You need a car for this excursion. So it's best combined with another reason for hiring a car, like fetching wood to make a bookshelf.

I love the Yarra Valley. Mountains, woodland, pasture, vineyards -- and on this winter's morning, it was all delicately festooned with trails of mist. Grey skies -- but it didn't matter. Just added to the atmosphere. Flocks of sulphur-crested cockatoos. They added to the atmosphere, too -- raucously.

We had brekkie at the Harvest Cafe, which is part of the Healesville Hotel. Not cheap, but very tasty.

Then we did a tour of the Healesville Community Market, which is held, apparently, on the first Sunday of every month. All manner of stuff on sale here -- old bits of ironmongery, socks by the billion, second-hand books, honey and preserves -- made for an interesting, if cold, browse.

Then we made one of our regular pilgrimages to the Five Oaks Vineyard, which grows, makes, and sells our absolute all-time favourite range of red wine. It's always a pleasure to visit this place, and we stocked up with a few bottles for the winter.

We briefly popped in at the Sylvan Reservoir on the way home. Looks like a place to go back to. Had the chance to stare at an archetypal kookaburra on a tree branch. I love the shape of kookaburras -- plump and pleasing.

A great little trip, all in all.