Mudgee - Sofala - Bathurst

Saturday morning saw us and the family heading for Rylestone, a small vilage about 30 minutes out of Mudgee. There were farmers markets on and everything was hand made in the area or grown in the area. The plums were the best Garry had eaten in a long time, and our granddaughter thought so too.  A lady was there spinning wool, which really fascinated Violet. The kids loved the animals that were there for sale or to give away; puppies, kittens, chickens, birds but they were not lucky enough to get one.  After a wander down the main street for Garry’s photo session, Garry, Fabian, and Elliot headed for Kandos to play golf. The girls were left to finish looking at the shops and have morning tea and then head over to Kandos which is only about another 7 klms on.  The shops in Kandos were great and a few bargains were found. After golf and shopping we all enjoyed Yum Cha in Rylestone.

 Bridgeview Inn Rylestone - good yum cha

After lunch we went to Dunns Swamp in the Wollemi National Park.  It was an area on a large lake with small beaches where swimming, canoeing and fishing is undertaken. There were large rock formations around the picnic area and Fabian and Emily can see themselves going back again for a day trip or overnight camping. We stopped on the way out of the national Park at a small causeway as Elliot had been driving his grandfather mad to do some metal detecting.  Elliot was so keen that whenever it beeped he was there with the shovel digging for treasure.  Only some bottle tops and an old watch were found but Elliot still thought it was all great fun.  So to keep him interested Fabian buried 2 twenty cent pieces under some stones, there were  two excited grandchildren when they found the coins. Elliot was sure someone had thrown some change out the window on their way home. We called into Windamere Dam, which is on the Cudgegong River above Mudgee.  It is an impressive lake above a rock wall in hills but is only 47% full after heaps of rain.  Fortunately Mudgee has another much larger dam and Lake Burrendong which is near 90% full.

 Fabs and the kids rock climbing at Dunns Swamp

 Elliot filling the pond up.  The weir was built in 1820 odd to provide water to an oil shale operation 20kms downstream. 

 Dunns Swamp

 Detecting in small creek

Sunday we all had another day out to some gold mining areas. First was the town of Hill End were we had morning tea in a local park for the grandchildren to have a run around. Then out to an old gold mine and a short walk to look at the remains of a large Battery Stamper.  Elliot was never far from his grandfather’s side as the 2 of them walked through the bush. Elliot had a million questions to ask about everything there was to see.  On to a lookout at the end of a ridge where we could see an operating underground gold mine down in the valley below. We went on to Sofala which is another very small gold town.  After a beer at the local pub it was onto a café for lunch, which was very enjoyable. Garry then referred to his map of the Sofala gold mining areas and we headed out to do some gold detecting.  Alas, nothing was found.  

 Mudgee Post & Telegraph Office

 At Hill End Goldfields. An operating underground gold mine is located at the bottom of the facing hill.

 Sofala pub. Note the street width - you could hand a beer to the coach passengers passing by!!

 At the Vines Restaurant, Sofala, waiting not so patiently for lunch to arrive.  It was very good when it did.

Monday was our last day in Mudgee and Emily had her first day on canteen duties at school so we had the pleasure of having Violet for the day. The family then came over to the caravan park for roast dinner. So it was farewell to Mudgee and our beautiful family. We have enjoyed our time with them so much.

Having decided there must be gold in them there hills, on Tuesday morning we arrived at Sofala to stay for two nights in a campsite beside the river about 6 kms upstream from the village. We camped on the bank of the Turon River under the she-oaks with about 6 metres and a cute pebble beach between the van and the river. It is really pleasant and very quiet with nothing but the birds and running stream breaking the silence and the nights are so dark.  Garry wanted to continue on with his gold detecting. So he has followed his map and has done a lot of detecting in the hills and gullies nearby; but nothing.  We are not rich from this source of income yet!!

 Relaxing on the bank of the Turon River - beaut free camp location!!

Having decided that all the large lumps of gold must have been found already, we packed the detector away and departed our riverbank campsite and headed for Bathurst.  We found Bathurst to be a very well presented old style town.  It has all the facilities of a city but the heritage houses and buildings are very well presented.  The street lamps along the centre of some streets were a feature.  The Court House and Carrilion housed in a tower opposite in Kings Parade are impressive.  The parks around the Court House are very well kept with statues and gardens full of flowers and many varieties of huge trees.  There was also a Fernery and Begonia House that were impressive for a regional city. 

 Bathurst Court House

 Public Fernery

 Park behind the Court House

 One of many beatiful Begonias

 Carol enjoying the many perfectly formed blooms

 A great example of a well preserved Bathurst building.

Centre Lamp Posts and Railway Station

Of course Garry visited the Motor Museum at Mt Panorama and we both drove around the track.  There are some very neat houses, vineyards and gardens around the track.  The Museum houses some very well preserved cars and motorbikes including Fred Gibsons 1971 XY GTHO, both of the 2 door XC Falcon GT Cobras that Moffat and Bond posed the 1 2 finish in 1977, a Holden or two, and Wayne Gardners bike that he won the World Championship on at Philip Island.  We stayed at the Bathurst Showgrounds which was nice and handy to town with lovely grassed areas to park, huge old trees for shade, and basic clean amenities blocks.  The old pavilions have been extremely well preserved and while the campground is beside the Great Western Highway from Sydney, we were not disturbed by the noise as we were behind the Goat Pavilion. 

 1977 1st & 2nd

 The original muscle car - a race car that was registered for the public roads.

 Wayne Gardners winning Hinda

There is also a Fossil and Mineral Museum in an old school building in the middle of town.  The mineral displays are the best examples and the best presented I have seen to date.  It is largely the collection of a Professor Sommerville and includes minerals from all major mining areas in Australia and also some overseas examples.  There are also two almost complete T-Rex skeletons, one full sized at 5+ metres high and a smaller one at only 2.5 metres high.  They are very interesting and are complemented by a range of excellent fossil displays.  All sorts of shells, fish, crabs, plants, and other creatures fossilised in rock.  This was a surprisingly good display and well worth the $6.50 entry fee.

 Fossilised school of fish

 Fully grown T-Rex skeleton

After stocking up on groceries and catching up on some washing we are headed to Lithgow and the Blue Mountains to meet up with Fabs, Emily, Elliot and Violet for the weekend – but that’s for next week.