2 Apr 2025

 2 Apr 2025

Reasonably early start this morning, just because Melbourne to Perth and back isn't quite enough. To add to the excitement I decided that I would leave a day earlier than planned and spend it driving around some of Victoria. Mostly it was to go and see the Silo Art in Victoria that I haven't seen yet, as there were only a few and they are relatively close together (well, close if you remember we are driving across the country from tomorrow). In part it was also about having another opportunity to test the engine again on a decent run before heading further afield, if anything had turned to shite I would be much closer to home!

The car ran well and have to say the oil leaking engine has almost stopped doing it! It can't be completely oil free though as it is a Morris and British (by design) so leaking oil is an absolute necessity (it is part of the built-in anti-rust system). Once it cools down I will check the oil level and re-grease the trunions ready for the off to Mildura in the morning. They are going to be relatively short days driving over to Perth and back, only about 500-600 kilometres a day. So a relaxing trip haha.

Today was only 435 kilometres, but about 6 hours or there abouts, so well enough for a shake-down test-run. Route was Melbourne - Colbinaddin - Katamatite - Picola - Rochester (via Echuca) - Echuca (back track to) and all Silos done. Well not quite true, they have repainted one that I have seen before and I will visit that again in the way home to see the new painting.

Colbinabbin Silo Art - painted by: Tim Bowtell

GrainCorp Silos at Katamatite - painted by: Tim Bowtell

Picola Silo Art - painted by: Jimmy Dvate

GrainCorp Silos at Rochester - painted by: Jimmy Dvate

All in all well worth the few hundred extra kilometres. Well really only a couple of extra, some of the distance I would have had to have covered tomorrow anyway...

20 Oct 2023

 Day Three - 20 Oct 2023

This morning was up with the sparrows, well no not really, though I was the first to leave the Motel, off to fill the tank again and then hit the road. I had hoped that there would be few trucks at that hour and that the road would be as sparsely used as yesterday driving into Horsham, though this wasn't to be. Actually, there weren't all that many cars; mainly it was just trucks, though not too bad I just pulled over for them to pass until I got to the turn-off to some quiet country roads. The roads were very country and I thought at one stage I may have been on someone's driveway, though it was just a small road. 

Anyway the first of the day was at Sheep Hills, just a small dot on the map in the middle of fields. The Silos are amazing, what a skill-full painting. It was then back on the road and a bit more backtracking as I nearly returned to Horsham to get to the next stop at Murtoa, then on to Rupanyup, St Arnaud and Avoca silos before heading on home to Melbourne.

Sheep Hills Silo Art - painted by Adnate, featuring a Wergaia Elder,Uncle Ron Marks, a Wotjobaluk Elder, Aunty Regina Hood and two, Savannah Marks and Curtly McDonald.

Murtoa Silo Art - painted by Sam Bates (Smug), was inspired by taxidermy in the local museum and  Murtoa born, Dr. John Cade, a psychiatrist who made significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of bipolar disorder. The image has thirty Birds and one is a ghost or glowing bird and represents the 1 in 30 people who suffer from bipolar disorder.

Rupanyup Silo Art - painted by Julia Volchkova, featuring Ebony Baker and Jordon Weidemann, who represent a youthful spirit of strength, hope and camaraderie.

St Arnaud Silo Art - painted by Kyle Torney, titled Hope, it represents the Hopes for a small family in the 1800s when St Arnaud was a gold mining town.

Avoca Silo Art - painted by Jimmi Buscombe , featuring the endangered Barking Owl.

19 Oct 2023

 Day Two - 19 Oct 2023

Started out relatively early today, again to beat the trucks along the highway that I had no choice about taking, though it was only for about 50 kilometres so it wasn't too great a problem. Started out sharing the distance with a very nice 1946 Ford Mercury Coupe, though it being an eight-cylinder and all it did leave me behind in no short amount of time. I did catch it up again though as it stopped to do the same thing I was heading for and that was to take a picture at the first Silo Art stop of the day at Walpeup.

Walpeup Silo Art - painted by Julian Clavijo and Camilo Delgado, featuring Harold Thomas Bell

The Walpeup Silo Art depicts Harold Thomas Bell, who in March 1917 at 16 years of age, lied to recruiters about his age and family history to sign up for active service in the First World War. He was attached to the Light Horse Regiment and he was killed in action in October 1917 and was eventually liad to rest in the Beersheba War Cemetery. LEST WE FORGET

Heading off again and now on to country backroads, which is just the greatest thing as the roads are usually in better condition than the roads in the west of Melbourne and there are virtually no trucks (again unlike the west of Melbourne!). So it was a comfortable cruise down to Patchewollock to the next silo and from there through Hopetoun to Rosebery and Brim for their two silos. A slight bit of mile retracement then back to Beulah to then head west for Rainbow, which is a nice little town with a few murals about, then on to Albacutya for more Silo Art. It's south then back through Rainbow Through Jeparit and Antwerp to the Arkona Silo Art and then head west young man, through Nhill (half way to Adelaide) and on to Kaniva. Leaving Kaniva and heading south for a while before back to the east and on to Goroke Silo Art and into Horsham for the night.

Patchewollock Silo Art - painted by Fintan Magee, featuring Nick "Noodle" Hulland

Rosebery Silo Art - painted by Kaff-eine

Brim Silo Art - painted by Guido van Helten

Albacutya Silo Art - painted by Kitt Bennett

Arkona Silo Art - painted by Sam Bates (Smug), featuring and invisible Roley Klinge

Kaniva Silo Art - painted by David Lee Pereira, featuring an Australian Hobby bird and Plains Sun Orchid

Goroke Silo Art - painted by Geoffrey Carran, featuring a Kookaburra, Magpie and a Galah

Horsham Silo Art - painted by Sam Bates (Smug), featuring Yanggendyinanyuk

There is a lot more information on all of these Silo Art pieces and in fact most of the current Silo Art and Water Tower Art and town murals on the Australia Silo Art Trail website.

18 Oct 2023

Well it's been a while between trips and posts so it's about time for a bit of a road trip. Over three days 18, 19, 20 Oct 2023 we'll be traveling around Western Victoria to see all of the Silo Art. I have planned a route for the best fit for me using the Australia Silo Art Trail site, though it does seem to be not entirely up to date it is the best source of data for the run. I am not using the suggested starting point as I think I have a better plan in mind, though to be honest, just because it makes sense to me does not mean it is sensible. Anyway...

Day One - 18 Oct 2023.

Started out relatively early, 5:30am, as I wanted to get underway and hopefully try to minimise the amount of traffic and trucks that I might encounter (only to minimise the disruption to them by my travelling at only 80km/h). This of course only worked well while I was on the dual-lane roads, once it was back on the two-way highway roads the trucks were a concern. The emergency lane sides of these highway stretches are quite wide though so it was easy enough to pull over into the lane and let the trucks go by. It is certainly much more relaxing driving on the quiet country roads off the highways though.

Anyway as stated I had made up a route plan for my trip and then suitably left the written version at home and the mobile didn't connect when I felt that I may have gone astray, oh well no matter. I did go the wrong way but that was okay as I saw more of the area and it was only about another 50-80 kilometres anyway, so no great concern at all.

The route today took in Charlton, Wycheproof (and at this stage, I went the wrong way), Nullawil, Sea Lake and then backtrack along an awesome back country road to Birchip, Woomelang, Lascelles, through Speed and to the day stop at Ouyen.

Nullawil Silo Art Featuring Jimmy the Kelpie, painted by Sam Bates (Smug)

Sea Lake Silo Art, Titled the Space in Between, painted by The Zookeeper and DRAPL

Birchip's Big Mallee Bull

There  are a few murals to be seen around the small town, though no Silo Art in town 

Woomelang has 7 painted mini Silos around town, unfortunately, I only saw two.

Lascelles Silo Art - painted by Rone, featuring Geoff Horman

Lascelles Silo Art - painted by Rone, featuring Merrilyn Horman 

Hotel Victoria at Ouyen

1 Apr 2023

Early start today and mainly driving through, so it will really just be fuel stops and not a lot of much else. Hopefully there will be no problems travelling through Sydney and the new(ish) city western bypass. it is dual lane most of the way so hopefully there will be no problems with people being able to get past and overtake the slow old car!

Great start to the day, cool and misty, perfect Morris weather

Another Big Thing, the Big Merino at Goulburn, New South Wales

The day started well, clear sky, bit of a chill to the air and some low mist as well, just the sort of weather a Morris Minor enjoys. No problems at all getting through Sydney and not a single angry driver or horn blast from anyone, most surprising. Oh and stopped in at Goulburn, haven't been through there since the highway bypass was put through in 1992. Other than the Big Merino having be scaled down and moved, not a huge amount seems to have changed.

Starting to get late so travelling on.

Traffic report yet again

Nearly at Gundagai, quite a long day driving 

So calling it a night at Gundagai, 890 kilometres done today (553 miles), bit better than yesterdays effort.

27 Nov 2022

Spent a substantial amount of time this morning doing a grease and oil change, oh and changing the tappet case cover gaskets. Took a lot longer that had imagined it would, though well worth doing and happy with most of the results. one of the tappet cover gaskets unfortunately decided that it wanted to not quite seal and is allowing oil past, so now needs to be replaced yet again. Would probably be an easier job if the manifold was removed, though I haven't done that and it is quite a bit more fiddly, oh well, try again.

I decided to go for a drive and see how it went, hoping the gasket would seal after all, it didn't. I had seen a picture taken by someone else in the small town of Dean, Victoria some years ago and so decided to go and see if I could get a pic of the car there as well. Took a circuit route and went to Dean, Daylesford, Maldon and Castlemaine and the back to Melbourne. 

And the pic...