On the road to Gundagai....



Crossing the Border from VIC to NSW

After leaving Glenrowan, our goal was to find a nice campground where we could meet up with our friends, Mark and Amanda and their 2 kids, Charlotte and Jake. We met the Woods family in Canberra last year and instantly formed a close friendship. We spent a lot of time travelling with them last year and were all very sad to go our separate ways in August.

Since they left us, Mark and Amanda headed north and dropped anchor in Townsville for a few months so they could work and restock their travelling funds. Unfortunately one weekend, whilst taking a break from work and school, they had a car accident and did a lot of damage to their car. Thankfully they were planning on tenting-it so they didn’t have their caravan with them.

The accident put a huge stop to their travelling plans and they left their caravan in Brisbane with friends and headed home to Tassie to get their car fixed.

We made sure we were somewhere along their route, at the same time that they were getting off the boat from Tasmania and heading north along the Hume.  

As we approached the small town of Gundagai, we all broke into song. I don’t think it’s possible to drive down that stretch of road and not sing the song. You all know the one I’m talking about... here’s the lyrics so you can sing along:

"There's a track winding back
To an old-fashioned shack
Along the road to Gundagai –
Where the blue gums are growing
And the Murrumbidgee's flowing
Beneath that sunny sky –
Where my daddy and mother
Are waiting for me
And the pals of my childhood
Once more I will see.
Then no more will I roam,
When I'm heading right for home
Along the road to Gundagai."

After afternoon tea visiting the dog on the Tuckerbox again, we headed about 30ks north and stopped at the Showgrounds in Jugiong. We had many discussions about how the town’s name was pronounced and after talking to the locals, found out it’s Due-gee-ong.  The showgrounds run alongside the Murrumbidgee River and is a huge grassed area with a playground, toilets and the local swimming pool and tennis courts. It is a free camp area with a donation box to help maintain the facilities.

Not a lot of privacy in the dog's bathrooms! Marvel didn't mind.

Our Cheeky Little Monkey!

The Murrumbidgee River had recently flooded in the heavy rains, and two weeks earlier the whole area was underwater. There was evidence everywhere of how much water had gone through the area. We think the water levels would have come up at least to the windows on our caravan.

Campground at Jugiong

 

Plenty of room for the kids to run around

 

We took a drive out to Cootamundra where Dan managed to tick something off his “must do” list. A photo outside the birth place of Sir Donald Bradman.

We made the mistake of telling the kids in the morning that the Wood’s family would be arriving later that day. They spent the rest of the day asking us “how long till they get here now?”

When Mark and Amanda did “finally” arrive it was wonderful to see the kids instantly re-form their friendships. We all spent the next few hours exchanging stories of our times since we last saw each other. Dan told me the next day that I didn’t let Mark and Amanda get a word in! After a few too many glasses of wine I was very eager to fill them in on EVERYTHING that had happened since we last saw them (oops!)

That night we were watching the weather reports closely to see if there was any rain coming. The forecast was for a few showers and light rain.... however it started to pour and didn’t stop until lunch time the next day. After the rain eased, we decided to get the kids out of the caravan and go and explore Gundagai.

After and afternoon expelling energy at the playground we drove around town and to two lookouts. Dan fell in love with a piece of land overlooking the whole town of Gundagai and spent a long time designing his dream house on the side of the hill.

The view from the block of land

Ellis & Woods - back together again!

This is the top of the swings - notice the debris from recent flooding!

We went to the RSL for dinner and had a lovely meal, then went home and put 5 very exhausted kids to bed.

Mark and Amanda and the kids headed off the next day to continue their journey to Brisbane to pick up their van and look for work. We will meet up with them again in a few weeks in a much warmer and hopefully drier place.

We spent our last night in Jugiong at the local Pub. The Sir George Tavern is a beautiful old building that has the catch phrase – quenching Jugoing’s thirst since 1845!