Changing State

2nd May 2024

Distance: 475 Km

Fuel: 48 L

Hay (NSW) to Barmera (SA)

Left Hay Caravan Park at about 9am on a cloudless day. For some reason my back is playing up today to the point where I took one of my painkillers about mid morning. Once again it was a cold morning but it didn’t seem as cold as yesterday however I dug out my fingerless gloves just in case.

Driving across the Hay Plain was, as usual, less than exciting, until I passed through Balranald when the scenery did improve with a bit of variety.

Crossed into Victoria before entering Mildura where I filled up with fuel (in the end it was actually cheaper in Barmera but them’s the breaks)

As I passed the South Australia border sign I watched my sat nav and sure enough at exactly that border crossing the clocks changed back half an hour.

Before arriving at the quarantine check point at Yamba I threw away a couple of potatoes and an onion into the bin provided, when I arrived at the checkpoint I was told that the onion would have been allowed… Ho hum.

Drove through Renmark before reaching Barmera where the caravan park is situated. It is a very smart park situated on the shores of Lake Bonney, ironically it was actually cheaper at $34.50 than the park at Hay but has much better facilities including a kids water park, lake side picnic shelters and good sized sites.

Once I was set up I drove a couple of kms to fill up with fuel for tomorrow’s trip to Orroroo (love the name)

Just before sunset the sky clouded over. I don’t know if there will be rain.

Hay, Hay, It’s Wednesday.

1st May 2024

Distance: 318 Km

Fuel: 34L

Temora to Hay

Woke at 6.30am and went for a shower. The temperature must have been in single figures because it was cold but a hot shower soon warmed me up and I kept warm by donning one of my feather puffer jackets until the sun made its presence felt.

Left Temora at 9am, heading for Hay, again a well trodden route but not so far to travel today. Pretty easy journey with little traffic, I think I was overtaken twice and I over took one caravan.

As I said it was cool, I had the heater on in the car for the first couple of hours though the sun was out and it was a very pleasant day, didn’t use the A/C at all. Filled up with fuel at Narrandera where it was under $2 a litre.

Apart from the fuel stop only stopped once more at a rest stop around lunch time to stretch my legs and have a sandwich. The sides of the road looked like it had snowed, obviously the cotton harvest was in full swing with the sides of the road covered in cotton from the trucks transporting it

Arrived at the Hay Caravan Park about 2pm and took a powered site – when I was here last September a powered site was $29 now it is $39 – prices everywhere have gone mad.

After setting up and making a cup of tea drove to Hay township (about 3km away) for fuel and a look around. Hay must have been very prosperous at one time, so many its older, grander buildings were once owned by banks (not that it isn’t a thriving town now).

Hay is built on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River.

That evening I ate my remaining pork pie for my lunch.

Heading West

30th April 2024

Distance: 409 Km

Fuel: 43L

Am heading off to Western Australia, probably for one last time. This will be much quicker than the last trip, probably will only take half of last time.

Left home at about 9,30am in miserable weather – grey skies and rain. It remained like this until just after the Canberra Federal Highway turn off when the sun appeared, the showers disappeared and it turned into quite a nice afternoon.

Headed off the Hume Highway toward Harden, decided to stay at Temora Airport Caravan Park for the first night. Not a very exciting drive covering old territory. Probably only half a dozen caravans using the park.

Didn’t make much of a camp just unhitched the teardrop, unloaded my chair and made a coffee before going to get fuel. Spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the sunshine reading a book or watching a few light aircraft coming and going.