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When Paul & Allison invited me to spend the week with them in Melbourne, they had also told me that on the Easter weekend we would be going to Nagambie which is located in a pastoral and agricultural region between Seymour and Shepparton, on the shores of the picturesque Lake Nagambie.
Nagambie is an attractive holiday spot, offering varied water activities on the man-made lake and the neighbouring Goulburn River. The town centre is built around the Goulburn Valley Highway which opens up into a wide boulevard through Nagambie's commercial precinct, featuring attractive gardens in the central strip. Jacobsons Outlook is an attractive park which extends from the shops and down to the shores of Lake Nagambie, offering panoramic views across the lake.
A couple of popular access points to Lake Nagambie are located on the outskirts of town. Buckley Park, on the southern shore of Lake Nagambie, includes a boat ramp, rowing club and picnic grounds. The River Street Reserve, at the end of River Street, has picnic facilities located on the shady shoreline and a designated swimming area.
Nagambie is surrounded by a number of wineries in the neighbouring communities of Tabilk, Mitchellstown and Murchison. The
Nagambie Lakes area is the only wine region in Australia where the local climate is significantly influenced by inland waterways. The network of lakes and lagoons that form part of the Goulburn River result in a cooler climate than surrounding areas. The red sandy loam soil of the area also improves grape quality and adds a distinctive regional character to the wines produced.
So off we go for a Grouse Weekend Grouse is Aussie for Great, Fantastic or Cool So once Paul and his family were ready and everything possible that you would take on a camping weekend and more was put in the cars and trailers it was time to head about 2 hours further out of Melbourne and to Nagambie. There were a couple of stops to fix the sheeting on the boat as it came loose whilst driving on the motorway.
Andrew a good friend of Paul’s dad, and his family were also spending the weekend with us and he had arranged with a friend of his to camp on some of his farming land. So at about 7pm we arrived on the farm land but had to now find
the area that the farmer had allowed us to use, not very easy when its pitch black and have no idea where you’re going.
We then started to pitch our tents and John went to work on the lights for the camp using a generator. Andrew and his family then arrived and told us that we were not in the right spot but this place was a lot better do we stayed put. The tent for Paul, Allison and Me was a large 3 room affair and was quiet easy to erect.
Once we were all settled in it was time for the beer drinking to start and it didn’t take long for the drinking games to start too. Paul then came out with his beer drinking party trick, the Beer Bong. The consisted of a large pipe with a funnel at one end, the other end had a valve. We then poured a bottle of beer into the funnel and waited until it settled and filled the whole pipe. Once ready you had to hold it up in the air and place the pipe in your mouth. With a turn of the valve the beer shot into
your mouth in one go. My record after a few attempts was 3.8 seconds, but the record holder was Andrew with a great and impressive 2.4 seconds. Over the next couple of nights we did try to beat this but to no avail.
Its been year since l slept in a tent I was trying to think of the last time l slept in a tent and can only come up with when l was very young and spent a weekend in the new forest with my dad. So after our beer drinking games it was time to settle down for the night and before l knew it, it was 8am and time to get up. Ok the only reason l had to get up was to take a pee, and like most bush camps that meant behind a tree.
Breakfast was a true English/Aussie affair of bacon, sausages and egg sandwiches cooked on the BBQ which after the night before went down really well. Then it was time to take John’s boat out on the river and investigate the area that was too dark to see when we arrived. The scenery of the river
and rolling hills with many different birds including Cockatiels was a great joy to see.
Spending time just chatting with Paul’s family and friends was a real pleasure and during the course of the weekend l got to know them really well and will miss them.
John then got the BBQ going but this time turned it into a spit and roasted a leg of lamb and a huge piece of pork on it. We even placed a tray of potatoes to roast under it and 3 hours later everyone was tucking into a beautiful meal under the stars and the sounds of the bush all around us.
One Saturday my last day with the family, we took a short drive to a local winery and spent some time wine tasting. The estate on which the winery sat was huge and in the middle of the land was a observation tower that looked over the large vine yards and neighbouring rivers, creeks and fields of miles around.
By early afternoon it was time for me to pack up my stuff. It was quiet hard to say goodbye to the amazing group of people that made me
feel very welcome into the circle of friends and to let me stay with them over the last week. Paul, Allison and Steve then drove me to the local train station for the start of my long journey towards my next adventure. The train arrived just after 5pm and made its 2 hour long passage towards Melbourne through farming countryside then into suburban towns and then the city lights.
Thank you Paul, Allison, John & Chris for a very special week and to everyone for a great Easter weekend in the bush, I will always remember this time and look forwards to seeing you all again on my return to Australia in the near future. Once back in Melbourne it was time again to board the overnight train back to Sydney.
You know you’re in trouble, when you see the nutter come on the train and sit right near you!!!! When l took this train journey to Melbourne the train was half empty and l was able to sleep for most of the journey, but how wrong and unlucky could l have been for the journey back. The Melbourne nutcase boarded the
train and sat 2 rows in front of me, then within a few minutes of leaving the platform it was time for him so start chatting to himself at top volume. This went on all the way to Sydney and l don’t think anyone including me, who can normally sleep anywhere, got a single minutes sleep.
So I arrived in Sydney at 7.05am on the Sunday and spent a few hours chilling around the shops and internet, I then got a surprise text from Sabrina who was on the tour with me in New Zealand that she as in Sydney to. So l met with her for a quick coffee and it was then time to catch a greyhound coach to Tamworth.
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