Hay to Wagga Wagga

Wagga Wagga - Narrandera (Sturt Highway) 264 kms

My sleep had been interrupted on several occasions throughout the night by the children and their restless tossing and turning on vinyl mattresses. The squeaks and creaks which filled the cabin made continuous sleep difficult, so it was another night of shallow sleeping to which, I had become almost accustomed to. Sharing close quarters had helped create a bond between us, but had done nothing for deep sleep patterns among the adults!

A visit to the local bakery was requested by the crew and my generous mood acquiesced to their petitions. Generous helpings of cheese and bacon rolls later - Fruit Danish in Sue's case - began to settle under the belt as we pulled away from Hay for another day of eastward travel.

The Sturt Highway follows the Murrumbidgee River closely from Hay and we had it as a reference point slightly to our left (north) all through the morning. After 170kms, we stopped at Narrandera for morning tea. Again it was a selection from a local bakery and I began to worry two months of bush walking and the resultant new relationship with unused holes on my belt, was in danger of being reversed.

An hour or so later; we were at Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens and boiling the billy for lunch. Intended as a stop only, it became our destination for two days, when we couldn't decide which way to continue in our gradual path to Cooma. However, our indecision proved to be wise, because the day and half at NSW's largest inland city was to be a further relaxant.

Our first afternoon passed quickly, reading magazines and newspapers and then catching up with "Baby John" Burgess and Adrienne in the "Circular Device of Wealth".

In the evening we watched TV before heading to sleeping bags at the appropriate time for our ages.