20120929 Casino, Kyogle, Woodenbong to Darlington Park

20120929 After our very physical excursion (well it was for us) we returned to Tenerfield for a shower before hitting the road again.  On our way to Casino, we spotted a place to stop for the night just off the Bruxner Highway, we tend to grab a park when we can.

It might be just of the Highway but it's not a bad view with the sound of cows in the night instead of traffic. 

The sound of running water as we slept from the creek below.

30-09-2012  We left for Casino which was only about 19ks away and stopped for supplies and to check the town out. 

The town is named after the Casino Station, owned by Clarke Irving, which was named after Cassino (near Monto Cassino) in Italy.

 

  The Towns Centre-We walked the town and Des did his usual window shopping for real estate and I did my usual photo shoot of the town.             

Hotel Cecil

Formally the Imperial Hotel, the Cecil was moved in 1901; the building was cut into section and moved by Bullock teams to its present location.

The Commercial Hotel was established in 1869 and renovated in 1890; it is the second oldest business in Casino.

 

Kyogle, a name derived from Kajou gal (the place of the plain turkey) and settled by the Bundialung people.  European discovery of the region took place in the late 1820s but it was not till the early 1840s that white settlement began, by 1843 seven stations had leased the entire Upper Richmond, including the area around Kyogle, then known as Fairymount.  From the 1860s red cedars was the region’s main resource and were all but stripped by the 1890s when an economic downturn in 1893 resulted in a fall in the value of timber.  The Free Selection Bill introduced in the 1860s resulted in the subdivision of the large stations into farm selections.  Before long there were 551 farms in the district, the majority of them dairy farms, which began with the building of a creamery and in 1905, Kyogle’s fast butter factory.
 

Our first view of Kyogle as we drove into the town.

 

Built in the 1920s, the Exchange Hotel has maintained the 1928 Guest house and also offers secure parking for motor bikes, there you go boys, you can organise a ride with great scenery on the way.

  

Next stop Woodenbong to camp up for the night and hopefully Des can get reception to watch the grand finals. We arrived in town and noticed the markets were on in the hall so of cause we checked it out. You pay a $10.00 fee for the keys to the amenities at the local shop with power and park where you like. We parked up and checked the reception with no luck so the only chose we had was a visit to the local pub. 

 

Mount Lindesay

One of a number of peaks in the McPherson Range and is remarkable for its tiered summit, the eroded remnant of lava flow from the nearby Focal Peaks.  Mount Lindesay has been part of a successful native title claim made by the Githabul people for whom the peak holds a special significance.

 

One the way to the pub we stopped at the local shop only to be cheekily harassed by the two woman serving, over who Des was going for in the AFL, we had a great laugh and left.  Arriving at the hotel to watch the AFL Grand finals Hawthorn verses Sydney only they had no reception, you’ve got to be joking, but the publican persevered with success.  We watched the game over a few drinks and a chat with the locals who were more interested in the horses and their winnings, or more like losses.  He had every intention of calling into the local shop to rub their nose in after the game but we ended up walking on the other side of the road hopping they wouldn’t see us, unfortunately we had to return the key the next morning.

The local drinking hole, Sydney won 91 to 81, Des was not happy.

30-09-2012  Dropping off the key the next morning Des had so much shit put on him from the girls, all I could do was piss myself laughing.  We left for Woodenbong and headed for home with one last stop to catch up with Donna and my grandkids who were holidaying at Darlington Park with family and friends.  We arrived late in the afternoon after travelling on a 20k shitty road to get there.  The park was packed and our initial thought was how the hell we will find them when we spotted Callum running down the street to meet us followed by Ryan.  We picked them up and they gave us directions, we parked up then meet the happy campers. 

I went with the boys watching them make a mud slide and sliding up and down the mud and having a great old time only I couldn’t get to the bottom to take any photo’s, there was no way I was going to try and go down that mud slide.  That night we sat around a fire having a few drinks and listener to a couple of guys playing the guitar until the caretaker came down and told them to stop, not happy Jan, it wasn’t even loud and it was a holiday the next day.

Ryan and I walked down to the creek so he could show me the swing set up over the water that all the kids were jumping from.

 Then he jumps.

Yeee Har

Look at me Grandma, as he splashes in the water.

31-09-2012  Ryan and Callum slept in the van with us and were up and out the next morning, well Callum was, Ryan slept a bit longer.   I got into trouble for abusing the caretaker (did not) we said our good buys and Ryan came with us for our final trip home.