Austadiums Travel Thread

Cheesie-the-Pirate · Post by **Cheesie-the-Pirate** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 8:37 pm

HMS Cheesemaker wrote:I'm thinking it'd be ideal to do each trip in two stages. Right now the plan is stay Wangaratta night 1, Melbourne night 2 and Wagga Wagga night 3.

Change that to Wangaratta Night 1, Ballarat Night 2, Wagga Wagga Night 3.

Egan · Post by **Egan** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 2:37 am

Oh Cheesie, Who told you to go to Melbourne over Canberra for your last trip

yob · Post by **yob** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 12:02 pm

Ballarat has the biggest damned Maccas i've ever seen. And another maccas - on the same street.

sandyhill · Post by **sandyhill** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 1:58 pm

Suggestions? Can depend on when you're going, and what all your interests are (obviously) but a few tips -

For Wangaratta - buy petrol? Unless meeting some-one there, just keep going. Albury/Wodonga or even Beechworth (though a bit off the freeway and not for night life) are better. Or leave early enough to go all the way to Melbourne - easy enough with the driving shared around.

Ballarat - Australia's best regional art gallery (has the original Eureka flag), magnificent gold rush building (so does Bendigo), lots of history like Sovereign Hill, Eureka Stockade etc (though this isn't the usual sort of stuff for an all-boys road trip), lots of old pubs for its size (this is).
Lots of interesting gold era places (eg Daylesford, Castlemaine, Maldon, Avoca) between Ballarat and Bendigo, the worlds richest ever alluvial gold fields. Be prepared for cold, wet weather (unlike Melbourne, it deserves its bad weather reputation). Don't know about the big maccas.

Depends on what sort of interests you all have in mind of course, but why not do the traditional all-boys Melbourne road trip of taking in the footy at both the 'G and Docklands (preferably involving all Vic clubs, not interstaters (Swans maybe an exception) - and sampling the atmosphere in the nearby bars before and after the games?

Cheesie-the-Pirate · Post by **Cheesie-the-Pirate** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 7:11 pm

Cheers sandman.

There really is no point. I've just been meaning to do a wee road trip for forever and haven't got around to it. One of my mates is pretty determined that we're not going to Melbourne... so we're not going to Melbourne! Fair enough really.

Um, right now Wangaratta is marked down as somewhere to sleep. I think the plan is head up to wine country at (um, can't remember the town name) before we hit Wanga and then head towards the Alpine region the next day before we head out Bendigo way.

As I've said, not much point. Just an excuse to travel with friends and drink alcohol.

sandyhill · Post by **sandyhill** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:28 pm

No worries, Cheesie.

Now wine country is something I know a little bit about. The town you referred to would be Rutherglen - centre of Australia's oldest wine growing area. Huge full-on flavoured reds and sweet whites, but best known for its world class fortified wines - strangley enough, Rutherglen muscats are better known in Europe than here. However don't drink too much of this stuff - give you the worst possible hangovers!

Milawa, Oxley and the Kings Valley also have some good cellar doors. The locals also grow hops and tobacco, so basically the main local produce is beer, wine and cigarettes. If you go to Bendigo (where you can check out historic Queen Elizabeth Oval) then the Heathcote area is producing sensational shiraz, not to be missed.

If you head east into the hills (still can't think of any reasons to stay in Wanga, but perhaps there pubs are as good as any) check out Beechworth, Bright and drive up to the top of Mt Buffalo - all the way to the Horn. If time (and weather) allows, drive to Hotham Heights and Dinner Plain (highest town in Australia). Great drive, but chains usually needed in winter.

Any wine questions (like other possible regions worth a visit or just any Vic travel tips), I'll gladly answer!

Cheesie-the-Pirate · Post by **Cheesie-the-Pirate** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 7:36 pm

Thanks mate... although right now I'm a little annoyed that one of my mates has pulled out. Grrrrrrr. The trip goes on... and I'll be dropping a few more hints to him that he ought to reconsider.

Egan · Post by **Egan** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:54 am

Well I am going to book my flights to Melbourne for the Ashes in the next few days

Going to go to Geelong for first night as I will be going to Avalon Airport and its only 15mins away when I get to my destination and Melbourne hotels will be packed by that time anyways.

Get to Avalon at 22:50 - 10:50pm at night.

At this stage my plans are waiting on the future of A-League fixturing so could turn up anywhere else in Australia...according to my mate Tony they should be out within a week or two. (although he didn't want me to quote him)

But at the moment the Boxing Day Basketball and Cricket match is on the cards...

If anybody wants to go to the Ashes with me for the first day, prop a message, will be on my lonesome as the MCC Member (Matt) can not get me a ticket at the ground on the first day.

Getting excited already thinking about it...

Lets hope a Melbourne 'summer' can show me a different side of Victoria.

Egan · Post by **Egan** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 8:08 pm

Booked my flight on Jet Star.

Im coming to paint Melbourne Black and Gold

I have abandoned staying at Geelong for the first night and instead will go straight to Melbourne.

Boxing Day 2006 - 100,000 people at the Ashes.

Can not wait.

yob · Post by **yob** » Tue May 09, 2006 2:46 pm

What time do the pubs close in Melbourne on Friday nights, and can someone recommend some decent ones?

I can't get any Melb-Adel flights after 10pm on the day that Adelaide United smashes the Victory, so I need something to fill the post match period up until 6am Saturday morning.

sandyhill · Post by **sandyhill** » Tue May 09, 2006 6:54 pm

Whatever happened to Cheeies trip??

Egan wrote:Booked my flight on Jet Star. Im coming to paint Melbourne Black and Gold I have abandoned staying at Geelong for the first night and instead will go straight to Melbourne. ...

From Avalon? Thats a great little trip into Melbourne! First, you pass the world's largest (in area) sewerage treatment fields. Not much (well nothing in fact) to see, but if the winds right, you may notice the aroma. Its better known as the Werribee Sh1t Farm, and sometimes confused with Werribee the suburb. Luckily the road bypasses Werribee the suburb!

After that comes a favourite location for lovers of petro-chemical plants (they do exist apparently). If you turn off at Kororoit Creek Rd, you get to drive by 70% of Australia's petro-chemical industry, which gives Altona its own special aroma when the wind is from the North (when its from the south, it still cops it from the Werribee Sh1t farm). Stick to the freeway and there's lots of other industrial plants to check out. You should love Melbourne with an entry like that!

yob wrote:What time do the pubs close in Melbourne on Friday nights, and can someone recommend some decent ones?.

Closing times can vary from pub to pub - up to 3.00AM. Depends what you call decent but IMO here's some good inner city sports pubs which I posted in page 1 of this thread (though most of these are better during the footy (AFL) season for pre or post match atmosphere). Most are of the 'traditional' type. The half dozen listed for Richmond are within easy walking distance from OP, as well as the city ones of course. Probably better to head to Richmond. If the pubs close too early for you, there's always The Depot just opposite Ricmond Station in Swan St -

Rose Hotel, Napier St, Fitzroy
Napier Hotel, 210 Napier St, Fitzroy
Union Club Hotel, 146 Gore St, Fitzroy
Percy's Bar (Astor Hotel), 481 Lygon St, Carlton,
Curry Family Hotel, 289 Wellington St, Collingwood
The Tote, Johnston St, 71 Collingwood
Cricketers Arms Hotel, 327 Punt Rd, Richmond
Great Britain Hotel, 447 Church St, Richmond
Holliave, 36 Swan St, Richmond
Richmond Club Hotel, 100 Swan St, Richmond
Royal Hotel, 287 Punt Rd,Richmond
Swan Hotel, Richmond, 425 Church St, Richmond
Maori Chief Hotel, 117 Moray St, Sth Melbourne,
Duke of Wellington, 146 Flinders St, City
Charles Dickens Tavern, 290 Collins St, City
Cricketers Bar, Windsor Hotel, 111 Spring St, City
Station Hotel, 96 Greville St, Prahran.

Egan · Post by **Egan** » Tue May 09, 2006 8:45 pm

Luckily it will be midnight Sandyhill

Coming in from Tullamarine wasn't to crash hot...and Perths entrance from the airport is as dodgy as anything...

sandyhill · Post by **sandyhill** » Thu May 18, 2006 10:27 am

I'm off today on another little road trip, including Moama, through Rutherglen, Bright then over the Alps (looking at the forecast, snow chains may be required), to Omeo than down into Gippsland. Will be back at the end of next week.

Whatever happended to Cheesie's trip??

Egan · Post by **Egan** » Thu May 18, 2006 10:22 pm

It went well apparently.

Although he was sick of tree lined streets at the end of it.

Cheesie-the-Pirate · Post by **Cheesie-the-Pirate** » Sat May 20, 2006 7:07 pm

Yeah, quality stuff.

We covered a hell of a lot of kilometres in the time and ate lots of quality meals. Our only dodgy meal was lunch at Albury. Bloody charcoal chicken-type shop was out of rolls, schnitzels and a handful of other things, which was strange.

However, we found a top fast food shop at Glenrowan. Great Thai restaurant at Wagga Wagga. Fantastic sandwhich shop at Goulburn.

Lots of driving on country roads, which really isn't something I've done a lot of. Wangaratta reminded me of Kiama actually, for whatever reason. Apparently the hotel we stayed in is located on the site where Weary Dunlop was born.

And yes, The Egan is right. Tree-lined avenues are so cliche!