Story by Adam
Grand Living in an Eclectically Designed House
Adventure in Callignee, Gippsland, VIC, AU
Finding Calignee II is a true adventure. The Google maps address sends you on a wild goose chase and the street signs are often hard to find, but once you arrive your hard work is rewarded! Calignee II is an amazing off grid escape high in the hills above the Latrobe valley in Gippsland.
The house was featured on Grand Designs Australia, and you can understand why with quirky materials, high ceilings and a lap pool to die for. Our hosts proudly had the episode on display - which I'd imagine is a surreal ritual for all who stay to sit down and watch the house you're staying in be built.
Our adventures outside of Calignee II were somewhat hampered by the coldest November days this century, but the nearby national park delivered some great (albeit slippery) bushwalks and we warmed up with a bakery visit and some op shopping down the road in Traralgon. On the way home we were treated with a traditional country pub in Glengarry. The whole weekend left us feel zen and very grateful to be able to experience such luxury and escape so close to Melbourne.
The house was featured on Grand Designs Australia, and you can understand why with quirky materials, high ceilings and a lap pool to die for. Our hosts proudly had the episode on display - which I'd imagine is a surreal ritual for all who stay to sit down and watch the house you're staying in be built.
Our adventures outside of Calignee II were somewhat hampered by the coldest November days this century, but the nearby national park delivered some great (albeit slippery) bushwalks and we warmed up with a bakery visit and some op shopping down the road in Traralgon. On the way home we were treated with a traditional country pub in Glengarry. The whole weekend left us feel zen and very grateful to be able to experience such luxury and escape so close to Melbourne.
Things We Did
- Walk
- Pub
- Experience
- Town
Inside Tarra-Bulga National park there are plenty of walks and waterfalls to check out, but one that stood out to us was a short walk to the Corrigan suspension bridge. Although it was muddy thanks to all the rain, the walk through rainforest and fern gardens was a great way to switch off. And best of all we had the place to ourselves!
Unfortunately, a lot of pubs in Traralgon seemed to lack charm or were riddled with Pokies machines, so in search of a more down to earth vibe we drove out into the countryside to the Glengarry Hotel. Here we found local beers on tap, a cheap pool table and although we didn't eat anything, the food looked fantastic. Make sure you check out the images from the town's annual fishing trip!
Alright I admit this one isn't for everyone, but as someone who gets excited by large brutalist buildings this was a surprise. There are a couple of lookout points and a road that runs between the canary yellow buildings and the massive concrete water towers that are straight out of the Simpsons.
It's a sobering experience to see where we get most of our power from in Melbourne and quite affronting to read the greenwashing placards put up by the operator informing you of their attempts to care for the environment while staring into a gaping coalmine.
It's a sobering experience to see where we get most of our power from in Melbourne and quite affronting to read the greenwashing placards put up by the operator informing you of their attempts to care for the environment while staring into a gaping coalmine.
What else to do on a slow day in a rural town than to hit up some op shops. We counted 7 different options in the town with bargains aplenty. Once we'd emptied our tank we replenished with a couple of meat pies and a locally made drink called Aygee.
Our Adventure Map
Where we stayed
Things we did
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