Muswellbrook and home

 Sorry, no pics today!

After a night in Muswellbrook, we came home through the Putty Road from Singleton to Windsor.  Over 200kms, but a scenic drive through the Yengo and Wollemi National Parks.  Much better than coping with freeways.  Same distance, but an hour longer.

We went through areas that had long stretches of burned trees from 2019.  We went past Colo.  These names are well known as part of the Gospers Mountain mega-blaze.  Another reminder of the sheer size of the 2019-2020 fires.  And we haven't even been down south yet.

I read last night that the RFS had contingency plans to evacuate thousands of Sydney residents should this fire have found its way into north west Sydney.  Fortunately it didn't.

Gunnedah, Mackellar and Quirindi

We had morning tea at Gunnedah, another substantial regional town that I had long known of but never visited. 

Two views

What I did not know was the connection with Dorothea Mackellar, who wrote "I love a sunburnt country".  She might have been from Sydney, but her brother had a property at Gunnedah (according to Wikipedia) and it was there that she was inspired to write the poem.  There is a statue of her (which we missed) but we saw this impressive silo painting.

Then we had lunch at Quirindi.  Normally we just pass through it on the new England Highway to Tamworth.  But there is a hidden town centre beyond the turnoff.

The cafes were closing as we arrived, so we sat outside on a bench under the tree to eat lunch. The cafe was run by a very chatty man who went to Epping Boys High and who met his wife at a cafe in Eastwood.  She was Vietnamese, her mother also worked in the cafe and Kin Mun got their very multifaceted life stories. Australia is full of surprises!

Tomorrow we drive back to Sydney, but through Putty and Richmond, and the Yengo National Park.  Shorter distance than the freeways, but takes longer.  Hopefully less stressful and more scenic.

Narrabri - and reflections

We went for a walk along the Narrabri Creek.  There is also the Namoi River and lots (it seems) of other creeks.  No wonder it floods here.

All the towns we have visited have been neat and tidy.  I am a bit surprised.  The investment in National Parks is also impressive. I feel I have learned a bit more about New South Wales.  As we have got further north, we can see the country changing. In fact, we began to see signboards showing distances to Brisbane - only 500 km away - and we have seen a lot of Queensland number plates.  Previously, we travelled on the New England Highway to Toowoomba and Brisbane, so hadn't seen any of the Newell or Oxley Highways, and tomorrow, the Kamilaroi Highway.  We have COVID to thank for forcing us to stay at home getting to know our own state a bit better.  

We talked to two people who had left Sydney "when COVID struck".  They had lost their jobs (one in the airlines, the other a cook) and were able to relocate and find jobs in regional NSW.  Both seemed quite happy with what had happened to them.  Another example of the pandemic forcing change that would have happened eventually, I guess.

Talking of COVID, precautions are scrupulous, more so than in Sydney, where they would be needed more! There is strict adherence to social distancing, checking in, sanitising etc.

And people have been friendly.  In Coonabarabran, we were greeted in the street!  I have been impressed.

Narrabri - Sawn Rocks

We are in Narrabri tonight.  We arrived early enough to go out of town to the Mt Kaputar National Park and see Sawn Rocks.  It was a 1.7km walk, all bitumen and suitable for wheel-chairs,

All this reminded me a bit of hanging Rock in Victoria, where we went with Michael.

Walking there

View on the way

First glimpse

Sawn Rocks

We walked to the creek at the bottom - bits do fall off

 

Warrumbungle National Park - another name with more than 10 letters!

Gee, they like long names in this part of NSW.  Nothing less than 10 letters will do.  (Coonabarabran has 13).

After Siding Spring, we continued to the Visitor Centre at the Warrumbungle National Park, aka the Warrumbungles.  It was all beautifully maintained, and the park has lots of camping grounds and facilities. 

We took the gentlest walk - paved track and seats.  But still a pleasant walk.  Weather is much warmer than in Mudgee.

 

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Siding Spring

Today was our tour of Siding Spring Observatory.  We arrived to find the boom gates down and workers telling us the whole place was closed.  Eventually, along came Mike  who explained he was our tour guide and that we (and 5 others) were the first tour group ever! We entered through the boom gates in convoy and had our tour.

He was a bit deprecating about it all. It was initially a British-Aus venture, but then the Brits pulled out.  It wasn't a good place for an observatory.  It was built there because, at the time. Australia was stable and the observatory would not be attacked and blown up.   The Atacama desert in Chile was a better place for an observatory because it NEVER rained.  I have heard of houses there with no roofs.

Now, no-one wants to fund the observatory.  It is run by a consortium including universities, who are suffering with the COVID lockdowns.

First glimpse

 

 

Getting closer

Inside 

These are all involved.

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Mudgee to Coonabarabran - The Drip; Coal; Binnaway silos.

We went for a walk to The Drip - supposedly a damp area of rock in the gorge along the Goulburn River.  It wasn't wet at all.  But still a good walk.

And if you ever wondered why Governments drag their feet on coal - it is such a major industry.

And last stop before Coonabarabran  was Binnaway with its silos where grain was loaded on to rail.  The railway has little use now, apparently. 

Mudgee to Coonabarabran - Gulgong

Our first stop his morning was Gulgong - the town on the ten dollar note.  Or it used to be until we switched to the plastic currency.  

For those too young to remember, a reminder.

Some pics of Gulgong:

Some things familiar to McLellans

This photo was in the Mudgee Museum.  It was of a rifleman during WW2.  But the pose is so familiar!  He was from the Mudgee Rifle Club.

Also a room full of Masonic regalia.  The blue one is familiar.

And the Buffs.  Thanks to Paul Keating, I know the meaning of "antediluvian".

 

 

Bells in Mudgee

 We went to the Mudgee Museum.  It is a volunteer run organisation with LOTS of stuff.  There was even a bell, but no background to this one.

 We were surprised to discover a bell-wheel, formerly in St John's Anglican Church. No bells there now, to my knowledge.

Around Mudgee

 The main street

We went for a walk in Lawson Park, next to the Cudgegong River.

Saw an egret looking for something to eat.

The ducks had more luck.

Mudgee

When we first came to Sydney, we visited quite a bit of the state.  Now COVID and closed borders has given us the opportunity to "mop up" and see the towns that we didn't get to see back then.

We are in Mudgee tonight.  We got here via Bells Line of Road and Lithgow.  We could see the devastation and stunning expanse of the bushfires at the end of 2019.  You read about it, and see the news, but to see mountains and valleys with continuous expanse of blackened trees is amazing.  We had travelled this same road in July 2019, so we could see the difference.  Fires came very close to Lithgow - you could see it.  Many of the trees have new growth, so it is gradually recovering.  Some pics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mudgee is a neat and apparently prosperous town. Some pics:

Grand church and tower, but no bells.

Statues in  local park. Note the park bench legs.

The  coal mining industry makes particular demands on washing machines - seen at the local laundromat

So do animal rugs, apparently!