Day 48 - Home

Left Bylong around 9am for the 200km dash for home. Had morning tea at Jerrys Plains.

Well thats ends our 48 day holiday to South Australia with some interesting visits in Victoria & NSW.

Over those 48 days we travelled 6537km. Average overnight costs was $21.73 per night. Spent $1,769 in fuel which was 952 litres at average cost of $1.85 per litre (Highest $2.10 - Lowest $1.69). Average consumption was 14.57 litres per 100km.

Thank you for coming along with us - we trust you enjoyed the blog and photos.

Until next time - Bye,

Faye & Ken

Day 47 - Bylong

A very cold night at Macquarie Woods but today has been sunny & warm with some wind.

Left around 10am with morning tea at Sofala. The main highway was very busy but once we passed Bathurst towards Sofala the main traffic was caravans heading to Bathurst - many on the road for the long weekend.

Sofala is a small historic town with a very narrow main street.

Then onto Bylong via Kandos & Rylstone where we bought lunch.

A very picturesque drive through the Bylong Valley.

Lots of caravans here tonight.

Tomorrow - the plan is HOME.

Will do another blog tomorrow night with some stats.

Day 46 - Macquarie Woods in Vittoria State Forest

To start the day - we slept in & then had a look at some more murals followed by morning tea…

We spoke to a few friendly locals & mostly they talked about the 2022 flood. It wasn’t a normal flood in that it came into town as a roaring 2 metre wave & destroyed many houses & damaged most of the others. Ken spoke to 2 men who both lost their houses. They said there were 11 helicopters used to rescue people and some died. It is still a raw topic as many people are still suffering & a lot of work still to be done to lots of houses. The town only recently reopened the park for free campers like us. They are trying to encourage people to visit the town again. Morning tea was outside from a trailer.

Then came to Molong via cross country to Manildra.

The murals above were in Manildra.

Then onto tonights camp in Vittoria State Forest - via Orange.

We have been here before but today it is COLD. The temp was 12 when we arrived.

Tomorrow we are heading closer to home & will stay at Bylong - to avoid coming home via Sydney.

Home on Saturday….so it will be almost 7 weeks since we left.

Day 45-Eugowra

Before we left Barmedman this morning we did a walk around the old shops to check out some of the displays which they had done for the town’s 150th Anniversary last year. The only operating shop now is a craft/cafe all run by volunteers. They had just opened and a lady was just coming out with a teenager & we asked if she was a local. Told her we were just looking and thinking of our memories and we worked in the bank with a “Kathy” who still lived there. To our amazement she said “I’m Kathy” - all of us would’t have recognised each other (that’s what 46 years does!).

So that led to a long conversation on the footpath - the other girl on the staff at the time was “`Sue” & she lives in Temora.

One of Tim’s friends was a Stephen West - he also lives in Temora and works at the council & his wife is an Accountant. His older brother still runs the family property. The school only has 4 kids now & they are fearful for the future for next year. The Post Office closed 2/3 years ago & both hotels have closed. The bank closed decades ago.

We both spent many hours on those tennis courts in the last photo - in our days there were graded tennis tournaments 3 nights a week.

Left Barmedman at 11am & through to Grenfell for lunch.

Henry Lawson was born in Grenfell in 1867.

Then onto Eugowra where we are staying in a free camp in the town park.

Eugowra was devastated by flooding in 2022 when a massive wall of water went through all the town. After we arrived did a walk to the local shop/newsagent which is in an old theatre. The shop floor is high in the building & the owner showed us where the water came up to which was well over the counters. He said they had lots of help but some people will never get over it. Two people died & 80% of buildings damaged with hundreds lifted off their roofs by helicopters.

Lots of murals around the town…

Tomorrow the plan is Macquarie Woods which is between Orange & Bathurst.

Day 44 - Barmedman

Another slow start -first stop was the Griffith painted water tower…

The artist Heesco has done lots in Victoria.

Then onto Yenda for morning tea & then to Barellan.

This coming weekend is Barellan’s “Good Old Days Festival” which features all sorts of draught animals - just in time to see a promotion they were doing today with cattle hauling a cart.

Next stop was Ardlethan where we had lunch.

Ardlethan says it is the home to the kelpie…

We originally planned to stay at Ariah Park but decided to come a bit further to Barmedman where we lived for 2 years 1977/9. Barmedman was Ken’s first managers appointment in the Bank (a time when small country towns had a bank!)

We are camped next to the Mineral Pool which they are currently filling for the upcoming summer.

Ken had a long talk with a local who moved here from Sydney in 2004. Many names came to memory. One of the girls who worked with Ken still lives here (her husband died last year). He encouraged us to walk the main street in the morning as they had a “Back to Barmedman” celebration last year and put displays in all the vacant shop windows to show how the town used to be - the displays are still there.

The last photo was the Bank of NSW…

Day 43 - Lake Wyangan Griffith

A slow start this morning & we finally left Deni around 11am after doing some domestics & shopping.

The Deni Ute Muster is on later this week & it is the town’s biggest event.

Had lunch at Coleambally…

Then onto Griffith and we are staying at a free camp at Lake Wyangan a few kms outside Griffith.

It is a very pleasant place & we have good views from the van over the lake.

Did a walk to the water & these are some of the birds!

Tomorrows destination is still to be decided - a few options, including Barmedman where we lived 1977/9.

Day 42 - Deniliquin

First up here are some photos from last nights sunset at Lake Boga..

Left there around 10am & through to Kerang for morning tea - at the bakery!

Then across the Murray River to NSW at Barham.

A nice painted water tower at Barham..

Then to Deniliquin where we are staying the night at a free camp alongside the Edward River.

Deni also has a painted water tower.

Tomorrow to Griffith.

Day 41 - Lake Boga

A slow morning and we didn’t leave Hopetoun until 11am. Had morning tea at a cafe there. We didn’t realise yesterday that this is a long weekend in Victoria as many shops were closed and lots of vans on the road.They have their holiday on Friday (for the AFL Grand Final Parade).

Lots of murals around and Faye loved the sheep (& ducks next to the van).

First stop today was the painted silos at Lascelles…

Then onto Sea Lake for their murals…

Had a look at Lake Tyrrell near Sea Lake & had lunch before we left.

Then to Lake Boga for tonights camp. We are camped next to the lake after getting a permit from the caravan park.

Lake Boga had a Catalina Flying Boat base in WW2. There is a museum with a catalina plane.

The sunset will be over the water again.

Tomorrow we will be back in NSW - Deniliquin is the target!

Day 40 - Hopetoun

Had a quick look around before we left Dimboola this morning…

It was extremely windy today so travel was a lot slower than usual.

Morning tea at Arkona silos…

The painting was of a deceased indigenous person so left out all the actual body parts.

Then onto Rainbow where another silo is being painted.

This will be a first for Australia - they have constructed stairs and a lift so people can get up. There will be access to the 2 silo tubes which will have art works inside. Ken spoke to a man who donated the silos & land - the stairs/lift cost over $2m. The artist starts next week on the interior art & 1 tube will be a gallery for other artists. The carpark was done this week & they hope to have it open by Melbourne Cup day.

The next stop was the silos at Albacutya.

Then onto Hopetoun where we are camped alongside Lake Lascelles…a nice camp except for the wind but it had subsided by sunset.

Some sunset photos - not a lot of cloud…

Tomorrow the plan is Lake Boga.

Day 39 - Dimboola

Left Casterton at 9am & first stop at Coleraine for morning tea at The Catching Pen cafe - also lots of animals around.

Then onto Horsham & took the highway that ran just west of the Grampians…

Went to Horsham to check out the silo art - as we were there the Overlander train went past.

The mural is of an aboriginal elder who was one of the first aboriginal cricket team to tour England in 1868. His totem was a black cockatoo.

The final leg today was to Dimboola - first had a look at the Pink Lake.

Camped in the Rec Reserve. Tomorrow night’s destination is still to be planned!