Leaving 'Chambly' at 9.15, we set off with great intrigue on our Mystery Trip. Through the leafy streets of Toorak, past Como House and down towards the Royal Botanic Gardens. Aha, we all thought..........off to the gardens. But no, we continued on past and to our great delight turned into the driveway of Government House.
Here we were treated to a tour of the 27 hectare garden and the state rooms of the grand building. While on our tour it was difficult to imagine the city was so close, with frequent glimpses of the tall buildings through the trees. Many of the trees have great significance, and many commemorative trees have also been planted to celebrate various official occasions. On our tour of the house we visited the Grand Ballroom, stated to be larger than that at Buckingham Palace. It's many features are a fabulous reminder of the wealth the new colony was making at the time of its construction.
After our visit we went to the Cafe at the Carlton Brewhouse for lunch, including a beer and cider tasting.
