Two Rivers and a Forest

Now that restrictions have been lifted, if only slightly, as they are in Victoria, we are allowed to drive to visit family and friends. We decided that we were in need of a road trip. With no family and friends aren’t close by, we took a road trip to a nearby township that has a lovely river walk. Oscar, the toy poodle, came with us, as he’s always up for a walk and a bit of fun.

Bridgewater

Relaxation mode is still the order of the day here, so it was a later start than usual, but it didn’t matter as the day was very foggy. Bridgewater is  about 50 minutes drive from here and is on the Loddon River. The township is tiny, with just a bakery, cafe, tourist info centre/post office and a couple of small shops, but in the summer season it’s very highly populated as holidaymakers converge on the area for water sports, such as swimming, canoeing and water skiing.

The Loddon River at Bridgewater is also popular for white water kayaking when there have been reasonable rains. The water is very fast and should only be attempted by experienced kayakers equipped with necessary safety equipment.

The Bridgewater Public Caravan Park is situated on the river and within walking distance of the town and all amenities. It is an ideal holiday destination, especially for families, as there seems to be heaps for the children, including playgrounds and a water hole for swimming, accessed from within the caravan park. Whenever we go to Bridgewater, we talk about one day having a caravan that we can take there for short, close to home breaks.

As we began our walk, the fog over the river was lovely and it wasn’t long before the fog lifted and the sun shone through.

We all enjoyed the walk and worked up an appetite for lunch from the famous Bridgewater Bakery, which is famous for winning Australia’s Best Vanilla Slice, many times. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we were only able to buy takeaway, but the coffee was great all the same.

Our last stop was at the local nursery. I hadn’t been there before and was surprised at how great it was. I left Loaded up with new native shrubs.

Road trip, walk, new plants & coffee. Now that’s a perfect day!

Axedale/Knowsley Forest

The day after the Bridgewater walk, I set off on one of my favourite walks. I often walk or ride the O’Keefe Rail Trail to Axedale or to Bendigo. But on the weekend, I decided to walk the rail trail from Axedale and through the Knowsley Forest.

I started at the Axedale River Walk which is along the Campaspe River. This was beautified a few years ago and I really love walking there, even when I’m not walking the rail trail. There have been sightings of platypus there over the years, so I always keep a lookout, in case I’m lucky enough to see one.

At the end of the river walk, the trail goes through a tunnel under the McIvor Highway and then crosses over the river, and up Ingham Hill, which can be challenging for cyclists. From there it’s a quick flat walk to the Knowsley Forest, another of my favourite walks. This was an out and back walk, so from there I turned around and re-traced my steps.

Slowly but surely my knee is getting better, which is a big relief.

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