Inverell to Sydney

The last of the outback camping is behind us, and we spend a week easing ourselves back into society, bitumen roads, showers and inside toilets.
November is harvest time in north western NSW, and this year it was Wheat and Barley being stripped from the Johnson's farm at Gragin. The John Deer header, with a 10m comb, was working flat chat and the grain harvested was either trucked to the silo's in town or stored on the property for future sale.

grain transfer

Kevin helped out by driving the trucks, loading and unloading grain. Jane was making sure everyone was fed and trying to stay out of the dust generated when the machines are moving around the property.

Header in the creek

Sometimes things don't go to plan, and the 10m wide creek separating one of the barley paddocks proved muddier than first appearances.

A five minute short cut turned into a two hour delay and a tow with the bulldozer.

Luckily several men were on hand to give advice to the unfortunate header operator.




Timing was perfect as the harvest was finished on Tuesday and the rain started on Thursday. Sorgum looking good and enjoying the drink. We celebrated with a night in town and a meal at a Thai restaurant.

Home in Sydney now for a couple of months preparing for Christmas, birthdays and our trip next year to Western Australia. Hope you've enjoyed following us on our travels. Jane & Kevin.



Thargomindah to Inverell

Now it's getting hot! This week saw temperatures in the 38C - 40C range, so I thought it was time to get out of the hot centre and head towards the east coast. Kevin wanted to head to the coast after he had to pay $65 for a case of beer,... and being in QLD the Pub only sold XXXX.

Thargomindah was the first town in Australia, and third in the world, to produce hydro-electric power, and even the water is hot out there, coming out of the bore at 84C. No need to heat the town's hot water, it's pumped to cooling ponds then straight to the house.

Hydro power plant

About 40km outside town is Lake Bindegolly, and we bush camped there a night so we could do a 9km bird watching walk around the lake. It was a 5.30am start to avoid the heat. A bit early for me normally but well worth the effort. The dry thunderstorms have started and we had a huge one come through about 1am, which saw sand and grit blown all through the camper before we could secure the canvas....

Flat Tyre

On the journey to Bollond we saw hundreds of feral goats by the side of the road. The locals were telling us they get $40 a goat if they can catch them.....

Just out of St George, a big cotton growing region, we had the first flat tyre of our 6 week trip. Kevin tells me it's pretty hot work changing a tyre on a bitumen road at 1pm on a 38C day.





Camping by the creek that night at Nindegully Pub was a welcome relief to the heat and the stress of tyre changing. Many of the remote area pubs offer free camping & showers, and its a great way to get travellers to stop in.

We've now landed at the family farm between Warialda and Inverell to de-dust, wash and play farmer for a few days.

happy reading, Jane & Kevin

Arkaroola to Innamincka

After leaving Leigh Creek we've spent 8 nights in the Gammon Rangers SA, first stop was Iga Warta which showcases aboriginal cultural tourism, Terry Coultard, a local elder from the Adnyamathanha people, showed us the local bush tucker available, took us to painting sites, and talked about their beliefs and ceremonies. It was a great couple of days and we felt really welcomed.
 Melbourne Cup was spent on the veranda at Iga Warta watching the race on the big screen with 4 Kiwi's and a dozen Coultards's  ... My horse ran last in the $2 sweep.

weetoolta creek


Camping along the river in the national park gave us a chance to do some morning hikes.... and finally see some water. With the temperatures getting close to 30C we were setting off pretty early in the morning. We've spotted the yellow footed rock wallaby which is an endangered species, 3 days in a row, and seen plenty of bird life including bee catchers down from the NT, and wedge tail eagles looking for unsuspecting rabbits.

Arkaroola saw the scenery switch from gorge walks with limited water and abundant bird life, to ridge top vistas, hot and dry. The Acacia ridge walk and hill top drive were highlights. We joined the tour on the private roads built by mining companies in the 60's. All were built on the ridge line not the valleys so pretty scary stuff if you looked down, but the views were amazing. Lucky for us Arkaroola had a swimming pool so each afternoon we could cool off...


ridge line drive

After two weeks in the Flinders/Gammon ranges we headed for the flat country. The strezlecki track was 500km of gravel and dust to get to the Innaminka Hotel for a cool drink in the afternoon before camping by the Cooper Creek. Innaminka has the mission where the Flying Doctor Service was started, a general store and a pub.

We had morning tea at the Burke & Wills ill fated DIG tree... if only their rescue party had waited that one extra day.... before racing a thunder storm and a 50km front bush fire started by a dry lightening strike to Thargomindah just across the QLD boarder. Glad to say we outran both safely.

Hope you enjoy the update, Jane & Kevin.

Wilpena Pound, Flinders Rangers

We have driven out of the Flinders Rangers and back into phone coverage, after 6 nights camping firstly at Wilpena Pound and then in the National Park at Koolaman which is a bush camp. The red gorges and dry creek beds are quite a contrast from last week in Clare.

The rock formations are some of the oldest in the world 650+ million years, and we managed three separate hikes including a 20km walk around the pound, which took us seven hours and had some very steep scrambles.


Top of Wilpena Pound 

Wilpena was camping luxury as there were hot showers in the amenities block and a pool for cooling off  after our walk... there was also a bar!.. Things were a little more basic at Koolaman, just the campsite by a dry creek, our camper van and a pit toilet. However the wild flowers were out in abundance and we have seen plenty of emu, kangaroo's and even a few feral goats.



Koolaman Hike

 Whilst at Koolaman we explored the old ruins of homesteads long gone, and sat on the same ridges over looking the Flinders that Hans Heysen painted. We also managed a very very early morning hike and saw 5 yellow footed rock wallabies,which are an endangered species....  it was worth the 10km.....

 We stopped for lunch today at the Prairie Hotel Parachilna, and who should be there but our old friend Leo Sayer, who'd done a show there the night before... some coincidence as last fortnight we saw him perform at the Masters closing ceremony Adelaide.

Leigh Creek tonight stocking up on provisions before we head out again.  Next stop Iga Warta......at least I think that is what Kevin said?



Adelaide to Clare Valley



Sevenhills cellars


We've spent the week in the village of Leasingham, in the Clare Valley surrounded by 50 or so wineries, including the SevenHill winery which was the first in the Clare and was founded by Jesuit priests... communion wine was their first drop.
Lunch on Thursday in the old cottage restaurant at Skillagalee winery overlooking the gardens was a highlight. We've managed 2 wineries a day for four days, so we have 'samples' from Pike, Paulette, Knapstein & Annie's Lane to take on the rest of the trip.


To have a break from drinking wine, we spent a day in the historic town of Burra, which had the first copper mine in SA and made a few early settlers from the 1840's very very rich... not so much fun for the workers though.

Pump house



water wheel worker



After our time in the region we now know what good Riesling should taste like. Tomorrow is moving camp day and we are driving the 300km's to Wilpena Pound for the start of our Flinders Rangers camping and hiking.

Heard there is a pool there and with 35C days we'll need the swim...




From Sydney to Adelaide

The adventure began on the October long weekend, with the land rover being hitched to the camper trailer and heading off to spend the week playing Masters Netball and Basketball in Adelaide. First night was camping by the murrumbidgee river, along with some very large mosquitoes. We then spent 3 nights by the Pink Lakes outside Pinaroo on the VIC/SA boarder, relaxing and getting ready or the week ahead.

Adelaide Masters was a huge week,  2 games of Netball a day for me, and 2 games of basketbell a day for Kevin.... and that was only the days, each night there were team dinners, parties and dancing. Victory was at hand with a silver medal in the netball and a gold in the basketball.

Now it's off to the clare Valley for R&R.