Day 141 of international places giving smiles – Remembering the nest in the hills – Mudgee in Australia
Looking out of the window on our train ride from Sydney through the picturesque Blue mountains. Excited about our first steps on the continent of Australia. And we get down at a small station called Lithgow. And then we drive in the rains through the barren countryside where not many Indian tourists go to. After almost two days of continuous travelling from India, I finally reach the home of a dear friend at a small town called Mudgee in Australia.
The cute cottage reminds me of a scene that I imagined from the story books as a child. After recovering from the jet lag after a restful sleep we are all set to discover the place in the morning.
Soon I realize there is not much to really discover. The market street of Mudgee has centuries old styled buildings. The whole town is covered from one end of the main street to another. The railway station, the public library, the clock tower, the old hotel, the cathedral all covered one behind the other. And yes the small stores…one even had a board ‘this store will remain shut on weekends and sunny days and rainy days. I will remain open from 11 ish to 5 ish…I loved the carefree attitude of this furniture store owner, he keep the store open as per his whim and fancy! This pretty much sums up the jovial nature of the locals. Even the headline news on the local newpapers was “ tenant leaves house in bad condition”…Really?
Coming from a bustling city like Mumbai, once I got used to the slow pace of Mudgee, I was floored by its charm, its wineries, its local farmers market, its mostly senior citizen independent inhabitants. (Most of the youngsters have migrated to the cities for better opportunities).
And then I realized that there was so many things unique about Mudgee. We see a house is completely decorated using recycled material, We were lucky to interact with the genius owner. Even his car was decorated using scrap material…the insides of his car looked funky and was called the deranged rover!
We were in luck to see the transformation of Mudgee for the annual Christmas street festival. Lots of shouting was heard at an instant lottery we tried our hand at – for a remote controlled car or a piece of ham! Met a local racer car driver with his beauty. Ladies were just dancing on the road and added to the festive ambience
One of the happiest group of old people I met came over for an Indian lunch. Son claims that the three 86 year old ladies on the sofa were by far the most interesting women he met in Australia. At another friends home overlooking the town of Mudgee architect son had a lot to discuss about this house… I notice the log of wood almost hanging in the air!
We ended the day by the Mudgee River at Lawson Park. And son had to sample the local wines at a bar.
And yes we also made time to visit the neighbouring town of Gulgong. It still retains its 19th century charm with its old small buildings. Its attraction is a building that used to be featured on the original 10 dollar bill of Australia.
This was my first experience of visiting a not so touristy place in Australia. And I came back with unforgettable memories.
So which place made you smile today?
Be grateful for the places that make you smile!
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