Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Retrospective: Dunns Swamp NSW

On our way home from picking up our BT in 2009 we stayed at Dunns Swamp in the Wollemi National Park in NSW. Dunns Swamp is on the Cudgegong River, 25 kms east of Rylstone.

The swamp was created by the Kandos Weir which was built in the 1920s to provide water for the Kandos brickworks in the town of Kandos, also about 25 kms away.

Don't let the word "swamp" put you off visiting. The water is beautiful and you can go on a very interesting eco tour.

Dunns Swamp is in very, very ancient countryside. Wollemi NP is about 250 million years old.

 

There are some very nice campsites, many suitable for caravans. Most have fireplaces too. The track in is virtually single lane and the traffic includes the occasional tour coach. I'd hate to meet one of them coming the opposite way. There aren't too many places to get off and let them pass.

 
 
A large group from one of the nearby towns turned up for a couple of days. They were all very friendly and invited us over to join them. It was very pleasant.
 
 
A few days after we left a large bushfire threatened Rylston and Kandos and we were glad we left early. It would definitely be a worry trying to get out with a bushfire around. 
 
Nevertheless, it was a beautiful place and one we would definitely go back to.

Highly recommended.
 
Postscript:
Sometime after I first published this entry in my Blog, I was contacted by a company making interpretive signs for Dunns Swamp and they wanted to use some of my photos. I took it as quite a compliment and agreed. Here is one they made:
 

Sunday, January 02, 2011

Retrospective: Temora Aviation Museum

We aren't expecting to head off in our van 'til about May so I thought I would put up the occasional post showing places of interest on previous trips.

When we took delivery of our Bushtracker in late 2009 we took a couple of months to come home to Mandurah. One place that I had not heard about before was Temora in NSW. It is the home of the Temora Aviation Museum.


It is basically a personal project of Sir Frank Lowey's son David. It is such a good thing.
We arrived on a Friday afternoon having previously made a booking for the Aerodrome caravan park. This is new and is right in amongst the action.

The museum displays warbirds, but is not interested in them unless they can fly. What a brilliant weekend.


Spitfire: hero of the Battle of Britain


Cessna Dragonfly. Forward Air Control Aircraft, flown by David Lowy.



Harvard and Wirraway




Mustang and Spitfire




Grumman Avenger




F-86 Sabre (owned and flown by the RAAF).




Gloster Meteor. Britain's first jet.




Vampire, Mustang, Meteor.

Click on the link above to see this years flying calendar and full directions on how to get to Temora and how to book a site. It's very popular so don't expect to just turn up and drive in.