Winter might be over, but the warm weather is yet to arrive.
We moved to North East Victoria because of its beautiful winter days and, to be honest, the abundance of both native and ornamental mature trees.
After a freezing night and frosty morning, there will invariably be a sunny blue sky day with no clouds and no wind.
It is pure winter bliss and perfect for enjoying a day trip, no matter what prompts it.
Last week proved this understanding.
After conducting my business in Shepparton, I went to the Shepparton Art Museum for lunch and to see their newest exhibitions.
On arrival, I picked up the Cycle Shepparton brochure from the Information Centre and a map of the access paths, parks and reserves throughout Shepparton, beside the Goulburn and Broken Rivers, Victoria Park Lake and elsewhere. There are no excuses for not walking or cycling to school or at weekends.
The cycling brochure lists more than twenty constructed and safe local cycling routes to surrounding towns, including Dookie, Murchison, Violet Town and elsewhere. It also lists BMX tracks and several cycling clubs to join. This brochure is a little gem.
I then went upstairs to the cafe and sat outside on top of the mound to enjoy the sunshine and view over a glistening Victoria Park Lake.
People of every age walked beside the Lake with prams and young children, some with dogs on leads, others just strolling. They were enjoying being outdoors in Winter.
There were also cyclists using the sealed shared path wide enough for a family to walk abreast and a cyclist to pass after observing the shared path safety etiquette, including keeping to the left and not overtaking on the right until sounding the bell.
The landscaping around Victoria Park Lake is very appealing and attracts both birds and humans due to the choice of low native plants under established trees. There are special elements of seating and sculptures that blend and surprise in their location, plus a boardwalk out into the centre of the Lake. It is all very well done and executed to the highest standard.
For those wanting more recreation, fun or fitness beside the lake, there is an outdoor aquatic area, gymnasium, group fitness area and all-ability children’s play park. All are constructed of robust quality materials and have the latest design elements. None are ordinary or crass. They complement nearby indoor facilities and create an appealing and inviting environment.
After lunch, I enjoyed the Kunmanara Carroll exhibition called ‘I Can See All These Places’, which is on loan from the Jam Factory in South Australia.
It includes four of his large and final paintings plus a tapestry of a fifth produced by the Australian Tapestry Workshop. It is so finely executed it could be mistaken for another painting.
A collection of his ceramic works is displayed on stands that come with the touring exhibition to ensure they are displayed to complement his paintings perfectly.
A short video shows his son visiting the site of the paintings and associated works.
The South Australian Department for Innovation and Skills and the Australian Government Council for the Arts Contemporary Touring Initiative make the exhibition possible. It is on Level 2 until October 22.
I also loved the works by local artists inspired by the recent floods and displayed under the collective title ‘Tuesday Junction: After the Rain’, plus the paintings and ceramics from the SAM collection displayed in the central stairwell after hearing how complicated it was to hang them.
Sam always rewards my visit due to their fabulous choice of exhibitions and fantastic, unique collection of ceramic works they have collected over time, which are always cleverly displayed. These alone make SAM a worthwhile day trip destination.
Needless to say, I detoured coming home. I doubled back to Fryers St, especially to drive the one-way through what was previously named Maude St Mall, created in 1989. It now looks and feels much more inviting.