We went to the Avalon Airshow, just out of Melbourne on Saturday 4th of March. Getting there was very easy. We bought tickets from VLine online which covered the train from Southern Cross Station and a shuttle bus from Lara Station to Avalon. The trains were running every 20 minutes to cater for the demand. At Lara, there was a queue of buses ready to take people. All very well organised and it ran smoothly.
There was an easy to follow map provided at the gate when we arrived at 8:30AM. There were also several large bill boards around the airfield with maps on them. The ground displays were very well set out, usually with defence force personnel around to talk and answer questions. The weather could not have been better. A top of 28oC. A little cloudy in the morning, but this was mostly gone by midday. We remembered the sunscreen, and were very pleased we did. Some people didn’t bother and by mid-afternoon, a few very red a sore people were standing around.
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
Most of the current RAAF aircraft were present. The main draw card was the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. We headed there first to avoid the crowds later in the day. The barriers let people get quite close, so you could see a lot of detail and take some great pictures. At one of the two on display, you could reach up and touch the wing if you were tall enough.
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Avalon Airshow March 2017
F/A-18
All three types of F-18s operated by the RAAF were on display, the classic F/A-18A Hornet, the F/A-18F Super Hornet and the new F/A-18G Growler. The Super Hornet also put on a fantastic flying display showing off its abilities. Watching it climb vertically to 10,000m was spectacular. Having never seen one fly before, its maneuverability was surprising and watching it fly down the runway with a 50-degree angle of attack very impressive.
F/A-18A Hornet Avalon Airshow March 2017F/A-18F Super Hornet Avalon Airshow March 2017F/A-18G Growler Avalon Airshow March 2017
Royal Australian Air Force
The old P-3 Orion anti-submarine and patrol aircraft was there, along with its new replacement the P-8 Poseidon. The other Boeing 737 derived aircraft operated by the RAAF the E-7AWedgetail was sitting nearby.
The RAAF’s lead-in jet trainer the BAE Hawk put on a flying display. Although impressive, it showed the huge gap between trainers and a real combat aircraft like the Super Hornet which had flown earlier.
BAE Hawk Trainer Avalon Airshow March 2017
Singapore and New Zealand sent Hercules transports. The RNZAF put on a very nice flying display with theirs. Singapore also sent F-15s which looked very impressive on the ground.
United States Air Force
The US had some of the best aircraft there. Three F-22s were the highlight, along with a B-1 bomber. The F-22 looks a lot sharper than the F-35 and its pilots were very proud of their machines, willing to talk and answer endless questions from spectators. Several older F-16 jets were parked up near the F-22s giving a stark contrast to the old and new technology.
F-22 Raptor Avalon Airshow March 2017F-16 Avalon Airshow March 2017B-1 Bomber Avalon Airshow March 2017
Antonov An-124
What looked to be the biggest aircraft there was the Ukrainian Antonov AN 124. A very impressive looking transport.
Antonov An124 at Avalon Airshow Melbourne March 2017Antonov An124 at Avalon Airshow Melbourne March 2017
Helicopters
Many helicopters were also on the ground display. The Tiger battlefield helicopter looked very lethal, despite the problems that the Army has had with its implementation. The nearby NH-90, which has also had its fair share of issues was also open for a close look by the public. The US contribution to this section was the Apache attack helicopter, always a great sight in its dark grey camouflage.
Tiger Helicopter Avalon Airshow March 2017NH-90 Helicopter Avalon Airshow March 2017Apache Helicopter Avalon Airshow March 2017
Historical Aircraft
Many historical aircraft were on display from many Australian collections. Airworthy examples from RAAF Point Cook, Temora and HARS put on some very nice displays. The Super Constellation, looked huge (and it is a big aircraft), as it circles the runway. On static display were a Harrier jump jet, Canberra bomber and what looked like half of the Temora Aviation Museum’s collection, including the Boomerang, Meteor and Hudson.
C-47 Dakota Avalon Airshow March 2017BAE Harrier Avalon Airshow March 2017Canberra Bomber Avalon Airshow March 2017BAE Harrier Avalon Airshow Melbourne March 2017Training Aircraft Flyby Avalon Airshow March 2017
Australian Army
The army had an M-1 Abrams tank on display, along with the types of shells it could fire. They had many other types of vehicles on display, but most people were interested in the tank.
M-1A Abrams Tank Avalon Airshow March 2017
Getting Back To Melbourne
When we left at 2:00PM, there were still hundreds of people streaming in from cars and buses and the car park was almost full. Some had decided to watch from the boundary fence, and along the roadside. They would have seen the flying displays, but not well, and missed all the ground static displays.
The trip home by train was as easy as the journey in. Arriving back in Melbourne, we had a quick freshen up at our hotel, a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant, and got ready to see a show at night. Overall a very satisfying day.
We drove directly to Melbourne and our accommodation, the Mercure Welcome Melbourne. We had the car parked by the valet for $35 a night. There is an option to park it for $25 a day at a nearby secure parking, but as we didn’t want to walk with bags and would need the car several time, we went for the valet option.
The Mercure Welcome Melbourne is on the corner of Swanston Street and Little Bourke Street. This is right in the middle of the city, so is convenient to nearly everything and at $117 per night was excellent value for money. The room we booked was small, but we were aware of this and only planned to sleep there, so extra room wasn’t needed.
Our eldest daughter had already booked into the hotel, so we caught up with her, and went for a walk along Swanston Street. Where Swanston meets Flinders Street, there is a row of horse-drawn carriages. We rented one for a half hour trip which cost us $100. The cost is the same for one person, or a full carriage. The horses take you down St Kilda Road on a loop. It’s almost as much fun watching other tourists take photos of you, as the trip itself.
Simply wandering around, we came across some excellent street art. An entire alleyway full of graffiti. There are several areas where street art is visible. We asked the concierge for the best area, and he gave us directions.
For dinner, we wandered down to Degraves Street. A narrow lane-way closed to traffic, it’s full of eateries. You can choose to eat inside, or in the street. An excellent choice of meals. There should be enough variety to satisfy most people. We went for Italian, with Italian Peroni beer for me and a cider for the wife.
Dog Statue Swanston St Melbourne
The Businesmen – Statues on Swanston Street Melbourne
Horse and Carriage Swanston St Melbourne
Melbourne Arts Centre at Night
Street Art
Street Art
Day 4.
This was the day we caught up with our youngest daughter at Holmesglen TAFE. She has just finished her catering course for the RAN. As a finale, a lunch was put on for family and some Defence Force Personnel. Everything went very well, and afterwards, we drove her back to HMAS Cerberus, and then for an afternoon snack in Morningtion. There was time for a quick walk on the beach and a chance to look at the beautiful beach houses. These are one of Mornington’s biggest attractions and a must see if you are in the area.
Beach Change Houses Mornington
Beach Change Houses Mornington
The drive back into Melbourne CBD was uneventful. The road is quite boring but along the way are quite a few pieces of artwork, ranging from giant birds, rams heads, gnomes to a pretend hotel. Arriving back in Melbourne, it was necessary to drive slowly through China Town’s Little Bourke Street at night to avoid the numerous pedestrians. They seem to just walk out into the road without regard for traffic.
There was a beautiful sunset over Melbourne and we had a great view from the bridge over the Yarra River next to Flinders Street Station. An evening stroll down Southbank was very relaxing after the drive back, with many of the decorations from Chinese New Year still in place.
Sunset Over the Yarra River
Park Sculpture St Kilda Road
Melbourne Arts Centre at Night
Day 5.
12 Apostles Great Ocean Road
An early start saw us leaving the hotel before breakfast was served. Our car was ready and waiting as promised by the valet.
The drive to the 12 Apostles and along the Great Ocean Road was very easy. Although the scenery is boring at first it improves along the Great Ocean Road, with some spectacular ocean views. We arrived just as the helicopter flights were setting up for the day.
Helicopter Flight
The helicopter flight was spectacular and provides an unrivaled view of the 12 Apostles and the coast line. We took the 30-minute flight for $135 each. The helicopter has eight seats. Beware if you sit in the rear, as the view from the middle seats can be a bit restricted.
Eurocopter EC 130 T2
12 Apostles Helicopter
The flight went west past Port Campbell and then returned. The views of the 12 Apostles Great Ocean Road were amazing and a totally different perspective from those on the cliffs. As well as taking photos, there is a recording made of the flight which you can buy and is given to you on a USB drive.
It’s highly recommended that you get to the Visitor Centre early, as when we landed, the queues were quite long to get on the flights. At this stage though, they were getting another two helicopters out to cater for the growing crowd.
12 Apostles Victoria
12 Apostles Victoria
After the flight, we crossed the road to the lookout. The views here are fantastic and despite crowds everyone can get a good view. If you want to go down to the beach, travel east to Gibson Steps, where there is another lookout an steps down to the sand.
Port Campbell
Ten minutes down the road from the 12 Apostles visitor centre is the small town of Port Campbell. There is a very nice café sitting right opposite the beach. We had apple pie and coffee for a morning snack, rounding off a very enjoyable morning. The town was quite peaceful and relaxing when we were there, but a local told us that in summer, the population swells by 3,000. If you want a quiet time, probably best not to be there during school holidays.
RAAF Museum Point Cook
The RAAF museum was next on our itinerary. It was a three-hour drive from where we spent the morning. Arriving at 2PM, we still had two hours to see the excellent RAAF collection. It hosts aircraft from World War One to the present. The latest examples being an F-111 and a McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom. The World War One and Two exhibits are exceptionally well presented in enclosed hangers, where you can walk around the aircraft for some brilliant views.
The modern hanger hosts the F-4, F-111 and a Canberra. They are displayed behind a Perspex barrier. There are viewing portals in the Perspex so that un-obscured photos can be taken, but you are unable to get close to the aircraft. The forth hanger is more of a storage facility, with the displays held behind a wire mesh. There is an elevated viewing platform, but many of the aircraft on the far side of the hanger are obscured.
The final hanger is where restoration is taking place. This area also has an elevated platform, but the whole area looks a bit of a mess, as it is a workshop, with partially restored aircraft and parts lying around.
Bristol BloodhoundSurface to Air MissileRAAF Museum Point Cook
CAC Boomerang RAAF Point Cook
McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom RAAF Point Cook
Supermarine WalrusRAAF Museum Point Cook
GAF Pika and Jindivik RAAF Point Cook
Overnight we stayed at the delightful Quality Suites d’Olive. These semi-detached units consist of a bedroom with king size double bed, lounge, kitchenet and spa-bathroom. All very nicely appointed and good value at $190 a night. They had turned the air conditioner on before we arrived, so the whole unit was nice and cool. Dinner was had in their restaurant; also very nice, with excellent wait staff.
Day 6.
The following day was our biggest planned drive from Point Cook to Bowral in New South Wales, a total of eight hours driving. The Hume Highway is very easy driving, with dual carriage way most of the way. To speed an otherwise boring trip, we only stopped at the roadside service stations. Nothing special about any of them except that they are clean and sold petrol and snacks.
Windmills on the Hume Highway
Bradman Museum
Arriving in Bowral at 3:00PM, we went straight to the Bradman Museum, for a two-hour immersion in Australian cricketing history. Any cricketing fan needs to go here at some time, just to get a feel for the history of the game. This is a world-class museum, despite being in rural Bowral.
Sir Donald Bradman Statue
Bradman Museum Bowral NSW
Bradman Museum Bowral NSW
The Invincibles – Bradman Museum Bowral NSW
Accommodation for the night was at Briar’s Country Lodge. This old inn is in a lovely setting, with a large pond and rotunda out the back. Obviously set up for weddings, it is very picturesque. The inn has a restaurant where you pay up front for your meal and then have it delivered to your table. Much like a pub. Although neither of us liked the meals we ordered, the beers on tap – try the speckled hen; and cider kept us happy on the outside veranda through the evening.
Beer and Cider Briar’s Country Lodge
Day 7. Plans for this day were cancelled, as the forecast temperature was in the mid-forties. Instead of going to Nowra and the Fleet Air Arm Museum, we headed straight home to Singleton. After a leisurely breakfast, we undertook the three-hour drive home, only stopping at a service station on the M1 to Newcastle for coffee and a toilet break. We arrived home to 44oC heat.
The Route Taken
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We recently took a week off to travel to Melbourne from Singleton in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales. The excuse for this trip was to visit our daughter who is training with the Navy on the Mornington Peninsular. She has just finished a course, so never ones to pass up an opportunity, we put a quick plan together to drive down and visit some places on the way we had not seen before.
As we were running to a deadline to be in Melbourne, not everything on our way could be seen. Many interesting things had to be bypassed, or only looked at briefly. The same was true for the return trip, as work commitments meant we had to be back.
On previous trips, we have taken the shortest route, via Sydney down the Hume Highway. This time our journey took us via the Bylong Valley and Bathurst. This takes a few extra hours of driving, but gave us the opportunity to see a part of the country we hadn’t visited before.
Day 1.
We left early at 6AM. This was done to give ourselves plenty of time in case of delays and get the most out of the day. The Golden Highway going north is generally only single lane with the occasional overtaking lane. If you get stuck behind a slow driver, truck or caravan, overtaking opportunities can be limited. Be patient, there are some long clear straights where visibility is good and there are usually overtaking lanes going up-hill. Being outside of school holidays must have worked well, as we did not get delayed at all by traffic.
We turned off the Golden Highway before Sandy Hollow onto the Bylong Valley Way. This country road is single lane, often windy and steep in a couple of places. It does however, offer some great views as you travel along the Goulburn River. At Rylstone, we made a quick stop for fuel, coffee and a change of drivers. The coffee from the café in the main street was great and the food from the bakery was excellent value. We ate some of it now and kept the rest for lunch.
Bathurst
Arriving at Bathurst around 10AM, we found that there was a race meeting on at Mount Panorama. The National Motor Racing Museum is located within the race’s boundary, so we couldn’t go in. Who would have thought? A race on at a racing track? Next time we’ll know to check if there is an event on and you can’t enter without a ticket for the event as well.
Although a little disappointed that we missed the museum, we stopped in the main street of Bathurst. A takeaway coffee was bought and we relaxed in the park off the main street. There is a statue commemorating the discovery of the area by George William Evans as well as a local aboriginal warrior.
George William Evans Statue Bathurst NSW
St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church Bathurst NSW
Bathurst NSW
Cowra
Japanese POW and ANZAC Cemetery
A 90-minute drive to Cowra brought us to the Japanese and ANZAC cemetery. This was one of the main reasons for travelling this route. A very peaceful place on the outskirts of Cowra, over 200 Japanese prisoners are buried here, most of them from the breakout late in World War 2. There is also a section nearby for the Allied servicemen who died in the area.
Cowra Prisoner of War Camp
Not far from the cemetery are the remains of the Prisoner of War camp. There is a replica guard tower and a covered area with descriptions of the camp and explanations of the breakout. There is also a memorial to the Italian prisoners who died while held there. We were not aware of the other nationalities incarcerated there, as most of the publicity is about the Japanese. There is very little of the actual camp remaining. Mostly concrete blocks. The information provided there however, helps set out the environment of the camp and the actions taken during the breakout.
Tourist Information Office
There is a very nice Tourist Information Office in the centre of town. As well as looking at the supply of brochures to see what else was on in Cowra, we spoke to the friendly woman behind the desk. She told us that the Archibald Prize paintings were on display at the local art gallery. This was conveniently located opposite the Peace Bell which we also wanted to see.
Entry to the gallery was by donation, which is very reasonable. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed, but we spent some time admiring the art work. Not being experts in art, we only spent about 15 minutes.
Peace Bell
The Peace Bell is located across the road from the gallery in Civic Square. You can walk up to the pavilion it is housed in and ring the bell. A replica of the one in the forecourt of the United Nations, it is the only one in the world not located in a city.
ANZAC War Cemetary Cowra NSW
Japanese War Cemetary Cowra NSW
Japanese War Cemetary Cowra NSW
Guard Tower Cowra POW Camp
Italian Memorial Cowra NSW
POW Camp Cowra NSW
The Peace Bell Cowra
Temora
Driving another two hours had us arriving in Temora and the Temora Aviation Museum at 2:00PM. Many of the aircraft here are in flying condition and put on a display on Saturdays. Check before you plan to visit for dates and times. The collection ranges from Tiger Moth biplanes to Meteor jet fighters and a Canberra bomber. For me the highlight was a CAC Boomerang, an Australian designed and built fighter from World War 2. The aircraft in the hanger could be walked right up to and ladders and platforms were set up so you could view the cockpits. There were plenty of staff and pilots around that you could talk to and get details of the aircraft.
In addition to the operational hanger, there is an air-conditioned display hanger. This is full of other aircraft, including a Wirraway, Sabre, Dragonfly, Canberra and Vampire. Photo opportunities are excellent as the barriers are very close to the aircraft, so you can approach them all closely.
CAC Boomerang – Temora NSW
Lockheed Hudson Temora NSW
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
Boeing Stearman
We stayed overnight at the Aromet Motor Inn in Temora. At $105 for the night including continental breakfast, is was a cheap budget option. The motel is old, but is clean and the bed comfortable, which was all we were after. Dinner was at the Terminus Hotel in the centre of town. A quick counter meal with drinks only set us back $50. Typical pub food, simple, tasty and lots of it. And cold beer which is important.
Terminus Hotel Temora NSW
Day 2.
The Aromet continental breakfast was delivered at 7:00AM as we asked. Toast is a do it yourself affair using the toaster provided in the room. Make sure the toaster is set low, or if you burn the toast, the fire alarm will go off. As we found out.
Junee
There is a chocolate and liquorice factory in Junee, 40 minutes south of Temora on the Olympic Highway. There is not much to see on the drive, but watch out for the road side mail boxes. They come in all different designs, from planes and tractors to miniature houses. The chocolate factory opens at 9:AM, so as we had an hour to wait, we got a coffee in the main street. Not the best of coffees and both were deposited into a nearby bin. There is a nice park running up the centre of the main street. It contains the War Memorial and a statue to Ray Warren, a well know football commentator and radio personality. The main attraction however, is the beautiful train station and surrounding buildings dating from 1878. There were some excellent photo opportunities, as no one else seemed to be around on a sleepy Sunday morning.
Junee Train Station
Junee Train Station
Ray Warren Statue
The Chocolate factory is based in an old flour mill, built in the 1930s. It was opened promptly at 9:00 by a very friendly staff member. We had a look around the show rooms and factory area, buying some of the organically produced licorice. There is a very nice café / restaurant, serving very nice coffee and snacks. We didn’t order a meal from the restaurant, but the setting in the old mill is very nice. Licorice is produced on a Sunday, so if you specifically want to see that, that’s the day to be there.
Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory
Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory
Holbrook
Heading back onto the Olympic Highway we drove through Wagga Wagga and onto the A41 towards Holbrook. Our reason for this detour was to see the submarine that is on display. HMAS Otway forms the centrepiece of the town’s tourist attractions. As well as the sub there is a nice museum and café.
The submarine is fully accessible. Your permitted to climb the casing and walk around the deck. As well at Otway, there is a model of the B11 submarine, which was commanded by Lieutenant Holbrook a winner of the Victoria Cross (the town was renamed after him). Near the museum is a replica of submarine AE2’s conning tower. The museum displays a history a Australia’s submarine history and is really worth the small entrance fee.
HMAS Otway was purchased in 1995, after fund-raising in the district. Most of the $100,000 raised was from Lt Holbrook’s widow. This was enough to buy the outer casing of the submarine above the waterline, which is what is now displayed in the town.
The adjoining café served very nice light meals and coffee, with seating inside, or out in the shade.
HMAS OtwayHolbrook NSW
HMAS Otway Holbrook NSW
Submarine B11 Model Holbrook NSW
Torpedo Near HMAS Otway Holbrook NSW
Etamogah Pub
The Hume Highway heads south-west from Holbrook to Albury. We stopped off at the Etamogah Pub for a quick bite to eat. Very much set up to attract tourists, it is never the less worth having a look at, even if to just claim you had a beer there.
Etamogah Pub
Glenrowan
Not stopping in Albury, as we had been there before, we drove on to Glenrowan. This little town is famous as the last stand of the Kelly Gang. The location of the final fight with the police is well-marked out and it is possible to visualise how the fight unfolded. In the township itself, there are several museums and shops dedicated to Kelly memorabilia. The museum we looked through was very interesting, tracing the story of Ned Kelly’s life. The interpretation of Ned’s motivations and his politics are somewhat debatable, and depending who you talk to, a different set of “facts” will be proffered.
Big Ned Kelly Glenrowan Vic
Replica Ned Kelly ArmorGlenrowan Vic
Marker at the Kelly’s Last StandGlenrowan Vic
Wangaratta
For the night, we stayed at the Quality Hotel Wangaratta Gateway. The room was very comfortable and the restaurant served very delicious meals. The hotel cost $206 for the night including breakfast, which was buffet for the continental portion and table service for the cooked meal.
