Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory

23 March 2026 / Words: Simon and Cathy Trickett. Photos: Simon and Cathy Trickett, Rod Nicholas

A small group of cars set off initially in search of morning tea. This was soon found when we rolled in to the Rollonin’ Café in Bowning just off the Hume Highway. The building, while only completed in 2008, was designed to replicate an old slab hut from the pioneering days. This it certainly does. The interior has been lined with newspapers dating from the early 1900's and there are some antique pieces of household and farm equipment to check out. There is also a quaint cottage garden and a collection of animals to pat and feed.

Having had a break, we set off again for a short stint on the Burley Griffin Highway before turning off onto some less travelled roads; why go on the highway when there are far more interesting roads to explore!

Going this way allowed us to avoid Harden and Murrumburrah while taking in some sweeping bends and rolling hills, including one section known as the ‘Big Dipper’ as just before you get to the bottom the road drops away so steeply that you can’t see the road (or more importantly the condition of it) until the very last moment, all good fun! Having survived that, we continued on through the scenic countryside until we came out at Cootamundra before a more relaxed drive into Junee.

Meeting us for lunch was another club member, Annie, who had driven in from Wagga Wagga. It was nice to catch up with somebody we don’t see all that often on runs given the distance from Canberra. Lunch at the Licorice and Chocolate factory café didn’t include either of those items, but plenty was bought afterward. I wonder how much made it home?!

 

Following lunch, we wove our way through the township of Junee, saw the obligatory palm trees (wherever you go in rural NSW there always seems to be palm trees in each town, not sure why?). Rather than retrace our steps we headed south towards Gundagai, but before getting there we did pass a rather unique tractor. I did consider going under rather than around it, but being in a huge NC I didn’t think we’d quite make it. Had we had our old NA, we might have done it!

Thanks to all for coming along and having a pleasant day, doing what we enjoy doing.

Simon & Cathy

There are more photos on our Chapter's Facebook page, courtesy of Lili.