Why not an Aussie Blog

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 It occurred to me that we do a lot of travelling in Australia yet I have not documented any of it. We have travelled all over South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania and have nothing to show other than our own memories. Well that is all about to change! Unlike all my other blogs, this one will be continually updated as we travel our beautiful country.

This blog will start off with a road trip with a difference. Ann and I are travelling to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. Katoomba is where we married surrounded by our motorcycling friends back on the 8th March 2014.

After a week of preparing  the property for our house sitters the time had come for us to hit the road. Armed with a USB drive with 450 tunes on it, we packed the car and headed off at 730AM to our first destination, Goolgowie. We are going out through Lameroo, Pinnaroo towards the Hay plain. The road is reasonably good, and the land is very dry out this way now, after all it is now the beginning of Autumn. You wouldn't think so as the forecast today is for 30C at Goolgowie.

Driving through this part of the country always reminds me of a documentary I saw at Primary School in 1972 about the AMP Society funding the reclaiming the 90 mile desert. Huge bulldozers dragging a huge chain between them and clearing the 'infertile land' to make way for farming land. If this was to happen today the activists would be all over it.

In no time we crossed the SA/Vic Border under a clear blue sky. One thing we have noticed as we drove through these small towns is the amount of pride there is in the town. Pinnaroo, Lameroo and Murraytown are all very neat and tidy towns. Lawns are well maintained and trimmed and everything appears clean and kept.I guess that is the difference when you live in the country, you  appreciate the little things that us city folk take for granted. These are predominantly farming communities with a lot of broad acre farming. nearly every second town has grain silos, which used to handle the harvest fairly well. These days they have grain stored in bunkers on the ground, covered by huge tarpaulins. This shows how much grain production has increased over the years. 


One thing that does get your attention out here is the names of some of the towns and areas. You have already seen 3 but how about these, Boinka, Linga, Patchewollock, Galah, Walpeup Manangatang and Ouyen to name a few. We stop at Ouyen for a leg stretch  and break from driving and once again a very tidy township.

In the park they have a giant mallee stump. This thing is massive and believed to be hundreds of years old. It was dug up to make room for a road. Sometimes you have to wonder how important progress really is.

Onward to Tooleybuc and Balranald where se stopped for another leg stretch and driver change. About 5 minutes down the road I got pulled over by the highway patrol for a breathless. I guess the start drinking early out here. 100kms of the Hay plain and another 100 kms to Goolgowi for our overnight stay. We stayed here 10 years ago and Lynne and Frank are still here too celebrating 10 years as well. This little oasis is a great place ro stop on the way to Sydney. I highly recommend it for an overnight stop but book in first to avoid disappointment.


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