McDermotts Travel Oz

Remind me for future not to plan a road trip that coincides with a Test Match 🤦🏽‍♀️ I have a new found appreciation for ‘watching’ cricket. At least the commentary was entertaining, “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! He should not be going into that (India's) dressing room - he should be going into the other dressing room!” (Sunil Gavaskar, commentating for India) 😆 #australiavsindia

Today’s travels took us through the Hilltops Region of NSW and the historic towns of Harden, Temora and Barellan to name just a few.

Tonight we’re in the heart of the Riverina Region in the other notable Walter Burley Griffin designed town - Griffith. My town planning nerdometer is running hot 🤓

With its central roundabouts, Griffith’s radial plan echoes the famous design for Canberra. However, it lacks the flair and focus of our Nation’s Capital. In fact, apart from looking at a map, you wouldn’t recognise the iconic Burley Griffin design. Sadly a bit underwhelming. In fairness to Walter, in their ‘wisdom’ the transport planners of the time built the railway station nowhere near the planned commercial centre, meaning development attracted to that location compromising much of the original town plan! Seems not much has changed in the bureaucracy 🤔🤦🏽‍♀️

After briefly exploring around town we enjoyed a ‘wine flight’ at the famed Calabria Family Wines before a lovely dinner at Little Italy - perfectly complimented by a Calabrian Cabernet Sauvignon we’d acquired earlier 😋

Fun Facts: Griffith emerged out of the construction of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area in the early years of the twentieth century. Consequently, the area surrounding the town is a major producer of rice, citrus, stone fruits, vegetables, wheat, cotton, wool, eggs and canola. Amusingly all of the gherkins used by McDonald's are also grown in the district.

Inevitably Griffith has also had strong associations with marijuana growing. In the 1970s the activities of the 'Griffith mafioso' reached such a level that local anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay mysteriously disappeared, presumed murdered.Читать далее