The Working Traveller.
Thick Red Dust like talcum powder on every surface, including in my lungs is what I awoke to in Forbes. I had anchored in (whoops..moored... whoops again. I regress to my sailing years). Camped in Forbes overnight in horrid winds, I left 3 hatches ajar on the downwind side when I went to bed. Bad Mistake.
It took hours to clean up inside and out. At least over the next week I kept everything securely shut and only the exterior of the van was covered thickly in spattered mud in the next dust storm in Griffith where there was a slight shower with the storm a couple of days later.
I turned westward from the Newell Hwy at West Wyalong. My furthest west so far and into the beautiful Riverina District. I stood by the highway munching fruit that I didn’t want to throw into the fruit fly bins!
Griffith on the Kidman Hwy is an attractive town with orange blossoms scenting the air, orchards and crops looking lush and irrigation channels everywhere. I cycled about enjoying the farmland and did a bigger loop than anticipated when my tiny map led me astray. Sir Walter Burleigh Griffin planned some of the town as is evident by the circular roads, similar but on a much smaller scale to Canberra.
I camped beside Lake Wyanga 8k from Griffith, in the company of other travellers. A resident red pig, donkey, goats and deer also kept us company. We were delighted to have free power, water and toilets and a bar b queue. It was very cold and we all had heaters on and huddled down for 3 days.
Down through Ned Kelly country, Jerilderie and on to Cobargo to camp beside Billabong Creek. Here the “boys” were gathering for the Big Ute Muster next day at Deniliquin.
Huge lines of amazingly colourfully decorated utes were camped in long rows outside the grounds. I couldn’t repeat some of the slogans on the utes but by gosh what a mob of interesting characters they were. I remember seeing Mitch’s Virgin Conversions and I did see a blow up nude doll waving gaily to me and heard about nude dancers on ute roof tops overnight. Swag rolls were to be seen on most utes. No fancy tents for these tough blokes and gals. Old 3 piece lounge suites were commonly toted on the utes and gave them some home comforts around the campsite. One trio of utes had a spa a generator and heater and a water tank. I bet they were popular.
I worked for Alister in Coffee a la Carte at the Muster. 2 x 16 hour days plus a half day. We poured thousands of lattes and cappuccinos, very tiring to the arms and shoulders. It was fun though, interacting with the customers. The music was continuous. It was a fantastic spectacle. 25000 plus people. They made the Guinness record for the largest gathering of utes and the most blue “blokes” singlets ever worn in one place. Cowboy hats and dancing in the dirt were in. The rodeo tested some of the bull riders out. I am glad that as a worker I didn’t have to pay the $150 entry fee.
Deniliquin is also a pretty little town .I am constantly surprised at how beautiful these western areas are. I had always envisaged them as brown and barren instead of the lush spring fields that I am seeing. I think that it is only the irrigation that keeps them that way, plus it is the best time of year for green.
Two days later again found us pouring coffee by the thousands to the farming community at the Elmore field days. 15000 people and everything possible that the farming family might use was on display. Another bunch of lovely people to mingle with.
No rest for the wicked, straight on to the Shepparton Show to pour more coffee. By this time we had poured many litres of milk and ground many a bean to fill about 5000 coffee cups, no wonder I am a little tired!
I was at first very disappointed with Shepparton. I saw the most “grungy” part of the population. All of those with hardly a “bean” to their names are out there spending “mega bucks” on rides and junk food. I am surprised that the rides can cope. The “ban obesity lets get healthy” message had not gotten through to these folks. I was appalled.
Alister looks after his staff very well and has booked my van into a caravan park at each town where I am working. He has also taken me out for a meal at each town that we work in. Shepparton caravan park was a lovely one beside the Goulbourn river.
I stayed on afterwards and with the help of a little booklet, Cycling Greater Shepparton, I discovered a lot of beautiful countryside as I rode different circuits each day. The bike paths along the Goulbourn are extensive and lovely to ride along. I also swum laps a few days in the local pool, something I have done whenever there is an open pool in town. I meet local cyclists along the way and have ridden with one or two for a while.
I had a really lovely week camped beside the Campaspe river between Elmore and Rochester ( Cyclist Sir Hubert Opperman’s hometown) with many other friendly free campers. I love all of the little fire pots that we sit around at “happy hour”. We used the cleanish river water to bath and for our laundry and dishes. Some heat it on their fire pots. Dawn was watching Rodney one morning as he scooped yet another bucketful out whilst standing on a fallen tree. Suddenly…slip…whoosh…splash and only his head was showing. Dawn and I just couldn’t wipe the grins from our faces as Rodney struggled out shivering to dry off.
I cycled every day for the week, so far I have ridden over 1300 k since leaving Brisbane. It is the best way to sightsee and the strong winds are at least giving me some resistance training in these flat areas.
The back roads are set out in neat rectangles and it easy to complete short or long circuits, Apparently it was a soldier settlement area in the early days hence the rectangular blocks of land. The irrigation channels also run in straight lines between the road and the farms.
Now I am in Bendigo, having worked at the show again. I am waiting a day or two for some mail to come through and then will drive further south to explore more of this great country and see what characters I may find along the way.
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