ARR178: Euro Food Tour Bendigo

EURO FOOD TOUR

We take a spin around the continental haunts of Castlemaine and Maldon

BY RODERICK EIME PHOTOS RODERICK EIME, KEVIN MOLONEY, CLAIRE MCILROY

Gold was discovered around Castlemaine in the mid1800s, causing a population and building boom, so it’s not surprising the area has something of a European feel to it. Add in a cool climate and the whole region — from Bendigo in the north to Ballarat further south — give off a Victorianera vibe, in a good way.

I was exploring the area aboard a Honda NT1100. As a Sydneysider I’d ridden down backroads avoiding the Hume Highway as much as possible and felt my spirits lift when I rolled into Castlemaine. If you’re riding out of

Melbourne, I suggest ditching the boring M79 motorway after Kyneton and taking the Calder Highway (C794) to Malmsbury. At Elphinstone, hang left onto the Diggers Way and then the Pyrenees Highway (B180) and you’ll notice a most peculiar roadside ensemble at Chewton. It’s a likeness of local hotrodder, Rod Hadfield, whose shed is full of some of the most outrageous homemade vehicles imaginable.

Outstanding even in this astonishing collection is the handmade Warman Special, powered by a 27-litre Rolls-Royce V12 engine out of a Centurian tank shoehorned into a highly modified 1932 Packard Limousine

chassis. If this monster was unleashed, it would nudge 300km/h but no one is brave — or stupid — enough to try it. Then imagine, if you can, a tiny Italian mid-20th-century 600cc Fiat Topolino refitted with a gigantic 8600cc V12 from an American fire truck.

“It’s the only LaFrance-powered street rod in the world that I know of,” says Hadfield in his trademark monotone. Yep, it’s that sort of place. And there are 20 more equally outrageous contraptions. There’s only one motorcycle in Hadfield’s shed, a chopped ’57 Harley-Davidson he built for shits and giggles with help from Peter Mansfield and Kiwi Daryl McKenzie.

The author on the road.

Bendigo Engine Room

Castlemaine vintage bazaar

Feeling peckish? Follow the B180 into Castlemaine where you’re spoiled for Eurofoodie choice. We head for Origini Café in Barker Street, where native Italian, Luca Sartori, serves linguini and lasagne just like his mother makes. The tiny nook of a cafe on the main street is thronging at lunchtime, so I’m glad we booked. We park up the NT1100 and opt to hang out in Castlemaine for a bit and head up to The Mill to pick up on the artisan producers there. You can easily spend a full day at The Mill which, we discover, is much like a mini circuit of Western Europe. Our first stop is to meet flamboyant couple, Elna and Edmund, owners and operators of the boutique smallbatch coffee roastery, Coffee Basics, which adjoins Das Kaffeehaus, their Vienna-themed restaurant full of Austrian regal memorabilia. The menu reads like a Wagnerian opera with all the Grosses Fruhstuck, Wurstal and Kleinspeisen one could wish for. And the coffee is superb and roasted on the premises. The Mill is also a collector’s dream. And when you’ve finished perusing the many stalls chock-a-block with kitchenalia, garagenalia and vintage fashion, relax with a meticulously crafted brew at The Shedshaker Brewery, where Doug Falconer (yes, ex-Hunters & Collectors) might regale you with tales from his stellar rock’n’roll career.

You can’t visit Castlemaine without a tour of Dave Reidie’s amazing collection of classic and vintage Harley-Davidson motorcycles. It’s a perfect bookend if you’ve seen Dr Dugal James’s collection of Indian, Ducati, BMW and other motorcycles installed in the former Black Swan Hotel in central Bendigo. At both venues, it’s wise

I was astride a loaned Honda NT1100 for this story, the model which has become a best-seller for the company, especially in Europe. Australian Road Rider ran a full test of the bike back in issue 170, but if you don’t have it, you’ll find that article on roadrider.com.au. For this trip I found the bike to be excellent. The twin-pot motor the bike shares with the Africa Twin makes a relatively modest (by today’s standards) 75kW and 104Nm, but I never found myself wanting for more, even when overtaking on highways. The cruise control was excellent, the fairing and screen protective, the heated grips welcome and the riding position — quite upright — very comfortable.

I found the NT1100’s seat height to be reasonable at 820mm, making it easier to cope with than adventure bikes (often with seat heights north of 850mm) and even other “crossover” machines.

The test bike was a 6-speed manual, but there’s also a Dual Clutch Transmission model available (+$1000) which gives you automatic shifting and button-shift manual override. The editor tested the NT’s cruiser sibling, the CMX1100, with a DCT and loved it.

The test bike came with the Honda “slimfit” panniers (33 litres left, 32 right) which are designed for urban compatibility… they won’t swallow a full-face helmet, but do allow for some lane filtering. There’s a large top-box available if you want one and an array of other accessories.

Fuel consumption is excellent, with the 20-litre tank capable of taking the bike 400km in the right conditions.

Since our test ride, the MY24 NT1100 has been announced, with the bike receiving two new vivid paint schemes: Matt Jeans Blue Metallic and Candy Chromosphere Red. Other than the paint choices, the bike remains the same.

and polite to call ahead as neither is open without an appointment.

The B180 becomes the A300 north of Castlemaine and at nearby Harcourt, stop in at the General Store for excellent coffee and delicious pastries. Riders may end up discussing chef Annette Larsen’s family collection of antique BSA motorcycles.

Pricing is dependent on where you live because government charges can vary, but you’re looking at around $23,500… check out motorcycles. honda.com.au for a ride-away price based on where you live.

Central Garage Bowning

Atkinson, to take dinner at The Railway Hotel. I’m reminded just how far “pub grub” has come as we’re served such delights as Moroccan lamb back strap, barramundi fillet and baharat-spiced kangaroo. Don’t worry, classics are always available too.

After a solid day of lollygagging around town, we head to our retro digs at The Northern Arts Hotel and meet owners, Maggie and Frank, who made a splash in Melbourne with their former hotel, the iconic Brooklyn Arts Hotel in Fitzroy. Just around the corner from The Mill, the old pub was built in 1873 and traded as The Brighton Hotel and Store. It’s now a quirky guesthouse and community hub with tastefully restored rooms by renowned furniture maker, Nicholas Dattner. Frank and his right-hand man, Alan Joyce, curate

Castlmaine.

classic movies for regular screenings and hold regular “pot luck” fun dining events. Of course, there’s a ghost with a knack for leaving locked doors ajar.

Thankfully I slept through any spectral incursions and awoke to the smell of fresh coffee wafting up from the lounge. We head out for breakfast at Johnny Baker and it’s easy to see why he’s a firm favourite for locals. Here John Stekerhofs, whose roots are in Latvia, creates crafty pastries that are the talk of the town. He’s even opened a second shop attached to the Northern Arts Hotel with excellent coffee to boot.

There’s time for a brisk, invigorating stroll around the manicured botanic gardens before the 15-minute ride eastward along the C282 to Maldon. Victorians will be familiar with the beautifully preserved streetscape that could easily be a goldrush movie set. Established in the 1850s, Maldon developed into the prosperous and dainty town much as it appears today.

To continue our European theme, we take a hearty morning tea at Le Sel, another European-themed establishment operated by French-born urban refugees, Serge and Claudine, who have created a compact deli full of homemade delights with a most Gallic

“…BEAuTIFuLLY PRESERVED STREETSCAPE THAT COuLD EASILY BE A GOLDRuSH MOVIE SET ”

flavour. Popular with locals and visitors alike, it is a favourite morning haunt of resident Logiewinning TV stars Kevin Moloney and Janetta Stones of Travel Guides who happen to be fulfilling their mid-morning routine of pain au chocolat and almond croissant. They fly out to Paris in the morning, of course.

Greater Bendigo and the neighbouring Mount Alexander Shire are surrounded by wine regions and can name two of their own: Bendigo and Heathcote. The eponymous region can trace its vineyards back almost to the beginning of the gold rush, when Jacques Bladier and a German chap named

Delscher both planted vineyards near Epsom in about 1855.

Traditionally, the central Victorian vineyards have been known for big reds like Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, with some of the cooler locations producing classic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varieties. If you’re riding, you’ll need to spit. A pity, but better than the alternative. The roads around the Bendigo, Castlemaine and Maldon triangle present plenty of excursion possibilities. Whether you want to make it a weekday whizzer or a weekend wallow, the options are there. Complete your loop by heading back to

Melbourne along the Harmony Way (C794) or, if you’ve decided to stay another night, there’s the classy Castlemaine Boutique Accommodation selection of restored heritage properties to choose from.

And there you have it, a year-round, passport-free Grand Tour of Europe right in your own backyard. Magnifique! ARR

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https://links.roadrider.com.au/ Castlemaine-178

Rike Design

www.rike-design.com

Buda Historic Home & Garden

www.budacastlemaine.org

Origini Café

www.instagram.com/originicastlemaine

Oakwood Smallgoods

www.oakwoodsmallgoods.com

Love Shack Brewery

www.loveshackbrewingco.beer

Northern Arts Hotel

www.northernartshotel.com.au

Johnny Baker www.johnnybaker.com.au

Long Paddock Cheese www.longpaddockcheese.com.au

Das Kaffeehaus www.coffeebasics.com

Theatre Royal Castlemaine

www.theatreroyalcastlemaine.com.au

Railway Hotel

www.railwayhotelcastlemaine.com.au

Cabosse & Feve Chocolates www.cabosseandfeve.com.au

Le Sel www.lesel.com.au

Enfilade Plus www.instagram.com/enfiladeplus

The Mill

www.millcastlemaine.com.au

Castlemaine Boutique Accommodation www.castlemaineaccom.com.au

Rod Hedfields Hot Rod Roadside Display

Ruins from the gold digging days. Relics of the past.

Maldon.

The Mill, Castlemaine.