Trentham is a pretty town in the southern Australian state of Victoria. It is 97 kilometres north west of Melbourne. I visited on a cold, wet winter day.
There are some lovely old buildings in the town.
…and some interesting shops.
We had an excellent brunch at Red Beard.
We decided not to eat in the outdoor area, better left for a warmer day.
It was warm and cosy inside.
Red Beard has a Scotch oven that dates from around 1892. Scotch ovens are a traditional wood fired commercial baker’s oven. They were once the most common commercial ovens in Australia.
A Scotch oven has an arched ceiling, a fire box on one side of the main chamber and an oven on the opposite side. The oven’s shell comprises of layers of brick and sand. Red Beards’s oven weighs 75 tonnes and stores enough heat from one firing to bake 800 loaves.
The oven is a rare and remarkable remnant of baking history in Australia…and the bread is great.
We braved the cold and drizzle and visited nearby Trentham Falls, the highest single drop waterfall in Victoria. The falls on the Coliban River were created 5 million years ago when a nearby volcano erupted. The water falls over a columnar basalt cliff.
Even on a miserable day the Australian bush has its charms. I love the enormous eucalyptus trees.
The mossy branches reflect the winter season.
Wattle about to bloom heralds the coming spring.
The next day it snowed in Trentham.
Today in Brisbane we reached 30 degrees. Australia is a huge country with a vast range of temperatures…never boring.
Better a Scotch oven than a Dutch oven
By: nifta on August 16, 2017
at 10:43 am
So true.
By: Debra Kolkka on August 16, 2017
at 11:53 am
Beautiful photos despite the weather!
By: Mulino Dominillo on August 16, 2017
at 10:44 am
I really like these country towns.
By: Debra Kolkka on August 16, 2017
at 11:55 am
So true Deb, the weather here does indeed keep us on our toes…..lol….
I have never visited Trentham. It’s not far from Daylesford, where we visit at least once a year. Next trip to Daylesford we should definitely detour through Trentham. Thanks. Lorelle 🙂
By: amindfultravellerblog on August 16, 2017
at 10:54 am
We went to Daylesford as well. It is a gorgeous town.
By: Debra Kolkka on August 16, 2017
at 11:56 am
It’s one of my favourite Victorian country towns. We usually go in around Dec/ Jan when weather is warmer. I love it there. 😊
By: amindfultravellerblog on August 16, 2017
at 12:02 pm
Given I’m in Melbourne I think I need to make the effort to get up there too. never been.Louise
By: The Year I Touched My Toes on August 16, 2017
at 11:35 am
Trentham is a delightful town, well worth a visit,
By: Debra Kolkka on August 16, 2017
at 11:56 am
Have to keep this place in mind on my next Melbourne visit. I’ll have one of those lamps please!
By: Mallee Stanley on August 16, 2017
at 4:28 pm
Trentham is a great little town. I visited with my son who lives in nearby Woodend, which is also a lovely town.
By: Debra Kolkka on August 16, 2017
at 11:04 pm
What a fascinating oven. How interesting it would be to bake bread in it – i wonder if they ever have classes for bread making. It is such a lovely place – i love the shops too and i really, really wanted those lamp shades. The eucalypts are so very beautiful. Cold, wet, windy – my favourite days – largely because we really only get one of those a year here and a snow flake would make world headlines.
By: Jan on August 16, 2017
at 10:33 pm
The oven is wonderful. It’s great that it is still working.
By: Debra Kolkka on August 16, 2017
at 11:04 pm
Looks like a lovely part of the world.
By: Kerry & Jim on August 17, 2017
at 2:39 am
It is. I love country Victoria.
By: Debra Kolkka on August 17, 2017
at 10:29 pm
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at 8:18 am