Around and About

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One of the little joys in life is to take a drive to neighbouring towns, pack a picnic, explore the area on foot and maybe find a great vineyard. This day was a success. All the boxes were ticked.

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Photos

First Stop - Whitton
In 1850's the stockman travelling between QLD and VIC had to camp somewhere to wait for flood waters to subside and this place was their camp. 1881 the rail reached Whitton and it was declared a town in 1885.

Whitton Main Street
Of course, all towns have the old pub. This is "The Rice Bowl Pub" due to so many rice paddies in the area.

Cuppa in the Park
This park is across the road from the pub. Although it's dry they take pride in their parks. Water tanks and grain silos in the background.

Whitton Railway Station
1881 timber railway station, closed in 1974, now preserved. Trains transported mainly wool and grain.

Whips and Whims
Whips were "windlasses" or winches that pulled buckets of water to the surface. Whims were wooden structures moved by a horse walking in a circular track.

Presbyterian Church
1895 Presbyterian Church became Uniting in 1984. Huge stained glass window depicts the burning bush.

Former Bank
1890 was the Australian Join Stock Bank and is now a residence.

Cotton Fields
Rice and cotton fields cover the area. These fields are flooded with water from the irrigation canals.

Bright and Beautiful
Love Love Love

Facing the Sun
Hope you appreciate these, we had to go down a dirt track, then I climbed up on the back tray of the car to get these shots. Should have got Dave to get a pic of me there.

Lunch at Leeton
The town is full of Art Deco architecture and I must say it does suit the place. I particularly liked the Roxy Theatre from 1927 and is still in operation, once a week and seats 750 people.

Burley Griffin Water Towers
I said Art Deco, even these water towers.

Art Deco Fountain
Even the tiles and such. The town was very neat and tidy and well maintained though.

Lilly Pilly Vineyard
Happy Hour, time for a tasting and I must say we bought a mixed dozen. Fabulous!

Griffith
In 1817, John Oxley said this was "uninhabitable and useless to civilized man" Look at it now a thriving food bowl due to irrigation.

Hermit's Cave
Below were the last pic was taken is a walk to the Hermit's dwelling. Valeri Ricetti, an Italian migrant hand built over a kilometre of shelters, gardens, steps and water cisterns along the escarpment.

Shelter
He lived here between 1920 to 1952.
Actually quite nice with great views.

Kitchen
In his day he grew fruit, vegetables and flowers and carried water from a livestock dam up the hill.

The Chapel
This resembles the Roman Catholic Grottos from Europe with its high domed ceiling. Ricetti called this place his sacred hill.

Back in the Day
Here's Ricetti while he was living there.
His lifestyle was considered suspicious, so he was held as a prisoner of war during 1942 and 43.