It’s getting very near the end

We had to stop over at Charleville as it was the only place along the way where I could book a service for the vehicle – and I had to book that weeks in advance as well. As it happened, it proved to be an entertaining layover. The Van Park that we chose had signs up everywhere about a “Stowaway Cat”, apparently an over-friendly feline who had the habit of being inadvertently packed up in vans only to be unpacked hundreds of kilometres down the road, behoving the disgruntled drivers to return said feline back to the Van Park. Sure enough the cat found us and made itself right at home. Very friendly cat and I guess secure within itself and around strangers. However, on the day of our departure I kept one very suspicious eye on that cat as it hovered around our camper. Three days in Charleville was enough – we were not coming back!

                         Charleville's stowaway cat, "Puddy" livin' it up in the camper

Mind you Charleville did hold some interest – they have a Cosmos Centre for stargazers, a Bilby Conservation Centre looking after an endangered species of cute little chocolate-covered marsupials, and a special treat for us in reuniting with my brother-in-law Grothy and my nephew Steve as they made their way out to the Birdsville Races. The races are an annual event but for Grothy it’s more a pilgrimage. Our rendezvous point was the Cattle Camp Hotel at 10am – coincidentally opening time for the pub – and sure enough, not withstanding a flat tyre to hold them up momentarily, the bus rocked up, spilling the prospective punters into the pub and up for the first drink of the day. We politely declined their kind offer to join them in an early tipple – and our gift of two fresh cream-buns for Grothy did look a trifle insipid, lined up against a wall of beers – however we had a great time catching up and eventually they all got back on the bus hoping to make Windorah in time for the Yabby Races, a warm up for the Birdsville Cup.

                                                            Find us in the mural...

After Charleville, we knew we had to head south but we were attracted to divert just a little bit to a town called Eulo (population 50) where there is a date farm making a date wine, plus it is within striking distance of the Yowah opal fields – home of the famous (that’s how it’s advertised) Yowah “nut”, a type of rock that, when sawn in half sometimes yields opals and/or other interesting effects that has earned them the title of picture rocks. On this leg of the highway we learned two things: one sip of date wine explains fully why grapes are the preferred medium for the wine-making process; and, finding a good opal in a public fossicking area like we did in Quilpie was a complete fluke, making prospecting in general an activity for the tourist that should be more for fun than for profit (dammit!).

                                                             Now that's a Bilby!

After Eulo we did head south, crossing the border into New South Wales on our way to Bourke. Henry Lawson wrote, “If you know Bourke, you know Australia” and I tend to think he was right. An old riverboat port on the Darling River miles from the sea – there’s just something about it, and just being at the “Back’a Bourke” makes it feel special.

                       Yowah "Picture Rock" - mighta picked up a couple of samples...

By the time we got to Cobar the wind was really picking up as a trough raced through inland NSW. For us it was a tailwind that actually assisted our fuel consumption (that bane of the Grey Nomad’s existence) but made it equally unpleasant when you had to stop driving and get out in it. So we kept on moving until we arrived in Hay and spent the night there. From there Victoria beckoned so we crossed the mighty Murray River at Echuca and stopped for the night at Castlemaine. It’s weird when you realise that you are spending your last night of an adventure that you started 7 months ago, and the next day you will be back in a city – in a suburb – in a house – doing everyday things again.

                                     Back to Melbourne and civilisation??? Local graffiti

We’ve gone from off-road to off the road, as we will be flying back to Perth at the end of the month and then flying back to Melbourne in December. There’s a grandchild due in January but maybe – if we can escape – we’ll resume on the returd highway again next year sometime. Maybe you’d like to join us...