Debbie and Geoff in 2016 put together a Ford Ranger and a Lotus 21ft Freelander caravan. We had decided to go and have a good look at this wonderful country we live in. Yes the Great Australian Dream, Grey Nomads on the move. The plan was for about two years so let’s see what happens. Below is the latest Blog with each other month Archived, see these from the Menu bar above.
We started planning this trip for winter 2021 to go to Birdsville and then down the Birdsville Track. We would be going with friends Brad and Malcolm who would travel north from Sydney.
Well Covid broke out and Sydney got put into lockdown. We were by then on Ver.5 of the plan. We packed the Lotus Van, hitched up the Ranger and extracted it from beside the house in Ballina.
We departed for Tenterfield, NSW August 2021. Arrived there in the afternoon setup in the Tenterfield Lodge Caravan Park, and the Northern Rivers went into lockdown, we had to self isolate.
After a week we went to Ashford hoping all would be OK to the west. Well after 10 days things were getting worse the whole of NSW was into lockdown, so we did the 6 hour drive back to Ballina. That was the end of winter getaway 2021.
The photo albums follow along the same time line as the story. Click on the link below and the photo albums will open in another page.
We were away for six weeks and covered 4,770 km. Averaged about 18lt / 100km, towing the 21ft Lotus Freelander caravan with the Ford Ranger, all up weight (GCM) about 6 ton.
Bird Photos Album 2022 Photo Album 202216 July 2022
Leaving home with the van all stocked we drove over the Great Dividing Range retracing our steps from the previous year. We have booked 1 night stay at Tenterfield at the same small van park to break up our journey and visit the Tenterfield Railway Museum which we missed out on last time due to our Covid isolation. No, we didn’t have Covid but as we found out that Ballina had gone into lock down that afternoon we decided to keep well away from people and concentrate on the National Parks in the area.
The Tenterfield Railway Museum is a unique NSW Rail Heritage Museum. The station was opened in 1886 and the last passenger train departed Tenterfield on the 25th November 1988. The museum itself is well maintained with displays of carriages, engines, motors, and paraphernalia that would excite any rail enthusiast.
The buildings are original and the gardens and plants certainly make the platform picturesque with the station winning awards for their display.
The price is $7.50 per adult and it is a very pleasant way to spend some time.
The day was clear and sunny, long sleeves still required and as the sun set we were very happy to be on a powered site with the air conditioning pumping to keep us warm. The temperature plummeted and boy was it a cold evening. The electric blanket was on and three doonas kept us nice and snuggly as we slept.
18th & 19th July 2022
Travelling on the Sunday we headed to Ashford which is a sleepy little town that was forgotten when the coal mine closed. We returned here to visit the national park in the area and the McKenzie Falls.
We are staying at a council run park for the two nights which was where we made camp last year when Covid hit locking NSW down.
On the Monday we drove out of Ashford heading for the park. The dirt road was through farm land where cattle and sheep were prevailing with a few deciding the road was more their style than the paddocks.
Kwaimbai National Park has camping and cottage facilities and the camp grounds they were all spotless and the roads well maintained. We ventured on the Macintyre Falls lookout where we stood on a platform and watched the falls cascade down. The water was very brown and this then flows down the Macintyre River to the Severn River. The sun was shining and the air was crisp, a perfect day to be out bush again. These and other west flowing rivers drain the New England Tablelands and supply 90% of the water in the Darling River, and that is the trip we decided to do. The Darling River Run.
Prickly Pear is a major pest in these parts and the size of the plants are quite daunting. The Government introduced the Cactoblastis moth in 1926 to try and control the thing from spreading.
We finished out day with lunch by the river at the camp grounds watching the birds hoping about enjoying the sunshine.
19th July 2022
We drove to Warialda still heading west. This was a beautiful little town with loads of character and friendly people. This town dates back to 1839 and the tourist information centre supplied leaflets showing all the old buildings you could see when walking around the streets. It is also the first white settlement along Reedy Creek. There is street art on the buildings from a local artist and though not booming it is a town worth having a look at.
We did a walk using a mud map supplied from the Tourist centre but the map was a bit misleading so our walk was shorter than planned and we ended up in the old cemetery where the tomb stones gave us more of an insight to the town.
The caravan park was council run and unlike Ashford well maintained and meticulously cleaned daily.
21st July 2022
From Warialda we camped a night at Cranky Rock which was just 8 km down the road. This is a recreational reserve with a fascinating and extensive jumble of granite boulders balanced at the edge of Reedy Creek.
The story of the rock is that an elderly cranky Chinaman was wrongly accused of killing a woman and threw himself of the rock into the pool.
There is a pool of water at the base ideal for a dip (except it is winter and a bit too cold for me to swim) and also an observation platform to survey the surroundings.
The reserve has a few wandering animals and birds, chooks, a horse and peacock investigate what we are doing hoping to share in a few morsels of food. The horse supervised Geoff with the van maintenance and stuck its head in the van to see if there were any treats for him for being such a good supervisor.
After one night we then took the road again travelling though Moree to stay at Collarenebri for a free camp to break up our journey. We took a stroll down the river and watched as birds swooped and dived into the water, drinking or fly catching or both. Our days have been beautiful but the nights brrrr very cool.
23rd July 2022
Two night stay at Brewarrina Two night stay at Brewarrina was probably not needed with one could suffice. The river level is high which is great to see but we had planned to visit the Aboriginal Fish Traps that lay in the Barwon River near the weir. As the height of the water was above them they were submerged and alas we didn’t get to view them. But in saying that it was lovely to see the water flowing over the weir and we met a very interesting Aboriginal lady, we chatted to her for nearly an hour. ‘Missy’ has 6 children who are all adults now with four of them still living in town. One is applying for the General Manager of the council. We met her daughter who is a Lawyer and all the others also had equally interesting jobs. We were so lucky to have met her and some of her family and wonder if our paths will cross again.
This is cotton country that we have been travelling through, and cotton farmers do not seem to be the most popular people. Locals blame them for the downturn of the community as they suck the river dry and don’t employ many staff, no jobs people up and leave, so the population dwindles and so does the infrastructure around the town. This was told to me by Ian who ran the small van park we stayed at.
The next day with not much planned and the museum we were going to visit closed on the weekends, was a home chore day. I washed and cleaned and Geoff planned the next stage of our trip still heading west and on dirt, following the Darling River.
25th July 2022
Travelling again through the flat farmland we noticed water puddles, some quite large on the side of the road. Our destination was Rossmore Station , here we unhitched the van near the Shearers sheds and went on a drive up Mt. Oxley that was located on the property. Access is a very narrow winding road that is only 1 car wide and a long drop down the other side. They had a camp located at the top but it was not permitted to take the van up there as the road would not be accessible.
Geoff was rapt as he scrambled up and along the ridge photographing 7 Wedge-tailed Eagles as they travelled the thermals looking for prey. They seemed to be different ages and colouring and he stayed on the ridge following them and trying to find their nest. The colour of the soil is now the vibrant red which is such a contrast to the plants and flowers that are springing up around us after the rain. They do have a river camp here also but that was closed due to the amount of water and flooding in the area.
After we came back down the mountain Geoff set up the cameras to do a few sunset pics. We wandered up to the dam near the shearing sheds and waited for the magic hour when colour in the skies would make the perfect picture.
Later that evening we ventured into the shearing shed for a few night shots utilising the props that were there. Wool bales, wool not baled and a building with character, what more would a photographer want.
Oh and I nearly forgot about the emus on the property. We had a flock of them as they tried to race our car, then as the sun went down we watched them running around the paddock chasing each other. Quite a sight.
Bird Photos Album 2022 Photo Album 202226th July 2022
After a very quiet night (we were the only ones there) and even though we had no power the evening was surprisingly warm. Ok so we still had 3 doonas and they stayed on the bed as we burrowed under them for warmth, but the air didn’t feel as chilly this was surprising.
We headed off towards Kidman Camp at Bourke. It was 2019 since we last visited this town and they were in severe drought. What a difference now, the river was so low and dry, now it was in flood. The weir had a view platform and it looked over the river which was totally dry past the weir, now you can only just see the railing of the platform as the yellow brown water flows over it.
We were spending two nights here so we could go on the paddle steamer now that there was water in the river, 2019 the boat was high and dry, now it’s not running till August as the area for access to the boat is too muddy. I can’t win!
Plan B was a trip into town, a drive along the river and a bit of a shop for groceries. The next day we spent at the Gundabooka National Park. The red soil and flat plains were dotted with wild flowers in bloom. There was aboriginal art and a small stream that ran down one of the walks, another area had some interesting birds and information on the plant life among the track.
28th July 2022
Our next destination was heading 70km out of Bourke to Rose Isle Station. This little gem is well worth a visit and the hosts are more than welcoming. With grass and powered sites, we were very well set up. On the banks of the Darling River we had access to walks around the farm where they had river camps that cannot be accessed at the moment due to being too wet after the flooded river and made for a very muddy walk.
We were greeted by 2 little sausage dogs and two Black-breasted Buzzards flying over, which had Geoff excited as he grabbed his camera quick smart. Morning tea was a nice bonus for $10 per head and there was fresh scones with jam and cream, savoury scones, sausage rolls and homemade cake all severed with mugs of steaming hot tea. We enjoyed the time chatting to fellow campers and it was certainly a nice way to pass the morning.
Not needing lunch after that feast we took off down the river and headed towards the river camps. Yes quite a few of them were very boggy, some with surface water still resting in large pools on the sites. Samantha (the host) is constructing a bottle house bathroom on site #14. Bottle by bottle she is making the structure to house a bathtub to be placed inside. Now that’s one way of recycling.
We also spied two very inquisitive Echidnas nosing around. They seemed to be quite use to people and came up to Geoff and sniffed at his shoes, then another walked right up to me and did an investigative sniff before shuffling on somewhere else.
30th July 2022
On the road again to our next station stay just out of Louth to 'Trilby Station'. Dirt road most of the way with little bits of bitumen in between, because of the amount of rain that has dropped recently the dust was kept to a minimum which is an advantage.
We have a wonderful secluded camp site on the river with the bonus of power for our battery charging. On arrival Geoff spotted a family of Night Herons across the river bank, so he was a very happy chappy. We went for an explorative walk along the river, checking on different camp sites. Some of them were not accessible due to the muddy conditions and the Louth races scheduled for next weekend they will miss the opportunity to put anyone on those sites.
The drop loos along the way all had views, with the Thunder Box proudly on display, there were 3 other walls for privacy though. Lots of very big trees along the bank with some having interesting hollows ideal for any nesting creatures. This property is huge being a total of just over 320,000 acres. The properties were all a part of the original Dunlop station but more on that later.
Liz and Garry farm sheep and whilst the drought was on from 2016 to 2019 they spent over $130,000 per month on feed being trucked in from South Australia. Currently they are carrying 22,000 Merino sheep, the numbers fluctuate due to conditions but the Western Lands Commission rate them at one dry sheep to every 10 acres (a dry sheep is without a lamb at foot).
Feral goats are a very important income factor with the meat being exported to Muslim countries. At the moment a goat is worth more than a sheep. Sale prices varies form $20 per head to upwards of $200 or even $300 depending on supply and demand. The goats are trucked to either Charleville in Qld or Albury Wodonga on Vic borer. Blesses and slaughtered Halal style for the Muslim market.
We are staying here 3 nights and on our second day we did a tour of the 'Dunlop Station' farm that was established in 1880 and once had a million acres. It was also the first shearing shed in Australia to have mechanical shears. This property still has the original homestead with its thick stone walls and many rooms – built with 15 bedrooms . The first owner was Sir Samuel McCaughey and was managed by James Wilson a man of decided personality and a recognized reputation as a wool grower of progressive methods. Sir Samuel McCaughey had the foresight to build a large store that was supplied by paddle steamers on the river, with this store the shearers could buy anything they required and hence kept the money rotating in farms economy. Shearers get paid by the farm then they buy from the store on the farm.
When the current owners moved in 11 years ago the place was a shambles with decades of past family treasures piled so high and crammed into every room they had a momentous task of clearing and sorting through it.
As we toured the house that was kept all original except, for the kitchen which was moved inside and installed a new stove. They had carefully picked out different pieces to be displayed, a case full of pocket watches, cut crystal decanters and full sets of glass ware, original pieces of furniture and even though the carpet was from the 1960’s and it had a mice and snake infestation living in the house when they arrived it was all in remarkable condition.
The stores also had lots of treasures including washing machines and TV’s all from different eras and technologies. Stuff everywhere, including an old lolly box with the lollies still intact. A tin of Mortein and bottles of Ford pills.
The building itself was near the river so that the paddle steamer parked nearby and was easily off loaded. It was also built of stone from the area and up on a rise so that it survived any flood.
The shearing shed had 45 stands and was slowly being repaired bit by bit with a team of volunteers. They had lots of photo albums around to show different stages of the land. Also on display are contracts that the shearers, wool scour and shed hands had to sign. The farm now is only 2,500 acres and they have 200 sheep at present time. The shearing season is in May and done on neighbouring properties.
Our last full day at 'Trilby Station' we did the mud map tour of the station. It rained the previous evening so our departure time was put back till after 12 noon as the mud would have been too sticky and would have caused damage to the tracks. We head across the main road and enter the paddocks to the west, opening and closing gates as we drive through pastures. Some pasture have been rejuvenated as over grazing caused mud flats and the earth so damaged that nothing would grow. With a $10,000 grant and the aid of Landcare to assist with planning, large areas were graded with slightly raised half-moon dirt humps. Water would gather here soaking into the dry earth and help regenerate the salt bush seeds that were planted. This land will never be used again for grazing helping to put back into the earth what was destroyed over the many years.
We drove past herds of goats that wander around the property, we stopped and had a look at dams, and windmills, the pumps are now run on solar power. The information book that we were given explains the flora and its use in some aboriginal customs. Trees with spots are Leopard wood, a gum that was used for shields. An old water tank from WWII is on the land which stores water to be pumped into feeding troughs. We also see holding pens in the paddocks which can be utilised by shearers and that means sheep do not have to make the journey back to the main shed if they are in poor condition due to drought.
We then head to the 'New Chum' which is the old property and homestead of Gary’s parents. Built in 1950 with 1 bedroom and the good old Aussie veranda running around the house. The three sons slept on the veranda and one end was closed off for privacy for Gary’s grandfather.
They moved from this house to the 'Newfoundland' homestead near the river in 1964. They left most of the old furniture in the house in case of heavy rain or a breakdown that someone needed overnight accommodation. It was great to look back on the family’s history exploring the old homestead and outside buildings.
We made it back to report into Liz at the main homestead 'Trilby' that we had returned at 5pm and returning the mud map information book to her. With large properties with the far boundary about 40km away it is very important to register when we left and when we return or they will send out the chopper search for us.
Bird Photos Album 2022 Photo Album 20222nd August 2022
Saying goodbye to Triby we head down the dirt road past Tilpa and off to Wilcannia. The roads to the west are closed due to the wet so it was a longer, bumpy, corrugated, red dusty trip heading south east towards Cobar for 95km (the opposite way) before turning north west onto the Barrier Highway. This little detour added an extra 120km into our travelling day. Finally reaching our destination in the afternoon and ready to explore this part of the Central Darling shire.
There are two van parks in Wilcannia, the one in town on the river which is closed due to the floods but we booked into the one just 3 km’s out of town on a lovely lagoon where we strolled down for Geoff to do a bit of bird spotting. We stayed here 2 nights with plans to explore the town. With beautiful old building from 1880’s this town was the third largest inland port of its time after Sydney and Morpeth near Newcastle. The weather was hot with temps reaching 29 degrees Celsius. A storm was on the way that evening.
Nothing in town seemed to be opened and there were at least 6 vans parked on the streets of the town with tourist like us walking around admiring the buildings and looking for a coffee shop to break the journey. We managed to score bread and a few supplies at the local supermarket and topped up with fuel, so the little town did get supported by us. We wondered if the other van park had been opened the other shops might have been also opened for the passing trade.
The post office originally constructed in 1879 was being worked on which was surprising as it had been restored through government grants in 2010 reopening as the post office in 2013.
The London Chartered Bank built in 1887 is now the Council Chambers. This building was insured for $353,550 in 1901 and the shire purchased the building in 1972 for $8,000 – a bargain!
Seems that quite a bit of money has been spent in this town keeping these beautiful buildings alive, also new developments were noted using original sandstone facias.
Wilcannia is “In the middle of nowhere, the centre of everywhere!”
4th August 2022
Next stop is White Cliffs about 95 km north of Wilcannia, the town with a population of 200 (or so the sign says) and as we arrived so did the rain. We set up and hunkered down in the van for the rest of the day, venturing out when needed between showers and wading through the very sticky mud that stuck to my gum boots (never travel without them). The next morning our tourist bus trip was cancelled due to the mud so its lucky we planned to have three nights in this little town.
With our the planned itinerary interrupted with the rain we explored the town by foot. The sun was shining and the breeze was cool so we have fingers crossed for our tour to go ahead on the next day. This town has got a coffee shop, serving home made scones and cakes. We walked past a house with umm…. Sculptures? Owned by a local artist. Walked up to the solar farm which we will learn more about tomorrow and this runs next to golf course – stony rocky and very outback. Had a look at Joes world class opals – a shop made of bottles and run by a cranky lady who has no personality at all. Her partner is the one doing our bus tour tomorrow so hope one of them can crack a smile. After seeing the Black opal at Lightening Ridge I can’t say that I was impressed by what I saw. Lunch was at the pub and the grub was good before heading back to the van for a quiet afternoon. We could have gone fossicking for opal but with the roads and tracks all muddy it wasn’t the best idea. Maybe tomorrow we can try our luck.
Our day starts and we pile onto the White Cliffs Tour Bus and meet our guide Rod. Driving past the very stony golf course the first stop is the Solar Power Station. It was built with the intention of a scientific study into the feasibility of solar energy. This plant was constructed in 1981 by the Australian National University with a $1.9m grant from the NSW government covering the cost. This enabled 14 tracking parabolic dishes of 5 metres diameter each to be built. It ceased operation in 2005 and in 2006 was recognized by Engineering Australia, Heritage Committee as being the world’s first commercial Solar Power Station.
From here we ventured to the pioneer children’s cemetery. The drought, poor food and hygiene due to the lack of water caused outbreaks of typhoid and other dieses to which young children were particularly susceptible.
Discovery of opal in the area is credited to two station hands hunting kangaroos in 1889. One of the horses kicked up a bright stone. Unsure of the value they showed the surveyor who advised them to send the sample to Adelaide to Mr Tullie Wollaston. The opal was so different from anything he had seen, Wollaston barely knew what to offer them. He travelled to White Cliffs with an offer of 140 pounds to the station hands. These guys were paralysed – but only for a minute before their hands shot out for the cash.
Wollaston went on to prosper and made the men the first opal kings of White Cliffs. This was in 1889 and the population peaked in 1902 with over 4000 residents.
On to the mine fields then a tour of a ‘dug out’ called The White House. Unfortunately no pictures were allowed inside, but if you have a chance google White House White Cliffs and have a peek. It is certainly amazing with a round kitchen, impressive art work and a burrow of rooms going into the hill. The majority of residents live in underground homes to escape the scorching heat of summer which can get up to 45 Celsius plus.
That evening we took a drive back into the fields to enjoy a cheeky glass of wine and a beautiful sun set.
7th August 2022
I was very surprised with the size of Broken Hill. Having travelled the outback for years I think it was one of the largest inland towns that I had seen. We are now on South Australian time as we creep west closer to the south Australian border. Spending 4 nights at the Outback Resort about 6 km east of Broken Hill we have a chance to explore the area. Mining lies at the very heart of Broken Hill and the town owes its very existence to ‘Broken Hill Proprietary’, which is now the world’s largest mining company – yep you guessed it, BHP.
Grocery shopping was on the agenda as well as a tour of the Royal Flying Doctors Service. We seem to always be drawn in each town that has a base to do the tours. Even though the basic information is the same of the founder and history of the service, each area has something to add that is individual to their base. Oh and also it’s a good cause so why not drop some of our dollars there.
Our first afternoon was driving up to the lookout which housed the Miners Memorial. This area is having extensive work done around it and will certainly be even more of a draw card once work is complete (expected in December 2022). The views are amazing and the memorial itself gives you an insight on how tough mining life can be. The youngest boy was only 14 years who died from a fall. The years pass by as each name, date, age and reason is recorded on this memorial.
Our second day was spent in town doing a walking tour of with our guide from the Tourist Information centre. The buildings and artwork doted around the centre of town were explained and stories of how she grew up in the area were told.
After the tour we visited the railway museum and finished with a tour of Pro Harts gallery, an iconic artist of Australia and the area and I think a must visit even if his art is not to your liking. Just seeing his Rolls Royce collection is the worth the quick pit stop.
Our last day we headed towards Silverton and our first stop was at the Daydream mine to do a tour above and below the old silver mine. This mine dates from 1882 to 1983 where boys as young as 8 picked silver. The original smelter was from 1884.
Next stop Silverton, a town that was made famous by the Mad Max movie starring Mel Gibson, and A Town Like Alice, another Aussie classic. Though it is now only a shadow of its old self with a population of 60 they have some very interesting sights to visit. Quirky art galleries, the famous Silverton Hotel with lots of pictures from Mad Max, a very informative gaol museum that has lots and lots of history from the area, and donkeys roaming the street. I fell in love with one of the art galleries works Justin Cowz, might just have to buy one of his paintings for home.
11th August
As we could not travel down the Darling River Run from Tilpa to Menindee because of the wet roads we came in from Broken Hill. Menindee Lake is now full and it is such a large expanse of water. We camped at a park on the edge of the lake and walked down to the water. Geoff had previously been here in 2020 when the lake was bone dry, so he could really notice the difference.
We did a trip out the main weir and the Darling River upstream side was full of green vegetation so thick you would not have known that there was water underneath, except it was draining some water past the weir to flow downstream. We did walks around the area and view the lake from different vantage points, also visiting Copi Hollow, another part of the lake system that they keep filled with water, these lakes are Broken Hill’s water supply, with the locks they can control how much water from the Darling goes into Menindee.
13th August
On the road and heading back to White Cliffs with plans to visit the national park that had road closures due to flooding last time we were there. The road from Menindee to Wilcannia is a dirt road about 155 km with some corrugations and a storm front chasing us all the way. It certainly made for brilliant photos as the very broody sky kept threatening us with showers.
Arriving in Wilcannia, while reinflating the tires the rain caught up with us. We had another 100 km to go this time on sealed roads to White Cliffs.
When we reached White Cliffs we headed to the equestrian field where they had camel races and dirt bike events happening. We stayed for one camel race and had a burger for lunch, then the bikes started up with the strong wind it wiped up the dust so we high tailed it out and set ourselves up at the caravan park for the evening. Sunday we headed to the Paroo Darling National park. Vegemite sandwiches and fruit packed as planned to picnic on the banks of the Peery Lake. So with the rest of the area having road closures due to floods to our disappointment this lake was dry with only a few small patches of water or soaks to be seen. That put a damper on the bird watching that was promised in the area, but it was still interesting to investigate. The last time it was full was 2020 and the time before that 2011. It needs a very big rain event for it to be filled as they drain this lake to fill up further down south before finally allowing Peery to be filled. On a good note the flowers in the park were just beautiful and we appreciate seeing a country that is usually in drought being so green and colourful.
Its toss a coin time, the roads up to Loth via the Darling River run are both closed and it is time to plan our trip home. We wait till Monday morning to check on road conditions but were told it will be a while till either road is open.
Bird Photos Album 2022 Photo Album 202215th August 2022
Plan number "OH I don’t know, 287", we head to Cobar via Wilcannia. Staying in town this time on the banks of the river for a one night at Victory Park caravan park. This is a park run by the council and has just reopened after being closed due to the Darling River flooding.
Next night is Cobar and we stayed at a free camp behind the RSL and close to shops to top up our supplies. Another mining town and this time mining copper. We visited the Miners Memorial with the first death from 1880 and the last sadly in 2017.
Another one night spot is Nyngan, also on the river and the home of fishing and the Big Bogan who has pride of place in the town. Australia does big things well !
18th August 2022
Driving through golden fields of Canola we head towards Willie Retreat on the Macquarie Marshes. We previously visited and stayed here in 2019 so the difference was amazing. The old lady Mara had passed away and the land was bought by the neighbour, Leanne. They run their own farm and are bringing the retreat up to a decent standard for travellers to stop and stay. The old homestead is still standing but will be demolished as it is ridden with white ants and not very stable. The shearing quarters is being kept with a great camp kitchen , bathrooms and bunk rooms for hire. The clientele who stay range from bird watches groups, schools and the traveller passing by. When we were there we only had one other couple staying whom we met a couple of times in passing. Lots of water on the side of the road and also over the road which made it hard to access the marshes, so from one extreme of drought to the other of flood we have managed to experience it all. Everything is so green it is wonderful to see, plus the added gold from canola you can see why they are Australia’s colours.
20th August 2022
We had planned to head north via Carinda on a sealed road but just before we left Leanne informed us that a causeway just before Carinda was under 400mm of water, the Ranger would be OK but did not want to expose the caravan to that much water. So we head west toward Coolabah then north on a dirt road to Brewarrina adding a few hundred km to the trip. It was a very pleasant and interesting detour.
In Brewarrina we had a lovely night again on the river banks at ‘Beds on the Barwin’. A different park too previously and a bit further out of town which suited us and who wouldn’t want to stay beside the river. It was a nice spot and Geoff managed to get some photos of a whistling kites nest with a chick sitting on it so he was very happy with the spot.
21st August 2022
A quick stop at Walgett to take a photo of the silo that was painted in 2020 with a portrait of Jimmy Little an Aboriginal Country music singer/songwriter and also have a look at a property for a friend to make sure it was in one piece we decided due to reputation not to stay here for the night so we headed further on to Burren Junction as we make our way East and towards home. This is right on a train line and though a very tiny town outside of Walgett has lots of character. After setting up behind the pub we went for a stroll around town enjoying the feel of the place with its quirky buildings and the railway line and freight train that shunted off whilst we were there.
22nd August 2022
Now time to decide which way to travel home across the Great Dividing Range. Tenterfield seems the softest approach so we drive in the direction and decide to stay at Copeton Dam just east of Bingara. Wow, how cool is this, a spot right on the water’s edge and with kangaroos and emus just bounding and strolling past. With lots of water in the dam you can see why this would be a very popular spot. The park itself is huge and part of the national park. I am so glad we managed to get here when not many holiday makers were around as we had one camping area all to ourselves along with the kangaroos.
24th August 2022
Our last night on the road and I am keen to get home now but sad to finish our trip as it has been so enjoyable. So, to finish off we stay at R & R Farm Stay about 45km west of Casino. We were greeted by the owners Leanne and Bruce who were more than happy to spend time with us and explain care and maintenance of the animals. Alpacas, goats and cows were kept on their property. This is a hobby farm but if you ask me there seems to be a bloody lot of work to keep this hobby going. The fleece of the alpacas is shorn and Leanne has a cottage industry where she turns the fleece into felt to make bags, wallets, hats and baby booties. Leanne also turns the goat’s milk into soap. And what would a farm be without ducks and chooks along with two very noisy roosters, but truthfully, I slept through the 4am cock a doodle doo.
Now one of my favourite stories that Geoff was told when he worked in conjunction with Telstra is a tale of a Telstra pay phone in the Northern Territory. A fault was lodged that the pay phone was not working and the Telstra technician drive out to the phone location, but the bloody phone box was no longer there. Seems the locals liked to play cards at night and the phone box with its solar power provided that light. Now the phone box was a fair walking distance from the village so they chained it up to a 4x4 and dragged the box nearer to home. Of course, all the cables were pulled and the phone no longer worked, hence the report.
As I regaled this story to Bruce who lived in the NT and worked for Telstra he started to laugh, well it is a bloody good story, but the reason he was laughing was that Bruce happened to be the actual Telstra tech who drove out to investigate the fault. Wow small world.
25th August 2022
Just short of 6 weeks we are home again with lots of memories of country towns, rivers flooding, national parks and country people who work so hard, they are so happy and they love it.
We can’t thank all our farm stay hosts enough for everything we have learnt in this trip. You are all amazing for what you have been though with drought, bush fires and floods.
You all gave us time to have a chat and answer our endless questions about life on the land. Never did we feel we were imposing on your time and we can’t wait to journey back to see how the land changes again.
Cheers from Debbie and Geoff
Bird Photos Album 2022 Photo Album 2022
To visit the Sea-Eagle web page and view live video of the Eagles nesting click the link below.