Something a little on the odd side

Well this weekend I only had time for a day trip; so the Hunter Valley was my planned destination for the day .  The Hunter is best known for wine tasting at all the vineyards around there.  This wasn’t going to be possible for me this time round as my day trip was a solo one BUT I was able to stop into a few and picked up a bottle or two or three . . . (sweetums aka the hubby had “things to do”)

I decided to take the free-way (yes for me shocking I know) straight up the F3 from Sydney to Cessnock; which took only 2 hours as I had plans to take the back roads on the return trip and take my time back down .

I was very disappointed when I arrived at the one and only information (visitors) centre for the area to find two ladies that really didn’t want to be there, behind the counter (and not wanting to serve anyone); as always I was after my fridge magnet to add to the ever growing collection on (what else) my fridge!  Now wait for it . . . they had ONE!  No not one type but one little old magnet and that’s it!  As always I didn’t have cash on me so I asked to EFTPOS “Sorry there is a $20 min” ok but you have nothing else to buy (really the cupboards were bare) can’t you just put it though? “Nope sorry you will have to drive 30mins back to Cessnock and use an ATM and come back”.  Needless to say they are still waiting for me to return.  I have never been to an information centre where the people working there haven’t bent over backwards to help you before.

NOW I have lol!  Enough of the complaining and on with the something a little on the odd side you say!!!!

I always find it hard when I get back from any trip to work out just which part of my journey to blog about; this trip was easy!  I took the back roads to Sydney (via the dirt Great North Road over the car ferry at Wisemans Ferry), my first top spot to find was this little patch of match stick trees at the Stonehurst Cedar Creek Winery(thin pale coloured trees planted for . . . match sticks) and dotted everywhere in this patch were these wonderful sculptures made from old machinery rusted parts . . .

Close up and personal

It's all about the legs lol

Yep a whole family of them

Even the doors were outstanding!

Awesome FIND!

This was just before the lavender farm (on the Cessnock side) and on your way to the tiny town of Wollombi (best known for the tavern there).  I spent a good hour there snapping here and there – the tree, the doors, the tin men, even the dogs that came over to see what I was up to had their picture taken .  So back in the car and off down the road to the (very known to bikies) tavern in Wollombi (they have great pub lunches there).  Not that I was shocked but the place was packed to the max – hogs parked EVERYWHERE you looked, and inside was pretty much the same.  After ordering my lunch and seeing that no tables were spare I decided that it was time to make some new friends (and to share their table).  This is where I met Harry “hog” Rex and his partner in crime (wife) Shelly.  He had the most interesting tat’s I have seen in some time, he nearly had a full body suit done!  Now most people laugh at me when I say I collect rocks and magnets right (sure you have I know you have ha ha ha) WELL Hog he collects tats!  Yep he and Shelly have been travelling this sun burnt countryside on their bikes for nearly 5 years now and Shelly takes a snap of places they visit and later Hog gets them tattooed onto (his ever shrinking) places on his body *gup*.  We chatted over a late lunch and once again my (at times) bad habit of chatting to anyone and everyone has had an outcome of making 2 new friends.  Having to hit the (dirt) road again we exchanged emails and I headed out the door to catch up maybe another time in another place.

(HI YA Hog and Shelly if you are reading this, it was lovely to meet you ).

To end the already fantastic day of sculptures, trees, bikes, tats and ultra interesting people I decided that the normal back roads were going to cut it after the lunch I just had and quickly turned down the Great North Road to Wisemans Ferry . . . So what you are thinking.  Well its roughly one hour till dusk (Roo’s and wombat time) AND I turn down a dirt road that goes on and on and on; I think for about 80kms WITH no mobile range and all dirt and gravel (which wouldn’t matter as I forgot to tell anyone that I was taking this way down before losing reception anyway opps).  If you ever get a chance to take this road it’s great and 2 wheel drive cars are just fine on there (as long as the road is dry).  I just love winding roads and this one drives right through Yengo State Forest, so the views are just plain beautiful.

Half way down I had to drive through what is known as a “common” where the cattle roam about and there are no fences, so if they feel like crossing the road they do so and it’s in your (and your car’s) best interest to give way to them lol.  They were some of the wollie(est) cows I have seen and MASSIVE horns to boot!!!!!

Moooooooo! (click on me to see a larger version)

Trust me you give way to these beefies!

So as the sun was low I had to snap a few more shots off with the colours out there I couldn’t resist!  Bugger the worry about dusk and roo’s jumping out at me the colours were AWESOME!!

Oh and as you can see I got to the end of the dirt road had a nice trip over the car ferry and an uneventful rest of a trip back to sweetums (where he saw the car that he recently washed not 3 days beforehand totally covered in Putty Road finest dust).  Ha ha ha that will teach him to have “things to do” .

Till next time.

Ree

xxx