Only two weeks to get our backpacks sorted before we head to Spain. Well France initially. David and I will be doing a slow walk of the Camino Frances starting from St Jean Pied de Port. It will be my second walk and Davids first. I walked it by the book four years ago but this time we will be taking it slow.
David decided today he should give his house a good clean before he went away. To clean the nearly 4 meter high bathroom ceiling he needed his step ladder. Guessed it in one. He miss placed his footing as he began climbing down. Result one broken toilet seat, sore hopefully not cracked ribs and a bruised hip. Good one Dangerous Dave. Between my deadly cold and his acrobatics I’m wondering if we will even make it to the airport. And now he wants sympathy.
I picked up the escape vehicle aka JenJen on Friday, washed on Saturday, packed yesterday and rearing to go. Saturday morning – early I hope – we will be on our way to Hervey Bay Qld. Nearly 2000 k. Looking at maybe five days travel and the best part, apart from having 10 days off that is, nothing is planned. There are a few places I want to stop at and and a few things I want to see. If it happens it happens.
Isn’t she beautiful.
It’s was dusk when I stopped for the night. I left home at 7:30 and I have had the most amazing day. Thought I would make it to Gundagai but Tarcutta is good. I’ll post some pic and maybe finish the writing later. Will see how I go. I have a takeaway hamburger and chips for dinner from what used to be the truckies roadhouse. Tarcutta was once the turnaround point for trucks as it was about half way between Melbourne and Sydney. Now that the Hume bypasses it it is no longer used. Anyway that’s where I am now in the Halfway Motel. And here are some pics. With the on again off again wifi I finally got through my day and jotted down to a quick line or two to explain. Will fill in the gaps later.
It was still grey when I left this morning but by the time I turned onto Melba Hwy the morning had cleared. I seemed to be chasing three hot air balloons which were coming into land at Yarra Glen. With white clouds resting on the mountains the morning really was picture postcard perfect.
Coming into Yea there was a market being set up so I couldn’t just drive on by
Believe it or not but Carters shop is the oldest in Yea and has some type of historic overlay and can’t be pulled down.
The above pics taken at the Flora Fossil site just out of Yea where they have found a plant fossil, known today as Baragwanathia which first appeared around 415 million years ago, at a time when Australia was still part of the Gondwana super continent. The fossils are the oldest of their kind in the world.
Cheviot Railway Tunnel.
There was a bumper sticker that said where the farck is Yarck. On the side of the pub it says here the farck is Yarck.
Euroa. Three local VC reciprents
This looked beautiful and as I was walking back over the bridge I noticed that the water was black.
The above building was built using the original handmade bricks from the bank which stood on this site. It was the one robbed by the Kelly gang as per the below shot
I loved Euroa. Beautiful town with so much history.
Rose garden in the Botanical gardens in Benalla
The Broken River Benalla
I tried to find the Broken River Hotel where Laurie worked 1983 1984 but there are no hotels left in the Main Street. I think I may have found it and it is now a newspower shop.
A mural from the wall of the hotel
Mural s from the wall of toilet block at the Mokoan Rest stop northbound just out of Benalla
Mural s from the Mokoan Rest Stop southbound
Glenrowan
National trust house in Chiltern where George Handel Richardson lived for 18 months
The oldest grapevine in the world according to the Guinness book of records planted 1867 at the vine hotel Chiltern
Chiltern, an historic town . Cute could nearly believe you were still in the 1950’s
The name says it all
Holbrook the submarine town
Tarcutta and the Lights On The Hill monument to all the truck drivers that have died in accidents.
My pit stop for the night. It’s been one amazing day and a gold star to anyone who made it to the end.
Dad and Dave, Mum and Mabel in Gundagai
Yarri and Jacky Jacky from the great floods of 1852 when they helped rescue approx 70 townspeople using bark canoes -Gundagai
The old bridges, now national trust.
The old flour mill 1848 is the oldest surviving building and the only surviving building from the original town site
…and the dog sits on the tuckerbox nine miles from Gundagai.
Watched over by the big Koala. Lol
View over the Yass Valley from the Yass Fossil site
Hamilton Hume the explorer and his wife Elizabeth are buried in Yass.
Cooma Cottage at Yass where Hamilton Hume lived.
Paul just out of Yass. Lovely guy.
The big merino at Goulburn. King Kong, eat your heart out.
Gordon VC rest stop, Belango Rd
Long Jetty NSW. My stop for the night