Club Monthly Run, Sunday 24 August: Canberra – Gunning – Taralga

STOP PRESS: We will now meet at 10.30 am at The Old Hume Cafe, Gunning for morning tea.

This is also on the main street of Gunning, only a hop, skip and jump from the Merino cafe.

(For reasons unknown (but not related to our imminent arrival !!), the Merino Cafe have decided they will no longer be open on Sundays.)

This month we will meet initially at 10.30 am at the Merino Café, Gunning for morning tea. The suggested route to Gunning is via Sutton. After Sutton, head north looking out for the historic pastoral stations: "Bywong" (1829), "Tallagandra Station" (1864) and "Bainsdale" (~1830). "Tallagandra Station" is now the country seat of entrepreneur Dick Smith. It boasts is own airstrip and a steam train that runs from the airstrip to the homestead (Bowylie homestead)! Motor through Gundaroo, past the "The Royal Hotel" (1865) and on, via the Christmas Tree Farm and Belmont Forest, to Gunning.

We depart the Merino Café at 11.30 am. For those on the second leg of the run, take a left turn just north of Gunning onto the Grabben Gullen Road towards Crookwell. This leg will take ~1h (MGB's) to ~1¹⁄₄ h (T/Y types) . Those of us with older 4-speed gear boxes will notice the climb up the 'Devil's Elbow' realignment and beyond to Grabben Gullen, but you will be rewarded by great views and some up-close windmill vistas. Pass The Albion Hotel at Grabben Gullen. A potato farm ($40/bag) on your left indicates you are on the doorstep of Crookwell, home to Sydney Vintage Restorations and the famous Lindner woollen Sock Factory. If you are quick you can pop in to grab a pair; they are open 10 am - 1pm on Sundays. Just before the sock factory, take a left turn to Taralga on the Laggan Road. Laggan (settled 1838) boasts a locally-renowned 'gastro-pub', but don't stop. Your road becomes the Laggan-Taralga Road and within ~30 minutes you will arrive at Taralga (settled ~1820; noted for its spectacular bluestone buildings). 

The Taralga Hotel (1876) is expecting us for lunch at about 1 pm.

Please advise Richard Simpson by noon Wednesday 20 August if you are coming (rjsimpson55@outlook.com; 0413 590 856), so we can prewarn the Taralga Hotel.