The Final Leg Home - Scrub Stitchin' 2026...Chapter 2

The area where the water tanks are located at the RAAF base in Wagga is at the front of the base where the public access/car park area includes the Heritage Centre and other displays is located.  I didn't go into the Heritage Centre building itself as time didn't permit - I had only expected the water tanks and museum so wasn't prepared timewise for how much there was outdoors...but I spent a good while walking around the outside display...

 

Replica of chapel built by members of 31 Beaufighter Squadron in 1943 at RAAF Base Coomalie Creek near Darwin.  The Squadron was formed at the Wagga Base on 14 August 1942, the only operational squadron to form at the Wagga Base.  It's a lovely little chapel, feels quite peaceful.

The information board tells the story... 

The water tanks, Heritage Centre etc are located on one side of the base entry road and on the other side behind the car park there are a number of aircraft displayed.  I was quite surprised at how interesting I found them...they are planes...boy toys in my head...maybe it's a genetic memory or something as on dad's side the serving members in WW2 (his dad, uncle and auntie-in-law) were RAAF (not on overseas deployment and from memory they didn't fly)...

The detail on the information board plinths...perfect!... 

After finding all the painted towers and tanks around Wagga I turned off after Collingullie and headed to The Rock, the intended destination being just out of The Rock. Because it takes a deliberate turn off the highway and over the railway line when travelling from Albury to Wagga, I'd not actually gone into The Rock before, just passed through the part on the highway.  A lovely little town...very neat.  I needed a pit stop so I stopped at the park.  Adding to the theme of the Defence Forces after the RAAF Base...in the park behind the facilities is a Gallipoli panel sculpture...

  

loved how the artist had made it 3D...The rock that towers over The Rock and gives the town its name. I hadn't enough time to go up to the Nature Reserve - on the list for another visit.

 

Only about 10kms now to the next stop...

 

Happy Stitching...

The Final Leg Home - Scrub Stitchin' 2026...Chapter 1 - Painted Water Tanks & Towers

The last morning of the whole trip dawned and it was time to pack up the car one more time and continue heading south...from Wagga it's only about 4 hours if I drive in a straight line and don't get distracted (yeah, right, as if that is going to happen!) and I had some painted water tanks and towers to hunt...took the time to start the day slowly and make the most of the 10:00am check out (well the second destination wasn't open until 10:00 so no point in rushing!).  The first painted water tower stop was a whole five minute drive from the motel...Willans Hill...

The tanks are owned by the local water board and the theme combines local children and the part water plays in their lives.  Unfortunately, there is a lot of graffiti scribbled on the mural - around the base...such a shame it has been vandalised.

 

The Botanic Gardens are a couple of minutes away from the water tower but I hadn't realised so hadn't factored in time to have a wander.  Location definitely noted for another time.  Then it was a less than 20 minute drive to the next water tank...at the RAAF base...

The RAAF Wagga Aviation Heritage Centre painted water tank...Then. Now. Always. Commissioned to honour the 100 year anniversary of the RAAF and the Riverina contribution to WW2.  Spent way more time there than I expected...but more on that in another chapter.

 

Next up was the Water Tower at Uranquinty...barely out of Wagga, about 25 minutes drive...I'd spent a long time going not very far - ha ha ha.  When I arrived in Uranquinty I stopped at the bakery first and grabbed a sandwich and cake for on the road.  Even though it was a little bit early for lunch by the time I would have another opportunity of a shop it would probably be scrapings if anything was left.  The water tower is in a small reserve in a residential area over the railway line but it's a lovely little park...

Murals dedicated to the part Uranquinty played with the RAAF in WW2...the first and only Aboriginal RAAF fighter pilot, Leonard Victor Waters...the first three Wirraway planes to be flown in for training...and RAAAF women working on a Wirraway.

Onwards next to Collingullie...another short drive, about 15 minutes...looking for painted water tanks...that was a bit trickier as they are actually in laybys on each side of the highway heading back into Wagga from Collingullie, not in Collingullie itself.

Wirajuri artwork on each one...so much detail in those dots!...

I was still barely outside Wagga, indeed if I had been wanting to go back into Wagga I wouldn't have needed to backtrack, just keep the loop going and in less than 20 minutes I'd be back in the centre of town...but it was time to head back to Collingullie and keep going in the direction of home.

 

Happy Stitching... 

 

 

The Way Home - Scrub Stitchin' 2026

It always happens....what feels way too soon...Scrub Stitchin' ends and we all have to say our goodbyes, pack up and start trekking back from whence we came for another year.

 

I didn't have days to spare going hither and yon on the way back so Sunday afternoon I set off down the highway as far as Peak Hill...staying in the small (just my size!) caravan park off the highway, about 100 metres down a side street, brick motel style unit rather than a cabin that had everything needed for an overnight stay...and it wasn't expensive! It's now on my list of approved accommodation...along with the addition of the motel in Lexton on the way up to Baradine, the list has expanded favourably this year.  I walked walk up to the quiet closed (well it was about 6:00pm on a Sunday) main street to get tea and post a letter....chinese takeaway from the RSL bistro, the only option but hot, fresh and tasty so no problem with that!

 

The next morning before setting off on the next leg...a visit to the Gold Mine Experience area on the edge of town...a self-guided walk and quite interesting...it is uphill though, so while the path is well formed it isn't a flat lander stroll...but it's downhill on the other side on the way back! ha ha ha...information hut at the car park to start the walk

 

One open cut mine (the closest to the road/car park) has been cleared out of rubbish and overgrowth/rock falls...vegetation is taking hold on the tiers which wouldn't have been there when it was a working mine but it's cleared enough so you can see how it would have been back in the day...

Other mines are "as is"...they really dug into that hill, it is much more obvious from the more elevated mine sites looking down over the plain...

Imagine going into that wee hole into the underground to look for gold...shudder at the thought...

Mining relics and information boards are along the path...

This is a bit of fun...played with a bit of stick tied on a string...

Views of the town and district from up the hill...

Sculptures of a couple mining a creek to finish the walk back at the car park...

I had planned to check out the main street in the daylight, get a coffee and take pics of some street art but decided getting to the overnight destination, Wagga Wagga, and having a early stop for the day was a preferred option so I drove through town and, aside from a stop in Forbes to get lunch, straight on to Wagga (well almost straight, missed a turn so it was a little bit of scenic tour - ha ha ha)...last overnight stop before heading home tomorrow.

 

Happy Stitching... 

 

 

 

 

Scrub Stitchin' 2026 - the fun continues

The theme dinner was held Friday night this year...and the imaginations came out in full force with the costumes for the Favourite Book Character theme. I went as Death, from Terry Pratchett's Discworld...forgot to get anyone to take a photo.

 

The Make It Fake It Bake It Swap was held...I scored Natasha's present...a pretty cut glass jar...with a handy pincushion on the lid and filled with binding clips...can never have too many binding clips...and some yummy chocs...thank you Natasha...

I made a tote bag using two printed panels with blue wrens (love blue wrens) and added a few goodies inside...all wrapped up in a fat quarter...Jo received my present...and it seems I neglected to take a photo of that too!

 

I was lucky enough to win a lucky ticket prize...

Love these fabrics...

 

Now the fabrics and zip that were in our goody bags...of course they had a purpose which was finally revealed...the ingredients for a project...a zipped pouch...Saturday everyone was ordered directed given instructions for the pouch, with the aim that it would be finished that day. As I don't take a machine I watched what was being made and made mine when I got home...beautiful Liberty prints...

I added the hexagons on the linen as I felt it needed something...using scraps of each fabric (the orange solid is the lining)...I first thought to embroider Scrub Stitchin' 2026 but doing the hexies was quicker...I used the hexi template that was in our goody bag and machine appliqued.  Happy with how it turned out, a useful addition to the pouch supply. 

Happy Stitching... 

Scrub Stitchin' 2026...

Wahoo!!!! Time for Scrub Stitchin' !!

 

Around the room...all set up...early arrivals set up and ready to get sewing...the theme this year is "Favourite Book Character" and among the quilts decorating the room were book themed ones...

the one in the middle on the end wall is Jo's "The Old Woman Who Ate A Fly"...it is interactive!

Library quilt...

 

Another library quilt...and a Harry Potter cut-out...book themed posters on the windows...

 

Excitement level...High!  Goody bags at the ready...oooh what is inside...

How spoilt are we! The name tag, which Di made, is a book mark, tuck it over the corner of the page, very clever...she also added the pen...the butterfly, made by Janice, has a magnet in and is in my one of my favourites - 1930's fabrics...ruler and templates engraved with Scrub Stitchin...so useful...yummy Brenda coconut ice, look forward to this and I eke it out when I get home to make it last! - the caramello koalas don't have such a long life span ha ha ha...Jo made the little pouch...such a pretty cup...and that bundle of fabric and a zip??? mystery that will be solved another day.

 

It was so exciting to have Deana and her friends come over from the USA...so great to see Deana again and to meet her lovely friends...she made some of us a special gift...

 

How gorgeous it is...very spoilt and very special...

My main project (of course there are options "just in case") is Alice...here she is lying on the floor waiting for the placement to be pinned during pre-planning at home...the border shapes are basted on (the medallions were just sorting out placement)...

Didn't get as many appliqued down as I thought I might (neck said no!) but each one is one less left to do...easy to do in company with the shapes going nowhere and not having to concentrate on anything more taxing than picking the right colour thread spool...quite relaxing.

 

Happy Stitchin'