Quilpie into NSW

Quilpie into NSW!  Sat – Sun 11 12 July 2015-07-12

Quilpie to Charleville was 210 kms.

Quilpie a lovely little town – great caravan park (artesian spas; glass doors between shower & change area! Meals & campfire), Also excellent Info Centre (+ museum + quilt display). The Durack’s drove cattle through the district in the early days & Amy Johnson landed here in May 1930 on her flight from England to Brisbane). Lovely library, bakery, cafes, coffee shops/galleries, 2 supermarkets – still a LITTLE town.

RC Church has a feature boulder opal rock lecturn, baptismal font & altar – beautiful!

So good to see taller green trees, GREEN grass, water in the creeks & wider sealed roads with line markings!!!!! We stopped halfway at Cooladdi (just a roadhouse now, free camping behind but offer meals) it used to be quite a railway town in its day.

At 12.30 everything except the IGA was closed in Charleville! - another nice small town. Two double storey hotels with ‘posts’ out the front. Two others (beautiful painted & maintained were the School of Arts & UCA Uniting Care & Welfare.

We had lunch in the park & were joined by 6 honking geese & flock of apostle birds!

We headed south to Wyandra where Warren was keen to stay. Lovely little village – quite a few free camped behind school or in powered sites behind Post Office. Warren had a beer & I a chocolate paddle pop (the only ice cream they had!) As it was only 2.45 we decided to go on the 97kms to Cunnamulla.

Wind had come up by time we set up. There was a campfire, singalong & sausage sizzle on to raise funds fro Royal Flying Doctor. Lots there, sitting around talking, drinking eating, singing.

A shower of rain but wind dropped – still a cold night.

So much roadkill all the way!!! – mainly kangaroos. Saw many emus, some brolgas & wild goats!

Sunday – 5 degrees in morning & warmed up to 16! 13 in Bourke.

We drove south to Bourke – stopping at Barringun – on border NSW - for morning tea. Greeted by 4 sheep & Shetland pony. Policeman there as well!

Lunch in Bourke – pies & beesting cake at café – lovely!

Less road kill! Still lots of LIVE wildlife!

On to Nyngan – cold & windy & showery! Stopped at Mulga Creek Hotel (newish brick long low building) with 5 parking meters out the front – another fund raiser for RFD!

Also stopped to take photos of disused railway station at Girilambone. Warren went over to look it over – opened the door to the station & swaggie in their ‘boiling up his spuds for tea’ He had his swag roll there. Warren doesn’t know who got the biggest fright!

Very cold & windy at Nyngan CP – snow at Orange & highways closed there.