Discovering the Hawkesbury River

A new experience this time, travelling with Em and Jac.  Both my daughters work incredibly hard, both of them at work they mostly love but that constant being in demand, being responsible, can take a toll.  Good then to plan a short break with Em while I'm in Sydney, her first since going into lockdown. Just one night so we didn't want to travel too far.  Em decided to leave her doxies at home but we took Jac.

We chose Dangar Island, found an Air BnB, Very Special Place Dangar Island and headed off, with Em driving so a bit of a break for me.  If we went the most direct way it would be about 1.5 hours from Sydney.  We did not.  Chose to head to Berowra Waters Fish Cafe for lunch.  Once we got out of the worst of the Sydney traffic the drive was delightful.  Through mildly windy and tree lined roads and coming out at a tributary of the Hawkesbury River.  Short walk along the river, past small jetties with so many boats around, tree lined hills and fish and chips on the deck on the water.  The cafe is a fish and chips place but the chips were good and the fish (whiting) was moist with a light crisp batter.

Next to the cafe is a river crossing by what I would call a punt, but here they called it a ferry.  A flat barge with a cable that takes cars across the water - for an interesting read about car crossings see Our Rivers, Our History.  Em was a little nervous at first as it was her first time crossing the river on a punt, but it is very straightforward, if a little disconcerting when the punt takes off and creaks its way over the water.  

Then on to another windy, narrow tree and rock lined road, with occasional views of the river and the valleys.  But after ten minutes or so, into suburbia again, built up areas, lots of houses.  Em explained that throughout the suburbs of Sydney there are National Parks and state reserves so you can be minutes away from what is a hugely built up area and you are in the middle of natural bush.  Now I understand one of the joys of living in Sydney. As well as the harbour, in a very short time you can be at wild ocean beaches or immerse yourself in a National Park.  Short drive to Brooklyn and we were at the public wharf where the ferry was waiting

All prepared for pandemic with sitting spots at appropriate distances marked on the bench seats and a limit on the number of passengers, luckily, despite a bunch of primary school aged kids, they were under the passenger limit.  Poor old Jac had to wear a muzzle - one of the conditions for dogs being allowed on the ferry.  The sun was shining and it was a perfect day for it.  The island is a 15 minute trip, there are no cars on the island except for one or two with permits for safety purposes, it's boast is it's the only Sydney suburb where cars are not allowed.  Lined up near the ferry wharf are a bunch of wheelbarrows which the 300 or so people who live on the island use to cart their goods around.  Ann, the host met us near the ferry and it was a short walk to our residence for the night.   

The house is actually the last bit remaining of the original house built on the island by Henry Dangar, a surveyor with a checked history but who was successful in gaining licences for he and his brother to settle  land all the way up to Armidale as well as buy the island and rename it after himself.  Lots of history about that and him using the island to store the equipment while a nearby railway bridge was built, but again very little about the traditional owners who came to the island seasonally.

The key thing that stood out apart from the vast expanse of water, was birds, birds birds and more birds.  From the Pelican we saw catching a fish as we got on the ferry to Lorikeets, Galahs, Cockatoos, Kookaburras, Butcher Birds, Herons, Oyster Catchers and little swallows flitting around near the 'beach'.  There is not a lot of activity on the island apart from walking and then only two reasonably short walks (15minutes to the beach and maybe up to 45 around the top of the island) but a whole different world.  

Our host Ann Howard was a wealth of knowledge, having lived on the island for 47 years and written extensively about its history as well as publishing lots of other books including some about women in wartime.  The house itself was a bit like a museum with some original furniture, the original ceiling and walls in the main area and Ann's extensive food garden where some of our brunch the next day was sourced from.  The only downside was Ann did not like people being in her kitchen so we could not help ourselves to a cup of tea or make a coffee or snack which I found a bit disconcerting.   She had some lovely touches like providing a sheepskin for Jac which Jac actually loved, so might consider getting one for her at home.  Would go well in front of the fire.   

Following Ann's suggestion we went for the short walk to the beach, the river is so big and wide, I can't think of anything like it in Victoria except maybe up around Lakes Entrance.  It's immense, the water was so still and one end of the the beach is rocky and covered in open oyster shells (a midden perhaps).  Had wine on the verandah watching the birds, including very curious Lorikeets who came for a gander at us until Jac barked and off they went.   

We had decided to eat in the only choice for eating out, the Dangar Island Bowling Club which was a 2 minute walk from the house.  Had Jac with us so sat on the veranda with a very welcome heater as it was just a tad nippy.  Menu was mainly burgers, with vegetarian options, but a good wine list and an incredibly helpful sole waitress.  Best to book if you go there as it is a very small place and a group of young people who had booked a house there to celebrate a birthday arrived without a booking 15 minutes before the end of the 'dinnertime' and the kitchen had closed.  They did scrape together something for them so they did not go hungry but choices were extremely limited.  It was actually good to see them because, in the dark of night, being so cut off by being on an island and realising we clearly stood out as outsiders, it felt for a short time, a little creepy, like maybe you could be imprisoned by a cult or somehow cast into the wilderness for breaking some unwritten rules.  That group made the place feel a little more normal and it was actually very welcoming and felt quite safe.   A few of the locals who were of course, taken in by Jac, sitting quietly with us, said hello.  

We stopped on the walk back to look up at the clear night sky and enjoy the stars.  My bed was a water bed, shades of the 70s!  I found it a little disconcerting every time I moved though it was generally comfortable and warm.  I had a door out to the verandah, so it was easy to let Jac out for a wander and there was a good, deep bath for me to enjoy.  

Next day had a most sumptuous brunch, prepared by Ann. Sitting on the verandah overlooking the water, watching the mist slowly rise over the water and surrounding mountains, and the ferry putter in and out again was pretty remarkable.   There's a small cafe/grocery/art gallery down at the ferry, so we had coffee after brunch, Em walked up the hill while I sat around at the cafe and then the ferry back to Brooklyn to pick up the car.

I had researched a walk to stop at on the way home to try the walk to Bujwa Bay from Cowan, however when we found it, there was a steep and rocky descent down to the Bay (on the river) so we just walked a short way in to a place where we could sit on the rocks and look out at a view of the river winding through bushy hills.  Just in that very short distance there were so many different wildflowers, Happy Wanderer winding through the bushes, a beautiful plant with small pink flowers, from a distance I thought it was heath but it was a bit more orchid like up close, Wattle, Flannel Flowers, old Banksia trees and a range of different eucalypts.  As we walked back to the car through an oval, some Oystercatchers were dive bombing Jac and we noticed they had chicks wandering around the oval so tried to get past there as soon as possible so as to alleviate their anxiety.  Jac was not perturbed at all by the dive bombing.    

My verdict on the trip was it was a great thing to do.  apart from enjoying travelling with Em, something about being on an island with no cars and  just one quite basic place to eat felt like a real escape from the City madness.  The whole area around the Hawkesbury was a discovery for me and I plan to go back and explore it more.  The abundance of National Parks and Reserves so close to the city was an eye opener and there is a long walk one can do through the connected National Parks.  Couple that with the harbour and ocean pools, Sydney I could learn to love you!

Moving around NSW

Yep I'm still in NSW.  Don't really see the purpose of racing home to lockdown.  It's been hard listening to the growing numbers and feeling a bit guilty about not being there.  Have to say I have loved being at Em's.  Getting to cook for her and Joe has been fun and have been trawling through the old Women's Weekly Cookbook for inspiration.  It's interesting to recognise how limited the ingredients are that were used 40 years ago.  Also get to feed the maggies when they come begging and Em is at work. Em and I both enjoy our own space so Jac and I headed off to visit a friend in Armidale to give each other a break.

Morpeth street and sunset from main street

Headed off down the Pacific Motorway having booked a cottage in Morpeth for a night to stop along the way to Armidale.  Interesting little town, sort of like a mini Daylesford, good wine store, not surprising given we are in the Hunter Valley, it's about 2 1/2 hours out of Sydney.  Trying a new wine tonight to go with my Indian curry from the place next door to where I stayed, The Loft in the Surgeon's Cottage.  Shiraz Tempranillo, my two favourite wines together - Phoenix from Pokolbin Estate eminently drinkable, smooth dry and full bodied.  The cottage is very comfortable, in an old stone building, set in a rustic and green courtyard, and love that they have a teapot and looseleaf tea.  Morpeth also has a great pub, the Commericial with a microbrewery so I tried one of their beers sitting at a table on the street.  Was very aware of people not wearing masks and not appearing to socially distance, particularly in the pub where people, mainly men, were congregating in large groups.  Jac made herself very comfortable in the cottage.

From Morpeth I drove to Armidale on the rather intriguingly named Thunderbolts Way.  The road was named after a bushranger, a man who was known for stealing horses but 'only the best'.  That man, Frederic Ward, has that road named after him, Thunderbolt's Rock where he is reputed to have had a hiding place, a statue in Uralla, and his grave is marked with a biscuit tin where visitors leave etters for him.  His bush ranging career lasted 6 years.  6 years and he has all of that, whereas the Aboriginal people who lived on that land for tens of thousands of years, who were massacred and driven off their lands are hardly acknowledged.  There is a tourist map of Thunderbolt's Way which has all the information above, yet I found it hard to pick up anything which had the history of the traditional owners.  By looking at local Government websites I discovered the names of the traditional owners in the stretch between Walcha and Gloucester. I think they were Dangaddi, Worimi and Biripi.  I apologise if I have got any of that wrong or left out any, but it is hard to find that information.  But a bushranger, a criminal who was connected to that area for 6 years and has his story told and celebrated.

The drive itself was good, a large part of the road follows the Nowendoc river. Stopped for a break at Bretti Reserve, a peaceful little free camping area along the river, had a chat to the only couple camping there who told me about Pilligap and the area where there are several artesian springs.  Plan now to come back and do a round trip of all the artesian springs, sounds like heaven.  My friend was just a kilometre from the main centre of Armidale, a town developed by the squatocracy which apparently still has vestiges of the power of those original squatters.  Explored her property, picked veggies from the garden for dinner, had a fire outside then another inside, drank some good Hunter Valley wine and had a relaxing night.  Next morning we went to one of the many spectacular gorges around Armidale to look at the Wollombimbi Falls.  Poor Jac had to stay in the car as it was a National Park.  The area was devastated by bushfires earlier in the year but they have rebuilt a most magnificent viewing platform and refreshed the paths and amenities.   

Decided to head back along Thunderbolt's Way, stopping at another river side camping area and stayed in Morpeth again overnight.  Didn't want to just stay on the Motorway to get back so thought I'd try the Pacific Highway - don't, it was stop and start all the way and many built up areas, though I did take a few side trips.  One to Caves Beach a long stretch of beach which apparently has caves at one end but not at the dog friendly end.  Wild surf and sand had streaks of black, lots of erosion of the sand dunes.  

We had a long walk then back to the Highway with another stop at Chittaway Bay.  The bay is on Lake Macquarie, apparently one of the largest saltwater lakes in Australia.  It felt fairly rundown but got a piece of battered fish to eat and sat on a wharf on the Lake.  And along came a pelican, swimming up close and looked like she was hanging around for a feed. Took some of the batter off the fish and threw it to her, she caught it in her beak, clacked clacked with her beak to get it down and then patiently waited for more.  Jac was completely oblivious, although the pelican would move a bit away when she started walking around.  As Em said, I fed a pelican junk food.  Then got back in the motorway and headed home to Sydney, braving the Sydney traffic.   Some of Sean's extended family were there for dinner and cards and  helped try the sparkling fortified wine which was also from the Hunter Valley and was delicious. 

Footnote: 

Overheard conversation at one of the art gallery/come cafe I went to.  'Victoria is in a bit of a mess' 'Yes its because of the hotel guards who fraternised with the returning travellers' 'mm I think he Premier is Dan Andrews - is he Labor or Liberal?'  'Labor I think' 'Oh well that explains it' ....  Despite that have not had one person recoiling from me in horror when I have told them I am from Melbourne or the Mornington Peninsula.   

Canberra, lake swimming and casual eating

Next day headed to Canberra for work, but was very tired.  Had booked in again at The Annexe.  Dealing with the funeral did bring back a lot of stuff for me, so it was good to arrive somewhere quiet, familiar and safe, allowing time to think and integrate my feelings so I could go to work happily.   

Canberra was sooo hot, close to 40 each day.  But The Annexe is a lovely green oasis that is shaded and cool.  Nothing like a green lawn and large shady trees to help you cope with the heat.  It is opposite a chain of ovals and parklands so I walked Jac in the morning before work while it was still cool, through ovals and shaded walking paths.   She got to run with a few dogs so she was happy and no rabbits for her to kill so I was happy.

Part of our early morning walks

We were close to the Manuka shops so tried out a few different cafes for dinner and one night went to the very strange Kingston Portside area.  Strange because one doesn't expect to sit by the water to eat in Canberra with boats going by.  Strange also because it is surrounded by blocks and blocks of new apartments.  Jac wasn't impressed, didn't like walking along the water at all, but we did sit and have dinner.   One evening we drove up to Red Hill lookout which has a perfect place to watch the sunset, looking out over the Great Dividing range.  We saw a few kangaroos (maybe wallabies) which seemed to mesmerise Jac, but luckily she made no attempt to chase them.

View from Red Hill Lookout

Friday I had some disturbing news which shook me a bit, about people delving into mine and Erwin's background, for what purpose I don't know, but it made me feel somewhat vulnerable.  And it was hot.  After debriefing with my ever present friend Annie, who deals with my angst constantly and along with some of my other friends, helps me put things in perspective,  I was still quite shaken.  Thank goodness for good friends and my two delightful daughters and their families who help keep me sane.  Wonder what people do who don't have that support when they are dealing  with behaviour that seems quite crazy and inexplicable.  While, on the one hand I can se it as completely bizarre and weird, on the other hand, because it is so personal and intrusive,  I can see how it would cause you to unravel .  However I plan to stay quite ravelled, with a little help from my friends.

I had planned to go into work but decided I needed some space so I could do the phone meetings I had while sitting by the lake. Went to a very dog friendly spot on Lake Burley Griffin, set up my folding chair under the shade of a weeping willow tree and sat and worked looking out on the lake.  I even braved a swim in the Lake, there is a particular spot in Yarralumla set up for swimming with diving/jumping platforms.  It was a perfect day and I felt refreshed and energised.

View from my office for the day

On the weekend we moved in with a friend Ol, who I had worked with for a number of years and who has moved to Canberra.  She is a gentle but strong soul with an equally gentle husband and a beautiful garden, where I always feel so comfortable.  Luckily Jac gets on well with her delightful little dog, Clancy, which means they simply walk around each other and largely ignore each other.  Clancy is the funniest little dog who talks when he wants to be fed.  Canberra for me previously has been a bit of a rushed trip where I have occasionally managed to get to the gallery or Parliament House.  It was lovely to explore the place with Ol, going to the Portrait Gallery - stunning, and the Library which had a most amazing and moving photo exhibition by Peter Dombrovski who took the iconic photo that helped motivate people to save the Franklin River.  It reminded me how important  it is for your health to immerse yourself in nature, and I realised that, to some extent, that's what I have been doing.

Jac in Lake Burley Griffin

Life felt a little normal when I met up with one of Erwin's grandchildren and went for a walk with her and her husband around the lake.  I had a relationship with all of Erwin's children over 40 years, visiting them and having them stay at our house, it's been strange to lose contact with them since Erwin died.  I felt they were part of our lives over such a long time and meeting up with the granddaughter helped me continue that connection.  

While I enjoy travelling alone, spending time with Ol was lovely and exploring places to walk and eat.  The highlight for me was the Southern Cross Yacht Club on the lake at Yarralumla where one can buy fish and chips and wine and sit to eat by the lake.  Perfect place for dogs, children and older women like us.  It was dusk and there were bats flying overhead, and resting in the trees above us, which created some alert about bats urinating on our food.  While I was with the granddaughter we did have a magpie who dropped a pooh in her water....  Sure that's a sign of good fortune.  Have to admit this time I loved Canberra, as well as swimming in the lake and exploring with Ol, finding the walking tracks behind Ol's house was another blessing.  Can walk up onto a ridge with a view of the mountains and walk for kilometres through bush.  I walked 4 ks one day without even realising it.

So ever onward and making myself look forward to what life can offer in the future and try to remove myself from the craziness of others.  Next blog is about our return trip via Falls Creek where we spent many years skiing in winter and walking the High Plains in summer.

Saying goodbye to the old and trying out the new

This trip is about doing things a little differently.  One of my cousins said doing things differently to how they have done before, is a sign of respect to those we have lost.  So I have respected the bloke by sharing Christmas with Em in Sydney instead of under the ti trees at Rye. One of our New Year traditions for many years was to watch the sunset at Mt Mckay in Falls Creek.  The different shades of blue and grey over the never-ending mountain ranges was magical and was a perfect way to see out the year.  I didn't go back to Falls Creek.  However I felt an urge to revisit the sunset over the mountains, so went to Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains area.  Different, we had passed through years ago but never stopped there.  So a sense of looking back to a time we shared and a tradition we both loved but in a place newly discovered.

Two stand outs from the Sydney to Jindabyne trip was the Elling Forest winery and Grandmas Cafe.  The winery is a perfect dog stop, abut an hour out of Sydney, has a little pond with large ducks, lots of space to wander around, a cafe and wine tasting - what else could a woman and her dog ask for?  The bloke offering the tasting had a rescue dog himself and we had a good chat about dogs and breeds as well as tasting some good whites - that were bio dynamic which must be good for you.  Grandma's cafe on the road into Canberra was notable for very different reasons.  Looked lovely, good outside area looking over the Olive Groves, but as we were walking up to the tables a gun went off, which completely freaked Jac out - she gets skittish when men are playing soccer in the park with the whistles and yelling.  She settled down enough for me to go in and order but then the gun went off again and again she freaked out - the waitress explained it was an air gun and was set to go off intermittently.  I drank the coffee quickly and i have never seen Jac so keen to get into the car.  The gun went off again as we were leaving and she jumped over into he front seat and then got down into the gap between the front seat and the engine.  Took her a while to stop trembling and move back to her seat in the back.

The Air BnB in East Jindabyne was advertised as  Motel Style Accommodation.  Another case of not making judgements too soon, walked into the room and was struck by it's 'compactness' just enough room for a bed, a chair and a small fridge, with a very compact bathroom, cosy definitely.  But large windows and another door opening out on to a balcony where I could take a deep breath and look out over Lake Jindabyne. 

Yep, that's the view from the balcony

Then a common area with a touch I loved - a stove top espresso maker, none of those incredibly environmentally unfriendly capsules.  Would be very cosy in winter if going up for the snow.  Explored East Jindabyne following a sign saying public lake access, leading to a drivable track which followed the lake around to a sandy beach, with people and dogs. Jac had her up to the tummy paddle and waited patiently at the shoreline while I swam out.  

Next day was New Years Eve. Went to the Tourist Information place to ask about off leash bush type walks.  The very helpful (not) person, first told me about an on leash area, but when I said I wanted off leash, told me about two walks; one from Claypits and one from Cobbin Cres but said firstly that there'd be lots of boats and people at Claypits, then  wouldn't recommend the Cobbin Cres walk to the damn wall because of the number of cyclists, and watch out for snakes.  First went to Claypits, walked about 2 ks, although you can drive a bit further and come out at the sailing club where I finished up.  It was quiet and peaceful. Jac paddled, I swam in beautiful clear water accessed from another sandy beach area, then sat on the rocks in the sun.  The peace was broken when a couple of cars pulled up and out came: two dogs, a never ending supply of rubber sailing things, a marquee, a dozen folding chairs, several ESKYs and a mob of people.  I left when they turned on the motor to blow up all the rubber things and walked back to Claypits.  

One of the challenges with shopping when you travel wiht a dog is what to do with the dog.  I get a little nervous tying her up outside a supermarket because as you might have picked up she reacts badly to different noises.  It was early enough before the heat kicked in, so I parked in the shade put the windows half down and tackled the supermarket.  She didn't seem too worried and I had the security of knowing she could not get out of the car.   Tried the Cobbin Cres walk, follows the lake edge through variety of vegetation, open areas and bush.  Yes there were cyclists, over the 3 ks we came across at least 4.  However, unlike in the city where there is not a lot of tolerance on shared paths, here there was quite an acceptance that it was a shared path and no one complained, they thanked me if I heard them and got Jac off the path and one who had to dodge around her actually said - 'well the dog's got as much right to be here as I have'.  It had warmed up by then, Jac doesn't like the heat and kept making for shady spots where she would wait for me to catch up.  The walk is a return along the same track and ending up back at the beach area and this time Jac actually swam so she must have felt a bit hot.  The good thing about that was that it actually cleaned her, unlike being in the beach, so did throw her in for another paddle to help with that process and then we sat on the rocks in the sun again for a while.  

New Years Eve, a salad on the balcony, a few chats with the other stayers at the Motel Style Accommodation, including lovely young woman who spent her New Years Eve doing the 18k walk up Mt Kozsiusko.  And I felt good about walking 6ks on a mostly flat track!   Anyway found a place just above the accommodation which was a perfect sunset watching spot and went up there with Jac, a candle and a piccolo of Prosecco. A passing dog walker explained that the strange stone circle was the left over of a house that had been burnt out.  Jac thought I was a little crazy and just sat quietly by the car while I lit the candle and drank the Prosecco, sang a few songs, off key, of course and watched the sun set over the mountains.  And that was the end of our 2017.  I was glad I was on my own as it allowed me to give in to being a little maudlin and talked to the bloke, asking him why he did what he did. I was comforted by running texts from Em about their New Years with Bec and the boys.  It felt right, a bit sad, a bit marking the change in years, the loss of the bloke, the change in my life and the journey in front of me.  One of the things i had done in Sydney was to catch up with one of Erwin's sons and his wife and that seemed so right, being able to reminisce, share our memories and hear what was happening with them, gave me a sense of holding on to the connections we had while still looking to a different way of living.  

Trip to Canberra included another encounter with an animal - an echidna this time which Jac was quite wary of.  

An Air BnB in Canberra, Luxury Garden Studio, which it was.  In Red Hill, lots of green, large house, large blocks.  Beautifully self contained and thoughtful touches everywhere, from the crockery, to the furnishings, the bathroom with walk in shower and the private deck with table and chairs.  Jac was at home straight away and not even keen to walk in the park across the road.  Wouldn't recommend though if dog was a wanderer, Jac's not - she likes to stay close by, the yard was not secured, so okay for us but not for all.  Good base to go to work from, Jac is so good coming to work with me, sits quietly under the desk except when there is someone who wants to pat her.  Then the trip home.

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.