Rollin', rollin' rollin' on a river, and a highway or two.

[OzKiwiJJ]

The Highways

 

We left home Wednesday morning via the M2 and M7 and on to the Hume Highway. Traffic was heavy to start with but eased up once we got through the Southern Highlands.

 

If you're passing by Goulburn at any time I recommend Trappers Bakery near the Big Merino. I had one of the best, and certainly the biggest, chocolate croissants I've ever had. They had a good range of pies listed so we'll have go back one day and try them.

 

 

A short while after passing Gundagai, and crossing the Murrumbidgee, we turned onto the Sturt Highway and had an easy run to Hay, with a picnic lunch stop in Wagga Wagga.

 

I had a minor mishap about an hour from Hay. I was munching on a gummy snake and one of my tooth crowns popped off. Luckily I didn't swallow it. The tooth is a bit sensitive but not sore, thank goodness. There were no emergency dental services at all in Hay, nor in Broken Hill although one dentist there put me on standby but I never heard back from them.

 

Hay is quite small but there are a few lovely old buildings. We had dinner at the nearest pub, decent food but very basic surroundings.

 

 

 

We stayed at the Saltbush Motor Inn, very modern, clean and comfortable. I recommend it.

 

We got away fairly early on Thursday, continuing our trip along the Sturt Highway across the Hay Plain. It a very desolate area, just dirt and what looked like earth dams. 

 

Unfortunately when we stopped for coffee at Balranald I discovered I'd left my Kindle at the motel. I phoned them and asked them to send it to the Hahndorf hotel, by courier or express post. If it hasn't arrived there before the cruise we can get it afterwards as we're staying in Adelaide for a few days. Luckily we had a spare Kindle with us, preloaded with our current selections, so I can still read my books.

 

Just before reaching Buronga (just across the Murray from Mildura)we passed the Trentham Estate Winery, so popped in for a very quick tasting. Coincidentally we'd had a bottle of their pinot noir a week or so ago. We bought some wines and arranged for them to be shipped home, and they gave us a bottle of their Vermentino to try. 

 

At Buronga we turned onto the Silver City Highway, crossing the Darling River on the way to Broken Hill. We passed through a couple of small towns first, then it was a clear run with very little traffic. It was a pleasant drive with slightly more varied scenery. We spotted a willy willy (dust devil) off to one side of the road but it collapsed before we got too close to it. 

 

We stayed at the Red Earth Motel which was lovely and had dinner at the BHP - that's the Broken Hill Pub, not the mining company. Huge meals!

 

I managed to contact an emergency dentist in Adelaide and made arrangements to see him as we passed through there.

 

We got away early again on Friday, this time traveling on the Barrier Highway. This was probably the most boring part of the trip so far. By now we were getting a bit tired of the outback scenery and the few towns we passed through looked very scungy. 

 

As we got closer to Adelaide we started getting into farming country. There was a decent breeze which made beautiful patterns on the hillsides as it blew the golden grasses around. I would have like to have stopped to video it but we were on a tight timeframe to get to the dentist.

 

Thanks to Google Maps we navagated our way to the dentist who cemented the crown back on to my tooth fairly quickly. He wanted payment in cash so DH went to the ATM which promptly ate his card. I tried mine. It gave me the card back but no money. Luckily I could check on the bank app to see if the account had been debited - it had but then immediately credited so that was OK. However we spent a good half hour on the phone to the bank cancelling DH's card and arranging for a new one to be issued. Luckily we both have cards on all our credit and debit card accounts. It's proved useful more than once in the past. The dentist suggested we might be able to get cash from the Post Office and we did thanks to a very helpful and friendly man who, although just closing, reopened to help us out.

 

It was an easy run to Hahndorf and we found our accommodation, Manna by Haus, easily. It's a nice spacious room with a good bed but the worst pillows I've seen in years, thin and hard. Luckily I'd thrown an old feather pillow in the car for snoozes so I managed to get a decent sleep in the end.

 

We had dinner at the Haus restaurant. It was very average German cuisine. However we were so tired we didn't want much.

[Aus Traveller]

Thanks for posting. Sounds like some good - some bad. The main thing is to continue to enjoy the trip - together.

[NSWP]

Great blog. I stayed at that Red Earth Motel in BH, in November, very nice. Enjoy the rest of your journey. 🚗

 

Bit rough the dentist wanting cash for your tooth job.

Edited February 20, 2021 by NSWP

[OzKiwiJJ]

28 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Great blog. I stayed at that Red Earth Motel in BH, in November, very nice. Enjoy the rest of your journey. 🚗

 

Bit rough the dentist wanting cash for your tooth job.

I think it's because we're not regular patients. He operates a fantastic emergency service but may have got ripped off in the past. All above board though as he gave us a full receipt.

[Blackduck59]

Great to read about your journey Julie. Too bad that you had a dental mishap to start off, and hopefully that is the only disappointing thing that happens.

Looking forward to seeing more, thanks for letting us share your adventure.

[GUT2407]

Looking forward to following along. A few generations back I had some Riverboat captains in my family, up and down the Murray, been on a few day trips, would love to do one of these longer ones.

[NSWP]

1 minute ago, GUT2407 said:

Looking forward to following along. A few generations back I had some Riverboat captains in my family, up and down the Murray, been on a few day trips, would love to do one of these longer ones.

We did  Murray river trip some 15=yrs ago, good, but a one off like the ghan and indian pacific.

Edited February 20, 2021 by NSWP

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, Blackduck59 said:

Great to read about your journey Julie. Too bad that you had a dental mishap to start off, and hopefully that is the only disappointing thing that happens.

Looking forward to seeing more, thanks for letting us share your adventure.

 

1 hour ago, Blackduck59 said:

Great to read about your journey Julie. Too bad that you had a dental mishap to start off, and hopefully that is the only disappointing thing that happens.

Looking forward to seeing more, thanks for letting us share your adventure.

If you took another couple of weeks in oz, lyle, you could do the adelaide, murray river, broken hill trip.

[Blackduck59]

16 minutes ago, NSWP said:

 

If you took another couple of weeks in oz, lyle, you could do the adelaide, murray river, broken hill trip.

 

That may have to wait for the return trip Les. We only have so much time off and 2 of those days are just getting there and back.

[NSWP]

7 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

That may have to wait for the return trip Les. We only have so much time off and 2 of those days are just getting there and back.

Hope it all works out for you Lyle in 2022. Hopefully I will still be around.

[pully8]

good travel blog, enjoying the details. 

[Relaxing Robbies]

Hopefully that is the end of the misadventures and the rest of your trip is drama free. Looking forward to reading about your river cruise.

[windsor26]

We did the Murray week over Christmas several years ago during the drought but it was still a great experience and the staff were amazing.  

[lyndarra]

Did this cruise 2016. Try the wines at Burk Salter winery near Blanchetown. We had a couple of dozen shipped home. Very nice reds.

[Cruisegroover]

Following along as I am looking at booking one. I will fly over as I am solo so too long a drive for me. Which trip are you doing? 

[GUT2407]

Saw an add for it in Yesterday’s Newcastle Herald, flights a couple of nights in hotels and the cruise, looked like a pretty good price, in fact Miss Gut was considering it.

[GUT2407]

Forgot to ask and will probably tell us later, but which boat are you on.

[Cruisegroover]

2 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Saw an add for it in Yesterday’s Newcastle Herald, flights a couple of nights in hotels and the cruise, looked like a pretty good price, in fact Miss Gut was considering it.

What the package through a TA or direct with the riverboat company?

 

[GUT2407]

5 minutes ago, Cruisegroover said:

What the package through a TA or direct with the riverboat company?

 

I can’t say with certainty I am sorry, Miss Gut showed it too me, I sort of tuned out when I saw flights, but something like return flights to Adelaide,transfers 2 nights including city tour, 6 or 7 night cruise, 2 more nights in Adelaide, flights back for under $3k I will see if I still have the paper.

 

 

Miss G still hasn’t had her honeymoon so they are looking at what is on offer.

[NSWP]

7 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

I can’t say with certainty I am sorry, Miss Gut showed it too me, I sort of tuned out when I saw flights, but something like return flights to Adelaide,transfers 2 nights including city tour, 6 or 7 night cruise, 2 more nights in Adelaide, flights back for under $3k I will see if I still have the paper.

 

 

Miss G still hasn’t had her honeymoon so they are looking at what is on offer.

When was she married?

[GUT2407]

33 minutes ago, NSWP said:

When was she married?

Last April, honeymoon was booked to Tassie, got cancelled, they were getting married in the May, but as lockdowns got tighter decided to do it while they could, 5 at the wedding, but managed to have it where the other 5 that really mattered could stay inside and watch.

[OzKiwiJJ]

3 hours ago, lyndarra said:

Did this cruise 2016. Try the wines at Burk Salter winery near Blanchetown. We had a couple of dozen shipped home. Very nice reds.

We've already blown the wine budget (oops!) and we haven't even reached McLaren Vale where we actually planned some wine tasting.

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, Cruisegroover said:

Following along as I am looking at booking one. I will fly over as I am solo so too long a drive for me. Which trip are you doing? 

The five night cruise on Proud Mary. I'll post the itinerary later today 

[GUT2407]

1 minute ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

The five night cruise on Proud Mary. I'll post the itinerary later today 

The ones I saw were Proud Mary, there is also a Princess that does them. One my ancestor was captain of, his daughter, my great grandmother, christened it, does day only trips soon maybe.

[OzKiwiJJ]

I think Proud Mary is a bit smaller than the Murray Princess. PM takes a maximum of 40 passengers.