Traralgon: Store 61, Momo, and Grounded Paws Cat Cafe

When we were planning our long weekend holiday, I wanted to go somewhere in rural Victoria.  Sylvia wanted to go to the Grounded Paws animal rescue and cat cafe in Traralgon.  I was happy to go there but did not want to stay in Traralgon which seemed more suburban than my idealised vision of a country town.  So we compromised by staying at the beautiful gold rush town of Walhalla and visiting Traralgon on the way there and then driving back for another visit the next morning. 

This compromise worked well.  I loved the charming historic town in a green valley and Sylvia got to visit her cat cafe, op shops and nice restaurants in Traralgon.  Win win!

 

Store Sixty One Cafe, 61 Breed St, Traralgon 

When we arrived in Traralgon after over two hours of driving, it was good to stop for lunch at Store Sixty One.  (According to my friend Alison, this cafe has had a few name changes over the years.)  It was really busy on a Friday lunchtime.  There were no seats available inside but we were happy to eat on the front deck in the shade of the umbrella and enjoy the cool breeze.

We started with a cold drink.  Sylvia loved her iced soy matcha.  I had the passionfruit and orange kreol probiotic drink.  I expected it might be like the orange and passionfruit sparkling mineral water that used to be in many drinks cabinets and was a favourite of mine.  It was much less sweet but very refreshing.  I am noticing probiotic drinks are more and more available in cafes.

Sylvia went for the Happy Stack ($25.50) with hot cakes, butter, hash browns, maple syrup and strawberry compote.   She was able to have haloumi instead of the bacon.  I had the Breakfast Bowl ($27). It was a generous serve of buckwheat, seasonal greens, fresh avocado, roasted sweet potato, roasted cauliflower, confit tomato, pickled zucchini, edamame and miso dressing.  I opted not to have the poached eggs, but one of the protein choices was the zucchini and corn fritters which suited me very well.  So much good food with kudos to the crispy broccolini and beautifully roasted sweet potato.  While not the cheapest meal, it was excellent offerings from a country cafe.

Grounded Paws Animal Rescue Cat Cafe,  23 McMahon St, Traralgon

After lunch we went to Grounded Paws to spend time among the cats. At $5 for 30 minutes, this is the cheapest cat cafe we have visited (and we have been to quite a few).  It is actually a cat rescue, targeting cats that are at risk of being put down which welcomes visitors.  So the cats are well looked after and mostly friendly - as much as you can expect from cats!  

The photo above and the top photo show the whimsical presentation of a large warehouse.  The artwork has an Alice in Wonderland theme and is a work in progress. 

After we pay our entrance fee at the counter of the small little cafe that offers drinks and slices and gifts, we enter the first cat space.  It is a room for the kittens to keep them separate from the older cats.  These kittens are adorable.  Sylvia was very fond of a calico kitten called Peanut.  I was very taken by this gorgeous black kitten with white socks called Noel.

The main area for the older cats has lots of space and nooks and crannies.  There are lots of cat towers to hide in or, as in the case of the above cat (called Gherkin), to sit atop and stare with loooksthat are either judging us or terrified of us or both!

We had a lovely time with all the cats but the friendliest was a ginger tom called Robert.  I guess that makes him a bobcat!  He was my favourite.  You can see him sitting so patiently in this photo with Sylvia, loving her stroking his back.  Everywhere I was he seemed to be hanging out nearby ready for some attention.  He even was quite friendly with the other cats.

It was hard to photograph the large entrance to the warehouse that is covered in mesh so the cats can get fresh air without getting out.  The light from this entrance was glaring compared to the gloomy low light of the warehouse.  You can see Lenny's lighter natural light side and his darker warehouse side in the above photo.  He is on a large hamster wheel.  It was disappointing the cats didn't run on it. 

The cats loved this airy area where the warehouse met the outside world.  Sylvia's favourite - a black cat called Clarence - spent some time fiddling with the mesh trying to work out ways to escape.  He was a mellow cat who would stop to accept a pat but then go on his way doing his own thing.

You can see how much space there is in the photo of Robert.  Not all of the cats were so outgoing.  Quite a few of them liked to hide under the chairs and wooden pews as well as in the cat towers.  Below is a photo of a little tortoiseshell cat called Ariel under a fancy chair.

On our first visit, we were amused to watch the antics of Ariel who was avoiding the cat box of a couple who were adopting her. She ran up to the mezzanine where the table and chairs are (see top photo) and then ran out from there along a very high ledge.  The woman working there had to use a very long stick to nudge her back to the mezzanine.

Finally Ariel was shepherded into the cat doors to a smaller space where the staff look after food and kitty litter.  Even so it was taking quite a bit of time to coax her into the traveling box when we left.  When we came back for a second visit the next day, we happy to hear that she was sleeping soundly at her new home.

On our second visit I had a lot less desire than Sylvia to hang out with the cats so I stood and chatted to the volunteer on the desk.  It was interesting to hear more about the cafe.  I was sad hearing about the cats who were earmarked to be put down when their owners faced a change such as moving country or going into a nursing home.  It was especially sad to hear that one of the 12 month old kittens had been saved from being put down.  This made me really appreciate the work of the cafe in rehousing these cats.  If she could, Sylvia would have taken home this kitten called Peanut. But she is allergic to peanuts (ha ha).

Traralgon Farmers Market,  Kay Street

On our second visit to Traraglon we were delighted to find that the farmers market that is held on the fourth Saturday of the month coincided with our visit.  It was on a wide shady street with lots of trees along the nature strip.  We bought an amazing fig and black pepper baguette and mushroom arancini for our holiday kitchen.

We were able to resist much of the temptation but it is always fun to look around the stalls.  I got a laugh at the marshmallow stallholder's t-shirt that read "Whatever you do Marty, don't ever go to 2020".  (A Back to the Future joke!)  I also was amused by the caramel nut man who had a few cookie monster toys on display and showed us the one he had since he was a child.

MoMo, 103 Seymour Street, Traralgon

While in Traralgon, it was a good opportunity to catch up with my friend Alison who lives in country Gippsland.  We booked Italian restaurant, Momo, which was quiet when we arrived at 12 but got quite busy.  It was great to catch up with a university friend!

Alison had the orichiette with salmon.  Sylvia and I shared the Ricotta ravioli with peas, marinated cherry tomatoes, spinach, toasted pumpkin seeds, & lemon-butter sauce.  We had quite a few sides: Potato, roast garlic & smoked cheddar with aioli, House made beetroot hummus & dukkah, roasted tomato pesto, toasted pita & garlic & herb sourdough, and a Garden salad.  Together this was a really good meal.  Not cheap (our pasta was $30) but very delicious and satisfying.

Salvos and C2A Opportunity Shops

Sylvia had wanted to visit some op shops to hunt out some esoteric detritus.  She loves some second hand jewellery and clothing.  The C2A op shop (15 Seymour Street) was so cheap compared to Melbourne op shops.  I was delighted to be able to purchase 3 pairs of boots between us at $6 a pair.  I found a few other bits and pieces at the Salvos op shop 72 Princess Highway).  It wasn't as cheap but I really admired just how beautifully the shop was presented.

More posts on our holiday:

• Walhalla Witchery cafe and meals at holiday accomm...
• Walhalla accommodation and sightseeing