Sketches of Mansfield

Mansfield is a small town in North Eastern Victoria, about 180 km from Melbourne, and 30 or so km from the popular ski resort of Mt Buller. It has a resident population of the order of 4,400, but during the summer holiday period, and during the winter ski season, the population increases markedly. Originally important as a logging and farming area, together with a little gold mining, it is now heavily dependent on tourism, which is reflected in the abundance of accommodation. The town has an excellent “Bush Market” which had an amazing collection of stalls with a wide variety of hand-made goods, and which alternates each Saturday with the “Farmer’s Market”.

The main streets of Mansfield are very wide, with substantial, tree-lined median strips, which accommodate the markets, and it appears to have a lot to offer tourists and the local population.

This weekend (Melbourne Cup Weekend) there is a charity “Fun Run” which attracts nearly a thousand participants, and which last year generated over $23,000 for local charities. There are plenty of cafes, and there is a very nice golf course in the town; and it is not far from Lake Eildon, which is a very popular fishing and boating venue.

 

 

It is on the shore of Lake Eildon that we are currently staying at the Mansfield Resort. There is something of the order of 45 very nice two-bedroom units, all of which are spread up the slopes away from the lake, thereby affording each unit some nice views.

 

They are well spread out in the well-tended bushy gardens, so each feels very private and quiet. Our unit is very well furnished, with a double bed in one room, and two single beds in the other. The double-bed room has an en-suite bathroom facility, the other room using a separate bathroom facility. There is a small laundry room with a clothes washer. The kitchen is well-appointed, but I regret to say there is not a balloon whisk.

But we are not totally whisk-less, as we do have a very old-fashioned mechanical egg beater! There is a small veranda on two sides of the unit, and a generous car-port—-but not quite generous enough to accommodate two cars. The resort has an outdoor swimming pool, and indoor spa, a games room, and an adults-only child-free lounge with comfortable arm-chairs, squash court, and the like. There are 4 tennis courts, and a full length golf driving range. However, the grass could be cut a little shorter, as it was pretty difficult to locate the balls! The only complaint I would make so far, has been the noise of the infernal jet-skis, whose brainless owners zoom around the lake for hours on end, going nowhere, but shattering the peace and tranquillity that should be sacrosanct. In these days of anthropomorphic global climate disruption through too much in the way of carbon emissions from fossil fuels, these jet-skis should be totally banned as useless, unproductive machines that turn petrol into noise.

One drawback of the Resort, is that it is some 12k from the town, which means getting into the car and driving to get a coffee, rather than walking.

More Sketches of Mansfield when I have had time to explore more of the area, including getting into the nearby Delatite River for  spot of fly-fishing!.