If you’re searching for a country VIC stay, look no further than Yea, pronounced Yay, not yeah (embarrassing rookie error by non-native Victorian.) With the main drag around 250m long, and three pubs within cooee distance of each other, this tiny town won’t let you go thirsty…dehydrate maybe, but not thirsty. Gotta love that about Aussie country towns.
Venturing to Yea on an Easter get-a-way, it was smooth traffic sailing until we hit the town centre itself, which was gridlocked with big 4WD’s towing monster power boats, enroute to Lake Eildon and Bonnie Doon. I couldn’t help wonder, with all that traffic, how the serenity would be, but that’s a story for another day.
We stayed on a country estate in a lovely rustic cottage called Wood Duck Cabin, a few minutes from Yea town centre, and it being Good Friday, we headed downtown for a seafood feed. Chanced upon the beer garden at the Country Club Hotel and ordered and ate the best fish and chips in the world (big call I know, but I like a big call.) The setting sun dramatically highlighting the autumn trees out back and all seemed right in the world.
We came this way to do some hiking (both of us) and a bit of trout fishing (one of us that isn’t me. And can I just add here, no trout were harmed during this activity.) The Victorian Rail Trail is Australia’s longest continuous rail trail, spanning 134 kilometres from Tallarook, through Yea to Mansfield and we were keen to do some of it. We started our hike at Trawool Estate as there is some interesting artwork on the trail, and we planned to do 8k’s return.
At around 500m or so, we glanced across the road and saw what looked like the start of another trail – Gawarn Baring (meaning Echidna Track in Taungurung language) that led to a reservoir, and we were like, “let’s do it!” Have I learnt nothing about doing trails that we have literally done no research on? Clearly not.
It was all up! Straight up, with the occasional slight plateau, but just up! And then on the return, it was down, straight down! My lungs hated the up and my knees hated the down, but that said, it was magnificent Aussie bushland with some spectacular scenery, awesome birdlife, and a massive, impressive reservoir at the turnaround point.
The trail is well marked (thankyou little yellow triangles), and despite the same route up and down (I did opine how a different return trail might have been nice, only to be shot down with an “and destroy more of the environment so you can see something different each way” conversation – um duh!) it was satisfyingly challenging.
We held the post walk recovery at the Sedona Estate winery. A 16-minute drive from Yea, turn left at the Llama Farm (if I was a Llama Farmer (that’s fun to say) I would call one of my Llama’s Dalai – I know, it’s a gift…you’re welcome), and then crack onto some dirt roads and you’re there.
The winery panorama was striking and we had a cheeseboard that most definitely ranks, yep, I’m calling it, best in the world! With locally sourced smoked trout and cheeses, marinated olives, homemade trout pate, dukkha, infused olive oil, shiraz jam….stop me now! We are cellar door frequent flyers, and this cheese platter was elite.
We returned to Trawool the next day to actually do some of the Rail Trail. Traffic on the road adjacent to the trail dulled my inner Om, however picturesque countryside more than made up for it. Mother nature just kicks derriere when it comes to colour and content creation!
There’s plenty more to explore in Victoria’s high country. Get there!
