Travelling with Jac and Annie

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo—what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.”  Oprah Winfrey

Oh dear what is happening when I start a blog with a quote from Oprah Winfrey?.  But this one seemed appropriate for this blog.  On my return from Canberra Jac and I were joined by a friend while going home from Canberra.  Annie and I have been friends since we worked together in a women's refuge back in the 80s.   Inspired by my road trips, Annie flew up so we could have a road trip home.  We've been friends for years but rarely holiday together.  We are very different, which is a good thing, we often argue but are united by feminism, by a  shared history starting with working together in a women's refuge, a love of grandchildren and a love of good food and wine, though Prosecco is our favourite tipple at the moment.  I've also done the same thing and flown over to Perth once so I could drive home across the Nullabor with her and Norm, we both share a love of road trips.  And she is a person who would take the bus with me when the limo breaks down - we handle adversity well and have fun with it.

After picking her up from the airport and a stop for fish and chips so I could show off my local Canberra knowledge by showing her Snapper on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, we headed off to a farmstead at Coolac, just north of Cootamundra on the Olympic Way.  Beautiful spot, Wallendbeen Park Farm.  It's an organic farm with golden pigs, chooks bokboking around and the funniest little creatures - Guinea Fowl.  They like to stay together. They wander around as a group and every now and then one gets too caught up in scratching around, then they all call and the one left behind sticks its head up and comes running to join the fold.

Sat out on the decking in the dusk, ate our gourmet snacks, drank Prosecco and just enjoyed the peace and quiet, disturbed only by the occasional bok bok and the pigs grunting. 

I had booked for the Dartmouth Motor Inn, we travelled on the Olympic Way, going though Wagga Wagga and a swim in the Murrumbidgee at the Wagga Beach, again sand and deep water, although everyone said the river was low.  Caught up with a friend of my brothers, Beryl who has lived in that area for years who talked about how welcoming the community was of both refugees and international students.  When you travel through just a little part of the country you appreciate how much space there is and how much refugee communities could bring to small country towns if they were supported to go there. 

To continue the swimming theme had to stop at Albury to have a swim in the Murray, just at the spot where Annie and Norm had lived in a tent in their early years together.

Have to say that while the area around Dartmouth is absolutely beautiful, a dam that has more water than Lake Hume, forests and a beautiful river, the Motor Inn had seen better days and the food at the hotel was pretty tired and sad.  But did have a nice beer sitting out on the verandah at the motel and finished the night off with a Prosecco.  Next morning after Annie tried to set the place alight with the toaster which caught fire, we decided that the accommodation was not for us so thought we would just head home.  

However as John Steinbeck said

A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us. 

On the way down the mountain we stopped at the Witches Garden (how could one not stop at a place with a name like that), which has accommodation and acres of green and lush gardens.  They told us it was market day in Mitta Mitta so of course we had to go there and found a little green piece of paradise.  The market was out the front of the pub which backed on to the Snowy Creek.  The pub was an old one that has been so well done up with huge old logs, soaring roof and a comfortable and rustic feel to it, with green lawns going down to the creek.  Found out later that my Mum had lost her bottom dentures in that river behind the pub about 60 years before, would have dived in and searched for them if I had known.  They dam the river up in summer to make a deep swimming hole behind the pub.  We stopped for a Beechworth Ale and fantasised about staying for a night but thought we'd have no chance of finding dog friendly accommodation last minute during Easter. I googled accommodation and found Wonjeena.  3 ks out of town on Scrubby Creek Road, a piece of 1960s history, with a resident historian who is the 3rd generation to live on the land there and full of stories about the place.  And they had a spot.  They had closed for bookings over Easter because Nevis, the historian was doing his bees, but he had finished the the day before so they had a self contained unit available.  Two delightfully friendly dogs for Jac to be disdainful of and a huge bull in the next door paddock, which luckily Jac decided to stay away from.  Decor straight from the 50s.

Time for a dip in the freezing cold waters of the Mitta River.  After a while the body acclimatised and  we could lie on the rocks with the water burbling around us - so relaxing.  Mind you we must have looked a sight, two old bags and a dog, both with shaky balance picking our way through the current and over the rocks, but it was worth it.  There were lots of fishing spots and peaceful and private little hidden holes in the bush to camp by the river with fireplaces set up.  If only I could still get up and down with ease I would seriously consider a tent.

After a good meal at the pub, with a very nice wine - unfortunately can't remember the name except it had Duck in it somewhere (and no, it was not Blue Duck for those that remember the 60s), we went back to our little bit of 50s paradise, sat under the stars again with a Prosecco before bed.  

We had a meandering trip home, stopping for Jac to have a walk in Benalla and a return visit to Morrisons winery near Glenrowan.  Their Tempranillo is perfect and unlike many wineries they charge reasonable prices.  As the winemaker explained he does not like to pay more than $20.00 for a good bottle so why should he expect anyone else to.

View from our lodging  at Mitta Mitta

I love the meandering, it's a different kind of travel than just going from one place to another purposefully. Taking the time to head off if something looks interesting or exploring a place that you've just driven past before, somehow opens the soul a bit to new experiences. While doing it on my own is fun,  it was also good for to travel with a friend, we always tend to have fun and lots of laughs (often at our own expense).  Our eating and drinking habits are very similar so that all works out quite well.  The experience is different because you share it and can enjoy the moments together.