Leaving Young for Christmas in the Blue Mountains

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We picked our last cherry on Tuesday 11th December 2007!!!!!! Between us we handpicked 3.917 tonnes of cherries, not bad going for novices. I had asked Workabout Australia to put a request in the weekly newsletter for people who might be in Young to contact us as we were on the orchard alone since Jude and Sandra left a few weeks ago to go surfing in Torquay, Victoria. Linda and Aldo Lavarini rang us, they were just finishing a stint at Equitas Orchard, a big concern near us. Linda was in the office and Aldo drove a six-wheel tractor collecting lugs.

Linda and Aldo came around to see us for drinks one night, they are from Queensland and have been on the road since January in their ex old Ansett Pioneer bus and little Suzuki 4 x 4 which is towed behind on a trailer. We were conned into helping out on the last day at Equitas as most of the 180 pickers and 50 packers had left and there was still 6 hours work in the packing shed. As this was state of the art stuff for us we said we would be there at 0700 to give them a hand. Fortunately they slowed the line as most people had never done this before. Howard and I, in our shower caps and surgical gloves, were not very impressed. The cherries came through rather fast and it became so boring watching cherries zooming by on the conveyor. At some point the conveyor appeared to have stopped and the central area was moving giving a sensation of motion sickness, NOT a nice experience. Anyway we did it and got paid - under minimum wages we noted, but anyone complaining was shown the door in season. Safety was not hugely up there as a priority either, so we were glad we had been on our little organic orchard.

The next night the four of us went out for a meal as Linda and Aldo were leaving for Echuca the following morning. We went to the “Hot Rock” in a pub in the main street. We were all very impressed never having been before. The steak comes sealed top and bottom on a very hot 6”x 6” block of volcanic rock, which, we were informed, holds the heat for two hours after being in an oen for a day at 600C. The idea is to cook your meat to your liking dipping it in the sauce of choice. This comes with salad or vegetables and a few chips - the rock is great for reheating cold chips (yuck)! Our meals were HOT to the end, what bliss, we are going back before leaving Young.

After the end of the harvest - we have been allowed to stay on for free until we leave the first week of January; we took a trip to Canberra. Whilst there we had 52mm of rain at the orchard!

En route to Canberra we stopped in Yass as we had been told it was the cheapest place for fuel, which proved correct. It is a pleasant country town off the Hume Highway.

Yass has a population of 5000 and is 60kms north of Canberra.

Situated on the river of the same name (an upper tributary of the Murrumbidgee) it is surrounded by fertile undulating country (not actually 'plains") and centre of one of the finest wool growing areas in Australia. The earliest European discovery was made by Hamilton Hume in 1821, who quickly set up expeditions after the discovery of good land around Lake George in 1820. Hume & Hovell's expedition of discovery to Port Phillip Bay (1824) left from near Yass, and when rewarded by the Governor for his pioneering work, Hume chose to live here and in 1839 bought Cooma Cottage (built by pioneer Henry O'Brien in 1835) and 100 acres - later extended to 5000 acres. One of Yass's founding civic fathers, Hume over the years was generous in his donations to local development, and played an active role in the life of the town. Adventurous when young, modest in the face of public accolades in his maturity, he received a fitting tribute when the main highway from Sydney to Melbourne was named in his honour. Yass was also a centre of wheat growing and had its first steam powered flour mill in 1842 (built for Hamilton Hume - the machinery and mill gear was supplied and erected by Sydney engineer William Orr). Local enterprise withstood drought, recession and depression (a boiling down works in the 1840s turned unwanted sheep into wool, hides and tallow for the European market; a freezing works exported sheep meat in the 1880s and 90s, and rabbits during the plague of the late C19th). The coming of the railway gave opportunity for local farmers to export fruit and vegetables to the Sydney market - a trade that lasted until WW1. Fine wool growing today is still the major industry of Yass. In 1953 it was the first municipality in Australia to introduce fluoridation into the town water supply.

We were not too impressed with Canberra, very sterile and full of government workers. We had a drive round the landmarks and went to the Australian War Museum, where we stayed for a couple of hours as it is very well laid out and interesting

Canberra “Meeting Place” from the Aboriginal ‘Kambera’. The area was chosen for the federal capital in 1908 and planned in 1912 by Walter Burley Griffin, a Chicago architect who won an international design competition. The population is 325,000 and the city is 571 metres above the Pacific Ocean and 150kms inland from the east coast.

Old Parliament House is one of Australia’s most beautiful buildings. It was designed by John Smith Murdoch, the first Commonwealth Government architect, and was home to the Federal Parliament from 1927 to 1988. Murdoch preferred plain, classical designs with geometric patterns and uniform surfaces. In order to make every element of the building conform to his sense of style, all the furniture and fittings, even down to wastepaper bins, were made under Murdoch’s artistic control.

The first sod of Parliament House was turned on 28 August 1923, with the Duke and Duchess of York officially opening the building on 9 May 1927. The final cost of building was some six hundred thousand pounds, more than three times the original estimate.
Anzac Parade is set along Canberra's magnificent Land Axis, which forms a key feature of Walter Burley Griffin's original 1912 plan of the city.

The Parade is visually powerful, with a red gravel central strip and dark eucalypt 'walls'. The red gravel of the central strip was originally made from crushed Canberra house bricks. The material was chosen in part for the similarity to the 'crunch' made by military boots during a parade. The 'walls' are created by the Victorian Blue Gum, Eucalyptus bicostata, and the planter boxes, which contrast in colour to the crushed red brick paving, have the native New Zealand plant Hebe 'Autumn Glory' growing in them (symbolising the Anzac connection).
At the top end of Anzac Parade stands the Australian War Memorial. The foundation stone for the Australian War Memorial was laid on Anzac Day 1929 but, due to the Great Depression in the 1930s, it was not until Remembrance Day 11 November 1941 that it was officially opened.

The term 'ANZAC' stands for 'Australian and New Zealand Army Corps'. The ANZAC legend has its roots in Gallipoli and World War I, when the Australian and New Zealand soldiers landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey, on 25 April 1915.

The Parade was completed in 1965, in time to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli and provided a colourful setting for this memorable occasion. Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester attended, along with the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, and a large gathering of people including a group of original ANZACS.
Anzac Parade is important to generations of Australians as a commemoration of the military conflicts in which Australia has played a part. It recalls the bond with New Zealand made at a time when both nations were grieving for the heavy losses they sustained as a result of World War I.

Parliament House is situated on Capital Hill just South of Lake Burley Grffin. It can be seen by its flag raised upon 4 legs towering over the building, and is a recent extension of Burley Griffin's vision for Canberra. It was designed by Romaldo Gieurgola, an Italian, and built in 1988 costing $1.1 billion. In order to preserve the shape of the hill, on which it is built, it was constructed into the top of the hill with the roof being grassed over.

The building axis runs from North to East and South to West, and is situated perfectly inline with Old Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial and Mt. Ainslie.

The interior design is made up of various timbers from Australia and hosts numerous pieces of Australian art and craft. Covered corridors link The House of Representatives on the East with The Senate on the West.

The Australian War Memorial in Canberra ranks among the world's great national monuments. Sharply etched grandeur and dignity in its stylised Byzantine profile, contrast with a distinctively Australian setting among lawns and eucalypts, at the head of a wide ceremonial avenue: ANZAC Parade. Kangaroos, occasionally straying from nearby bushy hills, add to the physical impact.
The Memorial is more than a monument. Inside the sandstone building with its copper-sheathed dome, selections from vast national collections of relics, personal (Howard’s great grandfather’s diary from the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 being one) and public records, art and media are employed to relate the story of a young nation's experience in world wars, regional conflicts and international peacekeeping. The story begins at the time sailing ships first brought European settlers, convicts and military from England in 1789 - and extends to the present.

The complex, its contents and wide-ranging activities, form the core of the nation's tribute to the sacrifice and achievement of 102,000 Australian men and women who died serving their country and to those who served overseas and at home. A central commemorative area surrounded by arched alcoves but open to the sky, houses the names of 102,000 fallen - on the bronze panels of the Roll of Honour. A nice touch being family of the fallen place a poppy next to the name of their loved one when they visit the memorial. At the head of the Pool of Reflection, beyond the Flame of Remembrance, stands the towering Hall of Memory, with its interior wall and high dome clad in a six-million-piece mosaic. Inside lies the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier - an official war grave and national shrine.
As Australia entered the second world war, the Memorial in Canberra was still not complete, and was still intended to be devoted solely to the first world war. As it became apparent that the new war was comparable in scale even with the Great War, it became almost inevitable that the scope of the Memorial should be extended. In 1941 the Government extended the Memorial's charter to include the second world war; in 1952 it was extended again to include all Australia's wars. With the inclusion of the Gulf War and of peacekeeping operations, the Memorial in the 1990s must remain ready to respond to new events.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the museum and it was good to see so many children and young people there taking an interest.

On the way home we stopped at Harden:

Harden-Murrumburrah is located on Murrimboola Creek 62 km northwest of Yass via Burley Griffin Way. It is 416m above sea level. The separate names are misleading as they form, in reality, one town. The population is currently 2130.

Scenic Harden shire produces wheat, oats, canola, lupins, mustard oil seed and fruit such as nashi pears, cherries, strawberries, peaches, nectarines, prunes and apricots. An abattoir, a dairy, large grain-storage silos, sheep, cattle and horse studs, pigs, deer, ostriches and some vineyards also make contributions to the local economy.

European settlement of the district began after Hamilton Hume's exploration in 1824. A sheep station known as 'Murrumburra' was established in the late 1820s.

Gold was discovered a few kilometres to the north-west of the present townsite in 1854 but serious prospecting didn't begin until 1856.

A settlement was gazetted in 1858 as Murrimboola (Aboriginal for two waterholes). This was changed c.1880 to Murrumburrah.
A mail service began in 1860 and a flourmill soon followed. The first school was established in 1862-63 and St Mary's Roman Catholic Church was built in 1868. The larger runs of the district were broken up in 1879. In the course of the 1870s the population increased dramatically from 182 to 1620.

Until 1880 Harden was known as Murrumburrah North (the name change was a decision of the postmaster general,who probably had difficulty with the spelling! It had become an important rail centre when the railway station was built there in 1877. By the outset of the 20th century Harden's commercial centre had outstripped that of Murrumburrah. It continued to prosper until the Great Depression when larger locomotives negated the need for crew and engine changes at Harden.

After our trip to Canberra we stayed in Young until Christmas Eve when we set off for the Blue Mountains. This was a surprise for Howard who thought we were having Christmas in the orchard!

Xmas Eve and Xmas Day had been booked at Pepper’s Fairmont Resort Hotel in Leura. Our first stop on the trip which took us via Cowra, was Blaney, an agricultural centre and container terminal. The police stopped us for a RBT (random breath test) at 10:30 !! Howard was very confused when asked to count to ten and that was it!!!! A new tester which does not require you to breath through a straw - most impressive, we were waved on our way and headed for Bathurst on the banks of the Macquarie River in the Central Tablelands NSW. It is here that one of the Holden (Vauxhall) versus Ford Supercar V8 races takes place annually on Mount Panorama - the Bathurst 1000 (kilometre race)


In 1938 the Mount Panorama Scenic Drive was opened to the public and became the home of motor racing in Australia. It may have started its career as a dusty country track but Bathurst’s Mount Panorama is now one of the world’s top three motor racing circuits,

Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit is 6.213 kilometres in length and 874 metres above sea level

Mount Panorama is unique in its rural setting. There are over 40 private residences located around the circuit - inside and outside. Private businesses also exist on the Mount - including: luxury accommodation, a winery, restaurant and fruit orchard.

Linda drove Geraldine round the very steep circuit, which was very interesting, seeing the rubber marks on the walls and road!!! She can now watch (a little part of) the race with more interest!

Bathurst is Australia’s oldest inland town, in 1815 gold was discovered and Bathurst became a town.

The next town along the Great Western Highway is Lithgow on the western slopes of the Blue Mountains at 950 m above sea level and a population of nearly 20,000.

After establishing a settlement at Rosehill, renamed Parramatta in 1791, the Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers were discovered by Captain Tench and Lieutenant Dawes. An obstacle stood in the way of further investigation of this wonderful and lush land. This obstacle, namely a mountain range, had to be crossed and it was not until 25 years later that expeditions began. After several desperate and failed attempts to find suitable land for the increasing numbers of cattle and sheep, at last in 1813, Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson succeeded by following the steep and jagged ridges.They started out from Emu Plains with four horses and five dogs. It was difficult and they often encountered problems such as wild dogs, the horses collapsing under the weight of their heavy loads and a constant fear of being attacked by 'the blacks', as they called them at that time.

On reaching the Megalong Valley, many of the party threatened to mutiny if Blaxland did not turn back. Thankfully, on climbing to a peak, they noticed that the land beyond them was much clearer and it was that that spurred them all to keep going. After many days of hard and treacherous travelling they came to Mount York and saw before them the beautiful Hartley Valley with the mountains becoming less and less, opening out onto a relatively flat plain. Their journey at this point had taken them 21 days and they had covered a distance of 66.25 miles. When Blaxland reported the discovery to Governor Macquarie, a surveyor by the name of Evans, was sent out to find and mark out the best route over the mountains. He came across a river which he named 'Macquarie' and a stretch of land, suitable for a town, that today is called Bathurst.Governor Macquarie decided to build a road to which he requested the expertise of William Cox. Cox agreed and started out on 18th July, 1814 with 28 convicts (protected by soldiers), carts, bullocks, axes, picks, shovels, food and clothing to last them six months. Cox completed this in 1815 however it was not a road as we know it today, it was more a bush track suitable for carriages. Macquarie named the road down from Mount York, Cox's Pass in honour of Cox. When he reached the bottom of the Pass he saw that it was the gateway to the west and named it the Vale of Clwydd, after a Vale in Wales. He continued on to Bathurst where he began to plan the town. He expected that the country around him would abound in coal, limestone, and other minerals.

He was disappointed to find otherwise however on his return to England he heard the news that settlers in the area had found a vast coal seam and deposits of limestone.When Cox's Road from Sydney to Bathurst had been completed the Government found that is was too steep near Mount York for common use and it was stopping the growth of the Colony. A reward of 1,000 acres was offered to anyone who could suggest a better route for the road. Hume and Bowen suggested a route to come through Lithgow Valley. This valley came under notice in the 1820's, soon after the pioneers James Walker and Andrew Brown took up their land at Wallerawang and Cooerwull. John Oxley appears to have given Lithgow it's name after his close friend, William Lithgow, who was Auditor General in 1822, a Chairman of the Land Board in 1826 and an ex-official member of the N.S.W. Parliament.

In 1834 there were 800 men serving in ironed gangs; in 1836 there were 1,000, and in 1837 there were 700. From these, 16 ironed gangs were formed for work on the roads. The maximum number of men in irons in each gang was 70, with 7 out of irons and 14 working bullocks, all working under the direction of military officers acting as engineers, and supervised by constables, often themselves convicts. There were 3 stockades in the immediate Lithgow area: Hassans Walls, Bowenfels and Cox's River. The stockade was made of split timber and bark and consisted of small huts or boxes to which the convicts in irons were confined at all times. In addition, there was a mess hut, a hospital hut, store and kitchen.Every morning in the summer months the convicts rose at 5a.m. and during winter at day break. After inspection and roll calls, they went to work and it was hard work. If they tried to abscond or were lax in their work, they were punished by whipping. The maximum whippings allowed were 50. These whippings were not very frequent as the convicts appeared to be quite well behaved.Many convicts were either pardoned or sentenced to be servants. Records show that in 1837, there were 137 servants assigned to district landholders in the Hartley area alone.

At the same time, in N.S.W. there were approximately 28,000 convicts assigned as servants. Of these in the same year, 2,000 were brought before a magistrate and in all, 9,000 strokes were inflicted. Servants were punished for such behaviours such as drunkenness, disobedience, neglect of work, assault and insolence, stealing and absconding. For example, Ann Cahill, assigned to Phillip Mylecharane was charged with drunkenness and refusing to work. She was sentenced to 4 days of solitary confinement and later returned to her master. If the prisoner or servant committed a colonial offence such as murder or robbery, they were sentenced to the iron gang for work upon the roads in addition to the original sentences of transportation to another area.

The next place we came to was the beautiful village of Blackheath. Located 114 km from Sydney and 1064 metres above sea level, Blackheath (population 4119) is one of the more substantial and interesting settlements in the upper Blue Mountains. It was first named by Governor Macquarie who, passing through the area on his way to the new settlement at Bathurst, declared 'it having a rather wild heath-like appearance, I have named it Hounslow.' On his return sixteen days later he changed his mind and on 15 May 1815 he wrote in his diary 'This place having a black wild appearance I have this day named it Black-heath. It affords however plenty of good water for man and beast and tolerable good feed for the latter.' Today the town is famous for its superb rhododendron displays, the magnificent northerly views at Govett¹s Leap, the bushwalks around the edges of the Grose Valley and the range of expensive and classy Guest Houses, which have become part of the town’s appeal to Sydneysiders.

We drove through Katoomba as we wanted to visit later so went straight to Leura, about 5 minutes away and booked in at the resort on Sublime Point Road adjacent to the Leura Golf Club where Howard played a round on Boxing Day before we left for Terrigal.After checking out the resort we went to Sublime Point where we had fabulous views of the Three Sisters - better than the usual tourist vantage point at Echo Point. The day was clear and the blue haze from the eucalypt trees was very evident. It is this that gives the mountains their name - Blue Mountains. The houses in Leura are very elegant and many cling to the sides of the mountains to get the best from the views. Next we drove around the tourist drive along Cliff Drive, getting some excellent views, into Katoomba and Echo Point, which was awash with tourists - mainly Asians.

The principal tourist destination in the Blue Mountains, offering breathtaking vistas and a rich variety of accommodation. For most people Katoomba is the true heart of the Blue Mountains. When they think of the Blue Mountains they think of the spectacular views over the Megalong and Jamieson Valleys, the Three Sisters, huge old hotels like the Carrington, the famous Paragon Cafe, the Skyway and the Scenic Railway - all of which can be enjoyed by visitors to Katoomba. It seems as though Katoomba, located 106 kilometres from Sydney and 1017 metres above sea level, has a virtual monopoly on the mountains' most famous attractions. It is easy to forget, when reflecting on the towns in the Blue Mountains - Leura, Blackheath, Mount Victoria and so on - that the only really substantial settlement along the road and railway line is Katoomba. It is the largest settlement in the Mountains and is also the administrative centre for the City of the Blue Mountains. Katoomba is geared for tourism. It is the central attraction in the mountains.The area was first explored by Europeans when Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson crossed the Blue Mountains in 1813. It is known they came close to the present townsite as one of the members of the expedition clearly marked a tree. The evidence suggests that they camped near the modern-day town site on 25 May 1813.

The town's name reputedly comes from a local aboriginal word 'godoomba' meaning 'water tumbling over a hill'. As early as 1841 George Clarke had discovered coal in the area (the whole Sydney basin has an underlay of coal which rises at Newcastle in the north, around Wollongong in the south and is present at the bottom of the cliffs in the Blue Mountains) and by 1870 kerosene shale had been discovered in Kanimbla Valley. A coal mine opened at Katoomba in 1879 and kerosene shale was being mined by 1885. The area became hugely popular with the establishment of a railway station in 1876. It was first called 'Crushers' but was changed to Katoomba a year later. From this point it was a popular holiday resort providing excellent bushwalking, delightful views over the valleys and gracious hotels. By 1889 the Illustrated Sydney News was able to describe Katoomba as 'a town which is practically the outcome of public appreciation during the past four years.

The summit of one of the highest points about the Blue Mountains is covered with a cluster of houses, amongst which are many handsome residences with The Carrington conspicuous in the centre. Substantial shops line the main street, and everywhere are evidence of progress and prosperity. Katoomba is going ahead.'While it remained the centrepiece of Katoomba, it was really during the 1920s and 1930s that The Carrington acquired its reputation. The hotel's visitors included royalty - the Prince of Wales stayed in 1920 and the Duke and Duchess of York in 1927. It was during this time that it became known as the 'Honeymoon Capital of Australia'. As Katoomba grew as a holiday destination so it's coal mining fortunes declined. The coal mine closed in the 1920s although the spectacular railway to the mine has remained open and is now a popular tourist attraction. The electrification of the railway line in 1957 can be seen as the symbolic starting point when the whole of the Blue Mountains became a commuter zone for Greater Sydney.

We went back to our hotel and set up our little Christmas tree and our presents ready for Christmas Day then went for a drink in the cocktail bar where we met a family on holiday from Dubbo in far western NSW. We then went back to our room and had room service for dinner.Next morning we were up early to open our stockings, which Santa had brought for us. It was then down for a buffet breakfast in a very full restaurant. The hotel was fully booked so we were lucky to get a room - it was booked at very short notice!

The Blue Mountains were in the clouds and we could barely see across the lawns to the trees and no sight of the mountains for most of the day. We were so pleased we had seen the touristy things the previous day. Lunch was booked for 1pm, which gave us plenty of time to return to our room and open our presents from under the tree, which were all lovely.Lunch was also a buffet with crackers and Santa hats and of gargantuan proportions starting with seafood and salad and progressing through turkey, ham and other assorted hot dishes with accompanying vegetables to desserts and culminating in a chocolate fountain with strawberries and marshmallows. We took our time and did very well, retiring outside for coffee and chocolates before going to our room for a small siesta. We did manage a snack later that evening too!

Boxing Day and more to eat at the large buffet breakfast before Howard played golf and Linda drove the buggy around a beautiful course with stunning views.

In many ways Leura is seen as the most urbane and sophisticated of all the villages in the Blue Mountains. Its Mall is full of chic coffee houses, gift shops and eateries; its streets are tree-lined and elegant; its houses are attractive and commonly surrounded by English and European style gardens. Leura has maintained a certain sense of exclusivity by being separated from the Great Western Highway to such a point that travellers are unaware of the village's main street. This is largely a product of both the railway line and the local topography. The first Europeans in the area were Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson in 1813 who probably spent a night camped near where the Leura Railway Station now stands. The town experienced some development after the construction of the road across the mountains but it was slow and settlement was sparse.

Between 1885-87 there was some coal mining at the Gladstone colliery which was located near the present site of the Leura golf course. The coal was sent to Sydney from a railway siding which was located near the mine. The Leura village railway station was constructed in 1891. At the time the area was known as Lurline but the station was officially named Leura which some claim was a local Aboriginal word meaning 'lava'. This seems very doubtful. By the 1920s the area was a popular holiday destination for Sydneysiders eager to escape the heat and humidity of the city. By the 1970s it had become popular with Sydney's artistic community as a weekend escape destination.

As Terrigal is not far away we fitted in a couple of 4x4 drives out of Wentworth Falls on our way down the mountains. You could not move at the tourist spot at Princes Rock Lookout let alone find parking hence the 4x4 drive to McMahon's Lookout. A side road leads off Tableland Rd to McMahon's Lookout, although it is 20 km from Tableland Rd and only accessible via 4WD. However, it does afford excellent views over the backwaters of Lake Burragorang.

We then went to Ingar Picnic Ground, an isolated camp area with waterfalls.

Wentworth Falls is named after William Charles Wentworth who, together with Lawson and Blaxland, successfully discovered a route across the mountains in 1813. The three men camped in the area during their trek. It was initially known by the very unromantic name of The Weatherboard, after a weatherboard hut built here in 1814 by William Cox while he was building the first road over the Blue Mountains. In 1815 Governor Macquarie camped at The Weatherboard and bestowed upon the area some of its present European names, including Kings Tableland, the Jamison Valley (named after Macquarie's friend who lived on the banks of the Nepean River to the east), Pitt's Amphitheatre (after the British prime minister) and Prince Regent's Glen (after the Prince of Wales who became George IV in 1820). He also gave Wentworth Falls the name 'Campbell's Cataract' after his secretary.

In 1826 William Boyles built an inn called the Bathurst Traveller. However, the weight of the area's European name asserted itself and it became known as 'the Weatherboard Inn'. It turned out to be one of the major inns on the road through the mountains. The adventurer James Backhouse noted the structure in his memoirs after staying there in 1835: 'After travelling eighteen miles, we arrived at the Weather-board hut where we had intended to lodge; but the only good room was occupied. One in which we had an excellent meal of beef and bread, with tea, was without glass in the windows, and could not have the door shut, for the smoking of the wood fire.'

In 1836 Charles Darwin also stopped briefly at the Inn. When the railway arrive in 1867 (it remained the terminus for the railway for nearly a year) the siding was called Weatherboard. It was in 1879 that it was changed to Wentworth Falls.

We followed the Great Western Highway down towards Sydney through the now commuter villages of Bullburra, Lawson, Woodford, Linden, Faulkland Bridge, Springwood, Blaxland, Glenbrook, bypassing Penrith and into Parramatta. From here we took the turnoff for Hornsby so we didn’t have to go on the Toll Road and onto the Pacific Highway to Gosford and turned off to Terrigal. This is a pretty stretch of highway cut through the mountains and very impressive.


We rang Janie and Rob from Gosford and got instructions for the last few miles to Terrigal. It was so lovely to see Janie, Linda's schoolfriend who have been friends for 50 years, last meeting six years ago here in Terrigal.

So began our one week stay on the Central NSW Coast.....................................................................................

As this is being published - 6th January 2008, we are in Wagga Wagga where we spent the night before heading to Albury/Wadonga...... but this is another story.

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Photos

Howard Cherry Picking
Note the very necessary fly net!

Young Golf Course
Howard's first grass course for years!

Sunset Over Our Orchard
As seen from our caravan

Parliament House, Canberra
This is the new one showing the flag pole.

From Parliament House to the War Museum
Old Parliament House is in the foreground

Anzac Parade
From the war museum to Parliament House

Old Parliament House
The lawn 'roof' on the new parliament house can been seen.

Mount Panorama, Bathurst
Geraldine in the Pits waiting to start up the mountain

Presents Around the Tree
In our room at the Fairmont Resort

The Three Sisters, Katoomba
Taken from Sublime Point

Looking Our from Echo Point, Katoomba
The blue haze from the oil in the eucalyptus leaves can easily be seen.

The 15th green from the 16th Tee
These are Tree Ferns on the fairway

Lake Burragorang
Taken from McMahon's Lookout

Ingar Picnic Ground
The 'weeping'rock and pool