Dalton

During my recent weekend at Gundaroo, I also made a side trip to the town of Dalton.

Dalton is a town of less than 200 people, 79km from Canberra. 

The name of the town comes from the family name of the wife of a former Governor of NSW, Adelaide Annabella Tuite, daughter of Edward Tuite Dalton.

Dalton's claim to fame is apparently having more minor seismic activity than any other town in Australia (unless the internet is lying...) - with 80 to 90 tremors and three earthquakes experience in one day on 12 March 1949 - leading to 100 bottles of smashed liquor in the local pub (eek!) and some dazed residents. It also used to be a major sheep shearing centre until the railway was routed through nearby Gunning. 

The town has clearly seen better and busier days since the pub, which appears to be permanently closed now, was built in the 1860s....

There are still some sheepy friends around though....

It is also clear that the residents are proud of their town and its history...including its most famous, record breaking horse - Walla Walla. 

And that they have a sense of fun about them :)

My mum seemed a bit unsure of the place...

But the flowers everywhere were just gorgeous....

And overall I think personally, it is a lovely spot to slow down for a bit, wander around and explore.

Before you head out again to explore the surrounding countryside...

Gundaroo

So bushfires, smoke, hail storms and COVID (don't we just love 2020!) kind of killed this blog for a while....but right about now some more local adventuring seems like a pretty good idea, so I am trying to resuscitate it if I can.

Somewhere between the Budget and estimates and on the verge of a bit of meltdown...I managed to escape to Gundaroo for a bit, even if it was attached to my laptop.  

Gundaroo is a small town of a few hundred people, 39km from Canberra.

It is expected that the name Gundaroo comes from the Indigenous name for the valley, Candariro, meaning 'blue crane'. White folks have lived here since the 1820s, with the inn built in 1834 and the police station in 1852. Gold was also discovered here in 1852.

I love that Gundaroo is so close to Canberra and yet a world away - full of a sense of history and a sense of calm.

The residents also clearly have their priorities right...these signs are everywhere.

The local flowers are gorgeous...

And the countryside just divine. I wish I had had more time to explore :(

I even found some friends...

And my mum seemed to enjoy herself....

But last but not least...there is one main reason that Canberrans come to Gundaroo - the food at Grazing restaurant..OMG....they still got it. A faultless meal. Amazing service. A brilliant local wine list and a Hugo cocktail...what more could you ask for really? I really wish I could cook like this.

Thank you Gundaroo. I hope to visit again soon.