Cootamundra & Bethungra Dam


Saturday the 28th September and by mid morning we finished our coffees and our tour of Young and headed off to Cootamundra. It was only a 50 km trip. We went straight to the Information Centre which also houses the Heritage Centre. It was the former quarters for railway staff. The tourism people had done a good job as they turned the building in to a Heritage Centre, or in other words, a museum. I have seen better museums but it was worth the visit and gold coin donation.



When we finished at the Info Centre a train pulled into Cootamundra Railway Station. Okay it is not a spectacular event but the timing was good for us and the old station platform has been there since the 1876. It is very different from a suburban train on a suburban platform.












We checked out the town and some classic buildings.



We then visited the building where Don Bradman was born. There was a lot of cricket memorabilia and historical stuff. Unless you are a cricket buff it probably was not worth the look inside.





After a drive around town we worked out that we had seen enough and we could move on. I had seen on Wikicamps that there was a good free camp at Bethungra Dam which was about 25 km on the way to Junee. I was wanting to have a change from the town camps and yes, we found it. It was so good to get out of town. You need to get that bush experience now and again and when you are fully self contained it is a shame not to do it.



This is a gorgeous spot. I am sure you will all agree. We had a good spot overlooking the water. After set up we went for a walk to check out the place.

















The rocks on the left show the high water mark where the black line is. It shows how low the dam is.




Another view on the way back.


The sign about the dam shows that the dam was built from 1895 to 1897 so it was an early one.





It was such a beautiful spot that I had to stand out in the morning sun and cook a bacon and eggs breakfeast. Linda and I then took a walk up the hill behind where we were camped and it was a great vista out to the west.

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