In search of French marshal Jacques Leroy de Saint Arnaud,

nev

Super Térrarist
Another weekend free.. another pin in the map....

Off not too early on a very foggy morning.

The first obstacle was this truck who'd bogged himself reversing into a narrow driveway on a single lane road. Lucky for us there was just enough room to ride around the back of him.

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Through Lancefield to the Burke and Wills Track..

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Past the War Memorial in Sutton Grange

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Our lunch stop was at http://www.jagsgrill.com.au/ an American diner in Bendigo where we fairly well stuffed ourselves. I swore that the 8 pieces of southern fried chicken for $9 was going to be 8 strips or nuggets, and imagine my jaw dropping when 4 of the biggest drumsticks and 4 of the biggest wings I've ever seen landed on the table. No pictures. It was an eat with fingers meal and chicken coated fingers don't play well with cameras and phones.


Out near Marong was a sign advising of a "Great Stupa" which I couldn't resist following. Anyone who has travelled through India, Nepal, Tibet would recognise the roadside stupas... and be amazed at the scale of this Great Stupa.

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In Tarnagulla we looked for fuel, because Jo was getting low, but found that the caravan park there has closed, and as it had the only petrol bowser in town, there is no longer fuel available.

THere is a monument here to the Poverty Mine, which yielded 13 1/2 tons of gold during the 1850's gold rush. Worth about $422,658,000 in today's prices.

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There are no shortage of memorials to Major Mitchell out this way. THis one just outside of St Arnaud marks that he "Passed this way"

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We stopped the night in St Arnaud, a town of about 2,200 residents. It was named after Jacques LeRoy de Saint Arnaud, a French military commander from the Crimean war era. He had no direct connection to the area, but gold rushers in the 1850s named the area after him. There is a monument to him in the local Botanical Gardens (a fancy name for a little park with a variety of plants and the odd park bench).

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Other features of this town include an old post box outside an old fire station

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and a horse trough

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It's a sad little town really. The main street really overstates the nature of the place. A large number of businesses are closed or on the verge of closing.

The main street is about 1km long and is dotted with pubs.

CLOSED - in the process of being turned into a cafe I think
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CLOSED - operating as a motel. The old drivethrough bottleshop is now a Bible Museum.
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CLOSED - this grand old pub is now partly an Indian Restaurant, which is NOT onen on Friday Saturday or Sunday.
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CLOSED
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CLOSED
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CLOSED - seeking a new licensee after the old tenant ran up debts and walked out
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At last - we found the only pub in town still operating.
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Sunday we headed back home.

Breakfast in Dunnolly,
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and then backroads as far as the eye could see.

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Coliban Reservoir overflow

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A smidge under 600km for the weekend. Home in time for lunch (a late lunch)

Trip map something like this
http://tinyurl.com/lrx9e6t
 

twowheeler

two wheels are best
Interesting post & pics Nev.

....... the Poverty Mine, which yielded 13 1/2 tons of gold during the 1850's gold rush. Worth about $422,658,000 in today's prices.

Whoever named it had a sense of humour then.
 

Sir Francis

Displaced person
Excellent report Nev.

From the looks of it, town is in need of customers - you up for leading a weekender?

If Doug comes along, I'm sure at half of the pubs could reopen....:bs
 

dougman1

Part of the furniture
Great weekend away there Nev and Jo. It's always a pleasure to see country Victoria.

It's a shame to see the old towns wither away aint it.

I reckon we could have a red hot go at turning their fortunes around though eh! :whistle: :scull:

Pay no heed to the previous poster, he may have boinked his head when he tried to escape his rampaging Tiger! :bs
 

nev

Super Térrarist
Nev said:
....... the Poverty Mine,
Whoever named it had a sense of humour then.

Yes, interestingly, it got it's name from Captain Cook. He named a Poverty Bay in NZ. Ironically, this is one of the most fertile areas of NZ.

It was gold miners from Poverty Bay NZ who came in search of gold to Tarnagulla and started the mine there, and the mine named after Poverty Bay.
 

nev

Super Térrarist
From the looks of it, town is in need of customers - you up for leading a weekender?

Already did. Yesterday. Next time it'll be a different town. Already checked my calendar, and with work commitments, rallies and other rides already planned, I only have 2 free weekends between now and 2015, one in Nov and one in Dec.
 

John_Johnny

Long Timer
Sad to see those pubs and other shops closing down. Once upon a time these towns thrived on the backs of farmers.

"Sometimes in your life you may need a doctor, lawyer, policeman and a fireman but every day you need a farmer."

Great ride report Nev. I'd like to look around that area. Brim is high up on my list. Has anyone seen the silo at Brim?
 
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