I was taking my Black Series Dominator camper trailer and heading off quite a few days early and then spending about three weeks afterwards touring other outback areas in New South Wales and Queensland.

I was travelling on my own but would be meeting up with my brother Stephen and his wife Gail, my “other sister� Therese and her partner Darren, Stephen’s friends David and Julie (who I have also known for 30 years) and one of Stephen’s workmates. I would also be catching up with a former dive buddy Shaun and his wife Sharon.

MAP OF TRIP

My route as recorded by my GPS uploaded to Google Earth Left home in Sydney far right then west to Broken Hill and north into Queensland.

Day 1 – Thursday 8 August 2024 – Sydney to Grenfell

I have a really late start for a trip as I do not have that far to go today. I head off at 8:07 am and travel via the Princes Highway to Mount Ousley, then Picton Road to Appin. As I approach Picton Road, I get an engine code error and have no 5th or 6th gears. This has happened before, no idea why it occurs. I stop and clear the code and turn off the engine and start again. This fixes it.

I stop at the service centre on the Hume Highway as I want to check the wheel nuts on the left side of the Land Cruiser and the camper as I have recently removed these wheels and I know that the Toyota wheel nuts are problematic to fully tighten. The right side is not a problem as the nuts self-tighten as the wheels turn. Here I change my ScanGauge to show the transmission temperature and I note that it is only 56°C.

I continue down the Hume, sitting on 100 km/h which is my normal freeway speed when towing the camper. I have no problems till just before I arrive at Derrick VC Rest Area where I plan to stop for morning tea. The same thing happens and this time I note that the error code is P2453. I later find out that this is supposedly a DPF error relating to pressure or voltage.

I arrive there at 10:15 am, 181.8 km covered. It is a cold 10°C but sunny. This is only a fair rest area. There are some Asians here and the two males are drinking cans of VB! I have a cuppa and leave at 10:24 am. Thirteen minutes later it happens again and then as I approach the turn-off onto Burley Griffin Way, it does it again. This turns out to be the last time it happens on the trip. It is 11:33 am and I have travelled 291.8 km.

An old building in Binalong with a mural on the wall	The old garage in Binalong

I arrive in Binalong at 11:49 am, 310.5 km. It is a bit warmer at 15°C. The two pubs both appear to have closed down but there are some nice buildings and the general store is open. I leave at noon. I arrive in Harden at 12:25 pm 340.4 km and stop in the park next to the pool. I have lunch here. It is still only 15°C and there is high overcast. There is also a toilet here.

I leave at 12:45 pm and at 1:02 pm I stop at the Wombat Hotel where I hope to have a beer. However, it appears to not be open, with no signs showing its hours of operation. I leave a few minutes later. At 1:20 pm I arrive at Lambing Flats Chinese Gardens which is on the outskirts of Young. I have travelled 376.6 km.

Former Binalong Royal Hotel	The Wombat Hotel

These gardens are very nice and are on the site where on 30 June 1861 a mob of over 2,000 white gold miners attacked about 2,000 Chinese miners them off the Lambing Flat goldfield. One of many despicable acts in Australian history. I leave here at 1:32 pm and eight minutes later I stop at a fuel station in Young. I take 59.5 litres at $1.879 for $111.73. I have averaged 15.2 litres/100 km.

The picnic area and lake at Lambing Flat	The Lambing Flat gardens

After I refuel, I head via Henry Lawson Way to Grenfell. At 2:30 pm I arrive at the birthplace of Henry Lawson, one of Australia’s greatest poets. This is on the southern outskirts of Grenfell. I spend a few minutes here and then head to Grenfell Railway Station where I am going to camp for the night. There is a nice free camping area here, with toilets and showers ($2). I arrive at 2:40 pm and set up camp. This is a nice spot, with lots of grassed areas, picnic tables and a dump point.

This is where Henry Lawson was born	The Royal Hotel Grenfell
Some old buildings in Grenfell	The Albion Hotel in Grenfell

Once I have set up, I have a cuppa and fly my drone. At 3:35 pm I walk to the wheat silos that are just up the road. They have great murals on them. They are lit at night so I will come back after dinner for some photographs. I then walk to the main street, there are some great old buildings. Some of them have old and new advertisements on the walls. There are also some nice old bank buildings.

Faded advertising signs on the side of a building	Reproductions of old advertising signs
The Criterion Hotel, Grenfell	Having a beer in the Criterion Hotel in Grenfell

The hotels are mostly very nice old buildings, built in the 1800s for the most part. However, it looks like two out of the five pubs have closed down. There are lots of empty shops too. I have a Reschs Draught at the Criterion Hotel ($7.80) and get back to my camp at 4:40 pm.

A stature of henry Lawson in the main street of Grenfell	The Grenfell silo murals
I assume this is an old bank building	A drone shot of the camping area and Grenfell

I set up my diesel heater and at 5:00 pm I have drinks and nibblies. Dinner is Chinese food that I have brought from home so I heat this up on the stove. At 6:40 pm I walk to the silos again as they are lit up at night. I get some nice photographs as the different colour lights shine on the murals.

One of the colours of the silos at night	There are quite a few different colours

I then watch Souths play Storm on my tablet. At half time Souths are getting killed, so I go to bed at 8:45 pm. It is a cool 7°C. I read the rest of my paper and go to sleep at 9:30 pm.

Weather: Fine, max 16ºC Arrived: Grenfell Time: 2:40 pm Distance: 434.9 kilometres

Day 2 - Friday 9 August 2024 – Grenfell to Hillston

Weather: High cloud, 3.9ºC minimum

I am awake at 6:30 am and I then read the SMH and listen the ABC radio news at 7:00 am. I get up at 7:35 am when it is 6ºC. I have breakfast and then take some photos of the railway station and the nearby mens shed and some sculptures as the light is now better than yesterday.

The old Grenfell Station	A robot sculpture

I pack up and leave at 9:30 am, it is mostly overcast and 14°C. I travel via the Mid Western Highway and arrive at the Newell Highway at 10:18 am, 64.7 km. I arrive at West Wyalong at 10:47 am, 105.0 km. It is now sunny but only 15°C. I have a walk around, there are some excellent old buildings and pubs.

A huge gold mining pan	Some of the great buildings in West Wyalong
More West Wyalong buildings	The bakery where I bought the apple pie

I see a shop that sells clothes and I go in. For two years I have been trying to buy some additional shirts like I purchased back in 2021 but have not been able to find ones in the sizes and colours I want. I hit the jackpot here, I get two short-sleeve and two long-sleeve Pilbara cotton shirts for $140. I also buy an apple pie from the bakery. I leave town at 11:25 am, once again on the Mid Western Highway.

The White Tank Hotel in West Wyalong	The mural on the side of the West Wyalong Hotel
The picnic area at Rankin Springs	The Coonapaira Hotel, Rankin Springs

At 12:30 pm I arrive in Rankin Springs, I have travelled 197.0 km this morning. I stop at a park in the middle of the (very small) town. There is also a small caravan park here. I have lunch in the park, it is 17°C and sunny. I have lunch and leave at 1:00 pm. I travel via The Springs Road towards Hillston. This road is tar except for about 20 or so kilometres which is quite good dirt.

My campsite at Hillston next to the Lachlan River	A drone photograph of the campsite, I am at the bottom. The area between the two tracks is not suitable for camping.

I arrive in Hillston at 2:07 pm and go straight to a fuel station. Here I take 48.45 litres at $1.999 a litre, $96.95. I have averaged 13.2 litres per 100 kilometres since I refuelled at Young yesterday. I then move to the Lachlan River campsite which is on the northern edge of the town. I was here two years ago and we looked at camping in this spot but the river was too high. Today it is high but no chance of it overflowing like there was then.

I set up camp at the end nearest the bridge, a very nice spot. There are a few other vans here and more come in later. I have a cup of tea after setting up and then fly my drone. I also put of the shower for later on. At 3:25 pm I walk into town. I go via the park which is accessed by a swing bridge over the river. Two years ago this was totally underwater and even today, a lot of the park is inundated.

The water is still up high. In 2022 it was up to the bottom of the bridge.	A mural on the side of a building in Hillston

I then walk to the IGA supermarket where I buy a couple of things and then over to the Club House Hotel where I have a Carlton Draught ($8). I am back at the campsite at 4:30 pm. I walked about 3.8 km. I decide to have a shower and it does not seem to work as the batteries that power the gas ignition appear dead (will turn out to be operator error). I then try my Land Cruiser shower but the pump won’t work, still not sure what that problem is, probably a broken connection somewhere.

The Court House Hotel, Hillston	Having a beer in the Court House Hotel

I end up having a sponge bath. At 5:35 pm I have drinks and nibblies with a small fire next to the river. Very nice setting. At 6:30 pm I cook a chicken Kyiv and have it with some canned potatoes which I heat up on the grill. I listen to tonight’s two NRL matches and then read my book with a port. I go to bed at 9:50 pm when the rugby league finishes. It is 13°C.

Weather: Fine, max 17°C Arrived: Hillston Time: 2:20 pm Distance: 292.0 kilometres

Day 3 - Saturday 10 August 2025 – Hillston to Big Tree Rest Area

Weather: Sunny, 3.3°C minimum

I wake at 6:45 am and read the SMH and listen to the ABC Radio News. I put the diesel heater on about 15 minutes before I get up at 7:45 am. Although it was very quiet last night, there have been lots of trucks since about 6:00 am. I am unsure of where they are going to, but it is over the bridge and up the Mossgiel Road.

I have breakfast and then I then walk to the far end of the camping area. This is about 400 metres but the last 100 metre are desperate sites. I pack up and at 9:23 am I leave. I drive into town and go to the IGA supermarket where I buy some C size batteries for my shower (turns out the existing ones weren’t flat!). I then go to the toilet block near the swing bridge and fill up my drinking water container.

I leave town at 9:45 am and head back to Mossgiel Road and take it towards Willandra National Park. I have been on this road before, way back in 2004 when Kelly and I did a western NSW trip. It is now 12°C with high overcast.

A panoramic photograph of where I stopped for morning tea on the Mossgiel Road

At 10:40 am I stop at Watku Road (74.8 km) and have morning tea. The road to here was 28 km of tar and then dirt, some good, some average. It is only a single lane from the entrance to Willandra NP (which is closed because of flooding I think). I only passed two vehicles in the almost one hour but here I see five.

It is now 15°C and sunny when I head off at 10:53 am. I reach the Cobb Highway intersection (called Mossgiel, nothing at all here) and turn right towards Ivanhoe. I have travelled 100.5 km. I arrive in Ivanhoe at 11:50 am, 150.5 km, averaging 12.0 litres/100km. I again have passed a very slow caravan which is doing only 70-80 km/h. I had earlier passed him on the Mossgiel Road but he overtook me while I was having morning tea. He was doing only 60 on the dirt.

I drive around town, the pub is not open and no indication of the opening times. There is a bit of a queue at the fuel station. I don’t stay and head north again.

A panoramic photograph of the Big Tree Rest Area

At 1:00 pm I arrive at the Big Tree Rest Area which in itself is very average. However, off behind it there is a track and it leads to some quite nice camping spots. This is 91 km north of Ivanhoe. I pick a spot and park, then make myself some lunch. After lunch I setup and collect some of the firewood which is all over the place. I fly my drone and then walk to the highway and back, collecting more firewood.

A drone photograph of my campsite at Big Tree Rest Area looking towards the highway	A closer shot of my campsite

I find some nice timber and (mulga) and cut a lot to take with me when I leave tomorrow. I read some more of the SMH and listen to the NRL. It is now a nice day and I change into shorts and short-sleeve shirt. At 5:20 pm I have afternoon tea and then three caravans come in and camp past me. I have set up my shower and this time it works, the batteries were okay, I just had not turned on the water pump!

At 5:10 pm I have drinks while listening to more NRL. At 6:10 pm I put pork ribs on in my small camp oven. I overcook them.

A night photograph of my campsite at Big Tree Rest Area	A long exposure of the sky, so many different colours in the stars

Soon, my life is changed forever as at 7:00 pm I receive some SMS messages from my ex-wife, Kelly. This is despite having no phone coverage. She has informed me that our dog Veto, who is just over 16 years old, is not well and cannot stand. I manage to send some messages before I have no coverage at all. She said she was taking her to the vet.

Shit! Despite checking regularly, I have no more coverage. At 9:00 pm I go to bed and sleep.

At midnight I wake and look at my phone to see the devastating news that Veto has died two hours earlier. I miraculously have phone coverage now so I phone Kelly. Of course she is also distraught. She tells me that Veto had some seizures and kept falling over. They did tests and reported kidney and liver failure. She had been so good the past few weeks after been quite out of sorts for a couple of weeks after having some teeth removed.

Veto was the most adventurous dog, spent two six month periods sailing the NSW and Queensland coast with us, been to the Big Red and Mundi Mundi Bashes, visited numerous outback parts of NSW and Queensland. My life will never be the same.

Kelly and I speak for 14 minutes before I try to sleep. I am awake for over two hours and then nod off.

Weather: Fine, max 21ºC Arrived: Big Tree Rest Area Time: 1:00 pm Distance: 241.9 kilometres

Day 4 - Sunday 11 August 2025 – Big Tree Rest Area to Hazelvale Station

Weather: Fine, 5.5ºC minimum

I slept very badly last night as you could imagine. I wake at 6:15 am and get up at 7:45 am. I am very sad as I eat breakfast. I have to pack up the camper trailer three times as something is stopping me closing it properly, I am just not thinking properly. I have no phone coverage at all. I leave at 9:37 am and continue north towards Wilcannia.

At 10:27 am I arrive at the Barrier Highway and stop as I now have phone coverage. I had earlier posted about Veto’s death to Facebook and it went up as I drove along. I again phone Kelly and she is very upset. Soon after my diving and camping friends Ron and Donna phone about Veto. They are up in Queensland on a camping trip. I start to cry when they talk to me, it is like losing a child which she was to me.

Bindaree Hut	Pikes Hut

I arrive in Wilcannia at 10:50 am. There are long queues for both the fuel stations. All these people are also heading to the Mundi Mundi Bash. I head to the Wilcannia Hospital as there is a small park there with a toilet. I have morning tea and change into shorts as it has warmed up to 20°C. The hospital was designed by the famous colonial architect Edmund Blackett. He designed the main Sydney University building as well as many churches and cathedrals in New South Wales in the mid-1800s.

After this, I drive a hundred metres or so back to the Wilcannia Golf Club, which strangely, does not have a golf course near it. Anyway, I am here to take a photograph of part of the front façade as it is very historic. Why? Because the very first brewery opened by Edmund Resch was on this spot and the small section of the Red Lion Brewery wall has been incorporated into the building. I have been drinking Reschs Draught beer since I was 17 years old and have more recently returned to it as more venues are stocking it.

A drone photo of Bluff Hut	Bluff Hut looking south

Anyway, I leave at 11:20 am and head west on the Barrier Highway. I also speak to my friend John and my sister Cathie who have rung me about Veto’s death. More tears! I arrive at Spring Hills Rest Area at 12:10 pm, 169.4 km. It is in very poor conditions and overgrown with weeds. A disgrace, why cannot Transport for NSW look after these important facilities? I have lunch and leave at 12:32 pm.

A panoramic photograph taken from Bluff Track above Bluff Hut looking towards the west

At 1:05 pm I arrive at Little Topar Rest Area which is adjacent to the now closed Little Topar Roadhouse. Despite the roadhouse being closed down, there is still fuel here from one of the automated fuel containers. I will refuel here tomorrow I think as the price is good. There is quite a queue to refill, but not too many.

I was going to stay the night in the rest area, but when I move there I am totally unimpressed with the site as the ground is rock hard mud and worse, the toilets are overflowing and the whole area stinks. I get a phone call from my other sister, Janelle, again about Veto. Tears again! Where am I going to stay? I noticed a few kilometres before the rest area a sign to a property called Hazelvale Station which has camping. There is a poster near the toilets with a mobile number, but no-one answers. I decide to go back and see if they have space.

Lovicks Hut	A fence at Lovicks Hut

I drive into the property and the owners are at their homestead. Yes, they have space, having increased the size of the camping area since last year. The cost for the night is $30, a bit steep, but it is quite nice, with really good toilets and showers. They also sell firewood and tell me that later there will be a communal firepit.

By 1:40 pm I am in my spot and set up. I have a cuppa and with the owners’ permission, fly my drone. There are not that many here now but by the time of sunset there are at least 26 vehicles. There are three different places to camp, all quite good. It is not crowded at all.

A mud pile on King Billy Track	Crossing the Maclister River on the King Billy Track

At 5:00 pm I have drinks and once the communal fire is going, I move there and speak to Mike the owner as well as some other people going to the bash. At 7:30 pm I cook rissoles and a rice dish. I later go to another fire nearby and speak to those people who are from the Central Coast, Newcastle and Ballina. I later read a bit and then go to bed at 9:30 pm. Not one other person here appears to be still up.

Weather: Fine, max 21ºC Arrived: Hazelvale Station Time: 1:40 pm Distance: 219.2 kilometres

Day 5 - Monday 12 August 2024 – Hazelvale Station to Living Desert State Park, Broken Hill

Weather: Fine, 9.6ºC minimum

I slept well despite thinking of Veto all the time. I wake at 7:00 am and listen to the news via the ABC phone app. I read some of the SMH and get up at 7:30 am. By 8:00 am it is 14ºC. I have a rissole on toast for breakfast. I pack up and leave at 8:50 am.

I drive the short distance to Little Topar and pull up at the fuel container. However, when I go to use the pump on the southern side I find it is out of order. I move to the northern side and refuel. These fuel containers require you to use your credit card to set a limit (I normally set $200) and then it checks you have credit and lets you refill. I put in 64.14 litres at $1.899 a litre $121.80. This is an average of 13.7 l/100 km since Hillston.

A drone photograph of Howitt Hut in the morning	A drone shot showing the fog/cloud in Wonnangatta Valley

I leave at 9:05 am and at 9:35 am (all times now South Australian, 30 minutes behind NSW) I arrive at the Broken Hill Racecourse. This is where you can camp but it is also where you need to collect your concert wrist bands and car stickers. I get mine very quickly and then head off less than ten minutes later. At 9:58 am I arrive at the shopping centre which houses Woolworths. I park on the road but later see I could have parked in the main parking area.

The shopping centre appears to be in decline, with many empty shops. However, the Woolies is good. I get a few things, bread and some strawberries (which were terrible and I later threw 95% out). I leave at 10:16 am and at 10:35 am I arrive at the Starview Primitive Camping Area in the Living Desert State Park. This is on the northern side of Broken Hill. I booked this back in late June, cost was $19. You need a code to get into the camping area.

Howitt Hut in the morning sun	A shot looking from Dimmicks Lookout into Wonnangatta Valley. Ron standing on the edge.

Wow, this is an impressive camping area, it certainly is not “primitive�. There are showers, flushing toilets, a large shelter area with tables and quite a few gas BBQs. My only gripe is that some of the camping spots, including mine, slope the wrong way so that most, if not all beds, will be head down. Anyway, I reverse into my spot and using my ramps and some wood pieces I carry, I put the camper at the right angle and disconnect the Land Cruiser. The ground is all tar, so you cannot put any pegs in the ground.

Once that is done, I have morning tea and then fly my drone. I have been having troubles with the drone but later I discover that it is related to the dedicated phone I am using. When I use by day to day phone, I have no problems at all. Anyway, after this I actually setup the camper. I am the only vehicle here but after lunch, three vehicles come in. They only booked yesterday and apparently got spot as someone cancelled.

A panoramic photograph taken from East Pinnacle looking towards the north

After lunch I drive to the sculptures which are nearby on the top of a hill. Interesting, but some are very strange. One is by a person who used to work at the same government department I did. I really don’t have time for him, I am not that impressed with people who have been convicted of murdering their wife!

I leave the sculptures at 1:38 pm and then drive to a different part of the park. Here there is a botanical gardens and cultural walk. I talk to three women from Sydney who are out here on a flying visit. They ask about the Mundi Mundi Bash. I do the walk, 2.6 kilometres. It is quite nice. I leave here at 3:12 pm and drive back into Broken Hill.

A drone photograph of the East Pinnacle Fire Tower looking to the north	Another drone shot, looking to the east

I arrive at the Line of Lode miners memorial which is on the top of the enormous slag pile that overlooks the city. I have been up here before in 2020 but due to Covid, the memorial was not open. It lists every miner who lost his (and as far as I know they are all males) life in the mines. There are hundreds! After a quick look around, I leave and at 1:50 pm I arrive at the BHP (Broken Hill Pub – not the company).

This is a beautiful old hotel which has been dine up quite nice inside. I go and buy a beer (Carlton Draught $7.50) and sit in the magnificent beer garden. I wonder what the poor people are doing today? I leave at 4:20 pm and arrive back at the Starview Primitive Camping Area at 4:37 pm. There are a few more vehicles here now, but still plenty of empty spots.

A dashcam photograph of a very steep section of Billy Goat Track	Another dashcam of the track
A photograph of my Land Cruiser when we had a break	Looking back from the helicopter pad towards Billy Goat Track coming down the hill

I head off for a shower and at 5:00 pm I settle down for drinks and nibblies. The place is not full, although some people did come in after dark and parked down on a flat area off the access road. Perhaps the empty spots are their’s.

I later go to the stargazing seats which are angled so you can look at the sky. However, there is a half moon which is blocking out most of the stars. I see one satellite, one of the few I see on this whole trip. At 6:30 pm I move to the shelter shed and cook myself a T-bone steak and have it with some of the rice dish from last night. A very good dinner.

At 7:55 pm I go for a walk. I end up at the gate at the base of the hill to the sculptures. I then walk back to the main road and then back to the camping area. I did 2.34 kilometres. I was quite nice doing this, something I had not done for a long time. I quite like walking at night when there is a good moon. I am back at 8:30 am and go to bed soon after. It is 12.7°C.

Weather: Fine, max 20ºC Arrived: Living Desert State Park Time: 10:35 am Distance: 140.7 kilometres

Day 6 - Tuesday 13 August 2024 – Living Desert State Park, Broken Hill TO Mundi Mundi Bash

Weather: Fine, 5.7ºC minimum

I have a great sleep. I wake at 6:40 am when the nearby people pack up and leave! I cannot read the SMH as there is no phone coverage and I listen to the ABC news on the Broken Hill AM channel. Interestingly, this is the Sydney news, whereas every other news I hear on this station is from Adelaide.

I get up at 7:15 am and it is 8.0°C. I pack up leave at 8:45 am. By now all the vehicles have left. I head back in towards Broken Hill and then cut across to the Sliverton Road. I pass through Silverton at 9:20 am and arrive at Mundi Mundi Bash at 9:40 am. The traffic has been quite good, I only really slowed at Silverton as it was a constant 75 km/h all the way.

St Joseph's Catholic Church	Another church, not sure what branch

There is 5 bars of Telstra coverage near the entrance where I am directed to go. However, there is a problem and I should not have been sent here. I phone Kelly again while they try to work it all out. She is still very upset about Veto. It is her last day working at NSW Parliament before she starts her new job at NSW Fire and Rescue tomorrow.

I get a message from by friend Shaun which is a map showing where he is located. I finally get directed to a spot in the volunteer camping area at 10:10 am. I am setup by 10:45 am, including putting my shower up with the shelter. I then have morning tea.

A scene at Grant	A hut at Grant that I had not seen before

After this I walk to Shaun and Sharon’s spot. It is 900 metres via the road but I later discover if I head to the food area and then to their spot it is over 200 metres less. It is good to see them, I have not seen them for over five years. They have a huge Izuzu 4WD truck with a caravan. What a setup, even have Starlink satellite. Shaun gives me the password so I check my emails etc. I make arrangements to come back for drinks this evening.

I walk to the volunteer registration tent to check it all out. There is internet here for volunteers, but it is very slow. As it turns out, I find out tomorrow if I wake early in the morning, I can access it from my camper and download the SMH each day. I am back at my campsite at 12:15 pm. I have lunch and read the paper.

Coming down Bulltown Track	The first crossing of Crooked River, harder than it looks

Just after 2:00 pm my brother Stephen turns up. He knew I was going to be in the volunteer area so he went looking for me. We have a beer and meet Darrell who is next to me. He is from Bathurst and is a South Sydney Rabbitohs supporter like us. He is also a sign printer and makes up his own Souths stickers. He says he will send me some when he gets home and when I do get home, they are there waiting for me. They are excellent!

At 2:55 pm Darrell and I both go to the volunteers’ briefing. As per 2021, it is useless and we learn nothing that is not already in the papers we have been given. I really don’t know why they bother. We are back at the camping area at 4:00 pm. I have afternoon tea and finish the SMH. At 4:50 pm I walk to Saun and Sharon’s for drinks and nibblies. After this I go looking for Stephen’s camp site. I find after a couple of attempts as his car and caravan are in the middle between two streets.

Another crossing of Crooked River	Where we had lunch, nice swimming hole next to the crossing

As well as Stephen and Gail, there is our other “sister� Therese and her partner Darren, Dave and Julie who have been friends with us for over 30 years and who live down the road from Stephen and another fireman Steve. I have another beer with them. I am back at my campsite at 7:00 pm. I make curry chicken from the roast chicken I have almost finished.

I make a small fire and later Darrell and another volunteer he has met come back from the movie. I go to bed at 11:00 pm, very late for me so far. It is 15°C.

Weather: Fine, max 19ºC Arrived: Mundi Mundi Bash Time: 9:40 am Distance: 48.2 kilometres

Day 7 - Wednesday 14 August 2024 – Mundi Mundi Bash

Weather: Fine, 10.7ºC minimum

I had a poor sleep, waking at 3:00 am for over an hour and again waking sometime after 5:00 am. When I did wake, I managed to download the SMH (you can take it offline). I wake at 6:45 am. I listen to the ABC news at 7:00 am via my radio. I get up at 7:50 am, it is now 15.0°C.

I have breakfast and then go for a walk around. There are many more food vans than at Big Red bash. I walk to Shaun again and then to Stephen. Here I have a cuppa. I am back at 12:20 pm. I put up my awning and a mat on the ground. It is quite warm in the sun so some protection is needed and there is also some rain forecast for Friday morning. I then have lunch.

The old train truck used be be behind Ron's car	A very tight section of North Basalt Track from my dashcam

I later have a shower and at 3:40 pm I go to the concert area with my chair and backpack. The concert does not really start today, but there are some acts later. The first thing on is by the ABC. They are making a series where they take people with a disability and put together bands. There are two on and each do two songs. One group is being mentored by Elly Barnes (Jimmy’s daughter) and the other by Ella Hooper from Killing Heidi. They are both very good.

Later, Furnace and the Fundamentals play from 4:35 pm till about 5:50 pm. They are extremely good. After this there is a disc jockey but we leave. I get a pizza on the way back, $20 volunteer special. It was not too bad. I get back and change into some warmer clothing as it was about 23°C when I went to the concert and I was in shorts and short-sleeve shirt. I start a fire and then have my pizza.

A panoramic photograph of our camp site at Talbotville

Darrell and Caroline (they have hooked up it seems) come back too. We have a few drinks around the fire. I got to bed at 11:30 pm.

Weather: Fine, max 24ºC Arrived: N/A Time: N/A Distance: 0 kilometres

Day 8 - Thursday 15 August 2024 – Mundi Mundi Bash

Weather: Fine, 12.5ºC minimum

I sleep well and wake at 6:30 am> I again download the SMH. I get up at 7:45 am, it is now 17.0°C. I have breakfast and read the paper. At 9:45 am Darrell and I go to the concert area as the Big Blue Day is on. The ticket was $16 and raises funds for the Beyond Blue Foundation (mental health). They are forming people into a map of Australia and you have to wear blue. I have a blue shirt on as well as a blue wig I purchased months ago. We end up near the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is a new world record, 7,243 people forming a map of a country.

We are back at our campsites at 10:50 am. I have morning tea under the awning it is now 27°C. There is a relatively strong northerly wind blowing. At 11:45 am I take my chair down to the concert area. Stephen and the others are sitting in the disabled area as Darren cannot walk far and is moving around on an electric scooter. I cannot see where they are so I leave my chair with some other people. I go back and have lunch.

At 1:00 pm I back to the concert area and finally find them, they are in the same row as I looked but closer to the side. I put my chair in a space they have kept for me. The concert starts, Pierce Brothers, Casey Barnes (good), Mark Seymour, Shane Howard (all good). Then there is Daryl Brathwaite, also good, and then Ian Moss who was very good. The final acts were the Living End and then Furnace and the Fundamentals once more. They were excellent like last night.

Earlier at 7:20 pm I go to the camper and change into warmer clothes as the temperature has dropped. I tried to get some food before this but the lines are way too long. I start work at 8:00 pm and there is not much to do till the concert ends at 9:10 pm. As I did in 2021, I am collecting rubbish from the bins in the concert area. This is pretty easy and I get to see and listen to all the entertainment.

After the concert ends, we have to cover the whole area and pick up anything that has been left behind. Unlike the Big Red Bash where there was very little to collect, this time there are huge amounts of rubbish on the ground. Most of this is towards the rear which seems to have had a totally different socio-economic cliental than the front half. Despite there being dozens of garbage bins and can bins, these people have just left everything behind. Very disappointing.

It takes almost 90 minutes to pick up all the rubbish. I go back to the camper and have a couple of beers as I read my book. It is very windy but still relatively warm at 17°C. I go to bed at about 11:30 pm. I walked 4.2 kilometres when working.

Weather: Fine, max 29ºC Arrived: N/A Time: N/A Distance: 0 kilometres

Day 9 - Friday 16 August 2024 – Mundi Mundi Bash

Weather: Overcast, 13.4ºC minimum

It rains from 6:15 am till 7:30 am, with thunder and lightning. The rain was heavy at times and earlier it was very windy, some pegs holding my side shade have pulled out and I had to get up and put them back in. I get up at 8:00 am and it is now 17.7°C and the sun comes out at 8:20 am for intermittent periods. My batteries are low for some reason, so I link the Land Cruiser’s lithium battery to the camper ones.

I have a toasted bacon sandwich for breakfast and reast the newspaper which again I have managed to download. Darrell comes back from Carolyn’s place to find that his tent has filled with water. Looks like the wind blew it up under a window. We pull it all apart and put things out to dry wherever we can. We redo his tent.

I have morning tea and then have a shower as I have to work from noon till 5:00 pm. I take my chair and backpack to the concert area and leave it with Stephen. I am rostered on with Kate and Suzy. It is slow at first but never gets too busy. I stop a few times for a break and sit in my chair. I have a potato slinky for lunch. This is a whole potato cut in a spiral and on a skewer stick. It is covered in batter and deep fried, like a potato scallop. Disgustingly good!

Later I get a Death by Chocolate ice cream. I got the medium ($11.90) but I should have got the small as I really felt like a pig at the end. All of the concert entertainers were good (Ash Grunwald, Richard Clapton, Diesel, and Rolling Stones Revue) except for Tim Finn who I thought was crap, his voice is shit. Everyone I spoke to agreed.

After I finish work at 5:00 pm (I walked 10.3 km), I go back to my camper and change into warmer clothes. After this I return to the concert and James Reyne is on, he is very good. Then Bjorn Again. A very large number of people leave when James Reyne finishes. Strange, as at my two previous Bashes Bjorn Again were second only to the headline acts (Midnight Oil and Paul Kelly) in terms of popularity. The Rolling Stone Revue earlier did Evie Parts 1, 2 and 3.

I go and get a pepper meat pie ($9) which I have for dinner. I start work again at 8:00 pm and there is not much work to do as many people have left. There is a bit less rubbish to collect after the concert finishes than last night. I walk another 4 kilometres. I am back at the camper at 10:30 pm and Darrell and Carolyn have the fire going. I have a couple of beers and wines with them. I go to bed at 12:15 am. It is a cooler 9°C then.

Weather: Fine, max 25ºC Arrived: N/A Time: N/A Distance: 0 kilometres

Day 10 - Saturday 17 August 2024 – Mundi Mundi Bash

Weather: Fine, 5.7ºC minimum

I slept well till 6:45 am. I listen to the news and then I must have fallen back asleep as next I know it is 8:00 am. I get up and put out the solar blanket as again the batteries are a bit low. I have breakfast and top up my drinking water container from another water container. This morning the volunteer wifi appears to be down, so at 9:45 am I walk to Shaun’s and use his Starlink to download the SMH.

I should mention that despite looking, I have not seen Shaun and Sharon the past few days in the concert area. They are in the dog section, I cannot believe I have missed them (and they have also not seen me, I must have walked past them a dozen times each day. They have an early exit pass and will move out this afternoon and leave tonight after the concert.

When I get back to the campsite I put away the side shade cloth and swap the solar panel to my 200 watt one from the smaller 120 w blanket. I have morning tea and read the paper. At 12:10 pm I pull the awning down as I will not need it this afternoon. I put it and the floor away. I have lunch at 12:40 pm and at 2:20 pm I go to the concert area. I have missed the first two acts, both country and western (not really my thing).

It is very cool as there is a strong south-westerly wind blowing. I listen to Sarah McLeod and Vanessa Amarosi who are both good. At 4:00 pm I walk back to the camper and change into warmer clothes and at 4:30 pm I start work. Baby Animals are on and quite good and then Chocolate Starfish, excellent as always. They really get the crowd going. As usual, they open with Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell and do a few more Meatloaf songs.

Jon Stevens is also excellent and to finish off, a Tina Turner Tribute, also very good. The concert finishes about 8:35 pm. I finish work at 10:00 pm. I walked 10.3 kilometres. I have a few beers by myself as Darrell started his first shift at 8:00 pm. He is on the pull down crew, removing the stage and all other structures. I go to bed at 11:00 pm. It is 9°C.

Weather: Fine, max 22ºC Arrived: N/A Time: N/A Distance: 0 kilometres

Day 11 - Sunday 18 August 2024 – Mundi Mundi Bash to Packsaddle Roadhouse

Weather: Cloudy, 7.4ºC minimum

I slept well again but wake at 4:30 am when some people nearby get up and start getting ready to leave. I sleep on and off till 6:30 am, too much noise. God only knows why they have to leave so early. I get up at 7:10 am and have breakfast. I pack up and am ready to leave at 8:25 am and move forward to the edge of the roadway. I hear on the Bash FM radio that 1700 vehicles have left so far.

It looks like rain to the south but I think it was really heavy fog. I finally start moving at about 9:40 am. I arrive at a laundry in Broken Hill at 10:20 am. The traffic moved constantly at about 70 km/h. I put on a load of washing, sheets, towel, clothes $6. I then go to a nearby fuel station and fill up, 34.6 litres at $1.807 $62.52. I have averaged 14.0 l/100 since Big Topar.

I go back to the laundry and put my clothes in the dryer ($2). I have a cup of tea and then go and buy another carton of beer (I still have a full one but will need more later). I get Tooheys Extra Dry 30 pack for $64 as well as a cask of port $14. I go back to the laundry and put another dollar in the dryer. After this I head to Woolies as I need some things like bread. I get some other stuff too, including frozen apple pies and ice cream.

I then go to a park and get some more water in my 10 litre container. I have not really used all that much, even with the showers I have had. My main tank is probably ¾ full. I leave Broken Hill at 12:10 pm. I head out on the Silver City Highway towards Tibooburra. At 12:37 pm (SA time) I arrive at Yanco Glen. This is 82.6 km for today. This is the location of an old pub and also a mining site. I have lunch here.

I speak to my sister Janelle here and before that, Kelly and John. I leave at 1:46 pm (NSW time). I stop at the Byjerkerno Rest Area at 2:17 pm for a short break and to read about the local history. I am back on the road five minutes later. I arrive at Packsaddle Roadhouse at 3:30 pm. It takes me 13 minutes to find a suitable camping spot as there are a lot of vehicles here heading north from the bash. There has been heaps of lizards on the roadway, luckily I don’t think I hit any. There are also lots of dead kangaroos on the side of the road and many emus in the bush.

I set up on the northern side of the roadhouse in nice spot. My mother returns a call I made earlier to her. She is okay. When I set up the camper, I had trouble opening the canvas. It looks like the canvas caught on the grub screw on the front left pole strut and has bent the pole. I straighten it out a little, but it now will not slide fully back into the other part. This will be a problem for the rest of the trip when packing up.

At 4:35 pm I go to the roadhouse and have a couple of beers. Unfortunately it was Great Northern and they were an expensive $9 a schooner. I have been here before, back in 1980 and perhaps also in 1978 (not sure about that). It has changed a fair bit in that time. I talk to a few people while having the beers, the place is fairly crowded. I also pay $5 for a shower. At 5:45 pm I go to the shower, great to have a proper one after five days of short showers.

When I get back I have nibblies and a beer and start a small fire in my firepit. I also fly my drone. I check and the national park east of Tibooburra that I had been hoping to stay at the next few days is still closed due to rain from June and early July. I decide I will go to Wanaaring instead. I cook lamb loin chops on the skillet and have with potato and sweet potato slices also cooked on the skillet.

I finish with a port and also take some night shots of the roadhouse. It is cool but the wind has dropped, 8°C. I go to bed at 10:05 pm.

Weather: Fine, max 18ºC Arrived: Packsaddle Roadhouse Time: 3:30 pm Distance: 227.0 kilometres

Day 12 - Monday 19 August 2024 – Packsaddle Roadhouse to Wanaaring

Weather: Fine, 5.0ºC minimum

I slept very well and wake at 6:00 am. I listen to the news on my phone and then sleep a bit more. I listen to the 7:00 am news and then finish my book. I get up at 7:45 am, it is now 8.2°C. I also notice that my Garmin Descent dive computer/watch has a new screen with the weather on it. Turns out this shows each morning with some information.

I have breakfast and then pack up. Bugger, I realise I have left the key to the Land Cruiser inside. Rather than open it all up and find it, I get the spare on I have hidden with the battery taped to it from inside the car. I leave at 9:33 am, it is now 15°C with a bit of wind from the east. At 10:15 am I see a sign to an historic grave. Turns out to be Eliza Kennedy who died in 1886 of epilepsy while working at the (now gone) Lake Cobham hotel. This is 61.4 km north of Packsaddle.

I have morning tea while here and leave at 10:25 am. I arrive in Tibooburra at 11:33 am. I go to the fuel bowsers at the Corner Country Store as this morning when looking at the NSW fuel app I saw that its diesel is about 30 cents a litre cheaper than the main fuel station as you come into town. I take 46.4 litres at $2.199 a litre $102.03. I have averaged 13.5 l/100 km since Broken Hill, not bad considering there have been some headwinds yesterday and today.

This is my seventh time in Tibooburra (I spent two weeks working north of here in 1980) so the only thing I do is have a quick look inside the Family Hotel at the murals (still there) and then looking inside the Tibooburra Hotel. I was last here in 2020 and shortly after, a fire burnt down the back section of the hotel. It has been rebuilt and looks good.

I leave town at 11:50 am. I head out on the Wanaaring Road and quickly stop at the large Tibooburra sign to take some photographs. I reach the Cut Line intersection at 12:38 pm and I stop to have lunch. It is 54 kilometres from Tibooburra. Back when I first came out here in 1978, the main road from Wanaaring to Tibooburra was not the road I have just come on but a road called The Cut Line which went from here to Milparinka. That road is now closed and totally overgrown. Interestingly, some organisations and maps now refer to the road from Tibooburra to Wanaaring as The Cut Line which it never was before.

While here I decide to search for some pens I have lost down between the front seats and the centre console. This spot is very hard to get to. I find them both! I leave at 12:55 pm. The road is pretty good, generally I am sitting on 80km/h. On the now permanent detour around some normally dry lakes (in 1978 this was not there and I had to take my Holden Gemini on sand tracks as the main road was flooded) the only really bad bit of the road was encountered when I hit a hidden crack across the road that shook the car dramatically. I think the shock absorbers totally bottomed out.

I stop for a short break at 2:22 pm (321.9 km today). I have not seen many vehicles since leaving Tibooburra. At 3:27 am I arrive in Wanaaring. I go to the free camping area which is on the Paroo River. This is opposite the derelict hotel. It is not a bad spot and I soon set up overlooking the river.

I then go for a walk to check out the toilets and showers which are only a hundred metres or so away. The toilets are okay but the showers have only cold water. I can hear the gas heater trying to start, but my guess is the gas bottle is empty. I ring the number for problems and leave a message, but don’t get a reply till tomorrow. There is a large ex-Army truck here with a camper conversion on the back. They ask about the camping area and I tell them that they will need to be careful coming in as there are low branches. Later they slowing come in, cutting some branches off to make it accessible. We are the only ones camped here.

I walk around the town, not much here now, just the general store, the police station and a community hall. I get back to camp at 4:40 pm. I fly my drone and then start a fire. I have drinks from 5:40 pm. At 7:00 pm I cook a beef dish I purchased from Woolies yesterday. I have with rice. I have enough for another meal which I put in a container. After this I have heat up an apple pie in a saucepan and have it with ice cream.

I take some night photos too as it is almost a full moon. I finish the SMH and start on a new book on my tablet. The garbage bins here are overflowing. I cannot for the life of me understand why people put rubbish in already full bins, especially when up at the toilets there are empty bins. More pigs. The coals from the timber I have burnt are great, so warm. I go to bed at 9:30 pm and it is 12°C.

Weather: Fine, max 23ºC Arrived: Wanaaring Time: 3:27 pm Distance: 321.9 kilometres

Day 13 - Tuesday 20 August 2024 – Wanaaring to 10 Mile Bore

Weather: Fine, 7.0ºC minimum

Another great sleep, I wake at 6:00 am and read my book and then the SMH. I get up at 8:00 am after changing the sheets on the bed. I plan to wash these today at Hungerford. I pack up and move to the toilet.

I leave town at 9:30 am. I head back west a little to a road which I saw yesterday had directions to Hungerford. I think this is called the Glen Hope Road and it runs up the western side of the Paroo River. My map also shows this as the main road and Google also says this. However, I later find out that a road to the east of the Paroo River is now the main road, it was built over 30 years ago but looks like no-one has told Google or Hema or anyone else.

The road is not too bad, but it is mostly single lane dirt and I have to open and close 11 gates. I sit mostly on 70 km/h. I stop at 10:47 am at the 7th gate, 66.7 km. Here I have morning tea. The middle third of the road is windier and also a bit rougher, but it was okay. I leave at 10:53 am. I finally arrive at the road I should have used and it is a very good road. I arrive in Hungerford, just over the Queensland border, at 11:40 am. I was here in 2019 on the way to the Big Red bash at Birdsville.

I go to the camping area as there is a washing machine and dryer there. I put on my load of washing ($4) and also hand wash two new shirts as I am worried the dye will run. However, nothing comes out. I put most of the washing on the line but also some in the dryer. I read for a bit and then have lunch. The washing dries quicker on the line than in the dryer!

At 1:30 pm all the washing is dry, so I move to the Royal Mail Hotel. In 2019 I watched a State of Origin rugby league match here, it was a great night. I have one Coopers Pale Ale ($7) and then head north out of town. Originally I planned to stay a night or two in the Currawinya National Park, but a few days ago some people told me about a nice free camping area north of town at 10 Mile Bore.

I arrive at the bore (18 km from Hungerford) at 2:15 pm and camp on the lake’s northern side. It is very warm and windy now, 31°C. I pick a spot that is somewhat protected from the wind and also has tree shade. I set up camp including my hammock. The road here was very good, with graders working on part of it. I have afternoon tea and read the paper and my book. At 4:00 pm I start a fire as I am using my camp oven to cook a small pork roast.

I discover that my lithium battery in the Land Cruiser is totally flat. I open the bonnet and discover that the plug that connects the DC/DC charger to the battery has somehow disconnected itself. I plug it back in. I go for a walk and also collect firewood, there is heaps here. I put the vegies on at 5:10 pm and the pork 10 minutes later. It is all ready at 6:00 pm. It is a very good pork roast (from Aldi).

There were a few flies earlier and after dark there are lots of bugs and some mozzies. I read my book and it is still very warm (21°C), I only have a short sleeve shirt and shorts on. I go to bed early at 8:10 pm to get away from the bugs. I fall asleep about 8:30 pm.

Weather: Fine, max 31ºC Arrived: 10 Mile Bore Time: 2:15 pm Distance: 126.0 kilometres