We got to sleep in a little before heading down to the harbour to see the fishing trawlers at Eden.



Then off to Bega to the Cheese Factory, I have always wanted to go there.



The Heritage Centre is a faithful reproduction of one of the first buildings to be constructed on the Bega Cheese site in 1899. The Heritage Centre has a comprehensive display of cheese and butter making equipment from the turn of the 19th Century, giving visitors the chance to see how early farmers in our region lived, worked and transported their wares.



At the Heritage Centre you can order everything from a milkshake to a full lunch. You can taste the different varieties of the famous Bega Cheese, and take home any or all of the Bega products. We also stock a wide range of souvenirs and gifts.



Bega Cheese exports over 10,000 tonnes of processed and natural cheddar cheese and whey powder into world commodity markets every year. Since the early 1990s, we have established retail product sales into 50 different countries



Here they make a array of cheeses for the export market and local markets. I bought Heritage cheese,a strong tasting cheese. Black pepper sliced cheese and a cheese in a can which has arabic writing on it. It's a mild creamy cheese. Normally I buy their Tasty cheese (Cheddar). I took a few pics of antique cheese making stuff for our cheese maker friends. Now for a cheese and biscuit evening with a bottle of good dessert wine.

St Mary's Catholic Church at Bairnsdale

Lakes Entrance Fishing Trawlers and Wood Cravings

Pics of Gipsy Point and the Stoney Creek Trestle Bridge

Jonquils are my favorite winter bulbs.





Holiday accomadation at Gipsy Point, right on the lake. A river cruise starting at this jetty, something I would't mind doing in the summer.



Wallabies, they heaps greyer than the ones we got up at Bellbrook






Stoney Creek Trestle Bridge at Nowa Nowa What an amazing bridge built so long ago with only a few tools ropes and pure courage. Original railway bridge built in 1914 and remains the longest trestle bridge in the southern hemisphere.




HISTORY: The Timber Trestle Bridge on the Bairnsdale-Orbost railway line at Nowa Nowa was erected in 1916 to facilitate crossing of Stony Creek and the valley. The railway reached Bairnsdale in 1888, encouraging Railway Leagues in East Gippsland to lobby Governments for the extension of the rail further east, believing it would be the catalyst for the development of the region. The route from Bairnsdale to Orbost was surveyed in 1906, the Bairnsdale-Orbost Railway Construction Bill enacted in 1909, and a Railway Trust formed in 1911 from the three municipalities through which the line passed. Construction began in 1912 and the first train reached Bruthen in 1913. Nowa Nowa station opened in 1913 and Orbost by 1916. Contractors including J Shanahan and J Carrol established encampments along the route and hired labourers for earth moving and timber supply. Sleepers and timber piles for the line and bridges were cut from local forests. A Joiner and A McDougall of Newmerella won a contract for these materials.



The line was one of the most difficult to build in the State, with deviations and gorges along its ninety-seven kilometre route. The line opened up the East Gippsland regional economy, encouraging trade with urban markets, tourism, and community growth by introducing a reliable means of communication in and out of the region and by providing an alternative to river and sea transportation for sending goods. Passenger trains eventually ceased in 1935, with goods trains operating until the last train passed through Orbost in 1987.



DESCRIPTION: The design of traditional vernacular construction was prepared by Victorian Railways Engineers. Built of timber posts of red iron bark and grey box, this trestle bridge rises to a height of approximately 20m above Stony Creek and is 247m long. It is reputedly one of the highest bridges of its type in Australia. It has twenty-seven 9.1m steel joist spans and a ballasted timber deck. The trestles are tied together at mid-height, with timber A-frame bracing between the trestles in alternate bays. Metal crossheads are also visible.



This must have been how it looked after the Bush fire in 1988.

One wild weekend

Friday we hit the long road, to Cooma where we had booked into a motel for the night. Not exactly the kind of place I would get excited about (I mean the town) ... so on with the story. We left very early to continue our trip to Rosedale in Gippsland, Victoria.(830 klm drive) there's very little traffic on the Monaro Highway as it winds it's way through farm land then state forests to Orbost.I was just nodding off when George slowed down after seeing something in the road, then stop dead. The storm during the night must have up rooted this gaint of the forest.The whole trunk was across the road and thats not even the canopy. Imagine if we were speeding???This was one time I did wish for a mobile phone but the car we stopped did call the cops.



Well we had to turn around and head for another turn off about 80klm back, first it looked more like a road used for logging truck, very doggy but it got better, we got to Eden at the coast. But I was kinda glad we landed on this road way more scenic. So First we had to stop off for more diesel, as that detour was a good 200klm longer. Only Gipsy lake was just a cute little spot with a boat jetty and a few cabins for hire.



So on we went down to Maloota at the coast to fill up and have breakfast at Cafe 64, and by that time George was saying we're going to very late getting there. At the motel in Cooma the lady had given me a booklet with all the stuff to do in Gippsland, so armed with this, we where nearing a village called Nowa Nowa where George had seen the Tresel Bridge, so we went hunting for that. My man can't stop raving about this bridge ... it is amazing!



Then next we drove past the St Mary's Catholic Church in Bairnsdale, and found parking easily (he hates finding parking esp with the trailer on) so in we go and lucky nobody was inside so I took heaps of pics.



Then Lakes Entrance was next where I took a few more pics



We got to our destination at about 4.30 pm and here we loaded a combustion wood stove I had bought on Ebay for really cheap (show you later)first I want to clean it up a bit and do some repairs to it. Anyway we headed back to Eden (350klm)cause I wanted to see the the Cheese factory at Bega.



Here they make a array of cheeses for the export market and local markets. I bought Heritage cheese,a strong tasting cheese. Black pepper sliced cheese and a cheese in a can which has arabic writing on it. It's a mild creamy cheese. Normally I buy their Tasty cheese (Cheddar). I took a few pics of antique cheese making stuff for our cheese maker friends. Now for a cheese and biscuit evening with a bottle of good dessert wine.



A little village of Tliba Tilba was next, most quaint little shops selling antiques, candles, soaps paintings and hand craved or turned wood items. Even an old fshioned lolly shop with rows of jars filled up with sweets.



We stopped off for a fish & chips lunch at Kiama, a pic of the light house and blow hole. Then we headed home.I will post more pics during the week of each place so you can see where we have been this weekend.






Well it work tomorrow and I better go to bed.
See ya
Rina

Knitting bedsocks

No your not seeing double, I have posted this post before but decided to repost it. Just for those knitters looking for a wee project while sitting in front of the heater or fire ...

If only I had the spare time to do more craft, but working fulltime has put a spanner in the works. Got to make time ..... yeh right. But I would like to share a few items I have made or am busy making atm. One being a bedsock pattern. My step father of 90 was sporting them on my recent visit overseas, when I saw them I knew I could work out the pattern easily.






Bedsocks: you will need some thickish wool or 2 strands of 8 ply.

A pair of no 5 knitting needles (I like thick socks but you could change needles to suit youself)

wool needle to sew up edges and to tuck away threads. (opps I am not finished yet)



Cast on 70/80/90 stitches for larger size (to test if they going to fit knit 2 rows, fold in half, that should give you the size, just add more stitches if you need)


Knit 10/12 rows of garter stitch
Knit 4 rows stocking stitch
shaping: Row 1. Knit 31 /36 /43sts, knit 2 together, knit 4, knit 2 together, knit 31/36/43 sts.
Row 2 . Knit 30/35/42 sts knit 2 tog knit 4 knit 2 tog knit 30/35/42
Row 3. Knit 29/34/41 sts knit 2 tog knit4 knit 2 tog knit 29/34/41
Row 4. Knit 28/33/40...........
Row 5 Knit 27/32/39 ..........
Until you got 36/42/48 sts left on needle
Knit 1, knit 2tog, wrap yarn around needle, knit 1, knit 2 tog, wrap yarn around needle to the end
Purl next row
Knit 10 rows ribbing
Cast off
Sew edges closed and thread a ribbon or cord through holes.


Happy knitting
Rina