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Warra Race Weekend July 2019
While we are not race going enthusiasts as such, we are travel enthusiasts, so we took our friends up on their kind offer to take us out west to the annual Warra Race meet. We didn't win on the track, but we won big time on fun. It was a brilliant weekend.
The little country town of Warra is about 50 kilometres west of Dalby, on the Warrego Highway. It was named after the Warra Warra pastoral run. Its farming and mining history has caused the population to fluctuate over the years. Today it has a hotel, a racecourse, a primary school and a rural supplies store.
We didn't stop there, but drove through to Chinchilla where we were to stay with friends.
We didn't stop there, but drove through to Chinchilla where we were to stay with friends.
Chinchilla is famous for its melon festival, and once produced 25 per cent of the country’s watermelons, rockmelons and honeydew melons, capital. You are reminded of this everywhere around town.
But there is more to Chinchilla than melons. It is a pretty town, featuring a beautiful tree-lined main street just off the highway. It was part of the coal and gas mining boom, but is now a middle-sized service town for the surrounding agricultural district. The locals are laid back and friendly, and most of them were in the local pub on Friday and Saturday night. Driving into town I spied a sign saying this pub served the best steaks out west. My tastebuds were not disappointed. The steak was melt-in-your-mouth perfect, made even better by the abundant cold beer and warm friendship. |
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Exploring Chinchilla was fun, especially for my husband, as he used to be Headteacher at the nearby school of Hopeland many years ago. He was delighted to run into several past students and parents. His eldest daughter was also born at the Chinchilla Hospital.
However, Saturday was race day, so we dressed in our best and joined about 600 other race goers for a day of fun, fashion and fantastic food. It was a dusty track and a cold windy day, but that did not dampen spirits. Our friends had reserved a table under a tent and from here we came and went to place our bets, browse the local market stalls set up out back, watch the races, and purchase delicious food. The steak in Chinchilla was great, and the steak burgers here were just as good. The afternoon tea was also a delight. Local ladies had been baking for days, and for $8 you could have all the tea, cake and fresh sandwiches you so desired. We desired a lot because it all tasted so good.
However, Saturday was race day, so we dressed in our best and joined about 600 other race goers for a day of fun, fashion and fantastic food. It was a dusty track and a cold windy day, but that did not dampen spirits. Our friends had reserved a table under a tent and from here we came and went to place our bets, browse the local market stalls set up out back, watch the races, and purchase delicious food. The steak in Chinchilla was great, and the steak burgers here were just as good. The afternoon tea was also a delight. Local ladies had been baking for days, and for $8 you could have all the tea, cake and fresh sandwiches you so desired. We desired a lot because it all tasted so good.
It was a wonderful weekend and we are very grateful to Leanne and Les for hauling us along. They have quite a gathering of friends who regularly join them out west for these races, and now we know why they all love it so much.
Beenleigh to the Barossa July 2017
Day 1 Beenleigh to Narrabri (700 k)
We left in the dark to get an early start and climbed the range up to Toowoomba as dawn broke in a soft, beautiful hush. We seriously considered watching the sunrise from Picnic Point, but decided to continue west as we had a long day ahead. (I know - not a good enough reason to miss a sunrise, but sometimes one makes sacrifices.) The plus was that the Downs look spectacular in the early morning light and we could appreciate the many hues of the wide open spaces as the day continued to lighten.
We left in the dark to get an early start and climbed the range up to Toowoomba as dawn broke in a soft, beautiful hush. We seriously considered watching the sunrise from Picnic Point, but decided to continue west as we had a long day ahead. (I know - not a good enough reason to miss a sunrise, but sometimes one makes sacrifices.) The plus was that the Downs look spectacular in the early morning light and we could appreciate the many hues of the wide open spaces as the day continued to lighten.
We stopped in Goondiwindi for a break and were thoroughly impressed by this clean, neat western town on the border of Qld and NSW. Its wide tree-lined streets, attractive parks and walk ways, and week-maintained public buildings were to become notable features in all the country towns we passed through on the Newell Highway, which we followed south from here. Not to forget the relaxed, friendly, laid back locals, many who seem to have stepped straight out a Henry Lawson story or a Banjo Patterson poem. Their sun leathered skin houses hearts of gold, always a nod ready and a willingness to help even the most lost of tourists. On a tip from friends who had been through Goondi the day before, we headed for Batesey's Bakery for coffee and a steak Dianne pie and were not disappointed. This was to be the first of many pies we tried along the way. |
Refreshed, we hit the road passing through Boggabilla and Moree, making Narrabri by early afternoon. This gave us rime to explore locally and look up a few of Reg's ancestors. His great-grandparents (Wheelers) and their many offspring lived (and died) around Narrabri and Wee Waa, so we did a bit of poking around cemeteries as well as sight-seeing.
I was most excited to visit the CSIRO Australia Telescope Compact Array (yes, my friends - even more excited than visiting the local cemeteries). This is the most advanced Radio Telescope in the Southern Hemisphere. It is actually a set of six 22 metre diameter parabolic dishes, five of which can be moved along a rail track into the different configurations to produce better radio pictures.
The amazing thing is that you drive to this isolated spot in the bush outside Narrabri, park and walk around at leisure with no sign of anyone keeping an eye on you. In fact, we did not see a single soul there and had the place to ourselves. Very peaceful. Almost as peaceful as being in space itself. I love Australia. I bet if this set up was in the U.S. you would have to pass through numerous security points, high walls and fences restricting the area, and security staff everywhere. We, not they, are the land of the free. |
After our astronomical fix, we proceeded on the lonely bush track to another quiet place, Yarrie Lake, a saucer shaped lake thought to have been formed by a falling meteor thousands of years ago. Then it was on to Wee Waa, the cotton capital of Australia, and resting place of a number of Reg's ancestors.
Back in Narrabri, we found our resting place for the night and slept like logs (and Reg's ancestors.)
Back in Narrabri, we found our resting place for the night and slept like logs (and Reg's ancestors.)
Day 2 Narrabri to Forbes (500 k)
An early morning walk gave me a chance to explore more of Narrabri, including its cemetery, its lovely river walk and its historical buildings. Major Thomas Mitchell passed this way in 1832 and was soon followed by European settlers leasing vast expanses of land for grazing.
An early morning walk gave me a chance to explore more of Narrabri, including its cemetery, its lovely river walk and its historical buildings. Major Thomas Mitchell passed this way in 1832 and was soon followed by European settlers leasing vast expanses of land for grazing.
We were soon on the road again passing sheep, sheep and more sheep, newly shorn and blending in with the sprawling countryside. We passed many more towns whose names roll gloriously around your mouth and off your tongue when pronounced correctly - Coonabarabran, Wongabutta, Gilgandra, Balladorah, Eumungerie.
At Dubbo we decided to divert from the Newell Highway and follow Banjo Patterson Way (Obley Rd) as far as Yeoval and then rejoin the Highway at Parkes. I had read about a wonderful sculpture trail of 'Animals on Bikes', which seems apt as this is Patterson's Mulga Bill Bicycle territory. If you travel all the way from Dubbo to Molong you pass 200 sculptures over the 200 kilometres, but that would take us too far out of our way, so we had to settle for fewer. Still, it was a scenic drive and I enjoyed the ones we did see.
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We became a little lost as we neared Parkes, trying to find the Dish for another fill of astronomy. The mistaken roads we followed were not in vain as we got to view the Dish from a few different angles. Every way you look at it, it is breathtaking, towering over sheep country and sunlit rolling hills.
The Dish, made famous by the film of the same name about the first manned moon landing, is another of the CSIRO's radio telescopes. The 64 metre diameter dish was built in 1961 and played a major roll in receiving pictures from the Apollo 11 mission, as well as being contracted by NASA to receive signals from other spacecraft over the years. The Parkes telescope has discovered the only known system of two pulsars orbiting each other. Pretty amazing stuff. I f#*%ing love science - even more than I love cemeteries.
The Dish, made famous by the film of the same name about the first manned moon landing, is another of the CSIRO's radio telescopes. The 64 metre diameter dish was built in 1961 and played a major roll in receiving pictures from the Apollo 11 mission, as well as being contracted by NASA to receive signals from other spacecraft over the years. The Parkes telescope has discovered the only known system of two pulsars orbiting each other. Pretty amazing stuff. I f#*%ing love science - even more than I love cemeteries.
We continued on to Forbes to spend the night after a day that had been very full - full of towns with strange names, full of sculptures of strange animals, full of science and spectacular scenery, full of pies and blue skies. No wonder we had sleepy eyes.
Day 3 Forbes to Echuca (500 k)
The weather was cold, but the air clear. Another early morning walk took me to the Forbes Cemetery, which holds none of our ancestors, but a few semi-famous people - the bushranger, Ben Hall; Ned Kelly's sister, Kate Foster; and Captain Cook's grand niece, Rebecca Shield. I took the Bogan Gate Road to the cemetery (yes, that's right people - not all bogans live in Logan. They have their own road and town near Forbes.)
The weather was cold, but the air clear. Another early morning walk took me to the Forbes Cemetery, which holds none of our ancestors, but a few semi-famous people - the bushranger, Ben Hall; Ned Kelly's sister, Kate Foster; and Captain Cook's grand niece, Rebecca Shield. I took the Bogan Gate Road to the cemetery (yes, that's right people - not all bogans live in Logan. They have their own road and town near Forbes.)
Open, flat, expansive wheat and sheep country spread before us as we hit the road again. It was a long road with towns few and far between, but when we hit Jerilderie we were delighted. This little town was an immaculate oasis of history in the middle of nowhere. It is known as the only place in New South Wales to be visited by Ned Kelly and his gang, and they have preserved their buildings well.
A self guided walk along the Ned Kelly Raid Trail takes you to the main points such as the bank the gang robbed, the Post and Telegraph Office where Ned ordered the telegraph machine shut down, the Traveller's Rest Hotel where Ned shouted the bar before departing Jerilderie, and so on.
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Another town, another pie - it just seems right when the weather is cold and bakeries beckon. We lunched once again on Australia's favourite fast food, the humble hearty pie, at the Jerilderie Bakery and then pushed further south. We left the Newell Highway at Finley, turning west, then south again at Deniliquin, the ute capital of the world. Contrary to the comments of some of my 'friends', the Ute on a Pole was not parked by me. The world famous annual Deni Ute Muster apparently draws quite a crowd, some 20,000 people of all ages to celebrate all things laconically Australian and the icon of the Ute.
After three long days of driving, we had traversed the length of N.S.W. we crossed the Murray River and arrived in Echuca, Victoria. Echuca is busy in summer, but in winter it is a sleepy, quiet place.
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The old port is immortalised in its historic precinct, which was lovely to wander through, practically alone at this time of year. After stretching our legs and exploring a little, we sought shelter from the cold and approaching dark in the Shamrock Hotel, a cosy pub with a warm fire and cold beer. A couple of drinks later we moved next door to another pub and dined on the best steaks of entire lives. It was tender, tasty, juicy, and cooked to perfection. After all the pies we have been consuming this was a pleasant change, not to mention a bargain at only $22. Sometimes you strike gold and tonight we hit the jackpot. We devoured it before getting a photo for proof, but do yourselves a favour if you pass this way - eat at the Echuca Hotel. You won't be sorry.
Day 4 Echuca to Swan Hill (150 k)
A grey drizzling start to the day, so my morning walk was short and damp. Our drive today was also short, which was rather pleasant after the last three days of long distances. We followed the Murray as far as Swan Hill and were able to fit in some lovely walks along the river between showers. Then the sun was kind enough to shine and light up the river while I took a scenic, relaxed cruise on a paddle steamer.
A grey drizzling start to the day, so my morning walk was short and damp. Our drive today was also short, which was rather pleasant after the last three days of long distances. We followed the Murray as far as Swan Hill and were able to fit in some lovely walks along the river between showers. Then the sun was kind enough to shine and light up the river while I took a scenic, relaxed cruise on a paddle steamer.
The Murray River measures 2,530 kilometres from its source to its mouth in South Australia. It was an important navigation route for early inland explorers. Today it provides water for millions of Australians and supports a vast agricultural industry along its length.
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The aboriginal people from here (the Wemba Wemba people) called this place "Matakupaat" or "place of the platypus". Major Mitchell, who passed this way in 1836 called it Swan Hill.
"Among the reeds on the point of ground between the two rivers was a shallow lagoon where swans and other wild fowl so abounded that, although half a mile from our camp, their noise disturbed us through the night. I therefore named this somewhat remarkable and isolated feature Swan Hill, a point which may probably be found to mark the junction of two fine streams." - Thomas Mitchell
The swans did not keep us awake. We awoke refreshed next morning, ready to proceed further along the mighty Murray.
"Among the reeds on the point of ground between the two rivers was a shallow lagoon where swans and other wild fowl so abounded that, although half a mile from our camp, their noise disturbed us through the night. I therefore named this somewhat remarkable and isolated feature Swan Hill, a point which may probably be found to mark the junction of two fine streams." - Thomas Mitchell
The swans did not keep us awake. We awoke refreshed next morning, ready to proceed further along the mighty Murray.
Day 5 Swan Hill to Renmark (400 k)
We followed the Murray to Mildura, first on the Victorian side, then crossing to the N.S.W. side at Robinvale. From Mildura we left the river and cut across on the Sturt Highway to rejoin it at Renmark. Citrus and almond orchids became more prevalent, as did vineyards. We only realised we had crossed the border between Victoria and South Australia when we were stopped at the quarantine station checkpoint. To help keep fruit fly out of South Australia, restrictions apply for people bringing fruit, vegetables, other plants and plant products into the state.
We followed the Murray to Mildura, first on the Victorian side, then crossing to the N.S.W. side at Robinvale. From Mildura we left the river and cut across on the Sturt Highway to rejoin it at Renmark. Citrus and almond orchids became more prevalent, as did vineyards. We only realised we had crossed the border between Victoria and South Australia when we were stopped at the quarantine station checkpoint. To help keep fruit fly out of South Australia, restrictions apply for people bringing fruit, vegetables, other plants and plant products into the state.
Renmark proved to be one of our prettiest stops so far. Its position on the river, with charming walkways, houseboats and paddle steamers gave it a very laid back feel and we were happy to laze the afternoon away just wandering and watching life drift by.
Day 6 Renmark to Tanunda (215 k)
Today's destination (The Barossa) was only a short distance away, so we decided to take our time, leisurely exploring along the way. Sunrise on the river provided a spectacular start to the day. Pelicans floated peacefully in abundance as other birds awoke, and houseboats started to cast off.
Today's destination (The Barossa) was only a short distance away, so we decided to take our time, leisurely exploring along the way. Sunrise on the river provided a spectacular start to the day. Pelicans floated peacefully in abundance as other birds awoke, and houseboats started to cast off.
After breakfast we officially passed beyond the black stump at Paringa and drove through citrus orchards and vineyards to Headings Cliff Lookout. This was our most magnificent view yet of the Murray River. We climbed the viewing platform and drank in a majestic view of red limestone cliffs cradling the long lazy river under a perfect blue sky. A houseboat drifted down, the only other sign of human life. It was hard to drag ourselves away from the beauty and serenity, but the biting cold convinced us to return to the car.
Rather than follow the Sturt Highway, we decided to drive south through Beri and Loxton, then west towards Swan Reach where we farewelled the Murray after crossing it by ferry. The road was long and flat to Sedan and then we climbed through lovely hills and arrived in the Barossa Valley near Angaston. It was only a short drive to Tanunda from here and we were very glad to have arrived. We were looking forward to our two week stay here after our 2,500 kilometre road trip.
South Australia July 2017
The Barossa
The Barossa is widely regarded as Australia's most famous wine region, so when we had the opportunity to house-sit/dog-sit in Tanunda for two weeks we jumped at it. The area is beautiful, with gentle rolling hills covered in vineyards stretching far and wide. It has the longest unbroken lineage of winemaking and grape growing families in the country and is renowned especially for its Shiraz.
The following photos attest to the area's beauty and showcase the highlights of our stay. Taking the dog on daily walks was a great way to explore, as well as being able to drive to the many close villages and wineries. Although the weather was very chilly, most days were fine and we enjoyed giving our winter woolies a rare workout.
The Barossa is widely regarded as Australia's most famous wine region, so when we had the opportunity to house-sit/dog-sit in Tanunda for two weeks we jumped at it. The area is beautiful, with gentle rolling hills covered in vineyards stretching far and wide. It has the longest unbroken lineage of winemaking and grape growing families in the country and is renowned especially for its Shiraz.
The following photos attest to the area's beauty and showcase the highlights of our stay. Taking the dog on daily walks was a great way to explore, as well as being able to drive to the many close villages and wineries. Although the weather was very chilly, most days were fine and we enjoyed giving our winter woolies a rare workout.
Of course we loved sampling the local wines and produce, after all, the Barossa is ranked alongside Bordeaux, Napa and Tuscany as one of the world's great wine regions. There are more than 80 cellar doors and 150 wineries in the area and the famous names of Seppeltsfield, Jacob's Creek Penfolds (Grange) and Wolf Blass are familiar to most. |
Adelaide
A couple of day trips to Adelaide combined some sightseeing and some family history research at the State Library and Archives. My great-great-grandfather arrived in Adelaide in 1876 and went on to study at the Jesuit Seminary at Sevenhill. I enjoyed delving into the past here and later, with a visit to Sevenhill.
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Adelaide is a city of beautiful old buildings and gardens. It was quite cold and windy on the days we were there, so we took advantage of using the free tram to get around and enjoyed indoors explorations of the buildings and Central Markets. |
Sevenhill and the Clare Valley
Today dawned crisp and clear, promising a perfect backdrop for our drive to the Clare Valley, something I have been looking forward to for years. For those of you familiar with my obsession in tracing family history, you may recall I have mentioned my great-great-grandfather came from Switzerland to South Australia in 1867. He spent a year at Sevenhill Jesuit Seminary, but did not take his final vows as he refused to accept the infallibility of the pope. Sevenhill was our main destination today and it was magnificent.
Today dawned crisp and clear, promising a perfect backdrop for our drive to the Clare Valley, something I have been looking forward to for years. For those of you familiar with my obsession in tracing family history, you may recall I have mentioned my great-great-grandfather came from Switzerland to South Australia in 1867. He spent a year at Sevenhill Jesuit Seminary, but did not take his final vows as he refused to accept the infallibility of the pope. Sevenhill was our main destination today and it was magnificent.
We drove from Tanunda via Greenock, Kapunda and Tarlee through beautiful countryside full of soft rolling hills, sheep, grain crops and a variety of bushland, all made more picturesque by the deep, blue sky backdrop. From Tarlee we followed the Horrocks Highway north, passing through numerous vineyards and many small villages until we reached the tiny settlement of Sevenhill.
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The historic Sevenhill winery, cellar door and religious buildings are a short drive down College Road, off the main highway, in a very peaceful rural setting. St Aloysius Church towers over the college building and winery, surrounded by vineyards.
Sevenhill Cellars is the oldest winery in the Clare Valley and was established by the Jesuits in 1851. It has a fascinating history which can be explored through a self-guided walk. We took our time strolling through the area, pleased to be mostly alone and unrestricted.
Sevenhill Cellars is the oldest winery in the Clare Valley and was established by the Jesuits in 1851. It has a fascinating history which can be explored through a self-guided walk. We took our time strolling through the area, pleased to be mostly alone and unrestricted.
After exploring and soaking up the history and feel of this place we decided to do some serious wine tasting and were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the products. It may have been originally set up to produce alter wine, which it still does, but it is now also well recognised for its premium table wines.
We placed a rather substantial order (after all, some of these wines are being produced from the same vines that were producing in my great-great-grandfather's time here) and then made a short stop at the Sevenhill cemetery (😁 ) before taking a quick look at nearby Clare.
We placed a rather substantial order (after all, some of these wines are being produced from the same vines that were producing in my great-great-grandfather's time here) and then made a short stop at the Sevenhill cemetery (😁 ) before taking a quick look at nearby Clare.
Tanunda to Nelson via Mt Gambia
Too soon it was time to say goodbye to the Barossa. Our nephew and his family returned from their holiday, so after two wonderful weeks of exploring this area we set off early to drive south. We returned to Sedan and made Murray Bridge for breakfast. We met our old friend the Murray River again, wide and calm and sparkling in the gorgeous winter sunshine.
Too soon it was time to say goodbye to the Barossa. Our nephew and his family returned from their holiday, so after two wonderful weeks of exploring this area we set off early to drive south. We returned to Sedan and made Murray Bridge for breakfast. We met our old friend the Murray River again, wide and calm and sparkling in the gorgeous winter sunshine.
Driving south past the freshwater Lower Lakes Albert and Alexandrina of the Murray River, we hit the coastline just after Meningie and followed the Southern Ocean Drive as far as Robe before turning inland to Mt Gambia. Mt Gambia was a delightful surprise with its crater lakes and sink hole gardens to explore. We stayed the night, then said farewell to South Australia the next day at Nelson.
The Great Ocean Road July 2017
Leaving Mt Gambia, we were looking forward to starting our journey on the Great Ocean Road. We crossed the border into Victoria and joined the coastline at Portland, passing through Port Fairy and Warrnambool, and finally reaching Allansford where a sign assured us we had reached the first town on the Great Ocean Road. We wondered about this, for we seemed to drive a long time after Allansford before sighting the coast again, but when we did ... WOW! WOW! WOW! I apologise in advance for all the photos, but WOW! Very hard to narrow down the hundreds I took.
Our first stop was the Bay of Islands where we witnessed breathtaking ocean views and geological features. Sheer cliffs and rock stacks dominate this section of the coastline, and the changing weather conditions set dramatically different scenes. However, the power of the Southern Ocean waves rolling in remained obvious. Short drives off the main road took us to different viewing platforms, each view seemingly more spectacular than the last.
One site we found particularly interesting was Loch Ard Gorge. The gorge is named after the clipper ship Loch Ard, which ran aground on nearby Muttonbird Island in 1878, approaching the end of a three-month journey from England to Melbourne. Of the fifty-four passengers and crew, only two survived, washed ashore onto a beach in the gorge whose 90 metre sides had to be scaled to seek help.
The 12 Apostles are the most popular tourist spot along Great Ocean Road, not without reason. The limestone pillars were once connected to the mainland cliffs. Waves and wind carved them into caves, then arches, and eventually battered them down into columns that continue to be eroded. There were 13 'Apostles' when first seen by European settlers, but now there are only eight, with the most recent one falling in 1905. More pillars will form in the future, however, as the coastline continues to erode. This coastline is actually renowned as one of the fastest eroding coastlines in the world, so if you haven't yet visited, don't leave it too long.
Access to the Apostles is via the visitors' centre where there is plenty of parking. Walkways have been constructed that lead to different viewing platforms. |
While the Great Ocean Road could be driven in one day, we loved lingering at the sites and decided to stay overnight at Port Campbell, an inviting, tiny village on an isolated bay. From here we continued our explorations of the coastline and the inland.
Following the 12 Apostles Gourmet Trail, we passed wineries, distilleries, cheeseries, ice-creameries and artisan chocolate makers on an 85 kilometre loop through beautiful countryside that took us to Timboon before returning to the coast.
The Great Ocean Road is a permanent memorial to those who died while fighting in World War I, carved in rock and winding around the rugged southern coast. Built by returned servicemen it was a huge engineering feat ending decades of isolation for Lorne and other coastal communities.
It has long been on my bucket list and did not disappoint us. We said farewell to it where most, coming from Melbourne, say hello. The final part we travelled was a spectacular section hugging the cliffs and running by the ocean. As I was the driver I got no photos of this part, but it was none the less breathtaking. One day I hope to return and do the Great Ocean Walk, which I am sure will give a whole different perspective.
It has long been on my bucket list and did not disappoint us. We said farewell to it where most, coming from Melbourne, say hello. The final part we travelled was a spectacular section hugging the cliffs and running by the ocean. As I was the driver I got no photos of this part, but it was none the less breathtaking. One day I hope to return and do the Great Ocean Walk, which I am sure will give a whole different perspective.
Canberra July 2017
Leaving the Great Ocean Road, we bypassed Melbourne and stayed at Wangaratta for the night before crossing the Victoria/N.S.W. border at Albury and Wodonga, crossing the Murray River once more before heading to Canberra.
Gundagai proved to be a pleasant diversion along the way, where we stopped to see the Dog on the Tucker Box and have a look at this rather hilly, historic town on the Murrumbidgee River.
The Dog on the Tucker Box statue was unveiled by the then Prime Minister of Australia Joseph Lyons in 1932 as a tribute to pioneers. The statue was inspired by a bullock drover's poem, "Bullocky Bill", which celebrates the life of an allegorical drover's dog that loyally guarded the man's tuckerbox until death. |
Canberra was very chilly, but the sky was blue and the sun was shining, making it picture perfect. Our capital city and seat of government is Australia's largest inland city and is built around Lake Burley Griffin, named after the architect who designed the city layout. Canberra features expansive open spaces, broad boulevards, aesthetics influenced by the 19th-century Arts and Crafts Movement, and a seamless alignment of built and natural elements. Our two night stay here was far too short, but we did our best to see the major sites.
We enjoyed Parliament House very much, especially the fact that we were free to roam at leisure around it in our own time. The portraits of Prime Ministers were fascinating, some more formal than others. Gough Whitlam's was done by his friend Clifton Pugh and won the Archibald Prize in 1972.
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The Australian War Memorial brings together a world-class museum, a shrine and an extensive archive. It was a moving and insightful experience for us, and hopefully it is a place Australians aim to visit if possible.
After the War Memorial, we lightened the mood with visits to the magnificent Portrait Gallery, The High Court of Australia and the National Art Gallery, all in close proximity to each other and all equally impressive. We only had a taste of each and have vowed to return for a longer period some time in the future.
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Canberra to Beenleigh July 2017
All too soon it was farewell to Canberra as we began the last part of our journey back to Beenleigh, but first we headed to the Hawkesbury where we had a few more cemeteries to visit. Reg's convict ancestors (that's right - plural) settled here after they were pardoned. He comes from some very dodgy stock, but what an interesting history they have.
We continued merrily on our way after carousing with the convicts, enjoying the countryside and quaint towns we passed through, checking off some more 'big' things along the way and lamenting a little that these were our last few days on the road.
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6,000 kilometres and one month after leaving home we arrived back very impressed by our magnificent country and very thankful to have seen what we saw. Of course, this has only whet our appetite for more, so watch this space ...