Yackety Yack, Day 17 – Off to Narrabri

Day 17 Thursday 25/5/2023, Gunnedah to Narrabri, minus 2 to 23

Another glorious morning, it’s icy cold but the sight of a deep blue sky and gum trees through the shower roof hatch does wonders for the soul. We have a new bathmat, two in fact, as we both bought one. I’d mistakenly left the others at home. It’s warm and fluffy underfoot.

We’ve made a point this trip of getting away at 9:00am though Woody still seems to gallop about in a rush. God, I hate to rush brekkie. We leave the park which now has more dogs than people and pick up the Kamilaroi Highway. We pass the sale yards on our right and to our left a coal mine. There are flat plains with hills dotted at random. Cotton fields look to us like flattened lamingtons, all chocolate brown and dotted with white. We have glimpses of the Namoi River glistening in the sun.

A sign in Boggabri advertises “Kelpie pups $350 chipped and wormed”. Boggabri is a decent-sized town with a homely dusty aspect. Large timber homes with wide over-protecting roofs. A young woman sits on a north-facing veranda, having a cuppa in the warm morning sun.

We pass through Baan Baa and there’s not a sheep in sight. Though we do spot another dead pig. The scenery begins to change but I can’t describe how, it just feels different. We join the Newell Highway again just south of Narrabri and head for the Showgrounds.

The Narrabri Showgrounds are neatly mown and nowhere near as busy as they were last year. We ring the caretaker and when she tells us that we can have 7 nights for the price of 5, we’re all in agreement, it will be a good chance for Elle to catch her breath. It’s peaceful, warm, we’re in T-shirts at last and there’s always the horses to talk to.

Woody walks into town while VeeWee and I chat with the caretaker and the horses. We hear from Elle, she’s at Peak Hill and expects to be here tomorrow and Mrs. Have a Chat who is making good time heading south passed Elle today.