For the Dunmowin's, a get together in a state across the nation from their home town is always fun, but if you can make it progressive, it can be lots of fun.

While Vic was busy organising a meet up at Popanyinning (and before that, Yornaning Dam), the Dunmowin's were busy house sitting in Wagin, where PWS25 live.  So, in lueue of meeting up with them up at Popanyinning, the plan was for us to have a coffee at a local café.  We did get to meet Phil, but not his wife Sue, but the coffee did not eventuate, as they decided to go for a little trip away, down Albany way.  (May catch up with them in a few weeks time)

 Needless to say, we kept busy with our dog sit, when next to arrive was Bunker Bob, on his way to Popanyinning.  We had been trying to meet up with BB and his wife, Kathleen when we were all in Esperance, waiting for the grain harvest, but we ended up going separate ways.  However, we did get a quick meet and greet in the caravan park at Wagin.

 As the Dunmowins could not get away from Wagin til afternoon of 2^nd Feb, it was decided they would head straight for Pumphries Bridge, for stage three of the get together..

 And here Vic takes up the story which involves "stage 2".

 Ah, stage three, ..  Dunmowins head off towards Pumphries Bridge and are plagued with texts back and forth from Jaco Gypsy, who cant decide whether to have lunch in Narrogin, chase a cache in the area, where to camp over night, or just maybe, drive on to Poppy to meet up with the crowd.  In the meantime between bouts of reception, my phone was kept busy with in coming and outgoing texts.  Eventually the little gypsy van, followed by a camper van arrived at Pumphries Bridge,  Jaco Gypsy and her friend Chris arrived.  The four of us had a pleasant evening comparing travel and cache stories over a few drinks beside the Hotham River.

Morning tea, on the morning of 3^rd Feb had been arranged,  Mrs D baked cake in readiness, Mr D bakes sausage rolls.  The crowd started rolling in around 8.30 (before Dunmowins had even finished their breakfast)  Vic and Carole, Wombat Ron and Jenny, Delta 18 Neil and Lynne (and Codie the golden retriever) Steppe Bob and eventually, Rob 49, who took a slight detour via Wandering (I think he got lost).  We all sat down around 10.30, ate cake, ate more cake from Mrs D and  Mrs Wombat, Vics melted chocolate wheatens, and forgot to put out the sausage rolls!  Suddenly it was 1.30 in the afternoon.  All decided to stay by river for the night, but the Dunmowins had another meet up planned. 

As Jaco Gypsy and Chris had already met up the group the day before, they left early, heading down to Congelin Camp Site in the Dryandra Woodlands, where they were booked, with the Dunmowins, to do the Barna Mia Nocturnal tour that night.  For them, what should have been about 20km down a good quality gravel Williams - York  Road, took them (using instructions by the information officer in Narrogin, and our good friend Vic, on a bush bashing expedition around the Dryandra Woodland, in vehicles that possibly should not have even been off the bitumen.  Several hours later, hot and bothered, they arrived at the Congelin Campsite, followed not long after by the Dunmowins, who just pottered straight down the road from Pumphries.. So the four from Congelin went geo caching together in the afternoon, went to Barnia Mia on Monday night, and took one of the any walks in the forest together on Tuesday morning.  After breakfast they went separate ways, Jaco Gypsy and her friend Chris to find to more caches, Dunmowins to do the two 25k drives through the woodlands.  Ha!  Dunmowins even beat the two girls to one of the caches

So, as Mrs D types this, she is sitting under a gum tree, plugged into the 4wd for power to lappy.  The campground is quiet, except for a few wrens chattering in the background, and the sound of the breaze in the trees above us.   No other campers in for the night?

Update:  The Dunmowins have finally come out of the Wombat Hole in the Dyandra Woodlands, and have moved on to an airconditioned site in Beverley!!!  Washing is up to date, emails have been answered and forum threads have been checked.  All that needs to be done now is add a few photos.

Dunmowin wrote:

Snip........ 

As Jaco Gypsy and Chris had already met up the group the day before, they left early, heading down to Congelin Camp Site in the Dryandra Woodlands, where they were booked, with the Dunmowins, to do the Barna Mia Nocturnal tour that night.  For them, what should have been about 20km down a good quality gravel Williams - York  Road, took them (using instructions by the information officer in Narrogin, and our good friend Vic, on a bush bashing expedition around the Dryandra Woodland, in vehicles that possibly should not have even been off the bitumen.  Several hours later, hot and bothered, they arrived at the Congelin Campsite, followed not long after by the Dunmowins, who just pottered straight down the road from Pumphries.. Snip..

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The way I told Cathy and Chris to go once off the Wandering/Narrogin bitumen road was a good quality gravel road when we went through late last November, they wanted to call into Dryandra Village for a look, ( that road runs right by it ) before going on to the  Congelin campground ,that is the way we took when we went in there.  I did tell them there were alternative routes.   The road was a bit dusty but otherwise good quality and no corrugations, we only had 2 x 2wd vehicles (campervan and car) and didn't have any problems,  and we went from the Dryandra village to have a look at the Congelin campground, the only people at Congelin campground were a young family with an ordinary sedan and Jayco Expanda caravan, the info board showed caravan sites in the campground so guess others go there too.  

The road to Barna Mia was a bit windy (curvy) in places but all the vehicles we saw when we went in were 2WD too including the guide's vehicle, I wouldn't want to put anyone off with a 2WD or caravan from going to Congelin or Dryandra village, although I would take the car or campervan only from there or Dryandra Village to Barna Mia via that road turn off as it wasn't very wide and was close to some of the brush and trees from memory.  Don't know what the gravel road would be like in Winter though with rain etc, although it appeared well drained.

General Tip:  For Emergencies:   Being as their is no mobile phone coverage at Dryandra Village, Congelin or Barna Mia, if you do take the gravel road into or past Dryandra Village of the bitumen Wandering/Narrogin road, just before you get to the village there is a rise (high spot) where you can get/make calls.  Alternatively, there is a public phone box at Dryandra Village.   

Gday John n Lorraine, sounz like you all had a great few days, [very well written Lorraine ] We stayed in Albany  for a wk, then a few days at '' normans beach'' GREAT place! Now at home, am takin the van  to serpentine tday for a new window winder to be fitted,it wasn't workin proper, so  ''mr. google'' told me how to fix it, now it doesn't work at all! lol.

 Reckon we are goin nth. again this winter, so will give ya a hoi to see where ya are..........

pws25 wrote:

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Gday John n Lorraine, sounz like you all had a great few days, [very well written Lorraine ] We stayed in Albany  for a wk, then a few days at '' normans beach'' GREAT place! Now at home, am takin the van  to serpentine tday for a new window winder to be fitted,it wasn't workin proper, so  ''mr. google'' told me how to fix it, now it doesn't work at all! lol.

 Reckon we are goin nth. again this winter, so will give ya a hoi to see where ya are..........

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 We wondered what had happened to you, last post we had said you were coming along to the GTG....

One shot of mine and the rest from Carol at Pumphrey's Bridge Camping area;

Thanks for the pics Vic, now I have good connectivity, I will post some of ours. 

1 - view from the bridge

2 - Cathy, Chris and Lorraine at Barna Mia

3 - The A Van salute

4 - Wombat Digging his latest hole

5 - view from the bridge

6 - group shot.

Sophie

Great photo's John & Lorraine, I can see the family resemblance between Wombat and Sophie in the photo's   

Vic41 wrote:

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Great photo's John & Lorraine, I can see the family resemblance between Wombat and Sophie in the photo's   

-- Edited by Vic41 on Friday 7th of February 2014 12:08:10 PM

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 That could be because we are both wombat's 

Here a few shots of Carol's from last year of Pumphries Bridge, also some of Congelin Campground and nearby dam.

It is Bryan, the Hotham River is the same one that runs through the property at Lazeaway CP at Popanyinning (behind the cabins) but it is further upstream and a lot smaller there.