Golden Valley – Introduction

Historically it was often said that Australia rode on the sheep's back. We will drive into a picturesque golden valley on the southern side of the Pyrenees State Forest. Whilst the gold rushes captured the imagination of many, they were short-lived, covering about 50 years. Long-lasting wealth came from sheep and timber. Our drive will take us along the Pyrenees Highway through Amphitheatre, Elmhurst, and on to Glenpatrick, the heart of the timber, sheep and southern gold mining. It was a golden valley. Your curiosity will be rewarded. It was often said that "there's gold in them there hills". Whilst the glitter of gold has long faded away, its history continues to enrich Avoca. The real wealth, however, came from more traditional industries: timber and sheep. Along with wine, timber and sheep farming are the predominant wealth generators in Avoca's hinterland in the modern era.

The Pyrenees Highway flanks the Avoca River. The river flows from near Mount Lonarch to the south and to your left as you are driving. Either side of the valley are lush mountain slopes that are ideal for sheep farming. Yet, in summer, they quickly dry out and look quite barren. We have a suggestion. At story point three, there is a beautiful picnic area at the Glenpatrick Recreation Reserve. It's a magic spot to relax, take a stroll, and seek evidence of alluvial wash gold mining.

Your story trail takes you southwest from Avoca to Glenpatrick. Time is between two and four hours. The distance is 80 kilometres return, and walks are short. Your key story points include Amphitheatre, Elmhurst where you will learn of timber, sheep, and a mystery, the Glenpatrick picnic ground to learn about alluvial gold and then return to Avoca.

Story trails are best experienced using any mobile device with headsets. They are free to download and share. Mobile phone users should enable auto-rotation to allow landscape viewing. We will guide you to each story point along the trail. When you hear the sheep, pause the video. Then, play when you arrive at the next story point.