Couey and I did an early morning walk around the park. I tied her up outside the office and went in to collect the Saturday papers previously ordered. Pleased to have The Age again.
Tucked in amongst the cabins at Epsom
We had to be organized and out, in order to watch grandson play football – Under 12’s – at 10.30. Earlier than normal start for John!
Successfully negotiated the busy Saturday morning traffic and found the ground. Daughter had managed to “save” us a space to park the car nose in to the perimeter rail of the ground, so we could watch the match in comfort. On this really cold morning, that was appreciated.
It was only grandson’s sixth game of footy, but he seemed to do alright. At least, I knew more about this sport! He was also training to become a boundary umpire. Busy fellow and daughter had a hectic schedule getting him to various trainings, plus watching his games. What goes around….I reminded her of the demands on my time that her years of horse riding and Pony Club had made. Summer gives her some respite, to date anyway, though he is interested in cricket…
After the game, took ourselves back to Bus for lunch and to read the papers. I took Couey for a decent walk around the park and gave her some ball chasing out on the street.
Pleasant grassed caravan sites…
Mid-afternoon, went to daughter’s place and relaxed there with her and the two children – the younger one was three now.
Eventually, daughter’s partner came home from netball, and her mother came to visit with us too. Daughter served us all a lovely corned beef dinner.
Eventually made our way back to Bus. Couey had spent our visiting time tucked up snugly in the car, apart from a brief leg stretch and her dinner, which I’d taken with us.
The night was really cold. Luckily the silver window shields insulate Bus fairly well and it did not take long for the little fan heater to warm the inside up.
It was our last night – for a few weeks at least – of sleeping on the narrow, but comfortable enough, Bus beds. I confess to looking forward to my home bed where I could actually spread out a bit.
I was up before John and took dog walking around the park, on a sunny but cool morning. Some cloud about.
Our outlook at Victoria Lake Caravan Park
It was 10.30 before we left.
The reed-choked lake
Were somewhat delayed by talking with the neighbours in van parked behind our site. They had a red stumpy tail cattle dog travelling with them. It is so rare to find someone who even knows about the breed, let alone who has one with them. In fact, this was the first stumpy we had encountered whilst travelling. She was also timid about new things, like ours. She did not want to do a doggy meet and greet with Couey – growled at her – but was really sweet with us.
Our Lake Victoria site
Refuelled at the servo right by the park entrance – so easy. $1.309cpl.
We had a very routine trip, through the flat country of central Victoria, through Stanhope and Elmore, to Bendigo. No stops along the way.
Went into the Gold Nugget Tourist Park, at Epsom, on the northern side of the city. We had not stayed here before, but the two parks we had previously used were no longer taking dogs, so they had lost our custom. Yesterday, I had phoned the park at Ascot that we had really liked two years ago. The lady who answered the phone was most apologetic but said there had been a change of management and hence a change of attitude to dogs. By contrast, Gold Nugget was most welcoming.
Our en-suite site cost $40.50 a night, after discount. We had to unhitch before backing on to the site. The location of the en-suite sites had us rather isolated from the main part of the campground, in amongst cabins. The ordinary powered site part of the park was quite attractive. Our en-suite was adequate.
Our site at Golden Nugget Epsom
We were able to access an area of dead-end road, beside the park, to give Couey a bit of a run after the ball. Otherwise, I enjoyed walking with her on the internal roads of the park.
After setting up, drove to a nearby small shopping centre (Epsom?) where there was a Woolworths supermarket and other shops. Needed milk, bread, fruit. We bought an iced fruit loaf and had that back at the bus, for lunch. John collected a card from the fish and chip shop at the centre, so we could order tea tonight.
Grandson was playing hockey at 5.30pm. Set the GPS and I double-checked the navigation on a paper map, and we found our way to the hockey centre in the near dark.
There was a very strong smell of burning rubber in the car, as we’d previously noticed in Canberra. We were quite concerned. The wheels did not feel hot to the touch, though. I wondered whether the handbrake adjustment that was done in the last service was “catching” somehow?
Left Couey in the car while we watched the hockey – for obvious reasons. A ball is a ball, after all, and meant for serious chasing when sighted.
It was good to finally get to see the grandson play hockey. Another game I know little about, but apparently he did some good things. His team won. The boy was growing up so quickly – twelve years old now – getting taller and filing out. I think he was pleased that we finally got to see him perform. And, of course, we spent some time with daughter.
It was bloody cold, standing around watching the game!
After the hockey, went back to Bus. Phoned and ordered our fish and chips – there was a forty minute wait! Food must be good if shop is that busy? John drove to pick up our order. The fish was excellent, so were the ships, but serves were generous and we had ordered far too much.
When I got up in the morning, there were leaves all over Bus and car. Annoying. It took me quite a while to pick them out of the grille sections at the front of Terios.
Left Griffith at 10am on a day that was cool, but with blue sky and sunshine.
Not far out of town, we passed what appeared to be a very sizeable but apparently unused poultry farm. We wondered why it was this way and whether it was a casualty of the move to free range eggs? This area is a major one for egg and poultry production.
Just a bit south of Hanwood there was a large and fairly ornate new building. There were no signs to show what it was. The two sets of large gateposts were closed. Big house? Defunct winery?
We passed a truck waiting to turn onto the road with a load of round, yellow shrink-wrapped somethings… We were discussing what these might have been when a clue appeared in the form of white blobs beside the road. Cotton! I hadn’t realized that this had become a cotton growing area. We soon started to see lots of the round, wrapped, bales of cotton stored in the paddocks, in long rows.
Roadside cotton blobs
There were more trucks transporting bales. They seemed to be converging on the Darlington Point township. (Later research revealed there was a cotton processing gin there).
Shrink wrapped cotton bales
We even saw some cotton plants growing, still with white blobs on the plants – maybe ready for harvesting? It hadn’t occurred to me before that there was much I didn’t know about this product and processes. Is there one harvest season for cotton, like for wheat? Or do the plants produce all year round?
Cotton growing…
We crossed the Murrumbidgee River at Darlington Point. Noted that there was quite a good looking caravan park on the banks of the river there. That could be a good place to relax for a few days, sometime.
Coleambally village had an old irrigation channel digger on display – large beastie.
Then we were back on the Newell again, after our friend visiting detour of yesterday.
We stopped at Jerilderie for a break, by a very attractive area of park land by a lake. Part of it was a War Memorial and contained military memorabilia, like a tank.
Military memorabilia at Jerilderie
There was a stylized windmill sort of structure in the distance. From the number of caravans moving in and out and pulled up there, it was obviously a well-known rest area.
Lake and rest area
This was a very handy area for a walk, toilet stop and dog ball throw – which we did on a grassed area over the road from the parklands.
I would really prefer just to lie here and look at it…
Not a great success – there were burrs or prickles in the grass, judging by a high-stepping dog. Really, all she wanted to do was head for, and probably get into, the lake. No way….
That’s as wet as dog is going to get…
Jerilderie appeared a very pleasant town. Next time we were on the Newell we should consider staying a night or two here.
Jerilderie lake
Continued on, with occasional clouds starting to appear in the sky ahead.
Do we need to be concerned?
In our travels on the Newell, over the past few days, had noticed a surprising number of trucks carrying new caravans northwards.
Drove through Finley without stopping, but noted there was a caravan park, by a lake, that could also be good for a stay.
South of Finley there was an ominous build up of dark cloud ahead. Guess we were heading for Victoria!
Victoria up ahead!
At 1pm, crossed back into our home State, at Tocumwal. As soon as we were across the Murray River, it started to rain – heavily.
As we approached Numurkah, the GPS directed us to turn right. That put us on to the road to Nathalia. Initially we thought this might be some sort of bypass route around Shepparton, but no, the lady definitely wanted us to go to Nathalia. We didn’t. Eventually were able to turn around and go back to the highway. The reason for that directing remains a mystery. We are not giving up on paper maps any time soon.
Drove through central Shepparton – there was no alternative – to the Lake Victoria Caravan Park. The way into this caravan park is not all that easy to find, tucked in as it is by a servo.
This area had obviously recently had some heavy rain – much heavier than we’d driven through – as there was water lying about everywhere.
Our en-suite site cost $37.80, after discount. After booking in at the office, I walked to the site, with John trundling Bus along behind me and the dog barking her head off in there, because I wasn’t inside. I had to dodge great pools of water. We would have to keep a tight lead on Couey if we didn’t want a wet dog to worry about.
We had to unhitch the car before backing into place.
There was a very attractive outlook over a large grassed area, towards the lake/river.
Back in 2001 we’d stayed a few days at this park, when we came up from Melbourne for a family wedding. I remembered the lake as being a fair-sized, open body of water, and was surprised to now find it more a series of ponds with large areas of reed banks. Wasn’t sure if my memory was faulty or if it really had changed that much.
It was fairly chilly and damp, but I managed to take Couey for a couple of walks around the park and along a good path by the lake. Of course, she spent a lot of time straining at the lead in an attempt to go get her feet – and more – wet.
It was a cold night. Yes – we were definitely back in Victoria.
Despite quite a bit of noise from truck traffic through the night and in the morning (or maybe because of it) John slept in and it was 10.20 am before we departed. That was OK because today’s was not a long stage.
I managed to direct us the wrong way after we left the caravan park, over-riding the GPS which, on this occasion, was correct. John managed to find a place to turn around without having to reverse. I apologised.
The day was fairly cool, with high cloud, but quite pleasant.
Not long after leaving West Wyalong, passed a very mangled car that was in the scrub at the roadside – all wrapped up in blue and white police tape. We wondered what the story behind that was.
For a short while, we passed through cypress pine wooded country. I love cypress pines. But then emerged onto flat plains country, where we could see for a very long way.
Cypress pines beside the road
Some of the paddock dams had pelicans floating on them.
At Ardlethan, left the Newell, heading west towards Griffith.
The little township of Barellan had a giant tennis racquet “statue” – a tribute to local tennis champion Evonne Goolagong. I am not really a fan of “big things”.
There were so many empty, sad old houses in these little declining villages, It is a pity we could not relocate some of our urban homeless to such places – they would be housed and could spend their welfare money boosting the local economy at the same time.
We moved into the agricultural area of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. Lots of grapes growing and some very large winery operations that we passed, including de Bortoli, source of the port we like.
Irrigation channel near Griffith. Winery storage tanks at rear.
Found our way to the Griffith Tourist Park, via a slightly roundabout route. Not the fault of the GPS this time – nor me.
Our en-suite site cost $40.
There were lots of big old deciduous trees in the park. No doubt wonderful shade in summer, but right now the source of heaps of fallen leaves. I had to sweep lots of leaves out of our en-suite, and wipe the dust off the surfaces in there. Most of the sites in this park were en-suites and this one had obviously not been used for a while. There was a gap under the door, and also an upper section of breeze block wall that allowed the leaves and dust in. I had phoned this morning and booked us in, so I did think that the en-suite could have been checked and cleaned for us, in advance. A bit poor.
Griffith site complete with leaf-shedding tree
Set up, unhitched, phoned our Griffith friends, who were expecting our visit today. V and F are friends made some thirteen years ago, on our travels, who we meet up with periodically.
We drove around to their place for a late lunch. Spent several pleasant hours chatting, sitting out on their lovely large, roofed deck. We had tied Couey to their clothes line so she could stiull see us, but she would not settle, wanting attention, games and to be loose – which the resident backyard cat would definitely not have appreciated. Eventually, she got put back in the car, where she couldn’t see us at all.
There was a State of Origin match tonight, always a major event in that family. We reflected on one year when we were all working at Adels Grove, which did not then have any TV reception. However, the Ranger base at the nearby National Park did, and there was to be a gathering of local folk there to watch the game. John does not have a clue about that brand of football, but he went along to keep F company – the lone NSW supporter in North West Qld!
Not wanting to intrude on the family gathering planned for tonight’s event, we left early.
On the way back to camp, stopped in the centre of town and bought pizzas to take back to Bus for tea. In this town with such an Italian heritage, the pizzas were really good.
Woke to a cool morning. There had been a heavy dew, so we managed to track a lot of leaf litter inside Bus.
Left at 9.50. Southwards on the Newell, yet again.
There did not seem to be too much truck traffic – something to be thankful for. However, a bit north of Dubbo, a truck with a wide load pulled in from the side. He was some distance in front of us, but we thought he might have waited until we were past. We stayed behind him for ages. He was bowling along at 95kmh – just a bit too slow for John’s preference. The road was winding and when we came to overtaking lanes, we did not have enough revs to pass him safely in the distance provided. But it was interesting watching how oncoming traffic dealt with him. He was only 4.5 metres wide – had an escort vehicle in front. Most oncoming vehicles pulled much further to their left than they needed to – some even getting right over into the gravel sides. Trucks were much better at judging the width and not going too far over.
We trailed this wide load for a long way…
I wondered whether the magic GPS would be smart enough to have a truck route around Dubbo to give us, coming from the north, that would avoid the dreaded roundabouts in town. But no detours were offered, and John managed the roundabouts beautifully – much better than me. I guessed the river to the west of town precluded other routes to that side. Our over-dimensional travelling companion didn’t seem to have any issues, either.
I was surprised to see a very active looking mine near Tomingley, a little place north of Peak Hill. Knew the Peak Hill open cut mine had ceased operating a few years ago, but it looked like there had been a revival of mining in the area. Gold? I didn’t remember this from our last time through, in 2013.
For several years, I had wanted to overnight at the caravan park in Peak Hill, and have a little explore of the area, but to date, our stages hadn’t fitted in a stop here. No change today – John wanted to press on.
We needed a brief stop just north of Parkes, as the phone rang, and the lady on the other end wanted to speak to John. We were able to pull over. The Baker IDI Research Institute was trying to get John to take part in a diabetes medication trial and the call was about that. The biggest problem with agreeing to do something like that – apart from having to often drive from home to wherever in Melbourne – was that it would tie us to home for regular appointments. Now that I was starting to feel a bit liberated from the constraints caused by leg ulcers, I was not sure we needed another tie.
We had to stop again, soon after, as a long goods train crossed the highway in front of us. Then the same damned train held us up again, a bit further on.
North of Forbes, the heavy vehicle inspection point was working – on both sides of the highway. “Our” wide load had disappeared into the distance while John took his phone call, but here he was again, pulled into the check point and being inspected. It looked like they were pulling over all trucks. I wondered if that was why there seemed to be a lot fewer on the road – were some going another route?
We stopped for lunch at Forbes. Were almost through the place when spotted a bakery by the highway, just north of the Orange road corner. Looked like it was part of the Services Club. It was a good place to get lunch because we were able to park on a side street and walk back. John had his usual bakery items, I had a very nice cheese and salad roll and an excellent coffee. Future lunch point noted! The side road was nice and wide for us to be able to turn around in, too – always a consideration when reversing is a no-no.
Our oversized friend trundled by while we were eating lunch, so he had passed inspection, presumably.
Roadworks south of Forbes – yet another stop.
Refuelled at West Wyalong. $1.379cpl.
Proceeded to the Ace Caravan Park, where I managed to direct us in the “out” way. It was a bit complicated there. Our en-suite site cost $37 for the night.
West Wyalong site
We had stayed at this park when it was fairly new, some years ago, and were really impressed with it then. The young owners who were setting it up were catering well to the overnight trade, with long drive through sites – less common then than they are now – with planted beds separating sites. They had scattered interesting old pieces of machinery about, set up a seat overlooking the canal, and the place had been very neat and clean.
Unfortunately, we felt rather let down on this visit. The place looked tired, as if more energy and upkeep was needed. The garden bed edging beside our site was broken, the plantings between the sites was sparse, as if a lot had died off from lack of water. Some previous grotty occupant had left a bag of rubbish in the garden of our site, and birds had broken it open. So I had to pick up the rubbish before Couey went investigating. There were not bins by every site, but they were not far away. Just laziness.
The en-suite was portable style, but at least it was fine – and clean.
After set up, took Couey for a walk around the park. I was annoyed to see lots and lots of dog poo on the otherwise attractive grassed area that was the tent camping section. There was far too much of it, and too recent, to have been left by just incidental travellers like ourselves. A large van set up, opposite the grassed area, with a couple of large dogs, was clearly a long-stay resident, and it was odds-on that the dog mess came from there. Some people are really gross.
Grassy area in distance once was a pleasant tent camp site…
When we’d booked in, there had been no “rules” or information given out at all, which is unusual. If it is not stressed what is expected of guests, then some assume there are no rules at all. It seemed to me that the impressions given by appearance, staff attitude and the like, translated into the way the customers treated the place.
So, it was a let-down, and we were unlikely to return.
Packing up and moving on was becoming rather routine now, in Bus, the way it used to be with the van. We were away at 9.25am, even after giving dog a decent ball throw and run before we left.
The day was sunny, with some light cloud patches. A very pleasant one for travelling.
The road to Walgett hadn’t improved any. Going the other way was even worse for uneven surface.
Had a morning tea stop in the Rotary rest area at Walgett.
It was a morning for seeing wild life. There were flocks of apostle birds and white winged choughs. We straddled an echidna waddling across the road – at least, the bus did and I hoped the less-wide wheels of the Terios did too. There was a mob of emus browsing in a fairly bare paddock. Then a second echidna – they were on the move today. I wondered if it was the season for echidnas going looking for mates?
Around Coonamble, every paddock gate seemed to have an anti coal-seam gas sign on it. Clearly a significant issue in these parts.
Refuelled at the same place as before, as we came into Coonamble. Still the same price: $1.359cpl.
Decided to try to get lunch in the town. The highway bends, and we realized a little late that the shops were in an intersecting street. Parked Bus and decided to walk ahead, thinking there might be more shops – and because the GPS indicated there were toilets nearby. Walked a couple of hundred metres, past a couple of houses where there were several dogs, barking behind their fences and acting like they wanted to eat us all. Then we came to a park area beside the river, where there was a good length of parking areas off the road, with picnic tables and toilets. I didn’t want to take Couey – or me – past the dog gauntlet, so John said he would walk back and bring Bus up, then I could make lunch.
Dog and I sat and looked at the scenery by the river, exchanged greetings with other travellers lunching too. John seemed to take ages, but eventually Bus appeared, upsetting Couey, who gets all insecure when it is moving without her on board.
John had in fact gone back to the shops. He produced a ham and cheese crosissant, to share, a sausage roll for himself, and a spinach and fetta roll for me. Very nice it all was. A town with a bakery that produces these goodies had my definite tick of approval.
This was a great place to pull in – and a good town to buy lunch. There was also a Shell servo across the road from the parking area – another possible refuel place.
South of Coonamble, there were sunflowers in bloom beside the road. Maybe they had been cropped around here at some time and these were escapees?
Going southwards, there were good views to the distant Warrumbungles. Much better than seen on the way up – the angle was better.
We passed a rest area, with a small bus pulled in there. A man was sitting outside in a chair, eating lunch. Sitting up in the other chair, for all the world like another person, was a large German Shepherd. Clearly another dog that thinks it is a people…
We went back into the Gilgandra Caravan Park for the night. $29.70 after discount. We were put onto the site next to our previous one.
Back at Gilgandra– on grass again
After basic set up, took dog walking on the lead for a couple of circuits of the large park, then all just relaxed for the rest of the day.
We had been seeing some advertising about the place, for the annual Opal Fest, late July/early August. After a little discussion we decided that, since we have had “beach” weather here, without the sand and sandflies, it might be enjoyable to come back here at that time – if we could get in here. For me, the greatest joy of beachside stays is long walks in the shallows; with the current ulcerated leg, doing that would not be possible. So the attraction of the coast had waned.
I visited the office and enquired about site availability. The very nice lady there did some juggling and managed to get us twelve days, back on the en-suite site we are currently occupying. How good was that? I’d asked if fourteen nights was possible, but very happy to settle for twelve. So we would be back at the end of the row of en-suites – wonderful. Now we just had to hope that the weather would be as nice.
John went to the Sunday morning markets in town, to buy some more of the lovely fruit cake.
We walked across to the park’s fossicking area, off to one corner of the undeveloped part of the grounds. Just wanted to have a look at their set up. We’d had some discussion over whether the heaps of mine dirt had been brought in, or came from shafts right there. To me, they seemed too extensive to have been trucked in. The park was located right at the extremity of where there had been diggings, so there might have been some mining here.
Fossicking area
A sign over the gate to the area named it as Ratters’ Flat. On the fields, a “ratter: is someone who sneaks around and steals opal from other miners’ claims.
There were definitely shafts there. Plus the full assortment of equipment usually found on claims, including an agitator made out of an old cement truck.
All the gear of a mining claim
Gave dog some exercise while we were over there.
Great place for chasing the ball…
Had heard some talk that the park owners were planning to add more sites, across in the area where we have been dog exercising. There was certainly the demand, at this time of year. When I took dog walking around the park, in the late afternoons, and mornings, it was rare to find an empty powered site, and there was often overflow into the unpowered parts. They even often have a van parked in the central access road – which is wide – plugged into one half of the double power point on the side of the septic tank. Prime location?
Did a little organizing of Bus, for tomorrow’s travel.
Weatherwise, another very pleasant day. I have really been enjoying that aspect of being here.
John was feeling like a quiet day in. He spent time on his laptop, interspersed with taking Couey over to the exercise area for a run.
I read, walked the dog, wandered around the park, taking photos. Drove to the IGA to stock up a bit on food.
The row of en-suite sites…and whimsical metal art
Later in the day, John drove to the shops and picked up the Saturday papers and I read those.
Every couple of days, there was a stall set up in part of the camp kitchen, selling opals and jewellery made from same. I wasn’t sure if it was always the same people, or if the privilege was shared around. I had not really bothered to look closely as these, as such set ups tend to feature doublets and triplets, put into pre-cast settings, which I usually fins overly ornate and cheap looking.
John went across to today’s stall and came back having bought a pendant, which I really liked. Eat your words, Wendy! So he said I could have that one and went back to the stall to buy another one for his daughter. I went with him this time, and finished up buying a pair of earrings for me and a pair for M, for Xmas. Some of the jewellery on display was quite good value.
Camp kitchen area with powered sites beyond
I roasted chicken drumsticks for tea in the electric frypan, set up outside. Roast vegies too.
FRIDAY MAY 22 LIGHTNING RIDGE Another pleasant morning spent in the usual ways. As we’d promised, were at the Chambers’ office – a room in a private home in town – at 1pm. Paid for our yesterday purchases and chatted for a while until an incoming phone call ended that. I was pleased with the ring. Out in the natural light, it is quite brilliant and I loved the red flash that happens at certain angles. Since the tracks have had time to dry out a bit after the storms, we decided to tackle the remaining two car door tours today. Before that, drove out to the cemetery, where we had not been before. It was very interesting and larger than I’d expected. There has been some sort of project to renovate or restore it, by putting simple white crosses on a lot of the older graves and ones with no other identification.
Lightning Ridge Cemetery Some of the crosses had the names of the dead person there, others simply said things like “unknown miner”. One wonders how many enduring family mysteries form the back story to these?
Old graves There was a real range of graves there, from the unknown, to some with really ornate head stones and memorials.
As one would expect in an Australian opal mining area, there were a number of “foreign” names, plus inscriptions like “died in mining accident”.
A young tragedy This tour was only a short one. Like the others, it takes in some areas of diggings, and the tracks which wind through these. The main feature on this tour was the Cactus Gardens. We did not go in to these, on this visit, but in 2009 had found them fascinating and well worth going to. The sheer number of varieties he had there was amazing as well as the great range of size, shape and colour between them. Lightning Ridge seems to have inspired some people to put huge efforts, time and resources into unusual projects like this, the Opal Cave building, the Chambers of the Black Hand. Something about the life up here? We did take a side track off the route, into an area of diggings, There seemed to be current activity at these.
Some opal field dwellers like their privacy Our final tour was the Red Door one, which starts quite close to our caravan park. The major feature of this was Amigo’s Castle.
Amigo’s Castle Amigo started building this more than twenty five years ago, perhaps as a change from fairly unproductive opal mining? He used stone from the claim to start building a structure and it just kept going. Eventually, he had to source stone from all over the area.
So many rocks used… The time, effort and sheer imagination that has gone into this is amazing. The quality of his stone work is brilliant. It is quite a surreal structure to come across in such an area.
Entrance to Amigo’s Castle We were greeted by a lady who – after a suitable donation – gave us a tour of the place. It is not finished – perhaps it was never going to be – as sections kept being added. But Amigo had clashed with various authorities over issues like putting up a “permanent” structure on a mining claim, and OHS for visitors. The freedom of spirit that is almost a prerequisite for life as an opal miner is rather incompatible with a rules-based society. So Amigo had done a significant dummy-spit and retreated to a camp behind the Castle. The lady and her partner had some sort of arrangement with him, whereby she used part of the place as a gallery for her art works and does the little tours, thus keeping all the unwanted tourists away from Amigo in his seclusion.
Fields from a Castle turret Her art works were unusual, some three dimensional, interesting. We were able to wander about and take photos. She did say that Amigo never throws anything away. The glimpses of his camp that we were able to get from the Castle, would verify that! A little further on, in this section of old diggings known as Pony Fence Field, was another amazing structure. Similarly ambitious, and another “castle” of sorts. This one was of concrete – rounded shapes – made of concrete forms set in old oil drums. A Polish man won a lottery and set about building this Monument to Astronomers in the 1980’s and 90’s. He died when his camp burnt down in 1998, so this structure looks unfinished, and there was no access. The Blue track was very winding, and not well supplied with blue directions, so we were not sure if we were lost, but eventually emerged into a known area through the Kangaroo Hill fields, onto the airport road, and went back to our camp. It was late afternoon by now. I cooked fish from our freezebox, and fries, for our tea.
After last night’s rain, the caravan park grounds had lots of small puddles, but they had built it up well, above the original black soil flats, before putting on the surface stones, so it was not too bad. I was very glad we were not out at Lorne!
When I got up and came outside, noticed that the neighbour had a lot of water pooled in his awning roof, to the extent I was surprised it hadn’t given way. He was out and about and eventually noticed and drained it – water everywhere!
John was up about 9.30 – early again. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to bowl today as the grass would be heavy and hard on his shoulder. Eventually he decided to cancel.
We had some rain showers through the morning, then it eased off.
Rain at the Ridge
Drove into town, to my favourite shop, the Opal Bin. It was a relatively small establishment that largely stocks just their own locally mined opal. They have really good quality jewellery and cut stones. I picked out a ring I liked – both the stone and the design. But the stone wasn’t fiery enough for John’s liking. After much discussion, I ended up buying an oval stone with lots of greeny flashes in the dark blue background. They would have it set by their Sydney jeweller, which could take up to three or four months, as his work is in much demand. The opal lady and I sketched out the design for the setting. It would be worth waiting for.
A pair of unusual earrings caught my eye. Large ovals of grey, polished, potchy stone, with thin veins of bright green opal running through. Had not seen anything like that before, so had to have those too. That’s my Xmas and birthday presents for this year well and truly taken care of.
The metropolis of Lightning Ridge
We then went and browsed the John Murray art gallery for a while. His art is of the quirky Australiana style – quite unique. Stylized emus feature often. His designs have been put onto postcards, mouse mats and the like. There were prints in a variety of sizes, and some original works of art. The latter were well beyond our means! I bought a stubby holder for M and two smallish prints, already in mats, which John could frame. These really captured the essence of the fields, I thought. Then John was captivated by a Murray emu – a sticker about 50cm tall of its neck and head, with the typical puzzled/resigned expression on its face, that Murray emus have. He said it would go on the glass panel beside our front door. Well, that will make for an entry with a difference!
John was really pushing for me to see the opals at the Chambers of the Black Hand. We drove out there. The two men were there, but they said to come back just after 3pm, as now was lunch time. My thought was that they were really quite lackadaisical about business and I was inclined not to bother at all. But John was determined so back we went at the indicated time.
There was a group of maybe a dozen people, starting the 3pm tour. We were to follow them down to the gallery level. I was not sure when “might bring up trays to show you” got transformed into me actually going underground, but that was what happened.
We had to walk down some sixty steps, of varying depth and width, cut into the rock. Care was required. Once down there, after the tour people had disappeared further into the depths, we browsed fairly thoroughly. They had quite a lot of doublets – pretty, but I prefer to buy solid opal. There were a lot of other items where the stone had been cut to fit pre-cast settings, which I rarely like. But I did find an irresistible ring – a plain gold setting, with a sparkling blue-green stone, with a flash of red. John bargained and got quite a good deal. He also bought an $80 jar containing about eight really nice little opal pieces. I think I am now on to my 2016 presents!
When I went to pay for our acquisitions, my two cards would not get approval, because my earlier transactions had hit our daily limit. A bit embarrassing. We arranged for them to hold our purchases and we would go to their office in town, tomorrow lunchtime, pay and collect.
I was not at ease, underground, and was very happy to be climbing back up the narrow sixty steps to daylight.
We had certainly done our bit for the economy of Lightning Ridge.
On the way back to camp, stopped so I could take a photo of the town airstrip. This was fully sealed – it is a “proper” airport – but I’d noticed, driving past, that the sealed strip appears over a rise, goes down a dip into a hollow, then starts to rise again. Could be an interesting one for pilots new to it…
The undulating airstrip
Tea was pasta with bottled sauce – a chargrilled vegetable one.
This Adventurous Age 