Hope's Road Book Tour

Towards Cooma

Margareta-Admin — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 22:41:18 +0000

Towards Cooma

Margareta-Admin Wed, 20/03/2013 - 9:41 am

The morning started early as we had a 6 hour drive towards Cooma ahead of us. Yes, we were heading towards home {smiley}

A delicious breakfast out on the verandah listening to a chorus of birds and our feet being eaten alive by sand flies {wink} started the day.

We programmed Kate, who told us 604km and we'd be in Cooma. Well, in her wisdom those four clicks over the six hundred just happened to be a bit of a blocky she had us negotiate before we were allowed out of Dubbo.

After a few stern words from the driver, Kate pulled up her socks and decided to send us on 'the quickest route' which just happened to be the most adventurous.

Just out of Dubbo we turned left, past the Dubbo Zoo heading towards Toongi, Yeoval and the best place of all (we were to find out) Cumnock!

And along the roadside we found bikes. Yep. BIKES in all shapes and sizes, in all manner of positions being ridden by all manner of things. We saw:

Not sure who this would've hurt more?

They're running a tad early for Easter and major league late for Christmas.

A very cute froggie.

I'm not entirely sure what this fella was up to other than perhaps he didn't like pink!? Any suggestions?

This fella was amazing. Re'cycled' tyres and you have a tame looking dinosaur. He looks a bit like the purple sludgy thing in the kids movie, Monsters Inc.

A slippery sucker ...

A cycling seal ...

A clever magpie ...

Off to the show … (don't you just love the scrubbing brush!)

None other than Road Runner and Wylie Coyote driving a buggy ...

... complete with gas bottles to blow up Road Runner {smiley}

And the hot rod or - a chook tractor … how perfect.

http://www.animalsonbikes.com Apparently the bikes were a community project to encourage tourists to travel this road and according to one of the locals it's worked.

We certainly loved it. The favourite though, would have to be the first one we stopped at. Yep, you guessed it, the cow. Must be my whacky sense of humour (your webperson adores for the chook one... )

When we reached Cumnock, we had an adventure all of its own. It was so unique, it deserves its very own blog post. Stay tuned ...

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Hope's Road

Hope's Road Book Tour

Cooma

Animals on Bikes

The Tour Moved On - Dubbo, New South Wales

Margareta-Admin — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 03:55:17 +0000

The Tour Moved On - Dubbo, New South Wales

Margareta-Admin Mon, 18/03/2013 - 2:55 pm

Stage 2 of the book tour saw my wonderful friend Andrea and I in Dubbo.

At the lovely Dubbo library I was given a very warm welcome by the Director, John and staff. They went out of their way to ensure I was comfortable and had all I needed to make my time there enjoyable. An attentive crowd listened to my talk on HOPE'S ROAD and then most came up to chat to me and buy books from the engaging and knowledgable Rae from The Book Connection. It was just a delightful night.

Left of me the lovely ladies from The Book Connection, Dubbo. Right of me, the very welcoming, Michelle and Anne from Dubbo Library.

The wonderful display in the library foyer.

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Hope's Road

Hope's Road Book Tour

Dubbo

Narellen and Blaxland

Margareta-Admin — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 23:56:43 +0000

Narellen and Blaxland

Margareta-Admin Sat, 16/03/2013 - 10:56 am

I should come up with a nifty, clever little title for this blog but it's been a long tour and I think I left the clever title thinking up bit of my brain back in Shepparton with my banner....

Me with the lovely ladies at the Narellan library.

Where along with the chance to chat to some lovely people, I got to see this beautiful display! Because the Camden Show was on over the weekend, the library had put together display featuring rural fiction books. It's such a marvellous way of showcasing many rural authors, and I was really excited that they included HOPE'S ROAD.

Now I hasten to add that all of this was happening outside the Blaxland library and had nothing whatsoever to do with me!

And all was well once we got inside and found a welcoming crowd of book lovers, a delightful library and the marvellous staff from local bookshop The Turning Page.

Next up was another delightful crowd at the Vertigo Lounge, a gorgeous little coffee shop run by a delightful lady called Kristine. The night was put on by Collins Booksellers Orange. It was like revisiting old friends seeing Margaret and Phillip (Collins store owners) again. A wonderful night.

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Hope's Road

Hope's Road Book Tour

Hope's Road Tour - Bright and Surrounds

Margareta-Admin — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 23:09:54 +0000

Hope's Road Tour - Bright and Surrounds

Margareta-Admin Thu, 14/03/2013 - 10:09 am

Today, the stunning town of Bright was the destination.

On the road there I came across the bus shelter in the town of Everton which came complete with couch, lamp fitting, telephone and pouf. A very comfy stop to wait for for public transport. In fact, you'd almost be tempted just to stay put.

But onwards the roadshow went and the beautiful town of Bright appeared in front of my car bonnet.

After speaking to a very welcoming and lovely gathering of people at the Bright Library, the delightful Sarah of the Country Tales Bookstore suggested I take a quick drive to the nearby National Trust Classified Landscape town of Wandiligong. Seeing I didn't have to be in Wodonga until evening, I did just that.

Take a look at the Public Library. Isn't just the cutest thing? It was in excellent repair for it's age, and came complete with it's very own renovated thunder boxes out the back {wink}

Public Library in Bright

Thunderboxes at the Public Library in Bright

Public Library 1878 - Bright

Post Office Building

I adored the way the post office was 'intermittently open'.

And the architecture of the Wandiligong school has to be seen with your own eyes to be believed. The most stunning looking building complete with it's very own turret (I was looking at it with my mouth open for so long, I forgot to take the damn photo of the turret {surprise})

Wandiligong School

On the road again and heading towards Mudgegonga, and I found this gorgeous little old church which someone had turned into a 'worn-in' but cosy home.

Church, now a private home

I also noticed a lot of budding entrepreneurs across this district with many bags piled outside front gates, touting Good Sh*#!

Budding Entrepreneurship

The mailbox next door was also worthy of a pic. I so admire people who can be this creative.

Clever Mailbox

I saw lots of weird looking little sheds, with little chimney pipes poking from a corrugated roof. It took me a few kilometres but suddenly I realised they might have been for hops (can somebody enlighten?)

? Hop Processing Building

(My father talks about growing hops in the old days around home.) And then low and behold, I came across some real life, dinky di hops gardens. I'd never seen hops before! Have you?

Hops

And then in Yackandanda I found this. I wonder if the taxi driver ever got confused and headed to the cemetery instead?

Funeral Director and Taxi Driver...

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Bright

Yackandanda

Wandiligong

Hope's Road Book Tour

Hope's Road

Shepparton and Wangaratta

Margareta-Admin — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 03:54:07 +0000

Shepparton and Wangaratta

Margareta-Admin Tue, 12/03/2013 - 2:54 pm

The book tour's proceeding apace. The blogging thing's a whole lot slower sorry....

But back on the road again last week, to Shepparton and Wangaratta.

So pleased to see this HUGE land care sign at Swanpool. My past life as a former Landcare Co-ordinator / Facilitator just demanded I stop and take a photo. Good on you Swanpool!

And then, over my shoulder was the local hall. And what do you know... they run the cinema there.

I was just delighted to see the old memorial hall used in such a way.

Benalla and the stunning Salmon Gums had me screeching to a halt to take a picture.

I have tried and tried and tried to grow these and Spotted Gums at home but to no avail. Jack Frost gets them every time, darn it.

As I entered Shepparton, and because my new book HOPE'S ROAD is all about family, I just HAD to stop and look at this 'family of windmills'. Aren't they just the best?!

And then there was the 'How Now Brown Cow' outside the Shepparton library. My lovely friend Joe from the Collins on Maude Bookstore took this photo of me and my new mate. Love brown cows.

And then of course I had to give it a smooch goodbye and high tail it to Wangaratta where the lovely Robyn hosted me at her store.

I suspect I was starting to look a bit bedraggled and bewildered by the end of this day :)

I will also have to admit, on the trip to Wangaratta, I passed this sign and …well … the odd training course or two … plus the odd drink or three came to mind {wink}

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Hope's Road

Hope's Road Book Tour

Shepparton

Wangaratta

It's Tuesday, so that must be Eltham....

Margareta-Admin — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 01:06:15 +0000

It's Tuesday, so that must be Eltham....

Margareta-Admin Thu, 07/03/2013 - 12:06 pm

We all know how it goes, the book tour / events are put together by your publisher, the schedule arrives, and there's that dawning realisation of a better than even chance I'm going to get lost somewhere here. So my travelling mate and I bring along the GPS system.

Guide to the furthest regions of the state and stress reliever as you can yell a LOT at a GPS and you'd think that they aren't going to get annoyed...

So on the road day one to the big smoke and I found myself talking aloud to the borrowed Tom Tom. After I ignored "Karen" and took my own way out to the main road to Melbourne, Karen then proceeded to tell me in a very stern voice, 'You must turn around now!' I, of course argued back.

'No, I will not.'

"Turn around now."

'No.'

"Turn around now and in 100 metres turn left."

'No I will not turn around and go back to Cairnbrook Road. This way is better.'

Silence. (I was imagining huffing and heaving going on inside that little black box)

"Turn around now and in 200 metres turn left onto Cairnbrook Road."

'No. I'm going to the Princes Hwy, so there!'

Silence.

'Talk to me Karen.'

Silence

The finally, "Turn right onto the Princes Highway." (Was there a touch of sulkiness there, I wondered?)

"Proceed one hundred and ninety kilometres towards Melbourne"

And then she disappeared. Not to be heard again until two hours later. Sheesh and they reckon we can sulk!

Had to wonder if this was going to go well... but to be fair, Karen came through with the goods and guided me out of the leafy outer Melbourne suburbs (where I had the most delightful time at the Eltham bookstore with the lovely Meera and friends) through the hills to a stunningly beautiful Mansfield.

Yarck Hall

A few sights that caught my eye along the way were the gorgeous old halls and Mechanic's Institutes like this building in Yarck.

I found myself dreaming up stories as to who Granny Kipping was. Does anyone know her story?

"We're going...."... Had a chuckle as I passed this sign. I know... predictable .. don't care ... can't help myself being a fan of "The Castle".

Saw this at the front gate of someone's gorgeous drive-way. Not sure if the kids have left home or if it really was a fancy personal bus shelter. What ever the story, my kids would die for one of these!

And of course you should all know by now just how much I love big, old, stately eucalyptus trees. And these ones around Mansfield are no exception. Throw a few hills into the background and for all intents and purposes I could have been home in Gippsland. I was sighing with pleasure.

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Hope's Road

Hope's Road Book Tour

Eltham

Yarck

Mansfield

Book Tour Photos / ABC Statewide Drive

Margareta-Admin — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 23:23:30 +0000

Book Tour Photos / ABC Statewide Drive

Margareta-Admin Fri, 01/03/2013 - 10:23 am

Sorry everybody - the book tour has started so I'm on the road again (queue singing...).

I will be posting some stuff about the wonderful launch night as soon as I can, but suffice to say, if you leave the kids in charge of the camera you are going to get a lot of photos of faces being pulled. Will have to sort through and see what I can find that's "publishable". It was a fabulous night, and I'm so very grateful and thrilled that so many of you lovely beautiful people came.

Before I forget too - today I'm being interviewed on ABC Statewide Drive (doing the interview this morning, will be played sometime this afternoon). Will shout if I find out a time that it's going to be played on air.

Right... Tour photos I can do. First Readers Emporium in Traralgon with Andrea, Mark, Jesse and Annabelle. Beautiful shop, lovely helpful, knowledgeable staff. Go there if you're in Traralgon.

Next up was a lovely time with the Paynesville Writers Group at Bairnsdale. This is a fabulous, active, busy, friendly group and it was a wonderful chance to catch up with them all.

Finally for this posting with Megan and Michelle at the Collins Bookshop in Bairnsdale.

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Hope's Road Book Tour