You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
TRAVEL TORQUE<br />
The Inland Lap<br />
an interim report<br />
As club members will know, there are about 35 hardy<br />
adventurers somewhere in the outback on Hank and Jo<br />
Verwoert’s Inland Lap, also known as L’Aventure Peugeot<br />
2009.<br />
No doubt there will be a full report of the event in Torque<br />
1009, but in the meantime, here are some edited extracts<br />
from the Daily Journal on the event’s website,<br />
www.peugeotsaroundaustralia.com<br />
Day 1, July 26, Nunawading to Beechworth<br />
We started the journey at Nunawading, [with breakfast] served and hosted<br />
by the PCCV.<br />
With the journey under way we passed the turn-off to the bushfire affected<br />
Kinglake and [Healesville] – it was amazing to see the bush springing back<br />
into life and some homesteads that had survived, which were easily seen<br />
through the naked bush.<br />
We enjoyed a welcome cuppa and warm fire in the shed of Doug Brockfield<br />
and Chris Powell for afternoon tea, where we were able to meet and chat<br />
with our fellow travellers.<br />
Day 2, July 27, Beechworth to Tumut<br />
Departed a foggy Beechworth at 8.30am for Yackandandah, then on to<br />
Tallangatta, where we were struck by the lack of water in Lake Hume.<br />
The fog lifted as we approached the scenic valley of Bullioh and visibility<br />
improved markedly. The group stopped in Tumbarumba for lunch and<br />
some visited the local museum which was small, but well organised and<br />
interesting. On through apple country (Batlow) to our day-two destination,<br />
Tumut and dinner at the Woolpack Hotel. We did observe a huge timber<br />
truck slip-streaming Hank and Jo in the Bread Van as we were coming into<br />
Tumut!<br />
Day 3, July 28, Tumut to Orange<br />
The road out of Tumut climbed up through pasture land into forestry when<br />
we saw a sign saying “Not Suitable for Caravans” by the roadside – this<br />
being the truest sign I have ever seen. Rain during the night turned most of<br />
the road to Wee Jasper greasy and with the many narrow one-way bridges<br />
to negotiate, gave everyone an opportunity to show off their driving skills.<br />
Everyone enjoyed the challenge of country road driving that Peugeots excel<br />
in and I managed to see a LIVE fox, a wallaby and many crimson rosellas on<br />
the way through to Wee Jasper. Just after we crossed the Murrumbidgee<br />
River, several of our group spent time walking through the Japanese<br />
Memorial Gardens at Cowra and the old POW site.<br />
Day 4, July 29, Orange to Muswellbrook<br />
We headed off from Orange at 8.30am en route to Hill End via Sofala.<br />
Both historic towns are very interesting and well worth visiting. It’s hard to<br />
believe that in the late 1800s, Hill End was the largest inland town in NSW<br />
following the gold boom, now just 100 people call it home.<br />
24<br />
TORQUE 909<br />
Then off to Mudgee for lunch an on to Muswellbrook via Bylong, over the<br />
Great Dividing Range and through the Upper Hunter Wine Region. All in all,<br />
a very enjoyable day, a mix of good and gravel roads, beautiful scenery and<br />
friendly faces.<br />
Day 5, July 30, Muswellbrook to Glen Innes<br />
We all awoke to the coldest morning yet; my red car was white and looked<br />
quite clean.<br />
We drove through Scottish Aberdeen and ‘horsey’ Scone – the drive<br />
through the Liverpool Range was very scenic with the valley full of<br />
horse studs and stables – on to see the Burning Mountain. An energetic<br />
group walked to the top of this underground coal seam that has been<br />
smouldering for about 5000 or 6000 years – well worth the mainly up-hill<br />
walk to get there.<br />
The sunset was lovely as we arrived at Glen Innes which had minus 4<br />
degrees last night – another very cold morning tomorrow, I think!<br />
Day 6, July 31, Glen Innes to Toowoomba<br />
A frosty start to the day in Glen Innes. The Halls saw it from their motel<br />
window!<br />
Campers claim it was thick. All to be expected from the highest town on<br />
the New England Plateau where it regularly snows. Walking around the<br />
town we met may of Glenn’s relations in Glen Innes – Glen Haven, Glen<br />
Rule, Glen Craigie. Many visited the Celtic Standing Stones without going<br />
to England or Scotland.<br />
Hank’s option for the back roads was popular. Loved the golden wattle and<br />
colour of the red mistletoe on the grey gum leaves. Lunch at Texas with the<br />
four and five metre flood signs.<br />
Day 7, August 1, Toowoomba<br />
Today USED to be Wattle Day, when Australian schoolchildren sang “The<br />
bush was grey a week today … flowing wattle”. Most of us spent the<br />
day, not admiring wattles in the bush, but resting shopping and washing<br />
washing washing (cars and clothes). High points: John & Trish have<br />
welcomed into their stable (free to good home) a licensed, going 504.<br />
Morrie and Geoff visited Kingaroy and returned to Toowoomba through<br />
Yarraman, where they viewed a stack of French (and other) vehicles,<br />
among them a Simca 8, one of only four known to exist in the world.<br />
Various walks and expeditions around Toowoomba, notably to Picnic Point<br />
with its many walking tracks. Some of us visited the Caravan & Camping<br />
Show in Toowoomba, in case there was something there we needed! Back<br />
on the road again tomorrow, heading inexorably west!<br />
Day 8, August 2, Toowoomba to Roma<br />
Another sunny start to the day for the trip to Roma. The hills around<br />
Toowoomba turned into flat plains country as we travelled westward.<br />
The sun was belting in through the car windows and most of us started<br />
stripping down to “summer” clothes. A few of us stopped at Dalby for<br />
morning brew. Don and Ros travelled via Condamine, we presume to pay<br />
condolences to the broken windscreen he had there in the 2004 Ampol<br />
Rerun. We had lunch outside the Miles Pioneer Village Museum. Another<br />
tourist farewelled us with “may your frogs keep croaking”. We arrived at<br />
Roma about 2.15pm after a very leisurely day’s drive.<br />
Day 9, August 3, Roma to Blackall<br />
Fine weather, not a cloud in the sky, green wheat fields and very dry<br />
country.<br />
Morning tea at Morven, John checked out the museum and kerosene tin<br />
hut. At Augathella the Warrego River bed was very dry, even though a<br />
levy bank surrounds the town. There were some great murals painted on<br />
town buildings. Lunch stop along the road, some of the crew stopped at<br />
Augathella. At Mitchell we saved a pop-top caravan from blowing its top,<br />
took us a few kilometres to run them down to tell them – rather scary. A
Change language