A side trip to Boort
Boort is located 250km northwest of Melbourne and 100km from Bendigo (wiki). There are a couple of turn offs on the road between Serpentine and Swan Hill. Because it isn’t on a major highway it is easy to just drive past the Boort signpost. After all how much can there be in a town with less than 1000 people? Guess what – Boort is an amazing place of agriculture, aboriginal culture, nature, recreation, tourism, and great food and well worth a day trip or longer stay.
Cafes in Boort
My first stop was for a very late breakfast. Two cafes side by side. How to choose? I started with coffee at the Godfrey and Bear Café. I sat outside in the sunshine and chatted with some very friendly locals. An hour and a half had whizzed by before I knew it. For comparison, I then nicked into Audrey’s followed quickly by a constant stream of lunchtime customers. Both cafes had interesting and fresh décor, lovely food, an interesting story behind the name, helpful owners and staff, and great coffee. I’ll let you decide which you prefer when you visit! I am glad I tried them both.
Local Wool Enterprise
My next shop visit was to the wool shop. Well, I thought I was going to a wool shop, you know, a shop selling knitting needles, patterns, and colourful wool. Boy did I get that wrong. It turns out that The Country Shop is home to three businesses. Country Wool Bedding, Woolly Warmers, and Simply Tomatoes, are owned and operated by Ian and Marilyn. I stood and watched while a Wool quilt was being made. There is no doubt that these are quality products made from all-natural fibres.
Overdue for a new Pillow at home I decided to buy one of their pillows to replace my old Latex and Memory Foam pillow. My transition to a wool pillow has been fantastic. I won’t be going back to synthetic-filled pillows.
The Simply Tomatoes range of green tomato products are nestled in a separate area of the shop. The range is made in a commercial kitchen on Ian and Marilyn’s farm. The green tomato spread is yummy. I have added it to Light Philly Cheese for an interesting dip or just on its own on a biscuit with cheese. If you would like to know more about these products have a look at The Country Shop website.
A casual drive revealed the completeness of the Services of Boort. Supermarket, School, Pharmacy, Butcher………More
Things to do in Boort
Lake Boort offers recreation in a beautiful setting. Boating, canoeing, water skiing, walking, and birdwatching. A visit to the Boort museum will take you back in time or an Indigenous eco-tour will give you an insight into the rich history of the Dja Dja Wurrung people. For more information on the Indigenous peoples of Lake Boort.. the recent SBS documentary ‘The Lake of Scars’ is a must-see.
The Victorian town of Boort is a pleasant surprise. If I had planned ahead I would have been able to see and do a lot more. The Sculpture Trail, Scar Trees, Fresh Produce, Lake Boort, or the Annual (October) Agricultural & Pastoral Show. This is a vibrant, active town. It is certainly worth turning off the main highway to discover all that Boort has to offer.
