Thunderbolt's Way

After Armidale, we continued south. We left the New England Highway at the pretty destination town of Uralla. We liked Uralla a lot and spent hours there. First stop was the McCrossin's Mill Museum. This old 3 storey flour mill was built in 1871 using local granite and red bricks with sand and lime mortar and cedar windows. A fabulous restoration job has been done. It contains an extraordinarily eclectic mix of fascinating items, including a floor dedicated to local larrikin bushranger Captain Thunderbolt.

This was his saddle and there was also a rather confronting life-size mannikin depicting him in death, together with a roomful of evocative oil paintings showing the story of his last hours.

 
Another room tells the story of gold mining in the district and contains, remarkably, this perfectly preserved joss house.

There is obviously a very active volunteer group, they were much in evidence the day we visited. Someone had come up with this gem:

And there they were, the loos, complete with Toulouse Lautrec prints...

The cafe in the main street did an excellent BLT, which was enhanced by this view across the street.  Like I said, a pretty town.

Uralla was also graced with a few more mannikins, these in the shops on the main street. Apparently the models resemble the actual owners!

This one is Frosty from the fruit shop.

Big drive ahead of us, on Thunderbolt's Way aka The Oxley Highway, heading south some more. Aiming for Forster. But, almost immediately distracted off the highway by Dangar's Lagoon and its promise of ducks and stuff. We did see ducks, lots of different kinds and darters and moorhens and coots and swans. This was a proper birdified wetland. No more stops! Drive!