By Richard Cornish
1. AND RACING …
There's a stretch of the Yea Racecourse where the field is partly obscured coming out of the back straight due to undulating topography and a few trees. That's the nature of country racing. It's more about fun and community than fillies and fashions on the field. Yea Racing Club boasts a beautiful track set against the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. The old bar is basically a shed, with the rafters wired to the hardwood uprights. Outdoor bars are no more than split logs bolted to fence posts. Next weekend the course hosts the annual Christmas meeting.
Yea racecourse.Credit: Richard Cornish
195 Racecourse Road, Sat, Dec 17. Gates open 11am. Entry from $10, country.racing.com
2. AQUATIC LIFE
A tunnel on the Great Victorian Rail Trail.Credit: Richard Cornish
This is a great time to see this beautiful part of Victoria at its best. Spring rains have filled the rivers and the Yea River wetlands on the edge of town are brimming with life. A network of accessible boardwalks leads visitors through the river red gum forest, now full of birds such as kingfishers and silvereyes. It is also humming with dragonflies, including the beautiful, endangered damselfly Hemiphlebia mirabilis, also known as the Ancient Greenling. Discover more about them and the other inhabitants of the wetlands at the Y River Water Discovery Centre. This small, interactive museum explains the importance of river systems, their ecology and how to preserve their integrity. Perfect for inquisitive minds of any age.
2 Hood Street, 7 days 9am-5pm. For guided group tours call (03) 5797 2663, ywatercentre.com.au
3. GREAT VICTORIAN RAIL TRAIL
This 134-kilometre rail trail passes through stunning scenery. Starting at Tallarook (serviced by V/Line trains), it travels through grazing country, old forest, country towns and historic tunnels and cuttings all the way through Yea to Mansfield, with a side trip to Alexandra. The trail is dotted with B&Bs, wineries, restaurants and cafes. This well-made path travels over river flats and historic bridges. More information: greatvictorianrailtrail.com.au
Paul Evans and Sonja Herges at Sedona Estate.Credit: Richard Cornish
4. GOOD FOOD
The Yea Peppercorn Hotel, built in the 1860s, offers bistro classics and good wine. It features a bare-brick interior, a pretty garden and very good accommodation. The old-world charm is offset by a live TV feed from the kitchen that allows patrons to watch and guess if their meal is being plated. Out front is a 1987 Jaguar limousine used to take guests on tours of Upper Goulburn and Yarra Valley wineries.
The Peppercorn Hotel in Yea.Credit: Richard Cornish
21a Station Street, Wed-Sun lunch and dinner, (03) 5797 2000, yeapeppercorn.com.au
5. SEDONA ESTATE
A platter served at Sedona Estate.Credit: Richard Cornish
This small winery hidden in the hills off the Maroondah Highway offers some great wines at good prices. Winemaker Paul Evans was previously at Domaine Chandon and Oakridge. Come here for the beautiful outlook, good food platters on weekends and a chance to meet the winemaker, perhaps tour the winery, and an opportunity to buy beautifully aromatic and intelligently structured wines at a price that reflects the non-trendy area in which they are made.
182 Shannons Road, Murrindindi, Wed-Sun & public holidays, (03) 9730 2883, sedonaestate.com.au
A tardis in the garden of Yea Emporium.Credit: Richard Cornish
6. YEA EMPORIUM
Yea has the most wonderful convivial vibe. Its historic streets are dotted with community gardens where vegies are grown with an invitation for people to help themselves. There's even one outside the cop shop. This spirit continues in the Yea Emporium where farmers and townsfolk gather in a cafe that serves good coffee and value-for-money meals. Try a boiled egg and toast soldiers for $5. Produce comes from the garden out back, or the owner's nearby farm. Local products and second-hand goods from artists, crafts people and collectors are gathered in stalls inside this large historic store.
The Yea Emporium.Credit: Richard Cornish
94 High Street, open 7 days, (03) 5797 3222, yeaemporium.com.au
Next Week: Yarraville
6reasons@richardcornish.com.au
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Richard Cornish was a guest of Murrindindi Shire.