Day 36 Wednesday 22nd February

We left Mildura this morning after going to church for Ash Wednesday. The font in the church was very different. The water flowed gently over the edge and onto the stones in the floor and obviously was being recycled.






The landscape remains much the same as we have seen most of the way - dry wide open plains, grain crops, grape vines, some sheep and cattle. As we got closer to Hay, it was very flat with very stunted growth.




Some of the grape vines were covered with white plastic and it went for miles. Each row was individually covered. Amongst these grapes some vines were growing, possibly pumpkins.





We arrived in Hay this afternoon, which is on the Murrumbidgee River. Three highways meet at Hay - the Sturt, Mid Western and Cobb Highways. Wool has been the major industry in the past, but these days there is a large range of crops grown, such as grapes, rock melons, pumpkins, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, wombok and garlic. Also maize, sunflowers, soy beans, wheat, barley and chickpeas are grown. In the 1990's rice started production and more recently cotton.
One of the 5 museums here is The Shear Outback. Unfortunately we didn't have a chance to go to the demonstrations. The shears in the gates were appropriate.




In the late 1800's Hay was the southern headquarters of Cobb and Co. This coach has been well looked after and is on show in the same condition as it was when the coach driver stepped down from his seat for last time.







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Location:Hay