Day 300 / 2014 - Shepparton to Ballarat

We headed off to Ballarat but had to make a stop in Melbourne as we had arranged to meet with the insurance assessor to approve the awning replacement and the cost of repairs to the side wall.

While in Shepparton we called Retreat to organise a time to repair the front boot and if possible install a new awning. They said they hadn't heard from the insurance company so will not be able to order an awning in time. After talking with Retreat I called the insurance company and they said the value was over a certain amount so will need to be check by an assessor. Honestly the quote went in 2 weeks prior surely they could have called to let's us know. After a couple of back and forth calls and looking at the map to check we can easily go onto Ballarat we finally agreed on a date in Melbourne prior to having the planned warranty work done.

Leaving Shepparton we headed down the Goldburn Hwy towards Seymour. At Seymour is the interchange for the Hume Fwy which then took us towards Melbourne. About 20km from the CBD is Cambellfield where the Retreat factory is located and where we would wait for the assessor. While waiting we contacted Cheree the warranty manager for Retreat Anne has always wanted to look at how the caravan was made so she very gratiously took us for a tour of the factory. Finally after a few phone calls the assessor eventually arrived it appeared he was doubled booked. After about 10 minutes and a few more photos he said he would contact Retreat and let them know to go ahead.

Finishing there we then headed further along the Hume turning right onto the Western Link. Our exit was the Western Fwy which after a few last minute lane changes dodging a few trucks we got ourselves into the correct lane for the change from there it was another 90km to Ballarat.

Arriving in Ballarat we made our way to the Big 4 Windmill Tourist park which is on the otherside of Ballarat from where we exited the freeway. Driving through Ballarats CBD with a 22 foot van on the back was an experience as Ballarat is a large town with a population of nearly 86,000. I had to remember how to do hill starts as Ballarat felt like it is built on the side of a mountain with traffic lights every 100 metres up the side. Our caravan park was quite nice and we ended up on Betsy's site which we were told is a site recently vacated by a permanent resident called you guessed it Betsy. Very large and we were surrounded on 3 sides with a fence and another permanent cottage so very private. The park had a great indoor heated pool with 2 large spas so a great place to unwind after a day of sightseeing.

Soveriegn Hill is the main attraction in Ballarat and is a recreation of life in Ballarat during the gold rush of the 1850's. It depicted life on the goldfields including how they lived, played and worked. There are a number of live attractions with people dressed up in period costumes walking the streets. There is an education centre for schools where children are invited to come an learn about life as a child in Ballarat during the gold rush era. They get dressed in period costume and attend a school of the 1850's experiencing the lessons and the discipline of that time.

There are a number of demonstrations for the public throughout the day such as firing a musket rifle, pouring gold, blacksmithing and wheel and coach making to name a few. There is a self guided underground mine tour included as part of the entry fee depicting what life was like working underground. The entry cost was about $50.00 each but you can get your ticket validated to allow entry for free the next day if you didn't get around to seeing and experincing everything the first time around.

While staying in Ballarat we took a Day trip to Creswick and Daylesford. After passing through Creswick we stopped at the Tangled Maze. Here you can walk through the flora lined maze, play mini golf have a go at the indoor synthetic ice rink or just have a cup of coffee. We did the maze and the goal was not so much as to find the centre but to find items within making you walk through the entire maze. From there we went onto Daylesford which is a picturest town on the side of another mountain about 40Km east of Ballarat along the Midland Hwy.

Daylesford is known as a spa town with numerious spa retreats dotted around. It is also a foodies paradise with local wineries and boutique food outlets as well as stores to shop for that unique nick nack. After having lunch there then went onto Stoney Creek Gallery to have a look at some of their glass art displays. I had to watch I didn't bump into any of the display cases or drop anything as breaking something would have definately blown the travel budget. We then headed over to the Chocolate Mill which is more to my liking. There we plenty of delicious treats made from the finest imported Belgium chocolate.

Returning we passed through Creswick again stopping at the Creswick Wool Mill. The Mill spins its own wool from sheep or alpacas then make woollen products for national and international distribution. There is also a factory shop where you can purchase woollen products as well as tour the factory.

Ballarat has a large memorial dedicated to Ex POW's from all the wars where Australians have fought. There is a huge list of names over 36,000 and vetrans are included on list if they were captured by the enemy.

During the 1956 Melbourne olympics the rowing and canoeing was conducted at a artificially made lake called Wendouree in Ballarat. The olympic rings and caulderon are on display there and the venue is still used for national and international rowing and canoeing events. It is also used as a recreational facility by the locals.

In the Botanic gardens there is the Prime minister's Avenue which has a collection of past Prime minister's bust's from Edmund Barton to Julia Gillard lining the street. You can walk the entire length of the walk reading about each Prime minster's term of office. Local folklore say's Kevin Rudds bust faces directly opposite Julia Gillards bust so they can't stab each other in the back and having an eternal face off.