The drive from Echuca to Yarrawonga is short. It’s almost too short for us, as we usually try to get a long enough drive for Ruby to have a decent lunch time nap. So we decided to do a small detour to the town of Shepparton, famous for their SPC cannery and cow sculptures.
We headed straight to the SPC direct factory outlet and the name pretty much describes it. It’s a shop set in a giant factory floor where you can buy 6 kg cans of beetroot for 5 dollars. It was fun to have a quick browse.
Shepparton town itself is truly a time capsule of the early 90s. I don’t think there has been any public works since then. The main shopping strip had those terracotta tiles that absorbs every stain you throw at it, and it certainly looked like it absorbed 30 years worth of stains. There was a middle aged couple on the sound stage singing somewhat energic rendition of Last Christmas by George Michael, followed by 10 other Christmas classics augmented by a synthesizer beat. All the while, I was thinking to myself, “where am I?” or rather “when am I?”
We had a short stop for a babychino at a cafe coverted from a church, which had delicious coffees and warm service. It was followed by some of the worst Malaysian food I’ve ever had, where the fried chicken was frozen inside and the beef was tougher than my belt. The place felt salmonella infested. I anxiously spent the rest of the afternoon waiting for my bowels to explode.
The drive to Yarrawonga was spectacular in an Australian kind of way. Dry, sparse and huge skies that never seem to end. We drove past fields and fields of recently cut hay, and the dried spindles would sparkle in the sun and form majestic waves with the wind.
The hotel we stayed at is actually on the edge of Yarrawonga town. It’s the Sebel, which just opened just last month, and had discounts for doctors and front line workers. It was a bargain for what you got.
As the hotel was built on a mini peninsular on the edge of the lake, every room has water views. Every room also has a balcony and the ground floor rooms have direct access to the grass, which may be good for kids to run around. We were on the first floor with a massive balcony and equally spacious bedroom, living room and a practical kitchen.
The quality of new hotels these days never fail to impress me. This resort is considered 4 stars, but the quality of the furnishings would be the best hotel in Australia merely 20 years ago.
The bathroom was spacious and the bath is deep, with views through the bedroom to the lake. The amenities are all very high quality too.
The pool is the real highlight. A huge infinity pool that overlooked the lake, and there is even a serviced bar, which is usually seen in 5 star resorts. It really felt very luxurious for such a cheap resort.
The bar and the restaurants were well decorated and had excellent food. This was especially amazing as we get 50% due to our Accorplus membership. Paying 20 dollars for a beautiful waygu steak is such a treat.
Attached to the resort is a good looking golf course and you can always do some water sport on the lake.
The only downside to the hotel is the location. It’s not in town, and there are no where to walk to. It’s in a housing development that lacks character and completely devoid of any soul. The lake itself is also a bit strange, there are dead trees scattered throughout the water, which gives you an unsettling feeling. A little bit creepy. A couple of nights there to enjoy the pool and cheap food with your Accorplus card is really all you need out of this place.
Geelong Family Blog 