Travelling South, New South Wales 🇦🇺 2022

Date: 29th January to 1st February 2022

Travelled: 580 kms from Sydney to Albury, New South Wales. 

Visited: Berrima, Marulan, Yass, Gundagai, Holbrook and Albury. 

Stayed: Free, except for the Showgrounds at Albury. 

Budget: 20 days @ $0 per day.

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Our booking on the Spirit of Tasmania is confirmed for the 3rd February.

Pam has packed the Jayco for all four seasons perhaps even a 5th. We had originally planned to leave Sydney on the Sunday morning but gave way to a rush of blood and left on the Saturday.

The drive from Sydney to Melbourne on the Hume can be a long day or two of tedious driving, so we’ve decided on taking our time, no more than a couple of hours driving a day. Stopping at those towns now by-passed by the Hume Highway for a walk around or maybe an overnight stop if the price is right.

There is a small council campsite in Berrima. It was booked out when we rang yesterday but decided to head for Berrima anyway just to have a walk around.

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We head south on the Princes Hwy cutting across to the Hume through Broughton Pass. There is little traffic and what there is, is travelling faster than us.

We arrive in Berrima unaware that it’s a bit of a yuppie tourist hotspot. Somehow we manage a parking spot in the shade adjacent the park. The village is full of black Audis, Teslas and mid-live crisis Harley Davidsons.

Setting off for a walk we find the restaurants and pubs doing a roaring trade. Lots of people walking around in the fresh air with masks on (which makes little sense to us) but, other than that the park is beautiful and full of picnickers.

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It’s a hot and humid afternoon as we walk Berrima village. We find the campsite and I doubt the Jayco would have fitted into any of the pitches. Eventually back at the Jayco we say goodbye and continue south for the Belangelo Forest.

Our data base shows a free stop at Daly’s Clearing about 5 kms off the Hwy in the State Forest. Pam loves a murder scene.

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We find several caravans and another dozen campers in tents spread out over the expansive campground. As we set the Jayco up, the weather is changing quickly, the rumble of distant thunder is suddenly upon us and the heavens open with torrential rain. This continues for nearly two hours.

After watching several people attempting to salvage their tents and camping gear, the storm passes, the temperature has plunged, as we settle into a quiet night.

In the morning we rejoin the Hume Hwy continuing south to Marulan. Another village now bypassed. We top up with diesel at $1.60 and stop at the railway station carpark for breakfast.

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Back on the Hwy once again we turn for Yass and the Services Club. The Club has a small free RV parking area at its rear. We stopped here last year during our travels and feel the urge for dinner out.

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Pam enjoyed the grilled barramundi but the Texas Schnitzel was just too much…so I’ll have the other half tomorrow for lunch. Next morning we are up for a walk and enjoy exploring the river walk that loops around Yass.

Time to move on again, so we ready the Jayco and continue south once again. 100 kms later we turn for Gundagai.

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The service point near the old railway station is our first stop before heading across the bridge to Morley’s Creek campsite. The township of Gundagai has two free campsites both are very popular, Morley’s is the closest to the town centre.

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We spend the rest of the day chatting to our fellow travellers and doing some walks around town. In the morning we take another walk to get some views of the old timber railway viaduct (circa 1903) that stretches across Morley’s Creek and the Murrumbidgee River flats.

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We eventually ready the Jayco for the road once again, making a quick supermarket stop before saying goodbye to Gundagai. Continuing south back on the Hwy we stop an hour later at Holbrook.

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We stopped at Holbrook on our travels in 2021 visiting the submarine memorial. This time we thought we would walk Albury Street which stretches for more than a km.

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Albury Street goes on and on…a scattering of shops, parks and vacant lots, nothing very exciting but it’s an interesting walk. It’s hot and humid and we’re glad to escape to the Jayco which has been parked in the shade.

Continuing south once again we have set the GPS for Woomargama. As we approach the exit we find ourselves behind a bus/motorhome conversion pulling a trailer. As I toss a coin in my head whether to pass it before the exit or not, a wheel on the trailer decides it’s time to make its own way. The trailer swerves wildly on its remaining wheel and axle and the wheel heads in the medium disappearing into the undergrowth. Certainly broke up the monotony.

After a quick stop to make sure they were OK and to tell them where their wheel was we continue on into Woomargama. It’s another small village now bypassed by the Hume. The little campsite there is free but it offers no shade on a very hot day, so we continue on to Albury, settling in at the showgrounds.

We enjoy a quiet night particularly after a thunder storm passes through and the temperature drops by 10 degrees. Anyway we are off to Albury Aquatic Centre for a swim this morning and then into Dan country.

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Michael and Pam