And today, Mr Duck Herder and I went on an little adventure - up through Captains Flat and over the mountains into the Upper Shoalhaven Valley. We were looking for farms and nice places to buy a property one day. We had a lovely time.
But the biggest treat was coming across The Outsider Coffee House and Gallery in Captains Flat. What a lovely cafe - lovely people, lovely place - quirky - arty - welcoming - and what a great brunch we had. The gardens are just beautiful, and you can go for little walks down to the Molonglo River. These pictures were taken while we were reading the papers waiting for our lunch. We will come here again for sure. It feels like the heart of Captains Flat this little place.
(Mr Duck Herder in THOSE sunnies - sigh.)
6 comments:
The 'Flat' has obviously changed a lot from my time in that part of the country. In those days the kids from the Flat were pretty tough, or at least tougher then those from Araluen.
Now there is a place to have a look at if you are looking for land.
Heelo there Mangoman - fear not - The "Flat", despite a bizzare upsurge in housing prices (you can buy a two bedroom miners cottage lovingly caressed by the acid sulphate oozing slag heaps for $180,000- now THATS inflation!)is just as you remember - The place is still pretty roughish, all except this incredible coffee house/gallery just down a little from the pub.
Re Araluen - (probably as bad a reputation for poor behavour and random violence and pilferings as Captains Flat - yes?)have eyed with interest some of the properties down there - but worry there is not much water about.....
but it is on the list!
Mining at the Flat had no apparent thought for the environment. There were always ideas about what could be done with the slag. I recall one idea about using them as road base. Never happened though.
Water in Araluen? Wasn't normally a problem when I was there. But then we were on a cattle property so there were not major needs. The creeks were pretty reliable but there were droughts.
My dad - who paid close attention to rainfall for 90 years - reckoned that the most reliable rainfall in the region was along the top of the mountain. His block was at Reidsdale. There were still droughts there but, with careful management, not flogging the land and looking after your water, you would be OK. Monga, and places around there would be much the same I suspect.
thanks heaps Mangoman - you don't happen to have a spare 200 acre block up on top of the escarpment, or even down below shnuggled up next to the national park with a creek and reliable spring that you might have forgotten about?
We would be happy to take it off your hands.....
We went for a drive all through Reidsdale and Mongo - it is very lovely country and I have heard the same about the rainfall up there. You are quite right - I block up the top or in the valley would do just nicely!
oops, I mean MONGA!
If you dream of pine nuts check out this link to a post on the tree species blog.
Post a Comment