopping though; we were lucky and got seats right away. It's a cosy little cafe, with an all day breakfast, yummy desserts, and of course! chowder in several variations. It was written up some months ago in the AGE, and being the foodies we are, has been on our list to visit since then. DH chose the seafood chowder, and the prawn chowder was my choice, after agonising over all the others! While we waited for the food to arrive, we admired the decor - very 1950's with steel chairs with plastic backings riveted on! Somebody also collected weird and wonderful salt & pepper shakers, and two Irish-looking sheep graced our table. Everybody was rugged up in winter woolies and tucking into their soup bowls with gusto. Eventually our chowders arrived, with chunks of fresh bread, and what can I say - they were worth the 45 minute drive! Wayne's was chock full of fish, prawns, mussles, clams, and mine with plump, tasty prawns. We were soon oblivious to all around us until somebody started talking about the football and started rubbishing my football team - in a nice way, though. I gave them a benign warning and then half the cafe was into it! Victorians like their footy! (For the record - I don't. Never have, never will. My mother in law said I had to barrack for Geelong and that was it).
After the chowder, we went for a walk and visited a couple of galleries, and peeked into the Hepburn general store, which looks like something you might have seen in the 1950s. We then headed into gold field country, and got a little lost. Came across an old ruined farmhouse and a few nice old farm sheds. There were sheep in the holding pens and did they ever make a racket! A little later, we saw a big mob of kangaroos near the forest edge, some of them huge. The wildlife is abundant up there, I stopped counting the kookaburras, and we saw a wedgetail eagle circling a valley, looking for lunch too. Stopped for coffee in Kyneton, and had a chat with one of the locals about town development. What more could one expect from a Sunday drive!
DH felt like a drive, so we tootled off to Hepburn, in mineral springs country. It was a bit of a cold day with threatening clouds but not much rain. The drive up there is nice, through farm country with rich fertile soil, and forests, waterfalls, creeks, and little out-of-the way hamlets such as Musk and Glenluce. We avoided the tourist trap of Daylesford and took a turn down the road to Hepburn, where Wayne wanted to have lunch at "Chowder House". Hepburn was quiet, very few people about and what few shops there are, ready to close up for Sunday naptime! The "Chowder House" was
After the chowder, we went for a walk and visited a couple of galleries, and peeked into the Hepburn general store, which looks like something you might have seen in the 1950s. We then headed into gold field country, and got a little lost. Came across an old ruined farmhouse and a few nice old farm sheds. There were sheep in the holding pens and did they ever make a racket! A little later, we saw a big mob of kangaroos near the forest edge, some of them huge. The wildlife is abundant up there, I stopped counting the kookaburras, and we saw a wedgetail eagle circling a valley, looking for lunch too. Stopped for coffee in Kyneton, and had a chat with one of the locals about town development. What more could one expect from a Sunday drive!
Oh my the chowder sounds divine, my mouth is watering. Love the pictures and following your most interesting blog.
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