WEDNESDAY MAY 27     WEST WYALONG TO GRIFFITH     154kms

Despite quite a bit of noise from truck traffic through the night and in the morning (or maybe because of it) John slept in and it was 10.20 am before we departed. That was OK because today’s was not a long stage.

I managed to direct us the wrong way after we left the caravan park, over-riding the GPS which, on this occasion, was correct. John managed to find a place to turn around without having to reverse. I apologised.

The day was fairly cool, with high cloud, but quite pleasant.

Not long after leaving West Wyalong, passed a very mangled car that was in the scrub at the roadside – all wrapped up in blue and white police tape. We wondered what the story behind that was.

For a short while, we passed through cypress pine wooded country. I love cypress pines. But then emerged onto flat plains country, where we could see for a very long way.

Cypress pines beside the road

Some of the paddock dams had pelicans floating on them.

At Ardlethan, left the Newell, heading west towards Griffith.

The little township of Barellan had a giant tennis racquet “statue” – a tribute to local tennis champion Evonne Goolagong.  I am not really a fan of “big things”.

There were so many empty, sad old houses in these little declining villages, It is a pity we could not relocate some of our urban homeless to such places – they would be housed and could spend their welfare money boosting the local economy at the same time.

We moved into the agricultural area of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area. Lots of grapes growing and some very large winery operations that we passed, including de Bortoli, source of the port we like.

Irrigation channel near Griffith. Winery storage tanks at rear.

Found our way to the Griffith Tourist Park, via a slightly roundabout route. Not the fault of the GPS this time – nor me.

Our en-suite site cost $40.

There were lots of big old deciduous trees in the park. No doubt wonderful shade in summer, but right now the source of heaps of fallen leaves. I had to sweep lots of leaves out of our en-suite, and wipe the dust off the surfaces in there. Most of the sites in this park were en-suites and this one had obviously not been used for a while. There was a gap under the door, and also an upper section of breeze block wall that allowed the leaves and dust in. I had phoned this morning and booked us in, so I did think that the en-suite could have been checked and cleaned for us, in advance. A bit poor.

Griffith site complete with leaf-shedding tree

Set up, unhitched, phoned our Griffith friends, who were expecting our visit today. V and F are friends made some thirteen years ago, on our travels, who we meet up with periodically.

We drove around to their place for a late lunch. Spent several pleasant hours chatting, sitting out on their lovely large, roofed deck. We had tied Couey to their clothes line so she could stiull see us, but she would not settle, wanting attention, games and to be loose – which the resident backyard cat would definitely not have appreciated. Eventually, she got put back in the car, where she couldn’t see us at all.

There was a State of Origin  match tonight, always a major event in that family. We reflected on one year when we were all working at Adels Grove, which did not then have any TV reception. However, the Ranger base at the nearby National Park did, and there was to be a gathering of local folk there to watch the game. John does not have a clue about that brand of football, but he went along to keep F company – the lone NSW supporter in North West Qld!

Not wanting to intrude on the family gathering planned for tonight’s event, we left early.

On the way back to camp, stopped in the centre of town and bought pizzas to take back to Bus for tea. In this town with such an Italian heritage, the pizzas were really good.