Safari 2018- June 23rd & 24th

June  23rd  2018..Goulburn River NP

Apart from the minus 4 deg morning we enjoyed our campsite by the Turan River. The friendly female kangaroo and young greeted us again. Last night they enjoyed our scraps of pumpkin.

Bull Rushes in green Goulburn River

We travelled NE to Mudgee where we refilled our water tanks and ate lunch. From there we have continued in a north easterly direction to the Goulburn River National Park. You would think that we were in Victoria with a name like that but No, we are actually north-east of Sydney. The gravel road in was rather slow but we have settled at the clean and attractive Spring Gully Campground. Hopefully we have chosen a spot where the early sun will find us after the longest night of the year. The bush is rather like the Chiltern or Eldorado bush land. To make the area more familiar we found a signpost to ‘Kelly Gap Track’. 

Once again it was very cold overnight and the morning was overcast with fog and cloud  around the hill tops…yes very cold. However the day was warm enough to dry washing and towels. We have been about camp all day apart from 2 good walks along the road which is quite hilly with gravel wash aways.

We are sitting by a campfire with the sun long gone. It actually set behind the nearby hilltops about 4.00pm making the shortest day of the year even shorter.

Kangaroos and emus are about our camp. An emu actually removed a ball of cotton thread from the table where I was working as well as my tiny scissors. Pied Butcher birds, Little Ravens and Currawongs visited from time to time. 

This park has about a dozen very clean camp sites so we have enjoyed our stay. It is quite remote without phone or internet contact.

We must continue to move north tomorrow or closer to the coast, with the thought of warmer nights in mind.

 

June 23nd

Very cold again probably minus 5 deg with everything very white.  We packed and headed for Cessnock. The drive through bushland and mountains was lovely. Farmlands appeared dry and frosted. A very long train transporting coal was an unexpected activity. The mullock heaps from the coal mines were extensive and high.

We have booked into the Wine Country Tourist Park a little north of Cessnock for 2 nights. This will provide us with mains power and a laundry to do a weeks washing. 

Frosted wood pile at minus 5 deg

Tomorrow I expect we will explore the wineries and vineyards of the Hunter Region.

June 24th...a lovely day exploring the Food & Wine of the Hunter Region around Cessnock.
We bought olives, cheeses, honey, several pieces of clothing  and we will drink some wine this evening. It is a really great area for the Gourmet Traveller.