Week Twenty: Dubbo and Mudgee

Some welcome greenery near Mudgee

The names Dubbo and Mudgee don’t conjure up images of vibrant cosmopolitan towns but they are and we were pleasantly surprised to find very neat, tree-lined heritage streetscapes with an abundance of cafes and restaurants in each town. Both are nestled in rich pastoral land surrounded by rolling hills and fertile farmlands. They have had recent rain so there was a tinge of green on the hills, fields and gardens around the towns. It was lovely to see after weeks of travelling through depressing drought-affected areas. It certainly put a smile of people’s faces including ours.

Cattle grazing in the 'long paddock' near Dubbo

The drought isn’t over yet as we witnessed driving into Dubbo. Farmers are seeking permits from the Local Land Services agency to drive their cattle through the narrow strip of grass between their farm fences and the roads known as ‘the long paddock’. In some cases it is the only feed available to them as their farms are so drought ravaged. We crept through a mob of about 300 cattle as they munched their way through some much-needed grass. It brought the drought up close and personal as the un-streetwise cattle wandered in front and around us. It was great to see everyone making allowances and giving them a wide berth. 

 Dubbo promotes itself as a holiday destination offering big adventures from heart pumping adrenaline activities to laid-back relaxation. No prizes for guessing what we chose. A visit to the award winning Taronga Western Plains Zoo is an absolute ‘must do’ while in Dubbo and it didn’t disappoint. We had a fantastic day walking and driving our way around the 6km circuit looking at all the animals roaming around from meerkats to big cats. I am not a zoo fan (or circus) but I was very impressed with the wellbeing of the animals as they all looked very healthy and content. 

The 300-hectare open-range sanctuary undertakes a vital role in national and international breeding programs for rare and endangered species including the black rhino and cheetah. One of its new programs that opened this year is Lion Pride Lands where they have successfully bred lion cubs. We paid $29 each on top of our entrance fee to go on ‘an adrenaline pumping journey inside lion territory aboard the Pride Lands Patrol’. We climbed on board the purpose built, fully enclosed safari truck to head deep into lion territory with our experienced zoo guide to spot the pride as they ‘stalk, play and survey their domain’.

'Yo bro. What's happening?' Not a lot as you can see. The 'boys' chillin' under a tree.

Security was a huge concern and we had to pass through four air-lock gates to enter the huge  fenced enclosure where we saw four ‘teenage’ male lions doing what most teenage boys do – sleeping under a tree. We rattled around the ‘truck’ for twenty minutes while our lovely guide gave us a talk about lions in general and then we exited through the four gates and went back to our pick up point. Exactly thirty minutes later and $58 poorer, we got off the bus with GK exclaiming, “Is that it!!?” I think he was expecting the lions to stalk and pull down a wildebeest or two and devour them in front of us. The only adrenaline pumping was mine as I tried to placate him and steer him away from the other disillusioned passengers with lots of “Ssshing” and “Careful. She will hear you”. “Rip off!” was his final comment. I had to agree. You win some, you lose some. The rest of the zoo experience was fantastic and we would highly recommend it. Just leave the grumpy old man at home.

Famous Ten Dollar Town Pub in Henry Lawson's stomping ground in Gulgong

It was a picturesque drive from Dubbo to Mudgee through more undulating pastures where there are signs of Spring flowerings everywhere. In another month it will be spectacular when all the poplars shoot and crepe myrtles burst into blossom. We stepped back in time in the quaint little village of Gulgong, which featured on the original $10 note and where Henry Lawson spent most of his youth. The streetscape and heritage listed buildings haven’t changed much since the late 1800’s with high footpaths and narrow bent streets. The town boasts that it is ‘steeped in history and gorgeousness’ and we have to agree. It was a lovely stopover on our way to Mudgee.

GK outside Lowe's Winery near Mudgee

We loved Mudgee! It is a town of 25,000 people, 268km north west of Sydney and has no traffic lights! It is a very refined country town with a rich pastoral history reflected in its wide tree-lined heritage streetscapes. It has a sophisticated café and boutique shopping precinct, which offers a slice of city life with all the advantages of a laid-back country lifestyle. There are many ‘tree changers’ moving from the big smoke to make Mudgee their home. We can see why as it has something for everyone. 

One of the disadvantages of country living in Mudgee is reverse parking. I struggle with forward parking.

By luck we were in town for the annual Mudgee Wine and Food Festival where you can ‘swirl and sip’ your way across 40 family-owned cellar doors. With our Mudgee Mud Map we set off exploring and called into several boutique wineries to sample their wares. The region is famous for its reds and GK was in seventh heaven tasting some fabulous shirazes and cab savs. We had to curb our enthusiasm as we had to drive and had already been through a RBT that morning. We settled in at Moothi Estate, which has the rustic address of 85 Rocky Waterhole Road, Mudgee. We sat on the sun-drenched deck and shared a ploughman’s lunch with a glass of wine before creeping back into town evading Mr. Plod. It was a great day. 

We could have spent more time in Dubbo and Mudgee but time is ticking on and we are now on the homeward trail. Like Brown’s cows it is hard not to drop everything and head straight home but we have many more kilometres to cover and several ‘bucket list’ places to see and do before we turn west. Twenty weeks is a long time away from family and friends and we can’t wait to catch up with all of you in a few weeks. In the meantime we will keep on keeping on and reporting our escapades weekly. Keep safe and lots of love.   

 

Cheers! Loving the Pinot Grigio with lunch.

Does it get any better than this?! See you there TA.