Droving day

Well, lots of excitement in the camp today, we had two lots of cattle passing by, we were given warning about this and some caravans had to move but we were ok because we were behind a fence. First lot,  a thousand head of older cattle were ok  and they meandered down the road, bit of trouble going over the bridge but on the second try they went. A second lot came only about 300 or so, these were younger cattle and harder for the drovers to handle, they had 3 goes to get them across the bridge and in the end they had to let them go in the bush and down the river further where they crossed ok. We had planned to move today but to much happening and it's a great camp we decided to stay till tomorrow, met some lovely people, campfires each night....

The young girl in the red was only 5!!!

You can see the drovers whip in action

Heading to the bridge

Turning back

Rounding up some strays

And finally the first lot go over the bridge

Second lot

Second lot were not as easy to manage

Close to the bridge, but turning back

Second try

Letting them settle for a while

Frustrating!!

The lead horse is on the bridge, but they just would not go

In the end they bolted into the bush and they crossed them further down the river. Brian will have photos of them crossing the river on his blog as he and others went down, Bentley and I stayed at camp, I had Bentley out of  the van for a while but the smell and noise excited him and I was worried he would get loose and in the cattle, and probably roll in the poo, there is a lot of that on the road......

Queensland

After a great stay in Lightning Ridge, we moved out on Sunday heading into Queensland,travelled about 230ks and stopped at St George, a small town in which everything except the service station was closed, Sunday of course, IGA supermarket was open but closed at 4pm, we got there at 3.59pm, to late doors locked. We camped at a park just outside town and had a site by the river, very relaxing.

Monday we travelled about 100ks to Surat, and found a great free camp just outside town, very popular place and about 30 vans in by tea time. We explored the town today, Tuesday and spent some money in town which helps support them seeing they have a great free camp spot, they also have a lovely riverside walk and there is exercise equipment dotted along that you can use, great fun, thinking of doing the walk again tomorrow !! 

No bakery in town, been a while since we have had a decent bakery hit ...

We had a campfire last night and planning on one tonight too, not cold, just good to have a fire and a chat, met people last night who live in Mandurah WA and planning on moving to Albany....

Our camp spot at St George 

Sun going down

Thought it was about time for a food photo, chicken bolognaise, jacket potatoes and veg

Great museum at Surat, Cobb and Co coaches came through here, last one was in 1924

Brian trying the cross trainer on the riverside walk

Riverside walk

Lightning Ridge still

We are now on to our fourth night here, a record for us don't usually stay in a caravan park for more than two nights, but have enjoyed the park and found lots to see and do in the "ridge"

We will be moving on tomorrow heading north to Queensland but not sure where yet.

Yesterday we went through the opal fields and to the Pubs in the Scrup, 3 of them. The Club, Sheepyard, and Glengarry Hilton.  Started on bitumen. But it had about 6 cattle grids on it, Bentley hates them, gets himself stressed out, fine when we hit the dirt rd and into the opal fields. We stopped at the Club first, then Sheepyard, where we had a drink and a chat then on to Glengarry Hilton where we had drink and lunch. All through the drive on the opal fields there are camps, some working some not, it would be so hot out here in the summer, no wonder they need 3 pubs.

Today we had a relaxing day, bacon and egg breakfast, a drive, a bit if fossicking, found a few slivers of what might be opal and then a coffee in town. Brian gave the car a wash, it was covered in white dust from the roads.

Some photos from our drive out to the Pubs

We missed the fresh bread, only baked Tuesday, Thursday and Sat, we were there Friday..

We had lunch here, burger for Brian, chicken and chips for me, no photos of food as the flies were so bad we had to keep food covered and eat quickly !!! 

Fossicking.......

Amigos Castle, he started building this in the 80's, never finished, now a tourist attraction

Lightning Ridge

We have now moved further north to Lightning Ridge, getting closer to the Queensland Border only about 70ks further north.

We are in a caravan park here, our first for a few weeks, did two loads of washing as soon as we arrived, great park, free wifi and we have had live entertainment each afternoon with country and western singers. There is an Artisian Bore nearby but haven't had time to try it out, have been told water is clearer but hotter than our last one at Burren Junction.

Today we walked the town, lots of opal shops, some very touristy and others more like jewellers, tomorrow we plan on heading out to the Pub in the Scrub and a few other places in the opal fields, hoping for lunch out.......

Tonight we drove out to see the sunset so a few photos of that.

Tea tonight is pizza and salad, only frozen pizza, but Brian found a pizza oven in the camp kitchen so he just had to try it out.

Weather is great about 26 degrees in the day with cool evenings, Back to tshirts etc instead of jumpers

Sign at the rest area on way to the Ridge yesterday

Opal fields and look there's Grandad wandering around again

Mine shaft

Waiting for the sunset

And there goes the sun.......

Taking the waters

Yesterday a mobile dog wash came to the show grounds, we asked about Bentley having a trim and a bath and she said ok for 9.00am tmw, great, he really needs a trim, phone call at 7.00am asking was 8.00am ok, we said fine and quickly got out of bed and organised!,, great lady, name of Liz, did a really good job on Bentley.

We left before 10.00am and headed towards Burren Junction and the Artisian pools via the CSIRO Telescopes, it was worth the small detour.  We travelled on through Wee Waa and on to Burren Junction. Must be about 50 vans here, managed to find a spot, very friendly people and a few who spend weeks here. We went in the pool, a bit deep for me and most people had a noodle to float around on, a lady lent me her noodle to get to the ledge at the side, where you could sit but it was slimy on the ledge and I kept sliding off, she said it was algae, but good algae, not sure about that, I sat on the metal steps, much safer. About 4.30pm the Pizza Express van visited, he had been at the Wee Waa show and normally calls in after the show, and we had a small Pizza between us $7 with our wine.....

Been a busy day, Brian now cooking tea, Honey Mustard Chicken  and I think an early night, well Bentley is dozing off ............

Before and after shots of Bentley

Telescopes

Artisian Pool

Our pizza to share

Moving along

Well tonight we are at Narrabri, moving west from Tamworth. We spent a couple of nights at Wallabadah rest area about 50ks from Tamworth behind the memorial to the 1st and 2nd fleet, a fleet of ships which left Great Britain bringing convicts to Australia in about 1787. A great memorial, and lovely little spot for camping, free, about 10 vans there each night. We took a day trip into Tamworth, had look around town, nice shopping mall, lots of trees. Very popular to have reverse angle parking in the streets around this area, it means the rear of your car is at the kerb at a 45 degree angle, locals seem quite clever at it, but a bit disconcerting when the car in front of you stops and does a reverse in front of you. We took a scenic route back to our camp taking in the gold mining town of Nundle and Chaffey Dam, camping is allowed at the dam and we did consider whether to camp there for a couple of nights but decided we would carry on. We plan to head to Burren Junction tomorrow, Sunday and free camp around the artesian pools....... Weather is warmer in the day here but cool nights. Driving through the area we could see white woolly stuff all along the rd, turns out to be that cotton is grown in this area and it was that along the road dropping of the trucks.

Looking down on Tamworth from the lookout, drove down that street to the town centre, found a nice coffee place and an Aldi!!!

Chaffey Dam, camping around the other side

Memorial garden to the First Fleet

Found a Rimmer in the list of crew, nothing on convict list if course

Yes I wondered why Wallabadah too

Gins Leap, on our travels today we stopped here. Story is a young Aboriginal girl and her lover from another tribe ran away together, were pursued and leapt to their deaths here... Sad... 

Change of route

Just a quick blog to say where we are.  We decided at Bulahdelah that we didn't want to carry on travelling up the coast so we back tracked a bit to Newcastle at have taken the New England Hwy inland. The last two nights we have been camped at lake Liddell. This area has a lot of coal mines and two power stations. Moving on today maybe towards Tamworth .....

Only a couple of photos of the lake and power station