Around Australia 2012: Orange 31/3/12 to 4/4/12

Just leaving Orange for Katoomba. We have spent 4 nights in Orange and cool nights they were. The days, however, were really quite hot. We have had our first hiccup with the caravan park losing our booking. We weren't to sure if they could fit us in, as lots of things happening that weekend in Orange ie; different sporting carnivals. Our spot was very slopey and with no water. Doug borrowed and scrounged timber /bricks from the neighbours and around the park to chock the van wheels so we didn't wake up in a new location.

Orange was quite a surprise to me, driving in over the hill and seeing all of this colour. Lots of deciduous trees, lovely old buildings, terrace houses and beautiful grand parks but, surprisingly, no BBQs. .
Our planned BBQ become sausages in the fry pan at the caravan.

One day we did the drive into a little town called Millthorpe where we went to the twice a year markets then wondered the streets of the town. Very old with cobbled stone roads and little 2 story buildings that reminded me of an American western. The boys found a great lollie shop and Doug had his morning coffee at The Millthorpe general store/newsagency/takeaway/cafe/post office. Apparently its a 3 day town only open's frid/sat/sun.

Then it was on to Bathurst where we did a couple of hot laps of Mount Panorama, Doug and the boys commentating the laps with the stop watch on. Best time 6min and 36 seconds (lap record 2min 6sec) .
The tv doesn't do it justice, as to how steep the climb is and how narrow the track is in parts.

On our last day we decided to do some wineries. Visiting 2 different ones in the Mt Canobalas Region. Boys got to sample some of their grapes before made into the wine and Doug and I got to taste the wine. The second winery(borodelle) had a apple orchard with heritage apples (from Russia and some that were in Shakespears plays, very old, over 130 varieties) We were able to wander freely through the orchard and try the apples before we bought. First time ever for the boys and me, pretty cool. The boys got a bag each of all different types of apples which they are slowing getting through.

We walked the dam wall at lake Canobalas, and of course visited the local skate park where Jacob has now mastered dropping into the bowl (it's a big bowl) and Nate has mastered jumping the box which is about a meter long jump (I couldn't watch) and Doug mastered going up the bowl (about 30 cm from the bottom) on the scooter which I also did not want to watch, due to his past track record.