AAA Tour - Day 17 - Broken Hill to Cobar

A long day in the saddle today, on our way back to Tamworth.

Lining up for fuel at Wilcannia

We reluctantly decided to bypass Warrawong, at Wilcannia, in favour of a long drive on the first of three days driving. This will also give us the advantage of staying the night in Gulargambone. The caravan park is one of several pieces of infrastructure which has been taken over by a collective formed by locals in order to keep their town alive. We are told that the welcome at the park is warm and the activities provided as a bonus to accommodation fees, need to be experienced. In 1978, Sue did her first prac teaching assignment at Gulargambone Central but remembers more about the pool table at the pub. I remember receiving a call from her two college mates suggesting I should come out for the weekend as she was chatting up locals at the pool table. There's more to this story but another time.

The 460kms to Cobar passed without much in the way of events worth a mention. Perhaps the most notable was the line up for fuel at Wilcannia. There is one petrol station and a fuel depot. The depot has a range of fuels, where as the petrol station has unleaded 91 & 98 and diesel ... when the pumps for 98 and diesel aren't broken or out of gas. We joined a queue of five and more piled up behind us. With the distances to travel out here, hoping you'll make it isn't an option.

During the afternoon, Sue had her first drive of the tour and her first with this van. She doesn't like driving at the best of times, so it sort of worked out that I am usually the one behind the wheel but its not realistic for her not to practice the skills needed when towing. The time may come when I am injured or sick and that's not the time to be learning how. She had a reasonably uneventful run apart from emus who wandered a little close to the edge of the road and a nerve-wracking few minutes with a B-double hard on her tail. She was fine and will hopefully have a few more stints at the wheel in the next few days.

Its no reflection on her that I hate sitting in the passenger seat. Because I have done so much driving - nearing 2 million kms - I find it hard to be comfortable when someone else is in control.

Drive through site tonight with no frills and van staying hitched for a quick getaway in the morning.