Mid-West architecture is distinctive. Tbis is the Council Chambers at Narrandera - and the War Memorial.
As we came through Temora I realised we were in a new region, where successful enterprises had allowed the owners to order opulent homes, featuring Federation timber arches and verandahs of brick columns, corbelling out and classic bonded brickwork in chocolate and cream tones. This, in turn, led the architects and builders to prosperity and sometimes even to fame. Now the fame remains only for the traveller to note, specially the dramatic change from paint-encusted timber framed and timber clad homes and public buildings - like the Bourke Post Office, which I think is stunning - to the Federation era architecture found in northern Vic & NSW - where clay brick was available. The wonderful homes of the upper-class of Temora commanded our attention despite the urgency of the rather chaotic roads. Narrandera is is good example where solid brick is considered to be the preferred option and is worth keeping even when progress is hampered. Both main street pubs look good, though not so impressive as the Council Chambers. It doesn't always pay off. For instance, the renovations to the movie theatre attempting to convert it into a Coles supermarket simply underline the toxic effect of forcing a modern, garrulous operation into a venue of grace, elegance and proportion, making the shopper feel so out-of-body as to be almost apologetic. Well, it did me, but not the teenagers squalling into their phones by the entrance doors ( up four steps and through towards the Lobby, where the checkouts now loitered) nor the checkout chicky with the wig-helmet. The Council, the two main pubs, the larger emporium style retail enterprises must have all had an effect on their clientele, gentling the more rustic of them into customers rather than mere shoppers. Now, I have to say, the bogans are more common than the customers. Size is as important as price, and far more important than quality.
 Guitars, like oranges, pineapples, crayfish, rocking-horses and many others, can be, and often are, Big. This big guitar is in the tourist office at Narrandera, probably because in any other venue, some over-sized person with under-sized talent would probably try to heft it up and play it. And break it. And say "Sorry. Anyway, like, why is it here where I could get at it?" It wasn't tuned, by the way, because I tried to…
But I digress. The Van Park is run by two new owners who are working their butts off to make it the sort of place you and I love to stay. They are replacing taps, fixing grouting and tiles, mowing and sowing lawn. The night we arrived there were another dozen outfits and they put on a free sausage sizzle. Most of their custom is drive-through where the vans don't even get unhitched. Goodness knows why everywhere else is better than this great situation.
 For instance, they have remodelled the Camp Kitchen, putting in glass-front fridges and a new cooking area. And it's ten metres from the free BBQ and there is a Herb Garden between the BBQ and the Kitchen. All established healthy grassed area. The laundry is ten metres from that. The sites are about the same distance all round that. Almost every site is a drive through. There's no traffic or town noise at night. It's difficult for Hydraulic Jack and his Ezy-Lift mates to get into and out of. The Lake and a National Park full of koalas is fifty metres away. D'jer get it?
The town of Narrandera is friendly, well-equipped, big enough to have every necessity and small enough to be comfortable.
So we stayed two more very cheap nights and happily wandered the district. La. |
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