This is the first of two posts about our trip to the South-western slopes of NSW in pursuit of more towns and war memorials. It is written up here because of the importance of the small dog in the rationale for the trip. We had three objectives:
- Visit a few towns in the area around Tumut;
- Assess how feasible it was to take the small dog on a tent camping trip (which if successful will really open up options for us on subsequent trips); and
- Assess how well our 65 year old bodies could handle a tent camping trip.
The first objective is described later in this report and a second post. Suffice it to say it was successfully undertaken. The second objective was also successful, in that the small dog behaved well around the camp site and - from our perspective, very importantly - in the tent overnight. Although we both ended up feeling rather tired (but not emotional) I think the third objective was rather well met also.
The total trip (except for the return from Tumblong along the Hume highway etc) is summarised in this extract from Google maps.
Before getting to the trip a trip down memory lane is in order. We have a nice newish camping stove which when pulled out of the bag looks like this.
It didn't seem to light too well and when I checked the manual didn't look much like the illustration. This suddenly began to ring bells and on turning the brass nozzle if revolved to look like this!
At least this time, unlike the previous occurrence, I didn't cart it off to a camping store to buy new parts!
Through Canberra and out to Urriarra Crossing where the Murrumbidgee was still flowing, but not strongly. The dunny here was considered and tested getting a rating of 8/10. (The missing 2 points reflect the use of a bit of fence wire as the(unexplained) flushing mechanism.)
We traversed Mountain Creek Rd to the Yass Wee Jasper Rd and prepared to drop into the latter hamlet. At the top of the final hill this attractive sign was noted. Yass Valley Council deserve much praise for these notices which appear in a number of spots around the Shire
At the foot of the hill was the Goodradigbee River. I am sure the river names encountered on this trip prove that the local indigenous people either:
- had a great sense of humour and, despite not having a written language, entertained themselves by inventing names that the white explorers would never be able to spell properly; or
- were a lost race of Germans (who are not happy with any word with less than 10 letter - as suggested by Gotterdammerung)!
The road from Wee Jasper to Tumut was not exactly motorway standard ....
but was quite all right until we encountered a simian towing an off road trailer at 40kphand refusing to pull over so that I could toddle onwards at 60 kph. The dust in the air didn't go well with chunderpooch but after the brief (to quote taxi companies) defoulment pause we didn't have to follow the van.
As we approached Tumut a huge flock of Straw-necked Ibis were soaring over the paddocks beside the Tumut River (surprisingly being based upon an indigenous word for "a quiet resting place beside a river'). We found the visitors centre and acquired a guide to the historic walking tour. The town was first settled in about 1830 as settlers moved up the 'lush' River Valley.
There are still quite a lot of 19th Century buildings around and they have been, by and large maintained well.
The pediment above a jewellers shop.
The Westpac building (still a bank!).
The Oriental Hotel: note the banners for a Jimmy Barnes concert coming up at the Showgrounds. (
Old joke:What has 80 legs and an IQ of 400? The front row at a Barnesie concert!)
This very attractive convent was opposite the Catholic Church.
The Church looked good but was occupied when we were there by a family inducting a new Australian into the faith, so we didn't intrude. In the matter of new Australians, as we walked around the main street a number of groups of seniors were discussing matters in languages other than English. We identified Italian and German and I suspected Russian at one point. Possibly an impact of the Snowy Scheme.
The All Saints Anglican Church was open and well set out. This honour roll was very attractive (albeit slightly mucked up by flash reflection).
This specific plaque honours yet another victim of a plane training crash. It is getting to the point that it seems any area in Australia without a WWII plane wreck has been discriminated against!
This is the stained glass in the church.
Here is the main war memorial: the upper words refer to the Boer War while the photograph honours a local lad who was awarded the VC. The pine tree behind is a descendant of the famous Lone Pine.
These two signs (on a white wall) identify the local Aboriginal Land Council. Quite an interesting bit of design. The house to which it was attached was part of the historical walk.
After completing our tour of this rather prosperous town we headed out along the rather rustic road to the Thomas Boyd trackhead. This is part of the
Hume and Hovell walking track from Yass to Albury. On arrival our first task was to ensure Tammie was comfortable: note the retractable lead goes through the shackle so she has plenty of freedom.
Then we erected the tent. Fortunately
- we had had a test run on the lawn at home; and
- the site was well grassed,sandy soil and grass (as opposed to the usual campground mixture of shale and eucalypt roots).
Here is the bridge which takes the H&H track across the Goobarragandra. This bridge was built by a bunch of Army Reservists as a training exercise.
We were visited by a pair of Gang-gangs, which while fidgetty did pose for photos, First the male, demolishing what I think was a bit of Patterson's curse (there was plenty more left for him) ..
and then the female with the coy, over-the-shoulder look.
There were other dogs in the area. This is 11 week-old Cashew, who was very keen to play with Tammie and ...
.. Baxter, here checking out what was going on before strolling over.
The river had a good flow, but also revealed a nice collection of stones for anyone fancying a bit of land art.
