Heading East to Jugiong

We've decided to head home and skip our six- to seven-month trip to WA. The main reasons are fuel availability and the constant rise in diesel prices.

After leaving Clare, we ventured cross-country along minor roads, passing through the small towns of Auburn, Saddleworth, Marrabel, and Eudunda. Then we drove through Morgan before heading south to join the Sturt Highway, where we spent two nights camped at Loxton in an RV Park. It's free to camp here, and the grass is the most beautiful, lush green. 

Last night, we camped at Lake Benanee, 16 km east of Euston. If you're here early enough, around midday, you can park near the fence line, where you can enjoy a lovely view of the lake from your van. There's a lower area closer to the lake, but it's quite sandy. The toilets have hand-washing facilities and paper towels. Nine vans were there last night. Site info mentions a donation box, but we couldn't find it—until a man showed up at 7:30 that evening to clean the toilets. I asked about the donation box, and he pointed out where it had been cut from the wall with an angle grinder. If you're a light sleeper, I suggest you sleep elsewhere.

Tuesday, 24 March, finds us camping again at the free camp at Sandy Point Reserve on the outskirts of Hay. We were here 15 days ago, and in that time the diesel price has risen by 89 cents a litre. Back then, there were over fifty vans camped for the night, but tonight, because of the fuel crisis, there are no more than twenty. 

Today, 25 March, we continued further east along the Sturt Highway. The road condition remained about the same as it has over the past few days, with the bitumen cracked and broken up, especially on the shoulders, due to increased truck traffic. I wonder where all the fuel tax the government collects actually goes, as it's certainly not spent on fixing the roads.

We bypassed the turnoff to Darlington Point before reaching Narrendra. The first three service stations we came across were out of diesel, but we found a Liberty outlet in town with some diesel. 

From here, we headed north for 20 km before turning off the Newell Highway and camping behind the Royal Hotel in Grong Grong. Dinner at the hotel was a shared bucket of onion rings, and Ros enjoyed her BLT, while my steak sandwich with the lot was huge. The chef told me I wasn't allowed to use a knife and fork. Yeah right!

Next morning, we continued along the Canola Way through Ganmain and Coolamon, then headed south-east towards Wagga Wagga. Here, we were unable to get fuel without blocking main roads, as each garage I visited already had vans lined up, waiting for their turn to fill up. 

So, we headed for the Hume Highway and filled up at a truck stop in Gundagai for $3.16 cpl before heading further north to camp at Jugiong for three days. A donation is appreciated, and there's potable water, a dump point, and toilets for those who need them. 

On the afternoon of our arrival in Jugiong, the forecast rain set in and was quite heavy on and off throughout the day. 

Friday morning, 27 March, we woke to a very cold 8 degrees, so we turned on the diesel heater. Now, at 10 am, the outside temperature hasn't risen much and remains at 8.5 degrees, while our inside temperature is 16 degrees.

The Long Track Pantry is well worth a visit with wines, condiments, and lovely coffee and cakes. They also make frozen meals, and we can recommend them; on our last visit, we bought their butter chicken, which was fantastic. 

The Sir George Hotel also serves amazing meals. Today, we enjoyed lunch at the Sir George in Jugiong despite the chilly 10-degree weather and showers. No photos of our capricciosa pizza and Lerida Estate Lake George pinot noir, as we were in a rush to warm ourselves up.

If the inside temperature drops at all, the diesel heater will be switched on again. We have another overcast day with more rain expected, but for lunch, we'll head over to the Sir George Hotel to lift our spirits on this gloomy day. We enjoyed lunch at the Sir George in Jugiong despite the chilly 10-degree weather and showers. No photos of our capricciosa pizza and Lerida Estate Lake George pinot noir, as we were in a rush to warm ourselves up.

The diesel heater was turned on for much of the remainder of the day as the inside vans' temperature kept dropping.

Clare Valley Wine Tour

On Tuesday, 17 March, we looked forward to a relaxing wine tour we had booked and paid for the day before. We waited at our accommodation, ready to be picked up. By 11:00 am, half an hour past the scheduled time, we realised something was wrong. When we called the Wine Valley Tourism Centre, they were just as surprised as we were that the operator hadn't shown up. After talking it through, our tour was moved to Thursday, but we felt frustrated and disappointed.

We've now received an email confirming our tour for tomorrow, with a pickup time of 10:20 am.

The rescheduled tour is now planned for Thursday, giving us a chance to explore the region. Even after the earlier setback, we remain hopeful that this tour will show us the best of the Clare Valley. Steve, who drove us around, knew a lot — not just about the wines but also about which wineries, including some from the Barossa, have vines planted here in the valley, including Penfolds. We tried the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes still attached to the vines and were surprised at how sweet they were.

Our six-hour wine tour in the Clare Valley stopped at a few lookouts with great views. We shared the day with two others: John from Kent, England, and his friend Julie from Melbourne. 

Our first tasting was at Hill River Wines, then we visited Pikes Wines and Brewing Company. For lunch, we ate at Paulett Wines Bush Devine Restaurant, and both had pumpkin gnocchi with a glass of wine. After that, we visited Mitchell Wines, bought more wine, and finished our day at Kilikanoon Wines with a final tasting and a few more purchases.

Martindale Hall

 Martindale Hall was built in 1879 and 1880 as a stately Georgian mansion commissioned by Edmund Bowman Jr., a leading pastoralist. His grandparents, Mary and Thomas Bowman, embarked from England for the distant island of Tasmania in 1829, accompanied by their ten children and a sturdy flock of sheep. Eventually, they carved out a new home in the grassy expanses of South Australia. Their eldest son, Edmund, laid the foundations of Martindale Station near Mintaro in 1839, where he nurtured a renowned Merino sheep stud.

Edmund drowned tragically, and his son Edmund Jr inherited the estate. While studying law at Cambridge, Edmund Jr wandered beneath ancient archways and through manicured courtyards, captivated by the stately grandeur of England's manors. The soaring halls, lush lawns, and towering facades kindled in him an unshakable resolve: he would one day build a manor to match their splendour.

English craftsmen came to design the interiors, adding blackwood staircases, Italian marble fireplaces, and English wallpapers.

Financial pressures forced Edmund to sell the property in 1891. 

In 1891, William Tennant Mortlock bought the house for his bride, Rosye, for thirty-three thousand pounds. They had six children, but only two sons lived to adulthood. Jack Mortlock was the last private owner of Martindale. After his brother died in 1936 and his mother in 1939, Jack arranged for his large estate to go to the State Library and the University of Adelaide. 

He married Dorothy Beech in 1948 and died in 1950, leaving an estate worth over one million pounds. Dorothy stayed at Martindale until 1965, when it was handed over to the University.

The Coachhouse:

The film Picnic at Hanging Rock, directed by Peter Weir in 1975, was shot here and starred Jackie Weaver, Helen Morse, and Ann-Louise Lambert.

From here, we drove a short distance to the historic town of Mintaro and enjoyed lunch at the Magpie Stump Hotel, founded in 1851.

As often happens, our departure day from Clare turned out to be a lovely day without a cloud to be seen. 

The Clare Valley

Clare Valley is often seen as a more refined alternative to the Barossa and is known as one of Australia's top wine regions, especially for its Riesling. With over forty cellar doors and many great restaurants, it's a welcoming spot for anyone who loves wine and good food.

We don't usually choose caravan parks, but this time it made sense. Staying nearby let us stay close to the heart of the valley and enjoy everything it had to offer.

On our first day, which was cold and rainy, we enjoyed lunch at the Sevenhill Hotel, just down the road from where we were staying. Ros enjoyed her mushroom gnocchi, and I my calamari.

As the weather improved and the rain stopped, we decided the following day to make the most of it. We drove into Clare, parked, and took a relaxed walk along both sides of the main street. Many of the town's late nineteenth-century buildings still retain their original charm, offering plenty of photo opportunities and a real sense of local history.

We stopped for a relaxed meal and chose an all-day breakfast at lunchtime. After eating, we continued exploring and drove south to Sevenhill Cellars, which has been around since 1851. Ros enjoyed a tasting, and we spent time in the underground cellar, taking photos of the stone walls, vaulted rooms, and softly lit barrels. We picked up a few bottles to enjoy later.

Next to the cellar and surrounded by vineyards is St Aloysius Church. The Jesuits own and run it. The Gothic-style building, built of local stone with a slate roof, was completed in 1875. There's also a crypt where 42 Jesuits are buried.

Today we drove north of Clare, winding past golden fields and rolling hills, to visit Bungaree Station. Founded in 1841, the property is still home to the 4th, 5th, and 6th generations of the Hawker family, who continue to fill it with warmth and tradition. Our visit gave us a chance to learn more about the station's origins and history.

George C Hawker and his brothers, James and Charles, chose this spot for their main station. They bought 2000 ewes from New South Wales and, following the advice of explorer Edward John Eyre, travelled along the Hutt River in search of land. They found water at 8 feet and named the property "Bungaree," echoing the area's Aboriginal name. At one point, over 100,000 merino sheep filled these fields; during our visit, we watched a flock move to fresh pasture.