Wagga Wagga to Mildura. Hay Plain UPDATED

We began by ringing at Wagga Wagga. Unfortunately the ladder was too challenging for me, so only Kin Mun got to pull a rope.  I went for a walk around the suburb and along the Murrumbidgee.

 

Narrendra was another first for us.  We had breakfast, and learned what signage is needed when you have neither traffic lights nor pedestrian crossings.

Lunch at Hay.  It has a shearers hall of fame - sadly we didn't have time to look at it, but another trip is firming in our minds!  We had lunch.

 

And what do you do when the name of your river is too long? You shorten it.

 

And another example:

Still seeing double names..

But today's new experience was the Hay Plains.  I had heard of them, but there was 360 degrees of flat scenery.  Quite amazing. 

Driving has been pleasant - well sealed roads, two lanes and light traffic. 

Day 1 - Sydney to Wagga Wagga.

We packed up and left Sydney and had lunch at a service stop just outside Goulburn.  It was the Coolibah Tree Cafe,  serving Aussie tucker but run by Indian folk.

I had time to chat to the young lady who made my coffee.  She was from the Punjab and had lived 25km from the GoldenTemple at Amritsar.  Kin Mun and I had been there in 2012.  Whenever I meet a worker from India, and there are many these days, I am able to relive my holidays!  Our motel is run by a man who told us he was born in Bombay but is now from Mumbai.  Mumbai, Goa and Ratnigiri were next on my list before the pandemic struck.  He told me Ratnigiri had the best mangoes in India.  Google confirms this so will file that snippet away in my brain until needed.

Windmills on the way to Yass.

 Wagga Wagga is not the only place with repeated names:

We went to look at St Johns, where we will be ringing tomorrow.

We went for a walk along the Murrumbidgee.

And Ian, this one is for you.  There were bluebells growing next to the Murrumbidgee River and we picked one.  (Not sure how to fix the rotation)

Port Sephens and Rick Stein

We have had two days exploring the Port Stephens area.  It is many, many years since we have been here.  Seeing Linus and Robyn at the caravan at Anna Bay was probably the last time we were here - in the 1980s.

It is peak holiday season and it is a family holiday place. The area is not densely populated and it has a lovely, relaxed feel about it.  

Yesterday, we saw how well-off boaties lived where the parking place you need is in a marina. 

This one is under contract.

 We looked at Soldiers Point this morning.

There were pelicans 

And this was certainly his rock - he had been there before, judging by the bird poop.

But the REAL reason we are here is to have lunch at Rick Stein's other restaurant.  

Our waitress was also Kay.  There are not many of us. These are our dishes.

An entree of scallops.

Our mains.  Kin Mun had a Patagonian toothfish.  I had no idea they were a thing - I thought it was a joke.  I had a trevally in a Pondicherry curry.

And dessert.  Cherry clafoutis and Croatian rozata (aka creme caramel)

After lunch we went for a  drive around the other bays and beaches that we had not seen.

And some more on Kempsey

 The iconic centre of Kempsey - the Post Office.

 

They had a museum - and it had a bell that you could ring.

And you could walk over the Macleay River Railway Bridge. 

  

 

Slim Dusty Centre, Kempsey

Kempsey is the home of the Slim Dusty Centre.  I had long been aware of this, and thought we could call in on one of our trips to or from Brisbane.  But heading for home, or Brisbane, makes it hard to take enough time off to relax and enjoy wandering through a museum. So our solution was to make a special trip to Kempsey, and spend two nights here.

I have a very soft spot for Slim Dusty and his music.  His songs were written about people and places and experiences that  are familiar to me.  He didn't write much about Longreach or Ilfracombe though, I must confess. 

The Centre.

 

As you walk up to the automatic doors, you hear the first two lines of  this!

There was lots about his life, prizes, golden guitars etc.

This was the car (Old Purple) and caravan they used to travel all over Australia.  What a guzzler!  But who could begrudge them comfort in their long trips. 

Coffee afterwards!

And lots of kangaroo paw in the garden, together with interesting mulch.  Macadamia nut shells!