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Getaway Walhalla

Spirited town steams aheadTucked away in the narrow gullies outside of Melbourne is a former gold-mining townthat refuses to lie down, writes Roderick Eime

Go2WALHALLA

Getting thereWalhalla is about a two-hourdrive east of Melbourne.

Staying thereThe Star Hotel;ph (03) 5165 6262,starhotel.com.au

Doing thereFor details on localattractions andaccommodation options, seevisitwalhalla.com.

Tip:Don’t rely on a GPS tofindWalhalla as it’s in asatellite shadow. Get amap.

GOLDFIELDSGLORY:Walhalla’sStar Hotel; and (below) a steamtrain on the ThomsonRiver bridge.

Pictures: Roderick Eime

DEEP within the mountain thatcradles the former gold-mining townofWalhalla is the Long TunnelExtended GoldMine. Inside are all theleftovers of a frenzied period of miningthat covered 50 years of activity untilthe mine, and town, shut down circa1915. But some remnants persist in away no one imagined.

For many years, Ralph Richards wasa guide in the Long Tunnel. Beforeevery tour Ralph would check all thelights and make sure the walkwayswere clear of debris. Ralph swore hewas often being followed by a presenceand others say they saw a tall mancarrying a lantern who continuallyevaded contact with mortal miners.Dubbed Fred, he’s generallyconsidered a benevolent soul.

Then there’s Rhoda Spetts, whowalks the garden of her family cottageevery November dressed in bridalgown waiting for her husband-to-be,who never returned from the war (orwas killed in a mine accident,depending on whom you ask). All thisinterest has been enough to add anextra departure to the previouslyweeklyWalhalla Ghost Tour.

Michael Leaney, publican of thecompletely restored Star Hotel andWalhalla andMountain RiversTourism Association president, is anunrepentant sceptic. The veracity ofsightings tends to be directlyproportional to the amount of alcoholconsumed, he says, scoffing loudly.

The hotel complete, Leaney’s newproject is considerably more material.TheWalhalla Goldfields Railway, apreviously derelict narrow-gauge linethat ran from the township toMoe in1910, has been in constant restorationsince 1993.

Beginning at Thomson Station, withits impressive namesake bridge, thetrain makes the 20-minute, 5km tripeveryWednesday, Saturday, Sundayand public holiday, and daily during thesummer and Easter school holidays.

Beyond the mine, Star Hotel andrailway, the town of just 20 permanentresidents is a popular bus trip andself-drive destination. It was voted oneof Victoria’s Top 5Must Do locationsin an RACV and Tourism Victoria poll.

Strolling down the immaculatemain street, one could easily imaginebeing on a movie set or period drama.

It’s not uncommon to seefilmmakers and location scouts , saysRussell Wright, who works alongsideLeaney on civic projects. Generallythey are film students shooting adrama for their final assessment, butcommercials and scenes from TVshows have also been filmed here.

Wright has also mustered a smallteam of local gardeners to go on aplanting spree.

In just a fewmonths he and his teamhave planted more than 200magnolia,poplar, maple and birch trees and he’snow admiring their handiwork asspring brings them all to life.

‘‘We gathered sponsors at $25 atree and each donor gets a certificateand a little dedication ceremony for apartner, parent or pet, or whoever theywant,’’ he says.

Walhalla escaped destruction in therecent Victorian fires, but manybuildings were destroyed by fire in1951, hence the comprehensive

rebuilding over the past decade. TheStar Hotel and surrounding structuresare painstakingly researched andaccurate reproductions of the originalbuildings razed in that blaze.While many visitors come by bus

and are gone by sundown, a stay atthe cosy hotel adds a homelydimension to your visit and a chanceto make new friends, either from thisworld or the next.

Thewriterwasaguestof theStar Hotel.

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