Friday 4th April we went into Condobolin with Ian and Wendy and assisted with the setting up of the Showgrounds for the Garden Festival this weekend. There are to be approx. 30 stalls here as well as a big display from the local nursery (owned by Connie and Gary Venables - good friends of our friend Gai and god-mother to Salli) and some of the well-known horticulturalists and rose specialists will give talks over the weekend.
Saturday 5th Darryl and I went into Condobolin at about 10.30am after getting two loads of washing done and out on the line. Not sure if they would dry as we had rain last night and it is very overcast and cool now. We arrived at the showgrounds and everything was in full swing. Lots of people coming through the gate and there had been two busloads through already. One from Nyngan and a Double-decker from Orange. There is a bus load due from the Blue Mountains also. Jenny arrived from Wagga at about 12.30 - so we had lunch at the stall before starting to head out to the open gardens.
The first one was a 'cottage garden' and it was amazing what the owner had achieved in the 13 years that she has owned the property. From no garden at all to one that is loaded with plants. Amazing organisation of layout and presentation of fruit, veggies and flowers.
The next garden was a very young garden. Only 2 years young and a credit to the young owner as well. He has done a great deal to a barren yard and has plans for the very back of the yard also.
Next was a garden around a home that was built in 1886 and named 'Tara'. The yard itself is mainly a young garden (5 years) and contained lots of succulents. The garden had lots of 'rooms' in which you could lose yourself and find yourself sitting and relaxing. A credit to the two owners.
Next we went to the Wiradjuri Centre - three wonderful displays of native plants and then there was the centre buildings themselves. Made of mud bricks and rendered with mud it was an amazing structure. The piece-d-resistance was the table around which the local elders meet to discuss issues. An amazing piece of wood work.
We went back to the showgrounds to pick up Jenny's car and headed back to the house to prepare for our night out at another property with 'Music under the Gums' at "the Gums" Property about 8km out of Condobolin. A great night with great music from all genres. Music finished at 11pm and then we headed home. By the time we had a relaxing cuppa it was time for bed BUT we could put our clocks back an hour as daylight saving finishes tonight - so an extra hour of sleep.
Sunday 6th, Up and back into town but stopped off at one of the display gardens on the way. This was A HUGE garden around the homestead and had a lot of 'rooms' devided by wind-breaks. Lots of roses and succulents in this garden.
We went into the showground as the local Pipe band was to play at 11am. This actually started at 11.40am but wasn't too bad considering they have got 7 new drummers and 3 new pipers.
Once we had listended to the band we headed out to the final open garden. Again a new garden - less then 2 years - and some very interesting ways of incorporating 'domestic' plants into the native growth area. There was a dining room set up here so we had a lovely lunch looking out over the valley and the new garden. This garden was owned by the Uncle of Michael Flynn (a friend that Ben went to school with), so I made sure that we introduced ourselves to Simon and Eryn.
From here we headed back to the Showgrounds. Jenny bade us all farewell at about 2.30pm and Darryl and I stayed to help Wendy and Ian and the committee pack everything up and secure the showgrounds before heading back to the house. We have decided to have a simple dinner tonight and Wendy is picking up fish and chips on the way back.
Monday 7th April, We have decided to delay our departure and go to lunch ith Wendy and Ian. We actually had lunch with Richard, Daryl and Joy from the Research station also. Back to the house and we took our leave and headed to Dubbo via Tullamore and Narromine. A good run with only 6km of dirt road to Tullamore and then from Tullamore to Narromine we ent through about 12 patcheds of water over the road after the recent rains. Arriving at our friends Jenny and Doug at about 4.30pm.
Wednesday 9th April, We have had two lovely nights with Jenny and Doug and took our leave of them at 10.30am. Next visit we will have to ensure we can be there over the weekend - so that Doug can relax with us too. We are now camped in the bush at Pilliga 2 Rest Area about 30km S of Narrabri. There are a couple of trucks up in the asphalted area but we have found a spot further back into the bushes, and the road noise is not as loud.
Will continue to travel northward tomorrow.
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