Pilliga

It was only a short trip from Gulargambone to Pilliga 160klms. Stopping on our way at Coonamble just to walk the Main Street and have a coffee break before heading off to the free camp in the middle of nowhere. Pilliga has a pub, cafe and school. The artesian bore baths at Pilliga were constructed for the town water supply and are now a popular therapeutic swimming spot for residents and visitors. Located about 2klms out of town with the free camp spot along side it was good to be able to go and have a soak in the 37 degree pool.
While we were there for the two nights we enjoyed a fellow travellers camp fire and even had a camp oven cook up with roast chicken and veggies, yum yum!

Pilliga artesian bore baths

Sunset Pilliga

Baz enjoying the campfire

Camp oven cooking

Roast chicken and veggies

Pilliga free camp

Gulargambone

We were on the road by 8.30 as our next stop was over 400klms north east at Gulargambone. We had arranged to meet Alan and Fay, friends from Queanbeyan who we met on our first trip in 2008.
After studying the map and deciding to take the direct route travelling by the minor roads which took us through Condobolin, Tullamore then onto Narramine instead of the busy Newell Hwy. The roads were quiet good and hardly any traffic the only down fall was some road works on the section heading to Tullamore, it was just our luck they were watering down a large section. Great car and van looked like we had been to Cape York and back!
Upon arrival at the Gulargambone Caravan Park it was a quick hello and how are you to our friends before setting to work cleaning the car and van before we could relax around the camp fire and enjoy the damper and pizza's that the van park owners cook every night for Happy Hour. Great little park only $20 a night, very easy to pass through this semi deserted town and not stop, but If you happen to be passing through this way can recommend you stop and support Dave and Bernadette they certainly make a great damper. It is also home for the many Galahs!

Happy Hour at Gulargambone

Campsite with friends Alan and Fay

Cobram - Lake Cargelligo

After hitching up the van in light drizzle at Beechworth, it wasn't too far down the hwy before we drove out of the crappy weather and we're once again enjoying a warm autumn day.

We stopped at Rutherglen to enjoy an award winning Parker pie for lunch then travelling further onto Cobram. It was lovely to get our chairs out and sit in the warm sunshine, we had to make the most of it as the weather forecast was not very promising for the next couple of days.

While we were in Cobram we caught up with our friends Bridget and Don enjoying a lovely lunch and dinner at their house. we also had a visit to the bone cruncher (chiropractor) as before leaving home Baz was suffering with a stiff neck and I have had sciatic pain in the butt. It was a new experience for us, Baz is feeling a lot better but I am still a pain in the bum!

Yesterday we left Cobram and travelled to Griffith via the Kidman Hwy where we stopped to have lunch before proceeding on another 130klm on a secondary road rather than travelling the Newell Hwy stopping at a lovely free camp spot beside Lake Cargelligo. We arrived with plans of an overnight stop but have ended up stopping for two, as the weather was going to be kind, giving us a 26 degree day to sit beside the picturesque lake. We took the bikes off the car this morning and went for a leisurely ride part way round the lake and into town, being a Sunday the Main Street was deserted, I think all the locals were gathered at the football ground watching the local team play. This is a place we could quiet happily settle into for a few more days, only we had a I call from some friends from Qheanbeyan who are further north and we would like to meet up with them. Lake Cargelligo will certainly be on our list of places to  revisit.

Lake Cargelligo our 1st night

Lake Cargelligo Main St

Lake Cargelligo 2nd night