Cootemundra

Arrived here in Cootemundra late yesterday afternoon. I drove the camper van for the last 60-70 km! Wendi is doing a Wrapertoire workshop here for 4 women today (including Gemma whose house the workshop is being held at). We are camped out in Gemma's back yard. Spent a good evening yesterday with Gemma, Tony and Hughie (aged 3). They're a great family. Moved back here a couple of years ago after trying to make a go of it on a farm for 4 years, but defeated by drought (there have been several years of drought here). We talked for hours over spag bol, chardonnay and coffee. Gemma and Tony have just bought the Ibis Hotel in Cootemundra - a B&B and function place, opposite the arts centre.

We came down here via South Maroota (barbie on Saturday up in the Hawkesbury area, near Wiseman's Ferry), Canberra - where we went to Parliament House, the Museum of Australia and the Australian National Botanic Gardens, visited Wendi's friends Barbara (her pen friend since age 10!) and David, and saw Brokeback Mountain at the cinema in Manuka. We also went up Mount Ainslie to see the views across Canberra to the plains and mountains beyond.

On Sunday night we camped up in the Canberra Motor Village on the edge of the bushland of the Black Mountain Reserve. We came on here yesterday, via Yass.

Went on the (free) guided tour of the botanic garden yesterday. They are beautiful and the only gardens to have just native flora. Beautiful rainforest walks, varieties of eucalypt and banksias.