Our first overnight stop was at Jerrys Plains, not too far from home just yet.This camp spot was recommended to me by a friend (Solo Steve) it is a cleared mostly level area with clean toilets nearby.
Luckily there were a couple of caravans already here that were visable from the main road as I would have (as usual) sailed by without noticing the camp site. We enjoyed a very quiet night considering the highway is a short distance away. The morning bought Kangaroo's grazing near by, I spotted a large buck near the back of the motor home and got Ruby a bit excited wanting to get outside quickly to give chase, I think she would have turned tail though, if I let her out.
There were a few hills to climb on the Golden Hyw with the motor home struggling a bit but the advice I'd been given from Rod, a neighbour and x truck driver, to drive the m/h as a truck and change gears earlier before loosing the revs worked most of the time. Continuing on the Golden Hwy we turned off after Cassillis to Coolah toward Binnaway, our next camp. The road flattened out considerably and the scenery opened up with plenty of ploughing work in progress on properties.
Binnaway is a great camp spot, allowing 3 day stays, coin op electricity at 3 hours by $2 and hot shower 5 min by $2 which is plenty of time for a lovely shower. The main drag is a short walk away. Unfortunately the weather turned colder and overcast the next day so we hunkered down with power in early evenings, warm as toast with the air conditioner running. The rain was continual over the next few days so we ended up staying for 4 days till the sun came out, well! we are in no hurry.
On folding up my awning, one of the arms jumped out of its fitting and was difficult to get back into position. A camper inspected the awning for me and gave the arm a good push into position, I later found this hasn't fixed the problem. Something to repair when back home.
So we left Binnaway on Monday, stopped in at Coonabarabran for a quick look around and found a park for the dogs while we had a cuppa in the motor home. I had picked up a 2kg gas bottle ($29) at a Masters store at Rutherford for back up incase the fridge ran out of gas while free camping, I had it filled at the mitre 10 store for $9 and had already bought the top converter/adaptor thing for $11 before I left home so was a little expensive but, I think worth the peace of mind.
Continued on to Narrabri showground in the early afternoon and happily paid the caretaker $8 per night for our powered sites per single person, that also included a discount for being CMCA members. The cold weather has really set in and being the weaklings that we are, looked forward to the heating to ward off the cold. The motor home has used most of the first tank of fuel, down to 1/4 tank and made 500 kl so I'm very happy with that consumption.
Nicki has to wait for mail that needed to be returned directly so we stayed here for a few days, getting colder (-2deg) but not raining. Also the gas fitter comes out to the showground to repair the gas hot water, and wouldn't you know it, it worked straight away for him.
We planed on leaving Thursday but..... Nicki's hot water overflow leaked all the hot water out of the overflow pipe, she had campers coming over to help/give advice so she called the gas man again, who couldn't come out till Friday. Well! would you know it, in the afternoon she gave the gas heater another go and it worked ok, possibly was just a frozen pipe. No more early morning showers for Nicki. Cancelled the gas man and the door lock is repaired at the local lock smith and we are on our way on Friday.
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| To cold for Ruby |
Heading for Moree, figuring we will stay at its showground but we find the fee is $19.50 for a site, bugger that's a sting in the tail. Don't believe all you read on Wikicamps, stating it being $9 per single person, not true. The power outlets are in a terrible state here, looks like some have melted burn marks. I don't think the caretaker took kindly to my reporting of the condition of the outlets, maybe that's why he wouldn't give us a single fee, we also didn't park in the right direction to his liking, anyway I think we were spoilt at Narribri showground, a much nicer place.
We are into mid afternoon and I'm not comfortable driving much later in the day, don't want to contribute to more road kill but we push on another 90 odd kl to a small town called Boomi, a camp ground beside Artesian pools and directly opposite the police station. We are welcomed to share a fire in a choofer, we are grateful for the lovely amber glow and the company that turn out to be near neighbours of the Newcastle/Port Stephens districts. It seems to be a small world out here....what's the chances! that 4 separate couples and us come from close proximity of each other.
Another 36kl will take us to the Barwon Hwy finally crossing the border into Queensland.
Tomorrows another day, will we take the plunge into the Artesian pools? Will we leave here before lunch? and head for Talwood Sports ground or Nindigully hotel where they make to biggest hamburger ever!
