Victorian Goldfields.

Jonnie wanted to go to Ballarat, so that is where we headed. I also found out while in Kioloa that Uncle Brian's family came from the gold fields areas, so I did some family research, and sure enough I have them in many places in the gold fields.

Leaving Gippsland we drove through Melbourne, rather easier than previous trips – guess we are getting use to it. While driving down the highway on the way to Melbourne, we had a blowout with one of the van tyres, so had to pull over to change the tyre. That put a big dent in our budget.

The Recreational Reserve campsite at Smythesdale is large with some level spots. We found a really good one, despite there already being a number of vans there. There are toilets, a camp kitchen and a playground, and it is only 17km from Ballarat. On the down side, Ballarat and surrounds have no public dump point. The closest one is at Clunes, some 35 kms north of Ballarat.

Smythesdale is only a short walk from the camp grounds and is named after John Smythe who took up a pastoral lease there in 1849. His name is also found in Smythes Creek and his property name, Nentinball, can be found closer to Ballarat. Gold was discovered in the area soon after in 1853, and the town quickly grew. Originally known as Smythes Creek, it was renamed in 1864. It had its largest population in the 1860's, and many of the buildings are still there today. There is a short signposted historical walk in the village, and once a month there is a small market of local produce. The local historical society also have the historic lock-up, stables and court house open.