After I left Condobolin I travelled the hour across to Forbes. Forbes has quite a number of sculptures and they have started “The Amazing Sculptures Trail” on the Condobolin road. I had a look around Forbes for a bit, it is a fairly large town with an old streetscape. I had a look through their museum which I found quite interesting.
I spent a couple of nights in Eugowra which is a lovely small town on The Escort Way. Just out of town is Escort Rock. On 15th June 1862 the infamous bushranger Frank Gardiner and his gang including Ben Hall ambushed the Forbes-Orange Cobb and Co coach, carrying out Australia’s largest gold robbery. They stole 77kg of gold and £3,700 in cash.
Eugowra has a number of murals on the sides of buildings. I worked here for 4 weeks in late ‘70’s. I had flown from Sydney to Parkes, caught the transfer coach to Forbes and then tried to hitchhike out to Eugowra, a distance of about 35km. It was a stinking hot Sunday afternoon and very few cars were going my way. I was standing out front of a Shell Petrol Station and when I saw a taxi pull in to refuel I raced up to enquire if he could take me to Eugowra and the cost. I think it was only about $20 or $25 so I grabbed my suitcase and jumped in. I enjoyed working there. I remember it as a very friendly town.
The next day I travelled towards Yass, skirting around Cowra and through the small town of Boorowa to overnight by the river in Yass. Boorowa was a lovely old town and I spent a bit of time here looking at the old buildings, war memorial and walking along the river walk.
My hatch in the roof of the bus was not closing properly and with rain threatening I headed the next morning to Canberra to get it fixed so didn’t really get to have a good look at Yass. The campsite on the creek was lovely though and I did walk the Main Street. I will call back in to Yass again on my way back west from Canberra so will include it in a later blog
rayaroundoz 