Blue Mountains 7-8 October 2011

Had a relatively quick run through Sydney, although Peter had to contend with wall to wall semi-trailers - what a change after the back-blocks of Dungog. Heather caught up with all her family and on Sunday we went to Judy’s 60th Birthday party. It was good to see everyone and Judy and Bill went to a lot of trouble to make it a special day. In the afternoon, we packed up and headed home. Ross and Heather had been house sitting for us and did a great job of looking after our home.

Mooney Mooney 6 October 2011

In the morning, we had a wander around Dungog. While a small town, it seemed to have everything that you would, including amazingly wide streets that we could do a u-turn in. Drove onto Patterson and then onto Morpeth. They are peaceful little towns and still capture the essence of the country. To catch up on where we went back on the freeway and stopped at a campsite on the Hawkesbury River at Mooney Mooney.

Dungog

Feed the Dog Meat

Dungog 5 October 2011

In the morning we had a look around Taree, got some baby clothes for Katie and found a little shop that sold delicious apricot and ginger jam. Decided to head south via Dungog, however we did not anticipate the appalling goat tracks we would have to travel over. In spite of the bouncy ride and a few hairy bridge crossings we enjoyed the drive through the green countryside – reminded us of Tasmania. Stopped at Gloucester, a small town that Heather compared to the Walgett of her youth. Stopped at the showground at Dungog and had a peaceful night.

Taree 4 October 2011

Laura has finally received a job offer in Darwin, but not a starting date, so rather than wait she has decided to head off to Sydney. We stopped at Kempsey, put her on a train, bought more baby clothes and then wandered down to camp on the outskirts of Taree. Like most Northern River towns, Peter remembers helping out in a flood that had overtopped the levee – hard to believe it now looking at the peaceful scene we saw.

This was just the audience!

Grace Barbe

Oh the Mud!