On this episode we only journey a short distance up the road and find a great campground for $5 a night at Eumungerie. This includes power and water. Great when you are travelling. There was also a toilet and shower there. Run by caretakers who themselves are travelling and pulled up for a time. A good way to see an area also meet other travellers and have your trip subsidised, though when chatting with them they were not really getting alot of money, though they did not have to pay for their camp fees.
We take a drive to Gilgandra and visit the rural museum, whilst there we chat to Max. He talks us through whats to see. The museum is open every day except Christmas Day and is on the highway into town. Plenty of parking and entry is only $5.00. You could spend a few hours here going through the different rooms and displays.
While you are here, inspect the Ridley Stripper, Ruston Proctor 1912 Steam Traction Engine, Pfitzner’s 1920 Titan Tractor, Ajax Gas Producer, McKay Harvester and McCormick Deering Tractor and other unique examples of tractors and agricultural equipment used by the pioneers in the Gilgandra District.
In the display room complex, adjacent to the main building you will find a range of collections items including photographs of the local area, musical instruments, and sewing machines from past times. Gilgandra is also known for the many windmills in the area.https://mgnsw.org.au/organisations/gilgandra-rural-museum
Another famous point of interest in Gilgandra is the Cooee March back in 1915 when a group of men started the walk from Gilgandra to Sydney to enlist in the war. As they reached each town more men joined the line. There is no actual record of names of the men who did the actual march.
The Coo-ee March 2015 Re-enactment was held from 17th October to 11th November 2015. Starting with just 26 men, it grew to 263 by the time they reached Sydney. Commemorative services were held with representatives from local communities in each town and village on the route. For more great reading check out this website. https://cooeemarch1915.com/day-by-day-account/
We continue our chat with Barry Brebner who tells us about his other book, available to purchase on line “Workers on the Wallaby”, a swag full of short stories. A great book to pick up and read stories of fellow travellers on the road. Whilst Barry and his wife Colleen were travelling Barry also ran seminars at caravan shows, meeting many fellow travellers. If your interested check out the website, read extracts from the book or purchase on line. Barry has had an exciting life, working as an Area Director for the Department of Employment before restructuring, then had a hand in politics before deciding to take on writing books. If you listened to last weeks show he talked about his other book he wrote Workabout Australia which is no longer in publication but available on the internet. We will also be giving 2 books away on the show. https://www.workersonthewallaby.com/
We continue with our catch up call with David and Martina, touring Australia in their 78 series landcruiser. Phill chats with them telling us about their visit to the Bundaberg Rum Distillary. We have been many years ago and if we head that way again I am sure it will be on the list of must see things.
Bundaburg Rum started back in 1888, The brainchild of seven Queenslanders who realize there’s got to be a better use for the burgeoning sugar industry than making cake, Bundaberg Distillery is established with an initial production team of only five men. Rum was already popular in Australia thanks to the First Fleet, but from what we hear, it tasted pretty bad. Check out the website- https://www.bundabergrum.com.au/
We continue on with their journey as they talk us through their visit to Seventeen Seventy doing walks and a visit to the James Cook Museum. Then it was a few nights camping at Eurimbula Campground with no need to deflate tyres to get into the campground.
Another great place for camping was Five Rocks campground, 4WD only for this one and you do need to deflate the tyres and also use 4WD. Another great campground they recommend is Finch Hatton, A wonderful landscape of waterfalls, lush flora and volcanic boulder formations make Finch Hatton Gorge a must-see attraction.
There are many walking tracks which weave through sub-tropical rainforest. One of the most popular trails starts at the Finch Hatton picnic area and takes you on a 1.6 kilometre journey to the beautiful Araluen waterfall.
The granite boulders and surrounding vegetation make this an ideal place to take in the scenery. Take a refreshing dip in one of the nearby rock pools, a cooling haven favoured by locals in summer.
Continue 1.4 kilometres to reach the Wheel of Fire Cascades, another beautiful waterfall with a large rock pool at its base, popular for swimming. This second part of the walk is more challenging, with uphill segments and stairs to climb, but the views are well worth it.
Keep an eye out among the rainforest for rare and unusual flora and fauna, such as the rare gastric brooding frog, the orange-sided skink, Mackay tulip oak, Eungella spiny cray and Eungella honeyeater.
Adventure opportunities are plentiful, with the opportunity to scuba dive in the rainforest waters with platypus, or to zip-line through the tree-top canopy.
