We knew that travelling on ANZAC day would limit our choices for lunch as most businesses would be closed. What we weren’t prepared for was how hard it would actually be to find any sort of food. Stopping about 150K out of Stanthorpe in Glen Innes, I had my first Australian random breath test and introduced Alison to her first meal at an RSL, one of the few places in town actually open. Dining next to servicemen was a nice feeling given the significance of the day.
Reaching Stanthorpe we could immediately tell that the area showed great promise. Fruit and related produce were evidently the city’s claim to fame, though we arrived a little too late in the day to actually check out any stores that may have been trading. Keen to explore as much of the area in our short time frame, we pulled into the local information centre and picked up a map and a handful of brochures. Geography was not quite as kind as the Hunter this time and we found that many interesting spots would be too far out of our way on our return journey. There would however be a market on the next day, which could give us a taste of things to come should we decide to return in the future.
After making a quick reservation at a nearby restaurant and dumping our bags at another motor inn, seemingly devoid of green hopping creatures this time, we decided to take a walk in the park. Alsie suggested that one might be able to punt on the creek running through town, though I’d imagine the foot bridges would prove to be an obstacle to any who actually tried. Shame as the park was utterly charming, scattered with couples holding hands and laughing children braving the water to rescue a soccer ball in distress. Alison found an empty swing that begged to be put to use and happily obliged.
The cold weather put us in the mood for some hearty pasta so we were thrilled to discover an Italian restaurant that was not only open, but put on an all-you-can-eat buffet on weekends. Anna’s turned out to be just the ticket for us as we were content with quantity, even if the quality was somewhat lower than expected. There were numerous awards on display at the entrance though a more astute diner would have noticed that the accolades were at least eight years old. The food was certainly edible and a large selection of sweets, especially the cannoli, were most welcome.
Our Market in the Mountains experience the next day turned out to be a little underwhelming. Not entirely sure what we expected to find there but there just seemed to be a lack of atmosphere among the stalls. We did walk away with two pots of agapanthus for our garden and yet more cannoli from a nice lady so I suppose it wasn’t a complete waste of time. With nothing left to keep us in Stanthorpe, we continued north with a quick stop over at Sutton’s cidery to pick up a bottle of cider and some apple juice.
Before long we were back in Oxley and unpacking a car full of holiday purchases. We’d have loved to continue life on the road indefinitely but our emaciated bank accounts and expanding waist lines meant that good times would have to come to an end for now. Besides, after a week on the road covering 2864.2 kilometres and $279 at the bowser, it’s good to be home. That said, it’s a good thing that we have tomorrow off to get used to the idea of returning to work. Kudos to Alsie for planning such a wonderful holiday.
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