NEW SOUTH WALES - WEST OF THE RANGES

Because we had to call into Wagga Wagga to have our batteries replaced we decided to take a look at the camps nearby on the Murrumbidgee River. Our first night was spent at Sandy Beach Reserve near Wantabadgery. It was a lovely spot with plenty of room and the river itself was lovely.

As on the Murray, many of the huge trees have eroded root systems.

After having our batteries replaced at the Alco dealers, we were off again. We cannot praise Alco enough as they were extremely helpful and fair about the whole matter and were more than happy to replace all four batteries as they felt there was definitely a problem with the Ritar batteries’ performance. As it was getting later in the day when we left Wagga Wagga we decided to go back out past Wantabadgery to another camp on the Murrumbidgee at Oura. Again it was a lovely roomy campground with plenty of fireplaces and picnic shelters, as well as toilets.

Oura camp ground on the Murrumbidgee River.

We hadn’t travelled this far west recently and we were taken aback somewhat by how beautiful the countryside is. Obviously they have had good rain out this way and driving through places like Cootamundra, Young and Cowra was lovely with the beautiful colours of the autumn leaves everywhere. Our next stop was a quaint little village called Gooloogong, where the local council provides an excellent overnight stop for travellers which includes electricity, showers etc for a gold coin donation. Of course it was a very popular spot. There was a free camp just out of town but it is up on a high bank with limited access to the river.

Next morning as we headed into Orange to empty the loo and stock up on groceries etc we spotted lots of hot air balloons ahead of us. Turns out the Australian Ballooning Championships were being held nearby and we followed them for quite a distance. Eventually we got to see them very close up as they all came down very low over a paddock right beside the road. I think part of the skills tested is coming down at pre-determined checkpoints along their route. Anyway, it was a very spectacular sight and we got a real kick out of it.

From Orange we continued north on the Burrendong Dam road. We contacted fellow travellers, Anne and Phillip Breeze, who we had met at Lawn Hill Gorge on our travels in 2010. They were at Parkes and decided to meet up with us at Burrendong Dam. Coincidentally, they were travelling with another couple who we had met at Mapoon on Cape Yorke so we all had a great little reunion. John and I drove into the Mookerawa Waters Park first but it was a real rabbit warren, with steep sites up away from the dam and very little room. Not really suitable for caravans, and the fees were quite expensive at $13 per person plus the $10 State Park entry fee. We decided to check out the Lake Burrendong State Park Campground further up the road and it was much nicer. We all met up at a lovely little spot right beside the lake and spent two nights there before heading off into Wellington.

Burrendong Dam

Sundowner with John S., John, Julie, Phillip and Anne.

Just north of Wellington we found a fantastic free camp called Ponto Falls. This would have to be one of the loveliest camps we’ve been at for quite a while. You can choose to stay up on the higher bank or go down onto the lower bank right beside the river. There weren’t any toilets there but it looks like some are being built. The ground is lovely and flat and covered in thick couch grass.

Our camp at Ponto Falls Reserve.

It just so happened that the local show was on in Wellington the next day so we all headed into town, checked out the local markets then took in the show. It was only very small but still we enjoyed ourselves. Phillip had to have a dagwood dog so we had one too just so he wouldn’t feel guilty. Nobody was keen to go on the ghost train though. I was a bit disappointed. We spent a couple of hours roaming around checking out the livestock and dog show as well as the pavilions full of produce, cakes, preserves, artworks etc.

The second trans-gender model I've seen on this trip!

Meet Sophia Loren - isn't she lovely?

Pumpkins even my Dad would be proud of!

We thoroughly enjoyed our three days at Ponto. The guys had fun pretending to take a swim in the very cold water and everyone enjoyed long afternoon strolls (except for me, Chris, as I was suffering with a very nasty flu). The evenings were great, sitting around the campfire. And of course Anne and Julie treated us all to their lovely desserts. There were also some huge freshwater mussels in the river but unfortunately, they were pretty tough, so they escaped the cooking pot.

It was with a bit of sadness that we left our fellow Bushtracker owners and headed north again. We didn’t go all the way into Dubbo but took a minor road up through Elong Elong to Dunedoo and Coolah. Just north of Coolah we stopped at the Black Stump, an iconic spot that I had heard of many times. Now I know what it is all about.

The Black Stump. Actually this is a replacement for the original
which was burnt in 1908. Apparently in the 1830s any land west of
here was referred to as beyond the black stump.

We joined the Oxley Highway at Mullaley and continued through Gunnedah. We were planning to stay the night at Lake Keepit but discovered that it was another State Park with another $10 entry fee. We figure this fee is fine if you want to stay a few days, but for overnight it isn’t really worth it. A caravan park seems better value in this case. Instead, we continued on to Split Rock Dam, just north of Manilla. This wasn’t a particularly great spot, as the ground was uneven and the bugs were plentiful as soon as it got dark. It seems popular with the local fishermen though and it was free.

Split Rock Dam

There are several camping areas along the Gwydir River just east of Bingara. If you drive out along the Copeton Dam Road, you will see signs with pictures of cars towing caravans at each of the access points along the river. All of these spots are really nice although some have limited space. The river itself is very nice and full of birdlife. The ducks and waterfowl are obviously used to being fed and were quick to appear if you threw them some bread. The trees lining the footpaths in some areas of the little town of Bingara were unusual as they were actually orange trees and at this time of year, they were laden with fruit with ripe oranges laying everywhere on the footpath. It was tempting to stop and grab a bagful which I’m sure nobody would have minded as there were lots of them.

The Gwydir River.

After the Gwydir River we drove to Inverell, so we could empty the loo at the local showgrounds. A word of warning if you go in there though. The caretaker is a bit of a grumpy old bugger and doesn’t appreciate anyone going in without checking with him first. He was less than welcoming and actually rather rude but it provided some amusement for John. A guy at a local garage was much friendlier though and suggested that we might find a nice camp at a spot called Apple Tree Flat, north of Inverell, on the Macintyre River. We found the road into the place but unfortunately, the river access has been fenced off now which was a shame as it was a lovely spot. There was some indication that access could be gained if you called the local station owner so if you wanted to go in there it night pay to ask around in town.

These old tobacco drying sheds reminded us of the log cabins in the US. There were several properties with similar sheds along the road to Apple Tree Flat.

Not far up the road we found a lovely little spot called Wells Crossing on the Pindari Dam Road. It is right beside the Severn River and quite picturesque.

We were really stoked to find a beautiful camp spot beside the Dumaresq River near a tiny little place called Mingoola the next afternoon. The camp is just across the first bridge on the Glenlyon Dam Road, which is about 500 metres north of Mingoola. We all had a swim in the river here as it was quite warm and the birdlife was surprisingly varied. We even saw a large osprey dive into the river right near us to catch fish. In the morning, two young guys arrived from Brisbane to put their canoes in the river and paddle/fish the river. We really loved this spot as it was quiet and we had it all to ourselves. There is room for a couple of vans along the riverbank here and we had a lovely fire as there was no shortage of firewood.

The Dumaresq River.

From here we continued on to the showgrounds at Tenterfield, where we had stayed previously. There is plenty of room, the showers are hot and the shops are within walking distance so it is a nice spot to stay for $20+ a night with electricity.

Next day it was north again to Warwick via Thunderbolt’s Way. We even called in to have a quick look at Thunderbolt’s hideout (he was a famous bushranger who operated in these parts in the early days) and then it was on to Canungra in the Scenic Rim behind Queensland’s Gold Coast. We’re almost home!

Thunderbolt's hideout.