Thurs, 11th Jan, 2024 Bush camp by Reedy Creek, near Beechworth to Pioneer Bridges Rest Area, Everton, Vic (exploring Eldorado & Beechworth)

Lots of birds singing their morning chorus. Clear blue sky, no wind, 16 degrees at 7am.

Sent Steve Allard wishes for his birthday today.

Slow start to the morning then we packed up and headed along the gravel road towards Eldorado. Creek on the right and farmland on the left. Hard to imagine the life the fossickers had while working their way along the creek to find their fortunes.

Big weeping willow in the creek.

Across Reedy Creek though it say Reids Creek here. Back at the falls on one map it said it was Woolshed Creek.

More tracks heading down to the creek. Spotted a little blue info sign then a pull off area with history info though the metal signs can be hard to photograph. Ned Kelly gang members. Looking across to where the hut would have been through the tree.

Further along was another one about the township here and where the Kelly Gang hid in the caves up on the hills and the hunt for them by the police. The caves are up on those hills somewhere.

Stopped at the next one about Reidford Hotel and walked down to Reids Crossing. Interesting causeway opening. Looks like some fossickers got carried away digging out this bank which I don’t think is the correct thing to do!

Bushranger Buttery. Didn't think to look for a rock!

There are some bigger camping areas here along the creek.

Next info board about the Miners Huts and chinese workings.

Saw someone working in the creek so wandered down for a chat. Interesting plant.

The couple were just setting up their little high banker sluice machine, using a pump to take water from the creek to then wash the gravel they dig out of the creek. Hope they find something to make all that hard work worthwhile. Chatted for a bit about different places.

More water in the creek than usual after that rain the chap said.

The valley narrowed so the track is now running along the edge of the hill. Then we crossed the creek again.

Another info board on the other side about Kangaroo Inn and the old timber bridge.

The land opened up again as we continued alongside the creek. Chinese Gardens area.

Info about the Poppet Head of Wombat Diggings and somewhere through the trees was another mining township.

The valley narrowed again so back along the hill edge then away from the creek. Passed an old farmhouse with fence walls of firewood. The creek opens to a lake on the map but we can’t see it from here and the track down looked narrow and wet.

Onto the bitumen as we near Eldorado. Found the start of the tourist trail - wasn’t one at the other end. Note the name changes of the creek.

Another lake from the dredging days - there is a huge dredge here somewhere to check out.

Into town - quiet, hot and still. Stopped for a cuppa at the Gunhouse Park Reserve. Lovely tall gums with light pink trunks.

There is a book exchange in a hut so swapped a book as Steve has been getting through a few lately. I always have blog or cross stitch to do!

Lots of information to read. How El Dorado got its name in 1840. A shepherd found gold in the creek in Nov, 1852. Found out why it was called Woolshed Falls - a shearer set up a temporary shed to shear his sheep whilst taking his sheep south - the name stuck. The Reid Brothers made use of the shed and the creek became Reedy (Reids/Reidy) Creek though sometimes Woolshed Creek as the whole area became known as Woolshed. We were going to check out a monument with a Golden horseshoe - this explains it too.

I missed the boulder when we read the sign about bushranger Buttery. On the other sign it said gold hidden in hills - here it is in a log!

Continued through town and out to where the Cocks’ Eldorado dredge is parked in a dam - the only surviving intact one. Wow - impressive. Unfortunately the info boards’ Perspex is hard to read through.

Old mine shaft up on the rise.

More info.

Another info board before we walk across the plank onto the dredge. Plants are now growing in the buckets.

On board. More info about the control room.

The pontoons have filled with water and its sunk now so all the winding gear etc is under water too. Looking down through the grill.

More info about where the gold would have been extracted.

Back to town then onto road to take us back to Beechworth. Open flat cattle grazing with views across to a range in the distance. 

Onto the Wangaratta-Beechworth Road. Lots of wineries appear as we get nearer to Beechworth.

Turned off to the lookout on Gorge Road before we crossed the bridge over Spring Creek. Tried to work out which side the mill was on using the wheel as a guide but it doesn’t make sense - maybe one of these photos has been reversed. Looks like the water for the wheel was fed down a timber race from the creek.

The water fall and the gorge.

If you could get down to it, this would be a nice swimming hole!!

Across the bridge then we climbed the hill. Nice cottages perched on the side with views over the gorge.

Left into Church Street - yes there are a few churches here. St Josephs’ 1875. Missed the others.

Down the road to the Hospital granite façade (1857) - impressive.

Around the corner - lovely blooms on this tree.

Continued along then turned left and down the hill to the Powder Magazine (1860) that is near Spring Creek. I love that they had such pride to even make the fence look nice and rounded the corners.

There is a tourist drive but it is one way and comes in from near the Cemetery. Unfortunately the crossing over Spring Creek is closed so you can’t get the whole way around at the moment. Map shows where we drove along Reedy Creek etc. More things to explore around this area.

Back up the hill and through town - lots of nice older homes. Out to the other end to check out the Golden Horseshoe monument and read the story. Bit different to the first one we read at Eldorado as that said he chose the shoes where this indicates the miners gave him the shoes as he was representing their interests.

Across the road and down to the Cemetery - lots of lovely big trees and plaques.

Beautiful flower with a new bud and a one in progress up the top (I think).

We found the Chinese Burning Towers - very interesting.

Back towards town then around to Lake Sambell for lunch. Great spot up high in the shade watching all the antics, especially the kids using the swing rope.

Evidence of where they used jet water to wash the gravel down out of the walls so they could pan the dirt easier. I wandered what was swimming across the lake and it was two dogs in life jackets following their owners in a canoe (out of picture).

Walked back a bit for a view over the lake to the van park.

Back into town to the park again to wander the streets. It is very hot and humid today and that’s something coming from us who like the heat! The streets are lined with lovely leafy trees.

Ornate light pole outside the Town Hall. Ned Kelly.

Left the walking map in the truck so just wandered along snapping photos of the interesting buildings - all the info is on the maps I photographed yesterday. The old Gold Office of the NSW Bank (1817) had plenty of bars. Newer painted front now but you can still see the old blockwork of the fence at the back.

Continued on up to Church Street to the Anglican Christ Church.

Nice house across the road beside another church (Methodist Church) with the old school house beside it.

Looking down Church Street and across to the Ovens Benevolent Asylum.

Back down the main street.

Stopped in at the old servo. The elderly chap (not the one in the photo) has been collecting toy trucks etc for a long time and has set up a great display. Little boys dream house. We chatted with him about the two cars in the garage, Black FX Holden with some extras and over further was a green Pontiac Camaro. He used to do hill climb racing too but the photos on the walls weren’t of him. Steve remembers working on these 'grey' motors when he was a mechanic at Chellingsworths.

Into the Former Bank of Victoria to a gold, gemstones and jewellery shop. So much to see. The lady said I could take a photo in the old bank vault. They had sheep and Clydesdales on the wall to show the weight of the gold that had been stored in here.

Outside in the courtyard was another Ned Kelly and a gold prospector and lots of information.

Sadly a good display was hidden but Steve found it. A picture of the bridge over Spring Creek - similar to the one at the look out and it is reverse so I think the lookout photo was printed off the wrong side of the negative. Dad had done that once with a view of Green Island so the jetty was going the wrong way!

We did see the golden horseshoes inside - impressive. 

The Gold Office was down the side a bit.

Across the road was the Post Office.

Monument to all the pioneers & miners.

Lots of trees, old paved gutters etc.

Into the historical precinct. First the Telegraph Station that also has a display about the railway. So much to see and read, will need to come back again. Lots of people in the Telegraph Office so couldn’t take many photos. They were busy sending off telegrams to themselves. I remember receiving telegrams for our wedding from family and friends in other states.

Next was the Courthouse.

Then the Gold Office and Sub-Treasury.

Chinese Protectors Office.

The Warden’s Office which then became the Forestry office and has a free display.

At the end of the street opposite the park. We walked a bit further along to the old Gaol. It was bought by a group rather than owned by the shire etc. There are guided and self-guided tours so will do that next time too.

We decided to leave the Museum to another visit as we have seen and read so much history already. I would like to do the guided tours too and hear the stories of Ned Kelly and his gang’s younger days so will do that on another visit.

On the opposite corner is St Andrews Church (1857) - it isn’t in Church St!

The camper looks very small compared to these trees.

Headed back along Ford Street to Spring Creek as we missed a sign about the water race there. Parked near the bridge and walked back onto it to view the race upstream through the flats. It was put in to drain the flats above so they could pan for gold.

Up the road was a cairn so I walked up to read it.

Down the road and around the corner along the old railway line, which is now a walking track, to the old station. Doesn’t look too different to the photo we saw in the museum.

Then around to the other end of Lake Sambell for a cuppa. Across the spillway - the Chinese Gardens are below.

Nice bench in the shade of the tree had our name on it. There is another spillway beside us and a grill that is letting the water out - into the creek probably.

Continued along the road and back out to Ford St and out of town again. We will return as there is still so much to see. I would also love to see the trees in autumn.

Headed back along the road towards Wangaratta then we turned down a minor road to Everton. We turned off before going into town and along a road over two small bridges then a bigger one over the Ovens River to a rest area called Pioneer Bridges.

Can’t find any info about why it is called that but I suppose the bridges were old once and build by the pioneers! I looked on the map and it travels a very wiggly line to the Murray River. Obviously the soil and flat country allows the river to curve a lot as it travels.

Chose a spot near the water.

There are a few other campers here - school holidays still and the kids are having fun in the water on the other side. It is flowing quite fast in front of our camp.

Got out the chairs, table and sat out side working on my blog and enjoying the warmth though it is a tad warm and sticky still at 4pm. I could nearly have gotten in for a swim.

Steve found a chap with a 6x6 to have a chat with.

Terry rang back - I had tried to get him a few times but no answer. Unfortunately his neighbour Pat was away to check if he was ok or was it just the phone. In the end after David tried ringing too he got Brenda and Phillip to call in - Terry was ok, just hadn’t heard the calls. The phone has the volume on the side and when he picks it up he must have made it quiet. He will keep and eye on the volume from now on.

Walked up to the bridge for a photo. Lots of logs stuck here.

With the bright sun still up I even got some cross stitching done.

A young lady pulled in near us and set up her tent and a hammock on a frame - cool. She said she got it as an Aldi Special. Folds up about the same as my collapsible table. Her name is Ali and is a high school teacher in Newcastle. She loved our rig and hopes to one day do the same but for now she loves getting off the main roads and exploring. We had a lovely time chatting about everything.

Eventually the sun set and the temperature cooled down.

8pm dinner outside which was lovely - no mozzies. The cicadas started up and the campers quietened down. We played some cards with our evening cuppa inside.