November 2011

It’s been such a long time since I added to my blogs that I hardly know where to start. So let’s go back to the end of October. I arrived in Melbourne via Seymour on the 26^th October, the same day as the Queen. The drive down to Melbourne was quite good, as I kept an eagle eye on the GPS to ensure that I was taking the right roads. It got a little tricky in places especially where the traffic started to build up, due to the Queen’s arrival.  So I arrived at my cousin’s at a reasonable hour - 12.30pm, which wasn’t bad really. However, I hadn’t been game to stop to have a cuppa in case I got caught up in the traffic.

The next few days were very busy catching up with relatives and getting ready to go to Oaks Day during Cup Week. We had a ball. I thought I’d died and gone to Heaven looking at all the fashions. Unfortunately I didn’t pick the winner on either day but it was fun being part of the whole scene.

Then I made an unexpected trip back to the Gold Coast to attend the Caningeraba Cup, which was a reunion for past and present staff. What a night! Tony, the PE teacher, had organised a race meeting never to be forgotten. We watched each of the 6 races on a big screen and used “play money” to bet on each one. One needed to follow the form guide carefully before deciding which horse to back, as each horse was named after a staff member.  Fashions on the Field drew many entries and everyone dressed for the occasion.  It was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with all the staff. Thanks to Stephanie and Ritchie who put me up for a few days at their lovely bush-side retreat.

So having finished my “Cup Crawl”, I then ventured down to Maclean to visit Margaret and David. What a pretty place. The rural residential area just outside town has blocks averaging 1 acre in size with trees, grass,  kangaroos and birds. It was not unusual to see 40 or more kangaroos grazing while out on my morning walks. Some of the kookaburras that come onto the back lawn are so are so tame that you can actually have them feeding out of your hand, while the dozens of lorikeets, galahs, ducks, doves and magpies regularly come to feed out of the feeders.  During my stay we also managed to take a trip down to Coffs Harbour and Grafton and I must say the countryside is very pretty with the river and lush, green paddocks and cattle dotted everywhere.

During the next few days back in Melbourne I was busy catching up with more friends and cousins. I didn’t realise I had so many people to see in Victoria. All too soon it was time to repack the van and hit the road again. The last month has been wonderful; it’s been so good to have a base and to be able to catch up with so many people. So on leaving Melbourne, I headed south towards Phillip Island passing through Cranbourne and Koo-Wee-Rup, Lang Lang, Grantville, San Remo and across the bridge to Newhaven on Phillip Island. I stopped in at Caldermeade Farm just in time for milking. It was originally established in 1875 as a beef property but now it’s a dairy farm which milks 400 cows a day through a 50 cow rotary diary.

After a visit to the Visitors’ Information Centre in Newhaven, I decided to find a caravan park nearby, cook dinner and make my way to Penguin Parade. What an experience! This is where the world’s largest Little Penguin colony marches from the sea to find their burrows amongst the sand dunes at sunset. But my goodness, how cold it was sitting on the specially constructed viewing platform waiting for their arrival. But it was well worth the wait and the cold. They are so cute waddling up the beach and through the grasses.

Spent the next morning walking through the streets of Cowes which is the main town on Phillip Island, noting all the dining places. Then it was off  to The Nobbies Centre  to find out a bit more about the wildlife in the area. A stroll along the cliff-face boardwalks allows you to see nesting seabird colonies without disturbing them. Talk about rough coastline!

The day ended at Inverloch where I booked into the Foreshore Camping Reserve. I must say the long evenings are ideal for taking a stroll and so I made the most of my walk along the beachfront this evening while looking at the sun as it began to set.

So it looks like my next destination will be Prom Country and Wilson’s Promontory National Park. Cheers for now.

Nevertire, Warren, Narromine and Dubbo and on to Narrandera

The countryside certainly changed once I arrived in NSW and as I was in a more agricultural area. The locals are happy to get some rain to aid their crops. The weather, too, changed and I am now experiencing rainy periods, something I haven’t had since Cairns, back at the end of June.

I’ve been through a few quaint little towns such as Nevertire, Warren and Narromine and finally on to Dubbo to meet Jenny, another friend from Perth. Again I struck some cold wet weather. So I spent some time getting organised and preparing some meals for the next few days.  I also had the opportunity to do some shopping as this is the biggest town I've been in for several weeks. I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven when I actually came across a Myers store.

Our first stop on the way out of Dubbo was the Dubbo Zoo. We spent a delightful few hours looking at the animals before having lunch in the park. We decided that the zoo is like going on safari because of all the African wildlife. The zoo offers 15 kms of bike and walking trails but we managed about 5kms and felt so good, especially as the weather was so warm and sunny after the previous few days which had been quite wet and cold.

Then it was on the road again to Gilgandra, some 60 kms away. We browsed through the Coo-ee Heritage and Info Centre and found it to be  very well organised with interesting information about the Coo-ee March, the WW1 recruitment walk, along with WW2 and Vietnam War memorabilia.  A walk through town revealed just a few little shops, nothing of real interest, and a pub where we decided to have a beer. A group of bikies turned up. Drove out to Acropolis Caravan Park, also known as Barney’s and booked in to a powered site and we also went on an interesting walk along the river with several windmills dotted along the way which have been collected from various properties.

On the road to Mudgee we passed through Mendooran, Dunedoo (meaning Black Swan), and Gulgong. Gulgong is a 19^th century gold rush town and it’s like stepping out of the car and back in time 50 years. It’s such an attractive little town with some 130 buildings listed with the National Trust. The narrow streets wind between clapboard and iron buildings with verandas and iron lace.

Gulgong has the Henry Lawson Centre. This historic weatherboard building houses a fine collection of books, memorabilia and writings of Lawson and is a living memorial to this great Australian writer’s life and times. There is also some fine art representing his work displayed there.

Mudgee itself is well known for its wine production. The Mudgee streetscape is dotted with cafes and restaurants and we certainly checked these out, as the weather while we were there, was cold and wet, not really suitable for bush walking. Instead, window shopping was “the go”.  We noted the early Australian architectural facades and historic buildings which line the wide streets, many dating back to the 1850s. The two churches really appealed to us. Mudgee is definitely worth putting on your travel list.

Then it was on the road to Wellington. However, we weren’t all that impressed with the town, especially after Mudgee. The weather by now was on the improve and as it was a warm balmy evening, we sat drinking our wine and waited for the roast to cook in the turbo cooker. It was well worth the wait and we felt even better when we finished off with apple crumble. (Note the white table linen and crystal glasses)

With only a couple more days to go we decided to go out to Lake Burrendong and a night of camping in the national park near the lake. Simply stunning scenery. We both enjoyed the sunshine and walking by the lake. A brown snake interrupted our thoughts and chatter but fortunately, we both saw it in time to give it a wide berth.

All too soon Jenny’s visit had come to an end so we spent the last day together at  Burrendong Botanic Garden and Arboretum, which has native plants and animals and a mass of subtropical vegetation. Fern Gully was a complete surprise to us. It’s a dry bush gully which has been transformed into a rainforest.

Since Jenny’s visit I have travelled through a number of towns including Parkes, Forbes, West Wyalong and Narrandera as I travel towards Melbourne.

Peak Hill is a quaint little town with a history linked to the discovery of gold in 1889. Even a century later the mine was operating and the mining company set up a tourist mine with walking trails around the five new pits and the original open cut.

Parkes’ CSIRO Radio Telescope is affectionately known as “The Dish” and is one of the greatest landmarks of the Central West.

Forbes is a very rich primary producing area with green and gold paddocks and hillsides. Forbes is an historic town nestled beside a natural lagoon, Lake Forbes, with lots of little eateries and speciality shops. I certainly enjoyed looking through some of the lovely little boutiques and gift shops. While there I also visited  McFeeters Motor Museum which is a purpose built facility to house a collection of cars ranging from Veteran to Custom Builds, all of which have been meticulously restored. Truly amazing.

 One of the remarkable people who contributed to the development of Forbes is the notorious bushranger, Ben Hall. He was linked with hundreds of robberies during his 3 year bushranging career in the 1860s.

Wyalong is another place which has a rich history of gold mining and the crooked main street is a result of  the original bullock track which curved around trees and gold diggings.

Narrandera is called the town of trees and has huge street trees, parks and gardens. The Murrumbidgee River,  Lake Talbot  and the koala regeneration area are places I’m going to check out later.

And after that I’m on my way to Wagga. See you later.

Tambo, Augathella, Charleville, Cunnamulla and Bourke

When I reached Tambo just 100 kms from Blackall it was time to stop, relax and enjoy the slower pace of life in this little town, after the much more hectic pace of the last 10 days. My first stop was the Grassland Art Gallery which had some wonderful and varied forms of art. Apparently Tambo is the oldest town in the central west and is located on the Barcoo River. I enjoyed lunch on the banks of the Tambo Dam which attracts a lot of waterbird activity. Domestic ducks have taken up residence there and come begging scraps.

Tambo teddies are gorgeous little hand-crafted teddies made of sheepskin and can be dressed in a range of outback clothing. And you don’t have to be a tiny tot or little child to fall in love with them. Apparently this little business has created an amazing 34,000 bears.

From there it was a mere 60kms to my next free campsite, not too far out of Augathella and I must say this campsite has the cleanest outback loos you would find anywhere. Just read the comments left by other campers. There wasn’t a lot to see at Augathella except the local park, called Meat Ant Park which is a tribute to the footy team there.

The next town was Charleville and it’s quite a big town. At this stage I felt I needed a couple of days to unwind and give the sightseeing a miss and just catch-up on some much needed cleaning (including me, my clothes and the van). So the first job was to wash the van and about an hour and a half later I could see that it was white again. It was thirsty work and my neighbours, Wal and Doreen could see that I was in need of a drink. So they invited me over for “Happy Hour”. So after a couple of days I was back on the road heading for the border and NSW.

The road to Wyandra was good with some wildlife such as emus and the odd lizard as well as lots of dead kangaroos.

I arrived early and  spoke to bar tender about camping. He told me the best place would be the camping area behind the school. I passed an interesting house along the way, fundraising for Breast Cancer. I spent the rest of the afternoon reading and then decided I needed a drink so went to the pub, got talking to lots of the locals and stayed for the BBQ.

Walked home in the dark in time to watch the 2^nd half of the Eagles and Carlton match being played in Perth. Was going to use the outside loo but thought better of it as there was a bat up in the rafter which I’m sure had peed on me. Camp kitchen was worth a photo.

Hey, how exciting was the Eagles/ Carlton match? (for those of you who are into AFL that is.) I managed to get TV reception here so was able to watch the Eagles defeat Carlton by 3 points. Talk about nail biting!

What a pretty little town Cunnamulla is – very green, and with lovely parks, well kept houses and gardens. A tribute to the young blokes who worked on the properties around the area is the “Cunnamulla Fella”, a huge bronze statue, which is situated in the middle of town. The song about him was first written by Stan Coster and was later immortalised by Slim Dusty. I drove out to the Weir which is a camping spot, (well not officially) and stayed there the night. I seem to be awake early these mornings as summer approaches and sunrise is earlier. The bird sounds were amazing. I had a family of geese (mum, dad and 3 kids) around the van so I took some photos. Dad was ok at first but when I went out to turn on the gas, whoa, he became a little concerned and went to ward me off. I was quite wary after that little episode.  However, it was sooooo beautiful this morning by the water. Again such a lot of birdlife.

Weather has been quite hot and windy and I could feel the gusts of wind pulling the van as I drove. I crossed the border into NSW andI must admit  it was with a tinge of sadness since it will probably be a long time before I get back to Qld. The last 9 years have certainly been good to me, living in Qld. Within minutes I was pulling up at a little place called Barringun and walking into the pub. I had read about the publican, Mary Crawley (90 years of age if she’s a day.) I ordered a Coke and sat and talked to her and a couple of blokes. She is as “sharp as a tack” and has an opinion on every subject.  A delight to talk to.

I was on the road again through Enngonia and then on to Bourke, arriving at about 3.30pm. I booked in for 2 nights at the Kidman’s Camp where the caretaker gave me some literature on Bourke. Bourke is located on the mighty Darling River, the longest river in Australia. It’s got a population of about 3000 and is important for wool, cotton and citrus production. It has the usual shops in town but the pharmacy caught my attention. Grey nomads needn't worry about visiting the dentist in town. Check out the photo.

The “Back O’Bourke Centre” happens to be the Tourist Info Centre too. I spent an interesting few hours there reading the history of the area and listening to the legends of the back country. The stories are inspiring and often moving and one again realises the importance of this region to Australian history. Names synonymous with this area include Henry Lawson, Will Ogilvie, Harry “Breaker” Morant, Fred Hollows and Charles Sturt.

The paddle steamer trip down the Darling River leaves from just outside the caravan park and it was only a 10 minute walk at most. The PV Jandra allows you to take a leisurely cruise and the only sound you hear is the splash of the paddles. The original Jandra was a steam paddleboat built in 1894 and pulled a barge behind her as she went from station to station along the river to collect wool. But the PV Jandra was built in 2000 and is the first paddleboat to operate on the Darling River in 60 plus years. Beautiful red river gums and Coolibah trees line the river banks.

I decided to stay extra night so I could go to the camp oven meal and bush poet. It turned out to be a good show with music and poetry accompanied by steak, vegies, mashed potato, bread, pikelets and toppings and washed down with billy tea. What a treat from cooking! All proceeds went to local charities.    

It was a pleasant drive through to Nyngan, although there seems to be a lot more traffic on the roads now and I’m beginning to see the first signs of agriculture with green paddocks of wheat, fenced properties and large grain receival bins. At the caravan park, when I walked over to check out a spot, I was almost dive - bombed by a very angry magpie. So when I went back to check in, I made sure that I carried a large stick (my windscreen cleaning brush) as a means of defence, in case it decided to strike again. The neighbours in the nearby vans were quite amused. The evening passed without any further problems, thank goodness. I don’t seem to be having a lot of luck with the local birdlife!

So in the next few days I shall be in Dubbo, where I plan to meet another friend from WA. Hope you’re all keeping well. Cheers for now.

It's now 1.55pm Saturday 24th Sept, and I'm just going to see if I can get the Eagles' game which is about to be broadcast. Go Eagles! 

Winton, Longreach, Barcaldine and Blackall.

The drive back to Boulia via Bedourie took me a couple of days, although doing it in 200km stretches wasn’t too taxing and knowing I only had about 120 kms of unsealed road also  made the drive relatively easy. The rats weren’t a problem either. So after a bit of dust removal, (from me and the van) and restocking the pantry, I headed off for Winton.

First stop was Middleton, which was originally a stage coach stop but this town is now best known for its classic Aussie pub full of old-world charm. On arriving I had to pop in for a drink and to soak up some of the atmosphere. The bar tender is also a camel herder and has been around the area for years. The Hotel Hilton is where I decided to stay for the night (check out the photo. Note the ladies showers. I decided against using these.) There’s nothing left of the original town.

The next day it was a short drive in the Lilleyvale Hills to Cawnpore Lookout where I had excellent views of the spectacular scenery. The rest of the drive to Winton was quite scenic as the road wound its way through Jump Up and Channel country, beautiful red earth, spinifex country and Mitchell Grass Downs, which all  highlight the diversity of the landscape.

Winton itself has a rich history with links to the Great Shearers’ Strike, Waltzing Matilda and Qantas, and is also well known for dinosaurs.  Winton is the place where Banjo Paterson wrote Waltzing Matilda in 1895 whilst visiting Dagworth Station. Legend has it that the first public performance happened at the
North Gregory Hotel in Winton on 6^th April 1895. (It just happens to be the hotel where I camped for 2 nights out the back. So of course I had to celebrate with a couple of fellow campers over a couple of beers.) The Waltzing Matilda Centre was well worth the visit.

Twenty five years later, Winton became the birthplace of Qantas. The local expression is that Qantas was conceived in Cloncurry, born in Winton and grew up in Longreach.

The first official dinosaur discovery in Winton Shire was made in 1962, on Cork Station – a fossilised footprint with the site later revealing a stampede with over 3,300 footprints. Still later “Elliot” was discovered. I visited the Australian Age of Dinosaurs which is home to the world’s largest collections of Australian dinosaur fossils and the site of the biggest fossil preparation laboratory in the southern hemisphere. People actually pay to stay here and work on the relics. It’s located on top of a huge mesa plateau called “The Jump-Up” with huge rocky outcrops, cliffs, canyons and spectacular distance views.  

Winton also has an old picture theatre (The Royal Open Air Theatre), which is now a working museum, and which runs a program of nostalgia, reminding us of years gone by with old time slides and black and white film. One of these, “Our Gang”, was a favourite of mine as a child. Oops, I’m showing my age! It was a real trip down Memory Lane.

The opal mining industry also flourishes in Winton with apparently, some of the best boulder opals found from claims within the Winton Shire.

Then it was on to Longreach, which boasts 2 of Australia’s major attractions, the Australian Stockmen’s Hall of Fame and the Qantas Founders Outback Museum. Both showcase the characters and spirit of the Outback. One certainly needs time to go through both of these exhibitions to digest all the information which is displayed. Such a lot of work and money has gone into these.

Another 175 kms down the road there’s a little town called Barcaldine home to some 1600 residents. It’s a thriving community with lots of retail therapy outlets and services. Right in the middle of town is the Tree of Knowledge site which has been part of the history of the town right from the beginning of settlement. The memorial recreates the size of the canopy of the tree when it was in its prime during the 1891 Great Shearers’ Strike. The Australian Workers’ Heritage Centre is a place to reconnect with the history of all kinds of workers who have helped to build our nation. As you can see after my last few days I’ve pretty much ODed on history.

The next town on my travels was no exception. The town of Blackall and anything west of here is “beyond the Black Stump”. This is located behind the school and was once used for surveying purposes and was where surveyors placed their transit on the stump for latitude and longitude observations. The stump was more stable than a set of legs. Hence the saying “beyond the Black Stump”. I was a bit disappointed that this is not actually the original one as it was burnt.

Jackie Howe, the legendary shearer lived and died in Blackall. He shore a record of 321 sheep in 7 hours 40 minutes back in 1892. Obviously he used blades. And while on the subject of sheep, the historical Blackall Woolscour is also located here. It is the last example left intact of a steam powered wool washing plant with a 20 stand shearing shed attached. It operated under steam power (from an artesian bore) from 1908 till 1978 and the machinery is now as functional as it was then. When you see the pond, the water is actually crystal clear and very hot to touch.

I guess that’s enough history for now so my next stop will be Tambo, famous for its teddies. It certainly has been a busy few days. Cheers.