RAILTON - POPULATION: 900

WEDNESDAY 14 - THURSDAY 15.12.2011: Had to stop at the House of Anvers at Latrobe. Anvers Confectionary registered as a company and after 12 months of convincing the relevant authorities that a "full chocolate experience" on the Bass Highway was a good idea, the "House of Anvers" was opened by celebrity chef "Stephano De Pieri". Beautiful chocolate that warrants a return visit!

"BEST HOT CHOCOLATE
IN THE WORLD"

The next stop was at the village of Railton. It was first surveyed in 1853 and soon had a hotel, 3 churches, a school, telegraph station and a local turf club. Early settlers lived in slab huts and were mainly occupied in farming or timber cutting. The main street  used to accommodate the bullock teams making their way to the Railton Railway Station to load produce at the only railway in the Kentish district at the time.

By the 1900s Railton was a flourishing timber trade centre and had 2 sawmills. The railway line to Railton was completed in 1885. In early 1999, local business owners Stephen Rand (Bluey) and Neil Hurley were chatting about how to bring tourism to Railton. They decided on the "Town of Topiary" and planned and planted their own topiary - Neil planted Railton's first character topiary at his shop "Looking Glass Cottage" in October 1999 - A horse and farmer working an old plough - a living monument to the pioneering farmers of the district. There are now more than 130 topiaries with even more in the development stage.

Spent two nights at the Railton Motorhome Freedom stop and had a lovely time - beautiful scenery.