Bourke

19th September 2024

Distance: 364 Km

Fuel: 68 L

Was up at 6am this morning, it was cool but not too bad – that Antarctic blast seems to be behind us now, once the sun is up the day warms up rapidly.

Am basically on the way home following a route I have travelled many times before – most recently in May.

Set off just after 8am for an uneventful drive to Cunnamulla where I filled up with fuel. Just as I was entering the town an Emu with her chicks strolled across the road.

Some time after 10am stopped at a rest area where I got my stove out to make a cup of tea.

I wondered why there were so many birds flying about in an agitated state. It was only when I looked up and realised the shelters were their home, the roof full of mud nests.

It was a pretty straightforward journey, I arrived in Bourke about 1pm and soon found the Mitchel Caravan Park.

Decided not to venture out of the park except for fuel.

Wyandra

18th September 2024

Distance: 287 Km

It was cold last night, according to BOM it was zero degrees though my camper stayed several degrees higher than that. I was lovely and warm in bed but I turned on my little electric heater before I got up just to take the chill out of the air. The sun soon warmed the place up and just after 7am was back to a T shirt.

Went for a walk along the river bank and back to the caravan park via a dirt road just for the exercise, no rush this morning only a three hour drive to Wyandra.

Passed the site of the Angellala Bridge explosion but didn’t stop this time.

Stopped about half way at a nice rest area and used my little stove to make some coffee and have a sandwich. Surprisingly I had it all to myself. As I left a passenger train came along the track beside the road, I wouldn’t be surprised if Queensland has more rural passenger services than NSW. I over took the train a little way further on.

I arrived at Wyandra about 1pm and checked in, I knew I had been here before but I could not remember it until I drove up. It’s a General Store/Post Office type of place in a very small town. The small caravan park is behind, they only charge $20 for a powered site and while the sites are fine the facilities are clean if rudimentary but good value.

I drove down to the sign posted “The Beach” just for a look.

If I have a complaint about the caravan park it is that there is little shade so I set up my new awning for the first time. It was a bit of a farce but eventually worked out how it went, it is a bit crude but as it cost under $200 including a side wall I can’t complain. If I use it a lot I will replace it with a better one but it did the job I bought it for – Didn’t try the sidewall.

The facilities are basic but clean and functional.

There is no fuel here but will buy fuel in Cunnamulla tomorrow on my way to Bourke.

Around Mitchell

17th September 2024

Distance: 96 Km

Fuel: 57 L

Was up at my usual time. After a shower decided to wash my dirty clothes as the day promised to be quite warm. In fact by 9am the day was already warm despite the night being near freezing.

Drove the 7km to Arrest Creek where the Kenniff brothers were arrested are killing two policemen. They are claimed to be the last Australian Bushrangers.

On the way back noticed a single bushranger in the same style as the sculpture at Arrest Creek.

Next drove to the camp site of Thomas Mitchell the surveyor trying to find an overland route to the Gulf of Carpentaria. It was actually about 35 km outside town along a mostly single lane road with a couple of kilometres of dirt road to the actual site.

Filled up with fuel for tomorrow once back in town, then called into the local bakery for their s lunch special of a “pork and gravy roll with chips”. I quite enjoyed it.

Mitchell is a nice little town though the number of vacant shops along the main street show that it is not experiencing the best of times.

The river reached a record level in 2012 flooding the town.

Mitchell

16th September 2024

Distance: 461 Km

The blustery winds that I feared would keep me awake last night subsided by 8pm so while it was a cold night it was a quiet night. I made a hot water bottle because it was so cold. It is not that my bed is too cold but the hot water bottle warms it up quickly.

This morning had my shower at 6am and my porridge just after 7am, it doesn’t take long to pack up so I was on the road by a few minutes after 8am.

I had planned to stop several times on the way but some times plans just don’t work out, for example in St George every vacant spot seemed to have a caravan parked in it.

Did stop at Thallon for a decent break and chance to look at their Silo Mural.

The road between St George is a “B” road and rest areas are few and far between, it wasn’t a bad road for probably three quarters of its length but toward the Mitchell end there were a lot of single lane sections where passing traffic has to put near side wheels in the dirt.

The Major Mitchell Caravan Park was easy to find on the outskirts of town and I soon had my spot, initially she offered me a ensuite site which I knocked back, it retrospect I should have taken it as it was only $5 more than an ordinary site.

Once set up I wandered down to the river.

As it was still only mid afternoon drove into town, noticed a tyre place so went in and asked if they could balance the front wheels today as it happened they could so I left the car and walked down to the spa centre for coffee and cake. These hot spas are common over the Great Artesian Basin.

Back at the caravan park tried to plan my next move, was somewhat shocked to find that parks in Cunnamulla are charging $61 a night, I think that is ridiculous so am still not sure where to go next.

I read my book for a while before making myself some dinner, might watch a movie tonight, still haven’t bothered to set up the aerial so TV News is out.

Moree

15th September 2024

Distance: 390 Km

Fuel: 32 L

It was a cold night, it got down to about 4°, something I am not used to even though my bed was perfectly warm, I warmed the place up with my little heater, it is only 400 watts but it soon heats up such a small space. Had a beautiful hot shower before making hot porridge for breakfast.

Didn’t rush to get away and left after 8.30, in retrospect should have left earlier and had more breaks.

A fairly long drive, stopped a few times including a longer stop in Coonabarabran just to get some exercise – not much traffic, it is Sunday.

Arrived in Moree about 2.30pm and found the caravan park, it even has a hot spa – Moree gets hot water from the Great Artesian Basin, it’s supposed to be full of healthy minerals. The park is on the banks of a river where, I am told, the fishing is good.

Apart from getting fuel and wandering down to the Railway Station I didn’t really go anywhere, the weather is cold and windy, I doubt the temperature today got to 20°. I sat in the car to drink a cup of coffee it was so cold. According to BOM this is a burst of cold air straight from Antarctica.

The wind is buffeting the camper about, it might wake me up tonight. I don’t sleep so well for the first couple of nights anyway, getting used to the “strange” bed.

Gulgong

14th September 2024

Distance: 376 Km
Fuel: 41L

No Plans

Have set off with no destination in mind other than a short visit to Queensland and warm weather. I just felt like a few days travelling away from home.

Set Off

Left Wollongong about 8.30, having decided that there shouldn’t be too much traffic on the F6 as it is a Saturday. Up Mount Ousley, Picton Road and headed north on the Hume Highway.

I think I have seen more police today than I have seen in my entire life. There was a gaggle of them on two occasions parked on the centre reservation. I say a gaggle there must have been a dozen cars at each. Further north I saw a similar crowd, perhaps not quite as many but by only a few. On both occasions they seemed more interested in the southbound lanes. Later I saw several police cars and a dozen police motor bikes escorting what could have been a motorcycle rally of over a hundred bikes (that’s a guess)

Apart from that the journey was uneventful. Driving through the Blue Mountains was the usual hell on wheels but there were no delays just heavy traffic.

At Lithgow I turned north and thereafter traffic was fine, just the occasional car or truck.

Gulgong

Arrived in Gulgong about 2pm, fond the caravan park and soon had myself set up.

When I stayed here before the park was pretty run down and seemed to cater for local workers but now it is full of cabins and new facilities.

Drove into Gulgong town centre to see if anything had changed since my last visit. Nope, it looks exactly the same, the only difference was that the Chinese restaurant where I ate had changed into a Thai restaurant.

It is pleasantly warm here 23/5° but I suspect it will be quite cool tonight, we shall see.

BTW it has taken me a while to remember some of the things about the camper that were second nature to me, getting older I suppose.

Home Sweet Home

1st June 2024

Distance: 382.6 Km

I had intended to leave early but in the event didn’t get going until about 7.30am, it was a cold, damp morning so I had a long hot shower before breakfast. I made a coffee to have in the car as I drove.

When I set off from Cowra it was very foggy but the fog suddenly disappeared almost instantly as I left the town.

In spite of the forecast it didn’t actually rain on my way home though it remained grey and overcast the whole time. An easy drive, most of it being on the Hume Highway and being a Saturday morning there was little traffic. I arrived home about midday.

Jobs

Got stuck straight into the task of emptying the car and camper of bedding, clothes etc that needed washing which will probably get done on Monday when a sunny day is predicted. Will empty the car of equipment on Sunday.

There are few minor jobs that need doing on the camper and I have a few ideas for improvements. I have ordered an awning for the side of the car even though I did enjoy the cover provided by my gazebo. The battery in the camper is suspect, I might replace it with an AGM battery – the one in the car is still going strong after 8 years of use.

The car is way overdue for a service!

I suspect that is probably the last long trip I undertake, in future will look at shorter trips of perhaps a few days or a maximum of a week to ten days. I like southern Queensland and there is a lot to explore in Victoria.

Trip Statistics

Distance travelled: 12,400 km

Fuel used: 1330 litres

Total accommodation: $1441

Total fuel: $2910

Average fuel price: $2.21/l

Fuel economy: 10.9 litres per 100km

Suddenly it’s Cold and Wet!

31st May 2024

Distance: 486 Km

Fuel: 57 L

Was woken at something like 3.30am by the sound of rain on the roof of the camper. Quickly got up and put my chair in the back of the car and closed the glass part of the outer door, once back inside the camper turned on the fans that drag air in from the kitchen part of the camper before going back to sleep.

In the morning it was still raining though not very heavily so went for my shower and slowly got ready to leave. A relatively long drive as I hoped to make Cowra by early/mid afternoon. Because of the rain I did look at making a beeline to home but it really was too far especially in such bad weather. Pulled up the plastic sheeting I keep under the mattress to protect against water getting past the door seals.

I don’t think it stopped raining entirely all day and the sky remained grey the whole time.

A couple of creeks/rivers that I crossed looked as if they were nearly at flood level but I didn’t actually encounter any flash floods at all.

Topped up with fuel at Nyngan where it was a surprising $1.91 a litre.

The caravan park, about 3 or 4 km outside Cowra, was very soggy but I suppose it doesn’t matter any more I should be home tomorrow. To be fair when I went to get fuel later there was a slight touch of blue sky in the distance (the forecast said that it won’t last – more rain tomorrow).

Back to NSW

30th May 2024

Distance: 457 Km

Fuel: 56 L

Was up at my usual 6am for a shower, breakfast etc. Slowly packed up my stuff, as always there was no rush and I ended up setting off just before 9am.

Pretty typical drive until Cunnamulla, as I was leaving the township I noticed the sign…

Did a quick mental calculation and realised that I would be cutting it a bit fine as I had already done about 300 km on this tank full. Did a quick U turn and drove back into the town to fill up with fuel.

The next landmark was leaving Queensland and entering NSW again.

Stopped again in Bourke for fuel (gave the Outback Centre etc a miss this time).

Funny thing was that for the first time on this trip actually felt tired while driving even though this was not an exceptionally long drive so stopped in a rest area and walked around for a bit to wake myself up.

Finally arrived at the small town of Byrock where the local pub has a caravan park in its back yard so booked a site for the night. Very much a bush setting with power points!

Looks like rain over the next couple of days, I must remember to check my waterproofing in the camper in the morning as BOM reckons it could be heavy.

Wyandra

29th May 2024

Distance: 409 Km

Fuel: 26 L

Another slow start to the day though I was up at 6am for my shower but just took my time getting ready to leave. The trip is really coming to an end with only a few days before I get home.

Just to see if it improves my fuel economy I decided not to exceed 100kph today.

My first stop was in Augathella I don’t know why but I always call in. This time I bought a coffee and some fuel.

My only other stop was at the Angellala Bridge Explosion site. Unfortunately today the sun was just too bright and badly positioned to take decent photos.