Temora to Griffith

After the sunset and fly past we were eagerly anticipating our day at Temora Aviation Museum. Today was one of their 'flying days' so we were in for a mini air show. The weather had plans on spoiling this... but the people organising the flights did a great job in ensuring each of the three aircraft got into the air between showers. In the end, the last flight didn't happen until around 3:30pm, although it should have been wrapped up a couple of hours earlier.

 

 

One huge hangar housed a bunch of old planes which we had a good look at.

 

The first plane in the air was the Lockheed Hudson Bomber. Smoke billowed as each of its two piston engines fired up - which is what they are meant to do, being old oil burners... literally! The plane got into the air and did several low fly pasts.

 

We then spent some time in the engineering shed where we met the pilot of the Sabre (he'd flown it last evening and would fly it again today). He is a Flight Commander in the RAAF which many years experience, flying all manner of fighter jets! He was a down to earth, friendly man who gladly had a chat to the kids when they looked in the Sabre's cockpit. Ethan had a barrage of questions for him which kept him on his toes!

 

Daz had been looking forward to seeing the Spitfire - he has a metal one given to him by his grandfather. He's never actually seen a 'real' one, let alone seen one fly. Temora has two of them - the only flying Spitfires in Australia.

 

She got into the air and also did a great display for us!

 

It did not look good for seeing the sabre in the air again as the rain began again, but the patience and flexibility of those running the day ensured it did get into the air!

 

The Hudson looked good sitting on the tarmac, stormy clouds behind and reflected in the puddles!

 

After feeling quite cold, but having loved the day, we walked back to the caravan park. It's the only time we've camped close to an airfield. We had a plane parked out the back of our bedroom!

 

The next morning we hooked up and left Temora, driving on Burley Griffin Way in a westerly direction. We stopped at Ariah Park, a small town that promotes itself as the 'bowsers and peppercorn town'. There were several old petrol bowsers lining the main street, with peppercorn trees down the middle.

 

We spent about 17 km's on the Newell Hwy before continuing on the B.G. Way through some small communities, where we also stopped for some geocaches. We had lunch at Moombooldool, then came across a giant tennis racquet in Barellan - which celebrates Evonne Goolagong who comes from there!

 

We checked into a caravan park in Griffith, home for 3 nights. The next morning we went and explored City Park which features an excellent playground which has two claims to fame. Firstly it is in the top 10 of playgrounds in NSW. Secondly it has the highest rope climbing apparatus in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

After lunch we went 8 kms out of Griffith to do a tour of Catania Fruit Salad Farm. It's been a farm for 102 years. We got to see the original homestead and hear how it was built, spent some time in the 80 year old shed, and heard all about their prunes, grapes, citrus, pecans, wines, honeys... Was interesting and informative. Back at the homestead we got to taste a range of products.