After several failed attempts over past years (for varying reasons), we were finally heading up north to the Channel Country, but to get there we were about to cover old ground. We have stayed in Cobar several times before, and really had no inclination to do so again on this run, ergo today's drive was to be a longish one , just over 400 kms to an overnight stop in Bourke.
So once again we took to the Barrier Highway for the first leg from Wilcannia to Cobar,
under a very angry looking early morning sky. Fortunately for us these glowering clouds did nothing more than threaten rain, but I'll bet all the local cockies were wishing differently!
As we had experienced on the run into Wilcannia and up to White Cliffs, the grazing plains were a carpet of green after the recent rains, on the open ground
and under the trees of the stretches of heavily wooded country. This was a good as we had ever seen this part of the world.
By the time we were on the approach into Cobar, some three hours after we had left Wilcannia, the heavy clouds had lifted and we were punching further east in bright sunshine.
Being as familiar with the town as we are, the mid morning traffic of Cobar presented little challenge,
and we soon found ourselves turning off the Barrier Highway and onto the Kidman Way.
By now we were well over half way for today,
and progressing steadily north on a road we knew all too well (in both directions).
Today's had been the longest haul we had done for some time, so this was a welcome sight as we reduced speed on the outskirts of Bourke, another town with which we are more than familiar and which I've brought to you in detail on several previous occasions.
We had stayed here in the Mitchell Caravan Park before, but not for some time. It was now under the new ownership of a young couple, Daniel and Stephanie, who promise a new look park and an evening meal for all who care to partake.
Daniel served with the Australian Army special forces for many years, while Steph brought experience working at senior levels in McDonalds to their new venture. Park ownership had been a dream of theirs for some time, and we were looking forward to seeing what new touches they had brought to this park.
As we hove to at the park office
I spotted this sign which did set the scene and suggested that these young folk had a real sense of humour if nothing else,
something which was all too evident in all the park signage. What a refreshing change this was to the usually blunt and often almost threatening warnings which we find in many parks (not that we disagree with the requirements.....it has always been our view that a notice like this does much to encourage compliance, once you stop chuckling!)
We knew that drive-thru sites here are at a premium and had been wise enough to book ahead. Just as well....we collared that last one available where we were fortunately able to remain hitched.
What a wonderful overnight stay this proved to be, and what an active and charming young couple the new owners are. The camp fire was blazing high by 1630 hours. We were all encouraged to share drinks and tales with our fellow travellers whilst
Daniel sweated over a hot stove preparing our dinner. The system here revolves around a fixed daily menu. Each meal comes at the ridiculously low cost of $10. This smart couple do make it clear that in the case of any park or family emergencies, we were on our own (entirely realistic and fair), and did request that dinner orders were placed on arrival (again entirely fair given that they needed to cater precisely).
Tonight was steak night. Needless to say that meant only one order from the Mobile Marshies and I have to admit right from the outset that for a charge of $10 for a steak, chips and vegetables, I was not expecting too much.
How wrong I was. My plate came laden with a large, tender steak of surprisingly good quality, excellent chips and a more than acceptable serve of veggies. I was a very happy chappie. As this enterprising couple make clear, they provide these meals at cost as a service to travellers during the peak season. We applaud you both and wish you well for the furture!
We knew that the amenities were dated, but they were spotlessly clean and dotted with more quirky signs and cartoons. This has become a real fun park which I suspect will be giving the much more established Kidman Camp park in North Bourke a run for its money, particularly given that pets are still not welcome there.
As we pulled out the following morning for our 250 kms run north up to Cunnamulla, we were actually a little disappointed that we had only booked the one night here. We had no need to see the town (been there, done that!) but we have certainly decided that this would now be a great spot for a break of a few days in any future run though this area.
As we made our way out to the Darling River bridge,
and crossed the river for the second time in the past two days, we were pleased to see that here in Bourke the flow was looking quite reasonable, something which augured well for those downstream.
Once over the bridge we made a sharp right hand turn to travel through North Bourke, or 'Northy' as it is known locally,
and headed out along the section of the Kidman Way we had not traversed since May 2012.
The small New South Wales highway towns of Enngonia and Barringun did not seem to have changed a jot from what we remembered of seven years ago, and once we had left Barringun behind us, here we were, back into Queensland at last.
From this point on up to Cunnamulla we could not believe our eyes. This is Mitchell grass country and I'm annoyed that on our earlier trip through here we had not taken photos, because the green expanses through which we were now travelling were nothing like the scenes of our memories.
We recalled this country looking more like this (thanks to 'travelling-australia' for the photo), where the long, brown tufted stalks of Mitchell grass extended as far as we could see. What an incredible difference the drought and rains had made.
We had not come across road works for days, but this was Queensland (and not even the Bruce Highway!).
As we drew closer and saw what was going on here I was more than happy to abide by the directions given. I needed no persuasion whatsoever to avoid a patch of newly laid tar!
Mud is hard enough to remove from the front of the van....tar splatters are nigh on impossible short of dousing them with a good solvent. This highway patching was yet more evidence of the fact that a good dump of rain had swept through this area not too long ago.
As we drew closer and saw what was going on here I was more than happy to abide by the directions given. I needed no persuasion whatsoever to avoid a patch of newly laid tar!
Mud is hard enough to remove from the front of the van....tar splatters are nigh on impossible short of dousing them with a good solvent. This highway patching was yet more evidence of the fact that a good dump of rain had swept through this area not too long ago.
An hour and a half after leaving Cobar we came to the junction of the Mitchell and Balonne Highways, alternatively known as the Matilda Way and the Adventure Way. The Balonne rune east-west and connects Cunnamulla and St George, whilst the Mitchell continues north through Cunnamulla to pass through Charleville and end at Augathella (although the Matilda Way travels much further north).
This second sign, just around the curve in the highway, was of more interest to us. On leaving Cunnamulla, we were planning the head west out to Thargomindah for the first time. A road which was open would be a useful start!
The highway junction we had just passed is only a few minutes drive from Cunnamulla, and having turned our faces west, the familiar figure of the statue of 'The Cunnamulla Fella' was soon welcoming us to the town.
A couple of kilometres on, the Mitchell Highway turns off to the north, and it was here that we farewelled this road we have come to know so well as we continued on towards our chosen caravan park.
We have stayed here in Cunnamulla twice previously. The first time seems like eons ago, during our second venture out in our little Coromal poptop van in 2010. We came through here again two years later in the new Roma en route to the Gulf of Carpentaria and beyond. On both occasions we had stayed in the Council owned park in town.
In 2012 we checked out a newly developed park some short distance out west along the banks of the Warrego River. Despite the fact that in that year recent heavy rains had rendered its dirt roadways virtually impassable and no new customers were being accepted, the layout and the burgeoning gardens looked very promising.
So this year the Warrego Riverside Caravan Park, 322 Weir Road, was our chosen destination and we duly made our way through the CBD
and out onto the said Weir Road.
Several minutes later the sign we had been looking for loomed large in front of us
and we made our way down the entrance roadway (still dirt but dry)
to the park office where we were greeted warmly by the effusive and very competent Judy who owns and manages this quite large park on her own. She is a real trouper.
From the office one of the park roadways took us through a group of angled drive-thru sites
to that which had been assigned to us. Although the site themselves are quite narrow, each is bordered by hedges and shrubs and a strip of lawn over which the awning easily extends to provide shade.
We decided our creature comfort would be far better served by parking the Cruiser behind the van,
and as this shot, looking along the road behind our site which we used to drive in shows, we fitted comfortably.
The angles on which these sites are set, and the hedges which edge each, provide wonderful privacy. Although vans and vehicles are actually quite close to each other on these narrow sites, there is no sense of being crowded or 'living in the neighbour's pocket'.
A three day break here in Cunnamulla was on our travelling agenda so we felt under no pressure to rush with our set up and making ourselves comfortable.
Once organized, we did make a quick trip into town for a few supplies, only to discover that the Cunnamulla IGA could well be a contender for the title of worst country supermarket in Australia. It was very poorly stocked, not cheap, and the service we received was less than effusive. We later discovered that a small general store in one of the back streets was a far better bet for 'the basics', and interestingly, in our later travels to small nearby towns, all and sundry commented that Cunnamulla was not their destination of choice when doing 'the big shop'. We knew why!
Fortunately the larder was still well stocked with Liz's favourite chicken snags, which Chef Pierre BBQ'd to perfection (before turning his attention to his own 'real' sausages and hamburger)
and we settled back to enjoy a few quiet libations and a tasty supper as the setting sun painted the sky pink over the gums lining the nearby banks of the Warrego River.
In my next we'll take a tour of this delightful park, one which I am pleased to say was even better than we had remembered, not least because in the intervening seven years the myriad of trees, shrubs, hedges and flower gardens had absolutely blossomed.
We have stayed here in Cunnamulla twice previously. The first time seems like eons ago, during our second venture out in our little Coromal poptop van in 2010. We came through here again two years later in the new Roma en route to the Gulf of Carpentaria and beyond. On both occasions we had stayed in the Council owned park in town.
In 2012 we checked out a newly developed park some short distance out west along the banks of the Warrego River. Despite the fact that in that year recent heavy rains had rendered its dirt roadways virtually impassable and no new customers were being accepted, the layout and the burgeoning gardens looked very promising.
So this year the Warrego Riverside Caravan Park, 322 Weir Road, was our chosen destination and we duly made our way through the CBD
and out onto the said Weir Road.
Several minutes later the sign we had been looking for loomed large in front of us
and we made our way down the entrance roadway (still dirt but dry)
to the park office where we were greeted warmly by the effusive and very competent Judy who owns and manages this quite large park on her own. She is a real trouper.
From the office one of the park roadways took us through a group of angled drive-thru sites
to that which had been assigned to us. Although the site themselves are quite narrow, each is bordered by hedges and shrubs and a strip of lawn over which the awning easily extends to provide shade.
We decided our creature comfort would be far better served by parking the Cruiser behind the van,
and as this shot, looking along the road behind our site which we used to drive in shows, we fitted comfortably.
The angles on which these sites are set, and the hedges which edge each, provide wonderful privacy. Although vans and vehicles are actually quite close to each other on these narrow sites, there is no sense of being crowded or 'living in the neighbour's pocket'.
A three day break here in Cunnamulla was on our travelling agenda so we felt under no pressure to rush with our set up and making ourselves comfortable.
Once organized, we did make a quick trip into town for a few supplies, only to discover that the Cunnamulla IGA could well be a contender for the title of worst country supermarket in Australia. It was very poorly stocked, not cheap, and the service we received was less than effusive. We later discovered that a small general store in one of the back streets was a far better bet for 'the basics', and interestingly, in our later travels to small nearby towns, all and sundry commented that Cunnamulla was not their destination of choice when doing 'the big shop'. We knew why!
Fortunately the larder was still well stocked with Liz's favourite chicken snags, which Chef Pierre BBQ'd to perfection (before turning his attention to his own 'real' sausages and hamburger)
and we settled back to enjoy a few quiet libations and a tasty supper as the setting sun painted the sky pink over the gums lining the nearby banks of the Warrego River.
In my next we'll take a tour of this delightful park, one which I am pleased to say was even better than we had remembered, not least because in the intervening seven years the myriad of trees, shrubs, hedges and flower gardens had absolutely blossomed.
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