In search of M. West of Boort we rode past this vast olive plantation, seems to be marketed as Cobram Estate, in part. Sign says 997,000 trees were planted - imagine the pruning.
Charlton was the next town- fairly big letters on the map are deceiving! But it did have a bakery and a tourist visitors' area. The large grain repository seemed to be the centre of "activity"; many houses for sale and empty shops. There were lots of kms to ponder what keeps these towns going - maybe their sense of humour.
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| Property mail box featuring kettle, tea-cup & saucer, tea spoon |
91 kms and we reached... heres' one for you Don.
The first white settler here was a Mr Donald from Stirling in Scotland, so it was no wonder we also found, for you Keith....
Donald was once a thriving rail centre for hauling, grain,livestock and water; all functions now taken over by road trains. To their credit the community has preserved its rail history in an attractive static display of rail engines and carriages. Camp ground was pretty sparse but near a very pretty lake,so our tent was all that was really necessary. We looked up an outback riding friend, Gill, and had a pub dinner with her. This was after the newsagent had a go at fixing my gears - he was partially successfully giving me the middle and little cogs- so I remain the "queen of spin". The iconic attraction in Donald is the Bullock's Head.
The poem below says it all but you will need to enlarge it to read. In 2011 the bullock indeed got to drink when the main street was flooded.
We had breakfast on town. A young chap had only opened his business 8 weeks prior so one felt every bit of support was appreciated - besides he cycles every day.
As we headed SW although straight and flat , it was attractive countryside. Out next town was Minyip ( but not our "M"!). The road in was through an extraordinary avenue of sugar gums.This beauty belied the state of the town. It's only claim to fame is that it was used as the location of Cooper's Crossing, in the Flying Doctors (1988). Sadly now there are abut 20 empty shops, just a butcher and IGA Express operating, that is besides the two pubs. Not sure how they are trading but their exteriors are still attractive. Again the country sense of humour- if you can't have one, at least you can look like you do....
A great painting!
A few kms on and we came to the most western point of our route- it was flat & dry. Amazingly, it was around here that the soldier settlement blocks were granted, specifically to irrigate for dairy production. This is in he middle of sheep & wheat country so one can but wonder what the powers that be were thinking.
Turned south, sensing "M' was near.
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