JERILDERIE > NARRANDERA > ARDLETHAN > TEMORA > YOUNG > KOORAWATHA > COWRA > BLAYNEY > BATHURST

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JERILDERIE ► NARRANDERA ►ARDLETHAN ► TEMORA

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YOUNG ► KOORAWATHA ► COWRA

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BLAYNEY

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BATHURST ► RAGLAN

Departed Jerilderie Roadhouse on Saturday
Stopped at Bundure and had a short sleep
Murrumbidgee River
Narrandera
Ardlethan
Temora
Young
Koorawatha
Cowra
Blayney
Bathurst
Camped overnight at a Roadhouse at Raglan, east of Bathurst on Saturday

THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT WHILE THE PICTURES LOAD

Day 46

Saturday 2nd January 2010

Click on the pictures for larger versions




Below is the Jerilderie BP Roadhouse. On the left is the rear of the roadhouse. With the amenities block a few metres away, a level concrete surface for the caravan and no other vehicles around, it was the perfect spot for the night. The dogs were cosy too, as they snuggled up in the back of the van, out of the rain. All went well with the Honda Alternator. Thanks to all there.

9.36am		9.38am


Next stop, who knows where.
	9.41am


We turned right and headed into Jerilderie. On the left I noticed a body of water. I looked up Google Maps and saw it looked like a Billabong that's fed by the flooding of Billabong Creek. Makes sense to me. I may be wrong. Whatever, it was a lovely blue stretch of water with lush green banks. The "Public Toilets" sign I happened to catch, seems to give a false impression of the usage of the Billabong. :) After enjoying the view of the Billabong we drove on through the main town area. It was Saturday morning on the New Year weekend, so very few people were stirring, just the odd person buying the newspaper. It seemed a very friendly country town.
9.42am		9.43am


The next town was Narrandera. Judy drifts to sleep when the surroundings are very similar. She did again and I found it very hard to drive looking into the glare. As we hadn't had a lot of sleep, around 5 hours, I started to get very drowsy. The heat didn't help. The day was very hot, even at that time of day. The Camps Australia bible showed a Rest Area ahead, Bundure. I parked the rig in the shade. I was so tired, that I hit the bed in the caravan. I went straight to sleep. I slept for around 30 minutes while Judy rested. Amazingly I felt really refreshed after that short sleep and after a drink and some food Judy had organised, we headed for Narrandera.
	10.26am


Having gone to school in Queensland in the fifties, I remembered learning about the "MIA" - the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. As I drove along I saw a sign indicating I was close to that area. The view out of my window certainly didn't fit my childhood visions of green land and lush growth. The land was very thirsty and pretty barren looking. Narrandera helped change my mind as we saw the Murrumbidgee River. The vehicle needed refilling. We saw a Caltex Service Station just as we arrived on the outskirts. It seemed everyone and their dog was there, but I soon realized they were tourists who, as luck would have it, had just filed off two buses. Great timing! I noticed the trees behind the Service Station and decided to park the rig there. That's when I saw the river, the Murrumbidgee River, the same river I had heard so much about in our Social Studies in Primary School in the fifties. While we waited for the buses to refill after the tourists had their fill, the dogs jumped out for a stretch etc and we had a closer look at the river. I took the shots below as I thought about the teacher telling us of its history. I remembered crossing the same river at Balranald in the late eighties when it was very wide and in flood. It seemed small at Narrandera in comparison, but more scenic.
11.31am	11.31am	11.32am



	11.34am


At this point I had to decide when to head towards the coast, as part of the purpose of our trip was to visit Judy's friend at Maclean. We could go via the Newell Highway and then cut across to the Pacific Highway via Dubbo, Coonabarabran, Gunnedah, Tamworth and Armidale and end up near Coffs Harbour. Then head North to Maclean. We'd both been on the majority of that path. The other option was to go via the Newell Highway, Burley Griffin Way, Olympic Highway, Mid Western Highway, Great Western Highway and then cross my fingers as I negotiated the Freeways west of Sydney, and head up the Pacific Highway. That would take us via Grong Grong, Ardlethan, Temora, Young, Cowra, Blayney, Bathurst, Lithgow, then over the Blue Mountains at Katoomba, avoid Sydney by heading North East and then up the Pacific Highway to Maclean. My head said "Go North to Tamworth!!" but my heart said go the other way and see a lot of territory I hadn't seen. Added to that we'd see Jenolan Caves, Katoomba and the Three Sisters. We weren't tied to a time, so it wouldn't matter if we took a few more days. PLUS, we needed a spare tyre replaced, that blew out in Victoria on Day 43 - http://garycolquhoun.com/2009_2010_d43.htm The Daihatsu had a type of tyre that was very hard to get, so it was a bonus that we'd be close to a major city where it was certain to be available and after the Public Holidays. Judy always left the directions to me as she came from South America, USA and Great Britain and wasn't good at Australia's geography. She was just happy to be travelling and seeing the country. I decided on the second option. The pictures below are on the Burley Griffin Way, west of Temora.
W		4.00pm



4.00pm	4.06pm	4.11pm



4.11pm		4.12pm


The entrance to Temora
	4.16pm


Pictures as we drove through Temora
4.18pm	4.20pm	4.20pm


On Milvale Rd on the way to Young
	4.35pm



4.44pm		4.44pm



	4.45pm



4.46pm		4.47pm