BigRedBusTouringCo.com: Trangie To Condobolin

BigRedBusTouringCo.com: Trangie To Condobolin: "After a lovely few days in Trangie, with Kay and Barry, we were determined to get to the border. Hell or high water - we were going to get ..."

BigRedBusTouringCo.com: The Strangest Thing I have Seen Today

BigRedBusTouringCo.com: The Strangest Thing I have Seen Today: "Just something different for today - something very different and something when and if you get the chance to see it, you will never forget ..."

BigRedBusTouringCo.com: Naradhan Woolshed- Rankin Springs Road

BigRedBusTouringCo.com: Naradhan Woolshed- Rankin Springs Road: "After leaving Lake Cargellico, headed for Griffith, we headed out along the Rankin Springs Road. On previous visits through the area, we ha..."

Naradhan Woolshed- Rankin Springs Road

After leaving Lake Cargellico, headed for Griffith, we headed out along the Rankin Springs Road.  On previous visits through the area, we had always noticed a beautiful old wool shed along the side of the road.  On this visit we had called into the tourist information centre in town and happened upon a brochure highighting the woolshed, know as Naradhan.  

Of course, Barry loves the history of these sheds and takes any opportunity to have a look see.  I love the photographic atmosphere created, by the light, smells and beautiful timber work throughout the buildings.

This time we had the time to spend and rang to make an appointment to have a tour through the shed.

The owners  Tom and Lan Templeton, were only too happy to spend the time and show us through, giving us an in depth history.  The shed has been in the Templeton family since its very early days.

The shed was built in 1888, by a man who was considered to be the most famous of the woolshed builders of the Riverina - William McFadzean.  Shortly after, it passed into the hands of Thomas Templeton, great grandfather of the preent owner, and was used as a depot shed for all the surrounding farms, until well into the 1930's.

The shed was made from cypress pine and built in a "T" formation.  In the early days of blade shearing it appears to have been a 28 stand shed, then in 1903, over head equipment was installed, powered by an oil fired single cylinder engine and the number of stands reduced to 14.  These days it has been reduced right down to an electric 3 stand, with the owners only running a small amount of sheep.

Naradhan Woolshed

With the assistance of a Heritage grant in 1996, the external facade was fully restored.  New cypress was reclad and it was fitted with new windows and doors.  The original shed had no guttering which is believed to have helped accelerate the decay of the building and so with the restoration, guttering was fitted to the total roof area.

It is hoped in the near future that some of the internal fixtures will also be able to be restored.

The "T" Formation of the woolshed

The light falling through the slats of the shed

One Of The 3 Electric Stands

The Stands

Internal Pens

Wool Bales

If ever you have the opportunity to visit this wonderful old shed - it would be well worth your while and you would be made most welcome by your hosts Tom and Lan

The Strangest Thing I have Seen Today

Just something different for today - something very different and something when and if you get the chance to see it, you will never forget it.

"Willitsinkorwillitnot"

Moored peacefully on the river bank is a houseboat - and no - it is no ordinary houseboat but it is a houseboat with a real difference and could well be described as ramshackle!  

It's certainly not like the sleek houseboats you see nowadays running the length and breadth of the Murray River system, but it definitely looks like someone's living there!

A windmill towers above the living quarters,  - it is complete with watertank and outback dunny, it has a chook pen,(complete with rooster ( who's name is Sirshagalot)  and small individual vege gardens adorn its decks.

A bath tub graces the middle of the deck, complete with stove, seating and believe it or not - a stage.

Strewn along wire, are bras and undergarments, coffee mugs hang from hooks and the floating, items of all sorts and all conglomerations - To happen upon the owner of this 'houseboat" is a thing to remember in itself.

The Backyard Dunny

Frank Turton - also known as the 'Chook Man' is known all over Australia - from the length and breadth of the Northern Territory - in particular Daly Waters, where he spends a large part of the year, sharing his other 'talent' which is country music.  His retirement dream was to sail the river and sing, and he is quite content with his lot in life these days, doing exactly what he set out to do.

"Willitsinkorwontit"

He loves nothing more than to show people his home and share his music.  Always on for a chat and happy to share his stories of his tripping around.  Of a night when in port he can be found sitting on his boat singing his favourite country music.  He is well known at the Tamworth Country Music Festival and returns there every year.  Franks lifestyle came about as a result of endless bickering with the local council who objected to his endless busking in the local streets, and although well supported by the local community - Frank gave up the fight and took up this lifestyle - which may be seen by many as eccentric, but hey! its different, and each to their own.

The Backyard

Nothing Like Your Own Bed

The Kettles Always On The Boil

Utes in The Paddock - Condobolin- NSW

Travelling along an isolated country New South Wales road, within the heart of Lachlan River country, just minding our own business - one of those brown touristy signs, pops up out of now where.  Well, we weren't exactly no where - we were actually nearing a small town called Ootha - just between Forbes and Condobolin.

The Sign - well it reads "Utes In The Paddock' - well needless to say the temptation was all to much and even in Big Red, the stretch of dirt road did not daunt us. The road appears like any other, with sheep grazing with their young in the paddocks along side.  Further down the road we see some 'anthill' like formations jutting out from behind a fence - getting closer we realise that we have found our "Utes In The Paddock".  A truly unique and remarkable art installation - all a part of Burrawang West Station.

As an initiative to attract tourists to the small NSW town of Ootha, many residents donated the utes, and many a famous artist, their gift of artistry to instigate the project and now some years later there is now some 17 pieces of artwork - each with their own artistic interpretation - each as unique and individual as the next.

 The Spirit of the Bush is Truly Alive!!

And this artwork is truly a dedication to those bush people......  The bush land surrounding the installation offers a blank canvas to each of the artists, and is one of Australia's truly unique art galleries.

Thousands of people visit the gallery every year to witness and promote the beauty and wonder of what is Lachlan River Country -  that is the back drop for many of the very well known artists. Artists such as well known Silverton artist Peter Brown and John Murray from Lightening Ridge.

 

 "Go Vegemite"

Ute:  1960 FB                                                                                   Artist: Rob Keen

Donated by the Kirk Family

"I said. 'Do you speak a my language?'. He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich. 

I Come from the land down under...."- Down Under - by Men at Work.

Vegemite take the cake for the growing Aussie Children who spread the smooth, salty, sticky food paste made from yeast extract, on just about anything edible.  And next to an Australian passport, a stash of Vegemite is the easiest way of identifying an Aussie Traveller.

Originally introduced in 2 oz amber glass jars in 1923, a 115gm jar of Vegemite was the first produced into Australian supermarkets to be electronically scanned.  By the late 1990's the country went through 22 million jars a year - making us a country of happy little vegemites"!

UteZilla

  

Artists:  Jim Moginie & Stephen Coburn

Ute:  1957 FE                                                               Ute Donated by  Barry Wright

Interfering with nature has its consequences.  Once there was Frankenstein - then came "Godzilla".  And now...meet UteZilla!

Super adapted, UteZilla deserves some respect.  A wonder mother, she is almost always pregnant, has a joey in her pouch and a larger offspring at the heel and can produce two different kinds of milk simultaneously for the newborn and the older Joey.

If she is under prssure, she stops breeding altogether, creating her own 'dry period', during times of prolonged drought.  And she even determines the gender of her offspring, waiting t bear males, until she is older.

If hurried, she tucks her joey safely away in her pouch and uses her phenomenal leaping power to rapidly travel long distances.

Left alone, she is a picture of contentment, but she is no 'Skippy'.  Threaten her or her joey and she becomes ...the mother of all mothers.  So run when she stands to fight or watch out.  If her powerful punch doesn't get you, her killer kick will.

Drizakubra

Ute: 1981 WB                                                                    Artist: Belinda Williams

Ute Donated by:      Chris Muir and Matthew Collin

Typically clad in his Driza-Bone oilskin coat and Akubra hat,

a bushman symbolizes the spirit of the bush and the character of Australia's outback people.  Hardworking, practical, down to earth, rugged and reliable.

TribUte

Ute:  1964 EH                                                                              Artist:  Lewis Burns

Ute Donated by: Hugh Hall and Coobang Pastoral Co.

"The traditional symbols used in Aboriginal art across the country, tell stories of the land and the tribes, depict our culture and our being".  - Lewis Burns.

This is the story of the local Wiradjuri people.  Dots represent life force, activity and movement. U shape is the ground imprint left by sitting cross legged.

Tools distinguish women from men around the campfire;  Coolamon (bark or wooden dish) and gunny (digging stick) indicate women who gather bush tucker, and spears and boomerangs identify men. 

The Southern Cross and dreamtime  corroboree depict the creation dance in the sky.  Hands represent ancestors' spirits, with a single hand holding a painting to explain how aboriginal culture is passed on through art, stories, song and dance.  A road or modern path behind rivers and water holes to show that nature is still more important to Aboriginal Culture and survival than manmade inventions.

Dame Edna's Looute

Ute:  1965 HD                                                                              Artist:  Karen Tooth

Ute Donated by:  Taylors Auto

An Icon...On an icon...In an icon

Instantly recognised as one of Australia's great personalities, Dame Edna transformed herself from housewife to megastar.  A transformation unparrelled in our country's.  Growth from an isolated wild coolony to an innovtive player on the world stage.

On an icon...once there was a toilet outback in every yard of every house in Australia.  Commonly referred to as the 'dunny', it is a true social and economic leveler.  No matter who we are, we all have to make the trip 'outback'.  In an icon...the holden utes - development reflects the changing social history of this country from a practical workhorse in earlier times,  to a performance focused sports vehicle for today's work hard, play hard generation.  What a surprise for all, for us to innocently discover Dame Edna on her Throne, reading her local newspaper.

Circle Work

Ute:  1972 HQ                                                                             Artist:  John Murray

Ute Donated by:  Mike Taylor

True to the native bird's typically silly behaviour, these young galah's are enjoying the great Australian Tradition of doing circle work (doing donuts).

The sculptured galah on top represents the fun police towing away the ute.

Epitaph to Fossil Fuels

Ute:  1977 HZ                                                                          Artist:  Shane Gehlert

Ute donated by:  Taylors Auto Centre                  Bowsers Donated: Danny Mooney

The all seeing eye watches as we struggle to break our dependance on dwindling fossil fuel resources.  This satirical presentation comments on the the destructive impact of various powerful influences within modern culture on the well being of humans and our environment.  Signature characters include "Roboroo" "St Bilby", (patron saint of global warming) and "Sam the Oil Man", with Chinese symbols of oil and water.

Emute

Ute: 1975 HJ                                                                              Artist:  Peter Browne

Ute donated by Burrawang West St.

Like kangaroos and echidnas, the presence of emus is a sure sign your in the bush.  Comical looking creatures, their balding heads with oversized eyes, top necks that seem to stretch too far above bulbous bodies.  They strut like courtesans at walking pace, but as lyricist John Williamson say of the emu, "He can't fly, but I'm telling you, he can run the pants off a kangaroo".

The Stockman

Ute:  1958 FC                                                                           Artist:  Michael Jones

Ute donated by:  Russell and Tanya Jones

Often romanticized in classic literature, our outback hero's, come to life in this tribute to the stockman.  Droving the "long paddock" means sleeping rough and making the most of limited resources along the way.  Essential to survival in the outback is the intimate knowledge of the land shared by Aboriginal stockman.

Clancy Stops The Overflow

Ute:  1991 VS                                                                        Artist:  Peter Mortimore

Ute Donated by:  Parkes Auto Wreckers

Our most celebrated stockman comes to the rescue again, this time preventing a disastrous waste of valuable "Bundy".  With the help of his loyal steed, "Banjo", Clancy arrives just in the nick of time to the save the spillage of liquid gold that ensures any party is fair dinkum Aussie.

Central West Medley

Ute:  1961 EK                                                                                Artist:  Keith Willis

This comical recollection of the life and times of our early settlers, illustrates the indelible heritage of their character on outback society.

Against the backdrop of a rugged yet colorful landscape, human eccentricity prevails as the heart of classic Aussie humour.

Clean Running

Ute:  1954 FJ                                                                              Artist:  Paul Blahuta

Ute Donated by Burrawang West Station and Taylor's Auto

Famous outlaw Ned Kelly stays true to form as he pulls off another hold up.

This time the victim is the artist, who felt compelled to use Ned's form and story as an integral part of outback history.  The horses transparency represents the fact that the horses are not native to Australia, so not a solid part of its landscape.  In this scene, they provide and alternate source of energy...true clean horse power.

Golden Valley

Ute:  1970 HG                                                                          Artist:  Greg Breman

Donated by:  George Brown

From colonial times, rural enterprise has played a pivotal role in our country's economic health.  innovative pursuit of all facets of rural industry continues to contribute significantly to the flow of wealth in outback Australia, as depicted in the traditional montage of sheep shearing, livestock grazing, irrigation and cropping.

Ute Of Arms

Ute:  1952 FX                                             Artists:  Brad Brown and Scott Edwards

Donated by:  Taylors Auto Centre

Where, there's a will, there's a way.  Like the ever present ants of the outback, Aussie's get through it, go around it, dig under it or just get over it.  The red kangaroo and emu, which can't move backward, were chosen as the symbols of progressive, pioneering spirit of Australian people in the Country's Coat of Arms.

What more fitting place could there be for the first model Holden ute than at the heart of this outback interpretation of the same theme?  No matter which way the wind blows, the ute is always facing forward.

Wiradjuri 'Uth' Story

Ute:  1993 VS                          Artists:  Young People of Condobolin Youth Services

Donated by:  NRMA Insurance

Painted as seen from above, this artwork depicts travelling, throughout the Wiradjuri area, of landscape of rivers, land and animals.

As in the Aboriginal flag, colors in the painting have specific meaning, red represents the earth, black symbolises people and yellow suggests the sun.  Rivers running through the are bring life to the land and denoted by the color white. U shapes show where people gather around white circle waterholes and black circle campfires.  Gathering in such a manner is strong tradition for the Wiradjuri people.  The flow of the Lachlan River and adjoining creeks is represented by curving white line.  In keeping with tradition, the young artists signed their work with their hand prints.

Supplementary Feeder

When the feed is scarce and the livestock are hungry, a bale in the ute is a life or death story;  The humming and squeaking as it crosses hard ground, brings cttle running from a long way around.  Cause a ute in the paddock is a promising sound.

Dents and dings across this utes boy testify to the fact that livestock, focused on food, show little respect for the feeder from which the food falls.  Like wrinkles of age, its body worn by tough times on the land.  Life outback is full of challenge.  Good times and bad, it leaves its mark on the body and soul.  Here, a love of living on the land "beyond the sandstone' curtain" is painted into life.  Landscapes of vivid colors. Charismatic characters.  A weathered Yarrabandai woolshed. And the farmer's best friend...a paddock bashing ute.

Simple Pleasures

Ute:  1968 HK                                                                                Artist:  Leo Robba

Donated by:  Time and Sue Jones

There's simple pleasure in the natural beauty of the Lachlan River Valley.  Vast stretches of waving grass in shades of green and tawny gold.  Elegant stands of swaying eucalpt.  Glistening waterways.  A broad glistening canopy of night sky.  Early settlers might have seen a different picture when tehy arrived in the bush, way out west from the relatively safe coastal coolony.  Whatever their hardships and discomforts were, these peioneering, enterprising immigrants left enduring evidence of their success.  Success with the land i shown by fields of grazing grass for sheep that supplied the wood industry on which the nation was built.

Success with harsh condition is demonstrated in every classic Australian homestead with wide covered verandahs. to protect against a blazing sun, numerous doorways and windows to catch the breeze, and high ceilings to pull warm summer air away from the ground.  And success with their commitment to create a better life for themselves is captured in its purest demonstration of comfort and pride by a garden of simple pleasures.

The descriptions and interpretations of the artwork is as supplied by the plaques installed along with the artwork.  This installation is just an outstanding credit to those that created it and a tribute to the people of the outback.

If given the opportunity it is well worth the visit.

Trangie To Condobolin

After a lovely few days in Trangie, with Kay and Barry, we were determined to get to the border.  Hell or high water - we were going to get there this time.  With a brief weekend at Griffith with the Walters Clan, we were on the road.  Decided to take the road from Trangie to Tullamore, where we had a brief stop over to catch up on some Walters family history.

The road was not the best, so taking it fairly easy we just took our time, just enjoying the countryside pass us by. Just enjoying being on the road for real this time.   The paddocks are dry, but with plenty of feed for the many sheep that we see, many with young at foot.

Barry at Rabbit Trap Hotel

Our first stop was Albert - home of the well known Rabbit Trap Hotel. The pub of course is the main point of interest in the town and the story is told that Barry's dad had his first beer at this pub the age of 16.  Loading bags of wheat by hand in the middle of summer was all too much for him, so he took himself off to the pub and sculled a schooner of beer - not sure how much more work got done that day.  The pub is decorated with lots and lots of different rabbit traps- all shapes and forms.

Rabbit Traps Everywhere

Who Dares Complain- lol

We were led to believe that Albert was home to the 'Biggest Rabbit Trap', but we are still yet to find it.

Since our last visit, a small but lovely little caravan park has been built opposite the pub, and has a number of little cabins available for hire.  Also available is some powered sites for those with caravans and mobile homes - oh well - maybe next time.

The Rabbit Trap Hotel - Albert NSW

The Caravan Park opposite the Pub

A  Cartoon of the Rabbit Trap

After a bite to eat - it was back on the road again, with Muddie making sure that we were headed in the right direction.  It was off to Tullamore.

Co-Driver - Muddie

Barry's Dad spend his child hood years in Tullamore and he and his sister are remembered on the war memorial there.  We saw this last in 2007 when we held a family reunion there, but it was good to stop again and check it out again.  We also visited the new dump point at the show ground, where we had stayed for the reunion.  Good to see that our donation money for the trees - has not been spent!

Barry at the Memorial

Tullamore Railway Station

 Bit hard to read from the photo, but on the door its says - please present tokens"....

The Tullamore Silo's

Sunset at Gum Bend Lake

Heading towards Condobolin we passed through a little town called Ootha.  Now we will come back and re-visit Ootha in our next blog - called "Utes In The Paddock".  Deserves a blog of its own, as it it just something really special.

So make sure you get to read our next blog.

Time was getting on and we wanted to get to Condobolin that night, so back on the road we went.  Didn't take us that long and we were soon camped at a lovely place called Gum Bend Lake - a free camp along side the lake, and it was proving very popular, as there were about 20 visitors there that night.  A camp we must put on our list for future use.

Oh it was a great day, but just another day in the life of a grey nomad -many more to come.