Dinner Plain, Shepparton, Bendigo, Hanging Rock
World Trip Two
Tuesday, April 28, 2009: Pearcedale-Dinner Plain, Australia
Our chauffeur.
We drove west from Pearcedale through the grassy plains and eucalypt forests of South Eastern Gippsland. The broken sky was scattered with ominous dark clouds, but they never rained on us. We stopped in Bairnsdale for lunch and were pleasantly surprised by the quality and flavor of our food. The food at the Main Hotel is worth stopping for. I asked our server about the chef, and he said: "It's two blokes, one is from England, and the other is a local boy. But really, one is the brains, and the other the brawn." I asked him which one is the brains, and he replied: "I hate to say it, mate, but it's the pommie."
For my American friends, "pommie" stands for Prisoner of Mother England. It is a derogatory term Australians use to describe English people. I know, you would think it should be the other way around, given Australia's history; but I think it is a spot of reverse psychology. The term can then be used as such: "Where does a pommie hide his money? Under the soap." Or skipping your morning shower and just using deodorant is having a pommie shower. And so it goes on. It seems that while America forcibly ejected England long ago, they still have a soft spot for the people - at least as bad guys in Hollywood movies. Yet Australia remained a colony and continues to harbor a grudge.
A happy traveler.
We soon joined the Great Alpine Road, which meanders through the Snowy Mountains and high plains. I am told that Australia is going through an awful period of drought, but you would never know it from the green fields we drove past. After Omeo, which is a lovely small country town on our way, we came across a mob of 10 kangaroos at the side of the road. This encounter was followed quickly by spotting two emus. Julia has now seen both animals used on the Australian coat of arms. Australia is the only country that eats both of the animals on its coat of arms. Julia sampled kangaroo at lunch.
We arrived at Dinner Plain around 5:00 PM, and it was covered in two feet of new snow. I did not expect to encounter snow, so Julia and I were ill-prepared for the cold. But the draw of this beautiful countryside is very hard to resist; we did the best we could to stay warm.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009: Dinner Plain, Australia
Mt. Feathertop.
We drove up to the Hotham Ski Resort to have a look at the snow conditions at the top of the mountain. It was magnificent and surprising to see. The view stretched all the way over to Mt. Feathertop and the Bogong high plains (pronounced bow-gone), and they were both covered in fresh snow. The locals were just as surprised about this early snowfall as we were. The shops and the resort were not open, so we could not find anyone who would rent us cross-country skis.
The Star Burger.
The only option was to drive back to Omeo and rent them from the petrol (gas) station. So off we went back down the mountain to Omeo, where we were able to rent skis and eat the now world-famous Star Burger at Twinkles Cafe. The burger's claim to fame is its unadulterated beef patty, pickled beets, bacon, and a star-shaped fried egg.
This recipe was very common when I grew up in Australia - minus the star-shaped egg - but has been lost to the formulaic hamburgers produced by the multinational oligopolies. It is hard to come by these days, so I was very happy to find it again at Twinkles when I came skiing here in 2007. I described it constantly to Julia since then, so she awaited its consumption with great anticipation. Julia was not disappointed; she really enjoyed it, as did Lawrie and I.
When we returned to Dinner Plain, we hit the trails with our cross-country skis.
Lawrie gave us lessons on the thin, unstable, and toe-connected boards. It did not take too long before we were feeling reasonably comfortable on them. It sure was a great way to get around in the snow-covered bush. Finally, we went down a small hill where all three of us ended up head over heels in the snow. But we really had fun.
On the Road Video