Our Drive from Melbourne to Brisbane January 2009

Left Melbourne about 9:45 am 6/1/09

Went past the Dog on the Tuckerbox 9 mile from Gundagai but did not stop - as you can see from the blur below

A bit different from what it was in 1972

When we got to Canberra we had booked in to the Canberra Carotel. Again we had stayed there in 1972 when we rode to Sydney on the Bikes with Ray and stopped at Canberra on the way

How is looked in 1972 and how we think the same part looks today:

The main reason we were going to Canberra was to visit the Australian War Memorial which we had also visited last in 1972

Geoff at the War Memorial

and Geoff in the same position in 1972

The major difference between the two photos, other than the age of the person in the photos, is the addition of the new parliament house.

A better shot of how it looks now

Geoff contemplating the PNG exhibit at the Australian War Memorial

and Sculpture of Simpson and his Donkey - First World War

Geoff on the Bridge of the HMAS Brisbane - Australian War Memorial

Geoff asked about the drawing of his Dad's Morter crew in PNG during the war. They found a drawing and we think that is Ken in the lower part of the drawing. (It can also be found at:

http://cas.awm.gov.au/TST2/cst.acct_master?surl=1065847559ZZGUWMEVKFPE61964&stype=4&simplesearch=&v_umo=&v_product_id=&screen_name=&screen_parms=&screen_type=RIGHT&bvers=5&bplatform=Netscape&bos=Win32

In the afternoon, we went to new Parliament House and saw the usual, House of Reps, Senate, paintings of all the Prime Minister's etc. Surprisingly, we found one of only 4 copies of the Magna Carter (photo below) which was issued by King Edward 1 in 1292 - really! Believe it or not!

Next day we went to the National Gallery but no pics - not allowed. Couldn't find anything which would suit our lounge room. Found a small painting of my favourite artist - Frederick McCubbin - very similar to the 'Lost Child' but without the child in it. Geoff kept leaning too far over to look and the alarms kept going off. Then we headed over to the Old Parliament House. Geoff went in and sat in the Prime Minister's chair (behind the roped off area) but I chose to stay in the Rose Gardens - Magnificant even if the best of the flowering season had passed - the scented atmosphere was magic.

Left Canberra around 1.30pm and headed towards Goulburn. Road was good (with some sections of unsealed), undulating to steep in places, but the car did not overheat, not even when we came back up 2km of very winding road after visiting Abercrombie Caves. pic later. Would have stayed there that night but cabins all booked out.

Got to Bathurst around 5.30 and stayed at the Big 4 caravan park in a cabin.

We left Bathurst about 10 am and drove to Sofala an old historic town (Photos below) then on to Windamere Dam on Lake Windamere. They were letting water out but wasting the energy by not having a hydro power station. Photos below.

Then on to Mudgee where we stopped for lunch at a very nice park on either a lake or river. Not sure which. Marg recons there is a river flowing through the town, but I couldn't see it on the map.

Continued north and got to Merriwa and decided to take the less travelled road to the New England Highway (by-passes the New England a little, 40 kms shorter, but more unsealed roads and up through a mountain range then down - not a bad trip overall and the car did not overheat. Stopped at Tamworth to get petrol then drove to Uralla where we stayed in an on-site van - yes there are still some around. As we drove into the town we realised we had stayed here before because we remembered having dinner at the pub - but can't remember where we stayed - will need to check our old photos, tracks, etc. (9.45pm and we have verified with previous tracks, credit card receipts and Google street view, that we did stay here at a motel coming home from Melbourne on 3/1/05. We still don't remember and it was the year we had no camera, but the memories are starting to sink in - very strange)

Geoff Talking to Dave on the Mobile Uralla Caravan Park

Left Uralla about 9 am and drove to Tenterfield where we had a look at the Band stand in a Park that they are doing up and the old Railway station which in now a Museum. See Photos below.

Then drove to Stanthorpe where we had lunch at a lookout at Mount Marley overlooking the town.

Other than stopping for Petrol in Warwick we then drove home.

I was very pleased with the performance of our 1991 Subaru Liberty. Other than the worse fuel consumption than the Outback and it getting hot going over Cunninghams Gap on the way to Melbourne it did ok. It defiantly was the least bumpy trip we have ever had because of it airbag suspension.