Hello my loves,

Sweet Lady Jane, I’ve been everywhere! Ok, not everywhere, but I’ve been to a lot of places in the six weeks since I last wrote. My beloved and I have taken full advantage of open borders and a convenient gap in both our work schedules to set sail on the most fantastic road trip. From the vast majesty of the outback to the crashing grandeur of the southern ocean, from charmingly quaint seaside towns to rolling green hill-scapes, from somnolent ochre rivers to thundering waterfalls: we’ve seen a lot. There’s something about travelling by road that reveals so much more than flying does - watching the landscapes evolve and change as you roll from place to place really gives you a sense of how it all fits together. It’s also been so unbelievably liberating. The sense of freedom, of figuring out each day as it comes, of no set plans, no fixed abode, no set destination and no timetable has been such a cleansing contrast to the preceding months.

We’ve basically done a huge, wonky circle, setting out west from Sydney with Broken Hill first in our sights. There we stopped and surrendered to some of the most incredible landscapes I’ve ever seen. If there’s one thing the outback makes you realise, it’s your insignificance in it. It’s a place that belongs to the kites and the roos, the lizards and emus, the snakes, the mulga trees and the saltbush. I wouldn’t have a flaming hope out there, and I loved that feeling. I don’t think I’ve ever been anywhere that I felt nature truly owned, and you have no choice but to respect it, because there’s quite simply nothing for miles in every direction, and if you don’t understand that, you might be toast. It was such a welcome reset from the uber-controlled urban environment I usually call home, and I absolutely loved it.

From this wild, red-brown land we headed south - all the way south in fact, through Sunraysia and the Mallee and the Wimmera, down to the south coast of Victoria. From there, we sailed along the Great Ocean Road, and over to Gippsland and Wilson’s Promontory (the southern-most point in mainland Australia). Cruising on, we went up and over into Daylesford, Ballarat and Bendigo, and now to our dear friends’ sheep farm in North Central Victoria, where the fourth day of shearing is going strong, and the faint buzz of the cutters is wafting over me on a rustling breeze as I write. It’s been an epic journey, and along the way I’ve collected a clutch of favourite places that I’ve been looking forward to sharing with you. Of course, there’s been much delicious food too, but I’m going to save my run-down on that for next week, lest I overwhelm you by trying pack every single experience from the past six weeks into one humungous email. So for now, I bring you my pick of the best of the best stops on our Amazing Aussie Adventure:

Kinchega National Park - just under an hour and a half from Broken Hill, Kinchega National Park is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Incredible outback landscapes combine with rich history to create a jaw-dropping experience that I will not soon forget.
Port Fairy - perched on the edge of the southern ocean, Port Fairy is quite the most charming seaside town I’ve ever encountered. I’m a sucker for heritage architecture, and Port Fairy abounds with gorgeous stone buildings, much quaintness, and a fabulous lighthouse (I'm also a sucker for lighthouses). The walk around Griffith Island is excellent. Plus you head out to the Great Ocean Road not far from here.
The Great Ocean Road - oh. my. goodness. The Great Ocean road is famous for a reason - it’s absolutely spectacular! In my opinion the section that starts just outside Warnambool and runs through to Apollo Bay offers the most majestic scenery. I know many people start in Melbourne and drive down through Lorne towards Warnambool, but we did the opposite, starting out of Port Fairy and driving towards Melbourne, and I loved this. The areas around Lorne where the road hugs the coast are amazing for sure, but it was the Warnambool-Apollo Bay leg that really blew me away. Mile after mile of lush coastal heath rambles over stunning cliff-scapes that drop away to an ocean surging in swathes of turquoise and deep blue. I cannot even begin tell you how beautiful it is. If you drive this section, I strongly suggest that you stop at every single lookout between Warnambool and the 12 Apostles. Often you can’t see what’s there from the road, but trust me when I tell you that it will always be worth it.
Apollo Bay - I am not usually a beachy person, but Apollo Bay captured my heart. A pristine curve of beach ensconced by rolling green hills, it is utterly picture-perfect, and as yet unspoiled by the expansion that often overwhelms similarly lovely spots. On a sunny day, with the water sparkling like mad, the sand shining white, and the hills glowing brilliant green, I was pinching myself in disbelief that little pieces of paradise like this still exist. Also, scallop pies. But more on that next week.
Daylesford-Castlemaine-Ballarat - ok, I know that's three places, but they're all really quite close to each other, and together they hold a very special place in my heart. It's as if someone took every single thing I love, and packed it all into one gorgeous area. Amazing local food and wonderful producers doing excellent, sustainable things? Tick! Gorgeous heritage architecture with bluestone and apricot brick and weatherboard and lacework as far as the eye can see? Tick! Country lanes lined with poplars and weeping willows and peppered with old stone bridges? Tick! Incredible locally-made wine? Tick! A thriving art and culture scene, swathes of rich, deep-red soil that grows absolutely anything you like, humpy volcanic hillsides, sprawling crop fields and bountiful farmers' markets? TICK, TICK, TICK! Needless to say, I'm in love. I will be sending you several yummy food recs from this area next week!
Wilson’s Promontory - the granite hillsides! The beaches! The ocean! Aggghhh it’s just amazingly beautiful, with bonus seals! And distant penguins! We did a sensational boat trip with Pennicott Wilderness Journeys, which I would highly recommend - cruising the Prom by water affords you with the most incredible vistas. We followed this with a dip in the crystal-clear ocean at Normans Beach, our only swim of the trip, but when a swim is that good, it’s enough to last you a season.

So there you have it! My top spots from our big wonky circle tour of western NSW and regional Victoria! Stay tuned next week for all the delicious foodie delights I've uncovered along the way. I’ll be home by then, back in the loving arms of the cats, and looking forward to seeing the last few weeks of the year out in a lazy early-summer kind of way. Thank you for your understanding as I effed right off for six entire weeks - I definitely missed you, and I’m so delighted to be back in your inbox. Until next week my loves 💛.

Love, Rachel xxx