Our Latest Travels - Home to Balranald

We set out on our latest trip with the caravan on Friday, a week and a half ago, after dropping Joey into the Kennels.  The main reason for the trip was to go to the Mundi Mundi Bash Music Festival west of Broken Hill.  We attended their inaugural bash in April last year.  You can read all about that trip starting here.

As we had travelled the direct route to Broken Hill four times in the last eighteen months, we decided to go the long way.  

Our first day seemed to be full of colour.  As we neared Cowra we started to see crops of wheat and canola.  The yellow is so startling on the landscape.

Of course, at this time of year you also get to enjoy the wattle in bloom.

As well as blossom trees.

Our first stop was Grenfell, with its lovely old streetscape.  The poet Henry Lawson is their favourite son and was dressed up to support the Matildas football team, as Clare Hunt is a Grenfell local.

Of course, we had to detour past the painted silo.

The village of Caragabal now has a new mural depicting their local birds.

The landscape was now really opening up and the sky was beautiful.

Our next break was as West Wyalong, another town with a lovely old streetscape.

Weethalle was our destination for the day, complete with another painted silo.

We camped at the Weethalle Showground for the princely sum of $10 a night, complete with power.  A beautiful peaceful spot.

Join us for a wander around the rustic old buildings.

Adjoining the showground is the Country Club, complete with golf course and bowling green.  The village has no pub now, but the club serves up pizzas, made by a local lady.  They have so much toppings and it was delicious.  We couldn’t get through it all and had to take some home for breakfast.  It was a nice evening spend with friendly locals.

We started our next day nice and early heading further south west.

We saw a cute old church over to the side of the road, so went to check it out.

We were now out on the plains with quite a distance between towns.  

Mick is always the first to spot an emu and he excelled this time.  I also excelled, as I managed to capture them in a photo.  Dad with eight little chicks.  Yep, the Dad raises the young.

The next town was Hay.

More lovely old buildings. I bought a few vintage books from the store in the old fire station.

There is a lovely statue of Mrs McGrath and her Sheep in front of the Department of Lands building.

She used to shepherd mobs of sheep over the bridge by leading them with her pet sheep.

Another sheep statue was quirky.

The town now boasts painted water towers, adorned with the images of locals who had served in the armed forces.  There had to be the photo with the ute in front.

After Hay, we were on the Hay Plain.  Flat as far as the eye can see. It has changed quite a bit since our first trip down this way, as there is now much cotton grown under irrigation.  As we drove along here it started to rain a little.

Our destination for the day was the small town of Balranald, situated on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River.  They have a theme of frogs throughout the town, as the threatened Southern Bell Frog can be found in the area.

We set up camp in the free camp area behind the visitors centre, rather cheek by jowl, but it is free. At night it looked rather eerie.

We went for a little wander around town.  Most things were closed, as it was Saturday afternoon. Please tag along.

When we were out the front of the RSL Club Mick noticed a sign “Quilt Show and Shop”!!!  Of course we had to poke our heads in.

It was a very small quilt show, but some lovely quilts.

However, there was a huge pop up shop, with a bit of everything. A couple of pieces of fabric just happened to wander out with me…..You must support them.

At the front of the room there were several tables set up with ladies working rather industriously, so I’m guessing they had a workshop happening as well.  Such a great thing for a small town.

I think that’s enough for one day.  I’ll share more soon.