Walhalla

Walhalla was a mining boom town in the Victorian gold rush. Between 1862 and 1914 over seventy tons of gold passed through the vaults of the town's banks. 

Built in a steep gorge along the creek where the gold was first found, Walhalla was home to more than 3500 people at its peak, but as gold yields fell, people moved out and the town now has only 20 permanent residents.

Many of the town's buildings were dismantled and moved elsewhere, but those that remain have been restored and many more have been rebuilt in the original style. 

We stayed in an extraordinary bed and breakfast, built in the last ten years but faithful to the period down to the fixtures and fittings.

We travelled on the train which wasn't completed until 1910 by which time the gold was starting to run out.

We also went to the cemetery, clinging to the steep hill. 

Finally we climbed for half an hour to visit the cricket pitch at the top of the gorge. Although the Melbourne cricket club played here in the town's golden era, it wasn't much of a sight now, though we did enjoy the sense of achievement just getting there.