Visiting Victoria's golden age

26 March - We took a drive to the country town of Castlemaine, about an hour and a half outside of Melbourne, and part of the "Golden triangle" - an area of Victoria that boomed during the Gold Rush of the 1850s and 1860s. Off the highway, the drive into Castlemaine took us past old farmhouses and a mixture of beautifully preserved houses of that period (wrought iron facades, old brick etc) and others in various stages of decline. We had a serene picnic lunch in the Castlemaine botanical gardens and after the feast took a leisurely stroll under the pine and oak trees (including many exotic species from Bhutan, Asia, Mexico etc) before heading into the town. A health store was selling "Dutch salty licorice" for $3 a bag. Out of curiosity I bought a bag and had one of the small black sweets. My stomach still doubles over at the thought - its not a taste I think I will ever acquire. It brought back memories of a coffee I had years ago where salt instead of sugar was added by mistake! I think these nasty little things should be used to teach children the dangers of taking sweets from strangers! Licorice revulsion aside, we finished off with a coffee at another town that time forgot "Maldon" and headed back home via the old highway and backroads. On the way, we bought "bull boar" sausages at the butcher in Newstead, a local delicacy made with a secret and heavily guarded recipe and to be BBQed and consumed on Sunday when we head out to visit Larna's uncle Bruce in his cottage in the woods, in Woodend. Our last weekend in Melbourne awaits!