We were both glad that we had chosen to turn off the Newell Highway and follow the less used roads, first the Kamilaroi Highway then the Castlereagh Highway. There was more to be seen and different vegetation. We stopped briefly at Pilliga and admired the spa pool but the day was hot and the spa was 37C so we gave it a miss.
We had to take a detour on a quiet, old, dirt side road just before Coonamble. A pair of brolgas wandered across the road and stopped to take a look at us. I whipped out the camera, only to find it had flat batteries. Steve hurriedly took the spare batteries out of the case and put them in. They were flat too. Grrrrrr. The brolgas hung around for a while and I wanted to stay and watch in case they danced. Steve felt that we might have had to camp there for the night, so we moved on. I just bet they danced immediately after we left!!!
Taken from the car
Tuesday ----to Gilgandra. Once again we travelled through more native pine trees. They seem to be very thick, taking over the gum trees in parts.
We spent a couple of hours at Gulargambone, a favourite place. Unfortunately, the little town seems to have lost more shops since we were there a few years ago. The butcher shop closed and never opened again. A doctor visits irregularly but the little hospital is still open. A service station is run by volunteers. In a long row of old shops, there's a hairdresser, a sewing shop and a part time library. The other unoccupied shops are neatly kept and the whole row has all the shopfronts painted with Aussie murals. The locals really try. The cafe, 2008, which used to be the hall, is still open from Wed to Sun, serving lunch. Unfortunately, we were a day too early. We had a great lunch there when it first opened. The Post Office is also the Rural Transaction Centre and a nick nack shop. I took the opportunity to check my email there. The ladies in the supermarket told us all about their lovely little caravan park -- gave us the hard sell. I felt guilty that we weren't staying there for the night, but we had travelled only 50 kms that day!
Gulargambone means place of many galahs. The community won a Recycling Arts award for its creation of galahs made from corrugated iron. These are placed on either side of the town, to lead the visitor in and throughout the town.
Taken from the car.
Note the galahs at the foot of the sculpture!Wednesday ---- to Peak Hill. Lots more pine trees again. I need Richard, Robert or Roger to name these for me but I didn't take any photos, did I?!! Casuarinas --- that's the best I can come up with. (Why do my botanically informed friends have names that start with R???)
We stopped in Narramine for morning tea --- under a nice spreading gum, opposite the cemetery. As soon as we halted, a car pulled up behind us and a tall man leapt out. He rushed out apologies in case we thought he was the police and explained that he had followed us through town, hoping that we would stop somewhere. For the next hour, Steve showed him around the van and he, John, asked a million questions. He plans to build his own 5th wheeler and when he saw ours, he felt that we had exactly what he wanted. He asked Steve to email him the plans. That was a different morning tea!!!
It was only a hop and a step to Peak Hill, where we arrived in time to have a delicious lunch at the RSL Club, where the same people have run a Chinese kitchen for the last 15 years. I said to the Chinese proprietor that she would probably be there for ever but she quickly denied this and said that she and her husband were terribly tired. Two meals every day except Monday, when they have a half day off, is a gruelling schedule. As she said, in a small town, there is no one to take over if you are sick, so you must press on.
Lleyton gave us the same shady spot in his caravan park that we have had for the last few years. As usual, we were given fresh baked scones, jam and cream for afternoon tea. He has a new addition, a small building containing fish fossils. We shall see this in the morning.
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