THURSDAY 6 APRIL   BOURKE TO CHARLEVILLE   455kms

We had an uneventful drive to Charleville, on a road we have travelled several times before.

Broke the drive with roadside stops for coffee and lunch, and to refuel at Cunnamulla, having done 268kms since Bourke – $1.36cpl. Back in the State of cheaper diesel.

Booked into the Bailey Bar Caravan Park, as we had done times before. $18.90 after discount.

Not much had changed there. Rigs were still placed under direction, where it would allow a maximum number to be fitted in. That did not greatly affect us, this time, being here for only one night. They did place us so the rig could stay hitched up. We did not need to put up an awning, or set up camp furniture outside.

We walked to the shopping centre. Had to get a few oddments – including soap and container for John!

My heel seemed to be slowly getting better. We walked about 4kms.

Thought I should phone house sitter and check with her. She said all was alright at home. Spook was sleeping in the box we’d left for him – since he would not have our bed to sleep on. She had bought him a blanket for it – nice of her.

Phoned Adels Grove, to see what was happening there, and alert them to our time line.

It was only about two weeks since Cyclone Larry hit the Qld coast and caused a big low pressure system to come across the Gulf country, dumping over 500mm of rain around Normanton and Burketown, and flooding a lot of country.

M said the Century Mine trucks were using the Riversleigh road, as the usual way to the east was shut, due to the Leichardt River flooding between Gregory Downs and Burke and Wills Roadhouse. She reckoned Pungalina could flood again, too. It had been raining solidly for three days at Adels, and guests could not get there.

It was raining through much of the north west of Qld – we could have some trouble getting through. But with the dentist appointment in Mt Isa, we needed to try to go on.