MENINDEE LAKES NSW- Paradise in the scrub

We have been to Menindee several years ago.  At that time, it was in flood for the first time in years and we were forced to make a lot of detours just to get there due to local flooding.  The memories of that trip (mainly the prolific and diverse birdlife which appeared just after the flooding) are what brought us back here as we felt we did not have enough time before. 

Travel time from Cobar is 4hr 32 min (395 km) via Barrier Hwy/A32 and Wilcannia-Menindee Rd.  The latter is a dirt road which I deliberately choose as I wanted to test our new camper in the dust.  One of our earlier caravans gave us a lot of issues due to dust ingress which can make a trip very uncomfortable as dust in the van accumulates in unimaginable ways.  Sleeping in a dusty van is no one’s idea of a great holiday so our new Complete Campsite was purchased with this in mind.  

As we turned off the Barrier Highway onto the unsealed Menindee Road, we met a vehicle coming the other way.  They had pulled up just short of the Highway and the driver was pumping up his tyres.  I stopped just beside them and said hello.  The Driver sauntered over and said Hi.  They had just come over the unsealed road and advised the road recently open after the local flooding was reasonably ok.  They had let air out of tyres for more traction and avoid soft spots.  The drive from Menindee had taken them approximately 3 ½ hours which I found surprising as it really was not a shortcut. 

“You should be able to get up to around 60km/hr he advised but most of the trip will be slower due to the conditions.”   Perfect, I thought this was exactly what I wanted, and it should give us a good idea of how this van will stand up to our future trip to the Kimberley’s next year. 

We said goodbye and set off.  The weather was fantastic and the road although a bit rough in places was good.  I don’t believe we passed another vehicle during the next 3 hours and assumed some may have been influenced as the road had only been recently opened and could have proved risky.  I engaged four-wheel drive on the truck and we cruised the whole way without incident.  

Lake Pamamaroo Campground

Our destination was Lake Pamamaroo Campground which is a free site located north of Menindee near the lake shoreline.  It is a free camp that stretches for around 2kms along the waters edge.

On the advise from the people we met earlier we choose not to camp at the campground and instead sought out a more remote location.  The road in turned out to be bone jarring and very rutted.  We finally found a place we both liked which was quite elevated and overlooking the lake.  The area sloped down directly into the lake and the views were simply amazing.  I set up camp and finally got to use our recently acquired Kings firepit which I have been dying to use.  

That evening we settled in and watched the sunset over the lake and I felt we were finally starting to chill out and relax from life for a while.  This location is quite remote with no facilities.  There are toilets further along at Burke & Wills Campground if needed however we were self sufficient and this was the prefect place to trial our independence.

Beautiful sunsets

Menindee was a 3 day stopover and although the weather turned foul and very windy it was still quite enjoyable.  The birdlife was disappointing and I am not sure why, perhaps we were a bit early as I only saw Cormorant’s on this visit and the more exotic birdlife we experienced on our previous trip were not evident.  

The fading sunset as Sharon prepared dinner

In hindsight I would recommend camping at the designated campground (only if you are happy to share with public) as it is closer to facilities and is a bit more hospitable.  The lake is simply beautiful and if you manage to time it with the birdlife it is one of the most memorable places you will ever visit

COBAR NSW - In the wild West

 Cobar 

Gilgandra to Cobar

“The road is straight, not straight like an arrow, you will still have to go around corners”.  

I giggled in memory of this statement delivered to us when we were getting directions to exit out of Dublin several years before.  

Well, the road to Cobar is just like that, it is flat and dead straight snaking up and down over hills away into the distance as far as the eye can see.  In some parts in the big open plains, you can actually see the curve of the earth as it is so vast out here.  Big puffy clouds hang way up in the sky like big cotton buds and the morning heat simmered of the bitumen as we made our way toward Cobar. 

It is a 3 hr 6 min (294 km) trip from Gilgandra via Oxley Hwy and A32.  We stopped for lunch in Nyngan and pulled up into the park and I extended the awing so we could prepare lunch in the shade.  

Summer is finally starting to kick now, and we are getting some really hot days.  The temperature control in the truck make it feel very comfortable however when you get out of the air conditioning the hot temperature hits you like a blast furnace.  Bit of a change from chilly Katoomba for us and Sharon swelters in the heat.  

Cobar is a town in central western New South Wales, Australia whose economy is based mainly upon base metals and gold mining.  

The welcome sign just outside of Cobar is a huge monument depicting the mining history and makes a great photo opportunity.  

We pulled into Cobar Caravan park after lunch (it is a Gyday rewards park 10% discount up to max $50)  Sharon has joined several of the caravan parks so we can take advantage of the discounts on offer.  This has proved to be a great idea and has saved us quite a lot of money over the years. 

The park is located at 101 Marshall St Cobar NSW 2835 PH: 02 6836 2425 RECEPTION OPEN 7 Days 9:30am – 5:30pm

All the powered sites have a large concrete pad complete with water and sullage on hand.  We were given a site which was quite open with no shade however we had plenty of space and privacy.  I set up the van and Sharon helped me to set up the entire annex and shade screens.  This is the first time we have ever done this, and I wanted to get the full experience of how they performed and what they offered.  The final result was just fantastic.  We essentially had a big room at the side of our van which was cool and shady and made the outdoor cooking a breeze.  

The amenities in the park were spotless however after dark and in the intense heat they filled up with rather large insects which are impossible to keep out.  I turned on the taps in the sink to wash my hands and jumped back as two large bugs the size of my thumb popped up out of the drain startling me.  Not really an issue out here when you get used to it, but a bit of a shock the first time 

Before making dinner, we took a drive through Cobar which has a long main street and in the evening like many outback towns resembled a ghost town.  

After dinner we settled down in our outdoor tent and relaxed in the evening heat.  There was not a breeze, and everything felt quite serene.  Cobar is to be a three-night stopover for us as we had lots of things on our itinerary to check out.

Around 1 am in the morning I awoke abruptly to a snap as the van moved under me.  Instantly awake now I heard the wind howling outside and suddenly the annex which was put up with so much love and assistance from Sharon started flapping like the sail on a boat making the whole van sway a little.  Fearing I would lose the entire annex I shot up out of bed to inspect what was going on.  Outside the calm conditions had turned very nasty and the wind was howling through the campsite.  We were on a very exposed site and were getting the full brunt of the force.  The wind had knocked over the poles on the main and side annex and they were wildly flapping.  The guide ropes were no match for the strong wind and simply flailed around still attached to the annex.  Still in my Y fronts I started to dismantle the annex however had to get Sharon up to assist as it was just too wild for one person. I later noticed that all the other vans in the park had removed awnings and annex giving me the impression that this was not an uncommon event here.  We managed to remove the annex and I rolled up the awning and chucked the whole lot under the caravan and returned to bed and we were asleep in an instant. 

During our three days stay in Cobar I think we seen everything there is to see in this little town.  Here are a few of the places we visited 

Our first stop was the Information centre located in the Mining heritage museum on the outskirts of town.  Sharon did not join me as we have been to so many mines its hard to keep her interested.  Preferring instead to stay in the cool climate control of the truck along with Gemma, I left them and with my camera made my way into the centre.  

Behind the museum are lots of relics from the first copper mines founded in Cobar in 1870 which was later merged to create the Great Cobar Copper Mine.  The remains of the mine are still there, and the hole is now filled with water and fully fenced.  I read they had to fence it off as the whole place had become a home to the feral goats and also had become a dangerous playground for the local kids.  So much history right here in this little town. I purchased a 

T-shirt and some magnets for our fridge in the museum on my way out and collected Sharon and Gemma so we could go for a walk.

Plough at the back of the Museum

Paddy & Duffy - Two Convertors named after Mayors in Cobar

Across the road from the heritage centre is the Cobar Miners Heritage Park, an outdoor area with a collection of items from the region’s mining history.  The park is a memorial for the people who have been killed working in the mines, but it is also designed to be educational. The many names in the memorial suggest a dangerous life in the mines at that time.  One can only imagine the horrors of being stuck down a mine breathing in all that dust in those times.  Apparently lots of miners died many years after mining due to the dust and their deaths were never recorded.  

Some of the many names of deceased miners 

We drove up to Fort Bourke Hill Lookout, just out of town.  

I noticed a car and caravan following me as we made the ascent into the narrow neck entry and Sharon commented that some people just refuse to obey the signs which clearly state no caravans.  Luckily there was room at the top for them to turn and not have to back down that hill.  

From the viewing platform, you can look down into the New Cobar Gold Mine which is still operational, and I took lots of photos with my camera.

Just a little further out of town, there is another operational mine – the Peak Gold Mine.

We took a walk into the town, and I got some photos of the Great Western Hotel, which is said to have the longest pub balcony in New South Wales, or the longest wrought-iron balcony in the Southern Hemisphere (depending on who you ask).  I think this claim could be challenged as we have been to many towns which make similar claims

The other pub of merit is the Grand Hotel and its contribution to Australia’s collection of ‘big things’. It is hard to miss as it has the Big Beer Can, sitting on top of its veranda.

We made a drive just out of town (everything in Cobar is very close) to see the New reservoir and old reservoir which were deserted on our visit.  The other area we were advised to see was the Devils Rocks which is an important site for the local Indigenous people.  The road to it is a bit sketchy but we persisted only to find that the Devils Rock was so badly graffitied that I didn’t even bother to take a photo of it.  On the return back to the highway and much to Sharon’s dismay I done a little 4x4 hill which did manage to raise the heartbeat a little.  

MOUNT GRENFELL HISTORIC SITE

Mount Grenfell. It’s about 70 km away (it’s about 30km off the highway).  

70km down the highway on the road toward Broken hill we found the turnoff to Mt Grenfell Historic Site.  When we got there the dirt road turnoff had a "Road Closed" sign and barrier.  This was very disappointing as we had made this journey all the way especially just to see this and there was noting in the media or other to suggest it was closed.  

We decided to investigate the closure as we had come so far so i swung around the barrier and the dirt road in front of us was like a superhighway as it was literally 4 lanes wide and recently graded.  Around 20km further along the road was still pristine and had not disentigrated.  Shortly after that we met a grader and truck and i thought we may get challenged about driving however the driver waved us through so we continued to the turnoff to the Historic site (approx 30km from the main road).  We had not passed another vehicle the whole way and the road was simply fantastic.  Why had they closed it? who knows but i am glad we decided to be a bit cheeky on this occasion as the Historic site turned out to be a fantastic step back in time.

We pulled into the carpark and found we had the whole place to ourselves.  The amenities were clean long drops and there was water.  I made lunch and we set off to view some of the rock art 

Mount Grenfell has one of the most important collections of Indigenous rock art in the country. On the caves, there are about 1300 different images, telling the stories of life in the region for millennia.

We thoroughly enjoyed this and happy we made the 140km round trip.  It was a very memorable experience

GILGANDRA NSW - what a Gem

 Tamworth to Gilgandra

Gilgandra from Tamworth was 3 hr 19 min (283 km) via Oxley Hwy

This was to be a one night stopover and we pulled up outside the Railway Hotel Gilgandra, 6 Bundy St, Gilgandra.  We were given a nice grassy block which we ended up having all to ourselves.  Furthermore it is Free camping for patrons & Pet friendly

This is Country Style Pub Accommodation and we dined there that night to support the venue and were surprised at the range of meal options including vegetarian and gluten free which suited Sharon who is generally very disappointed with lack of choice of vegetarian meals. 

We met a local character at the pub who entertained us with stories of the local area.  Gilgandra is not a big town however is steeped in history and folklore.  

We heard about the Hitchen brothers who in 1915 along with 20 or so men who were determined to enlist started off to march to Sydney. Gathering other recruits along the way, they numbered about 300 by the time they reached Sydney. This was known as the Coo-ee March and is very famous in Australian folklore.  There is a large memorial in the centre of town depicting the event and I felt humbled and amazed to be in the presence of such amazing history right here in this little village 

The old storyteller had a wide brimmed hat set to the side and looked up at me through a wrinkled eyebrow and with a mischievous grin said

 "want to see something special"?, 

without waiting for a response he got up and stepped over the grass verge to his Ute which was parked just beside the outdoor Pub seating and from behind the driver seat he lifted out a white sack and came back to the table.  At this stage I was feeling quite ominous as to what was about to happen.  I glanced at Sharon who was also looking a bit worried as he upended the sack contents onto the table.  Out of the bag several large objects crashed down onto the table.  He hastily picked one of them up and it was a rabbit trap.  The entire contents all turned out to be traps and he proudly held this one up and admiringly said 

"any idea how much this is worth"? 

It looked like any old trap to me but turns out this man is a collector and the this particular trap was worth in the vicinity of $5,000.  I relaxed a little on hearing this realising that we were not in the company of an axe murderer.  

The next morning as we were packing up the van the old man reappeared and surfaced with several photo albums and treated us to a history lesson of the local area and the various 

Coo-ee - re enactment marches he had been involved in over the years. 

We were expecting to head to the Windmill Walk along the banks of the Castlereagh River to view the windmills and one of the things Gilgandra is famous for, however sadly all the windmills have been removed for restoration work.  

On the way out of town we stopped and marveled at the Gilgandra Museum which is jam packed with old farm equipment and lots of memorabilia in absolutely magnificent condition.  This was a last minute decision for us on the advise of the old character at the pub and I am truly glad we decided to stop as it one of the best collections I have witnessed on our many adventures

Who says they don't make tractors in Australia

A Rabbit Skin Rug.  Sharon hadn't seen one of these since she was a kid

Sharon tries her hand at telephone exchange work like her mum before her

Signature Quilt 

A Sunburst Clock in mint condition - what a great piece of history 

TAMWORTH NSW - via (Port Macquarie)

 28th November 2021

Port Macquarie to Tamworth

Why is it that all caravans insist on leaving the park at the same time?.  

We lounged around Reflections Holiday park all morning thinking we can pack up quickly and get on the road.  I didn’t take into account that this was our first big trip i an unknown van and packing up everything after a 3 day stay proved more time consuming than I had anticipated.  When I had finally hooked up I had to pull forward so we could wrap up the ground sheet and various bits and pieces.  This move was awkward to say the least because our site was so small I had to pull into the middle of the road which consequently ended up stopping traffic, it started with one car and van and very soon 2 two and when I had put the tarps away safely it looked like the whole caravan park had backed up and were waiting patiently, “glaring”.  Of course it was raining and I done what I promised myself never do which is get a little frustrated  (after all that is only for those incompetent people!!). So we hurriedly said goodbye to Brad and Rhoda and I pulled out to circumnavigate the caravan park.  

After about just five or six meters I noticed a guy running along side behind the van trying to get my attention.  I pulled up and he informed me the steps were still down, the fly-screen door was not closed and locked and the vent on the roof was open.  I could feel my embarrassment rise within and realised that my long standing years of experience in vanning really meant very little.  So swallowing my pride I found an area and pulled up meekly to let others through.  I emptied the chemical toilet and on the way out the gate met Sharon’s brother Brad holding a bag with all my Rachet's to raise and lower the van which I had left sitting on the campsite.  By this time my complexion had turned a dark purple and grabbing the bag threw it into the back seat beside the dog I pointed the van to the highway and made a conscious decision that in future I not to be rushed and take my time to pack and check everything to ensure this never happens again.  “This of course is a bit like saying I am never going to drink again, or smoke again, loose words that at the time give you the confidence to continue however being human is a disease we all have to learn from”.  

Taking the Oxley Highway we made our way to Tamworth which is a 272km drive from Port Macquarie.  The little van performed brilliant and around three and a half hours later we pulled into Tamworth Paceway which was to be our home for the next 3 nights.  

We found a nice little grassy spot to set up camp which was situated just below the Paceway itself.  We found out later that they run the horses starting at 3 am and have several runs during the day.  I found this experience quite amazing, nothing like sitting in your bed and hearing the hoofs of horses and snorts as they work their way around the track.  If I sat up in bed I could just see the tops of their heads going around the track just above our van.  Reminded me of a roulette like you would see at a fair.  

The next day we boarded Gemma at Precious pets boarding kennels just outside of town as we had planned to do everything we could during our stay in Tamworth.  However that turned out to be disappointing to say the least.

We made our way to the local information center (it has one of the 150 big guitars in town just outside the front door) and discovered that due to Covid restrictions most of Tamworth was either closed on a Monday or most venues were not operating due to the current situation.  Had we known this in advance of course we would not have boarded our dog however we always seem to learn the hard way “Duh!”.

We got a local map and got the Information center to mark up what we should see.  

It turned out that Tamworth had been flooded the week before we arrived and when we went into town I took some footage of the river which was still in flood 

After a visit to see the cool private collection of motorcycles at the Powerhouse Motorcycle museum we had coffee next door to get out of the heat.

Electric Harley - what a gem

The following day we paid a visit to the Botanical Gardens and then walked in the Bicentennial Park with Gemma and stopped for lunch.  

The park is full of interesting Art work and is equipped with a huge play area to keep the kids amused.  

Sadly places like the Powerhouse museum and the Australian Country Music hall of fame were closed on our visit so we will need to make a return trip here,(perhaps during the festival as it is a really interesting town)

We followed along on the Country Music Pioneers Parade and found some interesting bronze busts of the famous legends of country music 

We discovered the Hands of Fame Park and had lots of fun looking through the various handprints to try and identify singers we know of 

Sharon lines up with Catherine Britt 

 

 

The Famous Slim Dusty 

Tamworth is a truly interesting town however we felt cheated as due to the current COVID situation we didn't get to experience it the way we would have liked.  Needless to say I look forward to a visit during the festival in the near future when all has returned to normal.

We met up with Slim & Joy in the main street 

Our Accommodation was the Paceway Tamworth

"Address: Unit 24/60 Showground Rd, Taminda NSW 2340.  Hours: Open ⋅ Closes 5PM Phone: (02) 6765 9382"

The Amenities had Clean hot showers, Toilets, and beautiful big grassy areas to settle in. 

Prices range from: $20 per night Unpowered site for 2 people & $25 per night for 2 people Powered site

All in all we found it very reasonable and accessible and a pleasant stay particularly with the novelty of the horses throughout the day I would give it a 3 out of 5 for comfort and accessibility 

A BEAUTIFUL BEGINNING

Memories from the past 

Sometimes in life you are just living normally then something happens which changes everything and you realise that you are part of something very special.

Today I will fly to Sydney to meet up with Sharon and get to meet the cause of the new joy in our life.  Molly has only been on this planet a few short weeks and the fact that I am now a gran pop not only horrifies me but thrills me at the same time.

The blue mountains in Sydney in winter will be a big shock to the system after the balmy weather in Qld.  I have just unpacked the heavy overcoat which I thought I would never need again after Ireland last Xmas so I will be prepared.

PORT MACQUARIE - Katoomba - Port Macquarie

 

24^th November 2021

Katoomba to Port Macquarie

We spent most of Tuesday preparing and packing everything into our little caravan.  This is not as simple as it sounds as even though it is only for 3 weeks, we have limited space, and this is a test for our much longer trip next winter so what we pack will mirror what we will have to be prepared for then.  I expected that we would have way too much to fit in however we got everything together so we could decide what was critical and exclude what we really could do without.  I put both the van and the fridge in the car on power and got everything to temperature and all charged up.  In the morning Sharon finished her packing and I took Gemma (Our Dog) to the vet for her monthly needle.  We had an early lunch and then at 12.30 we set off.

As we finally eased out of our driveway, and I felt the van hook up and fall in behind the truck I felt a sense of relief.  This is our first trip since we purchased the van around late January this year (2021)and due to Covid 19 lockdowns we have been in forced restrictions of one kind or another.  I turned off the side road onto the Great Western Highway and we were on our way. 

The big diesel pulled the little van with ease, I had to keep checking it was still behind me which is exactly what I wanted.  Unlike our previous setup where we were towing a very heavy 3 ½ ton van which had mind of its own this lighter option was stress free for us and quite enjoyable.  We made one pit stop on the freeway at Wyong where I topped up the tank and we had a coffee in Oliver’s and toilet breaks.  Port Macquarie is a 5 ½ hr drive and freeway all the way so all in all a smooth ride all the way. 

We finally pulled into Reflections Holiday Park at Bonny Hills around 6.30 pm and set up camp just as it started to rain.  That evening we were joined by Sharon’s brother Brad and his partner Rhonda and as it was wet, we cooked dinner in the Camp kitchen out of the rain and wind.  

Reflections is right on the headland looking out over Bartlett’s Beach.  The sound of the surf is deafening, and I just loved it.  The rain had made the temperature quite humid and balmy having the camp kitchen all to ourselves we sat down to enjoy dinner with a spectacular view. 

The Calm Before the Storm 

 That night after we retired to bed the sky opened and it really let it pour down.  I peered out of the rear window behind the bed and the water was just streaming like a flood from the roof and down over the window resembling being under a waterfall.  Our little van was snug and dry and even though humid was a nice end to a long day of driving.  

Next morning, I put out the awning and set up our outdoor kitchen and after Sharon made breakfast, we set off on a walk to visit Sharon’s brother and look at the renovations they were undertaking in their old house on the hill above the park.  The view from the upper levels took my breath away and looks right down Rainbow Beach on the left and Bartletts Beach on the right.  I thought to myself “what a cool place to live”

After lunch we showered and took Gemma and drove the 20km to Port Macquarie and walked along the promenade before meeting up with Brad and Rhonda for dinner in Rydges which fronts the Ocean.  Port Macquarie really has a holiday feel and for the beach types it really ticks all the boxes.  

On Friday we had grand plans to go into town again after breakfast however the rain is too heavy, so we are learning to spend some quality time in a restricted space in out tiny caravan.  This will be a great test of our ability to adjust to our new life on the road and the demands of living together in a small space.

Reflections Holiday Park-Review

This is a beautiful holiday park on the headland overlooking the ocean in Bonny Hills NSW.  The staff are friendly and helpful and keep the park in excellent condition with crisp and clean facilities.  It gets quite busy on the weekend (noted during our stay).  The sound of the surf crashing all night was like music to me and the mildly humid condition suited my temperment.   However, on the other hand my wife could not sleep due to the crashing surf and the humid conditions, so we have a stalemate LoL.  As we have an outdoor kitchen on our little van the very wet conditions did have a negative effect.  We ended up using the camp kitchen and hade it all to ourselves and dined in style with a million-dollar view.  I highly recommend the higher sites as they have slabs and will negate any bad weather and also have better views.  For the ocean lovers the park is in the junction of Rainbow and Bennet’s beaches, so you have a choice of where to swim or surf.  There is a surf café just below the site if you want breakfast or lunch and a surf bar to cool down

My only negative on our 3-night stay was the wet ground conditions.  We had a muddy site which just got worse the heavier the rain came down resulting in a mud pit which meant we carried a lot of mud into our small space making it quite uncomfortable.  This spoiled what was otherwise a fantastic stopover.  

We stayed on site 61 on grass however in future we will be selecting either site 68 or 69 which are higher up and have a concrete weatherproof slab with ocean views 

Most of the newer sites in the park have been refurbished with Astro turf so I imagine next time we visit this will not be a problem 

This stopover gets a 4 out of 5 for me.  

Freedom is too small a Word

 

Freedom is too small a word for what is happening, I like to think of something along the likes of Epic to describe where we are now. After 3 years back in NSW it is time to start adventure again and to put our dreams into reality.

During the latest outbreak of Covid19, I was stood down without pay from a company I have worked for, for the last 19 years.  This made me really start to question “what the hell I was doing with my life."  It was so easy to be discarded in the name of an pandemic and it made we wonder why I had worked so hard to make success for others only to be dumped at the first sign of

 distress in the economy.  Taking the option of redundancy, I decided to take an early retirement and plan for the trips that both Sharon and I have been dreaming of for years but never took the courage to step out and start the process. This incident was the perfect opportunity for us to seize the moment and take the first step.

Our first escape is called the Broken Hill trip which is a round trip in our newly acquired second-hand caravan and we will be taking our much-loved female Labrador Gemma Rose along for the ride.

 

This is a three-week journey and will be a “Toe in the water” for our much longer twelve-month trip next year where we plan to rent out our home and take off around Australia to forget about life for a while.

We are both getting very excited now as the packing has commenced and we have planned out all our stays including an endless list of things to see and do starting with a visit to Sharon’s brother in Port Macquarie, then Tamworth, Gilgandra, Cobar, the breathtaking Mendinie Lakes now in flood, historic Broken Hill, Hermidale, Mudgee and then home to the Blue Mountains.  

We leave on the 24th of November and even though the weather stinks right now the thought of getting away is too strong. I will be posting updates along with photographs and videos of our adventure so stay tuned.👀