Bright

 Today's little adventure was up the highway to see Bright and the surrounds.

It is a pretty little town set amongst the hills on the banks of the Ovens River.  First up is always coffee.

Then we took the Canyon Walk along the river.  While "Canyon" is an optimistic description, the river pushes through a few restrictions to form rapids.

The town itself is full of "touristy" shops, eateries and coffee shops. The streets are lined with trees that are gradually setting up their autumn colour displays.  In a few weeks the place will look a picture.

Just out of Bright is the little heritage town of Wandiligong.  Houses have to retain their historic character and buildings have to be sympathetic to the area.

Myrtleford

 Myrtleford turned out to be a very quaint little town. At first it seemed neat but with little going on.  It turns out you have to look at the right times.  Many of the stores open at particular times so you have to know when to go.  There are all the needed stores and a range of interesting eateries.

One of the local wineries that grows their grapes near Myrtleford, set up its processing and sales operation on the outskirts of town. Smart marketing.  Of course we bought a few bottles.

The area had its economic origins in the tobacco industry. A statue in tribute stands in a park in the middle of town.

The park also has recreational facilities and barbeque facilities.

It's a great little town in a wonderful setting.

Mount Buffalo

 You cannot visit Myrtleford and Bright without taking a trip up Mt Buffalo.  The lookout affords spactacular views over the whole valley from the top of a cliff that drops hundreds of metres.

The Mt Buffalo Chalet that originally capitalised on this magnificent view is now closed but maintained by the National Park as a Heritage site.  It is a reflection of a bygone era of genteel travel to opulent accommodation and the best of personal service.

Lake Buffalo

 On a week night before a holiday weekend, the caravan park is a quiet place.

It may not be quite so quiet tonight as a school group has arrived!. A few kilometres south of Myrtleford is the picturesque Lake Buffalo that is accessed via an even more picturesque valley.

Moving to Myrtleford

Our visit to the Bright/Myrtleford area has been on our "To Do" list for some time.  We made it to Myrtleford today.  We sustained ourselves on the journey with vanilla slices.

The park is quiet and shady beside Happy Valley Creek.

There are a number of local Pubs and we found that (as usual) they serve excellent food.

Mitchell's Gallery Pic

 Mitchell came over today so we could upgrade his photo in Granny's Gallery as he enters his third decade!

Lisa's Birthday

 Lisa's Birthday Dinner was a little late this year.  However we finally made it at Sapporo's Japanese Restaurant in Mitcham.  It is a place that produces consistently good food and it didn't disappoint on this occasion.

The great seafood kept Claire happy.

Jack On Fire

 As the Covid crisis recedes we are getting back to normal.  This evening we were able to watch Jack and his team comfortably win their game of basketball.  Jack could do no wrong, long bombs, plenty of goals and great work setting up others.  His game has come a long way since we last saw him.

Project Completed

 The renovation of the back yard had been an overdue project for some time.  The new layout is finally in place.  Plants have been moved and (hopefully) the soil revitalised so it is all ready for planting.  The nurseries will love us!

Peter and Jill

 Peter and Jill are not in a position to travel much outside their accommodation these days.  We visited them today to let them know about the meeting of the old "Youth Group" and deliver a card that everyone had signed.  Peter is unable to move much without a wheelchair and Jill's vascular dementia means she has virtually no memory of the past.  However we found them in good spirits.