2 Geckos Travelling Australia: Thurs, 4th Jan, 2024 Dalrymple Creek Park, Allora, Qld to Wooldridge Fossicking Reserve at Rocky River near Uralla, NSW

Mornings are getting cooler as we head south - 18 degrees. Good night, the flying foxes were just a constant noise in the background.

Dale’s birthday today so sent him off a text.

Puffy clouds and blue sky when we headed into town to meet Colin at the Museum. I had put all I had (which was mostly of Albert Geck and his travelling sawmill etc) and the family line for 3 generations and Colin showed me what they had and I was able to copy them onto my usb so will send that to David too.

He said the main Geck sawmill was down by the park we stayed at - there is an Apiary there now so will go back and get a photo. There were cattle yards behind it. Erica didn’t do much of the actual history of the ancestors, just names, dates and descendants so we have a bit of researching to do to fill in some of the gaps in time. Hopefully Leona will help with that when I talk to her. I got this great photo off them showing Bill Sinton (who married Leona) and Harry Geck (her father) at the Geck Sawmill.

After chatting some more we gave Colin our card and thanked him for taking the time to chat with us. We then headed back to take a photo of the sawmill site. Looking through the trees from the park and the actual site.

Back past Geck Street then out of town heading south. We realised we hadn’t gotten back onto the New England Highway and had been weaving around the railway line down to Warwick.

Into Warwick and topped up the tank - only $1.785/L. Then we got out of town and back onto the New England Highway and pulled off for a cuppa where there were water points for farmers to fill up their pods etc.

Sign says we are entering the Granite Belt. Big Apple in front of a fruit shop stood out.

Then we went through Applethorpe where they do grow apples.

Passed the turn off to Stanthorpe - where Mum & Dad were married. We had visited there in 2014 to take photos of the Manse where they had stood after the wedding in front of the fire.

Passing lots of wineries as we continue south.

In Ballandean a dinosaur was standing guard by the road.

I had a note about a pyramid of stones so turned off and found it in a paddock. 17.5m high, 7500 tonnes of granite boulders. Built by Ken Stubberfield using an excavator and dump truck. Further down the road is a winery so maybe he was just clearing the ground to plant the grapes and decided to make an icon while he was at it. Very impressive.

We continued along the road hoping to get back onto the highway but there was a low rail bridge so we turned around and headed back the way we came in.

Continued south beside the railway line that didn’t fare well in recent fires. A lot of the supports have been burnt and the line is just hanging in the air. I googled it and found some information.

Stopped for lunch at the Lions Park at Wallangarra, just inside the Qld border.

As we drove off Steve said you want a photo of the border and I said no we have done that but I should have as we are in the camper now not the caravan. Oh well, next time. Managed to snap a couple of photos.

Found the photos when we crossed with the boys on the 2003 trip.

The phone changed to daylight saving time so we have lost an hour, was 1pm now 2pm.

Lots of granite boulders in the paddocks. Passing more burnt rail lines and trees. Not long before we arrived at Tenterfield. Diesel is $2.06 - just when we were enjoying the lower prices. Luckily we don’t need any so will keep and eye on the fuel app.

Love this home - Stannum House - can’t quite read the sign in the photo.

More fire damage on the other side of town too. Bluff Rock got singed too.

Lovely driving through all the poplars and gum trees in the cattle and sheep grazing land.

Looks like a bit of a climb ahead of us.

Going up a sign said Boliva Hill, 1025m.

Dark clouds are building.

Deep Water’s motto is the platypus - there are pictures of them everywhere, even the bins.

Crossed Deep Water River which didn’t have much water in it and we didn’t see a platypus!

Through Glen Innes, 9 years and 4 months since we came this way. We remember when we first headed off meeting people who had been on the road for 10 years and thinking that was so long - now look at us.

Another sign - Great Dividing Range 1150m though our Hema says 1169m.

Split the difference with the time zones and stopped for a cuppa at Glencoe at 3.30 which was 2.30 in Qld.

Up Ben Lomond Hill (I think there is a mountain in Tassie called that too), 1357m on Hema. Still climbing, 1374 to 1426m then gradually down then along to the next sign saying Ben Lomond Range, 1410m (Hema 1421m).

A few spits of rain from those dark clouds.

Next sign says Great Dividing Range next 13km as we arrive at Guyra ‘Top of the Range’ (1344m on Hema). Found a Liberty agent and topped up $1.94/L.

The sky is getting darker as we head down the range dropping 200 meters quickly to 1130m. Into sprinkles of rain.

A sign says to watch out for deer then we saw some in someone’s paddock - don’t think they were wild ones though.

Met the rain 10km north of Armidale. The rain stopped as we bypassed Armidale and continued on.

Another heavy shower as we neared Uralla. We had visited the Captain Thunderbolt sites on our first visit in 2014. Through town and out to the Wooldridge Fossicking Reserve at Rocky River where we stayed in 2014. We even found some gemstones and specks of gold when we fossicked in the river. Nice drive in.