Tuesday 26 March 2013

This is Cahills Lookout. A lovely sight!
This is Gordon Falls. Col took this one. I couldn't walk down the mountain walk with no safety rails in place. There wasn't much running over.
This is Windamere Dam. It holds 368,000 mega litres of water.  It was built in 1984. Free range eggs are for sale by the roadside for $4 a dozen. Riverlea Road. Blow me down if we didn't see a Double B truck on its side! Plenty of wineries to visit, Kimberley, Optomisterie, Mongrel wines, Robert Oatley Vineyards,Burrumdulla wines. Lovetts Lodge has alpacas. Then we land in Mudgee. It has a big industrial area. Ford, Subaru, Hyundai, and Nissan Cars, PercyNott Rest Area and Redbank Creek and Minelab, KFC, Aldi, Coles, I like this name, Dancing Goat Cafe.  Round hay bales were in paddocks. Crossed Holyoak Bridge. Visited Mandurah at the Railway. It had art and craft and wood work. Very nice craft work!
This is Lake Windamere. We took a short trip in to see it.
Check this place out! We call it the General Store". People are living in it. It has a water tank down the back and see the latest disc on the roof? This is at Capeertee.
This is the old pub at Capertee. Even had on the blackboards "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year!". Capertee Valley had a Police Station, Rest Area, The Catholic Church which had green iron walls and roof. Next area we came across was Bethel.  They had helicopters. There was a herb farm and fencing timber. Foxwood had a property called by that name and a farm cafe with "clsed" sign up. CherryTree Hill was 1110m above sea level. Hills were full of trees. Fancy having a "Wishing Well" on the side of a mountain range where by rights there were no stopping places. Still found weeping willows and more old settlers huts.Carpel Cottage had accommodation. Coming into Ilford a chap had a business called "Mountain Signs". Not many bikies on this road saw three. Next Wollemi National Park loomed into view. Lucerne was getting sold for $10 a bale. Saw Santa Gertrudis catle .
This is Pearson's Lookout at Capertee. See the Blue Mountains! A gorgeous sight!
Another interesting sight to see was Gardens of Stone National Park. I called this one "Stonehenge". It's not it's name but it is rock in the hillsides.
This is the coal wagon near the school at Cullen Bullen. The coal wagons used to go past the school and under the road to Castlereigh Highway where we did see empty wagons lined up. Ben Bullen had empty coal wagons under the road. Pine trees by the creek. People here have built an american barn shed. They grow blueberries.
This is the old Pub at Cullen Bullen. They have a few old houses and a school there.
This is Lake Wallace. It is just down the road from Lake Lyell. We were on our way to go to Mudgee today. We went through Wallerawang, Portland, Cullen Bullen and Capertee to Mudgee.
This is a gantry at Wallerawang. It was at the old railway station there.Wallerawang has 20060 population and has a power station, old railway station, a gantry and a public school. Lidsdale Siding Centennial Coal is a big place.
This is Lake Lyell where we camped for the night.A really lovely spot. People were water ski-ing on the Lake.
These are the autumn toned trees all out in flower of different shades from green, red and yellow. An absolute gorgeous sight! They were from Lithgow to Blackheath.
This is the Three Sisters down at Katoomba beside Echo Point. They are a gorgeous sight! Honeymoon Lookout had too many trees to take a good photo.
This is Echo Point at Katoomba. It was a beautiful large lookout. People were there filming. There were people from buses from overseas and as Col said"It was spot the aussie!". The scenery was absolutely fantastic! Saw a Kingsford Smith Memorial.
Evans Lookout is very hilly and high up. They have a brick building with table and seats. Grand Canyon was like 5hrs one way to walk it. Medlow Bath. 1050m above sea level. Katoomba Road traffic at Stop and Go was a good 3k long and coming. Along the road were explorer's marked trees. Katoomba 1017m above sea level.
Called in to Historic Hartley to see old buildings, and an old church and old houses. One house was called "old trahlee". On the Great Western Highway. Saddlery. Plums growing. Hartley Valley Tea House. Tallisman Gallery does metal work. A shop called "Lolly Bug!". A holiday farm in the country with horses is called "Woodlands." Victoria Pass 1044m above sea level. Mt. Victoria-Caltex seems to be a truckies food stop. Saw an old small houses with a couple of rooms and a hallway down the middle. Blackheath and Katoomba have caravan parks. When we asked at Lithgow we had to go to Lake Lyell to camp to have a dog 8k's out. Victoria Falls is a gravel road. Brown Town Oval. Came across a high wind zone. Blackheath is known for Rhododendrums.
This is the Lithgow Information Centre. It is to represent the Miner's Safety Lamp. On the way in to Lithgow is a very large correctional centre. Woodwork furniture. It has a raceway and kart circuit. Redgum slabs and burls are for sale.Lithgow is situated down at the bottom of a hill It has University of Notre Dame. Trees are on hills and large open paddocks. Riverlett Hill Rest Area. Steep Descent! Jenolan Caves.
At Machattie Park at Bathurst we found a tree fern, palm, green leafy plants in one green house and in the other we found Begonias. They were such a magical sight. They were in all colours from reds, golden yellows, deep red, white tinged pink, cream tinged pink  and oranges. Once around wasn't enough. Did a second walk to believe it was so magical and beautiful to see. Went to look for the Japenese Garden. It had one Japenese Lantern and a little greenery so wasn't real impressed. Bathurst is a big place. Has a large shopping centre. Viewed Peace Park which is a nice spot to picnic. While on Mount Panorama saw "a man in his flying machine." Left Bathurst to go to Lithgow and Katoomba. Passed Glanmire area. Saw sheep. Had a hilly climb on the mountain. Shell Roadhouse. Pine tree plantation.
This is Mount Panorama at Bathurst. The highlight of our day while we were there was we had to go drive the motor home on Mount Panorama. Wow! What excitement! Col wasn't happy with once around but made it twice.  First time had to sop and take photos from the highest point on the mountain. People were walking it and others were jogging t.  It sure is a big place.  Visited the camp ground and saw it too! After this drive we went to the RSL for lunch. Wow! What a big place it is! Panthers Bathurst is a big building. Then drove around looking for Machattie Park. Here we found some lovely gardens, big shady trees.
Driving along the road we saw this dam. It looked a good photo to show you. Stopped by the road to take this one.

Friday 22 March 2013

This is the Illawarra Fly treetop walk. We had a guided tour and then had free devonshire tea. Beautiful views of the sea from here. A sight to behold. Trees are so high and the embankment drops off quickly here.
This is Col at the Illawarra Fly Treetop Walk. This happened along the walk way.



This is the gorilla we spotted at Kangaroo  Valley.
This is Shoalhaven River.
This is the Wood Gallery we visited at Kangaroo Valley after winding up mountain  ranges. To move on to Robertson we had to go to more steep descents of mountain ranges. From Robertson we went on to the Illawarra Fly treetop walk.  Then we came back to Goulburn.
This is the green paddocks at Yatte Yattah.
This is Warden Head Lighthouse.
This is Bannnisters Point Lighthouse out on the end of the peninsula.
Lake Tabourie on way to Uladulla.
This is Mollymook. It's just what the coastline looks down here. Not very many nice beaches.
Inverlochy had a big mansion on the hill. Connen Hill Lucerne. Tarago had a school and old church. The Loaded Dog Hotel with live music. Bundarra had sheep on Branxton Park property. Pine trees. We were on Kings Highway. 26k to Braidwood.Here we found an oval, sports ground, jockey club, old settlers building, colonial motel, pig and whistle gallery, hospital, shops, old houses and car model trains. Monar country manor has young horses.Bushy country. Forest trees have tree ferns. Mungarlowe River, Mongor National Park on the right. Bundawang National park on the left. Clyde Mountain had steep descent for 5k's. tree ferns. Government Bend, Misty Mountain Road, cabbage tree creek, dinner creek, scrubby country.Currawong State Forest. Clyde river has boat cruises. Batesman Bay has 17,500 ppulation. Bridge lifts up for boats to go through on a river cruise. Stayed Top Tourist at Sunshine Bay. Malua is nice to see. South Rosedale is nothing, North Rosedale, Barling Beach, Tomakin known as sunpatch by the sea,hill and beach and surfing. Went to a garage sale here. Mossy Point and Broulee. Rocks walk to beach. Historic Quarry Park where we snapped more photos. Fishing on way to Moruga.Spotted an old rusty boat with barnacles galore on it.This wood carving chain sawn was at Moruga.
This is a beauty! He received his scarf on 8th March. He's at Goulburn. Goulburn has an historic home, herefords, public schools, pelican sheep station has accommodation, units and cabins, wakefield park, windmills and weeping willows. cattle farming on country flats. Hardly much of a hill. Horses.
Couldn't go to Gundagai and not find "Where the dog sits on the Tucker Box" five miles from Gundagai. Sheahan drive was done up with flash black iron and steel frames. Here they had a garden shop, eating places and sold apples.They had a dog walking area out the back. They had fenced men made out of iron, a horse and buggy, and old wagons. Yass Valley saw another dead fox. Binalong Rest area was a good one. Burrinjuck Dam on the left. Wind farm for electricity. Native Plant regeneration in the centre of the road. Gunning on the left. Federal Highway to Canberra. French VC rest area is a good one. Goulburn has population of 24,000. It is the first inland city. Has good shopping. Wombeyan Caves. Has Wool Stores, Irish Pub, Tech College, Art Gallery, Goulburn Workers Club, Mum's Laundry, plenty of shops.
This is the old bridge at Gundagai.
We stayed at Airport Tourist Park at Wagga Wagga. Next to it was the RAAF base. Forest Hill.Barambola Rest Area was very roomy and you could camp there. Tarcutta creek was a pretty spot.Here we came across concrete roads to drive on.They were doing roadworks and concrete and reinforcing was 6inches deep. Then came the Freeway. Great driving on them. Tumbulong had a nice rest area.After 1882 flood the town of Gundagai moved from the flats to the hills. "No Double B past this point." River Van Park is a nice spot. Golf Course. Has a Poets Restaurant and Bar.
This is the Henty Man. Henty is a small friendly place has fuel and craft work.Next we were into the Riverina Area. Came across a sheep stud which had Poll Dorsett and White Sussex.Yerong had three houses.The old huts were small but people were living in them. Grain Silos. Cypress Hill had trees. Mutton Park. Saw a red coach for a letter box. Bolong had irises. Fire on the left. Uranquinity had Caltex and a pub. Passed "Blamey Barracks" an army training centre. Wagga Wagga is a big place. Has a new shopping centre being built.It  has an iron foundry, farm machinery and trucks. GumlyGumly had horses and houses, a marine centre, vans and outdoor gear. There were three old wagons at the motel. Allonville Motel. Murray Cod Hatcheries.
This is Billabong Creek where we stopped for lunch. It is near a bowling green that has chinese meals. Stayed at Kialla Top Tourist Park at Shepparton. Moved along to Benalla, Wangaratta, and Albury Wodonga. Spotted a chocolate apple factory at East Shepparton on the way out. There are open cleared paddocks with sheep. Victorian road cars are white and green checked much like our police white and blue checked ones.Saw big trees by the roadside. Benalla had a racecourse, fuel and food, worms, bait and yabbies, timber merchants and tree lined streets, bus lines, cow skins. It's a big place and has a shopping centre. Small cows made of iron and steel were on street corners. Clothes were put out on street footpaths to sell. Next was the rural city of Wangaratta. Saw old railway sleepers stacked up in paddocks when they were replaced by cement ones. Mt Pilot National Park. Gerogery had a doll museum which was closed, a pub $10 steak meals, St Pauls College and sheep. Culcairn had a bowls club, caltex and Jubilee Park.We were on the Olympic Highway.
Next stop was Murchison. This is a pretty spot by the river. Today they had a Tomato Festival on. Young people were throwing tomatoes through a bulls eye. They had wines for sale, grapes, tomatoes, second hand goods, painting for children and strawberries and cream. A lady singer from Melbourne came and said it was raining at home but it was such a lovely sunny day here. She had a lady drummer and a chap on lead and she played accoustic guitar. This is the Historic Bridge built in 1937 at Murchison. It is 42ft above the river bed.It is 303ft long, 20ft wide and had a walk way too!Passed through Waranga Basin. Moorlim had sheep.
This is some of the quilting we saw at the Exhibition at Shepparton. It was next door to the RSL where we had lunch.
You will have to look sideways at this one. This is the dragon races at Shepparton. This is a lake they use for aquatic events.
This is what confronted us at the Information Centre at Shepparton. Next we visited SPC Ardmona. Bought some fruit.It's ike a big supermarket.  They had pineapple chunks.  When we looked closer they were from Thailand not Australia. Same went for a pancake mix which was from the USA. We thought having SPC brands it would be all Australian. They also stacked shower gel, brut, toothpaste and stacks of other items. Visited Mooroopona known as Fruit Salad City. Cow statues were aily painted. One in particular had fruit painted all over its back Then I saw a motorbike rider again chainsawn and painted black. Countryside is dry. Cattle are here. Next port of call was Tatura. Went to look for Andulsian Horses. They were at the Park Events Complex. When we drove past Col spotted young riders doing dressage. They have shops and farming.A chap must have been to the markets. On the back of his truck were tables and seats. Tables were made out of wine barrels.

Sunday 17 March 2013

This was the sight we found in front of our park at Seymour. They had a park there too. A lovely spot with tall trees to stroll through.We think we found Jo's fruit tree out near Goulburn Weir. Took a photo. Had round yellow skinned fruit. There was a big Caltex Service Station when we came out from seeing Goulburn Weir. It had 6 bays for big trucks to refuel at. Saw East Goulburn Main Channel for water. 1st Exit was for Tatura and Kyabram, 2nd Exit for Murchison and Rushworth on the left. Murchison Violet Town Exit on the left. Spent a lot of money on the roads downhere. Sheep andcattle were on both sides of the road. The Calder Woodburn Rest Area is a large place. Has toilets and fireplace and is a good one. Three trucks in it. A pale blue car with left hand drive passed by us. We were in Kialla West. Paradise Lake 5k's out had a motor museum and Chocolates.
This is the Historic Goulburn River Bridge at Seymour. The first bridge over the Goulburn was built by Patrick Hanna in 1862-63. It was a low level bridge and Hanna had a toll gate at the foot of Manse Hill until 1867 when it was purchased by the Government and tolls were collected for the Roads Board until 1873.
A new bridge was constructed in 1892 and was considerably strengthened during the Second World War to carry heavy army vehicles and equipment. In 1967 a new bridge was built across the Goulburn as the Hume Highway crossing was moved upstream The old bridge continued to serve as the crossingfor traffic to Puckapunyal until the building of the Hume Freeway in 1982. Seymour has a coles, target, millers, aldi, art and craft shops, etc. Tea Rooms. This bridge is at Northwood. Chris's Timber looks like a Men's Shed. The lunch special at Station 26 Hotel was Roast and Dessert $15. Saw a train leave the Station. To Shepparton 1k to Freeway.Ngambie is home to horse "Black  Caviar".
This is  Yarra Junction. It is the Rotunda out near the oval behind it. It was a small town with school, houses, post office, sawmills, fish and chips, newsagent, safeways, and an oval and playground.  Stopped here for a break. Took photos of weeping willow tree, rotunda and oval and statue there. All of a sudden there were stacks of bike riders went past training. Healsville was next after driving 22k. Don Valley. Came across cows and small horses. 2 roads-one unsuitable for caravans and motorhomes so took the other one. At Yallow Park saw a creamy horse. Here there wasan Aquaduct trail. Col loved the name of this place"Koo Wee Rup."GTS timber was a wholesale place. These looked to be scottish cattle with horns. Gracedale Hills Estate had wines. Willowbank property. Next we were headed to Yarra Glen. Healsville had an ARB,  Hairdresser, Motor Inn, Motel,BP,Garden Centre,Woodgrain TimberHardware,Buses, and a tree lined avenue to drive through. Refreshing! Bought lunch at BP. All they had was apiece of fish,2 hash browns, and chicken wing. Lucky to get anything I think. They have a racecourse here.Kinglake was on the right in the mountains. Mount Rael had $40 lunch special on. Has winery, chocolates, black cattle, Tarrawarra Estate Wines.Firewood cut up for sale. Outlook Hill is a Bed & Breaky. Country is cleared.Saw horses and vines for wine growing. Art was at Lynden Cafe. There was a Train Trak Winery. Yea was on the right. To Yea and Yarra Glen Bypass.
This is Powelly Pub in the bush. Powelltown Football Club was there as well as another sawmill. We stopped and talked with a local council worker who told us the tall straight trees were Mountain Ash. He spoke of using Spotted Gum for bridges as it was better than red gum and mountain ash.  Spotted Gum was flexible and would give and bend easily. Spotted a donkey. Around Hacketts Creek found peaches, olives and apples growing. Passed by Fir Tree Creek. Gladysdale was a very small town area which had a school. Went over Slaty Creek and saw a shed stacked high with timber possibly for use in winter. Saw Herefords. Apples were $2 a bag by the roadside.Next came civilisation at Yarra Junction.
The forest trees were straight and tall and had tree ferns amongst them.  A gorgeous sight! wish we could find more drives like this one.  The road narrows.  Forestry workers have cabins in the hills to stay in.  The sun shining through the trees was a good sight.  At Nojee came across 4 houses and another sawmill.  Water was spraying overstacks of timber logs. Further down the roadNojee had a library, pub and two shops. One local chap walking back inside a shop had just had a coffee and was bent over probably due to working with timber.  Another mill yet again. Trestle Bridge. Passed a bus on the road. Piedmont has a Trout Farm. Around here are black cattle, corn and pumpkin. Came across a dead wombat on the road.  Spied a Rest area called "Limberlost" which was a largish one where you could camp. Then came Yarra State Forest. The road has holes in it and needs repairing badly. There were road works being done as we drove on it.  Came across forest trees only recently burnt by fire.Boys Camp Creek had a house and there were houses in the hills.