Lithgow

Last Friday, following the ANZAC Day dawn service and a kip, CM, AM and I drove to Lithgow. This is C.'s trusty chariot.

There was just enough light left before we reached their parents' place (our digs for the weekend) to visit Govetts Leap.

Full of seafood and Pabst, we played the Phryne Fisher version of "Cluedo". I jumped the gun - or rather, wrench - and A. won.

We then set up Mrs M.'s telescope for a bit of stargazing. Unfortunately, it was clouding over, and the next night was starless.

This is an LED-lined display case containing some of AM's figures, which range from unmodified to heavily customised.

On Saturday, we attended Ironfest, an annual celebration of historical re-enactment, steampunk and every other fandom, really.

We ate Danish hotdogs from the family that used to run The Gourmet Viking in Enmore (once a pre-gig favourite).

We saw author Tara Moss, who was just as beautiful as when she hosted a Pirelli Calendar launch I went to many moons ago.

There was a drone flying over the festival, sending footage to a giant screen situated at the showground entrance.

I didn't snap any of those things. I did, however, snap these -

Look closely at that second pic and you'll see the "bodger" is turning wood using only the resistance of a bent tree.

These shots merely hint at what was on offer at Ironfest. We spent six-plus hours there and never grew bored.

Returning to M. Mansions, we enjoyed a meaty feast (mussels in bacon, quail, boerewors) accompanied by a keg of Heineken.

There was talk of another boardgame. We reviewed a few candidates...then fell asleep in armchairs in front of an ep of "Hustle".

On Sunday, we checked out the Hassans Walls lookout, a ruined blast furnace and the Small Arms Factory Museum.

Facebook informed us that Tony Robinson had been at the museum the previous day, filming a new war-related documentary.

And any wonder - its collection of guns is amazing. I particularly liked this arrangement of Corellian blasters.

On our way back to Sydney, we tested the excellent rep of Alchemy Pizza in Little Hartley and found it well deserved.

Best vego pizza I've ever eaten - sweet potato, capsicum, eggplant, artichoke and bocconcini. Nice dessert and wine, too.

The fairly heavy traffic was made manageable by a backroads shortcut and much-loved albums on the stereo...