17th November, 2016
We have come as far south as we are
going on this trip and the weather has certainly improved. The 40
degree days are now a pleasant 32 degrees. Yep …. still hot but
after those scorching hot days it actually feels quite pleasant. We
head north along the Newell Highway and turn left at Gilgandra. By
lunchtime we are at our next stopover – Tooraweenah Caravan Park.
We will spend a couple of nights here while we explore the area. The
red dust all over our cars and caravans get the better of Wayne and
he spends the rest of the afternoon washing his van and car.
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| We hope Wayne is going to clean our van when he finishes his .... |
The following day we head off towards
the Warrumbungle National Park. Along the way we stop for a visit at
an Emu Farm.
We are the only visitors and are taken
on a personal tour of the farm by the owner's daughter. She is very
knowledgeable about all things 'emu' and our first stop is at the
juvenile enclosure.
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| The young'uns |
Lots of chicks (both small and not so
small) to see and we learn about the incubation of the eggs and
raising of the chicks. Then it is on to one of the larger enclosures
where hundreds of emus are milling about.
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| Wok is not sure that going into a paddock full of emus is a good idea |
Inside the enclosure we get up close
and personal with some of the inmates.
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| Wayne tries to make friends
|
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| And Wok has found two emus eager for a pat |
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| And this emu kept coming back for more - Looks like we get to take it home |
We thought that there wasn't much to
learn about emus but we were mistaken. Our personally guided tour
has taken about an hour and we thoroughly enjoyed out time with them.
It was well worth stopping for a visit. We leave the emu farm and
head east into the Warrumbungle National Park. We stop and take a
walk to White Gum Lookout where this volcanic landscape spreads out
before you.
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| Well it is quite obvious why this is called White Gum Lookout |
This park is home to Australia's
largest optical astronomy research facility at Siding Spring
Observatory
and we spend some time wandering around
the information centre before heading up to the large dome housing
the giant telescope.
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| Wok and Wayne outside the observatory |
From the public viewing area inside the
dome we can see just how enormous the telescope is
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| Wayne checks out the telescope |
and outside there is a grand view of
the volcanic peaks of the Warrumbungles.
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| The Warrumbungles |
It was only a few years ago that a
massive fire storm swept through the Warrumbungles destroying much of
the habitat. The observatory was extremely lucky in sustaining only
the loss of a couple of buildings. The research buildings and
observatory domes escaped the inferno. It is good to see the trees
and undergrowth in the park sprouting new growth and starting to look
green again. Back in Tooraweenah that night we walk around to the
pub for dinner on the verandah. Every Saturday a fundraiser group
puts on dinner outside the pub which raises money for their specific
charity. One week it can be for the pony club, the next week for the
school, etc. etc. We certainly don't mind supporting these kind of
events and the meal was quite good too.
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| Outside the pub in Tooraweenah |
Time to move on. We are heading north
to Moree and along the way stop off at a rest area. Hidden around
the corner at the back of the rest area was a small gorge which had
water cascading down its cliff face into a pool. Very picturesque.
It has been quite a while since we had
visited Moree. Its main claim to fame is its Artesian Baths but we
had not come here for that. With the daytime temperature still in
the early 30's the last thing we want to do is soak ourselves in hot
water. We have come to visit our niece Rhonda and husband David who
is doing a country stint as a paramedic. We have just set up camp in
the showgrounds when David rolls up in his ambulance to pay a quick
visit.
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| Wayne, David and Wok - with ambulance at Moree |
We arrange to meet up with the family
for dinner that evening at a local hotel and have a great time
catching up with everyone.
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Back row - Rhonda, Wayne, Robyn
Front row - David, Jessica, Brendan, Ethan, Wok |
The following day we break camp and
take the road east. The weather is beginning to get a little cooler
… only 30 degrees today ! Woohoo … !
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