BROKEN HILL - to Mudgee and Home
Today was our longest day towing since we started caravanning. We initially planned to drive to Hermidale approximately 5 ½ hrs away however we decided mid way to continue longer as the roads were good and we felt fresh enough to continue. Sharon researched suitable stopovers for the night and we selected the Ballymore Inn (The Hair of the Dog Inn) which ended up being an 8 hour trip. It was still daylight when we puled into Ballymore. I parked our van at the back of the pub and we set up. It is a pleasant little spot set well back from the road and quiet. The railway runs right past the front of the pub however we only heard one train in the wee hours honking which just added to the experience.
During Cobb & Co. days of the Royal Mail Coach, the Inn was a rest stop for the Cobb & Co. coaches which were en route to Leadville and Coolah. The pub itself is very iconic, it is constructed in traditional federation style with the old iron roof, French doors and fireplaces throughout
The waitress was Irish and quite friendly. She and her partner were isolated here due to Covid Restrictions which didn’t seem to be an issue for them.
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| We could not help but giggle at the Kitchen signage |
Sharon and I had dinner there that night. A family of cyclists were the only other diners. As we retired for the night I was amazed to see the family of 5 with adult children all squeeze into a small tent.
We settled down for the night glad to rest after the long day driving and excited about our next adventure. Mudgee here we come!
MUDGEE – Wine Country
We spent our last 3 nights in Mudgee which is one of our favourite places. We have been here several times before however this was our first time camping at the Showground. The weather turned it on for us and we had a fantastic stay in a site just below the showground. We relaxed on our last few nights away and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of Mudgee after the many isolated places we have been. On our last day in Mudgee, it got very hot indeed, we ended up paying a visit to ARB in town and purchased a lithium battery fan to cool off in the heat of the afternoon. Mudgee is a short distance from home in the Blue Mountains. Even Gemma got in on the action to escape the heat
This has been an interesting trip for us and very memorable. I got to test our little van in the elements and got to revisit many of the places I had wanted to and enjoy. Covid 19 has been a dark cloud hanging over the entire trip and evidence of it is everywhere. However despite this we had a great time and look forward to our next adventure to the Kimberly in 2022.
