An impromptu Saturday Road Trip

Some months ago I had an email from a friend sending photos of Skipton in North Yorkshire. Skipton is a town which I am reasonably familiar with. I used to go there for lunch when visiting my uncle who lived near Blackburn in Lancashire. When I lived in Sheffield, Skipton was close enough for a day trip. I like Skipton. It's a pretty little place.

About a 45 minute drive from here is another Skipton. I am not as familiar with it - it's a place I used to drive through, many years ago, when I lived in Beaufort and then Ballarat but not somewhere that I recall ever having actually been to. I decided I would go to my local Skipton, take some photos and send them to the friend who sent the North Yorkshire photos.

Then I forgot all about it. The email fell down, down, down the list and out of my memory bank.

I found it again late last week.

On Saturday I was at a loose end. Lindsey was in Melbourne. There were no markets, it being the fifth Saturday of the month. But the Mushroom Farm had, according to Facebook, restocked after its Easter break. So I suggested to Jim that we go out there so I too could restock. Jim was a bit unsure about this. He was wearing a long sleeved tee shirt and jumper but was also wearing a pair of pyjama pants and his slippers. I had washed his tracksuit pants and his trousers and none of them were dry. I pointed out that no-one would notice - he could stay in the car while I did the shopping. So he came. For the ride.

I did the shopping and then suggested to Jim that we head out on an adventure. Neither of us had any plans for the day and it seemed a good chance to head out to Skipton for a look around. He seemed a bit nonplussed by this idea but agreed that we should go.

It's a lovely drive out to Skipton, through Smythesdale, Scarsdale, Linton. Then we arrived in Skipton. I have to say, there's not a lot there though it too is a pretty little place. 

The main drag

Historical Society

Mount Emu Creek

There are pictures of platypuses dotted around

I surmise that there are platypuses in the creek

I might have bought something for lunch but the takeaway shop has closed down and the deli wasn't open. There is a small IGA but I wasn't tempted to buy groceries. I did, however, see signposts to Beaufort and decided to head there. A Saturday road trip.

I lived in Beaufort for 3 years in my mid-30s. We moved from there to Ballarat and I haven't had many reasons to return, and not at all since I returned from the UK. I've been close but I can't remember having been into the town for many, many years. So many, that I had entirely forgotten the existence of the lake although we used to go there often. Our church had sunrise services there on Easter Sundays. It was a good place for family picnics. Some of our guests at Jim's birthday party had mentioned it and told us of information boards detailing indigenous culture and history, but it hadn't really registered (although Freyja remembers them talking about it).

Beaufort was quite busy. There were lots of people at picnic tables around the rotunda, lots of people in the shops and cafes, lots of people having a good time. The takeaway shop on the main road hasn't closed down and was open for business. Unfortunately, it only takes cash and I seldom carry cash. I went in search of an ATM. We couldn't go into any of the cafes because, if you remember, Jim was wearing pyjama bottoms and slippers. Freyja rang while I was hunting for an ATM and looked on the internet. I had walked past one, in the window of the news agency - right next to the fish and chip shop! I had looked in through the door of the news agency but not at the window.

So, fish and chips acquired and the existence of the lake having been brought back to my memory (we had driven past the lakeside caravan park on the way into town, plus the lake is signposted) we drove to there to eat them.

Where our Easter Sunday services took place,
looking towards the caravan park

I would have gone and looked at the information boards dotted along the boardwalk, but it didn't seem fair to leave Jim abandoned in the car (again!) for all that length of time and he certainly couldn't have walked it. Not only was he wearing slippers, but we hadn't brought his walker. I'm not sure he would have walked it anyway. Something to do on another day.

I must admit that I was surprised to find a proper, 110 km/h freeway joining Beaufort to Ballarat. When I lived there it was a single lane road. It was (and still is) the main road from Melbourne to Adelaide, taking you through the Western District and places such as Ararat and Horsham. It was quite dangerous at times, given the number of freight trucks that used it. The existence of a proper freeway was a very pleasant discovery, although I don't know how far west it goes. It made for a very good drive home.

A good, unplanned day. We will go again, having first got Jim properly dressed, and try one of the cafes.

I have done a bit more work on the patio and now it looks like this:

I've put the boxes with the mint plants in front
of this bed

I need to sort out the bit with the barbecue.
It's all jumbled up

I've made a start on the new fruit bed:

I think, if I ever get it all finished, that it should look quite nice