Stop 2 - Tumbarumba

We headed down the Hume Hwy on Monday 3rd January 2011 to meet up with Lynne, Paul, Baileigh and Harley, who were travelling from Mudgee at the same time. It is a very leisurely journey, towing the 3 tonne  "Chateau Relaxeau", so we take in the scenery, which is magnificent after all the recent rain.

First stop is Jugiong for coffee and treats at a little gem of a place called "The Long Track Pantry", which we stumbled upon a few years back, and now is a compulsory stop. Nestled just off the Hwy between Yass and Gundagai, it is a must stop if you are passing by. Great food and coffee, and lots of take away treats of dressings, sauces and jams, and with all this on board we crawl up the hill, and continue the journey to Tumbarumba.

Next stop along the way is Tumut. Since leaving Jugiong, we have seen lots of evidence of the recent floods, especially around Gundagai, but the scenery remains green and gorgeous. At Tumut, it is a stop for fuel and supplies. John does the fuel and Carol the supplies. Standing by the caravan with April, waiting for Carol, it never takes long to attract a few locals, eager to talk about the van. "Bloody big van mate!" is the usual conversation starter. By the time Carol returns, John is laden down with armfuls of fresh cucumbers and zucchinis the size of pumpkins! God I love the country!! Carol just shakes her head, and we move on to Tumbarumba, to set up camp. It isn't the most level site at the Tumbarumba Creek Caravan Park, but with a little help from Paul and the manager, Malcolm, we get chocked up level, and set up is completed.  Let Happy Hour begin!

Not sure what it is that keeps bringing us back to Tumbarumba, but by now we almost feel like locals. The blueberry picking season is well under way, so the Park is an eclectic mix of cultures, with this years' crew being mostly Sudanese refugees (how do they find Tumbarumba!), Korean students (how do they find Tumbarumba!),  a few Aussie regulars who keep our blueberry supplies coming, and a few backpackers from God knows where. Never is the mix of cultures more evident than dinner time, when the Park is an amazing array of mouth watering aromas, and there is the constant chatter and banter of scores of hungry pickers. We could be in a bazaar in Khartoum, but no it is Tumby.

A quick walk across the bridge into the showground, where the annual Pony Club week is in full swing, and we soon remember where we are. Here it is small boys in big cowboy hats and riding boots, and young girls in riding britches and denim shirts, all sitting on huge horses and riding like Darren Beadman. Surely they go straight from the womb to the saddle! Boy can they ride. No Playstations and I-Pods here, it is all about the horses. It shouldn't be a surprise really, as we are in the Snowy Mountains where Banjo Patterson brought Jack Reilly, The Man From Snowy River, to life, and where the wild brumbies still run free.

We usually start our day with a dog walk along the river, returning through town with a coffee  stop at the 4 Bears Cafe. We have become quite friendly with Anthony and his Bears over the years, so he usually joins us for coffee and a catch up on local events since our last visit. His food is great, and while his coffee may not equal the best of Balmain, it still goes down well. As best customers, we always enjoy prime position, and have learned that we share the food, as the portions are on the generous side.



Lunch at Jingellic Pub



After brekkie it is either leisurely book reading around the camp, or a drive around the district to one of the many fantastic spots by a river or a creek, all of which this year, are flowing beautifully. A favourite spot is on the mighty Murray River at Jingellic where not only the dogs can cool down but the grown ups can coof off at the local pub, where the beer is cold and the meals great.



Stick fetching is always fun.



From here we can follow the Murray down to Hume Weir, which this year is a delight, as the weir is full and everything looks prosperous. There is so much to see. We venture to Albury and Wagga Wagga, where the floods have left their mark, and then we find a track, winding back (oops that's Gundagai. The poetry has gotten to me again!), and then it's back to camp.

 A week has gone and the weather has turned a little worse, but nothing too bad when we think of the plight of others. We get a pleasant surprise, with a visit from Brain Sainty, a friend of Lynne and Paul, who has been Trout fishing at Lake Eukumbene, and has decided to call in, enroute back to Griffith. Now Brian is quite a character. A retired viticulturist and a avid "bushie", Brian is a bit of Harry Butler, Crocodile Dundee & Steve Irwin, all mixed with a dash of Leo Schofield. He can recount a thousand real life adventures, and doesn't need too much lubrication to get going. He arrives for dinner with an exquisite Italian cheese to try, some fresh picked apricots, a delightful bottle of Hunter Semillon and a "to die for" Coonawarra Cab Sav (remember he has been camping and fishing for a week), that goes down a treat with our Butterflied Greek Lamb and Avocado Tomato and Bocconcini salad. It was a wonderful evening, brought to a close with a vociferous game of Upwords, where the man who is rarely short of a word, ran short of words!

Well, today Lynne & Paul left for home via Beechworth (that's another story), so camp is a little quiet and flat, but we will soon bounce back, and enjoy a few more days here, probably take a look around Blowering Dam, might even head back to Batlow, and see if that lady has any more of those fresh baked cherry pies, before heading on, come Sunday.