Racing around Bathurst

It was sad leaving Mudgee as there seems to be so much to see, do and explore in the area but without me being able to be Jason’s drinking buddy to sample the local wines and breweries it seemed like a waste.  That being said it is definitely marked down as another place we must return to and check out in more detail.  We got on the road nice and easily.  I think the cold mornings certainly make packing up outside and hitching on very fast as who really wants to be outside in it.  Mind you Jason did all the packing up of outside while I packed up inside and did some of Hamish’s revision with him.

Whilst there is apparently a shorter way to Bathurst from Mudgee that only takes 1 ½ hours (car time) we were advised that it was probably best to take the longer way which added just over half an hour (car time) to the trip.  The drive was quite hilly and we were glad we had followed the advice of fellow travellers as the other way had only looked worse.  Even though the road was quite hilly, the views were certainly worth it and the driving time went very fast as we were constantly in awe of how green everything was and the beautiful blue mountain range in the background.

Driving past a rather large dam.

More rolling green hills.

Bit of unnatural thrown in.  Guessing this helps power Sydney.

We arrived in Bathurst just after ten and had organised to stay at the showgrounds which was thankfully easy to find.  After we had set up and were ready to relax, the kids decided that they didn’t want to play together and just seemed to be fighting with each other the whole time.  So in all our wisdom we thought it would be a great idea to go out for lunch.  No we didn’t go to a child friendly place.  That would have been smart!  Instead we went to a local café where Kayla continued her lovely three year old dramas.  It was however a very nice lunch and we left there feeling very full and satisfied.

What do you think our chances are like?

The view from the top isn't too bad either.

I can only imagine what speeds they do this at.

Our next stop was to check out the Mount Panorama race track.  Jason pulled up in poll position and hopped out to take some photos before he hopped back in and continued along the track.  I have seen the race before on TV but driving it yourself is another thing.  It is so steep and windy in places and the most we could ever get up to was 60 km/hr which was too fast for my liking in parts.  However most of it was only 40 km/hr due to all the work going on the side of the road getting it ready for the big race next month.  Hamish thought it was awesome so of course we did a second lap (pretty sure Jason didn’t need too much encouragement).

It is even on the navigator.

One very sharp bend on a steep incline.

Coming up to the racetrack.

From there it was to the post office who informed me that my parcel hadn’t arrived.  After a quick call to LSODE I had a tracking number and proof that it had arrived and funnily it was located easily the next time!  By now Kayla had fallen asleep in the car so we went home to savour the peace and quiet and finish off the school work for the term with Hamish.  It is so much colder here than we have experienced for a long time, even on a beautiful sunny day it only got to sixteen degrees.  In the afternoon we went over to check out all these tractors we had seen rolling in.  They are all going to do a two day drive between towns to raise money for Camp Quality.  Some of the setups were awesome and it is so great to see.  Tomorrow morning they will all roll out so we will have to be up and ready to capture that.

Next, we then took the kids to the local playground to burn off some energy.  Unfortunately there were some other kids there who were being a bit mean to other kids but we were so proud of Hamish as he stood up for the boy who was upset and went to comfort him and said he could now have a go on the flying fox.  Just one of those moments when you realise you are doing some things right.  We soon left there though as the kids were not being nice and it was getting way too cold for our liking.  So it was back to the van for the usual nightly routine and to keep ourselves all nice and warm.  The next morning it didn’t feel any warmer and we had run the heater all night.  Yes you can definitely tell we are Queenslanders.  Still we wanted to get up and see off the tractors partaking in the camp quality fundraising drive so we were all up, dressed, fed and out the door by 8am.  Funnily it didn’t seem as cold as I expected it was going to be.

Pretty cool little set up.

This one chose to camp more in style.

So we waved off all the tractors and then retreated back to the van to do a little bit of school and the washing.  It seemed though that whilst we were in the van it was getting colder.  I know it really wasn’t but it just felt like it so we rugged up and headed off to the park with the kids scooters.  Out in the sun it was a really nice day and the kids had fun playing in the park.  All was going well until Kayla got a little scared in the maze and couldn’t find her way out, so I went in to fetch her as she was so upset.  That was our cue to take them home for some lunch.

Seeing off all the tractors.

Kayla waving them off.

Scootering around the park.

We then did our usual relaxation before heading out again to check out the Fossil and Mineral museum.  This was actually Hamish’s request as he wanted to see some more dinosaur fossils.  The lady asked him what he was most excited to see and of course he said T-Rex, but she didn’t seem too interested in his answer but I told him not to expect one.  The mineral part was really fascinating and all the colours were so cool.  At first I thought that these were all found in the area but that isn’t the case, they are from all over the world.  Then in the fossil part Hamish found his T-Rex so he was happy and they had some really good displays, but I must admit I was a bit disappointed as I expected it to be more local dinosaur fossils but again they were from all around.  Don’t get me wrong it was still great. 

Out the front of the museum.

Check out T-Rex.

Just a sample of the colourful minerals in the museum.

Kayla checking out some bugs in rocks.

 

From there we headed to Annie’s Old Fashioned Ice-Cream Parlour which was very popular.  That could be because it was the last day of school from the term so a lot of parents were coming in with their kids for a treat.  So I didn’t get any photos inside but it is done up exactly how you would imagine it would have been back in the days.  Then it was time to go home and get the roast on for dinner.  Everyone but Kayla was fine with this plan.  As soon as we drove into the showground gate she cracked it and wanted to go back out.  Trying to stand our ground we thought she would hop out of the car when she was over her little hissy fit.  Long story short we didn’t win this battle and about 15 minutes later Jason did what any good father would do and took her for a lap of Mount Panorama to calm her down.  I was hoping she was just tired and would come back fast asleep (equals peace) but no she just wasn’t ready to stop sightseeing and came back happy and ready to hop out!  This is the same kid that screamed for like 2 hours straight when she was young (pre-trip) as she didn’t want to be in the car!

Watching the horses train.

End of another day.

Kayla loved the flowers on this tree.

At least I managed to get on the roast whilst they were gone and have a little lie down and read a magazine.  Then it was time to finish the last lesson of school for the day.  We are really missing being able to sit outside and enjoy the afternoons, so really we are missing the warmer weather as it gives you more space and the outside fresh air is good for everyone, rather than being couped up in the caravan trying to keep warm.  I think if we hadn’t booked the Orange caravan park we would be heading straight to the coast when we left here just to try and find the warmer weather.  Mind you then I would probably complain about the school holiday crowds!

I was so excited on our last morning in Bathurst as there was apparently going to be farmers markets here at the showgrounds.  Though when I looked out the window I saw no sign of any markets or all the cars that one would expect to be there.  So I went for a quick walk but all I saw was the dog show that was going on.  So in the end I did a quick google, well actually it was quite slow as we had reached our quota for the month, and found out they were actually on the next weekend.  Oh well, there went my nice thoughts of beautiful fruit and veg straight from the farmer.

Driving into Solfa.

Very tempting.

The view between Sofala and Hill End.

Not to worry, we just decided to head out and go for a drive through the countryside instead.  We first headed to Sofala which was a cool little small town that looked like it would have a hundred years ago with the exception of the caravan coming down the narrow street.  The lady that ran the local museum then convinced us to go and check out Hill End which was another historical old village only about 34km away.  So off we headed there.  The road was quite windy and up and down but it was still a good drive.  There we stopped at the local café for morning tea.  It was a nice meal but we just didn’t get a welcome vibe from the place.  Odd considering that they would have to rely a lot on the tourists one would think.

In case you were even thinking about it.

Stop for morning tea.

We didn’t hang around for long as it was really a lot of old buildings that I am sure they were steeped in history, but I could see the kids getting over it very fast and we wanted to do another tour of an old house back in Bathurst later that day so we weren’t going to push our luck.  So back we headed, through the lush green countryside surrounding Bathurst and all the fat sheep and cows.  We had a quick bite to eat for lunch back at the van and a little rest before heading out to Abercrombie House.  You can’t really see the house as you drive up to it for all the trees.  It is a real shame as the house is so impressive and in the ole days it would have stood out on top of the hill.  It is slowly and lovingly being restored by a family who bought it two generations ago. 

Beautiful old home.

So well kept.

Not a bad outlook either.

Full credit to them for living and slowly getting the house back in order, but also for keeping it exactly the way it was.  It is like the owners from years back just walked out and left everything as it was.  I couldn’t imagine having to clean this place, but I guess back then they had servants that would help with all of that.  It is definitely worth the visit if you are in the area and like the old architecture or just even to check out the grand houses of the day.  Of course the kids found it rather boring, probably because parents were saying don’t touch this, quiet, walk slowly!  Oh dear the things we put them through, but they did have fun once outside and they could find all different feathers as we checked out all the old buildings surrounding the house.

Oh look Kayla found some chooks.

Some of the many buildings around the old home.

We then had to head back into town to do the food shopping and quickly dropped that back to the van and put the cold items away before heading off to the park to let the kid’s burn some energy.  They really loved the little mini town/road setup where they could ride their scooters around.  Mind you it is embarrassing when Hamish then tells other adults they should only cross the roads on the zebra crossings as they might be otherwise hit!  Being a weekend the park was a lot more packed and there were a few scary moments with Kayla zipping around but not watching where she was going.  In the end she did fall off but just because she took the corner too soon!  Still nothing a quick dust off couldn’t fix.

Total speed demon.

Hamish is really getting use to his scooter now.

Jason and I both agreed though that as beautiful as the place is, there is no way we could live somewhere so cold.  It would be okay if you just needed to put on a jumper for the mornings and evenings but to need it on all day and to still get so cold you need to retreat inside around 4pm in September just doesn’t seem right.  We returned to the van and Jason packed everything up outside whilst I tried to organise everything inside and make room for things to fit back in.  It was lucky Jason did as it then rained during the night.

Getting bigger by the day it feels.  Nothing at all to do with the bad diet!