Our Aussie Adventures

With a few tweaks and a few extra blankets, our heater served us well last night, although it wasn’t nearly as cold overnight either. Then we were up and about for an early start, with a long list of things we wanted to do.

We started with a trip to a local craft market, which boasted all of about 10 or 12 stalls. Not being quite as large as what we had expected, we were quickly done there and heading towards our next stop, about 20 minutes or so out of Tamworth, in Dungowan. It was yet another craft store, which featured the works of many talented local artists. There was leadlight lamps, plates and bowls, hand carved model trucks and tractors, wall hangings, and hand crafted teddy bears among other stuff. We browsed about there for a ¼ of an hour or so, before continuing our journey.

Our main port of call today was to be in the small tourist town of Nundle. A small village, with a main street crammed with all manner of stores catering to the tourist trade. We collected a map from the information centre, not that it was needed, but it listed a dozen or so special interest stores and attractions in the tiny town.

There was The Country Traders, an antique shop so packed tight with a huge array of trinkets and curiosities, that you could hardly move. Not to mention that the stock was piled haphazardly throughout so that it was like sifting through a rabbit warren, getting lost at every turn.

The next store along the way was Odgers & McClelland, a homewares store in the mould of an old world store. It was full of quality wares, like none I’ve previously seen. Real feathered dusters, enameled cook ware, badger hair shaving brushes and the like. The quality theme however, carried over to the price tags, which as we were to find out was a constant among all of the outlets. It seems that ‘tourist town’ is a code for ‘expensive’.

Bec at Odgers & McClelland.

Just around the corner was the Nundle Woolen Mills, the last of its kind in Australia. Previously there had been over 200 similar mills dotted around Australia, but they have slowly died out as the demand for their product has waned. Even here in Nundle, it only survives due to donations from visitors and sales from the retail shop attached. Even then, it also relies on being able to source washed wool, from one of only two remaining washing houses, both down in Victoria.

The factory floor at the woollen mill.

We were lucky enough to arrive right on time for one of the regularly run tours of the factory. It’s housed in a large shed, the factory floor and antiquated machines can be observed from a mezzanine level. For the most part, the machines are nearly 100 years old, and are entirely mechanical. No computers, or whizz bang gadgets here. The owner of the mill gives the talk, describing each stage in the wool milling process, explaining what each of the machines do, accompanied with a demonstration of many of them. His passion for wool runs deep, and rubs off by the end of the tour, having me fantasizing about a new wardrobe of woolen wear. That said, we walked out with only a new pair of Nundle woolen socks for Bec, as our budget didn’t quite stretch to accommodate the many other stunning garments.

Next along was a leather works store, which sold genuine Bison belts, all hand worked. Some of the designs were fantastic, and you could envisage the number of hours that goes into making them. Along with the belts, there were also beautifully fashioned saddles and all of the associated accouterments.

There was another den of antiques and a hole in the wall that doubled as yet another craft shop. With all the walking, we were about ready to have a bite for lunch by this stage. Not that there were too many options. A Small takeaway café, and two hotels were our choices.

Being that I wanted to sit on the Verandah of the regal looking ‘Peel’ tossing back an icy cold ale, we had a look at their menu first. Not much took our fancy though, so we walked back up the hill to hotel number two, the Gold Miners Museum. The menu here was even blander, and more pricey, so back down the hill we went, only to arrive back at ‘The Peel’ in time for the lunch hour rush. We ended up waiting nearly 40 minutes for a bowl of potato wedges and sour cream to share. A privilege we paid $9.00 for. At least it was a decent sized bowl of wedges, and the beer was indeed nice and cold, as we surveyed the surrounding scenery from an alfresco table on the verandah. A little bit more enjoyable it could have been if the whole area didn’t stink of stale cigarette smoke. So, whilst the reality didn’t quite match the hype, we can check it off our to do list.

View from ‘The Peel’.

After lunch, we jumped back into ‘The Beast’ and went in search of a look out which was marked on the map from the information centre. It was meant to be at the top of a particular street, and provide views back over the Nundle Valley. As the tarmac ran out and the dirt road turned into a narrow goat track, I put ‘The Beast’ into 4 wheel drive and we scrambled up the hill, only to get to a bit of crest, before suddenly descending again, down the opposite side of the hill. There may have been a view, but it was behind us, and with hardly enough room for one car, there was certainly no way we would have been able to turn about for a look. Before we knew it, we had made our way back down to the main road on the other side of the hill, and hadn’t seen a thing! So, that was Nundle.

On the return trip to Tamworth, we stopped briefly at the Chaffey Dam, upon the shores of you are able to camp. A more beautiful setting would be hard to imagine, not to mention the availability of a range of water sports on the lake. There is also an observation platform, looking across the weir, and whilst we didn’t partake, you can take a walk across it.

On the shores of Chaffey Dam.

It was mid afternoon when we arrived back in Tamworth, giving us enough time to begin packing up the van, ready for more travelling tomorrow. We’re on the road again, with a big day ahead of us. With that in mind, we decided to eat out tonight, to save a bit of time.

On the way out, we stopped for one last look at the big guitar, hoping to get some photos of it flood lit. That was a bit of disappointment, as it wasn’t lit up. It also meant that I didn’t get the long hoped for shot of the guitar with ‘The Beast’ in the foreground.

We headed down to ‘The Longyard’ where we’d eaten lunch the other day. Their Saturday $9.00 special is a burger and fries. And what a delicious burger it was, with an accompaniment of fantastic crisp fries.

It was back to the van then, with just a quick stop in Peel Street, for a photo with Smokey Dawson. We had been told about his statue the other day, but had been unable to find it. We had more luck tonight thankfully. With our pictures taken, it was time for home. With the van almost ready to go in the morning, we’re both up for an early night.

Photos with Smokey.

Marcus too.

Until next time, stay safe, have fun and don’t forget to write.

I awoke this morning shivering, my teeth chattering and to the rude shock that the heater had been switched off at some point during the night. Both dogs, obviously also freezing cold, had left their own beds and snuggled close against us on the bed, in an effort to warm themselves. After the sauna like conditions we had endured last night, I couldn’t fathom why all of a sudden Bec would do a 180 and turn the heater off completely.

I lay there for a while, contemplating what the heating issue may be, until Bec woke. I queried her about the heater situation, only for her to regale me with her tale of woe. She had been woken up during the night, by the van rocking violently, the heater making strange noises (somewhat between a gurgle and a grumble was the best she could do to describe it), blowing out a cold jet stream of air with the thermostat advising her that it was a frosty 9^o inside the van. So she turned it off in an effort to reset the unit, but then it wouldn’t turn back on again for her. Hence, we spent the remainder of the night trying in vane, to share our body heat again.

Once we got up, I turned the heater on and all seemed fine. A quick search on the Internet traced the probable cause of the problem. It was too cold outside, at about 1 or 2^o, for the heater to function properly. So, let me ask:  “When is a heater not a heater?” When it’s too bloody cold. The actual wording in the instruction manual, direct from the manufacturer is: “…in ambient temperature below 1-2^o, supplementary heating is advisable.” What the? It’s supposed to be a heater! My limited understanding of heaters is that they are generally designed to increase said ambient temperature from, well lets say 1-2^o, to provide a satisfying warmth. On the bright side, at least we had solved our predicament, and wouldn’t need to be dragging the van all over the countryside to find someone to repair it. Instead we just needed to find a supplementary source of heating.

Nothing much was on the agenda for today. There was much house work to be done this morning, with a general tidy up and some laundry to be put on. It’s hardly a holiday when we still have to keep on top of all the home duties, but it sure as hell beats working. I managed to annoy Bec again though, when as she was busy cleaning, it took me 15 minutes to take the garbage out.

It’s hardly my fault though. There just seems to be a new neighbor to have a yarn to, each and every time I step out the front door. I was happy to see that our new neighbour was under his van, making some running repairs. It isn’t just us after all. There just always seems to be something that needs fixing, rectifying, modifying or improving.

With the bulk of the cleaning done, we sat outside, enjoying the warmth and completing our thawing out, planning the next stage of our adventure. We’re not due to leave Tamworth until early Sunday morning, but there are a few specifics that we need to work out.

When we did eventually head out, it was armed with a list of chores that we needed to accomplish before days end, although I was also still aiming to get to the Country Hall of Fame, time permitting. It was therefore off to the shops, firstly to buy the dogs a new blanket each, in preparation for some more chilly evenings. I’m led to believe that even as we head north and the daytime temperatures escalate, it can still be extremely cold overnight. And with a heater that might not cope, we’re going to need as many extra blankets as we can get our hands on. Next up was a local craft co-operative. I sat that one out, while Bec went in for a look. It can’t have been too special, as she returned empty handed. From there, we parked ‘The Beast’ in town, and while Bec went down to the main street to purchase a few more necessities, I took the opportunity to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame.

I can’t show you inside, but I can prove I was there.

This museum is dedicated primarily to the early years of Australian country music, although with only enough space to display about a third of the artifacts held by the custodians, they regularly rotate the articles on display. It was such a shame that photography wasn’t permitted within the galleries, so you will just have to trust me when I tell you it was an experience not to be missed.

With the final point of interest ticked off my must see list of Tamworth attractions, it was time to meet back up with Bec and continue with our errands. We tried unsuccessfully to replenish our stock of chicken necks for the dogs’ dinners, there was a brief stop at the local Bunnings store thrown into the mix and then we spent nearly ¾ of an hour on the phone to Telstra attempting to sort out some billing issues. Thankfully, at Becs suggestion, we had managed to locate a Telstra store, and so used their phone rather than our mobiles. I reckon there would’ve been a fresh billing issue had we rang from the mobile and got stuck on hold for over ½ an hour!

With our tasks for the day finally completed, it was already almost 5:30PM and time to head back to the van, only to start getting dinner cooked, before washing the dishes (Note to self: our next van needs a dishwasher!), all the while putting a few more loads of laundry through the washing machine. Like I said, notwithstanding what you might read into about our travels, it’s far from a holiday. But, like I said, it still beats the hell out of working! Oh, and because of the lack of excitement today, there is but a sole photo, as seen above, to pictorially chronicle our day.

Don’t despair however, because we’ll be back into sightseeing guise tomorrow, with a huge day of attractions in a nearby town penciled into our itinerary to keep us all amused. With any luck, there will be a correspondingly large number of photos to check out tomorrow night.

Lastly, don’t forget to check out my reviews on some of the places we’ve visited at “Trip Advisor”.

Until next time, stay safe, have fun and don’t forget to write.

After a cold nights sleep, which saw us allowing the dogs onto our bed, if only to try and share any shard of warmth that we could garner, we were somewhat rudely awoken by a knocking on the van window. It was our next door neighbor, who I had been chatting to last night, bidding us a merry fare well as he and his wife saddled up and were on their way. I would have rather they just left us to sleep.

Now wide awake, we got up and had breakfast, before making sure the van was set for travel. Even with not much to do, and an earlier than expected start to the morning, it was just after our planned departure time of 10:00AM that we rolled out of the camp ground which had served us so well, and hit the road, bound for Tamworth, the country music capital of Australia. Neither Bec or I have been to Tamworth before, which is rather surprising given our adoration of country and western music.

As we rolled into town, passing the big golden guitar, it felt like we were home. Here is a place where a love of country music isn’t treated with derision, and big buckles and even bigger hats rule. I fitted right in, as I cranked up the volume on the stereo, pumping out a serenade of banjo twanging good times. We didn’t stop immediately however, preferring to drop the van at the caravan park, before heading out to do some exploring.

We have chosen the Austin Tourist Park, one of two pet friendly parks in town, and feel we have chosen well. It has a lovely relaxed feel about it, with the Peel River winding down one boundary of the park, and we are pretty much overlooking it. We could actually have parked right on the banks, but that would have meant another display of our thus far inept reversing skills. Rather, we chose an easy to drive into sod of dirt in the middle of the park to pitch our camp.

With ‘The Beast’ released from the shackles of the van, we made our way back into town, to check out the big guitar, one of several sights for which Tamworth is known. Sandwiched in between a couple of fast food joints, the guitar is sadly almost lost in the glitz and glam of the surrounding neon lights and towering signs.

Me and the guitar.

I mentioned to Bec only yesterday that it is sad to see many small country towns are losing their individuality and heritage to the onslaught of international conglomerates. It seems that every town you drive through, the tallest structure in town has passed from being the local church steeple, to sky high, brightly illuminated signs exposing the locale of yet another burger or chicken joint, each one trying to out do the next. These places seem to line the main streets of every town we’ve driven through, in a cavalcade of greasy smells, bright lights and scattered trash. This I guess, is the cost of progress.

In any case, back to our story, we pulled up at the big gold guitar and acquainted ourselves with what to us, is as close to we could get to a religious icon. This is our mecca, with no other equal in Australia. Whilst the guitar is not huge, nor particularly gold for that matter, it is the key image that is synonymous with  “TAMWORTH”. Beyond the guitar is a tourist center which houses a museum dedicated, strangely enough, to Donald Bradman, a wax works displaying wax models of country music stars, as well as a small gift shop and music store. Now this was my type of music shop. Rather than having to wander aimlessly about, searching for the generally insignificant selection of country music albums as I am used to back home, this store was country all the way. There wasn’t any other genre to be found, and I could have quite easily spent our entire trip budget right here. I kept my hands in my pocket for the time being, much to Becs relief.

Heading out the back door, we found The Longyard Hotel, serving up a special of steak and chips for $9.00 a serve. And here we were just in time for lunch. What a delight it was to be able to enjoy a meal, a cold beer, all to an ever present sound track of country tunes. Even outside of the country music festival season, Tamworth is not a town you could ingratiate yourself with if you’re not a fan of the music. For me therefore, it’s like heaven on earth.

With our steaks washed down with a final gulp of beer, we jumped back into ‘The Beast’ for a drive around town to familiarize ourselves with the town. We aren’t planning on taking in any of the tourist attractions today, instead we are hoping to be able to unfurl the awning back at the van and have a rest.

We did however stop for an amble up and down the main street. We parked ‘The Beast’ on a back street and bundled the dogs into the back in a practice they are becoming accustomed to, even if not entirely exultant about. Then, as we went to head for the main street and the shops, Bec yelped in pain as she almost broke ‘The Beast’, kicking the tow bar. Bec was able to walk, so I was confident that she wasn’t hurt too badly, but I may need to get the tow hitch x-rayed to make sure it’s not cracked she hit it so hard with her knee.

Down the main street, we strolled along, popping our heads into a few of the stores for a look here and there, taking it all in. Despite its country music heritage, Tamworth really is just a normal town. Supplies for dinner were gathered from the local supermarket, before the allure of a relaxing afternoon in the van saw us retreating to its comfort. I have to say, I get a good feel about this town, and not only because of the country music. It’s clean and tidy, as well as having all of the amenities you could care for.

Upon our return to the van, I rolled out the awning to provide us with a sliver of shade, before we reclined in our camp chairs to savor an afternoon tea of cheese and crackers again. This could easily become habitual. We enjoyed the last vestiges of warmth as the sun sunk below the horizon, and got talking to another couple from across the path. Travelling with their pure bred, ruby Cavalier King Charles, they brought him over to be introduced to Alvin and Bethany. Our babies weren’t overly enthralled with the idea of an invader, and launched into a crescendo of barking. It was somewhat embarrassing as our four legged visitor completely disregarded our mutts and stood by regally, without so much as a whimper.

Cheese and crackers anyone?

Join us in the coming days as we plunge head long into an exploration of the local Tamworth attractions that have held our allure for years.

Until next time, stay safe, have fun and don’t forget to write.

We busted a move this morning in an effort to get out of the caravan park and on the road by 10:00AM. We were looking good until a couple of neighbors moved onto the next site and we stopped to chat with them for a while. You can now mark us down for another 5 lost minutes. Guess we’ll be seeing you about 7:25PM on October 11. At this rate we might not even be getting home on the 11^th of October after all, although any later than that and we will need to be asking for more time off of work. I am told however, that we ought to be able to make up some time on the west coast of Australia, because it’s all down hill!

Fantastic weather at least greeted us for this move and is forecast to continue for the foreseeable future, so we were able to casually pack up our camp, without requiring the donning of waders or succumbing to the effects of frost bite. That was a novel experience after our last effort. We then left Cessnock in the rear view mirror, continuing on our journey north. It’s another short hop on the road today, with our only plan being to make it to a well reviewed free camp ground about 50Km south of Tamworth. Only about 180Km on the road all up, but what a contrast of scenery we saw. From the lush forest greenery of the Hunter Valley, which slowly gave way to the wide open, undulating plains of some prime horse stud country. I think we both really began settling into the holiday mode today. We had finally left the big smoke well behind, and were now in our element in the country. Not quite outback yet, but country nonetheless.

Being that we are going to be undertaking our first free camping experience tonight and will in all likely hood have to do without power (and consequently without TV or any other form of powered amusement), we were in no rush to arrive too early. I mean, what is one to do with no entertainment?

Therefore we took a relaxing break at Muswellbrook where we called in to the tourist information center to pick up reams of information on Tamworth and the surrounding area. After a wrong turn or two (thanks Shazza), we eventually located Hunter Belle Cheese, right there on the main highway out of town. Who would have thought it?

Being that it was getting on lunch time, we figured we might be able to pick up something to satiate us until dinner time. Mind you, despite advertising their caravan friendliness, they don’t really have the parking space to fit a rig of our size in comfortably. It took a 10 point turn, twice as any minutes and a whole lot of luck just to park. In fact the information center hadn’t been too much different parking wise, so maybe Muswellbrooks claim to be RV friendly is a touch of false advertising. Well, we will teach them a lesson and just roll on over anything that won’t get out of our way.

Inside, we were greeted with an array of cheeses, fudges and gelatos to taste, all made fresh, on-site. Surprisingly we came to an easy compromise on another washed rind cheese, spending the equivalent of our daily food budget (actually, not quite, but very close to) on a small 100g block. To that we added a couple of small tubs of yoghurt for lunch, and some of the delicious looking gelato. We had been on the verge of getting a small cup each at $6.00 a pop, but then realized that for the same price we could just share a comparatively huge ½ litre tub. Hmm, bargain. Straight into the freezer that went, for a welcome supper this evening.

Moving on from Muswellbrook, we encountered a number of dot on the map towns, buzzing through them without seeing a need to stop, until a giant antiques barn caught out attention in Wingen. It was thankful that there was no one tail gating us, as we came to a screeching halt in a cloud of dust. The store was separated into half a dozen or so rooms, filled with all manner of antiques and associated junk. There was one particular item that stood out to both of us, but we really don’t have any room in the van to store an antique wardrobe. Not to mention stretching the budget to the tune of $7000. So, sans closet, we continued on our merry way, arriving in Wallabadah at just a bit after 2:00PM.

I think I’ll stick with my Akubra.

Even at this early time, the camp ground is crowded with like minded cheap skates. As we drove in, I actually feared that we were too late and were going to have to continue on into Tamworth where we would have had to pay for the nights accommodation. So much for John Williamsons claim of old farts in caravan parks, they’re actually all here in Wallabadah, saving a penny or two, Bec and I included. As it turned out, the camping area is actually huge, with still plenty of space still available.

We selected a reasonably level area to pull up, which enabled us to drive in, whilst staying hitched up. So, not only did we not have to put on our by now regular reversing escapades show to the other congregated campers, but come morning, we can jump from the van, into ‘The Beast’ and be on our way with the minimum of fuss.

With the sun still shining, and nothing else to do, we took the dogs for a bit of an exploratory walk around the grounds, then broke out the cheese, crackers and the remainder of last nights wine for a relaxed afternoon tea.

As I write this, it’s about 4:45PM, and Bec is having an afternoon nap, no doubt in an effort to work off that cheese, and I am not far from joining her. Hmm, now while I think about it, maybe there is some entertainment you can have without power after all, but I think we might wait until after dinner to break out the cards.

Until next time, stay safe, have fun and don’t forget to write.