Mon, 25th Sept, 2023 Koehler Rest Area, Yamison, Qld to North Star Road Rest Area, north of Moree, NSW (exploring Moonie & Goondiwindi)

12 degrees minimum in the camper this morning though it had warmed up to 15 by the time we got up at 7.30am. The sun is shining down from a clear blue sky.

Steve did his hair dressing duties - coloured my hair!!

Back on the road and headed towards Dalby. Very bumpy road from the grain trucks on the black soil country.

Had a cuppa in a park near the Dalby Info Centre where I picked up some brochures. Drove out the Moonie Highway which is very bumpy too. We laughed when we saw the 110kph sign - we will be lucky if we got past 90 with the way the road condition is.

Turned off to Lake Broadwater. The only naturally occurring freshwater lake on the Darling Downs. Nice camping area.

Two corellas were making a racket and on closer inspection Steve spotted a goanna up near their hollow - no wonder they were screeching. They flew and tried to hit him and he whipped his tail back at them. We left them to fight it out.

Wandered up the other side where there is marked areas for vans etc. Chatted with the caretaker. Very sad to say that he had to deal with a local yesterday who wouldn’t stop his kids drawing all over the concrete seats so now he was having to clean it off. So sad there is no respect.

Walked back - the corellas have won as the goanna is on the ground but did he get into the hollow before we came and got their eggs?

Wandered along where others are parked up along the water edge. Will mark this for a return visit.

Back on the bouncy Moonie Highway. Lots of gas outlets/pumping stations in the paddocks.

Stopped for lunch at Moonie - small spot at a cross-road. Claim to fame is the Yabbie Races in March each year. This yabbie has lost a claw!

Wandered around to the Info Centre, lots of good information though about the oil fields.

The lady in Info Centre said the road on is worse than we have been over - great!

Left turn onto the Leichhardt Highway to Goondiwindi which is Annalise’s birthplace. The road condition is worse but we drive to the conditions.

Into Goondiwindi (Gundy on the shops) - ‘resting place of the birds’. Left turn first to check out some scrap sculptures near the airport. Very good.

Some interesting buildings as we drove through town.

Around to the boat ramp area for a cuppa and to look at more sculptures.

Great murals on the toilet block.

This is the Macintyre River. Flood marker up to 11 metres. Lovely big gums.

Drove through town to the Apex Park near the bridge where Gunsynd’s statue is.

Info about the Macintyre River whose name changes to the Barwon as it heads down to become the Darling River which eventually joins the Murray, making it the longest continuous river system in Australia (3370km). 2011 reached a height of 10.64m. One of the bridges across to NSW.

Beside that is the Tree of Knowledge with a curved display around it about the engineer in 1956 who came up with the levee idea to keep the town safe from floods. Fabulous flood photo.

Mural on the water tank depicting all the birds which is what Goondiwindi comes from Goonawinna which means resting place of birds. The info board was hard to read - the river was little more than a chain of waterholes connected only in good wet seasons until the Hilton Weir was built in 1942.

Across the road is the old Customs House - now the museum.

Lovely tree out the front.

Back to the river and the old pumping station. Kids are making use of the old jetty. The old ‘feet’ river level marker.

Across the bridge into NSW.

Then around and back into Qld over the newer bridge.

Around the roundabout that is so big it has a waterhole in the middle of it. Back over the bridge and back into NSW on the Newell Highway.

Around the Wobbly Boot Hotel at Boggabilla then continued on the Newell Highway towards Moree. Bit smoother road and wider but still rough.

Pulled into the North Star Road (something to do with oil I think as the next one is Bore 1) rest area. Chatted with another couple who are also full time travellers.

Lots of grain etc around, dropped by the trucks that stop here too.