Mount Erica and Walhalla

I just got back from a little overnight road trip to Mount Erica and Walhalla.

Although it was technically only an overnighter, it felt more like a full two days. We left early on Monday and made quite a day of it, and then on Tuesday we got up early and made quite a day of it again.

The climb up Mount Erica is pretty easy in the scheme of things - just 4km one way and not particularly steep. But because of the snow and mud at this time of year it felt reasonably epic really.

Climbing Mount Erica

Climbing Mount Erica II

Climbing Mount Erica III

"Mushroom Rocks"

Snow Gum on Mount Erica

Climbing Mount Erica IV

Mount Erica Summit

Snow Gums on Mount Erica II

Thomson Dam

Historic Walhalla Cemetery

Kookaburra

Walhalla Township I

Walhalla Township II

Gold Mine Entrance

Walhalla Fire Station

Rosellas

King Parrot

Rosella on Bin

Solo Ballarat Trip, June 2017

I just got back from a couple of days away in Ballarat.

It'd been ages since I'd gone away on a little solo trip like this, and it was very refreshing to get away from the daily grind and spend a couple of days somewhere else.

Ballarat is a pretty cool little provincial city to hang out in. It has virtually all the amenities of a big city, while being small enough to not have too many "big city problems" and crowds. It is also a few hundred metres above sea level, so it's generally colder than Melbourne by around 4-5 degrees Celsius, year round. That makes it especially cozy and attractive for this winter person in winter! It's cold enough here that frosts are more common than not on winter nights, and getting a flurry of snow is not unusual with any decent cold snap pretty much every winter. Alas, I wasn't that lucky. But at least I had nice weather to hang out in.

I didn't really do anything in particular over there. Just hung around town and took a couple of big walks out to Lake Wendouree. On the second day, I also paid a brief visit to nearby Buninyong, mostly just because it is close and easy to get to by local bus so why not....

Pre-sunset at Lake Wendouree

Sunset at Lake Wendouree

Sunset Light at Lake Wendouree

Blue Hour on Sturt Street I

Blue Hour on Sturt Street II

Boat House on Lake Wendouree

Swans

Shiny Car and Swan

Foreshore Gardens

Swamp Hens

Coots near Ballarat Botanical Gardens

Ballarat Town Hall

Classical Architecture

Trades Hall

Buninyong

De Soza Park, Buninyong