by JEREMY GADD
As we passed the turn-off to Duri,
which, according to locals, is
synonymous with ‘dry’, we
were surprised to see paddocks
carpeted with yellow blooms of
cultivated canola but, when past
Tamworth, after climbing the
Moonbi range in low gear, we
witnessed a more powerful panorama.
Whereas, due to La Niña’s
recent benevolence, the upper
Hunter was lushly awash and
unusually green, the tableland’s
grasses, as far as could be seen,
were burnt straw pale by winter
frosts and a gloomy sky lay heavily
on the land. Skeletal trees added to the
desolateness of the scene, hauntingly
conveying the impression we had
crossed some kind of frontier or
dividing line, and that something
primeval and wild was present,
dormant but still lurking in the
landscape. But after many years
of travelling this route, for family
reunions, christenings, funerals,
there has always been a tingle in
the spine – of recognition – not fear
when approaching Bendemeer.
– North-eastern NSW