Theaussiechallenge Post # 105 Mirool

Day 129 12 days to go. Distance today 137km total 12071km. It’s 8.30pm Tuesday 13/11/2012 Mirool. If you’re ever traveling these parts and go past Mirool….dont’t!!!! Stop!!! It’s a hidden treasure. There’s a free camp in the grounds by the pub which the tiniest of dot towns functions around. I’ve met half of the town folk population of 20 with a greater population of 150 including the neighboring wheat farmers. Mirool is home of the annual ‘Silo Kick’ held on the 2nd Saturday each October. Folks compete to kick a football over the 30m wheat silos across the road from the pub. The finalists have to clear the silos using their best Aussie rules style on the day. What an incredibly cool NSW country town event. The pub is an old time red brick classic, two story with white iron gable verandahs, high ornate plaster ceilings, green ceramic tiling inside, baker lights and dark stained oak trims. It will have it’s 100 year birthday in 2014. Here’s how much the locals love their pub…. In 2000 the then owners sold out and 13 of the local folk all pitched in to buy it so they didn’t loose their license. New owners bought it in 2003 but it’s again up for sale if anyone’s interested. I met Clara who works behind the bar and had cool chats with her over a diet coke along with a handful of locals having their daily bar stool chats. I loved it!!! The pub dog barked at me walking in ’cause I still had my helmet on but we soon became buddies when I took it off and compared our scruffy dreads. Clara charged all my IT stuff and there’s free hot showers. So me and the riding gear are all squeaky clean and good to see us through to Warwick hopefully. Mother nature was in the bestest mood today swinging a gentle wind round to our tails. The countryside is stunning with the wheat fields all ready for harvest and glowing yellow seed heads against the blue skies. The fields are intermittent with sheep and dairy pastures and there’s a sense of rolling hills and central NSW country at it’s best. We had an early stop at the country town of Narrangera. The main street runs parallel to the highway and is a turn of the century style heritage town so well maintained and pampered by the locals like many of the places we’ve seen in central Vic/NSW. I was stopped by a local ol’ gent who couldn’t quite figure us out or why we’d be doing our thing. We chatted for a bit about our travels. I tried to help him understand that it’s not about a fun holiday but moreso an amazing experience. He eventually got the idea and appeal as I shared with him some of the highlights and challenges. He was all approving smiles and full of encouragement waving us out of town and back to the Newell. It’s about 145kms to Forbes so conditions permitting, I hope to camp at the rest area in town tomorrow. I got some great pickies today and just checked them out including the streaks of pink sunset silhouetting the pub and silos this evening. Beautiful!!! The town’s already asleep and I’ll join them soon so I’ll sign off there any enjoy some dinner before zzzzz’s. Awesome end to an awesome day!!!! Talk soon x