Log 28-03 Woodenbong to Sippy Downs

Set out today for Woodenbong via Kyogle.

Left our mushy site about 9:30 this morning, drove to Woodenbong, 90 k’s away, arriving nearly 2 ½ hours later. The road was narrow, steep in many places, & very winding, but the vistas we saw, stretching out for miles at times, were awe inspiring. Long rolling hills all lush & green, deep valleys & distant mountains appearing around every corner, several times we stopped, just to take in the view. Kyogle appeared to be a successful town with a mixture of well kept old houses & modern houses. Even the fields were very neat & tidy as small herds of animals grazed the fertile land.

Woodenbong or Wooden Bong as Liz renamed it after leaving Nimbin, is a small, quiet, pop. 600, town with a tiny shopping center of 6 shops. Or so we thought until we came to the community hall where rock n’ roll music was blasting out the door. It turned out to be some sort of senior citz gathering.

We enquired about the road North as there was some doubt as to whether it had reopened yet, but it was clear to go. We were also directed to the local community ground where we could stay for $5.00 a night, unpowered & a dollar for a shower. We have picked a reasonably dry spot to stay & spent a quiet, pleasant afternoon in the sun & with the cool mountain air, the best nights sleep so far.

Our target today was Tamborine Mountain, another 90k’s. More hilly country on the way, more glorious views. Arriving on the mountain around 11:00 we went for a walk to Curtis Falls, then on to the information centre to check on all the sights, & accommodation as well. As it was difficult getting around in the van (no parking for large vehicles) we decided to leave the van at the caravan park & run round on the scooter. Imagine our surprise when we arrived at the park only to find they were closed for renovations & they were the only one on the mountain. As we had to drive back down we decided to stay down & found a park at Oxenford. What a disaster!

Next day we rang our friends, the Pecks, to let them know we were about to gatecrash their place, stayed for 3 delightful days, only must do thing was to drive back to Tweed Heads to vote on the Saturday for which Marilyn graciously lent us her car.

Standing outside their house on the rolling hills of Mount Nathan, Tambourine Mountain was right in front of us, to the left was their lychee orchard & to the right was the macadamia orchard. When you walked through the macadamia trees you came to the Coomera River, which dissects their property on the banks of which Colin had erected a BBQ picnic area. The weather was delightful, warm sunny days & cool nights, just perfect for relaxing.

Come Sunday we were sorry to leave but it was time to push on, todays destination, Bribie Island.

As we drove along the weather started to turn bad, by the time we arrived at the island it was threatening rain & it was just suburbia, so we decided to push on. Our next stop was                                             to visit Dan’s parents.

Back on the highway it started pouring & rained most of the way there, finally we arrived at Sippy Downs & we were warmly greeted by Erol & Julie, spent a delightful night with them & slept in a comfortable bed for a change.             

Mount Lyndsay

Curtis Falls, Mt. Tambourine

Along Curtis Falls track

Lychee orchard

Macadamia orchard

Colin, Marilyn & someone unknown

Bridge to Bribie Island

Glasshouse mountains

Log 21-03 Casino & Nimbin

Friday: Walked around the complex again today, this time armed with information about the place. The cottages vary in size from 60 square metres to 180 square metres from basic to luxury. Spent the morning (still wet) walking & looking. After lunch walked into town, about 1.5 k’s, walked all over town , then back to the village. Missed happy hour.

It’s rained most of the time for the 4 days we’ve been here, keen to get back on the road. This morning we set off for Nimbin drizzled all the way but cleared up when we arrived. Nimbin shopping centre was a buzz of activity. Lots of people, very colourful, crazy shop signs, we spent several hours just people watching. We went into an art center & this well dressed, mature lady sitting behind a desk asked if she could help us, as she came round the desk we saw that together with the smart blouse she was wearing, she also had on the daggiest pair of cargo pants you ever saw & one pink & one blue shoe??? Sitting & watching we realized that all the locals varied from slim to skinny. No obesity here. Nimbin has a population of 300 & 9 police looking after them. It’s been a very interesting day.

Nimbin Pub

Unusual shop names

Bright shop fronts

Very large carvings

Check out the small sign top left.

Log 17-03 Casino

Monday:   Liz drove again today & as we left L.R. we took a 20K detour as we were told that the floods had left a lake approx. 10K by 50K which at first cut off the main highway North but now had dropped a metre. We were to drive 10K then take a dirt road to the lake. After driving 20K we found the road but decided we didn’t like the looks of it so instead of turning back for Moree we continued on another 40K to Hebel in Qland.  The road North from L.R. was surrounded by fields of waving green grass, just amazing to see, with ponds of water lining the road.

When we hit the border the scene changed from green to fields of rotting grass, fences were covered in debris & the road was badly damaged, strips of road were just gravel in some places & had been resealed in others. We drove through Hebel (6 houses & a general store) & on to St. George, a further 173K.  Fields of cotton lined the highway, some just starting to bud, Liz thought it was very beautiful. A beautiful little town once again. We stopped for lunch & visited the local emu egg carver. Paid $3.00 to check out his work. It was just fantastic Liz was very enthusiastic & he gave her an egg he had carved. While at the butchers he (the butcher) suggested we drive another 45K to Nindygully Pub to stay for the night. It’s a nice big open area by the side of the Moonie River & Q’lands oldest pub, originally a staging point for Cobb & Co.

Happy hour at the pub was 4:30 to 5:30, $2.00 pots of beer. We stayed till 6:30 talking to the locals while Liz kept running back to the van checking the corned silverside she was preparing for dinner which we ate outside. We retired about 10:00 P.M. still 30º in the van.

Tuesday:   Liz drove first again today as we set off for Texas Q’land. It was a good run to Goondiwindi but the amount of road kill was enormous, averaging about 1 every kilometer for much of the distance. Goondiwindi turned out to be a large town with all usual facilities, we walked the length of the main street, took photos of the Victoria Hotel in the middle of town. Filled up the truck & left about an hour & a half later. The Bruxner Highway turned out to be anything but, pot holed, rutted & generally lumpy & bumpy. By the time the Texas highway appeared we had travelled 270k’s. About a k out of town we stopped at a free camp site where you are allowed to stay for up to 14 days. In town is a dump point, free hot showers & water. Talk about visitor friendly. Met another couple at the campsite, Norm & Rose, been on the road on & off, for 32 years. Gave us a lot of information on places to stop. There was about 6 motorhomes at the camp, more than we have seen in the past fortnight, & also about 10 caravans. At 4:00 PM we were invited to happy hour, anyone who wanted to just got together & chatted about their experiences. Another great night.

Wednesday:   walked into town did some window shopping then back to the van, final cuppa then off to Wallangarra, near Tenterfield.

So today it didn’t go well, punched co-ordinates into the GPS in Degrees, minutes, seconds (normaly degres.XXXX) & off we went, only 76 k’s according to the GPS. Well, it delivered us into the middle of nowhere, when I punched in the name of the place we had been going in the wrong direction & now had 105 k’s to go. Finally, hours later we arrived. Tonight’s stop turned out to be a roadside nature stop with a park behind, ah well, it is a nice park, kids flying kites, mothers with children in the playground. No other vans of course. To make it worse I just set up the TV …… no reception.

Next Casino.

Thursday, finally, a good nights sleep! After a hearty breakfast we set off for Casino. It was over the great dividing range today so it was a bit slow at times but no problems as we stayed on the highway. We continued on past Casino to Lismore as we had some business to attend to. Lismore is huge, pop. 52,000, another major country city. There are many interesting examples of old architecture, and all in good condition. Back to Casino which is large in itself, pop. 11,000, even has an Aldi. We did a bit of shopping & then proceeded to find the motorhome village. We have booked in for 4 nights, hope we have plenty to do & I’m sure we will as there are many natural features in the area. By the time we booked in & set ourselves up it was mid afternoon so we just relaxed for a while & the walked around the complex. The idea behind this place is that everyone living in the village owns a motorhome/caravan & this is the common denominator. The complex is owned by the Campervan & Motorhome Club of Aust. & you have a house built or buy one already there. I don’t know annual costs but the cost of purchasing a place has doubled in the past 4 years. There is a clubhouse, pool, BBQ area, & lots of open space. We were surprised by the size of some of the houses as plans we have seen have been very basic. More to follow.

P.S. found problem with GPS ..... user error!

Never saw one

Carved ostrich egg

emu egg

Hospitality here is nbelievable

Inside Nindigully pub

Bridge over Moonie river

Nindigully pub

Victoria Hotel Goondiwindi

Wot can I say

The aftermath of the flood

Free camp at Texas

Log 14-03 Lightning Ridge

Before leaving Wee Waa we went for a walk along the levee, next to our campsite.

It was amazing to see that the town was just over the other side, as we proceeded we saw the school, the pool, & the hospital connected to which was the nursing home & doctors surgeries. We saw this in Dunnedoo as well, it seems so practical to have all the health services together.

After our walk we took off for Walgett, arriving there about 11:30. On the way we could see vast fields of cotton growing, lush green, not yet flowering. At one point we saw something on the road ahead, as we neared we saw it was 4 emus running along, they ran to the side of the road as we came abreast of them then joined the rest of the flock we now saw in the field. After this we saw many flocks of them. Walgett was not a great town & not much to do so, after visiting the local markets & having the compulsory sausage sandwich, we decided to proceed to Lightning Ridge. Did I mention the bugs, huge unidentifiable monsters, as they hit the truck there was a thWUK sound, thWUK, thWUK, thWUK. If they hit the wire screen protecting the windscreen it was thWONG, thWONG. Flood damage was obvious along the road with plenty of water still in the lower areas and alongside the road. Humidity is very high.

Arriving here around 1:30 & 250 k’s later, we went to the information center to see what was on. After booking in to a park we relaxed for a while then went on a self drive tour, called a ‘car door tour’. There are yellow, green, red & black tours. Starting in town you pick a colour & follow the doors, we picked yellow, O.K. for a couple of k’s then it turned to dirt. We had taken the scooter for the trip & were vibrating & bouncing around while checking out the sites. Getting back to town we next checked the hot artesian bore baths ready for tomorrow. After dinner it was the pub out front & meet the locals time.

We spent a pleasant hour in the 41º water & then proceeded to the local Sunday markets for breakfast & a browse, then back to Wherarwee  for a shower & relax.

After lunch we went for a run on the scooter but, at 37º it was HOT. Back home for a cool drink & a bit of reading.  After dinner, another trip to the baths . It is quite a meeting point with people greeting each other as they arrive. We were picked out as the owners of the scooter, I suppose everyone knows each others vehicle. We returned home around 8:30. Temp still 31º.

Ready for an early start this morning for the trip to Moree.

Mining leases

Disused mine

Disposing of the soil

The airfield

Substantial miners cabin

Another use for old beer bottles

The arterial baths

I didn't know it was this extensive

Log 12-03 Wee Waa

Log 11-03 Narrabri

We drove to Narrabri for our next stop, about 120 k’s. We were both surprised at how large the town was with everything the Central Coast has to offer, even the big “M” & subway. Parking Wherarwee at a convenient spot we walked the length of the main street, checking out the shops & businesses. We noticed that there were no fresh food shops & were puzzled by this, but as we got to the end of the shopping center there they all were, the butcher, the baker etc., even Woolworths. We picked a caravan park on the side of the Namoi River, but when we went to select a spot there were none with river views. The park was clean & neat & the owner very friendly, he had put up a notice board with things to see & do which was great as it was impossible to catch him at the office. No photos.

Next stop Wee Waa.

Log12-03

Wee Waa was only about 46 k’s away but when we got there we wanted to see the remarkable architecture of the houses, no photos as we would have to show hundreds. People here must have pride in their homes as they are mostly in beautiful condition, we drove around town just gawking at them. We then went to check out the local museum, uh, oh, local hospitality got us again. As soon as we walked in he door we were offered a cup of tea, then ensued a lengthy discussion on the history of the town, cotton growers in the area, a & how the museum was set out. We then looked through the artifacts on show there, when we got to the cotton growing section a fellow asked us if we had any questions, no was our reply. Well said he, let me show you how cotton is grown …… after 2 hours we left the museum with, not only a much greater appreciation of cotton growing, but where was the best place to have lunch. We then di d a bit of shopping and decided to stay the night. Liz picked out a great place on the banks of the Namoi River. The weather has, for the last 4 days, been in the high 20’s during the day & stayed in the mid 20’s for much of the night with NO breeze whatsoever. Sleeping has been hard, to say the least, and this day was no different.


Tomorrow on to Walgett.

Imperial Hotel & main street, WeeWaa

Looking back along the river from our camp

Bridge over the lagoon the river fed into

Looking back along the river towards our camp near the bridge

Our free camp site

Log 10-03 Warrumbungles

Off we go again, Liz drove today (Monday), bumping along over the 16 k’s of dirt road as a starter. After 120 k’s we arrived at Coonabarrabran, to my amazement it’s still the same as it was many years ago. Picked up some supplies and off for the las 37 k’s to the Warrumbubgle N.P. On the way we called in to Spring Siding Observatory. After a quick study of how telescopes operate we were allowed to stand under the actual scope used, unfortunately not to look through it. Cost to run is $40,000.00 a day. Then on to the park where we picked a semi shady spot to stay. So quiet here, you can almost hear your heart beat. Occasional bird calls & just the odd goanna walking past to distract you. 4:00 PM must go now, it’s happy hour.

This morning went for a bushwalk for a couple of hours before returning to camp. After lunch I went for a bike ride around the park while Liz caught up on some reading.

Wednesday, promise of rain today so we went for a walk early returning just before a shower. We sat under the awning with a cup of tea listening to the pitter patter on the roof with the smells of the bush, mostly eucalypt but sometimes a smell like cork is wonderful, so relaxing, we both love this place. After lunch another walk, a few spits of rain but that’s all, we had a quiet afternoon reading, naps, cups of tea. There are only 2 other occupied campsites in the area & we are all far apart so there is no people noise at all.

Thursday, moving off today, did one last short walk to a lookout and then on to Narrabri.

Warrumbungles

3 roos drinking

Warrumbungles

Warrumbungles

Near our campsite

On a walk

Log 7-03 Coolah

Coolah Tops National Park began life in 1996, up until then it was a state forest.

We left Dunedoo around 10:30 A.M. for the 86 k drive, the last 16 or so of which was a good, if somewhat rocky dirt road, once again 2nd & 3rd gear all the way, arriving at our destination around 1:45 P.M. . On our way to The Barracks camping ground where we settled for the night, we stopped off for a look at Norfolk Falls, not much rain lately but they were still nice to see, tumbling over the ledge into the pool far below. The walk was only a k each way but with plenty of steps to make it interesting.

Arriving at the camp ground we set up for the night, lunch, a walk around the area & some relaxing reading time filled in the afternoon, no people sounds, just the sounds of the bush. Around 5:00 the wallabies appeared, ignoring us as they ate. It was great just to sit & observe them.

            Next morning we went for a walk to see the giant blackboys, there had been much damage due to bush fires but still they were majestic to see, some up to 4 m tall. Returning to camp we had morning tea & headed off. It was beautiful in the bush but the serenity of the area was destroyed by the raucous cacophony of the multitude of sulphur crested cockatoos. Next stop, the Warrumbungles.

Norfolk Falls

Greeting committee

What's for dinner

A small part of the flock

A trip to the loo my darlin'

White girl, black boy

A few more of the little fella's

Back to camp

The road in