Gold Coast to Gundagai, NSW

Monday 15 May 2017 

This trip in our caravan has the following themes:

• Travel the mighty Murray River from as close to its source as we can get to where it enters the sea
• Travel around South Australia to Alice Springs visiting Woomera, Coober Pedy, Lake Eyre, Chambers Pillar and maybe visit the Flinders Ranges again
• In Northern Territory, visit the East and West MacDonnell Ranges again, up to the Devils Marbles and then back to Alice Springs
• Head east along the remote Plenty Highway to Boulia and on to home.

Our prime focus will be to explore the area between Adelaide and Alice Springs as we have never visited this part of Australia before, apart from the Flinders Ranges.

As usual, all of the above is subject to weather, flies, mozzies, other bugs, how we are travelling, how the car and caravan are travelling and the general timing of our travels. We plan to be home by the end of July, so we have around 11 weeks to enjoy this trip. 

Our battery system was had it after nearly five years of faithful service so after much research and deliberation we took the opportunity to change over to a Lithium battery system just prior to setting off. For those who might be interested, out went our old three 105 amp AGM batteries and in went one 200 amp lithium battery which has the same power capacity as the three old batteries and is less than one third the weight and size. Having just the one battery now also released all the storage under one of our dining seats where two of the old batteries were housed. We also installed an additional 200 watt solar panel on the roof at the back to supplement the 340 watt panels we have always had. The fixed solar system is supported by a new 150 watt portable solar panel that weighs only 3.5 kg and is less than an inch thick when folded up. So with all this solar and battery capacity we are expecting cloudy and rainy weather for the whole trip.

Morning view from home the day we left

Day One: 
We were able to do a lot of pre-packing on the Friday and Saturday leaving only the fridge contents and a final few bits and pieces to take over this morning - Monday. Julie's lists once again proved invaluable ensuring everything that needs to be taken to and from the van occurs. With our apartment locked up we drove the 20 minutes to the caravan where it is stored, loaded it up with everything, hooked up and were about to set off when Julie asked where our hats were."They were on the list" she explained and we took them over to the van last week. However they were still in the cupboard at home as we had taken them back from the van. So back home we went with caravan in tow. Half way there Julie felt that coffee and morning tea were warranted so we found a coffee shop and had morning tea! Finally we went home, picked up the hats and set off at 11 am towards Boonoo Boonoo NP near Stanthorpe, about four hours away, for our first nights camp.

Cypress Pines Campground, Boonoo Boonoo NP, NSW

The campground is called Cypress Pines and is a great spot. With non-potable tap water, firewood, fire places, camp kitchen with free gas BBQ's and good sized campsites it ticks all the boxes for us. We arrived around 4pm to find only one other caravan there owned by a friendly couple from Toowoomba around our age who were travelling for just a week. 

Within 30 minutes the fire was lit and we settled in for a beautiful night under crystal clear skies with not even a slight breeze. As the beers went down,the campfire smoke trailed straight up into the inky dark skies above covered in a carpet of stars staring down at us. The temperature soon decided to enter into single figures and no matter how much firewood was applied to the fire it just became too cold to stay outside. 

The next morning we woke to 0 degrees outside and 5 degrees in the van. On went our trusty gas heater and soon we were up and about enjoying 15 degree warmth inside while the temperature outside refused to move above 1 degree. Julie soon had a great idea, I could go outside in the cold and light the fire and set the camp chairs up and when the fire was raging and all was ready she could bring out breakfast and we would have a great time. Apparently I was the only dissenting voice and because everyone else in the caravan agreed it was a good idea, I went out and lit the fire etc. 

Once again the day was just stunning with clear skies and no wind. Around 10:30 am we broke camp and set off to Inverell for two nights to catch up with Heather (Myler nee Hamilton) and Tim from Julie's in-laws side of the family.
 
We had dinner with them both nights and had a great time. During the day we explored the nearby Copeton Dam, did the supermarket shuffle and enjoyed the lovely sunny, crisp autumn weather in Inverell.  While doing the supermarket shuffle we ran into our friends Wendy and Alan Pilkington whom we had arranged to meet the next day at Lake Keepit!

Tim, Julie and Heather

Copeton Dam

Lookout over Inverell

18 May - we broke camp, left Inverell and headed towards Lake Keepit via picturesque back roads that meander over rolling hills mainly through cattle country. We stopped at the Ponds Rest Area for morning tea and were interested to learn that the explorer Allan Cunningham camped here on 19 May 1827. We could understand why as, although it is right beside the road, it has a water tank, rubbish bins, a large picnic shed and lots of firewood.

Ponds Rest Area

Arriving at Lake Keepit we set up by the lake in the bush camping area. The gliding club where Wendy and Alan are staying is just behind us on the hill. Rain is forecast right across the east coast of Australia for the next couple of days so we will stay here and catch up with Wendy and Alan and sit and watch the beautiful view from under our awning as the rain comes down. 

Lake Keepit (before the rain)

.... and that's just what we did. The rain arrived as forecast. At 4pm each day we drove up to the Gliding/Soaring Club's club house and had pre-dinner drinks and dinner with Wendy and Alan. During the day we watched the rain come down.

The rain coming - Lake Keepit

On the Sunday the weather cleared and we said farewell to Wendy and Alan and Lake Keepit once again.

Wellington campsite

For the first time this trip it was just the two of us and every place on the map of Australia was available to us. So we headed to Wellington, south east of Dubbo, and what a lovely place it is. We jagged a site overlooking the Macquarie River in the van park. For the next couple of days we plan to catch up on the washing and set up for the next phase of travels.

View from camp - Wellington

views from Mt Arthur

Monday 22 May - with the washing all done and hung out early we set off to see the sights in and around Wellington. To be honest we could easily have stayed at least three nights here as there is, surprisingly, quite a lot to see and do. First we did the multiple lookout walk on Mt Arthur just outside the town, then on to admire a lovely sculpture which outlines the history of Wellington and then to the cave region, not to see the caves (although they are supposed to be excellent) but to visit a Japanese garden and a nice cafe there that was good for lunch.

Another Mt Arthur lookout

Wellington Gateway sculpture

Osawano Japanese Gardens near Wellington

Osawano Japanese Gardens near Wellington

Osawano Japanese Gardens near Wellington

Fern Gully - Burrendong Botanic Garden and Arboretum

Next it was off to Burrendong Botanic Garden and Arboretum and in particular Fern Gully which is the rainforest part and is quite amazing.  In the middle of dry savannah plains, with the aid of a massive steel canopy, a botanist life's work has produced a sustainable rainforest environment - just amazing.

Fern Gully - Burrendong Botanic Garden and Arboretum

After a big day we headed home and prepared for tomorrow's drive to Gundagai. 

The nights remain quite cold at around 4-6 degrees in the morning. Fog greets us each day with a heavy dew. We are up at around 6.30am and without hurrying we are on the road before 8.30am. Wellington is alive with 4WD's dropping kids off at school, tradies heading in all directions in their utes and the Town Centre is slowly waking up as shop lights are switched on by their takeaway coffee holding owners all rugged up against the autumn cold. We head off through town travelling south on the road to Gundagai. All along the highway brightly coloured autumn leaves adorn the trees and for those leaves that have said goodbye to their family tree they lay on the ground forming a thick multicoloured carpet just waiting for the wind to blow them away somewhere.

Canowindra morning tea stop

The backroads we have chosen wind their way through green fields covering the rolling hills in all directions.  In the valleys, fog makes visibility difficult. We stop for morning tea in Canowindra where a sunny shelter in the park makes for a beautiful place to have a cuppa. Heading further south the fog patches start to burn off and reveal a stunning clear sunny day with light winds. A roadside park at the nondescript village of Wallendbeen provides a great lunch stop. Right outside our caravan door is a multicoloured deciduous tree with its thick carpet of discarded leaves at its feet.

Wallendbeen lunch stop

Gundagai camp overlooking the Murrumbidgee River

By about 2.30pm we arrive at our targeted van park in south Gundagai and set up by the Murrumbidgee River. All around us colourful autumn leaves are falling.

50 metres away Charles Sturt walked past

A walk over the bridge reveals platypus feeding. We watch one dive to the bottom leaving a trail of bubbles on the surface as it feeds around a fallen tree in the flooded river.

A walkover the bridge to see ...

...a platypus in the Murrumbidgee River

The walk back entitles us to a couple of free beers and a wine under the awning as the sun sets casting its filtered light through the near naked trees. As the sun goes down so does the temperature chasing us inside our caravan.  Another great day on the road has come to end.

Wednesday 24 May 2017 - An overnight storm wakes me around 1am. Bright lightning illuminates the caravan and thunder cracks loudly shortly after then rumbles for ages through the mountains nearby. After half an hour the storm moves further east waking more unsuspecting sleepers in their beds. Only a little rain falls and with virtually no wind associated with the storm I can happily role over and go back to sleep without having to make a dash outside to roll up the awning. Meanwhile Julie is totally oblivious to the storm and wakes up next morning wondering why everything is a little damp.

Dad and Dave from Snake Gully and Jeff from The Gold Coast

We get away around 8.30am to start our day exploring the region. A visit to the local Information Centre in town introduces us to Dad and Dave sculptures in the park across the road. Five miles up the road we then visit the Dog on the Tuckerbox as my Mabel waits for me underneath the bright blue skies.

Dog on the Tuckerbox 5 Miles from Gundagai

There he sits in a park in front of a shop beside a service station in the cold all by himself just 50 metres from the busy Hume Highway that links Sydney and Melbourne.

One can only appreciate so many sculptures in one day so we headed south towards Kosciuszko National Park to the town of Tumut. Born out of the hydroelectricity scheme in the 1950's and 1960's, Tumut still remains a vibrant town today. We visited the local dams and hydro power stations and generally marvelled at the incredible project that shaped Australia so long ago.

Views from top of Blowering Dam

Blowering Dam

Tumut 3 Hydro Electric Station

Tumut 3

Lunch was held back in Tumut at a cafe at the local racecourse. We sat outside in the autumn sunlight on a carpet of fallen leaves. 

Heading back home we did a local walk through the golf course beside our van park.

Disused train bridge - Gundagai, NSW

Disused historic wooden train bridge - Gundagai, NSW

We came across a memorial identifying where the first building, the Rose Inn in Gundagai, was built. It was a pub (big surprise there) built by a convict who had served his time. In 1852 there was a great flood and sadly his wife and four children died in that flood leaving him alone. Geez there are some sad stories about the hardships that the early settlers had to endure. 


Anyway we walked further on into town and back before settling in under our awning to watch the sun follow the falling autumn leaves as they fell to the ground.

Autumn leaves ... Julie stays

Our last day in Gundagai was a local one.  The morning was cold and foggy.

Morning fog over the Murrumbidgee River - our camp to the right

The sun was due to come out by 8am so we did the washing and hung it out. The sun came out at 1pm by which time the temperature had struggled to reach 11 degrees. 

We visited the local lookout but Julie got it all wrong - there were clouds everywhere.

Julie's attempt at using the lookout

I swapped positions and showed her how to do it. 

My attempt at using the lookout - a couple of hours later

When I did it we overlooked the floodplains that the original old town was built on, right where the caravan park we are saying in is located. In 1852 a great flood happened and the original town was washed away by 5 metres of floodwaters. 78 deaths were recorded and this flood was Australia's worst natural disaster until the tragic 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires in Victoria.

28 years of Frank Rusconi's life

A quick visit to the local Information Station to pick up some maps for the next part of our trip also afforded Julie the opportunity to have a look at Rusconi's Marble Masterpiece - a cathedral model that took 28 years to create. Every day after work for three hours Frank Rusconi would carve tiny pieces of NSW marble to eventually create a big pile of tiny pieces of marble that looks like a tower of something. Anyway it is pretty impressive.

Back home we settled in for the afternoon and enjoyed what little sunshine as available in the late Autumn day. The caravan park allows campfires so at around 3pm I gathered up a pile of fallen leaves and lit our trusty collapsable firepit. This provided warming entertainment right through until 6.30pm when it just became too cold to stay outside anymore.

Tomorrow we head off further south to Khancoban in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains. It is from here we intend to get as close as we can to the start of the Murray River without really doing the extreme bush bashing for several hours that is required to really get to the start. In fact the actual source location seems to be a bit of a mystery to everyone. An internet search is all but fruitless. There are some old articles that indicate the approximate source but anyway who really cares as the location is in the middle of deep scrub in the cold, damp and rugged snow-covered backblocks of the Snowy Mountains, maybe.

This seems like a good time to end the blog for this part of our trip.

Car and van are going well, as are their occupants. Stay tuned for the next part of our travels as we seek to get as close as we can to the source of the Murray River and then start our journey along it.

Bye for now from the Grey Gonads 

JeffnJulie