Living the Dream Part 2 is a continuation of of Living the Dream Aug2011-Jan 2012
Armidale 4-8th Jan
Waterfall Way
Cardin and I behind Crystal Falls
After we left Illaroo we headed for Armidale
We had not stayed there before so it was a first for all of us. This part of the country is breathtakingly beautiful and the scenery is awesome. We spent our time there looking over the National Parks and checking out the waterfalls on Waterfall Way which stretches from Armidale right through to Bellingen. Around 200 kms.
Our favourite waterfall was not the biggest but the prettiest. We had to walk about 2kms down hill to get to the Crystal Falls and then of course 2 kms back up hill to get back to the car. We were to say the least, puffed out when we eventually arrived back at the top. It was well worth it though, as these pics will show.
It was like walking into a garden of Eden..
We had not stayed there before so it was a first for all of us. This part of the country is breathtakingly beautiful and the scenery is awesome. We spent our time there looking over the National Parks and checking out the waterfalls on Waterfall Way which stretches from Armidale right through to Bellingen. Around 200 kms.
Our favourite waterfall was not the biggest but the prettiest. We had to walk about 2kms down hill to get to the Crystal Falls and then of course 2 kms back up hill to get back to the car. We were to say the least, puffed out when we eventually arrived back at the top. It was well worth it though, as these pics will show.
It was like walking into a garden of Eden..
Armidale Caravan site was really nice and Greg and Cardin were able to have some games of pool. We also played Boche on the nice flat grass.
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However, each night that we were there, we experienced very bad electrical storms, We have never heard thunder quite like it. By morning it had stopped raining and there was no sign of it ever having happened. This happened for all three nights. We escaped the wet and the wind and took a break at the local pub. It was a really nice evening. |
During the next few weeks we made 6 more stops and Cardin certainly saw beautiful parts of NSW.We were heading for Tamworth where he would be flying out to Brisbane to to spend time with his relatives. Below are a few photos from the places we visited with him.
Walcha 8 -12 Jan
Chaffey Dam 12-15th Jan
Coolah Tops-Jan 15-18 Jan
We decided to take him up to the National park at Coolah tops. We had been there before and knew how abundant the wild life was there. Also we wanted to give him a taste of TRUE bush camping... It was great as we were the only ones there... just us and the wild life.
The Wallaby in the movie was a very old one and seemed to be having trouble even chewing its food. It took to Cardin and after a while he was able to hand feed it.
This cheek little visitor would try and sneak up on us around the back of Cardins tent. This one had a baby in the pouch..
It was a case of "All hands on Deck" in the bush and Cardin just loved to get stuck in to some manual work He was a great help to us and such a pleasure to have around.
Of course the Kookaburras would also gather round at meal times hoping for some tasty snacks to fall their way.
This Mother Currawong didn't ask for any help from us.. She searched for her own food to feed her young.
The Lookouts
The first time we came here the weather was really wet and very foggy and we were not able to see anything from the lookout so this time we thought we would have another try seeing as the weather was clear.. When we got up there we could hardly believe our eyes. The view was spectacular. We visited both the Bundella Lookout
and the Pinnacle Lookout which was a 2 km hike along a bush track. The end result was amazing and we just sat and "Looked" for a long time. It was hard to take it all in in one go. No one said much.. we just looked on in awe.
and the Pinnacle Lookout which was a 2 km hike along a bush track. The end result was amazing and we just sat and "Looked" for a long time. It was hard to take it all in in one go. No one said much.. we just looked on in awe.
There are some things that you just can't explain. This mother Wallaby would come and sit by us and graze on the long grass around our camper. Then one night out popped a little pink hairless face to have a look around. The only way I could get a photo at that moment was to use my phone. As Mum bent over to graze then bub tried to copy. It was a lovely moment to see that in the wild and not in wild life parks.
Dubbo
It seemed like yesterday that we were here before but Cardin had not been here and we wanted him to see the Western Plains Zoo. He took charge of the camera that day and managed to take 483 photos..I will post just a few here. He did quite a good job for a 12 year old.
AND MANY MANY MANY MORE.... WELL DONE CARDIN.. GREAT PHOTOS
Lake Keepit for The Tamworth Music Festival-Jan 18th
Not only was this a long stay for us but it was also the place where we would say "Goodbye" to Cardin. He had a couple of days there with us and then off to Tamworth Airport to catch a connection to Brisbane to stay with family there for a week before heading back to Perth to start a new school. We only had one whole day and then it was off to the airport.
It's off to the airport
Airport Chips and Gravy for Lunch.. Yummo
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The Tamworth Music Festival - 40th Anniversary 20th-28th January 2012
It was very sad seeing Cardin off and there were tears of course but the Music Festival started today so we decided to drown our sorrows and go into Tamworth for the opening. Tamworth was packed as you would expect it to be and the atmosphere was electric. What a great week we are going to have. We have some friends coming to meet up with us here whom we met way back at Silverton. Rod and Pat will arrive on 24th Jan.. it will be fun to see them again.We went all over the place soaking up the atmosphere for the whole week. Rod and Pat arrived on 24th and that we spent the whole week together going from place to place getting in as many shows as we could. There were 600 buskers that took it in turns to perform in the streets. Some of them (like this 18 year old named Jonno) were just outstanding.
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Just about every Aussie Country Music Singer tries to get a gig at the festival.
It would take for ever to list all the famous people hat we saw .One springs to mind though and Pat and I couldn't resist having our photo taken with her. She was selling her book on the street market on Australia Day.
For any one who doesn't know.. this is Pauline Hanson...a very controversial on again off again politician. She is in real life a very attractive 58 year old lady who looks 10 years younger than her age.
Back to the performers
The buskers come in all shapes and sizes from a middle age lady who rocks and rolls while playing the spoons all over her body to a performing dog who takes his commands from certain types of music. There were whip demonstrations, reptile lectures, jugglers, a silver painted Elvis who never moves and so much more. We just loved it.The pub shows were fantastic and we did our best to fit as much as possible in.
Most of the artists are musicians and singers and at times we found that they were too close to each other which in places created a din. Maybe they should ban PA systems for the buskers..
We bought a bus pass for $10.00 which allowed us to hop on and off any bus for the duration of the festival. The buses were regular and covered all the venues, even those out of the city centre. What a great idea. It is the first year they have done that and it was very successful.
It was very difficult to take photos of the artists because of the lighting and the crowded tables of the venues but we did manage to get a a couple.
Our favourites were the Hill Billy Goats Bluegrass band (Really wacky and entertaining) but the most favourite of all was The Bushwackers Bluegrass Band (Even more wacky and totally off the planet) They were amazing and as it happened won the Golden Guitar Award at the awards ceremony on the last night..We were not able to get a movies of the Hill Billy Goats but as you see succeeded to get a clip of The Bushwackers.
Our favourites were the Hill Billy Goats Bluegrass band (Really wacky and entertaining) but the most favourite of all was The Bushwackers Bluegrass Band (Even more wacky and totally off the planet) They were amazing and as it happened won the Golden Guitar Award at the awards ceremony on the last night..We were not able to get a movies of the Hill Billy Goats but as you see succeeded to get a clip of The Bushwackers.
THE BUSHWACKERS
Another good band was The Davidson Brothers. They are both Aussie Champions with their chosen instruments. There was a band from Tasmania that we went to see twice. They called themselves...The Wolfe Brothers.>>> They only did 2 sessions but they were really good. I think that Australia hasn't heard the last of them. The crowd came to its feet and demanded more when the show closed.. I just wish we'd had more time so that we could have see it all but there was so much going on that it was impossible.. Maybe they can extend the festival to 2 weeks in coming years.. A week long party at our age can be dangerous but we survived it.. Sore feet, stiff necks, flat bums and ringing ears. All par for the course..Next year it would be nice if we could return, knowing what we know now and do it again. It was a blast.. Thank you Tamworth. We'll be back! For some reason the two Wolfe Brothers movies >>> would not load so I played them on my laptop and filmed the screen with my I Phone.. Hence the fact that the film quality is even worse than normal. Good old I Phone..it has a million uses. Our friends Pat and Rod also had a great week and Pat was lucky enough to get her picture taken with Dobe Newton, lead singer with the Bush Wackers.
In Tamworth, even the Camels get into party mode.
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THE DAVIDSON BROTHERS
THE WOLFE BROTHERS FROM TASMANIA PART 1
THE WOLFE BROTHERS FROM TASMANIA PART 2
REBECCA BELT
The Northern Daily Leader 28 Jan, 2012 11:55 PM “The often under-awarded but much-loved Bushwackers breathed new life into the classic I Am Australian, co-written by front man Dobe Newton, taking out Toyota Heritage Song of the Year. Dobe, who was dressed in a trademark suit with bright paint colours fashionably splashed across it made the band’s acceptance speech. “Thank Christ I dressed up,” he said. The Bushwackers blew us away.The Golden Guitar award was very well deserved
There are some days you just don't want to end because you're having such a lot of fun..but as compensation we have this lovely view to come back to. |
I failed to mention that the weather was wet and muddy most of the time in that we were Tamworth but we carried on and tried not to get too wet. Many of the venues were inside which helped a lot.
Mudgee 31st Jan
Mudgee is predominantly a wine region, that being one of the reasons we wanted to stop here.
My old school friend Val and her hubby Chris were arriving on Feb 4th up at Capertee in the Blue Mountain area, and we wanted them to taste some of the local wines while they are here.
Driving into Mudgee we were greeted by an avenue of bright green trees. I think they were Plane trees. It made a stunning entry statement to the town.
Once again as soon as we arrived and set up the heavens opened and it started to bucket down with rain. This is beginning to sound like a broken record.
NSW has never known such terrible weather for this time of year . There has been serious flooding in the lower lying areas so we have been trying to keep to high ground and be one step ahead of it by constantly monitoring the forecasts.
Sometimes though there is little we can do to avoid it. Getting wet isn't so bad but packing up wet canvas and setting up wet canvas is not very nice. A chance to dry out would be good. We stayed at the Mudgee Van Park in town. It is a nice place with thick green grass to set up on.. LUXURY!!! There we had power so we could plug in and dry out a bit, catch up with all the laundry have a nice hot shower when we wanted and re charge our batteries and water supply.
Mudgee Region
The Mudgee region is part of the Wiradjuri country. The Wiradjuri language group is largest in New South Wales and covers most of the state. In Wiradjuri Aboriginal dialect, Mudgee means 'nest in the hills' which suits the town as it is nestled in the fertile Cudgegong Valley.
Many of the roads in the region retrace traditional Aboriginal pathways which were used by the early European settlers when they left Sydney for their journey over to the Blue Mountains.
The Mudgee township was first reached by white man in 1821 by William Lawson and first settled in 1822 by George and Henry Cox.
Early Australian architectural facades line the wide streets and many date back to the 1850's.. Mudgee is blessed with many historic buildings and has an ambiance all of its own. There are also several quaint historic villages in the region.
Gulgong (The Ten Dollar Town)
We spent some time here exploring the old villages in the region. The first village was Gulgong, nicknamed (The Ten Dollar Town) it actually had it's picture on the Ten Dollar Note.
The first thing you notice as you arrive in Gulgong is the narrowness of the streets. They wind between quaint clapboard and iron buildings complete with verandahs and iron lace. If you stop for a moment and you can almost imagine the hustle and bustle of the old gold mining town as it was in the late 1800’s.
Gulgong must have been a different place in those days. Two young photographers, Charles Bayliss and Beaufoy Merlin made Gulgong one of the best documented country towns in New South Wales.
It was lunchtime when we arrived here so we took opportunity to eat at the Ten Dollar Hotel
KANDOS
A Unique History.
Kandos sprang from the imagination of a group of entrepreneurs who recognized that natural deposits of limestone, coal and shale near a railway line could grow into a cement industry; and that a hill covered with dense scrub could grow into a town.
After purchasing 100 acres they subdivided it into quarter acre blocks, yankee grubbed the streets and named what was their ‘private village’ Kandos, using the first letter of each of their names. Then they lured other enterprising men to the first land sale on August 14 1915.
Within a decade Kandos, one of the youngest centres in New South Wales, had a population of three thousand and a cement works that was the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, employing 450 men This is a lovely little place and is situated at the bottom of a mountain.
Kandos sprang from the imagination of a group of entrepreneurs who recognized that natural deposits of limestone, coal and shale near a railway line could grow into a cement industry; and that a hill covered with dense scrub could grow into a town.
After purchasing 100 acres they subdivided it into quarter acre blocks, yankee grubbed the streets and named what was their ‘private village’ Kandos, using the first letter of each of their names. Then they lured other enterprising men to the first land sale on August 14 1915.
Within a decade Kandos, one of the youngest centres in New South Wales, had a population of three thousand and a cement works that was the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, employing 450 men This is a lovely little place and is situated at the bottom of a mountain.
Rylstone
Rylstone is one of the most picturesque towns in the region and also one of the oldest. It has managed to retain its 19th Century character with the wide streets, old sandstone buildings and lots of beautiful plane trees. The whole town centre is a conservation zone and many of the buildings carry heritage plaques. Rylstone was originally the centre for the regions agriculture which started back in the 1800's. It remains that today but with a slightly different theme. There were lots of quaint little cafes ad shops that made it a very cosy place to be. We loved it there.
Rylstone has a 'Lollipop Shop'
I'm talking old fashioned confectionery that we had as children, depending on how old you are of course..
At firstI thought I had lost Greg for a while but then guess who I saw coming out of the Lollipop Shop..
I'm talking old fashioned confectionery that we had as children, depending on how old you are of course..
At firstI thought I had lost Greg for a while but then guess who I saw coming out of the Lollipop Shop..
COULD THIS BE (AS THE OLD SAYING GOES) SOMEONE CAUGHT WITH THEIR HANDS IN THE COOKIE JAR
Sofala
Entering Sofala
Sofala main street
Sofala is a fascinating and well preserved historic gold mining town that came into existence as a direct result of the gold rush which had been precipitated when Edward Hargraves discovered gold at Summerhill Creek on 12 February, 1851. By June that year a tent city spread across the valley and both the Royal Hotel and a General Store were built in 1851. By 25 June more than 200 ounces of gold taken from the Turon Valley had been sold in Bathurst.
The rush was extraordinary. When the local landowner realised he would never move the miners off his land he became a butcher and started selling mutton.
Just a few of the historical buildings that make Sofala such a cute village.
That's what you get when you get caught with your hands in the cookie jar.
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While in the Mudgee wine region we did get to call in at a couple of wineries and pick up some nice bottles for our impending visitors. Of course we had to visit the Blue Wren Winery first. Blue Wrens are my favourite wild birds and anything to do them is always of special interest..
Robert Stein Winery and Motor Cycle Museum
The Robert Stein Vintage Motorbike collection was fantastic and we could view it free of charge while visiting the winery .
It was great way to break up the winery visits.
There is a range of collectable wines labelled for the motor cycle enthusiast which we found very 'different'.
It was good fun and we definitely recommend it..
PS...The wine was good too
We also dropped in at the Farmers Daughter Winery and bought a few bottles.Nice place .. Nice wine
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Taking a look at all the old memorabilia plus the vintage, very valuable motor cycles was a real treat. They are all lovingly preserved and most of them ride-able. They are organising a rally to raise funds for charity. It is a pity that we will miss seeing it. |
Mudgee also has a Museum which is fascinating. It is all run by volunteers of course and some of the 'stuff' that they have in there is a direct reminder of my own youth. A reminder of the way it was.. I must be getting old..
The Museum was very interesting but we were not allowed to take cameras in so the shots were from our mobile phone so they are not the best. There was so much to see we were in the for a long time.
Well, it's goodbye to Mudgee off to Turon Gates at Capertee to spend a week in a mountain cabin with friends from UK who are meeting us there.
Blue Mountains
We were lucky enough to get into the cabin 2 days earlier than booked. We were so wet from all the rain and MUD at Mudgee that we thought it would give us a chance to get set up and organised ready for Val and Chris to arrive in two days. WE decided on Turon Gates because it is off the beaten track and in the hills. The alternative would have a motel or cabin in town nearer to hub of 'Blue Mountainy' things to see but with the added crowds and coach loads of tourists everywhere. The cabin was about 15kms from the road and also about 15kms from the nearest form of human population
Well we wanted to be in hills and we sure got what we wanted..This place is awesome and we had plenty of room to set up the camper to dry out. Everything was Eco and the whole place was run by Solar, and when needed, a Generator. GREAT! Unfortunately no one at Turon Gates had thought to charge up the batteries or supply us with firewood for the very nice 'woodless' open fire. We had to wait until the next day to get all that sorted and we did and from there on it was wonderful .
Our cabin from the hills opposite
Turon Gates is an authentic bush hideaway, tranquil and unspoilt located in the Blue Mountains on the way to Mudgee.
Turon Gates was featured in a popular TV travel program as one of its ‘10 favourite destinations’ winners.
We woke up to the sounds of the bush, the chatter of the birds and the animals, There are kangaroos, wombats, platypus, echidnas, possums, bush lizards. Val and Chris will not have stayed anywhere like this before. This is the view of our cabin from the hills opposite. There are no cabins opposite..
WOW!!
Turon Gates was featured in a popular TV travel program as one of its ‘10 favourite destinations’ winners.
We woke up to the sounds of the bush, the chatter of the birds and the animals, There are kangaroos, wombats, platypus, echidnas, possums, bush lizards. Val and Chris will not have stayed anywhere like this before. This is the view of our cabin from the hills opposite. There are no cabins opposite..
WOW!!
Val and Chris
We had planned to meet Val and Chris at the Lithgow Information Centre on Sat 4th Feb.
Greg had never met either of them before so he must have been feeling a little strange about it all.
I have known Val most of my life and I first met Chris when he was just about 17.
It was so good to see them and of course there were tears of joy when we hugged.
It has been about 10 years since we last saw each other. I was determined to make the most of every minute for the week they are here.
Neither of them looked much different to me. They were still the same old Val and Chris
They had a long drive from Sydney so after a comfort stop and a coffee we made our way back to our nice warm mountain cabin making another pit stop ay the local for a beer and some pizza.
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Greg had never met either of them before so he must have been feeling a little strange about it all.
I have known Val most of my life and I first met Chris when he was just about 17.
It was so good to see them and of course there were tears of joy when we hugged.
It has been about 10 years since we last saw each other. I was determined to make the most of every minute for the week they are here.
Neither of them looked much different to me. They were still the same old Val and Chris
They had a long drive from Sydney so after a comfort stop and a coffee we made our way back to our nice warm mountain cabin making another pit stop ay the local for a beer and some pizza.
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It was just as if we had never been apart and fell straight back into the old banter.. Cliff Richard was at the fore of course and Val brought me a Cliff DVD from his latest concert, a Calendar and a note book. Thanks so much Val.
We decided that because the weather was so rotten that we would take a drive into Lithgow the next day and do the ZigZag Railway and what ever else we fancied, weather permitting. It was late when we got to bed that first night. Poor Val and Chris must have been exhausted but next morning we rallied around with breakfast and set off to Lithgow.
Lithgow is located in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, on the western side of the Great Dividing Range. It has many National Parks to explore. It is also home to the Zig Zag Railway. .
We decided that because the weather was so rotten that we would take a drive into Lithgow the next day and do the ZigZag Railway and what ever else we fancied, weather permitting. It was late when we got to bed that first night. Poor Val and Chris must have been exhausted but next morning we rallied around with breakfast and set off to Lithgow.
Lithgow is located in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, on the western side of the Great Dividing Range. It has many National Parks to explore. It is also home to the Zig Zag Railway. .
Zig Zag Railway
The Zig Zag is a full size, narrow gauge tourist railway located east of Lithgow in the Blue Mountains, NSW It was built in the 1860s to transport people and produce from the western plains of NSW to Sydney.It was replaced in 1910 by a 10 tunnel deviation. The trains, track and carriages are maintained and operated by the Zig Zag Railway Co-op Ltd, a voluntary, “not for profit’ co-operative. What a great way to do something for the community. The steam Locomotive was out or servicing so we had to go o the old 1959 diesel train. Just like the ones I used to ride on as a kid. |
Here we all are just along for the ride with no where special to go.. What a pleasant relaxing day it is..
A couple of pretty young birds.
OOPS! Wrong photo
Try the next one
OOPS! Wrong photo
Try the next one
Capertee Helicopter Ride
Very close to Turon Gates is Heliport and the public can take joy rides. Of course Greg and Chris wanted to have a go but Val and I decided to just watch. Chris is a pilot so he had a particular interest in the workings of it all. They had an absolute ball up there and came back like two excited little boys on Christmas Morning. Lots of great photos were taken.
Evening time is always great as we get to have a few drinks and look back on the day. The weather did seem to improve enough for us to eat out on back verandah and take in the glorious sunset
A glass or 2 or 3 or more even of some good wine and a nice meal with this as a backdrop can't be too bad..
We are counting our blessings
We are counting our blessings
Glow Worm Tunnel
The day times were still a quite foggy and damp so we decided to wait until it cleared a bit before heading off to the scenic railways in the heart of the Blue Mountains. We had heard good reports about the Glow Worm Tunnel so we all agreed to give it a go.
The tunnel was originally constructed for a railway line to Newnes oil shale works, but has now been taken over by glow worms and is one of two now abandoned tunnels on this railway. This tunnel curves through almost 180 degrees and consequently it is very dark. In normal weather a small creek flows through it. These conditions are ideal for certain "glow worms" which inhabit the walls and roof of the tunnel. While glow worms occur in other dark, damp places in the Blue Mountains as well, this was supposed to be the best place to find them. As we drove along the track that wound up to the tunnels it became increasing obvious that there was going to be a storm.
About 15mins into our drive the guys casually announced the dreaded 'shortcut' to do some dirt road 4 wheel driving. We all had on clean clothes and sandals. Not really the average off road gear.
The tunnel was originally constructed for a railway line to Newnes oil shale works, but has now been taken over by glow worms and is one of two now abandoned tunnels on this railway. This tunnel curves through almost 180 degrees and consequently it is very dark. In normal weather a small creek flows through it. These conditions are ideal for certain "glow worms" which inhabit the walls and roof of the tunnel. While glow worms occur in other dark, damp places in the Blue Mountains as well, this was supposed to be the best place to find them. As we drove along the track that wound up to the tunnels it became increasing obvious that there was going to be a storm.
About 15mins into our drive the guys casually announced the dreaded 'shortcut' to do some dirt road 4 wheel driving. We all had on clean clothes and sandals. Not really the average off road gear.
The Off Road Experience.
A warning to all Wannabe OffRoaders to check the conditions first.
I still cannot believe without even being consulted about it that Val and I allowed it to happen but we weren't really given much choice so we went along with it.The shortcut track up to the glowworm tunnel was extremely hazardous. Not only was it very narrow but very rocky and slippery with a sheer drop on one side. Huge holes and boulders covered in loose sand were littered about. We did stop half way to take a movie and should have turned around then while we had a chance and before we got into trouble.
It was so narrow that we could not turn even around. What would Jim Callahan( Aussie 4wheel driver) have done in this situation?.. I don't think he would have daft enough to be there if he were doing it in a Hilux.After the movie taking we piled back in the car and carried on up.. It was terrifying for me and I have done some rough road before so I dread to think how poor Val must have been feeling. The shame of it is we were hanging on so tight that we were not able to take photos. Then we got to the point of no return. There was a wall of huge slippery boulders in front of us blocking the road preceded by deep holes full of fine silicone sand. I had to get out and walk ahead to check it out and Chris also got out to check out possible ways through. At that point the car started to slide back toward the edge. Val had the good sense to jump out and had to crawl on hands and knees to get traction. I tried to help her and ended up falling down the boulders which were as slippery as ice. RollyPolly... couldn't stop. Thank God I managed to hang on to something. Chris was also sliding. If anything were to have happened out there no one would have known where we were as the was no phone signal. Greg tried in vane to come forward but the wheels just would not grip. We all thought he as going to slide over the edge. We called for him to jump out but he stuck with it and somehow got control back. The track was just about under a metre wider than the car itself with rocks on one side and a sheer drop on the other. He proceeded to do what must have been a 59 point turn touching the rocks behind each time he went back..Eventually the car was straightened up in the 'Lets get the hell out of position'. There were 4 very scared people in the car that day. Later Chris said that he found it very exciting and wanted to do it it again. Weather permitting they will look for another place to play.. a safer one.. Well instead of going back to the cabin and having a few stiff drinks we went all the way back down the track and then took the correct road up to the tunnels.
The long and winding road had sheer sides of rock and tree ferns sprouting from them In some places. It reminded me of New Zealand. It was a very scenic drive.
After a day like that you feel very exhilarated.. At the time we were terrified but looking back, it was a real BUZZ! There was talk of going at it from the opposite side just to see what is behind those huge boulders and maybe take some photos to remember it by..We had another relaxing evening around the fire and those few warming brandys after dinner make everything right..Tonight we had wild goats and Wallaby s coming to visit.
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After what seemed like for ever we eventually arrived at the visitors car park to the tunnels. We were greeted by a notice that politely informed us that in order to protect the delicate habitat for the worms we have to wear specific footwear to be able to go into the tunnels. It was getting late in the day and the thunder was turning into rain and the notice also said that it was a 2km walk down a muddy bush track to get to the entrance.
Hmmph! We should have done our homework. We were not suitably dressed feet wise or any other wise for that matter as it had now started to thunder and the rain was falling. Ah well it was a nice drive up there and just to prove we were there we set the camera to take our photo.. If we had been able to get down to glow worms the entrance would have looked something like this..Maybe another day
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Followed of course by another heavenly sunset.
Jenolan Caves
Our days were spent doing a lot of driving and seeing as much of the area as possible. We re-visited the wineries and picked up some more wines and saw some lovely scenery in the process .
On our way to the Jenolan Caves we had to pass through Lithgow and from a distance we thought there had been some kind of explosion. It was in fact the steam emissions from the coal fire power station creating an optical illusion.
On our way to the Jenolan Caves we had to pass through Lithgow and from a distance we thought there had been some kind of explosion. It was in fact the steam emissions from the coal fire power station creating an optical illusion.
The Jenolan Caves was something different for us and it was not at all what we had expected.. The entry feature came out of nowhere. As you rounded the bend at the entrance there it was ... the road passed through a huge cavern that was the meeting place for all the tours.
Jenolan Caves were known to the local Aboriginal population for many thousands of years as Binoomea, "Dark places". Europeans first discovered the caves in1838 James Whalan. Legend has it however that Whalan was not the first European to set eyes on the caves and that it was in fact James McKeown, an ex-convict and possibly an outlaw, reputed to have been using the caves as a hideout.
The caves were brought under direct government control. In 1867, Jeremiah Wilson was appointed as "Keeper" of the "Binda", or "Fish River" Caves, the Aboriginal word Jenolan ("high mountain") not being adopted until 1884. Despite government control, the caves initially enjoyed little protection. Visitors in the early years were free to break formations and take souvenirs from the caves; damage visible today in caves including the Elder and Lucas. It was not until 1872 that this practice became illegal, thanks largely to the efforts of John Lucas, the local member of Parliament. The Lucas Cave bears his name to commemorate his part in the preservation of this fragile and irreplaceable environment.
The caves were brought under direct government control. In 1867, Jeremiah Wilson was appointed as "Keeper" of the "Binda", or "Fish River" Caves, the Aboriginal word Jenolan ("high mountain") not being adopted until 1884. Despite government control, the caves initially enjoyed little protection. Visitors in the early years were free to break formations and take souvenirs from the caves; damage visible today in caves including the Elder and Lucas. It was not until 1872 that this practice became illegal, thanks largely to the efforts of John Lucas, the local member of Parliament. The Lucas Cave bears his name to commemorate his part in the preservation of this fragile and irreplaceable environment.
Having driven through the main entrance area it changes into a kind of Alpine Village atmosphere with a nice cafe and a resort incorporated. There were lots of Crimson Rosella s around which made it a very pleasant environment. If only it hadn't been so wet and cold it would have been perfect.
Crimson Rosellas are normally encountered in small flocks and are easily attracted to garden seed trays. Once familiar with humans, they will accept hand held food but management here does not encourage that as the can become pests.
They hang around in the alfresco and can be seen on the table umbrellas and on the tables waiting for some food to drop. It's a pity that they are such a nuisance as they are very beautiful birds. |
And now of course for some mandatory cave photos.
The caves were quite spectacular but we all agreed that our caves at Yallingup in Western Australia were much more enjoyable
I think that's enough cave shots for now..
Bathurst
View from the top of the Race track over Bathurst
Declared a town site in 1815 and a city in 1885 Bathurst is Australia’s oldest inland settlement and as such was an important regional centre and gateway for much of the exploration and development that took place in inland New South Wales. It all took off in 1851 by the discovery in the region of Australia’s first payable gold. As a result, the city has a strong heritage reinforced by a rich culture with both historic and contemporary components.But is probably better known for it's motor racing.Bathurst has had a long association with motor racing, for both cars and motorcycles.
Motorcycle racing is generally believed to have started in Bathurst around 1911 on the roads in the Kelso/Sunny Corner area. Today, Panorama Motorcycle Club runs the motocross track at the top of Mount Panorama.
Speedway style racing started around 1937, when the newly-built circuit at Mount Panorama was completed. The first race was held there in March 1938.
Mount Panorama has hosted various Australian Grand Prix, for both motor-cycles and open four-wheelers and, since October 1963, has been both the spiritual and physical home of touring car racing in this country.
Motorcycle racing is generally believed to have started in Bathurst around 1911 on the roads in the Kelso/Sunny Corner area. Today, Panorama Motorcycle Club runs the motocross track at the top of Mount Panorama.
Speedway style racing started around 1937, when the newly-built circuit at Mount Panorama was completed. The first race was held there in March 1938.
Mount Panorama has hosted various Australian Grand Prix, for both motor-cycles and open four-wheelers and, since October 1963, has been both the spiritual and physical home of touring car racing in this country.
The Track
We drove out to Bathurst just see what it was like and we were very pleasantly surprised to find out what a nice place it is. We drove out to the race track and couldn't believe that we could actually drive into it and drive around it. There were even street and houses with mailboxes. We couldn't help but wonder who would to want to live in such a place. Maybe they rent their homes when the races are on and makes lots of money...Who knows? |
That was so much fun.. It's amazing how narrow the road is and how sharp those bands are.. It's hard to imagine how they manage to maneuver around there at such high speeds.
Mark it down as another great day..
Mark it down as another great day..
Katoomba
Well the weather was still not being very nice to us but we decided to go into Katoomba anyway and check out the sites and hopefully ride the cable car at Katoomba..It was our last day with Val and Chris and it would have been a great pity if they had gone home without seeing what they came here for,
In 1889 Katoomba was recognised a town with a future. Appropriate public buildings were erected - a new brick Post Office in 1887, a timber railway station in 1891, and in1895 the foundation stone for the new Court house was laid by Lieutenant Governor, Sir Frederick Darly. It opened for business in February 1896 and was declared by the presiding magistrate to be "one of the most comfortable and elegant in the colony" After mining ceased in the early part of the twentieth century Katoomba continued to grow with its tourism and the magnificent sights of the Blue Mountains.
We were about to witness those sights for ourselves. The weather was clear one minute and raining and cloudy the next.
We were about to witness those sights for ourselves. The weather was clear one minute and raining and cloudy the next.
When we got to the bottom there were some trails to walk to take us to the cable car. The rain forest is so lovely and all the sounds of nature can be heard from every direction. It was very slippery though as the weather was so damp. Poor Val took a tumble and ended up on her bum.. Fortunately..only her pride hurt
.....................Some sights along the trail It was very pretty...........................
We got to the top and waited for the cable car to arrive
Well, here it comes. we'd been looking to this very much but almost as soon as we went aboard the cloud came down again. We were able to see quite a bit here and there and we got the general idea.
Apparently there is nowhere else in the world can you experience this.
The Skyway takes you on a 720 metre journey, 270m above ancient ravines and waterfalls we were suspended over Jurassic rainforests.
The cabin has a see through Electro-Sceniglass floor. At the flip of a switch, breathtaking views were revealed through the floor.
There is a 360 degree bird's eye view and on a clear day you can see the Three Sisters, Katoomba Falls, Mount Solitary and the never ending expanse of the Jamison Valley.
We got off have a look round on the other side too but didn't see much through the fog.
What a lovely day it turned out to even if we didn't get to see as much as we had hoped. It was a long drive back to the cabin and we celebrated Val and Chris's last night with us over a beautiful BBQ dinner and an attempt to finish off all the dregs, left over cheeses, chokkies, nuts and generally anything debaucherous. .
_Our last Turon Gates Sunset together.
And so Saturday came and it was time to say goodbye.
After a pub lunch we made the goodbye low key and quick and set off in different directions.
Val and Chris went to Sydney to pick up their connection to New Zealand
and us? Well we opted for a little town called Orange..stay tuned
Bye Val, Bye Chris..
We will miss you heaps.
It has been a great week and we didn't want it to end...
Love you Guys!
After a pub lunch we made the goodbye low key and quick and set off in different directions.
Val and Chris went to Sydney to pick up their connection to New Zealand
and us? Well we opted for a little town called Orange..stay tuned
Bye Val, Bye Chris..
We will miss you heaps.
It has been a great week and we didn't want it to end...
Love you Guys!
Next stop...Orange
The drive into Orange was very nice . We went to the Caravan Park first to see about getting booked in for a few days. We were offered a postage stamp to set up on with a broken concrete slab in to middle of it. The whole place was very run down and seemed to be full of homeless type people living on top of each other under tarps. Nope we decided we would rather sleep in the car that set up in that place so we went to the other caravan park in town which was about the same. Shame as Orange itself is a nice place. It was early so we shot straight through and decided to place our bets on a place called Cowra. What a difference. We stayed at the Cowra Van Park. It was very nice with lush green grass and plenty of shade if we wanted it.
The manager of the park recommended a place to get our car serviced so we set up and Greg booked the car in on the following day.
The manager of the park recommended a place to get our car serviced so we set up and Greg booked the car in on the following day.
Cowra
Before European settlement, the area known as Cowra was inhabited by the Wiradjuri People. First European exploration of the area occurred in 1815, with the first settlers arriving on the Lachlan from 1831. In the local Wiradjuri language, the word "Cowra" is believed to mean rocks, appropriate for a town with rocky granite surrounds.
Military & Migrant Camps Situated were east of Cowra, the Military camp trained some 80,000 military personnel whilst in operation from 1940 until after the war. The camp then became home to between 17-19,000 new Australians in the form of the Cowra Migrant Camp. Whilst the campsite itself is now private land, a memorial has been erected in honour of the migrant families of Cowra in Europa Park, east
of Cowra. There is also a memorial on Military Parade to mark the location of the Military Camp.
The day Kingsford Smith flew under the Cowra Bridge Back in 1922 he did it with local man Ken Richards. Apparently back then someone started a rumour that Kingsford Smith was going to fly under the local traffic bridge. Inevitably, others contradicted this, saying he wouldn't be game to do it; that it was too dangerous.The story of the argument reached Kingsford Smith's ears, and he decided to try it. He asked Mr Richards if he was game to try it with him and he replied "All right, we'll give it a go.
It needed brilliant flying to level out at the right height, since if the stick were pulled back too fast, the plane would have squashed into the water in a high speed stall. Into the bargain, the plane could only just fit between the pylons.
But they made it with around 7" (about 18cm) to spare on either side. They both relaxed and the plane steadily climbed back up into the sky again. The rest is history
Military & Migrant Camps Situated were east of Cowra, the Military camp trained some 80,000 military personnel whilst in operation from 1940 until after the war. The camp then became home to between 17-19,000 new Australians in the form of the Cowra Migrant Camp. Whilst the campsite itself is now private land, a memorial has been erected in honour of the migrant families of Cowra in Europa Park, east
of Cowra. There is also a memorial on Military Parade to mark the location of the Military Camp.
The day Kingsford Smith flew under the Cowra Bridge Back in 1922 he did it with local man Ken Richards. Apparently back then someone started a rumour that Kingsford Smith was going to fly under the local traffic bridge. Inevitably, others contradicted this, saying he wouldn't be game to do it; that it was too dangerous.The story of the argument reached Kingsford Smith's ears, and he decided to try it. He asked Mr Richards if he was game to try it with him and he replied "All right, we'll give it a go.
It needed brilliant flying to level out at the right height, since if the stick were pulled back too fast, the plane would have squashed into the water in a high speed stall. Into the bargain, the plane could only just fit between the pylons.
But they made it with around 7" (about 18cm) to spare on either side. They both relaxed and the plane steadily climbed back up into the sky again. The rest is history
Japanese Gardens
What can I say?
The Japanese gardens at Cowra are totally awesome.
Not a weed in sight and something that every visitor to Cowra sees.
I really don't know what else to say
except that the whole ambiance was that of
PEACE and TRANQUILITY
Wyangala Waters
We had heard that the 'Jewel in the Crown' of the Central West is Wyangala Waters . Once again a Dam that has been utilised and made into a Caravan and Camping and Leisure resort where and well set up for all kinds of water sports and we hear is a good fishing spot.
The dam capacity is 1,217,600 megalitres and the surface area of the dam is two and a half times the size of Sydney Harbour..
The Car was back fro the repairers after 2 days in dock so we took it for a test drive before hitting the road again. A routine service showed up a leaky water pump and as suspected we had to have a new clutch and it was also time for that timing belt. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
WE took a drive out there from Cowra to check it out for future reference but we weren't very impressed with the facilities on offer. It was below the standards of other dam side lakes that we have stayed at but we did take some photos of the Dam itself.. Very Impressive.
The dam capacity is 1,217,600 megalitres and the surface area of the dam is two and a half times the size of Sydney Harbour..
The Car was back fro the repairers after 2 days in dock so we took it for a test drive before hitting the road again. A routine service showed up a leaky water pump and as suspected we had to have a new clutch and it was also time for that timing belt. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
WE took a drive out there from Cowra to check it out for future reference but we weren't very impressed with the facilities on offer. It was below the standards of other dam side lakes that we have stayed at but we did take some photos of the Dam itself.. Very Impressive.
WAGGA WAGGA- Oura Beach Reserve
17th Feb : OURA BEACH RESERVE
Everything seemed to be hunky dorey with the car so it was time to move on. Greg doesn't like moving on the weekend so we waited until Monday to pack up . We were not going far so there was no rush.
A reserve just outside WAGGA WAGGA called Oura Beach Reserve.
It is a free camp and very nice it is too.
We have been here for a week now and the weather has been wonderful. We are set up right on the banks of the Murrambidgee River about 12 km from WaggaWagga.
The word Murrumbidgee is Aboriginal for “Plenty Water” or “Big Water”
For thousands of years, the Murrumbidgee River provided a rich source of sustenance for the people of the Wiradjuri nation. There were abundant fish, crayfish and mussels in the river, wildfowl sheltering in the dense masses of reeds lining the banks and kangaroos, emus, bandicoots and turkeys nearby. Plant food was provided by bulrushes, “sow” thistles and the roots of the Kurrajong trees.
Our Long Drop Toilet-Straight from the Hilton
There is a long drop flushless toilet which isn't so bad once you get used to it and we carry our own shower and hot water system. Hey!! What more can we ask for.
We have had such a lazy week.. just soaking up the sounds of nature and generally totally relaxing.. Today is Saturday 25th February and I think we will be moving on Monday or Tuesday depending on the weather.
We haven't really strayed far from camp, we just wanted to stay put and unwind after what has been quite a hectic time for us.
Wagga Wagga is the nearest town and is a very busy place. It is the largest inland city in New South Wales.
At the other end of the spectrum is our camp. It is a peaceful quiet place with not many people around
We have had such a lazy week.. just soaking up the sounds of nature and generally totally relaxing.. Today is Saturday 25th February and I think we will be moving on Monday or Tuesday depending on the weather.
We haven't really strayed far from camp, we just wanted to stay put and unwind after what has been quite a hectic time for us.
Wagga Wagga is the nearest town and is a very busy place. It is the largest inland city in New South Wales.
At the other end of the spectrum is our camp. It is a peaceful quiet place with not many people around
He has roped off areas to form enclosures/arenas and the cows are free to roam most of the time. Then he puts them away in the field at night time and gives us a free demonstration of how to muster..What a character he is.A real nice bloke. We will miss the daily visits from the calves and from the horses. He is also moving on tomorrow to another reserve the side of WaggaWagga. He has been here 8 months and the cows need different grass now. |
The Drover
That Motor Home was home to a Drifting Drover who lives a nomadic existence moving from Reserve to Reserve with his 12 cows, 3 horses and 1 cattle dog called Blue and all his worldly possessions. Reserves are Crown Land have what they Free Grazing Rights which means that a person can use the land to feed his livestock free of charge. The camping is also free of charge in these places which for a drifter is perfect. It is fascinating watching him put the horses through their paces one of which he is training to be a pack horse..
|
This area is well known for the bird life. Especially the Sulhpur Crested Cockatoos that dwell in the 1000's around Oura Reserve. Each night before dark they let off a chorus of squawks and shrieks. In the mornings while we are still sleeping they do their 'Wake Up' squawk. After a few days you don't notice the noise they make all day. You kind of Zone out.
They are very destructive and the damage is evident when you look at the stripped trees around. It is such a shame.
They are very destructive and the damage is evident when you look at the stripped trees around. It is such a shame.
The City
Wagga Wagga is bustling City nestled on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River. The original inhabitants, the Wiradjuri were the largest Aboriginal tribe in New South Wales. It is from their language the city is named. It is generally accepted that “Wagga” means crow and repeating it means the plural, hence “The place of many Crows”. I wonder what Aboriginal for 'The place of many Cockatoos' because we have not seen a single crow since we arrived... just Cockatoos.
To be Honest we haven't spent much time there.. we have just wanted to relax around camp..you get that sometimes.
To be Honest we haven't spent much time there.. we have just wanted to relax around camp..you get that sometimes.
This has been the story of our past week. Just doing what ever the fancy takes us.
March 2nd : WELL THAT WAS ALL OVER A WEEK AGO
The day after I closed the laptop and packed it away ready to move on, all hell let loose and it started to rain again and I mean REALLY rain. It just wouldn't stop and once again we were caught up in a flood risk. We could sit it out and hope the water didn't come too high or we would pack up in the howling gale and try and find a place to set again. The trouble was that where ever we went the weather pattern was the same so we would only be going from the frying pan into the fire. We made a joint decision to sit it out and keep our fingers crossed. The locals were coming down to regularly to check the river and checked on us at the same time. We were even offered a place to stay by a couple of the locals... that was so nice.
If we were in any immediate danger the SES would give us 4 hours notice so we got all ready for 'Blast off in a hurry' if we needed to.
By the way, I am writing this at Lakes Entrance in Victoria. A lot has happened in the last week or so..
If we were in any immediate danger the SES would give us 4 hours notice so we got all ready for 'Blast off in a hurry' if we needed to.
By the way, I am writing this at Lakes Entrance in Victoria. A lot has happened in the last week or so..
The Eastern States of Australia are currently inundated with heavy rain and flooding.
Just about everywhere through New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria is affected.
In some cases properties, livestock and human life have been lost.
Even some parts of South Australia have been affected.
This kind of weather is unknown in these regions at this time of year.
Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves
we should be thanking our lucky stars that we are OK..
2nd March : Lakes Entrance
Lakes Entrance
Lakes Entrance is named after its location at the Tasman Sea entrance of the Tuggerah Lake and situated on the edge of Ninety Mile Beach where the Gippsland Lakes meets the Southern Ocean.
As we drove down the hill that takes you into town we had a most fantastic view of the whole of Lakes Entrance. We were not feeling the best after the night in the car but felt encouraged by what was right there in front of us.
A nice hot shower and some clean dry clothes were calling us.
I have never seen so many Caravan Parks,Tourist Parks, Cabins, Motels, Hotels, Apartments,Camp sites... you name a type of accommodation and Lakes Entrance has it. If it were not for the Tourist Industry here it would die. We settled on a nice place, Eastern Beach Caravan Park. Most of the others seemed very squashed in.. There is plenty of room between sites here. We prefer National Parks etc but at the moment we really don't have a choice. The security of place like this when the weather is so rotten takes presidency.
As we drove down the hill that takes you into town we had a most fantastic view of the whole of Lakes Entrance. We were not feeling the best after the night in the car but felt encouraged by what was right there in front of us.
A nice hot shower and some clean dry clothes were calling us.
I have never seen so many Caravan Parks,Tourist Parks, Cabins, Motels, Hotels, Apartments,Camp sites... you name a type of accommodation and Lakes Entrance has it. If it were not for the Tourist Industry here it would die. We settled on a nice place, Eastern Beach Caravan Park. Most of the others seemed very squashed in.. There is plenty of room between sites here. We prefer National Parks etc but at the moment we really don't have a choice. The security of place like this when the weather is so rotten takes presidency.
Take note of the sunshine in these photos..It has been in short supply of late. It comes and goes along with the rain and wind..Now I know what they mean when they say that Victoria can have all 4 seasons in one day. It is a very nice place and all we have to do now is decide that come next..
4th March
It is hard for us to decide where to go from here. We have to go north but where to?.. where is it safe?
We've been researching the weather reports to help us make the decision. Meanwhile, we are safe here.
The weather is cold, wet and windy but it never floods unless there is a King Tide..
"GULP!!"
fingers crossed
6th March
Yes we are still here at Lakes entrance and hearing horror stories about Wagga Wagga which is where we were up until 6 days ago. Wagga Wagga is totally flooded and under water and the township has been evacuated. I am so glad that we didn't take a risk and stay on there. It was definitely the right decision to get out. We are leaving here tomorrow though and heading to Bega for a few days and then to Canberra to see Parliament House and all the other places of Interest. After that we hope to get to Sydney but all this depends on the flood situation and the conditions of the roads etc
In the meantime we took some photos of some Pelicans and Cormorants here on the Inlet.. They are so beautiful.. It was hard to decide which ones photos to use on here..
It is hard for us to decide where to go from here. We have to go north but where to?.. where is it safe?
We've been researching the weather reports to help us make the decision. Meanwhile, we are safe here.
The weather is cold, wet and windy but it never floods unless there is a King Tide..
"GULP!!"
fingers crossed
6th March
Yes we are still here at Lakes entrance and hearing horror stories about Wagga Wagga which is where we were up until 6 days ago. Wagga Wagga is totally flooded and under water and the township has been evacuated. I am so glad that we didn't take a risk and stay on there. It was definitely the right decision to get out. We are leaving here tomorrow though and heading to Bega for a few days and then to Canberra to see Parliament House and all the other places of Interest. After that we hope to get to Sydney but all this depends on the flood situation and the conditions of the roads etc
In the meantime we took some photos of some Pelicans and Cormorants here on the Inlet.. They are so beautiful.. It was hard to decide which ones photos to use on here..
A play with the software......check these Pelicans out in water colour
Black Necked Cormorants --- Feathered Squatters
Feathered Bookends
Check out the guy in the bottom left hand corner..
He looked was looking me straight in the eye..LOL!
He looked was looking me straight in the eye..LOL!
It is now 7.15pm Tuesday 6th March and I am totally up to date with this.
Unless something happens this evening we will be moving on tomorrow..
I have added a comment box just in case some one wants to send a message through
NEW PAGE
For some reason Weebly doesn't like the pages to be too long and crashes if there are lots of photos.
So I will be continuing this again on
Living the dream part 3 (March 2012 Onwards)
So I will be continuing this again on
Living the dream part 3 (March 2012 Onwards)