Driving along I'm mesmerized by the vastness of the open plains to Narrabri then watching Mount Kaputar National Park to my left
ever increasing in size, then onward to Boggagri where the ever changing landscape becomes hilly. Reaching Gunnedah late afternoon I receive directions to the showground for a relatively cheap stop over for $15 with power. I look forward to seeing more of this interesting town tomorrow.
I had the best sleep last night, only hearing one train sometime early this morning, took me back to my childhood when we stayed over at my grandparents who had their home near the railway line at Mulgrave near Richmond.
I've spotted a vacated concrete slab skirting the fence and will move kit and caboodle to that position before I start my tour of this lovely town. When the rain does come I wont worry so much. A limit of 3 nights stay here in the show ground, which is really a closed off area beside the show grounds, that suits me fine.
The rain arrived later in the afternoon, quite heavy at times during the night with thunder early Saturday morning before the sun broke through by mid morning.
Took a chance on Harvey Norman to help me out with my dead Fuji battery and sure enough assistance came with a Fuji charger found in a box so I left the battery to charge for a few hours while I toured the town. So this is the capital of Koalas, boasting they have the most healthy and numerous Koalas here, the map shows where they are, not that I could spot them. The first lookout I drove up was called "Pensioners Hill" and was called this as during 1890's and the 1930 depression, destitute families and swaggies lived in tents and humpies on the hill.
It now boasts beautiful sandstone sculptures.
The town itself it really quite large and all the roads seem very wide in the greater area of Gunnedah.
Author Dorothea Mackellar of the poem "My Country" lived here. You know the one...
I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping planes,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!
There is much to see here.....
The Liverpool Ranges in the distance, that's the direction I'll be traveling tomorrow morning, through Tamworth, Walcha, Wauchope and on to home. I may need another stop over?
Still catching up....
I enjoyed Lightning Ridge so much I would like to come back some day but not so long as was the last time (about 35 years ago) Of what I remember, its still the same dirt mounds and bloody big holes in the ground.
On leaving town at a slow pace, first a little shopping to stock up on stores but what's this! the whole main street has no power. The IGA store was having solar power installed, there was some kind of accident with one man taken to the local hospital, with not too serious injuries. Picked up a few items at the garage and headed out, cruising along in mid afternoon I came across many sheep on the road near the very tall metal statue of an Emu.
Across the road from here there is a free camp site, about 14ks out of town.
I have decided to return to Burren Junction for a few days (I think I've become a bore bath junkie) this time staying on the Tamilaroi Hwy to Narrabri and onto Gunnedah, I'll take a closer look at Wee Waa on my way through.
I spotted this Mob of Emu (I asked google what to call them) in the bush near the road. When I got out of the car to take a photo they turned to walk away so I got Ruby out, when they seen her they turned toward us for a closer inspection of the little brown hairy thing. Ruby gave a little chase, then the boss of the group turned (on the right of the picture) flapped his feathers and turned toward her, well, did she take off in the other direction. I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes, just the funniest thing to see....
Eventually arrived back at Burren Junction, rain is expected tomorrow. There are still just as many caravan/rv's here as before with a count of no less than 6 single female travelers enjoying the free camp.
How about this for a storm, heading our way...
Mud, mud everywhere, well the red dirt is ok but don't wander onto the brown stuff or you will grow an inch or two with the stuff stuck on your shoes. It dries out really quickly but there is another storm expected on Friday so I'm out of here Thursday afternoon with not a clue to where I'll make my next camp, just know I want to see Gunnedah.
