During the recent holiday break, I took the chance to travel up to Woodend, as I couldn’t recall having been there. This is what transpired on that day.
The weather was cool and crisp, so I made sure to don my heavy jacket and scarf, and took the V-line from Bendigo to Woodend. It was a pleasant trip which didn’t take long.
After disembarking from the train, Woodend’s beauty was immediately apparent to me, and I quickly made sure to capture this beauty on my Samsung Galaxy tablet, so I could share that day’s adventures with the world on Instagram.
Woodend is a small place, so it didn’t take long for me to reach the heart of the town. At this point my throat was feeling rather dry, and the Holgate Brewhouse stands prominently in the center of town, so I headed straight for it, at least before taking a couple more shots with my tablet…
It was rather quiet inside. I wasn’t surprised, as it was about midday, and I suspected it only got really busy at night. I only saw two men sharing a drink, and the bartender. I walked up to him and asked if they had Moscato, a sweet tasting wine I’d taken a shine to of late. They did indeed, and he poured me a glass. I took it to an adjacent table.
A menu was on the table, so I checked out their list of food as well as beverages. The food was your standard pub fare. Interestingly they offered tours of the Brewhouse. I decided to enquire about this.
I asked the man at the counter, whose name was Frank as it turned out, about the tour, and I was out of luck, unfortunately; the person who usually gave the tours wasn’t feeling well at present. The flu, Frank said.
Still, Frank offered to fill me in about the history of this place. Paul and Natasha Holgate are the owners since 1999. They both have similar backgrounds of study, that being science and chemistry, and while on a trip to America, they stumbled upon an independently-run craft Brewhouse much like theirs today, and this gave them the inspiration to try their luck, essentially.
I finished my Moscato, paid, and continued working my way northwards through Woodend. At first I just passed a line of shops and eateries, then I came upon the town library. Past that was more natural scenery, and to the left was a trail, which I decided to follow.
I had no idea where this would take me, all I knew was that the scenery now surrounding me was glorious. I know people say you ought to live in the moment, but I couldn’t help taking photo after photo, and I’m glad I’ve captured those memories since.
As I continued along the path, I came upon a gently trickling stream, and a football oval, which took me by surprise. Past the oval was a vast open field which took my breath away.
Past the field, it quickly got rather hilly, and my breathing grew ragged; I’m not in the best of shape, but at least this was good exercise for me. After clearing the incline, I came upon a lovely shaded path that I ventured through.
At this point, I was worried that I might get lost. So with some regret, I decided to turn back. I was fairly exhausted, though, and really glad about my trip that day.
After getting off at Bendigo, I was feeling really hungry, so I stopped off at a restaurant I’d never tried before – Lazy Moe’s, on Mitchell St. I ordered Hokkien Noodles and a glass of Moscato, and really enjoyed both.
Then I caught the bus home.