On the road again and Encounters with other animals

This year I wanted to get away from doing the usual things over Christmas.  Even though Erwin was never into Christmas, we have developed a tradition of celebrating at Rye with Beci and Raph and the boys.  It made me think that I am not alone, I do have a wonderful circle of family (particularly Bec and Em) and friends. But, Christmas and New Year is one of those times when you are surrounded by memories and everyone is talking about families, so the challenge was to do something different this year.  

So Jac and I headed off on another road trip to Em's in Sydney,  But this time, after consultation with Jac, I decided to do it so I had a little bit of time to explore in the places I stopped.  First one was Woolshed Cabins just outside of Beechworth.  About a 3 hour drive from Melbourne, so got there early afternoon, enough time to go for a swim in Lake Sambell which is in Beechworth.  The Lake has lovely sandy beaches and clear, cool water.   There were a few family groups there but otherwise very peaceful.  Jack did her usual wading in unto her tummy, then waited by the shoreline while I had a swim.  She also made a few people friends - she is good at just sitting nearby a group until they notice her and pat her.  The Cabins were perfect, in the bush, and of course we were greeted by the obligatory black labrador.  There was a beautiful rock outcrop on the hill behind the cabin, perfect setting to watch the sunset, and a track to walk around the property, so we were both happy.

Jac enjoying the sunset

In the morning we had a bit of a tour around Beechworth, driving the Gorge trail and stopping for a slightly hazardous climb down to the creek in the Gorge.  Basically climbing down one very smooth and steep rock.  Jac managed fine, I did it very gingerly. Our next stop was Albury for a quick dip in the Murray at Noreuil Park.  Perfect stopping spot, easy access to he river, The Riverpark Cafe serves great coffee, clean toilets and dogs allowed off leash.  They also having drinking bowls for dogs - although I do carry a container of water and a bowl (fancy folding one now thanks to Em) and give her a drink every time we stop.  Had to make a stop after that at Tarcutta to see the craft shop which has been there forever and sells stuff made by local crafts people, including beautiful pottery by a local potter.  We have a number of her mugs which were Erwin's favourite, so I bought a bowl there to use for Jac's food along the way.

Overnight was at Jugiong Motor Inn.  My first thought when i pulled up was 'mm maybe I'll go straight on to Sydney'.  Entrance to my room was over a concrete path from the car park, few rubbish bags lying around and laundry hanging.  However it was a bit like  Alice Through the Looking Glass. Once in the room, there was another door which opened out on to a lovely green courtyard with lots of comfy chairs and bench tables. Next to the Motor Inn was a paddock with Alpacas, sheep and an enormous pig which all made Jac a little nervous.  In the morning I opened the door to the courtyard to find the sheep wandering around.  The sheep galloped over to greet Jac who after reluctantly allowing it to sniff at her, went for safety under table.  

A meeting of two minds?

The owner of the Motor Inn directed me across the road to the river, so we could swim in the Murrumbidgee.  The entrance to the river was a little muddy but once in it was fine.  Jac paddles at the edges and waits patiently while I swim.    Went to the Sir George for dinner, had a courtyard where we could sit and Jac is very good at waiting patiently while I go in and order, although if there is anyone nearby who she thinks might pat her she will sit forlornly nearby waiting for them to, so I can come back to find her quietly accepting being fussed over.   In this case she found a family at the next table who thought she was beautiful.  One of the good things that has happened in Australia over the last couple of decades is the development of good food and coffee places, that often use the local produce.  I remember our family trips along the Hume where we mostly took our own food because the food along the way was so limited.  Those were the days when if a cafe advertised that they had cappuccino you had to ask them what coffee they used to make it because for some the definition of cappuccino was instant coffee with some frothy cream on top.  Now it's veritable gourmet treats in most places, even the big super stops on the highway have Olivers now which has quite reasonable food.

From Jugiong it was an easy drive to Sydney although we did stop for another swim in the Wingecaribee River at Berrima.  Deep water holes and rocks on the other side that people jump off, I did not.  Surprisingly the roads were not that busy, given it was Christmas Eve.  Was good to arrive at Em's and get comfortable as well as have a dip in their spa/pool.  I love the way her and Sean are able to produce a meal working together without any fuss.  The dogs were remarkably well behaved, not the level of excitement that we had the first time.  While I was there I walked the dogs all together in Centennial Park, both with Em and on my own and I think that helped them all settle down.  We had a lovely Christmas Day wiht my first experience of seeing a whole turkey cooked and it was beautiful.  Done under the direction of Em's sister in Law who was visiting from the UK.  


Went swimming in Bondi, the advantage of having Em living in Sydney is she goes to the North of the beach where the rock pools are and again we could take the dogs and the crowds are not quite so overwhelming.  Jac loves the water but not at a depth where she has to swim. So she was a bit nonplussed when she fell into one of the rock pools which was quite deep so had to swim a bit to find a place where she could get out.  Still the tail was wagging when she finally clambered out.  

Beci and the boys arrived in Sydney in time for me to spend time with the boys while Bec went out partying.  Loved their BnB with a swimming pool and just 5 minutes walk from Ems.  But because my plan is to spend New Years Eve alone (well just with Jac) I headed off to Jindabyne.  While we weren't big celebrators of New Years we did have some pretty spectacular ones and we did manage to spend 39 New Years Eves together, this one would have been the 40th.  Those closest to my heart were when we were in Falls Creek and we would go to the top of Mt Mckay and watch the spectacular sunsets over the ranges, purples and blues of the mountains that just seemed to go on forever.  We would have our dog of the day with us.  So to know how Jac and I coped with New Years Eve you'll have to read the next blog......

Why travel with a dog.

Jac is black, small and hairy. She is fairly shaggy, a bit like me.  Jack has been ‘our’ companion.  We’ve had previous dogs but they have always aligned themselves to one of us.  Jackie our first, a kelpie cross was mine, she would follow me around, though it was a bit diluted because we had her while the girls were small so when we all went on walks together she would spend her time rounding us all up, circling around.  Jess was Erwin’s.  She was a long haired shepherd, if Erwin was not home she would mostly sit forlornly by the door, unless food was involved or there was the promise of a walk then she would come to life.

Jac was ours.  Although I was the one who found her and brought her home, she spread herself evenly between the two of us.  When we started sleeping in different beds because of the noise Erwin made, she would spend the night travelling between our rooms.  When Erwin got so unwell that he didn’t move much she would mostly stay on or next to his bed, but still come to me for a few hours each night.  Though she did put all her toys on his bed the first night he was in hospital.

And now there’s just the two of us.  Me and Jac.  She’s the only one now who gets excited when I come home.  She’s the one who I shared a toast with when marriage equality became a reality. She's the one who I told that while I loved most of the 40 years Erwin and I spent together, how much our politics and views on life aligned, how much we shared our fortunes and tragedies,  I was still totally pissed off about some stuff he did which continues to cause some distress.  She listens patiently, she looks understanding and she is patient with my yelling at the radio or television.  And now she travels with me.

Earlier this year we did a road trip to Sydney.  I didn’t want to leave her with anyone else and didn’t want to put her in a cage to go on the plane.  

 I am happy travelling alone but I find travelling with Jac has a number of benefits.  

The first is there is always someone to talk to.  I find Jac a good listener, who does not argue when I express strong political opinions and generally shares my views on the amenity of places we visit.  The second is she's an icebreaker.  Sometimes with solo travelling it's good to have a conversation with another human.  It does not have to be a deep and meaningful conversation, just enough so that you know that you exist in the eyes of other people.  Dogs and children are very good for that purpose.  Conversations can start about the breed the age, the nature of the dog.  Finally she gives me a sense of security.  I am not a nervous person but having Jac with me at night in a strange place, sleeping under or on my bed makes me feel more comfortable.  She is not a guard dog by any means but she can growl with the best of them and hearing her 'what do you think you are doing' bark could make someone feel a little apprehensive about entering a room.  

The first trip was to Sydney to visit my daughter Em who had organised tickets to Paul Kelly on the Opera House forecourt, and for Jac to meet Em's dogs for the first time.  Going up we stayed in an Air BnB at Albury - I won't tell you the name but it was not good.  I had not checked if the bathroom was shared.  The owner had two very yappy dogs who intimidated Jac to the point where she would not go into a room if they were there.  While the rooms we had were comfortable and opened onto a small enclosed courtyard, access to the bathroom, the fridge, the kettle and anything other than a bed and tele were though the owner's living quarters.  I learnt from that experience to check if the bathroom was shared.  Sydney was staying with Em, and two very excited daschunds who could not decide if they wanted Jac in their space.  Jack is a fairly quiet dog, used to her own space and used to peace and quiet mostly, she had just been traumatised by the two happy dogs in Albury.  She was not happy at first, and really just wanted to get away from these overbearing and noisy little things.  However, after a day and a walk together they settled.   

The road trip to Sydney was okay, I tried to stop every hour or so to give us both a walk and a stretch.  Two of the best places we found to stop were Bookham where there was an old churchyard we could walk through and reasonable coffee at the cafe.  The other was at Mittagong, where we found a lake to walk around with lots of native forest to explore.  That was a lovely spot and we spent an hour wandering around there with Jac having her customary dip in the lake, although she only goes in to a point where she can stand, won't go to a depth where she has to swim despite my constant encouragement.  

Coming back I stayed first at a place just a short way past Yass, which was convenient as I was planning to do a days work in Canberra.  I have included the link below.

Amazing Views Pet Friendly Bed and Breakfast
http://www.stayz.com.au/151034

It was a bit of a trek down a dirt road but worth it in the end.  A little cottage, which had it's own fenced courtyard with a swimming pool and view of the rolling hills and Burrinjuck Dam which took my breath away.  And made me a bit maudlin because Erwin always loved a place with a view and I could imagine how much he would have loved this one.  No cafes or shops nearby,  which meant I made a return trip to Yass to stock up, having a chat with a few people about dogs and weather while I was there.  Then back for a dip in the pool, although by then a breeze had come up and it was not all that warm, still if you have a pool at your feet it beckons you to jump in.  Jac met the friendly black labrador (I am learning that black labs are a bit of a feature of farm stays) and was intrigued by the sheep she could see as we sat on the deck.

View from the deck

Jack watching the sheep while the wind blows away her ears

The second was just past Gundagai after the days work in Canberra.  Another Air BnB - using the pet friendly filter when searching.  Yarratah Bed and Breakfast at Mundarlo, another little trek off the highway but again well worth it.  This time it was a cottage adjoining one of the farm sheds, very basic but comfortable and with everything we needed.  On arrival Jac met the obligatory black labrador and the host gave us directions to walk through the paddocks to the river.  Jack was not excited about all the burrs she picked up as we walked through the paddocks but was excited when we found the swimming hole at the river where she waded in while I went in for a swim.  

There is something about freshwater swimming that I love, the feel of the current, the softness of the water, the sense of throwing caution away and abandoning yourself to the forces of nature.  Went to sleep listening to the sheep and the birds and woke up to a rooster proclaiming the arrival of the daylight.  Had learnt from the previous experience to bring my own food so was well prepared to make a salad and cook up a bit of chicken for Jac who is the fussiest eater under the planet.   

Jac paddling in the Murrumbidgee

Dusk settles at the farm

Drove home from there with a few stops on the way including a side trip to Glenrowan which I had not visited for years and was curious to see what they had done in relation to Ned Kelly. It had quite a despondent air and I didn't stop for long, nowhere really to walk Jac except along the street.  I find the roadside stops not very useful for the dog as they are generally pretty small and not a lot of space for her to walk so detouring off to the towns is the best bet and doesn't take much extra time, however Glenrowan was not exciting.

It's made me realise another benefit of travelling with a dog, that finding pet friendly accommodation means moving away from the motels on the highway and takes one off on little adventures to places where you might not otherwise go.  Because they are mostly out of the towns you get the beauty of the skies at night with the stars reminding me of how small we are and how big and beautiful this place is.  I have had conversations that I would not otherwise have had and stopping to walk the dog in between has also helped me discover new places.