Here’s a little question to consider: while travelling around, what sort of hobbies do you indulge in? That might sound like an odd sort of question but I often wonder what RV travellers partake in as they move around. I understand that RV travel is an interest/hobby in itself for many, but there are certainly plenty of other interests to while away the time. Fishing, bushwalking, craft of all descriptions, golf, and photography are some of the obvious ones — but that’s just a little off a lengthy list. That should include the many who, as they travel around, spend their time volunteering for community work or working for organisations like Blaze Aid.

Some hobbies are of course easier than others. Regular readers will know that photography is one of my interests (in addition to being an income earner) and I particularly like landscape photography — something that’s very easy in this country. I’m one of those increasingly rare people that uses real cameras and lenses rather than mobile phones. They do work well for phone calls, though. Other hobbies like woodwork are much more problematic unless you happen to own a large RV, but then familiarity with Men’s Shed locations is helpful.

This cave has been eroded by wind over thousands of years

Here’s another question: how do you choose your next destination? There are some who have an overall plan and follow that quite rigidly. Seasonal travel is a factor of course; the well-known ‘grey wave’, north in winter and south in summer, is a well-trod path. Others at the other end of the spectrum wander from one destination to the next, staying if they like the area and moving on if they don’t.

That latter style has of course bumped into a slight problem of late, mostly because of the greatly increased domestic travel in the last year and well booked out caravan parks and/or fully occupied rest areas/free camping spots.

Hobbies/interests and destinations are often intertwined. Golfing enthusiasts, for instance, always know where the next golf course is. Some, like me, often find it interesting to visit historical places. I have a bit of a fascination with old industrial ruins. Just to name two out of many, the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia was once known as ‘Little Cornwall’ because of the thousands of Cornish miners who moved to the area when the copper mines opened up in Kadina, Wallaroo, and Moonta. The Yorke Peninsula is one of the few places in the world in which the rather distinctive engine houses can be seen outside of Cornwall. Broken Hill and the nearby Silverton in New South Wales are of course two other places with very rich mining histories. Both of those areas I have been to in alignment with CMCA rallies.

A rich historic area I have been to recently is the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. Well known for any number of  attractions — wineries, coffee shops, scenic views, quaint villages, glow worms, national parks and antique shops — it’s also an area that comes with a fair bit of historic interest. The town of Berrima, for instance, is loaded with history and I’ll get to that in a moment. Bowral has two claims to worldwide fame: firstly for being the ‘birthplace’ of Mary Poppins, the fictional character created by P.L. Travers who lived in Bowral at the time, and the second in Don Bradman, who grew up in the town. Mary Poppins only gets a statue in a local park, where Bradman gets an entire museum.

The Southern Highlands might be a mostly scenic area these days, but it does have an industrial past of some note. Unlikely as it may seem, Mittagong was the site of the first blast furnace in Australia when the Fitz Roy Iron Works Company was set up. There’s a memorial cairn located at the aptly named Ironmines Oval, where the second stage of the iron works was  located. The first is a little harder to find, being located in the underground carpark of the Woolworths Highland Marketplace. Discovered when the foundations for the supermarket were being excavated, the extensive remnants are now a protected site. If shopping isn’t your thing, then maybe the historic site is a bit more attractive.

Not far out of Mittagong, Joadja was a thriving shale mining town between 1870 and 1911. At its peak about 1200 people, mostly of Scottish descent, lived there. Today, apart from the Scottish heritage that is still around in the area, Joadja is mostly in ruins on private property. However, tours can be easily arranged — see joadjatown.com.au.

A well-lit night walk is always a good idea

For those not quite so interested in history, there is an operating distillery on site. Coal mining was also carried out in the area, a good example being the old Erith Coal Mine located within the boundaries of the Morton National Park at Bundanoon.

I mentioned Berrima earlier. Apart from buildings like the old courthouse a visit to the Berrima District Museum is a must, as it contains a substantial number of historical items from the area but detailing quite a fascinating part of Berrima’s history. Here’s a little something many people don’t know: during the First World War, Berrima Gaol was used to intern German prisoners of war, as was the nearby Internment Camp on Argyle Street. The latter, known as the Huts Precinct, is now heritage listed. There is a very small camping area nearby. Although a prison camp, the prisoners were only locked up overnight and during the day were free to wander around the area and in some cases, grow vegetable gardens and rent orchards from some of the locals. There’s much more to this little piece of history, but you get the idea.

That’s just a little snapshot look at one small area of Australia with some interesting history — there’s certainly no shortage of those to be found. Mr. Google is a useful friend, so hit the keyboard sometime soon.

Category: Features
Written: Thu 01 Jul 2021
Printed: January, 2022
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