Lovely
morning though still cool first up, 16 degrees at 7am. Beautiful clear blue sky
this morning.
Lou
rang about us sending passport type photos for the speedway insurance so we can
get into the pits when we meet up with them at the end of December. Will be
great to catch up.
Nice
and quiet here as there aren’t many campers for all the vans and tents here.
The locals get in early and set themselves up for the holidays even though you
are only supposed to stay 6 weeks at a time. Plenty of room for us though. Will
be interesting as we head further along and the school holidays start.
Back
into the Info Centre, which is still closed. Went into the Newsagency and the
lovely lady there gave me a map to find The Rocks and Chrystie’s Museum. She
also gave us a local info booklet which said about ‘The Drop’. Unfortunately it
was back near Barooga so we have missed seeing it. The Drop Hydro Power Station
can be seen on the Mulwala Canal. It is the first hydro electricity scheme
built on an irrigation channel. The project is now generating clean, renewable
energy without affecting the water flow to the 2600 farms the canal supplies,
which grow food for the nation. The 2.5 MW plant was constructed on site and
began generating power in November 2000. The project now generates about
10,000MW of pollution free energy and avoids around 11,000 greenhouse emissions
a year – the same as removing 2500 cars from the road.
She
also said the dirt road to Barmah State Park, our next stop, was fine to take
the van on. Steve found the ‘Tree of Knowledge” which is the oldest peppercorn
tree on the Murray. Gnarly old thing.
The
first pastoral runs in the region were established in the 1840s. Tocumwal
township was notified as a village on the 18th July, 1862. The Post
Office opened on 1 August, 1868. Propr to Federation, Tocumwal was a customs
point for goods crossing between the colonies of Victoria and NSW. We walked
down the main street where there were plaques in the pavement, though there
were heaps of them they were only of 4 main things.
The
artist who did the mural we saw yesterday also decorated the front of the IGA
store which is Hillson’s Building, established 1890. The new road bridge was
named after a Hillson too. The artist is very good.
Across
the road is the Tocumwal Hotel which was built in 1861.
Next
door is another old building built in 1859.
In
the beer garden of the Tattersall’s Hotel was a fountain made from the end of a
Furphy Water Cart.
Drove
out of town to find ‘the Blowhole’. Apparently when the Murray is low, the
‘Blowhole’ flows and bubbles. Some say the aborigines believed a giant Murray
cod lived at the bottom, while others believe it is the mouth of an underground
stream connecting to the Murray.
It
is in a huge granite outcrop.
On
the other edge of it they have cut the top layer of the granite to use around
town.
Followed
the track around up onto a bit of hill where a NSW Trig Station was.
Looks
like they have taken granite from here too and there is another wet area. Maybe
there is an underwater stream that links this to the blowhole and then to the
Murray.
Heading
back out we stopped to watch the harvester. We asked the lady who drove the
tractor in what they were harvesting – wheat. After they take the top off they
will then burn the stalks to put nutrients back into the soil. Now we know what
all those dead looking fields were full of.
Back
to the van for lunch. Another couple were having a swim so we decided it was
warm enough to give it a go. It was 32 degrees in the van but the breeze was
still cooling. Dug out my togs – haven’t been in them for over 15 months!! They
didn’t fall apart and I walked out – it was a bit cold but very refreshing when
you just fall back into it. Flowing fast past us so we got some exercise
swimming against the current. Need more exercise!!
Now
Steve’s turn for embarrassing photos!!
Feeling
refreshed we headed back to Tocumwal to find Chrystie’s Museum near the
aerodrome. Saw another plane taking a glider up. The aerodrome played a very
significant role during WW2. There is much speculation around the Brisbane
Line. An undocumented but much routed line between Melbourne and Brisbane that
the government believed gave an area that they could defend against an invasion
by the Japanese. All the North and West were to be given up!! Tocumwal was
chosen as the place for a heavy bomber base for the US Army air force and in 16
weeks, McIntyre Field, was built with four runways, each a mile long and 450
buildings including giant hangers capable of housing the Liberator Bombers.
They also managed to hide a 200 bed hospital in a stand of Murray Pines with
the whole complex spread over 8 square miles. The Battle of the Coral Sea in
May 1942 saw the advance of the Japanese halted and so under the orders of
General George Kenny; “Mighty fine base – shift it 2000 miles closer to the
enemy” the American based decamped almost overnight to Townsville. The RAAF
then took over and operated Tocumwal as a multi-function aircraft depot and
training base for bomber crews. Very interesting.
Around
to the Museum where we met George Chrystie. He and his wife moved here from
Kinglake a few years ago bringing all their collection and then collecting
more. George used to drive sedans at Speedway and his grandson still does so
Steve had a good chat. I found an old picture of a bullock team carrying wool
along the Murray River in 1888.
So
many different things to look out from old magazines, posters, anything in a
mechanic would need, a big collection of axes, adzes etc and lots and lots of
bottles, crockery and many different types of household appliances.
Of
course there were cars – here’s another one for Dan. 1991 Toyota Soarer, quad
cam, fuel injected, aluminium V8, traction control, air suspension, remote
radio controls – all electric.
I
liked the old Triumph.
George
had a logging business at Kinglake.
1956
Zephyr MK2 – 20,000 miles, the only non-original part is the carpet on the
floor. The car is fitted with early valve operated mobile phone. The phone is
on the floor in the front with the bell and workings in the boot. The spare
tyre was original and never been run.
Loved
the cool bike with the best handlebars.
1922
Ford Model T – 4 cylinder 176 cubic inch with transmission of a 2 speed manual
(sort of).
1930
caravan – it has early Buick wooden wheels – needs a bit of a tidy up.
Murray
Moon caravan – built by George Davis in 1944-49. It was the first pop up
caravan built in Australia (got the idea from an American magazine). It took
him 5 years to complete. It spent a lot of time by the Murray, hence its name
but also travelled to Cairns, Sydney and Adelaide. One feature is the jockey
wheel on the front was originally used on a gun turret. A lot of people thought
it belong to dwarves when it was in the down position. I reckon it was the
forerunner of the new Kimberly Kampers.
Inside
the dining table was held up by a rifle!!
More
machinery and trucks etc outside.
A
Calf dozer, rather than a Bull dozer!! Built in Britain after WW2. Powered by a
single cylinder Dorman petrol motor.
An
old grey Fergie – older than grandad’s Woodgate one.
Met
the pet croc – made of tyres, hanging around the dunny.
Back
to the van for a cuppa. The clouds are building up then a few drops of rain
sprinkled on us. The wind has picked up. Got through the windy bit ok and the
clouds moved on. Warmer night.
