Well- sort of. We had intended to travel on today, further north towards Brisbane, where we have to be in 12 days time. But it really is so nice here, if we had the time we would spend a week.
But we did do a visit- we had to go up to Lithgow, so we took in a visit to the Small Arms Factory there, and their museum,
Hundreds of rifles, bayonets,machine guns, and handguns of all varieties were on display, from flintlocks to the very latest. Some were actually made in the factory behind the museum, which is still in operation.
After lunch back at the farm we took a gentle stroll around Hartley, a village close to where we are staying.Started as a stockade in the early 19th century to store cattle for the convicts and their gaolers making the road, it developed into a substantial town very quickly. However when the railway bypassed Hartley in 1858 in passed into disuse, leaving a remarkable time capsule of a time largely unchanged since the mid nineteenth century.
Thed courthouse, built in 1838 and not used as such since 1888, looks like it could have been built yesterday, and most of the other buildings were in a remarkably good state of repair. Just a pity that we were unable to be given a guided tour, and get into the buildings, but most were well described on the notices outside.
Back to the farm, and a gentle walk down to the river. It really is beautiful, but due to a flood which swept down the valley only a month ago has many trees and branches piled up against the bank.Ohilip and Andrew would have a field day here- there is enough wood to keep their fires going for twenty years!
It was cold last night- Rosemary, the owner, reckons that there was 2 degrees of frost, so we have the log fire on early. As I write it is as warm as toast in here, we are going to have a really snug night in front of the fire.
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