35 - Oct 2019 - Cowra - Lennox Head

35 - Oct 2019 - Cowra - Lennox Head

Hello all …

Forgive me. It has been nearly three years since my last chronicle entry, and what a lot we have all been through! Yeah?

If I am counting correctly I have taken eight brief trips since the last entry, not counting my current adventure. I had thought about loading all those into one very long read, but that would be a bit overwhelming for everyone concerned. So a series of shorter blogs it is, starting with a trip through Cowra, Nyngan, and Lennox Head, way back in October 2019.

This started out as another attempt to follow the Lachlan River to the point at which it joins the Murray but, like my other attempts, this one also assumed a different direction.

But I digress even before I start.

After a quick pump up the freeway I stayed once more at that marvellous stopping place, Jugiong.

Next morning after a bit of a sleep-in I moseyed up Jugiong Rd (where else?) to Harden to pick up a rejuvenating coffee then continued along Cunningar Rd to Boorowa and joined the B81 through to Cowra. Another coffee then along Darby’s Falls Road towards Wyangala (scene of an abandoned trip and a hurried dash home a couple of months prior) to stop at the Darby’s Falls Camp on the north side of the bridge over the Lachlan. A rather basic long-drop (things could have changed since then) but otherwise quite pleasant. Took a couple of photos in the evening and used my (then) new software to over-process them - a habit I am only now growing out of in 2022.

The following day I visited the Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre. I did take some photos, but those on the website are much much better than mine. Please have a look https://www.cowragarden.com.au/gallery It is well worth a visit, as are the cemeteries and PoW camp.

That was a strenuous stroll or three, so I collected the day’s one and only flat white and set off down the Lachlan Valley Way for a km or two then turned right into Farleigh Reserve Road, which was (is?) a fairly large and dusty camping area with long drops. Camera in hand, I wandered down the riverside track until I was accosted by an angry old man and his mate who seemed to think they owned that part of the track and river. Anyway I managed to take a couple of nice shots and include one here, suitably over-processed.

Next day I stayed on the Lachlan Way road, following the Lachlan through Gooloogong and Forbes to Condobolin, chasing and avoiding storms along the way.

Stayed there overnight, then did a step to the right over to Tullamore, then a turn to the left and a thrust up to Tottenham, and finally a cruise along Tottenham Road alongside the Bogan River to Nyngan, checked in to a motel and of course checked in with the Big Bogan.

After a shower to wash off all the dust I had an excellent meal and a couple of beers at the RSL and retired for some beauty sleep.

Now, Nyngan has quite a history and has a bunch of interesting locations full of old relics. I’m somewhat over old relics - I see one in the mirror every morning and that’s usually more than enough for the day, but I include here a link to a good concise web page to whet your appetite for all things Nyngan. https://www.destinationsjourney.com/nyngan-and-the-big-bogan/ … Have fun.

It was time to leave Nyngan. I wanted to visit the ladies at Cumborah, up towards Lightning Ridge. I had a couple of options on sealed roads via Brewarrina or Connamble, so I took the "more direct" and scenic route up the middle through Carinda. This was towards the end of yet another drought and the area was very very dry. And the first heat wave was on its way south east from the north west. The BOM map was red across NW WA and the NT.

I spent a night in Cumborah but it wasn't Thursday so I couldn't attend the weekly coffee morning, and the heat wave caught up with me so I hightailed it east and found a motel with air conditioning in Boggabilla just SE from Goondiwindi. That allowed me to keep my cool for a day or two, after which I set off through Goondiwindi and Toowoomba and down the toll road to a caravan park somewhere in Brisbane's south. I don't remember much about it so it was neither great nor lousy.

Visited some relos in BNE and it was great to see everyone again.

Back on the road and zipped down the Pacific Motorway to Lennox Head. A great great place. Put my new software to use and really stretched the over-processing bit. Awful results but I had fun.

And that was about it. Dropped in to Port Macquarie to say hi, but by then the bush fires were breaking out inland from the Pacific Highway - this was the beginning of "Black Summer" - so I hoofed it down to Wellington NSW, then dropped in for coffee with Benalla Bob, and home.