Friday, 15 November 2024
This morning Bernie packed the truck with all the gear needed (hopefully?) to survive a weekend in Victoria’s High Country. While Bernie was busy organising all the gear, I went to my exercise classes over in Coburg. All I had to pack was my toothbrush and some grungy clothes for four-wheel driving. No point dressing up for going to the bush, ha, ha! Bernie already had all the food and 4×4 and camping accessories sorted and packed in – and on top of – the truck.
After a quick lunch we hit the road stopping in at Drouin for a quick visit with Bernie’s parents before continuing along the Princes Freeway to Newborough where we turned off onto the C103 to drive (almost) under the cooling towers at the Yallourn Power Station. The towers still loom over the road there just before you cross the La Trobe River. I remember going on a primary school excursion to the power station when it was new. That must be about 50 years ago, gasp!
We passed through Tyers and Glengarry where we turned onto the C105 to head through Toongabbie and Cowwar before arriving in Heyfield about 6.00pm. We got ourselves checked into the Railway Hotel and transferred just enough gear to do breakfast in the morning into our room. With the bistro already open for meals and a recommendation that we should eat sooner than later on a Friday night we made a quick visit over the road to the Victorian Timber Workers Memorial in Apex Park.
A visit to Heyfield would not be complete without paying our respects at Bernie’s grandfather’s plaque at the memorial. Bernie was named after his paternal grandfather Bernard Ambrose (Ben) Gaffney. Sadly, Bernie’s father did not really know his father with him dying as a result of a timber truck derailment at Ezard’s Top Mill in Erica in March 1941 when Ian was just five years old. The community of Heyfield has done a great job raising this memorial to the workers killed harvesting timber in Gippsland. It was a dangerous job.
Back across the road to the pub’s bistro for some delicious ribs, chips and coleslaw for dinner.
Thanks John, check out John’s Tag Along Tours at https://www.dingotrax.com.au/
