NSW Road Trip

On By Coral WaightIn Australia, New South Wales, Travel, Victoria

Having damaged my right foot (that’s my driving foot) badly just prior to Covid, and not having been able to get proper treatment during that time, I’ve since seen a physio, done all the exercises and it’s been feeling good. It was time to test it out with some serious driving.

I took it easy, my first stop being Wodonga on the Victoria/New South Wales border. A short stint took me up to Wagga Wagga (Wagga as we say here), then up the Olympic Highway as far as Dubbo.

The Newell Highway took me back down to Wagga, from where, after again crossing the border, I detoured to Beechworth for a couple of nights, then home.

It was a great trip and my foot survived, which bodes well for the future. Here are a few of my favourite discoveries.

I at last got to walk beside the mighty Murrumbidgee River at Wagga.

Murrumbidgee River Temora Aviation MuseumIn Temora, north of Wagga, I found an actual Spitfire flown in World War 11. It was also in the post-war movies, ‘Reach for the Sky’ and ‘Battle of Britain’. The plane is still being used and pilots love it. If you’re interested in aeroplanes at all, I recommend this terrific museum.
Spitfire

I stopped off at Cootamundra to visit the Don Bradman Museum. The museum celebrates not only the sporting career of the famous Australian cricketer – highest career batting average, 99.94 – but also his business acumen and his musical abilities. He was a pretty amazing fellow.

Don Bradman Museum

The Japanese Garden at Cowra was built to celebrate peace between Australians and Japanese after the interning of Japanese in the Cowra prisoner-of-war camp nearby. It’s stunning.

Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre

On my way through Bathurst heading for Orange, I called in at Abercrombie House. Built in the 1870s by Bathurst pioneers, the Stewart family, it’s been the home of the Morgan family since 1969, who have spent years restoring and maintaining the house and its outbuildings and grounds.

The family seem to have no problem with visitors going through their house, including their bedrooms, and so you get a good idea of how they live, which is unusual with grand estates, I find. They may be a bit eccentric – I personally would have a grand sale to clear out some of the extraordinary amounts of stuff sitting around – but the house is definitely fascinating and worth a visit if you’re up that way.

Abercrombie House

Probably my favourite thing was the three-month-old lion cubs, just out of the nursery so a local told me, and their very bossy mother, at the Western Plains Zoo. Soo cute.

Three-month-old cubs at Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo

One of my main aims of the trip was to visit the 64 metre Radio Telescope at the Parkes Observatory. Known as ‘The Dish’, it’s particularly famous for its role in receiving video footage of the first moon walk by the crew of Apollo 11, in July 1969.

An Australian movie, called ‘The Dish’, was made about this, and it’s one of the most delightful films I’ve ever seen. I recommend it if you can get your hands on it.

I also recommend the visitor centre at the facility, fantastic for anyone interested in all things galactic.

Parkes Radio Telescope

Beechworth is located in the north-east of Victoria, and it was a good place to stop for a couple of days before heading back into the ‘big smoke’. The town was ablaze with Autumn colours from the large trees that populate the whole area.

Autumn colour in Beechworth

There were many more delightful discoveries. My lovely camera decided to do strange things though, which I didn’t discover till I got home, so many of the photos are either not usable or very grainy.

Who can pass a chocolate factory without going in? Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory.

Orange is a beautiful town and area. Lots of wineries, I’m told, though it poured most of the time I was there, which made exploring difficult.

Dundullimal Homestead in Dubbo.

Old Dubbo Gaol.

Old Beechworth Gaol. Beechworth is a stunning town, with all its buildings and history from the gold-mining era beautifully upkept – a bit like being in a movie set, I thought.

Peak Hill Gold Mine.

Water Tower Art in Cowra

21 thoughts on “NSW Road Trip”

    1. Thanks, Miriam. I just love it out there on the Western Plains. So open. They just seem to go on forever. And there’re all sorts of museums and interesting stuff in these country towns. I had no idea how big and thriving Wagga is. And I found the ex-Prisoner-of-War camp in Cowra fascinating.

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  7. Well done to be back on the road Coral. Some of those places we are still to visit but we loved Dubbo zoo and the Dish is fascinating. We were lucky enough to see it being moved when we were there too. The movie is one of our favourites.

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