From the coast to Tamworth, Dubbo and Orange in the country


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Oceania » Australia » New South Wales » Orange
December 1st 2012
Published: December 2nd 2012
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Another MatildaAnother MatildaAnother Matilda

Very rare sight!
Today we set off on the Oxley Highway from Waichope (pronounced Wye hop) to Walcha. The route is also known as the road with 300 bends! We didn’t count them but would guess that that would be about right as we drove up and up and up the mountain pass and down, down, down on the other side! We are now camped in a national park all by ourselves with thunder and lightning going on all around us. It has rained constantly since we have been here but we are not at all bothered as what with books to read, dinner of fried rice and sausages now cooked and eaten along with a couple of glasses of red wine, we are comfortably settled and relaxed listening to Pete’s ipod with its huge variety of artists to listen to. Just general cruising music to chill out to. Very apt for Kruizing Kiwiz!

In Tamworth now, the Country and Western capital of Australia and having a great time. Temperature reached 35 degrees today so pretty hot! Got a photo of us taken under the huge guitar here that weighs half a ton! This evening we spent the time in a local pub
Apsley National ParkApsley National ParkApsley National Park

A long drop down!
listening of course to a country and western band along with guest artists and even the latest Honky Tonk Queen got up and sang a song! The locals were incredibly friendly especially when I got up to join them for their line dancing. Those lessons in Rotorua have sure paid off! Pete was amazed. Landlord even has allowed us to stay in his carpark behind the pub for the night so we could have more than just the one drink! Certainly beats the alternative which was a rest area opposite Tamworth Airport beside a fairly busy highway.

Visited the Tamworth Country Hall of Fame today which was very interesting even though I only really knew of the famous Slim Dusty before I went in. Apparently Brendan Walmsley is a very established singer but sadly we can’t claim to be a relation of his.

Stopped at lunch time today on the outskirts of Tamworth and decided not to go any further. Just so, so hot again and just nice to blob and do nothing with just the occasional chat to a fellow camper. A lovely swimming pool would have been nice but maybe in the next place. Rest area
TamworthTamworthTamworth

The Big Guitar
is full of very noisy cockatoos to entertain us plus we sat watching a lightning storm for a while before we were forced inside by the rain.

The majority of the Australian country towns, in order to attract visitors, usually create and develop a certain theme or interest. We pass through several towns and try to walk up and down the main streets in order to remember them and visit places of interest in them. However, as there are so many, sometimes it is really difficult especially when they have Aboriginal names such as Gunnedah, Coonabarabran and Gilgandra. One of them is famous for their many Koalas and I think it is the second one.

Dubbo, our next city was quite easy to remember and we had a great time there at lovely campsite. We biked along the Macquarie river and out to an old homestead and also to the Dubbo Zoo. We did not visit it however as apart from the huge entrance fee we felt we did not need to elephants and giraffes etc in a zoo when we have seen them in the wild in Africa. Old Dubbo Gaol was very interesting but very sad when reading of the young guys who were hanged just for stealing etc. The set up at the Gaol was brilliantly displayed with holographic characters talking about life as it was.

The weather is continuing to be extremely hot but at long last tonight is has cooled down slightly. A bar-b-que outside has become the norm now, now that we are in NSW and daylight saving. Sometimes we are sitting outside and do not realise is 8.00 and we still haven’t eaten.

After Dubbo, we passed through Wellington, another small town and then on to Orange, which is quite a large city. The place was named after Lord Orange so they don’t grow oranges there but do grow huge amounts of juicy cherries which I am eating now!

Tonight we are just outside Bathurst in an amazing campsite in a beautiful state forest with an abundance of birds by the river where we are camped. The camping area is huge so all the campers are parked well away from each other and we have had our music up loud and just been chilling out all afternoon. What a life!


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