Our last day in Castlemaine to end a weekend away, saw us head up to the hill to the old Castlemaine Gaol.

It was built in the 1860s and permanently closed in the 1960s but now, it’s in the process of being made into different artisan workshops. Certainly last time I was there, there weren’t any sculptures outside. Castlemaine has a thriving arts scene so methinks it’ll be fantastic once it opens up.

We walked around the Gaol and took some photos and videos then off the Mill.

The mill was an old wool mill that is now a huge site filled with vintage markets, a great Australian coffee house where we ate strudel and cake called Das Kaffee Haus, lots of different breweries, wineries, chocolate and cheese places. There’s also art workshops that are leased out by artists and other businesses.

There was an excellent vintage market place which I adore to go through. We spent an hour there but hardly saw everything.

Overall, a great weekend away and our first holiday together in over two years. We had planned three different trips into the region but Covid lockdowns cancelled them all. When I organised this weekend away, I was half hearted about it because I was expecting it to be cancelled. Part of me was also a bit fearful catching covid (I had the RAT in my bag with me) and I still have this concern at the back of my mind as many people now don’t wear masks. Luckily, our fourth booster shots will be ready for the public soon and as soon as I’m eligible, I’ll get it done.

Andrew still has a week ahead of him on holidays so he’ll spend it watching the Masters golf on TV also playing some rounds of golf or reading his comic books. I’m also looking forward to just working two days a week over the next couple of weeks with Easter and ANZAC Day public holidays meaning I won’t work over the next couple of Mondays.

Here’s a short video I did on our last day in Castlemaine.