Ararat overnighter

nev

Super Térrarist
Since I started working again haven't had much time to get out on the bikes, so this weekend the forecast was looking good and we had no other plans so I picked a spot on the map and plotted a route. (Actually I plotted a route to Ararat 12 months ago but never ended up actually doing the trip).

We left home around 9am. Headed out through Diggers rest and stopped at the Harry Houdini monument

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Then on through Baccus Marsh and across the Brisbane Ranges and arrived at Cape Clear right on the dot of midday. Unfortunately I discovered that the pub there only does lunches on Sunday so we tried at the general store across the road, but the lady there told us the place was so run down she cound't get a permit to prepare food, so we continued on. Arrived about half an hour later in Skipton only to find the pub there was out of business too, so up to the top of the hill and got some takeaway food from the petrol station.

Continued on up Mt William road to Ararat. Took a walk around town and had an afternoon nap before hitting the town and trying the italian restaurant/pizza shop (which also did pretty good lebanese food)

Main street of Ararat on Sunday morning.

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The Grape vines are a feature of the main street of Ararat. They were planted by a shopkeeper here in the 1800s.

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Langi Ghiran in the distance

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Water level is a bit down in Tullaroop Reservoir

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Coliban Reservior is full and overflowing

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Our route home took us through Talbot (arrived there before midday so didn't see any of the OpenRoaders having lunch) and Glenlyon (we stopped at the General Store for lunch from about 12:45 till 13:45 but didn't see any of Fuzzy's mob there for lunch either).
 

Paul n Dixie

Part of the furniture
What a good idea, must put this in the CEO's suggestion box. It would be very productive, slice a few minutes off our lunch commute.
:bs



Did you check the bakery? It use to be pretty good, but last visit was around 2008.



Dixie and I and a few friends stopped at the bakery in 2013 on our return from Tassie and availed ourselves of the award winning Vanilla Slices, I intentionally planned our route to include Ararat as one our party has a bit of a "homer" for vanilla slices! :drool:
(and yes, they got the thumbs up!) :thumbs:- sorry no pics in my photobucket account- :doh:yous'l just have to believe me..

http://www.araratadvertiser.com.au/story/1747038/ararat-bakerys-vanilla-slice-among-the-best/

Ararat once also had another claim to fame..I dont know if the bakery was partly responsible..:whistle:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vi...k=6b3bb6dc99c434cb0d9ecbb44de9ad16-1472513764
 

John_Johnny

Long Timer
Snot blocks and obesity are not the only claims to fame in Ararat. I spent time in the Aradale "lunatic asylum' to be politically incorrect. They had a so called laughing wall where the poor tortured souls were paraded for the public's amusement. I think it's still there. It was a concrete circle surrounded by a 15' high brick wall. The public would stand around the top and throw bananas ect.....or so the story goes. The wall was still there when I was last there and the stories and old photos were displayed in all the corridors.

Those days are gone, it's no longer a psych facility but now the most *unsavory people are housed in Ararat. Interesting place to visit but with all that bad karma I couldn't imagine living there or even staying the night in a hotel. You can checkout anytime you like but you can never leave.

edit. BTW, I assume you know I WORKED there, not resident there. :bs
 

Paul n Dixie

Part of the furniture
Snot blocks and obesity are not the only claims to fame in Ararat. I spent time in the Aradale "lunatic asylum' to be politically incorrect. They had a so called laughing wall where the poor tortured souls were paraded for the public's amusement. I think it's still there. It was a concrete circle surrounded by a 15' high brick wall. The public would stand around the top and throw bananas ect.....or so the story goes. The wall was still there when I was last there and the stories and old photos were displayed in all the corridors.

Those days are gone, it's no longer a psych facility but now the most *unsavory people are housed in Ararat. Interesting place to visit but with all that bad karma I couldn't imagine living there or even staying the night in a hotel. You can checkout anytime you like but you can never leave.

edit. BTW, I assume you know I WORKED there, not resident there. :bs


:oops: I was going to ask how many Bananas did you get! :killingme
 

Paul n Dixie

Part of the furniture
I think Willo means that the skids Red plate or Council vehicles can do :wot: would be impossible in normal or civillian vehicles? :bs
 
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