Inverell to Cranky Rock

Cranky Rocks

Cranky man (not)

Well, the good news, or the bad?  Perhaps we should get the bad out of the way first!

The alternative title to this was “Jinxed!”. 

We set off from Inverell around 10am today, after a relaxing couple of days in a very pretty little, well appointed town – (for well appointed read good coffee shops).  Dutifully we filled the diesel tank and checked the tyres, not knowing what lies ahead, but by the time we reached Cranky Rock, one of the rear outside tyres was well and truly deflated.  Thinking that the invalid would have to jack up the motorhome (which is at its heaviest at the moment, with full water and diesel tanks and not enough wine bottles drunk), I was very close to deciding that enough was enough.  However, for once the worst didn’t happen and it was due to a ruptured extension on the schrader valve from one of the tyres. So the solution was easy; with a pump designed to pump up bicycle tyres, we pumped a truck tyre to 60 psi, over about half an hour, and touch wood, the problem is solved.

So, now for the good.

Only 9 kilometers outside Inverell is Olives of Beaulieu, 439 Copeton Dam Road, Beaulieu (www.olivesofbeaulieu.com.au) where we spent a great hour tasting their wonderful olive oils, infused oils, spice blends and olive products.  As the only visitors that morning, we were treated to a history lesson on the family (6 generations on the land), processing and cooking with olives and olive oil, and tasting of Dukkah, Squisito, Chilli Sauce, and Jams, to name just a few, and came away with a lightened wallet but lots of goodies for the trip.

Once again we are the only residents of a deserted campground, only 8 kilometres east of Warialda.  It’s a beautiful area of Nature Reserve 3km down a reasonable dirt road.  Reedy Creek waterhole nestles at the base of a huge group of granite boulders, thrown up by past volcanic activity, balancing one on top of another, with an elevated viewing platform built at the top of the rock formations.  A lovely place for a summer swim no doubt, but the water temperature at the moment is certainly not conducive to swimming.

Legend has it that a Chinaman, Charley Young (Australian-acquired name obviously), accused of killing Warialda resident Eliza Goldthorpe in December 1875, was being pursued by an angry mob, and leapt to his death from Cranky Rock to avoid capture.  The Maitland Mercury correspondent, describing events after the murder, reported “A tracker was at once procured; almost every male in Warialda turned out and scoured the bush.  It is doubtful whether he (Young) would have ever seen a court of justice, as a very general opinion of lynch law existed among them”.  None of this explains why “Cranky” Rocks – was Young cranky, or was it the mob?  Either way, he didn’t survive the fall and his body was found downstream at Gragin. 

So tomorrow, off to visit a cousin, Nancy, and her husband John; long term residents of Warialda.  First a visit to the nearest garage to double check the tyre, then hopefully a night or two with a much loved cousin, and lots of reminiscing.

Hopefully no more glitches.

Sally and Ray