When I go to Melbourne for the tennis each January, I stay with my friend, Diane, whom I have known since the end of 1972. Each visit, we do touristy things and maybe take in a musical. This year, Di organised a trip through Gippsland, staying the Saturday night at her cousin's farm just outside Bena. The farm is owned by Robyn and her husband, Brian. Until recently, they had been living mainly in Frankston, but just recently they moved onto the farm,
Brindalea Oaks, permanently.
The previous owner still runs his cattle by agistment on the property. Brian is undergoing extensive tree planting under the LandCare programme, to manage erosion on the relatively step slopes, and also to improve the quality of the soil.
On the property, there are dotted reminders of the history of the property which is a fraction under 100 acres. The 100 acre size is important, because in Victoria only properties OVER 100 acres can have new residences built on them. Under this acreage limit, requires renovations only. The sheds in these images are reminders of the piggery run by the second generation of the Twite family.
The title of this post refers to the advert for tourism to the Yarra Valley, purely because the rolling hills of this part of Gippsland reminded me so much of parts of the Yarra Valley that we visited at this time in 2009, just immediately prior to the devastating bush fires.
13 comments:
It looks so wonderful - the kind of living one dreams of ... having a farm, quiet, animals, planting trees ... there are cows :-D ...
It is my dream, Martina. Acreage with work to do, with animals to tend, and inspiration for both photography and writing. What more could one ask from life?
I was reading through this post knowing you must been in your element.
I bigged up the photos.
My favourite was the second last one.
I loved the hay bales on the hills
and the pointy little trees.
And I always find photos of cows front on, hilarious.
Their stomachs are just ridiculous.
Thanks for becoming a follower on my blog. I hope I don't disappoint! Having my tea this morning in quiet, no kids to rush off on the drive to school, I've been able to sit and drift through all your pictures and share your travels. I also love to travel and despite a big family, have been on many get-a-ways around the world. I am enjoying your blog and you, and hope to share more in the future! Blessings, Tia
Thank you for this, Tia. I have replied back on your blog.
Found you via Sundays in my City! You have taken some awesome pictures and I love viewing them.
I especially enjoyed the pictures of the railroad bridge farther down!
So it would seem fires are a real problem there, just as they are in Southern California and Arizona.
Stop by sometime.
~ Cheryl
The landscape are just wonderful. Thanks for sharing! Just what ineeded to see, grass and sunshine. Sweden is covered in snow. So bored with it. I long for spring!
I can only imagine how bored one could get by being covered with snow for half the year. Thankfully though, the seasons are beginning to turn. I can feel it here. We are about to give the sun back to you.
Thank you for your visit.
I saw the first common snowdrops today :-D - things from now on only can get better!
Good heavens! Really! But the snow is still so deep and still so widespread ... but obviously, not everywhere.
How very exciting to see this plant, and to know that things are changing once again.
Julie you have taken such beautiful photographs of BRINDALEA OAKS. I now appreciate its beauty from another aspect again. I also have enjoyed reading about your travels. Hope we cross paths again.
Oh, how wonderful that you have visited, Robyn. It is pleasing that my photographs reflect the beauty of your farm and deepen your own appreciation. I will email you this morning. I would like to get the recipe for those fantastic pasties that you farewelled Diane and I with!
Also, I still have some more posts both of Brindalea Oaks and of the gardens at Cranbourne to document. Just too much to do at the moment ...
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