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... 

 

 

Off to Scrub Stitchin' - Day 3 - Leeton to Trangie - Part 3

After the unscheduled stop in Tullibigeal it was back to the plan and onwards to Tottenham (the NSW one!) hunting the painted water tower...Goanna, Galahs, local scenes...

Last water tower for the day was Nevertire...sheep, wheat, cotton and a reminder to Change Here for Warren...the light wasn't great as it was getting late so it was hard to get away from the shadows when taking pictures...

The end of a long day was in sight with Trangie only being less than 1/2 hour up the road and the longest driving day done.  Scrub Stitchin' is getting closer...only a couple more sleeps now...

 

Happy Stitching... 

Off to Scrub Stitchin' - Day 1 to Leeton

The time had finally arrived...the day to set off and head north to the ultimate destination...Scrub Stitchin' 2026...but that was the final destination.  Day 1's destination was Leeton...with a spot of painted silo/water tower hunting along the way.  The original route I'd been planning, before the orange toddler threw his latest tantrum, had to be modified slightly thanks to the fuel situation we had been put in.  I'd been keeping an eye on where supplies were affected and didn't expect to have issues with being able to keep the tank full, but the cost of diesel had doubled so side trips were a wee bit curtailed to cut down the kilometres as the original plan had a bit of zigzagging.

 

First stop...a whole, mmm let's see, hour and a bit up the road *LOL*...Tatura Water Tower...

Remembrance poppies for local Anzacs and Sir John Monash who designed the tower, the earliest surviving example of its type.  Anzac Day being only a couple of weeks away it was even more poignant to have the poppies come into view as I drove in to town.

 

After a stop in town to do a quick job at the Post Office and grab a sanga at the bakery (recommend!), as by now it was lunchtime, it was on to the next silo...Katatamite.

So many local details...indigenous life and plants, wedge tail eagle, agriculture and transport.

Then it was over the river to Tocumwal and onwards to Narrandera...for a stop at Sew Fab, a lovely patchwork shop, to look for "something" to add to my Scrub Stitchin' swap gift...a fat quarter and some ribbon to use as "wrapping paper" but nothing else jumped out at me for the gift add...and resisted the urge to just shop for me! A few things from Coles, diesel in the tank (it was cheaper in Narrandera than Leeton) and the last 1/2 hour to Leeton and check-in at the motel.

 

Happy Stitching... 

On the Road...Return from Scrub Stitching...the Final Instalment...

The time had come to conclude the 2023 catch up tour and return back to reality from Scrub Stitching 2024...it was going to be a long day to fit in detours I wanted to make along the way, so the car was packed up reasonably early, with room for E to fit to travel back to Victoria so I could pop her on V/Line (the regional train) Saturday morning to take her into Melbourne to visit with her daughter...it was only 40 minutes to the first stop...across the border from the ACT into NSW to Murrumbateman...the painted water tank is located next to the cemetery but not in the cemetery so I was OK with that...

We were not disappointed with the first stop...the mural is gorgeous...onwards to the next on the list...Murrumburrah and the mill mural...

I think we may have missed some of it and not gone all the way around but it was a bit tricky to figure out as this part is on the side on the boundary with a private residence, not facing the main road. Might have to put it back on the list to visit again.

 

The next stop on the list was Tarcutta but I forgot to back track to Harden to turn down to the Hume Hwy so we ended up going to Cootamundra - not a problem, it was the other option I'd tossed up the night before when mapping what to do. Lunch time was approaching and where better than the Junee liquorice factory.  Every time I go there it has grown, the first time all those years ago it was just a production area with a small area for the shop! It just gets bigger and better.  Lunch was delicious and of course we had to visit the shop - a lot more products now...it's not optional! ha ha ha...

Back on the road as we approached Yerong Creek we spied...another painted water tower! Because the original plan was the Hume Highway and not the Olympic Highway I hadn't thought about this one...bonus!

The colours, the details, all the aspects of community life...great little reserve...very happy we stopped off for a view...we had to keep moving, I had a deadline to meet...

 

Next stop on the list was the painted silo at Walla Walla...a lovely little town and silo...

The deadline was to make it to Howlong in time to visit the patchwork shop Whatever Where-ever Craft...it took a bit to find as it isn't in the wee town shop area but in a residential area...but we made it before 5:00 pm and were greeted very enthusiastically by poodles (the lovely ladies were very friendly and welcoming too!). Where to look first!  A fabric just inside the door caught my eye...such a pretty colour...no you don't need it...move away from the fabric! Into the rest of the shop and I spied the prettiest variegated sashiko thread...a rummage through the sashiko cloths hanging next to the threads and one with water lillies...it was meant to be!  I couldn't leave the fabric behind, it was just screaming take me take me...so I did...being a bolt end it was 10% off if taking the lot so for a bit less than the price per metre I came home with 1.3 metres - bargain! I've realised since that the fabric and the thread are a match made in heaven! Very happy with my finds and would happily put this shop back on the visit list.

No more sightseeing stops, over the River back into Victoria as it was starting to move to dark, just a quick stop in Shepparton to pick up something to eat as it was just going to be that hour too far to worry about tea when we got home and back to reality...Scrub Stitching 2024 and the 2023 make up tour had come to an end....time to start planning for 2025! ha ha ha...

 

Happy Stitching...