Hay

We arrived at Hay on Tuesday afternoon the 20th April. There is a large free camp on the Murrumbidgee River called Sandy point where we headed to. You don’t actually get any water views but there are good toilets there and it is free. You can also have a fire. It is also a dust bowl which does not matter in calm weather but unfortunately a stiff wind was blowing. It was also very cold. We were staying two nights so we decided to have a fire the next night which would be our last night with Jan & Ross. So we just hunkered down inside due to the wind. One of the many good things about having a caravan when you are camping is that you can get away from the elements when you need to. Having said all that it is still a good spot.
Sandy Point was where the Lang Brothers crossed their cattle over the river when they drove them to the gold fields in Victoria.
Wednesday morning we woke to a very chilly but beautiful sunny day. The wind was not going to be a problem for us this day. It was so beautiful I actually felt more alive. I shelved the dinky little breakfast I was going to have and went for mushrooms and eggs to support the energy I was feeling. It was a splendid breakfast in the sunshine. Once we were ready we walked into town via the river which was only a short walk. We checked out numerous buildings and had a coffee.
We checked out an original Cobb & Co Coach. It was awesome and could carry 17 passengers, none of them comfortably though, it did not say. I don’t have a photo as it is housed behind glass and it is hard enough to see by the naked eye, let alone getting a photo of it. We checked out some more buildings.
I found the 1892 Court House particularly impressive.
So was the restored 1882 Railway Station.
Then there was the goal.
I loved the murals on the water tower. The theme was ‘Hay – A Town That Went To War’.
We went back to camp for lunch. After that Linda and I went to the Shear Outback Museum which is a museum dedicated to the history of sheep shearing in Australia. We quite enjoyed it. I have had a fair bit of exposure to sheep shearing so it was not as exciting for me.
There was a maze that was built which was inspired by an aerial photograph of sheep being rounded up and driven in a circle. It was a bit of fun.
We went back to camp and settled for the night with a beautiful fire which was our last for this trip as it is all but over. Linda and I begin the trip home over two days from tomorrow. We loved our stay in Hay.

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