To everyone looking at our blog, I want to apologise for not writing for so long. So I have spent some time correlating everything and I will get you up to date.

Day 19 Tenterfield

The trip today from Wallangarra to Tenterfield was all of 19kms, so after setting up the van next to the creek at the showgrounds (a decision we would later regret) we headed off to have a look at the town.

 

The next day we thought we’d head back to Stanthorpe area to see the sights we missed, also to have a drive around the town, and perhaps to buy some local produce. We went back on a Monday however, to find that most businesses close – even if their signs say open every day. We did find some apples, a place selling overpriced beer and, for some reason, a pyramid.

 It is daylight savings here at the moment, so with summer as well the area is still bright. Our watches say its 8pm, outside looks like 5pm but really its 9pm, we’re wide awake. Worse still, so are the kids. To make it more fun the kids wake at first light which, with all factors involved, is around 2am.

This afternoon when Andrew went to get the kids as they were playing in a little creek at the back of our caravan, Ethan cut his foot on something. It looked deep enough to require stitches and the area looked dirty enough to be resemble a sewer, off to the hospital we went. The nurse and the doctor was fantastic with Ethan, they had him laughing and in good spirits. He didn’t get stitches thank goodness, but they did tape it together and then glue the cut. What next for this little fellow?

The next day the skies opened up and drenched the entire area, and not with just rain. Unprecedented snow covered Glen Innes and the creek our van was parked next to started to rise. The locals happily pointed out that during the last rain the area where our caravan resided was a meter under water. So after moving to higher ground and getting soaked in the process, we rapidly (well, as rapid as you can with ten layers of clothing on) went to Target to purchase doonas and did not leave our beds for two days. We warmed ourselves with the air-conditioner heater on full, a small floor heater, keeping the van closed all day, cooking meals and some helpful blowing off from the children – aren’t they thoughtful?

 

After the skies cleared we went to look for Thunderbolt’s hideout. Captain Thunderbolt (1836 – 1870) was known as the ‘Gentleman Outlaw’ as he never shot anyone (as many bush rangers did). He escaped from Cockatoo Island Prison in Sydney Harbour, where he was serving a sentence for horse stealing. His downfall came about when Constables Walker and Mulhall called him to surrender. Constable Walker shot Thunderbolt and thinking that he was mortally wounded, they left him by the riverbank to collect him the next day. On their return the following morning the body was gone, Thunderbolt had crawled a distance to reside under a clump of bushes and was still alive. Thunderbolt did die shortly after in Uralla and Constable Walker received a reward for the capture of him and the Australian legend of Thunderbolt was born.

"Hands up ya blaggard"

How else do you find the way to a secret hidout? Follow the signs of course!

 

Now finding the hideout was easy and we all had a great time wondering around the rocks and caves pretending to be outlaws.

Once we left the hideout there was, apparently within walking distance, the remains of World War II Tank Traps, so off we trundled. Well, we walked and walked and walked....you get the picture. Sick of remaking the bush track that no longer seemed to exist we blazed a track to the main road. We got in the car to keep driving on to Bald Rock NP and about 1km down the road were the tank traps....brick walls that the tanks sat behind...big whoop!

Bald Rock is a really, really, big rock that, following a set of dots on the rock to lead the way up, Ethan and Andrew got a little way up and Lachy and I only went a little further as it was too windy and scary, but what a view.

 

Look closely, the little dots on the left are Lachlan and I.