I have just realised that I've not provided you with my customary tour of the caravan park in which we had taken residence here in Hebel. Let me remedy that oversight instantly.......there is not a great deal to share!
As I noted in my previous, we were well set up on what is really the outer driveway of this small (normally very dry and dusty) park which is to be found directly behind the general store. I was just a little concerned that those driving in and out past the outstretched reach of our awning might misjudge the passing distance needed for a safe passage, but my fears were groundless and we spent our time here disaster free.
The 'heads' are in the form of self contained rooms in this portable building. This was basic stuff, but the showers were more than adequate, they were kept spotlessly clean and everything else worked as it should have...no complaints from us on this score
Nearby dongas provide pretty basic accommodation for those seeking a 'motel' room overnight, but with an associated fee of a mere $50 these seemed a good deal. As luck would have it we had dropped in on the same day as a number of Hebel expats had returned to the town for a family celebration being held in the local community hall....the park was unusually crowded we discovered, but these were a polite lot and thankfully not prone to continuing the knees up in the park.
Now that I have shared our digs with you it is time to tour the town. As you have seen previously, there is not much to Hebel.....very little in fact. The store, the pub, the hall and a few houses, but when we visited the pub it did not take us long to learn that the competition here for the tourist dollar is fierce, and decidedly unfriendly. More of that later.
As I noted in my previous, we were well set up on what is really the outer driveway of this small (normally very dry and dusty) park which is to be found directly behind the general store. I was just a little concerned that those driving in and out past the outstretched reach of our awning might misjudge the passing distance needed for a safe passage, but my fears were groundless and we spent our time here disaster free.
The 'heads' are in the form of self contained rooms in this portable building. This was basic stuff, but the showers were more than adequate, they were kept spotlessly clean and everything else worked as it should have...no complaints from us on this score
Nearby dongas provide pretty basic accommodation for those seeking a 'motel' room overnight, but with an associated fee of a mere $50 these seemed a good deal. As luck would have it we had dropped in on the same day as a number of Hebel expats had returned to the town for a family celebration being held in the local community hall....the park was unusually crowded we discovered, but these were a polite lot and thankfully not prone to continuing the knees up in the park.
Now that I have shared our digs with you it is time to tour the town. As you have seen previously, there is not much to Hebel.....very little in fact. The store, the pub, the hall and a few houses, but when we visited the pub it did not take us long to learn that the competition here for the tourist dollar is fierce, and decidedly unfriendly. More of that later.
Given our early arrival we had plenty of time to take a stroll around this quaint little outback town. Apart from anything else we were relishing the bright sunlight and what was almost warm weather again.
Before venturing into Hebel's two commercial establishments, we chose to first visit the nearby public park on the banks of the Bokhara River.
The short entrance roadway was a mere three minute stroll from our van,
and just beyond this stands this oddest of signs, one which alerted us to an aspect of life in Queensland we had not previously considered. In this State keeping a rabbit as a pet is a serious offence. Flaunt this law and take the risk that your bank balance may be up to $30,000 lighter. And when we came to think about it, we never have seen a rabbit in the Queensland outback. This sign helped to explain why.
Looking the other way, back towards the main highway towards our park, the evidence of the recent rains was stark.
It would be fanciful to describe the riverside park here in Hebel as a lush oasis, but is indeed functional with shelter, BBQ's and a public toilet.
One of the well touted tourist attractions of Hebel is the ability to be able to wander across to the river and set a yabby pot or dangle a baited hook in the hope of snaring a tasty Yellowbelly or even the elusive Murray Cod.
And blow me if we didn't come across a chap and his son who were doing just that. I was quick to have a chat. Surely this muddy looking reach could not be the anglers' paradise we had been led to believe it is. Wrong. These two had made the day trip up from Lightning Ridge, and had already hooked half a dozen Yellowbelly. Unfortunately they were a shade undersized, but, as my newly found friend commented, "If there are sprats they have to have parents." Wise man, and patient. But as he also noted, there are few better ways to spend a day than lazing beside a good fishing river on a warm sunny day....and only 500 metres to the pub......here, here!
Apart from its public amenities, the park also sports a large and very informative board spruking the joys to be had along the route which is know as the 'Great Inland Way', a journey which takes one from Sydney to Cairns, but obviously not along the coast. Apart from the map, a very useful list of the towns along the way, together with the distances between them, appears on the side of the board. This is good and useful stuff.
As common customary courtesy demands we wished our fishing friends good luck as we left the river banks and made our way back into 'town'. En route we took more than previous notice of the local house opposite the caravan park.....modest in all aspects except the air conditioning unit. Now that's an evaporative cooler if ever we have seen one!
By now we had reached the bend in the highway and the fascinating building which is the Hebel General Store. As I mentioned in my last, the front of the store is given over to a huge
sealed parking area, one which is very well used indeed. One of the most uncommon sights in Hebel is to find this space completely devoid of any form of vehicular transport.
The sign in front of the store is nothing if not self aggrandising, but this is a case of self-promotion with cause.
The sign in front of the store is nothing if not self aggrandising, but this is a case of self-promotion with cause.
As could be expected in a 'General Store', the interior is a virtual Aladdin's cave of assorted merchandise....clothes, hardware, 'touristy gear', consumables and various foodstuffs.
The immaculately dressed Barb, unfortunately hidden just behind Liz in this shot, is most definitely the mistress of all she surveys, and apart from running a very well ordered shop, she is a seriously good cook. The Hebel General Store is know far and wide for the excellence of its cakes, muffins, slices and similar goodies which dress up a trip breaking 'cuppa' to perfection.
In the short time we had to watch the goings on here, the vehicles which passed through this tiny town without stopping for a quick or lengthy sortie into the store were decidedly the exceptions, and this explains the need for the huge car park and the fact that it was always busy. The Hebel General Store is a mecca for all who pass through, from well dressed tourists in their fancy cars to caravanners and long haulage truckies...Barb's fine fare makes equals of them all.
For those partaking in the delights of the kitchen here, there is a choice of venue, ranging from the small outdoor setting at the end of the shop
through to the country ambience of the enclosed front verandah
or the formality of the delightful dining room. Here all tastes are catered for, and indeed we indulged ourselves later this evening.
But for now we were off to visit one of the town highlight attractions, the Hebel Historic Circle which is no more than 200 metres from the store.
Guarded by two metal galahs on slanted wooden posts and also housing the local children's playground, this rather non-descript looking park proved to be a mine of information about the town's interesting history.
Beyond this small plaque bearing wall dedicated to the achievement of several local luminaries,
various significant aspects of Hebel's history are detailed on small information boards beside a semicircle of these curiously leaning rectangular posts.
This is but one of them and I'll let it speak for itself about one of the fascinating and widely unknown snippets of local history and the origin of the town's name.
Hebel has never been anything but a very small town, (current population about 150!) but its location saw it the site of an important staging post for that iconic Australian transport system, the Cobb and Co. coaches, when these rather stately looking horse drawn public carriages were thundering to and fro across the country.
And, as was essential in towns such as this, Hebel has always had a hotel. In this case the capacity of the locals and visitors alike to down a 'coldie' with verve was significantly demonstrated by the pile of bottles which were dumped outside the pub. This was built up during WW2 when draught beer was unavailable and became a famous Hebel landmark.
Sunlight reflecting off the pile of glass could be seen as far distant as three kilometres and was recognised by those who travelled these roads as indicating that Hebel was nigh. And the use of the bottle heap as a recognisable landmark was not confined to those on the land.
Incredibly, when the heap was at its largest, it could be seen from aircraft flying the Sydney-Hong Kong route. From the very low altitude of 3,000 feet (by today's standards) cockpit crews actually used this pile of glass as an old fashioned 'way point' to confirm their position.
This peculiar landmark no longer exists. Local scavengers, who used the bottles to construct sewerage filters (no idea how), severely reduced the pile, after which what was left was half buried in the floods of 1956. In 1965 even that was bulldozed into oblivion and all we are now left with are the photographs and the memories. What an oddity and unique to Hebel.
Fortunately the pub itself did not suffer the same fate. As we walked back to our digs past the local Community Hall, where the planned evening soiree had produced a flurry of activity,
we could see that a concerted effort has been made to ensure that this outback hotel has retained its character.
With its roughly patched roof, rather crooked gable lines, and an assortment of odd bits and pieces behind the rough verandah rail, at first glance this pub looks as though it is on its last legs. This is definitely not so.
After an rest in the van through what had become the heat of the afternoon, we ventured forth yet again, but this time we were in party mode. We had booked dinner in the dining room of the general store, so now it was time to enjoy a pre-dinner drink or two, hopefully with a few of the locals, before we sat down to our evening meal.
The tourist blurb notes that this iconic pub (we have no hesitation rating this up with the Nindigully and Daly Waters hotels) is decorated with artworks by the famous Lightning Ridge artist, John Murray, and indeed it is. This was our first introduction to the works of a man who has now become one of my favourites, a man who's artistic skills are more than matched by his sense of the rediculous (and of whom we were to see much more shortly in 'The Ridge')
I have to admit to a spot of self indulgence here, but I just love the way this bloke paints. Here is his offering on one of the entrance doorways.
The window of the pub dunny gets the treatment
and for those needing to use this facility, the directions are clear, to not only reach the the refuge of relief
but also darken the correct door on arrival.
Even a few of the bar room windows are given a makeover, and with delightful introduction to the premises,
we eagerly made our way inside where mine host Charlie, a Melbourne lad who had decided to spend some time in the bush, held court and served icy cold beers. With the pig's head adorned by a Queensland police hat on the far wall, I was instantly at home!
This is one of those pubs where silly signs, local memorabilia and evidence of previous visitors are all brought together in a colourful clutter.
The main, well carved wooden sign which dominates this part of the bar is a case in point.
At the other end of this one and only Hebel pub bar, a couple of the locals were holding court, and whilst we did not join in the conversation they were having with a couple of our fellow travellers,
we were later prileged to learn much of the local sheep grazing industry and the area in general from Laurance, a young local station manger who had popped in for a coldie or two on this fine Saturday afternoon and who was only too happy to have a yarn. With the pub heeler looking on from the other side of the bar we knew we were in very good company.
As I looked around it was obvious that I was not the first surf lifesaver to have breasted the bar at the Hebel pub. In response to my instant enquiry we learnt that this was a memento of a visit by a group from the Thirroul SLSC who came to Hebel to give the local kids lessons in water safety and resuscitation techniques. What a hoot this must have been for both the locals and visitors alike and what a worthy venture by the 'seals' from the coast of NSW (between Sydney and Woolongong).
Another striking and ominous looking photo on the pub wall also took my attention. We had
previously become aware that Hebel was very nearly wiped out in a ferocious hail storm on 30 January 1999. This was a shot of the approach of this meteorological monster which did its best to level the town, and very nearly succeeded. Some years ago in Charleville we had experienced one of these inland storms (not quite as bad), and had real sympathy for those who had endured the onslaught of this awesome demonstration of nature's power.
After a most entertaining and enlightening couple of hours, we took our leave of the Hebel pub and walked out past the wall on which shearing contractors' singlets and the wool bale branding stencils below them remind all who pass through these portals that indeed you are in sheep station country, and made our way across the road for our dinner appointment.
We did so with the words of our previous host ringing in our ears. "There is a brick wall running down the middle of the highway between us and the store." We had heard on the grape vine that there is no love lost between the owners of the pub and the store, and we now had verified that rumour. We did not pursue the matter further, and remain at a loss to understand why, in such a tiny town, the two business cannot cooperate in a way we saw so amply demonstrated in Mendooran.
Needless to say, we retained a diplomatic silence as the redoubtable Ralph showed us to our seats in the store dining room. This place just oozes charm, right down to the incredible table decorations,
none of which was repeated throughout the room.
But the question remains.....did we enjoy our evening out in this oddest of country hamlets?
With meals like these before us, a more than passable wine list from which to chose a fine sav blanc,
and the piece de resistance, two of Barb's famous deserts
when even I, an avowed sweets sceptic, needed little persuasion to indulge, what do you think?
When Ralph asked if we had a yen for a fine desert wine and then proceeded to produce two very large glasses of a Rutherglen Classic liqueur muscat, we had to pinch ourselves to remember just where we were.
The sign at the front of the Hebel General Store is no boast....this is indeed a 'touch of class in the outback'. Sadly, for all who have been enjoying the delights of this quaint and marvellous culinary oasis, this may soon become a thing of the past. Barb and Ralph are worn out (understandably....this is a demanding business) and the whole shebang in on the market. Let's hope the new proprietors maintain the standards set.
So yes, dear readers, hamlet Hebel will always be retained in our memories with more than a passing touch of fondness. This had been one of the best days in our travelling life, made all the more so I suspect by the fact that we had made it through to here and the road on to Lightning Ridge, one of my 'bucket list towns', was open. A new adventure awaits.
In the short time we had to watch the goings on here, the vehicles which passed through this tiny town without stopping for a quick or lengthy sortie into the store were decidedly the exceptions, and this explains the need for the huge car park and the fact that it was always busy. The Hebel General Store is a mecca for all who pass through, from well dressed tourists in their fancy cars to caravanners and long haulage truckies...Barb's fine fare makes equals of them all.
For those partaking in the delights of the kitchen here, there is a choice of venue, ranging from the small outdoor setting at the end of the shop
through to the country ambience of the enclosed front verandah
or the formality of the delightful dining room. Here all tastes are catered for, and indeed we indulged ourselves later this evening.
But for now we were off to visit one of the town highlight attractions, the Hebel Historic Circle which is no more than 200 metres from the store.
Guarded by two metal galahs on slanted wooden posts and also housing the local children's playground, this rather non-descript looking park proved to be a mine of information about the town's interesting history.
Beyond this small plaque bearing wall dedicated to the achievement of several local luminaries,
various significant aspects of Hebel's history are detailed on small information boards beside a semicircle of these curiously leaning rectangular posts.
This is but one of them and I'll let it speak for itself about one of the fascinating and widely unknown snippets of local history and the origin of the town's name.
Hebel has never been anything but a very small town, (current population about 150!) but its location saw it the site of an important staging post for that iconic Australian transport system, the Cobb and Co. coaches, when these rather stately looking horse drawn public carriages were thundering to and fro across the country.
Sunlight reflecting off the pile of glass could be seen as far distant as three kilometres and was recognised by those who travelled these roads as indicating that Hebel was nigh. And the use of the bottle heap as a recognisable landmark was not confined to those on the land.
Incredibly, when the heap was at its largest, it could be seen from aircraft flying the Sydney-Hong Kong route. From the very low altitude of 3,000 feet (by today's standards) cockpit crews actually used this pile of glass as an old fashioned 'way point' to confirm their position.
This peculiar landmark no longer exists. Local scavengers, who used the bottles to construct sewerage filters (no idea how), severely reduced the pile, after which what was left was half buried in the floods of 1956. In 1965 even that was bulldozed into oblivion and all we are now left with are the photographs and the memories. What an oddity and unique to Hebel.
Fortunately the pub itself did not suffer the same fate. As we walked back to our digs past the local Community Hall, where the planned evening soiree had produced a flurry of activity,
we could see that a concerted effort has been made to ensure that this outback hotel has retained its character.
With its roughly patched roof, rather crooked gable lines, and an assortment of odd bits and pieces behind the rough verandah rail, at first glance this pub looks as though it is on its last legs. This is definitely not so.
After an rest in the van through what had become the heat of the afternoon, we ventured forth yet again, but this time we were in party mode. We had booked dinner in the dining room of the general store, so now it was time to enjoy a pre-dinner drink or two, hopefully with a few of the locals, before we sat down to our evening meal.
The tourist blurb notes that this iconic pub (we have no hesitation rating this up with the Nindigully and Daly Waters hotels) is decorated with artworks by the famous Lightning Ridge artist, John Murray, and indeed it is. This was our first introduction to the works of a man who has now become one of my favourites, a man who's artistic skills are more than matched by his sense of the rediculous (and of whom we were to see much more shortly in 'The Ridge')
I have to admit to a spot of self indulgence here, but I just love the way this bloke paints. Here is his offering on one of the entrance doorways.
The window of the pub dunny gets the treatment
and for those needing to use this facility, the directions are clear, to not only reach the the refuge of relief
but also darken the correct door on arrival.
Even a few of the bar room windows are given a makeover, and with delightful introduction to the premises,
we eagerly made our way inside where mine host Charlie, a Melbourne lad who had decided to spend some time in the bush, held court and served icy cold beers. With the pig's head adorned by a Queensland police hat on the far wall, I was instantly at home!
This is one of those pubs where silly signs, local memorabilia and evidence of previous visitors are all brought together in a colourful clutter.
The main, well carved wooden sign which dominates this part of the bar is a case in point.
At the other end of this one and only Hebel pub bar, a couple of the locals were holding court, and whilst we did not join in the conversation they were having with a couple of our fellow travellers,
we were later prileged to learn much of the local sheep grazing industry and the area in general from Laurance, a young local station manger who had popped in for a coldie or two on this fine Saturday afternoon and who was only too happy to have a yarn. With the pub heeler looking on from the other side of the bar we knew we were in very good company.
As I looked around it was obvious that I was not the first surf lifesaver to have breasted the bar at the Hebel pub. In response to my instant enquiry we learnt that this was a memento of a visit by a group from the Thirroul SLSC who came to Hebel to give the local kids lessons in water safety and resuscitation techniques. What a hoot this must have been for both the locals and visitors alike and what a worthy venture by the 'seals' from the coast of NSW (between Sydney and Woolongong).
Another striking and ominous looking photo on the pub wall also took my attention. We had
previously become aware that Hebel was very nearly wiped out in a ferocious hail storm on 30 January 1999. This was a shot of the approach of this meteorological monster which did its best to level the town, and very nearly succeeded. Some years ago in Charleville we had experienced one of these inland storms (not quite as bad), and had real sympathy for those who had endured the onslaught of this awesome demonstration of nature's power.
After a most entertaining and enlightening couple of hours, we took our leave of the Hebel pub and walked out past the wall on which shearing contractors' singlets and the wool bale branding stencils below them remind all who pass through these portals that indeed you are in sheep station country, and made our way across the road for our dinner appointment.
We did so with the words of our previous host ringing in our ears. "There is a brick wall running down the middle of the highway between us and the store." We had heard on the grape vine that there is no love lost between the owners of the pub and the store, and we now had verified that rumour. We did not pursue the matter further, and remain at a loss to understand why, in such a tiny town, the two business cannot cooperate in a way we saw so amply demonstrated in Mendooran.
Needless to say, we retained a diplomatic silence as the redoubtable Ralph showed us to our seats in the store dining room. This place just oozes charm, right down to the incredible table decorations,
none of which was repeated throughout the room.
But the question remains.....did we enjoy our evening out in this oddest of country hamlets?
With meals like these before us, a more than passable wine list from which to chose a fine sav blanc,
and the piece de resistance, two of Barb's famous deserts
when even I, an avowed sweets sceptic, needed little persuasion to indulge, what do you think?
When Ralph asked if we had a yen for a fine desert wine and then proceeded to produce two very large glasses of a Rutherglen Classic liqueur muscat, we had to pinch ourselves to remember just where we were.
The sign at the front of the Hebel General Store is no boast....this is indeed a 'touch of class in the outback'. Sadly, for all who have been enjoying the delights of this quaint and marvellous culinary oasis, this may soon become a thing of the past. Barb and Ralph are worn out (understandably....this is a demanding business) and the whole shebang in on the market. Let's hope the new proprietors maintain the standards set.
So yes, dear readers, hamlet Hebel will always be retained in our memories with more than a passing touch of fondness. This had been one of the best days in our travelling life, made all the more so I suspect by the fact that we had made it through to here and the road on to Lightning Ridge, one of my 'bucket list towns', was open. A new adventure awaits.
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