1. Bear's Castle
There's a castle in the forest near Yan Yean reservoir. Erected as a folly in 1846 for early pastoralist John Bear, it was built from local clay, straw, gravel and sand by two men from Devon using a traditional cob method. The castle was never used defensively but a family did live there in the 1860s. Its interior is impressive, with arched windows formed by the branches and trunks of old trees. On October 22, the Whittlesea Courthouse Visitor Information Centre will provide a rare opportunity to visit Bear's Castle on a special 2.5-hour guided tour.
Church Street and Beech Street, Sat, Oct 22, 9.30am, Cost $30, Call (03) 9716 1866 to book.
Bread baked in a wood-fired oven, Turners Bakehouse, Mernda. Photo: Richard Cornish
Turners Bakehouse, Mernda. Photo: Richard Cornish
2. Turners Bakehouse
Mernda, a historic township now subsumed by suburbia, has a bakery with a wood-fired oven that produced its first loaves in the 1890s. This Scotch oven still fires up each day to produce lovely, crusty sourdough loaves. The bakery, which still pulls water from a well, produces perhaps the most delicious Cornish pastie in Melbourne. The former baker's house is now a cafe, where light meals are served in the bedrooms and leafy garden. The owners are proud of the bakery's history and are willing to take customers on brief tours behind the scenes.
107 Schotters Road, Mernda, Mon-Fri 8am-3pm, Sat-Sun 9am-3pm, (03) 9717 5834, turnersbakehouseeatery.com.au
Toorourrong Reservoir, Whittlesea. Photo: Richard Cornish
3. Toorourrong Reservoir Park
Built in the 1850s, Yan Yean was Melbourne's first large reservoir. The water quality wasn't good, so in the 1880s the Plenty River was dammed upstream at Toorourong Reservoir so water could be diverted around towns and farmland via an aqueduct to Yan Yean. That aqueduct is still in use today and can be seen at Toorourrong Reservoir Park, 12 hectares of open space surrounded by farms and forest. The site has recently been improved and reopened after the 2009 fires. It offers walking tracks, barbecue and toilet facilities. An interpretive walk along the reservoir's bank is marked by metal numbers representing key facts, such as 300 – the number of years a mountain ash forest will live before it reaches its peak and needs to be renewed by fire.
120 Jacks Creek Road, 9am-5pm (daylight saving 9am-8pm), parkweb.vic.gov.au
Fun Fields, Whittlesea. Photo: Richard Cornish
4. Funfields
Funfields is open again for the warmer months. This theme park offers 20 attractions such as a pirate ship, an 800-metre toboggan ride that takes just a minute to get to the bottom, and water slides with names such as Typhoon and Kraken Racer. Funfields is set on a hillside with plenty of green space and views across the countryside. Plenty of food options are available. Electric barbecues and outdoor dining spaces make this a family friendly venue.
2365 Plenty Road, Whittlesea, funfields.com.au
Farm Vigano. Photo: Richard Cornish
5. Farm Vigano
Italian-born Mario Vigano opened Mario's restaurant in Melbourne's Exhibition Street in 1932. It was a cultural and gastronomic hub, as was the weatherboard house he built on the banks of the Plenty River in the 1930s. It boasted a large kitchen garden and views across the bush and river gorge. Today it is a very popular and stylish family restaurant, serving traditional Italian dishes such as porchetta with butter and capers. It is imbued with a real sense of Italian hospitality.
10 Bushmans Way, South Morang, Wed-Sun Lunch from 11am, Thu-Sun 6pm-late, (03) 9407 1212, farmvigano.com.au
Le Page Homestead. Plenty Gorge Park, Whittlesea. Photo: Richard Cornish
6. Plenty Gorge Park
The Plenty River flows through and around Whittlesea, cutting a deep gorge on its way. On a river bend at nearby South Morang, the Le Page family, originally from the Guernsey Islands, set up their farm in the 1880s. The original homestead and stone outbuildings survive today and are incorporated in the Hawkstowe picnic area. This will be the venue for the Hawkstowe music festival on November 20, starting at 1pm. Jazz will be played on the homestead lawns, food, wine and beer will be on sale, and activities will be provided for children.
Hawkstowe picnic area, Plenty Gorge Park, Gordons Road, South Morang. parkweb.vic.gov.au
Next Week: Lindenow
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