5^th October: Nyngan

Here we are beside the Bogan River after a long day of driving through countrythat was not inspiring. Almost 600 kms through arid, rolling mostly featureless plans, seeing only flocks of emus (no stripeys!) and mobs of goats with their kids. Feral we presume! As we approached Nyngan, stunted trees and salt bush gave way to taller eucalypts and then some wheat fields. River gums grow in the sandy creek beds where water flows in the wet. I shouldn't say the plains were featureless as we came across some very unusual trees: one was flowering with coloured undies, another with shoes, the next with the socks and then there were the plastic bottle trees, the glass bottle trees and the metal can trees! It added a note of humour to the day!!

I selected this park (and there are two here) because it was the Riverside Park and I fancied camping beside water. Well, was it a hive of activity! It is a long weekend of course! Three lovely sleek ski boats with deep throated V8 in-board/out-board motors were roaring up and down the river with shrieking teenagers and children behind on floats as well as skis. At dusk, the boats were tied up but the noise didn't lessen as it was the Grand Finals of the rubgy League wasn't it!! Televisions were rigged up and the drinking parties continued to the chants and screams of support and dismay as the game progressed!! But it is a big park and people were spread out along the river bank. It is such a lovely place with lots of friendly campers and so it was all good fun!! Although the smoke from the fires did bother me, we were able to eat a special meal Gail cooked me, with bubbles, between the two vans and so I had no trouble sleeping!

This was because there was another issue: daylight saving started on my birthday! Our 600 kms took us 9 ½ hours didn't it!! We left Broken Hill at 8.00 am and arrived here at 5.30 pm local time! We gained 1 ½ hrs along the way! Very long trip!!