We’ve realised that our diesel heater is playing up as we have it turned to the max 30 degrees and barely manage to get the interior warmed up. Of course, we discover this when a polar blast is running through the east coast. Socks and beanies in bed help to keep us warm at night. A trip to the factory is now a definite, as the winter temperatures aren’t going to improve anytime soon.
We left Bathurst and stopped in at Sofala for lunch. It’s a cute little historic gold mining town that I remember going to on a primary school excursion. Plenty of people wandering around for the long weekend, but not much open.
The Henry Lawson Festival had been in Gulgong over the weekend but by the time we arrived on Kings Birthday holiday Monday, there was little evidence of the festival having happened. Never mind, we enjoyed a couple of nights staying at the Showground, which is walking distance to the town, and checked out Stacks, an oversized discount shop located in the basement under IGA, picking up a few knick-knacks.
The Drip Gorge and the Hands On Rock was suggested to us as points of interest, particularly as there is supposed to be a Brett Whiteley mural graffitied on the rock. No sign of the mural, which is apparently hard to find, but the walks to the gorge and to the indigenous handprints a bit further up the road, were beautiful.
Filling in time before joining some other Explorers in Bulga, we stayed for one night at the Sandy Hollow Hotel free camp, having dinner in the pub. The food was generous and very tasty.
Today we have arrived at the Bulga Recreation ground and sat around the fire with Tony and Lyn (Tuff Enuff), Bev (Twisted Sister), Linda and Steve (#666 Slow n Steady) and Gayle (#687). Tomorrow we will have a chillout day waiting for other Explorers to arrive.
Travelling Old Farts 