Marysville is a pretty town not far from Melbourne. We decided to stay at Vibes Hotel for New Years Eve 2019 and enjoy the beautiful surrounds. It was very quiet, surprisingly for New Years Eve.
We paid a decent price for a room with a balcony and a view? Hmmm.
Accomodation at Vibes was disappointing for the price we paid. The sitting room was badly designed with cheap and decidedly uncomfortable furniture. The whole place had a cheap feel about it, and a distinct lack of care for guests comfort. The pool was overcrowded with two families in it and definitely not appealing to couples. We will consider alternate options next time we spend a weekend in Marysville.
Not to be missed is the lovely walk up Steavenson Falls. It is by no means a difficult walk, the start is flat and easy access, although as it gets higher it becomes a little rocky, so not for those with mobility issues.
The car park is ticketed, but not expensive. People were handing over their unexpired parking tickets as they left, which was quite friendly. The public toilets were a little yucky.
Don’t disregard the ‘Beware of Snakes’ signs. They are all over the place. We saw one and people on the track sighted a second one a little further on.
Although the area has regenerated since the bush fires, there is still plenty of evidence of the dreadful fires in huge burnt out trees.
It is a really pretty place to walk.
I am a sucker for bakeries. The vanilla slice, which I believe they called something like a granny slice? I can’t remember exactly, looked good, held together well, but was a little grainy and rubbery, and lacked lightness. But, I am a bit of a vanilla slice nutter and have tried far too many on my travels. The Marysville Country Bakery certainly has plenty to choose from.
There is a rather nice caravan park along the sparkling shallow river that flows through the township. Families sit on chairs in the water watching their kiddies splash around. It’s not fancy, but has a friendly feel and is close to the IGA and pub.
I hate to bag places, but seriously, Radius Bar & Grill, the restaurant attached to Vibes was not a great night out. The Barramundi we ordered was very good, but the deserts were pitiful. I did let them know that at $16 each, they needed to review their sweet offerings and the waiter did take the cost of one off our bill, however, I had to request a clean glass, and felt like once again, the customer was purely for $$$ and they did not offer a dining ‘experience’ I could honestly recommend to other travellers. Breakfast in the cafe of the same business was not brilliant either. I recommend you try the bakery instead.
To finish out weekend, we went to Lake Eildon and had lunch at the Aqua Bar and Cafe. Book ahead in busy season, we were lucky enough to score the last bar table. The view is nice, staff friendly and efficient. Mostly fried food, but with a cold beer or wine, all good. The water was a great colour and heaps of people were enjoying their boats. I was extremely happy to see how clean the water was. And no rubbish lying about anywhere.
We drove through the Black Spur, which was looking beautiful. A lovely drive, gorgeous walks, and so close to Melbourne. Cheers.
simplethingstraveller 