Art’s Farm - Day 1: Tamworth to Wellington

The long awaited and long delayed trip to my brother’s farm started mid morning.

Half of today’s leg was completed by the time we pulled into the generally well maintained Black Stump was rest area, not far north of Coolah. A few shady trees and no one else in attendance meant we could park the van in the shade - fairly important in this sport as it is legendary for flies, so even though table and chairs are provided and a hard roof cover, you don’t want to be swallowing them with you sandwiches. 

There is an amazing array of tags adorning the walls at the back of the shelter sheds and toilets and remarkably few examples of graffiti that you couldn’t show Granny. There was even some good likenesses of characters from the Simpsons.

On into Coolah and an indulgent coffee at the Coolah Bakery who make a good brew and have many a tempting treasure. We were good and just stuck to the hot drinks. Met an old couple who had been diverted during their morning drive from Tamworth when Carrol went under water. They didn’t get to Gunnedah, where the northern side of the town was covered in the dirty tide of the Mooki yet again. They complained of a lack of warnings on the radio, apparently their only means of understanding road conditions ahead of them. Sue tried to convince them they should get the Live Traffic app on their phones but the cause was lost when he said “what’s an app?” and she said “I’ve heard of apps but I have no idea where I get them from.”

How they were going to get to their destination of Forbes is anyone’s guess. It transpired they were from Lismore! You would have thought they would be a little better educated in such things. It does, however, point the deficiencies of a society that is leaving some behind in its continual reliance on technology. What if you can’t keep up?

Today's photos

After our two stage lunch, we continued south and had the choice between getting to Wellington via Gulgong or Dunedoo. It’s had to know if we made the right choice but the road after Gulgong was a nightmare of potholes and slow progress because of road works in order to repair them. We averaged 80kmh over that section of the trip and finally arrived at Wellington after six and a half hours. We’re not in a hurry but it would be nice not to constantly swerving to avoid damage.

We are staying at the Riverside Caravan Park in Wellington, on a huge grassy site right above the river and  an old stand of Red Gums. Dinner was a grazing platter in our deck chairs, watching and identifying birdies and soaking up the serenity. 

On to somewhere near Yass tomorrow.

SFT - Day 1 - Tamworth to Mudgee

 At last.

Cudgegong River at Mudgee

Rig joined. Food on board. Tank full of fuel. Tyres kicked and away.

We left Tamworth mid morning and headed south to Werris Creek, before turning west via "The Gap", a narrow break in the hills through which both rail and road squeeze and opened up the Breeza Plain to us. In steady progression, we passed through Spring Ridge and Premer before joining the Black Stump Way and heading south to Coolah.

On the way, we passed the site of the Flaggs Inn. Named for the Flag Lillies that bloomed at the entrence to the inn, it was built in the 1880's and was the main coach stopping point between Mudgee and Gunnedah. According to the Mudgee Guardian ... 

"The Inn consisted of a large bar, office for the owner, parent’s bedroom and parlour,  sitting room and a spacious dining room. There  was an extensive  kitchen and an oversized bakehouse with an immense stove and oven. Hot  water was connected to the stone kitchen and bath rooms.  In addition there was a dormitory, fifteen bedrooms, one especially fitted for the governess, plus a big dance hall with a supper room. There was long verandah which ran around the front and side of the Inn with a school room at one end, containing book cases, shelves etc. Out buildings consisted of a butcher shop with all necessary equipment, a general store, saddle and harness room, a blacksmith’s shop with forge, a stable, with eight feeding boxes, plus a loft for the storage of hay and corn.  A shearing shed joined the blacksmith’s shop. Horse yards with watering troughs were provided nearby."

The inn was built by James Dempsey, who held the first licence. It lasted forty or so years before being burnt to the ground in the 1920's.

An interesting part of its history was its role in the search for Jimmy Governor and his brother in the huge manhunt in August of 1900. It became the search centre. The owner was told by the Police sergeant in charge that he should expect 75 at the Flaggs for lunch. 200 turned up.

Today, nothing remains except some exotic plants. All materials that mark it's existence were removed quickly after the fire.

We stopped not long after the Flaggs for lunch at the roadside stop which marks The Black Stump - or one of them - about 10kms from Coolah.

Click for today's photos

After lunch, it was an easy run on through Gulgong, the town which used to be on the $10 note, along with Australia's most tragic creative, Henry Lawson. What awful irony that he should be replaced by his rival Banjo Patterson.

Arriving in Mudgee as the afternoon turned from mid to late, and we set up comfortably at the Riverside Caravan Park among the leafy trees, right beside Cudgegong River.

Its just so good to be back on the road in our little mobile home.

Jetty Tour Day 32 - Dubbo to Home

Just a drive, really.

Last lunch for the trip

Did a couple of jobs in Dubbo before leaving. Sue caught up with an old Maclean school friend, Sally Egan. She was also traveling.

We had morning tea in Dunedoo ... well moaning tea. The cafe we stopped at was retro but not because it was the chic it was shooting for, just because its an old joint. Coffee was dreadful. They thought ambiance was something you called when someone gets injured.

Lunch was at the Black Stump Rest Stop outside Coolah. Another tale and claim on the "original black stump" here, complete with charged tree and information sign. We lingered, not really wanting to get home.

The rest of the journey across the Breeza Plain and past Werris Creek was so familiar, it helped break

Click camera for today's photos

us in for the inevitability of our own street.

Spent the evening watching news and Netflix, something we were convinced we hadn't missed but now we are not so sure!

A great trip of four and a bit weeks ends.