This trip felt like it would never happen – right up until Wednesday I wasn’t convinced it would go ahead; but when NSW announced another covid free day, it was finally time to pack up and head north.

I booked the trip way back in June 2020, when it looked like Australia had collectively “flattened the curve”, state borders had opened, Premiers were extolling the virtues of holidaying domestically, and airlines were frantically getting planes into the air as fast as possible to make up for lost income. Then along came our Second Wave, the borders slammed shut again, and stayed that way for months.  Interstate travel was off the cards for the foreseeable future. 

Five rescheduled dates and over 6 months later, borders are open once again, and we are just hoping there are no outbreaks here that would cause that to change. We will just take each day as it comes, keep calm, and carry on.

The itinerary has two “anchor points” – Kiama, and Port Stephens, with other plans chopping and changing with each re-booking.  Sydney was originally part of the plan, but was abandoned after the most recent NSW outbreaks.  Wagga tempted us with the chance to finally visit the Aviation Museum at Temora; somewhere that’s been on the “next time we’re up that way, we must make the detour” list, for years.  Version 4 of the itinerary had a Sunday morning sprint race at the Uni as well; alas we are now on Version 5 and the orienteering calendar is not the same. 

So here we are – day 1 was simply spent driving up the Hume – familiar territory.  Crossing the border at Albury gave a slight sense of adventure; and disappointment not to be greeted by Gladys B, welcoming us across the Murray and telling us to fling away our masks.

We pressed on to Wagga, and paid our first visit to a supermarket.  We’d brought the masks – ingrained habits run deep – but with nary a face covering to be seen, we didn’t want to label ourselves as virus-riddled Victorians, so we put them away and adopted a “when in Rome” attitude.

We are staying in a pleasantly comfortable apartment on Red Hill – an older place, but practical and refreshingly uncluttered. Wagga is surprisingly hilly, and we have quite a good view from the front window.

We were up and about early, making the most of the day. Temora is an hour’s drive north.  The town is looking busy and cared for; there are a number of interesting art deco buildings along the main street, and more businesses open than closed.  The Aviation Museum is hosting a weekend-long air show, and preparations were in full swing; I imagine the town is jam packed tonight with air enthusiasts (some of whom would have flown in on private aircraft).

We were happy not to be cheek by jowl with 5000 other people; instead, we joined a small group for a tour of the main hangar.  Most of the aircraft had been moved outside and were parked along the tarmac. The novel thing about Temora is that most of the planes on display have been restored to full working order; they have their certification in place, are fully maintained by engineers, and are able to fly.  So although we weren’t able to get as close to them as normal, we were seeing them “en plein air”; ready to roll down the runway and take to the skies tomorrow – which felt more natural and less like a museum.

Ian saw planes he hadn’t seen in reality before. Our volunteer guide was extremely knowledgeable and shared all sorts of facts and stories. The aircraft are all wonderfully restored; although not a large collection in number, it is probably the most well maintained exhibition we’ve seen; when they look like they’re ready for action, it’s much easier to imagine them in flight.

As we were eating lunch afterwards, a large grey aircraft filled the sky overhead as it flew in low.  The RAAF Hercules had obviously been tasked with bringing in cargo for the weekend. There are only 12 Hercules currently in the Australian fleet, so a chance to see one in flight then up close was an extra treat.

Back in Wagga, and rested and refreshed, we decided on a spot of local sightseeing.  The Botanical Gardens were a pleasant interlude, although the specialty gardens were already closed for the evening. The rose garden exuded a gentle fragrance and plenty of colour.  From there we drove up adjacent Willans Hill, down over the railway line, across the Murrumbidgee flood plain, and around some lovely tree lined streets and shady parks.  Ian stopped for a pokemon raid at one such park, where I was entertained by a flock of white cockatoos performing their antics as they jockeyed for position in their favourite tree.  We saw plenty of places for sprint and street orienteering, though Willans Hill looked rather steep for bushO. It is certainly a green and liveable city.

Tomorrow – a full day’s drive to the Hunter Valley, and some orienteering on the central coast on Sunday.