Exploring the Capertee Valley.....

When Bill first mentioned we were coming here I had never heard of it, a reaction I have now found seems to be the same one of most people we meet.  'Where' they all say.  Of course I jumped straight on to my friend Wikipedia and was amazed.

It seems that not too many of us at all know that we have the second largest canyon in the world right here in our own backyard.  It is said to be longer than the more well known Grand Canyon by 1 km but not as deep.  It is however the widest canyon in the world.  This link will provide further information if you follow it.  http://www.tourism.lithgow.com/glendavis.html.

We left Lithgow mid morning and drove the couple of hours out to Capertee (not in the valley) to the turn off and from shortly after were in awe of the scenery around us.  We could see the sandstone cliffs rising in the distance becoming more dramatic as we came closer.  Pantoney's Crown, a monolith in size and spectacle, rises majestically out of the valley floor, and is front and centre as you drive in.  From here the views just keep getting better.

Our drive finished on the valley floor at Glen Davis Camp Ground in Glen Davis.  Once a thriving township, and the home of the Glen Davis Shale Oil works, it provided gasoline which was an important strategic resource during the war era.   The plant is now a ruin that can only be accessed by a tour each Saturday afternoon and the little town itself has just 31 residents left.

There are two places to free camp in the area and we chose the camp ground here as there were shower and toilet facilities. The locals run a community shop on weekends just to sell drinks and ice creams to tourists and it was a nice way to meet a few of them during the our time here.  Other than that you must go in prepared as the nearest supermarket is about 50 odd kms away at Kandos.

We chose a site and set ourselves up for our six day stay and spent the afternoon quietly enjoying the silence and the dramatic scenery in front of us.  

Birders worldwide are some of the few people that know of the valley as it is listed as an important bird area with some species on rare and endangered lists.  We were here to see what we could find and within a few minutes our first visitor was a beautiful little Sacred Kingfisher and he kept us entertained for the next six days.

We began our nightly ritual of a walk around the tiny town and enjoyed both the birds and the views before heading back to camp for a quite night in.  Showering that night I discovered I had a friend on the door jam - not a fan of huntsman - but it stayed where it was so all was well.  I changed showers after that!

The next day we drove back into Capertee and then came back in stopping at the various numbered locations on the bird trail. This is a drive with 19 stops across the valley from Capertee to Rylstone and a great way to see this spectacular place as well as find some of the birds known to be in the areas.  Our camp ground was no. 9 on the list and that is all we did for day one.  We did find some Galahs on our evening walk and boy did this chap have attitude!

We spent another quiet afternoon on our own as the only other camper had left that morning.  She was a 79 year old lady in a tent!  Apparently she comes here twice a year for 4 - 6 weeks at a time.  She did tell Bill that the tent is getting a bit much for her now.  And I think I'm 'roughing it' in a fully equipped caravan!  

Solitude was not to last though as a couple of fellows came in and pitched a tent closely followed by a family in a camper.   It might be a busy weekend!

Time to settle in for the night, until next time.......

So where is the dog?

The morning dawned bright and sunny and before long we were driving into the Main Street of Gundagai to park and explore. We picked up a leaflet with a self guided walking tour and decided this would be our best option for a quick look.

We spent the next couple of hours learning a lot about Gundagai and loved the old buildings with historical significance.  The War Memorial in the Park pays tribute to all wars since WW1 and there are 51 trees planted to represent the local boys who lost their lives.

On a lighter note the next sculpture we found was Dad and Dave with Mum and Mabel standing tall and looking smart in the park beside the information office.  

But nowhere could I see 'The Dog on the Tuckerbox.  Of course it's not here, it's 'five miles from Gundagai' or is it 'nine miles from Gundagai' as a story in the old photo gallery told us.  Two writings, one poem and one song, had both quoted different distances so who is right - I guess we will never know - but we did find the old fellow sitting on his box at the 5km mark.  Sadly surrounded by every type of tacky tourist paraphernalia there is but I stopped anyway, took my photo and left very quickly. 

Continuing on we stopped next at Cootamundra where we found a lovely tidy town and a link to Don Bradman.  This is said to be where he was born and we drove by just to say we had.  In the local park we found The Captains Walk where the path is lined with the busts of every Australian Cricket Captain since time began.  Even our latest Michael Clark is there but with no names or dates yet.  Hope it won't be too long for that to happen - time for a new era methinks!

Harden was our next stop for lunch in the park and we were soon on the road again stopping at Young for a quick look in the Tourist Information Hub housed in the beautiful old Railway Station building.  Couldn't find what we were looking for there - I will tell you later - so we continued on to find our next stop for the night.

This time we were going to 'free camp' and see how the van handled that.  Using an App that Bill had found, Wikicamps, we followed directions and found a lovely spot at Farleigh Reserve right beside the Lachlan River just outside of Cowra.  There were five vans there already but with plenty of room we were much further apart than you are in Caravan Parks.  Just a toilet here and peace perfect peace for an afternoon and evening of rest and relaxation.  What more could a nomad want?

Everything worked well, dinner was cooked with gas, lights and music AOK and not a noise to disturb us through the night.  A free camping success story I'd say.  Bill found a pair of Currawongs nesting right beside us so of course he was in heaven both that evening and the next morning.

Difficult though it was to move we had to do just that after breakfast as we drove into Cowra for a look the the renowned Japanese Gardens.  

We spent a couple of hours here walking through and enjoying the gardens and the serenity of the place.  Being early in the morning was a plus as we had the place almost to ourselves and really beat the tourists.  When it was time to leave there were four vans and two buses in the car park- perfect timing I would call that!

We drove on from Cowra heading for an overnight stop in Lithgow.  We passed through Blaney and Bathurst only stopping at a roadside lay by to make and eat our lunch.  I was on a mission to get into Lithgow in time to do some washing as we needed it to dry before we headed into the Capertee Valley and were off the grid for five or six days.

We arrived mid afternoon, set up on a site overlooking the owners farmyard so had ducks, geese, chooks and goats for our neighbors, very cute and surprisingly not noisy at all.  I did the washing and hung it out and then we went for a quick sightseeing tour of Lithgow's Hassan Wall lookout.  This is said to be the highest lookout in the Blue Mountains and the view from here was just spectacular.  

The new lookout has only been constructed in the last year and from it you can see where people used to wander.  Suicidal I would think but now a lot safer.   Just opposite the new lookout you can still walk to an older 'window' lookout and we did this too.  All views were just amazing and so worth the drive.  

We returned home to watch the washing, settle in for the night and look at where our next few days were going to take us.  The following morning we had breakfast with the goats, I washed my hair and Bill filled all the water tanks and then we were on our way to our next stop Glen Davis camp ground in The Capertee Valley.

until then............

Let the wandering begin......

Saturday morning arrived and we loaded our bags and drove down to pick up our home for the next few weeks.  We stowed everything and then it was time to hit the road for some new adventures.

Before we finished work we both had holidays booked during this time as we were going to spend a week in The Capertee Valley and then finish in Canberra for a reunion with the RAAF guys and gals.  We could see no reason to change our plans other than to add an extra week on the end ensuring we could really put this new van 'through its paces'.  

We had decided that our first day would just be a short trip up the Hume Hwy to Eurora where we know the little caravan park and always enjoy our stays there.  We arrived safely and left the van hooked up for just the one night.  We took a walk into town, admiring the window displays for Wool Week, before coming back to cook dinner and settle down for a quiet night in.

All went well and everything worked, the bed very comfortable and neither of us woke too early.  Once we did we took our time having breakfast and then set off again for another day on the road.  Again we took it easy, checking out Balmutton, Violet Town and Benalla as we passed them.  The Lawn cemetery at Benella caught our eye with the very colorful flowers which we discovered on closer inspection were silk.  Not sure who keeps it looking so lovely but it is a credit to them.

This thirsty magpie was very entertaining when we stopped a little further up the road to eat our lunch.

We had planned to drive into NSW today but as the afternoon wore on Bill was tiring and so we decided to stop at another favorite little spot at Chiltern.  Not very far up the road but better to stop now than drive tired.

As we arrived, so did the wind and Bill's hay fever kicked into full gear so he locked himself in with the air conditioning for an hour or so.  Once he, and the wind, had settled we went for a walk around the town before returning home to cook dinner. Soon after we were turning in, this 'Grey Nomad' stuff sure takes it out of you - but I'm sure we'll get used to it!

The next morning we stopped on our way out for a coffee at The Mulberry Tree and enjoyed a half hour chatting to Regina who owns it.  At the ripe old age of 70 something she still cooks all the food and runs the B and B as well.  One very incredible and entertaining lady.

We crossed the border and soon after stopped on the outskirts of Albury for a few bits that I had forgotten to buy as I decided our menus for the next few days.  Our next stop was for lunch at the Hume Dam Picnic area and then a look at the Reservoir and the Murray River beyond the spillway.  A cold windy day here after a very hot day yesterday.

We stopped a little while later in Holbrook where we were surprised to see this Big Submarine.  After the sub was decommissioned in 1995 the Navy gifted the fin to the town. 

This resulted in the town fundraising to purchase the whole outside skin of the HMAS Otway above the waterline,  to honour Lt Holbrook the towns namesake.   It now sits in Germanton Park together with a model of the B11 and a memorial to Lt Holbrook.

Back in the car we drove on to Tarcutta where we found the National Truck Drivers Memorial opposite the truck stop and roadhouse.  This memorial is a fascinating piece commemorating the many drivers that have died while at work on our roads. Also there is a monument to Slim Dusty as he and his wife were patrons of the Truck Drivers memorial.

Not finding a really suitable camp site there we continued on to Gundagai where we stayed in a lovely park beside the Murrumbidgee River.  Right across the road from us were the two historic  trestle bridges, one the old Prince Alfred Highway and the other was the railway bridge.  

Our host told us it was the longest trestle bridge in the country.  Such a shame they are now in ruins and look likely to remain that way until they both finally crumble.  

The sign says they are 'Managed Ruins' so I guess we can enjoy seeing them for a few more years until they disintegrate totally.

We had a walk to look at the bridges and the Murrumbidgee before heading inside for dinner and a movie.

Until next time..........

So what comes next?

That was the question we had to consider once we returned home from our weekend away.  After 26 years I had decided that my Redundancy was a sign that it was time I retired.  Bill now decided that he too did not want to race back into the workforce, certainly not at the same level he had just left.  

Our plans had always been to sell the apartment when we retired and find a little house in the country where we could travel from.  Next step would be to trade in the trusty camper and buy a caravan that would take us anywhere we decided to explore.

While we were away in Maryborough I had found an advertisement for a new off road caravan in Melbourne that seemed to tick all the boxes.  Thinking this was too good to be true we decided to drive out to the yard and have a look.  Of course we had no intention of buying it but once there we discovered that yes, it was everything we were looking for and the display van could be had for a very good price.  

As a display van there were lots of extras that were not usually included as standard and the longer we considered the more bits our friendly salesman threw in.  And so yes, you guessed right, we bought the van and now own a beautiful JB Scorpion Off Road Caravan.  It is 20ft long and has a full ensuite, washing machine, great kitchen with oven and a very comfy Queen Size bed.

The only issue was they didn't do trade ins and so we have to sell the camper ourselves.  It has been a great little van and we have certainly got our money's worth out of it.  As I read back through my ramblings here I find that we have done 14 or 15 trips each year, some only 2 or 3 days, others 2 and 3 weeks and we have had a ball doing them all.  So while it will be sad to let it go we now look forward to more adventures in our new van.  And the good news is the camper has been sold back to the dealer we bought it from.

So with phase one of the plan taken care of, albeit out of order, we continued on and set phase two in action.  The apartment is now officially 'on the market' and we will see what happens next.  So far we still haven't totally figured out where in the country we might like to live but have decided that it shouldn't be a problem as we can put the furniture into storage and just take a long trip away perhaps finding the 'perfect' place as we go.  

So while 'what to do next' is a bit scary we have decided that we would take a leap of faith, give it a go and hopefully all will be well.  

The following Thursday we made our way back to the JB Yard to pick up the van.  The salesman had told us to allow a couple of hours as we had to go over all the operational info.  We arrived as planned at 10 am and our two hours turned into five as the chap who took us through everything was interesting to say the least.  Still at last it was time to hitch up and leave and oh no our tow hitch was not suitable so two hours later and lots more $$$$ we were all hitched up and on our way back to the yard where we had to leave it for two days until our first trip.

We returned the next day and spent most of the day transferring the contents from the old to the new.  I was absolutely convinced that it would never fit but of course Bill was right and everything went in with loads of room to spare.  So all we had to do was do the shopping on the way home, pack the bags and return in the morning ready to rock and roll.

We did find time to catch up with friends during these last two weeks having dinner with Suzie and Bryce in Albert Park on the saturday night and lunch with Astrid and Hans at the RAC Club in Healesville the day before.  It was good to see them all again before we headed off for our first trip.  Not really sure what the 'pick up sticks' sculpture is all about at the RAC but it caught my eye so here it is!

Watch this space for the adventures of Rhossie and Bill as we roam around this great country of ours.  From this moment on we become 'nomads'!

until next time........

A bit of a surprise........

After our few days in a very hot Darwin we woke up the next morning under a quilt in our own bed.  I didn't have time to lay around as I had to be up and off to meet Mum at the Clayton RSL for a Seniors Week (now don't be rude) Jazz morning.  

I met Mum and two of her friends there and we had a lovely morning of jazz and a cheap lunch so all was good.  There are some perks to having a Seniors Card!

Now the next event was not totally expected.  I got home to find Bill already there with the news that he had just been made redundant.  He had the option of working his notice period of five weeks or finishing the next day.  I'll leave you to decide which he chose, considering he would be paid either way it really was a no brainer!  And so within the space of three weeks we had both become 'retired' old farts!  Now we just had to decide what we wanted to do next.

So the first thing we did was hitch up the camper the following Friday and head up to Maryborough.  Not really a spur of the moment thing, prior to us going to Darwin we had arranged to meet Cheryl and Shane there for the weekend.  They had hired a caravan for a couple of weeks to see if they liked the whole idea of wandering around as we do.

We arrived early on Friday afternoon, got ourselves set up, had a walk around Lake Victoria, loving the baby ducks and young swans, before settling down for a quiet night in.  The next morning we walked into town to have a look and find somewhere for dinner that night before coming home to relax and wait for Cheryl and Shane to arrive.  

The weary travelers arrived just after lunch having driven down from Swan Hill that day.  We let them get set up and then settled in for the afternoon with a drink and some nibbles while we heard all about their adventures of the last few days.  I think they had enjoyed themselves.

We had dinner that night at a local pub and the lamb shanks were well and truly worth the drive.  They were delicious!  We walked home and continued our catch up under the awning for another hour or so.

The next morning we enjoyed a quiet start, a walk around the lake under the watchful eyes of the resident geese, and then jumped in the car and drove over to Dunolly to see their market.  This market is held once a month and lines the Main Street.  We have been before and loved the quirky little town.  

We returned home for lunch and some quiet time before Cheryl, Shane and I went shopping for dinner that night and had a quick look at the grand old Maryborough Railway Station said to be the longest platform in Victoria.

Bill and Shane cooked the salmon while Cheryl and I did the salads and we enjoyed a lovely dinner once again.  Bill had been suffering all day with hay fever so took himself home to bed and the rest of us stayed up and played Banangrams for the next couple of hours.  Love it and have to find me one of those.

The next morning it was time to pack up and hit the road again.  We had some sorting out to do and Shane and Cheryl had to give the van back later that afternoon.  We said our goodbyes and both drove out to wend our way to our respective homes.  We came home through Talbot, Clunes, Creswick and ate our lunch in the picnic shelter at a very wet Daylesford Lake before returning to the big city.  

It had been a great weekend spent with good friends and we look forward to doing it all again one day.   But for now we have to work out what comes next 

so until then........