Fire, Flood, Pestilence

Lorne

Our drive from Apollo Bay to Lorne took just under an hour and it was as picturesque a drive as any we had ever experienced.

The coastal road meandered around lush, green hills and dense woodland for the entire journey and though it was overcast and rainy at times, this did not render the spectacular scenery any less dramatic. 

It is probably not a good idea to embark upon this journey at night if you are unfamiliar with the road or if you are very tired. 

We heard of a tragic accident on this very stretch of road a few weeks after our return home, where the young driver is likely to have become momentarily distracted by the beautiful views surrounding her and ended up driving at speed through the crash barriers into the sea below. 

Keep your wits about you at all times if you are the designated driver on this stretch of road and as beautiful as the scenery is, it's best to try and limit your admiration of it to one of the safe viewing points en route.

We arrived at our hotel in Lorne at about 6:30 pm. 

We stayed at the Lorne Coachman Inn which was located next to a campsite at the far end of town. 

Our accommodation there was excellent. Similar or slightly superior in quality to that of Robe and Halls Gap. We each had a large double room with kitchen area and en-suite bathroom plus a TV which actually worked. It was fantastic.

As we were so close to the campsite we were surrounded by cockatoos and kookaburras. There was a cockatoo perched on the railings of our balcony and kookaburras were all around hoping they could scrounge a sausage or two from one of the BBQs in the campsite. 

We were told by our friend in Melbourne that koalas also tended to veer towards campsite locations in the hope of a few scraps at BBQ time, so we looked in all the gum trees we could see but sadly no koalas at all anywhere. 

We had read about the wildfires in the Otway National Park just a few weeks before which did cause us a little angst as nationwide travel restrictions were introduced in mid January which threatened to thwart our trip.. 

The bushland around Lorne had been particularly badly hit and though fortunately for us, the travel restrictions in this area were lifted just over a week before we set off, we noticed charred trees and burnt out sections of woodland everywhere.

Many koalas perished in this area of Australia from November 2019 to January 2020, so we would have been very lucky to spot one in the wild at that time.

Our younger daughter was fortunate indeed to have seen one high up in a gum tree when we travelled to Federal in early January. But the following weekend  wildfires hit the country with the ferocity of the most violent of hurricanes so large numbers of koalas and other wildlife perished or were badly injured in the flames.

We couldn't help but think of this every time we noticed a burnt out tree trunk or an area of woodland that had been completely decimated by the violence of those wind driven fires.

All this rendered our trip to this area of Australia even more precious than it already was. We will always be thankful for the fact that we were able to travel there at all..

Lorne is a larger town than Apollo Bay so on this evening we had plenty of eateries and restaurants to choose from.

We selected excellent Spanish tapas at the Mestizo Restaurante at the opposite end of town from where we were staying so we also enjoyed a pleasant walk at the beginning and end of our evening and became quite familiar with central Lorne which we found far livelier and more vibrant than Apollo Bay had been the previous evening.

I would certainly recommend an overnight stopover or longer in Lorne for anyone of any age group.

There are lots of places to stay, there's a wide selection of restaurant choices, pubs, bars and clubs open till late and several reasonably priced breakfast venues.

It was by far our favourite town on the Great Ocean Road

Erskine Falls - Great Otway National Park

https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/great-otway-national-park/attractions/lorne/things-to-do/erskine-falls

Our next stop in the Lorne area of the Great Otway National Park was at the magnificent Erskine Falls.

This was approximately 9 miles from the centre of Lorne and could easily have been accessed via one of the Queens Park walking trails had we been staying in the area longer, but as time was of the essence, we drove to it. 

We hadn't seen many waterfalls at this point on our trip so we didn't have any others of this type to compare it to, but this one really was quite splendid.

The parks Victoria website states that: "in a region known for its magnificent waterfalls, Erskine Falls stands out.

A short diversion from the Great Ocean Road and 15 minutes from Lorne, you can park close to the 30-metre cascade - or enjoy it as part of a longer, secluded walk through lush rainforest.

The Otway Ranges are infamous for their high rainfall - but on the plus side all that water means lush green fern gullies carved out by rivers and waterfalls.

Erskine Falls is particularly popular among the waterfalls of the Otways, plunging (or trickling, depending on recent rainfall levels) down a 30-metre drop.

There's an easy walk to the first lookout or a more strenuous but rewarding climb down 230 steps to the second lookout, where you will see the waterfall in all its glory.

The Erskine River Walk to Lorne continues off downstream from here if you are prepared for the 7.5km walk.

Erskine Falls makes a great half-day trip away from the beach if you are holidaying in Lorne or one of the other seaside townships along the Great Ocean Road.

Combine it with a trip to one or more of the other beautiful waterfalls near Lorne, such as Sheoak or Kalimna Falls".

We did not have time to see the Sheoak or Kalimna Falls nor did we have time to walk down the 230 steps to the closer lookout but our view of the falls from the first lookout a short hike from the car park was wonderful.

As it had rained quite a lot that week we were fortunate enough to see a strong, steady stream of water on the day we went. That certainly wouldn't have been the case the month before when drought and wildfires had spread into this region.

This is certainly a recommended stop on any Great Ocean Road trip, whether just passing through as we were or staying in the area longer as part of a beach holiday in Lorne or Torquay. 

The Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie

https://www.gorci.com.au/about-us/

We'd had two wonderful walks in different sections of the Great Otway National Park in spite of the overcast, chilly weather but once it started to rain we thought that a cheese or wine tasting session somewhere en route wouldn't do any harm.

We had set course for our next stop in Torquay so we agreed that as soon as we came across anywhere interesting we would stop.

There appeared to be no wineries at all on that particular stretch of road but we did see a sign to the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie, so without thinking too much about it we went in. 

This was an extraordinary place. It was at least twice the size of the Swan Valley Chocolaterie that we had been to in Western Australia and there were SO many delicious free samples to tuck into.

It felt as if we were the winners of the golden tickets in a scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

While we were there we noticed that a photoshoot was taking place which we were told would be part of a double page spread on the Chocolaterie due to appear in several publications over the course of the next few weeks. 

This is certainly somewhere to stop if you are chocolate lovers and / or if you have children of any age.

Although it was term time, there appeared to be lots of young families there that day due to the poor weather.

There was a little indoor play area for pre school age children near their fantastic café where you could opt for a healthy lunch menu or a less healthy chocolate afternoon tea menu.

We settled for a cup of tea and one of their glorious homemade ice-creams, though we had also consumed a rather large amount of free chocolate samples so we definitely did not need any more food that day. 

This Chocolaterie was opened in 2016 by husband and wife entrepreneurs Ian and Leanne Neeland.

"Together they built and created Chocolateries in the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and more recently on the Great Ocean Road.

They lead a talented team of European Chocolatiers and Pastry Chefs, together with passionate local staff to create sweet wonderlands the whole family can enjoy.

Visitors to the Chocolaterie are welcomed into a spectacular showroom filled with thousands of wonderful handmade chocolates, an ever-changing array of freshly made pastries, desserts and artisan ice creams and an all day café using ingredients from their kitchen garden.

Visitors can join daily hosted tasting sessions, hands on chocolate making classes for all ages and one of the many special events, or simply watch Chocolatiers at work through giant viewing windows".

I considered joining a chocolate making class later that afternoon but as the weather had improved we decided to set course for Bells Beach near Torquay where we could walk off a few of the extra calories that we had just acquired during the past hour at this exquisite Chocolaterie. 

Bells Beach

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bells_Beach,_Victoria

It took less than half an hour to drive from the Chocolaterie to Torquay's glorious Bells Beach. 

Many people had recommended a Bells Beach walk to us as it is a "renowned surf beach in Australia and the home of the world's longest continuously running pro surfing competition, now known as the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach".

The first "Surfboard Rally" at Bells Beach "was organised by surfing pioneers Peter Troy and Vic Tantau to help promote sales of T Boards their own brand.

Planned to run in December 1961 the event was postponed until 26 January 1962.

From the following year the Australian Surf rider's Association - ASA (Victorian Branch), now called Surfing Victoria, hosted and staged the annual surfing competition at Bells Beach held during the Easter weekend every year.

The ASA also ran the conservation contest at Bells Beach which included tree planting in an effort to help preserve the unique natural environment of the area.

The location is named after William Bell, a Master Mariner, who owned much of the property there since the 1840s.

Many records accredit the location's name to a John Calvert Bell of the family that took up a pastoral run there much later in 1905 and built the 'Addiscot' homestead.

It was confirmed later however, that John Calvert Bell was, before that time, a resident at Calder Park, Mount Duneed, and not at all related to the William Bell of Bells Beach".

We spent our afternoon walking the coastal trail around Bells Beach which took in the wonderful Point Addis Nature Reserve. 

We so admire the Australian commitment to preserving the natural flora and fauna in many of the areas we visited nationwide. I realise that many Australians do not think the country goes far enough in this but any awareness of ecological maintenance has to be a step in the right direction.

Bells Beach may not be the safest place to go sea bathing due to the dangerous cross currents and constantly powerful waves but it goes without saying that if surfing is your thing then this is definitely the place to aim for.

It appears to be known throughout Australia as the capital of surfing and the 'go to' place in the country where professional and semi-professional surfers prepare for competitions in the sport. 

Whilst we were admiring the surfers from one of the beach viewing points, we met an American chap who was involved in some way with competitive surfing back in Florida and he appeared to know the names of the three young surfers training on the waves below us. One was actually from Florida but he would be living and training intensively in the Bells Beach area until the next Rip Curl competition.

If that's not dedication then I don't know what is

Where is Torquay?

http://www.blackmansbrewery.com.au/the-beers/

Our accommodation for that evening turned out to be an entire house in what appeared to be a large greenfield estate.

We had reserved it on booking.com and at £115 a night between the three of us it was by far the cheapest of all the accommodation options we had reserved since starting our road trip in Lyndoch the previous weekend.  

It was called the Bells Estate, Torquay and furnished in original 1960s style.

Although the furnishings were old everything was spotlessly clean and nothing was foul smelling, tatty or worn out. 

The house was surrounded by fields and even a few animals. We made friends with a few alpacas, two horses and what looked like a little Shetland pony. 

The landlord assured us that a mob of kangaroos would join the remaining animals at the outer edge of that field at sunset or early the following morning. 

Sadly we missed both those sightings as we were not up early enough to catch them in the morning and that evening we had planned to go into central Torquay for a light supper and a few drinks to mark our final evening on our Great Ocean Road trip, 

That, at least, was the plan but once we arrived at where central Torquay was meant to be, we realised that it wasn't actually there. 

We drove all around what was supposedly the centre of this elusive little town but nothing ressembled what we expected it to look like.

I suppose as this was the self- proclaimed surfing capital of Australia, we expected to find some sort of town centre with a few pubs, a selection of eateries and maybe a boutique or two.

I think we were hoping to find another Lorne or even an Apollo Bay where there was at least a Main Street, but we had no such luck in Torquay.

We did eventually find a supermarket area and quite a pleasant looking micro brewery but apart from a Fish and Chip bar there were only surf board outlets or surf board repair shops or surfing training centres. 

My travelling companions don't agree, but I am sure that there is a town centre in Torquay somewhere which we totally missed.

If anyone manages to locate it on their Great Ocean Road travels then do please let me know. Also send pictures so I can add them to this site.

Oh, and don't forget to tell me where exactly it is.

After driving around various residential streets for what felt like ages, we gave up our quest and decided to check out the Blackman's microbrewery on Bell Street. 

We were not disappointed, the atmosphere was lively, the young bar staff were delightful and the beer was excellent.

We later read on the brewery's website that:

"Blackman's brewery is 100% independently owned and that all the beer served to customers is brewed by them on site".

They claim to make their beers "with the best quality ingredients they can get their hands on and  give their beers the right amount of time in tank"

This mrans that they "don’t rush them through to meet deadlines".

Their "core range is made up of beers that cover a variety of flavours and styles, as they want to make good beer for everyone".

Between us we tried their Reginald IPA, their Ernie Aussie Pale and even their Raspberry Shortcake Stout.

All were excellent so we had a second and even a third round (apart from our driver of course who had one plus an Earl Grey tea).

As we remembered our excellent strawberries purchased in Lorne that morning, we decided to buy a portion of fish and chips each at the Torquay Fish and Chip bar round the corner and have dinner at home.

We still had several bottles of Barossa wine left which we needed to consume before setting off for Tasmania a few days later so we agreed that it would be a perfect way to mark our final evening on our memorable Great Ocean road trip. 

Friday 7 February 

Torquay to Melbourne 

The drive from Torquay to the airport in Melbourne was due to take just over an hour.

As our car wasn't due back until early afternoon, we treated ourselves to a leisurely morning at home and breakfasted on delicious strawberries from Lorne which we had been too full to eat the previous evening after our fish and chip supper. 

The drive took a little longer than expected as it was cold and rainy so everyone on that highway was driving even slower than the statutory 60 mph.. 

Quite a few people had warned us about Melbourne's rather inclement climate system but we were still surprised that it could be that cool in summer anywhere in Australia. 

Fortunately it wasn't a long journey but it did render our final stretch on the Great Ocean Road less pleasant than it might have been.

As luck would have it once we had handed back the car and arrived by taxi at our new accommodation in central Melbourne, the weather cleared up a little and we even had the occasional sunny spell. 

Our flat in Melbourne was wonderful.

It was on the 31st floor of an ultra modern purpose built short term rental accommodation complex with high speed lifts and digital entry system.

We had booked it on Airbnb at an extremely reasonable rate between the three of us. 

It was the first of several such rental complexes that we would be staying in over the course of the following few weeks, all seemingly managed by university students who appeared to run the rental aspect of it for landlords mainly based in China who were often also involved in the building and contracting of the towers themselves.

At least that is what the very young property manager explained to us when he handed us the keys and showed us around the apartment.

We thoroughly enjoyed unpacking and unwinding in our ultra modern sky high Melbourne penthouse.

It was also a real treat to stay somewhere for three nights after just one night stays for almost a week.

It meant we could unpack properly, sort out all our clothes and even put on a load of washing (providing we could work out how the washing machine worked).

The high tech washing machine looked more like a mini space ship to me. When I switched it on several red and green lights began flashing intermittently on its fully digitised control panel. Then it started beeping and after that it spoke. I had never encountered a speaking washing machine before so I wasn't sure what to make of it.

As ridiculous as that now sounds, my first instinct was to respond to it. I attempted to explain that the clothes and the detergent were already in the machine so it was all set to go but it didn't seem to register my message.

I tried speaking to the flashing panel at first but that didn't work, so I then tried speaking into the drum but no luck there either, finally I squeezed round behind it and spoke to its rear end which was the very moment that my husband walked in. He was clearly concerned and justifiably so.

But he couldn't operate it either so we ended up having to download its very complicated instruction manual online and only then could we make it work. More by luck than anything else I think.

A nice cup of tea on the balcony is definitely what I needed at that point.

Yes, we also had a little V shaped balcony with a mini table and two small chairs. Our view was of an identical balcony in a similar apartment in the tower block just a few inches from ours.

These tower blocks certainly didn't specialise in panoramic views.

They had been fitted with the most comfortable beds we had slept in to date, ultra soft towels and the latest state of the art appliances which took us a while to learn to operate.

Though, if truth be told, I never actually worked out how that speaking washing machine worked.

But outdoor living had clearly not been part of the equation during the planning stages of any of these rental towers which were situated a stone's throw from Southern Cross Station in central Melbourne. 

There were about 8 of these towers in the complex we were in, built very close together and separated by narrow little lanes full of different types of eateries and coffee outlets. It was all very modern and convenient but even when the sun did come out those lanes were always dark as the sun could never filter through. .

We hadn't expected Melbourne to be such a high rise city but it definitely is. There were several instances in various parts of the city where we saw intensive tower block building works in progress if not already in place. But somehow in Melbourne it worked.

I can't say how or why it worked but it definitely did. Maybe it's because Melbourne is such a wonderful mix of so many different styles and cultures. It's definitely the most cosmopolitan city we experienced in Australia.

We were not there as long as we would have liked but what we did see was wonderful. 

As I explained in an earlier entry, Australia marries old and new architecture extremely well and their major cities are a testament to their understanding of the various cultures that their country was built on as well as the acceptance of the wider more global world culture that we are all inevitably moving into.

I must say that as far as globalisation goes, Melbourne is particularly good at it.

Southern Cross Station Melbourne 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Cross_railway_station

The narrow lane our tower block apartment was on led out to the Court buildings on William Street on one side and to Southern Cross station on Spencer Street on the other.

When we first arrived in the area in our taxi we were a little sceptical that such a large station was located so close to where we would be staying.

Obviously we were worried about the noise (we didn't know at that point that we would be located on the 31st floor) but we were also a little worried about the location.

Station locations in large cities don't tend to be situated in the most desirable areas. 

But Southern Cross was far more than just a station.

It appears to be a little bit of everything: An Art installation, a walkway, a shopping centre, a social hub, a play area for youngsters and a link between Central Melbourne and its iconic Dockland area with its brand new sports stadium to boot.

We were fortunate indeed to be located so close to it. 

"Southern Cross was redeveloped by the Civic Nexus consortium, following an innovative design by Grimshaw Architects and Jackson Architecture which features its distinctive undulating roof". It is this design that gives the station that quintessential 'Art Gallery' feel.

"Construction began in October 2002 and was completed in late 2006, with the majority of the transport facilities finished in time for the 2006 Commonwealth Games".

"The central features of the design include a wave-shaped roof, a new entrance and concourse on Collins Street, a new coach interchange, a new food court with bars and restaurants, a few separate retail outlets inside the station and a separate shopping complex between Bourke and La Trobe Streets outside the station". 

This all opened on 30 November 2006, yet none of the Melbourne travel sites I referred to prior to arrival included any significant information on the Southern Cross Station complex which tourists would definitely find beneficial.

It appears that "In addition to the physical modifications, the station was renamed from Spencer Street to Southern Cross on 13 December 2005",

"Formerly and still colloquially Southern Cross is still affectionately known as Spencer Street station by locals".

"It is considered the major railway station for Melbourne's Docklands, area" which was where we went for our evening walks and digestifs every day we were there.

"It is actually located on Spencer Street, between Collins and La Trobe Streets, at the western edge of the central business district.

The Docklands Stadium sports arena is 500 metres north-west of the station" and definitely somewhere to visit if you are sports aficionados.

Historically it "opened as Spencer Street Station in 1859, five years after the other major Melbourne rail terminus at Flinders Street".

"The station was a dead-end terminus, running parallel to Spencer Street, composed of a single main platform with a dock platform at the north end".

"It wasn't until 1874 that an extra platform was added.

The two major city stations were not linked until 1879, when a single-track ground-level line was opened.

It operated only at night, and only for freight trains.

In the 1880s, it was proposed that Spencer Street station be removed in order to facilitate the westward expansion of the city, but fortunately the plan was subsequently rejected".

Melbourne would definitely be a very different without it.

Our short stay in this excellent city would have certainly been less successful on so many levels had we not had such easy access to Southern Cross and to the world of possibilities that it gave us very easy access to. 

St Patrick's Cathedral Melbourne 

https://www.cam1.org.au/cathedral/en-au/History

St Peter's Anglican Church was just a short walk to this large, imposing Catholic Cathedral. 

You cannot say you have visited Melbourne until you have been to St Patrick's. It is seen by many as the number 1 Cathedral of Melbourne and by a few as the most iconic cathedral in all of Australia.

We were particularly keen to visit this cathedral as our daughter had been a member of the choir there whilst she lived and worked in Melbourne the previous year.

Our visit on that glorious February day was particularly successful as the cathedral organist started rehearsing for his Sunday services just as we walked in. His exquisite musical renditions played on the cathedral's magnificent pipe organ rendered our visit particularly triumphant.

The website pasted above has up to date information on masses, opening times and how it all works now with social distancing.

In the History section of this same website is also a cathedral timeline which fascinated me immensely and which I am pasting below.

More information on the cathedral's history and its benefactors is available from that website:

Dates in the History of St Patrick's Cathedral

"1835 : Settlement of Melbourne (at the head of Port Phillip Bay) in Port Phillip District of the Colony of NSW

1839 : Rev Patrick Bonaventure Geoghegan OSF first priest arrives in Melbourne.

1847 : July 9 - Australia Felix established as the Diocese of Melbourne .

1847 : July - The Colonial Secretary grants two acres of land for a church on Eastern Hill, where St Patrick's Cathedral now stands. Fr Geoghegan establishes St Patrick's Parish.

1848 : October 4 - Bishop James Alipius Goold OSA takes possession of See of Melbourne.

1850 : April - An additional two acres of land is approved for a bishop's residence.

April 9 - Bishop Goold lays foundation stone of first (freestone) St Patrick's Church.

1858 : February 14 - Bishop Goold blesses the first section of the second (bluestone) St Patrick's Church.

Bishop Goold announces a cathedral is to be built for the diocese.

November - William Wardell commissioned to prepare plans for a cathedral church and work commences.

December 8 - First contract for Cathedral signed.

1870 : March 17 - Dean Fitzpatrick lays first stone of central tower.

1874 : March 17 - Melbourne created a Metropolitan See

1886 : June 11 - Death of Archbishop Goold. He lies buried in the Holy Souls Chapel.

1887 : June 11 - Archbishop Thomas Carr arrives in Melbourne.

1897 : October 27 - Consecration of St Patrick's Cathedral under Archbishop Thomas Carr.

1913 : March 23 - Arrival of Dr Mannix, coadjutor to Archbishop Carr.

1917 : May 6 - Death of Archbishop Carr who lies buried in the Sacred Heart Chapel.

Archbishop Daniel Mannix becomes third Archbishop of Melbourne.

1937 : March 31 - Contract for central spire signed - Conolly and Vanheems.

October 31 - Contract for front spires signed.

1939 : March 31 - Spires completed and blessed by Archbishop Mannix.

1948 : May 2-9 - Celebrations to mark Centenary of Diocese of Melbourne.

1963 : November 6 - Death of Archbishop Daniel Mannix who was succeeded by Archbishop Justin Simonds.

1967 : July 30 - Installation of Melbourne's fifth Archbishop, Archbishop James Knox.

October 3 - Death of Archbishop Simonds.

1970 : November 15 - First Masses on New Sanctuary.

1974 : July 24 - Pope Paul VI confers title and dignity of Minor Basilica on St Patrick's Cathedral

August 18 - Installation of Melbourne's sixth Archbishop, Archbishop Little.

1986 : November 28 - Pope John Paul II addresses clergy in the Cathedral on occasion of his Papal Visit.

1989 : December 8 -Archbishop Little blesses and restores bells.

1992 : June 7 - Ceremony to mark the Inauguration of Restoration and Conservation Works.

1996 : July 16 - Retirement of Archbishop Little.

August 16 - Archbishop Pell becomes Melbourne's seventh Archbishop.

1997 : St Patrick's Cathedral restoration works completed.

Centenary of the Consecration of the St Patrick's Cathedral and dedication of the Altar

2001 : March 26 - Archbishop Pell appointed Archbishop of Sydney

2001 : August 1 - Installation of Melbourne's eighth Archbishop, Archbishop Denis Hart"

2018 : 11 December - Former Archbishop George Pell, later Cardinal Pell convicted of five charges of child sexual abuse. 

2019 : 27 February - Cardinal Pell's bail was revoked and he was taken into custody.

2020 : 11 and 12 March - High Court appeal process in Canberra against Cardinal Pell's conviction

2020 : 7 April - Cardinal Pell's appeal was upheld 

Parliament House Melbourne 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_House,_Melbourne

Our next stop was Melbourne's Parliament House, which is the meeting place of the Parliament of Victoria and one of the parliaments of the Australian states and territories.

We were hoping to join a free public tour of the building as we had read that these are available every day at Parliament House.

Unfortunately when we arrived there we realised that the building is completely closed at the weekend so we had to limit our admiration of it to the outside only.

There were free leaflets available for tourists in trays outside the building which we appreciated immensely.

According to what we read in the leaflets and on Wikipedia, "Parliament House is located on Spring Street on the edge of the Hoddle Grid.

Its grand colonnaded front dominates the vista up Bourke Street", which on the day we went was beautifully adorned by a wedding couple having their post ceremony photos taken on the steps in and around the colonnade.

"Construction of the building began in 1855, and the first stage was officially opened the following year, with various sections completed over the following decades".

What we all thought was strange was the fact that it appears to "have never been completed, and that the planned dome is one of the most well known unbuilt features of Melbourne".

"Between 1901 and 1927, the building served as the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia, during the period when Melbourne was the temporary national capital.

This building is also listed on the Victorian Heritage Register".

Definitely worth seeing though it may be better to go on a weekday and take advantage of the free tours.