14: Mount York 2014

A bit mores to be said about Gooloogong and surrounding areas before I pack up to leave today.   The shire is known to be called  
'The food bowl of Australia'  and during WW2 the Australian Women's Land Army worked the land, replacing the men who were sent overseas from 1942 to 1945. Ending with 2,382 permanent female members and 1,039 auxiliary members, starting with only 300 woman in 1942. These women held our country together during the hardest times.

The country is so beautiful, I was taking my time driving toward Cowra, everywhere I look its so green.

A local told me the weather had not been kind to them this summer, the whole area was brown and parched, until now. Some rain fell not to long ago, what a difference a shower makes!

Cowra Prisoner of War Camp 1944

The largest prisoner of war breakout in modern military history occurred. 1104 Japanese prisoners launched a mass escaped with crude weapons, throwing themselves onto barbed wire fences and into the firing line of machine guns with only blankets, coats and baseball mitts to protect them.

Australian soldiers were stabbed and bludgeoned to death during the attack.

235 Japanese soldiers and 3 Australians soldiers died on the faithful morning.

334 Japanese war prisoners escaped into the Cowra country side.

This new tower replicates the original guard house.

 

View of the landscape where part of the camp once stood, although the area was much larger than what is fenced today. My local friend says the parameter was shaped like a 50 cent coin and the distant tree line in the left of the picture was one part of the boundary. 

 

 Now driving toward Lithgow

 

After climbing Victoria Pass, wow!!! what a drive up the mountain from the valley below towing the caravan, phew!!! but the Xtrail did very well, I turned left to Mount York.
Camping areas are available, I see 3 tents and one caravan. I did consider camping for the night but as I'd already advised family of my arrival in a few hours it was not to be this time.

The view is spectacular, here looking N.E.

 

 

 I'd like to walk part of the track but not on my own. Looks pretty scary down there.

I remember attending an Abseiling course nearby mmm...about 15 years ago, not on the escarpment where the real dare devils hang but nearby on an outcrop of rock with about a 20 meter drop, that was scary enough for our group.