Australian towns , it is not complete without a pub ! The Royal Hotel had been burnt down on two occasions , one of them being an act by the local women , in protest at the amount of time their men spent there .
Today the Royal boasts 17 rooms for accommodation , a well stocked variety of tap beers , a library of books , comfortable surroundings , hot showers , comfortable beds , a broad selection of classic pub meals and hosts in Benny and Morgan who are showing how a good country pub can be run . With atmosphere aplenty , bountiful places to sit and chat , or sample some of the craft whiskey or gin made in the back shed . And we ’ re not talking about a dodgy backyard operation , we ’ re talking medal winning , craft
distilling of the highest order .
During our stay we had the pleasure to meet Heather , a former licensee of the Royal , and a person with a comedy routine to rival some of the greatest . Chatting with Heather we got to know a little bit about her . During one of the conversations Heather said , “ I ’ m married to a jockey .”
Trying to engage and be interested , I said , “ Wow , how many winners has he ridden ?”.
“ Well , I ’ m his second wife , so he ’ s probably ridden a few before me !”, she replied .
Dinner was delicious , a hearty and filling Chicken Parmigiana , with a choice of salad and chips or vegies and chips . The entrée selection was also delicious , salt and pepper calamari , buffalo wings and chicken tenders – all cooked fresh and prepared on site .
The next morning , I said my farewells to Dave and Ged . Making their way back to suburbia , lawns to mow , households chores to complete , wives to appease . I looked at Google Maps and made my way to Portland – former home to Australia ’ s first and one of it ’ s largest cement works . Portland Cement is a phrase well known in Australia , representing cement of the highest quality . Cement produced in Portland was used in the construction of major towns including Sydney , Melbourne , and Canberra .
Evidence of the importance of the cement works to the town is seen in the impressive Olympic
TRAVERSE 28