Anniversary Weekend

We took time off from painting, ripping walls down, and general renovations to escape to the country for our anniversary weekend. First we went up to country victoria to Seymour and then onto Benalla which is where Ned Kelly got up to his shenanigans. Then we had a wekeend skiing in the Victorian Alps at Mount Buller.

The Cockatiels really hang around in big gangs, there were hundreds of them sitting in the wineries.


This is the famous old winery at Tahbilk, they have a great range of grape varieties approx 8 white and 8 red which makes for some really interesting and real nice wines. We enjoyed them so much we came back with a case and joined the wine club.
The winery is on the banks of the Goldbourne river. Its a beautiful river and meanders through the north victorian countryside helping grow vines along its length.
On to Benalla, here they have a great modern Australian art gallery.and somewhat randomly an Antonio Gaudi inspired thingummy. Here is Rich sitting in one bit of it becoming one with the art, and also in the 'hole' in it. (Who knows....)  


Here we are on the top of the Gaudiesque thing with the gallery in the background on the other side of the river.

In the Benalla museum we also found out about the (somewhat biased) story of Ned Kelly, how he was just a victim of circumstance and not a rutheless horse stealer, bank robber and outlaw of course!!! Here is Heidi very excited at seeing the actual bloodstained sash worn by him on the day he was captured by the police in the last stand.



Further up the road in Glenrowan is the site of the Kelly's last stand. This is the site of the pub where they holed up and then started shooting at the police. The statues are on the site of the pub.

Here is Rich at the site where Edward "Ned" Kelly was finally shot enough times in the legs that he was unable to stand anymore in the heavy homemade armour. After shouting "you'll never take me" he was shot 4 times in the legs and gave up.


So up to Mount Buller where there is actual (mostly artificially generated) snow. Here Heidi is smiling about being on ski's probably because she hasn't actually tried skiing anywhere yet.

Trying here to turn round


Ready to ski down the very minor slope.

Attempting to stop.....


And managing, but only by running directly into a stationery person.... OK so the skiing wasn't that much of a success but it was a good weekend, and the food was very good !!!