On the final homeward stretch

Avoiding the flooding in some rivers across central western NSW was not really too difficult, although we did have to make a detour when the road between Grong Grong and Matong was cut . . . aren’t they wonderful Australian place names? Our route included Junee, which we have visited before, so we knew exactly where to go – the chocolate and liquorice factory, particularly to stock up on their chocolate-coated raspberry liquorice, and chocolate-coated inca berries.

The ceramic fountain in Narrandera, a

gift to the town from its mayor in 1922, as

a WWI memorial. It is one of only two in

the world made by Royal Doulton, and

a local man restored it in 1971 after

smash damage by vandals.

We spent a happy night in Cootamundra, where the creeks were running well, then made our way to Canberra via the historic town of Harden, where we watched a whole crew of chaps sprucing up the railway station, painting the white line along the edge of the platform. This took four of them, one to push the spray machine, one to direct the nozzle onto the platform edge, and two bringing up the rear with paint rollers. Sadly, it was a very windy day, and the masking tape they’d so carefully laid on the edge of this white stripe obviously didn’t adhere, as it started lifting and then flying around. At that point, we left them to it and sought a nice hot coffee in a suitably warm café.

The country around Canberra is looking fabulous . . . all green pastures, snowy sheep and golden canola. While staying with John’s family there we were taken to see the Cotter Dam, which had had its dam wall raised quite dramatically in recent years. The dam is so full that water was cascading from a huge height over this high wall. Elsewhere the Scrivener Dam, which regulates the water level in Lake Burley Griffin, was also spilling dramatically.

But the rain followed us, as well as windy, cold weather, so even on the day we left Canberra to start driving north, it was not at all pleasant. We turned sharply north at Goulburn . . . after delighting in the sight of Lake George actually filling with water after what the locals say is about 20 years. Whenever I’ve seen it before it is just pasture for sheep and cattle.

Anyway, we drove north to Oberon, detouring briefly to check out the Wombeyan Caves, which have now joined our favourite places in WA and SA as ‘must return’ locations. The wind was howling in from the west, making the rain almost horizontal, and cattle were pressed against fences with

One of the many historic buildings in Ryleston.

their rear ends to the cold wind, and their faces looking most miserable.  Little lambs were huddling with their Mums and even the alpacas in some of the paddocks we passed were looking fairly cheesed-off at the weather.

We kept heading north towards Mudgee, but turned into the Bylong Valley, stopping for the night at Rylstone, where the Apex Club had built a small caravan park. The young local woman who has the management rights from the council came around almost on dark to collect camping fees and told us that as it’s a long weekend she is just about booked out for the next few nights.

While lunching at Muswellbrook, in a

memorial grove to Vietnam War veterans,

we spotted this memorial to the

members of the South Vietnam Army.

Someone had left a fresh fruit offering

(not so fresh when we saw it) as a

traditional tribute

We’ll move on to Scone to visit some of John’s friends, then have our final night on the road at Glencoe, visiting my late sister’s daughter and her family . . . then it’s a final sprint to HOME.

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We’ve driven more than 21,000 km in three months, seen wonderful sights and met some fabulous new friends, but we are looking forward enormously to returning home. We have done so much our brains have almost gone into information overload, so it will be wonderful to reflect on everything we’ve learnt about this huge and varied country of ours.

And with the effects of rain visible everywhere from the time we started our journey until now, we have never seen the Outback looking so good. And the crops of wheat and canola we’ve seen from WA to NSW really do make it a green and gold nation.

Thank you all for taking the journey with us. I wish all Australians could see what we have: The dust, the gorges and the mining wealth of the Pilbara; the glory of the WA wildflowers; the majesty of mountains in many states from the Flinders Ranges to the Bylong Valley in NSW; and the life-giving blessing of good rain.