Day 28 - Dubbo to Denman
Our first stop was Dubbo Square to shop at Coles. The carpark off Bligh St has spaces for caravans. Leaving the car and van in place we walked to the Press cafe for lovely breakfasts. Press is located in a 1930s building that has been well renovated.
Our final stop in Dubbo was the botanical gardens, which also has parking for caravans. I walked around the Shoyoen Japanese garden gifted to Dubbo by its sister city Minokamo. This garden is regarded as one of the most authentic Japanese gardens in Australia.
We headed east along the Golden Highway which links Dubbo and Newcastle, a route we have not driven before. We drove through Dunedoo and were alert for a section of road which had recently flooded, where a Dubbo musician was lucky to survive being washed away in his car at night. About 2kms of road still showed signs of the large volume of water that had deposited debris and pulled down fences.
Farmers were repairing fencing near this rocky outcrop about 60kms east of Dunedoo. I can't find any official name for the outcrop, but have seen it referred to as Split Rock. It is on a cattle farm with the unusual name Moreton Bay South.
At Merriwa we stopped for a break and snack from our fridge. I went for a walk and spotted this very clever mural outside the Tourist Welcoming Centre. It is made from old sheets of corrugated iron.
Merriwa is a small town with some interesting historic buildings. The Royal Hotel has three attached shops with identical stained glass windows. Not one of these windows shows any sign of ever having been damaged or broken.
We thought we might have stayed at a caravan park on Lake Macquarie, but there were no sites available for two nights. Instead we decided to stop at the Denman Van Village - note to self "Don't let Anita pick destinations without checking!". This place is a dump! The front office should have been sufficient warning, but we had already paid by the time I spotted this display.
Our final stop in Dubbo was the botanical gardens, which also has parking for caravans. I walked around the Shoyoen Japanese garden gifted to Dubbo by its sister city Minokamo. This garden is regarded as one of the most authentic Japanese gardens in Australia.
We headed east along the Golden Highway which links Dubbo and Newcastle, a route we have not driven before. We drove through Dunedoo and were alert for a section of road which had recently flooded, where a Dubbo musician was lucky to survive being washed away in his car at night. About 2kms of road still showed signs of the large volume of water that had deposited debris and pulled down fences.
Farmers were repairing fencing near this rocky outcrop about 60kms east of Dunedoo. I can't find any official name for the outcrop, but have seen it referred to as Split Rock. It is on a cattle farm with the unusual name Moreton Bay South.
At Merriwa we stopped for a break and snack from our fridge. I went for a walk and spotted this very clever mural outside the Tourist Welcoming Centre. It is made from old sheets of corrugated iron.
Merriwa is a small town with some interesting historic buildings. The Royal Hotel has three attached shops with identical stained glass windows. Not one of these windows shows any sign of ever having been damaged or broken.
We thought we might have stayed at a caravan park on Lake Macquarie, but there were no sites available for two nights. Instead we decided to stop at the Denman Van Village - note to self "Don't let Anita pick destinations without checking!". This place is a dump! The front office should have been sufficient warning, but we had already paid by the time I spotted this display.
Fortunately we found decent food at the Denman Royal Hotel while kids played in the jumping castle.
