Mon, 28th September, 2015 Stan Allen Reserve, Oxley to Europa Park Rest Area, Cowra

Forgot to take a photo of our camp yesterday so got a shot as we were about to head off (220m elevation). Only needed the heater on for a little bit this morning. Looks like another beautiful day. A couple of alpacas wandered past on the opposite bank while we were having breakfast.

Back onto the Hume Highway. Passed Duddah Duddah Creek followed by Diddah Diddah Creek!! Will do our exploring of Chiltern and Eldorado when we come back later in the year. Our windscreen has been splattered by lots and lots of bugs. We think they are little bees.

Stopped at Wodonga and topped up the fuel then headed back into New South Wales. Blurry sign as we headed across the Murray River.

Stopped at the Park in Albury for a cuppa. Some people were taking photos of something in the tree. It was a cute possum. The people were from Denmark and wanted to know what it was – she thought it was a wombat. They were also trying to get a photo of an Ibis. The lady wanted to get a photo of a cockatoo but they were always flying around.

The possum had a baby on her back – got some cute photos from the other side.

The river flowed around the Park. Nice and warm now – up to 22 degrees. Got the air conditioner on low in the truck as the sun is quite hot coming in through the windscreen.

As we headed out from the Park we saw the ‘Flying Fruit Fly Circus’ – Steve said he saw a show on how they trained acrobats etc there.

Back onto the Hume Highway then we turned off onto the Olympic Highway. Same way we came down 11 months ago. Wanted to take another route but we decided to head straight to Bathurst and do the reno on the dining chairs he has been planning. We were going to go up through Goulburn and to Wheeo and Crookwell where one line of his family are from but will do that on the way back down to the Snowy Mountains.

Through Henty – Home of the Headie Taylor Header. Passed the museum and blacksmith shop – will have to check that out another time.

Past acres of canola fields – definitely the Olympic Highway as it is green and gold all the way!!

Yerong Creek was established in 1874 and is Home of the Vintage Rally and some very big silos – should have taken a photo for Malcolm.

Through ‘The Rock’ which has a Nature Reserve.

Lunch at Uranquinty – famous for being the military flying school during the war. Lovely mural on the toilet block.

Lots of information about the flying school.

It was then used as a Migrant Centre after the war.

Big silos on the other side of the railway line.

Up the road is the turn off to Kapooka which is an Army Training Centre. The highway took us around Wagga Wagga then over a very long bridge which spans the Murrumbidgee River, the flood plains and the River a second time. The river flows into the Murray River between Swan Hill and Mildura. That would be another good one to follow as there are lots of camps along the river.

Stopped at Wallacetown Rest Area by Houlaghans Creek. Bit of info about Junee.

Huge weeds!

Up and over a rise to 310m elevation with a lovely view of the canola fields as we come into Junee – 1870s Railway Town.

Plenty of room here.

Up and down the hills. Jon rang so we pulled over at Illabo into the rest area. He went down to watch the State BMX Titles on Saturday and had fun coaching Joseph!! Danny from Rival Cycles wants Jon to get back on the bike!! Bit of information about the area. We had stopped at a dam at Bethungra but hadn’t seen anything about the spiral railway. Another thing to add to my revisit list.

Stopped beside Muttama Creek at Cootamundra (330m elevation) for a cuppa. Home of Sir Donald Bradman – we did check that out one the way down. Also home to a ploughing competition too. 1901 tractors ploughing in one paddock at the same time got them into the Guinness Book of Records. That’s a lot of tractors in one place. I wonder which farmer got his field ploughed for free!!

Steve noticed the tractor was a Massey-Harris not Massey-Ferguson.

Still following the Green and Gold.

As we went through Wallendbeen where there are some Milestone Sculptures to check out next time we passed the group from Denmark out taking photos of cockatoos in a paddock so we gave them a toot and a wave.

Through Wombat – but we didn’t see any!! As we head into Young we are greeted with flowering cherry trees covering the hillsides (up to 530m).

Down into Young at 440m – it was settled in 1830. The Cherry Festival is here in December.

Down onto the Central Western Slopes at 340m.

Into Cowra (310m) and over the Lachlan River.

Lots of lovely flowers by the road.

Onto the Mid Western Highway now. As we headed out of town we noticed a Rest Area where a couple of vans has pulled up. Further out we passed a wrecking yard with his gate still open at 5.30pm. Turned around and went back to ask about car seats for the van. The chap said to come back in morning at 8.30 and we can have a look.

Drove back to the Rest Area and parked. Bit noisy as it is right beside the road but the traffic will die down a bit later.

Rang Pinks for the news of the Qld BMX Titles – Jacinta got 2^nd in the Ladies and Joseph got 1^st in the Men. Leanne and Nathan got 1^st in their classes as well.

Put the heater on and the TV going we didn’t notice the traffic.