Warialda to Yetman

 Warialda to Yetman = 84km
Cummulative totals = 1497km and 21,498km
Yetman caravan park = $10 powered or unpowered

Knowing today was going to be a long ride we got up at the crack of dawn to find the lovely caretaker of the park had left 2 small organza bags of small easter eggs near the tent ... lovely isn't it.  She also left some for the cabins and the other caravans that are here.
I remember doing this ride 4 years ago and I remembered there is a steep climb out (like all towns!) and that it was a very very long day and we got to Yetman very late in the afternoon.
So Neil thinking the only real hill of the day is the one out of town and the rest is a 'bit' up and down ... well I looked at the profile properly and it is a steep climb out but you are going up and down for at least half the distance to today - to Coolatai at least.  By the 2nd climb Neil says, and I quote, "I don't remember it being THIS hilly!"  LOL poor Neil.  Just after we started somewhere between hills we saw a wedge tail eagle, now these are hard to photograph, normally I miss them and by the time the camera is out they are miles away or they are being chased by a pack of birds but todays one sat on the tree for me ...

 while taking this photo I could hear a car coming in the opposite direction so I took a gamble and waited til the car passed and this spooked the eagle and it flew off, so I went 'click'!

 I love these birds, and I remember seeing one when I rode down the middle of Australia and it was dead alongside the road and this is the closest I had been to one and they are massive!
So the scenery is nothing by hills ...

 they are okay hills around 500m to 1.5km long (both up and down) and the gradient is ridable most of the time, one or two were 5-7% at the top.  The road is okay to Coolatai.
Just before Coolatai we came across this letterbox ... I think they might be Kiwis!

So we had a cuppa at Coolatai and it was tempting to stay there are it had showers and toilets but we pressed on as there were no power points!  From Coolatai the road became bad (different shire), they had a done a little bit of road work since we last came through but not enough really.

Continuing on with my fascination with country letter boxes ... this is a very creative one!

 ha shaped like a hammer!
From Coolatai despite the poor road which eventually appears to be resealed but still has the lumps, bumps and cracks it is less hilly, if anything it is flat until 65km and you have your last hill - a 2km climb with a 6%er at least at the top!  Here is our last hill of the day, you can see the hills in the back ground which is basically where we have come from!

  

 after this hill it is down and along to Yetman and just before you get to the Bruxner highway some nuff nuff put a grid in the road!  I mean who puts a grid in the road when either side has more fencing to keep livestock in than a prison, I mean really!

 We got to Yetman at 2.30ish and we were exhausted, our first long day in a while!  We will stay here tomorrow (easter Monday) as we think the traffic could be heavy with everyone returning home for work or school.  The caretaker of the park said to Neil that this place was full this morning as there is a fishing contest on until 11.30am so most have gone home, at the moment there is only a few vans and tents here, we think the tents will go tomorrow and more than likely the vans.
Tomorrow is Geelong vs. Hawthorn so fingers crossed the internet is fast enough to cope with it!  Also they have a free washing machine here and we intend to use it ... in the 5 weeks since we have left home this will be our 2nd machine wash!  We do more hand washing!

Bingara to Warialda

 Bingara to Warialda = 40km
Cummulative totals = 1413km and 21,414km
Warialda caravan park = $19 unpowered

Happy Easter everyone, while you were all polishing off your easter eggs or starting to yesterday we polished of our 2 month expiry dated mince pies!!!
It was a quiet rest day although looking at the road it was busy with late comers going up the river towards Inverell.
We were entertained late in the afternoon with a Mum magpie and her young one ... they were not afraid of us and happily drank from Koutas drinking bowl that was in front of him - either he was still under the weather or asleep as he didn't chase them.

 We think Kouta has recovered from his bout of illness over the past week as he was quite spritely this morning and is happily watching the world go by here at Warialda.  Yesterday evening we went for a walk along the river up towards the water plant and we took a side road and came across where everyone is pitched for the easter break ... they range from anything from a basic tent like ours to a fully equipped caravan or mobile home.  They all have some form of makeshift chemical toilet and outdoor shower, or they drive up to the public toilets in the park next to the caravan park.  Neil and I have decided that we will camp along here next time we come through as it is opposite the caravan park and near to town.  Generally they NSW doesn't like this sort of set up near a river and this sort of camping really only happens at Easter and Xmas but it goes all the way up to the Copeland Dam which is miles away!  We assume they allow it this close to town as they all spend their money in the town itself and the caravan park is small and is nearly full when we were there so they town would miss out on the money if they didn't allow the free camping along the river.  It is $10 to enter at the Dam and $35 for a powered site at the dam.
We left this morning fairly early just in case the IGA closed at midday since it is a holiday weekend.
It is up and down for the entire 40km but there was next to no traffic and there will be even less tomorrow to Yetman.
The area is now a lot drier than around Gunnedah, it has become more scrubby and there is less grass around and alot let burrs of which Kouta is happy ... he has been tippy toeing around a bit lately!

 We arrived at Warialda around 10.30am and the park is empty all but one caravan.  It has a few new cabins which are apparently all booked out  as there is a funeral on Tuesday.  The park also has a lovely new amenities block.  Although there are no kitchen facilities it doesn't matter.  Neil is a little disappointed with the IGA as it was expensive and no real markdowns ... he is getting too fussy now!  We are pitched in
the shade of a big tree as it is about 22 degrees with a slight breeze.

tomorrow we head to Yetman which is about 80km away and will stay there to watch the Geelong game on Monday arvo.

Barraba lions park to Bingara

 Barraba Lions Park to Bingara = 67km
Cummulative totals = 1373km and 21,374km
Bingara caravan park = $19 unpowered

It was our coldest night last night ... in fact more the morning.  I did begin to feel the cold about mid morning and realised that all the feathers in my sleeping bag are either to the left of my body or under Kouta at the moment ... so I must ruffle up the bag tonight to recenter them!
Neil pipes up that it is 9 degrees by his thermometer in the annex so I tell him to place it outside to get a true reading ... it was 4 degrees!  So over breakfast we moaned and complained about our cold fingers and we moaned and complained even more when we had to pack up the wet tent!  Since it was cold we also had a fog ... only a light one ...

 it soon lifted and once the sun popped over the treeline we thought we might warm up more but alas only Kouta could sleep and enjoy the warm sun ...

we were on the road at 7.15am keen to get the first 15km out of the way before any traffic came.
5km out of Barraba we came across the perfect bridge, the road leading to the bridge and also merging with the bridge were seamless ...

 the 2 lines going across the photo are where the road joins the bridge ... now all bridges in Australia do not have a seamless join like this ... this one you didn't feel it at all ... others usually have a massive bump, drop, gap or pot hole where the road joins the bridge ... so we had to take a photo of this unique bridge!

 So just out of Barraba you also get a warning that there is an overtaking lane in 5km which can only mean 1 thing - a steep hill by car standards that requires an overtaking lane ... so we braced ourselves and sure enough as soon as we saw it we remembered it!  It was about a 7-8%er and about 1km long.  It was so good to be doing it this early in the morning with no traffic.  About half way through I wanted to stop and get off the bike but I soldiered on!  I was gasping for air and sweating like a waterfall by the time I got to the top ... my glasses were all fogged up (not sure if that was from all the heavy breathing!) Just down the road we came across this sign so we must be somewhere near the top ...

 actually we are not near the top as it goes along a tableland and then up and down for the next 20km only to have an almighty 10km down hill about 30km out from Bingara ... sensational!

I had my breaks on for this part as it was exceptionally steep, about the same as this morning 7-8% and on our way down there was this peanut bus that was going up this incline about as slow as what we were this morning!

So you go down for 10km before it tapers off and despite you still going down slightly you still had to pedal to assist so that you are going about 19km per hour so Bingara was soon upon us!  There wasn't alot of traffic today - plenty of caravans spread over about 2 hours, a few trucks and local traffic.  Not like the traffic we are hearing about along the coast roads ... you would think most people would learn and stay away from those holiday places and come inland a bit, but no part of their holiday is spending hours stuck in traffic!

Bingara is a popular place especially for Easter as there is free camping along the river and up towards the dam but the road is not suitable for us ride up there.  The river in the town is very low so we won't be going swimming tomorrow.

We are at the caravan park and it is very nice, we got here around 12.15pm and there is no place for unpowered camping so the woman has put us on the border between the local park and the caravan park (the unpowered section is now devoted to cabins!).  So we are in a fab spot that will have shade all day and it we want to warm up in the sun we only have to move our chairs out a bit!

We have our shopping for 2 days and Neil bought me a romantic treat for easter ... no not a big easter egg ... can you guess? ... yes you are on the right track if you just thought that it is a markdown .... no it is not near its' use by date .... it is 2 months PAST its' use by date! ... ha ha ha it is a 6 pack of christmas mince pies!  We just had one with our cuppa and they are lovely!  So we are here for tomorrow and will go to Warialda on Saturday.

Manilla to Barraba

 Manilla to Barraba Lions park (5km before Barraba) = 42km
Cummulative totals = 1306km and 21,307km
Barraba Lions rest area = free

Since we knew it was going to be a relatively short day today we decided to sleep in a bit and leave a little later ... Kouta had no objection to that.
It is a lovely bright clear morning and last night at 5.48pm there was a lunar shadow (I think that is what they called it) we heard about it on the ABC radio earlier in the morning and because of the pollution in the air it makes the moon appear pinkish as it goes behind the earth shadow or something like that!
We are riding on the Fossickers way and the road isn't as poor condition as the Black Stump way, although it is alot more hillier.
This morning there is virtually no wind ... typical since it is coming from the south now and we are heading directly north ... it is only natural for it to be light or non existent.  In fact up until last week all the strong wind was in the morning while we are cycling whereas now we have a tail wind the wind is in the afternoon when we have finished ... man mother nature really hates us!
As you can see from the profile it is mainly up today.  It is mostly steady climbing so the gradient was easy pedalling.  It is spectacular country side through here.  Last time we rode this way it was cloudy and grey but this time it is sunny and clear.  It is like riding through a valley with hills either side and also in front of you!  This is suppose to be "best beef" country!  Although I didn't see many cattle in the paddocks they were mainly all in the trucks!
This is a photo on our way down a hill ...

 When we mapped our way I decided that we would stay at the Barraba Lions park which is a rest area 5km before the town of Barraba simply because I didn't like the guy who owns the caravan park at Barraba.  Last time he talked non stop and has a very strong opinion about anything and everything and basically I took an instant disliking to him.  I also felt uncomfortable in the caravan park itself ... I didn't like the set up of the toilets and showers - sort of ensuites  in a block and the windows were down low and you could see in etc.   Not your normal caravan block of toilets and showers where the windows are up high just below the roof, so I decided that we would camp free this time!  This is a nice rest area close to the road but the traffic is not heavy, it has shady spots, tables, chairs, rainwater tank and drop toilets! (I just heard you say ewwwww yuck! Mum!!!)

and our tent site is right under this tree ...

Tomorrow we move onto Bingara and stay there for 2 nights ... we have changed our way to Warwick (again!) and have decided to head across to Stanthorpe from Texas!

Gunnedah to Manilla

 Gunnedah to Manilla = 68km
Cummulative totals = 1264km and 21, 265km
River gum caravan park = $10 unpowered

Today was tough, I can't remember if I last posted that Kouta was a wee bit sick on the Saturday we arrived at Gunnedah ... well last night he either suffered from an anxiety attack at 4am in the morning or he managed to become extra flexible and lick some of the flea liquid that we put at just above the base of his tail .... we are thinking the latter!
As for his anxiety attack well the past 2 nights Neil has put his clothing bag between our heads as Kouta loves to sleep up near our heads ... so in the middle of the night you could roll over and and be faced with a face full of Kouta breath or Kouta butt!!! so last night Kouta came up to us at around 4am and was not a happy chappy and since then couldn't sleep anywhere in the tent!
So it was a sleepless night for us and it was a late start as Kouta was not well in the morning ... he really looked like death!  He had his tail between his legs and head really low to the point he would sit in his basket, lean forward and then momentarily nod off to sleep and slowly his head would get lower and lower ... you know when you watch any of the following people fall asleep in the their chair ... Mum, Dad, Ray, Flo etc and even me at the odd time well he looked like that.  At one time while I was packing up my sleeping bag and mat he fell asleep leaning against the tent wall ... consider that our tent walls are soft!
So we headed off along the Oxley highway for 30km and Neil and I were both at our wits end by the time we got to the 30km point. We had the usual headwind and a strong one at that and it was a very busy highway and to make matters worse we didn't really have a shoulder to ride in.  Most of the time it was narrow or half missing and after Carroll there was no shoulder at all!  We have noticed that since we last cycled here 4 years ago (in NSW in general) that the traffic is far more courteous.  In the past they would overtake us on the other side of the road regardless if it was on a blind corner or crest but now they tend to slow right down if they can't pass us and wait until the opposite direction is clear.
Once we turned off at the Lake Keepit turnoff the traffic went to virtually 0! It is lovely riding along this back road even though it is a bit up and down but it is okay.  We have a sensational view of where we are going ... Manilla is at the very right of this mountain range ...

here is Neil amongst the backroad traffic ...

Since we had a late start and the first 30km took us for ever to complete we had to have a quick bread break about 13km out from Manilla ...

just before getting to this point I had had enough of the pesky little flies ... especially when you have to go up small hills they get sucked into your mouth, fly in you eyes and up your nose ... ah they have been with us since the start and today was just hot and sweaty so they were everywhere and I had had enough!

good look isn't it? but at least it does the job!

Very relieved to get to Manilla just on 2pm, the campground is down on the river and the lady remembered Neil from last time, she remembers most cyclists as her husband is a cyclist (we passed him as we got to the town edge).  The camp kitchen has be revamped and is tidier and absolutely fantastic.  It has everything with one exception - the freezer part of the fridge is draws and at the moment they are frozen up and over so we can't freeze my ice pack.  Otherwise it has a full oven, gas cook top, microwave, toaster, jug, cutlery, plates etc.

There are quite a few tents here - the guys next to us are hangliders we think and they all seem to know each other so there must be some hanglider club somewhere.  We did pass just after the turn off a glider plane club and saw one being towed in the sky and released.  It is quite quiet once the tow plane disappears!

We are here tomorrow ... killing time because of Easter so we coincide with the 2 shop days that are open over easter!

Coolah to Bush camp to Gunnedah

 Coolah to Bush camp at Bomera creek = 50km
Cummulative totals = 1122km and 21, 123km
Bush camp = free!!!

Bush camp to Gunnedah = 74km

Cummulative totals = 1196km and 21, 197km

Gunnedah showgrounds = $20 powered

We couldn't quite get reception last night so todays blog is a double up. We had rain during the night while at Coolah so in the morning the campground was a bit boggy (what with all the building work going on the gracks are a bit churned up).  So knowing that we were going to bush camp tonight we loaded up on drinking water  and will get washing water at Black stump rest area 10km up the road.  There is a 6km climb to get out of Coolah and with the extra drinking water I really felt it!  Unfortunately we have a headwind again today.  So we set off a little later this morning and it is up for the first 6km then up and down for 4km, picked up water at the rest area (me an extra 2 litres and Neil 5 litres).  From the rest area it is another 2km and then a reasonable downhill.  At the bottom of the first downhill you come across this sign which was here last time we came through ...

 We are on the Black Stump Way which has a notorious reputation for a bumpy and pot hole filled road and this is from car and truck drivers!  As you can see from the profile it is 20km of up and down and there is no real long down until about the 35km mark.  Before that the hills were long in getting up them and too short going down before you have to restart climbing again.
There were quite a few roadwork signs along the way but no evidence of any happening!  What we did find is that over the past 4 years since we have been here they actually have done some resealing of this road as we found bits and pieces were relatively pot hole free!
Unfortunately this stretch of road doesn't offer any place to bush camp on the other side of Tambar Springs (we found this out last time we came north and there wasn't a suitable place until 30km from Tambar and that was still out in the open!).  We had decided to look for a place between the turnoff to Premer and 5km out from Tambar.  We got to the creek and found a nice track off and camped along this track.

 Luckily all the traffic we had today was turning off at the Premer turnoff - maybe going to Tamworth so the traffic was light and quiet.
It did rain during the night but not alot.
We woke this morning to a lovely day and the wind had died down considerably and also swung to the south which meant that we had a tailwind (finally!).
From the creek bush camp it is a nasty climb to Tambar springs - fortunately they put the steep part at the start!  The hill is enough to get your ticker going!  From there you go down to the flat and with our slight tailwind we could comfortably sit on 19km per hour which is quite fast for us!  The view is sensational along here - maybe it is the time of the morning - 7am!

We ride along side by side a bit as there is no traffic this time of the morning and we take a trip down memory lane - remembering last time we came along here we made the decision to look for a spot after Tambar Springs to make the day to Gunnedah a little less.  Little did we know that along here is there is NO bushland like before Tambar Springs and it is all pastoral land ... Neil remembers it as me growling at him saying that there is no bush for me to go to the toilet or hide behind to have a wash and it is a stupid idea to do extra kms.   Whereas I remember it (more correctly mind you!) that we had a strong tailwind along here and we both searched in vane to find a suitable spot and realising that we had BOTH made the wrong decision in doing the extra kms and it is too late to turn back now!

Before we knew it we were at Mullaley which is on the corner of the Black Stump way and Oxley highway.  There is a pub and gas station on the corner and heaps of caravans there and we are wondering why they are there.  We continue on to Gunnedah and find out that they maybe there for the Country Music festival next weekend at Hartwood homestead (we met a guy at the rest area who is also going to this festival and was asking whether there is a suitable area along the black stump way to park up his big bus and trailer ... we say there isn't really!)

From Mullaley we go up, down and along a bit and it is not until the last 15km before Gunnedah that the hills get a little steeper and longer but it is okay as the wind which was coming across us (we were heading east to Gunnedah) had died down considerably so we had no wind for the first time in ages so we absolutely flew up the hills!

We made good time to Gunnedah and arrived just on 1pm.  we had decided to camp at the Showgrounds as the caravan park is very expensive even for unpowered.  The primitive camping is popular with caravaners and it is packed now as we have had a few late comers.  We have a powered spot (Geelong game tonight!)  It is nice here not many facilities just showers and toilets.  Not even a laundry so I did my washing in the foldable bucket and since there are no washing lines I have improvised and used the bike ...

Ha, ha, ha I can use my bra as headlights!!!!  my shorts are hanging of the seat, shirt of the handlebars, knickers of the mirror and towel of the back pannier bags!

We will stay here for a rest day tomorrow and since it is Easter next week we will be taking it slowly and having more rest days between Gunnedah and Warwick.  Easter is difficult to travel through anywhere as shops are closed on Fridays, Sundays and early Saturday and Monday so we have to manage it so we carry food on days that shops aren't open.

Dunedoo to Coolah

 Dunedoo to Coolah = 47km
Cummulative totals = 1072km and 21,073km
Coolah caravan park = $21 unpowered

We had a very restful day yesterday ... we spent most of the afternoon looking at NSW and Qld maps trying to find a way to Warwick without having to go on the Cunningham highway ... no luck and Easter is not helping us either!  Then onto Qld ... well we had intented to take a detour to Yeppon and take a weeks break and it nearl didn't happen yesterday ... we could get there no problem ... it was getting back out to Emerald that nearly had us sending our bathers back to Melbourne!  There is no rest area from Gracemere to Duringa which is about 105km apart and we are unsure of the area whether we could bush camp or not ... so in the end we decided to go back via Mt Morgan (we go there to get to Yeppon) on a different road and then onto to Dululu and the Duringa.  We were surprised that there was no rest areas along there until Duringa.
So you know how Neil bought copious amounts of ripe bananas ... well we are here at Coolah and we are still eating them!  Neil did make a cake with them ... I said get a plain cake mix ... he comes back with a chocolate cake mix ... so here he is making his cake ...

 we don't have a microwave so cooking a cake in it is new to us!

 they turned out quite nice

 here is Neil shoving a piece in his gob!

In the park there are quite a few big trees and we saw a few King Parrots

So this morning we left early simply because we were ready!  So off at 7.15am knowing this is a shortish day to Coolah.  It is cloudy and overcast and we are unsure about the rain.   If it does come it will be in the evening. 

We ride along the Golden highway for 10km and there is no one around this time of the morning.  We then take the Black Stump Way turnoff.  This is a lovely ride through a valley floor so you are gradually climbing up to about 500m above sea level and tomorrow is the climb over the range.

Last time we came up through here it was a beautiful sunny day but today all we have is cloud and a headwind!

One thing we noticed this time and not in the past is this rock on the side of a paddock and believe it or not it actually has trees growing out of it!!!

 We get to Coolah around 11am and the caravan park has changed dramatically.  The guy bought it 2 years ago and has developed it into a place where you have a home base and a massive carport to fit your mobile home or 5th wheeler for when you are not travelling ... the whole concept is to come back to here (your home)  when you want a break from travelling.  There are a few new small homes here scattered about the park so people have taken to this concept.  At the same time he has developed the area that use to be unpowered (a big neglected field) into powered sites and there are alot more tourists here compared to the other 2 times we have stayed here ... of course the price has gone up but it is okay.  He has built a new kitchen that is very noice!  He did mention to Neil that there is a 'happy hour' at 5pm outside this kitchen ... Neil said he will give that a miss!  So maybe that is why this park is so popular now as everyone loves happy hours ... just like when you go outback Qld!  So we are pitched alongside a small creek out of everyones way - there are builders and tradies everywhere!  Kouta loves it as across the little creek are some cows which came to say hello ... we remembered last time we were here the cows broke the fence and came onto the campground and hung around us and there was a little calf that Kouta tried to chase around the table and encourage it to play with him ... the calf couldn't figure Kouta out at all!

Tomorrow is a bush camp night just before Tambar Springs and then onto Gunnedah on Saturday.