The Wellington Gathering

Margaret, the eldest child Keith and Thelma, expressed a desire for all their descendants to meet and have some knowledge of each other. We were pleased to be invited and that Robin was also coming from Victoria, so that three branches were represented. In all, there were 55 expected and the party was held at Jan and Lester Smith's home, with plenty of room for small children, regardless of weather.
It turned out to be a perfect sunny day starting to set up mid morning with a light lunch and a sit down dinner later. We all received a parcel containing nametags, contact list and family histories of both Wellington/Vail and Thelma's family. These came in glossy publications: a new concept for my histories. Lots of photos of family groups were taken, to be added to the impressive slide show already assembled of old photos. It was a great success.

To Auckland via the Firth of Thames

Saturday morning started again with a large breakfast, but in the lower dining room, watching birds in the vegetation outside the window. We then wandered about the grounds which are nicely planted with natives between the buildings, before heading off in the car mid morning. We drove south initially to follow the river upstream below our walks of the previous day. Heading north on back roads, we skirted Lake Waikare and emerged on the western shore of the Firth of Thames to lunch among the tourist vans on the edge of seabird habitat. Driving north we found the perfect icecream shop in a quiet seaside village. For a perfect sunny Saturday, it was very quiet, so close to Auckland.
Back on the motorway through the city, it rained a bit but had cleared by the time we reached Stanmore Bay on the north side. Being ahead of our expected arrival time, we had a look at the beach and area that two of the cousins have retired to, then headed to meet Margaret and Peter. What a pleasure, with familiar smiles and features which don't come out in photos, although I was recognising them from old photos, in fact.
Diane and Doug collected Robin from the airport and we all had dinner together with their son Steven who had come up from New Plymouth. It was quite a reunion of 4 cousins who had not seen each other in half a century.

Walking in Waikato

Our day at Hillside resort commenced with a large breakfast, again served in the top lounge with morning views. Our hostess was most helpful with bird books and vegetation list and we headed out along the ridge which we looked out at from our room. It promised to be a wet day, but we were prepared and it held off while we followed the fenceline with pasture to one side, nice native vegetation on the other and views all around. We had smoko while out there but returned in time for late morning tea and some lunch before heading out again, on the advice of our hostess, along the southern fenceline which undulated along another ridge and provided more views. It was a most enjoyable walk, with the rain only arriving as we ascended the last couple of kilometres on the farm track. Back at our room we settled into books, with views and afternoon tea, followed by smoko then dinner in the lower dining room as there were now three other guests that we could determine. It was a relief that El Cheapo did not stand out among more fancy vehicles in the car park, but then, perhaps they had turned away?
NZ TV being what it is, the hotel has a large collection of DVDs so, on the advice of our hostess, we settled into some kiwi culture with a movie about Samoans in South Auckland, followed by Martin Clune in a movie, The Man that lost his Head, about Maori culture.

Bluey

While we were away we believe we had a guest in our garage as there was a smell which needed to be sorted. On Friday morning while Dick was out, I went to the letter box via the open garage and discovered Bluey on the driveway just outside. He was gone when I turned back to the house, but we discovered him later under the shoe rack and directed him outside.

Next day he wandered along the wall of the verandah where we spotted him and annoyed him with cameras. He was then seen heading to the lower bank so I wonder if he has found the hollow log?

Carnival of Flowers

We did a family outing to see the floral displays at Laurel Bank and Queens Park this year. The timing of some displays had not quite worked but it was still a nice way to spend Sunday morning. On the way home we drove by Ian's house and were spotted so we had a look at his almost finished renovations and caught up with Jen, Gary and Ann as well.

Bingara to Toowoomba

There was no rush to get up at Bingara as we could not leave before the office opened at 8 am and it was also very foggy when we looked out of the tent. While eating breakfast, the fog was burning off with the sun and we heard music Always look on the bright side of life which was coming from a yellow van heading out of town and along beside the river. Behind it trailed about 30-40 bikes with riders of an older age group, including one tandem. Stragglers continued to appear then the follow vehicle with a bike trailer. Ride for the Chopper seems to have been the motive and it promised to be a lovely morning for them.
We had smoko at Texas and were home just before 1pm. It was a lovely drive with spring crops, especially as there was a good storm the previous night.

Tuesday

It was windy when we woke at Lake Cargelligo so we drove the car across to a nearby hedge to shelter for breakfast before packing the tent and heading off to Coonambel and Parkes. This was another new route for us, passing through nice country on the Lachlan River. Coonambel is a large town and we also went through Bogan Gate - an enigmatic name. Smoko was in a nice park in Parkes although we did not find a lot to choose from. A minibus of primary school kids descended on the amenities block soon after us so we enjoyed the moment, watching them study the fountain as the stragglers emerged.
On to Dubbo to refuel, then we grabbed lunch in the car beside their Japanese garden as it was windy with threatening storms which caused us to study the radar using our smart phone data and decided to travel on the western option via Gilgandra as a band was moving NE. Along the way we found it hard to see the line markings on the road as well as finding it slippery, and realised the road was covered with hail which we had fortunately missed. Later we did pull over for some hail as it was distracting, but did not get damaged.
At Narrabri we had some challenging moments working between James the GPS, confusing information and common sense as we thought we were going to camp at Mt Kaputar NP but both camp grounds are to the south while we wanted to take the road to Bingara on the northern end - another new route for us.
It turned out to be a lovely drive, now fully sealed with some steep and narrow sections and very scenic.
We arrived in Bingara at 6pm and went straight to the caravan park, looking forward to a hot shower. It is a lovely spot on the Gwydir River beside the swimming pool. The office was closed until 8am the next day, but the neighbouring caravan was very friendly, having arrived back with their dogs from a walk as we turned in. They lent us their key and told us to set up.
As I was cleaning my teeth, I heard a few spots of rain, but we went to bed on dark without any rush, but, almost as soon as we settled, a furious electrical storm hit and we lay wondering if we would be frizzled in burnt nylon to be found by the managers, unpaid, next morning. We survived and the tent prevailed.

Monday

By Monday morning I was pretty stuffed, with a sore throat. We decided to miss the morning walk although we had not done the Walnut avenue, Mansell reserve circuit, and after some quick shopping for supplies, got away mid morning.
We had smoko again at the same place in Balranald, but made a detour via Maude on the way to Hay. It has an impressive weir on the Murrumbidgee and the road went through wetlands in contrast to the saltbush. In Hay, we had lunch at a park beside the old gaol.

Our next variation was from Rankine Springs north to Lake Cargelligo which was another interesting road with spring crops and nice rolling hills.

Sunday

Our morning walk took us up to the hospital, through Henderson Park, Deakin Avenue to 12th street and the pool, then ?
We went out to the school where we wandered around, talked to a few people but found it too noisy so we grabbed a hamburger then drove out to Merbein and Wentworth returning along the river by 2pm. We parked the car at Olive Avenue then walked into town to meet Jan for a coffee.
Then it was back to our highlight happy hour and dinner with Ron and Bronwen.

Paddlesteamer Gem

Wentworth Wharf

The Junction - river gums drowned by the weir downstream

Saturday

We started Saturday with the Farmers Market down near the wharf. It is a nice grassy location under trees and a good place to meet and mix.
After lunch we walked back down for the 2 hour cruise on PS Melbourne. I really enjoyed this 25 years ago at the 75th celebrations, but this time we did not mingle as much and I only saw one person I recognised, but I enjoyed sitting with Dick and Bronwen. It was interesting with the visiting paddle steamers which had come for the centenary of the Melbourne the previous weekend, and also the high river with the weir pulled out.

We enjoyed another great happy hour at Olive Avenue before driving out to Club Da Vinci 

Friday in Mildura

We started the day with a walk along eighth street to the new marina then back along the river, where the visiting paddle steamers were loading wood on the wharf.
After breakfast we headed out to the school by 10 am for registration on the front lawn, a tour of the buildings with a senior student, then Community Singing in the school hall which is now a dance studio. I met up with Janice Hill, Heather Marshman and Joanne Facey so it was nice to sit with old classmates. There was a great roll up and enthusiastic singing for over an hour. I had taken my old songbook but they provided new ones which was nice.

In the afternoon we went for a walk, and called in at the Bowls Club to see if our fathers were recorded on any honour boards, but some had been taken down for renovations.
The evening event was drinks at the Brewery which is the old picture theatre. It was noisy, crowded and very little food which came infrequently later, but I caught up with quite a lot of people who had just arrived for the weekend. It was bad luck that the venue was not sufficient as many people missed out because they did not book early, although it turned out that they did not miss much.

Hay to Mildura

We woke to a windy morning so we drove into town looking for a spot to have breakfast and opted for the bought version at the hot bread shop. It was noisy with bread making but the coffee scrolls were good although the cappuccino I ordered came as a tea bag in a cup, having asked if they had coffee.
We had a look at the old gaol and the railway station with references to the Dunera boys from 1941 who were dumped at Hay until they replaced them with POWs.
Across the one tree plain to Balranald where we called in at Yanga Station which was sold to National Parks in 2005. It overlooks a large lake and is made of logs and is quite impressive. We then had smoko in town beside the river - again high before driving on through Euston to the Murray where we found the Marion just below the Gol Gol pub so we stopped to take it all in, being a lovely day.

We had intended to go on to Wentworth for lunch to avoid arriving at that time but got a message that lunch was waiting us in Mildura which was most welcome.
We went for a walk down to Rio Vista and Loch 11 with the weir lifted out, then back along the riverbank before settling in to happy hour prior to our first event at 6pm: the opening of the art exhibition at Gallery 25 at the end of Deakin Avenue. This was followed by a quick walk up to the old Carnegie Library for the  launch of Glen Miller's history of the school where we caught up with Ron.
It was nice to be able to walk to these things - a similar distance to when we lived there.

Binnaway to Hay

It was great to be back camping with breakfast by the river, then south to Dubbo with smoko in the park again at Peak Hill and lunch in the park at West Wyalong. We stopped to have a look at the sheoaks in the park at Rankin Springs, then on past roadside wildflowers and Salvation Jane to the Murrumbidgee at Hay. The caravan parks were not attractive on the highway so we opted for Sandy Point  where the mosquitoes convinced us to drive across to the picnic area by the river for a quick and invigorating dip [with beach shower] followed by happy hour and dinner, before retreating to our tent at dark. We had the locals with a speedboat and waterski to entertain us. The river was very high.

On the road again

We headed off around 8 am, stopping at the Botanic garden at Goondiwindi for coffee, then at Moree for lunch. En route to Narrabri we were pulled over because we were driving a Mercedes. The policeman had heard that there was one driving erratically and overtaking but all he found was two grey nomads hanging  behind a truck. We got to Binnaway in good time and tried to find a level patch. Last time it was hard, this time it was not so level as well as hard, but we slept well beside the Castlereagh, after enjoying an evening stroll along it to the bridge.

The Pumphouse campground at Binnaway

The Castlereagh River at Binnaway

 

Paddle Wheels Away

I have just enjoyed reading Paddle Wheels Away by Will Lawson. Published in 1947, this is a fictionalised history of the rivers in the 1880-90s.
I also have two books with lots of old photographs  to enjoy: River Boat Days [1972] and Riverboat Ways [1983] by Peter Phillips.

Mildura Calling

This time next week we will be in Mildura for the centenary of Mildura High School which started as an agricultural college. I have gathered my relevant books and started with Mildura Calling by Alice Lapthorne. It is nice to revisit the history of the irrigation settlement and the Chaffey brothers, especially as I was house captain of Chaffey in 1966 - the girls were not the best house in my time, although the boys were. Next reading will be on the riverboats. I am looking forward to going on the Melbourne again after 25 years. It has an impressive steam driven engine. I just read about all the firewood which was cut to fire the steam driven pumps for the irrigation until they were replaced by electric pumps. Somewhere further down the track I will get to salinity.

Perseverance Heights

With Barry confined to bed with flu, I was asked to lead this walk and came up with 3 ideas, consulted Bill then Rosalie, and woke up yesterday to a clear day which promised a lovely walk on Perseverance Heights. The other 3 ideas can wait.
Dick decided to support me which made a grand total of 3 when we picked up Rosalie at Hampton.It is actually very nice to have all that scenery in a very small group. The dam looked wonderful in the sun with the water up to the spillway in the distance. 

The cliffs were golden yellow and vibrant and we passed orchids on our descent to see them.

We then climbed up and went out to the northern rocky outlook where we enjoyed a second smoko of fruit before wandering around the eastern edge on a nice pad, then descending the spur to the SE to Perseverance creek where there are large waterholes. The track back along the creek is nicely overhung with flowering wattles and we enjoyed the walk back to the car by 12.30, with lunch under a tree on soft grass before heading home.