Going For a Paddle

As we had nothing pressing to do today, during the week I suggested to Mick that we should take his kayak out for him to have a paddle somewhere. You see, he's had it for about three years and used it about three times, and not at all in the last couple of years. The next question was where to go? That I left up to him, and he decided that Oberon Dam would be nice. Whether or not any of this took place was then in the laps of the weather gods, hopefully not too hot or windy.

Those gods were looking down on us, as today was cooler than last week, and next week it to hot up again. Oberon is also quite a bit cooler than Bathurst, so off we set.

All ready to head off for a paddle and maybe, by sheer fluke, catch a fish.

Oberon dam, or "Lake Oberon" as it is now known, is a really pretty spot. We drove out here a while ago to have a look see in anticipation of some paddling. The good old blog archives tell me it was back in October 2014, and it has taken all this time to actually get here. You can check it out here.

There is a bit more water in the dam this time. However, it was somewhat greener last time we visited. I'll show you a few comparisons.

2014 - Nice green paddocks around the rocks.

2017 - It must be summer.

2014 - Notice the rock just behind the tree and the tree stump down closer to the water's edge.

2017 - Notice the rock at the water's edge and the tip of the stump out in the water. That gives you an idea on how much more water is in the dam this year.

When we visited last time there were no amenities, but now the access road is much better and there are loos and picnic tables. A sign advises that all this took place in 2015.

So, what did I do while Mick paddled? Just a little hand stitching. It was lovely and quiet, just me, sitting in the shade under a tree, with a slight breeze in the leaves and the occasional bird singing. There were a few other kayaks on the dam, but they'd taken a picnic to have somewhere else.

There were a couple of blokes just a bit along the bank fishing. They didn't have much luck there.

Another couple of blokes came back to the car park with a nice little haul of red fin.  

Two dogs came to visit the dam with their owners. This fellow "Bob" was quite happy sitting in the water and would not obey any commands to go back to the ute.

After Mick had had enough of paddling (no, he didn't catch anything, just had a couple of small bites) we headed back into Oberon to get some fish and chips for lunch.  

I noticed a rather quaint letter box on the way back into town.

We sat in a park we haven't visited before "The Town Common".  After we had finished eating we went for a bit of a wander.  They seem to be doing quite  a bit of work there, improving the facilities with new barbecue areas and exercise machines. The centre piece is a small lake.

We were quite taken with the pictures set in the Local History Wall.

And finally there is a floor in a gazebo decorated with scenes from the district, including the Oberon Dam.

I think the poem in the middle of the floor sums up the town nicely.  Sing it to the tune of  "I am Australian".

Another nice day, exploring somewhere close to home. Oh, and I think it even fits in with my "Reconnect" theme for the year.