Dayelsford & Yarra Ranges

I love a good road trip. Actually that's misleading, I love road trips good or bad. In general I just love driving. Driving brings the opportunity to leave the big city I live in and head in any direction as far as possible.

The last 2 weekends I have ventured on sensational trips in my trusty Steed, Infinity QX70S.

Saturday 31/7/22

Daylesford. A beautiful little country town that time has forgotten about between Ballarat and Bendigo, about 1hr 20mins from where I live in Flemington. 

I follow the GPS in my car which is not as up to date as Google Maps, so it takes me the scenic way. No complaints at all. It is stunning country out here. Landscapes with rolling green hills, Victorian homes built 100 years ago, abandoned homes that once thrived with Christmas dinners and birthdays and children playing with their parents, jersey cows, sheep, vineyards...dead kangaroos on the road.

The town itself has a main street full of shops that makes you feel out of place wearing modern fashion. Buildings with architecture that will never be used again. A pub with the sign "built in 1855" stands out. Wow. Nearly 170 years old. 

I park and go for a wonder. Forgot my phone so no photos.

After a walk up and down main street I head to Lake Daylesford. Parking found easy, gran a snap of bae, then my picnic blanket and book then head down to the lake and set up for an afternoon in the sun.

The drive home is uneventful. GPS takes the highway home. With fuel prices at the moment this is also fine with me.

Sunday 7/8/22

I spent the week planning this one.

Home to Healesville

Healesville to Marysville

Marysville to Reefton

Reefton to Warburton

Warburton to Olinda

Olinda to home

All up about 300+kms of blacktop. I leave early, 8am, all day to get it done.

Healesville. I had originally planned to stop here for coffee and breakfast. Drove straight through, I was only here a couple weeks ago with my mum, Marysville is only 40 minutes away. The drive is spectacular, though sad. this area is famouse for it's gigantic ferns and incredibly tall trees. However fires that came through here in 2009, Black Saturday, have made every tree trunk blackened. Fire is powerful and makes humans realise Mother Nature can kick our arse anytime she is fed up with human bullshit. 

Arriving into Marysville and I stop right at the top of the main strip, parking is found easily. It's freezing up here. Specs of snow on the sides of road. A good friend of mine is like me, sees snow and all of a sudden turns into a big kid. Surprising to see it this low, but it has been an incredibly cold winter this year. Marysville is beautiful, burrowed into the side of Lake Mountain, which I am guessing is a mountain with a lake on it? Marysville local cafe found, a triple shot xl coffee purchased, bacon & egg roll swapped for payment. I grab my picnic blanket and book and find the local park, sit in the sun, freeze my arse off eating and drinking and reading. A good start to the day. The Old Fashioned Lollyshop is next. I love Lollyshops. I don't go looking for them. They find me...

After spending slightly too much on lollies and local honey, I am back in the car. 

Next stop Reefton lookout. A problem. It's closed. I am also heading in the wrong direction, every lookout is on the other side of the road that I can't get to. Oh well. Marilyn Manson's 1996 album Antichrist Superstar is loaded on the steeds hard drive, time to see what this thing can do around mountain windy roads as I head for Warburton blasting shock rock out the windows.

I am astounded. This SUV was built for this. The mixture of Sportsmode for both gearbox and suspension, the Attessa AWD system shared with the Nissan GT-R, complimented by Continental Contitech tyres, I have never taken corners like this before. The car is on rails. Loving it. The diesel engine sound through the titanium exhaust is impressive, most diesel engines sound like bolts In a blender. Infiniti have designed, engineered and built something incredible here. I am a very happy owner.

Warburton is a large town at the mouth of the ranges and CBD. Not really worth stopping unless you need fuel or a break, I decide to keep heading for Olinda instead.

Olinda would be my favourite part of Victoria. Another town much like Daylesford where time got to about 1900 then got trapped in a time bubble. The next town Sassafras is the same. Both full or old pubs, shops, apothecarys, antique traders and tea spots. Why am in Olinda? Pie in the Sky ofcourse. 1 pumpkin + 1 steak&Guinness later, and a visit to the Lollyshop too naturally, I am enjoying the rest here. Reflecting on the drive from Marysville, I can't wait to do it again some day. Victoria is a big place though, but I'll be back.

It has been a sensational day.