Moving on to Axedale (Bendigo)

Days 7 - 8 stopping over in Narrandera

We left Canberra with the excellent weather continuing, spending a night in Narrandera before our few days in Axedale, our gateway to Bendigo and surrounds. Despite checking carefully, as you always do 😏, we left some ice packs in Canberra - these are important for medicine maintenance and we were far too far along the way to turn back.

Since we were well on the south side of Canberra staying in Banks, we decided to take the Snowy Mountains route to Wagga via Adaminaby and Tumut just  because we could and it avoided all the infrastructure work on the northern side of Canberra to get out that way. Very scenic, if more dirt road than we anticipated on the initial part of the journey - all part of the fun!

We stopped at Tumut for a cuppa in a nice roadside park and I was fortunate to snap some nice shots of eastern rosellas. It seemed an omen that we would find the ice bricks at a supermarket in town as we continued west.

Next morning we really saw the changes in the dryness of the country as we headed south towards the Murray River. The following photos attempt to show the "big" nature of the land and skyscapes we were now driving through. The sky so large and open and bright beat down on the parched land. The clouds add another level of texture and depth to some of the photos, and one especially attempted to capture to lonleiness and essential importance of the windmill in such expanses. As you see, though, we were blessed also to come across a few mobs of emus - a real treat seeing them in the open fields.

The next set of photos were taken beside the Murray River at Tocumwal. We had a break before crossing the border and I had to try to capture the huge infestation (so-called by the townsfolk for the damage they are wreaking) of corellas. I also show a Kookaburra and a pied cormorant - all far further inland than ones I am used to photgraphing on the coast!

Same kookaburra puffing itself up!!

Then the final part of this day I have included some photos taken late afternoon in the fantastic garden at our B&B in Axedale. I couldn't resist snapping away given the effect of the late afternoon light. I even managed a crimson rosella among flowers and seeds it was savouring and the setting sun over the river running through the property. The roses speak for themselves!