A trip to Welshpool...

Admittedly it took a while to convince Si that this was a good idea. Especially when we booked the ticket at the station and the the man kept checking that it definitely was Welshpool that we wanted to go to. I must admit I had a few doubts myself, but when the Melbourne to Welshpool ticket was in my hand, I knew I was doing the right thing!! 3 and a half hours later when I saw the first sign for Welshpool I was VERY VERY excited to fulfil my childhood dream.

We arrived in the dead of the night, and realised that Welshpool, Victoria, makes Welshpool Mid Wales look like a bustling city. We found the Welshpool Hotel/Motel. and went to the bar to check-in. As we walked in with our rucksacks EVERYONE stopped to look at us, the music went off, and maybe it was my imagination but I thought I saw a tumble weed.

The next day we were a little stuck to know what to do. We walked to the four corners of the town to take picture of the Welshpool signs, but that took all of 10 minutes. I was starting to think that my plan of randomness was perhaps just that. BUT THEN, I walked into the self proclaimed 'Milk bar' which was infact a gas station with a picnic bench inside. While sitting on this picnic bench feeling a bit of a prat I looked up to to see a post card of OUR Welshpool looking back at me. The fact that there was another silly bugger doing the same thing, filled me with hope.

By mid-day we had seriously run out of things to do, and our plan was simple. Kick our heels till the pub opens. I really wanted to speak to some locals to tell them where I was from, but none of them seemed that bothered, one lady even said that there were loads of Welshpools (she obviously has not research the matter, there are 3, and I had now been to two of them!!).

I was deflated by the whole thing, but then while browsing in an Op Shop (charity shop to me and you)we met our saviour - a lady called Prue. She was very excited about me coming from Welshpool, and her logic was that meaning that I had travelled all the way here just to see the town, the least she could do was show us the surrounding area. Here I am with Prue:

We had a fantastic afternoon. We went to see Agnes Falls (its a water fall, not a mean old people home like I initially thought!), and the surrounding Gippslands. Then she took us back to her house to meet her animals and husband, in that order.It was a brilliant day, and truely confirmed my love of staying off the beaten track.

Our evening was spent in the Welshpool Hotel pub, where Si had the delicacy that is Sausage Curry and Mash. This crazy little town MUST be related to ours.

For those of you true Welshpool fans who may be wondering where the other Welshpool is, It is actually in Perth, Western Australia.

Guess where I am now?

LIVING THE DREAM!!!!!!!!