Oot and aboot: Episode 5

We were able to take the opportunity to go out of town last weekend. Friends of ours had moved to the Goulbourn River township of Seymour, about 1.5 hours from Melbourne. We hadn't seen them in ages, so the invitation to visit could not be resisted.

Seymour itself is much like many country areas in Victoria - small, cosy, and quiet. However, since it services many of the surrounding towns as well as Puckapunyal Army Base, the amenities are probably more diverse (includes chain brands like Target Country, Bakers Delight).

Most of our exploration was a bit further up, in Nagambie. There's a community market there every first Saturday, right next to the lake. Really picturesque spot, welcoming atmosphere, usual market fare such as homemade baked goods, fruit preserves, herbal soaps, fresh produce. (We discovered and bought a couple bottles of Ned Kelly red wine spritzer). Jack loved running up and down the grass, and would stop to do a little dance to the ABBA songs playing on the speakers. It was great to see him comfortable in that setting, although sometimes he was so comfortable he didn't mind leaving mum and dad well behind to gawk at toys.

We then drove to the nearby Tahbilk wetlands and winery. We were amazed from the moment we drove over an old wooden bridge into the area, because from both sides of the car we could already see some of the wildness of the wetlands. After lunch at the cafe [reasonably good food with affordable prices], we went for a short walk around. It was so still and peaceful, and ooold. I know that's a strange thing to say, but you do somehow get a sense of the age of the place, as if it hasn't changed much since the Dreamtime.

The fact, of course, is that there have been some changes since the arrival of white men. A winery was established on site in 1860-61, which continues to produce award-winning wines to this day. We were pretty impressed by the idea that some of the grape vines we drove past were well over a hundred years old!

Tahbilk offers wine-tasting in their unassuming cellar building; you can actually go down unsupervised to where the humongous barrels are kept. It's cold, dark, and musty down there, and the smell of fermentation almost makes you feel heady. An interesting experience for non wine connoisseurs like us, and an exciting place for Jack, who freely ran around even into dark spaces. After exploring the subterranean caverns, we went up for some tasting, which was unexpectedly educational. I can now pick up the differences between a grenache, a mourvedre, and a shiraz. The funny thing is that the experience confirmed my unfashionable preference for sweeter and lighter (cheaper) wines.

A great little weekend holiday punctuated by good, long catch-ups with friends.