We arrived home today - why is it we always want to go on trips away from home, but we are pleased to get home?  The cats are having their last look around the Toowoomba caravan park. After being so good on the road, Riki started yowling as soon as we arrived home. It can only be her desire to get out to defend her territory against next door's invading cats. We drove into a service centre to get coffee but there was nowhere to park. This has happened before - if there are dedicated parking bays for cars towing caravans, idiots not towing anything park there. I head straight for the truck parking areas because there will be space to turn and exit. It would be awkward to drive around the back of a service station towing a van to find a dead end! Today it must have been smoko time as there was nowhere to park. Next time I will pull up at one of the bowsers and fill up even if we only need a top up - usually that puts the Jeep in the shade or out of the rain while we use the facilitie...

There are only a few towns between Coonabaraban and Toowoomba. We drove for 8 hours with lots of short stops because of the heat. I only took the dogs out once at Goondiwindi where there was some prickle-free green grass. It was 35 degrees much of the day and they are very happy in their air conditioned Jeep. The cats have perfected their timing doing malodorous poops soon after we have resumed driving, but are nowhere near a rest area where we can pull over. They have been very happy travelling in Coco's cage where food, water and kitty litter are provided while they watch the changing scenery. We were stopped 3 times today to allow huge pieces of machinery to pass. The police force vehicles travelling in the opposite direction to stop so the special trucks can travel at speed. I guess they want them off the road before dusk. These are not 18 wheelers - more like 118 to spread the weight.  The Newell Hwy was very bouncy with lots of pot holes and long stretches of rough riding due...

From West Wyalong we followed the Newell Hwy to Gilgandra where we unloaded the critters to visit a friend. It was about 36 degrees but the cats were happy to wander around the garden and eat grass. We decided to stop at Coonabaraban for the night. We have not previously stopped here as in the past we have just had a rest break at the riverside park where geese and other birds roam. Our caravan park is walking distance to town so I had some exercise collecting take away Chinese - the only option for food on a Saturday night apart from pubs. The clock tower is in town at a roundabout. We can hear the trucks drive past but they are noisier as they slow down for the roundabout, then accelerate to regain speed.

This trailer blew a tyre when driving on the Newell Hwy. It was following an oversize vehicle and the driver of the truck following could smell burning, but thought it was coming from the oversize vehicle. The driver was lucky there was a rest area close by when he realised he had a problem. 

Again we kept to the back roads when we drove from Barham to West Wyalong. At Moulamein I bought a barely recognisable cup of decaf coffee. This dying town is one of many we noticed that have had major improvements to footpaths. At Hay we filled our water tanks at a special parking area for RVs - much better than Murray River water!  On the B64 we passed through the small village of Weethalle where the silos have this great mural.  There were very few caravans at our West Wyalong caravan park, but a sign on the office door read "No cabins available means no cabins available". There are mines in the area and the workers have taken over many of the motels and cabins.

This creek forms one boundary of Gunbower Island, the largest inland island in Australia. The creek meets the Murray River at Koondrook on the Victorian side of the border. The water level in both the creek and the river is so low the red gums on the banks are dying and falling into the water. The height from the banks of the river to the water has dropped about 4 metres. It won't improve unless our politicians stop draining the Murray-Darling system. Our caravan park uses river water for everything except drinking water. We are using our own potable water in preference to the rain water collected from the roof of the bathroom block. River water is not recommended for washing our white tee shirts! I walked around the Barham Lakes complex this afternoon. It's a good thing I didn't take the dogs as the prickles were so big they stuck in the hard rubber soles of my shoes. The complex was developed by the local RSL, but the combined impacts of vandalism and nature have all but ...

We drove from St Arnaud following the back roads and stopped for lunch in a town called Boort. We found a great coffee shop and ate our toasted sandwiches beside the lake. I was impressed by this sculpture of a shag. The body is made from chains welded together. Our second attempt to locate a weighbridge was successful. We are legal fully loaded in the Jeep and the Bushtracker, but only just. The BT weighs 2960kgs and our allowed weight is 3000kgs. When we aren't travelling with critters we will be well under the maximum. We crossed the Murray River at Koondrook and are staying in Barham NSW which is just on the other side. Today is a rest day when we catch up on the washing and hopefully get some exercise as there are walking tracks in both towns.