Back to New South Wales

Saturday morning of our little adventure saw us having to make a decision, well a couple of decisions actually.

You see, the road we intended to return home on was cut by flood water.

Our grand plan was to visit Hay, which isn't on our direct route anyway, but was even a bit more out of the way due to the road detours.

First decision was made.  We would still continue to Hay.  We like Hay and wanted to visit again.

Second decision.  Would we go via Echuca or via Tocumwal?  We haven't bee through Tocumwal for a while, so lets go that way.  Decisions made.

The Murray, like all other rivers had plenty of water in it.

It was a bit early for morning tea, so we didn't stop in Tocumwal, but continued on to Finley.

Bonus!  Finley had its Farmers Markets on.  However, there wasn't really anything that we wanted to buy.  The bakery and the little fruit and vege shop did OK out of us, though.

There was some nice architecture too.

Our next via point was Deniliquin. Lots of people there, mostly wearing drizabones and gum boots.  You see, the annual ute muster was on.  Apparently it was so muddy that utes were being towed into the site.  Heaven knows what it would have been like by the time they were trying to get them back out of the site.

After Denni, the land really flattened out and you enter the plains.  

I'm never quite sure where the Hay Plains start and finish, but it is all flat and vast.  Certainly "big sky country".  Cloudy sky at this stage.

We stopped for lunch at the Black Stump Rest Area.

There was a great sculpture here.

It is entitled "The Headless Horseman", who is depicted above.  He reportedly taunted drovers in the area.

There is a range of sculptures all along the way from Moama to Wilcannia known as "The Long Paddock".

People say that the Hay Plains are deadly boring.  We never find that.  There are subtle changes all along the way, like a paddock of Patterson's Curse.

Then a paddock of some sort of white flowers.

At one point it was really hazy.  All we could put it down to was a cloud of pollen.  It was certainly too wet for it to be dust.

Eventually, by mid afternoon we arrived at our destination - the town of Hay, on the banks of the Murrumbidgee.  Funnily enough, last time we travelled through here the river was in flood.  That was back in 2012.

We set up camp at the caravan park ready to do a little exploring. 

More soon.