Tuesday 28 April. London

After a very long night of flying we landed at Heathrow at 8.00 this morning. The Singapore Airlines flights were comfortable, with very tasty meals and a good range of movies. I think I watched 4 but I can only remember 3.

By 9.30 I had arrived at Paddington Station after speeding through immigration, working out how to turn on my eSIM, wending my way to the Heathrow Express and zooming in to London. After a juice and a muffin it was time to take my case to my accommodation as they had agreed to let me leave it there until check in time at 3.00.

That gave me 5 hours with my heavy backpack before I could even change out of my squeezy aeroplane socks. I decided to use the time to find the man in the clock, Paddington for the boys and visit my favourite card shop in Balham. This required 2 Tube lines and numerous stairs, escalators and hallways. I know I’m in London!

Had a lovely time in the card shop. Might have to post my purchases home as they’re more weight in the case. Then a coffee and cookie in the market lane, which is now full of rather trendy eateries and it was still only just after 12.00.

By now I was starting to feel a bit “unco” from tiredness so it was back to Paddington on the Northern and Bakerloo lines. Sat on a seat in the station and people-watched for a while, then went back to this morning’s cafe which doesn’t seem to mind you staying a while.

Finally I made the 5 minute walk to my accommodation and collapsed in my little apartment. The nice young man had brought my case up to the room. It’s going to suit me very well for the next few days and I can’t wait to turn in and get some real sleep.

Monday 27 April. Departure Day

Just when the leaves are getting serious about coming down I head overseas for 7 weeks. Spencer and Sidney are going to do some raking of paths so hopefully the house won’t be completely buried when I get home.

Housework and leaves helped me pass the time until I was picked up - on time!! - by Sally and Joe, who delivered me safely to the airport. I’m now relaxing, waiting for my flight to be called. Can’t quite believe that I’m finally on my way. 

Tuesday 4 June. Echuca to Melbourne

No, we didn’t do a detour to France in our time machine. We stopped off in Bendigo to see “Paris: Impressions of Life 1880 to 1925”. 

After a bite of lunch we then drove home. Dropped Renee off in Coburg and was home mid afternoon. Found some interesting things as I unpacked, like a beautiful jar of fat olives and a salami that I bought at the Sunday market in Griffith.

It’s been a great road trip and I’m so glad that I’ve finally been to Broken Hill.

Monday 3 June. Griffith to Echuca

 We set off at 8.00 this morning, stopping for petrol and a photo of orange trees laden with fruit. The ones we bought at the market yesterday were delicious.

By the time we reached Jerilderie we were ready for a snack. I can recommend the hot cinnamon donuts at the bakery. Lovely and warming with a hot cuppa. It was 4 degrees when we left Griffith and about 8 or 9 by Jerilderie.

Today we saw a couple of emus, two wedge-tailed eagles and more dead kangaroos. There have been ploughed paddocks and newly sown crops, grape vines, orange groves, sheep, cattle and 

cotton. There were little bits of white cotton along the roadside for kilometres.

We stopped briefly in Deniliquin and a little later detoured 11 km to see a nice spot on the Edward River. The was a caravan park right there but no one around. Just the river and the birds. Ah, the serenity!

Then it was south to Echuca, crossing both the Campaspe and Murray on a huge new bridge. We walked the length of the main street and down to the river. There were paddle steamers and houseboats galore. A big touristy discovery centre is attached to the old wharf, all very different from the last time I was here. I guess the fences and buildings protect the wharf from vandals and graffiti but I liked it better in the “old” days.

It’s a freezing night but after dinner at the Royal Hotel we are now tucked up and cosy in our rooms with the heaters working hard.

Cotton

Perfect spot to sit and contemplate life.

Sunday 2 June. Griffith

  Like many of the occupants of Griffith we wandered down the main street for a relaxed breakfast. Not many places open but those that were, were busy.

Then it was off to the Showgrounds for the Sunday morning Rotary Club market. It was a small market, with some fruit and veg, old tools and machinery bits and in a shed there were knitted hats, olives, honey, cakes and biscuits. We bought a few items in there and a couple of oranges outside. Griffith really is still very strongly Italian. Couldn’t understand the biscuit lady and the orange man was also a challenge. Both were as old as the hills, with voices not as strong as they had once been, so that was a factor too.

Next we visited the Regional Art Gallery, one room next to the war museum with a very disappointing exhibition of pale blue paintings. 

That didn’t take long so we hopped in the car and drove up to the Pioneer Settlement. This was much more interesting, with a big museum of the history of Italians in Griffith. There were also a number of old buildings which had been transported there. One was the old hospital which had an iron lung displayed and a great video about the development and use of it during the polio epidemic. We chatted to John in the blacksmith’s. He’s a volunteer who comes in when he is sick of working on his orange farm. Building number 21 housed the Knitted Garden, created by the Natty Knitters. Words fail me …look at the photos.(And I didn’t take it all.)

By now we were hungry so we found our way, eventually, back to the main street and a very good pizza at Little Italy. Griffith was designed by Walter Burley Griffin and, like Canberra, is laid out in radiating lines and circles/roundabouts. It’s a bit tricky when you also have to find a way across the railway line. I’ve pretty much got it mastered when we’re soon to leave.

After lunch we went back up past the Pioneer Settlement to the lookout by the Hermit’s Cave. A great panoramic view and no, we didn’t bother scrambling down into another difficult underground hole. Forgot to mention that we saw a little man aging at us so we stopped for a photo and found ourselves chatting (Renee actually) to some lovely Turkish men who take their gozleme van all around the Riverina. They gave us a sample but we were too full of pizza to buy any. Shame as it was delicious.

Last thing for the day was a row of sculptures down by the canal. A nice setting for some mostly interesting sculptures. As we didn’t finish lunch till 3.00 we’ve skipped dinner. Just a cuppa, a biscuit and an orange back in our rooms. I haven’t turned a TV on since I left home but I might tonight if I can stay awake.

Saturday 1 June. Nyngan to Griffith

Today was another day of driving, this time from Nyngan to Griffith via Parkes. We left the goats behind somewhere round Nyngan and only saw 3 emus today. The countryside changed from scrubby plains to farmland and trees, making us want to turn back to those endless vistas of saltbush and red earth.

We stopped for brunch in Parkes but I’m sorry to say that the Paragon Cafe was no paragon. However we found the Telstra shop before it closed and sorted out Renee’s rapidly running out internet allowance and that was a big relief for her.

Our next stop was Ardlethan, where we had a lemon squash at the pub as nothing else was open. We learned that Ardlethan is the home of the Australian kelpie sheepdog, bred here in the 1870s.  It was also the home of Frances Alexander Bradley, winner of the 1937 Stawell Gift. His win is commemorated in a terrific statue made of all sorts of scrap metal.

Continuing on from Ardlethan we found ourselves in Barellan, home of Evonne Goolagong and a very big tennis racquet.

And now we are ensconced in a very nice motel in Griffith, where we plan to spend two nights.

The head of a prize-winning Murray cod on the wall of the pub.

Friday 31 May. Broken Hill to Nyngan

 Plan A was to head to Mutawintji National Park and then on to White Cliffs today. However the rain meant that practically every dirt road in the region is closed.

Plan B was to take a different route to White Cliffs on sealed roads. We had booked in to the Underground Motel. However the National park was the reason we were going that way and exploring slippery, muddy opal mines did not appeal so we decided to give it a miss.

So we opted for Plan C, a sealed road and quite a long drive to Cobar. We knew this was ok because we checked at the Broken Hill Visitor Centre. A very helpful place, by the way. From Cobar we could head south in the general direction of Griffith.

Off we set for Cobar stopping at a couple of rest stops where we saw birds enjoying the puddles. Lots of water by the roadside in big puddles. We took a break and a look around Wilcannia. There were some beautiful old stone buildings but nowhere to get a cuppa. Fortunately we had bought a sandwich and a banana before we started out. We had our last look at the Darling River. Wilcannia was once the second largest riverboat port after Echuca. A riverboat towing a barge could move as 20,000 bales of wool. Today you would need 20 semi trailers to do the same job.

When we were well along the way, Renee phoned a motel in Cobar to organize accommodation only to be told there was no accommodation anywhere as the races are on this weekend. The lady even checked booking.com for us. All the roads heading south were either dirt and unusable or involved even longer journeys and turning back.

So we came up with Plan D, driving 130 km further on to Nyngan, where we were able to book rooms at a motel. We arrived a bit before 6.00, having been lucky enough not to encounter any kangaroos, although I did see one hopping away from the road. We have seen lots of emus and countless goats. The motel owner was a young Irishman from the same area as Renee. They had a great chat and I’m convinced that they must be related somehow.

Our rooms are tiny but clean and comfortable, just what we need after driving 585 km today. We had a great meal at the RSL, just across the road and are ready for an early night.

Guess whose Mum’s got a Whirlpool.