So it was with great delight on Saturday that my husband announced, let's get in the car and head off somewhere near. We randomly picked Emerald, since it was only 30km away and after taking about 45 mins to grab a few essentials (sandwiches, a bag with extra clothes for the kids, drinks), tennis rackets for the kids, and a quick charge of the camera and gps, we were off.
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It was now about 12.30 and we decided to head for Emerald Park Lake. It didn't take us very long and the car ride was enjoyable. We troop down to the lake and had a look at the paddle boats there, but decided to have our picnic lunch first. The kids ate their sandwiches eagerly and saved some crumbs for the ducks.
The whistling sound of the Puffing Billy train at the station sent the kids and my husband running to check out the arrival of the train, but left me behind to look after the unfinished lunch. In the excitement, the camera was left behind and I took the opportunity to take a few pictures of the surroundings.
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After a good 15 mins of starring at the train, whistling and steaming at the station, the kids had enough and ran back to finish up their drinks. We decided against the paddle boats this time round, but resolved to come back again another time, equipped with sausages and burgers to use on the many free bbqs available around the park.
A few more pictures, and then we were all packed back into the car ready to set off to the next location.
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We switched on our "trusty" GPS and decided to have a look at what attractions there were around the area. It was mostly parks and reserves, and we happened upon the heading Australian Rainbow Trout Farm. However, the GPS somehow decided that the shortest route was through the longest dirt road we have ever seen. For the longest time, there was not a car in sight, and the trees were so close to the dirt path that you had to navigate carefully. I guess it felt like such a long ride possibly because we were only going at 10km/h. At one point, a butterfly overtook us(!!), much to the delight and laughter of everyone in the car. It was an interesting turn to our trip and I must say the lush greenery was serene.
I didn't really know what to expect when we reached the farm. I assumed it would be a place where the breed trouts, and we might walk by and have a look at the fishes, much like ab aquarium. However, once we reached the farm, firstly we discovered there was an alternate route, one which was a bit longer, but with better roads then our little dirt path. And secondly, people came to the Farm to fish. Now, we've never been fishing (myself once when i was very little and had a lot of adult help), so we headed into the front office to see what the farms all about. There were surprisingly quite a lot of people here for a day out. Several large families and groups were converged around the BBQ and picnic facilities. There was also a large number of people gathered about the outdoor pond, some holding fishing rods whilst others seemed to be shouting encouragements and suggestions. A quick venture into the office to have inquire about how the farm works and here it is. There is an entrance fee, which includes all rods, reels and bait for fishing in the ponds or lake. This also includes the cleaning of fish if required and use of BBQs, picnic tables and outdoor games. There are several fish ponds with different fishes (Trout, Jumbo trout and Atlantic Salmon). You pay for all fish caught. They clean it for you or if you require, they can fillet, sashimi or cutlet the fish at an extra price. From what I gathered, most people then either BBQ or eat the fresh sashimi on the grounds and make an outing of it!
Pretty interesting, sounds fun, but something we were not prepared to do today. Definitely something to come back again to do.
Back into the car, and off we went. By now it was almost 3pm and we were running out of places to go. We happened onto Emerald town centre and decided to walk about the rows of shop and see if anything of interest caught our attention. The kids were particularly happy to see a playground, this was the Emerald Station for Puffing Billy, and as we entered the playground, the train passed by full of waving passengers, which the kids delightedly waved to.
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Time to head home, we thought. So back into the car we got. As we were heading back towards Rowville, we passed by the Cardinia Dam. It was a beautiful sight to behold. We noticed a sign to the Cardinia Reservoir Park and decided to swing in to have a look. It was a good choice, we came onto a viewing area of the dam and took a few minutes to enjoy the splendor of the view.
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The sight was tranquil and bewitching. Cardinia Dam was currently at 54.8% capacity. And we could even take a walk along the dam wall, but the sign suggested the round trip would take an hour, and as it was approaching 30 degrees heat, we decided that this too, would be something to do in the future.
With great reluctance, we left the Reservoir and headed home. We were all tired but an enjoyable little trip was had by all.
Till the next road trip!
