The last days of our 2012 Road Trip - Dubbo to Brisbane

Leaving Tocumwal early morning we continued our journey on the Newell Highway through the parched and potentially explosive land stopping at Narandera for morning tea at a very nice and busy bakery. 

Near Jeraldie

Returning to the highway we noticed the Tiger Moth Museum beside the Information Centre and decided to delay our departure to take a look. Our very dear friend, Joe, once told us that he had spent some time here training with the Air Force during the Second World War and, as he is no longer with us, we paid a heartfelt tribute to the lovely man he was and the great friendship we enjoyed with him.

Tiger Moth Museum, Naranderi, New South Wales

As we were keen to get to Dubbo as quickly as we could to have time with our family we stopped only briefly in a park at West Wyalong for lunch and arrived at Dubbo early in the afternoon. Dubbo has a great outdoor water complex so we took advantage of that to swim a little, play around a lot and to enjoy our reunion.

Family time over we separated and travelled in opposite directions - homeward for us. We chose to continue on the Newell Highway with plans to branch off to explore a different route further along the track. Approaching Coonabarabran we came across the Warumbungles again, this time the southern view. How lovely they looked!

Warrumbungle National Park

On previous trips up and down we had merely passed through Coonabarabran so, as we were in no hurry now, we decided to stop and take a walk around. There is actually a lot to do from this endearing small town and I noted a pleasant looking caravan park for future reference. There's not much walking needed to take in the main street, however we had an appetite and discovered a friendly cafe, Cardian's, where we enjoyed the best Big Brunch scrambled eggs I've had at any cafe. Scrambled eggs are a bit too fussy to make when camping so the choice was an easy one!

Main Street, Coonabarabran

Back on the road, we were soon passing through Narrabri looking for a small road that would eventually lead us to the most challenging and potentially disastrous experience of our trip, the road through Mt Kaputar National Park.

Road into Mt Kaputar National Park from Newell Highway

At first the road was wide and flat with a few cattle here and there but we were soon winding our way uphill on a narrower road. There were a few places where we could get off the road to stop and look around. The day was very still and there were butterflies all around in places and birds high in trees calling out. This was well worth deviating from our easiest route home!

Mt Kaputar

On the other side of the mountain we came into a wide, lush valley with a river wandering through. The greenness surprised us after the hundreds of kilometres of tinderbox yellow and brown. At the end of the valley we arrived at Bingara, a pretty place on the Gwyndir River. 

By this time we were in need of a rest stop and a cup of tea and thought that a spot on the riverbank would be great. I then spotted a sign indicating a lookout a kilometre along the river and, as that sounded a great place to enjoy our break, I pointed the van in the direction indicated and off we went, following the river. Another sign was spotted indicating a right turn up a slight slope. Below it was a small addition "Not suitable for caravans." 

Up I drove, around a bend, to discover that I was now driving UP the steepest road I could ever imagine, bar one. [ When I was a child my father drove us all down a stock route on Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. I have never forgotten that long tense ride with my terrified siblings huddled in the back of the Studebaker.]

To make the right turn I had changed down into third gear but I was soon down, very cautiously, into second. The road ahead seemed to be totally vertical and I had someone having a massive panic attack in the passenger seat. I remember feeling very calm and clear knowing that I needed to get that vehicle to the top or we would have no hope of avoiding a nasty and helpless situation. I shut  out everything going on around me, determined to coax the engine that really wanted to stall, to crawl excruciatingly up, up, up.

We made it. Just.

The problem now was, how were we to get down? I suggested that we have our cuppa and work out a plan.

Bingara from the Lookout

While we were having our tea we heard motorbikes below and three bikers on Harley Davidsons appeared on the road below. Only one of them made it to the top without completely stalling. That proves it really is steep, I thought.

Other side of Bingara from the Lookout

After our break I walked a few metres down to take a photo of the Lookout sign.

H.F Battersham Memorial Lookout, Bingara

Going down proved to be easy - in first gear all the way.
On we went, along the Gwyndir Highway stopping overnight at Inverell before joining the New England Highway to Tenterfield. A short stretch along the Bruxner Highway came next with a deviation along a road we had never travelled before through Benalbo, Urbanville and Woodenbong.

Near Urbanville, New South Wales

From Woodenbong we were on familiar territory as we have camped there several times. Today, however, the goal was to get home to welcome in the New Year.

New South Wales - Queensland Border

After a couple of stops to try to capture an image of the songful birds that always fascinate us along the Mt Lindsay Highway, we were soon back home after the longest road trip we had ever made - 5,378 kilometres.

As always, home looked luxurious, familiar and comfortable. We were soon sitting, wine glass in hand farewelling a very difficult and challenging year but one that had ended very happily.

Plans for another road trip were already being made!

[These last two posts have languished in the edit box awaiting photo selection from the 2000 pics taken. ]

Warrumbungles National Park

After a night at a forgettable campground at Narrabri we made an early start and sped along the 120 kilometres to Coonabarabran where, leaving the Newell Highway, we took the road to the Warrumbungle National Park.  

We had previously been in the Park some years ago so wanted to have just the day there doing a couple of the easy walks to enjoy the wildlife and scenery. This time of year the Park is very dry and the colours of the mountains quite harsh, compared to those of our previous wet season visit.

Gum Tree walk, Warrumbungle National Park

 As you enter the park proper from Coonabarabran you soon come to a sign indicating the start of the White Gum Lookout so, having parked Sam under a gum tree with the ipad, I was soon strolling along the 500 metres bitumen wheelchair and baby pusher friendly path through gum trees. Very soon the  spectacular view of the Warrumbungle Mountains was spread out before me.

The one in the centre looking like a chimney is called the Breadknife . . .just intriguing and lovely! There are six identified as easy walks around this Park and one of them in particular, the Spirey View Walk, gives you an even better and closer view of the Breadknife. Unfortunately it is a 6.5km return walk, a bit of it uphill and I had neither the time nor walking companion for such a walk today. It would be marvellous though!

The Breadknife, Warrumbungle National Park

The Warrumbungles stand tall in hundreds of square kilometers of rather flat land, some of which can be seen through the gap in the mountains.

From White Gum Walk, Warrumbungle National Park

Gum trees smell Australia to me! There are about 700 species of these with most of them being native to Australia. 

Gum tree, Warrumbungle National Park

 The last time I was here the rocks around the trees were almost completely covered with snakes sunning themselves in the Spring sun. Too hot for them today though! 

After my walk and morning tea under the gum trees we visited the Park's information office to pay our Park visitor's fees. Here you can also book in to one of the camping grounds in the park and the only people we saw in the park were two other plus aged couples who were staying for a couple of days. I had abandoned the half idea of doing this earlier when I noted how very dry and combustible the area was. It would have been lovely though.

After getting a map of the Park we followed directions to an easy Walk along the Wambelong Nature Trail. This is a one kilometer walk along the Wambelong Creek.

Wambelong Creek, Warrumbungle National Park

The walk starts at the Canyon Picnic area. It was very quiet and still there.

Although we tried very hard not to, we disturbed a couple of black cormorants which flew a short distance ahead of us, stopping to see if we had gone away until they decided to leave us completely.[ Not my photo - they were always just of of range for my zoom.]

Little Black Cormorant

As we walked quietly along the track enjoying the peaceful atmosphere there was a sudden splashing noise as a kangaroo which had been drinking from the creek hopped across the creek to hide in the dry grass on the other side. He was there still when we returned about twenty minutes later.

Kangaroo, Wambelong Creek

The Creek flows through a narrow canyon and as I took the photo below from high on the rocks opposite  the height of the canyon is not easily seen.

Wambelong Creek Canyon, Warrumbungle National Park

Looking up, I noticed these cactii near the top of the mountain rocks.

Cactii, Wambelong Creek, Warrumbungle National Park

Wambelong Creek, Warrumbungle National Park

Wambelong Creek

At 32 degrees Celsius and not a breeze around the kangaroos were mostly resting in the shade . . .

. . .except this family blending in with the river sand. We stood watching them for just too long for their human tolerance level and they decided to give us a message to move on. The biggest one stood tall and began to thump his/her chest. Time for us to leave them in peace!

Kangaroos, Warrumbungle National Park

As we ate our lunch at one of the several covered picnic tables we watched the kookaburras and other birds, feeling that we were happily alone in this beautiful environment.

The small fees that visitors are asked to pay are put to good use with barbecues and the most spotless compost toilets I have ever seen. [ Just so you know facilites are available!]

Laughing Kookaburra, Warrumbungle National Park

One of the riveting events we witnessed was the prolonged and determined attack of this large lizard by a pair of kookaburras. The poor thing moved heavily and slowly about 50 metres across the road to the safety of the undergrowth with me moving with as much speed as I thought enough to scare off the birds while not causing it even more stress, camera clicking too.

Lizard, Warrumbungle National Park

After this we drove through the rest of the park and out the other side eventually rejoining the Newell Highway and heading for our night stop at Forbes, almost 300 kilometres away.

Warrumbungles in the distance

I couldn't resist stopping to look back at these beautiful mountains.