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Day 18 – Tuesday 15 July 2025 – Windorah to Noccundra

Weather: Fine, 6.9ºC minimum

A much warmer night. I wake at 5:20 am, well I did go to bed very early. I watch the cricket test from the West Indies on my phone. The Windies are all out for 27, their lowest score ever. Australia has won easily. Mitchell Starc took a sixfer, including 5 in 15 balls which is a record. He also took his 400th test wicket in his 100th test. Scott Boland took a hat trick too. A brilliant win!

I get up at 7:30 am. The battery for the rachet gun has not charged at all despite been on all night in the laundry. Looks like the battery is stuffed. I have breakfast and then pump my tyres up to 40 psi as from now on it is all tar roads. I also write up a food list for tomorrow. At 8:50 am I drive to the fuel station and put in 51.94 litres at $2.20 a litre for a total of $114.27. This is an average of 13.3 l/100 since Birdsville. I also buy a pasta packet from the general store, the only one they had and not a very good selection at all of anything.

Cooper Creek east of Windorah	Dinosaur sculptures in Eromanga

We leave town at 9:21 am. The road is mostly single lane tar. There are lots of trucks and camel/horse floats heading west, so we have to pull off the road a lot (little gives way to big). I think they must be heading to the Boulia Camel Races which start on 18 July. We stop at the Eromanga Road intersection for morning tea at 10:52 am (213.0 km). We leave at 11:08 am. This is also a good single lane tar road.

Our camp at Noccundra	Ron and Donna and our campfire

We arrive in Eromanga at 12:04 pm. This town is the furthest distance from the ocean of any town in Australia. We were here in 2021, so we have already had a beer in the hotel furthest from the ocean. After using the toilets (where there are also free hot showers), we move to the dinosaur park. This whole area is dinosaur country and there is a newish museum here which one day I will have to visit. We have lunch at the park which is a bit underwhelming and looks like it has never been finished.

The Noccundra Hotel	Myself, Ian and Sharon in the pub

We depart at 1:37 pm and we stop at 1:58 pm to cut firewood (339.1 km). It is a nice warm 26°C and the wood is good stuff. We leave at 2:20 pm. The road is now single and sometimes two lanes. We arrive at Noccundra at 2:52 pm. We use the free hot showers in the toilet block next to the hotel and then move to the waterhole. We setup camp near the entrance. This is my fourth time at Noccundra but only the third time I have camped here.

RFS donation box outside the Noccundra Hotel	Sunset at Noccundra

There are still flies galore, so I have a cuppa in my fly tent (really getting a workout this trip). At 4:30 pm, Ian, Sharon and I go to the hotel for a drink. I have a Carlton Draught can at a reasonable $8.50. We are back at 5:10 pm. I cook choritzo pasta for dinner and make a small damper. I put the damper on using coals from the fire. We have it with butter, excellent. Later I reheat the pasta for my meal. I go to bed at 9:55 pm.

Weather: Fine, max 26°C Arrived: Noccundra Time: 2:52 pm Distance: 389.7 kilometres

Day 19 – Wednesday 16 July 2025 – Noccundra to Alroy Station

Weather: Fine, 8.9°C minimum

Even warmer last night, awake 5:50 am but then fall asleep to 7:05 am. I get up at 7:45 am and make a bacon sandwich for breakfast. I pack up and then drop the tyre pressure a bit as when I topped up yesterday they were obviously very cold and I have over filled them. We move to the toilets and then leave at 9:09 am. It is now 11°C and windy but sunny.

We arrive in Thargomindah at 10:45 am (141.6 km, 14.8 l/100 km, high due to strong headwind). It is very crowded, there are more campervans than I have ever seen anywhere. Turns out there is a country and western music festival on at the showground. I go to the new Foodworks (the old one burnt down after my visit in 2019) and buy some things. Very expensive but a good selection, better than tomorrow at Cunnamulla which is a much bigger town. I only buy essentials like milk, juice, yoghurt ($11!) and some fruit.

The Yowah Artesian baths	My camp at Alroy Station

Ron and Donna wander off to have a coffee at the festival. I look at getting fuel but the cheaper place needs an app, so I don’t bother. We leave at 11:45 am. We arrive in Yowah at 12:54 pm (240.0 km). We have come across on the more direct road from here. This is a reasonably good dirt track, suitable for all vehicles so long as you take it easy.

I have decided to have a burger for lunch. When I was here last year there was an electricity outage so the place was not open. I order it ($13.50) but it takes 30 minutes to be made. Not that many before me as far as I could see. It is a good burger, but not sure worth that wait. At 1:35 pm I go to the artesian baths where the others have been for a while. It is still $5 for the day. The water is 39°C in the hot pool, perhaps 35°C in the other one.

Alroy Station camping area with shelter shed and baths to the left	The Alroy artesian baths

We depart at 2:34 pm and I take them via the free camping area so they can see it. We arrive at Alroy Station at 3:00 pm (21 km away). We go in and set up camp on the eastern side to get some protection from the wind. I have a cuppa and at 4:20 pm I go to the artesian baths (huge bath tubs). I have a nice 39°C bath. I am back at the car at 5:05 pm. We have a fire and drinks. Around this time, Mary, the owner of the property, comes and collects our fee ($10 pp) and gives us free firewood. I should mention that there are also flusing toilets and hot showers.

Later I cook some chicken tenderloins and sweet potato for dinner. After dinner, I go and have another hot bath. I am back at 9:50 pm and then go to bed.

Weather: Fine, max 20°C Arrived: Alroy Station Time: 3:00 pm Distance: 271.0 kilometres

Day 20 – Thursday 15 July 2025 – Alroy Station to Charlotte Plains

Weather: Fine, 7.6°C minimum

Another warmer night. I get up at 7:30 am and go to the baths till 7:55 am. I come back and have breakfast and then pack up. It is 11.3°C at 9:10 am when we leave. We head down the single lane tar road back to the Adventure Way (Cunnamulla Road) and then to Eulo where we arrive at 9:54 am (60.5 km). We have had a headwind again so fuel consumption is higher at 14.1 l/100 km. The only fuel here requires the use of a QR code to go to a website. Last year this did not work when I tried it, so we leave at 10:00 am.

We arrive in Cunnamulla and go to a fuel station which is showing the cheapest fuel (can be up to 20 cents a litre difference – use a fuel app to find cheapest). There is a queue of caravans but they can only use the outside bowsers, so we jump in front and use one under the low hanging roof. I take 107.79 litres at $1.909 a litre for $205.77. I have averaged 13.7 l/100 km since Windorah.

We then go to the IGA. This is not a great supermarket but is the best one in town. I get $44 worth of things but cannot get a roast. We then go to a smaller supermarket but they do not have one either. I then go to the bakery and get a vanilla slice and an apple slice for $11 (both turn out to be very good). I then go to the butchers down the road. I get a large lump of beef, forget which sort. The butcher cuts it off a newly opened bit. It is larger than I really wanted, 1.8 kg for $38.

A last minute trip to a bottle shop for a cask of port ($14) and we leave town at 12:10 pm. We stop to collect some firewood at 12:27 pm. We get a lot of good stuff and are back on the road soon after. We arrive at Charlotte Plains Station at 1:07 pm. The process has changed again from last year, we check in with the caretaker and then go and find a spot. This place is now much more popular than even four years ago, but even though there are about 80 vehicles, we find a good spot.

Our campsite at Charlotte Station	The brand new pool at Charlotte Station

I have lunch and then setup. Then I go to the nearest bathtub and have a nice hot bath with the artesian waters. I was in for 25 minutes. I am back at 2:45 pm and read some more in the fly tent. Later I walk to the new pool which is near the outlet of the bore. This is great, much better than what was there before. I read some more and have a cuppa.

Sharon puts the fire on early as we are having roasts for dinner. At 4:30 pm Ian and I walk to the bar and have a beer ($8 Tooheys New). Earlier I walked to the office and paid $30 for one night as we are not sure how long we are going to stay.

The Charlotte Station pub	Ian and I having a beer

When I get back, I cut one third of the piece of beef I purchased and marinate it with a seasoning I purchased this morning. The others have bought frozen chickens and they are still not fully defrosted. I put my beef on well after them. When I put it in the camp oven, it only just fits vertically. I later put my potatoes, carrots and sweet potato in. It cooks in one hour.

Drone photo of the camping area with the new pool bottom right	Looking further to the west

Unusually, we did not share the meats like we normally do. The beef is excellent, I am glad I purchased it. After dinner I go to the pool again for about 30 minutes. I am in bed by 10:15 pm.

Weather: Fine, max 18°C Arrived: Charlotte Plains Station Time: 1:07 pm Distance: 182.1 kilometres

Day 21 – Friday 18 July 2025 – Charlotte Plains to Goodooga

Weather: Fine, ?ºC minimum (did not record)

I wake at 6:25 am and read the paper. I get up at 7:45 am. There is a cool wind from the south. I have breakfast and then go to the pool. When I come back I discover that the others have decided to leave due to the wind. I have no idea why as wherever we go will probably have less protection than here. They have almost totally packed up and I have done nothing.

I do a quick pack up and we leave at 9:48 am. We arrive in Bollon at 11:24 am (137.7 km, 15°C). Last year I stayed in the free camping area here for two nights as it was great. We use the toilets (there are free hot showers here too) on the highway.

The burnt out remains of the Bollon Hotel	The Bollon Hotel in August 2024

I then notice that the Bollon Hotel opposite has burnt down. I later discover that at 7:30 pm on Saturday 22 February this year a fire started in the kitchen and ended up spreading to the whole hotel. You would think that it could have been put out before getting that bad since the pub would have had a few people in it. Additionally, the very popular café just down the road has also closed. I suspect this could be because the staff in the café during the day also worked in the pub at night.

We leave town at 11:40 am. About 12 kilometres out we take the Bollon Dirranbandi Road. This is a good tarred road. There are some pools of water on the road, so it is obvious it has rained here, probably last night. We arrive in Dirranbandi at 12:47 pm (242.5 km, 17°C, 12.8 l/100 km). We stop at the park in the main street and have lunch.

The Dirranbandi Bakery	A steam engine outside the old Dirranbandi Railway Station

Ian, Sharon and I came through here two years ago and had a beer in the hotel, so not going in there today. However, we do go to the bakery. Wow, this is fantastic! I buy an orange crumble and a vanilla slice ($13.80). We head off at 1:24 pm.

At 2:35 pm we arrive at the Goodooga Artesian Baths. There are heaps of people here. The whole parking/camping area has been tarred since we were here two years ago. So, this is no good for us as we need to be able to put tent pegs into the ground to hold our rooftop tent in place. Luckily, you can go to the east past the water tower and there is a large area where you can camp on the dirt.

Ian and my campsite at Goodooga	A kangaroo sculpture outside the Goodooga Baths

As there is very little vegetation, there is no protection from the strong southerly wind. I decide where I am camping and set up there. The others end up nearby eventually. I have a cuppa and at 3:35 pm I walk to the baths. These are one of the best of the artesian baths I have been to. The water is about 39°C. I am back at 4:15 pm.

A drone photograph of the dirt campsite area	Looking towards Goodooga township, the baths are under the blue shade cloth

I get out my laptop and read my emails and reply to those I need to. I have not really done this the whole trip. The wind drops a little and we start a fire at 4:55 pm. We have drinks and for dinner I reheat the rest of the chorizo pasta I made a few days ago. We watch two NRL matches on Ian’s tablet. The second one is Souths. They are down 18-0 at half time, so I give up and go to the baths. I am back at 9:15 pm. I read at the fire and go to bed at 9:50 pm. It is a cool 7°C.

Weather: Fine, max 18°C Arrived: Goodooga Artesian Baths Time: 2:35 pm Distance: 348.4 kilometres

Day 22 – Saturday 19 July 2025 – Goodooga to Burren Junction

Weather: Fine, 2.5ºC minimum

After a few nights of warm weather, back to the cold this morning. I wake at 6:25 am. I do Wordle on my phone (as I do most mornings) and read the paper. I get up at 7:30 am. I have breakfast and then go to the baths again. I am back at 9:05 am. I fly the drone as it was too windy yesterday. I then pack up and at 9:50 pm move to the baths to get rid of my rubbish.

We leave at 10:05 am, there is no wind and it is 11°C. We arrive in Lightning Ridge at 10:58 am (74.4 km, 15°C, 12.5 l/100). The others go to a café and I have my tea which I make at breakfast. I purchase some shore glue at a shop as my old runners that I wear at the fire have started to separate at the sole. I glue them up and use some clamps to hold till the glue dries.

We leave at 11:34 am and near Walgett take the Kamiloroi Highway. We stop on the side of the highway for lunch as there are no rest areas anywhere on this road that I have seen before. It is 12:35 pm (170.2 km, 18°C, 12.3 l/100). We are back underway at 12:55 pm and at 1:40 pm we arrive at the Burren Junction Artesian Baths.

Our campsite at Burren Junction	The Burren Junction Artesian Baths in 2024

We go into the first and then second camping areas but there are no spots for three vehicles. Some spots are unusable because they have water/mud on them. Obviously it also rained here in the past few days. We go back out onto the access road and camp on the grass area. In fact, this is probably better than been in the proper areas.

I set up and then go to the bore baths. It is 38 to 39°C depending on where you are in the pool. I am back at 2:38 pm and have a cuppa and read the paper. Later I listen to the NRL on the radio and then split some of our timber as it is too big to burn (I brought along my timber splitter rather than my axe). At 4:30 pm I go to the baths again for 40 minutes.

We have a fire in Ron’s firepit and sit around having drinks. We watch the NRL on Ian’s tablet and later Australia v British and Irish Lions rugby test on my tablet (at the same time). I cook a Scotch fillet on Ron’s Biji and have with a rice dish I make. I go to the baths at halftime in the test as Australia are losing. When I come back the others are in bed. I stay up for a bit and go to bed at 10:25 pm.

Weather: Fine, max 18°C Arrived: Burren Junction Artesian Baths Time: 1:40 pm Distance: 237.6 kilometres

Day 23 – Sunday 20 July 2025 – Burren Junction Artesian Baths

An even colder night, hard to figure out what you need to wear to bed it has been so variable the past week. A train goes past at about midnight. Apart from that, I sleep right though to 5:35 am which is very rare for me. I later fall asleep till 7:02 am. I get up at 7:55 am and it has warmed to 5°C. I make a bacon sandwich for breakfast.

At 9:05 am I go to the baths, it is cooler this morning at 36-37°C and there is steam all around. It is also a bit shallower than yesterday for some reason. I get back at 9:45 am. Ian and Sharon head off as they are going to Dubbo.

Earlier we collected firewood that has been left behind by a large group who were camped next to us last night. Later I split this too. I read some and have a cuppa. I then walk two kilometres to the east on the tracks behind the baths.

Walking to the Junction Hotel	Having a beer inside the Junction Hotel

When I get back I have lunch and then go to the baths again. After this a cuppa and at 3:00 pm I walk to the Junction City Hotel. I go via the track behind the bore (3.2 km) and have one Tooheys New ($7.50). I walk back via the highway, only 2.9 km. I get back at 4:30 pm and go to the baths again as I am hot and a bit sweaty. I am back at 5:00 pm and we put the fire on again in Ron’s firepit. The wind has dropped (it picked up earlier). I cook some sausages which are flat due to been on the bottom of the fridge for three weeks.

Later I go to the baths again just before bed. I go to bed at 9:55 pm. It is cold again, 6°C.

Weather: Fine, max 18°C Arrived: Burren Junction Artesian Baths Time: 1:40 pm Distance: 237.6 kilometres

Day 24 – Monday 21 July 2025 – Burren Junction Artesian Baths to Crusher Bush Camp, Gulgong

Weather: High overcast, 4.6°C minimum

A strange night weatherwise. The coldest was about midnight but about 9°C at 6:50 am when I wake. I get up at 7:45 am and it is windy and there is high overcast. I have breakfast and then go to the baths. I then pack up and we leave at 10:10 am.

We continue on the Kamilaroi Highway and at 11:07 am we arrive in Narrabri. We go to the fuel depot where diesel is much cheaper. I take 93.25 litres at $1.78 a litre for a total of $165.98. I have averaged 12.8 litres per 100 kilometres since Cunnamulla. We then go to Woolies to get some things, I only need bread and some curry paste. We leave at 11:42 am. We head south down the Newell Highway.

At 12:30 pm we stop at the Yamminba Rest Area for lunch (159.1 km, 19°C, 12.3 l/100). This has one of the solar system structures that are all over this part of NSW. The sun is at Siding Springs Observatory and all the planets are on roads out from there. The one here is Uranus, and there is also another one that we will pass later on the road to Coolah.

We leave at 2:55 pm. We later pass Saturn just before we pass through Coonabarabran and then take the road to Binnaway and Coolah. There is another Saturn on this road too. We pass through Binnaway (a very nice free camping area here) and then another Uranus. We arrive in Coolah at 2:29 pm (296.3 km, 18°C, 11.9 l/100). We have walk around and leave at 2:42 pm.

We travel via the Black Stump Way to the Castlereagh Highway. The is a Pluto along here. We turn off the highway a bit before Gulgong onto Beryl Road. We then take Mebul Road to Crusher Bush Camp (shown as Auntie Beryl Camp Spot on Google) where we arrive at 3:45 pm. I camped here back in 2019 on the way home from the Big Red Bash. It is on the Cudgegong River.

Our campsite at Crusher Bush Camp	The Cudgegong River

The lower sections of this camping area are again affected by water so we camp in the same spot at the far end and up higher. We are actually on one of the tracks as there is not much flat area. This will not affect anyone else who comes as there are other tracks they can use. We set up camp and I then fly my drone.

There are said to be platypus in the river but I sit for quite a while looking in the still water below us and see nothing. We light a fire overlooking the river. I am cooking a curry beef for dinner in my camp oven, so I cut onions and meat and braise it all in the oven over some coals. I then add korma curry and water and put it back on the coals.

The river and our campsite	Looking from above the campsite

I cook slowly for 90 minutes and have with precooked rice. It was very tender. I have enough leftover for another meal or two. I put the beef in a container and then into the fridge. Well after dark a caravan comes in and goes to the lower area, not sure why they did not stay up the top. Later again two more come in, but they only stay 10 to 15 minutes before leaving.

It is nice sitting around the fire, this will be our last night. We have some port and chocolate to finish the trip. I go to bed at 9:15 pm, it is 8°C.

Weather: Fine, max 18°C Arrived: Crusher Bush Camp, Gulgong Time: 3:45 pm Distance: 378.5 kilometres

Day 25 – Tuesday 22 July 2025 – Crusher Bush Camp, Gulgong to Home

Weather: Overcast, 6.1°C minimum

Another strange night, the minimum was again around midnight. After about 1:00 am it got windy and the temperature went up to 10°C. I wake at 5:35 am, listen to the 6:00 am ABC news and then fall asleep again till 7:05 am. I again go to sleep! I get up at 7:45 am and strip the bed and remove everything from the rooftop tent.

I have breakfast and finish putting all the things from the rooftop into the car. Ron and Donna leave at 8:30 am to go to Gulgong to use the toilets. I pack up and leave at 8:55 am. I travel out via back roads bypassing Gulgong. I arrive in Mudgee at 9:29 am (36.6 km, 13°C, 13.5 l/100) for a quick toilet stop. We leave at 9:37 am and arrive in Capertee at 10:34 am (118.3 km, 11°C, 13.4 l/100). I have morning tea here.

The mural on the outside of the toilets at Capertee	The information on the regent honeyeater inside the toilets, note the speaker top right

Since I was here last year, they have put some information about the regent honeyeater on the wall of the toilet block and inside there is more information and a speaker playing their calls. Very interesting. I leave at 10:51 am. I stop at Lawson and go to the bakery and get a sausage roll and small tart for lunch. I leave at 12:22 pm and arrive home at 2:05 pm. I average 10.6 litres per 100 kilometres for this section! It is now sunny after being overcast all day.

Weather: Fine, max 18°C Arrived: Home Time: 2:05 pm Distance: 315.6 kilometres

SUMMARY

This was a fantastic trip. If you do it, make sure your vehicle is in very good nick as we saw many major breakdowns and we even had small things break, no matter we checked them all before we left. I would recommend doing in a small group, three or four at the most. No camper trailers either.

Kilometres: 5,719
Litres Diesel: 780.4
Cost: $1,636.41
Fuel economy: 13.6 l/100 km
Camping $147
Dinner and drinks: $253
Groceries: $259 (does not include cost of things bought in Sydney)
Merchandise: $80
Laundry: $10
Sub-Total: $1,212
TOTAL: $2,848 ($114 a day)