To the Yarra Valley

On Sunday we had another free day and contacted Amy’s friend, Brigid, who had volunteered to drive us into the Yarra Valley, lush countryside surrounding Melbourne and home to wineries, forests and an animal sanctuary in Healesville nestled among the cool Yarra Ranges. We left the Clocktower Hotel around 1030 AM and set off in search of a good hike and some kangaroos! (Amy has been obsessing about kangaroos).

After an hour or so of driving, we arrived in Healesville and inquired about the best routes for hikes in the Rainforested area of the Yarra Ranges. The tourist information booth folks guided us a few miles out of town and we followed their routing into the national park driving toward the higher peaks. Unfortunately the road to the top was already closed for winter, given the (slight) possibility of snow so we parked the car and set off uphill on foot, surrounded by stately gum trees that provided canopied views into the valleys below. Oddly, we heard few birds until we had walked about two miles and then the sounds of twittering in branches above us began. One strange sound we were expecting (strange from a Californian’s point of view) is that of the “bell bird” whose call is the literal tinkling of a bell signaling its presence. We had heard it in the near outskirts of Melbourne, but found none in this forest.

Another mile or so took us onto the dirt path leading deeper into forest of fern and gum tree. Amy commented along the way how difficult it must have been to traverse this terrain thick with trees and assorted animal life.

After a couple of hours we descended back into Healesville, thinking we’d stop at the nature preserve/animal sanctuary. But the crowds and hefty entrance fees—and our own hunger for lunch—dissuaded us. Instead we made our way to the town center and stopped off at Beaz’ café, where we ate some veggies burgers and chips while two beautiful Gla birds—grey/pink parrot-like creatures—flew in to lunch on the seeds provided in the bird feeder adjacent to the porch where we sat.

On the way back to town we stopped at TarraWarra winery, known for its chardonnays and pinots. And lo and behold, there among the grape vines, now dormant in the Southern Hemisphere’s winter, we spotted a family of kangaroos nibbling on the grass in the hills above (only faintly evident in this photo). The winery boasts fantastic architecture and a contemporary art museum showcasing the recent works of Australian artists re-imagining still life in painting and sculpture.

Astonishing views through the museums windows onto the natural world surrounding us, re-sculpted into vineyards, provided an unexpected synergy between interior and exterior representations of “still life.”After sampling the lovely reserve Pinot Noir, the top-of-the-line at Tarra Warra, we took the road back to Melbourne and were rewarded with another pack of kangaroos sighted in a nearby estate—a family of eight grazing on the hills, but still too far for the capacity of our little Nikon to capture.

Another wonderful day! That evening, we feasted on another pizza and salad from one of the dozen Italian restaurants on Lygon street while Amy tried to decipher the intricacies of AFL—Australian rules football, originally specific to Melbourne, but now played more widely. A little like basketball crossed with soccer that goes on for hours—though not as interminably as cricket—it’s a demanding, energetic, and utterly Australian game, otherwise known as “footy”.

Monday, June 11, is a holiday here, which we will enjoy navigating Melbourne’s city centre on our own, leaving one more working day here before we pack and head to Darwin on Wednesday and then we are on to Bali to enjoy tropical weather and relaxation, beginning on Thursday.