We have recently returned from a week long holiday at a farmhouse near Eugowra in NSW.  It was located on a 5000 acre sheep property just outside of Eugowra and about a half hour drive from Parkes and an hour drive from Orange.  It should have been about a 4.5 hour drive from our place in Sydney, but with Nathan it turned into 6 hours each way.  Mum and dad were on their way back to Victoria after spending winter in Queensland, so they joined us for the week.  Shirley and Silver also dropped in for a couple of days on their way to Canberra for a conference.

When we arrived the owner, Anne, had the combustion fire going to warm the house (not the kitchen etc. area).  The nights were all cold with most showing a frost in the morning.  The heaters in the kitchen and bathroom really couldn’t cope with the cold, but they were better than having nothing at all.

The place was like an old house consisting of bedrooms and a living area with the kitchen, bathroom and toilet slightly separate that had been combined together at some stage to make one house with the main part of the house separated from the bathroom/kitchen/laundry/toilet by a very wide corridor.  At first glance the kitchen appeared to be very rustic, but once we had worked out how to use the oven and hotplates it was just fine.  It pretty much had everything that could be expected from a holiday rental place except a washing machine, but that was due to the house having only a small rainwater tank.  The owners plan to install a larger tank at some stage and include a washing machine, and that would certainly help.  Mum had her own means of washing clothes in a bucket of water with what was essentially a large funnel with holes on a large stick.  Nathan loved trying to help out and said ‘up down’ as he moved the funnel up and down in the bucket.  Two weeks on and he still sometimes comes out with “up down Oma”!!

We spent a lot of relaxing time around the farmhouse, going on walks, and watching the birds.  We also went to Cowra for about half a day.  Well, it was intended to be a day trip, but Nathan had other ideas….he simply wouldn’t go to sleep in his pram so we had to resort to the car and ended up driving back to the farmhouse while he slept.  Our trip to Cowra was to see the Japanese garden, which was really lovely and relaxing.  We also went to see the site of the POW camp and read some info about the Cowra breakout which was interesting.  Our other morning outtings were a trip to the Parkes telescope and a visit to the nearby National Park.  It was a pretty place, and we found a lovely spot to have our lunch.

Anyway, here are some photos from the week.

Nathan watching the sheep!

Horses are BIG animals.

Cowra Japanese Gardens

Nathan feeding the fish at the Japanese Gardens

Walking around the farm, Nathan with Mummy and Opa

Up down Oma!!  Oma washing some clothes with a little helper.

Opa, Oma, Andrew, Suzie, Nathan and me on top of the hill behind the house.

View of the house from the hill

Waiting…

Farmhouse.

Nathan feeding the chickens!

Opa and Nathan reading books.

Parkes radio telescope

Nathan climbing electric fences!  It seemed to be off, but we think Nathan got a shock from it so maybe it wasn’t.

Frost

Frost

Nathan walking on the frosty grass

Andrew, Silver, Opa, Shirley, Suzie, Oma, me and Nathan.

Hall way between the main house and the kitchen/bathroom area

Loungeroom

Bedroom

Kitchen

Bathroom

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