Day 68 Tuesday Aug 12^th 2014 Ilfracombe

It is cool and quite windy. It blew all night long and the TV reception was pixelated and impossible, but we’re not here for the TV. Although some folks are, and we’ve seen people pack up and leave because they can’t get any tellie!

The Ilfracombe Historical Society has garnered tractors, trucks and heavy machinery from properties all over the district. Each one has been painted up in the original colours with a plaque telling of its history. This, in an unusual way gives the history of the area from a farming perspective. Walking the “Machinery Mile” is fascinating.

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Ilfracombe’s only hotel, The Wellshot, has a hat collection on the ceiling. Worn out and holey old Akubras and others are nailed up there with details of the owner’s name and occupation. Drovers, ringers and police, even country singer Lee Kernaghan. But pride of place goes to Ilfracombe’s most famous daughter the recent Governor General Quentin Bryce. Also pinned to the ceiling like mauve origami butterflies are dozens of $5 notes. These notes are donations to the much-loved historical society.

Tonight, is to be a big occasion; we are going to cook a roast in our oven. We don’t even know if it works as it has never been used before, but in goes a leg of lamb to cook away while we’re at happy hour. We wander off to meet folks from all over the country travelling in anything from camper trailers to a sixty foot bus.

We return to a succulent lamb roast. Yippee, she works!

Towing Kms: 0

Akubra: Australian brand of felt hats.

2021 Note: We used that oven so much we wore it out and are now on our second! We’ll never be accused of not cooking in our van.