Month: January 2020

Qld, The Characters You MeetLeave a comment

iPad Entertainers

Itching for Hitching

Winter 2018, Somewhere in Western Queensland after too many kilometres “Oh shit, here we go again, another ‘iPad entertainer’!” we moan. To be honest, sometimes it’s just karaoke with a seriously bad singer. We sneak off to cook dinner wondering why ukuleles get such a bad rap. Footnote: Anyone who’s stayed in the outback over winter will tell you that entertainment can be a lottery. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and find a singing cattleman with golden tonsils who will elevate your evening to heaven. Then on the night that you want to enjoy the stillness of a quiet evening beside … Continue reading iPad Entertainers

Well Bugger Me!6 Comments

Name it?

Itching for Hitching

Dec 2019, Yea, Vic We stop to buy coffee in Yea, we walk into the empty cafe and place our order. “Name please?” says the barista. It’s really early in the morning, we both look around the empty shop expecting customers to emerge from under tables. OK, he’s a stickler for rules, “Woody”. We wait quietly while he makes our brew then hands us our cups. Both of us are busting to say “Is that for Woody?” but zip our lips till we burst outside laughing. A week later we order another coffee from the same place. The cafe is … Continue reading Name it?

Fences, Vic2 Comments

Gatepost

Itching for Hitching

Dec 2019, Yackandandah, Vic There’s nothing more evocative than an old fence post. I’m sure an expert in these matters would be able to date this one. To me, well it takes me back to my childhood. A time when a new fence was built. Me a goofy little country kid in gumboots watching my Dad and our neighbour Ted planting the star pickets and straining the wires.   Continue reading Gatepost

Point of Interest, Vic4 Comments

Beechworth Gorge

Itching for Hitching

Dec 2019, Beechworth, Vic Beechworth is such an interesting town that I’m quite sure that a lot of tourists aren’t aware of the gorge. By the time you’ve immersed yourself in gold rush history, walked the shops, had your fill of stylish clothes and homewares and refreshed yourself at an historic pub or two then any mention of gorge would have you dashing off for a long lunch somewhere nice. But no, there is a gorge and surprisingly it’s just behind town. “In Beechworth, we take the drive along the Gorge Road, a narrow twisting one-way road that clings to … Continue reading Beechworth Gorge

Places, Vic8 Comments

Tangambalanga

Itching for Hitching

Here’s one for the readers who are fascinated by Aussie place names. When I took this photo just prior to Christmas, Tangambalanga, Vic was bathed in light smoke from the Sydney bushfires. I was going to use the photo for an entirely different story based around some folks we met last year. Now this pretty dairying centre on the Kiewa River close to Tallangatta has its own fire concerns with fronts on both the south and the east of town. For overseas readers who wish to get an understanding of the extent of these bushfires, the maps on these Victorian … Continue reading Tangambalanga