Day 10 – Wellington Caves & Golf

 

Somehow I was able to sleep last night with the threat of Mighty Mouse hovering over me. I am not a fan of mice as Alison will attest. She once, at the age of 14, came home from school to find a pregnant me holed up on my bed where I had escaped to after seeing a tiny field mouse run out from behind the TV while I was watching The Mike Walsh Show at midday! She set a trap and brought me the vegies to peel for dinner while she caught the mouse and disposed of it. I think I was in my room for a total of 5 hours until the coast was clear. No such option was available to me here so I just put my big girl brave face on.

 

We were booked for the 10am Cathedral cave Tour at Wellington Caves and were able to amble the 100m or so from our accommodation to the starting point. What a great tour. We had Isaac as our guide and he was fabulous. His father was the Caves manager for 9 years so he grew up here – apparently his grandfather and great grandfather were also involved and 4 generations had lived in the same cottage near the entrance to the Caves car park. Due to COVID there was a 15 person limit on group numbers so it was very easy to see and hear everything. Gaz navigated the 150 stairs down and back up with ease and even found a bench or two along the way. We saw a lot of stalagmites and stalegtites as you tend to do in a cave. Nice crystals and some fossils too. A very nice way to spend an hour.

 

Kev, Maz & I also did a Fossil Show afterwards which went for another 45 mins. (Gaz went to ice his back and prepare for the afternoon activities.) The show was really good too. Catherine was our host and her partner is a palaeontologist so she knows a thing or two. We heard a lot about mega fauna – large extinct animals that roamed this area as recently as 50,000 years ago. We also got to actually find our own fossils from dirt they got from the caves. Good fun and quite informative! 

 

After a light lunch we re-convened for our last stab at golf. The day was hot (31 degrees), the sky was cloudless and blue, the cart sounded like it was on its last legs, and we had a pretty good round. Kev killed us and well and truly earned his point. After a quiet ale or two in the clubhouse we adjourned to our cabin for a couple of quiet hours rest. I took the opportunity to ‘drop’ the last of my painted rocks around the caravan park. It was good to later see some kids find them and be a bit excited.

Maz cooked up her special rissoles again – very tasty, and then we were back on the (somewhat sloping) bocce court for our final round. Although it was close, Maz and Kev won a frame each. Another lovely dessert of stewed cherries and custard with cream (yum) and then it was all set for our final night of Euchre. Once again a tight game with Maz taking out 3 points and the rest being shared. The drumroll began and then Maz made the announcement …. It was close …. It was a tie between Kev and Maz on 21 points each. Well done! As expected, Gaz and I brought up the rear.

 

Everyone agreed it has been a great trip – we have enjoyed it immensely and can’t wait for our next adventure. It was supposed to be Victoria in March but that’s only a possibility now … we’ll see. Hoping to get up early tomorrow for our trip home.

 

Day 9 – Young – Grenfell – Wellington

 

Having left some painted rocks at the caravan park after we packed up the car, we looked for a Big Bang farewell to Young and we found it in breakfast at Wilders café – very yummy food. 

 

We then set off for Grenfell. Our first stop was the birthplace of Henry Lawson, just short of Grenfell township. They have a very interesting display cataloguing Henry’s life. Learnt quite a bit – who knew he was deaf??? There is a lovely gum tree there planted by his daughter in his memory in 1924. I left some painted rocks there too. Next, we stopped at the painted silos – you’ve gotta love a painted silo! These did not disappoint. Painted in 2019, they were very bright and vibrant. We also called in briefly at the old Railway Station which is being restored.

 

Looking for a lookout, we headed to O’Brien’s Hill which is a nice spot overlooking the town that also pays homage to Gold Rush times with a display of the original diggings. Unmissable was our last Grenfell stop on the way out of town, a fabulous Christmas Shop located in the old Exchange Hotel. It was huge! Sensational array of everything Christmas – definitely worth the stop.

 

Back on the road, we took to back roads, traversing very picturesque countryside and travelling through Goolagong, Eugowra, Cudal, Molong, and then finally arrived at our destination, Wellington Caves. A light lunch after unpacking and Maz and I headed across the road from the caravan park to the Wellington Japanese Gardens. What a lovely spot! There was a perfect bench for Gaz, but alas he was not with us. We also called in to a craft shop to have a quick squiz – mainly jewellery and wooden pieces – I might go back tomorrow for another look if I get the chance.

 

Maz and I then decided to walk to the golf club – about 600m away – to see if we could book golf for tomorrow. As we walked in to the club a large group of guys on the verandah were being friendly and showing us where to go to book a game. We were shattered to find that all the carts were booked out so Gaz and I wouldn’t be able to play. The guy said the last one had only been booked an hour or so ago. With heads lowered in disappointment we left the club house to find the verandah guys enquiring how we got on. They seemed as disappointed as us to hear we missed out but we could do nothing but start our 600m march home. About half way back, just as Maz and I were discussing whether she and Kev should play without us, we noticed a golf cart approaching at speed from behind us. Dave, a club board member, had convinced a member to let us “ladies” rent his cart so we could play. Oh, we were so thankful! Dave got my number so he could text me the details of how much we would have to pay etc. We were elated … problem solved! Imagine my surprise when we arrived back at the cabin to discover it was in fact Gaz who had booked the last cart! Oh no! I had to quickly text Dave, our knight in shining armour, and tell him we would not need the cart after all. How embarrassing! Oh well, at least we get a game.

 

We had an awesome dinner at the Lion of Waterloo, the cutest pub you have ever seen – it (including it’s building) turns 180 next year! The food was sensational and the atmosphere top notch. We may never eat again though – very large serves!

 

To round out the evening, we played a new style of euchre where the dealer has to make it if everyone else has passed – that is, no hands can be thrown in. It actually was quite good with most people finding that it really shows how over cautious we are and most people won when they ordinarily would not have taken the risk of making it. Gaz was not most people and he was not as happy with this style as others. Did I mention the score? Kev 2, Maz 2, Pen 2, Gaz 0.

 

The worst part of the evening was that Maz saw a mouse run across the room during euchre – I am now somewhat hysterical and trying to work out how to get through the night…

 

Day 8 – Young – Tipperary Golf Club & Poppa’s Fudge & Jam Factory

 

They say it’s a long way to Tipperary but we found it was only about a 6 minute drive to Tipperary Golf Course. This was our much anticipated morning activity and it certainly lived up to expectations. We were met at the shed by Geoff who provided the most personal service ever experienced by this golfer! He shook our hands one by one (no COVID niceties here), expressing great joy to meet us and welcome us to the club. Not only did he open said shed and find us a cart and two buggies – this entailed taking off other people’s golf clubs and setting them aside with gay abandon – he gave us a detailed guide to the course with lots of finger pointing, arm waving, and detailed descriptions. I lost him after he said, “this is the first tee,” but Gaz took it all in, right up to, “and that’s the 18^th green.”

 

When I say “green”, I was absolutely fascinated by the sand greens – I thought they were great! The heavy rain last night had dampened them nicely and I thought they played fine. Geoff brushed away any suggestion that we should rake or brush them or whatever you’re supposed to do and suggested the rain last night was enough to ensure no ongoing maintenance from us was required. When Gaz asked Geoff how much we owed him, he seemed puzzled and indicated a sign near the honesty box that said $6 round per person. Gaz then reminded him that Geoff had been dragged from home and hearth to meet us and the four of us were using some other random people’s equipment and should perhaps pay for that privilege. Geoff was perplexed at this notion and reluctantly took the proffered $50 from Gaz, thanking him profusely on behalf of the club. Gaz reminded me later that our round at Bathurst had cost us $80, just for me and him!

 

Having waved Geoff off, we commenced the game and only aimed at the wrong flag once, admittedly this was on the first tee and my confidence was low that we would proceed with any accuracy … but we did. There was a nasty moment on the 2^nd where the bull ants were so large and ferocious where the ball lay that we had to take a sort of Happy Gilmore run up in order to avoid being stung. The rest of the round went smoothly with everyone playing a pretty good round. This was helped by the total lack of bunkers on the whole course and the fact there was only one patch of water in the form of a billabong that we all easily avoided.

 

With a fine round of golf under our belt (btw Kev got the honours and the point for RTG), we proceeded to Poppa’s Fudge & Jam Factory, located on the edge of Young. What an amazing array of sweet things and giftware. We spent a pleasant time there picking out some yummy treats. I also found some perfume for Gaz to give me for Christmas so that was a bonus! A quiet afternoon reading and eating cherries – does it get any better than this?

 

Early evening saw the continuation of the Road Trip Games in the form of Bocce out behind the cabin. I was on fire (even if I say so myself) and snavelled two of the three points up for grabs. A fun time on a beautiful spring day!

 

We then adjourned to the cabin where I whipped up dinner – Penne Boscaiola and Maz provided stewed cherries with cream & custard. OMG – we were in raptures – both meals were well received but the cherries were to die for! Maz also experimented with adding some liqueur to the custard and cream which was also well received by those who like that sort of thing.

 

To top the evening off we had our usual Euchre tournament with Gaz the victor tonight and the rest of us sharing the crumbs. Off to Wellington tomorrow – we have enjoyed Young … and especially the cherries!

 

Day 7 – Young – Cherries & Chinese Tribute Gardens

 

The pitter patter of raindrops on the tin roof served as an alarm of sorts this morning. Thankfully it was just a shower and was not enough to deter us from our activities. We started by checking out the Tourist Info Centre, located at the now defunct Young Railway Station. Having obtained a map and some advice, the boys felt coffee was in order so they spent half an hour in a café while Maz and I took to the shops.

 

We then re-grouped and headed off about 10 minutes out of town to Ballinaclash Cherry Farm where we were able to pick our own cherries. Yes, folks this is the sole reason we were in Young so it was good that we were able to tick that box. Apparently this is the only place that is still open due to … you got it, COVID. Luckily there had been a heavy shower just before we got there but the rain held off while we did our picking. We all had a go and picked about a kilo each – wonder how long they’ll last? Cherries – yum!

 

Gaz and I also picked up a bottle of Cherry Wine and a small cherry pie to share. I haven’t tried the wine, but can certainly attest to the deliciousness of the pie – sensational!

 

As we were nearby we also called in to the tiny town of Wombat, population 225. Its claim to fame is that its pub, funnily enough named the Wombat Hotel, has the longest continual pub licence in NSW, having been serving the worthy people of Wombat and surrounds since 1877. We thought about calling in for a counter lunch but decided to press on.

 

On the way back to Young, we called in to the Lambing Flat Chinese Tribute Gardens and Chinaman’s Dam. This was the scene of riots in the 1860s gold rush where the poor Chinese miners were treated very poorly. In the 1990s Young Rotary decided to do something to acknowledge the contribution of the Chinese to the local area and the gardens were developed. They were great, though we didn’t spend a lot of time there as it had started to rain. There was also a family of swans on the dam!

 

So back to the cabin for a bread rolls lunch and then a free afternoon – I’m getting to like this free time caper. I devoured my half of the cherry pie after lunch – wow – very tasty! That obviously tipped me over the edge because I took to my bed to read and woke up 2 hours later. Must have needed it! We met up with Kev & Maz at 6:30pm and headed off to the Young Services Club Bistro which was really nice – fabulous, tasty meals that were massive. There was a big thunderstorm while we were there – our golf plans for tomorrow may be in jeopardy. We are booked to play golf at 10am at Tipperary Golf Club and it could be interesting (Young Golf Club has a charity day or some such). It sounds like a smaller club – honesty box for green fees etc. We asked for a cart and the guy on the phone said he’d make sure someone was there to lend us one… This could be a real experience! I’m hoping the rain holds off.

 

Euchre was the game of choice post dinner and Kev took out 3 points with each of us sharing the rest of the spoils with one each. The others tried the Cherry Wine and it got a big thumbs down … though that didn’t stop Kev from pouring glass after glass down his throat lol. I was, however, nibbling on cherries we picked off the tree only hours ago … can’t get better than that!

 

Day 6 – Abercrombie House & Young

 

Showing amazing dedication, even if I say so myself, I arose at 5:30am to put together this week’s edition of the Newcastle City Cricket Club’s weekly newsletter. That took a while and then it was time to get Gaz up, pack up, and hit the road. We made a slight detour at the Tourist Information Centre where I left some painted rocks in the park, Gaz grabbed some caffeine, and I double checked that our destination for the morning was open.

 

Abercrombie House is located about 10 minutes outside town, just on the edge. It has an amazing history, being completed in 1878 and only ever being in two families. The current owners (bought it 50 or so years ago) live there and keep it open to enable them to continue to restore it to its former glory. They also hold events and have a B&B. What an amazing property! It is a rabbit warren of stairs and hidden gems, with numerous collections of a wide variety of things adorning the various rooms open for display … and that’s most of them. The owner gave us a great introductory talk and then chatted for ages after we had toured the house, letting us know about the history and various aspects of the extensive gardens. We spent a very enjoyable hour and a half there and would thoroughly recommend you call in if passing by.

 

We were on the road and heading for Young a bit after 11:30am and had an uneventful trip as we set out for Cowra, our lunch stop. The only thing of note was watching the outside temperature indicator rise as we headed inland. Had a nice picnic in the park at Cowra and then it was back on the road for the last leg of a pretty short travel day.

 

Arriving in Young at about 2:30pm we were greeted with a warm day of 31 degrees and an upgrade to a Deluxe Cabin. Gotta be happy with that! After unpacking, Gaz went off in search of viddles and I went exploring through the park. Some very nice amenities here and a pool where the water did not seem ridiculously cold … we’ll see. Relaxed for the afternoon and waited for Gaz’s free bet on Looks Like Elvis in the Hawkesbury Cup. We’re not sure if everyone got this free $100 bet because of the TAB being offline last weekend or just those who complained loudly and vehemently lol. Unfortunately Elvis had left the building so no joy there.

 

Kev and Maz cooked up a delightful roast lamb dinner, capped off with some Crunchie ice creams Gaz couldn’t resist at the IGA. We played the Food & Drink Trivia after dinner where Kev and I shared the spoils with 2 points each and then moved on to Euchre where I crashed and burned, receiving 0 points while the others gained 2 points each. I was able to position myself on a slight angle so I could watch State of Origin through a cabin window so it could be my total focus may not have been on the cards lol. Go the Blues!

 

Ready to explore Young and all she has to offer tomorrow.