The days of horse drawn transport may be long gone but this week in the Limestone Coast a special journey transformed passengers back to the patter of hooves and clatter of a stage coach.
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To commemorate the centenary of the final Australian Cobb & Co run through Queensland from Surat to Yuleba, Rob Fairchild and his wife Judy from Mil Lel came up with their own run closer to home.
After months of planning the couple, who run Rob's Carriages, harnessed up a team of five Clydesdale and Percheron horses to their replica stage coach and set off on a four day journey covering 95 kilometres.
The itinerary took them and their passengers to Glencoe, Kalangadoo and finally to Penola to deliver the mail to the Penola post office. One of the highlights was a night of poetry and history around the campfire at Victorian era homestead, Yallum Park.
Rob said it had been a "massive undertaking" and was very grateful to all the volunteers who had helped make it possible.
"The weather hasn't been real kind to us but we have coped with that, we could have done with a few more numbers but the people who have come have really enjoyed it and those who have seen us along the way have too," he said.
"The horses have coped really well and enjoyed the cool weather, they are tired and have a few rub marks but they are still keen at the gate when we come with their halters every morning."
Rob said the highlight for him was the visits to the small primary schools along the way including Mil Lel, Kalangadoo, Glencoe and Penola and Mary MacKillop.
"There are only 25 students at Kalangadoo so we were able to have them all on the coach," he said.
Each student received a postcard featuring a stamp specially designed by the Mt Gambier Philatelic Society for the trip to fill out and put in the mail bag. After addressing them to themselves they are eagerly waiting to see their return.
Most of the passengers booked a seat for one of the days but Dale McIntyre from Millicent and Sue Radley from Portland, Vic, made the whole journey.
The friends who met while doing charity work in Vietnam were enticed to sign up for "an adventure" after having one of Rob's Carriages rides at the Beachport Crayfish Festival back in February.
Sue and Dale say it has been even better than they imagined with brilliant hosts and meeting some great people and a "few characters".
"There is more to a horse and carriage than what you realise until you go on a trip like this it it becomes evident," Sue said.
Dale says it was a "very grounding" experience to witness how earlier generations lived.
"We take for granted being in cars, to get back to how it was and to realise it took them 4.5 days to get to Adelaide was something," she said.
