Time to go bush again………

The time had well and truly come to get back on the road again.  With perfect timing the sun had shone in the morning making it easier to pack up than if it had been raining.  Soon we were all hooked up and leaving a much soggier park than when we arrived.  They will certainly have some maintenance work to do on some of the sights damaged by heavy vans.

We headed out of suburbia and made our way straight up to Dalby.  Our usual spot at Bowenville was still closed due to the rains so it was the Dalby Caravan Park for us.  On arrival we set up and had a walk into town along Myall Creek where we found the cute little ’Dalby Dude’.  One major downside of all this rain was the abundance of mosquitoes and it seemed that here they were big enough to carry you away.  No point covering up as they just bit right through the clothes.

The next morning we stopped for coffee at The Urban Paddock before hitting the road again.  A quick stop for lunch at Moonie where I had a chuckle at the poem on the wall.  Moonie Madness.  Then it was onto Westall where we camped for the night.  The next day saw a quick stop at St George, where the Balonne River was the highest we had ever seen it, before continuing on to Bollon where we stayed the night at Wallam Creek.  Leaving the next morning we made our way into Cunnamulla where we were two days early for our booking at Bowra.  

The drive in from Dalby was really lovely as we had lush green paddocks beside us most of the way.  The rain this year has certainly been welcomed up here as they have been in drought for the last 13 years.  There was still alot of water lying along the roadside and many paddocks looked like lakes still.  The dams were all full.  Arriving in Cunnamulla mid afternoon we found a home at the Warrego River Caravan Park.  We had never been here before and what a little gem this is.  Spotless bathrooms and beautiful gardens with large secluded drive thru sights.  Just the place to relax in the sun after our 6 days in the rain.

Bill got up early and went for a walk with his camera.  Wrens, Finches, Honeyeaters, Red Winged Parrots and Spotted Bowerbirds were the order of the day.  In town a bit later in the day we found some gorgeous wall art in a lane way.  This was done by Samantha Meurant, a local artist, who owned and worked from this shop.  We met her the next day and she is an absolute delightful young lady.

It rained during the night on and off but cleared in the morning.  The wind continued all day getting stronger as the afternoon wore on.  Seems like we are in the grip of a big cold front and are in for a very long cold spell.  We packed up and headed out first of all to Alan Tannock weir.  We had a couple of hours to kill and found the Warrego River running fast and the weir spilling over.  From here we drove the few km through town to find our new home at Bowra.  On arrival we checked in, set up but no birds today as the wind was blowing a gale, gusting and cold.  Bird call in the old shearing shed that night was freezing.

And so began our seven day stay here at Bowra.  Bill came and went with his camera returning with a smile sometimes and other times not so happy.  With all the rain there were many tracks closed and the birds much more spread out as there was water everywhere.  Still it was fun and we did find lots to keep him busy.  Meeting up with 21 Emus one morning gave him a bit of a surprise.

We also caught up with  Marilyn who was staying there for the week as well.  It rained on the last two days we were there so all the roads were closed again other than the main track to the gate so we had to go to town of course.  Time for coffee and bread at the bakery.  While having a walk around we found this lovely artwork in front of the Medical Centre.  It was done by a local indigenous artist and is called 5 Fires depicting the five groups of people in this area.

As always Cunnamulla is a busy little town each day with dozens of caravans coming and going.  Watching from the bakery it is just a constant stream and you wonder where they are all going.  This year the fuel price has been unbelievable and we watched fascinated as people filled up each day at $229.09 and on the last day it jumped to $235.09.  Just over the railway line it was $214.09 where we got ours.  Don’t know if they didn’t know about the other one or didn’t care.  We did!

Finally our week was over and it was time to pack up and head off again.  At this point we really didn’t have a plan other than just to find somewhere warmer.  But there was a little hitch as Bill had woken up with what seemed like an infection in his eye.  In town he stopped by the Medical Centre and was able to get an appointment later that afternoon so we stayed another night in Cunnamulla lucky to be able to get a site out at Warrego again.  He saw the Dr that afternoon and was diagnosed with Conjunctivitis so drops for the next few days.  Easing a bit overnight Bill was happy to drive on the next morning and so we said farewell to Cunnamulla for another year.  So now all we need to do is make a decision - which way.

until next time……