Well, it had to happen. On the other hand, I hadn’t got far on the road to Gundagai before realising I was on the wrong, even if legendary, road. So a quick(ish!) U-turn and I was back on track for Temora. That was the second decision of the day. The first, not to go to Condobolin via Lake Cargelligo ….. perhaps another time, if I ever get to go to Cobar and Bourke maybe. But today it was predicted to be 39 (tomorrow 40) and I thought discretion would be the order of the day, I would be better off not doing that extra 100km. The car air-con is doing fine but it’s still a warm cool, if that makes sense, and a bit airless. Good decision confirmed as I rolled into Condo yawning.
But first, Temora for brunch. I got a bit sidetracked and went into a patchwork shop hoping to get a small bag, suitable for books for book group. But gasp! They had the necklace I’d been wanting – the longer string but not so fat beads of the necklace I’ve already got that whenever I wear it someone comments. Had to get some matching earrings, of course! Then I asked if there was a bakery where I could eat-in with a coffee. Yes, directions duly given. A woman followed me out of the shop and suggested, because she’d overheard me, a craft shop with extras – cakes, jams, etc – run by local ‘old ladies’ (the helpful stranger’s term
). So I headed in that direction. It wasn’t an eat-in place and I didn’t buy any of the baked goodies, not through any great dietary resolve but there was too much in even the smallest package to be carrying in a very hot car. So I bought a pretty watercolour instead!! Oh I was good for the economy of Temora!!
Mind you, yesterday’s chocolate covered licorice didn’t fare too badly in the heat of the car! And I got a sandwich and a piece of caramel hedgehog at a bakery in a different direction to which I’d been pointed.
Temora’s self-proclaimed claim to fame is as the birthplace of Don Bradman. I didn’t even do a drive-by, so uninterested am I in cricket. They’ve given up advertising themselves as the birthplace of Paleface Adios because you’d have to be of a certain vintage (mine!) to remember that horse (trotter) winning a lot of races …. but hardly world famous even then. Not like the Don! But there is a Paleface statue in the main street still – with a mobile blood collection unit parked by it today. Three cheers for blood donors. (I was one once, well forty times, but that was a while ago too.)
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| Mobile blood bank at Temora |
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| Memories of past glories |
The other main attraction in Temora is the Aviation Museum. It puzzled me why such a thing would be here and would have given it a miss but for Jenny telling me over dinner the night before I left about a man in her parish who had flown Spitfires during WWII. In the advertising the museum says it has two of those planes. I’m glad I went … although sorry that they were all war planes, I never feel good about that. It turns out, Temora had been home to a rather large RAAF training base during WWII. Live and learn! Having been to the aviation museum in Darwin in September it was interesting to compare. With a B52, Darwin couldn’t be beaten for size. But Temora shone. It seemed to be really loved, and much better cared for, by those who care for the collection.
Thus, Temora was today’s Henty, different in that I’d planned to stop to eat. But the same in that I expected nothing of interest and was soundly proved wrong.
So on to West Wyalong. Some more lovely old buildings but this really was just a drive-through re-fueling stop, both for me and the car. Brunch is such a good word for that cross between breakfast and morning tea. But is there an equivalent word for a cross between lunch and afternoon tea? I haven’t heard of one. So another sandwich, hunting out the bakeries so I don’t have to smell the cooking oil.
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| West Wyalong |
It was really pretty hot by now so I had no doubt that the next leg was straight through to Condobolin. I’m not sure what and where the boundaries of “the outback” are and I wouldn’t have called anywhere that I’m travelling “the outback”. If farming is one criterion, then this is very much a wheat area, although all golden stubble at this time of year. Yet the vegetation started to include some that I’ve only ever seen in what is unquestionably the outback, so maybe I’m on the edge here. It’s still beautiful country, sheep too. And I saw a bunny hippity hopping away as I got out of the car to take photos en route.
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| On the road from West Wyalong to Condo |
My first sighting of wildlife came when I was still very close to Melbourne – a fox, looking very well-nourished with it’s tail almost as big again. Not long after I saw one as road-kill. There’s been a bit of that about, sadly most of it our precious, dwindling native variety.
And finally, yawning in to Condo. The motel was only built in 2010 so very new still. Minimalist in its provisions although that one vital thing, air-con, works brilliantly, and quietly. Walls and ceiling are stark white … all the better to see the mozzies by! I hot-footed it back to reception to get a can of Mortein, sprayed the room furiously then shut the door and went to explore the town. The approach to the town was much more fertile than I’d imagined and now the town was much bigger than expected. I was thinking a main street more the size of Culcairn, which was about a dozen or so shops and one pub. Can’t count the number of shops
or pubs in Condobolin!! After dinner at one of those pubs it was back to the motel for an early night, New Year’s Eve not withstanding. I’m not braving the masquerade ball (ball??) at the RSL and you can see why there’s no fireworks – the whole district would go up in flames. There’s water in the dams but still everything is tinder dry.
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| Condobolin |
On returning to the motel there were five dead mozzies on the bathroom sink alone! More elsewhere. I haven’t taken the can of Mortein back to reception!! It seems OK but I’ll be waiting for that high-pitched whine when I get into bed and turn the lights out!
And yes, someone commented. I wore those beads out of the shop and for the rest of the day … I love the way they make people smile.
