Recently I mentioned going to Ford's Bridge near Tatong.
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It might be a bit far to cycle for some children, but not for keen adults.
Ford's Bridge is at the end of the bitumen on the Tatong to Tolmie Rd.
Its about 15k past the pub.
Don't just cycle, or drive straight through Tatong.
Stop and see the pub's painted water tank and look at the timber trolley with its huge log at the crossroad.
The trolleys used to be pulled off the mountains by horse drawn teams and the logs milled in Tatong.
The timber was transported into Benalla by trains on a broad gauge track.
Not far from Tatong you will see a large obelisk saying that explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hovell passed this area in 1824.
The arrow points south.
It is hard to imagine how they got there and where they were going.
A little further on you will see the Old Coach Rd on your left.
It pops off the mountainside and seems to be in an implausible place.
Frontline workers: Beth the post office worker
You will wind along the river flats seeing several little tracks to the river, which is actually the upper reaches of Hollands Creek.
There are no signs saying that you have arrived at Ford's Bridge, but you will know because the road changes from sealed to gravel and stays gravel all the way to Tolmie.
This used to be a popular Sunday bus-trip destination, but today you have to ignore the recently flood flattened vegetation and walk a short distance upstream to the waterhole and small waterfall.
A bit of advice, take salt with you if you plan to swim in summer.
Leeches can be quickly dealt with by a hit of salt.
Secondly, be mindful of logging trucks.
St Joey’s sportstar clips reach 10,000 views
If you decide to go on to Tolmie you will pass the Stringybark Creek sign at a junction of two equally well travelled roads.
It is pure guess which to take, the left track is the correct one.
The Stringybark Creek shootout was pivotal in the Ned Kelly story.
The death of three Mansfield policemen led to Ned and his gang being deemed Australia's most wanted bushrangers.
The log they hid behind is long gone, but the area has been well designed to retell the story.
We loved the windy road to Tolmie.
Wattle is in full flower under the tall white trunked gums and it looks very pretty.
Eventually we passed cherry and walnut orchards and joined the main road.
People of Benalla: Yvonne Kneebone
Tolmie has a very unique looking pub.
We would love to be there when it is snowing or in summer at night with lots of people, but cannot imagine how or why that might happen.
We headed to Mansfield rather than Whitfield.
I love Mansfield. It is so different in style and business to Benalla.
Everyone seems to have four-wheel drive vehicles with bikes, boats, caravans or dog cages attached, and they dress differently.
The marble and granite monument in the centre of the roundabout that directs us home is a memorial for the three policemen who died at Stringybark Creek.
We had another great day trip that was full of variety.
- Suzie Pearce
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