Dubbo Goal

HISTORY OF THE GAOL The Old Dubbo Gaol was a courthouse lockup in 1847, was proclaimed an official Gaol in 1859 and closed operations as a penal institution in 1966. Officially re-opened as a tourist attraction in 1974, the Old Dubbo Gaol is now fully restored and is home to a large display of animatronic models and holographic displays which provide a fascinating insight into a bygone era of barbaric prison life. Wandering around this unique collection of 19th century buildings and artefacts, learning the stories of prison life, and spending a moment in the pitch black of the solitary confinement cell, will be certain to send a chill up your spine. Cost: $13.50 each adult - we viewed during the day, but there are night tours etc.

Scone - Dubbo

On Wednesday we set off to travel to Dubbo left at 8.24am pulled into the shop who will fix our fridge at 1.52pm. We travelled at first through hilly country, I think we felt every hill with towing the caravan. Soon the country evened out and we were in wheat/sheep country just before Merriwa located in the far west of Hunter Valley a population of approx 1,000. Some wineries are a little way out of Merriwa, www.merriwa.com. The Golden Highway on which we were travelling was quite a good road - half way between Scone & Merriwa quite a few rocky outcrops dotted the landscape. The scenery was similar for a long time just alternating between cattle, sheep or cultivated paddocks where they irrigated. We passed several empty dams before Merriwa. The further west we drove the more it appeared that they had received more rain than closer to the coast. We pulled into Dunnedoo, www.dunnedoo.org.au, around lunchtime, this small town have approx 900 residents. This was the time for the "sheila behind the wheel" to give Drew a break. Drove into Dubbo spoke Bob regarding our fridge who said he would drop over to the caravan park a loaner fridge. We are staying at Westview Caravan Park, West Dubbo. http://www.dubbotourism.com.au/VisitDubbo/CaravanParks.html We have booked in for one week with total cost $201 x 7 days.

1: rock which looks like someone has taken a sledge hammer to it; 2: scenery; 3: empty dams 4: our loaner fridge

A small setback

Today we took a drive to Washpools & the national park, down Middlebrook Road through "Middlebrook station" which seems to be funny as my maiden name was Middlebrook. We called into a picnic area and walked up the creek to where they used to dip the sheep as big flat rocks formed the ideal pool to dip the sheep. We have been having problems with our "brand new" caravan fridge for which we paid $1450 - is not working, it seems to have a mind of its own, sometimes it works and other times it doesn't - we have had to throw out so much food. I hope the Lismore tradesperson who sold us the fridge (which we were having problems with before we left) comes to the party and gives us the money for all the food we have wasted!!!!! So now we are onto Plan E - we have to be in Dubbo by early afternoon so the fridge mech can try to get it going for us tomorrow. We were going to visit "the town on the $10 note" But that will have to be done 'next time' as we have the rest of our lives to visit the town. Our journey tomorrow will take in Merriwa, Dunnedoo, Dubbo.

1: Rocky outcrop from the Liverpool Ranges; 2: Large flat rocks where they used to dip the sheep; 3: Statue as you enter Scone from the North.

The photos are: 1: The Buckets Mountains which tower above the township of Gloucester which we visited on Saturday 5th January. 2: The coal trains which carry the mined coal to the port in Newcastle. 3: The Bayswater Power Station stacks.

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