The Travel Thread

[mightyrooster]

maybe i missed a post but how did your son enjoy europe?

He had a great time thanks zac. But he’s now living back at home lol and needs to build up his savings again.

[mightyrooster]

Uneventful drive to Orange but geez the road is basically a goat track in parts, lots of road kill everywhere, kangaroos, wombats, foxes and rabbits .
Accomodation very nice and a lovely tasting platter on arrival, looking forward to dinner tonight at the Union Bank and checking out a few wineries tomorrow. Already called into one on the way at Milthorpe and my credit card is already groaning. Beautiful jonquils and daffodils in bloom at the moment.

I have close family living very close to Orange. The Lachlan Valley road, Mitchell highway. Mid western highway etc are shockers. Potholes, roadkill everywhere. It varies depending on how much rain they’ve had. A few years ago it was the worst I’d ever seen. The last time we went back was January and it wasn’t as bad as the time before but still.

[horrie hastings]

Nice dinner last night at the Parkview hotel in Orange and a few wineries and a groaning credit card yesterday, drove up to Mt Canobolos . Raining when we left Orange but cleared on the way to Wellington. Accomodation at Wellington Caves nice , clean and basic, drove into Wellington itself, what a sh*t hole, wont be spending anytime there. Just about to do a tour of one of the caves and have another booked for the morning.

[mightyrooster]

Nice dinner last night at the Parkview hotel in Orange and a few wineries and a groaning credit card yesterday, drove up to Mt Canobolos . Raining when we left Orange but cleared on the way to Wellington. Accomodation at Wellington Caves nice , clean and basic, drove into Wellington itself, what a sh*t hole, wont be spending anytime there. Just about to do a tour of one of the caves and have another booked for the morning.

That’s one way of describing Wellington lol.

[horrie hastings]

I have close family living very close to Orange. The Lachlan Valley road, Mitchell highway. Mid western highway etc are shockers. Potholes, roadkill everywhere. It varies depending on how much rain they’ve had. A few years ago it was the worst I’d ever seen. The last time we went back was January and it wasn’t as bad as the time before but still.

Quite a few potholes but i stopped counting the dead roos when i got to 20.
Not quite as many on the road from Orange to Wellington road kill wise bit far more potholes.

The stay in Orange was lovely, dinner at the Union Bank was sublime, food, service, drinks and cocktail wise and last night at the Parkview Hotel was very pleasant. Bought plenty of wine but still have Mudgee to go so going to have to a bit restrained lol.

[horrie hastings]

That’s one way of describing Wellington lol.

Wellington is like the end of the world, just a quick drive around and it was oh my God, where is the exit.
The caves just 7 km out is another world, peaceful and serene, glad we are staying here at not in town.

[caz]

He had a great time thanks zac. But he’s now living back at home lol and needs to build up his savings again.

he knows when he's on a good thing lol. great to hear he enjoyed it

[mightyrooster]

he knows when he's on a good thing lol. great to hear he enjoyed it

The house of mum and dad never really existed when I was a young adult in the late 80’s, but it’s pretty common these days. The times have changed. Not that I’m complaining as we’re in a position where we can do it and only charge them a very basic, highly subsidised board.

[caz]

The house of mum and dad never really existed when I was a young adult in the late 80’s, but it’s pretty common these days. The times have changed. Not that I’m complaining as we’re in a position where we can do it and only charge them a very basic, highly subsidised board.

sounds good.
at that age i wanted a bit of independence and bought a flat in my early 20s for a crazy 55k. kids can't do that any more

[mightyrooster]

sounds good.
at that age i wanted a bit of independence and bought a flat in my early 20s for a crazy 55k. kids can't do that any more

Yep it’s really tough these days when it comes to buying a home or unit for young people. Anyone really actually.

[horrie hastings]

Huge storms and heavy rain last night. Did another cave tour this morning and just having some refreshments befote hittimg the road again for Mudgee via Gulgong.

[horrie hastings]

Last night in Mudgee and had a nice quiet wind down dinner, some beautiful Chinese at the Woolpack Hotel, it was a standard Western Chinese menu over all but the food was a notch above, very refined, wish we had something like this in one of my local Sydney pubs.

Drive back today was very nice. from Mudgee ,going past Lake Windameer was stunning and then the Capertee Valley was absolutely stunning, just breath taking to see before you hit the ugliness of Lithgow.
Had a nice break in Blackheath for lunch and a browse through the shops before the decent back into the madness of Sydney, do admit i hate the drive from the bottom of the mountains around Emu Plains to past Parramatta but when the M4 goes underground its a breeze and connecting with the M8 which drops me off just around the corner from home.

Unpacked now so going to have a nice relax before the football. Have some serious wine cataloging to do from the purchases in Orange and Mudgee.

[mightyrooster]

Last night in Mudgee and had a nice quiet wind down dinner, some beautiful Chinese at the Woolpack Hotel, it was a standard Western Chinese menu over all but the food was a notch above, very refined, wish we had something like this in one of my local Sydney pubs.

Drive back today was very nice. from Mudgee ,going past Lake Windameer was stunning and then the Capertee Valley was absolutely stunning, just breath taking to see before you hit the ugliness of Lithgow.
Had a nice break in Blackheath for lunch and a browse through the shops before the decent back into the madness of Sydney, do admit i hate the drive from the bottom of the mountains around Emu Plains to past Parramatta but when the M4 goes underground its a breeze and connecting with the M8 which drops me off just around the corner from home.

Unpacked now so going to have a nice relax before the football. Have some serious wine cataloging to do from the purchases in Orange and Mudgee.

I spent so many days of my childhood, and to a lesser extent as an adult doing that drive (as a passenger of course!) through Blayney, Bathurst, crappy Lithgow and through the mountains into Penrith and western Sydney. In the early days there were no motorways and the Great Western Highway would become Parramatta road. Argh..that was the worst part. Going back home, it was always such a relief when we got out of Sydney and hit Katoomba. Sounds like you had a lovely break.

[horrie hastings]

I spent so many days of my childhood, and to a lesser extent as an adult doing that drive (as a passenger of course!) through Blayney, Bathurst, crappy Lithgow and through the mountains into Penrith and western Sydney. In the early days there were no motorways and the Great Western Highway would become Parramatta road. Argh..that was the worst part. Going back home, it was always such a relief when we got out of Sydney and hit Katoomba. Sounds like you had a lovely break.

I worked out i had not done the drive along the Castlereagh Highway to or from Mudgee since 2005. In 2005 we drove to Mudgee from Sydney on the way to Dubbo Zoo, stayed at Mudgee over night, probably going in that direction didn't get to view or appreciate the beauty of Capertee Valley and Lake Windameer, this time driving back from Mudgee towards Lithgow go to experience the beauty of the two mentioned places as they opened up in front of you in the decent, also from further back got a stunning looking view of some of the Western side of the Blue Mountains, a really beautiful view that i had not seen before.
In 2005 coming back from Dubbo came back via Orange and Bathurst so missed all that.

You reminded me when you mentioned Parramatta Rd/ Great Western Highway my father decided he wanted to drive out to Penrith Park, i said it would be easier catching the train but he wanted to drive, this was 1981 so it was out on Parramatta rd which morphed into the Great Western Highway, seemed to take ages to get there but i still remember all the used car yards on Parramatta Rd.

[mightyrooster]

I worked out i had not done the drive along the Castlereagh Highway to or from Mudgee since 2005. In 2005 we drove to Mudgee from Sydney on the way to Dubbo Zoo, stayed at Mudgee over night, probably going in that direction didn't get to view or appreciate the beauty of Capertee Valley and Lake Windameer, this time driving back from Mudgee towards Lithgow go to experience the beauty of the two mentioned places as they opened up in front of you in the decent, also from further back got a stunning looking view of some of the Western side of the Blue Mountains, a really beautiful view that i had not seen before.
In 2005 coming back from Dubbo came back via Orange and Bathurst so missed all that.

You reminded me when you mentioned Parramatta Rd/ Great Western Highway my father decided he wanted to drive out to Penrith Park, i said it would be easier catching the train but he wanted to drive, this was 1981 so it was out on Parramatta rd which morphed into the Great Western Highway, seemed to take ages to get there but i still remember all the used car yards on Parramatta Rd.

I’m more used to the boring return trip from Dubbo through Molong and Canowindra etc. I’ve never traveled from Mudgee into Sydney. It sounds stunning. We do have some beautiful scenery in Aus which sometimes we take for granted. And oh yeah I remember all those car yards on the parramatta road! And the traffic. And the stinking humidity at Christmas when cars didn’t come with aircon.