Hay……………………………….Day 66

29 May 2014

Yesterday we left Deniliquin to continue to Hay, along the Long Paddock. Weather was cloudy which was a shame for taking photos. We stopped first at Pretty Pine where there was another sculpture by Greg Hocking called “Smoko”. There is actually a lot of detail with the pipe and the heat coming from his cup of tea. The man has two faces, one looking back over the ages and one looking forward to the future. The timber cutter’s tools of trade are shown.

This sculpture is placed at the Pretty Pine Hotel. Back in the 1870’s it was a staging post for Cobb & Co Coaches

Onwards to Wanganella where there is a large Memorial for the Peppin strain of sheep.

Again on the move we came across the Black Swamp marker which is not only known for its legend of the Headless Horseman but also for helping to open up the plains area. The Black Swamp provided a reliable water source for overlanders. These days water flows only every 20 to 30 years.

This is also the best of Greg Hocking’s sculptures, named “The Headless Horseman”, based on a local legend. The sculpture depicts two stockmen and their dogs moving their cattle being chased by the Headless horseman.

………and this is the Headless Horseman.

These sculptures are so clever and you can see the fine detail like the whip flying through the air.

Our next stop in the story of the Long Paddock was at Booroorban, another staging post for the Cobb & Co coached.

We finally arrived in Hay where we found a great free camping place on the banks of the Murumbidgee River called Sandy Point. We have decided to spend three days here free camping.

We have set up camp and have a fire going where we made billy tea and told tall stories.

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Today was rather a low key day. We got the fire going again and cooked jaffles in our new jaffle irons and made  billy tea.

There was fog all around us while we were getting breakfast.

An enjoyable breakfast was had by all.

We all went out today to have a look at the Shearer’s Hall of Fame and the museum. There was a lot of equipment I remember from the time I spent in the shearing shed as a child on the farm.

Tonight was all about bringing out the camp ovens, one for the stew and one one for the damper. A great deal of effort was put into  getting the fire just right and watching the camp ovens as they did their thing.

The song for today was the old 50’s/60’s song for the Aeroplane Jelly ad.

It stuck in everyone’s mind and the boys kept singing the song over and over.

Denise countered with her own excellent rendition of  “We are happy little vegemites”. So the boys decided a duet was in order.

Now if only I could get that song, Aero plane jelly etc out of my mind………