Wednesday, 30th June 2021

Cunnamulla to Wanaaring. A distance of 290 kms, of which almost half of it was gravel road. 

We leave Cunnamulla about 9.30 and there are so many caravans and campers on the road. We stop at a little place called Eulo, and the main street is almost tow bar to bumper caravans and tourists. 

This little town, was once an opal town, on the banks of the Paroo River, and had a few pubs in it in its hay day. Today, there is just one pub, and  store selling opal pieces and some jewerlly, and a Leather craft and quilting shop, owned buy a husbanc and wife. The wife makes handbags, that are made from Kangaroo hide. We help the economy of the town and buy a coffee. 

On the road again, and we turn towards Hungerford. We have bitumen for a short time, and then we find the DIRT.  We make another stop so the dogs and Bob can have a comfort stop and the dogs have a run and play. 

Back travelling again, and we notice that the coulds are starting to build up and not long after that we get a couple of spots on the windscreen. These spots become more heavier, and we have to use the wipers. The road changes from dirt and dusty to wet and slippery. The colour of the ute chages to have a bit or rather a lot of red on it. We come across a particular wet part of the road, and the ute slides, and I see the trailer slide another way, and let out a bit of a gasp, and hang on.

I am very impressed with the skills that Bob used to get through the wet road and with the trailer slipping and sliding. The trip becomes a little bit slower, we stop at Hungerford for lunch. 

We let the dogs out for a run and within 30 seconds someone is telling us to put the dogs on leads, but they have had a pee, and they are back on the ute again. We go into the Pub, and there is no-one behind the bar, so we wait, and eventually the owner comes out and asks what he can do, and we ask what he has on offer in the way of something to eat. He says a steak sandwich, and we say that will be fine, and we get a beer to consume while he is making our lunch. 

He has been in the Pub for 11 years, and was saying that with the looming rain, the road back to Eulo, the one we had just been on, will probably get closed. So I guess we were somewhat lucky that we travelled when we did. The Pub is also the fuel station aswell. There is nothing else much at Hungerford, other than the pub and a couple of houses. And of course, the gate through to the New South Wales boarder. 

It is with some trepidation that I go into NSW as the Covid has reared it's ugly head, but we have a travel pass to get back into Queensland, so all should be good. 

We pass through the boarder gate, after a livestock truck passed through and shut the gate behind us. We are now in NSW. From Hungerford to Wanaaring, it is about 80 kms, but it takes an hour and a half due to the road and weather. 

We get to our destination, and find the caravan park, which is attached to the store and post office. We have booked a powered site, and we are the first ones to pull in to the campsite. Not long after that another couple come in, and then a bit later another camper arrives. 

We set up our camp, and watch a movie, and then we pull out the annex on the ute to use over the camper kitchen, and I cook up tea. It turns out to be a rainy night, and there is a bit of noise from other guests staying in the rooms. 

We retire for the evening watching movies.