Werribee to Wyong

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From Werribee to Wyong

Before leaving our Victorian base we were able to help out with some rubbish clearing as well as enjoying several bonfires.

Having a commitment for 1 week’s work in Werribee in Winter-time had us questioning our sanity, but with Peter’s health checks all done and clear we set off to go via the scenic route (of course!) Travelling through country Victoria we made a beeline for Avoca. We have been here before; it’s in the Pyrenees Mountains area, which is one of the many wine-growing regions of the state. The weather was bitterly cold but some of the locals were getting around town in short sleeves. Avoca is a pretty little town with many well-preserved old buildings with storyboards to explain the history of each one. The area has a rich gold-mining history and the Chinese Garden helps visitors understand the importance and contribution of the Chinese input into the area. With our diesel heater still out of action and no electricity (because we chose to stay in a freedom-of-choice camp spot) we hunkered down in our van and had an early night. (The spare part for the heater that had been sent to us at Mockinya was not the solution to the problem.) We re-visited the Blue Pyrenees Winery as it holds fond memories and produces a mighty fine drop…or two. At another (boutique) winery we met a man who supplements his winery/bed & breakfast/restaurant business by working as a Koala habitat researcher.

Next stop on this nostalgic trip was Talbot (Wendy’s maiden name). We elected to stay in the recreation Reserve so that we could hook up to power and enjoy some warmth. The main street of Talbot was reminiscent of a movie set from an old Western film. If it wasn’t for the two cars parked in the street, we would not have been surprised if a gun-slinging cowboy had appeared. We DID see some kids and a teacher at the school, but seriously, not another soul! An old, quite large stone church had been converted into some-one’s idyllic country house (we wanted to get a photo but just couldn’t due to trees etc.)

The next day had us en route to Werribee South Caravan Park. Our week there had been extended to 11 days. We are quite familiar with the running of the park now so we slipped straight into our respective roles with no trouble at all. A second diesel heater spare part had been delivered for Peter to install so in his spare time he worked his magic and voila! It worked. Thank goodness for that.

Our trip back to Wyong was leisurely. We took 5 days to explore the western side of the Snowy Mountains, winding our way slowly northwards. The cold rainy weather did not deter us. We would be warm and cosy wherever we wanted to stop for the night. We found some amazing riverside campspots that would be absolutely wonderful during warmer drier weather. We visited Rutherglen and promised to return. One of the highlights was the little town of Tumbarumba. The townsfolk have provided a large bitumen parking area with new toilets, behind the main street, for no charge. The hotel comes highly recommended for its meals, the butcher benefited from our visit as did one of the cafes. “The 4 Bears Café “ is decorated from wall to wall, floor to ceiling with teddy bears of all shapes and sizes and colours. It was closing time as we wandered past on the first day and wanting to capture some photos of the quaint spectacle, we promised to return the following morning. Our last stop-over was at Jugiong. The showground/sportsfield is open for travellers to get off the Hume Freeway for a restful night. The Murrumbidgee River borders the area and we woke to a very foggy morning. We arrived back at our NSW base at Jilliby, on 20^th June, 2015. As usual, more photos below.

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Photos

Our first bonfire
Friends, fire, fun and food. What more could we want?

Clearing the "Creek Lease"
We love helping out around the farm. This time Peter got to drive the tractor at Mockinya!

Avoca Chinese Gardens
A fitting tribute to the Chinese influence in the area.

Aboriginal Maternity Tree
Geocaching takes us to some amazing locations and we learn lots of interesting things. Local aborigines sent their women away from the community to deliver their babies. This huge tree provided the shelter they needed.

Main street in Talbot
Where are the gun slinging cowboys?

Werribee South
This is what is across the road from the caravan park. Port Phillip Bay attracts a lot of visitors especially on (rare) lovely days.

Peter hard at work
There are many jobs that need to be carried out in a caravan park. Peter was assigned the task of re-alignigning/refreshing the sites markers and numbers.

LAKE MULWALA
Last time we were here we spent the afternoon out on a boat. Wouldn't happen now! The lake has been drained for maintenance on the weir.

Man From Snowy River Country
On the outskirts of Corryong this statue welcomes visitors.

The 4 Bears Cafe, Tumbarumba
Bears, bears, bears, everywhere. All sizes, shapes and colours. The very warm and inviting cafe was a great spot for a lovely breakfast.

Jugiong Sportsfield
Our last night on the road for this part of our trip.

Comments

[Jenny Lenard]

Update
So good to read your updates. love reading of your adventures. Love to you both xx