It’s a long way to the top, Day 107 – The Conargo Pub

Day 107 Friday 19th Sept 2014 Griffith to Deniliquin

It is a magnificent morning, clear, bright and icy cold. Our park neighbours sit outside eating breakfast and feeding the park rabbit. Are they mad? It’s nine degrees.

Along the roadsides of NSW there are red marker posts labelled Start and End. These are weed infestation markers and one is requested not to stop between these markers to reduce the transfer of weeds.

Near Coleambally we see an ethanol plant being constructed. The plains are endless and we see emus and watch the aerobatics of crop dusters at work.

In February 1879 Ned Kelly and his gang of bushrangers held up the town of Jerilderie. The blacksmith shop where they had their horses shod remains, just behind the tourist information centre.

The old blacksmith shop in Jerilderie, NSW (obviously a multi tasker)

As we turn westward once more in the direction of Cobargo the countryside changes to flat grassland, river red gums, blue cypress (so common in the Riverina) and sheep stations. The roadsides are a carpet of yellow cape weed daisies.

We have lunch at the famous Conargo Hotel. The walls are adorned with pictures of champion rams with great woolly rolls of fleece from chin to toe and old drays laden with bales. But the most amusing is an advertisement for McMasters Wyreema Kelpies “You whistle while they work.”

The Conargo Pub not long before it burnt down. Guess we should have bought a bumper sticker.

At Deniliquin we stay at the McLean Beach Holiday Park right on the banks of the Edwards river and surrounded by tall grey river red gums. Deni is a lovely town with an affinity to water, pretty footpaths and shady verandas. There is an ornamental stream running through the town with parks and gardens and the afternoon sun is warm.

The sun sets pink over the river as the corellas squabble in the trees. It sounds and smells like we’re almost home.