We started early on the Saturday... planning to go to the Hanging Rock, which is a geological structure, as well as, there's winery there... however, we started TOO EARLY, that when we arrived at the place, it's still not opened yet, and it's like another 2 hours to go... so, we decided to give up... as we only have one day to the whole Macedon and Daylesford area...
That morning, was pretty cold... we're too 'chilled' and hungry... the next stop we made, was in Woodend, another small town on the way from the Macedon to Daylesford... and... err.. due to the cold temperature, we're both having this urge to answer the nature's call... however!!! it's too early in the morning, in a weekend, there weren't many people on the street, though we saw a bunch of students playing tennis and some other sports near the school compound... the ironic thing is... normally when we need to find something, we'll never see it... so, we didn't spot any loo around where we were... but we're bloody cold and bloody desperate, and bloody hungry... We walked around the one and only big commercial/business building in this town, entering most of the cafes that were opened by then, to see if they've any washroom inside... surprisingly, the first 2-3 cafes that we went in, they're tiny and they don't have any washroom...
Eventually we found one, and that's where we decided to have our breakfast...
The french toast looked yummy right? it's his favourite, I have a ve getarian pie, due to miscommunication -.-
After having our breakfast, we continued our journey to Daylesford, as our spa appointment was at 2:45pm, we took some time to wander around the town, and tried to go to all the 'highlights' nearby... (oh!!! talking about spa... prior to the weekend, he suddenly suggested that we should go visit the spa county, get ourselves pampered... so I started my 'online research', and try to make some booking. At first, we're planning to stay a night around
First stop, The Convent Gallery (http://www.theconvent.com.au/ )... they charged us(foreigners, free for locals) AUD4.50 for the entrance fee... when we first entered the building, there were already a couple having their breakfast there... then, we paid the entrance fee... then, we started browsing around... well... at first, we were not so impressed... just some merchandised goods, some paintings on the all, and some sculptures here and there... we went to the basement, they've some minimal collection of the items that the previous church people used... it was pretty dark there, felt like a dungeon ^_^... then, we went back up to the groundfloor, then first floor... the art exhibition there was pretty interesting, they've some err... chrome or other metal sculptures displayed... not that we really knew how to appreciate them, however, the price range is like AUD2800-4000... jaw-drop!!!
There are even more impressive things in this Convent Gallery... as it's not really a galllery gallery... ^_^ beyond those art exhibition rooms, we later reached some interesting areas, like the function rooms and the nice balcony that overlook the town(as this place is on top of a little hill) then, there's a little chappel after the first function room---a function room that's full of sunshine, the most natural decorative, and there's a beautiful garden just outside this function room, over the other side is the balcony... after the little chappel, is another more private function room, and we saw some people already busy decorating the place... it seemed like, there'll be a wedding dinner reception on that night... what a romantic place...
The next place we went to, is the Wombat forest, I thought I would see some wombats around there, but nope.. besides the fact that, there might be possible sighting of wombat, it's just a normal 'woody' park... so, we decided to go to our next destination, ie. the Daylesford Lake...
Well.. Daylesford Lake, is just a lake, nothing much to describe, except that, we saw quite a number of cars parked around the lake, as there're a few springs around the lake, there're people going there, just to fetch some spring water...
Then, we went to the Lakehouse, the famous spa place with a famous restaurant... since the spa/massage is SO fully booked, we wanted to see the 'true colour' of this place, ie.OH!! to see how great it is!!!
mm... overall... the Lakehouse has lots of nice little chalets around the lake, for their guests... however, the main reception/administration building itself doesn't look too impressive... but ya, we saw more foreign visitors there...
Since there're still time, we went to the Lavandula Lavender farm( http://www.lavandula.com.au )... ya, I thought I'll see a big patch of purple colour on the ground from afar... even before I reach the place.. but nah!!! Even after we've paid AUD3.50 each for the entrance fee... there's still purple colour... APPARENTLY, the lavender will only blossom in December till mid-January!!! CHEH~~~~~~~~~~ well... I don't want to sound as if we got cheated... cos, mm... it's really quite unimaginable for me, if I were any of the girls on the farm, all year round, guarding the farm, having minimal visitors, packing and tidying up the merchandised goods area... so, don't tell people, you can only get to see real lavender blossom in December till mid-Jan OK??? otherwise these girls will be having even more quiet and lonely life... (>_<)
However... we did walk around the farm area and tried to explore more out of it, since we've already paid... there's a small rundown container, which, apparently is the workshop(semi-workshop) of a porcelain artist Peter Minko( http://www.minko.com.au )... we went in, he was just there, drawing on the porcelain pieces... it's a small tiny container, and since he was paying his full concentration to do the subtle drawing, we felt a bit like we're disturbing him, so, we left just after a quick browse of the surrounding inside the container...
Then we went back to the main area, where one of the girls showed us around this little old cottage, since 1850s(actually the whole thing, all the little stone buildings around this farm were built since1850s)... inside, a small foyer area, then a living area with a piano, fire place, a dining table with some chairs, on the other side, a kitchen, then, a bedroom beside the kitchen... the basement had a cellar, a bathroom, and a small washing area... then, the attic, was where the children slept... (I heard, there're 13 of them)... the place is basially very old with some minimal restoration... but, I think, it's really quite a good 'piece' to show foreign visitors like me... look interesting...
The next stop, also the last stop before we went ahead to our spa session was the Chocolate Mill( http://www.chocmill.com.au/ )
well... you won't get to see those chocolate fountain and river like the one in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"... however, the building itself is quite interesting... the whole building is made of strawbale, and the 'cementing' material is actually lime and earth... err... don't ask me the detailed stuff... I don't really know either.. ^_^
and the door at the entranace... the outer frame is actually made of stack of bottles...
One of the rules in this building is, "don't try to knock it!" but oops.... I have already knocked before I read this... how can one resist the temptation?? you know this whole place is made of straw, and the cementing material is just earth.. don't want you want to knock knock and see??????
anyway... we bought some chocolate to try, since it's so special, as it's mentioned on the 'board', that, the chocolate is not sold anywhere else besides this Chocolate Mill.. one interesting that the 'board' mentioned was... "you don't keep chocolate in the fridge, as this will make it 'sweat' and causing this 'streaky' outlook on the chocolate itself, however, it won't affect the taste of the chocolate"... haha!!! I thought we all keep our chocky in the fridge??? but ya, I notice, it does 'sweat'... therefore, usually, before, it 'sweats' its way out, the chocky will normally end up in my stomach!! ^_^V
..... to be continued
No comments:
Post a Comment