Mel and Brenden of All Around Oz are on the Adelaide to Melbourne section of the Follow the Sun Relay. In this post, they drive from Echuca to Bendigo.
Leaving Echuca meant we sadly left the Murray River behind us as we headed south towards Bendigo. Our first stop for the day was the small town of Rochester. As we were coming into the outskirts of the town I said, “I think there is Silo Art here!”. No sooner had I spoken, and we spotted it.
Once again, we had found the most spectacular works of art. By artist Jimmy D’vate, who also painted the Waikerie silo. The colours and details in the Squirrel Glider and the Azure Kingfisher were just amazing! Both the Squirrel Glider and the Kingfisher are local inhabitants of the Rochester area, with the Squirrel Glider being on the endangered list.
Rochester itself is a charming little town and we enjoyed a wander down the small main street, some morning tea in the park, as well as a chat with a local gentleman who was clearly proud of his town and in particular, the Silo Art.
Next stop was Bendigo. This wonderful old city was established around the gold fields in the mid 1800’s and is still a thriving city today. It is well known for its many old buildings and the Bendigo Pottery brand.
Bendigo Pottery was established in 1858 and is almost as old as the city itself. It produces a variety of items which are available for sale and there is also an extensive museum showcasing the history of Bendigo Pottery. You will also find a cafe and a vast hall of Antiques to browse through as well.
Not far from Bendigo Pottery are the Bendigo Botanic Gardens. As it was very hot when we arrived in Bendigo, we found a nice, shady spot to enjoy some lunch. There was a great looking kids playground, BBQ’s and a lovely bird aviary with some gorgeous parrots in it.
We then headed to the Big 4 Park Lane Holiday Park where we were to stay for the next 3 nights. The spacious park was situated on the outskirts of Bendigo making it a nice and quiet place to stay.
The Big 4 Park Lane had loads of powered sites, lots of new, modern cabins, big amenities which were always clean, plus a pool and camp kitchen. The biggest bonus if you have kids is the Parky’s Wonderland Indoor Play Centre. This huge indoor play centre is open to the public, but admission is included if you are staying in the park. From what we saw, the kids were having an absolute blast running between there, the jumping pillow and the pool!
Whilst staying at the Big 4 Park Lane we also had the opportunity to host a ‘Happy Hour’ and we had a great time chatting with other travellers and showing them through the Winnebago Motorhome. All the kids had a blast as well doing laps of the park onboard Parky’s Express.
We must say a huge thanks to park manager Jake and his wife Alex, and their awesome staff for their hospitality.
-Mel and Brenden
Check out the rest of the Follow the Sun Relay posts on our website.
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