Sleepin' Around: Bendigo and Lake Colac

28 January 2024

Bendigo and Lake Colac - 26 to 27/01/2024

We set off from Echuca on Australia Day. A short trip today - about 90km south to a low cost farmstay on the outskirts of Bendigo called Epsom Escape.

This couple, Matt and Karen lend out their back paddock to travellers looking for a short stopover. $20 a night.

We enjoyed an Australia Day lunch - sausages on the Weber with a side of cole slaw followed up with some damper which we shared with our neighbours parked nearby.

Our overnighter proved to be a cool one. After a few warmer days at Echuca, we had to pull out the big guns dooner for the night - minimum of 9.6 degrees. I want you to remember that temperature...

Stopped by the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Bendigo. Wow! what an impressive sandstone structure.

Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo (founded 1897)

We set off around 7:00 with a stop in at Bunnings for some hardware for a little project I'm working on. I'm improvising to make a pole mount for the Starlink dish to attach to the van.

As we were driving down the streets of Bendigo, we had a Cable Beach moment. Our friends Barb and Les reading this will know what I mean by that - Judy had an experience she can't unsee - a tall bearded bloke strolling down the street bold as brass absolutely starkers! No photos were taken. Remember how cold it was?

Our target destination on this leg of our journey is Port Campbell, so we took a break in the drive and stayed for an overnighter on the banks of Lake Colac.

When we arrived, we began to understand how popular this spot is. There would have been at least 100 campers lined along the shores of the lake. The howling winds didn't phase them - I guess they are reasonably local and come to expect it.

Anyway, we found a spot of the shoreline and pulled up stumps.

Heavily overcast and misty rains and howling winds - I ventured out of the comfort of the van to capture a sunset show. The glow through the heavy skies was beautiful.