1st March 2016

Well here we are and 2 months have passed since my last update.

Time really does have a habit of going by very quickly – as we are now into the 3^rd month of the year as well.

I had surgery on my left hand at the beginning of February to release three tendons as they were locking or triggering.  It is healing slowly and some days are better than others.

We are currently sitting in the van at the Quirindi Showgrounds and Racecourse.  We have been here for a week with the Australian Caravan Club at a Chairman’s Muster.  There have been 54 rigs here for most of the week.

Two days after we arrived – and with 41 degree heat – our van air conditioner decided it wouldn’t cool below 34 degrees.  So we have had to manage with just the 12volt fan to keep us cool. 

It has been a great week with lots to see and do and the townspeople have been absolutely amazing.  We went and visited friends of Darryl’s – Joan and Doug Clarke – on Thursday and then went to dinner with them and daughter Kerry on Saturday night and then on Sunday met up with their son Wayne at their home. 

We have been on an all-day bus tour of the surrounding country – to the big dam (Quipolly Dam) that supplies the towns water, 

The nearby Coal Mine at Werris Creek (owned by Whitehaven Coal) and learnt all about their program for mining and rehabilitation of the countryside,

 then on to the big Windy Station Woolshed (built in 1901 and had up to 44 shearers at any one time) 

and then out to a farmer – Neil Barwick at Warrah and to get his perspective on the threat of the coal mines to his farming land. His crops at the moment are sorghum and cotton and then in the winter he will have canola and wheat.

  sorghum

 cotton plant with some flowers and bols

I went on a four-wheel drive tag-a-long up into an area called Cedar Brush with some of the other ACC members.  After four days of 38+ degree days it was a cool 20 degrees and misty rain in the hills.  This area is a TSR (travelling stock route) and apparently goes from Willow Tree to Scone.  A very interesting drive and then on the way back the car I was in had its tyre come off the rim (found to have a tear in its tyre) and another punctured his with a sharp rock.  Our tour guide – David Maunder – was brilliant with assisting with changing the tyres and inflating them again to find the causes.  It was a great day and he was ably assisted by his sister Christine and Dad John and his Mum.

 lichen covered tree at Cedar Brush

  selfie

 the group having lunch

 changing Bob's tyre

stopped to view the Liverpool Plains

We spent Sunday at the breakfast at the RSL club which was very good.  Went to the Clarke's, then to Who’d a Thought It lookout, found a Koala up the gum tree

 then out to the heritage museum and had a couple of rides on the mini trains as well as checking out the museum.  We then took our friend Chris back to the van and then went and visited Darryl’s friends – Kay and Tom Beresford – 

before heading back to the van to collect Chris and off to the Royal Theatre for a BBQ dinner, and homemade desserts and then watching the movie ‘Red Dog’ which was put on especially for the Caravanners. What a great night.

Monday we headed to Bob’s Shed up on Who’d a Thought It – a HUGE shed with lots of memorabilia from the 50’s and 60’s

 and also a fantastic display of everything Peter Brock.  They even had a MENZ biscuits tin on display.

We then drove to Murrurundi and had a great lunch and found a great display all about the HALL family and their son – Ben Hall the bushranger.  We then travelled up to Willow Tree to the nice new information centre

 and then on to Wallabadah and the First Fleet memorial.  Then back to the van.  We had a great Happy Hour with all that remained.

Today has been sitting catching up with emails and cleaning the van, doing the washing and preparing for our next journey.  We have to be home in Brisbane and the Jajari Jimbaljin Women’s group have got a day planned with the COOEE house to celebrate International Women’s Day on the 8^th March.  Should be a great day.

I know this doesn’t cover the whole of the past 2 months but there is lots happening in the background that will be revealed in good time……..