Category: Australia

My first visit to inland Victoria – Echuca and Bendigo

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Up river from Echuca wharf
With a couple days off from work I decided to head to Bendigo with Sharpie to attend the Australian Sheep and Fleece Show.
We decided that we would overnight in Echuca and found staying at the Mercure hotel a pleasant experience. The rooms are older but very clean and being older meant we had oodles of space. The staff were extremely welcoming and made us feel right at home. 
Before dinner we took a spin around town for a quick look at this historic port look at option for dinners in the end we decided take up Marcus’ (front desk) invitation to dine in house at the restaurant. This was the right thing to do 

 




Up early for a simple but tasty breakfast at the Beechworth bakery before having a look around this historic town. It is quite touristy these days but you can still imagine and almost hear the bullock drays and paddle steamers loading and unloading cargo.


We set off for the 1hour bit drive to Bendigo and checked into our fun hotel for the next two nights. I found a great deal at the Art Schaller Series Hotel which is the most interesting and fun hotel I have ever stayed in. We knew we were going to enjoy our visit to Bendigo.






The now time to find the real purpose for our visit, the Australian Sheep and Fleece Show, one of the biggest in the country and features many different breed of sheep and all the bi products of these animals.



The craft pavilions were packed with everything from spinning, weaving and all craft activities related to natural fibres. Visitors came by the bus load from Melbourne for this side of the show. I made a few small purchases of leather gloves and ear muffs ready for our trip later in the year. Loving my new ox blood leather gloves and cant wait to find an opportunity to where them. Our interest was with the merinos of which there were plenty to look at along with more than 500 fleeces in fleece judging competition. Sharp was delighted one of clients took out a broad ribbon in the commercial fleece section.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time and it was really worth the visit to this annual event. Sunday was spent driving the eight hours home, we hit the rain that Sydney had been having all weekend at about Holborn and were really please to roll into the garage ready to for a full work week tomorrow.


Our next trip will be to outback of NSW Brewarrina Field Day

With the morning sun rising behind us we headed west…

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With the morning sun rising behind us we headed west across the Nepean river and up into the Blue mountains. 

It is unseasonably warm for this time of the year with not a sign of frost in fact hard to believe it is The end of June more like spring weather.



Breakfast at Cafe 89 in Mudgee, Mudgee is great spot for weekend getaway although with so much to see and do might need several weekends or a long stay to do it justice. Abundance of wineries and 1st class eateries. 

Mudgee filled with lots of interesting shops with stylish clothing antiques and other interesting places that one could lose oneself in for a few hours of retail therapy. 


After a hearty breakfast, well a delish egg and bacon roll at Cafe 89 in Mudgee we set off for Coonamble via Gulgong Dunedoo Mendoran Gilgandra. 





We were making good time but needless to say it was quick comfort stop while fuelling up in Coonamble before the last leg via Walgett to Brewarrina where we arrived at the 3pm which was 9 hours after we set out from Parramatta. 


All in all a good trip but as usual feeling a little jet lagged after so long in the car. Brewarrina is where I was born way back in early 60’s
Friday afternoon was for setting up as much of the site as we safely could. 

Didn’t want to risk losing any merchandise should it decide to walk during the night. After a quick shower we headed to Bre RSL club for dinner with the MacWool team and some of the product reps also in town for the big event.

We were up bright and earlier after having the pleasure of staying in ‘the big’ house at Beds on the Barwon. A quick breakfast and off to the show ground for final set up. 










Sharpy and Hunter were charged with judging the fleeces and yours truly was on the pencil to records the results and completing judging cards. 

Pleasing to have 26 fleeces donated to the Bre Field day committee for judging. After the competition these fleeces will make a bale of wool which will be sold by MacWool with proceeds going to the Bre Field day coffers the to help with next years event.

The morning was spent in the wool area with judging was complete and sashes draped over the winning entries










We headed out to work our way through the vast array of stall with everything from clothing to fine silver jewellery

Courtesy Silver from the Sticks

to a demonstration by the Thermomix lady and all things in between. It was a clear sky day which made it very pleasant to catch up with old and new friends alike. 


 I kept the economy ticking over with purchase of very nice silver bracelet and how could I not buy a Thermomix (been thinking about making a purchase for server so month) reseller only needed to sell one more before June 30 to win a trip to Paris. 

Today was her last chance so I took the plunge –  I get a thermie and Belinda gets to go to Paris in September.

The drive home was uneventful with only one stop in Mudgee at Cafe 89 for a late breakfast around 10.30am. Another full weekend which saw arriving home in time to wash and get ready for the work week ahead

Next week Enngonia Races (Stop press these were washed out for the 4 time in last 6 years)

Sunrise between Walgett and Coonamble NSW


Our backyard and beyond

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After years of blogging when travelling abroad it has occurred to me my overseas followers might be interested in my travels around our fine country. With several trips planned over next few months I decided to do a few local posts to get my hand in again before next overseas trip in September.

The travel plans between now and Christmas are;

  • Brewarrina Field Day
  • Enngonia Races
  • Bendigo Sheep and Wool Expo
  • Nyngan Field Day
  • Louth Races
  • Europe (London Belgium and two week river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest)
  • Family Christmas in USA
So our first trip kicks off tomorrow with a almost 9 hour drive to Brewarrina in far west of NSW.

Christmas in Rockhampton.

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Christmas in Rockhampton

After a couple of great days in Longreach it was time to head east for a couple nights on the coast at

Yeppoon before checking in to our apartment in Rockhampton for Christmas day.
We set out before daylight as it is about 750 Kms and 8 hours

driving to from Longreach to Yeppoon, our first stop was a the bakery in Barcaldine for a toasted Cheese and tomato Sandwich for breakfast. Our next planned stop was in emerald for lunch. The country was certainly greener as we headed eastwards and evidence of decent storms was everywhere.  All though we kept moving we enjoyed seeing the countryside and the little places dotted along the way, Alice , Jericho, Alpha and Willows looked like great little QLD communities. 

On arrival in Emerald we found a great little hamburger place for a quick lunch and a bit of a break before hitting the road again for the last leg to Yeppoon.

Before we hit the road again we stopped by the world”s biggest Van Gogh sunflower painting is situated in Morton Park, Emerald. The superstructure is 25 metres high with approximately 13.6 tonnes of steel involved in its construction. It is part of a concept by Cameron Cross to erect seven Sunflower sculptures in seven different countries, reproducing Van Gogh”s seven different Sunflower paintings. Emerald”s Sunflower Painting was finished on 8 November 1999.

The painting celebrates the Central Highland”s reputation as a major sunflower producer.

The rest of the trip was uneventful and were skirted around the outskirts of Rocky and headed up to Yeppoon. Aahh the coast again, love inland but love the coast more I think.

We booked accommodation based on good reviews on trip advisor and can I say the Surfside Motel could be one of the best little motels we have ever stayed in.

Fantastic beachfront location just a short stroll from shops, restaurants, clubs and all services Yeppoon has to offer. All rooms are air conditioned and have cooking facilities, Foxtel TV and wireless internet access. There is a great pool area if you don’t want to walk across the road to the beach and laundry facilities are onsite.

We had two very relaxing days just wandering around and generally resting up, this was very welcome after what has been a very busy year work, travel and family wise. Again the pictures will tell the story or our stay.

On Christmas eve we reluctantly checked out and headed to the fish co-op to purchase our Christmas lunch feast of seafood. Our expectation was that this would take a long time with crowds doing the same thing, the co-op was so well set up for dealing with the volume of people we were in and out in under half an hour. So there was nothing left to do but head south to our next stop Rockhampton. 

In no time at all we had driven the 80kms back to Rockhampton and had booked in to the very beautiful Edge Apartments right on the Fitzroy river, we couldn’t believe our luck another perfect place to stay for our Christmas day.

We decided to have our Christmas eve dinner in the Edge restaurant onsite but before heading down to dinner we sat on the balcony and watched the shadows coming across the river. Located on footsteps of Rockhampton’s Fitzroy River, The Edge Restaurant and Bar is Rockhampton’s newest most exciting venue. Offering modern Australian cuisine, friendly professional staff and an atmosphere that is both casual and chic! The staff were friendly and attentive and certainly go out of their way to make sure your experience is a memorable one.

We had one of the most enjoyable Christmases ever, over indulged in our seafood spread (I had a huge mud crab in honour of my dad who always talked about the muddy he used to catch when growing up in Rocky) and a couple very nice bottles of wine. If you can’t be surrounded all the family then this was the next best thing to a perfect Christmas day for us.

On boxing day we checked out and headed further south, planned on overnighting at Hervey Bay before heading on to Sunshine coast for a few days with our friends ‘The Cooks’

One quick stop off in Bundaberg, to visit the factory and store of Bundaberg Rum. While there we picked up some rather nice glasses for ourselves and a set for number one son Mark who is a lover of the product.

After a few days lazing around the Sunshine Coast with the cooks with lots of food, drink and merriment we started the last leg home from our quick summer road trip with a slight detour to meet our newest niece Ember and have lunch with our Beaudesert family.

After another great seafood lunch (purchased at the Mooloolaba fish market) and good catch up with Matt Tish Eli and Ember we hit the road at 2pm and drove through the night arriving home at 2am. A short dinner stop in Coffs Harbour at a very good Chinese just off the highway

All in all we had a great trip and managed to see a lot of the country that we have always wanted to to see as well as the bonus of catching up with friends and family

Check out YouTube video for all photos for this trip

The Stockman’s Hall of Frame Longreach QLD

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Longreach Hall of Fame and Qantas Museum

We had a bit of a lie in before heading down to the Eagles Nest cafe for breakfast, this was a real find as we had great meal and lingered over our tea until it was time to check out the Hall of Fame.


The Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame is a museum located Longreach, Queensland, Australia, which pays tribute to pioneers of the Australian outback. The centre is also dedicated to Australian stockmen and Aborigines who have shown bravery and courage.

The founder of the Hall of Fame was artist Hugh Sawrey, a well known painter and former stockman, who
had the name registered in 1974, put up the initial funding, and enlisted supporters. His vision was to create a memorial to the explorers, overlanders, pioneers and settlers of outback Australia. This dream was shared by other outstanding Australians, including the legendary R. M. Williams.

Longreach was chosen as the location because of its historical role as a stock route junction and because of its current transport links.

The original information centre, a sandstone cottage built by R. M. Williams, complete with hand adzed timber and black marble floors, was restored to its original character and now houses the Hall of Fame’s growing library collection.

Growing up in the bush meant that I spent a lot of time reminiscing over the various items that were a big part of my early years, it was quite surreal take a photo of the telephone exchange box that connected our party lines with my iPhone 6+.


Seeing the wooden calf cradle (used for marking and branding calves) like the ones my dad used to build in the 60’s before he switch to steel. I remember well when he swapped away one of early cradles for a liver chestnut mare called Rosie, she was well loved part of family for many years.

There is so much to see and read about, as I more visual I will say it with photos rather than words.

Check out my YouTube video of all photos from trip
Sample below

Zipping around outback Qld for Christmas – Getting there…

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Our Christmas Road Trip

We decided this year we would visit a couple places on our ‘must see’ places during the Christmas
break. Stockman’s Hall of Fame and the Qantas museum in Longreach in South Western Queensland.

We set off with a detour we not really more a slight deviation to Brewarrina to attended the annual Macdonald Rural Christmas party, this was an opportunity to catch up with clients and friends as well have a Christmas drink with other members of the MacWool team.

We stayed at the fabulous and highly recommended Beds on the Barwon, this place get better and better each time we stay. If you are ever in Brewarrina this is the place to stay, an opportunity to soak up the far west in top notch accommodations, The hospitality of Grant and Melissa Vlatch certainly makes one feel extra welcome.

Next morning we crept out of our cabin and hit the road early as we were planning the next night to be in Charleville 550km and about 6 hours driving north of Brewarrina. Couldn’t pass through Bourke NSW without a quick coffee at Morrall’s bakery, with a quick drive around Cunnamulla to re aquatint ourselves with this once familiar little town before heading on up the road to Charleville in time for a late lunch.

We checked into the very welcoming Charleville Motel  where we cranked up the aircon and took a pleasant afternoon nap. Dinner was in house the Menzies Steakhouse it was an enjoyable meal, we both chose steak which was cooked to perfection. Up and at ’em early next morning we decided to get to Blackall for breakfast and get some miles under our belt before it got too hot.  We aimed to be in Longreach another 500kms up the road by bit after lunch.

This section was uneventful apart from the best morning tea break at Tambo at a ‘do not drive by without stopping’ place where we had a sensational latte and coffee for Sharpy. Fannie Mae’s is certainly like an oasis in Tambo.

After checking out the ‘Tree of Knowledge’  which is said to be where the Labour Party started in Barcaldine. It is amazing that two icons from our history and life today began within 60 odd miles of one another and are now supported by the Stockman’s Hall of Fame. So much Australian history in one small corner of this vast country, a great place for visitors to get a snapshot of our early history.

After a sandwich in the park while looking at the original Qantas ticketing office in the main street of Longreach.

We decided to visit the Qantas museum today as it was very hot and it was indoors and air-conditioned. The next few hours were spent wandering around this very interesting and well laid out museum, to think a business that started out giving joy rides to local graziers to drum up business has become one of the most recognised brands and a successful world class airlines.

After checking in to the Albert Park Motor Inn, this is an older style motel which very comfortable

and the staff offer a very high standard of service and go out of their way to make you feel very welcome and get the best out of your visit to Longreach. The kangaroos even welcomed us back to our room each day, while they were taking advantage of the verandah shade that ran the length of all the rooms. Dinner was at the local rissole (RSL) excellent inexpensive meal in this quaint little club.

Check out my YouTube video of all photos from trip

Gold Coast – Theme Parks with the Boys

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We set off for a few days on the Gold Coast on Saturday 18th September, the weather report was for five days solid rain, not a good start. As it turned out we dodged most of the rain and the weather was warm. Our first night was at Foster and the boys got an opportunity to try out their fishing rods, unfortunately, as usual, the fish weren’t cooperating but the enjoyed it all the same. The excitement of staying in a motel was enough for the boys and they were worried about the fish. Didn’t stop us having fish and chips for dinner before everyone turned in. Blake was asleep by 7pm and the other two weren’t far behind. Next leg was from Foster to Ballina with a stop at Coffs Harbour for breakfast and a quick visit to the Big Banana.

A Weekend in plus a few days in Melbourne

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Ordering the deep fried Durian

Last Thursday I jumped at the opportunity to spend a few days in Melbourne. Ian was down there for a conference so I followed him down on Thursday. I had a lovely couple of days browsing around the shops (didn’t buy much never do) and resting up in Rydges on Exhibition St (in Theatre District near Chinatown and few blocks from Bourke St Mall). Hotel was in a perfect location and I got the right rate which made for a good weekend. Ian joined me Friday afternoon and we headed to Chinatown for dinner. Surprise surprise we had Chinese although Japanese was in contention right up to the end. After a great meal Ian rounded off with a dessert of deep fried durian which had the waiters smiling because it is a very unusual fruit for a non- Asian to order, they were delighted that he actually liked it. A colleague of mine at work said you can actually buy them at most supermarkets but they are famous for being totally unsocial because they are so smelly.
The next couple of days we spent seeing the sights of Melbourne in glorious weather. Dinner at the hotel’s Locanda Steakhouse on Saturday night was excellent and most enjoyable. The rain began as we boarded our flight home – thank you Melbourne

Six weeks to go and counting

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Today I booked and finalised accommodation for the first four nights and the car for 16 days of the USA trip.

Delighted with the deals, booked at Paris Paris for an A$100 a night, bargain. You can’t even get a room in country NSW for that price that let alone a four-star casino in the middle of the strip.

Not planning to book anything else before leaving Australia. We a playing everything by ear and will settle on firm plans as we go.

Closer to home Jorja and I spent a very enjoyable day at the zoo yesterday. A reminder to me we live in a very beautiful city and need to get out and enjoy it more. Jorja was excited to get very close to Luk Chai the new baby elephant born at the zoo early this year.