Johnsonsaroundoz Weblog

Well we have had a very relaxing week and a bit since last writing. We moved from Tamworth to the Warrambungle National Park Monday week ago and stayed there for nearly a whole week. Some of the highlights of the Warrambungles (WB from here) are the views, the wildlife and the serenity. We found a koala in the campground, emus wandering the pathways, grass parrots and a funny little group of birds called Choughs (PRON CHUFF). The NPWS run Discovery Tours during school holidays which have some fantastic guided tours. We did three of them.

The first was to Tara Cave where aboriginal boys were taken for an initiation ceremony for their passage into manhood. This involved circumcision using a sharp rock to cut the stretched foreskin, no anaesthesia provided. As it was not a place women would usually go, those in the group had to carry a symbol of peace (a small group of leaves), this included Trinity.

Our guide, Patty Chatfield is a native of the local clan and he provided a great deal of indigenous knowledge, from customary lore to bush tucker. Some of the things he showed us included the Quinine tree, cough bush, bush band-aid trees, and a vine that contained Silacalic Acid (the active ingredient in Aspirin). After the walk concluded we went back to the car park to find a pair of emu wondering the area.

That afternoon we did a second Discovery Tour that involved a walk along Gould’s Circuit for a sunset photo opportunity across the Breadknife, Bress peak and Belougery Spire.

Our guide Anthony O’Halloran was well versed in the local fauna, providing in-depth information on the endemic species of the WB. We also came across a Red-Bellied Black Snake situated right next to the walking track. Although recognised as venomous, the bite inflicted by one of these snakes is not usually harmful as the fangs are well back in the mouth.

The views from the top of Febar Tor and Macha Tor across to the Breadknife and previously mentioned locations was nothing short of breath taking. Unfortunatelythe light was very dull from the overcast conditions (the sun rarely shines in NSW which is why they all want to live in QLD) limiting the photos we could take with our pocket digital cameras. The indigenous names of all the landmarks have been lost due to the Aboriginal people being incarcerated on missions in the 1950’s.

The other Discovery Tour was located in present day technology rather than in the Aboriginal Dream Time. The Siding Spring Observatory tour took in all the research facilties of universities from around the world culminating in a visit to the Anglo Australian Telescope. I cannot do justice to this facility so the website is probably best to have a look at.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siding_Spring_Observatory

Cutaway model of the Anglo Australian Telescope

Zaac holds up the telescope

We were fortunate to meet up with a family group from Gillgandra, the Zell’s, who invited us to their sheep property so the boys could take a look at how a farm works. we will head up there tomorrow and spend a night. Thanks in advance for having us Max and Marg. The boys played a few songs for them just before dinner and entertained the rest of the campground at the same time.

WB crew

We then said goodbye to WB and made our way into Dubbo. Our new hosts greeted us with the coolest April day in many years with snow a bit down the road in Orange. After checking the weather we dicided a day underground was the best way to go. So we headed for the caves at nearby Wellington and did a tour of the phosphate mine. The mine was in operation around the time of the first world war and was excavated entirely by hand. A good number of fossils have been unearthed from the mine site but no complete fossils asall the bones appear to have been washed in in flood events dating back tens of thousands of years. Leaving Wellington, we headed for the Old Dubbo Goal for the afternoon. This provided some respite from the chilly winds but did little to lift the spirits. The goal is an excellent reminder of years gone by, featuring a morose display of the 8 men hanged in the prison. The exhibits are excellent and the boys had the opportunity to try a solitary confinement cell which was pitch black even with the door open.

The next two days we ventured to the Western Plains Zoo. As you can see by the footage and pictures below, we truly live in a diverse environment. Unfortunately our lust for money has come at a far greater price to the environment. Many of the exhibits are either vulnerable or endangered species. Please enjoy the photos.

We headed straight for a normal, powered caravan park in Armidale.  It even had a laundry.  This gave us a chance to resource thermals and uggs for everyone and reorganise the fridge/freezer situation to accommodate unpowered cooking and body heat.  (Guess who’s writing this section of the blog??)

Armidale Caravan Park 

Armidale was cold, windy and dry.  Our “Lonely Planet” guide suggested that everyone in Armidale suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and so, was a fairly morbid place to visit.  However the magnificent autumn trees and beautiful old buildings did a lot to improve the affect of the town.  There were very few evergreen trees and the deciduous colours included about 6 shades of crimson (dusty pink to dark red) and various shades of gold.  We have desperately tried to remember the words for the autumn song …..

autumn is here have the strength to persevere

as the days grow cold.

autumn scenes have shades of green, yellow, red and gold.

Have the courage to persevere – reminds me of Michael

blah blah blah blah and you shall do well ……

If anyone can email me the rest of the song, I reckon I could sleep better.  The town is full of heritage architecture.  Massive old schools which the boys thought looked like Hogwart’s!  Even the Coles shopping centre had the feel and layout of and old hotel – with a real warmth about it. 

Another interesting thing about Armidale was that, although we didn’t see a lot of people around and about (apparently all hibernating with SAD).  There was every fast food outlet imaginable.  At first I thought maybe it was maybe all the habitants ate, but No – there is actually a Coles and a Woolies there as well.  I found it hard to imagine this quiet town could support all of that business – I guess the UNE helps.

Ahhh!  But a rose among the thorns….. I found the most beautiful store called ‘Grass Roots EcoStore’.  If you combined Natureplay, The Steiner Caravan , the cosmetic section of Four Seasons plus more, you could get a picture of this beautiful store.  I have some photos for you, and they were about to go on-line the day after our visit, so see if you can find it.  We bought Trinity a gorgeous pair of moccasin-style uggs (organic wool).  Pixie beanies and a recycled paper photo album and organic cotton fisherman pants, my husband gently encouraged me to leave behind.  I am very happy we found the uggs though.  Trinity has discovered she can be separated from her shoes, socks and hats (she’s also discovered she can be separated from her mother – which holds much less appeal for her) so it’s great to have these little moccasins that she can’t get off!  She’s also discovered that if she grabs a fist full of Zaac’s hair, he puts her down – a handy little ejection strategy. 

Grass Roots Eco Store

GARA GORGE

Gara Gorge is a short drive out of Armidale and part of Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.  It was Australia’s first commercial hydoelectric scheme.  The scheme powered Georgetown and provided power to the mines.  An easy 5.9km walk showed us some lovely rocky-mountain bushland and the remains  of the concrete flume which dropped 140m and drove the Pelton Wheel with some phenomenal amount of water per minute.  Jaycob took lots of photos until he decided he ‘had enough pictures of rocks’.  Initially we went to see ‘The Stranded Whale’  a stone feature of the gorge, replicating its title.  We didn’t see it.  Upon enquiry we were told it was right at the very start of the walk – somehow we missed it.  Still a pleasant day was had by all. 

Looking down into Gara Gorge

THUNDERBOLT’S GRAVE – BY ZAAC

Thunderbolt (Fred Ward)  was a bushranger who had been put in gaol twice – escaping the second time with the help of his wife.  He met a boy aged around 14-15 who became his companion. (Will Monkton)  When he was about 36 he robbed an Italian Peddler (in the old township of Uralla) just after his wife had died.  The peddler went to the police and a young constable named Walker hunted Thunderbolt along Kentucky River.  Thunderbolt was known for his horsemanship, it was how he always eluded police.  This day he was on a ‘borrowed’ horse, instead of his faithful horse Combo.  The ‘borrowed’ horse was spooked at the river so Thunderbolt lost his mount.  Walker was close on his trail and cleverly shot Thunderbolt’s horse to prevent his escape.  They then battled in the river.  Walker shot Thunderbolt through the chest and bashed his head.  Walker was the hero and was promoted to Senr Constable.  Thunderbolt’s career lasted 13 years.

The Macrossin Grain Mill Museum, in Uralla, houses many memorabilia of thunderbolt including a series of paintings expressing Thunderbolt’s last actions.  And a wax dummy of the departed thunderbolt. We visited Thunderbolts grave and Thuderbolts Rock which marked the entrance to the 1800’s township of Uralla and was depicted in the painting series.  It now sits on the edge of the highway and is covered in graffiti.  Kind of sad after the mood and beauty of the paintings.

Thunderbolts demise

Thunderbolts Grave and Thunderbolts Rock

WOOLOMIN

30 mins outside of Tamworth we stayed in another bush camp beside the Peel river.  Although, much more temperate than Armidale, it was significantly less appealing to the eye, and was so full of bindies that we ended up with three bike punctures.  While there we took a 30 min drive into a small, pretty township called Nundle.  There we visited the Nundle Wool Mill.  We saw the machinery involved in the various stages of making yarn from fleece – right through to dying.  The boys then sat and did a little knitting with some 20ply wool and a couple of needles just a little thinner than logs!  It was a broad-weave scarf.  We stayed two nights at Woolomin before voting to spend a night (once again in a ‘normal’ caravan park) to sort out punctures and a ???leaking water tank.  Tamworth’s redeeming feature was a gentle bike ride through a pleasant botancial garden.  Otherwise I thought it was very ‘concrete’ .  Held none of the appeal of Armidale.  [authors note:  I realise am raving a bit about Armidale and acknowledge that once these magnificent deciduous trees drop their leaves - and in the absence of evergreens - the place will look decidedly skeletal.  Might be able to see some of the Armidilians then!]  Next to Coonabarabran, The Warrambungles, Dubbo and the Zoo!

After leaving the gang at Coffs we headed for Little Styx River campground. The journey took us via Bellingen and Dorrigo. Styx River is at the entry to the New England National Park. The campground is peaceful and close to some really scenic vistas. Point lookout at 1563m is awesome. 

It’s a long way down

Walking up to the viewing platform is a shock! The platform extends over the edge of the cliff which drops vertically below. If you have been on the giant drop at Dreamworld, multiply that by 1000 and you’ll know what I mean.

Point Lookout Drop 

The overnight temps got down to around zero and about 5 in the van. We were not prepared for temps this low in an unpowered camp ground but survived just the same. On the first day we rode to the trout hatchery, a joyful 16km round trip. Needless to say not everybody made it and I ended up going back for the car with Zaac to pick up Jodi, Jaycob and Trinity. Trout are an introduced species and do not compete with native fish as they survive in the streams that are to cold for native fish. 

Camel or Alien life form

We awoke on the second morning to camels in the paddock next door. Unusual but one of the many things likely to surprise us on the way round. We then went to Cathedral Rock National Park and did the Cathedral Rock walk. Once again some great views from up here.

Cathedral Rock views

Another view from Cathedral Rock

And so we left for Armidale. The pack up and set up times are about 25 mins to set and around 40 mins to pack. The boys are both being very helpful and trying. The music practice is fitting in well and the school work is just starting to kick in to gear. We will stay in Armidale for a few nights to regather and prepare for the lower temps awaiting us across cental and western NSW. I will try to get the updates a bit more regular as we now have broadband access and I am getting more familiar with the wordpress programme. Please feel free to post comments, send suggestions or just say hello. the boys would love to hear from you.

In our last post we were leaving home. We are now in Armidale and coming to the end of day 13. So much has happened already that I am glad I started a diary. As I look back over the past 13 days we have travelled far and learnt much. Please read on and share this with us.

We left about 12pm on the 3/4/08 and arrived in Woombah (on the way in to Iluka) at about 4.30pm. For a 288km trip it sure took a while. We stayed with Mark, Dom, Taylah, Mitchell and Kendall Horne who were our hosts for the next 2 days.

Ready to leave.

The Yamba Lighthouse

We had a great time looking around Yamba and Iluka. Ten Mile Beach was a great walk and we will go back and spend more time on the way back. Thanks to the Horne’s for having us.

Day 3 was a short drive to Darlington Beach Resort for a week with Greg, Anne Marie, Gabrielle, Thomas and Holly Badcock, Tony, Michelle, Tyler and Halle Graham. It was a week marked by Jodi’s birthday on the 10th (not telling which one) and plenty of inclement weather. However, plenty of fun was had by all with games of Canasta, Articulate and Cranium. We did plenty of walking on the beach, played golf, lawn bowls, swimming and sight seeing around Coffs.

Too cute.

The Jumping Pillow at Darlington Park

The Gang at Coffs

This was the final pic taken before we headed west and everyone else headed back to Brisbane.

Today is the time for good-byes. The van is packed and we are ready to go. As with all journeys, someone is always left behind. In our case it’s Holly. From the time when things started disappearing from the house, she knew something was going on. She has been a constant shadow perhaps hoping she wouldn’t get left behind. Sorry Holly we’ll miss you.

 So today, the first leg of our trip will see us at Yamba, where we will stay with a couple of friends, Mark and Dom until our push to Coffs on Saturday.