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Published: June 18th 2010
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We've been enjoying travelling through New England on the New England highway. After Warwick we drove a few miles off the highway on a parallel side road - the farmgate trail. Here there were wineries and orchards, and, in summer, strawberry fields. We called into one farm and bought a box of apples. This area is called the Granite Belt - the hills are rugged and rocky and the land is undulating - quite nice to be amongst a few hills, tall gums and little streams after such a long time in flat country.
After a look around Stanthorpe and further on at the Ugg Lady's shop, our next town was Tenterfield. This is where Peter Allen was born and grew up and the Tenterfield Saddler was written about his grandfather. We once more visited the little stone saddlery, now more just a little leatherware shop, and walked along the main street, popping in to admire the very nice winter clothes in the stores. The Wintersong Carnival has just begun with Peter Allen's songs featuring .. his photo is in many shop windows!
We pressed on to Glen Innes, Celtic Country, to stay overnight. This morning we once more
drove to the Standing Stones - our own little Stonehenge, http://www.australianstandingstones.com/, took a photo, drove around Glen Innes (too cold to get out of the car) and then back on the highway, farms with sheep and the occasional cattle farm were the scenery.
The next stop was Armidale, a university city. We did have a bit of a walk around but once more, just too cold to be out in. We had lunch there and then headed south. We had intended going to Tamworth (country music capital of Australia) but instead we turned off the highway and drove along the Peel Valley - so pretty - to the little town of Nundle as I wanted to visit the woollen mill there.
In 2000, some old machinery, some dating from 1915, was purchased from a boutique woollen mill in Tamworth and shipped to Nundle. The idea was to set up a knitting mill .. as their flyer says :
'to showcase our world-famous National fibre with our own range of fashion-dyed yarns, hand knitted garments and a selection of fine Australian Wool products.
To preserve a part of Australia’s wool textile history and show it working for all
the people who visit Nundle.
To provide a textile educational facility for primary and high schools, TAFE and University training in the wool industry from fibre to finished garments.
To provide jobs for the local people so that Nundle is a country town in which people wish to live in to bring up their families and have a quality of life not available elsewhere'.
We enjoyed looking down on all the old machinery which carded and spun the wool, and the dyeing and the making into balls of wool. There were a lot of woolly garments for sale as well as all colours of wool to buy and knitting patterns and needles.
We decided it was here we'd stay tonight in a quiet little caravan park on the edge of town. It is a lovely afternoon for being lazy in the sun.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR TOMORROW, TARA AND ISIS! HAVE A GREAT DAY XX
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