On to Cobar

18th November 2025

Distance: 408 km

Fuel: 43 L

Deciding to travel shorter distances each day has its benefits, every morning is very leisurely. I am still up at 6am for a shower followed by breakfast (invariably cereal), then there is time to look at any photos taken the day before, and write this blog.

Once again didn’t leave until after 9.30am. The morning was sunny with clear skies and that awful wind seems to have ceased, replaced by a pleasant breeze.

Set off past the reassuring sign that the road to Wilcannia was open.

Easy drive even after turning east onto the Barrier Highway, set cruise control to 100kph which seems to be the best compromise for speed and fuel economy.

Stopped a couple of time in rest areas because my sciatica was playing up as well as to make tea.

There were feral goats hanging about at the rest stop too.

Arrived in Cobar mid afternoon and set up my camper (which is basically unhitching it, opening the doors and the vent). It was much warmer than it has been the last few days with temperature creeping into the low 30s, though the humidity was only about 30% so it felt quite pleasant.

Drove into Cobar to fill up with fuel then spent the rest of the afternoon reading and eating.

Cobar to Dubbo

5th June 2021

Distance: 310km

Woke to quite a thick fog this morning however it was to be another lazy day, slowly got ready to leave and were on the road about 9.15am. There is only one way – through Nyngan then on to Dubbo.

Andrew had some radio issues which turned out to be the aerial plug had come loose, something he was quickly able to rectify.

We stopped at Nevertire for a short break (I always stop there) but it has gone down hill a bit, the pub is still open but the cafe has closed.

It was good to be back in the Central west of NSW.

Arrived at the caravan park at about 1pm to be given two large adjacent sites where we set up camp.

In the evening to two kids went Stargazing while I looked after the dog.

White Cliffs to Cobar

4th June 2021

Distance: 371km
Fuel: 69L

We weren’t in any rush to leave but any rush there was was dissipated by a phone call from the Cobar Caravan Park asking if we could delay our arrival until after 2pm because the current site resident had a medical emergency. No problem at all, it was a three and half hour drive anyway, we had to get fuel in Wilcannia and a stop on the way would easily kill time.

In the event we left White Cliffs about 9.30am and set off on the 100km journey to Wilcannia. Katie was worried about her fuel but thought she could make it – she didn’t want to put any more 91 octane fuel in her tank. I could probably have made it to Cobar with a few litres to spare but we have all learned to fill up when you can.

In the event her low fuel light came on about 30km from Wilcannia and she thinks she must have had about a half to one litre left in the tank when she filled up.

On the road to Cobar the cloud cover increased and by about half way we were getting intermittent showers, hardly enough to wet the roads most of the time but interspersed with a few short but heavy downpours.

Stopped at the roadhouse for coffee and arrived at Cobar Caravan Park at almost exactly 2pm, I think this is the most overpriced caravan park in NSW however were given two adjacent sites which was great – tonnes of room for us but right opposite a truck yard. Once again as we checked in people were being turned away as the park was completely booked out with no sites or cabins available.

After setting up Katie and I went sightseeing and shopping by now the weather had fined up and the sun was peeping through. Just to be on the safe side I booked a site at Temora for Monday night.

17th March 2018–Cobar

Distance: 294 km
Fuel: 32 L

Left Hillston at just after 9am as is becoming a habit. The weather forecast was for a heat wave all over the state this weekend.

I had intended to stop at the old mining town of Mount Hope but it seemed very disappointing. There was the pub and a few modern metal sheds but no sign at all of the old township so I moved on.

The land was very dry and I saw lots of wild life at the side of the road as I drove; kangaroos resting in the shade of a tree, many goats scuttling across the road ahead and the occasional emu.

I stopped at a rest area about 50km outside Cobar which was once a gold mining area. The rest area had some mementos of that time.

When I arrived in Cobar itself it was only midday so there was plenty of time to find the caravan park ($38 for a site – by far the most expensive place I have stayed at) and then find the tourist office.

Visited a couple of mine lookouts in the area. Everywhere there was old workings and deeps shafts.

I also visited a local reservoir; a Mecca for bird watchers – nothing better illustrates the town’s desperate need for water. The islands in the map are high and dry.

It was a very hot day fortunately humidity was only about 15% but even after the sun went down the temperature didn’t drop much.