Birdsville 2013 - Day 8

Wednesday 3rd April, 2013

After a good nights sleep, up around 7am, breakfasts being organised, kids & dog running around like pork chops.  The morning meeting of the great minds & the map was underway, working out todays route to take.  Pack up, then photos at the corner post.




Our camp in the daylight at Camerons Corner

Morning chatting



Tania organising around busy Jamie

Boris going for a walk....

Camerons Corner Store



Standing at the Corner

Tick, that's another corner done!

 

 

So, first stop is Tibooburra today which is south easterly from here.  (Adrian said the fuel is cheaper there, so everyone will top up when we get there) and of course it's already been discussed to have lunch there at the pub.  Adrian & Tania called in here before and said they went to The Family Hotel, which was quite good.  Lunch is organised, we'd better get there firstly!  Off about 10am travelling through Sturt National Park for a bit onto Middle Road, east to the Jump Up Loop Road, then south to Tibooburra.

 



Welcome to Sturt National Park

Don't you just love a good track!

Old water tanks



 



Adrian & Tania behind us - tried to
arty with my shot..

It's a bit dusty.

Yep, Boris still travels well.

 

 

 

Scenery yet again is stunning, flat, green, sometimes stony - absolutely amazing. It is truly unbelievable from the plains stretching as far as your eye can see, to the unusual boulders you come across as you get closer to Tibooburra.

 

 



Check out the windmill

 

 

On the road again

Stunning scenery

Our little convoy

 

We arrived in Tibooburra around 12.15pm, it's a cute little town - 2 pubs, general store/fuel.  Something I did notice was the lovely old stone buildings dotted around the main street - gorgeous.

Everyone fuelled up first, 2 cars at a time.  Craig spotted the street sign hanging from the tree - worthy of a photo:

 

What a cracker!

You know, when you step back and look at our lot arriving somewhere, it's like an instant crowd - OMG it's funny to watch.  Wasn't that little pub "The Family Hotel" busy when we all walked in, kids running around inside and on the front verandah, drinks being ordered left, right & centre, lunch menus being perused, everyone having a chat with the Publican - if his head wasn't spinning with this activity, it should have been.  The Publican (and I didn't get his name), was really lovely & friendly and very accommodating to his instant crowd.  We all had a good laugh with him.   

 

The Family Hotel

The inside of the pub is covered with Muriels & paintings on all the walls - you are most welcome to take photos, but need to make a donation to the RFD, which is well worth it).



Inside the pub

 

 

Yep, Flying Doctors

 

 

Lunches ordered, photos taken, Boris was allowed on the front verandah, so we all moved outside. It was very relaxing in the shade, a little breeze blowing and everyone enjoying a drink and a chat while waiting for lunch.

 

Well some of us out the front

 

Lunch was good & everyone was enjoying themselves, until someone reminded all that we weren't camping here tonight!!  Hayden needed to open up the camper as the nappies for little Sienna had been packed inside, this drew a little crowd of onlookers (not the nappies, the Travelander being opened up), so Hayden went into Salesman mode - it was funny from our point of view!  After about 1/2 hour we were able to get some group photos (thanks to a lovely lady who was patient enough to take about 10 photos from everyones cameras).  Jess & Hayden were leaving us today because they said they were sick of Darren.....  no not really, they had to start heading back to Melbourne.

 

There is a second pub in Tibooburra, one of those 2 storey old Queenslander type pubs, with the verandah on the 2nd storey as well as the ground level verandah.  Brillant looking pub, we had a quick chat to I assume the Publican while the Julia took some photos of the Travelander cars out the front.  In all fairness, we figure if we were all camping in Tibooburra tonight dinner probably would have been at this pub, so we shared the love.  However being we didn't camp there tonight, Craig and I decided next time we pass through Tibooburra, it's would only be fair to share the love and have lunch at the other pub.

 

Outside the The Family Hotel

People looking over the camper



Adrian & Darren found the chevy more
interesting to discuss.

Hayden in Salesman mode - haha

All of our Ugly Mugs
(except little Sienna who is sleeping)

 Time to move more easterly and find our camp for tonight.  2pm thereabouts and we're off, everyone said their goodbyes to Jess & Haydn and our little convoy was now down to 3 cars - it's kinda sad when you loose one of your little group you've created to travel in.

So next town we're heading for is Wanaaring, it's about 230klms and we're still on dirt roads and we got a bit of traffic today!

A bit of traffic! Haha

The landscape today again was amazing! The boulders outside of Tibooburra, some hills, yet still flat grasslands, lots of emus and green - how beautifully green it has been out here.  The roads varied in condition and colour from red to white (almost like someone got sick of looking at red roads, so they threw some white dirt over it for something different, haha). Everyone has been amazed at the number of emus everywhere we go out here - must of been a really good breeding season for them.  On the down side though, it's the most emu's we've unfortunately seen dead on the side of the road.



Boulders near Tibooburra -
Adrian & Tania behind us.

Bitumen is about to run out



The red dirt road & some hills

Wonderful landscape



Open grasslands

Emus (I know it's just one in this photo)
but they were everywhere!



Salt Lake

White dirt road

So, we've been looking along the road this afternoon for a campsite - yeah, not looking good.  It's getting onto later in the afternoon now, so here's hoping there's something/somewhere in Wanaaring....  On approach to town we saw a Shell sign advertising fuel, showers, toilets & camp ground.  Pulled up in front of Coopers Camp Ground & Caravan Park, looked okay - grass, toilets, showers, campfires, quite quaint really.  Darren headed off down the road to make sure there wasn't something better, he did find a nice spot on the river but general consensus was "showers", so Coopers Camp Ground won.  The young fellow who runs it wondered out while we were chatting, we asked how much to camp and can Boris stay - $15 unpowered, $20 powered and yes for Boris but keep him away from the house fence line, as their dogs are there to keep dogs out (we're guessing wild dogs/dingoes he's means).....  Gate opened and in we went to setup.  We passed a couple of cars about an hour or so out of town, one with a trailer and both travelling very slowly.  Checked with them on the radio they were okay (nope, trailer had broken the u-bolts), but they were okay to make it into town.  Just as dusk fell those 2 cars pulled up and then another 2 cars arrived about 1/2 hour or so later.  It's getting pretty popular this camp ground!!

There are no pictures of this little camp ground tonight, unfortunately my camera refused to take any photo's and I didn't have the patience to work it out tonight - plus boy was already doing his normal line "what's for dinner, are you making it yet" - it's really not a wonder that Jim & Ev from our Cape Trip gave him that T-Shirt he was wearing! 

,

That shirt.....

We had a little problem when setting up tonight, there were those woody prickles everywhere on the ground - you know the ones that burn when you pull them out...  Boris was obviously excited to get out and run around, probably have a wee and we hadn't actually noticed all those prickles at this point.....  can you see what's about to happen!  Yep, Boris jumped out of the truck and straight into one of those prickle patches, he didn't know how to walk or where to walk at this point.  Threw him into the front of the truck, pulled out all the prickles which were in all 4 paws and double checked we had them all out.  Well that was it for Boris, he wasn't moving out of the truck after that.  We got the shade cloth out and put it down at the back of the camper, sort of in the middle of everyone, carried Boris from the truck and plonked him down on that.  Poor little fellow didn't move, he wasn't game to!  Craig carried him out onto the road and walked along that to see if he wanted to go to the toilet.  I think all of us felt sorry for Boris - not a fun dog camp tonight.

We're cooking for dinner for Adrian & Tania tonight, since they shared their chicken with us last night.  Well it was really a joint dinner, with Tania doing the bacon & onions, boy cooking the rissoles I made & eggs - yes we had gourmet style Hamburgers, yummy!

After feeding time, the boys sat around talking for a bit - I think I saw the map come out.  Night All :)