Still in Manangatang

Tues 13^th 

Nick and Woody cooked our breakfast on the barbecue in the park. We enjoyed some beautiful mushrooms that Mick picked yesterday. Just down the street is a Mallee Garden which is dedicated to the memory of the pioneers. It is quite unique with winding pathways which are bordered by low hedges and walls constructed of Mallee roots. The stump garden commemorates how the early pioneers sold Mallee stumps while they were waiting for the wheat to grow. The memory shapes are covered with objects that were selected by the local community. There were old coins, horseshoes, marbles, shards of china, lots of different badges, and many other artefacts that were significant in the past. Opposite our camp is a food shop that sells roast chickens - if you order them two hours early. Manangatang seems to be a small town struggling to stay alive. Many of the shops are either closed or only operate part time. It has been so lovely sitting in the sun here that we decided to stay another night.  After tea we watched a police patrol catching trucks as they whizzed through town. It didn’t take long for word to get out and the traffic moved much more sedately.