First posted on January 2, 2013
There must have been a few stray bits of outback vegetation approaching Condobolin. Heading south again, nothing the least bit ‘outback’ about orange groves, peach (or nectarine?) trees, and even a small plantation of olive trees!
Starting out, a warm but pleasant morning, pale blue sky broadly streaked with thin white clouds. I used natural air-con as I drove along, i.e. windows down. The cattle and sheep thought it was warm enough though – they were all gathered in the shade under trees.
Halfway to Forbes I agreed with them, wound up the windows and turned on the artificial air-con! I’m sure it got hotter earlier than yesterday. I was travelling along the Lachlan Valley Way, by the Lachlan River, quite pretty but not seeing water until I noticed a bridge off to the left so I quickly swung that way to get a look. Very brown! So not picturesque on that account. But the trees were lovely and the bird sounds amazing, including kookaburras. The birds that intrigued me visually were like crows but when they extended their wings the feathers alternated black and white. I have no idea what they were but I marvelled that nature could seemingly get that alternating thing right on a pretty regular basis.
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| Lachlan River |
There was also a very loud buzzing. I can’t have been too threatening because I wasn’t attacked by some nasty looking waspy things nesting in the bridge structure right near my ear! Looking at another bit of the bridge structure – steel from …. Scotland?! Where was BHP when this thing was being built, or more likely reinforced?
Arriving in Forbes, the first thing I spotted was some gardens that had a village green about them. The Newell Highway as one boundary, gorgeous old buildings – churches, court, town hall, pubs, on the other three sides.
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| Forbes |
I have to say, however crook things still are for farmers after our prolonged drought that hasn’t been broken all that long, the towns I’m passing through look prosperous in that there are fewer vacant shops than in some Melbourne shopping centres, the shops themselves look well patronised, on the whole, the towns are neat and clean, and most have well-tended civic gardens, and often, street plantings that are well cared for too.
After a quick bit of photography, it was time to find some breakfast – or brunch since it was heading on for 11am by now. I parked the car and got sidetracked immediately. The local artists’ gallery was open. I admired the works, bought a pair of water colours …. yes, I was good to the economy of Forbes too!
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| Forbes watercolours |
I said to the volunteer attendant that I was really after breakfast. I knew I wouldn’t starve – saw the golden arches advert on the way into town but didn’t want to resort to that if it could be avoided. Before this I’d done a drive around town and realised not much was open. She suggested McFeeters which I’d passed on the way into town, a motor museum with cafe. Kept driving. It’s the country, I assumed trucks. Finally, in desperation I went back there to eat. Yet another surprise. This was no truck show, it was cars, about 100 of them, roughly 2/3 the McFeeters’ personal collection, the rest on loan. It was fabulous, I loved it. Oh, and I did eat there too. Another fresh salad sandwich!
And I even got to try one …. spot the dummy!!
On the way back through Forbes I stopped to snap a plane perched up by the Lachlan Lake. I pulled up next to a car and caravan that could have straight from McFeeters but they were really travelling home to South Australia from a car enthusiasts gathering at Bathurst.
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| Forbes |
I was hot and bothered by the time I got to Parkes although feeling pleased to have seen a flock of kangaroos in a paddock – made a change from seeing roo road-kill. Some lovely old buildings here too but also there seemed to be more of the not-so-lovely old buildings than elsewhere. Not down at heel, more the poorer people’s housing, fibro and cheap timber places. There would have been many more great views from Memorial Hill where there is both an impressive war memorial … and too much view-blocking vegetation.
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| Parkes |
Down the hill again and the rest of the photos I took I did the lazy way – from the car, only occasionally getting out, doing a lot of U turns to get into position. The things you do when you’re hot and bothered – and it’s a public holiday and no traffic is about! And no police either!!
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| There was money in Parkes for this sort of housing! |
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| Parkes Court House |
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| Uniting Church, Parkes |
Parkes is a bit of a cultural hot spot. They’ve just had a jazz weekend and they’ve got the Elvis weekend coming up. The Anglicans, with their Very Solid church, are getting into the swing of things!!
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| Anglican Church, Parkes |
Then finally I did resort to Maccas – loo break and very cold, if not particularly thirst-quenching, drink. The saving grace – driving past the crepe myrtles lining the street – imagining them when they’re more mature …
After that, 20km out of Parkes to see The Dish, CSIRO’s radio telescope. It was an amazing sight. I even got to see it move. Apparently you don’t see that very often – it moves a fair bit but usually too little to be seen by the naked eye, so I was told. So I was pretty lucky.
Finally, back to and straight through Parkes, stopping only for petrol, en route to tonight’s stopping place, Canowindra. This road was more twisty than anything else so far, also hills nearer and the whole area more treed. And also, given that it was what I thought of as a bit of a backwater road, quite a few long-haul buses. Eugowra might have been worth a half hour stop, or a bit longer if the craft shops were open, but it was getting late enough for there to be long shadows: kangaroo time, which I wished to avoid. I did do a quick ‘off the main drag’ drive because I spotted these huge boulders in one street. The one that got away, i.e. no photo, was one house that immediately outside the side door there was such a massive boulder you wondered why you’d ever have built there – or how they did.
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| Eugowra |
Finally, Canowindra. Checked into the motel then the hunt to eat. This is a small town with only one pub serving food, other pubs and the RSL had closed kitchens for New Year’s Day. I’ll do my exploring here in the morning.
