Monday, July 4, 2016

Day 56: Tue 5 Jul – Mildura (VIC) to Parkes (NSW), 687km, 6-8deg, rain most of the day

We had a conference last night and after checking the weather forecast for the remainder of our Eastward journey, we decided it was time to go home more quickly than we'd planned. While we've seen lots of interesting places we had never been to before, caught up with some wonderful people we hadn't seen in ages, well and truly tested out the van and had a great time, the weather from here on isn't going to be conducive with cycling, sightseeing and caravanning. "Tending to snow" at West Wyalong today isn't our cup-of-tea weather wise. So our last few days will be spent driving home, but of course we won't be rushing!

Got underway at 7:30am into a dull, cold and rainy morning; it is winter so it's understandable. First stop was for a cuppa was at Balranald and then lunch was at a rest area at Goolgowie on the Hay Plain, which is like the Nullarbor but smaller. Saw plenty of wheat, sheep, cotton, emus and cattle during the day. The farmers would have been over the moon with the rain we experienced.

Most of the roads we drove today were B-roads (B for b.......) and were quite lumpy in most places which slowed us down for a good part of the day. But, we arrived safely (which is the main thing) at Spicer Van Park (in the rain) at 5:05pm after a fairly long and steady day. Wanted to stay hitched but due to a rather large slope (on a van site!!) had to unhook. Temp at 7deg; a good day to be sitting in a nice warm truck, awful day to be outside. 


Hay plains

Cotton bales

Another rainy day on the road

Lots of water everywhere

Day 58: Thu 7 Jul - Goondiwindi to Home, 528km, 6-21deg, (must be back in Qld) cloudy early then clear and sunny

Today we complete the final leg of a journey of just over 8 weeks, 12,193km across the bottom half of the country towing our home away from ...